Philosophy of Religious Education

Wondering what the future of Unitarian Universalist religious education is?

You don't need to wonder for long ... just ask your Director of Religious Education.

Distinct themes ran through the recent Philosophy of Religious Education weekend at Camp de Benneville Pines.

Intergenerational, family-focused, multicultural, multi-sensory, fun, steeped in intentional UU community ... those were some of the concepts that surfaced.

I'm looking forward to hearing more ideas about the future of lifespan faith development.

Views of the Bible

Recently the Barna Group published findings about how different generational groupings view the Bible.

In our Unitarian Universalist churches, I experience a range of attitudes about the Bible, from reverence to painful past memories.

The Barna group discovered that the Mosaic generation (ages 18-25) and the Buster generation (ages 26-44 - hey, do we get a say in that name?) have some pretty significant changes in the way they view the Bible, versus the older generations.

Some changes in Bible beliefs in these age groups:

• Less sacred than older generations believe it to be
• Less accurate - they are less likely to believe it is accurate
• More universalism - they see the Bible teaches same spiritual truths as other world religions
• Skepticism of origins - more questions about the authenticity of the texts
• Less engagement with the Bible - younger generations spend significantly less time reading the Bible than older ones
• Bible appetite - among the Mosaics, there is slightly significant more interest in learning more about the Bible

How might this affect our ministries and programming with people under 44?

I am especially intrigued by the finding that the Mosaics are above average in their quest to just know more about this sacred text that is referenced so many times in Western culture. When I started my university education, not knowing anything about it was a big hindrance in my understanding of art, western history, and western literature. Could a class on a liberal interpretation of the Bible be a draw for a campus ministry group?

Just wondering.

post GA ponderings

The UU "big dance" is over for another year. Surprisingly, I was sad to miss the last day (and happy to be home with my man ... life is all about holding disparate emotions). The past few years I've dreaded GA a little bit (don't tell anyone!). But this year seemed different.

It might have been the snow-capped mountains, the clean city, the abundance of vegan food, the discovery of the quiet, lovely "City Creek Park" with the stream bubbling through it. As I was leaving, and dreaming about an eventual move to Salt Lake City, I realized while those things were cool, they didn't completely create the warm and fuzzy feeling I had.

It was the people. All the Unitarian Universalist friends - coming together to Stand on the Side of Love. To laugh, pray, think, reason, dance, share meals, converse, and play together. I feel like we spent a week saying a great big "YES" together - yes we can change the world, yes we can agree to disagree, yes this faith touches us deeply, yes each of us matter. We are not alone. I can't wait til Minneapolis. With love.

into the future with Peter

The word is out; as soon as my plane landed at LAX I was on my phone, checking the Twitter updates to see who had won the UUA Presidency. It was Peter Morales with 59% of the vote.

Congratulations, Peter. As you say on your website, "we begin our campaign to govern together," and you will honor the "diversity of our districts and our congregations."

We've had a great 8 years with President Bill Sinkford, and in some ways tonight we begin again; we get to reimagine who we are ... or perhaps not reimagine as much as continue to deepen who we know ourselves to be. We continue that journey of becoming a great faith movement that stands on the side of love.

UULMCA healthcare curriculum

UULMCA is an amazing organization. Their executive director rocks (go Lindi!); they are creating an energetic, skilled, passionate staff team; and they are doing better and better and mobilizing volunteers in CA to make a real difference at a policy level.

And now they have a new healthcare curriculum - if you are at GA, drop by the table, flip through it, and put your name on the order list!

Healthcare reform can be really confusing (what's the difference between single payer and public option?); what's the history of healthcare? what's the real cost of our current healthcare system?

This well-written and well-thought out curriculum leads groups through those, and other questions; handouts, readings, opening words, hymns to sing, questions and activities - all are included.

And if you DO swing by the UULMCA table at GA, make sure to say HI to Anne and Betty Jeanne, healthcare reform enthusiasts in the accompanying photo - watch out, they may sign you up for something!

Standing on the Side of Love

The UUA's new public witness campaign, Standing on the Side of Love, was kicked off yesterday. A huge banner was hung outside the convention center and GA attendees heard about the goals and strategies during the opening plenary address by President Bill Sinkford.

From a recent USA Today news article on the campaign:

The “Standing on the Side of Love” campaign will try to rally local leaders and clergy to publicly oppose violence and mobilize their more than 1,000 congregations online. Their goal: to counter the estimated 7,500 hate crimes nationwide against individuals motivated by race, religion, political ideology or sexual orientation.

The UUA is also hoping the campaign will help shape public policy on issues that impact human dignity — particularly immigration reform and hate-crimes legislation that is currently stalled on Capitol Hill, said the campaign’s directors.

The best thing from my perspective? All the amazing volunteers at GA wearing bright yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" T's, asking people to contact their legislators to support and co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Yeah ... we're not just standing, we're MOVING.

veg food in SLC

Eating a plant-based diet is key to my own identity as a religious person, and sometimes it's frustrating to go to a church event and find there is little to eat. That's certainly not the case this year in Salt Lake City at our annual General Assembly.

There are vegan-specific restaurants, like the wonderful Sage's Cafe just a short 20 minute walk from my hotel. www.sages.com. Meals there are hearty and satisfying, and it feels very warm and comfy inside.

And many restaurants around the convention center boast vegetarian menus, and/or clearly have vegetarian and vegan options clearly marked on the menu. Naked Fish, Blue Iguana, and Squatters Pub are the three names I can remember right now.

This is especially great this year as we delve deeper into the Ethical Eating study action issue.

Happy eating!