#unitarian universalist church

[spiritualbutnotreligious2-0]

New Religious/Spiritual Experience!!!

So I have had one twisty turny road of a spiritual journey full of so many different types of churches, but I could never find one that fit me. I have a past with different denominations including nondenominational, but have come to develop different ideas that don't fit in with Christianity.

That being said, I have been lacking an organized spiritual connection, and my current (for the past few years officially) personal path (pagan wiccan) has taken a back seat to the chaos in my life.

One thing I have been doing once a month for the past few months, though, is going to a monthly pot luck meeting for LGBTQIA+ elders (they have accepted me into their group, even though I am only 30). These meetings have been happening at our local unitarian universalist church on their off days (Saturdays) as they have donated the meeting space to the group.

I had been curious for some time about what a service at this type of church would be like because supposedly it is a place where people of all faiths (not just non denominational Christian) come together to worship, and I didn't know what that's like.

I ended up getting invited 3 weeks ago to one of their services because one of the church members attended our potluck as a guest, and she invited me. I ended up going, and it was quite different from anything I had seen before.

The first thing I noticed was that once again, I was the youngest person attending (everyone else had been attending since, like the 80s). There were also only 20 people that attended, which they said was a lot of people.

The day I attended, it also happened to be United Nations Day, so the service was totally centered around hat topic, even the songs we sung; then after we had a meal with a United Nations celebration cake for desert.

Overall it was an enlightening experience, and even though I haven't gone back these past 2 weeks (the following weekend I was out of town with a friend, and last weekend I just wasn't feeling up to leaving the house) I would definitely go again. I don't know if I will become a member since it still feels like too organized of a religion (as it I don't feel comfortable anymore being part of an organized religion), but I'm always up for watching their live streams and learning new things. I am still going to go to my monthly potluck meetings though so maybe I will end up attending a session or two more of in person church services. At least at that church.

Well, that is all for now. Join me next time when I share my personal spiritual/religious journey that led me to the path I'm on now.

[daziechane]

Consent, autonomy, kids, and ourselves

Not gonna lie, it's going to get weird for the next few years. "Grab 'em by the pussy" will not only be locker room talk but the law of the land. It's time to prepare and protect our kids and ourselves.

But how?

Register your kids, ALL YOUR KIDS, and yourselves for an OWL class.

Our Whole Lives is a series of six comprehensive sexuality curricula for children, teenagers, young adults and adults published by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries.[1][2] Publication was the result of seven years of collaborative effort by the two faiths to prepare material which addresses sexuality throughout the lifespan in age-appropriate ways.

The Our Whole Lives program operates under the idea that well informed youth and young adults make better, healthier decisions about sexuality than those without complete information. OWL strives to be unbiased and teaches about heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and transgender sexual health. In addition to information on sex, OWL is intended to help children, youth, and adults to be emotionally healthy and responsible in terms of their sexuality.[3] (x)

TL;DR: OWL is a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curriculum that promotes healthy, informed, and inclusive attitudes about sexuality, relationships, and identity. Designed for various age groups, OWL emphasizes self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, and justice in a values-based framework.

Lifespan you say? So, you're teaching little kids about condoms and anal?

No, you eejit. Each curriculum approaches topics differently based on the age of participants. The K-1 curriculum, for example, looks at bodily autonomy, family, trusted adults, and that a sperm, egg, and uterus are required to make a baby.[6][7] The curriculum for older adults, on the other hand, might discuss aging, disability, dating as an older person, and body image.[7] (x)

But it's religious and I'm not.

Look- I'm a heathen, and proudly so. And I'm a trained OWL facilitator. This curriculum is designed to be offered with a liberal religious component or without. Find one that works for you. There's no proselytizing, no guilt, no judgement.

I have a ton of kids; how do I know which class is best for each one?

Each of the seven curricula speak to participants' needs, by age group: - grades K-1 - grades 4-6 - grades 7-9 - grades 10-12 - young adults - adults - older adults (x)

I don't want someone else teaching my kids sex ed. I'll be able to handle it when it comes.

OWL is designed to augment what you teach your kids. In fact, one of the things that each class starts with is an adult orientation that affirms parents and guardians as their children's primary sexuality educators.

I already know everything.

No. You don't. Trust.

I'm not in the USA. What is there for me and my family?

There are Unitarian Universalist organizations in Europe that may offer OWL. OWL has been offered in the Philippines. I don't know about elsewhere, but I'd be happy to help you find something if you're outside the US. If nothing else, you can download the Books and Media Recommendation list and start the discussion with your kids yourself.

I'm still unsure.

That's ok. Here's a short video that will give you an idea of how topics are presented, even to the little ones:

I'm not telling you how to raise your kids or how to act as your own grown-ass adult. I am suggesting that we're all going to need all the tools in our toolboxes to make it through the next few years and the rest of our lives. Here are some more for you to use.

Let me know if you have any questions. I want to help.

[cvsette]

The thing about church is that I would love to go to a Place every Sunday and have the ritual of a group service and hear music and sing with the rest of the attendees and listen to a sermon about a Topic and reflect on how to be a better, kinder, more self-sacrificing person and feel very small in the universe but also feel as though I can do something to help those around me and in the broader community and have volunteer opportunities to do just that. But the thing is I will always feel like an imposter because I can’t make myself believe in God outside of being in a metaphorical foxhole. Anyways who’s down to invent agnostic Episcopalianism

[jyndor]

liberals will happily support liberation on tv or in a book. but they'll never support it when it's knocking on their doors.

how many more tens of thousands of palestinians have to be murdered before you care more about them their idk a fucking tv show. or a burger. or a politician.

like meanwhile the world is never going to be the same. how can it just go on for you like nothing's happening?????????

[bodhimcbodeface]

Had a weird dream about a double funeral for Leonard Cohen and Nie Mingjue

[transsekai]

Me when I'm asked about my church

[uu-devotional-blog]

If anyone is interested I have a couple of religious/religious-adjacent playlists to share.

X A playlist with more church-y music like hymns.

X A more pop/folk-centered playlist.

[apollo-zero-one]

I'm gonna read the Bible and start praying and possibly going back to church, I only wanna go to a UU church though because that's the only kind I ever felt safe in, and the nearest one I will have to see if the busses run there that early or if I could theoretically bike it...

I'm going to try to find a job with Sunday/Monday/Tuesday off (or at least Sun-Mon off), so I'll work Wed-Sat, and also days, possibly first shift? I want to get off nights though. We'll see. But I'd like to start going to church every Sunday like I did as a kid. I'd like to learn the prayers I rejected for so long. I feel disconnected from the Universe and maybe faith will soothe that. It can't hurt.

[captain-lovelace]

I kind of wish the Christian denomination poll included Unitarian Universalism so you could get Unitarian Universalists fighting over whether or not they’re Christian in the notes

[nientedal]

I heard "America was founded by religious extremists who were kicked out of their own country" when I was a kid in the 1990s...but I heard it from my parents. They were Unitarian Universalists and super not interested in starry-eyed veneration of extremist Christian sects. At school it was exclusively the "fled to escape persecution" narrative.

[girlspecimen]

i do think eastern orthodox is the dopest sect of christianity because it’s not jerking itself off so hard as catholicism but it knows to not be boring like protestantism and keeps cool stuff like spiritual clothing and idolatry walls. however as much as i think it rocks there is no place for me in the church

[wayzata]

New Art Exhibit at Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka Explores Climate and Social Justice

Erik John Olson. Submitted photo. A striking new art exhibit, Justice Matters, by local artist Erik Jon Olson, is now on display at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka. Olson’s work delves into environmental and social justice issues, presenting themes of climate change, melting glaciers, oil spills, wildfires, and mass consumerism through a unique artistic lens. What sets Olson’s…

[catherinevongro]

so at church today there was a guest who I think uses hir/hirs pronouns (I couldn't see hir entire nametag). And one of the new member people came up to make sure I was introduced to hir because I'm chair of the LGBT welcoming committee. And he was using "she", etc. And I tried to correct him (and when he was introducing me, he also called me "she", and I'm now going by 'they' at least a church), but I'm not sure it stuck?

Anyway, it's so so so hard to get people to understand that they can't just know the pronouns someone uses, they have to actually use them.

[cokakoala]

My church talked about this the other day!

Our speaker shuffled to the podium and began with “I know we’ve talked about diversity at length - race, sexuality, disability… Today we’re going to look at another metric.”

She gestured to our group - most with white hair, “We can’t deny, we have a bit of an age demographic here.”

Our group laughed, because it’s true. That day we discussed how church attendance has been declining for the past 20 years, and young people just don’t come. Why not? We all know our church is great! Every Sunday we have fresh brownies, hot tea, and a great attitude.

The minister said it basically boils down to “Organized religion gets stuffy. Our Rules for Gathering are founded in keeping energy levels low, keeping things, well, organized. Maybe it’s time for an overhaul.”

“The most important thing a church can do today to accommodate young adults is to ease their loneliness. I think that should be our new focus. Our space can also be a space for the things young people like. Maybe we can host a D&D group! Or watch movies!”

As a young adult, I really appreciated that service.

i am so serious when i say we as young adults are so starved and deprived of community

[used-nudes]

biked to church and from church to work! im so powerful!!