Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, Fannie Barrier Williams, and Egbert Ethelred Brown are just a few of the people we will celebrated during Black history Month as we heard stories of our Black Unitarian Universalist ancestors. Our history as a faith movement has been shaped by the work and the lives of countless Black leaders. In this service we will honored their legacy and let it teach us how to live ever more fully into the beloved community. View the AE slideshow presentation.
Minister Notes
Holiday Blessings!
Midwinter is such a magical time of year. In the northern hemisphere, it is the season of the winter solstice. The days leading up to Christmas, what Christians call Advent, is traditionally a time of prayer and fasting. In Judaism, this is celebrated as Hanukkah, when miraculously the menorah lights in the sacred temple remained lit for eight days and nights. And for pagans, Yule is a time to celebrate the return of the light and literally sing the world once again into creation. All of these traditions speak to the importance of having faith during uncertainty and preparing for the blessing that is coming, even if a part of you fears it may never come.
Each year this is our opportunity to let faith become a spiritual practice. As Unitarian Universalists working for justice, it can be difficult to keep the faith these days. But the miracles of the season—the birth of a baby, the lights of the menorah, the returning of the sun—remind us that miracles happen every day. And when we gather together to witness to them, we build a more resilient community. The awe that we feel when we pause and honor our lives in this way will sustain us in the months ahead.
Because on the heels of this season is the turning of the year itself, in the secular calendar, and we welcome the new. This time we are welcoming an entirely new decade. The 2020s! This is definitely worth a pause. Some of us probably wondered if KUUF would see this decade. And here we are, still together, gathered in this community and going strong. In fact, we are growing!
I hope you take some time this holiday season to honor all that has been and all that is to come. KUUF is entering this decade with renewed vitality, and this is due to those who had faith during a time of darkness. And as we witnessed at our Christmas pageant this month, babies continue to be born, lights continue to be lit, and the sun rises once again.
May your celebrations be blessed. And may you ring in the new year with hope in your heart, knowing you are surrounded by this loving, beloved community of kindred souls.
Rev. Jessica
The Joy of Multi-Gen
This summer KUUF held its very first “mini” chalice camp, where children and adults and elders all came together to sing camp songs, play silly games and make art. The multigenerational relationship is one of the joys of being a part of KUUF and necessary for building the beloved community. Let us gather this Sunday to honor our hard-earned wisdom while also welcoming what’s new, making space for the gifts that each one of us brings.