by Kitty Merrill | Mar 4, 2019 | Justice Actions
A few
Sundays ago I taught y’all to sing Narrow Bridge, with lyrics adapted from
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, an 18th century Jewish sage, mystic, storyteller. His
words inspired Jews in the Holocaust, and someone put them to music.
He wrote: All the world is just a narrow bridge, And
above all is not to fear, not to fear at all.
I have
found I cannot live (or lead) from fear.
It’s
been true for a while, though in recent years it has become clearer to me –
clearer and more of an imperative.
There
are forces in the world that are trying to make us afraid because when we are
afraid we are easier to manipulate. That makes me angry, yet I cannot live from
fear because it makes me feel icky inside. (Yes, ick is a theological term in
my lexicon.)
Rather
I want to live from integrity, intentionally and authentically, from a sense of
abundance, trusting and trustworthy, generously noticing the goodness and
beauty all about me. Living that way opens my heart, makes me want to reach out
and connect, helps me find the strength to speak out against injustice and for
love and possibility.
And if
people facing holocaust can speak of walking the narrow bridge of life without
fear, then so can I. So, I encourage you also to fear not. To live in abundance
and possibility. To see clearly and act fiercely. Yet not to fear.
I urge
you to take up a practice of generosity – toward yourself and the world. And, yes,
this is stewardship season, so I am now speaking of your generosity toward the
church.
And,
yes, Celebration Sunday – when we make our pledges for the next year in the
Sunday service – is March 17.
So yes,
part of what I mean is being generous with our financial resources.
Yet,
bringing a spirit of generosity to our lives is about far more than that. It is
a form of resistance to forces that would make you afraid. (If you have read
this far, please email me for a prize.) Generosity is a strategy for both
resistance and resilience.
The
next two years are an important time in the life of the church.
Look
for a letter from Board President Bryan Buck (if you have not already received
it) about a unique matching opportunity for your gift to the church this year
in which increases in your pledge will be matched up to three times.
We’ve
been talking for a full year (and longer) about becoming financially
sustainable. There are several ways that can happen, though raising more in
annual pledges will carry over best. We know not everyone can increase their
giving, and I ask that you consider this request. If you can increase your
annual giving, I hope that it can also give you a sense of joy and abundance.
I see
such an abundant, generous, and joyful spirit alive at UUVentura.
Let us
continue to grow that spirit.
With
Love, Rev. Dana
by Kitty Merrill | Feb 7, 2019 | Justice Actions
In looking for signs of an early Spring, like a Groundhog shadow or a Valentine’s Day card, I hope everyone has noticed the outside of our building was recently painted. There is a freshness to the church exterior that reflects the care and attention given to it by our Buildings and Grounds Team (B & G). The most physical work we have is maintaining our facilities. Helping on a Church Work Day is a great way to show support and appreciate what B & G does for the UUCV. We don’t have the funds to fix everything right now. That means we have some deferred maintenance. Large projects like repaving the parking lot may need a capital campaign to fund the work. If we are willing to wait until the Major Maintenance Fund is replenished, it may be a couple of years before the parking lot is repaved, slurry coated and re-striped for spaces. Maintenance issues are an example of making difficult choices with limited financial resources. We know repairs need to be made and yet due to the large costs involved, we must learn to wait. Our church budget-making process can be looked at in the same way. We know that we want something for a committee, or that we are struggling in some area due to a lack of staffing, but because the resources are limited, we may have to wait or make a difficult choice. This dynamic of balancing priorities often reminds me of the phrase; “It’s a good idea whose time has not yet come.” It’s that question of: What do we want, versus what do we need?
As we begin drafting the budget for 2019-2020, we are like
the month of February with its promise and potential. We hope to plant seeds
that will grow into something beautiful. The early thinking is that we are in
an improved situation due to no longer having a Membership Manager. We also
have the benefit of an increase in pledging revenue because of new folks
joining the UUCV. Yet, just because it looks like we may be on the right path
in resolving our deficit and right sizing the church, it does not mean that we
can breathe a sigh of relief. There is a lot that goes into the making of our
budget. Financial statements make for unexciting reading. At best they are a
combination of reality and imagination.
Ours is an expression of dreams. We see it as a “moral”
document that supports our values and mission. If we want to do more at the UUCV,
do more in our community, and do more in the world, we will need to continue to
learn what it means to grow our generosity. To grow in the giving of time,
talent, and treasure. We know, when we have numbers, a larger membership, we
can spread out the financial support of the UUCV. On March 17 we will have a
Stewardship event called Celebration Sunday. On that day we ask everyone to
reaffirm their pledge and if possible, to increase your financial giving to the
church.
We ring the bell three times. Once for those who came
before; once for those who are here now; and once for those who are yet to
come. I hope you will commit to that legacy by reaching, stretching in your
pledge, giving what you can, even if it is not what you are longing to give.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, UUCV Board President
by Kitty Merrill | Feb 7, 2019 | Minister, Services Past
I love the image of the Hindu god Indra’s net, stretching out in all directions, weaving the universe in place. At each intersection where the strands cross each other sits a glittering jewel, and each jewel reflects the light of every other jewel. So what happens to one jewel, happens to all.
A net or web is a good metaphor for a congregation the size we have become. There is no longer a center around which everything revolves. We remain as connected as ever, though it can feel a bit disconcerting because no one knows everything or everything that is going on. Not even – perhaps especially not even – the minister.
The many cross currents and groups and new initiatives in the church these days are varied and exciting. We have even found that our financial situation, while still a concern, is nowhere near as serious as we thought
last fall. A combination of staffing changes, new members and growing generosity is helping.
Our commitment to our homeless neighbors and to environmental justice remains strong.
The newest Action Team for Immigrant Rights has lit a fire in many hearts about the treatment of migrants at our borders. And meanwhile our Five For Five Force – the five-year vision task force made up of five dedicated souls – has been hard at work. At this phase much of that work has been a bit in the background. We’ve been compiling input from three congregational gatherings – two led by the Board of Trustees in September and January, and one led by 545 Force in October.
With all that input, we have come up with a very draft-y, working vision statement.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura gathers to:
• Invite connections and diversity
• Spark and nurture free journeys of spiritual growth
• Reach out to create a more just and loving community, in harmony with nature.
We do not intend this to be a final statement, just a guide for our visioning work, a framework around which we can build our vision for the next five years. These days are a fascinating time to be doing visioning work. We are as a congregation still living into the bold visions of the last decade. All the work we do – gathering together in worship, small groups, religious education classes and more, reaching out to heal the world beyond our
walls – all of it is adding to the sum total of love and justice in the world.
We are being the church in profound ways, and the world needs us now more than ever. Let us remember, too, the words of Howard Thurman. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what brings you alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”Let us think big, dream together, and come alive. For as we do, our aliveness will reflect in everyone else’s in Indra’s net and together we will bring forth more life and love.
With Love, Rev. Dana
by Kitty Merrill | Feb 7, 2019 | Justice Actions
I love the image of the Hindu god Indra’s net, stretching out in all directions,
weaving the universe in place. At each intersection where the
strands cross each other sits a glittering jewel, and each jewel reflects the
light of every other jewel. So what happens to one jewel, happens to all.
A net or web is a good metaphor for a congregation the size we have
become. There is no longer a center around which everything revolves.
We remain as connected as ever, though it can feel a bit disconcerting
because no one knows everything or everything that is going on. Not
even – perhaps especially not even – the minister.
The many cross currents and groups and new initiatives in the church
these days are varied and exciting. We have even found that our financial
situation, while still a concern, is nowhere near as serious as we thought
last fall. A combination of staffing changes, new members and growing
generosity is helping.
Our commitment to our homeless neighbors and to environmental justice
remains strong.
The newest Action Team for Immigrant Rights has lit a fire in many hearts
about the treatment of migrants at our borders.
And meanwhile our Five For Five Force – the five-year vision task force
made up of five dedicated souls – has been hard at work. At this phase
much of that work has been a bit in the background. We’ve been compiling
input from three congregational gatherings – two led by the Board of
Trustees in September and January, and one led by 545 Force in October.
With all that input, we have come up with a very draft-y, working vision
statement.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura gathers to:
• Invite connections and diversity
• Spark and nurture free journeys of spiritual growth
• Reach out to create a more just and loving community, in harmony
with nature.
We do not intend this to be a final statement, just a guide for our visioning
work, a framework around which we can build our vision for the next
five years.
These days are a fascinating time to be doing visioning work. We are as
a congregation still living into the bold visions of the last decade. All
the work we do – gathering together in worship, small groups, religious
education classes and more, reaching out to heal the world beyond our
walls – all of it is adding to the sum total of love and justice in the world.
We are being the church in profound ways, and the world needs us now
more than ever.
Let us remember, too, the words of Howard Thurman. “Don’t ask what
the world needs. Ask what brings you alive, and go do that, because what
the world needs is people who have come alive.”Let us think big, dream together, and come alive. For as we do, our aliveness will reflect in everyone else’s in Indra’s net and together we will bring forth more life and love.
With Love, Rev. Dana
by Kitty Merrill | Feb 7, 2019 | News (home)
by Kim Prieto, Feb. 2019
The 545 Vision Task Force has been working to synthesize the input we’ve received from the congregation to date. Informed by feedback from congregational meetings and surveys conducted by the board over the past year and from our congregational vision brainstorming session last fall, we’ve created a working draft of a new church mission statement. A mission statement is a formal summary of the aims and values of the church, in a concise format. Please sit with this and think about it for a while. There will be opportunities in the future to provide more input.
The mission of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura is to:
• Invite connections and diversity
• Spark and nurture free journeys of spiritual growth
• Reach out to create a more just and loving community, in harmony with nature
