July 22- August 1, 2011, 19 FUSS youth and 6 adults traveled to Guatemala to work with an organization called Safe Passage. Guatemala is a country of great beauty and great poverty.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Guatemala: A brief photo essay
July 22- August 1, 2011, 19 FUSS youth and 6 adults traveled to Guatemala to work with an organization called Safe Passage. Guatemala is a country of great beauty and great poverty.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Guatemala
I am posting this from Antigua, Guatemala. I am here with 19 UU youth and 6 adults participating as support team members for Safe Passage. The days have been busy and full. If I could post pictures now I would.
The pictures would included our youth learning how to waltz in preparation for the Quinceneras, then learning a contemporay dance from the 15 -year old girls for whom we are here hosting this celebration.
There would be picture of smiling children hugging our youth who are working with them in English classes, playing games and reading stories. There would be pictures of our youth smiling too, while they taught second graders origami, lanyard making, mask making and beading.
There would be pictures depicting great poverty against a backdrop of beautiful, green mountains. Mayan women walking with great loads on their backs. Women older and stronger then me. Children carried close in colorful cloth slings. Spanish style buildings and squatter communities with homes built of whatever matierial they can gather from the nearby garbage dump.
Our youth have been spectacular here. We are a large group and have worked long and hard to be an intentional community together. We worship together each night and different groups of youth lead.
As I work and play and learn and get very very tired, I keep hearing the words of an Aboriginal Activist float through my mind, "If you are here to help, you are wasting your time. But if you are here because your libreration is bound up with mine, let us work together." I think that's what we are doing as we see ourselves as global citizens.
The pictures would included our youth learning how to waltz in preparation for the Quinceneras, then learning a contemporay dance from the 15 -year old girls for whom we are here hosting this celebration.
There would be picture of smiling children hugging our youth who are working with them in English classes, playing games and reading stories. There would be pictures of our youth smiling too, while they taught second graders origami, lanyard making, mask making and beading.
There would be pictures depicting great poverty against a backdrop of beautiful, green mountains. Mayan women walking with great loads on their backs. Women older and stronger then me. Children carried close in colorful cloth slings. Spanish style buildings and squatter communities with homes built of whatever matierial they can gather from the nearby garbage dump.
Our youth have been spectacular here. We are a large group and have worked long and hard to be an intentional community together. We worship together each night and different groups of youth lead.
As I work and play and learn and get very very tired, I keep hearing the words of an Aboriginal Activist float through my mind, "If you are here to help, you are wasting your time. But if you are here because your libreration is bound up with mine, let us work together." I think that's what we are doing as we see ourselves as global citizens.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
General Assembly in North Carolina, next, Phoenix!
 |
| Charlotte, NC |
"We are not a religious tradition with a creed, but a religious movement that has always wedded social justice work to theology."—James Luther Adams
Over 4000 UU's came to GA in North Carolina this past June. It seemed to me to represent the best of what Unitarian Universalism offers this world: radical self- awareness and questioning, spiritual practice, beloved community, all in the spirit of creating a world with more equity, justice and more joy. The local paper, wrote an interesting piece that made the front page. It was a tremendous experience and I am looking forward to sharing some of what I learned.
Next year, June 20 -24, 2012, GA is in Phoenix, AZ and it's a special "Justice" GA. You''ll hear lots about it in the year to come.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Celebrating May!
Sometimes, gathering together with all ages just to celebrate our community and the space we occupy can be an invaluable religious education experience.
Last time we gathered for RE.. .
Together we raked and weeded our space.
We cleaned up our labyrinth and offered a bubble blessing!
If you were not there, we missed you! Hope to see you at RE Games day this Sunday our traditional all-ages extra fun celebration!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Religious Education this Sunday and beyond
We are coming to a close on this part of our RE year. Here's what's left:
May 29: Combined RE: Includes PreK thru Senior Youth
It's been a long, cold spring so we will celebrate our RE community together OUTSIDE!!! We'll be outside cleaning up and preparing for our celebration. We'll celebrate our achievements in RE this past year. We'll dance and feast! We'll rededicate our walking labyrinth. Come and participate if you are in town.
June 5: A Holy Urgency: A Combined Multigenerational Worship in Round Lake.
Five UU congregations come together in worship. Five choirs sing together! Rev. Scott Alexander will travel up from Florida to preach. Should be wonderful! Lunch afterwards by Brooks Barbeque. There is a vegetarian option. Please purchase tickets by 5/29. Yes, you can bring your own lunch.
June 12: RE Games Day: An all ages FUN RE tradition!!
Christine Carpenter returns with Circus Yoga! New this year we a have a 24' parachute. Hula hoops, jump ropes and MORE! FUSS Picnic after the party and worship service.
THEN........
June 19: Summer RE starts!
These are stand alone classes for ages 5-10 every Sunday all summer.
May 29: Combined RE: Includes PreK thru Senior Youth
It's been a long, cold spring so we will celebrate our RE community together OUTSIDE!!! We'll be outside cleaning up and preparing for our celebration. We'll celebrate our achievements in RE this past year. We'll dance and feast! We'll rededicate our walking labyrinth. Come and participate if you are in town.
June 5: A Holy Urgency: A Combined Multigenerational Worship in Round Lake.
Five UU congregations come together in worship. Five choirs sing together! Rev. Scott Alexander will travel up from Florida to preach. Should be wonderful! Lunch afterwards by Brooks Barbeque. There is a vegetarian option. Please purchase tickets by 5/29. Yes, you can bring your own lunch.
June 12: RE Games Day: An all ages FUN RE tradition!!
Christine Carpenter returns with Circus Yoga! New this year we a have a 24' parachute. Hula hoops, jump ropes and MORE! FUSS Picnic after the party and worship service.
THEN........
June 19: Summer RE starts!
These are stand alone classes for ages 5-10 every Sunday all summer.
Friday, May 20, 2011
RE Art Show
Mirrors in which they can see themselves,
windows in which they can see the world.
- Lucille Clifton, African American poet, writer and educator
This artwork was created by First Unitarian Society Schenectady fourth-graders during their 2010-2011 religious education class: Windows and Mirrors.
The program, Windows and Mirrors, nurtures children's ability to identify their own experiences and perspectives and to seek out, care about and respect those of others. In their sessions the children unpacked topics that lent themselves to diverse experiences and perspectives—for example, faith heritage, public service, anti-racism and prayer. Windows and Mirrors teaches that there are always multiple viewpoints and everyone's viewpoint matters.
The children did guided work on individual Window/Mirror Panels in each session to explore looking inward and looking outward in terms of the session's topic. As a mirror, the panel reflects the individual child. As a window, it represents their view and connections beyond themselves to the congregation, other communities to which they belong and the world.
This artwork is hanging in the church sanctuary. Turn right after entering the building. Go through the doors and you'll see the art on the wall on your right. Many, many thanks to our custodian, Helen, and RE teacher Dan Bernard who saw to its' display.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Reflections on candy and compromise
Ah traditions! Springtime, like fall is a season of contemplating change. Instead of life around us dying, we see new life again. We have many stories and rituals around these changes: daffodils, Easter bunnies, eggs and the story of the death of Jesus are a few. These are all powerful stories and at FUSS we work hard to honor traditions even as our awareness of what they might mean grows and changes. So too we sometimes let go of traditions that don't really serve our Unitarian Universalist values.
And, as is often the case change, does not come without some amount of debate and discussion. It is an opportunity for deeper reflection around shared values and a chance to find common ground. This is definately the case with our Easter egg hunt. The RE Council made a decision to eliminate candy with the egg hunt and published this in Circuits and the OOS so that people would know about the change. There were lots of good reasons for this. Most parents try to limit the amount of highly processed foods like candy that their children eat. Most children receive an Easter basket with plenty of candy. For many children candy is particularly bad for them and their bodies react negatively to the excessive sugar, chemical additives and colorings. And, in terms of living out our values there are serious ethical considerations with much of the candy that is sold, namely it's connection to child slavery.
Our senior youth responded that they felt this was an important traditions that they were a part of. Each year it is the senior youth who hide the eggs. After much discussion the compromise was this: children will hunt for eggs. We all agreed that along with hiding the eggs, searching for them was the most fun. Some of the eggs will have seeds in them. Once the children finds the eggs they will return them to the senior youth. When they do the senior youth will give the children a small bag of candy. The rabbit and egg candy is made by a local company. The earth balls are fair trade.
It is in all these ways: discussion, education, reflection, compromise, respect for each others opinions that we live out our values. I think this was a pretty good chance to travel that path.
And, as is often the case change, does not come without some amount of debate and discussion. It is an opportunity for deeper reflection around shared values and a chance to find common ground. This is definately the case with our Easter egg hunt. The RE Council made a decision to eliminate candy with the egg hunt and published this in Circuits and the OOS so that people would know about the change. There were lots of good reasons for this. Most parents try to limit the amount of highly processed foods like candy that their children eat. Most children receive an Easter basket with plenty of candy. For many children candy is particularly bad for them and their bodies react negatively to the excessive sugar, chemical additives and colorings. And, in terms of living out our values there are serious ethical considerations with much of the candy that is sold, namely it's connection to child slavery.
Our senior youth responded that they felt this was an important traditions that they were a part of. Each year it is the senior youth who hide the eggs. After much discussion the compromise was this: children will hunt for eggs. We all agreed that along with hiding the eggs, searching for them was the most fun. Some of the eggs will have seeds in them. Once the children finds the eggs they will return them to the senior youth. When they do the senior youth will give the children a small bag of candy. The rabbit and egg candy is made by a local company. The earth balls are fair trade.
It is in all these ways: discussion, education, reflection, compromise, respect for each others opinions that we live out our values. I think this was a pretty good chance to travel that path.
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