{"id":3005,"date":"2010-01-17T13:43:12","date_gmt":"2010-01-17T19:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austinuu.org\/wp2013\/?p=3005"},"modified":"2010-01-17T13:43:12","modified_gmt":"2010-01-17T19:43:12","slug":"the-handwriting-on-the-wall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/the-handwriting-on-the-wall\/","title":{"rendered":"The Handwriting on the Wall"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2039\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3005-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2010-01-17_Handwriting_on_the_Wall.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2010-01-17_Handwriting_on_the_Wall.mp3\">http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2010-01-17_Handwriting_on_the_Wall.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2010-01-17_Handwriting_on_the_Wall.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/?powerpress_pinw=3005-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2010-01-17_Handwriting_on_the_Wall.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"2010-01-17_Handwriting_on_the_Wall.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>First UU Transition Team<\/p>\n<p>Margaret Roberts, Sylvia Pope, Wendy Kuo, Sharon Moore, Nancy Bene, Jim Burson, Michael Kersey<\/p>\n<p>January 17, 2010<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;\"><strong>Margaret Roberts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Some months ago, I worried that our church would become inactive and even lethargic during the two year transition period between settled ministers.\u00a0 Fortunately, I had no need for concern.\u00a0 We have remained a very busy and vibrant congregation.\u00a0 If you doubt me, I encourage you to check the bulletin boards in the hall adjacent to and across from the office.\u00a0 There you will see hundreds of photographs documenting many recent church activities.\u00a0 We have come together to worship, sing, celebrate, play, learn, share ideas, cook, eat, feed and shelter the homeless, and conduct church business.<\/p>\n<p>The timeline exercise which we underwent in October and November confirmed what the photographs of our activities illustrate:\u00a0 we are a healthy and energetic congregation.\u00a0 Having read the comments posted by our church membership on the timeline, I believe the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin is experiencing an upswing in attitude and outlook.<\/p>\n<p>Many church members expressed pride in First UU\u2019s long history of participating in works of social justice.\u00a0 One commenter reminded us that as early as the 1950s, this congregation made efforts to racially integrate Barton Springs.\u00a0 First UU Church is a longtime supporter of the local chapter of Amnesty International.\u00a0 Our social action outreach continues today with our sack lunch for the homeless program, our regular assistance at the People\u2019s Community Clinic, and our participation in Hands-on-Housing and Freeze Night sheltering programs.\u00a0 Did you know that six members of First UU donate 3 hours every week to assist Austin\u2019s North Central Caregivers?\u00a0 And were you aware that our choir performs at an annual concert each December for the benefit of North Central Caregivers?\u00a0 In addition to addressing local social issues, our church is responsive to victims of world crises.\u00a0 We experienced this concern earlier in our service as the collection was taken to help the people of Haiti.<\/p>\n<p>Many comments on the timeline expressed pride in our church community\u2019s ability and willingness to take care of each other through the work of our Congregational Care Committee.\u00a0 This desire to help each other during times of personal difficulty was evidenced by the generous collections taken during our recent Christmas Eve services.<\/p>\n<p>A number of members expressed pride in the progress of our healing since our minister\u2019s departure 13 months ago.\u00a0 Almost immediately after Reverend Davidson Loehr\u2019s dismissal, groups were established within the church for people who wished to share their feelings with others.\u00a0 Outside experts were consulted and workshops scheduled to help us process our grief and rebuild.\u00a0 Volunteers stepped forward and new leaders emerged to assure that our church life would continue.<\/p>\n<p>Most of us agree that we need to learn to disagree with more civility.\u00a0 We need to develop methods of arguing with respect.\u00a0 As UUs, we like to think of ourselves and enlightened and accepting of others who differ from us; we need to practice this acceptance with each other and strive to be open-minded and kind in our interactions with our fellow congregants.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the challenges we have faced during the past 13 months, our members still hold many hopes and dreams for our church.\u00a0 For example:<\/p>\n<p>1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We dream of the re-establishment of our warm, loving church environment where members interact with honesty, fair-mindedness and respect, and where we collectively work to promote the interests of our posterity;<\/p>\n<p>2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We dream of creating a hospitable church community that welcomes new-comers and guests and celebrates diversity of ideas, faith, culture and lifestyle;<\/p>\n<p>3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We hope for renewed commitment of church members expressed in terms of increased participation in church activities, and increased financial pledges to assure support of our various programs, generous compensation for our staff, and payment of our \u201cfair-share dues\u201d to the Unitarian Universalist Association;<\/p>\n<p>4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We dream of a super-successful capital campaign so we can remodel and expand our existing building to meet our active congregation\u2019s needs now and in the future;<\/p>\n<p>5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We dream of having a greater impact on the local, national and international community expressed through more educational outreach and more social action activities; and<\/p>\n<p>6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We look forward to calling an excellent new minister who fits our church and our local community, and who welcomes a regular professional evaluation as an opportunity to communicate with the church membership.<\/p>\n<p>Some may find this list of hopes and dreams daunting, but I find it encouraging.\u00a0 Because so many of us have the courage to nurture hopes and dreams for our church, I feel confident that we have a future.\u00a0 In fact, I believe we have a\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">strong<\/span> future, because I believe that this transition experience, as tough as it has been, will ultimately prove to strengthen the First UU Church of Austin.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: none;\"><strong>Sylvia Pope<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Many of the contributions to the timeline that resonated most for me were those that spoke about our congregation\u2019s commitments to the environment.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As embodiment of our belief in sustaining \u201cthe interconnected web of which we are all a part;\u201d we have cultivated native plants on our campus, installed solar panels on our roof, changed to energy-efficient light bulbs and sought to recycle our paper, bottles and cans.\u00a0 These \u201cgreen\u201d steps may seem small but they convey our commitment, care and concern for our planet and each other.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the thoughts shared on the timeline:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am so proud of our church\u2019s environmental efforts \u2013 gardens, solar panels, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another Proud Moment:\u00a0 \u201cGarden\u2019s Wildlife Habitat designation and proud of all who worked to make it so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Did you know that our landscaping has been certified a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation?\u00a0 Thanks for the efforts of Dale and Pat Bulla, Barbara Denny and many others who affectionately toiled to transform a humdrum landscape into something wild, beautiful and beneficial to nature.<\/p>\n<p>The All Ages Playground; a welcoming, nurturing place for youth and adults; is a native landscape showpiece that was conceptualized and brought to life by Elizabeth Gray and Earl ??? and many volunteers.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t had the time to sit on one of the benches and enjoy the cool breezes on a sunny afternoon, I highly recommend it!<\/p>\n<p>In the Hopes and Dreams portion of the timeline, our environmental commitment was mentioned directly but I believe that is a part of our collective desire to be a community of vibrancy, inclusion and inspiration!<\/p>\n<p>===================================================================================<\/p>\n<p>A second theme mentioned in the Proud section is the strength of our religious education program.\u00a0\u00a0 I share a strong interest in RE and I believe that our collective support of this program and our children has kept us together at times when we felt like falling apart.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Does any church have as dedicated and enthusiastic staff and volunteer corps as we do?\u00a0 I doubt it!\u00a0 Examples of their energy and creativity are:\u00a0 the UU Summer Hogwarts School (a fun, unique and free week of community building for our children),\u00a0 co-hosting\u00a0 YRUU rallies, the Halloween Haunted hallway and the Christmas pageant.\u00a0 New members and visitors bring their children to our church because of the warm, welcoming atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;\"><strong>Sharon Moore<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In your notes you talked about 2 of my big passions regarding our church life. One is the quality of the leadership of our senior staff and one is the importance of small group ministry in our church.<\/p>\n<p>You said we should call no more one trick ponies for minister and that we have looked to ministers to make us whole &#8211; to save us.<\/p>\n<p>My experience in 3 UU churches tells me that our ministers generally come with 1 of 3 major talents.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One is best at administration and strategizing and leads us through all the minutia and vital tasks that make a church run efficiently.<\/li>\n<li>Another minister is a great orator who leaves the management duties to the executive director and leaves the pastoral care to a second minister or congregational care team. This person&#8217;s strongest talent is in inspiring with words.<\/li>\n<li>The third type is a caregiver, a pastoral person who excels in people skills, loves to counsel, visit the sick, perform weddings and memorial services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All 3 types bring a different set of skills to keep the church strong. Almost never will 1 person have all 3 gifts in abundance. That would be the perfect person, and no one is perfect.<\/p>\n<p>With our new settled minister, we must pool all of our resources, dream our dreams, and work hard to make them a reality.<\/p>\n<p>Many of your notes dealt with wanting us to strengthen community here.<\/p>\n<p>You said, The covenant groups started and are still part of our community. Yes! You said, In Evensong I formed lasting relationships here.<\/p>\n<p>You talked of the positive impact that groups such as sharing suppers, men&#8217;s breakfast, adult ed. Classes, Voyagers, Paradox Players, Circle of Friends, Couples Club, and many more groups and committees have had on your lives.<\/p>\n<p>I believe small groups are the key to really getting to know one another. We all yearn for heart to heart contact, to be listened to, validated, and challenged to grow. We can&#8217;t go it alone.<\/p>\n<p>You will have several opportunities in the coming weeks to participate in group discussions, working on our church&#8217;s core values, covenant, purpose and mission statements that will all help get our church ready to sail on a wonderful new voyage with all of us buying in to where we are going and how best to get there.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nancy Bene<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We are a community. We are a network. A web of interconnectedness.\u00a0 What we do and don&#8217;t do effects all around us.\u00a0 On the positive side, we are a safe haven where what we do is respected and encouraged.\u00a0 Our community has existed for over 50 years here in Austin. Through good times and not- so- good times &#8211; just like a family. We&#8217;ve talked together, dreamed together, argued, laughed, joked, created, destroyed and cried together.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m sure you know that the seeds of our present not-so-good times were sown several years ago.\u00a0 We lost our way toward the principles we value most.\u00a0 Instead of growing into the workings of a large congregation, we continued doing what we had always done.<\/p>\n<p>Each step taken to break the old ways was difficult and we are in for a few more difficult steps before we can reach out to a spiritual leader and ask him or her to join with us.\u00a0 We must step back and take an objective look at where we are and where we want to go and then express in writing &#8211; for everyone to see- what it is that we collectively hold sacred.<\/p>\n<p>Many of you who posted sticky notes on the time line were proud of this church.\u00a0 Many thought we could do better.\u00a0 Now is the time for you to actively influence the direction this congregation will take in the future.\u00a0 Tell us how we can heal and become the safe haven for spiritual growth translated into action in our community.\u00a0 There is and always has been a tremendous creative energy in this church.\u00a0 We can work together to encourage ourselves and others to become the best we can be. I look forward to working with you, all of you, in discovering what this church, as a whole, finds precious. And then sharing our uniqueness, our preciousness within our community &#8211; here and everywhere.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jim Burson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Talk To Me About Our Church<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>G &#8211; O &#8211; O &#8211; D MORNING &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>My name is Jim &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Today I want to ask you to\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">TALK<\/span> to\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">ME<\/span> &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>The comments that were posted on the Time Line that stood out most to me were of two types &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>One type asked for more\u00a0TRANSPARENCY\u00a0by our church board \u2013<\/p>\n<p>The other type asked\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">us<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <\/span>to be more\u00a0FRIENDLY\u00a0to visitors and<\/p>\n<p>new members &#8212;\u00a0 people that we do not know &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>These messages tell me that\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">THE<\/span> biggest challenge that our church faces is &#8211;<\/p>\n<p>Not enough communication \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Y\u2019all need to talk to each other \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Y\u2019all need to talk to me \u2013<\/p>\n<p>The members of this congregation need to talk to each other \u2013<\/p>\n<p>And\u00a0 not only to the friends we know \u2013<\/p>\n<p>But, more importantly, &#8212; talk to people we do not know \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Talk to me \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Each of you \u00a0\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Must talk to our minister, &#8212;-\u00a0 Janet Newman \u2014<\/p>\n<p>You must talk to the board members \u2013<\/p>\n<p>And,\u00a0 &#8212; the board members must talk to you \u2013<\/p>\n<p>And, &#8212;\u00a0 of\u00a0 course \u00a0&#8212;\u00a0 the board must talk to the minister \u2013<\/p>\n<p>And,\u00a0 &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>y\u2019all, &#8212; must talk to me \u2013<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I<\/span> am personally\u00a0 going \u00a0to seek out people that I do not know \u2013<\/p>\n<p>To talk to them \u2013<\/p>\n<p>And to listen to them \u2013<\/p>\n<p>We must have dialogue\u00a0 &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Not just talking \u2013<\/p>\n<p>But, &#8212;\u00a0 talking \u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">AND<\/span> listening \u2013<\/p>\n<p>And &#8212;\u00a0 you must listen more than you talk \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Y\u2019all listen to me.\u2014<\/p>\n<p>If we had been talking and listening to each other for the last ten years \u2013<\/p>\n<p>We would not be in the situation we are in now\u00a0 &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>We would have\u00a0 fewer complaints about\u00a0TRANSPARENCY \u2013&#8211;<\/p>\n<p>Fewer complaints that we are \u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">AN <\/span>UNFRIENDLY\u00a0people &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Y\u2019all stop to talk \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Stop to listen to each other \u2013<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I\u2019ll<\/span> listen to you \u2013<\/p>\n<p>My name is Jim &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Y\u2019all\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">talk to me<\/span> &#8212;-<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First UU Transition Team Margaret Roberts, Sylvia Pope, Wendy Kuo, Sharon Moore, Nancy Bene, Jim Burson, Michael Kersey January 17, 2010 Margaret Roberts Some months ago, I worried that our church would become inactive and even lethargic during the two year transition period between settled ministers.\u00a0 Fortunately, I had no need for concern.\u00a0 We have&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19,18,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio-available","category-guest-speakers","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3005\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}