From the Minister, Thu Jun 28

Last week, I was at the 2018 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Kansas City.

GA is always exciting and always teaches me something. My first GA was 20 years ago: 1998 in Rochester, NY. In the years since then, I missed a few, though not many. Kansas City was my 18th GA. It was also my first GA serving on the Commission on Social Witness (CSW), to which I was elected at the end of the 2017 GA. Originally named the "Commission on General Resolutions," the CSW shepherds the processes for the social action resolutions that are voted on by all the delegates at GA. This includes shepherding:

• the CSAI (Congregational Study/Action Issue) process through submission of proposals many months in advance of GA through the delegate vote to select one such proposal for a 4-year exploration by our congregations;
• the SOC (Statement of Conscience) process through which the CSAI culminates in statement which the delegates may vote to adopt. For example, the 2017 GA adopted an SOC on economic inequality which our congregation adopted, in amended form, last April.
• the AIW (Action of Immediate Witness) process through which a maximum of three issues raised at GA turn into statements at GA.

In the coming weeks, I'll use this column to write about the CSAI that was chosen at GA 2018. But, first, let's look at the AIWs that were selected. I'll discuss each of the three in the weeks ahead. First, "End Family Separation and Detention of Asylum Seekers and Abolish ICE."

The 578-word statement references our 2013 Statement of Conscience on immigration (read this SOC HERE), and notes that families are being separated, "children are abused and drugged," and that "white supremacy criminalizes black and brown bodies and the exercise of their rights." The statement calls on UUs to demand reunification of families, an end to incarceration of asylum seekers, investigation of the drugging and abuse of detained children, and abolition of ICE and removal of immigration oversight from the Department of Homeland Security.

The statement also urges us to participate in the Jun 30 Mass Mobilization (see HERE) and Jul 2 events at border areas, support immigration reform, and "build accountable relationships with immigrant-led groups, supporting what they request, without usurping leadership."

Read the full AIW statement HERE.

Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith

The Liberal Pulpit. New in the last two weeks:

• Immigration: The Theology, the Facts ("Immigration," part 2)
• Immigration, Hospitality, and the Foundation of Liberty ("Immigration," part 3)
• Marking Ministry Milestones ("Ministry & Metanoia," part 1)
• Shannon ("Ministry & Metanoia," part 2)
• Cindy ("Ministry & Metanoia," part 3)
• Metanoia ("Ministry & Metanoia," part 4)
• Transformed into Ourselves, Not By Ourselves ("Ministry & Metanoia," part 5)

Index of past sermons: HERE.
Index of other reflections: HERE.
Videos of sermons are on the Liberal Pulpit Youtube Channel: HERE.

Practice of the Week: Stay on Your Path and Explore New Paths. From Jun 15 through Jul 31, we won't be highlighting any particular Practices. We'll return in August to highlighting one each week -- sometimes introducing a new one and sometimes drawing your attention to a previously mentioned practice. In the meantime, stay on your path! And explore new paths! There are 165 "Practices of the Week" listed and indexed HERE. Look them over and choose your own Practices to highlight until August.

Your Moment of Zen: Delineation. Porcupine came over with a gift of leavings. "Kind of you," said Raven. "I have a report," said Porcupine. "This morning when the birds woke me up, I realized that my quills and my skin don't delineate me." "What delineates you?" asked Raven. "You always blink when you ask a hard question," said Porcupine. Raven said, "You are very observant." READ MORE
Zen at CUUC: Sat Jun 30