Aloha. For the safety of all attending worship service and events, vaccination & boosters are urged for those who are eligible, and masks are strongly recommended.
In Nature Needs a New Pronoun, Robin Wall-Kimmerer says, “By learning from other species, we learn humility.”
From what non-humans do you learn?
How has your relationship with Nature led you from self-centeredness to humility?
How does that humility influence your work for climate justice?
I’ve been asking myself and others these questions over the past week or so. Here are some things I’ve heard:
If you plant tomato seedlings too early, they get spindly and don’t survive. They teach me to not get too far out in the future.
Honeybees thrive by relying on decentralized and collective decision-making. I want to do that in my work for justice.
Blue Jays teach me about protecting that which I love.
Still water teaches me that even in what feels like stagnation, water still gently flows. I need to remember that as I work for climate justice.
I learn from trees. They root down and rise up. That’s what I want to do.
I’m humbled by the cosmos. It’s so mysterious, and I remember I don’t know everything.
Maple trees teach me that there is a season for growth and productivity, and a season for rest and restoration.
You might try using those questions at the dinner table with family, or with friends over lunch or a walk. Email us with your insights, and let us know if we can share them on our social media channels:Â comms@uumfe.org.
This coming year promises to be a big and eventful one. I’m grateful for Unitarian Universalism, all the congregations out there, and all of you. The community and humility we create will shoulder us!
Much love and many new year blessings,
Rev. Kelly
P.S. Check out this video that I keep replaying because I love it so much! Woyaya recorded by Wyaala
Monthly Musings
Each month, you will receive a collection of materials filled with ways to help your congregation deepen your relationship with Earth and work for environmental justice. We hope you use these resources for worship, contemplative practice, and religious exploration in your congregation. You can find past issues here.Â
Have you given a sermon that focuses on a religious naturalist orientation and that takes nature to heart? Submit a video or audio recording for us to review and then perhaps share with this UU Ministry for Earth community.
Join UU Ministry for Earth on the Full Moon so we may all find time to ground, recenter, and imagine what is possible in a world in need of repair. There will be time for reflection and small group sharing.
Our Partners at Side with Love offer a Webinar Series on Clean Energy as a Human RightÂ
Join the Energy Democracy Project, Cleveland Owns (OH), People Power Solar (CA), and POWER Interfaith (PA) for Reimagining with Energy Democracy on January 25 at 4PT – 5MT – 6CT – 7ET.  RSVP today! For the last in our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right, we invite you to explore the power of Energy Democracy and the ways our congregations can reimagine energy for our communities. By reimagining how we organize our lives toward new systems that support the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems, Energy Democracy advances empowerment and liberation for frontline communities.
In our Clean Energy as a Human Right political education series, we’ve explored the ways congregations can amplify federal clean energy funding to embrace a visionary approaches to clean energy and create hubs of climate resilience for our communities. We also paused to reflect during the UU Ministry for Earth Winter Solstice Celebration featuring the Energy Democracy Project. to join us for the final webinar in the series, Reimagine with Energy Democracy features the Energy Democracy Project and frontline organizers advancing energy democracy in their communities.
From our Partners UUs for a Just Economic Community
The Greatest Transformation in Human History with Dr. Sailesh Rao – February 8,5 PM Pacific| 6 PM Mountain| 7 PM Central|Â 8 PM EasternÂ
Spring for change is our slate of events for the 2024 Spring season. More information on each event below.Â
World Water Day: Water is Life
March 21, 2024. 7:00 pm ET |6:00 CT| 5:00 MT| 4:00 PT / 90 minutes long
World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness that 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water. We are honored to welcome Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs and Rev. Karen Van Fossan into a conversation on this important and sacred day. They are defenders and protectors of water; two spiritual leaders in our UU movement who will help us build a heart-centered approach to a right relationship with Mother Earth and her waters.
Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs is a Unitarian Universalist minister who served congregations in Indiana, Quebec, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida and California. He honors his Native American heritage (Texas Cherokee) which informs his spiritual understanding and practice, and his anti-racist and anti-oppressive commitment He has worked for peace, justice and equality since he was in the Unitarian Universalist youth movement, Liberal Religious Youth.
Rev. Karen is also a Unitarian Universalist minister and author of A Fire at the Center: Solidarity, Whiteness, and Becoming a Water Protector. She is an abolitionist, licensed professional counselor, and former defendant in the Line 3 pipeline resistance. She is pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry specializing in abolition through Pacific School of Religion. Clyde is on her dissertation advisory committee. Karen lives in Fargo, North Dakota, on the traditional lands of Anishinaabe, Lakota/Dakota, and many Indigenous peoples.
Full Moon and Earth Day Gathering
April 23, 2024. 7-8 pm ET| 6-7pm CT| 5-6 pm MT| 4-5 pm PT. Join UU Ministry for Earth on the Full Moon closest to Earth Day so we may all find time to ground, recenter, and imagine what is possible for Earth. There will be time for reflection and small group sharing.
Earth Day Worship Materials for your congregation will be available February 1, 2024. They will be an expanded edition of our Monthly Musings and include spiritual resources for climate grief and distress. Sign up here to receive them.
Movement Training for Young AdultsÂ
Saturdays in April!
UU Young Adults for Climate Justice will offer Movement Training Saturdays in April. UUYACJ is hosting its third annual movement training workshop series! This workshop series seeks to support, resource, and empower young adults to act with courageous love. It offers organizing skills, collective knowledge, and sustainable care practices. It is open to all young adults (ages 18-35). These workshops will be happening every Saturday in April on Zoom. Each session will last for 90 minutes. Justice work asks so much of organizers, and UUYACJ is grateful that we get to offer these free workshops as a gift in return. You can attend just one, or all of them!Specific times and registration link coming soon.
International Day of Biodiversity
7:00 pm ET/ 6:00 pm CT/ 5:00 pm MT/ 4:00 pm PT Join UU Ministry for Earth for poetry, song and story to honor International Day for Biological Diversity with Dr. Lyla June JohnstonÂ
Many Unitarian Universalist congregations have a practice of sharing their Sunday offering with community organizations, causes and groups. The logistics vary, but the core practice is to give part of the community offering to a cause beyond the immediate congregation that reflects our values and aspirations. Would you consider sharing the plate for Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) during this sacred Spring for Change?
Our Partners at Side with Love offer 2024 Green Sanctuary 2030 Community MeetingsÂ
Third Wednesdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET Beginning with the Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration and ending with the Climate Justice Brainstorm, these meetings will celebrate success, build capacity for teams, elevate how the local context of oppression shapes our climate action, and the ways the Green Sanctuary 2030 process supports our work on climate justice, community resilience, congregational transformation, and mitigation – all balanced the faith-filled call to impactful action on climate.
Come socialize with us in a different way. Our social channels are a good way to get in-real time updates, and see links/photos/videos of what we’ve been up to. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo. See you there!
The UU Ministry for Earth is seeking new leaders for our Board! Will one of our new Board members be YOU?
If you have a deep and embodied commitment to uplifting the need to face and adapt to the climate crisis, counter environmental injustice, and support the flourishing of all life. If you feel drawn to support and contribute to the many offerings of the UU Ministry for Earth (www.uumfe.org), please reach out to the UUMFE Nominations Committee to share your strengths and desire to be part of our team. We are looking to develop a dynamic, multicultural, multigenerational anti-oppressive Board, inclusive of people of color, trans and gender-nonconforming people, young people, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, and/or frontline communities; people who self-identify with such identity are especially welcome to apply. Please contact SearchTeam@UUMFE.org to submit your resume and letter of interest.
The UUMFE Board is also looking for someone experienced in Human Resources to jump on the monthly “HR Committee” zoom to advise us during the meeting on best practices in managing staff. No admin work, no commitment outside the meeting, just someone to listen and opine and give us direction! We currently meet once a month on Tuesday at 11 am, but could shift the day/time to accommodate an interested person.
UUMFE Staff Member Zoë Johnston will be Preaching, Sunday, January 14th at 11am ET at First Church Boston
“Dreaming the Future Into Being” : Imagination is a political practice. It is an active way that we reflect on the reality of the world and name what needs to change. We imagine new ways of being in relationship to each other and to Earth. In doing so, we slowly begin to shape its form and identify the pathway to draw it ever closer. On this Martin Luther King Day weekend, join us in our collective dreaming about the future.  Youtube Live:
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Earth Day Worship Materials for your congregation will be available February 1, 2024. They will be an expanded edition of our Monthly Musings and include spiritual resources for climate grief and distress. Sign up here to receive them.
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