Beloveds, I hope you are finding ways to stay engaged and calm your nervous system these days. Spring is definitely in the air, and I get a little endorphin boost simply witnessing the slanting beams of warm afternoon sun through my windows in the late afternoon. The longer, warmer days mean I’ll soon be able to work in the garden, visit the bird sanctuary, and ride my bike. I hope you all don’t get tired of me reminding you to keep cultivating those sparks of joy in your life. We need them to keep moving through the hard stuff.
In this Sunday’s service, I talked about some of the ways we can keep marching on. There are so many small and mighty ways to stay active and engaged in these times designed to numb us, including boycotts and BUY-cotts (shopping locally at independent retailers when possible); paying attention to the news by taking little sips from reliable sources rather than huge gulps from the fire-hose of nonsense; volunteering with one of our community partners (read the March 8th Sun Times opinion piece by Carol Larson); and taking care of ourselves by taking in beauty, joy, and being around caring people. And I mentioned another way of carrying on and resisting the onslaught of hate, fear and lies: you can attend the Cultivating Hope: a Justice Revival on April 12th from 9:30-12:30 offered by the Anti-Oppression Task Force.
The Anti-Oppression Task Force has been meeting for more than four years to determine ways in which our congregation can answer the call to be more inclusive, equitable, and diverse, and to accountably realize justice and liberation in our congregation and beyond. This is complex, hard, life-long work and it is moral and spiritual work. I’m grateful for the many hours of the more than 30 participants in the group over its lifespan, and we’re eager to share the next phase of our efforts to:
expand the ownership of anti-racism/anti-oppression work,
increase power sharing within UCE, and
encourage radical inclusion and hospitality
This event will uplift us, encourage us, and equip us for the ongoing journey of our anti-oppression commitment. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. We need as many people to join in our collective and creative ideation for a better world.
Revive your spirits, cultivate hope, sustain our shared commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion! Stay tuned for more details to come!
Yours in faith and on the journey,
Rev. Eileen
Practicing Beloved Community at UCE 