Pastor Bud's Buzz 2008
Pastor Bud's Buzz 2007
Pastpr Bud's Buzz 2006
August 2010 Pastor Bud's Buzz
Wow! What an adventure. I just spent two weeks with Global Village, building homes
with the local Habitat for Humanity in Anchorage Alaska. It wasn’t the first time I had
swung a hammer, but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the number of times I missed
the nail. I gave a whole new meaning to the term “rough” carpentry. But let me start
at the beginning. I waved goodbye to Melodie at 3:00 PM at the Orlando airport and
began a disorienting trip through four time zones into the land of the Midnight Sun. I
arrived in Anchorage by way of Philly a little before 9:00 PM with the sun in the sky
making it feel like 5:00 PM and the time in Florida telling me that it was really already 1:00 AM on Sunday.
The Global Village leadership invited us to attend Church where we would be sleeping for the next two weeks on
air mattresses on the floors of classrooms in the religious education wing. After church we took off in the two
vans holding all 17 volunteers and three of our project leaders heading southeast in search of our first glacier and
other wildlife.
On Monday we started building homes. We worked 8 hour days with some time for
lunch. I was ready to sit down and rest, but every night we had dinner at a host-family
home or at a local eatery and somewhere in between found time to shower at a local
exercise establishment. Some of the youngsters even had energy left for bike rides,
freebie golf or a late night crawl to a few pubs. One night after a meal at a host family
we all took off for Flattop Mountain. I made it all the way up to the saddle before the
final push. My fatigue and the sign that said “young children and pets not recommended above this point” gave
me pause. I headed back down, a major accomplishment with my aching knees. So it went the first 5 days of the
build. We began to see real progress.
AUGUST 2010 JOTTER August 2010
2
On the 4th of July weekend we traveled east for 5 hours by van and then took a 60 mile
plane ride to arrive at Kennecott Copper Mine abandoned in 1930s, but now a tourist
lodge where those who wanted to could get up close and personal with a glacier. Ice
wall climbing or hiking on the glacier were two of the options. I spent the day in a
contemplative mood pondering the philosophical implications of human freedom and
volunteerism, really. We spent the 4th traveling back to Anchorage and three busy days
completing our homes as much as we could before our final excursion into the
wonders of Alaska. This time after a day on the Job, we headed for Seeward and a
planned 100 mile trip by fast catamaran cruise ship to the Kenai Fjords. It was as if the captain had cued Mother
Nature. As soon as we exited the harbor, he started “Notice the bald eagle at 2 o’clock.” Followed shortly by,
“In the distance at 1:00 o’clock we have a humped back whale.” And so it went for 5 fascinating hours. We
saw: eagles, humpbacks, orcas, walrus, seals, sea otters, dolphin, puffins and
numerous other sea birds. We watched a glacier calving into Resurrection Bay. And
the shore line scenery just cannot be captured on film. Although, I did purchase a
DVD that comes close and look forward to sharing it with all of you.
At odd times during the adventure I interviewed my team mates on why they
volunteered and on the way back home while stranded in Phoenix Arizona for 7 hours
interviewed several of the airport personnel on their voluntary projects. Over all I am
feeling grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing my research into
the mysteries of volunteerism and attempting to answer the fundamental question are people who volunteer
really “good for nothing.” -Stay Tuned.
July 2010 Pastor Bud's Buzz
It’s June 23, 2010 and I am not sure Betty Green, our Jotter Editor, extraordinaire can manage to
include this late entry into the July issue. I’m on sabbatical so maybe I shouldn’t even be worrying
about a Jotter article, but as I sit here at my computer reading about changes being contemplated by
delegates meeting in Minnesota at the UUA General Assembly, I am struck by a common thread
running through our denomination from top to bottom and from the littlest to the biggest
congregations. It has to do with the way we govern ourselves. A quote from a UUA blog says this
about governance.
“…Over the last forty-nine years, at least five separate task forces have studied
governance in our movement. All have described the same basic condition: Our
governance is too complex. We elect leaders but do not authorize them to do their jobs;
the Board of Trustees is too big to be effective; and General Assembly is too
expensive—especially when many delegates are not accountable representatives of
their congregation’s priorities. In short, these task forces have observed systemic
brokenness in the governance of our Association, which make it nigh-impossible to
define or fulfill expectations, to delegate power, and to verify performance. This
complexity makes it impossible for us all—whether in governance, administration, or
ministry—to do what is necessary for our movement to flourish. We are designed to fall
far short of success.
The time for task forces and study groups is over; we need changes that will clarify
roles, engage democratic participation, and align our resources around clear, common
goals and values. That is why we, and other members of the UUA board, are making
the following recommendations for improving our governance model.”
The following summary captures their recommendations:
Election reform to make elections less like a secular political campaign and more like a
transparent leadership discernment process for a religious community.
A smaller UUA board that is nimble, agile, and ready to respond to a world that needs Unitarian
Universalism more than ever before.
June 2010 Pastor Bud's Buzz
The honeymoon is over? For young lovers the end of the honeymoon can be a shattering experience. The romance and fantasy of those early days tinges everything with a rosy glow. With little if any effort, everything is interpreted in a positive light. Then we wake up one morning and wonder, who is this person we’ve committed to spend the “future” with? And why have we not noticed that annoying mannerisms before? The relationship that was a lovely escape from the ordinary, has now come full circle and is a constant reminder of that oppressive relationship we thought we had moved away from many years ago. Resentment blocks pleasant emotion and what was a source of comfort, pleasure and affirmation is now just like, perhaps even worse than all those other troubling involvements with family, school mates, workmates and bosses. Now what do we do? Move on? Yes that’s it. Seek a better relationship where we can be valued as we should be. Nurtured as we need to be, our most basic ego needs satisfied rather than frustrated. Why should we stick around and put up with this tension. It’s not like there is no one else out there for us. There are, as they say, plenty of fish in the sea. However those same sages also say, moving is not the same thing as changing and changing is always a part of growing. Like a river absorbed by a hot desert wind, surely we will be rained down on the other side of the desert, and just as surely we won’t be the same river. Can we risk surrender and transformation? This is more than having a little skin in the game. This is more than a game. This is living, and breathing and growing. This is not knowing, if we can risk losing and yet knowing some deep part of us wants more than we have ever had before and knowing that the only way to win the prize is to play “all in.”
- Stay tuned
MAY 2010 Pastor Bud’s Buzz
Nobody said it was going to be easy. Tentatively, cautiously, we are beginning to reach out to one another and rebuild the connections that have been strained.
I read a Toyota ad this morning that stressed their commitment to the Kaizen philosophy: “Improve Every Day.” We might get discouraged as we cycle back through the stages that teams, groups, even religious communities go through: forming, storming, norming, performing. I’m convinced we don’t really start over we go through the stages with new insights that let us go through the stages in a different way. This opens up new possibilities for personal transformation. Those new levels of personal and interpersonal actualization are what sustain my excitement during the storm.
Here is what a Wikipedia article said about those stages that we continue to revisit. I hope you will read on and consider how these insights can help us honor our covenant of mutual respect even while we revisit these stages of group development. Congregational leaders formal and informal are not the same as supervisors, but as leaders they exercise influence and that influence is a major factor in the continuing development of the community and its members.
In the first stages of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individual's behavior is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team organization, who does what, when to meet, etc. But individuals are also gathering information and impressions - about each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually gets done.
The team meets and learns about the opportunities and challenges, and then agrees on goals and begins to tackle the tasks. Team members tend to behave quite independently. They may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team. Team members are usually on their best behavior but very focused on themselves. Mature team members begin to model appropriate behavior even at this early phase. Sharing the knowledge of the concept of "Teams - Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing" is extremely helpful to the team.
Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase.
The forming stage of any team is important because, in this stage, the members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. This is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the team works as an individual and how they respond to pressure.
Every group will then enter the storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept. Team members open up to each other
and confront each other's ideas and perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues.
The storming stage is necessary to the growth of the team. It can be contentious, unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict. Tolerance of each team member and their differences needs to be emphasized. Without tolerance and patience the team will fail. This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower motivation if allowed to get out of control.
Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible but tend to still need to be directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. The groups will therefore resolve their differences and group members will be able to participate with one another more comfortably and they won't feel that they are being judged in any way and will therefore share their own opinions and views...
At some point, the team may enter the Norming stage. Team members adjust their behavior to each other as they develop work habits that make teamwork seem more natural and fluid. Team members often work through this stage by agreeing on rules, values, professional behavior, shared methods, working tools and even taboos. During this phase, team members begin to trust each other. Motivation increases as the team gets more acquainted with the project.
-Stay tuned…..
APRIL 2010 Pastor Bud’s Buzz
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I can’t tell you who might have authored this statement. Some might consider it a euphemism, or jingoism; others might consider it an admonition filled with inscrutable wisdom. It is what comes to my mind as I sit waiting inspiration to flow through me to you.
I ended last month’s Buzz with the hope that we will take the chance to be inspired. To feel excited and contribute our money, time and energy to our unique community so that we can continue to inspire one another to pursue what is truthful and meaningful and that together we can be a force for a better world.
As the Board of Directors works on crafting a budget in preparation for the upcoming annual meeting there is growing evidence that many within the congregation do not share the same vision for our congregation, the same vision for our Religious Education program, and the same vision for a number of other facets of our community experience. Most importantly, we do not have the same vision about how we can be with one another in our decision making. To be practicing Unitarian Universalists we give up the comfort and certitude of a shared creed and in its place we hold up a shared covenant to support each other in the search for truth and meaning. If I can search for my truth and meaning and you can search for your truth and meaning what do we hold in common that makes us a community? It is that delicate, vulnerable act of mutual support.
I have failed to nurture that mutual support and in this season of new beginnings I apologize for having failed those who have felt unable to express their fears, to express their own truths and meanings. I want to begin again in the Spirit Life and its promise of continual renewal. I hope you will join me in an effort to strengthen how we support one another in our search for truth and meaning so that none of us will ever hesitate to speak our version of the truth to power and that we will do it in a manner that is consistent with that covenant of right relationship that gives us the confidence that we will be heard and that out of our many voices and many views together we can weave a tapestry capable of supporting a strong consensus that like a bridge will carry us into a desirable and sustainable future.
Depending on the proposed budget that is accepted by the Congregation at our upcoming Annual Meeting we will have various tasks to do in order to move forward, but regardless of the budget that the Congregation accepts, be certain, we have a task ahead that we must share if we are to move into the future as a Unitarian Universalist Congregation. We must clarify and embrace a shared vision of how we will be with one another, how we will support each other in the search for truth and meaning. Other congregations have walked this path and we may be able to gain insight from the footprints that
have left behind. We can begin learning about the process used by others by searching the web using “UU Covenant of Right Relations.” The challenge before is to find our own path. It’s likely not going to be easy, perhaps most especially because that task will involve surrendering our toughness even before it feels completely safe to do so. We will need to be nurtured by each other so that we can bring our vulnerability as well as our toughness to the task. I extinguished the chalice at one of our Board of Director’s budget meetings. As we stumbled and groped down the path I prayed these words from our hymnal “Singing the Living Tradition” #464. “And then all that has divided us will
merge. And then compassion will be wedded to power…”
Please join me for a major retuning so that our dissonance and harmonies will be a sacred song leading to safe harbor. - Pastor Bud
Pastor Bud’s Buzz
March 2010
Inhaling, provoking feelings and stimulating someone to greater effort, enthusiasm, or creativity are all listed as meanings associated with “inspiration.” We could all benefit from some inspiration once in awhile, and now seems like a pretty crucial time in the life of our congregation to feel inspired.
I remember when I was a youngster my folks would pile the five of us kids in the car and we would drive out to the edge of town to visit Uncle Doug and Aunt Francis. Uncle Doug had inherited the family farm. It had seen better days, but for me it was a magical place. We were pretty much free to roam among the various barns, corn cribs and chicken coops and in general indulge our curiosity. There was even an old abandoned stagecoach setting out in a field alongside the drive way that we could climb up on and act out a cowboy fantasy. When it was time to go, dad would wistle and we would all make a bee line for the car. On one occasion when I heard the whistle, my dash to the car took me through the barn yard where Uncle Doug had strung a stiff wire along a row of posts about two feet off the ground. I guess it was meant to keep folks from driving up into his yard. Well that morning it brought me to the ground hard enough so that I got the wind knocked out of me. I understand you don’t really get the wind knocked out off you. Hitting the ground, paralyses the diaphragm and makes inhaling temporarily impossible. As I recall, I survived the fall pretty much unscathed, but this being the first time I had encountered the temporary inability to inhale, I felt pretty panicky. It seemed like a very long moment before I finally managed to inhale. It obviously made a lasting impression on me.
Most of us at some time in our lives have an experience that is similar to getting the wind knocked out of us on the emotional level. Sometimes it’s caused by a sudden shock other times its gradual, but the result is that we seem unable to be inspired. Even if it’s happened before we can sometime panic, wondering if we will ever feel inspired again. Curiously some of us are so fearful of that emotional paralysis that we go around taking the emotional air out of other people’s balloons. We fear the paralysis so much that we don’t want to be around others who might inspire us. We take on an uninspired and uninspiring style embracing the very paralysis we want to avoid. Certainly some of us need to learn to say “No” or at least “Let, me think about it. Some of us, while being cautious, may need to take a chance to be inspired by someone or something.
I hope you take the chance to be inspired. I hope you feel excited and contribute your money, time and energy to our unique community so that we can continue to inspire one another to pursue what is truthful and meaningful and that together we can be a force for a better world.
-- Stay tuned.
Pastor Bud’s Buzz,
February 2010
Former UUA President Rev. Bill Sinkford initiated a campaign called “Standing on the Side of Love.” Our current UUA President Rev. Peter Morales continues support for this campaign, but it is up to each of us to lend our support to this surge of loving energy to protect those who suffer from oppression and change the systems that oppress. “Standing on the Side of Love” is a great campaign slogan. There are many times when we are asked to stand up and be counted. While we clarify a moral stand using our reason, what brings us to our feet to take a stand is our will. Our will moves us to walk our talk. Feeling compassionate for the victims of oppression, or angry about a system that oppresses, but failing to take effective action, dooms us to impotent sentimentality. Through acts of compassion and justice seeking, a love that cares about others becomes a love that cares for others. Standing on the Side of Love, means seeing what needs to be done, deciding the best way to use our energy and then acting to make a difference. We must decide how much of our energy we will use in caring for those who suffer from oppression and how much of our energy we will use in bringing about changes in the systems that oppress. We must decide how much energy to use toward our self interests and how much energy to use toward the interests of others. To be a growing vital community we must make these decisions and take appropriate action collaboratively and collectively. As members of F.A.I.T.H, we pray at the end of every meeting
We are called to the commands to love and do justice.
Our gathering this day reminds us of our responsibility to work with one another to remake our world into a more hopeful place of peace.
We are inspired and guided to hear the cry of the poor and oppressed, and to respond.
We know that alone we are limited in what we can do, but together we are powerful.
Our strength comes from our unity.
Grant us continued strength and sustenance.
We ask all of these things from you, whose spirit makes us one.
Amen.”
In our individual and collective wisdom we must decide, will we act, and what action will we take. Some say that as we decide we are answering the ultimate question, “Who are we?” I pray that as we decide we will answer the ultimate question, “Whose are we?” Because I am convinced that being human is all about being in relationship. The fictional Jonathan Livingston Seagull was remarkable because when other seagulls flew in order to eat he chose to eat so he could fly. While we must serve our self interest, may we always do so that we might serve others.
On February 7th we kick off our annual pledge campaign, on February 14 we will celebrate Love that soars beyond sentimentality. Throughout the coming months there will be opportunities to rise up through acts of selfless will and as our congregational vision declares, be a safe harbor where people may explore diverse ideas and beliefs and be a force for a better world.
----Stay tuned
JANUARY 2010
January 2010 Bud's Buzzing
2009
DECEMBER 2009
Pastor Bud’s Buzz
“When, what to my wondering eyes should appear…” This line from the poem “The Night Before Christmas” popped into my head as I began to ponder my current buzz. This poetic narrative contains some important truths even though its authorship is shrouded in mystery and it speaks of a Santa with magical powers. A bit of Internet research quickly revealed a controversy about authorship. Some believe Clement Clarke Moore who claimed authorship wrote the poem and others consider the author Henry Livingston who according to his relatives was reading the poem to them years before it was published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel in 1823.
Now this controversy and the poems portrayal of flying reindeer could become a distraction. We might be compelled to substantiate its veracity or become embroiled in a debate about authorship, or impelled to attack with all rational vigor this ridiculous fabrication and its potential for harming the fragile minds of our innocent youth. I choose to be enriched by its charm and the magic of its images. I welcome its invitation to greet the world with “wondering eyes”, the natural wonder of a small child and the nurtured wonder of the grown up me.
Another Christmas narrative in a similar way can plunge us into controversy about authorship and historical veracity, or it can be an enriching source of important truths. Even if I do not bring the eyes of a believer to these Christmas narratives, I can bring my wondering eyes and mind and be enriched by its timeless truths.
We need not debate the longing we all experience for gifts freely given in love, nor the inherent dignity of our humanity, lovingly embraced by the source of our very being. It is enough for me to wonder and feel blessed.
May you be blessed with wondering eyes this holiday season, and whatever your tradition, whatever your holiday narrative, may you be open to those timeless truths that lead us all to good will and world peace.
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
---Stay tuned
NOVEMBER 2009
Pastor Bud's Buzz
Last month one of my pulpit presentations was entitled “Peer Pressure and Religion.” In doing my research, I came across a Discover magazine. It was a special anniversary issue dealing with great questions of science. One of the questions was, “Did evolution shape us to be good?” The article was entitled “The Empathy Instinct ” the author Frans De Waal focused on the tendency of apes and chimpanzees to engage in mimicry and synchrony in their social interactions. Like so many other things that we share with apes and chimpanzees our social nature expresses itself in the contagion of behavior such as laughter and yawns. While the gospel saying, “by their fruits you shall know them,” may be true. It is also true, “by their groups you shall know them.” Our parents understood this when they warned us not to run with the wrong crowd. Because of our social nature we are likely to be influenced by those with whom we associate. It follows that we can increase control over our behavior by picking groups on the basis of how they might potentially influence us.
Evolution may have shaped us to be empathetic as part of our social cohesion, but the human species is at a crucial threshold. Protracted armed conflict, methodical mass genocides, these can't be expressions of empathy. Along with our social skills, evolution has also given us a rich imagination and the ability to make up stories based on limited evidence. Refined, this process may have evolved into what we now understand as the scientific method. We observe events, and then we construct a story, a theory about future events. If we are disciplined we figure out strategies for testing our story, our theory. The stories constructed by primitive human hunters, and gatherers were tested for accuracy when actions based on those stories resulted in food. Based on animal tracks we made up stories about where we might lie in wait to ambush the animals who left those tracks. Based on the presence of a stream we made up stories about where we might find edible plants. We also made up stories about other tribes and how they couldn't be trusted. We tested our stories, our theories by expressing our distrust through acts of aggression designed to weaken our perceived enemy. Those other tribes predictably retaliated or retreated, making our stories true and justifying further acts of aggression.
Could it be that the stories we make up about other people are the basis for our wars and our genocides? As a member of the Florida District Racial Justice Council, I am painfully aware that we don't have any magical formula for overcoming racial prejudice, the stories we make up about those who are not like us. What we do have, if we are courageous, is the ability to listen to another person as they tell their own story. We have the ability to tell our own story to another person. Often the stories include histories of behavior driven by prejudice and stereotypes. Miraculously, if we listen with integrity and tell our stories with integrity something amazing happens. We begin to encounter the other person as they truly are, with all their complexity, with their flaws, with their virtues. The stereotypes fall away.
Stay tuned,
OCTOBER 2009
Pastor Bud’s Buzz
While I was preparing for a pulpit presentation on “The Light and Shadow of World Religions”, I came across the website of the “Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance”
http://www.religioustolerance.org/u-u1.htm
On the menu on the left side of the screen was a list of World religions. Unitarian Universalism was not listed, but I clicked on “Other religions” and scrolled down and eventually came to a section that provided an overview of Unitarian Universalism, a brief description of our history and a brief attempt to describe who we are. Two sentences from the overview struck me as right on target. “UUs view the main function of the congregation as facilitating the spiritual quest of its members.” and “They have an influence on the culture that is far beyond what one would expect from their numbers.”
As almost all other religious groups do, we do not have a shared creed to act as glue to hold us together. The website shared the results of a 1997 survey of self selected respondents who receive the UU World magazine. The survey found that the four most important factors that hold our congregations together are:
1. Shared values and principles - 52%
2. Acceptance, respect and support for each other as individuals - 42.5%
3. A desire to take religious questions seriously - 14.6% and
4. Commitment to social justice and public witness - 11.5%
If you’re looking for a religious home, check us out. Consider exploring the many ways you can be supported in your spiritual quest, for example in a 9:15 am Sunday morning discussion group, our 10:30 am Sunday service, or after the service in out “Talk About” session. Join with others who take religious questions seriously in a Wednesday night Exploration session of Life Long Learning. If you’re already a friend or member, consider signing up for a “Connect Group.” They are held at various times and locations. In “Connect Groups” 5 to 10 of us come together to explore a topic and connect with one another a little more deeply.
If you want to be part of our influence “…far beyond what one would expect from their numbers.” Get involved in one or more of our many social justice activities. We have a “Green Sanctuary” group working for environmental justice; we are a “Welcoming Congregation” ready to embrace people diverse in race, culture, and sexual orientation. We work to change systemic injustice in collaboration with a multi-congregational community organizing group called F.A.I.T.H. (Fighting against injustice toward harmony). We strive to relieve the suffering of those who lack adequate housing, food or opportunity by supporting Halifax Urban Ministries, Family Renew, and Halifax Habitat for Humanity.
If you’re a parent you have another reason to check us out. We have an exciting religious education program that meets on Sunday morning during the service. The philosophy of the program states: “We strive to stir the minds of our children to search for what quickens their spirit, and while overcoming prejudice, impartially and conscientiously choose their own path. Unburdened by the imposition of arbitrary rules and rote memorization, we hope to strengthen their powers of thought and awaken their conscience to moral discernment.”
Perhaps the buzz you hear is me tooting our own horn or is it a kazoo
--Stay tuned.
SEPTEMBER 2009
Pastor Bud’s Buzz
As I gather my thoughts to share some of what is buzzing around in my head, I’m finding it difficult to ignore what is happening in the wider world. They say one of the jobs of a minister is to be a “non-anxious” presence within the congregation and the larger community. Here is a paradox and my dilemma. How can I be “awake” to the suffering and oppression all around me and not be alarmed to a state of anxiety. How can I be compassionate, responsible, and not overwhelmed by all the suffering that comes as a result of the tension between need and greed? As I ponder my dilemma it is clear to me that each of us is confronted with a similar challenge and we attempt resolve it in many different ways. How we attempt resolve this dilemma, how we reconcile the impulse to respond to the needs of others and the impulse to respond to the need for self preservation, multiplied by the total number of humans on the planet, determines our future and given growing impact the human species, the future of the planet itself. This little dilemma of mine is not so little. It’s a really big deal. I can’t say I have it worked out just yet. I am guessing those that do have it worked out are among the small number of enlightened ones quietly walking among us. You know those individuals that we can easily ignore, but there is something about them that quietly pulls at our attention. It may have to do with where they show up, or the way they carry themselves when they do. There it is again, that “non-anxious” presence. I guess it isn’t something that only ministers aspire to achieve. Oh, maybe that non-anxious presence is not something any of us can aspire to achieve. Maybe it is like some of those other states of being that we cannot strive for directly. You know, happiness, contentment, peace, serenity; why does it seem like direct efforts to be happy, content, peaceful, serene end in frustration and failure? And if we can’t strive for these desirable states directly, what should we be doing while we are waiting for their gratuitous arrival? I think I’m on to something here. Those enlightened ones, those ancients from the past who claim to be hanging around until the rest of us “get it”, they aren’t trying to “get it.” They are paying attention to what’s so. They are attempting to accept, to know reality at a deeper and deeper level and that acceptance has to include their own mortality. That line from our hymnal says it plainly, “we were not meant to survive.” Somehow realizing that and getting on with living or dying, (after all living and dying are the same) gives me no place to stand and yet somehow with that realization I feel more grounded. Happiness, contentment, peace, serenity, reconciling the dilemma between greed and need, none of these can be achieved. Non-anxious presence, forget it. Guess I’ll have to accept living with this tension. I guess I’ll have to continue my struggle with, how to give into one more compassionate impulse even while I struggle to maintain the balance between need and greed so I can be here tomorrow to continue the struggle. One thing’s for sure, impermanence.
Stay tuned.
as to receive signals (be awake)
as of instruments with respect to frequency by maintaining the proper tension.
harmonious relationship; accord; agreement.
frame of mind; mood.
to be in harmony or accord; become responsive.
AUGUST 2009
It’s August, but that distant buzz you hear isn’t the Cicada. It’s the sound of the mounting activity of the approaching fall season at the Unitarian Universalist Society of the Daytona Beach Area. Sure it’s still the
“dog days of summer”, but in the cool recesses just beneath the sultry surface, planners gather to map out strategies, creating opportunities tailored to every Member and Friend. Each of us can experience the deep satisfaction that comes from working smoothly as part of a team; building a better, even utopian future with timeless, global perspectives, yet here and now practicality. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world." Together that is what we are about. We are realizing as best we can, in our intentions and actions that utopian future as though the future was now. Here and now practicality requires that we each have a vision and that gathering and communicating allows each of us to unite our separate visions into the more powerful, stronger weave (We’ve) of collective solidarity. Margaret Mead expressed our conviction as she expressed her own, “Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
So what’s buried in the buzz of the coming season? A partial list includes the following. There will be a fall resurgence of the Connect Groups. Another article elsewhere in this issue of the Jotter provides more detail to help you participate in this satisfying expression of our “We’ve.” In some ways new and yet always at work in our efforts to serve one another, Shared Ministry will find expression in several new initiatives. In September, Worship Associates, individuals who would like to give expression to their creativity by helping to put together the components of a Sunday Service will begin meeting to explore
what Worship can mean to the diverse group that gathers in our sanctuary on any given Sunday morning. If you feel drawn to be part of this team of Worship Associates, let me know and I will let you know when we will meet to begin our exploration. Pastoral Care Partners will also begin meeting in September to
refine their natural helping instincts, so they can effectively and consistently support those in personal or family conflict or crises. Working in close cooperation with the Caring Committee, these individuals will
strengthen our Congregations response to our Members and Friends in need. While it is difficult to imagine having greater community involvement than we already have, we will also gather a few Members with an interest in focusing on continuation of my community involvement. Possibilities include: Chair of
the Faith Committee for the Halifax Habitat for Humanity; providing spiritual visits to inmates at the Tomoka Correctional Institution; board member for the local chapter of the ACLU; board member for the local Council on Aging and chair of the board for Daytona Beach Senior Services; co-chair Jobs Issue
committee and co-chair for Clergy Caucus of F.A.I.T.H.; steering committee member of the UU Legislative Ministry of Florida; supporting the Northeast Florida Cluster of the Florida District of the UUA; member of the Racial Justice Council for the Florida District. We will be organizing a Sabbatical Steering Committee o assist in coordinating pastoral resources and identifying individuals to supervise employees in my absence in the summers of 2010 and 2011. These opportunities for shared ministry do not represent an exhaustive list. And more importantly all of this activity need not be exhausting if efforts are made to share the load and communicate continuously in a collaborative process.
I am confident that strengthening our shared ministry will help us strengthen our vitality and this will inevitably lead to numeric growth. And because we are strengthening our shared ministry, we will be prepared for the new opportunities that come our way.
-Stay Tuned
JULY 2009
July Bud's Buzzing
JUNE 2009
Pastor Bud’s Buzz
As I sit down to share my thoughts for June, I have just completed my annual performance evaluation. It has me thinking about performance evaluation. When it comes to performance evaluations, the experts encourage those that conduct performance evaluations to emphasize the review of past performance and the planning for future performance. They also encourage those who are being evaluated to be active participants in both the review and the planning process. The experts have observed that when the performer owns the performance review, feedback, or evaluation he or she will use the information more easily to guide the planning of future performance, in contrast to when the performance review, feedback, or evaluation comes from the outside and happens to the performer. In reality we are always using feedback to accomplish even the simplest tasks. For example, the simple task of 'standing' is not as simple as it looks. There is a constant stream of information flowing into our central nervous system that we use to make slight adjustments to our balance. Observed closely it becomes obvious that no one stands perfectly still. We are continually moving through the center point of our balance. Sensing that we are moving away from that center point, we make corrective adjustments to move back toward that center point. Rather than standing still, we all sway, at least slightly around our balance point. “Standing” is not a static state, but a dynamic one. We call these apparently steady states, “homeostasis” or “dynamic balance.” Feedback is an integral part of our every moment, even when we are standing still. We don’t get defensive when our inner ear sends us a signal that we are moving away from the perpendicular or our feet sense a shifting pressure indicating a tipping action. We don’t give excuses; we just use the information in an instant to take action to improve our performance as we move into the future. We didn’t always have the skill necessary to respond instantly to that feedback. We learned the skill of standing, then moving with support, and then tentatively taking our first steps commonly before our first birthday. Then our bones were tough, and our bums were mere inches from the floor so the consequences of a fall were severe enough to encourage us to develop our skills, but not so severe that we couldn’t afford the lesson. As we age the consequences of a fall gradually become more severe. Unfortunately, the feedback that we use to maintain our balance and avoid falling can also begin to diminish with age. All of our senses may diminish as we age, including our sense of balance. Sensations in our feet may not be as acute and may fail to give us the feedback information that we are tipping. Our ability to take rapid corrective action may also diminish as our muscle tone decreases. Finally, our bones become more brittle and the consequences of a fall more serious. The Internet can provide a lot of useful information on how to prevent falls. One site uses the clever title "Don't let a Fall Be Your Last Trip: Prevention Facts.” Another site lists the following: Learn more about preventing falls
• Keep physically active. Regular, daily exercise helps to improve your balance, increase your flexibility, and build your strength. Learn more about staying physically active
• Have your vision and hearing checked regularly by a professional.
• Wear glasses and use your hearing aids (if needed).
• Use medication wisely. Have your prescriptions checked by your pharmacist or doctor periodically. Learn more about using medications wisely from AARP.
• Eat regular, healthy meals. Learn more about making healthy food choices.
• Reduce fall hazards in your home.
To learn more visit http://www.minnesotasafetycouncil.org/SeniorSafe/fallcheck.pdf
• Find out if there are any gadgets or assistive devices that can help you stay independent and how to use them. Learn more
• Wear the right type of shoes. High heels, floppy slippers and shoes with slick soles can make you slip, stumble and fall. To learn more about wht shoes to wear visit :http://www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/pubinfo/falls/documents/Whatshoestowear.pdf
• Slow down, watch where you’re going, and use handrails.
• Get up slowly after eating, lying down or resting. Low blood pressure at these times may cause dizziness.
Stay balanced. Welcome feedback. Be open to learning from failure
--Stay tuned
MAY 2009 Buzzing
As I am sitting here waiting for inspiration it’s not yet 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning in April. Often I attempt to write something with a forward perspective so that it doesn’t seem stale by the time you get to read it. But here in this moment just over half way through a month in which my pulpit theme is “Birth”, as I contemplate next month’s pulpit theme “Neo Natal” or new born, here is what is happening. Some of you are actively involved in preparing for our participation as a Green Sanctuary in Earth Day celebrations at Washington Oaks, located on A1A north of Palm Coast and just south of Marine Land. You’ve done this before and your dedication is an inspiration. Many of you will be wearing the T shirts created last year with Don Kennedy’s art work and the inscription that “Every Day is Earth Day.” You are there to raise consciousness about a planet that is in distress because of human activity. It is hard to imagine that we humans are threatening this huge beautiful blue planet with our thoughtless exploitation, but the best information available says it’s so.
Those of you, who actively champion the future of our planet, see a vision of a desirable and sustainable future. Against tremendous odds you refuse to give up hope. You choose to be the glimmer in the eyes of lovers. You conceive a dream of what might be. You dare to imagine that we humans will emerge from our womb of unconscious slumbering indifference. You act as though we will survive our birth trauma, escape our infantile narcissism, and emerge into planetary consciousness. Your act of faith presumes we will have time enough to reverse the climate trends that threaten the delicate balance of the gossamer biosphere that sustains all life on our Mother Earth. Is there any basis for your optimism? Do we have any reasonable basis for believing Margaret Mead who said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Is there any evidence that small groups can bring about the vast changes needed? I watched a special about shrinking glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains. The commentator said the glaciers there had existed at least 7,000 years and in 50 years of human activity their existence was being threatened.
We are living in the Information Age. We know Twitter is a social networking communication phenomena spreading with viral popularity. Twitter is also the sound of a succession of chirps uttered by birds. Can we take such viral potential for information sharing and harness it to carry not just the equivalent of bird chirps, but the compelling message of a coal miner’s canary singing what might be its last song before an ominous and irreversible silence.
“Every day is Earth Day.” I hope you will help spread the word that the Green Sanctuary a small group of thoughtful committed citizens needs our help to save the planet. This morning a member of the congregation sent me a link to a video http://videos.komando.com/2009/04/16/sound-of-music/. I watched as a crowded train station in Antwerp, Belgium came alive, dancing to “The Sound of Music” being played over the public address system. Staged or spontaneous, the joy and hope was contagious.
“Let it be a dance we do. May I have this dance with you? Through the good times and the bad times too, let it be a dance.”
Stay Tuned
APRIL 2009 Buzzing
My pulpit themes this year trace the stages of human development. The theme for the month of April is “Birth.” Birth is truly miraculous, whether we are talking about the miracle of a new life beginning or the continuous miracle of re-birth that occurs in every living being as it adapts and changes in the process of being alive.
I was privileged to be present for the births of my children. I remember how my admiration deepened as I witnessed the physical effort my wife, Helen made in giving birth to our children. The event of my children’s births marked the beginning of their independent lives, but it also marked a deeply transforming change in the two of us, transformed into parents. We were also born, born into a new life, a new way of being, with the birth of our children. We were now responsible for their fragile new lives. I can remember praying, willing that they would continue breathing, not confident that they would. That special vulnerability continues to this day.
There are those that remind us that the miracles recorded in sacred writings are no greater than the miracles that surround us in every moment of every day. The miracle of birth is repeated in every moment of our lives. One of the greatest miracles of all happens when humans commit selfless acts, transcending eons of “survival of the fittest evolution” to be born into a generative life for others.
For example, on March 14, 2009 Bob Mohr gave birth to a revitalized Northeast Cluster. His determination to keep the Cluster organization going supported by our Congregation’s President, Dottie Mann, was fueled by his memory of a vital Cluster structure that worked to support the UU movement in years gone by.
On March 22, 2009 I attended the Florida District Annual Assembly. I immersed myself in a celebration of our solidarity even and perhaps especially in the midst of the current financial crises. Prior to the gathering, Kenn Hurto, District Executive asked for a volunteer to pick up Geoff Kaufman from the Tampa Airport. I agreed to swing by on my way and pick Geoff up. He delivered a performance on Saturday night providing a folk music tour through the history of the conflict between labor and management. The perspective he presented reminded us that the history of tension between labor and management is such that the role of solidarity often expressed through collective bargaining in some form has been responsible for nearly all of the advancement of the middle and lower classes throughout the world. While there are exceptional acts of generosity by wealthy individuals they remain the exception and securing humane conditions for the vast majority who do not posses wealth and its attendant power can only come through the power that flows from solidarity of purpose.
As you read this, the F.A.I.T.H. Annual Action Assembly March 30, 2009 will be history and we will have expressed our solidarity with those who are oppressed. We will have asked our local civic leaders to be mindful in their use of public resources to impact those who are trapped in chronic unemployment and under employment. Thank you for standing with the other members of F.A.I.T.H. to underscore our demands for systemic changes that will help justice flow down like a river and bring new opportunities to those struggling to survive during these difficult times.
We will also have completed our Chart and Compass Pledge Campaign with your commitment to our solidarity as a transforming community of love. Together we are empowered to be born again, and again, and again.
Stay tuned
March 2009,
Pastor Bud’s Buzz
We are called to the commands to love and do justice.
Our gathering this day reminds us of our responsibility to work with one another to remake our world into a more hopeful place of peace.
We are inspired and guided to hear the cry of the poor and oppressed, and to respond.
We know that alone we are limited in what we can do, but together we are powerful.
Our strength comes from our unity.
Grant us continued strength and sustenance.
We ask all of these things from you, whose spirit makes us one.
Amen
Rev. Kristen Harper, who formerly served our congregation, composed this prayer for the multi-congregational communityorganizing group called F.A.I.T.H. (an acronym that stands for, Fighting Against Injustice Toward Harmony). I mention thisprayer F.A.I.T.H. uses, because together we are powerful:
• On Monday, March 9th, F.A.I.T.H. will hold a Rally at Port Orange Presbyterian Church, 4662 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Port Orange, FL 32129. Come to learn how you can help get 1400 or more people to attend the F.A.I.T.H. Action Assembly.Sign up after our service on March 8th.
• On Saturday March 14 the Northeast and Southeast Clusters of the Florida District of the UUA will gather for an all dayconference to explore the power of our unity. Rev. Meg Riley, Director of the Advocacy and Witness will keynote ourgathering at the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach, SE Corner of 16th Street and 27th Ave. Vero Beach, FL 32960.
Contact me at (386) 846-1840 or revbudmurphy@earthlink.net to get a egistration form
• On Friday through Sunday March 20 through March 22 the Florida District of the UUA will gather at the UU Church of Sarasota on the theme, The Arc of a Moral Universe … Bends Toward Justice Featuring Dr. Charlie Clements, Executive
Director of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.
• On March 30th F.A.I.T.H. will hold an Action Assembly at the First Baptist Church, 118 Palmetto Ave. Daytona Beach 32114 just north of International Speedway Blvd. One of our major issues this year will be “Jobs.” Be one of the over 1400 people who will gather to respond to the cry of the poor and oppressed.
“Alone we are limited in what we can do, but together we are powerful. Our strength comes from our unity.” In these difficult and uncertain times when our economy is struggling and we avoid looking at the news because it is too painful, we can’t avoid the signs of economic distress: stores closing, unemployment numbers rising, financial institutions failing. We may not be feeling powerful, but we are clearly more powerful together than alone and we can accomplish more through our unity than in isolation.
Closer to home our congregation will also be exploring the deeper understanding of what it means to have a “Shared Ministry.”
We will hold a number of cottage meetings to begin a conversation about how we can deepen our shared ministry, one that assures us that none of us needs to be alone in a struggling economy, raising small children, caring for aging parents, or coping with our own aging and growing dependence. Whatever the challenges we know that “together we are powerful.” We will be
examining at a deeper level how we can benefit from the development of Pastoral Care Teams, Worship Associates, and so many other ways that we can take action on our congregational mission objectives. Together we are powerful. Together we can “remake our world into a more hopeful place of peace.”
Stay tuned
February 2009 Buzzing,
As I gather my thoughts it is January 19, 2009. I am surrounded by buzz. I have celebrated the 80th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At 8:15 AM I offer a few words of dedication for a group that has gathered in response to Barack Obama’s invitation to celebrate Dr. Kings memory through acts of service. High school students and retirees will spend the day helping to construct a Habitat for Humanity home. At 8:45 AM I arrive at Our Lady of Lourdes for a breakfast feeding hundreds who will march to the foot of Seabreeze Bridge where they listen to the words of a woman who was part of the Civil Rights protests organized by Dr. Marti Luther Kings Jr. when she was 18. She tells of the fear and courage that pervaded the crowds that gathered to protest racial discrimination and who were beaten with clubs sprayed with tear gas, who crouched down in their bus as they passed through certain parts of their travels for fear of being shot. It is late in the evening and I anticipate the next day’s historic inauguration of Barack Obama as our Nation’s 44th President. Buzzing, I read the words spoken in 1899, by Rev. Daniel Christian Limbaugh who founded the first Unitarian Church of Dallas. He said at the time:
'But the time has come… in the history of Dallas, when a broad and liberal Christianity should be declared here. Many souls are hungering and thirsting for religious knowledge, truth and righteousness, to whom the old dogmas, doctrines and creeds appear outgrown. These persons are at sea without chart or compass, and many are making shipwreck of their religious natures. The old creeds seem to them unworthy of the character of God, the nature of man, and of the highest conception of human duty and destiny…. hence we need a liberal platform which does no violence to religion but which, while it is perfectly rational, is, at the same time, expressive of the highest conception of a life of spirituality.'
110 years later the Unitarian Universalist Society of the Daytona Beach Area can borrow much of Limbaugh’s message. As 21st Century Unitarian Universalists we have developed a broader and religiously more liberal presence in our community. Our vision statement proclaims, “We are a safe harbor, where people may explore diverse ideas and beliefs and we are a force for a better world.” This year’s canvass uses a lighthouse to symbolize that we want those who are exploring to be able to find us, especially when the search is stormy. We do not want anyone to feel stuck in our safe harbor and that is why we have chosen the images of the Chart and Compass. When we have a chart and compass we can explore beyond the harbor out into the open sea and feel confident that we can find our way to wherever our search takes us; and that we can find our way back when we run short of supplies or long for the protective harbor of familiar friends.
President Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address that our “new nation,” was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. As a nation, we are renewing our commitment to that vision of equality.
In our Congregation it is through liberty of thought that the ideas of our members flow together into the consensus by which we govern. As a community, the consensus we nurture is our chart and compass. We live the paradox of being committed to the rational and at the same time respectful of the religious impulse. Because we value this harbor that gives us safety, because we value the chart and compass of intellectual freedom that supports us as we venture forth in our search for truth and meaning, perhaps now more than ever when the stormy seas crash around us we need to show our commitment to that harbor, that chart and that compass.
In February we begin of our 2009 Compass and Chart Canvass. Please invest generously with your pledge commitment so we can weather the storm together. Be certain no matter how large or small, we need your financial commitment if we are going to be the safe harbor, provide the chart and compass and continue our voyage together.
Stay tuned---
January 2009
Well, here we are at the end and beginning of another trip around our benefactor, the Sun. As I contemplate this cycle it reminds me of the innumerable cycles that weave together to support my life and the rich connections of this caring community of human hope and aspiration.
One of the cycles of this coming year will be the themes for my pulpit presentations. At the suggestion of Dottie Mann I will be exploring the theme of the cycle of human development on one Sunday each month. On another Sunday I will be exploring one of our seven principles and our six sources of wisdom. Our stories for all ages will draw upon the new Tapestry of Faith curriculum developed by the UUA.
January 4th I will begin with “Cradle to Cradle,” the title of a book that Lani Van Petten shared with me. Each cycle, including our own begins with birth but rather than ending in death our lives provide a legacy that leads to the birth of other cycles and lives beyond our own. As we consciously participate in these cycles of life we make choices that determine our impact on others and our legacy, reaching out into the future. January we will have the opportunity to gain insight into or communication with each other and how we can increase our effectiveness while avoiding communication roadblocks and other ways we sometimes use force in an attempt to influence that often results in unnecessary resentment and resistance. I hope you will participate in these programs. I think it can help us interact with each other in a manner consistent with our desire to respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We will be able to use our communication skills as we tackle the challenges of the year ahead.
Our challenges include engaging the current congregational study action issues (CSAI) that emerged from the last UUA General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale. Another challenge will be continuing to thrive and grow even in the midst of our current economic crises. Generating the resources for that growth and accommodating the growth as it occurs are the best kinds of problems that a vital loving congregation can have.
I’m excited about this coming year. I invite you to get more deeply involved in this loving community and discover the richness and deep satisfaction that can come from ministering to each other and to the wider community.
The world needs what we have to offer more than at any other time. I believe we have an opportunity to contribute to a legacy that will take us into a wonderful future of creativity and shared abundance. As we contemplate our journey from Cradle to Cradle, let us be conscious about our legacy and the cradle of the future that we can create.
Someone once said the one who rocks the cradle rocks the world. Let’s rock! ---Stay tuned
