I feel ever so fortunate to be able to be a part of our larger Unitarian Universalist movement from time to time, offering my experiences to colleagues and to our institution.
For 10-days I experienced our faith in the South and I found that I love my southern colleagues–and the accent!
I stopped first in Athens, Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs, where my wonderful hosts Rev. Alison Eskildsen and her husband Paul, offered their wonderful accommodations and congregation. Nov 8th I preached for the congregation’s two services. It went well. For worship we used a contemporary music model and the church was certainly on its feet. I am more and more convinced that when UUs finally settle in and make our music more diverse, our churches over time will become more diverse.
On Monday I rode with Rev. Alison North to The Mountain UU Resort in Highlands, NC where I was the guest presenter for the week.
There I continued to teach the importance of popular and contemporary music in worship. I also did presentations on music –what constitutes good music— told the AWAKE Ministries story, did a reading from my next book (still writing); and taught some emotional literacy and life coaching basics. After 10 1/2 hours of working I was exhausted but fulfilled. When I received a standing ovation I was humbled and also affirmed. I am a spiritual teacher.
v
One evening after the rain and fog had cleared, I took a short walk. I looked up and I saw clear into space. I marveled as I’d never been this close to space. With my mouth open, tears fell down my face. I sang: “What wondrous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul. What wondrous love is this, oh my soul…” “Then sings my soul–my savior God to thee… How great thou art, how great thou art…” I sang as tears flowed. I had a moment and I was thankful for it. I know now so clearly that we are made by greatness for greatness, made by something creative and generous and therefore we, at our best are creative and generous.
We headed back to Athens Thursday and I had a day to reflect and prepare for my next part of the journey–Atlanta to Selma to Montgomery…
In Atlanta, I met my wife, Joni at the airport and we rented a car and headed south to meet up with the UUA President’s Council (PC), of which we are members. These 60 UUs have a close relationship to our current UU president, Peter Morales, and the decision was made to have our meetings in the south instead of Boston, and that we take a tour of the historic areas that witnessed Martin Luther King march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, as well as the place (Montgomery) where the bus boycott with Rosa Parks spawned a national movement.
We took plenty of pictures and read plaques. We went across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma (in the car LOL) and went by the famous Brown Chapel AME church the site of many meetings during the movement. I also had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman who was a part of “Bloody Sunday” the first failed march to Selma when police bullied and beat marchers until they ran for cover. The gentleman told us his story and we listened imagining the horrific times he lived in. He was a nice man eager to share his testimony.
We also visited the place where MLK gave his “How long? Not Long” speech at the end of the march from Selma to Montgomery. We saw King’s first church, first parsonage and other history related places. It was a full trip that also included its share of PC meetings that updated us on many important happenings in our UU world.
The trip was topped off last Sunday when I got to hear the dynamic Jacqui Lewis preach at the Montgomery UU church. She is known for the saying, “On Sunday morning we rehearse being the beloved community.” I love that! She is dynamic, passionate and a leader of a 900 member racially diverse congregation, Middle Collegiate, in Manhattan, NY.
It was a long but productive trip. I’m glad to be home. I feel spiritually invigorated by this experience and I want to thank you for giving me the time to have this experience. I continue to reflect on where we’ve come from as a nation and where we are going. I want to sometimes get negative and think it’s all going to hell. But as I look at it more and more I am more convinced, despite Paris, and extremism, that we are moving onward and upward to a time when humans will live in a world with peace, liberty and justice for all.
Love to you,
Rev. John