This sermon was delivered at the Michael Servetus Unitarian Society in Fridley, Minn. on Sunday morning, the 15th of November 2015, as Jamar Clark lay in hospital fighting for his life, shot by Minneapolis police. It was written in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, France; in Beirut, Lebanon; and Baghdad, Iraq. We share it with you the day after Lena spent most of the night at the camp at the 4th Precinct in Minneapolis dealing with the aftermath of a terrorist attack launched by white supremacists on the people participating in the occupation and calling for justice in the shooting death of Jamar Clark.
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We stand with Unitarian Universalists across the globe calling for the immediate release of the Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Burundi.
“On November 16th, the minister of the church, the Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana, was arrested from the church at gunpoint, taken into police custody and interrogated severely, regarding the activities of his church. He was threatened with physical harm and death. At the moment he remains in custody, with other members of the church also being questioned.”
—International Council of Unitarian Universalists (ICUU)
“Lena Gardner is the development director of a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the Church of the Larger Fellowship, faith without walls!” If I’d been wearing something with buttons, they might have popped off from my pride as I heard those words, spoken from the stage to a room packed with glamorously dressed people last night at a gala for OutFront Minnesota. Read more →
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Leslie MacFadyen and Lena Gardener meet with The VUU team to talk about self-care, the situation in Minneapolis, and a Year Without Tamir. The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley and Joanna Fontaine Crawford and airs Thursdays at 11 am ET. This episode first aired November 19, 2015.
Tonight, as I watch the live feeds of events unfolding at the #4thPrecinctShutDown, I am feeling so much gratitude for all the organizers and ordinary people putting themselves in harm’s way as they collectively call for #Justice4Jamar in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Read more →
A man sits on the rubble—
not just in the rubble, but on the pile
of what remains. No people
in the bombed-out houses.
No dogs. No birds. Just ragged hunks
of concrete and loss. And on his perch
he is playing an instrument constructed
of what is left—an olive oil can, a broom handle,
a bowed stick and strings. It sounds
exactly as it is supposed to sound.
The instrument cries, but the man sings.
Because sometimes loss is deeper than tears.
Because sometimes grief is resistance.
Because, somewhere down the very long road,
music is stronger than bombs.
Dedicated to S.K.
VIDEO: “ت ناوازەیە” by Xendan
PHOTO: “Rubble litters the street in the main souk or market area of Maraat al-Numan, Syria” by Freedom House is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Beginning in November and December, I am pleased to offer free sample sessions of the upcoming class, Whispering Winds: Writing to Explore Your Inner Wisdom (registration now open).
I hope you will consider joining us for a sample session on November 15, November 18, December 13, or December 16 (reserve your spot!). Read more →
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Bart Frost and Hannah Eller-Isaacs join The VUU panel for a conversation about UU youth programs. The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley and Joanna Fontaine Crawford and airs on Thursdays at 11 am ET. This episode originally aired November 12, 2015.
You know how it is; you’re going along with your own life and it all seems obvious to you, just the usual. But at the Church of the Larger Fellowship, life is interesting and complicated. Read more →
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Quest for Meaning is a program of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF).
As a Unitarian Universalist congregation with no geographical boundary, the CLF creates global spiritual community, rooted in profound love, which cultivates wonder, imagination, and the courage to act.