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Co-editors, Yuri Yamamoto and Chandra Snell, along with contributor Mike Jenkins, join The VUU to talk about a new anthology of 15 authentic stories written by Unitarian Universalists of color. The book is called Unitarian Universalists of Color: Stories of Struggle, Courage, Love and Faith and is available in either a softcover or electronic edition through Lulu.
Show notes:
The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley (currently on sabbatical), Michael Tino, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Aisha Hauser, Hank Peirce, and Alicia Forde, with production support provided by Terri Burnor. The VUU streams live on Thursdays at 11 am ET.
Note: This audio has been slightly edited for a better listening experience, although Yuri’s sound quality is poor due to popping noises during the first 20 minutes of the episode that couldn’t be removed. View the live original recording on YouTube.
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Yuri Yamamoto wrote what she calls a “rant” in response to Skinner House Book’s rejection of a book proposal for an anthology of stories by Unitarian Universalists of color. Her words go beyond the decision of the publisher and address the privilege that comes out of a broader culture of white supremacy. This is an excerpt from episode #180.
The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley (on sabbatical), Michael Tino, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Aisha Hauser, Hank Peirce, and Alicia Forde, with production support provided by Terri Burnor. The VUU streams live on Thursdays at 11 am ET.
Note: This audio has been edited for a better listening experience. View the full original recording on YouTube.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 56:06 — 51.4MB)
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Lena K. Gardner, executive director of the Black Lives of UU organizing collective, joins The VUU. Lena and the panel talk about the continual harm being done to Unitarian Universalists of color; how the use of covenant, right relationships and “safety” exemplify white fragility around racial discomfort; Rev. Don Southworth’s letter to the UUA Board of Trustees and Lena’s response; the upcoming UUA General Assembly; and so much more.
Show notes:
The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley (currently on sabbatical), Michael Tino, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Aisha Hauser, Hank Peirce, and Alicia Forde, with production support provided by Terri Burnor. The VUU streams live on Thursdays at 11 am ET.
Note: This audio has been slightly edited for a better listening experience, although there is some background noise as Lena was in an airport. View the live original recording on YouTube.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 51:55 — 47.5MB)
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Coming of Age is a faith formation program for youth that centers on the creation of a credo statement. The VUU welcomes to the show Bart Frost, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries with the UUA, and Hannah Eller-Isaacs, one of the leaders of this youth program at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, MN.
We talk about the new Coming of Age journal, To This I Give My Heart, and the spiritual journey both youth and adults make together. The book gets its name from a common definition of credo.
The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley (currently on sabbatical), Michael Tino, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Aisha Hauser, Hank Peirce, and Alicia Forde, with production support provided by Terri Burnor. The VUU streams live on Thursdays at 11 am ET.
Note: This audio has been slightly edited for a better listening experience, although Bart’s microphone did not provide very sound quality. View the live original recording on YouTube.
There’s a place for creativity in pretty much all aspects of our lives, whether it’s work or play. This little song is a reminder of how creativity and art help us to learn.
Béla Bartók was a Hungarian pianist and composer who added a great deal to our world through his creativity. He started playing piano as a tiny child, and knew 40 songs by the time he was four—and gave his first public recital , including an original composition he’d written two year earlier, when he was eleven.
Bartók went on to become a famous composer who not only wrote his own music, but also went out around the countryside gathering folk music, which he often worked into his compositions. While he was collecting music from the Székely people in Transylvania he learned about Unitarianism.
He liked the idea of a creative religion that was less about following rules and more about connecting with all aspects of life. He eventually joined a Unitarian church in Hungary, and attended with his son.
With the rise of a fascist government in Hungary and the approach of the Second World War, Bartók fled to the United States. He was safe there, but felt lonely and disconnected from his homeland, and it was hard for him to continue to write music. But when he was diagnosed with leukemia and knew that he did not have very long to live, his creative energy returned in a burst and his last compositions are often considered his greatest.
To learn more about Bartók and listen to some of his music, visit the NPR story, “Béla Bartók: Finding a Voice Through Folk Music”
Music: Béla – Evening in the village
Here is one of Bartók’s compositions, titled “Evening in the Village.” The tune comes from a folksong, which is called the “ancient Székely anthem.” The pictures in the video were almost all taken in Transylvania, where Bartók discovered Unitarianism. (The one with the gate was taken in Máriabesnyő, a famous shrine in the outskirts of Budapest.)
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Kenny Wiley and Christina Rivera join The VUU to talk about the upcoming #UUWhiteSupremacyTeachIn. Unitarian Universalists congregations are being asked to shift their regularly scheduled Sunday morning worship to participate in a teach-in on racism and white supremacy. Learn more at http://www.blacklivesuu.com/teachin/.
Show notes:
The VUU is hosted by Meg Riley (currently on sabbatical), Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Aisha Hauser, Hank Peirce, Michael Tino and Alicia Forde, with production support provided by Terri Burnor. The VUU streams live on Thursdays at 11 am ET.
Note: This audio has been slightly edited for a better listening experience. View the live original recording on YouTube.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 8:43 — 8.0MB)
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Neil Gaiman, who is a writer and creator of many things, gave a commencement speech that was later published as a book. Read more →
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We journey together in a way that we believe is best for supporting an individual’s growth in the community. 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.