Uu Fellowship Of San Luis Obispo County

"...find out what it means to me." We all may think we know what respect means. But it may serve us to be more curious. What are the expectations about respect across generations, across racial/gender/sexual identities and cultures, among the disabled community...A big piece of respect means finding out what it means to the person or people with whom we are in relationship.

We are used to hearing "No justice, no peace!" at the many demonstrations that have taken place over the years. What would it mean to also turn that around (as Martin Luther King, Jr. did) to say, "No peace, no justice!"

To say something is possible necessarily implies that something else is possible. Right? Possible and possibly not, How do we best lay the groundwork for our most hoped-for possibilities to flourish?

No, that's not what the Little Engine says, but that's often what we hear when we demand an end to economic inequality, racism, and destruction of the environment. In an age of possibility, we often run into fatalism. And a new book has just come out that is a companion to the Little Engine That Could...

Mary Raskin is a member of Kol Shalom, Community for Humanistic Judaism in Portland, Oregon and serves on their Ritual Committee. Mary also serves as national president for the Society for Humanistic Judaism. She is certified Madrikha/Ritual Leader and is currently close to completing her studies to become a Humanistic Rabbi. Mary will share in this service about Tashlikh, a holiday that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

We are leaning toward the future, ready to reclaim our lives...with more than a little hesitation.

What do we talk about when we talk about "we"? Does every "us" require a "them"?

“This is my home,” I say, along with the words in our hymnal: “The country where my heart is.” How can I not love it? How can I not feel patriotic when I look at what it has offered me? And yet, what do I do with the recognition that what has been offered me is not available to everyone. That “liberty and justice for all” is not a reality, no matter how many times we say the words. How do I use what privilege I have to make that a reality, and how much am I willing to challenge my own comfort in the process?

Memory is a powerful tool, one that can lend itself to healing or harming. How do we choose to use it? And what are those things we forget to remember?

...but words matter. On the road to being an ever-more inclusive community, we need to also embrace a new vocabulary.

Storytelling is wonderful, right? And, yet, "telling stories" can be a euphemism for...well...lying.

We welcome you here, saying that you are accepted just as you are...and then we encourage your (and our own) "transformation." So which is it?

It began as a misspoken phrase by a lawyer for then-President Donald Trump, but the phrase (quite apart from its original context) has stayed with me. How would we go about inciting resurrection?

What should we bring on the journey? Reflections on the story of liberation contained in Exodus as the Jewish celebration of Passover begins.

If we are truly committed to a more inclusive society, then we need to also be committed to making room.

It's an interesting word, right? Is it different than "loved"? Is it just more formal? And how does it connect with "Community"?

I've always been intrigued by this provocative title of a song by Joy Division. Lately, I've been wondering how this shows up in our world. Does love, in being a threat to current systems, appear threatening to some? Is love, in being a challenge to fear, also disruptive to perceived security?

What lessons might a virus teach us about creating beloved community?

It is difficult to open myself to opposing--or even alternative--viewpoints when I know that I'm right. And yet, I must support what I believe is right when confronting what is wrong...right? How do we balance compassionate listening with courageous conviction?

Most everyone knows what is meant by "The Dream Speech." Lesser known is this title of a short story by Delmore Schwartz that may help us grasp Martin Luther King's words in a new way.