Perspectives for July 2024

Changes to Weekday Office Hours

As July approaches, there will be some changes in the hours of our Director of Administration and Communications Coordinator. As of July 1, Amanda Waye, Director of Administration, is working part time in the office. The hours are as follows:

Monday - Tuesday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Thursday - Friday (Work from Home): 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

As of July 1, Jo Bowman, our Communications Coordinator is working these hours:

Wednesday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This means that the office is once again open on Tuesdays! The office hours are returning to Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

For any maintenance requests, please email the Director of Administration at admin@uubloomington.org

A reminder: if you see anything broken or out of place on a Sunday morning, please report it to Jo. Jo can be found in the Office (Room 204), or wandering the halls on Sundays.

Ministerial Transition Schedule

Through July 31, Reverend Connie is our Interim Lead Minister. She will be moving from Bloomington on July 3, and remains available by text, email, or phone if needed.

For pastoral care needs, please contact Rev. Connie and/or the Pastoral Associates at PastoralAssociates@uubloomington.org.

Services in July and August will feature guest ministers and other guest speakers, with support from our Worship Associates. Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray plans to begin preaching on September 1.

-Jo Bowman, Communications Coordinator

office@uubloomington.org

On June 20, a small group of us gathered in the Courtyard to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Our ritual included time to reflect on the season as a time of growth and energy: lush green trees, colorful flowers, abundance in the garden and the farmers’ markets. The summer of our inner life is similarly energetic and fruitful. This is a time of clarity, action, and moving forward.

Coincidentally, this year’s General Assembly of the UUA also began on the Solstice, and featured much discussion of the proposed revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws – the part that describes what the association of Unitarian Universalist congregations exists to do. As Hans reported, the delegates voted strongly to adopt the proposed revision, with one amendment. Throughout the discussion, I was struck by the opportunities for growth that I hear in the new words. As one speaker pointed out, the core of who we are as UUs is not changing – we’re just using different words to describe who we are. Any time you describe something, you choose what to emphasize and what to leave out, and in doing so you see different possibilities. I am excited to explore what it means to “put Love at the center.” I’m excited to experiment with new ways of describing Unitarian Universalism to children, based on the values named in Article II. I’m eager to be challenged to live into our association’s covenant in new ways. Of course, all of this is optional for individuals. Article II describes the covenant between member congregations, not individuals. Article II does not tell anyone what to do, much less what they must do. Article II is simply one description of what Unitarian Universalism is about.

I remember when I first read the seven principles in the front of the hymnal. I found that they resonated with me; they reflected my own views, and helped me articulate what was important to me. I have always found that the more clear I am about what I believe and value, the more consistently I am able to live into those beliefs and values. So the seven principles have been helpful to me on my journey. I expect that they will continue to pop up in my head when I’m pondering perspectives and choices; I expect I’ll continue to refer to them now and then when I speak or write about my thoughts, because those words are one way of expressing my values. But I am excited to have a whole new expression – a whole new set of words, a new lens, a new framework – to challenge me, once again, to think about what I believe, what I value, and how I manifest that in my life. The revision is a strong invitation to social justice work, to stand up for our shared values at a time when those values are not necessarily dominant in the broader culture. It’s a call to acknowledge that no matter how welcomed and affirmed you or I might have felt the first time we read the seven principles, they did/do not speak to everyone. What might our faith be like if the words we use to describe it resonated with more and more people? Who could we become? What could our movement accomplish in the world?

Our UUA Bylaws mandate that in fifteen years we’ll review Article II again, and consider what changes need to be made at that point. Maybe there will be amendments, or maybe a complete rewrite. Either way, the beauty of it is that we, as an association, will once again collectively think through what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and what words express that most helpfully in that moment in time. This is what it means to be a living tradition. This is what it means to say that revelation is not sealed. As Unitarian Universalists we are not striving to create the perfect religion and enshrine it in stone for all time; instead, we put a stake in the ground marking who we are now and what we value and envision, then, as we work toward that vision we listen and observe, learn and grow – and when we need to, we put another stake in the ground reflecting the changed world and our responses to it.

One commenter at General Assembly pointed out that our faith tradition is the only one she knew of that had such a participatory process for defining ourselves. We don’t have the equivalent of the Pope. We put our faith in ourselves and each other, and rely on democratic processes that allow for everyone’s participation. Democracy is messy and imperfect, because it involves people, and we’re messy and imperfect. But also beautiful, creative, inspiring, and loving. Our collective wisdom created our new description of principles and purposes, and I’m excited to see how this new expression of who we are together will prompt us to learn and grow.

Whatever you hoped for regarding the revision of Article II, I hope you will join me in exploring the possibilities for growth and rejuvenation that this new season in UU history brings.

-Stephanie Kimball, Director of Lifespan Religious Education

New Members!

Eight new members signed the Membership Book on Sundays, June 23rd and 30th. It is a joy to welcome folks into a new religious home and accompany them on their journey. Of these folks several wish to introduce themselves. Please give them a warm welcome should you see them around the church!

Anabel,

Connections Coordinator

Donalee Attardo:

Donalee Attardo (she/her) moved to Bloomington 5 years ago to be near her daughter (Gaia White) and her family (Tyler, Liam and Aurelia), also UUCB attendees. Despite her best efforts, she's lived in Indiana most of her life. She graduated from Purdue University in 1996 with a PhD in Linguistics and worked at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota in the field of academic technology. Most recently, Donalee has been a Montessori teacher at the Bloomington Montessori School. She has studied yoga philosophy and meditation for many years, loves to read, to sing in the UUC choir, and is trying to learn how to draw and to paint with watercolors.

Patrice "Po" Hanley

I am originally from Southern California, about an hour outside of Los Angeles. My husband, his other partner, and I (polyamorous) moved here because my husband was accepted into IU. I now work in IU undergraduate admissions but I am a lifelong student; I love learning about different cultures, religions, histories, cuisines, languages, etc. I do a lot of sewing and crafting in my free time and I love attending renaissance faires.

Crystal and Jonathan Baker:

We’ve been attending the UU mostly online since COVID. The community part of UU is just wonderful to us! We have 2 kids (Will-10, Henry-7) and love being in Bloomington.

4th of July Parade

All are welcome to march with UUCB in the 4th of July Parade on Thursday, July 4! We will be located in the RED staging area (pictured) prior to our march around the Square (the same route as last year). This is the City Hall parking lot with the covered awnings where the downtown farmers’ market occurs on Saturdays. The parade kicks off at 10am and the City of Bloomington asks that participants arrive at their staging areas by 9am. Free parking is available in the garage on Morton Street between 6th and 7th streets, in the garage on 10th street and Rogers, and in spaces right outside the staging area, though some roads will be closed off during the parade. So, please arrive in advance to get ready to march! Don’t forget sunscreen and water!

-Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator connect@uubloomington.org

Associational Affairs (Article II/GA Summary)

Last week, the Unitarian Universalist Association held its annual General Assembly. I was a delegate, as were a few others from our congregation. It was a fun, intense, hard, interesting, and sometimes painful experience, as General Assembly always is. The most anticipated item of business at GA this year was the proposed revision to Article II of the UUA bylaws, which passed (with one amendment). It was approved by 80.2 percent of voting delegates (2,025 votes) to 19.8 percent (499 votes), with 21 delegates abstaining (0.8 percent).

What does this mean for us here at UUCB? Well, it depends how you look at it. This is a change to the bylaws of the UUA, and it has no direct impact on the governance or practices of any individual congregation. However, just as the previous versions of Article II were (and still are) incredibly important in shaping the beliefs of individuals and the programs offered here, so will this new version be. This new way of describing our faith represents the association inviting us into a bold new era in our tradition. The future is full of possibilities, and I'm sure that this congregation will continue to work together in shaping what this revision means for our future. With love at the center, we will journey on.

Article II was, of course, far from the only item of business discussed. There is a detailed summary of the week's events here in the UU World Magazine, and I invite anyone who is interested in the workings of our association to read more there.

Next year's General Assembly will be held both online and in person in Baltimore, MD. I plan to attend in person, and I would truly love for more folks from this congregation to join me. It's a wonderful experience in which you will meet new people, hear new ideas, and broaden your UU horizons outside of our local community. I recommend it wholeheartedly, either in person or online, and I'm already looking forward to next year.

-Hans Kelson, Technology Coordinator (and also sometimes Associational Affairs person)

After serving as an At-Large member and then as Vice President of the Board of Directors, I am honored to step into the position of President (which will have just happened by the time you read this article). I have found serving on the Board challenging, fun, and gratifying, all the more so because of the skill, good humor, and commitment of the other Board members and the ongoing support of our church community.

Abby Gitlitz’s and Drew Schrader’s terms on the Board ended on June 30. They have both contributed so much to our community over the years—through their official Board positions and in countless other ways. Please join me in expressing our deep collective appreciation for all they have contributed to sustaining and strengthening UUCB. Fortunately for all of us, I do not think this will be the last time we see them!

Please join me also in welcoming our new Board members, Steve Mascari and Pam McLaughlin, and acknowledging our continuing members (Linda Pickle, Vice President; Regina DiLavore, Secretary; Bill Lonnberg, Treasurer; Mary Craig, At-Large). Our new Lead Minister, Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray, will arrive in August. We all look forward to working with her and with you as we step into our collective future.

The Board will stay in touch through our monthly Perspectives article, our presence at Sunday services, postings on the UUCB website, and the monthly Board meeting (third Wednesday of each month beginning at 7pm in the UUCB Library, with in-person and virtual attendance options). Please join us at our meetings, if you are interested, and let us know how else we can keep you informed about our work.

-Jane McLeod, Congregational President

Refugee and Immigrant Support and Education

UU-RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Support and Education) Task Force is Connecting and Collaborating. The UU-RISE Task Force is forging connections with two groups of Bloomington churches that are working to establish community-wide networks for support of local immigrant and refugee families. St. Thomas ELCA Lutheran Church (3800 E. 3rd Street) is trying to become a Welcome Corps sponsor for family members of the Syrian family they are currently sponsoring. They are working with other churches to raise $7000 and an on-going source of revenue to expand their sponsorship to the additional family members. UU-RISE members have met with Jan at St. Thomas and are investigating ways we could support their efforts. Members of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (100 N. St. Road 46) are creating a database to manage refugee support from multiple Bloomington organizations. We all recognize that when many hands pull in the same direction, mighty things can happen.

-Jenny Vessels, Chair of RISE Task Force

Beacon/Shalom donations are now being transported from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington to Shalom. The driver(s) prefer to remain anonymous. All donations may be dropped off at the “Homelessness” bin at the portico door (located on the North side of the church) or in the “Shalom” basket under the Social Justice Table. Jason Michálek (a volunteer at the hospitality desk at Shalom) said that socks and new underwear still in the package are needed for both men and women.

-Jo Bowman, Communications Coordinator office@uubloomington.org

The Soul of Our Community

“You can learn a lot about a town from its walls. Our first walls were primitive things: sharpened tree trunks, mud and stone… Today, we fashion our walls out of something much more durable and dispiriting: money and laws… Like all walls, they determine so much; and like all walls, they are boring… Yet there is perhaps no better way to grasp the soul of a community than this.” - Desmond, Matthew. 2023. Poverty, By America. New York, Crown, pp. 113-114

On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to allow cities to punish people who have no legally approved place to sleep. It reinforced a ruling from the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, declaring that localities will be able to arrest, ticket, and fine people for sleeping outdoors on public property–even if leaders have failed to produce enough affordable housing or shelter for everyone in the community who needs it.

In a statement released by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), CEO Ann Oliva stated, “At a time when elected officials need to be focused on long-term, sustainable solutions that are grounded in evidence – including funding the affordable housing and supportive services that their constituents need — this ruling allows leaders to shift the burden to law enforcement. This tactic has consistently failed to reduce homelessness in the past, and it will assuredly fail to reduce homelessness in the future.”

In anticipation of possible changes to our city after this ruling, as well as changes to our congregation with our incoming settled minister, I’m personally cheered by Reverend Susan’s emphasis on operating based on our capacities to act. When I asked her in a Q&A how we balance moments like this, choosing between our congregational commitments of “Building Community” and “Changing the World,” her answer was inspiring: “We Have to Do Both.”

When the laws of the land prohibit more expansive forms of belonging, we can enact the laws of love that show our residents without residence that they have a home with us–regardless of their housing status. We have to build community here so that we embody the promises that all are welcome in our congregation, “no matter how much money you have in your pockets.” We can welcome folx of all kinds who are transient to belong in community with us. Whatever happens in terms of housing markets and assistance here in Bloomington, we at UUCB can work together to offer the sanctuary of community in and outside our building.

We can also act in practical ways. I personally volunteer weekly at Shalom Community Center on South Walnut as a representative at the hospitality desk, fellowshipping with patrons of the center and connecting them with resources and casework. There, center staff work to house folx who are in the demographic that could be penalized in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. Instead of judging and criminalizing living beings (including animal companions), the Center offers the necessities of survival to any guest who expresses a need.

Community members with money can also give to any number of local services addressing homelessness, including Beacon, Inc. and the myriad homeless support services in our region. You can also help fund our congregational housing initiative with Avalon Community Land Trust. You can volunteer with or donate to Help Ourselves Bloomington–a mutual aid organization that provides food, water and narcan, while cultivating a spirit of radical hospitality with folx who otherwise would be nameless and faceless demographics of our city. Furthermore, within our congregation, the Poverty Abolitionists are actively planning ways to address the systems that obstruct access to housing and other necessities of life.

At the same time, we must work toward changing the world. The Homelessness Task Force will attend to ways we can advocate for legislation that protects vulnerable populations, and will share opportunities to participate as they arise. You can also sign up for personal notifications from the NAEH to be alerted to collective actions opposing further legislation that creates barriers to exiting homelessness and denies the inherent worth and dignity of the unhoused. Also, through the Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission, you can join other members of our community in a coalition to help create alternative solutions to public safety in the city guided by its Alternative Public Safety Report.

Even in the wake of legislative constraints on people experiencing homelessness and other precarities, we can nurture a more expansive form of home that seeks to both house the unhoused and work to remove the walls that keep people from accessing the vitality of the Spirit of Life. If you want to participate more in the efforts of the Homelessness Task Force, contact Alan Backler using this form or Jason Michálek using this form for more information.

Thank you for your care and concern: it is we who collectively constitute the soul of this community–even in the face of Supreme strictures.

-Jason Michálek, Homelessness Task Force Co-Chair

Task of the Month

The July Task of the Month suggests ways to “be water wise.” Traditional toilets can use 25% of a household’s water. Add a displacement device or plastic bottles filled with water to reduce the amount used per flush. Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators can save over 3000 gallons per year. Put a bucket under the shower or tub while waiting for water to heat up and use that water to flush the toilet. Heating water can account for 12% to 18% of a typical home’s energy use. 60% of electricity City of Bloomington purchases is used to treat and pump water; about 6,000 kWh per 1 unit (1,000 gallons).

-Molly O'Donnell, Green Sanctuary Task Force Co-Chair