Fall 2010, Vol.XXIV No.3

Features

Walking in others' shoes
Stories from the early years of the new partner church movement.
By Gretchen Thomas in Life

The partner church movement today
Almost 200 North American UU congregations have partner churches in other parts of the world.
By Christopher L. Walton in Life

The spirituality of service
Giving our time to our congregations can be spiritually transformative.
By Erik Walker Wikstrom in Life

Focus on immigration
The 2010 General Assembly called on Unitarian Universalists to stand with immigrants.
By Donald E. Skinner in News

Departments

Transylvanian Unitarian prayers
For entering and departing a church.
in Opening words

Beyond the horizon
Seeing Unitarian Universalism as an international faith.
By Christopher L. Walton in From the editor

Letters, Fall 2010
Readers respond to the Summer 2010 issue.
By Jane Greer in Letters

Blog roundup, Fall 2010
Online responses to UU World.
By Kenneth Sutton in Letters

Traffic report, Fall 2010
Top ten stories at uuworld.org.
By Christopher L. Walton in Letters

Service is our prayer
When we serve we become more compassionate, more sensitive, more understanding, and more aware.
By Peter Morales in From the president

The gift of playing God
What if 'playing God' called to mind our liberal theological ideas rather than an all-powerful deity?
By Barnaby Feder in Forum

Choirs bring a 'heart connection'
Unitarian Universalist church choirs strengthen community, deepen personal spirituality.
By Donald E. Skinner in Congregational life

Members donated prisms and crystals for church skylight
Tree motifs prominent in San Antonio church.
By Jane Greer in Spiritual landmarks

Broken Buddha
The enlightened one as imperfect, cracked, and chipped.
By Meg Barnhouse

Crying out for justice
Everything is perfect, and needs a lot of work.
By James Ishmael Ford in Reflections

Visual music
Capturing the music of the slot canyons of the Southwest.
By Beth Kingsley Hawkins and Kenneth Sutton in Reflections

There is enough
There's enough for you. There's enough for me. We don't have to throw anybody under the bus.
By Keith Ellison in Reflections

Good works
If our beliefs have meaning, we must act as if our souls depend on it.
By Jeffrey A. Lockwood in Reflections

Words
They tumble forth.
By Emily Kennedy in Reflections

Dew drops
The artist invited poets to respond to her work.
By Amy Kindred and Kenneth Sutton in Reflections

The dark llama
Standing in the shadow of the nebulae.
By Robert Walsh in Reflections

Families: Weave a Tapestry of Faith (pdf)

Meadville Lombard finds partner
Featured online in another form:
Seminaries announce plans for 'theological university'
Chicago's Meadville Lombard will combine with Boston-area Andover Newton in interfaith partnership.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

Move to rename district fails
Featured online in another form:
Bid to rename Thomas Jefferson District fails again
Motion to change UUA district’s name falls short by 3 votes.
By Jane Greer in UU news

UUA picks new retirement plan over Darfur ties
Featured online in another form:
UUA pulls pension fund from Fidelity
Board of Trustees approves switch to TIAA-CREF over Fidelity’s ties in Darfur.
By Jane Greer in UU news

Board looks at COA, plans to evaluate AIWs
Featured online in another form:
Board, president question Commission on Appraisal’s role
UUA Board of Trustees partially restores Commission’s budget, but is reviewing ‘accountability’ of elected UUA committees.
By Jane Greer in UU news

UU leads fight against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Featured online in another form:
UU fights ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Retired naval commander advocates for law’s repeal.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

UU-UNO honors 'Blue Ribbon' congregations
Featured online in another form:
UU-UNO honors Blue Ribbon congregations
Congregations celebrated for supporting Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office
By McCall Breuer in UU news

Maine teen honored for GLBT activism
Featured online in another form:
UU youth’s activism for GLBT rights honored
Danielle Smith meets President Obama at special White House reception
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

$41k given for Ky., Tenn. floods
Featured online in another form:
UUA raises funds for southeastern flood victims
Will help Unitarian Universalist congregations in Tennessee and Kentucky.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Mass. couple slept outside all year
Featured online in another form:
Couple makes backyard camping a lifestyle
Massachusetts pair has been sleeping outdoors for a year.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Holdeen partner receives peace prize
Featured online in another form:
UU partner in India wins international peace prize
Ela Bhatt, founder of India’s largest women’s union, awarded 2010 Niwano Peace Prize.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

40-40-40 honors Earth Day's 40th anniversary
Featured online in another form:
Hundreds of congregations mark 40th Earth Day
Many Unitarian Universalists focused on ‘ethical eating.’
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Woman brings gun to church
Brief congregational news items from the Fall 2010 issue.
By Jane Greer in UU news

Transgender activist promotes ENDA
Featured online in another form:
Transgender UU champions passage of ENDA
New federal law would end discrimination against GLBT people in the workplace.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

UUA membership decreases again
Featured online in another form:
UUA membership declines for second year
Numbers show slight decline, less than Mainline Protestant churches.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Do all religions share a common thread?
A clear-eyed understanding of our religious differences may be the best hope for promoting cooperation among different religions.
By Dan Harper in Bookshelf

Satire takes aim at recent UUA history
In new novel, former editor of this magazine satirizes the Unitarian Universalist Association.
By Christopher L. Walton in Bookshelf

Meet the founders of the UU Service Committee
A new book shares the stories of the founders of the UUSC.
By Kenneth Sutton in Bookshelf

Imperfection, playing God, and universal religion
Questions for spiritual reflection and adult group discussions.
By Jane Greer in What in the World?

Theodore Parker, radical theologian
2010 is the bicentennial of the most influential Unitarian minister who ever lived.
By Dean Grodzins in Looking back

Online Extras

Our ability to break keeps us alive
Our ability to break and heal keeps us alive and makes us stronger.
By David Pyle

The wisdom tree
Sometimes the place where you used to find wisdom gets destroyed.
By Meg Barnhouse

The catch
I haven't played chess in decades, yet somehow I've ended up with a chess player's worldview.
By Doug Muder

Yes, I've read the bill. It stinks.
We must respond with love to the fear that drives the debate about immigration.
By James Ishmael Ford

General Assembly blog: Extended coverage from the Minneapolis General Assembly, June 2010

Unitarian Universalists in the media: Weekly guide to news about UUs

The interdependent web: Weekly guide to the best in UU blogs

UU parenting: Twice-monthly blog by Michelle Richards