Winter 2013, Vol.XXVII No.4

Features

Political empathy
Demonizing your political opponents doesn't change anyone's mind, but empathy can.
By Doug Muder in Ideas

Religious community is not enough
Unitarian Universalism's purpose is much bigger than gathering with like-minded people for mutual support.
By Tom Schade in Ideas

Departments

Linked to each other
Thank you for your often passionate engagement with this magazine.
By Christopher L. Walton in From the editor

One simple, transformative practice
A search for connection is at the heart of all spiritual traditions and practices.
By Peter Morales in From the president

'A crazy gift of tragedy'
'Grief is the hard form of caring,' says Malcolm Astley, the father of a murdered teen.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in Life

An origins story in glass
Laurie Bieze's stained glass windows tell an evolutionary creation story.
By Tim Hirsch in Spiritual landmarks

A letter about Santa and God
By telling the truth about Santa, maybe I can better explain what I believe about God.
By Gillie English Bishop in Life

Harmony, the 'un-church'
Innovative lay-led congregation has unusually high ratio of children to adults.
By Nicole Sweeney Etter in Life

The only time I was called by my first name
When I was in the Army, the Sunday service was the only hour of my week when I could be my true and whole self.
By Kimberly Paquette in Spirit

The necessity of religion
We need a way to pull everything together and celebrate wholeness.
By Galen Guengerich in Spirit

Passing through
Paintings part of an exhibition to honor the experiences and voices of young people.
By Kate Gridley in Spirit

As I ebb toward the end of life
Hear / the ocean's roar and backdrop din / in the death-hollowed shells.
By Everett Hoagland in Spirit

Families: Weave a Tapestry of Faith; Pandora's Jar (pdf)

Café gives former prisoners new start
Featured online in another form:
Restaurant gives women from prison a new start
Unitarian Universalist minister’s work with imprisoned women grows into job program.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

'Fabulous Gay Wedding' sets New Zealand marriage milestone
Featured online in another form:
'Fabulous Gay Wedding' is New Zealand's first
UU minister officiates at historic same-sex wedding at Auckland Unitarian Church.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

Marker honors slaves who built church
Featured online in another form:
Slave Memorial honors builders of Charleston church
Original Colonial bricks reused to create monument in historic churchyard.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

Colorado flood relief fund formed
Featured online in another form:
Colorado UUs dry out from epic floods
Mountain Desert District creates relief fund for congregations, individuals
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

L.A. church joins surveillance suit
Featured online in another form:
L.A. church joins lawsuit against government surveillance
Collecting call records violates First Amendment rights, lawsuit claims.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

UU seminaries to receive $1M each
Featured online in another form:
Two UU seminaries to receive $1M each over five years
UUA funding panel seeks to focus on UU-identity schools and education.
By Christian Schmidt in UU news

UU Chemist battles poisoned water in Bangladesh
Featured online in another form:
UU scientist battles arsenic-poisoned water in Bangladesh
Vermont chemist Seth Frisbie calls tainted wells the “largest human poisoning in history.”
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Tweens gather in children's choir
Featured online in another form:
Tweens gather in Dallas for UU Children's Choir
43 children attend music camp during UU musicians' conference.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

'Leap of Faith' bounds into third year
Featured online in another form:
Seeking growth, congregations take 'Leap of Faith'
Congregational mentoring program enters third year.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

UUA, UUSC call for higher wages
Featured online in another form:
UUA and UUSC call for increase in minimum wage
Renewed campaign for worker justice says ‘stop making workers pay the price for corporate greed.’
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Church welcomes spurned Scouts
Featured online in another form:
Florida church welcomes Boy Scouts spurned by Baptists
After BSA allows gay scouts, UU Church of Fort Myers opens doors to three units.
By Donald E. Skinner in UU news

Spring '14 move expected for UUA HQ
Featured online in another form:
Spring 2014 move expected for UUA headquarters
Traffic of prospective buyers is brisk at 25 Beacon Street.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

Sheltering the faith
Brief news items about congregational building programs.
By Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

Congregational news
Brief congregational news items from the Winter 2013 issue.
By Donald E. Skinner and Michelle Bates Deakin in UU news

Inside the UUA: Grants bring UU dreams to life
Featured online in another form:
Funding Program helps UUs' social justice dreams come true
In 2012, fund dispersed more than $1M to advance innovative UU projects.
By Donald E. Skinner in Inside

Unitarian Universalist authors capture young adult imaginations
'I'm not trying to be dark. I'm trying to tell the stories that need to be told.'
By Nicole Sweeney Etter in Ideas

Charles Follen's Christmas tree
How a man whose passions were religious freedom and the abolition of slavery came to be known as the father of American Christmas trees.
By Kris Willcox in Looking back

Steampunk's creative reinvention
In the place of the historical, Steampunk imagines an adventurous, equitable, even multicultural alternative.
By Matthew Crary in Ideas

Who gets to tell Jesus's story?
A single story may win, but the alternate stories do not fully disappear.
By Parisa Parsa in Bookshelf

Letters, Winter 2013
Readers respond to the Fall 2013 issue.
in Letters

Blog roundup, Winter 2013
Online responses to UU World.
By Heather Christensen in Letters

Traffic report, Winter 2013
Top ten stories at uuworld.org.
By Christopher L. Walton in Letters

Online Extras

Audio recordings of selected essays

UU Parenting blog

A pond behind the church?
In my experience, no one improves by way of a scolding.
By Meg Barnhouse

How to become a peacemaker
Four broad, ancient guidelines for human behavior at the heart of every religion.
By James Ishmael Ford in Life

You don't say
We can’t help seeing through words, but it’s worth trying.
By James Ishmael Ford in Spirit

Is religion broken?
There’s a movement that attracts millions of people and encourages them to become their best selves—but it’s not a church.
By Doug Muder in Ideas