UUFSMA: “Circle Round for Justice, Healing, and Courage”

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Online Service

“Circle Round for Justice, Healing, and Courage”

Speakers: Dan Neuspiel, Chris Chase, Judith Jenya,
Paula Peace, and Helen Rivas-Rose

Sunday, September 26, 2021
10:30 am

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/414604040 

Password: 294513

By Joseph Plummer

UUFSMA Board Secretary

The General Assembly (GA) is the annual gathering of our Unitarian Universalist Association. In addition to the Reverend Tom Rosiello, the UU Fellowship of San Miguel sent five members as delegate to the five-day virtual conference this past summer. In this Sunday’s online UUFSMA service September 26, those five delegates will share their most memorable experiences and lessons from the June 2021 assembly. UUFSMA President Dan Neuspiel, Vice President Chris Chase, Judith Jenya, Paula Peace, and Helen Rivas-Rose will each speak.

GA services and workshops were powerful, addressing the isolation and collective trauma we’ve all endured during 18 months of Covid-19 separation. “Circle Round for Justice, Healing, Courage,” the assembly’s theme, focused on healing personal weariness and restrengthening the UU commitment to justice, community, and courage — either to keep on or, if necessary, begin again.

GA participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the UU Association while aspiring to communicate, listen, and vote in a democratic process. From remote locations around the world, more than 4,000 registered attendees participated in this second online assembly configured around the pandemic. Attendees filled their days with worship services, UU Association business meetings, and workshops, as well as online browsing and kibitzing at a virtual Exhibit Hall, Poster Fair, On-Demand Library, and Specialty Meet-up Groups. Once again, the much-anticipated Drag Show was an assembly highlight.

Participating ministers, musicians, and virtual choirs offered inspiration and community support. Clever skits enlivened the UU Principles, as did dancing, poetry, and abundant music. UU Young Adults led worship one evening, as did Indigenous Peoples, Pagans, Buddhists, and Jewish UUs, celebrating diversity every day.

The annual Ware Lecture featured the renowned Stacey Abrams, arriving after a day of promoting rallies for vaccines in Georgia, and Floridian Desmond Meade, a formerly homeless drug addict who completed a law degree while imprisoned and went on to inspire improvements in Florida’s voting laws.

To participate in our Sunday Service, visit www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button on the home page. Enter password: 294513. Sign-in Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25 am CST.

UUFSMA donates at least fifty percent of its income to nonprofit organizations that serve underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on our home page Donate button. Now more than ever, your support is essential. Due to coronavirus, UUFSMA suspended in-person Sunday services. A growing collection of previous online services can be found on the UUFSMA’s YouTube channel. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ and enter UUFSMA in the search box. The UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.