The Coffee House - the UU Fellowship Thread (churches, experience)

[uumckk16]

Originally Posted by Green Gaia

Because I can't just hang out in the UU forum. If there is an anti-gay post/thread somewhere else, I have to address. There are several right now that it's taking everything bit of will-power I have left to not respond to. I'm running on empty right now and instead of responding with understanding and a willing to teach, I'd be responding with bitterness and anger. There's just too much negative energy going around right now without me adding to it.

PLUS, I'm moving this week and probably won't have internet at my new house for a while, although I plan to frequent the library.

I greatly dislike the "goodbye/I'm leaving" threads that have become popular, so I won't be posting one. But I had to let you guys know that I didn't just disappear. I'll be around for another day or so tying up loose ends.

I'm so sorry to hear that

Good luck with the move, Amy.

We'll miss you!

[des]

I agree with you'all. Right now I am also having a fit with all the anti-Muslim posts. I am also upset when I read the anti-gay stuff. The stuff anti-gay marriage, is making me stressed out. Then there are the anti-Obama posts, some of which I see as very thinly racist and/or anti-Muslim posts.

I complained about an anti-Muslim post as it was so agreggeous. However, nothing happened. I consider some of these things hate speech. I guess they are entitled to their opinions, but why back when on the internet, if you saw flaming you would say, "If you want to flame just go over to alt.flames (which was just a collection of various rants and flames)."

I was about to post something like "intolerant of intolerance". I am!

I wonder if I would have the discipline to read only this section of the forum, because I doubt I do. I might try and stay out of the debate section.
I'm not sure I even have that much discipline.
As some people do not seem to know the difference between debate and hate. (Hey it's a rhyme.)

--des

Originally Posted by lilithu

Understood. Outbreaks of anti-Muslim threads have caused me to take a break twice. (Obviously I'm not Muslim but emotionally I respond to Islamophobia the same way I do racism.)

And I totally understand about not wanting to post a "goodbye" thread. And thank you for letting us UUs know.

Go take care of yourself!! We'll hold down the fort.

[Reverend Rick]

I am looking forward to your return Amy, Good luck with you move!

[Kungfuzed]

Just out of curiosity, if I were to walk into a UU church what would it be like? Does it look like other churches with pews and hymnals and an organ and stained glass windows? Are the hymns really slow and dry or more upbeat? Is there a choir? What are the sermons like? Are there Sunday School classes? Other classes or meetings?

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Kungfuzed

Just out of curiosity, if I were to walk into a UU church what would it be like? Does it look like other churches with pews and hymnals and an organ and stained glass windows? Are the hymns really slow and dry or more upbeat? Is there a choir? What are the sermons like? Are there Sunday School classes? Other classes or meetings?

It would depend largely on the UU congregation that you chose to visit (not all of them are called churches).

My church has pews and and an organ, no stained glass windows. Others have stained glass windows. Others don't look like churches at all. In our church, our ministers wear robes and stoles (scared the heck out of me when I first saw it). In other congregations, the ministers wear normal clothes. And in still other congregations, there is no minister and services are put on by various members of the congregation. In my church, we have prayers and God is mentioned on a regular basis. In a few other UU churches, they're even more "Christian" and actually sing a doxology. In many UU congregations, there is no mention of God whatsoever.

But we use the same hymnal. Many/most(?) congregations have choirs. Some of our hymns are slow and dry, most are less so. Many of the traditional Christian songs have had their words changed to better reflect our theology. In my church we sing a lot of african american spirituals, which are definately more upbeat. And two weeks ago, we sang a Hindu chant. UU sermons can range from sermons to political commentary (on issues, not parties or candidates) to something more akin to dry college lectures. Usually not so much the God talk, certainly not so much on what to believe, but more on how to deal with the issues that we have today.

Yes, most UU congregations have "sunday school" classes. They're called Religious Education. In our congregation it's one third Judeo-Christian stuff, one third UU history, one third other religious traditions. We teach Judeo-Christian stuff largely because this is the society that we live in and it would be a shame for kids to be absolutely ignorant of bible stories. But they are taught as stories, as are the stories of the Buddha, etc, and the kids are never told what to believe. When our youth get to around 17, they are encouraged to define their own theology in writing and then one Sunday is set asside for them to share those ideas with the rest of the congregation. I've witnessed it twice and am amazed at how thoughtful our youth are - certainly a lot more aware of the complexities of life than I was at that age.

[uumckk16]

Originally Posted by Kungfuzed

Just out of curiosity, if I were to walk into a UU church what would it be like? Does it look like other churches with pews and hymnals and an organ and stained glass windows? Are the hymns really slow and dry or more upbeat? Is there a choir? What are the sermons like? Are there Sunday School classes? Other classes or meetings?

As lilithu pointed out, all UU churches are different. At my church we don't have pews, we have normal chairs, and I think we have an organ but we usually use a piano. We do have one stained glass window and we use the UU hymnal. I don't find any of our hymns dry, some are slow though I suppose. We have a choir. Our sermons rarely mention God (some congregations are mostly theistic, some are mostly atheistic, ours falls in the middle); they tend to be concerned with living in harmony with the world, i.e. love, forgiveness, tolerance, etc. We have nursery care for the very young, RE for 1-8 graders (maybe kindergarteners too?), and YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) for 9-12 graders. There are other classes/meetings/groups; we have a book club, a women's rights task force, a Build Your Own Theology class, etc.

[Stairs In My House]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Yes, most UU congregations have "sunday school" classes. They're called Religious Education. In our congregation it's one third Judeo-Christian stuff, one third UU history, one third other religious traditions.

Don't forget sex ed. I'd say that sets UU congregations apart from most others (except the UCC of course).

[des]

Yes, but consider that we are Unitarians Considering Christ. :-)
I don't know if we have sex ed. at our church or not. I absolutely won't do anything with educational programs, being a teacher. It might be combined with the regular curriculum in some way. I need to do MORe education like a hole in my head. :-) Maybe when I retire?

--des

Originally Posted by Stairs In My House

Don't forget sex ed. I'd say that sets UU congregations apart from most others (except the UCC of course).

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Stairs In My House

Don't forget sex ed. I'd say that sets UU congregations apart from most others (except the UCC of course).

Yes, I know there is the OWL curriculum (our whole lives) and I know my congregation does it too, but honestly I don't know how that fits into our RE schedule because it was explained to me that it was 1/3 Judeo-Christian, 1/3 other religions, and 1/3 UU. Maybe that's just for the younger kids?

As for the UCC, they are our organizational partners for S.E.A.T. (sex education advocacy training).