UUs speak out on health care, protest executions in Virginia, and more

UUs continue to rally for universal health care
Hundreds of people lined up outside U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman's house in Connecticut to show support for universal health care. Applause and cheers broke out when the Rev. Joshua Pawelek, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Stamford, shouted, "Health care is a fundamental human right." (The Connecticut Post - 11.15.09)

Here's a video of the protest, showing Pawelek in prayer. (Creedible)

The Rev. Joel Miller, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, N.Y., protests the Stupak amendment in the House health care reform bill, which would restrict access to safe and legal contraception and abortion, because it only takes into account the views of the Roman Catholic Church. (The Buffalo News - NY 11.19.09)

Also in the media:
The Rev. Gary Kowalski, minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, Vt., is quoted extensively in this article about the role of faith in American history. (Saturday Evening Post - 10.22.09)

About a dozen people gathered in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Terre Haute, Ind., to participate in the third annual Creating a Path Through Loss workshop, which focuses on art as a therapy for grief. (The Tribune-Star - IN 11.14.09)

The Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, N.J., hosted a concert that raised funds and awareness for victims of sexual assault. The concert was organized by the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. (The Courier-Post - NJ 11.16.09)

The Harrisonburg, Va., Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee organized a vigil to protest the execution of Larry Bill Elliott, the second person executed in Virginia in a week. (WHSV – VA 11.17.09)

A woman who escaped Afghanistan with her family during the Russian invasion spoke to the South Valley Unitarian Fellowship in Gilroy, Calif., as part of an ongoing effort to highlight the diversity among its members. (Gilroy Dispatch – CA 11.19.09)

The Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento's UUrth Song ComUUnity Garden was among five gardens to win an Energy Oscar from California Interfaith Power and Light. (The Sacramento Bee - CA 11.14.09)

Churches embrace change, Al Gore speaks at UU church, and more

Churches making changes
To encourage diversity in its congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, Md., called the Rev. John T. Crestwell Jr., an African American UU minister, as associate minister. (The Capital - MD 11.6.09)

The Rev. Tracy Sprowls-Jenks, the new minister at the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield, N.J., plans to grow her congregation from 180 members to 300 within the next five years. (Courier News - 11.8.09)

First Parish in Concord, Mass., is putting the final touches on a $4.2 million renovation project that added 2,250 square feet of usable space to the church. (The Concord Journal – MA 11.12.09)

Magazine mentions
An article in The Christian Century mentions Bruce Sheiman, a UU and author of An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity Is Better Off with Religion Than Without It. The article also mentions Greg Epstein, the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard, and contributor to The New Humanism magazine. (The Christian Century - 11.17.09)

See Also: Religion and science can be partners (uuworld.org)

An essay in Dwell Magazine highlights the many UU churches that are housed in buildings designed by major modern architects, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, Paul Rudolph, and Edward Durell Stone. (Dwell Magazine - 11.09)

Also in the media:
Al Gore gave a speech at the First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist church November 7 to promote his new book, Our Choice. (CNET News - 11.8.09)

The Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalist Fellowship organized a demonstration Tuesday to protest the execution of John Allen Muhammed. (WHSV - VA 11.10.09)

Nick Welsh rants about the power Unitarian politicians have held in Santa Barbara, Calif., for years. (Santa Barbara Independent - CA 11.12.09)

Culpepper Garden, a retirement facility in Arlington, Va., presented the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington with an "Elder Service Award," celebrating the organizations' longtime relationship. (Sun Gazette - DC 11.11.09)

Amended 11.16.09

Interfaith communities, a suicide workshop, and more

Interfaith communities
Joffre D. Meyer celebrates the 40-year anniversary of the interfaith partnership between the UUA and Rissho Kosei-kai (RKK), a brand of Japanese Buddhism. Former UUA president John Buehrens called Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of the RKK, "the most important interreligious partner the Unitarian Universalist movement has ever had." (OhmyNews International - 11.2.09)

The Universalist Unitarian Community Church in Augusta, Maine, played host to an interfaith candlelight vigil sponsored by the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine, "to remind people of all faiths to vote No on Question 1." (Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel - ME 11.2.09)

Clubs and ministries bring people together
Three churches in Charleston, W. Va., including the Unitarian Universalist church, joined together to create a wellness ministry focusing on pain relief from arthritis. (The Charleston Gazette - WV 10.31.09)

The Laughter Club at the First Universalist Society in Franklin, Mass., garners more press. (The Sun Chronicle - MA 11.2.09)

See also: A Laughing Matter (Milford Daily News - MA 9.29.09)

Also in the media:

A Unitarian church in Vancouver hosted a controversial suicide workshop Wednesday. "Go to the cupboard, pour the drug into a glass and drink it, and have a peaceful death and not break the law," said Dr. Philip Nitschke, the speaker. "Suicide is not a crime." (CBC News - BC 11.4.09)

A member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbus, Ga., created a stained glass window for the church, depicting the seven principles of the UUA. (Ledger-Enquirer - GA 10.31.09)

An article about conservative pastors' reactions to the new federal hate crime legislation mentions the UUA's Standing on the Side of Love campaign about halfway down. (STLToday.com - MO 10.31.09)

The UUA sponsored a say-on-pay resolution for Valero Energy Corp, which will allow shareholders to hold a nonbinding vote on executive compensation. (MySanAntonio.com - TX 11.2.09)

The Rev. Alice Anacheka-Nasemann, the associate minister at the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson, Mass., says the recent “350” movement, which united people across the globe against climate change, brought tears of hope to her eyes. (Marlborough Enterprise – MA 11.6.09)

UU church earns environmental certification, UU minister appears on PBS, and more

UU church awarded environmental certification
The UUA awarded "Green Sanctuary" certification to the Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church of Maine, for its efforts to save energy and promote conservation resources. (Sanford News - ME 10.29.09)

A group of about 50 people gathered in Lacey, Wash., to take a local stand against climate change. The event was organized by the Rev. Carol McKinley of the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, as part of the International Day of Climate Action. (The Olympian - WA 10.25.09)

Health care discussions continue
About 30 people gathered for a health care reform rally in Lancaster, Pa., which was organized by the Social Justice Advocates of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster. (Sunday News - PA 10.25.09)

Community members gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Auburn, N.Y., for an informal panel discussing the local effects of national health care reform. (AuburnPub.com - NY 10.24.09)

Also in the media:

A segment on abortion and health care reform on PBS's "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" featured the Rev. Debra Haffner, a UU minister and executive director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing. (10.16.09)

A group of Buddhists has been gathering to meditate at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Salisbury, Md., for the past three years. "There is an awareness," said Brian Foret, a Salisbury resident who has been attending the meetings since they began. "You learn to sit in that awareness. We learn it's about being. There is a distinction between being and thinking. It's about training your mind, opening ourselves to a greater awareness." (The Daily Times - MD 10.24.09)

The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta, Maine, held a special service in support of marriage equality on Sunday, just a week before voters go to the polls to decide Question 1, a proposal to ban same-sex marriage in Maine. (Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel - ME 10.26.09)

The second annual Pro-Am Charity Chili Cook-off, hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Society of Stamford, Ct., collected 600 pounds of food, to be donated to the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County Inc. (The Advocate - CT 10.24.09)

Charles R. Putney, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington, Vt., traces the New England roots of Unitarian Universalism. (Bennington Banner - VT 10.23.09)