Sunday Worship, May 21, 2023, 10:30am in the Holland Sanctuary — or online (later)
(See at bottom below here, for bios — and our Order of Service)
Hi UUCT!
This Sunday, we gather to recognize and learn — from our seven months of time together (as part of the Restorative Congregations Process work at UUCT).
As you know — this process has involved…
- Fifteen of your leaders engaging in small group ministry, The Spirituality of Conflict — committed to a personal exploration of conflict in our lives
- Twenty-three of your contributions
- through our online “Impact of Ministries” Survey (click to contribute),
- sharing your experience of ministries
- and the ministries you feel need more healing and more celebration
- sharing your experience of ministries
- through our online “Impact of Ministries” Survey (click to contribute),
- One-to-one dialogues with twelve of your leaders — and some of your longest members
- Collegial conversations — between Rev. Bethany and I [sic] with four of your former ministers
- A Restorative Approaches to Conflict workshop — attended by twenty eight of you
- A Ministerial Misconduct Workshop led by Rev. Bethany — attended by eighteen people
- Two Sunday Services dedicated to this process…
- Nov 13, 2022 = “Spirituality of Conflict: A Day of Blessing for Restorative Practices at UUCT”
- Apr 2, 2023 = “Getting to the Circle“
- Leadership and engagement — from your
- Destructive Behavior Response Team (DBRT),
- staff,
- and Board
About this Sunday Service: A Request for Your Preparation…
- This Sunday, we close our work together — with a third Sunday service on “Healing-Accountability” — dedicated to the themes and lessons from our work.
- The service is led by
- your Destructive Behavior Response Team (DBRT),
- Rev. Bethany
- myself [ie. Rev. Sam]
- and Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh (special guest and UUA staff member)
- The service is led by
- This Sunday service is unique.
- We will be honoring our work together so far — while also practicing the very thing this work is about:..
- recognizing what needs healing,
- paying attention to what has been hurt — in ourselves and others,
- and seeking ways towards repair.
- We will be honoring our work together so far — while also practicing the very thing this work is about:..
- During the service,
- We will be sharing the story — of one incident of ministerial misconduct (see PDF page #75) in your congregation — that occurred in 1993.
- We will reflect on some of the details of that story — and its impact on your congregation — then and now.
- You will learn — that one impact of this misconduct experience — was a loss of connection, trust, and relationship with the UUA.
- We will explore
- what it means for that loss to be recognized
- and for steps towards reconnection
- and the rebuilding of trust to be made together.
- We will explore
In preparation for this Sunday, we have two requests.
-
- We recommend reading page #69 of your ministerial history document (ie, PDF page #75)
- We also highly recommend the video “What is Accountability?” — from the Barnard Center for Research on Women.
- This video was an inspiring resource
- during our Spirituality of Conflict small group ministry.
- We trust it might support you as well
- in preparing for our work together this Sunday.
- This video was an inspiring resource
In a world where there is so much harm,
-
- it is our responsibility to become a people
- who face what hurts together
- and build the skills to bring more healing and repair.
- You are doing it!
- We celebrate the work you have done
- and the work you are leading in our denomination.
- it is our responsibility to become a people
With care,
~ Rev. Sam (and Rev. Bethany)
Bios:
- Rev. Dr. Sam is a conflict engagement coach and restorative practitioner in private, community, and congregational practice.
- She works with the UUA part time as a staff member with the Hope for Us Conflict Engagement Team.
- Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh is our primary contact on the Unitarian Universalist Association Pacific Western Regional Staff.
- She was ordained to the ministry almost exactly 18 years ago (tomorrow is her ordination anniversary!)
- After serving as a parish minister and a curriculum developer (working on Coming-of-Age, Our Whole Lives, and Tapestry of Faith) Sarah began working with the PWR in 2016 at the same time that Rev. Diane Dowgiert’s ministry came to a close at UUCT.
- Sarah has accompanied us through a lot of transition, and a worldwide pandemic.
- In addition to helping congregations deal with whatever comes their way, Sarah specializes in…
- engaging conflict,
- fostering congregational healing from misconduct and destructive behavior, and
- resourcing congregations for anti-racist multicultural transformation.
- She’s a life-long UU who’s lived all over the country, so she especially appreciates the beauty and climate of San Diego where she lives with her husband (also a UU minister), their 5th grader, and their rescue dog.
Our Order of Service:
- Welcome
- Rev. Bethany Russell-Lowe
- Prelude
- Brian Moon
- Call to Worship
- Rev. Bethany Russell-Lowe
- Chalice Lighting
- Watercolor Golightly
- Hymn (Olam Chesed Yibaneh)
- Brian Moon
- Story
- DBRT
- Jamili Omar
- Homilette
- Rev. Samantha Wilson
- Centering
- Rev. Samantha Wilson
- Offering = Share the Plate, Sister Jose
- Watercolor Golightly
- Offertory
- Brian Moon & Desert Chorale
- Homilette
- Rev. Bethany Russell-Lowe
- Anthem
- Desert Chorale
- Homilette
- Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
- Hymn #1008
- Brian Moon
- Closing Words
- Rev. Bethany Russell-Lowe
- Chalice Extinguishing
- Watercolor Golightly
- Postlude
- Brian Moon
- Attributions:
- Prelude
- “Brand New Day” by Joshua Radin
- Chalice Lighting
- “Love Can Transform the World” by Rev. Maureen Killoran
- Hymn
- “Olam Chesed Yibaneh” by Rabbi Menachem Creditor
- Offertory
- “Beloved Community” by Brian Moon
- Anthem
- “What Wondrous Love” #18 in Singing the Living Tradition
- Hymn #1008
- “When Our Heart is in a Holy Place” #1008 in Singing the Journey
- Chalice Extinguishing
- “The Pathway to Healing” by Roddy Bell-Shelton Biggs
- Postlude
- “Olam Chesed Yibaneh” by Rabbi Menachem Creditor