Happy September! On this Labor Day 2025, I hope you are able to make time for sacred rest–for your body, your mind, your heart and soul. And I also hope you can make time to do the sacred work of rallying together, with other members of our Polk County community, to push back against a system that does not honor the sacredness of rest or of our bodies, minds, hearts and souls. Perhaps I might see you in Munn Park this evening for Indivisible Polk’s event.
Today, as I went looking for one thing for my Monday morning Ponderings, I came across another thing and decided it would be good to share–a short piece that eloquently defines who we are as Unitarian Universalists and how we build belonging:
We Are One written by the Rev. Dr. Hope Johnson
We are one, a diverse group of proudly kindred spirits, here not by coincidence but because we choose to journey together. We are active and proactive. We care deeply. We live our love as best we can.
We are one, working, eating, laughing, playing, singing, storytelling, sharing, and rejoicing, getting to know each other, taking risks, opening up, questioning, seeking, searching, trying to understand, struggling, making mistakes, paying attention, asking questions, listening, living our answers, learning to love our neighbors, learning to love ourselves, apologizing and forgiving with humility, and being forgiven through grace, creating the beloved community together. We are one.
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Perhaps you have read this before. It’s on our new pamphlet from the UUA. If not, click on the link below to read what’s on the new pamphlet, designed by the folks at the UUA since adopting our Shared UU Values. Our faith is a Living Faith, ever growing, changing, and transforming, so it’s good to explore some new language and ideas about who we are so that you may articulate it better. There are so many curious people out there who need to hear about the good news we have to offer!
https://www.uua.org/files/2024-10/Our%20Shared%20Values%20Pamphlet%20Sheet.pdf
Take good care of yourselves!
Heather