In my last column, I spoke about the idiosyncrasies that can slip into our speech and create an environment that makes newcomers feel unwelcome.
If we truly wish to create a welcoming environment, we need to be vigilant explainers. We need to explain, when we announce a “polylog,” that that means the congregation will have the chance to respond to or reflect on the theme of the sermon. We need to explain that “John who isin the hospital” is our brother. We need to explain that the “JPD” is the Joseph Priestley District, of which our congregation is a part.
Justlike Ricky Ricardo said so many times to his dear wife on the “I Love Lucy Show” - “Lucy… you got some ‘splainin’ to do!”
So here’s a start, for the newcomers, the old guard, the children, and everyone in between. Read through this list of somewhat cryptic terms. If you know what all of these are, without any help from the answer-key, let me know… you deserve a prize!
1. The start of the church year
2. The start of the church fiscal year
3. GA
4. Service of the Living Tradition
5. Welcoming Congregation
6. Journey Toward Wholeness (JTW)
7. UUA
8. UUSC
9. UUSJ
10. BRIDGES
11. Plenary
12.Roberta Finkelstein
13. Interim Minister
14. UU-UNO
15. CUUMA
16.Committee on Ministry
17. LRY and YRUU
18. All Souls
19. Meadville Lombard and Starr King
20. Rev. Peter Morales
ANSWER KEY:
1. September, first weekend after Labor Day;
2. July 1st;
3.The annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists from around the globe;
4.An annual service at our congregation, as well as at General Assembly, in which the major events of the year are remembered;
5. An initiative of the Unitarian Universalists Association (UUA), in which ourcongregation participates, whereby an agreement was made by the membersof the congregation to be truly welcoming to our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters (we host events annually to remind ourselves of this commitment);
6. An initiative of the UUAwith the goal of an anti-racist association and congregations (our congregation is beginning a JTW task force);
7. The Unitarian Universalists Association (www.uua.org);
8. The Unitarian Universalists Service Committee (a global organization - www.uusc.org);
9. The UUs for Social Justice (a local organization – www.uusj.org);
10. Loudoun Interfaith BRIDGES(Building Relationships for Interfaith Dialogue Goodwill and Service;
11.A democratically run meeting at General Assembly;
12. A minister who served our congregation for 8 years;
13. A minister who serves acongregation for one or two years while the congregation is in search for a new minister;
14. The UU United Nations Office;
15. The Chesapeake UU Minister’s Association (of which Rev. Anya serves as secretary);
16. The committee that works with Rev. Anya to support the ministry of the congregation;
17. Two programs that have served Unitarian Universalist Youth – Liberal Religious Youth and Young Religious Unitarian Universalists;
18. The name of the UU church in Washington DC, as well as the name of the UU church in New York City;
19.The two Unitarian Universalists Seminaries;
20. The President of theUnitarian Universalists Association.
May it be so.
Yours in Faith,Rev. Anya
