Healing the World

I am writing this on the day following the eclipse of the sun—Margy and I didn't travel to see the totality—but it was exciting to see millions of people in our country gazing at the mysteries of the universe. Astrologer friends of mine say the time between the lunar and solar eclipses was good for introspection and reflection. I've been taking that solitary time during these last few weeks to prepare for this upcoming church year—thinking about sermons, thinking about teaching, thinking about what has been happening in our world, and how we can respond to it.

Two events stand out for me this summer. In July, I participated in a gathering led by Penobscot Sherri Mitchell, entitled Healing the Wounds of Turtle Island. Indigenous elders from across the continent came together in Passadumkeag Maine, for ceremonies to heal the violence in the history of our country. The gathering was open to anyone, and we learned that, actually, this was the beginning of a twenty-one year ritual for the healing of our country. There will be three more gatherings here in the East, then four gatherings in the South, four in the West, four in the North, four in the center of the country, and then one more back in the East. A big vision! On the first day, Sherri reminded us that all of us carry wounds from the violent history of our country, whether our ancestors were part of the oppression, were oppressed, or were witnesses to what occurred.

In August, the wound of white supremacy in our country showed itself overtly. A white nationalist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly, when a neo-Nazi man plowed his car into a group of anti-racist counter-protesters, killing a young activist woman, Heather Heyer, and injuring many others. One of the many clergy present there to counter-protest was Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, new president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. I was proud to be UU on that day, even as my heart was broken. Since then, many other protests have sprung up across the nation, calling for cities and towns and universities to take down Confederate statues and plaques, and inviting us to affirm a nation that welcomes all, despite our violent beginnings.

Can we heal our nation? There are many Indigenous prophecies that speak of today as a time for healing. We need it so much! I believe we need to acknowledge the violence of our nation's past before we can heal the violence of the present moment. Perhaps we are beginning to do that. The ceremonies at Passadumkeag reminded me that often what is most powerful is not what we see in the news, but what is hidden close to the earth, in small gatherings, in communities of love and vision. I am looking forward to being with all of you again, as together we wrestle with the struggles of our times, and seek healing in the light of the larger mysteries.

Affectionately, Rev. Myke

Water Is Life #NoDAPL

Those of you who follow me on Facebook may have noticed that I have been posting a lot about events in North Dakota during the last month. You may be asking, why does she keep posting about this? One reason is that the mainstream media hasn't been paying attention—and in those situations social media can become an alternative resource for keeping everyone informed and safer. But a second reason I am posting is that I believe what is happening there is one of the most important events of our time. It is the largest gathering of Indigenous people in over a hundred years, and impacts the issues of environmental justice, racial justice, and protecting clean water for everyone.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and thousands of Native and non-Native allies are peacefully camping near the junction of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers, to protect the water from contamination by the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. These are the waters that the Tribe relies on for its water supply.  Water is life, water is sacred. This is a non-violent gathering to pray and to stand up for life. But construction has already begun on the pipeline, meant to carry fracked crude oil from the Bakken plains through North and South Dakota and Iowa to Illinois. The plan is for the pipeline to go underneath the river, despite the risk that creates for the tribe and for millions of others who rely on the Missouri for water.

As the tribal spokespeople remind us, oil pipelines break, spill and leak—it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of where and when. In fact, a route close to Bismarck was deemed not viable due to its proximity to Bismarck. The Army Corps of Engineers never took a hard look at the impacts of an oil spill on the Tribe, as the law requires. Instead, now the pipeline is set to run through land that is sacred to the Tribe. Federal law requires that sacred places be protected in consultation with the Tribe, but the Corps has not complied with that requirement, either.

What is incredibly inspiring is that thousands of people have rallied to stand in solidarity with the Tribe.  In August, 10,000 people joined in prayers with the elders from the Seven Council Fires of the Great Sioux Nation.  People continue to gather in peace and prayer. Representatives from over 300 Indigenous nations have offered support, along with faith leaders, Amnesty International, and the United Nations. I am happy to say that my Unitarian Universalist colleagues and I are among those supporters.  I sent a letter that was signed by 100 UU faith leaders.  Following that Rev. Peter Morales and the UU Service Committee also issued statements of support. I thought you might like to know about my letter:

Mr. David Archambault II, Chairman, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Building 1, N. Standing Rock Avenue, P.O. Box D, Fort Yates, ND 58538August 29, 2016Dear Chairman Archambault,We write as Unitarian Universalist faith leaders to let you know that our prayers and support are with you in your courageous actions against the Dakota Access Pipeline.  We understand that the pipeline will cross treaty lands, burial grounds, and the Missouri River, the water source for the tribe as well as for millions of others.  We are appalled that this project was approved and construction begun without any meaningful consultation with the tribe, counter to federal law and treaty obligations. We support you in your effort to protect your sacred land and water, as well as to create a future for all of our grandchildren.We speak as people of faith whose principles call us to respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.  In these times, when the well-being of our entire ecosystem is threatened, we honor the leadership of Indigenous peoples who are showing us a path toward creating a more beneficial relationship to the earth and all beings of the earth.We are writing to you to offer our support, and to let you know that we are also contacting our government officials to call on them to follow treaty and federal law obligations, and to protect the water which is so utterly necessary for all life on earth.Sincerely… Rev. Myke Johnson (and signed by 99 other Unitarian Universalist leaders)

Welcome back from summer adventures!

I have been glad to have time this summer to settle into our new home in Portland, unpack many boxes, and get situated in our new place. Margy and I also spent some days at the beach swimming and enjoying the sunny weather. I hope you had a chance to be outside as well. During my August study time, I have been working on preparing for the coming church year.

I want to give a big welcome to our new Director of Religious Education, Carolyn Barschow, and our new Intern Minister, Israel Buffardi. I am looking forward to working with them this coming year, and I hope you all will help them to feel at home at A2U2. 

During my study time, I created a new course, “A Spiritual Journey Into Earth Community,” which I will teach over seven sessions from the end of September into December (mostly on a bi-weekly schedule). Earth Community is a vision of human beings living in mutually beneficial relationship with all of life on earth. Through readings, conversation, and experiential practices, we will explore how to deepen our connection to the earth, to each other, and to the Mystery at the heart of life. (For those of you who may have taken my previous “Spirituality” class, I've borrowed some activities from that class, but enough will be new that I hope you'd find this one engaging.) There is more information about the course later in the newsletter.

I am also trying a new experiment this coming year, called “theme-based ministry.” Over 190 congregations across the US are now participating in a common theme-based ministry through a program called Soul Matters Sharing Circle. It originated at the First Unitarian Church in Rochester, NY, as a way for congregations to go deeper into important questions for our personal and congregational growth. The themes for 2016-17 are framed with a preamble “What does it mean to be a community of...” and include “Covenant, Healing, Story, Presence, Prophecy, Identity, Risk, Transformation, Embodiment, and Zest.” We are starting in September with the question, “What does it mean to be a community of covenant?”

 How it works is that about six weeks before the month of a certain theme, a packet of resources is made available that can be used for worship, music, small group ministry, and religious education. (We have been using something similar in our theme-based workshop model religious education—but designed around themes chosen by the RE Committee. Interestingly enough, our RE themes for this year are somewhat analogous to the Soul Matters themes.) Each month, the worship services will explore various aspects of the theme, and spiritual enrichment groups can also use the theme for their small group sharing topic. If desired, there could also be further conversations based on the theme. (Men's group? After worship discussion group?) If you are curious, be in touch with me, and I can forward you the theme packets to explore for your group. You can find out more about the program at http://www.soulmatterssharingcircle.com.

New from the Wider UU

A lot is happening in the wider Unitarian Universalist movement that I thought would interest you. First of all, the UUA is moving its central offices from 25 Beacon Street to 24 Farnsworth Street in Boston. Some have expressed a feeling of loss at the departure from the historic building right next to the Massachusetts State House, but many are excited about creating a much more functional and adaptable space for moving into the future. The move is expected to happen in May.

Another new thing—the Northern New England District is moving toward regionalization—we are joining with other New England Districts to share staff resources and collaboration on many levels. I am not yet sure what this will mean for our connections with district staff, but you can find out more about it at our District Annual Meeting on April 12^th in Concord, NH. Registration is open now for this multigenerational gathering. If you would like to be a delegate for this event, talk to Clay Atkinson, our board president at clay [at] ericsonmitchell.com. You can find more information and Registration materials here.

This year, the annual UU General Assembly is happening June 25-29 in Providence, RI. It's close to us so that means we can get there by car, bus or train—no big plane fares to add to the cost. We are hoping that our youth group might be able to attend this year--they are beginning to talk about it—as well as many adults from our congregation. Registration (and application for scholarships) starts March 3^rd.

For those who are new, General Assembly is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. UU's from all over the country worship together, witness to our values, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through a democratic process. Anyone may attend; we are also entitled to appoint 6 voting delegates from our congregation. The theme for 2014 GA is “Love Reaches Out,”
with an emphasis on how our faith helps us to grow in our capacity to serve the world with love.  

General Assembly includes fabulous programming--almost 200 choices over the 5 days.  One highlight is the annual Ware lecture, which this year be Sister Simone Campbell, a religious leader, attorney and poet with extensive experience in public policy and advocacy for systemic change. In 2012, she was instrumental in organizing the “Nuns on the Bus” tour advocating for justice for immigrants and low-income Americans. There is also an active youth and young adult contingent at GA. Scholarship and Volunteer Opportunities, Childcare, and Accessibility Services are available.

Click her for more information. If you would like to be a delegate from our church, contact Clay Atkinson. (The Board of Trustees makes the decision on our six delegates.)

Finally, the UUA has a new logo—check it out.