The UUCW Nugget
March 8, 2017
 
Office Hours
(Sept 6, 2016 - 
June 29, 2017):
Mon, Tues, Wed: 
9 am - 3 pm
Thur. 9 am - 2 pm
 
Congregational Mission Statement
"The members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist 
Church of Worcester covenant to be a congregation of love, hope and justice inspiring people to take on the challenges of a changing world."
  
Welcoming Church 
Mission Statement 

The LGBTQI and Allies of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester strives to further the affirmation and celebration of LGBTQI individuals in all aspects of the church community. We also seek to increase the visibility of UUCW as a Welcoming Congregation within the greater community.
 
Asking Questions as a UU 
Robin Mitzcavitch, Director of Religious Exploration
 
This past Sunday, the Coming of Age class and I spent time talking about Unitarian Universalist history in preparation for our upcoming Boston Heritage tour . We heard a few stories about the origin of the U's and the U's and then spent time playing a rousing game of UU Boston History Jeopardy!
 
There is an excellent children's booklet written by Julie Parker Amery called Faith Without Creed- Asking Questions as a Unitarian Universalist. The class took turns reading through it, and I realized, yet again, how much I love the materials for children written by the religious educators of the UUA . I often think to myself that adults would really benefit from this kind of straight- forward presentation of a sometimes confusing religion.
 
So, this week, I am choosing to share the highlights of this booklet with all of you for my monthly Nugget! I would love to hear from you if you learned anything new about Unitarian Universalism after reading through Julie Parker Amery's great synopsis! Here it is:
 
Faith Without Creed- written by Julie Parker Amery- some adaptations by Robin Mitzcavitch.

Perhaps you've heard it said that Unitarian Universalists can believe anything they want. This is simply not true.
 
Unitarian Universalism is a faith without a creed. This means that Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to ask questions and explore what is not known to them---such as what god or "spirit" is, or what happens after we die. The answers are not dictated.
 

 
However, Unitarian Universalist beliefs are consistent with seven principles the UU congregations have agreed to affirm. These are:
 
  • The inherent worth and dignity of every person
  • Justice , equity and compassion in human relations
  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth
  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
  • The right of conscience and the use of democratic process
  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty , and justice for all
  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
 
                                     
 
While Unitarian Universalists have their individual beliefs about a number of things, including God, the Bible, Jesus, the earth, death, prayer, and ritual, they are united in their beliefs that all people are inherently worthy, that we work for a peaceful, just world, that we should continue to question and search for the truth, and that we should cherish the earth and all its inhabitants.
 
In UUCW's sanctuary- check out our "Stairway to 7" showing all of our principles!!
 
 
A brief history of Unitarian and Universalist principles
 
  • Jesus said that we should love everybody
  • We can see the roots of Universalism in the beliefs of a man named Origen who lived in the third century. At that time, people believed that God favored certain people, but Origen claimed that God loved everybody.
  • The roots of Unitarianism came in the fourth century when some people saw Jesus as a very good man, but not part of God. They were called "Unitarians" and were punished because the Christian church had declared that Jesus was part of God (the Trinity).
  • Later, in 1553, Michael Servetus was burned at the stake in Switzerland for writing a book stating the same Unitarian view.
  • In 1568, King John Sigismund of Transylvania- now Romania- allowed people to choose their own religion for the very first time. Prior to that, everyone had to follow a religion that their state chose.       The world's first Unitarian church was formed in that country by Francis David.
  • Unitarianism spread across Europe to England in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Meanwhile, Universalist groups were expanding in western Europe.
  • John Murray brought Universalism to North America from England. The first Universalist church in America was formed in Gloucester, MA , in 1779.       Universalism took hold in New England under the leadership of Hosea Ballou.
  • Unitarianism was brought to North America by Scientist Joseph Priestley, who established the first Unitarian church in Philadelphia in 1796. Unitarianism grew under the leadership of people like Boston's William Ellery Channing .
  • The American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America shared a philosophy of religious tolerance and questioning. They merged to become the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1961. Today there are over 1,000 UU congregations in North America alone. Our headquarters are in Boston, MA
 
 
This is a religion rich in history with many great historical figures who were either Unitarians or Universalists . This is just a very short list :  ( to see more- look at UUCW's front hall bulletin board!!)
 
Lewis Latimer, scientist
John Quincy Adams, US president
Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross,
Susan B Anthony, suffragist,
Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize winner
Beatix Potter, author and artist
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
Whitney Young, social activist
Robert Fulghum, minister and author
 
But mainly, Unitarian Universalists congregations consist of the kind of folks you meet every day. Unitarian Universalism teaches us that all people have value and that we should cherish and respect all people, regardless of their culture, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical being, or family or economic situation.
 
Unitarian Universalism is not a religion that claims to have all the answers. But in a UU congregation, you are encouraged to seek and develop your own truth, within a community of fellow seekers.
                                                                                                             JPA
                          ***************************************
 
 
 
I hope this simple summary of the key facts about our history as a faith and a church can excite you to look further into how UU's have shaped our world.   Everyday, I see the important ways that the good people associated with UUCW move in the community and beyond, striving to make a difference.
 
I am personally proud to be a part of this history and am excited to continue my work to bring our principles and values into our Religious Exploration and Education classrooms. Justice, equity, and acceptance are what the world needs now. I strongly feel that this is the place that will support many as they launch into ways to help keep democracy strong and fair.
 
In Love, Learning and Peace
 
Robin

UUCW Response to Refugee/Immigrant Issues - March 12 - 11:45 in the Sanctuary 
     
Our congregation has been invited to participate in a network of faith-based communities in the Worcester Area to develop a response to concerns about new refugee and immigrant policies. A few of our members have attended area meetings to educate themselves about the issues. This Sunday, March 12, they will share that information with interested church members at 11:45 in the main sanctuary. The goal over the next few weeks will be to consider some of the various options of how we as a faith community might get involved in this wider effort. Bring your concerns and ideas.
Contact Information

Phone:

508-853-1942

Email:

office@uucworcester.org

Fax:

508-853-2065

Website:

www.uucworcester.org

 

 

 

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