Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Uu q&a

Collapse
This is a sticky topic.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #31
    Re: Uu q&a

    Thal, is the last one set to Sibelius' Finlandia? If so, go here, and then go to 5:23...is that it?
    Great Grandmother's Kitchen

    Comment


      #32
      Re: Uu q&a

      Originally posted by DeseretRose View Post
      Thal, is the last one set to Sibelius' Finlandia? If so, go here, and then go to 5:23...is that it?
      Yup, it sure is!
      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
      sigpic

      Comment


        #33
        Re: Uu q&a

        OK, I learned a few things I need to remember to do before walking into a church of any kind.
        1. Read the signs....duh!
        2. Look around and notice things like the CROSS painted on the wall.
        3. Maybe Google the place first.

        This was not type of church it used to be, seams it "Changed hands" at some point and I didn't notice. Did not receive the warm welcome I was anticipating.
        Last edited by Monk; 24 Oct 2011, 04:51.
        Gargoyles watch over me...I can hear them snicker in the dark.


        Pull the operating handle (which protrudes from the right side of the receiver) smartly to the rear and release it.

        Comment


          #34
          Re: Uu q&a

          Well the UU Church in my area is not the same as it used to be either ,considering the city I live in is ran by the Baptist Church. The church of course claimed to be open minded to others views, and Religious beliefs, but the Sermons from what i understand are still geared to going to a christian church and basically the Baptists have moved into the scene trying to change things and pushing beliefs on others. Go figure that's what happens when you live in the southern United States! lol

          Comment


            #35
            Re: Uu q&a

            I figured I'd put the link up to this survey that the UUA is undertaking for people that identify as/with Unitarian Universalism, but don't attend or aren't members of congregations (apparently 2/3 of people that consider themselves UU aren't in a congregation, and they are trying to find out why).
            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
            sigpic

            Comment


              #36
              Re: Uu q&a

              Originally posted by thalassa View Post
              I figured I'd put the link up to this survey that the UUA is undertaking for people that identify as/with Unitarian Universalism, but don't attend or aren't members of congregations (apparently 2/3 of people that consider themselves UU aren't in a congregation, and they are trying to find out why).
              I know this isn't a question, but I consider myself UU, but am not part of a congregation, despite the fact that the church is within walking distance of my apartment, so I thought I'd share my reason why, and maybe you can even offer some insight and/or advice. I decided to check out my local UU church my sophomore year of college after having a mini crisis of faith and reading about it in the local paper. I thought "that sounds like something I could really get behind!" And it was. I loved the "sermons" and the 7 principles. I attended congregation most weeks for a semester and took the "Exploring UU" class offered there. I also signed up for several groups that interested me as I had little social life at the time and thought they would be good things to rally around.

              But... I always felt out of place. I tried attending a GLBT group meeting, and was pretty much ignored. They allowed me to introduce myself, then started in on continuing with plans for some sort of gathering or festival, or I don't even know what, because they didn't bother to explain it or include me at all. I had absolutely no idea what was going on or what they were talking about or working on. They completely ignored me as they went about their business, and didn't give off a vibe that seemed welcoming to interruptions or questions, and I sat there feeling like a clueless idiot for an hour. I also signed up for a pagan group, but every meeting was all about families and making little crafts with their children and whatnot. The few "adult-only" gatherings they had were weekend trips out of town that were too expensive for me to participate in. Even the general congregation, when I would try to find someone to sit with, it was mostly families. The sermons and all activities were often centered around families, and most of the groups were too. I have nothing against families, but when you're a single, 20-year old college student, it's lonely to be surrounded by a bunch of people who... aren't. People were mostly nice and inclusive (with the exception of the first group I tried to attend), but I just don't fit in with families when I'm just hanging around the church by myself. There seemed to be very little support for younger, single people. It wasn't until after I graduated and got a job that they developed a UU campus "ministry" for college-aged kids, but they meet on campus at a time I'm at work now, so... I know it's not their fault that the majority of their members are older, family-people and that they don't attract many who are younger - it's not like they proselytize. But that being the natural culture and vibe of the congregation, I just didn't feel like I fit in. So, despite loving the religion and the ideas, I just didn't feel comfortable at the church. I still felt like an outsider. So I stopped going.

              I've been toying with the idea the last couple months of going back and trying again since I feel a growing need to do something spiritually, but I keep dragging my feet since I don't really believe that it'll be any different. I'm still young, still without a family (and I know my bf won't get up to go with me on Sunday mornings)... I always felt peace after hearing a sermon at the church, but trying to connect to the congregation left me feeling alone... I don't really know how to reconcile that. I don't wanna be that weirdo that shows up every week, silently listens to the sermon, then goes home and never talks to anyone - and that's exactly what I was becoming before I decided to just stop going.
              Last edited by AuroraWinters; 06 Nov 2011, 10:32.

              Comment


                #37
                Re: Uu q&a

                I don't think that is an unusual experience at all. It took us four or five congregations til we found the one we were at (after moving). I think its more difficult because Christian congregations are so plentiful, people can just move on if they aren't a good fit with the congregation, but there are rarely enough UU congregations to do that in an area, unless you live somewhere pretty urban. The first congregation we tried was just too far away to go regularly though I think we might have attended regularly if it hadn't been too far, even though it wasn't exactly *right*, the second was too far out of our income bracket and had that not-so-welcoming feeling that could have been as much *us* as it was them, the third was a bit too Christian leaning, the fourth (that just my husband attended) was too Atheist leaning, the fifth we liked but...it just wasn't *right* (though we would have gone there without other options), and the last one (where we stayed) was awesome.
                Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                sigpic

                Comment


                  #38
                  Re: Uu q&a

                  An interesting take on Lent from a UU pespective...
                  Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                  sigpic

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Re: Uu q&a

                    I've been wanting to go to a UU service for a while now but haven't gotten around to it.

                    One of my stickling points with them is that they seem to be a bit touchy-feely for me, though I could be unfairly stereotyping. I generally prefer more solemn worship, eg, low light, candles, chant, etc. Their theology is lovely, though.
                    There once was a man who said though,
                    It seems that I know that I know,
                    What I'd like to see,
                    Is the I that knows me,
                    When I know that I know that I know.

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Re: Uu q&a

                      Originally posted by GabrielWithoutWings View Post
                      I've been wanting to go to a UU service for a while now but haven't gotten around to it.

                      One of my stickling points with them is that they seem to be a bit touchy-feely for me, though I could be unfairly stereotyping. I generally prefer more solemn worship, eg, low light, candles, chant, etc. Their theology is lovely, though.
                      It really depends on the church/community/congregation. The services at my church are not particularly touchy-feely, but I gather from visiting UUs that this is completely different than other places.

                      Comment


                        #41
                        Re: Uu q&a

                        Originally posted by Peri_Dot View Post
                        It really depends on the church/community/congregation. The services at my church are not particularly touchy-feely, but I gather from visiting UUs that this is completely different than other places.

                        Ours really aren't either--at least not regularly.
                        Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                          #42
                          Re: Uu q&a

                          Maybe it's just the videos I've been shown. Usually it's a congregation with upbeat, clap-happy, hand-holding, secular music.

                          Not that there's anything wrong with that but I got turned off of Protestant churches at a very young age and that was pretty much solidified when I was visiting Orthodox churches.
                          There once was a man who said though,
                          It seems that I know that I know,
                          What I'd like to see,
                          Is the I that knows me,
                          When I know that I know that I know.

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Re: Uu q&a

                            Originally posted by GabrielWithoutWings View Post
                            Maybe it's just the videos I've been shown. Usually it's a congregation with upbeat, clap-happy, hand-holding, secular music.

                            Not that there's anything wrong with that but I got turned off of Protestant churches at a very young age and that was pretty much solidified when I was visiting Orthodox churches.
                            Well, if you are comparing it to an Orthodox service or a Catholic mass, its definitely more informal...which isn't to everyone's cup of tea. Having grown up in a UCC church which had traditional services (even if the beliefs themselves weren't), I like it (which makes sense, or I wouldn't go). Its sort of like attending a college lecture with singing, meditation and coffee...but we can cover some heavy stuff.
                            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                            sigpic

                            Comment


                              #44
                              Re: Uu q&a

                              We had a really interesting service on Sunday, that was part contemporary Pagan ritual, part regular UU service... It included an informal sort of calling quarters as part of invoking sacred space, some really good readings/sermon-ish time (not really a sermon, since there was no sermonizing, lol), and a fabulous meditation on the elements. If I remember, once the past sermon page gets updated, I'll see if they put the mediation on there!

                              Anyhoo...for anyone interested at all, the UU hymnal is actually mostly available to look at on Google Books...which is really why I was posting.
                              Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                              sigpic

                              Comment


                                #45
                                Re: Uu q&a

                                I grew up in the UU church is this area and I still feel like an outsider. I stopped going because the "sermons" were too general, to the point of not making me feel like it contained any spirituality at ALL. My mom says she left because a lot of the founding members where atheists and were always fighting with our minister about even mentioning "god" or religion so that's probably why. Also the structure is Christian, preach, sing a hymn, preach some more about being a good person, another hymn. It was boring! So if I'm going to do something boring on sundays I might as well sleep in :P

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X