Jim's Web Site
The Revised Covenant
The proposed bylaw revisions from which the following excerpts were taken were just thirteen votes short of being passed onto the individual congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association at the year 2009 General Assembly. The document included a new inclusion clause, as follows. Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to do all we can to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons and commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone’s participation.
Principles
Grateful for the gift of life, we commit ourselves as member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association to embody together the transforming power of love as we covenant to honor and uphold: 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 processes; The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; Reverence for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
As free yet interdependent congregations, we enter into this covenant, pledging to one another our mutual trust and support. Capable of both good and evil, at times we are in need of forgiveness and reconciliation. When we fall short of living up to this covenant, we will begin again in love, repair the relationship, and recommit to the promises we have made.
Sources
Unitarian Universalism is rooted in two religious heritages. Both are grounded on thousands of years of Jewish and Christian teachings, traditions, and experiences. The Unitarian heritage has affirmed that we need not think alike to love alike and that God is one. The Universalist heritage has preached not hell but hope and courage, and the kindness and love of God. Contemporary Unitarian Universalists have reaped the benefits of a legacy of prophetic words and deeds.
Unitarian Universalism is not contained in any single book or creed. Its religious authority lies in the individual, nurtured and tested in the congregation and the wider world. As an evolving religion, it draws from the teachings, practices, and wisdom of the world’s religions. Humanism, earth-centered spiritual traditions, and Eastern religions have served as vital sources. Unitarian Universalism has been influenced by mysticism, theism, skepticism, naturalism, and process thought as well as feminist and liberation theologies. It is informed by direct experiences of mystery and wonder, beauty and joy. It is enriched by the creative power of the arts, the guidance of reason, and the lessons of the sciences.
Grateful for the traditions that have strengthened our own, we strive to avoid misuse of cultural and religious practices while seeking ways of appreciation that are respectful and welcomed.
This Web Site
I have written and published personal web sites on a variety of topics since 1996. This particular iteration was developed in the year 2003 under the title "A Lost Soul in the Heartland", after I relocated to Indiana and was coming to grips with my lost sense of community. I let the web site evolve in the year 2005 under the more positive title "A Wandering Soul in the Heartland", after moving to five homes in three years. Now, in the year 2009, I am still working on a new theme and title. Meanwhile, this web site has three parts. "Some Great Thinkers" introduces a diverse group of leading religious and scientific leaders that inspire me, "My Spiritual Journey" ponders a continuing religious quest that got some of my attention in the year 2005, and "Miscellaneous Stuff" contains a page that doesn't really belong anywhere else. Please enjoy these writings while the site is evolving.
Sources of Wisdom:
The living tradition we share draws from many sources:
... direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
... words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
... teachings from the world's religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life;
... Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
... humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn against the idolatries of the mind and spirit;
... and spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.