Message from the Minister
Welcoming the outsider, including all voices, and expanding the circle—this is what our faith looks like in action. This Sunday, we examine our desire to integrate others into our community, and open to the possibility of transformation along the way.
To varying degrees, we all feel off balance by the recent election, inauguration, and executive orders. Already asylum seekers we know and love are adjusting their daily lives out of fear of deportation. Our transgender members have had their identities erased and life experiences fundamentally denied. Those with a more global perspective are deeply concerned about America’s position in the world.
It is all quite confusing; there is no concrete, immediate answer. I have two strong suggestions. The first is to do what is in front of you. Based on your skills and the communities you are connected to, take the opportunities that you have at hand to make a difference. And, trust that other good people are working on the issues that they are closest to. No one of us can save the world. We can make a difference by doing the thing in front of us.
The second suggestion is to grasp firmly to your commitment to love. As much of our world turns toward authoritarian leadership, rooted in domination, exploitation, and disposability, we must remain true to our source of power. Our power is grounded in the transforming power of love. The moment we let resentment overwhelm compassion, the moment that fear and retribution come before generosity, that is when we have lost. We confront division and dehumanization by keeping love at our center.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kent

Congratulations, Rev. Dr. Kent!
Proposed Revisions to bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association
In October, 2023 I preached about the proposed revisions to Article II of the UUA Bylaws. This is the section that contains what we know as the 7 Principles and 6 Sources. The proposed revision of the bylaws focusses on love as the central theme of our UU tradition.
For years, our faith tradition has been working on crafting an updated version of this section of our bylaws. At General Assembly in 2023 the delegates from our congregations voted to continue forward with the discussion, based on the proposed update listed below. In General Assembly in June of 2024, a final vote will be taken, to approve or reject the proposed shift. There is far more information about that process and history than will fit here. For now, I have included the draft of the proposed new language. In this journey of discernment, I hope we remember that we are always better defined by our actions than by the words we use to describe ourselves.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kent
