And for some reason while I was taking a nap in mid-packing, I had a very vivid dream of turning my suitcase into a nightstand. This is unusual for me; I usually do my dreaming while I'm awake. My head hits the pillow and *boom*, I'm out. I may not *stay* asleep, but *getting* there is easy.
This is going to be my first GA; I've been involved with UUism for just over a year. I did attend the PNWD meeting in Bellevue, and had a couple of good conversations with Peter Morales there, that I attempted to continue via email. I think I need to be a better correspondent.
What I'd asked Peter was "Are we, UU's, a People?" His answer was "No, we aren't, and I don't think we can become one," mentioning congregational polity as a main reason why. Given how often I've heard people around UUFC quote "We are a people of values, not creeds," it suggested to me I had asked the wrong question.
It seems obvious to me that UUism is both a religion and *some sort* of social entity; perhaps the word "People" isn't quite the right label for it, but we're a *something*, and we can name ourselves at our mutual conveniences.
Back on the religion aspect, Gretchen (my minister) had quoted a definition I had found very useful: "It comes from the Latin "religare," meaning "to tie together;" a religion ties all of life together." So we try to tie our lives together with our values; good so far.
So why do I need to tie my life together by my values in Minneapolis? I've attended *other* conventions and meetings before, but I doubt GA is going to bear much resemblance to a science fiction convention, Loving More retreat, stockholder's meeting, or Black Rose. It *is* suppose to be a business meeting, so I read up on all the issues and sent out an email to 30 other congregations (in 3 areas, PNW, Los Angeles, and greater Washington D.C.), saying roughly "Hi, I'm new here. I'd like to talk about the issues we're going to be working on at GA *before* we get there, could you put me in touch with your delegates, please?"
Thirty letter out, three responses back. On the one hand, a good response rate for cold-calling is 2%; my 10% is pretty good by that standard. On the other, if we are supposed to be a welcoming people and the response of 90% of our congregations is to blow off newcomers, we're not doing very well.
Of the three responses I got, one said "We don't have any delegates," and the other two, roughly paraphrased, said "Why are you letting work interfere with your vacation junket?"
Part of the reason I joined in the first place is that I *like* work. I'm chair of the Building and Grounds committee, I serve on the Program Council and Communications committees, I've proposed a project to our Environmental Action Council for cleaning up the Great Pacific Trash Patch, I'm working on creating a UU Kibbutz, and I'm trying to get our youth program to adopt a local pirate festival as a way of opening discussions on responsible rebellion. I don't *do* either vacations or junkets; my preferred method of resting is to switch projects and work on something different for a while. And every now and then my body overrules me on that and we Have A Nap, Right Now.
But the people who are going to Minneapolis for a vacation junket or 'spiritual experience' are as much Our People as I am. As New Kid On The Block, it is *not* my job to walk in the door and say to the assembled "You're doing it wrong." Having a spiritual experience is a fine thing to be doing; so is having a business meeting. *I* can't do both at once, but maybe some others of our people are more gifted in this regard than I am.
I'm not as good at short posts as I would like to be. I may have only just scratched the surface, but that's all an introduction is supposed to do. So how are *you* doing and what would you like me to do for you in Minneapolis?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
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