Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

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It's Almost Time!

Time for what? My sabbatical!

Rev. Lise will be gone on Sabbatical March 17 - June 30, 2025.​

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And here’s the plan . . .

Hopefully, most of you know this already, but if not, I am leaving for a three-month sabbatical on March 17 (followed by two weeks of vacation to see family). I'm going to use the time to work on my spiritual practices, learn about how folks outside the US feel about our country, ponder our environment, and do some volunteering in a foreign country. How will I do this? I'm starting with a walk on the Spanish North Coast Camino followed by time in Paris, France.  

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So, what will happen here at AUUF while I'm gone? Well, I trust that you all will get along fine. You might try some new things without me, you'll keep working to help make our world a better place, and hopefully share some fun times. In other words, you'll keep doing what we do now -- companion one another on our journeys, work for justice, learn, love, laugh, talk out difficulties, and care for one another and our world.  

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Who's in charge? Well, in Unitarian Universalism we practice shared ministry. I may know a lot of what's going on because I spend so much time at the fellowship, but a lot of other folks know what's going on too. And all of you contribute to our congregation in a variety of ways so I hope you'll keep doing that while I'm gone! :-) But if you want a few specific folks to go to, here's a list:

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Staff questions: Ask our staff. Richard, Kelly, Jenn, Esme, and Dan all have pretty regular hours that are posted on TAOF (Today at our Fellowship e-letter). If you have some bigger concerns and aren't getting the answers you need, check with Don Antrobus, our Board President.

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Worship Questions: Michele Champion, on the Worship Team, has agreed to be the main contact person while I'm gone. Our Affiliated Community Minister, Becca Bernard, will also be helping out with worship.

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Pastoral Care: Wray Kinard, Rosene Beachy, and Donna Massey can provide a chat or get you hooked up with some short-term help (a casserole, ride to a doctor's appointment, etc.). Becca Bernard is available to help with pastoral care as well while I'm gone. Ruth Greenwood, another of our UU ministers in our congregation, will act as a back-up for Becca.

 

Other areas: Check with our Board members (Don Antrobus, Kalen Saxton, Doug Eby, Justin Roberts, Jim Kerr, Kath Rutherford, and Mara Hill) or whomever is the chair of the particular team, committee or group you'd like to know more about. There's a list of the "go to" people on the bulletin board in the workroom next to the office.  

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I'm going to miss knowing what's going on in your lives, but we'll catch up when I'm back (July 1). I'll send a few postcards of my adventures while I'm gone and will share more when I return. Enjoy one another--this congregation has an excellent sense of fun and is full of grace. You all are in good hands--each other’s!

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Blessings and lots of love,

Rev. Lise

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Minister’s Message For August 2024

Happy August 2024 everyone!

I hope your summer has been going well!

Starting August 1, I’m back in the office. I’ll do my best to be present for my office hours which are Tues, Th and Fri from 11-3, or by appointment, but it will be a good idea to call ahead. Sometimes a meeting or pastoral visit pops up, but otherwise I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone as we all start to trickle in from our summer. I will be gone Aug. 9-11 for a Buddhist retreat, but otherwise I should be fairly easy to find.

One thing I’m really looking forward to is beginning work with our new Director of Religious Exploration (DRE), Jennifer Bluntach. She begins work virtually this month and then will be here in person on September 1! Hopefully some of you got to meet her when she visited Anchorage the last week of June. We will run her introductory article in TAOF again this month.

As we prepare for this upcoming year of fellowship, I’m thinking about how we can build resilience for the continuing political season as well as delve into our ethical and religious values for strength and modeling the kind of Beloved Community we’d like to create. It won’t always be easy, but working in community, we can at least support one another with empathy and good humor.

We are lucky to have one another.

Blessings, Rev. Lise

 

 

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Minister’s Message 5-22-24​

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I was looking for something to write about, and when in doubt, I often search for historical things to inspire me.  It reminds me how far we’ve come and that while things may seem bleak (because . . .please insert your own world or personal calamity here), we have made progress over the years.  Progress for human rights, for caring for our Earth, for listening to one another, for joining our efforts for the common good.  True, we have a long way to go and often it feels, and it is, one step forward followed by two or even three steps back, but we do continue forward movement.

Did you know that in the month of May, 1961, the Unitarians and the Universalists consolidated to create the Unitarian Universalist Association?  And now 63 years later we continue to work for justice and love and honor our living tradition—we make room for growth and change.  On May 2, 1994, Nelson Mandela gave his victory speech after beating President F.W. de Klerk in South Africa’s first democratic elections.  This year thousands around the world spent May 1 in protest over their right to economic security and others continued to insist on a ceasefire in Gaza.  And these are just four events that have happened over time.  

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These protestors, freedom fighters, and progressive religious visionaries have and continue to work for building the momentum necessary to change our world.  And while some may think I’m naïve, I do truly believe that every action, every thought, every word that goes towards undoing oppression, no matter how small, is helpful.  Tonight I saw a friend of mine on their bicycle and they had a small card, about 5” x 3”, woven into the spokes of their tire and it read “Ceasefire Now!”  My friend is adding to the momentum, too, and by taking the time and effort to share his message, he’s showing everyone who sees it that he is one more person who doesn’t agree with what is happening.  It’s all cumulative—we just have to make sure that we keep pouring our actions and our hopes onto the same side until we finally tip the scales for justice and love.  May it be so.

Happy May Day and Happy Spring!

With blessings and love,  Rev. Lise