Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
The “Crafty U’s” group meets in our fellowship hall on the third Tuesday of the month at 10:30am. It is an informal, drop-in group for anyone working on craft projects, especially fabric arts. This time coincides with my office hours, so I usually see the crafty UU’s who show up. Last week it was the day after the inauguration, and the group reminded me of the subtle and quiet power of community.
 
On this particular Tuesday, a small group showed up and they mostly worked on a long-dormant project of UUFCM: sewing buttons onto our banner. This is the banner that hangs in our sanctuary and that we bring to regional and national events such as General Assembly. More than a year ago, we were all invited to bring in a button that would be sewn onto the border of the banner – an artistic metaphor for the way we are all connected. The buttons of many sizes, shapes and colors represent the diversity and uniqueness of the congregation. The buttons collected have been waiting for this moment to be sewn onto the banner.
 
My instinct last Tuesday was to freak out over politics, and to have deep and intense discussions of the trauma of the moment and strategies for resistance.  Instead, I wound up engaging in a quiet conversation that touched on family, weather--and yes, current events. I sat sipping my coffee while the crafty UUers did their sewing and knitting. The quietness of the conversation grounded me—it was emotionally quiet and calming. We shared some of our despair and outrage, and it was infinitely easier to deal with because we were together.
 
Response to an upsetting event can take many forms: some people feel it and express it more intensely, some more quietly. I have heard this wisdom about the current American political and social reality: we will not be able to avoid bad policies being enacted and real harm coming to people—ourselves and ones we care about. And: we have each other. Because we will stick together, we can minimize harm and heal damage. When we march, when we lobby, when we go to school board meetings, when we pray--and when we sew together, we build and strengthen our community.
 
PRAYER:
May divine love and human love bless every gathering of those resisting oppression and hate. Bless the political meetings and rallies; bless the conversations over coffee; bless the sharing of fears and hopes at the dinner table.
May we know that we are not alone, and may we find strength in our communities. 
Blessed be.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
January 28, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
Donald Trump’s inauguration sparks many thoughts about policy and protest: immigration, health care, education, law and justice, abortion rights and trans rights are just some of the issues that confront us individually and collectively. At our congregational retreat on Saturday we will do a deep dive into what’s happening and how we might respond. For today, however, I’m reflecting on self-care, engagement, and retreat.
 
On Monday this week I was at the annual Martin Luther King brunch at Central Michigan University. I enjoyed the speeches and the music, and I felt a hopeful sense of community in the room. But immediately afterwards, I had a strong desire to go home and take a nap. I realized that the trauma of election day – below the surface for the past two months – was bubbling up inside me. My body knew that it was inauguration day and was telling me to retreat.
 
Sometimes retreating (taking a nap, turning off social media, going for a walk, watching a movie) is the right thing to do. Our bodies, minds, and spirits need rest and resetting. Taking a few hours of down time on Monday allowed me to re-engage when I was ready. Engagement is needed by all of us as we are able: mentally, physically and spiritually we must meet this moment for the sake of ourselves and for those most at risk. But we can’t engage if we are depleted. Therefore the self-care of retreat and rest is necessary.
 
And of course, too much resting and retreating can result in apathy, despair and loneliness. For me, the task is finding the right balance. And this is individual. I can’t tell you when it is the time to engage or to retreat—each person’s needs are different, and the events of the world affect us differently depending on our identities and our situations. May we all find the right balance between being engaged and taking down time for self-care. May we listen to the wisdom of our bodies and be guided by that wisdom.
 
PRAYER:
Spirit of life and love, this is a trying time. We face so much uncertainty, and so many threats to our well-being.
Guide us, spirit of love, into the courage to act when we need to act. Grant us the time and space to rest when we need to. And grant us the discernment to find the balance between the two.
May it be so.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
I was nine years old when Jimmy Carter’s term as president began and thirteen when it ended. I remember the gas lines and inflation that marked this period; I remember the Iran hostage crisis; and I remember the Camp David Peace Accords mediated by Carter. An environmental pioneer, Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House—which Ronald Reagan later had removed. As the years and decades passed, Carter’s presidency looked better and better in retrospect—and his post-presidency was equally remarkable. His love of peace and social justice continued, with his non-profit center doing outstanding humanitarian work. I once learned a small fact that I will never forget: that I honor President Carter for his policies and public service. Equally important, I want to remember Carter as an honorable and decent person. His quiet human side is revealed in a book of poetry that he published in 1995. One of these poems I shared last Sunday during worship as a tribute to the President. Through the poems, I see moving glimpses of the man’s life and love.
 
The dedication page of the poetry collection contains many things you would expect: a dedication to his wife; to poets who inspired him, and so on. And then there is this dedication:

Jimmy Carter’s book of poetry is dedicated, among other things, to justice. Justice in this case is defined as “punishment or remorse” for those who cause religious economic, social and legal harm.
 
It is a grand irony that this president has died on the eve of Trump’s inauguration. A greater contrast between two men in politics and service, in morality and character, and in learning and expression, cannot be imagined.
 
PRAYER:
May God bless the memory and spirit of Jimmy Carter. May this nation remember, honor, and be inspired by his example of working for peace and justice.
 
May people of all walks of life, and all stations and levels of society, emulate the love, gentleness, thoughtfulness and decency of this famous American.
 
Amen.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
January 14, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
During the winter holidays, I went to see a fun Christmas movie and came away with a theological lesson about Universalism. The movie is “Red One,” and the story features Santa Claus as well as his evil brother, Krampus. It turns out that this is a figure from European folklore who would accompany Saint Nicolaus and punish the bad children while Santa (St. Nick) rewarded the good ones. In the movie, the conflict revolves around the nice list and the naughty list. Krampus is all about punishing the people on the naughty list, and takes this view to an extreme: everyone, after all, is naughty in one way or another. Santa (Red One in the movie) takes the radically opposite view: he doesn’t want to even see the naughty list anymore. Everyone is good in one way or another, so everyone gets presents. This is Universalism.
 
Well, metaphorically anyway.
 
Universalism is really a theology of universal salvation. This theology, which accounts for half of the name of our Unitarian Universalist religion, says that a loving God would not send anyone to hell. Therefore everyone is saved—universal salvation. But the metaphor for Christmas and Santa works very well. A traditional way of thinking is that people are either good or bad, and the good ones go to heaven while the bad ones go to hell. Similarly, good children get candy in their Christmas stockings and bad children get coal in theirs. The truth, however, is more complicated.
 
My belief is that there are not good and bad people, just good and bad deeds. We all are capable of love, generosity, compassion—and we are all capable of cruelty and selfishness and hate. Universalist theology, central to the UU religion, says that we should emphasize the good in every person. Whether or not you believe in a reward of heaven after this life is over, Universalism says that we all deserve good things just by being who we are. We all deserve love and compassion. Universalism is a theology that de-emphasizes sin and broken-ness, and elevates the inherent good in all of us.
 
PRAYER:
As the Christmas season comes to an end, with children returning to school and Christmas decorations being put away, may we remember that Love is the reward and that all of us are on the Good list. The list of St. Peter and the list of St. Nicolaus are one and the same: we all are beautiful inside.
May we see the beauty and goodness in ourselves and in each other, today and every day.
Amen.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
January 7, 2025