Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “William Barber’s Arrest”
 
One of my heroes is the Rev. Dr. William Barber. He is the leader of the Poor People’s Campaign, whose social justice work is radically intersectional. While the organization is named for low-income people and centers on their needs, they also fight for women and children; LGBTQ people; immigrants; and those with disabilities.
 
Yesterday Rev. Barber led a “Moral Monday” protest and prayer—first outside the capitol building, then in the capitol rotunda. This event hearkens back to the Moral Monday campaign that made Rev. Barber famous in North Carolina: yesterday was twelve years to the day after the first Moral Monday. While praying, Rev. Barber and two other clergy were arrested for breaking the rules that prohibit any protest in the rotunda.
 
The substance of Rev. Barber’s prayer and protest was that the proposed Republican budget will make life harder and more expensive for people in at-risk and marginalized groups, while giving huge tax breaks to billionaires. As he has said before, the place of people of faith and faith leaders in the public square is to advocate for the most vulnerable in society. In Rev. Barber’s Christian faith, this is directly following the teachings and the example of Jesus.
 
I applaud the courage of Rev. Barber and his integrity. He is a tireless advocate for the interests of marginalized people. It was upsetting to see him detained by police--another reminder of the difficult times we are living in, of the importance of protesting, and of the risks associated with it. Of course the arrest was not a surprise to him, and he had this to say after being released from custody: “Just as Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, so we have to be willing to put our bodies on the line. I pray that impacted people will (come) — again, not to go to get arrested, but to arrest the attention of the nation.”
 
May the nation pay attention. May Rev. Barber continue his sacred social justice work.
 
PRAYER:
Spirit of Life and Love, living Spirit of Jesus who befriended the poor and the marginalized: be with us now. May the examples of the prophets who came before us give us strength.
 
For Rev. Barber and all those who protest righteously for a better world: may their voices be clear. May their resolve be solid. May they know that they are not alone.
 
Amen.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
April 29, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “The Death of Pope Francis”
 
I heard the news yesterday that the Pope had died, and on the day after Easter. The timing seems ironic at first—death juxtaposed with the celebration of life and re-birth. Yet today I read a piece of writing from the Pope himself a couple of months ago: it talked about the inevitability of death (human wisdom for any spiritually mature person, especially for an elder) and about the joyful certainty of life everlasting in heaven (a belief specific to his religion, and shared by some others). Viewed in that light, the timing of this pope’s death was fitting.
 
Any pope has an enormous influence that begins with religion—which we think of as the cultural part of human society. Yet religion touches on every part of life, and the church’s views on right and wrong therefore affects war and peace, marriage and divorce, life and death, political and social power, poverty and wealth. This gives the Pope a lot of soft power whose reach extends world-wide. I was not raised Catholic, I have never received communion in a Catholic church, and the affairs of the Catholic church never seemed like my business. Except, of course, when those affairs--the actions, opinions and policies of the church--affected everyone in society: the legal status of abortion rights; the sexual abuse of children by priests. I didn’t follow Pope Francis much at all and didn’t have an opinion about him. Reading and hearing about his legacy today, I understand that he was fairly liberal-minded and embraced the aspect of the priesthood that serves others, especially the poor—rather than enjoying power over others. It is not my place to judge, but Pope Francis seemed like a very good pope.
 
Every Sunday I pass the Sacred Heart parish on my way to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. The amount of cars in their parking lot is a regular reminder that we are tiny and they are numerous; we are little-known and they are famous. And we are miles apart on many theological and social issues. I’m also grateful to be part of a religion that elects our national president, and sets our most important policies (such as governance and statements of our core religious values) by vote of our members and their delegates. No conclave here; no papal decrees. Yet for all these differences, I feel a kinship with Pope Francis as a fellow minister, and a kinship with all the Catholics worldwide who mourn and celebrate him today. May he rest in peace, and may the Catholic church go forward in greater love and wisdom blessed by his leadership.
 
PRAYER:
May the spirit of Pope Francis be united with his God today. May his living memory and legacy bless every Catholic and call them to greater humility and service, to greater love and compassion and acceptance.
 
May humanity pause today to remember that our world leaders are not just presidents and generals, CEO’s and oligarchs; but also bishops and doctors, artists and scholars. May we look to the most loving and compassionate and humble leaders for our inspiration, and give to them our greater loyalty and respect.
 
Amen.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
April 22, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “Birthday Reflection”
 
Today is a day of joy in my family, as my niece Kerry has given birth to her second child: Shepherd Treadway Jackson. The birth of a baby arrives with lots of speculation and waiting. Family and friends want to know when the baby is coming, is it a boy or a girl, what will you call the baby. As I can only imagine, for the mother carrying the baby the waiting is so much more intense—so much more full of hope and anxiety. Then the baby arrives—in its own time--to hopes of health and thriving. All of us know that our world contains war and greed and sadness and pain—and we welcome a new baby with the intention of filling their life with love and strength and resilience and hope.
 
My own birthday comes later this week. Unlike a newborn baby, the birthday of a man past the midpoint of his life (I will turn 57 on Sunday) is more about looking back and less about looking forward. The death of my own father in February of this year, and my mother’s death a year before that, puts this birthday celebration in a different light. How many more years do I have left? How many years of good health mentally and physically? Of course we never know, and of course we always wonder. In the darker moments of grieving my father’s loss, the sense of purpose and meaning in my own life has occasionally been in doubt. Questions such as, What is the point of living when we know we are going to die? have crept in at times. This is the spiritual task of grieving, and one of the gifts embedded in the grieving process: we see our loved one who has passed; we reflect on their life and its meaning; we are inspired to embrace our own life in the time we have left and to accomplish what we can.
 
And then comes Shepherd. The birth of this baby represents hope. It helps me connect again with purpose and love and joy. Perhaps what is true for me here is true for others as well: in the process of aging and grieving life’s losses, moments of doubt or despair can arise. Joyful moments such as the birth of a baby, the blooming of a flower, the laughter of children, or the smile of a loved one can restore our hope and remind us that these moments are what make every day worth living.
 
PRAYER:
Shepherd Treadway Jackson, may your days be filled with love. May you grow in strength and understanding; may you find your unique gifts; may you take your place in this world.
 
For the sake of every baby born today, may all of us strive to make our world better tomorrow than it is today. May we create greater safety, greater beauty, greater compassion and understanding of one another.
 
For the health and well-being of every child in the world, with no exceptions, we pray.
 
Amen.
 
Rev. Andrew Frantz
April 15, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
On Sunday we had our stewardship luncheon, one purpose of which was to ask people in the congregation how much money they are willing to pledge in support of the Fellowship for next year. Unfortunately, this event followed some of the worst economic news we have seen in a while. Some of us are seeing the tanking stock market and worrying about our retirement savings; others are uncertain about keeping their jobs in the government. Not exactly the ideal time to ask people to increase their charitable giving! In another sense, however, the timing was good: Sunday was one of those days when there is a buzz of good energy in the worship service. A sense of community, of joy in being together. So it’s possible that the financial worry of this moment may have been offset by enthusiasm for the community that all of us support. And let’s remember that the other purpose of the stewardship luncheon is to think about how we all support the Fellowship with our time and talent—not just with our money. As we feel more connected with the congregation, and as we are joined in a sense of common purpose, we may be more inspired to participate in more and different ways. The stewardship luncheon is a time for dreaming about what the Fellowship could be, looking at what it is now, and making a commitment to be part of its future.
 
Zooming out from UUFCM to the wider society, I see the same push and pull between worry and enthusiasm. We are frightened about the destruction of civic institutions that we rely on, and about the targeting of vulnerable groups including transgender people and immigrants. Our fear makes us wary about speaking up and getting involved. At the same time, we are emboldened by our neighbors who are speaking up and joining us at protests. With their support and their example, we feel more willing to speak up. We feel strength in numbers. To resist fascism and to support decent everyday people takes optimism and courage.
 
This moment in our country calls for resistance. And resistance is what Love looks like in the face of oppression. We are a people of Love, and that Love is expressed within our walls when we support UUFCM—and in the greater community when we vote, march and protest to demand equity and justice in America.
 
May this congregation continue to thrive as a haven for its members and friends, strengthening everyone who is a part of it. And may we speak and act bravely in the public square—inspired by others and inspiring others.
 
PRAYER:
Spirit of Life and Love, be with those who are the victims of this MAGA government’s policies. May the immigrants facing deportation and uncertainty—and their families and loved ones—be comforted and strengthened. May the workers being laid off—and those quitting their jobs out of conscience—be safe and secure. May they be held in love.
 
May compassion and reason, decency and fairness, thrive again in this nation.
 
May it be so.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
April 8, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
As I write this column, it is April Fool’s Day. I enjoyed this day as a kid: my family played pranks on one another such as adding food coloring to the milk and rigging the kitchen faucet so that the sprayer sprayed when the water was turned on. Today I am not telling jokes or playing tricks, but I am embracing Joy. For ten months from September to June, we have a monthly theme that we follow (sometimes more, sometimes less) for worship and for small group ministry. The theme for April is Joy, and I am all in.
 
A group of ministers publishes a worship research packet related to the monthly theme, as well as questions to ponder, poems and quotes to read, and activities to try out—all related to Joy this month. They have a suggestion called “Your Box of Joy” that invites you to write down things that give you joy, as though you are collecting them in a box. I decided to try this with an actual box. Starting today, my intention is to put one thing in my Joy Box every day throughout the month of April. I started with a pretty coloring page that I found in my basement. Then hearing the good news from the Wisconsin supreme court election, I added that as well. A good start to my Joy Box.
 
Joy makes life worth living. Joy sustains us in hard times and even becomes an act of resistance in the face of oppression. If I can notice and appreciate and experience one piece of joy every day, it makes the good days better and the hard days more bearable. May we all be open to the experience of joy as it shows up for us.
 
PRAYER:
Gracious and loving God; Spirit of Life and Love, be here now. Remind us that there is Joy every day, be it visible or hidden. May Joy bless us. May attention to Joy bring fulfillment to our lives.
 
In a world of war, and tyrants, and cheating, may Joy buoy us with hope. In a world of loneliness, may Joy bring us together.
 
Amen.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
April 1, 2025