​Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
I spent this past weekend with family in Ohio, and on Sunday I went to the Cleveland Reggae Fest. My brother-in-law Tommy plays in one of the five bands that took the stage that day. Along with the joy of an entire afternoon spent dancing on the shore of Lake Erie, my take away was how strong and pervasive the values of love, peace, unity and inclusion are in reggae music and culture.
 
As I had this realization, I was reflecting on other genres of music. Does rock ‘n’ roll have values or themes that define the genre? Perhaps rebellion and sexuality. Country music has its values and themes: patriotism and Christianity; beer and pickup trucks. But the reggae themes made such an impression on me because they are closely aligned with Unitarian Universalist values.
 
Every reggae band I can think of explicitly names a connection to Jah, their name for the divine. For at least a few moments—sometimes much longer—the singer in the band will express praise for the divine. And one of the singers did a very UU thing: he talked about belief in God and about belief in science and evolution. Then he tried to argue for a middle ground that everyone could agree with: that there might be a God who created everything, including our belief in science and evolution. A moment later he was leading the whole audience in a song expressing that every human being is part of one family. Asking us to raise our right hand if we believe that, then he told us to turn and high-five everyone around us. Reggae music, as I heard all day, is for black and white, for young and old, for rich and poor. That sense of unity and inclusion was powerful at the festival.
 
The day had a bit of the same feeling as being at church: the sanctuary was the city park; the stage was the pulpit; the singers were the preachers; and we all were the congregation. For the reggae musicians who expressed the values of love, peace, inclusion and unity all day it felt very authentic. Tommy gave me a backstage pass and introduced me to some of the other musicians. Everyone I met treated me like family, with usually a hug to say hello instead of a handshake. I was in the presence of good and grounded people, in the midst of a culture of love and respect and welcome. The whole thing reminded me that there are many ways to spread love. We do it one way in our Unitarian Universalist worship services and other gatherings. The Jah Messengers, Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band, The Ark Band, Shake the Ground and Pato Banton spread love and joy through music. I am grateful to have received their blessing in Cleveland.
 
PRAYER:
God of love and light, may every musician who is bringing a message of peace and love be blessed. May their instruments be in tune; may their road trips go smoothly; may they find receptive audiences at every venue where they play.
 
May every human being be attuned to the message and the messenger that will best reach them, so that peace, love, unity and inclusion find root everywhere.
 
Blessed be.
 
Rev. Andrew Frantz
May 26, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column
 
At my father’s memorial service this spring I read aloud the following poem, which I wrote years ago. The poem refers to a wilderness canoe trip he and I took when I was a teenager--a trip he remembered fondly until the end of his days and would often recall even as his memory failed.

PRAYER:
May our memories of good times and peaceful times sustain us in hard times and chaotic times. May every child and every parent have the opportunity to enjoy beauty and serenity.
May the wise influence of those who have passed on be alive in us today.
Amen.
 
Rev. Andrew Frantz
May 20, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “Episcopalians Resist”
 
Today NPR ran a story about the Trump administration and the Episcopal Church. While freezing the refugee resettlement program for the rest of the world, Trump made a special allowance for white South Africans to apply for refugee status, bringing them to the United States on a chartered plane and having government officials welcome them. They asked the Episcopal Church to help settle these people in America, as the church has done for 100,000 refugees in recent decades. And this time, the church said No.
 
The Trump’s administration’s actions in this matter are clearly racist: black and brown people from around the world, facing real danger in their home countries, are denied entry to the US; meanwhile the only group to be admitted are these white people. In the NPR story, Episcopalian Bishop Sean Rowe explained that his church’s “commitment to racial justice” made them decide they couldn’t participate in this resettlement, which he called “not morally just,” saying that to the Trump administration “some people are more valuable than others.”
 
We continue to live in a world where our elected president is dismantling public services, violating laws, ignoring supreme court rulings, and trampling on people’s rights—while enriching himself through nakedly corrupt self-dealing. Every individual and every institution has to decide how to react to this new reality. I applaud our cousins in faith, the Episcopal Church, for their principled stand in this case. May each of us have the courage to do what we know to be right; and may we gain strength and solidarity from the examples of our fellow citizens—and fellow religious denominations—as we do so.
 
PRAYER:
May God bless the leaders of the Episcopal Church. May they continue to be strong and courageous in following the moral compass of their faith.
 
May all people look to their values and have the courage to resist and deny the overreaches of this authoritarian government and its cruel racist policies.
 
In the name of all people of good conscience, Amen.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
May 13, 2025

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “The John Glenn School”
 
I spent the past weekend in Columbus, Ohio celebrating my son Dalin, who has completed a Master of Public Administration degree. I’m proud of him for persevering through challenges along the way; and I’m proud of him for his career choice in public service and government.
 
Dalin’s graduation ceremony was at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs (within the Ohio State University), and the dean’s remarks were memorable. He talked about John Glenn’s life and accomplishments: born and raised in Ohio; a pioneering astronaut; a United States senator. He also mentioned his failures, such as a failed presidential campaign, to illustrate resilience. And what really struck me in the dean’s remarks was how he was able to be truthful about politics and current events without being partisan. He talked about John Glenn being deeply committed to his Democratic values, including equity. He said that this is a difficult and uncertain time for public servants and government workers due to the unpredictability of the current administration. I felt like I was able to agree with what he was saying, and simultaneously that someone with opposite political values from mine would acknowledge what he was saying as true and fair.
 
In the Ohio Board of Elections where Dalin has been working, everything is bipartisan: when ballots are being received and handled, a Democratic pollworker and a Republican pollworker must be present. If a supervisor is a Republican, the assistant supervisor must be a Democrat. In these days of deep division and distrust across party lines, he is literally learning to work with those from the other side. This is good training for public service.
 
I celebrate Dalin because he is my son. I celebrate all of his classmates at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs because of their choice to work in the public sector. From what I witnessed this weekend, I have high hopes for what they will accomplish.
 
PRAYER:
May every student and every family celebrating a graduation be blessed. May the accomplishments be honored; may the parents and mentors receive their thanks.
 
May wisdom, compassion and strength bless the graduates of the John Glenn school and all of those entering into public service. May they find the place where their passion and society’s needs intersect. May their service be a blessing to their communities.
 
Amen. Blessed be.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
May 6, 2025