Blog Archives

Minister's Column: December 24, 2025 "Merry Christmas"

12/24/2025

Although I have learned to appreciate many winter holidays through the UU faith, Christmas is the holiday I grew up with, and still holds a central place in my family life. In the past week I’ve enjoyed Christmas shopping; I’ve baked two batches of Christmas cookies and a double recipe of Christmas Tree Bread; and I have lit a delightful rainbow Christmas tree in the living room of my home. I’ve dusted off my book of Christmas carols and sung my favorites. And the best part is coming up: a week off and a gathering with family, exchanging gifts and playing games with my kids.

This time is for reflection on the year past as well. For me personally it included great sadness with the death of my father in February and the death of my stepfather in October. I miss them both at this time of year. For my adult children, the year had significant milestones: a graduation, a new job, a new apartment, and new friends. I celebrate their triumphs and mourn their challenges, grateful every day to be the father to such beautiful children. My wife Mary and I continue to have adventures in Michigan: this year we visited beaches in South Haven, Empire, Charlevoix and more; and we enjoyed art, music and theatre in Mount Pleasant and Midland. Walking and jogging by the Chippewa River, swimming at The Dams in the summer, and kayaking on the river were also great sources of pleasure for me this year.

The terrible policies and actions of the MAGA regime have cast a shadow over this year, at times drowning out other considerations. I’ve struggled to maintain optimism at times for myself, and have wondered how to be an effective leader in these times. However, I’ve been inspired and strengthened by community: the UU community I was immersed in at General Assembly in Baltimore; and the local activists (especially Indivisible) who buoy my spirit here. Our protests and organizing meetings are a good memory of 2025 that gives me hope.

In the dark and cold of winter, this week the world is again reminded of a story of hope from ancient times. I embrace the beautiful symbolism of a newborn baby hailed as Prince of Peace. I celebrate the hope that every child represents. I delight in Christmas as a respite of peace, joy, family connection, and hope for a better world. May the spirit of Christmas—hope, love and peace—bless the whole world with no exceptions.

PRAYER:
God of love and light, bless every home and every Christmas gathering.
May the birth of Jesus be a reason for love and not war, for accepting one another and not othering, for generosity and not greed.
May peace and love prevail, on Christmas and every day.
Amen.

Rev. Drew Frantz
December 23, 2025

Minister's Column: December 17, 2025 "Lighting the Menorah"

12/17/2025

In one of my first year seminary classes, the professor gave us this advice: take a minute to check the news on Sunday morning before going to lead worship, lest you be surprised by some major world event. Last Sunday I checked NPR before breakfast, and the shocking news about the mass shooting at a Hannukah celebration in Australia left me weeping in the winter morning, overwhelmed by the tragedy--and feeling strangely connected in spirit to those at Bondi Beach because I was preparing to lead a Hannukah celebration myself.

As I said on Sunday morning, this anti-Semitic terrorism is surely intended to make Jews (and their allies) around the world afraid—afraid to gather for Hannukah services and parties, afraid to be visible in their faith. And the response to that terrorism must be defiant joy. Hannukah is indeed a holiday of joy and hope. My intention this week is to light the menorah each of the eight nights in a visible place (in my home or at the UUFCM building) to show my solidarity with Jews everywhere and my defiant joy.

I learned years ago that Jewish wisdom dictates that a menorah should be displayed visibly as a practice, because it is an outward and joyful holiday. Here is how one Jewish scholar expresses this:

“Hanukkah is the perfect holiday for a multicultural world. It’s a statement that I want to preserve my values and trumpet my beliefs—not that other people have to adopt them, but that other people accept them. And I think each home has to be the center of those values, so that instead of the light coming from the outside world, which is what television is, ultimately dissolving everybody into their own rooms, the light comes from inside the family and illuminates the neighborhood.”
-Noam Zion, quoted by Bruce Feller on the website ReformJudaism.org

This is beautiful: the light of the menorah illuminates the community. The menorah proclaims that Judaism is alive and well. Last night I lit the candles in my kitchen while I was making Christmas cookies with my wife. We tried to get the sacred Hannukah prayer to play on our phones but instead we got the Hannukah song, which made us both laugh. A Unitarian Universalist raised in a Christian family, this Hannukah I laugh and cry with Jews around the world celebrating Hannukah and with people of good faith everywhere who value the free expression of religion.

PRAYER:
Baruch atah Adoshem, Elokeinu melech ha’olam,
asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, Source of All, who brings moments of holiness to our lives
through the ritual of lighting the Chanukah lights.
Baruch atah Adoshem, Elokeinu melech ha’olam,
sheh-asah nisim lavoteinu bayamim hahem baz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Source of All, who brings our attention to miracles
from ages past to this very moment.
Amen.

Rev. Drew Frantz
December 16, 2025

Minister's Column: December 10, 2025 "Human Rights Day"

12/10/2025

I learned that December 10 is Human Rights Day as proclaimed by the United Nations. Their theme for 2025 is “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials.” and on their website I found the following:

Human rights are POSITIVE
They not only protect, they also bring joy, happiness and safety into daily life. Human rights are lived realities. They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the words we speak, the opportunities we pursue or the protections that keep us safe.
Human rights are ESSENTIAL
They are the essentials we all share, the common ground that unites us across differences of race, gender, belief, or background. In a world of uncertainty, human rights remain our everyday constants. When everything feels unstable, your right to safety, to speak freely and to participate in decisions that affect us, become the bedrock of our lives.
Human rights are ATTAINABLE
They begin with us, with the small, everyday choices we make from treating others with respect, speaking up against unfairness, and listening to those whose voices are often ignored. Everyday choices and voices matter more than you may realize; they build a culture of dignity and fairness around us. But human rights also depend on collective action, when communities, movements, and nations come together to demand justice and equality.

I am especially connecting to the last paragraph here, where it says that affirming human rights is both political and interpersonal. I tend to think in political terms: laws and governments, presidents and parliaments who either advance or erode human rights. But the United Nations reminds us that Everyday choices and voices matter more than you may realize; they build a culture of dignity and fairness around us. As I often remind myself, our role in the Unitarian Universalist space is about changing hearts and changing culture, one act of love at a time—whereas being politically involved is secondary for us as a religious movement.

The reason for the December 10 holiday is that it was on this day in 1948 that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was first ratified by the UN. Pioneered by women, the Declaration is a powerful document that is worth perusing on the UN website. It articulates human rights in 30 articles, from the right to intellectual property, to education, freedom of assembly, international order and many more. According to the UN, this declaration “is available in 577 languages, from Abkhaz to Zulu, making the UDHR the most translated document in the world.”

I spoke last Sunday about hope. This document, the history behind it, the people who wrote it, and the institution that supports it, give me hope for humanity. Not a passive wishing kind of hope that things will someday get better, but a fierce optimism that there are enough of us ready to act for human rights every day and in every place to make a positive difference in the world.

PRAYER:
Spirit of Love and Life, divine energy felt in every culture and every corner of the globe, bless the United Nations and their work.
May the ideas of democracy, fairness, and inalienable human rights be supported and grow stronger every day.
May all people remember that we are connected in love and interdependence: may we bring our best selves to the task of creating a culture of dignity and fairness.
May God strengthen us in this sacred work.
Blessed be.

Rev. Drew Frantz
December 9, 2025

Minister's Column: December 3, 2025 - "Don Julin Trio"

12/3/2025

A couple of weeks ago we had a special performance in our sanctuary, organized by Bob Busch for the purpose of bringing joy and music into the UUFCM building. Mission accomplished!

Don Julin was the band leader: an accomplished mandolin performer, composer and arranger. He assembled a trio for this concert and a few others across Michigan and Ohio. Along with a small and enthusiastic crowd, I was engaged with every song from start to finish. The trio traded riffs and solos fluidly, adding beauty and musicianship to the jazzy bluegrass repertoire they shared with us. Don narrated the performance with stories of being a travelling musician and with insights into the songs they were playing. All three musicians (mandolin, bass, and guitar) were masters of their craft, and the rapport among them was easy and solid. The concert featured original compositions, clever arrangements of bluegrass classics—and a sweet version of Led Zeppelin’s “California” for an encore. Their acoustic sound filled the sanctuary with an intimacy and warmth that drew us all in. It reminded me of what a great space for music this room really is.

Again, I am grateful to Bob Busch for this event, as well as the Board of Trustees and rental manager Gisela Moffitt for their support. Bob knew Don Julin from the music scene in Traverse City and therefore was an appropriate ambassador for the concert. And he stated a goal of having our sanctuary used more often for events like this. We have a beautiful building in a great location near downtown, and our mission is to create community within the congregation and in the wider area. This concert drew mostly people who are not part of the congregation. After the music everyone was mingling: I was chatting up the bass player about the rest of their mini-tour; a musician couple from Saginaw had a little jam session with the guitarist. As I witnessed this joyful mingling, I connected with our shared purpose: music brings people together through joy and community, just like Sunday worship does.

God bless the Don Julin Trio whose bluegrass chords still ring in our sanctuary. God bless the ones who organize, promote, perform and support live music.

PRAYER:
May artists thrive in every corner of this nation and the world.
May they bring their soul, their passion, and their insight to their art—be it music, painting, theatre or poetry.
May all of us make time to appreciate the gifts of the artists in our communities, supporting them with our attendance and attention; and receiving from them the gifts of beauty and meaning.
May it be so.

Rev. Drew Frantz
December 2, 2025

Rev. Andrew Frantz

UUFCM Minister

Office hours:
In-person
Tuesday 10-noon
Wednesday 1-3 & 8-9pm

Outside of Office Hours, Drew is reachable at any time via text, phone, or email.

Day off: Monday
Contact for emergencies only

[email protected]
Phone/text: 440-935-0129

Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him.

For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Caring Team (formerly Arms Around) via Jen Prout at 989-400-3130 or [email protected]. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance.

Minister's Column: December 24, 2025 "Merry Christmas"

Minister's Column: December 17, 2025 "Lighting the Menorah"

Minister's Column: December 10, 2025 "Human Rights Day"

Minister's Column: December 3, 2025 - "Don Julin Trio"

Rev. Andrew Frantz

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