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David Macleod

3/8/2015

 
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Puzzling over this statement led me to a crude summary—that our lives are located within settings on at least two scales—one immense and mysterious and one more intimate, human, and social—and that the fellowship addresses my needs on both scales.

I seem to remember being fascinated as a child by pictures of Sumerian figurines—little clay people from the dawn of recorded history four or five thousand years ago. They were immensely wide-eyed and to me looked frightened—not so much afraid the nomads would sack their city as awestruck and troubled by the mystery of their own existence: How did I find myself in this situation, in this world, this life? And what should I do? 

Later I learned that most of the world’s great religions were born a couple of thousand years later. But the sense of awe and puzzlement that I doubtless projected onto those figurines remains. Different religions look for the certainty of a question and an answer by posing a problem: Your problem is sin, or exile, or failure to submit to God, or pain, or lack of social harmony. This approach, however, can lead to very partial answers. There are endless Unitarian jokes about how we suspend judgment, but it’s a relief to admit that. Here I can do so and still keep looking. 

But Unitarians are also a loving community that works on a less cosmic scale. Beth and I were married in a Unitarian church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright—not a model human being but a great architect and a Unitarian. The minister, Max Gaebler, liked to suggest homey touches from different faith traditions, in Beth’s case Jewish, for the wedding ceremony. We declined to break glass or have a canopy, but it was an occasion of welcoming love. 

Obviously joining our Unitarian fellowship is less intense than getting married, but what attracted and holds me and us is a loving community. (That’s an overused word, “community,” and a little formulaic.) But it’s short for people, friendship, doing things together. It also means coming into a place where there are people reaching out to others. I wouldn’t be doing home-delivered meals if Jim Dealing hadn’t talked me into it here. And I hope someday to remember the infant pantry. Of course I’m way short of transforming myself and we’re short of transforming the world, but there are good people here who keep prodding me. And I wouldn’t move much without suggestions and some nudging. So I need this fellowship, and I try to support it.
Carol Rard
5/7/2015 11:36:53 am

Thanks,David. I. Can relate to your feeling of being moved to action by the urging of others. I am inspired by the encouragement of those in our dynamic community.


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    Stewardship
    Testimonials

    These members have shared the reasons they chose to become members and to make a financial pledge of support to UUFCM.

    2022
    Jodi Fisher
    Jim Moreno
    Gisela Moffit
    Matt Emerick

    2021
    ​Jim Dealing
    Laura McBride
    Jessica Jernigan
    Karen Turnbull


    2019
    ​Janis Shinn
    Tom Moffit
    Candi Tomlinson

    2018
    Kevin Daum
    Katie Zapoluch
    Brigitte Bechtold
    Susan Paton
    Norma Bailey

    2017
    ​Gisela Moffit
    Steven Lifson
    Anna VanArsdaleHoot

    2016
    Don Rust
    ​Victoria Sladek

    Laura Frey
    Vicki Chessin
    Carol Rard
    ​

    2015
    Jim Dealing
    Jen Prout
    Capalene Howse
    Annette Pratt
    Janis Shinn
    David Macleod
    Cynthia Damer

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