Seeking Sophia

Yesterday I talked about First Unitarian Church of Rochester’s holiday program whereby members and friends estimate their total holiday spending, halve that, and donate the savings to a local program and/or an international project chosen carefully by the congregation.

Here’s the link to the program as described on their website: 

http://www.rochesterunitarian.org/greatergood.html

I would love to see us do something like this as a congregation.  Hint: this is a year-round effort, it took a year to develop.

Anyone interested in getting started at the New Year?

Here’s what I said in my sermon yesterday about the project:

“Another story I want to share is what the First Unitarian Church of Rochester has been doing to help their congregation find meaning in the holidays:  since 2006 they have done The Greater Good Project.

It’s an all-church community endeavor, to tap into the strength and power of the spirit of the season. In the fall, members are asked to tally what we spend on the holiday season from: presents, wrappings, trimmings, travel, food and entertainment. Then take that number and cut it in half, and pledge that to a project at the church - a gift to the Greater Good. They raise close to $80,000 for one local and one international project that they spend the fall discerning.

 Individuals can make suggestions as to where the money will go in September. The committee screens and vets all of these in October. In November, the children vote from the finalists that the committee has selected. Why the children? Because the assumption is, when families halve their holiday spending, it’s the children who are most affected.

Then the Sunday before Christmas, families bring their contributions to church as they celebrate in worship what they can collectively do for the holidays. This congregation is putting our Unitarian Universalist values into practice to meet needs greater than their own  – the mission of this project for them is articulated as “living simply so others can simply live” and is a highlight for many of the holiday season.”

Wishing all of you the best for this Thanksgiving:

Grace

Thanks & blessings be

to the Sun & the Earth

for this bread & this wine,

this fruit, this meat, this salt, this food;

thanks be & blessing to them

who prepare it, who serve it;

thanks & blessings to them

who share it (& also the absent & the dead).

Thanks & Blessing to them who bring it

(may they not want),

to them who plant & tend it,

harvest & gather it

(may they not want);

thanks & blessing to them who work

& blessing to them who cannot;

may they not want - for their hunger

sours the wine & robs

the taste from the salt.

Thanks be for the sustenance & strength

for our dance & work of justice, of peace.

~ Rafael Jesus Gonzalez ~

(In Praise of Fertile Land, edited by Claudia Mauro)

This will happen on Thurs. Dec. 10 at 7 PM in the Fireplace Room.Do check out the links in the above post. And have a happy Thanksgiving.Blessings, Priscilla