Author Archives: witchyrichy

I belong to a Unitarian Universalist congregation. If you know anything about the UUs, you probably know that UUs can believe anything they want. There is a list of principles and purposes that the organization shares. I don’t have a problem with those principles and purposes, but on Sunday, one of my co-ministers challenged us to consider the possibility that there might be more beyond them that we need to consider. In particular, he wondered–along with other “heretical” ministers–if there might be some shared beliefs and values that we can profess. You can read or listen to his sermon here.

Stuck in a hotel room last night, I did some surfing and found several of the heretics online. They are not suggesting that we adopt a creed, but instead sort of an underlying spiritual belief that would support those principles. Davidson Loehr is particularly tough on the principles:

So instead of asking religious questions about what was worth believing, what was necessary to believe, what beliefs might best be used to fashion people of good character, and so on ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù instead of this, the Unitarians simply took an extended poll. They asked a handful of churches ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú including the first church I served ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú to hold discussion groups, to discover what the people who attended there (and liked discussion groups) happened to believe. What such a poll had to, and did, reveal were the generic cultural beliefs these people brought into church with them: the profile of social and political liberals.

This process produced the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìseven principles?¢‚Ǩ? ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù known in some circles as the Seven Banalities or the Seven Dwarfs ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù which soon became the de facto creed of a brand-new religion called ?¢‚Ǩ?ìUnitarian Universalism,?¢‚Ǩ? a religion that had never before existed anywhere, and to which no one of any note in history had ever belonged.

I guess the real problem here is how do we distinguish our church from just any other non-profit working for social justice? What makes us different? Really, the question is, what makes us a church. Then, you have to laugh a bit since my “church” isn’t even called a church or congregation. It is just called Unitarian Universalists without any kind of description of the group so as not to offend those who might find “church” to be a problematic word. But, this is a topic I am very interested in exploring. I wrote about it this morning in my morning pages and discovered that it has been awhile since I really thought about anything spiritual. Maybe I have stumbled upon a larger purpose for this blog!

Found myself with some free time this weekend so opened up Final Cut Pro to look at the video from Canada. Produced two shorts: one of a rushing mountain stream in Washington State and another of various wildlife clips. Both are embedded below:

I uploaded the first draft of my literature review this morning after finishing the reference section. Then, I did my favorite Saturday thing…puttered. I cleaned the kitchen, cooked sweet potatoes to mash for the freezer, and then realized I had all the fixings for a frittata including eggs from my own chickens and rosemary from the herb garden. Added mushrooms and sliced ham and cheese on top. It was yummy, if I do say so myself. Complimented with biscuits–the frozen kind, I’m afraid, but still pretty good with butter and honey jelly.

Now, it’s afternoon, and I want to get back to the UVA/VT game and some crocheting, but I just wanted to say aaah…I have had a week off at home, writing but also puttering. The house is decorated for the holidays, there is new stuff in the freezer from turkey stock to pumpkin muffins to cookies, and I even cleaned up the attic a bit. Trying to get organized and reduce clutter for the winter. I even switched chairs in the living room since Zuzu, our “new” white dog, likes my LLBean mission chair. I just feel relaxed after some pretty stressful weeks. Next week isn’t quite as free, especially since I do my oral comps defense on Wednesday afternoon. But there’s no long distance driving so I’m happy.

What a blessing…I took long walks the past two mornings, listening to Tom Brokaw’s new book about the Sixties, Boom! The leaves are still pretty although we are getting on the back side of the fall colors. There is a crispness to the air, like biting into a cold, tart apple. The fire in the stove feels warm and inviting and the dogs and I just hang out in the living room. Remember the peace and quiet, the sense of restfulness, and carry it in your heart.

Doing a workshop in Buena Vista tomorrow but came early to visit the Stonewall Jackson memorial is Lexington, VA.

So, here I sit, watching Ugly Betty online from last week and doing some organizing before I head out to the mountains. I actually had some free time to read weblogs yesterday, and I want to be part of the conversation. I need to make it part of the daily routine. Probably first thing. I don’t want to give up my morning pages–there is something about the long hand that starts the day. Plus, with the dog walking and the chickens, I’m doing that writing very early in the morning.

Part of the issue with this weblog, in particular, is the purpose. I have used it for lots of different things over the years; the important question is what do I need it for now? A place to let the world know that it is raining? That I love the view from my office window with the greenhouse and the pond and the chickens? Here’s the view:

Taken with my Pure Digital camera. I’m taking it with me to Lexington, Virginia, to take pictures of the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery.

I haven’t blogged anywhere for a long time. My time has been spent traveling and writing my candidacy paper and getting started on my literature review. I have been reading lots of good fiction just to feel like I have some kind of life, but mostly, when I get a minute, I write. I am trying to work on the project at least a little bit each day. I am at that point in the candidacy paper where I am sure it is crap. But I wouldn’t know how else to do it so that’s what I am turning in.

In class on Thursday, I talked about the writing fairy: I think I meant that little voice that points the way towards the final draft. Provides the metaphor or reveals the connections between ideas. I think I am going to call her Rhetorica, in honor of Richard Lanham, who was the only light in a pretty dark time of my life. My advisor recommended writing incantations. So, I googgled incantations and found a site with directions for writing your own. (Don’t you LOVE the internet??) They recommend being precise and concise with maybe a rhyme or two. So, what exactly do I want from Rhetorica? I want the words to flow; I want the connections to be clear; I want to write without struggle. Oh, and I want a metaphor to use to organize my lit review.

Rhetorica, rhetorica, touch me with your fire
Open my eyes, light my soul, keep me from the mire
Effortlessly, the words will flow
With clarity, the ideas will grow
With brilliance, the prose will glow

Hmm…not bad for a first try…