By Ann Kuffner
UUFSMA Member
Have you ever been in a small group trying to reach consensus on delivering a single opinion or observation about a circumstance or a task? It’s not that easy! Imagine that experience happening with thousands of people involved, trying to reach a consensus on the most important values, principles, and beliefs you have about life itself!
For 150 years that’s exactly what Unitarians and Universalists have tried to do throughout the different eras of our history. Our goal has been to make summary statements of our common beliefs without making them into a required creed! During those years, we have also debated whether those efforts have been meaningful or worthwhile. Right now, within the UU Association, the current effort to shape a new common beliefs statement is subject to this same debate. Can we effectively summarize the things most commonly believed among us? Or is it better to focus on the quality of the community we create and the differences we can make in the world without worrying too much about how we express our diverse beliefs?
Wayne Arnason is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist with a 48-year career of service in ministry and 35 years as a Buddhist practitioner. Arnason served in two long-term parish ministries, one with his wife, the Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, in Rocky River, Ohio (2000-2016); and earlier in Charlottesville, Virginia (1984-2000), where they now live. Arnason retired from full-time ministry in 2016. He has served as President of the UU Ministers Association; as a Trustee at Meadville Lombard Theological School; and Starr King School for the Ministry. For eight years he was Chair of the UU denominational credentialing body, the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. He enjoys being a grandfather, a house-husband, and supporting Rolenz in her interim ministry career.
With Rolenz, he co-authored the widely read book on UU worship practices, “Worship That Works,” in 2008. In 2013, with Rev. Sam Trumbore, he published a collection called “Buddhist Voices in Unitarian Universalism.”
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal faith inviting its community to gather around a set of harmonizing values and principles for living. Our UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Belief in a divinity is not the central issue around which we gather for worship and generous action. Rather, we come together with a belief in community, love, compassion, social justice, reverence for nature, and the spirituality of music, all within the interconnected web of existence.
UUFSMA donates generously to support nonprofit organizations that provide health, educational, and environmental services for underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on the website home page Donate button.
To participate in our online Sunday service, visit www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button on the home page. If requested, enter password: 294513. Sign-in from anywhere Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25am. Enjoy previous services at https://www.youtube.com/UUFSMA. In addition to continuing live Zoom services, UUFSMA has returned to in-person Sunday services upstairs at the Posada de la Aldea, Ancha San Antonio 15. Reservations not necessary.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Sunday Service
“What do Unitarian Universalists Believe?”
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Wayne Arnason
Sun., Feb. 12, 10:30am
Hotel Posada de la Aldea
Ancha de San Antonio 15
Zoom link: https://zoom.us.j/414604040
Password: 294513
