Summary: January 23-25, 2009. Sponsored by Mountain Desert District Justice Ministries.103 Unitarian Universalists from 25 congregations representing 8 clusters and including 40 religious professionals and 3 local community-based organizations.

Featured Presenters: Class Action, a national non-profit organization that inspires action to end classism; Dr. Vincent Harding, scholar-activist and founder of the Veterans of Hope Project, Iliff School of Theology.

The weekend program was made possible by a grant from the UU Fund for Social Responsibility, district congregational assessments, and the warm hospitality provided by members and staff of the First Universalist Church of Denver.

Resources for Download (PDF format):

• Call To Action: Coming Events, Books, Videos, Curricula (all ages)
• Closing Homily: A Call To Action
• Sermons:
  • A Sacred Conversation on Race, the Rev. Lois E. Van Leer
  • Community in Times of Disaster, Bruce Andrews
  • Justice and the Privilege of Privilege, the Rev. Kirk Loadman-Copeland
  • Remaining Awake During a Great Revolution, the Rev. Deborah Holder
• Readings:
  • The Prophetic Liberal Church, by James Luther Adams
  • from The Left Hand of God: Taking Back our Country from the Religious Right, by Rabbi Michael Lerner
  • A Blessing for One Who Holds Power, by John O'Donohue
  • Let Us Covenant, by Rebecca Parker
  • What We are About, by Oscar Romero
  • A Contribution to Statistics, by Wislawa Szymborska
  • from Howard Thurman
  • from A Feminist Ethic of Risk, by Sharon Welch
  • Turning to One Another, by Margaret Wheatley
• Suggestions for Organizing a Beloved Community Worship Service
• Music & Poets (Play list from Building the Beloved Community)
• "Mid-Wifing A New America" Dr. Vincent Harding
• The Five Ingredients of Covenant
• Tracking Institutional Change
• Responding to Critical Incidents
• What You Can Do About Classism

Web Resources:

• Cycle of Liberation
  
• Cycle of Socialization
• Class Action: Felice Yeskel, Rhonda Soto
• Veterans of Hope: Dr. Vincent Harding
• Unitarian Universalist Association
• Center for Nonviolent Communication (it matters how you say it!)
• United For A Fair Economy (10 Chairs Exercise)
• UU Allies for Racial Equality
• Applied Research Center (Race & Public Policy analaysis)

Ideas for generating congregational interest can be found on the Call to Action handout. Additional resources will be posted as they become available.

To subscribe to the MDD Justice Ministries electronic newsletter, send an email request to programconsultant@mdduua.org.