Back in September, MUUSJA: The Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance invited the Rev. Karen Van Fossan, minister to the Unitarian Universalist Church & Fellowship of Bismarck/Mandan (UUFCBM), to join us for our monthly statewide Convening Call to speak about the ongoing battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock. At that time, the UU congregation of 60 members and one half-time minister--one of only three in North Dakota, and the only one with professional clergy - had already been building deep relationships with the Water Protectors since April. Rev. Van Fossan spoke of her people’s deep sense of calling in this work of service, followership, and solidarity. At that point they were already offering concrete solidarity by hosting travelers, serving as a through-point for supply donations, and taking a bold public stance with the #NoDAPL movement in a region in which virtually no other religious group would risk speaking out for indigenous people, or the earth that stood to be harmed by the pipeline.  Standing Rock was only beginning to get national media coverage at that point, and the story of our UU kin showing up in such a faithful, prophetic way inspired all of us in Minnesota.

Shortly following that Convening Call, Rev. Van Fossan and I spoke again about what a broader, nation-wide UU response to Standing Rock might look like--and how we, as a religious people, might better support the congregation in sustaining their faithful support of the Water Protectors as representatives of our entire faith.  More conversations followed, with representatives from the UUA, MidAmerica Region, Standing on the Side of Love, the UU College of Social Justice, and others.  As a result of these collaborations, a broad network of UUs from a wide variety of our organizations and congregations mobilized a nimble, accountable rapid response to directly support the Bismarck congregation, and the Water Protectors. Together, by leveraging our relationships and our institutional resources, we supported hundreds of Unitarian Universalist clergy and lay people traveling to North Dakota to attend nationwide calls for physical presence at the camps.  We schemed together to get the “Interfaith Living yUUrt” transported from Minnesota to Oceti Sakowin camp, and made that space available to both indigenous folks and people of faith who needed a place to stay.  We raised funds to support Rev. Van Fossan’s ministry, and the work of the congregation.  And when the needs shifted and the weather changed, we created the Ministry in Residence Program, sending a series of Unitarian Universalist clergypeople for a week at a time to be with Rev. Van Fossan and the UUs in Bismarck, adding to their capacity and representing our solidarity in an embodied way.

Good evening dear ones. Below please see an urgent call for solidarity at Standing Rock for tomorrow, Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 2:00pm. We know it is last minute but share this immediate request from the UU Fellowship and Church of Bismarck-Mandan in conjunction with their work at Standing Rock. See a message from Jack Gaede, Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA) Ministerial Intern for Justice & Religious Leadership. If you cannot get to Standing Rock tomorrow, please follow along with the UU Fellowship and Church of Bismarck-Mandan on Facebook for their latest updates and how to support their ongoing ministry, including through the current Ministry-in-Residence Program.

eloved friends, let me just start by saying that it is such a privilege to be able to serve in my role as the MUUSJA intern this year. It has been a joy, and I am learning so much. There is an urgent call that needs our heeding, but before I even get to the call, I want to take a moment to remind us why we do what we do.

Welcome to week four of Thirty Days of Love 2017. We hope you find these resources and reflections of use to the work you do from your congregation to your community and beyond.

Click here for the downloadable companion worksheet on sustenance and movements. It provides both spiritual reminders as well as a number rituals and practices to sustain you and yours for the work ahead. These activities were first published in our Fortify The Movement Chapbook as part of last Fall’s #ReviveLove Tour. Once you’ve done that, consider checking out a video from our Organizing on the Side of Love online course on life cycles of movements you can find here. 

This Sunday, February 5th, we will come together, in our homes to have blessings and prayers laid upon us by spirit and faith leaders from communities targeted in this moment, but leading in resistance and protection.

Join us this at 3pm ET/Noon PT with Mijente, the Movement for Black Lives, MPower and Southerners On New Ground (SONG) to receive an hour of online blessings and prayers to fortify us and ours in these times.

RSVP directly here

Find more information and share it on social media here 

Welcome to week three of Thirty Days of Love 2017. We hope you find these resources and reflections of use to the work you do from your congregation to your community and beyond.

Click here for the downloadable companion worksheet on transformation and movements. Once you’ve done that, consider checking out a video from our Organizing on the Side of Love online course on spirituality and sustainability you can find here. Lastly, in case you missed it check out the Thirty Days of Love 2017: All Ages Activity Calendar by Rev. Marisol Caballero.

Last week we wrote a message about covenant, about how covenant is not easy. This week we are writing about transformation. 

The simplest news about transformation seems self-explanatory, but it is the part that we often understand 'rationally' but cannot absorb. It is this: when we transform, we are not who we were before. We have to let go of who that person was, how we move in the world, how we respond to what we encounter. It is indeed an iterative, ongoing process.

Welcome to week two of Thirty Days of Love 2017. We hope you find these resources and reflections of use to the work you do from your congregation to your community and beyond.

Click here for the downloadable companion worksheet on covenants and movements. Once you’ve done that, consider checking out a video from our Organizing on the Side of Love online course on spirituality and sustainability you can find here. Lastly, in case you missed it check out the Thirty Days of Love 2017: All Ages Activity Calendar by Rev. Marisol Caballero. Next week we’ll be back with our third message on transformation and movements.

The thing about covenants is that we don't enter into them because they are easy. One way we know we have entered a covenant is that it is a promise made in a sacred way, and that it is not always easy to keep. In the time we live in, the things we promise in a sacred way will not invite simple answers or solutions. 

We all have different experiences with giving our word. We have different experiences keeping our word. Giving our word to each other, and keeping our word, matters a lot right now. 

Welcome to Thirty Days of Love 2017. Over the next four weeks, we will be sharing a weekly message alongside a companion worksheet and short video. We hope you find these resources and reflections of use to the work you do from your congregation to your community and beyond.

Click here for the downloadable companion worksheet on relationships and movements. Once you’ve done that, consider checking out a video from our Organizing on the Side of Love online course. Click here to watch Caitlin’s module on community organizing and movement building you may find of use in your work. Lastly, check out the Thirty Days of Love 2017: All Ages Activity Calendar by Rev. Marisol Caballero. Next week we’ll be back with our second message on covenants and movements. Stay tuned!

Week one is dedicated to exploring relationships - those we have with ourselves, between people and between groups and organizations. I understand these bonds as the primary building blocks that create and sustain movements. Groups, campaigns and movements often fall apart because we do not know how to be in relationship with each other. The work of social transformation requires not only a rigor of politic but also a rigor of discernment – recognizing the real human needs we each have to be our best selves. Our relationships require many things from each of us - rooted in self reflection as a necessary first step to building authentic, long-term relationships. One of the attributes this moment is calling so many of us into is a deeper and wider understanding of courage.

This winter, UUs across the country will gather and take action around 30 Days of Love. 

Over the past two months, we have been hearing more and more from folks across the country about the real interest and commitment to scaling up our skills - how we can clarify our own political mandates, how we can be more impactful in our organizing, how people of faith can support and flank social movements in these times, and how we will sustain ourselves and each other for the long haul. Next week, we’ll begin 30 Days of Love with weekly messages to inform and support your work.

A week from now, we know many UUs will gather in their communities, at state capitals and in Washington DC in resistance and solidarity. We are excited to bring you two conversations to ground and inform your engagement and organizing in these times.

Happy New Year. We hope you and yours are taking care in these times. As we connect, build and grow with old comrades and as we create new formations to move our work forward, may we be emboldened by our collective political mandates - informed by relationships, strategy and transformation. We're excited to bring you our tenth episode of Fortification - our final episode in this series of podcasts - a conversation about love, leadership and the spiritual challenges of our times.