My Call, aka, what the heck am I gonna do once I'm a Master of Divinity?
For those of you who have no idea what school I'm talking about, I'll post the part of my 27 page application about "my call" - ie, what I think I want to do.
For the last 10 years, I have followed my calling to do justice work. I spent much of that time organizing low-income youth of color in East San José and grappling with the contradictions of being a white, class-privileged, educated citizen working as an outsider in that community.
I have been increasingly called to shift my focus to building the connections between my own community and movements for justice and liberation around the world. I loosely define my community as mostly white, middle and upper middle class liberals and progressives. Unitarian Universalist congregations generally fit this description, and they are an amazing place to do this work because of the emphasis on justice in UU principles and theology.
My call to ministry, as I currently understand it, is to work as a minister in a Unitarian Universalist congregation to 1) integrate anti-oppression and justice work into the fabric of the church or fellowship, 2) minister to people who do justice work within and outside of the congregation, and 3) build connections between Unitarian Universalism and broader movements for justice.
Specifically I understand my call as the following:
1) Countering Oppression and Integrating Justice: Unitarian Universalism has great potential to move folks with race and class privilege to take action for justice, using our principles as an anchor. In addition to transformative anti-oppression work such as the Journey Towards Wholeness and Welcoming Congregation processes, I get excited about broadening a congregation’s justice work from a small committee of dedicated members to an integral part of the church that involves all members. Although some of this is happening in many congregations, I see the potential and need for much, much more. This type of justice integration requires long-term, significant commitment coming from leadership, which is part of the reason I want to be a minister.
2) Renewal for Justice-Makers: As I’ve relied more on the church for spiritual renewal, I’ve become increasingly aware of how much this is lacking among so many organizers and activists who are stretched to the point of breaking. I often find myself supporting friends to take care of themselves and find balance, which I find rewarding. I want explore ways to bring spiritual sustenance to Justice-Makers who may or may not be Unitarian Universalist.
3) Connections to Movement Building: Unitarian Universalism can support the building of, lend moral authority to, and minister to broader movements for social justice. I will always be a part of secular movements and am excited about working to build stronger alliances between UU congregations and secular or interfaith movements.
I see this as a long-term process to change the way that a congregation works. It’s incredibly difficult work. Community, commitment to UU principles, and shared spiritual practice are the glue that make it possible. Doing it successfully requires the type of leadership I described earlier to create the buy-in necessary to transform a congregation’s culture and goals.
For the last 10 years, I have followed my calling to do justice work. I spent much of that time organizing low-income youth of color in East San José and grappling with the contradictions of being a white, class-privileged, educated citizen working as an outsider in that community.
I have been increasingly called to shift my focus to building the connections between my own community and movements for justice and liberation around the world. I loosely define my community as mostly white, middle and upper middle class liberals and progressives. Unitarian Universalist congregations generally fit this description, and they are an amazing place to do this work because of the emphasis on justice in UU principles and theology.
My call to ministry, as I currently understand it, is to work as a minister in a Unitarian Universalist congregation to 1) integrate anti-oppression and justice work into the fabric of the church or fellowship, 2) minister to people who do justice work within and outside of the congregation, and 3) build connections between Unitarian Universalism and broader movements for justice.
Specifically I understand my call as the following:
1) Countering Oppression and Integrating Justice: Unitarian Universalism has great potential to move folks with race and class privilege to take action for justice, using our principles as an anchor. In addition to transformative anti-oppression work such as the Journey Towards Wholeness and Welcoming Congregation processes, I get excited about broadening a congregation’s justice work from a small committee of dedicated members to an integral part of the church that involves all members. Although some of this is happening in many congregations, I see the potential and need for much, much more. This type of justice integration requires long-term, significant commitment coming from leadership, which is part of the reason I want to be a minister.
2) Renewal for Justice-Makers: As I’ve relied more on the church for spiritual renewal, I’ve become increasingly aware of how much this is lacking among so many organizers and activists who are stretched to the point of breaking. I often find myself supporting friends to take care of themselves and find balance, which I find rewarding. I want explore ways to bring spiritual sustenance to Justice-Makers who may or may not be Unitarian Universalist.
3) Connections to Movement Building: Unitarian Universalism can support the building of, lend moral authority to, and minister to broader movements for social justice. I will always be a part of secular movements and am excited about working to build stronger alliances between UU congregations and secular or interfaith movements.
I see this as a long-term process to change the way that a congregation works. It’s incredibly difficult work. Community, commitment to UU principles, and shared spiritual practice are the glue that make it possible. Doing it successfully requires the type of leadership I described earlier to create the buy-in necessary to transform a congregation’s culture and goals.
posted by Cathy at 11:51 p. m.
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