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Dear UU Ministry of Earth community,
We hope Earth Month led you to more connection, love and justice. Now, we are ready to celebrate International Day of Biological Diversity (May 22, 2024) with Dr. Lyla June Johnston. I remember when I first heard her speak. It was in early 2019 on a podcast, and the episode was entitled Healing Our Indigenous European Ancestors. Lyla June describes her own ancestry: Diné, Cheyenne and European. In the discussion, she invites all of us, no matter our lineage, to grieve the pain of our ancestors, even when the world doesn’t want us to. Feeling is healing. We need to heal the pain of what happened to our people and land. If we don’t we will bring pain into our justice movements. Hurt people hurt people. So let Creator hold us and heal us. Center love. Only love is real.
I’ve been following Lyla June ever since then. Here is one sample of her music: 1000 Ancestors.
Over the past year, I read Rev. Karen VanFossan‘s book, A Fire at the Center, and to my great surprise, Lyla June is in it.
Then I read the book A Future We Can Love: How We Can Reverse the Climate Crisis with the Power of Our Hearts and Minds by Susan Bauer-Wu. Among those interviewed are the Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg and Dr. Lyla June Johnston. One of Lyla June’s conclusions is this: The sustainable revolution depends not only on new renewable energy technology to cut our greenhouse gas emissions but also on recollecting what Indigenous peoples have known for a very long time. It depends on “healing the tissue of the Earth, healing the relationships in the Earth and healing our own understanding of how to be a good relative to everything around us.”
Lyla June is everywhere, so it thrills me to have her joining us online on May 22. Her title is: Creator as Anchor; Collapse as Teacher.
Our guiding question for the evening is: How can people of all lineages develop spiritual practices (maybe from their inherited cultures) to sustain them for the climate crisis and work for justice?
Be ready to learn and grow. The event is free to attend, and we will be collecting an offering. Half of it will be donated to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
You can register below. See you then and there!
Rev. Kelly Dignan
UPCOMING EVENTS
International Day of Biodiversity: Creator as Anchor; Collapse as Teacher - May 22, 2024
May 22, 7pm ET/ 6 pm CT/ 5pm MT/ 4pm PT
Join UU Ministry for Earth for poetry, song and story to honor International Day for Biological Diversity with Dr. Lyla June Johnston.Register here
Thanks to our Spring for Change Partners who are promoting and attending all of these events
UUA Side with Love
UUs for a Just Economic Community
UU College for Social Justice
UUs for Social Justice
JUUstice Washington
Texas UU Justice Ministry
Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois
Special thanks to our financial sponsors: Side with Love and UU College of Social Justice
TXUUJM hosts "Moving from Environmentalism to Climate Justice" - UU Ministry for Earth guest speaking
All are welcome to join the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) for their weekly Thursday night justice gatherings on Zoom. Guest speakers on May 23 are Rachel Myslivy, Climate Justice Organizer with UUA Side with Love and Rev. Kelly Dignan, Co-Director of UU Ministry for Earth. They will invite us into a time of education and reflection about shifting our climate work to include not just the 7th Principle but also our 1st and 8th Principles. Register here.
Find us at General Assembly
UU Ministry for Earth will have a virtual booth, a poster, and join us for the GA Cohort on Climate Justice.
UU Climate Justice Revival
September 28-29, 2024
UU Ministry for Earth is happy to be one of the primary organizers of the Climate Justice Revival - Reimagine Together: From an Extractive Age to a New Era! The planning team provides all the materials and training you’ll need. The Revival will equip UU congregations to enter into a new era of climate action that faithfully breaks down silos and transforms our congregations through inspiring collective worship, creative learning, and new frameworks at the intersection of climate and justice. Join kindred congregations across the land. Register here.
Update on our Young Adult Caucus
We celebrate with Zoë Johnston who is graduating with a master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University. Her master's thesis is focused on conflict transformation in social justice movement spaces. Zoë has been our UU Young Adults for Climate Justice (UUYACJ) Coordinator since 2021. She has led over 300 Young Adult UUs in the ongoing work for climate justice. Early in her time with us, she wrote this article for UU World: “I Am Called to Show Up for Climate Justice”. To hear her passion and commitment, listen to Zoë’s recent sermon, “Dreaming the Future into Being,” delivered at First Church Boston. As of May 15th, she will no longer be holding the role of UUYACJ Coordinator and will hopefully be finding full-time employment. Thank you Zoë!
With that being said, we want to be transparent with you about the future of the UU Young Adults for Climate Justice Caucus. As of right now, there is no one that will be immediately stepping into this role. UUYACJ will be going on hiatus for the time being. One of the main reasons for this is because we need to ensure that there is funding! We do not want to invite someone into this position without being able to properly compensate them for their labor. However, we know how important UUYACJ is to all of you and to the broader ecosystems of our faith. We encourage all young adults to keep up with Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth for any updates on UUYACJ.
Our address has changed!
Please update your records UUMFE ℅ First Universalist Church of Denver 4101 E Hampden Ave. Denver, CO 80222.
From Our Partners
Environmental Justice for All Act
Our partners at UUs for Social Justice are calling us to support the Environmental Justice for All Act. Take Action: Environmental Justice for All. Congress should pass the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act of 2023 (H.R.1705, S.919). Congress should act on "the moral principle that all people have the right to pure air, clean water, and an environment that enriches life." Use the poster at church.
The Earth Act to Stop Climate Pollution by 2030 (H.R. 598), popularly known as the “Earth Bill,” focuses on electricity, cars, and food as industries in which Americans support change–most Americans agree that our electricity should be renewable, our cars electric, and our food should be produced using healthy practices.
Let’s make noteworthy progress toward sustainability by 2030. As the Center for Biological Diversity reports in "Out Polluting Progress," under the current approach, it won’t happen.
The UUA Side with Love team invites you to the Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting
Climate Justice Brainstorm!
May 15 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET
Advancing climate justice is one of the essentials of the Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice...but how do we do that...exactly? Join other UU Congregations for our annual Climate Justice Brainstorm to hear what's worked, what hasn't, and how we're learning, supporting each other, and adapting along the way. Register to join at https://bit.ly/3JrTkH9.
RECIPE TO SHARE
Vegan Daal Tadka (Lentil Stew)
This hearty North Indian comfort food is a quick and flavorful weeknight meal. Its a staple in UUMFE staff member Nasreen's kitchen, and customizable for various spice levels.
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