April 7, 2019
The unifying themes of this program are justice, love, learning and hope. The messages come from sermons and readings from Unitarian-Universalist sources. The program title comes from a beloved Unitarian-Universalist hymn, “Spirit of Life,” which includes the words, “Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion” and “Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.”
This week on “The Heart and the Hand” with Orlando Montoya: Failure is part of success. We’ll examine ways of failing better. Also, none of us make any sense. We’ll examine and embrace our irrational nature. Tune in for justice, love, learning and hope every Sunday on WRUU 107.5 FM Savannah and WRUU.ORG. You’ll get mostly words from 9-11am and mostly music from 1-2pm on “The Heart and the Hand.”
Commentary
Written by Orlando Montoya
“You have to stay in relationship to do relational work.” The Rev. Michael Tino, a Unitarian-Universalist minister in New York, said those words a few weeks ago on a podcast. And like any good ministerial utterance, it kept repeating in my mind and taking on new forms in my head. Tino used the phrase in the context of a good old fashioned UU mess, the type of relational work that we do in our church sometimes, when we fail to live up to our values, we acknowledge the hurt that we have caused and begin again in love. “You have to stay in relationship to do relational work” means that you can’t move hearts and hands if you’re not face to face and side by side. What I do on the radio, I think, does move hearts and hands, perhaps, but mostly in my same direction. You already agree with me. If you didn’t, you would turn the dial. This reinforcement has its place, of course. But in fighting racism, misogyny, transphobia, hatred and ecocide, the greatest faith demands of our time, nothing works like being next to someone who can’t easily turn the dial. You’re in relationship. Parent, sibling, caregiver, church member, member of the Tuesday social club. “You have to stay in relationship to do relational work” means that if you push too hard, you break the bond and you can’t do the work. It’s hard to know where the bond breaks. But I’m committed to finding the most uncomfortable place in that bond-stretching. That’s being relational. You and I make each other better by pushing the boundaries of who we are. May we stay in relationship, as Lao Tzu might say, in our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities and our nations. May we realize that it’s work.
Sermon
“You Make No Sense” (3/3/19)
Rev. Gretchen Haley
Foothills Unitarian-Universalist Church, Bolder, Colorado
Sermon
“Learning To Fail” (3/31/19)
Rev. Carol Bodeau
Westside Unitarian-Universalist Church, Knoxville, Tennessee
Sermon
“Restless Is the Heart” (8/20/17)
Rev. Rob Eller-Isaacs
Unity Church Unitarian, St. Paul, Minn.
Sermon
“The Wisdom of Not Knowing” (6/3/18)
Rev. Peter Boullata
Don Heights Unitarian Congregation, Toronto
Braver Wiser
Used by permission of Braver Wiser, a publication of the Unitarian-Universalist Association
Quest Monthly
Used by permission of Quest Monthly, a publication of the Church of the Larger Fellowship
UUA Statements
Messages from the Unitarian Universalist Association
Natural Silence
Used by permission of ListeningEarth.com
UUA Principles and Sources
Our liberal faith as defined by the Unitarian Universalist Association
World Religions
Written by Orlando Montoya
Interfaith Calendar
Written by Orlando Montoya
UU FAQ
Written by and used by permission of John Sias from interviews with Rev. Steve Edington
Published by the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua, NH
