Read this week’s issue here: The Weekly Liberal March 28

In her newsletter column this week, Rev. Jen Crow writes:

As we continue our conversations with Shir Tikvah about the possibility of co-locating here at 3400 Dupont – creating a powerful center for healing and justice in a shared Uptown location – there is so much that I get excited about. I love the idea of using our building fully, reducing the two congregations’ environmental footprint, and modeling a new way of being across faith traditions. And I keep wondering, what we might do together, to move Minneapolis in the direction of justice, equity, and compassion.

Some of you may remember several years ago, when First Universalist took up the project called The House That Love Built – when the children, youth and adults of our congregation worked together to build an entire home with Habitat for Humanity. Maybe you remember the way we blew through our fundraising goal; our winter and summer work weeks; and the relationship we built with the family that volunteered alongside us and moved in to new stability, empowerment, and independence. That project showed me that when our church community comes together, directing its energy and resources toward a shared focus, we can do powerful things. The House That Love Built project left me wondering then and now:

What could we do if we joined together, with Shir Tikvah and other faith communities, to listen to and support the vision of Minneapolis community members who are often ignored or pushed aside? How could our shared resources and commitment help change the community-chosen trajectory of our neighbors and ourselves for the better?

We know from experience that we can be powerful agents for change and possibility on our own at First Universalist. And we long for something more. Our visionary goals call us to a place where our sense of who we are is ever-expanding. Our church and our faith are asking us to expand our sense of we – and to do that, we will need to listen deeply to those whose life experiences are different than ours. We will need to listen for similarities and differences, seeking out and centering the voices of those who often live on the margins, building a shared sense of hopes and values for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world. When we do these things – I know that we can do more than build a house and support a single family. When we do these things, in the words of local artist and activist, Ricardo Levins Morales, “Another world is possible.”

In the upcoming weeks and months, there will be several opportunities for us to get to know our neighbors and to build relationships with those whose life experiences are different from ours. In particular, I want to invite you to attend Shabbat service and stay for dinner at Shir Tikvah next Friday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. (details below in the Calendar Highlights section). We have room for 20 more First Universalist members and friends at this generous offering. Also, please join us after the second service on April 14, here at First Universalist, for Judaism 101 for Unitarian Universalists, taught by Rabbis Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg and Michael Latz, of Shir Tikvah.

Together, another world is possible.

In faith,
Rev. Jen