Main Page
From Interweave Continental
Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns
Chapters in more than 50 congregations and 200+ families of all kinds across Canada and the US.
Welcome to the Interweave Continental web site! We're glad you're here. We hope you find something that sparks your interest and helps you grow and deepen spiritually.
Upcoming Events
- Convo, February 13-15 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. See the Interweave Continental Events page for more details.
Recent News
Overflow Crowd Helps Re-Sanctify Knoxville Church Following Violence
The minister and congregation of Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) rededicated their sanctuary in an emotional service Sunday morning, only a week after a man with a shotgun killed two people attending a service there. MORE>
Interweave Continental President Jonalu Johnstone's statement on shootings in Tennessee
The tragedy at the Tennessee Valley UU Church could have happened at any of our churches. Our first concern, though, must be for the people who were most immediately affected and traumatized. For them, we wish and pray for healing, support, and love.
As they seek healing through the help of our UU Trauma Team and others, we all are called to make sense of the senseless.
Apparently, the shooter who brought destruction and death carelessly into one of our congregations was motivated by anger and hatred for liberals and homosexuals. This declaration could make us angry ourselves. It's hard to face anger directed at you without responding in kind. Anger could make us strike back blindly and thoughtlessly, declaring hatred and anger for conservatives or the NRA.
We have to reject hate altogether, and struggle with our own anger.
We could respond to this attack with fear. Fear could make us freeze, could make us hesitate to state our convictions openly and honestly. Fear could invite us back into closets and turn us away from our communities, striving to make our congregations into havens of safety in a dangerous world, setting them off-limits to strangers.
While we know and feel the fear, we need to overcome it with courage. Courage, after all, is not a lack of fear, but a determination to push past fear to do what we must continue to do.
And we cannot help but respond to this action with sadness. Tears will not cease to fall -- tears for those dead and injured, tears for a broken world where such an event could happen.
We will feel our feelings and need the space and opportunity to do that, finding comfort by struggling through the emotions with one another to support us.
The fact is our churches are religiously liberal and do embrace, accept, and include gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people. Regardless of our own sexual orientation or gender identity, we continue to reject the idea that these are adequate bases for hate. We need to channel our anger into constructive energy for making the world better, not for striking out against those who would do us harm. In this, we have to remember the teachings of Jesus. We need to admit our fears and overcome them with love, recognizing that "perfect love casts out all fear." We need to acknowledge our sadness and let it inspire us towards the building of a better world.
For the time, being with our feelings and struggling with our meanings may be all we can do. But as the days and weeks move on, let us come together determined to stand on the side of love, expanding the circle of justice and compassion to include even those whose anger would seek to destroy us. Then, we will, indeed, reach the promised land.
Interweave Continental members at GA 2008
GA 2008 in Fort Lauderdale FL was held in a Homeland Security zone. To get in, you had to present a government ID. This is of particular concern to people who have no government ID and to people whose gender presentation does not match the legal Sex on their ID. There was also concern that profiling might cause delays or problems for an unfairly high percentage of youth and people of color. Chaplains were available at the entrance to the Homeland Security zone to support people with security issues, whether their own, their friends, family members, etc. These pictures were taken at the GA Public Witness event which was co-sponsored by Interweave Continental. It was held outside the Homeland Security zone, so that anyone could attend, regardless of whether they had a government ID.
 Standing On The Side Of Love with Imigrant and GLBT Families |  |  |
Support Interweave Continental's UUA Independent Affiliate Application!
UUA Independent Affiliate Talking Points are reasons for the UUA Board of Trustees to restore Interweave Continental as a UUA Independent Affiliate. If you agree that the UUA should affirm its relationship with Interweave Continental, please ask your UUA Trustees to support Interweave Continental's application as a UUA Independent Affiliate. Background: In July 2007, the UUA Board of Trustees did not renew more than 60 of 64 UUA Independent Affiliates from the previous year. Please support Interweave Continental's application by contacting the At-Large UUA Trustees and your District's UUA Trustee. (MORE>>)
Sermon Contest Winner Announced!
We congratulate the winner of the 2008 Interweave Continental Sermon Contest, How to Be a Great Ally, Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern. The prize is $250 and preaching the winning sermon at the GA 2008 Interweave Continental Dinner.
| Why Pride? a sermon by Rev. Jonalu Johnstone, President of Interweave Continental. | 
|
