I wonder about those pieces of identity that can’t be a part of a physical mosaic but that nonetheless work to create who we are as a faith – a wealth of religious backgrounds or no religious background, a tapestry of theologies, a patchwork of needs, desires, and expectations, a vibrant bouquet of races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, physical abilities, state of mental well-being, addicted or sober – here and held firmly together by covenant – by that hardy, dependable, stable grout. In this way, when we commit to our faith, when we commit to this church, we commit to the interconnectedness of it all.

By the Rev. Jane Smith at Channing Memorial Church, Ellicott City, Md. “We all need practices of self-care if we are to fully engage with ourselves and the world around us. We are living in difficult times. Without time to center and be, our minds and our beings can be overrun by the needs, anxieties, and rush of the day. If we…

As a people, we are working towards building Beloved Community – a place where anyone can be accepted – any race, ethnicity, education, class, gender, sexual orientation, any physical ability, any state of mental wellbeing, sober or not sober, any background or identity. We are working to construct this within our own sacred community that is Channing Memorial Church, and we are working to do this as Unitarian Universalists, within our denomination.

By Rev. Jane Smith at Channing Memorial Church in Ellicott City,  Md. “It was the first time she was part of a community who held her in loving embrace for exactly who she was – all of who she was. Including her addiction. She was given the opportunity to share her story and hear from others. And this acceptance – this led…

By the Rev. Jane Smith at Channing Memorial Church in Ellicott City, Md. “Today we engage with those who do not find the holy in the ornate but instead who find the holy in the suffering. In the marginalized. Today we learn about Liberation Theology – a theology with Christian roots, created by those suffering from oppression. Partnered with this is Womanist…