Generation Yes: News & Spirituality for Unitarian Universalists Under 40

The Yes! Digest -- July 28th, 2010

2010-07-29T08:04:00.002-04:00

SPECIAL ALL HOW-TO EDITION!

For music festival goers and people who commute to work on public transportation: How to walk efficiently through crowds. (via Wired)

For students: How to email your professor. This good, hilarious advice might just help you get that extension. (via The Rumpus)

For Unitarian Universalist young adults who want to help revitalize YA ministry: Join Kinsi at Spirituality and Sunflowers for his series on the topic.

For those who find themselves in sticky, etiquette-related situations: How to avoid being rude. (via Mighty Girl)

For people who want to eat better---and do it with their friends: How to start a dinner co-op! (via GOOD)

For do-gooders who want to do better: How to "spice up your charitable efforts." (via Slate)

For people with squirrels in the attic: How to get a wild animal out of your house. (via Apartment Therapy)

For moms and dads: How to parent with more joy and more sanity. Scroll down to the comment section for pearls of wisdom. (via Mission Amy K.R.)

For those of us in need of a little summer fun: How to make your own "extended polymer chains from household chemicals"---or, in other words, Silly Putty. Sylvia of the Super-Awesome Mini Maker Show shows us how. She's really great. (via Craft)

For gardeners without green space (and veggie-loving homeowners without green thumbs): How to collaborate with your neighbors to grow and share produce using "free yardsharing service" Hyperlocavore.

The Yes! Digest -- July 22nd, 2010

2010-07-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

This is: Spoonerism Day. Celebrate the birthday of William Archibald Spooner (and the "peculiar speech error" that came to bear his name) by reading "The Mion and the Louse"!

Spirit food: "The answer is built right into the word": Amy Krouse Rosenthal on kindness.

Brain food:

Reasons why the moon landing---which happened 41 years ago this week---was not a hoax.
"40 Things You Need To Know About The Next 40 Years" (via The Smithsonian)
Is that food in your fridge still safe to eat? What's the deal with expiration dates, anyway? StillTasty tells you everything you need to know.

Today's young adults:

Find the Harley-Davidson brand appealing.
Are "unaware of meat-cancer link."

A joy: Use of this gel could reduce a woman's risk of contracting HIV by up to 54 percent.

Churchy things/A concern: "A Florida church with "Islam is of the devil" signs in its front lawn plans to host an "International Burn A Quran Day," on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks this year." (via The Pew Forum)

UU voices: At AlterNet, Be Schofield wonders if religious liberals are "providing legitimacy and credibility for fundamentalism, violence, oppression and bigotry done in the name of religion." (via The Friendly Atheist)

Good answer: Thanks to "student researchers at the University of Cambridge," the world finally knows how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop.

Curiosities:

Your weekly dose of Muppet: The Swedish Chef makes popcorn (and) shrimp; performs electronica. (via BoingBoing)
The 11 Most Overrated Things Ever (via The Huffington Post)
Do you need to say you're sorry? Call the Anonymous Apology Line.

How to: Have the perfect handshake. (This mathematical formula can teach you how!) (via The Awl)

Young adults of note: Carte Goodwin, a 36 year-old lawyer, has been appointed to fill the senate seat left vacant by Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who died last month at the age of 92. (Goodwin is now the youngest person serving in the senate.) Goodwin's first act after being sworn in this week was to vote to extend unemployment benefits to those Americans who have been out of work for longer than 26 weeks.

The Yes! Digest -- July 15th, 2010

2010-07-15T10:55:00.002-04:00

This is: Gummi Worm Day! The creepy candy is 29 this year, which makes it (technically) a young adult! Celebrate by making (and sharing) some dirt cake.

Spirit food: "Something only you can see" -- Filmmaker Jean Sebastien Monzani wants to help you gain access to happy secrets. (via The Rumpus)

Brain food:

Last month, we found out that caffeine doesn't work the way we think it does. So how does it work, exactly?
Gravity is an illusion! (So says this guy.)

Today's young adults:

Benefit from playing violent video games.
Are "being hit with unfair charges, fines or incarcerations."
Are choosing to vacation with their parents.

A joy: Evidence that social is for more than just bullying or wasting time. "[P]eople who are 20, 30 or 40 years beyond graduation are using Facebook to re-establish relationships with teachers and express gratitude and overdue respect." (via The New York Times)

A concern/UU news: The Rev. Paul Sawyer, minister emeritus at the Throop Unitarian Universalist Church of Pasadena, California, died this week of pancreatic cancer. His obituary really makes me wish I'd known him. (via The Los Angeles Times)

Good answer!: Scientists in Great Britain claim to have solved the ancient chicken-egg conundrum. So which really did come first?

Churchy things:

"[W]e have on one hand the persisting intuitive sense that the universe is not alien to us, that our existence is not accidental and our complexity and brilliance are not simply unaccountable extravagances on the part of evolution. On the other hand we have the conviction, also no doubt intuitive to the degree that it is strongly held, that we are indeed creatures of accident, alone with our brilliance unless accident has come up with like creatures elsewhere." --- the fabulous Marilynne Robinson writes, at the Huffington Post, on science and religion.

Curiosities:

Your weekly dose of Muppet: A history of Muppet bands, including "Nine Inch Snails."
Just lovely: here, the history of evolution told in graffiti. (via Brain Pickings)
Two American institutions are rebranding: the YMCA is now just "The Y," and the NPR in National Public Radio now stands for...nothing.

How to: Sew! If you've always wanted to learn how and are in need of a summer project, join Leigh-Ann at Freckled Nest for her online HOME EC course, which starts today!

Young adults of note: In the first installment of the Rumpus's "Talks With Teachers" column, an anonymous YA high school teacher from Brooklyn talks about her students, what drew her to teaching, and more.

The Yes! Digest -- July 1st, 2010

2010-07-01T07:30:00.002-04:00

This is: Canada Day! Celebrate Canada's birthday by checking out Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's annual (and awesome) Canada Day posts at her blog, Yarn Harlot. Also, please take a minute to visit the site of the Canadian Unitarian Council!

Spirit food: "Somewhere someone dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile, so when you are lonely remember it's true; somewhere, someone is thinking of you." -- Dr. Seuss (Thanks to Hana!)

Brain food:

The science behind "morning breath." (via The Washington Post)
Did Michelangelo paint a human brain stem on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? (via Boing Boing)
Why is Facebook's Farmville so popular? Because it "entangles users in a web of social obligations." (via Mental Floss)

Today's young adults:

"Are blindingly self-aggrandizing and entitled"; lack empathy.
Sure do talk funny. (via BuzzFeed)

UU news:

"After seven months of talks, Meadville Lombard Theological School and Andover Newton Theological School have agreed to join forces." The two seminaries, which serve students preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry, will unite to form a "new interreligious 'university-style' theological institution" to be opened in June 2011. (via UU World)

UU voices: Is Unitarian Universalism a sort of Western Taoism? James at Monkey Mind explores what this might mean.

A joy:

"Electrolux, the world's second largest home appliance maker, said on Tuesday it will harvest bit of plastic from floating garbage islands in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, as well as from three European seas, and use the material to manufacture six showcase vacuum cleaners." (via GOOD)

A concern:

"According to the U.N., there were over 15 million recognized refugees around the world at the beginning of 2009, and another 826,000 asylum seekers. More than half of the world's refugees are in Asia and another 22% are in Africa; both regions where many governments are ill-equipped, legally and economically, to handle the volumes of people requesting protection in their borders." (via Time)

Good question!: Why do we dream? (via Live Science) Bonus question: What do our dreams mean? Consult this list of the most common ones to find out. (via Bits & Pieces)

Churchy things:

Contrary to popular belief, most scientists are not hostile to religion. (via HuffPo)
Pope Benedict XVI announced this week that he will create a new office at the Vatican to "fight secularization and re-evangelize the West." (via AP)

Curiosities (formerly known as 'Unchurchy things'):

Your weekly dose of Muppet: What kind of bird is Big Bird, anyway? One Ph.D student decided to find out.
Were you thinking of naming your child Stallion? If you live in New Zealand, you can't---it's against the law. (via Mental Floss)
Alex Trebek + Auto-Tune technology = One amazing Jeopardy! category (via Joe. My. God.)

How to: "Make Friends In The Post-Collegiate World" (via Jezebel)

Young adults of note: Thanks to founder Micki Krimmel, NeighborGoods.net has now gone national! Sign up to help the people in your community save money and make friends by lending and borrowing!

The Yes! Digest -- June 24th, 2010

2010-06-24T09:18:00.002-04:00

This is: International Fairy Day. Celebrate magic by perusing this Flickr photo set of natural and made fairy homes.

Spirit food:

Hey you

begin again

Again?

again again you'll see

it's easy begin again

-- Grace Paley

Brain food:

What can Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) tell us about how human beings think and learn? (via Discover Magazine)
It turns out that allergies evolve as technology does: people are suffering from cell phone dermatitis as their skin reacts to the nickel in tech devices. (via Boing Boing)
This piece in New Scientist examines why humans are so adept at lying.

Today's young adults:

"Trust technology heavyweights such as Apple, Google and Microsoft more than social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter."
Are "not safety-conscious," at least in England.
Abuse Adderall? According to this piece at the Huffington Post, up to 30% of college students use the ADHD drug inappropriately and/or without a prescription.

UU news: General Assembly 2010 is taking place in Minneapolis through this Sunday, June 27th! To watch GA events live (including the bridging worship for youth and young adults, which will be at 7:30 PM central time tomorrow) visit the UUA's streaming video page.

A joy: Craft Hope organizes people all over the world to use their best creative impulses and their hands to help people in need. Get involved with their latest project by visiting their website or joining their Facebook group.

A concern: Times are tough for young adults in need of work, and it seems they might be getting even harder: according to this piece from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review some companies are specifying that only people who are currently employed may apply for jobs with them. (Wondering what it's really like out there? To read about one recent college graduate's search for employment, check out this Diary of an Unemployed Class of '10 Philosophy Major in New York City at The Awl.)

Churchy things:

"What Is Religion?" The show at this online art gallery explores the possibilities.
Why are some young adult Christians reluctant to identify as "evangelical"? (via ABC News)

Unchurchy things:

Your weekly dose of Muppet: Watch Grover and friends dance to "The Song of Wonder," a 70's-era movie theme from Pakistan. (Bonus: Will the bad economy spell doom for Sesame Street? "Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) has proposed legislation that will end federal funding for PBS." (via Joe. My. God.))
John Waters has some advice for you.
The longest tennis match ever (ten hours and counting) will continue today at Wimbledon. (via BBC)

How to: Cook authentic Nepali food.

Young adults of note: Emily Hammond, a student of public health and epidemiology at Boston University, has spent the spring serving people and doing research in Kenya. She is chronicling her experiences at her blog, Another World.

The Yes! Digest -- June 17th, 2010

2010-06-17T07:46:00.001-04:00

This has been: International Fathers' Week. Looking for a creative way to honor your dad? Take some inspiration from these families' traditions and then check out New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's list of non-necktie, make-the-world-a-better-place Father's Day gifts.

Spirit food: "What is the basic nutrition for the soul? For some air, night, sunlight, and trees are necessities. For others, words, paper, and books are the only things that satiate. For others, color, form, shadow, and clay at the absolutes. Some women must leap, bow, and run, for their souls crave dance. Yet others crave only a tree-leaning peace." -- modified slightly from Clarissa Estes

Brain food (juice edition!):

Can drinking 8 ounces of apple juice daily help people with Alzheimer's disease feel less agitated? (via Science Daily)
And can pickle juice keep athletes from getting muscle cramps? (via The New York Times)

Today's young adults are:

"Falling behind on traditional milestones," "ritualistically infantalized."
Better at saving money than the average American.

UU news: The sixth video in the UUA's series "Unitarian Universalism: A Commitment For Our Time" tells the story of how one congregation---the First UU Church of San Diego---started a successful young adult ministry program and became truly multigenerational. (Thanks to Peter for the link!)

A joy: These little pellets---called seedbombs---can help make your city or town a greener, more beautiful place. Sponsor a seedbomb vending machine visiting Kickstarter. (via The Daily What)

A concern: "A California environmental group found levels of lead in children's juice products that far exceed state law---and in some cases also exceed federal levels for young children."(via NPR)

Good question!: "Can whale poop stop climate change?" (via Mother Jones)

Churchy things: Back on April 12, I posted about a piece in the Boston Globe that examined the phenomenon of "non-believing clergy." This paper from Tufts University asks ministers who no longer subscribe to the creed of their faith about the evolution of their religious beliefs. (via The Washington Post)

Unchurchy things:

Want your 20s to be a roaring success? Learn from these people. (Already out of your 20s? Write your younger self a letter!)
Your weekly dose of Muppet: Back in the late 1960s, Kermit and friends made training videos and advertisements for computer giant IBM. (via Elizabeth McCracken)
We now all have words for the peculiar sadnesses of modern life. Behold: The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.

How to: Clean an oiled pelican, step by step. (via BuzzFeed)

Young adults of note: Zach Anner became an instant internet celebrity when he posted his audition tape for Oprah's "Your Own Show" competition on YouTube this week. If he wins, Anner (who has Cerebral Palsy) will host a travel show "for people who never thought they could travel." Vote for Zach at the link!

The Yes! Digest -- June 10th, 2010

2010-06-09T23:29:00.003-04:00

AND WE'RE BACK! The Yes! Digest will continue all summer long. Check in every Thursday!

This has been: National Headache Awareness Week. According to the press release put out by the National Headache Foundation to commemorate the event, there are 30 million migraine sufferers in the United States. To learn about how migraine headache affects people of all ages, check out the New York Times Migraine blog, which concluded in March 2008.

Spirit food: "Perhaps everything terrible is, in its deepest being, something that needs our love." --Rainer Maria Rilke

Brain food:

Could it be that caffeine doesn't actually make you more alert? (via Cosmos)
"Plastic never leaves. It accumulates in the environment, in our food chain, and in our bodies." Drink from one of this art installation's polluted water coolers and you'll never look at a Snickers wrapper the same way again. (via Fast Company)
"You might be surprised just how much that amount of oil could power, if it weren't being used to kill pelicans and ruin fishermans' lives." (via BuzzFeed)

Today's young adults are:

"...bright and ambitious, but they are horribly cursed with a breathtakingly narrow frame of reference.”
...highly educated but still poor.
...constipated? (via Reuters)

UU news: "Delegates to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s 2010 General Assembly will vote June 26 on whether to boycott Phoenix, Ariz., as the site of the 2012 General Assembly. The boycott has been proposed by the UUA Board of Trustees in response to the passage of a new Arizona state law, Senate Bill 1070, that would give local police expanded powers to prosecute undocumented workers and those employing, transporting, or 'harboring' them." (via UU World. It's a complicated issue, and not everyone agrees---click the link to find out more.)

UU voices: Shawn of Live Laugh Write talks at Magpie Girl about being a "soft" Unitarian Universalist.

A joy: "Transgender travelers no longer will need surgery in order to change their stated genders on U.S. passports." (via AP)

Good question!: “Why does God have an initial capital letter?” Secular Huminists want to know.

Churchy things:

The honey in "the land of milk and honey" may actually have been...honey? Who knew?
Stephen Hawking says that the existence of God---in the form of "a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship"---"seems most impossible".
California's Fair Political Practices Commission may be fining the LDS church more than $5,000 for its role in the Proposition 8 campaign, which denied equal marriage rights to gay couples in California. The LDS (or Mormon) church contributed large amounts of money---some of it unreported---in order to get Prop 8 passed. (Thanks to Cindie for the link!)

Unchurchy things:

If a real show choir did the kind of mashups performed on Glee---violating copyright laws in the process---how much would they have to pay in fines? A heck of lot, actually.
Looking for something to read this summer? The Los Angeles Times has 60 books for you.

How to: Save your local public library! (via GOOD)

Young adults of note: These 20 writers (who all happen to be under the age of 40) are producing great works of fiction. Several of them were interviewed on NPR this week---you can listen to the segment here. (via The New Yorker and WBUR)

Notice: Break for Conference Prep!

2010-05-20T22:47:00.000-04:00

Hi, all---

Just a note to say that posting will mostly likely be sporadic during the next two weeks as I prepare for the BCD YA conference on June 5th. I will return to regular posting (most likely on a Tuesday/Thursday summer schedule) on June 8th. Please check back periodically for new content!

Thanks and many blessings---

Jen.

The Yes! Digest -- May 19th, 2010

2010-05-19T08:45:00.001-04:00

Spirit food:

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer." -- Rainier Maria Rilke, LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET (translated by Stephen Mitchell)

Brain food:

Cookies can teach science! (via Boing Boing)
Television is controlling your every move (whether you know it or not.) (via The Rumpus)

Young adults today...: might want to consider foregoing their college education, at least according to these people. (via The Atlantic)

UU news/UU voices: Former UUA president Rev. John Buehrens---whose new book, A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion in the 21st Century, comes out this month, writes about how "Americans of progressive religious values" can employ the Golden Rule when thinking about political issues. (via The Washington Post)

A joy: "The board of directors of the 1.2 million member National Association of Realtors (NAR) has approved a rule that bans its members from discriminating against clients based on their sexual orientation." (via Joe. My. God.)

A concern: As of yesterday, one thousand American soldiers have died while fighting in Afghanistan. (via The Rachel Maddow Show)

Churchy things: "A nun and administrator at a Catholic hospital in Phoenix has been reassigned and rebuked by the local bishop for agreeing that a severely ill woman needed an abortion to survive." (via AP)

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: Artists remember Jim Henson.
Stereomood provides the soundtrack for any mood or occasion---for free! (via Very Short List)

How to...: care for a new college graduate. (via The New Yorker)

The Yes! Digest -- May 17th, 2010

2010-05-17T00:04:00.000-04:00

This is: IDAHO, The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. To honor it, watch this powerful short film in which gay men living in countries where homosexuality is illegal tell the stories of their lives. (via Joe. My. God.)

Spirit food: "It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. -- K.T. Jong (Thanks to Kat!)

Brain food:

Do people in San Francisco really talk like this? Can someone let me know? (via The Rumpus)
"How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space? The mystery is solved." (via Very Short List)

Young adults today...: who have alcohol- and drug-dependency problems might have been "regularly overtired" as children.

UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Jamestown, New York, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this week. (via The Post-Journal)

UU voices: One new UU at Wonder What That Means writes movingly about what Unitarian Universalism means to her.

A joy: "After more than three weeks of efforts to stop a gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, BP engineers achieved some success on Sunday when they used a milelong pipe to capture some of the oil and divert it to a drill ship on the surface some 5,000 feet above the wellhead, company officials said."(via The New York Times)

A concern: "The same networking systems that allow modern cars to communicate with services like OnStar also allow the cars to be hacked." (via Boing Boing)

Churchy things: "Kids are leaving their churches because the churches are unhealthy, not because they’re too conservative. Sheep who are shepherded well don’t tend to wander."

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: Jim Henson died 20 years ago this week. At his memorial service, Jerry Nelson---the voice of Emmet Otter---performed "Where the River Meets The Sea" with Louise Gold.
"Up in Canada, they're having strip spelling bees. The rules: you can keep your underwear on if you want, no booing, and no audience photography." (via Jezebel)

How to...: "Build A Small Army of Volunteers" (via GOOD)

The Yes! Digest -- May 14th, 2010

2010-05-14T01:10:00.000-04:00

This is: National Chicken Dance Day. What are you waiting for? Get to it!

Spirit food: "Every one of is called upon, probably many times, to start a new life [...] And onward full tilt we go, pitched and wrecked and absurdly resolute, driven in spite of everything to make good on a new shore. To be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another---that is surely the basic instinct... Crying out: High tide! Time to move out into the glorious debris. Time to take this life for what it is." -- Barbara Kingsolver, HIGH TIDE IN TUCSON

Brain food:

What will life be like in ten years? Forbes offers some possibilities. (via The New York Times)
Jupiter has lost a stripe! (via BuzzFeed)

Young adults today...: "don’t expect the recession to have a lasting effect on their careers." (via The Wall Street Journal)

UU news: "The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees voted May 6 to ask the General Assembly to approve pulling the 2012 General Assembly out of Phoenix, Ariz." (via UU World)

UU voices: At UUJeff's Muse Kennel and Pizzatorium, Jeff Liebmann wonders why there aren't more holidays unique to Unitarian Universalism and asks if Mother's Day should be one.

A joy: "Reversing Bush's oh-so-effective abstinence-only approach, healthcare reform allocates $375 million to teach teens comprehensive sex ed." (via Jezebel)

A concern/churchy things: "A Roman Catholic school in Massachusetts has refused to admit an 8-year-old boy on the grounds that his parents relationship is "in discord" with church teachings." (via Jezebel)

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: "Top 10 Greatest Muppet Mash-Ups Ever" (Caution: language might be NSFW) (via Boing Boing)
Total awesomeness: Tom Waits reads the poetry of Charles Bukowski. (via The Rumpus)

How to...: "Get the Best of Both Google Docs and Microsoft Office" (via Lifehacker)

Young adults of note: "Kristin Richmond, 34, and Kirsten Tobey, 32, founded Revolution Foods, an organization whose mission is to provide school cafeterias with healthy food. Started in 2006, Revolution Foods now prepares 30,000 lunches and 20,000 breakfasts and snacks each day for kids in California and Washington, D.C." (via GOOD)

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you bright and early Monday morning!

The Yes! Digest -- May 13th, 2010

2010-05-12T20:44:00.003-04:00

This is: Frog Jumping Day, according to Pet In The Pocket. The website suggests that you celebrate by getting a frog or toad as a pet---which doesn't, to be honest, sound like the world's greatest idea, if only because it will require you to buy an aquarium. As a less complicated (salmonella-carrying) alternative, it also suggests you read Mark Twain's short story "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog," so...yeah. Do that instead.

Spirit food: "If you look for the truth outside yourself, it gets farther and farther away." -- Tung-Shan

Brain food: The mechanics of breastfeeding. (via Jezebel)

Young adults today...: report "bruxism" (teeth-grinding) after long-term tobacco use, at least according to this "nationwide Finnish Twin Cohort Study." (Ed. note: "bruxism" is my new favorite word, and I can't wait to use it during a game of Scrabble.)

UU news: The UUA Board of Trustees "has vowed to transform governance at the board, General Assembly, and district levels." (For details on the changes, click the link.) (via UU World)

A joy: Usually, it takes two hours to clean a bird that's been coated in crude oil. This machine cuts the time down to seven minutes. (via Treehugger)

A concern/churchy things: "Yesterday a mosque in Jacksonville, Florida, was firebombed." (via The Revealer)

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: to celebrate Frog Jumping Day, watch Kermit hop (and doo-wop) with some cows on Sesame Street.
Because lovers of Scrabble need more music just for them, here are "15 Spelled-Out Songs." (via The Morning News)

How to...: simplify your wallet. (via Boing Boing)

The Yes! Digest -- May 12th, 2010

2010-05-11T13:32:00.005-04:00

This is: The birthday of Edward Lear, master of the limerick. It's also, appropriately, Limerick Day. Celebrate by reading (or composing) some. (This Yahoo directory has limericks on every topic imaginable, including physics.)

Spirit food: "You will find poetry nowhere unless you bring some of it with you." -- Joseph Joubert

Brain food: Depressing, but of interest: "A visual study regarding the frequent and premature death of rock-and-roll musicians." (via The Daily What)

Young adults today...: have been taken in by an "erroneous but widespread myth -- that hookahs are safer than cigarettes." (They are not---and no, the tobacco smoked in them "does not contribute to one's daily fruit and veggie quota"---but tell that to the one-in-four of us who've used one in the last year.) (via MSNBC)

UU news: "The Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens (Georgia) is deeply saddened that a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer arrested two immigrant fathers in Athens-Clarke County on April 28, as reported by the Banner-Herald in a May 1 story headlined 'Immigrants swept up in ICE operation.'"(via The Athens Banner-Herald)

UU voices: At her blog The Constancy of Change, Lessie calls on UUs and other religious liberals to have more compassion and less criticism for people whose beliefs differ from our own. We are all, she reminds us, on the same "path of sharing and love."

A (totally superficial) joy specifically for a certain kind of geeky outcast who came of age in the late 1990s: Daria: The Complete Animated Series---the show that made adolescence seem not only bearable, but funny---is now out on DVD! (via Jezebel)

A concern: The anti-feminist contingent on Facebook has designated the week of May 15 to 22 to be "National Punch a slut in the head week." As of this writing, over 19,000 people---the majority of them under age 30---plan to attend. Can someone please explain to me why this is okay/supposed to be funny? Because I really don't understand. (via Jezebel)

Churchy things: "To these monks, peacemaking requires militancy." (via The Morning News, Utne Reader)

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: In honor of Limerick Day, listen to Bert, Ernie, and the rest of the Sesame Street gang sing "The Limerick Song." (Requires Flash. To hear the song, click on track 9.)
Need a cure for your Bieber Fever? (You know you do.) The Mountain Goats Will Cure Your Bieber Fever (dot com.) (via John Green @ vlogbrothers)

How to...: "permanently delete a Facebook account." (If concerns about your privacy---or about people's behavior---have you wondering if you should, it's possible.) (via WikiHow)

The Yes! Digest -- May 11th, 2010

2010-05-10T21:04:00.005-04:00

This is: Eat What You Want Day, apparently. So go off your diet, enjoy yourself, and celebrate by checking out these gorgeous food blogs written by young adults:

Joy the Baker
Caviar and Cod

Spirit food: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." -- J.R.R. Tolkien

Brain food:

"[F]ake medical treatment can work amazingly well": on the power of the placebo. (via The Boston Globe)
This song has been in my head all weekend. It's catchy and educational (and may, though I'll never be able to prove it, have contributed to the migraine I had Sunday night/Monday morning.) Enjoy! (via Elizabeth McCracken, on Twitter)

Young adults today...: have pre-existing conditions. (via Docuticker)

UU news: "In response to damage from flooding in Tennessee and Kentucky in early May, the Unitarian Universalist Association has set up a relief fund to help UU congregations that have suffered losses." (via UU World)

UU voices: Rev. Dr. Daniel O'Connell "offer[s] prayers in the Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist traditions." (via Saint Louis Today)

A joy: "40 years after tumult, a ceremony: BU invites class of Kent State year" to receive their diplomas onstage. (via The Boston Globe)

A concern: In Uganda, "[f]or every 100 people put on treatment, 250 are newly infected, according to the United Nations’ AIDS-fighting agency, Unaids." (via The New York Times)

Churchy things: "Ten Ways Christians Tend To Fail At Being Christian" (via Huffington Post)

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: Lena Horne---who died Sunday night at age 92---helps our furry friend Grover to overcome his shyness.
I really wish these Brontë sisters superhero dolls existed (and that I had one.) (via BuzzFeed)

How to...: train for a marathon. (via Well, The New York Times)

Notice!

2010-05-10T08:14:00.003-04:00

Due to an unscheduled migraine, The Yes! Digest will return tomorrow, Tuesday, May 11th. My apologies, and I'll see you then!

The Yes! Digest -- May 7th, 2010

2010-05-07T08:24:00.000-04:00

This is: No-Pants Day. It's also International Tuba Day. Do with this information what you will. Please make sure it's hilarious.

Spirit food: "My belt holds my pants up, but the belt loops hold my belt up. So which one's the real hero?" -- Mitch Hedberg

Brain (junk) food: "Fake Science: For When the Facts Are Too Confusing." (via The Morning News)

Young adults today...: "are increasingly dissatisfied with narrow interpretations of the Bible and more inclined to "live and let live." (via USA Today)

UU news: The Lakeland UU Fellowship of Wayne, New Jersey, had its peace sign---which was five feet tall and had its concrete base sunk into the ground---stolen last week. It has not been found. (via NorthJersey.com)

UU voices: At her blog, Amor Del Mono writes about OWL OUT, which takes the UUA's Our Whole Lives sex ed program into the community.

A joy: Can't get to yoga class? There's an app for you: "Yoga Journal magazine’s iPractice 2.0, a mobile yoga class for iPhone and iPod Touch." (via The New York Times)

A concern: "An E. coli outbreak possibly linked to tainted lettuce has sickened at least 19 people in Ohio, New York and Michigan, including students on three college campuses, prompting a recall throughout much of the country." (via Huffington Post)

Churchy things: The Pope has declared the Shroud of Turin to be authentic. (via The Revealer)

Unchurchy things:

Muppet link of the day: Rizzo the Rat and Bobo the Bear visit the offices of Lost. (via The Daily What)
"The most accurate movie review ever." (via BuzzFeed)

How to...: pack for a ten-day vacation in a carry-on bag. (via The New York Times)

Have a wonderful weekend (and Mothers' Day!) See you Monday morning!

The Yes! Digest -- May 6th, 2010

2010-05-06T08:53:00.000-04:00

This is: The National Day of Prayer and the National Day of Reason. Rabbi Adam Chalom suggests it be observed as a day to do good deeds. "Don't just pray," he says, "do something!"

Spirit food: "Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." -- The Buddha

Brain food: This song "might save you from getting conned, voting for a bastard, or having a stupid fight with your spouse!" (Via Boing Boing)

Young adults today...: don't care that it's the National Day of Prayer. (via USA Today)

UU news: The UU church of Needham, MA is the first in the state to receive an Energy Star certification from the Environmental Protection Agency. (via Hometown News)

UU voices: Judy asks: "is it okay to come to church as an introvert?"

A joy: Good news for parents inclined to worry---it turns out that developmental milestones might not matter all that much. (via Slate)

A concern: Oil spills damage the environment in more ways than one---it can take up to 300 gallons of water to fully clean one oiled pelican. (via The Morning News)

Churchy things: "A gay Atlanta pastor and his partner who have been at the center of a battle over the treatment of gay clergy by the nation's largest Lutheran denomination are being reinstated to the denomination's clergy roster, church officials announced Tuesday." (via The Pew Forum, AP)

Unchurchy things: Possibly the most awesome birth announcement ever. (via The Daily What)

How to...: make ice cream using only two ingredients---no machine required. (via Instructables)

The Yes! Digest -- May 5th, 2010

2010-05-05T00:51:00.000-04:00

This is: Cinco de Mayo (which you know about) and also the Great American Grump Out (which you probably don't.) The holiday's website encourages you to get ungrumpy by "[w]earing any type of smile. Secondly, carry a banana around with you. Not only is the banana the Grump Out's official fruit, but the banana provides a nutritional smile. [Hold it just right and it is a smile.] If you begin to experience any withdrawal discomfort, simply turn that smiley banana upside down. It becomes a frown. Stare at it for a moment when no one is looking."

Spirit food: "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." -- Albert Schweitzer

Brain food:

Wondering exactly how chemical dispersants work to clean up oil spills? Dr. Ed Overton explains. (via The Maddow Blog)
"Most highs for you are kind of a downer for the planet." (via Slate)

Young adults today...: (if they are white) have higher rates of stomach cancer than other groups do. (via AP)

UU news: The province of Ontario, Canada is postponing implementation of a comprehensive sex ed program similar to the Our Whole Lives curriculum taught in Unitarian Universalist churches. (The Globe and Mail)

(Former) UU voices: Julia, a young adult who grew up UU, says that although she liked going to church, Unitarian Universalism left her "with no way to explain why bad things happened." She is now Episcopalian. (Readers: is she right? Does UU religious education do a disservice to children by not explaining to their satisfaction why life is the way it is?)

A joy: In this excerpt from NPR's StoryCorps project, a mother is interviewed by her 12 year-old son, who has Aspergers syndrome. When he asks whether he has turned out to be the son she wanted, she tells him that he has made her a more creative parent and person. (via Huffington Post)

A concern: Because the news this week isn't depressing enough, Newsweek has decided it's only right to inform you that any of these ten 10 "fuzzy, itty-bitty animals" could give you a deadly disease.

Churchy things: According to this Gallup poll, 83% of Americans believe there's a God who answers prayers. (via USA Today)

Unchurchy things: Why do goldfish crackers "smile back"? This diagram provides a clue. (via The Daily What)

*NEW!* -- How to...: -- *NEW!* lower your exposure to environmental toxins. (via GOOD)

The Yes! Digest -- May 4th, 2010

2010-05-04T08:23:00.006-04:00

This is: International Respect for Chickens Day. This "annual project of United Poultry Concerns" is "designed to celebrate the dignity, beauty and life of chickens and to protest the bleakness of their lives in farming operations." Honor it by A) not eating any poultry and/or B) watching all six parts of The Natural History of the Chicken on Youtube. (If you have only five minutes, watch part 3 from 5:00 on so you can see Cotton the Japanese Silkie Bantam rooster luxuriate in his swimming pool and then get coiffed.)

Spirit food:

Brain food:

Do any of those old wives' tales about pregnancy have any truth behind them? Read Linda Geddes's Bumpology column to find out. (via Boing Boing)
Hewlett-Packard envisions a "Central Nervous System for the Earth" using "smart dust" technology. (via CNN)
Want to build a time machine? Stephen Hawking would be pleased to help you out.
(via The Daily Mail)

Young adults today...: are "fauxting" to to avoid embarrassment in awkward social situations. (via Jezebel)

UU news: In this past Sunday's St. Petersburg (Florida) Times, Unitarian Universalist Association president Rev. Peter Morales engaged in a Q&A about UUs and UUism with (UU!) reporter Bill Maxwell. (via Facebook---many thanks to Rev. Victoria Weinstein for the link!)

UU voices: At Sassy Southern Scribblings, Melissa explains how her Unitarian Universalist values lead her to support the legalization of gay marriage.

A joy: "Through a project and contest launched last year by the Anne Frank Center USA, a New York-based educational nonprofit working with the museum in Amsterdam, 11 sites in the United States will see Frank's tree blossom." (via CNN)

A concern: Yeardley Love, a 22 year-old senior at the University of Virginia, was found dead in her off-campus apartment early Monday morning. Another UVA senior, George Huguely, has been charged with her murder. Please keep them---and their loved ones---in your hearts. (via The Washington Post)

Churchy things: "When we fall under the spell of a charismatic figure, areas of the brain responsible for scepticism and vigilance become less active. That's the finding of a study which looked at people's response to prayers spoken by someone purportedly possessing divine healing powers." (via New Scientist)

Unchurchy things:

What does the term "organic art" make you think of? Is it this? (via The New York Times)
Someone's finally admitting what young adults have always known: "Mousetrap Never Works." (via The Daily What)

Young adults of note: 26 year-old Clay Grant Jr., an off-duty sheriff's deputy, was picking up some paper towels on Monday evening in a West Hollywood, California Target when a woman entered the store and began attacking shoppers with knives. Although four people were injured, there were no fatalities and "[O]fficials praised Grant for his quick thinking, saying he might have prevented the situation from getting far worse." (via The Los Angeles Times)

The Yes! Digest -- May 3rd, 2010

2010-05-03T08:23:00.001-04:00

This is: Pete Seeger's birthday. The singer, songwriter, activist (and UU!) turns 91 today. Celebrate by listening to his performance at last year's Newport Folk Festival or by watching this preview for Pete Seeger: The Power of Song.

Spirit food: "Songs won’t save the planet, but neither will books or speeches. Songs are sneaky things; they can slip across borders." --- Pete Seeger

Brain food: Is sleep "the greatest mistake evolution ever made"? (via National Geographic)

Young adults today...:

"Will Have Significant Impact on Convenience Store Foodservice in Future." (Who knew?) (Via The Financial)
are "Andyites": "core fans" of the Toy Story franchise. (Via The New York Times)

UU news: The Unitarian Memorial Church of Fairhaven, MA is now a Green Sanctuary congregation. (via South Coast Today)

UU voices: On Austisable, Aspiemathematician writes about how neurotypical people and people with autism can have loving and successful relationships.

A joy: Twistable, Turnable Man, "A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein," will be released on June 8th. Preview it here. (via Huffington Post)

A concern: "The Arizona Department of Education recently began telling school districts that teachers whose spoken English it deems to be heavily accented or ungrammatical must be removed from classes for students still learning English." (via The Wall Street Journal)

Churchy things: "While [Evangelical] churches have addressed pornography use among the men in their congregations and among the clergy, a group for women who say they are addicted to pornography is new territory." (via The New York Times)

Unchurchy things: This guy manages to make "Party In The U.S.A." kind of cool. (BuzzFeed)

Young adults of note: These 20- and 30-somethings help to run the White House. (via The New York Times)

The Yes! Digest -- April 30th, 2010

2010-04-30T09:10:00.001-04:00

This is: Beltane, the ancient Celtic festival that marks the start of summer. Traditionally, it's celebrated with purifying bonfires. Even if you can't build one (and you probably shouldn't), you can enjoy the longer, warmer evening!

Spirit food: "As soon as beauty is sought not from religion and love, but for pleasure, it degrades the seeker." --- Annie Dillard (again, because it's her birthday)

Brain food: Which is more environmentally friendly---your hardcover book, or your e-reader? It may not be the one you think. (via The New York Times)

Young adults today...: "are the smallest consumer demographic of print journalism." (via The Welland Tribune)

UU news: The UU Community Church of Augusta Maine will be installing Carie Johnsen, its first new minister in nearly 20 years, this Sunday. (Carie was the student minister at my congregation, First Parish in Duxbury, MA, from 2007 to 2009 and was ordained there last summer.) (via The Kennebec Journal)

UU voices: Amy Wilson, a UU young adult from Portland, Oregon, writes about her experience as a Jeopardy! champion. (Wilson won the game that aired on April 20th.) Congratulations, Amy! (via UU World)

A joy: This multitasking cardboard box fights both poverty and boredom: first it's full of aid supplies, then it becomes a soccer ball. Genius! (via The Daily What)

A concern:

For the second time in a month, young adults have been killed in a coal mining accident. The men---Justin Travis, 27, and Michael Carter, 28---were apparently using a machine called a continuous miner when the roof of the compartment they were working in collapsed. (via AP)
The oil spill that's been spreading in the Gulf of Mexico all week made landfall on the shore of Louisiana today, putting the inhabitants of a wildlife preserve located there at risk. (via Good Morning America)

Churchy things: Designers are introducing clothes (even bathing suits!) that allow Muslim women to be both fashionable and modest. (via The Christian Science Monitor)

Unchurchy things: Does your inner child---or your actual child---need something new to dance to? Check out the music of Justin Roberts and the Naptime Players! Good stuff, and fun for all ages. (Via The New York Times)

Young adults of note: It hasn't been five months since 25 year-old Christa Brelsford lost her leg as the result of an injury sustained during the Haiti earthquake, but she (along with her brother Julian and other members of the Heads Together Haiti literacy program) is already back working to revitalize the community in which she was working at the time. To learn more about her efforts to help the students of Cabois (including 18 year-old Wenson Georges, who helped to rescue Christa after the earthquake) visit Christa's Angels. (via People -- thanks to Audra!)

Happy weekend and happy May! See you on Monday morning!

The Yes! Digest -- April 29th, 2010

2010-04-29T08:38:00.002-04:00

This is: Poem in Your Pocket Day. Celebrate the end of National Poetry Month by carrying some verse and sharing it with your friends. (I suggest this one, or this.)

Spirit food: "Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary." -- Kahlil Gibran

Brain food: Improve your sense of direction---and admire other people's artwork and ingenuity---with this collection of hand drawn maps. (via Slate)

Young adults today...: have a lot in common with our great-great-grandparents, who took a "longer path to adulthood" and lived with their families well into their 20s. Unlike our great-great-grandparents, however, we allow our parents to spend a full 10% of their income helping to support us and "don't contribute to the household." (via Live Science)

UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Greeley, Colorado will be hosting a “solidarity in opposition” gathering on Sunday, May 2nd to protest Arizona's new immigration policy. (via The Greeley Tribune)

UU voices: At A Sundial's Saga, Modern Girl writes about the Faiths Acts Fellows---young adults who work in the U.K., U.S., and Canada to organize multifaith community networks---and their Multifaith Week of Action. To find out more about it and about what's happening in Ottawa where Modern Girl lives, go check out her post!

A joy: The great Ze Frank has finally composed one of his "Songs You Already Know" for those of us who need to be reminded that it's all gonna be okay. Listen to "The Chillout Song." (via BuzzFeed)

Churchy things:

In his book God Is Not One (and in this interview with NPR's Tom Ashbrook), religion scholar and Boston University professor Stephen Prothero argues against the popular idea that all religions are essentially the same. (On Twitter, Prothero attempts to explain each of the world's religions in 140 characters or less and does so with elegance: Judaism140: 1 God, 1 chosen people. Do the Law (all 613), tell the story (Egypt to Zion, exile to return), repair the world. 2010 in 97500!)
Prothero also has a piece in this morning's USA Today in which he explores why young adults resist religious affiliation.

Unchurchy things: Architect Gary Chang used a sliding wall system to pack 24 rooms into his tiny (330 square foot) Hong Kong apartment. (via Joe. My. God.)

The Yes! Digest -- April 28th, 2010

2010-04-28T20:10:00.001-04:00

My apologies for being so late with this, folks---tomorrow's post will be up right on time!

This is: International Workers' Memorial Day. Workers' Memorial Day recognizes and pays tribute all those who have been injured or killed on the job in the last year. As Tom Abate notes at SFGate's Get to Work blog, "This year's event occurs at a time when the nation has suffered three major incidents in the energy sector - coal, oil extraction, and refining - resulting in 35 workers killed, several severely injured, and 11 reported missing." (via SFGate)

Spirit food: "Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." --- The Buddha

Brain food: Do yourself a favor and remember "The 6 Most Important Things Humanity Just Plain Forgot." On the list are lemons and concrete. Seriously. (via BuzzFeed)

Young adults today...: are "mushy Christians" (and mushy everything else, too: according to a poll done by LifeWay Christian Industries, 72% of people under age 29 consider themselves to be "more spiritual than religious.") (via Newser) I wonder: what does being religious look like? What is it that religious people do or say that makes young adults not want to define ourselves that way?

UU news: The Unitarian Society of Winchester Massachusetts, under the direction of the Revs. John and Sarah Millspaugh, has challenged its members (and all UUs) to celebrate Earth Day's 40th anniversary for 40 days (until May 27th.) Those who take the 40/40/40 pledge commit to "individual 40-day lifestyle changes for the sake of the Earth and environmental justice." To learn more about the program and how you can take part, visit the official 40/40/40 blog and its page on the UUA website. (via The Winchester Star)

UU voices: Why do the vast majority of "bridged" Unitarian Universalist youth choose to leave the faith? Victoria takes on the question at her blog, Visions of Ministry. Go add your two cents!

A joy: Proof that it's never too late to follow your passions---Hazel Soares, who is 94 years old, will be graduating next month from Mills College with a degree in art history. She hopes to work as a museum docent. Congratulations to her! (via Tonic)

A concern: Today, in an attempt to keep it from spreading to the coast, the U.S. Coast Guard will set fire to the giant oil slick that formed in the Gulf of Mexico after a drilling rig exploded and then sank last week off Louisiana. On the coast nearest the slick is a wildlife sanctuary that is home to sea turtles, whales, and other endangered species. Burning off the oil will produce no small amount of air pollution, but supposedly breathing polluted air is better for animals than drowning in thousands of gallons of crude oil. Either way, I---and many other people---are still concerned. (via NPR and The Rachel Maddow Show)

Churchy things: Have the remnants of Noah's Ark been found in Turkey? "Skeptics are, as usual, skeptical." (via Good Morning America)

Unchurchy things: I try this mind-trick at least once a week---whenever I forget my phone---and it never works. Clearly, I am not alone. (via The Daily What)

Young adults of note: Before she died last month of Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 25, Eva Markvoot used her blog 65 Red Roses to raise awareness about her illness and write honestly about the experience of living with it. (Eva's memorial service will stream live on her blog on Friday evening at 4 PM Eastern Daylight Time.) (via Jezebel)

The Yes! Digest -- April 27th, 2010

2010-04-27T08:38:00.001-04:00

This is: World Graphic Design Day! Design is everywhere---every font, logo, product package, and book cover is the product of someone's talent and imagination. Let's not take it for granted. To enjoy some beautiful examples of design, visit FFFFound. Leave your favorites in the comments! (Caution: some images NSFW.)

Spirit food: "Surely something resides in this heart that is not perishable --- and life is more than a dream." -- Unitarian feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (whose 251st birthday this is.)

Brain food: Does chocolate cause depression, or do depressed people at more chocolate? This study doesn't quite say. (via The Los Angeles Times)

Young adults today...: are "big on blogs" --- over 30% percent people under 30 read blogs, while 40% have one of their own. (I wonder what accounts for the discrepancy?) (via eMarketer)

UU news: Should the Thomas Jefferson District of the Unitarian Universalist Association change its name to reflect the sensibilities of its current membership? The UU Fellowship of Winston-Salem says no. (via The Winston-Salem Journal)

UU voices: Rev. Kent Doss, minister at the UU Fellowship of Laguna Beach, California, writes movingly about "The Challenge of Universalism" on his blog Chalice Notes. ("It’s not enough to hang out in this amazing world," he says, "you have to pay your rent. You have to give back to the beauty of creation. The challenge of universalism is to greet the world with an open heart and to give back when you can.")

A joy: Good news for all you Slush Puppie-lovers---having one before your summer workout could improve your endurance. A exercise researcher from New Zealand has found that "young male recreational athletes who drank a syrup-flavored ice slurry just before running on a treadmill in hot room could keep going for an average of 50 minutes before they had to stop." (via The New York Times) (Ed. note: Sorry for all these food-joys, folks; I'll try harder to focus on other things! -- Jen)

A concern: According to "Poisoning the Pearl," a recent paper by Greenpeace, the production of blue jeans in China is poisoning the Pearl River and the water supply of Guangdong Province. In Xintang, which produces nearly half the jeans sold every year in the United States, dye factories release tons of toxic wastewater, "a cocktail of dye, bleach and detergent," into the river. (via CNN)

Churchy things: The United Methodist Church has been advertising during the Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Its (truly awesome, envy-inspiring) "Rethink Church" campaign is geared specifically toward young adults. To learn more about it, visit 10ThousandDoors.

Unchurchy things:

What does your favorite website sound like? Codeorgan produces custom music from any URL. I have no idea how it works, but it's cool. (via Very Short List)
Are you a "complex" friend or a "chill" friend? This handy chart can help you decide. (via Butter Team)

Young adults of note: 28 year-old Neillie Kirk Butler, a three-time cancer survivor founded The Young Supporters Board of the University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center "to introduce the next generation of Alabamians to the importance of cancer research and awareness." The board is made up of people between the ages of 25 and 34 whose lives have been touched by cancer, and its annual Fiesta Ball raises between 40 and 50 thousand dollars for cancer research. (via The Birmingham News)

The Yes! Digest --- April 26th, 2010

2010-04-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

This is: World Intellectual Property Day. World IP Day is celebrated every April 26th "to increase understanding of how protecting IP rights helps promote creativity and innovation." To learn more, visit The World Intellectual Property Organization's YouTube page.

Spirit food: "After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on - have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? Nature remains." -- Walt Whitman

Brain food: Stephen Hawking warns that "trying to make contact with alien races is 'a little too risky'": "If aliens ever visit us," he says, "I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans." (via Huffington Post)

Young adults today...: annoying our professors and weakening our brains by using laptops in class. (via The Washington Post)

UU news: The Westside UU Congregation of Seattle, which has been renting space in the local Masonic Temple for 20 years, has purchased its own building and is looking for help in furnishing everything from the office to the RE classrooms. Donate money or items at their New Home Catalog. (via The West Seattle Herald)

UU voices: At Flower and Flame, Maura talks about her recent "conversion" to Unitarian Universalism and how her new congregation is becoming a home.

A joy: Good news for vegans and those bothered by lactose----starting in May, Starbucks will introduce a non-dairy version of its frappuccino. (via The Gothamist)

A concern: It appears that Warrior Transition Units, created by the U.S. Army three years ago to support injured soldiers as they recover and then return to combat duty or civilian life, aren't helping as much as was hoped---a piece in this weekend's Boston Globe calls them "warehouses of despair, where damaged men and women are kept out of sight, fed a diet of powerful prescription pills, and treated harshly by noncommissioned officers." More than 50,000 people have been treated by a Transition Unit since 2007. (via The Boston Globe)

Churchy things: For the entire month of May, Wellspring Community Church in Welland, Ontario, will be operated almost entirely by people under the age of 30. (via The Welland Tribune)

Unchurchy things: Two words --- Muppet. Cupcakes. (via Cupcakes Take the Cake)

Young adults of note: Salma Yaqoob, the 39 year-old left-wing candidate for the British parliament, is challenging traditional Muslim political culture and encouraging women in Muslim communities to be informed and vote. (via The Guardian)

The (Highly Abbreviated) Yes! Digest --- April 23rd, 2010

2010-04-23T01:42:00.003-04:00

I'm signing off early this week to finish planning (and then facilitate) a workshop on "post-Boomer spirituality." Things are a little hectic here at GenYes headquarters, but I thought you'd enjoy the following:

This is: Talk Like Shakespeare Day. Celebrate the Bard's 446th birthday by speaking in meter. (via The Chicago Tribune)

Unchurchy things: Think you remember the gist of your favorite picture books? Werner Herzog---otherwise known as Ryan Iverson---will prove you wrong. (via Here Be Hippogriffs)

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you Monday morning!

The Yes! Digest -- April 22nd, 2010

2010-04-22T08:33:00.001-04:00

This is: Earth Day. Celebrate 40 years of the environmental protection movement by helping to save the planet on your lunch break. (Think you don't have time? Check out what you can do in just 15 minutes.) (via Charity Guide) To learn about the young adults who organized the first Earth Day event in 1970, check out Earth Days. (via PBS)

Spirit food: "I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a fallen world, and I am getting along. I am aging and eaten and have done my share of eating too. I am not washed and beautiful, in control of a shining world in which everything fits, but instead am wondering awed about on a splintered wreck I've come to care for, whose gnawed trees breathe a delicate air, whose bloodied and scarred creatures are my dearest companions, and whose beauty bats and shines not in its imperfections but overwhelmingly in spite of them, under the wind-rent clouds, upstream and down." --- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Brain food: It appears Neanderthals may have interbred with modern humans. Who knew? (via The Morning News and Nature News)

Young adults today...: weigh too much to join the military; constitute a national security risk. (via AP)

UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka has outgrown its current building and is suing Wayzata, Minnesota for the right to violate current zoning laws and construct a larger building in a residential area of town. (via UU World and The Minneapolis Star Tribune)

UU voices: Tess, a member of the UU student group at Oberlin, examines how the school's "Experimental College" program can help young adults fulfill their spiritual needs.

A joy: Kids today are growing up in a world where their toys can generate wind and solar power. (How cool is that?)

A concern: This post on Reddit---from a young adult who's trying to find a job and keep his housing---breaks my heart. I'm afraid his situation (no prospects, no money, no support system) is not unique and that there are very few resources available for people in his age group.

It makes me wonder: what can young adults and our churches do to minister---really and truly minister---to each other? How can we empower each other? How can we provide help, hope, and comfort to those in our community who are struggling?

What you can do:

To help educate children and youth about ecology and the environment: find your local science center or museum and commit to volunteer there. If you live in Massachusetts, volunteer with your kids through the Trustees of Reservations to care for local nature preserves. If you live elsewhere, volunteer through the Nature Conservancy. Also, check out Green My Parents, which encourages kids "to lead their families in measuring & reducing environmental impact at home."

Churchy things: Does environmentalism constitute its own religion? (via The Wisconsin State Journal)

Unchurchy things: Tim Minchin wants you to "rid the world of plastic." (This clip is a few years old now, but it's topical and new to me---sorry if you've seen it before!)

Young adults of note: To honor the young people who are working to save our environment, watch this film about Julia Hill, who is famous for having spent two years in her mid-twenties living in California a redwood tree to prevent its being cut down. (Julia's blog is here.)

The Yes! Digest -- April 21st, 2010

2010-04-21T15:44:00.001-04:00

APOLOGIES FOR THE LATENESS OF THIS POST -- THERE WAS A GLITCH WITH THE AUTOMATIC SCHEDULING. ENJOY!

This is: Believe it or not, it's National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day. Really, it is. Celebrate (provided you're not allergic) by making these delicious treats and sharing them with your friends. (It's also the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death. In honor of him, check out these excerpts from The Diaries of Adam and Eve.)

Spirit food: "A religion that comes of thought, and study, and deliberate conviction, sticks best." --- Mark Twain

Brain food: What does the act of remembering do to our memories? (Hint: we're probably not remembering what we think we are.) (via The Smithsonian)

Young adults today...: understand what the word "socialist" means and "find it bizarre that, decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a political movement [The Tea Party movement] would center itself around opposition to it." (via The Boston Globe)

UU news: The UU church of Bridgewater, Massachusetts is refusing to let its rainbow flag be torn down by vandals. (via Wicked Local)

UU voices: Join Meg at The Weapon We Have is Love as she learns more about the history of Unitarianism and Universalism in America!

A joy: The US Navy, after officially recognizing climate change as a threat to national security, is planning to launch "the Great Green Fleet, a fighting force of ships, submarines and planes powered entirely by biofuels." The Fleet should be operational by 2016. (via The Guardian)

A concern: Famed civil rights activist Dorothy Height, who spent her life working to ensure equality for women and people of color, died yesterday at the age of 98. Ms. Height was president of National Council of Negro Women for 40 years, and retired in 1997. (via The Washington Post)

Churchy things: In his book My Jesus Year, Benyamin Cohen, who was raised an Orthodox Jew in the Bible Belt of the American South, wonders what it would be like to live as a Christian...and then tries it. Read an except here. (via Religion and Ethics Newsweekly)

Unchurchy things: "Don't be bungleheads like Alice and Timmy! Have good Facebook manners and the electric friendship generator will be more fun for everyone!" (Is your day in need of brightening? Watch this 1950s-style PSA on social networking etiquette.) (via Bits and Pieces)

Young adults of note: Danny Sexton, a freshman at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, has founded Concordia Humana, an organization that encourages young adults to help save the world. Concordia's "Donuts for Darfur" program benefits the Jewish World Watch's Solar Cooker Project, which provides women and girls in Darfur and Chad with cooking supplies. (via Tonic)

The Yes! Digest -- April 20th, 2010

2010-04-20T08:23:00.000-04:00

SECOND HOUSEKEEPING NOTE OF THE WEEK: A couple of major updates today---both the template and the commenting system have been redone. (For some reason doing these things made all the old comments disappear; I don't know why.) Let me know what you think and please feel free to "like" posts by clicking the box in the footer!

This is: Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day has been sponsored by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) since 1996 and is intended, in their words, "as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages." (Currently, women earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.) To commemorate it, the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women is encouraging women to walk out of their places of employment at 3:15 PM, after having worked 78% of the day.

Spirit food: "They say that time changes things...but you actually have to change them yourself." --- Andy Warhol

Brain food: "Is Marriage Good for Your Health?" (via The New York Times)

Young adults today...: are "deeply conventional and traditional"; "overwhelmingly disapprove of college men who hook up with a lot of partners." (via Slate)

Media-generated controversy of the day -- *NEW!*: Unschooling. This educational philosophy---in which children and youth don't "do school" but instead decide for themselves both what and how they'd like to learn at home---was first advocated by John Holt in the 1970s. Good Morning America just discovered it yesterday and expects you to be outraged. (To read about the UUs who unschool, see this post at Green Betty.)

UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Association reported last week that its membership has decreased this past year by 267 people, or .16 percent. As of February 28th, total membership in the UUA stood at 156,015 adult members. (No young adult-specific membership statistics exist, as far as I can tell.) (via UU World)

UU voices: Andie at Towards a Holy Theatre wonders if it's possible to have a spiritual and vocational calling...and then lose it. I suspect she's not alone. Go check out her post!

A joy: The US indicated yesterday that it will review its opposition to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration was adopted in 2007 and "affirms the equality of indigenous peoples and their right to maintain their own institutions, cultures and spiritual traditions." It also "establishes standards to combat discrimination and marginalization and eliminate human rights violations against them." (via AP)

A concern: According to a new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 80% of Americans "say they do not trust the U.S. government to do what is right." (via NPR)

What you can do:

To learn about organizations working to empower Native American communities: visit "PlanetYouth: The Native American Youth Connection" at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Also see the website of the American Indian College Fund to see how it's helping young adults of Native ancestry further their education. (Bonus: "5 Native Myths You Really Oughta Know About," via Feministing)

Churchy things: The United Church of Christ has produced a gorgeous and exhilarating new video promoting its commitment to justice and equality. (via Debra Haffner)

Unchurchy things: It's been 169 years since Edgar Allan Poe published "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and introduced the world to the detective story. (via Wired)

Young adults of note: Fifteen veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan---most of them under age 30, all of them having had their legs amputated---competed in yesterday's Boston Marathon on behalf of the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans. (via The Boston Globe)

The Yes! Digest: April 19th

2010-04-19T08:33:00.002-04:00

HOUSEKEEPING NOTE: For my sanity and general well-being, posting will decrease to 5 days a week for the foreseeable future. Please visit every Monday through Friday for new issues of the Yes! Digest!

This is: Patriots' Day, which marks the anniversary of the battle (at Lexington and Concord Massachusetts) that started of the Revolutionary War in 1775. To learn more about how and why the American Revolution began, visit the Massachusetts Historical Society's interactive catalogue of original 18th-century documents.

Spirit food: "These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed." -- Abigail Adams

Brain food: Some European countries are turning their garbage into electricity. So why can't the US do it too? (via The New York Times)

Young adults today...: value their privacy (both online and in life) more than the media would have one believe. (via AP)

UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is sponsoring their Freedom Summer social justice education program again this year. For more about the program, which will take place from July 10th to July 17th and will give participants a deeper understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and connection to the activists who led it, visit the UUSC website. (Thanks to the UUSC's Kara Smith for the heads-up!)

UU voices: Jessica at The Gaytheists no longer considers herself to be a Unitarian Universalist. Are her reasons for leaving the church good ones? Go read and find out!

A joy: Last week, President Obama issued a memo securing hospital visitation rights to GLBT people (at least at facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid funding.) (via The Washington Post)

A concern: Also last week, the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan had a burned gay pride flag tacked to its front door. We've come a long way in this country toward eradicating homophobia, but there's still a lot of work to do. (via JoeMyGod)

What you can do:

To help secure civil rights for GLBT people: For as much equality as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people have achieved in the last 40 years, they have not achieved it in one key area: employment. (Currently, 29 states do not prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace.) This could change in 2010, however, if Congress finally passes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that Congress would be voting on ENDA soon---but unfortunately it is lacking the support it needs to pass. To make sure your elected officials support the measure---or to encourage them to support it if they don't---please contact them via the US Senate website. (via JoeMyGod)

To combat homophobia in your community: find and support GLBT community centers in your area at CenterLink. To support school Gay-Straight Alliances, visit the GSA Network.

Churchy things: Can the Bible help you lose weight? Some people think so. (via XX Factor)

Unchurchy things: Curious to try Kentucky Fried Chicken's new Double Down sandwich but don't want to compromise your vegetarianism? Thanks To Vegansaurus, there's a meat-free alternative just for you. It looks...delicious? (via The Morning News)

Young adults of note: Angie De Soto had never heard of climate change before she started college in the fall of 2004. Now she's a nationally recognized student organizer and Virginia Tech's Campus Sustainability Planner. (via Huffington Post)

The Yes! Digest -- April 16th, 2010

2010-04-16T08:33:00.003-04:00

This is: National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. (If you're reading this and you're already at work, I apologize.) Celebrate by kicking back with your bunny slippers!

Spirit food: "Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today, / And give us not to think so far away /As the uncertain harvest; keep us here / All simply in the springing of the year." --- "A Prayer in Spring," Robert Frost

Brain food: Scientists are using MRI technology to figure out why human beings love books so much. (via The Morning News and the U.K. Observer)

Young adults today...: believe---at least if they are female---that the ideal age for a woman to get married is 26. No one can say exactly why this is, but it appears that Bridget Jones has something to do with it. (via Jezebel)

UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Association Office for Congregational Advocacy and Witness led a march on Wednesday in support of the 'Standing on the Side of Love' campaign. The march took place on Boston Common at the same time as the Tea Party rally that welcomed former Alaska governor and Vice-Presidental candidate Sarah Palin. "We're here," said Office and Standing on the Side of love Director Susan Leslie, "to say there is room for the tea party, but there is no space for racism, anti-immigrant sentiment or homophobia. It's really important to say that is not OK." (via The Sun Chronicle Online)

UU voices: At her blog Impolite Conversations, Rev. Leela Singha wonders how we can bring circle worship, and the deep connections it fosters among participants (most of whom are youth and young adults), out of the church basement and into the sanctuary.

A joy: Starting in late March, in response to search queries having to do with suicide, Google began to offer a prominent link to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at the top of its results page. May the presence of this number give people who might be in crisis a chance to ask for support. (via The New York Times)

A concern: Kimberly-Clark is marketing their new Kleenex brand disposable hand towels based on these CDC hygiene guidelines specific to cruise ships and the idea that "your hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them," a phrase that can probably be translated to mean LOOK OUT! Your bath linens are trying to kill you with their GERMS!" Not only is this product unnecessary---there is zero connection between using of cloth hand towels at home and getting sick---but because it's made using 100% virgin wood fiber, it's irresponsible.

What you can do:

To help prevent suicide: According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young adults under age 24 and the second leading cause of death among young adults age 25 to 34. This means that not only have millions of our peers ended their own lives, but many more have considered (or are currently considering) doing so. Most of us know someone who has considered ending his or her life. So what can we do to prevent suicide in our communities? Three words: ASK THE QUESTION. Ask: "How are you doing?" Expect an honest answer. Then listen hard, for as long as it takes. If you have to, ask again: "No, really---how are you doing?" Conversation is protective. Connectedness is protective---if a person feels that they're part of a community, that people care about them, it dramatically lowers their risk of suicide. For more on how to get support for for feelings of stress, depression, or hopelessness---or to help your friends get support---visit Hopeline and NAMI's Strength of Us.

To have a greener, healthier bathroom (and help have a greener, healthier world): It's easy, with the help of the internet, to be an informed consumer. It's also easier (if more expensive) to get environmentally-friendly products. For help finding alternative versions of the stuff you like, visit The Green Guide. To decide which toilet paper is best for you and for the environment, see the Natural Resources Defense Council's Shopper's Guide for Home Tissue. To ask Kimberly-Clark to include recycled content in their products, click here.

Churchy things: Slate's XX Factor wants you to know that the Buddhist nuns in Nepal are "the coolest nuns on the planet." Why? They do kung fu to improve their meditation practice and gain strength and respect. (via The XX Factor and BBC)

Unchurchy things: This Nissan TV ad (for emission-free cars) is nearly silent, but oddly exhilarating. (via JoeMyGod)

Young adults of note: 34 year-old Matt Shipman founded The First Step Project to help young adults and others "overcome inertia when it comes to giving." (via Real Simple)

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The Yes! Digest -- April 15th, 2010

2010-04-15T08:33:00.002-04:00

This is: Tax Day in the United States. If you haven't decided what to do with your refund---and even if you have---please consider donating a portion of it to a local nonprofit organization. To find one, visit Guidestar.

Spirit food: "There is only one question: // how to love this world."" --- "Spring," Mary Oliver

Brain food: What will life be like in ten years? "professors, inventors, 'futurists,' and digital experts" have some ideas. (via Huffington Post)

Young adults today...: are"confusing irony with tragedy, nonchalance with acceptance, a pose with poise, self-dramatization with self-awareness." (via The Rumpus and Bookforum)

UU news -- *NEW!*: The Unitarian Universalist House, a "personal care, assisted living, and nursing care facility" that has served the senior citizens of Philadelphia for 75 years, has announced that it will close by mid-July. 60 people currently live there, and many more benefit from their community outreach programs. (via The Philadelphia Inquirer)

UU voices -- *NEW!*: At Spirituality and Sunflowers, Kinsi wonders if being against consumerism has to mean moralizing to consumers. Head on over and join the conversation!

A joy: British medical journal The Lancet reported this week that fewer mothers worldwide are dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth---materal death rates have dropped 35% in the last 30 years. They attribute the decrease to "lower pregnancy rates in some countries; higher income, which improves nutrition and access to health care; more education for women; and the increasing availability of “skilled attendants”---people with some medical training---to help women give birth." (via The New York Times) (Noted, via AP: a report by the World Health Organization's Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health says that the maternal death rate hasn't decreased at all but "remains steady" at 500,000 deaths a year. For more on this seeming contradiction, listen to this piece from NPR's "Here and Now.")

A concern: Yesterday a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the Qinghai province of China (which is "populated mostly by Tibetans") has killed 600 people and injured thousands. Nearly 90% of the buildings there have collapsed, and the death toll is expected to rise. (via NPR)

What you can do (work for social justice) -- *NEW!*:

Maternal mortality --- Although maternal death rates seem to be dropping, hundreds of thousands of women still die every year as a direct result of having given birth. Most of these deaths occur in developing nations where sexual education and prenatal care are rare and women are likely to give birth in unsanitary conditions without the help of a midwife or other birth attendant. Most of these women are young adults. So how can we help? To start, visit the Changemakers "Healthy Mothers, Strong World Competition" to learn what young adults around the world are doing to help pregnant women survive to care for their children, then vote starting April 28th to decide what projects get funded.

China earthquake --- It seems, unfortunately, that there isn't much to do right now but give money to organizations that are working directly with the people in Qinghai (also known as the Nangchen region.) If you are so inclined, please donate what you can through The Tibetan Village Project, One Heart, or the Amitabha Foundation. To learn more about the lives of the people in Qinhai/Nangchen, visit NYEMA.

Churchy things: "[N]ew federal requirements requiring most people to have health insurance has left room for the Amish — and other religious groups — to maintain their beliefs when it comes to health care." (via AP)

Unchurchy things: Artist Jason LaFerrera creates birds and other wildlife using old maps. (via BoingBoing)

Young adult(s) of note: Katie Washington, a 21 year-old from Gary, Indiana, will be graduating from Notre Dame on May 16th as that school's first African-American valedictorian. According to NBC Chicago, Katie, a biology major, plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D at Johns Hopkins. Congratulations to her---may she go on to great things! (via Feministing)

Bonus -- Freebies!: In need of caffeine today? Bring a reusable mug into any Starbucks and get a free coffee. Other chains---Cinnabon, Dairy Queen, and P.F. Chang's, and more---are offering special deals, too. (via USA Today)

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The Yes! Digest -- April 14th, 2010

2010-04-14T08:33:00.004-04:00

This is: The 182nd anniversary of the day Noah Webster copyrighted his American Dictionary of the English Language and introduced the United States to standardized spelling. To celebrate, play any of the word games at Merriam-Webster Online. (via Wikipedia)

Spirit food: "All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Brain food: Can anyone really know how tall Mount Everest is? (via The Rachel Maddow Show)

Young adults today...: are "not reckless spendthrifts." According to this piece from a UK investment news website, young adults "have begun to recognise the need to save earlier, prioritise debt repayments and give more thought to planning their financial future." (via EveryInvestor)

A joy: I try very hard not to get political in this space---and I also try not to post my own personal joys---but hope you'll indulge me just this once as I report with great happiness that conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who encouraged listeners of his radio show to "run" from any church with the words "social justice" on its website, was barraged last week via Twitter (by Jewish Funds for Justice) with a day-long "haiku storm" of protest: Samples include "Do unto others..." / If that's not social justice / I don't know what is" and "Do you have to check / your church website for justice / to know that it's there?" (via Huffington Post) (An interesting aside: in this clip from an episode of his TV show aired in early April, Beck wonders how President Obama may have been affected by the fact that his grandparents once attended the East Shore Unitarian Church in Bellevue, Washington.)

A concern: This past Friday, a 33 year-old nurse, Torry Hansen, sent back to Russia the little boy she adopted last September because she felt she could no longer care for him. The boy, named Artyom, is now being cared for in Moscow, but it's not clear what will happen to him next. Hansen is not yet speaking to the authorities. Please keep them both in your hearts. (via The Moscow Times)

Churchy things: "Are College Professors Less Religious than the General Population?" (via Sociological Images --- thanks to Victoria for the link!)

Unchurchy things: Especially for those of us from the BCD and MBD---the producers of MTV's Jersey Shore are currently casting Wicked Summer, a show about "the hottest girls and proudly buff guys from Massa-freakin-chusettes who believe in God, Family, The Red Sox and partying!!" (Editorial note: is it prissy of me to note their misspelling of our state's name?) If you're interested in applying to be on the show---they say they're accepting all kinds, even "preps from Wellesley [...] if they got what it takes"---you can click here. (via Slate, whose Jessica Grose predicted back in January that this show would be forthcoming.)

Young adult(s) of note: 33 year-old composer Sean Chapin seeks to "document the LGBT movement in song." (to learn more, Visit his YouTube channel or the website promoting his album, More Equal Union.) (via JoeMyGod)

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The Yes! Digest -- April 13th, 2010

2010-04-13T08:32:00.002-04:00

This is: Thomas Jefferson's birthday. The third President of the United States and writer of the Declaration of Independence would be 267 years old today. Eat some ice cream in his honor---he loved it---or even make some using this recipe found among his papers at Monticello.

Spirit food: "Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." --- Thomas Jefferson

Brain food: Scientists are reconsidering whether hallucinogens could effectively treat depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (via The New York Times)

Young adults today...: should not feel embarrassed to seek help for our bed-wetting behavior.

A joy: Hope therapy uses "goal-setting and motivational techniques" to energize and inspire people battling mild depression. (via Ode)

A concern: Three months after the earthquake that devastated Haiti, thousands of people are still living in tents as hurricane season approaches. (via BBC)

Churchy things: After several years spent trying to distance itself from the term, the LDS church has decided "to embrace and revitalize" "the M-word." (via The Pew Forum) Also, for proof that UUs and LDS have more in common than one might think, check out Feminist Mormon Housewives.

Unchurchy things: Join the world's biggest book club---on Twitter. (via The Rumpus)

Young adult(s) of note: Yassmine el Ksaihi, age 24, works as the administrator of her Dutch mosque and is seeking to help her faith become "more accessible to young Muslims born in a secular nation and make Muslims more acceptable to their neighbors." Under her direction, in order to to appeal to young adults, services are conducted in Dutch rather than Arabic and men and women pray together in the same room. (via AP)

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The Yes! Digest -- April 12th, 2010

2010-04-12T08:32:00.001-04:00

This is: National Drop Everything and Read Day. (Those of you who read Beverly Cleary's Ramona books in your youth might already be familiar with DEAR. Cleary turns 94 today.) To celebrate DEAR Day, take some time to reread a book you loved as a kid.

Spirit food: "There are books so alive that you're always afraid that while you weren't reading, the book has gone and changed, has shifted like a river; while you went on living, it went on living too, and like a river moved on and moved away. No one has stepped twice into the same river. But did anyone ever step twice into the same book?" --- Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva

Brain food: "Another thought to disturb slumber: For an octopus to imprison a human, all it would need is a gate with 3 doorknobs." -- Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist , on Twitter. I have no idea if this is true, but I'm inclined to believe it. (via Reddit)

Young adults today...: are "too cool" for the census, at least according to NPR. We also don't feel that the census matters or that it will impact our lives or the lives of our friends: "If you don't count," said one person interviewed for the story, "why be counted?" (Prove them wrong, folks---send yours back!) (via NPR)

A joy: I'm a little late to the party on this, but---Ben and Jerry's has announced that all the ingredients used in the production of their ice cream will be certified Fair Trade by 2013. (via Ode)

A concern: Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, a former deputy Prime Minister of Poland, was killed---along with 95 others, including President Lech Kaczynski and his wife---in a plane crash on Saturday. Jaruga-Nowacka spent much of her career advocating for the rights of women and LGBT people in Poland. (via Jezebel)

Churchy things: Can a minister keep leading a community of believers even if he or she has become, over time, atheist or agnostic? A piece in yesterday's Boston Globe takes on the phenomenon of "nonbelieving clergy." (via The Boston Globe)

Unchurchy things: Can't afford that modernist masterpiece of a house you've been craving? You might, like these cool and creative people, be able to own it in miniature. (Via The New York Times)

Young adult(s) of note: 18 year-old college freshman Andrew Kim has designed a greener soda bottle. (via Packaging World)

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The Yes! Digest -- April 11th, 2010

2010-04-11T13:31:00.002-04:00

This is: National Holocaust Remembrance Day. To participate in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's names reading ceremony and other forms of web-based programming, visit their Facebook page.

Spirit food: "Religion is not supposed to provide certainty. [...] [T]here can be no certainty about God. Nobody has the last word about God. God exceeds our dogmatism. God exceeds our limited little ideas. God is what the Jewish mystics call Ein Sof, without end. And we are plunging into mystery. And that if we try to limit God and make Him fit neatly into a simplistic ideology, then we're cutting God down to size." -- Karen Armstrong on "Voices on Antisemitism" (via ushmm.org)

Brain food: A 9 year-old boy---the son of a paleoanthropologist---has discovered the fossilized remains of a previously-unknown hominid species: Australopithecus sediba lived almost two million years ago in what is now South Africa. (via The New York Times)

Young adults today...: are unlikely to believe that certain kinds of intimate behavior count as "sex." (via CBS News)

A joy: Tonight, PBS's Masterpiece will air a new adaptation of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl made for the BBC. This original screenplay is supposedly more faithful to the text of Frank's diary than any previous version.

A concern: Last month 23,000 public school teachers were laid off in California. This is terrible news for the state's children and also terrible news for those young adults who have chosen to go into education: because of a state law mandating that newer teachers be laid off first, they are vulnerable to having their careers derailed right at the start.

Churchy things: If you didn't go to service this morning but still want to be enlightened, check out Tapestry, a radio show produced by the CBC that describes itself as "a weekly exploration of spirituality, religion and the search for meaning." Episodes dating back to 1994 can be streamed for free online.

Unchurchy things: In addition to being Holocaust Remembrance Day, it's also Barbershop Quartet Day. Celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America---now the Barbershop Harmony Society---by watching this classic episode of The Simpsons.

Young adult(s) of note: The geniuses at MIT have done it again: somebody (or more likely several somebodies) has installed a den, upside-down, outside the Media Lab, supposedly for the amusement of students arriving for "preview weekend." (via The Boston Globe)

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The Yes! Digest: April 10th, 2010

2010-04-10T08:38:00.056-04:00

This is: Siblings' Day, at least in the 35 states that officially recognize it. Even if yours doesn't, you can still use it as an excuse to call your brother(s) and/or sister(s.)

Spirit food: "...[Eternity] could live in me / like the accidental star inside the apple, / like the apple, however blighted, inside the the tree." -- Deborah Digges, "Ancestral Lights" (Digges, a poet, memoirist, and teacher, died suddenly one year ago today.)

Brain food: Who knew there were so many pop songs about literature? This list will get you dancing and make you feel smarter. (via Flavorwire)

Young adults today...: will apparently decrease our vulnerability to heart disease by consuming "2 or 3 standard drinks a day." This is good news, although it should be noted that our risk of getting heart disease before age 40 is already incredibly low. (via The Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

A joy: The Mass Bay District of the UUA wants to know how their churches can serve young adults more effectively! To help them "envision what a spiritual community for young adults might look like," please take a few minutes and complete this survey. (via CampUUsMinister)

A concern: In March, 16 dolphins stranded themselves on Cape Cod. This week, a grey whale beached itself in British Columbia and a single young humpbacked whale was found at East Hampton, Long Island. Scientists who work with marine mammals aren't sure why this sort of thing has been happening so frequently, but one can't help but feel distressed for these poor creatures and wonder why they're so inclined, lately, to fling themselves out of the sea. (To learn how you can volunteer with IFAW, which rescues beached whales and dolphins, visit their website.)

Churchy things: In the midst of a worldwide sexual abuse crisis involving members of the Catholic clergy, Mary Gordon answers the question "How do some of us stay in the Church?" ("In grief," she says, "in sadness, with a resolve not to be shut out by those who say they are speaking in the name of the Father." To read more, click the link above.) (via The Huffington Post)

Unchurchy things: By checking out this amazing mixed-media animation about skateboarding, your day will be made infinitely better. (via The Rumpus)

Young adult(s) of note: Mara and Dave Lateiner, young adults from Millburn, New Jersey, want your family to read together. At their blog, The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot, which they keep with daughters Lauryn and Sami, they highlight books (usually in the YA/middle-grade range) that can be enjoyed by all ages and will help connect parents and children. (via Jezebel)

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The Yes! Digest -- April 9th, 2010

2010-04-09T08:38:00.000-04:00

Wondering why there's no Share Your Faith question this week? Check out yesterday's post!

This is: National Name Yourself Day. (Do you feel your name fits who you truly are? What would you name yourself, if you could?) (via Namely Marly)

Spirit food (in honor of Name Yourself Day): "Please call me by my true names, / so I can hear all my cries of and laughter at once / so I can see that my pain and joy are one." -- Thich Nhat Hahn, "Please Call Me By My True Names"

Brain food: Ever wondered what our planet---and its weather, and the effects of climate change---looks like from space? The London Guardian, in collaboration with NASA, presents Satellite Eye on Earth, a gallery of photographs showing everything from sandstorms in China to floods in Spain. (via Very Short List)

Young adults today...: will text message in almost any environment or situation, even when it might get them kicked out of bed. (via TG Daily)

A joy: It appears that playing video games---specifically Tetris---after experiencing a major trauma can "wipe out the bad memories and reduce distressing flashbacks," helping to prevent the onset of PTSD. (via The Telegraph)

A concern: On Wednesday evening an unidentified 23 year-old man was killed in Boston when he was hit by a bus while trying to pry loose his bicycle, which had gotten stuck on some trolley tracks. The driver of the bus was 29---also a young adult. Please keep both these people and their families in your thoughts and hearts today. (Via WCVB)

Churchy things: Judith Shulevitz's book The Sabbath World is, she says, "the history of a good idea": it considers the day of rest as it's been observed throughout Judeo-Christian history and wonders if we'd all benefit from reviving the practice of unplugging once a week, literally and figuratively. (Jen's review: an elegant meditation and a convincing argument that the pace of modern life makes the practice of keeping the Sabbath---in whatever way you choose---more necessary, not less.) (via Slate and Fresh Air)

Unchurchy things: Someone figured out how to make music based on the movements of the planets in our solar system. I don't understand how it works, but it's eerie and beautiful (and eerily beautiful.) (via The Rumpus)

Young adult(s) of note: Mobolaji Akiode, a 27 year-old Nigerian-American athlete, has founded Hope 4 Girls Africa, a non-profit devoted to empowering African girls between ages 12 and 18 by encouraging them to play basketball. To learn more about the program, and to donate, click the link above. (via Good Morning America)

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Experiment: The Yes! Digest -- April 8th, 2010

2010-04-08T08:37:00.003-04:00

In response to comments and emails from you, the readers, I'm experimenting with changing the format here at Generation Yes.

This digest format (which I'm thinking of as "church -- quick and dirty" and which I think will fit the YA lifestyle better than what I've been doing up til now) consists of nine content categories, updated daily with new information based on what's going on in the world and what you send me. The categories are designed to present a variety of perspectives and ideas (although I'll admit that---especially at first, they will probably reflect my personal interests and biases) and can be perused without too much time and/or effort.

Some of the regular features (notably the meditation, "Young Adults Are..." and resource posts) will have different names and be updated daily instead of weekly; others, like "Share Your Faith," will be replaced by something else entirely. You will be able to participate in the comments by adding your own joys and/or concerns (either personal or not), expressing your opinions on the various links, and suggesting content to add or subtract.

It's my hope that this new format will be more fun to read (and write) and that I'll be able to have content available seven days a week, both on here and on Facebook (once I get around to syndicating it.)

Check out the categories (and their explanations) below:

This is (so we can focus on the present): "One Day Without Shoes." The program, sponsored by TOMS, encourages participants to go barefoot on April 8th in order "to spread awareness about the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child’s life." (Millions of children around the world---particularly those in developing nations---suffer illness and injury because their feet are exposed to the elements.) (Via Facebook)

Spirit food (so we can meditate): "How do you reckon your little music?" -- Mark Doty, "In the Airport Marshes"

Brain food (so we can learn): A new element---the fifth one to be discovered since 2000---has been added to the Periodic Table. The as-yet-unnamed element, number 117, was discovered at Russia's Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, which is known for "flinging heavy ions at targets." When researchers "fired beams of calcium ions" at a target made from radioactive berkelium, six atoms of the new element "existed for between 21 and 45 millionths of a second." (via The Christian Science Monitor)

Young adults today... (so we can be aware of what's being said about our generation, by us and others): are "young and hip," still "doing their own thing," and wanting their parents to stop trying to be cool because "forty is forty---not twenty." (via The DePaulian)

A joy (so we can celebrate the good in the world): The United States and Russia will take an step today toward reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world by signing a renewed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. (via The Boston Globe)

A concern (so we can conscious of the world outside and of other people): At least four of the people who died in this week's mine explosion in Montcoal, West Virginia---Cory Davis, age 20, Jason Atkins, age 25, Josh Napper, age 27, and Gary Quarles, age 33---were young adults. To learn more about them and their families, visit the Huntington Herald-Dispatch. To donate to the West Virginia Council of Churches' disaster fund, click here. (via The Huffington Post)

Churchy things (so we can keep pursue our Unitarian Universalism faith and values in some way every day): David Grubin's film, The Buddha---"a two-hour Buddhist Sunday-school lesson for grown-ups, and perhaps their kids, as well"---premiered last night on PBS. (Jen's review: inspiring, accessible, appropriate for all ages and necessary for all UU religious education programs, particularly those offering the "Neighboring Faiths" curriculum.) (via Slate)

Unchurchy things (so we can relax): Harry Potter fans rejoice! At Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll, J.K. Rowling hinted at the possibility that she may add a new book to the series by 2020. (via The Washington Post)

Young adult(s) of note (so we can have confidence in our peers and be motivated by them): The members of DoRAK, a student group at the University of Michigan formed in 2001 "to promote genuine acts of kindness" on campus and beyond, have partnered with Apple to create the DoGood iPhone app, which prompts you to to one good deed (example: "Light a candle to support an important cause. Display it prominently. It's a reminder of those fighting for what you believe in") daily. (via Tonic)

Have a joy or concern you'd like to share? A link you'd like me to include next time? A suggestion for a 10th category? Strong feelings one way or the other about this format? Comment by clicking the speech bubble to the left!

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-04-06T08:35:00.000-04:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time again for the internet to tell young adults about our lives: our interests, concerns, priorities, and opinions. Is the internet right about us? Only you can say.

This week, young adults are...

Wasting our money on weight-loss supplements.

Being used as "free labor," illegally, by working as unpaid interns before and after college graduation.

"Eagerly awaiting" the sequel to 1980's Official Preppy Handbook for some reason. (My fellow BCDers might be interested to know that three of our towns---Chatham and Duxbury, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island---are classified in the OPH as places where preppies are likely to be found.)

Not sure whether or not having a good work ethic is important. (According to the young adults interviewed for this piece in the Washington Post, they personally are not lazy and spoiled---but their friends and coworkers are.)

"Extremely or very interested" in buying an iPad.

More likely than past generations to identify---if we are women---as lesbian or bisexual. (According to this blog post at Psychology Today, 15% of "young females" say they're not straight. The author, a "physician and a psychologist," wonders: "Are there so many girl-girl couples out there because that's truly who they are - or because the guys are such losers?")

Today's comment questions: Do you spend your money on Xenedrine Ultra? Are you a lazy, preppy lesbian desperate for an Apple tablet?

Also, a weirdness: last Friday's post on the future of YA ministry (haven't commented yet? click here!) came back to me on Sunday when it was included in the Google Alert I receive daily via email.

Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

2010-04-05T08:18:00.005-04:00

At start of spring I open a trench
in the ground. I put into it
the winter's accumulation of paper,
pages I do not want to read
again, useless words, fragments,
errors. And I put into it
the contents of the outhouse:
light of the sun, growth of the ground,
finished with one of their journeys.

To the sky, to the wind, then,
and to the faithful trees, I confess
my sins: that I have not been happy
enough, considering my good luck,
have listened to too much noise,
have been inattentive to wonders,
have lusted after praise.
And then upon the gathered refuse
of mind and body, I close the trench,
folding shut again the dark,
the deathless earth. Beneath that seal
the old escapes into the new.

--- Wendell Berry, "A Purification"

Comments are closed on this post, but if you missed Friday's post on the future of young adult ministry and want to share your opinion on how Unitarian Universalist congregations and their young adult members can work together to make church a better place and experience for everyone, please click here to comment!

Recap Saturday!

2010-04-03T22:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the weekend and to our newest feature here at Generation Yes: Recap Saturday! Each week you'll have the opportunity to catch up on whichever blog posts you may have missed, and also check out the kind of things young adults around the country and the world have been thinking, saying, and creating.

What you may have missed this week while you were busy out there in the world:

On Monday, we meditated on this reading about the miracle of Easter from the Reverend Victoria Safford.

Tuesday had us talking, among other things, about how best to do laundry.

Wednesday's post was non-existent, postponed until next week so I could rest the shoulder I injured while at a youth conference last weekend. Typing has been painful, and posting might continue to be a little wonky into next week as I recover. I apologize and hope you'll bear with me!

On Thursday we learned about a grant being offered by the Ballou Channing District which would allow congregations to improve their young adult programming options and outreach activities. (If your church is in southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island, you should apply!)

Friday asked: what do you want the term "young adult ministry" to mean? What do you want church to be?

Please comment on any and all of these posts (especially the last one.)

What various talented, curious, truly awesome young adults have been up to:

Lisbeth Miller, a young adult artist from Maine, creates gorgeous cut-paper mandalas that she sells in her Etsy shop. To learn more about Lisbeth, visit the blog she keeps with her mother, Martha Miller. (via SouleMama.)

One of Ze Frank's current projects is called "Young Me/Now Me," and it consists of people---mostly it's called and it consists of people---mostly young adults---restaging their baby pictures.

April is National Poetry Month! Every Saturday this month I'll be posting links to poetry written by people under 40. First up, several pieces by Michael Lynch: Read "Song of Suburbia," "Small Thanks," and "Lost" at White Whale Review and "Falling in Love With the Girl With a Facial Tic" and "You Will Disregard the Following Directives" at In Posse Review.

Have a wonderful Sunday and I'll see you Monday morning!

Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Share Your Faith #12: On Young Adult Ministry

2010-04-02T20:50:00.005-04:00

In my capacity as young adult ministry consultant for the Ballou Channing District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I spend a lot of time thinking about what exactly we mean when we talk about young adult ministry.

What does young adult ministry look like? Who does the work and who supports it? I have my own opinions, but I'm very interested in hearing yours.

Does ministering to young adults mean:

offering them unique programming (special services, etc.) separate from traditional programming and designed to entice them to remain active in their congregations?

modifying traditional programming in order to make it more accessible for people of all generations, including young adults?

forming a community of people like them (in their 20s and 30s) in which they can grow and change, either as part of a church or as a separate fellowship?

trying to integrate them into the larger church community by listening to their concerns and offering them opportunities for leadership?

mentoring them, providing both spiritual support and/or life-guidance in the form of practical assistance (meals, childcare, social activities, adult religious education opportunities)---those things that will help them feel connected to a church community?

Who would do this ministry work? Would it be done, ideally, by professional staff, i.e, ministers who specialize in working with the young adult population, in churches and in the community? Would it be done by young adults themselves? Or by some combination of the two?

Today's comment question: What would you like to see young adult ministry become? What---if anything---would help you feel more connected to your church and to Unitarian Universalism?
Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Thursday Resource: BCD Young Adult Ministry Outreach Grant

2010-04-01T23:19:00.007-04:00

Is your congregation looking for help in reaching out to young adults? Is your church's current YA ministry program in need of revitalization? Do you live in southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island?

The Ballou Channing District wants to support you! Until May 15th, 2010, it will be accepting applications for the new Young Adult Ministry Grant, which will award $1000 to a congregation looking to fund young adult-focused programming.

The funds could be used to:

Develop a targeted ministry based in the congregation to support or develop spiritual growth, life growth, and/or membership and congregation involvement of post-college-age young adults; and/or,

Increase awareness of and interest in the Unitarian Universalist movement among young adults within the congregation’s community or on a local college/university campus; and/or

Provide a ministry on a college/university campus, such as spiritual retreats, conferences, outreach, worship, group start-up, or a stipend for a campus chaplain or program coordinator

Connect the congregation to students attending a local college or university

The program or ministry should be considered a part of an outreach program of the congregation and should be incorporated into the overall mission of the congregation for continuing attention.

Learn more about the grant (and apply*) by clicking here. Any questions can be directed to either me or to District Executive Bill Zelazny at zelaz (at) aol (dot) com.

*Application must be printed out and mailed.

Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-03-30T21:32:00.001-04:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time again for the internet to tell young adults about our lives: our interests, concerns, priorities, and opinions. Is the internet right about us? Only you can say.

This week, young adults are...

"Baffled by laundry instructions." (According to the linked piece, published in London's Daily Telegraph, our inability to read care labels results in, on average, three ruined pieces of clothing per year. Also, one-third of young adults will throw away a stained piece of clothing instead of laundering it.)

Getting our news almost exclusively via internet and cell phone.

More likely than other groups to identify as Charismatic Christians. (29% of Christians between the ages of 26 and 44, both Catholic and Protestant, say they have been "'filled with the Holy Spirit' and that God has given them at least one of the charismatic gifts, such as tongues, prophecy, or healing.")

"Sexting" in large numbers. (59% of us have sent or posted "sexually suggestive messages" at some point.)

"Overusing emergency rooms for medical care" because we lack insurance.

Not particularly affected, at least when it comes to academics, by binge drinking behavior. (The linked study, by the Boston University School of Public Health, finds that " surprisingly, binge drinking the night before a test does not impact college students' test performance.")

Today's comment question: does this information speak to your personal experience? Have you needed to visit to emergency room because you didn't have a doctor? Do you watch the evening news? Do you think you're capable of doing your own laundry?

Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

(You might notice that the "like" button is missing. I removed it because the javascript was slowing down the site, but I'm on the lookout for another version.)

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

2010-03-29T08:17:00.019-04:00

The dead shall rise again.

We know, because we've seen it.

We don't know, and never will, where the leaf's strength comes from in the spring. We don't know, and never will, entirely, where our own strength comes from. But we have known despair, some of us, and deep discouragement, some of us, and discord of the mind and heart, or disasters in the body or the spirit or in both.

We have known dead hope, dead courage, dead caring, dead will, dead faith, dead vision, dead power, deep winter, and we have felt, perhaps when we least expected to feel anything at all, our own slow blood stir in the vein like maple sap, and something very small and tight within begin to swell and open up, urgent, imperceptible at first, then undeniable - love lives again that with the dead has been.

Did the sun come up this morning, no thanks to us and all for us, and did the earth awake again, or did it not?

We will testify to resurrection.

--- Rev. Victoria Safford

Comments are closed. If you have comments or questions, please drop me an email using the address in the sidebar.

NEW FEATURE Recap Saturday!

2010-03-27T08:25:00.112-04:00

Welcome to the weekend and to our newest feature here at Generation Yes: Recap Saturday! Each week you'll have the opportunity to catch up on whichever blog posts you may have missed, and also check out the kind of things young adults around the country and the world have been thinking, saying, and creating.

What you may have missed this week while you were busy out there in the world:

On Monday, we meditated on this quotation from T.H. White's The Once and Future King (and officially closed comments on meditation posts from now on.)

Tuesday informed us, among other things, that we're not really engaging in political activism on the web---we're just showing off.

Wednesday had us wondering whether it's possible to abide by the fourth principle of Unitarian Universalism---"a free and responsible search for truth and meaning"---online.

On Thursday we started compiling a soundtrack for young adulthood (and added a "like" button to posts. You should use it!)

Friday posed the question: what's your ultimate concern?

What various talented, curious, truly awesome young adults have been up to:

Anonymous YAs in Cape May, New Jersey---members of Salty Knits---have been engaged in a guerrilla knitting project, beautifying their neighborhoods by knitting and purling under the cover of darkness:

Tiny Furniture, a film by 23 year-old Lena Dunham, won the narrative jury prize at this year's South by Southwest festival:

Composer Eric Whitacre conducted a "virtual choir" made up of 183 people singing alone together:

Today's comment question: what have you been up to lately? Are there any projects you're excited to be working on? Do you have any plans for the weekend?

Have fun doing whatever it is you do---I'll see you Monday morning!

Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left. To rate this post, please click the thumb icons below the title.

Share Your Faith #11: On "Ultimate Concern"

2010-03-26T02:00:00.007-04:00

John and Hank Green, a.k.a. the vlogbrothers, discuss
the notion of "ultimate concern"

In a series of videos posted last week as part of the popular YouTube series vlogbrothers, the writer John Green asked his brother Hank (and their thousands of fans, called "Nerdfighters") to think about the idea of "ultimate concern," which he defines as "the thing or value you prize above all others: the one you would die for---the one you would kill for."

Though he doesn't say it, Green is referring to a philosophy put forth by German theologian Paul Tillich. For Tillich, the "ultimate concern" of every human being---the thing we are called to devote our whole mind and heart to with utter and unconditional seriousness---is the thing that connects us to the infinite whole: to God. This concern will be different for every person, depending on his or her personality: for the artist, it could be painting; for the scientist, the exploration of the cell; for the parent, the act of unconditional love.

What the "ultimate concern" cannot be, according to Tillich, is anything he calls "finite": our worldly priorities (our loved ones, jobs, finances, churches, beliefs, etc.), no matter how important and valuable they are or may seem to us, can never satisfy our need for transcendence and awe and serve only to separate us from the source of all things:

Every concern is tyrannical and [...] tries to become our ultimate concern, our god. The concern about our work often succeeds in becoming our god, as does the concern about another human being, or about pleasure. [...] But these concerns are finite, they conflict with each other, they burden our consciences because we cannot do justice to all of them. --- Paul Tillich, The New Being

At the end of his first video about the concept of "ultimate concern," John asks the following questions:

Should your ultimate concern by limited to your family? Should it be about politics or policy? About your community or your nation or the human species? Should it take into account other species and if so should those species be treated as equal to humans? Or should self-preservation and our own needs trump everything?

Today's comment questions: how would you answer him? What, using either John Green's or Paul Tillich's definition, do you think your ultimate concern is right now?

Note: to comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left. To rate this post, please click the thumb icons below the title.

Thursday Resource: "Songs to Grow Up By" Archive (Part I -- The Good Life: Blessed)

2010-03-25T08:49:00.015-04:00

(Did you miss last Thursday's post about resources for Unitarian Universalist parents? Read it here!)

Does young adulthood have a soundtrack? What does it sound like?

Two years ago, with this question in mind, I asked my friends, family, and colleagues to help me generate a playlist of songs that could comfort, inspire, and empower people who are in the process of becoming. I got so many wonderful suggestions for songs back then that one playlist became FIVE playlists, each one with a different theme. (The original playlists have been updated often since April 2008 to include newer music.)

The first playlist, GOOD LIFE: BLESSED, consists of songs that have made people happy or energized them when they've been feeling low:

1. "Energy" -- Apples In Stereo

2. "All This Beauty" -- The Weepies

3. "I Gotta Feeling" -- Black Eyed Peas

4. "Everything I Need" -- Melissa Ferrick

5. "Ça Plan Pour Moi" -- Plastic Bertrand

6. "Beautiful Life" -- Fisher

7. "Ask" -- The Smiths

8. "Exactly" -- Amy Steinberg

9. "Such Great Heights" -- The Postal Service

10. "Good Day Sunshine" -- The Beatles

I'll be keeping this playlist (and the others, which will be added as on future Thursdays) active in an archive here at Generation Yes. If a song has been meaningful for you, please tell us! All contributions---style, genre, artist, or age---will be accepted!

Today's comment question: what music gives you a lift? Has a particular song helped you feel more confident about the direction of your life?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Young Adults Online Part 5: LTLYM As a Spiritual Practice

2010-03-24T08:48:00.003-04:00

Last week, as part of our series on young adults online, we discussed whether it is possible to abide by the third principle of Unitarian Universalism on the web: can we be truly accepting of others on the internet? Can we help people on their journey to spiritual growth? (That post can be found here. Our post on the first principle, which focuses on human dignity, is here; our post on the second principle, about compassion, is here.)

This week, and on each of the next three Wednesdays, we'll be examining how to use technology to deepen one's spiritual practice and whether it's possible to live out the seven principles on the web.

Principle IV: We the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

The internet is a community of seekers: everyone who uses it is searching for something. Mostly they're in need of facts: yesterday, the top 25 Google searches included the questions "How old is Pamela Anderson?" and "What's in the health care bill?" Sometimes, they're looking for insight: on Yahoo! Answers, it's possible to ask strangers for the answer to everything from "What is the difference between solitude and loneliness?" to "How should I get inspired to write? How do you?"

Some aren't looking for answers at all: they're using the internet as another venue in which to continue the search for meaning in their lives and are hoping for a little companionship along the way. All over the web, seekers are collaborating to inspire each other to listen closely, explore further, do more, and (over time) discover their purposes for being here in the world.

LISTEN -- HEAR OTHERS TALK ABOUT THEIR SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND MEANING

1. At This I Believe, people from all walks of life are able to "describ[e] the core values that guide their daily lives."

2. Through the StoryCorps project, people are encouraged to "talk about the questions that matter" with their loved ones and to record their conversations for posterity.

3. TED talks---short video lectures by fascinating people about why they do the work they do---provide insight into how curiosity makes the world go 'round.

EXPLORE -- PLACES TO LEARN ABOUT VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW (OR TO BENEFIT FROM THE COLLECTED WISDOM OF THE AGES)

1. The Meaning of Life considers, in 44 different ways, what it means to be human.

2. MeaningS of Life allows philosophers to explain who human beings are and why we're here.

3. At the Internet Sacred Text Archive, we can discover how different faith traditions tackle the "big questions."

DO -- WAYS TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE

1. Wish Jar, the online home of writer and artist Keri Smith, suggests hundreds of ways to live a fuller, more creative life. If you're looking for small ways to change your perspective, start with this list.

2. Learning To Love You More is a project curated by the writer, artist and filmmaker Miranda July. It consists of assignments intended to help people interact with their neighbors (and with themselves) in ways they otherwise might not. Though the project has concluded, it's still possible to complete assignments on your own.

3. At MISSion Amy K.R., writer and filmmaker Amy Krouse Rosenthal provides "adventurers" with ways to "stretch [their] legs (and mind[s.])"

Does the internet help you in your search for truth and/or meaning? Are there sites you turn to when you're feeling lost or in need of insight?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-03-23T08:14:00.004-04:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time again for the internet to tell young adults about our lives: our interests, concerns, priorities, and opinions. Is the internet right about us? Only you can say.

This week, young adults are...

"Slacktivists." According to The Economist, Millennials engage in online political and social activism not to do good, but to show off: they wish to "broadcast" it to their peers.

The best-educated generation in American history. (The study the linked article refers to is this one by the Pew Forum.)

Set to get more student loan money. Eventually. (The maximum Pell Grant, currently set at $5,350, will increase to $5,917 by 2017.)

Of the opinion that gay marriage is inevitable.

More likely, if they are straight men, to make poor decisions while in the presence of beautiful women.

"Focusing on the positive aspects of their transition to adulthood rather than dwelling on plans that have fallen through or have been put on hold indefinitely."

How does this information make you feel? Does it give you hope for the future, or not?

As always, comments are much appreciated!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

2010-03-22T08:13:00.003-04:00

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then – to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you." --- T.H. White, THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING

(Comments will be closed on Monday posts from now on, the better to meditate. If you have comments or questions, drop me an email!)

Thursday Resource: For Unitarian Universalist Parents and Families

2010-03-18T08:49:00.005-04:00

Are you a Unitarian Universalist parent looking for guidance, support, and community as your raise your family? These resources are especially for you:

The new Unitarian Universalist Parenting Blog is now online! This weekly online column by Michelle Richards, religious educator and author of the book Tending the Flame: The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting, will inspire people raising their children in our faith to

Lynn Tuttle Gunney, who wrote the picture book Meet Jesus: Lessons from a Beloved Teacher (which "focuses on Jesus’ humanity rather than divinity") , maintains a list of resources for parents raising their children in liberal religious traditions like Unitarian Universalism.

What makes a UU family? The Rev. Phillip Lund, currently on sabbatical from his position as Lifespan Program Director for the Prairie Star District of the UUA, is finding out. Check out his blog, Being a UU Family, to join the conversation!

At his blog The Memeing of Life, which functions as a companion to the books Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion and Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief (co-authored with Jan Devor, Director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis), Dale McGowan writes about "secular parenting and other wonders." The site also includes a comprehensive list of books for liberal religious families.

I'm sure there are more, and I'll be updating this list as I find them!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-03-16T08:13:00.001-04:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time again for the internet to tell young adults about our lives: our interests, concerns, priorities, and opinions. Is the internet right about us? Only you can say.

This week, young adults are:

L.L. Bean's new target demographic. (Bean's new "Signature" line, which launched this month, has been designed specifically for young adults.)

Increasingly anti-choice. (24% believe that abortion should be legal under all circumstances.)

Not the carefree co-eds people assume we are. (More than a quarter of students at four-year institutions work and go school full-time.)

In need of a sex-ed refresher course.

Less likely to buy unhealthy foods if those foods are more expensive.

BONUS: How well do you fit in with the millennial generation? Take the Pew Research Forum's quiz to find out and then post your score in the comments!

Does any of this information resonate with your experience? Are you reluctant to pay more for pizza? Do you believe the sex-ed you received as a teenager helps keep you well and happy today? Do you think you'll wear any of the L.L. Bean Signature collection's "key looks"?

Comments are, as always, much appreciated!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

2010-03-15T08:46:00.002-04:00

"To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest." --- Pema Chödrön

What does this mean to you? Comments will be most gratefully accepted!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Share Your Faith Question #9: Like, Literally

2010-03-12T23:24:00.076-05:00

John Della Volpe from the Harvard IOP discusses the results of the poll on C-SPAN

Every week---courtesy of a daily Google Alert---about 350 news stories that include the term "young adults" appear in my email inbox. Usually, by Thursday, it's apparent a theme has developed in the media coverage: based on a single poll or survey, news organizations attempt to draw an attention-grabbing, headline-worthy conclusion about the experiences and opinions of an entire generation.

This week's conclusion? Young adults have "lost faith" in, well, basically everything: according to a poll by Harvard’s Institute of Politics---in which just over 3,000 people between ages 18 and 29 were interviewed about their "political preferences and activity," their "opinions of President Obama and Congress," and their "trust in American and international institutions"---we are "anxious," freaked out," "glum," and "pessimistic" about "the future," "the government," "the economy" and "the American Dream"; we don't trust large institutions to provide for us or to keep our best interest in mind.

I don't doubt that poll results are accurate: there is, of course, no shortage of evidence to support the idea that the country is going to hell in a hand-basket. I do wonder, though, whether such grim attitudes are sustainable. Can we stay pessimistic in the long-term, even after the economy recovers, or is a return to at least some small degree of optimism inevitable? Can our faith in things unrelated to current events help us revive our collective confidence?

This week's "Share Your Faith" question is literal: what things/concepts/institutions do you have faith in?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Thursday Resource: Young Adults at General Assembly

2010-03-11T08:23:00.004-05:00

A guest post from Victoria Mitchell, co-moderator of the General Assembly Young Adult Caucus:

Hey (amazing) readers of ‘Generation Yes!’ My name is Victoria Mitchell and I am the co-moderator (with Royal Forest) of General Assembly’s Young Adult Caucus. This year’s General Assembly (GA) is in Minneapolis, Minnesota from June 23rd to 27th. I just want to let you know about what we’ll be up to this year!

Young Adult Caucus is a young adult community with its own programming within GA. Young Adult Caucus has served many purposes over the years: it has been a social space, an opportunity for networking, a discussion forum for delegates, and a worship space. This year we plan on it being all this and more! GA is an exciting opportunity to serve and/or represent your congregation as well as be involved in the business and shared knowledge of our denomination. Young adults come to GA from all walks of UU life – as leaders, students, congregants, religious educators, professional staff, and ministers.

This year, Young Adult Caucus will be hosting two workshops to facilitate this sharing of knowledge. The first, “Young Adults and Worship: Soulful Sundown and Beyond” will be a panel talk by Rev. Michael Tino, Rev. Scott Sammler-Michael, Aidan McCormack, and Matt Meyer. Our speakers will talk about how to create new worship opportunities that satisfy young adults and how to bring contemporary worship elements into your Sunday morning service. Our other workshop is back by popular demand, and is essentially a question and answer session for anyone at GA and young adults regarding young adult issues. Titled “What Young Adults Look For in a Congregation,” the dialogue facilitated here can go anywhere. Last year there were questions on all topics, from use of technology to elements of a worship service, from social justice opportunities in congregational life to how to sustain a campus or young adult group. We hope to have the audio for both of these workshops recorded and available on the GA website.

We will also be hosting several worship opportunities through the Young Adult Caucus Chaplain, Michelle Collins. There will be a young adult contemporary worship, Synergy: A Multigenerational Celebration of Bridging and Collaboration, and a joint Youth and Young Adult Caucus worship. You can also look forward to our orientation dinner, bridging welcoming celebration (for bridgers to meet and greet with those of us on the other side of the bridge), and all of our caucus sessions (opportunities for young adults to discuss GA business).

Finally, this year we hope to begin creating a living history of Young Adult Caucus! We would like to record the memories attendees have of past Young Adult Caucuses so that we can remember our past and plan for the future. If you cannot attend GA this year but would like to contribute, either comment on this blog post or email me (about this and anything else) at vict.mitchell@gmail.com. I hope to see you there!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Young Adults Online, Part 3: "Justice, Equity, & Compassion": PayPal As A Spiritual Practice

2010-03-10T23:41:00.009-05:00

Last week, as part of our series on young adults online, we discussed whether it is possible to abide by the first principle of Unitarian Universalism online---can we be nicer, more ethical social networkers? (That post can be found here.)

This week, and on each of the next five Wednesdays, we'll be examining how to use technology to deepen one's spiritual practice and whether it's possible to live out the seven principles on the web.

Principle II: We the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote justice, equity and compassion in human relations.

On Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion

In their book Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat define the word compassion by quoting Presbyterian minister Frederick Buechner: "Compassion," Buechner says, "is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you."

This definition acknowledges that compassion, though an instinct and a virtue, can be an uncomfortable thing to feel. To be aware of someone else's suffering is to know keenly our responsibility to help alleviate that suffering; to come face-to-face with with another person's pain is to be overwhelmed by both the desire to ease that pain and by the possibility that---no matter what we do---easing the pain might be impossible.

Which leads us to realize that, as complicated as compassion can be to feel, it can be an even more overwhelming thing to act upon. It's hard, in the era of globalization, not to be conscious of how much injustice and sorrow exists in the world---how many people are living in, to put it mildly, less than ideal circumstances---and hard to know what we, as individuals, can do to combat it. Abstract terms like poverty and war might intimidate us into thinking some issues are to big to tackle, that the work of social justice is not worth it.

We might wonder whether it's possible to affect positive change in the world without being overwhelmed by how much work there is to do, whether we can apply second principle of Unitarian Universalism---which enjoins us to recognize our basic kinship to other human beings and then and to act accordingly to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to fulfill his or her true potential ---in a way that doesn't make us feel anxious and guilty?

I think we can. The key to doing it, I suspect, might be in the principle's last three words---"in human relations." This phrase brings the fight for justice out of the realm of abstraction and into our lives: it highlights the value of compassionate action in individual relationships and allows us to begin working for justice and equity wherever we are: even online.

Although the internet has a reputation for isolating its users from each other, it has actually changed, drastically, the meaning of community by allowing people to connect with those both like and unlike them and to educate themselves about issues (like this one, or this one) that affect people outside their immediate social circle. This combination of connection and education helps keep human beings from being strangers to each other and encourages them to treat each other with generosity. (For more about how the internet can be---and must be---used to help human beings relate to each other more effectively, visit Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion website.)

If you're interesting in using the internet to help enhance your practice of the second principle, there are a number of unique options available. Two are:

1. MICROFINANCE: Kiva seeks to eliminate poverty by matching entrepreneurs around the world with lenders willing to support their efforts to start (or grow) a small business. Volunteers furnish "microloans" (via PayPal) in order to help an individual gain financial independence. These are not donations: when the business turns a profit, the loan is repaid. (Grameen America provides microfinance loans for entrepreneurs in the United States.)

2. DISTANCE VOLUNTEERING: If you have an internet connection and a few hours to spare every week, you can work with the United Nations Volunteer Service. No matter what issue you'd prefer to focus on, or in what area of the world---no matter what skills you have---it's possible to help the UN and its affiliated organizations advocate for those who most need it. Want to help gather used clothing and small household goods to be sold at a thrift shop in Ghana the proceeds of which benefit women's education programs? You can! Speak Arabic and want to write articles for a youth-empowerment magazine published in the Middle East? You can!

If you're inclined to donate money to organizations that work for human rights, visit Charity Navigator and Network For Good---both are reputable guides to non-profit giving.

What does the second principle of Unitarian Universalism look like in your life? Have you used the internet as a tool to work for social justice?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-03-09T08:21:00.001-05:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time once again to let the internet tell young adults who we are!

This week, young adults are...

At risk for medical complications as a result of our tattoos and piercings. (According to this piece in the Seattle Times, 50% of people between the ages of 21 and 32 have a least one type of body modification; 28% of people who get a tattoo or piercing suffer from "swelling, residual bleeding, slow healing or infection" afterward.)

Asking our parents for money. (A study done by Scottish Windows, an investment firm in the United Kingdom, finds that 35% of young adults have borrowed money from our parents to help with living expenses or to pay off debt. 47% of parents in the study say they have loaned or gifted money to their adult children.)

Not huge fans of high school guidance counselors. (48% of college-educated people say that when interacting with their counselor they felt like "another face in the crowd."

Cohabiting before marriage in greater numbers than ever before. (The New York Times reports that by the time they reach their late 30s, 61% of women have lived with a partner without---or before---being married to them.)

Young adults: do these statistics resonate with your experience? Have you ever asked your parents for cash to tide you over when times are tight? Did you feel like your guidance counselor ignored you?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

2010-03-08T08:52:00.006-05:00

"[T]here are still plenty of people who will tell you that the most evil thing about Karl Marx was what he said about religion. He said it was the opium of the lower classes, as though he thought religion was bad for people, and he wanted to get rid of it.

"But when Marx said that, back in the 1840s, his use of the word "opium" wasn't simply metaphorical. Back then real opium was the only painkiller available, for toothaches or cancer of the throat, or whatever. He himself had used it.

"As a sincere friend of the downtrodden, he was saying he was glad they had something with which they could ease their pain at least a little bit, which was religion. He liked religion for doing that, and certainly didn't want to abolish it, OK?

"He might have said today as I say tonight, "Religion can be Tylenol for a lot of unhappy people, and I'm so glad it works." --- Kurt Vonnegut, ARMAGEDDON IN RETROSPECT

What does this mean to you? Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Share Your Faith Question #8: "The New Commandments"

2010-03-05T15:09:00.003-05:00

"The New Commandments"

In a piece for the April 2010 issue of Vanity Fair, writer Christopher Hitchens revises the Ten Commandments for the 21st century. Hitchens' guidelines to live by:

1. Do not condemn people on the basis of their ethnicity or color.

2. Do not ever use people as private property.

3. Despise those who use violence or the threat of it in sexual relations.

4. Hide your face and weep if you dare to harm a child.

5. Do not condemn people for their inborn nature.

6. Be aware that you too are an animal and dependent on the web of nature, and think and act accordingly.

7. Do not imagine that you can escape judgment if you rob people with a false prospectus rather than with a knife.

8. Turn off that f*cking cell phone—you have no idea how unimportant your call is to us.

9. Denounce all jihadists and crusaders for what they are: psychopathic criminals with ugly delusions.

10. Be willing to renounce any god or any religion if any holy commandments should contradict any of the above.

This week's question: Do you agree with Hitchens commandments? Are there any you'd add?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Thursday Resource: Young Adults, Financial Health, & Stewardship

2010-03-04T11:09:00.006-05:00

Still from "Your Life Your Money"

It's getting on toward spring, which means Unitarian Universalist congregations all over the country are embarking on their annual stewardship campaigns, asking their members to commit their time, talent, and money to sustain the community and its programs in the coming year.

For those young adults who are active in a congregation but have limited financial resources, this can be a tense time: every March, some of us realize---once again---that our finances are not quite in order and that---once again---it might not be possible for us to be as generous with our cash as we would like to be able to.

It can also, however, something of a gift: stewardship can provide us with the opportunity to reexamine our financial health (do we have enough money to live the way we want to?) and reevaluate our priorities (are we spending---and saving---our money the way we want to?). If you're so inclined, the web provides a number of resources to help you understand more about stewardship and gain control of your money. A sampling of those resources can be found here:

ON UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM AND STEWARDSHIP

"The Joy of Giving" curriculum, put out by the Unitarian Universalist Association, is designed to help children, youth, and adults explore the concept of stewardship.

For those attempting to figure out how much they should contribute to their church, these guidelines for giving might be useful.

ON YOUNG ADULTS AND FINANCE

Poorer Than You (tagline: "Money issues for college students and 20-somethings, without being boring") aims to demystify personal finance for young adults.

In her "Generation Debt" columns, young adult journalist and blogger Anya Kamenetz writes about how people under 35 can thrive in the current economy. (Her book of the same name is also available here.)

Your Life Your Money, a film designed to empower young adults to make better financial decisions, can inspire those interested in improving their financial literacy and money-management skills.

Young adults: what does stewardship time mean for you? Do you think you could use some help getting your financial affairs in order?

Young Adults Online, Part 2: "Worth & Dignity": Facebook As A Spiritual Practice

2010-03-03T23:56:00.061-05:00

Last week, as part of our series on young adults online, we discussed whether the internet is an asset or a distraction in the lives of people in their 20s and 30s. (That post can be found here.)

This week, and on each of the next six Wednesdays, we'll be examining how to use technology to deepen one's spiritual practice and whether it's possible to live out the seven principles on the web.

Principle I: We the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

Young adults now in their late 20s and early 30s came of age using an internet that encouraged anonymity. It was run and inhabited not by people but by personas: when we interacted online, it was with a stranger we were likely to know only as BlackCat789 or user 35612.

Communicating via pseudonym was exhilarating, but it had consequences: to be known by only one's number, and to interact with others who are known by only their numbers, is fundamentally and mutually dehumanizing: unable to conceive of the person on the other side of the screen as REAL, with real emotional responses, and lacking any evidence that their actions have consequences, people are apt to abandon the "real life" guidelines that usually govern etiquette and self-expression and are apt to behave in a way that they otherwise wouldn't, which leads to trolling, flaming, and bullying behavior.

Even now, in the age of social networking, when anonymity is passe and---because every blog post, status update, and tweet is part of a narrative, is a piece of someone's real and particular life---it has become nearly impossible to forget that the person you're interacting with is a person, we have a tendency to be thoughtless, insincere, and dismissive with each other. This keeps the relationships we form online superficial and inauthentic.

There is, however, an alternative: acting in accordance with the first principle of Unitarian Universalism---which challenges us to relate to other people with integrity even when (especially when) it is most difficult, respecting another person's selfhood even when we don't necessarily like her and recognizing our irrevocable kinship even when we very much want to deny that we have anything at all in common---can allow us to deepen our engagement with our friends and acquaintances and improve the way we socialize out in the world as well as online.

FIVE GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL NETWORKING

1. Do no harm. The goal of social networking is to connect with people, not to alienate, belittle, or humiliate them. If you find yourself interacting with people online in a way that is hostile or malicious, it's probably best to take a break for awhile.

2. Think before you type; practice "right (or wise) speech." Before sharing something---or responding to something someone else has shared---ask yourself : is this true? Is this kind? Is this necessary?

3. Be mindful of tone (and watch out for typos.) It is surprisingly---but notoriously---difficult, online, to know in precisely what spirit a writer intended you to take his or her comment. This is complicated in the case of sarcasm, or when something is misspelled or ungrammatical; be aware that it's possible your message, whatever it is---could be misinterpreted.

4. Tell your own story. Share things only about your own life or experience; speak for no one but yourself. (This goes for posting/tagging photos of other people, too.)

5. Friend wisely. Use your discretion when accepting someone's request to connect with you; hitting "ignore" might be preferable to being in conflict with them.

Do you think it's possible and practical to interact on Facebook and other social networking sites in a responsible and ethical way? Are there guidelines you follow to ensure that you do this?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-03-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time once again for young adults to let the internet tell us who we are and what we do.

This week, young adults are...

"More upbeat than [our] elders about [our] own economic futures as well as about the overall state of the nation" despite the fact that 37% us (ages 18 to 29) are unemployed.

Living in the basement. (Between eight and ten percent of us are "boomerang kids" who have moved back to our childhood home after leaving for some period of time.)

Having more strokes than we used to (because we have higher blood pressure than we used to.)

More liberal than other generations, but not necessarily voting Democrat (or voting at all.)

Young adults (and others): what do you think about these statistics? To they describe some part of your personal experience?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

2010-03-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." -- E.B. White

What does this mean to you? Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Share Your Faith Question #7: "Any Sort of Evidence"

2010-02-26T08:10:00.009-05:00

"Miracle Max" -- The Princess Bride

A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, "Religion Among the Millennials," found that the majority of young adults age 18 to 29 believe in miracles: when asked if they agree that "that miracles still occur today just as in ancient times," 79% said yes.

"If it is a Miracle, any sort of evidence will answer, but if it is a Fact, proof is necessary." -- Mark Twain

What does the word miracle mean to you? Do you believe you've ever witnessed one?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Thursday Resource: Programming for Young Adults, Summer 2010

2010-02-25T20:00:00.002-05:00

For Unitarian Universalist young adults looking for ways to spend the summer connecting with---and learning from---other UUs, there are a variety of opportunities available in venues all over the country. Below is a guide to programming offered by organizations affiliated with the UUA.

INTERNSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands, North Carolina offers residential internships, lasting between three and twelve moths, for young adults ages 18 to 30 interested in "gain[ing] professional skills related to their career goals" while "work[ing] with others to bring peace-building, meaning, social justice, and environmental ethics to the center of their communities." To apply for an internship, click here. To learn more about the the other young adult-focused programming offered by The Mountain, click here.

Unirondack, a Unitarian Universalist camp and conference center located in upstate New York, is looking for young adults to fill several staff positions for summer 2010. To apply, and to learn more about Unirondack, click here.

CAMPS, CONFERENCES, AND WORKSHOPS -- JUNE

WUULF (the Western UU Life Festival), an annual gathering of UUs at Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico, will take place this year from June 14th to 20th. In 2010, for the first time, WUULF is offering young adult programming! To learn more about it, click here.

The Star Island Young Adult Conference (Dream/scape) will take place this year from June 12th to June 19th off the coast of New Hampshire. To register, click here. To learn more about the other Star Island 2010 conferences that might be of interest to young adults, click here.

General Assembly 2010 will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota from June 23rd to 27th. (To register visit the UUA's GA website. To learn more about what the Unitarian Universalist Association's young adult caucus is planning for GA---and to find out how you can get involved---friend them on Facebook!)

CAMPS, CONFERENCES, AND WORKSHOPS -- JULY

The "New Human Rights" workshop, facilitated by UUSC President Charlie Clements, will take place at Camp UniStar in Cass Lake, Minnesota, from June 26th to June 3rd. For information on other programming provided by the camp, click here.

OMDSI (The Ohio-Meadville Summer Institute) will take place at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, from July 11th to July 17th. For more information about the type of programming the Institute has provided in past years for young adults, click here. To connect with OMDSI on Facebook, click here.

SUUSI (The Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute) will take place in Radford, Virginia from July 18th to July 24th. To learn more about SUUSI and about the conference's programming for young adults between ages 18 and 25, click here.

CAMPS, CONFERENCES, AND WORKSHOPS -- AUGUST

"Filling the Well," a weekend of programming designed specifically for women ages 18 to 35, will take place at Ferry Beach in Maine (as part of the "In the Company of UU Women Conference") from August 14th to 16th. For more information, click here and scroll down to "Filling the Well."

The Mountain Institute for Social Change (affiliated with The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands, North Carolina) will be hosting a conference titled "Kindling the Common Fire of Commitment Citizenship and Leadership in the 21st Century" from August 5th to August 8th.

Notice an event missing? Please let me know!

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Young Adults Online, Part 1: "Distracted By Everything"?

2010-02-24T21:13:00.002-05:00

From the film "Digital Nation"

Do you believe the internet has changed your life for the better?

Has it enabled you to you more productive, more connected to your community, better informed?

The makers of "Digital Nation," a film produced as part if the PBS series Frontline, think you just might be deluding yourself.

In "Distracted By Everything," the first section of the film, professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology express concern that their students' constant connection to "tech tools" isn't, as students assume, enriching their lives or improving their productivity, but eroding their ability to concentrate and keeping them from forming meaningful connections with peers.

Sherry Turkle, a psychologist who teaches at MIT whose work focuses on people's relationship to computer technology and social media, says that young adults "have done themselves a disservice by 'drinking the Kool-Aid' and believing that a multitasking learning environment will serve their best purposes. There really are important things," she says, that "you cannot think about unless it's still and you're only thinking about one thing."

The students, for their part, argue that because they routinely multitask---jumping from email to spreadsheet to text message to television and back again in an attempt work, relax and socialize all at once---they are good at it and suffer no ill effects.

Young adults (and others): whose side are you on? In your life, is technology a distraction or an asset?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: Young Adults Are...

2010-02-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday, and time once again for the internet to tell young adults who we are and what we're doing.

This week, young adults are...

No longer able to open credit cards if they're under the age of 21. (According to the linked piece, 84% of college undergraduates have credit cards; the amount of credit card debt carried by the average college student---as of 2004---was $2200.)

In desperate need of an afternoon nap.

Just as religious as our parents and grandparents were at our age, but less likely to be affiliated with any particular denomination or faith community.

Eager to vote in national elections (provided they can do it via text message.)

Misinformed about Wichita, Kansas; see it "as a one-trick pony." (The state of Kansas would very much like us to know that Witchita's "deep-seated, hard-to-fix shortcomings in attracting and retaining educated young adults" shouldn't keep us from moving there, and for what it's worth the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Wichita looks like a vibrant community.)

Signing "cohabitation agreements" (or "pre-prenups") in increasing numbers.

Do you think you would benefit from taking a little siesta? Would you be more likely to vote if you could use your cell phone to do it? Is a cohabitation agreement a good idea?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Share Your Faith Question #6: On Lent

2010-02-19T13:40:00.008-05:00

Interactive Lent Calendar from BustedHalo.com

For many, this week marks the beginning of a holy season. During Lent, which lasts from Ash Wednesday until Easter, Christian believers engage in a period of intense spiritual discipline: through acts of prayer, self-denial, and charity, they strive to grow closer to God and to their fellow human beings.

While Unitarian Universalists have not traditionally observed the rituals of Lent, a growing number are challenging themselves to do so. For some, these forty days present an opportunity to focus on their personal faith development. For others, they are a reminder that they are more than their desires. Still others embrace them as a corrective, a time to recommit to living in a more compassionate, open-hearted way.

If you're interested in learning more about Lent, or if you'd like to observe it this year but aren't sure where to start, the following websites might be helpful:

Busted Halo's "completely unflunkable, entirely relevant and totally inspiring" Lent calendar (pictured above) provides young adults with daily chances to deepen their religious practice through fasting (either literally or metaphorically), meditating, and acts of generosity.

UU minister and life coach Michelle Favreault's Lenten Writing Challenges inspire seekers to "Let the Words Out, Let the Spirit In."

This week's question: Are there any rituals that help you deepen your faith or practice? What do they involve and how often do you perform them?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Thursday Resource: On Soulful Sundown, Part II: Why (Should We Bother?)

2010-02-18T01:35:00.006-05:00

Footage from Soulful Sundown, Channing Memorial Church, Newport, RI

Is your church looking to attract a greater number of young adults? Are you enthusiastic about introducing people to the principles of Unitarian Universalism, but unsure where to start?

Soulful Sundown, the alternative, art-and-music-focused worship service targeted toward those between ages of 18 and 40 might be the perfect fit for you. (For more on Soulful Sundown, please see Part I: What (Is It?))

Since 1998, Soulful Sundown has inspired thousands of people and has encouraged churches to work together to energize their outreach and ministry efforts. Still, few congregations even know the program exists, and even fewer are willing to host one.

They wonder: Do we even have any young adults here?

They ask: Is it worth it? Do we have the time and the resources necessary to do something like this?

The young adults of your district are here to tell you that the answer to both questions is yes. YES YES YES.

YES! You do have young adults in your congregation! We guarantee it. (For more on where they might be and why you're not necessarily seeing them, please see "Where the Boys (and Girls) Are.")

YES! Soulful Sundown is a low-cost, highly effective program that can benefit your congregation immensely.

What benefits can Soulful Sundown offer your congregation?

1. GROWTH.

Soulful Sundown is a chance for your church to introduce itself to the community. Because informal, alternative programming like Soulful Sundown is advertised more heavily and in different places than a traditional Sunday morning service would be, it's likely to attract new faces.

People will come because they're curious. They'll return because they feel, in the words of Marlin Lavanhar, "welcomed, honored, and challenged" by what you do.

2. REVITALIZATION.

Young adults are energetic and are looking for congregations that are, too. Hosting Soulful Sundown is a great way to indicate that your church is committed to welcoming new members and eager to grow.

People will come because they're seeking a church that values their energy and passion. They'll stay because they see how many young people are involved in the life of your congregation.

3. GREATER INTERGENERATIONAL COOPERATION.

Though it's targeted toward young adults, Soulful Sundown programming is really for everyone and everyone at your church---regardless of age---can help organize it and can contribute. Soulful Sundown is the perfect venue for diverse talents: aspiring, professional, or retired performers, cooks, graphic designers, filmmakers and activists can all work to make Soulful Sundown successful!

People will come because they heard about the program from a friend, relative, or neighbor. They will stay because they see that your church values the abilities and contributions of all people, regardless of age.

For more on how to bring Soulful Sundown to your community, stay tuned for our next post on the topic: Soulful Sundown: How (Do We Do It?)

Have you ever participated in or attended Soulful Sundown? If your church has hosted one, did you see a change in the number of young adults attending your services or becoming involved in congregational life?

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"Life After a UU Religious Education" Survey

2010-02-17T08:27:00.004-05:00

Did you grow up taking part in Unitarian Universalist religious education classes? If so, please take a minute to complete this survey by Vicky Jones, a UU connected with the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin.

The survey will close on Sunday, February 28, 2010.

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

2010-02-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time again to let the internet tell young adults who we are.

This week, young adults are...

Buying a lot of greeting cards. (According to this study, young adults are the "highest spending age group across all five stationary product catagories": greeting cards, stationery, gift wrap/party goods, and paper gifting.)

Pessimistic about aging, though it seems there's no reason to be.

Supportive of gay and lesbian people serving openly in the military. (81% of people under age 30 favor the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell.")

"Slow to spot" identity theft.

More likely than other groups to blame people who have been sexually assaulted for their attacks. (A study commissioned by The Havens, a group of crisis centers in the United Kingdom, finds that those between the ages of 18 to 24 are "more likely to say that engaging in conversation in a bar or accepting a drink makes [a person] partially responsible" for his or her rape.)

Young adults: do these assertions feel accurate to you? Do they resonate with your experience?

NOTE: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

"Links to Spirituality Found in the Brain"

2010-02-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

A recent study published in the journal Neuron identifies an area of the brain believed to be at least partly responsible for religious feelings and behaviors.

The study links damage of the parietal lobes with a personality trait called "self-transcendence," which researchers define as "a decreased sense of self and an ability to identify one's self as an integral part of the universe as a whole."

A previous study, published in 2008, suggested the right parietal lobe helps to generate a person's sense of self and indicated that people with less active parietal lobes exhibit greater degrees of selflessness and are more likely to lead spiritual lives.

Note: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Share Your Faith Question #5: "Where Can I Give Who I Am?"

2010-02-12T21:43:00.011-05:00

"I think a lot of people my age want to give themselves in some direction, and the greatest frustration for people is not knowing: 'Where can I give who I am?'" -- Sister Mary Judith, O.P.

On Wednesday's episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, correspondent Lisa Ling visited the Dominican Sisters of Mary at their convent in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In the clip above, she notes that most of the one hundred Sisters are young adults: their average age is 26.

Each Sister interviewed on the show has her own reasons for entering the religious life, but each also has something in common with the others: at some point, she had to choose between her calling and the demands and trappings of our culture. The decision to devote oneself entirely to her vocation, the Sisters say, can be a difficult one---a decision that requires a complete departure from one's previous way of life---and the adjustment can be hard. The life is not for everyone. Before entering the convent, some women left their careers and long-term relationships; others came over the objections of their families.

And yet, the Sisters say, whatever struggle they've experienced---and whatever sacrifice they've made--- is worth it to them. As one says: "If this is what you're meant to be, you're going to become more yourself over time---more free to be who you are."

This week's question: Have you ever felt called something greater than yourself? Have you wanted to honor that calling even if doing would required you to change your life in a profound way?

NOTE: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Thursday Resource: "I Heard What You Said, But That’s Not What I Thought You Meant!"

2010-02-11T19:41:00.006-05:00

A guest post from Benjamin Hall, a community minister affiliated with Bell Street Chapel in Providence, Rhode Island:

Think about the last week or so of your life. First, remember the best moments. What was it that made them good? Notice any common thread between them. Next, think about the worst moments. Again, notice what it was that made these moments bad, and whether they have anything in common with one another.

OK, ready? I’m guessing that some of those high and low points had to do with relationships with other people, whether family, friends, sweetheart (past, present, or future), co-workers, classmates, or complete strangers. When you think about it, so much of our lives involve relating to other people.

In many cases, what separates the high points from the low points is communication: did you feel understood, or did the other person completely not get where you were coming from? Did you really hear what the other person or people were saying, or did you jump to a conclusion without checking it out fully?

It might sound like I’m talking about pretty basic ABCs of how to communicate with fellow members of the human race, but I’m not. I’m guessing that most people reading this, if not all of you, have highly developed skills of communication and interrelationship, and are able to read subtle signs in others. And yet, I’m guessing that practically all of us still have moments when we wonder, “What the hell just happened? How could something so simple have gone so wrong? What’s going on?”

And it’s more than just individual interactions, too; it’s whole relational patterns that seem to develop in your life over and over again, even when you’ve seen before that they don’t really pan out how you wish they would, and you’re good and ready to put them behind you forever. But they keep coming up.

No matter how smart or clever or brilliant or insightful you are, you can never quite see yourself as others see you. Not that you would want to model yourself after the expectations or perceptions of others, but because so much of your life and happiness depends upon your relationships (see above), it helps to know how others read you and how this affects their behavior toward you. In other words, other people can help you learn a lot about yourself!

But, if you think about it, how many settings are there, really, in which you can give and receive this kind of relational feedback?

“Excuse me, Mary, but it sounds to me as though you are making some assumptions about who I am and what I’m thinking, and I’d prefer it if you’d just check those out with me first so we can be sure we’re really understanding one another” isn’t the kind of statement that most of us can imagine making (or responding to!) at an average party, dinner table, bus stop, cafe, or water cooler.

That’s where an intentional, supervised group can help: everyone’s in the same boat, and everyone’s there to learn and grow. Everybody deals with the awkwardness (though in very different ways), and everybody has the chance to develop ways to support others and ask for support themselves along the way.

It’s like a laboratory of relationships: it’s a controlled environment, so the stakes are relatively low (what’s the worst thing that could happen?), yet the potential benefits are extremely high (learning how to relate to others in ways that are more fulfilling and less disastrous).

People of any age, gender, ethnicity, life situation, and other demographical category can benefit from such a group. Some people prefer a diverse group, while others appreciate the support they find among peers with a shared perspective.

I am starting three Relational Learning Groups (in Providence), including one limited to young adults 18-25 years old. The challenges faced by people at this time of life, including (or seen through) the central project of forging an identity separate from one’s family-of-origin (without necessarily departing from or rejecting it), give a lot of potency to having peers who “get it” firsthand. The other two groups--a general Relational Learning Group, and one for men only, might be of interest to those of you older than the 18-25 year old range.

I invite anyone to contact me to find out more about the groups, or for any other reason.

Ben can be reached at bh (at) livebyheart (dot) com.

NOTE: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

Tuesday Links: Young Adults Are...

2010-02-09T01:00:00.003-05:00

It's Tuesday, which means it's time once again for the internet to tell young adults who we are.

This week, young adults are...

Moral relativists "imprisoned by [our] own subjectivity." (We also "see God as a heavenly Dr. Phil.")

Obsessed with Facebook; not blogging. (We apparently find blogging to be "Sooo Last Decade.")

At an increased risk for developing heart disease (but only if we're Canadian?)

The writer of the first piece I linked to above---referencing the National Study of Youth and Religion---makes several claims about the inner lives of people between the ages of 18 and 30.

He says that we have "little in the way of internal resources" to help us cope with life's difficulties; that we "have no sense that there is something important about our culture that [we] need to preserve and to pass on to future generations"; that we "view commitment and rootedness with suspicion."

Do you think these assessments are accurate?

NOTE: To comment, please click the "comments" speech bubble on the left.

2010 Youth and Young Adult Ministry Awards -- Nominations Due March 15th

2010-02-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

From Erik Kesting, Youth and Young Adult Ministries Director, Unitarian Universalist Association:

Is there someone in your congregation or in your life that has inspired you or mentored you? Someone who has created or sustained a ministry so vibrant that people's eyes widen when they witness it? A youth whose passion and commitment has transformed a community? If so, I hope you will nominate them for one of these three important awards:

1. Donna DiSciullo Young Adult and Campus Ministry Award

2. Youth Advisor of the Year Award

3. Unsung Unitarian Universalist Youth Award

All nominations are due March 15th---click the links for more information.

Share Your Faith Question #4: Reaching Out (With Fists)

2010-02-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

Christian mixed martial arts t-shirt from Jesus Didn't Tap

How far would you go to attract new people to your congregation? Would you embrace (a legal, regulated, popular form of) violence?*

Some churches have.

A piece in Tuesday's New York Times reports that in order to reach men ages 18 to 34, "whose church attendance has been persistently low," some evangelical Christian churches have turned to "mixed martial arts---a sport with a reputation for violence and blood that combines kickboxing, wrestling, and other fighting styles."

This popular, MMA-based programming (which can include everything from "fight night television viewing parties and lecture series that use ultimate fighting to explain how Christ fought for what he believed in" to live fight events hosted by churches) is necessary, pastors argue, to combat the "feminized" atmosphere of church, which they believe alienates young men. "Promoting kindness and compassion at the expense of strength and responsibility," they say, is what keeps men away; using mixed martial arts allows them to "inject some machismo into their ministries [...] in the hope of making Christianity more appealing."

Men, the piece says, are responding to this ministry in ever-growing numbers. Through it, one tells the reporter, he "realized that a person can fight for good."

This week's question: Have you ever felt distanced from church because of your age or gender? Do you think congregations should be free to use unconventional (even non-religious) outreach tools to draw in people who wouldn't otherwise be interested in attending their services?

Comments are, as always, most welcome!

*Mixed martial arts fighting is legal in 42 states.

Tuesday Links: Young Adults Are...

2010-02-02T23:51:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our newest feature, "Young Adults Are..." Every Tuesday, we'll be relying on the internet to tell us about ourselves.

This week, young adults are...

In crisis, emotionally.

People 18 to 29 are "losing confidence in the country's moral direction." We're also liable to suffer long-term psychological consequences because we're coming of age during a recession.

Unhealthy (and likely uninsured.)

We're not getting enough sleep or eating as many whole grains as we should be. In addition, half of us are living with HPV.

Young adults are also...

Feeling good about ourselves.

Young adults are "optimistic" (well, all right: "overly optimistic") about our health and happiness.

Open-minded.

Nearly all of us (90 percent) are comfortable with the idea of interracial dating and marriage.

Young adults: do these statistics resonate with you or reflect your personal experience? Do you think it's possible for media to tell the truth (or any part of the truth) about who we are?

Share Your Faith Question #3: "Thank You"

2010-01-29T08:12:00.001-05:00

Howard Zinn

1922 - 2010

(To see video of Dr. Zinn discussing his legacy, click the photo.)

"I want to be remembered as somebody who gave people a feeling
of hope and power that they didn’t have before." -- Howard Zinn

When news broke on Wednesday evening that the professor, historian, and peace activist Howard Zinn had died, a certain part of the Facebook community found themselves suddenly mourning. Young adults all over the country (most of whom first encountered Zinn and his book A People's History of the United States* as college students) were saddened to realize that the man who had so inspired them to work for peace and justice was gone. The group "Thank You Howard Zinn" gained literally thousands of new members overnight and was inundated with messages of grief and gratitude. "We will both mourn and organize," said one; another, "Thanks for making history something I actually can understand!"

That so many young adults respect and admire Dr. Zinn is no surprise: as a champion for those whose lives and concerns were overlooked in both history's conventional narrative and today's struggle for power and prosperity, he was rebellious and principled. As a teacher, he assured his students that their voices matter and told them that they are obligated to speak for those who cannot.

Learn, he said. Question what you think you know. Commit yourself to justice.

Whose life or work has inspired you? Has this person influenced the course of your life?

*A People's History is available in full and for free by clicking this link.

"Where the Boys (and Girls) Are" --- The Myth of the Missing Young Adult

2010-01-26T23:11:00.004-05:00

Those of us working in young adult ministry often find ourselves battling a myth: that we don't exist. Without fail, whenever the subject of programming geared toward us is raised in a congregation, some older member will say with absolute certainty that there are no young adults in his or her church (or even his or her whole town.)

This is not true.

We won't deny that young adults are, by and large, absent from Sunday morning services, but that doesn't mean that A) we always will be or that B) we don't still feel attached to our local congregation or to Unitarian Universalism.

So where are all the young adults?

Some possibilities:

In your congregation. You might think you don't have any young adults at your church, but you're probably wrong. If you have a religious education program, you probably have young adults in the form of parents. Remember: a young adult is anyone under the age of 40.

Away at school. Keeping in touch with young adults in your congregation who have recently graduated from high school is crucial: youth group alumni are young adults! Your Director of Religious Education or youth group adviser(s) will probably be able to help you contact them.

Unchurched." Many young adults---25 percent, according to this survey---have no religious affiliation. Some of these people are likely to be looking for a spiritual community---some of them are UUs but don't yet know it because they've never heard of us. The church they choose could be yours!

Elsewhere, but still UU. A great number of Unitarian Universalist young adults don't go to church on Sundays, but are still passionate about their faith and extremely active in campus ministry groups or at conferences on Star Island and in other places.

At a church nearby. Even if you're absolutely sure your congregation doesn't have any young adults, the one in the next town probably does. Don't be afraid to contact another congregation to ask, for instance, whether it has a young adult group. It may.

Young adults: are you active in your local congregation? Was there a period in your life when you were less active? Why?

Share Your Faith Question #2: My Generation

2010-01-22T10:16:00.002-05:00

Who are young adults? How do we define ourselves as individuals and as a group?

"The Splinter Generation," an online community for writers and artists born between 1973 and 1993, describes us as a fragmented, isolated population:

Our generation is split into a million different cultures and subcultures, whether they are religious, musical, literary, ethnic, class-based, or consumer-based. Our identities have become selective and insular. We have each found a little niche we think we fit in and we stay there. As a result, we stay in our little group---our splinter---and we rarely talk to each other.

It is impossible to make sweeping generalizations about us because we're not alike. Because we're so wrapped up in our social groups, we don't pick up as much on ideas and mannerisms and habits of people we don't hang out with, we end up being different in ways that make it impossible to define us as a generation.

Do you agree that young adults, as a group, have no cohesive identity? What words would you use to describe yourself and your peers? What would you say we stand for?

Comments are most welcome!

On Soulful Sundown, Part I: What (Is It?)

2010-01-19T13:52:00.028-05:00

Images from Soulful Sundown services, First Parish Church, Duxbury, MA

Can you remember the last time you went to church and saw young adults in the pews? How about in the pulpit? No?

Try going at night.

For over a decade now, many young Unitarian Universalists have been embracing an alternative way of "doing church": the Soulful Sundown.

Created in 1998 by the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar (then a student minister at Boston's First and Second Church), Soulful Sundown services are eclectic, interactive gatherings (usually organized by young adults) that encourage attendees to engage deeply with each other and with the worship experience in an atmosphere of creative collaboration.

In his instruction manual for Soulful Sundown, subtitled "Re-imagining Unitarian Universalist Worship for Young Adults," Lavanhar describes these services as having been designed to appeal to those who feel alienated by a traditional, 19th-century style of worship that requires them to passively recieve of spiritual teachings. Younger generations, he argues, need "a form of worship or religion" that allows them to participate more actively and "that is in sync with their culture and their way of learning and being in the world."

For this reason, no Soulful Sundown is exactly the same. Some are informal and concert-like, led by performers whose talents provide insight into the meaning of life and the nature of God. Others are long-form discussions during which worshipers can explore spiritual questions and share wisdom. Still others rely on video presentations or computer-generated slideshows to expand on a service's theme. No matter what elements are incorporated, each service strives to challenge, inspire, enlighten, and comfort those present and seeks to provide ways for attendees to participate.

So what does this alternative form of worship mean for your church and for Unitarian Universalism at large? Check out Part II: Why (Should We Bother?)

"The Mind Free": Religious Freedom Day

2010-01-16T21:32:00.006-05:00

Happy National Religious Freedom Day!

224 years ago today, on January 16, 1786, the Virginia General Assembly formally adopted Thomas Jefferson's Statute on Religious Freedom, which guaranteed that "no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or [burdened] in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but [...] shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, [his] opinion[s] in matters of Religion."

The Statute served as the basis of The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and is echoed in the Unitarian Universalist Association's fourth Principle, which promotes "the free and responsible search for truth and meaning."

Share Your Faith Question #1: Hope & Help

2010-01-15T13:43:00.001-05:00

"In every community there is work to be done. In every nation there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is the power to do it." -- Marianne Williamson

On Tuesday evening, the island nation of Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. It is the most severe seismic event to happen in that part of the world in 200 years and only the latest in a series of natural disasters to affect Haiti.

In this time of crisis---a time when devastation is widespread, many people are facing personal tragedy, and relief is slow to arrive---communities of faith both in Haiti and abroad are coming together to provide solace for their members and to help the Haitian people rebuild, recover, and heal. (To donate to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's earthquake relief fund, please click here.)

As the clip above shows, demonstrations of hope are often as spontaneous as they are necessary. No matter the circumstances, a beloved community will find a way (and a place) to gather and support its members. It will sing and pray together, grieve and love.

When and how has a community provided for you, either spiritually or materially (or both?) How did the experience of receiving hope and help affect you?

Comments are most welcome!

Generation Yes: News & Spirituality for Unitarian Universalists Under 40

The Yes! Digest -- July 28th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- July 22nd, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- July 15th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- July 1st, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- June 24th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- June 17th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- June 10th, 2010

Notice: Break for Conference Prep!

The Yes! Digest -- May 19th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 17th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 14th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 13th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 12th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 11th, 2010

Notice!

The Yes! Digest -- May 7th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 6th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 5th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 4th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- May 3rd, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 30th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 29th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 28th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 27th, 2010

The Yes! Digest --- April 26th, 2010

The (Highly Abbreviated) Yes! Digest --- April 23rd, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 22nd, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 21st, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 20th, 2010

The Yes! Digest: April 19th

The Yes! Digest -- April 16th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 15th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 14th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 13th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 12th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 11th, 2010

The Yes! Digest: April 10th, 2010

The Yes! Digest -- April 9th, 2010

Experiment: The Yes! Digest -- April 8th, 2010

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

Recap Saturday!

Share Your Faith #12: On Young Adult Ministry

Thursday Resource: BCD Young Adult Ministry Outreach Grant

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

*NEW FEATURE* Recap Saturday!

Share Your Faith #11: On "Ultimate Concern"

Thursday Resource: "Songs to Grow Up By" Archive (Part I -- The Good Life: Blessed)

Young Adults Online Part 5: LTLYM As a Spiritual Practice

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

Thursday Resource: For Unitarian Universalist Parents and Families

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

Share Your Faith Question #9: Like, Literally

Thursday Resource: Young Adults at General Assembly

Young Adults Online, Part 3: "Justice, Equity, & Compassion": PayPal As A Spiritual Practice

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

Share Your Faith Question #8: "The New Commandments"

Thursday Resource: Young Adults, Financial Health, & Stewardship

Young Adults Online, Part 2: "Worth & Dignity": Facebook As A Spiritual Practice

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"From Many Sources": Monday Meditation

Share Your Faith Question #7: "Any Sort of Evidence"

Thursday Resource: Programming for Young Adults, Summer 2010

Young Adults Online, Part 1: "Distracted By Everything"?

Tuesday Links: Young Adults Are...

Share Your Faith Question #6: On Lent

Thursday Resource: On Soulful Sundown, Part II: Why (Should We Bother?)

"Life After a UU Religious Education" Survey

Tuesday Links: "Young Adults Are..."

"Links to Spirituality Found in the Brain"

Share Your Faith Question #5: "Where Can I Give Who I Am?"

Thursday Resource: "I Heard What You Said, But That’s Not What I Thought You Meant!"

Tuesday Links: Young Adults Are...

2010 Youth and Young Adult Ministry Awards -- Nominations Due March 15th

Share Your Faith Question #4: Reaching Out (With Fists)

NEW FEATURE Recap Saturday!