Second Unitarian Church members reflect on their personal experiences and how they try to live out their values in the world…

Guests of the Night Ministry by Walker S., a Second Unitarian 5th Grader 

In my Sunday school class, our teacher has talked to us about the Good Samaritan and has shown us pictures of people we know, friendly looking people, and not-so friendly looking people.  He then asked us, for each of the pictures, “Would you help this person?”  We talked about “the thing.”  “The thing” is the tendency from deep inside of you that tells you “don’t help this person because this person is frightening.”  Paul talked about how you should always help someone, even if he or she looks frightening, because each person is important and we need to treat all people with compassion.
 
Sometimes when I was serving the meal at The Night Ministry bus, I felt this “thing.”  But I knew what was right and I fulfilled that duty to serve people who needed my help.  Read more…

No Excuses…Why every UU church should be as good as 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago by Aaron Sawyer, moderator of DiscoverUU.com.  He visited Second Unitarian in February, 2008 and wrote this about his visit: 

While staying with my sister-in-law in Chicago, I got myself out in the sleet and snow to visit the nearest Unitarian Universalist church: Second Unitarian of Chicago. Seeing almost no one on the streets in the freezing sleet falling from the gray skies, I expected little turn-out. But as I neared the church, families were pouring out from the early service and twenty-somethings were wandering in for the late one. Oh, there were elderly people as well, but they comprised less than half of those I saw that morning.  Read more…       

Why Church? Part One: “For Time to Think” by Jordan Sadler (for more of Jordan’s musings go to her blog, The Wonderwheel)
 
I know I’m not the only one out there who is leading a life that could only be described as hectic. (And some of you are ahead of me on the ole hectic-o-meter!) So imagine for a moment being given the opportunity to sit. With your partner. Without your children. And just listen. And think. For. An. Hour. About really interesting topics. Like forgiveness in your relationships, honesty in your marriage, the importance of having real dreams and working towards them, social justice. And hearing good music, and getting a chance to sing (something I love and haven’t done much of in years), and even enjoying a quiet moment here and there. Ah, the quiet.  Read more…

Why Church? Part Two: “To Move Beyond Ourselves” by Jordan Sadler (for more of Jordan’s musings go to her blog, The Wonderwheel)
In discussing what it is that makes me so happy about finding a church community to be part of, I have already mentioned what it does for me personally. And, of course, I’m as important as the next person. Which is exactly my point: if we do a simple inversion, we can also say that the “next person” is as important as me. Funny how that works, eh?

Just as it is so incredibly easy to zip through our busy weeks without a moment to sit and reflect and truly feel our experiences, it is probably even easier to get lost in the details of our busy lives and forget how much other people need us.  Read more…

Why Church? Part Three: “For the Kids” by Jordan Sadler (for more of Jordan’s musings go to her blog, The Wonderwheel)

Spirit of Life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;
Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close; wings set me free;
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.

When my kids hear that it’s Sunday morning and we’ll be going to church, they actually both cheer loudly at the breakfast table. They love church.  Read more…

Last Updated June 16, 2008 - KHS