The Racial Justice Change Team (RJCT) formed in 2018, in part to fulfill a commitment that our congregation had made in 2016, when the Congregation voted at a special meeting to hang a “Black Lives Matter” banner prominently on the side of the building. The banner initiative was led by
Continue readingGreetings from the WSUU Racial Justice Change Team! We’d like to give everyone a better sense of what we’re all about, starting with why specifically we decided to call ourselves the “Racial Justice Change Team.” A “Change Team” is a group who identifies existing barriers to achieving desired outcomes in
Continue readingJudi Finney and I met with the contractors this past Monday to finally learn the fate of our new lift which will transport people from the Social Hall directly into the Sanctuary. Mark Olsoe, Judi, and I (along with input from Robert Pacht and Peggy Tlapak) have been working together
Continue reading“What IS an ordination and why is it important?” What is an ordination? Someone asked me that a few weeks ago as Westside prepares for the ordination of Crystal Zerfoss at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 16th at the church. That person recalled the ordination of Westside’s DRE Rev. Cynthia Westby
Continue readingI would like to share something with all of you. I was standing on the platform during the service this last Sunday, directing the choir, and this wave of “you belong here” washed over me. It was palpable and powerful. When I decided to apply for the position here at Westside less
Continue readingCabin Fever “You’re now free to move about the cabin!” Words we live for when we’re trapped on an airplane in our 2X2 seats! In February, confined to my house by the snowy weather, I was more than ready to hear these precious words of freedom. My snowbound life gave
Continue readingThe Hidden Treasure In Change Rev. Cynthia Westby, Director of Religious Exploration Transition shakes up most of us. Change messes with the order of things we’ve gotten used to, feel comfortable with, and prefer to see remain the same. Change is often not pleasant or agreeable. There is, however, hidden treasure
Continue readingDifficult situations are gifts. Gifts we often resist and usually don’t appreciate. They teach us about our blind spots. . . if we stop and listen to what is happening inside us. You may want to return these gifts, but resist! Sticking with the feelings and experience pays off. When
Continue readingI’ve been finding grief catching me unawares lately. Any transition triggers feelings but usually it is bewildering and surprising when I realize I’m in the midst of a grief response to transition. Especially when the transition is happy. For me, there is the strange grief coming after my ordination. This
Continue readingGood morning, Westside UU and the Racial Justice Change Team will be launching Beloved Conversations in January. Beloved Conversations uses a small group ministry format to explore the role of race/ethnicity in individual and congregational lives. It was developed at Meadville Lombard Seminary by the Fahs Collaborative and has been
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