It is with overwhelming sadness and shock that the Central East Region acknowledges the sudden death of our colleague and dear friend, Hope Johnson, from a long-term respiratory illness. Here are some of our memories of her.

If there’s a knot in your stomach still; a dread of what else may be coming; fears about the Supreme Court; worry about your safety; feelings about your neighbors, family, and fellow citizens who support racism, fascism, and misogyny; this is an offering from me to you.

This past spring I joined a trend. I’d like to say I don’t get sucked into fads but I must admit, I’m susceptible.

In 1985 I was 18 and voted in my first election. I happened to be home from college for summer break and voted in the primary in my home town in Pennsylvania.

The Delmarva Cluster has a grant program that began at the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, DE called Grants For Growth.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how tired I am of hearing words that include black, dark, and more, used in a negative way even as we proclaim that Black Lives Matter.

Creativity is exponential. When people play off one another’s ideas and create new programs, they experience the joy of interconnection and purpose. Such synergy is an amazing experience, but it’s not easy to create the conditions to produce that kind of creative interchange.

The West Shore UU Church in Rocky River, Ohio has been experimenting with different circle formats (e.g. World Café, Peace Circles). One of their board members, Brian Gardner, was inspired and wrote the following theological reflection on the process:

Although humans can’t gather at church, stuffed animals still can! Plan your own stUUfieCON!

We are layers and layers of stories passed down by our ancestors. Our stories are made from struggles and joys that have made us resilient. These stories need to be shared, because by sharing our stories we have the power to change the things that we feel are unjust and to keep hope alive.