Gail Forsyth-Vail

Gail Forsyth-Vail 2014

Gail Forsyth-Vail, a credentialed religious educator, master level, is the author or developmental editor of several UU history curricula and resources. Before retiring, she served as interim director of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Lifespan Faith Engagement Office.

From Gail Forsyth-Vail

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Christmas candles

Two weeks ago, I was part of an interfaith gathering where we asked one another, “What is weighing on you? What signs of hope are you finding? How do you see God’s spirit moving in the world?” One by one, people named the troubles that swirl around our communities and our world: racism,...

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | December 21, 2015 | From Call and Response
Tagged as: Christianity, Holidays & Ceremonies, Multigenerational Faith Development, Interfaith Family Programs
Article or product image

‘Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done,’ writes Bryan Stevenson in Just Mercy, the new UUA Common Read.

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | November 1, 2015 | From Life
Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Race/Ethnicity
just mercy book cover

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson is the 2015-16 UUA Common Read. This beautifully written book looks closely at the life stories and circumstances of people who have been sentenced to die at the hands of the state or to live out their lives in prison. The author...

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | October 1, 2015 | From Call and Response
Tagged as: Due Process & Civil Liberties, Racial Justice, Social Justice
river photo pedro j perez morguefile_14410912277vsc

Fifteen years ago, when I was the religious educator in North Andover, Massachusetts, we held a tashlich ritual as part of marking the Jewish Days of Awe. People of all ages put bread crumbs in bowls of water to recognize the actions they were sorry for and to symbolize a new start. Tashlich...

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | September 22, 2015 | From Call and Response
Tagged as: Earth, Multigenerational Faith Development
bare feet (2)

Let us worship with our eyes and ears and fingertips; let us love the world through heart and mind and body. —Reverend Kenneth Patton In May, my daughter was married in an outdoor ceremony in Vermont. She and her new husband walked barefoot over a grassy pathway marked with hyacinth petals to...

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | July 11, 2015 | From Call and Response
Tagged as: Multigenerational Faith Development, Worship
image of various quilt patterns with text overlay that reads "Tapestry of Faith The Wi$dom Path"

The Wi$dom Path comprises 12 90-minute workshops, arranged around three themes: Money and Self; Money and Society; and Money, Spirit, and Life. Participants build awareness of their own “money story” and explore their own attitudes and experiences with money.

By David H. Messner, Gail Forsyth-Vail, Patricia Infante | July 2, 2015 | For Adults | From The Wi$dom Path
Merrimack River spring 2015 from Natl Park Service

When I was six years old, my family moved to a town along the Merrimack River in northeastern Massachusetts. In those days, we talked about living “within smelling distance” of the river. It was a mess, about as close as one could get to an open sewer, with manufacturing plants, homes, and...

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | May 15, 2015 | From Call and Response
flowers for gfv florist blog post

This winter, I met with a florist to talk about flowers for my daughter’s wedding. I entered the shop on a cold, windy morning with no idea that when I walked out I would be so uplifted and inspired. After our conversation about wedding flowers, the florist, Diane, told me about a project that is...

By Gail Forsyth-Vail | March 3, 2015 | From Call and Response

This story was created collaboratively by several religious educators. As you prepare to share it, read the 1966 Ware Lecture "Don't Sleep Through the Revolution," by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly in Hollywood, Florida, May 18, 1966.

Story | By Gail Forsyth-Vail | January 29, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Anti-Oppression, Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, Humanism, Juneteenth, Justice, Justice Sunday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity, Responsibility

This reading requires seventeen people who are able to come forward and represent the generations of African Americans in the British colonies and in the United States. As you name the first generation, indicate to a person that they should stand. Each time you call a new generation, you indicate...

Reading | By Gail Forsyth-Vail | January 29, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 6th Principle (World Community), Anti-Oppression, Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, History, Humanism, Juneteenth, Justice, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity

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