Pastoral competence big problem in Unitarian Universalism

Incompetence seems to be the rule rather than the exception in the congregational ministry of Unitarian Universalist pastors.. And now, the only nominee to the Presidency of a major religious non profit organization, the UUA, is a professor at one of those seminaries. I wonder what her qualifications are  in nonprofit management of complex organizations?

The management of the UUA seems to be more about power, prestige, and money than competence and relevant experience.

It is no wonder that UU congregations are going outside of UU seminaries to find experienced, qualified, pastoral leadership.

Even if the minister is a dear sweet person but has no management experience in her resume at all, the congregation will falter, loose member, pledges, and fail. Can't run a congregation on fumes when there are no members to support it.

Bless your Higher self.

You do not need God’s blessing because that you have forever, but you do need yours. The ego’s picture of you is deprived, unloving and vulnerable. You cannot love this. Yet you can very easily escape from this image by leaving it behind. You are not there and that is not you. Do not see this picture in anyone, or you have accepted it as you. All illusions about the Sonship are dispelled together as they were made together. Teach no one that he is what you would not want to be. Your brother is the mirror in which you see the image of yourself as long as perception lasts. And perception will last until the Sonship knows itself as whole. You made perception and it must last as long as you want it. T-7.VII.3: 1-11

A Course in Miracles (p. 264). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

More and more the passages in A Course In Miracles make me laugh. We do not need God’s blessing because God is our Transcendent Source from which we have emanated, but we do need our own. Do we like the self we have made?

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person because we know that from which we have sprung.

Today bless your higher self as the manifestation of God’s unconditional love for God’s creation.

We are simply the children of God.

What you deny you lack, not because it is lacking, but because you have denied it in another and are therefore not aware of it in yourself. Every response you make is determined by what you think you are, and what you want to be is what you think you are. What you want to be, then, must determine every response you make. T-7.VII.2:6-8

A Course in Miracles (p. 264). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

The above passage focuses on what we want to be. When we react to others, we demonstrate what we think we are. Common facades are the kewl person, the bad ass, the know it all, the patriot, the lover, the fixer, the victim. So many roles which miss the mark of our genuine and authentic selves. Self knowledge is one of the key skills of spiritual intelligence and so many people don’t seem to be aware that they are an extension of God’s unconditional love into the world of the Kingdom.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We are part of the inherent worth and dignity of our Transcendent Source.

Today it is suggested that we remind ourselves several times throughout the day that we are simply children of God.

Function of church in society

Q: What is the purpose of church?

A: The function of church in society is to facilitate and nurture the spiritual intelligence of its members and their surrounding communities and society.

Q: Are there maps of the stages of spiritual intelligence development?

A: Yes there are but they are not commonly known even by clergy.

Focus on those acting insanely and give them your blessing.

When a brother acts insanely, he is offering you an opportunity to bless him. His need is yours. You need the blessing you can offer him. There is no way for you to have it except by giving it. This is the law of God, and it has no exceptions. T-7.VII.2: 1-5

A Course in Miracles (p. 264). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Wow! The Body Of Christ needs our blessings. What is lacking will be fulfilled when you extend what is missing and in so doing all will be fulfilled.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.

Today focus on those who act insanely and give them your blessing.

Look above the parts to the whole.

Whenever you deny a blessing to a brother you will feel deprived, because denial is as total as love. It is as impossible to deny part of the Sonship as it is to love it in part. Nor is it possible to love it totally at times. You cannot be totally committed sometimes. Denial has no power in itself, but you can give it the power of your mind, whose power is without limit. If you use it to deny reality, reality is gone for you. Reality cannot be partly appreciated. That is why denying any part of it means you have lost the awareness of all of it. T-7.VII.1: 1-8

A Course in Miracles (p. 263). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

At a metaphysical level, A Course In Miracles is black and white. There is no gray. The first of the fifty principles of Miracles is “There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not “harder” or “bigger” than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal.” No drop of the ocean is different from another drop; all drops all part of the ocean.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote a respect, if not a love, for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Today it is suggested that we look above the parts to the whole.

If we are with God, who can be against us?

In this depressing state the Holy Spirit reminds you gently that you are sad because you are not fulfilling your function as co-creator with God, and are therefore depriving yourself of joy. This is not God’s choice but yours. If your mind could be out of accord with God’s, you would be willing without meaning. Yet because God’s Will is unchangeable, no conflict of will is possible. This is the Holy Spirit’s perfectly consistent teaching. Creation, not separation, is your will because it is God’s, and nothing that opposes this means anything at all. Being a perfect accomplishment, the Sonship can only accomplish perfectly, extending the joy in which it was created, and identifying itself with both its Creator and its creations, knowing They are One. T-7.VI.13:1-7

A Course in Miracles (p. 263). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

If you think your will is out of alignment with God’s will you will be depressed, and anxious. Separation of your will from God’s does not allow for peace and joy. Doing our own will and thinking that we can control our life only leads to frustration, discouragement, resentment, guilt and fear. When we “hit bottom” we finally realize that there must be a better way and we begin to search to find a way to bring our will into alignment with God’s will for us. If God is with us who can be against. Aligning our will with God’s will miracles happen.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning which, of course, lies in doing God’s will which is to love unconditionally.

Today it is suggested, once again, that we ask ourselves continually “What would Love have me do?”