"Welcome to the South where Unitarian Universalism is lively and warm!" Each year, the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association gathers in a different region of the United States or Canada. This June we met in Nashville, Tennessee. As a welcoming present from the Mid-South District, church fans were distributed with the following explanation, "Here in the South, temperatures tend to be warm and people are church-goers. Thus it is no surprise that church fans, offering folks a little hand-made breeze on Sundays, have long been fixtures of the region's culture." As an Easterner, I had never had a church fan nor did I realize that funeral homes often provided them to advertise their services and that the fans were often decorated with religious scenes. This is just one of the tidbits that I learned from my first trip to Nashville. The town has certainly earned its reputation as Music City, USA with the Grand Ole Opry in residence and as the starting place of many a country star from Elvis Presley to Garth Brooks.

This was my fifth General Assembly (or G.A. as it is known). My first was as a child when my mother attended GA in Vancouver as a member of the Board of the UU Women's Federation. I did not go again until 1997 when Unitarian Universalists gathered in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona. I will never forget what it was like in the arid one hundred degree heat. The local restaurants sprayed a fine mist under their awnings that evaporated long before it reached my head. 1998 found us in Rochester, New York, the home of Susan B. Anthony and the Women's Suffrage Movement. I entered into Preliminary Fellowship as a minister in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1999. To pull people's leg, I'd tell them that the ceremony was held inside the Mormon temple. Of course, that is not true, our worship services were in the Convention Center. However, touring the Mormon Tabernacle and the Visitor's Center, helped to highlight for me the differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and Unitarian Universalism- two American religious traditions.

General Assembly tends to reflect the regional culture and this gathering was no exception. The opening ceremony always features a Banner Parade and this year it was to the upbeat tempo of bluegrass music. Folks of all ages crowded into the hall for this much-loved event. You see, each congregation, member organization, seminary, and district creates a banner that is carried on a pole. After some opening words, the otherwise bare auditorium was a swirl of color as each banner was carried proudly in a seemingly endless stream. Bright colors stitched together to represent the symbol of each church or organization: hands, chalices, church buildings, rainbows, rose windows, are just some of the images that I can recall. If these individual panels were sewn together, a magnificent quilt of Unitarian Universalist ideals would be created. The banners were hung through out the Convention Center as tangible reminders of both our individual congregations and the larger movement that we share. The banners were not only works of art they showed the many places that people had traveled from in order to attend GA. This summer there was a record attendance of 4,070 Unitarian Universalists from across the country and overseas. It is an exciting experience to be surrounded by so many like-minded people with a wide variety of interests.

When attending GA, you are given a catalog of events. There are enough intriguing choices in each time slot to make your head spin. The workshops always range widely in focus and style. For example, there were seminars that offer practical information like "Church Office Basics", "The Carver Model of Church Governance", "Estate Planning" or "Creating a Dynamic Newsletter". Then there are spiritual topics like "Humanism/ Paganism: Can this marriage be saved?", "The Gospels as Midrash", or "The Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool". An astounding number of guest speakers are present at GA offering lectures and leading discussions who range from religious leaders, poets, performing artists, and activists. This year included Morris Dees, the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Rev. John Shelby Spong, the retired Episcopal bishop of Newark. When I had a spare moment, there was an Exhibit Hall to wander through filled with resources and goods from hundreds of related organizations. Given that this was a religious assembly, there were many worship services held through out the five days. I found the variety of forms and messages inspiring. Each night a dance was held in the ballroom. I found that I was often too tired from the day's activities to kick up my heels but I did try Contra dancing for the first time. You can see why folks often get hooked after their first General Assembly. It is an educational, inspirational, and fun-filled event like no other.

Now that I have given an overview, I would like to share with you a specific idea discovered at General Assembly. I attended an event called "Soulful Sundown". My colleague, the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar who now serves a congregation in Tulsa, OK was an intern minister at First and Second Church in Boston. While he was there he designed a worship service that had great success in attracting young adults, people ages 18 to 35. The worship service was offered once a month on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and featured jazz, blues or contemporary music instead of the traditional hymns. The readings and message was a reflection related to the musical performance and each service included candle lighting for an unspoken joy or concern. The sharing of healthful snacks like fruits, vegetables, and juice followed these evening gatherings. An additional hour of programming was offered where people would gather in small groups for writing exercises, artistic projects and discussions of the service's theme. Given that this is our "Year of Music" at Channing, I would like to coordinate "Soulful Sundown" at our church beginning in January. If this is a program that appeals to you or you have ideas about local musicians, please let me know.

General Assembly also includes the official business of our Association. Given that we are governed by congregational polity, it is the member congregations and organizations that make the decisions not some smaller hierarchical order. How does that work? How does a religious movement made up of two hundred and eighteen thousand members and one thousand and four hundred clergy come to any sort of consensus? UUA President John Buehrens often says that being a Unitarian Universalist leader is akin to herding cats. If there is a common characteristic of UU's, we are predominantly strong and independent minded.

Here is how it works: "Each certified member society is entitled to be represented at each General Assembly by delegates who are members of such society, selected in accordance with its bylaws or procedures." So, a congregation such as ours with 150 members is entitled to two delegates to represent us at General Assembly. Actually we're right on the cusp of the dividing line, if we have membership of 51-150 we could have two delegates where with membership of 151- 250 we could have three. A Business Agenda was handed out along with the catalog. At the plenary sessions, delegates debated and voted on Bylaw Amendments, Study/Action issues, and Resolutions. Of the four thousand attendees, two thousand one hundred and seventy-three were delegates from our member congregations and organizations. The approved resolutions become the binding guidelines of the Association. As our Principles state, "We, the member congregations, covenant to affirm and promote the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large".

So, what is the latest position of our Association? The 2000 General Assembly approved the following Statement of Conscience: "Economic Injustice, Poverty, and Racism: We Can Make a Difference- We pledge ourselves to strive to understand how racism and classism perpetuate poverty and to work for the systematic changes needed to promote a more just economy and compassionate society. Together, we can make a difference." Although I certainly agree with this statement of conscience, I feel that its scope is so broad as to elude our grasp. How do we translate this lofty statement about the interrelatedness of poverty, classism, and racism into action that will change the present climate of economic injustice? The resolution challenges us to resist complacency in ourselves and our communities and insists that as Unitarian Universalists we have a religious and moral obligation to do so.

I like to temper the theoretical with the practical. One of the ways in which we made our presence felt in Nashville was through the Empty Shelves Project. The Fall Hamilton Elementary School knows economic injustice firsthand. "It serves approximately 350 students in grades K-6 in a racially diverse neighborhood surrounding the state fairgrounds. While the neighborhood is very stable over 87% of the students are indigent and receive free breakfast and lunch each day." At a special booth in the Exhibit Hall, people were invited to purchase books for the school reading program. As a result, Unitarian Universalists added 1,500 books to the school library increasing its size by 60%.

Here's another example of our values in action. The Youth Caucus has been a powerful presence at General Assembly in recent years. Four hundred and eighteen youth were in attendance in Nashville. "A couple of teens noticed an injured homeless man, downtown, lying deathly still, not far from the Convention Center. When police roused him, they were relieved. But they still felt bad. They wanted to do something. So they started knocking on the hotel doors to raise money for the homeless." [R. Waddle, Tennessean, 9/22/00] Among themselves, they raised $318 with which they bought food for the local shelter. When their actions were reported to the business meeting the following day, $2,700 was raised on the spot for the same purpose. This was a powerful event for all ages. Sometimes it takes youth to remind us that we can truly make a difference.

At General Assembly, delegates discuss and then select which one of the five Study/ Action Issues will move forward for study and action over the next two years. In 1999, we selected Responsible Consumption as a Moral Imperative, which has inspired many efforts on behalf of our member congregations. I have brought materials back with me to share with you on this vital topic. The Study/ Action Issue which passed this year was An Alternative to the "War on Drugs": "How can Unitarian Universalists contribute to a reformation of drug policies which would reduce drug use without infringing on civil liberties, scapegoating minority communities, interfering with the internal affairs of other countries, or dehumanizing drug users?" This is certainly a complex issues which merits consideration and discussion.

I realize that I have given you a whirlwind tour of General Assembly. If you are interested in learning more about any of the topics that I have touched upon, more information can be found in the latest issue of the UU World magazine, by visiting the UUA web site or you are always welcome to set up an appointment to talk with me further. Stay tuned for discussions and projects based upon some of these issues!

Channing Memorial Church has not sent any delegates to GA for a while. For your information, General Assembly 2001 will be in Cleveland, OH, June 21- 25. GA 2002, will be in Quebec City, Quebec and GA 2003, will be in nearby Boston, MA. If you are interested, please speak with Joy Benson, our Denominational Affairs person or me.

You may have noticed in your order of service an upcoming event that is much closer to home. On October 21, Unitarian Universalists from our District will gather for a Fall Conference in nearby East Greenwich, RI. There will be worship, workshops, presentations, and a candidate's forum of the upcoming elections for UUA President and Moderator that will be held at the 2001 General Assembly. So, here's your chance to connect with other Unitarian Universalists and to be engaged with the issues of our broader movement. Registration forms can be found at the back of the church or by calling the office.

In conclusion, I will echo the words of Unitarian Universalist minister, Vincent Silliman: