Issue 8072

THE

INQUIRER £1 | Issue 8072 | 25 November 2023

Inside this issue…

Danny Crosby on ‘buggerlugs’ Louise Baumberg on welcoming all Celia Midgley celebrates Advent

www.inquirer.org.uk

The voice of British and Irish Unitarians and Free Christians

Unitarians connect across the world Leadership conference in Prague Celebrating 75 years in Berlin Finding common faith in Australia

THE

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www.unitarian.org.uk Page 2 | Issue 8072 – 25 November 2023

Welcome the silliness of Advent It struck me that one of the themes of the Advent season is Silliness. We may, of course, call it Fun. It was the Santa Fun Run that started my train of thought. On the second Sunday of Advent last year, hundreds of men, women (one woman aged 91 years) and children dressed in misshapen Santa outfits, many complete with beard, and ran ten kilometres around my home town of Skipton. For fun.

For myself, I cannot imagine doing either the dressing up or the running. It was a fundraiser for Sue Ryder Care, but it struck me as – forgive the word – bonkers. But the runners actually enjoyed it. They had fun. I confess I had to reconsider my opinion of the event when my attention was drawn to some pictures of the runners that appeared on a local Facebook site. There, among the photos of excited, happy runners, was my Syrian friend Malik, holding the hands of his two young daughters (Muslims, of course) as they ran together in the crowd. He had a broad smile on his face.

After all they had endured to escape from war-torn Syria seven years before, who was I to be dismissive of something that put joy back into people’s lives? I will from now on try to be more tolerant of the Santa Fun Run, of gaudy decorations, of fake reindeer headbands and Christmas jumpers and socks. This period of Advent, I realised, gives people permission to opt out, if only for a brief while, of the strains of modern living. As the days darken, we need light and colour and joy and even some silly fun.

Celia Midgley Correction: In the obituary for Jef Jones, published in the 30 September Inquirer, his undergraduate course of study was incorrect. His degree was in American Studies and French.

Helen Mason writes of ‘Leading into the Future’, looking at a Unitarian way forward

Gathering our global community

Shown above: Delegates at the Prague conference. Photo by Jon Dorsett

Since the Covid pandemic lockdowns and the demise of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) there have been few opportunities for Unitarians/Unitarian Universalists and Free Christians to meet with international friends and colleagues. Eighteen months ago, Unitarian College here in the UK, along with the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians and the International Office of the Unitarian Universalist Association began to conceive the idea of getting together.

We planned to discuss the future these ideas about our global future. of our global faith as we have The convening was peppered with “It was an incredible emerged from the pandemic, and wonderful opportunities to worship the leadership we will need to together (led by an international feeling to worship find to take our denominations team of ministers and musicians) alongside Unitarians/UUs successfully into the second half of including the Revs Ant Howe and the 21st century with international Winnie Gordon of the UK. It was and Free Christians from leaders, educators, financiers and an incredible feeling to worship around the world. We interested parties. The questions alongside Unitarians/UUs and Free framing the discussion are – what Christians from around the world. even sang ‘Spirit of Life’ will our faith look like in 20-50 We even sang ‘Spirit of Life’ in 13 in 13 languages.” years? What leadership will we languages (if you would like to try need? How will we find the leaders? this in your worshipping community, How can we educate and support contact Unitarian College for the them as a global community given translations!) the imbalances in our resources (both human, intellectual and financial).

Consider interconnectedness So, the concept of ‘Leading into the Future’ was born.

Our opening keynote speech was given by Bayo After a considerable amount of thought and planning, Akomolafe PhD. Bayo is a widely celebrated international funding for the initiative was sought and secured from speaker, post-humanist thinker, poet, teacher, public the Hibbert Trust, the UUA funding panel and the Czech intellectual, essayist, and author. He took us deeply into Unitarians. A programme was developed, invitations were thinking about the interconnectedness of all life, including sent and accepted and, finally, 50 of us gathered in The asking us to think about the little insects that live in our Unitarian building in the centre of Prague at the end of faces (ugh). Referencing current world events, he made October. the point that what happens to one of us has an impact on all life on earth – human and otherwise.

Wonderful worship He told a story from his Yoruba heritage about African Members of our global network from Brazil, the US, people who were enslaved and trafficked away from their Canada, Bolivia, Kenya, South Africa, India, Transylvania, homes describing a concept of a ‘god alongside’ who the Netherlands, Australia, and the Czech Republic walked with them into the future. He also referenced an gathered together, building connections and exploring old Yoruba saying that tells us you can’t find a new path Continued on page 4 > www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 3

Celebrating 75 years of Unitarianism in Berlin

By Rory Castle Jones On the weekend of 14-15 October, Berlin Unitarian Church celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special service, concert and celebrations. They were joined by many Unitarians from across Germany and Europe, including a group from Dean Row and Hale Barns Chapels in north-west England, who have a long connection with their Berlin friends under their minister Rev Jeff Gould, and two taggers-along from Wales – myself and my husband.

Over the course of the weekend, we were wonderfully looked after by Gisela Schröder-Fink, her family, and the Berlin congregation. Gisela’s late husband, the Rev Martin Schröder, was the minister of Berlin Unitarian Church for many years. We enjoyed delicious German food and hospitality, a guided tour of Unter den Linden by Jeff, and the anniversary service itself, which was a joyous celebration with liturgy, music and heartfelt emotion. The service was led by Gisela with her children, congregation members, visitors, and others taking part, while the sermon was given – in fluent German – by Jeff. No mean achievement! Afterwards, we were treated to (more)

Above: Photo by Rory Castle Jones

delicious food and a wonderful concert of classical music, culminating in a Eurovision medley celebrating European unity.

Berlin Unitarian Church is one of a small number of German Unitarian congregations. It was founded on 8 August 1948 in post-war West Berlin by the Rev Hansgeorg Remus and has been a small but vibrant centre of Liberal Unitarian Christianity in Berlin ever since.

Their spirit can perhaps be summed up by the first verse of their congregational hymn: “Herr, gib uns Frieden in der Welt! Lass uns im Leben niemals alleine! Wenn uns die Sorge des Alltags befaellt, Zeig uns die Kraft in der Gemeinde!” (transl. ‘Lord, give us peace in the world, Never leave us alone in life, When we are overwhelmed by the worries of everyday life, show us the strength in being together in community.’)

Here’s to their next 75 years – and beyond!

See an excerpt from Jeff Gould’s address on page 5.

Leading into the Future Continued from page 3 >

without first having to be lost. His inspiring words set an excellent basis for the work we were to undertake in the next two days.

The rest of the time we were engaged in discussions, explorations, debates, sharing, planning and future-gazing together, all the while networking and building friendships with those we had not met before.

A particular highlight on Saturday night was a visit from the choir of Ukrainian refugees who have been supported by the Prague Unitarian congregation. To finish their concert they sang ‘We Shall Overcome’. An incredibly moving moment.

So, coming away from the convening there is much more work to do. The group have decided to establish four smaller working groups (or buckets, as we described them) which will continue this work online and feed back to our national denominations as we go. The four buckets will focus on: 1. Leadership education 2. Sourcing and sharing financial resources 3. Provision for young adults Page 4 | Issue 8072 – 25 November 2023

4. Global Unitarian Theology and Thought The outcomes of the whole event were harvested beautifully

by UK-based graphic artist, Jon Dorsett.

So, we move on globally, reassured that we have much in common across our national denominations and witness.

The contacts, friendships and agreements developed in Prague will feed into all our future journeys.

Helen Mason Helen Mason is principal of Unitarian College.

Jeff Gould addresses Berlin Unitarians on their 75th anniversary

Treasures of the church

Shown above: Jeff Gould speaks at the Berlin Anniversary service. Photo by Rory Castle Jones

We are fortunate that our faith history can inform us about how our forebears coped with challenges as great as those we have known recently. Their witness gives us hope for the next generation of people who will give expression to the beliefs that are held here. In 1998, at the 50th anniversary service, Martin Schröder wrote in the official programme: ‘The Berlin Unitarians draw their religious insights from three sources: from the inspired scriptures of all religions, from their own personal experiences and from observing the world.’

He also explained: ‘We look to Jesus of Nazareth not as God, but we adore him as our Master and Teacher, who shows us the way to God.’ The Berlin congregation was founded through the vision of Pfarrer Hansgeorg Remus in 1948, at a time when life in Berlin held many frightening possibilities. The aftermath of the Second World War was filled with destruction, deprivation and loss of identity. The Berlin Airlift from June of 1948 until May of 1949 brought further suffering and uncertainty to the future, not only of the church but of the city of Berlin. It became the focal point of confrontation between the free world and the countries that lay behind the Iron Curtain. To found a church in such a time was an act of faith in itself. This was the case in the life of the earliest Christian community up until the fourth century.

Uncovering riches By the third century, the Christian church had gained some influential friends in the upper classes. Jealous of the church’s gains, the Emperor Valerian targeted the clergy and lay persons of means. He seized all properties used by the church and forbade all assemblies for Christian worship. Pope Sixtus and his staff of seven deacons were tracked to the catacombs, arrested, and executed, with the exception of Laurence, the archdeacon in Rome.

Laurence was held for questioning and interrogated at length. Valerian wanted to plunder the church’s riches, so Laurence was commanded to reveal their whereabouts.

The archdeacon assembled all the sick and poor among whom he had distributed the church’s assets in relief

funds. He presented them to the emperor’s prefect saying, ‘These are the treasures of the church.’ For his impertinence, Laurence was roasted alive on a gridiron.

Laurence’s witness is indicative of the paradoxical nature of faithful living. The point he attempted to impress upon the prefect is that the hallmark of our life in faith is that we do not see or measure things as others do. We do not measure riches by how much we can amass for ourselves, but by how much we are able to invest in others.

Measured in human lives This unusual form of bookkeeping presents a considerable challenge to those who oversee the church’s finances, but any honest accounting of the church’s true wealth vindicates Laurence: our riches are measured in human lives. The bounty of the Unitarian table is measured in grain that is planted far and wide, in life that is given freely and abundantly returned.

The word ‘martyr’ does not mean death; the word ‘martyr’ means ‘witness’. In our case, as faithful Unitarians, martyrdom is evidenced in the whole of our lives, in the giving of self in fullness that holds back nothing. As we live, and when we leave, our treasure and the church’s treasure will not be measured by how much we take away, but by how much we have spent. Our legacy will be measured in the lives of others.

In the words of the apostle Paul, ‘God loves a cheerful giver.’ [II Corinthians 9:7b]. There is far more for us to give than we know we are able to give.

The Rev Jeff Gould is minister with Hale Chapel, Hale Barns and Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 5

Anne Mills found much in common with Unitarians down under

Reaching out to Perth Unitarians Let freedom span both east and west, and love both south and north, in universal fellowship throughout the whole wide earth.

Then east and west will meet and share, and south shall build with north, one human commonwealth of good throughout the whole wide earth.) – The Rev Jacob Trapp, Hymns for Living; number 125

Earlier this year, my husband David Voas, professor of Social Roger and I visited New Zealand Science of University College “We were not too and Australia, and the final leg London’s Institute of Education, dissimilar in our attitudes, of our voyage took us to Perth, spoke on, ‘Why there is no way Western Australia, to stay with back for religion in the West’. A and we were all proud to family. Perth Unitarians were due discussion followed before the call ourselves Unitarians, to meet together during our trip. service concluded.

Our niece kindly volunteered to The poem, ‘Dover Beach’ whether we were based take us to the service, so off we was significant, in terms in the north-west of went. The congregation does not of the lecture; David Voas have its own church; instead, it produced much statistical analysis England or south-west hires a rather splendid room in a to prove that churchgoing has Australia.” community centre, Drabble House. waned significantly during the The house was built in the 1920s, as last century, and Arnold’s third a private house, and combines the stanza, particularly, emphasises Art Deco and Californian Bungalow styles. The Rev Peter the fact that loss of faith results in a world in decline, and Ferguson, a former president of the Australia and New causes melancholy and uncertainty.

Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association (ANZUUA), To counterbalance a very factual video, the discussion retains ministerial responsibilities, and it was good to centred on what we as Unitarians might contribute, meet him and his wife, Carole. in order to encourage people back into churches of all It was autumn in Perth, but this year a mini heatwave denominations, worldwide; the human factor, although ensured temperatures in the low 30’s, bright sunshine, less in evidence than it used to be, still exists, and can be and cloudless blue skies. And this glorious weather was revived but requires considerable input and effort; without equalled by the warmth of the welcome we received. our help, it will not happen!

We were introduced to everyone present, offered We were impressed by the amount of discussion which refreshments, both before and after the service, and very took place, both before and after the service; points much included in the general conversation. Attended from the discussion were repeated, and expanded, and by a dozen or more of the regular congregation, and other points of interest to the Perth congregation were described to us as ‘informal’ by its chairman, Jamie introduced. Strictly speaking, Perth Unitarians constitute Simpson. Following the chalice lighting, accompanied by a fellowship; they belong to ANZUUA, which has the Matthew Arnold poem ‘Dover Beach’, and a hymn, congregations in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth, a filmed talk was shown. (See ‘Dover Beach’ on right.) in Australia, and, in New Zealand, Auckland and Blenheim.

Page 6 | Issue 8072 – 25 November 2023

“We were impressed by the amount of discussion which took place, both before and after the service.”

Shown left: Perth Unitarians meet at a community centre. Photo by Anne Mills

ANZUUA has a membership of 500, and ANZUUA belongs to international bodies including the IARF – as well as links with the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

On a different topic, mention was made of the Referendum on ‘An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice’. If passed, it would have changed the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The referendum was voted down last month.

It was a pleasure to spend a brief time with Perth Unitarians; we learned a great deal from them, which, in turn, provided us with much food for thought.

For example, there was comment about Covid and the extent to which it had affected Australia, as a whole; the consensus seemed to be that the virus had not been as serious as it was elsewhere in the world, but that cases had increased since the borders reopened last year.

We thank Perth Unitarians for their welcome and hospitality; it was good to realise that, although our congregation in Bury and the Perth Fellowship were thousands of miles apart, on the other side of the world, we were not too dissimilar in our attitudes, and we were all proud to call ourselves Unitarians, whether we were based in the north-west of England or southwest Australia. The first sentence of Perth Unitarians’ website expresses its aims eloquently, and I think we can all find aspects of this with which to identify: ‘Perth Unitarians believe that life has a spiritual and moral dimension; we meet to inquire into and share such topics in the light of reason, and in an atmosphere of freedom and acceptance.’ Long may this continue!

Anne Mills is a member of Bury Unitarian Church, and a past Unitarian General Assembly president.

The David Voas lecture is available on You Tube, here: https://tinyurl.com/VoasLecture

Dover Beach

The sea is calm tonight.

The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits; on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.

Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!

Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, Listen! you hear the grating roar Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand, Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery; we Find also in the sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.

But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Matthew Arnold www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 7

In the last instalment of her Summer School talks, Louise Baumberg asks us to keep in mind who is not among us

Creating the divine in relationships One of Martin Buber’s great legacies was the recognition of the central importance of truly authentic relationships between people. He writes ‘When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.’ So in our genuine, open interactions with each other, we are truly creating the divine. Whatever your belief about the nature of the divine, this is powerful stuff.

When we tell the truth of our their lives. There are just so many lived experiences to someone uplifting examples, not necessarily “My thoughts go to those who is really listening, he calls this explicitly linked to Liberation an I-thou encounter. An I-thou Psychology – we know from our who feel they have to relationship is one in which both own experience that this process make their true selves parties fully recognise and accept works! each other. For Buber, this I-thou And we are all, I am sure, invisible and those who relationship is the basis of human contributing to our own little are housebound and wholeness. communities – friend groups, As I wrote these Summer School congregations, walking groups, therefore invisible to the talks, I was struck by how much pottery classes (in my case). But outside world” we need each other, even though of course the question that we sometimes we tell ourselves that we should always be asking is, ‘Are we will be fine on our own. My thoughts including everyone?’, ‘Who is not go to those who are alone – really here and why?’ Many of us will have, alone – and those who feel alone because, for whatever as I did, excitedly returned to in-person activities after reason, having an I-thou encounter with the people lockdowns, but will this have meant that those people who around them is not possible. My thoughts go to those who could only join in online are excluded? feel they have to make their true selves invisible and those who are housebound and therefore invisible to the outside Our mobiles are like shields world, or too busy with a night cleaning job or caring And, as everyday transactions have moved online or been responsibilities to get that time, that space to speak and automated, those opportunities for connection that went be heard. alongside the transactions have disappeared. If you work As we find our community and name that which is online, you will probably be missing the social aspects oppressing us, we feel empowered to work with other of the office. I used to work in a university office, and people to effect change. We change the story of our own the job was fine. But what was great was being with the lives, from a despairing one to one where we are a valued team, seeing those people every day I was working. Those member of the community and we regain some control, interactions and friendships were very precious to me. we feel capable again. From social housing residents in Even longer ago, when no one had a mobile phone, Ireland to HIV-positive women in London and imprisoned and rented houses often had phones that only took young people, projects inspired by the principles of incoming calls, I made friends with a woman waiting for Liberation Psychology have enabled people to change the payphone. Now I, and I’m sure many people, use Page 8 | Issue 8072 – 25 November 2023

“The question that we should always be asking is, ‘Are we including everyone?’, ‘Who is not here and why?’ ”

Shown left: Shutterstock photo

my mobile like a shield and a comforter. Looking into it and not outwards makes me feel safe, and again I am protected from the unpredictability of interacting with strangers.

As Iona Lawrence formerly of the Jo Cox Foundation says: Humans are social beings, so loneliness is a challenge as old as humanity itself. But globalisation, gentrification, digitisation and automation are playing havoc on the way we connect at home, at work and during leisure time. We share fewer family meals; increasingly connect online instead of face-to-face; increasingly work outside of traditional team environments; increasingly shop online; are less faithful and religious; and are less likely to belong to a trade (or any other kind of) union.

As those natural opportunities for connection and interaction are reducing, the challenge is to create new opportunities, diverse opportunities which are intentional and inclusive. Some can only connect online, some cannot, some thrive in noisy, busy places, some need quiet.

Trauma can make interaction difficult For some, sharing even a tiny piece of their true experiences from the past is just too painful, so a focus on speaking about anything that is going on right now (providing the traumatic events are not ongoing) is a lovely way to share time together. A foster carer I know had a child who had been through unimaginable trauma, about which it was impossible to speak. She and her therapist related wholly in the world of Harry Potter.

Speaking about likes and dislikes, food, films, books, art is also authentic sharing – our life experiences cover all of these and more. In our creativity we put ourselves out there. We may choose to express ourselves through a song, or perhaps fabric work as Tracy Emin has. Of course word-based art such as a song or ‘Everyone I Have Ever Slept With’ – the embroidered tent – is an obvious sharing. But music, pottery and all creative arts are a way to share who we are. The arts connect us back to ourselves as we try to find our authentic voice.

Activities that are not specifically intended for sharing can be amazing opportunities to have important conversations.

Sharing the experience of working or walking alongside someone often opens the possibility for a kind of relaxed openness. Parents of teenagers know this! I know parents who have the best conversations with their kids over the washing up, and I personally have found that table tennis can lead to much more conversation about what’s going on at school than just asking ‘how’s school’ with the wide range of responses: ‘rubbish’, ‘not bad’, ‘fine’ and ‘good’.

Some who have had teenagers may well be in awe at that selection when they’ve only ever got ‘fine’! But with table tennis going on, a conversation can be much more expansive and free ranging. For older kids, driving practice is also a marvellous opportunity – after you’ve got past the beginner stage when pretty much all you’re talking about is clutch, brakes, gears and so on.

We can learn from the big events, the big injustices and of course many of us are involved in some small or large way with campaigning and trying to move these issues forward, be it in the areas of climate change, racism, housing, refugees, poverty, to name just a few. Perhaps in our congregations and certainly in the area we live are those who are lonely, those who struggle to get out to events for whatever reason. Perhaps we ourselves are feeling that an aspect of our life is invisible to others.

From authentic relationships comes true community, which feels like home.

As Maya Angelou says, ‘The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.’

And in community I truly believe that we can change the world. As Audre Lorde writes: ‘Without community there is no liberation’.

Louise Baumberg Louise Baumberg is a member of Godalming Unitarians. This is an excerpts from Louise’s Hucklow Summer School talks. Find videos and audio recordings here: www. hucklowsummerschool.co.uk/talks/ www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 9

Never mind the buggerlugs A friend asked me the other day why I refer to Molly (my little Havanese dog) as ‘buggerlugs’. He looked quite disturbed by the phrase. I explained it was a term of endearment. When I was growing up, my grandad often used to say to my brother and me, ‘come on buggerlugs’. It seems I speak to Molly in a similar way. It is certainly affectionate, although it probably doesn’t sound that way to someone not brought up hearing it. It seems that anybody below the age of 40 and not from Yorkshire or Lancashire have never heard the term or at least a version of it.

As is my way, I posted about this on social media. It was an attempt to offer something light for folk to connect with.

The responses were both amusing and fascinating. My mum replied with the following tale: I have probably told you this before. I had a great uncle Eddie. He was certainly a character. I used to love going to see him. He had two Yorkshire terriers called Buggerlugs and Mucky Clogs. He also had a Myna Bird who would shout out the two dogs’ names and say, ‘shut up’. Needless to say he was granddad’s uncle.

A little later she added: Uncle Eddie was Nana’s brother. The family lived at 3 Loxley Street (Batley, West Yorkshire). It was a one down, two up.

They had 6 children and an uncle who lived there also. No bathroom or inside toilet. To the right of the chimney breast was a sink with a cupboard above. Uncle Eddie replaced the cupboard fronts with wire netting and kept 2 hens in there.

You couldn’t make it up Love, Mum xxx You truly could not make it up. I have heard this story before, but it was lost somewhere in my subconscious.

It has resurfaced and reformed as the days have gone by this week. It makes perfect sense to me why I would call Molly ‘Buggerlugs’. Some days she definitely suits ‘Mucky Clogs’. I have had some bewildered looks from people as I have shared these tales. That said, I am kind of used to that.

The conversation has brought some wonderful memories to my heart and mind, of those tales my grandad used to tell me – most I couldn’t repeat in this publication. As well as other tales that my dad and or aunties and uncles used to tell. Most of them make me smile broadly these days, although not always. I was smiling to myself the other morning as I remembered songs that my dad and both of my grandads used to sing to us. Again, some I could not repeat here. One is the wonderful, ‘I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts’. I often sing it myself, again to bewildered looks from some folk.

These memories mean so much to me. I know there are gems hidden in me and whenever they resurface they eventually help me to truly appreciate the life I have now.

FROM FROM NOTHING NOTHING TO TO EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

By

By Danny Danny Crosby Crosby

A life made richer by those that have blessed it. Yes, there is much pain there, but there is also deep love. So many gifts and blessings.

Memories are snapshots of life. Moments that stay with us. It always fascinates me how these memories take shape and form and often reshape as time goes by; it amazes me how these memories seemingly reincarnate as time goes by. We should not fear our memories; they are precious in so many ways, and it is these very memories that make the present moment truly come alive. I have discovered that sometimes you can lose some of the true richness of the moment by becoming purely engrossed in it. That might sound like a counter intuitive thing, but I think not.

Please do not get me wrong, I am not rejecting the power of the present moment, quite the opposite actually.

What I am suggesting there is a greater power in bringing the present moment alive by enriching it with our whole selves. It’s a kind of active experience of the present moment. It’s about opening our whole selves up to the present moment and not just passively experiencing what is there. It’s about wholly living in the moment and then carrying that snapshot into the future. It’s about truly living on the threshold of life. This is how we are always living, on the threshold of something, as one moment ends another begins.

Memory is a funny thing. It is amazing what we remember and what we cannot remember, how memory can be so very selective. Memory also changes over time. My memory – or do I mean my perspective on past events in my life – have changed over time.

Remember means to ‘re-member’; to put back together that which has been torn apart. In some way, remembering has a similarity to ‘religion’, which means ‘to rebind together’. Both are about seeking after a wholeness, and isn’t that what we are about most of the time? (As I seem to remember the Rev David Shaw once saying. My memory maybe be playing tricks on me here by the way.)

For so long I used to say I could not remember much about my childhood and the things that I could remember caused me either pain or embarrassment. I thank God this is no longer the case. It would seem that I was always on the run and you really cannot live like that. I also had a lot Continued on page 11 >

Page 10 | Issue 8072 – 25 November 2023

Successful psychical and spiritual conference

By David Taylor Over the weekend of the 22-24 September, the Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies (USPS) met at the Nightingale Unitarian Conference Centre, Great Hucklow, for its annual conference. Once delegates had settled in and enjoyed an evening meal, the AGM was followed by an evening lecture

by Mark Rotherham from Kendal Unitarians.

Marks’s talk addressed a very real spiritual crisis encountered by many today. At the root of human consciousness lies our deep connection to the living world. The most serious individual and collective problems we find ourselves confronted by today are the result of increasing levels of separation from this root. In his talk, Mark explored the history of our lost connection and a way of being and relating that can facilitate human homecoming to the wider Earth community.

After an early meditation session, followed by a hearty breakfast, the Saturday part of the conference began in earnest. First speaker of the day was Dr Linda Sever, senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire. Linda is a former BBC researcher and documentary maker and editor of ‘Lancashire Sacred Landscapes’ (History Press, 2010). In her illustrated talk, she examined how consciousness can be developed in the landscape to help in the solving of historical mysteries and locating hidden artefacts. She pointed out that as strange as this may sound, there is an historical precedent for this, in the Terma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

After a short break, the next speaker was academic and former President of the Scottish Society for Psychical Research, Nick Kyle. Nick and his wife Sarah had travelled from Scotland to present their research into the phenomena of physical mediumship. This is where, during seances, physical manifestations of spirit are reported. They concentrated on the remarkable occurrences reported by a group of mediums at the famous case at Scole in Norfolk. These claims were investigated by scientists, psychologists, magicians and engineers under controlled scientific conditions. Spirit was reported to materialise, objects moved around the room, sealed photographic film was manipulated and strange lights seen

Shown above: Participants enjoying the 2023 USPS conference. Photo provided

by David Taylor

and photographed.

The lunch break gave USPS delegates time to let all of this sink in, and after lunch Nick continued with his own experiences of investigation reports of ghosts, apparitions and haunted locations. Nick urged caution when investigating such claims, not least because there are instances where fraud and delusion are present. He also suggested that in genuine paranormal reports there may be genuine external spiritual influences.

Rounding off the Saturday lectures, John Pickering from Kendal Unitarians gave a talk entitled: ‘The Spirit Within and the Ghost in the Machine’ focused on the spiritual and psychic aspect of consciousness and our links to each other and the natural world.

In the evening, there was plenty of opportunity to relax, unwind and chat about the lectures.

On Sunday morning Lesley Harris led the annual USPS service in the chapel. Her theme was cosmic influences, inspired by the science-fiction classic ‘Chocky’ by John Wyndham.

The conference was a great success, with plenty of new and exciting material for people to digest.

Plans are already underway for the 2024 conference. When these have been finalised, they can be found on the USPS website: www.unitarianpsychical.org.uk David Taylor is secretary of the Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies.

Buggerlugs Continued from page 10 >

of trouble remembering much of my adult life, too. It was fear that stopped me. I was frightened of reconnecting with these memories. I was frightened of re-feeling these memories. I was ruled by a fear of resentment, of re-sensing. Isn’t it strange how resentment only has negative connotations these days.

These days, memory and remembering has become so very important to me. Every year I gain a different per-

spective on my past which helps me live better in the present moment and opens up the future in fascinating ways.

I still get funny looks as I recall these tales. Then again a lot of the folk I share my life with these days did not share the life I did with the folk who left their mark on me in my formative years. These days I share my life with a different lovely bunch of coconuts. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 11

Saint Ananda on ‘weathering’ the UWG conference

Holding up half a rainy sky

Shown above: Unitarian Women’s Group members at Old Chapel, Great Hucklow. Photo by Hazel Warhurst

It was a treacherous journey to the Unitarian Women’s Group conference (UWG) this year as storm Babet (an intense extratropical cyclone) unleashed red-warning weather of lashing winds and heavy rain flooding the roads.

After six hours on our scheduled three-hour drive, my partner Helen and I sought the safety of shelter and were lucky to find a hotel for the night. We arrived at the Nightingale Centre the next morning, passing abandoned cars along the small, damaged village bridge and flooded muddy roads.

We found that nearly half the attendees had turned back, as their circumstances were unsafe. Some wisely stayed home. One car of attendees was blessed by the kindness of a stranger who gave them his paid room at a fully booked hotel, rather than see elder women sleep in their car on a stormy night.

Due to the many absences, some established members improvised a weekend in lieu of what was a well-planned programme. What resulted was an impromptu history of the UWG, comparing issues brought up at its inception 41 years ago to issues of today. Helen and I weren’t familiar with UWG when we booked our weekend. I was excited to discover it is a feminist group and closely aligned with the issues of fourth-wave feminism which I had studied that week on my university course.

UWG was founded in 1982 in response to the marginalisation of women and their concerns in the Unitarian Church. They were allowed to form their group on the condition that half the six-member committee were men.

This was apparently for the sake of equality. The irony is glaring. A chorus of men forbade their wives from attending the new group for fear they would come back as shorthaired lesbians in boots. The personal accounts of similar historic discriminatory incidents were eagerly voiced by long-standing members, such as an attendee who was offered a place on a church’s committee but, as its only woman, was there to serve drinks, not to be heard. Other examples were given as women were reminded of the many injustices that fortify UWG relevance today.

We looked back at issues from the first UWC and compared them to current concerns. Together, we compiled a list of areas we felt in need of further attention: ongoing racism, inequality, and misogyny in a toxic patriarchal

system; poverty affecting women; educating ourselves on evolving language of social issues while offering empathetic support to families of LGBTQIA+ people as they adapt.

There was a gathering to reminisce of friendships forged over the decades with women who were sadly no longer on the same plane. Their memory was honoured in our refuge of a women-only space. We gathered on our last night to share songs, readings, and comedy with merriment and glowing hearts.

Storm Babet gifted us a humbling weekend that saw our turbulent travels reflecting the endurance of the women who dedicated their lives to bringing us the progress we have today. These women battled through the torrents of toxic patriarchy’s stubborn refusal to untie the hands of women who would otherwise hold up half the sky far more effectively.

We persevered together with calm, creative heads, and co-created a beautiful weekend with lively debate, worship and entertainment while making new connections.

I was one of the younger attendees and I befriended the even-younger Emma. I hope our fast friendship also continues for decades as we join forces to bring in new members and carry forth the torch that brought us so much progress despite how much hasn’t really changed. I dream of looking back at our years at UWG conferences to reminisce of our meeting the year of storm Babet. Next year’s conference will run this year’s postponed programme, Exploring the Spiritual Quest and Women’s Experience.

Rain or shine, we will be there, and handily hold up our half of the sky.

For more information on the UWG, see: www. ukunitarians.org.uk/womensgroup/ www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 12