Matthew’s Memo
 
So much change!  For myself, the change in professional role is underway, as I’ve begun to onboard with the UUA.  There are a lot of new computer systems, processes, and practices to learn.  And I’ve begun to unwind things at the church (more on that below).  It’s a big, big change.  And I’ve started moving some items to my new apartment, with the big move day in two weeks.  It’s a lot! 

And change can produce anxiety.  Let me rephrase that.  Change produces anxiety. Even when wanted and planned for, change produces anxiety.  To manage my anxiety, I go for a run or a workout, make lists, spend time with dear ones, pray, sing, and try to get a good night’s sleep.  Mostly, I notice – oh, I’m feeling anxious because of change. Then I breathe in and out, and don’t misattribute the feeling to something else.
 
My departure from the church is producing moderate anxiety in the church system.  This is normal and expected.  By noticing it, we can manage it. I think I have often served as a firebreak against anxiety in the system over the last 17 years. I am naturally calm, and calm leadership can do wonders to reduce anxiety. (One reason our national scene is so anxiety-producing is the absence of calm, steady leadership.) 

This anxiety in the church is mostly in the leaders, who, of course, are trying to figure out the next steps and how to manage things.  But it might be showing up in you, too.  Notice it, name where it comes from, and breathe it out. 

And let me offer some “fire-break.” 
 
If you are anxious about the interim ministry, trust the board and the UUA staff working with them.  They are proceeding along and will make it work. There are many moving pieces, but not every detail has to be figured out at once. Be open, creative, and patient.

If you are anxious about “who makes decisions,” know that that will sort out as well. I want to be clear about one particular type of decision that the Board and I have reaffirmed – we have one “chief of staff” at a time. That’s me through Aug 31.  Then it will be the interim or acting senior minister – by our bylaws, the senior minister is the chief of staff.  Please respect these lines of authority. It’s fine for the minister to manage multiple points of feedback, but not for the other staff – that’s not what they are paid for, and it doesn’t help them do their job.  Do your best to respect their authority and expertise in their area, but not overwhelm them with anxiety you might be feeling yourself.  Just breathe out and be patient.

The good news is that on the other side of anxiety, change also produces openness and creativity. Things will be different. Things can be reimagined and reformed. New questions can be asked. When we are tender and present, possibilities emerge.  So, be patient, breathe, and let the work do the work. 
 
In faith,
Matthew

Sunday Morning Meditation
1st and 3rd Sundays 
9:15 in the Library

The next session is July 20

We meet to meditate together and center ourselves for the day. Please join us for Sunday Morning Meditation. 

Commentary on the book Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife Of Your Trash by Alexander Clapp

The author states: “Electronic waste is currently the world’s fastest-growing type of garbage. According to the Global E-Waste Monitor, an annual United Nations report on the state of electronics disposal, nearly 50 million metric tons of old cell phones and computers and televisions enter disposal streams every year, the equivalent of 125,000 jumbo jets of materials that require–though scarcely ever receive–careful handling.
That amount is expected to double by 2050, by which time the production of electronics will be responsible for nearly 15 percent of all global carbon emissions.”

He goes on in Chapter 16 to say that the world is on the verge of a dramatic restructuring of the mining industry as societies embrace the “Green Energy Transition”. Extraction of Petroleum will be replaced by extraction of minerals required to produce the batteries and other devices and that initially will result in yet more carbon being released into the atmosphere than ever before. As he puts it a new topography of “electric states” as opposed to the current Petro States will emerge. In order to meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement, intended to achieve a net zero carbon emissions level by the year 2100, 40% more copper, 70% more cobalt and nearly 90% more lithium will have to come out of the ground. This is more minerals in two decades than humanity has extracted in all previous history.

I’ve received several comments on the quotes and remarks for which I thank you.

Submitted by Gaen McClendon

Sunday Morning Meditation
1st and 3rd Sundays 
9:15 in the Library

The next session is July 20

We meet to meditate together and center ourselves for the day. Please join us for Sunday Morning Meditation. 

• Our deep roots connect us to a wealth of resources that nourish our growth as a beacon for justice, inclusion, and liberation, especially anti-racism and gender and sexuality justice. 
• Our listening cultivates diverse and multicultural relationships that bridge divisions, strengthen our communities, heal hearts, and foster safety for all. 
• Our awareness of our interdependence inspires us to protect the shared environment and natural world in which we live.

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