Please join us for a conversation with Unitarian Universalist Pastor & Activist Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray as we explore three powerful ways to stay engaged and grounded in challenging times. Rev. Susan was the ninth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the first woman to serve in that position. During her presidency, Frederick-Gray helped launch a program called UU the Vote in 2020. The program had over 500 churches and over 4,500 volunteers reach two million voters during the 2020 election. She was elected after serving congregations in Arizona, Ohio, and Tennessee. In Arizona she was one of the faith leaders in a place many consider ground zero in the fight for immigrant justice, she joined a federal class action lawsuit to stop Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio from raiding businesses in order to charge undocumented workers with felony identity theft. She was among thirty-one UUs arrested in front of the White House during the three-day “Days of Action” organized by an interfaith group to stop mass deportations of immigrants. Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray has been a trail-blazer, a voice for inclusivity, diversity, justice grounded in the kind of love that changes the world! We hope you enjoy and are inspired as much as we were by this powerful interview AND join the conversation right here on Substack.
Please join us for a conversation about historian Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny. Carrie and Parker discuss four of the twenty hallmarks of authoritarian governments addressed in Synder’s clear and informative work. The book is relatively short, but chock-full of insights, stories and practical advice when navigating the very real challenges of our times. We’ll look at the large overarching symptoms of an existential threat to our democracy, but also how to bring it home and to focus upon the power we each have in our daily and personal lives for defending and preserving our most deeply held values, community and national aspirations.
In this podcast, Carrie and Parker speak with Indiana State Senator, Shelli Yoder. We explore together Shelli’s history and vocation in passionate public service, as well as reclaiming the word politics and politician, holding difference and finding common ground. In a time when the most extreme and strident voices are more likely to get media sound bytes, it was deeply moving and encouraging to be in conversation with someone doing faithful and thoughtful daily work in public service.
For more about generative spaces for democracy and the common good check out Parker’s book Healing The Heart of Democracy
In this podcast, Carrie and Parker talk with author Scott Russell Sanders about his new book Small Marvels. Scott’s work often explores the spirit of place, our relationship with the natural world, and creating communities of care and generosity rather a culture of fear and division. In this episode we talk about what inspired the stories in this lovely work, and share thoughts about the power of story and creativity. I hope you’ll join us for this heart-opening conversation.
Join us for a beautiful conversation with journalist/author/poet, Judith Valente and monk/poet/photographer Brother Paul Quenon. We explore their friendship and creative collaborations as well as what it means to be intentional about “being” in a hectic and often uncertain world.
