January 2013 Newsletter
The year 2012 has come and gone. We here at the Monastery are excited for the prospects a new year brings for our church and our ministers, but first let’s remember some big moments that shaped 2012. The Universal Life Church Monastery had a great year of growth. Not only did we ordain more new ministers in 2012, but we took on some great projects as well.
December to Remember: A ULC Monastery Wedding Event
For our big project, the Monastery gave away 15 individual, free wedding ceremonies in our home city of Seattle! It was such a rewarding event and it was wonderful to see the fantastic support from our community and local businesses. 15 couples were brought together in the eyes of the law, their friends, and family members. We are so proud of the ULCM ministers who met with our staff to prepare for and perform these ceremonies, including Washington State Representative Marko Liias.
Here is a small sampling of the pictures from this event - we will be adding more to our website in the weeks to come, so please check back to share in this joyous event and to view the talents of our partner businesses, the love of these couples, and the fellowship between ministers, guests, and our very own ULC Monastery staff.
In addition to sharing a moment with 15 happy couples - We also partnered with many organizations in raising awareness on issues from autism to domestic abuse. Helping those in need has always been a pillar of the ULC Monastery philosophy, so we also made charitable gifts in your name to these wonderful groups:
This last year, the Church of England has toiled over what sort of person can climb their leadership ranks. While all qualified people can be ordained, they are still sorting out who exactly can be a bishop, and what all can be done once attaining such a post. Are you a woman of God? Too bad, you can’t become a bishop. Are you a man? Then step right up - but if you are gay, you must abstain from sex, thank you. You’re straight? Oh, well then certainly preach and have sex!
As a church that ordains people of all walks and faiths, and grants unto them the same legal rights, you can understand the ULC’s dissonance with the views of the Church of England. To read more about this structure of inequality, read the full article here.
It’s tragic that in places across the globe, victims are blamed for rape because they had “the audacity” to be alone or beautiful. The phrase “it takes two to tango,” like any phrase, only describes specific situations and is not a universal truth about conflict.
Unfortunately a misguided Hindu leader in India doesn’t agree. Read about his hurtful and offensive comments in our blog article.
Looking to connect more with other ULCM ministers? How about learning the customs involved in different religious holidays like the Buddhist observance of Rohatsu, or of important details for ceremonies such as how to perform a legal marriage on a cruise? To delve deeper as an ordained minister, check out our Facebook page and hit the “like” button at the top to receive regular updates right into your profile newsfeed! You can learn about the origin of the modern Santa Claus, take a quiz on world religions, read famous and inspiring quotes, and most importantly, interact with like-minded folks including the Monastery staff. We love hearing from you, so join us on our Facebook profile today!
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January 2013
