Monday, January 05, 2009

New Year's Resolutions

There were wall to wall (okay, mat to mat) people at yoga on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. I had to park at the parking lot behind the parking lot at the gym (reminding myself that the extra steps would be good for me.) And yes, I've resolved to increase yoga from two times a week to three or four, lose the weight I gained over the holidays, and I've even signed up for the More Magazine half marathon for women over 40 in April. And to keep myself honest, I'm telling YOU, my loyal readers about these resolutions.

Not far behind my almost annual weight resolution are the resolutions to be a better person -- to be more loving, more patient, more careful with my words, kinder, and more forgiving. I resolve to try harder to bring more of my ministerial best self into all of my day to day interactions -- including being more patient, kinder, and more forgiving of myself.

I am resolving to enjoy every minute of watching the inauguration, leaving the issue of the invocation behind me for the next few weeks. As one Renaissance participant said, "they can have the invocation if we can have the legislation." I resolve to be more open to seeking common ground with diverse religious leaders on areas where we can indeed find consensus -- and I resolve to continue to speak out without fear when we can't. I resolve to finish and submit the proposal for the book that is being born inside me. I resolve to be the best steward possible of the Religious Institute and our exciting new projects.

And I resolve to pray...to open my heart and my life to what is being asked of me...and to love my neighbor as myself.

What resolutions are in your heart today?


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peace be with you Reverand Haffner.....

Robin Edgar said...

Well, since you asked Rev. Haffner, my New Year's Resolutions with respect to my trials and tribulations with the U*U World that are indeed in my heart and mind today were posted to The Emerson Avenger blog on Thursday January 1st, 2009.

Here is the first resolution verbatim -

1. Give current UUA President Rev. Bill Sinkford until February 14th, 2009, to start to live up to his 2008 Holiday Message rhetoric about "choosing love" by suggesting that he should "choose love" by actually "standing on the side of love" for all victims of U*U clergy misconduct. He can do so by taking steps to ensure that any and all victims of U*U clergy misconduct are provided with genuine restorative justice by the UUA. President Sinkford can start by ensuring that all victims of clergy misconduct committed by transgressive U*U ministers receive individualized formal apologies from the UUA for the clergy misconduct itself and for the UUA's past, and apparently ongoing. . . failure (if not refusal) to provide genuinely just and equitable restorative justice to victims of U*U clergy misconduct.

Now I really should get around to drafting an appropriate email to send President Sinkford ASAP. It is already somewhat overdue.

In the Sexuality and Religion: What's the Connection department my 5th resolution is also quite pertinent -

5. As part and parcel of the above New Year's Resolution, blog about "less than excellent" U*U minister Rev. Calvin O. O. Dame's interesting variation on the theme of "Small Group Ministry". . .