October 17. 2025

Something For the Moment 

Sign up for access to the UUMA Sing Out Love Subscription: A new benefit of UUMA membership! 

The UUA’s new virtual hymnal, Sing Out Love, is now available to UUMA members who aren’t eligible to participate in a congregational plan. This multimedia resource is packed with new music (over 65 new songs–and more coming every month)! Its features are so abundant that it might be helpful to explore it with official tour guides. Click here to watch the Rev. Erika Hewitt (Lead) and Camille Hatton (Project Manager) share a 45-minute Zoom tour of Sing Out Love.  Click here to request access to our subscription (member login required). Please note your membership must be renewed to access this benefit. 

Institute Housing Update: Our housing block at the Hotel Albuquerque is temporarily full.  If you are having trouble booking a room in our block please be patient as we work with the hotel to add rooms. We are excited we have reached our contractual agreements and have confidence we will be able to expand the block! 

Something for the Journey
Rev. Michelle Favreault, UUMA MFN Manager

Today’s theological vocabulary test:  Enthusiasm. Sacramental Humanism. Healing. Authenticity.  Discernment. Community of Practice. Code switching. Forgiveness. Money. Song. Liberation. Embodied prayer. 

In my five meetings this morning, these words got written down in my little UUMA lined notebook.  So many years into ministry, I feel fairly confident that I could describe my “theology” of each of these terms in a manner befitting a credentialing interview, or make a valiant effort in a collegial circle to bring life to the words in a game of charades.  I like the ontological.  I appreciate the learning ministry.  Words, words, words, I love the words.  

In working with you, beloved colleagues, I am so glad that we have opportunities to engage with the theory and practice of being and becoming more fully human. Memorizing definitions isn’t at the heart of a formation program for a Unitarian Universalist candidate these days.  Knowing dates and details on the Edict of Torda is not likely to be a “gotcha” question from an MFC panelist.  A lot has changed and continues to change in how we express our care, commitment and expectations about competency. Through this clergy appreciation month, I am extra thankful for the way we learn and grow across generations and the reality that we don’t do ministry alone.  Shifting in identity from layperson to clergy happens in so many subtle and profound ways AND it happens in relationships where we listen deeply to one another and to our inner wisdom. We talk through conflict and consider alternative ways of returning to covenant.  We (hopefully) catch one another and companion the tough and tender with care.  

As ever, mentors, teachers, advisors and guides are who we are with one another and for one another.  Be sure to connect: join in a learning together, MFN program or reach out for a discernment conversation to grow your soul, skills and calling.  We need one another.  And the word of the day is LOVE.

Something for Learning

Updates about our Institute keynote speaker, Kai Cheng Thom 

This week we have some good news, some sad news and a silver lining to share with you, colleagues.

The good news is that Kai Cheng Thom is collaborating with us to record a reading of her beautiful children’s book From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea – and your Institute registration gift is that you get to use it in worship/your community work! This recording will be available by the end of November.

The sad news is that Kai Cheng has decided travel to the US is not a good idea right now; many of us are also doing this travel calculus. Although Kai Cheng will not be able to join us in person in Albuquerque, she will be offering her wisdom via zoom. We are grateful for our multiplatform approach and for the robust virtual offerings at the Institute.

The silver lining is that we will get some extended time with Kai Cheng over the next few months, instead of just one week.  She will offer two special caucus spaces (one for Trans/NB colleagues and another for BIPOC colleagues) in November and two workshops open to all who are registered in January. She will use what comes up in these workshop spaces to inform her Institute Keynote address. Dates for these sessions will be available soon.