By Pauline Benetti
Special to The PREVIEW
This Sunday, the Rev. Christine Robinson will return to the Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (PUUF) after too long of an absence to speak on the topic “Freely Spiritual, Lightly Religious.”
She encapsulates her message as follows: “We UUs live in a world which is increasingly ‘Spiritual but not Religious.’ What does that mean to us and how can we serve the folks who think of themselves this way and what is this ‘spiritual’ thing, anyhow?”
A “trending topic” indeed. About a quarter of U.S. adults (27 percent) now say they think of themselves as spiritual, but not religious, up 8 percentage points in five years, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted between April 25 and June 4, 2019. There’s more. In January of this year, the global research firm YouGov listed “being more spiritual” as one of America’s top 10 New Year’s resolutions. Presented with these survey questions, how would you answer? Are you interested in big questions? Join us this Sunday.
Robinson will spend a good part of Sunday with us; first the service, followed by a gathering of the fellowship to consider our period of transition from minister-lead to lay-lead. She will help us envision the future and explore its possibilities. PUUF members and friends are invited to attend for some creative thinking, and lunch from 12:15 to 2:30 p.m.
Robinson is retired after 29 years serving as the senior minister of the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, N.M. Previously, she served the UU Fellowship of Columbia, S.C.
During her lengthy tenure, First U developed a replicate model for large-church outreach by reaching out to small groups of Unitarian Universalists scattered throughout New Mexico and bringing these groups into fellowship with First U. Robinson remains active in ministry by guest preaching, consulting, leading board retreats and the like. She delivered the 2008 Berry Street Essay, “Imagineering Soul,” to the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and she is the author of three books, each offering a re-imagined model of small group ministry.
Our fellowship offers each individual support in our unique spiritual path and an opportunity to participate in positive social and environmental action. We welcome diversity and invite everyone to share in our faith community.
Religious Exploration (RE) classes are held on the third and fourth Sundays and continue through to May. For more information about RE, contact Anna Ramirez at afrancis@hotmail.com.
Find us in Unit B-15 of the Greenbriar Plaza. From North Pagosa Boulevard, turn right onto Park Avenue and right again into Greenbriar Plaza, then turn left and continue around the complex until you see the Unitarian Universalist sign as it faces the mountains. Join us. For further information about PUUF, visit pagosauu.org or call 731-7900.
