Rev. Vanessa Titang

Tag: Unitarian Universalist

  • Big News: Preliminary Fellowship

    It is with sweet relief and fulfillment that word has reached me from the Unitarian Universalist Association that I have now achieved Preliminary Fellowship.


    In March, I was both content and disappointed in receiving a 2 (passing, but with contingencies) from my Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) interview. Yet, I am appreciative that within me the MFC had seen my growing edges as well as my potential. I am grateful for this additional growth experience. Upon reading pieces on trauma (the book My Grandmother’s Hands, by Resmaa Menakem; and information from the UU Trauma Response Ministry (https://www.uutrm.org/), and taking 2 Renaissance Modules this summer (UU Theology and Teacher Development) my contingencies were fulfilled.


    In this time, the reprieve from direct ministerial practice and/or seminary study allowed me time and space for discernment of what ministry I am called to, and essentially, in answering “What comes next?” In these last months away from ministry (in an area unfortunately geographically isolated from UU settings) I have missed the community that UU faith creates. I am eager to dive back into this hard, beautiful, meaningful work of ministry. As such, at this time, with the wonderful news of entering Preliminary Fellowship, I am looking into contract ministry, with the intent to return to New England.


    Alas, through all of this, I am deeply appreciative of all who have supported and helped grow me to this point. Your love and wisdom are felt and recognized.
    In gratitude, I pray:

    May you, too, be held in gentle, wise hands
    that love, grow, and nurture you.
    May you too be continuously loved
    Into being.

    Amen.

  • Widen the Circle

    Widen the Circle

  • A Gift

    A Gift

    Original mixed media collage

  • To Grow a Minister

    To Grow a Minister

    So far,
    In such a short duration,
    Growth measured in moments not meters
    Who will I be
    When I reach this my formation,
    I’ll learn in the words and faces,
    Nods of encouragement from the congregation,
    Ministerial poise,
    I am learning
    Growing the muscle of a human heart
    In ways I never knew possible,
    Stretching and strengthening the tissue and sinew
    To engulf the needs of others,
    The tears and fears,
    Joys and triumphs,
    Bittersweet memories

  • WorshipWeb: “Dear Divine Spirit”

    I received exciting news earlier this week that a piece I wrote for CPE (clinical pastoral education) was selected to be posted on the Unitarian Universalist Association’s WorshipWeb. (This site is a great resource for UUs to share their writing/music/art for worship and to just connect with what others are doing in worship.

    It had to be edited a teeny bit to remove some ableist wording (glad this was brought to my attention!)

    Anyway, I’m sharing the piece as a link here, enjoy!:

    “Dear Divine Spirit”

  • Formation

    Formation

    Formation is being the adult you always admired, but never thought you could be .

    It is developing figurative muscles you didn’t know lay under your skin.

    It is grasping a colleagues hand in solidarity,  knowing you are both invested in this same,  shared process.

    It is singing Woyaya and understanding the meaning,  despite not knowing the language. 

    Formation is bringing the you,  that was always meant to be into fruition.

    Baby steps that climb you up the mountain.

    One foot at a time.

    This is Formation,  left, right left.

  • Back in the Pulpit

    Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine

    Or I was, for a moment.

    After a year of it being zoom church only I finally had the honor of participating in and/or conducting service 3 times in person! (At Ferry Beach, in Belfast and Castine).

    Unfortunately though, the Covid-19 uptick with the Delta variant has us all concerned, And thus has us opting for virtual service again.

    C’est la vie.

    But before this there were some great in person moments…

  • My UU Elevator Speech

    My UU Elevator Speech

    I am attending a family gathering.  A memorial/ independence day gathering of my maternal side. Of all the things running through my mind,  one that has  popped up a number of times is how to describe my UU faith and ministry to my largely Lutheran family.

    I need an elevator speech of sorts. I’ve been saying that I’ll get to coming up with one for some time now,  but never get around to doing it.

    I’ve been in the car for hours and hours on the road trip from Maine to Ohio and now to western Pennsylvania. I’m a passenger,  and I see no time but now to do it!

    I think first about all the things that I believe…..

    I believe in a universal, neutral force that one might call God,  or my preferred  “Spirit”.

    I believe in panentheism,  this Spirit is, is in, and is greater than all.

    I believe in God’s love for all.

    I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all.

    I believe in the interconnection of all things.

    I believe in an interwoven web of life.

    I believe God’s intervening force in our lives,  but not that all is preordained.

    I believe in the continuation of spirit after death,  in a cycle as part of the Divine Spirit.

    I believe…

    I believe a lot things that are a lot to explain.  I believe things that not all Unitarian Universalists believe. But my faith has belief that we can hold these views and seek out truth and meaning.

    I struggle with how to describe this all succinctly.

    Then I saw a description someone else did,  that was a one liner. I can’t even recall what it was, but it made sense. And suddenly I came up with it:

    “I believe in 1 God that connects and fills all, and in which all are saved.”

    From this description, Unitarian and Universalists views are both expressed. Unitarian: all in one God. Universalist: Never mind the name given,  the language or faith praised with,  all for this one whole God.

     

    There is much more that could be expressed about my faith,  and own spirituality. But this short statement captures the crux of the faith.  I can then expand, and talk about the non-creedal nature,  the 7 (8) Principles that help to guide and explain our beliefs.

    I’m sure I will tweak my elevator statement over time and with use.  But for now I’m satisfied with this.  I think being able to come up with such a statement is a Testament to how much I’ve grown in my faith and ministry.

    I also think I’m ready for the family….

     

  • Asking (a Prayer)

    Asking (a Prayer)

    I am here and humbled
    By my small body,
    By my tiny imprint on the fingerprint of the divine plan,
    I am hard of bringing myself to bent knees,
    To folded hands,
    To ask,
    For anything,
    For who am I to ask?
    Who am I to expect?

    then I am reminded,
    I am
    inherently worthy,

    Worthy
    As any other being,
    And I am part of this web,
    Interconnected by nature,
    And my part is too important,
    In ways I’ll may never know,
    May never understand

    And so,
    Humble, worthy, interconnected
    I fall to knees with fingers clasped:

    Dear spirit,  great being of existence,
    That in, of, around and composing us,
    I ask for your help,
    Influence in my favor,
    To make and show me
    the best path forth,

    I ask you to make it be,
    That which includes the greatest good
    Even that I might not understand
    Now
    The greatest good
    For me and family
    That our place in this web be filled with peace
    And the good of your divine presence,
    So humbly for this I pray.
    Amen.

  • Altar Space

    This is my home altar space. It has slowly developed over a time, of collecting what I initially saw as small trinkets. Really I was building a small temple for my spirituality.

    I don’t fit neatly in anyway in a “what are you?” box. This altar could look like that of many different faiths, which is truly what I channel. But in the end it makes sense as a Unitarian Universalist. I am content in this spirituality, which I long searched to understand and find.

    Though it is modest, and a tad busy (with limited space), I invite you in to the outer workings of my eclectic spirituality.

    Welcome!