Growing UUp “UU“…

I was initially raised Unitarian Universalist (“UU“) in Tulsa Oklahoma. While Tulsa is “a blue dot in a red state,” it’s still insidiously religious.

Initially my whole family went to All Souls. When my parents divorced (7 years old), my father returned to his Episcopalian roots; mother continuing at All Souls before moving to Church of the Restoration. This decade of my adolescence of voluntary and mandatory participation in multiple (disparate) religious theologies/communities AND integrated schooling gave me an early, if then-unconscious, appreciation of heterodoxy.

Episcopalian-ism (and ancient Abrahamic regions in general) quickly proved too “too symbol-minded” for me… all-talk, not enough walk…at least in the real world beneath my feet. However, even as teenager, I could connect with and appreciate the modern rituals, liberal politics, and pro-science foundations of the Unitarian Church.

From age 5 through mid-teens; I went to All Souls (in white-flight south-Tulsa). I thrived in their day-care, I learned about other religions in their Religious Study program, and as a teenager, benefited from their famous science-based sex-education curriculum.

Then, as a teenager, I followed my mother’s migration Church of the Restoration in north Tulsa’s historic GreenWood District (where I was then attending majority-blacks magnet-schools Carver middle-school and later Booker T Washington high-school. In this (much) smaller church, I was welcomed to learn hands-on racial- and other social-justice work and of course to make some music.

in 2004, I left Tulsa for college at Oberlin OH, I stopped going to church at all.

I only returned to church 15 years later, after my father’s death and the lawsuit on his estate. Seeking some mix of nostalgic, fresh-faces in a familiar frame-work, and looking to flex music muscles, I frequented the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia from 2019 through 2025.

I was certainly a different person, but I also found that this chUUrch, and even Unitarian-ism in general, was something different than I expected or needed.

MUUsic Minsitry w/ FUU Philadelphia …

• Before/ the COVID 19 Lockdown…under Music Minsters Nate Bergey, and later Chase Castle…
  • live drumming for feature and music worship (during, after, COVID 19 Pandemic)
  • feature for Music Sundays
  • advising/purchasing/maintenance for FUU to have church drum kit
• During the lockdown, switching to prepared music videos…
  • coordination of remote-recording standards/practices.
  • editing, mixing of remote-recording for videos
  • studio recording of drum, vocals, and more for music videos
  • video footage of live performance, pantomime, or other footage
  • member of interim board of Music Minister to
  • report on Music Ministry to Executive Minster(s)
  • recommend/choose songs for recurring and special Services
  • live broadcast of “ToGetHer,” featureing live drumming/synthesis/sampling collaboration w/ Philip Raath
• After pandemic, with (return of) Music Minster John B. Hedges,
  • advise and build upgrades for digital PA system for hybrid live/remote-broadcast services Audio/Video system
  • performance feature for Music Sundays
  • coordinate oUUr-cover of Devin Townsend song “Grace”

Selected Show and Tell:

2025 Music Sunday:

“Let the Sunshine In” (originally by 5th Dimensions)

“EveryBody is a Star”, by Sly &the Family Stone

2024: Offeratory Anthem

“Weird Science” by Oingo Boingo

2024, Music Sunday:

“Grace”, by Devin Townsend

“Take Me to the River” by Al Green

2022/05//22 “Chariots of Fire”

2022: “Kintsugi” by Gabrielle Alpin

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2020-2022 The Music Video Era

“ToGetHer” by Patrick Richardson & Philip Raath, for First Unitarian Video Talent Show

“Feeling Alright”, by Joe Cocker

“Armor” by Sara Barellis

“Not Ready to Make Nice” by The Chix

“Radio Song” by REM

“UunStoppable” by The Score

ChUUrch-ing Beyond fUU’s mUUsic Ministry:

Outside of building/service :

• 2023/Aug/20: “Satan? Today? Yes!”
  • author and present an after-service slideshow/sermon during Summer member-led services.
  • present history, beliefs, and works of The Satanic Temple (TST) a new-members.
  • compare/contrast TST’s “7 Tenets” to UU’s (original) “7 Principles”
  • show/tell of our attendance to Satan-Con 2023
  • extensive Q&A
  • invite Minster from TST-Philadelphia (declined)
• 2024: voting my logical conscience:
  • sole Member of First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia to vote against adopting the (now-defunct) so-called “8th-princple” as addendum/injunction upon the original 7 Principles of Unitarian Universalism
• “UUA-GA 2024: Attend the 2024 General Assembly (GA) of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
  • endorsed by Minister(s) as Delegate representing my congregation,
  • workshops, speeches, and more.
  • Voting against the (eventually passed) revision of UUA’s Article 2 Language, including changing the 7 Principles toward the now-current/so-called Shared Values of “JETPIG” Covenants
• “UUA-GA 2025: Attend 2025 GA
  • attend as church member; Minster(s) denied Delegate-request; only offer explanation/grievance months after registration, and a year after hearsay about to my participation at GA 2024.

I have no more time/talent/treasure to share with the increasingly narrow minds, illiberal politics, or corrupted language of Nü-Unitarian-ism in general, nor do I retain patience for the bureaucracies or warmth for the administration at First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia specifically… outside the Music and Tech ministries.

Hence, it is my preference to leave them in good standing; both better than I found them, and before frustration could become productive.

I’d rather refocus my intelligence, skill, and love to study and grow the community and deeds of romantic Satanism.