Coffee with Jeanne Pupke

Getting 30 minutes with Rev. Jeanne Pupke this particular week
was an honor and nearly miraculous since there are just seven
days left in her 18-month presidential campaign! Rev. Jeanne will
be in New Orleans this week for the General Assembly of the
Unitarian Universalist Association. In exactly one week, Saturday
June 25th, 2017, all three candidates will be sweating it
out as the votes are counted. And while my title won't
change based on the votes, I'll be at the assembly
praying it out as well. Your prayers are welcome too.


While I cannot give an adequate presentation of the powerful
impact Unitarian Universalists have had on the United States, I
know that UU clergy can. What I can do is share some of my
remarkable experience being part of Rev. Jeanne Pupke's church
this year. I, a Baptist minister, and my wife, Kelli,
arrived at First Unitarian Universalist Church in September 2016.
My wife was a dual-degree student at Baptist Theological Seminary
(Master of Divinity) and Virginia Commonwealth University (Master
of Social Work). Kelli was the Social Justice Intern as part of
her social work degree program so we knew we would be at this
church every Sunday for the school year. I had very little
expectation when I arrived. I was a veritable tabula rasa. The
only expectation I believe I brought was that I would likely be,
at best, a fringe member of the community that was not
declaratively Christian. I could not have been more wrong.


The senior pastor, the associate pastors, the religious educator,
the assistants, the interns, and the other Christian clergy in
the congregation(!) were fast colleagues. But colleagues in what?
How would they lead worship with a community that did not all
profess to follow God in general, let alone Jesus Christ? How
could I worship Jesus Christ in my seat, as someone next to me
worshiped the God of Judaism, next to someone who was an atheist?
How would we pray? What songs could we sing? I won't answer these
questions except to say that there are indeed answers. I knew
quickly that this was a place I could "work" as a pastor because
I loved what they were about. It took me just a few
more months to join the congregation, all the while remaining a
Christian and a Baptist minister. I was able to ally myself with
the people of First UU and the values of Unitarian Universalism,
integrating my experiences with my Christian beliefs. This was
very significant to me and a powerful statement about Unitarian
Universalists. My wife's story is similarly powerful but I will
leave that for Kelli to tell and turn focus back to today's
guest.


A Catholic nun in a previous lifetime, Rev. Jeanne Pupke has
been the senior pastor at First Unitarian Universalist Church of
Richmond Virginia for over a decade. It is a religion and a
congregation so radically open-minded that beliefs of different
religions and no religion are embraced in the one community.
 The church has grown in her time and continues its growth.
In the era of donald trump they have experienced a particular
surge. People are seeking community in a place that does not
place them under the thumb of a narrow belief system.


As most of my Richmond relationships revolve around Christian
communities, I have found myself saying through this year that
our church vastly congregates around social justice
missions. Rev. Jeanne leads two Sunday services at 9 and 11AM.
They are powerful and deeply meaningful. There are various other
groups that meet to dive into specific spiritual education and
worship every week - a Christian group, Buddhist group, Jewish
studies and many more. Other groups are advocating for racial
justice, women’s rights, LGBTQIA rights, immigrant rights through
becoming a sanctuary congregation, and much more.


I have also heard several critical voices that don't know Rev.
Jeanne or this congregation tell me they had visited this
church more than ten years ago. And I don't recognize the
description. Every church has conflict; conflict is natural.
There is healthy conflict happening today; the conflict of
courageously moving forward. On one hand, we are not moving fast
enough. On the other hand, I know that Rev. Jeanne is keeping a
pulse on what we can handle, and pushing us.


I knew that Rev. Jeanne had business experience before becoming
clergy. I did not know that part of that experience was in this
podcast's wheelhouse as a "coffee executive!" Mind blown. What
else will we learn about Rev. Jeanne?!?! For example, who knew
her exquisite drink of choice would be espresso con panna (hot
espresso with cold whip cream on top)?


What's more, I've been drinking in Rev. Jeanne's wisdom and
inspiration Sunday after Sunday. I've been talking with her in
the hallways of First UU and at meetings. She knows that
sometimes things are more complicated than they seem. So when she
delivers wisdom that is simple, do not miss its value. It's
powerful and distilled to work in your heart and mind. When asked
what she wanted to promote explicitly, it was simply this: we are
one family.


When we can remember and own this truth, "we are one family,"
then we will treat each other the way that we ought and the world
will indeed be a better place.
Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders


First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond


Rev. Jeanne for UUA President!


Rev. Jeanne on Facebook


Twitter: @Jeannepupke4uua


Unitarian Universalist Association


Expresso Con Panna