3-26-23 - Miss Piggy Feminist Icon

 

This sermon was given at the Unitarian Universalist Church 

of Brevard during Women's History Month

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMC7sAsaol4 

 

 

 

Miss Piggy Feminist Icon

This Halloween, feminist icon and self proclaimed 

“Big Gurl” Lizzo gave us "A tribute to (her) forever icon, 

MISS PIGGY. (Who she says is) The epitome of grace, 

style, confidence and a warrior for love." 

Now I love Lizzo, I love her confidence, I love her 

positivity, I love her style, and I love her fierce 

commitment to bringing that positive representation 

in everything she does. She owns all her identities 

and to see her dressed like one of my childhood icons 

made me realize that Miss Piggy was teaching me 

feminism, long before I knew the term.  

The muppets have been in my life as long as I 

can remember.  One of my earliest memories is 

watching the original trilogy of Muppet Movies with 

my parents.  I can identify different parts of my 

personality with the muppets.  I have strong Kermit 

reaction energy, flailing my arms in excitement or 

looking at the camera in disbelief.  Gonzo gave 

me permission to be a little “weird” and try 

something new. Fozzy was goofy and fun and 

appreciated his own jokes, even if no 

one else laughed. 

The muppets showed me the value of friendship, 

of hope, and imagination.  Of dreaming big things 

and persevering with the help of your chosen family.   

And they always chose to include everyone 

in that family.  Dogs and Frogs and Chickens

 and Bears and… Whatevers.  All manner of monsters 

are welcome and respected in this 

interdependent web of existence.     

But it was Miss Piggy who, as an impressionable 

young girl, showed me how to be a confident, 

strong woman.  Piggy shows her emotions without shame.  

She shows her anger and her joy, she embraces 

all the experiences of life.  She loves her Kermy 

and isn’t afraid to show affection, and demand it back.  

She is not a pushover, but a confident woman, 

confident in her worth, her dignity and her 

kicking moves (hi yah). 

She shows me I am strong, even when I am not 

feeling strong.   Because there is strength in vulnerability, 

regardless of gender.   She knows who she is and 

what she wants.  And she is fiercely loyal to her friends 

and family.  All values she instilled in me early on.     

My generation stands on the shoulders of our parents 

and grandparents who fought for the rights and 

privileges that I have today.  My Mother’s generation, 

who fought for equal rights, for body autonomy 

and financial independence.  And my Grandmother’s 

greatest generation who went to work, while a nation 

went to war.  In both generations they tried to keep 

femininity and women in a box.  A predefined role, 

determined by society.  They tried to limit what jobs 

they could do and when.  

Every generation has had to fight to just be who they 

want to be.  This country has a history of keeping 

marginalized groups in a predetermined box, forcing 

control over their lives, their words, their actions and 

their bodies.  Particularly for black and indigenous women, 

for transgender and non-binary people, and anyone 

"othered" by our society.  

In my generation, we branched out to celebrate 

different body types, different identities, different definitions 

of who could use the term woman.  Feminism is a spectrum 

and must be inclusive of all those who share that 

identity to truly be a movement for the people.

Women in every generation rise up.  Women redefine 

in every generation what it means to be a woman.  

Femininity and womanhood belong to all of us.  We are 

learning today how to better expand and define women 

and feminism, and learning how to let those unheard 

voices find their way into the conversation.

 We encourage each other to find our own way to express 

our femininity.  Yes, even if you identify as male, you 

can embrace your own feminine energy; and you 

can use that energy to support women and feminist causes.  

Whether you present as male or female, regardless 

if you are cisgender, transgender or non-binary; 

feminism and womanhood are all of ours to claim.  

And that brings me back to my feminist Icon Miss Piggy.  

She is loud and she is proud.  She is opinionated and 

she embraces her feminism, defining what it means 

to be a woman in her own way.  She refuses to be shoved 

into a quiet mousy box when her voice needs to be heard, 

she is her own woman.  And if she needs to express herself, 

she might do so with a literal “hi yah” kick to the patriarchy.  

So I ask you all, regardless of how you define yourself, 

embrace your own feminine strength.  Find your power, 

be comfortable in your own skin and embrace 

your whole self. Embrace others in all their feminine 

and masculine expressions, and whenever possible 

help Miss Piggy give a “hi yah” kick to injustice everywhere.

And may we all find together, our rainbow connections.

Blessed be, thank you.

3-5-23 Where You Go I Will Go - Annual Meeting Reflection

 Presented at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard at our Annual Meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSDwFmVfClE

Where you go I will go, Annual Meeting Reflection.

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. 

Your people will be my people and your God my God”.  

These are the words from the Bible book of Ruth.  

It tells the story of two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.  

They were married to the sons of Naomi.  Now in a 

short time Naomi’s husband and both her sons passed away, 

leaving the women alone.  Being widowed and 

alone she planned to return to the land of Judah.  

She encouraged both her daughters in law (now widowed) 

to return to their ancestral home and their people. 

Orpah chooses to return home, but Ruth chooses 

her mother in law as her family.   

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. 

Your people will be my people and your God my God”.  

Now there are many themes and inspirations 

we can find in the book of Ruth.  Love, Devotion, 

faith and family.  To me, this is the story of a 

chosen family.  Naomi in the story encourages 

Ruth to return to her family.  She can not give Ruth 

a husband or the stability that she would have 

among her own people, yet Ruth chooses love 

over her ancestral ties.  Ruth works in the field 

and cares for her mother in law.   And in the story 

Ruth is rewarded by God for her hard work and 

devotion to Naomi with a family, husband 

and prosperity.  

This community is a chosen family.  Like so 

many in our community, we seek people beyond 

our familiar ties. People who share our values,

 and accept us for who we are, our whole selves. 

Looking through our historical documents, 

I came across this (History of Unitarian 

Universalist Fellowship of Melbourne 

Florida 1956 -1974).

It reads:

“Our congregation is a fellowship of people 

who encourage and help one another to 

explore the vital questions of life and mutually 

support values that would lead to a meaningful 

life for all people”.  

Our chosen family was formed in February 

and March of 1956.  Jim Hopper, a Unitarian 

from Wellesley Hills Massachusetts, started 

us as the first Unitarian meeting in Brevard 

county. They started in the trailer of Margaret 

and Cyril Nute in Canova Beach, gaining 

interest from those moving to the area for 

the newly formed space program.  In the early 

years they met in several places, including 

members' homes, the Eau Gallie YMCA, 

Florida Tech, and the Melbourne Civic Theater.  

This document goes into some of the speakers 

and group activities shared with the early members, 

and I would invite people to read through it and 

see some of our legacy in this community.  

We went through many ups and downs, and 

according to records almost disappeared in the 

early 70’s.  But like Ruth, through our faith and 

devotion to one another, we found a way in this 

community to continue and thrive.  

In 1973, through the generous pledges of 

our members, we began over the summer 

the process of building on this beautiful piece 

of land we sit on today.  

From the words of our members:

Dr William Mather said at October 7th meeting 

in 1973

“The long silence of the summer does not 

mean that we have all been loafing.  

To the contrary, we can now announce the 

first general meeting of the fellowship.”

Bill Newcomb (Building Committee Chair) 

and Ralph Moorhouse (Finance Committee Chair) 

“finally got a roof over our heads and floors 

beneath our feet, and to them we all say 

Thanks again and again.  Where once the 

Bedford horses grazed and the palmetto scrub 

flourished, we now have a place for our 

deeper fellowship.” 

And we are grateful for those who helped create 

our legacy, and move us into this deeper fellowship.  

So what were the goals of this fellowship in 1974.  

In the words of Dr William Mather:

“We must be more completely oriented to the needs 

of our neighborhood, our town, our county, state 

and ultimately all humanity.  It will not be enough, 

through the next 5 years to meet together just to 

enjoy each other’s company or to get an emotional thrill.  

There is work to be done in this world, by Unitarians”.

And so may these be our goals in our 21st century 

chosen family.  May we like Ruth, choose love, 

choose to care for one another.  For your people 

are my people, and where you go I will go.  

May we be each other’s chosen family as we 

do serve our wider community in the spirit of our 

Unitarian Founders.

So may it be. 

 

11 27 22 Service Gratitude with Beth Anz

Our speaker was unable to attend so our service leader shared some thoughts on Gratitude for our UU Community.  The speaker was a last minute cancellation so there is no written transcript, comments are off the cuff, based on the songs below and the current article 2 commission.

Link to talk at Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjdGKE6IQG4

 

Article II Study Commission 

https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission

 

"There Is A Love." 

There is a love holding us. 

There is a love holding all that we love. 

There is a love holding all. 

We rest in this love.

 -Elizabeth Norton's setting of a meditation written by Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker 

“Make us aware we are a sanctuary 

Each made holy loved right through 

with thanksgiving 

we are a living sanctuary a-new.” 

– Christian Praise Song with words rewritten by Sanctuary Boston http://thesanctuaryboston.org/