2016 Festival of Unitarians in the South East (FUSE)

One of our group went to FUSE, a weekend Unitarian festival in Worthing, held each February for the past eight or so years.  This is what she said about it.

"It was a wonderful experience.  This was the first time I had been to FUSE.  Because it has no element of 'annual general meetings' or other administration, I could just enjoy the activities on offer, and get on with soaking up the atmosphere of being - for the first time in many years - in a large group of Unitarians all together.  The hotel had 90 or so rooms, and I don't know how many were being occupied by Unitarians on their own, or as pairs, or as families, but there were enough of us to fill their huge dining room and make a quite a din at meal times.

For me, it was a very prayerful time; but not all Unitarians like the word "prayer" or attach a meaning to it.  You see, not all Unitarians think in terms of God or even religion.  Some think in terms of the highest human values, the complexities of the human spirit, the common features of life as we directly experience it.  Others are more aligned to thinking about life as part of how God can be experienced in the world.  That didn't stop us all enjoying together the singing, the walking, the meditation and mindfulness, the Qi Gong, the spiritual elements that can in some way be called sacred, the encouragement of children to find their own spiritual path ... or any of the other activities that were laid on.  There were some very talented workshop leaders there, who with the management team, made it all happen.  And just outside there was the promenade along the beach, empty in February and with some tremendous waves crashing on the pebbles.  Spectacular!

When you soak yourself in a new atmosphere that is bursting with enthusiasm like that, especially over a whole weekend, it is a very intense experience and it does funny things to your thinking.  I chose to stop using any electronic gadgets, even the TV in my room. Whenever I was between scheduled activities I simply went back to my room and just sat, and looked, and waited.  I don't know what I was waiting for, but something definitely did emerge for me, in the quiet.

I can't wait to go back next year.

And I would like to thank the Southern Unitarian Association who generously gave me a grant towards my costs.  I'd like to think that one of the other Ringwood Unitarians might be able to take up a grant from SUA for 2017 FUSE.  I would hate to keep this experience all for myself."