Choosing Hope
Hope has always been a difficult to explain. But I think Victoria Safford has it right: The Gates of Hope by Victoria Safford Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of Hope—Not the prudent gates of Optimism,Which are somewhat narrower.Not the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense;Nor the strident gates of Self-Righteousness,Which creak on shrill and angry hinges(People cannot hear us there; they cannot pass through)Nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of“Everything is gonna’ be all right.”But a…
Music Ministry Opportunities
Greetings from Steve Morihiro and Susan Shaw, Co-Directors of Music at OCUUC. We thought you might be interested in how we choose new music for our services to recommend to Reverend Sian Wiltshire and our Intern Minister, Kellie Kinsman. Here is our general process:We look through the new songs in the virtual hymnal “Sing Out Love”. Some of these “New” songs have been in our “Singing the Living Tradition” and “Singing the Journey” hymnals but they are new to us.…
Religious Education in Dec
Hello Friends, The OCUUC Religious Education Program invites you to join us for our upcoming events for the month of December! If you are interested in sharing your talents with the RE classes such as creating a class art project, game ideas, or would like to volunteer in the middle school or elementary classes as an assistant teacher, please see Danielle on how you can help! December 21 the RE classes will be combining together to have a holiday party…
You are Loved
To anyone who struggles through the winter, for whatever reason, remember: You are seenYou are heardYou are importantYou matterYOU ARE LOVED And, You are not alone. In the dark and impossible moments, hours, days, lean into self-care when it feels like that’s all you’ve got. Honor the difficult feelings as you experience them. Acknowledge what hurts in you. Grieve. Rest. Meditate. Laugh. Hold your Self close. Nourish your body and your spirit. Love your sadness and your joy. Speak your…
Gratitude for All of You
Thanksgiving has come and gone leaving me with a great sense of gratitude for all of you who work to support the church in some way. Certainly, I applaud each of our Board Members as they slough through the administrative work of OCUUC – not very glamorous but definitely necessary. And there are all the committee heads and the programs chairs and the ushers and the RE teachers and all of you who chose to participate in the Auction and…
Season of Gratitude
The worship theme for the month of November is Nurturing Gratitude. For me, November is the beginning of a season of change. The weather changes, the value of the morning light is dim, and the days are short. I appreciate these natural changes as a chance to slow and manage my needs. I appreciate the quiet gathering around me. November changes are personal too – mostly managing how to show up for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays, and all the…
Music of Community
“There are numerous strings in your lute,Let me add my own among them.” –Rabindranath Tagore Refrain from “There Are Numerous Strings” hymn Each of us has a note to offer–and together, we make the music of community. At OCUUC, you’re invited to find your string and play along! Drummers and Strummers – Feel the beat and strum your spirit! A joyful, informal group for percussionists, guitarists, ukulelists, and rhythm makers of all kinds. We read through several pieces of music…
Religious Education Events
As we enter the cool fall season, here are some upcoming events in the Religious Education (RE) elementary, OWL (Our Whole Lives) class, and the Nursery! If you are interested in sharing your talents with the RE classes such as creating a class art project, game ideas, or would like to volunteer in the middle school or elementary classes as an assistant teacher, please see Danielle on how you can help!
Staff Appreciation
Unfortunately, I learned at the very end of October that the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) designated that month as Pastor Appreciation Month. I did encourage the congregation to express to Rev. Sian Wiltshire how very much she means to each of us – but I did feel that we somewhat missed the boat! But November is the month of Thanksgiving. What better time than to express our gratitude for our wonderful staff at OCUUC?? We have a fabulous Administrator/Bookkeeper, Sarah…
Nurturing Gratitude
I have a confession: I sometimes struggle with gratitude as a spiritual practice. When life throws curveballs, it can feel impossible to feel thankful – and sometimes the idea of “practicing gratitude” feels like I’m being asked to ignore or deny what’s hard. Over time, I’ve learned a gentler way: what I call “Even Though Gratitude.” When I’m feeling low, I might say, “Even though I’m upset at the world, I am grateful for my church,” or “Even though my…
Cultivating Compassion
Did you know that compassion is actually a skill you can increase? While it is somewhat innate, it’s also something that we can cultivate. I learned this myself: Years ago, I wasn’t a very nice person. Not horrible, mind you, but I was so in my head, I had a hard time being empathetic or understanding. I was in graduate school, studying long hours, always trying to prove myself to my teachers and fellow students. One night, after studying late,…
Fall Programs and Activities
Happy October RE friends! We have some fun and exciting things happening this fall in the RE classes as this Friday is the start of Family camp at De Benneville Pines camp. This is extra exciting as we were not able to attend last year due to the unfortunate fires. I want to give a special Thanks to Maria Goode for all her planning with the Camp as well as a very grateful Thank you to the congregants who are…