Justice and Equity
In “Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith,” the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is elected and declares the emergence of the first Galactic Empire. Palpatine is elected by the galactic senate and given absolute power to deal with what people assume is a threat to the Republic, but don’t realize that Palpatine is actually a Sith Lord (bad guy) and created the threat. Senator Amidala, who is mourning the death of her beloved Republic, whispers horrified, “So this is how liberty…
MLK Day and Volunteering
This year, the federal holiday commemorating the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated on 1/15. Barack Obama proclaimed the third Monday of January to be MLK Day in 2017, with the call to all Americans to participate in civic and community service projects. As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to care for each other and the wider world. One of the ways we live our values is through volunteerism. I know many of you participate…
Winter Family Camp
Registration is now open for Winter Elementary Family Camp at de Benneville Pines over President’s Day Weekend. Imagine all the fun of our beloved camp, but now with snow! This camp is for children in kindergarten through sixth grade and their families. Children in second grade and older are welcome to stay in independent counselor cabins. This year’s camp will have a Superhero Academy theme to add to the fun. Academy curricula take place inside and out across our campus,…
Reflections
I have been reflecting on our Special Congregation meeting all month and want to say again how much I feel we are a great congregation together. I get too much credit for our actions – it is all of us that make it happen. When the Sanctuary Construction Committee decided to challenge everyone to pledge again for the new Sanctuary, we knew full well that we would collectively determine the outcome. We did! I know it seems like we are…
Liberating Love
Love can sometimes be really annoying. It’s often inconvenient; it’s often very difficult; it can ask us to change or do something that is terrifying; and it can be exhausting. But when we let it in – when we take a deep breath and let it fill our hearts – it can be energizing and exciting, giving us strength, purpose and hope. I’m thinking about all the love we’ve had for our Ukrainian guests as a good example. When we…
Solstice Self-Care
It has been a joy to be part of this beautiful congregation. Thank you for making me feel so welcomed in your community. It’s a busy time coming into the month of December — I know. Before I received my call to ministry, I worked for Starbucks Coffee Company and sometimes that was really fun. But towards the end I found myself longing for January — that time when I could stop thinking about it for the next 10 months.…
New Beginnings
It’s been over a month since I have been the Director of Music Ministries at OCUUC and I could not have asked for a more inclusive and more welcoming congregation and staff! As always, the first day at a new job comes with the first day jitters and nerves. It’s been a journey of discovery: learning new things, new processes and meeting new people. It’s been a journey of excitement: finding new music, planning future services and music sundays. It’s…
As The Holidays Approach
Our Special Congregation Meeting is Sunday, December 3rd after church. I am deep in the “sausage making” of preparing the information we will all need to make a good decision. We are all in this together, and I’m certain Sunday will be a great example of our democracy. Many of you have complimented me on my leadership style, but it is because we are a great congregation and we complement each other that it works. Regardless of the outcome of…
Mystery
I love mysteries! Actually, I love solving mysteries. I even bought a mystery advent calendar. I love word puzzles and anything that makes me problem solve. But the biggest mysteries of all are people. I love it when people surprise me! We are all mysteries to one another. Part of our purpose in life (I think) is to try and solve each other’s mysteries: to get to know one another beyond our preconceived notions and ideas about one another. People…
A Tree Analogy
It is not all about the new Sanctuary! The OCUUC Board has been meeting monthly and talking about what it would like to see accomplished this church year (by June). We are energized by all the ideas and are using a tree analogy to focus our work. First the Branches – we would love to extend our visibility and welcoming to the broader community. Developing a marketing plan, a path to membership, and improved signage are all in our branches.…
Generosity
Generosity, it is said, comes in many different forms. We say each Sunday that we are grateful for the time, treasure and talent of everyone – the generosity of everyone, really. But is it just time, treasure and talent? I heard recently from a colleague that she was so impressed with our generosity toward our new Music Director. She had been so impressed that after loving Beth for so long, that we have been so open and embracing of Jakob.…
New Curriculum
On September 10th we kicked off a year of Passport to Spirituality in the Elementary Class (K-6th), a curriculum that will guide us in exploring the spiritual practices of world religions. At each country we “visit”, the children will receive a passport sticker, learn about a different religion, engage in a spiritual practice utilized by that religion, and pick up a souvenir. What’s more, the Maker Space was such a huge success this summer that we have decided to continue…