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November Theme: Forgiveness



Practice of the Week: Honor Your Temperament

"People who are naturally wistful get told to cheer up and stop being mopey, introverts get told to go out and meet people, and 'turtles' get told to stop being such sissies and jump into the deep end of the pool. This repeated sense that there's something not-right, not-optimal about oneself gradually sinks in and wears on a person's confidence, mood, and sense of worth. But really, there's nothing wrong at all! We should each honor our temperament: accept it, see the things that are great about it, look for situations and relationships that play to its strengths, and take care of it when it's challenged."
READ MORE...

November Journey Groups: Forgiveness

If you're not in a Journey Group, sign up online. CLICK HERE.
The November theme is forgiveness. Please begin looking over the packet and preparing for your November Journey Group meeting. For document format, CLICK HERE. For blog-post format, CLICK HERE.

Saturday Zen: Nov 8

Zen practice at the Parsonage. 10:00 - 11:45a on Sat Oct 18. Come around to back door. New to meditation? Come 10 minutes early for a brief orientation. READ MORE...

"Our Story, Our Faith" Class: Sat Nov 15 & 22

At the Parsonage, 2:00 to 4:00 on two consecutive Saturdays. This two-session course is a great starter (or booster) on the Unitarian Universalist path. I'll lead discussion covering our history and what it means to be UU today (and how to describe it to others).

Jazzfest: Sat Nov 22, 7pm

Music at CUC kicks off with our annual Jazzfest! concert. The Marie-Fatima Rudolf Trio (Marie-Fatima Rudolf, piano; Alec Safy, bass; Aaron Seeber, drums) will lead off the program, followed by legendary jazz pianist Valerie Capers, who will be joined by bassist John Robinson and drummer Doug Richardson. 

Bird Walk: Sun Nov 23, 8:30am, gather behind Parsonage

Join Rev. LoraKim Joyner for this bird-watching stroll around the CUC grounds. The theme of this Bird Walk is gratitude.

Thank you for being a Unitarian Universalist!
-Meredith
Rev. Meredith Garmon
Minister
Worship Nov 9, 10:00: Forgiveness 

Rev. Meredith Garmon

Forgiveness comes in at least four rather different forms: self-forgiveness, forgiveness from God (metaphor for self-forgiveness?), forgiveness as the letting go of a grudge or resentment (unilateral), and forgiveness as the outcome of a process of reconciliation and rebuilding trust (bilateral).

Sunday's Music: Adam Kent plays pieces by Gluck, Mozart and Chopin. More on this Sunday's music: CLICK HERE.

10:00 - Prelude by Adam Kent
10:10 - Inviting the bell & gathering song

 



I hope the fall colors have brightened your week and the exciting happenings at CUC brighten your weekend. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday and Sunday. Please see the following six (6) announcements:

1) You will not want to miss the CUC Auction! Tickets are still available for this Saturday, Nov. 8 at 5:30pm.
  • An opportunity to meet other RE parents at this social event
  • Items for every budget
  • Childcare will be available in the parsonage, where children will have their own mini-auction. Please RSVP for child care.
  • Tickets are $40 but if you have registered your family in RE for the first time then you are an auction guest at no charge.
  • Bring a friend! Your non-CUC friends are welcome to attend also.
  • Dinner included
Please RSVP online - CLICK HERE

2) This Sunday, Nov 9, is an Extraordinary Sunday in RE, focused on Veteran's Day. Children will hear the story of Brenda, a little girl whose Daddy goes away oversees for periods at a time and has to reconnect with her when he comes home. CUC member Betty Landauer, who served in WWII and worked in a tent hospital at Normandy during the invasion and the Battle of the Bulge, will share her experiences with the older children. All ages will make cards for service personnel overseas.

3) Your help is needed with Stone Soup! To sign up to bring items for the soup, CLICK HERE. Coming of Age and Youth Group are making Stone Soup and hosting the brunch on Sun Nov 16 after the service and RE.

In order to have a successful event and delicious soup for all, we are asking that each family bring in something for the soup brunch. If possible, please bring the items to the kitchen this Sunday so we know what we have.

4) Parent-Teacher Meeting, Sun Nov 16 at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary. This will be an opportunity to find out what happens in RE, meet your children's teachers, and ask questions. Discover our vision of RE and the specifics of each class. Childcare will be available.

5) Habits of the Heart: Growing Beyond Our Divisions
Sat Nov 15 at the UU Congregation of Shelter Rock

Metro New York District's "Defying Gravity" leadership day, with keynotes from Revs. Anya and Scott Sammler-Michael, provides an afternoon full of workshops on everything from military ministry to stewardship to membership to social justice.

The Art of Faith, an experiential, hands-on workshop exploring the way our Unitarian Universalist faith can be expressed through art, will be offered for children of elementary and middle school age. There will be child care for infants and toddlers as well. There is no charge for the children's programming, and the adult registration is $30 (scholarships available).

For a flyer, click here.
For Workshop Descriptions, click here.
To register, click here.

6) Room for one more at Thanksgiving?
Please consider making a place at your table for an international graduate student (most are Fulbright Scholars) studying in the New York area.

This year CUC will be partnering with One To World, whose mission is to bring future leaders of the world together with Americans, sharing similarities and appreciating differences to build cultural understanding across the globe. It is our hope to find hosts for 15-20 students and in some cases their families, for traditional and not so traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thu Nov 27.

If you have room at your table or have questions, please contact Jane Dixon, [email protected] or 949-5919. Transportation arrangements, the length of their stay, and any additional visits are all left up to individual host families.

As you can see, November provides many exciting opportunities for connection. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
-Perry
Perry Montrose
Director of Lifespan Religious Education and Faith Development
Links & Reminders

Hymnal Supplement coming. In November, we'll have copies of Singing the Living Tradition, and a chance to dedicate each one. About this supplement: CLICK HERE.

"What's In a Name?" Committee is coordinating a discussion about what we think the name of our congregation should be. READ MORE...

Our Child/Youth R.E. Classes Descriptions of each of our eight R.E. classes meeting on Sunday mornings: CLICK HERE.

The UUA Common Read for 2014-15 is: Paul Rasor, Reclaiming Prophetic Witness: Liberal Religion in the Public Square.  Order your copy! READ MORE...

General Assembly 2015 is in Portland, OR -- Jun 24-28. GA is amazing fun, enriching, deepening, and transformative! We encourage all CUC members to begin planning now to attend.

The web site for Community Unitarian Church: CLICK HERE.
November Monthly Theme Packet, "Forgiveness": CLICK HERE. Or CLICK HERE.
November issue of The Communitarian: CLICK HERE.

The Liberal Pulpit 2014 #4 (six sermons): CLICK HERE.
"My Spiritual Journey" by Rev Meredith Garmon: CLICK HERE.
The Five Foundational Spiritual Practices
 - Journal daily
 - Study daily
 - Silence daily
 - Group monthly
 - Mindfulness as much as you can
READ MORE...