Sun Apr 19
2015 Spring, #5
We covenant to nurture spirituality, foster compassion, engage in service
From the Minister

"Millions of Americans have lost control over the basic rhythm of their daily lives. They work too much, eat too quickly, socialize too little, drive and sit in traffic for too many hours, don't get enough sleep, and feel harried too much of the time. The details of time scarcity are different across socioeconomic groups, but as a culture we have a shared experience of temporal impoverishment." -Juliet Schor

Perhaps you're old enough to remember that in the 1950s and 60s, we envisioned the future as a time when labor-saving devices would allow us much more leisure time. Instead, we now have much less leisure time than we did then. "The future ain't what it used to be," as Yogi Berra said.

We race through life, driven by a sense of scarcity. Can we slow down and notice the abundance?

Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith
Rev. Meredith Garmon, Minister
April Theme: Transformation
Practice of the Week:
Slow Down
Do you often feel like a short-order cook at the lunch rush? Chronic speediness activates the stress-response system, releases nerve-jangling hormones like adrenaline and Cortisol, weakens your immune system, and wears down your mood.
When you speed up, you're quicker to find things about which to worry and get irritated. Honestly, slowing down is one of those seemingly small actions that could really change your life. READ MORE...
Worship: Sun Apr 19
The Call to Simplicity
Rev. Meredith Garmon 
It's been over 30 years since "voluntary simplicity" became a "thing" (a popular book with that title was published in 1981). The value and need of a less frantic, less consumerist way of living has only increased.

Sunday's Music: Adam Kent on piano, and the CUC Choir. READ MORE...

Worship: Sun Apr 26
The Wonder of Job
Rev. Meredith Garmon
Job wants to know why he suffers. The divine voice responds at some length. But what sort of answer is it that is given?
Come tell us. 
What's in a name?
Sun Apr 19

There will be an Informational meeting led by the What's In a Name? committee following that  Sunday's service.  Everyone in the congregation is invited to take this opportunity to publicly express his or her feelings, in 60 seconds or less, about the possibility of a name change for CUC.  Following everyone's turn at the microphone, we will ask you to select your favorite potential new name from a choice of three.  THIS IS NOT A VOTE.  We are giving those of you who would like to see a change, a voice in what the new name might look like. 

 

After the meeting, the What's In a Name Committee will meet again to discuss the responses and the plan is to put this to a vote at the Congregational meeting in June. We hope you will join us and be part of this process.

 

Thank  you! The What's In a Name Committee:

Karen M. Dreher, John Cavallero, Scott Damashek, Karen Schatzel, Adine Usher

Help Needed: This Sunday

Host a Coffee Hour. It's Easy!

Consider hosting a coffee hour with a few other church friends. We're seeking hosts for April 19, May 24, June 7. For more information go to: Coffee Hour Instructions. Contact Chris Nicholson to sign up: mchrisnich@gmail.com. 

Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk
Sun Apr 19

In memory of member John Saccardi, we have organized a group from CUC to participate in the Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on April 19th at Rye Town Park. If you are interested in participating, please click on this link to join our team: "UU's for John":

Please note, the walk is a Sunday morning. Meredith has been informed that some people will be participating and may be late and/or miss the service.
This is also the day of the What's In A Name informational meeting. The walk begins early enough that we should all be able to get back to CUC in time for it and all are encouraged to do so.

If you are unable to participate, any donation is still most welcome. Donations can also be made thru the above link  and clicking on the General Team Donation link.  If you have any questions, please contact Ann Marie Damashek 917-623-0624 or scottam@verizon.net
 

Come Sing With Us

Tuesday Nights

It's not too late to sing with the choir!

If you have been thinking of singing with the

CUC Choir, now is a great time to join us.  Rehearsals are Tuesday nights from 7:30-9:15pm, and the Choir performs two Sundays each month. You do not have to read music, just have a love of singing and a willingness to learn. Anyone is welcome to stop in to observe or

participate in a rehearsal to see what we are all about.

Please contact director Lisa Meyer at 347-278-3187 

or at choir@cucwp.org for more information.

 

The Transcendentalists and their music: A lecture concert with Adam Kent, Pianist and Music Educator:  April 23, Thursday 7pm , The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood , Ridgewood NJ  uuridgewood.org/
Giving Campaign Pledgers' Brunch
April 26
READ MORE
Featured Article

Perry's Ponderings

 

The children sat in the center of the labyrinth meditating together. They had arrived traveling different ways on the same path - meandering, running, walking deliberately, with laughter, in silence, crossing paths, and finding their own space. In the center, they found a different place within themselves and were ready to explore further. 

 

The children asked if they could walk the labyrinth together, as a connected group, after doing it individually. So we lined up in a train, each holding the shoulders of the person in front of us, and walked the winding path. Spontaneously, many of them began to hum "Om" and some closed their eyes, feeling the changing directions and the journey of following the person in front of them. This time the walk was calmer, quieter, and allowed them to get in touch with another part of themselves.

 

When I spoke to an experienced labyrinth expert during my planning for the session, she instructed me not to try to control the experience too much and force the children to do it "the right way." Some of them would run through and jump from segment to segment; that would be part of the experience and I should let the labyrinth do its magic. They would settle in and get to a different place. That is exactly what happened. They found their own way to enter the meditative space and shed the excess distracting energy to focus on a different plane of connectedness.

 

Labyrinths have been used as a spiritual practice for hundreds of years, as well as a tool for improving focus. The spiritual geometry that makes them a meditative place of discovery is astounding and something you have to experience to grasp. Different from mazes, labyrinths have only one path and it leads you to the center or back out again. There are no dead-ends and no wrong ways; there are twists and turns that make you wonder where you are, but ultimately you can trust that you will arrive in the place you need to be. A labyrinth walk is filled with life metaphors.

 

Paula, one of the adults assisting and an experienced labyrinth walker, emerged from the unique group walk filled with emotion. She started out worrying about where the group was going and if the train was headed in the right direction, then she discovered that she could just hold the shoulders in front of her and trust the journey. It was an experience of letting go of the need to control.

 

Meanwhile, Tanner, one of the children, shared that the same walk gave him a sense of self-reliance. He described following the person in front of him, holding onto that person's shoulders and focusing on not losing them. Then, he realized that he didn't have to work so hard to follow their lead. He could trust himself; he "knew the way." In our labyrinth session, each person found his or her own way and shared that deeply personal experience in community. It was the essence of religious education wrapped in a winding eleven-circuit path that came to life when entered authentically.  

The Communitarian Weekly
Community Unitarian Church at White Plains
468 Rosedale Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
914-946-1660, www. cucwp.org
Lifespan Religious Education

Dear RE Families, Teachers, and Friends,

Come to CUC with spring in your step. This is a great place to ground yourself and reach for new heights. Please see the following four (4) announcements:

1. Earth Day Beautification - This Sunday, Apr 19

K-9th grade children and youth will help clean out the atriums at CUC and plan new designs for them. Bring work gloves if you have them and we will have extras. We will also put up reflective decals to protect the birds from crashing into our windows. We begin together in Fellowship Hall. This session will focus on our 7th Principle - Nature: caring for our planet Earth, the home we share with all living things.

 

Youth Group will continue working on their preparation for the May 3 service. 

 
2. Calling All Bakers 

All manner of treats are needed for the Variety Show bake sale. This is another way to be part of the extravaganza. If  you are interested in helping out, please contact Amy Swiss at amyswiss@aol.com.

 

Pre-sale raffle tickets on sale starting this Sunday! Tickets only $5. Great prizes already in!

We could also use gift basket donations. Please contact Liz Suvanto at elizabethsuvanto@hotmail.com

The children voted for this year's proceeds to go to The Sanctuary for Animals ( www.sanctuaryforanimals.com), a family-run organization caring for over 600 exotic and domestic animals coming from abuse and neglect.

3. UU Summer Camps & Retreat Centers for Children, Youth, and Families

Whether you are looking for a place to go as a family or  somewhere for your kids to experience a fun camp, there are many amazing Unitarian Universalist summer destinations:    

 

Camping in the Grove happens at UU historically significant Murray Grove.

http://www.murraygrove.org/#!camping-in-the-grove/c15no

Ferry Beach is oceanfront in ME.

ferrybeach.org

The Mountain is atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC. mountaincenters.org

The Rowe Center is in the Berkshire Mountains in MA.

rowecenter.org
Sophia Fahs RE Camp is one week in August on Shelter Island.

www.liacuu.org/Fahs
Star Island is a 46-acre island off the NH coast.

starisland.org
Unirondack is in the NY Adirondacks.

unirondack.org
UUMAC Retreat is one week in July at DeSales University in PA.
uumac.org
 
4. Scholarships for Youth
Scholarship money is available to help CUC youth attend one of these UU summer camps or other denominational events, such as the youth program at the Metro NY Annual Meeting in May (see info below) and General Assembly in June. Please contact me to request a partial scholarship.

Please let me know how we can help you further your spiritual search, service endeavors, and point of connection.

Sincerely,
-Perry
Perry Montrose
Director of Lifespan Religious Education and Faith Development 
On the Grounds
CUC Bloodroot
The early wildflower, the white Bloodro ot, is all in bloom along the path up to the church.  -Yvonne Lynn
UU District Events
The 2015 District Annual Meetin will be held May 1-2, 2015, at the Hyatt Morristown in Morristown, NJ. All Adults and Youth (9th-12th grade) from congregations are encouraged to attend. Childcare for 4 and under. Children's Programming: 4-12 years old on Saturday.
For more information
To register
Workshop info

Westchester UU Events
There are some cool events at the other UU congregations in Westchester: Hastings, Croton, Mt. Kisco, and Mohegan Lake. And they invite all UUs -- and their friends. Check out these events at: westchesteruu.com/events
Caring & Sharing
If anyone knows of another among us who is in need of a caregiver from our Caring & Sharing Circle, contact Maxi Feldman 835-0541, feldmanmaxi9@gmail.com or Carole Mehta 234-6294, carole.mehta@gmail.com
A Wednesday Morning Service?
Well, what do you think? A half-hour service, 7:30am - 8:00am has been proposed, and Rev. Meredith is happy to lead it if people would like it. We'd gather in the sanctuary, light the chalice, sing a song, have a guided meditation or reflection, maybe 5-10 mins of shared silent meditation, maybe do some journaling. Get centered in the center of the week to start your day. Should we do it? Contact Rev. Meredith with your thoughts or interest.
Science & Spirituality
Thu Apr 23, & May 14
For two more sessions, the "Science & Spirituality" class will be watching and discussing the three episodes of Your Inner Fish. Each episode is 60 mins and will be followed by discussion. READ MORE...
Sharing Sunday Offerings
April: Prideworks
Each month we share our plate offerings with outside organizations in need. In April, 25% of our collections will go to support Prideworks for Youth, an annual one-day educational conference in Westchester for LGBTQ youth and allies.

See Rev. Garmon if you have an idea for a future monthly plate share.
This Week at CUC
Sun Apr 19
8:45 am C hoir Rehearsal
9:30 am  Nursery Care
10:00 am  RE Earth Day
10:00 am  Worship/Coffee
11:30 am  What's In A Name? Informational Mtg
11:40 am  Giving Camp. Brunch Cmt Meeting
11:40 am  Journey Group H
5:00 pm  Journey Group I (off site)
Mon Apr 20
11:00 am  Journey Group B (off site)
6:30 pm  Tai Chi
7:30 pm  Journey Group C (off site)
8:00 pm  Finance Committee
Tue Apr 21
7:30 pm  Choir Rehearsal
7:30 pm  Journey Group E (off site)
Thu Apr 23
10:00 am  COMMUNITARIAN mailing
11:30 am  Science and Spirituality
Sat Apr 25
10:00 am  Zen Service
11:00 am  Giving Campaign Prep. Brunch
3:00 pm  Journey Group L (off site)
Sun Apr 26
9:30 am  Nursery Care
10:00 am  RE Classes
10:00 am  Worship/Coffee
11:30 am  Giving Campaign Brunch
11:40 am  Journey Group M
11:40 am  UURoots Conversations for visitors & newcomers
Contacts
Minister, Rev. Meredith Garmon minister@cucwp.org 914-946-1660 x3
Director of Lifespan Religious Ed. & Faith Development, Perry Montrose dlre@cucwp.org 914-946-1660 x4
Church Administrator, Liliana Keith admin@cucwp.org 914-946-1660 x2
Music Director, Adam Kent music@cucwp.org 212-595-7280
Choir Director, Lisa Meyer choir@cucwp.org
Community Minister, Rev. Deb Morra community-minister@cucwp.org 914-830-1509
Community Minister, Rev. LoraKim Joyner amoloros@juno.com 914-948-1696
Community Minister, Rev. Kelly M. Mason rev.kmmason@gmail.com 347-497-3741
Bookkeeper, Lisa Sommer bookkeeper@cucwp.org 914-946-1660 x7
Board of Trustees
Board Chair, Randy Marshall rsm2@cumc.columbia.edu 914-633-3115
Vice-Chair, Karen Schmitt schmitt8@verizon.net 914-921-3647
Treasurer, Nicky Klemens nsklemens@optonline.net 914-967-4419
Secretary, Johanna Bauer johbauer@msn.com 914-636-1047