Allowing Ourselves to Let Go

As summer begins to close, my thoughts move to the fall and the process of letting go. This weekend's drive through the mountains of Massachusetts and New York had glimpses of color popping out of the green forests. These past few months have held various letting go processes in my life – replacing a biological knee with a mechanical one, the minister in our congregation I liked, a long-time client, and a beloved family member. I let go of doing things I normally would have been able to do during the summer. I graduated college and moved into the next stage of my career.

Processes of letting go seem to come all at once for some of us. It can be as overwhelming as looking at the leaves on the ground that need raking or all of the canning to do when the garden produces more than you expected. Sometimes it is Spirit's way of showing you a new way of operating in life and that changes need to occur. Other times, we do not want to let go and are forced to do so. It is a hard lesson.

The CUUPS board is in a similar place. There are structures in the organization that need to shift. Volunteerism in our churches is also down, and it is in CUUPS. Bylaws need tweaking, and policies need shifting. We are a small band of volunteers with more work to do than we have hands for. Fortunately, we have a team of publishing professionals to meet with for support with website content, new brochures, and such. A team of curriculum developers has put course modules together for chapters to use in book groups with the book Pagan and Earth-Centered Voices in Unitarian Universalism. We hope to republish Sacred Cosmos Journals to have available for General Assembly 2023 along with a course module.

As we look forward to 2023, there are many ways to jump in and help with GA in Pittsburgh and the Parliament of the World Religions in Chicago. General Assembly offers a chance to have a booth, a workshop, and Summer Solstice Ritual in person this next year, and we need people in the area to work with. We do not want to let go of these things and are looking at how to manage them. This leads me to wonder what members and chapters want to let go of and what they are resisting.

As our church and CUUPS year begins again, we hope to hear from you and how you would like to participate.

Blessings,

Jerrie Hildebrand
Deep Listening: Circle of Sharing

Listening to each other helps.

Autumn is near. It is the time of letting go in many countries. The leaves fall to the ground and create the fertilizer and nutrition for the trees, cover the ground, and create places to shelter the insects from the coldness of winter. 

We will be in process together to let go of all that we have gathered during the hot, burning summer of Covid-19 and the resurgence of negativity so we may enter into a time of rest and peace. We can draw on the strength that we have attained during the hot summer and prepare to withstand the devastation of any coming winter.  


Email [email protected] for more info.

Om Prakash Gilmore
CUUPS Ministerial Right Relations 
2nd Saturday Chapter Support:
Serving With Grace

Join us online on 2nd Saturdays of the month where we share highlights from the last ritual at home or with our CUUPs chapter, brainstorm ideas for planning next ritual, and get to know each other better during fellowship time.

This fall we also begin exploring "Serving With Grace:Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice" by Erik Walker Wikstrom. You can buy your copy at the UUA Bookstore or set Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Inc as your charity when you shop through the Amazon Smile portal.

Oct 8, 2022 The Spirituality of Service
Nov 12, 2022 Self-Discovery
Dec 10, 2022 No is as Sacred as Yes
Jan 14, 2022 Mindful Meetings
Feb 11, 2022 I Put My Hand in yours
March 11, 2022 Bringing It All Together

Register and attend any of the sessions:

Email [email protected] if you would like to help facilitate a session on this "team teach" or for more info.
“Pagan & Earth-Centered Voices in Unitarian Universalism” Book Groups

Many thanks to the curriculum writing team and test facilitators who guided us through the first round of testing at our online book group over the Spring and Summer term!

It's time for the second round of testing for this new emerging resource. You can take a sneak peek at this developing curriculum.

We are seeking CUUPs chapters who would like to host this book group from their home congregation in person or online and test it out. Then when finished, email us feedback on how it went and how we can make the emerging resource better.

You can buy your copy of “Pagan and Earth-Centered Voices in Unitarian Universalism” at the UUA Bookstore or set Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Inc as your charity when you shop through the Amazon Smile portal. 

For more info or to sign up as a testing chapter please email [email protected]
Congratulations New and Renewing Chapters!

We are pleased to announce new and renewing chapters since the last newsletter!

  • Eno River CUUPs
  • Malden UU CUUPs
  • Salisbury CUUPs
  • Tidewater CUUPs
The Age Old Dance

I drive out the darkness;
laugh in the face of rising storms;  
wrap myself in a blanket of love
as cold winds blow.  

Tides rise and fall
in the age-old dance.
Life springs forth.

Between fire and ice,
floating above the Darkness 
my light shines down.

Eternity.

Om Prakash Gilmore
©August 25, 2022
Rebooting Monthly CUUPs Member Meetings October 15, 2022

Let's talk about rebooting the CUUPs National members monthly meeting! What topics would you like? Do you want to help host or present a program? Join us Saturday October 15, 2022 at 7 PM ET and meet other members, and share your ideas including forming a Winter Solstice Worship team!

Bring just you or your instruments for our first program. We will screen GA 2022 Circle of Sacred Song and Sound with Abigail Spinner McBride and sing, chant, and drum together.
CUUPs Worship List

The September 2022 of the CUUPs Worship List is posted! Visit any CUUPs chapter to celebrate the Harvest Moon, Mabon/Fall Equinox, and other events!

You can also plan ahead. Is your CUUPs chapter having a full moon ritual around Oct 9? A Samhain, or other celebration around Oct 31st?

Please email [email protected] with your chapter name, time zone, time and date of your event, and a short description to be added to the upcoming October 2022 edition of the worship list.
Newsletter Submissions Deadline

The CUUPS newsletter works to publish four to six times in 2022. Please email your submissions to [email protected]g for consideration by the next deadline of Nov 7, 2022 for the Late Fall issue.

Feel free to send your art, photos, poems, readings, art and more for consideration. Submissions can be from individual CUUPs members or CUUPs chapters.
Join the CUUPS Board

  • Strongly identify as UU Pagan
  • A current paid member of CUUPS at the national level
  • In right relations with your own congregation
  • Familiarity with Zoom video conference or willingness to learn
  • Comfortable with Google Tools, or willing to learn
  • Experience serving on a "working board" like a UU church board or local community non-profit board is welcome but not required.
  • Has references to support their work
  • Young Adults welcome  
  • A willingness to work in a team environment

Contact [email protected] with information about yourself for us to pass on to the Nominating Committee!
Membership Renewal
Go to www.cuups.org and click on the blue button in the top right corner. Enter your email you registered with and your password. You will go to your account. If you have trouble write us at [email protected] or [email protected] for support!