IGNITE - The Common Flame Newsletter

ISSUE 121

July 2026

On one of summer’s more mild days, I was on a slow training walk with one of our dogs. After delighting in the breeze and the plentiful chatter of birds, I heard human sounds. Oh my, it is an argument that is making its way out of open windows and patio doors. Not shouting mind you, but the tense volley of words. “No, it isn’t.” “Yes, it is.” I quickly moved us along. As a little kid, I remember these sorts of arguments between my grandpa and his mother-in-law, my great grandma who lived with them. In rural Wisconsin, the language was different. One would say “t’is” and the other “t’ain’t.” Those words died with them, although they echo in my mind’s ear.

I haven’t a clue about my neighbor’s or family’s arguments. I only know that no one would give an inch. I only know that most such arguments are inconsequential and are often born of some smallness in the human spirit. I only know they are common as weeds in most of our lives.

This came to mind as I was reading a book of essays by Margaret Renkl, Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss. A self-described backyard naturalist, her reflections on the natural world are rooted in a practiced intentional noticing rather than formal training. Her childhood was spent in the red dirt outdoors of Alabama and she has raised her family just outside Nashville. In one essay, Renkl shared a time in which her neighbors were pointing to a large bird that was frequenting a tall dead tree. They were certain it was an eagle, but argued about whether it was a golden eagle or a juvenile bald eagle. They went back and forth, each certain in their opinion.

Renkl captured the moment with her camera and knew immediately it was a female redtailed hawk. Eagles, had been reintroduced in Tennessee at the Cumberland Plateau, but only recently and that was a long distance from Nashville. Still, Renkl said nothing, observing “People want to believe that something extraordinary has happened to them, that they have been singled out for grace, and who am I to rob them of one sheen of enchantment still available in the first-ring suburbs?”

Reading this, my world stopped. To know something and not need to speak is a gift called restraint. To resist the urge to shatter another’s moment of enchantment is generosity. How often I miss the opportunity to be generous. How grateful I am that it is one of the values our faith calls us to embody.

As each of our summer speakers shares a value that has been important for them to reflect on this year, I wonder which one it is for you? I wonder where you are seeing it in the world or your family or your reading?

Love and blessings,

Rev. Wendy

Transitions

A memorial will be held at 11 am on Friday, July 24 for Jeff Pederson's wife, Steffanie Coonley. Read Steffanie's obituary.

Rebecca "Becky" White Vanderslice died on April 22. Becky was a multiple-generation Unitarian Universalist who was an active member of JUC for several decades, and was married at JUC. Read Becky's obituary.

Board of Trustees Meeting Summary

New trustees were invited to the June Board meeting, where they joined the conversation with outgoing Trustees. The focus was on the upcoming year, with a facilitated conversation around what strengthened vitality and resilience would look like in our congregation. Time was provided for individual reflection and group processing. This precedes further planning on how trustees can support the continued growth and development around our new identity as Common Flame.

Planned Giving and UU Values

Planned giving is one of the most meaningful ways we extend our Unitarian Universalist values beyond our own lifetimes. When you include Common Flame in your estate plans, you help sustain a community rooted in compassion, curiosity, and courageous love. Your legacy strengthens the ministries that nurture spiritual growth, advance justice, and create a welcoming home for all who seek connection.

A planned gift of any size becomes a lasting expression of hope. It says that our shared principles matter, that this community’s future deserves care, and that the work we do together should continue for generations. Through your foresight and generosity, you help ensure that our congregation remains a beacon of possibility and belonging. Contact our planned giving team: Bud Meadows or Carol Wilsey.

Common Flame Update

As you all know, transitioning to our new name involves many steps, both logistical and emotional. In the past couple of weeks, we've taken a big logistical step: we have a new website URL! Our new website address is commonflameuu.org. (The website interface itself will still look the same as before). This means that all of our staff members have new email addresses: (example: ray@commonflameuu.org). Don't worry! You can still reach both our website and our staff members with the same addresses as before. But please take a moment to save our new email addresses in your contact books, and bookmark commonflameuu.org in your web browser. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate our name change process. And stay tuned for our new Common Flame website interface: coming soon!

Justice, for All

by Derek Bassett

When I was young, the words that anchored me in this faith were "the inherent worth and dignity of every person." They told me that I mattered, that everyone mattered, and that this was not a reward to be earned but a fact to be honored.

That conviction hasn't left me. In our shared values today, I hear its echo in Equity, the declaration that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. The promise I grew up on is still right there, near the center of who we are.

But I'm past fifty now, and somewhere along the way, Justice became the value I lean on to carry that promise. It is a beautiful thing to declare that someone is worthy. It is harder, and just as necessary, to make that worth hold up in the world.

When one of my children was small, almost five, they told me they wanted to be a police officer. Not to help people, it turned out. The appeal was simpler: a cop, they had reasoned, was someone who "couldn't go to jail." Even at four, my child had already figured out that power can mean being placed above the rules the rest of us live by.

I think about that even now, because that backwards theory is exactly what Justice exists to correct. You can tell children a hundred times a day that they are worthy, that everyone is worthy, and you should. But they don't learn what worth means from what you say. They learn it from what you do with your power when you think no one is watching. When you keep a promise you could have broken without consequence. When you take the smaller share, though no one could stop you from taking more. When you get something wrong and say so, out loud, to someone smaller than you. That is what shows them that no one, not even the grown-up, is above being held to account.

Justice is an everyday practice. Long before our children can define a value, they are studying us to find out whether worth is something we mean or merely something we say. "Beloved Community where all feel welcome and can thrive" does not begin at General Assembly. It begins at home.

Anyone who shows up for a child is teaching justice whether they mean to or not. A young person is always watching how the adults around them handle power, fairness, and being wrong. The only question is what lesson we choose to hand down.

So this past Father's Day, my thoughts went in a direction I didn't expect. I'm grateful for the chance to show my children what worth looks like in practice, and they, in turn, keep me honest. They hold me to the justice I claim to believe, every ordinary day.

Leaving a Legacy: Providing an estate gift doesn’t have to be hard!

In the June Issue of IGNITE, I wrote about Kate Kyanne and her legacy gift to the church. Bequests have, quite literally, provided the operating reserves that we have today. Our church ancestors continue to support us. In the last 10 years Lois Abbott, Dave Willard, Steve Sargent, Jim & Til Taguci, Richard Radow, John and Jeanne Schaffer, John Bradford (my father), Jim Taylor, and Craig Williamson gave through their estates. Together they left almost $425,000 in support of our community.

It can be so simple! Sure, you can pay a lawyer to draft some fancy will, or you can do it the easy way! Check it out:

Do you have a life insurance policy? If so, you can add Common Flame as a beneficiary to receive some or all of the proceeds.

Do you have an IRA, employer retirement plan and/or investment/bank account? Same thing! Add Common Flame as a beneficiary for a specific dollar amount, or for a percentage of the remaining fund.

It’s so easy and you don’t need an attorney! You will need our Employer Identification Number (EIN): 84-0533753, and name Common Flame and/or Jefferson Unitarian Church. No matter which name you use, we will make sure it will work going forward as well. If you do it, make sure to let us know by filling out this form to join the Legacy Circle. Thank you!

UUSC Support for the Vulnerable: Neighborhood Map

Hello, I’m Kathleen Whitney, a member of the UUSC Task Force Committee to Support the Vulnerable, and I’d like to give you an update on our Mapping Neighborhood Gathering Initiative.

Neighborhood groups, often considered a thing of the past in today’s busy lifestyles, have been credited by Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the most effective way to support one another. It was instrumental in their ability to reduce the chaos and violence, and filled a major need for connections and support. When people have connections in their neighborhood, they know someone they can turn to when there is an emergency like a fire. Our vision is to create small neighborhood groups where we can truly get to know Common Flame UUs who live near us. These are connections that can provide friendship, encouragement, and practical help when needed.

A few months ago, we began by inviting people to find themselves on a map so we could better understand where members of our community live. Since then, we have made wonderful progress. We are excited to share that four pilot neighborhood groups are holding gatherings in Wheat Ridge, North Arvada/Standley Lake/Westminster/Thornton, Golden, and Arvada. The first group meeting was in Wheat Ridge on Sunday, June 21. The Arvada group will meet on Saturday, July 11. The other two groups have not settled on a date yet.

As Unitarian Universalists, we are guided by our 8th principle and our covenant, commitment to justice, democracy, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. These neighborhood groups are one way we can live those values more fully. As the groups develop, each will have the freedom to decide how they wish to engage in their community and contribute to protecting and strengthening our democracy.

Why connect with your Common Flame neighbors?

It helps build social support and connection among people with shared values!
It is good for your health!
It is good in case of emergencies!

If you still have doubts, here are some examples of success:

In 2024, Colorado Springs launched the 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings program, specifically because of its health and social benefits. They found that 96% of hosts felt more connected to their neighborhood after hosting a gathering and 95.4% felt their gathering had a positive impact on their neighborhood.
Knowing your neighbors can also improve community resilience by providing invaluable social support, rapid info sharing and response, and direct mutual aid during times of medical crises, climate disasters, or other emergencies.

We would love to have you join the group in your area. Should you be interested in participating in a group or hosting, please fill out this sign up form. Jefferson County is a very large county. We selected the pilot groups from areas with a cluster of pins and individuals willing to host. In the future we plan to form groups in the other areas. If you are willing to host, please let us know by signing up under a "I want to host" slot in the sign up form. Thank you for your interest, your participation, and your commitment to building a more connected and caring community.

Kathleen, Gretchen, and Megan

UUSC TF Committee to Support the Vulnerable/Immigrant Support Team

Neighborhood Group Initiative Sign Up Form