UUCM Monthly News
November 2021
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A Stable Faith
Last month I asked you to consider the importance of cultivating relationship. What is the purpose in cultivating relationship here and how important is that aspect of our life together? What role does cultivating relationship play in the bigger picture of building beloved community? How would we know if we were truly cultivating healthy, wholesome relationships at UUCM? And most importantly, who are you willing to be in the matter of helping to cultivate these relationships? Read more here.
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From the President's Desk
I found these excerpts from The Marginalian, a weekly newsletter written by Maria Popova, to provide important guidelines for how we can respectfully communicate within our UUCM community -- and beyond. I hope you will read and consider them and take them to heart. In her newsletter Popova quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh's book Fear - Essential Wisdom For Getting Through The Storm:
"Much of our suffering comes from wrong perceptions. To remove that hurt, we have to remove our wrong perception...When you make the effort to listen and hear the other side of the story, your understanding increases and your hurt diminishes."
He goes on to offer a 3-step process involving deep listening:
"The first thing we can do in these situations is to acknowledge internally that the pictures we have in our head, what we think happened, may not be accurate. Our practice is to breathe and walk until we are more calm and relaxed.
The second thing we can do, when we are ready, is to tell the people who we think have hurt us that we are suffering and that we know our suffering may have come from our own wrong perception. Instead of coming to the other person or people with an accusation, we can come to them for help and ask them to explain, to help us understand why they have said or done those things.
There is a third thing we need to do, if we can. The third thing is very hard, perhaps the hardest. We need to listen very carefully to the other person’s response to truly understand and try to correct our perception. With this, we may find that we have been the victim of our wrong perceptions. Most likely the other person has also been a victim of wrong perceptions."
Wrong perceptions are easily spread and exacerbated by email and other forms of electronic communication. Let's reach out to each other in different ways, by telephone, or meeting in person, and get back into the practice of deeply listening to one another, with the intention of correcting any and all wrong perceptions.
As we prepare to gather together in person again, let's remember who we are and who we want to be together. In that spirit, I share with you our Covenant of Right Relations, and lovingly encourage us all to reflect on each line.
In our interactions at UUCM, we promise to:
Actively reach out to each other
Listen and hear
Speak directly, with honesty, compassion and curiosity
Assume we are all doing the best we can
Keep an open mind
Accept and appreciate each other
Serve our community with generosity and good humor
Be responsible and accountable for our choices
Forgive each other and ourselves
It will be wonderful to be together, if we can all take our covenant to heart.
In faithful service,
Marti Kennedy
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Join Sunday Worship at 10:30am on Zoom
The theme for November is: The Practice of Holding History -- There is a deeper relationship between history and vulnerability than we often recognize. Without a heart willing to feel pain and endure grief, the fullness of our histories just can't enter in. Read more about the theme.
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It is the very beginning of the church year and pledges are usually slow throughout the summer and expenses are less than expected. As long as we are partially shut down due to COVID-19, our expenses will be less than planned. But our income will also be less than planned due to cancelling or doing fundraisers virtually. So we might need to take more from the Endowment than planned this year. (We still will not exceed the $108,000 voted on by the congregation.) |
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Reopening Taskforce Update!
- At their October 24 meeting, the Board approved the recommendation from the Reopening Task Force to begin holding Sunday Worship in church in November for fully vaccinated people. We will be using the Sanctuary and Emerson Hall where we can maintain social distancing. Masks will be worn. The date for the first in-person worship is to be announced.
- We are still in Step III of our Re-Opening Plan, meaning small groups are meeting in the building, and we now are having limited rentals (group size determined by rooms being used, physical distancing, and the use of masks being recommended).
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2021 Holiday Fair PLUS Bonus Events in 2022
This year’s Holiday Fair will be conducted online again for food and wreaths. Watch for an email in November announcing that the website is live and ready for you to shop for food and wreaths.
FOOD: Thanks to Cammie Opre‘s enthusiasm, we will be offering a Holiday Bakery and Christmas Cupboard. Cammie will be reaching out to solicit donations of those Bake Shop favorites from past Fairs.
WREATHS: Dona Eaton and Jane Mika will make our ever popular wreaths from fresh cut laurel, pine, and hemlock. You will be able to pick the wreaths up on Dec 4th.
SOUPS in January: Relax after the holidays by purchasing soup and fixin’s at our online January Super Soup Sale featuring mouthwatering Holiday Fair Cafe soups and other favorites made by UUCM
cooks.
SPRING RITZY & CRAFTS: Saturday, May 21st
Ritzy Boutique will be featured in an outdoor tent sale in front of UUCM. We’re working on finding Ritzy storage space at UUCM -- so please save those unwanted, but especially nice, items for this event. Crafts made by UUCM members will also be featured.
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New Plans from the Racial Justice Task Force
The Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF) supports Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and UUCM now displays a BLM banner that the Friday Guys affixed to our church building with the full support of our congregation. We are now excited to announce two new projects in the works:
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Installing an Indigenous Peoples Land Acknowledgement marker at the garden entrance walkway. This will consist of a bronze plaque embedded in granite from a Milford quarry, which will honor Native Americans’ stewardship of the Earth. All are welcome to join us in planning and implementing this important work. To learn more, contact Brenda Perry.
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Planning a Zoom Speakers Series on the theme of “Diversity! Equity! Inclusion!”. The first speaker will be on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 7:00pm. Watch for details in the Weekly Updates. Our goal is to educate and promote a sense of belonging for all. Other church communities will be invited to attend this first presentation in the series. Amy Conley and Sally Sennott are co-chairing this forum.
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Friday Night Events Are Happening Again - Try it Out!
Game Night - November 5 @ 7pm
Come to Barnum Hall for an evening of fun and fellowship. We will meet to play board games and get to know one another better. Kids, families, and adults are all welcome. Bring a favorite game if you wish. We will supply beverages and something sweet.
Rise Up Singing - November 12 @ 6pm
People who love to sing and/or play acoustic instruments for fun meet monthly at UUCM and use the Rise Again songbook.
"On Being" Podcast & Potluck - November 19 @ 6:30pm
We start by sharing a potluck meal and listening to a Krista Tippett “On Being” podcast, which promises “intelligent conversation on religion, meaning, and moral imagination.” Following dinner, we’ll talk about what we heard. It’s like a book club with no homework!
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UUCM Focus Group on the Enneagram
The Enneagram is a psychospiritual tool with ancient roots and modern applications. It is designed to help people see themselves and others more objectively, with compassion and understanding.
If you find yourself in repetitive situations ("Is this really happening to me AGAIN?"), or if you would enjoy exploring the common themes of meaning, motivation, and personal growth in a sharing community, consider joining this group led by Michael Conley. Michael has been studying the Enneagram for four years and has led groups on it in a prison ministry. Now he is excited to bring this work to UUCM.
Sessions will meet on Zoom (at least for the first month) every 2 weeks for a total of 10 sessions, beginning on November 2 at 7:00 pm for 90 minutes. (See the UUCM Calendar for Zoom info.) If you have any questions, reach out to Michael.
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What in God's Name Podcast
Tune in each Thursday for this podcast with Rev. Shayna and Rev. Chris Owen that pushes back against the binaries of politics and economics to uncover the pearls found in theological and philosophical exploration of today's current events. Says Shayna, "We don't break the news. We break it down!" Each show runs about 20-25 minutes. To listen to previously released podcasts or to sign up to receive notices for new podcasts, click here.
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To contact UUCM leadership:
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Jamie, our administrator, is in the office Monday-Thursday from 8am-3pm. You can reach her at 603-673-1870 or at office@uucm.org.
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Urgent messages should be sent to the UUCM Board at board@uucm.org. Someone from the Board will respond to your message. Contact information for Board members is listed here.
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Rev. Shayna can be reached at minister@uucm.org.
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For Pastoral Care Assistance in November: Contact Karen Walsh or office@uucm.org
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Donate Food to SHARE in November
Please purchase and deliver Canned Fruit, Flour, Sugar, Boxed Cake Mixes & Baking Supplies, Coffee & Tea, Juice, and Granola to SHARE this month. Click to see where to drop off donations.
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Supporting SHARE for the Holidays
There are several ways we can help those in need through SHARE over the December holidays.
Holiday Bonus Giveaway Day: SHARE will hold a day where those in need can come and shop. They need new pajamas, hats, mittens, boots, jackets, family games, children’s books, holiday wrap, and decorations. Bring donations to UUCM and leave in the basket so marked in Barnum Hall.
Adopt Single Adults: Provide $25 gift cards from local grocery stores as well as stores like Target and Walmart. You can deliver gift cards to the UUCM office, but call ahead (603-673-1870) to confirm Jamie will be there.
Contact Sandy Frades with any questions. If you can’t deliver things to UUCM, she will pick up your goods or gift cards. Or you can bring them directly to SHARE by the deadline.
Deadline: Everything must be received at UUCM by Sunday, December 12.
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UUCM 603-673-1870 office@uucm.org
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