Minister's Message from Rev. Jamie

minister@durangouu.org

A Circle of Gratitude

Dear Members and Friends,

A centerpiece to my personal spiritual practice is what I have come to call “a circle of gratitude”. I start my day grateful for the bright beautiful sun that called me to Colorado, for the sweet “meows” of Millie and Pip as they await their breakfast, and for that first delicious, energizing, cup of coffee. I pause and give thanks for another day full of possibility, joy, and purpose. Gratitude and mindfulness meet in these moments and I reconnect with a gentle, abiding, peace. 

There is a well-known poem by Jalaludin Rumi Mevlana that starts with these famous lines: “This being human is a guest house every morning a new arrival”. The poem is an invitation to consider how our lives are a home to every human experience and to prepare ourselves for the inevitable arrival of some sadness, disappointment, or meanness. Rumi invites us to meet them at the door “laughing and invite them in”. 

This is challenging, especially when cruelty and meanness arrive as oppressors, armed and dangerous. How can we practice gratitude in the presence of such injustice? I wonder how Rumi would respond to this question and I imagine a powerful wisdom teaching would follow. Jalaludin Rumi Mevlana’s life was not immune to suffering or injustice either. 

And yet, Rumi, like many other great wisdom teachers, was on to something. There is no escaping the fact that life will be complicated, that hardship and heartbreak will happen. There must be a way to keep living and not allow injustice and suffering to steal our joy, our connection, our power and our purpose. Mindfulness teacher John Kabat-Zinn describes this as “full catastrophe living”, a practice of intentionally holding awareness for the richness of life, for living mindfully in the landscape of life, noticing the great expanse of joy and sorrow, sacred and profane, and choosing to live with all of it – the “full catastrophe”. 

Gratitude is not simplistic; it works in partnership with our struggles so we might experience our aliveness as tethered to the love that animates our lives and our moral clarity. It is a rich and sacred practice that nourishes our individual and collective resiliency so we can continue to "love courageously, inspire spiritual growth, and work for justice.” 

My circle of gratitude ends before bed. I reflect on all the moments that make life rich, complicated, and meaningful and say the only prayer that really matters: “thank you”.

I am most grateful for you, for this shared ministry, our community of hope and justice that is bringing courageous, brave and bold love to a hurting and broken world every day. 



In faith,

Rev. Jamie

A song for the journey to soothe hurting hearts - from Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Meg Barnhouse reflecting on the visions of Christian Mystic Julian of Norwich. It brings my spirit comfort and I hope yours, too. 

“All Will Be Well” https://youtu.be/3XWuZ7yDPHU?si=gOpZwZtPtPysg9is

Meet with the Minister 

Would you like to make an appointment to meet with me?  Please visit my Calendly Link to see my schedule and make an in-person or zoom meeting at a time that works for you!

https://calendly.com/minister-durangouu

President’s Message

A message from UUFD President Tim Miller

president@durangouu.org

As I write this month’s message, I’m still chuckling about last Sunday’s “Sesame Street” service. Many of our members grew up in other faith traditions, while others are lifelong UU’s or weren’t “churched,” but I think we can agree that all people would do well to adopt the compassion, empathy, kindness, and generosity of spirit modeled by Bert and Ernie and Cookie Monster and, yes, even lovable Oscar the Grouch. Our congregational covenant is like theirs in many ways.

You may have noticed that we are engaged in a process to determine the level of interest and support for enhanced fellowship space and other campus improvements! This process is being led by the Building Engagement Task Force (BETF). You can see their update also in this issue.  

Please plan to attend the town hall after worship on Sunday, November 9th to see the first iteration of conceptual design drawings. We’ve been talking about a better fellowship hall off and on since at least 2017; we’re about to see if “a picture is worth a thousand words” and to visualize how campus improvements might benefit every one of us.

Besides developing a compelling building design, the other part of this process is determining what financial resources we have to make that design a reality. UU Stewardship Consultant Kay Crider, who helped us launch this inquiry last February, will return to Durango in early December to conduct a financial feasibility study. Kay’s years of experience in this field have shown that interviewing a cross-section of about 20% of our church’s pledging households will allow her to predict how much money can be raised if we were to conduct a capital campaign in the first half of 2026. During her visit December 4th-6th, she will interview 6-7 households each day (preferably in-person but on Zoom if necessary) and deliver her written report the following week. Interview invitations will go out by mid-November. Invitees will then be asked to sign up for specific time slots during Kay’s visit. To help ensure an accurate result, please make every effort to participate if you are invited to an interview.

Youth and Family Spiritual Growth Ministry

A message from UUFD Spiritual Growth Facilitator Callum Fable

Gratitude is our theme this month!

There are many things to be grateful for, but one often overlooked is the strength and resiliency we discover in learning alongside one another. Youth spaces are chock-full of creativity and inquisitiveness that benefit all of us at every age. Asking questions, participating in activities, and playing meaningful games helps each of us, of any age, access new paths of spiritual growth and development. I’ve seen the shift in classes, as the inner child comes to the surface.

As a team we are thankful to each and every volunteer. Your service is a gift to the youth and yourself. Skills and lessons learned in youth classes come up in unexpected ways that can’t be felt without giving yourself the chance to learn them.

Nov 2nd will be our Hall-O-Weekend Celebration! Costumes and trick or treat bags/baskets are encouraged.

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer with our kiddos, email to Callum Fable

Phone: 970-403-5112 

Email: Spiritualgrowth@durangouu.org 

November News from Spiritual Growth Ministry

Hall-o-weekend

With help from the congregation, the SGM Team plans to organize a post-worship service event at UUFD on Sunday, November 2, to celebrate/observe Halloween—All Saints Day—Dia de los Muertos. The team will reach out for help in planning and organizing the event, which should be fun for all ages. What fun and games would you like to see at Hal-o-weekend?

UUFD Preschool Class Volunteers



Many, many thanks are owed to the faithful group of volunteers who have nurtured our littlest UUs this summer while our preschool teacher was away for summer break. Their service made it possible for parents and grandparents to more fully participate with other adults during Sunday worship services. When you see them, please thank Allison Andersen, Sherrod Beall, Megan Dugan, Susie Francis, Brenda Huffman, Teresa Jordan, Elizabeth Long, Bonnie Miller, Lisa McCorry, Liza Tregillus, and Becca Trefry for their service and care of our “littles.”

If you are interested in developing your own spiritual growth by serving in the UUFD Preschool Class, please contact Teresa Jordan at tjordan50@icloud.com for more information.

Updates from Adult Spiritual Growth Ministry

What’s up in Adult Spiritual Growth Ministry?

Lots! First of all, thank you to the 49 respondents who completed the Adult Spiritual Growth Ministry SURVEY. Your suggestions, indications of what supports you and your spirituality, and your offers to lead some learning and connection opportunities in the Fellowship are providing the ASGM team with critical information to guide our next steps. We will be sharing what we learned during part of the worship service on November 16. If you haven’t shared your

thoughts yet, we welcome continued input. Contact Bonnie Miller yjmiller2@gmail.com or Beth Connors beth.connors70@gmail.com or talk with one of the ASGM team members: Bonnie, Beth, Julie Jordan, Paul Senecal, Liz Volz.



COVENANT GROUPS:

We’re in the process of forming a new Covenant Group based on recently expressed interest. There are currently two ongoing Covenant Groups and this will become the third. We will form additional groups as we learn of individuals who are ready to participate. If you are interested in getting to know other UUFD individuals at a deeper level, and explore life topics such as grief, friendship, aging, and resilience, this once-a-month small group may be for you. Contact Julie Jordan juliejane@mindspring.com for more information or to sign up.

NEW BOOK READING CIRCLE: Werner Heiber will be leading a 6-week small group reading circle of the book “Mystical Hope” by Cynthia Bourgeault. There are two openings remaining, with a limit of 10 participants. Dates are Nov 1, 8, 15, 22 and Dec 6, 13. The first session will be in the Sanctuary from 10:00-11:30 am. To learn more about mysticism from a UU perspective, go to https://uumystics.org/ To sign up, contact Bonnie Miller yjmiller2@gmail.com or Werner Heiber werner.heiber@gmail.com

COVENANT OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST PAGANS (CUUPS): We are delighted to share that a UUFD CUUPS group is forming, with Gwyn Adams leading. CUUPS promotes the study and practice of contemporary Pagan and Earth- and nature-centered spirituality. It is grounded in one of our six UU sources, “spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.” If you would like to know more, or are interested in joining, contact Gwyn at fencingfriend@gmail.com or Beth Connors beth.connors70@gmail.com

CAFÉ MEMOIR: Coming soon…if you’ve ever given thought to capturing a bit of your story in writing, watch for news about a January workshop with writing expert Judith Reynolds! "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Building Engagement Task Force

MOVING FORWARD!



Our fellowship hall/multipurpose building discernment process is well underway and moving forward with vigor. Last week, approximately 40 members and staff, across sixteen stakeholder groups, provided a wide variety of thoughtfully focused suggestions to Elizabeth Boone, our Reynolds-Ash architect. 

Elizabeth and her colleagues have synthesized what she has heard from our previous efforts at needs assessment and the recent first round of small group meetings. The Task Force and R/A staff will meet this week with the City to discuss site options related to the “city park” on the south side of our property. She will incorporate as much as possible from all these meetings into an initial set of design options, which she will present at a Town Hall meeting after the November 9 service. This will include time for discussion.

Between then and November 23 Elizabeth and the Building Engagement TF will work to further refine the design options, adding additional detail. On November 23, she will present a revised set of design options for another feedback session at a Town Hall after the service. At that point, she will email a feedback survey to everyone in the congregation, accompanied by the design options. We will have until Dec 1 to review, discuss and respond with your reactions to the various aspects of the proposed designs. 

Our collective response to these drawings is critical. Your reactions will be synthesized, prioritized and incorporated into a final proposed design, including the highest priority design elements that we can afford. We plan to review that after the service on December 14, a date you want to highlight on your calendars. The full discernment process schedule can be viewed online (https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1WCWt9Spx9uqNP31Xm17kFDddIuq47-g0) and on the poster set up in the Sanctuary. The Task Force plans to keep you informed of the progress of this design phase with regular communications. Stay tuned. 



Just as a reminder, Sherrod Beall and Tom Miller are task force leads with Allison Andersen, Sheryl Guy, Mary Ocken, and Deborah Lycan as task force members. You can contact any of them if you have questions or comments about the building discernment process.

Social Justice & Responsibility

Get Your Free Covid Tests

You can get free covid tests at the front desk of La Plata Public Health, 185 Suttle St. Covid is increasing in Durango waste water. If you have respiratory symptoms, please test, and test again 48 hours later. The newer strains can be fairly mild, but it is still highly contagious. Thank you and stay safe.

Community Connections

Must Read for Pledgers Using VANCO Autopay

Anyone using Vanco must go to the Donate link on the website (or this link here) to update their giving information for the start of the new UUFD fiscal year.

Please make sure to update the start date to July 1, 2025, and review any changes in amount or frequency.

If you have questions or need help, contact kadams@mcw.edu.

Also, if you haven’t already, now is the time to complete your pledge for the 2024–2025 fiscal year (ending June 30, 2025). 

Reminder for end of fiscal year. 

If you haven’t already completed your fiscal year July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 pledge payment, please complete as soon as possible. Finance people are wanting to close the books.  

If you don’t know if it is complete or not, you can check in your Breeze database page OR check with Stewardship Chair Kathleen Adams -   kadams@mcw.edu OR  financeclerk@durangouu.org.

Thanks to all for your gifts of TIME, TALENT and TREASURE to our Beloved Community.