There’s a new email address for your submissions - please send them to news@jruuc.org by Tuesday at 5:00 pm. | |
This Sunday, August 13, 2023
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"The Stories of Us"
with Rev. Karen Armina, Rev. Kelly Asprooth-Jackson, Rev. Kelly Crocker, and Kathy Converse
Special time and place: Vilas Park at 11:00 am
Each of the three UU congregations in Madison have their own stories - and we’re part of this city’s larger story of Unitarian Universalism. This morning, we’ll explore those individual and collective stories of past, present, and future. We’ll share worship traditions from each congregation, and music will be offered by musicians from all three congregations.
Bring something to sit on and a picnic lunch. Stay and socialize after the service!
The service will be recorded and available on the FUS website by the afternoon of the 13th. We will try to connect to Zoom to provide a livestream, but that may not be possible from the park. We encourage you to sign onto the Zoom meeting at 11:00, and participate in either worship and coffee hour or just coffee hour - and watch the service later if we can’t livestream.
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All money collected in the offering will go to Wilma’s Fund, a project of OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center that provides relief for LGBTQ+ homelessness or support to prevent homelessness.
Please nominate a local organization for our Share the Plate Program!
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Our summer theme: Nurturing Community | |
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We take a break from Soul Matters themes in the summer, and during this time you’re invited to notice and nurture your communities, and pay attention to how you’re nurtured in them. In this space, you’ll find a new invitation into reflection every week.
Check-in question: How has being in community offered you hope or healing?
“We are one, after all, you and I: together we suffer, together exist and forever will recreate each other.”
-- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
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What's Happening in Our Congregation | |
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Minister's Musings
Dear ones, welcome to summer- the season of light and warmth and life in this part of the world! I feel like I imagine our Unitarian ancestor Ralph Waldo Emerson did, when he told the graduating class of Harvard Divinity School in July 1838 (with some edits for gender inclusivity): “In this refulgent summer, it has been a luxury to draw the breath of life…”
Read more here
Rev. Karen is away from Reeb on study leave, and she will see your email messages when she returns on Wednesday, August 9. Please call or text her if you have a pastoral emergency.
Office hours are suspended through the summer.
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Religious Education and Family Ministry
We are looking for volunteers to teach the Our Whole Lives program of comprehensive sex education next year. The training and associated costs will be covered by Reeb but please let us know as soon as possible as registration deadlines are approaching. Please email genevieve at re@jruuc.org for more information.
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Music Ministry
We start Sacred Breath Choir rehearsals with the following words from former music director, Ian Riddel. “We share the sacred breath. We gather together to build the beloved community. Breath by breath, word by word, note by note. We gather together to sing the beloved community into being. This is our work. This is our calling. This is our joy.” The first rehearsal of Sacred Breath Choir is on Thursday August 31 from 7-8:30pm. Come gather with us.
This Sunday’s shared music:
#347 - Gather the Spirit
#346 - Come, Sing a Song With Me
#1064 - Blue Boat Home
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Offering and Receiving Connection, Support, and Spiritual Practice | |
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Sign up for 2023-2024 Covenant Groups!
Covenant Groups are part of the Adult Religious Exploration Program at JRUUC. Groups are randomly created at the start of each church year, based on the availability of people interested, and they meet monthly. hey are closed groups, for confidentiality and community-building, and are made up of 6 to 10 people plus a facilitator. They have several purposes: to build relationships through the practice of deep listening, and to practice shared ministry with each other and our congregation as a whole. Please see this brochure for more information, and sign up here or on the sign-up sheet on the RE table in the foyer if you’d like to be part of a virtual or in-person Covenant Group this year.
Meditation With Friends - Wednesdays at 6:30-7:00 pm (Beginners Welcome)
Sacred Breath Choir - Breaking for the summer, will resume August 31, contact Music Director Jennifer Hedstrom at music@jruuc.org
Journaling Group - Breaking for the summer, contact Jean Skinner
Building Our Racial Awareness Open Discussions - Breaking for the summer, contact Jeanette Clawson
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Announcements & Upcoming Events | |
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Memorial Service for Tom McComb
Son of Craig McComb and Leila Pine
2 p.m. Saturday, August 19
At James Reeb UU Congregation
2146 E. Johnson St., Madison, WI
Donations in Tom's name may be made to The Gratitude Club, 295 Ruggles St., Fond du Lac, WI, 54935; or Tellurian Behavioral Health, 5900 Monona Dr., Suite 300, Monona, WI 53716.
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Justice Leadership Team Meeting!
August 15 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm, on Zoom. If you would like to attend, please send a request to join the Google Group: jruuc-justice-leadership-team@googlegroups.com. You will get the agenda and Zoom link sent to you every month.
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Meditation Mini-Retreat Saturday 8/12 2-4pm
All are welcome - suitable for anyone curious about meditation! We will have a variety of activities including:
- sitting (short and longer periods throughout the retreat between other activities)
- walking
- writing or drawing
- movement
- listening to a reading
- time for brief discussion about the reading, meditation, or mindfulness
- closing loving-kindness meditation
Feel free to bring a meditation cushion; chairs will be available. Contact Susan Podebradsky with questions or to RSVP. This event will be in person, masks welcome. Zoom option also available.
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Sign-up by Wed 8/9 for Saturday 8/12
CAC Social Justice through healthy food!
Easy and FUN volunteer opportunity for all ages!
JRUUC volunteers to help the Community Action Coalition for South Central WI collect leftover or donated food from vendors at the Saturday downtown Dane County Farmers Market. CAC’s food assistance programs create access to nutrition for people in the greatest need.
Everyone is welcome to help, so bring your friends and kids for these easy 75 minute volunteer opportunities. We gather at the CAC truck by the capitol building on the East Washington side around 11:45-noon. We all put on CAC vests as identification and split up into 4 groups, each with a cart and a quadrant of the market.
JRUUC is collecting Saturday 8/12!
Sign up here or contact Jocie Luglio
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Let's make the JRUUC front window more inviting!
Looking for one or more people to come up with a plan to make our front window area look nicer and more inviting. Got any ideas or good looking plants that can withstand a south-facing window? Contact Joan Kemble or Kelly Kearns.
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MOSES News!
MOSES stands for Madison Organizing in Strength, Equity, and Solidarity for Criminal Legal System Reform. JRUUC is a member of this organization. Wisdom, the overall group that works with MOSES and other such groups around Wisconsin, is a new campaign to give a second chance to two prisoners with excessive sentences, imprisoned when young with extenuating circumstances. In April at Madison Action Day, the requests and supporting documentation for commutation were presented to Gov. Evers.
There is a petition campaign so the Governor will see there is support for this. You can sign it here, or better still, circulate the petition in your community and deliver it to Joan Kemble. You are also encouraged to write a short letter to Gov. Evers arguing for commutation.
MOSES meetings are on the first Sunday of the month at 2:30pm. They are in person at various churches, but also on Zoom. Contact the Secretary of MOSES for the zoom address and meeting location.
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MOSES Annual Rummage Sale
Donate your treasures, volunteer, or stop by for bargains and conversations!
August 25-26
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church
6205 University Ave
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Upcoming Folk Music Gatherings!
You're invited to join an informal group that gathers to make folk music at church! Bring your voice and/or an instrument. If there's a song you want to sing, bring some lyrics and chords printed out to share. This is just for fun, all are welcome! Please come and lend your voice to our song, our next gathering will be Saturday, August 26, 2pm (note the changed time).
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Register Now for the Fall "Black History for a New Day" Course!
One way to help "dismantle white supremacy" (our new 8th Principle) is to take this amazing course offered by the Black-led Nehemiah Center in Madison. The fall session will be held at 7 p.m. Monday nights from Sept. 11-Nov. 13, both in person and on Zoom. The deadline for registration for this exciting course taught by UW-Madison faculty is August 18. So far about 15 other Reeb members and many UUs at FUS have taken the course and were amazed at how much they learned! JRUUC has some limited funding to offer partial scholarships to Reeb members who can't afford the whole tuition of $300 (on a first come, first served basis). For more information contact Leila Pine.
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JRUUC Membership Team looking for new members!
If you like getting to know visitors and new members, planning social events, or just want to help at JRUUC in a small but important way, please consider joining the Membership Team. Contact any current team members for more information - Mary Wagner, Kelly Kearns and Elaine Morrison.
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Help Beautify Our Grounds!
Our members & friends run community counts on people to sign up to mow grass and pick up litter around our building. Mower provided. Sign up here for a week or two.
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What's Happening in Our Community | |
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Support Just Dane Youth with Backpacks and Calculators
Youth in Just Dane’s summer Just Bakery program are in need of backpacks and calculators. Kids in the Mentoring Connections will also receive these supplies at their summer picnic. Please consider donating by ordering from their Amazon wish list here and have the order delivered to:
JustDane
2115 S. Park St.
Madison, WI 53713
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Our UUA General Assembly of Congregations has happened, and there was much worship, learning, discussion, and deciding! Go here to read some highlights, and come to worship this Sunday to hear Rev. Karen’s reflections on GA. Part of the learning, discussing, and deciding was about the proposed revisions to Article II of the UUA Bylaws - you can find the draft that this year’s delegates voted to bring to our congregations and other UU groups here. The delegates to the 2024 GA will share the conversations that happen over the course of the year, and vote on whether to adopt these revisions. | |
Click the banner to learn what you can do to promote social justice along with our national organization. | | Abortion, Anti-Racism, Reparations, Restorative Justice, Medicare | |
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Click the banner to learn how you can get involved in getting out the vote.
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Do you have an announcement for our congregation?
Please send it to news@jruuc.org and submit by 5 p.m. on Tuesdays - earlier if possible!
Please specify where you would like it listed by writing
Sunday Announcement and/or Weekly and/or Website in the subject line of your email
Our office is the central point of contact for all Reeb communications.
Please send your questions to office@jruuc.org
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