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Weekly Communicator
December 7, 2023
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Minister's Musings
"To have faith is to be at home in the awesome spaces of uncertainty." Jack Mendelsohn
As we enter this time of waiting and anticipation in the liturgical calendar, we will explore mystery and what it means to have Faith (and in what). It is the second Sunday of Advent. Rev. Sue will be zooming in and Leslie Gatto will be live in the Sanctuary. Join us!
Upcoming Themes for Sunday Services:
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December 10 - Faith is to be at home in the awesome spaces of uncertainty. Sue (zoom) - Leslie Gatto
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December 17 - Solstice w/CUUPS. Sue (in-person) - Lesley Peterson/Melyssa Caballero
*Please note on December 24th there will be no morning Service. Service will be held on the 24th at 5:00 p.m.
To Reach Reverend Sue:
revsue@uucfm.org
WhatsApp call or message: +506 8891 2847
US phone number: 603-395-7559
Facebook Messenger: Sue Gabrielson
Skype: suegabes
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SPECIAL PERFORMANCE of the Snowbird Follies for UUs from all over!!!
Join Unitarian Universalists from the area for a special matinee performance of the Gulf Coast Symphony at the Music and Arts Center at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers,
Thursday December 21st at 2:00 pm.
A reception in the Narthex will follow so that we can meet each other! You can learn more about the show and buy tickets at the website:
https://gulfcoastsymphony.org/concert/snowbird-follies2/
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An Invitation to Membership ~ December 17
Are you a familiar visitor, attending regularly?
Are you a UU from afar, now here seasonally or year-round?
Are you an irregular attendee and/or former Member?
Are you in fundamental agreement with the Eight Principles
of this Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers?
If your answer is “Yes” to any of these questions, then we cordially ask you to contact us* ASAP!
On December 17th an opportunity to join UUCFM is planned for those who are ready to sign the Membership Book during a brief ceremony at the end of the Sunday Service. Your inquiries are most cordially encouraged and appreciated.
For questions please contact Judy Burget or Rev. Sue Gabrielson, revsue@uucfm.org
judyburget@gmail.com
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VOLUNTEER of the MONTH
Ulises S. Leiton
We so appreciate Ulises’ amazing work, pruning, trimming and generally beautifying our grounds. That’s not all. Sometimes we spot him in the kitchen helping with clean up. Best of all is his good nature and patience when we try out our elementary Spanish on him.
Apreciamos mucho el increíble trabajo de Ulises, podando, recortando y, en general, embelleciendo nuestros terrenos. Eso no es todo. A veces lo vemos en la cocina ayudando con la limpieza. Lo mejor de todo es su buen carácter y paciencia cuando probamos con él nuestro español elemental.
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FRIENDSHIP DINNERS ARE BACK!!!
As we return from a pandemic mindset to happier times, we are restarting some rituals. When we asked, the one thing we heard most about why people belong to UUCFM is the sense of community, friendship, and trust. We’re restarting a tradition that’s about all of that.
DINNERS AT HOME give us an open ended time to share thoughts and ideas with each other in the warmth of our homes. Each month, participants will get together at a member’s home for a shared meal. The host will provide the entrée. Everyone will participate by bringing some part of the meal.
Groups will be limited to eight people – or fewer since so many of us have downsized to smaller homes. Hosts will choose a day and time and ask guests to bring appetizers, dessert, wine, or anything else that completes the meal. We ask that some hosts choose daylight times so that folks who no longer drive at night are not excluded. We will assign groups based on the signups we receive.
Let’s plan to start during January. If you want to participate during the week of January 14 - 20, please let Len Cohen know before December 17th at LSCCLU@gmail.com.
Within a few days, he will let you know the group you are in and who will be your host. When you indicate that you want to
participate, please be sure to let Len know if you are willing to host, your address, and the number of people you can accommodate in your home. Please specify if you require a daytime meal.
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GIFTS FOR THE "Q" DEADLINE IS SUNDAY
Please bring your UNWRAPPED GIFTS for the kids at the Quality Life Center THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10th.
Ideas: Games, books, puzzles, toys, dolls of color, athletic equipment, etc. No toy weapons, please.
I purchased some extra gifts to be sure all 112 kids receive one. If you would like to contribute money to me for a gift or two, please see me following Sunday's service.
The Q and I appreciate your generosity!
Leslie Gatto - 239.850.9664
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Men's Group
The UUCFM men’s group will meet on December 14th at 11:30 at Cross Creek Clubhouse. All are welcome, but shirts with collars are required.
We will continue to meet on the third Thursday each month.
For more information please contact Len Cohen at at LSCCLU@gmail.com
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Community Sharing for December
Quality Life Center's mission is to strengthen and instill pride in family and community through programs and services to cultivate self-discipline, self-development, build confidence and promote cultural awareness
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Connections! ~ Inviting all Visitors & newer Members
Save the dates: Sundays, January 7th & 14th in Room 2, 11:45-1:00pm
Small group discussion facilitated by Marge Gonzalez, V.P. Membership
Watch for details coming!
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News from the SWFL RESET Center
Our Dec 9th RESET Seed and Plant Fest
Online Auction just went live
-- and we wanted you to have the first opportunity to bid
Volunteers are still needed and deeply appreciated.
Attend the SWFL Seed and Plant Festival!
Check out our program, speakers and vendors here:
https://www.seedandplantfest.com/
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Living with Loss: Managing Grief
Two groups are forming. Open to all who have experienced any sort of loss or are grieving and want to learn, process, be held and share together. Facilitation is shared between Rev. Sue, Mary Cline Golbitz and Mary Studer.
Every Saturday morning at 10:00a.m. beginning on December 23rd, in Rev. Sue’s office.
Every Tuesday evening at 6:30 beginning December 19th via Zoom.
You are welcome to attend one or both meetings and meetings will always remain open to newcomers who would like to join in at any time. Please contact Mary Studer if you have any questions, mstuder929@gmail.com
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Yoga for Beginners - Sunday, December 10th 12:30 - 2:00 pm
Free
Please join John Jaecques from UUCFM's Tech Team, and the Isha Foundation this Sunday.
Isha Foundation is an international not-for-profit, non-religious, public service organization that addresses all aspects of human wellbeing.
In the 90-minute *Yoga for Beginners* session, participants will be taught Upa Yoga, a simple yet powerful set of ten practices that activate the joints, muscles and energy system, bringing ease to the whole system. The practices also balance and stabilize your system. No physical agility or prior yoga experience needed. It is a good starting point for those who are new to yoga, and can be used as a preparation for other yoga practices. It takes only 5-10 minutes to practice daily.
The practice are designed by *Sadhguru*, a realized yogi and foremost authority in the field of yoga. The session will be conducted by a trained facilitator after which free ongoing online support will be available so participants can continue to practice on their own. It is recommended to bring a yoga mat and a towel and arrive on a light stomach condition (at least 1 ½ hours after a light meal). Free and open to all ages18 and up. Children below 18yrs can accompany parents.
To RSVP visit isha.us/sarasota. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information contact ishausa.org., or John at johnjaecques@gmail.com
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From CUUPS Corner
Many blessings one and all, we are now in the month of December and with it important dates to mark on your calendar.
December 10th is our coffee time and also we are presenting again Soups and Sides. We are doing this quarterly and it will be themed for the seasons as we look at them. This one will be flavors of winter times. We are charging a $5.00 donation which we feel covers expenses, you can always donate more if you feel it worth so. This will be right after service, as you come into the hall. There will be coffee service as well.
December 16th is our annual meeting at 1:00 pm, then at 4:00pm we will have our Yule gathering. This is a time of community, storytelling, sharing a dish and lots of good cheer! We will bring in the light. All are welcome, please bring something to share, your instruments and a song. Casual dress but you can by all means garb out!
Please note CUUPS has a new email: CUUPSFORTMYERS@GMAIL.COM
For the CUPPS Newsletter, please click here, CUUPS newsletter,
If anyone would like to be on our email list please contact us.
May you all have beautiful times and Peace be in your heart!
CUUPS TEAM
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Dreaming of Rainbows Through Oppression
From "Harlem," by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
For this whole short poem:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46548/harlem
Langston Hughes was one of the best-known poets of the Harlem Renaissance. He was also Black, White, Native American, and Queer. Unsurprisingly, many in the US, if they know his name, think of him only as Black.
Like Langston Hughes, many of us who are old enough to remember the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's hoped that our dreams were only deferred. As a little time passed, our hopes flowered... until we now have been forced to defer those dreams again.
Many of us are also frightened once again, not just for ourselves, not just for those who huddle under our rainbow-alphabet umbrella, but for all those who are living through increased oppression. We know that Fannie Lou Hamer was right: "Nobody's free until everybody's free."
We in our Welcoming/Equal Rights Committee hope you will help us move toward a congregation that practices radical inclusion. We hope you will help us bring our dreams back into a more immediate future.
It would be wonderful if you came to a meeting. Our next meeting will be on Friday evening, December 15, on Zoom. For information contact Cat Pivetti (equalrightscommittee@uucfm.org).
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Communication -- Watch for it!
We are about to launch something new! The first week In January we plan to unveil a monthly Communicator, full of articles about what is going on for the whole month. We will still have a weekly, which will focus on announcements of events going on that week. If you would like to write an article about your committee or activity, please submit using the term Monthly. Joys and concerns are welcome as are announcement of events and meetings for the month of January. We will include a calendar for the month so let us know what is going on! Because of the holidays, we would appreciate submissions for the inaugural issue by December 15th.
Up until the end of December, please make submissions as usual. Beginning in January just submit the event, its time, its place and the email of the contact person along with one or two sentences. If you have longer comments or an article, submit it to the monthly!
Please send submissions to newsletter@uucfm.org
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Countering Fascism in Our Communities:
Why This Is Urgent
Our Countering Fascism group will meet this Monday, December 11, on Zoom at 6:30 pm. Marge Gonzalez and Cat Pivetti will facilitate a discussion of "The Blueprint," an article in the December issue of The American Prospect.
For a link to the article, please click here
For more information, or to register for the discussion, contact Cat (equalrightscommittee@uucfm.org) or Marge. We hope to see you there! Let's talk about this article and about actions we can take to help stop some of the more frightening predictions from coming true.
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Only 1 Week To Go!
RSVP Now, And Join The Talk!
Fascism And Our Democracy, Learn More
Get Your Ticket To Hear Rev. Kingman
Please join us on December 12th, when Rev. Kingman will share her thoughts on how to recognize the less well-known characteristics of rising fascism, as well as her conviction that our faith as Unitarian Universalists compels us to resist it in all its forms.
Who: Rev. Cecilia Kingman, (biography). She's been studying authoritarian systems for most of her life.
What: "Recognizing and Resisting Fascism as People of Faith"
Where: Via Zoom; purchase Tickets/RSVP
When: December 12th, 2023
8:00pm ET • 7:00pm CT • 6:00pm MT • 5:00pm PT
All of us at Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
Grab a $25 ticket
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Please send all newsletter articles by
12pm Wednesday for publication in Thursday's newsletter.
Send articles to newsletter@uucfm.org
Newsletter articles should be limited to 250 words. Send artwork or photos in jpg format. If multiple posting dates are desired, please include that in your request.
**Please do not send requests to the office manager email**
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