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Weekly Communicator
October 5, 2023
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Minister's Musings
“It does not require many words to speak the truth.” – Chief Joseph
There is SO MUCH happening at the UUCFM this month. Please read this newsletter carefully so you don't miss anything!!!
Seriously, there are so many GREAT (and diverse) activities.
I am looking forward to joining you at many of them when we return to Florida on the 14th of October.
Please come to worship this week in person or by zoom as we acknowledge Indigenous People's day.
Upcoming Themes for Sunday Services:
October 8: Honoring Indigenous People's Day (Gary Robbins and Leslie Gatto)
October 15th: Turn the World Around (Rev. Sue and The Respectful Relations Team)
October 22: Being Mortal (Rev. Sue and Mary Cline Golbitz)
October 29: Samhein/Day of the Dead (Rev. Sue, Lesley Peterson and CUUPS)
Also, Don't forget to buy your tickets for the Masquerade at the Mac. If the price is a burden and you would like to attend, please ask Rev. Sue about complimentary or reduced cost tickets.
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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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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Volunteer of the Month
Barbara Shearer is Volunteer of the Month. We are so fortunate that a librarian should walk through our door just as we are enriching our book collection with banned books and books promoting social justice. Barbara was our Grand Marshall for the procession of books from the sanctuary to the library and is working on creating a database for the collection.
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Neil A. Yesu
January 4, 1935 - August 21, 2023
“When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night.” (Shakespeare-Romeo and Juliet)
Please join Neil's wife of 38 years, Diane Buckley, Rev. Sue, Mary Cline Golbitz , Peter Golbitz, Jon Dalton and the choir as we pay tribute and celebrate Neil's life. We will gather for a Celebration of Life service on Saturday, October 21st at 11:00am in the Sanctuary. A reception with light refreshments will follow in the Narthex and for those of you who want to continue the conversations, there will be a luncheon at the restaurant Two Meatballs in the Kitchen.
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Mark your Calendars: October 21, 2023
Masquerade at the MACC
URL: https://gulfcoastsymphony.org/concert/masquerade-macc/
for reservations, donations, and details.
5:30pm Cocktail Hour (Cash Bar)
6:00pm Dinner & Auctions & Raffles
7:30pm Concert
The Gulf Coast Symphony and UUCFM combine forces for an evening of fun, food, and music!
Auction Items and a basket raffles will be a part of the evening. Come fully decked out in a costume or wear just a mask for the fun evening.
Single Tickets are $50 per person or $75 for two.
Become a Table Sponsor for $500 (Include 8 seats and $100 tax-deductible donation). (Table Sponsors may donate their unused seats to Rev. Sue for Congregation members who could use some financial assistance to buy tickets.)
Event Sponsorships are available for a $1000 tax-deductible donation. Fantastic Adventure Auction Items (air transportation, personal beverages and phone calls not included):
- 1 week in paradise, Monteverde, Costa Rica, in Rev. Sue’s new home in the mountains with a breath-taking view of the Gulf of Nicoya and the Pacific Ocean. And, just minutes away from restaurants and activities in Monteverde. With all the comforts of home.
- 1 week beside a pristine lake in Central Wisconsin, just North of Madison, offered by Suzanne Ziemer. Enjoy the 2-bedroom, 2-baths lakeside retreat on the Ziemer compound. Adult “lake toys” available!
- 6 days & nights on a lifetime safari adventure in South Africa for two. Includes full board at Zulu Nyala Heritage Safari Lodge/Tented Camp in the heart of Zululand and St. Lucia/Sodwana Bay Marine Reserve – one of the richest wildlife conservation regions in Africa. Donated by Zulu Nyala.
All monies raised will be used to fund physical improvements on the UUCFM campus and benefit the Gulf Coast Symphony’s youth education programs at the MACC.
Melyssa Caballero will head-up the UUCFM efforts. We’re looking for a couple more UUCFM volunteers to help with preparations.
To help, call Sarah, our Office Administrator, at 239- 561-2700 or let Rev. Sue know at RevSue@UUCFM.org
See you there!
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Being Mortal
or
You Can’t Take It with You
Join us in Hobart Hall at 9:15 am this Sunday, Oct. 8 for 2 presentations.
Mary Poster from Hope Hospice will talk about PACE, its all-inclusive senior services, and what hospice provides.
Yoandra Maritnez will explain the role of a death doula in assisting end-of-life activities.
The program will end in time for worship service.
Please note the upcoming Pre-Church Programming:
Oct. 15 - Aging in Place and Options When That’s No Longer an
Option (Barbara Shearer and Mary Studer)
Oct. 22 - Death with Dignity and Deciding What's Important (Tony Ray & Mary Studer)
Oct. 29 - Honoring Our Ancestors (Beatrice Muhlenbruch)
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These are the last few days of Banned Books Week. But, don't worry. You can still read a banned book next week! And we probably won't stop talking about the need to protect books, as well as knowledge in general, from those who wish to prevent access to real history, to social justice theory, and even to books with pictures of Gay parents, Transgender children, or Indigenous people.
Our DEI Library team has a deep commitment to keeping books and knowledge alive. In particular, we want Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to have a place to live in books and in understanding. And you can be part of the protection of Books. We are looking for volunteers to staff the DEI Library after services, to host the Library table during coffee hour, and to join us in planning more wonderful book related experiences.
O Books: "I love you evermore... and ever more and more!" Hmmmm. That sounds familiar. What's it from???
Contact Cat Pivetti (equalrightscommittee@uucfm.org) for more information about any of this.
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What a Wonderful World
As we continue to celebrate our Heritage this month, the choir will be singing “What a Wonderful World” on October 15th. You are all invited to sing this great piece with the choir on that Sunday.
It might be a way to see if our small but mighty choir is for you. We’ll gather at 9:30 to practice. Very much hope
to see you there!
Jon Dalton
Music Director
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UU and You
October 8 & 15
After Sunday services - Room 2
All seekers are welcome!
Newcomers, recent visitors are cordially invited to an informative discussion group, meeting for an hour following Sunday services for two consecutive Sundays. Please plan to attend both dates if possible.
After the service, if you’d like to stop by Hobart Hall and grab a beverage and/or nibbles, bring it with you. Then make your way to Classroom 2, it’s directly across from the Sanctuary.
We look forward to becoming better acquainted!
October 8: discussion will be focused on YOU—What you might be looking for in this Community of faith, where you’re coming from?
October 15: will focus on our beliefs and values— The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism & Sources
How to take our values out into the world!
Guided discussion with Marge Gonzalez, V.P. Membership
Sign up and/or questions appreciated
~ judyburget@gmail.com
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"My Little Pony Was Right"
Rev. Cecilia Kingman's Berry Street Essay
on Fascism in the US
Rev. Kingman's essay describes the use of fascism in current political rhetoric of some authoritarian players in the United States. She relates, in a clear and effective way. ten strategies of fascism to the demonization of certain easily targeted groups. This essay is available online in print and as a video of her presentation of this essay at the 2023 UUA
General Assembly. It's not long, but it is a very good primer of what underlies most of the social justice issues we are currently facing in Florida.
Marge Gonzalez and Cat Pivetti will facilitate a discussion of Rev. Kingman's essay on Zoom, Monday, October 16, at 6:30 pm.
Here's a link to the video and to the printed essay:
https://uuma.org/berry-street-essay/2023-berry-street-essay-the-reverend-cecilia-kingman/
For more information contact Cat Pivetti, equalrightscommittee@uucfm.org or Marge Gonzalez, margaretgonzalez@me.com .
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Mindfulness Practice
We welcome you to join our online sitting practice each week, when we practice mindfulness and discuss a reading.
The Monday Sangha meets at 6:30-7:45 p.m. and practices mindfulness for 30 minutes. Then we’ll discuss part of Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg. The discussion is always interesting whether you’ve done the reading or not. The evening will end with more sitting practice, wrapping up around 7:45.
Contact mstuder929@gmail.com for details.
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Social Justice Book Club
Here's our current short list for the Social Justice Book Group, which is slated to begin on October 18! We may delay the first meeting to allow time to acquire books, or we could meet to discuss which books we want to read. These books are very different from each other, although each addresses some of the roots of oppression. We can also consider other books if there are some that group members are hoping to read and discuss.
Exile and Pride is written by Eli Clare, a Transgender man who has lived with disability all his life. He grew up in rural Coastal Oregon and is a fervent climate activist. Marge Gonzalez, who has been reading this book, said, " I am blown away by the brilliance of the writing in this book - if you want to know what clearcutting is, for instance, you will know it with every sense of your being. I feel this is an important book for all of us to read..."
Hate in the Homeland focuses on the rise of the Global Far Right and their involvement in the curtailing of civil rights. It can be a valuable tool for those who want to be informed of the forces acting against democracy, so that we can be better equipped to defend that democracy and those rights which many of us had come to take for granted.
Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza is a classic of feminist writing by Gloria Anzaldua. Anzaldua, an Indigenous Chicana lesbian and a brilliant writer, lived in both literal and figurative borderlands.
For information, contact Cat Pivetti (equalrightscommittee@uucfm.org).
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Men’s Group Returns
After our summer respite, the Men’s Group will resume monthly luncheons on October 19th at 11:30 AM. We will be meeting on the third Thursday all season. We are looking forward to seeing as many UU men as possible. No reservations needed; just show up for lunch and camaraderie with other UU men.
We will meet at the Cross Creek Golf Club clubhouse. You can order from the regular menu or the golfers’ menu and we will get separate checks.
Dave Hutchins and Len Cohen will both be away on October 19th. Dave Katz has volunteered to host.
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CUUPS News
From the CUUPs team, we want to thank all of you that have supported our coffee service and soup with sides, it is our service to the community.
Now mark your calendars for upcoming events:
Oct 7th - is a workshop on creating Altars with emphasis on our beloved ancestors, this starts at 2:00 pm in the hall.
Oct 8 - is our turn again for coffee service and we will be having a bit of fun with the theme of October.
Oct 28th - Samhain ritual. Gather at 5:00 at the amphitheater to begin promptly at 6:00. Bring a chair to place at the fire pit and something to share for our community feast. Samhain is honoring our ancestors of land and blood, it is a solemn and joyful time. This ritual is open to all but we do advise younger children must be with a parent as some of the ritual is of adult nature.
All this bring us to November. We will let you all know as time gets a bit closer, but a heads-up, there is a community gathering in the works for Solstice gathering in December.
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Community Sharing for October
Our Community Sharing partner in October is Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. The mission of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, an affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., is to provide affordable access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care and accurate health information through patient care, education and advocacy. This affiliate began operations in 1966 and presently provides vital sexual and reproductive health services, as well as comprehensive sexuality education to women, men and teens throughout southwest and central Florida.
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LIFE for Justice, Justice for LIFE
UUCFM is privileged to host the Annual Assembly in our Sanctuary. This is one of the four major yearly events of LIFE (Lee Interfaith for Empowerment), so don’t miss this exciting occasion, October 24 at 6:30; you will be part of the UUCFM caucus. We are expecting about 240 people from 14 congregations. We are so happy that Rev. Sue could change her flight plans to attend and offer the Invocation!
At the Annual Assembly we decide on the issue we will embrace for the year. Once this decision is made a research group will form to see how best to effect change in our community.
On Tuesday evening, Jennifer Grant, Lynn Lacy and Marge Gonzalez attended the Team Leader Meeting at Fort Myers United Church of Christ. We came equipped with the list 18 concerns that came out of our three House Meetings, one of which was a zoom originating in Ecuador and led by Carolyn Stanley from the Religions Society of Friends. Our first task was to winnow out list down to three!. Each congregation brought forward their top three choices and then we had to do more winnowing with this list. The result is a list of three items — it is from these three items that we will select out issue for the year at the Assembly.
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LGBTQIA+
HISTORY MONTH
Queer/Trans/Two-Spirit (Q/T/2) history in North America, Polynesia, and Micronesia is far older than the history of the United States. Q/T/2 people were acknowledged as part of Indigenous communities before settler-colonization.
But now a new Q/T/2 history is being made! Right here in Florida!
Except... OUCH... It's a history of new and increased oppression. Why don't I feel lucky to be in on the ground floor, right here, at the beginning of a ground-breaking new low? And yet there is a sort of semi-up-side. We have a bird's-eye view. (Yes, birds' eyes do see the lowest parts of the ground. That's how they find the worms.) We also have an opportunity to use our unwelcome knowledge for the greater good. We can welcome each other, take each other's hands, join our voices, and SPEAK.
Maybe we have been given access to information so that we can share it with others. Maybe we are being encouraged to learn more, to talk about what we are learning, and to face challenges arm-in-arm, with courage!
Our Welcoming Congregation team has several activities planned to help us learn about the experiences of Q/T/2 people. For more information, contact Cat Pivetti (equalrightscommittee@uucfm.org).
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Introducing Neighbors Network of Lee County
We all have someone, if not ourselves, who is anxious about his or her immediate future. Do we go to a retirement village that requires a substantial investment of our income and savings? Or do we risk aging at home in hopes that we won’t have needs that require intense care?
The Village-to-Village national movement is a model that Neighbors Network of Lee County has adopted to address such concerns. Through an organized neighborhood, our model facilitates neighbors helping neighbors in times of need, including programs and seminars to address aging issues and to keep our neighborhoods involved and engaged.
Social isolation is one of the greatest threats to an aging population. Our neighborhood network provides ample opportunities to combat this. We are a professionally-organized, volunteer-driven network devoted to helping others as we age.
You will learn more at leeneighbors.org or you may call us directly at 239-209-9867
We ask that you join us in this no-cost venture.
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