Weekly Communicator

Weekly Communicator

May 18, 2023

Sunday Service

Join us this Sunday at 10:30am in the Sanctuary or via Zoom

https://zoom.us/j/5264858673

Minister's Musings

"I began to wonder whether God was black or white. I decided it wouldn’t be fair for God to be black or white. " Mark Morrison-Read

What Color is God? It is a challenging question. Come contemplate the answer with us on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone involved in last week's service it was a beautiful affirmation of the wonderful ministries happening at the UUCFM.

revsue@uucfm.org

WhatsApp call or message: +506 8891 2847

Facebook Messenger: Sue Gabrielson

Skype: suegabes

Please send all newsletter articles by

12pm Wednesday for publication in Thursday's newsletter.

Send articles to newsletter@uucfm.org

**Please do not send requests to the office manager email**

Denise out of office

Denise will be out of the office from May 19-27th. If you need to reach her, please send an email. She will be checking emails occasionally, and will get back to you as soon as she can. Please do not leave a voicemail, unless it can wait until she gets back.

Community Sharing for May

Our Community Sharing partner this month is Alliance for Fair Food. The Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) is the vibrant, diverse ally network of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the internationally-acclaimed farmworker organization transforming human rights in the U.S. agricultural industry. The principal focus of the Alliance for Fair Food is the Campaign for Fair Food, a farmworker-led, community-powered movement that successfully holds major food retailers accountable to the highest human rights standards in their produce supply chains.

www.allianceforfairfood.org

If you cannot attend in person, you can still donate by mailing a check to the office with "community sharing" in the subject line, or by using the "donate" button on the website and marking it "community sharing".

Thank You

Dear Beloved Community–

My heart is filled with love and gratitude for the beautiful Service on Sunday and for your willingness to Commission me as a Lay Minister. I am truly humbled by your love and support and will continue to offer you my love and service.

Thank you so much to Rev. Sue for planning and leading the Service; to the current and past Boards who supported my journey through the Commissioned Lay Ministry program and to my wonderful and amazing support team–Leslie Gatto, Holley Rauen, Diane Buckley, Jeff Letts and Barbara Boynton. A huge thank you to the music team for the beautiful music and songs and to the tech team who so masterfully made the sound perfect and handled the difficult job of having two zoom speakers.

I am most grateful to each of you members of the Congregation whose commitment to this Community and support of my journey made it possible. I look forward to our continued connection. And many thanks and much love to you all again.

Mary Cline Golbitz

Monday Book Club

The Monday Book Club will meet at 1:00 this Monday, May 22, to discuss chapters 14, 15, & 16, of How the Other Half Eats by Priya Fielding-Singh. For information and links contact Judi Dettorre.

Janice Mirikitani, who has just been named

the poet laureate of San Francisco, with her

husband Cecil Williams, at Glide Memorial

Church.

Craig Santos Perez is a Chamoru poet, professor, and environmental justice activist, born on Guam, who now lives on Oahu.

Li-Young Lee was born in Jakarta, the son of

Chinese parents, who soon fled Indonesia

and eventually immigrated to the United States.

Asian-American and Pacific Island Poets

The Poetry Group meets on Zoom on alternate Tuesdays from 1:00-3:00 pm. Please join us this Tuesday, May 23, as we honor Asian-American Pacific Island Heritage month and the work of these wonderful poets. Contact Cat Pivetti for more information and links for poems and Zoom.

CUUPS Meeting

Well a HUGE HELLO and Blessings to all of you! Our May monthly meeting is right around the corner but will be a little bit different, so we will jump right in with the date and agenda below.

May 27, 2023

10am - Land work and hanging out

12pm - Break for lunch (bring your own)

1pm - Actual meeting.

While this month's meeting will hold some agenda topics, our MAIN item is to teach each other and learn from each other about altars. We will create a summer altar together and talk about them in general - remember, no right or wrong in this one. We will share our own thoughts and invite you to do the same. If you wish, bring some personal items to decorate and create the altar just for the day.

Excited to see you there!

Sincerely,

CUUPS of Fort Myers

Holley Rauen Environmental Leadership Award

The annual Holley Rauen Environmental Leadership Award recognizes significant contributions in the protection and stewardship of the natural environment of Southwest Florida (SWFL). The award pays tribute to Holley Rauen, whose vision, advocacy, and determination exemplify the power and importance of community environmental leadership.

Holley Rauen, RN is a retired Midwife, Public Health Nurse, and seasoned social justice and environmental advocate. She is a Calusa Waterkeeper Ranger and serves as Public Health Advocate around our water issues, especially impaired waterways in Lee County.

Volunteers Needed!

Would you like to help out with counting the offering after the service on Sunday mornings? It takes about 15 minutes, training is provided, and you can tell us how often you’d like to volunteer. Please contact Pati Maier if you’re interested. Thank you!

UUCFM is entering the process of renewing our status as a Welcoming Congregation

We look forward to observing the five practices to renew.

These practices include incorporating Welcoming Worship Services into our ordinary calendar of worship every year. Click on the link to find the other practices we look forward to.

The rainbow lanyards of our nametags remind us of our original commitment to being a Welcoming Congregation, learning and growing through diversity

Click here to learn more

Banned Books

Last Sunday members of our congregation signed up to BUY, READ, AND SHARE 21 of the 30 books on the list of books banned in Lee County!

There are only 9 left, so hurry to the Banned Book Table in Hobart Hall during Coffee Hour.

Here’s to our becoming the best informed community in our area on just what kind of books are scaring some of our fellow citizens.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

LIFE for Justice: Justice for LIFE

Lee Interfaith for Empowerment, our interfaith organization of

Lee County, begins its work with House Meetings. Members of

our congregation along with those of our partner congregations

get together in the homes of Team Leaders for a pot luck and

discussion. We ask the question, “What situation in Lee County

bothers you so much that you lose sleep over it?”

Consider being a Team Leader

Through these discussions, which we hold in the fall, we begin

a process that leads to our cause for the year. This year we will

collaborate with the Quakers on House Meetings. If you are

interested in becoming a Team Leader, please contact Marge

Gonzalez.

In August, Paul Leingang, our new LIFE organizer, will train

Team Leaders by coaching them about strategies to engage

network members to be more active in LIFE. If warranted,

training for snowbirds who are Team Leads will be conducted in

October.

How can We be Supporters and Advocates for Transpeople in Florida?

via Zoom, Saturday, May 20, at 1:00 pm

The Sunshine Cluster prepared months ago for a Legislative Follow-up program. Equality Florida staff will discuss transgender life through trans eyes, offer a legislative update and address protections and issues currently facing LGBTQ+ and trans youth.

All are welcome to attend this free program by the Sunshine Cluster (formerly the SE Florida UU Cluster). To register, email seuucluster @gmail.com for Zoom link. The two speakers from Equality Florida are Nikole Parker, Director of Transgender Equality and Geanny Joseph Ruiz, Statewide Safe and Healthy Schools Manager.

In case you have been traveling and missed news coverage of the trans discussion at the Capitol, link here to a Human Rights Campaign discussion held recently in Tallahassee.

Unitarian Universalist Mental Health Network

Online Worship Service

May 28, 2023

4pm PDT, 5pm MDT, 6pm CDT, 7pm EDT

Zoom link

HELD – Showing Up for Each Other’s Mental Health

In this first worship service produced by the UU Mental Health Network Speaker’s Bureau, the Rev. Barbara F. Meyers will talk about her book HELD which tells a lot of stories from her ministry focused on mental health issues - both how-to stories and how-not-to stories and gives guidance for congregants in the pews who want to help make a difference. It has a built-in study guide. We hope that the book will be used by many congregations and help to make the denomination a friendlier place to people with mental health problems and their families.

For more information click here.

Area Events of Interest

Gulf Coast Symphony

Hot Latin Nights

May 20th

Celebrate the start of summer with Hot Latin Nights: A celebration of Latino culture! Enjoy non-stop music that will get your feet moving, your body swaying as you enjoy cold drinks, street food and dancing to benefit the MACC!

Southwest Florida’s Heat Latin Jazz Band will kick off the festivities with its unique mix of multicultural jazz at 6pm.

Taking the stage at 8pm is multiple-Grammy-nominated Peruvian musician Kiki Sanchez and his Salsa quintet, who will heat up the stage of the MACC with Salsa, Bachata, Tango, Merengue and Reggaeton.

Become a evening VIP with front row seating for BOTH concert performances, 2 drinks included. Or you can purchase single tickets for either the 6pm or 8pm show.

Click here for tickets.

Gulf Coast Symphony

Summer Camps

June-July

The Gulf Coast Symphony is thrilled to host another exciting summer of Camps at the Music & Arts Community Center! This summer, MusicWorks!, String Orchestra, Jazz/Band are offered for 2 week sessions. Musical Theater meets for 3 week sessions. We are also partnering with the IMAG History & Science Center for two 1 week Science Camps.

Click here for more information.