Reflection & Action
Week 1
January 1-7, 2017
Full Week Faith

Our worship theme for January, 2017 is "A Community of Prophecy." Throughout the month, we will send an email mid-week containing words for reflection, a suggested spiritual practice, and opportunities for action.
In This Issue
Words for Reflection

"My friends, we have arrived.
We are here, in this new year.
We have crossed the boundary of time, into the next year, with all its resolutions and plans and  schedules ahead of us.
Let us pause, for just this moment, before we move boldly onward.
Let us pause to hear the breathing of those around us,
to feel their presence in this room.
To know their presence in our lives.
Let us pause to consider the trees, their branches stripped bare,
their elegant architecture on display.
Let us pause to feel the spirit of life and love that ties us to each other, that winds its way
through our very bones and settles in our hearts.
It welcomes us to life, not just at the start of the year, but every day."

-Rev. Amanda Poppei

Readings from the Common Bowl  from January 1, 2017
SpiritualSpiritual Practice
"The idea of spiritual practices encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own spiritual development by spending time working on it, deliberating on its meaning and how best to pursue it, seeking to understand the sacred through reading and the counsel of others, and seeking to have contact with the sacred through personal reflection and prayer." - 
Robert Wuthnow

A spi ritual practice we suggest you try this week is lectio divina, originally used by Christian monasteries and adapted for our faith tradition by our Ministerial Intern, Elizabeth Mount. The practice  seeks to invoke the spirit and central idea of our chosen reading.  At the core of lectio divina is the divine spark within each selection from a piece of writing, whether it be the Gospels, secular poetry, our own UU principles, a pagan invocation, or the prose of a gifted hip-hop artist. This week, we  use the above excerpt from Rev. Amanda Poppei.

ActionsProphetic Actions
in the home, community, and wider world

When you hear "prophecy," you may think of prophets of old who predicted the future and issued dire warnings or promises of glory as punishments or rewards for actions. In our faith tradition, we understand our ancestors or contemporaries as prophets when they create a better world through word and deed, and we seek to reflect, discuss, and act in ways that support our Unitarian Universalist values in the world. 

In our worship service on Sunday, January 8, we will explore what prophecy means for our faith community. 

Sunday, January 8, 10:00 a.m. at Hamilton Middle School
The choices we make and what the future holds...
Aaron Norris, Ministerial Resident and Elizabeth Mount, Ministerial Intern

More than fortune tellers, prophets are both truth seers and truth tellers. The call of the prophet is two fold: To tell the people what will happen should they continue as they have and offer the alternative future if they chose a different path. As such, they are heralds of both calamity and possible joy. 

Here are some suggestions of prophetic actions to take this week:

1. Use reusable plates and mugs

As we gather in community to feed ourselves, help us practice good stewardship of resources and environmental responsibility and reduce our use of disposable products. Please bring your own reusable place setting to Hamilton Middle School on Sunday, January 8 for our monthly potluck. Each Sunday, bring a reusable travel mug for a hot beverage.

2. Give a small measure of dignity to a person in hardship 

Each second Sunday, we collect donations for partner organizations who serve families and individuals facing hardship who are at risk of or already experiencing homelessness. This Sunday, January 8, we will be collecting items for three purposes. Please bring non-perishable food, blankets, or personal care items for our children to make Blessing Bags, for donation to Women's Homeless Initiative, and for Integrated Family Community Services to stock their pantry. Bring an item for donation to Hamilton Middle School on January 8.  List of needed items.

3. Bring children to a family-oriented justice event

Discussing injustices with young children is difficult. The community organization Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) hosts events to support families who want to discuss difficult topics like race, racism, and injustices with children of all ages.  Age-appropriate books are a good starting point for difficult discussions, and SURJ is hosting a story time to showcase helpful titles.

Sunday, January 8, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
"When I care to be powerful- to use my strength in the service of my vision- then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." - Audre Lorde

The Ministerial Team of First Universalist Church of Denver

Rev. Jeannie Shero, Senior Minster

Elizabeth Mount, Ministerial Intern

Aaron Norris, Ministerial Resident