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Sun Mar 5 2017 Winter #11
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From the Minister
The lenten season is begun. There are some points that may need some clearing up.
Q: Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert before beginning his public ministry. So why is it 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday?
A: Sundays aren't counted. Christians have traditionally understood themselves to be forbidden from fasting and penance on Sundays. So, yes, whatever you're "giving up for Lent" you can still indulge in on Sundays - but not too much, since, after all, it's still Sunday.
Q: Lent ends on Easter morning, a day and a half after Jesus's execution. But shouldn't it end on a date that represents the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, rather than on the date that represents its end?
A: Lent ends on Easter because the focus of one's penitent reflections is intended to be on the meaning of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. The date representing the resurrection is more central to the function of Lent than the dates representing Jesus's time in the desert.
Q: Why should Unitarian Universalists care?
A: Understanding Lent is a part of religious literacy, a part of understanding our Christian neighbors.
Q: Do Unitarian Universalists observe Lent?
A: Some do. Regardless of one's theology, it's a good idea to take half a season every year for giving up something, for moderating our excesses, repenting, and reflecting on the ways life emerges out of death. You could do that at any time of year, of course, but the people around us will readily understand if you say in March, "Not for me; I'm giving that up for Lent." If you say that in September, you'll have quizzical looks. Just a little bit of support and understanding from broader culture can sometimes be helpful. Observing Lent can be a valuable deepening practice as well as helping us be connected to our Christian neighbors.
Q: So, like, should we, then, also observe Ramadan?
A: Sure, if you're up for it. It's May 26 - Jun 20 this year.
Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith |
Practice of the Week
Be Merciful
This week's practice presents a list of 34 items and offers this challenge: How many of them can you do in one week? Or in two weeks. Or in a month.
READ MORE...
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Lifespan Religious Education
Mercy, mercy, there is a whole lot going on at CUUC this month. Yet, the activities here give you moments to breathe and connect. Let us be the open door that welcomes you for a respite just when it is needed.
Please see the following five (5) announcements:
1) This Sun Mar 5
K-7th start in the sanctuary for a Wonder Box Story.
8th-12th start in the classrooms.
Classes
Pre-K - Chalice Children
K-1 - A Discovery Year: My Family: Families Change
2nd-3rd - Free to Believe: Is There a God?
4th-5th - Toolbox of Faith: Love
6th-7th - Riddle and Mystery: Oh My Soul
8th-9th - Our Whole Lives: Redefining Abstinence
10th-12th - Youth Group: Youth Service Planning
2) Teacher Development This Sun Mar 5 at 11:45 a.m.
Lunch will be served. Childcare will be available.
- What does it mean to be UU and how does that connect to the classroom?
- Planning and pacing: How do I sort out the lesson options and structure the class?
- Sharing ideas: What has worked for other teachers and teams?
- The arc of RE: Where does my class fit in the vision of CUUC RE?
- Youth experience: What have youth gotten out of RE and what have been their most memorable experiences?
RSVP to Perry at [email protected].
3) Sign Up to be a Special Friend
Make a new friend at CUUC!
Children and adults will be paired as anonymous pen pals.
The letter exchange begins on Sun Mar 12 and then you find out your partner's identity at the Pancake Brunch on Sun May 7 at 11:30am.
Contact Perry at [email protected] to sign up or for more info.
4) Bingo Night on Fri Mar 10
A fun, social event for all ages.
6:30 - Pizza and pasta dinner
7:00 - Bingo begins
$5 adults; $3 children; $15 max per family
Please help by donating a prize (baked good, game, toy, book, wine, other trinket).
RSVP to [email protected] by Thur Mar 9.
5) Variety Show Pics and Vids Needed
We are looking for pictures and videos from past CUUC Variety Shows.
Did you capture a Variety Show moment? Please share it with us so we can create a special presentation for this year's show.
Contact Perry at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Perry
Director of Lifespan Religious Education
and Faith Development
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Upcoming Worship Services
Sun Mar 5
Scared
Rev. Meredith Garmon
Fear has the important job of keeping us safe. It can also unnecessarily limit us. Fears are the biggest obstacle to mercy. How, then, can we cultivate courage?
More about Sunday's music here
Sun Mar 12
The Blues
Rev. Meredith Garmon
Sadness is an essential part of joy. Banish the sadness, and you disconnect from reality and from empathy. Disconnect from reality and empathy, and you've taken away the basis of joy.
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UU Community
Up & Up Action Initiative
Meeting Tonight, Thu Mar 2, 7:30 PM, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Hudson Valley (UUCHV), 2021 Albany Post Rd, Croton-on-Hudson
Join Westchester UUs and others working to initiate and support social justice activities. Focus groups meeting tonight include Local Politics; Healthcare; Human Rights; and Impacting the Administration. RSVP here. Join an Up & Up focus group here.
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Anita Misner, who became a member of CUUC in 2007, died on February 27 at the age of 90. She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. We extend to them our condolences as we hold them in our hearts. Visitation will be held on Sat Mar 4 from 3:00-7:00pm at the George T. Davis Funeral Home, 16 Shea Place, New Rochelle. The funeral service will be held on Sun Mar 5 at 10:00am at the same location.
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Social Justice Opportunities
Westchester Coalition for Police Reform Dance for Justice, Fri Mar 3, 6:30pm, Thomas H. Slater Center, 2 Fisher Court, White Plains
Join
Enjoy a night of fun, food, and Latin dance lessons at the inaugural WCPR Dance for Justice fundraiser. Proceeds support work toward police accountability and transparency. Tickets/donations are tax deductible through the Westchester Martin King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence.
$15 Admission, $10 Students, $20 at the door. Children under 15 free.
Tickets at the door or online here.
RSVP here.
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Black Women in White America
Revisited, Fri-Sat Mar 3-4, Sarah Lawrence
College, 1 Mead Way, Bronxville
In 1972, Dr. Gerda Lerner published her pioneering study Black Women in White America, and co-founded the Sarah Lawrence College Graduate Program in Women's History, the oldest such program in the country. The 19th Annual Conference on Women's History reassesses Dr. Lerner's legacy. Keynote speaker is historian Dr. Nell Painter. Free and open to the public. Info and registration at sarahlawrence.edu/womens-history/conference.
Private Screening & Discussion of I Am Not Your Negro, Sat Mar 4, 10:30am, New Roc City, 33 Lecount Place, New Rochelle
This powerful movie will be followed by an engaging community discussion
hosted by My Brother's Keeper New Rochelle
. The limited seating is first-come, first-served. RSVP here. Tickets $10 (cash only). The movie is rated PG-13 so please no children under 13.
March for America, Sun Mar 5, 2:00-4:00pm, Pelhamdale Park, Pelham
Organized by Pelham Memorial High School students from the Social and Political Activism Club (SPAC). Gather at
four corners
(
the northwest corner of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Ave)
at 1:30pm
and march peacefully towards Gazebo Park (Fifth Ave near train station) to hear speakers. You may bring signs (not on sticks) that proclaim what you SUPPORT, not what or whom you oppose. Contact:
[email protected]. Event i
nfo and RSVP
facebook.com/PelhamMarchforAmerica/
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Clarifying the Future Vision of CUUC
On Sat Mar 18,
we will be hosting Visioning Sessions that we hope all Members and Friends will attend. The Visioning Sessions are designed to help our congregation clarify and articulate its 10-year vision as a statement, and create a starter list of goals that can later be incorporated into a long-range plan. It is a highly participatory process, designed to involve as many Members and Friends of the congregation as possible in small group sessions.
During either a morning or afternoon session on Sat Mar 18, you will be invited to take part in a workshop that will address the most basic questions about our shared sense of purpose: What are we individually called to do? Where do we want to go together? What vision of the future do we have for the congregation? How can we get there? A member of our congregation recently described the goal of the visioning process to me in a perfectly succinct way: "How good do we want this place to be?" Food will be provided at each of the sessions.
You can sign up for a Visioning Session online at
cucwp.org/searchforthefuture and there will be signup sheets after worship for the next several Sundays. Childcare will be provided (please indicate if you will need childcare when you sign up). If you have further questions, please contact Creighton Cray ( [email protected], 914-830-0987).
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Board of Trustees Notice
Nominations for the Board of Trustees
The Nominating Committee is now accepting applications for nominations to serve on the Board of Trustees beginning in June of this year. Openings include Treasurer (1-year position), Secretary (1-year position) and three trustee positions (each for 3-years) as well as one trustee position for a 1-year term (to fill an open trustee position). If you would like to self-nominate or have questions about the requirements and responsibilities, you can speak with any member of the Nominating Committee (Janet Bear, David Bowen, Scott Damashek, Jane Dixon, Cynthia Heller, or Drew Swiss) or email Cynthia Heller at [email protected].
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Hunger & Homelessness Social Justice Team
Help Feed the Hungry in Westchester, Sun Mar 12, 11:30am
The Hunger & Homelessness team is partnering with HOPE (Help Our People Eat) Services to feed 150 neighbors who cannot afford a good meal each day. Please sign up if you can help shop, cook, or deliver. Next date is Sun Mar 12 at 11:30am. Contact John Schwam ([email protected]).
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Outside Events at CUUC
Klezmer Concert, Sun Mar 5, 2:30pm
The Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism (WCHJ) presents a performance by the Westchester Klezmer Program's Intergenerational Band as part of their ongoing series of outreach programs to members of the Westchester community. $10 for non-members. wchj.org.
Baroque and Beyond Festival, Sat Mar 11 & Sun Mar 12, 7:00pm
The Hoff Barthelson Music School presents their annual performances of student choral and instrumental ensembles, focusing on music composed between 1600 and 1750. $18 suggested donation.
hbms.org,
914-723-1169.
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Special Musical Guest
On Sun Mar 12, legendary jazz pianist Charles Eubanks will be our guest musician during worship. A performer since age 11 when he joined "The Soul Messengers," he has appeared with such jazz greats as Woody Shaw, Art Blakey, and Max Roach, and recorded with Tony Bennett. Charles is a critically acclaimed composer and a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient.
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Save the Date
De-Escalation and Non-Violent Resistance Training
, Sun Mar 26, 1:30-4:00pm
Are you looking for tools to disrupt and de-escalate hatred and bigotry? Are you searching for non-violent ways to resist the growing culture of dehumanization? Come train with the 5 UU congregations in Westchester and creative direct action expert Monica Hunken. RSVP via Facebook by clicking
here
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Registration is open! General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend. Registration rates increase May 1. uua.org/ga/registration
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Plate Share for March
Westchester Coalition for Police Reform
In the month of March, we share half the non-pledge Sunday collection with the Westchester Coalition for Police Reform. The WCPR was started by organizations and individuals in the White Plains area after the death of Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr. at the hands of the White Plains police. WCPR holds monthly meetings that are open to the public, and hosts regular events that explore the issues around police oversight and accountability. WCPR has started meetings with local governments regarding the development of civilian oversight boards. In April, the WCPR will be convening a conference involving leaders and experts on police-civilian review boards from around the state, at Pace University Law School. WCPR.org
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Caring & Sharing Circle
If anyone knows of another among us who is in need of a caregiver, please contact Gail McLeod (914-235-8212) or her backup Liz Laite ( [email protected] or 914-366-4211
).
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Step Right Up
...and be a CUUC Coffee Hour Host
You or your group can help support our mission of hospitality by volunteering to host coffee hour on Sunday mornings after worship. It's easy! Hosts currently needed for Mar 12, Mar 19, Apr 9, and more. Contact: Pam Parker ([email protected], 914-946-1660 x2).
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This Week at CUUC
The full calendar can be found here. Room numbers subject to change; please check the board on Sunday morning.
Thu Mar 2
9:15am Building Rental
7:30pm Journey Group Facilitators
Fri Mar 3
6:00pm Metro NY Youth Con Begins - All Souls NYC
6:30pm Building Rental
Sat Mar 4
All Day Metro NY Youth Con - All Souls NYC
9:00am Building Rental
10:00am Zen
12:30pm Journey Group Facilitators
Sun Mar 5
7:00am Metro NY Youth Con Ends - All Souls NYC
9:30am Nursery Care
10:00am RE Classes
10:00am Worship
11:15am Coffee Hour
11:30am RE Teacher Development
11:30am Racial Justice Team/In the Spirit of Truth
11:30am Environmental Practices Group
2:30pm Building Rental
2:45pm Building Rental
Mon Mar 6
6:30pm T'ai-ch'i
7:00pm Building Rental
8:00pm Building Rental
Tue Mar 7
10:30am
Building Rental
6:00pm Building Rental
7:00pm
Building Rental
7:30pm
Choir Rehearsal
Wed Mar 8
10:00am Building Use
7:30pm Board of Trustees
Thu Mar 9
11:30am Science & Spirituality Group
7:30pm Journey Group - P. Montrose
7:30pm Journey Group - T. Litcofsky
Fri Mar 10
11:00am Journey Group - C. Davidson
6:30pm OWL Class
6:30pm CUUC Bingo Night
Sat Mar 11
10:00am Zen
12:00pm Journey Group - S. Cleary
1:00pm Building Rental
Sun Mar 12
8:45am Choir rehearsal
9:30am Nursery Care
10:00am RE Classes
10:00am Worship
11:15am Coffee Hour
11:30am Meal Preparation for HOPE
11:40am Journey Group - Rev. Garmon
11:40am Journey Group - C. Heller
11:40am Journey Group - S. Bear
11:40am Journey Group - T. Arrien
1:00pm Building Rental
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CUUC Activity Tables
After service on Sunday, be sure to check the activity tables in the fireside area as you enjoy your coffee. You'll find information from our committees, social action teams, or greeting cards to sign from our Caring & Sharing Circle. Would your group like to reserve a table one Sunday? Contact Pam Parker (
[email protected]
, 914-946-1660 x2)
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Contacts
Director of Lifespan Religious Ed. & Faith Development: Perry Montrose, [email protected], 914-946-1660 x4
Congregational & Communications Administrator: Pamela Parker, [email protected], 914-946-1660 x2
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Your Moment of Zen
Zhaozhou asked Touzi, "How is it when a person who had died the great death comes to life?"
Touzi said, "They should not go by night. They must arrive in daylight."
For more about Saturday morning Zen practice, click here.
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The
E-Communitarian
newsletter is e-mailed each Thursday.
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