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Summer Reads
Rev. Katie's Animas View
For as long as I've been in ministry, I like to share a summer reading list before I take some time to rest and visit loved ones. My list is always much too long. My attention gets distracted by other things, like catching up on movies, or lingering with the newspaper, or a book that wasn't on the list. But I love the lists anyway. I love making my own, and checking in with other summer reading lists. This year I thought I would share a couple lists with you and tell you what I'm choosing from those lists.
From The New York Times
- The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, by Arundhati Roy. This will go to the top of my list since I still quote from her book, The God of Small Things, published over 20 years ago.
- The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry. An independent-minded widow, her relationship with a reverend and possible haunting presence of a giant serpent.
- Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, by Al Franken. Finally, Al lightens up a little bit and shares some of his wonderful humor with us.
From the Washington Post
- The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying, by Nina Riggs. A mother's poignant memoir about the last two years of her life.
- The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America, by Frances Fitzgerald. A historical exploration of a movement in response to New England's Calvinist establishment.
I will likely be choosing from this list, and finishing Colson Whitehead's
The Underground Railroad
and Debby Irving's
Waking Up White.
They are both fully relevant to the cultural times in which we live.
Please make Sunday morning worship a priority this summer, with a series focused on faith but with many different takes on what it means.
On August 20
th
, please bring a book with which you are willing to part, and be ready to take home another, for our annual book communion.
Sending blessings to you and your dear ones-safe travels and adventures to you!
Love,
Rev. Katie
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July Sunday Services
Part of UUFD's Summer Series:
Our Living Faith
We call Unitarian Universalism a "living tradition" in that new truths are ever being revealed to us. We'll hear from our members as to the ways they live and understand their faith.
It's been a tradition at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango to focus the summer worship on a particular topic. This summer will focus on how we, as religious liberals, live out our faith. View the full schedule here.
July 9, 10:30am at 4 Corners UU Retreat at Pine Song *NO SERVICE AT UUFD*
Mixing Gestures
Rev. Susan Ritchie, retreat guest
A celebration of UU's special gift to the world: the ability to live religiously in mixed and mixing ways.
July 16
Booze, the Bible, and the Ballot
Judy Hook, pulpit guest
Some supporters of woman suffrage wanted the movement to keep itself separate from the Prohibition drive. Come experience a Readers' Theatre exploration of how the WCTU, under its dynamic leader Frances Willard, mounted a campaign to convince women it was their Christian duty to vote.
July 23
Dissolving Barriers
Tara Frazer, pulpit guest
Connecting with another human being entails respect, trust and some level of understanding. How do limiting beliefs about people different from oneself get in the way of deeply connecting? How can our lives benefit by befriending someone whose reality is different from ours?
July 30
Lammas: First Harvest
CUUPS members, pulpit guests
As the hot days of August come upon us, pagans recognize the first harvests of grain, oats, and wheat. How can this celebration infuse our lives with a sense of abundance?
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President's Message
Tom Miller
As I begin my transition from vice president to president, I first have to give thanks and my heartfelt appreciation to the outgoing members of the current Board (Donna Nelson, Jim Dahlberg, and particularly Teresa Jordan) for their leadership, dedication and service in the past year. Each has been steadfast in delivering on their commitment and covenant, not infrequently going beyond just the call of duty. I look forward to continuing in a similar vein with the returning Board members Susan Koonce and K Redford as well as new Board members Elizabeth Long, Vanessa Self and Kathleen Adams.
In addition to all the "normal" activities of church life we contribute to and profit from, we had a few important activities unique to the year. In particular, we installed Rev. Katie as our called minister, initiated the process to create our next Strategic Plan, and acquired use of the Columbine property and the upstairs of Bowman Hall. Each of these will have profound positive effects on how we shape our ministry in the coming years. There is no doubt that the Board priorities we will put in place for the coming year will be influenced by these events.
We called Rev. Katie under the principle that we strongly desired to continue and expand our practice of shared ministry. We are now going into our fourth year together, so it's no longer an experiment, but a living journey. One part of this practice, particularly helpful as we grow, is working under a shared governance model. This model defines the differing and overlapping responsibilities for ministry and governance so that the right people know about and pay attention to the right issues. It requires a high degree of trust and collaboration, which we have and which we will continue to build in the coming year - not just with the Board, but with all leaders and members. Wrinkles will undoubtedly arise as we grow into this model. If you run into one of them in the course of the year, please be patient as we learn together.
Second, as most of you know from your own participation in one or more parts of the process, we are very close to finalizing the Strategic Plan, which will guide our church work for the next several years. In fact, because of the strength of some of the issues raised in the Summit in March, we are already working toward a few of them. A large part of the new Board's work will be to continue to put the plan recommendations into action. It is already clear that it will be an ambitious and wide-ranging plan. That means that there will be lots of opportunity for you to consider what your part will be in making the plan come to fruition.
One of the strengths of our community is the willingness of people to step up when things need to be done. We have a cadre of committed volunteers, many of whom take on several of the tasks that keep us vibrant. My worry is that the energy and activity inherent in the Goals and Objectives of the strategic plan actually increases the number of things we must pay attention to. Continuing to rely on just the same people will not be adequate. To paraphrase Dennis McClure, we need a big oligarchy of people who say YES. As we continue to grow, I hope you will examine how much UUFD means to you, and find a place (or two) to lend your energy.
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Deepen your connection; feed your soul
Faith Formation News and Notes
Deepen your connection The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango offers many opportunities for spiritual practice: Covenant Groups, Sage Circle, Yoga, Meditation, Painting, Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPS), Poetry Circle, Cosmology, Game night, Outdoor Adventure Group, Circle suppers and more. See our
calendar for a full list of offerings.
UUFD Families The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango invites you and your family to the annual 4 Corners UU Retreat, an amazing weekend-long camping event located on the Pine River near Vallecito. This multigenerational experience is fun, affordable and meaningful. There is programming for infants and children during the adult programming
on Saturday. Full retreat or
Saturday only registration options. Scholarships are available. Late registration is still open with a small late fee.
Click here for information and registration. Please feel free to call or text me with any questions,
970-403-4103.
Now Accepting Applications for 2017-18 Leaders and Assistants
Positions begin in September. This year we need over 30 people who commit themselves to our
Sunday child-centered learning. We provide Faith Formation every
Sunday and need a robust team. Leaders and assistants are paired up to work as co-teachers. You will be placed into a classroom with the necessary understanding and resources. Prerequisites include at least three-month attendance at UUFD, an interview, and a background check. A Faith Formation representative will be in front of the pulpit on the first
Sunday of each month following the services, if you are interested, or contact
[email protected].
We are so glad you're here. Family attendance is on the rise.
We are updating registrations and improving check-in and check-out systems. Parents and Guardians, thank you for your patience and understanding.
Thank you to all volunteer teachers with the children and youth in June. Your presence with the children is vital to our community.
Kid care is offered at the Fellowship during Circle Suppers, third Saturdays.
Childcare is generally available upon request for choir rehearsals, committee and team meetings, spiritual practice offerings and other UUFD events. Contact
[email protected], preferably with one week advance notice.
-Lisa McCorry, Faith Formation Director
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What did you do?!
Social Responsibility and Justice News
A lot. In all the best sense. As we wrap up this fiscal year, it's helpful to reflect on what we've done to achieve our UUFD mission to "Work toward a community with peace, liberty and justice for all." Here are some highlights:
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Through our pledges and donations, we've contributed $18,599.86 to social justice work done by local, national, and international organizations and groups. Recipients include: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Durango Adult Education Center Scholarship Fund, 4 Corners Rainbow Youth Center, Thrive! LaPlata County Living Wage, Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, Durango Love Out Loud, Mancos Methodist community fund, FLC Grub Hub Food Pantry.
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We've partnered with local organizations to forward justice work in our community, including Thrive! Living Wage Coalition, Love Out Loud Interfaith project, Compañeros Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center, RESPOND community empowerment, Durango Adult Education Center, Fort Lewis College, Manna Kitchen, 4 Corners Alliance for Diversity.
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We've provided education opportunities for our Fellowship and the community through workshops, book discussions and films, including Transgender 101 workshop, film
Witness to War
, Kathleen Kelley Peace workshop, film
White Like Me
, book
The Third Reconstruction
, White Identity workshop, film
Defying the Nazis: the Sharps' War
, Compañeros Rapid Response Training, Michael Dowd ecology workshop, film
Pride
.
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By participating in significant community events, we've publicly stood together for justice. Events our members were involved in include Standing On the Side of Love march, Indigenous People's Day, FLC Diversity Dialogue, People's Climate march, Durango Pride Procession and Pride Festival (see pictures in this newsletter), and Durango Snowdown parade.
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We've helped local organizations' ability to do their justice work by providing use of our facilities at no fee. These include: American Association of University Women, 4 Corners Rainbow Youth Center, 4STAR support, Durango Indivisible, League of Women Voters, Compañeros, Thrive! Living Wage Coalition.
Truly these are just highlights and don't reveal the rich detail of what people in our Fellowship are specifically doing to make for greater justice. There is so much time and talent committed toward peace, liberty and justice. The highlights also don't reveal the impact on the people who are the recipients of our generosity of funds and time. From Durango to Mancos, Baton Rouge to Burman and Haiti, our efforts are benefiting people in need locally and around the world. To this Fellowship, we express great gratitude for your willing contributions and the difference they are making. And we encourage each of you to think about the ways in which you personally can continue to be part of our social justice mission.
Social Responsibility and Justice Coordinators: Bonnie Miller, Betty Schwartz-Bozeman
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UUFD's 50th Anniversary celebration being planned
Historic photos and documents needed; volunteers appreciated
A celebration of the
50
th
Anniversary of UUFD
is planned for
September 22-24.
Do you have photos, artwork or other historical documents relating to the early days of UUFD? We would like to borrow them for reproduction and use as we create a display for this celebration. Please bring any photos or other documents you may have to any Sunday service in July and early August; we will have a table on the patio for this purpose. You may also bring these items to the Four Corners UU Retreat at Pinesong on July 7-9. Each submission will receive a receipt and will be returned after use. Please call Robert Winslow, 970-259-4143 for further information. Also, if you are interested in helping plan the 50
th
Anniversary celebration, please contact Marilyn Leftwich, 970-749-4143. We need assistance with development of the art display and timeline, food for each day's events, organizing a historical tour of previous UU locations, flyers and handouts, etc. Your service and assistance would be highly appreciated!
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UUFD "stands on the side of love" at the Durango Pride Parade and Family Festival
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October 9: Real History of the Americas/Indigenous People's Day
UUFD's Healing Racism Social Justice Team invites you to participate
Mark your calendar!
The 10th Annual Real History of the Americas event at Fort Lewis College will be here before you know it - October 9th, 2017. You may recall that last year this event coincided with the Inaugural Indigenous People's Day celebration, and both will be celebrated again this year. Likewise, UUFD will again commemorate Indigenous People's Day during our Sunday Service the day before, and the student co-chairs leading RHOA/IPD will join us for the service. We hope you'll be here too! As part of UUFD's Healing Racism Social Justice Team, I've been attending Planning Committee meetings since April with a dedicated group of FLC students, staff and faculty. I'm honored to be building relationships between UUFD and other groups and individuals in our community who are also doing the work of dismantling racism and celebrating our diverse histories.
Wondering what it's all about?
"The
Real History of the Americas
takes a positive, but different look at the history of North and South America from the viewpoints of Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Native and LGBT peoples, among others. The 2017 theme is: Honoring the Heartbeat of our Mother and will feature indigenous drumming, traditional foods, lectures, art, theatre and storytelling. The Real History of the Americas celebration seeks to increase awareness and appreciation of the cultures and histories of sometimes marginalized peoples."
Wondering what you can do to help?
- Mark your calendar now - Monday, October 9th
- Talk to your family and friends and plan to make a day of it
- Watch the Social Justice table after services this summer: advance RHOA/IPD T-shirt sales coming soon!
- Let me know if you'd like to volunteer on the day of the event: [email protected]
See you there!
-Anna Royer
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CUUPs Corner
Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans
CUUPS of the Half Moon
July 13 at 6:30 pm in Bowman Hall
It is movie and popcorn night featuring: "The Secret of Roan Inish." Child care provided on request. Contact
[email protected].
CUUPS of the Half Moon
July 27 at 6:30 pm in Bowman Hall
Please join us for a Celebration of Lammas/Lughnasadh, the Season of the First Harvest! Child care provided on request. Contact
[email protected]
.
Sliabh Anam Druid Grove
July 20 at 6:30 pm in Bowman Hall
Join our study group meeting, affiliated with CUUPs. As an OBOD group, we continue to learn about the ancient Celtic spirituality of Druidry and how it is blossoming in the 21st Century. Contact
[email protected].
Members of the CUUPs of the Half Moon group will join in the regular UU Sunday Service to share their perspective on the meaning of Mid-summer in the Turning of the Wheel of the Year. Contact
[email protected].
Ongoing Classes and Groups
CUUPs (Covenant of UU Pagans)
All are welcome for seasonal celebrations and to explore study topics. Meets two Thursdays a month from
6:30-8:30 pm in Bowman Hall. Childcare on request. Contact:
[email protected].
-Sam Foster
Steward of the Wood
CUUPS of the Half Moon
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The UU Poetry Circle will meet
Monday, July 10
,
6-8 pm
, in Bowman Hall. Light refreshments are served. Selections from Neil Astley, Staying Alive, section 7 (In and out of love) will be read and discussed. Veterans and newcomers are welcome.
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