November, 2017 Volume 34, Issue 11
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Worship in November: Gratitude
Gratitude is a cornerstone of living a meaningful life. The spirit of gratitude can dwell in our hearts regardless of the external realities of our lives. Let us join in worship and cultivate this gratitude together.
This Sunday, November 5th we gather together in community to celebrate our multigenerational Water Communion. Water is symbolically a reminder of the "More-Than" upon which we rely for sustenance. In addition, we quite literally cannot survive without it. Each of you are invited to bring a sample of water from a scared place (whether from travels or from your tap or local waterway). During a ceremony you will be asked to offer your waters. We will bless the water and bless our gathering together. In addition, we will send off our member Gordon Woodworth as they join the Navy with a blessing and commissioning ritual.
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Sunday Coffee Hour
Sunday's Coffee Hour is provided by volunteers from the Women's Circle on the first Sunday, CUUPS on the second Sunday, Humanist Forum on the third Sunday, Men's Group on the fourth Sunday and if there is a fifth Sunday, it is All Church. Any donations of food, snacks or cash are welcome.
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Community Sharing in November: Alliance for Fair Food
The Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) seeks justice, dignity and respect for all farmworkers as part of a broader vision of justice for all peoples. The AFF works in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), building a vibrant, diverse national network that takes action in pursuit of fair wages and working conditions for farmworkers through the Campaign for Fair Food.
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Humanist Forum
The Humanist Forum regularly meets every Sunday at 9:15a in Hobart Hall. All are welcome to attend.
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Meetings this Sunday, November 5th
*The
RE Committee
meets in the Conference Room at 11:45a
*The
Social Justice Committee
meets in Room 1 at noon. All welcome.
*There is a
Newcomers
meeting in Room 4 at noon for all those who are interested in learning more about UUCFM and Unitarian Universalism.
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From the Minister
Gratitude and Presence
"The secret of life is not about knowing what to say or do. It’s not about doing love or loss right. Life cannot be handled. The secret is simply to show up. It’s about witnessing it all, even the pain, and letting it touch you and make you not harder, but more tender. Showing up, feeling it all –- this is my new kind of prayer. I call it praying attention, it’s how, for me, everything turns holy." ~ Glennon Doyle Melton
Our caring coordinator Neil Yesu recently shared this beautiful quote from the white Christian
Momastery blogger
Glennon Doyle Melton. As a white woman in a white supremacist culture, I am often put in a position to fix things and to be perfect. This tenet of white supremacy keeps us all down- white, black, brown,
all
of us. What does it mean to pray attention for you? To show up? What does it mean for our church? How must we open up to the heartbreak of the world- not to fix, but to show up with tenderness? I am grateful for moments of pause such as these- to pray attention and know I am part of a constellation of connections that deserve my praying attention. This web of connection- of Life- needs all of our presence.
Rev. Allison Farnum
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Music Notes
Musical Calendar
November 5: Join us for Water Communion as the Choir harmonizes
River of Peace, the classical quartet plays Handel's
Water Music, and Amy Laursen shares Debussy's famous piano solo
Clair de Lune.
November 12: Rebecca Donlan covers Josh Groban's ballad
Thankful, and the Choir sings the heartwarming anthem
Rejoice and Be Glad.
November 19: The Choir sings a new version of beloved UU hymn
We Give Thanks, and Angela Melton shares an offertory.
November 26: Watch the weekly E-News for details.
December 3: The Choir and Band team up for the rousing Gospel song,
Let There Be Peace.
December 3: 1:00pm HOLIDAY SING-ALONG! See article below for more details.
December 4: Please welcome Suellen Kipp as Amy's maternity leave begins.
The next
Music Committee meeting is Wednesday, November 8th at 3:00p in Room 7.
The UUCFM Choir
rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:45-8:15p, and on Sunday mornings from
9-10a in the Sanctuary. It's free and there are no auditions. Please email me in advance so that a music folder can be prepared for you. Come join us in singing!
The UUCFM Band
rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:00-6:45p, and on Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:00a in the Sanctuary. If you would like to play your instrument during a Sunday service, please email me to coordinate the details. Come join us in making music together!
Amy Laursen, Director of Music
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RE News
I am in Denver, Colorado for the annual Liberal Religious Educator's Association Fall Conference! Obviously, I will miss you all this Sunday... but also woohoo! Rocky Mountains! This year's conference is titled "Building Brave Spaces" and focuses on effectively building spaces that will allow us to show brave love and that will help us develop skills for shared empowerment and collaborative relationships. I'm looking forward to bringing what I learn home to UUCFM.
This Sunday is our rescheduled Water Communion. This is a multigen service that I will be sad to miss out on, but I know that you're all in good hands. Gini Gottman will be taking over the Time For All Ages and is telling one of my favorite stories,
The Rainmaker's Apprentice. Get ready for a storm, because she will also be leading you in calling down your own rain right in the Sanctuary! Don't forget to bring some water from home or a place that is special to you to contribute to the community bowl during the water ceremony. This service is all about coming together from wherever we call "home" to be part of this beautiful, dynamic, spiritual community.
Jenn Blosser, Director of Religious Education
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Pachamama Game Changer Gathering November 2nd
Join Pachamama Alliance SWFL on Thursday, November 2nd as we continue our exciting speaker series:
Game Changer Gatherings.
Our Special Guest Speaker is Cyndy Nayer, who we are happy to reschedule after Hurricane Irma.
Cyndy Nayer is founder/CEO of the Center of Health Engagement, balancing the health value to patients and health systems. An award-winning and slightly irreverent author, speaker, producer and gerontologist, her awards in benefit design and payment reform have influenced value and quality-based care for 25 years. Nayer is a subject matter expert for The Health Care Blog, Managed Care Online, Health Insurance Exchange, Disruptive Women in Healthcare, and more. As former chair of the Missouri Governor’s Council on Health, Nayer led the strategy to establish the Office of Women’s Health. She guides legislative health agendas on Capitol Hill and at the state level. She has won awards for producing worksite health strategies for Fortune 100 companies.
Her remarks,
Weaving It All Together
, will help us
connect the dots between health care rights, educating girls, and climate change.
"Making the world better, and renewing hope in our country can often seem a heavy burden. That's why no one person must do all the work. Let's talk about it together. Let's build the world we want and be the change we want to see. Join me on November 2nd.”
Cyndy Nayer
Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear a great speaker, get updates from the SWFL Pachama Community and the Pachama Alliance around the world, and enjoy Potluck desserts.
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Join the FUUn BUUnch for LUUnch after Church
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12th 12:30p at a different Perkins location:
PERKINS RESTAURANT
12300 S. Cleveland Ave.
Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239) 936-1150
DIRECTIONS:
From Shire Ln. at the Church, turn right and drive west on Daniel’s Parkway. Turn right onto 41 and drive south toward Crystal Drive. Perkins is just north of Crystal Drive on the West side of 41.
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Baby Sprinkle
Join us for a Baby Sprinkle on Sunday, November 19th at noon in celebration of our Director of Music's Baby Girl arriving in late December. Sign up to bring food or help with potluck here:
The Laursens are registered at Amazon:
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The 3rd Annual Holiday Sing-Along!
Sunday, December 3rd at 1:00p
Come sing and enjoy Christmas carols, Hanukkah songs, solstice chants, and other wintry favorites. We’ll pass the Santa hat to benefit the South Fort Myers Food Pantry, a partner of the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Request a song by Fri., Nov. 17 for a $25 donation. Please bring a friend and a holiday treat to share.
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December Shopping
The Arts & Crafts Fair and All Church Bake Sale is happening in Hobart Hall on Sunday, December
3rd, and Sunday, December 10th immediately following the service. Please mark your calendars and bring a friend. New this year is a "Next to New" booth for donations or 50/50 consignment. Teri Cooper & Barbara
Mannix [email protected]
are in charge. For an Arts Booth, contact Patricia Linhoff,
[email protected]
. To volunteer, contact
[email protected]
.
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Rummage Sale
Save your gently used items for our UUCFM Rummage Sale! The sale will happen over 3 days- Friday, January 19th, Saturday morning, January 20th, and Sunday afternoon, January 21st. Contact Deb Lewis for details
[email protected]
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Games and More!
Saturday, January 27th, our church- sponsored Scouts present a Casino Night for our UUCFM general budget needs. Hobart Hall will be a festive environment of Casino Tables and a Buffet Supper. Doors open at 6:30p. Bring friends. Limited advance tickets are for sale @ $20, includes $3,000 worth of playing chips. To volunteer contact Suzanne Ziemer at
[email protected]
or
812-332-3450
.
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UUCFM Book Group
The UUCFM Book Group meets each Wednesday from 1:00 to 2:30p in the Library. We are now reading a book by international peace-maker, Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD, (forward by Deepak Chopra),
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, (3rd Edition) Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides)
. Over 1,000,000 copies of this book have been sold and it has been translated into over 30 languages.
"Nonviolent Communication shows us a way of being very honest, without any criticism, insults, or put-downs, and without any intellectual diagnosis implying wrongness."
--- The Author
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Women's Circle
Attention UUCFM women: Don't miss our Women's Circle meeting at noon on Monday, November 13th. Bring a potluck item to share. The program following our lunch will be a discussion of "My Most Unusual Thanksgiving." See you then, and feel free to bring a guest.
Linda Jensen
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Next Connection Circle Begins Sunday, November 19th
Come one, come all to the next Connection Circle beginning Sunday, November 19th! New members, long-time members, and visitors are welcome. In each of six sessions we'll discuss meaningful spiritual topics through the sharing of our personal stories and experiences. Participation in a Connection Circle is a great way for "potential", new, and old-time members to get to know each other on a deep level and to feel more connected to our church community. This facilitated 6-session group will meet from 12:15 to 1:45p on the following Sundays: November 19th, December 10th, December 17th, December 31st, January 14th, and January 28th. Participants are expected to attend all 6 sessions. For more information
and to register, please contact Nancy Letts at
[email protected] or call at
401-741-2712.
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Optimal Living Group
The Optimal Living Group is open to all and does not require attending every session. We meet in the Sanctuary on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 4:00-5:30p. We discuss how to live optimally, including practical ways to cope with life's challenges and issues. Helping others and developing maturity in ourselves is part of our quest. We explore many paths and techniques for enriching our lives and making a difference for others. For more information, fill out a blue card found in the pews or email Neil Yesu:
[email protected].
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Mindfulness Meditation
Join us on Monday evenings to explore the very simple and satisfying practices of mindfulness and meditation. You don’t need experience with meditation, nor do you have to be a Buddhist. Do please bring an intention to quiet the mind and the body in a supportive group of UU members and friends with a similar intention - people who want to carry mindfulness into their daily lives. We meet Mondays from 6:30-8:00p in the Sanctuary. If you have any questions, please contact Gary Robbins at
[email protected]
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The Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist group meets Sundays at 1:45p in Room 1.
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UUCFM eBINGO
We will be selling eBingo cards for the 2
nd round starting this Sunday after the service in Hobart Hall. Don’t forget to get your play cards. We’ll sell them for one more Sunday then start the second round. The more participants, the bigger the jackpot! Buy an extra set of cards for your friends and family. Join in the fun every time you open your email.
[email protected]
Bill Petrarca
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Community Wednesday
Community Wednesday is held in Hobart Hall. Bring friends and neighbors, too. Join us each Wednesday for a delicious meal prepared by Chef Joy for a small donation. After the fellowship and fine fare from 6:00- 6:45p, join your favorite programming event, committee meeting, or social activity. Child care is provided until 8:30p.
Regular Activities for November:
4:00-5:30
Optimal Living Group (1st & 3rd Wed)
6:00-6:45
Community Meal
6:00-6:45
Band Rehearsal in Sanctuary
6:45-8:00
Choir Rehearsal in Sanctuary
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South Fort Myers Food Pantry
Urgent need for canned goods! If you have a lot of canned goods left over from your hurricane stock, please consider donating them to the Food Pantry this week. There is a collection basket in the Narthex by the middle door.
If you have questions or are interested in volunteering, email
Fran Rose at
[email protected]. Put "Food Pantry" on the subject line of your email.
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Kimberly Littleton is looking for some volunteers to help put up holiday decor in November. If you are interested, please contact Kimberly at:
[email protected]
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UU History/Herstory
Mary White Ovington
(April 11, 1865- July 15, 1951) was a suffragette, socialist, Unitarian, journalist and co-founder of the
NAACP
. Ovington was a white civil rights advocate and organizer who worked to address racial discrimination within housing and employment in New York City, work that led her into relationship with prominent Black civil rights organizers including leaders of the
Niagara Movement and WEB Du Bois. Her work in support of and alongside many others would eventually lead to the founding of the permanent body known as the NAACP. Its early members included Josephine Ruffin, Mary Talbert, Mary Church Terrell, Inez Milholland, Jane Addams, George Henry White, Charles Edward Russell, John Dewey, Charles Darrow, Lincoln Steffens, Ray Stannard Baker, Fanny Garrison Villard, Oswald Garrison Villard and Ida Wells-Barnett. Ovington would go on to serve in various leadership capacities at the NAACP throughout her time while also authoring numerous books. Read more about
her work here.
May we be relentless in our work for growth - for ourselves and each other. Like Ovington, may we continue to strengthen our study coupled with praxis, building relationships with those with whom we share a vision of the world we are building. May we honor the contributions and legacy of those who came before.
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My UU Story
Many Views About God by UUs
The Fuun Buunch is a group of church members and friends who regularly meet for a meal and social get-together. At a recent Thai restaurant dinner, people were asked their thoughts on God. Here are some of the answers:
“I was born and raised Baptist, Saved, and Baptized – the whole scam. I don’t believe in a God. My God is nature – I can see and feel my God.” ~Randall Gann
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“Growing up Unitarian, I believe in a greater force than humans. I believe that every person on earth has one thing in common: we are all human beings." ~Laura Snow
“God is everywhere. My spiritual energy emanates from nature and other people, the oceans and the mountains lift me, and I am open to spirits that surround me." ~Mary Nies
“God exists, but is beyond people’s scope to understand." ~ Robert Nies
“God is a creator and higher power. This is what I learned as a child in the Congregational Church." ~Mary Gayle Skinner
“We are Christian and we believe in God and salvation. We pray and we wonder why those who claim to be atheist say: ‘Thank God!’" ~Alice & Susan Forsyth
“In early civilizations, people did not understand science, so they created various Gods to explain what they did not know. And, if God created the world, how and when was God created?” ~Joy F. Sokeitous
“I believe God is a powerful energy that surrounds us." ~Joan Hickok
“I am still a believer in God and the power of prayer. This church has changed a lot of ideas about religion for me. I am more open in my thinking." ~Peg Clayton Fischer.
-- Compiled by Joy F. Sokeitous
About My UU Story
Each month, the Membership Committee would like to publish your UU story- either converted or born UUs. How did you become a UU, or how did our religion affect your life? Alternatively, do you have a one paragraph remembrance of your first reaction to being in a UU church and/or learning about the religion? To share your story, please contact Joy Sokeitous at
[email protected]
Joy will help you edit and she will provide questions to help you develop your story.
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If you are a UUCFM Community Sharing Partner, a regular Facility User, or have UU related news to share, you are welcome to submit announcements for publication in our Greater Community section of the newsletter. Please send announcements in by each Wednesday for publication in the Thursday
E-news.
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Lifeline Screening at UUCFM
Why Get Screened?
Taking preventive steps such as making lifestyle changes and getting health screening may help you avoid a stroke or other serious health events in the future. Early intervention is important.
If you are over fifty, if you have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, or if you have a family history of stroke or heart disease, you may be at risk, even if you feel great. Actually four out of five people who suffer a stroke have no apparent symptoms and nearly 30% of strokes occur under the age of 65. The good news is that according to the National Stroke Association, 80% of strokes can be prevented. Life Line Screening will help you find out if you are at risk, so you and your doctor can take the next steps and be proactive about your health.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers
When: Thursday, November 16, 2017
Pre-registration is required. The Wellness Package includes 4 vascular tests for $139 ($129 with our member discount). The screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888- 653-6450 or visit
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SWFL Gay & Lesbian Chorus
SWFL Gay & Lesbian Chorus with
Tropical Storm present
There's No Business Like Snow Business
2017 Holiday Concert
Saturday, December 9th in Hobart Hall
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Concert
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Nov 1 Ann Heckes
Nov 1 Barbara Moreland
Nov 2 Miriam Jones
Nov 5 Mary Nies
Nov 8 Alice Forsyth
Nov 8 Terri Kelly
Nov 8 Bob Krieger
Nov 17 Denis Jensen
Nov 20 Theresa Bahre
Nov 21 Erin Everson
Nov 21 Mary Murray
Nov 23 Mary Dryden
Nov 26 Carolyn Thompson
Nov 28 Bob Krieger
Nov 28 Jennifer McFadden
Nov 29 Liz Taggart
Nov 30 Amy Laursen
Nov 30 Bob Nies
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Newsletter Editor: Jill Carville
(239) 561-2700
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