JANUARY 2020
Connections
Monthly Newsletter
for UU Miami Members & Friends
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Final Sunday Worship Service of the month:
December 29, 11:00 a.m.
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Our Sacred Fire
with Cassie Montenegro
For many of us, the coming of the New Year can bring mixed feelings: joy and regret; excitement and uncertainty; sorrow and hope. Rooted in a neo-pagan ritual of release and renewal that has modern day echoes in cultures all across the world, through our Unitarian Universalist Fire Communion we come together to honor the passing of this year so that we might open our hearts more fully for the year to come.
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Rev. Tom Announces
New 2020 Programming
This January begins something new at UUCM. After Sunday Worship Services, there will be different offerings for the members of friends of UUCM. There will be opportunities for social justice meetings and programs, adult educational programming, community building and fun, and spiritual practices. You can see the schedule below. We will be having a quick lunch after service and then programming.
If you need childcare, please contact our DRE
Barbara Jimenez
at least a week in advance.
I am really excited about these programs and hope you will check them out. If you have any questions, please let me know.
The adult education program I will be offering for the winter and spring will be a Deep Dive into Unitarian Universalism in the Emerson Room. Come on the 2nd Sunday in January (the 12th) to dive in to the first class. Each class will present new material and ideas.
You can drop in on any 2nd Sunday. Hope to see you in my class.
Blessings,
Rev. Tom
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New Programming
1st Sunday of the month
Social Justice
(meetings, programs, speakers)
2nd Sunday of the month
Education:
Adult
(Rev. Tom will present a Deep Dive into Unitarian Universalism) and
a
Children/Youth
library project will get started
3rd Sunday of the month
Community Building
and
Membership
4th Sunday of the month
Spiritual Practices
(drumming and meditation)
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Religious Exploration (RE): Children & Families
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RE youth seem to have taken to the Mindfulness curriculum thus far. We look forward to more enriching experiences in the new year. We will be starting off with guest, in-house yoga teacher, Luz.
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Thanks to Stephan Mikes and Bonnie Pedicord for donating their time, sharing their expertise during our RE sitar meditation.
The Nursery is available every Sunday.
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SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES in JANUARY
at
11:00 a.m.
in our Sanctuary
Theme:
INTEGRITY
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January 5
Who Are You?
by Reverend Tom Capo
“Wholeness is never lost, it is only forgotten. Integrity rarely means that we need to add something to ourselves: it is more an undoing than a doing, a freeing ourselves from beliefs we have about who we are and ways we have been persuaded to “fix” ourselves to know who we genuinely are.” By author about and teacher of alternative medicine Rachel Naomi Remen. How do we figure out who we are, genuinely, authentically who we are? Knowing is the first step to being able to live a life with integrity. Let’s look within ourselves as we consider the answer to this question. (
art by Shantell Martin)
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January 12
The Practice of Integrity
by Reverend Tom Capo
“Not our language or our theology, but there’s something powerful in this about the integrity and bravery to be honest with each other about our pain and doubt.” By Southern Baptist Pastor Matt Chandler. It is one thing to have a clearer sense of who we are and what we value, it is quite another to live that in the world. There are some strategies that might help.
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January 19
The Truth about Lying
by Rev. Tom Capo
“On Lying and what makes us willing to compromise our Integrity. A clever challenge to conventional wisdom that tries to prevent lying by focusing on punishments and consequences. Turns out it’s not about what will happen after, but what we experience ahead of time.” By Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University Dan Ariely. We have all lied. If guilt and punishment don’t completely prevent it, what will?
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January 26
The Irreverent Musings
of a Humanist
by guest: Dr. Joel Heinen
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Come hear the irreverent, lighthearted musings of Humanist, Joel Heinen as he encourages his audience to ask questions for themselves: How did you acquire religion? What do you believe? Why not believe other equally implausible things that others believe? Joel is a professor of Earth and Environment, a folk singer and an author.
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REV TOM'S BLOG
To view Rev. Tom's latest sermons, visit :
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Dr. Frank Wayne Ragsdale, tenor, is Associate Professor of Voice and Chair of the Vocal Performance Department at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. He has performed in opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and recitals throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, and Central America where, for three consecutive years, he was invited by the U.S. Embassies of Costa Rica and Honduras to give recital tours and master classes.
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Getting to Know Our Music Director
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He has performed in such notable venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Cairo Opera House, Mechanics Hall, Notre Dame, San Marco di Venizia, and St. Martin-in-the-fields. Dr. Ragsdale’s students have sung with Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Opera Omaha, Glimmerglass, Florida Grand Opera, and Utah Festival Opera. They have been signed by agents and been hired by some of the top theaters in the country like Lincoln Center (Broadway), Longacre Theater (Broadway), New Amsterdam Theater (Broadway), Radio City Music Hall, Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse, Forestburgh Playhouse, Casa Mañana, Dallas Theater Center, Clinton Area Showboat Theater, and have been a part of national tours, cruise ships, and theme park entertainment. They have won competitions all across the country with NATS, Classical Singer, Lotte Lenya, Crescendo, Utah Festival International Opera Competition, and the districts and regions of the MET Council Auditions. Dr. Ragsdale also teaches at the Patti and Alan Herbert Frost School of Music Program at Salzburg during the summer. Additionally, he is the coordinator for the NATS National Music Theater Competition and on the NATS National Advancement Committee and Strategic Plan Task Force and Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami.
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Interested in
Social Justice
?
Sunday,
January 5,
Emerson Room, 12:30 p.m. Join Reverend Tom Capo and Christine Hughes Pointer to discuss what Social Justice might look like at UUCM. All ideas and all of you are welcome!
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January 12
after Service, Emerson Room:
Deep Dive into Unitarian Universalism
and a
Children/Youth
library project
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Sunday,
January 19
:
New Member Recognition
All of you who recently joined, please come to this service to be recognized by the congregation and sign the membership book. After the service, we will have a luncheon to celebrate all our new members.
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Interested in
Hospitality
,
Fun, and Fellowship? On
January 19
after the New Member Luncheon, your leadership wants our community to work on building connection with one another. How might we do that — lunches after church services, fun activities, dinners for 8? Come with your ideas and a willingness to help. Reverend Tom will facilitate the discussion.
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Our
UU Miami Humanist
group along with the
Miami Secular Humanists
are excited to co-host a
Monthly Learn-In
leading up to
the World Humanist conference taking place in Miami in August 2020.
There is to be a different speaker every month, loosely addressing the following question:
How has Humanism helped you shed light on your area of expertise?
We will start off with wine and cheese at
6:30 p.m. in the Emerson Room
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Speakers will begin at 7:00 p.m. and talk for about 20 minutes;
a 20-minute question period will follow.
On Wednesday,
January 29th, Rev. Tom Capo
will kick off the talks
with his story of what led him to humanism as a Unitarian Universalist Minister.
Subsequent talks will take place on the third Wednesday of each month,
in the Emerson Room at 6:30 p.m. :
February 19: Dr. Harvey Siegel,
Philosophy
March 18: Dr. Aleksandra Hernandez,
English
April 15: Dr. Oscar Valverde-Barrantes,
Biology
Speakers for May, June and July will be announced as soon as they are confirmed.
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The Alliance
will not meet in January. We will resume on
Saturday, February 1st at noon
in the Sanctuary. We will share a Pot Luck lunch after a brief business meeting and then will be treated to a chat with Andrea Mustelier featuring her recent travels.
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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
Practice
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TaiChi in the Memorial Garden with Cam
weekly
Sundays 8:30 - 9:30 am.
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thrice weekly
Gentle, Hatha, & Prana Yoga
plus brief Meditations with
our in-house Yoga Instructor, Luz
in the
Sanctuary
Luz has been a yoga instructor for 7 years & specializes in yoga for children & families.
Mon. (
10-11 a.m.)
, Wed., Sat.
(10-11:30 a.m.)
Class fees:
Mondays
: Drop-in $12; more than 2 classes paid in advance $10 each;
Wed/Sat
: Drop- in $15; more than 2 classes paid in advance $12 each
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UU Miami is committed to promoting a culture of inclusivity & anti-discrimination as noted in our bylaws: “The Congregation declares & affirms its special responsibility to promote the full participation of persons of any race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, ability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, language, citizenship status, economic status, or national origin in all of its activities, without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed. As a Welcoming Congregation, we dedicate ourselves to intentional practices of Right Relationship- in language and in action- that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for all.”
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Submissions for both the
WEEKLY UPDATE
and for the
ORDER OF SERVICE
Submissions for the
MONTHLY CONNECTIONS
are due on the
15th
of the prior month. Edits may be necessary for concision, clarity, or style.
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Minister's Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
If you need to speak to Reverend Tom in the evenings outside of his office hours, please contact him
.
Office phone:
(305) 667-3697
Administrator's Office Hours
Most Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: noon - 7:00 p.m.;
Most Sundays: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sexton's Office Hours
Monday, Thursday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m.;
Sunday: 8:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
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7701 SW 76th Avenue, Miami, FL 33143
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UU Miami: A Spiritual Hub for Progressive
Thinkers & Doers in Greater Miami!
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