Religious Exploration/Education
February's Theme is Beloved Community
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Hello Families,
We have arrived in a new month, with the theme of Beloved Community. The Beloved Community is a special type of community where we commit to working through hard things, we commit to actively working against racism and actively working towards inclusion. Henri Nouwen, a catholic teacher, activist and pastor, once described beloved community as “the place where the person you least want to live with always lives.” And how do we work with that person. And then there's the kicker: what if sometimes we are that person in someone else's eyes?
So this month, we take a closer look at how we work through conflict and take more steps towards healing the wounds of racism. We look at how love grows beyond boundaries. We honor black leaders and celebrate Black History Month.
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We have a new guest puppet! My friend Sharky joins me in today's video and talks about what happens when he disagrees with someone. It turns out that he gets really mad and wants to use his sharp teeth! So what does he do to calm down and work things out?
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Feel free to sing this song substituting the first words with those of your own family members!
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Father Mother
Sister Brother
All are part of me
Teacher friend
Here within
All are part of me
I love myself
As I love you
We touch each other
Make life true
I’m part of this community
And it is part of me
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One, by Kathryn Otoshi is a sweet book, read by a 1st grade class about colors and a bully, and how it sometimes just takes one to stand up and say "no!" and help everyone count. |
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The Day You Begin, written and read by Jacqueline Woodson. I think I've shared this one before, but it's perfect for this week, thinking about inclusion and creating the beloved community where everyone has a story and a unique gift to share. |
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Something Happened In Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice. This story starts with two different kids (one white and one black) asking their parents about why a black man was shot in their town. Even with this grim beginning, it shows two super important conversations and ends with the two kids changing the pattern of injustice and inviting a new kid to play. |
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PBS Kids Talk about Race and Racism
This 25 minute video celebrates differences and similarities with interviews with kids and parents of different races. It's hosted by Amanda Gorman!
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Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable.
A TED talk by Luvvie Ajayi. This is an inspiring talk about speaking up and standing up for what is right and just. She talks about how hard that is and how important with wonderfully entertaining stories from her life.
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February 2nd is famously known in the US as Groundhog Day. It is also the Christian holiday of Candlemas when candles are blessed and prepared for the coming year and the greenery from Christmas is taken down. These observances have their roots in the pagan/Celtic holiday known as Imbolc. Imbolc translates as "in the belly" and marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. We are now deep "in the belly" of winter. But it also refers to the lambing season in Wales and Ireland when ewes are pregnant, getting ready for the new life of spring. In Celtic tradition, this is the day when Saint Brigid is honored, keeper of the hearth fire, farm animals, sacred wells, poetry and art.
So I invite you to take a moment from your busy day to listen to this song to Brigid. Light candles and make art. Share gratitudes. We give thanks for our abundance of food and warmth in these coldest days of winter. |
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UUCSC February Flurry of Love
Let's send Valentines!
Our Multigen Project for the month of February encourages you to connect by sending a surprise valentine to someone from the congregation by snail mail. You may sign your name or be anonymous, and include the phrase UUCSC February Flurry of Love somewhere on the card. See the DIRECTORY for addresses and choose one or more people to send to. This would be a good time to check and make sure your address in the directory is accurate! Folks are not expected to respond, so this will be a one-way flurry of love!
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We are expanding our offerings, so I hope you can make it to some of the following:
EVERY SUNDAY, 9am-9:30: Kid Circle Time. We have a lovely, simple time together, sharing Roses/Buds/Thorns, singing a song and doing a scavenger hunt, drawing or game together.
THIRD SUNDAYS, 9:30-10am: Adult Sharing Time. We've decided to offer this once a month, so mark your calendars for next month, Feb. 21st and come spend time with fellow parents in a supportive, sharing environment.
LAST SUNDAYS, 9:30-10:30: CartUUns! We had a wonderful class last Sunday! I hope you will join us on February 28th for our next one! Please respond to this email if you're interested!
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Pictures from our Families |
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We had a wonderful CartUUns class last Sunday! We watched La Luna and talked about what we have learned from our parents and grandparents. We also talked about how it's important to sometimes do things our own way and try out new ideas, different from our parents! Then we made moon art, practicing a new technique of glue resist that resulted in some beautiful, cloudy moons. I hope you join us next month for this fun class! |
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