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Join Us Weekly on Sunday at 4pm for our Outdoor Worship Service Viewing.
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Pastor Jack's Weekly Message |
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Dear Friends,
Emptiness is not a value UU congregations affirm or promote. Our values in brief are Dignity, Encouragement, Growth, Meaning, Rights, Community, and Relationship – in a phrase, Spiritual Fullness.
The pandemic has taught us a lot about Emptiness as a depressing feeling we have good reason to avoid. So why does Buddhism esteem Emptiness?
Because Buddhism’s Emptiness invokes, not aching loss, but awareness of the impermanence of mind and body – awareness which, strangely, lessens Fear, Clinging and Misery, and enhances Appreciation, Caring and Wellbeing, which are one in experience with Relationship and Meaning.
Though I hope science and policy soon end pandemics forever, I think the practice of recognizing Emptiness would greatly increase our strength and wisdom on our way to Fullness.
See you there,
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*Please do not respond to emails stating that they are from the Minister requesting for help. Report the email as spam immediately.* |
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Looking for purpose?
Do you want to be more fully involved in the work of our congregation? As we embark on an interim ministry in August, you can play an integral role in our reflection and development over the coming years. Positions are open on the Board of Trustees with terms starting in July.
If you can give of your time and talent - or want to learn more - please contact a member of the Nominating Committee: Sarah Craig: (949) 981-0210, John Motter: (503) 381-0501, or Karen White (518) 524-1100
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On the 3rd Wednesdays, we’ll forego a meeting so folks may attend the African American Heritage Association monthly presentations.
Contact Pastor Jack if you have questions or don't get the link on Tuesday.
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Children's RE
K-5th grade:
'RE Thru Art'
May 16th from
10-11am
The theme of story invites us to think of the great story of the evolution of life on our planet. Darwin’s story of evolution, of the origin of all of the species of animals and plants on our planet, is part of our Unitarian Universalist living tradition. We look to science and reason to help us understand our story as living beings. We’ve even put this into our UU principles and sources. The 5th source says we honor “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science…” So, what’s one of the ways our faith guides us into being a people of Story? It tells us “To honor the results of science by seeing ourselves as part of the great evolution story and remembering that we are an interconnected part of all living and growing beings.
Join us this Sunday for dance and art with Ms. Trish & Ms. Jeanay! Our last session till fall is May 30th!
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Covenant Groups
Don’t forget our covenant groups continue to meet monthly, these days mainly on Zoom. We currently have eleven covenant groups in the congregation with over 100 people participating!!
A Covenant Group is a group of 10 or so people who gather regularly (at least monthly) to share and converse about how life is going for the individuals in the group and often for our wider circles of life.
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Celebrating Pastor Jack
As we've all heard, Pastor Jack will leave UUSP and St. Petersburg for what he calls "trial retirement" at the end of June. We want to celebrate his almost-seven-year ministry here in fine fashion! If you would like to join a small "Steering Committee" to work on these plans, or if you just have some ideas you'd like to pass along, please let Dani Skryzpek know.
Email is best. Thank You!
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Sunday May 16 - 9:15am - Conversations on Religious Words We Question. Our word of the week is, “AUTHORITY.” Some of our possible questions:
(1) What is a covenant?
(2) With whom are you in covenant?
(3) What are the agreements within your covenants?
UU Rev. Jeanne Nieuwejaar’s Fluent in Faith does not address Authority, but the section on Doctrine (pp 115-116) offers some prompts. Zoom Meeting link:
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Check out our Calendar on our website to check out what's going on here at our
UU St Pete!
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Tuesday Check-In & Café: May 25 12noon.
Our opportunity to check in with one another and, time allowing, checking on the news. We will be meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Zoom Meeting Link
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Stop Complaining. It’s Time to Take Action — Contact Your US Senators TODAY
Let’ join with other UUs and concerned citizens across this nation to protect our democracy by letting our elected officials know that we want them to support the following legislation to protect voting rights and to support the DREAMers. Each of us needs to take action daily — let’s flood their email boxes. Together we can, we will make a difference.
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UU St. Pete Annual Campaign
Do You Have COVID Savings?
"One of our members added to their pledge due to the savings they realized over the past year from not traveling, not going to museums and concerts, not eating out, and not indulging in other personal services that were reluctantly foregone. While we missed many of the things we had taken for granted, we could still count on UU St. Pete. As this is a pivotal year given increased expenses due to hiring an interim minister, can you add your COVID savings to your pledge? I am!"
-Carol Ulmer, Annual Giving Team
You can also pledge on the UU St. Pete website. Look for the "Celebrating Our UU Family" image among the rotating photos on the home page.
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Members and friends set up a plan to make a gift from their estate to the Endowment Fund of UU St. Pete. Leaving a portion of the assets one has accumulated over the course of a lifetime ensures the continuation of the spiritual home that they have come to cherish and perpetuates our UU values.
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Click here for the latest updates with UUA General Assembly 2021.
Click here for the May Newsletter.
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Thank you for your interest in
Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg!
Stay Safe and Stay Well!
Kelli DeGraw,
part of your Communications Team.
Feedback and suggestions are welcome
(reply to this email). For technical support, click the button below.
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Thank you to our UU St Pete contributors, Jeanay, Jon, and James and many volunteers!
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Our mission is to be an inclusive, evolving religious community
that inspires spiritual and intellectual growth to make our world a better place.
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Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg
727.898.3294
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