ISSUE 77

NOVEMBER 2022

The first day of November represents a threshold, making "Change" a fitting theme for the month. The Celts of the British Isles celebrated Samhain, also known as the New Year for Crops, on this day. The harvest was over, everything was gathered in, and the fields were reduced to stubble. It was time for Earth to go fallow, to gather energy for the next growing season. Christian communities borrowed themes of Samhain for their own festivals of All Saints' Day (preceded by All Hallows' Eve) and All Souls' Day (known in Mexico as El Día de los Muertos).

Accompanying the Celts' agricultural reality was a cosmological belief. At the New Year, the membrane separating Earth from Heaven was thought to be at its thinnest and most permeable. Thus, at this time, the spirit world could most easily touch the lives of human beings—and the living could be most directly in touch with those who have died.

This is a powerful image, whether or not we believe in an actual membrane between earth and heaven. I personally experienced the spiritual reality of the “thin membrane” the year I lived on a small farm in Brewster, NY as part of my time with the Community of the Holy Spirit.

The farm kept us busy all spring and summer. It started with an onslaught of strawberries which were bearing fruit in abundance. Other crops followed, without much let-up, and we took advantage of the long days. Then, suddenly, it was over. The crops were all harvested—pickled, canned, frozen, dried, and otherwise preserved for the winter—and our busyness ended. There were still a few chores associated with harvest end, but the heavy work was over.

Without the distraction of external work, November became a time to go quiet, to turn inward. As Howard Thurman once wrote, “There is a harvest, a time of ingathering, of storing up in nature; [and] there is a time of ingathering, of storing up in the heart.”

With the leaves gone from the trees, we could look out our windows to the distant horizon, which had been obscured before. And whether we take mythic interpretations literally or not, it was clear that the membrane separating our conscious and unconscious minds was at its thinnest.

In other words, the absence of distraction opened us up to things previously submerged—feelings, and memories, and a sense of communion with those who had gone before. It was a time of great creativity and healing, and also a time for grief and gratitude.

We know there are many kinds of grief. The grief of missing someone who lived to a grand old age, is different from grieving the death of a child. Grief for a parent with whom we had a complicated relationship is different from grief for a beloved spouse. Grieving someone who died after a long, debilitating illness is not the same as grieving someone abruptly snatched away.

And yet, our grief and our gratitude have a way of uniting us. Helen Keller once wrote, “We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world, the company of those who have known suffering.”

At our Sunday service on November 6, the Sunday that follows All Souls' Day, we'll be given the chance to remember those beloveds who have died, as their names are sung as part of a litany. In this beloved community, in our caring for one another, and in this and other shared acts of remembrance, may we discover once again that love is stronger than death.

SPARKLERS

Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister

November - The Path of Change

As the seasons turn, it is a good time to reflect upon this month’s theme The Path of Change. I wonder if we viewed our lives as being on a path of change if that would help us cope with challenges and complexities.

There is an old quip that I dearly love. I have heard it various forms, but the essence is: Change is great. Change is easy. You go first.

Less glibly, there are two quotes that offer deeper wisdom. The first from John Maxwell:

Change is inevitable. Growth is Optional. The second from James Baldwin: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

Clearly, change is a part of life. It feels important to name that and reflect upon the things we have learned and the experiences that have changed us. Check out this article as a structured way to do so at your next gathering of family or friends.

What has been your personal highlight from the year? Try to pinpoint a specific moment or experience.
What has been the most challenging experience for you this year? What have you learned from it?
What is something fascinating that you learned about the world this year?
What is something important that you have learned about yourself this year?
What do you want to get done before the year is out? How can we help you make it happen?

Don’t be afraid of some change

“Enter, Rejoice and Come In” is one of my favorite hymns. It is lively, joyous, and inspires fun movements. When I sing the song with the kids we stand in a circle and when we get to the last line, “Don’t be afraid of some change,” everyone runs to a new spot. It takes a little time for the children to rearrange themselves, which they have to do three times before the end of the song. Not only is this fun, these three changes in rapid succession illustrate so well how life feels sometimes: just when we think we have things figured out something happens and we are forced to re-arrange what we thought was a comfortable situation. I love how the song so matter-of-factly addresses the fear of change. “Don’t be afraid of some change”—there is an acknowledgement of the inevitability of change in our lives stated in a way that feels oddly comforting.

Change was a theme of the Liberal Religious Educator’s Association conference which I attended last week. The leaders of the conference stated their hope that the participants would be changed by the experience of attending the conference. I definitely was. The conference was held in Birmingham, Alabama and opened with a visit to the Legacy Museum which is part of the Equal Justice Initiative founded by Bryan Stevenson, the lawyer who wrote the book "Just Mercy." This museum traces the incredibly dark history of racism in the U.S. in the words of the museum “From Slavery to Mass Incarceration.” Although I have never doubted that racism still exists in this country, the museum deepened my understanding of the ways in which racism and white supremacy culture are baked into so many aspects of our system. The conference continued with a focus on the 8th principle, with a deep exploration of why this principle is needed. I came back inspired by the commitment of UUs to do the work of fighting oppression in all its forms.

The seeds of change are being planted every week in our Faith Exploration (FE) classes. In all levels of Faith Exploration our youth are learning to examine their perspective, to look at things in different ways, to challenge the conventional wisdom and to decide if anything needs to change. I have been constantly impressed by the wisdom, intention, dedication and commitment of our FE teachers. They are working hard each week to bring meaningful lessons to our youth. I encourage you to take a moment to look at their photos on the main board in the commons. These folks are truly making a difference in the lives of our JUC young people!

Transitions

Alberta Kalavity died October 5.

Patricia Yingst died October 12.

Board of Trustees Report

The Following the Spirit of Love cottage meetings have concluded, and ample data was collected. The Board reviewed the compiled data under the guidance of an experienced consultant. Discussion ensued concerning accountability, communication, and implementation within the context of policy governance.

Accountability tool could include an annual survey which is paired to the values, mission, ends.

The Board determined that the new values, mission, ends will be maintained.

The Fall Congregational Meeting will be held Sunday, November 13, 10:15 - 10:45 am. It will include an update from the Board and a Sabbatical Ministry report from Rev. Sue Redfern-Campbell.

Path of Courage and Planned Giving

Courage is the willingness to acknowledge our fears, to work through them when needed, and to act despite them. This is so true in many life situations. Estate planning is certainly one of those. It is so easy to put off coming to terms with the inevitable. The courage to work on this task can ease our personal fear and be a gift to our loved ones.

A part of this work can be the leaving our financial legacy for this community so that future generations can benefit, just as we have benefited from the gifts of those who came before us.

Please include a gift to JUC in your estate plan. It has no cost now and you will become a member of our Legacy Circle.

Contact our Planned Giving team: Bud & B.J. Meadows, Mike Kramer or Carol Wilsey

Keith Anniversary Thank You

Bev Curtiss &

Fran Myers

After last week's 25th Anniversary celebration for Rev. Keith, we can all reflect on the impact he has had on our beautiful community. Thank you Keith for all of the reasons enumerated in cards and letters you’ve received from so many members. Thank you for causing so many standing ovations. May our expressions of joy and care for you continue to provide that sense of ovation as long as you live.

We would be remiss if we did not recognize the people who were so helpful in putting the program together:

Laura Lizut

Adam Revell

Sarah Billerbeck

Dea Brayden

Chris and Steef Sealy

The Everhopefuls

Dave Devitt

Vickie Devitt

Dave Wells

Dindy Fuller

Barb Scherer

Katie Treadway

Nita and John Bradford

Dick Schaffer

Rev. Robert Latham

Rev. Barry Bloom

Rev. Todd Strickland

Darcy Stanton

Katie Edwards

Carol Wilsey

We are grateful for your help in making this a very special event. And, we are most appreciative of the Music Ministry of Keith Arnold. After 25 years he’s “Still the One."

As I pondered this month’s theme of change, I have to admit, I wondered where to begin. At the end of 2 years of near-constant change—in what we know about COVID, in how we do work, school, and church, in our expectations of how we are together in person and online—what could I possibly say about navigating change that you haven’t already heard?

The constant pivoting of recent years has left many of us fatigued, and for good reason. Change is work. Change has real effects on our mental, physical, emotional, and social health. And as much as many of us still want to see change in our world for the good, for the equitable, and for the just—and yesterday, thankyouverymuch—even good change is still hard.

As Tricia Hersey at the Nap Ministry puts it, in order to do the work of change, “You will have to stop. You will have to dismantle your own unique cultural history in order to heal your own collective and individual traumas. You will have to do real work to change.” And sometimes, when change comes upon us before we’ve had time to prepare ourselves for it, we find ourselves needing to do that healing after the fact.

Hersey goes on to say, “Resting is a meticulous love practice. I love this definition by Layli Phillips because of its expansiveness and space for interconnectedness.”

And so, friends, as we transition from our October theme of courage to our November theme of change, I would like to invite you to embrace change courageously, while also urging you to notice, honor, and tend to those parts of yourself that might be struggling with SO MANY changes in your lives, including this community, in such a short time. Rest. Take stock of what is going on in your heart, your mind, and your body. Reach out to one another. And if you need to, reach out to your pastoral care team. Engage in the “meticulous love practice” of healing.

And then? As we tend to ourselves individually and collectively and honor our natural responses to uncertainty and change (without necessarily giving them undue influence in our emotional lives and choices), then we can move forward with what we want to see in the world and in this JUC community.

What will that look like? In Octavia Butler’s novel The Parable of the Sower, the main character Lauren, a Black teenager living in an unstable United States in decline from climate change, expresses it this way:

All that you touch/You Change

All that you Change/Changes you

The only lasting truth/Is Change

God/Is Change

And so as we begin to consider numerous possible next steps that were put on hold for the initial years of COVID, I invite you to consider the following: If God is change, and that change is guided and influenced by our touch…what will your fingerprint on this community be? How will your touch shape God?

Remembrances and Requiems

In religious traditions around the world, there are rituals and moments of remembrance of those who have died, holding the memory of those passed and honoring lives lived. From the Gaelic festival of Samhain, during which the doorways between the world are opened from October 31 to November 1, to Día de los Muertos as a day to visit cemeteries with flowers and candles, to the Christian observances of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2), the practice of acknowledging the dead is both ancient and timely.

In the European classical music tradition, composers drew upon the words of the Catholic Requiem Mass to write multi-movement choral and orchestral works that wrestled with death. Requiem means “rest,” and at its heart, a Requiem Mass is a request from the living that those who have departed may rest in peace.

On Sunday, November 6, Jefferson Unitarian Church will engage in our now yearly practice of singing the names of those in our community who have died in the past year, or those in our personal lives who are gone and we wish to remember. As the names are sung, we repeat the phrase with one another, “You are not forgotten.”

As part of our church’s practice of remembrance this year, the JUC Choir and guest chamber orchestra will sing a musical setting of the Requiem Mass by French composer Gabriel Fauré. First performed in 1888 in Paris, and composed shortly after the death of Fauré’s father, this Requiem setting has a mood of peacefulness and serenity, a graceful blessing on those who have died and a comfort to those still alive.

According to Gabriel Fauré:

It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience. The music of Gounod has been criticized for its overinclination towards human tenderness. But his nature predisposed him to feel this way: religious emotion took this form inside him. Is it not necessary to accept the artist’s nature? As to my Requiem, perhaps I have also instinctively sought to escape from what is thought right and proper, after all the years of accompanying burial services on the organ! I know it all by heart. I wanted to write something different.

On Sunday, November 6, as a community we will hold memories close to us, acknowledge the mystery of death, support one another, and whether listening online or in person, will experience the power of music with one another.

If you wish for a name to be sung, please send it to keitharnold@jeffersonunitarian.org by Wednesday, November 2.

Linda Ropes, Trustee

As a new trustee, I was NOT bored at my first JUC Board meeting. Instead, I was truly awed by the dedication of this group of volunteers. Many attended at the end of a work day at 6:00 pm, right at dinner time. Some single mothers had dealt with child care, and all with busy personal lives.

Setting that all aside, they lit a chalice, heard a reading, and plunged into the agenda—and I mean PLUNGED. They skipped the shallows and were immediately in the deep end discussing major issues. When I served on the Board 22 years ago, we spent hours on minute details. This Board deals with major issues and leaves the details to competent staff.

At our October meeting, we discussed the results of the second set of well-attended cottage meetings. The attendees delighted the Board by agreeing with the values, mission, and ends (goals) the Board had shared with them. So the discussion evolved to big questions. What do we do with all this gathered information? How can we turn ends into action?

Yes, the Following the Spirit of Love project has been fruitful and the future looks exciting. How fortunate we are that these volunteers care so fervently about the future of our church. Was I bored at the Board meeting? No way. I was dazzled!

Are you a leader at JUC . . . or would you like to become one?

Jessy Hennesy and Amanda Trosten-Bloom

Every year, during the spring congregational meeting, we at JUC embody our 5th principle by democratically electing volunteer leaders for the following church year. There is an election and a vote; but unlike next week’s national elections, there are no campaigns, speeches, or television advertising. After pre-qualification and conversations with the Leadership Nominating Committee (LNC), candidates agree to serve in a specific role for a specific term. LNC then presents a slate of nominees to the board and congregation for vote and approval.

As we LNC members search for potential leaders, we rely on staff and board suggestions, our own networks, and those who express interest. At least one member of our committee asked to be nominated—so if you’re interested, please don’t wait for us to find you!

Here are the positions we’re looking to fill for the coming church year:

Board Trustees (BOT). This is the governing body of Jefferson Unitarian Church (JUC) that deals with policy and planning. There are a total of 9 trustees (3 openings for 2023/24).
Endowment and Memorial Gift Trustees (EMGT). This committee disseminates funds from the church’s endowment, to support special projects that reflect JUC’s religious and social values. There are a total of 5 EMGT trustees (2 openings for 2023/24).
Shared Mission Team (SMT). Members of this committee help the Board and staff communicate with and engage the congregation in key decisions. There are 6 SMT members (2 openings for 2023/24).
Auction Co-Chair. The auction is the church’s biggest annual fundraiser, coordinated by a chair, co-chair and committee. By partnering in their first year of service, co-chairs prepare to serve as chair of the following year’s event. There is 1 auction co-chair opening for the coming church year.
Leadership Nominating Committee (LNC). We identify, pre-qualify and recruit leaders for the five committees we’ve just described . There are 5 LNC positions (2 openings for 2023/24).

If any of these rings your bell, please talk with us at church, visit our table in the Commons (beginning in November), call us, or send us an email at lnc@jeffersonunitarian.org.

This year’s LNC members include Linda Lauer (chair), Will Cheever, Katie Wheeler, and the two of us. We look forward to seeing or hearing from you.

It Time to UU the Vote!

Jessy Hennesy

Happy Halloween! Today is the last day to mail your ballot - after this be sure to take it to a dropbox!!

Thanks to everyone who has written postcards, JUC is actually the top group in the state in postcarding through Reclaim Our Vote in the general election (you and your friends have written 3700 in the general, and nearly 5000 when you include the primary)! We’ll be writing to Georgia again for their runoff, if one is required. In 2020, it was the Georgia runoff that changed the balance of the Senate; it could be just as important this time around.

Additionally, National UU the Vote and it’s partner organizations have a phone bank (or several) every day through the election. Phone calls make a big difference in giving people the tools to turn out.

As a reminder, UU the Vote, JUC CAN, and the Jeffco League of Women Voters encourage the following positions:

Jeffco 1A: YES

Proposition FF: YES

Proposition GG: YES

Proposition 121: NO

Proposition 123: YES

If you have any questions about anything on your ballot, want help getting your ballot to a Dropbox, or have any other election questions, please reach out! Your best strategy is to call me (303-880-2459) and leave a message. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.

Vote Local this November

Jill Armstrong

Election Day is coming in a matter of days. Many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the countless ads on television, but those ads usually focus on state and federal issues and candidates. We often overlook local elections which are far more important than many people realize. Local governments impact us far more frequently and more positively than either state or federal governments—including road repair, wildfire mitigation, public safety and how our elections are managed. In addition, we can usually have far more influence at the local level than we ever will at the state or federal level.

To learn more, over one hundred people attended our Jeffco Candidate Forum last week to hear from candidates for County Commissioner, Clerk and Recorder and Sheriff. In addition, they got to meet candidates for Treasurer, Coroner and Assessor. All county candidates were invited to participate, and this was an excellent opportunity to learn about the priorities and viewpoints of our county candidates. If you missed the forum, you can watch it online. This forum was sponsored by the Jeffco League of Women Voters, JUC Community Action Network (CAN) and UU the Vote at JUC.

If you would like more information about ballot issues, including three for Jeffco, please visit the UU the Vote table after services the next few weeks. If you have questions and/or would like to be added to the JUC CAN Action Alert list to receive occasional important alerts and updates about housing issues and legislation, please send an email to communityaction@jeffersonunitarian.org.

Habitat for Humanity Update

Andy Melick

Pumpkin Patches

JUCers once again showed up to support the Jeffco Interfaith Partners (JIP) pumpkin patches in Lakewood and Arvada. Thank you to those who either unloaded pumpkins from a delivery truck, or covered sales shift at the patches, or stopped by to buy a pumpkin or a few. This year we achieved pre-pandemic sales figures, enough to provide sponsorship for the house JUC, in partnership with JIP, will build in 2023 for a family which would otherwise never experience the stability of home ownership. Together we turn pumpkins into houses!

Aria Homes Halfway Done

On September 20, Habitat Metro Denver celebrated the half-way point of its Aria project in North Denver. Fourteen of twenty-eight homes have been completed, including two sponsored by Jeffco Interfaith Partners. Stephanie and her son Xavier recently moved into the home we sponsored in 2022. Stephanie spoke before a crowd of more than a hundred at the event: “I work two jobs, but I never would have been able to afford a home in the neighborhood where I grew up if not for Habitat for Humanity.”

Welcome Bruce Martin

Bruce Martin has stepped up to serve as JUC’s new representative with Jeffco Interfaith Partners, the coalition of local churches which has been sponsoring and building a Habitat for Humanity house in west metro Denver every year since 1998. Bruce and his wife Cathy have been stalwart Habitat volunteers for several years. They believe whole-heartedly in Habitat’s mission of putting love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Many thanks to Bruce for saying yes to this role. JUC and JIP will benefit greatly from his leadership.