ISSUE 64

OCTOBER 2021

What a month! After working toward opening our doors to people over 12, we hit the pause button. It was and is painful. We need each other. We miss being together. As grateful as we are for the technology that allows us to gather virtually, there is no question that two-dimensional church is not the same.

That’s real. And it is a reality that our ministry team is working to find ways for us to meet. What are the ways and opportunities that we can create to gather in small groups? It feels especially essential given this month’s theme: We are Cultivating Relationship.

Of course, cultivating relationship isn’t just about our connection to each other. Cultivating is work. It is about growing something through work and attention.

In his book, Living Philosophies, Albert Einstein notes, "Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of other people — above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving."

Einstein reminds us that the relationships we are called to cultivate are within us and among us. We know that, of course, but we need the reminder. During Sunday worship, we will look at the ways in which our religion calls us and equips us to cultivate relationship with each other, collective wholeness, vulnerability, endings, and our inner world.

We believe these offer fertile ground for reflection and discussion. We are working to create individual sessions that will allow those who are interested to gather in smaller groups to interact with and learn from each other. Stay tuned to the Weekly Connection for those opportunities.

As hard as this time is, and it is hard, I’m so grateful to be in relationship with all of you. I’m so grateful for this community and for those who held it loved it through past challenging times. I’m so grateful for this faith which always lets us in and never lets us off.

I’m glad to be back from a time of sabbatical leave, and grateful for that time away. Ever since I got back, people have been asking me “Eric, what did you do while you were away?” The answers are many, but as we enter into a month focused on cultivating relationship, I find myself focusing in on something that I can honestly say I didn’t even know I needed until it happened.

Some of you know that when my wife and I started out from day one as parents. Our oldest turned four shortly after we started seeing each other, and every seven years we just added another little one to the family. That meant that in some ways we’d never really had the time to just be the two of us. But last June we took the time to travel to Costa Rica. We told ourselves that we were there to learn Spanish. To immerse ourselves in the language in a way we just couldn’t in our daily life. Our children weren’t vaccinated, so they stayed home, thanks to the gracious help of their older sister (home from college) and a grandma.

For those magical two weeks we could walk, talk, fail at surfing, scuba dive with sharks and rays, and let the night wear on without worrying about bedtime or who would be willing to eat what for dinner. We saw each other in a way that had, for a long time, been slowly covered over, one small piece at a time, by commitments and ideas we’d taken on, until we’d practically become ships in the night. We trusted that our love was enough, that it would hold us together, and it has. But there was wear and tear at the edges, the seams were showing their age.

Too often we hear the message that what relationships take is love, and just the right person, and “we’ll all live happily ever after.” But what we were reminded of in that time was that it’s too easy for the garden of our relationship to be overgrown with bindweeds, rooted deep, and wrapping themselves over the stalks of the flowers we once planted. It takes cultivating, trimming away the things that don’t serve us, or never did, or don’t anymore. It takes time and saying “We commit to tending to our relationship.” It takes investing in it, just as surely as we’re investing in our children’s college savings accounts or our retirement accounts. It takes counting on each other, and investing in each other.

That’s not as easy a story to tell as “We met, we fell in love, we overcame adversity, and now it’s smooth sailing on past the horizon,” but it’s the one that we all need to be telling. That when it comes to the people and the relationships that matter the most, that we’re taking time, and even money, and putting it to work.

Coming out of those weeks we’ve renewed our vows, even if we didn’t stand on a beach in front of family and friends to say them out loud. We’ve said them to each other, and I hope that for the people in your life, you’re doing the same. Tomorrow is never assured, but as an author I recently read put it, the future isn’t a place we go to, it’s a place we’re building, every day.

Stay well, love deeply, and I can’t wait to see you sometime soon.

Transitions

Don Bishop died August 25. Don will be interred at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Friday, October 1 at 1 p.m. Read Don's obituary here.

Nancy White died September 7.

Lyn Barber died September 19.

Ken Pierce died July 9. A memorial will be held October 23 in Bozeman, MT. Read Ken's obituary here.

Board of Trustees Update

The Board received a financial report wrapping up the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Despite the challenges we have faced as a church community this past year, the financial outlook for JUC is quite good heading into the 2021-22 fiscal year.

In preparation for the Nested Bowls Project, and with the assistance of Unity Consulting, the Board has coined a "Powerful Question." This question will be used by project facilitators to guide meaningful conversation during the Nested Bowls project beginning this fall.

We are still looking for volunteers to serve as facilitators during the Nested Bowls project. Those interested in taking part in this exciting project are urged to email the Board President at president@jeffersonunitarian.org.

Embracing Possibility and Planned Giving

Doing an estate plan is embracing possibility. There is a very high possibility that it will be needed even though we may not want to think about that. If you have a young family, care about how you are treated in your final years and hours, love someone who may need financial help after you are gone, want your estate distributed in a particular way, or want to leave a legacy gift to causes you want to support – you quite possibly need an estate plan. Even if you have a small estate, most people think it is until they actually do an inventory of assets and add it up, you need an estate plan. Yes, we can convince ourselves that “I can put that off,” but we can also lean into possibility and do it now!

Please embrace the possibility of leaving a legacy gift to JUC, there are several possible ways to do so. Contact JUC’s planned giving coordinators: Bud & B.J. Meadows, Mike Kramer or Carol Wilsey

The Love that Binds Us

I hold moments in my memory. It feels like a scrapbook inside my heart that connects me to people and experiences. The first memory I remembering holding from Jefferson Unitarian Church happened on Sunday, September 15, 2019, the second Sunday that our children and youth programming began in 2019. I was walking down the hall, and a family was walking in front of me with their preschooler lagging behind. The lag did not seem to be a procrastination to get to class. I watched from behind and this little one acted like they owned the place. This church, this hallway, felt like home. Their home. This child and I had met before and when they turned to check out what was happening behind them, they saw me. Their eyes brightened and a beautiful smile appeared on their face. They skipped up to me and slipped their hand into mine, walked with me hand-in-hand to their class, and invited me to stay awhile to play. There was no other place that was more important for me to be, so I played.

When I think about this time, my heart breaks a little, knowing that in the last 18 months there have not been moments of connection like this one. As we were preparing for this program year, I have walked the halls of our children’s program a hundred times, and each time I hold the memories of our children and parents in that hallway on Sunday morning. The noise, the joy, and sometimes chaos. I miss all of these so deeply and cannot wait for that time to return.

Last month there was an unexpected pause in what we had hoped would be a beautiful reunion of hearts and minds. The safety team, of which I am a part, recommended this pause so we could evaluate COVID’s high risk in Jefferson County, Unitarian Universalist Association recommendations, and our community's safety. Rev .Wendy and the Board of Trustees supported this recommendation. The questions we are now addressing are how do we bring our children, youth, and adults back to JUC progressively and as safely as possible? How do we make our much-needed connections and continue to create memories together? How do we gather in life-affirming ways and continue to remain true to our civic circumference? These are difficult questions and the answers are beginning to unfold.

My beloveds, we love you. We want to be together more than anything and we will be. JUC has a love that binds us together in a way that no other love can. Hold on to that with gentle reassurance. Our relationships will continue to grow and we make it to the other side of these current challenges, together. I cannot wait until I can once again have my hand held and play with you all.

Hello Fellow JUCers,

I have made the difficult decision to resign from my position as the Children, Youth, & Family Ministry Coordinator at JUC. My last day is September 30, 2021. Thankfully, I’m not really going anywhere.

As many of you know, and in part due to my father’s passing, this past year has been the most emotionally, spiritually, and in some ways physically challenging one of my life. One of the many things I've learned while being on staff is who my community is and how much I need them for my well-being. And my community is you all, the congregation of JUC.

Therefore, I am resigning because I need and value this spiritual home with you more than a job, even one I dearly love serving our children, youth, and families. Riding the fence between my roles as member and staff at JUC these past 12 months has been tough. I truly think this is the perfect job for me, and it pains me to leave it.

However, I am so grateful that in a little while I get to fully return to - and my family will continue to be part of - this congregation that we cherish.

It has been an honor to experience firsthand just how much love and consideration the JUC staff puts into nurturing this community. From Reading for Relief and the stuffie sleepover to working with our wonderful and dedicated Family Ministry Team, Faith Exploraion teachers, children, and youth, it has also been a joy for me to help keep this community strong and vibrant. I hold my time on staff at JUC tenderly, and I look forward to supporting the JUC staff again as part of the congregation.

We Would be One

The lyrics for October’s hymn of the month, “We would be one,” were written in 1953 by white Unitarian minister Samuel Wright, who was committed to leadership of Unitarian and Universalist youth. In 1952 he served as the Executive Director of American Unitarian Youth, and in 1953 he was the first Executive Director of Liberal Religious Youth (a merger between the American Unitarian Youth and the Universalist Youth Fellowship). During those years, liberal churches were exploring what it might mean to combine their resources and energies, but had not yet made it to the formal meeting of Unitarians and Universalists at the 1959 General Assembly in Syracuse, NY, a convention at which “The Plan to Consolidate the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America” was approved.

Wright’s words were created in an environment where Unitarians and Universalists were deepening their understanding of one another’s traditions and beliefs, in order to potentially take a new step in their relationship. In particular, this hymn was written for the first gathering of Liberal Religious Youth, and expressed a willingness to work together for common goals and to create a new community.

We would be one as now we join in singing

our hymn of love, to pledge ourselves anew

to that high cause of greater understanding

of who we are, and what in us is true.

We would be one in living for each other

to show to all a new community.

We would be one in building for tomorrow

a nobler world than we have known today.

We would be one in searching for that meaning

which binds our hearts and points us on our way.

As one, we pledge ourselves to greater service,

with love and justice, strive to make us free.

Samuel Wright set these fresh words to a pre-existing tune, Finlandia, written by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius in 1899. The practice of setting new words to old tunes had been very common in European and American music for - literally - hundreds of years. You might know that the words of “The Star Spangled Banner” were written by Francis Scott Key, and were set to a popular British song “To Anacreon in Heaven.” J. S. Bach adapted a once secular love song Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen (“Innsbruch, I must leave you”) to become a religious song O Welt ich muss dich lassen (O World, I must leave you). There are two settings of the tune Finlandia in the Unitarian Universalist hymnal Singing the Living Tradition: #318 We would be one, and #159 This is my song. In other hymnals, the most common text is “Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side.”

In JUC’s month of Cultivating Relationship, “We would be one” invites us to search for the meaning that binds disparate hearts together, to pledge the community to service, and to work for freedom for all who do not currently possess it. You are invited to sing along strongly whenever it appears in our services!

Hi! My name is Melinda McGucken, and I’m your new Intern Minister. I’d like to share a bit about myself as we get to know one another and I begin my two years of part time intern ministry here at JUC. First, I’m a second year student at Meadville Lombard Theological School. Our curriculum involves practical experience as well as academic learning. This internship constitutes a large piece of that practical experience piece.

I’m a native of Cleveland, Ohio. I lived in my hometown for most of my life. I moved to Denver in August to join the JUC community in this new learning experience. My home congregation is West Shore Unitarian Universalist in Rocky River, Ohio. So far, so good, I’m enjoying my time in Denver. While I miss my friends and home congregation, I feel very optimistic and am excited to begin this chapter of my seminary journey and ministry on the road to fellowship with the UUA.

In terms of nearest and dearest, I am currently unpartnered and have no human children. I do however have a cat son, a rescue named Mojo. My friends in Cleveland are very close to my heart.

In my free time when I’m not in class, doing homework, or here at the church I love cooking vegan food, exploring Denver, engaging in spiritual practice, catching up with friends, being physically active, playing with my cat, and reading non-fiction books.

I’m happy to be here and look forward to getting to know each of you. Have a blessed day and remember to be gentle with yourself.

You might call it JUC’s Hokey-Pokey question…

Chris Sealy, Trustee

We have been consumed recently – and understandably – with the challenges of how to safely be together. When can we put our right foot in and our right foot out? As difficult as our circumstances are right now, we know things will improve. We also know in our hearts that that’s NOT “what it’s all about.”

What is JUC all about? Put another way, what difference can our church make in our lives, our relationships, and our world? It’s been a while since JUC did a deep dive into our purpose, so the Board has just started working with some consultants (Unity Consulting) who specialize in helping congregations articulate their purpose. As October begins, we'll be asking some of our fellow congregants to be facilitators for group conversations, and then we’ll ask you to join in those discussions. Together, we’ll have a chance to really think and talk about JUC. We’ll tell stories. We’ll listen to each other. Then we’ll take the stories and ideas and exchanges from those conversations to shape and define where we, as a church, want to go from here. The Board is excited – we’ll put our whole selves in – and we hope you’ll be willing to jump in, too. Much more info to come...

Grocery Rewards

If you shop for food, the grocery store will give JUC money! Here are the ways the following stores donate when you shop:

King Soopers - Sign up with your SooperCard to have JUC as your chosen charity for their Community Rewards. When you scan your card, or enter your ID on the pin pad, JUC gets credit for your purchases and then King Soopers sends us a quarterly check. You no longer need to use a gift card purchased from JUC and reload it!

Safeway - Purchase a reloadable gift card from JUC. The cards come loaded with $10. When you reload at the store, JUC gets a donation of 5% of the amount. You can mail a check for $10 to the office and we'll mail a card back to you.

Natural Grocers - Purchase a gift card from JUC. The cards come loaded with $100 (we buy the cards for $95 each so we make $5 on each card). These cards are NOT reloadable for JUC credit, so you need to purchase a new card for us to earn money. You can mail a check for $100 to the office and we'll mail a card back to you.

Thanks for helping us raise a little money just by doing your normal grocery shopping!

JUC CAN Challenges Unjust Housing Practices

Catherine Curran

Finding an affordable place to live in this community has become an enormous challenge for so many people. With our focus on social justice, it is a problem that JUC’s Community Action Network (JUC CAN) has chosen to tackle. We have discovered that mobile home parks provide one of the only lower-income opportunities for home ownership for many working people and retirees. Over the past 18 months, JUC CAN, with the help of community partners, has been working in six mobile home parks in Jefferson County. Our goal is to preserve existing affordable housing and help keep residents in their homes.

Mobile homeowners are uniquely challenged by rising housing costs because, although they generally own their mobile homes, they must rent their lots from the individual or corporation who owns the park. This means that mobile homeowners rely on park owners to charge fair lot rental fees and maintain their communities even as affordable housing options dwindle. When problems occur, it is very difficult and expensive for homeowners to move their homes, which makes them particularly vulnerable to unscrupulous park owners and/or poor management.

Of course, the issue is larger than just Jefferson County. A recent Denver Post article describes the predatory and unfair practices experienced by many residents in Colorado mobile home parks. This article explains how RV Horizons-Impact Communities (a corporation that owns numerous parks in our state and nationwide) trains commercial real estate investors about how to “get rich quickly” through mobile home park ownership. RV Horizon’s owners offer a Mobile Home University course that teaches park owners to raise rents relentlessly and reduce amenities to increase their profit margin. They teach park owners to take advantage of residents who have limited incomes and often can’t afford the high costs required to move their mobile homes. At JUC, our work encourages mobile home residents to understand their rights, engage collectively, and challenge unfair practices using Colorado’s newly created Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program (DREP). This program helps protect homeowners from unfair evictions, prohibits retaliation, gives residents an opportunity to buy their park if it is offered for sale, and strengthens other protections.

JUC CAN members have gotten to know many residents in our neighboring parks. We deliver informational flyers, assist with monthly Know Your Rights trainings, make phone calls, and support residents’ organization of park resident councils. Through this work, we have heard about the many challenges residents in some parks experience such as poor roads, inadequate tree and grounds maintenance, and unrepaired water/sewer lines. Additionally, residents face frequent, large rent increases, while pool hours are reduced, and maintenance requests ignored. If you are interested in joining our efforts to counteract the abusive practices described in the attached Denver Post article, please contact communityaction@jeffersonunitarian.org.

UU the Vote: Jeffco School Board

Jessy Hennesy

Those of you who were in Jeffco in 2014 and 2015 probably remember how big a news item the Jeffco School Board was. Three board members elected in 2013 hired their own legal team, met without other members, and eventually attempted to ban the teaching of AP US History in Jeffco high schools. That last item prompted student protests at high schools across the district (I, personally, was keeping track from Minneapolis, where I was living at the time). In 2015, those three board members were recalled, and our school board moved out of local (occasionally national) news headlines.

But this year’s election also sees three Jeffco School Board seats up for election, with no incumbents. These seats could go in any direction, and it’s important to make an informed decision (and to vote!!). UU the Vote at JUC will be hosting a watch party and discussion of the panel put on by the League of Women Voters. Join us Thursday, October 7 at 7 p.m. here.

There are also three statewide ballot initiatives, all on TABOR-related financial issues, that you will have the opportunity to vote on. We will likely have more communication on these, but in the meantime please remember to read them carefully (the wording can be deceptive) and think of what deeper consequences may be. Property tax decreases hit our schools and fire departments (which are already cash-strapped), and the efficiency of spending for federal relief funds matters.

To stay in touch on these and other issues, email uuthevote@jeffersonunitarian.org and we will add you to our mailing list. You can also join our meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month.