ISSUE 69

MARCH 2022

The muted sky outside my window as I write this testifies to the coming snow and days of deep freeze. It is isolated and distant time, here is yet another invitation to go inward. Appropriately, our theme for the month is renewing faith.

While faith has not been one of my hot button words (I suspect we all have them), it also wasn’t robust enough to really inform my life. I have needed to lean into the work and ideas of others to be able to claim it as something that holds meaning.

Ironically, it was Buddhist author and teacher Sharon Salzberg who has most opened me to the word. Her book “Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience” was a key that opened a door to a locked room in me I hadn’t fully admitted existed. Salzberg weaves personal experience and wisdom teaching that helped faith come alive in a way that liberated it forever from the dogmatic way it had been introduced to me. Faith became more verb than noun. It was a way to be in the world more than a thing to possess and thereby prove one’s worthiness.

One sentence was especially arresting and ultimately freeing for me: “The opposite of faith is not doubt. It’s despair.” In despair, we quit. We get small. We presume that the way it is (miserable) is the way it will always be. Faith, as the noun of common understanding, says the misery we are in is part of a larger purpose or plan. Faith, as verb, is the way we try to make sense of our world and calls us to play an active role in it.

Some years ago, I travelled to Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert. At dawn and dusk, the Joshua Trees cut quite a specter, Their odd shape twists in ways that are worthy of Tim Burton’s imagination. While a multitude of birds, insects and small animals are sustained by the food and shelter offered by the trees, its value to humans was only as a product like fencing or fuel.

Hiking a bit in the Park, I was then amazed to find Cottonwood Trees. How did they get there? The sign read that they were planted by miners, freight haulers and prospectors, as shade and guidepost to those who would come next. Illustrated right there in front of me was the old adage about planting trees whose shade we will never enjoy. This is faithing to me. Making room for and staying connected to and in service of what and whom might come next.

As we have been distant from each other and constrained by the mandates of this wearying pandemic, despair has lurked in corners for me. I imagine that is true for any number of us. Sometimes, if I am honest, it has claimed me for a time. The reason I was not subsumed by it, I believe, is because of faith or faithing. That what I do and don’t do in this life makes a difference to some now and some to come though I have no specific idea how. Life has taught me, we provide each other shelter and aid each other’s journey. Appropriately then, together we will be renewing faith this month. I can’t wait.

When I first showed up at Starr King School for the Ministry some 13 years ago, I was quickly informed of the kind of place I had come to. We were not to be a place, or a people, that saw the world and framed our understanding of it, for ourselves, or the people we would one day serve, as an either/or. No, we were called to be a both/and kind of people, a phrase that repeated itself throughout my years there.

I think about that as we enter into this month centered on the idea of renewing faith, because I know that throughout the month we’ll have to answer the questions not just about renewal, and what it might mean, but more importantly the questions of what faith is, or means. Some of you have heard that faith is a noun. It’s a thing you have, most often in the context of that which you are sure of, but cannot see. Others of you have heard that faith without works is dead. And still others of you have heard that faith is not something we have, but rather something we do. A verb, if you will.

A noun. A verb. Both/And.

I mention that frame because I think about the faith that our foremothers had, the sense that the world was changing, slowly, in fits and starts, but changing to the world they dreamed of. When equality would be the law of the land, and protected by the full force of justice, and the power to vote that shaped it. The pandemic made nearly impossible public recognition of important events, like the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment, which provided federal protection for women’s right to vote. It was ratified in 1920. It was the culmination of lifetimes of work by amazing women who held out hope that things would change, hearts and minds would change. Laws would change.

One of those women was the Rev. Olympia Brown, the Universalist clergywoman who was the first woman ordained in the United States with the full recognition of a denomination. She revived three churches from near death. She campaigned tireless for women’s rights. She raised two children with her husband. And she preached a saving faith, a faith that saved her. She was 85 when the 19^th Amendment passed. She preached her last sermon in the congregation that now bears her name in Racine, Wisconsin. She knew faith was both something to be had, and something to be served. This is what she said:

“Dear Friends, stand by this faith. Work for it and sacrifice for it. There is nothing in all the world so important to you as to be loyal to this faith which has placed before you the loftiest ideals; which has comforted you in sorrow, strengthened you for noble duty and made the world beautiful for you. Rejoice that you are worthy to be entrusted with this great message and that you are strong enough to work for a great, true, principle without counting the cost.”

Board of Trustees Report

The February JUC Board of Trustees business was conducted via email in lieu of a monthly meeting. Instead, the Board held their annual Retreat on February 18 and 19. The focus of the Retreat was to review the data collected from the Following Our Spirit of Love workshops, and make appropriate adjustments to JUC Values, Ends and Mission Statement based on the data. More information will be shared as the work is finalized.

The Board voted unanimously to ordain Jenny McCready (now Amstutz) to the UU ministry. Jenny will be jointly ordained by First Universalist (her home congregation), Columbine (the church she is serving) and JUC (her internship church).

Widening the Circle and Planned Giving

The work of keeping even a progressive faith like Unitarian Universalism relevant is a challenge in these rapidly changing times. Each new generation will face challenges unknown to us today. We can support this work by widening our circle of legacy giving, to benefit not only our loved ones, but institutions such as JUC. Your financial gift from your estate expresses your commitment to build the future for EVERYone and keep JUC relevant.

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

Stories of Hope

JUC’s Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Task Force encourages support for the National UU Service Committee, and informs the congregation about their work. The Special Plate on Sunday, March 20 will be dedicated to the UUSC. The Sunday service will present a very special video from UUSC.

On the UUSC website’s Stories of Hope, we can see how the fruits of our donations are helping people in marginalized and climate threatened parts of the world.

Around the world, UUSC is proud to work with women leaders whose experience and imagination embolden communities and inspire lasting change. This year, UUSC’s Guest at Your Table theme is Women Leaders, Strong Communities. Pelenise is responding boldly to climate change, Marta and Wai Wai are advocating for women in the face of hatred and violence, and Monica is using the arts to bolster resiliency and leadership among migrants. These women, and so many others UUSC has the privilege of supporting, are transforming what freedom and justice look like in their communities.

See stories about these four inspiring women leaders from UUSC partner organizations here.

Renewing Faith is a very profound and somewhat sticky theme for the month, yet it is a vital part of keeping Unitarian Universalism alive in our lives and in the world.

When we explore world religions described in Sources of our Living Tradition, we can find many examples of religious and faith forms of renewal.

In the Christian faith, renewal is often described as a reconnection to Jesus' and biblical teachings and through the sacrifice of Jesus' life allowing access to continuous renewal from the forgiveness of our sins.
Buddhist teachings of renewal are often referred to as rebirth in that a person's actions lead to a new existence after death, in a cycle of saṃsāra.
The five practices of the Hindu faith are reflective of renewal through puja - the practice of devotion and prayer, meditation, silent prayers, yoga, recitation of scriptures.
Renewal can be found in spiritual inspiration from Jewish mystical and Hassidic traditions.
Islam uses tajdīd, the Arabic word for renewal, which refers to the renewal or revival of Islam.

Unitarian Universalist honors and pulls from our Sources, and this monthly theme of Renewing Faith has me considering our practices and commitment to renewal. How might we as a church practice a reconnection, rebirthing, reflection, inspiration, a revival of Unitarian Universalism? How might we learn to embody this renewal in our own lives, church, and communities?

I can't wait to journey with you as we discover pathways to renewing faith. Maybe we can start by asking ourselves what ways Unitarian Universalism invites us to renew our faith in our actions, in the here and now, through loving one another, and how we care for the earth. This is where our children and youth will begin their journey. We hope all of you will discover ways to join us in renewing faith.

Faith in the Journey

200 artistic directors, board members, and others leaders of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender choirs! This group recently gathered at an in-person symposium to share current practices and best thinking about issues in choruses, such as coming back to in-person singing, how to manage conflict within choir communities, how to commission a work for a chorus, how to involve puppetry in a choral performance (!) and other topics. And oh the singing. We heard in-person singing by the Atlanta Women’s Choir, Atlanta Gay Men’s Choir, and Voices of Note. As a lover and promoter of choral music, I felt like I had returned to a long-awaited - though different - world of live singing, joining together with others who shared the same love.

What a relief to connect with other choral leaders, especially in the supportive environment of GALA Choruses (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses).

One of the most impactful parts of the symposium was the presentation of a workbook that helps choruses engage with diversity, equity, and inclusion. From the “New Harmony Workbook”:

“Words like ‘equity, access, and belonging’ refer to issues of power, trust, and safety; to what is considered normal; and to recognizing which identities are placed at the center of chorus policies and practices. GALA Choruses create a sense of safety and home that is lifesaving to many. Yet, even GALA choruses produce their own sense of normal, and those who exist in the center of this norm often experience often-unrecognized dominance and privilege. It is possible to create a safe and supportive environment for all individuals if those in the center of the norm can move aside to make space for those individuals who are less dominant…

One way to work toward creating a sense of belonging in a chorus is to develop a culture of awareness and build a model that can be used regardless of which issue is being addressed. Rather than inviting ’them’ into the center with ‘us,’ leading to an expectation of assimilation, we hope to create a broader circle so ‘us’ and ’them’ becomes a new ‘we.’”

Hearing about this work in GALA choruses, which corresponds with the messages given by Jefferson Unitarian Church, gives me faith that there are many people in different circles engaging in how to include more and more identities in decision making, in leadership, and in the definition of “we.” You are invited to be a part of the work - the efforts that will last beyond our lifetimes - through participation in JUC programs such as Reflections on Race, through thoughtful conversations after sermons, and through consideration of the question, “how do we expand our definition of ‘we’?"

David Fleck, Trustee

Return again, Return again, Return to the home of your soul.

And we've done just that! Or at least started to. Some are eager to be the first in the doors and others will enjoy seeing more faces virtually from their homes. The right fit for you and your family is what is important.

As we return we look forward and set intentions for the future of our church! Over the last couple months many of you have taken part in the Follow Our Spirit of Love (FOSOL) activities by attending, sharing your time and careful consideration. That has been critical for the Board's look ahead for the church! Thank you very much for your contributions!

The board of Trustees dedicated its annual retreat time this February to focus on the feedback collected in these FOSOL sessions. Prior to our meetings we studied the information in the context of re-centering the church's Values, Mission and Ends. Gathering together, we shared emerging themes, important values and stories that resonated. Over the two day retreat we discussed in depth the broad values of JUC as shared by the congregation and worked hard to distill these into core values. Our next step was to consider our current mission statement, it's alignment with those core values and exploring appropriate revisions. Our mission will be used to set our Ends, sometimes referred to as Strategic Outcomes. The board will continue the development and refinement of our Core Values, Mission and Ends over the next couple months and will present them to the church at our spring congregational meeting. The whole board is excited to share what has been ground up detailed process that will serve as our North star in the coming years!

I have been curious to know more about the types of justice work that are happening at JUC. I was referred to speak to member Jill Armstrong, who chairs JUC CAN. On Friday, February 18, I had the opportunity to chat with her. We talked about how she got started in justice work at JUC, the evolution of what that looks like, as well as her reflections on the current situation and hopes for the future.

I was surprised to learn that justice work is a relatively recent development for Jill. She received an invitation to co-chair the Justice Counsel as she was preparing to retire. At that point, while she had attended marches and been active in demonstrations in her earlier years, she didn’t have much recent experience in justice activism.

Undaunted by this relative lack of experience, she jumped right into the fray and began working on projects. In the beginning, these were mostly service projects impacting specific populations. In partnership with the Board, they decided to focus on the community of Edgewater. At that time many seniors and members of the Latinx community were residents in that area. The projects serving that community included, among other things, yard work to assist seniors and helping 1st-3rd grade students learn literacy skills.

It wasn’t long before their vision expanded. Partnering with Together Colorado, they decided to work on systemic change and not individual service projects. This meant that their goal was to impact legislation.

Currently, JUC CAN hosts public forums with candidates for office, from County Commissioners to School Board Representatives and other elected officials.

Jill clarified that the focus of JUC CAN is Jeffco. She stated that the most difference can be made on the county level and sometimes the state level, however on the national level it is difficult to make a large impact. I was interested to learn that through surveying, it was discovered that people in Jeffco most care about affordable housing/homelessness, as well as mental health, acknowledging that those two issues are often tied together.

A recent, significant example of the types of influence JUC CAN has had with Jill at the lead involves legislation around mobile home parks and legislation to protect home owners from the predatory practices of the people and companies that own the land the mobile home owners rent to put their homes on. There was original legislation, and that helped a bit, however there were holes in the implementation. New, improved legislation will be introduced on 2/21 to hopefully address these deficiencies.

Jill noted that many of the original, founding members of the group are still active, citing this as an example of the strength of the council. She also observed that many members of JUC CAN are also members of other civic groups, for example the League of Women Voters, where Jill chairs the housing task force, and Together Colorado, where one member became acquainted with JUC and subsequently joined the church.

I asked Jill about how this impacts her life. She stated that it gives her hope, purpose, and a cause. She is very active, attending 3-4 Zoom meetings a week. She also testified about renters’ rights because as a landlord she has knowledge of the situation.

During Covid times, it has been difficult to maintain enthusiasm and group unity, however JUC CAN attracts approximately 10-15 JUCers to meetings. Jill has personally met many of our Jeffco county officials. She wishes that more people would realize the power we have to impact change on the county level, and that people would get involved in making a difference.

I’m sure that some of you reading this also had no idea about the kind of work that Jill, along with JUC CAN, is doing for the people of Jefferson County. If you have inquiries for the group, or would like to learn more, please email c ommunityaction@jeffersonunitarian.org.

If you would like for me to feature you or your group in my column, please email melinda@jeffersonunitarian.org.

Family Promise Returns to JUC

Judy Douglass

Families with children experiencing homelessness will again have a safe haven at churches through Family Promise. Churches including JUC will house families for one week on rotating basis while families get help with employment, housing, and other services. JUC has participated in this program for twenty years. JUC’s first hosting week in two years will be March 20-27.

Important changes

Covid Protocols: Masks required for everyone. Vaccines required for volunteers. Family Promise cannot mandate vaccines for guests per federal funding guidelines. However, Family Promise strongly promotes vaccines with financial incentives. The new protocols for guests include daily screenings, testing for anyone with any type of symptoms, hotel vouchers for anyone testing positive. We will have masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and wipes, taped areas for social distancing and a plastic partition in the van. Most important – guests will be housed in the main building rather than the Mills Building to allow for more distancing.

Some of our core volunteers are no longer available and we need about 80 volunteers to make this work safely. Volunteers can choose a variety of tasks, most are 2-3 hours long, some have no guest contact and some limited guest contact. All expenses are reimbursed by JUC.

Key Roles:

Setup Team: move in and setup all supplies stored in Family Promise shed, make beds. Sunday, March 20 at 12:30 p.m.
Take Down Team: pack all supplies, move to shed, stack bedding for laundry. March 27 at 7:15 a.m.
Laundry: pick up sacks of bedding on March 27-28, take home to launder and return to JUC.
Grocery Team: 2-4 people to purchase groceries needed for breakfast and packed lunches. Check supplies every other day to replenish.
Meal Team:2-3 people prepare a dinner meal at home and bring to JUC. Setup buffet table for guests to serve themselves; guests will bus dishes. Take down buffet and light cleanup. Dinner is served at 6pm and Saturday breakfast at 8 a.m.
Van Drivers: Drive guests from JUC to the day site at 6^th and Santa Fe and back. Take guests to showers and laundromat in evenings. Help – we have 18 slots to fill.
Evening Hosts: Act as JUC’s presence in the building keeping socially distanced. Answer questions, contact JUC’s coordinators, Family Promise staff on call, or 911 with any issues. Sunday through Saturday 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Overnight Hosts: Act as JUC’s presence in the building keeping socially distanced. Spend the night in a separate bedroom. Set out breakfast items on the buffet table. Answer questions, contact JUC’s coordinators, Family Promise staff on call, or 911 with any issues. Sunday through Saturday 8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. the next day.

Volunteer Sign Up

Habitat for Humanity Update

Andy Melick

Building Houses at Aria Homes

JUC is helping to sponsor and build another new house at Habitat Metro Denver’s Aria Homes. Aria is a multi-generational, mixed-income development on land donated by the Sisters of Saint Francis convent and school in North Denver. The project includes 28 Habitat townhomes, the first of which we sponsored and built last year along with Jeffco Interfaith Partners (JIP), the coalition of local churches which JUC founded over twenty years ago.

This year’s home has been framed and sheathed, and construction will continue through the spring. The house is a two-story end unit of a fourplex, two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths. JUC volunteers have already worked on the house during two days in February. Our next build day is Saturday, March 12. Sign up at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. Future build days will be announced as soon as they are assigned by Habitat Metro Denver.

The future residents of the home we’re building are Stephanie, a single mother, and her son Xavier. Habitat home ownership requires employment, financial need (more than 30% of the applicant’s income must be going toward housing), 200 hours of “sweat equity,” and assumption of a 30-year mortgage. The cost of housing in Denver has increased at two times the rate of incomes in the past decade. Over that same period, Stephanie and Xavier have lived in 11 different apartments, an unstable situation which leads to poor outcomes in health, education, and safety. The opportunity to own a home could be the single most transformative event of their lives.

Save the Date – Breakfast for Humanity

Habitat Metro Denver will host its annual Breakfast for Humanity on Wednesday, April 27. This year the event will be held both in person (at the Infinity Park Event Center in Glendale) and via Zoom. The breakfast is Habitat Metro Denver’s largest fundraiser of the year, but attendance does not require a donation. JUC will host a virtual table. JIP will host an in-person table. JUCers are welcome at both. Stay tuned for details.

Give Your Opinion on Jeffco’s Budget Priorities

Jill Armstrong, JUC CAN

Jefferson County is facing some major financial challenges in future years. The county has already made cuts within the General Fund to slow spending and balance the county’s budget – totaling $16.1 million in 2020 and approximately $8.7 million in 2021. These reductions have impacted essential public services such as public safety, roads and more.

Beginning in 2023, the county is facing up to an additional $20 million in cuts in the General Fund. Without support from voters for additional funding, these cuts will reduce programs and services and the county will not be able to deliver those programs and services in the way in which the community is accustomed.

Most importantly, it’s critical that your voice be heard. What are your needs and priorities? Which county services matter the most to you? The county has a survey to get your opinion on budget priorities.

On the survey, there is only one question that focuses on county services like rental assistance and mental health, two areas on which JUC Community Action Network (CAN) works. But by completing this survey, you also have an opportunity to express your opinion about other changes in the budget, including allowing the county to retain money that it currently receives, but must refund based on the TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) that was passed 30 years ago. This impacts the funds that the county can use to provide services of all kinds. Jefferson County and Weld County are the only two counties in Colorado that have not voted to limit or eliminate this restriction.

To get more information about the funding challenges and TABOR go to:

2022 Funding Challenges and What is TABOR?

If you would like to be added to the JUC CAN Action Alert list to receive occasional updates about housing issues and legislation, please send an email to:

communityaction@jeffersonunitarian.org.