UUFD Newsletter, December 2022

December 2022

December Services

Services begin at 10:00 a.m. in our sanctuary, located at the corner of West Third and San Juan Drive (419 San Juan Drive) in Durango. If you are unable to attend, we stream the service on Zoom, which you can find by clicking here.

Theme for December: Wonder

December 4

The Welcome Presence of Darkness

Rev. Barbara Coeyman

Sometime in our binary way of thinking about the world, we associate ‘light’ with ‘good’ and ‘dark’ with ‘bad.’ Let’s up-end this thinking by considering darkness as an important component of spiritual deepening and renewal. Let’s explore how we can find mindfulness and renewal in the darkness.

December 11

Peace, Joy and Ho! Ho! Ho!

Led by Faith Formation team

Once upon a time, there was a family reunion at the UUFD Bed and Breakfast where all the members of the family gathered for a festival and the most blessed of events, the birth of a baby. So many arrived, in fact, there was no room at the Inn … we all know how that story went. What you don’t know is that angels may be secret snowboarders or that God sent a film crew to record this important event. Come participate in the fun and frivolity with the children and youth of UUFD, and sing along with the choir. To receive your proper dose of Christmas spirit, please wear your most fun Christmas sweater.

December 18

Mid-Winter Taizé Meditation

Rev. Barbara Coeyman

Today, resonate with the sounds and spirit of Taizé music, a worship tradition which originated in the 1940s in the Taizé Monastic Order in Burgundy, France, bringing Catholics and Protestants together in common ritual. An authentic Taizé worship service involves sung and chanted prayers, meditation, silence, and readings rather than a sermon. We incorporate elements of Taizé worship into the UUFD Order of Service as we celebrate the arrival of winter.

December 24, 4:00 pm

Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Service

Come, join this holiday tradition. Bring friends and family to this multi-generational service of Lessons and Carols of the season. Music and readings will be offered by UUFD’s members and friends of all ages, followed by the traditional candlelighting ceremony. Bring holiday treats for a reception after the first service. The offering at this service supports the UUFD Minister’s Discretionary Fund, a confidential fund available to members and friends during times of financial hardship.

December 25, Christmas Day: No service

Message from Rev. Barbara

Updates and Current Activities from the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association)

One role of UU ministers is to keep the communities they serve informed of activities of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and to encourage their communities to participate in local, regional, and national activities available to them. Periodically I will devote my column in this monthly newsletter to updates from the UUA. When so much of life may seem in flux right now, perhaps you are thinking that you don’t have room to add more to your plate. I encourage you to make some place for news about your denomination. The UUA staff is here to support all congregations and individuals, especially through the forward movement of embracing change as during an interim ministry such as many of us experienced during the recent Start-Up Workshop. The UUA is here “because of the commitment congregations have made to each other to support a broader Association that can employ and strengthen our shared values, support congregations and leaders in time so need, and be more than any of us can be on our own,” words from UUA President Susan Frederick Gray.

Please see here information about a By-Laws Revision (referred to as “Article II”); news about the next national Presidential election; a reminder about the 2020 Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) report, “Widening the Circle of Concern;” and a “Save the Date” for the 2023 national General Assembly (GA), in Pittsburgh, PA, June 21-25.

Article II Study: Article II is that section of UUA By-Laws that contains the Purposes, the Seven UU Principles, and the Six Sources of Unitarian Universalism. Because Article II must be evaluated every fifteen years, a Study Commission has been working for over a year to consider possible revisions, soliciting input from many UU groups and individuals, and offering conversations about their revisions through workshops and discussion group. See this article. The current draft (read it here) defines seven values of Unitarian Universalism: Interdependence, Equity, Generosity, Justice, Evolution, and Pluralism, with Love at the center. Parish ministers and other religious professionals are encouraged to share this draft of Article II with their congregations and to invite feedback. This draft will come before the 2023 General Assembly, with a final vote at GA 2024.

Presidential Search 2023: Starting with the last election for President of the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2017, nominees for this post have been chosen by a UUA Presidential Search Committee, committed to a spirit of transparency in their selection process. The search committee has recently announced the Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt as their nominee, the election to be conducted at General Assembly in June 2023. From a UUA Press Release, November 15, 2022: “The President is the primary public and spiritual leader of Unitarian Universalism, as well as the UUA’s Chief Executive Officer.” Rev. Dr. Betancourt brings much experience and many attributes to this position, including ministry to congregations, faculty at UU Starr King School for the Ministry, and service as Interim Co-Presidents of the UUA in 2017. Nomination petitions from additional candidates may be submitted until February 1, 2023. The new president will serve a six-year, non-renewal term.

Commission on Institutional Change: The UUA President must also promote “dismantling societal systems and creating communities of equity, belonging, and liberation,” most directly by supporting the 2020 report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change entitled “Widening the Circle of Concern.” This report is often described as an articulation of the UUA’s commitment to Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression, and Multi-Culturalism (AR AO MC). I urged everyone at UUFD to read this report, available here or in published form from the UUA Bookstore. Additionally, I urge UUFD to take up the Study/Action Guide which accompanies this report as part of Social Justice and Adult Education activities.

General Assembly 2023: It’s not too early for UUFD congregants and staff to plan for the next UUA General Assembly, in-person or online. Scholarships are available, and I as interim minister am happy to mentor anyone who would like to attend, in what to expect at a national assembly of UUs.

This month...Wonder!

Faith Formation Update

“Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger protects that which is loved. And when we think we have reached our limit, wonder is the act that returns us to love.” Valarie Kaur, activist, film maker and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project.

It’s exactly right the theme presented by Soul Matters Sharing Circle for December is wonder. I suspect most of us remember the wonder we experienced as children over this season—the sound of bells outside that might belong to flying reindeer or the aromas of baking the traditional goodies made by our mothers and grandmothers. Do we dare experience wonder now as we did then?

Children and Youth

Mark your calendars for December 11 and plan to have fun at Worship Service that day. Faith Formation is presenting a brand new “minimal rehearsal” play, “Peace, Joy, and Ho, Ho, Ho!” filled with song, frivolity, and a new take on there being no room at the inn. Wear your loudest, most fun Christmas sweater, be prepared to sing familiar carols with the choir and the kids, perhaps be drafted into the production, and to receive a healthy dose of the holiday spirit.

December 18 is a special day for the kids with a return of Holiday Shopping. The children and youth can select from for gifts for their family members during our free Holiday Shopping event.

For this to happen, Faith Formation needs your donations. Examples from previous years include jewelry, picture frames, home decor, special cups, candles, scarves, puzzles, Christmas ornaments, books, toys. Place donation items into the box labeled “Holiday Shopping” at the back of the Sanctuary. Many thanks for the donations so far. Donation deadline: December 15

Adult Faith Development Opportunities

Watch for an announcement coming later this month to register for Circles of Trust, based on the work of Parker Palmer and the organization he founded, The Center for Courage and Renewal. Reverend Barbara, who is a licensed facilitator, will lead these classes.

Also watch for an announcement for new classes sponsored by the Soul Matters Sharing Circle for Creativity Matters and UU Writers that will form in January.

Are you interested in joining a daytime covenant group or Zoom covenant group? If so, please send an email to Sharon Mignerey.

Personal Faith Development

The root word, wunder, from the Old English defines wonder as “miracle, marvel, horror, monster.” We easily see why. The fresh, sparkling snow on our mountains can become a rushing avalanche, which can be amazing or horrifying. Philosophers and scientist both embrace wonder. From the mystic, Gurudev Sri Sri Revi Shankar, “Curiosity is the mother of science. Wonder is the mother of spirituality.” From astronomer Phil Plait, “Some people say that science takes the wonder out of life. Those people are utterly wrong. Science takes us to wonder.” We can see this within the discoveries from the Webb telescope where wonder is at the root of our observations, whether we feel in awe of creation or whether we are in awe of the scientific discoveries..

During this busiest time of year, remember to pause a little. Imagine your own “I wonder” by contemplating these words from the ground breaking scientist, Rachel Carson. “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’” Then …

Take an “awe” walk without your usual distractions. What surrounds you that you had taken for granted? If you had to describe this to someone who has never been here, what would you say?
Through your most preferred artistic medium, create something that honors the ordinary wonders of your life. This might be a collage of your dog, a recording of your kids, or a poem or short story.
Bundle up and go outside at night to take in the wonder of the stars and this thought as the basis for meditation: You are made up of the same stardust as those most distant points of light.

In closing, the words of René Descartes. “Wonder is the first of all the passions.”

Love is the doctrine of this church...service is its prayer

Update from Social Responsibility and Justice

Prayer means many different things to different people and includes a great variety of practices. In UUFD, one of the ways we express prayer is to be of service in our world. And by this definition, we are a deeply prayerful community! Here are a few examples of recent service by our members.

Serving our public education partners. We monthly provide treats and encouraging notes to the staff of Needham Elementary. This year we helped serve Thanksgiving lunch to students and their families as the school was able to restart this special tradition.

Serving those with food insecurity. In addition to teams helping serve food at Manna soup kitchen each month, teams sorting and boxing food at Durango Food Bank and making home deliveries, we hosted a food drive to help DFB with items needed for Thanksgiving food boxes.

Serving women and girls around the world. The Days for Girls team continues to sew and provide reusable menstrual hygiene kits to those who have no access to disposable products. Current priority is women at the border in Mexico.

Serving children in foster care. The Mission: Support Kids team provided support backpacks to all children entering foster care in La Plata County and surrounding area. For the team's winter newsletter, click here.

Serving English Language Learners. We purchased children’s and adult’s books written in Spanish and placed them in free Little Libraries located in Durango areas where greater numbers of Spanish-speaking families live.

Serving community diversity efforts. We contributed funds to support the SW Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Group with their monthly speaker workshop series for nonprofit organizations in our area working to build inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Serving our LGBTQIA+ community. We helped sponsor the Durango Pride Festival and showed support through our UUFD parade float and festival booth.

Serving immigrants and asylee seekers. We remain a partner with Compañeros and with the Colorado Immigrant Resource Center recruiting host homes and other support for families seeking safety and opportunity in the U.S.

Serving community environmental efforts. We continue as partners, supporters and advocates for the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency, San Juan Citizens Alliance, and the city of Durango’s environmental efforts.

Serving survivors of grief. We’ve made our facilities available at no cost for the summer Kids Grief Camp and follow-up monthly sessions, plus monthly Survivors of Suicide sessions.

In addition to direct service, our congregation supports other needs in our community and around the world with donations to Share the Plate recipients, the Durango Adult Education Scholarship Fund, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and disbursements from our Disaster Relief and Development Fund.

If you want to up your own prayer-life and experience the joys of meaningful service to others, contact Bonnie Miller [email protected] to find out how you can join in!

UUFD volunteers provide treats to the staff of Needham Elementary one Friday each month.

The cafeteria at Needham Elementary, filled with students and families enjoying Thanksgiving lunch. UUFD volunteers helped serve food as a part of our efforts to serve and partner with local educators.

Personnel Committee seeks member

Do you have HR experience?

The UUFD Personnel Committee (Allison Andersen - Chair, Ilona Hruska - team member) is seeking one new member, for a total of three. We are looking for someone with some HR experience. Initially, we will be focusing on bringing our Employee Handbook into compliance with state statutes, assisting in music staffing needs and designing an employee appraisal process. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested.