UUFD Newsletter, July 2021

August 2021

Rest

Rev. Katie's Animas View

I’m writing this message to you before my vacation, when you’ll actually be reading this the day I return. Because of my son’s accident, we’ve had to cancel much of the vacation plans we had made. And, in my family, what we all need right now is rest.

I’ll be paying attention to the books on my pile: How to Do Nothing, by Jenny O’Dell, which elaborates “a practical philosophy to help us slow down and temporarily sidestep the forces aligned against both our mental health and long-term human survival.” And, another, Fierce Self Compassion, by Kristen Neff, learning that “the desire to alleviate suffering at the heart of this mindset isn't always gentle, sometimes it's fierce.”

The many traumas of the pandemic have left many of us weary and “crispy.” My goal for my time away is to re-fill my cup, so that I can return to the congregation with an open heart, able to be responsive to the year ahead.

I follow an Instagram account led by black women called “The Nap Ministry.” They describe their efforts as an examination of “the liberating power of naps. We believe rest is a form of resistance and reparations.” It’s a great reminder to me as a white person how capitalism has set us all up to not think we are enough. Just as we are.

As a Unitarian Universalist, I want to remember our counter-cultural commission to remember “the inherent worth and dignity” of people outside of their productivity. We are all worth it.

I look forward to seeing you at worship on Sunday, August 1st.

Blessings to you all for a restful summer.

Always in the love,

Katie

August Services (in person and online)

Worship services will now be held both in person at the sanctuary and via Zoom. Please choose the option that makes you most comfortable. To join a Zoom worship, look for the link on the UUFD website.

SUMMER SERIES:

"Lead Ourselves Into the Well"

Our Summer Series this year uses a song as a touchstone: “We Shall Be Known” by MaMuse. Many recordings of the song can be found online, including one by the duo who wrote the song, Sarah Nutting & Karisha Longaker. You may recognize the song from a Sunday service earlier in the year when the UUFD choir performed it.

One line in the song in particular inspired our theme: “It is time we lead ourselves into the well.” As we imagine what those words might mean, we envision speakers telling their personal story about what leads them into a deeper, fuller spiritual life where they thrive - what leads them “into the well.”

We hope that our Summer Series will provide an opportunity to learn from each other the many ways to “lead in love,” as MaMuse encourages us to do during this “Great Turning.” The Great Turning is a name for the essential adventure of our time: a transition between eras, a shift from the Industrial Growth Society to a life-sustaining civilization. Joanna Macy speaks of the Great Turning as a spiritual revolution grounded in an awakening consciousness of our spiritual connection to one another and the living body of the Earth.

–The Worship Team: Anna Royer, Bonnie Miller, Tom Miller, Sheryl Guy, Tim Miller, Mary Ocken

August 1

The Timeless Path of Druidry

-Cathryn Bauer, pulpit guest

What is the Druid faith for a Unitarian Universalist today? We’ll discover how it might manifest in these times, complementing Unitarian Universalism and providing us inspiration.

Aug 8

Burn Scars: How We Face Trauma in the Plague Year

-Jarrad Maiers, pulpit guest

How have people managed the collective trauma of going through a pandemic? Are there lessons to be learned from others (like an Emergency Physician) about how we can move forward through the burnout we are all experiencing?

August 15

So It Goes

-Rev. Lucas Hergert, pulpit guest, and Rev. Kandarian-Morris

Today we’ll celebrate the absurdities of life, with a little help from one of Unitarian Universalism’s favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut.

August 22

By the Book

-Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

The Sunday New York Times features a regular column on writers and what has influenced them. How might we answer the questions they are asked, such as, ‘what’s on your nightstand?’, ‘your favorite book as a child?’, ‘what book most influenced you?’ Bring a book to give away and receive another.

August 29*

Down to the River

-Rev. Katie K.M. and Worship Team

Let’s gather at Pine Song, near Vallacito Reservoir, to consider what moves us, what inspires us, and how community might serve as the “something larger” that keeps us whole and gives us meaning. Come on down!

*No worship this morning at the UUFD sanctuary or on Zoom.

A month of transition for our fellowship

Message from John Redemske, UUFD Board President

Dear fellow members of UUFD,

July has been a month of transition for the Board. We have three new Board members, Carolyn Miller, Jill Bystydzienski and Steve Govreau, and as I am writing this newsletter, we have yet to have our first formal Board meeting scheduled for July 27. In addition, Terri Reherman, the board Vice President, resigned from the Board at the end of June. We therefore have a new vacancy on the Board, so if anyone is interested in participating on the Board, please contact Nancy Burpee.

The Board members have started to discuss our vision for the coming year. Enhanced communication and the resulting transparency is a very important goal for the coming year. It was recognized that this goal of the board's has some common features with the aims of the Healthy Congregations Committee (HCC). A joint discussion meeting with the Board and the HCC was held in July to share insights regarding the goal of improved communication and transparency. One of the immediate improvements in Board communication that you'll see is that the Board meeting minutes will be made available to the fellowship about a week after the Board meeting.

July has also been a transition time for the fellowship as we started in-person services, with Zoom participation by people who could not attend for various reasons. The Worship team of Mary Ocken, Anna Royer, Tom and Bonnie Miller, Tim Miller and Sheryl Guy are to be commended for creating multiplatform services during July that have worked quite well. The Zoom feature has allowed members who could not attend in person to participate in the service and even share their joys and concerns from hundreds of miles away! This is a great example how we can become a more inclusive congregation! Our use of Zoom started by necessity with Covid, but the benefits of including those that are away will last well after Covid is a just a distant memory!

The equipment for properly doing a Zoom multiplatform service has been specified, and at the June 22 Board meeting, the purchase of the needed equipment was approved. Over the coming months, as this equipment becomes operational, the benefits of the multiplatform service will become increasingly apparent.

I continue to be excited about this year's prospects for becoming an even more cohesive, loving and caring congregation!

With deep gratitude for you all,

John Redemske

FROLIC is back!

Attend, donate, bid, and enjoy joyful connection and community

It has been a hard year for everyone, but take heart…FROLIC is back!

Mark your calendar for Oct. 8 from 5 to 8 pm at UUFD.

What is FROLIC? A Fabulous Rousing Outrageous Lively Irresistible Celebration! It’s a party with live and silent auctions featuring master of ceremonies Bob Griffith, a great evening’s entertainment including a performance by the Floozies, delicious food and drink, and a fundraiser for our fellowship. UU members, their friends and family are all welcome!

At the heart of it all are our donations. We are looking for great donations to make this a wonderful event.

What do people donate? Here are some examples:

A homemade pie, cake, cupcakes, or bread
Services such as tech help, pet sitting, gardening, dog walking, babysitting
Cioppino dinner, Greek feast, Italian dinner, Mardi Gras Fajitas with Margaritas dinner, game night with pizza
A week’s stay at a mountain cabin
Cocktails on the terrace, Oscars party
Wildflower walk with an expert, fly fishing excursion, guided wilderness hike
Sailing on Lake Navajo, boat tour of Lake Nighthorse
Workshops: origami gift box, writing a memoir, knife sharpening, nature photography
Healing and mindfulness sessions: yoga, meditation
Tarot card reading
Flowers or cheese delivered once a year or every quarter
Ski lesson for two hours with a ski instructor

Do we take items as donations? YES, if they’re new or like new: this is not a garage sale! Popular items include works of art, handmade pottery, fabric creations, handcrafted wooden art or furniture, and sporting goods.

How do I give? Fill out a donation form at the ticket desk in front of church, or online at the UUFD website.

-From your friendly Donations team: Elizabeth Long, Allison Anderson, Ilona Hruska, Connie Jacobs, and Peter Tregillus. Call if you have questions.

Recital Series returns

Series kicks off on Oct 1 with Montage Music Society

The Recital Series is back!

The Recital Series that was cancelled for 2020-21 has been rescheduled for this next season. The first recital will be presented on Oct. 1 by the Montage Music Society from Santa Fe. They will bring a piano trio and perform 20th-century music inspired by visual art (images of the art will be shown). The artists are Carla Kountoupes, violin, Sally Guenther, cello, and Debra Ayers, piano.

The second recital will feature the Southwest Piano Trio on Dec. 3. The artists are Lauren Avery, violinist and Concertmaster of the San Juan Symphony, Anastasia Nellos, cellist in the symphony and active performer from Albuquerque, and Marilyn Garst on the piano. This piano trio program will be entirely different from the first recital since the program includes two masterpieces from the standard repertoire by Beethoven and Brahms plus a 20th-century work by Tomas Svoboda, Czech-American composer.

On Feb. 11, 2022, John O'Neal will present a percussion recital featuring the marimba and various drums. He will be assisted by Joe Nibley, trumpet, and both artists are music faculty members at Fort Lewis College. The season will close on April 22 with a recital by Andreas Tischhauser, flute, and Marilyn Garst, piano. They will perform four duos by 20th-century composers from four countries, the U.S., France, Russia and Czechoslovakia.

Information about ticket purchase and protocols related to COVID-19 will be available at a later date.

Singers, save the date!

Choir retreat August 28

All past, current and prospective members are invited to the UUFD Choir Retreat at Pine Song, near Vallecito, on Saturday, August 28, 9 am - 4 pm. If you have thought about joining the choir, this would be a great way to get a vocal “tune up” and get to know this friendly and talented group. Contact Elizabeth at choir@durangouu.org for details.

Share the Plate - Nominate!

Social Responsibility and Justice (SRJ) Special Feature

Do you know of a nonprofit based in the Four Corners area that is doing important social justice work? Might they be in need of financial support?

August is the month when the Social Responsibility and Justice Coordinating Team accepts nominations from the congregation for new recipients of our Share the Plate collections. In September the Coordinating Team reviews received nominations and selects four recipients. Each selected recipient will be given donations for a three-month period in a year-long cycle which begins in October.

In the process of selection, the Coordinating Team reviews information provided by the nominator about the organization, with special attention to the following criteria:

Is the organization a nonprofit based in the Four Corners area?
Is its work focused on pressing social justice issues?
How strongly does its work align with current UUFD social justice teams and priorities (Basic Needs, LGBTQIA+, Healing Racism, Environmental Justice)?

To nominate a nonprofit to receive Share the Plate funds, complete a nomination form and return to the SRJ Coordinating Team care of Bonnie Miller by August 31. Forms are available during social time after each Sunday service in August, or you can click here to download and print a form. Or fill out the form online here, and your answers will be sent directly to the SRJ Team.

Our congregation is persistently generous in donations to Share the Plate, with a monthly average near $1000 or more in recent times. We hear from organizations that have received our donations that our funds make a significant impact in their ability to fulfill their mission in our community. Show your love for your favorite nonprofit and nominate!

Healthy Congregation Committee

Are we striving to make everyone "happy"?

The Healthy Congregation Committee continues to meet every two weeks. This past week we also had a joint meeting with the Board of Trustees to share philosophies, discuss a draft of the Relational Covenant, and look at next steps for ways of enhancing communication and transparency within the congregation. The Relational Covenant is an expansion of our UUFD Affirmation that we speak together weekly.

The philosophy shared by both the HCC and the BOT is that the church is a complex system of interconnected and interrelated parts, similar to the interconnectedness of all living systems. To try to “fix” one part of the system affects the balance of the entire system, similar to the instability of a mobile if one piece is changed or removed. Any attempt to “fix” one complaint often creates more complaints as the congregation continuously adjusts to each individual fix.

In a congregation that values diversity, should we strive toward making everyone in the congregation “happy”? Probably not possible. In the article, “The Illusion of Congregational Happiness,” Rendle (2010) states that using happiness as a criterion for solving complaints or individual demands seldom leads to satisfaction; it just keeps the system out of balance. The focus must remain on the mission of the church, guided by our Affirmation and Relational Covenant, for it to remain healthy. We encourage all members to read more about this concept in this article.

The HCC believes that we can address our differences by developing a system of communication that is respectful and empathic, acknowledges the importance of our mission, and maintains a sacred focus in all of our UUFD relationships. Look for more about this in upcoming newsletters and bulletins.