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Sunday Morning Service & Religious Education at 10:30am
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February 25
“Wherever You Go, There You Are: A Service on Mindfulness.” We will explore mindfulness and how we can live it every day, in all we do. Led by Beth Sperry and members of the UUFoM Sangha.
Children's Circle - "The Greatest of These is Love" A lesson based around a well-known 1st Corinthians verse about faith, hope, and love, which asserts that love is the greatest of the three. This lesson does not center on a story but on exploration. https://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/children/toolbox/session13/109834.shtml
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To ensure security of our Fellowship property, we need to know the location of all building keys. A number of our existing keys are unaccounted for, having been given to various members without being tracked. We are instituting a new procedure to issue UUFOM keys based on need, and to retrieve keys from members when their need has passed.
To start with a fresh slate, we are re-keying all the doors at UUFOM. Each of the new keys will be numbered, and a record will be kept of who has each one. Keys will be issued to members and employees who require building access to perform their assigned roles. Special keys will also be issued for entry to the offices, piano, sound system cabinet, and maintenance rooms. Members who receive keys will be required to return them when they no longer need them (e.g. when they leave their role).
The locks will be changed on or shortly after March 12, 2018. A list of keyholders can be found under the password-protected section of the UUFOM website here. If you feel you need a key but are not on the list, you may submit a key request form that will be available in the foyer and on the website. Please contact Sandy Hay (Sexton) or Tim Wagner (Building & Grounds Chair) with further questions. |
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Preventing Gun Violence in Schools and Houses of Worship
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 FOOD ART GALLERY
April 1, 2018 - After the Service
CALLING ALL MEMBERS WHO LIKE FOOD AND ART!
WE NEED YOU!
The UUFoM Youth Group will host a Food Art Gallery after the service on April 1. EVERYONE is invited to make an edible food sculpture for the Gallery. The congregants will be able to buy tickets to vote for the pieces. The piece of art which receives the most votes will win! Sculptures will also be auctioned (silently) for congregational consumption. There will be additional items for fun purchase and take home. All funds raised will go to the Humane Society of Midland which runs the Midland Animal Shelter.
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Living Our Values Summit Results
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Nearly a dozen UUFOM members attended the recent Living our Values summit and committed themselves to organize social justice efforts at UUFOM in ways that will be more visible in the congregation and the larger community.
Organizing team leads will be:
Hunger and Homelessness: Amy Rogers
Protecting our Environment: Jim Crissman
LGBT Rights: Jacob Guettler
Racial Justice: Elspeth Hetrick
A preliminary schedule of monthly focus areas around these themes was determined, beginning with Hunger and Homelessness in March, and Protecting our Environment in April.
We talked about five major ways to do social justice work: Service, education, advocacy, organizing, and witness (visibly supporting the principles of one’s faith). And we considered three criteria for focusing action efforts:
Need: A need exists (as determined by those who might be served by our efforts)
Capacity: We have the ability to make a difference in this area
Passion: We are excited about doing this work
We will consider ways to get involved as a congregation in projects that are already going on in the community (and that some congregants may already be doing), as well as multiple ways to involve congregants depending on their own abilities and passions. Watch for more information about specific ways to participate.
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Ruth Ellis Center: Blanket & Scarf Collection
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Blankets and scarves needed. If you would like to knit or donate a scarf or blanket for the Ruth Ellis Center for LGBTQ youth, we are holding an informal collection all winter long. Scarves and blankets should NOT be made of cotton, and should NOT be too colorful (especially not rainbow colors).
Thank you to everyone who donated blankets and scarves to the Ruth Ellis Center. On January 26, Jacob Guettler delivered the first batch of donations - 1.5 full-sized bags. All donations will help keep homeless LGBTQ youth warm this winter. The collection will continue until the end of March. We are grateful for everyone's generosity as we continue to live our UU values. If you have any questions, please contact Jacob Guettler: [email protected] or 989-492-4414. |
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Got Race? American's Most Successful Ad Campaign
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 Rev. Dr. Thandeka traces the hidden history of racial identity-formation and how whites and blacks were made in America on Thursday, March 29 at 7:00 pm at UUFoM.
Thandeka is a Unitarian Universalist minister, scholar, and congregational organizer. Information about Thandeka and her Love Beyond Belief™ work is available at http://revthandeka.org/about-rev-thandeka.html. This event is free and open to the public.
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How do people of diverse beliefs become part of one congregation? “UUFOM and You,” led by Rev. Connie Grant, Linda Rector, Judy Donahue, and Sara Clavez, will be held on Saturday, April 14, 9AM - 12PM.
If you think you may have found a spiritual home at UUFOM and are ready to consider becoming a member, or if you are already a member and want to know more, please come! Register here or contact Rev. Connie Grant at [email protected].
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 General Assembly is the Annual Meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process.
The 2018 General Assembly will be June 20-24 in Kansas City, Missouri. Most General Assembly events will be held in the Kansas City Convention Center. Anyone may attend. UUFOM is entitled to be represented by two voting delegates.
The theme of this year’s General Assembly is "All Are Called," centering around the question “How can we faithfully meet the demands of our time?” GA will offer more than 175 programming selections on a wide variety of topics related to spiritual and religious development and congregational life. More information is available at www.uua.org/ga. GA Registration and the GA Housing Reservation System open at 9 am CST on March 1.
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 WEDNESDAY TEA & MEDITATION
Three Jewels Sangha
Wednesdays
February 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
Tea in the Emerson Room at 5:30
Meditation in the Meditation Room at 6pm
Come join us for meditation and tea! Every Wednesday we will begin at 5:30pm for tea and conversation in the Emerson Room, followed by group meditation starting at 6pm downstairs in the Meditation Room. We will be trying a variety of meditation practices, including completely silent meditation.
The type of meditation planned for each week will be announced on the Facebook page for the group and by email. If you would like to be put on the email list, please contact Dani Fillmore at [email protected].
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A Chosen Faith Discussion Group
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An exploration of sources from which Unitarian Universalism draws, based on A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism by John Buehrens and Forrest Church. Suitable for longtime members as well as those who may be new to Unitarian Universalism, led by Rev. Connie Grant. Plan to attend all the sessions or as many as you can.
All meetings are 7:00 – 8:30 pm.
Tuesday, Mar 20: Humanist teachings (reason and science)
Tuesday, Apr 17: Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions
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MARCH THEME – TRUTH
The Fifth Source: Reason and Science - Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
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March 4 "The Kalama Sutta" (Buddhist) This story is based on the Kalama Sutta: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
March 11 "The Wise Teacher’s Test" This story is from the Spirit Play CD. It explores the question of what – rightfully or wrongfully – is the right path of wisdom.
March 18 "Origin of the Moon" This is a lesson from the Spirit Play CD that explores the scientific origin of the moon.
March 25 "My name is Stardust" (Harris) – This story was written by a child with help from her parents. It explores the history of the universe and the amazing, wondrous fact of how we are connected to the very stars themselves.
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From the Director of Religious Education
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Reason and Truth – A RE-flection
Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Our Fourth Principle calls on us each to seek truth and meaning in our lives and in the world. A central human desire is for our lives to be meaningful, impactful. We want to matter. This is intuitive. It is not enough to simply find meaning though. It is important for the meaning that we find in life to be true. Religion provides many tools to help us find that truth. Buddhism calms the mind and helps us achieve clarity of thought. The Golden Rule of many traditions urges us toward choices that are good and harm none while loving ourselves and our neighbors. This month we are exploring the Fifth Source - which encourages us to draw on another resource to help us find what is true and meaningful: the resource of Science and Reason.
As a physicist, the Fifth Source is one that is near and dear to my heart. In the past, before I joined Unitarian Universalism, I had a long-standing ambivalence about drawing on science for religious purposes. Part of my ambivalence was because I had been taught to rigidly separate Science and Religion. Often, people I loved and cared about would argue that faith could not be informed by logic and reason, because then it would not be faith. Faith was important to them; it was often vital to their endurance through harsh experiences, including losses. They believed the only way prevent science from affecting their faith was to never mix the two.
Over the years, I came to realize that this understanding limited both faith and science. Specifically, it denied that science was of any value to a person of faith, and it limited faith to a particular belief in a doctrine, instead of embracing its potential to be a source of clarity. This was an important realization because the other part of my ambivalence was because religion has sometimes been used in biased ways. As a scientist, it is very important to me to avoid bias. This means keeping political scheming out of science, and it means keeping religious doctrine out as well. Religious doctrine requires an adherence to a particular doctrinal truth or a creed, which is an obstacle to objective research. Scientists are always seeking both the results that confirm our theories, but also those that might disprove them. A “failed” test can be as important, if not more so, than a test that simply confirms our expectations. It is by being wrong that our understanding grows. Unitarian Universalism has a powerful draw to me as a scientist, because it also does not bind us to a single doctrine (or religious bias). It also finds growth in being wrong and does not fear the unknown. It, too, questions.
What is happening in Religious Education at our Fellowship?
- This past month, the Children’s Circle learned about all the varieties of ways different religions instruct us to love each other and care for each alone, the role of love in Judaism, Christianity, and more.
- 25 Valentines were sent to patients in the hospital by students in the Children’s Circle and the Middle School Jedi program. MidMichigan Health News includes mention.
- Soup and Sources was held - celebrating love and what it is to be a good neighbor.
- The Youth Group met and made plans for a Food Art Gallery to raise money for the Midland Animal Shelter through the Humane Society.
- We have a middle-schooler participating in "Our Whole Lives" Sexuality Education at the United Church of Christ.
- The Religious Education team has began to explore options for a sleepover, a puzzle room break-out event, a possible youth con and more.
Heather Cleland-Host, UUFOM Director of Religious Education
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Soup and Sources: What is truth? Science & Religion
March 16 at 5:30pm
Joint Activities
7PM Break-Outs: Children’s Movie & Source Discussion
Soup & Sources is a fun multi-generational program where we gather together for a social dinner and then learn together about the Sources. We will be eating together and sharing some multi-generational activities together, followed by breakouts based on those who would prefer to play and those who would prefer to have a discussion of this month’s Source.
Soup and Pizza will be provided (If you like making soup, let me know.) We will have soup, pizza, and salad (please email if you have special food needs.) We will have activities as you arrive to help meet each other, during the meal (small groups to eat together,) and following the meal. The program is for all ages – kid and adult friendly!
THIS MONTH: We are exploring the Fifth Source. The fifth source calls us to draw on Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit. For this reason, this month’s theme is Truth.
What to bring: Yourselves! If you feel inspired, you can bring a sweet dessert to share, but this is intended as a free event.
Please RSVP to [email protected] by Sunday March 11, so we can know how much soup or pizza to order.
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Jedi Academy & Youth Group
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March 4 Kalama Sutta
March 18 Humanist Manifesto
April 1 Food Art Gallery
Jedi Academy and the Youth Group meet every other Sunday. Jedi Academy is a religious education program run during the service, and the youth group meets after the service for lunch and fun from 12-1PM. At the next meeting, on March 4, they will be having an Anime Film Festival (bring your favorite Anime) and planning for their Food Art Gallery.
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HOW TO VOLUNTEER:
- We have opportunities during the service and outside of the service. We can use help volunteering or with projects.
- Sign up online for Volunteering on Sundays! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fEfki90XNwlmkwxai-fwSVf6whww2oY-aLM3JnK0H2g/edit#gid=0
- SOURCE EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITY: Do you have a Source that especially inspires or interests you? We are devoting a month to each of the Sources. Commit to spending a month on the Source you are passionate about. Volunteer for 2-3 Sundays in that month, instead of just 1-2. If you have never volunteered, start as a Doorkeeper the first week. Volunteer next as an Activity Leader (Wizard,) and finally as a Storyteller. Explore the Source with the Children! We also have opportunities to be a Jedi Knight or Master in the Middle School Program – again consider signing up for a series of weeks instead of just one.
- Volunteer as the Adult Religious Education (ARE) Contact. We are actively seeking a point person for Adult Religious Education classes. The ARE Contact would be the go-to person for anyone interested in leading adult classes and would attend the Lifespan Ministry Team meetings.
Contact [email protected] for more information.
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NOTES FROM THE SACRED GROVE
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 Snowfort season will end within a month. In some years, we’ve had pretty nice forts. By mid-February 2015, the fort was big enough for Rowan to stand inside with plenty of headroom, for family D&D games, and for our whole Adventure scout team to fit comfortably inside! It had four clear ice windows, three large ice shelves, and electricity. We iced it 6 times (with nights as low as -20 F), and then let cold snaps go unused because we had so much ice already. Icing? Well, when it’s cold enough, we’ll set up a fine mist sprayer to ice the fort overnight.
With a patch of warm weather on the way in a few days, the kids realized last night that their last chance for a 2018 snow fort could be about to slip away. So they dug out the medium sized snowpile we had, and made a fort. With the job search underway, it might be our last one here in Midland. The wild swings that gave us this mild winter, 2015’s polar deep freeze and massive snowfalls are all the result of human-made climate change – which most Americans still deny exists. For Pagans, climate change is a spiritual and moral issue – another issue where we can act in our role as the thinking part of the web of life. With the climate unravelling around us, let us each do what we can to slow climate change, and educate those who deny that it’s real.
Blessed be – Jon Cleland Host
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The Midland Community Orchestra, under the direction of Gina Provenzano, will present a winter concert on Sunday, March 11 at 3:00 in the Bullock Creek Auditorium. The program will feature music by female composers Amy Beach and Linda Robbins Coleman, as well as Bach, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Berlioz and Rimsky-Korsakov. Jan Pickering, Cindy Mikulin and Susan Mercy will be featured soloists.
The concert is FREE.
The Midland Community Orchestra will be holding their 2nd annual Chamber Ensemble Showcase on Friday, March 16 at Creative 360 at 7:00 p.m. Admission is FREE.
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Our website has undergone a few changes. Unfortunately, some are unable to view these changes. The Fellowship Office is working on these issues. Until the problem is resolved, here are links for the new sections of the website.
What's New - https://www.uufom.org/category/whats-new/
Members Section - https://www.uufom.org/formembers/
If you have any questions, please contact Wendy - [email protected].
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Labeled contribution envelopes are available in the lobby under the chimes for Pledge, Endowment, Sunday Offering, and other Special Contributions. Labeled envelopes will clarify contributions. You may still use the Sunday offering basket with or without the envelopes.
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| 02/25 |
10:30 AM |
Sunday Service - Wherever You Go, There You Are: A Service on Mindfulness. |
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10:30 AM |
Children's Circle - The Greatest of These is Love |
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7 PM |
AA Meeting |
| 02/27 |
6:30 PM |
Improv Group Rehearsal |
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7 PM |
Board Meeting |
| 02/28 |
5:30 PM |
Three Jewels Sangha |
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7 PM |
Choir Rehearsal |
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8 PM |
AA Meeting |
| 03/01 |
11:30 AM |
Staff Meeting |
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7 PM |
CUUPS Ritual |
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Submit all meeting and room requests to [email protected]
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Pastoral Care Ministry Team
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February/March contact:
Gisela Bailey 989-708-1344
Our Pastoral Care Ministry Team is here for you. We can provide a meal, a ride, some respite or a supportive ear and a cup of coffee.
We maintain a volunteer list where you can identify ways to help a fellowship member in need. Please click here to fill out the Pastoral Care Volunteer Form online.
Joys & Sorrows of the congregation are available to members and friends on our website.
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The Weekly Candle Flame is published each Friday. Submission deadline is Monday for Friday publication. Please send submissions to [email protected].
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Fellowship Office Hours
Monday 10am-1pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 9am-3pm
[email protected]
Rev. Connie Grant
Interim Minister
Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 11am-3pm or by appointment
[email protected]
(847) 840-8542
In case of a pastoral emergency, call anytime
Wendy Altmeier
Office Assistant
Office Hours
Monday 10am-1pm
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 8:30am-1pm
[email protected]
989-631-1162
Heather Cleland-Host
Director of Religious Education
Office Hours
Tues. & Thurs. 10am-12pm or by appointment
[email protected]
Sandy Hay
Sexton
[email protected]
(918) 698-0311
In case of building emergency, call anytime
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February 23, 2018
