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Sunday Morning Service & Religious Education at 10:30am
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March 25
“You Can’t Go Wrong with Ambiguity” Or can you? Ambiguity carries a challenge: to “disambiguate” or to hold the ambiguity in creative tension. Rev. Connie Grant speaking.
Upcoming Services
Children's Circle - "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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Tempus Fugit!! UUFoM Auction Deadline Nears
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We need help in the kitchen on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 to prepare pasties for the Pasty Sale. Responsibilities include cutting vegetables, blending the filling mixture, making crust, assembling the pasties, timing the pasties in the ovens, wrapping finished pasties, doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen among other jobs. Six or more per shift will work out well. Sign up by clicking here, sending an email to [email protected] or sign up on the sheet at the Fellowship.
In the past, this fundraiser has been successful in part because the ingredients and supplies have been donated.
Please have all ingredients to the Fellowship kitchen by Sunday, April 8 with the exception of the ground beef and pork. The ground meat (FRESH – NOT FROZEN) should be at the Fellowship in the refrigerator by Friday, April 13.
You can sign up here for your donation, email [email protected], or sign up on the sheet at the Fellowship. Please fill in the date when you deliver items to the kitchen or email [email protected].
We will be having a Pasty Fundraiser! Click here to place your order or sign up at the Fellowship for a Traditional (beef and pork mix) or a Vegetarian (lentils with olive and sesame seed oil) Pasty, or both! Cost: $5 each
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It’s time for our annual spring cleaning and meet-the-earth ritual of pulling weeds, removing brush, throwing away trash, cleaning up indoors, and making our UU Fellowship building and grounds look smashing.
Please plan to come and work alongside your fellow UUs on Saturday, May 5 (this is a change from what some of you were told). We’ll start around 9 AM and work until we’re all tired and hungry, which is usually around 1pm. We have inside jobs (cleaning & organizing) and outside jobs, repairs and some simple improvements to do, and a great need for dirt-to-your-elbows weeding. Please bring yourselves, rakes, shovels, a dandelion digger, pruning shears, gloves, a hat, and anything else you think might be needed. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow UUs! Please contact Tim Wagner if you’d like to add something to the job list.
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April 1
“Imagine: Love Beyond Belief” Let’s explore how our faith as Unitarian Universalists gives us the fortitude, stamina, and courage to practice what we preach: love beyond belief. Guest speaker Rev. Dr. Thandeka is a Unitarian Universalist theologian, minister, and congregational consultant.
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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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Love Beyond Belief™: Practicing the Heart of our Unitarian Universalist Faith
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A spiritual vitality workshop for the congregation, led by Rev. Dr. Thandeka, renowned Unitarian Universalist theologian, minister, and congregational consultant. Friday March 30 – Saturday March 31
Love Beyond Belief™ is a spiritual practice for insight, reflection, and action guided by compassion. Each step begins with the discovery of connections that create awe, care, and joy. The discoveries heal broken hearts, mend injured souls, and calm restless minds because unconditional love is felt.
The 2005 Commission on Appraisal Report, “Engaging Our Theological Diversity,” found that “almost universally among UUs, personal experience is considered the most important source of religious conviction.” Using our personal experience, this weekend workshop is designed for us to develop a deeper sense of who we are as Unitarian Universalists and gain an expanded sense of what we can do together.
The goals of this workshop are to deepen our spiritual practice, expand our theological understanding of the UU tradition, and strengthen our commitment and spiritual ability to create communities of lovingkindness that heal and transform the world.
Friday , March 30
6:30 – 9:30 pm Part I Building a foundation for a Unitarian Universalist theology of personal experience
Saturday, March 31
9:45 am Coffee and tea
10:00 am – noon Part II Creating a common vocabulary for a Unitarian Universalist theology of personal experience
12:00 – 12:30 pm lunch
12:30 – 3:30 pm Part III Practicing a Unitarian Universalist theology of personal experience
Please register here by Wednesday, March 28 so we will have enough materials and lunch for everyone.
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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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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 28, 9AM - 12PM.
If you think you 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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March Focus on Hunger and Homelessness
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In March, we are collecting small items for Shelterhouse at UUFOM. Shelterhouse provides safe houses, shelter, advocates, counseling and more (all free of charge) to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Midland and Gladwin counties. The Shelterhouse Resale Shop, located in the Kmart shopping center on Saginaw Road, accepts donations of gently used clothing, home goods, accessories, toys, books, etc. They are always looking for volunteers to help in the shop with donation processing, sales floor, stock prep, and pricing. See the Shelterhouse website for other volunteer opportunities including help with children’s activities, transportation, clerical, grounds keeping, maintenance and cleaning.
On an ongoing basis, we collect canned goods and other non-perishable items for the Midland Emergency Food Pantry Network. Drop off your donations in the bin at our new UUFoM Donation Center located across from the office door.
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Ruth Ellis Center: Blanket & Scarf Collection
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REMINDER: The last day for donating scarves or blankets to the collection for the Ruth Ellis Center is Sunday April 1. Our new UUFoM Donation Center is located across from the office door.
Thank you to everyone who donated blankets and scarves to the Ruth Ellis Center. All donations will help keep homeless LGBTQ youth warm this winter. 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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PERSONAL CONNECTION AND
DEVELOPMENT
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If you are interested in being trained as a facilitator, please contact Rev. Connie Grant immediately at [email protected]. And if you are interested in joining a group, please watch for registration information in April.
A Covenant Group is a small relational group made up of six to twelve people who meet regularly on an ongoing basis for their own spiritual growth and for connection with each other and with the Fellowship. Covenant Group members share what going on in their lives and explore a topic of mutual interest, within a structured format and a covenant for their own group’s relationship and interaction. The role of a facilitator is to help the group stay on track and accomplish its purpose.
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Wednesdays
Tea in the Emerson Room at 5:30
Meditation in the Meditation Room at 6pm
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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.
7:00 – 8:30 pm.
Tuesday, Apr 17: Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions
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APRIL/MAY THEME: LIFE
The Sixth Source: Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
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April 1 Spring Break – Food Art Gallery and Project Box
April 8 Spring Break – Food Art Gallery and Project Box
April 15 "Grandmother Spider" based on the Ojibway legend about Dreamcatchers. Children will have the opportunity to explore how dreamcatchers are made and make one themselves http://www.snowwowl.com/legends/ojibwa/objibwa030.html
April 22 Multigenerational Service
April 29 "Aisha’s Moonlit Walk" a series of stories about a girl exploring the pagan seasonal holidays through the course of the year. We will be reading from the story about spring. https://www.amazon.com/Aishas-Moonlit-Walk-Stories-Celebrations/dp/1558964851
May 6 "A Tree in the Ancient Forest" this tale uses a Spirit Play CD story about the ecosystem around an ancient tree. https://dawnpub.com/our-books/tree-in-the-ancient-forest/
May 13 "Grandmother Fish" an engaging read about the evolution of homo sapiens from Great-Great-Great Grandmother fish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onmv77cA8xc
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Jedi Academy & Youth Group
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April 1 Food Art Gallery
April 15 Humanist Manifesto
April 29 Circle of Trees
Jedi Academy and the Youth Group meets every other Sunday to allow full attendance of all its members. 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.
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Elementary Earth Day Overnight
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Friday, April 20- Saturday, April 21
We are having an Elementary Overnight in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland on April 20 for children in 2nd grade or older! Youth will be assisting in making this extra fun! See Paula Bauer or Heather Cleland-Host (Director of Religious Education) if you are interested. More details to come!
Note: April 21 is the Earth Day festivities at the Center for the Arts and the Nature Center. So we will be finishing early enough for everyone to go and enjoy the fun!
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From the Director of Religious Education
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Connected: We are them. They are us. – A RE-flection
We think we know this one. As we ponder the sixth source, we may find ourselves recalling our seventh principle to affirm and promote "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” The connection is obvious and natural.
When talking about these two, we tend, however, to focus on the interdependence within the “natural world” – plants, animals, soil, the air, sun, moon, oceans, and breezes. We speak of these interconnections and the importance of them as something external to us. We forget that we are part of nature. We are not them. They are not us.
Or maybe we tell ourselves that we are one with all… until we are not.
It might be as simple as objecting to the “we” in the paragraphs above. *WE* do not do that. *YOU* maybe. NOT me. Not him. Not all of US, anyway. Or maybe it is how we identify ourselves. We are not black. We are not white. We are not immigrant. We are not native. We are not female, male, or third gender. We are not gay or straight or bi or asexual. We are not Pagan or Muslim or Christian or Atheist. We are not them. They are not us.
This is part of a very human tendency to focus on our own circle, our own small community. Part of this temptation is that if we see others as “us” then their suffering hurts. We see them as our responsibility, our problem. That hurts. We cannot ignore the pain. We do not want to hurt or be hurt. So, we tell ourselves a truth that is also not truth. We are NOT them. They are NOT us.
Buddhism would remind us that suffering is an inescapable part of life, or rather to escape suffering we must first SEE it. The Buddha could not become Enlightened without first seeing suffering, acknowledging it. We have to see them. Likewise, in many Earth-based traditions, it is recognized that death is also part of life, and death is to be no more feared than life. Life and death are not just parts of the circle of life in nature, they are part of being human. The Ancestors or Ancient Gods are called upon, symbolically or literally, because there is power in that. We are them. They are us.
The issues that affect others are not just their issues. They are ours. There is pain in this, but there is also hope. We are all part of each other, and what affects one, affects all. The Circle of Life is not just our connection to the cycle of predator, prey, herbivore and scavenger, nor even just to distant Ancestors. It is our connection to each other. Just as the web connects us to the dying child, it connects the dying child to us. The web connects us to the bully, and the web connects the bully to us. We can learn from them, and, perhaps, they can learn from us. We are them. They are us.
Instead of attempting to sever the threads of the web, let us value those threads and make the web tremble with our love for each other and all life. We are the strength of each other. Connectivity makes us stronger and more able to help one another. We ARE them. They ARE us.
This next month we are exploring life. We are learning about spiders and webs and dreamcatchers. We are learning about our Ancestors and celebrating Spring and Rebirth. We are also learning about cycles of life that connect us to all humanity and to each other in this community. For a child, these are small wondrous things, but ones that remind us the strength in community, and more - that community extends beyond this single congregation.
Heather Cleland-Host
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As the days grow longer and brighter, I begin to think about spring gardening. Gardening gives me a chance to reconnect in a very physical way to the Earth and the outdoors. Soon, I will start seeds indoors. I find it delightful to end a morning with my hands completely covered in clumps of soil from filling the little seed starter cups. The feeling of soil on my hands reminds me that we consist of the same substances (in different proportions and with different structures) as the soil and the plants. I look forward to seeing small green leaves peek out of what appears to be barren, cheering my home. The specks of green insist that life persists. I smell a promise about them that life will thrive in the months ahead. The preparation of the outdoor plots will give me a good few hours to enjoy the fresh spring air and wear myself out with physical labor while I appreciate the birds and the sun and the musty damp smell of soil. Of course, my favorite part of gardening is the harvest, which is still a long way off. Eating the fruits of the plants that have grown from seeds I nurtured fills me with a deep wonder and joy. We sustain; therefore we are sustained. The circle of life…is so very tasty!
Sarah Nuss-Warren
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Key Access to UUFoM - More Information
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Re-keying has been delayed, and will be scheduled as soon as the locksmith obtains necessary key blanks.
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 and fill out and return the completed form to the rack outside the Fellowship Office. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
Our Sexton, Sandy Hay, will announce hours when keys can be picked up.
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Our website is currently being updated. If you have any questions, please contact Wendy - [email protected].
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| 03/25 |
10:30 AM |
Sunday Service |
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10:30 AM |
Children's Circle |
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7 PM |
AA Meeting |
| 03/27 |
11:30 AM |
Staff Meeting |
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6:30 PM |
Improv Group Rehearsal |
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7 PM |
Board Meeting |
| 03/28 |
5:30 PM |
Three Jewels Sangha |
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6 PM |
Liturgy Workshop |
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8 PM |
AA Meeting |
| 03/29 |
7 PM |
Got Race? |
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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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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 Wendy Altmeier, Office Assistant, using only this address [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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March 23, 2018 
