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Services This Month:
August 4 – Wheel of the Year – Lughnasadh / First Harvest
August 11 – “Making the Invisible Visible” EDI team with ARC of Benton County
August 18 – “A Larger View” Rev. Jill McAllister
August 25 – “Can We Be Prepared?” Rev. Jill McAllister
September 2 – No Sunday Service
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Johansen Celebration of Life – Help Provide Refreshments
A memorial service for Kim Johansen will be Saturday, December 9 at 1:00. All are welcome. If you would like to contribute finger food for the reception, please contact Sandy Piper (718-650-0204 or skaypiper73@gmail.com).
Holiday Sing-A-Long Friday 12/22 at 5:30 PM
After a three-year hiatus, we’re bringing back the Holiday Sing Along! All ages are invited to gather for this evening of singing together – traditional Christmas carols and songs, UU hymns and winter songs, and more. There are comfy pillows for kids to curl up on, a story time in addition to singing, a special appearance from our resident story-teller and R.E. Associate, Rachel Kohler, and treats for all! In the Fellowship Sanctuary on Friday, December 22 at 5:30 PM – Join us!
Refugee In My Own Home: A UU Vigil for Gaza
DRUUMM continues to partner with the Church of the Larger Fellowship, concerned religious professionals, Palestinian, Arabs, Southwest Asian/North African and Jewish members of our community on a weekly Vigil for Gaza. You can view our past vigils at youtube.com/@DRUUMM. Our vigils are open to all. You’re invited to the next one on December 3, 2023 at 3 PM. Register here and a Zoom link will be sent to you.
Inquirers Series — Every Sunday
A series of 9 hour-long sessions designed especially for newcomers seeking more information about UUism and the Fellowship AND open to all others who are interested. Sessions take place every Sunday at 11:45 AM Room 8. This week: On Worship and Liturgy with Rev. Jill McAllister
Between Us (December 2023)
December arrives, with its unique forms of busy-ness and expectations, and I invite you to give yourself time to contemplate this season from as many perspectives as you can. To contemplate means to observe deeply, with focused attention. Perhaps what I’m suggesting is something different – not merely to think about in order to categorize, but to feel – to know by feeling. Maybe ponder is a better word than contemplate. What is this season, for you? What makes a difference? Winter, darkness, lights, Christmas, Solstice, rain or snow, fog, solitude, celebrations, rest?
It is a season of holidays / holy days – each with particular insights to offer – Hannukah, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Divali, and others. It is a season on this particular part of the earth – of rain and fog, sometimes of cold and ice, of geese and owls, of bare trees and mud, of creeks full and running fast. It is sadly, still, a season of struggle and strife, here and in so many other places. Of all these insights and occurrences, what nurtures you? What is hard for you? What helps you remember what you are part of?
There’s lots of talk about giving, of course – especially from those who depend on this season to make as much money as they can. “Give our things” they say, and we too easily believe that consumerism is a source of happiness. We know the limits of that habit. What if we could make this a season of generosity more than just of “giving”?
“In Need of Awe” 12/3/2023
Without being aware of it, most of the time, we are deeply in need of experiences of awe to maintain our humanity. Experiences of awe are moments in which we understand how we are part of Life which is so much more than our ideas or our unique experiences.
Thank You and Invitation from Secure Housing and Food For All Justice Team
A very warm (literally) thank you to everyone who contributed coats, sweaters, and blankets for the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center. We were able to contribute 7 big bags of necessary items to help the unhoused survive this cold weather. Also, we are meeting in the library on December 10th at 11:30 to discuss goals on how to help the unhoused. We would love to have you join us.
Indigenous Connections Team
Over the past several years, the Indigenous Connection Justice Team has helped connect Fellowship members to local and national indigenous tribes and projects, and to learning through reading and discussion. For this work to continue, or for it to move in new directions, a team of five people is needed Contact Rev. Jill McAllister (minister@uucorvallis.org) if you are interested.
Plan Ahead: UUFC Justice Summit – February 2
Plan ahead to join in an evening of appreciation and discussion as our UUFC Justice Teams present their work and goals, including a discussion of justice areas the Fellowship might consider adding to our work. Coffee house-style music and refreshments as well!
