April will be Stewardship Season at the Fellowship. “Stewardship” is a word for the shared effort of nurturing and sustaining this amazing and needed UU congregation. It’s the time of year when we review our commitments and make new pledges of support – in terms of time, talent and treasure – for the next year. It’s a time for conversation, for sharing what the Fellowship means in our lives, for working together to improve the ways we work together! Several Town Halls are planned, with refreshments or supper and childcare provided: March 25 (for newest members), April 4 and April 11. Please plan now to attend at least one of these gatherings. The Pledge Drive will begin with a special Sunday service on April 7. The town halls will also include discussions of proposed bylaw changes (from the Board) at the Annual Meeting in May. All Fellowship members are responsible for helping to make those changes.
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Plan Ahead – Building A New Way in Worship – May 2024
The world changes. Unitarian Universalism changes. The Fellowship changes. If you are interested in being part of a review of worship at the Fellowship – what it is for us, what we need from it, how we accomplish it, and more – plan now to join in a series of workshops and conversations beginning in May. Not merely a survey or collecting of opinions, this project will include conversations, practice, and training in the arts of worship. Let Rev. Jill McAllister know if you are interested, and stay tuned for dates to be announced soon.
From the Board President – Sheryl Stuart, 3/1/2024
I’ve been reflecting on the beautiful work of our RE team over the past several years in helping us be more attentive to the needs of multiple generations within the Fellowship, recognizing that there are differences in experience, expectations and more between different generations. As we’ve been blessed with more, younger children being present, especially in our Sunday services, I wonder how we can best accommodate the diverse needs of people of all ages who experience hearing and attention challenges in the service. I suspect this is one of those perennial conversations that is worth contemplation now and again.
First, I thought about the ubiquitous cell phone ring tones and notifications that happen during service. No matter how often we remind people to silence their phones, it is a rare service that doesn’t have some type of electronic interruption. I easily fall into righteous indignation about these interruptions…until I remember the unfortunate time that it happened to me.
I recalled a time when I sat next to someone who had a nervous habit that caused them to crack their knuckles often and repeatedly during the service. It drove me crazy! I never said anything, but I vowed never to sit next to that person again. I’ve subsequently gotten to know them and am quite fond of them. I don’t know if they still crack their knuckles in service, but I suspect my tolerance would be much higher.
I recalled several years in which we had a member who used an oxygen generator that made a loud noise periodically during the service. This also was annoying, but I reminded myself that the device was allowing the person to live and that helped me stop focusing on the distraction.
A friend once told me that a technique for dealing with these kinds of distractions is to consciously grant permission. I’m not sure this has ever totally worked for me, but I continue to try. And this reminded me of another congregant sharing during joys and sorrows about their experience in a hospital room in Portland. Their roommate was very loud and distressed. They said that they helped themself by repeating a version of the Metta prayer: may I be well, may I be peaceful…may you be well, may you be peaceful…and so on.
I’m so glad to see, and hear, babies coming with parents on Sundays. I confess that my heart literally aches for these parents. I remember the exhaustion of parenting young children and I’m so impressed that not only have families made time to join us on Sunday mornings, at least two parents have made the effort to contribute to our Fellowship by joining the choir. My immediate reaction is “How can we help you?!? How can we make your time at the fellowship a little lighter, so that you will continue to participate?” Supporting children and youth has always been one of our main focuses, and without new families, what will the future UUFC be?
I know that for some adults, especially those seeking quiet or contemplative moments, distractions can be distressing. I also realize that distractions come from many sources, and I am left with questions. Might there be a technology fix associated with the sound system that would help some of us hear better over background noise? Can we look at distractions differently? Is it possible for us to try to honor each distraction and then set it aside?
Building on its continuing work, our RE department has prepared a set of guidelines to help us all navigate differences and distractions. It’s a good place to begin to imagine and live into good possibilities and new ways.
Sunday Services in March
March 3 Love and Chaos: Invitations of the Spiritual Life, Rev. Jill McAllister
March 10 “Who Killed Caesar?” We welcome Jacob King back to the Fellowship
March 17 Wheel of the Year: Ostara All Ages Worship Service
March 24 Guest Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, President of Starr King School for the Ministry
March 31 Easter Sunday, Rev. Jill McAllister
A Visit From Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, Starr King President, 3/24
We’re looking forward to a visit on March 24 from the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, a long-time UU minister who serves as the President of one of our two main theological schools – Starr King School for the Ministry. Before she entered the UU ministry, Rev. McNatt was a writer /editor for the New York Times Book Review. Before going to Starr King she served as Senior Minister of the Fourth Universalist Society of the City of New York. Rev. McNatt has been voice of reason, challenge, wisdom and leadership within UUism for decades. Plan now to join us! For all who are interested in her work as President of Starr King, and in the new frontiers in theological education, a reception will be held at 2:30 PM on March 24. Let Rev. Jill McA know if you’d like to attend.
Chalice Circle Sampler Series Canceled for March
Thank you so much for your interest in participating in the Chalice Circle Sampler Series. Unfortunately there were not enough people who signed up for this offering in March, so we will need to cancel. That said, we’d like to offer you a few options:
1) Shikha is willing to meet with you after this Sunday’s service and help you find an existing chalice circle to join. There are several in person as well as Zoom chalice groups that would welcome new members, all offered at different days and times. She’s also open to answering any questions you may have about chalice circles in general or these in particular. IF you’d like to meet, please send her an email (shikha@alumni.stanford.edu) so she knows to expect you. Please plan on gathering in the back of the Sanctuary after service.
2) The Sampler Series will be offered this Fall, sometime between September-November. Please look for more info in the Weekly Announcements starting in August! And… get others to join in the fun! We usually offer multiple days and times to choose from. If you have preferences for certain days or times, feel free to influence our choices. 🙂
3) We’d be happy to facilitate a Sampler Series at another time if you can find enough people to participate. Everyone must be willing to commit to 4 sessions that meet weekly or bi-weekly and at a time that one of us is available to facilitate.
Sorry this won’t work out this Spring. It’s difficult to get enough people to commit to being able to add this to their schedules. We hope that you persist in this endeavor- it’s well worth it!
Kindly,
Shikha Ghosh Gottfried and Nancy Sowdon
Love and Chaos: Invitations of the Spiritual Life, 3/3/24
What might it take for us to understand that the way things are, what the World includes, is not simply a problem or problems to be solved? That Life calls us to be present (and humble, honest, courageous, grateful, amazed) in all the ways we can, no matter what is happening? A new generation of philosopher-theologians have much to teach us.
Rev. Jill McAllister
Dial-a-Bus Volunteer Drivers Needed
The Corvallis “Dial-a-Bus” service — part of Benton County Area Transit — provides transportation at little or no cost for local residents who, for whatever reason, are unable to drive themselves. These include some UUFC members. Many of the drivers are volunteers and more drivers are always needed. Jack Elder has been a driver for over a year. Anyone who is interested in serving as a DaB volunteer driver may want to talk to Jack, or visit https://www.dialabus.org/volunteer or call 541-752-2615 for more information.
Spring Luncheon 3/30 – Cancelled
This event has been cancelled.
The Secure Housing and Food For All team and Ernest Cardona invite you to join us for a Spring Celebration Luncheon on Saturday, March 30th , 2024 at 1:00 p.m. The lunch will be served in the Social Hall and we’ll have access to the deck, weather permitting. Donations are $15.00 per person. After food costs, all donations will be gifted to the UUFC to support its efforts in housing and feeding our community.
We’ll be serving a fresh, seasonal Spring menu with interesting appetizers, entrée and dessert. Please see the contact form below for a full menu description and a link to send us a message about your interest.
We’ll need to know the number of guests in your party, your name, and your email address to send out a payment request.
See you all on March 30th !
Roberta Smith & Ernest Cardona
Menu
Gluten free and dairy free options will be available
Appetizers:
*Smoked salmon endive leaves
*Shrimp ceviche
*Mushroom toasts with goat cheese and fresh herbs
*Pickled radishes and red onions
First courses:
*Green salad with fresh spinach, avocado, marinated artichoke hearts, pickled
beets, toasted pine nuts, roasted sesame dressing, sesame seeds
*Fresh spring pea soup
Entree and sides:
*Chicken Francese with lemon sauce and capers
*Roasted asparagus with fresh parmagiano reggiano
*Rice pilaf
Dessert:
*Lemon posset with fresh berries
Weekly Online Coffee Hour
You are always welcome to the weekly Tuesday coffee hour, via Zoom, where we share joys and sorrows and catch up with each other, and share in the metta blessing. We meet from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
For more information Contact Mary Craven