The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis
Due to a combination of circumstances, the scheduled playground reopening and sidewalk chalk values gathering during the August 3rd service has been cancelled. We are all eager to get the kids back to the playground, so we will be watching for the opportunity to safely reschedule and will make an announcement here if such an opportunity arises prior to the scheduled start of Fall RE.
These words were written in another June – 2023 – and are a good reminder now, given the changes that are both here and coming:
Good morning friends – Part of my daily practice is to read, in a way similar to an old Christian tradition called lectio divina. I generally choose a book or reading randomly, without a specific aim – pulling a book off of a shelf or a pile, opening to whichever page appears. Reading what is there and then letting it settle a bit. Watching for my responses, my wonderings, my surprise or acknowledgement. Sometimes I return to words I know well, and let them speak again; often they speak in new ways. This practice is as much listening as reading, and the listening happens in silence. In this way I experience openings – to my thoughts and feelings, to a moment, to a day.
It’s easy to simply keep moving in ways we are used to, along paths we have created in our minds and bodies, in directions we call normal. The world, our lives, offer so much more – more horizons, more paths, more colors and shapes. It confuses and confounds us that almost everything “more” begins with awareness of breath, and the small, imperceptible steps to deepen that awareness.
We begin again right here. It may look like the same place, a “normal” morning or moment. It is anything but. At the very least, this moment has the potential for everything new, things we’ve never even dreamed of. They are not far away, they are deep within. We may find or hear or see them, or we may not. The breath will be our guide, if we let it. Like words randomly chosen then followed or listened to in silence. Like doors that have always been there, which finally open and invite us in.
May there be moments like this for you this week, May you pause to follow your breath, and find yourself where it takes you. May you give thanks for another day given. Sending love to you all — Jill
What kind of identity do we choose to embrace to meet the moments that life, events and circumstances throw at us? It is not just to know who we are but to decide who we need to be and become. A place where our chosen identity, fueled by our behaviour will lead to a world of our values. Come reflect with Rev. Mwibutsa
As a foundational story, the Exodus, in the Hebrew Bible, remains one of the most essential for us. It is part of “where we come from.” Our current, modern understandings of social justice and right relations emerged from this story and it has been interpreted again and again in American history. The telling of the Exodus story is at the center of Passover (Pesach) in the Jewish community, which begins this year on Saturday April 12 at sundown. Let’s tell it again, and listen for the wisdom and courage it offers us for the these days we live in now.
With Rev. Jill McAllister
Stay after the service to meet and greet Jamie Petts and share appreciation for her years of service to the Fellowship as our Operations Manager, and to wish her well in her new endeavors.
As I heard Jill speak about the roles and impact that poetry holds in today’s world, a very faint memory arose in my mind, growing stronger as she continued describing how poetry can touch, comfort, and inspire us. My daughter has been watching the delightful animated film “Sing” recently, which opens with a soulful rendition of “Golden Slumbers” sung by a grand old diva, voiced by singer Jennifer Hudson. Anyone with children knows how a favorite movie will be played on repeat again and again, and will understand why this song would be floating around my head! But until this morning’s poetry “sermon”, I had forgotten that the lyrics of this wonderful work by Paul McCartney have roots in a very old poem by Elizabethan dramatist and writer Thomas Dekker. In his youth, Paul found the above poem set to music sitting on his father’s piano; unable to read music notation at the time, Paul sat down and created his own melody for the poem, adjusting the text to fit his tune.
“I liked the words so much. I thought it was very restful, a very beautiful lullaby, so I just sat at the piano and started playing with it.”
—Paul McCartney (from Many Years From Now, Barry Miles, 1997)
Such a universal and timeless sentiment, wanting to soothe and urge rest for those we love, especially in times of trouble and discord. Upon recalling this memory, I couldn’t not play this piece of music with poetic origins for the offertory, especially when it paired so beautifully with our choir anthem, Billy Joel’s “Lullabye”.
Congratulations to Kim D for completing all 9 Inquirers Series session! Kim asked to be presented with her finisher’s gift of a home chalice within the circle of her final Inquirers Series session rather than in front of the congregation. She attends services primarily online, and hopes to start helping with the Fellowship grounds. If you bump into her while she’s working on the property, be sure to introduce yourself.
As an introduction, Kim says:
“In 2025 I am going to continue growing and learning and finding myself after four plus decades with my husband in my life, 30 years of which he was very sick, and I was in a caregiver role. My new life is both scary and exciting, but I am up to the challenge of finding the adventurous me I was in my 20’s, combined with decades of life experience and wisdom added on, which will equal the New Me!”
Welcome, Kim! We’re so glad that you found your way to our community!
Greetings, Families!
There is so much positive energy in RE these days. Can you feel it? Read on so that you don’t miss any of the good stuff!
UPCOMING EVENTS for FAMILIES
2/9 Family Breakfast, 8:45-9:45
2/20 Parent Peer Support Group, 6:30-8PM
3/16 Seeds of Generosity pitches from children, youth, and Families, noon
6/1 River of Life Sunday with children’s performance and rituals
UPCOMING EVENTS for YOUTH
2/2, 2/16 OWL regular workshops
2/15-16 Eugene youth overnight and Non-romantic Ball
3/14-16 Coast Retreat
More information about our events can be found below, and info for all RE events can be found at uucorvallis.org by clicking “News” in the menu bar and then selecting “RE Council” from the drop down menu.
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Our friends in Eugene have invited us to an overnight at their place. Come check out how other UUs “do church” and have fun helping with the non-romantic Valentine Ball. There will be food, opportunities for service, dancing, and midnight worship. Register directly with Eugene HERE by February 5th and don’t forget to email me and let me know you’re registered so that I can arrange for sufficient transportation.
Due to the joyful increase in attendance at the monthly RE Family Breakfast, (last month saw 30 participants!) our gracious hosts, the Polinders, kindly request that parents fill out THIS registration form each month a few days before the breakfast. If you forget, please do come anyway. All are always welcome! Registering simply allows us to be better stewards of the RE budget by helping us prepare adequate amounts of food without over-purchasing. We are grateful for your support as this warm gathering continues to grow!
Thanks to a generous endowment from the Bob Ozretich Memorial Fund and the creative minds on the UUFC Endowment team, we will soon launch a year-long program to cultivate a spirit of generosity in our children and youth.
The Seeds of Generosity program will involve 3 rounds of guest speakers sharing during Sunday morning RE about their experiences with generosity, and a pitch party at which families will enjoy food and drinks while children and youth make pitches for how they would spend $100 to make a difference in our community. Attendees of the pitch party will vote on who gets that round’s $100, and everyone who pitches goes into a drawing to win $50 to spend generously toward community betterment.
More details about the program will come home from RE with your child in late February, but for now, mark your calendars for our first Seeds of Generosity Pitch Party, after the service on March 16th and plan to be there to help us develop a culture of generosity!
I know it’s a long way off, but a LOT of preparation goes into our River of Life Sunday at the end of each church year. In order to pull off something meaningful for our children and youth, we need your help.
First, this year, we’re aiming to have the Spirit Play children offer a very short performance of the JETPIG song we’ve been using to learn the UU shared values. It would be so helpful if parents went ahead and made a plan to be in attendance on June 1st AND listened to the JETPIG song at home or in the car once in a while to help the children gain confidence with the words and motions.
Second, each year we honor children who are transitioning between classrooms with a stepping stone ritual on River of Life Sunday. If your child will falls into any of the following groups, please email me!
1. A new walker — meaning they’ll be planning to be join Chalice Children in the nursery in September.
2. Going into 3rd grade in September. We *may* have the capacity to split into 2 different elementary spaces when the classroom reopens, and if we do, we’ll be stepping the older kids into their own space! 🤞
3. Going into 6th grade AND planning to step into youth group. Because there is a wide range of development in 6th grade, we invite families to decide whether their 6th graders attend youth group (middle and high schoolers) or remain in the upper elementary group.
The Fellowship depends on community members like Russ Anderson and Brian Egan, who arrived with their tools and smiles bright and early just about every day for weeks last month so that our building would be ready in time for official construction to begin. We’re lucky to have their knowledge and skill so freely given! If you see them in the social hall, don’t forget to thank them for their service. They are two of the many volunteers who keep this place moving forward!
If you have any questions about what’s happening in RE, send them my way. And if you’re someone who enjoys being out of the loop, and you want to be removed from the monthly RE Newsletter list, let me know. Wishing you a love-filled February!
All Volunteers who serve in RE in any capacity — whether you lead a Sunday morning class, facilitate one of our family gatherings, or attend the RE Council meetings — are invited to pop by the library on Sunday morning between 8:45 and 9:45 for a warm drink, connection with fellow volunteers, and a chance to tell Skyla anything you want her to know about how things are going in RE.
Cappuccinos, lattes, hot chocolate, and tea, as well some some baked goodies will be available during that time as long as supplies last. Volunteers with dietary restrictions are encouraged to contact Skyla in advance so that your needs can be provided for.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Trick or Treat is Coming!
Don’t forget to wear your costumes to church on Sunday, October 27th for our 4th annual Teams and Councils Trick or Treat event! All ages are invited to gather treats while they learn about all the cool things happening in our teams and councils.
This year’s event will take place outside on the patio, and so will be weather dependent. Even if we get rained out, you are WELCOME to come in your Halloween finery! We want to see those costumes!
Families, it’s time to register your children and youth for the new year in RE! I know it may feel like you just registered them yesterday (if you’re new, you might have!) but each new Fellowship year brings a new registration form so that we can keep your younglings safe with the most up-to-date information while they’re in our care!
Thanks for helping us out by registering in advance of September 15th, when the new year in RE kicks off.
This year, to make things easier for you, we have one form for all three age groups. So whether your child is in Chalice Children (nursery care for new walkers through preschool), Spirit Play (grades K-6), or YRUU (youth group for grades 6-12), the form is the same.
If you have any questions, please contact Skyla King-Christison (dre@uucorvallis.org)