The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis
Seasons make a difference in how we live, even if only a little. Winter has its gifts and challenges, and its particular Pacific Northwest offerings. It’s good to appreciate each season in its turn. And since our calendar changes at this time of year, we’ll consider what may be in store for us in the coming year. All ages are welcome at this service which will conclude with multi-generational activities.
with Rev. Jill McAllister
Join with Fellowship folks of all ages as we tell the story of Christmas again, with with many of us acting it out as it’s told. We’ll sing familiar carols, light the Christmas candles, and encourage each other to be peacemakers in all the ways we can.
A quieter service of anthems and hymns, readings and silence, and lighting our candles into the beautiful darkness, as we deepen and renew our commitments to peacemaking.
The special offering for Christmas Eve will support One Story At A Time, and their work with displaced persons and refugees at the American border in Mexico.
All ages join together for this winter celebration of the longest night in story and song, followed by a sing-a-long of beloved songs from “Frozen”, because what better way to celebrate Winter?
with Rev. Jill McAllister
There are plenty of ads, jingles, mailings, and conversations encouraging us to give at this time of year. But how is the giving of gifts related to generosity of spirit, a generous open heart and open mind, a generous respect for the basic needs of all? Perhaps instead of focusing on giving we should be contemplating deep and broad generosity, beginning with this season.
with Rev. Jill McAllister
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.
As Unitarian Universalists, one of our primary “texts” for theological understanding is lived experience. In other words, we agree with Paula D’arcy’s insight that “God (or Meaning) comes to us disguised as our life.” From deeper questions about the history of Thanksgiving Day, and of indigenous ways of noticing how we are related, we’ll consider practices of observation that can help us search for meaning and sustain us.
Revs. Monica Jacobson-Tennessen and Jill McAllister
It would be hard to argue that things don’t change, or that they aren’t changing constantly, and not always in ways we understand or are prepared for. Take this week for example, or almost any of the past seven years. A new generation of UU’s describes a need for us to be able and willing to not only change, but be changed, in order to keep adding love into the world.
Rev. Jill McAllister
Thursday, April 11th at 12:00 – 1:30 pm in the UUFC library
We will gather together to share from our hearts about the griefs we are carrying and to witness one another. These may be very personal sorrows or extend to the losses that we witness in the world.
Our time together will include sharing, poetry and simple ritual.
“Every one of us must do this. We must learn how to work with the grief in our lives…simply gather the courage to speak from your heart, and let the others know that you are feeling sad and carrying grief in your body. What I have discovered in grief rituals over many years is that we feel relief when we finally are able to acknowledge our pain with one another.” ~ Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow.
Facilitated by Anna Coffman and Susan Sanford.
It’s not uncommon for UU’s to note that they like being part of a congregation because they’re among “like-minded” people. It turns out, the more we learn about how brains function, and the more we listen to people instead of making assumptions about them, we’re not very like minded at all! What, then, do we offer one another for our religious lives?
A heartfelt farewell took place today as the Fellowship gathered to say bid adieu to some of our beloved trees which have graced the grounds for generations. The three solo piano works played were selected for their messages of gratitude, closure, and acceptance.
Today’s prelude was Ombra Mai Fu, a well-loved classic from Handel’s opera Serse. Serse, the king of Persia, sings this aria at the opera’s beginning to express his thanks and admiration for a plane tree and the shade it provides. Our feelings for the UUFC trees are mirrored in this aria’s lyrics:
Tender and beautiful fronds
of my beloved plane tree,
let Fate smile upon you.
May thunder, lightning, and storms
never disturb your dear peace,
nor may you by blowing winds be profaned.
Never was a shade
of any plant
dearer and more lovely,
or more sweet.
The anthem “Time to Say Goodbye” seemed appropriate for an offertory following the honoring of the trees. This powerful anthem, made famous by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, encourages us to embrace life’s inevitable changes with courage and grace. With tomorrow’s cutting of the trees, this work is also a gentle reminder that while farewells can be bittersweet, they also pave the way for new beginnings.
As the service drew to a close, we adjourned to the timeless tune of “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds. This adaptation of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 beautifully illustrates life’s ever-changing rhythms, urging us to find peace and acceptance in the ebb and flow of existence. The song’s poetic verses remind us that there is “a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to gain, a time to lose.” We have celebrated and said goodbye to the trees…let us now celebrate the new birth of plants, flowers, and trees that will begin their time with us.
~ Lauren Servias