Congratulations to Fellowship members Blaise Ntakarutimana and Gisele Akima, living now in Portland, on the birth of baby Miley Anaya Shimineza in December. Everyone is doing well, and siblings Shanti and Josh are very excited!
Between Us 1/7/2023
Much of the following I have said before – maybe you’ve heard me say it or maybe not. I come back to these ideas often, and so want to share them again with you:
“Remember that every day is a new beginning. Make time to reflect upon your choice of this path, and upon your commitment … and give yourselves the chance to choose it again and again.”
I use these words most frequently in wedding ceremonies, but they are appropriate for any new beginning, including the new year before us. In terms of ethical living, it is clear that the choices we make day after day are where ethics and right relations become real, or not. As we enter a new year, in these continually tumultuous times, we are called to strengthen our commitments to the religious life, which means to living in right relations as much and as often as we can.
The call of liberal religion – the highest aim, especially of a liberal religious congregation such as ours, is not theology or dogma or charisma or tradition, but covenant—the agreement to walk together and work together, in service to the highest ideals of justice, equity, compassion, and wisdom. The call is to a commitment, and a way of life.
Living in covenant means living in active engagement with each other. In marriage, this is obvious, though not always easy. In a religious community it is an ideal, but often without shared understanding of the practices and skills it requires. All relations of mutuality and respect require both commitment and practice. I think of a few friends, for whom I am especially grateful, each of whom I have come to trust for their willingness to be generous and honest with me. We do not agree on everything—in fact two of us disagree on a great deal—but we have come to appreciate greatly how much we need and depend on the loving offering of different perspectives, to challenge and to nurture one another. We have ventured out on limbs of trust together, and because of that we have each changed and grown. The gift of this trust is priceless. It is the currency needed in the search for truth.
If you’re new to the Fellowship, or if you’ve been with us for years, I want to say to you that this is what the Fellowship can mean to you. It is a community where you can find others who are equally committed to the search for wisdom and truth. It can be a place to find trustworthy companions to respectfully nurture the best in you, if you will do the same for them.
As the new year begins, I invite you to come as often as you can. Come to help build this network of trust, which the world desperately needs.
See you Sunday — Jill
To Build This Network of Trust, 1/7/2024
Our ideals and commitments as religious people call us to live in right relations with ourselves, others and Life. We know this at some level, yet we still have much to learn about what right relations requires of us, including skills and practices which foster right relations. If you come for “community” these are the skills and practices that create and sustain it. Let’s begin the new year with renewed intentions.
with Rev. Jill McAllister
From the “Secure Housing and Food for All” Team
We hope you all had a joyful holiday season. Thank you very much for sharing your time and effort to help the people of Corvallis who are struggling each day to survive by donating warm clothing and food items. It’s a new year and we continue with our efforts to help our less fortunate community.
The Unity Shelter is open again and can use volunteers, the Corvallis Drop-in Center is in need of warm clothing, and the South Corvallis Food Pantry needs to refill its shelves.
The Secure Shelter and Food for All team is meeting in the library of the UU on January 14 after the service. Please join us if you want to become active in this group.
Donation Needs
- Shoes – Especially Boots! (men’s 9+ or women’s 10+)
- Gloves
- Belts (plain, size 30-36)
- ANY Outdoor Wear: hoodies, coats, sweatpants. Water-resistant preferred.
- Bandanas and head wraps
Think Outdoorsy!
Thank you, Corvallis!
Justice Outreach Offering in January – NAACP
For the month of January our Justice Outreach offering will benefit the Linn Benton NAACP. The NAACP works to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
Learn more at the Linn Benton NAACP Website.
Democracy Action Team: Let’s Buy Some Stamps!
During the last election cycle, members of UUFC’s Democracy Action Team wrote 20,000 letters to voters around the country, encouraging all to vote. Our team is gearing up for another critical election season this year, and to prepare, they need to buy stamps for all those letters. (Given the price of stamps, the cost of being a letter-writer can be prohibitive for some). Several members of the team are offering a one-to-one match for all donations to the Stamp Fund: All donations up to $5000 will be matched! Stamp prices increase on January 21 – can you help raise another $5000 to support this important work?
An Adventure in Connection and Belonging 2/17 @ 9
An engaging, honoring, accepting safe space.
The solution to our problems is not more correction — fixing oneself and others over and over. The solution is experiencing ourselves differently—in connection. What does it mean to really experience connection primarily?
Facilitated by UU member and author/trainer JF Benoist.
Suggested donation for the UUFC $50
Or whatever you can pay ~
No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Everyone is welcome!
Please register for this event HERE.
Queerly Beloved 1/21
Sunday, January 21st at 4:00 pm in Room 7
We meet monthly on the 3rd Sunday in the afternoon. Join LGBTQ+ folx and allies for social gatherings centered on queer issues and themes. We understand the importance of queer community, and our goal is to provide a safe space where people can find that sense of belonging right here in Corvallis. Questions: connect@uucorvallis.org
At our January meeting, we will be showing the documentary Every Body which centers on intersex people’s lives. Followed by discussion with a trained OWL facilitator.
IMPORTANT UPDATE for Brilliant Minds
An incorrect registration link went out in the weeklies and the newsfeed for the Brilliant Minds Workshop. If you believe you have already registered via one of those , please take a look at THIS registration link and verify that it is the one you used. If you signed up on the clipboard and or via the bulletin board QR code, you are already good to go! Thank you so much for your interest in this offering!