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| Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne A community of refuge where all have equal worth and are invited into spiritual exploration as a foundation for: hope. compassionate service. action.  Moved and Transported This Sunday, you may want to wear clothes you can move well in, as we explore embodied practices of spiritual gathering and meditation. We’ll spend time today inviting spirit to move with and through us in embodied practices that come from across time and from wisdom traditions around the world.Preacher – Reverend Elizabeth Mount All are welcome! For all Sunday Service connection information please scroll down —–  Embodied beauties, This is the season when shoots and leaves begin to spring forth (though yes, I know there’s likely to be another snowfall or three before Wyoming is truly done with winter), and our Jewish neighbors are celebrating Passover, recollecting a mythical time of enslavement in the land of Egypt and their powerful experience of getting free. The Passover celebration and Seder dinners recall in food and fellowship, the feelings of this story. For instance, the practice of eating “bitter herbs” provokes a feeling of unpleasant bitterness like a small shadow of the feeling of unpleasantness that being forced to work without adequate pay or protections might give, and these herbs are dipped in salt water that tastes like the tears shed by those enslaved and forced to work in Egypt on the construction of the pyramids and other civil engineering projects of the time. The wine has a sweet taste of fruits that remind us of vibrant life and joy. By contrast, in our Unitarian Universalist traditions, one direct heritage comes from the Puritans, who believed that too much decoration, movement, strong tasting foods, or even emotional singing would distract from the attention that needed to be paid to the divine spirit, to God as the sole focus of worship. Over the years, this vein of Protestantism gave rise to the nickname the “frozen chosen,” referring to the tendency to divorce thoughts about theology from the experience of heartfelt emotions and body movements that point toward a divine experience. And yet, we are descended from the religion of Jesus, whose life teaches many lessons of love and sharing, kindness and healing, and whose death was an embodied pain. In the story of Easter, Jesus is said to have risen from the grave, bringing his whole body with him out of the tomb, scars, wounds, and all. You are no less worthy of bringing your whole selves to each moment than Jesus or any other human being created on this Earth to enact love. Which leads us to our practice of Whole Church Worship: I love how our community is learning to show up to church life with all the movement and sound and realities that come with our full beings from birth to elderhood and to know that our sanctuary can hold crying, laughter, whining, and joyful exclamation, crawling under the pews as well as sitting still upon them. For this, is the magic of a gathered community and a holy space. And bringing our whole selves and being open to one another’s whole beings means introspection as well. So, this month, as the ground and the world around us unfreezes and softens, we hope to spend some time reconnecting our emotional selves and our bodies to our brains and thoughts to reawaken ourselves and enhance our connections with one another and the world. Try one of these practices or another way of connecting your body and soul this month and talk to your fellow congregants or Rev. Elizabeth (that’s me!) about your experience: Mindful Eating Many people use foods like a tangerine, a bar of dark chocolate, or a pomegranate to engage with for mindful eating exercises. This practice involves bringing the mind and senses to the task of savoring a few bites of a complex food that needs unwrapping or peeling and sectioning and can therefore be seen, touched, smelled, heard (in the rustle of wrapper or the quiet scrape and thud of a peel being removed and dropped onto a plate), and at last tasted the flavors of food grown from the Earth and given thanks for it. Meditative Movement Going for a walk outdoors or around your home, moving or dancing to music, or stretching in a quiet moment can become a meditation when you take the time to notice pressure and pull, feel your muscles, and wonder at the miracle of having a body, even the aches and halting movements of aging or injury that remind us that we are people with a story that belongs to ourselves and tells us something about how we have grown and who we have become. In wholehearted love, Rev. Elizabeth —–  Living Generously It’s pledge season again! Letters went out March 16 and should be in your hands by now. We invite you to pledge to the church. Your financial contributions are crucial to all aspects of church life and ministry. New this year: we are moving to evergreen pledging. This means that unless you opt out, this will be the last pledge form you will see for some time. Please carefully review what you have been pledging, consider the information provided in the letter and your circumstances, and return the form by March 27 or sooner. From there, we will use this number each year unless you tell us otherwise. You may revise your pledge at any time. We do encourage automatic deduction pledging as well, and there are instructions on the website for that. Didn’t get one? You can find one here. If you have questions, please contact Camellia El-Antably —– Family Fun Night Crafts and Companionship  Join us Friday, April 14 at 5:30 Bring toppings for a baked potato And join us for thread crafts, friendship bracelets, cross stitch, emroidery and more… —– Unitarian and Universalist History  In April, Reverend Elizabeth is teaching a UU History class, in three sessions, the last session in this series is Thursday, April 20 from 6:30-8:00pm. Come to the classes you can attend on Zoom or in person in the church’s library. ——  Saturday 4/22/2023 1504 Stinson Avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001 Arrive by 5:45 pm. The only requirements are your time, a smile, and closed toe shoes. Contact – Laura.Magill@allstate.com —–  OPEN HOUSE Sunday April 23rd from Noon to 6:00pm . 115 W 27th Street Mike Shonsey and Kathy Jenkins (longtime members, contributors, and leaders of the UUCC) are moving to Washington state in early May of this year. They would like to invite all members and close friends of the UUCC to an open house. Kathy and Mike would love for you to come join them for an afternoon of appetizers, beverages, and conversation. Guests are encouraged to help Mike and Kathy with their move by taking a household item, or two, home with them! Please join us in giving Mike and Kathy well wishes as their next chapter of life begins. ————– Installation Ceremony  Please join us for Reverend Elizabeth Mount’s installation ceremony and party on May 6th. The Ceremony will start at 2pm and the party will immediately follow, in the social hall. Heavy Hors d’oeuvres, cake and punch will be provided. We also hope to have music and good fun! —— UUCC Service Auction Info Saturday June 3rd from 5-8 at UUCC, 3005 Thomes Ave., Cheyenne and Online at: fundraiser.bid/UUCCAuction As the Auction approaches, please start thinking about things you can donate, others you can ask to donate, and ways you can help either to set up or take down, provide food and/or drinks for the event. This is the biggest fund raiser for the church and it is always a great event because of all of you! The Quilt Raffle and admission tickets to the live auction/social hour are available on the auction site! Follow this link: fundraiser.bid/UUCCAuction to register and then you can get your admission tickets and/or the raffle tickets now. Let us know if you have any questions by emailing us at fundraiser@uucheyenne.org or you can call Abbey. ——  Coffee Hour needs Volunteers If, somehow in some way, everything ends up getting done you may be likely to think that you aren’t really needed, and it is easy to ignore the repeated, urgent requests for help when someone is going to do the work even when no one responds to those requests. Someone is doing the work and they do need help. We always need new volunteers. Interested? Please contact Kayla or Jan for more information and to be added to the schedule. At UUCC we love coffee, food, and fellowship!After each service there is a coffee hour in the Social Hall. Please come join us for coffee or tea and snacks. It is a friendly and relaxed time and a great opportunity to socialize. Ideally, congregants take turns volunteering. It’s fun and easy to do and is a perfect way to meet new people, enjoy fellowship, and build community.Dates are listed below. There is a sign-up sheet on the round table in the lobby. Coffee Hour 4/16/2023 Coffee Hour 4/23/2023 Coffee hour 4/30/2023 Potluck 5/7/2023 Please sign up at least once each quarter so everyone has an opportunity to help. Thank you! —— UUCC Needs Delegates The UUCC Board is seeking two delegates to represent this congregation at the General Assembly in person in PIttsburgh, PA or online June 21st through 25th. Please check in with any Board member or Rev. Elizabeth to register your interest or ask for more details. Delegates will be formally appointed at the next Board meeting on May 2nd. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the direction of our denomination and build connections with Unitarian Universalists from the Philippines to Nova Scotia to Mexico and Colombia. Please consider whether you might be interested in this chance to grow in your faith and offer your time. Scholarships are available for registration if cost is a concern. You—your perspective, your hopes and dreams, your fears, your needs— matter to Unitarian Universalism. From March through June 2023, a series of forums is being held so that you can engage with Rev. Betancourt about what Unitarian Universalism means to you, your hopes and needs for our future, and how we can better live into our purpose and potential together. —— Dance classes at Mt. Sinai Sunday, April 16 – 3 to 4:30 PM – Israeli Folk Dancing classes at Mt. Sinai. Anyone who wants to learn the basic Horas, Yemenite, and modern Israeli steps will enjoy this class. No charge, just put on your dancing shoes and join us.2610 Pioneer Avenue —–  COMEA Tacos and Tequila Annual Fundraiser Join the COMEA Shelter of Cheyenne for the annual Tacos & Tequila fundraiser and celebrate Cinco De Mayo! The event will be held on May 5, 2023, at the BEAST Foundation (2900 Sunflower Road) from 5:30pm-9:00pm. The night will include live and silent auctions, music, tequila tasting, and a taco bar provided by Comea Catering! All proceeds benefit the Comea Shelter and those facing homelessness in Cheyenne. It is the mission of COMEA to provide a safe, secure, and temporary shelter to men, women and children who are homeless. This annual event allows COMEA to collaborate with the community to provide programs and resources to its residence to create opportunities for independent living. Contact Cameron Karajanis, Assistant Director, to purchase individual tickets or for sponsorship information at assistantdirector@comeashelter.org. Tickets can also be purchased at this link:https://cbo.io/tickets/tacos/tix —–  Important communications are now being sent by many people in the UUCC community via emails through Realm. Be sure you are not missing anything by adding the following email address to either your whitelist or your contacts: notifications@onrealmmail.org. If you have any questions or want to create an account on Realm, please feel free to reach out to the Realm Implementation team at uuccrealmhelp@uucheyenne.org ********************************** Realm Training Realm trainings are scheduled for April 23, 2023 in the library at 11:15 for approximately thirty minutes with Gene Heater. This new platform is designed for all UUCC members and guests. Realm is a platform designed to keep us informed and to effectively communicate what is going on at UUCC. The design is user friendly with an eye toward specific details regarding committees, various schedules, church events, and overall general news. Please join Gene at one of the upcoming trainings to increase your proficiency and ease with this amazing tool. ——————- Spring Spiritual Practices Lectio Divina: Tuesdays at 11:30am, join Rev. Elizabeth in the library to reflect on the sacred meanings of poetry in relation to your life and inner being. Lectio Divina follows a guided format of reflection with a new poem provided each week. If you would like to recommend a piece of poetry for a future session, email it to Rev. Elizabeth at minister@uucheyenne.org. ********************************************************** Mindful Monday Meditation Please join us on the Please join us on the FIRST Monday of the month for mindfulness practice in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne / 3005 Thomes Avenue Room 5 – Upstairs FIRST Monday, May 1, 6:00 – 7:30 PM includes: sitting and walking meditations; readings or teachings, and discussion. Everyone is welcome. No experience is necessary. For more information, please contact Beth Howard ********************************************************** Bird and Bell Meditation The following meditation sessions are still being held via Zoom: Please feel free to join us. Tuesday Morning 7:15 – 7:45 am Now includes chanting Wednesday Evening 6:00 – 7:00 pm Thursday Morning 7:15 – 7:45 am Now includes chanting Use this link Bird and Bell Meditation Zoom Link The Sunday morning session is now in person! Sunday Morning 8:45 – 9:15 am Monday morning at the Hawthorn Tree 9:15 – 10:15 ********************************************************** Drum Circle Fourth Fridays, April 28, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the Social Hall Everyone is welcome ********************************************************** Volleyball Saturdays from 3:30 – 5:00 pm in the Social Hall Everybody is welcome ****************************** Bibles and Beer: Every Monday at 5:30 PM – Bibles and Beer is an interfaith study session on a Bible passage chosen weekly. Join them in person at Uncle Charlie’s or via Zoom. Please email Rodger McDaniel at rmc81448@gmail.com so he can add you to the list of those sent the Zoom link each week ********************************************************** Community Office Hours  Come and visit with Rev. Elizabeth on Tuesday mornings at the Paramount Café between 9-11 am. Did something in the Sunday service catch your attention and you want to go deeper? Need to chat about a minor pastoral issue? Find a really good book and need to tell someone about it? Just have some free time and want to spend it with someone? Come by and hang out for a few minutes with your friendly local UU minister! —– SUNDAY SERVICE INFORMATION We gather at 10 am for worship in our sanctuary at 3005 Thomes Avenue; masks are encouraged and optional. Order of Service Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 952 3844 3423 Passcode: 375665 One tap mobile +13462487799,,95238443423# US (Houston) +16694449171,,95238443423# US Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 444 9171 US +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 931 3860 US +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) Meeting ID: 952 3844 3423 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/ac3zomnZx6 You can also find us on YouTube New to UU Meets monthly on the second Sunday at 11:30 am – 1:00 pm in the library and will meet Sunday, May 14, 2023 ********************************************************** Committees and Teams Board meets at 6:30 pm on first Tuesdays on Zoom and will meet. May 2, at 6:30 pm via zoom – contact President Elaine Hayes Committee on Shared Ministry meets at 6:30 pm on fourth Thursdays and will meet April 27 at 6:30 pm. in the library – contact Lauren Danley Finance Team meets at 4:15 pm on third Thursday’s, and will meet April 20, 4:15 – 5:15 pm in the library contact. Marci Linde or Camellia El-Antably Worship team meets at 6:30 pm on third Wednesdays, and will meet April 19, at 6:30 pm in the library – contact Rev. Elizabeth to join a meeting or become a Worship Associate —– You can securely give from our website atuucheyenne.org/give or via text message [text UUCC to 73256]. You can even create an account to set up recurring donations, view your giving history and use our free mobile app. If you’d like to set up an account, please contact bookkeeper@uucheyenne.org and we will send you an invitation to join our online community.  _______________________________________________ Please send Order of Service and Newsletter announcements to administrator@uucheyenne.org by or before Wednesday at 10:00 AM Thank you —— Join us Sunday, April 23, 2023 Touch the Grass, Hug a Tree Don’t you love the springtime? The birds, the grass, the trees, the wind… ok, the wind is sometimes a bit much here in Wyoming but join us for a worship in appreciation of the Earth and an invitation to connect with it. Today, we offer the reminder that simply to be one with the natural world is a powerful medicine for weary spirits. |
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