 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.  Sparks Fly Upward As we continue our journey into a New Year, we hope to bring our spirits the space to dream new dreams and make new plans. Therefore, we will be engaging in a Fire Ceremony, in which we lift our prayers and hopes up to the universe with the light of our chalice. Fire and light are traditional symbols of hope from pagan Solstice celebrations to the Chinese New Year’s, and we, too, connect flame and intention in this uniquely UU acknowledgement of our intentions for the New Year. Preacher – Reverend Elizabeth Mount All are welcome! For all Sunday Service connection information please scroll down  Happy New Year, beloveds! Well, as the year turns over and the days grow longer, many of us are taking this opportunity to make new promises to ourselves and one another, finding our center, reconnecting with our values and hopes. In this congregation, some are making a list of New Year’s resolutions, while others are picking a “core word” or a theme for the year ahead or beginning a book list. At our Buddha washing on January 1st, Gene Heater led us in a meaningful ceremony that invited us to remember the past, but break our attachment to it, making way for all that is yet to come. And on the 8th, we will use our chalice flame to let our hopes and wishes for the new year fly upward in light and air to connect with the universe. However, you are finding the new, I invite you to make space for breath, to be with this time of balance between past and future, and to honor what has been as well as what is to come. Don’t push too hard into the space of doing before you’ve had a chance to savor this time… ponder the beauty of unbroken snow before you step out your door and let this be a metaphor for life’s journey as well. For my word for this congregation and for myself in this coming year is Love. At UU Cheyenne, we begin our covenant by affirming that “Love is the Spirit of This Church.” The Article II Commission notes that their writing is done “With Love at the Center.” And from the UUA we “Side with Love” for justice. Our congregation, our denomination, our outward-facing justice efforts all bring us back again and again to Love, and it is my grounding, and my reason for being in ministry. I invite you to come with us in this journey of lovingkindness, to center yourself once again in Love and ask your heart, your soul, your center, what Love asks of you in this new year. What is your call to nurture and love yourself, your family or friends, your community, and this world? Share with us what calls you onward and let us grow deeper into love through this weaving of our shared intentions. If you would like to meet with me to talk about any part of your life for pastoral or theological accompaniment, you are always welcome and encouraged to email minister@uucheyenne.org to set up an appointment or come to Community Office Hours at the Paramount Café between 9am and 11am on Tuesdays. I look forward to continuing to grow and deepen the connections between us all. In faith and renewal, Rev. Elizabeth SHARE THE PLATE SURVEY! A few years ago, it was decided that in order to further help organizations in our community that mirror our principals and help our Church in its mission, we would start a program called, Share the Plate where the weekly offerings are divided by 2 with one half going to the Church and one half going to a selected organization. A committee was put together to identify the many worthy non-profits in town that would meet our standards and values. In the past, this committee has sat down and gone through lists to come up with 11 agencies (one for each month of the year). January is always designated for the Ministerial Discretionary Fund. Each year, the lists have been reviewed, and after a consensus, any new agencies added and/or deleted for the upcoming year. This year, we felt it was time to survey the congregation to see which organizations you feel should receive the Share the Plate Funds. This is your opportunity to provide valuable input into the choices of our Share the Plate partners. A poster will be available in the Social Hall on Sunday to put your provided stickers on to vote for who you want. You can also suggest an organization you think might meet our guidelines. Also, if you are interested in serving on this committee, or have any questions or comments, Please let us know. members of our Share the Plate Committee are: Kathleen Peterson Sharron Kelsey Abbey Kercher Natalie Vernon Kathie Selden Caroljean Bongo  Reproductive Justice Teach-In from10:00 to11:30 amAn in person event at the the UU Church of Cheyenne, Wyoming  As always, Coffee Hour needs your help! We need at least two volunteers to set up and to clean up every week Sign up now to help with the January 8 potluck. You can sign up using the clipboard corner sign up sheets, or you can sign up on realm using the serving teams coffee hour volunteers schedule, or you could send an email to administrator@uucheyenne.org, or contact Kayla. And please sign up at least once each quarter so everyone has an opportunity to volunteer. Thank you!  This is a peanut free facility Please help us keep our congregants safe!  We’ll be offering this event on January 10th at 11:00 am in the Sanctuary Special Event: Singing for Liberation Come Sing! Rev. Erika Hewitt, the UUA’s Minister of Worship Arts, and Paul Vasile, Executive Director of Music That Makes Community, invite you to come play, sing, and learn with us on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 in a live, hour-long webinar at 11 a.m. Mountain Time. In this Zoom event, we’ll discover the joy and possibilities of paperless singing (yes: even though we’ll be muted). Our twin focus will be sharing new, empowering musical content and weaving that song into worship in creative ways. We encourage you—as you’re able, following health protocols—to view this webinar with others so that you can enjoy singing rounds and canons together. Only one person from the group needs to register. What or who is Music That Makes Community? Music That Makes Community is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people connect and learn through singing. They do that by teaching a practice of paperless song-leading grounded in a theology of welcome and generosity for the benefit of musicians, clergy, congregants, students and lay leaders who want to use the practice to enrich and enliven their worship and community life. Many UU professional religious leaders have attended MTMC events, and rave about them.  Celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday with a road trip. Join Dr. Fredrick Douglas Dixon, his students, and Reverend Elizabeth at the University of Wyoming’s Black Studies Center. Saturday. January 14. Bus departs from Highlands Presbyterian Church at 7:30. We will have breakfast followed by a dialogue on Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” After sharing lunch, we return home by 3pm. No fees, just a good day of sharing. Interested? Email Rodger McDaniel at rmc81448@gmail.com to get on the list. Seats are limited so act today. No “No-Shows” permitted 🙂  Dinner Parties are scheduled for Saturday 1/21/2023 and Saturday 2/18/2023 1504 Stinson Avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001 Arrive by 5:45 pm. The only requirements are your time, a smile, and closed toed shoes. Contact Laura  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. ********************************* Winter 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 SECOND Monday of January for mindfulness practice in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne / 3005 Thomes Avenue Room 5 – Upstairs SECOND Monday, January 9th, 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 …………………………………………………. 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 New to UU Meets monthly on the second Sunday at 11:30 am – 1:00 pm in the library and will meet Sunday, February 12 ******************************** Committees and Teams Worship team meets at 6:30 pm on third Wednesdays, and will meet January 18, at 6:30 pm in the library – contact Rev. Elizabeth to join a meeting or become a Worship Associate Board meets at 6:30 pm on first Tuesdays on Zoom, and will meet January 3 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 January 26 at 6:30 pm. in the library – contact Lauren Danley Finance Team meets at 4:15 pm on third Thursday’s, and will meet January 19, 4:15 – 5:15 pm in the library contact Marci Linde or Camellia El-Antably We are pleased to announce that our new online giving platform is ready for use! You can securely give from our website at uucheyenne.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, January 15, 2023 Finding a Way to Mental Health Support Join us for a worship service that focuses on the problems of mental health and suicide risk in Wyoming, as we seek to support all those who struggle. In the journey through life, we know that survival can be a challenge for many people, and that community care is one of the ways that we can best be friends to one another and caretakers of humanity. Today, we will focus on tools and resources for care of self and others. Copyright © 2023 Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne, All rights reserved. UUCC Members Our mailing address is: Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne3005 Thomes Avenue Cheyenne, WY 82001 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
Categories: UUCC This Week and Beyond