Monthly Archives: September 2020

August 2014 Worship Schedule

08/03 “Diving Into the Wreck”

Rev. Howell K. Lind, Developmental Minister

Justin Butterworth, Worship Leader

08/10 Rebirthing God: Reflections from Ghost Ranch

Beth Chronister, Ministerial Resident, FUSD

Fred Cole, Worship Leader

08/17 Homecoming Sunday – Full Church Worship

Rev. Howell K. Lind, Developmental Minister

Diana McLean, Ministerial Intern

Janen Wright, Lifespan Faith Development Director

08/24 Full Church Worship (at UUCB’s All Church Retreat)

Diana McLean, Ministerial Intern

Janen Wright, Lifespan Faith Development Director

08/24 “To Be . . . Community” (at UUCB)

Rev. Howell K. Lind, Developmental Minister

Update: UUCB Ministerial Search Committee’s First Meeting

On Saturday, July 12^th, your ministerial search committee, elected by the congregation this past spring, met for the first time. We were pleased to have the Rev. Gretchen Haley as our facilitator for the day as we began to understand more deeply the multiple roles and duties of the committee.

One of our first acts was to elect Jim Rowe to be our chairperson. The other members of the group–Jenny Fitt-Peaster, Sharon Belew, Jason English, Ted Burnham, Barbara Richards and myself– have taken on other lead duties for the committee. One of our main goals will be to regularly update the congregation on the work of the committee. You can expect regular articles in the Clear Light Messenger and we will look for multiple avenues to inform the congregation of our progress.

We are excited and honored to take on this important work on behalf of the congregation. After our day’s work with Gretchen we understand even more deeply the sacred duty to fully represent the needs and goals of our church as we plan for our future. Please light a virtual candle for all of us as we move forward.

In Covenant with you,

Diana Maiden

Report from General Assembly

With 4754 registered attendees, this year’s GA, in Providence, RI ranks as the third largest ever; behind Boston, MA (2003) and Portland, OR (2008). The overall consensus is that this was a “very good” GA; given the absence of any major drama, which has sometimes accompanied previous gatherings.

All of the recorded audio/visual/text content, from the Assembly Hall, is available to you, at uua.org/ga/online.

Jim Key, as Moderator, provided a refreshingly new approach to conducting the business of the Association, and to getting it done.

I encourage you to read/view his Moderator’s Report during General Session III.

Of the five Congregational Study Action Issues (CSAIs) proposed, the Assembly chose #3; Escalating Inequality, for four years of further consideration. The title may be a bit misleading, but the issue to be studied is the growing economic gap (the 1% vs everyone else) in this country. For the presentations see; General Session IV.

The Worship content this year was significantly improved, and carried the overall theme of “Love Reaches Out” very well. I think that this was due to the first time inclusion of a Worship Arts Team (WAT) into the overall planning process. The Thursday Morning Worship led by Rev. Meg Riley, was particularly well done.

We all applauded, and “Yee-Hawed” appropriately as Rev(s). Amy Rowland and Sarah Oglesby (Laramie) were called into Fellowship, during the Service of Living Tradition. Then again, for Rev(s). Julia McKay (Columbine), Jeremy Nickel (Mission Peaks) and Jeanne Shero (1^st Universalist) as they were called to Final Fellowship. This service was dedicated to our Chaplains in military service. The featured speaker, Rev. Major (USAR) Rebekah Montgomery, was once one of Howell’s students (what a surprise). See: Service of Living Tradition

The Ware Lecture, presented by Sister Simone Campbell (Nuns on a Bus) was very stimulating. In it she urged UUs to continue to “…walk toward trouble.” Her presentation was very low key, but not without some very “pithy” comments. I recommend it at; Ware Lecture

The delegates approved three Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs) addressing: Immigration policy and deportation; Gun violence in the US, as a public health issue; and Condemning the rampant homophobia in Uganda, as a humanitarian disaster. For details see: General Session VI and General Session VII

The Assembly also approved amendments to the UUA Bylaws, dealing with divestures from the UUA’s investment portfolio. Passage of these amendments was strongly endorsed by our Climate Change Ministry, and that is the way our Delegates voted. See: General Session VIII

The most coveted trophy this year, was the brown and gold, Breakthrough Congregation ribbon. Our contingent of Amy Rowland, Barb Richards, Beckett Coppala, Deb Hoff, Emily Conger, Fred Cole, Heather Ogren, Howell Lind, and Susan Secord, wore it proudly. The next copy of World magazine will have a feature article about the UU Church of Boulder.

Three UUCB members participated as volunteers, in Providence. Deb Hoff was on the Recycling Team (she loved it), Barb Richards again reigned as “queen bee” in the Volunteer Office, and it was déjà vu for me to work as an Assistant House Manager.

As with any General Assembly, old friendships are renewed, and new friendships are formed. Such a pleasure, to once again greet Rev. “Scotty” Meek and his wife, Dottie. This year, Scotty was attending his 53rd consecutive UUA General Assembly! It all starts again, next year, in Portland, OR – June 24th thru June 28th. Barb and I are already making our plans – how about you?

Fred M. Cole

UUCB Denominational Representative

Message from the Finance Committee

The finance committee is getting ready to close the books for 2013-2014. This is the last chance to fulfill your pledge. To date we have received 91% of the expected donations for the fiscal year. If you have not already contacted the finance committee during the 2014-2015 pledge drive, your attention to any outstanding balance is both needed and appreciated.

PRISM Update

CU and other post-secondary schools will be back in session in August, so it’s time to think about welcoming students, both undergrads and graduate students, to the school year. On Sundays, August 31, and September 7, we will be collecting small school supplies and nonperishable snack items for welcome-back bags for the student members of the Progressive Really Inclusive Student Ministry (PRISM). Items such as pens, sticky notes, highlighters, and snacks such as granola bars, soup mixes, popcorn, small cans of juice, as well as coupons to local businesses, and other small items are welcome.

We will begin providing a dinner for PRISM at their house near CU on Grandview Avenue in September, usually it’s the first Tuesday of the month (may be different in September, watch for date). Many of the members are members of UUCB’s YA group. In recent years groups of individuals have been donating a dish to serve 10 to 12 people each month to make up coordinated meals for the students. Many of the same people have done this for years. It’s time to recruit some new people to prepare or purchase a dish once or twice during the school year. Maybe you’d like to do this as members of a Chalice Circle or committee or council. Last year the RE students prepared the meal for April. A few families might like to take a month together. Or perhaps you have other ideas about how to provide the meal for about 24 people once a month during the school year. The students love home-made food, but they also love deli items, ice cream, and other things you can purchase, if that’s easier. If you have ideas or would like to help with the meal in September, let Dianne Ewing know.

Reflections on the Journey by Rev. Howell Lind

Where have all the days of summer gone? It seems like it was only the beginning of June a week or so ago and all the days of summer (and all the many “summer time” projects that I wanted to accomplish!) lay ahead of me. The days seemed to fly by (and much of what I had hoped to accomplish flew by as well!).

UUCB is a “year round” church in that we do not cease our regular services of worship during the summer months. Closing church for the summer still happens in a number of our New England congregations, but out here in the West we keep our doors open and keep our many church programs up and running.

And yet, we do still designate a Homecoming Sunday – August 17th – when we gather as a Full Church Community (children and adults) to begin in earnest our fall church programming and to welcome back those families and individuals who have returned from their summer vacations. Area schools begin right around this time and we, at UUCB, celebrate this coming back to our church home with the decidely Unitarian Universalist ritual of the Water Ceremony.

For those relatively new to Unitarian Universalism, the Water Ceremony is where individuals and families bring small vials of water collected from their summer adventures away from our area. Throughout the travels over the summer, folks collect water from the streams, lakes, and bodies of water that they have visited and share them in a common vessel to help us remember the experiences and adventures that we have enjoyed during the summer.

Like the traditional hymn that we sing by Marion Franklin Ham (“As tranquil streams that meet and merge…”) we bring our collected waters and merge them into a common vessel of our shared summer adventures. Symbolic of our re-covenanting and re-convening as a religious community, when we bring our vials of water and pour them into a common container, we are sharing with others our hopes and dreams of what we are as a religious community and of what we want to accomplish together in the coming church program year.

An exciting 2014-2015 church year has been planned and is being anticipated for our entire church community. Following our Homecoming Sunday on August 17th, the very next weekend will be our All Church Retreat, August 22nd to the 24th, at Allenspark, CO. Our All Church Retreat will be an amazing time to deepen our sense of religious community and an informal setting to get to know one another more deeply and caringly as we learn, play, and share adventures together.

Our 2014-2015 church program year begins on August 17th with our Homecoming Full Church Worship and we will use every opportunity in the coming year to build on the growing of our relationships and friendships because that is what we are about at UUCB – growing and deepening our faith together.

I guess, as I think about it in this way, the fleeting pace of the summer days only highlights and points to the exciting days ahead of us as a religious community in the coming church year.

Howell

Faith Formation Focus—The Blessings of Nature

I am so looking forward to both our All-Church camp in August and our Climate Change focus this coming year because, like so many of you, Nature is one of my true loves. In the kid’s and teen’s Religious Education program our activity days have been changed to “Green Days” starting this fall. The Climate Change Committee has a division that is heading up some wonderful classes for the kids to help us all appreciate the planet that we live on and understand what a privilege it is to take care of it. I am looking forward to what this focus will add to our Sunday experience.

There are so many profound lessons we can take from the relationship we have with the earth. I love these words by John Sous:

To be of the earth is to know

The restlessness of being a seed,

The darkness of being planted,

The struggle toward the light,

The pain of growth into the light,

The joy of bursting and bearing fruit,

The love of being food for someone,

The scattering of your seeds,

The decay of the seasons,

The mystery of death,

And the miracle of birth.

I have found that a reverence for the natural world is very common among people who share the blessings of being part of our liberal faith. The majesty of mountains, the restless immensity of the ocean, the beauty of wild plants and trees all inspire a much bigger perspective than our day to day existence usually affords. There is a spirituality (which is the depth dimension of life) and a peace in surrounding oneself with nature that can’t be found anywhere else; a peace that the animal in each of us craves sometimes.

I had the opportunity of exploring our church campsite at Highland Park with Heidi, Jason and Mary a couple of weeks ago. What a beautiful place it is and what a wonderful time those who attend are going to have! Make time for it! We will have delicious catered meals and super cool workshops are lined up– like drumming, sketching, life-skills and meditation. We will have our Sunday worship in a grove with a lovely view–and when we aren’t in session the outdoors offers great fun and beautiful places to let your spirit be free. We will make great memories as a church family and come away with the inspiration and rejuvenation that only spending time together in nature can afford.

Janen Wright –Lifespan Faith Development Director

Membership Matters for August

We honor members, friends, visitors

Our thoughts and good wishes continue to be with: Kay Stevens who wished safe thoughts for her kids, grand kids and great grand daughter on “Ride the Rockies”. Dianne Ewing had cataract surgery, on both eyes, and can now drive without glasses for the first time in her life. The family and friends of Fern Levin, who died July 7th. Her service will be later in Chicago.

Congratulations, Good Luck, Blessings, and Thanks to: Bridget Hanna graduated on May 29th with a PhD in Social Anthropology from Harvard University. Hello from Ralph Hollingsworth who is now living in Eugene, OR where he and his wife moved about two months ago, He officially joined UUCE in Eugene. Their church has moved into a new, larger space and the plans for the future are pretty interesting. More bittersweet news. Paula Baase (Gardner) has decided to leave UUCB and relocate to Salt Lake City, UT. She joined our church in 1985 after becoming a UU in Miami FL. Paula has flourished while serving on our Caring Committee, RE, LDC, and choir. She attributes personal growth to intellectual challenges and our active social scene. We wish her well as she departs this Beloved Community to contribute her skills of UU leadership, artistic talents and teaching at First Unitarian Church in SLC. Your Immigration Ministry is pleased to report that nearly ninety pounds of clothing, shoes, and personal hygiene items were shipped to Borderlinks in Tucson, AZ in June! This is due to the overwhelming, and generous response of the entire UUCB community! These materials will be distributed appropriately, on both sides of the border — in Nogales (AZ and Sonora). Fred, and our three vising grandchildren, Abbey, Alac & Sariah Cole did the sorting and packing. To Becky Martin, Colorado Vacation Directory of Cabins Camping who donated the shipping. Daphne Lewin’s family came from near & far to help her celebrate her 90th birthday. Karen Morgan missed two weeks being at church because she held a BIG family reunion here in Boulder for her mother’s 93rd birthday. Three guests were from Finland, as well as Wisconsin, Florida, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. A good time was had by all. Our David Hughes, Boulder County Attorney, stood on the Side of Love with Hillary Hall, County Clerk & Recorder as she began issuing Marriage Licenses to same sex couples on June 25. Colorado Attorney General, John Suthers took them to court, but a Boulder judge ruled in David & Hillary’s favor! Ali Burgess who said “I just had the best week of my life at QUUEST Camp” upon her return last month.

Random Thoughts: As you are reading this Fred and I will be back from Providence RI and the UUA General Assembly. I was in the Volunteer Office seeing our many UU friends from around the country. Fred was assisting the GA Planning Committee as a Volunteer. On Friday afternoon we had a long, delightful conversation with Ken Ogren in his hotel suite. Ken is a sharp as ever, and at 95 years old, was attending his first GA. He also served as a Delegate. After GA was over, we rented a car and headed to Maine where we saw former pillars of UUCB, Hayden & Jonathan Williamson, in Camden, ME. Besides us,Tessa Davis visited last month and Dianne Ewing will see them later in August.

Working in the Volunteer Office at GA I get to interact with so many friends, both old and new. Rev. Barnaby Feder, son of former member Michal Feder, came in for information, and I asked about his mother. She now lives in an assisted living facility in Vermont where he is a minister. She fell and broke her hip, and when the EMT’s appeared she said, “Just throw me on the trash heap”; to which they replied, “Sorry, but we recycle everything in this state!” I can just hear her saying that.

Everyone have a safe and enjoyable rest of summer!

With Love & Care, Barb

August Circle Supper

We’ll have an evening in Italy with Papa Lou’s home-made pasta and meatballs and your Italian dishes on Saturday, August 2, at the home of Lou and Laurie Mazzola in Erie. If you have not signed up at UUCB, call them right away. Space is limited.

August Tea House

Julie and Bob Ford invite us all for tea and finger food on Sunday afternoon, August 17, from 3 to 5. It’s the water ceremony Sunday, so maybe you will want to share more of your travel stories with UU friends that afternoon. Bring finger food to share. All are welcome! No sign-up sheet needed. Directions to the Ford’s south Boulder home will be available at UUCB that morning or call them. Tea Houses are informal get togethers just for fun at UU homes on the third Sunday afternoon of each month. When there are other special events at UUCB that day or holidays, we may cancel. Otherwise, you can count on a time to visit and get to know other UUCBers better on the third Sundays.

Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 7 pm – Special Guest Speaker, John Fielder

UUCB is hosting a special benefit for Wilderness Preservation with guest speaker Colorado’s best-known wilderness photographer, John Fielder presenting “Celebrating 50 Years of Wilderness”. Tickets are available on-line at http://fielderbenefituucb.eventzilla.net and will also be available after church in the Sky Room on July 26, August 2 and 9. The Sierra Club will receive a portion of proceeds from the $20 tickets. This event marks 50 years since the signing of the Wilderness Act. Plan to join us as John shares glorious images of Colorado and other states, with music and stories of life on the trail during his 40 years of exploring the wilderness. Seating is limited, so early ticket purchase is recommended. This is also a fundraiser for UUCB.

Tickets available http://fielderbenefituucb.eventzilla.net

UUCB Members Go To DC to Talk with Legislators!

Two members of the UUCB Climate Change Ministry, Susan Secord and Susan Riederer, joined 600 Citizen Climate Lobby (CCL) volunteers from across the country in Washington DC in June to ask Congress to take action on climate change. They along with all of the CCL volunteers departed Washington with a strong sense that the conversation is shifting on climate change solutions, a shift that might lead to bi-partisan legislation that prices carbon.

Our two members attended meetings in the offices of Udall, Bennet, Polis, Gardner, Perlmutter and Tipton. In the meetings they presented a legislative proposal that would put a fee on carbon which is then returned to American households on an equitable basis. They also shared the results of a recent study of this proposal which was done by Regional Economic Model, Inc (REMI). And the news is GOOD! The study determined that a revenue neutral carbon tax would stimulate the economy, create jobs and reduce CO2 by 50% of 1990 levels by 2035. Want to learn more about this work? The Climate Change Ministry Group will be hosting an informational meeting at UUCB about their work with Citizens Climate Lobby. Date to be determined.

And we just got word that UU’s from across the country will be attending the People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21^st. The march is planned to correspond with a UN summit on climate change for world leaders the following week. There are plans for a massive interfaith service in Central Park on Sunday morning. A meet-up event page has been created by some UU organizers of all UU’s planning on attending. Here is the link for the meet-up. http://www.meetup.com/UU-Justice-Web-Metro-NY/events/193519382/ Stop by the Climate Ministry table for more details and find out who is going from our congregation.

Wildflower Seed Collection

Wildflower Seed Collection

Saturday, September 13

9:30 – 3:30 (lunch included)

UUCB Volunteers Needed

Fun Family Activity

Seed collecting is a fun and easy family project, great for all ages. We’ll gather at an outdoor location, turn in release forms, have a bite to eat, and then our leaders will show us exactly what the target species looks like, and lead us in small groups to pick the seed.

Often the seed is so plentiful that one may sit down on the ground and pick everything around, and then move on with the group to another rich collection site. Many times these mature plants are wildflowers. Often they are crucially important grass species that are locally adapted to our environment and exceedingly difficult if not impossible to find commercially. They are worth more than their weight in gold.

UUCB’s Climate Change Ministry Team is joining with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers to coordinate this worthwhile project. Grab your family and friends (don’t have to be church members) and sign up now at the Green Sanctuary/Climate Change Team table on Sundays. Or, contact Heidi Todd for questions or registration.

Images from Men’s Group Meeting

The UUCB Men’s Group meet at Don Lilly’s house for a special presentation by member Dr. Herman Sievering on Climate Change. Herman’s slide show discussed the causes for climate change using actual data sets of CO2, Temperature and sea rise, no predictive models were used. Herm then went on to outline how Green Energy solutions could slow and stop human assisted climate change. We enjoyed getting to know a number of visitors from the BVUUF church. Thanks again to host Don Lilly and our very own speaker Herm Sievering for an evening of fellowship, good food and enlightened discussion.

Images from 4th of July Picnic

July 4th picnic and Mary Jean and Peter Ewing’s house. These images show well the action of ‘jello snaffling’ and seed spitting’. The victory dance is by winners of the water balloon toss.

Training on Companioning Immigrant Families

Los Visitantes: The Visitors

Companioning Immigrant Families Affected by Detention

Join us for a training that will prepare you to engage in companioning (or walking beside) immigrants and their families who are affected by detention. This companioning can manifest itself in several ways through Los Visitantes:

· Becoming a visitor at the ICE Detention Center in Aurora and providing presence and a listening ear to someone in detention;

· Helping to make meals and provide other services for families and individuals staying at Casa de Paz (casadepazcolorado.org), which offers free lodging and meals to guests visiting their loved ones held inside the immigrant detention center;

· Giving rides to the airport, bus station, or other locations to folks who have just been released from the detention center or their families coming to visit;

· Other possibilities as our program builds!

The training aims to help us all become better companions to those experiencing oppression through our unjust immigration system. By the end of the training, you will be ready to sign up for your first visit, meal, or ride! Join us and spread the word!

WHEN: Saturday, August 16th, 2014, 9am-12pm (optional brown bag lunch from 12-1pm)

WHERE: Casa de Paz, 12170 East 30th Ave. #206, Aurora, CO (in the Abrigo Apartments)

ALSO: Please bring a book written in Spanish to donate to the Detention Center’s library. This is a popular request of those detained and one immediate way for you to become a companion!

Space is limited to 10 registrants! RSVP required by Thursday, August 14th to:

Rev. Kierstin Homblette kierstin@mdduua.org