This morning, we were joined by Doug Hill from First Unitarian Universalist Church of Springfield, Missouri.  Doug shared with us his philosophy of uncertainty.  Having emerged from decades in a fundamentalist cult to now identify as Agnostic, he pointed out that Agnosticism is not lazy shrugging or moral fence-sitting, but a principled commitment to truth and evidence.  Agnosticism is also compatible with many beliefs, but it recognizes the limits of belief and the sanctity of proven knowledge.  Doug especially underlined this point: we can believethings that are neither provable nor disprovable, and these beliefs can be positive, helping us organize our lives and make choices, but when we claim to know what we can't prove --- or hold to beliefs refuted by evidence --- we fall into dangerous delusions.  Embracing the uncertainty of the world is a challenge; our brains like to know what to expect.  Doug finds it helpful to live in the present moment, maintain a sense of humor, and build courage.  In this way we can reap the benefits of uncertainty in greater knowledge and growth and greater joy in diversity.

Next Sunday, September 1st:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Prosecutorial Injustice," Hugh Flowers

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Expectations Rule Our Lives Until We Change Them," Rev. Mike Adamek
Expectations are like an automobile’s cruise-control. Whatever we expect, we experience and we follow the same pattern until our dispirit experiences force us to change our expectations.  In human history and in our development from birth until now, there have been radical changes in what we expect. When do we accept the expectations of others so much that we internalize them as our own and when do we challenge them with every fiber of our being? That is the glory of expectations.
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "The Power of We"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our September newsletter and print calendar are ready.  Paper copies are available in the wall box near the coat rack.  Electronic copies are now ready to view or download: Newsletter, Calendar

Tomorrow, Monday, August 26th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Contact Rev. Kim Woodruff:
kimberly@missourifaithvoices.org  

This Friday, August 30th is our monthly Salvation Army meal.  Please contact Roberta Dunkel if you can help provide and serve food for those in need.  Serving begins at 5 pm; please arrive early to help prepare.

Next Sunday, September 1st, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, August 28th, Missouri River Regional Library's Nonfiction at Noon will be discussing the book "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo.  Meets upstairs in the Truman Room.  Contact Lisa Sanning.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Maiden" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events  

Have a great week!

Our September newsletter and print calendar are now ready to view or download:
Newsletter
Calendar

!This Sunday, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued our month of reflections on "Invitation."  What does it mean to make a deep invitation --- to invite yourself, your whole self, and others into the moment?  Building on a reading about seeing a grizzly bear in the wild, Rev. Nancy pointed out that often we reduce our experiences into a series of dots --- a footprint here, a few hairs there, the sight of an animal --- and get so busy trying to connect the dots with our minds that we don't engage in the dynamic event that began before we entered and continues after we leave and will make its own meaning naturally in time.  What is uninvited, she suggested, is what overwhelms us, so she called upon us to invite it all, even the unwanted experiences, and invite ourselves to live in the moment with it all.  In this way, we can ready ourselves for new revelations.

Next Sunday, August 25th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"UUs Creating Peace," Betty Cooper
During the 2010 UUA General Assembly, The UUA Statement of Conscience on Creating Peace was adopted.  We'll discuss the document's three sections: Where We Stand; Historical & Theological Context; and Calls to Action.  Bring your "progress report" during this past eight years.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Living in a World of Uncertainty," Doug Hill (from First UU Church of Springfield)
Doug will discuss agnosticism and uncertainty, especially compelling topics considering Doug was affiliated with a cult for the first 40 years of his life. 
Our Worship Service Committee first heard about Doug from a member of the Springfield church who describes Doug's message this way: "...one of the most compelling and enlightening talks I have heard in my 60-plus years of being a Unitarian".
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "The Practice of Peace"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our building is reserved by a community group tomorrow evening, August 19th, starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Community Events this week:

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Maiden" Thursday through Sunday.  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events  

Have a great week!

This morning, Rev. Mike Adamek continued our month of exploring "Invitation."  In his own words:

I am speaking of invitation as an informal request not a command hidden as a request.  I am convinced that invitations happen all the time, yet they pass us by when we do not hear them as requests.  What should we want to hear when we hear a request or offer an invitation? 

Next Sunday, August 18th:

September News Due.
Please submit your items for our September newsletter and print calendar to Laura Gilkey by e-mail (uufjc1@gmail.com) or in writing.

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Project Homeless Connect," Shiela Murphy
Murphy will describe how people from various churches and other organizations come together to provide services for homeless people.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: Rev. Nancy TannerThies
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "The Practice of Possiblities"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Next Sunday, August 18th, the UUFJC Board meets at 6 pm.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  Contact our President, Katherine Connor.

Community Events this week:

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events  

Have a great week!

This Sunday, Alexis returned to begin our new month of reflections on "Invitation."  Invitation, she said, is both a joy and a risk: every person, event, or idea that we invite in brings change to our lives.  Change means letting go of control, risking embarrassment and pain, but if we try to cling to things as they are, we cause ourselves more suffering and thwart our own potential.  Alexis encouraged us to take the risk of invitation, to embrace the joy and possibility of growth and change, to learn to be there with ourselves through the discomfort --- and to remember that we don't have to face it alone.

Next Sunday, August 11th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Medical Marijuana," Yurick Griggs
Griggs intends to apply for medical marijuana licensing.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "What should we hear when making or responding to an invitation?" Rev. Mike Adamek
I am speaking of invitation as an informal request not a command hidden as a request. I am convinced that invitations happen all the time, yet they pass us by when we do not hear them as requests. What should we want to hear when we hear a request or offer an invitation?
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "The Practice of Trust"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The Worship Service Committee meets this evening at 6 pm.  To get involved in creating our Sunday Services, see our Vice President, Lisa Sanning.  Please note that a community group is meeting at our building in an overlapping time slot, so if you attend the committee meeting, please respect the group’s needs and privacy.

Our building is reserved by the said community group this evening starting at 6:30 pm.  Again, please allow privacy.

Community Events this week:

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents a Missouri Independent Filmmakers Showcase (Thursday only) and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events  

Have a great week!