By the next post here it'll be 2014!  At service yesterday, Katherine led us through letting go of some of the old things and embracing a new beginning with the Fire Communion, as well as the reading "How to Begin" by Rev. Forrest Church; (a PDF version is available through the First Unitarian Church of San Jose — if you weren't there, do yourself a favor and read it).  As Rev. Church wrote:

"Don’t wait around for the perfect starting pistol. Or until you are ready. You may never be ready. No reason to wait in the grandstand for some official to guide you to the gate. Jump the fence. Enter the race in the middle. Here. Now. As you are. By doing what you can. With those who are closest to you."

This week's news and events:

The January 2014 Newsletter and print Calendar are finished; paper copies are available in the back of the Sanctuary, and digital copies are available in the Yahoo!Group files.

Guest at Your Table donations are due next Sunday, January 5th.

We have cards in the back of the Sanctuary for Amy Hoffman, who is moving to Springfield, and for Rev. Mike Adamek, who fell on the ice and severely broke his ankle.  Please sign the cards and join us in sending warm wishes to both of them.

We need an Adult Forum Leader for January 19th; see Laura Gilkey.

We're also looking for a service speaker for the same day, January 19th.  If you would like to volunteer, see Katherine Connor.

Roberta Dunkel is still collecting clothes for foster care in the box by the coat rack until January 12th.

This Thursday, January 2nd at 7 pm, American Association of University Women will meet at UUFJC.  Speaker Debra Miles will lead a discussion on the Letter from Birmingham Jail in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (which is coming later this month).  All are welcome.  Contact Charlotte Parsons.

At the same time, Thursday at 7 pm, Move to Amend will be giving a report that you can listen to by phone or online; this week they're discussing 2013 highlights and plans for 2014.  See the online calendar (Outside Events) or contact Sue Gibson.

Friday, January 3rd is the last day to register for "Stay Strong, Stay Healthy" exercise classes, offered to adults age 50 and up through the Cole County MU Extension.  See the online calendar (Outside Events) or contact Patt Behler.

Friday evening at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts their First Friday Film, "Attached," about the friendship of two young school teachers, one Jewish and one Muslim.  Contact Madeline Matson.

Saturday, January 4th at 9 am, the Ethical Eating Group will meet at The Coffee Zone to begin their discussion series on "Menu for the Future."  Contact Shanon Hawk or Stephanie Childress.

Next Sunday, January 5th at 4 pm is the monthly Laughter Yoga session.  Free and open to all.  Contact Jan Harcourt.

For more Yoga and events, see our Calendars.

Happy New Year!

Unfortunately, I missed Rev. Nancy's Solstice Service yesterday due to dicey weather and holiday preparations, but I have been getting into the holiday spirit.  While watching some Christmas videos, as an old Mystery Science Theater fan, I ran into some veterans of its cast in the Rifftrax Christmas Short Film Extravaganza (which is great fun if you like their style of humor).  At one point they wished the audience a Merry Christmas, but then made sure to wish any Jews present a Happy Hanukkah, African Americans a "Kickin' Kwanzaa," and at some point they called out to any Unitarians: "Happy... Eh, Whatever!"

Yes, many of us enjoy some self-effacing humor from time to time, but there's something really beautiful about looking beyond any single "Reason for the Season" (even if it's our own) to view the Winter holiday time in its diverse, multifaceted glory.  Hanukkah is behind us, as is Rohatsu*.  Solstice just passed this weekend.  Today is Festivus, and Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years are coming soon.

To all our Members and Friends, Happy Eh Whatever.  Happy Everything.  In short, Happy Holidays.

This week's News and Announcements:

We need Adult Forum Leaders for January.  Contact Laura Gilkey.

Roberta is collecting clothes for Foster Care until January 12th.  There is a box by the coat rack for Pajamas, Underwear, Socks, etc. for Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption.  Items are needed for children size Infant through 12/14.

This Tuesday, December 24th, regular weekly Yoga classes are cancelled for Christmas Eve.

That evening, we will be having a Christmas Eve Service at 7 pm, led by Frank Rycyk and featuring "The Christmas Game," a game designed to move players away from the commercial and toward the more meaningful side of Christmas.

This Friday, December 27th, both our monthly Salvation Army meal and the monthly Last Friday Documentary Film are cancelled for the holidays.

This Saturday, December 28th at 3 pm, Missouri River Regional Library will host "Crime Scene: a Dramatic Reading" based on the mystery novel "Crooked Numbers" by Tim O'Mara, followed by a Q&A and book signing.  Contact Madeline Matson for more information.

For more details, see our Calendars.

Happy Holidays!  Drive safely, celebrate responsibly, and spread the joy!




*Rohatsu is December 8th, when Bodhi Day (the Enlightenment of the Buddha) is observed by Zen Buddhists in Japan.

Yesterday our own Don Love brought us a message based on the Ware Lecture by Karen Armstrong at the 2011 UUA General Conference, followed by a very lively discussion.  Armstrong identifies Ancient Greek civic theatre --- in particular, the famous plays of Sophocles, Euripides, and others --- as a kind of religion, a communal ritual in which the citizens of Athens came together to feel, to feel compassion even for sinners and enemies.  The Greeks clearly didn't achieve the ideal that this points to, but it offers us a challenge: to move beyond individualism or tribalism into a wider sphere of compassion, to see that compassion can be taught, and to ask no less of religion and culture.

This week's News and Events:

Yesterday was the drawing for our holiday gift basket, and the lucky winner is: Barb Koenig!  Congratulations, Barb!  Enjoy!

Roberta Dunkel is collecting Pajamas, Underwear, Socks, etc. for Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption.  Items are needed for children size Infant through 12/14.  She'll have a box by the coat rack at the Fellowship through January 12th, so you can take advantage of the post-holiday sales.  Contact Roberta for more information.

Tuesday, December 17th at 7 pm at Grace Episcopal Church, the Jefferson City High School Chorale will perform a selection of holiday songs from a variety of musical and ethnic traditions.  Contact Madeline Matson.

Thursday, December 19th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library will present a talk on The Affordable Care Act and Small Business with a representative from Primaris, one of Missouri's Healthcare Navigator organizations.  Contact Madeline Matson.

Also on Thursday at 7 pm, Columbia Area NOW meets at the Hy-Vee Restaurant at Broadway and Fairview in Columbia.  Contact Sue Gibson.

Next Sunday, December 22nd, the RE class will be having a bake sale before services to raise money for the Fellowship, so bring some extra cash!  If you'd like to donate treats for the kids to sell, contact Amy Regnier.

Submissions for the January Newsletter and Calendar are also due by the end of services next Sunday.  E-mail Laura Gilkey with your submissions or leave them in the Administrator/Newsletter mailbox in the Fellowship office.

For Yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

This past week, the world mourned the loss and celebrated the life of Nelson Mandela, the anti-Apartheid leader and first democratically-elected president of South Africa, who became a hero and an inspiration to many people of every race throughout the world.  In media reports, again and again I heard praise for how, after Apartheid ended, Mandela went forward with a vision of healing and reconciliation, turning his people away from what could have become a cycle of vengeance.

But --- and now I'm just expressing my own opinions --- I was struck by the contrast between this praise of Mandela's capacity to forgive and the media reports of a typical day, which tell of crimes far smaller than than the systematic oppression and violence Mandela confronted, but speak as if justice meant punishment, punishment was the only road to the victims' healing, and the perpetrator's healing was an idea beyond the pale, the stuff of foolish idealists.  Mandela was not that kind of idealist --- when, during his imprisonment, he was offered his freedom if he would renounce violence, he refused --- but in the end he pursued the path of healing and showed us that that path is not the stuff of fools, but the stuff of heroes.

This week's News and Events:

We're still raffling a gift basket on the table near the coffee bar, full of Equal Exchange goodies and lots more for you or a special someone.  Chances are $1 or 6 for $5.

Those who have been collecting egg cartons for Shanon's neighbor, she no longer has chickens and doesn't need them, but sends her thanks for all the cartons that were donated and encourages us all to recycle the cartons.

Monday, December 9th at 6:30 pm, the Worship Service Committee meets at UUFJC.  All are welcome to attend.

Tuesday, December 10th is International Human Rights Day.

Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm, the Department of Peacebuilding meets at MRRL.  Contact Betty Cooper.

Friday, December 13th at 7 pm at UUFJC, the Reader's Eye Film Series presents "Persepolis," an award-winning animated film based on a young woman's graphic novel memoir of her coming of age in Iran.  Contact Sue Gibson.

Next Sunday, December 15th at 4 pm is the monthly Laughter Yoga session, free and open to the public.  Contact Jan Harcourt.

For Yoga and even more events, see our online Calendars.

Yesterday was a fun service to start getting us all into the spirit of the holiday season.  Rev. Mike shared a story about family Christmas traditions and foods with the whole congregation, young and old, and we followed it up with a delicious potluck meal.  Some of us later decamped to the Forum Room for the movie, and those who did thought it worthwhile to get the rest of the "Long Strange Trip" series, so if you have any idea how best to incorporate a series of hour-long videos into our schedule (Adult Forum?  After lunch?), talk to Kath Connor and the Worship Service Committee.

This week's news and events:

We're raffling off a gift basket on the table near the coffee bar, full of Equal Exchange goodies and lots more for you or a special someone.  Chances are $1 or 6 for $5.

Wednesday, December 4th at 6 pm, the UUFJC Board meets at the Fellowship.  All are welcome to attend.

Thursday, December 5th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a talk on "Census: The Basic Building Block of Genealogical Research." Contact Madeline Matson.

Friday, December 6th at 5:30 pm is our First Friday Social.  Bring your own refreshments for an informal evening with other Members and Friends.

Saturday, December 7th at 9 am, the Ethical Eating Group meets at UUFJC.  Contact Shanon Hawk or Stephanie Childress.

Later Saturday morning, at 10:30 am at the Hobby Lobby on Missouri Blvd, there will be a protest about the company's refusal to include contraception in employee health plans. Contact Sue Gibson.

Youth RE will meet next Sunday, December 8th.

For Yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.