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 ([email protected]) 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!

This Sunday, Alexis joined us again to conclude our month of focus on Resistance with inspiration from a perhaps-unexpected place.  She pointed to the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes from the Christian Gospel of Matthew -- the source of the saying "turn the other cheek" might not seem like a text of Resistance, but it takes on new meaning when viewed against the backdrop of the Roman Empire, a culture that upheld militarism and wealth.  Turning the other cheek and walking the extra mile, Alexis said, were not literal instructions, but a call to nonviolently claim agency and unmask injustice.  In a society that upheld War, the Beatitudes said "Blessed are the peacemakers."  In a society that upheld wealth, they said "Blessed are the poor in spirit."  It called for a whole new understanding of honor and virtue.  We can see echoes of Rome's injustices in our own times.  What are we called to value and act on, to uphold and bless, to create a new and liberating future?

Next Sunday, August 4th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"HPV Immunization," D'Arcy Crane (American Cancer Society), & Dr. Jennifer Krause
Early immunization against the sexually transmitted HPV virus can help to prevent cervical and other cancers.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "The Risk of Invitation," Alexis
You're invited to explore how it can be risky to both invite and be invited - and why it might be worth doing anyway.
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 Sacrifice"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our August Newsletter and Print Calendar are ready.  Print copies are available in the wall box near the coat rack.  Electronic copies are available to view or download: Newsletter, Calendar

Next Sunday, August 4th, the Worship Service Committee meets at 6 pm.  To get involved in creating our Sunday Services, see our Vice President, Lisa Sanning.

In an overlapping time slot, next Sunday, August 4th at 6:30 pm, our building is reserved by a community group.  If you attend the Worship Service Committee, please respect the group's needs and privacy.

Community Events this week:

Tomorrow, Monday, July 29th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Vinyl Records—Back in the Groove" (rescheduled from May).  Vinyl records are enjoying a major renaissance, due to the warmth of their sound, their retro vibe, and the simple joy of collecting. Taylor Bacon, co-owner of Hitt Records, a classic vinyl shop in Columbia, will offer his expert advice on how and what to collect, how to build and care for a collection, and address other questions new and seasoned collectors might have.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This Friday, August 2nd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents their First Friday Film for the month, "The Best of Enemies."  Based on a true story, this film centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit about desegregating schools in Durham, North Carolina, during the racially-charged summer of 1971. The incredible events that unfolded would change Durham, Atwater and Ellis forever.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The White Crow" (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 week, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued our month of exploring "Resistance."

Unfortunately I was under the weather and couldn't be there to hear it, so I can only share with you today's Joys and Concerns reading, one that reminds us that Resistance is not merely "against" but more importantly "toward."

Long Road to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

I have walked that long road to freedom.
I have tried not to falter;
I have made missteps along the way.
But I have discovered the secret that
after climbing a great hill, one only finds
that there are many more hills to climb.
I have taken a moment here to rest,
To steal a view of the glorious vista
that surrounds me, to look back
on the distance I have come.
But I can only rest for a moment,
for with freedom come responsibilities,
and I dare not linger, for my long walk
is not ended.

Next Sunday, July 28th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"African Americans and the Police," Patsy Johnson
Ms. Johnson will share data and stories about interactions between African Americans and the police.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "The Beatitudes: Resistance and Hope," Alexis
The Beatitudes, also known as the Sermon on the Mount, can easily be simplified in such a way that diminishes their power. You're invited to explore the context and radical content of Jesus' message as portrayed by Matthew, and how the vision the authors provide challenges today's status quo.
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 --- "Wholesome: Meditation"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Submissions for our August Newsletter and Print Calendar are due TODAY.  Please e-mail any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP ([email protected]).

Tomorrow, Monday, July 22nd, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Important topics for this month’s meeting include building relationships and community through the Transformative Conversations Campaign and urgent support for the Medicaid Expansion Ballot Initiative, plus an open discussion of ideas and strategies for how the faith community can address the long-term needs of local disaster survivors. Please come and bring a friend!  Contact Rev. Kim Woodruff: [email protected]

This Friday, July 26th is our monthly Salvation Army Meal.  Please contact Roberta Dunkel if you can help provide or serve food for those in need.  Serving begins at 5 pm; please arrive early to help prepare.

Community Events this week:

Tomorrow, Monday, July 22nd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts an Author Talk with Jenn Mann.  This New York Times bestselling author and blogger will talk about how she went from a work-at-home mom with two little kids and a husband who drove her batty, to a wildly popular author with a full-time writing career and more than one million followers on social media. She'll also be telling stories and sharing funny anecdotes from her book, Working with People I Want to Punch in the Throat, along with an engaging Q&A session to wrap up the evening. Her books will be available for sale and signing afterward.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The White Crow" (Thursday through Sunday), and "Back to the Future" (Saturday "In the Park After Dark").  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 week, Alexis joined us again to explore our monthly theme of Resistance.  Inviting us into the second Source of Our Living Tradition, "Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love," she cited influences from Rabbi Abraham Heschel to Bob Dylan.  According to Heschel, prophetic voices are those who say "NO" to their society as it is, in favor of reconciliation with God (or if you prefer, with harmony and life).  The injustice these prophets point out --- and which they often experience --- challenge the spirit, but also come with a sense of radical hope.  In this challenge, "resistance" takes two forms: we all experience resistance to change, but if we risk imagining what else might be possible, we can enter "resistance" against the harmful aspects of our society.  It's crucial, however, not to enter this resistance alone.  It's when we come together that we can truly create change.  Then we can take risks knowing that others support us, and we can have faith in them and in the future, whatever our own results.

Next Sunday, July 21st:

Newsletter Submissions Due.
Please submit your items for our August newsletter and print calendar to Laura Gilkey by e-mail ([email protected]) or in writing.

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Elephant Survival through Hunting," Frank Rycyk
Botswana's president argues that the support of local people will be needed for any successful wildlife management program.

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 --- "Wholesome: Trust"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Tomorrow, Monday, July 15th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

A week from tomorrow, Monday, July 22nd at 6:30 pm, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Come prepared ready to hear an update on payday lending as well as information and training on the fall campaign.  Contact Rev. Kim Woodruff:
[email protected]

Community Events this week:

This Thursday and Friday, July 18th and 19th at 5:30 pm, community organizations host a discussion on Coping with Disaster, with presenter Josh Varner, M. Ed., Social/Emotional Counselor and Coach.  The session will address Trauma, PTSD, and Mental Wellness in the Aftermath of Disaster.  The July 18th session is in Jefferson city at the YMCA Knowles Annex Building; the July 19th session in Eldon at Eldon High School.  Come learn about Signs & Symptoms of distress, Coping, Caring for Yourself, and Resources for Help.  Open to the Public.  Free Child Care & Food Provided.  For more information, call: 573-681-3743.  (Sponsored By: SSM Health Outpatient Behavioral Health, Capital Region Physicians Center for Mental Wellness, United Way, Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri, Anne Marie Project, Compass Health Network, and Community Health Center of Central Missouri.)

Thursday evening, July 18th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a presentation on "Social Media for Your Business and Nonprofit."  Social media is an invaluable tool in every organization’s marketing tool belt, but how do you use it? And what is the best way to make social media work for you? The Newvilles —Natalie and Kenny—will teach you how to strategically use social media to promote your business and nonprofit and reach more members of your target audience. Both Newvilles have years of marketing and promotion experience.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Biggest Little Farm" (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 began our month of reflections on Resistance with a message on forces in the present day that need to be resisted.  While we can see many examples in history of political situations worse than our own, the fact remains that some of our leaders are more interested in their own goals than in due process, and they treat opposition not as people who disagree within a united body politic but as enemies to be dealt with outside of civil and democratic norms.  We can gain hope from the progress our society has made in response to principled resistance -- such as advances in LGBT+ rights after the Stonewall uprising -- and we must uphold that tradition of growth in response to resistance as a vital part of our nation's freedom and mission.  Events may discourage us, but we must witness and advocate; we must resist giving up and resist giving in.

Next Sunday, July 14th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Can the Democrats win back the presidency in 2020?," Bob Boldt

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "A Risky Moral Imagination," Alexis
Resistance as opposition alone can only do so much. This Sunday, let us explore how people and communities of faith can embrace a moral imagination for what might be.
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 --- "Wholesome: Mystery Around Us"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The UUFJC Board meets this evening at 6 pm.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  Contact Katherine Connor.

Our building is reserved by a community group this evening starting at 6:30 pm.  Note that this overlaps with our board meeting; if you are attending the board meeting, please respect the group's needs and privacy.

Community Events this week:

Tomorrow, Monday, July 8th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts an installment of the LU-MRRL Lecture Series: Female Pirates of the 17th Century.  While we know about Calico Jack, Blackbeard, and William Kidd as pirates, few know about Anne Bonny, who was Calico Jack’s Helmswoman and her companion, Mary Read, or Lady Mary Killigrew, or Queen Elizabeth I’s female Sea Dogs, or Sayyida al-Hurra, a Moroccan queen and pirate. Katrina Everhart will  highlight eight women, who worked the seas during the golden age of pirates. Everhart is extended studies coordinator for the Division of Online and Extended Studies at Lincoln University.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Biggest Little Farm" (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 July newsletter and print calendar are ready!  Paper copies are available at the Fellowship in the wall box hear the coat rack.  Electronic copies are available to view or download:
Newsletter
Calendar

This morning, our own Alexis wrapped up our month of reflection on Beauty and began introducing our theme for July: Resistance.  Citing Plato's Allegory of the Cave, she suggested that we spend much of our lives only seeing shadows of what vital ideals like beauty and virtue really are.  To seek truer definitions, we must risk breaking norms and resisting the messages we have received from our culture, but coming closer to liberating truths is well worth the effort.  Alexis then led us in to participate in this process, to think through the messages we have received about a certain ideal, to create our own definition of it as we understand it, to share that definition with others, and to listen as others shared --- because in seeking truth, we need others to challenge us and tell us what rings true.

Myself, I didn't receive "Beauty" as my idea to consider, but what if I had?  After reflection, I offer this: "Beauty is a quality of a person/place/thing/idea that enhances life when it is perceived or experienced by others."  Does that ring true to you?  What would you have said?  What received messages about beauty would you embrace in creating your own definition, and what received messages would you resist?

Next Sunday, July 7th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Compassion: Today's Need," Betty Cooper
The Compassionate Instinct, a book from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California - Berkeley provides cutting-edge research on compassion.  To focus on "the shift in thinking," two resources will be used: 1) a brief introduction from the book; and 2) ideas from CCARE Stanford’s  “Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.”

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Be Patriotic: Resist the Ghosting of America," Rev. Mike Adamek
When the future looks murky and you do not know how you are going to get from here to there. Resist despair (Giving up), resist complacency (Giving in), resist fatigue and silence. Be a competent witness who sees more than smoke and mirrors. Tell the truth. Trust that you and people you have never met will make the process work.
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 --- "Wholesome: Rebirth"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

We are having our post-rummage sale carpet cleaning this week; many thanks to Alberta and Tim Mobley.  If you are in the building this Thursday, please be careful of the wet carpet.

Tomorrow, Monday, July 1st, the online UU Leadership Institute begins Fall registration.  The Institute offers online classes in faith and leadership development with new classes each semester and on-demand classes available year-round.  Most courses cost $15-$30; contact Katherine Connor about possible scholarships from UUFJC.  For course list, free sample courses, and more information, visit uuinstitute.org.

This Thursday, July 4th, the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America meets in our building at 7 pm.  Contact Susan Randolph.  (And be careful of the wet carpet!)

Next Sunday, July 7th, the UUFJC Board meets at 6 pm.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  Contact Katherine Connor.

Also next Sunday evening, July 7th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy; if you are attending the board meeting, please respect the group's needs.

Community Events this week:

This Friday, July 5th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library presents their First Friday Film.  For film selection and more information, contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Amazing Grace" (Thursday through Sunday).  More on the film: "Aretha Franklin was born strongly rooted in both the church and gospel music. Her father was a minister and her mother a gospel singer.  Eleven years after she signed her first record deal and 11 consecutive No. 1 hits later, at the height of her career, she returned to her gospel roots by joining Reverand James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in January 1972 for a two night recording session of gospel tunes that will warm your heart to hear. This documentary film is 87 minutes in length."  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, despite the gray skies, we had a lovely service at Riverside Park Pavilion, where our own Alexis continued our month of reflections on Beauty.  Beauty, she said, has two meanings that are sometimes at odds with each other: that which gives pleasure to the senses, and that which pleasurably exalts the mind and spirit.  Sensory beauty, or what our culture tells us we should find beautiful, can sometimes distract us from the more substantial beauty that exalts our spirits.  Alexis called on us to consider what we as individuals find beautiful and exalting, and to be deliberate about how we spend our time and energy so that we can nurture that deeper beauty in our lives and in our world.

Next Sunday, June 30th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Conscious Capitalism," Robert Pinhero
Pinhero has studied with a group called "Conscious Capitalism."  They propose methodology toward creating a more egalitarian version of a system which has led to large economic growth.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Challenging Beauty," Alexis
Put on your metaphorical hard hats and prepare to deconstruct what is meant by beauty and consider which definitions limit and which ones expand ways of being with one another.
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 --- "Weaving a Tapestry of Faith: Good Apologies"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Rummage Sale on Saturday was a success!  Early estimates are that we took in about $1,000.  Many thanks to everyone who donated and volunteered, especially to our organizers Bob Antweiler and Lisa Sanning!

Faith Voices for Jefferson City's monthly assembly, scheduled for this Monday, is canceled this month.  For information on events to come, contact Rev. Kim Woodruff:
[email protected]

This Thurday, June 27th in our building at 6:30 pm, Capital Area Interfaith Alliance presents a program on Unitarian Universalism with UU minister-in-training and former UUFJC Vice President Alexis.  Contact Frank Rycyk for more information.

Our Salvation Army meal, scheduled for this Friday, is canceled this month.  Please contact Roberta Dunkel if you can help provide and serve food for those in need in the months to come.

And one week from tomorrow, Monday, July 1st, fall registration begins at the online UU Leadership Institute.  The UU Leadership Institute offers online classes in faith and leadership development, with new classes each semester and on-demand classes available year-round.  Most courses cost $15-$30; talk to Katherine Connor about possible scholarships from UUFJC.  For course list, free sample courses, and more information, visit uuinstitute.org

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, June 26th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents Music in the Library with Max Hatt andEdda Glass.  This multiple award-winning duo has perfomed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Sundance Film Fest, and Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival, among many other performing arts center and music festivals across the country. Glass’s unique voice has been compared to a gamut of singers from Astrud Gilberto to Billie Holiday,and Hatt’s equally distinctive guitar work combines the harmonic innovations of jazz and the melodic resonance of folk. Co-sponsored with KJLU-FM radio.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This Thursday, June 27th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL hosts a presentation on Missouri Courthouses.  Bill Hart, executive director of the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, will discuss the architectural history of Missouri’s courthouses. His new book, Historic Missouri Roadsides, 2nd edition, will be available for purchase after the program.  (This program was rescheduled from an earlier date).  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Amazing Grace" (Thursday through Sunday).  More on the film: "Aretha Franklin was born strongly rooted in both the church and gospel music. Her father was a minister and her mother a gospel singer.  Eleven years after she signed her first record deal and 11 consecutive No. 1 hits later, at the height of her career, she returned to her gospel roots by joining Reverand James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in January 1972 for a two night recording session of gospel tunes that will warm your heart to hear. This documentary film is 87 minutes in length."  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