This morning, Rev. Krista Taves, minister of the UU Church of Quincy, Illinois visited us again with a sermon about "Living in Covenant." In our weekly recitation of covenant, we make grand, visionary promises about how we will be with each other and how we will be in the world (e.g. "Love is the doctrine of this church, the quest for truth is its sacrament, and service is its prayer). Living those promises is a challenge, and Rev. Taves offered three ways to live our covenant more fully:
First, don't just connect with old friends each week; make a practice of connecting with new people and visitors so they can see that our covenant is a real commitment.
Second, communicate directly with each other. When we give in to our fears and insecurities, we may shy away from communicating a concern to someone and instead draw others into our anxiety. Going to others to help us ground ourselves and respond in love can be helpful, but if we spread mistrust rather than foster direct communication, we aren't acting in the spirit of covenant.
And third, approach those hard conversations with care and respect. Begin with reflection: exactly what are you shying away from saying, and why? What do you fear will happen if you way it? What do you hope will happen? And when you say it, let go of the need to win the conversation. Take it as an opportunity to listen and learn from each other.
Next Sunday, May 29th:
Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Betty Cooper
Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "This UU Life: Influential Women"
We're using today to honor the women who have had (or continue to have) a positive influence in our lives. We also invite members and friends to bring pictures and written tributes, and we will have space to display them..
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html
Plus Children's RE --- Volunteers Needed!
UUFJC News and Events this week:
Draft minutes of the Annual Business Meeting last Sunday are available on the bulletin board and electronic copies are available on request. If you have corrections, please contact Laura Gilkey.
At the annual meeting, the UUFJC board requested special donations to invest in our Fellowship's growth with child care, leadership development, and other initiatives. For more information or to donate please contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.
Tomorrow, Monday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at Quinn Chapel AME Church. This month’s focus will be on homelessness. Contact Katherine Connor for more information.
The Transgender Support Group meets this Thursday, May 26th at 7 pm. Contact Ari Morse.
This Friday, May 27th is our monthly Salvation Army work day. Contact Bob Antweiler if you can help prepare or serve food for those in need. Serving begins at 5 pm; please arrive by 4:30 to help prepare.
And later Friday evening at 7 pm is the monthly Last Friday Documentary film. Contact Cinthy Wilcox.
And our annual Rummage Sale is coming Saturday, June 18th. If you have big-ticket items you'd like to donate, please contact Frank Rycyk so he can organize publicity. If you have other questions about the Rummage Sale, if you'd like to donate or volunteer, contact Lisa Sanning.
Community Events this week:
This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Rio, I Love You" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). For showtimes and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.
For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:
Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events
Have a great week!
First, don't just connect with old friends each week; make a practice of connecting with new people and visitors so they can see that our covenant is a real commitment.
Second, communicate directly with each other. When we give in to our fears and insecurities, we may shy away from communicating a concern to someone and instead draw others into our anxiety. Going to others to help us ground ourselves and respond in love can be helpful, but if we spread mistrust rather than foster direct communication, we aren't acting in the spirit of covenant.
And third, approach those hard conversations with care and respect. Begin with reflection: exactly what are you shying away from saying, and why? What do you fear will happen if you way it? What do you hope will happen? And when you say it, let go of the need to win the conversation. Take it as an opportunity to listen and learn from each other.
Next Sunday, May 29th:
Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Betty Cooper
Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "This UU Life: Influential Women"
We're using today to honor the women who have had (or continue to have) a positive influence in our lives. We also invite members and friends to bring pictures and written tributes, and we will have space to display them..
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html
Plus Children's RE --- Volunteers Needed!
UUFJC News and Events this week:
Draft minutes of the Annual Business Meeting last Sunday are available on the bulletin board and electronic copies are available on request. If you have corrections, please contact Laura Gilkey.
At the annual meeting, the UUFJC board requested special donations to invest in our Fellowship's growth with child care, leadership development, and other initiatives. For more information or to donate please contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.
Tomorrow, Monday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at Quinn Chapel AME Church. This month’s focus will be on homelessness. Contact Katherine Connor for more information.
The Transgender Support Group meets this Thursday, May 26th at 7 pm. Contact Ari Morse.
This Friday, May 27th is our monthly Salvation Army work day. Contact Bob Antweiler if you can help prepare or serve food for those in need. Serving begins at 5 pm; please arrive by 4:30 to help prepare.
And later Friday evening at 7 pm is the monthly Last Friday Documentary film. Contact Cinthy Wilcox.
And our annual Rummage Sale is coming Saturday, June 18th. If you have big-ticket items you'd like to donate, please contact Frank Rycyk so he can organize publicity. If you have other questions about the Rummage Sale, if you'd like to donate or volunteer, contact Lisa Sanning.
Community Events this week:
This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Rio, I Love You" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). For showtimes and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.
For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:
Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events
Have a great week!
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