This morning, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued our month of reflections on Attention, and she shared a story she was told about her childhood, that she would stand in the backyard of her family's home in a wind-swept part of the country, shaking her small fists and crying "Stop it, Wind! Stop it!" In these times, in many ways we find ourselves "standing in the wind" --- the howling of stimulus overload, the buffeting of our own confusion, stress, and trauma, the enveloping pressure of our society's conflicts and hatreds, and even the sometimes-too-literal burning or battering winds of our disrupted ecology. How can we stand in these winds without being broken and blown away?
Rev. Nancy argued that attention is key, but not just any attention. We must be present in the moment, but not settle for commodified "mindfulness" that leads us only inward and soothes us into complacency. The Latin root of the word "attention," Nancy pointed out, means "to stretch toward," and that is what we must do --- stretch toward empathy for others, toward shared strength with them, and toward the place where our calling to do meets what the world needs done.
What stands alone in the wind will break. What stands still and rigid in the wind will break. We must attend to the moment and feel what we feel, attend to others and stretch toward them, move into the action that calls us, and trust that we don't have to do it all alone.
Next Sunday, November 24th:
Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Mummy's Curse?" Dr. Christine Boston
Description:Lincoln University Anthropology professor Dr. Boston will trace myths about mysterious deaths associated with mummies.
Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Directing Our Attention To What Nourishes Us," Alexis
--- Plus Bread Communion
You're invited to join us for a contemplative experience with prompts to encourage reflection upon what really nourishes and enriches our lives.
Bread Communion will follow the service.
The Bread Communion is our annual ritual marking the harvest and supporting the blessings that support our lives.
Everyone is invited to bring a bread to share that has special meaning to them, or is just a favorite.
The fellowship will provide butter and cider. If you would like to contribute honey, jam, etc., please feel free to do so.
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 --- "Attention to the Beauty Around Us: The Practice of Gratitude"
UUFJC News and Events this week:
Submissions for our December newsletter and print calendar are due TODAY. Please e-mail any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP ([email protected]).
Please help us spread the word about our small group gatherings! We have postcard and letter sized flyers available; take as many as you like to give to people who you think would like to participate. For more information about small groups or if you would like to participate, please contact Alexis at [email protected].
We have some new chairs in our Sanctuary, thanks to donations from the Yoga classes that meet in our building. Many thanks to everyone who donated! We are hoping that the new chairs will be comfortable, as well as more lightweight and durable. Give them a try and let us know what you think! We may invest in more of them in the future.
Next Sunday, November 24th at 2 pm is the second session of our UU Ethics small group, which was rescheduled due to the weather. Participants in this small group explore their values and consider their stances on ethical issues. Important Note: This is a space to learn together and grow, not a space for arguments or debate. While no ongoing commitment is required, regular attendance may be helpful. For more information or to participate, contact Alexis at [email protected].
The UUFJC Board meets later next Sunday, November 24th at 6 pm. All are welcome to attend our board meetings. Contact our President, Katherine Connor.
Tomorrow, Monday, November 18th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm. Please allow privacy.
Community Events this week:
Tomorrow, Monday, November 18th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents an Author Talk on "CB Radio and American Culture." Tim Scherrer, author of Crashed the Gate Doing Ninety-Eight, will tell the story of the first electronic social network in America—the CB radio. Citizens Band Radio grew from a small number of hobby users to a cultural phenomenon in the 1970s. CB life created its own “slanguage,” music and values. What started mostly with truckers grew during the 1974 oil crisis and became widespread, with users adapting CBs to their own economic and social uses. This movement changed the character of the radio use, eventually making the radios truly the Citizens’ Band. Then they disappeared… Contact Madeline Matson. For more library events, visit MRRL.org.
This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Peanut Butter Falcon" (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!
Rev. Nancy argued that attention is key, but not just any attention. We must be present in the moment, but not settle for commodified "mindfulness" that leads us only inward and soothes us into complacency. The Latin root of the word "attention," Nancy pointed out, means "to stretch toward," and that is what we must do --- stretch toward empathy for others, toward shared strength with them, and toward the place where our calling to do meets what the world needs done.
What stands alone in the wind will break. What stands still and rigid in the wind will break. We must attend to the moment and feel what we feel, attend to others and stretch toward them, move into the action that calls us, and trust that we don't have to do it all alone.
Next Sunday, November 24th:
Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Mummy's Curse?" Dr. Christine Boston
Description:Lincoln University Anthropology professor Dr. Boston will trace myths about mysterious deaths associated with mummies.
Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Directing Our Attention To What Nourishes Us," Alexis
--- Plus Bread Communion
You're invited to join us for a contemplative experience with prompts to encourage reflection upon what really nourishes and enriches our lives.
Bread Communion will follow the service.
The Bread Communion is our annual ritual marking the harvest and supporting the blessings that support our lives.
Everyone is invited to bring a bread to share that has special meaning to them, or is just a favorite.
The fellowship will provide butter and cider. If you would like to contribute honey, jam, etc., please feel free to do so.
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 --- "Attention to the Beauty Around Us: The Practice of Gratitude"
UUFJC News and Events this week:
Submissions for our December newsletter and print calendar are due TODAY. Please e-mail any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP ([email protected]).
Please help us spread the word about our small group gatherings! We have postcard and letter sized flyers available; take as many as you like to give to people who you think would like to participate. For more information about small groups or if you would like to participate, please contact Alexis at [email protected].
We have some new chairs in our Sanctuary, thanks to donations from the Yoga classes that meet in our building. Many thanks to everyone who donated! We are hoping that the new chairs will be comfortable, as well as more lightweight and durable. Give them a try and let us know what you think! We may invest in more of them in the future.
Next Sunday, November 24th at 2 pm is the second session of our UU Ethics small group, which was rescheduled due to the weather. Participants in this small group explore their values and consider their stances on ethical issues. Important Note: This is a space to learn together and grow, not a space for arguments or debate. While no ongoing commitment is required, regular attendance may be helpful. For more information or to participate, contact Alexis at [email protected].
The UUFJC Board meets later next Sunday, November 24th at 6 pm. All are welcome to attend our board meetings. Contact our President, Katherine Connor.
Tomorrow, Monday, November 18th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm. Please allow privacy.
Community Events this week:
Tomorrow, Monday, November 18th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents an Author Talk on "CB Radio and American Culture." Tim Scherrer, author of Crashed the Gate Doing Ninety-Eight, will tell the story of the first electronic social network in America—the CB radio. Citizens Band Radio grew from a small number of hobby users to a cultural phenomenon in the 1970s. CB life created its own “slanguage,” music and values. What started mostly with truckers grew during the 1974 oil crisis and became widespread, with users adapting CBs to their own economic and social uses. This movement changed the character of the radio use, eventually making the radios truly the Citizens’ Band. Then they disappeared… Contact Madeline Matson. For more library events, visit MRRL.org.
This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Peanut Butter Falcon" (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!
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