Would You Open the Box?

This morning, Rev. Nancy continued our month of reflections on Curiosity with the ancient story of Pandora.  After being given a box by the gods and commanded not to open it, Pandora was at last overcome by curiosity, opened the box, and unleashed a swarm of troubles on the world --- but beneath all those troubles, the box also contained hope.  Often, we want our boxes to only contain hope, to disown the difficult but vital mix of what life brings.  Often we place ourselves in boxes, filled with all the comforts we can find, and our fear of trouble defeats our curiosity of what's beyond the walls.  Opening the box always brings consequences, but not opening the box has consequences of its own.  Rev. Nancy encouraged us to take the risk of possibility, knowing that whatever else may come, hope will be there for us.

Next Sunday, May 26th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Are we living in a simulation?" Bob Boldt

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Dig Deeper - Curiosity and Doubt," Rev. Mike Adamek
We will look at George Boole’s curious combination of curiosity and doubt which has made him an icon in the information technology industry. He attended the Unitarian Church in Cork, Ireland and never joined any church.
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 --- "Curiosity and Humility"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Submissions for our June Newsletter and print calendar are due TODAY.  Please submit your items to Laura Gilkey by e-mail or in writing.

Last week at our Annual Business Meeting, the Fellowship voted to adopt the following covenant:
The members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Jefferson City covenant to:

• Affirm and promote the seven Unitarian Universalist principles;
• Treat each other with respect, kindness and compassion;
• Support and inspire each other in our search for truth and meaning;
• Nurture our diversity and continually renew our commitment to be a welcoming congregation;
• Using the democratic process, support & enhance members’ work for peace and justice;
• Support the work of our Fellowship by volunteering for tasks and sharing our talents and treasure;
• Respect our own and others’ personal, social and physical boundaries, including the right to decline an invitation or request;
• Preserve privacy regarding personal or sensitive information, except in cases where a response is necessary to protect someone from harm;
• Address our mistakes with kindness and good humor; and
• Deal with conflict in good faith and with love, through direct communication, and mediation if needed.

The covenant is a commitment, but it is a living commitment, not rules set in stone.  We declare it as a signpost toward our shared vision, but the work of finding our way together goes on day by day.

In other news from the Business Meeting, we welcome Lauraine Connelly as our new Caring Committe Chair, and Kim Connor takes office as Director of Religious Education.  Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to serve!

The Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers hold their Fiesta Grande in our building this afternoon from 3-6 pm.  It's not too late to stop by!

Tomorrow, Monday, May 20th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Our monthly Salvation Army meal has been canceled for this month as several of our volunteers are unavailable.  We hope to be back in June, but we need more helping hands to continue this longtime community service --- including someone to fill in on meal planning for July.  If you can help, please contact Roberta Dunkel.

Community Events this week:

This Thursday, May 23rd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Vinyl Records--Back in the Groove."  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 week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Wrestle" (Wednesday only) and "Carmine Street Guitars" (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!