The Call is to Work for Justice

                                                                          Cindy Davidson, Ministerial Intern

My last Sunday as your ministerial intern is June 17 – just three services away! In fact, this Sunday will be my last opportunity to serve as your Worship Associate. As we near the end of this chapter in my ministerial formation (the book is long, I’m told), I am remembering that I first met you in that Worship Associate role on March 20, 2016. I arrived from out of town, by Meredith’s invitation and the Board’s approval, helped lead the service (an audition of sorts!), mingled during social hour, and briefly interviewed with several leaders. My presence confirms we struck a deal, and I happily moved to White Plains and began working that August.

Beginning with that first meeting and throughout my time here, and the years of seminary studies, I’ve been asked time and time again, “To what is your call -- Parish or Community ministry?”

My call to ministry certainly has its deepest roots in a commitment to honoring our Seventh Principle and working towards a livable future by addressing environmental and climate injustices. My years of experience serving as a lay leader in my home congregation and as a Board member of our UU Ministry for Earth were important ones in laying the groundwork to my decision to pursue the call to ordained ministry, both within and beyond my environmental “niche.” My two years here at CUUC as your ministerial intern have been equally formative ones; you have challenged me to engage with a broader range of interconnected justice issues, and to grow my skills in worship, education, pastoral care and leadership. You have patiently supported me in my own discernment. And for that, I am grateful.

That question, though, keeps coming up! “So, what are you thinking now? Parish or Community ministry?” These days, I prefer to respond not with a “Parish” or a “Community,” but with a “Yes, and…” (Improv, anyone?). Ultimately, I yearn for a future either blending or alternating between the two and so these days I am considering and weighing the pros and cons of both parish-based and community-based job opportunities as I move forward. Perhaps it pays to be open-minded and flexible!

Perhaps you, too, have experienced the ways our work of justice making can be done from within or outside of a congregation. I suspect our personal best decisions about where to do this work are often led either by the heart or by the circumstances of available opportunities. Our end goals of working towards justice are the same, and we learn how adapt the work to specific audiences and organizational settings. Whatever our justice focus, doing this work requires attention to our spiritual grounding and resilience, taking time for worship and reflection, and the company and support of others equally committed and engaged. I love that we find these things in vibrant and healthy congregations like CUUC.

My question for you, "Where is your heart calling you to work for justice within and beyond CUUC?"

Music: Sun Jun 3

Immigrant composers to the U.S. are featured in Sunday morning’s solo piano selections.

Born in Cuba in 1943 to parents of African, Spanish, French and Chinese ancestry, Tania León immigrated to the U.S. in 1967. Her career in this country began with a stint as pianist for Dance Theater of Harlem, although she is now known as one of the most important composers of our times. Her music often reflects her Cuban roots, as well as bracingly modernist tendencies. “Momentum”, composed in 1984, shows the influence of American Blues music, with more than a hint of Conga drumming and virtuoso piano flourishes. “Variacion”, from 2012, is Ms. León’s tribute to the Goldberg Variations of J. S. Bach, the harmonic backdrop of which visits the tropics in this cross-cultural mélange. Ms. León was a featured guest at a concert on last year’s Music at CUUC series, and Music Director Adam Kent is scheduled to record her complete piano works later this month. See the links below for Adam’s interview with Ms. León at CUUC, as well as for his performances of her piano music.

Carlos Surinach was born in Barcelona in 1915 and enjoyed a distinguished career there before immigrating to the U.S. in 1950. He made his home in New Haven, CT, and is best remembered for his collaborations with Martha Graham. His three Chansons et danses espagnoles from 1950 are typical of his output in their adherence to Andalusian gypsy music and the pervasive use of the octotonic scale (a scale alternating whole and half steps). Links to Adam Kent’s performances of Surinach’s music also included below.

The CUUC Choir is also on hand, with an upbeat American Spiritual as well as an inspirational message of hope and courage. Attentive congregants will note also a bit of "musical chairs" this morning, as Choir Pianist Georgianna Pappas fills in for Choir Director Lisa N. Meyer, and Music Director Adam Kent dons the Choir Pianist's hat.

Read on for programming details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuUxoI3x8fo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-1mw_V_mTk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZYmM5ta_uw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbE9CP3tieg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YilduRiA-ts

Centering:
Momentum
Variacion
                                                         Tania León
 
Anthem: CUUC Choir directed by Lisa N. Meyer and accompanied by Georgianna Pappas

Every Time I Feel the Spirit  

American Spiritual, arr. by Earlene Rentz 

Offertory:
Chanson et danse espagnole No. 3

                                                            Carlos Surinach

Anthem:

Closer to the Flame    

 Susan Boersma & David Lantz III  

From the Minister, Thu May 24

"Love Resists" -- a joint campaign by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee -- is worth paying attention to. Check out their website HERE.

Particularly, let me mention the work "Love Resists" is doing to organize to end the cash bail system. Here's the word:

"On any given night in the United States, more than 450,000 people who have not been convicted of a crime are locked up in jail simply because they don't have enough money to pay bail. Universalism means no one is disposable and interdependence means that none of us are truly free as long as people are in jail. Join us on Tue May 29 at 7:30 p.m. EST for a webinar to learn how the cash bail system criminalizes people for being poor. REGISTER HERE During this webinar Unitarian Universalists and others from around the country will learn about cash bail and the growing movement to end money bond and pre-trial detention. You’ll also hear stories from people impacted by this unjust system, as well as from volunteers and staff at several community bond funds. Whether you have been part of Mama’s Day Bail Out work in the past or you are new to this issue, you will leave with ideas of how you and your congregation can contribute to local and national bond funds and support the fight to #EndMoneyBail. It’s also great preparation for the UUA General Assembly #EndMoneyBail Public Witness led by Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism!"

Free on Tue evening? Spend an hour learning how others can be free.

Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith

The Liberal Pulpit

Index of past sermons: HERE
Index of other reflections: HERE.

Practice of the Week. Get (and Keep) Your Life in Balance. The one area of our lives that doesn’t work so well is the one that affects us the most. That’s the area that, until it starts going better, is most important. Thus, having a system that reminds you to work on your weak areas is essential. With the various aspects of your life in balance, you’ll feel happier and more peaceful. You’ll spend less time distracting yourself from problems that could have been avoided. Rather than simply getting through each day, you’ll experience the abundance that comes from feeling you’re spending your time doing what’s truly important. READ MORE

Your Moment of Zen. Porcupine came again to Raven for a special interview and said, "A week ago I found that everything was completely open and clear to the very bottom, but last night I woke up for no reason and was filled with fear and panic. What's going on?" Raven said, "A week ago you realized that everything is completely open and clear to the very bottom, and last night you woke up filled with fear and panic." Porcupine hung his head and asked, "What should I do?" Raven said, "The context is not the practice." Porcupine thought for a moment and said...READ MORE
Zen at CUUC: Sat May 26

Let's Talk
One option: I'm at a coffee shop from 3-5pm (almost) every Tuesday until Father's Day. I invite you to drop by and visit with me. May 29: Sunshine Coffee Roasters, 1932 Palmer Ave, Larchmont. Jun 5 & 12: Starbucks, 2 South Greeley Ave, Chappaqua
Another option: Drop by the Minister's Study at CUUC. I'm in and available: Wed & Thu: 10-12 & 3-6 (through Jun 10)
Or: The Parsonage is open for drop-in visits on Fridays, 12:30-5.
Or: Call Pam (946-1660, x2) or me (352-682-8492) to make an appointment!

The two Common Reads for 2017-18: HERE. Of particular note, regarding Centering: See recommended reading HERE On the Journey, May: Truth. HERE.

Commencement Exercises

                                                                           Cindy Davidson, Ministerial Intern

"I did a thing ..."

I've "liked" so many Facebook posts in the last few days that began that way. Not terribly eloquent, quite a bit understated, yet so true. My fellow seminarians at Meadville Lombard and Starr King are sharing their joy and elation about graduating and having their Master of Divinity degrees finally conferred.... some of us have been at this on the five or six-year plan!

First among the things and commencement activities I did last weekend in Chicago was the graduate vespers service and dinner honoring the three recipients of honorary degrees; the highlight of the evening for me was the remarks from the honorees. Dr. Daniel O. Aleshire, recently retired executive director of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (the accreditation body), spoke about the never-ending importance and need for human ministry to address the needs of our world which artificial intelligence cannot. Hillary Goodridge, Program Director of the UU Funding Program and co-plaintiff in the 2001 Massachusetts lawsuit that won marriage equality in 2004, spoke about the importance of financial support for social justice change-makers and "keeping the gift moving." Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, Senior Minister of Cedar Lane UU Church of Bethesda, MD and Meadville alum, spoke of the challenges and imperative of ministering well from the parish in a time and world of increasing diversity and division.

Sunday morning, I skipped attending one of the several UU worship services in the area and attended our Coming of Age service courtesy of Facebook Live. (A shout-out and Thank You to those who make it happen!) I found the service moving and the statements thought-provoking. They each did a thing, didn't they?

The Commencement Service was held at First Unitarian of Chicago, a grand and stately stone structure in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, VP for Academic and Student Affairs, delivered the commencement sermon, "Following A Circuitous Route." And, THAT's when my eyes welled up with tears, repeatedly, as she urged us to pick up the waylaid stones and pieces of our callings we'd set to the side during our studies and re-commit to moving forward on those "impossible dreams" that first led us to pursue ministry.

More on my own circuitous route in the next few weeks remaining at CUUC until the June 17th service.

In the meantime, I leave you with these questions to ponder:

What dreams have you set aside in order to accomplish other goals? How might you re-claim them?
How do you keep the gifts of your dreams and accomplishments moving in the world?
What in the world requires the best of your humanity and embodied intelligence? 
If not us, then who?

Get (and Keep) Your Life in Balance

Practice of the Week
Get (and Keep) Your Life in Balance

OCCASIONAL or WORTH A TRY: These are practices suggested for "every once in a while" -- or "give it a try." You may find it so valuable that you stick with it, and it becomes a Key Supporting Practice for you. Some of them are responses to a particular need that may arise; others are simply enriching occasional enhancements to the spiritual life. All of them are worth a try at least once. And any of them might become a regular and central part of your spiritual practice.

from Jonathan Robinson, Find Happiness Now, adapted, abridged

By working with hundreds of clients in therapy, I’ve learned that people’s lives are only as good as the worst thing in their life. If someone is rich, healthy, and beautiful, but their relationships are terrible, they’ll feel rotten. The one area of our lives that doesn’t work so well is the one that affects us the most. That’s the area that, until it starts going better, is most important.

Thus, having a system that reminds you to work on your weak areas is essential. With the various aspects of your life in balance, you’ll feel happier and more peaceful. You’ll spend less time distracting yourself from problems that could have been avoided. Rather than simply getting through each day, you’ll experience the abundance that comes from feeling you’re spending your time doing what’s truly important.

1. The List of Areas to Balance

Make a list of the areas of your life that need to be in balance. My list has eight areas to keep track of. Your list will be probably be very similar, since these are widely shared, or even universal, areas in all our lives. Here’s my list:

• Career
• Recreation
• Spirituality
• Level of fulfillment
• Bodily health
• Family and relationships
• Finances
• New learning

It’s easy to get absorbed into just one or two aspects of life, and let the others fall by the wayside. Yet, to have a truly fulfilling life, it’s necessary to create a healthy balance among the competing priorities for our time.

We may look like we’re successful in the short term, but if we fail to create balance, in the long term we will either burn out or be unhappy.

2. The Monthly Review

Once a month I look at each of the eight areas of my life, and I ask myself: “How am I doing in this area? Am I spending the appropriate amount of time, energy, and attention on it?” Usually the answer is obvious.

3. The Vow

If a particular area isn’t doing so well, vow to focus on it more during the upcoming month. Write down the vow at the beginning of each month.

4. The Daily Plan

I prioritize my day before I eat breakfast. I used to sometimes forget to set up my day, so I created a little reward system for myself. As soon as I’m done figuring out what’s most important to do that day, I eat breakfast. Since I love eating breakfast (and never miss it), this simply way of rewarding myself for prioritizing guarantees that it always gets done. Then, as I look over all the things I could do during that day, I ask myself two questions.

First Question: What’s really important to do today in order to create a balanced, happy life? This simple question gets my mind focused in the right direction. It’s a much better question to contemplate than asking yourself, “What do I have to do today?” Asking about what’s important helps remind me that the bottom line in life is not how much I do or make. Instead, it’s how much of my dreams of creating joy, love, and contribution I can integrate into my day-to-day life.

Second Question: What are the seven most important things I want to make sure I get done today? I write a brainstorm list of things I’d like to do, then I prioritize them from one to seven. Frequently, I include activities that are not business related, such as buying my partner flowers, or going on a bike ride. Over time, I’ve discovered that my career has its own way of getting my attention, so I don’t have to remind myself to give time to my career. The other areas of life are more likely to require intentional prioritizing.

Whatever aspect of life you are most likely to ignore is the one that’s most important to schedule. By scheduling your workouts, time with friends, or whatever you tend to overlook, your life will soon come into greater balance.

If you don’t get everything done on your list, write it on your next day’s schedule. If you finish the top seven items before the day is over, ask yourself the two prioritization questions once again. It only takes a minute, yet its effect on your life will be immense.

Many Americans suffer from time poverty. Though our material circumstances may be well above the poverty level, and studies indicate that we work fewer hours than we did thirty years ago, we may nevertheless feel that we don’t have enough time to do all the things we need to do. We waste a lot of time doing activities that bring us little lasting value -- such as watching TV – and forget to do things that add depth and meaning to our lives. A system to prioritize every single day what’s truly important to you will allow you to master your time and life. Without such a system, we are swept into the river of distractions – and will someday look back on our life and wonder where all the time went.

* * *

PRACTICES INDEX

RE News: Sun May 27

Lifespan Religious Education
Our Coming of Age Service last Sunday included a family COA ritual in which parents named something that they are going to let go of as their youth move from childhood into young adulthood. Their statements were reinforced by lighting flash paper in our chalice that vanished before our eyes. This action brought home the visceral feeling of letting go and connected with all the ways we need to let go in our lives. The Bridging Ceremony at the RE Sunday Service on June 10 will be another letting go ritual, showing us the stages of independence that children, and the adults in their lives, move through. Of course, as attested to by the recent story about the 30-year-old Hudson Valley man who was evicted by his parents, we know the process does not happen overnight or in a linear fashion, but our rituals help us recognize the need to shift the orientation of the relationship as the stages of life unfold.

Please see the following four (4) announcements:

1) This Sun May 27
All ages participate in a Fun Sunday program.

Then...

June 3 - Regular RE with review and preparation for RE Sunday. This is a great way for your child to capture the meaning of the year and what it was all about, whether having attended each week or infrequently.

June 10 - RE Sunday Service and Barbecue - Our meaningful celebration of the year in RE that includes the banner parade for all classes, children's participation in the service, and the Bridging Ceremony for high school seniors.

To view the Religious Education Google calendar, CLICK HERE.
To view a spreadsheet version of the RE Calendar, CLICK HERE.

2) College Scholarship Awards

Each year CUUC offers two scholarships in the amount of $250 for our graduating seniors. One scholarship is given in honor of Sylvia Schnall-Pierorazio and the other Rev. Betty Baker, both former CUUC Directors of Religious Education.

Please send a short essay on your contributions and leadership at CUUC, with a brief explanation of how the scholarship will be used and the names of two CUUC references to dlre@cucwp.org by May 31.

3) Unirondack Family & Friends Weekend This Weekend - May 25-28
Join other CUUC families at this Unitarian camp on Memorial Day weekend for family fun and connection.
A few of our families attended last year and had a great time.

For information and to register, CLICK HERE.
Contact Rebecca Rugg at rebeccaruggbiz@gmail.com to find out more from an attendee.

4) UU Summer Camps & Retreat Centers for Children, Youth, and Families
Unitarian Universalist retreat centers offer the opportunity to connect with UUs from around the country in fun and fellowship. Whether you are looking for a place to go as a family or somewhere for your kids to experience a fun camp, there are many amazing Unitarian Universalist summer destinations:

Ferry Beach is oceanfront in ME.

ferrybeach.org
The Mountain is atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC.
mountaincenters.org
The Rowe Center is in the Berkshire Mountains in MA.
rowecenter.org
Sophia Fahs RE Camp is one week in August on Shelter Island.
www.liacuu.org/Fahs
Star Island is a 46-acre island off the NH coast.
starisland.org
Unirondack is in the NY Adirondacks.
unirondack.org
Murray Grove is a Universalist retreat center nearby in NJ.
http://www.murraygrove.org/#!camping-in-the-grove/c15no
UUMAC Retreat is one week in July at DeSales University in PA.
uumac.org
The Central East Region offers a Summer Institute focused on climate change.
http://omdsi.org/
SUUSI is a weeklong multignerational event in North Carolina.
https://www.suusi.org/

Sincerely,
Perry
Director of Lifespan Religious Education and Faith Development

Music: Sun May 27

In recognition of the successful renewal of CUUC’s Welcoming Congregation status, works by gay composers are featured in the morning’s Centering  and Opening Music; CUUC’s house band affirms diversity and personal authenticity in song; and our own Kim Force offers one of gay Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca’s settings of a traditional Andalusian melody, La tarara. The song, of Medieval Arabic origins, personifies a popular regional dance (the Tarara) as a young woman. Read on for programming details.

Centering Music: Adam Kent, piano

Barcarolle, Op. 37, No. 6

                                    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Mouvements perpétuels

Assez modéré, Alerte

                                    Francis Poulenc

Opening Music:

Moment Musical in F Minor, Op. 94, No. 3

                                                Franz Schubert

Offertory: Elias VanDette and Kim Force, vocals: Christian Force, piano
Born This Way

                                                Stefani Germanotta & Jeppe Laursen

Reading:

Casida de las palomas oscuras (Casida of the Dark Doves)

                                    Federico Garcia Lorca

Interlude:
La tarara*

                                    Traditional Andalusian, arr. by Lorca

Special Hymn: Kim Force, soprano; Christian Force, piano; Joann Prinzivalli, guitar

True Colors*

Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly

Performed by Kim Force, vocals / Christian Force, piano / Joann Prinzivalli, guitar

*The congregation is invited to sing along in the chorus:

I see your true colors shining through.

I see your true colors and that's why I love you.

So don't be afraid to let them show, your true colors.

True colors are beautiful like a rainbow.

Translation: La tarara

Refrain:

Tarara yes;
Tarara no;

Tarara, a girl

who has caught my eye

Tarara wears

a green dress

full of ruffles

and jingle bells

(refrain)

Tarara flaunts

her train of silk

over the brush

and the mint

(refrain)

Ah, crazy Tarara

moves her waist

for the boys

in the olive groves

(refrain)