Community UU Matters

2018-05-04

RE News: Sun May 6

Lifespan Religious Education
Norbert Capek, a UU minister who founded the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia, was looking for a way to unite his congregants through a spiritual experience together. In 1923, he created the flower ceremony that we hold each year. His wife Maja, also a UU minister, introduced U.S. congregations to the ritual when she visited. Tragically, Norbert perished in a concentration camp during WWII, but the beautiful ritual he created lives on in UU congregational life. Just as we bring different flowers to the service, we each bring our unique self to this congregation and in our exchanges we bask in each other’s beauty. When you take a different flower home this Sunday, you take with you a symbol of the connections made and all that blossoms from gathering in this faith community.

Please see the following six (6) announcements:

1) This Sun May 6
Children arrive at 9am to rehearse the Variety Show dance finale. For video of the song, CLICK HERE.

Children should be in the sanctuary at 9:25 to rehearse "Sakura," which they have been singing with Lyra each Sunday.
The children will sing the Japanese verse of "Sakura." For text and translation, CLICK HERE. For video of song, CLICK HERE.

All ages in the sanctuary for the Flower Service, except 8th-9th COA who meet in their classroom.

Bring a flower to this meaningful multigen service that includes the ritual of exchanging flowers.

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

2) Pancake Brunch This Sun May 6

There will be flowers in the sanctuary and flour in the kitchen.

Join us after the Flower Celebration Service for a variety of pancakes.

Special Friends will finally meet at the brunch. Come to the specially decorated tables.

Hosted by Youth Group to support The New American Children’s Cultural Enrichment Fund.
$5/adult, $3/child, $15/family

3) Variety Show Next Sat May 12, 5pm
Raffle tickets for sale at the brunch this Sun.

Rehearsal - Fri, May 11, 4:30-7pm
(snacks provided)
Show - Sat, May 12, 5pm
(pizza for performers at 4:30pm)

Proceeds from this year's show will go to:
The New American Children’s Cultural Enrichment Fund.
This fund gives the children of refugees in Westchester County the opportunities they have not had to play sports, attend performances, or explore the arts.

JOIN IN NOW...

Perform - contact Liz at elizabethsuvanto@hotmail.com
Bake - contact Erin at fosterblatt@gmail.com
Submit Recipes – contact Irene at irene.cox@gmail.com
Donate Raffle Prizes - contact Liz at elizabethsuvanto@hotmail.com

FOUND HERE

The Variety Show is not just for children to partake in - this is for EVERYONE AND ANYONE AT CUUC, and other local UU congregations, and your friends outside of CUUC!

4) 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.

5) Unirondack Family & Friends 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.

6) 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

2018-04-27

From the Minister, Apr 29

The joint Earth Day service that brought all five Westchester UU Congregations together in our sanctuary was wonderful! I loved the energy -- the choirs and other music, the togetherness, the sharing of worship with other ministers.

I expected that it would be a great service. I have to admit, though, that it took more work to organize and plan than I expected. I was all, like, "Everybody come! What could possibly go wrong?"

It turns out there were a lot more things than I was imagining that could have gone wrong. None of them did -- and that's because our CUUC Board noticed better than I did all the matters to which would have to be attended. A special telephone-conference board meeting raised a number of concerns, and, to make sure they were addressed, Chris Kortlandt, Paula Meighan, and Adine Usher stepped forward, volunteering to constitute a Board Subcommittee to coordinate with the other congregations and certain of our own members. They put in tremendous work to make sure everything went smoothly, and I am deeply and humbly grateful.

In the service, my homily focused on "Attention" as a spiritual path. But it was the attentions that had already been given by Chris, Paula, and Adine that made it all possible. Thank you!

So what do you think? Shall we do it again next year?

Yours Gratefully,
Meredith

In case you missed it . . .

Our Earth Day service -- a gala joint service with all five Westchester UU congregations -- was live streamed through Facebook. The video remains up on our CUUC Facebook page: CLICK HERE

The Liberal Pulpit. The Liberal Pulpit is a YouTube Channel HERE! Videos include the sermons starting on Feb 25.

New this week: "Market Harms and Market Benefits"
"Earth Day Attention"
"Practices for Paying Attention to Money"
"The Pleasure and Pain of Wandering"

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

Practice of the Week. Exercise. A spiritual practice is any regular, intentional activity that serves to significantly deepen the quality and content of your relationship with the miracle of life. For me, running is a spiritual practice that connects me in deep, satisfying, and enriching ways with myself, other people, my world, and the day.

Zen Practice at CUUC: Sat Apr 28
One afternoon, after the Tallspruce group hiked over to Lowridge for berries, Black Bear said to Raven, "This is my last get-together before I retire for the winter. There is something I want to ask. I dream a lot when I'm hibernating. Do Zen masters dream?" Raven said, "Higgledy-piggledy." Black Bear chuckled. "My dreams are like that, too -- all confused!" Raven said, "Not...READ MORE...

Minister's Tuesday Coffee Chat. I'm at a coffee shop (almost) every Tuesday from 3-5pm. I invite you to drop by and chat.
May: Red Mango, 1924 Palmer Ave, Larchmont. (A departure from coffee -- let's try a fruit smoothie!)

NOTES

The two Common Reads for 2017-18: HERE.
Of particular note, regarding Centering: See recommended reading HERE.
On the Journey, April: Faith. HERE.
Sun Apr 29. A SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED! See details HERE.

2018-04-26

Exercise

Practice of the Week
Exercise

Category: Supporting Practices: Observances that support and expand developing spirituality. They aren't "slogans to live by": they require setting aside some dedicated time. They aren't "occasional," but call for regular application. Nor are they merely "worth a try," since their value doesn't depend on whether you happen to have a taste for them.

from Scott Alexander, "Exercise," in Everyday Spiritual Practice, abridged and adapted.

Everyone knows that regular, vigorous exercise offers a wide constellation of health benefits, as well as a general enhancement of personal well-being and enjoyment of life. But what makes it a spiritual practice?

A spiritual practice is any regular, intentional activity that serves to significantly deepen the quality and content of your relationship with the miracle of life. For me, running is a spiritual practice that connects me in deep, satisfying, and enriching ways with myself, other people, my world, and the day.

The spiritual aspects of exercise are twofold. First, exercise has meditative and reflective dimensions. Many who exercise regularly report that their physical discipline helps them to achieve a state of mindful and meditative peace and calm. If I relax while running – focus my mind on the regular rhythms of both my breathing and body movements, and let go of the distractions and complexities of my day – I often move into a spiritual state of being fully alive to the rich miracle of life both within and around me. I feel in soul-satisfying harmony with all that is: my body, the natural world, other people, even what I call God. While running does not always bring me to this calming, meditative place, regular exercise can often be a time to meditate, to become more aware of and grateful for life.

Second, the regular practice of exercise establishes an overall spiritual “right relation” with myself, my world, and other beings who share it with me. If I care for the body that houses and holds me, I will be more inclined and more able to care for other lives around me.

So taking responsible care of your own bodily temple can properly be seen as a primary spiritual practice of care and connection to all the infinite intricacies of reality. Any form of regular, vigorous exercise can be a discipline of spiritual self-care that naturally leads to spiritual other-care, and thus to right relation with all you encounter and touch.

For many of us, regular exercise is easier said than done. Only about 20 percent of Americans regularly exercise enough to achieve any cardiovascular benefit. The legacy of mind-body dualism permeating Western thought encourages us to devalue and neglect things we deem merely physical – including our bodies and the earth itself.

Human wholeness and health are impossible if we separate the spiritual from the physical in our lives. It is sometimes helpful to have words like “spirit” and “body,” but we must be careful not to let our language lead us to think that these are different things. There is just one reality. Though we occasionally look at it through different lenses – attend to its differing functionalities – we shouldn’t forget the oneness, for this is what connects us to all life and to the holistic mystery that is being itself.

My friend Edward Frost writes,

“Having survived a heart attack and a quadruple bypass, I decided I’d like to go on living. I began to exercise regularly, three times a week at the club. I hated every minute of it. My mind dragged my body to the club. Now, however, my exercising is an everyday, deeply spiritual whole-person experience – not something I do simply to stay alive, but a profoundly satisfying part of my life.”

The fitness of the body is a fundamental necessity for being healthy, whole, and fully alive.

Getting started

First, refuse to allow yourself not to do it. The most frequently used excuse is, “I just don’t have time,” but we must make time, disciplining ourselves to set it aside on a regular, faithful basis. Your aim, after all, is not just physical fitness but spiritual wholeness itself.

Second, begin slowly and appropriately given your physical condition, age, body type, and personal preferences. Making grand (and unrealistic) resolutions is only likely to lead you quit (in frustration and shame) within a week. Build up your exercise routine gradually, allowing both your body and your personal schedule to adjust to these new demands (and delights!) Be sensible and patient – and stick with it!

Third, do check with your physician to ensure that your body is ready for the rigors – even if slowly built up to – that you are planning.

Every day, almost without exception, I take an hour to tend my relationship with my oldest and most intimate friend – my body, or, rather, my self – for body is self. Noon is my favorite time to lace up a pair of running shoes, do a little stretching and step outside – regardless of weather – for a good, swift run. The daily run is almost always the most enjoyable part of my day. I love the expansive freedom, love noticing the pleasing intricacies and healing grace of the natural and the human worlds: sunlight kissing a passing cloud, a cormorant gracefully diving for a fish, children playing in sand. I love the experience of being so present and alive. And I love the feeling when I have finished – that glow of accomplishment and invigoration – that returns me to my day refreshed, reawakened, and rejuvenated. I am ready and able to meet the duties and demands of my day relaxed, focused, alert, patient, and eager. My regular exercise routine helps me stay in healthy right relation – with myself, nature, other persons, indeed all of existence itself – and allows me to feel truly at home in my body and in the world.

* * *

PRACTICES INDEX

RE News: Sun Apr 29

Lifespan Religious Education
The Variety Show is a unique event at CUUC. It combines social justice, entertainment, socialization, food, and music into one spectacular multi-generational gala. We raise money for an important cause (The New American Children’s Cultural Enrichment Fund), while having a great time watching CUUCers and friends of all ages perform their special talent, whether juggling, dancing, singing, or telling jokes. There is a scrumptious bake sale and a raffle with prizes for all tastes. Raffle tickets are on sale the next two Sundays. See the RE News for all the ways you can participate and, most importantly, come to the show on Sat, May 12.

Please see the following six (6) announcements:

1) This Sun Apr 29
K-5th grade start in Fellowship Hall for Children's Worship that includes rehearsal of Sakura for the May 6 Flower Service.
6th-12th grade start in classrooms.

Classes
Pre-K-1 - Creating Home: Memories of Home
2nd-3rd - Passport to Spirituality: Ireland (Pagan: Connection to Nature)
4th-5th - Bibleodeon: Jesus's Miracles
6th-7th – Neighboring Faiths: Buddhism Trip (Leave CUUC at 9:30)
8th-9th – Coming of Age: Faith Statements
10th-12th – Youth Group: Pancake Planning

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

2) Bingo Night! This Fri, April 27 at 6:30
A night of pizza and community fun!

All ages welcome! $5/adult; $3/child; $15/family max.
RSVP: cuucevents@gmail.com

Help us out by donating a gift to our collection of prizes.

3) Pancake Brunch - May 6

There will be flowers in the sanctuary and flour in the kitchen.

Join us after the Flower Celebration Service for a variety of pancakes.

Special Friends will finally meet at the brunch. Come to the specially decorated tables.

Hosted by Youth Group to support The New American Children’s Cultural Enrichment Fund.
$5/adult, $3/child, $15/family

4) The 6th Annual Variety Show is Coming!
Sat May 12, 5pm

(pizza for performers at 4:30pm)

Rehearsal - Fri, May 11, 4:30-7pm
(snacks provided)

Proceeds from this year's show will go to:
The New American Children’s Cultural Enrichment Fund.
This fund gives the children of refugees in Westchester County the opportunities they have not had to play sports, attend performances, or explore the arts.

DECIDE HOW YOU WILL PARTICIPATE.

Perform - contact Liz at elizabethsuvanto@hotmail.com
Bake - contact Erin at fosterblatt@gmail.com
Submit Recipes – contact Irene at irene.cox@gmail.com
Donate Raffle Prizes - contact Liz at elizabethsuvanto@hotmail.com

FOUND HERE

The Variety Show is not just for children to partake in - this is for EVERYONE AND ANYONE AT CUUC, and other local UU congregations, and your friends outside of CUUC!

5) Unirondack Family & Friends 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.

6) 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.

Music: Sun Apr 29

It’s difficult to think of music in the framework of “truthful” and “untruthful”, but Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana inhabits a world of illusions and deceptions. The eight pieces are subtitled “Fantasies”, and rarely has music seemed more “fantastic”. Throughout the work, it’s difficult for listeners to discern where downbeats are, what key one is in, or what wild mood will next erupt. The piece derives from the writings of E.T.A. Hoffman, whose novel Kater Murr was a direct inspiration. The book is a supposedly the memoirs of Tomcat Murr, a feline who has miraculously taught himself to read and write. His life philosophy is written on the back pages of a manuscript by an eccentric musician named Johannes Kreisler, the pages of which Murr has torn up and repurposed for his own story. The seemingly incoherent mishmash has all been published by mistake by a careless editor, who has failed to proofread his work. Hoffman’s novel is one of the great meta-novels of history, and Schumann’s piano work provides a powerful musical analogy.

The CUUC Choir is also on hand with inspirational fare, including Harold Alren’s tribute to the illusory world just “over the rainbow” as well as an uplifting Spiritual. Read on for programming details.

Centering Music: Adam Kent, piano
Kreisleriana, Op. 16

I. Ausserst bewegt

II. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch

Robert Schumann

Anthem: CUUC Choir directed by Lisa N. Meyer and accompanied by Georgianna Pappas

Over the Rainbow

Music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, arr. by Mark Hayes

Offertory:
Kreisleriana, Op. 16

IV. Sehr langsam

Schumann

Anthem:

Bound for Glory!

American Spiritual, arr. by Douglas E.

2018-04-25

A Community of Love, Hope and Memory

Cindy Davidson, Ministerial Intern

During my twenties, when I was not attending a church, Sunday mornings were usually devoted to a close, hours-long read of the Sunday New York Times. Lest you think taking in “All the News That’s Fit to Print” was anything but uplifting, not fitting for a sabbath, or a poor substitute for gathering with others in a place of worship, let me explain. Each week, I wondered, “Who would I meet? From whom would I find inspiration? What wise lessons might I consider following?” You see, a close friend had introduced me to the joys of reading obituaries!

I’ll admit I found the idea unappealing and repulsive, if not voyeuristic, at first. Perhaps that’s because the obits in the paper where I grew up were rather dry, merely a litany of birthplaces, degrees earned, jobs held, relatives left behind, calling hours and burial arrangements. But, as I settled into the comfy armchair week after week, and turned to the back pages of section A, my fondness for taking these reliably provided opportunities to visit the day’s collection of artfully crafted biographical sketches grew. Here, I found plenty of jumping off points to let me imagine engaging with and being influenced by people from all walks of life, a witness to their struggles, accomplishments, and delights. There we met, two souls certainly not ever to meet in the flesh, our common humanity transcending time and distance.

Something very similar -- and more -- happens whenever I attend a memorial service as part of being an active participant in congregational life. Even when I may not have known the deceased personally, we share a connection by virtue of our involvement in the congregation and through the relationships mutually cultivated with other congregants. I’ve wondered, “What role did this person play in the life and direction of the congregation before I came along? What visions for the future have we shared? What is their legacy? And, what pieces of what was once theirs to do become ours to continue?”

Sociologists are fond of saying that churches and congregations are “communities of love, hope and memory” to mark the distinctive place they have in society. Certainly, I’ve experienced this congregation to be a community of loving connection and care, vision-filled hope for the future, and a rich and proud collective memory. One place I see this in action is in the ways we come together to grieve losses and celebrate the lives of those who have recently died. There are gifts in these final acts of remembrance, even if we may not have known the deceased well or even at all. When we gather to acknowledge and honor the contributions they’ve made to our community and the world at large, we invariably learn things about their passions, accomplishments, and journey of faith fitting for a posthumous rendition of NPR’s “This I Believe.” Often, we learn something about how they helped nurture or challenge our community into the present and may even gain insights into aspects of this congregation’s history that are important to our understanding of who we are as a faith community and where we’re headed.

As we weave the threads of our lives together with the ones of those who are no longer with us, we create anew a tapestry for this time and place and build together an even stronger, more resilient community of ever-abundant love, hope for a life-affirming future and deep memory. May we bear witness to the blessings of their memories.

2018-04-19

From the Minister, Sun Apr 22

In case you missed it . . .

Here's Cindy Davidson -- with a short refelction from me -- in the Apr 15 service, "Faith in Hashtags":

The Liberal Pulpit. The Liberal Pulpit is a YouTube Channel HERE! Videos include the sermons starting on Feb 25.

New this week: "The Vice of Toxic Masculinity."

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

Practice of the Week. Guided Meditation for Relaxing into Awe. The first thing I noticed as I tried to completely relax my jaw was that it was very difficult to do. People hold a lot of tension in their face without even realizing it. By attempting to completely let go of the tightness in your jaw, you'll become aware of subtle tensions throughout your face.

Zen Practice at CUUC: Sat Apr 21

Minister's Tuesday Coffee Chat. I'm at a coffee shop (almost) every Tuesday from 3-5pm. I invite you to drop by and chat.
Apr: Barnes and Noble Cafe, Vernon Hills Shopping Center, Eastchester
May: Red Mango, 1924 Palmer Ave, Larchmont. (A departure from coffee -- let's try a fruit smoothie!)

NOTES

The two Common Reads for 2017-18: HERE.
Of particular note, regarding Centering: See recommended reading HERE.
On the Journey, April: Faith. HERE.
Sun Apr 29. A SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED to vote on the proposal that Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation takes the following Position on Escalating Economic Inequity . . . read the position HERE -- it's about a 10-minute read.

This Week's e-Communitarian

R.E. News: Apr 8

Music: Apr 8