This Week in Religious Education: October 1-6, 2019

(Friday, October 4th youth group update written in purple.) 

NEW! All adults have the opportunity to get to know our children and youth this year by serving as assistants in RE classes. No preparation required! Just spend an hour with our amazing children and youth while you fulfill our Safe Congregation practice of having two adults with our young people at all times. Read the Guidelines for RE Class Assistants online here.  Then click here to view available dates and volunteer. There's no need to create a SignUpGenius account. Just click on an open date, click on "Submit and Sign Up" at the bottom of the page, and enter your name and e-mail address. Thank you!

Youth Group Schedule
We are working with youth to rebuild youth group this year and will be making some adjustments along the way as we experiment with programs and find a balanced schedule. We are considering the following revised schedule and will discuss it with youth this Sunday:

• 6:30-8:30pm 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month (with some exceptions) for 10th-12 grade youth focused on themes the youth identify and the journey group theme of the month, using Ted Talks, documentaries and the Popcorn Theology curriculum;
• 6:30-8:30pm 1st & 3rd Fridays includes 8th-12th grade youth with theme discussions continuing on the 1st Friday and a social, game night the 3rd Friday; 
• 8th-9th grade youth will continue to attend the Coming of Age class Sunday mornings.

Adult RE Update
You voted and the results are in! Rev. Kimberley will offer the class, "Habits of the Heart" during Faith Friday on the 3rd Friday of each month. The class begins this month, Friday, October 18th. Please let me know if you plan to attend the series. Then, watch for RSVP requests for each 3rd Friday so we know how much pizza and salad to order.

Class description: We don’t have to be Zen masters or devout monks to be spiritual. In this course, we will explore methods for spiritual deepening, take stock of our spiritual identities, and experience a variety of spiritual practices that we can use to achieve a sense of wholeness and satisfaction, deepen our faith, and make meaning in these uncertain times.

*Watch this space for updates week-to-week.


FRIDAY, October 4th

• Journey Group facilitators meet with Rev. Kimberley at 7:30pm in classroom 41. 
• Youth Group program has been moved to SUNDAY, October 6th. Youth Group will not meet tonight. Information is included below.

SATURDAY, October 5th

• The Zen group meets at 10:00am in classroom 24. 
• Journey Group facilitators meet with Rev. Kimberley at 12:30pm in the parsonage. 

SUNDAY, October 6th
Classes meet this Sunday and we have our first Children's Worship service. We will all begin in the sanctuary at 10:00am. After the Time for All Ages Story, we leave for classes and children's worship where we meet until 11:30am. Children 3rd grade and younger must be picked up at 11:30am. Those 4th grade and older will be dismissed to head to coffee hour.

• Childcare, ABC UU Values (room 32): Diane Keller and Hans Elsevier. 
• PreK-5th Grade, Children's Worship (Fellowship Hall): Lyra and me. Approximately seven times this year, I will lead a full hour Children's Worship service. This is an opportunity for children to experience worship adapted for their needs. We will follow the order of service used during whole congregation worship services and Lyra will teach upcoming hymns we will sing in the sanctuary. We hope this will make whole congregation worship services more meaningful and familiar for the children. They may even get to pick hymns for future whole congregation worship services!  Extending the theme of worship we will begin in the sanctuary, Children's Worship this Sunday is about the Jewish Days of Awe.
• 6th-7th Grade, Neighboring Faiths (room 41): Audra Russel is visiting the class to share her background in Judaism. Her experiences and stories will help deepen the youth's understanding about Judaism and bring the religion to life. Chris Breault is assisting.
• 8th-9th Grade, Coming of Age (room 11):  The youth continue exploring where they are on their faith journey, identifying the gifts, talents and friends they have which can help them along their journey. Alex Sehdeva is leading and Christine Haran is assisting. 
• 10th-12th Grade Youth: Youth Group will meet Sunday morning with Cyndi & Daniel Tilman. The program includes check in, discussing a possible October 27th Halloween party for the children, watching Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk, "Danger of a Single Story" and discussing how knowing only one aspect of someone's experience or identity limits our understanding and potential for connection. Youth will also identify themes they would like to explore this year. 

Coming Up in RE:

• Sun Oct 13 – We will experiment again with a children's area in the sanctuary for the whole congregation worship service. Parents are invited to sit in the chairs placed around the area to offer the children support. Those who find shuffling or little voices distracting might sit on the other side of the sanctuary. 
• Sun Oct 20 – Arturo's Birthday Party
• Sun Oct 27 – Children are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to church
• Sun Nov 3 – Healthy Youth Relationships Retreat for 6th-8th grade, 9th-12th grade, and parents/supportive adults (click here for the flyer; register here) 
• Sun Nov 17 – K-1st OWL Begins 
• Sun Nov 24 – COA Families offering the Stone Soup Community Meal & Lunchtime Discussion Groups

Monthly: 

• 1st Friday Youth Group & Journey Group Facilitators
• 1st Saturday Journey Group Facilitators
• 2nd Sunday Journey Groups 
• 3rd Friday Adult Journey Group, Youth Group, Children's Journey Group 
• 2nd & 4th Sunday morning Youth Group (with some scheduling exceptions)

I look forward to seeing you! Tracy

Music: Sun Oct 6

Ermst Bloch and Max Bruch: their names may summon up a wad of phlegm, but they are best remembered for producing some of the most poignant Jewish-sounding music in the classical repertoire. We are honored to welcome back to CUUC cellist Caleb van der Swaagh to perform their music, including Bruch’s celebrating arrangement of the traditional Yom Kippur Eve prayer Kol Nidre. The CUUC Choir is also on hand with a Hebraic song arranged by Greg Gilpin, and a powerful statement of faith in the midst of vulmerability by K. Lee Scott. Read on for programming details.

Centering Music: Caleb van der Swaagh, cello; Adam Kent, piano

From Jewish Life

            Prayer

            Supplication

            Jewish Song

                                                Ernst Bloch

Anthem: CUUC Choir directed by Lisa N. Meyer and accompanied by Georgianna Pappas
“Out of the Depths I Cry To Thee”

K. Lee Scott  

Anthem:

Ha Shalom                                   

 Greg Gilpin

Special Music:
Kol Nidre, Op. 47

                                                Max Bruch

From the Minister, Thu Sep 26

Dear Ones,

Everything we do interacts with other people in two opposite ways: modeling and niche-filling.

When we model, we display a way of being that we invite others to adopt. Bad behavior encourages others to act badly; good behavior encourages others to act well. There's a voice in each of us that is always saying, "Look at what that person is doing. Maybe that's what I should do."

When we fill a niche, we encourage others to gravitate toward a different role. Your job is an example: the fact that you have that job means that no one else has it. Even if your job helps create other jobs, those are other jobs. Should you resign, a replacement might be hired, but as long as you're there, the niche is filled and any would-be replacements must seek other employment.

Every family has patterns of interaction with certain niches in the family system filled by different members of the family. If one member stops carrying out a given role -- whether it's a positive role like "primary meal planner," or an unhappy role like "chief complainer" -- others in the family are likely to shift to fill that role.

Another voice that's in each of us is always saying, "Look at what that person is doing. Since they're doing it, I'll find something else to do."

Your minister aims to be a helpful model -- an example of a spiritually reflective life, thoughtfully engaged with the big questions of our human meaning-making enterprise. That's what I try to do, and what Rev. Kimberley will be aiming to do for the next six months with our congregation. But we ministers are also mindful that we might be taken as filling that niche. With clergy, theologians, gurus, and spiritual writers doing the wrestling with religious questions, maybe that leaves you free to focus on other things. Not that "free to focus on other things" is a bad thing. That the social eco-system has many niches -- and is continually creating more -- allows us collectively to be a much more diverse and complex society.

Anyone concerned with transmitting knowledge, skills, outlooks, or attitudes to others -- which would include ministers, scholars, teachers, parents, and, indeed, any nonsociopath, at least occasionally -- faces this model vs. niche-filler conundrum. The best we can hope for is that some of what we model will be picked up (though it may not be the part we would have chosen) and be helpful to other people as they work out their own niche.

A minister's role is to do some of the spiritual, meaning-making labor for you. That's what modeling entails, and we hope our model helps offer you a platform from which to launch, or boost, your own spiritual work. But we can't do all the spiritual labor for you. Ministers, TED talkers, and spiritual writers do not entirely fill the niche for reflective, holistic, meaning-making. In fact, spiritual growth and development is not a niche. There's room for everyone.

Consider, for instance, questions like these: What religious questions are "alive" for you? From which of our 6 sources do you find the most hope and healing? What do you imagine spiritual growth and faith development might look like for you? As a spiritual seeker, what can you say about what you are seeking? What are you yearning to do more of to develop peace and wisdom? Engaging with questions like these is a part of the spiritual work before us all.

Yours in faith,
Meredith

The Liberal Pulpit

Find videos of many past services at our Youtube channel: HERE

Practice of the Week: Roller Derby Yes, Roller Derby can be a spiritual practice. It might not be for you, but reading Dawn Cooley's inspiring account (with video!) may help you think about what could be a spiritual practice for you. READ MORE.

Your Moment of Zen: Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance
When Raven was just starting on the path, she visited Moose Roshi -- as well as Jackrabbit Roshi and Prairie Dog Roshi -- before settling down under the tutelage of Brown Bear Roshi. In #93, we learned that, "Raccoon was a student of Moose Roshi at Cedarford, but he visited the Tallspruce community occasionally."

Set aside for now the possibility that in the present case Raven is being snide, arch, or mordant. Assume that she deeply respects and admires the elder roshi.

Buddhist literature identifies "three poisons": raga (greed, lust, desire, attachment), dvesha (hatred, anger, aversion), and moha (delusion, ignorance, confusion). These three are the root of all other kleshas (mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions). Their opposites are dana (generosity), metta (loving-kindness), and prajna (wisdom).

• The Sangiti Sutta (Digha Nikaya 33), lists sets of three things, including: "Three unwholesome roots: of raga, dvesha, moha."
• In the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 9), Sariputta says, "And what is the root of the unwholesome? Greed is a root of the unwholesome; hate is a root of the unwholesome; delusion is a root of the unwholesome."
• In the Itivuttaka Sutta 3.1 (Khuddaka Nikaya), the Buddha says, “Monks, there are these three roots of what is unskillful. Which three? Greed as a root of what is unskillful, aversion as a root of what is unskillful, delusion as a root of what is unskillful. These are the three roots of what is unskillful. Greed, aversion, delusion destroy the self-same person of evil mind from whom they are born, like the fruiting of the bamboo."
• In the Titthiya Sutta (Angutara Nikaya 3:69), the Buddha explains that raga arises "for one who attends improperly to a beautiful object;" dvesha arises "for one who attends improperly to a repulsive object;" and moha arises "for one who attends improperly to things."

So how is it, as Moose Roshi says, that greed, hatred, and ignorance are themselves Buddha-nature? "Buddha nature pervades the entire universe, existing right here, now," (as Sutra books in Zen Centers throughout the English-speaking world declare), so where else would greed, hatred, and ignorance come from? Our task is to "attend properly" to them, appreciating that all things have their place. Properly attending immunizes us from their poisonousness.

Case

Moose Roshi said to his students, "Greed, hatred, and ignorance are themselves Buddha-nature."
On one of his visits, Raccoon asked Raven about this.
Raven said, "Moose oughta know."

Verse

"Loving makes lovely"

I thought I overheard
someone on the morning subway say.
The way she said it,
and the glance I had of her
and her companion,
Told me this was not a beauty tip.
She meant the beloved is lovely.

Visible through the window, the high rises sang,
"With this power you have,
How does your life admit of unloveliness?"

Case by Robert Aitken; introduction and verse by Meredith Garmon

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Zen at CUUC News

Roller Derby

Practice of the Week
Roller Derby

Category: MIGHT BE YOUR THING: Not for everyone, but might be right for you! Some practices in this category might be great for "every once in a while" -- either because they are responses to a particular need that may arise or because they are simply enriching occasional enhancements to the spiritual life. Among these practices you may find the one particular practice that becomes your main and central spiritual practice -- or a Key Supporting Practice.

abridged and adapted from
Dawn Skjei Cooley, "Roller Derby," in Erik Wikstrom, editor, Faithful Practices

In the early 2000s, roller derby was reborn in Austin, Texas. Twenty-first-century roller derby is athletic rather than theatrical. Elbows to the face are not allowed. I played for the Derby City Roller Girls in Louisville, Kentucky, for a few years under the name “Liv Fearless.” After our practice sessions, I felt more grounded. Solutions to problems that had evaded me became clear, and I often left feeling like my best self. Eventually, I realized that roller derby had become more than a sport or hobby for me -- it had become a spiritual practice.

Claudia Horwitz says a spiritual practice is “simply a habit that gives us energy and reminds us of what matters most,” and she identifies three characteristics. A spiritual practice:

1. “connects us to the presence of the sacred or that which has great meaning in our lives.”
2. “is something we do regularly (ideally on a daily basis) and without interruption.”
3. “grounds us in the present moment, bringing us into awareness of what is happening right now."

Playing roller derby helped me to remember the wisdom in what flight attendants say: to put on my own oxygen mask on before assisting others. Roller derby never failed to remind me of the importance of me.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj writes,

“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing; Love is knowing I am everything; and between the two my life moves."

Roller derby helped me move between these two. It got me into my body and reminded me that I am made from the stuff of the universe. Whether it was a bruise from a fall, the exhaustion of a well-spent practice, or the completion of a skill that I had been struggling to learn, I would leave each practice session with a deep gratitude for my health, for my life, and for the love and support of my family, who encouraged me to play.

Playing roller derby, I was often more focused on the moment than at any other time during the day. My mind, which is usually running ninety miles per hour, would stop thinking about my to-do list, my worry over my children, my hopes for the church I served. My mind would slow as I focused on my breath, my posture, my muscles, or the move I was about to execute. I would become grounded in the present moment.

There were many times when derby was challenging—when I hurt too much to continue, when I didn't understand the complex rules, when I was frustrated in myself or a teammate. And yet this would pass. Sometimes I didn’t feel like going, but I never regretted attending a practice session. I always felt better at the end.

The downside of roller derby as a spiritual practice is that, instead of every day for a few minutes, it is a few hours a couple of times a week. It is easy to miss one week, then another, and then be unable to continue.

After trying breathing meditations, walking meditations, yoga, prayer, lectio divina, poetry, and journaling, I've learned that if my body is not strenuously engaged, my mind and spirit won't be either. What we do with our bodies affects not just our physical health but also our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Exercise makes it easier for us to concentrate and raises levels of serotonin, leading to increased feelings of well-being. And if we are mentally or emotionally stressed, our heart rates quicken and blood pressure rises, which can contribute to heart conditions, ulcers, and more. Our physical health, intellectual health, emotional health, and spiritual health are all connected.

“Because the mind and the body are intimately connected, relieving the stress of the body through exercise has an immediate effect on the mind. It is not a matter of choosing what is better -- exercising the mind or exercising the body. Rather, these activities go hand in hand. We need to exercise both our body and our mind. When we give our mind and body what benefits them, a natural harmony and balance takes place. With this unified approach, we are happy, healthy and wise.” (Rinpoche Sakyon Mipham)

I experienced this reality when I played roller derby. My mind would consider the complex rules and strategies and what I needed my body to do. My body would move, test its limits, and stretch beyond what I thought I could do. Who knew I was able to blast full speed ahead and leap over a fallen skater in front of me, landing gracefully on the track and continuing my lap? Overcoming such challenges made me feel good about myself and my capabilities. Seeing the improvement I made was encouraging. And doing so with a host of other women, my teammates, warmed my heart. I was a part of something special.

We had such fun. I would laugh, curse, and sweat. We wore crazy socks and tights under our safety pads We made up secret identities for ourselves. We danced and laughed when standing in line, waiting for our turn in a drill. We played loud music. We called each other names and talked smack, always with a smile. Where else are you not only able, but encouraged, to hip-check someone so hard she lands on her butt?

Roller derby started out as a way for me to make friends and engage my body. It turned into a spiritual practice that engaged my entire being. It connected me mindfully with my body, reminded me of my place in the universe, and gave me space and time to breathe, to be myself. On top of that, it was fun. I still wear the tights.



* * *

PRACTICES INDEX

This Week in Religious Education: Sept. 23-29

NEW: All adults have the opportunity to get to know our children and youth this year by serving as assistants in RE classes. No preparation required! Just spend an hour with our amazing children and youth while you fulfill our Safe Congregation practice of having two adults with our young people at all times. Read the Guidelines for RE Class Assistants online here.  Then click here to view available dates and volunteer. There's no need to create a SignUpGenius account. Just click on an open date, click on "Submit and Sign Up" at the bottom of the page, and enter your name and e-mail address. Thank you!

SUNDAY, September 29th 
Classes meet this Sunday. We will all begin in the sanctuary at 10:00am. We leave for classes during the second hymn and meet until 11:30am. Children 3rd grade and younger must be picked up in the classroom. Those 4th grade and older will be dismissed to head to coffee hour at 11:30am. 

• Childcare, ABC UU Values: room 32 with Diane Keller and Hans Elsevier. 
• PreK-1st Grade, A World of New Friends (room 33): Donna Vought is introducing the class to Ben and they will learn about his Jewish faith. Laura Goodspeed is the assistant.
• 2nd-3rd Grade, Passport to Spirituality (room 24):  The children are traveling to Vatican City with Karen Leahy to learn about Catholicism. Ann Norum is the assistant. 
• 4th-5th Grade, Bibleodeon (room 21): The children are hearing the stories of creation and Adam and Eve as told in Genesis. Alex Zisson is leading and Al Rocchi is assisting. 
• 6th-7th Grade, Neighboring Faiths (room 41): Chris Breault is introducing Judaism. Nina Straus is the assistant. 
• 8th-9th Grade, Coming of Age (room 11):  The youth begin exploring where they are on their faith journey. Kate Colson is leading and Nicholas Aska is assisting. 
• Youth Group: Youth are attending worship this Sunday. The next Youth Group gathering is Friday, October 4th, 7:00-9:00pm with 8th-12th grade youth. 

I look forward to seeing you! Tracy

Coming Up in RE:

• 1st Friday Youth Group
• 2nd Sunday Journey Groups 
• 3rd Friday Adult Journey Group, Youth Group, Children's Journey Group 
• Sun Oct 13 – We will experiment again with a children's area in the sanctuary for the whole congregation worship service
• Sun Oct 20 – Arturo's Birthday Party
• Sun Oct 27 – Children are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to church
• Sun Nov 3 – Healthy Youth Relationships Retreat for 6th-8th grade, 9th-12th grade, and parents (RSVP here) 
• Sun Nov 17 – K-1st OWL Begins 
• Sun Nov 24 – COA Families offering the Stone Soup Community Meal & Lunchtime Discussion Groups

Music: Sun Sep 29

French composer Claude Debussy was one of the first Western artists to acknowledge an indebtedness to Asian culture. His exposure to the Balinese Gamelan at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition had a transformative impact on his music. The piano works chosen this morning are all illustrative of this influence, with their frequent use of the Asian pentatonic (five-note) scale. Read on for programming details.

Centering Music: Adam Kent, piano
Pagodes from Estampes

Clair de lune  from Suite Berganasque

                                                Claude Debussy

Prelude:
“Jimbo’s Lullaby” from Children’s Corner

                                                Debussy

Offertory:
La fille aux cheveux de lin from Preludes, Book I (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)

                                                Debussy

Interlude:

Bruyères from Preludes, Book II (Heather)

                                                Debussy

Faith Development Friday

Faith Development Friday
Fri Sep 20
An AWESOME evening of learning, spiritual growth, and community

EVERYBODY COME!

Please RSVP to CUUCevents@gmail.com.
We need to know how much pizza to order and booklets to print!

6:15p Pizza & Salad Community Dinner
7:00p - 8:30p Programs

Faith Like a River -- Final Session
Led by Rev. Meredith Garmon.
Join the exploration of what Unitarian Universalism is! Who are we? What is our story?

In this last session, we'll explore our how we have spread "the good UU news." We'll learn about individuals and groups that carried the good news of Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism to new populations; explore Unitarian Universalist "evangelism"; and reflect on how to continue to engage our faith's history to bring Unitarian Universalism to future generations.

If you have a chance to look at the stories and hand-outs beforehand, you may find that helpful.
SESSION 16 READINGS: CLICK HERE.

ZOOM from home. At 7:00, click this link: https://zoom.us/j/2898507899 to join the "Faith Like a River" class from home.

Family Journey Groups
Parents discuss the monthly theme, COVENANT, while children meet separately for related activities. (Adults without children are also welcome to join the parents' group.)

The "COVENANT" issue of On the Journey is HERE.

Social Gathering
Adults may continue their mealtime conversations and spend some unstructured time together with fellow CUUC-ers.

After the programs: Sharing coffee and further chat.