Minister's Post, Fri Apr 30

Covid Review

Worldwide.
The Worldwide numbers are not reliable, and likely are greatly underestimating the actual prevalence of Covid-19. These numbers may nevertheless give us an indication of trends.

The 7DMA (7-Day Moving Average) of new cases per day: after increasing steeply for more than 9 weeks, began leveling off this week -- though it is still going up. It is now 2.3 times what it was on Feb 20 (up slightly from 2.2 times a week ago). The 7DMA of new cases per day continues to set a new record every day.

Worldwide 7DMA of new cases as of:
Jan 11: 745,709
Feb 20: 361,254
Apr 22: 807,268
Apr 29: 829,900

The 7DMA of deaths per day, worldwide, peaked on Jan 26, and fell steadily until Mar 12 -- a decline of 43 percent over 45 days. After Mar 12, however, deaths began increasing. The 7DMA of deaths per day on Apr 29 was up 62 percent over Mar 12.

Worldwide 7DMA of deaths as of:
Jan 26: 14,459
Mar 12: 8,294
Apr 22: 12,194
Apr 29: 13,444

United States.
In the US, the 7DMA of new cases per peaked on Jan 11. New cases then fell sharply for six weeks: by Feb 21, it was down 73 percent from Jan 11. From Feb 21 to Apr 17, the rate of new cases stayed essentially flat, wavering up and down only a little: about 64,000 new cases a day, plus or minus 8,600. It's been on a slow decline this week, and, as of Apr 29 broke through the lower limit of that range -- barely. New cases per day are now lower than at any time since last Oct 14.

U.S. 7DMA of new cases as of:
Jan 11: 255,961
Feb 21: 69,452
Apr 22: 64,204
Apr 29: 54,675

Deaths have flattened out, particularly in the last couple weeks. The 7DMA of Covid deaths per day as of Apr 29 is 719 -- the lowest since last Jul 10.

U.S. 7DMA of deaths as of:
Jan 26: 3,473
Apr 1: 918
Apr 8: 783
Apr 15: 745
Apr 22: 730
Apr 29: 719

So be careful! We're not out of the woods yet.

ICYMI ("In Case You Missed It")

Here's the Apr 25 service, "More Hope, Vigor, and Strength"



Practice of the Week

Take refuge. The largest space in our congregation building is called the Sanctuary. It’s a refuge. We also need everyday refuges from challenges, sorrows, or sheer craziness of the world. Refuge is where you get refueled when you’re depleted. A refuge might be a person, a place, a memory, an idea. Whatever reliably reassures and supports you so you can let down your guard and gather strength and wisdom – that’s your refuge. curling up in bed with a good book, a meal with friends, remembering your grandmother, feeling strength in your body, trusting the findings of science, a favorite poem or wisdom text.

First: What gives you a sense of refuge? Make a written list of a few things that are refuges for you. Second: You can "take refuge" by going TO a refuge, coming FROM a refuge, or consciously abiding AS a refuge.

So fill in each of these three blanks:
I take refuge in __________.
I abide as __________.
__________ flows through me.

Third: Take a moment each day to consciously take refuge in the ways you’ve identified.

For more about the practice of taking refuge, see the post, "Take Refuge."

See also our SPIRITUAL PRACTICE DIRECTORY

Music: Sun May 2

 

Federico Mompou's 6 Charmes, or "Spells", are dispersed throughout this morning's musical selections. At the heart of them is a spell for healing, but, as a cycle, they make a unified appeal for wellness and wholeness. In the Centering music is an arrangement of the Spiritual "Oh, He raise a poor Lazarus," a reference to religion's ultimate healer, and the Interlude is a tenderly prayerful movement composed by Robert Schumann even as his mental health declined. The CUUC Choir Quartet is on hand as well, with a reminder of the salutary effects of music. Read on for programming details, and stay tuned for spoken introductions.

 

Gathering Music: Adam Kent, piano
"Oh, He raise a poor Lazarus"

                                                Traditional Spiritual, arr. by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Charmes

            I. "...pour endormir la souffrance" (to put suffering to sleep)

            II. "...pour pénétrer les âmes" (to penetrate souls)

                                                Federico Mompou

 

Centering Music:

Charmes

            III. "...pour inspirer l'amour" (to inspire love)

                                                Mompou

 

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

"'Tis You That Are the Music"

                                                Cynthia Gray

Musical Meditation:

Charmes

            IV. "...pour les guérisons" (for healing)

            V. "...pour évoquer l'image du passé" (to evoke the image of the past)

                                                Mompou

 

Interlude:

Drei Fantasiestücke, Op. 111

            II. Ziemlich langsam

                                                Robert Schumann

 

Parting Music:
Charmes

            VI. "...pour inspirer la joie" (to inspire joy)

Take Refuge

Practice of the Week
Take Refuge

I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in life.
I take refuge in the Dharma, the path of understanding and love.
I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.

-The Three Refuges (Buddhism)

Adapted from Rick Hanson, Just One Thing

In Hawaii one time, my wife Jan and I visited a "place of refuge." People fleeing for their lives could come there and be sheltered. Related customs exist around the world; for example, in medieval Europe, a person could take refuge in a church and be protected there.

Less formally, we all need everyday refuges from challenges, sorrows, and the occasional sheer craziness of the world. Otherwise, you get too exposed to the cold winds of life, and too drained by the daily round. Without refuge, after awhile you can feel like you're running on empty.

Refuges include people, places, memories, and ideas -- anyone or anything that provides reliable sanctuary and protection, that's reassuring, comforting, and supportive, so you can let down your guard and gather strength and wisdom.

A refuge could be:

• curling up in bed with a good book, 
• having a meal with friends, 
• making a To Do list to organize your day,
• remembering your grandmother, 
• feeling strength in your body, 
• trusting the findings of science, 
• talking with a trusted friend or counselor, 
• having faith, or 
• reminding yourself that although you're not rich, you're financially okay.

The world's religions also have refuges that may speak to you, such as:

• sacred settings, 
• texts, 
• individuals, 
• teachings, 
• rituals, 
• objects, and 
• congregations. 

Personally, one of my favorite refuges is practice itself. It makes me feel good to trust that if I keep plugging away, then I can gradually become happier and more loving.

What gives you a sense of refuge?

How

Make a written or mental list of at least a few things that are refuges for you. And if you can, take a moment each day to consciously take refuge in those things. You can "take refuge" in several ways:

• Go to a refuge
• Come from a refuge
• Abide as a refuge
• Sense a refuge at work in your life

Personally, it's been a breakthrough to imagine that my refuges already exist inside me, that I can live from them, as an expression of them in this life. When you take refuge in this way, you are giving yourself over to wholesome forces, and letting them work through you and carry you along.

You can take refuge explicitly, with words, by saying things in your mind like:

• I take refuge in __________. Or 
• I abide as __________. Or 
• __________ flows through me.

Or just sense the refuge without words: feel what it is like for you to be in it, safe and supported, home.

Then repeat your way of taking refuge for each of your refuges. Try to do this every day, as soon as you remember to do so. It only takes a few minutes or less. And you can even do it in the middle of traffic or a meeting.

Once you have finished taking refuge, sense the good feelings and thoughts sinking deeply into you, filling you up, and weaving themselves into your being -- a resource and inner light that you'll take with you wherever you go.

For Journaling

• How would you fill in each of the following blanks? "I take refuge in _________." "I abide as __________." "_________ flows through me." Record how various terms in the blanks feel for you.
• Write about events in the last couple days when it was (or might have been) particularly helpful to take a moment for taking refuge. 

* * *
For list of all weekly practices: "Spiritual Practice Directory"

Religious Education: April 23, 2021

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Religious Education & Faith Development Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains April 23, 2021 2020-2021 Religious Education (RE) theme: JUSTICE & EQUITY Supporting our young people in understanding justice issues, articulating their values, and engaging in faith in action with CUUC Social Justice teams. Also, supporting youth in developing healthy self-esteem and relationships.  Sunday, April 25 Worship 10:00am   Rev. Meredith Garmon, “More Hope, Vigor, and Strength"  We draw hope from each other. We draw vigor from each other. We draw strength from each other. Tracy's Time for All Ages story is "Sustaining the Tree of Life" by Lynn Gardner.  join Virtual Coffee HourAfter worship,  Meeting: 336 956 2210 · Passcode: 468468 Click here to join our Sunday Worship Service  Phone in (audio only): 646-876-9923 · Webinar: 761 321 991 · Passcode: 468468 K-9th & Adult Classes This Sunday All log into Zoom room 8428 then meet in separate breakout rooms. Room 8428 (password embedded). Phone (audio only): 646-558-8656 · Meeting ID: 817 388 428 · Passcode: 468468. K-4th class meets 11:40am-12:15pm 5th-7th class meets 11:40am-12:40pm 7th-9th class meets 11:50am-12:50pm Parents & Caregivers class meets 12:00-1:00pm PreK and Older Children: Using the asynchronous, online UU Parents of Preschoolers (POP) curriculum. Click HERE, click on the "Monthly Content" button, and enter password, YouGotThis2020 (case sensitive)​.  RSVP to Diane (dakmv@aol.com) for tomorrow's play time at CUUC, Saturday, April 24, 11:30am-1:30om. Additional information included below.  Faith & Justice, K-4th Grade (11:40am): The children continue learning about Our Interdependent Web. This Sunday, Janet B from the Environmental Practices Group leads class with Norm H focusing on the 3R Principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and how environmental issues relate to our theme of Justice & Equity. ATTN K-4th Grade Families: During the week of May 9th, Norm will deliver activity kits to your house for the May 16th earthworm composting activity. We are preparing soil, earthworms, and other materials for each child that has been participating in class and would love to include others we haven't seen in a while. You can opt in or out of receiving soil and earthworms by emailing Tracy (cuucwptracy@gmail.com).  Healthy Relationships & Self-Esteem, 5th-7th Grade (11:40am) & 7th-9th Grade (11:50am): We are all bombarded with information infused with messages about relationships and identity that can affect self-esteem. Youth can be particularly vulnerable to these messages as they are in a significant stage of self-discovery and deepening their sense of self. It is important to be conscious of how images and information in the media affect us, and to distinguish between real life and life as portrayed in social media. We will increase our awareness about how to use technology to enrich knowledge and social relationships in safe, life-affirming ways, and discuss online safety.  Christine H and Alex S are leading the 5th-7th grade class. Seonaidh D and Monica D are leading the 7th-9th grade class. Parents & Caregivers as Sexuality Educators, Adult RE (12:00pm): Interactive, online media define the social worlds of many children and most youth today. Young people may inhabit a social landscape that is a little (or a lot) unfamiliar to parents and caregivers. This Sunday, participants will discuss the role social media can play in youth’s lives and gain confidence to help their children navigate social media. Ultimately, we hope we can raise aware, well informed decision makers who can protect themselves. We will also discuss pornography in the Parent/Caregiver class. Sexual imagery is prevalent in advertising, on television, and on the Internet. Whether they deliberately seek it or not, today’s children are likely to encounter Internet pornography before they become teenagers. Parents and caregivers will clarify their own attitudes and concerns, and find solid ground and workable approaches to communicate about pornography with their children. Tracy B and Kate C are leading. Classes are open to all adults, with or without youth participating, and intended to support conversations at home. We offer this material for parents and caregivers with resources, session handouts, and questions to reflect on at home.  Connecting in Community Announcements and Resources for Children, Youth, Young Adults, CUUC, LGBTQIA+  & BIPOC & Our Local Communities, Plus Summer Camps Click here for information A Few Highlights Listed Below Children's Play Time at CUUC Saturday, April 24 and May 15, 11:30-1:30 With warmer weather, we can plan small, outdoor gatherings that follow pandemic protocols.  Diane invites families with young children for play time on the CUUC playground.  Bring a picnic lunch.  RSVP to Diane, dakmv@aol.com so she can be in touch if plans change due to weather. In the Next Newsletter! ATTN Children and Youth!  We will be making a video singing the three new versions of the 8 Principle Song.  ALL children and youth are invited to participate in the video!  In the next newsletter, we will send instructions for recording yourself singing along with Laura Sehdeva’s samples and submitting your videos.  The person who has been editing the  beautiful choir videos will make a children and youth choir video with YOUR RECORDINGS!  Stay tuned for instructions... Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains   468 Rosedale Ave · White Plains, NY 10605-5419

Minister's Post, Fri Apr 23

In prayer, we take a moment to solemnly remind ourselves of our purposes and our gratitude, that they may guide and affirm our actions and our being. Will you, then, pray with me?

This Week's Prayer

Dear Reality in which we stand in a relation of inescapable accountability:

The words of the 8th-century BCE prophet, Amos, continue to sound through our souls all these centuries later: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Let justice roll down like waters, washing clean the wounds of inequity, that they may begin to heal. Let kindness and respect, like an ever-flowing stream, quench our thirst for beloved community. And let us be steadfast in our resolve to make it so.

Let us stand in gratitude and awe before the wonder of trees, stars, mountains, oceans, and all the creatures that walk upon ground, swim in the waters, wriggle in the earth, and fly in the air. From gratitude for the sacred beauty in which we are emersed, let us orient every day toward halting our planet’s desecration, and restoring what has been desecrated. Let us live simply, that others may simply live. Let us live more simply than we have – until sustainability and equality is afforded to all.

We recognize what a long and deep wound is inflicted on us all by social systems that separate being from actions – and tells one group of people that their being doesn’t matter and tells another group that their actions don’t matter – they are insulated from accountability, whatever they do. We are grateful today for something that didn’t happen this week – because we were afraid it would. We were afraid that yet another verdict in our judicial system would declare that black lives don’t matter, and that police officer actions don’t matter. We are grateful that, this time, that didn’t happen. Derek Chauvin was convicted of 2nd-degree murder, 3rd-degree murder, and 2nd-degree manslaughter for killing George Floyd on May 25, 2020. As the Wednesday morning New York Times reported: “Outside the Cup Food convenience store where George Floyd was killed last May, a woman nearly collapsed in tears upon hearing the guilty verdicts against Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed Mr. Floyd. ‘We matter,’ she said, straightening up. ‘We matter.’” We have far to go to arrive at a beloved community where no one’s life is disregarded, and no one’s actions that cause harm are disregarded – so we are grateful when a step on that path is taken. We pray to continue the work of making justice roll down everywhere.

We pray also for our siblings in India, running out of Covid-19 vaccines as they battle a devastating surge in the disease. And for our siblings in Chad, embroiled in civil conflict, as they grope for a path toward peace.

We ask of ourselves the mindful intention to delight in what is good, to confront what is cruel, to heal what is broken.

AMEN

ICYMI ("In Case You Missed It")

Here's the Apr 18 service, "Breathe"



Covid Watch

Worldwide.
The 7DMA (7-Day Moving Average) of new cases per day has been increasing steeply for the last 9 weeks, and is now 2.2 times what it was on Feb 20. The rate of new cases is now higher than it has ever been -- surpassing this week the previous peak of mid-January.

Worldwide 7DMA of new cases as of:
Jan 11: 745,709
Feb 20: 361,254
Apr 22: 807,268

The 7DMA of deaths per day, worldwide, peaked on Jan 26, and fell steadily until Mar 12 -- a decline of 43 percent over 45 days. After Mar 12, however, deaths began increasing. The 7DMA of deaths per day on Apr 22 was up 47 percent over Mar 12.

Worldwide 7DMA of deaths as of:
Jan 26: 14,462
Mar 12: 8,292
Apr 22: 12,194

United States.
In the US, the 7DMA of new cases per peaked on Jan 11. New cases then fell sharply for six weeks: by Feb 21, it was down 73 percent from Jan 11. Ever since Feb 21, the rate of new cases has been essentially flat, wavering up and down only a little: about 64,000 new cases a day, plus or minus 8,600.

U.S. 7DMA of new cases as of:
Jan 11: 255,961
Feb 21: 69,452
Apr 22: 64,204

Deaths have flattened out, particularly in the last couple weeks. The 7DMA of Covid deaths per day as of Apr 22 is 730 -- the lowest since Oct 17.

U.S. 7DMA of deaths as of:
Jan 26: 3,473
Apr 1: 918
Apr 8: 783
Apr 15: 745
Apr 22: 730

So be careful!

Practice of the Week

This week’s slogan is “Use Your Will.” When we say “will,” we don’t mean what’s called “willpower” – sticking doggedly, joylessly to an exercise regimen or a diet entirely for the sake of an outcome. That kind of self-control takes more than telling yourself a slogan. What a slogan can help with is simply keeping in mind what your highest purposes are – your context of commitment. “Use your will” means “remember your intention.” Think of a mother devoted to the care of her family. We generally don’t describe that as being about willpower – but it is a matter of a commitment.

Will is giving yourself over to your highest purposes, which lift you and carry you along. This kind of will feels like being pulled by inspiration rather than pushed by stubbornness. “Use your will” is a slogan reminder to nudge us toward being ardent, resolute, diligent, and mindful. Ardent means wholehearted, enthusiastic, and eager. Let yourself be heartfelt and passionate about your purpose. Resolute means unwavering. Get in touch with your resolve each morning, surrender to it, and let it guide you through the day. Diligent means conscientious and thorough. Don’t expect to pull it off with willpower alone. Find the structures, routines, and allies that help you keep going. A person can be both lighthearted and strong-willed.

Take pleasure in the strength in your will, and the fruits it brings you. Make a list of your highest purposes. Start each day by remembering them – and by identifying some small, doable actions you can do that day that reflect your highest purpose.

See the full post: “Use Your Will.”

See also our SPIRITUAL PRACTICE DIRECTORY

Use Your Will

Practice of the Week
Use Your Will

diligence (n.) mid-14c., from Old French diligence "attention, care; haste, speed," from Latin diligentia "attentiveness, carefulness," from diligentem (nominative diligens) "attentive, assiduous, careful," originally present participle of diligere "single out, value highly, esteem, prize, love; aspire to, be content with, appreciate," originally "to pick out, select," from dis- "apart" + legere "choose, gather." Sense evolved from "love" through "attentiveness" to "carefulness" to "steady effort."

Adapted from Rick Hanson, Just One Thing

Life has challenges. To meet them, you need to be able to push through difficulties, stretch for other people, restrain problematic desires while pursuing wholesome ones, and do the hard thing when you must.

This means using your will.

We commonly equate will with willpower -- the deliberate application of vigorous effort, such as lifting the last, strenuous rep of weight in a gym.

But will is a larger matter: it's a context of commitment, as for a mother devoted to the care of her family. Will is giving yourself over to your highest purposes, which lift you and carry you along. This kind of will feels like being pulled by inspiration rather than pushed by stubbornness. Surrendered rather than driven.

How

What does it actually mean, to make your highest purposes the engine of your life? As a framework for the answer, I'd like to draw on four qualities of a strongly dedicated person identified by the Buddha which have meant a lot to me personally: ardent, resolute, diligent, and mindful Please consider how each of these could help you be more willful in one or more key areas, such as being braver in intimate relationships, completing your education, doing your fair share of housework, or sticking with a diet.

Ardent (a variation on ardor) means wholehearted, enthusiastic, and eager. Not dry, mechanical, or merely dogged. For example, why do you care about what happens in this aspect of your life, why does it matter? Let yourself be heartfelt and passionate about your aims and activities here.

Resolute means you are wholly committed and unwavering. Bring to mind an experience of absolute determination, such as a time you protected a loved one. You may feel a firming in the chest, a sense of every bit of you pulling for the same thing. Explore this feeling as it might apply to a particular part of your life. Imagine yourself staying resolute here as you face temptations -- saying no, for example, to the donuts offered in a meeting -- and take in the ways this would feel good to you. Get in touch with your resolve each morning, surrender to it, and let it guide you through the day.

Diligent means you are conscientious and thorough. Not as a grind, not from guilt or compulsion, but because -- from the Latin root for "diligence" -- you "love, take delight in" the stepping stones toward your higher purposes. This is where ardency and resolution often break down, so to help yourself:

• Keep in mind the reasons for your efforts; open to and try to feel their rewards, such as knowing that you are doing the best you can in the service of a good cause and deserve what's called "the bliss of blamelessness."
• Translate big purposes into small, doable daily actions. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed.
• Find the structures, routines, and allies that help you keep going.
• Tell the truth to yourself about what's actually happening. Are you doing what you had intended to do? If you're not, admit it to yourself. Then start over: re-find your wholehearted commitment, see what there is to do, and do it.

Mindful means that you know if you're being willful or lackadaisical. You're aware of your inner world, of the mental factors that block the will (e.g., self-doubt, lethargy, distractibility) and those that fuel it (e.g., enthusiasm, strength, grit, tenacity). You recognize if you've grown willful to a fault, caught up in purposes that are outdated or not worth their cost. You're able to make skillful course corrections that keep you aligned with your highest purposes.

Last, enjoy your will. Exercising it can get kind of grim if you're not careful. But actually, a person can be both lighthearted and strong-willed. Take pleasure in the strength in your will, and the fruits it brings you.

For Journaling

• Will is giving yourself over to your highest purposes, which lift you and carry you along. Make a list of your highest purposes.
• Write about a time when you had strong determination. Where did it come from? What did you do? How did that feel?
• Morning journaling: What small, doable actions that reflect your highest purpose do you set for yourself today?
• Evening journaling: Realistically and honestly assess your day in terms whether you did what you intended.
• Write about what was enjoyable and felt good about giving yourself over to your highest purposes.

* * *

"Spiritual Practice Directory"

Music: Sun Apr 25

 

In the spirit of our newly launched Canvass Drive, this morning's musical selections celebrate personal generosity, as well as institutional return, renewal, and rejoicing. Read on for programming details, and stay tuned for spoken introductions.

 

Centering Music: Adam Kent, piano

Keyboard Suite in G Major

            Gigue

                                                George Frederic Handel

 

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

Gaudeamus Hodie

                                                Earlene Rentz

 

Musical Meditation:
Canción y danza No. 5

                                                Federico Mompou

Interlude:
Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1

            I. Allegro

                                                Ludwig van Beethoven

 

Parting Music:
"Royal March of the Lion" from Carnival of the Animals

                                                Camille Saint-Saëns