Hip Happenings Minister’S Musings
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HIGH PLAINS CHURCH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST NURTURE | INSPIRE | ACT March 2021 Vol. 28 No. 3 HiP Happenings Minister’s Musings... Dear HiP Church Family, Maybe that is the word we can use instead of “commitment.” When we embrace any path of transformation, it takes “Devotion” somehow grabs at my heart. It seems that commitment. devotion can turn a commitment from something that feels like a trap into something that is liberating. Yet, I agree with a colleague from the Non-Violent Communication What does it do to our hearts to think about working for (NVC) community, Miki Kashtan, the accumulated liberation of all people? An example who writes that commitment can of devoted action might be doing a power analysis in Rev. Julia McKay be a word that we shy away from each challenging human exchange we find ourselves HPCUU Minister because it connotes a “should,” in by asking: who is the person here who has the most to lose in this situation? an obligation, or duty. It is true, that often we can end up feeling trapped by a commitment we make. Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin spoke so completely into this place of devotion during the Side With Love Service If not commitment, then what word do we use? Miki on Sunday when she called upon us to remember: continues describing her struggle to find a word that “In every moment, life gives us an invitation to do the is not too strong, but strong enough: loving and life affirming thing.” “Intention” is not strong enough to carry the unwavering force of staying the course even when the going gets hard…I want to somehow capture the unpredictability of life… that every single one of us at some point or another will not find sufficient inner resources to IN THIS ISSUE follow through.” It IS hard to face the realities that we are living in – Minister’s Musing 1 especially now. Passing a deadly virus to one another Worship Services 3 through breath that we cannot see. Global uprising against state sponsored violence. Mass awareness of President’s Message 4 the racial divide that is not the civil rights of the 1960’s. JEDI Allies Invite 5 So much more about black history AND white history is being surfaced in ways that are shocking us and will New Members 6 not allow us to turn away. In fact, I think the mandate Faith Formation 7 of our faith calls for our deep commitment. Adult Faith Formation 8 Yet, the choice to be involved is always ours to make. Upcoming Events 10 As Jessica York said this past weekend at the New Day Rising Conference: “We can thank the ones who are attending for their devotion to this work. This is long haul work. It is lonely work.” Ministers Musings... This is an invitation to extend ourselves to life fully without conditions. To commit. And, to commit to LOVE. Easier said than done, I know. So, this is why commitment takes community. It is essential. Miki says: “…we need each other to be able to continue to face reality – external and internal – and keep focused on what matters to us most.” We must seek support, she says. That community is the key to embarking and sustaining any journey, especially a spiritual, moral, and ethical one. And, I think that accompanying one another and supporting each other is especially needed as we are trying to transform our community itself. The mandates of our Unitarian Universalist faith urge us on. Won’t you join us? With devotion, Rev J 2 Worship Services MAR 21 – This Land Has a Voice Theme: Come join Sebrena Forrest and Rev J as we take this journey together to learn some of the historical offerings about the COMMITMENT Native peoples who first populated the land our current sanctuary sits on. We will also explore where MAR 7 – Cherishing Our Connections contemporary lineal descendants As we acknowledge the strange anniversary of live, and receive some native insights beginning virtual worship services (one year ago this and philosophy gathered along the month), we hold the exciting vision of being able to way. Guest, Sebrena D. Forrest is of push the “reset button” sometime in this coming the Mohawk Nation. She has received many cultural year. We have had to make some bold substantial awards from organizations which support leadership changes, but what has remained are the substantial and the arts. She is a storyteller, ceremonial singer, connections on a human level with one another. musician, writer, and artist. She prays for greater In this service, we will explore the deep questions understanding between all people and respect for which animate our hearts and are the life pulse of Mother Earth. Our Third Sunday Offering will support the church. Rev J speaks. the organization One Nation Walking Together. MAR 14 – Holy Now: A Service in Song MAR 28 – We Are Climbing to The Mountain Top! Come enjoy our very special Come hear about the new collaborative racial Guest, Peter Mayer, as he weaves justice ministry of the UURJ (UU’s reflections and original music United for Racial Justice) in the to celebrate our commitment Colorado Front Range cluster. Meet and connection to each other, the Minister of this burgeoning the larger world and to the BIPOC community, Jen Simon (they/ universe around us. Peter is them, she/her), and hear about an infamous singer/songwriter the upcoming programs, and the from Minnesota, who wrote the powerful collective work in our lyrics to our beloved UU hymn cluster that is centering equity, “Blue Boat Home.” He has been diversity, justice and anti-oppression principles performing full-time for 25 years and is currently throughout all of our ministries. Guest Speaker, Jen working on his 12th album. If you’d like to read Simon, MDiv, serves as the Community minister for more about Peter, please visit his website at The Mountain Top BIPOC Community and CO UUs www.petermayer.net. Please make sure you don’t for Racial Justice. Jen’s calling is to provide space miss the Saturday evening concert sponsored by for BIPOC UUs and their families to live into the HiP Church the night before. Tickets are on sale fullness of their spiritual growth and expression, as online in our NTYUU shop. well as to provide resources to our UU communities as they do the work of dismantling white supremacy within and without. Jen has been welcomed into Preliminary Fellowship by the Ministerial Fellowship All services be on Zoom at 3:30 pm unless Committee of the UUA and will be ordained on May 15, 2021. otherwise noted. HPCUU Zoom Link 3 President’s Postings I want to begin by thanking passion in our community and the wider world. To the congregation for all the promote diversity, acceptance, and inclusion so that support we are giving each people of all backgrounds and identities can thrive. other, for supporting the Together, we create a force more powerful than one Board in our endeavors, and person or one belief system. for supporting the ministries of the church and Reverend In the next month, we are going to start talking Julia during this last year of about stewardship. Not just financial steward- volatile times. Our present so- ship, but all the ways we work together to cherish, Gretchen Hein cial reality is dramatically dif- preserve, and protect our values and beliefs. To pre- HPCUU President ferent from last year but the pare for those conversations, let’s talk about what is core of our church, its mission has not changed. We the value of church in your life. How does church fill exist to accompany each other through times of suf- your soul, connect you to your deeper self, help you fering and beauty, provide spiritual guidance in nav- make the world better? igating our lives, and strengthen our communities of care by helping each other and being helped by one In this last year, we have been showing up for another. The fact that we have been able to do these each other and for our church, even in those times things during a global pandemic, almost exclusively where our safety nets have been frayed. We have on-line, is the truest testament of our commitment shown strong financial stewardship which has built to one another. morale and given us resources for our mission and our ministries. How will we use those precious resources But we also exist for something larger than our- going forward? selves. We exist to promote justice, equity, and com- Our church is a community of service that strengthens the social fabric we call home. It’s our cherished connections that bind us and support us and our collective mission that inspires us. Together we will be deciding what do we want to accom- plish this next year? What will we need to decide about next year? How will our resources reflect our hopes and dreams? In Peace, Gretchen Hein 4 Request for Volunteers: JEDI Allies Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Team! It is exciting that HPCUU is gradually We believe the following benefits will come from becoming more fully committed to forming a JEDI Allies Team: institutional change and the trans- 1. Creating a brave and safe environment for per- formation of our beloved communi- sons whose voices are normally not heard, or un- ty. The formation of a Justice, Equity, derstood as part of the status quo, to openly share Diversity, and Inclusion team is one their thoughts and ideals based on their life expe- direct response to the Commission riences.