A Novice Approach Paying Attention, on Purpose, in the Present Moment, and Without Judgement

A Southwest Unitarian Universalist Publication www.swuu.org January 1, 2017

Sunday Services 10:30 AM 6320 Royalton Road, North Royalton

January 1 Mindfulness: A Novice Approach Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and without Judgement. -Led by Leslie VanKuren, Bruce Melville, and Dan Paxson, SWUU Worship Team Members Worship Associate: Leslie VanKuren Focus Collection: Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity January 8 Buddha, Beginnings & Bowls We start our year mindfully with both a singing bowl and a burning bowl. We will let go of something from last year and set a gentle intention for what we’d like more of in our lives. In this intergenerational service, we will practice being present together. -Led by Rev. Kristen Rohm Worship Associate: Mark Jackson January 15 Know Thyself From the Oracle of Delphi, to Buddha, to Rumi, to now, sages of the east and the west encourage us to develop practices to know our mind, our emotions, and our spiritual longings. This Martin Luther King weekend, we look at ourselves and our nation. -Led by Rev. Kristen Rohm Worship Associate: Ted Macosko January 22 Training Your Puppy Mindfulness leads to compassion and ultimately action. This week we explore techniques from yoga and meditation utilizing kindness and patience to help us pay attention, connect and engage with the world. -Led by Rev. Kristen Rohm Worship Associate: Adrienne Ellis January 29 Monkey Business

-Led by Rev. Peter Newport Worship Associate: Leslie VanKuren - -

—————The Forum————— Message from your Minister

Mindfulness

“Mindfulness—it starts with a single breath and the present moment, but where it takes you is into the vast radiance of your true nature. ” -Narissa Doumani

Welcome to 2017. Let us greet the New Year with hope in our hearts and commitment to justice deep in our beings. Knowing that whatever the year brings, we are in this together. However your holidays went, however last year went, let us all take a breath and allow ourselves to begin anew. We have much to be grateful for, in our individual lives and in this beloved community. Our theme for January is Mindfulness. Let us bring our attention this month to what is happening in our minds and our hearts and our spirits. That is the first step for spiritual practice, it is how we begin to see ourselves and the world around us clearly. And these are the ingredients of a good life and of a spiritually grounded life. We might consider mindfulness to be from the East in the form of Buddhist meditation. It is also part of Western culture as “Know Thyself ” is what is carved on inner sanctum of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and is said to have come from the even more ancient Egyptians. This month, we will explore wisdom from the east and the west to increase our ability to be present to this moment. Take a breath now and let it out slowly. Simply notice. What are you longing for? What do you wish for yourself? As we look to the year ahead, I invite us all to pay attention to what is going on inside and around us. To become aware of our thoughts, aware of our routines. It is a good time to make some gentle intentions for our year, to set out some practices that nurture and sustain us. Remember how important you are - to your family, to your friends, to this community, and to the holy. May you get a glimpse of the radiance that is you.

Know that you are loved,

Rev. Kristen [email protected]

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—————The Forum————— Focus Collection for January: Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity by Nancy Peltola, Social Justice Committee The January Focus Collection will benefit Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Donations will be collected for Habitat throughout the month of January. Habitat is a non- profit organization that builds and renovates homes in partnership with qualified families. Their goal is to create hope by building homes, strengthening neighborhoods, and rejuvenating communities. The Greater Cleveland chapter is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, and as such is part of a worldwide powerhouse serving more than 3 million people around the world. Our Focus Collection will be used to purchase building materials and support operations. Habitat professional staff works with skilled and less-experienced volunteers to make sure the job is done according to code, often exceeding code regulations. Partner Families invest hundreds of hours to qualify them to move into their new homes. Since Greater Cleveland Habitat was founded in 1986, over 50,000 volunteers have built over 180 homes. The organization is now more focussed on rehabilitating abandoned homes to create safer neighborhoods. In 2016 alone, 28 homes were renovated in Greater Cleveland, including several that were dedicated in the Buckeye Woodland neighborhood, most recently on December 17. The volunteer experience is extremely beneficial for the Partner Families as well as for the volunteer workers. Several of our UU Principles relate to the work of Habitat, including: The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person, and The Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All.\ Did you know about the ReStore? You can donate items such as: appliances, furnaces, water heaters, plumbing, tubs, showers, doors, rugs, artwork, and so much more! You can also shop for incredible deals for yourself. A ReStore is located at 2110 West 110th Street, Cleveland, and at 4601 Northfield Rd. in North Randall. More information can be found at www.clevelandhabitat.org. Please take some time to learn about this local/worldwide fantastic organization. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated, and will be put to good use -- locally!

Urban Hope News by Jan Wehn, Social Justice Committee Wow! Sunday, December 11 was a very successful and fun day at Urban Hope. The neighbors in attendance loved the gift bags the RE kids made. We made 60 and passed out 50. I left the left to be passed out next week. Thank you all for the food donations. It was a virtual feast with an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetable tray, chicken tenders, and homemade cupcakes. That was supplemented with soup, crackers, nuts and breakfast bars. We had pudding and applesauce but will be saving it for January. Speaking of the new year, out next visit will be Sunday, January 8. I am pleased to say that we have plenty of soup, nuts, crackers and Ranch Dressing. We will only be requesting fresh fruits and vegetables and any other special treat. It just feels good to visit, socialize, and feel the appreciation for the goodies. Thanks for supporting the Social Justice Committee with their primary service project.

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—————The Forum————— Join Us for SWUU’s Mardi Gras Celebration on February 25 and Let the Good Times Roll! by Danelle Baker-Miller Looking for some fun activities to keep you busy and engaged this winter? Plan to join us Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 4-8 pm for our service auction with a Mardi Gras twist! This year, our biggest fundraiser will be a carnival-like event with fun for all ages. In addition to our traditional service auction where you can bid on services, parties and other events hosted by SWUU members, we will feature Cajun- style food (and kid-friendly options), games including a cake walk, a fortune teller, face painting, music by SWUU members and friends, fun photo booths and more. Don’t forget to invite your friends and family! Please contact Lydia Avery if you’d like to help or have any questions.

Speaking of the Service Auction... by Susan Paxson It’s that time of year again, time to think about what you might be able to contribute to our auction. As you see in the above article, the event will be a little different, but we still need your contributions to make it our best fundraiser ever. There will be donation forms on the table in the lobby soon. For now, just think of talents you might be willing to share with our members and friends. Social gatherings where you invite any number of people to come to your home for dinner, playing games, watching movies, or having discussions are very popular. Hikes and other outings also go quickly. Service ideas include baking, cleaning, repair work, massage, airport rides, or whatever service you might want to provide. Think creatively! Many of the items such as spots at a dinner or other activity are sold at a set price, but one of a kind items are auctioned silently. For those of you who are new to our congregation, please ask me how you can get involved. I look forward to hearing from you.

Girls Night Out in January at Houlihan’s by Amy Jackson Join us for a local Girls Night Out at Houlihan’s in Strongsville on Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 pm. Houlihan’s is located in Southpark Mall and has a variety of food and drink options including, vegan, gluten-free, and lighter fare. There is something for everyone. Women of all ages are welcome to attend. Contact Amy Jackson for more information.

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Group Memory Support 12:00 PM ______Monkey Business 29 11:45 AM Congregational Mtg ______5:30 PM COA Workshop Training Your Puppy 22 Know Thyself 15 5:30 PM COA Workshop ______Group Memory Support 12:00 PM ______Bhudda, Beginnings, and Bowls 8 Approach A Novice Mindfulness: 1 ______-Rev. Peter Newport -Rev. Kristen Rohm -Rev. Kristen Rohm

-Leslie VanKuren, -Rev. Kristen Rohm SUN Bruce Melville, Bruce Melville, Dan Paxson January 2017 January

tion 1:30 PM Medita- 30 tion 1:30 PM Medita- 23 tion 1:30 PM Medita- 16 tion 1:30 PM Medita- 9 tion 1:30 PM Medita- 2 MON 31 24 17 Trustees Board of 7:00 PM 10 C.O.M. 7:30 PM 3

TUE church unless otherwise noted. Week day meetings are held at the Spiritual Book Group 1:00—3:00 PM 25 Spiritual Book Group 1:00—3:00 PM 18 Covenant7:30 PM Group ______7:00 PM Board Meeting ______Group 1:00-3:00 PM Spiritual Book 11 7:30 PM Worship Team ______7:00 PM Zentangle Group ______Spiritual Book Group 1:00—3:00 PM ______9:30 AM Wednesday Coffee 4

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Sharing and Caring

Amy Filbert had foot surgery yesterday to remove a loose bone that had become painful. She is resting at home. Her dad is keeping Arisa for a few days.

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