Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse January 2017 UUCP News PO Box 9342 420 E. 2nd Street, Moscow, ID 83843 Issue Date: January 1, 2017 Volume #68, Issue #1 Issued Monthly In This Issue This Month’s Theme: Renewal and Resolve January 1, 10:00 am January Sunday Services & Janu- Annual Burning Service Service Leaders: Rev. Elizabeth Stevens and April Rubino ary 29 Special Collection ........ 1 April Rubino and Rev. Elizabeth Stevens will lead a three-part ritual of remem- Minister’s Musings: What Now?2 brance, transformation and hope. Special music by some of the artists who have Wholly Crones ............................ 2 died this year...live covers of pieces by Leonard Cohen and George Michael, re- Church Chat: Worship as Movie 3 corded music by Prince, Bowie, and more. In the Family .............................. 3 January 8, 10:00 am Coloring Outside the Lines DDD: Death, Dying and Dessert 3 Service Leader: Ruby Willis Communication & Connection ... 4 Even though there are vast possibilities for how to act and conduct our lives, we Mah Jongg Jan. 8 ........................ 4 often choose the path of least resistance. Why is that, and what are the benefits Environmental Task Force ......... 5 of living consciously and authentically? What would extending conscious living Purple Paisley Quilters’ News .... 6 to our relationships and communities look like? The Green Sanctuary .................. 6 January 15, 10:00 am Love and Power Social Justice Update .................. 6 Service Leader: Rev. Elizabeth Stevens January Calendar ........................ 7 What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive January Events and Dates to Re- and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love member ................................... 8 implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting every- thing that stands against love. –Martin Luther King, Jr. UUCP Staff Contact Info. .......... 8 This service will explore the relationship between love and power by exploring Living the 7th UU Principle: The this and other polarities—compassion and action, tenderness and resolve, and World You Want Is Up to You: ferocity and gentleness. “Mini Wiconi” or “Water Is Life” ........................................ 9 January 22, 10:00 am Feeling Tones: Guilt and Shame Service Leader: Rev. Elizabeth Stevens Worship Associate: Jamie Derrick UUCP Buddhist Fellowship ....... 9 The feelings of guilt and shame are tools that we use to develop a moral frame- Modern Celts Dance Club .......... 9 work in ourselves and in our children. Yet all too often, they get out of control UUCP Retirees’ Lunch Jan. 5 .... 9 and cause harm to our psyches. Buddhism and western psychology come to- Religious Exploration News: This gether to offer us more skillful ways of working with these feelings. Month in RE, RE Offerings & January 29, 10:00 am Resistance and Resilience Events............................... 10-11 Service Leader: Rev. Elizabeth Stevens Celebrant: Mac Cantrell UUCP Upcoming Family Promise The first in a five week series of services focusing on this timely theme. See Dates ..................................... 11 “Church Chat” for more details. Snow Retreat 2017 ................... 12 On Sunday, January 29 we will have a special collection to support the work of Month of Sundays—January ... 12 the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and All About Month of Sundays ... 12 bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Music Notes .............................. 12 Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works to- PFLAG: Optimism and Activism ward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a in the Face of Challenges ......... 13 reality. With the frequency of hate-inspired incidents on the rise in the US, we Whale Coast Alaska ................. 13 need the resources of the SPLC more than ever. Our donation will help SPLC Welcome New Members Rose monitor and expose hate groups and provide funding and expertise to bring per- Semtana! ............................... 13 petrators of hate crimes to justice. It will also help make the SPLC’s school cur- UUCP Mail/Email Information 14 riculum, Teaching Tolerance, available to schools throughout the country. Minister’s Pages Minister’s Musings: What Now? In this house we believe black lives matter, women’s Maxfield, Joseph Grenny, Candace Bertotti and Chase rights are human rights, no human is illegal, science McMillan, Harvard Business Review , September 14, is real, love is love and kindness is everything. 2016.) ― Kristin Joiner • Focus on learning: Frame your conversation as a chance to learn from each other not to change each Churches have an important role to play in the other’s minds…For example: “I know what I political process. We don’t advocate for candidates, think about immigration, but I’m curious about but we do - we must - ensure that our values are repre- why you feel so differently. Would you be open to sented in the public square. Sometimes, only the sharing your position with me?” “religious left” can effectively respond to the powerful • Ask for permission: After affirming your “focus “religious right.” Read about the Moral Monday on learning,” ask for permission to talk about the movement in North Carolina if you don’t believe me! sensitive topic. That may sound like: “I’m not This isn’t about political parties. Democrats wanting a debate, and I’m not trying to change sometimes support immoral policies and Republicans your mind. I just want to understand. I see this is- can be staunch advocates for worthy causes. It’s about sue very differently. Would it be okay if I ex- our commitment to affirming and promoting the inher- plained my perspective?” ent worth and dignity of all people. • Show respect: Respect is like air, if you take it Whoever we voted for, if we witness hate crimes, away, it’s all people can think about. Others will we are called to intervene, and then to pressure law not engage with you if they don’t feel you respect enforcement to prosecute them as such to the fullest them. Set the stage by over-communicating your extent of the law. If there is a Muslim registry created, respect for the other person and his or her opinion: we will need to advocate for religious freedom and “I value you and your perspective. I want to hear against internment. And if social services are slashed, from you. I don’t assume I’m right.” we will have to help catch the people who might oth- • Focus on common ground: Look for areas of erwise fall through the gaps in the social safety net. agreement rather than disagreement. If or when the One essential shift I’d like us all to try out is to conversation takes a more dramatic turn, look for choose to understand our relationships with people the greater principle governing both opinions and who think differently about particular issues as an op- you’ll likely find a mutual purpose behind your portunity to learn how to communicate effectively. convictions. Say things like: “I want to find the Can we find ways of talking about our values that goals we share, and then look at the issue with bring people together instead of alienating anyone those goals in mind.” who disagrees? To that end, I offer again the four I hope you find these skills helpful- and the Dis- skills that the Harvard Business Review demonstrated cernment Dinners as well. We may have a challenging help do just that (excerpted from “How to Talk Poli- time ahead of us, but I am glad to be facing those chal- tics at Work Without Alienating People”, by David lenges with you. Wholly Crones Wholly Crones is a group of friendly “life-experienced women” who meet on the first and third Tuesdays of every month (September - May) at 1:30 pm. Meetings are held at Clark House, 1401 N Polk, in Mos- cow. We invite women of the UUCP to join us. We will explore and discuss a variety of topics such as aging, decision making, women’s issues, current events, medical care in America, and spirituality in the second half of life. Feel free to bring a bag lunch or snack. Coffee and Tea are provided. For Questions or further informa- tion phone or email Janet Wathey ([email protected], 208-717-8323), or Sue Allard ([email protected], 208- 882-7320). 2 Minister’s Pages Church Chat: Worship as Movie Imagine if worship at your church were on fire: as ary. Our theme is “Resistance and Resilience,” and worship excited, inspired, supported and challenged we’ll begin with a brainstorm after the service on us to create a better world, alleviate suffering and January 8 . If you have ideas for readings, thoughts, bring beauty, love, joy and hope to others. If worship visual effects/décor, etc., please feel free to join in. cannot do this, what is the point? After the brainstorming session, the team will - Dr. Marcia McFee work to map out all five services, with each building on the last. The more ideas we have to work with, the Last summer, our fabulous Music Director, Jon better. I’m particularly excited to bring in more visual Anderson, attended a training led by Marcia McFee, a and ritual elements. Though words are my métier, church consultant with a background in theater and they are not the only way - or even, necessarily the cinema who has re-imagined worship planning. In a best way - to reach people’s hearts. nutshell, she recommends planning 5-6 services at a This initial trial run is an experiment. Hopefully, time with a small team of specialists, including the it will enrich and enliven our services.