We look with uncertainty
Beyond the old choices for
Clear-cut answers
To a softer, more permeable aliveness...
~ Anne Hillman
The theme for this coming Sunday, October 26 is “Thresholds.” Ancient peoples believed that the equinoxes (as at the time of Samhain (SAH-win)/Halloween) are times when the door between the worlds, between what was and what may be is very thin. At this seasonal threshold – literally “threshing place” – we turn our attention to the metaphorical thresholds we occupy in our lives, both as individuals and as a community of faith.
• Upcoming Sunday service themes can be found here.
RE Event and Middle Level Sleepover
The RE Program is planning a trip to Chippewa Nature Center this Saturday, October 25, for the Nature at Night Halloween celebration. The event runs from 6:00 to 8:30. Details can be found at chippewanaturecenter.doubleknot.com/event/1468983. This event is free and no registration is required.
Following the Nature Center, Midland UU is hosting a sleepover for grades 4-8. If interested, please contact our Director of Religious Education, Roze Finn ([email protected] or 989.400.7674), so we can let Midland know how many guests to expect. Hope you can join us!
Adult RE Book Discussion This Sunday
We will be reading Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide over four consecutive Sundays, beginning this Sunday, October 26 from 12:00-1:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to engage deeply with a book that is “a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.” More detail about this text can be found here. For more information, contact Jim Dealing - [email protected] or (989) 772-0269.
CUUPS to Celebrate Samhain
Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPS) will have a Samhain Ritual at the UU Center on Sunday, October 26. Samhain marks the end of the harvest of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year. It is also a time to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed to the next phase. Please feel free to bring a picture or small memento of a passed loved one for our altar.
We gather at 6:30 p.m., hold ritual promptly at 7 p.m., and our potluck takes place between 7:30 and 8 p.m. Please bring a dish to pass and/or a dessert to share.
Training Session for Restoration House Volunteers
The training session for volunteers for the Restoration House is at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, October 30, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church on Bradley. If you cannot attend, but want to volunteer to assist with this year's Restoration House homeless shelter program, you can get the necessary information presented at the session through a video, a hard copy, or online. We will have media available in time for our participation - which is from November 9 - 23 with St. John's.
You Are Invited!
The congregation is invited to join Roze and Justin as they celebrate their marriage on October 28th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Steeped in the traditions of mythology, yet lighthearted with the customs of the upcoming holiday, our ceremony will be a unique celebration of our religion and our favorite holiday, Halloween. We encourage our guests to join the pageantry with costumes. Our theme is ‘A Seelie-Unseelie Faerie Wedding’, so faery and creature costumes are encouraged, but other costumes are also welcome. Please, no scary or gory costumes. This is a family-friendly event and children are invited and especially welcomed! The event will be held at the UU Fellowship. Doors open at 6:30, ceremony to begin at 7:00, followed by cake, coffee and plenty of candy for the young and young at heart.
Think Before You Spritz
This message is a request for mindfulness as well as an effort to raise awareness. There are people who attend services and other activities at our fellowship who have fragrance allergies/chemical sensitivities. Being in close proximity (which is difficult to avoid in our small space) to folks wearing cologne, perfume - even heavily scented soaps/shampoos - can cause a range of uncomfortable symptomatic reactions. While we like to think of ourselves as a diverse bouquet as a faith community, the literal mixing of so many different scents (as opposed to the metaphorical mixing) can be a health hazard for some of us. We ask that you keep this in mind when considering your choice of personal care/hygienic applications. Thank you!
• • • Area Community Events • • •
At CMU...
In response to our UUFCM mission statement – Fueled by love, transforming our lives and our world – we encourage you to make efforts to continue to learn about the many peoples and issues surrounding us. One way to do this is to attend some of the many events held at Central Michigan University, sponsored by their various diversity centers. Please see the links below for current flyers and/or more information.
• Soup and Substance Series Schedule - October 23 and November 18
• Women's and Gender Studies Fall Events Schedule - November 5 and 18
• Storied Streets - Saturday, November 8, Plachta Auditorium at 3:00 p.m
Election Alert
Polls are open Tuesday, November 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.for a statewide election. Know before you go. View your ballot ahead of time by visiting michigan.gov/vote. Candidate Forum dates for upcoming contests are available on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.
Needle Craft Group at VML
Dr. Malone-Beach has recently started a needle craft group which meets Fridays from noon to 3 p.m. (drop in) at Veteran' Memorial Library. We do knitting, crocheting, quilting, needle point, and tatting. This is a great opportunity to learn how to do one of these crafts or to share and grow in one's crafting! All ages and experience levels are welcome!
A life of purpose and gratitude; a life that is moved by the beauty of this world and is called into action; and a life that is ever opening to more and more love–that is my Unitarian Universalism.
~ Kelly Crocker
The deadline for submissions to the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly e-News is
Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Please send all submissions to [email protected]
UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2014-2015
President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; [email protected])
President Elect: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; [email protected])
Past-President: Gisela Moffit (989.772.1602; [email protected])
Treasurer: David Macleod (989.772.0595; [email protected])
Secretary: Vicki Chessin (989.463.3076; [email protected])
Trustee: Scott Daigle (989.506.5750; [email protected])
Trustee: Capalene Howse (989.488.8714; [email protected])
Trustee: Jennifer Prout (989.400.3130; [email protected])