eNews for 1/28/15

We would all love better if we used it as a verb.

~ bell hooks

Worship Matters
This Sunday, February 1, we begin a month-long exploration on the aspects of love and it’s meaning in our lives with “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”. We hope you will join us! 
“To be sure, we have developed many ways to avoid love’s call into larger unity, and this has been at great cost, individually and collectively. “There is life without love,” writes Mary Oliver. “It is not worth a bent penny, or a scuffed shoe. It is not worth the body of a dead dog nine days unburied.” The work of religion might be described as claiming life’s larger worth by inspiring and equipping us to choose and practice love anyway. Despite our fear of loss. Despite our culture’s messages that love is desirable but fleeting, personal but not political, attractive but impractical. Despite the forces that would have us believe we can have love in our lives without challenging the lovelessness of oppression in the world. We are called, in the name of love, to imagine and remember the larger wholeness in which we all belong and, in so doing, to recover our wholeness within.” ~ Karen Hering

February 1: What’s Love Got to Do with It?
February 8: Caring for Those in Grief - sermon by Guy Newland
February 15: The Face of Friendship
February 22: Building Beloved Community

Resources from January Series on Faith
As promised last Sunday, here are two wonderful resources used during our January
worship exploration of “faith”: 
Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience by Sharon Salzberg
Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning by James Fowler

• Upcoming Sunday service themes can be found here.
  

Shared Ministry of Care Survey 
This survey is an opportunity for those of us who have gifts of time, transportation, meals, visits, etc. to share with our members and friends who are in need. Please complete the survey as we attempt to update and make improvements to our Caring Program. Paper copies are available at the fellowship. Please respond by this Sunday, February 1, 2015.

First Sunday Infant Pantry Collection - February 1
Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. Most needed items are diapers, creams, shampoos, lotions, and tissues. Baby food and formula are not needed a this time. Please contact Tom Moffit ([email protected] or 772-1602) with any questions you might have. Thank you in advance for your generous donations.

Website Password Updated!
The password used to reach the directory and board minutes pages on the website has changed. Please check your email for the new one! 

Directory Updates
Did you move? Get married? Change your phone or email address? If so, please submit the updates to Kirsten Keeton, our administrator ([email protected]) as soon as possible. We are planning a new printing of the directory and we want to be as accurate and up-to-date as possible. You can check your current listing here. Your help in this endeavor is greatly appreciated.

Covenant of UU Pagans Celebrates Imbolc on February 2
Imbolc, also known as Candlemas and Groundhog's Day, occurs at the beginning of February. It marks the middle of Winter and holds the promise of Spring. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication. We invite those of you who are interested in participating in this ritual to bring an item of food or drink to share at the potluck that follows the ceremony. We will gather at 6:30 p.m. and begin our ceremony promptly at 7:00 p.m.

UUFCM Men's Group Game Night - February 2
We meet on first Mondays for board games, such as Catan and Cards against Humanity. The event on February 2nd will be at Justin Henry’s house (901 S Elizabeth) at 7:00 p.m.

First Friday Potluck - February 6
The hosts for February 6 are Alicia Genia and her mother, Sandy Wickstrom. The theme of the evening will be appetizers and finger foods. You may sign up at http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=LAEA8669 or by logging onto perfectpotluck.com with the host name: Alicia Genia, and password: 2010. If you have questions email Alicia (989.567.2064 or 989.289.0652 or [email protected]) or call Chris Bauerle (989-330-8457 or [email protected]).

Movie Night - February 14
Movie Night is every second Saturday at 7 p.m. at the UU Center. “Boyhood,” one of the very best and most original movies of the year; nominated for 6 major Academy awards; not yet shown in Central Michigan. The film was 12 years in the making, following the development of a boy and his world from first grade to the beginning of college. Fascinating and compelling. Contact Jim Dealing with any questions - [email protected] or (989) 772-0269.

RE Sleepover with UUFoM
The K-3 kids are invited to attend a sleepover at UU Midland on February 20-21. The theme is celebrating Chinese New Year. We are still in need of a chaperone or two. Please contact Roze Bentley for details or to sign up: (989) 400-7674.

Fun Ahead
Get ready for our annual Stewardship Drive which will kick off with a Variety Show on Saturday, February 21 at 7 p.m. at the UU Center. Here is a chance for everybody to participate! Can you sing, play an instrument, dance, put on a skit with a friend, juggle, tell stories of your life, do an interpretive reading, etc.? Don't be shy - you'll have an appreciative audience! Deadline for sign up is February 15. If you have questions, contact Gisela Moffit or Laura McBride. Click here for a sign up sheet.

Guest at Your Table Luncheon
Each year our Fellowship has participated in the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's (UUSC) Guest at Your Table program. This year, instead of boxes available to send home to fill with coins each day the family has a meal, UUSC suggests that each congregation provide a Guest at Your Table luncheon at which people can make donations to support UUSC’s human rights projects throughout the world.

Therefore, you are all invited by the children of the Religious Education (RE) program of UUFCM to a Guest at Your Table luncheon on Sunday, March 1, in the Library Annex immediately following the service. The luncheon will consist of soup, bread, beverage and a delicious dessert, set up, served and cleaned up by the children of the RE program. There will also be a short program presented by the children. At the end of the program (at approximately 1:00), you will be provided the opportunity to make a donation to support UUSC’s human rights projects throughout the world.

Please put the date on your calendar and plan to attend!

Save Your Treasures...
The UUFCM Garage Sale is returning this summer! As you sort through your belongings, consider donating items to be included in the sale in May/June. Later this spring, more announcements will be shared about where to drop off items. This has been a great fundraising opportunity for our fellowship in the past. If you have questions about items to donate, contact Norma Bailey or Laura McBride.

We have already started to receive items for the garage sale in May, and we need a large space to store some of the larger pieces of furniture.  If you have a dry garage or barn where we could store these larger items, please contact Norma Bailey right away (989-560-3952 or [email protected]).

Anti-Racism Workshop in Kalamazoo/People's Church
ARAOMC (AntiRacism AntiOppression Multicultural Competence) Committee at People's Church in Kalamazoo will offer the workshop “An Introduction to Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism” on Saturday, February 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Workshop registration was closed as of January 24, but seats will be offered to the public. Lunch will be provided, and childcare is available upon request (please contact the registrar). Donations are welcomed.
Note: If you would be coming from a distance not drivable on Saturday morning, and would like to explore the possibility of staying overnight at the home of a People's member, please call the registrar. We hope to see a number of our Michigan and Indiana UU colleagues at this event!

• • • Community News • • •
Hearts for Hospice
Have you ever participated in a fundraiser where you have received back more than the value of your donation? Give your heart to Woodland Hospice by purchasing a $1 heart during Hearts for Hospice between Jan. 26 and Feb. 15 and receive coupons valued at over $55 from local family-owned businesses.
• Participating merchants

Central Michigan International Film Festival February 5-8, and 12-15
This popular festival spotlighting 10 films from five countries is scheduled for Feb. 5 through 8 and 12 through 15. Enjoy drama, comedy, romance and documentary film genres. Screenings will take place at Celebration! Cinema in Mount Pleasant and CMU's Park Library Auditorium. Tickets are $5 each or $10 for a book of 10. Tickets are available at Java City/Park Library and Celebration! Cinema. Click here for a complete festival schedule.

Curious About Climate Change?
The Chippewa Valley  Audubon Club and the Mt. Pleasant chapter of Citizen's Climate Lobby invite you to the showing of Chasing Ice (2012 documentary; 75 min., 2014 Emmy award winner for Outstanding Nature programming) on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 7 p.m. in the Veterans Memorial Library Annex at 301 S. University Ave. Mt. Pleasant. The film depicts National Geographic photographer James Balog's challenges documenting changes in the Arctic glaciers. It is free and open to the public. 

Loving leaves stretch marks.

~ Marge Piercy

Service Cancellation Policy
In case of inclement weather, a decision to cancel the service will be made by 9 a.m. An announcement will be posted here on our web site and on Facebook as well as sent directly via email. Those who are not online will be phoned. If you have questions, call Dawn Daniels (989-763-6315) or Laura McBride (989-772-5512). We hope we won't have to resort to this very often, but we live in Michigan after all, so we need to be prepared!

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])