eNews for 8/5/15

The spiritual life is about becoming more at home in your own skin.

~ Parker Palmer

In Worship
The 2015 summer worship series seeks to further examine one aspect of our Mission: exploring ways in which we can “transform our lives”. The theme of our service on Sunday, August 9 will be “Living Simply/Giving.” Our Worship Leader will be Norma Bailey.

Our reflections are drawn from the book Everyday Spiritual Practice edited by Scott Alexander which contains a collection of essays on daily spiritual practices, each written by a Unitarian Universalist clergy or layperson. Please join us.

Parking for Sunday Services:
Due to the reduced accessibility from the parking lot to our Wisconsin entrance, please leave parking on Wisconsin to our members and friends who have mobility challenges. Feel free to park in the lot and along University and Franklin streets. While Sundays are our busiest days, please be considerate when coming for other church sponsored events to park elsewhere. Thank you for your support in this matter!

Updating Our Directory
In order to keep our directory current, we ask that everyone check his/her entries and send any changes (phone, email, postal address) to Kirsten at admin@uufcm.org as soon as possible.  Thank you for your help in this matter.

First Friday Potluck - August 7
Come one come all – it is time for the August potluck. We are planning on enjoying summertime favorites starting at 6:00 p.m. Whether your favorite is a hot dog or possibly kale, bring your favorite summertime meal item and join us for some fun, fellowship, and possibly a board game. Our host will be Laura McBride. If you would like to sign up, you can access the group meal by clicking here, or by visiting PerfectPotluck.com and locating the schedule by coordinator last name (McBride) and password (2015).

Donations Needed!
On Sunday, August 16th the Youth Giving Garden is calling for donations of food, especially garden fresh foods, to benefit our neighbors at the Soup Kitchen. Many meal services rely heavily on processed foods with a higher shelf life. Donations of fresh foods provide welcome variety and necessary nutrition to those less fortunate in our community. Donations of pantry items are still helpful and will be gratefully accepted in lieu of produce. Donations will be collected by our youth during the Time For All Ages story. Thank you!

Mass Moral Monday March and Rally for Voting Rights
On July 12-13, Norma Bailey and Susan Powers participated in the Mass Moral Monday March and Rally for Voting Rights in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With 1,200 people, we attended the Voting Rights Ecumenical Service at the Union Baptist Church on Sunday evening; participated in the all-day teach-ins on Monday addressing voting rights, racial violence, economic justice, and building coalitions; and marched with 3500 people to protest the draconian voter suppression laws legislated by North Carolina. UUA President Rev. Peter Morales was also a speaker at the rally and march.

While there were many Unitarian Universalists present, both of us were moved by the ecumenical nature of the days’ events, with Christians, Jews, Muslims, UUs, and atheists; blacks and whites; gays and straights; young and old, speaking as one voice in protest of the voter suppression laws. As well, we came back with a number of ideas to share with UUFCM regarding voter registration and voter suppression. Stay tuned for ways in which we can help make a difference in this arena.

UUFCM to Support Camfed
Last year's adult RE book discussion of Half the Sky - the devastating exposition of the ongoing oppression and exploitation of women around the world - ignited a call to action among the study group participants. One effort that seemed appropriate for us as a UU congregation was to work with an organization committed to providing education for young girls; studies have shown that educating girls is an effective way to reduce their vulnerability and increase the opportunity for economic viability in their lives.

The Board has approved the recommendation that UUFCM adopt Camfed, an organization committed to helping communities around the world provide education for young girls. The program is community-based, with funds provided by Camfed. They provide a newsletter to sponsors, which would keep us up to date on their activities. 

Donations may be submitted any time by writing a check to UUFCM with a notation that the money is for Camfed. Periodic requests for donations from the congregation are also planned as we receive information via Camfed newsletters.

Knee-deep in the cosmic overwhelm, I'm stricken by the ricochet wonder of it all:
the plain everythingness of everything, in cahoots with the everythingness of everything else.

~  Diane Ackerman

Got News?
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 admin@uufcm.org

UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2015-2016
President: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; ampratt@cybersingerscafe.com)
President Elect/Past-President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; lmcbride010@gmail.com)
Treasurer: David Macleod (989.772.0595; macle1d@cmich.edu)
Secretary: Vicki Chessin (989.463.3076; vechessin@aol.com)
Trustee: Scott Daigle (989.506.5750; sndaigle@gmail.com)
Trustee: Capalene Howse (989.488.8714; capalene.howse@gmail.com)
Trustee: Carol Rard (989.561.2969; cprard@gmail.com)