Weekly Update

Hello,

Sunday Service @ 9:30: RE Sunday!
Join us this Sunday as we celebrate all the people who helped teach this year—from little ones to senior citizens, people came here to learn all kinds of things you can’t learn elsewhere. We honor all those who made it possible. (If you taught this year, show up so we can thank you!) This is also Bridging Sunday, where we welcome our graduating Seniors into the larger UU faith. This year’s graduate is Jordan Bancroft-Smithe.  We will find out his plans and dreams for the future, and send him off with lots of love! Colton Questra is our Worship Associate, and the Family Folk Ensemble will play as well as the Hanson children!

Second Hour @11:15
    *  Buddhist Path  - Individuals are invited to meet with others who are interested in exploring  about Buddhist spiritual practices and their lives.
    * Walkin’ the Talk - Shalon Atwood will give a talk on the excellent work being done at Habitat For Humanity, including some houses where we can help. This is another opportunity to do something that can really change some one's life in a positive and meaningful way.
    •Garden meditation - Join Julie Fischer in the garden second hour for some fun, work and thoughtful actions.

Opportunities to Help
Office Nook set-up—Join Kevin Stafsholt and a band of merry men in moving the new office assistant’s desk, building shelves, and adding some fresh paint to the whole thing. Work begins this Saturday (tomorrow). Call or e-mail if you want to join in: <stafsholt@mchsi.com>
Habitat House Work Day--Join Betsy Brandt, Donna Kroeger ,Sue Campbell, and me. Our group is to go out to 824 W 3rd St in Cedar Falls from 8:30am-3pm on May 31st. Come and give it a try. We need your help! Sign up on the Social Action table. Del Carpenter is the site supervisor on that house and he will be giving instruction and safety information for the day.
Ground and Garden—Julie Fischer is always on the lookout for  people who would enjoy helping keep up our lovely gardens and grounds. No experience necessary. Just let her know you are interested, and she’ll point you in the right direction!

Next Week: Memorial Day Sunday (save the date!)
Chapel @ 9:30
Work Party @ 10:30
Bring your work gloves, dust rags, polish, window cleaner, vacuums and gardening gear—for our semi-annual indoor/outdoor all-member clean up! Dress for work, and bring a fun heart . . . as we do have a lot of fun working together to spruce up the place.
Picnic @12:00
Bring a dish to share for our end-of-the-church-year potluck picnic and barbeque. Grill will be provided, bring your own meat. Eva is thinking maybe Root Beer Floats would be fun!  Let’s relax and welcome in summer together.

Sliding into Summer Slow-down
After our all-church clean-up and picnic we will be sliding into our summer slow-down. As people start to travel, and spend more time in their gardens our Sundays are slower, and we have fewer happenings through the week. I take some time off to plan next year and vacation. We will have services all summer give by our Worship Associates. Look for the Weekly Update from them to remind you about their upcoming service. In August we slowly slide back into a fuller, more robust schedule. And we have an All-Church Retreat on a weekend. (We’ll let you know which one soon.) But think of camping on the church lawn, campfire singing, pancake breakfast, outdoor chapel service, time to share and plan for the coming year, and lots of fun.

Cup of Joe Join me at this afternoon from 4:30 to 6pm for a relaxing time to meet a few UU friends and welcome the weekend.

See you in church!
Eva
--
Rev. Eva S. Cameron
UU Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA
USA
319-610-6605 mobile
319-266-5640 church
319-266-1111 home
www.uusbhc.org

 

Weekly Update

Hello,

My mind is full of all the beautiful shades of green we have been enjoying this week as the world “springs” alive around us. Last night in Buddhist Path, I asked everyone to introduce themselves and share something beautiful they had seen or experienced in the past week. So many people spoke of the flowers, their colors, the scent, the many kinds . . . It was a lovely image to settle on.

This coming Sunday (9:30 to 10:45am) is our annual Flower Communion. If you’ve never been to one before, bring a flower (plucked or bought) for each member of your family. You will go home with another flower, that someone else brought. This lovely ceremony was started long ago in Prague, and is customary in most of our UU churches. We planned on doing a Child Dedication, but all the new families with children will be out of town this weekend. So we will honor mothers, and enjoy a story about beginnings of Flower Communion. Family Folk Ensemble will sing. Its a Service for All Ages.
Fellowship (10:45 to 11:15)
Children’s Chapel (11am)
Second Hour (11:15 to 12:15)
We have classes for children, youth and adults. The adults classes for this week are:
* Circle Way  - Deblyn Russell and Sue Wilson  will be showing the newly released documentary about which everyone is talking, " The   Moses Code ". This is your chance to be in the know  about this new film.
*Stories That Changed My Life - New series, join fellow UUs as they relate interesting and informative stories about events that changed their lives. This Sunday Esther Thomas will tell her story.

Upcoming:
Special Newsletter Deadline: Thurs. May 15. Help Gerry, our devoted volunteer newsletter editor work a minor miracle. She needs to create the newsletter in less time that usual since she’s got travel plans. Start sending her anything and everything now. We need events for both June and July at this time. Towards the end of July she will assemble a newsletter for August.  <sgchamberlin@cfu.net>

FVUUM: This week we’ll be at Friendship Village at 11am on Wed. May 14th. RSVP to Brian Forster if you’d like to attend lunch after chapel. (ph. 291-8427)

Pastoral Update:
Ask Chris Rediske about her new granddaughter born in late April!
Its been a while since we honored Mildred Pierce as our Uunsung Hero. She’s probably ready to have a few phone calls to keep her spirits up, since she is mostly home-bound at this time.
Do let Esther or me know if there are other Pastoral messages to share with our community.

Fridays at the Cup . . . Join me this afternoon from 4:30 to 6pm at Cup of Joe for an informal time to relax and share in the  company of others in our commUUnity.

Namaste!
~Eva

Weekly Update

Hello!

I write to you as the rains just being to gently fall, sitting on my comfortable back porch—where I enjoy watching the world go by. When I lived in India, the house had a back porch too, only there it was called a ‘veranda.’ But from that spot, I could see the high round shoulder of the mountain we lived on rising above me. I so enjoyed watching the rain clouds settle in over top of the mountain, and gradually slide their way down until I was in the rain.

What was I doing in India? Well, I was visiting Unitarians who live there, and doing some research for a book I hope to finish some day about our US connections to the Unitarians there. It was a fun sabbatical, and resulted in the creation of the Sponsor-a-Student program we participate in. BUT, we can’t always travel to meet our Unitarian and Universalist friends. So I have decided to try and share about some of our ‘cousins’ in faith from around the world each year, on what I am calling “International Sunday.” This Sunday’s visit will be to Transylvania! (Yes, the land of vampires!)

This Sunday’s Service (9:30am)
Come and learn a little bit about our deep Unitarian history in Transylvania. This region, once a hot-bed of progressive thought in Europe, still is home to many ancient Unitarian churches. Different from us in many ways, we share a common heritage, and over the past 20 years an increasing number of UU’s from this country have made pilgrimages to visit this homeland of Unitarianism. Ute Brandenburg and Carolyn Hildebrandt have special music to share with us, and its the first Sunday of the month, so we will honor our ThankUU recipients.

Children’s Chapel is at 11am

Second Hour (11:15 am to 12:15pm)
Classes for children and youth are ongoing.
Adults: If you’ve been coming to the church for a while, and are interested in learning more about becoming a member,  about Unitarian Universalism, or are ready to sign the membership book, please join Eva and members of the Outreach Committee for this New Member Session.
Conscious Living Julie Fischer and Juanita Williams will share stories of their eco-adventures. They invite you to bring opportunities of other ‘eco-adventures’ that you know of to share.

TODAY—First Friday @ 6pm
Yes, it is MAY already! Join us this evening for a celebration of Spring in the manner of the Celts. We will dance the May Pole, and give thanks for returning life. Bring a dish to pass—Irish food is the theme, but you are welcome to just bring anything to share.

Upcoming Events:
Help Habitat for Humanity—a UU workparty!
As part of our Walkin’ the Talk experience for May, we will be helping the Habitat people in building a house on May 31st. Please sign up on the Social Action table in the Fellowship Hall if you are able to help out. Let’s get a good group of UU’s out to make a family’ dream come true. Never done it before? That’s okay . . . Habitat is used to working with volunteers of all skill levels. I’m planning on going. I hope you will too!

Again, I haven’t any Pastoral Updates to share with you. After a long winter, people seem to be doing well. But please do let Esther or I know if you are in need of some support: physical or spiritual!

See you in church!
~Eva

--
Rev. Eva S. Cameron
UU Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA
USA
319-610-6605 mobile
319-266-5640 church
319-266-1111 home
www.uusbhc.org

 

Weekly Update

Dear Beloved,
We are in the middle of the Warbler migration, and I am so thrilled to see these little friends flitting about in the tops of the trees. From my second story window, I get a great view. I remember living in Chicago as a child and loving this time of year, when even in the midst of our incredible sea of human construction, these tiny, tiny beings managed to travel their way through. I clearly remember seeing a Blackburnian Warbler outside a window, amazed by its bright orange and black head patterns. Today’s visitors are Myrtle Warblers, with a joyful call that brought them to my attention. Our pagan and earth-centered teachings remind us that the divine is revealed to us constantly in the rhythms of life around us. This time of year is one of my favorite moments in this ‘sacred scripture’ called life. Why? Because these tiny, tiny 4 inch bundles of feathers and life manage to make their way from somewhere deep south, South or Central America, all the way up past us into Canada. Flitting about in the trees, its hard to imagine them going more than next door they are so fragile looking. Yet, somehow, life does sustain them. They remind me that we each are fragile beings on an amazing journey.

Let us, as a Religious Community do everything we can to nourish and care for each other on this amazing journey—remembering that in many ways we are each as tenderly fragile and yet as amazingly strong as those warblers that are flitting about outside my window. Let us practice being a sustaining force to all that come by us, fragile beings on an amazing journey.

Sunday Service
Continuing with the Shouting Over the Back of the Elephant theme of this year, Jim and I are offering this dialogue sermon on what it means to be a Christian, particularly in the UU context. I hope you’ll come and practice your deep listening to all he has to share with you about his faith journey. We will also be holding a New Member Ingathering, where we expect at least 9 new members to be on hand. Come and give them a warm welcome. Family Folk Ensemble will share some tunes with us, and young Ryan Halevan will offer us a Prelude.

Annual Meeting (instead of Second Hour)
We are really excited to honor our Mildred Pierce for not only receive the Uunsung Hero award from our congregation, but from the entire Prairie Star District this year. (She moves on in the the national level now!) We’ll have cake in her honor at the Fellowship time, and then she’ll be present to receive her award at the meeting. Make sure you are there to congratulate her on her many, many years of loving service to our community.
We have many other important items of business too—including the annual budget, and the next phase of the nickname process. We invite all members to attend. We value the energy and care you put towards our community of love and justice.

Other Events (save the date)
Program Pow-wow
If you anticipate planning events for our community next year, please show up at this meeting Wed. May 21 at 7:30pm. We will be scheduling events, and helping each other think about the best timing for things. All church leaders in program positions are encouraged to attend, or send a representative. Those with great new ideas for church-wide events are welcome to attend.  (You may come to the Family Meal from 5:45pm to 6:30pm, and then socialize until 7:30pm meeting time. Please RSVP for the meal.)

Child Dedication on Mothers’ Day
If you’d like to dedicate your infant or child, we will hold a child dedication ceremony on Mother’s Day. Ask Kathy Klink-Zeitz or me if you have questions about this, and let one of us know if you’d like to participate. Its a beautiful way to welcome children into our community of faith.

Reenact the 1908 Boone Suffrage Parade on October 25
Explore this link and let Jan Gallagher or I know if you are interested in helping us to plan a field trip!
<http://www.celebratesuffrage2008.org/>

Today is The National Day of Silence
These words from their website will help you learn about it:
“The Day of Silence is an annual event held to commemorate and protest anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender) bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. Students and teachers nationwide will observe the day in silence to echo the silence that LGBT and ally students face everyday. In its 12th year, the Day of Silence is one of the largest student-led actions in the country.

Students face discrimination, harassment, and hate crimes based solely on their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic background, and their mental or physical capabilities. Victims of this discrimination are often met with silence by school administrations and student bodies choosing to turn the other way when they see this injustice happening. That is why, on this day, all people who recognize that racism, homophobia, sexism, and bigotry is wrong are urged to remain silent. The silence exhibited on this day echoes the perpetual silence that victims of discrimination and hate crimes have faced for years.
This day's silence will be heard louder and clearer than hatred and bigotry ever can be. On this day, we can help to abolish hatred, by simply remaining silent.”

Pastoral Update
Both Charlotte and Colton shared with us that they celebrated birthday’s last week. Its not too late to send them a card or give them a hearty congratulations!

Besides minor viruses, we haven’t heard of major illnesses or deaths. I continue to be thankful we are so well after our hard winter.

Please feel free to join me this afternoon at Cup of Joe for an informal TGIF time with others. I’m there from 4:30 to 6pm.
See you in church!

~Eva
--
Rev. Eva S. Cameron
UU Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA
USA
319-610-6605 mobile
319-266-5640 church
319-266-1111 home
www.uusbhc.org

 

Weekly Update 4/17/07

Dear Beloved,

Sunday Service (9:30 to 10:45am)
Celebrate Earth Day! Join our worship team for fun time as we celebrate Mother Earth in this Service for All Ages. We have a recycling theme this year. Lara Martinsen-Burrell has joined the team with a amazing meditative exercise, and Julie Fischer will be announcing a fun contest!! Family Folk Ensemble will be providing music. Let’s hope for sunshine, since we plan to end up outside.

Second Hour (11:15 to 12:15pm)
Join our Treasurer, Karen Kitchen and members of the Finance Committee as they share their plan for this year’s budget with us. Its not too late to still turn in your pledge. These pledges help us create our budget plan for the year. But do come and learn about the nuts and bolts. Its important stuff!

Also, Buddhist Path will meet in the balcony.
If you are interested in formally joining the church, please contact me (or Mica) and we will hold another New Member session in my office during Second Hour.

Other items
Nickname Process This Sunday is the final day of voting with dots. If you haven’t taken the time to look over all the amazing choices and voice your thoughts with your 10 dots . . . Now is the time!  We will start figuring out the top contenders during Fellowship Time, and they will be included in next week’s weekly update for your consideration prior to the Annual Meeting. During the Annual Meeting there will be a chance to vote for the top contenders.

Walkin’ the Talk Next Sunday we dedicate our offering to the Feinstein Challenge. This is an amazing time to give, since there are matching funds for your gift to the Food Bank. Also, Sheri is accepting nominations for organizations to consider for next year’s Walkin’ the Talk. We’d really love it if you’d share your favorite organization with the rest of us. Would you create the bulletin board for the month, arrange for a Second Hour speaker, and plan a volunteer activity for us to share in? Walkin’ the Talk is a great way for us all to learn about the exciting and useful ways to serve the Cedar Valley.

Julia’s Voice Our sister congregation in Shawnee Mission (suburban) Kansas City is working to create a movement to reclaim Mother’s Day to its original intent. It was started by Julie Ward Howe, who was a Unitarian. Read more about this here: http://www.juliasvoice.org/.  And let me know if you are interested in working to create an event like this in the Cedar Valley next month.

Don’t forget it is NEWSLETTER weekend. Send Gerry Chamberlin your submissions today, if at all possible. <sgchamberlin@cfu.net>

Pastoral Update We continue to be healthy and strong as far as Esther and I can tell. Keep up the good work!
Mildred Pierce remains shut-in her home, so I am sure she would enjoy a call or visit from some of you.  
John Miller performed a funeral for Elizabeth Diestler, stepping in while I was away in Omaha. Although we didn’t really know her anymore, she had attended many years ago for a short time. The family was very impressed with our hospitality. It is a special thing that we do, opening our arms to those in need of a religious home. Make sure you say a special thanks to John, and to Deblyn and Esther who each helped out too.

Fridays at the Cup . . . Yes its raining, but if you feel like braving the raindrops, come on out for some TGIF warmth and companionship. I’ll be at Cup of Joe from 4:30 to 6pm.

See you in church!

~~Eva
--
Rev. Eva S. Cameron
UU Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA
USA
319-610-6605 mobile
319-266-5640 church
319-266-1111 home
www.uusbhc.org

 

Weekly Update

Greetings from Omaha,

Yes, I am at our District Annual Meeting. This year its being held in Omaha. Kathy and I traveled here yesterday afternoon, so we can attend a workshop on Community Organizing this afternoon. Facilitator Willie Bennett, the Lead Organizer of Dallas Area Interfaith, will share how interfaith congregation-based community organizations (CBCOs) can leverage power to bring about change. We’ll let you know what we’ve learned. This evening will be a big opening ceremony with a banner parade, and more. Then a Keynote Address by
Charlie Clements, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). The evening will be closed out with a worship service. Tomorrow is another full day, including the Awards Ceremony. It is always good to meet UU’s from other places and learn about what is exciting them.

Sunday Service (9:30 to 10:45am)
“From Conflict to Reconciliation: Overcoming Sectarianism in Northern Ireland”
Join Pam and Al Hays, just back from a sabbatical in Ireland, as they explore some of their learnings from their experience. There will be a reader’s theater presentation.  And the  Family Folk Ensemble will be playing Celtic Songs!  

Second Hour (11:15 am to 12:15pm)
Walking the Talk - Sheri Huber-Otting will give a talk on the Feinstein Challenge and how it relates to the Food Bank. Sheri is one of those people who both talks the talk and walks the walk. Her presentation promises to be both informative and rewarding.
Stories That Changed My Life - This is a new series so join fellow UUs as they relate interesting and informative stories about events that changed their lives. Pam and Al Hays will share their story.

The Nickname Process Continues  . . . . (voting with dots!)
If you haven’t had a chance yet, next time you are in church, look over all the names, grab a strip of dots (each person gets ONE strip) and vote for a name or names that speak to you. You can vote all your dots on one name, or vote for several names that appeal to you. As you think about what would be good, imagine talking to your neighbor or co-worker about this community. It should be something that is special to us, and speaks about who we are, what we are about with a sense of pride, love, joy, and all the feelings you have about this place.

Upcoming
Wednesday evenings continue to be a lot of fun. Join us for dinner (RSVP to Carolyn Hildebrandt <carolyn.hildebrandt@uni.edu>). And if you play an instrument, stay on for fun with Family Folk Ensemble.
Thursday evenings continue to be meditative and instructive. Buddhist Path invites anyone to come and join in a reflection on Dharma (teachings) and Meditation each week from 7:30pm to 9pm. We start a new book this week for Dharma Discussion: Happiness Is an Inside Job by Sylvia Boorstein. Read chapter one, and join us!
Worship Team to plan EarthDay will be meeting next week. If you have something you’d like to share, or do, or even see done . . . Get in touch with me. Its a wonderful chance to be part of the team and share!

Pastoral Update
I heard from Cedar Valley Hospice that an friend from a long while back, Elizabeth Diestler just died. I am uncertain of arrangements at this time, but will keep you posted.

Esther Kieffer’s eldest son had very good news after his surgery on his kidney—as the growth they thought was cancerous turned out to be benign. Whew!

Please do let Esther or me know the joys and sorrows of your life, so we can tend you—and let others know (when you desire). We aim to be a community that really cares about each other. Let us care for you!

I am still reachable by cell phone. If in need, please don’t hesitate to call . . . 319-610-6605.
Take good care of your good selves,

Eva
--
Rev. Eva S. Cameron
UU Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA
USA
319-610-6605 mobile
319-266-5640 church
319-266-1111 home
www.uusbhc.org

 

Weekly Update 4/4/08

Hello!

Well, its going to be an exciting weekend with many things to do. Lots of invitations and e-mail have been flying fast and furious to tell you what’s happening, and I’ll summarize them all in a moment. BUT first, let me invite you to the most important event of our week: our weekly Sunday service. Why is it the most important? Because it is where you and I work together to lift up the most important ideals of our community, and we feel like a community! Make a plan to come, this Sunday, and often!

Sunday Service this Week (9:30am)
Julie Fischer and I will share our learnings and wisdom from reading the book “Silent Thunder.” Its about elephants, and a woman who gave her life to studying their communication and habits. She tells a powerful story, and we hope to share some of inspiration with you. Family Folk Ensemble will be helping us sing!

Second Hour (11:15 to 12:15am)
We have classes for children, youth and adults . . . The children are in their on-going classes. The offerings for adults are:
Conscious Living conversation about . . . Creating a conscious plan for economic development that is environmentally aware with our own Kamyar Enshayan.  And, a
Prayer Vigil —joining people around the world who have decided to put their intention toward peace  here and in the Middle east, at this exact hour, using tools learned in the movie “The Moses Code”(shown Sat.pm)

Potluck Fundraiser (“Prairie Home Companion-style”)
Help raise funds for our awesome Music Director and Family Choir Director (Carolyn and Mimi) to go to a UU Music Conference. Bring a happy dish, just like Grandma used to make, for the old-fashioned church potluck luncheon—how about some ‘powdered milk biscuits’ or ‘rhubarb pie’? Followed up by a wonderful variety show featuring many amazing acts.  Please invite your friends and neighbors! (Right after Second Hour, starting at 12:15pm)

Now, other events this weekend:

Passover Seder tonight
It starts at 6pm. Bring a dish to share. Best would be kosher—don’t mix meat and dairy in one dish. And items made with unleavened bread. BUT, what’s MOST important is that you come and enjoy learning about this holiday, and share a celebration of making to the Promised Land.

Movie: Moses Code on Saturday night
6pm and 7:45pm—Two showings. $5 donation to cover costs. A spiritual documentary being shown simultaneously about the country.

Also . . . I WON”T be at Cup of Joe today . . . I’ll be home preparing for Seder dinner.

Next weekend I’ll be writing to you from Omaha, where a delegation of us are traveling for the Annual District meeting. It will be good to see fellow UU’s from around the area, and learn what exciting things they are doing in their communities. I’ll be leaving Thursday (April 10th) and will be back Sunday night. I’m preaching at 1st Unitarian Church of Omaha next Sunday—on Race, Rev. Wright, and Liberation Theology.

(To Nangroi!) Keep on progressing, our Unitarian friends in the Khasi Hills say. They mean keep on working all that is good and right and true. We each have our own special gifts to bring to this world. This weekend shows all sorts of talents and treasures we can bring to this world and our work on it. To Nangroi!

Eva

--
Rev. Eva S. Cameron
UU Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA
USA
319-610-6605 mobile
319-266-5640 church
319-266-1111 home
www.uusbhc.org