Weekly Update

10/8/10 Weekly Update
Happy Friday!!  I hope you are enjoying all this gorgeous fall weather. The brilliant blue skies always lift my spirits, and remind me of the immensity of life.

I've had some questions about my Sabbatical, so I thought I'd give you a bit of information about this whole "sabbatical" thing. A sabbatical is a common practice for a UU Congregation to offer to their minister. Here's a bit from my letter of agreement about the Sabbatical Policy:
"The Society agrees to provide the Minister with one (1) month of sabbaticalleave for each year of service. Such leave shall not be taken prior to the completion of four (4) years but before the seventh year of service. No more than six months of Sabbatical Leave may be used within any twelve-month period. Sabbatical Leave shall be used for study, education, writing, meditation, and other forms of professional and religious growth." It later goes on to state that I agree to return and serve at least one full year before moving on. In this way, a sabbatical should not be a time for minister to be searching for a new church, or a church searching for a new minister. They do, however, serve as a good time for discernment . . . . It is a chance to say, "what is next for our time together?" It is time to reflect on what is going well, and what might change. It shakes things up a bit, while I am gone and you are tending to your own needs as a congregation. And that is a good thing. You will stretch and grow. And find your feet as you dare to do new things.

I certainly will miss you, and our common life together! It hard to imagine you going though this year, and me not being around for all of our events that have been such a rhythm of my life in these past years. It will be a different time, as I use this time to focus more on myself and my larger ministry. I'm looking forward to having some time to organize some books I've been working on, to getting some work done on my house, to doing some traveling, and to following our Pilgrimage of Life discipline of writing and contemplation.

This past week I was up in Minnesota at our Annual Prairie Star District minister's retreat. We spend a lot of time journaling, sharing from our heart with one partner, and then some deep listening in groups of four. We practiced active listening, by praying for our fellow ministers in that group of four--and it was a beautiful thing to listen to humanists, pagans, atheists and theists all praying each in their own way. And it was a powerful thing to receive the prayers of others, as I prepare for this year of discernment and growth. Thank you again for this gift. I know that not everyone is so blessed as to be able to take a sabbatical. And I promise to use this gift of time wisely, and in deep gratitude for the congregation (that's you!) who has gifted me with it!

See you in church!
Eva


Sunday 10/10/10
8:30 am Music Rehearsal
9:30 am On What I Hope to Learn While I'm Gone: Saying Good-bye Part I ~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Lara Martinsen-Burrell (Worship Associate)
I'm busy making plans to learn and grow, as well as rest and be renewed while I am gone.  Giving a minister a sabbatical is a lovely gift, so come and hear what I have planned!
10:30 am Fellowship Time
11:00 am Children's Chapel (balcony)
11:15 am Sunday School for Children & Youth
11:15 pm Adult RE Sixty for Six: "Articulating your UU Faith" (balcony)
12:15 pm Traveling UU's
2:30 Sunday Afternoon Small Group

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week
Tuesday

7:15 pm Religious Services Council

Wednesday

5:00 pm Children's Choir

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP to administrator@uusbhc.org by noon on Monday)

6:15 pm Adult Choir

6:30 pm Painting Workshop (Intermediate classroom)

6:30 pm Cedar Valley Meditation Group (Junior High room)

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Friday

7:30 pm Community Drum Circle

Saturday

4:00 – 11:00 pm Rental

Other items
You can still join us for "Articulating Your UU Faith" during Adult RE at 11:15 this Sunday.  We will be starting on Session 2 but it's not too late to join us in practicing how to respond when asked, "What is Unitarian Universalism?"  There are some short homework assignments so if you would like to keep up with the class, send Mica your email at mikemica@gmail.com.  For this Sunday there is a short reading assignment.  Here is the link for Oct 10th's reading assignment.  http://tinyurl.com/24mkyo8.  Hope to see you Sunday - Mica Lorenz

Its time once again for the Public Radio Fundraiser. If you are planning on giving them a gift, please consider giving it to them via us--so that we can bundle our gifts to them with UU's all over Iowa, and buy all those underwriting spots you hear about UUIowa! Just send us the check with Iowa Pubic Radio in the memo. Thanks!

Office Update
I will be on vacation this coming week October 11th through October 15th.  Please continue to send me calendar updates as you have them.  The calendar deadline is soon after I return (Oct 20th). Thanks!  Janet

Pastoral Update
Roger Hahn had heart surgery this past week. A couple emails have been sent to this list separately by John Miller. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers . . . and check in with his wife Cindy to see if she needs help, after he comes home next week.

Rev Eva Cameron
minister
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-610-6605
www.uusbhc.org
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Weekly Update

9/30/10 Weekly Update
Its been a lovely week, weather-wise . . . which has helped to remind me of the beauty of the universe, even as my heart has been heavy with the news of several bright young children killing themselves due to taunting and bullying by their classmates over their sexuality. Its hard to look hatred in the eye, and yet there are times that the bright light of day illuminates such realities for us to truly see, and let linger in our hearts. The temptation, for me, is to push them away . . . my heart doesn't want to be so heavy. But when I do allow them to linger for a time, it reminds me just how important the work of our church is. I think, in the busyness of life, to think of church as just one more thing, like soccer practice or music lessons, to get on the calendar and to get the family out to . . . but yet, in reality, we are quite different. We serve to mold and shape people into being peacemakers, into being citizens of a world that is just and fair, into understandings that one of the most powerful kinds of prayer is the actions of your life. Ours it not just one more thing, in a long list of things . . . children are dying due to the suffering and pain caused by other children not being raised to eschew hatred. Around the world, we witness the suffering of others at the hands of those who were raised to hate others who are different from them. Coming to church may just seem like another thing, on a long list of things, but its different . . . and important.
Thank you for working together to create this amazing, justice-loving community.
See you in church!
~~Eva


Sunday 10/3/10
8:30 am Music Rehearsal
9:30 am Association Sunday: 50th Anniversary ~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (Worship Associate)
Our UUA celebrates fifty years since the merger of the Unitarians and the Universalists.  Join thousands of UU's on this day for Association Sunday, a special service and collection that will celebrate the past fifty years of UUism and the future of our faith.  Proceeds from this year's Association Sunday special collection will go to ensuring that our faith thrives for generations to come.  Beginning in spring 2010, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) embarked on an in-depth strategic review of leadership and growth in order to develop an action plan to strengthen our community for future generations.
10:30 am Fellowship Time
11:00 am Children's Chapel (balcony)
11:15 am Sunday School for Children & Youth
11:15 pm Adult RE Sixty for Six: "Articulating your UU Faith" (balcony)
12:30 – 2:00 pm Worship Associate Training-CANCELLED

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week
Tuesday

7:30 pm Executive Committee Meeting

Wednesday

5:00 pm Children's Choir

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP to <administrator@uusbhc.org> by noon on Monday)

6:15 pm Adult Choir

6:30 pm Painting Workshop

6:30 pm Cedar Valley Meditation Group (high school room)

7:00 pm Small Group Facilitators meeting

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Other items
Helpers for Sunday School Needed
We always have 2 adults in a room with children. We have a teacher who prepares the lesson, and a helper who is just there to provide support. Could you agree to just show up on a few Sundays and help our Children's program? Please sign-up with Michaela Rich or Diana Harwood.

WOW - Painting!
Do you like to paint? Or, have you always wanted to try it? Join us this Wednesday, October 6, from 6:30-8:00 pm, as local artist and UNI graduate Kristy Cutsforth will  be offering a painting class at the UU. The first class this week will be an opportunity to ask questions, talk about what you'll be painting and discuss logistics, cost for the course and supplies. No experience is necessary! Come express yourself with paint! Find out more about Kristy and her work at http://www.kristycutsforth.com

"88 Notes" was created during August, 2010.  The sculpture evolved on its own, after the keys of our old moldy piano were bleached and left on the back porch to dry. It was obvious from the first time I saw them in numerical order, radiating solidly from the center, that this was a chalice in the making.  There was nothing else it could be.  Once the concept was there, I found that I couldn't stop looking at the form. It drew me in and wouldn't let go.  Now I'm sharing it with you.  Enjoy.  Moria Brown

Office Update
Office hours are Monday & Thursday mornings from 8:30 am to 12:30pm and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.  I will be on vacation the week of October 11th.  Thanks!  Janet

Pastoral Update

Sunday night Esther took Mildred Pierce to Sartore with a broken wrist. She's had surgery, and as of yesterday she is now in room 461 in the Stanard Assisited Living Center, Western Home, 420 E. 11th St. Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Here phone number is 277-3675.  Her son Bob and wife Jo will be here until Saturday and daughter, Pat, will be coming Sunday or Monday. Please send her cards or call on her, if she knows you. This is a difficult time for her, as many of you know, she is over 100, and has been determined to remain in her own home.

As Eva is preparing to go on Sabbatical, you may be wondering where to send your messages and updates about our church members in need of love, prayers, light, support, etc. Please send them to Janet in the office by Thursday at noon, and she will include them in the Weekly Update that our Worship Associates will send out. <administrator@uusbhc.org>

Rev Eva Cameron
minister
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-610-6605
www.uusbhc.org
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Weekly Update

9/24/10 Weekly Update
Its fall! Its fall!  What a lovely day its turned out to be after all the rain. What a change! Life is all about change, but sometimes we forget. Fall is the perfect time to consider what has changed in your life, what is about to change, what really needs to change. Do you still have the right 'tools' for your life . . . from the 'stuff' we keep in our houses, to the emotional resources for who we want to be . . . unless we take the time to assess our situation, and perhaps re-stock, or de-clutter, we may find ourselves sorely unprepared. Life is a Pilgrimage! Are you ready to take the next steps on the journey? Take a moment and prepare. 

See you in church!

~Eva

Sunday 9/26/10
8:30 am Music Rehearsal
9:30 am Festival Sunday: "Fall Equinox" Festival Sunday Team.  Worship Associate: Stephen Orsborn
Continuing with this month's theme we will harvest our spiritual tools for the journey of life!  Join us for a celebration of the full abundance of life.  We will also have the Social Action "Walkin' the Talk" collection for "One Iowa".
10:30 am Fellowship Time
11:00 am Children's Chapel (balcony)
11:15 am Sunday School for Children & Youth
11:15 pm Adult RE Sixty for Six: "Current Events" (balcony)

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week
Monday

6:00 pm Cedar Prairie Vegetarian Potluck

Tuesday

7:00 pm Committee on Ministry

Wednesday

5:00 pm Children's Choir

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP to administrator@uusbhc.org

by noon on Monday)

6:15 pm Adult Choir

6:30 pm Cedar Valley Meditation Group (high school room)

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Friday

Nature Group Campout through Sunday (contact Sheri Huber-Otting)

Saturday

7:30 pm Comedy Café

Other items
New Art in the Sanctuary
"88 Notes" was created during August, 2010.  The sculpture evolved on its own, after the keys of our old moldy piano were bleached and left on the back porch to dry. It was obvious from the first time I saw them in numerical order, radiating solidly from the center, that this was a chalice in the making.  There was nothing else it could be.  Once the concept was there, I found that I couldn't stop looking at the form. It drew me in and wouldn't let go.  Now I'm sharing it with you.  Enjoy.  Moria Brown

Office Update
Office hours are Monday & Thursday mornings from 8:30 am to 12:30pm and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.  If you are in charge of any event at the church, please let me know the time, date and location of your meeting.  I will be gone the week of October 11th so the sooner you send me any calendar information, the better.  Thanks!  Janet

Pastoral Update

Our sympathies to Del Carpenter who's mother died this past week. He is in Nebraska for the funeral and then will be in Indiana for the burial. You can send him messages of love and condolence at <delcarpenter@cfu.net>

Glenyce Butsch fell last Friday and was taken to Allen Hospital.  She is now in Skilled nursing at Western Home.  Her daughter is here and the diagnosis was congestive heart failure I believe.   Her address is Glenyce Butschy, 1100 Grove St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

Rev Eva Cameron
minister
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-610-6605
www.uusbhc.org
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Weekly Update

9/17/10 Weekly Update
I hope you are enjoying this fabulous fall Friday!
I'd like to take a moment to turn your attention to the small details of life. Our space, our building, is OUR building. We don't have any hired help to clean, straighten, pick-up or turn off lights. So, as this church year gets going full swing, please don't forget to do a little extra for this space we all use. Take a moment before you leave a space--look around. Ask "what can I do to leave this place looking nice for the next person who comes around?" Please turn out lights, check windows, lock doors, just like you would at home. I know sometimes when we are talking with friends it takes a little more concentration to remember to do this, but let's all kick in and work together. You don't have to have opened a window to close it, although that would be GREAT. You don't have to have turned the lights on to turn them off, but that would be GREAT. If you find an old cup laying about, carry it to the kitchen and wash it. And if you have some extra time, run the vacuum, wipe a wall, or straighten a cluttered surface--just like at home. I think some times people are afraid to touch anything because they don't know who is in charge, or if they are disturbing something someone else wanted there--I want to empower you to feel like creating order from chaos is a good thing, a healthy thing, and one that we want to see happening around the place more often.

Oh yeah, and one more thing . . . with the exception of Shanlee McNally, your mother isn't around . . . so just take charge, clean up, pick up, lock up . . . and know that you are just as 'in charge' as anyone else!

Thanks for attending to this!
~Eva


Sunday 9/19/10
coffee, and announcements in the Fellowship Hall.

8:30 am Music Rehearsal

9:30 am Yom Kippur Message: "The Weight We Carry" Rev. Eva Cameron, preaching.  Worship Associate: Lisa Kratz
"There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love."  Join us as we explore this in relationship to our monthly theme of preparing for the journey.
10:45 am Fellowship Time
10:45 am Involvement Fair
11:00 am Children's Chapel (balcony)
11:15 am Sunday School for Children & Youth
2:30 pm Sunday Afternoon small group

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week
Monday

7:00 pm Ministry Council

Tuesday

7:30 pm Board Meeting

Wednesday

5:00 pm Children's Choir

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP to administrator@uusbhc.org by noon on Monday)

6:15 pm Adult Choir

6:30 pm Cedar Valley Meditation Group (high school room)

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Office Update
Office hours have changed.  I will continue with Monday & Thursday mornings from 8:30 am to 12:30pm.  I have added hours on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.  Please be advised that I am keeping the church calendar now, so if you are in charge of any event at the church, please let me know the time, date and location of your meeting.  I will be gone the week of October 11th so the sooner you send me any calendar information, the better.  Thanks!  Janet

Other Items
A note from Nancy . . . our District Executive
Last weekend I was in Ames to do the start-up for Charlotte Cowtan, their Interim Minister, and I had a tour of their water-damaged building. The carpet tiles have all been torn up, there are cracks in the walls and the doors don't fit into the doorframes, and there are cracks along the foundation at the front of the church. The offices and youth room are not usable. Those of you who have visited the Fellowship in past years know that their building is built next to a hillside. Although there were pipes at the base of the hillside to carry the water away, the amount of rainwater overwhelmed the drainage system. It's possible that some of the soil under the foundation has been washed away, leading to the foundation cracks. Estimates to fix the building are in the $100,000 range.

Shawnee Mission UU Church in Overland Park, KS, also suffered water damage earlier in the summer, when Kansas City was deluged by rainstorms. The cost to fix the lower level and replace materials is about $18,500.

More information about the fund which has been set up, how to make donations, and how the money will be distributed is available here: http://www.psduua.org/News/FloodReliefFund2010   Let's help these congregations recover from these difficulties.

Thanks,
Nancy

Nancy Heege
Prairie Star District Executive
122 W Franklin Avenue #303
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-230-3273


Pastoral Update
Our condolence to Nate Callahan who lost his brother Chuck to colon cancer this past week. He joins his family in Des Moines this weekend for the funeral. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Notes and cards can be sent to: 1822 Orchard, CF, 50613
We celebrate the birth of Marilyn Desmond's Great Granddaughter, Makenzie Alexandra Kleiner.
Please let us know of other life events we should share with the congregation.

Rev Eva Cameron
minister
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-610-6605
www.uusbhc.org
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Weekly Update

9/10/10 Weekly Update
I write this to you from a Rest Area in southern Iowa. I am returning home from taking my daughter Irene and her boyfriend Justin to Tulsa. This morning they flew from there to Australia, (by way of LAX). They plan to be gone for a year on an grand adventure of exploring themselves as they explore the world. You learn all sorts of things as you go about life, if you are looking! Just today I noticed a man using his laptop at the picnic table in this Rest Area. I discovered I could take a driving break and get caught up on this Weekly Update! I also got a chance to read the historical marker posted here, which speaks about several utopian communities that formed in southern Iowa in the mid-1800's. It seems people traveled from several different places in the world, including France and Hungry to participate in their dream of living life within the network of a better social structure. Its been a long time since I read the real history of these movements, but seeing them mentioned made me think about our theme of Pilgrimage of Life. These are people who made daring choices to attempt a dream. It invites me into thought about my life choices . . . some more daring than others. But choices nonetheless. What choices have you made along your life's journey that have helped you live your dream?

Sunday 9/12/10
8:30 am Music Rehearsal
9:30 am "Pilgrimage of Life" Rev. Eva Cameron
An exploration of this year's Spiritual Theme. We begin our journey together as we look at what it means to belong to a religion of spiritual journey.  What resources do you need on this journey?  What do you expect to find along the way?  What has shaped you and formed you?
10:30 am Fellowship Time
11:00 am Children's Chapel (balcony)
11:15 am Sunday School for Children & Youth
11:15 am Adult RE: Sixty for Six "Current Events"

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week
Monday

8:30 – 12:30 pm Office Hours

Tuesday

7:00 pm REAP Council Meeting

7:15 pm Religious Services Council

Wednesday    **Calendar Deadline**

11:00 am Friendship Village Ministry

1:00 – 5:00 pm Office Hours

5:00 pm Children's Choir

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP)

6:15 pm Adult Choir

6:30 pm Cedar Valley Meditation Group (high school room)

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

8:30 – 12:30 pm Office Hours

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Friday    **Calendar Deadline**

7:30 pm Community Drum Circle

Office Update

Office hours have changed.  I will continue with Monday & Thursday mornings from 8:30 am to 12:30pm.  I have added hours on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.  Please be advised that I am keeping the church calendar now, so if you are in charge of any event at the church, please let me know the time, date and location of your meeting.  I will be gone the week of October 11th so the sooner you send me any calendar information, the better.  Thanks!  Janet

Pastoral Update

Lara Martinsen-Burrell wrote to me yesterday: As residents, volunteers, and professionals work to put out the Fourmile Canyon Fire in Boulder I send love and light.  I am inspired to be reminded of the pioneering spirit of the town as I imagine many are taking in stride the fire, as that's the community attitude.  May healing come swiftly as the people and animals temporarily and permanently relocate.  

These are the thoughts and prayers living in my heart as the place I called home until 6 years ago deals with the fire.  My immediate family is out of harms way.  Niwot, their home is almost another 10 miles from the fire.  The area where Neil and I lived is being evacuated, and my favorite trails have burned... but I imagine that means next spring or so there will be amazing wildflowers.  All the same, tears...ah change.

We also hold the residents of CA who have been effected by the explosion in our hearts and prayers.

Tomorrow, as the country remembers the anniversary of 9/11, I invite us into a place of speaking openly of love and tolerance. Hold the survivors in your hearts. Hold our world, wounded by this and many acts of hatred, in your hearts. Try and plan to do at least one extra act of love tomorrow.  Love actively. Teach your children, grandchildren or neighborhood kids to do the same. Together is the only way we can move forward on this.

Rev Eva Cameron
minister
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk Co.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-610-6605
www.uusbhc.org
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.