Weekly Update

5/28/10 Weekly Update

Its hard to believe it . . . Memorial Day weekend is upon us. Its time to dive into summer, and suck up its rich intensity as a store for the darkness and cold that always follows. But today, on this bright and glorious day, it is hard to imagine that not so long ago we had snow for so long it was hard to remember what green even looked like! I'm making a list of all the things I want to experience this summer, just so that I feel like I've really lived! And like I have truly restored my spirit. Some of the things on my list include: walking barefoot in the dew soaked grass on a hot summer night, taking a long swim in the quarry, sailing on Lake Michigan, sitting on the porch swing and reading a long, dreamy novel, writing some poetry, fishing with my new friend and playmate . . . so what things will you be reaping during these rich summer months? Plan now! Don't wait! I think part of being truly spiritual is scheduling the time to do it!

This will be my last full Sunday with you for a while. I will help Lara Martinsen-Burrell with a special Sunday morning wedding service in June. But then I won't be around until August. Next week I'll be in Michigan for my daughter Irene's HS graduation!

So enjoy all that the Worship Associates have planned for you, and come on out to wish me a happy summer on Sunday!

~Eva

Sunday 5/30/10

8:30 am Music Rehearsal

9:30 am Service "Memorial Day Chapel" Rev. Eva Cameron;
Karen Impola as Worship Associate. This Chapel service will honor all those who have served our county. You are invited to bring a picture or keepsake in memory of someone special to you. I will share some of the story of Dottie Forsburg, who's service to our country during WWII was recently highlighted in the Department of Defense news.

10:30 am All Church Clean-Up: Please wear your work clothes, and bring
cleaning supplies for both indoor and outdoor work. We don't have a custodian,
so we all have to pitch in to make our beloved church space shine – kids and
group-ups alike!

12:00 pm Potluck & Picnic: Bring a dish to pass and, if you wish,
something to cook on the grill. We'll have the fire hot and we will celebrate
the coming of summer with some old-fashioned Root Beer floats! Invite a friend or family member if they are lonely on the holiday weekend! The more the merrier!

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week

Monday

Rev. Eva Cameron is on vacation this week.

Tuesday

7:00 pm Committee on Ministry

Wednesday

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP)

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

Fun for All Ages

6:30 pm Theoretical String Band

7:00 pm Small Group Facilitators Meeting

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

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

5/21/10 Weekly Update

Greetings on this cool spring day . . . I have a warm cup of tea beside me as I gaze out into my backyard. Everything looks so vibrant and alive as the plants seem to shout with 'green-ness'. Its so funny to think that only a few short months ago that I could hardly even remember what green looked like, we had seen snow for so long. It is beautiful to see that when offered the right conditions, life can flourish so abundantly.

This is a good time to take a moment and think about your own life. Is it growing rich and abundant like the vibrant spring plants? Are there areas that seem parched and brown? Cold and wintry? If you find yourself in a vibrant rich period, you might take a moment to pause and reflect on all that has been given to you, so that this could come to pass. The Dalai Lama made an important distinction between beings that are able to express appreciation, and those that aren't (like the mosquitos he sometimes donates blood to). Let us be beings who are appreciative. And if, rather, you find in yourself areas that feel parched and dry, it might be good to spend a few minutes pondering just what might water your soul? What can you do to situate yourself so that you begin to feel nourishment? If you aren't sure, feel free to make an appointment with me so that we can explore this together. Maybe together we can figure something out. And if, perhaps, you find yourself in a wintry period of rest and reflection, yet knowing that nourishment will come in its time, I wish you the joyful patience and grace to allow yourself some rest. We all need rest and contemplation to be able to be most fully who we can and should be.

I hope you will join me this Sunday--we have a rich day of reflecting on ministry, and Commissioning two new Lay Ministers. Followed by Potluck and then Lake Wannabe!! Lots of FUN!!

See you in church!

~Eva

Tonight: 7 to 10pm Salsa Fundraiser (see 'other items; for details)

Sunday 5/23/10

8:30 am Music Rehearsal

9:30 am Service "Ministry Sunday"
Rev. Eva Cameron with Deblyn Russell as Worship Associate.
A minister, by its old Latin roots, is someone who acts as a servant. In the case of ministry in a church, we acknowledge that some people feel deep in their hearts a desire to serve the cause of our community, and our Unitarian Universalist faith. Today, with joy we will commission two new lay ministers: Staci Chananie-Hill and Lara Martinsen-Burrell. Staci, Lara and I will talk about what ministry means to us . . . and we all will ponder what gifts we offer to the world. Please come and welcome these two beautiful church leaders into their new place in our collective lives.

10:45 am Fellowship Time

11:00 am Children's Chapel

11:15 am Sunday School for children & youth

11:15 am Adult Classes

Conscious Living: Join us for a presentation on the awareness of water quality by our own Bill Harwood. (sanctuary)

T.R.I.B.E. No class this day; do come help set up for the concert.

12:15 pm Potluck Luncheon

1:30 pm Lake Wannabe Variety Show

The third annual Lake Wannabe Potluck Luncheon and Variety Show is sponsored by the Music Committee and will be raising money toward the church budget for this fiscal year.

Calendar Updates for this Coming Week

Monday

2:30 – 5:00 pm Rental Wedding

Wednesday

5:30 pm Dinner (Please RSVP)

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

Artistic Fun Workshop

6:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Saturday

3:00 – 8:00 pm Rental

Other items

Lake Wannabe Potluck and fundraiser variety show this Sunday

The Religious Services Committee would like to remind everyone that this sunday the Lake Wannbe Variety Show and Fundraiser starts at 1:30 p.m. and what a great variety show it will be!

We've all enjoyed the great music from Tim Purdam and the Adult and Children's choir over the past year. The RSC is hosting this event to continue to create the necce$$ary funds to see the music continues to flourish in our congregation. A church potluck will be held after RE in the morning...so dig out all those old recipes that you grew up with and come join this "nourishing, nurturing meal together!

Following the potluck at 1:30 we will begin out Lake Wannabe Variety show. This is all available to you for a "free-will love offering"!

So come and enjoy yourself at this special event, in our amazing UUSBHC, where the men are good-looking, the women are strong and the children are all above exceptional!

Salsa Fundaraiser

This evening, Heather Flory is dedicating a Salsa Fundraiser for her mother, Floralyn Perry, who recently lost her husband, Dave, to pancreatic cancer. Heather plans on showing us the was to a "salsa good time". Come enjoy friends, salsa dancing, somewhat of a silent auction for photos that Dave took, and jewlery that Floralyn has made. Any contributions to the fundraiser will be VERY appreciated. The event takes place tonight, from 7 - 10 p.m., at the church. Come "salsa by"!

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

5/14/10 Weekly Update

And so the clouds lifted, lifted as they always do, opening our world. Our eyes blinking, soaking in startling blue, shining green, we breath deeply, exhilarated by the promise of a fresh new day.

I like to remember, on days like this, that startle me with their sudden change from darkness to light--that life is often like this. We can have moments that are dark and introspective, and they may seem to be all that we foresee on our horizon. And yet, something will shift, and we find new light, joy and brillance in our lives just as surprising. We have to hold on to the knowing, that nothing stays the same, unchanged forever. Our emotional weather is like the weather of our Mother Earth--each experience brings its blessings, and nothing sticks around forever. (Even if it seem like it might . . . just like the grey cold days of this past week!) This Buddhist teaching of transience is very useful, because it allows us to relax and enjoy each of these things that come to our lives, even our own grey, rainy days.

See you in church!

~Eva

This Sunday 5/16/10

8:30 am Music Rehearsal (TSB@8:30, Children's Choir @8:50)

9:30 am Service "Religious Education Sunday"
Today we celebrate all the people in our community who work to teach us week after week. We also welcome our graduating teens into the adult world of UU with a bridging ceremony. Dan Rather said, "The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth'." Who has encouraged your dream this year? What about your children's? REAP Council, Rev. Eva Cameron, & Kathy Klink-Zeitz with Steve Orsborn as Worship Associate.

10:45 am Fellowship Time

11:00 am Children's Chapel

11:15 am Sunday School for children & youth

11:15 am Adult Classes

Sixty for Six: Join us for a special end-of-year 'thank you' party. (sanctuary)

Buddhist Path: Join Ralph and others in exploring Buddhist spiritual practices. (balcony)

Walkin' The Talk: no scheduled session this month.

This Coming Week

Tuesday

7:00 pm Board Meeting

Wednesday Calendar deadline

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)

Artistic Fun Workshop

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Friday Newsletter Deadline

7:00 pm Perry Fundraiser Salsa Party

Other items:

A Message from OneIowa:

One Iowa is in the building phase of its campaign to help re-elect pro-gay marriage legislators in the state. We need lots of volunteers we can call on to make phone calls, knock doors, write letters-to-the-editor, host house parties, etc for these candidates. We have nearly 1,000 "supporters" in our database who live in Cedar Falls/Waterloo. The vast majority of these folks signed up online, joined our Facebook group or signed up at an event. This list has never been called through to determine how many people would actually volunteer with One Iowa. So, we need volunteers to help call these potential volunteers.

The dates and locations of these phone banks we are recruiting for are:

Thursday, May 20 from 5:30 to 8

Waterloo Public Library

Sunday, May 23 from 3 to 6

Wesley Foundation Student Center (near UNI campus)

2422 College St

I appreciate you spreading the word and making the announcement! We need all the help we can get in Cedar Falls/Waterloo, which promises to be a battleground this November.

Thanks again!

--
Ryan Crane
Regional Organizer
One Iowa
ryan@oneiowa.org
402.659.8110 cell
515.288.4019 ofc

**************************************************

Film Showing:

WHAT: Anyone and Everyone

WHERE: UNI, Cedar Falls, Seerley Hall 115

WHEN: Thursday, May 27th 6:00 pm

Faithful Voices, a project of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, is pleased to co-sponsor a showing of the film "Anyone and Everyone" along with UNI Proud and One Iowa. The film shows people of all different social, religious, economic and ethnic backgrounds reacting to their children being honest with them about their sexuality. It is a moving and inspirational film. It will be followed by a discussion led by Ryan Crane, from One Iowa.

We would very much like to have a strong showing of people of faith at this event. Please advertise this to your congregations and pass the flyer to other people you think might be interested. I also encourage you to send the information to friends and colleagues who are questioning where they stand on the issue of homosexuality.

I look forward to seeing you and representatives from your communities.

Thank you!

Melisabeth Wright

Faithful Voices Project Coordinator

Interfaith Alliance of Iowa

PO Box 41086 Des Moines, IA 50310

(515)279-8715

www.faithfulvoices.org

www.interfaithallianceiowa.org

Pastoral Update

Heather's step-dad, Dave Perry passed away on May 4, 2010. The following services and events are planned for this coming week:

· Visitation – Tuesday, May 18, 5 – 8 pm at Nazareth Lutheran Church, 7401 University Ave, Cedar Falls

· Funeral – Wednesday, May 19, 3 pm at Nazareth Lutheran Church, 7401 University Ave, Cedar Falls

· Perry Benefit Salsa Party – Friday, May 21, 7 – 10 pm at the UUSBHC, 3912 Cedar Heights Dr, Cedar Falls. This event will include salsa dancing lessons provided by Heather Flory, a silent auction showcasing Dave's photography and Floralyn's jewelry, hors d'oeuvres and fellowship. The suggested donation for the event is $10 per person / $20 per family, with proceeds going to help the Perry family with medical and other expenses. If anyone would like to help by bringing food or beverage to the event, please contact Heather at heather.flory@yahoo.com.

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

5/7/10 Weekly Update

This blustery, rainy, cool weekend brings us to an Annual Event for UU Congregations around the country, and even the world. The Flower Communion is celebrated at different times of year in different churches, but almost every church has fallen in love with the special symbolism and quiet strength that the flower communion symbolizes. First created by Norbert Capek, a Czech Unitarian minister serving in Prague at the time of WWII, he felt compelled to create a way to invite is congregation to find some small measure of hope in times that were very dark indeed. He asked everyone to look about and bring to Sunday service a flower, or a spray of flowers from a tree, or even a simple stick if that's all you could find. As people brought them up the offered their symbol of hope to the community at the altar. And then at the end of the service, each person came forward to take a flower, to remind them that we each do provide hope for each other. This is the very nature of belonging to a church. Norbert Capek didn't survive the war to share this ritual with us, but his wife later came to the US and shared the ritual with her local Unitarian congregation. And it has spread from church to church as we all accept with joy the simple message of hope that flowers, gift of a fellow church member can bring.

See you in church!

Sunday 5/9/10

8:30 am Music Rehearsal (sanctuary)

8:30 am Teachers' Tea (fellowship hall)

9:30 am Service "Festival Sunday: Spring is Busting Out All Over"
The Festival Team & Maureen Murphy as Worship Associate.
Join Rev. Eva for our annual Flower communion service. Please bring a flower to share (either from your garden or purchased) as we honor the place of hope in our hearts. New Member Welcome ceremony. And the choir is singing!

10:45 am Fellowship Time

Today, during our fellowship time, we are honoring all of the new members who have joined us since last summer. Please join us after the service and welcome our newest UU's. There will be cake!

11:00 am Children's Chapel

11:15 am Sunday School for children & youth

11:15 am Adult Classes

Sixty for Six: We will be introduced to Ken Atkinson.

Circle Way: Join us to celebrate Beltane. Anyone wish to help with the May pole?

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)

6:15 pm Adult Choir

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

Artistic Fun Workshop

7:30 pm Theoretical String Band

Thursday

7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)

Saturday

6:30 pm UU Card Club

Other items

UU's in Nashville TN and KY face flooding

Right now, Unitarian Universalists (UU) in Nashville, TN and Kentucky
are currently facing a devastating crisis and need your support.
Dan Rosemergy, minister of Greater Nashville UU Church, and Gail Seavey, minister of the First UU Church of Nashville, are reporting that a number of their congregants' homes and life possessions have been washed away in the recent flood. Many of them do not have flood insurance to replace and repair their lives. They are living with family and friends, in hotels, or in other accommodations while the extent of the damage is being assessed. In tragedies like this, community support is critical to recovery. As members of this faith community, please help these individuals deal with the anguish of devastating loss and rebuild their lives by making a donation to the Tennessee and Kentucky Flood Relief Fund at the
following URL: http://bit.ly/bR5NbC
Its purpose is to bring practical financial assistance, ministry, and spiritual care to those affected by the tragic floods. Gifts will
demonstrate to the affected congregations and their members that they are not alone during this challenging time. This fund is a partnership among the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Thomas Jefferson District, the Mid-South District, Greater Nashville UU Church, and the First UU Church of Nashville.
Please give generously at http://bit.ly/bR5NbC Thank you.

PHOTOS ANYONE? General Assembly is coming soon! We've been asked to collect digital photos of UUs in Prairie Star District, to show on Wednesday evening before the Opening Ceremony begins. Photos of church buildings would be okay, but the GA Planning Committee is really hoping for photos of PSD UUs at various events - having fun, at social justice events, etc. Send two or three of your favorite pictures to District Executive Nancy Heege at nheege@psduua.org

"IN THE SHADOW OF THE RAID" -- A segment of this Frontline documentary will air on Tuesday, May 11 at 9:00pm on Iowa Public
Television. This documentary examines how the biggest immigration raid in US history severed an economic lifeline to one of
the poorest corners of the Western Hemisphere, pushing an Iowa farm town to the brink of collapse and family members in
Guatemala further into poverty.

POSTVILLE ANNIVERSARY PRAYER SERVICE -- The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Task Force of Northeast Iowa will sponsor a
prayer service for immigrants and immigration reform on Wednesday, May 12, starting at 7:00pm in downtown Waterloo. The
prayer service will mark the second anniversary of the raid on the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa, on May 12, 2008.
The prayer service will begin in Lincoln Park and end with a walk and prayer at the Black Hawk County jail. For
information, contact Sr. Kathleen Grace at 319-504-9093.

WEATHERIZATION PROJECT (NEW DATE/LOCATION) -- The date of the community weatherization project co-sponsored by the Catholic Parishes in Waterloo and Green Iowa AmeriCorps has been changed to Saturday, May 29. The day will begin at 9:00am with a training workshop in Scallon Hall at Queen of Peace Parish. Then volunteers from the parishes will join AmeriCorp volunteers in weatherizing local homes. To volunteer contact Dave Cushing at 319-234-9912.

Pastoral Update

Ralph Burr is having exploratory surgury today to see if the heart stent he had put in last fall has failed, after a period of not feeling very well. Please give him support if you can, especially since he lives alone. You can call him at 215-2463 (cell) or 277-2271 (home). He may need some help with yard work, or other chores for a while. I'll keep you posted as I know more about his health. I'm sure he'd welcome cards: Ralph Burr, 932 W 12th St Cedar Falls IA 50613

Heather Flory's step-father died this past week. Please hold her, and her mother Floralyn in your thoughts and prayers. Condolence cards and notes can be sent to: Heather Flory, 16504 Vista Ave, Dike IA 50624

And/or Floralyn Flory, HCR 68, Box 7340 Hartshorn, MO 65479

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