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
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
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
Wednesday5:00 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
Thursday7:30 pm Buddhist Path (balcony)
Friday7:30 pm Community Drum Circle
Saturday4:00 – 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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