The North Wall Art Space is now showcasing the work of photographer Rob Larson. Rob captures subtle reflections, motion, shadows, light, contrast and texture as it occurs in nature. Unassisted by photo editing software the photos present real life images as abstract art. Rob’s goal is to use his camera as the impressionist and abstract artists used their paint brushes. His images are available for sale either framed or as prints.
Each month, a member of the board will share a reflection on the Soul Matters monthly theme. The theme for March is Resistance. This month’s post is offered by Janna Sperry Sundby.
As we move from “vulnerability” to “resistance” in our Soul Matters theme for the month of April, I wondered if those two ideas would sit side by side on a shelf, like bookends, and what might be held up between them.
Recently, I’d been sick for a few weeks and was not able to diagnose myself, and I was very resistant to go to my doctor. The resistance was in part because I had done a planned video meeting with her the day I returned from vacation. We were checking on some meds, a new one I started and one I was taking less of, and I said I wasn’t feeling too great but wasn’t sure why. She said I was likely experiencing “vacation depression,” which is a real thing—Google it. Continue reading →
This week’s message explores how vulnerability can be an act of resistance in a troubled world. Rev. Lisa invites us to choose something vulnerable to nurture in this fragile season of rebirth.
Click on the picture above to view.
Our annual UUCM Stewardship Campaign, “Warmth of Community, Fire of Commitment,” is now underway until April 30, 2023.
Watch this three-minute video introduction and get more details in the Stewardship Information Packet.
In the recent congregational listening sessions, many of you described “community” as one of UUCM’s great strengths. Community fosters a sense of welcoming and belonging, creates a space for spiritual growth, and generates the energy for shared action in the wider world. During this campaign, we are asking you to make a financial pledge in support of the continued growth of our UUCM community and its ministry. The key to success for the campaign is participation, and pledges of all sizes are welcome. If many of our members and friends join the campaign, we will meet our goals of receiving 125 pledges totaling $385,000.
To learn about the campaign, please review the details in the Stewardship Information Packet. You may also want to attend a Stewardship Information Session to be held via Zoom at 7:00pm on April 12th and 17th, and in-person after the worship service on April 16. Come discuss current activities at UUCM and hear more about the budget and plans for the 2023-24 church year. Watch the Friday Update email for details.
When you have made your decision, please use the online form or the paper form in the packet to make your pledge. Then, we would also like you to provide valuable feedback by completing the 15-minute Congregational Survey
Again, please respond by April 30 th . If you have questions, please contact Fred Hulting. Thank you for your support of our “Warmth of Community, Fire of Commitment” campaign!
During this church year, I’ve had the wonderful good fortune to serve and learn as your Ministerial Intern here at UUCM. As Fred Hulting described in a recent post, the purpose of a congregational internship is for the intern to pursue their learning goals and develop ministerial skills in a supportive congregation with an experienced supervisor. Interns do that by gaining experience in the various functions of parish ministry, regularly reflecting on our strengths and growth areas, and developing our ministerial identity and our spiritual and theological grounding for ministry.
I could not have asked for a better internship site than UUCM. This is a uniquely warm, caring, and supportive community, open to new ideas and reflective conversations. Rev. Lisa is not only an excellent model, but also a highly respected and skillful mentor. We meet weekly for supervision time, in which we reflect together on how my work and learning are going. Rev. Lisa has a great gift for asking insightful questions that have helped me find my authentic voice and grow into the role of minister.
A congregational internship is one of the requirements for candidates seeking to become Unitarian Universalist ministers through the Unitarian Universalist Association’s credentialing system. By being a teaching congregation, UUCM serves the larger UU faith community in the important work of developing future ministers who will serve in our church and our communities for decades to come.
At the beginning of an internship, the intern and supervisor create a Learning and Service Agreement, which spells out overall learning goals and areas of focus. I also identified particular activities under each of the seven competency areas that the UUA evaluates. (In case you’re curious, the seven competency areas are: Worship and Rites of Passage, Pastoral Care and Presence, Spiritual Development for Self and Others, Social Justice in the Public Square, Administration, Serves the Larger Unitarian Universalist Faith, and Leads the Faith into the Future).
Examples of my activities this year include creating and leading the Animal Blessing Service last fall, preaching once a month on the Soul Matters theme, creating Poetry and Pie night, and working closely with the Housing Justice team on publicly advocating for rental assistance legislation. Working with Karen on creating the “Wall of Love” during February is a highlight for me, as an interactive and intergenerational opportunity for our community to reflect on Love, a central theme of our faith.
Interns also meet regularly with an Internship Committee. My committee have been wonderful supporters, reflection partners, and providers of feedback throughout the year. Feedback is crucial for learning and development, and I welcome your thoughts! To share feedback on any of my work this year, please reach out to me directly or to one of the internship committee members: Sue Fust, Karen Hulting, Steve Sundby, Joyce Tregaskis, and Brook Wheeler.
Thank you, UUCM, for choosing to be a teaching congregation and for all the ways you support the internship program. It is here in this internship that I have truly begun to know myself as a minister, with my own authentic voice and style. It is here, among you dear UUCMers, that I have found deep confirmation of my call and deep joy in the work of ministry. Gratitude abounds!
UUCM Happenings 