From the Minister, Thu Aug 23

This what CUUC exsts for: to carry out its mission -- to nurture each other in our spiritual journeys; foster compassion and understanding within and beyond our community, and engage in service to transform ourselves and our world. Spirituality, compassion, and service.

These aren't three things, but just one thing. To foster compassion and understanding requires both nurturing our spirituality and serving others. To nurture each other in our spiritual journeys requires both fostering compassion and understanding and engaging together in service to the wider world. To truly serve others requires spiritual maturity, compassion, and understanding.

The work of our SJTs -- Social Justice Teams -- both flows from our spiritual depth, and flows back to strengthen and support our spiritual development. Social justice work is spiritual practice. And spiritual practice increases our interest in social justice work.

We are starting our 4th year of Social Justice Teams, and we have more of them than ever: Animal Advocacy, Economic Justice, Environmental Practices, Hunger and Homelessness, LGBTQIA Justice, Racial Justice, Refugee Resettlement, Women's Issues. Those eight are described on our webpage HERE. In addition, we have two more new ones that, as of this writing, aren't mentioned on our webpage yet: Gun control (contact Emily Economou) and Children's Issues (contact Terry Kung). That's a total of ten!

Each SJT has:

• one chair, or two co-chairs;
• five core leaders (the chair plus four others, or the two co-chairs plus three others)
• active members
• "on-call" members (no commitment to come to any meetings, but willing to be called upon when there's a big project that needs as many people as possible)

Some of our SJTs are looking for another core leader or two. Can you step up?

All of our SJTs welcome more active members. Which issue most calls to you as how you'd like to serve?

And if you just aren't able to be an active member, I hope you'll put yourself on the "on call" list for one or two of our SJTs.

Nurture your spirit . . . by helping to heal our world.

Help heal our world . . . by nurturing your spirit.

Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith

The Liberal Pulpit / New this week:

• When Truth Stopped Mattering ("Truth: Who Needs It?" pt 2)
  
• If You Want Truth, Build Trust ("Truth: Who Needs It?" pt 3)
• Poetry Celebration: Nikki Giovanni, part 1

Index of past sermons: HERE.
Index of other reflections: HERE.
Videos of sermons are on the Liberal Pulpit Youtube Channel: HERE

Practice of the Week: It Comes Down To: Don't Be Stuck on Yourself / Let go of that and open up. Think of others. Try to do something to make them happy. Anything! Something like, “Hello, how are you?” And mean it. This is a way to assess your practice as you go along, a question to ask yourself on a regular basis: Am I less stuck on myself, more available to others than I used to be? Am I thinking positively and generously...READ MORE.

Your Moment of Zen: Not Playing Favorites / Woodpecker flew over to Vinecot, and there was the stick leaning against the corner of the porch. She called out, "Hello! Hello!" Grandma came to the door. Woodpecker said, "Is that your stick?" Grandma said, "You can take it away with you if you like." Woodpecker said, "I heard that you wouldn't give it to Raven." Grandma said, "I still wouldn't." Woodpecker then flew back to Raven...READ MORE
Zen at CUUC: Sat Aug 25