UUCGV NEWS
Welcome to the month of
Story Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley — Newsletter
From Our Minister, Reverend Wendy Jones Do not judge my story by the chapter you walked in on.
May 2021
We are an affiliated congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Mountain Desert District of the UUA.
~ Author Unknown May is the month of stories. What are the stories we tell ourselves? If you think of your own life as a story, which chapter would you be in in your own story of life?
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I wonder, if somebody were to look at my life as a whole would it be a romance novel, a drama, a science fiction tragedy, a comedy? What are the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves? What are the stories we tell ourselves about others? Is the story of our life that we are telling ourselves and others one that we want to continue writing, or is it time for a new plot?
We are a Welcoming Congregation
(Continued on page 2)
In This Issue
#grandvalleyuu
A Place for Liberal Spirituality
Diverse Thought and Community Action
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Among Us 1-3 Children/Youth Religious Education 6, 10-11 Leadership 13 Revelations 4 Community 5, 8-9, & 14 Worship Calendar 7 Calendar 15
(Continued from page 1)
Or . . . do we want to put the book down and write a completely different novel starting over with a new chapter one? Who are the protagonists in our life stories, who are the antagonists? Who are our support characters? Are there any characters needing to be gracefully written out of our stories? If so, do we have the courage to do that? What were some of your favorite stories from childhood? Do you still read them occasionally? If so, do they bring you the same sense of magic and joy? If not, what changed? We had one of the chaplains from Hope West come speak to our chaplaincy class a few weeks ago. She told her story about completely changing her career and going to seminary to become at priest at age 63. When I asked this person if she ever considered her age as a factor in charting this new course, she looked at me and said, “I knew I was going to be this age anyways, so I decided I might as well enjoy what I’m doing when I get there.” Indeed, it is never too late to write a new story, change the characters in our own novel, or start over all together. All it takes is a little imagination and the courage to create a new plot. With Love, Rev. Wendy
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From UUCGV Director of Music, Miriam Deming Each of us has a story, and music is such a wonderful way to share it. I've always been amazed at music's ability to move us, with or without words. The fact that people from all around the world can listen to a piece of music and all feel the underlying emotion shows how music can transcend all boundaries. Many people who have described near death experiences have recounted hearing the most lovely music that communicated complete love and beauty. A part of the storytelling nature of music is the need each individual has to be recognized, to have our stories be known. I think we can all relate, in some form, to the lyrics of the song Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls: "And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am." Music expresses who we are and lets us feel known. I challenge you this month to send a song that you feel expresses who you are to choir@grandvalleyuu.org (with or without an explanation on why it speaks to you). I hope to compile and share some of these. And if you want more opportunities to come express yourself musically, please come check out the UUCGV Choir! We are currently still in need of all voice parts and will be singing until the end of June, so it's not too late to join us on Wednesday evenings, from 6:308pm. Also, please join the information meeting on May 3rd at 7pm on Zoom (link to be included in the weekly e-mail) if your kids (1st grade and above) are interested in sharing their musical gifts in our Youth Choir / Modern Band, or if you would like to help with this adventure. We welcome you to share your musical story with us in whatever way speaks (or sings) to you! Miriam Deming UUCGV Choir Director 3
Revelations This is a monthly column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us. This month Monte used his talents to create a beautiful poem for us. I love our little, mighty community, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley – how we stand for one another and for what we stand for in the community at large – linking loving arms and waltzing our way into peace. We support one another in so many ways – with our Care Team that helps members in need with services such as providing meals or rides, with worship services that lift our spirits with inspiring sermons and participation in song, by joining small groups and listening to and sharing our stories, by listening deeply to one another and accepting and cherishing our differences and encouraging one another, or by simply being together. We may be small in numbers, yet we are a force in the Grand Valley – whether it be supporting the local homeless and low-income population, sending food to the Navajo nation or advocating and activating peace and justice. Our building is (pre and post pandemic) a hub for nonprofits and those who come together to join forces and organize for peace and justice, and for helping those in need. Many of you have not heard the story of our UU Congregation’s history, how we wandered around in the desert for 40 years (actually, closer to 60) until we found our home. The first UU group started up in the 1950s. They met in people’s homes. Since that time our foremothers have met in multiple buildings around the Valley, sharing space with different churches and organizations. The group changed their name a few times, and the number of members fluctuated. They even disbanded for a couple years in the 1970s, only to rise from the ashes and thrive like never before. Most recently we rented a building close to 10th and Grand, and then moved to share space with the Congregational church across from Grand Junction high school. Our weekly worship service was held on Sunday evening. During our time at the Congregational church, we began searching for a building that we could buy, with a mortgage we could afford. After inspecting and touring three different locations that didn’t quite work out, an intriguing prospect arose. The Downtown library was selling a building across the street that it used mainly for storage. The building began as a credit union. It had a drive-up window, a vault in the middle of the building that ran from the first floor down into the basement, and a conveyor system in the middle of the main room that hauled books from the basement. How in the world could this possibly work? Yet, the building had a strong foundation. The location was outstanding. And the imagination of our building team members was amazing – if we knock this wall down… and we put up a wall here… remove the conveyor belt and the drive-up window… put in a lift… a sound system… a kitchen and classrooms in the basement… With the help of a generous donor, we were able to get a loan. Some of the work had to be contracted out, but much of it was done by congregants. Thousands of hours of volunteer time went into the remodeling of our building. Many of our congregants poured their blood, sweat and tears into the renovation. Though the work continued, and continues to this day, at long last, in June of 2014 we moved into the building and held our first worship service. Such a beautiful space! A place of our own, a place we could truly call home. 4
Candlelight vigil in memory of George Floyd May 25, 2021
Black Citizens and Friends (BCF) is hosting candlelight vigil on the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, on May 25th at the Federal Building in Grand Junction at 7:00pm. Part of the program will be short comments by representatives of various groups in the Grand Valley.
Spring cleaning? Downsizing? Have unique items you no longer use? Donate them to UUCGV’s Annual Yard Sale! We are having an in-person, socially distanced, outdoor yard sale in our parking lot on Friday, June 11th. Email administrator@grandvalleyuu.org to arrange for drop off details for your donation items.
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Message from the DRE By Chelsea E. Craine, Director of Religious Education for Children and Youth This month we explore and celebrate what it means to be a people of story. For many of us, the word story may carry a connotation of imaginary or nonreal characters and events related purely for entertainment. I believe that while this kind of story is valuable and more influential than we realize, it is in fact only one type of story, and is not even the kind most common in our lives. Each of us has our own unique life story: where we have been, with whom we have interacted, what we have done. The dozens of stories that make up the lives of the people in this congregation all weave together and intersect to create the story of our church. The thousands of stories in the Grand Valley all intertwine to create the story of our larger community. Billions of stories come together to create our global narrative. And the infinite stories which came before us and will come after us are part of that too. A small tug on the string of any one story creates ripples which affect the threads that make up other people’s lives. A change in hue on one strand brings out different elements of contrast in those around it. When one line is shortened, another grows to take its place. May we take this month to consciously choose what kind of stories we tell to ourselves and others. May we find the insight to acknowledge the effects of our small stories on the larger web of life. Love and Light, Chelsea
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Soulful Sundays Welcome to the month of STORY May 2nd Inattentional Blindness (Auction Sermon) Rev. Wendy Jones
May 9th Divine Beauty Rev. Wendy Jones
May 16th Stories Rev. Wendy Jones
May 23rd RE Sunday - - Bridging Ceremony Chelsea E. Craine May 30th Memorial Day- - Honoring Our Veterans Richard Hyland 7
Important Dates in Religious Education Our Amazing Night Sky Friday, May 7th, 9:00pm-10:00pm Please join us at Little Park Trailhead to view celestial bodies and constellations through a telescope and enjoy the beauty of our evening sky. If we are lucky, we may catch some of the Eta Aquarid meteor showers! Teacher Appreciation Gift-Making Saturday, May 15th, 10:00am-11:00am Children and youth are invited to UUCGV to make gifts of appreciation for our wonderful RE teachers as our RE year draws to a close. These volunteers have kept our program alive in a very challenging year, come show them some love! Youth Group! Sunday, May 16th, 6:00pm-8:00pm All middle and high school aged youth are invited to join us for an evening of service and social activity. We will make bag lunches for the Grand Junction Mutual Aid distribution on Tuesday, May 18th. These lunches feed hungry community members in need as well as the volunteers who run the distribution. After making the lunches, we will talk, play games, and/or plan our next social event!
RE Sunday Picnic at Lincoln Park Sunday, May 23rd, 12:30pm-2:30pm Come join us for an afternoon of picnic and play with your UUCGV friends. We will gather at the Elm shelter in Lincoln park (the one closer to the playground, NOT where we had our Easter picnic). Bring your own picnic lunch and a dessert to share. Drinks will be provided. Sidewalk chalk, frisbees, balls, and water balloons will be provided (you may want to bring a swimsuit). Can’t wait to see you there! Photo Challenge: Story May is our month of exploring what it means to be a people of story. As you consider this, take pictures inspired by the theme and send them (with a brief caption if desired) to dre@grandvalleyuu.org by Friday, May 28th to be included in the slideshow during the service on Sunday, May 30th. This slideshow will combine the May theme of Story with the April theme of Becoming, so feel free to send pictures along that theme as well. and ideas are you committed to? What
changes are you committed to seeing in the world? How does your 8 conscience influence your commitments? March is our month of exploring what it means to be a people of commitment. As you consider this, take pictures inspired by the theme and send them
May - STORY Sunday, May 2nd - Stories Remind Us Who We Are: As Unitarian Universalists UU congregations share a lot of attributes, but at the same time, no two UU communities are the same. And often their uniqueness is rooted in a very particular event in their history. Story is what keeps that event alive, and even more importantly, story is what enables that event to become the glue that binds the community together. Sunday, May 9th - Stories Remind Us of Who We Are: As a Family (Mother’s/ Mama’s Day) Too often, one single dominant vision of family crowds out the many other forms that families take. Stories help correct that. They help us celebrate the many diverse forms of family and affirm the beauty of our own unique family form! Sunday, May 16th - Stories Remind Us Who We Are: As Anti-Racists Our faith teaches us that stories and storytelling is a very important part of fighting racism. For instance, racial justice leaders remind us that the work - and story - of anti-racism is never over; we are always in the middle of the story. Racial justice leaders also remind us that we need to reclaim and retell ALL the stories of our history so everyone’s experience is honored and so our country lives in a true story (even if it is a painful one to accept). And we are also reminded that there are things we can do to alter and interrupt hurtful stories by changing people’s minds, perspectives and ways of treating each other. NO RE - Sunday, May 23rd - RE Sunday: All Ages Service We enter into a 3-week break from RE as we prepare to launch our in-person summer RE program on June 11th! This week the service is all about our 2020-2021 year in RE, and children are invited to help lead integral parts of the service. To participate in the music for the service, come to the UU on Wednesday May 5th, 12th, and 19th from 6:00pm-7:00pm to sing together (we will record our music on the 19th). If your child (ren) is interested in reading centering words, telling a story, or sharing another talent for RE Sunday, please email dre@grandvalleyuu.org. NO RE - Sunday, May 30th - Memorial Day Weekend Still on break from RE, but stay tuned for our awesome gardening program launching on Sunday, June 11th! “Be open and trust what unfolds.”
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Goddess Group Join the UUCGV Goddess Group as we discover the hidden forces within. All who identify as women are welcome to join us at any or all of the dates below. We meet monthly on the 4th Thursday, at 6:30 pm via Zoom. We will meet next on May 27th. As women, we are stronger together through support and love. Each meeting you will expect sisterhood, exploration of a particular chakra, a meditation and a whole lot'a love. For more information contact Barbara Beth by emailing works90@hotmail.com. Go to www.grandvalleyuu.org/goddess-group for the Zoom link.
Black Canyon Discussion Group
We are now over the toughest part of winter and hopefully the toughest part of Covid. Time to restart the discussion group meetings. The first meeting for this year will be at 5:30 PM Weds. May 5 on the central covered benches in Cedaredge Park to the left off of west main street. Bring your own food and drink. Topic will be: "How the Covid Pandemic has affected meaningful life events for you". Weather is expected to be 70 degrees and partly sunny. Address questions to E Heuscher 970-856-4226.
Laughter Yoga!!! 9:30 am each Wednesday. We will be meeting at the NE section of Sherwood Park, across from 1460 E. Sherwood Drive. 10
Aging Graciously Aging Graciously will meet next on Thursday, May 20, 1:00 pm at 536 Ouray Ave. We will have chairs arranged six feet apart and we ask that you please wear a mask or a face shield, both will be provided.
Silent Meditation for Healing Our World Join us at the church on Wednesdays at 10:30am for 20-30 minutes of silent meditation for healing our world. We will have chairs arranged six feet apart and we ask that you please bring a mask.
Native American COVID Crisis Food Drive Sandy Dorr, Sally Crum, Tim Kral and Teri Roth are all holding a Native American Food drive, our last of the season, Tuesday, May 4th at UUCGV Our great partners, G.J. Mutual Aid, will once again gather curbside donations 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tim and Teri will drive a truck of donations to Dennehotso, Arizona, on the Navajo reservation near Mexican Water, where elderly Navajos and others have been struggling to obtain food. We’ll also be packing trucks to return to Bluff, where a phenomenal distribution center is getting supplies to the Navajo, Hopi and Ute nations. The need is still very great. We can help. We need food and especially other contributions, listed below. We also need VOLUNTEERS for Tuesday, for an hour or more anytime in the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. window. (The CMU students who normally help out Mutual Aid are on break next week). Please let me know if you can come help with getting boxes, boxing up, or loading donations, a little cleanup or even driving to Bluff (expenses covered). Thank you so much. Please contact Sandy: braidedstory@gmail.com or 4336800. FOOD & SUPPLY LIST: SPAM, Vienna sausage, corned beef hash, canned beef stew, other kinds of stew, chicken soup, other canned soups, canned veggies (corn, beans, peas, etc.), canned or dry pinto beans, canned fruits (peaches are a favorite). Please make sure canned donations are not expired! OTHER ITEMS: Emergency-C, Alka Seltzer Cold, Vicks Vapo Rub, cough drops, kids’ vitamins, Vitamins C, D and E, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant spray, & multi-purpose cleaner/household cleaner, liquid or bar soap, laundry soap, Bounce, wash cloths, dish towels, hand/body lotion. Material, masks also needed. (Carol’s donated a huge bag of rice; ask your local merchants if they’ll donate food, too.) A grand thanks. 11
From UUCGV Board President, Elizabeth High I was recently contemplating: Why is it that some groups or projects grow and thrive, while others falter and disappear? While the answer is complex, I believe that a key element of thriving groups is that people value their personal relationships with each other. In addition to whatever hard work the group is doing, they also have fun. And each person feels that they belong and are a valued member of the group. We are all so busy these days, it is easy to get pulled into a “get down to business because that is all that we have time for” mindset. And yet, if we remember the moments that felt meaningful and brought us joy over the past few years, isn’t it often those moments when we felt connected to others? How do we help groups we are part of elevate the value of loving relationships? If the group is a part of UUCGV, then regularly rereading our UUCGV Covenant of Right Relations can give us inspiration and clues to attitudes and actions that we each can each cultivate. For example, wouldn’t most of us enjoy being part of a group in which members strive to “to express sincere appreciation for each other as we recognize our human fallibility, while maintaining a sense of humor as we live through both difficult and joyous times together”? We are seeing a light at the end of the COVID tunnel and hoping for a return to more in-person gatherings before long. As we move in that direction, let’s celebrate the fun, beauty, AND challenges of the various friendships and bonds we each have or are building within others in our congregation. Let us also take guidance and inspiration from our UUCGV Covenant of Right Relations: Each of us, as members of this Beloved Community, do covenant: to live as a caring community, actively supporting each other in our spiritual values as expressed in our UU principles and sources of faith;
to work together respectfully, remaining honest and direct in our communication in order to draw wisdom from both our commonalities and our diversities; to share our gifts generously in order to contribute to the development and growth of our community; to live, teach and demonstrate our UU tradition so that we pass a rich inheritance into the caring hands of future generations;
• to express sincere appreciation for each other as we recognize our human fallibility, while maintaining a sense of humor as we live through both difficult and joyous times together.
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2020-21 Leadership Board President Elizabeth High Vice President Laurel Carpenter Past President Janet Cummings Treasurer Sue Brown At-Large Melissa Humphrey At-Large Richard Hyland At-Large Abby Leinbach
Team Leadership Circle (TLC) Worship Robin Cyr Religious Education (RE) Jan Hyland Membership Bill Conrod Celebrations Mary Delbecq At-Large Angie Ecker At-Large Laura Jeffries
Living Into Leadership Board Highlights
TLC Highlights
The Board's primary responsibility is to carry out the UUCGV mission through wise governance of the physical, financial, administrative program, and operational resources of the Congregation.
TLC maintains the Programs of the church and the church calendar and hold on close to the Mission, Vision, and Principles of UUCGV.
Below are the highlights of the Board meeting held on Thursday, April 8, 2021 Our UUCGV Board will meet again on Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 7:00 pm. We welcome and seek direct dialogue with members and friends of our congregation.
TLC communicates with each other and the board about the day-to-day operations of the church and provides support to the teams if they need it. TLC meets the second Tuesday of the month at noon. The TLC met on Tuesday, April 14, 2021.
If you would like to discuss a matter at the Board meeting, please contact Board President Elizabeth High at elizabethahigh3@gmail.com by May 7th, 2021
TLC will meet again on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 12:00 pm.
COVID-19 Policy: The board had a long discussion of possible modifications to our COVID-19 Policy to accommodate small groups that would like to meet at our facility without masks. It was decided to add face shields to our COVID-19 Policy by amending item 2 to read, “All attendees wear a mask unless in a group of 10 people or less, at which time individuals can choose to wear a face shield instead of a mask.”
The following was discussed at the meeting. Email tlc@grandvalleyuu.org for questions and comments.
Safety Team: A conversation around what types of security general “safety” practices will be implemented when it is time to begin meeting in person again. A number of ideas were discussed.
UUCGV Yard Sale: We have scheduled an outdoor yard sale for Friday June 11th. If you would like to help with this outdoor event please let Angie Ecker know.
Religious Education: RE Sunday will be on May 23. Following the worship service, we will have a fun picnic at Lincoln park. We will be at the shelter near the playground. RE classes will be outdoors this summer in the community garden.
Worship: We are continuing to offer a hybrid Sunday morning worship model. While we are not officially back to inperson services, the doors are unlocked and about 10 people having been opting to come to the church in person.
Stewardship Update: 50% of pledge cards are turned in, for a total of 50% of amount pledged last year. If you haven’t filled out and returned your pledge card yet please do so as soon as possible.
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GJ Mutual Aid Food & Resource Distribution (970) 316-2019 Every Tuesday at 536 Ouray Ave, Grand Junction, CO 10 am – 1pm drop off. 11am - 1:30 pm pick-up Due to heightened COVID restrictions, strict safety guidelines are being followed in order to keep our guests and volunteers safe. In person human resources are now being scheduled by appointment only, these include Barkley's Hope for dog/cat vaccinations, GV Peace & Justice & Vote Positive for resource navigation, Solidarity Not Charity for street outreach, 970 Medicare & Seguros Pa'ti for health insurance plans. Non-perishable foods and fresh produce are still available through our partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies and Catholic Outreach Soup Kitchen. Pre-made food boxes are being delivered to veterans as well as low income & senior housing. Find Grand Junction Mutual Aid on Facebook! If you'd like to make an urgently needed tax deductible donation, please go to www.MutualAidPartners.org _____________________________________________________________ Can you donate 50 sandwiches? Or 50 bags of chips? Or 50 pieces of fruit? Or 50 drinks? Help UUCGV provide sack lunches for Mutual Aid on 6/11/2021 Items will be collected at UUCGV during office hours. Sack lunches will be assembled and distributed on the second Tuesday of each month from 10am-2pm, during the Grand Junction Mutual Aid weekly distribution event. Thank you for contributing! Look for the sign up link in the weekly email. 14
UUCGV Calendar
May
Worship Schedule Worship Services are held Sundays at 10:30 am via Zoom
2021 Sunday 2
Monday 3
9:30 Children’s RE via Zoom 10:30 Worship Via Zoom
9 9:30 Children’s RE via Zoom 10:30 Worship Via Zoom
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10
Tuesday 4
5
10:00 GJ Mutual Aid
9:30 Laughter Yoga @ Sherwood 10:30 Meditation 5:30 RE Team 6:00 Kids Make Music! 6:30 Adult Choir
11 10:00 GJ Mutual Aid
12:00 Finance 12:00 TLC
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9:30 Children’s RE via Zoom 10:30 Worship Via Zoom
12
7
Saturday 8
9:00pm Our Amazing Night Sky on the Monument 13
14
20
10:00 GJ Mutual Aid
9:30 Laughter Yoga @ Sherwood 10:30 Meditation 6:00 Kids Make Music!
June Newsletter Deadline
15 8:30 UU Serves at the Soup Kitchen
9:30 Laughter Yoga @ Sherwood 10:30 Meditation 6:00 Kids Make Music! 6:30 Adult Choir 7:00 Board
19
24
25
26
10:00 GJ Mutual Aid
9:30 Laughter Yoga @ Sherwood 10:30 Meditation
12:30 RE Sunday Picnic at Lincoln Park
10:30 Worship Via Zoom
6
Friday
10:00 Teacher Appreciation Gift-Making
21
22
28
29
4
5
1:00 Aging Gracefully
6:30 Adult Choir
10:30 Worship Via Zoom
30
Thursday
18
6:00 Youth Group! 23
Wednesday
Please Remember that all meetings & events MUST be scheduled through the administrator (257-0772) or administrator@grandvalleyuu.org. See full calendar, renters and all, at grandvalleyuu.org/calendar.
31
27
6:30 Adult Choir
6:30 Goddess Group via Zoom
1
2
3
10:00 GJ Mutual Aid
9:30 Laughter Yoga @ Sherwood 10:30 Meditation 6:30 Adult Choir 15
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley P.O. Box 1053 Grand Junction, CO 81502
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 118 GRAND JUNCTION, CO “Return Service Requested”
“Vitally Inclusive Justice-Centered Spiritually Alive”
Minister: Rev. Wendy Jones 257-0772 x2 or minister@grandvalleyuu.org Church Administrator: Maya Kraushaar 257-0772 x1 or administrator@grandvalleyuu.org Director of Religious Education: Chelsea E. Craine 257-0772 x3 or dre@grandvalleyuu.org
Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.
Music Director: Miriam Deming music@grandvalleyuu.org
536 Ouray Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501
- Jean Luc Godard
www.grandvalleyuu.org Find us on Facebook & Instagram @grandvalleyuu
We meet via Zoom on Sundays at 10:30 am for Worship
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