“Paying Attention”
is our March theme
Put your attention on suffering – which is constant and everywhere – and it is all you will see. joy will come, and laughter, but you will find it brief, possibly a distraction.
Put your attention on joy, being connected and feeling whole, and you will find it everywhere. your heart will still break. you will know grief. but you will find it a reasonable cost for the random abundance of miracles, and the soft wild rhythms of love.
Next Service
March 15 at 11:00 am
“Spirituality in Mathematics” Led by: Cory Page
In person or live on Facebook.
Announcements
From Rev. Dan: Nik Joly, a former prominent transgender leader in Jackson’s LGBTQ+ community, died suddenly from natural causes on February 25th. For those who are interested, his funeral will be on March 14 at 11:00 with visitation at 10:00 at St. John’s UCC on South Mechanic St. in Jackson. A lunch will follow.
Mother’s Day Service: Sunday, May 10th is Mother’s Day. Do you have a story to share about your mother, or perhaps a story about someone who was like a mother to you? Maybe you have a story to share about being a mom. Maybe you are a dog or cat mom! If you have a story, we would love to hear it. Photos would be an amazing addition. Please let Patty Brue know if you would like to participate at bruecrew@sbcglobal.net or 517-740-1684.
Lunch with the minister: Rev. Dan has been hosting regular monthly small group discussions over lunch. These discussions are not structured and don’t require any outside work. Just come and chat and connect. The next gathering will be Friday, March 27 at 12:30 at the Bone Island Grill in Vandercook.
New Adult RE Offering: Rev. Dan will be offering a three-month Adult RE class beginning in late March using a new curriculum offering from the folks at Soul Matters called Practice Matters. This curriculum is designed to support spiritual practice curiosity by learning and doing. In other words, Practice Matters doesn’t just explain the featured spiritual practices; it helps people experience them and the deeper invitations to which they point.
Each session provides background about a particular spiritual practice, teases out how the practice speaks to universal hungers, and offers options about how participants can engage the practice in their own life, with care given to avoid cultural misappropriation. Participants then pick one of the options provided and do it prior to their group meeting. Sessions also contain reflection questions for participants to debrief their experience personally and with their groups.
The three monthly practices we will explore are:
- Labyrinth Work
- Loving Kindness practice
- Offering Gratitude
Classes will be held on Zoom so that both congregations can participate. Our first monthly session will be Thursday, March 26 at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Dan by March 10 if you would like to participate.
Study Leave: Rev. Dan is on Study Leave March 9 through March 15. He will not be available for meetings, phone calls, emails, or other communications except in an emergency. He will return to the office on Monday, March 16.
Worship Committee seeks speakers: Do you have an idea for a service, or a willingness to take us on your spiritual journey? Or do you know someone in the community who would? Please contact Darrin Palmer or another member of the Worship Committee. They are happy to help create a Sunday Service!
The church phone number is 517-295-3290.
Social Mission Designee:
AWARE is our third quarter designee. AWARE provides services and resources for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. They support survivors at every stage. They’re dedicated to ensuring that survivors have the resources, support, and comfort they need. Write a check to the church with a note in the memo line or use the give button on our website.
Minister’s Schedule:
- March 11-15 – Study Leave (Unavailable except for emergencies)
- March 16-17 – Elkhart in person
- March 18 – Off
Rev. Dan is available for 1:1 emergency pastoral care regardless of his days off. If you are in need of immediate pastoral care, please contact him right away. Please refrain from texting Rev. Dan after normal work hours unless it is a critical issue that needs immediate attention; if not, email him the next workday. If you need an immediate response to an email on a day off, type “URGENT’ in the subject line.
Please submit items for this weekly email by Tuesday afternoon at WednesdayChimes@gmail.com Please include the date(s) you would like the announcement published in the subject line of your email.
Sunday Announcements
Please submit items to be announced on Sunday to the Worship Committee at uuliberty@gmail.com
Joys and Sorrows
Please submit items for inclusion in our Sunday service to the Worship Committee at uuliberty@gmail.com