“Paying Attention”
is our March theme
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple
in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”
–Alice Walker, from The Color Purple
What We Attend, Grows
by Lóre Stevens
We may pay attention,
but it returns on its investment.
What we attend, grows.
What we focus on, clarifies.
Who we hold in our hearts, is comforted.
Our minds are the mind of the universe.
Our attention connects us
to each other
and to all that is.
Next Service
March 29 at 11:00 am
“Seeing What’s Been Invisible” – Led by: Rev. Dan Miyake
Most of what shapes our lives hides in plain sight. Habits, expectations, unspoken roles, even people can disappear into familiarity. This service invites us to look again — not harder, but differently — and discover what becomes possible when the unseen finally comes into view.
In person or live on Facebook.
Announcements
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 this Friday, March 27 at 12:30 at the Bone Island Grill in Vandercook.
Easter Service: The Easter service on April 5th will be a joint service with Elkhart. Rev. Dan will be in Elkhart in person. We will Zoom into the service.
Please note that the April 5 service will begin at 10:30, not 11:00!
If you plan to watch from home, the Zoom link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84561064956#success
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.
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 ASAP if you would like to participate.
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 25 – Off
- March 26-27 – UUCEL
- March 28 – Off
- March 29 – UUCEL
- March 30-31 – Elkhart Virtual
- April 1 – 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