“Courage” is our October theme
“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”
– from Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Next Service
November 1 at 11:00 am
“Your UU History”
Led by: Dr. Ann Green, Worship Leader
Bring your memory of the first time you stepped inside the church, and see church history from earlier times.
In person at UUCEL or live on Facebook.
***Remember to turn your clocks back — Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday at 2 am!***
Announcements
THIS FRIDAY! Fall Soup Dinner & Fundraiser: Come one, come all! Join in the fun and buy, buy, buy! This Friday, October 30 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm, we are having a Fun Fall Soup Dinner & Fall Basket Auction Fundraiser featuring a bake sale. There will be a variety of soups and other treats to choose from along with coffee and bottled water. Donation of $10 is requested per person for the dinner. Feel free to come in costume – you just might win a “Best of” prize! Bidding on the baskets began on October 4th and lasts until the event.
Coco Movie Matinee to support the JCIC: This Sunday, November 1, the Jackson County Immigrant Coalition is hosting a matinee of the Disney Pixar movie Coco at the Michigan Theater of Jackson! Celebrating Dia de los Muertos, this is a family friendly event. Doors open at 1:30pm and the movie starts at 2:00pm. Tickets are only $5 each, or $20 for the whole family. All are welcome!
Lunch With the Minister: November’s Lunch with the Minister gathering will be on Friday, November 13 at noon at Red Lobster in Jackson. Come and hang out with Rev. Dan and enjoy casual conversation and great food!
Books & Puzzles Sale: A special sale for books and puzzles will be held in the schoolhouse after service on Nov 8 & 15. See Elissa Alden & Debbie Hartsuff with any questions.
New Drum Circle Forming! The new Drum Circle, led by Ben Brue, will have its first gathering on Wednesday, November 11 at 6:30 at the church. No drumming experience required, and extra drums will be available if you need one to use. Come and explore the spiritual and communal benefits of group drumming, whether you think you have rhythm or not!
Love At the Center Book Group: The Love at the Center Book Group’s next meeting will be on Thursday, November 12 at 6:30pm via Zoom. If you didn’t participate in the first meeting, you are still welcome to join the group. See Rev. Dan for details.
Study Leave: Rev. Dan will be away on Study Leave from November 23 to 27. He will not be available to respond to emails, phone calls, or texts except in an emergency during this time.
Connecting With Our Faith: UUA & Mid-America News
Defending our Democracy with MUUSJN: The Michigan UU Social Justice Network invites you to participate in a series of online events from now through Jan 2027. Defending Our Democracy begins Wednesday, October 28 at 7pm on Zoom. The speaker will be Trina Tocco from Labor for Democracy. Join MUUSJN for this timely discussion to orient ourselves to potential threats facing Michigan elections and what we, as UUs and friends, can do to prepare to defend our democracy and mobilize our communities. Click here to learn more and register to participate!
Journeys of Deeper Joy – UU Roleplaying Game Brings Adventure to Religious Education: What happens when Dungeons & Dragons meets UU Religious Education? The answer: Something very much like Journeys of Deeper Joy, a new roleplaying game developed by staff in the UUA’s Lifespan Faith Engagement Office! Click here to read more about the game and access the game curriculum.
Braver/Wiser – A Weekly Message of Courage and Compassion:
This week’s offering is Being Good Family by Tucker Culbertson.
“…Like gravity, my ancestors are ubiquitous and mysterious. Like history, they are not past but present. Like the past, they are not dead nor even past. Like all matter and energy, theirs changes and persists. Ancestry, for me, is a kind of reincarnation: my great-grandparents’ great-grandparents are like my past lives. I was right there, back then, in their DNA. The direction of flow is neither singular nor fixed. It’s all so much weirder than that… It feels to me like being “good family” is about transmitting and receiving integrative love and regenerative care with awe and awareness. With curiosity and solemnity. I won’t know which way the flow is moving in any given moment. But I can hold myself open in both directions. Accepting that I emit, absorb, and reflect radiant life… ” Click here to read the full message.
Mercy. Mercify us: we who are, were, and will have been the distant past and future lives of our peoples, places, and traditions. All with which we do, and will, flow, flower, complete, decompose, and persist. Pride and shame are delusive. And they also just happen.
Remember through us there is so much love to do and be.
Reminders
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!
Social Mission Designee:
The Social Mission Designee for our 2nd Quarter is Grow Jackson. Please give by using the donate button on our website or by contributing with a check with Grow Jackson in the memo line.
Minister’s Schedule:
- October 28 – Off
- October 29-30 – Study Leave
- October 31-November 1 – Off
- November 2-3 – Study Leave
- November 4 – 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