The Coffee House - the UU Fellowship Thread

[BrandonE]

I got the job! I'm talking about the one I described previously (below). I'll be a process reliability engineer in a tall oil processing plant. Yay!
:jiggy:

As for me, I had a follow-up interview this past Friday. I may have a new job soon that will mean more money and more interesting work, but sadly, a lot less time here. The interesting work is what's drawing me away. My current job has been hard on me mentally and emotionally, though I have managed to learn some things about myself because of it.

 

[Green Gaia]

Congrats, Brandon! :clap

 

[BrandonE]

Congrats, Brandon! :clap

Thanks!

 

[Green Gaia]

I'm somewhat reluctant to share this, but decided I may need the support of my fellow UUs, which is why I'm putting this here and not on the main forum. It seems I have jumped on the new employment bandwagon as well. But this is not a happy thing for me. I don't want to get into my finances, but paying for school has really put a strain on the budget and since I didn't get any financial aid for this school year, if I'm going to attend next semester and thereafter I needed to get a real-paying job (I have lots of jobs, but none of them pay anything!). With school, kids (and their activities), church, housework and now working I'm not sure how I'm going to do it all, but it comes down to just having to do it. So, I could use your alls support and positive energy right now.

Peace and love,
Amy

 

[BrandonE]

That sounds like a tough spot to be in. Good thoughts are coming your way for good luck finding something that will work well for you. :hug:

 

[dbakerman76]

Maize,
I am sending positive thoughts as well. I'm sure it will all work out.

 

[uumckk16]

I'm somewhat reluctant to share this, but decided I may need the support of my fellow UUs, which is why I'm putting this here and not on the main forum. It seems I have jumped on the new employment bandwagon as well. But this is not a happy thing for me. I don't want to get into my finances, but paying for school has really put a strain on the budget and since I didn't get any financial aid for this school year, if I'm going to attend next semester and thereafter I needed to get a real-paying job (I have lots of jobs, but none of them pay anything!). With school, kids (and their activities), church, housework and now working I'm not sure how I'm going to do it all, but it comes down to just having to do it. So, I could use your alls support and positive energy right now.

Peace and love,
Amy

:wishes:

 

[BrandonE]

We had water communion yesterday. Wow. Wow. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was extremely moving, and I usually draw little sustenance from ritual of any sort. It was particularly poignant because of some losses in our congregation this year (including a baby that only lived a few hours), but overall it was just a beautiful ceremony. My wife and I didn't share this year as we didn't really know what it was going to be like, but we will plan ahead for next year.

 

[Green Gaia]

Our Ingathering and Water Communion was yesterday as well. I'll admit I couldn't enjoy quite as much I would have liked or it deserved. We have an intergenerational for special services like this to include the kids. Mine seemed to be especially fidgety yesterday which detracted from the service for me.

Last years service was right after hurrican Katrina and we had just witnessed the destructive power of water. Needless to say, last year's water communion was very somber and sobering. This year's was more joyful and thankful for the water and as the Ingathering celebrates, each other and our community.

 

[Davidium]

My first time at my new church here in Chicago this past Sunday was also the water communion...

Hi all! I'm once again checking in, and as of next week I will have internet back in my new apartment, so I should be able to be back online more, instead of just when I can get online in a coffee shop or something....

For those of you who remember me, after my summer hospital chaplaincy internship and about 2300 miles of moving, Sandy and I are now in our apartment at the Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. My classes start on the 28th, but I am helping to lead orientation for the new students starting next week.

We are getting down to the final boxes, and getting the cable modem installed... now if we can just find jobs and get the financial aid straightened out to pay for it all...

It is good to drop by and see you all, and know that I have been doing good things this summer, and will hopefully have more time to be around. And perhaps, I can post some of the UU info that you only run across when you are in seminary for all of you here.

Yours in faith,

David

 

[Green Gaia]

Hi David! Good to hear from you and glad you and Sandy are doing well in your new apartment. Good luck with school!

 

[uumckk16]

Church yesterday was incredible...First we had a sermon on embracing uncertainty, in life and about the divine. It was a message I really needed to hear right now. And, I mean, how cool is that, to get a message like that at church? Anyway. Then afterwards our music director came up with a guitar to sing "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell. It was really powerful because he introduced it by talking a bit about uncertainty and then told us that his mother had just passed away a few days ago, and recounted the experience a bit for us (he was with her when she went). Then when he was singing the song he forgot some of the lyrics and the congregants who knew the song helped him out by saying the lines for him. I dunno, it really struck me, because it felt like we were all sharing in his pain and helping him in some way. I was definitely tearing up majorly by the end It was so...communal?

Anyway, I just thought I'd share that story How has the beginning of the church year gone for everyone else?

 

[robtex]

I talked to a muslim friend of mine named Samir. He is from Turkey. I try to practice full disclosure as a matter of respect and tell them when we talk about religion that I am an atheist. He like the rest of them, still trusts me enough to talk about his religion. I like these conversations because when I am reading about muslims killing over something the Pope said, I am blissfully aware Muslims live near, me, in my neighborhood, who are men and women of peace joy and life. He accepts me as an atheist, I accept him as a muslim. That is a reality I cannot deny.

 

[uu_sage]

Promising year so far. New minister, interim to be exact. Currently we're in second year of interim minister. Two years because we needed to take care of some business while allowing the congregation to grow and learn before the new settled minister sets in. Our new interim is the first male minister we have had in close to 20 years. He's had an extensive background in settled and interim ministry, he was the UUA liaison to Russia to plant seeds of our liberal religious voice, he was a professor of UU History at Starr King School for the Ministry. He is also a strong voice for social justice issues. Before coming to Monte Vista he served the Throop Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena. Harvard educated, a naturalistic mystic in theology. Sunday was his first sermon he spoke on the divine spark and interconnection using the Transcendentalists as a starting point he managed to engage the language of reverence comfortably, that satisfied theist and non-theist, and allowed Christian teachings to come from the pulpit without ridicule. We even got into hymns that we have never sung before if it weren't for him.And we're making great progress in implementing new programs and affinity groups as Bible study, Christian-Jewish-Islamic fellowship, Theatre. So exciting. Before he even gave his first sermon he was speaking to another fellow member asking, "When is the next New Members class?" He responded, "the 20th at 3:00". In how the chairs are set up during service we have them facing in a sem-circle so that congregants can see eachother rather than facing front, the chairs are pointed right in front of our garden. This is our second week with him and he's done quite a lot, and looking forward to everything he is going to do for us. :bow:

Church yesterday was incredible...First we had a sermon on embracing uncertainty, in life and about the divine. It was a message I really needed to hear right now. And, I mean, how cool is that, to get a message like that at church? Anyway. Then afterwards our music director came up with a guitar to sing "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell. It was really powerful because he introduced it by talking a bit about uncertainty and then told us that his mother had just passed away a few days ago, and recounted the experience a bit for us (he was with her when she went). Then when he was singing the song he forgot some of the lyrics and the congregants who knew the song helped him out by saying the lines for him. I dunno, it really struck me, because it felt like we were all sharing in his pain and helping him in some way. I was definitely tearing up majorly by the end It was so...communal?

Anyway, I just thought I'd share that story How has the beginning of the church year gone for everyone else?

</IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG>

 

[lilithu]

Wow, I am glad to hear both of your stories, uumckk16 and uu_sage. Thanks for sharing those with us!

I really enjoyed Sunday service too. Did not have high expectations for a sermon titled "Dear Desire" and it's description made it sound kinda mushy. But Rob started with a reading from one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 42:

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God....

Yeah, I know, how very Judeo-Christian, and I think he lost a lot of people because of that. But the sermon wasn't about Jehovah; it was about that deep longing that we feel for connectedness, the thing that brings us to church, for communion/community.

And reached the climax of his sermon by declaring that "Religion is for lovers, lovers of life, lovers of justice..."

That's why I get annoyed when people on RF and elsewhere say that the world would be a better place without religion and that it does far more harm than good. Yeah, I know that a lot of harm has been done in the name of religion. But those critics don't know my religion, our religion. Every week as we go to church, our world is better because of it, better for us and better for others. That's what religion should be about and can be about.

Religion is for lovers.

 

[Green Gaia]

I missed the sermon on Sunday. Which I'm kinda bummed about because I think it would have been interesting. I always like the "history" lessons and when my minister talks of the old Unitarians and Universalists and how they relate to us today. But since it was the start of the fall RE session, I was teaching. I love teaching but sometimes I wish I didn't have to miss the service to do it. Sometimes I'll stay for the second service if I'm REALLY interested, but I just couldn't do it this Sunday. I was too worn out and after teaching the preschoolers I was ready for a nap.

We're working on fighting the "marriage" amendment here in Virginia through education of voters. What I was afriad would happen, has happened. We took the summer off and now I feel like we're playing catch up to get on board with opposing this amendment. I know, "better late than never." Of course, I only blame myself for this. I saw this coming, but didn't push harder to get something done sooner. I really wish I had now because we could have least gotten most of the planning done and things set in place and ready to go during this last push of trying to educate voters.
But, we'll do what we can do and hope to make a difference. I always feel like there is something more I could be doing.

Anyway, finished my coffee, back to work now! :rainbow1:

 

[lilithu]

We're working on fighting the "marriage" amendment here in Virginia through education of voters. What I was afriad would happen, has happened. We took the summer off and now I feel like we're playing catch up to get on board with opposing this amendment. I know, "better late than never." Of course, I only blame myself for this. I saw this coming, but didn't push harder to get something done sooner. I really wish I had now because we could have least gotten most of the planning done and things set in place and ready to go during this last push of trying to educate voters.
But, we'll do what we can do and hope to make a difference. I always feel like there is something more I could be doing.

Anyway, finished my coffee, back to work now! :rainbow1:

Maize, are you at the UU church in Fairfax? A woman came by the office last week from that church to pick up t-shirts and ask for the design for our Stand on the Side of Love campaign in order to make a banner. It sounds like they are going hard at it, tho I imagine more than one UU church in VA would be doing this.

Church work doesn't happen in the summer. Everyone's away and thinking about other things. Don't beat yourself up over it. :hug:

Speaking of which, last Thursday I managed to miss two meetings at church even tho I was physically in the church. That has got to be a record, no? The whole week had been stressful and by Thursday afternoon my brain was completely fried. I went into to church to get a book that I needed for class on friday, and ran into people with whom I was supposed to be meeting, one of whom gently reminded me that I had missed the 6pm meeting; and I spent 20 minutes lamenting that while in fact I was at that moment missing the 7pm meeting, while the people at that meeting, having seen me in the building, assumed that I was there for that purpose but held up; and then I left, completely oblivious. My brain just erased that part of my schedule.

So... long story short is that I'm cutting back on my committee commitments because work and school are taking their toll, and it's better to do a few things well than a lot of things really poorly.

 

[Green Gaia]

Maize, are you at the UU church in Fairfax? A woman came by the office last week from that church to pick up t-shirts and ask for the design for our Stand on the Side of Love campaign in order to make a banner. It sounds like they are going hard at it, tho I imagine more than one UU church in VA would be doing this.

No, I'm in the Richmond area.

 

[Green Gaia]

I went to my brother's wedding this weekend. It was nice, I'm very happy for him and all that... but I felt very strange in that Christian church. I think a lot of it had to do with some things that were said in the service about, "God's intent for and invent of marriage," and the "one man, one woman" comment of course irked me. But I was a good sister and kept my mouth shut and just supported my brother and his new wife. But I gotta tell ya, I was REALLY uncomfortable during the whole service.

How do you all deal with stuff like that when it comes to family? Especially an event like a wedding where it is not an appropriate time to bring up differences and possibly start some bickering.

 

[dbakerman76]

I went to my brother's wedding this weekend. It was nice, I'm very happy for him and all that... but I felt very strange in that Christian church. I think a lot of it had to do with some things that were said in the service about, "God's intent for and invent of marriage," and the "one man, one woman" comment of course irked me. But I was a good sister and kept my mouth shut and just supported my brother and his new wife. But I gotta tell ya, I was REALLY uncomfortable during the whole service.

How do you all deal with stuff like that when it comes to family? Especially an event like a wedding where it is not an appropriate time to bring up differences and possibly start some bickering.

Weddings are a tricky thing. I find they are best to be avoided at all costs. Most marriages I've witnessed have ended in divorce so I often recommend to them that I don't attend for the safety of their marriage.

I generally steer clear of the topic of religion with most members of the family.
A few years ago, itt was especially uncomfortable for me in the weeks before my nephew's baptism in the Catholic church. I had to go to my sister and make sure she wasn't going to ask me to be the godfather, because I could not accept. It was mainly because I don't agree the church's teachings on most things. Besides I doubt the priest would have okayed a Unitarian godfather anyways.