| First Unitarian Connection |
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Note: When the newsletter is sent via email, the text may be truncated. To be sure you are seeing the entire newsletter, please click on the "view in browser" link near the top of the message or scroll to the bottom where it says [Message clipped] and click on: View entire message
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Calling all gardeners!! Do you have extra seeds? We need some for a seed-planting ritual during Sunday's service. There will also be an opportunity to exchange seeds after the service.
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| Sundays at First Unitarian Church |
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Sunday, March 12 - 11:00 am
"You Want a Physicist to Speak at Your Funeral: On Religious Naturalism"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube (not Zoom).
“If something is in me which can be called religious, then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.” — Albert Einstein
Many of us feel closest to the divine or to Mystery when we are in the heart of nature. But can nature be a religion? Can nature offer all the standard elements of formal religion, including a central story (answering the questions ‘where did we come from?’ and ‘where are we going?’); a sense of wonder and awe; and a moral compass or guidelines for how to relate to others and how to live a good life? Religious Naturalists respond with a resounding YES! Many of us are Religious Naturalists without even realizing it. Are you?
Gardeners! Do you have seeds you've saved? Or just a lot of extra seeds you don't need? Please bring them on Sunday for a seed-planting ritual and seed exchange after the service!
Service Leaders: Rev. Diana K. Davies, Lead Minister; Tim Atkins, Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration; Call to Offering: Becky Tallent; Chalice Lighter: Terry Ward; Stewardship Testimonial: Rebecca and Keith Daniels; Choir Director: Chukwuebuka (‘Ebuka) G. Ezeakacha; Music: Galina Brauer, Dianne Broyles, and 1UC Choir; Technical Support: Tammy Epperson and Chris Gonzales
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Upcoming Sunday Morning Services - 11:00 am
March
March 19: "What Might We Do" (Stewardship Sunday)
March 26: "The Bully on Our Block"
April
April 2: "To Hope and Be Held: Showing Up for Each Other's Mental Health"
April 9: Music Sunday (Easter)
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Child Care and Nursery
The Childcare Rooms are open from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm each Sunday morning. (10:00 am to 11:00 am for childcare for any adult programming happening and 11:00 am to 12:30 pm for worship.)
Children age four and up are expected to wear masks. Childcare will be taking place in the nursery and attached preschool room.
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Sunday, March 12 - 10:00 am
Sunday Morning Meditation (In-Person)
Please join us for meditation practice in the Buddhist tradition (lower level, next to Corley Commons).
All are welcome; no meditation experience necessary!
For more information contact Lori Jervis.
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Sunday, Sunday, March 12 - 10:00 am
Adult Ed in Daniel Hall
Each week there are two options for 10:00 am Adult Ed:
- Our meditation group that meets downstairs in the Corley Commons - Meditation Room
- Our main Forum like programming will take place in Daniel Hall every Sunday at 10:00am and the topic will change each week.
This Sunday - To be announced
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Current Safety Level: Masks Are Strongly Encouraged (Still Required in Children's and Youth Classes)
Currently (as of December 4), we are strongly encouraging masks at Sunday morning services and at large, congregational events. In adult Religious Education classes and in groups where a consensus can be achieved, the group can determine for itself if masks should be required or optional. We plan to conduct a survey of RE parents before moving to 'masks optional' status for children's and youth Religious Education classes.
- If you choose not to wear a mask, it is especially important that you do not attend services or events if you have any symptoms typical of COVID, flu, or RSV. Please stay home and join us online.
- Please continue to wash your hands frequently. And please be sure to throw away used tissues. Don't leave them in the pews.
- If you haven't yet had your latest COVID booster and/or flu shot, please get them now!
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Sunday, March 5 through Sunday, April 2
Upcoming Art Show
“Sunday Morning Meditations”
by Mtn Woman Silver
The 1UC Art Committee and the Alliance are delighted to announce the return of bimonthly art shows in Daniel Hall. This follows a three-year hiatus during the COVID pandemic. The first show will feature the work of Mtn Woman Silver, a long-time member of our congregation and a professional artist for over forty years.
The current exhibition is intimately connected to this church. All the art pieces started as sketches which Silver created while listening to sermons on Sunday mornings. In 2020, while looking through her sketch books, she counted over 80 of the elaborate abstract sketches and was inspired to reproduce them on canvas, using acrylic paints, ink and sometimes pencils.
“They were reminders of how powerful hope is when so many areas of life present challenges,” she said. “Time slipped away, and the long days of the pandemic shutdown came and went. The titles of the paintings are titles of sermons I listened to over the years. I hope the paintings evoke the same peace in viewers as I experienced creating them.”
This exhibition will be on display from Sunday, March 5 through Sunday, April 2, 2023. On Sunday, March 26, at 12:15 pm in Daniel Hall, there will be a reception and a “Meet the Artist” event.
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Calling all visual artists!
The 1UC Art Committee is up & running. We are planning shows for every other month of the 2023 calendar year.
Are you an amateur or professional artist who might be interested in participating in a group or solo show at 1UC? Do you have a good idea for an art show? If your answer is "yes" to either question, we want to hear from you!
Please contact Jeanne Parkhurst via email or text: jeanne.parkhurst@gmail.com; (405) 496-0445
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Saturday, March 11 - 2:00 pm
Barbara Anne “Bobby” Kilgore, once a member of our church, passed away December 26, 2022 at her home in Florida. She is survived by her brother and many friends. Bobby was born July 29, 1963.
Bobby was ordained a Unitarian Universalist minister and worked prison ministry and hospice ministry in Melbourne, Fl. She served in the Marines and the Army, retiring in 2011 from Ft. Sill Army base in Lawton. Bobby is best known for her sense of humor, her ability to use her voice to effect many different accents, as well as her care and love for humanity.
First Unitarian Church is hosting a memorial service for Bobby in the Chapel on Saturday, March 11th at 2:00 pm. There will not be a reception following. Friends are asked to come and share a story to celebrate her life.
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| Adult Education Classes & Courses |
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Wednesdays - Six weeks: March 8 - April 12, 5:45 - 7:00 pm
A New Adult RE Series: "A Beginner's Guide to Holy Week"
Join Rev. Diana for a six-week exploration of Christian Holy Week, using Dr. Amy-Jill Levine's book, Entering the Passion of Jesus. Wednesday evenings.
Support VOICE by purchasing your book at the 1UC bookstore. You will not need to have the book or do any reading or preparation before our first meeting. Please just show up!
We will meet in-person, in Daniel Hall. You're also welcome to join via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8442...
Meeting ID: 844 2118 0872
Passcode: 112358
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March 11, 10:00 am - 11:15 am
Yoga with Rev. Diana
Join Rev. Diana (RYT200) for a 75-minute, energizing, and warming practice featuring core-strengthening asanas and breathwork. Accessible to all levels, including beginner beginners. All you need is a mat or blanket and some comfy clothes.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88186974124?pwd=YU1iSWZlZVljQ0RUb0Ryd2FYVHdLZz09
Meeting ID: 881 8697 4124
Passcode: yoga
Beginning March 25 -- Yoga will be multiplatform (in-person and online)
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Saturday, March 25 (online) - 3:00 pm
Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism
Mistakes
and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism: Nancy
Palmer Jones and Karin Lin
Saturday,
March 25 on Zoom from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Group size will be limited to allow for
discussion.
Join
us for a discussion about the chapter in this book that details the journey
that All Souls UU in Tulsa has been making. As a congregation, they are doing
the work to become anti-racist, anti-oppression and multicultural. They have
been on this journey for a number of years, and have seen both successes and
speed bumps.
The
book is the UU Common Read for this year. If there is interest, a class on the
whole book may be offered in the Fall.
Mistakes
and Miracles will be available for purchase from our VOICE bookstore, or see
the Common Read website for where to get an audio edition.
To
get the Zoom link, contact Laura Lochner.
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March Change for Change
For the month of March our Change for Change recipient is Pambe Ghana.
Their Mission: Their mission is to provide a model of quality basic education that integrates language, culture, literacy and academic excellence.
PAMBE Ghana is a partnership with local communities in northern Ghana and a United States-based Board of Directors. Together we have built the La’Angum Learning Center, an innovative school for bilingual child-centered education from pre-Kindergarten to grade 6.
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| Bohemian Cafe |
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BOHEMIAN CAFÉ RETURNS!
Mark your calendars for an evening of music and dancing 7:00 pm -10:00 pm on Saturday, March 18th, . Mary Reynolds and Louise Goldberg (Miss Brown to You) will entertain for the evening.
There will be food, beverages (both alcohol and non), door prizes, and a lot of fun!
This is a fund raiser for all the social justice work our church does throughout the year.
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Social Justice News!
- MARCH IS WOMENS HISTORY MONTH – International Women's Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
Spurred on by the universal female suffrage movement, IWD originated from labor movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century.[5][6][7] The earliest version was purportedly a "Women's Day" organized by the Socialist Party of America in New York City February 28, 1909.
This inspired German delegates at the 1910 International Socialist Women's Conference to propose "a special Women's Day" be organized annually, albeit with no set date;[8] the following year saw the first demonstrations and commemorations of International Women's Day across Europe.
After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917 (the beginning of the February Revolution), IWD was made a national holiday on March 8;[9] it was subsequently celebrated on that date by the socialist movement and communist countries. The holiday was associated with far-left movements and governments until its adoption by the global feminist movement in the late 1960s. IWD became a mainstream global holiday following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977.[10]
International Women's Day is commemorated in a variety of ways worldwide; it is a public holiday in several countries, and observed socially or locally in others to celebrate and promote the achievements of women.[11]
The UN observes the holiday in connection with a particular issue, campaign, or theme in women's rights.[6] In some parts of the world, IWD still reflects its political origins, being marked by protests and calls for radical change; in other areas, particularly in the West, it is largely sociocultural and centered on a celebration of womanhood.[12]
- RAINDROP TURKISH HOUSE – will be in Daniel Hall March 12th immediately following the services to sell baked goods. Monies raised from this will help Turkish families who have suffered from the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
If you are interested in becoming involved in social justice programs and activities, please contact Susan Bishop at (405) 623-4017 or sdbishop50@gmail.com
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Monday, March 13 - 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Muslim Day at the Capitol
This year, our Muslim Day at the Capitol will be on March 13th! Register today for our day of advocacy, youth empowerment and connecting with your legislators!
THIS EVENT IS ONLY SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE SHOW UP!
More information about #MDAC2023 can be found on their Facebook page and website. Register here if you plan to attend.
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Scot Harvey and Susan Bishop are offering a seminar to our church to explore what is necessary to become certified with the Green Sanctuary 2030 Project.
We will be having this seminar on Saturday April 8th 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Eddy Room. This seminar is open to anyone interested in working on this project and will cover issues such as historical land management, water resources, sustainable energies and more.
Please bring a lunch and beverage.
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Wednesday, April 12 - 7:00 pm, Eddy Room/Meeting Room
1UC VOICE- House Meeting Scheduled
The VOICE 1UC Team has been gearing up for House Meetings.
Through House Meetings we are able to find out what pressures are affecting families and this information is used to develop VOICE's agenda. Sign up after the service on Sunday.
There will be a Leadership Retreat on Saturday, April 15th, and a Delegates Assembly on Sunday, April 16th.
Our next VOICE 1UC meeting will be Sunday, April 23rd, at 9:00 am in the Eddy Room. Join us!
For more information contact Maureen Harvey at mharvey5@cox.net.
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- Note: Most meetings continue to meet via Zoom but some groups may elect to meet in the building. Please contact the meeting organizer directly if you are uncertain of the location.
- Sunday Morning Meditation – Every Sunday at 10:00 am, Meditation Room (Corley Commons – contact Lori Jervis for information - see article above)
- Adult RE – Every Sunday, 10:00 am in Daniel Hall (contact Tim Atkins for information - see article above)
- Qigong - Every Monday and Friday, 12:15 pm (contact Janice Martin for information)
- Tuesday Discussion Group – Every Tuesday, 11:00 am (contact Ron Wasson for information - see article above)
- Bell Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 5:45 pm (contact LaDonna Hunt for information)
- Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 7:00 pm (contact 'Ebuka Ezeakacha for information)
- Art Show: “Mtn Woman Silver” – Sunday, March 5 – April 2, Daniel Hall (contact Joan Cain for more information)
- Ad Ed Class: Beginner's Guide to Holy Week - Wednesdays, March 8 - April 12, 6:30 pm, Daniel Hall (contact Rev. Diana for more information)
- Befrienders - Thursday, March 9, 12:00 pm (contact Susan Bishop for information)
- Health Committee - Thursday, March 9, 7:00 pm (contact Joan Cain for information)
- Yoga with Rev. Diana - Saturday, March 11, 10:00 am (see article above)
- Reproductive Justice Meeting - Saturday, March 11, 11:00 am (contact Susan Bishop for information)
- Memorial for Rev. Bobbie Kilgore - Saturday, March 11, 2:00 pm, Chapel (see article above)
- Turkish Raindrop Fundraiser – Sunday, March 12, 12:00 pm, Daniel Hall
- Fiber Connections - Sunday, March 12, 12:00 pm, Eddy Room (contact Paula Geisinger for information)
- HRWG - Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 pm (contact Scot Harvey for information)
- Radical Welcoming Team - Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 pm (contact Lynn Ann Wagner for information)
- BRUU - Wednesday, March 15, 7:00 pm (contact John Schneider for information)
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If you (or someone you care about in our community) would like a caring card, a ride, a meal delivered to your home, a prayer, or a pastoral visit, please fill out a pastoral care request form on our website: https://1uc.org/connect/pastor... or contact Rev. Diana or Susan Bishop (chair of the Befrienders).
Please contact Rev. Diana directly if you need financial assistance. The Minister's Discretionary Fund is available for anyone who needs emergency financial support. In the past, the fund has been used to help cover rent, groceries, fuel, home repairs, medical costs and other needs. Allocations from this fund are completely confidential.
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If you have a newsletter article you would like to submit please email your article to mgrogg@1uc.org no later than Tuesday (the day before the newsletter goes out) by 5:00 pm.
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Did you know that you can access all church policies and procedures as well as Board meeting minutes on our new website? Just go to 1uc.org, and click on the "members" link in the upper right-hand corner (just to the left of the Facebook and other social media icons). This will open a page that says "Protected: Members." The password is @600NW13thSt [Note: the password is case-sensitive; do not put in additional punctuation or spaces.]
From here, click on "church documents." All official policies and procedures can be found in the "policies" folder. The bylaws and Board of Trustees meeting minutes are in the "governance" folder. Please disregard the "website SOPs" folder, which is for administrative use only.
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**********************************************************************************
In order to save printing and mailing costs and to conserve natural resources, the Annual Report will not be mailed by default to all congregants. Instead, it is available online. Please contact Marlies Grogg (mgrogg@1uc.org) if you would like to receive a hard copy of the Annual Report.
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CHURCH STAFF
Lead Minister - Rev. Diana K. Davies
Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration - Tim Atkins
Choir Director - Chukwuebuka ('Ebuka) G. Ezeakacha
Congregational Life Coordinator - Nathan Boone
Office Administrator - Marlies Grogg
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021-2022
President of the Congregation - Marshal Gimpel
President-Elect - Marcia Woodward
Immediate Past President - Lynn Ann Wanger
Clerk - Deborah Shinn
Treasurer - Ron Wasson
Clare Auwater Lorriana Lee-Knapp Larry Little Laura Lochner Becky Tallent
Committee on Ministry
Lori Jervis Dex Marble Tom Peryam James Vaughn
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