The overriding theme for our March services is wisdom. To start the month Rev. Gail Tapscott will address the importance of stories and even humor to impart wisdom in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
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Greetings, all – On February 9th, UUCO held a Congregational Forum. The initial findings from that gathering are attached below.. If you have not yet offered your insights, we welcome your input using the form below which can be turned in at UUCO on Sundays or emailed to membership trustee Michelle Mauthe Harvey at mmautheharvey@att.net. At the Forum, attendees were asked to think about beneficial actions that UUCO might take over the next 12 to 18 months (through FY 2020/21). In preparation for identifying these actions, attendees were led through an exercise that identified internal strengths and weaknesses – things that UUCO has control over, such as what services are like or how we choose to spend our budget – and external opportunities and threats – things such as the economy or political administration which UUCO can’t control but which can influence our ability to achieve goals. In addition, attendees offered thoughts on their big ideas for UUCO. As a congregation, attendees saw UUCO’s strengths as being welcoming, accepting, dedicated, caring, intergenerational, and a refuge. Our weaknesses included having limited member engagement, a small congregation size, limited community building, a lack of inclusion, limited space, and inadequate funding. Suggested actions cover a range of topics, from rethink Sunday services and expand types of UUCO gatherings beyond Sundays to create the future, fundraise, and outreach to other UU congregations. Content in the accompanying documents reflects attendees’ own words. Additional input will be incorporated over the next month, and the ideas will serve as a basis for developing a workplan and budget for the 2020/21 fiscal year. We thank all who have, and will, participate. The UUCO Board of Trustees 
Travelling to and from Cuba since 1996, Milly West has been shaped in ways few Americans have experienced. She will share a love for a country that has taught her so much. While her talk will focus on her trips collecting art, as well as her own photography, we’ll learn about the people of Cuba, whose art, culture, language, and caring have so impacted Milly’s life. The relationships she’s made are what keep her going back year after year. Learn more at http://www.millywestart.com/
On “Side with Love” Sunday in the heart Valentines weekend and Black History Month, we will consider what resilience looks like for those of us who believe in freedom. Are walls tools we use in our pursuit of justice and compassion? What about weapons? In the end, we have to present alternative frames of mind and processes to ensure we don’t replicate the oppressions that we know so well.
Rev. Carlton E. Smith is a member of the Southern Region Congregational Life Staff for our Unitarian Universalist Association. He travels all over the South and beyond working with congregations, ministers and lay leaders to make the practice of our liberal religious tradition real. In recent years he has twice run for elected office. He was on the frontline of clergy-counter protestors at the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. He currently serves on the Campaign Board for the LGBTQ Victory Fund (victoryfund.org) and on the Board of the Living Legacy Project (uulivinglegacy.org). He can be reached atcsmith@uua.org. The poet Rumi states: "Don't turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place. That's where the light enters you." How do we find resilience in adversity, and in challenging seasons of life? The practice of mindfulness offers a path to meeting these challenges by asking us to be fully present to the moment, regardless of circumstance. Through storytelling, selected poetry and guided meditation, we'll explore ways to bring resilience into our everyday practice.
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