by the Soul Matters Sharing Circle team Beauty. We appreciate it. How could we not? We wonder at it. Get absorbed in it. Analyze it, if it’s got a frame around it. We make it. Grow it. Point at it. Collect it. Share it. Save it. But how often do we listen to it? How often do we ask, “What is it trying to get me to hear?” Rather than, “Do I like it or not?” It’s just so hard to step outside our mangled view of the world that sees everything in the light of consumption. Not everything is… by Les Solomon, WUU Board President I turned on the fireplace last night hoping that it might provide just the right mood to write my first President’s letter for this term. It isn’t my first dance as your president, in fact, it’s my third time to lead this beloved community. Yet, it’s hard to put pencil to paper—oops fingers to keyboard. But first, a sincere word of thanks to Jessica O’Brien, Allen Cooke, and Bruce Thomas for their service on the Board. Jess completed 6 years on the Board including serving as President and Vice President, Bruce stepped in to provide compassionate, dedicated leadership… by the WUU Sabbatical team The WUU Sabbatical team continues preparing for Rev. Laura’s four-month sabbatical later this summer. Our focus now is on providing for Sunday services by a variety of guest ministers and speakers. Several area UU ministers have been invited, including Rev. Viola Abbitt from Coastal Virginia UU in Virginia Beach, Rev. Andrew Millard from the Peninsula UU Fellowship (a familiar guest at WUU), and Rev. Doug McCusker from the Fredericksburg congregation. We are in contact with other regional UU ministers as well as other religious professionals and community speakers who will provide a variety of Sunday services for our congregation. Both Nicki… by Linda Lane-Hamilton Thank you to the many WUUs who have signed up in person or online to return WUU to Sunday coffee, weekend potlucks, friendly competition with puzzles and games, corn hole, and even a rousing softball game for the whole family. So far we’ve had 70 sign-ups, and we should be seeing activities soon! Sometime this fall we’ll have a cookie swap and a congregational brunch or lunch in the Gathering Hall for everyone. You can join the volunteers by checking on the links in the Spiral to sign up. Coffee teams will work together to make coffee for one month—a few… by the Journey to Asylum team The events of the past year have highlighted the plight of people fleeing war, economic hardship, and other threats. Eleven years after the start of the Syrian civil war, there are nearly 7 million Syrian refugees and asylum-seekers worldwide (World Vision). Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, more than 76,000 Afghan refugees have arrived in the United States (wsj.com). Most recently, the world has turned its attention to the brutal war in Ukraine, which has forced more than 6 million Ukrainians to flee their home country. More than 90% of these Ukrainian refugees are women and children… Dear WUU community, It’s been wonderful to see so many of you in person and on screens these days. Easter was a special treat. We enjoyed wonderful music led by our choir and a brand-new musical ensemble. So many kids had fun on the playground, and we welcomed lots of new visitors stopping by to check out the congregation. I hope you too have been having fun connecting and re-connecting with each other. But please don’t forget, it’s even more important to show up when you’re not feeling great. These days are not so easy in our world. If you’re feeling stressed and burnt out… by the Journey to Asylum team Honduras What do you know about Honduras, the country of origin of Stefany, Mike and Allesandra, the family in our JTA program? Honduras is a country in Central America with a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Tegucigalpa is the capital of Honduras. The country is slightly larger than Virginia. The lempira is its currency and has an exchange rate of 1 HNL to 0.04 cents of a dollar. Its population, according to the last census, is 9.905 million people. Honduras has some paradisiac beaches, islands, mountains, green valleys, and in general, a beautiful geography… by the Religious Education Committee Kayaking, seasonal crafts, virtual workshops, game days, and more! The Religious Education Committee this year has worked hard to provide a variety of options to meet the needs of families while navigating the ever changing realities of the pandemic. That is why our goal has been a focus on the social-emotional needs of children and teens while giving them an opportunity to connect to our principles. It has been a challenging yet rewarding year so far! In order to provide options that are available to as many as possible, we have offered programming in both in person and virtual formats…. by Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Please join me in congratulating the dozen teens who completed the Get Real program this month! WUU teens gathered to practice parsing through pop culture’s messaging about body image, communication, sex, sexuality, sexual identity, gender identity, and more. The group practiced discussing what their values are as Unitarian Universalists, and used their critical thinking skills to look at advertisements, music, and more. Virginia League of Planned Parenthood, in collaboration with WUU Religious Education, offered a 9 session science based sexuality education class at WUU beginning in January and concluding in March 2022. One parent said,… by Katrina Landon, WUU Board President It is hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since I stepped into the role of President of the WUU Board, and that I will be stepping down from this role in a few short weeks. I would be lying if I didn’t admit these have been “the best of times, and the worst of times,” but through it all I have learned a lot about our congregation and about myself. Here is what I have learned: We, as humans and UUs, are a work in progress. As President, I have…
Welcome to the Month of Nurturing Beauty
May 2022 President’s Report
Your Sabbatical Team at Work
Fellowship, Fun, and Coffee—WUU volunteers sign up
Why Journey to Asylum?
May 2022 Notes from the Minister
Get to Know Our Journey to Asylum Guests and Their Home Country
Update from the Religious Education Committee
WUU Teens Get Real—Sex Ed Which Actually Helps Them Navigate Real Life
April 2022 President’s Message: What I Have Learned
