By the Soul Matters Sharing Circle Team When the topic of wisdom comes up, so do the usual images. Walls and walls filled with dusty old books. Elders with the wisdom of many years carved into the wrinkles on their faces. Diplomas framed and filling one’s office wall. Endless letters placed in front and behind your name (Dr., PhD., LCSW, JD, Rev., etc.) The message: wisdom is about accumulation. If you want to be wise, you need to pile it on. More knowledge. More experience. More books to read. More gurus to follow. More degrees to get. But then words… Dear WUUs, Though I see many of you every Sunday and in between too, it’s been a while since I’ve shared a written update with you. I’m experimenting with different ways of communicating and thought I would try sharing an update every two or three months, highlighting a few new things coming up in the life of the congregation. I’d love to hear your feedback on how this format works for you; please email me at revlaura@wuu.org or call me with any suggestions you have. This month, we’re gearing up to host the Winter Shelter week once again in partnership… A first-ever event happens Saturday, March 7, when UUA professional staff arrive to teach a series of leadership workshops. These workshops, called the Extended Leadership Experience, are offered to clusters throughout the country, and for the Tidewater Cluster this is a rare opportunity for this UUA-provided leadership training. Participation is by registration-only, with more than 50 UUs from our cluster accepted for these ExLE workshops. Nineteen WUUs will attend this four-part series, including Rev. Laura, Ty Alexander, BethAnn Klaver, Katrina Landon, Susan Marcincus, Kate McGaw, Angela Surber, Bruce Thomas, Dylan Varney, Scott Varney, Susan Walkley, Melanie Williamson, Kerry Mellette, Pat… By Jessica O’Brien February 5, 2020 January was a tough month for WUU and the Board. We are all mourning the loss of a dear friend and tireless worker, Doug Hansen, our Board Vice-President, who died on January 29th after a sudden, unexpected medical event. Our hearts go out to his wife Helen at this difficult time. A memorial service will take place on Sunday, February 16th, at 3:00pm to celebrate his amazing life. Doug, we miss you! This month, the Board is very thankful that Dave Banks has resumed his post as Treasurer now that our new Financial Assistant,… By the Hospitality Ministry Coordinators WUU is proud to be a Welcoming, Worshiping, Witnessing Congregation. Each Sunday we are particularly proud to offer a warm welcome to all who come through our doors. For many years we struggled to provide this sort of warm welcome. A few people assumed that responsibility each Sunday morning, and struggled to make coffee and serve coffee, provide other refreshments, and ensure that ushers and greeters were in place. The Membership team welcomed visitors while lacking coordination with other welcoming activities. The Program Council considered options: Other congregations were surveyed and most were in the… By the Soul Matters Sharing Circle Team When did we decide that resilience was a solo project? It’s not that we consciously defined it that way. It’s just what we were taught, from the time we were little until, well, today. The same thing was – and is – said in so many ways: “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps”; “You’re stronger than you think.”; “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”; “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The cultural message is clear: resilience depends on you – your individual toughness and inner strength. It’s a… By the Soul Matters Sharing Circle Team Wholeness is never lost; it is only forgotten. Integrity rarely means that we need to add something to ourselves: it is more an undoing than a doing, a freeing ourselves from beliefs we have about who we are and ways we have been persuaded to “fix” ourselves… Often in reclaiming the freedom to be who we are, we remember some basic human quality, what we find is almost always a surprise but it is also familiar; like something we have put in the back of a drawer long ago… – Rachel… By Kerry Mellette & Pat Russo “Some things that are worthy of doing, cannot be measured. Did you transform a heart today?” We had the honor of representing our congregation in a week-long leadership and faith development experience called SUULE (Southern Unitarian Universalist Leadership Experience). We spent the week at the 4H camp in Wiertz, VA, with 50 UUs from the Southeast Region and an incredible UU staff. For us, every morning began with a tranquil walk to a beautiful, picturesque lake. Then, after a group breakfast, the formal, daily program began with 9 AM worship and ended at 9… It’s been a while since my last report. I’ll try to catch you up on the high points of WUU Board business. I’ve been enjoying the newly invigorated early services on Sundays now that we’ve moved forward with our new two-service focus. In the new year, we will task a group with the development of an evaluation process to gather information from congregants about this initiative. You will hear more about this in the winter and spring. Most months since last January the Board has been reviewing the progress of our Strategic Goals by hearing from the committees responsible for… By the Soul Matters Sharing Circle Team This at least seems to me the main problem… How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it? …How can this world give us at once the fascination of a strange town and the comfort and honor of being our own town? – G.K. Chesterton The path of awe seems well worn. It’s a journey intended to bring us down to size. Pictures of our galaxy with a note that there are 100 billion more just like it. Videos of deep-sea creatures…
What Does It Mean To Be A People of Wisdom?
Notes from the Minister
WUU First Host for UUA Extended Leadership Experience Workshop
WUU President’s Report
Getting to Know the WUU Hospitality Ministry
What Does It Mean to Be a People of Resilience?
What Does It Mean to Be a People of Integrity?
Reflections on the Southeast Region Leadership Experience
WUU President’s Report
What Does It Mean to Be a People of Awe?
