The Advocates for Social Justice will be sponsoring a Special Collection during the service on February 19th for the Communities of Color Coalition (C3). Based in Edmonds, C3 educates and advocates for social justice and human rights, especially for people of color and other under-represented groups that have been systemically oppressed. They do this through a transformational process that centers and supports those who are closest to the problem in developing and implementing the solutions necessary for systemic change. Our collection will go toward their comprehensive rental assistance program.
The December 18th Special Collection raised $503 for Arms Around You, a reentry resources and referrals program that serves formerly incarcerated individuals coming out of correctional facilities, the homeless community, and victims of domestic violence and substance abuse.
The ASJ Committee thanks WUUC members and friends for their generous support of our monthly special collections, which take place during services on the third Sunday of every month. Instructions for giving are posted during the service, and you can also donate anytime the following week at https://onrealm.org/wuuc/-/give/now, or by sending a check to WUUC at P.O. Box 111, Woodinville, WA 98072. Please make checks out to WUUC and write “ASJ Special Collection” in the notes.
Thank you for pre-registering for the upcoming Curiosity Clusters to discuss I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán. The pre-registration information you provided helped us determine how many clusters to offer, and what times through the week would be most convenient for many people.
Each Curiosity Cluster will meet for six sessions, 90 minutes per session (the first session will be 2 hours).
To sign up for the cluster that works best with your schedule, fill out this form:
I am excited by the way that 2023 is starting off!
First, one of the biggest and most interesting events in our year-long exploration of Curiosity is happening on Sunday, January 29: a Fireside Chat with Mónica Guzmán, the author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. Mónica will join me in the afternoon for a public conversation about her book: what inspired it, what she learned through the writing process, and how people are responding since it was released early last year. Most importantly, we will talk about why and how we should cultivate curiosity in ourselves. There will be time for Q & A after the conversation, so bring your questions, your curiosity, and a friend with you to this awesome event with a truly inspiring person.
Then in February, the Curiosity express goes full steam ahead as we form Curiosity Clusters! What are Curiosity Clusters, you ask? These are book study groups of 8-10 curious people who want to take a deeper dive into Mónica’s book. They will begin in late February and run for seven sessions. I’ll be sharing more information, including how to sign up, soon.
I really hope curiosity catches on here in our community. It is not just a way to find things more interesting. I see it as a way to address one of the deepest problems our society is facing today: ideological division, which leads to dehumanizing, hate, and, in the most extreme cases, violence. This is a justice issue. Depolarizing the extreme ideological divides, connecting across differences, and seeing the humanity in people who think and act differently: these are ways to create a fairer and more just world. A safer and more peaceful world. A world with more respect, compassion, and love. Curiosity is not just a way to find things more interesting; it is a powerful tool in building a better world. I hope you will join me in cultivating curiosity in ourselves and others. After all, I believe curiosity is contagious!
I wonder what awaits us in the rest of 2023? And I wonder, too, what will choose to make of it? I’m looking forward to a curious start to the new year.
The pandemic has been hard on all of us. Engaging with our shared community is more important than ever. To that end, we encourage all folks who plan, develop, or coordinate WUUC events to carefully consider including people who may not be able to participate in person by offering hybrid or online options whenever possible. Training and/or help with setting up virtual/hybrid events is available. Please contact May Killorin, Office Manager, for assistance.
This time of year always seems to sneak up on me. Every fall I know it’s coming, but October and then November seem to come and go in the blink of an eye. And suddenly it’s December.
As the days get shorter and shorter and the nights get longer and longer, we enter a season of many holidays and holy days. This year, the Christian holiday of Advent began on November 27, and goes until Christmas Eve on December 24, followed by Christmas Day on December 25. Hannukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, starts at sundown on December 18 and goes until December 26. Pagans observe the Winter Solstice on December 21, and Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration from December 26 to January 1 that lifts up African customs and culture. We Unitarian Universalists even have our very own holiday in this season: Chalica, a weeklong observance and exploration of our seven principles, starts on December 5 and goes through December 11.
Whatever holidays you celebrate, or holy days you observe, I hope that this season brings you hope, peace, joy, and love. May you and your loved ones be blessed, and may your presence be a blessing to all you meet.
