Compiled by Linda Sherry Worship Support Specialist “Here’s what I discovered. Intention is different from setting goals or resolutions in that Intention “pulls us into” who we truly are. Goals and resolutions “push us out” into future possibilities. To set intentions, we must listen to our inner voice which tells us who we truly are.”
– Katie Covey, Soul Matters Director of RE Resources
So here we are again, in the month of January, with its talk of daring resolutions and demanding calls to become better. It’s hard to resist. After all, who of us couldn’t benefit from a bit of self-improvement?
Living with intention seems to be more about creating a quiet space that allows us to connect with who we already are, a space that protects us from the pressure to accomplish and instead makes room to ask questions of heart, of meaning, of purpose.
And if we are able to carve out that quieter space, then maybe we will discover that this isn’t the year of “finally becoming a better me.” Maybe we’ll decide it’s enough to simply “finally be me.”
–Excerpted from Soul Matters Small Group Materials
Here are a few quotes to ponder:
Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent.
–Parker J. Palmer
Intention is the difference between those old mustard stains and Jackson Pollock.
–Anononymous
A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
–Kurt Vonnegut
Conscious change is brought about by the two qualities inherent in consciousness – intention and attention… Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. Whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate and disappear.
–Deepak Chopra
Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us.
–Richie Norton
Any dead fish can go with the flow — you have to be intentionally alive to swim against the current.
–Ann Voskamp
A Prayer of Good Intention
Dear Lord, So far I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I’m really glad about that. But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m going to need a lot more help.
–-Author Unknown
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WUUC engages in exploration of a new theme each month from Soul Matters.
Throughout the month we may dive into these ideas during worship, in small groups, In committee meetings, in private discussions, and hopefully within our own hearts.
Connect with Us! On the Web:JUUstice WashingtonLegislative Advocacy2022 Issue SummitsOn Facebook: 2022 Legislative Summit is coming very soon! Time is moving quickly and the Washington State Legislature will be moving into high gear soon! This is a short session this year so we’ll have a lot of work to do in a shorter period of time. Join us as we continue creating justice through our legislature! Part I – Legislative Panel: January 7, 2022 7:00 – 9:00 pm We will review the status of last year’s legislative efforts and look to what’s on the agenda for this year with legislators. Bring your questions, ideas and notepads and prepare for supporting and opposing critical justice legislation. Part II – Strategy Session: January 8, 2022 • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm JUUstice Washington has joined the Take Action Network (TAN) that reports legislative developments and recommends and facilitate taking justice actions. Learn about TAN, how to join it, and how to use the system to track legislation, take action, and keep up to date on hearings and information meetings during the legislative session. Justice issue groups will be organized and begin mapping out how to respond to proposed legislation. Take a glance at the prefiled legislation here and revisit the Washington State Legislature website. Register NOW! Suggested donation: $25 or offer a scholarship. No one turned away for lack of funds. Hope to see you all there and looking forward to working with you all this session! JUUstice WashingtonYour support is needed and always appreciated!Please Donate! Deb Cruz, President, JUUstWA JUUstice Washington https://JUUstwa.org Reach us at: office@juustwa.org
Now that we have begun having Sunday worship services in person again, we are also providing childcare for those that need it. In addition to our Nursery and Preschool Coordinator, Jen Ikeda, we are adding two childcare provider positions. The childcare providers will need to commit to at least two Sunday mornings per month from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Additional hours may be available for childcare during church meetings and events throughout the year.
A copy of the job description can be found here. If you are interested in applying, please contact me. Feel free to share the information with others who might be interested as well.
Please let Bridget Laflin know if you have any questions.
Join us on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022 at 7 p.m. for a meeting of the WUUC Nonfiction Book Club, hosted by Alaine Davis and Lane Owsley. We will be discussing Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach. We plan to meet in person and have dinner together. Vaccinated guests only, please. RSVP to Alaine <alaine.davis@yahoo.com>.
What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. The answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.
Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and “danger tree” faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in the Indian Himalaya to St. Peter’s Square in the early hours before the pope arrives for Easter Mass, when vandal gulls swoop in to destroy the elaborate floral display. She taste-tests rat bait, learns how to install a vulture effigy, and gets mugged by a macaque.
Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. When it comes to “problem” wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem—and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.
(Modified from Goodreads)
Four times a year, the WUUC Book Discussion Group gathers to read and talk about a nonfiction book. You only attend the meetings about books that interest you, so we end up with a different group of participants every time. We meet to connect and talk about a book in depth. Anyone is welcome to suggest a book and/or lead a discussion. Contact Alaine to RSVP, suggest a book, or offer to host a future discussion.
