Our New Normal

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April 15, 2020

Dear Ones,

By now we may be adjusting to a ‘new normal,’ as we enter into the fifth week of physical distancing. We are, by necessity, learning how to stay connected, and even build deeper connections, while we remain physically distant from one another. I do hope you are all taking care of yourselves mentally, physically and spiritually.

This morning I read an article that invited me to ask myself five questions each day, while in this time of social distancing.

I’m going to try this, and add my list to our Fellowship Facebook Page. Join me and add your own answers!

And finally, some good news humor. You may be aware that I’m a big fan of “The Office.” It’s my binge-watch favorite. So, I was delighted when my daughter shared with me John Krasinski’s “SGN” (Some Good News) I’ve shared with you Episode one of three. I hope it lifts your spirits as much as it lifted mine. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of support to you. We are in this together, and we can be here for one another.

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Practicalities 

Connecting via Zoom 

We continue to explore ways to make our  Zoom access both accessible and secure.  

All Fellowship Sunday Services can be found at:  https://uuma.zoom.us/j/993783355

or call in at: 1-346-248-7799 Meeting ID: 993 783 355

There is also a link on the home page of the Fellowship website.

Meetings with me will be on my personal zoom link. If you get stuck, remember that the meeting IDs for meetings with me are the same as my cell phone number.  

All School of the Spirit events can be found at: https://zoom.us/j/552956886  

Zoom links for any Fellowship meetings will be made available on our calendar, found here: Fellowship google calendar.

For security reasons (who wants a Zoom-bomber in the middle of a covenant group?) we will no longer be putting these zoom links on our Fellowship calendar. If it is helpful, you can bookmark them on your browser. 

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Sunday Services 

Sunday Services on Zoom are our primary way to gather the whole community together. They will continue to be held at 12:30 p.m., with School of the Spirit Zoom class at 11:45 a.m.  

For the coming weeks, we will ground ourselves in the Five Jagged Rocks of Unitarian Universalism. Each Sunday, we will focus on one aspect of our theology and how it can provide strongholds during these uncertain times.  Here are our upcoming services: 

April 19:  All Souls are Sacred and Worthy  Eric Williams and Irene Faivre, Service Associates

April 26:  Truth Continues to be Revealed  Rev. Lydia and Irene Faivre, Service Associate

I’ll be off this weekend, not leading worship, but you’ll see me in one of the tiny boxes on Sunday morning, joining the service for my own nourishment. 

In May, we’ll return to the Soul Matters Theme of Thresholds — a juicy theme for this time in the world’s history.

Office Hours

Each week, I’ll open my Zoom Room for anyone who wants to hang out. (Zoom office hours!)  Here’s my office hours schedule for the next couple of weeks:

  • Thurs. April 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Wed. April 22, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

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Our Fellowship Building

As a reminder, the entire state is under stay-at-home orders until (at least) April 26th. And, it’s clear that the limitations won’t be lifted all at once. I am very concerned that we follow both the spirit and the letter of these orders, for our own safety and that of others. Therefore, the Fellowship building is NOT open now, except for essential tasks that are needed for contractual obligations or building safety. If you do need to go to the Fellowship, please schedule it through this link, as we are monitoring the activity at the Fellowship to follow safety protocols as best we can. Karen Axe is also available to help anyone who needs to work at the Fellowship to think through safety protocols. It seems that Colorado’s physical distancing to date has been effective at flattening the curve, but we are still in a critical time. We want to be guided by wisdom and care for all of us, not our impatience to be in our beautiful new space.

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The Conversation Project and Covid-19

The many impacts of this pandemic are hard to take in, and can feel overwhelming. But spending some time thinking about your own needs and wishes should you become ill can be empowering. I share this video from The Conversation Project with you about what to think about in terms of end of life wishes in this unprecedented time we are in. 

Please feel free to reach out to me, Constance Holden, or Scott Nelson and Mzia Chatara (our lay pastoral care associate coordinators), to discuss your plans or concerns during this time.  

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Your Generosity Makes a Difference!

Thank you to everyone who was able to be a part of the Easter Bunny Match. A generous anonymous donor offered a 1:1 matching grant for $5,000 and we matched it, raising $7,070. This outpouring of generosity brings us that much closer to reaching our goal for this year’s pledge drive. We still have $24,930 to raise to meet our $489K goal, and until Friday to do so. 

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Some Offerings to consider:

Longmont Unitarian Universalist Presence (LUUP) Online Dinner Church: This Friday Night, April 17,  6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Grab your meal, put your feet up, and join with other UUs. All are always welcome to join this evening of ritual and eating together. The LUUP dinner church is an opportunity for a multigenerational community to share a meal and meaning-making rituals. Each time we gather, we explore questions and do an activity around a theme. The experience is interactive and accessible to people of many ages, even online.

Poetry Night: Second Thursdays in May and June. Join Rev. Lydia on Thursday, May 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a contemplative evening of sharing using poetry. Rev. Lydia will provide a poem for us to dive into, based on the SoulMatters theme of Thresholds. There will be time for personal journaling or drawing, followed by small group sharing. (These events used to be called “Deepening the Conversation,” and are based on the work of Parker Palmer).

Signature

New Link: 

I’m finding great solace in the way our governor, Jared Polis, has responded to the Coronavirus. Here’s his briefing from Monday. 

Links We’ve Shared Before

Recommended links for online, reputable sources for more information:

Please use reputable websites for accurate information including the 

These websites often link to other sites they have vetted and consider accurate.  

Here are two additional resources you may find helpful:

From 2020/04/01

Pastoral Message:

Beloveds,

Tuesday’s news about the magnitude of anticipated loss of life in this country sent me into a funk. (Apologies to those with whom I was on my last Zoom call for the day.)  I’ve heard that the peak here in Boulder County is anticipated to be about two weeks from now. And, of course, there is so much uncertainty about that, so much we can not control about the path of this epidemic.   

For some, like those who watched their friends die in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, this time may bring us back to other traumatic times. For others, personal losses may be revisited.  And still for others, real fears for your personal health and well-being may arise, especially if you are still required to go out into the world on a regular basis.  

Keeping your own center in the midst of this is challenging. Be sure to take plenty of time for rest and quiet reflection. In this quiet time, use art, long walks, journalling, gardening, movement or sitting meditation to see what comes up. And don’t push it away. Binge-watching Friends or baking up a storm are only temporary salves. As are the distractions of over-working or over-serving others. But by all means, do indulge in those distractions that bring you ease and a sense of purpose. Know, however, that your own discomfort only amplifies when you repeatedly push it away. Learning to stay with uncomfortable feelings that arise strengthens our capacity to respond with compassion to whatever life brings us. Be gentle with yourself, and remind yourself regularly that whatever you are feeling is fine, and impermanent. It too, will pass.

Beloveds, we are going through this together, and we have each other for support.  

“Reach out, keep reaching out, keep bringing in”

Marge Piercy, the Seven of Pentacles (still running through my head)

Practicalities:

Connecting via Zoom

We understand finding one’s way into a  “Zoom Room” can be challenging and we are trying to minimize the confusion.  

All Fellowship Sunday Services can be found at:  https://uuma.zoom.us/j/7202728284

or call in at: 1-346-248-7799 Meeting ID: 720 272 8284

There is also a link on the home page of the Fellowship website.

Meetings with me will also be on this same Zoom link. 

All School of the Spirit events can be found at: https://zoom.us/j/552956886  

Zoom links for any Fellowship meetings will be made available on our calendar, found here: Fellowship google calendar.

Sunday Services 

Sunday Services on Zoom are our primary way to gather the whole community together. They will continue to be held at 12:30 p.m., with School of the Spirit Zoom class at 11:45 a.m.  

For the coming weeks, we will be grounding ourselves in the Five Jagged Rocks of Unitarian Universalism. Each Sunday, we will focus on one aspect of our theology and how it can provide strongholds during these uncertain times.  

April 5:  Courageous Love Transforms the World   (UUSC Sunday)  — Rev. Lydia, Rev. Catharine Harris and Pete Wernick, service associate

April 12:  Salvation in This Life: EASTER Reinterpreted  Rev. Lydia and Karin Griglak

April 19:  All Souls are Sacred and Worthy  Eric Williams and Irene Faivre, service associates

April 26:  Truth Continues to be Revealed  Rev. Lydia and Irene Faivre, service associate

Office Hours

Each week, I’ll open my Zoom Room for anyone who wants to hang out. (Zoom office hours!)  Here’s my office hours schedule for the next couple of weeks:

  • Thursday, April 2, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 8, from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m.
  • Thurs. April 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Tues. April 14 , from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Offerings

Playshop moves to Zoom! Yes, you CAN do Interplay online. I’ve been zooming in Interplay communities for years. Join me on Saturday, April 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on my Zoom Room. We’ll share and move and connect body and spirit in the midst of this great worldwide pandemic. All are welcome! 

Poetry Night: Second Thursdays in April, May and June. Join Rev. Lydia on Thursday, April 9th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a contemplative evening of sharing using poetry. Rev. Lydia will provide a poem for us to dive into. There will be time for personal journaling or drawing, followed by small group sharing. (These events used to be called “Deepening the Conversation,” and is based on the work of Parker Palmer)

Pledge Drive

Please remember that we have extended our pledge drive, and are still waiting to hear from about 35 members and friends. Keep an eye out for an announcement about upcoming pledge drive news. 

Financial Assistance

If the economic fallout of the coronavirus has already impacted you, please do let me know.  In addition to my minister’s discretionary fund, I am learning about other sources of economic support available. 

Caring and Being Cared for

Caring needs are likely to increase as we hit the peak of this virus and social isolation and the global economic crisis impact our most vulnerable populations. If you would like to be a part of our growing caring network, email the Neighborhood Connector Coordinators, Sharon Hardin and Sheri Price. If you would like support, email laycarecoordinator@bvuuf.org.

See after my signature for recommended online resources for up-to-date information, and for important information communicated in my last letter.

May we continue to bring love, reason, compassion and justice into the world, no matter how we gather, 

Rev. Lydia, 

on behalf of the COVID-19 Preparedness team

  • Carol Pranschke, Office Manager; 
  • Jessica Laikeman, Director Lifespan Faith Formation; 
  • Marky Lloyd, Board President; 
  • Deborah Mensch, A/V; 
  • Nancy DiLaura, Vice President; 
  • Karen Axe, Health Information Task Force; 
  • Judy Schmidt, Health Information Task Force;
  • Constance Holden, Caring Council; and
  • Janet Meyer, Communication and Personnel

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Recommended links for online, reputable sources for more information:
Please use reputable websites for accurate information including the World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDHPE), and your county health department. These websites often link to other sites they have vetted and consider accurate.  

You can expect to receive weekly information from me in these forms:

  • an email communication with this same title from me on Wednesdays
  • a link on Connections Weekly on Fridays, and
  • an update on Sundays, no matter how we gather
  • these will be linked to Facebook etc.