The Communitarian

April 2014

The Communitarian is the monthly newsletter of the

Community Unitarian Universalist Church

2819 W. Sylvester Street Pasco, Washington 99301 Services begin at 10:30 am

Joy and Service – Right Here! Right Now!

Web Page: www.communityuu.org Office Hours: Mon, Tue & Wed 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Consulting Minister:

Rev. Craig Moro (509) 205-1871 cmoro@willamette.edu Office Secretary: Tonia Hardy, office@communityuu.org President, Board of Trustees: Dave Comstock, dccjmb@yahoo.com Religious Education Coordinator: Gail Taff, gataff@charter.net Treasurer: Scott Wilson, Scottwilsonuu@charter.net

April 6~

“Drum Us Up, Draw Us Out” Speaker: Rev. Craig Moro The Rev. Dr. Gordon McKeeman wrote that “Ministry is a quality of

relationship between and among human beings that beckons forth

hidden possibilities; inviting people into deeper, more constant more

reverent relationship with the world and with one another.” I’ll

share more of his ideas with you this morning, along with some of my

own—plus a few funny dance steps. Worship Associate: Denise Pitts Musician: Ellen Fillion

April 13~ “Spiritual Imagination”

Speaker: Katie Larsell, ministerial intern, UU Congregation of Salem, Oregon Imagination doesn't always get the credit it deserves in our lives.

When was the last time you used your spiritual imagination? Worship Associate: Alex Emig Musician: Ellen Fillion

April 20~ “Holding”

Speaker: Rev. Craig Moro The best children’s stories are some of the best stories we have. They

are made to be told, retold, voiced, performed. They become part of

us, much as “religious” stories do (like the Easter story that will be

told in many churches today). Here is my idea for a children’s story

that I would write and illustrate, if I could, a work in progress with

something for the child in every one of us—and for the adult in every

child. Worship Associate: Vickie Fausz Musician: Ellen Fillion

April 27~ “Earth Day”

Speaker: Members of the Congregation Come celebrate Earth Day as we focus on our little corner of the

planet. While we're thinking globally, let's explore the ways we can

act locally. Bring ideas to share about how you care for your part of

the world. Worship Associate: Diane Reed Musician: Mike & Shannon Truex

The deadline for the May issue of The Communitarian is April 20th.

Submit your input to office@communityuu.org

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From Our Minister

Written Offerings From Rev. Craig Moro

Former Mormons form a rather large (and very

welcome!) “demographic bloc” at Community

Unitarian Universalist Church. I recently had a

conversation with one of our former Mormon

members about the similarities between LDS and

UU forms of religious engagement with the world,

and how distinctly American they both are (if

we’re talking about the modern UU movement,

not the older Unitarians in Europe.) As different

as their approaches might be, I can’t imagine

either one developing anywhere but here.

Early Mormon leaders had a genius for connecting

ancient Middle Eastern religious stories with life

on the North American continent. It’s not just a

matter of feeling certain “similarities”. No—this

and that Bible character actually crossed the

oceans to walk on this soil, between these hills

and rivers, and took part in great events here!

Those events were forgotten or concealed before,

but now they’ve been revealed. What’s more,

these events are still ongoing: let’s get busy

participating in them again! “Long ago and far

away”? Don’t be silly!

Our UU tradition has developed a different style

and practice. We immerse ourselves in the great

stories from many peoples, many places, and

many times in history. We try to develop the

skills and sensitivity, the knowledge, and

motivation to connect our own lives to any and all

great human stories, new or old. I’m reminded of

that often-quoted proverb: Give someone a fish,

and they eat for a day. Teach them to fish, and

they eat for life. I think that’s the UU way. We

can enter any great story, be energized by it, and

even add a new chapter. “Long ago and far

away”? Hardly!

You all know by now that I’m both a fisherman

and a storyteller. Looking back at what I’ve been

trying to do through my ministry over my years

with you, with others in the past and perhaps still

others in the future, I think a lot boils down to

this: doing my best to share my great love and my

small skill in fishing the world’s great streams of

Story. I try to give examples of how to cast a line;

how to feel a bite; then set the hook. How to

handle what you encounter—catching, feeling,

sometimes letting go. And sometimes taking the

whole thing in, body and soul, to have life inside

of you. I hope you’ve been enjoying it as much as

I have!

May your story this spring be a big and lively one.

In fellowship,

Craig

_____________________________

Rev. Moro is usually in the Tri-cities on weekends

of the 1st and 3

rd Sundays of each month,

September-June. He can be reached by email,

cmoro@willamette.edu or by phone at 509-205-

1871 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. only, except in an

emergency).

Board & Committee News

From the President! Respectfully Submitted by Dave Comstock

Happy April everyone!

May spring blossom in your hearts,

may laughter fill your homes, and

may your minds be renewed with

peace and generosity.

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Annual Meeting: May 18th

2014 after service will

be our CUUC annual meeting. Please mark this

date on your calendar. We have important

decisions to make on the RE Addition and our

path forward for the ministry of our church. Five

years ago, the congregation envisioned the

potential for having a minister that lived in the

Tri-Cities. This will be a topic of conversation in

the months to come, including Sunday services

devoted to the topic of ministry and a Seasons of

Conversation discussion.

Generosity: My word for April is generosity.

Each morning after you awake ask yourself How

can I give of myself today? Think about the ways

you can share you time, energy, talents and

treasures. Contemplating generosity helps me

expand my focus beyond myself. The Latin word

for generosity means noble spirit. I am always

amazed to find that the more I give of myself, the

more capacity I find I have to give. As Michael

Beckwith says in his book Spiritual Liberation

“give to live until you live to give”. I take this to

mean give of yourself to experience the true life

force of love flowing through you into the world.

So how can you give of yourself today?

May the Spirit of Love surround you everywhere

you may go!

David Comstock

Religious Education for Children & Youth

RE Children’s Program

K-1, 4th-6th grade OWL (Our Whole Lives)

CUUC is in the initial planning stages of offering

an eight week OWL (Our Whole Lives) human

sexuality program for children in grades K-1

and 4-6. OWL education at the K-1 grades allows

us to support parents in educating children about

birth, babies, bodies and families, while at the 4-6

grades we facilitate learning about and discussing

the physical and emotional changes of

puberty. You can learn more about OWL on the

UUA's website, http://www.uua.org/re/owl/.

Tentative options for sessions are: once per

week April 27-June 15 (day of week TBD); OR

abbreviated classes during the summer months.

If you are interested in your child(ren)attending or

in learning more about the program, please contact

one of CUUC's elementary OWL leaders (Chrissie

Noonan, cfnoonan@hotmail.com or Alex Emig,

alexemig79@gmail.com).

Easter Egg Hunt April 20

Easter Sunday is on April 20th this year. We will

have an Easter Egg Hunt for kids aged 1-12 after

church that day. We invite all adults and teens to

join us outdoors after church on April 20 to watch

the egg hunt, and share some relatively healthy

snacks. We may also have some outdoor games.

We will also have plastic eggs to stuff on April 6

after church (in the sanctuary, during Souper

Sunday) if you'd like to pitch in and help.

Thanks to everyone who donated cereal box and

other plastic liners - we're just waiting for the

wheat to sprout, in the hope of having Easter

baskets for all the kids with real "grass". If you

have a child age 12 or younger, please bring them

to church on Easter Sunday to join the fun.

Kindergarten-4th grade class

We are continuing with our curriculum

"Experiences with the Web of Life," and reading

the book Charlotte's Web as part of our lessons.

On April 6 we will learn about experiences with

rodents (like Templeton the rat in Charlotte's

Web!). We should have plastic eggs and items to

put in them after church, for anyone who wants to

help us get ready for the Easter Egg Hunt.

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April 13 will be on experiences related to

miracles. Our outing this month will be before

church, we'll meet at Wye Park and walk over to

Bateman Island to look at birds (the outing that

had to be cancelled last month due to the weather).

We'll wrap up by 10:00 so we can all get to church

on time. Please contact Heidi Newsome, who will

be leading the walk, if you have any questions.

April 20 our lesson is on experiences with

friendship and cooperation. After church we will

have our annual Easter Egg Hunt - parents and

other adults are welcome to come watch.

Our April 27 lesson and teacher have yet to be

scheduled.

Middle School (grades 5-8):

One session of the March Middle School class

focused on the importance of listening and

communicating. The kids got to make up their

own language and try to interpret each other’s

words or sounds. We practiced listening and

being quiet. Then we seriously digressed into a

rant against Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” song

and music video.

We are also learning about gods, goddesses, ands

creation myths as a way to get insights into other

religions and how they relate to Unitarian

Universalism.

Upcoming Events

4/13 8:30 am-10 am, Bird Walk on Bateman

Island, led by Heidi Newsome. Meet at Wye

Park. All ages welcome!

4/17 6 pm Religious Education Committee

meeting

4/20 Easter Egg Hunt after church for ages 1-12

Older kids and adults are invited to watch the fun

and share some snacks.

Hospitality

Calling all chefs for Souper Sunday April 6, 2014

Hospitality needs at least one additional person who could be available to assist with Sunday hospitality, especially during times when regulars may be unavailable. If you are willing to help with occasional Sundays, please reply by email to Sharon Faletti at bad.dancer@charter.net or call 375-0467. If you have thought about saying "yes," the Hospitality Committee would love to hear from you.

Women’s Luncheon!

Women's Luncheon location To Be Determined~

Please watch for an email announcement closer to

the first Tuesday. For any last minute questions,

please contact Sharon Faletti, 375-0467.

Hands & Heart

The Hands and Hearts Committee would like to

remind you that we are here to help, not just for

big events where we all cry or laugh, but also for

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the little things as well. We are here to help you

out in any way we can. You can seek us out at

church (our name tags have the heart stickers) or

call us up at home. (If one of us doesn't answer,

keep on trying other numbers). If you know of

somebody who needs looked in on, or if you want

to discuss your own situation, please give us a

ring. Bev is our card person, if you know someone

who needs to receive a Get-Well Card, Sympathy

card, etc. please contact her.

Alice Strumski~ (509) 488-2527, Jennifer Comstock 628-8638,

Vickie Fausz ~ 783-7797 or 531-8469, Jo Lindenmeier~ 586-3451 or

366-3953, Marla Marvin~ 545-1919, Jenny Rieke~ 545-0659, Bev

Schroeder~ 371-1572, Gail Taff ~ 375-3293, Denise Pitts~ 375-6130

CUUC Bulletin Board

Body, Mind, Household, State: Reading

The Tao Te Ching (Saturdays 3-4:30 p.m.)

The Tao Te Ching of ancient China is one of the

easiest of the world’s major religious scriptures to

like. It may also be the shortest of them all, which

can be a plus in itself. Most chapters run one page

or less, depending on the size of the print. It

features no chosen people, no land that’s more

holy than any other, no apocalyptic battles at the

end of the world. What matters most is the Tao,

the Way of nature that has no beginning or end at

all. It is everywhere, always, imminent, and

inescapable. The book appeals to mystics and

hermits and other solitary souls, while it also

offers wisdom about public service and political

action.

We’ll meet to read, discuss, and try to apply its

teachings through meditation and practical

exercises, beginning this month and continuing

through the spring, on Saturdays from 3-5 p.m.:

April 5 and 19

May 3 and 17

June 7 and 21

Please contact Rev. Moro if you are interested in

attending: cmoro@willamette.edu or by phone at

509-205-1871. Also please bring a copy of the

Tao Te Ching to class each time—any translation

is suitable, and multiple translations may aid us in

our understanding! The book is readily available

in bookstores or through Amazon. Several

versions are also available online—a Google

search will lead you to them quickly. Here are

some online sources for your convenience:

http://taotechingme.com/quotes

http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/taote.htm

http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/ta

ote-v3.html

http://terebess.hu/english/tao/waley.html#Kap01

(Arthur Waley translation, my favorite)

http://www.bu.edu/religion/files/pdf/Tao_Teh_Chi

ng_Translations.pdf (Multiple translations)

Please bring a copy of your book to the first

session, or print and bring the first 5 chapters of

any online edition. (We will try to work with five

each time.)

Gentle Yoga classes continue in April.

Join us in class 3 Saturdays in April - 5, 12 and

26. No class on April 19.

The class is a gentle workout for mind, body and

spirit. It's designed to develop balance, build

strength and increase flexibility, leaving students

with reduced stress, inner calm and heightened

awareness. All levels and many conditions are

accommodated. Chairs are available if needed to

assist during standing poses. No previous yoga

experience necessary.

The cost of the class is $39 for all 3 sessions or

$15/class on a drop-in basis.

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Contact Chrissie directly for additional

information or to register.

Email: cfnoonan@hotmail.com, Cell: 509-308-

2764.

"7 Day church community”

If you are teaching a "7 Day Church Community"

class or series and want a wider audience, please

email your class description and details to the

Facebook team (Chrissie Noonan, Denise Pitts or

Heidi Newsome). They can post your event and

advertise - just ask!!

We have several "friends" on Facebook who are

not current CUUC members AND folks can

advertise for you by sharing the post with their

friends. This is a great way to market all the cool

events we support - and hopefully in the long run

invite new membership.

Thank you,

Your CUUC Facebook team

Earth Day/Easter Day Cleanup on April 20

Come join in the annual fun of a church indoor-

outdoor beautification project. We’ll clean out the

fridge, pull weeds, plant things, wash windows,

clean chairs, etc. So bring the tools of your trade

to church and some snacks to share. Give as

much or little time as you can, but ‘many hands

make light work.’ We need you (or at the very

least, your snacks!). Contact Marla with

questions.

Seasons of Conversation – Our Vision for Ministry

Please join us on April 27 after the Sunday service

for a discussion to explore our vision for ministry

at Community Unitarian Universalist Church.

This discussion will be facilitated by the

Committee on Ministry. We will also have

another time for discussion after the service on

May 4. Hope to see you there and hear your

views on this important subject.

Got Ink? A Big Thank You to everyone who has donated

there ink/cell phones to Community UU

Church. We have received a total of $129.50

from Planet Greens Recycling!!!

If you have ink cartridges at home, please bring to

church on Sunday’s and put in the Ink box at the

back of the church. Community UU Church

recycles Ink and Old Cell Phones and receives a

small donation in return for them. Thank You to

everyone who has donated there ink and cell

phones

Full Moon Dance & Potluck

Saturday, April 12, 2014

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Dance at 6:30, Potluck at 7:30ish

Spread the word to your Moon-loving friends!

UUs & friends are invited to our Full Moon Dance

to be held at:

The home of Sandra Rosenau & John Dorian

(509) 375-1727

2348 Camas Avenue, Richland. Call for

directions.

This is a family-friendly, Earth-friendly event, and

children are welcome. What does this mean?

1. Please bring your own cup, plate, & serving

ware, as well as a dish to share for the potluck.

2. We will dance first and eat later, so “snack the

kids!”

3. We will dance outdoors under the sky so come

prepared for the weather! The potluck

afterwards will be indoors.

The Moon Dance is a safe, sacred space for all

ages, kids to sages. A place to move from the

inside out. To nurture your soul and simply be

you. We dance to all kinds of music (world beat,

trance, African, Celtic, Middle Eastern, rock,

gospel and more). If it shakes your bones, opens

your heart and lifts your spirit, that’s what we do.

We hum, laugh, cry, howl, sing, drum, sit in

stillness – it’s all life and it’s all welcome. After

a few minutes we find that music moves us –

joyfully, openly, surprisingly. Whether you dance

wildly or just sit and take it in, you are completely

welcome.

Shop and Support CUUC!

You can donate to CUUC every time you shop by

joining our eScrip program. Register your

Safeway card and they will donate from1 to 4% of

your purchases to CUUC. You don’t have to do

anything but use your card when you shop, and

renew at eScrip yearly.

You can also get a special eScrip card at Yokes

stores (go to customer service to sign up) which

you should use when you shop at Yokes. (If you

want to expand the amount you can allocate to

CUUC it’s also possible to register your credit

cards. Check their Web site for details.

It’s easy to sign up, just make sure you use our

group number 500021492:

Go to escrip.com

Click on signup

Make sure you use our group number

500021492

Enter your club card number for Safeway

Consider signing up your credit cards so more

of your shopping will benefit CUUC

Voila! Now a percentage of your grocery

shopping expenditures help’s our congregation. If

we all do it, it can really add up. If you have any

questions, e-mail Diane Reed at

ladybookww@gmail.com.

Recycle - Repurpose - Reuse News:

Last year we collected round containers and our

children used them to make colorful windsocks at

the Harvest Fair. This year we have a new

collection request: we want mint boxes! All

kinds of boxes: Altoids, Tic-tacs, any

manufacturer, large and small, round or squarish,

all are good. Just be sure to include the lid. Please

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bring any mint boxes you have to Sandra Rosenau

and/or leave them on the counter in the corner by

the kitchen. She will pick them up regularly so

we don't clutter the space. Thank you everyone!

CUUC Exchange

This is a Bulletin Board section for members to

post things they want to sell/buy/etc. Please send

to Tonia Monthly if you want anything

advertised

Chrissie Noonan has lots of magazines to offload

– National Geographic, Sunset, and Food & Wine.

Contact her if interested, cfnoonan@hotmail.com.

Gratitude & Change

We've got great employees at CUUC: Craig Moro,

Gail Taff, Tonia Hardy, and Erin Henderson. A

good percentage of your pledge goes to fund these

wonderful people and support the often

unheralded work they do. We are grateful for their

many years of service.

And yet, change is in process and under

discussion. The Board of Trustees, upon receiving

recommendations from the Committee on

Ministry, has voted to make the Religious

Education Coordinator (REC) position similar to a

Board position by establishing a three-year term,

with an option to serve an additional three years.

That would start this July, the beginning of our

new church year. Look for details in the May

newsletter.

In addition, it is time to revisit our

congregationally-developed strategic plan and

discuss our vision for ministry at the church. Five

years ago, the congregation envisioned having a

minister who lived in the Tri-Cities. Is that still

our vision? This will be a topic of conversation in

the months to come, including several Sunday

services devoted to the topic of ministry, a

Seasons of Conversation discussion, and at our

Annual Meeting, now set for Sunday, May 18.

Another idea to emerge from a newer member’s

request to advertise a business venture. So we’ve

started a new section of the newsletter called

“CUUC Exchange.” It’s an opportunity to support

each other, exchange treasures of all sort, seek

help for services/goods from each other, etc.

We look forward to working with the

congregation for a bright future at CUUC!

Chalice Lighter’s Corner

PNWD is accepting Chalice Lighter

donations for the Northlake UU

Church in Kirkland, WA through

March 10. A grant of $18,745 would cover several

areas that would enhance their growth. In order to

make their entry safe for pedestrians and

wheelchairs during freezing and wet weather, they

propose to refurbish their 1964 deck with Sundeck

materials, providing a safer entry and walkway.

During the resurfacing of their deck, they intend

to install a (currently non-existent) sign by their

main entrance, completing a welcoming facelift.

Your donation can be sent via mail (payable to:

PNWD Chalice Lighters, 12700 SE 32nd St., #E-

101, Bellevue, WA 98005-4317) or can be paid

online: http://bit.ly/Mx7RTb.

For additional questions about the Chalice Lighter

program, contact Chrissie Noonan,

cfnoonan@hotmail.com.

Social Justice Action

Social Justice –

Time to light a little fire for social justice!

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The February meeting must have been hard to

find, so we are returning to CUUC for our next

meeting on April 18th. You are welcome to

participate with us (no experience necessary) and

share your ideas and concerns. See you at 6:30

pm.

The WA UU Voices for Justice had a legislative

successes this session. HB 1840 was sent to the

Governor from the Legislature. This concerning

firearm laws for persons subject to no-contact

orders, protection orders, and restraining orders.

From the UUSC:

UUSC defends living wages, fair trade, and

workers’ right to organize — and you are essential

to these efforts. You have the power to make a

difference in the lives of workers, especially

workers in the food chain, every day when you

make choices that align with your values of justice

and equality.

Right now, we need to be encouraging our elected

officials to take action. A new poll shows that 73

percent of Americans want an increase.

Call 866-204-2557 (it’s toll-free) to be

connected to your representative. We need as

many U.S. representatives as possible to hear this

message: workers deserve a vote on the minimum

wage (and a raise)!

Raising the minimum wage is wildly popular with

the American people. The Congressional Budget

Office issued a new report finding that raising the

federal minimum wage to $10.10 would benefit

millions of workers and lift 900,000 people out of

poverty.

Say the following:

Hello, my name is [first and last name],

and I live in [city, Washington].

I urge my representative to call for a vote

in the U.S. House on the Miller Fair

Minimum Wage Act, which is H. R. 1010.

And I ask that my representative then vote

in favor of the bill, which would increase

the federal minimum wage and the

minimum wage paid to tipped workers.

That’s all you need to say! If you’d like to make

additional points, you could also add these:

It’s a moral outrage that the current regular

minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and the

tipped minimum wage is $2.13 per hour.

The minimum wage should be raised to at

least $10.10 per hour, and the tipped

minimum needs to be at least 70 percent of

that.

The minimum wage is more than a

political issue — it is a moral issue.

Interfaith News & Updates

.

Next Interfaith Potluck—

Saturday, April 5, 6 p.m., at Shalom UCC

Church, 505 McMurray St, Richland

Our next interfaith potluck will be held on

Saturday, April 5, 6 p.m., at Shalom UCC Church.

We’ll join our sister congregations—including the

Islamic Center, Congregation Beth Shalom

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synagogue, Lord of Life Lutheran, Guru Nanak

Sikh Organization, and Shalom UCC—for an

evening of food and fellowship. Our theme for the

evening will be Renewal. More information will

follow soon.

•Childcare provided

•Please bring a favorite dish to share. (No pork,

shellfish, peanuts or alcohol, please!)

•For more information, please contact Rev. Craig

Moro, cmoro@willamette.edu or call 509-205-

1871

Interfaith Alliance Website

website: http://tri-citiesinterfaith.weebly.com/#/,

or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TCIAlliance

A Daily Dose of Unitarian and

Universalist History!

Here's a wonderful resource: a 365-day calendar

highlighting the history and personalities of our

religious movement.

http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/365_this_da

y/?month=3&day=24

I hope you'll take some time to check it out. I'm

sure you'll meet some people you never heard of--

I know that I'm discovering plenty of them!

http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/365_this_da

y/?month=3&day=24

I hope you'll take some time to check it out. I'm

sure you'll meet some people you never heard of--

I know that I'm discovering plenty of them!