the OUUC spark

Welcome to Fall, and all the possibilities that a new season brings with it! Alright, it’s not actually Fall until the Equinox on the 22nd, but it’s culturally Fall as we have passed by Labor Day.

Our spiritual theme for September is The Practice of Invitation, which is just perfect for a new season. What does it look like to Practice Invitation? It might look like:

• The announcement for the beginning of choir practices saying, “if you want to sing with us, just come!”

• Thursday Community Dinners being open to all — as I say each week: "All are Welcome for Food and Fellowship."

• Our usher and greeter team opening doors and welcoming people on Sunday mornings.

But the practice of invitation can also be the reverse, as we listen carefully to what we are being invited to, such as:

• Invited to find and sustain practices and actions of love, justice, and health as we work toward our mission.

• Invited to contribute our time, talent, and treasure as we all share in the work of this community and this congregation.

• Invited to engage with change, within ourselves, within OUUC, within Unitarian Universalism, and within the larger world.

That last one, the invitation to engage with change, is particularly poignant for me right now, as I am in many seasons of change. What invitation around change is being extended to you?

This Sunday, we will celebrate our annual Water Communion ritual, welcome new members who are joining OUUC, and reflect on the ways that we are invited into transformation in this community. You can’t step in the same river twice, and you can’t attend the same OUUC twice either. We are always engaged with transformation, growth, and change. And yet there is a thread that runs through it all, a connection to what has come before and what will come after.

So, bring your water to share in this ritual that reminds us that we are flowing on in a living tradition, flowing like water. Come, you are invited.

Karin has been nominated and is our Volunteer of the Month for September. Karin volunteers with the Stewardship team and was instrumental in a successful stewardship drive this year. People praise her as a “data wizard”. Thank you for sharing your skills with OUUC, Karin!

Here’s what Karmel Shields shares about Karin:

“Karin developed our mailing/contact list, created a geographic map for our neighborhood groupings, and tracked all the incoming pledges weekly to report our progress. She comprehensively reviewed and compiled pledge data, paying close attention to preserving confidentiality.

Her work accounts for the delivery of comprehensive revenue picture for OUUC’s Board. We are more confident than ever in delivering a sound operating budget for 2024-25.”

And here is what Karin says about volunteering:

“As I get more involved with keeping OUUC running, I see how it takes all of us, each bringing our skills, talents, and knowledge to sustain our vibrant community. Working on the data in support of the stewardship campaign the last two years, I’ve (re)learned that I have some unique skills and am pleased I can put them to good use in support of this community.”

Thank you for all you do, Karin!