Unitarian Christmas tree (2022)This week is the Third Sunday of Advent as we inch our way closer to Christmas Day. What’s odd about this year is that the closer we get to Christmas the less snow we have! We had more snow at Thanksgiving than we do now.
The title of this week’s service is “Incidental Occurrences” and explores the unlikely odds of many things that actually do occur in our lives. What are the odds of a small baby being born in an out of the way location ending up becoming the savior of the world? While this is certainly one of the larger unlikely occurrences, there are still many smaller ones that happen to us each day. We will light our third candle of Advent in the service. We also plan to decorate our UU christmas tree after the service during coffee hour. You will see a photo of our undressed tree posted above. We have a box of decorations at the church, but if you have a favorite ornament that you would like to place on this year’s tree please bring it to the service. (You can have the ornament back after the holidays.)
Our YouTube service for this week is the Second Sunday of Advent whose theme was generosity. Last week was also the kick-off of our 2023 pledge drive and you will see that reflected in the service content as well as the homily title, “Excessive Generosity.” You will find the link listed below. Please join us for one of the services this weekend.
There are many special events and services happening at UUHoulton during the holidays. Here is a Calendar of Events so you can be sure to add them to your holiday schedule. Happy Holidays everyone!
In Ministry,Dave
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
December 10, 11 Unitarian Universalist Craft Sale in the basement of the church
Saturday from 10AM – 4PM
Sunday from Noon until 4PM
December 17 Houlton Coffeehouse 7PM – 9PM
Open-Mic starting at 7 with holiday carol sing-a-long
Feature: Brad-Cory-Steve
December 21 Winter Solstice Celebration
6:30 PM Drumming
7:00 PM Ceremony in the parlor
followed by potluck refreshments in the cafe space
December 24 Candlelight Christmas Eve Service in the sanctuary 4PM
Potluck following the service in the fellowship hall. All are welcome!
December 25 No Sunday Service on Christmas Day
January 1 New Year’s Day Brunch 9AM
New Year’s Day Service 10AMTHIS WEEK’S YOUTUBE SERVICE:
HERE IS THE SERVICE LINK FOR THIS WEEK’S YOUTUBE SERVICE
(Please note it won’t be active until 10AM on Sunday morning)
https://youtu.be/EI7WcEFwXvcHERE IS THE ZOOM LINK FOR SUNDAY COFFEE HOUR:
David Hutchinson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: UUHoulton Coffee hour & check-inTime: Dec 11, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/84124335287?pwd=cnFuNkQrelhNMFFEUDJLOCtwczRlQT09
Meeting ID: 841 2433 5287Passcode: 170385
Virtual Offering Plate
If you would like to send in your pledge or donation simply drop an envelope in the mail. The address is listed below. You can also send your donation electronically with our new payment system on the church website. Simply go to uuhoulton.org and click “Donate” on the menu and it will explain how the system works. You can set up a regular monthly payment plan or donate in single transactions. Thank you for your generous support!
UU Church of Houlton, 61 Military Street, Houlton, ME 04730
Thich Nhat Hanh’s Love Letter to the Earth
The earth is you. You are the earth. When you realize there is no separation, says the late Thich Nhat Hanh, you fall completely in love with this beautiful planet.
At this very moment, the earth is above you, below you, all around you, and even inside you. The earth is everywhere.
You may be used to thinking of the earth as only the ground beneath your feet. But the water, the sea, the sky, and everything around us comes from the earth. Everything outside us and everything inside us come from the earth.
We often forget that the planet we are living on has given us all the elements that make up our bodies. The water in our flesh, our bones, and all the microscopic cells inside our bodies all come from the earth and are part of the earth. The earth is not just the environment we live in. We are the earth and we are always carrying her within us.
The earth is not just the environment we live in. We are the earth and we are always carrying her within us.
Realizing this, we can see that the earth is truly alive. We are a living, breathing manifestation of this beautiful and generous planet. Knowing this, we can begin to transform our relationship to the earth. We can begin to walk differently and to care for her differently.
We will fall completely in love with the earth. When we are in love with someone or something, there is no separation between ourselves and the person or thing we love. We do whatever we can for them and this brings us great joy and nourishment. That is the relationship each of us can have with the earth. That is the relationship each of us must have with the earth if the earth is to survive, and if we are to survive as well.
If we think about the earth as just the environment around us, we experience ourselves and the earth as separate entities. We may see the planet only in terms of what it can do for us.
We need to recognize that the planet and the people on it are ultimately one and the same. When we look deeply at the earth, we see that she is a formation made up of non-earth elements: the sun, the stars, and the whole universe. Certain elements, such as carbon, silicon, and iron, formed long ago in the heat of far-off supernovas. Distant stars contributed to their light.
When we look into a flower, we can see that it’s made of many different elements, so we also call it a formation. A flower is made of many non-flower elements. The entire universe can be seen in a flower. If we look deeply into the flower, we can see the sun, the soil, the rain, and the gardener. Similarly, when we look deeply into the earth, we can see the presence of the whole cosmos.
A lot of our fear, hatred, anger, and feelings of separation and alienation come from the idea that we are separate from the planet. We see ourselves as the center of the universe and are concerned primarily with our own personal survival. If we care about the health and well-being of the planet, we do so for our own sake. We want the air to be clean enough for us to breathe. We want the water to be clear enough so that we have something to drink. But we need to do more than use recycled products or donate money to environmental groups.
We have to change our whole relationship with the earth.
Reprinted from Love Letter to the Earth (2013), by Thich Nhat Hanh, with permission of Parallax Press.
ABOUT THICH NHAT HANH
Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022) was a renowned Zen teacher and poet, the founder of the Engaged Buddhist movement, and the founder of nine monastic communities, including Plum Village Monastery in France. He was also the author of At Home in the World, The Other Shore, and more than a hundred other books that have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Unitarian Universalist Craft Sale in the church basement Saturday and Sunday this weekend!December 10 Saturday from 10AM – 4PMDecember 11 Sunday from Noon until 4PM
Christoph modeling one (or is it three?) of Leigh’s famous knit hats…
Remember Minnie Pearl’s tag hat she used to wear on the Grand Ole Opry? She’s got nothin’ on Christoph.
Prayer List
For those recovering from COVID-19 in the state of MaineLocal emergency personnel and hospital staffFor our state and national leaders as they respond to the current coronavirus crisisFor those working for social justice and societal change
Pray for peaceful action and democratic process in our nation
The war in Ukraine is now in its ninth month
Prayers to ease the political unrest in the Middle East
Prayers for those affected by the recent mass shooting in Colorado
Prayers for those affected by the recent mass shooting at Virginia University
Prayers for those affected by the recent mass shooting at Walmart in Virginia
Prayers for peace during the holy month of December
The Four Limitless Ones Prayer
May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness.
May we be free from suffering and the root of suffering.
May we not be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.
May we dwell in the great equanimity free from anger, aggression and exclusion.
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