We will gather to honor the Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, a spiritual and cultural holiday informed by the traditions of Mexico as well as those of Christianity and indigenous religions of the Americas. At this time of year, as the seasons change and the year turns, it is right that we, too, turn toward one another to remember those who have died, and to share our stories of love and loss. Please bring a picture of a departed loved one to share.

This Sunday after the second service (12:30) Rev. Greg is holding a workshop on UUCCSM’s history.  This is for everyone.  It is not so that Rev. Greg or Church leaders can tell members what our history is.  It is so that members can tell Rev. Greg and church leaders what our history is.  Specifically, what’s most important… what’s most meaningful… what’s exciting, energizing, enlightening, heartbreaking, etc.  Everyone has something to share and everyone has something to learn.

A light lunch will be served for nominal cost.

The UUA Common Read, The Third Reconstruction

Lifespan Religious Education Adult Programs presents the 2016-2017 UU Common Read, The Third Reconstruction:  Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, by Rev. William Barber II and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (2016).  Copies of the book (168 pp) are available for sale at the Lifespan R.E. table.

At the 2016 UUA General Assembly, Reverend Barber addressed a general session in the morning, conducted a workshop in the afternoon, and, in the evening, spoke at the G.A. State of Emergence Public Witness Rally.  Videos of some of these speeches are available on the UUA website.  Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in North Carolina, Rev. Barber developed the nonprofit organization, Repairers of the Breach, Inc., a nonpartisan and ecumenical organization focused on a progressive agenda rooted in a moral framework, bringing together clergy and laity from different faith traditions with “nones” who are guided by the same moral principles.  He also revived the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival Mass Meetings, which is co-led by local grassroots organizations to address issues of systemic racism, poverty, militarism, and ecological devastation in the states.  ^{For more information see} breachrepairers.org. 

The Third Reconstruction serves both as a memoir and as a detailed, pragmatic guide to building and sustaining a social justice movement.  Rev. Barber built a “state-wide interracial fusion political coalition” of civil rights groups, immigrant rights activists, unions and LGBT+ advocates, which he led in Moral Monday rallies at the North Carolina statehouse to protest redistricting and voting rights restrictions, as well as attacks against social programs.  From the UUA website: “Drawing on the prophetic traditions of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, while making room for other sources of truth, the book challenges us to ground our justice work in moral dissent, even when there is no reasonable expectation of political success, and to do the hard work of coalition building in a society that is fractured and polarized.”

Please join us on Sunday, December 3^rd from 1-3pm in Forbes Hall, Room 4, to discuss the 2016-2017 Common Read, The Third Reconstruction.  Portions of the G.A. speeches will be viewed during the class.  Consider how Rev. Barber’s “Fourteen Steps Forward Together” may apply to UUSM’s own justice work.

Here is the link from Beacon Press:  http://www.beacon.org/The-Third-Reconstruction-P1139.aspx

Rev. Greg is using his background of teaching worship to educate and empower a group of people to help take on and expand the role of “pulpit host.” This cadre of people will learn leadership – not just in a worship setting, but how to inspire and transform people and communities.

One of the main goals of this new program is to embody the diversity that is capable of providing new heart, new insight, to
enlarge our understanding of 21st century realities. We are continuing with many of those who already have skill and experience in leading worship, but we want to add some new insights and energy from people who can broaden our diversity in every category – age, gender, race, class, sexuality, theology, religious or cultural history, etc.

Please see the Worship Associate Application form, or ask Rev. Greg if you are curious.