the OUUC spark

You may have seen this quote before:

“It’s hard to know when to respond to the seductiveness of the world and when to respond to its challenge. If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”

—E.B. White

I’ve been thinking about this dilemma this month as we’ve explored equity and grief and other hard topics and also celebrated the Spring Equinox, had pajama day, and delicious pie on Pi Day. When there is so much goodness to enjoy and celebrate, how can I not rise each day with joy? And when there is so much that is unfair and broken and so much work to do in the world, how can I not rise each day with purpose?

Here’s some of what we’ve done this month:

I’m not the first person (and won’t be the last!) to feel pulled by these seeming polarities, and UU minister Richard Gilbert wrote this lovely piece about it, I recommend reading it: To Savor the World or Save It | WorshipWeb | UUA.org

This piece reminds me that it is not an either/or but a Both/And. The beauty of spring, the joy of delicious pie, the laughter and fun of a game with the youth group, all of these joys is also a call to work for justice, equity, and to help others.

What have you learned about balancing the competing desires to save and savor the world?

How do you do Both?

I’m thrilled to award Volunteer of the Month to Polly Taylor this month! Polly has been a long time anchor of the Pastoral Care team, member of the Memorial Services team, and is now also serving on the Sabbatical Team. Here are some things people say about Polly:

"Polly is my wing person for memorial receptions. She has the ability to read my mind about what needs to be done and she makes things happen. She has been on many committees at OUUC, and she brings information and perspectives from all of those groups to everything that she does. During the Pandemic, she helped us update our procedures for memorial receptions to reduce the risk of spreading Covid should family members or friends be infected. In addition to saving lives, Polly has an easy laugh and a great sense of fashion. Brava, Polly!"

Melanie Ransom

"It's hard to be brief when describing Polly's contributions to our community; but, I'll try, Polly is amazing."

Dan Donahue

"I enjoy working on the Pastoral Team with Polly. She does a very effective job of facilitating the team & meetings.

Polly is very conscientious & is by nature a very caring person which shows in the way Polly cares for people.

For all Polly does & as well as for who Polly is, the award is well deserved."

Beth Johnson

This only scratches the surface of all that Polly is and does!

Thank you so much, Polly!

Thank you to all who came together at OUUC last Sunday (March 24) to participate in the wonderful Grief Ritual Workshop with Peter Jabin and Siena Tenisci. Peter was the speaker for our Sunday service, and you can watch the service here.

Peter and Siena shared that there are many grief mentors in the Puget Sound area and regular grief rituals. You can find these at the link they provided.

I noticed that one ongoing source of grief support in Olympia is Wild Grief, an organization that provides grief support outdoors. They also provide virtual hikes for those at home! And they are already known to our community — Wild Grief was a Share the Plate recipient from OUUC in 2021.

I have invited Peter to return to OUUC in the Fall, so stay tuned for more information when the new church year begins in September.

Rev. Mary

Minister@ouuc.org

Tonight’s dinner is a celebration of spring with eggs and spring veggies and other goodness. Everyone is invited for food and fellowship at 5:30 pm.

Volunteers needed for cooking and help with setting up tables and chairs — if you can help, please arrive early and stop Rev. Sara from doing it all herself!

Following dinner this week (around 6:30 pm), we will have the Buddhist and Christian groups, the all ages Action Hour, and Prayers from the Heart.

This week's Tiny Little News, with stewardship update and the events for the week of March 25th, 2024.

Website: https://www.ouuc.org

Email: office@ouuc.org

Location: 2306 East End St NW, Olympia, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 634-2005

Office Hours

Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sunday, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Staff Contacts

Rev. Mary Gear, Minister

Rev. Sara Lewis, Director of Community and Faith Development

Troy Fisher, Music Director

Isaac Jennings, Business Manager

Rosie Koppelman, Office Assistant

Teresa Madsen, Communications & Tech Coordinator

Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager

Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant

Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist