Taking Action: Democracy NC and other groups are asking people to share their concerns about House Bill 40. They and others believe it will criminalize protesting on many levels. Get details and a way to take action here.
SAVE THE DATE…
Feb 25 – “Stand with Ukraine Peace Rally and Vigil”,2 – 8 pm,Pack Square. Get details from this flyer.
Feb 28 – Moms Demand Action Asheville holds its in-person meeting at First Baptist Church, 7 pm. Get details and sign up here.
March 2 – Screening of an important film on the death penalty, “Racist Roots”, 7 pm.Get details here for this free event held at the Mullen & James Humanities Hall on the UNCA campus.
May 6 – BeLoved Asheville is holding its second “Raise Another Home” Auction on May 6th. Get details for this event and how you can support it in this open letter to the community.
Every day, after a UU Adopter fills the pantry, it is empty a few hours later. There is such a need for food in our community. Even if you have not signed up as a Sustainer, please give when possible. There is a bin in Sandburg Hall or the left cabinet outside at the back entrance of UU to drop contributions off. What is most appreciated always are pop-top canned meals, water, and fruit/applesauce in containers. If you have any questions, or want to get more involved in this project, email Anita Feldman at anitasfeldman@gmail.com .
Have you heard about the Article II study? Did you know the wording of the 7 Principles & 6 Sources are in the process of change? The Article II Study Commission has completed its two-year study. They submitted their report (PDF, 26 pages) to the UUA Board of Trustees at their January meeting. Join us for an informal conversation this Thursday, March 16 at noon in Sandburg Hall (bring a bagged lunch) or at 7 pm via zoom (link in the e-News March 15) on the Study Commission’s recommended revisions to Article II. Facilitator: Rev. Claudia
Sunday, February 19, 2023 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Our denomination is re-imagining its foundational documents i.e. Article II. Have you heard about this? The last major change was in 1985. The charge to the team reviewing the documents emphasized that one core theological value shared among UUs is LOVE. Join us to explore the meaning of love as a theological statement that moves us to choose the path of love for personal and societal change.
Our theme this month is Love! Check out some idea below from Soulful Home to explore the theme with your friends and family.
Discussion Questions
What is your very first memory of feeling loved?
Whose love for you do you never question for a moment?
What does your family most love to do together?
What’s something loving you say to yourself regularly? (For example, “I can do this,” or “I made a mistake, but it’s ok.”)
Think of three people you love; what do they all have in common?
How do our pets show love to us? How do we show love to them? What about the wild animals we share space with, like maybe songbirds, insects, squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, mice, etc.?
When’s the last time you said, “I love you,” to someone?
Do you think love existed before people put a name to it, or was love created only once people experienced it and described it?
Can we actually decide whether or not we love another person?
Can you love a part of the earth, maybe the landscape of your home region, or a place that is very special to you? Can the earth love you back?
Many people talk about God’s love, or the nature of the Universe being love. Do you experience a sense of love that is bigger than any of us, and all-encompassing like that?
What does the saying, “love your neighbor,” mean to you?
How does it feel to fall in love, or how do you think it feels?
Do you believe in love at first sight?
How does your family most often show love? How is this alike and different from other families you know?
Return to the Discussion Throughout the Week
Thoughts develop with time. Find opportunities to bring up particularly compelling questions again during the month, maybe on walks, rides home, when tucking your child into bed, etc. If thoughts grew or changed, notice together how we are all evolving beings, opening ourselves to new truths and understandings as we live our lives and connect with others.
Playing Games with Love
At Play activities and questions are a way to joyfully, playfully, and imaginatively experience the theme.
Option A: Silly Love Fortune Tellers
Folded paper fortune tellers have been popular with school-age children for decades. Refresh your memory on how to fold them here:
Then, using the letters I L-O-V-E Y-O-U, write out eight silly actions, or eight fun predictions, so that your fortune teller engages every new person who walks in the room. Here are a few of our examples:
I – Itch your elbow with your toes
L – Lower your nose to your knee
O – Open your mouth as wide as you can, and say “I Love You”
V – Ventriloquize a sock puppet saying, “I Love You, (your name)”
E – Embrace someone or something in the room with you
Y – Yodel your whole address
O – Offer a compliment
U – Use something in the room as a silly hat for five minutes
Option B: Love Mazes
Print out a copy for each family member and have a race to see who finishes theirs first!
In the early 1990s, Christian author Gary Chapman repackaged some common couples therapy concepts into a numbered list that he called “the five love languages.” The book was aimed at heterosexual Christian married couples, but it became popular beyond that intended audience. In the years since, love languages have become part of mainstream culture, and forward-thinking writers have revised and expanded the list of five to be more dynamic and inclusive.
Reflect on these ways that people might show respect, caring, affection, and love to one another. Share with your conversation partner which languages seem most resonant to you, and to which ones you feel resistance.
In the love languages paradigm, each of us has one or two or a few preferred ways to give and receive love, and knowing one’s own preferences, as well as those of one’s loved ones, might create more harmony and deeper connection in relationships. It also gives up options of the many ways to love and be loved in the world!
