What does the word “renewal” bring to your mind? I think a lot of our talk of renewal as Unitarian Universalists centers around personal renewal, with its accompanying themes of rest, resistance, and rebirth. And that’s pretty important stuff! We need, especially in these times, to be renewed, to slough off the stresses of living in a fast-pace society where we face so many demands from work, school, family, relationships.

But what about communal renewal? Cultural renewal? Historical renewal? Huge variation exists in the way some of us are familiar with our cultural heritage, whatever that might be. Some of us may be able to trace our cultural roots back for many generations, over centuries. And others of us may not know who our biological parents or ancestors are at all.  

For me, there’s a little of both. Many of my mother’s European ancestors are well known and documented back to nearly the beginning of North American colonization in the 1600s. They were mainly English and Dutch farmers who moved around New England until gradually settling in upstate New York, where they’ve been for the last couple centuries. 

And I know some of my dad’s family, coming most recently from the Caribbean, was comprised of European, Indigenous, and African cultural heritages. But this history is murkier. Before the very recent advent of AncestryDNA, I couldn’t have told you where in Africa my ancestors were taken from, which cultures, traditions, or religions they might have practiced. I can’t tell you where or when exactly the small part of my DNA that Ancestry marks as “Indigenous” came in. And because most of these family and tribal histories were oral, their names will almost certainly never be known to me.

It is more often the case for people of color that we don’t know whence or from whom we came, whether because the institutions of slavery and colonization ripped families - and oral histories - apart, or because people of color have been too poor or been considered too inconsequential for official records to be kept. There is perennial discussion in many communities of color about “reclaiming” our roots - about discovering the cultures that were wiped out or at least radically changed when our lands or our ancestors were colonized or stolen.

But the thing is, none of my cultural heritage - or yours - has arrived in this time and this place completely unscathed. The truth is, I don’t know what my Dutch or English or Scottish or Irish cultures looked like before the sicknesses of Empire and colonization and institutional racism and extractive capitalism got hold of them, either - if ever they existed without such. I don’t know what -I- would look like in the absence of these forces and historical events. Absent a time machine, whatever our cultures looked like centuries ago isn’t really accessible to us any longer. And so the process of “renewing” our cultural identities and norms can’t just be a matter of a simple process of identifying and removing the “bad” because we don’t know exactly which parts are a result of the “bad.” 

What does this mean? It means that renewal of our communities will involve RE-inventing, RE-imagining who we are in the absence of oppression, and in the presence of radical love. The good news, friends, is that we get to do this learning and this difficult yet profoundly hopeful imagining together in community. We get to figure out which of the basic beliefs we were all raised with, are not going to serve ALL of us, and we get to join in joyous co-creation of something better!

So during this month of renewal, friends, my questions for you are these: What does “decolonization” look like for our congregation, our UU faith, our nation, the world? Who and what will be our guide in renewing our deeper cultural values and norms? Which centuries-rooted assumptions do we have to leave behind? To whom will we look for guidance? What will our guiding questions be?

Our theme for June is the Gift of Renewal. For people who are experiencing overwhelm in daily life, the very word “renewal” can activate a sense of frustration - a feeling that renewal is one more thing to try to fit into our impossibly complicated schedules.  

We can counter this reaction by remembering that renewal does not have to look like a week-long holiday where we sit by a peaceful lake in the mountains contemplating life while we are served a steady supply of tea and cookies by our smiling and silent children (although that does sound pretty great). Thinking about renewal as a gift of our UU faith, as something to be incorporated as part of a regular spiritual practice, can inspire us to find small ways to experience a sense of renewal. 

In We Are Parents this month we learned a renewal ritual that is intended to be used in a daily transition where a person changes their role from worker to parent or vice versa. While written for this specific transition, the ritual can be adopted for anyone experiencing a change of roles during the day, or even simply as inspiration to change one’s mindset. It is short, portable and adaptable and provides an opportunity to experience a moment of spaciousness that can renew our energy and allow us to proceed with intention. (I adapted this ritual from RitualWell.)

Transition ritual:

Before the ritual, find a scented object - (hand lotion, scented candle, herbs, etc.)

Take out your scented object of choosing and inhale deeply and exhale.

Close your eyes and reflect on something that went well during the time that’s now ending. Don’t dwell on what didn’t go right!

Take a few breaths and allow yourself space to be present, letting go of your responsibilities as worker/parent, caregiver/friend, etc. - just being.

Then take a breath and offer gratitude for your own abilities, for your support systems (teachers, partners, family, friends, colleagues, etc.), and for something larger (the divine, the earth, etc.).

You might recite:

In this moment,

I lay down my burdens,

thankful for all that helps me carry them each day.

Now I am more ready to lift up

and be lifted up by what comes next. 

Conclude by inhaling your scented object again (if it’s a cup of coffee or tea, take a sip; if it’s hand cream, put it on and smell it, etc.) and exhaling deeply before you move on to the next part of your day.

I encourage you to think about what forms of renewal, both big and small, might work for you. Email if you have found something that particularly works for you! I would love to know!

In other news,

I hope you will come to church on Sunday, June 2 for our Spring Celebration Service. Our congregation will participate in several blessings that honor our bridging seniors, our COA youth, our teachers and our children. As a congregation we will witness these important milestones and reflect upon our own milestones as well.  

This summer in Faith Exploration we will continue to offer programming for all of our children and youth. Our kindergarteners and younger will explore and play with our awesome ECE staff. 1st-5th grades will spend time exploring the theme of the service through a combination of our usual rituals - a song, a chalice lighting and the sharing of joys and sorrows followed by creative and active opportunities planned by Laura. Our Middle and High Schoolers will combine into the summer youth group and will connect with each other through games and service projects. Watch the Weekly Connection for specifics about the activities for each age group.  

I know that despite our best hopes for more spaciousness, summer often ends up feeling as busy as the rest of the year. I hope that you will enjoy some fun and adventure this summer but I also hope that you will find time to rest and relax.

Chris Sealy, President

As we barrel towards the end of another church year, my old reporter self like to ponder the top news stories of the year. I am drawn to a story that actually began in the fall of 2022 – a story that is just as vital now as it was when it started. It’s represented by those four beautiful banners in the sanctuary: deepen spiritually, connect authentically, serve respectfully, love radically.

This is our mission, and it matters every day. It matters because of the work the congregation and the Board poured into its creation and how it begat nine powerful end statements that specify goals such as opening ourselves to awe and accountably dismantling racism in ourselves and our institutions. It matters because it guides the church’s work, something the Board sees every month when the staff prepares a Program Monitoring Report detailing their work. Whether it’s worship, faith exploration, pastoral care or justice work, whether it’s classes or small groups or Sunday services or organizing – this report shows how the work of the staff is linked to advancing JUC’s ends. Day after day, pursuing our mission and our ends matters.

As three of us rotate off the Board next month (Brooke Maddaford and I after three years, Case Collard after an astounding six years), I couldn’t be more proud of how our ministers, our staff, our board, and our congregation work towards fulfilling our mission and ends every single day.  

As we approach summer, I understand many might feel a sense of relief and relaxation with warmer days and vacation plans drawing us away from our usual commitments— perhaps even our worship services. Summer beckons to BBQs, pools, and exciting outdoor adventures. This season is synonymous with creating unforgettable memories through holidays and thrilling adventures. What's your best summer memory? Share it with me via email; I would love to hear them! 

Have you thought about how you might renew yourself with your chosen community this Summer? Our summer church services are commonly lower attendance, and it can be challenging for the community. But let me remind you of the importance of our collective worship and connection. Even on days when we don't feel like going to church, being part of a community can be a powerful source of strength and inspiration, even more so than comfort— although we need that too!

So, I have a proposal to make to you. It is a pledge that you renew your community spirit at church each week. Come along with us to church throughout this summer. We are asking this of each other, acknowledging the sense of support and spiritual nourishment plus direction that comes from our Sunday gatherings. Let us consciously put our worship and community first this summer— let us come together, even if briefly, and help support one another through what life brings our way. Maybe even step up more and volunteer on the Welcome Team this summer! Maybe even sign up for the Volunteer Training that will be starting up in June!

I know that it can be easier to spend the summer mornings at home gearing up for a day of sun later, but I promise you that it will be worth it to renew yourself in the morning before the adventures of the day. And who knows? You might just find yourself feeling more refreshed and rejuvenated than you expected! We go to one service in the summer so you may even meet people you haven’t seen ever or since last Summer!

So, let's do this! Let's make this summer one to remember, not just for our own individual experiences, but for the collective energy and joy that we can create as a community.

Introducing Baker Purdon

Hello, JUC!

I am thrilled to introduce myself as your next Director of Music Ministry. I have heard absolutely incredible things about your congregation and leadership; Keith’s strong reputation speaks for itself, and I am honored to continue his exceptional work at JUC. As I make the turn in my career towards full-time music ministry, I look forward to doing so alongside all of you. 

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Kansas City on the Kansas side (in Olathe, for those of you in the know). I went to The University of Kansas for my undergraduate degree, The University of Central Missouri for my Masters in Education, and have just recently completed my Ph.D. in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Temple University in Philadelphia. I have visited Denver once before about 10 years ago when I attended an Amnesty International protest for refugee rights at the Colorado State Capitol as a student leader. I’m excited to explore all that the Denver area has to offer! 

For most of my career thus far, I have been a public school music teacher. I have taught everything from 4th grade through high school and college courses. While teaching, I have maintained a part-time music ministry in just about every religious tradition you can imagine: Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Jewish, Episcopalian, and now finally Unitarian Universalist. 

In these past two years I have served my first UU congregation here in Philadelphia with Rev. Cheryl M. Walker at The Unitarian Society of Germantown. It has been an absolute joy and privilege to not only discover a faith tradition I respect but one that I align with intellectually, morally, and spiritually. Starting from that space, I am eager and excited to explore my own belief system alongside all of you as I grow deeper into my UU faith at JUC. 

And with all that formal business done, here’s some of my favorite things to help you get a sense of who I am outside of work!

• Favorite Musical Artists: Jacob Collier, Cody Fry, Jeff Buckley, ABBA (and so many more!) 
• Favorite Paintings: Composition II by Piet Mondrian, Brass Section by Tyler Shelton (it’s my goal to own one of his pieces soon!) 
• Favorite Movies: Twister, The Harry Potter Series, almost anything horror – Nightmare on Elm Street is my favorite 80s franchise 
• Favorite Books: A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara, anything by David Sedaris, What We Lost in the Swamp by Grant Chemidlin
• Favorite Composers: Harry T. Burleigh, Sergei Rachmaninov, Jake Runestad, Mark Hayes 

Thank you again for extending the invitation to join you all in Golden – I look forward to meeting you soon!

June has been one of my favorite months for as long as I can remember. When I was in school, June meant freedom and rest from the constant grind of schoolwork and extracurriculars. Now, in my third year in UU music, June still has a similar feel. While, of course, I don't take 10 weeks off work, I am allowed to redirect my focus, which is typically on intense short-term planning and rehearsals, to reflect on the year and create goals for myself and the church's music ministry as a whole. It's a time of the year that I have always felt so thankful for, and it's very fitting that our theme this month is Renewal, because for me, this feels very much like renewing my goals and intentions.

This year looks a little different, since I will be moving on to my next adventure as a master's student in the fall, and we will be welcoming Baker Purdon to the long term position of Director of Music Ministry on August 1. Change can feel uncertain and uncomfortable, but I hope that the church can continue to view this transition through the lens of renewal. While, of course, Rev. Keith Arnold's long time ministry here was very important and touched many lives over the years, the church does have an opportunity to renew its intentions around music ministry by asking questions of itself. What are the things that JUC has been doing for a long time that should be continued because of their positive impact on this congregation? Are there approaches to music that perhaps don't serve the church's current values and should be reevaluated? I am so excited to see how Baker will explore these types of questions and begin to define what his music ministry at JUC will look like.

Questions like these can be applied to many areas in the church, as well as in our personal lives, and I invite each of us to lean into the idea of renewal to check in on our goals, remind ourselves of our covenants, and renew our intentions for the year ahead.

New Anti Racism Lending Library

Pam Bond

At JUC we value equity and inclusion. And we agree to courageously work together to accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.

One of the things we’re doing to this end is to start a lending library of books on anti-racism. One of the ways I have worked on identifying and dismantling racism in myself is by reading powerful and insightful books on the subject. I have appreciated Robin DiAngelo’s works which are written with the white audience in mind and UU authors, too.

I also appreciated Board of Trustees member Case Collard’s sharing the importance of reading in his anti-racism journey on Sunday, May 5. Maybe he’ll donate a book or two!

Please help yourself to a book and if you have some to contribute, please drop them off at the office to be recorded before inclusion in the library. You’ll find the library on the shelves under the People of JUC bulletin board in the south commons.

The library includes titles such as:

• "Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry" with discussion guide. Edited by Mitra Rahnemo from the Committee for Antiracism, Anti-oppression, and Multiculturalism of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
• "White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" by Robin DiAngelo
• "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson
• "Black Pioneers in a White Denomination" by Mark D. Morrison-Reed
• "The Selma Awakening: How the Civil Rights Movement Tested and Changed Unitarian Universalism" by Mark D. Morrison-Reed
• "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Habitat for Humanity Update

Bruce and Cathy Martin

JUC has been assigned a summer workday for Habitat doing a home repair project. This will be on Thursday, July 11 from 7:50 am to 3:30 pm. We will be working at 816 3rd Ave (off of 6th Ave and Santa Fe just east of I-25). Lunch will be provided. We have room for 5 volunteers (remember that volunteers must be 16 years old). Registration Link We’re hoping to see you out on the upcoming Habitat workday.