SUUF Spiritual Reflection
Sunday Morning March 22, 2020 from Rev. Glenn
“We’re all in this together alone.” ― Lily Tomlin
As we have all been encouraged to quarantine at home to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19 this week, I find myself returning again and again to this quote by Lily Tomlin.
I always read this quote as a statement about our shared human experience living on this Earth (all in this together), and experiencing our never 100% fully met needs: to be see, to be understood, to be loved (alone).
In this time of pandemic, with quarantines, I read the quote differently. We are living in this reality of pandemic (all in this together), and we are physically isolated (alone) in our homes. May we have the courage and the patience to stay safe and keep others safe.
I came across six “Daily Quarantine Questions” online this week. I don’t know the original author, they were just passed along to me. I see them as a good daily spiritual practices to explore and I wanted to pass them on to you:
Daily Quarantine Questions
1. What am I Grateful for today?
2. Who am I Checking in on or Connecting With today?
3. What expectations of “normal” am I Letting Go Of today?
4. How am I Getting Outside today?
5. How am I Moving My Body today?
6. What Beauty am I either creating, cultivating, or inviting in today?
SUUF Pledge Drive FY2021
The more I am read, the more it seems that this quarantine will last longer than most anyone wants; and; it is also clear that this quarantine will not last forever. We will be together again!
This week marks the kick off of the SUUF fiscal year 2021 pledge drive. I will take this opportunity to share why SUUF has a pledge drive and why it is important.
Religious Institutions have various ways of receiving the resources necessary to fund their operations. Sedona UU Fellowship chooses to have an annual pledge drive every year; as do many UU congregations. A pledge drive is simply asking each stakeholder (member or friend) to estimate how much they are able to contribute over the next year. We do this so that we can make promises in good faith; negotiate and sign contracts, such as with the minister, and rental building, etc. We don’t want to make promises we cannot keep. We also want SUUF to continue into the future in perpetuity, so getting pledges in advance helps us match our income and expenses as closely as possible each year; this is called a balanced budget.
Because we are a democratic community, members are collectively vested with responsibility for the congregation. Our governing board, the board of trustees, is elected by the members at the annual meeting. Our budget is approved by the congregation at the annual meeting as well. Making financial contributions supports the mission of the congregation, but it also serves as a spiritual discipline of generosity, of practicing the values that you preach, of living abundance in a scarcity-focused society.
The past few years when we would kick off our pledge drive, our musician Susannah Martin would lead us in funny songs, songs about UU fundraising to tunes of familiar songs. Such as “When We Met in Fellowship” (to the tune of When the Saints Come Marching In) and “Budget Time” (to the tune of Summertime). Singing those songs with you in years past on Sunday morning brings a smile to my face. 🙂
Back in February, I came across a listing of snarky unserious pledge drive themes; some of which are too delicious not to share. Below are ten that I enjoyed; I hope your enjoy them as much as I do! (Warning: Some are quite amusing, some come from a place of pain/hurt/disappointment)
1) Give Now ‘Cuz We Can’t Faith it ’til We Make It
2) War May Be Good for Absolutely Nothing, But Money is Good for Absolutely Everything You Say You Want to Do
3) “Don’t worry, we’ll just hire a minister who’s got a wealthy spouse with health insurance.”
4) Remember that time you said “someone should really…” (3 times, just this morning)? This is how we pay the someones.
5) Our Faith is Free But Heating the Sanctuary is Not!
6) Dentistry – because it’s like pulling teeth.
7) Cogito, ergo some sum. (Cogito, ergo sum is a Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes usually translated into English as “I think, therefore I am”)
8) Compound your interest for our principles.
9) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Do you want this to be a parable, or a Poe story? Your choice.
10) Make Altruism Great Again!
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Pledge Packets will be mailed to you this week. Included in the pledge packet with be a letter from the Board of Trustees, a pledging form, suggested fair share contribution guide, and the draft budget for FY2021.
The Pledge Drive is scheduled to last for 4 weeks, until April 19th, 2020. At that time, the board of trustees and the finance committee will develop a finalized FY2021 budget to submit to the congregation for approval at the annual meeting. Please submit your pledge as early as possible. The board is unable to effectively plan for the next year until ALL pledges are submitted.
Bonus Snarky Pledge Theme: “It’s just like NPR, the pledge drive won’t go away until we make budget.”
– Get you pledge in by April 19th, 2020.
Interdependently Yours,
Rev. Glenn
Other Important News
Fraudulent e-mails are back
In the past week four SUUF members received fraudulent e-mails impersonating Rev. Glenn, trying to con them and then ask for money/gifts cards, etc.
On Saturday 3/14/2020, I reported the fraudulent email address to Google Support and the FBI internet crime division.
It continued later in the week. Another SUUF member got a fraudulent e-mail impersonating Rev. Robin of Beacon UU in Flagstaff. (I got it as well in my spam folder). I reported this one as well to Google Support as a phishing attack. This is happening across the country in religious congregations; so much so that the UUA posted a warning about it this week. Please read the post and be skeptical of any suspicious emails going forward.
https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/scammer-pandemic
More Resources from your SUUF Board of Trustees
Latest Updated List on Sedona area Restaurants on their pick-up and delivery schedules (from the Sedona Chamber of Commerce) in a Google Document
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1UevDhbasCto2VOSf_h8ornhi-URwLYIgKpxIrmd4XJ4/htmlview#gid=0
Topics: Glenn Farley Virtual Services