Photo by Pat Tomsovic

This Month

Cultivating Compassion

Greetings to all as we embark upon the spooky season, aka October. I am thankful I am able to take the time for a small bit of writing today because today is a holiday at the multicultural, multiracial organization I work for. Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest of holy days in the Jewish tradition. It is called the Day of Atonement and celebrates the Jewish new year to start fresh. Whether you celebrate or not, it is a day to pause, to deliberate about your actions and the ways you interact with others, to seek spiritual renewal, and to make resolutions about how you will better forge positive connections with your family, neighborhood, and world community. I have been reflecting that Yom Kippur is a very appropriate start to our Sheridan UU theme of cultivating compassion. Our October service theme implies that compassion is not something that exists in the ether, but is something that must be cultivated through thoughts and actions. In addition to Yom Kippur, my mind is spinning with other pieces of our theme inherent in today’s modern history as well. As I write this, our nation is experiencing yet another partial shutdown of the federal government, and perhaps this one is the most divisive yet, filled with hurtful rhetoric and positioning that ignores the hard work and public service of our country’s federal employees. This shutdown is anything but compassionate. And then just yesterday we lost perhaps one of the all-time greats of compassion cultivation, Jane Goodall. I had the pleasure of hearing Jane speak on several occasions during my career as a conservationist and public interest environmental lawyer, and like many women in the field of conservation, she was an inspiring model force to me with her words full of hope and her message full of compassion for our planet, its many human and animal inhabitants. She also spoke truth to power, urged us to be better humans, and to care more deeply and with greater compassion for our world. So, this is all to say, as we embark upon October, the universe is sending us signals to cultivate compassion with the spirit of atonement, the force of Jane Goodall, and with holding our federal employee friends and neighbors in care. 

As always, we invite anyone to attend our services this month and explore our theme with us. We need each other in these times, more than ever. Whether you are a regular UU service attendee or just UU curious, our doors are open. Hope to see you this month for contemplation, kinship, and of course coffee, cookies, and community. 

Shannon Anderson

Sheridan UU Board President

Help Shape the Future of Social Justice at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sheridan

The UU Fellowship of Sheridan’s Social Justice Committee is looking for your input as we plan for the future. Justice is at the heart of our Unitarian Universalist faith, and together we can make a meaningful difference in our community.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts—what justice projects matter most to you, and how you might like to be involved. Your voice and perspective are essential as we set our direction for the coming year. Just click on the link below and submit your thoughts.

UU Social Justice Survey

Prayer for Cultivating Compassion for the World

Rev. Michelle Collins, Soul Matters Worship Researcher

Ground of Being, we witness a world on fire, literally and metaphorically. Headlines scream of cruelty and division. Children go hungry while others feast. The earth herself groans under the weight of our carelessness and our selfishness.

Some days the suffering feels too vast, the darkness too deep. We are tempted to close our hearts rather than let them break again and again. To choose cynicism over hope, numbness over feeling, despair over the vulnerable act of caring.

Yet here we gather, proof that love persists. In every city, on every continent, hearts like ours beat with stubborn compassion. Strangers comfort strangers. Neighbors feed neighbors. People choose justice when injustice would be easier.

Remind us that we are part of something larger than our individual capacity to heal. That every act of kindness creates ripples we’ll never see. That the light of compassion, however small our flame, joins with countless others to push back the darkness.

May we trust that love is stronger than fear, that justice is more powerful than oppression, that ordinary people choosing extraordinary kindness can and will transform this world.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion” the Dalai Lama

“I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness Mother Teresa.”

As Yom Kippur begins, we hold our Jewish siblings and neighbors in care. This holiest day of the Jewish year calls us to reflection, repentance, and renewal.

May we all find deeper honesty—with ourselves, one another, and the world we long to heal. To those who observe: may your fast be meaningful, your prayers heard, and your new year filled with compassion and peace.

G’mar Chatimah Tovah. ✡️🌿

“Justice is at the core of our faith.” We have added a Social Justice page to our site. Go to Social Justice in our menu, to see our latest ideas, actions, and projects for justice. Ideas to make the world a better place for all.

All are Welcome

We meet every Sunday at 10:00 am at 1950 East Brundage Lane.

You are invited to Sunday Morning Service to see if you belong with us.

More information see below

 

Events in October

Interfaith

Unitarian Universalist

National Holidays & Cultural

For Fun and On the Fringe

For the Curious

We invite you to explore this site and learn more about who we are.  On this site, you can learn What to Expect in Worship, you can read our About Us page, our Mission, Vision & Covenant page and our Beliefs page.

Services are held at 10 AM every Sunday, at 1950 East Brundage Lane, Sheridan, Wyoming. We hope you’ll stay for coffee, treats and conversation after service. On the fourth Sunday of each month, we’ll also have a potluck; even if you don’t bring a dish, we would love to share lunch.

For weekly program listings, see: Upcoming Worship Services.  For past service presentations written by fellowship members see: Presentations from Past Services The meditation group meets every Sunday at 7 PM at the same place. For details see: Meditation Group.

If you are interested in becoming a member please see our Membership page For contact information or to join our email list see: Contacts