photos by Shannon Anderson

This Month

Nurturing Gratitude

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, our theme for services this month is Nurturing Gratitude. But gratitude certainly isn’t limited to November. When I slow down to think of all I am grateful for, and of those who nurture gratitude in me, I feel an immense sense of community, of warmth, of love. And that is exactly the feeling I get when I enter our fellowship hall every Sunday. As President, I have the honor of leading our members through the “blessing of the offering” every week. It goes like this “Let this be an offering to sustain and strengthen this place, which is so sacred to many of us, for we are the keepers of our dream.” It is the ultimate way our fellowship expresses our collective gratitude for the generosity of our members. By blessing the offering, we let our members know that their gifts nurture our building and our time together, which reveals itself in sacred ways. Recently, our Worship Committee discussed expanding the words of the President before the blessing to help those without the same financial means as some to feel as welcome in our fellowship and to recognize all of the non-monetary gifts we are equally, if not more, grateful for. Because our members nurture our gratitude in so many different and important ways, from loading up the dishwasher after morning coffee time, to weeding and gardening our grounds, to our Treasurer’s attentive care of our financial accounts, to bringing scrumptious and nurturing food items to our monthly potlucks, to offering musical talents that make us happy and bring us peace, to leading a service or reading a prayer, to expressing a joy or concern about each other to show care and love and to nurture our community — I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Our fellowship is strengthened and sustained not just by the checks that are written each week, but rather by the people that write them and for all of the gifts that these people bring in through our doors. We often think of gratitude as an individual emotion or practice, and we’ll be discussing some of that this month during our services, but I also think of gratitude being nurtured and grown through collective action or the sum of actions of many individuals. And gratitude can be a collective feeling, like the feeling we share when we bless the offering each week. I look forward to having a month focused on just how lucky I am to have found this community of amazing, vibrant, funny, talented, smart, and loving people that I am honored and eternally grateful to spend my Sunday mornings with. If you want to feel this gratitude too, come join us. Our doors are open. 

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

Special Diversity Service

             “On Nov. 16, Laurie Goodman is going to speak on “Gratitude for the Glory of Diversity”.   To help celebrate this topic, she asks that all attendees, older AND younger, invite a guest to join you at UU on that Sunday who “doesn’t look like you”:  someone with a different skin color; gender; sexual orientation; significantly older or younger than you; someone without a home, or who’s blessed with a large home or ranch; someone who’s first language isn’t English; — just somebody who has a significant difference from you.  When you invite them, Tell them “We want to celebrate the diversity we have in Sheridan and Buffalo, and their presence will provide the opportunity to understand and express our gratitude for all they bring to our community.”   (Please also bring some dish or dessert from a foreign country to enjoy together after the service!).

Cultivating Generosity for the World

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful then a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” – Mahatma Gandhi 

Fall Festival

The Fall Festival was a great success. Pumpkin carving, photo booth, music, smores and other goodies. A good time for adults and children.

“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 November

Local Events

  • All Saints Day (Christian) – Nov. 1 (more here)
  • All Souls Day – Nov. 2  (more here and here)
  • Samhain  (Pagan/Wiccan) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 (more here)
  • Prep Thanksgiving Dinners for Food Group Clients November 17
  • November 23rd    Committee decorates the tree after the service
  • November 24th    Committee meeting at the Goodman’s house, 17 Sandstone Circle, to make the gift tags
  • November 25th     Laurie and Bev will take the tagged gifts and put them on the tree
  • November 30th and December 7th—Members select tags and names are recorded   

Interfaith

Unitarian Universalist

National Holidays & Cultural

For Fun and On the Fringe

  • Sesame Street” first aired on PBS – Nov. 10, 1969
  • Birthday of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky – Nov. 11, 1821
  • World Kindness Day – Nov. 13
  • Birthday of artist Georgia O’Keeffe – Nov. 15, 1887
  • Mickey Mouse’s Birthday – Nov. 18, 1928
  • International Guinness World Records Day – Nov. 19
  • Buy Nothing Day – Nov. 29
  • Charles Schulz Birthday – Nov. 26 (1922) (more here and here and on his spirituality)

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