Dear Ones,

This coming Sunday we will have our Animal Blessing during the service. Since the weather is supposed to be nice, it will be held outside in the Gathering Area. Please feel free to bring your well-behaved furry friends. Also, bring a blanket or a chair to sit on.

The theme for October is Living Love Through the Practice of Deep Listening. What do we mean when we say, “deep listening?” Deep listening means being fully present to hear the words of another. It means listening to what others say without thinking about how what they are saying relates to you. It means listening without thinking about what YOU are going to say in response. Listening to another person deeply is one of the most important gifts you can give to another person. But before we can truly understand the power in listening to others, we should take the time to listen to listen to that voice ourselves.

I will be leading another Sermon Writing and Service Creation Workshop the fall. It is a four-part workshop, with each of the session building on the one before it.  The sessions will be from 10:00am to 12:00am, on four Saturdays in November; Nov. 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd. Participants will:

• learn about different techniques for writing sermons and the variety of sources of inspiration available.
• create short reflections on topics of their choice.
• share them with co-participants for feedback; and
• identify and combine different worship elements to create a “mini-service” for the final session.

Anyone can take this workshop as it provides a great small group experience, but it is recommended for all Worship Service Associates and Service Leaders, as well as anyone who might like to offer a sermon one Sunday at CVUU. Registration is required, and the link is here https://tinyurl.com/SermonWorkshop2.

Covenant groups have started up again. There are three new groups this year. The first group meets on the third Sunday of each month before the service at 9:15am. The second group meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 3:00pm in Zoom. The third group meets on the fourth Sunday of the month after the service. There is also a group that is specifically for individuals who are 65 years of age and older that meets on the first Thursday of the month in Zoom. There is still room in all the groups, and you can register for any of these groups here.  If you think you might be interested in facilitating a covenant group, please email me at minister@c-vuu.org.

We have another Read with the Revs coming up on October 27th in the hour before the service. The book will be It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. It is an oldie but goodie, and an especially relevant bit of satire in these turbulent times. You can register at this link: https://tinyurl.com/CVUU-ReadWithRev. Rev. Mark and I are really excited about this book.

As we think about what it means to listen, we cannot help but consider the importance of silence. And so, this week I close with “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed.

In peace and love,
Rev. Viola

Rev. Viola Abbitt  (She/They)
Minister
Coastal Virginia Unitarian Universalists
809 South Military Highway
Virginia Beach, VA 23464