Friday News – March 7, 2025

•
I have long been interested in and have felt an affinity for the Islamic religion. Contrary to public prejudice, it is a religion that promotes peace and community responsibility. Ramadan has just begun, which is the holy month of prayer, reflection and fasting. From sunup to sundown, faithful Muslims fast in order to focus more clearly on the their religious principles. The breaking of the fast is called Iftar, and we are excited to have been asked by the Turkish American Society to host an Iftar dinner next Friday night, the 14th. It will be wonderful to join in community with them for this sacred experience. See details below and please RSVP by March 10 – I look forward to seeing you then!

Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley

Developmental Minister

P. S. This weekend is Daylight Savings time – make sure to set your clocks forward an hour!

Upcoming Events

Community Iftar Dinner

Friday, March 14, 6:45–9:00 pm

The Iftar dinner program begins at 6:45 pm with arrival and seating. It is important to arrive on time so that the prayers are not interrupted. Two speakers from The Turkish American Society of Ohio (TASO) and Rev Terasa will each discuss related themes. Food prepared by TASO will be served at a buffet. During Ramadan, Muslims wait until the sun has set before breaking fast. A prayer will be offered by TASO and by Rev Marco. The call to prayer (Ezan) will be explained and then recited. The dinner will run from about 7:30 – 9:00 pm.
RSVP by March 10
LOCATION
93 W Weisheimer Rd, Columbus Ohio 43214
DATE AND TIME
03/14/25 6:45pm – 03/14/25 9:00pm US/Eastern
Please let us know if you plan to attend.
I’ll Be There!

First Friday Spaghetti Dinner Tonight!

Join us at 6:30pm to enjoy dinner prepared by this year’s Coming of Age class! Bring a book or puzzle you enjoyed to swap for something new!

We’ll have salad, pasta, sauces, chicken nuggets, garlic bread and dessert. Vegan/gluten free/dairy free options available. Dinner is served at 6:30 and chatting/games/movies often go till 8:30-9. All ages are welcome!

Your first dinner is free! Subsequent $3 donations help fund the food. Spread the word, and come have a good time and some good eats with church friends!

Enjoy the movie “Defying the Nazis: The Sharps War” after dinner and come hear about how Unitarianism inspired their faithful work on behalf of the persecuted.

Day Trip: Cincinnati Underground Railroad!

Saturday, March 8 at 8 am
Through permanent & traveling exhibits, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center shares the stories of freedom’s heroes, from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary times, challenging and inspiring us all.
All are welcome on this trip, sponsored by our Anti-Racist Allies! We will carpool from the church at 8 am. The museum is open from 10 am – 5 pm. The cost is $16.50 for adults and $14 for seniors. Please RSVP to Danya Furda.

This Sunday, March 9

9:15am Nouurish Service

Featuring:

The Sad Little Fact

by Jonah Winter

Presented by members of the Alternative Worship Team with members of our First UU Community.

11am:

“Bringing Ourselves Back”

What does resilience look like in these times? How can we ‘spring back’ when it feels like we’re being assaulted? Spirituality gives us some clues about this important question.

Presented by Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley

with Rev. Suzan McCrystal

Enjoy hot breakfast at 10am! Coffee, tea, & conversation following both services.

Pathways to Membership

Sunday, March 9, 9am–1pm
It’s not too late to join the next Pathways to Membership class! We will explore various paths to involvement at First UU and connect you with groups and other members who share similar interests.

There is no obligation to become a member. We invite everyone who has questions or is looking to find points of connection.
Register Now

How did we get here?

UU History Workshop

“The 80’s!”

Sunday, March 9, 12:30pm

Come Join the Archives and Transition Teams for a ride through the ’80’s. We hosted GA in ’84, sponsored Cambodian and Nicaraguan refugees, entered into Life Span RE with Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, began our Arts Festivals, became a Nuclear Free Zone, and more. Fun times and serious times! Share your memories and listen to ours!

Around The Corner

  • 3/12 Vespers at Westerwood
  • 3/15 BREAD Organizing Meeting
  • 3/15 All Soles Contra & Square Dance (more)
  • 3/16 Anti-Racist Allies Monthly Lunch (Creole 2 Geaux)
  • 3/17–3/23 SYC Dine to Donate fundraiser at Piada
  • 3/19 Finance Committee (RSVP)
  • 3/25 Expressive Worship
  • 3/25 Atheists Skeptics and Humanists (ASH) Speaker Collin Marozzi, Deputy Policy Director of ACLU of Ohio
  • 3/26 Board of Trustees (RSVP)
  • 3/29 Concert Series Event: Aaron Nathans & Michael Ronstadt
  • 3/30 History Workshop
  • 4/4 First Friday Spaghetti Dinner

Weekly events:

  • Tai Chi for Balance (Tuesdays, 10am)
  • Sacred Song Circle (Wednesdays, 6pm)
  • Co-Working Space (Fridays, 9:30am)

From First UU Leadership

Carpe Diem at First UU!

March 16 at 2:00 pm

Join Carpe Diem String Quartet in concert here at First UU for “Vanishing Point”, which will feature works by Kaminsky (an Ohio premiere), Mayer, and Beethoven. First UU members receive a $10 discount. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door.

Mid-Year meeting

During our Mid-Year meeting we asked you the question “What would you like to see more of in the future?” This word cloud was generated from our 277 responses.

Reserve Now for the Game on 3/29!

Join us in welcoming league alumni to this special game, celebrating our 20th anniversary season! Come see Amber skate; get your tickets before they sell out!

Justice & Volunteering

Ohio Feed and Read Collection

March’s collection for the Feed and Read program is high protein staples, coloring books, and socks to help keep people warm and fed during these winter months. Pick up a green bag outside the Worship center and return it next week with items you have purchased.

All are welcome to help pack and load on Sundays at 12:45, or See Jacques Angelino on Sundays in Beach Hall during Breakfast and Coffee hour for more information.

Weekly Eco-Tip

Eco-Justice starts with shrinking our own footprint on the Earth, to help ease the burden on the most vulnerable among us. Each strand in the web of existence is connected. Check back here each week for a tip from the First UU Eco-Justice team!

Hefty bags has a program called The Hefty Renew Program which accepts hard-to-recycle plastics like candy wrappers, cereal box liners, chip bags, fresh/frozen fruit and vegetable bags, plastic pet food bags, disposable cleaning cloths, plastic wraps on toilet paper, bubble wrap, plastic utensils, empty fast food condiments containers and much more! Participants need to purchase orange Hefty Renew bags and dispose in dumpsters in select locations. Charity Newsies has one on on Indianola! For more information check hefty.com.

Classes & Groups

Learn more in our Engagement Catalog, and reach out to join!

Anti-Racist Allies Lunch

Sunday, March 16

Creole 2 Geaux
Chef Janvier Ward was born and raised in Columbus, but she got her southern influence from her mother who was raised by a New Orleans native. Her market stall is inside the East Market – Suite 16, 212 Kelton Ave, Columbus, OH 43207. We will meet at the kiosk in the church gallery at 12:30 pm to carpool to her food stall.

Senior Gathering

Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 10:30am–Noon
Email to RSVP
Attention seniors: we hope to see you at our upcoming Senior Gathering! RSVP by 3/9 to Marilyn Beerman.

Muffins, quick breads and fruit will be served in Beach Hall starting at 10:30am, followed by a program with Rev. Terasa and Dick Dawson.

Save the Date: Out of the Flames Book Group

Meeting at 7pm Wednesdays Throughout April
Mark your calendar, and consider ordering your copy of the book now, for this rousing month-long book study, led by Dana Reynolds and Robin Lawson! Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World by Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone “tracks the history of The Chrisitianismi Restituto, examining Michael Servetus’s life and times and the politics of the first information during the sixteenth century.”

Group interest form coming soon! Contact Amber with questions.

Community News & Events

Be the Spark – First UU Auction

Thank you to all the volunteers who worked hard to make our

Celebration & Live Auction possible!

Thank you to all Cake / Dessert Donors!

And it’s not too late! You can Bid Here on all unsold items. We call this phase “aftersales.” However, now there is no competition! If you see something you want simply bid and you WIN it at the starting price. All items, dinners, services and events are sold at the minimum bid!
Bidding sheets will continue to be available before and after the services for two more Sundays.

If you haven’t paid your auction tab, please see us at the auction table in Beach Hall before or after the service, or you can pay online.

Question or can’t purchase online?Contact the auction team!

First UU Art Gallery

“Nature Distilled”

Katherine Lawson, artist.

March 6– April 20

Take time to view our latest exhibit by UU Katherine Lawson in India Ink, Water media, and collage.

Questions? Reach out to Deb Baillieul

Explore the Theology of Our New Shared Values

March 22, 2025 from 10 am – 4 pm

UU Congregation of Cleveland, Shaker Heights, OH

 

Register by Saturday, March 15 for this Learning, Transformation and Community Networking Day, hosted by the UU Congregation of Cleveland!

Join in a day of play, arts, movement, and joy led by Cassandra Montenegro, Rev. Renée Ruchotzke, Beth Casebolt, Rev. Randy Partain, Rev. Will Humphrey, Rev. Walter Clarke, Rev. Kristina Church, and friends.
All people welcome: board and committee leaders, parents, children, youth, young adults, staff members, religious professionals, ministers, and any committed and engaged folx who love Unitarian Universalism and might not have formal roles. Childcare available with some light, playful programming to help connect UU children and youth with one another and with the wider community.

Jung Association of Central Ohio

invites you:

Lecture: The Spiritual Paradox of Addiction

March 15, 2025, 9:30-12:30 via Zoom

Greetings from the Jung Association of Central Ohio. We are offering a Zoom program, available to First UU at the JACO member registration rate of $55. (CEU’s available for additional $5.)

Dr. Ashok Bedi will be speaking to the issue of the high degree of spiritual drive he has found in individuals with whom he has worked who have dealt with mental illnesses in general and addiction in particular. Carl Jung, in his counsel to his patient Roland Herrington, prescribed that he needed a sort of religious or conversion experience to claim his sobriety. In his book, “The Spiritual Paradox of Addiction,” Dr. Bedi posits that instead of using addictive behaviors to attain connection with Spirit or the deeper, higher, and creative consciousness, recovering addicts can learn to engage with Spirit directly, thus making the addictive detours unnecessary. His thoughts and guidance to Spirit are applicable to all of us no matter our mental health, addictions, or day-to-day living.

Family Activities

Register Now for Peace Camp!

We can’t wait to see you this summer! More info, and registration here!

  • Session A: for 6-8 years, Monday 7/28 – Friday 8/1, 9am-12noon
  • Session B: for 8-11 years, Monday 8/4 – Friday 8/8, 9am-12noon

This Sunday, March 9th

9:15am-10am Nouurish Service (sanctuary)

10-10:30am Breakfast, and Coffee until 11am (A/B, Beach Hall)

Caregivers of Young Children eat together (Beach, near the piano)

10:30am-12:30pm Infant and Toddler Care (101)

10:30am-12:15pm 13-14yr OWL (302)

11am-12:15pm Coming of Age (401)

11am-12:15pm Building Your World MS/HS (301)

11am-12noon Worship Service (sanctuary)

11:15am-12:15pm (starts after story) 3-6yr Spirit Play (102)

11:15am-12:15pm (starts after story) 7-10yr Spirit Play (201)

12noon-1:00pm Snack and Coffee (Beach Hall, A/B)

12:30-2:30pm Youth Group, 12yrs-HS senior (402)

12:30-2:30pm Rising Young Adults, 18-28yrs (302)

1:00-2:30pm Navigators Scouting hike, 5-18yrs (offsite)

Help Needed: seeking scout troop & Youth Group volunteers! Email Amber, or fill out this interest form! Families: please register here.