It's Mystery Buddies Time!

Each year when February rolls around, it's time to start thinking about Mystery Buddies. If you've ever been a mystery buddy, you know how much fun it can be. 

It goes like this: Throughout February, children and adults choose a code name and sign up to be matched into Mystery Buddy pairs. At the end of February, pairs of one adult and one child are made and code names are announced. 

Though each buddy knows the code name of their buddy, and a few starter facts, their identity will be a mystery. Every week in March, clues like notes and homemade gifts are exchanged as each participant tries to guess each other's identity. 

In addition to just being fun, the Mystery Buddy program is also one of the rare opportunities adults have to meet children as individuals. Teachers meet a child as one of many in a class. Neighbors and congregants typically meet a child as so-and-so's daugher or the brother of so-and-so. Though these children may certainly become known as individuals eventually, the opportunity to begin in such a context is rare. And, speaking as one who has this privilege more than most, it is precious. While it is true that the child sitting in the pew in front of you may well become your doctor one day, or your mechanic, or the person who rents an apartment to your grandchild, the magic of church—of our intergenerational community—is that that child is also a person sitting in church, just like you. Mystery Buddies is a fun way to find out who that kid is, what do they care about? What do they like to do? Who are they? And, meanwhile, who are you? 

Stop by the RE table at coffee hour any Sunday in February to sign up to be Mystery Buddy. Sign-up forms are also available for downloading on the sidebar to the right under "Helpful Links." Anyone under the age of 18 can be a "younger" buddy and anyone over 12 can be an "older" buddy (youth can choose). Each buddy will choose a code name and decorate a mailbag to receive notes from their Mystery Buddy. Pairs will exchange clues about their identity each week in March. The whole program will conclude with a special event on March 29 where identities are revealed. It's truly fun for all ages, I hope you'll join in! 

Parents As Resident Theologians Class Offered in the Spring

Within Unitarian Universalism, there is a whole world of diverse theologies and philosophies behind the Big Questions.  

While this very fact draws us to this faith, it also makes communicating our religious concepts to our children challenging. Though we do our very best to provide a comprehensive religious education to the children and youth in our congregation, the ultimate blessing and burden of religious education rests with parents and other family members. Faith development happens mostly in the home.  

"Parents as Resident Theologians," led by Director of Religious Education, Becky Brooks, is a curriculum written by-and-for Unitarian Universalists.  The course is designed to help parents and other adults with children in your lives explore your own theologies and philosophies so that your conversations and experiences with your children can be more comfortably grounded. Using the tools of the curriculum and the wisdom of our unique group of people, we will explore how to be better religious educators for our children and youth.

Join our group to explore Unitarian Universalism with other parents and adults as we find our way together. Our class will meet upstairs in the Peace Chapel from 9:00 am to 10:30 am, Sunday mornings on the following dates: March 15, 22, 29* and April 12 and 19 (no class on 4/5). Childcare will be provided. Class size: minimum of 6, maximum of 12.

To register, simply contact the church office by email or phone (410-685-2330).

* The Mar. 29 class will conflict with the Mystery Buddies Breakfast.  The class group will decide on an alternate meeting time once we know who will be involved.

Breakfast Chat Opportunities Remain

The first three Breakfast Chat Feedback meetings, as well as a special feedback meeting with the youth group, have led to excellent discussions.  The word cloud above is a collection of some of the things we've talked about.

Hosted by the DRE Advisory Council, these gatherings help us get feedback from families about how the Religious Education program is going and how we might improve.  Any adult who brings children or youth to church, be they parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles or just family friends, are very welcome to come share your ideas, feedback and suggestions!  

We will gather from 9:30 to 10:45 am each of the two remaining feedback Sundays for a delicious meal and wonderful conversation.  If you have children in the Explorers or Sprouts classses, or if you have children in another group but weren't able to make any of the previous meetings, I hope you'll join us at one of the remaining meetings:

Feb. 8 — Explorers families (9:30 am - 10:45 am)

Feb. 22 — Sprouts families (9:30 am - 10:45 am)

Child care and breakfast are both provided.  Please RSVP to Becky so we are sure to have enough food and supplies.  

Don't miss your opportunity to help steer the direction of Religious Education programming in the future!  See you there!

Brigid's Cloak

A folk tale adapted by Becky Brooks

A long time ago there was a young woman named Brigid, who had everything she needed. She had the green hills, the tall trees and the rambling creekside.  One thing she had that she had no need of was her father's wealth.  But she knew lots of people in the village who had great need.  Whenever folks came to her father's house, she refused to send them away empty-handed.  In fact, she loved to give things away.  She said: My blessings are many, my needs are small, surely there's enough for all!

But Brigid's generosity only made her father angry.  When she was old enough, he sent her away to a convent to live with the nuns. Little did he know that Brigid had hoped and prayed to be sent to the convent.  Here she met other women like herself who understood the value of the natural world, learning and study and generosity of spirit.  Now Brigid wasn't alone when she said, My blessings are many, my needs are small, surely there's enough for all!

For years Brigid lived in the convent, and as time went on, more and more people came to join her as they heard about the good works and generosity of Brigid's community.  Eventually there were simply too many people to live there and Brigid went out into the world to find a good place for a new convent.  She walked and walked until she found a beautiful plain with one large oak tree standing strong.  She knew this was the perfect place and went to the King to ask to build her convent on this land.  

All the way through town on her way to see the King, she told people about her plan to ask the King for the land.  As she did, she began to hear some bad news.  Someone said: There's no way the King will give anything to you Miss, he is the greediest King there's ever been!  Another said:  He wouldn't even give you one square yard of land, much less enough for a convent!  Brigid was unfazed.  She wrapped her cloak around her and continued on.  As she made her way up to the King's fortress, she heard more bad news: The last time the King gave away any land at all he allowed the baker enough room for his oven, but not for his bakery.  The poor baker must work day and night to pay the rent on his shop.  To another woman, this might have been discouraging, but Brigid had a plan.  She stopped for a moment before going inside and remembered the philosophy that brought her here: My blessings are many, my needs are small, surely there's enough for all!

After a long cold wait, Brigid was eventually allowed to see the King.  She stood before him and bowed deeply as a sign of respect.  Your Highness, she said, my convent is overflowing with good souls and we wish to build a new convent on the plains of the great oak.  Would your Highness be so generous as to allow us to build on this land?

The King laughed at Brigid, No!  Why should I give you my land?

But Brigid persevered.  Our needs are so small your Highness.  She tugged on the edges of her cloak, drawing it more tightly around her small body.  Is there not a very small amount of land you would be willing to part with?  

The King narrowed his eyes and smiled a sinister smile.  You may lay your cloak at the base of the oak tree.  That is all the land you may have for your precious convent.  His lips snarled as he spoke.

Brigid curtseyed.  Your generosity will be repaid sir.  

As they made their way to the oak tree, townspeople gathered and followed Brigid and the King.  By the time they arrived at the base of the tree, there was a large crowd.  Brigid unclasped her cloak from her neck and laid it gently at the base of the tree.  I may require some assistance, she said, and as the King looked on, one of the townspeople came to help Brigid unfold her cloak.  With one unfolding, the cloak was suddenly twice the size as before.  Another townsperson came forward and unfolded it again, to twice the size, then another and another, each person unfolding another layer of Brigid's cloak to twice its previous size.  First it was the size of a small shed, then the size of a room, then the size of a house, then the size of a school, then the size of a field, and on and on.  What had appeared to be a thick velvety cloak was now a thin layer of fabric, shimmering as far as the eye could see.  

The King looked on in disbelief, This is magic, he said.

Brigid looked over the land of her new convent.  Generosity is magic, your Highness.  Our blessings are many, our needs are small, surely there's enough for all!

That is how Brigid began the Abbey of Cill-Dara or the "Church of the Oak." Even to this day, every year on February 1, there is a feast day to celebrate the generosity, healing and good will of St. Brigid.  

May Brigid's cleverness and generosity inspire us in our own lives today.  

National Day of Service, Jan. 19

"Often times we see service as something that we do for "those less fortunate," "those who can't do for themselves," or "as a way of giving back to the community." I believe that the roots run more deeply than that. Service is the basic function of living with each other. No group is monolithic or isolated from all others. In fact, there are not distinct groups of people at all, for each blends into another. Service is realizing that truth and living into it." — John, from Iowa, featured on the new USA Service blog.

Each January we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day off school, and (for many) work.  Across the country, thousands of people use this time to make a special effort to be of service in honor of the work of Dr. King.  This year a new resource has been created to help connect citizens with meaningful service opportunities in their area.  The new site: www.usaservice.org is a searchable database of organizations with whom you can make a difference.  Even if you make service a regular part of your life, you may wish to take this day to explore a different kind of opportunity or to reflect on the meaning of your service.  

Special Thanks to Karla Peterson for bringing this website to my attention!