Year: 2017 (Page 5 of 6)

by Karen Harder

This is a story about the power of prayer and sidewalk chalk.  For the past six months, I’ve followed a spiritual practice of daily prayer.  What I pray to has changed with each of the UU sources we’ve studied in our Wellspring small group.  But my format remains roughly the same:  name the un-nameable; place myself in relationship to what I name; state the pain, the fear, the need, the worry or whatever I’m wrestling with; express gratitude; and let it go.

It sounds harder than it is, usually.  But I really struggled one morning in mid-November – you remember: November, maybe you were struggling too.  I was about a mile and a half into my pre-dawn power walk, which normally helps focus my thoughts, but prayer would not come. All I had was a feeble “Help me.”  I tried again, the most authentic prayer I could think of.  Looking up at the dark sky, I said out loud:  “Help us.”  At that very moment, I looked down at the sidewalk, and illuminated by the streetlight were the words: “We begin again in love.”  I stopped.  I looked around, and behind me, a few squares back, I’d blown right past another square that read: “Everyone is entitled to dignity and respect.”

I finished that walk feeling lighter, comforted, supported, more hopeful, more alive, held.

I know divine intervention didn’t write that message on the sidewalk.  Someone in this congregation did, performing a random act of courageous love, maybe in response to a prayer of their own.  They shared their faith – deciding to act as though actions matter – and in so doing, answered a prayer I had not yet even prayed.

I think this illustrates what prayer does, whatever the formula, addressed to whomever or whatever it may concern:  It helps keep in front of me what I yearn for, it positions me to see where I’ve come from, what I already have, and what I just might offer others.

I light this chalice for prayer, and for this safe space in which to practice leaning into silence, listening for our authentic voice, and losing our fear of speaking truth out loud.  May we continue to grow through our connections, expanding our capacity to hear more, share more, and pray more.

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

Rev. Sean is Foothills Acting Senior Minister while Rev. Gretchen is on Sabbatical.
Responsible for Worship, Justice Ministries, Faith Formation Strategies and sits on Foothills Executive Leadership Team with Director of Finances and Operations Katie Watkins.

Sean was born on Treaty 7 land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and comes to Foothills after four years in New England where he completed seminary at Harvard Divinity School where he studied alongside future imams, rabbis, justice activists, and other Unitarian Universalists. Sean is a self-proclaimed nerd — particularly about history, current politics, science, and Star Wars. Outside of ministry you will find Sean hiking or cooking up a storm with his partner Charles, watching his son’s basketball games, all under the watchful eye of their dog Dollie.

From Rebecca Parish

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

Rev. Sean is Foothills Acting Senior Minister while Rev. Gretchen is on Sabbatical.
Responsible for Worship, Justice Ministries, Faith Formation Strategies and sits on Foothills Executive Leadership Team with Director of Finances and Operations Katie Watkins.

Sean was born on Treaty 7 land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and comes to Foothills after four years in New England where he completed seminary at Harvard Divinity School where he studied alongside future imams, rabbis, justice activists, and other Unitarian Universalists. Sean is a self-proclaimed nerd — particularly about history, current politics, science, and Star Wars. Outside of ministry you will find Sean hiking or cooking up a storm with his partner Charles, watching his son’s basketball games, all under the watchful eye of their dog Dollie.

From Foothills Member Anne Fisher

I have been a volunteer for Homeless Gear for a little more than 4 years.  I volunteer for two of their programs — Street Outreach and the One Village One Family program.   When I first started coming to Foothills 2 years ago, I quickly became engaged as the Homeless Gear Village Liaison to Foothills.  As many of you know, our Villages have now accompanied seven adults and 24 children into stable housing.  I have served on three Village, two with Foothills.  I hope some of you will consider joining a Village this year.

Today, I would like to share some of my experiences with the Street Outreach program.  You may be less aware that there are three of us from Foothills that go out once a month.  Our goal is three-fold:

• to build relationships – providing hope and companionship
• to deliver life-sustaining supplies – food, warm clothing, blankets and sleeping bags in the dead of winter, and tarps and rainwear in the pouring rain
• to connect the homeless to available resources – making referrals to other services that are available in our community

Not long ago, I met a young woman who was living out of her car.  When I talked to her, I learned that, until recently, she had been living with her abusive father.  She had decided she had had enough.  Because she had nowhere to go, she is now homeless.

As we talked, I sensed her strength.  Obviously, she had the strength to move out of an abusive home.  I asked her if she had a job – many of the people we meet do work, but they cannot afford housing based on their low wages.

She did not have a job, but said she wanted to get one.  I referred her to the Homeless Gear Hand Up program that successfully placed 193 people into jobs last year and 39 so far this year.

On another cold night, we met a woman and her husband, complete with a stereotypic shopping cart.  In the cart were two large black bags that I assumed were their life’s belongings.  She was dressed in a skirt and blouse, and a lightweight sweater – not much clothing for the anticipated 14 degree temperatures that night.

It turned out that those two black bags were indeed her prized belongings – they were her two children, 5 & 6 years, who were fast asleep in the cart.  We gave them food, warm jackets, hygiene products, and talked. We got them connected with the Murphy Center for Hope where we can hope they get case management and other services to help them move on.  Maybe, one day, they will become a candidate for the One Village One Family program.

What I have learned is that the homeless are often the victims of circumstances – they have been laid off from a job or are veterans from Viet Nam, Iraq, or Afghanistan who now suffer from PTSD.  But ultimately, the people we meet are people like you and I.  They ask for relatively little.  They are vulnerable, often alone, and I am constantly overwhelmed by how incredibly grateful they are for little we can offer.  I also know that by reaching out with courageous love and building these relationships with people experiencing homelessness, I have been transformed.

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

Rev. Sean is Foothills Acting Senior Minister while Rev. Gretchen is on Sabbatical.
Responsible for Worship, Justice Ministries, Faith Formation Strategies and sits on Foothills Executive Leadership Team with Director of Finances and Operations Katie Watkins.

Sean was born on Treaty 7 land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and comes to Foothills after four years in New England where he completed seminary at Harvard Divinity School where he studied alongside future imams, rabbis, justice activists, and other Unitarian Universalists. Sean is a self-proclaimed nerd — particularly about history, current politics, science, and Star Wars. Outside of ministry you will find Sean hiking or cooking up a storm with his partner Charles, watching his son’s basketball games, all under the watchful eye of their dog Dollie.

by Jane Everham and Anne Fisher

The church’s seventh OVOF family will end participation in the mentoring portion of the OVOF program soon.  This is always a bittersweet time for the Village – saying, “Good-bye.” This single mom and two teen girls are now securely housed in an apartment in Loveland. And they are in the process of qualifying for a Habitat for Humanity house. The mom has paid off many bills and has a plan for being out of debt very soon. She is eager to start a savings account, an act that is both symbolically and literally important to our OVOF families.

Between 2015 and December 2016, Foothills congregants formed seven Villages, and those Villages mentored seven adults and 24 children into stable and secure housing. Our Village members have supported a family for at least 6 months, serving as mentors, advocates, and sources of moral support – often their greatest need.

Many of our OVOF Village members at Foothills have been on sabbatical for a while now. Who is ready to accompany a new family?  Are you new to the congregation?  OVOF may be your path for engaging more deeply in our efforts to reach out with Courageous Love. There are families available and Foothills mentors have had an incredible impact on our community.

What we do:  Each Village is made up of four to six FUC congregants who agree to accompany and support a homeless family for 6 months.  The Village meets with the family once a month for a couple of hours each time. The Village Lead agrees to contact the family once a week. The church has raised funds (up to $1500) that can be applied for the Family’s initial down payment on rent – that alone can make a difference between remaining homeless or being able to move into stable housing. Then our job is to guide them onto a path of independence and self-sufficiency. Sometimes that includes sharing information about budgeting or accessing community resources, but more than anything, we often “just listen.”  In my experience with the two families I have worked, both have been very grateful for all we do for them AND they always comment how much it means to them that we meet with them and give them the opportunity to problem solve – and vent.

Stay tuned for new OVOF updates:  Homeless Gear is also in the process of expanding the OVOF program to include support for individuals and families that are coming out of Domestic Violent situations.  They will be partnering with Crossroads Safe House and taking referrals directly out of their 8-week shelter program to make the transitioning process smoother and more robust.  Once they exit the program at Crossroads, they will be paired with a Village consisting of two to three volunteers that would help them with finding housing and give them continued support throughout the following 6 months of the program.

If you are interested in signing up again or for the first time, contact Gretchen.

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

Rev. Sean is Foothills Acting Senior Minister while Rev. Gretchen is on Sabbatical.
Responsible for Worship, Justice Ministries, Faith Formation Strategies and sits on Foothills Executive Leadership Team with Director of Finances and Operations Katie Watkins.

Sean was born on Treaty 7 land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and comes to Foothills after four years in New England where he completed seminary at Harvard Divinity School where he studied alongside future imams, rabbis, justice activists, and other Unitarian Universalists. Sean is a self-proclaimed nerd — particularly about history, current politics, science, and Star Wars. Outside of ministry you will find Sean hiking or cooking up a storm with his partner Charles, watching his son’s basketball games, all under the watchful eye of their dog Dollie.