The CFTW charity for July through September is the International Service Center (ISC), located at S. River St, in Harrisburg.  ISC promotes educational, cultural, social, and economic programs to help disadvantaged and underprivileged people of different cultural and language backgrounds, to become self supporting and productive members of our pluralistic society. 

As of September 15, more than 23,000 Afghan refugees arrived in the U.S. Since that time, the ISC and a small group of volunteers have been working hard to address the needs of about 60 desperate Afghan clients who came to this area.  Local churches and other organizations, including UUCV, formed teams to help these families find homes, jobs, learn our language and customs, and guide them through medical, financial, and emotional situations, and help them solve many other problems.

I had set aside some time on Friday to write this in order to meet Pam’s deadline for the newsletter. Then came the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade and I found myself unable to focus. Pam graciously extended my deadline to Monday morning and here I sit facing the blank page still struggling for words.

No doubt most who will read this are reeling in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. Even though we had warning of the decision, and were expecting it, it was a gut punch to any and all needing reproductive health care and to those who support freedom of choice. The opinions of the justices also contained the frightening possibility of other rights and freedoms being challenged thus seeking to perpetuate oppressions that we hoped we had moved beyond. A read through of the proposed 8th Principle makes evident a focus on racism and the call to accountably dismantle it. I think we would all agree that striving to become antiracist in our personal and institutional actions and policies is a goal worth pursuing. But today is a time to point out that the 8th Principle also includes, without specifically naming, “other oppressions”. We know the long list which contains, but is not limited to, gender inequality, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, gender identity expression, income inequality, voter suppression, poverty, etc. Those categories that are being weaponized to label human beings as being less than or something to be reviled simply by being who they are and/or to deny people individual rights and freedoms. All of these oppressions, along with racism, are included in the 8th Principle and need to be remembered as part of it.

UUCV is currently in a period of discernment about adopting the 8th Principle. I agree that the wording of the 8th Principe is awkward and that one could argue that its essence is included in the 7 Principles. But our UU Principles were designed to be dynamic and to evolve as new truths emerged such as when increased environmental awareness resulted in the addition of the 7th Principle. As stated on the UUA website under Article II history “we must continuously examine our Principles and Purposes to see what is missing, what is no longer important, and whether the language communicates our core values to the current times.” The current times are fraught with challenges to our UU core values and our freedoms and rights as citizens of this country. The 8th Principle seeks to add to the expression of our core beliefs and values in response to our history as a nation, our history as a denomination, and to current events and evolving understanding. As we as a congregation explore whether or not to adopt the 8th Principle, a simple and important action you can take now is to become familiar with the 8th Principle and its background by visiting www.8thprincipleuu.org. Additional information can also be found by visiting www.uua.org and typing “article ii study commission” in the search bar. There is also a handout on the 8th Principle table in the Social Hall.

Thank you for taking some time to invest in this process. Your ideas, opinions, and questions are valued and welcomed. Please contact Wendy Gebb at wendywinter@comcast.net with anything you wish to share.

Fourteen activist ministers and lay leaders apply a keen intersectional analysis to the environmental crisis, revealing ways that capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and other systems of oppression intersect with and contribute to ecological devastation. They also explore how spiritual practices, congregational organizing, and progressive theology can inform faith-based justice work in the 21st century. 

We are encouraging reading one chapter of the book each month and then attending a quarterly discussion. The next discussion group will cover chapters 4, 5, and 6 pages 47-76.  Discussion groups on this section of the book will be held on Saturday, July 23 at 10 am on ZOOM and Sunday, July 24 at 9:15 in the Board Room at church prior to the Sunday service.

She holds a B.A. in Art History from Arizona State University and is a graduate student at Arizona State University studying Global Health focusing on the intersection of spiritual ecology, food, and climate change. During her professional career she has served as the Annual Fund Manager at WITF and Children’s Programmer at Fredricksen Library. Her work has included marketing, fundraising, programming, and copywriting. She has sat on numerous boards including WomenCreate!, Mechanicsburg Borough Council, and Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple PA, and has hosted and co-hosted podcasts and web series including  Church of Love and  Soul Sessions. Her community activism has led to the creation of events celebrating Earth Day and International Women's Day.  

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Jyoti is a certified Ayurveda Yoga Specialist, IIN Health Coach and 3 Wisdoms Tradition (Yoga, Ayurveda, Psychology) Wellness Coach, and uses these natural modalities to help people live a rich, joyous, life filled with spiritual connection.​ She has spent over twenty years practicing and studying yoga with different masters and teachers in the U.S. and India. Jyoti is a graduate of Kula Kamala Foundation & Yoga Ashram’s Spiritual Leadership program under the guidance of Swamini Shraddhanananda Saraswati Ji. 

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She resides in Mechanicsburg with her husband, Matthew, and their animal “children,” and has a grown daughter who lives in Hawai’i.  

After many hurdles with our parking lot, drain and the never-ending issues with the telephone poles....we now have a paved parking lot! Check out the progress!

Come enjoy Fellowship in the playground, on the walking path, and in the creek! In case of rain, we will gather at UUCV in the Social Hall.

After nearly a two year hiatus, we'd like to resume Adult RE discussion classes this Fall, but first, we need to meet to decide what the class topics will be. For that, a one hour planning session will take place on Sunday July 17th at 9 AM in the board room (or attend via Zoom if you can't make the meeting in person).  Anyone is welcome to attend this planning session—new comers as well as seasoned participants.

For the Fall semester—which will run from September to December--we typically hold classes two Sundays per month.  Each class is usually an hour or so in length. During a class, a participant will share information on a topic they have volunteered to present and will allot time either during and/or at the end of their presentation for discussion.  Examples of previous discussion topics include: Science and the Ultimate Nature of Reality, Zen and Reaching Our Full Potential, The Akashic Field, How We Choose our Beliefs, Journaling as a Spiritual Practice, Mental Health Recovery Services, Consciousness and the Self, Wisdom Christology.

Keep the following in mind.  First, you can participate in the Adult RE discussion group without ever having to host a class--feel free to attend and just listen and speak up as much or as little as you feel comfortable.  Second, if you would be interested in leading a class discussion, but are maybe a bit hesitant, don’t feel as if you need to be an expert on a topic in order to host a class.  The classes are quaint and informal and the preparation you do to host coupled with the discussion and feedback during a class can be a stepping stone on your journey to a deeper understanding of a topic that is of interest to you.  Finally, can’t think of a topic you’d like to speak about?  Then maybe consider presenting your story—share what has shaped and sustained you along life’s winding road--our life stories as sacred texts.

Questions?  Contact Keith Bittinger at kbittinger@comcast.net.

• Stock up on your July 4 supplies, buy wine, beer (Weis and Giant) and even on gas (Giant). 
• Give a giftcard as a special thank-you to someone that did something nice for you!
• Save money by home cooking instead of eating out

• Big Buyers in June: Keith Bittinger, Bev Motich, Mary Lynn Lynch, Dianne Dusman
• First ACH Customer (UUCV set up withdraw with her bank): Gail Black
• First Time Purchaser: Joseph Osborne