Cambridge Unitarians

Weekly Update 1st November – 8th November

Greetings to you all.

This update contains:

A link for the Morning Service of Mindful Meditation, Music & Conversation (NB the Music Group will gather at 9.50 on Sunday to rehearse a short song for the end of the service.)
A note about, and links for, the Thursday morning/evening Zoom “Kiitsu Kyōkai” Seiza Meditation & Conversation Meeting
A reminder that the new iteration of the church’s website, which has been prepared by the Future Directions group of church members, is now live.
A note about two forthcoming Zoom introductions to Imaoka Shin’ichirō for the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA) and the International Association for Free Religion (IARF)
A reminder of the inaugural Cambridge Social Mentoring Community Group event at the church on Sunday 17 November, from 4 pm
Links to the minister’s address/podcast
A link to denominational news (Uni-News)

A link for the Morning Service of Mindful Meditation, Music & Conversation

Our regular Sunday Morning Service of Mindful Meditation, Music and Conversation starts in the church on Emmanuel Road at 10:30 and finishes at 11:30/11:40. (NB the Music Group will gather at 9.50 on Sunday to rehearse a short song for the end of the service.)

Should you wish to join this by Zoom, please use the following permanent link:

Join Sunday Morning Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86882949446?pwd=kliXbdABEfbU8FjDMtNRNJ4Lr2lb5z.1

Meeting ID: 868 8294 9446
Passcode: 612407

If you would like to download a pdf of the service, please click this link.

The Mystery & Miracle of Life A Sunday Morning Service of Mindful Meditation (reorder w. conversation and one song July 2023)Download

A note about the Thursday morning/evening Zoom “Kiitsu Kyōkai” Seiza Meditation & Conversation Meeting

A reminder that next Kiitsu Kyōkai meeting is on Thursday, 7th November starting at 19:30 and finishes at 21:00. For more information and the Zoom link, please click on either of the following links:

https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/p/kiitsu-kyokai.html
https://www.cambridgeunitarian.org/evening-service/

A reminder that the new iteration of the church’s website, which has been prepared by the Future Directions group, is now live

https://www.cambridgeunitarian.org/

A note about two forthcoming Zoom introductions to Imaoka Shin’ichirō for the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA) and the International Association for Free Religion (IARF)

There’s a modest amount of international interest developing around both the life and thought of Imaoka Shin’ichirō and our own congregation’s attempt to bring some of that thinking and practice alive again in an actual liberal/free religious community. Given this, I thought that some of you may be interested to know that on November 9th at 6pm GMT I’ll be giving a talk entitled “Beyond all “—isms” — the creative, inquiring, free & liberative spirituality of Imaoka Shin’ichirōfor the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA), and that in the next couple of months or so I’ll be running a two-session introduction for the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) as part of the new project called the Free Religion Institute. As I mentioned in an update a few weeks ago, the half-hour introduction I gave for the Unitarian-Hindu Connections group can be watched HERE.

A reminder of the Cambridge Social Mentoring Community Group: An inaugural event on Sunday 17 November, from 4pm onwards

Recently, I’ve been working with Professor Karamjit Gill to get this community project started (supporting document attached). Stephen Lawrence, another member of the congregation, is also involved in the planning of this project.

Karamjit writes:

A Social Mentoring Inauguration Event will be held at the Cambridge Unitarian Church to facilitate the building of the Cambridge Social Mentoring Community for Adults (over 25) who are experiencing Asperger and Mental Health issues. It would seek support and mutual collaboration and complement the well-being work of Cambridge Community Groups in areas such as peer support and peer advocacy, befriending/mentoring, family support and information serviced. The main purpose of this initiative is to support and walk with adults living with mental health and Asperger to move from welfare/medical situations to social-life and to work-life environments. Building upon the Cambridge Asperger Support Network, this social mentoring strategy seeks to promote the socialisation of mentoring support process, emotional well-being, social interaction, peer communication, community engagement and adaptation throughout the well-being chain: medication-healthcare-therapy-mentoring-life skills-voluntary-learning training. Cambridge Unitarian Church has already agreed in principle to host the social mentoring network meetings on a weekly basis. This event brings together Cambridge Asperger Support Group, Cambridge Community, Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Social entrepreneurs; Art, Music and Theatre Groups; Hospitals, Universities, Museums and local enterprises. The event will provide an opportunity to share life experiences of carers and those living with Asperger and Mental Health and those who are concerned with well-being issues. The event will host a Community Kitchen (Indian vegetarian food).

If you are interested in supporting this initiative in some fashion, or simply want to know more details, then please be in touch with me by replying to this email.

Links to the minister’s address/podcast:

The minister’s blog and podcast (which contain his weekly, Sunday “thought for the day” as well as other, occasional, pieces) can be found at the following links:

CAUTE — MAKING FOOTPRINTS NOT BLUEPRINTS