Changing the Name of our YahooGroup
We have changed the name of our YahooGroups e-mail list from D-CUUPS to DentonCUUPS, to bring it into harmony with our Facebook page and with the name of this website. If you have the YahooGroup bookmarked or if you have it in your e-mail address book, you’ll need to change to the new address.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/DentonCUUPS/info
If all you want to do is continue to receive Denton CUUPS announcements, no action is necessary.
If you aren’t on our e-mail list, please consider signing up for it. Messages sent via our YahooGroup are delivered to everyone on the list, while Facebook throttles posts made on this page according to their mystical algorithm. Our YahooGroup is a moderated, low-volume, announcements-only list.
More Info on the DUUF Fire
Here are some links to other stories on the fire at our church, the Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Here’s an article on The Wild Hunt: http://wildhunt.org/2015/12/denton-cuups-cancels-yule-ritual-due-to-arson.html
One from the Denton Record-Chronicle: http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20151218-church-hopes-for-quick-repairs.ece
And commentary from Denton CUUPS Coordinating Officer John Beckett: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2015/12/arson-at-yule.html
We will be back in the sanctuary for Imbolc, and we expect to have full use of the building by Ostara.
photo by Rev. Pam Wat
more on the Yule cancellation
For the past 15 years, Denton CUUPS has held open rituals on almost all the eight major Pagan holy days. Providing seasonal celebrations and worship for UU Pagans, Pagan-identified UUs and UU-friendly Pagans (and anybody else who wants to come in good will and friendship) is part of our mission and we take it very seriously.
So it was with great reluctance and sadness that we canceled this Saturday’s Yule Circle following the fire at the Denton UU Fellowship. The building will not be usable for at least a week, and a variety of logistical issues would make it extremely difficult to relocate this ritual to another location, or to hold it in the front yard of the church.
Some friends have suggested that we do it anyway, even if all we can do is gather in the parking lot and sing a song of defiance in the face of adversity. While we admire that resolve, it simply isn’t doable for us at this time for a variety of reasons, some apparent and some not.
Our sacred space has been desecrated by intentional violence – the building is not the only thing that’s been damaged. On Saturday evening, CUUPS members will hold a private gathering where we’ll talk about what’s happened and how we want to respond. We would prefer to be leading a public Yule circle instead, but this is something we simply must do.
We thank you for your understanding and we look forward to seeing you at Imbolc on January 30.
Yule Canceled
There was a fire (actually, several small fires) at the Denton UU Fellowship this morning. The investigation is still in process, but it is almost certainly arson. No one was hurt, and damage is mainly (but not exclusively) smoke and water, but we will not be able to use the building for a week or so.
We will have to cancel Saturday’s CUUPS Yule Circle.
That’s all we know at this point.
Yule Circle December 19
Saturday, December 19
Gathering begins at 7:00 PM
Ritual begins promptly at 7:30 PM
Please join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans as we celebrate Yule. On this longest night, we turn our minds to the waning of the dark and the growing strength of the light. We will light the Yule log, tell the ancient story of Balder and the Mistletoe, and celebrate with a toast of Wassail.
Children 10 and older who can participate respectfully are welcome to attend with a parent/guardian. Childcare will be provided for younger children.
Please bring a dish to share for the potluck after the ceremony. Donations of a dollar or three to defray costs are welcome but not required.
Samhain 2015
Thanks to all who came out to our Samhain Circle last night, and especially to those who worked so hard to get it set up. It was a night to honor the Gods, ancestors, and spirits of the land, and a night journey within.
More pictures on our Facebook page.
See you at Yule on December 19!
CUUPS Officer Elections
At our Fall Social Gathering and 2016 Planning Meeting last Sunday, Denton CUUPS elected officers for the 2015-16 chapter year which begins on November 1.
John Beckett was re-elected Coordinating Officer, Bonnie Davidson was re-elected Events Coordinator, and Cynthia Talbot was re-elected Treasurer.
Linda Masten was elected Membership Officer, resuming a position she held two years ago. Wren Kelly and Roq Hodge will share the Education Officer slot. In addition to coordinating CUUPS classes and monitoring community announcements for educational opportunities, Roq and Wren will look for ways to expand our community outreach and our social media presence.
We also approved our 2016 calendar – it’s available on our Circles and Service page.
Labyrinth Prep
We build our spiral labyrinth with tea candles and baby food jars. All but a few of the jars haven’t been used since the last labyrinth four years ago, and they’ve been sitting in old cardboard boxes in a not-too-secure storage shed all that time. They were dirty.
So we brought them home, cleaned them out, and washed them. They’re not clean enough to put food in, but they’ll be bright and clear with a new candle in them, and there are no dry leaves or dead bugs to catch on fire when we light them.
There was an unintended blood sacrifice. The metal base of the old tea candles is sharp if you catch it at the right angle… and I did.
See you all at Samhain on Saturday, October 31!
Samhain – The Spiral Labyrinth
Saturday, October 31
gathering begins at 7:00 PM
ritual begins promptly at 7:30 PM
Please join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans on Saturday, October 31 as we celebrate Samhain, the final harvest festival of the year. We will gather at DUUF at 7:00 pm and begin promptly at 7:30 pm.
This is Samhain, the season of the Thinning of the Veil, when the ordinary world and the world of the Gods and Ancestors draw close, and perhaps, overlap. As you walk the Spiral Labyrinth, we encourage you to listen. Listen for your beloved ancestors and listen for the Gods and Goddesses of our ancestors.
In case of inclement weather, the Spiral Labyrinth will be set up in Miller Hall.
Please bring a picture or other memento for our Altar of the Ancestors. Please bring an item of food or drink to share after the ceremony. Donations of a dollar or three to help defray expenses will be appreciated but are not required.
Children who can participate maturely and respectfully are welcome to join in. We will have childcare for younger children.
For more information, please contact John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com or 972-948-9211
