February 2025 Light

^{Newsletter of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces, Vol. 73, Num. 2
Services Every Sunday of the Year
We are a transformational Force for Love and Justice in Our Community
We gather to inspire spiritual growth, care for each other and our community, seek truth, and work for justice.}

Our church administrator is Nancy Zacarias. The church office is open Mon.-Fri from 10 AM until 2 PM

Join our streamed worship service on YouTube every Sunday at 10 AM, See past worship services on our YouTube channel
Deadline for Light submissions is the 25th of every month

Our Minister

The Reverend Rod Thompson

Rod’s Ruminations

One of the resources that those of us who lead services use is called Soul Matters. For February 2025 the Soul Matters theme is “Living Love Through The Practice of Inclusion” which inspired me to remind us of what the Service Associate says every Sunday morning: We embrace diversity in all its forms. Everyone is welcome. To that end I want to share this reading from the Rev Tess Baumberger:

“Less beautiful without you”
This place would be less beautiful without you,
Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jew,
Hindu, Humanist, and Earth-centered, too.

This place would be less beautiful without you,
Your heart honed by hardship, grief, illness,
Seeking solace and comfort here among us.

This place would be less beautiful without you,
Filled with joy and gratitude,
Seeking celebration of life’s bounty.

This place would be less beautiful without you,
Curious, inquisitive, asking questions,
seeking transformations emerging from within.

This place would be less beautiful without you,
Striving to resist a world that tells us
We are so much less than we can truly be.

This place would be less beautiful without each of us,
Borne here in this morning to seek heaven’s fire
In each other’s souls, our own flames rising to meet.

Our President

Linda Ruchala

Look for an article in March

Board of Trustees

Religious Education

Kellie Ingram, Director of Religious Education

“In the coldest February, as in every other month of the year, the best thing to hold on to, is each other.”

Religious Education will be holding on to Love and Inclusion this month as we recognize holidays and histories. Did you know that Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and Fredrick Douglas all celebrate birthdays in February? Or that Valentine’s Day has roots tied to an ancient Pagan festival, and that Cupid has roots tied into Greek mythology? These are just a few of the lessons our Religious Education students will be discussing this month. We will also have an origami lesson (as we do every month, courtesy of UUCLC’s very own Sylvie P.) on folding paper hearts, that will help us to prepare for our wonderful plans to honor February’s Random Acts of Kindness Day! With so much to celebrate and learn, we look forward to spending the coldest month of the year with our church families and friends.

And speaking of spending time together, Religious Education ended January marking the two-year anniversary of our Last-Monday Potluck & Game Night! Students, teachers, parents, and volunteers look forward to this monthly get-together that fills our stomachs and our hearts with warm food and warm conversations! January’s potluck included a paper lantern craft in recognition of the upcoming Lunar New Year!

If you or someone you know has interest in joining Religious Ed for any of our future events or lessons, please reach out to myself- DRE Kellie Ingram for more info.

Music and Choir

The Music Task Force was created to begin the work of seeking someone to step into the Music Director position created by Catherine Massey’s retirement. Their first task was to draft a job description for a music leader for the 2025 fiscal year and forward the document to the Board of Trustees for approval. We are happy to report that this first hurdle has been accomplished. Now, we are in the process of sharing that job description with various groups including Unitarian Universalist Association’s regional and state music leaders as well as members of the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries. Along with that we are posting the position on our website and other local sites to get the most widespread distribution as possible. Deadlines for applications will be the end of January. If you know of anyone who may be interested in Music Leadership here at the church, please ask them to check out our website (https://www.uuchurchlc.org/job-posting/) or contact our Church Administrator for a copy of the job description.

Administration

Nancy Zacarias, Church Administrator

Office and library hours are Mon.-Fri. 10 AM until 2 PM. You can email the office at .

Committees and Programs

CUUPS by Cassandra Calway –

_{“Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.” The Sixth Source of Affirmation of the Unitarian Universalist Association.}

Join us at our February 15 CUUPS gathering. We will meet in the Religious Education Building great room at 6 PM for a potluck supper followed by ritual at 7 PM.

Imbolc marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians, it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland’s patroness saint. Its traditional date is 1 February, about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Historically, its traditions were widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Imbolc is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with: Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.

Yule: Celebrates the winter solstice.
lmbolc: An ancient festival welcoming the first wave of spring.
Ostara: Celebrates the spring equinox
Beltane: Celebrates May Day
Litha: Celebrates the summer solstice
Lughnasadh (Loo-nas-ah): Celebrates the beginning of the harvest season
Mabon: Celebrates the autumnal equinox
Samhain (saa-wn): Celebrates the end of harvest season

The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) is an organization dedicated to networking Pagan-identified Unitarian Universalists (UUs), educating people about Paganism, promoting interfaith dialogue, developing Pagan liturgies and theologies, and supporting Pagan-identified Unitarian Universalist religious professionals.

Facilities by Charlie Scholz –

Good News From Facilities!

Most of Capital Items that we proposed for the 2025 Budget did not make it into the Final Budget which the Congregation approved in December. Consequently, at our next meeting we will be prioritizing those items so if and when the money becomes available, we’ll know how to allocate it. In the meantime, we are
continuing with our efforts to make the UUCLC campus operate safely and efficiently.

By the time you read this we may have the new doors installed on west side of the Lobby. These were among the doors that were damaged during the break-in several months ago. Also, the new doors to the Gallery are on order and should be installed at the beginning of February. The Gallery Committee has chosen to replace the existing units with wooden doors of similar construction, but with larger window
openings.

Finally, please keep us informed of any concerns or problems you may have with our physical plant.

Finance by Ed Long –

As the new year of 2025 has begun, the Finance Committee and Nancy Zacarias, our Church Administrator, will prepare a report of the 2024 Financial activity to present to the Board of Trustees. The Contribution Statements will also soon be available for our many contributors. And remember that the Finance Committee meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 4 PM, currently by Zoom.  Our meetings are open to anyone. Our job is to safeguard the contributions of our members and friends and to make sure that your money is being spent according to the 2025 budget we adopted in December. If that interests you, check us out and consider joining our committee! Contact Ed or Shirley at .

Co-Chairs Shirley Davis and Ed Long

Generous Giving by Jack Welch

All Generous Giving donations during December were for our Change 4 Change Fund. The generous donors are: Nancy L Anderson, Sheree Brown, Dale Emmet, Ed Gomolka, Danny Deborah Hawkins, Ginny Herrick, Rex Myers and Susan Richards, Elwin Nunn, Lucy Silva, and Jan Thompson. Our Change 4 Change recipient this quarter is “Coats for Kids”. Thank you all.

Hospitality

Hospitality Rotation Schedule

This schedule is now permanently located on the Members page of our website under Sunday Hospitality Rotation. A new addition to the hospitality rotation is the Caring Committee, which will be handling 5th Sundays throughout the year.

Library by Rabbit Loring

Time for Activism!

The latest topic from inSpirit, the Unitarian Universalist Book Shop, is Organizing and Activism. How very timely!

The library will be ordering several of the titles they suggest.

• Do the Work: A Guide to Understanding Power and Creating Change by Megan Pillow and Roxane Gay sounds like a good place to start. The book “provides a foundation for examining hierarchies and inequalities and establishes a framework for understanding power and how it shapes our lives and
  communities.” A great addition to our Social Justice section.
• Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer
• The New Science of Social Change: A Modern Handbook for Activists by Lisa Mueller
• Acts of Resistance: The Power of Art to Create a Better World by Amber Massie-Bloomfield, and
• Don’t Wait: Three Girls Who Fought for Change and Won by Sonali Kohli, a book on activism for teens

Look for these titles, coming soon to a UU Library near you! See you in the library.

Book Club

The UUCLC book club is meeting on February 13^th at 3:30 in the church library. We are reading the book Go As A River by Shelly Read, we would like those interested to read/listen to it and join in on a discussion of the book. March’s book will be The Henna Artist. Please contact Deb or Danny Hawkins for more information.

Membership by Lyn Pearson –

Circle Suppers

Membership is announcing the return of Circle Suppers. These are small informal gatherings where
people particularly new members, can get to know other members of the church. The host provides the main entree, and 4-6 guests, provide dishes to make for a complete meal. Those volunteering to host an event fill out information that includes the date and time, the entree, whether there is meat or alcohol involved. Also information concerning whether the location is accessible for walkers and wheelchairs and whether there are animals present.

We are particularly interested in those that can prepare either a vegetarian or vegan meal.

There are two meals being offered at the present time:

Feb 8, Saturday at 5 PM, the entree of enchiladas with pork is offered at the home of Carol Casavant. The house is accessible by walker or wheelchair, there is no alcohol in the dish. There are 2 cats in the house. There is space now for 2 guests.

Feb 14, Friday at 5 PM. The second meal is offered by Rev. Nancy Anderson for February 14, at 5 o’clock with an entree that includes fish. There is space for 6 guests.

Please contact Carol Casavant at or at her personal email address for any additional information for either being a host or guest. Thank you

Join Us In The Membership Committee

If you are passionate about spreading the Good Word of Unitarian Universalism, then joining the Membership Committee is one way to achieve your goal. The committee meets once a month on the third Monday at 11:30 AM in the library. When possible, we do some business by email. Meetings are an hour and a half and we end on time! Our work is very rewarding and we enjoy working with each other. If you want to learn more or join the group, please contact us at , or talk to any member of the committee (look for the “Membership” ribbon on their name badges), or contact Lyn Pearson directly.

Eating Out

February Eating Out will be at Cattle Baron Steak House at 720 S Teleshor. We’ll meet at 5:30 PM. NOTE: We usually meet 3rd Friday but that is Valentines Day so this month we will dine on the 2nd Friday, February 7th. 

Call-text Janet Martinique or email as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

Reserve your place now, lest you forget it later. February 7th at 5:30 PM.

Greeters

Our January greeters were: Jane Asche, Greg White, Cindy Backman, Carol Stanfill, Janet Pitt, Diane Lee, Carol Casavant, Susan West, Lisa Stevens

If you’re interested in becoming a greeter, contact Mark Sukontarak at .

Social Justice –

The Social Justice Committee meets on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 1:30 PM in the library and on Zoom.

Change For Change January through March

Dharmahorse Equine Sanctuary (https://dharmahorse.org/) provides comprehensive life-long and loving care for horses, mules and donkeys who have been abused, neglected, abandoned, or in need of sanctuary due to age, injury or illness. Dharmahorse Equine Sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. This joyful refuge is expanding the circle of compassion by providing lifesaving care to 19 horses. Equines are expensive to care for so please give generously.

Change For Change Nominations

Don’t forget Please submit nominations for our next Change for Change competition

The Social Justice Committee invites Members and Friends of UUCLC to make nominations of local organizations which will receive donations made to our Change for Change offerings for the period April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.  Four Las Cruces or Dona Ana County charitable organizations will be selected.

The process for submitting nominations, the deadlines for nominations and the process for selection of winners are presented on the church’s website under the MEMBERS tab.  The deadline for submission is Friday, March 1, 2025.  Selections will be made on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Please direct questions about our process to .

Please Help!

It seems fitting to put this letter from Jan Thompson into the Social Justice section of our newsletter. It should move all of us to action.

Most of you know that my adopted immigrant son, Dulce Rivera, has been detained by ICE for about 5 months. Wednesday night, January 22, the guards at the El Paso ICE detention center beat and kicked my son so badly that they had to take him to the hospital. When they returned to detention at 4 AM, they put him in SHU (solitary confinement) so I can’t visit this week to see the extent of his injuries. I AM FURIOUS. Dulce was trying to demand his rights – politely and nonviolently. I believe the first guard, who took him down rather than just walking away, probably felt particularly empowered by the recent actions of the White House. Dulce did not hit any of the guards even when they were beating and kicking him. He is finally able to eat without vomiting, but one eye and his back and neck still are in great pain.

There was no call for such a violent assault. I am investigating filing a lawsuit to protest the excessive use of force. In the meantime (and lawsuits take lots of time), I am asking you to write a letter of protest to members of Congress and to ask that the assault be investigated including getting footage from the security cameras and body cameras of the involved officers. Below is the information you will need to write your letters or to call the offices.

My son’s legal name is Jose Antonio Rivera Montero, A# 076-815-983. He is being detained at the El Paso ICE Processing Center, 8915 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX, 79925. Writing a letter of support to him would also be appreciated.

The Members of Congress I hope you will contact are Senator Martin Heinrich, Senator Ben Ray Lujan, and Representative Gabe Vasquez. It would also be especially helpful if you would write or call Representative Veronica Escobar who represents El Paso, Texas.

-Jan Thompson (member of your Board and Treasurer)

Sunday Services by Katie Fitzgerald –

We welcome new members to our committee or any input or feedback you would like to share.  Contact Charlie Scholz or Katie Fitzgerald, in care of the Sunday Services Committee.

February 2, Love Will Save Us All, Claire Neal-Wallace

Interfaith ideas about coming together as a community to love and support one another.

February 9, Gaining On The Future, Katie Fitzgerald

With all that we have, we still need more—more what and why? Come to church and find out!

February 16, Do The Ends Justify The Means? Rev. Rod Thompson

Charlie Welch bought this homily topic at the last annual auction. He writes in part, “. . . this topic is partly the result of a dilemma in which I find myself. Having grown up in a Fundamentalist Christian family we believed we’d all reunite in heaven. It’s a wonderful vision that I don’t want to disturb for those who still believe and I’m very careful to not damage that vision for them. However, it leaves them vulnerable to shysters . . .” who would use their faith to support their own ends. Let’s explore that dilemma.

February 23, Rules For Living, Rev. Rod Thompson

Tombaugh Gallery by Lurene John –

Sam Peters Exhibition

The Tombaugh Gallery is fortunate to be able to present the work of internationally known artist Sam Peters. This show includes monotypes, cliché-verre, and mixed medium pieces produced by Mr. Peters between 1990 and 20 20, the height of his experimentation in printmaking while living in Las Cruces.
Selected from three local collections, this show emphasizes small unframed prints: larger works will be
displayed for comparison. A portion of the proceeds from this show will be donated to Mesilla Valley Hospice, in Las Cruces.

Join the Gallery for a wine reception from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, January 3. That evening at 5:30, Greg White, curator and collector, will give a presentation on the life and works of Sam Peters.

Hours: First Fridays, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Friday and Saturday, 10:00 to 2:00
Sunday, 11:30 to 2:00 Or by appointment (575) 522-7281

We want to invite artistic members of the Church to share their work during a special members show in May. We have many talented artists so we hope you will participate.

Contact Lurene at so we can keep you updated.

Requests and Items of Interest

Join the Mindfulness Group

Relaxation and mindfulness, available in just one hour to all who sit with us.  We meet each Tuesday at 3 PM in the Religious Education Building great room, carrying on the tradition started by Reba Montera. Join us for a mixture of sitting quiet meditation (two twenty-minute sets) with walking in the middle (ten minutes).  No reservations necessary. Donations welcome.

Class Update for Qi-Gong+Indian-Club Movement

Carol Allen, the class instructor, invites you to sign up for Qi-Gong+Indian-Club Movement. 

This is a gentle exercise class done either standing or sitting in one place that increases strength, balance and concentration. There are 7 students maximum per class. 

Classes are held in the Religious Education Building great room. 

There is a one-time registration fee of $15 for the full session or you can opt for a drop-in class for $2. 
All proceeds go to the church. The first class is free for potential new students or visitors.

UPDATES FOR WINTER AND SPRING Qi Gong CLASSES 

Session 1 – Winter 2025 – Jan / Feb / Mar -12 classes 

• Tuesdays at 2:00  pm – Jan 7 thru Mar 25 
• Wednesdays at 12:00 pm – Jan 8 thru Mar 26 
• Thursdays at 2:00 pm – Jan 9 thru Mar 27 (beginning of March at 12 pm)

Session 2 – Spring 2025 – Apr / May / Jun -12 classes 

• Tuesdays at 2:00  pm – Apr 1 thru Jun 17 
• Wednesdays at 12:00 pm – Apr 2 thru Jun 18 
• Thursdays at 12:00 pm – Apr 3 thru Jun 19

If interested please contact either Carol Allen or the church office.

Events of Note

None in January.

Regularly Scheduled Activities

Always check the calendar on our website or, if you receive them, Week at A Glance email notices for changes to dates and times or events not listed here.

Every Tuesday

10-11 AM and 5:45-6:45 — T’ai Chi in the Religious Education Building great room.

2-3 PM — Qi Gong in the Religious Education Building great room.

3-4 PM — Mindfulness — We meet every Tuesday at in the Religious Education Building great room to spend an hour with relaxation and mindfulness. Join us for quiet meditation for 2 twenty minute sets with a short silent walk in between. This is a drop-in group. Donations, which go to the church, are welcome. 

Every Wednesday

9-10 AM — Caring Conversations meets on Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87064121421?pwd=QmNhYVlrUTltK1cxRDhSRVdOU01rdz09, Meeting ID: 870 6412 1421, Passcode: 564007

9:30-11:00 AM — Weight Watchers in the Religious Education Building great room.

12-1 PM — Qi Gong in the Religious Education Building great room.

2 PM — The Bridge Group plays bridge in the church lobby. If you want to play, contact Nancy Anderson by email, phone, or at church to let her know you would like to be on her weekly contact list.

Every Thursday

10-11 AM and 5:45-6:45 — T’ai Chi in the Religious Education Building great room.

2-3 PM — Qi Gong in the Religious Education Building great room. (beginning of March at 12 pm)

Every Friday

12-1 PM — Yoga in the Religious Education Great Room.

T.G.I.F. – Zoom Together. A great way to end your week with your fellow Unitarian Universalists. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5755227281?pwd=OEp3RTNkcWNid0tTNHFDNHEzUFNIUT09
Meeting ID: 575 522 7281
Passcode: 7777777

1st Thursday

7-8 PM — Sound Meditation and Relaxation in the Sanctuary for an hour of relaxation. Bring your yoga mat, if you like. (This will not take place until our meditation leader, John, who broke his arm, is cleared by his doctor to resume this program.)

2nd Thursday

3:30-5:30 PM — Book Club. If you would like to join us, please email Danny or Deb Hawkins. We meet in the library.

2nd Friday

6:30-8:30 PM — Game Night. Join us in the Religious Education Building Great Room. Bring a snack to share and a favorite game. Hope to see you there!

3rd Thursday

6:30-8:00 PM — Death Cafe. Please join us the third Thursday of each month for an opportunity to sit with others and share your experiences with death and grieving.  We meet in the church library.  Contact Brooks Lewis at or leave a voice message at 512-826-1472. 

3rd Friday

5:30-7:30 PM — Eating Out. A group of members and friends meet for dinner at a local restaurant on the 3rd Friday of the month. Please contact Janet Martinique at to make your reservation the Wednesday before the dinner.

2nd Saturday

1-3 PM — The UU Crafters Group meets the second Saturday of each month at 1:00 in the Religious Education building. Come join us to learn new crafts, share your projects, and have fun. All are invited, guys, gals, teens, members, non-members, new crafters, and experts. We share project ideas and always learn fun new crafts. Carol Stanfill and Sara Thomas. Questions? Email

2nd Saturday in Feb, May, Aug, Nov – Fine Dining Experience

Dinner at the J Paul Taylor Detention Facility with a group of 14-21 year-old young men. Contact Haney Pearson if you would like to participate.

3rd Saturday

1-2 PM — Drumming Circle. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience drumming with Yolanda Martinez in the Religious Education Building great room.

6:00-8:30 PM — CUUPS. This is the Las Cruces chapter of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. We practice and educate others on Earth-centered spirituality. We gather monthly on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 6 PM for a potluck and either ritual or an informative class. All events are open to everyone interested in learning and/or growing in their spiritual path. Events held at the church unless otherwise noted. Visit http://www.facebook.com/desertspiritcuups or email .