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The Sacred Art of Play:A Spiritual Practice for Our Time
What if play wasn’t just something for children? What if it were a spiritual practice, one that the world deeply needs? |
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In a world that often values hustle over healing, efficiency over joy, it can feel radical to pause and simply
play. But I believe play is one of the ways Spirit whispers to us, “You are more than what you produce. You are worthy of delight.”
A few days after I moved in, I sat cross-legged on the carpet of my new apartment, surrounded by half-unpacked boxes and the gentle hum of a fan. I took a moment to rest. And then, on a whim, I began drawing on a blank notepad with a handful of colored markers I’d meant to pack away. Swirls. Stick figures. A doodled prayer. Laughter rose up in me, unbidden. I wasn’t “accomplishing” anything. But I was reconnecting with my own spirit, with wonder, with peace. Right there on the soft, carpeted floor, I remembered: this, too, is sacred.
Theologian and writer Diane Ackerman, in her book
Deep Play, reminds us:
“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning. It’s also the gateway to our creativity, our sense of freedom, and our ability to empathize with others.”
And I would add that play is the Spirit’s favorite way of reaching us.
Play can be silly or solemn, loud or quiet. It can be a shared game or a moment alone with your imagination. It can live in a garden, a song, a dance, or even a doodle on the floor.
So this July, let yourself laugh on purpose. Get messy. Be curious. Invite your body, your spirit, your heart into joy. Let the church be a place of holy mischief and wide smiles. Let home be a playground of prayer and paint. And let your soul come alive again—not in spite of play, but because of it.
A Blessing for This Season of Play:
May joy interrupt your schedule.
May Spirit meet you in a crayon or a carpet.
May your heart remember the sacred sound of your own laughter.
And may your delight ripple outward, blessing the world around you.
Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs Pronouns (They/Them)
Minister of
UU of the Cumberland Valley |
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The Worship theme for
July is Play |
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July Worship Series Highlights: The Sacred Art of Play
What if
play isn’t just for recess, children, or rare vacation days but for all of us, right now, as a way of healing, growing, and connecting? What if play is not a luxury, but a spiritual practice, a way to live more fully, love more deeply, and trust more freely?
This July, we explore The Sacred Art of Play, an invitation to step into joy as a radical act of faith. In a world that urges us to keep doing, moving, producing, and performing, we will pause to laugh, breathe, create, and rest. Through worship, reflection, and ritual, we’ll reclaim play as a spiritual pathway toward wholeness and freedom.
Play is sacred because it frees us. It liberates the imagination. It reconnects us with joy, presence, and one another. It reminds us that we are worthy not because of what we produce, but because we are beloved.
Join us for a three-part worship series plus a special lay-led service as we explore different dimensions of playful, soulful living:
July 6 - "The Divine Delight: Reclaiming Play as Sacred" Play is not just for children—it is a spiritual practice of liberation, embodiment, and connection. This sermon invites the community to see play as a divine gift and a form of resistance to productivity culture. It introduces play as essential to a whole, joyful life. Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs preaches.
July13 – "A Stillness that Heals" Finding the sacred pause. Stillness as a counter-cultural form of play, rest, and renewal. Emphasizes how quietude and reflection are part of playful living. Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs preaches.
July 20 - Lay-Led Worship Service This service will be created and led by members of the congregation as a shared expression of our collective wisdom and spirit. More details coming soon.
July 27 - "Let your Soul Breathe" Practices for nurturing joy, creativity, and slow spiritual growth. Taps into imagination, spaciousness, and the long arc of playful, unfolding spirituality. Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs preaches.
Join us for in-person worship in our Sanctuary every Sunday at 10:30 am or on ZOOM. or “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID 550 751 6685
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The UUCV Book Group meets at 6:30 pm on the 4th Sunday of each month for a lively, thoughtful discussion on our worship ZOOM channel https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa
July 27 - The Black House by Peter May (Bev Ayers-Nachamkin leads)
Two bodies are found hanging from trees: one in Edinburgh, the other on the Isle of Lewis, the most northerly isle in the Outer Hebrides. Edinburgh cop Fin Macleod, originally from Lewis, is assigned to the case for no more reason than that he speaks Gaelic. Two narratives vie with each other. One involves Macleod’s struggles with confronting people whom he left behind years ago. The other, which eventually informs the first, is Macleod’s first-person memories of his life growing up on the island. The two narratives are brilliantly executed until they converge in an absolute stunner of an ending. For once in crime fiction, a detective confronting demons from his past is not merely a stock plot device. May gives it an urgency that, by novel’s end, makes perfect
sense. A gripping plot, pitch-perfect characterization, and an appropriately bleak setting drive this outstanding series debut. (Connie Fletcher, Booklist) 2012, 368pp.
For a full list of the 2025 Book Selections see the complete article under "UUCV Announcements" in this newsletter.
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Grocery Cards…Easiest Fundraiser Ever!!
Did you know?
- Buying Giant, Karns or Weis grocery cards from UUCV is the easiest fundraiser ever!
- Buying a $100 grocery card is a win-win:
- You get $100 worth of groceries, wine, beer, gas, prescriptions.
- UUCV gets $10 for each Giant card you purchase or $5 for each Karns or Weis card purchased.
- There are multiple ways to buy grocery cards from UUCV:
- By check or cash on Sundays – before or after service.
- By setting up an ACH payment through Pam or through your own bank.
- By credit card or paypal* over the phone. *UUCV pays a service charge for these purchases.
- Stop in the office during open hours
- Mail a check into UUCV, PO Box 207, Boiling Springs, PA 17007 and we will mail your cards back to you.
- Buying grocery cards to give as gifts is an awesome idea!!
Reach out to the members of UUCV’s grocery card team if you have any questions OR if you’d like to join our team...you will find them in the Social Hall on Sundays at the Grocery Card Table.
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- Wednesday, July 2 Worship Tech Meeting 4:30 ZOOM
- Monday, July 7 Executive Meeting 7:00PM ZOOM
- Tuesday, July 8 Board Meeting 6:30 Board Room ZOOM
- Wednesday, July 9 Worship Tech Meeting 4:30 ZOOM
- Wednesday, July 16 Worship Tech Meeting 4:30 ZOOM
- Sunday, June 22 UUCV Book Group at 6:30pm on ZOOM https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa
- Wednesday, July 23 Worship Tech Meeting 4:30 ZOOM
- Wednesday, July 30 Worship Tech Meeting 4:30 ZOOM
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July Social Justice Opportunities |
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We encourage UUCV members and friends to get involved with Social Justice Committee -sponsored projects in one of the following ways:
· Donate regularly to our quarterly Change for the World recipient
· Suggest an area non-profit organization to be a CFTW recipient by filling out a form online available on UUCV’s website or a hard copy found on the Social Justice table
· Cook or donate a dish for our quarterly Community CARES dinner that provides a nourishing meal for Carlisle’s homeless population
· Contribute to the Mozambique Bursary project and help educate girls there
· Suggest a topic for our Justice Moments during worship to help educate our members about accomplishments of People of Color, women, people with disabilities, People from the LGBTQIA+ community or cultural practices that have led to discrimination or lack of recognition (see Rev. Chris)
· Write a postcard or contact your legislators about impending or much needed legislation in our state government as suggested by the Harrisburg organization that promotes our values, UUJusticePA · Join UUJusticePA at www.uujusticepa.org by donating as little as $1 or as generously as you can to support the staff and partnerships that help us stand up for our values
· Volunteer for our monthly work day commitment at Community CARES in Carlisle on the fourth Thursday of each month from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
· Participate in an Earth Day hike in April
· Help at the annual Pride Festival in Harrisburg, National Public Lands Day, or United Way’s One Day of Caring
· Show up to area rallies or protests that promote our values
· Do your part to end the racial divide in our area by attending Moving Circles (3rd Monday of the month at 7:00pm at the Carlisle YWCA), Carlisle Bridge Builders (2nd Saturday of the month at 10:00am at Carlisle Bibleway Church on S. West and Walnut Sts.), or participate in a quarterly Friendship Dinner sponsored by Moving Circles
We anchor our efforts around UUCV’s mission to transform lives and care for the world. Thank you to those who serve on the committee: Wendy Gebb, Deb Genet, Jill Hoffman, Dee Lauderbaugh, Cheryl Parsons, Carol & Mike Reismeyer, and Kim Stone. Thanks also to all who participate in the above programs.
The Social Justice Committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month mostly at 6:30 PM on ZOOM. Please check the weekly previews to confirm the time and format of the next meeting on Wednesday, March 19. All are welcome to participate in our meetings or suggest a new project.
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Change for the World -
July - September
CARES - Carlisle Community Cares provides emergency shelter, resources and support for individuals and families who are about to, or are experiencing homelessness. One of these resources is the Penn Street "Day Center"
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Despite all these and other efforts, the un-sheltered numbers keep rising in Cumberland County. Housing, if available, is expensive. There already is an overnight shelter in Shippensburg, but it is for families only. To help remedy this problem, CARES has purchased a 6,100 sq. Ft. Empty building at 230 S. Garden Street in Carlisle across from GIANT. Hopefully, starting in February, renovation will begin. They also will start construction to add more spaces, bringing the total square footage to 9,100 sq. Ft. Inside the building, partitions will be erected between each bed, creating some much-needed privacy. Besides a bed, each compartment will have a nightstand and lamp. This will temporarily provide about 40 - 50 adults (no children) with a warm, safe space to live, while working on their recovery.
All this will cost a lot of money, so any amount you can give for this renovation will be welcomed.
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From the Social Justice Committee: Two Actions you can Take!
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court isn’t always making national headlines, but in recent years, it’s quietly become one of the most influential courts in the country. And this year, three of the court’s seats are back on the ballot. |
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👉 Here’s why that matters: This court has a track record of protecting the democratic process during some of the most hotly contested national elections in recent years. With three of the Justices most strongly in favor of voting rights running to retain their seats this year, the outcome of this election could determine whether their legacy of preserving fairness continues or is reversed. And with opponents of voting rights working to flip the balance of power, we need to work even harder to make sure they don’t.
📬 That’s where you come in. We’re writing letters to Pennsylvania voters to make sure they know about the race and turn out to vote. If you are interested in writing letters 10 or 20 letters to increase voter turnout in November, contact Cheryl Parsons at cherylhparsons@comcast.net.
Call your State Senator this week to advocate for HB 1500! This bill will eventually wind up in the budget. It holds cyber chart schools accountable for how they spend money. Public schools must reimburse cyber charters for students within their districts that enroll in them. This bill allows for an $8,000 per student reimbursement cap that more adequately reflects their costs since cyber charters don't have to maintain buildings or bus students. It also requires cyber charters to be more transparent in their fiscal accounting. Many now spend money intended for students' education on non-education related expenses like gift cards, merchandise, advertising, and semi-professional sports team sponsorships, and lobbying in Harrisburg. The hundreds of millions of dollars that will be fed back to public schools that have been severely underfunded for decades will be a huge help in a year when federal funding is likely to be cut. Cyber charters' graduation rates and student test scores do not measure up to public schools' statistics. We learned during Covid that online learning is not as successful as in- person education. It's time to invest in public education, since PA ranks 49th in the nation for per capita spending for public schools. HB1500 will help the cause. Please call your senator before the budget is finalized.
See Cheryl Parsons if you would consider participating in one of UUJusticePA's committees to learn about important state government issues. We need representatives for the following committees that meet on line once a month: LGBTQIA+ Justice; Reproductive Justice; Good Government; Gun Violence; and Criminal Justice. For more information contact cherylhparsons@comcast.net or see www.uujusticepa.net. |
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Greetings all!
Join us on Sunday mornings for fun, summer programming. Our Summer Fundays are all about building friendships and strengthening our connections with one another. We begin our Sundays at 10:30 am in the Sanctuary with the congregation. After the Time for All Ages, the children and youth will head downstairs: |
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Our "Sparks" group (ages 5-19) will meet in the Spirit Play room.
Our "Flames" group (ages 10-17) will meet in the YUUth Room.
We'll be going outside as much as possible for our activities. (Parents/Caregivers: Please apply sunscreen and bug spray at home before church. Also, please have your children bring a reusable water bottle.) "Summer Funday" classes end at 11:45 am.Donations of snacks for the kids are welcome! May we continue to learn and grow together.
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Below is our Summer Fundays schedule for July:
July 6 : Fun with Science
July 13: Making Stepping Stones
July 20: Making "I Spy" Bottles
July 27: Making Ice Cream in a Bag
NURSERY CARE is available every Sunday from 10:15 - 11:45 am for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
**Please sign out your young children (up to 5th grade) from their classrooms (or outside in the yard) by 11:45.** This gives parents the opportunity to socialize before pickup, while respecting the Volunteer Teachers' time as well.
Thank you to all our June volunteers! Ryanne Mack, Julie Cullings, Emily Cappucci, Rebekah Musser, Michael Cappucci, Susan Rimby, Susan Green, Becca Grinnell, and Kim Stone. Thank you so much for your time and energy! Members of the Congregation are encouraged to volunteer with the Children's RE Program! Please email Lynn Sodora DLFD at re@uucv.net to check in about submitting clearances.
May we continue to learn and grow together!
In faith and service, Lynn
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Music at UUCV
Music throughout July will be provided by a variety of musicians from the congregation following the themes of the week.
If you have interest in joining the choir for the fall, please contact Carole Knisely, Music Director, music@uucv.net or cell 717 991 5883. If you play an instrument or would like to lead hymns for a Sunday service, please reach out.
This is open to all ages. |
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News from the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Committee
In February of this year our Project Director, Sonia Saule Assane, visited the girls at the Molumbo and Namarroi boarding centers. This was her first visit for the 2025 school year. She brought them food, bed linen, school supplies, and personal hygiene products.
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Sonia also brought a letter from the UUCV Bursary Committee to the girls, welcoming them to the start of a new school year and encouraging them to have a good one.The girls form the Molumbo center, pictured here in their physical education uniforms, sent a thank-you letter in response. A portion of that letter is re-printed below.
Dear donors of the Bursary, we are the Bursary beneficiaries of Molumbo, in the province of Zambezia, in Mozambique. We are thankful for the moral and material support, which gives us strength to continue strong and firm in our studies. In our country there were elections in October 2024. After the announcement of the results, a series of violent demonstrations started throughout the country, which destroyed public and private institutions, turning the lives of thousands of Mozambiquans upside down. However, even with those difficulties, the Bursary Committee of the UUCV and the congregation of Boiling Springs are always keeping an eye on us. We thank Father Titos [Bursary Consultant Titos Macie] and Mother Sonia for their commitment. They teach us not to give up; instead, they encourage us to keep up and move forward.
See what your gifts do for the girls of Mozambique!
From the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Committee Martha Bergsten, Dianne Dusmman, Deb Genet, Brian McPherson, and Susan Rimby. Let any of us know if you’d like to get involved.
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Special Thank You to Gary Hendrickson, Staci Kendall and Brent Dickerson for helping the Yuuth with this project. |
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YUUTH Play Garden Renovation, termites, weeds, and poor drainage - Oh MY!
The Building and Grounds Committee needs you! Whether you want to officially join the committee, share ideas, participate in a single specific project (like the YUUTH Garden, a room refresh, adopting a garden bed, mowing the lawn once a summer, etc.), or are just curious about what’s happening please join one of our upcoming meetings! |
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Meetings will be 30-60 min long, if you can only join for a part of the meeting you will not be judged. We have a mix of in person and online meetings to increase accessibility but committee members are not expected to attend every meeting. Hope to see you soon and reach out to Becca Grinnell or Katie Clark with questions
Here's a list of planned meeting dates/times/locations:
- Sunday June 29th, 12:30PM in the YUUTH Room
- Thursday July 10th, 6:00PM on ZOOM
- Sunday July 20th, 12:30PM in the Welcome Center
- Thursday July 31st, 6:00PM on ZOOM
- Sunday August 10th, 12:30PM in the Welcome Center
- Thursday August 28th, 6:00PM on ZOOM
- Sunday September 7th, 12:30PM in the Welcome Center
- Thursday September 25th, 6:00PM on ZOOM
- Sunday October 5th, 12:30PM in the Welcome Center
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B & G Work - Rescheduled!
Due to a lack of volunteers, we will be rescheduling the pine tree bed planting. We really need your help! Building and grounds needs at least one or two volunteers to help with planting underneath the big pine tree in front of the church.
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We would like to schedule the new planting date for Sunday, July 6th in the afternoon from 1-4pm. We will also need to dig out the plants that are being generously shared from a fellow congregant’s garden. We will need to do this the day before on Saturday, July 5th in the morning from 8-9:30am. Location will be provided if you are volunteering to help.
If you are able to help with either of those times please contact Becca Grinnell to RSVP! (848)268-3221 or email rebecca.l.grinnell@gmail.com Thank you for your help. |
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UUCV Book Group
Selections for January - October 2025
The UUCV Book Group meets at 6:30 pm on the 4th Sunday of each month for a lively, thoughtful discussion on our worship ZOOM channel https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa |
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July 27 - The Black House by Peter May (Bev Ayers-Nachamkin leads)
Two bodies are found hanging from trees: one in Edinburgh, the other on the Isle of Lewis, the most northerly isle in the Outer Hebrides. Edinburgh cop Fin Macleod, originally from Lewis, is assigned to the case for no more reason than that he speaks Gaelic. Two narratives vie with each other. One involves Macleod’s struggles with confronting people whom he left behind years ago. The other, which eventually informs the first, is Macleod’s first-person memories of his life growing up on the island. The two narratives are brilliantly executed until they converge in an absolute stunner of an ending. For once in crime fiction, a detective confronting demons from his past is not merely a stock plot device. May gives it an urgency that, by novel’s end, makes perfect
sense. A gripping plot, pitch-perfect characterization, and an appropriately bleak setting drive this outstanding series debut. (Connie Fletcher, Booklist) 2012, 368pp.
August 24 - Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis (Brian McPherson leads)
The rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. This rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side, had his world come crashing down and is now serving 25 yrs in prison for defrauding investors. 2023, 288 pp.
September 28 - The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens (Bev Motich leads)
Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. 2025, 312 pp.
October 26 - The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology by Nita A. Farahany (Keith Bittinger leads)
Summary: A new dawn of brain tracking and hacking is coming. Will you be prepared for what comes next? Imagine a world where your brain can be interrogated to learn your political beliefs, your thoughts can be used as evidence of a crime, and your own feelings can be held against you. A world where people who suffer from epilepsy receive alerts moments before a seizure, and the average person can peer into their own mind to eliminate painful memories or cure addictions. Paperback: 304 pages, Audio Book: 8 hrs 27 mins
November 23 – 2026 reading selections
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