The CUUPS Podcast

Welcome to issue #32 of the CUUPS Podcast - our highlight this episode is "Packing for ReEnchantment" a sermon which Valerie Freseman delivered on 9/27/2015 at First Parish Church, Cambridge MA. This sermon was selected as the best out of eight submissions by a panel of judges and she was awarded $500 at the General Assembly in Columbus Ohio this June.  We also discussion four new chapters: Colorado Springs, CO, Boone, NC, Orlando FL and Jamestown NY.  We also discuss highlights of CUUPS presence at the 2016 UUA General Assembly in Columbus Ohio and our first national Convocation in a dozen years which was held August 26-28 in Salem, MA.

This issue features the CUUPS Sermon Contest Runner Up - Seanan Fong speaking about the Chinese New Year and the coming of Spring. This was recorded at First Parish Unitarian in Cambridge MA on March 1st, 2015.  Other items covered: Lots of great UU-Pagan written content on Nature's Path blog at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/naturespath/ CUUPS Convocation is coming the last weekend of August in Salem, MA. For more info (and to register!) see: http://www.couup.roundtablelive.org/event-285450 CUUPS will be at the Columbus General Assembly. We'll be at booth #111 in the Exhibit Hall, our Midsummer Ritual will be noon on Sat. June 25th at Sensebrenner Park. https://www.columbus.gov/recreationandparks/parks/Sensenbrenner-Park/ The CUUPS 2016 Annual Business Meeting will be at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral 555 N. High St. Columbus (across the street from the Convention Center) Room #113 on Sat. June 25th Ingathering at 5:30p Meeting starts at 6p, we'll be done by 7pm.

The Fall 2015 issue of the CUUPS Podcast feature "The Mother of Us All" a Dec. 2013 sermon from Rev. Arvid Straube of First UU Church in San Diego. We also welcome new chapters in Shoreline WA, Binghamton NY, and Beaufort SC.  There are last minute reminders to CUUPS members to vote in our 2015 Election which is a few days from ending - and our 2015 Sermon Contest's deadline for entering is October 31st. Jessica Grey has a new divination deck out which you can see at www.TaraWisdomCards.com For the latest essays on UU-Paganism check our the Nature's Path blog on the Patheos Interfaith website http://www.patheos.com/blogs/naturespath/  

The late Spring 2015 issue of the CUUPS Podcast includes the sermon "Dancing To a Living Drum" by ministerial intern Randy Partain from First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston. We also have news about two new CUUPS Chapters: White Oak Grove CUUPS of Rockford, IL and CLF CUUPS which is associated with the Church of the Larger Fellowship which is the UUA's online congregation for people who don't live near a UU congregation. There's is also a preview of our activites at the upcoming UUA General Assembly in Portland,  OR (June 24-28) and some information on our Facebook Page, Twitter account @CUUPS_Media, and the Nature's Path blog on Patheos.com's Pagan Channel.

The CUUPS Podcast wakes up from a long winter's snooze with two new chapters (Raleigh, NC & Grand Traverse, MI) the 2015 CUUPS Sermon Contest and a new blog on Patheos.com and a sermon on the First Principle Project! CUUPS is acting as curator for the new "Nature's Path" blog on the Patheos Pagan channel. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/naturespath/ For more information on the First Principle Project visit: http://firstprincipleproject.blogspot.com/p/the-project.html

After a LONG hiatus the CUUPS Podcast returns with: * A Sermon "Why We Love Vampires" by the late Margot Adler who passed away in July.  This was recorded 10/18/2012 at All Souls Church in New York City. * Unidos En, the Spanish translation of the popular UU chant "Gathered Here" The English version can be found in the UU hymnal Singing The Living Tradition #389. * News about two new chapters in California at Santa Rosa, and in the Napa Valley. * CUUPS Election results - new board members coming on: Maggie Beaumont, Martha Kirby Capo and Jessica Gray. Board members who are leaving, or have recently left: John Beckett, Rev. Christa Landon, David Pollard and Niko Tarini.

"Pagan Spirit & Nature Circles" is what Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary speaks about at this sermon recorded at Williamsburg UU in Virginia on Oct. 23, 2011. We also include Jim Scott's Rainforest Song and info on how to join CUUPS. New chapter of the month: Spiral Paths CUUPS at the UU's of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

The UUA Board has propsed that the UUA General Assembly repudiate the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. Here is a Dec. 2009 interview from the Pagan Newswire Collective featuring Jason Pitzl-Waters interviewing Zay Speer on that Doctrine along with other indegenous related issues. Also, Calypso Chant from Jim Scott and the CUUPS Page on Facebook, and three new chapters.

Jerrie Hildebrand speaks at Williamsburg UU on "When the UU's & the Pagans Got Together" 7/17/11. Also, music "May Your Life Be As A Song" from Jim Scott. News on the new CUUPS Facebook Page, and the upcoming Intl Assoc of Religious Freedom meeting.

Interview with Kimberly Gwier from Gaia Community, an Earth-Centered UU Congregation near Kansas City. She covers their approach to worship, children's religious education, ritualist training and how they pick their annual Patron. Also, we introduce two new CUUPS chapters in Terre Haute, IN and Salem, MA Gaia Community on the web at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/GaiaCommunity/ and also at http://www.gaiacommunity.org Wabash Valley Crow Circle CUUPS http://crowcircle.blogspot.com/ and also at http://www.cuups.org/content2/chapters/state.php?state=IN&id=132 Salem CUUPS  http://www.facebook.com/groups/202942263075666/ and also http://www.cuups.org/content2/chapters/state.php?state=MA&id=133

This episode features "A Very, Very Brief Intro to UU Paganism" originally recorded in 1999 by then CUUPS President Joan Van Becelaere. Also welcome aboard to Confluence Grove CUUPS of Piitsburgh, PA.

Features the Summer Solstice service from the 2011 General Assembly organized by Rebecca Benner on behalf of the Ohio Meadville District. Also, info on the new online bookclub for CUUPS at goodreads.com and a couple  full moon services are highlighted.

The second half of an interview about Panthea Pagan Temple the first Earth-Centered UU Congregation with founders Rev. Christa Landon and Phaedra Bonewits. News from the 2011 GA, info about Gaia Community's 2011 God Auction and info on several of the many Lammas Celebrations taking place at UU Societies across the US.

First half of an interview with Rev. Christa Landon and Phaedra Bonewits about the founding of Panthea Pagan Temple (which in 1990 became the 1st liturgically Earth-Centered UU Congregation.) Also, the winner of the CUUPS Sermon Contest is announced, and the topic for the 2011 Sermon Contest is revealed.

This is a 60 second promo for the CUUPS Podcast. Any podcasters who wish to use it are welcome to do so.

In a very brief episode, we have our 4th CUUPS Sermon Contest entry: Samhain - A Reflection by John Beckett of the Denton (TX) UU Fellowship. Also, we welcome our newest CUUPS Chapter Spiral Earth Explorations which is part of Palomar UU Fellowship in Vista, CA.

Phaedra Bonewits discusses the Life & Times of Isaac Bonewits, also the  unreleased title track "She Says" from Isaac Bonewits & Real Magick.  General Assembly plans and a new chapter in Maryland are also mentioned.

"I'm Pagan, Don't Bite!" is the third entry for this CUUPS Sermon Contest finalist. It comes from Joe Gonzales, Jr. who is from the UU Society of Stamford, CT where he's currently serving as President of the Board of Trustees.

Features the Rev. David Bumbaugh discussing Universalist history and presenting his vision of what a UU faith statement could look like. Also, news about UU and Pagan efforts to raise funds for tsunami relief, and a listing of places where people are working on starting CUUPS chapters.

"You Must Go Thru the Door" by Coleen Renee is featured as our second Sermon Contest finalist. Also, info on a scholarship for UU Seminarians to study shrine Shinto in Japan and new of local Earth-centered events.