Newsletter 10/15/26
Oct. 18 – Rev. Sam Harrelson: ‘What We Notice, What We Owe’
 Sunday Service, 3 P.M.: FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE 625 SOUTH ST., DAVIDSON Please visit our events calendar for more information. Mail: P.O. Box 991 Davidson, NC 28036 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THE NEWSLETTER Oct. 18 – Rev. Sam Harrelson: ‘What We Notice, What We Owe’ What might paying close attention to a tree teach us about how we live with one another and with the more-than-human world? Drawing from a daily practice of sitting with a black walnut tree, the landscapes and watersheds of the Carolinas, and the UU commitment to an interdependent world, Sam Harrelson will explore attention not as a way of mastering what we encounter, but as a practice of relationship, humility, and care. Rev. Sam Harrelson is an ordained Cooperative Baptist Fellowship minister, educator, writer, and PhD candidate in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies. His research explores ecological intentionality, phenomenology, theology, and how practices of attention might reshape human relationships with the more-than-human world. A graduate of Wofford College and Yale Divinity School, he lives in Spartanburg, S.C., with his wife, Merianna, and their family. He writes about ecology, religion, and place at CarolinaEcology.com and shares public field notes from his ongoing research at EcologicalIntentionality.org.  Services can be viewed live at 3:10 p.m. Sundays, and later for replays, by clicking here to reach them on our website. Information on upcoming services can also be found on our Facebook page. Oct. 25 – Rev. Pat Jobe: ‘If Not Now, When?’ The determinists tell us that nothing else could have happened. They ask us to note how solid the past is and how the present seems to be unfolding in only the ways it could, based on all that led up to it. They offer that even the future is the sum total of all that has gone before. What about that? The Rev. Pat Jobe joined our Fellowship on Aug. 1, 2020. He is married to his lovely spouse Gabe and is an enthusiastic supporter of UU Lake Norman, FeedNC, Heart of the Carolinas UU Animal Ministry, the Barefoot Ministry, and all work done by UUs in our area.  There is nothing like being out in the community with the Unitarians of Lake Norman. Although I will surely miss some, it has been so delightful to be at FeedNC with Nancy Embry, Doug and Pat Wall, Jim Arnold, George Bame and Sue Cunningham, Susan Cameron, Pamela Englebert, Tracy Grimm, Sandy McFeeley (queen of all dishwashers, especially when assaulting stuff stuck in the corners of trays,) Babs Vitale, Eddie and Naomi Gunn and others. What a great crew and what a great place to volunteer. Feeding people is pretty basic. What we do together and for each other is way past basic. Thank you all for all you do.  In a Fellowship congregational meeting last Sunday, the Revised Bylaws were passed by the congregation. The vote breakdown: 79% voted “yes” for all proposals; 90% voted “yes” and 10% voted “no” for proposal 13; and 97% voted “yes” and 3% voted “no” for proposals 6, 7, 9, and 11. History was made, and this is a high-water mark for the Greg Davis administration. The Revised Bylaws are now posted on the website — find them by clicking here. We will have hard copies printed and available before our congregational Annual Meeting. On behalf of the Board and the numerous people who worked to make these beneficial and needed changes to the Bylaws, thank you for your patience, for your input, for your support for and love of our Fellowship. I would be remiss not to acknowledge some tensions during the process, but as our President Greg Davis so wisely pointed out: “It just reflects that we all love the Fellowship and want the best for it, but we have different visions for how that happens.” The important thing now is to heal any wounds and hope no one takes personally any perceived slights. If I offended anyone during this process, I apologize, but I am quite proud of the much-needed accomplishment. As a guest speaker, a Buddhist Monk, once told us, “We have one job, and that is to love one another.” Let’s all work on that leading up to our pledge drive and our future. Warm regards, all. — Jim Price, Vice President, on behalf of Greg Davis and the Board of Trustees. From President Greg Davis: As I listened to my friend recite the Lord’s Prayer with his children, the passage “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” caused me to ask myself what that really means. I think about driving and being upset about some other driver’s driving and how somebody else has expressed their feelings about mine. I no longer stress about other drivers and only hope that they enjoy their drive as much as I enjoy mine. Our fellowship will continue on and in good harmony. Thanks for your hard work, Jim, to pull all this together. Our own Pat and Doug Wall, alerted by Rev. Pat, leapt into action last Sunday to help a single mom in Fort Mill, S.C., who for weeks had been living in a motel with three young children, including a toddler. When the woman arrived at work last Saturday, she was told she had been fired. Doug and Pat took her a large stock of diapers and wipes, groceries and cash to help with motel costs. They also gave her some information on programs that could help her in the future. It’s hoped that the woman’s extended family will offer her some help. The Walls are well known in our congregation for this type of ministry, which has included providing aid to traveling immigrants and to survivors of Hurricane Helene, which devastated western North Carolina in 2024. Thanks for all you do, Pat and Doug! _________________________________________ Indivisible LKN’s No Kings 4 rally/march starts at 2:30 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Davidson Green. From there participants will walk about a half-mile to the Ada Jenkins Center, stand and form the word “VOTE” on the lawn for an aerial photo, and then go inside for live music, snacks, and to learn about opportunities to help get out the vote. Come for all or part of it. Organizers would love to have a big group!  The Dogwood Faith Project, UU Justice’s focus on resisting Christian nationalism, will offer training prior to a canvass at the Monroe Halloween Happenings event on Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. You will learn prompts and non-confrontational ways to discuss and inform others.Review this week’s Friday Action Hour resources and actions on our Google doc — click here to view it. Join us this Friday morning at 11 by clicking on this Zoom link. If Friday doesn’t work for you, please take a moment to look over the Google doc, updated every week to describe small actions you can take to support Unitarian values. Sign up for our Friday Action Hour weekly email by clicking here. Mooresville Interfaith Thanksgiving ServiceUnitarians of Lake Norman will not meet at the Quaker Meeting House in Davidson on Nov. 15. Instead, we will take part in the Mooresville Interfaith Thanksgiving Service that day from 3-5 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 164 Fairview Rd. in Mooresville. It’s free to the public but donations of new gloves would be appreciated. For more information, click here to email the organizers.  UU Lake Norman’s Building Fund accepts donations to help ensure our future. For more information, please contact Alan Perkinson. FROM OUR TREASURERThanks to all who have pledged to keep our Fellowship strong. You can mail your pledge to: UU Lake Norman, P.O. Box 991, Davidson 28036. To set up easy online giving from our website, just click the “Pledge or Donate” tab at the top of the page. Join us? If you are not a member but would like more information on becoming a member, please contact Marjorie Flowers at Membership@UULakeNorman.org or call her at 214-769-9177. UU Lake Norman Minister Rev. Pat Jobe 2026 Board of Trustees Greg Davis, President Jim Price, Vice President Jim Arnold, Past President Véronique Singerman, Secretary Karen Abrams & Linda Heydenburg, Co-Treasurers Gail Arnold, Trustee at Large We walk diverse paths to find meaning and purpose, but we are united by our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all, and the obligation to express our faith through acts of justice and compassion. Join us as we create a diverse, spirit-curious, and justice-seeking community. Please send your newsletter items, suggestions or comments to news@uulakenorman.org. The deadline for each week’s newsletter is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Lake Norman UU Fellowship P O Box 991, Davidson 28036 www.uulakenorman.org   Copyright © 2026 UU Fellowship of Lake Norman, All rights reserved. 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