Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of Lafayette
Greetings fellow UUs and supporters!
We are meeting IN PERSON
and on Zoom until further notice.
Our theme for July is Play.
Playing is important for both children
and adults. It can help build a bond
between adults and children that lasts
forever and lets the child know they are
loved and appreciated. Joining children
in their play can increase their
vocabulary and advance their brain
development, setting them up for
academic success. It also provides
opportunities for adults to support
children in mastering new skills and to
praise good behavior, reducing behavior
problems. Play can also teach children
problem-solving and emotion regulation
skills, which are foundational for
success in various areas of life. Adults
can benefit from play as well, as it can
increase social well-being and intimacy
in relationships, relieve stress, and have
a positive impact on mental health 1, 2, 3, 4,
5.
—
Sunday, July 2nd The Wisdom of Play
Service
The Wisdom of Play is a sermon by Rev.
Anthony David Makar. In the sermon, he
discusses the importance of play and
how it can benefit us in many ways. He
cites the story of two ten-year-old girls
who played Scrabble in a playful way, as
an example of how play can be
beneficial. The girls were not interested
in keeping score or following the rules of
the game. They simply wanted to have
fun and make each other laugh.
Rev. Makar goes on to discuss the five
factors that make up genuine play:
● It is freely entered into.
● It is self-determining.
● It is full of imagination.
● It is done primarily for the sake of
fun.
● It is characterized by a mindset of
utter absorption.
He argues that play is important for our
mental and emotional development. It
helps us to learn how to take turns,
connect with others, and regulate our
emotions. Play also helps us to be more
creative and to think outside the box.
Please visit us either in person at 1119
Johnston St. or on Zoom:
tinyurl.com/zoomuufol or via the link at
uulala.org. We now have Religious
Education for pre-teen children. We visit
with coffee and snacks from 10:30-11
am. The service runs from 11 am until
12 noon. After the service we will lunch
at a local restaurant. Free lunch
coupons are available on the Chalice
Table. Everyone is invited!
Service slides Sermon video
Facebook event
—
Sunday, June 25th Ritual and
Ceremony Service
Lay chaplain Collette Dowhaniu of the
Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga
shares some of her learnings and
experiences from officiating various
ceremonies. She explains the
importance of ritual and symbolism in
human life, drawing from the insights of
Carl Jung and the sources of Unitarian
Universalism. She also describes the
basic elements of a ceremony, such as
a beginning, an end, and a symbolic
action. She concludes by inviting the
listeners to consider becoming lay
chaplains themselves.
Service Outline Service slides
Sermon video Recorded live stream
—
Usef We ul Links:
—
Touchstones Journal for July:
Email: uulalafellowship@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/uufol
You Tube: youtube.com/@uufol
—
Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/28/2023
(1) Playing With Your Child - Child Development
Institute.
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/pla
y-work-of-children/pl5/.
(2) Play | Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/play.
(3) The Importance of Play for Adults - Psych Central.
https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-importance-of-play-for
-adults.
(4) The Benefits of Play for Adults - HelpGuide.org.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/benefit
s-of-play-for-adults.htm.
(5) Importance of play for kids and adults, according to
science | CNN.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/19/health/play-fun-adult-
mental-health-wellness/index.html.
—
END
