Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Enjoy!
-Blessings
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W
e welcome everyone. Our Unitarian Universalist community seeks truth and deeper meaning, pursues justice through inspired action, and cultivates compassion and love for all connected by the web of life
.
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October 27, “Wheel of Life Service:
A Jack-o-lantern’s Heart”
Each year, when some religious traditions believe the veil is thin between the worlds of the living and dead, we honor major life transitions. Please bring a picture, memento or object that remembers a birth, a life transition such as gender identity, maturity, graduation, marriage, employment, ability changes, retirement, loss or death. We will collect them on an altar for recognition and appreciation during our service. The theme of the service this year will be guided by Peter Mayer’s song “John’s Garden” which illustrates the wheel of life through the spiritual journey of some little pumpkins.
Music:
Choir, Choir Director- Chris Jensen, Musician- Ann Brandon,
piano
HYMN 395:
Sing and Rejoice
HYMN 128:
For All that Is Our Life
HYMN 118:
This Little Light of Mine
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SUNDAY SERVICES
10:00 am
November 3,“Having The Conversation,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
For many people, a conversation with an older relative about end of life choices can be awkward and very hard to initiate. It can be just as hard to start that conversation with a child or even grandchild when one is feeling fine. Yet people’s health status can change quickly in ways that make that conversation very difficult if not impossible. Just how do we get ready to have “
The
Conversation?”
Music:
Ann Brandon,
piano;
Guest violists- Chris Bystroff and Jora Cohen
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Focus Food Pantry
Please consider a contribution to the Focus Food Pantry this Sunday. There will be an envelope in the order of service for your check or cash. We ask that envelopes remain unsealed for reuse. Thank you for your help.
Training and Practice Group for Nonviolent Communication
Thursdays, Nov. 7, 14 and 21, Dec. 5 and 12, 12:30-2:30 pm (
sign up by Oct. 28
)
This training and practice group will offer an environment of mutual learning and support in the practice of nonviolent communication.
To register: send an email to registration@albanyuu.org with subject line: NVC Training & Practice Group Registration. Include in the body, which session
number, cell phone number and email address.
For more information contact Philomena Moriarty: philmor@nycap.rr.com or
518-788-7007.
Join the fun! Help Albany UU raise $$!
We are calling all
:
Knitters, Crocheters, Fabric crafters. Woodworkers, Paper Crafters, Jewelers. Share your creativity with the congregation by making something to sell at the holiday craft fair. Please contact Sigrin Newell with your ideas or questions at 518-439-6705 or sigrin.newell@gmail.com.
Vote early in NYS!
We have arrived! In NYS, we can now vote early, from October 26-November 3. Learn more
here
and
here.
Let's get out the vote!
Understudy Needed
If you like to observe and record during a fast-paced event, we have just the one night volunteer job for you! The Auction Committee needs a person willing to learn the task of recording bids during the live auction on next March 21st. You would learn the ropes from our expert recorder, Kathy Harris.
Our Music Program
Just a quick update on our process for re-staffing our Music Program. We have an ad hoc Board of Trustees Music Program Assessment Team that is currently looking at programs and pay scales at other UU congregations in the Capital Region. That work will conclude by Thanksgiving, at which point our Ministries and Operations Team will put together a search committee. If anyone would like to provide feedback to the Music Program Assessment Team, they can contact David MacLeod, Lois Bailey or Zach Cunningham by sending an email to:
musicassessmentteam@albanyuu.org
.
Comfy Couch
Thank you for your generous offers of comfy couches for our teens! We do have a line on a couch for now and hopefully you'll see if soon in Room B-8.
Warmth for the Homeless
It is time again to gather blankets, sleeping bags, warm coats, etc. for those experiencing homelessness. Please put them in the bin in the coatroom. Thanks you!
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Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Multigenerational Service, Community Hall
11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, Channing Hall
11:45 AM
- Green Sanctuary Committee, Room B-7
Quick Links
Denominational Affairs Links
Helpful Local Links
Sign up for a class or event
- Sign up at the Sign Up Site in Channing Hall
OR
- Call the church office, 518.463.7135
If childcare is offered for the event, please let us know you need it when you register, including names and ages of children.
Offering envelopes
We appreciate donations of cash during the offering that occurs as part of our Sunday service. If you would like to have cash contributions recorded and acknowledged in writing for tax purposes at the end of the calendar year, please use and write your name on one of the envelopes that are available on the table in the Community Hall lobby. Thank you very much for your generosity.
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Albany UU will again be collecting for Day of Simple Giving sponsored by Grassroot Givers.
This year, we're being asked to provide
dish washing detergent.
Day of Simple Giving is a community service celebration, on
Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 am-1 pm
at St. Sophia's Greek Church, 440 Whitehall Road, Albany, where 300 volunteers, from preschoolers to seniors work side by side assembling over $30,000 worth of practical gifts and holiday treats for neighbors in need.
To volunteer your time on Nov. 16, RSVP to
info@grassrootgivers.org
or (518) 599-5157. To donate dish washing detergent, bring it to Albany UU and put it in the marked bin in the coatroom or lobby. Thank you.
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UPCOMING LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
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Transforming Hearts: Transgender Inclusion in Congregations
Led by Rev. Sam Trumbore and Dan Miyake
Continues Tuesdays, 11/5 & 19, 12/3 & 17, 1/14 -
If you missed the first session, no worries, join with us on Nov. 5 or see below for other options to participate!
This course is for those who want to increase their knowledge and skills to help our congregation become fully inclusive and affirming of the full breadth of gender diversity. Over six sessions we will deeply explore the intersection of trans identity, spirituality, and faith community to gain the grounding, context, and skills for this transformative work.
This course is for everyone
from novices on trans identity to those with decades of life experience. Rather than simply offering a “trans 101,” this class pushes participants to the next level of congregational welcome, relationship-building, and skills-building. It counters mainstream narratives about who trans people are; supports understanding of non-binary identities (such as genderqueer, agender, and two spirit); and employs a deeply intersectional approach.
Other options for participating in the Transforming Hearts class
The authors of the Transforming Hearts class invite everyone in our congregation to participate! All the materials and lectures are online. Though the class that Rev. Sam and Dan are leading will have the opportunity for rich discussion and exchange that will be very valuable, we recognize that not everyone is able to attend when the class is being offered. If you can’t attend the class in person and would like to take it on your own, please call the church office for information on how to do that.
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To share your Joy or Sorrow
with our Albany UU community, you may submit it on a yellow card during the service or by using our
online form.
Need to Talk? Albany UU Pastoral Care Associates are here to listen!
Our Pastoral Care Associates have been trained in compassionate listening skills and are available to all members and friends of our congregation. To contact a Pastoral Care Associate, email:
listeners@albanyuu.org
, contact
Rev. Sam Trumbore
, the Albany UU office at 518.463.7135, or one of them personally. They are: Sharon Babala, Chuck Manning, Donna Meixner, Dan Miyake, Phil Rich, Randy Rosette, Dee VanRiper and Erick F. vonHausen.
Albany UU Caring Network
The Caring Network (CN) reflects the words of the Albany UU chalice lighting - “to sustain a vital and nurturing religious community.” The CN provide encouragement and short term support to Albany UU members who, due to hospitalization, sickness, loss, or isolation, need assistance. Services typically include transportation to medical appointments, meals and shopping during recovery, and friendly visits and “check in’s” from Caring Network members. Please reach out to the
Caring Network
if you need.
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Election Day apple peeling and pie assembly
Do you love those delicious homemade pies that are sold during coffee hour each year for the holidays? Would you like to help make them?
Join us Tuesday, Nov. 5, 9:00 to noon in Channing Hall.
Learn more
here
.
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion this
Sunday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 pm
in Channing Hall. We will discuss
A Woman is No Man
by Etaf Rum. Learn more
here
.
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
For the Faith Development of children and youth this Sunday
Nursery/toddler room opens at 9:45
Multigenerational Wheel of Life Service
Join us for a delightful story about pumpkins in the field wondering about their fate. Should they risk becoming jack-o-lanterns? Bring mementos of a significant milestones in your life this year: new beginnings, transitions and deaths of loved ones (including pets).
No Sunday school or high school yoUUth group this Sunday.
Children and youth will be welcomed at the service with their families.
Next week, Nov 3
- Trick or Treat for UNICEF: Children are invited to come in their Halloween costumes and Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF at Coffee Hour.
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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC Recommends:
Whitwashed
, The Racism Project play Friday, Oct. 25, 7:30 PM
, YWCA, 21 First St., Troy. Whitewashed is an original documentary theater performance, based on Black history, current events, and the personal experiences of the cast, which includes Shirey Archie, Royal Brown, D. Colin, Diaka Kaba Hill, Sakea Martin, Tim Martin, and Aaron Moore.
Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice - Save the Date: Conversation Sabbath.
On November 3, Albany UU will join
hundreds of congregations taking part in Conversation Sabbath, sponsored by The Conversation Project, an organization founded by former Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman. Our Sunday service will reflect UU thinking about end of life issues and inspire you to have “the conversation” with your loved ones and your doctor(s) about your wishes for living well until the end, to make sure they are known and honored. Rev. Sam says,
“We think that if we don’t talk about it, it won’t happen. The reality is that it always feels too soon to have the conversation--until it is too late.”
After the service, from 11:30-2:00, Bonnie Edelstein, founding director of Death with Dignity – Albany, will lead a free Conversation Workshop in Community Hall. The workshop will be open to the public and begin with a light lunch. As a workshop participant, you will prepare for having “the conversation” about what matters most to you, and leave with your notes in a workbook.
REGISTRATION:
To ensure adequate space, materials and child care, register by November 1
here
or at 518-463-7135.
Also, see "Unlikely Partners for Peace," on Nov. 4 below.
This is an important event that Albany UU's Nigel Wright Fund is helping to sponsor.
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FALL GATHERING OF THE HUDSON- MOHAWK UU CONGREGATIONS
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Preemptive Radical Inclusion: Bear Witness, Save Lives
Fall Gathering of the Hudson Mohawk Cluster of UU Congregations with presenter CB Beal, M. Div, recipient of the UUA’s 2019 Angus MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education.
Saturday, October 26, 2019, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady
, 1221 Wendell Ave., Schenectady.
Join other area UUs in Schenectady on
Saturday, October 26
, to learn and share new skills and strategies for strengthening and transforming our congregations as we increase equity and justice. We will reflect upon the complexity of privilege, marginalization, and oppression; notice and assess our own perspectives and invite new ones; bear witness to one another; deeply feel our responses, our wondering; and explore how we live out our commitment to justice in our congregational life. We will do this with worship, music, reflection, sharing and bearing witness, hula hoops and post-it notes, video and humor.
This workshop is appropriate for high-school-aged and older.
Lunch will be provided with voluntary donations requested to cover the cost of this and our presenter’s expenses.
Same day registration is OK, but pre-registration is better - It's not too late!!
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Ushers needed
Are you looking for a way to be more involved in what happens on Sunday mornings? Now is your chance! We are looking to deepen our Usher pool and would love for YOU to join. It’s a very simple but very necessary volunteer opportunity. If you’re interested in learning more about being an Usher on Sunday mornings, please contact Dawn Dana:
ddana1@nycap.rr.com
. Thank you!
Sunday Volunteers
Would you like to be involved in the Sunday service in a more meaningful way?
Visit
Sunday Hospitality Sign Up
to find out about the ways you can volunteer on Sunday morning. We thank you and could not do what we do without YOU!
YOU can make a difference!
We at Albany UU are making an effort to increase our visibility and connectivity online. YOU can help, and it's quick and easy! Simply like, follow and share pages and posts on any of our social media platforms, or leave a positive Facebook or Google review. Google Albany UU or find us here:
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UNLIKELY PARTNERS FOR PEACE
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Monday, November 4
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Congregation Ohav Shalom
113 New Krumkill Road, Albany 12208
In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israelis live in separate universes without real human contact. Roots/Shorashim/Judur is changing that reality, fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence and transformation.
Come hear firsthand the personal stories of Shadi Abu Awwad, a Palestinian activist, and Hanan Schlesinger, an Orthodox rabbi and passionate Zionist settler, who came together – with painful hope – to build dialogue and cooperation.
Questions: roots@albanyuu.org
Our speakers do not come with blueprinted peace plans in hand, but with the deep conviction that human understanding and trust are the prerequisites for lasting justice, freedom, and peace in the land they both call home. Come to learn and be inspired! In these times of increased polarization – nationally and internationally – we have much to learn about how to listen, to open our hearts and minds and support peace.
For more information about Roots visit www.Friendsofroots.net
This presentation is sponsored by the:
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany Nigel Wright Fund
and Congregation Ohav Shalom.
Supporters: Capital District Board of Rabbis
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INCLUSIVITY TEAM RECOMMENDS
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"Readers' Theatre Event - An Evening of Powerful Readings"
featuring author Gregory Maguire, joined by local authors and guest tellers from
Children at the Well
. All proceeds to benefit literacy development in the South End of Albany.
Monday, Oct. 28, 6:00 - 8:30
at Capital Repertory Theatre. Pay in advance at
https://wizardswardrobe.org/our-events
or at the door.
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Regular events and meetings
Many of these events and meetings take a hiatus in the summer, check with the church office before coming in.
Sundays
11:45 AM Inclusivity Team (2nd)
5:30 PM Walker Book Group (2nd)
11:45 AM Social Responsibilities Council (3rd)
11:45 AM Green Sanctuary Committee (4th)
Mondays
6:15 PM Religious Education Council
(1st, Nov., Feb., May)
Tuesdays
10:00 AM Philosophy Discussion (weekly)
1:00 PM Bridge (weekly)
7:00 PM UU Humanists (3rd)
Wednesdays
10:00 AM Projects & Quilts (weekly)
7:00 PM Choir Rehearsal (almost weekly)
Thursdays
1:00 PM All Sides Considered (1st & 3rd)
6:30 PM Board of Trustees (4th)
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Going to miss a Sunday?
You can listen to the entire Albany UU Sunday service at home or on your mobile device. The two most recent services are available as MP3 files on the Albany UU member resource website. Here is how to access:
username: AlbanyUU
password: EEthelredBrown405
Our sermon archive (select Ministry/Sermon Archive on the left website menu) has pdf files of sermons texts (when available) and audio files of sermons. You can also request the office put a service on a CD.
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First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
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Parking:
Parking is available on the street. On Sundays (and for some special events) Albany UU has permission to use the University at Albany’s Hawley Parking Lot on Robin Street at Washington Avenue.
Office hours (unless otherwise posted)
September-June:
Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00
July-August:
Monday–Thursday 9:00-1:00
Websites
Building use
To
reserve a room
for an Albany UU activity
or to rent a hall or classroom space
, for a personal or non-Albany UU activity, contact Administrative Assistant Sapphire Correa (518.463.7135 or
office@albanyuu.org
).
Photo credit: Kathy Hodges
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First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135| 518.463.1429 | Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org
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