When a white supremacist rally organized by Unite The Right came to town, Charlottesville, Virginia changed forever. In August 2017, extremist groups protested the city council's decision to remove confederate monuments. Clashes between protesters and counter-protesters turned deadly when a motorist drove into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.

Now, with the killing of George Floyd and protests after the event, Charlottesville and Minneapolis are connected by our collective trauma. With this in mind, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church reached out to First Universalist Church. Members of the Pastoral Visitors Team spoke with their counterparts at Thomas Jefferson last week.

Reverend Alexandra McGee from Thomas Jefferson shared that they struggled to make sense of it all in the beginning. Racial issues were brought to the forefront within the church and community. The importance of reaching out in love and care was also an emphasis. They also affirmed the steps we are taking to stay connected are the same steps they took. They can see the positive results of those steps now.   

In summary, Reverend Karen said, "As UUs we are a small pond and we are supportive of one another in our struggles for justice. Our two communities of care providers are forever connected from these difficult events in our cities. I imagine someday we will reach out to another congregation in crisis and share our stories in the future."

 

Who We Are

Pastoral Visitors are a group of First Universalist Church congregants who provide confidential pastoral care to friends and members of our congregation in need of support. 

While our ministers continue to be with members of the congregation in crisis situations, this team is able to provide continuing care to our growing community and enhance the practical support offered by our Congregational Care team. 

Our goal is to offer compassionate listening ear and presence in the knowledge that this too is a spiritual practice.  Currently we visit people via phone, other virtual means or with appropriate physical/social distancing.

How to Access Support

If you would like a Pastoral Visitor, contact Rev. Karen Hutt at revkarenhutt@gmail.com.

Submitted by Shelley des Islets (she/her)

Singing in a choir is one of the most heartening, soothing, loving things I do. It also has been described as a fantastic vector for an airborne virus (droplets or vapor) - imagine taking great, deep breaths and then sending it forth for several notes, sharing everything you've got - literally, in this case - with all those standing shoulder to shoulder with, in front of, and behind you. However much I miss it, there is no way I'm going to risk that many of my beloved choirmates (and myself) by returning to rehearsal or performance before it's safe to do so.

However, that doesn't mean we have to stop singing!!! Moreover, it is a FANTASTIC time for you to join us! It fits within your schedule: rehearse with Randy and others in your voice section once a week for 20-25 minutes, and then every 3 weeks or so record yourself on a phone or computer while hearing your voice part in your earbuds or headphones. Boom!  Just like that, your voice becomes part of our collective voices, sharing messages of faith, unity, hope, and love with the rest of the congregation.

For me, being able to send in my contribution keeps the connection alive and allows me to continue doing something I enjoy that is also a spiritual practice. It's true that we can't sing together - we will again, to be sure. But until then, there's something magical about sending in one, lone, rather quiet recording and seeing it become a great collective voice in the final assemblage. It is a manifestation of our connection, and a reassurance that the thread that connects us is strong even when separated physically.

Join us! Start with sitting in and submitting a recording for just one song. See how you like it. You don't have to rearrange much of your schedule, and you don't even need to be in town. In fact, we have folks from all over the country participating in choir. To get a list of upcoming songs and to receive rehearsal and music emails, just send a request to our choir director, Randy Buikema, at  randy@firstuniv.org. *See* you soon!