Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Enjoy!
-Blessings
|
|
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
.
|
|
|
|
June 30 “Life is a Labyrinth,” Rev. Amanda Poppei
So often we imagine that life is like a straight line--but in reality our lives are much more like a spiral, including those lessons that repeat over and over again when we think we should get a break from them already! Using the image of a labyrinth as a starting place, Rev. Amanda will explore the constancy of change, and how we can find ourselves transformed...even when we feel like we are facing the same darn thing.
Rev. Poppei is a Unitarian Universalist minister as well as a certified Ethical Culture Leader, and has a strong background in interfaith work. Serving as President of the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association, Amanda is also a co-founder of the Humanist Clergy Collaboratory.
Music:
Alyssa Yeager
|
|
Sunday Services
10:00 am
Welcome to summer at Albany UU!
Summer at Albany UU
Our summer services begin on Sunday, June 16 and continue through Sunday, September 1.
How is a summer Sunday at Albany UU different from other Sundays?
--The 9:00 a.m.
Meditation
continues.
--We have
Service
at 10:00 AM. Summer services are coordinated by Randy Rosette, with a delightful list of guests in the pulpit.
--
Children are invited
to meet for activities in Room 24/25, youth are invited to help or attend service. The nursery/toddler room will still be open at 9:45 with paid childcare staff.
--
Coffee Hour
becomes Iced Tea and Lemonade (in Community Hall Alcove.)
--The
people
you’ve enjoyed all year are still here, plus it’s a time we often have visitors who are on their summer voyages from elsewhere.
--Contributions of
flowers from your garden
for the service are welcome!
--
If you can volunteer to help
on a Sunday, we have openings for Greeters and Ushers. Call the office, 518-463-7135, or sign up
here
!
July 7 “Soft and Strong,” Viola Abbitt
Our day to day existence is faced with many challenges. To deal with them, we need to exhibit a certain amount of internal strength. But, we also need to be able to find that softness within ourselves which will allow us to love and find human connection, because, ultimately, what would the world be without it? Come, and explore what it means to be both soft and strong.
Viola (Vee) Abbitt is a candidate for the Unitarian Universalist ministry and just finished a two-year internship at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield in Massachusetts, Vee has previously worked at Albany UU as a Summer Services Coordinator.
Music:
Al DeSalvo
July 14 “Ten Lessons I Learned from Pete
Seeger,” Pat Lamanna
Pat Lamanna had the privilege of getting to know Pete Seeger at a weekly peace vigil they both attended. She
paints a picture of this remarkable man (who was a UU) through his songs, his words and stories about his life. 2019 is Pete’s centennial year, born May 3, 1919, so a good time to celebrate the life of this American icon.
Pat Lamanna is co-chair of the Social Justice Committee at the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie, and an award-winning singer-songwriter.
July 21 “To Heal or To Heel – THAT is the
Question! Where Do We Find Our Truth?”
Rabbi Norman Mendel
Standing at a conveyor belt of fact and fiction. Our task is to sort out one from the other- HOW?
Rabbi Mendel is presently serving as part-time Rabbi at Temple Beth El in Glens Falls after fifty years of rabbinic service in the United States and abroad. He has focused on the importance of interfaith dialog and has taught collegiate –level Judaism, World Religions, Biomedical Ethics and Social/Political Philosophy.
Music:
Alyssa Yeager
July 28 “Transforming Play,”
Eileen Casey-Campbell
Let's explore how play can be a spiritual discipline for us, and the playful perspective of a child might help us envision a new path into our own whole and creative selves. Perhaps play can even transform a hurting world.
Eileen Casey-Campbell is a candidate for UU ministry and the contract minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua. Her heart is pulled by the ways we are called to work, play and love together to build up a world that is healed and whole. After an internship at Albany UU in 2017-18, she is filled with joy to return for this Sunday.
Music:
Elena Karpoff
Announcements
Memorial Service for Margrit Pfluger
Please join us this
Sunday, June 30 at 2:00pm
in the Sanctuary for a memorial service to celebrate the life of
member Annika
and Danny Pfluger's beloved mother and grandmother, Margrit Pfluger. Afterwards, we will continue our celebration and conversations with "Coffee and Kuchen" in Channing Hall.
Holiday Office Hours
Please note that the Albany UU office will be closed on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. Have a safe and wonderful holiday!
|
|
Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Summer Service, Community Hall
11:00 AM
- Fellowship, Community Hall Alcove
Quick Links
Denominational Affairs 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.
|
|
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.
We light a candle of concern for member,
Laura Cayford
, who fell, broke a bone, and is currently in rehab. Her address for cards of encouragement is: Our Lady of Mercy Life Center, 2 Mercycare Lane, Room 230; Guilderland NY 12084
We are sad to announce that former member,
Rosemary Cooke
has died. Rosemary and her husband George were members of Albany UU until 2002 when they moved to CO. Cards may be sent to their daughter, Connie Parker at: 1043 Erin Dr., Kent, OH 44240.
We light a candle of joy for members, Jerry and Mary Ellen Deighan as they celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
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: Chuck Manning, Phil Rich, Randy Rosette, Sandy Stone, Lisa Barron, Donna Meixner, Dee VanRiper and Sharon Babala.
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.
|
|
East of Hudson Potluck!
The next East of Hudson Potluck will be
at the home of Karen and Peggy Kaufmann in Schodack on Friday July 26 at 6 PM. Please RSVP to Karen at (518) 477-9034.
Homecoming Sunday - September 8
It's never too early to plan!
Bring water
(real or virtual) gathered during your summer (at home or away) to symbolize the regathering of our community.
Send a couple photos
of your summer for inclusion in the slideshow to office@albanyuu.org by Sunday, Sept. 1.
Plan on lunch after the service!
Everyone is invited to a light lunch in Channing hall right after the service and bring a “finger food” if you're willing and able.
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 5:30 pm in Channing Hall. We will discuss
The Great Believers
by Rebecca Makkai
. Learn more
here
.
UU Weekend: Don't miss out!
Have you registered for UU Weekend at Silver Bay from October 18-20, 2019? First-timers will receive an additional 10% discount! Children under 6 are free and there are substantial discounts for older children and youth. Sign up today!
Learn more
here
.
|
|
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!
Gardening Volunteers
Do you have two hours to contribute to maintaining the gardens surrounding Albany UU? The Gardening Committee welcomes you to
sign up here
, where you can select which week(s) you'd like to help. Volunteers often work in pairs. No experience necessary. For more information or to receive e-mail updates, please contact
Donna Meixne
r or 518/439-5947.
|
|
|
|
General Assembly 2019 - Important information!
|
General Assembly was inspirational, informative and exhausting--in a good way! So many UUs all in one place! In the coming weeks, your 2019 delegates will be communicating information, perspectives, and results of the events at GA.
SRC would like to bring to the congregation’s attention the three
Actions of Immediate Witness that were acted on at the Spokane General Assembly.
|
|
 |
RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
Summer Session of RE!
Childcare for children
starts
at 9:45 AM.
Please pick up your children immediately following the service.
Children and youth
are welcome to stay with their families for the service. Or they can come upstairs for childcare. Volunteers and our childcare workers staff the nursery/toddler room for our youngest ones; and room 24/25 with activities for those in preschool and older. Middle school and high schoolers are welcome to help out. We start shortly before 10:00; pick up directly after the service. Please be sure to sign your child in and out with one of the staff. Everyone is invited for cookies and lemonade in the back of Community Hall after the service.
It’s all for fun! Come Volunteer!
Summer session of RE is a great time for me to get out some art projects. And the children of all ages also enjoy free play with our unit blocks and other materials. We staff summer session with three volunteers or staff: one person (youth or adult) in the nursery/toddler room; one person (youth or adult) in room 24/25 with the multi-age-children’s activities; and one adult "floater" to check on both rooms and fill in as needed. Are you ready for some summer fun with our children? You can volunteer just one Sunday or as many as you like June 16 – Sept 1. Contact Leah Purcell at
dre@albanyuu.org
.
Religious Education Open House
Saturday, Aug. 24,t 10 AM – 12 PM
Open House for participating families to register for 2019-2020 RE, find out what's being planned in their child(ren)'s groups this year, and reconnect with Albany UU friends. Also open to the public for prospective families to check us out. Bring a friend!
|
|
|
|
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC recommends the following:
Capital Region Rally for Sudan, Friday, June 28, 2019, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
at
Townsend Park
, 201 Washington Ave, Albany - join us in a peaceful rally to call for the end of the extreme violence committed in Sudan and to support justice for the peaceful protests and the people of Sudan. Learn more
here
.
On Friday, July 12, Lights for Liberty
: A Vigil to End Human Detention Camps, will bring thousands of people to locations worldwide as well as to detention camps across country, into the streets and into their own front yards, to protest the inhumane conditions faced by refugees. Find much more information about local, national and international events here:
|
|
|
|
Peace Fund purchases books for Joy Library
|
The Nigel Wright Peace Fund has purchased fourteen books for the Joy Library. These books are available for borrowing on the New Books rack in the library, where they will remain for a couple of months, after which they will be found at the call numbers indicated in the list:
Living Nonviolent Communication: Practical Tools to Connect and Communicate Skillfully in Every Situation, by Marshall B. Rosenberg (2012) call number 153.6 ROS L
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, 3rd Edition: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships, by Marshall B. Rosenberg. (2015) call number 153.6 ROS 3
Nonviolent Communication NVC Toolkit for Facilitators:
Interactive Activities and Awareness Exercises Based on 18 Key Concepts for the Development of NVC Skills and Consciousness, by Raj Gill, Lucy Leu, & Judi Morin (2009) call number 158 GIL
Reweaving Our Human Fabric: Working Together to Create a Nonviolent Future, by Miki Kashtan (with preface by Michael Nagler) (2015) call number 158.2 KAS
Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace, by Sara Ruddick (1995) call number 172.42 RUD
Making Peace with Faith: The Challenges of Religion and Peacebuilding, edited by Michelle Garred & Mohammed Abu-Nimer (2018) call number 201.7 GAR
Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, by Oren Jay Sofer & Joseph Goldstein (2018) call number 302.2 SOF
Negotiating the Nonnegotiable: How to Resolve Your Most Emotionally Charged Conflicts, by Daniel Shapiro (2017) call number 302.3 SHA
How to Resolve Conflict: A Practical Mediation Manual, by James E. Gilman (2017) call number 303.6 GIL
The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action, by Michael N. Nagler (2014)
call number 303.6 NAG
Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories, by Anna Baltzer (2007) call number 327 BAL
Waging Peace in Our Schools, by Linda Lantieri & Janet Patti (1998) call number 371.5 LAN
Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical Biography for Children, by Stephanie Van Hook. (2016)
call number 920 GAN VAN
The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine, by Miko Peled (2016) call number 956.94 PEL
|
|
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 (1st)
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)
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)
7:00 PM Program Coordinating Council (2nd)
6:15 PM Board of Trustees (4th)
|
|
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.
|
|
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
|
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
|
|
|
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135| 518.463.1429 | Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
