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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March 31, “Encountering the Unexpected,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
Leah Purcell, our Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry begins her two month sabbatical. She will be having experiences of rest and renewal as well as engaging in a process of discovery visiting other congregations hoping to learn new thing to bring home. On any journey we encounter the unexpected. The challenge is to expect the unexpected and learn and grow through what is discovered.
Watch our music director Richard Porterfield create new sounds with our Steinway grand piano and Latin percussion instruments for his newest composition
Rattler
, which
we will hear on Sunday. Suitable for sharing!
HYMN 1053 “How Could Anyone”
HYMN 1018 “Come and Go
with Me”
HYMN 1012 “When I am Frightened”
HYMN 1024 “When the Spirit Says Do”
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Sunday Services
10:00 am (Except on April 7!)
April's theme: Wholeness
April 7, 11th Annual Hudson-Mohawk Unitarian Universalist Cluster Sunday Worship Service –
11:00 AM
at Doane Stuart: “Is It Too Late? Healing the Earth and Our Spirits”
What does it mean to engage climate justice as individuals, families, congregations, and a region? Through story, music, poetry, reflections and visual arts, we will explore what it means when resources are depleted, and how to reclaim hope in ourselves, our communities, and the planet.
Join for us for lunch after the service
—bring a dish to share (finger foods preferred), plus place settings for you and a friend. We’ll enjoy a time of kinship and have opportunities for deeper conversations about various aspects of climate justice.
This service will begin at
11:00 AM
at Doane Stuart School
, 199 Washington Ave., Rensselaer
There will be NO service or meetings at Albany UU on April 7.
April 14, “Stuck in Brokenness,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
When Jesus first looks out over the city of Jerusalem, he weeps. This is the opposite experience most would have. They would be awed by the magnificent Temple and the grandeur of the city, the center of the Jewish universe. Why did Jesus weep? What was likely going on that would have stimulated such a reaction?
Music:
Richard Porterfield
April 21, “Finding Wholeness,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
We will celebrate Easter by celebrating the sense of wholeness that it represents. The attempt to eliminate Jesus by killing him failed. His vision of wholeness, of Beloved Community could not be killed. That vision lives on in us, and many other faith traditions. It hasn’t been fully realized, but neither has it died. It continues to call us on.
Music:
Albany UU Choir with music of Mozart
April 28, “The Spiritual Significance of Flowers,” Sigrin Newell
Archeologists have found flowers and seeds in graves as far back as the earliest traces of humanity. From the beginning, people have attributed spiritual significance to flowers. The Iris, the Lily and the Rose in particular have carried great meaning. Exploring this symbolism puts us in touch with the ways in which flowers bring spirit into our lives.
Dr. Sigrin Newell has been active with the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany NY for nearly 30 years. During this time she has given many sermons, most recently on the intelligence of plants. She sings in the choir and is the music librarian.
Music:
Helderberg Madrigal Singers with Randy Rosette,
piano
Announcements
Last Chance!
This is the last week to buy wonderful items that are still available from the "Cure Cabin Fever" Albany UU Auction. Click on
the link
to see the details. Then stop by Channing Hall this Sunday, March 31st, after the Service to purchase. Also, we will be collecting payments at this time too. Thanks for your support!
Artist Reception in Channing Hall following service on Sunday!
Art for Women's History Month - Check out the natural scenes and themes in watercolors and oils and digital art depicting contemporary issues with a touch of whimsy. Women's artwork sure to bring you peace and tickle your funny bone.
Annual reports due Apr. 22
Here’s your chance to document what your Albany UU group is doing this year!
The deadline for reports is Monday, April 22
. if you have any questions about the annual report process, contact Church Administrator Tammy Hathaway at the office (518-463-7135) or by email at
admin@albanyuu.org
.
Mary Reich Memorial Service
A Celebration of Mary's Life will be held at Albany UU on
Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 pm
in the Sanctuary followed by a reception in Channing Hall. Contributions of finger foods for the reception are welcomed and encouraged. Parking is allowed in the UAlbany Hawley Lot for this event.
Registration for Young Peacemakers Week is Open! And there are jobs to fill, too!
Needed: Teacher Assistants, Teen Interns, and part-time Child Care Providers. This August 19-23 urban day camp at the Albany Friends Meeting House is for up to 35 children, entering grades 2-8. For job applications or to register for camp, visit
youngpeacemakersweek.weebly.com
or contact Jan at 518-275-8709 or
janmccracken56@gma
il.com.
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Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Sunday Service, Community Hall
- Programs for Children and Youth
11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour and Artist Reception, Channing Hall
11:30 AM
- Annual Dinner Skit Rehearsal, Community Hall
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 acknowledged and recorded, please use 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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Growing Our CENT$ of Community
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Let's wrap this up!
We are now at 64% of our goal.
We are just days away from our Stewardship Campaign deadline of April 1st
. We can still make it if you act NOW! We need to be able to finalize a budget and we want to be respectful of the time and good will of our stewardship volunteers. We've got a great group of people ready to make follow-up calls to members and friends who haven't yet returned their pledge. Wouldn't it be great if we could say,
"Thanks for your offer to help, but we're all set?"
Please don't make our work harder than it needs to be
. Please return your pledge by April 1st.
If you've already turned in your pledge, we thank you!
If you haven't already done so, please:
- Return your pledge by April 1st! Pledges can be returned to the office or collected during the Sunday service offertory. You can also pledge online using this link.
- Remember to include your UU Bucks raffle ticket when you pledge by April 1st.
Help us in Growing Our CENT$ of Community!
Thank you for your support and generosity!
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Learning opportunities with our Minister
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Letting Go
Sessions on April 2 and 9; 7:00 pm in Room B-8
Instead of just giving something up for Lent, this class will provide an alternative by diving into the process of letting go itself. A companion book for this class will be Dr. David R. Hawkins,
Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender
. Learn more
here
.
Mindfulness Meditation Workshop
April 12-13, 2019
This meditation training and practice workshop, led by Rev. Sam on Friday 6:00 to 9:00pm, and Saturday 8:00 to 3:00pm, gives the participants an opportunity to learn Buddhist mindfulness meditation techniques and/or refresh and deepen their meditation practice. Learn more
here
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Wholeness, Partness and Evolution
A leap in the evolution of culture and consciousness is happening right now, all over the world. Every day, hundreds if not thousands of people confront big questions, contradictions and paradoxes, and discover their awareness growing to transcend the limitations of yesterday. Some discover the social cohesion that happens when they sublimate their urges to following the rules. Some discover the freedom of knowing internally what is right and wrong that transcends following rules. Some discover a new freedom by learning to be an objective observer and verify and extend their understanding of natural rules. Some discover a deeper appreciation of another’s worldview by virtually putting themselves in another’s shoes. A few discover a spiraling pattern of ever widening circles of culture and consciousness; larger circles that include the wisdom of the inner circles and exhibit a higher, emergent wisdom and insight beyond those inner circles.
The principles of evolution appear in the growth of human culture and consciousness. In the last twenty-five years, integral philosophy has emerged to describe how evolution drives culture and consciousness in the direction of greater complexity, diversity, span, depth and greater truth, beauty and goodness.
I first came across integral philosophy by encountering the writings of a fellow named Ken Wilber. An independent scholar with an amazing mental capacity, he struggled to try to find a way to bring together the discoveries and insights of philosophy, religion and science. He discovered an evolutionary paradigm that allowed him to powerfully interrelate them. Breakthroughs in developmental psychology, systems theory, chaos theory, process philosophy, and cultural anthropology, to name a few disciplines, when interrelated with the great thinkers throughout history, helped build a base of understanding on which Wilber and others have constructed the integral approach.
Wilber’s key breakthrough, in his book
Sex, Ecology, Spirituality published in 1995, was noticing everything that exists has two qualities, it exhibits “partness” and it also exhibits wholeness, that includes the parts and also transcends the parts. Think of your chair. It is constructed of parts, fibers of wood, cloth and steel, that when brought together create a whole that has properties none of the parts have. If the chair were shredded into sawdust and fuzz we couldn’t sit on it. But when those parts come together in an ordered way, they develop a wholeness that has the emergent properties of “chairness.”
Think of our congregation. Individuals develop their own sense of truth and meaning here. We have no creeds or dogma that define our beliefs. Yet each Unitarian Universalist congregation develops an identity that has much in common with all the other Unitarian Universalist congregations. This identity transcends any individual’s beliefs but also manages to include them. First time attendees at our yearly annual meeting called General Assembly are often impressed by how affirmed they feel by being with Unitarian Universalists from all over the world. There is plenty of diversity, as attending a selection of the GA workshops will attest, but the message of the General Assembly is powerfully unifying and transcends any individual point of view.
This aggregation of parts into wholes, and wholes that become parts of greater wholes, exhibits emergent properties when the right amount of energy is added to the system. Too little energy, nothing happens. Too much energy, it flies apart. With just the right amount, atoms organize into molecules, molecules into membranes, membranes into cells, cells into organisms. As larger groups of people congregate together, they develop from families to tribes, from tribes to settled villages, from villages to empires, from empires to nation states.
Looking at the history of civilization, seeing the increase in human population matches the resulting increases in social organization and complexity, illustrates how individuals come together to create a culture that is greater than any individual. Cultural anthropologists have noticed the size of a self-identified group of people control the values of a particular culture. These patterns of size and value are similar all around the world.
The integral, evolutionary approach really starts with the big bang and continues today without an endpoint in site. Integral philosophy deals with how to become awake to evolutionary processes happening in our minds and society right now and how to work with them rather than against them. It understands history as the steps and mis-steps as evolution zigzags toward higher and higher order and greater and greater diversity.
These evolutionary forces are at work right now in our minds. The good news is we can be in relationship with them and allow them to shape us and move us in our daily encounters with the world. People who do creative work know this process of evolutionary emergence as they hold all the parts of a problem or puzzle together until, in a flash, they see how they integrate together. We can train our minds to increase our capacity to allow this creative energy to move through us. Living a moral life helps. Developing our ability to concentrate helps. Sharpening our ability to witness the present moment helps. Learning when and when not to lower your defenses helps. Increasing our emotional and aesthetic sensitivity helps. Study and scholarship help.
All contribute to an ever widening, deepening and expanding inclusion that encourage the emergence of novelty, the ongoing process of creation … through us. As sentient beings, we have the privilege of being a conscious participant in this process. And being a conscious integrating agent of evolution is one of the most valuable and fulfilling meanings of life.
Rev. Sam
More from our blogs:
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Help Evaluate our Professional Ministry
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The Board of Trustees and Rev. Sam Trumbore would like to hear from the congregation in order to plan for the future of our shared professional and lay ministry. Here are their key questions:
- What are the most important things the congregation wants our professional minister to do?
- How well is Rev. Sam doing at what he does? Where does he excel? Where might improvement be made? Are there other things you would like to see him do?
- What are the needs, if any, that our shared professional and lay ministry is not meeting?
To answer these questions, we invite everyone at Albany UU to complete a questionnaire, and we are also planning to conduct about 40 interviews. You can get the questionnaire:
- In print in the church office;
- As an online form, here, which you can submit online;
- As a PDF document that you can download, print and complete by hand; and
- As a Word document that you can download and fill out on your computer.
We will need your completed questionnaire by April 28 in order to include it in our analysis for a report to the Board. If you use a printed questionnaire, you can return it by:
- Handing it to one of us;
- Scanning and emailing it to EVALUATION@albanyUU.org;
- Mailing it to EVALUATION, First UU of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12206; or
- Placing it in a sealed envelope addressed to EVALUATION in the box labeled “Treasurer” in the Copy Room.
If you prefer to respond orally to the questionnaire, please call the office at 518-263-7135 or email us at
evaluation@albanyuu.org
.
We hope you will join us in this important effort and look forward to hearing from you!
Meredith Andrews, Bruce Rodgers, Reese Satin, Nancy Willie-Schiff
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Annual Fellowship Dinner - Sign up now, the deadline is only a few days away!
The Annual Fellowship Dinner will be held on
Friday, April 5, 6:00 pm
at the Franklin Terrace in Troy. Come join us for an evening of fun, food, fellowship, and frivolity. Find more
here.
Getting to Know UU
We invite you to join us
Saturday, April 6
for “Getting to Know UU”. This orientation for newcomers is from 8:45 a.m. to noon. Find more
here
.
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion on
Sunday, April 14 at 5:30 pm
in Channing Hall. We will discuss
The Fish That Ate the Whale
:
Life and Times of America's Banana King
by Rich Cohen. Learn more
here
.
Spokane in 2019, Providence in 2020
Consider attending General Assembly, the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
In 2019, GA will be held in Spokane, Washington from June 19-23. Closer to home, in 2020, GA will take place in Providence, Rhode Island from June 24-28. Learn more
here
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John Cross Legacy Society
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Have you considered putting Albany UU into your will or estate planning process?
The John Cross Legacy Society was established by the Endowment Trust in 2016 as a way to give members and friends a way to contribute to our future sustainability. A legacy gift to is a planned future donation given through a will or other form of designation. It is a decision that each person makes in their own financial planning process, taking into account various wishes and values about charitable giving.
Every legacy gift, regardless of the amount, is important and cherished. What better way to appreciate the impact of Albany UU on your life, or the life of someone you love, than by making a bequest from your estate? Please take some time to consider your options in consultation with your family, lawyer or financial and/or tax adviser.
To become a member of the John Cross Legacy Society, there is a simple
application
to fill out and return to the church office, or feel free to contact any member of the Endowment Trust (Tom Mercer, John Cooley, Jeff English, Jan McCracken, Jon Newell, Reese Satin).
Invitations to a wine & cheese appreciation reception on June 14 will soon be sent to all members of the Legacy Society. We hope to increase the membership with your name added to it. Imagine the impact of our gits 50, 100, 150 years form now!
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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!
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
-Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education (RE) and Family Ministry,
dre@albanyuu.org
Keep up with what's happening for children and youth
, including resources to support parents and caretakers at home by checking out
Leah's RE Newsletter!
Find information on Leah's Sabbatical
here
.
Nursery/Toddler Room
opens at 9:45 for children and infants under 2 years old.
Faith formation of children and youth this Sunday, March 31:
Pre-k through 7th grade
start the morning in the service in Community Hall with their families and then go to their Sunday school groups.
8th/9th grades
does not meet this Sunday.
Youth Group
meet in their rooms at 10:00.
Rescheduling the UU Family/Household Circle Training
presented by Leah Purcell
Leah heard from folks that they would like to attend this training. She's working to find a time in June that's more convenient. Here's a
doodle poll
to pick a time and day.
In this training, Leah will share a tool to use as a family, couple or household to strengthen your connections and communication at home. It is for everyone in the family or household, including children and youth! But not everyone in the whole family or household does not need to come to learn – just two members is enough for you to learn and bring the practice home.
Rite of Passage "Make Up" Orientation
Next church year we'll offer the Rite of Passage program. (
Click here
for more information about the program.)
Not every 8th/9th grade youth or potential mentor could come to the orientation Rev. Sam and Leah held last week. If that was you, please go to this doodle poll to select a time for a “make up” orientation June!
Here's a doodle poll to select the date
.
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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC recommends the following:
Rally Buttons now available!
Our UU office staff have made some metal buttons that will identify the wearer as an Albany Unitarian Universalist. They come in a variety of colors, show the chalice, cost $1.00, and are available for purchase at the SRC Fair Trade Table on Sundays. Get yours before they are gone!
Women Against War’s Annual Gathering - Thursday, April 4, 5:30 pm
, First Lutheran Church, 181 Western Ave. Bring savory or sweet finger food to share, and honor our 2019 Woman of Peace awardee, Marcia Hopple. Donation suggested.
Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
Save these Tuesday dates for visiting lawmakers at the Capitol this session to
advocate for legalizing medical aid in dying
. Death with Dignity Albany will be there on
April 9
. Albany UU has volunteered for
April 30
. Lobby Day for Compassion and Choices is
May 14.
Contact: Nancy Willie-Schiff at
n.willie.schiff@gmail.com
.
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Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week
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Living our 7th principle
This deserves a 2nd week!
Re-use instead of Re-Cycle: Many of us order stuff that comes delivered to our houses. It comes carefully packed with different materials including Styrofoam Peanuts, Card Board, Bubble Wrap, etc. Rather than recycle this packing, it can be dropped off at shipping centers such as the Gateways - Shipping and Copying Store at 159 Delaware Ave. in Delmar. They are happy to take it and re-use it. They also take cardboard boxes in good condition.
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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.
We are sad to report that member Ed Ryman died early this morning. Details about Ed's memorial service will be announced shortly.
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.
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Regular events and meetings
Check Windows Weekly for changes to date, time and location.
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)
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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
).
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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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