Upcoming Events
Please note that all meetings, worship services, and gatherings will be held online until further notice. Please check our Facebook page and website for updated information.
Sunday 3/22
Sunday Service
Rev. Ed Brock
10:45 a.m.
Tues. 3/24
Coffee Chat with Amanda
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Board Meeting
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Thurs. 3/26
Coffee Chat with LaDawn
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Sun. 3/29
Sunday Service
Rev. Ed Brock
10:45 a.m.
Tues. 3/30
Coffee Chat with Amanda
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
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UUCH's Free Food Pantry is installed in the parking lot and is now stocked. The Social Justice Committee will restock the pantry with non-perishables, as needed, and you can, too.
See the Social Justice Committee for more information on what items are in need.
Sponsored by the Social Justice Committee
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UUCH 2019-20
Board Members
President:
John Schulz
Vice President:
Denise Runnels
Secretary:
Nick Wilbourn
Treasurer:
David Bollinger
Trustees:
Ed Bernstein
Jack Long
Bryan Walls
Interim Minister:
The Rev. Edward L. Brock
Do you have an agenda item for the Board?
The Board respectfully requests that all agenda items for the meeting be submitted to
Board President John Schulz
via email no later than one week prior to the meeting (i.e. the Tuesday before). The next board meeting is scheduled
for
Tuesday, March 24.
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The Overlook is a publication of The Unitarian Universalist Church, 3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville, AL 35810
Interim Minister:
The Rev. Edward L. Brock
Board President:
John Schulz
Editor:
Nick Wilbourn
Office Hours:
Monday:
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday:
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday:
1:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Minister's Office Hours:
Wednesday:
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday:
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Other times by appointment.
Office Phone:
Sunday Services are held 10:45 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. Children's Religious Education held concurrently.
Nursery available for ages 3 years and under.
For more info on any event, contact the church office.
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Upcoming Service
"Reflections on Wisdom, Part 3 "
Rev. Ed Brock
March 22, 2020
I will continue to speak this Sunday about this month's Soul Matters theme, Wisdom.
I have used the first two sermons in this series to talk about wisdom traditions that originated centuries ago that still influence people today. This Sunday I will explore wisdom traditions developed in our own times, which resonant with many people.
I look forward to "seeing" you online this Sunday.
Click Here to join our online service at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 22.
Future Services
March 29 - Rev. Ed Brock
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This Sunday in Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE)
While we are not having our regular CYRE groups, there are still a lot of ways we can be together. I really enjoyed seeing church members and families on our multi-generational, Zoom worship service, especially when folks turned their screens on at the end! I encourage families and people of all ages to sign in and attend the weekly service. We will always have something inclusive of children and youth. And we would love to include children and youth actively in the service, offering music, readings, and other creative ways of participating. If you are interested in that, be sure to let me know.
The CYRE team is also working on a digital platform where we can stay connected throughout the week. We will be sending an invitation to all registered families, and you may opt to join if you wish. The purpose will be for CYRE to share resources and experiences for faith development and for families to share spiritual enrichment with each other in church community. There will be community activities we can do and share right from where we are, action projects to offer help in the congregation and wider community, and also fun activities for kids to do during the worship service that relate to the theme of the Sunday.
I will start you out with an activity for this week's Zoom worship service:
Can you count how many times Rev. Ed says the word "wisdom"?
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions. We are all here for each other and for the world, with love and ever greater appreciation of our deep interconnections.
Erin Reid
Director of Religious Education
CYRE registration is open!
All families, new and returning, should register each year.
Click
here
to register!
Submitted by the Children and Youth Religious Education Committee |
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A Message from the Minister
Dear Members and Friends of UUCH:
I am in the process of calling every member and friend of the congregation to assess their ability to ride through the storm we have entered. Expect a call from me unless you have explicitly communicated with me not to. Also, I wish to express some important points during this time of change and uncertainty.
First, I wish to stress the seriousness of our situation. The COVID-19 virus must be taken seriously due to several factors: its rapid speed of transmission; the fact that carriers of the virus can be without symptoms for days (and, thus, unknowingly infect others); its mortality rate ten times that of seasonal flu; the scarcity of tests to evaluate for it; the likelihood of societal medical needs far exceeding hospital/health care worker capacity; and the federal government's tragically inept response to the pandemic.
Everyone needs to seek information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website and act accordingly.
Alabama generally, and Huntsville specifically, are lagging current hot zones of COVID-19 (Washington state, California, etc.) But what we see happening now in the Seattle area and California will soon affect Huntsville in similar ways. The greatest tool we have in decreasing the force of COVID-19 is physical distancing and strict adherence to the guidelines and advice of the CDC. We have a chance to mitigate the harm caused by this virus by strict adherence to physical distancing practices.
Second, the basic functions of the church will carry on, no matter what happens. The Ministerial Search Committee's work will continue unabated, our committees and Board will continue to meet (via the internet or phone). Our weekly worship services will continue just as they did Sunday. The process of Candidating Week in which a new Settled Minister is called will continue without schedule delay or disruption. We will adapt, as needed, to allow the work of the church to move forward.
Third, we have a great, vast resource in one another, and in this church community. Let us make full use of that resource. Let us reach out to one another in this time of turmoil. We may not be attending church, but now is the time to be the church. This week I will be sending out information regarding a set of online classes I will lead around a variety of subjects. Please look for that information. I will list a set of classes I will be leading on-line, along with dates and times they can be offered. I will also ask that people make suggestions about classes or groups they would want to have.
Fourth, may we be fully and appropriately aware and alert to the challenges we face, but not fearful. Runaway or rampant fear is not helpful to ourselves or one another. Now is the time to be as calm, clear-eyed, and centered as we possibly can be. Events during the next three weeks may bring the anxiety level in our society to heights unseen in decades. Be prepared in mind and spirit. Let us find ways to keep ourselves at peace amid the tumult, using any resource available to us.
I am available 24/7 for counsel or support or just to listen. Don't hesitate to reach out to me for any reason. Please let me know if there is someone who you believe I need to contact. I may be reached here.
Warmly,
Rev. Ed Brock
Submitted by the Minister
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The Finance Team is working to set up
online giving.
We expect to have this up and running in the next few days. Please watch for an email with instructions on how you can use either our website, a mobile app, or text message to give to the plate or to make your pledge. You will be able to use a bank account or credit/debit card for web site or mobile app giving, and either a credit or debit card for text giving.
We are setting this up through our trusted partner, Vanco, who we already use for secure automatic pledge payments. The app we will be using is
GivePlus Mobile, which is available for iPhone and Android phones.
The app is up and working now if you want to download and set it up. Create a login, search for UUCH, and you can make a gift.
We'll send out more detailed instructions soon!
Submitted by the Finance Committee
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We are suspending the Share-the-Plate program until in-person services resume. In the interim, we suggest that those who are able make private donations to causes that support those in our community who are simultaneously most vulnerable and most affected by this crisis. This includes dropping food at our outdoor pantry.
Submitted by the Finance Committee
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Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an online Coffee Chat on Zoom. Hosted by members of the congregation, this is a time to grab you favorite beverage and chat with friends.
These one-hour informal gatherings are designed to be a casual space for conversation and fellowship. We are looking for more Coffee Hosts for other days of the week, so if you are interested in being a host, please email Amanda.
Click on the links below to join our upcoming Coffee
Chats:
Submitted by the Care Committee
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Update from Your Ministerial Search Comm
ittee
"The Discern
ment Stage"
Update:
Your Ministerial Search Committee continues to be on track with the search during this time of physical distancing. We are meeting regularly via Zoom online, and are in communication with the UUA Transition Office. Right now, things are proceeding as planned, but we are prepared to make adjustments to the search process if needed. We will follow the UUA's guidance if there needs to be any changes in dates or format of Candidating Week.
Our Candidating week is currently scheduled for April 25th through May 3rd with a congregational vote planned for May 3rd. However, current events could cause changes to or a delay in the Candidating Week. The congregation will be kept informed if things change.UUs are creative and flexible, and we will find ways to make sure that a solid process occurs to find our church the settled minister that will lead us into the future.
The Pre-Candidating Stage
Over the past few weeks the Ministerial Search Committee (MSC) has been deeply engaged in Pre-candidating Weekends. Following the well-established process developed by the UUA Ministerial Transitions Office, we previously conducted video interviews with all qualified candidates that applied to our church. From that pool we selected the three candidates that we believed most closely matched the mission and goals of our church, and we invited each of them for separate weekends of in-depth interviews. We spent an entire weekend in face-to-face interviews with each of the three candidates, including watching them preach in a neutral pulpit. These interviews were deep and insightful, covering areas of UU theology, administrative skills, pastoral care abilities, social justice activities, preaching styles, conflict management, internal community building, interfaith engagement, and many more of the important facets of ministry.
The Discernment Stage
We now enter the "Discernment Stage" of the search, when the MSC spends time reviewing all information, re-reading materials, comparing notes, and engaging in the sacred and powerful work of consensus-building to prepare a ranked list of ministerial candidates to send to the UUA Ministerial Transitions Office. During the last week in March, the UUA will match the rankings of our church with candidates' choices of placement, and we will invite a single candidate to our church for "Candidating Week."
Candidating Week
Candidating Week
is on the calendar for April 25 to May 3
and will be the opportunity for the congregation to meet the ministerial candidate. It will run 9 days, from Saturday through Sunday, and the candidate will lead worship services on both Sundays. The schedule will also include opportunities for the congregation to interact with and get to know the candidate. At the end of the week, we will hold a congregational members' meeting after the worship service on
May 3
to determine if the candidate will be our next settled minister. The members of our congregation will make the final decision on calling a minister.
We want you to know that during this process the MSC is constantly aware that we are representing you, the community of this church. During the discernment process, we will be again referring back to the survey of your interests, notes from cottage meetings with you, and the video statements made by the congregation to remind ourselves of your priorities. The Mission, Vision, and Covenant of this church are the foundation on which we do our search, and the future of this beloved community is in our hearts and minds. As always, please contact us via email if you have questions, or feel free to talk to any of the MSC members in person. The members of the MSC are Betsy Applegate, Laurel Bollinger, Suzey DeLacey, Nancy Finley, Vickie Goodman, Barbara Hitt, Brad Korb (Chair), and Tim Miller.
Submitted by the Ministerial Search Committee
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During this time of physical distancing, when our world starts to shift from an outer focus to the inner world of our homes and families, now is a wonderful time to think of ways that you can connect and support your community.
Below are a list of simple ideas that can make a huge impact.
- If you are cooking and baking at home and have some extra freezer space, please consider doubling your recipe or making ½ in a disposable pan to share with families dealing with illness or death, or welcoming a new baby.
- Sign up here to bring items to restock our Little Food Pantry at the church. The need to help is even greater than usual.
- Join on of our Coffee Chats on Zoom, to connect with others in our community. We are looking for more Coffee Hosts; contact the church office for more information. Click on the link at the appointed time to join the chat.
- Contact the Care Committee by clicking here to be partnered with a member of the congregation that could use a call or snail mail during this time of distance.
- Consider volunteering to record a Facebook Live Story Time by contacting the CYRE committee.
- Got technical skills? Volunteer with the Technology Committee to help Worship navigate new waters through Zoom.
- Your Care Committee encourages every UU to "do what you can where you're at what you've got." This might include leaving notes on the door of elderly neighbors with contact info if they need a hand or to find that extra roll of toilet paper. If neighbors are scarce, you can call your oldest relative for a chat. Great opening line: How have you been?
- Pick up your UUCH directory and send an out-of-season card to whichever name strikes your fancy. If you don't know what to say, just include your favorite quote and "thinking of you".
- If you always intended to be more active in your favorite cause, check online to see if you can advocate by phone. (For many state legislators, even a dozen calls from constituents can swing their votes.)
- Small service businesses need love, too. You can go online or call your favorite restaurants and buy gift cards to help keep them afloat until you can visit in person. Without adequate cash flow, many local businesses will be forced to lay off part-time staff, which will likely be followed by their most valuable employees. Some of them will not reopen.
It takes a village, or in our case, a congregation, to support and encourage each other as we move forward in these unsettling times. Please consider joining us in continuing to build and nurture our beloved community.
Submitted by the Care Committee
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Cooking in Difficult Times
"Life is not the way it's supposed to be, it's the way it is. The way you cope is what makes the difference."
- Virginia Satir
If you're like me, you're probably frustrated by the recent changes you've been forced to make to your life. Often I avoid thinking about what I'm making for dinner until the very last minute, knowing that if I don't feel like cooking, there are other alternatives. It's true that I can still call out for pizza, but the practice of social distancing makes it harder to "go out" to eat. Now that I find myself with some extra time, why not pull out my cookbooks and find an old recipe or try a new one?
Here's an old favorite that I found many years ago in a Los Angeles Times magazine from an article called "Heaven in a Bowl" by Jessica Strand. I love the smoky taste of the cumin, and the spinach and leeks impart an earthy sweetness. You could omit the meat and substitute vegetable stock if you were going to make a vegetarian version. An additional beauty of this recipe is that you've got leftovers, which freeze well or are perfect for sharing.
Lentil Soup with Spinach and Cumin
1 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 leeks (white parts only), chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 tsp. ground cumin
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. lentils, rinsed
2 ham hocks (or ham bone)
10 c. chicken stock
1 lb. fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper
In a stockpot, heat olive oil and sauté leeks, celery, and carrots over moderate heat until soft. Add cumin, and sauté everything for 2 more minutes. Add lentils, ham hocks, and stock, and bring soup to boil. Lower heat, cover pot partly, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove ham hocks and shred meat. Remove fat and gristle, and reserve meat. Puree about half of the cooked lentils in a food processor, and return to pot. Add meat, spinach, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
Submitted by the Hospitality Committee
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It was a joy being together this past Sunday in online worship for the very first time. For me, the experience brought the occasion to ask how we could still share musical experience when we were not in the same room. It also brought the challenge of seeking legal permissions to stream songs and lyrics online. Hundreds of UU congregations found themselves in the same boat. The Association of UU Music Ministries (AUUMM) is making available a form for composers to offer blanket permissions for congregations to freely use their music online as we navigate this time. That is some true generosity!
For our first online worship, we were blessed with exquisite piano pieces from Kathy Fisher. I led several hymns and our song of wisdom, and we even shared some drumming and hand motions.
This upcoming Sunday will include more special music.
Tim and Theresa Miller will lead two hymns with guitar and voice.
Kathy Fisher will offer music for centering,
Erin Howard will play gathering music on the piano, and
Sara Coble will play flute for the offertory.
Hopefully, YOU will be there to share your voice in your own home. Even though the technology requires that the settings remain on "mute," the energy of your heart through song will be felt.
Blessings,
Pam Siegler
Music Director
Submitted by the Music Director
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While the building may be closed, our church is definitely open, and our community is coming together in new and wonderful ways to support and uplift each other.
Our Soul Matters Groups will continue to meet online via Zoom. Be sure to touch base with your group leader to get the appropriate link.
Gloria Guay, from Soul Matters Group D, shared a wonderful piece of writing called "Friends" that she wrote 20 years ago while recovering from cancer. It's a reminder that although we are social-distancing, we are still connected as a community of loving support:
"Friends" by Gloria Guay
"They are there for me when I am under the weather. They will listen to my good news as well as troubling times. They don't give advice but demonstrate a caring and compassionate attitude. They will call to see how I am doing. They do not place expectations on me that I should or shouldn't do certain things. They let me know in a caring way that there are choices and the final decision is always mine. Getting together is always a pleasure and something to look forward to because we embrace the time as a shared experience that we treasure. When these friends move on or pass away, my memories are filled with a joy that tells my spirit that physically they are gone but will remain in my heart forever. Those indeed are my true friends."
Submitted by the Social Justice Committee
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Care List
This Sunday, March 15, 2020,
at our Circle of Candles:
Thank you to all who shared your Joys and Sorrows during our first virtual worship service.
Our listing of Joys and Sorrows will return next week.
In the meantime, we light a candle for our world in its suffering and fear. May we do our part to stay connected and in community.
"And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed."
~ Kitty O'Meara
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