Your Ministerial Message
June 2, 2020
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Dear Friends,
We hope that you are well, but we acknowledge that all is not well with our souls or with this nation. The anguish, grief and anger continue in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Parents, partners and friends of black and brown people continue to fear for the lives and well being of their loved ones in this nation. Protests in Sacramento and cities around the country are keeping racial injustice front and center. Though the protests are largely peaceful and peaceable, the incidents of violence and loss of property dishearten many of us, potentially distract us from the systemic issues, and provide handy fodder for media outlets and some political leaders to divide people and polarize the nation. I won't offer any easy answers or signs of hope, as I feel this is a time to grieve. It's also a time to listen. And, especially, it's a time for us to come together not only to deepen our lives with courage and compassion, but also to learn better how to be a force for healing in the world.
Tonight at 7:00 Rev. Lucy Bunch and I invite you to a special Tuesday worship service with a powerful sermon from last Sunday in a Minneapolis church and a message by Susan Frederick Gray, president of our UU Association of Congregations. You can read more below.
Also, there is a UUA-hosted Prayer Vigil happening today at 5:00. Read about it and other opportunities for engagement below.
- #WeCantBreathe -- a UUA Virtual Prayer Vigil with Rev. Susan Frederick Gray, Rev. Carlton E. Smith, Paige Ingram of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism, other UUA leaders, and musician Melanie DeMore. Join us today as we gather to reclaim black freedom, decry white supremacy, grieve the murder of black lives, and recommit to living our Unitarian Universalist values.
Today, June 2, 5:00-6:30 Pacific Time.
Register and get the Zoom link here.
- Action steps recommended today by the UUA Organizing Strategy Team, including a pledge to sign, opportunities to learn and lift ur voices, and recommendations for monetary donations.
- How to Be an Antiracist by award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi--our UUSS Bookstore has sold 21 copies of this book and we still have 9 left. If you'd like to buy one, leave or mail a check to UUSS for $18. We will put a copy with your name outside my office. Let me know.
Rev. Lucy and I are both available for one-on-one meetings to talk about what's on your mind. In these times, we miss you and hold you in our hearts, as we know you hold so much in yours.
Yours in faith,
Rev. Roger
PS--As always, one of the ways we find strength in times of crisis is by coming together. So we invite you to participate in the many programs of the congregation, featured below.
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A Change in Tonight's Service
Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
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Instead of the previously published theme for tonight's Tuesday Vespers, Rev. Lucy and I will be sharing with you two messages delivered to the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis last Sunday. It was in Minneapolis where George Floyd was murdered.
The sermon is by the Rev. Karen Hutt, Adjunct Minister at First
Universalist and an African American UU minister, mother and religious educator. There are a couple of graphic descriptions of racial violence. While it's important to bear witness to the true effects of the culture of white supremacy, we wanted those with small children to know.
Also we will see a special message to First Universalist by the Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Joining Lucy and me for this service will be Pianist Irina Tchantceva and Music Director Keith Atwater. You can watch or listen by phone the way you do for all other UUSS services on Zoom.
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Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday June 7 at 11:00:
Czech Unitarian Flower Communion. With Rev. Roger, Rev. Lucy, Worship Associates Karen Sparrow and Molly Stuart, RE Coordinator Miranda Massa, music by Keith Atwater, Irina
Tchantceva and Mary Blanchette on violin. Dan Myers will introduce will introduce youth Alec Redman and mentor Karen Gunderson will introduce Maya Auriemma, each of whom will present their Credo statement from our
Coming of Age program. Both of these youth have parents and grandparents in the congregation! Read Toby Olson's statement from last Sunday
here.
Sunday service includes all the familiar components and faces. Stay for Coffee Hub after the service, where you can spend 15 minutes in a small group to get acquainted with newcomers and longtime UUs.
We invite you to be an on-screen chalice lighter at a Sunday service.
If any of you have a home chalice or candle, you will light it for all of us at the beginning of the service.
All you have to do is sign-up and we will Zoom you into the service as our official chalice lighters for the morning's service. We hope to see more beloved and familiar faces.
Tuesday Vespers (evening service) is a shorter and more casual service. It includes a time for Joys, Sorrows and Milestones, which you can post in the Zoom chat box for us to read. At the end of the service, you are invited to "Start Video" on Zoom and greet everyone!
Visit another UU congregation
Do you need an extra UU boost during the week? Most congregations are meeting online, and many have recorded services available on their web sites. You can also check out the
Church of the Larger Fellowship. This is a UU church online for those around the world who do not have a local congregation. CLF has been offering online worship services for 10 years, so they must be doing something right. Live stream Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
Access here.
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Adult Enrichment: Classes and Gatherings
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Exploring Unitarian Universalism
at 7:00 PM every Wednesday
For newcomers as well as long-term UUs come join your ministers to learn about various aspects of Unitarian Universalism.
- Wednesday, June 3: Rev. Roger will continue the conversation about UU history, focusing on religious Humanism in the Unitarian movement in the past 100 years. In the Zoom stream.
- Special guest presenter Wednesday, June 10: Roger hosts Rev. Dr. Jay Atkinson for a talk and discussion, "Living Agnostically." This program is sponsored by UUSS Adult Enrichment. In the Zoom stream. Read more about the program here.
Mindfulness Practices:
2nd and 4th Mondays 6:00-6:30 PM
Starts June 8--
Longtime UU and credentialed mindfulness instructor Ann Kronser offers meditation and exercises to invite mindfulness and presence. Each session will be 30 minutes long. In the Zoom stream.
Theology on Tap every
Friday evening
at 7:00
Bring a beverage of choice (from your own fridge) in the room of your choice (in your own place) and join in thoughtful community conversation.
Interplay
Saturday at 10:30 2nd and 4th weeks -
Get your stress out and your joy in! Join Rev.Lucy and friends for movement, stillness, storytelling, and laughter. Try it, you'll love it. Next session June 13.
Zoom link here.
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Virtual Flower Communion
with Real Flowers and Real Faces
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On June 7 we celebrate the Czech Unitarian Flower Communion.
Will you help us do this online?
Deadline this Thursday at noon!
Please take a digital picture of yourself or of the whole family offering a flower or a bunch of them to the viewer.
Send it in! Then
Krystal and Dirk will make a colorful collage of our faces and our blooms to show during the service online.
If you don't have a camera or can't figure out a way to get a picture taken of yourself, let us know. Somebody from our team of errand-running volunteers can don a mask, drive over, and take your picture from a safe distance as you greet them with your flowers at your door. No flowers? Let us know that, and we'll bring some to you.
All are invited to participate as we come together to
brighten
our lives.
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Stay in touch with your ministers!
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One-on-one
Rev. Dr. Roger and Rev. Lucy are both available for pastoral visits, answering your questions, or just saying hi. Contact
Rev. Roger or check out
Rev. Lucy's calendar.
Open House
Friday mornings at 10:30 Drop in to chat with one of your ministers and whoever else shows up. All ages welcome! In the
Zoom stream.
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Now Accessible with No Travel Required!
June 24-28, 2020
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At General Assembly, ministers and lay delegates from most of our 1,048 UU congregations in the USA gather to conduct the business of our denomination, the Unitarian Universalist Association. We also hear amazing lecturers, preachers and musicians, learn new insights and skills for congregational life, and make new friends.
This year t
he virtual GA will be much less expensive than in-person versions, with a registration fee of $150 for adults (less for youth) and, of course, no travel or lodging expenses. Just a few events will be live-streamed for free, so for most activities you must register for GA.
You don't have to be a voting delegate to register and attend, but you might enjoy serving UUSS in that way.
Delegates from congregations vote on UUA business resolutions, bylaws amendments, elections of a UUA Moderator and Board members, actions of immediate witness, issues for three years of study and action by congregations. Delegates also hear reports from the UUA President (Rev. Susan Frederick Gray, pictured), other staff, the UUA Board, and various committees and affiliated organizations, but others attending GA may also attend and hear these reports.
See
www.uua.org/ga
.
Voting delegates from UUSS
include our two ministers and our Minister Emeritus, as well as 8 lay delegates. If you are a member interested in attending GA as an online delegate from UUSS, please email or call
president@uuss.org
THIS WEEK. L
et Sally know you wish to be a
GA delegate
. Rev. Lucy or Rev. Roger can answer questions. They all hope to see you at GA!
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We come together to deepen our lives and be a force for healing in the world.
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