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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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
H
YMN 95 “There Is More Love Somewhere”
HYMN 287 "Faith of the Larger Liberty"
HYMN 126 “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
HYMN 86 “Blessed Spirit of My Life”
HYMN 263 “When Jesus Looked from Olivet”
HYMN 262 “Hosanna in the Highest”
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Sunday Services
10:00 am
April's theme: Wholeness
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
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
.
Ed Ryman Memorial Service
A Celebration of Ed's Life will be held at Albany UU on
Sunday, April 28 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 in the UAlbany Hawley Lot on the corner of Washington Ave. and Robin St. is allowed for this event.
Spring cleaning the lost and found
It’s time again to check the lost and found boxes in the Coat Room. Anything not claimed by
May 13
will be donated. Thank you!
The board has approved the free monthly breakfast!
We can start planning and getting supplies. Many people expressed an interest in participating. Please sign up on the sheets on the bulletin board in Channing if you would like to participate and tell us the role you might like to take (co-coordinator, shopper, cook, set up, clean up, coffee maker, table host, etc.) and if you feel you could be a
regular (R)
or
intermittent (I)
volunteer. Let’s aim for the third Saturday in May. One or two coordinating meetings prior to that will help us get better organized and anyone who can attend one or both will help us make this operate more smoothly. Thanks, Carol Butt
Signs of spring abound
Soon the serviceberry trees will bloom. Feel like a good spring clean up? Don't forget to bring recyclables to the recycle center in the coatroom at Albany UU. Terracycle (where we mail our recyclables) has a new program, so please collect and place discarded razors of any variety in the personal products bin.
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, Channing Hall
5:30 PM
- Walker Book Group, Channing 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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Upstate New York Seaway Gathering
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Draw the Circle Wide: Learn and Connect at the Upstate New York Seaway Gathering
You are invited to the annual Seaway Spring Gathering of the congregations of the former St. Lawrence District, to be held in Ithaca on May 3 and 4.
On Friday evening, May 3, Rev. Frances May will give the Gould Discourse:
Kids These Days: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hope Again.
On Saturday, May 4, you ca participate in workshops for varied interests. CB Beal, the keynote speaker, will discuss Pre-Emptive Radical Inclusion. More information and registration for one or both days may be found here:
https://
tinyurl.com/seaway2019
.
Child care is available, and our denominational affairs budget can reimburse your registration fee.
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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.
On April 24, member,
Seth Edelman
is having major back surgery. He has set up a CaringBridge website to share health news, coordinate help and for us to write messages of encouragement:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/sethedelman
; name: sethedelman. If you have never used CaringBridge, it’s free but you will need to register.
Member,
Thelma Gerdine
is recovering from a recent hospitalization. Cards can be sent to
427 Coburg Village Way, Rexford, NY 12148.
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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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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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
.
Albany UU Humanists
Tuesday, Apr. 16, 7 PM, Room B-8
All interested in learning more about humanism in Unitarian Universalism are welcome to join the conversation. Learn more
here
.
All Sides Considered
Thursday, April 18, 1:00 pm
All Sides Considered meets most 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at 1:00 pm in Room B-7.
Learn more
here
.
Passover Seder
The Albany Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and First Unitarian Universalist Society invite you to join our Second Annual Liberation Seder,
Friday, April 26, 5:30 PM
. RSVP by April 16. Learn more
here
.
Parks and Trails Clean-up, Saturday, April 27, 9:00 a.m. - Noon
Parks & Trails Clean Sweep at the Corning Preserve along the Hudson River in Albany on
Saturday, April 27
- rain or shine - but hope for shine! Learn more
here
.
Circle Dinner
The next Circle Dinner will be held on
Saturday, May 4
. Sign up
online
by Sunday, Apr. 21 to join the fun! For more information about Circle Dinners,
click
here.
Annual CROP Hunger Walk
Come together with fellow UUs and hundreds of your Capital Region neighbors in the CROP Hunger Walk on
Sunday, May 5
. See Dawn Dana at coffee hour starting this Sunday to sign up to walk, help, or pledge your support. Learn more
here
.
UU Weekend at Silver Bay
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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
form
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,
(on sabbatical)
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, April 14:
Children in PreK through 7th grade
(Exploring Chickens, Compassion Hawks, Kick-Butt Unicorns and Crossing Paths) will attend the first part of the service with their families in Community Hall from 10:00 to about 10:25. Then they will go to their usual groups.
8th/9th grade will present in today’s service
about their YSOP trip, then meet in their room (B-7) to plan their service project for 5/5.
High School Youth Group
will meet in their room (23) starting at 10:00.
Congratulations
to our Grade 2/3 Compassion Hawks whose numerous good deeds throughout the year earned them an ice cream party today!
Sunday Superintendent
on Sunday will be Mike Myers and RE Office Assistant at the window in the lobby will be Jim Hutchins. Leah Purcell is on sabbatical until June, please see Elizabeth, Mike or Jim if you need anything.
Next week
:
Nursery/toddler room will open at 9:45, all other children attend multigenerational Easter service with their families. Regular RE resumes 4/28.
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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC recommends the following:
Rally Buttons now available!
We now have 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!
Don't throw out your broken items!
Bring them to WHMS on
Saturday, April 13
for their Repair Cafe! –
Check out the flyer
for more.
Lecture and Workshop: Environmental & Climate Justice from Puerto Rico to Albany,
Saturday, April 13, 10 – 2pm
, 160 Central Ave. The keynote address and afternoon workshops will look at grassroots and statewide campaigns to combat environmental racism and protect our climate.
Countering Islamophobia
The Way Forward after the New Zealand Tragedy-Speakers • Refreshments • Dinner
Sunday, Apr. 14, 2-6PM
Fiqh& Dawah Center of American, 819 - 23rd St., Watervliet. Learn more
here
.
Lecture: Museums and Criminal Justice: Finding Common Ground for the Public
,
Wednesday, April 17, 4:30pm
, Milne Hall, UAlbany downtown campus. Part of the Justice & Multiculturalism in the 21st Century series. Sponsored by UAlbany Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Light refreshments.
Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice: Advocate for Medical Aid in Dying at the Capitol
Join us on
April 30
and
May 14 for Lobby Day
. Please tell Nancy Willie-Schiff (
n.willie.schiff@gmail.com
)
the dates you plan to attend so you can be scheduled for a team visit with lawmakers.
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Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week
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Living our 7th principle
REUSE REUSE REUSE: The ban on plastic bags in the state budget sounds great. But unless other habits are changed, it will have unintended consequences because making a single use plastic bag uses less resources than making a single use paper bag. A Danish study concluded that cotton bags have to be re-used 52 to 149 times before less energy is used than for a plastic bag.
Check out the article.
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New Books in our Joy Library
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Faithful Practices: Everyday Ways to Feed Your Spirit
, edited by Erik Walker Wikstrom (2018), call# 204.4 WIK
A Gift of Love: Sermons from
Strength to Love
and Other Preachings
, by the Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012), call# 252.061 KIN
Revisiting the Empowerment Controversy: Black Power and Unitarian Universalism
, by Mark D. Morrison-Reed (2018), call# 289.1 MOR
Veil
, by Rafia Zakaria (2017), call# 297.5 ZAK
In Later Years: Finding Meaning and Spirit in Aging
, by Bruce T. Marshall (2018), call# 305.26 MAR
How To Be Less Stupid About Race
, by Crystal M. Fleming (2018), call# 305.8 FLE
Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination
, by Robin D.G.Kelley (2002), call# 305.896 KEL
A Queer History of the United States
, by Michael Bronski (2011) call# 306.766 BRO
A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History
, by Jeanne Theoharis (2018), call# 323.1196 THE
Detained and Deported: Stories of Immigrant Families Under Fire
, by Margaret Regan (2015), call# 325.73 REG
Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice
, by Rebecca Todd Peters (2018), call# 362.1998 PET
Beyond Pro-Life and Pro-Choice: Moral Diversity in the Abortion Debate
, by Kathy Rudy (1996), call# 363.46 RUD
Finding Higher Ground: Adaptation in the Age of Warming
, by Amy Seidl (2011), call# 578.43 SEI
Breaking Free: Women of Spirit at Midlife and Beyond
, edited by Marilyn Sewell (2004), call# 810.8 SEW
The Hate U Give
, by Angie Thomas (2017), call# 813.6 THO (note: obtained for the Joy Library by the Inclusivity Team)
A Troubled Guest: Life and Death Stories
, by Nancy Mairs (2001), call# 818.54 MAI
Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey
, by Isabel Fonseca (1996), call# 909.049 FON (gift of Betsy Wright)
Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture
, by Ed Morales (2018), call# 973.046 MOR
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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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