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 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
HYMN 347 "Gather the Spirit"
HYMN 269: “Lo, the Day of Days Is Here”
HYMN 276: “O Young and Fearless Prophet”
HYMN 89 "Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life"
HYMN 61: “Lo, the Earth Awakes Again”
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Sunday Services
10:00 am
April's theme: Wholeness
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 THIS Monday 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
.
Unknown check - is it yours?
We received a check made out to Albany UU to Tammy Hathaway's attention from New York Life. It did not have the name of the donor on it so we have no way of crediting it toward anyone's pledge. If you think it's yours, please call the church office: 518.463.7135.
When donating to the church from your IRA or any other fund, please remember to have the company note who YOU are. We then can give proper credit toward your pledge, and you receive an accurate tax statement. Thank you!
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.
Progress on Sheridan Prep (SPA) Homeless Housing Project
There is some great news on this project. The Albany Community Land Trust has selected a contractor to re-hab a house on Orange Street within walking distance of the school. The contractor says the house should be ready by June. It is a two family house. We have met with the Community School Coordinator and the Social Worker at SPA. They are excited about working with us on this project and have identified a family who they believe will be a good fit for the house on Orange Street. The family is very interested and wants to see the house. We will be arranging a tour for them with the Land Trust. SPA will begin looking for a second family as well.
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Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Easter Sunday Service, Community Hall
11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, 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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Albany UU Young Adults Group
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We are excited to announce that there is a new group in our congregation for young adults. The Albany UU Young Adults (Albany UUYA) was created to foster new relationships, support its fellow members, serve the community, and have some fun! The group is geared towards those in their 20s and 30s, but other adults who are interested are welcome too.
The group plans to have lunch at a nearby establishment immediately following the service of the first Sunday each month. The first one will take place
Sunday, May 5 at Iron Gate Cafe,182 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210. We will meet in Channing Hall before heading out. Carpooling is available for those interested.
We also plan to have a big recreational event each season. Our spring event will take place following the service on
Sunday, May 26, at Thacher State Park, 830 Thacher Park Rd, Voorheesville, NY 12186. We will be going on an easy to moderate hike with beautiful views. Once we get to the end we will have time for reflection, readings, and meditation if desired. We will meet in Channing Hall after the service before heading out. Carpooling is available for those interested. It's about a 30-minute drive from Albany.
If you would like to sign up to become a member of the Albany UUYA, there is a sign-up sheet in Channing Hall or join our Facebook group
Albany UU Young Adults. You can also email Julie Maresco at
jmaresco87@gmail.com to sign up or if you have any questions.
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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.
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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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
.
Volunteers Needed for Our Spring Garden Clean-up!
Join our team of gardeners! The spring garden clean-up is scheduled for
Monday, May 6 from 1 to 3 pm
. Lean more
here
.
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion on Sunday, May 12 at 5:30 pm in Channing Hall. We will discuss
Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow. Learn more
here
.
UU Weekend at Silver Bay
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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 21:
Children in Pre-K through Youth Group
will attend multigenerational Easter Service in Community Hall. Busy bags and floor-pillow seating are available!
Religious Education Office Assistant
at the window in the lobby is Amy Jesaitis. Leah Purcell is on sabbatical until June, please see Elizabeth or Amy if you need anything.
Next week
: Nursery/toddler room will open at 9:45, regular RE resumes for PreK-5
th
grade and Youth Group. Buddhism trip for Grade 6/7 Crossing Paths, no meeting planned for Grade 8/9.
River Rising, Central East Reg
ion’s
new
leadership school
is happening
July 28-August 3
at State College, PA and
August 18-24
in
Schenectady, NY. It’s for youth who will be in 9th-12th grades in the 2019/2020 school year. During this week our community youth will be challenged, learn together, create sacred space, deepen their UU values and build friendships that will last beyond the week. Among other highlights they’re planning a river trip! Registration is $525
before June 15
and matching congregation scholarships are available through CER for up to half. For more information and registration links:
https://www.uua.org/central-east/youth/goldmine
To read how River Rising differs from Goldmine (the previous CER leadership school) see this blog post:
https://www.uua.org/central-east/blog/better-together/introducing-river-rising
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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!
Interfaith Impact of NYS Advocacy Day in Albany, Monday, May 6, 9-3pm.
We need Albany UU's to be there all or part of the day to participate with teams advocating with State legislators and staff. Further information is available at
https://iinys.org/events/.
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.
EVENTS AT SCHENECTADY UU
1221 Wendell Ave, Schenectady, NY 12308
Pete Seeger's 100TH Birthday Singalong
Friday, April 26, 7:00 PM
Tickets and songbooks available online at:
Connecting to the Earth and Yourself Through Composting
Monday, April 29 & May 6 or Saturday, May 4 & June 1
Helping organic materials to breakdown through composting can be a meaningful way to connect to the earth.
Find more information and online registration
here
. Gary Feinland at feinland.g@gmail.com or 518-242-9801.
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Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week
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Living our 7th principle
Change your shower head to one that conserves water.
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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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