Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. As Summer is winding to a close, consider joining us for our Homecoming Service on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 10:00 am. You will find more information about that service and much more below. Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend. 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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Sept. 1 “In God we Trust—All Others Pay Cash,” Diane Cameron
In our culture, money is one of our most taboo topics. We all need it, we want it, yet we’re not sure when it’s OK to talk about it. Money has great power, and that power infiltrates our wisdom and spiritual lives. Diane will be speaking about her latest research on money and spirituality.
Diane is passionate about advocacy for people living in poverty and for family caregivers. She is a director at Unity House in Troy and a spiritual coach and retreat leader.
Music:
Randy Rosette
NOTE:
This is our last summer service. Next Sunday, Sept. 8 will be our
Homecoming Service
and first Sunday of our regular service year!
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SUNDAY SERVICES
10:00 am
Welcome back to the regular service year schedule!
September 8, “Homecoming Service”
As drops of water merge into a larger pool, so we regather in September to begin our fall season together. Please remember to send your photos to
photos@albanyuu.org
and bring your water from near and far.
Music:
Alan Thomson
September 15, “Stop Human Extinction,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
Greta Thunberg has captured the attention of the planet to the issue of climate change. So has the “Extinction Rebellion.” Now, more than ever before, climate change mitigation has to become our first priority. Let us join the worldwide Climate Strike, Friday, September 20
th
in Albany and demand radical change from ourselves, from government and world leaders, and from multi-national corporations.
Music:
Alyssa Yeager
September 22, “Across Impossible Divisions,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
Jews and Palestinians who live on the West Bank do not talk to each other. There are laws against visiting each other’s communities. They live in fear of harm from the other. Yet in one small area there is a peace center dedicated to Jews and Palestinians meeting each other and developing relationships. Two leaders associated with this center, a Jewish Rabbi and a young Palestinian, will be in Albany (at Ohav Shalom) November 4th to talk about their relationship, the organization and the potential of the work they have been doing for the last five years.
Music:
Albany UU Choir, Ann Brandon, Randy Rosette
September 29, “Rosh Hashanah and the Stinky Kishke - Expectations, Good Intentions, and Transformation,” Dan Miyake
Considered the “Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days. This is a time of reflection, introspection for reviewing the past year, identifying ways we have harmed others, made mistakes, not lived up to our own expectations and commitments, or other ways that we failed to live up to our best selves. As we start out our new church year, what can we learn from this tradition? What are our expectations of ourselves, of each other, and of this community?
Music:
Randy Rosette with guest musicians, Olivia Karis-Nix and Michael Braunstein
ANNOUNCEMENTS
YOU can make a difference!
We at Albany UU are making an effort to increase our visibility and connectivity online! YOU can help, and it's quick and easy! Simply like, follow and share pages and posts on any of our social media platforms, or leave a positive Facebook or Google review. Google Albany UU or find us here:
Lunchtime Yoga with Leslie Eisele
This fall, Lifespan Learning is offering lunchtime yoga for our members and the community. It will be a one hour class every Friday from 12:15 to 1:15 in Room B-8. There is no charge for the class. All are welcome; no yoga expertise is needed. Leslie tailors the classes to those who come, taking into account their skills and abilities.
The first class is Friday, September 6
.
Leslie Eisele has been teaching yoga at the YMCA for the past 17 years. With the North Albany Y closing August 30
th
, several members of Albany UU who regularly attend her classes are very pleased to have worked out an arrangement for her to continue to give lunchtime classes in Albany, while the Y organization works on building a new Albany Y.
We are very lucky that Leslie agreed to offer this opportunity to our community. It would be wonderful if we could give her a room full of eager students. No reservations are necessary. And if you can make it to some classes and not others, that is not a problem. Come when you can.
If you have any questions, call the class coordinator, Dick Dana, at 518-446-0382.
oFFICE hOURS
Please note that the Albany UU office will be closed on MOnday Sept. 2 in honor of Labor Day. The office will reopen again on
Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray at the NY Universalists
Our UUA president, Rev. Susan Frederic-Gray, will speak at the 193rd annual meeting of the NYS Convention of Universalists, October 25-26 in Rochester. More information at
www.nyscu.org
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Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Summer Service, Community Hall
11:00 AM
- Fellowship, Community Hall Alcove
11:30 AM
- Inclusivity Team, Room B-8
Quick Links
Denominational Affairs Links
Helpful Local 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 recorded and acknowledged in writing for tax purposes at the end of the calendar year, please use and write your name on 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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WE'RE HIRING -
THREE
POSITIONS!
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Sexton position open
The Sexton works on Sunday (4-6 hours) and Monday (4-6 hours, flexible days possible) and is responsible for Sunday morning operations and taking care of the church property.
Sunday tasks include preparation and clean up for the service, coffee hour, and other scheduled activities, and for taking care of the church property.
Maintenance entails responsibility for performing tasks on the monthly maintenance schedule, minor repairs and replacements, reporting larger repair and replacement needs, keeping the building tidy by returning items to storage locations, and yardwork.
Read full job description
here
.
Start date: October 6, 2019 - Pay: $15/hr.
Contact Church Administrator, Tammy Hathaway for more information or to express interest: 518.463.7135 or admin@albanyuu.org
Snow Removal Tech position open
Albany UU is seeking a seasonal employee to move snow using equipment owned by the churc
h. The Snow Removal Technician is responsible for working independently de-icing and clearing snow from walks, ramps, stairs, access points and porticos in a safe and efficient manner. Pay is $20.00/hour with a two hour minimum. Read full job description
here
. Contact Church Administrator, Tammy Hathaway for more information or to express interest: 518.463.7135 or admin@albanyuu.org
Nursery and Toddler Room Child Care Worker position
open
Our program is seeking a childcare worker to provide a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for children aged newborn to three years of age during Sunday morning church activities and also for meetings on mutually agreed upon dates. This person will work with a volunteer of the congregation each Sunday or meeting time.
S
kills and attributes sought:
·
Able to lift up to 30 pounds (picking up children from floor or crib or seat, and changing diapers on changing table).
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Able to stoop and sit at children’s level.
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Punctual and reliable.
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Displays a genuine enthusiasm and compassion for infants and toddlers
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Able to relate to parents and volunteers.
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Comfortable working in a congregation with the values of Unitarian Universalism
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At least 18 yrs old.
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Successful completion of a background check
Start date September 8, 2019. Pay: $15/hr.
Please pass this along to folks you know who might be interested. Also open to congregants. Send a cover letter and resume or list of previous experiences to
dre@albanyuu.org
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HOMECOMING - HURRY! SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS!
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Homecoming Sunday - September 8
Bring water
(real or virtual) gathered during your summer (at home or away) to symbolize the regathering of our community.
Send a couple photos
of your summer for inclusion in the slideshow to office@albanyuu.org by
Sunday, Sept. 1.
Plan on lunch after the service!
Everyone is invited to a light lunch in Channing hall right after the service and bring a “finger food” if you're willing and able. Check out our Homecoming spread from last year - and our wonderful Reception Volunteers!
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LEARNING OPPORTUNITY WITH YOUR MINISTER
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Meaning Matters – Meaning Matters is a small group discussion, growth and development program at Albany UU.
Before the beginning of the month, Rev. Sam sends out a packet of materials containing essays, deepening exercises, quotes, poems, music, video clips, podcasts, articles, books, movies, all on the theme for the month.
Towards the end of the month, the Meaning Matters groups gather to reflect on the theme using the materials, sermons from that month, and activities that can stimulate growth and development.
The program meets once a month from September through June.
If this program interests you, please contact Rev. Sam at
minister@albanyuu.org . He is especially interested in people who would be willing to join the “third Tuesday” group that meets from 5 to 7pm.
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The Perils of Future Expectations
The stock and bond market is very volatile as I write these words. In the middle of August it fell like a stone when the long term bond yields dipped under the short term yields. This has been one of the most reliable indicators of an impending recession. But by the end of the week the stock indexes had bounced back. Could this be the beginning of a “bear” market with stocks losing 20% of their value? Unemployment is still low. Many other indicators like consumer spending look strong.
Only time will tell.
I find watching the financial market an exercise in the futility of expectations. Every day there is a news article that claims to explain why the market went up or down or stayed about the same – all based on previous behavior that shapes current expectations. Yet most of the time, these explanations are about as reliable as using one’s astrological sign and daily horoscope to decide when to buy and sell.
And no one knows when the effects of climate change will hit the market and what it will do.
I think about that whenever I visit Florida and seen enormous condos lined up along the beach. We are already locked in for several meters of sea level rise that will inundate these buildings and a large portion of Florida real estate, not to mention similar real estate up and down the East Coast along beautiful sandy beaches.
I visited relatives in Eastern Shore Maryland in July. I drove along laser flat fields of corn and soy beans and passed many long, totally enclosed, industrial chicken houses. After a big rain storm, the swells along the roads were full of water, sometimes spilling onto the road, due to the high water table. A several meter sea level rise would mean much of the land along Chesapeake estuaries and eventually the Delmarva Peninsula will disappear underwater.
What happens when people default on literally underwater mortgages for flooded real estate often far from the coast? Can our banking system survive these kinds of losses?
I listened to a presentation by
Bill McKibben at the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater, August 15, to get an update about how bad things are right now. He tried hard not to scare the audience we’ve already passed the tipping point. He was cautious warning us there isn’t much left we can do to prevent the death and dislocation of 100’s of millions of people who can’t continue to live in places where the air temperature can now reach 130 Fahrenheit. That half the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is dead and the rest of it hasn’t got much time.
Facing the threat of extinction with a climate change denier in the White House can set up some very distressing expectations for the decades ahead, even the next five years ahead. How do we live into a future that promises to be, at the least, extremely distressing?
This is particularly hard for Unitarian Universalists who, over the last two centuries, have believed in continuing human progress. We’ve envisioned moving toward world community with cooperation to face these global challenges together. This optimism got a big boost after World War II. Our UU faith posits the inherent worth and dignity of each person, strives for inner growth and development, and unites in democratic community, with truth seeking, compassion, equity and justice as our guides. We are willing to limit our human aspirations with respect and recognition that we are part of an interdependent web of existence upon which our survival depends.
That’s not what’s happening right now. We live in a time when that vision is breaking down. International institutions are fraying as nationalism strengthens and globalism weakens. Climate stresses are driving nations to strengthen borders and reject those who do not share their sense of national identity.
This isn’t the first time human groups have stressed an area of land. Palestine has been stressed for over 3,000 years. Religions historically have been the way people from different locations and tribes have learned to live together in peace. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have become worldwide faiths because they have discovered how to unite people across differences – who share the
same beliefs.
Now is the time for that uniting energy to work its magic
across beliefs to help us figure out how to unite the world to save us from extinction. I have severe doubts about national governments being able to bring us together as they are driven by self-interest. I believe Unitarian Universalists, in our congregational laboratories where we experiment with ways to create community in the context of diversity of belief, may be one place we discover how to do this … before it is too late.
Rev. Sam
More from our Blogs:
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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.
Linda Munro
, a long-time member, died yesterday (Aug. 28) after courageously battling lung cancer for 15 months. Linda’s daughters Caitlin and Lindsay Meissner attended RE through high school.
There will be a memorial service for Linda on
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2:00 pm at Albany UU
in Community Hall and a reception to follow in Channing Hall.
Contributions of finger foods for the reception are welcomed.
Cards may be sent to Linda's husband, Hans Meissner: 308 Shaver Road, West Sand Lake, NY 12196 and her bother and sister-in-law, Dave Munro and Eileen Hoffman: 48 Carstead Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159
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.
Albany UU Caring Network
The Caring Network (CN) reflects the words of the Albany UU chalice lighting - “to sustain a vital and nurturing religious community.” The CN provide encouragement and short term support to Albany UU members who, due to hospitalization, sickness, loss, or isolation, need assistance. Services typically include transportation to medical appointments, meals and shopping during recovery, and friendly visits and “check in’s” from Caring Network members. Please reach out to the
Caring Network
if you need.
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Two Wellspring programs
are being offered this year, starting at the end of September. People new to Wellspring may join the
Sources
group (see more info below), and “veterans” of Wellspring are invited to participate in
Sacred Arts
. Times will be determined once commitments are made. “Intention to Participate” forms are available through the main office or
here
. More information about both programs can also be accessed
here
. Each program will include 20 sessions taking place September - June. Please contact Sharon Babala at 518-312-8973 or Jan McCracken at 518-275-8709 for more information or to talk about how Wellspring might serve your spiritual needs.
The first organizational meeting for
Sources
will be coming up soon. This is only a one-time organizational meeting and regular meeting times will be determined based on participant's schedule availability. Please contact our Intern Minister, Dan Miyake (intern@albanyuu.org) or Ashley Keegan (
akeegan6@gmail.com)
f
or details about
Wellspring Sources
.
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Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 5:30 pm in Channing Hall. We will discuss
The Great Believers
by Rebecca Makkai
. Learn more
here
.
UU Weekend: Don't miss out!
Have you registered for UU Weekend at Silver Bay from October 18-20, 2019? First-timers will receive an additional 10% discount! Children under 6 are free and there are substantial discounts for older children and youth.
Learn more
here
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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!
Gardening Volunteers
Do you have two hours to contribute to maintaining the gardens surrounding Albany UU? The Gardening Committee welcomes you to
sign up here
, where you can select which week(s) you'd like to help. Volunteers often work in pairs. No experience necessary. For more information or to receive e-mail updates, please contact
Donna Meixne
r or 518/439-5947.
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
This is the last week of RE Summer Session!
Childcare for children
starts
at 9:45 AM.
Please pick up your children immediately following the service.
Children and youth
are welcome to stay with their families for the service. Or they can come upstairs for childcare. Volunteers and our childcare workers staff the nursery/toddler room for our youngest ones; and room 24/25 with activities for those in preschool and older. Middle school and high schoolers are welcome to help out. We start shortly before 10:00; pick up directly after the service. Please be sure to sign your child in and out with one of the staff. Everyone is invited for cookies and lemonade in the back of Community Hall after the service.
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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC Recommends:
See Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week below!
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Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week
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Living our 7th Principle
Zero Waste Ambassadors needed for Saturday, Sept 7 Riverside Jazz Fest in Albany.
Please email
tlieberm1@gmail.com
with your availability. We will set up an information table, multiple Zero Waste Stations and collect compost from vendors. Volunteer shifts: morning shift 12 to 4 pm; (training 12-12:30), evening shift 3:30 to 8 pm; (training 3:30-4), Clean up Crew 8-9 pm, Table help: Volunteers needed anytime from 11:30 am to 6 pm.
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Regular events and meetings
Many of these events and meetings take a hiatus in the summer, check with the church office before coming in.
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)
6:30 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
).
Photo credit: Kathy Hodges
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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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