Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Please stay safe and stay connected to your Albany UU Community during this uncertain time in the many ways provided online - all described below.
If this email was forwarded to you, and you would like to receive it directly, please sign up here.
-Blessings and Be Well
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We 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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VIRTUAL SUNDAY SERVICE VIA ZOOM |
August 9 “Socially Engaged Buddhism,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
One common critique of Buddhism is that it doesn’t promote social change. The practice of meditation is focused on individual liberation rather than collective salvation. The interaction of Christianity and Buddhism has given rise to socially engaged Buddhism that is taking root in both the West and the East.
Rev. Sam Trumbore has served as minister of Albany UU since the fall of 1999. He is married to Philomena Moriarty and they have an adult son Andrew.
Music: Elena Karpoff
Use this link to join:
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VIRTUAL SUNDAY SERVICES - 10:00 AM |
Hope you are enjoying summer session!
Albany UU Virtual Summer Services
Summer services continue through September 6.
8:30 a.m. Virtual Sunday Meditation continues through the summer and we will have Virtual Service at 10:00 AM each Sunday. Summer services are coordinated by Randy Rosette, with a delightful list of guests in the pulpit, including Rev. Sam.
Use this link to join Sunday service:
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August 16 “The Gospel According to ??? Pew, Pulpit and Politics 2020” Rev. Richard S. Gilbert
Election 2020 promises to be one of the most significant in recent history. What is the role of religion in this 244-year experiment in democracy? What about the separation of church and state? Faith and politics? Do UU congregations have a place in the dialogue, or are we “up to our steeples in politics?
Rev. Dick Gilbert, retired UU minister, has published books on faith development, social justice and meditations. He is currently working on a book entitled: No Consorting with Angels: the Spiritual Life of Susan B. Anthony. He lives in Rochester with his wife Joyce.
Music: Randy Rosette
August 23 “Our Adaptive Challenge,” Rev. Chris Antal
What kind of a world is emerging from this pandemic, and what might we do to make it a better one? Learning to distinguish technical problems from adaptive challenges is an important step.
Rev. Antal was an Albany UU intern from 2009-2010 and ordained in 2011. Since then he worked as an Army chaplain, a congregational minister, and a hospital chaplain in the Department of Veterans Affairs, adapting to many challenges along the way.
Music: Elena Karpoff
August 30 “Is Doing Your Best … Good Enough?" Rev. Sam Trumbore
Dr. Conrad Trumbore (Rev. Sam’s father) has a favorite expression: “Do your best and to hell with the rest.” Doing “your best” is a common admonition today that is remarkably free of context. Do what best? How do we define what one’s best is? And is one’s best … good enough … as compared to what?
Rev. Sam Trumbore has served as minister of Albany UU since the fall of 1999. He is married to Philomena Moriarty and they have an adult son Andrew.
Music: Elena Karpoff
Joys and Concerns for Online Services
We have three ways that you can share your joys and concerns.
- One: Use the online form. If you use this form, you can indicate if you would like to have your joys and concerns shared at the Sunday service, and you can leave contact info if you would like a Pastoral Care Associate to follow up with you.
- Two: Email your joy or sorrow to joysandsorrows@albanyuu.org before Sunday morning to have them read aloud during the service
- Three: We will be giving you instructions during the Sunday service about how to share your joys and concerns then.
Sunday Offering
If you would like to make a contribution to the Sunday Offering "Plate", click https://tinyurl.com/AlbanyUU-Donate or send your check, with Sunday Offering on the memo line, to the church: 405 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12206. Mail is being processed while the building is closed.
Try our text to give option! Simply text the amount and fund (for example: 20 offering or 20 pledge) to 844-976-2618. There's a helpful video to watch with step by step instructions and a informative written guide with visuals.
Sunday services will be online via Zoom at 10:00 AM EST. There will be no service, religious education or other activities in the church building until further notice. Not familiar with Zoom? Our minister, Rev. Sam Trumbore will give you a brief tutorial.
Use this link to join the Sunday service:
Wearing your Zoom “Name Tag”
When signing into a Zoom worship service on a Sunday morning, you can't put on your traditional name tag to be welcoming to others, but you CAN rename your screen so that it displays your full name. This is the new way to practice hospitality with everyone who is part of the online worship service.
To change your screen name, look for three white dots, usually appearing in the upper right corner of your zoom window when you hover over it with your cursor. Click the dots, and a dropdown menu will appear. One of the options in the dropdown menu is "Rename." Click that option, and a box will pop up that displays the name currently showing in your Zoom window. If it's not your full name or names, change it to your name(s) and click the "Save" button.
If you have any questions, feel free to send an Usher a message in the Chat on a Sunday or email Tammy Hathaway - admin@albanyuu.org anytime. Thanks for taking this extra step to be welcoming!
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Start your Sunday Morning with Meditation - 8:30 - 9:15 AM
Sunday morning meditation, led by Rev. Sam, begins with a ten-minute talk by Sharon Salzberg or Joseph Goldstein from their course on Insight Meditation. We will sit together for twenty minutes then have some conversation about the talk, meditation methods or experiences followed by a live loving kindness meditation.
Use this link to join:
To dial in by phone call: 1-929-436-2866 and enter
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Inclusivity Team Meeting
Join the Inclusivity Team on Sunday, August 9 at 11:45 AM. All are welcome.
Use this link to join:
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 000
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a Zoom discussion on Sunday, August 9 at 6:00 pm. We will discuss Gods of the Upper Air by Charles King. Directions for joining the meeting will be placed in the Daily Reminders. Learn more here.
Use this link to join:
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 000
Philosophy Group
At 10:15 AM every Tuesday, the Albany UU Philosophy Group will meet via zoom and discuss their topic of the day. All are welcome.
Use this link to join:
To dial in by phone, call: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000
Albany UU Sings
Sing along in Virtual Community on Wednesday, August 19 at 7:00 PM. Join your friends and sing your heart out! We will supply the music and the lyrics. Hope to see you there.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 935725639
Ps and Qs
Projects and Quilts (Ps and Qs) will zoom next on Wednesday, Aug 26 and Sept 9 at 10:00 AM.
Use this link to join:
To dial by phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 970 3238 2631
Password: 0000
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This August, join Albany UUs and thousands of others in the Capital Region by signing up for the Equity Challenge. Commit to deepening your understanding of and willingness to confront racism, bias and other social inequities. Sign up as an individual or enter "Albany UU" in the Company Name box.
Our Inclusivity Team is offering resources for our ongoing education and reflection to address white supremacy culture at Albany UU. Are you finding you have some time for reading and watching videos these days? Consider settling in with these titles by authors of color to help you become familiar with a diversity of human experiences.
For adults and youth (with guidance, as needed):
Life is So Good: One man's extraordinary journey through the 20th century and how he learned to read at age 98, by George Dawson. (2000). This is a moving memoir. What is it like to have grown up 100 years ago? Dawson shares his personal experiences, living as a Black person in the United States, in the 20th century. Available in the Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS) and on audiobook through Audible.
For young children and others:
The Hard-times Jar, by Ethel Footman Smothers. Illustrated by John Holyfield. (2003). When Emma goes to school for the first time, there is a wonderful surprise waiting for her! Available at UHLS.
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HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN WELLSPRING? |
If not, you are invited to join the Sources group this year, a prerequisite for all other years of Wellspring programs. Wellspring is a heart-opening, small group experience. In Wellspring Sources, participants become grounded in the 'big questions" that are central to our Unitarian Universalist faith while developing practices of listening and spiritual deepening. Wellspring groups meet for two hours on Zoom, twice/month, from September to June. If you are ready to join, please register with the church office and a facilitator will follow up with you. (Tammy - include registration link)
If you are thinking about joining and have questions about the content or commitment, please come to a Wellspring Sip & Chat on Zoom where facilitators will be available to talk with you. Here are some times when you can drop in:
August 10, 7pm, August 13, 7pm, August 24, 7pm
Use this link to join:
password: 1842
To dial in by phone: +1 646 876 9923
Meeting ID: 966 790 5589
Password: 1842
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Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
The public campaign to pass New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act has been quiet for the past several months but Compassion and Choices New York (CCNY) – the campaign’s leader – has been preparing for the 2021 legislative session. Among other things, it is launching its “Ask the Candidate” campaign in advance of this November’s election. With 17 Assembly Members and 11 Senators retiring, 6 open seats in the Assembly and 2 in the Senate, and almost every incumbent facing a challenger, the legislature will have many new members who will need to learn about medical aid in dying. You are invited to participate in two CCNY webinars.
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August 12, 4 pm: How to ask your district’s candidates whether they support medical aid in dying. To register click here.
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August 26, 6 pm, co-presented with the Whitney Museum of American Art, a film and discussion of a 2018 lecture given by Barbara Hammer, acclaimed feminist filmmaker and pioneer of queer cinema who died in 2019, entitled The Art of Dying (or Palliative Art Making in the Age of Anxiety), Revisited. To register for this event, click here.
Security Camera
Albany UU is installing a non-recording, simple security camera and would STILL like to know if anyone out there in UU land has any knowledge of such things. We'd love to have a conversation if you'd be willing. Contact Tammy Hathaway: admin@albanyuu.org. Thank you!
Recycling!
Time to start turning in our collected corks, personal products, toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes and brita filters. These items can be left in a plastic container under the front steps of 21 Terrace Avenue, Albany NY 12203, which is west of Albany UU off Washington -- 3 blocks west of Manning Blvd., left on Terrace, between Washington and Western, closer to Western Avenue. Albany UU is also starting to recycle used ballpoint pens, Please also insert these in the container. Thanks.
The Green Sanctuary Committee
Going to Silver Bay?
Three $100 gift certificates towards a stay at the Silver Bay YMCA Family and Conference Center on beautiful Lake George have been contributed by the D'Attilios towards Albany UU auction fundraising efforts. Wouldn't it be great to use one or more of these towards the UU Weekend at Silver Bay October 16-18, 2020?
Up to 3 certificates total for the full price of $100 each will be available by contacting Randy Rosette: rosette_jensen@juno.com. First come, first served. The entire purchase price will benefit Albany UU. Randy will respond to let you know if you "won" and payment details. Thanks so much!
Kateri Peace Conference goes virtual!
The 22nd annual Kateri Peace Conference - Aug 21 and Aug 22 via ZOOM
Bending the Arc: Striving for Peace and Justice in a World of Endless War, supported on ZOOM by World Beyond War. Find more information here.
Scheduling Zoom Meetings
We currently have two zoom accounts that we can use for meetings. To request a Zoom meeting, please do so just as you would when requesting a room to use in our building - using Church Database. When you choose your resources, or "room", choose between Zoom 1 and Zoom 3. There are links to instructions below. This is the preferred method but requests can also be sent via email to Sapphire: office@albanyuu.org.
When you send an email, please have a few dates and times that will work for your meeting to minimize a lot of time consuming negotiating. Thank you!
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Use this link to join:
Password 4051842
Albany UU Chill Summer Camp – Next session Aug 10-27 Monday through Thursday. Stay tuned for what this session will look like.
Families and guides can connect anytime on a new Chill Summer Camp platform. Leah has created an online space using a new platform called Mighty Networks. It’s like our own private Facebook with no ads and no algorithms. You can participate on this platform whether you come to the evening sessions or not. So little kids can contribute too! Sign up now and check out topic prompts. https://tinyurl.com/ChillSummerCamp
Join us for the next Brunch Church
On Sunday, Sept. 6 at 11:30 AM will be a time for the Religious Ed community - parents/caretakers, children, youth, their guides and the RE Council to gather over Zoom with some food, hang out and talk a little about the start of the school and church year.
Use this link to join:
Password: 4051842
By phone +1 929 436 2866
Meeting ID: 867 9876 7127
Password: 4051842
We're all wondering.... What will Religious Education for children and youth look like this fall?
We know that meeting only online is not optimal for any of our education and ministry; still, we won’t be meeting in person until the Board has decided it is safe. Elizabeth and I are making plans for online Religious Education, which will start in mid-Sept. The theme for Sept is Renewal. Elizabeth and I invite you to start the year by participating in online RE events with your children to help keep/make connections within our RE community. These RE events will be after the 10:00 service - at 11:30, for about 30 minutes - up to 45 minutes. There is talk of having some Adult Religious Ed opportunities also at 11:30. We are joyfully calling this time “RE for All.” More about the groups and curriculum and other information. https://drive.google.com/file/d/16yui6SF8Bu24IT7J7JS2gHC0136r5Du8/view?usp=sharing
More information for families, including material recommendations from the Inclusivity Team, a social justice project for families is in this week’s Summer Sizzler.
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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.
Join us in keeping our members and friends in your thoughts as they share their joys and concerns.
Member, Kathy Hodges and her sisters celebrated the one year anniversary of their dad’s death this week! He would have been on this earth 108 years and we and many friends and family continue to enjoy the memories of his loving and generous life!
Marilyn Dockter shares that Saturday, August 8th is Arden's 81st birthday. Two sisters, son, daughter and there families will be here to celebrate.
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: Sharon Babala, Chuck Manning, Donna Meixner, Dan Miyake, Phil Rich, Randy Rosette, Dee VanRiper and Erik F. vonHausen.
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 provides 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 “check in’s” from Caring Network members. Please reach out to the Caring Network.
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Renew, Refresh and Relax at Silver Bay
Do you feel as though the summer is moving too fast? Keep the good times rolling! Come to the UU Weekend at Silver Bay from October 16-18, 2020 to build and strengthen relationships and nurture spirit, mind and body. Learn, play and hang out with your fellow UU’s before winter sets in.
Join us for this annual celebration! First-timers will receive an additional 10% discount! Children under 6 are free and there are substantial discounts for older children and youth.
If you find yourself cleaning out your house, don’t forget to save gently used items for young and old alike for the annual auction.
Fill out a registration form here and follow the mailing instructions.
Note:
We are currently experiencing a time of social distancing and cancellations of group gatherings due to Covid-19.
Silver Bay staff has assured us that the facility is and will continue to follow all appropriate local, state and federal guidelines and protocols related to COVID-19 to ensure the safety of all staff and guests. Updates on those guidelines and protocols will be provided in our publicity. The most current guidance in effect will be shared with attendees just prior to the weekend.
Registered particpants who decide not to attend will be able to request a full refund up to two weeks prior to the start date of the UU Weekend. If the Weekend is cancelled altogether abecause of continued or reinstated social restrictions, all registered participants will receive a full refund.
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Virtual Service Ushers
This is a great opportunity to volunteer on a Sunday morning! Ushers are needed on Sunday mornings to help provide a welcoming, safe and enjoyable virtual experience. We need folks who would be willing to volunteer to help. Tammy will provide a quick and simple training. PLEASE contact her if you'd like to learn more: admin@albanyuu.org.
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 Meixner or 518/439-5947.
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:
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Quick Links
Denominational Affairs Links
Helpful Local Links
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Publication deadlines
This is an important reminder that the news and article deadline for Windows Weekly is 9:00 AM on Monday. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sign up for an online class
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Regular events and meetings
Some of these events and meetings continue online, however dates and times may vary, especially during the summer months. Please contact the Team or Group Leader or email admin@albanyuu.org if you have questions.
Sundays
11:45 AM Inclusivity Team (2nd)
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, Nov., Feb., May)
Tuesdays
10:15 AM Philosophy Discussion (weekly)
Wednesdays
10:00 AM Ps and Qs (will update)
Thursdays
1:00 PM All Sides Considered
(1st & 3rd - except during the summer months)
6:30 PM Board of Trustees (4th)
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Going to miss a Sunday?
Online service is generally recorded
"Religion, Sex and Politics: A Conversation for Polite Company" with Rabbi Dennis Ross watch it here.
Building Justice, Equity and Compassion in Human Relations: A Trauma-Informed Perspective with Jaye Holly and Danisha Burnett-Bonner, May 17, watch it here
HMUU Join Service with Paula Cole Jones, Sunday, April 5, watch it here
Community of Communities workshop with Paula Cole Jones, watch it here
For previous services, before quarantine:
You can listen to the entire Albany UU Sunday service at home or on your mobile device. March 1 and 8 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 (http://members.albanyuu.org/wp/ - 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 |
Parking - when the building reopens: 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:
The Albany UU Office is closed during this time of physical distancing. Sam, Leah, Tammy and Sapphire have their messages forwarded to their personal cell phones and are available by email.
Websites
Zoom use
To reserve Zoom for an Albany UU online meeting, contact Administrative Assistant Sapphire Correa (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).
Photo credit: Jeannie Thompson
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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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