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March 19, 2020 | Vol. 7 No. 12
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Rev. Jen Crow |
Dear ones,
It's been a whirlwind of information and change this past week. Can it really only be a week since we made the decision to close the church building, back when the schools were still open, you could find food on the shelves of the supermarkets, and our president was encouraging us to go on with business as usual? It was only a week ago. Most of us are living in one state of shock or another. All of us are living with lives changed and a future we cannot predict. We are living in a state of uncertainty, all of us connected, with so much in flux. The Buddhists would tell us this is how it always is, we just see it more clearly now.
From this state of shock, I have been searching for what stays the same. Looking for what I can count on, cleave to, and let go of, if needed. I've been thinking a lot about the blessing I wrote for myself when we returned home after our house fire. How scared I used to get, and how I would settle myself down. I'm using it again now.
I'll share my blessing here, knowing that it won't work for all of you, that the particulars will need to be changed to match your reality. I do want you to tell me, what might you notice now in the six foot circle around you that helps you feel safe, grounded, and secure? How can you settle yourself, or let yourself crumble with the wave of emotion that needs to wash over you, trusting that these feelings will pass, and we will begin again and again and again in love?
Will you tell me? I'm listening.
With love,
Rev. Jen
Notice, you.
For you who thought it would never be rebuilt, the pieces never found, the structure never sound
For you who worried your family and spirit had been torn apart, never to knit back together again
For you who lost so much - the expectation of safety in the night, her first day of kindergarten, old photographs all gone
For you who wondered if you'd ever feel whole again
Swept along on a current in a river you did not choose
For you who wondered and worried how this story would turn out
Notice, you.
Notice the firm couch beneath you that sits on the beautiful wood floor, gleaming and scratched by the dog's too-long toenails
Notice your grandmother's buffet, refinished and strong, an anchor of weight and history flanking your side, family silver tucked inside, polished to gleaming by the hands of friends and strangers
Notice the pictures of your children smiling on top of it
Notice your favorite leather chair sitting under the window that frames the lilac tree you planted, a gift as you moved home, marking your own new beginning
Notice the relief you feel, the result of hours of effort and the washing power of tears
Notice how your children sleep soundly in their own beds most of the nights now, and so do you
Notice this
here
now
A web of kindness and care is visible that had gone unseen before
Notice and breathe this clean air
No smoke, no mold, no water here
Clean, clear, air
Notice your home,
you're home.
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VIRTUAL WORSHIP & CONNECTIONS
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Sunday, March 22
WORSHIP
GROUP MEETINGS VIA ZOOM
9 a.m. Coming of Age
(9th grade) with Emma, Ruth, and COA Advisors -
Taking religious education online as we prepare for our milestone celebration for 9th graders. Register here (required).
11 a.m. Senior High Youth Group
(10th-12th grade) with Emma and senior high advisors - Weekly gathering for 10th-12th graders to stay connected to community and familiar rituals. Register here
(required).
12:30 p.m. Young Family Story Time (Families with babies to 1st grade) with Seth - Stories, songs and rituals to keep little ones, ages birth through 1st grade (and their grownups!), connected to familiar rhythms and relationships. Register here (required).
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Tuesday, March 24
GROUP MEETINGS VIA ZOOM
7:30 a.m. Spiritual Practice
with Rev. Ruth - Take a half hour before your day begins and experience a time of mindfulness (loving kindness meditation, tonglen practice, centering prayer)
7:30 p.m. BIPOC Listening Circle (for anyone who identifies as black/indigenous/person of color) with Rev. Karen and Arif. Let's grab some time to talk about what're experiencing and what kind of spiritual support we need in this time of uncertainty.
8 p.m. Single Parents Gathering with Lauren - Parents/guardians who are single and/or co-parenting gather for mutual support and spiritual sustenance.
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Wednesday, March 25
WORSHIP
GROUP MEETINGS VIA ZOOM
11 a.m. Rites of Passage
(6th grade) with Lauren -
Taking religious education online as we prepare for our milestone celebration for 6th graders. Register here (required).
7:30 p.m. Post-worship Calming Circle with Rev. Ruth and Pastor Stephanie - A time to come into our bodies, do a brief check in and then take time to engage in a mindfulness practice.
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Thursday, March 26
GROUP MEETINGS VIA ZOOM
7 p.m. Parents of Middle and High School Youth
with Lauren -
Parents/guardians of 6th-12th graders gather to share ideas about what kinds of spiritual support we and our youth need in this time of uncertainty.
8:15 p.m. Parents of Babies and Preschoolers (age 0-4 years) with Lauren - Parents/guardians of babies and preschoolers (age 0-4 years) gather for mutual support and spiritual sustenance.
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Wondering How You Can Help?
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A note from Rev. Jen Crow
In this new and uncharted time, so many of you have been asking us how you can help. How can you help support fellow church members and friends? How can you support the church staff? How can we help the larger community and our faithful action partners? Your impulse to share what you have and do what you can warms my heart and gives me faith that we will get through this. We've got this, together.
If you are finding yourself with resources of time, talent, or treasure to share - here are a few places to start:
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Fill out our Needs and Resources survey. Thank you to the 150+ of you that have already done this - letting us know what you need and what you can share with one another. This survey includes an option to indicate if you need help getting set up with Zoom, the online platform that our worship and many meetings and events are moving to.
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Continue to support the church financially now, and in the days ahead. If you are able, please continue to honor your annual gifts, make your capital campaign contributions, and let us know about your annual gifts for our next church year, which begins on July 1st. If you are not a sustainer and have not yet let us know your intentions for our 2020-2021 fiscal year, or if you're a sustainer and would like to make an increase or change to your commitment, please get directly in touch with Finance Assistant Chelsea Bertsch at chelsea@firstuniv.org instead of filling out the giving card.
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Status Updates of Things Previously Scheduled
We are not currently holding in-person gatherings - including worship, religious education, small groups, classes, workshops, events, and meetings. While some meetings and events may be canceled, others may be adapted and held in a virtual format. Some events and meetings have also been postponed. Here is a short list of updated plans:
Building Renovations Meeting (scheduled for Sunday 3/22) has been POSTPONED. New dates (same content, offered two different times): Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m.
on Zoom (webinar ID:
737-839-530) and Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m. on Zoom (webinar ID: 686-035-909)
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Make Your Yard Work for the Climate
Saturday, March 21, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Join the Environmental Justice Team
online this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for the 3rd session in the EJ Team's
practical actions for climate series. Learn from speakers from MetroBlooms and Organic Bob's about how you can make your yard into a climate solution that sequesters carbon, nurtures pollinators, and brings back native species.
Register here and you'll automatically receive the Zoom info.
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12-Step Spirituality
Saturday, March 21, 9:30-11 a.m.
Zoom meeting
The 12-Step Spirituality Group, originally scheduled to meet in the Social Hall, is moving to an online format. The meeting will include Welcoming Prayer, Centering Prayer meditation, talks, and group sharing.
Please join us here if you have access to a computer or a mobile device.
Moderators will be online starting at 9 a.m. - anybody who needs technical assistance can join in the half hour before the meeting starts. All are welcome!
12-Step Spirituality is designed for those actively working a 12 Step program, as well as those wanting to explore & deepen their spirituality through meditation.
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Building Hope: Why I Give
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By Diane Rose, First Universalist Member and Member of the 2020-21 Annual Giving Team
The gifts of time and money that I have made to First Universalist do the same things for me that I experienced attending my first service several years ago. I am rewarded with a feeling of connectedness, community and support that can be hard to find in our world today.
As church members, we believe we are here to help each other in good times and bad, to uphold the inherent worth and dignity of each of us, and to work toward world community. These are not just words. They are what we do and how we live.
I began coming to services with friends who were church members when I was in the depths of despair over a break-up with my partner of 14 years. At the time, it had been many years since I had been involved with a church. I was shell shocked, paralyzed by anxiety and depression. At the same time, I had to get myself moving to deal with financial and work challenges that arose as my relationship ended. During those first times coming to First Universalist, I found that I could relax, accept love and support, and cry. It was a healing experience.
As I recovered, I joined a Newcomers Circle that inspired me to join the church. I have experienced friendship, great insights and fun participating in community circles, preparing a meal for Families Moving Forward, moving scaffolding (first time ever!) with one of our congregation's Habitat for Humanity crews, and being part of the Annual Giving Team.
This church has sustained me. I am grateful. This is why I give, and why I'm a Sustainer.
Diane Rose
Every spring during our Annual Giving Drive, we check in with the more than 800 households whose financial support accounts for about 80% of the church's annual budget of $1.6M.
This spring, we are asking our community, including our sustaining givers, to consider an increase to their giving as we head into a year of significant changes - both exciting and uncertain. Thank you - the work of this church would not be possible without the financial support of members and friends.
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First Universalist's Online Services
Highlighted in the Southwest Journal
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"Southwest Religious Services Move Online"
By Becca Most
Sitting in the library of First Universalist Church, Rev. Jen Crow grinned into a camera at the start of the South Uptown church's first virtual service on March 13. The service was held a few hours after Gov. Tim Walz requested faith groups cancel in-person gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak.
"Hey, we're trying this new thing, come on in," Crow said. "Get comfortable, super good that you're here. And just like church, we'll wait for everyone to trickle in and arrive."
A stream of names appeared next to the Facebook Live video as congregation members logged on. Crow greeted her parishioners by name.
"You don't have to find parking, maybe that's one plus, right?" she joked. "You made it in; no snow to tromp through."
First Universalist is one of many religious organizations across Southwest Minneapolis that made the quick shift to online worship over the weekend, with thousands of local residents practicing their faith and staying in touch with their community on Facebook Live, Zoom and other streaming and non-streaming video platforms.
continue reading
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An Invitation for New or Emerging Community Partners
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Have you been leading faithful action work in our community? Are you are interested in leveraging the resources of our congregational community in support of an initiative or organization working toward racial justice? We invite you to explore whether formalizing your faithful action work as a Community Partner would make sense at this time.
The Faithful Action Council at First Universalist Church works with congregants, organizations and church leaders to provide opportunities for church members and friends to act with humility, courage, and compassion as we work for justice. We act on our faith and our commitment to racial justice through partnerships with initiatives and organizations in our greater community, addressing systemic inequity and creating positive change through education, advocacy, direct service, and generosity.
A Community Partnership is a relationship between First Universalist and an organization in our broader community that shares our vision of love and justice. Each Community Partnership is led by a congregant at First Universalist. We work through Community Partnerships in order to share our resources, leverage energy, commitment, and expertise as we live out our commitment to racial justice.
First Universalist currently has six Community Partners: Augsburg Fairview Academy, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, ISAIAH, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, Simpson Housing Services, and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
If you are interested in learning how your work might become a Faithful Action Community Partnership, reach out to Katrina Mitchell, co-chair of the Faithful Action Council by email at
faithfulaction@firstuniv.org
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Cycle of Life and Pastoral Care
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Let Us Keep You in Our Thoughts and Prayers
If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy, please let us know; contact Rev. Ruth MacKenzie at
ruth@firstuniv.org. If you would like support, call the office at 612-825-1701 and follow the prompts for pastoral care on the recording.
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Church Office Hours
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The church office is closed until further notice.
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Contact Us
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Ave. S.,
Minneapolis, MN 55408
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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