Greetings!
We hope you'll join us for two Christmas Eve services today at 4 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. - or tune in at a later time that works for you. Both are being live streamed at their traditional times, with recordings available afterwards, but this year adapted for the virtual world of course!
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Thursday, Dec. 24 at 4 p.m.
First, we'll rebroadcast our beloved annual Christmas Pageant at 4 p.m. on YouTube Live, and the recording will be available to watch at any time after that.
Our pageant has been adapted for the small screen this year with creativity, humor, and extra layers of meaning to remind you of what matters most in this extraordinary season, as 2020 draws to a close.
Our original broadcast this past Sunday had some technical issues which are fixed for the rebroadcast, including Aimee K. Bryant's fabulous rendition of the Sister Act 2 version of "Joyful Joyful." In fact, we've uploaded it as a standalone video for you to watch (again) here. If you didn't see it on Sunday, consider this a sneak preview!
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CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE |
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Thursday, Dec. 24 at 9:30 p.m.
This evening at 9:30 p.m., we’ll offer our Christmas Eve Candlelight service with Rev. Justin and Rev. Arif, blending readings, songs, and elements typically found in our Solstice Ritual along with some of the more traditional Christmas Eve readings and songs.
- Dial in for audio only: 312-626-6799 (Webinar ID: 878 4559 9414).
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This service will also be streamed to YouTube Live.
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MULTIGENERATIONAL WORSHIP |
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Sunday, Dec. 27, 10 a.m.
"How Shall We End This Year? And What Comes Next?"
Rev. Arif Mamdani
On Dec. 27, we will gather for our last service of 2020. In a year that has seen so much, how we gather, how we mark this passing, is not as clear-cut as it may have been in other less tumultuous years.
Back in the spring, almost a year ago now, I asked “what is the story that we want to be able to tell about this time?” I invited us then to imagine ourselves into a future where we’d be sharing the story of this pandemic with young ones who hadn’t lived through it or were too young to recall. This was before George Floyd was murdered, before the cities across our nation and around the world rose up in a cry for justice that is still reverberating, before it became evident that Line 3 was going to be a significant fight, before our president would make numerous attempts to destroy our democracy and we would wonder (we are still wondering) if we’d have a peaceful transition of power or if we would need to be in our streets defending our democracy. And in the background of all this, the drumbeat of loss, and loss, and loss that has been a constant refrain of 2020.
It has been a year. And so, when we gather as a community on the 27th, let’s gather with this question in mind: “How shall we end this year? And what comes next?” And when we gather, let's see how we answer it, together.
WATCH
Connect to our live streamed worship between 9:55 and 10 a.m.:
ORDER OF SERVICE
- Details about elements of the service
- Zoom info for post-worship gatherings
- extra resources and more!
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POST-WORSHIP HAPPENINGS (DEC. 27)
~11 a.m. Care Companions Space
If you find yourself wanting to talk with someone about what is stirring for you on a Sunday morning, please speak with one of our care companions in a confidential breakout room after the service. You can join here.
~11:15 a.m. Sunday Small Groups and Fellowship Hour
Small groups and fellowship hours now funnel through one zoom space. Join here.
- Six-Week Sunday Small Groups (final session; pre-registration required)
- BIPOC/Multiracial Fellowship Hour
- All-Identities Fellowship Hour
- Eulogy writing in Community
NO Religious Education Classes this Sunday
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WEDNESDAY EVENING WORSHIP
***Please note: there will be NO Wednesday worship on Dec. 30; this service will resume in the new year on Jan. 6.***
This midweek worship experience for adults and older youth is a brief time (20-30 minutes) of connection, centering, and reflection, to help us find and keep our balance during this time of pandemic and physical distancing.
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Sunday Service Recording & Podcast |
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Sunday, Dec. 20 Christmas Pageant
A long time ago (but it could have been yesterday), in a town called Bethlehem (but it could have been Minneapolis), a baby named Jesus - a redeemer - was born (it could have been a grandchild, or a stranger, or you or me).
In this adaptation of the traditional Christmas story, First Universalist children, youth, families, Choir, and staff come together to share the good news: that each child is a redeemer in their own right, and the divine is within all of us. They weave story, song, and drama to create a joyful, sweet, and heartfelt service that folks of all ages will enjoy.
The Pageant will be rebroadcast on Dec. 24 at 4 p.m. and the recording will become available on our YouTube channel after that finishes at about 5 p.m. The podcast will also be made available after the rebroadcast - look for that here.
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Cycle of Life & Prayer in Sunday Worship |
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If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, or if you would like support, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.
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Invitation to Create a Brief Video Eulogy
for our Jan. 10 Remembrance Sunday
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Every year in our Remembrance Sunday service, we recognize the losses we’ve experienced in the previous year, and in this Remembrance Sunday, we name the reality of grief, impermanence, and love in our lives. In this season of complicated grief and mourning, if you are struggling, we are here for you, please reach out. You can contact any of the ministers or call the care line at 612.825.1701.
When we gather in person, we normally invite you to share a few words about the one(s) you’ve lost. While we can’t do this in person this year, we can do it virtually, and you’re invited to submit a brief, 30-second video, eulogizing the one(s) you’ve lost.
If you’d like to create a video, here’s our recommendation for how you might engage this: if you are able, take an hour to sit with the loss(es) you’ve experienced, to feel the fullness of it - the weight, grief, gratitude, love, and complexity that accompanies this loss. Let this experience fill you up and speak to you. Write down what comes to you - what was joyful and good about this relationship, what was difficult, what you will miss beyond words. Then, before you record anything, write down three sentences. In the first sentence, share your name and name your loss. In the second sentence, share something about your relationship with the person you’ve lost. In the third and final sentence, share what is true for you right now, and/or how you will remember the one(s) you’ve lost.
For example, “My name is ___; this past year I lost my father, (your father’s name). We had a complicated relationship. I miss him.”
“My name is ____; this past year I lost my uncle, (your uncle’s name). He taught me how to make homemade pasta. I carry his memory forward by teaching others how to make homemade pasta.”
“My name is ____; this past year I lost a dear friend, (your friend’s name). They knew my heart as well as anyone. I will continue to love and dance wildly in honor of them.”
If you make a video, please know that this service will be recorded and available publicly on YouTube.
For those who would appreciate doing this in community, we’ll gather on zoom on Sunday, Dec. 27 after the service to sit together and write our eulogies in a community of support. Our zoom room will be one of the post-service fellowship options. This space can be accessed here after worship on Sunday, Dec. 27.
Ways you can record your video:
- Smartphone (please use front facing camera, not selfie camera)
- Zoom
- Quicktime
Requests/tips:
- Please record horizontally (landscape) if recording on a smartphone
- Keep phone steady/use a tripod (you can google how to make a quick phone tripod with cardboard!)
- Look at the camera lens (don’t watch yourself talk)
- Church staff can trim videos, so don't worry about set up time at the start/finish
- Speak audibly and clearly
Submission:
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Submitted by Velma Wagner for the Food Solutions Task Force of the Environmental Justice Committee
Honor the earth this holiday by serving a few meat-free, plant-based dishes. Choosing plant foods helps prevent global warming, and it improves our health.
At www.nutmegnotebook.com there are yummy recipes for lentil loaf, Shepard’s pie, roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry chutney and more.
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Additional Update on Phase 2 Renovations |
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In the Dec. 3 Liberal, we shared a video tour of the completed Phase 1 of our building renovations and announced that our Board of Trustees has approved moving ahead with Phase 2.
We know that many of you have already had a chance to watch the video tour of Phase 1 construction, which has transformed our education and admin wing. In addition to her ministerial abilities, Rev. Jen Crow is a darn good tour guide! If you missed it, you can watch the video here.
While the Board has approved Phase 2 construction and funding, it's important to note that we are first entering into a second planning process and that the actual construction won’t start until April 2021. There are some components of this work that are “starting immediately,” including hiring an architect, identifying funding, securing our contractor, and going back into design development for Phase 2, but the actual renovation and construction won't start for some time.
Rev. Jen Crow, along with the architect and Building Committee, will meet with the congregation once Rev. Jen is back from sabbatical (she returns on Jan. 15, 2021). During these meetings, the team will share ideas and solicit more feedback before going forward. This is an exciting time in the life of our faith community. We've adjusted and responded to the realities of a global pandemic, have completed Phase 1 of this project, and are moving with strength and clarity into Phase 2. Thank you for your support and engagement - Together, we are creating a more welcoming and inclusive space!
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Virtual Meetings & Gatherings |
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A Call to Faith in Turbulent Times |
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Tuesdays, Jan. 12, 19, Feb. 2 & 9, 4–6 p.m. on Zoom
In a season of transition and change, join Rev. Justin for a series that invites us to explore the spiritual practices of vision, love, imagination, and relationship in action.
Many Unitarian Universalists and other people of faith are challenged by this moment in our nation’s history. The actions of political leaders raise large moral questions that compel many of us to explore what our faith commitments and values require of us. We have learned that it is crucial to stay informed, yet information comes at us from every direction and not all sources are reliable. We are being asked by others to contact legislators, attend meetings, join in protests, have political conversations with friends and acquaintances, in some cases to take public action for the first time ever. Many turn to our congregations and faith communities for help to clarify how our values call us to respond and to strengthen us to act.
This online four-session program, which takes place on Tuesdays, Jan. 12, 19, Feb. 2 and 9 from 4 to 6 p.m., will be facilitated by Rev. Justin Schroeder.
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Sunday Small Groups Begin Jan. 24
Registration Open Through Jan. 10
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Six Week Sunday Small Groups are a chance to gather (virtually) with others to share what's stirring for you on a Sunday morning, to listen generously to each others' stories and reflections, and to find ourselves, our questions—and perhaps an invitation—within the sacred texts. No fixing, no saving, no advising, no setting each other straight, just the simple act of offering care when others are speaking, and receiving care when it’s our turn to talk. Most of all, they are a chance to create and build together a space where all can be authentic in community.
UPDATE: The next round of small groups will begin meeting on zoom on Sunday, Jan. 24 after the worship service. Groups meet weekly on Sundays, 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., for six weeks (through Feb. 21). Registration for this round of small groups will be open until Jan. 10. Find more information, details, FAQs and answers on our website.
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Newcomer Circle Registration Open
Updated Dates & Times!
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Newcomer Circles are four-session gatherings of 6–8 participants who are new-ish to First Universalist. If you’ve been joining us for worship, participating in small groups or other gatherings for a few months and would like to deepen your connection to the church and meet others who are also early in their journey with the congregation, this is a great way to do so.
(If you’re brand new to us or testing the waters, we invite you to first attend First Step—a brief orientation offered every first and third Sunday of the month—drop into our post-worship fellowship hours, or sign up for a Sunday Small Group (see above).)
Upcoming Newcomers Circles, which were to begin in early January, have been rescheduled will now take place on Zoom at the following times:
Mondays, Feb. 15, 22, March 1, and 8; 7–8:30 p.m. w/ George Dow and Phillip Muessig
Sundays, March 7, 14, 21, 28; 12:30–2 p.m. w/ Channing McKinley and Emily Wallace
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UUs in 12-Step Recovery
Every other Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Dec. 27, Jan. 10 & 24)
Every other Tuesday, 7–8 p.m. (Jan. 5 & 19)
Join us for this weekly drop-in group for UUs in 12-step based recovery from all kinds of addiction and family dysfunction, to build community at church and add a layer of support. We'll join in a time of silent meditation, explore a topic, and share our experience, strength and hope. Participation is confidential. Join us via Zoom here. (Meeting ID: 922 6965 4151 Passcode: 839388) For more information reach out to Dick Young at 952-893-1188.
First Sunday Meditation Group
First Sunday of the month, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Jan. 3)
Join this monthly congregant-led group for silent meditation on Zoom. After 20 minutes of sitting together in silence we share how our practices are helping us through these difficult times. The Zoom space opens at 11:15 a.m. to provide time to connect. Meditation starts at 11:30 a.m. Join via Zoom here. Meeting ID: 932 5053 7134 Passcode: 459991
Weekly Meditation Group
Tuesdays, 9–10:15 a.m.
The Weekly Meditation Group is meeting by Zoom Tuesdays from 9-10:15 with an extended learning session once a month. Our time together contains seated meditation, walking meditation and sharing. Contact Martha Easter-Wells at mm3second@aol.com for Zoom information.
Single Parents Gathering
Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Single Parents Gathering with Rev. Sara Smalley - Parents/guardians who are single and/or co-parenting gather for mutual support and spiritual sustenance. Email Sara to be connected to the group at smalley.sara@gmail.com.
Young Adults Group
Third Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Connect with fellow First U young adults (20s & 30s). Join via Zoom here. (Meeting ID: 992 3538 3974; Passcode: 125529)
Association of Universalist Women Happy Hour
Thursdays, 5-6:30 p.m. (weekly)
AUW members are staying connected via a weekly Zoom "Happy Hour."
Meeting ID: 834 7301 7986. Password: 557571 Join here
Parents of Babies and Preschoolers (ages 0-4 years)
Parents/guardians of little ones gather with Lauren for mutual support and spiritual sustenance. Email Lauren at lauren@firstuniv.org to be connected to the group.
12 Step Spirituality
Saturdays, 9:30 a.m., weekly through the end of December
All people in or interested in 12 steps are welcome, this includes Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, CODA, etc. The workshop includes meditation, Centering Prayer meditation instructions, a short talk and small groups. Meeting details available at 12stepspirituality.org
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Spiritual Care - Your ministers and program staff are here for one-on-one confidential conversations of support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us to connect.
Counseling - The Walk In Counseling Center offers free counseling by phone or computer. Find out how to “walk in” here.
Cycle of Life - Every Sunday we name the challenges and joys that we are experiencing. If you have experienced a loss, are living with a new or ongoing health concern, are celebrating a transition, or would like us to name your joy or sorrow in worship on Sunday, please let Rev. Arif know (arif@firstuniv.org)
Grief Kits - Have you or someone else you know in our congregation lost a loved one? Please let Rev. Karen (revkarenhutt@gmail.com) know so that a package full of love and support can be delivered to your home.
Love Kits - Are you or someone you love ill? Is your family struggling? Do you live alone or feel isolated? Do you know someone else from church who might answer yes to any of these questions? If so, please let Rev. Karen (revkarenhutt@gmail.com) know so that a package full of love and support can be delivered to your home.
Meal Trains - Sometimes receiving a meal one time or over the course of a couple of weeks can be just the thing to lighten the load and remind us that we are loved. If you or someone you know at church would welcome a meal to help them through a difficult time, or if you or your family have experienced a loss or are living with an illness or injury and having someone else do the cooking for a bit would help, please let us know. You can contact Rev. Jen or Rev. Karen, or contact our Congregational Care Coordinators, Nick (nicholasnier@gmail.com) and Julia (jskow@fastmail.com) directly.
Minister’s Emergency Fund - For many of us, these are difficult financial times. If you need help with a car repair bill, making rent, a doctor’s bill, groceries, gas, a mortgage payment, affording your medication, a bus card, or any other financial situation - please be in touch with any staff member. We have financial resources available, and we can get a confidential check to you quickly. Please contact any of the ministers on staff.
Mental Health Connect - www.mhconnect.org - Need help finding a therapist? Want to learn more about particular mental health conditions and resources? Check out Mental Health Connect, a local organization supported by congregations like ours, that provides community-based resources, support and education to improve access to mental health services and connect individuals and families with the services they need.
Mental Health Navigators - If you are trying to access therapy or counseling services, navigate the insurance system, speak to a financial counselor, connect with housing services, or support loved ones with mental illness, a Mental Health Navigator can help. They journey alongside you to help remove barriers and complexity so that you can gain access to the right providers and resources for your unique situation. Navigation and follow-up services are free, confidential, and tailored to your situation. Learn more here: What Is a Mental Health Navigator? And get started here.
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