As Rev. Jen Crow shared in her words of welcome during worship at Minnehaha Park last Sunday, so much is changing—something is almost always new and different—week to week, isn't it? Especially with worship these last few weeks, as we've taken advantage of opportunities to meet for worship outdoors at local parks, switching up service times, locations, and the timing of online access.

This Sunday—and until we reopen for in-person worship later this fall—we will be live-streaming a single multigenerational worship service at 10:30 a.m., as we center the needs of our families with youth in grades 7 through 12. Registered youth in these grades begin Religious Education classes in person and in the church building this Sunday, with sessions at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.!

The 10:30 a.m. service will be live-streamed on Zoom and YouTube Live from our newly-renovated Sanctuary using a temporary set up as we await the delivery and installation of our new cameras, projectors, speaker system, and professional live-streaming equipment that were funded by Phase 2 of our capital campaign and building project. This system will allow us to offer a high quality live-stream from church every Sunday, and we look forward to continued connection to those who are joining us from outside of the Twin Cities as we transition to a multi-platform worship experience.

It is our hope to welcome everyone who wishes to join us into the church building for worship at 9 and 11 a.m. beginning Sunday, Nov. 7. Once we transition to being fully open on Sunday mornings, we'll adjust the time of our live-streamed service once again. In the mean time, please continue to join us on Zoom—at 10:30 a.m.—and read more about this coming Sunday's service below!

Join us for a midweek worship experience for adults and older youth. This 30-minute service is a brief time of connection, centering, and reflection to help us find and keep our balance.

Connect to the live stream on Wednesday, Sept. 29 between 6:55 and 7 p.m.: Enter the Wednesday Zoom webinar here. (webinar ID: 117-312-320). To join by phone (audio only), dial 1-312-626-6799 and enter the webinar ID.

Post-service Care Companions space (7:30 p.m.): Join the Zoom gathering here.

We hold Denise Konen in our hearts as she recovers from a surgery to help stabilize and heal her arm which she broke in an accident earlier last week. She appreciates our messages of care and support, and we send healing thoughts and hopes for a quick and easy recovery.

We hold Trina Joyce in our hearts as she mourns the death of her mother Catherine Joyce who died on August 31 at the age of 94. Trina gets her love of horses from her mother and she misses her terribly. Trina welcomes our cards and well wishes and we hold her and her family in our love in this challenging and difficult time.

Our hearts are with Nora Whiteman as she mourns the death of her mother, Mary Claire Morris Whiteman who passed away August 15, 2021 from dementia in Minneapolis at 93 years old. Mary was known for her kind and generous heart and her respect for everyone’s own journey in life. Nora welcomes your messages of care and support during this time.

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.

This month, we will explore what it means to live in this present moment, when the waters are held back through no intention of our own and as we continue to hold back the waters for each other. Patience, resilience, doing what we can with what we have, and caring for each other and those most at risk of harm will continue to be our guides as we strengthen our spirits through story and song, joy and lament, moving together wherever we are in the shared rhythm of community. Learn more about our September worship theme, "When the Waters are Held Back," here on our website.

Worship leaders: Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder, Lauren Wyeth, and Revs. Arif Mamdani and Jen Crow

This year, on what is traditionally the Sunday we would celebrate Water Communion, something was notably absent: a Water Communion ritual. While Minnehaha Falls could be heard and sensed just nearby, we could not totally mimic its joyful return. It has been a summer of drought. The Delta variant is making plans to come together again difficult—or impossible. And in our faith community specifically, our building construction project experienced delays. There is so much that we would like to be doing, and so many places we would like to be together. But in a year when the river is a trickle and rain is rare, we are still held by sturdy banks on either side of us. In the river bed, stones, big rocks even, are revealed that may help us find our next step or a place to rest while we wait. 

Watch Sunday's service on YouTube, or listen to the worship podcast on Podbean or Spotify. Follow along with worship in Sunday's Order of Service.

A memorial service for Ada Jeanette Miller will be held in-person and on Zoom on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary, with a reception to follow. All are welcome and all in attendance are required to wear a mask and encouraged to social distance while in the building. Mother of Byron Miller, mother-in-law of Jennifer Weiss, grandmother of Marissa Miller-Weiss and long-time friend of the church, Jeanette died peacefully on June 18, 2020. Rev. Arif Mamdani and Rabbi Ed Rothman will lead the service. Stream the service on Zoom here (Webinar ID: 862 5184 7682; Passcode: 080822).

Peter May, beloved husband, father, brother, grandpa, friend, and member of this church community passed away on July 14, 2021, following a months-long illness with cancer and then a stroke. Please join family and friends to celebrate his life with memories and laughter. Join us on Zoom or in-person on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. for a memorial service in the sanctuary, with a reception to follow in the social hall. Masks are required and social distancing is encouraged in the church building. Stream the service on Zoom here (Webinar ID: 838 4068 3401; Passcode: 888177).

Learn more and find registration information on our website.

Find ways to get involved with our Faithful Action Community Partners in our September Faithful Action Newsletter. This newsletter contains opportunities to connect through volunteering, donating, advocating, and learning. Our Faithful Action Community Partners are community organizations that share our vision of love and justice. We work through Faithful Action Community Partnerships in order to leverage our energy, commitment and expertise. You can find more information about our Faithful Action Community Partnerships on our website.

Wanting to connect with other young adults (20s and 30s), but unsure of how to do so as COVID continues to change? Feeling a little lost as you decide what might feel best on a given day: social time? alone time? screen time? face to face time? Cool! We’re right there with you! So let’s talk about it!

Young Adults will gather at Minnehaha Park (meet near the bike racks by Sea Salt) on Sunday, Sept. 26 from 12–1:30 p.m. for conversation, food, and fun. We’ll discuss how we’re all navigating this time: what ways of connection feel both energy-giving for our spirits and healthy for our bodies? How might we want to be together as a group in the future? We’ll follow recommendations as given by CDC, MDH, and First U surrounding masking, distancing, etc. In addition, please let us know what additional guidelines or practices will help you feel most comfortable.

RSVP to Angela Bowles Edwards (angelambedwards@gmail.com).

In a season where we have experienced so much and such complicated grief and loss, gathering with a group for support and companionship is so important. Tangled Blessings is a monthly grief group where participants are invited to bring their whole selves and whatever grief they may be carrying. Through sharing, silence, ritual, and reflection, we will offer each other support and companionship. The group meets online, one Sunday per month. You are welcome to attend one or all of the sessions. To receive the Zoom information, please RSVP to Rev. Karen Hutt - revkarenhutt@gmail.com

Future dates for Tangled Blessings gatherings are Sundays, Oct. 24, Nov. 21, Dec. 19, Jan. 16, Feb. 20, March 20, April 17, and May 15 from 4–5:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Reconnect with UU friends (kids welcome!) at our fourth backyard potluck at the

Richfield home of Carol and Liz. Relax and enjoy a variety of yummy plant-based

dishes with UU friends, new and old. Then see a short demo of ways to reduce food

waste in this season of plenty (think trimming a pineapple with Bob Friedman at the

knife!). Bring your questions or tips about storing or preserving your favorite

veggies. Sponsored by First U’s Environmental Justice “Food Solutions” team, part

of a fast-growing movement of Americans (now 30 percent) eating less meat and

more plant foods to reduce climate warming and improve animal and human health.

For directions, RSVP here by September 26.

What do "abolition" and "defunding the police" mean in the context of our personal and faith values? What can we learn from the experience and expertise of Black feminists and others who understand the impact of policing and mass incarceration and are creating and imagining a world of care and transformative justice that brings safety and freedom for everyone? Join us in this five-week circle to reflect on the wisdom of long-time abolitionists and those exploring ways to create communities and institutions that support the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of every person.

Legacy Circles are open to seniors who have completed writing their legacy stories or who plan to finish them before mid-November. 

This Legacy Circle will be led by Ben Cooper and Ray Dillon, meeting from 10 to 11:45 a.m. every other Wednesday beginning Oct. 6, and continuing Oct. 20, Nov. 3, Nov. 17, Dec. 1, and Dec. 15. Sign up for the Wednesday Legacy Circle here.

The circle will close when it reaches twelve participants, so register soon! If you have any questions or concerns, contact church member Ray Dillon at 612-759-5295 or dillonrueter@usinternet.com for more details.

If you are interested in writing your own legacy story, you can contact Hal Schroer (halschroer@gmail.com) or Ray Dillon (dillonrueter@usinternet.com) for some helpful materials and questions to get you started. 

Women (cis and trans) as well as non-binary folks who find their home in women-centric spaces who are interested in earth-based and pagan spirituality are invited to the upcoming open rituals of the Under Northern Skies Women’s Ritual Circle. The circle is open to newcomers on Wednesday, Oct. 6 and Wednesday, Oct. 20. For people who choose to join the circle, there will be a commitment ritual on Thursday, Nov. 4, after which the circle will close to new members until fall of 2022. The circle currently holds rituals via Zoom, beginning promptly at 7:30 p.m. and meeting for about an hour. Contact Beth at belovedporcupine@gmail.com for more information and Zoom information if you would like to attend.

Reacquaint yourself with poets you love and discover other poets who are new to you while connecting with fellow Poetry Lovers at church. Most of our time is devoted to reading aloud and discussing works by the featured poet. Discussions tend to focus on what resonates with us rather than on academic analysis. Poets range from a variety of styles, eras, and origins. Come for one, some, or all months. Register for the Poetry Lovers group here to get more information about the gathering location and/or platform. You can find more information about the monthly poet and/or genre on our website.

Poetry Lovers meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, October through May, except for January. Meeting dates are: Thursdays, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 2, Feb. 3, March 3, April 7, and May 5. In lieu of a specific topic, for the October meeting each attendee is invited to bring a favorite poem to share.

Facilitators: Carol Flint, Valerie Garber, and Patty Park

Knitters and crocheters of any ability are invited to join other knitters for this drop-in group on the third Tuesday of each month, starting on Tuesday, Oct.19 at 7 p.m. Bring your current project to work on! If you’re in between projects, directions for charitable projects like Hats for the Homeless (hats) and the Mother Bear Project (teddy bears) are available. We hope to start off with meeting in person and then gather on Zoom for the icy winter months. Contact Valerie Garber at 651-295-7611 with any questions and for the upcoming meeting information.

Unitarian Universalists from MN tell their stories of resistance to line 3, This event is part of a series from Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL) of faith-based voices against Line 3. More information, including Zoom information and information about speakers, will come in next week's Liberal.

Thinking your next vehicle needs to be electric, or possibly a plugin-hybrid? Not sure where to start? Your First U environmental justice team has identified the perfect opportunity to find answers to your questions!

Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021

11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Oak Grove Prebyterian Church in Bloomington

2200 W Old Shakopee Road

Over 20 electric car owners will have their vehicles on hand and answers to many of your questions. Short presentations on charging networks, which electric vehicle (EV) fits your lifestyle, why buy electric now, utility programs and rebates. Come see other e-transport options: electric bikes, e-scooters, and an EV transit van. Test drives available for some of the latest EV models.

The First U environmental justice team is planning our very own Spring 2022 EV symposium and wants to know who in our congregation owns, or is planning to purchase, an electric vehicle. Please share information in this form.

The care team at First Universalist is here to help in a whole lot of ways—from phone calls to say we’re thinking about you to a listening ear when you need someone to accompany you through whatever’s happening in your life. COVID-19 has changed some of the ways we provide care, but there is a lot we’re still doing. Here is one of the ways we’re here to provide support:

We Care Care Companions

Care Companions are members of the congregation who’ve been oriented toward the art and practice listening with a caring and confidential ear, and a loving and kind heart. We call and check-in on folks in the congregation and are here to accompany you longer term if you’re living with a chronic illness or could use some ongoing support. To connect with a Care Companion (or to become one), contact karen@firstuniv.org. T access any of our other caring resources, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org 

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. 

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 be? 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 - If you or someone you know at church would welcome a meal to help them through a difficult time, loss, illness or injury — and having someone else do the cooking for a bit would help —please let us know. Contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org.

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. We have financial resources available. Please contact a minister/staff member. 

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. 

Counseling - The Walk In Counseling Center offers free counseling by phone or computer. Find out how to “walk in” on their website.