Thursday, November 18, 2021
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THIS SUNDAY'S
WORSHIP SERVICE
"The Heart of
Unitarian Universalism"

Rev. Sue Browning
Marilee Taussig, service leader
Gerry Werner, musician

In-Person and Online
Worship Service

November 21, 2021 | 10 am

In times of challenge, do you turn toward your UU faith? Of the core tenets of the UU faith, which speak most directly to you? Do you ever wish you could draw more from your faith? At this service with Rev. Sue Browning we'll reflect on the life-sustaining values inherent in Unitarian Universalism.

So we can begin the worship service promptly at 10 am, please arrive at the sanctuary (if attending in person) or sign into Zoom (click here) by no later than 9:50 am. Thanks!

If not attending the service, please submit "Joys and Concerns" and "Announcements" in advance by emailing them to the UUCR office (click here) by 9 pm Saturday or share them in the Zoom chat. For those at the service, there will now be a stationary mic near the piano where you can come to share your "Joys and Concerns" without touching the mic.
Helpful Links
Upcoming Events
This Week's
Worship Service



Previous Worship Service Recordings

are available on the UUCR YouTube channel


UUCR

NOV 21 | Worship Service
In-Person and Online
Rev. Sue Browning
Marilee Taussig, Service Leader
Gerry Werner, Musician

NOV 21 | CVMA Interfaith
Thanksgiving Service
Live YouTube Event
(see details below)

NOV 25 | Thanksgiving

NOV 28 | Worship Service
Prerecorded YouTube ONLY
Rev. Sue Browning
and other service leaders

DEC 05 | Worship Service
In-Person and Online
Rev. Sue Browning
Vida Morley, Service Leader
Al Martinez, Musician

If you know of another link or event that should be added, please contact
the UUCR office by email or phone 410-778-3440. Thanks!
Upcoming Services
Sunday, November 28Prerecorded YouTube Channel ONLY

"A Season of Gratitude, Our Annual Bread Communion Service"

Why do experiences of sharing matter? What does sharing teach us? Please join Rev. Sue Browning and other service leaders for an intergenerational Thanksgiving service where we will share through story, song, and the ritual of Unitarian Universalist bread communion. 

This will be a service recorded in advance and offered on UUCR's YouTube Channel ONLY!

  • Rev. Sue Browning
  • other service leaders
Updated
UUCR Covid-19 Guidelines (11/17/21)
When Inside
  • A tight, well-fitting mask must be worn at all times covering both the mouth and nose. This will apply to speakers and congregants.
  • All persons must sign in by putting a check next to their name on the attendance sheet upon entering the church. This is important and there are no exceptions. This information will be used for Contact Tracing in the unlikely event that an attendee or someone close to the attendee is exposed to the virus.
  • The sound system will be used in such a manner as to allow for "Joys and Concerns" without touching the mic. Also, a brief discussion period, using the same mic, will follow the service. A stationary mic will be available near the piano to facilitate the foregoing.
  • Live instrumental music may be played by masked musicians. Musicians may sing with their masks on. Music selections should not be recognizable songs that would encourage spontaneous singing within the congregation.
  • Restrooms may be used. (Please clean up after use.)
  • Food may not be served inside or outside of the church.
  • Social distancing of four feet is required between chairs. Please do not group chairs together.
  • There is no current limit on participation; however, there will be a limited number of chairs due to the required social distancing guidelines. The service will be Live Zoomed for those who cannot attend.
  • Only use the church if you are non-symptomatic for the Covid-19 virus or any other transmittable disease that could compromise the health of another congregant.
  • Hymnals will not be available. (They will be removed and stored).
  • There are no plans for the nursery, childcare, or children’s programs at this time.
  • Heavily used items, such as doorknobs, etc., will be wiped with a sanitizing agent prior to the service.
  • Please avoid using the office if at all possible.
  • At the end of the service, please leave the building promptly. Socializing can be done outside on the porch or in the parking lot.
  • No collection plates will be passed among members. The collection plate will be located on the table in the reception area of the church for your convenience.

When Outside
  • Socializing after the service must be done outside. Please bring your own coffee or other beverage. The church will not supply coffee.
  • While outside of the church a mask is optional. We, however, do encourage everyone to maintain social distancing. Many people have reasons for continuing to wear a mask even if vaccinated. If you prefer to wear a mask please do so, and if you see someone else with a mask on (they have their own reasons) please offer to wear yours.
Minister's Column
In Gratitude and Grace

Every day I easily name a few things that I am grateful for. From the sunrise, to my morning coffee, to a text from a friend. Often what I notice are bits of life that are pleasant. 
 
I sense we often do well at naming what we are grateful for and then moving on with our day. Those sincere moments of gratitude that we’ve taken the time to name are often overshadowed by life’s deeper challenges.
 
In her book, We Gather Together author Denise Kiernan shares, “In the midst of strife and suffering, when violence and hatred seem to dominate the news of the day, finding blessings, however big or small, can feel like an insurmountable, even Pollyanna, task.”
 
Kiernan goes on to remind us of the importance of keeping gratitude at the forefront. On living in challenging times she notes, “But it is precisely in those moments that seeking reasons to be grateful is most important, and, as modern neuroscientific evidence continues to support, even healing and curative. Giving thanks when there seems little to be thankful for can offer moments of unity among division …”
 
Many of today’s challenges are about deep division. Kiernan offers that gratitude can serve as a bridge … a path to potentially strengthening connections.
 
As we enter this Thanksgiving week, let's intentionally hold onto those moments of morning gratitude for just a little longer. As we express gratitude, we might more deeply appreciate the grace around us. As we share gratitude, we might more deeply feel the many blessings encircling us. And in doing so, while life's challenges are unlikely to be erased, maybe they'll be seen with a fresh perspective and maybe even with fresh hope.  
 
Wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving,
 
In care and connection,
Rev. Sue
If you don't see "END of REFLECTIONS for November 18, 2021" at the very end of this email, you're not seeing the entire email. To view it to the end please Click here
News from the Board

Our long-serving and terrific Treasurer, Tom Tontarski, has asked to step down effective December 14, 2021. We are grateful for Tom’s seven and a half years in this important position, staying on beyond term limits when we had no one willing to fill the position. Tom has been an excellent steward of UUCR’s finances and investments. We on the board will miss his detailed reports and dry wit. Tom will remain on the Finance Committee, for which we are grateful. Thank you, Tom! The board has appointed Terry Goldzier to fill the Treasurer’s position until the next election of officers in May 2022. Terry has experience in bookkeeping and has worked with QuickBooks accounting software for fifteen years. She also served for nine years as Treasurer for the Ethical Culture Society in Boston. Welcome, Terry, and thank you for your willingness to take on this position!

We also want to extend a very big “Thank You” to Carl Gallegos for revising and printing the UUCR Memorial Woodlands Tree Manual and for donating 50 copies to our congregation. The
Memorial Service held on October 31st was a lovely and meaningful service. We are grateful to Kevin Brien, Carl Gallegos, and Diane Shields for making the Memorial Garden and Woodlands a reality.

I am also very excited that our hard-working Leadership Development Team has helped put together a fundraising task force for UUCR this year. Spearheaded by Amy Warner, four
(possibly more) members have agreed to work on a return of our Service Auction in February 2022, as well as an additional fundraising event sometime this year. Many thanks to Lynn
Dolinger, Gerry Edwards, Jane Hardy, and Mary Pritchard for sharing their talents and time on behalf of UUCR. If you would like to help with the Auction or other event, please contact any of the above task force members. They will certainly need more help on event days.

Nancy Holland
Board President
Live Online YouTube Event
The Chester Valley Ministers Association assembled voices of hope and faith from all around our community to give thanks. This year, our theme is "Gratitude in Uncertain Times." We pray these readings, prayers, songs, and reflections speak honestly to the troubles in our world, and spark hope and imagination to continue our path together toward peace and justice. Special thanks to Rev. Sue Browning for coordinating this year's worship.

Live YouTube service on Sunday, November 21 from 6:30 - 7 PM.
What Are You Thankful
For This Year?
Since next week's Reflections falls on Thanksgiving Day, we'd like to offer you the opportunity to share a sentence or two on what you are thankful for this year and we'll publish them on that day. Please submit what you're thankful for to the UUCR office email (click here) by Wednesday, November 24 at noon.
Thanks from Linda Weimer
I want to thank the UU members and friends who helped me in several ways to recover from knee replacement surgery on Oct. 19. Administrator Darlene went beyond her normal service hours with a clothing delivery to a Dover rehab hospital, and Nancy Holland organized drivers so I could get local physical therapy after release. So, thanks to Terri, Vida, Lynn G., Diane, and anyone else who pitched in. I'm on my own now, driving included, and pain-free. The UU assistance also made this a much less lonely experience. Thanks again.
The Sharing Box
There's a new wooden box, with this display, on the "Joys and Concerns" table in the foyer. "The Sharing Box" is a place to share all things related to UUCR and we'd really appreciate your input! There are several ways to submit your input — fill out a message at the box, bring something prewritten, send it by USPS, or email it to the UUCR office. Please note in your message that it is for "The Sharing Box" and all submissions will be deposited into the box. You can remain anonymous if you prefer.
Member Request
Larry and Connie Schroth are looking for a car to use for a month or so. She had an accident in mid-September and is not getting quick and helpful responses from the insurance people, the car repair guy, the supply chain. They estimate at least a 3 month delay.
Social Concerns/Social Justice Committee
Holiday Sharing
Returns

As we kick off our Outreach Collections program for the church year, we are pleased to offer our Members and Friends the opportunity to support our community's most vulnerable families during the holidays. Once again we are working with Kent and Queen Anne's Counties' Department of Social Services to provide personalized gifts and gift cards. We have been matched with a family of six, which includes a mother and five children ranging in age from 2 - 17 years. If you want to provide a gift, please sign the list in the church lobby, which provides gift suggestions. Gifts will need to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 19, wrapped and labeled to specify the recipient. If you can't get to church and want to sign up for a gift, please contact me. In addition, you can donate funds (before December 19) which will help us provide gift cards or buy additional gifts. You can contribute by bringing, or sending, a check to the church office, made out to UUCR specifying "Holiday Sharing" in the memo line, or you can donate online at the church website using the "Donate" button (click hereand "Custom Amount," specifying "Holiday Sharing" in the comment section. If you have any questions, please contact Lynn Dolinger, lynn.thirdwish@gmail.com or call 215-872-5773.
Leadership Development Committee
Your “No” is as Sacred as “Yes”

As MQ, Diane, and I were first meeting to determine the LDC’s mission and goals for our committee, MQ said something that has stuck with me — a foundation of our mission must be that we accept that any person’s “no” is sacred. It took a little mental processing on my part to understand what that meant, but I’ve come to realize that there is a multitude of reasons anyone can say “no” to a request to serve on a committee, take a leadership role, or help out with a task at church. And that we as a committee must hold that prerogative as a sacred and respected right.

As I’ve been making calls to members and friends about leadership and committee roles these last few months, I must say that I’m delighted when I hear “yes,” because I know that this person is willing to take on a task or make a commitment that will meet a need UUCR has right now. Truthfully, I’m also a bit relieved to fill a spot! Considering the LDC’s mission more deeply, we hope that with each new role taken on, that person’s connection to others in the church will be strengthened and their spiritual connection to UUCR will deepen as well. However, at the same time, I’ve heard some “no’s,” and as I listen I remember, “Your no is as sacred as yes,” and I know that the “no” does not diminish in any way that person’s cherished presence in our beloved community.

Amy Warner
Pastoral Care and Connection
You are encouraged to share your joys and sorrows with the UUCR Pastoral Associates (see below). This team is a mixed group — but all have had previous life experiences and a variety of professional training in counseling and philosophy. Please contact one, or several of us, if you “want to talk.”

For your information, The Washington Post of November 9, 2020, had an interesting article (link here) on coping with love and loss by Zibby Owens entitled — "After losing two loved ones to covid-19, I turned to books. Here are 15 titles that helped me cope." Included in the list is Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself by our First Lady Jill Biden. Another book Vida feels is worth examining (not on the list) is by UUCR member Marilee Taussig entitled — Old Enough: Making the Years Between 50 and 75 the Best Chapter of Your Life.

Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
Birthdays
NOVEMBER

*6 - Carl Gallegos
13 - Rev. Sue Browning
18 - Jan Brandon
20 - Tim Ford
21 - Sara Warner
24 - Diane Shields
We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact the UUCR office by email (click here).
Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River 914 Gateway Drive | Chestertown, MD | 21620
Phone: 410-778-3440
END of REFLECTIONS for November 18, 2021