UUCSC News and Updates
Weekly on Fridays
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County, RI
All are welcome!
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This Sunday, December 19, 2021 |
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10:00 AM In-person
"Reflections on the Dance of Light and Darkness"
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"Reflections on the Dance of Light and Darkness"
Lee Cowan and Johnnie Rodriguez
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This Sunday is just two days away from the Winter Solstice, on Dec, 21, when winter “officially” begins and when we have only 8 hours and 46 minutes of sunlight. The sun seems to "stand still" in the days around the solstice, hanging low in the sky, providing long nights of darkness and, hopefully, reflection, rest, and comfort. Ancient solstice rites were and still are practiced by many indigenous people around the world to honor the dark and to call back in the light. We here in Peace Dale, at UUCSC, will sing songs, read poems and personal reflections, and perform a multi-generational Solstice Play. |
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Solstice Play!
We will be presenting a Solstice play in the sanctuary this Sunday as part of a full multi-gen service.
After the play, the second half of the service will be short poems and pieces about the solstice. Families are invited to stay upstairs for the whole hour, with crafts to keep busy hands occupied.
I hope you will join us for this celebration of light and dark in this special moment of pause for the winter solstice.
Lee Cowan, Director of Religious Education
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Christmas and New Year’s Eve have an appeal to me that they haven’t had in years. For the first time since 1996, I will get to be with my family on both of those days. I live close enough to them (finally!) and my work schedule is working out right. Thank you Worship Committee!
At first, when I started as your new minister here at UUSCS, it felt a little weird not to be preaching during the first month. Everyone was already scheduled to lead services and act as worship associates. It didn’t feel right to push them out of the way, so my regular preaching will begin on January 2, following Christmas Eve Eve, which I will be leading. Well, at least the spoken bits.
The best part about this schedule is that I get to spend more time focusing on the thing that really matters: Getting to know you all individually, and getting to know the congregation as a living organism of its own. The only disappointment is that as much as Covid has changed the way we experience the time/space continuum, there is still only so much I can do in one day. I can’t meet everyone one-to-one all at once.
As I begin to meet you, one message is reaching me loud and clear: You all take care of each other! Because you genuinely like each other.
With that in mind, I’d like to ask you all to look after each other with special tenderness over the next several weeks. With the uptick in Covid cases, Rhode Island on high alert, our general fearfulness of traveling, more people are going to be alone for the holidays. A lot of plans are being changed at the last minute.
Please. Take a minute now to think about people in the congregation. Your friends. Maybe people you don’t know as well. People you think might be alone for the holidays.
Reach out to them.
Reach out to them any way you can. Send a card. Make a phone call. Write an email or text message. Drop off a plate of cookies. Any little thing. It doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as it demonstrates your care.
Reach out to at least one person. More if you can. In any way you can.
I don’t want to add burdens to your ever-expanding December to-do list. I want to give you a chance to nurture a connection that matters to you. It’s a tired old cliche, but …. You’ll be glad you did.
For those of you who were at the service this past Sunday, I hope you got one of the bars of soap Joe and I made from scratch, a little gift to celebrate the UU holiday of Chalica. For the youth and adults taking part in building a Chalica star outdoors, I also brought along a plateful of (individually wrapped) vegan, gluten-free black bean ginger bars. I know. They sound gross. But they’re actually really good! So good that a few folks asked me for the recipe, which I decided to share with you here.
I couldn’t possibly make these and bring them to everyone, but I’m happy to share the recipe with you, as a way of demonstrating my care for you.
In Peace,
Rev Denis
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BLACK BEAN
GINGERBREAD BARS
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups cooked black
beans, or 1 (15 oz.) can
drained and rinsed
1/2 cup oat flour (you can just
pulverize rolled oats in your
food processor)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon coarse granulated sugar for topping (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, combine the black beans, flour, oil, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking soda, vanilla, molasses, and vinegar. Process until a smooth batter is formed.
Pour the batter into the lined baking dish and sprinkle the top with the tablespoon of coarse sugar, if desired. Bake until the top feels firm to a light touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before removing the bars from the pan and slicing.
These bars will keep well at room temperature for up to 48 hours tightly covered, but for best shelf life keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Auction Volunteer Needed
Person who is organized and open to learning new technology is needed to explore possible new online auction platform and determine if it is a good fit for us. This position does not mean you are responsible for an auction but would be part of a team that would hopefully include people who have worked on past fundraising efforts. Advice and some training from a proficient user provided. In many ways UUCSC is on a very good path now but we can’t ignore our need to fulfill our budget category of “Fundraising.” Are you the person who could give us a kickstart to fulfilling this goal? Remember that being on such a team is a lot of fun, REALLY!
Submitted by Elizabeth Donovan
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Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk |
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Tuesday,
December 21, 2021
4:30 PM
Outside this year on the actual day of solstice!
Please join us at the gate entrance
of our back yard area.
This is a contemplative, meditative experience we have held during the Midwinter season for many years. A spiral of evergreens is laid out on the ground. Each individual takes a turn walking into the center, lighting a candle, and walking out, placing the candle along the spiral, while everyone present attends in silence. In this way we support each others' journey through the darkest days of the year. Please bring a pint or quart jar for your candle.
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Five helpers are needed to set up at 3pm and a few helpers to stay after to clean up. Please contact Sally Barney at sbarney07@aol.com, or call 401-932-1647 if you can help.
If you have evergreen branches or clippings to share, please drop them off Sunday - Tuesday (by 3pm) on the tarp which will be laid out near the front door.
Submitted by Sally Barney
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Christmas Eve Eve Service |
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Join us for Christmas Eve Eve!
Thursday, December 23, 2021
6:00pm and 7:30pm services
Pre-registration is required, and with space limited, we urge congregants to sign up immediately to get a spot before the general public. Proof of vaccination is required for the 6:00pm service. You may register after Sunday service at the choir's registration table with the vaccination records of all members of your party, or by emailing your name, phone, and vaccination records of all members of your party (if registering for the 6:00pm) to uucscri@yahoo.com or mgalib@middlebury.edu. You will receive a confirmation within 48 hours when registering by email. If you don't, please check in again or double-check the email address was typed properly.
What to know before registration:
- Doors open 15 minutes prior to each service.
- Each service is about 40 minutes long.
- Masks are required, including the choir.
- The congregation will not be singing this year.
- Proof of vaccination is required at time of registration for the 6:00pm service.
- Proof of vaccination is not required for the 7:30pm service.
- The sanctuary will be at half capacity (about 60 attendees) for each service.
- The sanctuary will be ventilated between events.
Rev. Denis Paul, Minister
Michael Galib, Music Director
Lee Cowan, Director of Religious Education
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The plate collection on Christmas Eve Eve will be dedicated to the UUCSC AGAPE fund. You may also donate to this fund online or by mailing a check with AGAPE noted in the MEMO line. |
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Adult Education and Experience |
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Submissions for this column may be made directly to the newsletter editor or to me barbaralholtzman@gmail.com. Please include Newsletter Adult Ed in the subject line.
Barbara Holtzman, Chair
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SWIM 2021 REGISTRATION OPEN
SWIM is a week (December 27 – January 1) of virtual UU fun, fellowship and growth with workshops, concerts and special events. SWIM is an intentional, inter-generational community of Unitarian Universalists and friends, including awesome people like YOU! We normally gather in South Florida in December but will again meet virtually in 2021. For further information and to register, visit SWIMUU.org
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AWAY FROM HOME:
AMERICAN INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL STORIES
Traveling Museum Exhibition now through Jan 7th, 2022
Tuesday - Saturday | 10AM - 4 PM
(Admission is free, donations are appreciated.)
URI University Club | 95 Upper College Rd | Kingstown, RI
Click HERE for info about parking.
From Tomaquag Museum News
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Book Discussion Group
Weekly on Tuesdays
Starting January 11, 2022
7:30 PM on Zoom
Link will be sent to you, if you signed up with Larry Kelland, Discussion Group Leader. Link will also be available on the church calendar. Please read the introduction and Chapter 1 for the first meeting.
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Limited Seating. Covid protocols. Reservations Required.
Submitted by Nick Smith
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Actor André De Shields's Brief But Spectacular take on living his most authentic life...
Submitted by Johnnie Rodriguez
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Helping Afghan Refugees
When refugee families resettle in Rhode Island, they often need basic necessities for setting up their new homes. Baha Sadr, our contact at Dorcas International, has let us know that the best way to provide the items they need to get started is by donating gift cards. Their preference is Walmart, Target, and Job Lot. Gift cards can be sent to Dorcas International, 645 Elmwood Ave., Providence RI 02907 c/o Baha Sadr/Afghani Support.
Submitted by Barbara Holtzman
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Homelessness in the state has worsened during the pandemic and people are demanding action. See links below for information on recent protests.
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Take action on homelessness in RI by sending letters to Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov and Governor Daniel McKee governor@governor.ri.gov, asking them to spend some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds, over $1B to address the homelessness crisis in RI now.
Submitted by Cathy Solomon, Social Justice Chair
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Hope for the Holidays: Thank you!
On December 9 we delivered 6 bags of gifts to the Jonnycake Hope for the Holidays campaign that will benefit local families.
Thank you for your kind generosity!
May your holidays be full of hope!
Submitted by Lee Cowan, DRE and Mary Fulton, Social Justice Team
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Dorothy Devine adds to her personal narrative.
Your search for truth and meaning begins here.
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How to Submit Info to This Newsletter |
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Send announcements and news with Newsletter Item in the subject line to Etta Zasloff, Editor, at zasloff.etta@gmail.com by Tuesday Noon
to assure publication by Friday of that week.
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