Greetings Friends,
Good morning everyone and welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. I apologize that this did not drop into your inboxes yesterday at 4:00 PM when I set it up to go. I do not have an explanation for this but here it is for you now! What an interesting week it's been!
You may be seeing a "clipped" version of this. To view this entire newsletter, be sure to scroll down to the "See entire message" link and click that. To change the view and make it larger and easier to read, click on the three vertical dots on the upper right of your page to the right of your profile avatar. In the dropdown box, you'll see "zoom" and you can click the "plus sign" as many times as you like to make it as large as is comfortable for you.
If this email was forwarded to you, and you would like to receive it directly, please
-Blessings and Be Well
|
|
MULTIPLATFORM SUNDAY SERVICE
|
|
SUNDAY SERVICE at 10:00 AM
Begin your Sunday morning with a VIRTUAL 8:30 Meditation session until 9:20
MULTIPLATFORM service (both in-person and via Zoom)
begins at 10:00 each Sunday
******************
******************
Masks are required and distanced seating available.
These protocols will remain in place on Sundays for March 2022.
Your Covid Response Team will reconvene on March 29 to reassess and make any updates to protocols based on science and guidance.
Thank you for your patience.
|
|
March 20 “The Kirk’s Alarm” with The Rev. Stan Sears
As a bagpiper, one of my surprises during graduate school was stumbling upon a book on Scottish Unitarianism, and discovering a chapter on "Robert Burns and the Ayrshire Heretics." Throughout my ministerial career, I have preached a sermon on Burns or one of his poems almost every year. This one is based on "The Kirk's Alarm," if you would like to read ahead. The Wisdom Story will be a lesson in how a bagpipe actually works.
The Rev. Dr. Stan Sears is a retired UU minister who holds degrees from the University of South Carolina, the University of Chicago, and Meadville/Lombard Theological School. He has served congregations in California, British Columbia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York State, and Vermont. He is in the process of moving to Ottawa, Ontario where, after 14 years of a commuting relationship, he and his wife, Carolyn Christie, retired Second Flute in the Montreal Symphony and professor at McGill, will finally consolidate into one home.
Music: Elena Karpoff
Give Away the Plate
All contributions in the plate on Sunday will be given to the International Rescue Committee (a 501©(3) organization) unless otherwise marked. If you write a check, make it payable to Albany UU with "Partner Church" or "Refugee Support" on the memo line. Checks for your annual pledge should be made payable to Albany UU, and have "pledge" written on the memo line. As always, envelopes will be available for cash contributions that you want to earmark toward a specific fund or pledge. If you're donating online, there is a specific box to check labeled "Refugee Relief". If you're donating by text, enter the dollar amount followed by "offering" (for example, 50 offering) and all donations will be routed to refugee relief.
Use this link to join the service remotely:
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Those wishing to access closed captioning/live transcript can turn on the function in their Zoom toolbar. To update to the latest version of Zoom, please do that within the software by finding the menu link and “check for updates”.
|
|
And...Happy St. Patrick's Day to those who celebrate |
|
MARCH MULTIPLATFORM
SUNDAY SERVICE INFORMATION
|
|
March 27 This I Believe
This is the Sunday Service when we hear from members of the congregation who will share their own personal religious perspective. Our presenters this year we will be Sarah Hickman (she/her), Molly Daniels, and Fred Eames. This has been a perennially popular service. We appreciate our presenters' willingness to participate this year and look forward to hearing from them.
Music: Randy Rosette
Use this link to join Sunday service
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
|
|
Sunday Offering and other
service information
Sharing Joys and Concerns during Service
Need to Talk? Albany UU Pastoral Care Associates are here to listen!
Archives
|
|
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR
CHILDREN and YOUTH
|
|
Sunday 3/12: RE groups will meet in the building, following the same COVID-19 protocols as we've had all year- please wear a mask, give the people around you some space, sign in when you arrive at the building, and no food or drinks.
Children and youth through 8th grade should start out in service at 10 and will go to groups after the Wisdom Story. High school Youth Group meets at 10 without going to service first. If you are just starting out with RE this year, please note registration is required due to COVID, it can be done online or in-person. Please do not let fees be a deterrent, what's important is the contact and medical info.
Young Peacemakers Week 2022: Join Albany Friends Meeting (Quakers) for Young Peacemakers Week (YPW), for children in grades 2 through 8, at the Friends Meetinghouse, 727 Madison Ave, Albany, from August 22 to 26, 1:30-5:30 each day.
Registration opens on March 1. Volunteers and paid staff are needed. Learn more here.
|
|
Music Director
The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany (Albany UU) is currently seeking a dynamic and creative part-time Music Director for 20 hours per week for 44 weeks annually. The position starts on April 11, 2022, or as soon as possible thereafter. With over 325 members, Albany UU is a vibrant, theologically diverse Welcoming Congregation committed to social justice, inclusivity, and a spirit of community. The candidate should enjoy working collaboratively in a supportive environment and be enthusiastic about employing a broad range of musical genres, including UU repertoire.
|
|
UPCOMING WAYS to CONNECT
|
|
 |
Start your Sunday Morning with VIRTUAL Meditation
8:30 - 9:15 AM
We will sit together virtually for twenty minutes then have some conversation about the talk, meditation methods or experiences followed by a live loving kindness meditation. Note: Meditation will remain virtual only through March.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Green Sanctuary Committee (GSC) Meeting
The next meeting of the GSC will be on Sunday, March 20 at 11:30 on zoom. All are welcome and encouraged to join.
Use this link to join:
Philosophy Group
At 10:15 AM every Tuesday, the Albany UU Philosophy Group will meet via zoom to discuss the topic of the day. All are welcome.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000
Bridge Group
Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 PM, Room
B-8 at Albany UU. No matter how many people come, all are fitted into play. All are welcome and assumed vaccinated. Due to the nature of this group, there will not be an online
option offered.
Ps and Qs
At 10:00 AM on Wednesday, Projects and Quilts (Ps and Qs) will meet.
Use this link to join remotely:
By phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Albany UU Sings
Join your friends on the following Wednesdays for the rest of the service year at 7:00 PM and sing your heart out in Virtual Community! We will supply the music and the lyrics.
Hope to see you there.
Mar 23
Apr 13, 27
May 11, 25
June 8
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 979 5961 1765
Passcode: 0000
|
|
|
|
Board of Trustees
Meets Thursday, March 24, 6:30 PM. Albany UU members are welcome to attend.
Use this link to join (Note: this is a unique link, not the same as the service link)
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 988 1049 6531
Passcode: 0000
Sesquicentennial Quilt Discussion
Join us on Sunday March 27 at 11:30 in Community Hall and on Zoom to learn more about the rationale to retire the quilt. All are welcome! Learn more here.
Use the service link to join remotely:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Orientation for Newcomers
Getting to Know UU
Saturday, Apr 2, 2022, is a great chance for some of us at Albany UU to get to know YOU -- but it's also a perfect opportunity for you to learn about this Unitarian Universalist congregation, explore the roots of "UUism," and begin to figure out how participating in congregational life can enhance your personal journey.
Please join us either in-person in Room B-8 or via Zoom:
9:00 AM to noon
Saturday, Jan 8, 2022
Use this link to join remotely:
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Signing up is preferred, but logins the day of are welcome, come as you are!
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a Zoom discussion on Sunday, Apr 10, 6:30 pm. Join at 6:15 for additional time to socialize. We will discuss James McBride’s novel, Deacon King Kong. Learn more here.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
|
|
|
|
Participate in the UUA Article 2 Study Commission –
UU Principles and Sources
The UUA Board has established the Article 2 Study Commission to consider revisions to Article 2 of the UUA Bylaws, which sets forth the Seven Principles and Six Sources that are the foundation of the work and life of the UUA and its member congregations. Article 2 has not been revised since 1987, although some amendments have been proposed since then. The Commission will be considering changes to the UU Principles, including the possible addition of an 8th Principle calling for active anti-racism work, and they need your input! An Article 2 Individual Survey has been created and all UUs are encouraged to complete it. It can be found HERE and will remain open until April 30th. Learn more about the Article 2 Study Commission at Article II Study Commission | UUA.org.
The Survey requires serious thought about our fundamental principles and values and it may be useful to discuss the questions raised in the Survey with other members of our community. So there will be a meeting of interested respondents after the Sunday Service on April 3rd. Watch for details!
Girl Scout Cookies
Don't forget to order your Girl Scout cookies and what better way than to support the Girl Scouts in our church? Here are your options:
For Zora Solot Miller
For Eliza and Flora Akins and Julia Lesniak use the one link below (they are all in the same troop)
|
|
SOCIAL ACTION and INCLUSIVITY
|
|
BLM Vigil in Troy - Left to right are:
Elizabeth Berberian, Karen Kaufman, Jean Poppei, Deborah Vogel, Jora Cohen, Jean Bolgatz, Mitch Cohen, Sam Trumbore, and Marty Hotvet. Present at the vigil but absent from the photo are: Archie, Chuck Manning, and Anne Marie Haber.
Photo: courtesy of Anne Marie Haber
|
|
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the incredible and often overlooked contributions women have made throughout history. Many Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist (UU) women have not only shaped and led the UU faith, but they’ve also left an undeniable impact on history in general.
Black Lives Matter vigil in Troy
When: Saturdays,10:30-11:15 am
Where: Troy - corner of River Street at the intersection of Fulton and Third Streets, 12180
8th Principle Update
The 8th Principle Subteam of the Inclusivity Team held two congregational conversations, on February 1 and February 6, for members of Albany UU to discuss their thoughts regarding the possible adoption of the 8th Principle, written by Paula Cole Jones and Bruce Pollack-Johnson. These conversations were in anticipation of holding an up-or-down vote on whether to adopt the 8th Principle at our May 15 Annual Meeting.
The 8th Principle reads as follows: “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Forty-two members and friends of Albany UU attended the conversations, 11 of whom attended both sessions. Twenty-seven of the 42 attendees spoke and expressed opinions. Of the 27 who spoke, 20 were in favor of adopting, 2 were opposed of adopting the current language, 3 were opposed for other reasons, and 2 were undecided. For a detailed list of those opinions, please go to the report prepared by the Subteam here.
The Inclusivity Team recommends the following book:
For all ages:
It's Our Music Too: The Black experience in classical music, by Earl Ofari Hutchinson. (2016). This little paperback is a must-have for every music-loving/appreciating home! With dynamic, kid-friendly stories, the author shows a Black and African presence in music going far back. Indeed, in 1511, John Blanke, the virtuoso horn player for the courts of Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII, was featured prominently on the Westminster tapestry roll! With references for listening and viewing (e.g., Symphony in Black: Rhapsody of Negro Life, and Beethoven's "Bridgetower" Sonata--written for and originally dedicated to George Bridgetower). This little book is NOT available in the Upper Hudson Library System, the New York State Library, or the National Library Service (NLS). It is also NOT available in audiobook format at this time. Stay tuned: there will soon be one or more copies available in our Albany UU Joy Library.
Click the link below to watch and listen to the 9-minute short film, Symphony in Black: Rhapsody of Negro Life. The music is composed by Duke Ellington and is presented in 4 movements:
The Laborers
Triangle: Dance, Jealousy, Blues
A Hymn of Sorrow
Harlem Rhythm
This 1935 film is preserved by the Library of Congress and features Duke Ellington himself and 19-year-old Billie Holiday:
|
|
Learn about submitting announcements to for Sunday service and how to reserve a Zoom room for meetings and events here.
If this email was forwarded to you, and you would like to receive it directly, please
|
|
|
Quick Links
Denominational Affairs Links
|
|
|
|
Publication deadlines
This is an important reminder that the news and article deadline for Windows Weekly is 9:00 AM on Monday. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sign up for an Albany UU class or event
|
|
|
|
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany |
Parking:
Parking is available on the street. On Sundays (and for some special events) Albany UU has permission to use the University at Albany’s Hawley Parking Lot on Robin Street at Washington Avenue.
Office hours:
By appointment
Our Website:
Zoom use:
To reserve Zoom for an Albany UU meeting, contact the church office (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).
Building use
To reserve a room for an Albany UU activity or to rent a hall or classroom space, for a personal or non-Albany UU activity, contact Administrative Assistant Patience Pechette (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).
|
|
Photo credit: Rev. Sam Trumbore
|
|
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135 | 518.463.1429 Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org |
|
|
|
|
|
|
