Dear First Universalist Friends, 

This Sunday, I will be out of town attending the Spring Retreat of the North Northeast Chapter of the UU Ministers Association. From Friday to Sunday, I will gather with my UU minister colleagues from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont for a weekend of shop-talk, business meetings, spiritual nourishment, and spirited fellowship. The NNE UUMA holds two retreats each year, one in the spring and one in the fall, however, like so many events, the chapter hasn’t held a retreat in two and a half years. This will be the first time many colleagues have seen each other since Fall 2019, and for newbies to the Chapter like me, this weekend will be the first time we meet many of our regional colleagues in-person. 

While I’m away, the Rev. Paul Langston-Daley, who has a degree in Restorative Practices, will lead worship for us this Sunday with a service entitled “Restoring Faith, Restoring Justice.” The Worship Council invited Rev. Langston-Daley months ago when Covid numbers were extremely high, none of us were sure what the plan would be at church come mid-March. As one of the people in charge of planning the NNE Ministers retreat this weekend - we weren’t even sure if there would actually be a retreat until a month ago.

The uncertainty we’ve been living in is truly beyond belief, isn’t it? 

It’s really no wonder so many of us are feeling rather off-kilter and bewildered these days. 

Due to the advance planning, Rev. Langston Daley’s service this Sunday will be held only on Zoom, so you can attend the service from the comfort of your own home - or wherever you find yourself this Sunday morning. Next Sunday, March 27, the Sanctuary will be open again to in-person worship and I look forward to seeing you then. 

Yours in TWO DAYS 'til spring,

Rev. Hillary 

All 5th - 12th graders and their friends are invited to a youth group movie night featuring the movie Avatar this Saturday, March 19th, from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.

Entrance to watch the movie is free! For $5, youth can opt to purchase popcorn, a drink, and candy, with all proceeds going to a nonprofit of choice, voted on by the attendees. Please do your best to bring exact change or a check.

Masks are required when not eating/drinking. We will be spacing out inside our large Gathering Room, where we have the ability for 34 people to attend safely.

The nonprofits we'll be voting on to support with the proceeds:

Families are invited to come to a special coffee hour after church on Sunday, March 27th. Parents are welcome to enjoy coffee and chat while kids are invited to have a special snack and play games outside, weather permitting, or in the Sanctuary. We hope you'll join us for this RE-welcome back to our in person community!

On the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, Rev. Hillary hosts What Do UU Think?, a virtual drop-in discussion hour from 5-6pm. A link to the discussion will go out on the Wednesday email prior to our Thursday meeting.

Each gathering will center on a curiosity-piquing, heart-opening, or just enjoyable piece of media that attendees will read, watch or listen to in advance, and then come together to discuss in depth. Rev. Hillary will share the easily accessible media - which could be literary, journalistic, musical, audial or visual - in Channels a week prior to the meeting. All are welcome to check it out and drop-in and share what UU think!

Donations gratefully accepted until April 1 at the UUA’s crowdfunding platform, Faithify. The Hungarian Unitarian Church (in Romania) is opening its doors and hearts for those fleeing from Ukraine to provide women and families immediate aid, such as transportation from the border, emergency shelter, food, water, hygiene kits, infant supplies, clothing, pet care, and psychological support.

Last year 20 adults and 10 youth with 4 parents/facilitators went on two separate Black and Indigenous History walking tours of the Portland Peninsula with Seth Goldstein, History Professor at the Maine College of Art and principal of the Atlantic Black Box Project.

In May, we will offer one or more 1 ½ - 2 hour walking tours with Seth Goldstein.  You are invited to participate in an Indigenous and Black history walking tour led by Seth.

Please click here for more information, for praise of the walking tours, and for a questionnaire that will help schedule future tours.

It’s a busy home stretch in the State House. Now is the time to write to your legislators regardless of their committee assignments asking them to support these bills, especially those on the Appropriations table.

On Wednesdays from 12:00 - 1:00 pm Rev. Hillary will be holding an outside drop-in space at our church picnic tables. All are welcome to come by and check-in. (Weather permitting.) Throughout the week, Rev. Hillary will be holding office hours for individual conversations. These conversations can be on Zoom, over the phone, or in-person. Please reach out to Rev. Hillary directly to schedule a conversation, firstuminister@gmail.com. Note that Rev. Hillary is not available to meet on Saturdays and Mondays.