Dear Jenn,

This Sunday, Sept. 11, we return to two worship services—at 9 and 11 a.m. in person and at 11 a.m. online—and celebrate Water Communion Sunday as we embrace the new church year, anticipate the start of Religious Education classes (next Sunday the 18th), and come together as a larger community after many have been away over the summer.

It’s been three years since we’ve gathered for Water Communion in our sanctuary. At that time—September 2019—we couldn’t even have imagined many of the obstacles and changes that would be in store for us in the years ahead, not the least of which was the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In September 2020, still in the early months of the pandemic, we adapted our Water Communion ritual for an all-online service. In September 2021, with renovations to our sanctuary not quite complete, we gathered for worship at Minnehaha Park and reflected on what it means when the waters are held back. 

This year, we’ll be back in our sanctuary and our Water Communion service will be offered multi-platform (in person and online) for the first time. No matter how you join us, we are excited to once again be able to share this ritual which has become so meaningful to our community as we mark the beginning of this new church year. More details below!    

A note about this week's Liberal: this week's newsletter contains a lot of information and is significantly longer than usual. Some email providers will truncate long emails like this. Check the table of contents below to know what information you should expect to find in this issue and look for "[message clipped] View entire message" or similar at the end of this email so that you can read the full Liberal and don't miss anything! 

Worship

Water Communion Sunday: Sunday, Sept. 11, 9 & 11 a.m.

Recordings & Podcasts

Lake Harriet Service Recording Now Available

Sept. 4 Cycle of Life

News & Features

Letters from Jen Crow and the Board about Randy Buikema's Departure

A Note About Rev. Karen

Celebrating Rev. Jen Crow

Sept. 18 Community Choir

EJ Team Celebrates Water Communion

Families Moving Forward

Habitat Build Days Return

New Art Exhibit

We Need Volunteers!

Happenings

UU the Vote Fair this Sunday, Sept. 11

September Board of Trustees Meeting

Vigil at the Whipple Building

Women's Ritual Circle 

12-Step Spirituality

Sunday, Sept. 11 — 9 & 11 a.m.

"The Ocean Refuses No River"

Water Communion Sunday

This Sunday, Sept. 11, we return to two services as we welcome the start of the new church year with Water Communion Sunday.

We are water. 60% give or take, and about as salty as the ocean. So at least metaphorically, each of us is a body of water. When we gather in community, it is as if each of us is a drop in a larger body of water, held by the vessel that is our church.

This Sunday, our Water Communion and in-gathering service invites us to experience the truth of our interconnection through ritual, word, and song. We can’t wait to see you at 9 or 11 a.m., in person or online!

For the Water Communion ritual, please bring a small jar of tap water from your home or place you are currently staying (note: this is different than in years past, when we’ve asked you to bring water from your travels or a place that is special to you). If you are joining us online, please have a small bowl or jar of tap water from home on hand.

Worship leaders (pictured above, left to right): Rev. Arif Mamdani, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Rev. Jen Crow, Lauren Wyeth, Lóre Stevens, and Franco Holder

ORDER OF SERVICE

IN PERSON AT 9 A.M. & 11 A.M. (masks required)

This Sunday, we return to two services, offered in person at both 9 and 11 a.m. Masks are currently required indoors for ages 2+. Can you usher or greet? Sign up here!.

ONLINE AT 11 A.M.

This service will live-streamed on Zoom and YouTube Live at 11 a.m. Join the Zoom livestream here (Webinar ID: 861 805 984) or watch on YouTube. The recording will be available here after worship.

CHILDREN & YOUTH

Childcare is available for ages 6 mos to 3 yrs. All ages are welcome in the sanctuary!

Sunday, Sept. 4: "Homemade by the River" with guest Matt Meyer

Explore what architects, masons, and the sound of water can teach us about crafting a home by hand. And what rivers remind us about living a life in motion and movement. Matt Meyer is a musician and worship leader who leads services for UU congregations across the U.S. Watch here.

Sunday, Aug. 21: "Air and Breath" Worship at the Lake Harriet Bandshell

It took longer than planned, but the video recording from worship at the Lake Harriet Bandshell is now available! At this annual favorite outdoor service, worship leaders inspire us through music, story, and message. Watch here.

Podcast Archive | Recording Archive 

We hold Beth Kinderman and her family in our hearts as Beth prepares for surgery on Sept. 7 after receiving an early breast cancer diagnosis a few weeks ago. May our prayers for a successful surgery and fast healing surround Beth and may our prayers for courage and care surround her spouse Eric and children William and Arya.

If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, celebrating a joy­ or marking a sorrow, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life on Sunday in worship, or if you would like support, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.

A Note from Rev. Jen Crow About the Departure of our Choir Director, Dr. Randy Buikema

Dear Congregation,

As many of you have learned, our Choir Director Dr. Randy Buikema’s employment at First Universalist ended on August 25. We are grateful for his 11 years of service to our congregation, and especially for the many ways he ministered to the choir and all of us during the Covid-19 pandemic. Randy brought joy, commitment, and skill to his work and we are forever grateful for the time we got to spend together. If you’d like to add your words of gratitude to be shared with Randy, you can do so here.

Over the last 2+ years, our work at church has changed and changed again. Staff positions and job descriptions have shifted to meet the realities of the moment ever since the onset of Covid - and the reduction in the Choir Director position starting in August was another of those changes. With the Choir singing less frequently and only at the 9 a.m. service on Sundays due to understandable Covid safety concerns, the Choir Director position no longer required 20 hrs/week of work. Randy and I had been talking about this reality for months, and in early August, he accepted the new Choir Director position at 10 hrs/week. The position, even with its reduced hours, would allow the Choir to continue the same schedule it had been operating on since winter of 2022. I am truly sorry that I did not communicate with the Choir and congregation about the change in the Choir Director position as soon as Randy and I had come to an understanding on August 2. That was a mistake on my part. 

After further reflection, Randy decided to leave his position. Unfortunately, he chose to notify the choir of this decision prior to informing me or the Board, and this precipitated an earlier than expected departure.

I know that many of you may have questions about Randy’s departure. I’m happy to answer any of those questions that I can, knowing that as always, with personnel matters, I am limited in what I can share. I wish that things could have gone differently, and that there could be less pain around Randy’s departure. I know it will take time for many of us to grieve this loss. And I look forward to working with any and all of you and our Director of Worship Arts Ministries, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, as we craft a vision for the future of music making at church that includes us all. 

In gratitude,

Rev. Jen Crow

A Note from the Board Regarding Randy's Departure

Dear Congregants,

On August 31, 2022, most of the Board of Trustees joined Rev. Jen Crow in a meeting with the Choir to hold space for listening and support following Randy Buikema’s departure from First Universalist Church. We offer our observations of this meeting and the various perspectives we heard, witnessed, and/or experienced. This is our collective observation and likely does not tell the complete picture from the various vantage points of people involved and impacted. 

There is deep hurt, anger, grief, confusion, and frustration being felt by a good portion of past and present choir members. For many congregants in the Choir, it appeared that Randy was suddenly dismissed after he shared with the choir his intention to resign from First Universalist due to a reduction in hours without first informing church leadership. Members of the Choir expressed a broken sense of trust from Church leadership due to a felt lack of communication and transparency.

There is also a larger context to consider. The pandemic has had a toll on the mental and physical health, roles and responsibilities, and budget among Staff. There has been a strained ability to communicate with and plan for longer-term engagement and visioning with the choir and other groups in the congregation. There have been many staffing changes recently and we are grieving the loss of those beloved community members in addition to Randy’s loss. Also, there are additional, confidential aspects of Randy’s dismissal that are not able to be shared with the Choir, nor the congregation at large, for legal reasons related to personnel policies. And finally, some of the ways in which the conflict between the Choir and Church leadership have developed have left some congregants and staff feeling attacked, un-appreciated, and unsafe. As is often the case, there is more nuance and complexity to the situation and multiple truths at the same time.

What was heard loud and clear through the choir is that Randy created a spiritual home and a ministry through music, which helped carry them through the pandemic. We also heard Jen acknowledge regrets that she had in Randy’s departure and take ownership and apologize for not informing the choir of changes to Randy's position.  

In short, we recognize the pain that has been caused and multiple losses people feel. We as your Board trust our leadership and are holding multiple truths in the process. We hope that we can all take the time to listen to other perspectives, explore the part we play in harm that has been caused, and work together towards a path of healing. 

With love and in community, 

Board of Trustees

First Universalist Church

A Note About Rev. Karen Hutt

Many of you have been asking about Rev. Karen Hutt and when she might return from her leave of absence. Rev. Karen has requested that we continue her leave through the end of this calendar year, and we are hopeful about her return in January. She sends her love and gratitude to our community and misses us all. If you'd like to send a card to Rev. Karen, you can send it to church and we'll make sure it gets to her. 

Celebrating Rev. Jen Crow’s Faith

By Lauren Wyeth, Director of Spiritual Growth for All Ages

What does it mean to be a “person of faith?” Where do I, as a UU, place my faith? 

One of the gifts of Jen’s ministry and example is her courage and faith in times of loss and struggle. In her ten years with the congregation, there have been times when it feels like we’re just humming along and everything is going great. It’s easy to feel faithful in times like that. #Blessed, even. As though it’s our good behavior being rewarded.

But when things get tough, that’s when faith is tested. Jen has been there for us through so much, a steadfast presence in times of tumult and despair. This has been true following the murder of George Floyd and through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, amidst the rising tide of religious nationalism and the threat to our basic rights and dignity. So, too, on a smaller scale, Jen brings her faithful presence as she accompanies our beloveds through the process of dying, and as she ministers to those of us left to mourn. Even in the face of her own tragedies — like the fire that destroyed her home on the eve of her daughter’s first day of kindergarten — Jen has modeled what it means to lean into faith, showing up with humility, transparency and integrity.

We see what she points us back to, again and again. This is where Jen places her faith: the sureness that we are each whole and holy and worthy; the refusal to give up on anyone; the power of relationship to save and heal us; her insistence that, together, we have all we need to build a world of love and liberation. 

Jen knows that our human lives and relationships are messy and complicated. She’s a Universalist not in spite of, but because of, that truth. 

And because of her example, First Universalist has become a more deeply faithful, more Universalist church. A place where children are truly welcome, as whole beings. Where the spiritual needs and gifts — the wholeness — of Black, Indigenous and People of Color is more central. Where we pay more attention to listening to the whole body, and amplifying the voices that might have been missed before. Where we acknowledge the whole truth of our lives more often, including the hard realities that diminish and threaten us, like racism and addiction, financial hardship and climate crisis. A place where we are regularly encouraged to bring all of who we are, and to welcome each other with joy, acceptance, and love.

It was Jen who led the process that resulted in church getting rid of Religious Education fees, because she understands that church is for everyone, and that religious community is as necessary and powerful for children as it is for adults. It was she who seeded the formation of Daytime Connections, because she cares about seniors’ needs and values the lifetime of experience and wisdom they bring to our church. She believes in our potential and understands our responsibility to support one another’s faith development at every stage and through all the challenges life brings. Jen doesn’t believe we are broken, and she knows we are not finished.

Jen has faith in our ability to grow our spirits, to open our hearts, to live as though Love is as real and demanding and sufficient as we say it is. She knows we — all of us — are here to learn, to grow, to keep healing and widening the circle, until our lives and our church and our world reflect the wholeness that is already there. Her faith in us has changed us, for good.

Join the Community Choir for Rev. Jen's

10-Year Celebration on September 18!

A note from Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Director of Worship Arts Ministries

We've got a big, big moment to celebrate in just a couple weeks as we mark Rev. Jen's 10 years as a leader at First Universalist. And one of the most beautiful ways a community celebrates is singing together. So, let's make a community choir! 

Don't read music? No problem—we're singing by heart! Never been in a choir before? Doesn't this sound like just the right excuse?

I'm inviting each one of our members, friends, friends of friends, families, newcomers, of all ages, courageous singers and timid, experienced and brand new, to sing in a pop-up community choir to honor Rev. Jen and this great decade together. 

There's just a one-rehearsal commitment (Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m.–noon in the sanctuary), and we'll sing for services at 9 and 11 a.m. the next day (Sunday, Sept. 18). You won't want to miss it.

There's nothing required to join except to sign up by Thursday, Sept. 15. See you there! 

On Sunday, Sept. 18, both services will focus on honoring Jen’s ministry. We will be celebrating with cake after each service. We hope you’ll join us on this important day!

Sharing messages with Jen

Congregants (adults and youth) may share messages with Jen Crow as we celebrate her 10 years of ministry at First Universalist. Ways to contribute:

• Drop a note in a special box in the atrium or office
• Send a card to 3400 Dupont Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 with “Jen’s celebration” on the envelope
• Email a message for Jen to member Bette DeMars at jbdemars2@gmail.com  
• Bring your message to the celebration and place it in the special box  

We encourage you to keep reading the series of articles in the Liberal celebrating aspects of Jen's ministry. The articles began July 28 and will continue through September 15.

Cake cutters needed! 

Consider helping cut and serve cake for the celebration. Individuals will be needed during first service, after first service, during second service and after service. Please contact Bette DeMars at jbdemars2@gmail.com with the time frame that works best for you.

As we prepare for this Sunday's water communion service, the EJ team invites everyone to join us in reaffirming and honoring our Church as a Water Protector Congregation.

As a Water Protector Congregation, we affirm that water is a vital resource that supports all of life on this planet. We also affirm that our water is at serious risk of depletion, requiring our protection.

"Climate conversations" will soon be offered and facilitated by the EJ team. All are invited to participate. Also keep an eye out for upcoming EJ walks around Bde Maka Ska to bring prayers to the water that blesses us everyday. And finally, please join us in bringing awareness to water protection in your families and communities. 

ACTIONS of the week:

1. Bless your water as you drink or cook or bathe with it. An example of a simple blessing: "This water is sacred".

2. Sign petitions from water protection organizations supported by the Unitarian Universalist Ministry of the Earth (Jump to "Web Resources" and pick an organization to support or sign a petition for)

3. For more information about local water protection events and resources, contact the EJ team at: todd.pierson@gmail.com.

Families Moving Forward is a program of Beacon, an interfaith housing collaborative, which provides temporary housing for people seeking permanent shelter. During a two week period between September 4 & 17, First U volunteers will provide prepared meals and snacks for families housed in a local hotel.

There's a new, much more detailed sign up genius here. Please join us!

Submitted by Lynda Borjesson and Bill Lewis

Young children run through the house to claim their new bedrooms. Parents beam at seeing their new kitchen and living space. It's Habitat house dedication day for a new family, and volunteers who worked on the Habitat build are invited to celebrate the day with the family. Habitat dedications are a wonderful experience, along with working with First Universalist members on Habitat house build days. Coming together as a team to build walls, paint a room and share lunch together is a fun day for folks of all skill levels. Seeing the joy on the faces of a new Habitat family captures what we called "The House That Love Built".

Interested in being part of the next First Universalist Habitat Build volunteer team on October 3? Sign up here!

Jane Bassuk’s textiles will be on display in our Universal Gallery Sept. 11 – Oct. 16. She will be available to talk about her work after services on September 25.

Much of Jane Bassuk’s work explores how energy and light are integral to natural and man-made architecture. In her art quilts, she has always created surreal landscapes that use organic shapes derived from the flora and fauna of the natural world. She uses different types of textures to develop the surface and experiment with color to create different light effects. Her works continually investigate the power of nature over man-made structures. She chooses fabrics because of the feelings they evoke and for their implied glimpses of land, sea, and man-made objects. She heavily embellishes each piece with embroidery and beads to enhance the surfaces. 

Jane also examines feminine sexuality and her Jewish heritage, exploring loss, spirituality, human mortality, and human connection to the infinite universe.

Jane Bassuk has a BFA in painting from the University of Michigan and an MA and MFA in painting from the University of Iowa. She taught at North Hennepin Community College and is now retired. 

For more information visit her website: www.janebassukartist.com

Submitted by Geoff Lenox

I volunteer because I find it to be an antidote to despair. When I am down, worrying about all the things in this world that seem to be in conflict with my values, volunteering— especially with a group working towards a common goal—gives me hope that my values will endure and that I am helping to work towards a better world. I find a purpose and involvement in something larger than myself.

Volunteerism has fallen off precipitously since the start of the pandemic and many organizations that rely on volunteers to fulfill their mission are in dire need today. This is a natural consequence of the isolation we all experienced and the fear of infection. Of course you must judge your level of risk to infection for yourself, but if you are feeling safer to engage again in the community, many organizations need your help.

Simpson Housing (one of our community partners) which prior to the pandemic provided 100% of evening meals for all its shelter guests through volunteer groups, can only find volunteers to cover less than 40% of those meals today. This puts financial strain on the organization because they need to pay caterers for those meals not covered by volunteers. Habitat for Humanity (another partner) has much fewer volunteers helping to build housing than they did prior to the pandemic and the result of this is fewer affordable homes being built.

First Universalist is not immune to this problem. We are having a much harder time getting volunteers to greet and usher on Sundays, do grounds work, and help with memorial services. Building the supportive community we all want at our church and in the wider community takes more than good wishes, it takes work. Please consider volunteering when the church and our community partners reach out for volunteers. They can’t fulfill their missions without us.

By the way volunteering benefits you as well! What benefits do you get personally by volunteering?

• Brings fun and fulfillment into your life. Participating in volunteer opportunities can help you achieve a sense of fulfillment. 
• Provides you with a sense of purpose. 
• Helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. 
• Allows you to overcome challenges. 
• Helps you stay physically healthy. 



We have many volunteer opportunities at our church and with any of our community partners. Please consider volunteering and help to build the beloved community we all want. Get involved!

Geoff has compiled a great list of some of our current volunteer needs and opportunities. Find that on our website here.

Sunday, Sept. 11, after both services in the Cummins Room

This week UU the Vote National is celebrating a week of action to get voters excited and ready to get to the polls. To join the movement, our First Universalist UU the Vote action team will be hosting a UU the Vote Fair in the Cummins Room this Sunday, 9/11 after first and second services. All ages are welcome! We will have stations set up around the room with an Active Voter Passport so folks can find out about the many ways we can help ensure that everyone has access to the tools and information that they need to vote-- including voter registration and education materials, sign up to phonebank or textbank, join a canvass team, and write letters to voters. You can also learn more about the goals we have to reach as a congregation to get recognized as a GOOD TROUBLE CONGREGATION by UU the Vote! Join us and help us to reach our community goals and make some good trouble for voting rights! If you have questions or would like to get involved with the First Universalist UU the Vote action team reach out to Rebecca Donley at rebecca.donley@gmail.com. 

Thursday, Sept. 15, 6:30–9 p.m.

The First Universalist Board of Trustees will meet next Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be multi-platform, and will be held at church and on Zoom. The board packet with meeting information and more details will be available here the week of the meeting.

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 7:30–8:30 a.m.

Whipple Building, 1 Federal Dr. Fort Snelling, MN

Or, tune in via Zoom here

Monthly early morning vigils at the Whipple Building are led by our interfaith partners in immigration justice ICOM (Interfaith Coalition on Immigration) and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month a different group leads the vigil. The Whipple Building is the site of immigration court and where people are processed before they are deported. 

On this September 13, First Universalist Church, Sanctuary and Resistance and MUUSJA will lead the vigil with the purpose of sharing our UU Principles, with focus on the principle of "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part".

Through songs, reflection and sharing information about the resistance struggle to change the immigration system of which we are a part, we will come together as UUs and the interfaith community to gain strength and share in the healing of the injustices caused by this inhumane system which through mass incarceration and deportation separates families, and criminalizes human migration across borders. Questions? Contact First U member Heidi Romanish at hromanish@gmail.com or 612-402-7412

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 upcoming open rituals of the Under Northern Skies Women’s Ritual Circle. We will meet in room 209 in the First Universalist building on the following dates:

Saturday, Sept. 10

Sunday, Sept. 25

Sunday, Oct. 9

Tuesday, Oct. 25

We gather at 7:15 pm and promptly begin an hour-long ritual at 7:30 p.m., with time for questions and socializing to follow. For members who choose to commit to the circle, the commitment ritual for this cycle will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, after which the circle will close to new members until September 2023.

Please contact Ann Hobbs at g.annhobbs@gmail.com with any questions.

Saturdays, 9:30–10:45 a.m. online via Zoom

This weekly online meeting focuses on people who are actively working in any of 12 Step programs. It is focused on the 11th step through the practice of Centering Prayer Meditation. Meeting details are available at 12stepspirituality.org.

Church Office & Building Access

The church office is open on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The door bells are not monitored outside of this time. Access to the building at times on other days can be arranged by contacting Jim Poulter, Building & Office Manager, at jim@firstuniv.org.