|
|
|
Albany
Unitarian
Universalist
| |
WINDOWS WEEKLY February 2, 2024 | |
|
In the pulpit
Sunday, February 4
"Toward Trust," Rev. Linda Hoddy
We are suffering from a lack of trust in our society. For often good reasons, we don't trust our major institutions: Government, law enforcement, education, politics, financiers, the workplace, religion.... Where is there lack of trust in your life? In your family? In our congregation? Richard Rohr wrote "If we are not trained in a trust of mystery and some degree of tolerance for ambiguity and suffering, we will not proceed very far on the spiritual journey." How can we repair trust?
Sunday, February 11
"Leading from the Heart," Rev Dr Tom Chulak
We all are leaders but how we lead makes all the difference. On the day before Lincoln’s Birthday and a few days before Valentine’s Day, let us explore how we can lead from the heart. How can we enter life undefended so the heart can be open? How can we create space where our uniqueness is nurtured in the presence of others who are different from us. How can we stay open in the midst of change?
| |
Programs for Children and Youth | |
|
Programs for Children and Youth
Sunday, February 4- our theme this month is Justice & Equity. Join us in exploring that topic at Family Chapel in the Sanctuary at 10AM, with special musical guest Ireta London!
- Three & Under Nursery/Toddler Room 22 opens at 9:45 for dropoff
- PreK-Grade 3 starts in the Sanctuary for Family Chapel at 10AM, then meets in Room 24/25 until 11:15AM. Childcare for kids whose families are in OWL orientation will begin in this space at 11:15.
- Grade 4-6 OWL Orientation for kids is in Room 26 from 10AM until 12PM. Grownups please meet in Room 23 after dropping off your children. You will rejoin them later in the morning.
- Coming of Age is canceled this week and will be rescheduled.
- 8th Grade Our Whole Lives starts in Room B3/B4 at 10AM until 11:30AM
- High School Youth Group starts in Room B8 at 10AM until 11:15AM
-- Elizabeth Baldes, Director of Programs for Children & Youth
| | | | |
|
Songs for Community
Songs for Community will remain on hiatus while Olga and Elizabeth explore other methods of providing multigenerational music ministry to our congregation. We have absolutely loved having this experience with our dedicated group of Tuesday night singers, and are excited to create similar opportunities in the future. Stay tuned!
Image by Isidora Carrera
| | |
|
Board calls for two more years of Interim Ministry
Settled Search to begin in 2025
In spring 2023 we engaged with the UUA to help us conduct a search for a two-year Interim Minister to begin August 2023. That particular matching process did not yield an Interim Minister, but we were fortunate that our current Interim Minister Team (Reverends Linda Hoddy, Lynn Ashley and Margret O’Neall) became aware of our needs, and proposed to lead us through the first year of our interim process, each signing a one-year contract. Reverends Linda and Lynn, our on-site ministers--having made a decision not to extend their ministry with us into a second year--will be with us through July 2024. (READ THE REST HERE.)
Have you signed up for a Transition Listening Circle (TLC)?
The Albany UU Transition Team invites you to join a TLC, online or in-person, to share your thoughts on our congregation and its future. TLCs are structured 90 minute sessions that will provide important input for our congregation to consider in our interim period, as well as during the search for, and transition to, a new minister. Participants will gain a better understanding of, and appreciation for, each other’s perspectives.
Registration for each session is limited, so please sign up promptly to ensure that you can get into the session that works best for you. Child care will be available for the in person TLCs.
Use the following link to register for your session. You will receive an email confirmation.
https://fuusa.breezechms.com/form/a10f658942
If you have questions about the Transition Listening Circles, please reach out to Betsey Miller (bmiller15@nycap.rr.com).
For questions about registration or, if you need to change your registration, please contact the Albany UU office (518-463-7135) or (adminassistant@albanyUU.org)
| |
|
Announcements and Upcoming Events
| |
|
KUDOS
...to Bob Zima for fixing the leak in our drinking fountain.
...to Maria Phillips for being a very meticulous and hardworking treasurer.
Joys and Many Concerns
The Religious Services Committee has had ongoing concerns about our Joys & Sorrows ritual. The practice of offering an open microphone for sharing has often provided poignancy and intimacy in support of our bonds of caring community. But the open mic has sometimes been misused, causing harm and creating dissonance with the spirit of our services. In this time of transition, the committee decided to experiment, for a limited time, with a different approach to the sharing of joys and sorrows, and to gather congregational feedback during a time of discernment. (READ THE REST HERE.)
Celebrations of Life
A memorial service for Earl Zimmerman will be held in Community Hall at 2:00 PM, Saturday, Feb. 10, followed by a reception. Folks may also join via zoom using the link https://tinyurl.com/AlbanyUU-Memorial. Contributions of finger food will be appreciated for the reception. Friends of Earl are invited to serve as ushers: If you'd like to sign up as an usher please call Amy Lent at the AUU office (518-463-7135).
Art Show opening Friday, Feb. 2
Come see the new art show in Channing Hall and meet the artist! Our guest artist for February is Susan Whiteley Fuller. Susan’s father was and award-winning photographer who was never seen without a camera around his neck. She spent time with her father in the darkroom at home learning about developing and printing photos, but she attributes her “eye” to the influence of her mother’s artistic abilities. Mainly self-taught, she had taken photography classes in the United State and abroad. She enjoys learning more about photography through engaging in the process. Her photographs have been hung in several shows and she sells her work in galleries, privately and in local shops.
Forum on Youth Mental Health Following Feb 4 Service
The Social Justice Team is excited to present its first forum since the pandemic: we hope you will join us to hear Jon Romano on Sunday Feb 4 at 11:30 in Community Hall. He will be speaking, from his own experiences, of the importance of providing mental health services for youth.
| |
|
|
|
Family Game Night
Family Game Night scheduled for Friday 2/2 is canceled.
| | | |
|
Essays Needed for February 18 Service on Racial Healing
Systemic racism presents in many forms.
It presents to all people in many different ways.
The BIPOC Racial Healing Group, in cooperation with the Religious Services Committee and the Council for Children and Youth Programs, are asking for your assistance!
We are inviting all the congregants of Albany UU to submit at least one essay on how the race and/or ethnicity of others have intersected with your life. We are looking for essays of love, joy, discovery, understanding, epiphany, difficulty, distress and anger.
The essay can be totally anonymous or not. That is up to you.
The BIPOC Racial Healing Group is going to lead a service in February using these essays as its foundation. Please understand that due to the confines of our service time not all essays will be used, and some may be edited. However, we would also like to create a companion booklet that could contain the entire congregation's essays and response to this subject. Please submit your essay to nellsonmoore@gmail.com If you would like to participate but anonymously then there will be a basket in the coat room to leave your essay. Thank you for your assistance, and we look forward to a transformative service. The deadline for submissions is Sunday Feb 4.
Do You Eat Alone a Lot?
OPPORTUNITY TO EAT WITH OTHERS: Potluck at Carol Butt’s home in Delmar Monday, February 5 from 6PM to 9PM, especially for those who eat alone more than they like. Bring some food and join other UUs who would like your company for food and a good chat. Call or e-mail Carol at catzen1944@gmail.com or (518) 275-7497 to let her know you are interested in coming to the potluck.
Circle Dinners - RSVP by Feb 11
Circle Dinners are an easy and fun way to make new friends at Albany UU. Albany UU members host collaborative dinners. Guests bring part of the meal - make your favorite dish, or pick up your contribution at your favorite grocery store. The individual hosts coordinate each guest’s contribution.
Attending a circle dinner is a great way to connect with people! Share and enjoy more evenings and great food with Albany UU friends! Sign up now for the Circle Dinner on Saturday, Feb 17. Circle Dinners At Home will be hosted by Albany UU members for 6 to 10 people, typically adults only, from 6 to 9 PM. E-mail John Sherman at johnssherman@gmail.com to sign up and/or be a host.
Sign up by Sunday Feb 11. You must be vaccinated and boosted to participate.
Can’t make it this time? Mark your calendar for future Circle Dinners the third Saturday of each month.
| |
|
Virtual GA 2024: Love Unites, Stories Ignite
General Assembly, or GA, is the annual gathering of UUs from across the country, where delegates from member congregations vote on the business of the Unitarian Universalist Association. GA also is an energizing and inspirational experience of workshops, worship and connecting.
This year, GA is fully online, from June 20 to June 23. The theme of "Love Unites, Stories Ignite" celebrates the profound impact of love as a binding force that transcends boundaries. Delegates will vote on the proposed revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws, now available online.
| |
Interested in participating? Find more information at www.uua.org/ga and look for the call for delegates to represent Albany UU, coming soon! | | | |
|
Board of Trustees
The next BOT meeting is 6:30PM on Thursday, Feb. 22 in Channing Hall and via Zoom.
Zoom link here: https://tinyurl.com/AlbanyUU-BoardOfTrustess
Ministry and Operations Team
The next MOT meeting is Wed. Feb 7 at 5:30PM.
Online only: https://tinyurl.com/Ministry-and-Operations
Meeting ID: 860 5594 7976 Password: 0000
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Use this (new link) Ministry & Operations Communication Form to get on the agenda at the next meeting.
Calendar and Building Use Update
Please help us keep track and share church events and meetings within our new calendar. To reserve a room, or a zoom room, and get your event on our church calendar, please use the form here: http://tinyurl.com/CalendarReservation
Please see our calendar at https://albanyuu.org/resources/calendar/
Committee leaders: Please take a few moments to see if your previously scheduled meetings/events are in the calendar. If they are not, please contact the church office at adminassistant@albanyuu.org.
| |
|
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group online on Sunday, February 11, 6:15 for time to socialize and a discussion of Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point by Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky beginning at 6:30. Learn more at https://albanyuu.org/walker-book-group/.
Online: 6:15 for the book discussion. Use this link to join: https://tinyurl.com/WalkerBookGroup
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 871 5139 8632
Passcode: 0000
___________________________
Philosophy Group
At 10:15 AM Tuesday 2/6/24 the Albany UU Philosophy Group will meet via zoom to discuss the topic of the day. The topic is Vigilantism: Driveway shooters and their enabling ideas. Email AdminAssistant@albanyuu.org
to get put on the Philosophy group email list!
Online: https://tinyurl.com/AlbanyUU-Philosophy
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000
___________________________
Bridge Group
For information about the 1:00 PM, Tuesday Bridge Group, check with the church office. All levels welcome.
____________________________
Ps and Qs
At 10:00 AM on Wednesdays, Projects and Quilts (Ps and Qs) meets in Room B-8. Bring a project you're working on, or just your lunch!
| |  |
|
Social Justice Team
meets on the 4th Tuesday each month at 6:45pm on Zoom. All are welcome to join. (Please note this is a change from our previous 3rd Tuesday of the month).
Online:
https://tinyurl.com/SocialJusticeTeam
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 894 5821 4256
Passcode: 0000
____________________________
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ GROUP
The LGBTQ Group at UU Schenectady would like to invite all LGBTQ-identified UU Albany members to our monthly meeting at UUSS.
____________________________
Albany UU Music Ministry offers many opportunities for you to participate in music during Sunday Services. Our offerings include:
--Albany UU Choir - an adult community choir, singing a variety of choral music during Sunday services. (Rehearsals Required)
--Solos and Small Ensembles : You can share your musical talents during Sunday services as a soloist or small ensemble.
Choir Rehearsal: Wednesday nights at 7:00pm, Masking optional. For more information please contact
For more information email Olga Martinez, Director of Music Ministry, omartinez@albanyuu.org
|
 | | |
Social Justice and Inclusivity | |
|
From the Inclusivity Team: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, Maryland (UUCC) is a UU congregation that currently has a reparations royalties program in place.
From the UUCC website:
Why Reparations for Negro Spirituals?
The creators of Negro Spirituals did not receive compensation for their works, adding to the many other acts of trans-generational economic marginalization heaped on them and their communities.
Additionally, when majority-white congregations perform Spirituals, it can be an act of “cultural misappropriation.” Virtually all modern music is a blend of many cultures, but if music is wrested from members of marginalized cultures, and if the original meanings of the music are casually ignored or mocked, these blends take on a hurtful, oppressive element. Paying reparations for the performance of these Spirituals is a drop in the bucket, but it’s a start to rectifying the harm.
Paying reparations for the destructive legacy of enslavement is a controversial topic in the USA, but it shouldn’t be. We need to make whole what we, as a nation, broke. Only then can we move forward in right relationship with each other. Reparations are not charity – they are the repayment of a moral and humanitarian debt that human beings and institutions owe to one another, enabling us to move forward together.
The Underground Railroad Education Center presents: FreedomCon 2024: Agents of Change, Voices of Freedom
Join us for a full schedule of amazing presentation workshops, to be held the 4th Saturday of every month from January to October, via Zoom, from 2pm-3pm. Presenters will cover a wide range of topics including, CRT and the Battle Over Curriculum, the Rapp Road Community - Flight to Freedom, redlining and urban renewal, racist conservation, the Adirondacks, reparations and more.
For more information and to register: https://undergroundrailroadhistory.org/freedomcon-2024/
Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
Do you believe that mentally capable, terminally ill adults have the right to a peaceful death? If you do, join our campaign to pass New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act in 2024! We are closer than ever to success and every voice helps.
-
Come to Advocacy Days on Tuesdays. Register here for the Tuesdays when you can be at the Capitol to meet with lawmakers, hold up signs, and more. New dates will be added, so go to the registration site more than once.
-
Send a handwritten note to the district office of your New York State Assembly Member and Senator urging them to co-sponsor the Medical Aid in Dying Act. (Or thank Phil Steck for being a steadfast co-sponsor.) Use your own words and experience to tell them why the bill is important to you. Assembly contact information is here; Senate information is here.
-
Send a handwritten note to the Assembly Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, and the Governor urging them to bring the Medical Aid in Dying Act to the floor for a vote. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is at 1446 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins is at 28 Well Avenue, Building #3, 5th Floor, Yonkers, NY 10701. Governor Kathy Hochul is at the State Capitol Building, Albany, NY 12224.
--Nancy Willie-Schiff, representing the Albany UU End of Life Choice Task Force
The Albany UU Social Justice Team (SJT) recommends an antiracism vigil in Troy:
When: Saturdays, 10:30-11:15 am.The vigil will automatically be canceled for severe weather conditions, including when the temperature or wind chill is below 25.
Where: Troy, corner of River Street at the intersection of Fulton and Third Streets, 12180
How: signs only, no chanting (except for meditative religious practice)
The purpose of the vigil is two-fold: to express that Black Lives Matter and to inspire passersby to act against racism.
Black Lives Matter Vigil in Delmar
Join us on Saturdays as we stand at the Four Corners from 9:30AM to 10AM. Residents of Delmar, Albany or everywhere are welcome!
| |
Albany Unitarian Universalist | |
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:
9:00-3:00 Monday-Friday
Our Website:
General: www.AlbanyUU.org
Resources: http://albanyuu.org/albany-uu-resources/
Zoom use:
To reserve Zoom for an Albany UU meeting, contact the church office (518.463.7135 or adminassistant@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 our Administrative Assistant (518.463.7135 or adminassistant@albanyuu.org) or use this form link: http://tinyurl.com/CalendarReservation
| |
It is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that we are learning, speaking and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican people who are the indigenous peoples of this land. Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today their community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all. | |
|
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135 | 518.463.1429 Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org
| | | | |
