SUNDAY SERVICE at 10:00 AM

Begin your Sunday morning with an 8:30 MULTIPLATFORM

Meditation session until 9:20

Multiplatform service begins at 10:00 each Sunday

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For more information about our services, check out our website.

Masks are required

Sam’s Outlook

Sisu

The term, sisu, the second wind of mental toughness, comes from Finland:

To the Finnish people, sisu has a mystical, almost magical meaning. Sisu is a unique Finnish concept. It is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.

Sisu is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain that courage … It stands for the philosophy that what must be done will be done, regardless of cost.

 (https://www.finlandia.edu/about/heritage/)

That term applies to the Ukrainians resisting Russian invasion. They were not and are not going to lie down and let Putin’s military roll all over them. They are fighting with every ounce of their courage to stop that aggression. In their history, many have fought with sisu to protect their fertile region.

It takes no small amount of courage to fight modern wars. Weapons like armed drones, cluster bombs, random shelling and fuel air bombs do terrible damage and cause horrendous casualties. Just the shock waves from large explosions do damage to soldiers internal organs and brains.

Yet sisu can also refer to something closer to home. Rock climbers who work without safety ropes exhibit this quality. Running marathons, bicycle racing, sailing small boats in the rough water of the ocean, many different endurance sports, all draw on the ability to confront intense pain and discomfort and keep going beyond limits and expectations.

In a different, yet persistent way, entrepreneurs often put everything on the line again and again to build their dreams. They put their time, money and energy into the task of creating a business that can turn a profit and serve their customers. My family saw that kind of energy visiting Windy Hills Orchards last Saturday. They were making cider doughnuts, apple wine. Their expansive grounds hosted food trucks, a musical band, rows of merchants selling jams, pickles, knit hats and even cotton candy and kettle corn with hundreds of people roaming the orchards and picking apples. I talked to our own farmer Zack Metzger of Laughing Earth Farms at the Troy Market Saturday morning. He told me he has invested in a commercial kitchen to sell prepared foods as well as flower bouquets along with his meats and eggs. It takes a lot of investment, vertical integration and creativity to make farms profitable today.

It may seem like sisu might be a high bar for most of us to meet to be courageous. The quality of sisu that I’m drawn to is the mental clarity, the follow through, and the consistency of its expression of courage. There is a quality of commitment to choosing the courageous path that is consistent with sisu that I think is more widely accessible.

I encounter sisu when I meditate for longer periods of time. I know my limits. I know what sensations might be dangerous to my body and what aches and pains can be endured even if they are very unpleasant. And sometimes I gather up my sisu and gently explore what I fear might be harmful to investigate its nature. Mastering the restlessness of the mind can be even more challenging, not believing the stories it spins and recognizing the true nature of restlessness as merely a transitory hindrance.

Sisu is present in some of the social justice warriors I’ve known who stand up to the systems and principalities of injustice. They are not intimidated by police in riot gear or the smell of tear gas. They stand at the microphone undeterred. They ignite the sisu energy of their fellow protesters to demand peace, justice and freedom for all. Alicia McWilliams (memorial service for her October 1 in Community Hall) was one such advocate who spoke out valiantly as a family member against the unjust prosecution of Muslims and other abuses of citizens in the “War on Terror.”

I sense for many of us sisu might be more of an aspiration rather than a reality in how we live our lives. Many of us are not driven in the single minded way that sisu demands. Yet there may be ways to access the energy of sisu through collective action.

Our ministerial intern, Jacob King, experienced how the military inspires this sisu energy in their soldiers during basic training. It is well known that soldiers more often fight and die to protect their buddies in their unit than for a lofty cause. One of the ways they bond with each other is the Basic Training Confidence Course. Common fears like heights and water (for those who don’t swim) challenge the recruits as they climb up 30 feet in the air on a rope or straddle a rope over a pond. What helps everyone endure the challenges and obstacles is mutual support and encouragement. I might not be able to climb a five story tower by myself but with my team holding my arms and supporting my legs as I climb, I can do it.

My hope and vision for our congregation is it can be a place that supports each other’s growth and development. We each have different challenges and limitations to overcome. It is our mutual support bracing each other’s feet and holding each other’s hands that help us find our inner way to the sisu that is possible for us.

This Sunday, 10/2:

• Family Chapel for kids up to Grade 7 and their families in the Sanctuary (pictured above) at 10AM til about 10:20, then kids go to their regular groups
• Parent Support Group after Family Chapel, in the Sanctuary around 10:30 AM
• Regular Sessions for 8/9 OWL and Youth Group in their rooms at 10AM
• Sign-Making Session for Abortion Rights Rally in B8 at 11:30 AM
• First Meeting of Coming of Age (10th Grade) in B7 from 12-1:30 PM

Saturday 10/8 you and your family are invited to meet up at Albany UU at 12:30 to walk together with other folks from our congregation down to the Abortion Justice Rally in West Capital Park. Sign-making session to take place on Sunday 10/2 at 11:30AM in B8.

Sunday 10/9 will be our outing to Five Rivers with a meet time of 10AM. There will be no small group meetings that day. Look at the rest of the Children and Youth Calendar for 2022-23 here. Note it is subject to change.

Elizabeth Baldes

Director of Religious Education

dre@albanyuu.org

SEARCH YOUR HOMES FOR BURIED MUSICAL TREASURE!

We are seeking used musical instruments in good condition for donation to eight Capital Region school districts that direly need them. Many schools in these areas, which include Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Rensselaer, Amsterdam, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, and Cohoes, lack sufficient instruments for hundreds of students who yearn to study music in depth and play in their schools' orchestras or bands, but are unable to do so. Expensive fees required to rent or buy the instruments can be prohibitive as well. Donations are tax deductible. We cannot accept pianos or guitars.

Donation Drive - Sunday, October 2nd, 9:00 am to 11:45 am

Bring your gently used instruments to church on Sunday, Oct 2 and they will be given new life in the hands of a local student!

For further information, or if another date is essential, please contact Jill Rifkin, Chair, Instruments for Students, Vanguard, Inc., Albany Symphony Orchestra at (518) 439-1843 or jrrif@aol.com 

A New Vision for our Church Library?

What do you think our church library could or should be? How might Joy Library best support the work of out congregation? The Library Team wants your ideas! Share them here by October 15, or email Library Chair Mary Fellows. Thank you!

It's not too late to join UU Weekend at Silver Bay!

There is still time to register for the UU weekend at Silver Bay on Lake George. October 14 to 16. The Weekend Committee and the staff at Silver Bay are working hard to make sure everyone will be safe and will have fun. The weekend will be filled with indoor and outdoor activities, discussions on interesting topics, music, children’s programs, a silent auction and much more. There is a waterfront with kayaks, canoes, and rowboats, 2 gyms, a climbing wall, a coffeehouse/open mic - plenty of things for the whole family to enjoy.

Here are some highlights from the schedule of events for the weekend:

• Keynote speaker, Pastor David Trayham, leading a discussion on building better racial and community relationships
• Workshop topics including a proposal to bring the Hudson River into Albany, getting off fossil fuels, book discussions, and an opportunity to create art
• Several hikes, a bird walk, a presentation by a wildlife rehabilitator including her five live raptors, a discussion of the islands and bays of Lake George, a presentation about a trek across Northern Spain, and boat tours
• A full children’s program including movies, kite and bead making and games
• Several live musical events
• The annual auction (Bring and purchase gently used items.)

Remember – the cost is all-inclusive for room and board, activities and entertainment - including all meals from Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch. Children under 6 are free, with substantial discounts for older children and youth. 

Access additional information about Silver Bay and the UU weekend, including a preliminary schedule of events and a registration form at http://albanyuu.org/uu-weekend-at-silver-bay/

Note: Adaptions will be made to accommodate the status of the pandemic, if needed.

Find Sunday service recordings here.

Learn about submitting announcements to for Sunday service and how to reserve a Zoom room for meetings and events here.

All information about regular occurring events and meetings, including Zoom links can be found here.



Other important resources, our file cabinet, archives, guidelines and information can be found on the Resource Page of our website, here.



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