UUCSC News and Updates
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Volume III * Issue 32* January 20, 2023

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County, RI
All are welcome!

Reverend Denis Letourneau Paul, Minister

revdenispaul@gmail.com Minister's Calendar

This Sunday, January 22, 2023

Worship

In Person and on Zoom 10:00 am

"Celebrating

Langston Hughes"


April Brown, Kai Cameron, with special guest and saxophonist Emmanuel Escobar, from the Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading, will present poems and readings by and about Langston Hughes. Escobar will provide musical accompaniment to the poems.

Order of Service

Religious Exploration

In Person

10am-noon

The video above is a read aloud of a book about the early life of Langston Hughes. A quiet dreamer, mostly raised by his grandma, he finally finds out where "home" is.


We will start in the sanctuary this Sunday for a Time for All Ages with our guest speakers. Then we will come downstairs to write our own poetry!

April Brown is an educator, ordained minister, poet, singer and actor.  She is currently the co-director of the Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading and director of the Racial & Environmental Justice Committee. For Brown, "arts practice is the way we speak life into humanity.” 

Kai Cameron is a retired Providence School District administrator and the co-director of the Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading.

Emmanuel Escobar is a lifelong musician, specializing in jazz saxophone. He has toured with Wynton Marsalis and performed for Bill Clinton. 

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Rev's Reflections

There’s a restaurant in Denver that I’ve admired for close to 20 years now. It’s called SAME Café, and I’ve never been there. But SAME is an acronym for “so all may eat.” Anyone can go in and order from the menu, regardless of their ability to pay. And they are committed to addressing all dietary needs and restrictions. So all may eat.


As a business model goes, that mission is completely bonkers! How on earth have they made money enough to thrive for 20-plus years? 


When I think about feeding our community in the context of our congregational life, I don’t see that radically inclusive approach as being a business model that must be profitable. I see it as an imperative to living out our mission, which we can summarize as welcoming, loving, growing spiritually and seeking justice.  


I’m so proud that at our Chalica dinner last month everybody present had a lot of selections available for them to craft their own delicious meal. And I am thrilled that our Birthday Bash on February 3 will be just as inclusive. Whether you are an ominivore, vegetarian or vegan you’ll find a protein. Whether you live on bread or avoid gluten like the plague, you’ll find a filling starch. Everything will be deconstructed, meaning we’ll offer simple ingredients in the form of a buffet, so you can build your own wrap, rice bowl or salad. 


We’re suggesting a donation of $8 per person or $20 per family of three or more. If you’re short on cash, no worries. We have you covered. And if you can offer more, please consider doing so. Even if you bump it up a couple bucks, I promise you the meal is still a great bargain. We’re in this to build connections, not make money.


The Birthday Bash, just to be clear, isn’t a celebration of the UUCSC’s birthday. It’s meant to be a celebration of all of our individual birthdays. We’ll meet our birthday buddies and sing new and familiar songs. And of course we’ll have birthday cake and ice cream, including gluten-free and vegan options!


Personally, I can’t think of a better way to spend a cold winter evening than hanging out in the warmth of this community. 


I hope you’ll be there.


In Peace,

Rev. Denis

Stay in the Loop at UUCSC

UUCSC Anti-racism Group

Monday, January 23, 2023, 7:00-8:15 PM


This is an open group; drop-ins are always welcome to join in the work of undoing racism with the mission to LEARN, EDUCATE, ADVOCATE. We continue this journey, energized to make a difference!  Monday we will discuss the Pyramid of Love and continue role playing effective and constructive conversations across differences.


The Zoom link to the meeting is always on the church calendar. We meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. Please join us! 


Notes from last meeting.

Submitted by Nancy Richman

Concert at UUCSC January 28, 7pm


Concerts are back!! For the first time since COVID hit, the UUCSC choir, led by Michael Galib and joined by the wonderful acapella group, Sine Nomine, will hold a concert on Saturday, January 28 @ 7 pm in the UUCSC sanctuary, 27 North Road, Peace Dale. Masks reccomended and encouraged. The groups will sing separately and together, covering a range of early music and recent choral selections. Tickets $20.00 (prior to the concert or at the door). Available from UUCSC choir members, on sale after Sunday's service, and online at bluebird.brownpapertickets.com 

Submitted by Betsy Dalton

Members and friends are cordially invited to join a congregation in Oregon virtually for Seminary for a Day on Saturday, January 28, at First Unitarian Portland. This year’s spiritual theme is Transcendentalism.

 

The keynote speaker is Rev. John Buehrens. Rev. Buehrens served as UUA President, 1993-2001. A prolific author, his most recent one about our heritage is CONFLAGRATION: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, and Social Justice (Beacon, 2020).


More details here.

Birthday Bash!

Friday, Feb. 3rd at 5:30


Let's celebrate everyone's birthday all on the same night! All are invited to a big birthday dinner buffet in the sanctuary, complete with birthday cake or pie for each sign of the zodiac!

Email Lee if you want to volunteer to bake a birthday dessert or help with set up/clean up. You can either volunteer or make a donation at the door: $8/person or $20/family

Upcoming Sunday Services


Jan. 29  Brazilian-American storyteller Antonio Rocha (Fundafest event*)


Feb. 5 Where is the Love? Rev. Denis


Feb. 12 Journeying Toward Something Rev. Denis


Please note, all previously scheduled Shadow to Light services

have been cancelled.

A special message from Share the Plate

UUA Disaster Fund Needs Donations


As some may know, the UUA has a disaster relief fund, but after they helped many congregations following Hurricane Ian in Florida, the fund now needs replenishment! After unbelievable rain events in California, a Carmel congregation applied for financial help from this fund. The UUA believes more

congregations will also request financial help as time goes on. While our Share the Plate committee absolutely believes this is an appropriate request for a contribution from our congregation, and we fully support this idea, we are following our guidelines to use our Share the Plate for local nonprofits, and we

are committed to fulfilling our obligations as planned. The next six months UUCSC will support Southern Rhode Island Volunteers, Friends of the Saugatucket, and Johnnycake Center for Hope.


We are hopeful that individuals from UUCSC will be able to help UUA financially to help those congregations in need. Please click here for specifics.

Thanks to Barbara Pagh for bringing this to my attention.


Submitted by Barbara Beckwith, Chair Share the Plate

Book Group Proposal


I, Larry Kelland, plan to chair a discussion group on this wonderful book by Meg Lowman via Zoom on Tuesdays, Feb. 7 - April 25, 7:30 to 8:30 PM. We will read one chapter a week. Please email me at lxx45@cox.net if you are interested in joining. 


Meg Lowman, Scientist (ecologist, botanist, conservationist) realized early in her career that most of the life in a tropical rainforest (birds, mammals, including primates, insects and more) is up in the canopy, which she calls the "Eighth Continent". It became her life's work. Much of it has never been studied, probably because of the difficulty in getting up there to see everything close at hand. She developed a number of interesting designs for getting up there, possibly the best one is a walkway in the canopy itself. Here is a brief description of the fascinating book, from the book jacket:


"A blend of memoir and fieldwork account, The Arbonaut gives us the chance to live among scientists and travel the world-even in a hot air balloon! It is the engrossing, uplifting story of nerdy tree climber- the only girl at the science fair - who becomes a giant inspiration, a ground - breaking, ground-defying field defying field biologist, and a hero for trees everywhere.”

--Larry Kelland  lxx45@cox.net

UUA General Assembly 2023

All the details here.

Current Community Connections

FUNDA FEST 25


Several tellers from South Kingstown’s Jonnycake Storytelling Festival, including Len Cabral and Valerie Tutson, formed the RI Black Storytellers in the late 90s, beginning FUNDA FEST in 1998. And now FUNDA is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with an extra weekend of storytelling events and three FREE storytelling events in South Kingstown. All are open to the public.


  • Poetry of Langston Hughes

UUCSC Sunday Service,  January 22, 2023, 10 a.m.

April Brown, Kai Cameron and Eugenie Rose Belony, Langston Hughes Center


  • Harriet Tubman: A one-woman show by Janice Curtis Greene

Special production: Wednesday, January 25, 2023, 6:00-7:30 PM

South Kingston High School See flyer directly below.


  • Brazilian-American storyteller Antonio Rocha

UUCSC Sunday Service, January 29, 2023, 10 AM


A pass for all festival events and tickets for individual concerts/events,running January 14-29, 2023 can be purchased at fundafest.org. All ticketed shows are offered both in-person and live streamed. 

Submitted by Johnnie Rodriquez

Town of South Kingstown 300th Anniversary Speaker Series

January 24th, 2023 -- 7PM -- SKHS Auditorium

Tomaquag Museum Executive Director, Lorén Spears, is the first speaker in this series, which is part of the 300th Anniversary year-long celebration.

Her session is entitled Kumagooaunash Numanutoom, All Creator’s Gifts. Come, listen and learn about South Kingstown's history. 

UU Legislative Ministry of RI Health care program

Sunday January 29, 2023

4pm on Zoom


UU principles support the belief that health care should be a right, not a privilege, as stated by our UUA Resolution for Universal Health Care (1992),  

What can we do about it here in Rhode Island? 



Please join us for an important program to explore that question with special guests State Senators Linda Ujifusa and Sam Bell, Rep. David Morales, and Dr. Mark Ryan.  

 

Save the date: Sunday, January 29 at 4pm on Zoom (the link will be in next week's newsletter).

Sponsored by the UU Legislative Ministry of Rhode Island (UULM-RI)

PROCLAMATION TO HONOR GUN SURVIVORS

Our recently elected South Kingstown Town Council Woman, Patti Vogel Alley, has asked the Council to proclaim the week of February 1 - 7, 2023 to honor Gun Survivors.


This noteworthy acknowledgment of gun violence in our state highlights and honors the 46 Rhode Islanders who died in 2022 and 145 citizens wounded. This is part of an effort in RI by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense to educate and inform residents in our towns about how we can end gun violence.


Please come in your red Moms t-shirt or wear red to the SK town council meeting on Monday, January 23, 2023, 7:15 PM to show your support for gun sense legislation and to honor the survivors. Contact Jean Bowen for more information.

Submitted by Cathy Solomon

REMINDERS...

This war rages on...
The UUCSC Share the Plate committee recommends one of these four organizations that are providing support to Ukrainians in crisis.
Bethany Sorrentino, Helping Hands Coordinator
bethanysorrentino@uri.edu or 401-451-4104. 
Don't be afraid to ask for help - helping hands are here! 
Helping hand volunteers are also needed.

UUCSC Committees always need help and new ideas.

Please contact President Elizabeth Donovan at elizdn342@gmail.com.

List of Black owned businesses from RI Monthly magazine. Patronize these businesses all year long. This small effort can help undo racism. Please send pics and reviews to Etta for sharing here and on website.
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How to Submit Info to This Newsletter

Send announcements and news with Newsletter Item in the subject line to Sara Kaplow, Congregational Administrator, at uucscri@gmail.com and Etta Zasloff, Editor, at zasloff.etta@gmail.com by Tuesday Noon

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