Dear First U Friends,

Through many stages of my life, I’ve had what I like to call a “pump-up jam,” that is, a song that I play every morning as I get ready to face my day. 

My pump up jam is my “wake-up song,” a tune that finds me somehow and meets me right where I’m at for a few days, a week, a month, or sometimes on-and-off through a whole year. Genre-wise, these tunes know no bounds. They can be quiet and melancholy, distorted and angry, soft and sweet, and/or funky and pop-tastic. Sometimes it’s all about the lyrics, other times it’s about the beat, sometimes I just need to listen to someone screaming incoherently, and other times I just want to sing-along in harmony. Whatever it is - be it a song by Patti Smith or Prince, the Talking Heads or Taylor Swift - my pump-up jam is a song that centers and enlivens me for the day ahead. You could say, it is an awakening song. 

One of the things I most appreciate about my pump-up jams is that they mark a time in my life. Listening to these songs reminds me of places, faces, and head-spaces of my past. When a former pump-up jam unexpectedly comes on the radio or I get a random hankering for say, Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl,” a feeling comes over me that’s akin to looking at an old photograph. I remember details of my life that I had forgotten, and in turn, I remember a part of myself and my life that I had forgotten. 

What about you? Do you mark phases of your life by the music you find yourselves listening to? Do you have pump-up jams? Do you have one right now? What if you did? Might it change your morning routine to put on a favorite tune and just enjoy it for a few minutes?

This Sunday, the second of our month of “Awakening,” we will celebrate the awakenings that music offers us. We will be joined by a guest musician during our service who will join Sam for a performance of Arvo Pärt’s “Spiegel im Spiegel,” a longer, sensory piece of classical music that will allow us to hone in and enjoy the act of listening - and yes, the awakening of our senses. 

Yours in pump-up jams and longer, sensory pieces of classical music,

Rev. Hillary 

PS. Please note in Channels this week a change in our "What Do UU Think?" schedule, as well as an important update about New Mainers who have recently moved to Yarmouth. 

"Can" you help us out? We would like to do an Easter can hunt this year for children and youth. If you donate some canned food (or toiletries or other items), we'll hide it like we typically would Easter eggs, the children will find the cans/other items, and then we'll donate all of it to the Yarmouth Food Pantry. Afterwards, children will also receive a small goodie bag to take home.

Want to help with the Easter cheer? Pots of spring flowers, such as daffodils, lilies, tulips, or pansies, would be gratefully accepted to adorn the sanctuary. Thank you!

The church elevator is temporarily out of service. The Buildings & Grounds Committee are working with an elevator tech to address the problem. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that if this poses a barrier for you that you'll join the service on Zoom.

This week, we are reflecting on waking up to wonder and beauty of our world and exploring what it means to be present in each moment by using our senses. We'll be trying out two ways to do this - with a bubble meditation and making cloud dough.

We'll be doing a pre-Earth Day trash clean-up on this Sunday, April 10th, 2 - 3 pm. We'll have gloves and bags available and will walk around downtown and pick up any trash we find.

MUUSAN would like to have ALL UUs in the state on their email alert list. Sign up here to receive MUUSAN alerts. They will never share your email address with anyone else! You’ll receive on average 2 emails a month that will keep you in the loop about the important statewide advocacy and public policy actions that Maine UUs can take.

Nearly two dozen New Mainer families have arrived in Yarmouth from Angola, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yarmouth Community Services (YCS), Yarmouth Cares About Neighbors (YCAN), and the Yarmouth public schools are working together to coordinate efforts to support our new neighbors. Read more in a letter from Superintendent Andrew R. Dolloff and learn about how you can help.

Annie Cook and Diana Hansen have an apartment available for rent in the area. It's a loft style apartment, small but beautiful. Everything is included, heat/ac via a heat pump, and parking for one car. $ 1,200/month. For more information, please contact Annie at annmarioncook@gmail.com.

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.