Windows Weekly April 1, 2021
ALBANY UU WINDOWS WEEKLY
Greetings Friends,

Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Please stay safe and stay connected to your Albany UU Community during this uncertain time in the many ways provided online - all described below.

Please note, the Daily Reminder was not sent out this morning since there were no events to remind folks about today. Everything you need to know is right here in the Weekly. Daily Reminders will continue tomorrow morning. Thank you!

Also, you may see announcements in this publication more than once. That is with intent and to ensure that items don't get missed as folks scroll through. Thank you for understanding.

If this email was forwarded to you, and you would like to receive it directly, please

Learn more about what's happening with UU Kids and Families by reading the Religious Education publication, RE Roundup.

-Blessings and Be Well
MISSION STATEMENT
We welcome everyone. Our Unitarian Universalist community seeks truth and deeper meaning, pursues justice through inspired action, and cultivates compassion and love for all connected by the web of life.

VISION STATEMENT
Albany UU will be an inclusive, welcoming congregation. Our sacred work is to lift hearts, broaden minds and do justice in the world, in service of building beloved community.


CONGREGATIONAL COVENANT
As a congregation with respect for our past and commitment to the future, we draw from the depth and power of our hearts and minds, guided by our Unitarian Universalist principles, to serve our mission and vision. We celebrate the diversity of our identities and experiences, and foster a culture of appreciation, inspiration, and kindness. We honor both the strength of the collective and uniqueness of the individual, willing to support and challenge each other with love and compassion. We entrust ourselves to each other in beloved community, to embolden personal and congregational growth and transformation.
VIRTUAL SUNDAY SERVICE
10:00 am
LIVE VIA ZOOM


April 4, “Eggs to Easter,” Rev. Sam Trumbore, Leah Purcell, Rev. Joe Cleveland
We’ll be having a joint Multigenerational Easter celebration with the UU Congregation of Saratoga Springs. A theme that we’ll have as a focus are eggs and the process of decorating them to celebrate the coming of spring. We’ll have a “signs of spring” slide show too! We look forward to celebrating with you!

Music provided by special guests: Mark Abendroth, trumpet; Saratoga UU Musicians, Joe and Judith; Elena Karpoff

This Sunday only – use this link to join:


Activity for our Multigenerational Service - No RE for children and youth
If families would like to do the Pysanky Egg craft that the younger kids had in their RE kit for April, it is available here. We'll all have a chance to show what we come up with during the service. We won't have Family Chapel or RE sessions.

VIRTUAL SUNDAY SERVICES

Albany UU Virtual Services - Live via Zoom
Main Service at 10:00 AM, Children's Service at 11:30 AM

Begin your Sunday morning with Rev. Sam guiding an 8:30 Virtual Meditation session until 9:15 (see below, under Upcoming Ways to Connect for more info). We then have Virtual Service beginning at 10:00 each Sunday and a chance to stay online for virtual "Coffee Hour" followed by RE for ALL, at 11:30.

Use this link to join Sunday service:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000

UPCOMING WAYS to CONNECT


Start your Sunday Morning with Meditation - 8:30 - 9:15 AM
Sunday morning meditation, led by Rev. Sam, begins with a ten-minute talk by Sharon Salzberg or Joseph Goldstein from their course on Insight Meditation. We will sit together for twenty minutes then have some conversation about the talk, meditation methods or experiences followed by a live loving kindness meditation. 

Use this link to join:

By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Philosophy Group
At 10:15 AM every Tuesday, the Albany UU Philosophy Group will meet via zoom and discuss their topic of the day.
All are welcome.

Use this link to join:

By phone: 1-929-436-2866 
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000


Ps and Qs
Projects and Quilts (Ps and Qs) will zoom next on Wednesday, April 7 at 10:00 AM.

Use this link to join:

By phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Ministries and Operations Team 
The MOT will meet on Wednesday, April 7 at 12N. MOT meetings are open to all Albany UU members.

Use the service link to join:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Albany UU Sings
Join your friends and sing your heart out in Virtual Community! We will supply the music and the lyrics.
Save these Wednesday dates at 7:00 PM for the rest of the the service year:
April 7, 21; May 12, 26; June 9
Hope to see you there.

Use this link to join:

By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 979 5961 1765
Passcode: 0000


Mindfulness Meditation Workshop on Zoom
April 9 & 10
This meditation training and practice workshop will be led by Rev. Trumbore, on Friday 6:00pm to 9:00pm, and Saturday 8:00am to 3:00pm. It gives participants an opportunity to learn Buddhist mindfulness meditation techniques and/or refresh and deepen their meditation practice. All are welcome from first timers to experts. Please register with Rev. Sam by email (minister@albanyuu.org) if you would like to participate. Learn more here.

Virtual Memorial Service for Ted Wright 
Service held via Zoom on Sunday, April 11 at 5:00 PMFind more information here.

Use this link to join:

By phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a Zoom discussion on Sunday, April 11 at 6:30 pm. Join at 6:15 for additional time to socialize. We will discuss The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Directions for joining the meeting will be placed in the Daily Reminders. Learn more here.

Note NEW LINK:
For April only, use this link to join:

Meeting ID: 518-366-4532
Password: 4051842


Social Responsibilities Team Meeting
Wednesday, April 14, 6:45 PM 
All are welcome to attend.

Use the service link to join:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Board of Trustees Meeting
Thursday, April 22, 6:30 PM the Board of Trustees holds their monthly meeting. Board meetings are open to all Albany UU members.

Use the service link to join:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


A Virtual Orientation for Newcomers on Zoom
Getting to Know UU
Saturday, May 8 (note date change), is a great chance for some of us at Albany UU to get to know YOU -- but it's also a perfect opportunity for you to learn about this Unitarian Universalist congregation, explore the roots of "UUism," and begin to figure out how participating in congregational life can enhance your personal journey.

Please join us:
10:00 AM to noon
Saturday, May 8

Use this link to join:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000

Signing up is preferred, but logins the day of are welcome, come as you are!
To sign up: Send an email to Registration@AlbanyUU.org.
LIFTING HEARTS, BROADENING MINDS, DOING JUSTICE...TOGETHER
Last Day!


Last day of our stewardship campaign! 
Many thanks to all those who have already pledged. And thank you for your generosity! If you haven’t yet returned your pledge, we encourage you to do so.
 
The financial sustainability of our community is an effort that we can all commit to, in solidarity with one another and the good work that we strive to do together. There is no contribution, whether of time, talent or money that is not valued and appreciated, and important to the work we are doing as a community. We look forward to full participation, at whatever level works for you, in our 2021 pledge drive. Your commitment of financial support helps us to plan activities and initiatives for the upcoming year, with honesty and clarity.
 
Pledges are due today, Thursday, April 1st, so please take a moment to complete the online form. You will be automatically entered into the UU Bucks raffle when you submit your pledge online. If you are still planning to submit your pledge in the mail, please do so and don’t forget to include your raffle ticket!
 
To return Your pledge TODAY, April 1st you can:

  • Pledge online using this link
  • Mail your pledge to the Albany UU office (405 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12206)

Thanks for all you do to support Albany Unitarian Universalist!

Geoff Abbas                                                 Patti Jo Newell
Stewardship Co-chair                                  Stewardship Co-chair
 
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS!

LEAH'S BLOG

Creating our Belief Statements - What It Means to Be A People of Becoming - By Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry
 
From our Soul Matters partners on the theme for April, BECOMING
 
It’s become popular in our society to talk about spiritual journeys as a process of living into your full or true self, of letting the authentic seed inside you unfold. We UU’s agree. We even enshrined it in our principles that celebrate each of our unique seeds (inherent worth) and unique journeys (a free and responsible search). Often the journey of becoming is guided by one’s credo.  These statements of belief and purpose ground us, keep us on track and remind us who we most want to be.
 
Many of us adults have not really spent much time considering our credo. However, we support our youth to so as a is a core goal of our Coming of Age program. And some adults participate in the annual “This I Believe” service.
 
You may know Coming of Age by its former name - Rite of Passage. Our ninth and tenth graders are invited to participate in it; it’s separate from our Sunday morning high school youth group. In this program, each of the youth select from a pool of trusted, longtime, and active members of the congregation to be their mentor for the year. The youth and mentors meet with me several times a month via zoom and the youth/mentor pairs meet on their own at least once a month via zoom or in person socially distanced. The program covers UU history, philosophy and theology, governance, religious services, and social justice work. The mentors help the youth explore and discover their own guiding principles by which they make their decisions and remind them of who they want to be. We tell the youth that their belief statements are presentations of what they believe and what they value right now in their lives. It’s a snapshot of where they are now. The Coming of Age will present their believe statements to the congregation in a service they will create for the Sunday service on June 13th.  June might seem far away, but with warmer weather on its way, we are urging the youth to sit down this month to hammer out their statements.
 
As you can imagine, despite the adult’s best efforts to support and reassure the youth, this task is daunting to them. How many of us have written down our credo, let alone present it to the whole congregation? As I said, some adults in fact do! You may have heard some of your fellow Albany UU’s present at our “This I Believe” service in which adults present their belief statements. This year the “This I Believe” service is May 16th.
 
So, this month, I invite you to consider what you might put in your believe statement. This might be a way of being in spirit with the adults presenting in the “This I Believe” service and with our Coming of Age youth - a way just to send them good vibes as they get to work.
 
Our Soul Matters partners have offered us these credo-like pieces below. You might spend some time with them and figure out which one is the one you could have written. Think about why exactly it spoke to you. Was it a particular line or two? Or something more general?
 
Consider keeping your chosen piece (or part of) in front of you for a few weeks, allowing you the occasion to read it and see it almost every day.
 
Oh, and if you end up inspired to write your very own credo, by all means, go for it!
 
Credos to Choose From:
 
This Is What You Shall Do - Walt Whitman
 
Famous - Naomi Shihab Nye
 
If - Rudyard Kipling
 
Thirty Things I Believe - Tarak McClain
 
Jonah - Steve Garnaas-Holmes 
 
Advice to Myself - Louise Erdrich
 
The only dream worth having is… - Arundhati Roy

Try to Praise the Mutilated World - Adam Zagajewski
 
The Credo - Robert Fulghum
 
Things to Think - Robert Bly
 
“Hokusai Says” - Roger Keys
 
9 Learnings from 9 Years of Brain Pickings - Maria Popova
 
12 truths I learned from life & writing - Anne Lamott
 
9 Life Lessons - Tim Minchin



More from our blogs:

INCLUSIVITY RECOMMENDS

SOCIAL ACTION
Social Responsibilities Council Recommends


The Albany UU Social Responsibilities Council (SRC) and Inclusivity Team recommend a Black Lives Matter vigil in Troy:
When: Saturdays,10:30-11:00 am
Where: Troy - corner of River Street at the intersection of Fulton and Third Streets, 12180 - NOTE change in place
  • physical distance, masks
  • signs only, no chanting (except for meditative religious practice)
  • the vigil will automatically be canceled if the temperature is 20 or below OR if the wind chill is below 10 degrees Fahrenheit 


Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, April 14, 11 am – noon.  Compassion and Choices is planning a virtual rally


SRC recommends that for those who can, and wish to do so, stimulus check(s) can be sent to Albany UU with UU Unified Community Designated Fund in the memo line, which will at a future time be distributed to these three organizations: Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NYUnited Tenants of Albany, and Joseph House in Troy as a gift from Albany UU. Thank you for your consideration.
RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION

JOYS and CONCERNS

UU WEEKEND AT SILVER BAY

Keynote Speaker Announced for UU Weekend at Silver Bay!

We are thrilled to announced that Stephen “Dr. Bird” Birchak, one of the nation’s most recognized voices on issues of positive psychology, will deliver the keynote presention at this special weekend, scheduled from 10/15-10/17/21. His discussion will address “The Happiness Code: the Five Active Reflections of Really Really Happy People.” 

Registration is open! Register by June 7, 2021 to receive the lowest rates! 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 here. Rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis based on receipt of the completed registration form and accompanying deposit.

Remember – the cost is all-inclusive for room and board, activities and entertainment - including all meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.

Note: Curranty, we are experiencing a time of social distancing and modifications of group gatherings due to Covid-19. Any restrictions in place at the time of the UU Weekend at Silver Bay will be communicated to registrants.
Here's a wonderful use of your Wine and Cheese wine bottles!
And it just looks like spring!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Essential Building Use Guidelines:
Find more information about our Building Use Guidelines during COVID HERE.




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


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

Virtual Service Ushers - It's never too late to volunteer!
This is a great opportunity to volunteer on a Sunday morning! Ushers are needed on Sunday mornings to help provide a welcoming, safe and enjoyable virtual experience. We need folks who would be willing to volunteer to help. Tammy will provide a quick and simple training. PLEASE contact her if you'd like to learn more: admin@albanyuu.org.

YOU can make a difference!
We at Albany UU are making an effort to increase our visibility and connectivity online. YOU can help, and it's quick and easy! Simply like, follow and share pages and posts on any of our social media platforms, or leave a positive Facebook or Google review. Google Albany UU or find us here:
CONNECTIONS







Publication deadlines
This is an important reminder that the news and article deadline for Windows Weekly is 9:00 AM on Monday. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sign up for an online class

- Send an email to: registration@albanyuu.org
Regular events and meetings

Most of these events and meetings continue online, however dates and times may vary. Please contact the Team or Group Leader or email admin@albanyuu.org if you have questions.

Sundays       
11:45 AM     Inclusivity Team (2nd)
5:30 PM       Walker Book Group (2nd)
11:45 AM      Social Responsibilities Council (3rd)
11:45 AM      Green Sanctuary Committee (4th)

Mondays       
6:15 PM        Religious Education Council
                               (1st, Nov., Feb., May)

Tuesdays      
10:15 AM      Philosophy Discussion (weekly)

Wednesdays
10:00 AM     Ps and Qs (alternating)
12:00 PM Ministry and Operations Team (1st)
7:00 PM     Albany UU Sings (alternating)

Thursdays    
6:30 PM       Board of Trustees (4th)
Going to miss a Sunday?

Online service is generally recorded

Sunday, Mar 28 watch it here

Sunday, Mar 21 watch it here

Martha Schroeder's Memorial Service

Sunday, Mar 14 watch it here

Sunday, Mar 7 watch it here

Sunday, Feb 28 watch it here

Sunday, Feb 21 watch it here

Sunday, Feb 14 watch it here

Sunday, Feb 7 watch it here


For archives

This has pdf files of sermons texts (when available) and audio files of sermons.


First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
Parking - when the building reopens: 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:
The Albany UU Office is closed during this time of physical distancing. Sam, Leah and Tammy have their messages forwarded to their personal cell phones and are available by email.

Our Website:
General: www.AlbanyUU.org

Zoom use
To reserve Zoom for an Albany UU online meeting, contact the virtual church office (518.463.7135 or admin@albanyuu.org).

Photo credit: Jeannie Thompson
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135| 518.463.1429 | Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org