Frozen II: The Fifth Spirit and the Making of a Future We Cannot See

Rev. William Levwood, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee

We live in a time in which a shocking amount of lies and deceit fill the airwaves. It's equally as shocking to come to terms with how normal this is in the United States of America, how so much of our history has been distorted to fit a grand national narrative built largely on lies. The movie Frozen II gives us an opportunity to reveal the truth about our past and, in doing so, to participate in the making of a future we cannot see.

Our service video will be available at 10:00 am at eliotchapel.org and will remain there all week. You can also find it directly on Eliot Chapel's YouTube channel.

Every Sunday, Eliot Chapel shares half of the offertory with an organization in the community whose work reflects our shared values. This is one way that we care for our community and our neighbors. We are very pleased that June's recipient is the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA Project). MICA is a community organization committed to working with low-income immigrants to overcome barriers to justice.

Our goal for June is to raise a total of $1,000, with half going to MICA and half to Eliot Chapel’s many life-sustaining ministries. Let us be good neighbors. Let us be a generous people.

Here’s how you can give:

UU Resources for at-home exploration: Families are encouraged to explore the online Religious Education Resources on the church website, found here, for at-home UU exploration. Resources include a Social Justice Summer Reading List for children, UU coloring pages, YouTube videos, parent resources, and more.

For more information about activities for children and youth, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org or Christie Lee at christie@eliotchapel.org.

At 11:30 am on Sunday, you are invited to “walk down the hall” and come to our Zoom Coffee Hour! We’ll take about 10 minutes or so to gather and let people settle in. We'll say a few words of welcome and then create break-out rooms – random groupings of 5 or 6 people. Everyone will likely make a new friend at Eliot from this exercise! You’ll have the chance to introduce yourself and then share your answers to a few questions, like “How has this week been for you?” and “What feelings has it brought up for you?” Each person has about 5 minutes to speak; you are welcome to pass if you like. In half an hour, everyone will return to the big group and we’ll say our goodbyes for the week. Please watch your email for "Eliot on Zoom" which will include a link to join the Zoom coffee hour. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here.

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 6:00 pm in front of Eliot

Many groups at Eliot are meeting despite the distance between us all. Check with your group leader or get involved with a new group! Find contact information in our Getting Involved booklet.

Group leaders, have you set up an area for your group in Realm? You have a secure place to chat and share documents and photos. Contact Christie Lee to set up your group.

Please remember Teri Nicely and her husband, Gary. Gary has been hospitalized this week and will undergo bypass surgery on Friday, June 18.

In observance of Juneteenth, the new federal holiday commemorating the oldest national celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States, the front office will be closed on Monday, June 21. 

On June 19, 1865, a Union general rode into Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had outlawed slavery in the Confederate states in 1862, enforcement of the Proclamation relied on the advance of Union troops, and remote Texas was the last area to receive the news. The first annual celebration took place the following year. Andre M. Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told 538, “The emancipation of Black Americans should be celebrated, without question, because it represents a monumental step in freedom for all Americans.” 

July 11 - Castlewood State Park, 1401 Kiefer Creek Rd, Ballwin. Register here.

July 18 - Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Rd, Manchester. Register here.

July 25 - Tower Grove Park, 4257 Northeast Drive, St. Louis. Register here.

Eliot Chapel is so pleased to see our very own Becky and Bill Coalson recognized through this award. The relationship they nurture with our partner church in Nyárádszentmárton has enriched our congregation immensely through personal trips, the exchange of crafts, participation in our Bread Sunday service, and more. Read about these activities and the award in the Spring 2021 Partner Church News.  

Last week, we sent out a survey to Eliot members and friends about vaccination in our community. The first results of the survey are in. Because of the high number of responses and strong trends, we wanted to share them with you.

Please take a few minutes to complete the confidential survey if you have not. It's only 10 questions, but it's another step toward the day we're back together. We will give the final results in a few weeks. 

Please contact the Church office today at admin@eliotchapel.org or call (314) 821-0911 to find out if you are behind in fulfilling your pledge. It's happened to all of us at one time or another and it's easy to fix. Camille Novak is preparing end of year statements for all of us and our goal is that everyone's balance will be "zero" when those come out. If you wait until you receive that statement, it may be too late to fulfill your pledge for 2020-2021. If your check is dated past June 30, that amount goes toward the new fiscal year's pledge, not this year. We're grateful to receive your gift, whenever you send it. However, it helps a lot to have good, clear information about where we stand as a community with our finances. Everyone completing their pledges before June 30 makes that easier.

If a pledge payment is not appearing in your Realm account, please contact your bank to see if the check was indeed cashed. If it was, please contact the Front Office asap with 1) the date of the check, 2) the check number, and 3) the amount of the check. We will research that time frame to see if your pledge statement was misapplied to another account.

The Eliot Social Justice in Action Steering Committee welcomes nominations before June 30 for Shared Plate for the 2021-2022 church year. Shared Plate is Eliot’s program to divide the Sunday offering and designated online gifts with community organizations that align with our mission. Additional criteria for nominees and the nomination form can be found here. 

Part-Time AV Tech Sought

Local church seeking part-time (15 hours a week max) AV Tech Assistant, responsible for assisting communications specialist with video editing during the week and producing hands-on livestream video on Sundays. Weekly hours are flexible and will work primarily from home, except Sundays. Please contact avtechresume@gmail.com for more information.

Our COVID team is here for you. If you are quarantining and need support having groceries and prescriptions picked up, please email pastoralcare@eliotchapel.org with your contact information. 

In an email letter to members and friends, Rev. Barbara outlined "How We Do Church Now" as Eliot Chapel suspended face-to-face meetings. As a guiding document, it was always open to changes as we found out what worked and what didn't in our response to this extraordinary situation. You can find this document on our website now. We will keep it updated as things change. We'll also try to let you know here of any changes. No changes were made this week.

All staff are working from home. The building and grounds are closed for general use. A staff person is checking on the building and grounds periodically throughout the week for any facilities or maintenance issues. If you need assistance or have any questions, please email the appropriate staff person.

Religious Education parents and caregivers are invited to REconnect with one another from 6:30 to 9:00 pm on Saturday, June 19, at Kirkwood Park for fun and fellowship. To attend, please email kmponche@gmail.com by 5:00 pm today, Friday, June 18.

All are welcome; wearing a mask is required as is maintaining the 6-foot social distancing guideline. Please remember that the building is not open so there are no available restrooms. 

Mark your calendars to attend the next Immigration Justice Team Meeting on Tuesday, June 22, at 7:00 pm via Zoom (see the "Eliot on Zoom" email or contact immigration@eliotchapel.org for access information). We will learn about obstacles immigrants encounter when attempting to utilize the skills and education they bring to this country, and legislative initiatives that might bring justice and equity to their efforts. We also will refine our mission statement, adopt role descriptions for our leadership team, finalize our project plan for the 2021-2022 church year, and discuss budgeting processes and allocation. Much to do, much to learn, and much collective energy for change. Y'all come!

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend. The UUA Board of Trustees has passed a resolution making the 2021 UUA General Assembly – held June 23-27 – a 100% virtual event.

This year, the Ware Lecture will feature Stacey Abrams & Desmond Meade! Registration is open up to and throughout General Assembly. Find details here.

Public events for GA can be viewed here. This includes General Sessions, the Candidates Forum & Info Session, the Sunday Morning Worship, the Service of Living Tradition, and the Synergy Bridging Worship. An online chat will be available during live events. On-demand video will be available after each event concludes. Find details and a schedule on their page.

Eliot Chapel's grief group will not meet this week. The next meeting will be Thursday, July 8. If you wish to join the group, please email Rev. Krista Taves for connection information.

Join thousands of UUs across the country for this special General Assembly worship service. This year, UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray has selected First Universalist Church of Minneapolis to lead Sunday worship. Read more and get the service link here. We will also post the service to Eliot's website as usual.