Members of the Youth Group and their adult advisors pose on October 25, 2020 with items they are putting into Goody bags for the October 31st UUCW Halloween Parade. (photo by Betty Jenewin)
Please click the Photo to see more Photos of the Week (3 this week!) on our website!
Good people. As we continue our fall programming, I want to take a moment to update you on conversations about our ongoing pandemic response. The Health & Safety Team met last week to discuss our ongoing plans.
Given the current state of COVID-19 spread in our region the team feels it necessary to continue remote operation for Sunday Morning Worship through the remainder of the calendar year. We know that this decision is disappointing for many, especially as we look toward beloved holiday services and rituals. That said, our Worship and Technology Teams are hard at work to bring you inspiring experiences which we hope you will avail yourself for in the coming months.
Small groups continue to be permitted to use the facility while adhering to the pandemic protocol for the size and safety of such gatherings. Please contact the office ([email protected]) to schedule use. The only restriction is over the next 4 weeks because of construction in our parking lot the building will be relatively inaccessible during the day and we are uncertain when it will be accessible in the evening. Stay tuned for upcoming communication regarding the progress on our property updates.
In addition to the guidelines that have already been established the H&S Team is reviewing short interview and wavier forms to be used by those facilitating groups in the building in order to assist in contact tracing should that become necessary.
Because of the work being done on the parking lot, and in the absence of guidelines from the City to date regarding Halloween activities, the H&S Team is recommending to the Board and congregation not sponsor Halloween activities on the property. However work is underway to provide an opportunity to celebrate Halloween at a distance. More info will be published about this in the coming weeks.
Finally, the H&S Team plans to meet at least monthly throughout this year and will update the Board and congregation with recommendations for winter following its November meeting.
If you have any questions about any of the information above, please feel free to reach out to Rev. Aaron Payson ([email protected]) or Board President John O'Dell ([email protected]).
Another important way that we can draw closer to each other is increase opportunities to "see" each other even if it is over video, and to have a chance to share how we are and any needs that present themselves, as well as have good conversation and fun.
Join Rev. Aaron Payson online every Tuesday and Thursday @ 8:30 pm!
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CHATS REMOTELY go to https://zoom.us/j/94275074784. Meeting ID: 942 7507 4784. To join by phone dial+1 646 876 9923 and follow the instructions.
As the church adapts to the challenges of maintaining social distancing during this time of pandemic, many of the opportunities to meet via video conference are being planned using the church's ZOOM accounts. For those who have had difficulty using the ZOOM software, our own Vickie Cox-Lanyon has put together a wonderful short guide to using ZOOM. To view and download the guide, CLICK HERE!
ZOOM Update: Zoom released a required update recently to both mobile and desktop platforms so if you are having trouble connecting to Zoom meetings, you need to update your software. Please CLICK HERE for instructions on how to do that.
Join Aaron on Tuesday, Nov. 3 @ 8:30 pm for a special "Chat w/ the Minister" Election Night Vigil. Bring a candle to light, a reading or a thought about what sustains you and gives you hope. We'll gather online and pause midst the fever of election returns to remember our sources of strength and hope, and the work that we will continue as faithful people in religious community. To join the vigil visit http://www.ibit.ly/oj0a
Back by popular demand! This year our Fall Pie Fundraiser will feature COVID-19 Safe products. Every pie will be made by pre-order in a COVID-19-safe home kitchen (masks, gloves, sanitized, and protected). They will then be frozen- pre-cooked or oven-ready, along with serving instructions, and delivered touch free to the church for drive-up hands-free pick-up on Tuesday, November 24, just before Thanksgiving (an email with more specific instructions for pick up will be sent prior to 11/24). The baking/preparations will be supervised by a ServSafe certified person. Only pies made under these conditions will be included in the sale.
Pre-baked and oven-ready pies are available this year in 5" and 9" sizes. Options include Apple, Pecan, Chocolate Pecan, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Peach or Turkey Pot Pie.
The next Men's Group Meeting will be Friday, 10-30-20 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm through Zoom. I already made the Zoom Meeting; please contact me for it. All who consider themselves male are welcome. The Men's Group is a community of men that help and support each other. The meetings are confidential and are an opportunity for men to share their thoughts and opinions in a respectful conversation.
The Topic will be "Being Positive"
Please R.S.V.P to willliamderr at hotmail dot com for the Zoom link and more information.
The UUCW Women's Social Circle continues to meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month via Zoom. Upcoming dates are November 14 & 28 and December 12 (2021 dates to be determined). We meet from 9 to 10:30 but you do not have to join for the full time. Pop in say hi and let us see your friendly face. This is a free flowing conversation about whatever happens to be on the minds of the folks in the group. Come in your jammies, bring your breakfast! Email maya dot c dot desai at gmail dot com for zoom log-in information.
UUCW has a new Facebook Group "Daily Moments" which was inspired by Rev. Aaron Payson's daily posting of reflections, meditations and prayers this spring. This group will continue to host daily inspiration and invites all those interested to join the group and share their own inspiration. To join the group CLICK HERE. For more information please contact [email protected]
Aaron has been posting a daily Moment of Meditation to the church's social media and his own networks. We have collected these on the church website, please click the article title to go see the October Moments!
See the article above this one to join the Daily Moments Group on Facebook.
September Moments of Meditation are available HERE.
UUCW has a new Facebook Group "Touchstones" which features daily inspiration exploring the monthly and annual Touchstones Ministry theme. For 2020-2021 our Touchstones Theme is "Deepening Connections". To join the group and begin sharing CLICK HERE.
Office hours are Mon-Wed, 9 am - 3 pm, Thur 9 am - 2 pm, but are subject to change without notice based on COVID response and construction needs. If you come to the office, please observe the new sign on the door to determine if the office is occupied, and follow the instructions on the sign, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A KEY. Please use office space only as absolutely necessary. Jen is happy to print any emailed documents for you , or give any other office help remotely to limit the number of people using the office equipment at this time.
The Office will be operated from home on Election Day (Tuesday November 3). It will also be from home the day before and after due to the city disinfecting the Fellowship Hall the day before and after the Election. There will be NO access to Fellowship Hall for anything other than Election Day necessities on those three days (November 2 - 4).
Gmail Users - Please note that if you stop receiving the Message, Nugget, and Weekend Reminder, check your Promotions tab in Gmail. Often, you will find that church emails (and other emails from Constant Contact) are in there! Please click
HEREfor information on how to get the church emails to stay in your inbox. Please share this information with your fellow congregants if they mention they aren't getting the Message!
Please click the article title for more Office News!
Carole Howe dropping off her Absentee Ballot (check www.trackmyballotma.com to see if it's been processed) at Worcester City Hall and mailing letters she wrote to disenfranchised voters in Florida to get out the vote.
Ruth Silver and two of her neighbors writing postcards from Reclaim our Vote to communities of color in Texas to encourage them to vote early.
"The stakes couldn't be higher for the November election. We want everyone to vote. The organization, Reclaim Our Vote targets people of color who often aren't able to vote because their vote is suppressed. We give them the information they need to vote and encourage them to exercise this right" ~ Ruth Silver
The City of Worcester is coordinating a Healthy Voting Campaign for the presidential election this year. We are in need of volunteers to support our efforts. Volunteers will promote social distancing, proper mask wearing, and share information about the seasonal flu vaccine during early voting (10/17-10/30) and on election day (11/3). If you're interested please email Kelsey Hopkins at [email protected] to share your interest in participating as an MRC volunteer and receive more information. Thank you!
Sunday News - Worship Services and Religious Education for
At the confluence of the celebrations of Samhain (Halloween), All Saints and All Souls Days, and on the cusp of a National Election we pause to consider what gives us hope, meaning and a sense of power to confront life's deepest challenges. As the season's begin to darken, we look to those ways and traditions that draw us closer to the sources of a life of meaning and purpose. Join us for this special celebration as we also look toward what is being called the most important election of our lives. Blessings, Aaron
Click on any image to view the full Religious Exploration Google Document for this week (unless otherwise captioned!!)
Touchstones For October 27 - November 2
2020 - 2021 Touchstone Ministry Theme
"Deepening Connections"
October Theme - Emotional Intelligence
November Theme - Spirituality
October 27: "The world of the living contains enough marvels and mysteries as it is-marvels and mysteries acting upon our emotions and intelligence in ways so inexplicable that it would almost justify the conception of life as an enchanted state." ~ Joseph Conrad
October 28: "For better or worse, intelligence can come to nothing when the emotions hold sway." ~ Daniel Goleman
October 29: "I never met a pig I didn't like. All pigs are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive souls." ~ Sy Montgomery
October 30: "The finest emotion of which we are capable is the mystic emotion. Herein lies the germ of all art and all true science. Anyone to whom this feeling is alien, who is no longer capable of wonderment and lives in a state of fear is... dead...." ~ Albert Einstein
October 31: "The way I see it, our emotions are music and our bodies are instruments that play the discordant tunes. But if we don't know how to read music, we just think the instrument is defective." ~ Charlette Mikulka
November 1: "The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter." ~ Paulo Coelho
November 2: "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality." ~ Carl Sagan
November 3: "Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ....Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. To be spiritual is to be amazed." ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel
This is a drop in group and open to all with an emphasis on utilizing mindfulness meditation to enhance our connection to ourselves and others. We practice for 30 minutes and discuss the practice and often read and discuss a book related to mindfulness and meditation. We support each other in utilizing the practice in our daily lives to enhance our happiness and well being. During this time of COVID-19, we will be meeting via Zoom.
For the Zoom link, more information or if you have questions please email Wendy O'Leary at woleary25 at gmail dot com.
Are you a reader? Want to meet and talk with other readers? Join the Evening Book Group on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm for lively discussions of books chosen each year by group members. Our UU Book Group will be meeting via Zoom for the fall and winter months. Anyone interested in joining us should contact either Nancy Hancock or Susan Crossley. We meet at 7:30 pm on the second Wednesday of each month. We alternate fiction with nonfiction and the discussion is always lively. Our book for November 11th is a mystery by Laura Lippman entitled Lady in the Lake. - Nancy Hancock
Lunch with the Minister will be suspended until further notice. Read the Message for future dates when our lunches will resume. Take care during these trying times. I'm available by phone anytime for conversation (774-239-3729). - Nancy Hancock
