BELONGING

Sunday, September 18, at 10:30 am

“The word 'belonging' holds together the two fundamental aspects of life: Being and Longing, the longing of our Being and the being of our Longing.” - John O’Donohue

Dear Friends,

As I said again and again with great gladness this past Sunday, welcome and welcome back to First U. It was wonderful to see so many of you in-person rising-up singing and participating in our Sand Communion. The chorus of your voices marked such a wonderful beginning to this new church year. This is it! It is this!

Our theme for the month of September is Belonging, an experience that I would argue is a basic need at every turn throughout our lives. I encourage you to spend the next few weeks lifting your awareness to the moments when you feel a deep sense of belonging as well as to the moments when you yearn to belong. 

What is it that comprises these moments? What is happening, where are you, and how are you when you belong? 

And likewise, what’s happening, where are you, and how are you when you feel you don’t belong - or really yearn to belong? 

In our faith community we seek to belong and we seek to create and sustain a web of belonging. Paying attention to these moments in our lives of belonging and “longing to be” will benefit our self-awareness, illuminating for us what we need in order to experience that necessary and nourishing sense of belonging, as well as how we might enable the experience of belonging for others. 

Again, welcome and welcome back, my friends. In the weeks ahead we will begin to offer many programs that I hope will engage your sense of belonging here at First U, including our Wednesday evening Zoom Vespers services which will start up again in October, a New to First U class for new members and friends, a monthly “dinner church” experience, the formation of new Small Groups, and much more. 

Yours in the steady waves of being and longing, 

Rev. Hillary 

WEDNESDAYS AT THE PICNIC TABLES

Wednesdays, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Rev. Hillary will be holding a drop in hour on Wednesdays outside of church at the picnic tables from 12:00 - 1:00 pm (weather permitting). All are welcome to come by!

SMALL GROUP SIGN UP

Small Groups are gatherings of 6-8 members of our community who meet once or twice a month to check-in with one another and reflect together on spiritual teachings, experiences, and questions. These groups are an important element of our lives at First U and strengthen not only our relationships with ourselves and one another, but our community as a whole. If you would like to join a Small Group or are interested in exploring the idea of being in a group please complete the form.

SIGN UP TO HELP OUT ON SUNDAY MORNINGS

Two easy ways to get involved, give back, get to know others, and to practice our open and welcoming spirit is to help out on Sunday mornings as an usher or folding and assembling the order of worship. You can pick a week to sign up for either of these tasks. Thank you for your help!

OOW Assemblers - Please arrive by 9:30 am to fold and assemble the order of worship. 

Ushers - Please arrive by 10:10 am, welcome everyone in, hand out OOWs, and pass the offering plate. 

Questions? Contact Gwen Matthews at gwenafirstu@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY EVENING VESPERS

1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 7:00 - 7:30 pm, on Zoom

This church year, Wednesday evening vespers will return in October and happen twice per month. These vespers services will continue to happen on Zoom and will be led by Rev. Hillary or lay worship leaders.  

SEPTEMBER RE CALENDAR

Above is our Religious Exploration calendar for the month of September. For more details about RE programs this year, please check out the most recent issue of the RE Sun. 

PEACE PLAY FOR LITTLES

Peace Play for Littles happens on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of each month, 10:15 - 10:45 am, beginning September 15. It is a mixture of stories, rhymes, songs, and play for little ones (0—4 years old) and their parents, grandparents, or caregivers that introduce and encourage the values of justice, inclusivity, kindness, and caring for our planet. Learn more about peace play happening at First Universalist this fall. Contact Gwen at gwenatfirstu@gmail.com with any questions.

NEW MAINER & WABANAKI GARDENS TOUR

Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2:00 pm

We've been invited to visit the New Mainer & Wabanaki Garden Projects that we supported last year with our Joy & Justice fundraising. The Gardens are projects of the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust and are located at the Tom Settlemire Community Garden in Brunswick.

We can carpool from church; details later. Children are welcome, but please leave pets at home. Space is limited to 20.

To participate, contact Marge mjtbean@aol.com or 207-272-9345.

GET OUT THE VOTE

Looking for ways to help Get Out The Vote? Here are some suggestions. Some are local, some national, some from home and some out and about. Pick your comfort level, and keep in mind: "Rage is tinder, Hope is fuel" - Destie Hohman Sprague, Maine Women's Lobby

• The League of Women Voters of Maine has lots of volunteer opportunities coming up. They still need folks to take shifts at their table at the Common Ground Fair (and you’ll likely get a free ticket to the Fair!). You could also canvass in the Neighbor to Neighbor program, train to volunteer with an election hotline service, or spread the word about the Youth Voting Summit! There are lots of ways to support democracy on their Events Calendar.
• Another way to find opportunities to volunteer on a national level? Check out UU the Vote National’s Find an Event page! Put in your zip code, and nationwide opportunities will pop up that you can participate in. These events won’t be taking place in Maine (for Maine-based opportunities check out the above opportunities with League of Women Voters), but there are lots of chances to phone bank, write postcards, GoTV via text and more!
• One of our favorite partner organizations is The Center for Common Good in Georgia. Volunteer to write postcards in their campaign to connect with under-represented voters in key districts across the country!