WINDOWS WEEKLY March 31, 2022
Greetings Friends,


Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates.

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!

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-Blessings and Be Well
MULTIPLATFORM SUNDAY SERVICE


SUNDAY SERVICE at 10:00 AM

Begin your Sunday morning with a MULTIPLATFORM (both in-person and via Zoom) 8:30 Meditation session until 9:20

MULTIPLATFORM service (both in-person and via Zoom)
begins at 10:00 each Sunday

******************

For more information about our multiplatform services, check out our website.
Masks are required

April 3 “Insights from the Cushion” with Rev. Sam Trumbore
One important purpose of attending a silent mindfulness meditation retreat is to have an experience of awakening. Rev. Trumbore spent 14 days in the beginning of March at the Insight Meditation Center Forrest Refuge in Barre, Massachusetts. He will reflect on the value of Buddhist meditation practice, some of what he experienced, what he learned and how he was awakened.

Music: Recordings including Albany UU Choir


Use this link to join the service remotely:

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


Those wishing to access closed captioning/live transcript can turn on the function in their Zoom toolbar. To update to the latest version of Zoom, please do that within the software by finding the menu link and “check for updates”.
APRIL MULTIPLATFORM
SUNDAY SERVICE INFORMATION

NEWS FROM THE ALBANY UU
COVID RESPONSE TEAM

Greetings. The Albany UU COVID Response Team has continued to meet regularly to review current data for Albany and Rensselaer Counties and consider changes in our COVID-prevention practices. The COVID Response Team includes board, staff and congregation members (Mary Applegate, Elizabeth Baldes, Tammy Goddard, Patti Jo Newell, and Sam Trumbore). While there has been a recent uptick in infection rates, vaccination rates have continued to rise and hospitalization rates have remained low. We have determined to make the following modest changes:
 
  • Building users no longer need to sign in upon entry.
  • Beginning at the April 10th Sunday service, the seating will be rearranged to include more seats with less distance between rows and the balcony will be open. However, one section will continue to feature the socially distanced “pods” for those who would be more comfortable using them.
  • The Albany UU choir may begin rehearsing in the building.
  • We are taking steps to reopen the nursery/toddler room and will let the congregation know when it is available
  • Finger foods can be provided for receptions in conjunction with special events, such as memorials and weddings. Masks will still be required for the service portion of these events.
  • May 1st is our target date for beginning Sunday Coffee Hour outside at “the point” in the front of the building. This time frame will allow us to determine the scale and logistics of this change and for volunteers to sign up to be a Coffee Hour host. And, of course, to have a better chance at seasonable weather.
 
Additionally, we have made the following determinations:
 
  • Masks will still be required for Sunday services and Religious Education, at least through May 22nd. May 22nd is the last day of RE, and we decided it would be best not to disrupt the long awaited resumption of the program in-person with a change in masking policy. The Response Team will revisit the issue at that time.
  • No food will be provided at the upcoming Getting to Know UU.
 
The Albany UU COVID Response Team will continue to monitor trends and meet regularly to consider our COVID-prevention practices. 
SAM'S OUTLOOK

Awakening to a New World Order

March was a difficult month to be away on sabbatical. The world has changed dramatically and may yet change even more drastically in the next few months - maybe even before you read this as I write these words.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has realigned the whole world. The fierce armed resistance of Ukrainians and the inspirational leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unified Europe, strengthened NATO and built a common commitment to stop Russian aggression. We haven’t seen this kind of unity for a long time, maybe since the Cold War. And for good reason. Will Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, or even Poland be next on the Russian checklist of rebuilding Putin’s dream of a nineteenth century Eurasian Russian empire of totalitarian power?

In February, I wouldn’t have believed the Republicans and Democrats could come together to resist Putin’s aggression. Nor would I have forecast how Trump’s support of Putin could undermine his own popularity – though it is much too soon to see what the effects will be. Where they are not coming together is around treating gender dysphoria. Governor Abbott of Texas is sending Child Protective Services after the parents of children who are permitting their transgender children to receive gender-affirming care; care which he labels “child abuse.” Interfering with such care, in most if not all cases, is highly likely to increase the harm to these children rather than decrease it.

The refugee crisis the war has spawned will be coming here to Albany. I hope there will be ways we can be involved as a congregation. And … let us not forget the many other refugees in the world especially the Afghans, the Houthis in Yemen, the Central Americans, the Rohingya of Myanmar, Tigray of Ethiopia, and the Darfuri of Sudan, among others displaced by conflicts around the world, forgotten by many of the world community.

What is most worrisome however is pondering the mind of Putin. The effective defense of the Ukrainians and their unwillingness to surrender even against superior forces have foiled Putin’s plan for a quick victory. The uniting of the world against him, the strengthening of NATO, grueling sanctions and the lackluster performance of his military forces have painted him into a corner. And a paranoid authoritarian leader who seems to act unilaterally without accountability to anyone is very dangerous. I ordered some thyroid protecting iodine pills to protect against radioactive fall-out after the use of nuclear weapons. You might consider doing the same. And let’s hope we don’t need them.

Another big change in the world is our nation’s place as an oil and gas supplier. We are producing more than even Saudi Arabia now! And all that increased production is due to fracking which isn’t good for the environment. That fracking will increase now due to the high price of oil driven by the refusal of countries to buy Russian oil and gas and a tight market. And that will not be good for global climate change, unless the higher prices accelerate our conversion to renewable sources of energy. Not the greatest time to be cutting gas taxes – better to encourage conversion to electric cars or more efficient vehicles and making mass transit more attractive (though COVID isn’t helping in that category).

The other new world order I’ll mention that is coming is learning to live with COVID. I anticipate our congregation will be dropping restrictions on gathering in person and limitations for participation in worship, including singing on Sunday morning. I recognize there remain risks, especially with the Omicron variant BA.2 out there. But those of us who are healthy, vaccinated and boosted have a much lower risk of serious illness even if we do get infected. Vaccines are allowing us to begin to treat COVID the way we treat the flu. Yet there will still be individuals who are immune compromised or vulnerable to illness. Everyone is welcome to mask on Sunday morning or at meetings in person. We will also continue to do as much multiplatform as possible. There could be periods of mask requirements or even shutdowns in the future but hopefully for short periods of time. Adaptability is likely to be what the future looks like but most of us want to be together again with the least restrictions. Vaccines are making that possible.

The final awakening I’d like to offer is the most pleasant one. While March remains cold and wet, green shoots are pushing out of the ground. April flowers will soon be bursting forth. Tree blossoms, like the beautiful cherry tree in front of the sanctuary planted to honor former members Abby and Paul Jones, will lift our heavy hearts. This time in the seasonal cycle brings such joy as the ice and snow clear away and the promise of summer beckons.

Spring reminds us of the tenacity of the Spirit of Life and Love that we celebrate each week. My sabbatical has reconnected me with that Spirit. May we be inspired and awakened by the rebirth and new life that comes with April. May peace be found in Ukraine. And may we be able to establish a new normal as we continue to adjust to life with COVID.

~Rev. Sam
LEARNING OPPORTUNITY WITH
OUR MINISTER

Mindfulness Meditation Workshop - in person or via Zoom
led by Rev. Sam Trumbore
April 8-9, 2022

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 the 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. People will sit together as we do on Zoom on Sunday mornings and do walking meditation in their own homes. (We may also have the option to be in person depending on the COVID situation) We’ll have a break for lunch on Saturday at noon. Please register with Rev. Sam by email (minister@albanyuu.org) if you would like to participate. A voluntary donation can be offered at the end to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. 

Rev. Trumbore has practiced Buddhist Vipassana or insight meditation for over 35 years and is Past President of the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship. This meditation technique is one of the best for Unitarian Universalists. It helps people train their minds to strengthen concentration and intensify moment-to-moment awareness. Regular practice of this technique quiets and sharpens the mind, opens the heart and improves one's physical and mental health.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR
CHILDREN and YOUTH

Sunday 4/3: ALL RE groups will meet in the building and masks are still required. Children and youth through 8th grade should start out in service at 10 and will go to groups after the Wisdom Story. Youth Group meets in B8 starting at 10AM.

If you are just starting out with RE this year, please note registration is required due to COVID, it can be done online or in-person. Please do not let fees be a deterrent, what's important is the contact and medical info.

Congratulations to Sarah Hickman and the entire "This I Believe" service team for a job well done last Sunday. We are so grateful for you, and all that you shared!

Elizabeth Baldes
Acting Director of Religious Education
WE'RE HIRING!

UPCOMING WAYS to CONNECT

It's not too late to join the Orientation for Newcomers
Getting to Know UU
Saturday, Apr 2, 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 either in-person in Room B-8 or via Zoom:
9:00 AM to noon
Saturday, April 2

Use this link to join remotely:

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.


Start your Sunday Morning with MULTIPLATFROM Meditation
8:30 - 9:15 AM
We will sit together virtually 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

Participate in the UUA Article 2 Study Commission –
UU Principles and Sources
The Survey requires serious thought about our fundamental principles and values and it may be useful to discuss the questions raised in the Survey with other members of our community. Join a meeting of interested respondents after the Sunday Service on April 3rd at 11:45 on Zoom. All are welcome. Learn more here.

Use the service link to join:
 
To dial in 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 to discuss the topic of the day which will be "Reparations". All are welcome.

Use this link to join:

By phone: 1-929-436-2866 
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000
Join the Ministries and Operations Team for their virtual meeting at 11:30 AM, Tuesday, April 5. MOT meetings are open to all Albany UU members.

Use this link to join:
By phone: 1 929 205 6099
Meeting ID: 963 886 2931
Passcode: 2222


Bridge Group
Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 PM, Room
B-8 at Albany UU. No matter how many people come, all are fitted into play. All are welcome and assumed vaccinated. Due to the nature of this group, there will not be an online
option offered.


Ps and Qs
At 10:00 AM on Wednesday, Projects and Quilts (Ps and Qs) will meet.

Use this link to join remotely:

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, Apr 10, 6:30 pm. Join at 6:15 for additional time to socialize. We will discuss James McBride’s novel, Deacon King Kong Learn more here.

Use this link to join:
 
By phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Albany UU Sings
Join your friends on the following Wednesdays for the rest of the service year at 7:00 PM and sing your heart out in Virtual Community! We will supply the music and the lyrics.

Hope to see you there.

Apr 13, 27
May 11, 25
June 8

Use this link to join:

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

Renewing our Commitment, Renewing our Community
Many thanks to all who submitted their pledge. For those who haven't yet, pledges need to be returned by April 10th. Remember to include your UU Bucks raffle ticket when you return your pledge.
 
To Return Your Pledge by April 10, you can:
  • Pledge online using this link: http://albanyuu.org/pledge-form/ (a UU Bucks raffle ticket will be filled out for you, if you choose)
  • Mail your pledge to the Albany UU office: 405 Washington Ave., Albany 12206
 
Thanks for all you do to support Albany Unitarian Universalist!


This June, Get Inspired at General Assembly!
General Assembly is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association. It’s an immersive, inspirational experience that is open to everyone, whether you are a lifelong UU or just getting to know our congregation.  GA will take place in Portland, OR from June 22-26, as well as online. Our congregation is entitled to 7 delegates who vote on business matters, but our participation has often exceeded that.  
 
If you'd like to participate virtually or in Portland, please fill out this interest form. Registration and housing reservations are open now at uua.org/ga, and delegate registration fees will be reimbursed by Albany UU. Contact Peggy Sherman with questions, pegmcgsherman@gmail.com.


For those who attended the This I Believe service (and those who might watch the video when it's ready) with Sarah Hickman, Molly Daniels and Fred Eames, Fred wanted you to have the lyrics to Blue Boat Home, which he mentioned in his belief statement so you understood the reference. Thank you to all for sharing your journeys.

Blue Boat Home - Peter Mayer
Though below me, I feel no motion
Standing on these mountains and plains
Far away from the rolling ocean
Still my dry land heart can say
I've been sailing all my life now
Never harbor or port have I known
The wide universe is the ocean I travel
And the earth is my blue boat home

Sun, my sail and moon, my rudder
As I ply the starry sea
Leaning over the edge in wonder
Casting questions into the deep
Drifting here with my ship s companions
All we kindred pilgrim souls
Making our way by the lights of the heavens
In our beautiful blue boat home

I give thanks to the waves upholding me
Hail the great winds urging me on
Greet the infinite sea before me
Sing the sky my sailor s song
I was born upon the fathoms
Never harbor or port have I known
The wide universe is the ocean I travel
And the earth is my blue boat home

SOCIAL ACTION and INCLUSIVITY

BLM Vigil in Troy - Left to right are:
Elizabeth Berberian, Karen Kaufman, Jean Poppei, Deborah Vogel, Jora Cohen, Jean Bolgatz, Mitch Cohen, Sam Trumbore, and Marty Hotvet. Present at the vigil but absent from the photo are: Archie, Chuck Manning, and Anne Marie Haber.
Photo: courtesy of Anne Marie Haber
Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
Did you know that New York UU Justice (NYUUJ), our statewide advocacy organization, has made New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act one of its legislative priorities for this year? Join committed UUs in Albany and other congregations to make this the year the bill will pass!
  • WEBINAR on April 5, 4:00-5:30 pm: Our very own Rev. David Munro, Esq. and Schenectady UU David Pratt, MD, will discuss ADVANCE PLANNING FOR HEALTH CARE: MEDICAL AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS, sponsored by Death with Dignity Albany. Advance planning – which includes Living Wills, Health Care Proxies, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, and Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) – is important for people of all ages, and should be reviewed every now and then even if you’ve already done it. Register in advance (required) here
  • ZOOM CALL on April 14, 7:00-8:00 pm: Compassion and Choices New York invites you to an update on the campaign to pass New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act and participate in break-out room discussions with other advocates. Register here.
  • ADVOCATE AT THE CAPITOL: Definitely plan to be at the Capitol on April 27, 10:00-4:00 for an in-person rally to advance New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. Register here. You can also come on other Wednesdays at 10 am to show lawmakers your support by registering here.
  • CONTACT YOUR LAWMAKERS: Let your lawmakers know you want them to support medical aid in dying as an end-of-life option for New Yorkers. If you are in Assembly Member John T. McDonald’s district, it is especially important to reach out to him, since he is on the Assembly Health Committee and his vote is essential. This link makes it easy for you, and allows you to personalize your message.



Black Lives Matter vigil in Troy
When: Saturdays,10:30-11:15 am
Where: Troy - corner of River Street at the intersection of Fulton and Third Streets, 12180



Inclusivity Team Recommends:

"Abolition" with Taina Asili
Albany Public Library - Online March 31
7:00 - 8:00 PM

"Taína Asili will share Abolition, a music video documentary she wrote, directed and produced in collaboration with The Social Justice Portal Project. Abolition explores the growing social movement advocating for abolition throughout the United States. The film shares Asili’s original song and examines the visions and practices of abolitionist activists, Derecka Purnell, Greisa Martínez Rosas, and Aislinn Pulley. The film invites viewers to envision abolition not only as the absence of police, prisons, and detention centers but as an opportunity to imagine possibilities for building more peaceful and just communities. Taína Asili created this film during her artist residency with The Social Justice Portal Project – a movement-centered collaborative think tank created to bring together scholars, organizers, artists, and activists to address the urgent questions of racial and social justice – hosted by the Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois at Chicago." 

A discussion and Q&A with Asili will follow the documentary screening. ⁠



For Children and All:
Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz story, by Adib Khorram. Illustrated by Zainab Faidhi. (2021). We're in the midst of the many springtime celebrations. Across continents, nations, and religions, millions of people celebrate Nowruz on the vernal equinox. It's also known as Norooz or Persian New Year. What is the special table? What are the seven things on the table? Are there ever substitutions for "the" seven things? Nowruz is a celebration for all! Available in hardcopy format in the Upper Hudson Library System.  

Click here to see and hear the book read aloud. This 6-minute video is sponsored by the Children's Museum of Houston:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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


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


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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 Albany UU class or event

- Send an email to: registration@albanyuu.org
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
Parking: 
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:
By appointment

Our Website:
General: www.AlbanyUU.org

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

Building use
To reserve a room for an Albany UU activity or to rent a hall or classroom space, for a personal or non-Albany UU activity, contact Administrative Assistant Patience Pechette (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).

Photo credit: Rev. Sam Trumbore
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135 | 518.463.1429 Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org