10:30 am: Watch the Worship Service on YouTube

12:00 pm: Come to the church grounds for an in-person ceremony

Dear First U Friends,

This Sunday we celebrate Flower Communion - both virtually at 10:30 and in-person on our church grounds at noon. Bring a flower to both!

As I’m sure many of you know, this ritual has deep roots in our faith and uplifts many of the themes most important to UU’s: the sacredness of nature, the beauty of our unique selves, and the power of beloved community in times of despair. Though manifold in it’s theological meanings, Flower Communion itself is a simple ritual. Traditionally, everyone brings a flower to church and exchanges it, lovingly, mindfully, tenderly, with another person. We will enact this ritual during our in-person gathering Sunday. Though we cannot exchange flowers over Zoom - maybe they’ll come up with that software in the next couple of years - we will still have a special Flower Communion meditation and blessing during our 10:30 virtual service.

Though I love everything about Flower Communion, (what’s not to like?) one of my favorite personal rituals for this Sunday is finding just the right flower to share. I often ascribe my own meaning to whatever feels right to bring - simplicity, perfection, imperfection, wildness, peace - it runs the gamut! All this to say when Gwen sent this article to me on the symbolism of flowers in the Victorian Age a few days ago I chuckled. Who knew that a ranunculus was saying, “I’m dazzled by your charms,” a geranium was an invitation to dance, a bouquet with basil implies heartlessness, or a foxglove stem declares, “I’m sleepy?” I shared the article with my good friend and neighbor who owns a floral business (Celadon Floral, if you want to check out Eliza’s beautiful work) and she laughed and put her face in her palms, replying, “I think I might have to rearrange a few wedding bouquet now.”

Friends, no matter what flower you bring to our service this Sunday, no matter what grows in your house and around it, you are a blessing to our community and we are excited to celebrate your beauty and the beauty of our natural world this Sunday. See you there, flower in hand.

Yours in dazzles,

Rev. Hillary

Be an informed voter at the annual meeting (on June 13th)! Attend the informational meeting on Sunday, June 6, prior to worship at 9:30 am, for your best chance to ask questions about the revenue and expense plans that begin July 1. The Stewardship Committee would love to see you!

Join the Informational Meeting on Zoom

To dial-in to the Zoom meeting, please call: 1-646-558-8656

Enter the meeting ID: 842 6537 5999 and passcode: 604091

First Universalist's Annual Report (2020 - 2021) is now available! Take a look inside prior to the Annual Meeting to see financial information, reports from committees and councils, information about our church, and more.

NEW THIS YEAR: TAKE THE ANNUAL REPORT QUIZ!

How well do you know First Universalist? Take the nine question multiple-choice one-minute-long "This Year at First Universalist" quiz to find out! Enter your email address at the end to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a prize.

Join the meeting on Zoom (password: COMMUNITY). During the Annual Meeting, we will receive reports, highlights, and voting members of the congregation will vote on candidates for the Board as well as the budget for next year. We will also celebrate a year of living our mission: EXPLORE-EMBRACE-ENGAGE!

This year's flower communion will take place both online, with a 10:30 am worship service, and in-person, outside ceremony and celebration at First Universalist at 12:00 pm.

Happening at 10:30 am. An online, streaming flower communion service on YouTube with Rev. Hillary and Sam.

Happening at 12:00 pm. An in-person, outdoor ceremony and celebration of flower communion for all ages. Please note:

What is a flower communion? It is an annual ritual in Unitarian Universalism that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Capek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Maya Capek, Norbert's widow. In this ceremony, everyone in the congregation brings a flower. Each person places a flower on the altar or in a shared vase. The congregation and minister bless the flowers, and they're redistributed. Each person brings home a different flower than the one they brought. Learn more about the history of the flower communion.

General Assembly (GA) is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists from around the country. In the words of UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, "It is where we engage the governance and business of our Association, explore the theological foundations of our faith, learn together, worship as a larger community, and discern the ways we are called more deeply by our mission and principles. a great way to connect with UU's from around the world."

GA will be virtual again this year, making it easier and more affordable to participate. There are also several events that are open to the public. General Sessions, Service of the Living Tradition, Synergy Bridging Worship and Sunday Morning Worship will be streamed live and publicly accessible; registration is not required to view these events!

Click here to learn more or to register.

Did you know? First Universalist is allotted three delegates who are eligible to vote on the business matters at GA. If you are registered or plan to register soon, are a First U Member, and are interested in being a delegate, please email Joanna at jslandsman@gmail.com.

The day is bright, there's a light breeze, and you feel comfortable in your body and peaceful in your soul. In the distance, you can hear people chatting, enjoying the day. More present is the sound of gentle, moving water. You pick up the book you were starting to read and while you feel present in this moment, you can still look forward to discussing it this fall amongst friends.

What book, you ask? Why, a First U summer read! This summer, you'll have the opportunity to read one (or both!) suggested books and then be able to participate in a book discussion when we gather together again in the fall.

Our two books, chosen by your RE Council, are:

We'll be ordering copies of these books through our local bookshop, Royal River Books on Main Street in Yarmouth. Please write to Gwen (gwenatfirstu@gmail.com) by Sunday, June 13th if you would like to reserve a copy. We will receive 10% off for special ordering through the store (as opposed to a big-name website) and an additional 10% off with the store’s book club discount. When the books arrive we will let you know, and you can pick up and pay for your copy at Royal River Books under the name "UU Book Club."

Bills listed below are some for which MUUSAN’s Racial, Native & Immigrant Justice issue group has advocated in this year’s legislature. Committee work on these bills has been completed so they will be voted on as soon as June 2. Additional dates are June 3, June 7-11, and June 14-16, and the session is scheduled to adjourn on June 16. So now is the time to call your legislators and urge their support!

If you have never considered yourself to be a social justice advocate, simply pick one or more issues from the list below. Click on the LD link, which will take you to a script with talking points about the bill.

Face-to-face and phone have the greatest impact, where possible. You can find your legislator’s phone number, email and address (and name, if you aren’t sure) on the Maine Legislature website. Then you can Find Your Senator or Find Your Representative.

Please let us know your experience in using this tool: email Jane Makela at janemakela@gmail.com.

Talking points for LD 554 - To establish equal tribal gaming rights. (This is the only tribal sovereignty bill that may be voted on before the session ends.)

Talking points for LD 149 - To reduce credentialing barriers for newly arrived immigrants, among others.

Talking points for LD 718 - To provide MaineCare coverage to immigrants currently excluded only because of their immigrant status.

Talking points for LD 1668 - To close Long Creek and redirect its funding to youth treatment programs.

Talking points for LD 1034 - To fully fund the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations.

Talking points for LD 967 - To decriminalize possession of small amounts of scheduled drugs (reducing incarceration that disproportionally affects BIPOC Mainers). (It might interest you to know that for almost 20 years, our denomination has advocated for decriminalization of drug use and incarceration of drug users only when they commit actual crimes such as assault or vandalism or impaired driving. See "War on Drugs” 2002 Statement of Conscience. Unitarian Universalist Association.)

Talking points for LD 858 - To find a more effective and more humane response than reincarceration when someone violates the terms of their probation by using drugs or alcohol.

This week’s Atlantic Black Box Project webinar follows up the first Portland Public Schools Parent University and focuses on how Portland, Maine benefitted from the Triangular trade in which enslaving Africans was one leg of the triangular trade.

Click to be taken to the webinar: Parent University, Session II 

You might also consider joining the Atlantic Black Box Project and learn directly about their upcoming educational events.

In honor of our 4th Principle for free and responsible search for truth, this month’s half plate recipient is Maine Public CONNECT. Partnering with Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) and Amjambo Africa (the inclusive immigrant-led publication) CONNECT will provide access for New Mainers about their immediate world around them in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Somali, even as they work hard to master English.

Please offer your gift by clicking the "Make Your Offering" button below (to contribute via GiveButter), dropping a check or cash in the mail, or sending via your bank's bill pay feature.