Watch the Worship Service on YouTube

Dear First U Friends, 

As the restrictions on our in-person activities are loosened these beautiful spring days, I invite you to slow down and take it all in. The gratitude, joy, and straight-up awe many of us feel right now when we are with our loved ones and among living beings is visceral. Doubtless, the clarity and intensity of these feelings will fade as time goes on, so let’s try to remember these moments of re-connection shall we? 

Let’s try to really sear to our hearts and minds how energetically nourishing it feels to hug the ones we love and care about, how exciting it is to cook for another person or have them cook for us, how exceedingly pleasant it is to have a conversation where you don’t have to worry if you’re muted or whether your connection is unstable. 

And friends, yes, I’m well aware that not everyone in our congregation is in the mindset of “re-opening” just yet, and I’m also aware that not everyone is fully vaccinated yet (myself included) and therefore unable to hug others, share meals, nor truly experience all these re-connective moments with ease. 

Because of this, despite the new CDC guidelines I ask that we remain patient at this time. I know, it’s been a real haul! Believe me, I get it! I am SO ready to know you all in person! IN the Sanctuary! But, it’s not time yet. We are planning in-person gatherings on our church grounds, but we are staying with our original plan and keeping our church building closed for the remainder of the church year. We have established a Re-Opening Team who are considering all the in’s and out’s of a hopeful September re-opening for our church building: what our children and families will need, how to provide hybrid virtual and in-person offerings, how to improve air ventilation, how to sing and eat together - and so much more. This team of superhumans is keeping in mind the wonderful diversity of beings that comprise our community and their work is guided by care and compassion. As you can probably gather, this is a big job and, so again, we all ask for your patience at this time.

If you’re like me and unable to take in all the moments of re-connection right now, know that I’m walking and sitting beside you these days, taking in the sun, the scent of lilacs, that fresh breeze, and the healing properties of all those dandelions sprouting left and right. And for those of you celebrating visits and outings and shared meals - many blessings. Take it all in folks, take all that love in, and of course, as always, take a moment to really feel it.

Yours in filling up a bag of light,

Rev. Hillary 

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

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.

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!

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.

Join for the final Children's Chapel of the church year! This is also Anna's last Children's Chapel as she will be moving on next fall. The theme for May is Story. Click to join and enter password CHAPEL.

An online version of coffee hour plus a chance to connect and discuss themes that arose during the worship service. Click to join and enter password COMMUNITY.

Our junior youth group and any friends will be meeting in person, outdoors, for a beach clean-up day to help our oceans and beaches stay clean and healthy by removing trash from the East End Beach in Portland.

As readers of Channels know by now the May worship theme is Stories.

 

Stories can be presented in many ways: spoken word, written as prose or poetry, acted out or sung, etc.

 

Music buffs and those interested in Indigenous story telling may enjoy diving into Canadian Indigenous music with a singer / songwriter who has been compared as a story teller to Bob Dylan, Buffy St. Marie and Leonard Cohen. Click for Willie Dunn’s musical story, The Ballad of Crowfoot.

Dunn, is of Mik’maq, Scottish and Irish decent. Between the 1970s and 2000’s he wrote and performed music with themes highlighting the indigenous struggles in Canada, which are similar to the struggles of native people here in Maine and elsewhere in the US.

Listen to Dunn’s song about the Ballad of Crowfoot, an indigenous chief, and about Charlie Wenjack, the 12-year-old Anishnaabe boy who in 1966 ran away from a residential school near Kenora, Ont., and died from starvation and exposure to the elements.

There is also a recently released anthology to Dunn’s music entitled Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology.

In honor of our 7th principle, this week’s offering is inspired by our recent 3D offering, Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek. Led by Derrick Evans, an advocate for environmental justice, Turkey Creek, a tiny village on the Mississippi gulf coast, stands up to powerful corporate interests in their struggle for self-determination and environmental justice still recovering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil disaster. Over time, they are securing their future by placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Derrick has asked us to send our Turkey Creek support for this work to his Turkey Creek church, Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church.

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.

During Wear Orange Weekend, there will be virtual activities as well as a few covid safe events across Maine. This is an opportunity to continue to highlight the crisis of gun violence and bring educational awareness to our communities. We wear orange to be seen, and demand that we be heard. Visit the Wear Orange website to learn more about the movement and its history. Support this initiative by going orange.

Dal Holtrop is seeking a cat and plant sitter for August 4th evening to August 18 morning. Everyday for 1/2 hour morning and 1/2 hour evening. Pay is $300 for each week. Total $600.

The cats will need morning care ( food, litter cleaning and water) and evening care everyday (food, litter cleaning and water). They will also need a bit of play and attention. The plants will need watering once a week, if too hot then twice a week.

If you're interested, or know someone who is, please contact Dal at dal.holtrop@gmail.com.