Join First U member Chris Tanita for a midweek worship experience for adults and older youth. This 30-minute service is a brief time of connection, centering, and reflection to help us find and keep our balance.

About Chris: Chris Tanita’s lifework is organizing people and money for social justice. She found First Universalist and Unitarian Universalism when she started working on climate justice in 2017 and needed community and hope to counter the horrors of climate change she faced every day at work. At her core, Chris is driven by a deep love of all children, including her eight year old and babe number two on the way, and a fierce desire to help create the world they deserve. Her favorite people laugh and cry often and you will often find her doing the same.

Connect to the live stream on Wednesday, July 14 between 6:55 and 7 p.m.: Enter the Wednesday Zoom webinar here. (webinar ID: 117-312-320). To join by phone (audio only), dial 1-312-626-6799 and enter the webinar ID.

Post-service Care Companions space (7:30 p.m.): Join the Zoom gathering here.

We hold Maria Kaefer in our hearts. Maria is having surgery for breast cancer on July 9 and we surround her in prayers for courage, healing, and love. We wish her a successful surgery and easy recovery.

Our love and care surround Peter May who has had a setback but is moving forward with rehab from his stroke two weeks ago. He and Karen are grateful for all of the love and support they continue to receive from the congregation.

Bryana French is recovering from surgery and she welcomes your well wishes for healing.

We hold Laura Rutmanis, Renada Rutmanis, and Holden and Harriet in our hearts as they mourn the death of Connie Moehl who passed away last month at the age of 95. Connie was Laura’s mother, Renada’s grandmother, and was great-grandmother to Holden and Harriet. We hold them all in their grief and memories.

If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy­, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, or if you would like support, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.

In worship this Sunday we experienced a layering of stories recounted through poetry, song, and prayer. These stories remind us that our nation and our communities are made up of a multiplicity of experiences which include lament, struggle, gratitude, and healing. Humility is one way to live with a realistic hope that can bind us together as we engage these stories in the redemptive process of liberation and transformation and joy. Humility requires us to accurately observe and assess ourselves, to know our gifts and weaknesses, and to own our shortcomings while simultaneously celebrating and bringing our gifts forward when we can. 

There are examples everywhere — like the recent outrage at Pequot Lakes, MN school board meetings in response to the school district’s plan to become more inclusive and welcoming to families of color and LGBTQ families — reminding us of the importance of telling the whole story, even when we are terrified of what comes next in our journey towards liberation. Practicing humility allows us to recognize what it will take to bring us closer to the actualization of our dreams. Rev. Jen shares her own humility practice: every night she takes inventory of the day, noting moments in which she fell short of her ideals while celebrating moments in which she moved closer to her values. Rev. Jen invites us to engage in the spiritual practice of humility in our own lives to help us become more gentle with ourselves, more hopeful for the possibilities of how we can change, and more honest about the places where we regularly fall short and need to bring more attention. We are responsible for owning our stories, so we can write the next chapter before we pass it on to the next generation.

You can watch Sunday's service here on our YouTube channel or listen to the worship podcast on Podbean or Spotify. You can follow along with worship and find more information in our July 4 Order of Service.

For nearly a year and a half now, we’ve been in pandemic reality. As we move into the summer, many of us are asking, “When will we be able to hug friends and family again? Sing together again? Return to church? How will we ensure a more fair and just post-pandemic world? What Now? What Next?”

We are living in the tension of these questions. As people of faith, perhaps we can reshape these questions and ask, “What is the spiritual work right now? What spiritual work comes next? How do we hold grief and gratitude, fear and excitement, uncertainty and new found clarity, all at the same time? How can we go slow, and thoughtfully, trusting that the answers will emerge?”

Read more about our summer worship theme, "What Now? What Next?" on our website.

It is the church's policy to not hire church members/congregants for staff positions, but we enthusiastically welcome your help in spreading the word about this opening and helping us find the right person for the job!

The job description and application instructions can be found here. Please read about who we are looking for, and if there are folks in your networks who you think would be a good fit, we'd be grateful if you'd share this with them. Thank you!

Summer is for fun and building community! There are many groups meeting and programs happening at First U this summer, including gatherings for children, youth, and families, a Newcomers Circle, small groups, racial justice programming, a senior hiking group, and meditation and grief groups. As we navigate a summer of thresholds together, our commitment is to be as widely inclusive as possible! Learn more in our Summer 2021 Programs Flyer.

The First Sunday Meditation Group is meeting this Sunday, July 11, due to last weekend's holiday. Join this monthly congregant-led group for silent meditation on Zoom. After 20 minutes of sitting together in silence we share how our practices are helping us. The Zoom space opens at 11:15 a.m. to provide time to connect informally and meditation starts at 11:30 a.m. Join here.

Abolition circles will meet at the following dates and times:

We don’t have to agree to be open to learning together! We ask participants to be sure to attend the first session, and participants are encouraged to attend all five sessions. Please register here. 

Contact Denise Konen at dkonen10@gmail.com with any questions.

How does your spirituality support your liberation from white-body supremacy? Where did you shape your beliefs about your life, Spirit, death and all things theological? Join Julica Hermann de la Fuente for some theological exploration in the park. The exact location of these gatherings will be determined based on the number of people who register. This space is specifically designed for BIPOC high school students and adults to explore together how we make meaning and how we get free. Learn more on our website and register here.

High school youth and adults are invited to gather outside for a five-session series about anti-racism and the challenges we encounter as we try to get free. Each session will begin with Julica sharing one of her favorite tools or frameworks to assess or make change, followed by guided small group conversations in racial or ethnic caucuses. The exact location of these gatherings will be determined based on the number of people who register. Learn more about the sessions on our website, and please sign up here for one, several, or all sessions.

Newcomer Circles are four-session gatherings of six to eight participants who are new-ish to First Universalist who intend to deepen their connection with the church and want to meet others who are also early in their journey with the congregation. This Circle will be facilitated by members Emily Wallace and Channing McKinley. Learn more on our website and register here by Monday, August 2.

The July Senior Hike will take place at the Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve in Savage, MN. Maps and directions for the Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve can be found here.

The hiking group will meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 22 at the Murphy Lake parking area located on Murphy Lake Blvd, 2.5 miles south of the main cross country skiing trailhead located just off of Hanrehan Lake Blvd. The hiking route leads us down a wide dirt trail through a mix of open and wooded oak savanna and wetlands. The lakes and long vistas are to be savored! We will hike up to 2 hours. There are several optional cutoffs with good signage that can shorten your hike duration if desired. This trail is classified as mild to moderately rigorous with just a few hills. Bring you own water as there is none available at the trailhead. Tom Saterstrom will be leading this hike. Please RSVP to Tom if you plan to participate. You can call him on his cell at 952-239-3629 or you can email him at saterstromtom@yahoo.com. I look forward to hiking with you!

Join the First U Environmental Justice Food Solutions Team for a Backyard Plant-Based Potluck at the home of Carol Gilbert and Liz Permar!

RSVP here by July 25. Sponsored by First U Environmental Justice Food Solutions team, part of a fast-growing movement of Americans (now 30 percent) eating less meat and more plant foods. Find more information in this flyer.

We also look forward to worshipping with many of you in person, outside at the Lake Harriet Bandshell (4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55409), at 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 15. Read the Liberal on the Thursday before this service for details!

Find ways to get involved with our Faithful Action Partners in our July Faithful Action Newsletter. This newsletter contains opportunities to connect through volunteering, donating, advocating, and learning. Our Faithful Action Partners are community organizations that share our vision of love and justice. We work through Faithful Action Partnerships in order to leverage our energy, commitment and expertise. You can find more information about our Faithful Action Partnerships on our website.

Join MARCH (Multifaith Anti-Racism, Change, and Healing) along with the Sacred Solidarity Network, Reclaim the Block, and Yes4Minneapolis to explore how people of faith and conviction can take action in support of the Charter Amendment that would allow us to create a Department of Public Safety in Minneapolis instead of the current police-only approach. During this event, we will learn about the proposed Charter Amendment through an abolitionist lens; hear about next steps and ways to take action in the community-wide campaign to build buy-in and support; and reflect on our own connection to the issues through our many faiths and spiritual traditions. We will gather outdoors next to Lake Nokomis at the end of 50th St and E Nokomis Lake Parkway. We will meet on zoom if there is heavy rain or storms. Find more information on the Facebook event page and register through the Eventbrite page.

The care team at First Universalist is here to help in a whole lot of ways—from phone calls to say we’re thinking about you to a listening ear when you need someone to accompany you through whatever’s happening in your life. COVID-19 has changed some of the ways we provide care, but there is a lot we’re still doing. Here is one of the ways we’re here to provide support:

We Care Meal Trains

Sick? Surgery? Caring for a family member or welcoming a new child? Something else? Sometimes, what helps more than anything is having church members bring healthy nourishing meals to your home. As one of our members recently said “it was such a gift to receive meals when my mom was sick. I could focus on taking care of her and when I wasn’t, I could just be with my family without worrying about getting dinner on the table.” Contact arif@firstuniv.org to get set up with a Meal Train. For more information or to access any of our other caring resources, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org 

Spiritual Care - Your ministers and program staff are here for one-on-one confidential conversations of support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us to connect. 

Love Kits - Are you or someone you love ill? Is your family struggling? Do you live alone or feel isolated? Do you know someone else from church who might be? If so, please let Rev. Karen (revkarenhutt@gmail.com) know so that a package full of love and support can be delivered to your home.

Meal Trains - If you or someone you know at church would welcome a meal to help them through a difficult time, loss, illness or injury — and having someone else do the cooking for a bit would help —please let us know. Contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org.

Minister’s Emergency Fund - For many of us, these are difficult financial times. If you need help with a car repair bill, making rent, a doctor’s bill, groceries, gas, a mortgage payment, affording your medication, a bus card, or any other financial situation - please be in touch. We have financial resources available. Please contact a minister/staff member. 

Mental Health Connect - www.mhconnect.org - Need help finding a therapist? Want to learn more about particular mental health conditions and resources? Check out Mental Health Connect, a local organization supported by congregations like ours, that provides community-based resources, support and education to improve access to mental health services and connect individuals and families with the services they need. 

Counseling - The Walk In Counseling Center offers free counseling by phone or computer. Find out how to “walk in” on their website.