USH E-news November 29, 2023 | |
|
Seeking, Sharing, Soaring
Sunday Morning Service 10:30 a.m.
December 3, 2023
"The Inherent Mirth and Dignity"
RE: Faith Focus
Rev. Bob Janis, Minister
Rev. Liz James - UU Hysterical Society, Pulpit Guest
Peter Meny, Worship Associate
Sam Moffett, Music
| | |
Rev. Liz James, UU Hysterical Society, Pulpit Guest
Liz James is the founder of a 200,000-person online UU community called the Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society (UUHS); half of The Cracked Cup podcast; and working on a book with Skinner House Press.
Liz is based out of Saskatchewan, where she is building a tiny house with her own two hands. She believes in a Unitarian Universalism that is filled with meaning and joy, and that sees change as an adventure.
| | |
|
Matters of the Heart
To have a Joy or Sorrow read from the pulpit
on Sunday morning, e-mail
Matters of the Heart
In person – use the MOH basket for written cards on Sunday morning.
*Please send in your Matters of the Heart
| | |
|
Religious Education in person 10:30 a.m.
Annie Witzler, Interim RE Coordinator
Can't be here in person for worship?
Join us on ZOOM 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 931 0388 7934
Passcode: 128493
Virtual Coffee Hour to follow
Worship is also streamed on Facebook —
follow our page and receive notifications every time we go live.
Couldn't make it to USH, and missed the livestream?
Watch any service, anytime, here on Vimeo
| | |
Worship Calendar
Join us, in person or online.
Upcoming Services:
December 10 Sunday – “Savor The Season” Rick Tsukada & Judy Robbins/Worship Leaders, USH Choir
December 17 Sunday – “Music Sunday Featuring the Music of Stephen Sondheim”, Sam Moffett, Pulpit Guest/Laurie Kelliher, Worship Associate, USH Choir
December 20 Wednesday – Winter Solstice Service/Margaret Leicach, Michael Michaud, Dana Donovan, Sam Moffett, Worship Leaders
December 31 Sunday –Rev Andrew Millard, Pulpit Guest/Margaret Leicach, Worship Associate
| | | |
|
Winter Holidays at USH —
Winter Solstice: December 20, 7 p.m.
Christmas Eve Morning:
December 24, 10:30 a.m.
Christmas Eve Evening:
Carol sing 4:30 p.m.
Worship 5 p.m.
New Year's Eve: December 31,
10:30 a.m.
| |
|
Coming December 3:
Post-Worship Workshop
The Church of Our Imagination
"The times, they are a-changing!" Traditional church structures face all kinds of challenges. How do we think creatively about different ways to do UUism? Drawing on the experience of Mirth and Dignity — an organization that partners with successful UU innovators — this workshop focuses on discussion, games, and stories about what’s working and what we can learn from it.
Liz James is a member of the Saskatoon Unitarians, on the Canadian prairie. She runs Mirth and Dignity, an organization dedicated to UU humour, which can be found at UUHystericalSociety.com. Liz also does guest preaching and can be reached through her website at lizjameswrites.com.
Pre-registration is helpful, though not required, and there's a small incentive for giving us a heads-up, too. If you think you might attend (no commitment necessary) please register online here. This workshop's free for all those who pre-registered, $5 for registering on the day, so please register now if you think you're interested.
Sunday, December 3, 12:30 – 3 p.m.
* Please bring your own brown (or other colour) bag lunch*
| | |
|
Thoughts from Rev. Bob...
Thank you all for submitted so many great quotes over the last few weeks! Here's one from that Unitarian and transcendentalism great, Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Within us is the soul of the whole, the wise silence, the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal One. When it breaks through our intellect, it is genius; when it breathes through our will, it is virtue; when it flows through our affections, it is love.”
Wishing you a wonderful week. As a reminder, please let me know if a conversation or meeting could be useful to you. Here's to the wise silence and the soul of the whole!
Yours gratefully,
Rev. Bob
| | |
Peter Upton
Peter Nelson Upton, 79, passed away surrounded by Love, on November 21, 2023. Peter was born on November 7, 1944, in Buffalo New York, the son of the late Nelson Upton and Moira Simboli. He graduated from Princeton University in 1966, whereafter he enlisted in the Navy before serving in Vietnam. A decorated Navy Special Forces Officer, Peter documented his Vietnam experience through writing, pieces of which would later serve as the catalyst for the documentary Be Good, Smile Pretty. Following discharge, Peter attended Boston University for his Juris Doctorate before joining the Navy JAG corps as a Judge. Thereafter he would spend the remaining decades of his life as a true “lawyer for the people.” Though his career lied in Law, his true passion in life was painting, and he would consider
himself an artist over everything else. As children, Hilary and Patrick were read stories about Claude Monet, and the three of them were able to visit his garden in Giverny together. His paintings will continue to bring joy to all who see them. Peter will be deeply missed, his warmth, kindness and generosity will be forever remembered by all who were blessed to know and love him.
Link to Obituary
| | | |
Dale Hackett
Long-time Meeting House Member Dale Hackett died Thanksgiving night, a couple months after his 100th birthday. As a committed liberal, outdoor enthusiast, flood forecaster, and wonderful father, uncle, and friend, he will be very much missed. The family will be announcing advice on ways to share condolences in the near future.
| | | |
|
NEWCOMERS - Are you UU-curious?
Join “First Connections”, an informal gathering Under the Stairs on December 10, 2023 following our Sunday service. Bring your coffee or tea for conversation about Unitarian Universalism, the Unitarian Society of Hartford and most of all to consider the wondering question…What brought you here today?
Whether it is your first time or you’ve been coming and curious for a while, join us. Members and friends are always welcome and broaden the insights to our very special faith.
Cookies and fruit and conversation…and you…join us Under the Stairs.
| |
|
Mark your calendars
The next SpiritLife Conversation meets on zoom Saturday December 16, 9:00-10:30 when we will consider The Peace of Divine Reality by Thich Nhat Hahn.
Open to members of all three area UU churches. Drop in. No registration required. Read the article here and see the reflections here. Jot a few notes and log in at https://zoom.us/j/952722999. See you on the 16th for a lively conversation! Nicholas Bartoli will facilitate.
| |
|
Support USH, Help the Planet
Come shop, December 3 & 10
— the ReGifting Sale is back!
The ReGifting Sale is back — the sale starts this Sunday and continues on December 10, during coffee hour in Fellowship Hall. Remember, please bring cash or check only, for your holiday shopping!
Lots of great gifts have already been donated, but donations continue to be accepted.
| |
|
Message in a Bauble
Sunday, December 10
Join us during Coffee Hour for Bulb decorating in Fellowship Hall.
| |
|
Giftworthy Books For The Holidays!
NOW is a great time to look over your book collection and DONATE books that would make great HOLIDAY GIFTS for all ages. We are especially interested in new (or like new) COFFEE TABLE BOOKS that will be available for sale at the REGIFTING SALE on DEC. 3 and 10 in Fellowship Hall.
| |
|
WHERE’S MY NAME TAG??!?
(Answer: Check at the Welcome Table.)
When you enter our lobby, you'll probably notice the name-tag racks have been "neatened up". More than 300 name tags were in the racks, including tags for many one-time visitors, some from previous decades. Members and friends may have had duplicate tags, so there's been a bit of culling.
Attending all this activity were numerous opportunities for mistakes to occur, so if your tag is missing it is probably at the Welcome Table. When you leave, just put it back in the main rack (alphabetical by first letter of your last name please). (UUs can be unconventional, but we still — pretty much — adhere to alphabetical order.)
The name tag rack may gravitate to different spots over the next few weeks as we experiment with various locations. Reducing congestion as people enter the sanctuary is the objective here.
Questions? Suggestions? Ideas for improvement? Talk to the Welcome Table host or Laurie Kelliher or email larkkelliher@gmail.com
| |
For information on our weekly and monthly gatherings, click here. | |
|
Social Justice
Click HERE for October's Meeting Minutes
| |
December GNO: Connecticut Food Share
The December Good Neighbor Offering will support Connecticut Foodshare, whose mission is to deliver an informed and equitable response to hunger by mobilizing community partners, volunteers, and supporters.
Connecticut Foodshare supports individuals and families – from one end of the state to the other – by addressing root causes, creating long-term solutions, and distributing nutritious food through local partner programs in an effort to alleviate hunger.
They partner with food retailers, growers, financial donors and volunteers to source food and distribute it through a network of 500 food access points that include community-based pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, as well as their Mobile Pantries, Dairy Express, and Senior Supplemental Food Program.
According to estimates from Feeding America, more than 490,000 Connecticut residents struggle with hunger; and more than 131,000 children are food insecure. These are people from all walks of life – children, working parents, seniors, or people living with disabilities. They are our neighbors.
Last year, Connecticut Foodshare distributed enough food to prepare nearly 39 million meals to people in need in Connecticut.
We can help fulfill their mission by:
· Donating in December at USH
· Volunteering your time https://ctfoodshare.volunteerhub.com/vv2/
· Advocate – learn about the issues affecting hunger in our communities and help share the message with our representatives
Community support is vital to the mission of CT Foodshare. As the December GNO for USH, please help in creating a thriving community free of hunger. https://ctfoodshare.org/
| |
|
IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services)
Volunteer Opportunities
Many USH members inquired about volunteer opportunities with IRIS after listening to Tanya Kimball’s moving GNO presentation at our November 12th service. More information on IRIS and on various volunteer opportunities can be found in the following links.
IRIS home page https://irisct.org/
Opportunities to volunteer. The Application to volunteer https://irisct.org/volunteer-application/ lists volunteer opportunities under the drop-down box for “Preferences and Abilities”. Other than being a “cultural companion”, which requires more training, the opportunities require only a brief orientation.
Sponsor a Family. For those of you who helped resettle a family from Syria several years ago, you know that this is a major commitment. There are three different programs that IRIS runs, which can be found here https://irisct.org/sponsor-a-family/
Support an immigrant and refugee business. Although many of these businesses are currently located on the shoreline, we can expect that more will be opened in the Hartford area now that IRIS has a Hartford office. A current list of businesses, which includes restaurants and arts and culture and other shops, can be found here https://irisct.org/immigrant-and-refugee-owned-businesses-landing/.
Employees in the IRIS Hartford office can be found here https://irisct.org/our-team/
If you have any questions, please contact Judy Sullivan our Social Justice Council Chair.
| |
|
Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance Information
GHIAA Core Team Trainings (registration required)
Learn more, and register by visiting: https://cljct.org/ghiaa/trainings/
-
Winter Session (remote): Thursday evenings, February 15, 22, 29, and March 7, 6:30-8:30 pm, via Zoom
For more information, speak with Diana Heymann in person or via email.
| |
|
Stuff a Pew!
Please help us spread some Holiday Cheer.
Bring in a book, toy, or gift card to donate to the children of the Horace Bushnell Food Pantry.
Gifts can be dropped off in the sanctuary on the pew against the Ambulatory wall. Gifts for all ages are welcome!
| |
The Horace Bushnell Food Pantry Still Needs Your Help
Food is always needed. Remember to buy extra when you grocery shop. Every bit of healthy food helps keep folks nourished and warm. Bring your food donations with you on Sunday, or stop by the office during the week.
| | | |
|
Coat Drive Extended: All Winter
All sizes for men, women, and children are needed...
Donate new or gently-used coats to support the community of Horace Bushnell food pantry.
Please place donations in the bin located in the lobby
| |
|
Join the fun at USH —
Looking for a supportive, inclusive, non-judgmental home for your family’s spiritual needs? Let USH be yours! Visit and learn about Unitarian Universalism, our congregation, and how USH can foster your family’s religious or spiritual journeys.
Sign up for Sundays here online or in person at the welcome table. Questions? Reach out to our Interim Religious Education Coordinator Annie Witzler for more information.
| | |
|
This Sunday will be a Faith Focus morning for our children and youth... all children, youth, and their families are invited to sit on the left-hand side of the Sanctuary facing the pulpit to listen and observe the service. There will be puppet listening buddies available for those in the pews, along with a Quiet Room off to the side, a space available for children and youth with fun activities, located this Sunday in the Meditation room off the ambulatory. We hope to see you there!
| |
|
I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. I understand that Thanksgiving was saddened for you all by the loss of two cherished members, Peter and Dale. I am thinking of you.
At your “Thanks , Again” potluck. I was able to sample some of the delicious food when nobody was looking. I was invited by one very friendly member to pull up a chair and join the group, but Gnomes are very shy. I noticed during my recent visit, that many items were found in places other than their normal
homes. Please, if you borrow something from the kitchen or other areas, such as mugs,
silverware, pitchers, trays, coffee, tables, chairs, etc., please return them to where they belong. I was very surprised to find only 22 teaspoons in the kitchen! The spoon supply has now been
replenished by 72 new stainless-steel teaspoons. If you can all try to remember to return the items to their “homes” after you use them, it will lessen the need to search the Meeting House or purchase replacements.
As we move through this multi-Holiday season, I hope we will care for each other, appreciate all we have, and do what we can to make the world better and kinder for EVERYONE and our planet!
| | | |
|
Flu and Covid seasons are upon us; pharmacies, clinics, and local health departments offer vaccines. Please protect yourself and those around you.
Masks are available at the Welcome Table for anyone who wants one. We have both children's and adult sizes.
If you ever come to a USH event and test positive for Covid in the week following, we ask you to please let the office, or Rev. Bob, know. These things happen – as we know, many of us have had the virus once or twice – and we just want to keep people informed and care for you, if needed.
| |
|
2023 – 2024 USH Board of Directors
Dana Donovan: President
Nancy Kemmerer: President-Elect
Jon Covault: Treasurer
Gloria Mengual: Secretary
Jim Venneman: Finance Council Chair
Rick Tsukada: Spiritual Life Council Chair
Paul Cipriano: Administration Council Chair
Judy Sullivan: Social Justice Council Chair
Tina Davies: Community Within Council Chair
Laurie Kelliher: Membership Council Chair
Have a question or comment for the board? Send an email to: ushboardofdirectors@gmail.com.
| |
Board Meeting
The next board meeting is Tuesday, December 12
6:30 p.m. Hybrid
Zoom Link HERE
| |
|
The latest financial reports for FY 2023-2024 have been posted;
click HERE to view.
See the 2022/23 Annual Report HERE
The Board Meeting Minutes for October 2023 have been posted.
Click HERE to view the USH Directory, Reports, and other church business information online. Contact Karolina Wojtysko for the username and password.
| |
|
The deadline for USH E-news submissions is
Tuesday at Noon.
Please write in the 'Subject' field "USH Enews", and include the dates that your submission should be featured. Announcements about upcoming events appear for two consecutive weeks maximum, unless other arrangements have been made with the editorial team.
When forwarding information concerning an "outside" event or organization, please pre-edit your copy in order to keep the piece to 200 words or less. Note that all material is subject to editing prior to publication.
Articles should be sent as email file attachments, (MS Word preferred) and images need to be sent separately as jpeg, jpg, png, tiff, bmp, or gif files. Thank you for your cooperation.
Editor: Tina Davies
Production and Technology Manager: Karolina Wojtysko
Scheduling Information: NO E-News will be published December 27. Contributors, please send all year-end submissions no later than Monday, December 18 in order to have them published in the Dec. 20 edition. (Note: Worship Reminders will continue to be sent for all services during the holiday period.)
| |
USH Calendar of Events
The calendar for December 2023 can be viewed HERE.
Please consult our Online Calendar regularly for all upcoming events coordinated by the
Unitarian Society of Hartford
To submit a Calendar Request (also for an online USH Zoom Room gathering) click HERE.
| | | | |
