"The River"
This Sunday
March 31
Speaker: Victoria Poling
Celebrant: Peggy Bissell
Utopian Visions and Practical Impacts
We'll explore movements in Universalism of the Early 20th Century ranging from spiritualist communications with ancestors to moderate social reform.
Come and learn so much more in this, our fourth installment of this year's “UU 101” series.
For the Children:   Children's Religious Education will follow the service on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays of each month.

Also the smaller babies room now was a speaker system installed. If you should need to leave the service, you can still hear everything in there..








SUUF lending library (in the office) overflowest! Thanks to the generous donations of members and friends, the library has expanded, and I've arranged the books somewhat into catagories. To check out a book, just sign your name on the signout sheet hanging on the wall. There are several CD's on the top shelf. Today's CD pick "Long Strange Trip", a journey through two thousand years of UU history donated by Pat Young. Claire












Playhouse for SUUF built and donated by Trico Construction. Needed some strong bodies to temporariy move the teepee away from the 10 ft gate so Trico can bring in the playhouse, and also needed is a decision as to where it should go. The space in the side yard has been measured and this 8 x 10 playhouse will fit. I won the playhouse at last week's home and garden show at the fairgrounds. Actually my son, Brad Phillips, who is a member of the Trico team, bought the ticket and put my name on it. He suggested donating it to a church where it can be enjoyed by children over the years and likes the idea of it residing at SUUF. It won best in show and people's choice award and is really nice. Doesn't need a cement pad. Claire Phillips
April 7
Speaker: Sister Susan Wells, SNJM
Celebrant: Sally Riggers
Food for Thought: Making Connections Between the Food we Eat and the Farmworkers who Harvest it.
Sister Susan Wells, Director of the Catholic Community Services Farmworker Center, will share her experiences working with the Migrant Farmworker community here in Skagit Valley. Did you know that 60 -80 % of the Farmworkers in Skagit and Whatcom Counties come from Indigenous regions of Mexico and Central America and do not speak Spanish as their first language? Come learn about the unique challenges that Indigenous Migrant Farmworkers face and learn ways to view your food through the lens of justice.
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This space awaits a photo or poem or news or reminiscence from you, when you're ready. Email your contributions to the office.
Miriam and Simme will share an  Interfaith Passover Seder on  Saturday, April 20 from 2-6 pm at the Skagit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (SUUF) in Mount Vernon. 
During the seder many faith traditions will be discussed and questions will be encouraged. Simme and Miriam have prepared a special Haggadah (Seder booklet) which we will share together along with the traditional foods of the seder. There will be a potluck following the seder. 
Please contact Simme,  [email protected]  or text/call 206-790-4862 no later than April 13th to reserve a seat/s -- or register right here. She will then send suggestions for the potluck.
Feel free to share this invitation with family and friends. Shalom and Blessings.
Happy March birthdays!!! Best wishes to Mathew B, Jasmine, Allen, Iola and any others celebrating your special day this month.
Upcoming Family Promise Event To all of you out there who might be interested in helping out with our upcoming Family Promise dutes on March 31/April 1 : On March 31, a group of up to 14 Family Promise guests will arrive at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Vernon. One group of SUUF volunteers will be responsible for providing and serving their dinner and otherwise helping our guests who are currently without homes. After dinner the guests will get settled in their rooms and SUUF volunteers will clean up the kitchen.  

A second small number of SUUF volunteers will spend the night at the church, setting out food for breakfast or sandwiches early the following morning. At 7 a.m.or earlier, guests will leave via provided van or personal vehicle to either a job or other activity at the Day Center in Sedro Woolley. SUUF volunteers do a little clean-up, lock the church door and go home. That ends our responsibilities. 

This is a short picture of our Family Promise duties but it's an important job that doesn't take much time or effort and you might meet, and help, new friends. We won't know until the Thursday just before our evening starts but the maximum number of guests is always no more than 14 guests. We have a great helper, Sharon Johnson, who keeps us informed of who and what we can expect. Overall, this is a simple but very important short-term help that makes life better for many people. 

We are also looking for two people who would be willing to spend Monday night at the church. Comfortable cots and blankets are provided. If you would be willing to do any of these activities - make dinner, clean up counters and dishes, put out breakfasts, etc. - contact Patti Young or Pat Young. We will have a short meeting at SUUF after a Sunday service to let people know what's expected if they don't know and answer any questions. Thanks so much for participating in this great activity.
General Assembly is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend; congregations must certify annually to send voting delegates. The 2019 General Assembly will be June 19-23 in Spokane, Washington.
Nancy B. Miller is offering an interactive class on the 7 principles based on Rev. Bruce Davis , "A String of Pearls", An introduction to the UU Principles and Purposes. This class will be on the 2nd Sudays following coffee hour.
It began Oct. 2018 and will continue for seven second Sundays omitting the second Sunday in Dec.

Our Fifth Unitarian Universlaist Principle...........
"We covenant to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the Democratic process within our congregations and society at large" It is this search that we will explore together. Please join us.

The meaning of the word "conscience" has evolved dramatically in the last thousand years. It is derived from the Latin, consciere, which means literally to "know with". The original meaning of the word was to know something with another person, as in shared knowledge or a shared secret. By the fourteenth century, its meaning has had evolved to imply "inward knowledge", distinct from knowledge that may be discovered in texts. Conscience began to denote the whole of mental life, including reasoning, thinking, and ruminating within oneself. For a time the notion of conscience and consciousness were nearly equivalent, and the old English word inwit, meaning the knowing within, was synonymous with conscience.

Conscience is the source from which our ethical actions emerge, yet your take on right and wrong may differ from mine. There would be no need to speak of the "right" of conscience if we didn't have some variability among us as to what is good or true. I may appropriately assert my view of the good, but not in a way that overshadows your own view of the good. This is akin to the free and responsible search for truth and meaning of our fourth principle, by which I must not let my search violate yours.

Please come and share your current thoughts on how you feel connected or not to each of the 7 Principles as they are each individually discussed.
Looking forward to your sharing and connecting.
May you be blessed with wisdom,
Nancy B. Miller
The Covenant Circle discusses periodical and book and news. Lately the topics have centered on major socioeconomic issues of the times. The discussion is lively and the spirit is convivial.

They meet every Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at Haggen on Division Street, except the second Thursday of the month, when they convene over lunch somewhere at 1:00. Call Joy Lindberg (360-424-8090) for further information.
New email address:
The Board of Trustees meets the first Thursday of the month from 6:30 to 8:00 p. m. Any member may attend and observe the meetings, and all members are welcome.
Office Administrator, Newsletter : Claire Phillips [email protected] Hours: Tue. & Thur. 12-4 pm
Worship Team Leader : Sally Riggers [email protected] Board contact: Rosemary Stevens [email protected]