Palm Sunday is one point in the story of Christianity when its Jewish roots are most evident. Jesus comes to Jerusalem at Passover, amid the tragedy and injustice of the Roman occupation – glory and death, confusion and faith are all present in abundance. What might this story teach us now?
We are inviting up to 75 people to attend worship in person. To sign up for this Sunday, go to: rsvp.church/r/eJ7rm65u. To make our Meeting House as safe as possible, we ask that everyone who is 5 and older be vaccinated, and those 2 and older wear a mask while inside. Seating in the Sanctuary has been adjusted for safe distancing, and the ventilation system can accommodate at least 100 people. We are glad to welcome those who are comfortable attending in person.
The service will be live-streamed from the Sanctuary at 10 a.m. The link will be shared on our website, uusociety.org. If you miss the livestream, a recording will be available on our YouTube channel.
All are welcome to Outdoor Coffee Hour at 11 a.m. in front of the Meeting House, and Zoom Coffee Hour at 11:15 a.m. at this link: bit.ly/3j4RxJ9.
Faith Development Classes Week 2!
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Sunday, April 10 at 10 a.m.
Children are invited to three separate age-based classes. Come back to see old friends and make new ones! The middle schoolers will begin to learn about Judaism with special guest Rabbi Jan during Building Bridges, older elementary schoolers will act out Bible Stories, and those in second grade and younger will engage in ritual and creative play in what we are calling Spirit Play-Making. Note that these classes start at the same time as the service, so parents should leave themselves time to get children to classes before the start of worship. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
8th Principle Deep Listening Circles
Nancy Hellen & Peggy Owen Sands
The Healthy Congregation and Radical Welcoming Teams invite you to join a Deep Listening Circle on the 8th Principle: an intentional gathering to share how you are and to listen deeply to others. In times of change like this, it can be hard to find the space and quality of connection to hear and speak our truths: How I am really? What do I notice about myself amidst these times? We will center the circle on the following questions:
What are you thinking/feeling about the 8th Principle for our Society?
What needs to happen for you to become comfortable with the adoption of the 8th Principle?
What actions/changes would you like to see happen in yourself or in our Society as part of our 8th Principle work?
We can support one another to ask and answer these questions. The practice of coming together in our faith-based community in this way is one way for us to be in covenant.
In Person in the Community Room (downstairs): Limited to 17 participants. Since there is limited space, please register at the links below:
Sunday, April 10 - 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. - Register here
We are fortunate this year to share the Meeting House with Rabbi Jan Salzman and Congregation Ruach haMaqom. As one of a series of opportunities to get to know one another and our different religious traditions, I am delighted to invite FUUSB members and friends to A Conversation About Passoverwith Rabbi Jan on Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. in the Sanctuary. As Rabbi Jan says: “The journey through Passover is about more than the Biblical story. Layers upon layers of interpretation, metaphor, and symbolic inferences are mined in every step of the narrative, making the tale come alive in our own lives.” Come join us!
Game Time! April 10, 2-4 pm
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
The YUUth Group invites everyone for an afternoon of games and fun! In the spirit of our pre-pandemic Game Nights, we’re bringing out all the board games, cards, party games, and even ping pong, for FUUSB members of all ages. We’ll be masked in the well-ventilated Community Room and if the weather is really nice we can even move some of the games outdoors. Come enjoy this multigenerational community-building event!
Spring Vespers - Beginning April 13*
Marcus Keely, Rev. David Ruffin (on behalf of the Vespers Team)
In this season of returning light and warmth, we hope you’ll join us for a series of four Spring Vespers gatherings, every other Wednesday, beginning April 13 at 6:30 p.m. We'll be outside, on the grounds, if the weather is inviting, and in the Community Room if not. For indoor gathering we will request RSVPs of up to 20 individuals HERE and will also offer a way to join via Zoom. If outside, there is no cap on in-person attendance.
Vespers gatherings offer an opportunity to share in music and meditative silence, poetry and presence, gratitude and grief, story and song. We take a midweek pause to re-connect and re-inspire ourselves for the journeying.
*date change
Soup at Six! ~ Also beginning April 13!
We will also be offering “Soup at 6 pm,” serving soup and bread outside (weather permitting) for all to enjoy, whether or not you can stay for Vespers. Thanks to those who've already volunteered to provide soup/bread for this! We're about covered for April 13, but please be in touch if you can help out April 27, May 11 or 25 to David Ruffin at [email protected].
Spring Auction Donations Needed by April 14!
Nina Harrington, Spring Auction Committee
The Spring Auction Committee is excited about the donations we have received so far, including a vacation getaway to the Caribbean, a boating outing on Lake Champlain, cooking classes, dinner parties, gift certificates and so much more. But with only 18 donations so far, we are about 72 donations away from our goal that would bring in our target of $12,000. The cutoff for donations is next week, April 14, so we need your help. Please, go to our FUUSB website and click on the link under “Spring Auction” to take a look at what has been donated so far. Maybe you can come up with an idea of how to “Build Community” with a donation of your own. If you need help with ideas or how to enter your donation, please email us at [email protected].
The Finance Committee is looking for new members. You don't need a background in business to join our ranks. We meet one Thursday evening a month to review how much money flowed in and out of the Meeting House in the month prior. Asking questions is the best way to provide financial review and oversight, so if you have an inquisitive mind and an interest in better understanding how we fund our programs and services, please consider joining the FUUSB Finance Committee. Reach out to your Treasurer, Kameron McConnell, or Assistant Treasurer, Zoe Hart.
Easter Egg Hunt
Margo Whitcomb, Faith Development Assistant
Come one, Come all - Join us for our annual Memorial Garden Easter Egg hunt at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, April 17! We provide the eggs, stuffed with trinkets (no candy), and do the hiding! Each child will collect a set number of eggs during their visit and we’ll have it stocked enough for everyone! Whether you come for the service beforehand or just for the hunt, we hope to see you there.
Climate Justice Team Zoom Event
Linda Cooper, Climate Justice Team
"Plastic: We Can't Live With It or Without It"
A one-hour Zoom program about the hazards of plastic and some ideas for controlling the plastic in our lives.
Thursday, April 21, 7-8 p.m. We will send you the Zoom link when you register.
Presented by Lisa Lax and Linda Cooper. Please RSVP to Linda at [email protected].
Meal Train for Rowan
Thank you to all who have signed up for Rowan's meal train! There are still days available at mealtrain.com/1d15mw. Please consider sharing a meal with our Ministerial Intern, Rowan, and her family! Rowan and Caitlyn are very busy with new baby Seneca, and would be grateful for help with meals.
For the latest news from the New England Region UUA, check out the April newsletter at this link.