August 9 - 15, 2018
The CommUUnicator
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Unitarian Society of Germantown
Building Beloved Community
THIS WEEK:
Parvathy Menon brings her unique perspective to the pulpit this Sunday and Ending Racism offers a film next Wednesday evening. We also share this season of harvest with our neighbors by hosting homeless families and bringing in groceries for the local food pantry.
|
|
In Worship, 10:30am
Scarcity in Abundance – Fear-based Thinking and Reality
Parvathy Menon
We live in the most affluent part of the world where life, seemingly, couldn’t get any better. Still, on a daily basis, most of us experience lack of resources, well-being, optimism, hope. We live in fear of what tomorrow could bring. How can we let go of such “fear-thinking” to reconcile our perceptions of scarcity with the reality of true scarcity for a better world?
Parvathy Menon grew up in India. Currently, she lives in Philadelphia. She is a committed friend of USG.
|
|
|
In Child Spiritual Development
Children will begin their USG morning in the Sanctuary with their families and then at 10:45am, will be sung out to their Summer CSD programs:
·
For 6-yr-olds and younger,
Summer Arts and Crafts
will be in the Committee Room and Dining Room.
·
For 7-yr-olds and older, the
Feeling the Spirit Through Music
program will be in Sullivan 2 and 3, this Sunday featuring
Guitar with Emily Joy Goldberg and Sharon Mafuru.
Details about the programs and schedules can be found on the
Usguu.org
website under the Spiritual Development tab.
Childcare
for children 4-5 years old and younger is offered this Sunday and most Sundays from 9:00am - 12:00pm in the Committee Room.
|
|
|
Opportunities
Before the Worship Service
Meditate in the Meditation Room
Meditation, reading, dharma and sharing are offered in Sullivan 3 on the
First and Second Sundays of the month between 9:15 and 10:20am. All are welcome to join in quietly.
On the other Sundays the space is open for those who choose to come and sit. For information on meditation,
click here.
There is a
continued
urgent
need for food for our neighbors.
Drop off nonperishable food items to the designated carts in the Kitchen for delivery to St. Vincent's Food Pantry. Thanks to all who have already responded. Please see the note under Call to Action.
|
|
Opportunities
After the Worship Service
Enjoy refreshments, compliments of Village 3.
SignUp
is the reminder tool USG uses to organize volunteers for our upcoming activities.
Click Here
to go to our group page to sign up online.
|
|
Sunday, August 19, 10:30am
Bountiful Harvest – Natural Cycles in Everyday Life
,
Maggie Beaumont
It may be more blessed to give than to receive … but both are essential.
Maggie Beaumont has been a Unitarian Universalist and a Wiccan since 1998 and joined this congregation in 2014. She is a former dean of students at Cherry Hill Seminary and a past board member of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). After a varied career in mechanical engineering, journalism, real estate, and adult education, she earned a master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology and serves today as a hospice and hospital chaplain.
|
|
|
ERC Movie of the Month:
Nothing But a Man
Wednesday, August 15 - 7:00 pm
Nothing but a Man
depicts the lives of black people in an Alabama town around 1963. The film shows how one couple, a railroad worker and a preacher's daughter, handles overt racial hatred as they navigate family tensions. They must also endure violent threats against themselves as well as witness threats to the whites who protect them. Please
click here
for more information.
|
|
|
Help to Host PIHN Families,
Working Their Way Out of Homelessness
Usually every summer for two weeks, USG provides shelter for these families as well as evening meals but because of our elevator construction, this summer we will provide just
meals and hosts
at Grace Epiphany Episcopal Church in Mt. Airy. If you can help host, kindly contact
Carolyn Scott
.
Learn more
.
We have many open spots waiting to be filled!
Thanks to folks such as Nancy Dearden, Barbara Ginn, Jim Salom, Alan Windle, and others who have already signed up!
|
|
|
Help Stock the Local Food Pantry
Every month, a USG Volunteer delivers nonperishable food donated by USG members and friends to St. Vincent's Food Pantry. Ingrid Brown made the delivery this past Monday (8.6.2018) and reported that the need is
still urgent
AND that she felt proud that our donation was so generous. She hopes it can be as plentiful EVERY month.
|
|
|
What's Going On in Your Village?
Since the USG Village program began a year ago, Villages have been doing a tremendous job providing refreshments and hospitality for Fellowship Hour. We would like to learn about and share other experiences people are having with their Villages. If your Village has had a social event, or responded to a Caring need as a Village, or car pooled, etc., please share your experience with the Welcoming team at
welcoming@usguu.org
. Thanks!
|
|
|
A Donation from ERC to Men Who Care of Germantown
On Sunday, August 5, the Ending Racism Committee at USG presented a check to Men Who Care of Germantown (MWCOG).
ERC will pursue involvement in their work with Germantown youth at Roosevelt Elementary School and Martin Luther King High School and will keep the congregation aware of opportunities for meaningful engagement going forward.
Pictured L to R: Dev Howerton, Parvathy Menon, Lois Murphy, Tom Grabe of Germantown Friends Meeting, Clayton Justice (MWCOG) and Barbara Dowdall
|
|
|
A Letter from Our New President!
|
|
|
Pronouns:
Honoring the Dignity of Every Person
- A Letter from Rev. Kent
What does it take to be a warmly welcoming community? Many times the answers come from our own stories. At least at two key periods of my life I spent significant time away from Unitarian Universalism. Both times when I came back I was feeling down or lost in life. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere, much less in a church. However, in both experiences the people of those churches were very warm and welcoming. Church helped me – once again – to figure out who I am. And church accepted me.
Beloved community welcomes, accepts and honors people as they are. In our USG efforts to be truly welcoming, we are making a new effort. On our nametags, we are offering people the chance to indicate by which pronouns they prefer to be addressed. For example, I am choosing for my nametag:
Kent Matthies – he, him, his.
Why is this important? Within many places in society, people who are gender-fluid or transgender experience painful discrimination. Assuming other people’s gender identification is too often unhelpful or hurtful. When we allow people to identify their own gender pronouns, we can reduce awkward situations. More importantly, we can directly increase the respect we show one another with our words and actions. We can increase our capacity to welcome and honor each other for who we are.
********
At the Welcome Table, there is a new
name tag request form
which asks for people's pronouns and we also have stickers for the most common pronouns. For more information, please visit
usguu.org/putting-pronouns-on-nametags/
|
|
|
USG's Summer Office Hours
Throughout August
, our hours will be 9:30am until 1:00pm, M through F.
We urge you to call ahead - 215-844-1157 - if you need entry to the building. You can also contact
communications@usguu.org
.
|
|
|
USG Member Sarah Frazier will work this summer on behalf of Immigration Justice
Sarah Frazier is going to El Paso, Texas (across the border from Juarez, Mexico)
from July 30 to August 12.
She has been accepted to work with
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
(
http://las-americas.org/
). Sarah will post updates each day on Facebook and also on her Wordpress blog "
Going to the Border"
, (
getgoingtotheborder.wordpress.com/
) so that we can be engaged in this endeavor. She will also do a presentation to report on the work when she returns.
In order to make the financial requirements of this trip more manageable, Sarah has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for travel, food and lodging. Any additional funds she earns will be donated to Las Americas.
If you would like to contribute visit
https://www.gofundme.com/going-to-the-border
.
(Image: Sarah at the 2017 Auction)
|
|
|
We are excited to announce our new Give+ Text option for making pledge and contribution payments to USG!
|
Please
click here
to learn how to use this convenient tool.
|
|
|
Thank You, Villagers!
Thank you so much to all who participate! If you are willing to coordinate Fellowship Hour for your Village, please let Treva Burger,
trevawb@gmail.com
know. Below is the schedule for
Fellowship Hour Hosting in August.
- August 12 - Village 3
- August 19 - Village 4
- August 26 - Village 5
|
|
|
Greater Philly UU Cluster Events
UU Community Weekend (Labor Day weekend) – Registration deadline: Aug 18!
A Labor Day weekend getaway filled with fun, relaxation and loving community. Join members and families of Philadelphia area UU churches for this fun fest at Camp Canadensis in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. For more info, visit:
mluc.org/community/community-weekend
Building Community: What's In Your Toolbox?
September 22, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, DE
Breakout sessions, networking, etc. Event details and registration coming shortly.
GPC Meeting
September 29, 9:30 - 11:30 am (9:00 meet and greet)
UC of West Chester, 501 S. High Street, West Chester, PA 19382
- we'll debrief the UU Community Weekend, discuss upcoming Legislative Advocacy training, and more. All are welcome!
|
|
|
Get Involved! Meet Fellow UUs!
Follow links below to find out more information about the events and groups at USG that occur usually once a month.
Please note that some groups are now on summer hiatus and thus not listed below. Check back in September to see what's new!
20's & 30's SGM Group
- Second Thursday, August 9, 6:30pm, Drop-in Young Adults Small Group Ministry group. For more information, please contact Stephanie Bonner at
slbonner2@gmail.com
or on Facebook where they maintain an active invite-only activities group.
Book Group on Friday Morning
- Will resume its regular Third Friday, 10:30am, discussions
September 21
at Cathedral Village. If interested in joining, please contact
Barbara Dowdall.
The 2017-2018 Book List is posted on
usguu.org> About> Affinity Groups> Book Group
.
In late August, the 2018-2019 List will be posted.
CAMI (Citizens Against Mass Incarceration)
- Fourth Monday, August 27, 7:00pm. At USG. Contact
Nancy Anderson
.
Caregiver Support Group
- Second Friday, August 10, 11:00am - 1:00pm. At USG. Contact
Maura Gallagher
.
EarthSpirit Circle
. First Monday, except for holiday weekends: (September 10). Next meeting
September 10
, 7:00pm. At USG. Contact Donya Coldwell at
earth@usguu.org
.
ERC (Ending Racism Committee)
- First Sunday, September 2, 12:00 - 1:30pm. At USG. Contact
Barbara Dowdall
.
Humanists - PUSH
-
Philadelphia Unitarian Society of Humanists
, Fourth Sunday, August 26, 12:00pm. At USG. Contact
Paul Teti
.
Nature Walking at Valley Green - Every Monday and Thursday at
9:00am
(please note summer start time), you can meet others - whoever shows up- at Valley Green in Chestnut Hill for a morning walk.
Point Person is
Steve Conrad, who is usually there.
Needle Exchange, a Handwork Group
-
Next meeting will be September 5,
1:30 - 3:00pm, off-site.
(Usually
First Wednesday). Contact
Margaret Thompson
.
Open Small Group Ministry
- Second Sunday, August 12, 12:00pm, Daskam Room at USG. This group is available to people who want to try out Small Group Ministry or attend occasionally. For more information, contact Mark B,
mark.bangela@gmail.com
, or just show up.
UU-101
-
Third Sunday, August 19, 12:00-1:00pm.
UU-101
is an Introduction to Unitarian Universalism, held at USG in the Daskam Room, and childcare is provided. Please let the leader, Eric Foster know that you plan to attend by emailing him at
uu101@usguu.org. If unable to email, you can call Eric at 484-347-8998.
|
|
Join A USG Facebook Group!
You can join a USG Facebook group as well as meet in person!
To find out about special events, post photos, and stay in touch, here are some of USG's groups and their Facebook links:
ASD (Adult Spiritual Development) facebook
CSD (Child Spiritual Development)
YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) A Closed Group great to know about and if desired, ask to join.
YA - Young Adults
Greater Philly UUs - Social Justice & Other Greater Philly UU News
P.U.S.H. Philadelphia Unitarian Society of Humanists
Exploring Elderhood
|
|
We are grateful to...
...all the people who came out Thursday evening, August 2, to help
Mike Rogers
move tons of stuff (literally, tons) out of the sexton's room in preparation for elevator work. Those hard-working helpers were
Roderick Ahrens, Kurt Ahrens, Richard Clarey, Dennis Brunn, Bill Dowdall, Dev Howerton, Carl Leiby, Sarah Spath, Parvathy Menon, Carolyn Scott, and David Ward.
Mike says, "The people at USG make my job a blessing." (Back at'cha, Mike.)
Our thoughts and prayers are with...
...tiny
Zoe Kaye Brooks
, granddaughter of
Richard and Ann Clarey
(in Village 2), who arrived on earth at Pennsylvania Hospital four months early, weighing in at 1.7 lbs. Her family - Keisha Hudson and Sam Brooks and 6-year-old sister Maya as well as Richard and Ann— are feeling very positive.
Ann reports today (8.9.2018) that Zoe is responding well to all the TLC in the NICU.
We are sending the whole family our good wishes and lots of vitamin-packed love.
...Gail Mershon
(in Village 12), who underwent knee replacement surgery on August 3. The requests for meals for Gail is completely subscribed. Gail will eventually need rides to and from PT. If you might be able to help out with rides, please respond to the
caringcommunity@usguu.org
link.
... John and Ann Pron
(in Village 3). John's mother, Stella Pron, died peacefully on July 24. Her service was held Saturday, July 28. Cards are welcome.
We share joy with...
...Gale Gibbons
(in Village 6), who has announced the happy news that her daughter Megan Lang gave birth to a baby girl, Sylvie, on June 20. Mother and baby are doing well.
|
|
|
Caring Team
Linda Bernstein (chair), Sarah West, Rev. Kent Matthies
If you are aware of any joys or concerns that should be part of our caring system, please let us know. You can email
caring@usguu.org
If you call a caring team member and do not speak directly, leave a voice mail and your call will be returned ASAP.
|
|
|
Tuesday's
SPIRIT
(not every Tuesday in the Summer) - Friday by 3:00pm
Thursday's Weekly
eCommUUnicator
- Wednesday by noon
Sunday's Announcements
- Thursday by noon
|
|
The Unitarian Society of Germantown
| 215-844-1157 | 6511 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19119
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
