The Weekly Liberal: August 28, 2025 | | NOTE: Some e-mail programs will not load the full content of this publication. Please click "View Entire Message" at the bottom if you see it! | |
Making space for what we need right now | |
Visceral heartbreak and grief are alive in many of us following yesterday’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in South Minneapolis.
Some of us are parents and chosen family, wondering how to talk to school-aged children about what happened (some helpful resources are here). Some of us are grandparents or elders, wondering how to support and care for the parents in our lives. Some of us are educators, or school professionals, approaching a new school year in the shadow of a nightmare realized. Some are community members, in deep relationships with our neighbors, friends, and coworkers, feeling helpless and disoriented in the face of such large-scale heartbreak and loss. Our communities are small and close: some of us are directly impacted by this awful event, and many more of us are only one to two degrees of separation removed.
As human beings, so much of what we need when confronting unimaginable terror and tragedy is the same. In your conversations with kids, youth, and adults in the coming week—especially those most impacted by this tragedy—I encourage you to:
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September at First U: The seasons are shifting and so is the church schedule | Mark your calendar for Sunday worship-and more-at First U in September: | | | | Sunday, August 31 | Lake Harriet Worship & Potluck | |
Worship at the Lake Harriet Bandshell
Sunday, August 31 at 10 a.m., potluck picnic to follow
The First U Building will be closed
No livestream
For the service and the potluck picnic, please bring if you are able:
- A Bottle of water, and maybe one to give away;
- A hat, sunblock, and sunglasses;
- A large parasol or umbrella to help make some shade;
- A dish or beverage to share at the potluck (church will provide compostable plates, utensils, and napkins);
- A folding chair—and possibly an extra for someone who may need one at the potluck
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SUMMER: Religious Education is in worship through September 7. All ages and voices are welcome in the Sanctuary! Childcare will be available for ages 6 months through PreK in Room 104.
Registration is open for the upcoming 2025-2026 church year, which will begin in September. All families — new and returning, with babies through high schoolers — must register each church year.
| | WATCH: Last Sunday's worship at First U | | You can see past worship services and other video content: | | |
August 31 marks the four-year anniversary of the passing of Trina Joyce's mom, Catharine Joyce. Trina really miss her.
If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, celebrating a joy or marking a sorrow, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life on Sunday in worship, or if you would like support, contact Rev. Laura Smidzik at pastoralcare@firstuniv.org or (612) 405-5583 (call or text).
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We “Hold This Together” by Cooking Meals and Helping Each Other During Life’s Marker Events
Cook a Meal
We have several congregants in need of support during life events. Below are links to requests, please read the instructions carefully so that you can provide the type of meal that will bring the families the most comfort. Contact Rev. Laura if you are in need of meals to help you through a transition.
Current Mealtrain Requests:
Doug Hicks and Susan Shonfeld
Diana Soran and Kyle Srivastava
Zion, Jera, and Baby Violet
Help with Rides, Chores, or Companionship During Worship
On occasion, we receive requests from congregants for distinct needs. If you are willing to help with any of these needs, email or text Rev. Laura at laura@firstuniv.org or 612-405-5583.
- General chores (lawn moving, cleaning) post surgery and when congregants are struggling.
- Rides—sometimes to church and other times to doctor appointments.
- Companionship during worship for congregants with cognitive impairment who need a buddy when in the building.
| | Ways to Connect at Church | |
Featured Programs
Coming up soon:
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Wednesday, September 10: Community Dinners Resume! | |
September Menu: Available about a week in advance
Dinner 6-6:45; Breakout Groups 7-8:15 p.m.
Every second Wednesday of the month, swing by church for a delicious home-cooked meal at 6 p.m. in the Social Hall. After dinner, choose a drop-in breakout group to connect with others.
Note: We will update the RSVP forms with Breakout groups as they come together:
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Daytime Connections: Reconnecting and Welcoming New Folks
Thursday, September 18, 9:45 a.m. coffee, 10-noon program, Noon lunch
How does the quality of relationships impact health and overall life happiness? View a TED talk by psychologist Robert Waldinger highlighting 80+ years of research on this topic followed by small group conversation. Zoom will not be available for this session.
Daytime Connections empowers older adults to live intentional, joyful, purposeful and spiritually fulfilled lives, by building a vibrant community and providing engaging programming that promotes conscious aging and fosters personal and spiritual growth.
| | Coming up in the next few weeks | | |
Group Spiritual Support: Fatigue and The Long Haul
Thursday, August 28, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM CT
Virtual/Online
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Training: Responding to the Anti-Trans Movement
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 • 6:00-8:00 PM CT
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 • 6:00-8:00 PM CT
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 • 6:00-8:00 PM CT
Virtual/Online
| | Church member and artist, Martha Bird, shares her inside story of living as an artist. She wrote this post and made it available for free after staff member, Jim Poulter, became fascinated with her story about braiding sweetgrass with a local Indigenous elder and asked her to share pictures. You can read the post for free: | |
Support for Karen & Khloe | |
Please sign up for a donation/volunteer slot. On or before the Friday before your Sunday volunteer slot, you will receive an email from Emma Paskewitz with a more detailed list of what Karen and Khloe need that week. If you need to shop before Friday, please let Emma know.
Questions? Concerns? Please email Emma Paskewitz at elpaskewitz@gmail.com.
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The Sunday Sermon Podcast - Rev. Kate Tucker sermons | A deep bow of gratitude to First U member, Ray Dillon, who has given his time and energy to upload many audio recordings of sermons from our Minister Emerita, the Rev. Kate Tucker. Thank you so much, Ray, for this beautiful offering that will now be accessible to the wider community! You can access the sermon recordings on our First U podcast website: | | | | |
The Woodlands
First Gathering: Sunday, September 7, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has announced the launch of The Woodlands, a new all-ages virtual pastoral care program for trans people and their families, beginning this fall.
The Woodlands is a monthly online gathering designed for trans children, youth, and adults—as well as the parents and caregivers of trans people. Each session will begin with a shared message and grounding ritual, followed by breakout rooms tailored to different communities within our circle, and we come back together for a release. Sessions will be about an hour and a half.
Each breakout room—co-facilitated by two chaplains—will offer space for meaningful check-ins where we can honor our grief, celebrate our joy, and support one another. The spirit of each room will reflect the people within it.
| | Community & Affiliated Org Events | | |
12-Step Spirituality
Visit the website for details.
In person – at First Universalist Church
And on Zoom - get the link here.
These meetings are for people who are actively working any 12-step program.
The meetings focus on the 11th step, prayer and meditation, by using the practice of Centering Prayer Meditation.
We teach Centering Prayer Meditation, meditate for 20 minutes, visit in small groups and practice two other forms of prayer.
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Association of Universalist Women
AUW sponsors activities for people who identify as women, non-binary and/or gender fluid.
| | Need to make a connection or ask for care?Find what you need here. | |
First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
firstuniversalistchurch.org
For staff contact information, please visit our Ministers and Staff page.
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Weekly Liberal Submissions
We encourage you to submit church news! To do so, email your content to Rachel Rott: rachel@firstuniv.org. Edits for length and/or content may occur. The deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday the week of publication. Past issues can be found on our website.
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