UUCM Monthly News
July 2022
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A Stable Faith
Beloved members and friends of UUCM,
I am back after a week away attending both UUMA Ministry Days and UUA General Assembly. It was quite a week! Not having had a chance to gather with colleagues for three years (due to cancer and the pandemic), being back among colleagues was like a cool drink of water to one who has been in the desert too long!
I was thinking about what to share with you all about a week that was so chock full of experiences and much to think upon, when I came upon this article by Arron Morton, a UUMA Intern, and I think it’s a good intro! I’m taking off for the summer on a much needed break and won’t see most of you until September when more discussion about this week will commence! Until then, please do read this insightful piece by Arron Morton.
In Faith,
Rev. Shayna
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Message from the new Board President
As the seasons change, so do our lives. As spring approaches summer, the calendar quickly fills up and we see a lot of the changes we’ve come to expect. The school year ends, we celebrate our kids and grandkids with dances, recitals, concerts, graduations, all the end of school year milestones. We have parties, and prep for what lies ahead. And if you’ll indulge me while I bring things close to home, this was a big year for my household. A summer of changes for all three of us.
One week this spring, I watched my daughter on stage one last time in her high school play, and then graduate with a class full of high-achieving kids. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments, and even though we knew this was coming (and we even slowed the process down a year), it’s still bittersweet. We will do our best as she transitions to college, and as we become empty nesters (at least part time). That same week I was elected as your next president. I hope I can serve and shepherd us through our next series of changes well.
Changes are hard, changes are inevitable, changes are the only (proverbial) constant.
We’re still coming out of a global pandemic, and are still defining what the “new normal” can and should be -- at church, at work, and at home.
As I write this to meet the newsletter deadline, I am still UUCM’s president-elect. This works out well for me, as Marti can hold down the fort for one last week or so while I’m deep in all the changes going on in our family. At the moment, Amy is resting in the hospital after a recent, planned surgery, and we hope she’ll be home in the next day or two. If you follow us on Facebook, or read the recent newsletter, you’re probably up to speed, and know how her recovery is going… but I’m getting ahead of myself.
We are constantly dealing with the expected and unexpected. So, while we recently had a week of accomplishments and milestones, it was followed in quick succession by funerals and anniversaries. Last weekend we started off by saying goodbye to my grandmother at her memorial service with most of the family. Following that was a 50th wedding anniversary party (one of two this month). Then we said goodbye to our cat of over 20 years -- my constant companion, always on my lap, my daughter’s pillow, or between me and whatever book I was trying to read. Ella never knew a day without this cat, who was nearly a year her senior. We barely had time to lay her to rest in the pet cemetery behind my in-laws’ house before Amy and I headed up to Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon for her surgery. It was quite the emotional rollercoaster of a week, and I’m ever so glad to be on this side of it.
Hopefully, Amy’s back surgery will usher in a season of positive change for her – a new era of life without debilitating back/leg pain, a new season of possibility and mobility -- but first comes recovery and physical therapy.
Sometimes, in our day to day lives, things are going along well. Sometimes, perhaps even oftentimes, there might be one little nagging thing concerning you, or bringing you down. Once in awhile, there may be a week like this past one, but hopefully exceedingly rare. We just took it all one thing at a time. Processing it all might take awhile. People advise you to “Be kind, you never know what someone is dealing with.” And adding, “If you can’t be kind, at least be nice.” Yes, there is a difference. Being kind is never the wrong choice. I’d like to take a moment to thank our beloved community for stepping up this week to show what it means to be the epitome of kind.
Amy and I are humbled, touched, and moved to tears by the love and generosity we witnessed this week. Our friends and family, our beloved community (and a few acquaintances and near-strangers) opened their hearts to offer up prayers, positive thoughts, well wishes, and no small amount of financial assistance via a fundraiser they set up for Amy’s surgery. It was unexpected. It was heartwarming. It was totally overwhelming. We feel loved, supported, and most importantly, we were not alone as we walked into the hospital Friday morning. It was a trip we hoped never to have to take, but one that will, quite literally, give Amy her life back. We will never forget the kindness, and how it made us feel. We can never thank you enough, and can only hope to try paying it forward. This is what beloved community looks like.
I hope all is well, and you are enjoying your summer. I hope that we can take all the love and generosity I’ve witnessed this week and bring it forward, all of us, and continue to pass it on to our beloved communities within and outside UUCM. We are greater than the sum of our parts, and when we help each other, we all win.
In gratitude and kindness,
Scott Blanchard
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Summer Services (Online only through Sept 11)
- Worship will continue over the summer, keeping us fed spiritually and connected socially. You can join from wherever you are since these services will be on Zoom. Worship will be shorter and more participatory. It will be a mix of summer themes, discussion, and reflection.
- We anticipate some live-streamed Lyceum programs with discussion to follow, some Ted Talks, and some summer reflections about nature and the way we refresh ourselves over the summer break.
- There will again be four Vespers services in the evenings.
- Come be together, listen, chat, and enjoy the slower pace and deeper sense of being part of UUCM.
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All summer services are on Zoom. You may join 15 minutes prior to the services for conversation or, in the case of the Lyceum, music. The Zoom link for all summer services is here.
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Here is the schedule for July. For August, descriptions will be posted here.
7/3 at 9:30am: Lift Every Voice and Sing: Song is a language that unites and defines a people. We’ll explore how song identifies religious and social community, looking particularly at the hymn Lift Every Voice and Sing. All peoples have songs that stir their sense of national or social pride because music shapes its people.
7/10 at 9:30am: The Wayfaring Stranger: This service is about the forced displacement of peoples throughout history. In so many areas of the world people have been forced into migration by famine, warfare, political genocide, civil war, and the tragedies of a trade that fosters human slavery. We’ll look at the role of the wanderers in history – both the tragedies and the success stories. The Ukrainian people are only the latest in a sad chronicle of humanity’s worst decisions. What does this systemic inequality tell us about ourselves?
7/17 at 11:00am: Tom Wessels, Coevolution: The Model for Humanity’s Sustainable Future. This is part of the 2022 Monadnock Lyceum series. We will broadcast the presentation and host a discussion to follow.
7/20 at 7:00pm: Going for a Walk with Mary Oliver: This is the first of four Vespers services. These will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday evenings. These simple, short services will focus on the four natural elements: earth, air, fire, and water. This first service is about water, and features the work of Mary Oliver, a poet whose love for nature teaches us so much about how to live at one with our endangered earth.
7/24 at 9:30am: Living on the Margins: Areas most vulnerable to the problems of climate change are those that interface with the natural environment. As we encroach on forests, lakes, and the sea, we destroy habitat for birds, animals, plants, and insects. Recovery for these species and their ecosystems is almost impossible. Where we live and work makes as much impact on the climate as how we live.
7/31 at 11:00am: Reggie Harris-Finding Hope in a Five-Minute World: A presentation of the Monadnock Lyceum, live streamed through Zoom. It will be followed by discussion and sharing by UUCM participants.
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June 12 - Day of Celebrations
On a beautiful June day, we celebrated in the Sanctuary by welcoming new members and congratulating our high school graduates during the Bridging ceremony. The celebration continued as we revived the traditional end of year picnic in the Shelley garden next door to the church.
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Sherri Sinclair, Lisa Murray, Rev. Shayna, Francine Ryan, Judy Eriksen, Andy LaForge |
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Highlights of the Annual Meeting - June 5, 2022
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The slate of candidates for the UUCM Board, the Congregational Development Committee and the Trustees of the Endowment were submitted and approved. See the Directory of Leadership & Committees here.
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The budget for 2022-2023 was approved.
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New mission statement was adopted - "We are a spiritual fellowship dedicated to building beloved community within and beyond our doors."
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The updated Section V. Duties of Board members in UUCM Bylaws was approved.
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Read the Committee reports here.
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From the UUCM Board
Minutes of the June 26th board meeting here.
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To contact UUCM leadership during the summer:
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Throughout the summer, our Congregational Administrator, Jamie, will be working on several large scale projects. The office will be open by appointment only. Please email the office to make an appointment, or leave a voicemail at 603-673-1870.
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Urgent messages should be sent to the UUCM Board at board@uucm.org and someone from the Board will return your message. Contact information for Board members is listed here.
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Rev. Shayna can be reached at minister@uucm.org, or by telephone at (802)570-6066 during normal business hours. Please do not text or call after hours if your matter is not urgent or time sensitive. Thank you.
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Come to Ferry Beach - Sept 9-11
Learn more about Ferry Beach here.
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What in God's Name
"What in God's Name" is a podcast featuring Rev. Shayna and her good friend and colleague, Rev. Chris Owen. The show runs about 20-25 minutes and explores current events through the lenses of theology and philosophy. Although they are taking a summer break, you can still access the podcasts here: Whatingods.com.
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For Pastoral Care Assistance in July: Contact Nancy Danzinger or office@uucm.org
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Donate Food to SHARE in July
Please purchase and deliver Canned Fruit, Flour, Sugar, Boxed Cake Mixes, Baking Supplies, Coffee & Tea, Juice, Granola to SHARE this month. Click to see where to drop off food.
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UUCM 603-673-1870 office@uucm.org
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