Wednesday, April 21, 2021 |
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THIS SUNDAY'S
VIRTUAL WORSHIP SERVICE
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"Pathways to Healing & Regeneration:
An Earth Sunday Service"
UU Ministry for Earth
UUCR YouTube Worship Service
April 25, 2021
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When you imagine pathways to personal, social, and ecological healing and regeneration, what do you see? Who is with you on your journey? What transforms and gives way to new beginnings? Who and/or what are you accountable to along the way? This Sunday the UUs of the Chester River will join UU Ministry for Earth and The Reverend Yadenee Hailu for a special Earth Sunday worship service exploring these questions in a collective journey on the pathways to healing and regeneration.
For a preview of the order of service and worship presenters' bios (click here).
This worship service will be available on UUCR's YouTube Channel (click here) by Sunday morning.
If you have a joy or sorrow for the April 25 worship service, please share it during the UUCR Zoom Coffee Hour.
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Come Join Us for Coffee Hour |
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Please come join us for UUCR Zoom Coffee Hour at 11:00 am, on Sunday, April 25 ( click here).
It's a time to see and talk to one another, and the next best thing to being there!
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This Week's
Worship Service
This Week's
Coffee Hour UUCR
Last Week's
Worship Service
UUCR
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Apr 22 - Earth Day 🌎
Apr 25 - UUCR YouTube Earth Sunday Worship Service
Apr 25 - UUCR Coffee Hour
May 1 - Merry Month of May Celebration - see below for more info 🌸
May 2 - UUCR & UUFE Zoom Worship Service
May 9 - Mother's Day💐
May 9 - Worship Service
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If you know of another link or event that should be added, please contact
the UUCR office by email or phone 410-778-3440. Thanks!
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Upcoming
Virtual Worship Services
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Sunday, May 2
"The Stories We Inherit"
The stories of a community or family are passed around as special forms of truth. Sometimes these stories are reminders of values and character. Other times they are warnings signaling what is to be avoided. At this service with Rev. Sue Browning we'll explore the power of stories as a path to change in our lives.
- Rev. Sue Browning
- UUCR & UUFE Zoom Worship Service
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Accountability This Time
Tuesday afternoon the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd. There is a sense of relief in reaction to the verdict. This highly publicized case, that we have come to know so well, is closer to ending. There still needs to be sentencing and appeals are almost certain. For this week, some relief. Someone has been held accountable in this specific case.
For George Floyd’s family, their loss is permanent. He was not treated justly last May and died. My heart goes out to his family and friends in their continued grief. May they find some peace in knowing the verdict.
As a nation, we held our collective breath waiting for this decision. We held our breath knowing that the outcome in George Floyd’s case was far from certain. We know often there isn’t accountability for such acts. For those of us who are white, I hope we understand this reality better after this year. For those who are black and brown, sadly, this is not new news.
As we considered the legacy of lynching at our service last week, we were reminded of the importance of consistent accountability and the continued work that is needed.
My hope is that through George Floyd’s murder, and the actions which followed, there has been personal and nationwide learning. My hope is that we have been changed and better understand the ways the systems need to change. My hope is we will follow through on the many efforts needed to make these changes actually happen.
In our shared relief, may we learn and continue to move toward greater justice and equity.
Blessings,
Rev. Sue
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*** PLEASE NOTE ***
Sometimes due to the length of Reflections, some sections are on a second page in some members' emails. If you don't see "END of REFLECTIONS for APRIL 21, 2021" at the very end of this email, you will need to click at the bottom where it says "[Message clipped] View entire message" (or something similar in whatever email service you use) to view the entire email.
Or, you can click immediately below this message.
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Having trouble viewing the entire email? Click here
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When Will We be Back to "Normal"?
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We are all anxious to be physically back together at our sanctuary, but are currently following CDC and UUA guidelines. We have found that the UUA guidelines are more cautious since they focus on the population of our congregations which may be older, hence more vulnerable. We certainly hope to be open for the beginning of the Church year in the Fall. If you are interested or concerned about this process, now is the time to have your opinion heard and understand how the decisions are made.
We are looking for input from people who may not have been involved in the Zoom and virtual services and are missing the comradeship of our community. We are particularly interested in creating an "Opening Taskforce" to define the needs and protocols for reopening the church, and are looking for church members to serve.
We currently have committees bringing you events where we get together outside and practice social distancing. We are always looking for help bringing these to you. There are plans to continue these events this Summer if there is enough interest. Interested? Willing to help? Please volunteer at [email protected]. We'll be waiting for you:)
David Biehler, UUCR Board President
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Let us cheer: May Day and all its Pagan, Pantheistic History;
Cinco de Mayo, in Salute to our Southern Neighbors; and Spring in General!
Saturday, May 1, 5 pm
Parking Lot of UUCR
914 Gateway Dr.
(* while following the CDC's Covid-19 guidelines.)
Colorful Dress encouraged!
Is there a rain date?
Do I need to RSVP?
- No, no need to reserve a space; just bring a finger food dish to share.
What should I bring?
- Your mask for wearing when not eating!
- Finger food to share – we will have lots of utensils for serving and small plates
- Beverage of your choice – we will supply margaritas
- A portable chair if you’d like to sit.
If you can help, or have questions, please contact us via
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Social Concerns/Social Justice |
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Gun Safety Group Scores Win
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Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence (MDPGV) are celebrating a successful year in the just-concluded 2021 session of the state legislature, formally named the General Assembly.
The group, which has the support of the UUCR Social Concerns/Justice Committee, saw their efforts contribute to a number of wins:
- Passage of a law that will require background checks on all sales and transfers of rifles and shotguns. Owners will be required to have licenses for them.
- Funding for a Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (VIPP) in conjunction with established neighborhood groups.
- (The above two items were enacted through overrides of vetoes by Governor Hogan in the previous year’s session.)
- Adoption of several laws to reform policing, including granting more power to communities in reviewing complaints against officers, allowing greater public access to officers’ disciplinary records, and repeal of a law known as the police officers’ bill of rights. These bills passed with enough votes to be veto-proof.
Liz Banach, MDPGV Executive Director, wrote that the accomplishments were doubly rewarding in view of the time and distancing restrictions required by the Covid-19 pandemic. One way MDPGV overcame those obstacles was to hold a
virtual lobbying day on Jan. 21. Via technology, student members of Maryland March for Our Lives had one-to-one interviews with elected officials.
Issues on next year’s agenda include Jaelyn’s Law, a hoped-for lowering of the age to 16 for preventing access to guns in the home, and an effort to control a recent fad for homemade weapons. Without serial numbers, and thus impossible to account for, these firearms are called ghost guns.
Linda Weimer
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Bayside HOYAS Outreach Collection
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The Social Concerns/Social Justice Committee’s fourth outreach collection for this year was launched on Sunday, April 4, for the Bayside HOYAS. If you watched Sunday’s Easter service — or have yet to watch it —John Queen, the president of the HOYAS, promotes two ways our members and friends can donate to the organization: one for their Frederick Douglass Day celebration in February 2022, and the other for their endowment. In order to simplify our giving, please make your outreach donation just to the Bayside HOYAS.
The Bayside HOYAS, an acronym for "Helping Our Youth Achieve Success," is a youth program which targets young men from the ages of 11-17 to help them better themselves in school, home, and community. Their mission is “to promote academic excellence, positive character development, and civic responsibility among secondary school age youth and young adults in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, Maryland.” They work to achieve this mission through educational enrichment, mentoring, leadership training, health promotion, and public service projects with youth of limited opportunities. Founded by Paul Tue, Pierre Tue, and John Queen in 2013, the organization provides a wide range of programming, which includes academic counseling, community service projects, youth leadership summits, outreach to families in need, and athletics. Since 2019 they’ve operated a resource center (UUCR’s former office on Cross Street), which provides the young people a place to drop in, socialize, plan events, or seek counseling and resources.
You can contribute by sending a check to the church office, made out to UUCR specifying "Bayside HOYAS Outreach Collection" in the memo line, or you can donate online at the church website using the "Donate" button (click here) and "Custom Amount", specifying "Bayside HOYAS Outreach Collection" in the comment section. Any questions, please contact Amy Warner, co-chair of the SC/SJ committee at [email protected]. Please make your donation by Friday, April 30th.
The committee thanks all members and friends for their very generous support of the outreach collections for this church year.
Amy Warner
Co-chair, SC/SJ Committee
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The Social Action Committee for Racial Justice is hosting a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson’s book “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents.” A Zoom study group is scheduled for three Wednesdays in June: June 9, 16 and 23, from 4-5:15 p.m.
Wilkerson explains, “caste is the granting or withholding of respect, status, honor, attention, privileges, resources, benefit of the doubt, and human kindness to someone on the basis of their perceived rank or standing in the hierarchy.” (See a brief interview with Trevor Noah here. )
It’s BYOB -- Bring Your Own Book – but SACRJ will have a few copies to lend. A shorter summary of “Caste” is also available to participants upon request.
The discussion will be led by Carol Dobson and Charles Taylor. If interested, contact them at [email protected].
NOTE: Our goal is to achieve a racially balanced discussion group, so if you wouldn't mind, please indicate your race in your reply. Thank you!
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Pastoral Care and Connection |
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We are here for you! We will focus on staying directly connected with our members and friends, especially those who may need assistance or support. The caring teams from our congregation is staying in touch, but if you need to reach out, please be in touch with any of the contacts below to stay connected (and see additional contacts below for RE families).
Please know your congregation is here. We can help you find connections. Please don't hesitate to reach out and let us know what is helpful for you in this time.
Rev. Sue Browning, and the Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
or for more information, contact:
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APRIL BIRTHDAYS
6 - Stan Salett
7 - Tom Tontarski
9 - John Ramsey
13 - Amy Warner
16 - Connie Schroth
17 - Jim Lavin
22 - Elisabeth Tully
30 - Kim Agee
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We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact Darlene at UUCR office email
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Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River 914 Gateway Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: (410) 778-3440
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END of REFLECTIONS for APRIL 21, 2021
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