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Poetry Reading Opportunity!"

"Painting is poetry that is seen and not heard,

and poetry is painting which is heard but not seen. These two arts, which you may call them both either poetry or painting, have here interchanged the senses by which they penetrate to the intellect." — Leonardo da Vinci

Come join us by reading some of your own poems, share favorites written by others, or just come and enjoy listening to a service devoted to our connections through poetry.

If you don't see "END of REFLECTIONS for August 26, 2021" at the very end of this email, you're not seeing the entire email . To view it to the end please Click here

The Spinoza Problem (fiction) by Irvin Yalom 

The Road to Inner Freedom: The Ethics by Baruch Spinoza, Dagobert Runes (editor)

Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy

Available through Amazon click here.

Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes

Available through Amazon click here.

What is Unitarian Universalism? What are the core values of the UU faith tradition? What are common UU spiritual practices? Are all UUs engaged with social justice? How do UUs approach Religious Education? On Thursday, August 26 at 6:30 pm, UUCR will offer an "About Unitarian Universalism" session to answer these and any other questions you may have about our faith. We invite all who are curious to join us for an evening with Rev. Sue Browning and several leaders of the congregation. We'll begin with a brief presentation, will have time for questions, and will end with informal social time. Visitors, friends, and members welcome! 

Guidelines: We do plan to meet in the sanctuary. Masks will be required for all. See detailed Covid protocols here. 

When Diane Shields, M.Q. Riding and I met for the first time this summer to discuss our goal of developing leadership for UUCR, M.Q. offered to lend me a book, Serving with Grace: Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice by Erik Walker Wikstrom. As I read it, it is clear that we can use it as a tool to help us focus our mission and as a source of inspiration for the task ahead. This statement in the first chapter strikes me as one that encapsulates the spiritual practice of service to our beloved community:

I hope that you’ll read the statement above a couple of times. What part resonates with you? Especially meaningful to me is the reference to our seventh Principle: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” We are intertwined in countless ways that both nurture us and help us to grow. I encourage you to think about how your spiritual practice can be enriched by lay service to our community as we work together to fulfill our mission. 

Greetings from the PROCC Committee: Many of us don’t know what that daunting acronym stands for. It stands for Public Relations Outreach and Communications Committee. Now say that 20 times and it develops a nice little lilt, as well as helping you remember what "PROCC" means.

In the past year we have had to shift from our traditional role and develop new technological skills. In the coming year we will be working on live streaming, and would welcome anyone interested in video editing. We will not be adding Star Wars effects. Or if you have video camera or sound skills, or would like to learn on the job, please join us.

One of things we set up in 2019, besides the new Reflections, were two Facebook pages. The regular UUCR Facebook page is for announcements and church information. There we post a link to Reflections and information about the Sunday service, and other events. The other is the UUCR Forum, which is a private group for UUCR congregants and friends. Its objective is to be like an online “Joys and Concerns.” Lately, Marilee Taussig and Carl Gallegos have posted there about how they are doing with their medical challenges. Please visit our Forum. We are looking for more “Joys.” If you are not a member already, you will have to ask to be approved. We promise to do a better job at monitoring requests.

Thank you from your PROCC team, John Ramsey (Chair), Jane Hardy, David Biehler, and our newest member, Elisabeth Tully.

For more information and/or to offer input and help, contact John Ramsey at johnramsey1948@gmail.com.

We won't need the "mat-in-the-door trick" anymore to block open the ramp side door. Barbara Ellis has made (and donated) a knotted door stopper for UUCR. Although Barbara is better known as a plant expert and author, she is multi-talented, with decorative knotting included in her repertoire and as a side business. Barbara "welcomes inquiries from anyone who has rope-related problems to solve!"

(Mostly Knots — hackberrypoint@gmail.com)

Do you live alone or know someone who does? Would a quick phone call relieve some stress from your life?

Through the office of the Kent County Sheriff, residents of Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties may sign up to receive phone calls from volunteers Monday through Friday mornings. The project’s name is Telephone Reassurance.

Volunteers have maintained the service throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. They currently make calls from their homes instead of from the Kent Department of Aging, which assists in the project.

Telephone Reassurance has been operating for about 20 years and has proven its worth, according to Sheriff John Price. “I think it’s a great service, and it’s free. Considering the relatively large senior population we have in Kent County, I’d encourage family members to seriously consider it.”

The coordinator is Nancy Walls. She noted that “Sometimes a family member has been doing the phone check for months and could use a break. We also take assignments on a temporary basis.” For more information, contact Nancy Walls at

410.708.2302.

Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley

 UUCR office - phone: 410-778-3440 | email:uuofchesterriver@gmail.com

-3 - Kevin Brien

-6 - Joan Blume

18 - Joan Biehler

19 - Bob Fox

27 - Margo Long

30 - Liz Salett

-8 - Linda Weimer

16 - Mary Pritchard

We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact the UUCR office by email (click here).