WEDNESDAY, February 17, 2021
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THIS SUNDAY'S VIRTUAL SERVICE
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"Siding with Love"
National UUA (YouTube) Service
February 21, 2021
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What if to “side with love” meant making bold, faith-full choices? What if it were even a little bit scary? This worship service brings together worship leaders and musicians from across the country to offer hopeful, moving, challenging reminders about what we, as Unitarian Universalists, are called to do, and BE, in the world.
To view this service (it will be uploaded by Sunday morning), click here to go to the UUCR's YouTube channel. You may also go to the church's webpage by clicking here and find the service by clicking on the tab at the bottom of the "Keeping In Touch" column on the left side of the page.
If you have a joy or sorrow for the February 21 service, please share it during the UUCR Coffee Hour or if you're not planning to attend, email the UUCR office at UUCR email by Friday, February 19 at noon.
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You're Invited to Coffee Hour on Sunday!
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Please come join us for UUCR Coffee Hour at 11:00 am, on Sunday, February 21 by clicking 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 Service
Last Week's Service
UUCR
2022 Pledge Drive
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Feb 17 - Board Meeting
Feb 17 - Side With Love
Watch Party: PBS's -
"The Black Church"
Feb 18 - $15/hour Minimum
Wage Expert Briefing
Feb 21 - YouTube Service
Feb 21 - Zoom Coffee Hour
UUCR
Feb 25 - Zoom Book
Discussion
Feb 28 - Zoom Service
Mar 2 -> Apr 20 - NAMI
Family-to-Family Course
Mar 7 - Sunday 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 Services
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Sunday, February 28
"About the 'Love Thy Enemy' Thing"
Rev. Sue Browning
Zoom Service
Sunday, March 7
"The Nature of Commitment"
Rev. Sue Browning
Sunday Service (format to be determined)
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CONNECTIONS — Note to UUCR
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Our recently widowed daughter and her 9 & 11 year old sons are moving through their grief well. Ted and I visit them in Virginia every weekend and continue to enjoy being with them all. Ted is recovering well from his ankle replacement surgery which was 3 months ago.
Stay safe,
Catherine Brooks
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Last Sunday I preached on the “Ages and Stages” in life. I’m wondering what folks are thinking about the three questions I posed in the sermon?
As a recap, I noted there are physical realities of getting older. From that first year of life until the end, we change. Our numerical age determines when we are eligible to start school, drive, vote, collect social security and get vaccines. We develop socially and emotionally, learning to trust, empathize, and make choices. It’s not surprising we often have much in common with others who are about our own age. Age is real.
Yet, we are not defined by our age, at least I hope not. Our journeys are fluid, and we cycle back and forth through life’s defining experiences. In this spirit, I asked us to consider these three questions:
— When do you recall a time of feeling confident and assured?
— When do you remember a period of having serious doubts? (Or maybe a sense of being left out? Of having regrets?)
— When was your life defined by curiosity and exploration? What risks did you take?
Since the service I asked these questions to children and adults. (Ok, to about everyone I’ve seen!) So far, everyone has had stories to share. I hope folks enjoy asking family and friends these questions.
Society works to define us by age. There are expectations of what we’ll do when. It’s easy to make assumptions — to categorize one another by age and generation. Our stories remind us of what we share.
In care,
Rev. Sue
P.S. Feel free to email me any stories you’d like to share!
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Due to the length of the previous two Reflections, some committees' sections were on a second page in some members' emails. If you don't see a "Follow Us," in the middle of the page, at the very end of this email, you need to click at the bottom where it says "[Message clipped] View entire message" (or something similar in whatever email service you use.)
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Outreach and Communications Committee
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Our Great Cookie Giveaway was a sweet success! On Valentine’s Day (Sunday) afternoon we had 32 visitors, 34 including the pooches, on who braved slushy roads to enjoy some socially-distant fellowship, homemade treats, and warm drinks. Click here for more photos of “the day" on our Facebook page!
Hats off first to our extraordinary cookie bakers and candy makers, willing to face a snowstorm to get those cookies to UUCR on time: David and Joan Biehler, Sydney Brookes, Carol Dobson, Lynn Dolinger, Gerry Edwards, Lynn Geisert, Jane Hardy, Nancy Holland, Annie Lavin, Margo Long, Vida Morley, Connie Schroth, Denise Tontarski, Elisabeth Tully, Pam Vogel, and Amy Warner.
Our gloved, masked, and 6-foot-distant cookie carton fillers were Lynn Geisert, Jane Hardy, Annie and Jim Lavin, and Vida Morley.
Our setter-uppers and greeters on Sunday afternoon were David Biehler, Kevin Brien, Rev. Sue Browning, Sydney Brookes, Carl Gallegos – Carl brought that portable campfire! – Annie Lavin, Jim Lavin, John Ramsey, Diane Shields, and Linda Weimer.
Our volunteers for carton delivery were Rev. Sue Browning (to our communications-team friends at UUFE), Lynn Dolinger, Gerry Edwards, Jane Hardy, Nancy Holland, Jim and Annie Lavin, Jackie Mathwich, Vida Morley, John Ramsey, and Denise and Tom Tontarski.
Most special thanks to our administrator Darlene Wiggers, who assisted in countless, often unseen ways as we put together all the moving parts to make our cookie party happen.
From your communications and outreach committee,
David Biehler, Carol Dobson, Lynn Geisert (pro tem), Jane Hardy, Annie Lavin, Jim Lavin, and John Ramsey, chair
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UUCR Pledge Drive Continues
February is Pledge month, and we’re 60% of the way toward reaching our goal! If you missed the Sunday kick-off, with memories of UUCR past and relevance today, you can watch it on YouTube (click here). If you want to know more about the proposed budget, watch the YouTube presentation (click here). Help UUCR remain a strong and vibrant congregation by making your commitment now and returning your Pledge Form.
Goal: $79,168
Pledges received: $45,510
Renewing our Faith, Renewing our Connections,
Renewing our Commitment
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Green Sanctuary Committee
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Zoom Book Discussion on Feb 25
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Hello Community - Our book discussion is approaching. I hope people have found the book, "As Long as Grass Grows" by Dina Gilio-Whitaker, interesting. If you are interested in participating in the book discussion, we will meet on Zoom on February 25 from 6:30 to 8:00. Bring a glass of wine or other libation and we can see where this book has taken us. Looking forward to sharing thoughts.
Kim Agee
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Social Concerns/Social Justice Committee
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A Side With Love Watch Party:
PBS's - "The Black Church"
February 16 & 17
8:45 pm - 11:15 pm EST
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Side With Love invites you to join as we livestream the premiere of PBS’s The Black Church, an epic production about the impacts of the Black church movement on American society, culture, and politics. As Unitarian Universalists with our own unique history of engaging abolition and civil rights, it is important for us to know how our history has supported and has been in conflict with the Black church. The Black Church can also help us understand the rich tradition out of which our Black UU religious professionals and laypersons came to be and all that we bring to Unitarian Universalism.
The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song is a moving four-hour, two-part series from executive producer, host and writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, that traces the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, all the way down to its bedrock role as the site of African American survival and grace, organizing and resilience, thriving and testifying, autonomy and freedom, solidarity and speaking truth to power.
The documentary reveals how Black people have worshipped and, through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, while translating them into a form of Christianity that was not only truly their own, but a redemptive force for a nation whose original sin was found in their ancestors’ enslavement across the Middle Passage.
A production of McGee Media, Inkwell Media and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Get Lifted.
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UUs honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We advocate for a federal minimum wage that reflects an equitable, living wage where every person has the resources to achieve a life of purpose and financial wellbeing. One that allows working folks a chance to not only survive but thrive! If you want to find out how to advocate for this important legislative effort, here are some options:
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Register for an Educational Briefing (Thursday, February 18, 2:00 pm ET) that will focus on the importance of pushing for an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15/hour, and how a minimum wage increase is pivotal toward advancing a moral and equitable economic policy agenda. Register for Our Educational Issue Briefing here . Co-hosted by UUSJ and UUJEC in alignment with the Poor People's Campaign and Fight for $15.
It's time to Raise the Minimum Wage to $15/hour Nationwide! Support the Raise the Wage Act & Accelerate a Compassionate Economic Recovery.
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NAMI Family-to-Family is a free eight-week course for family caregivers of individuals with mental illnesses. NAMI-trained family members teach the course and all materials are free for class participants. The curriculum focuses on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and borderline personality disorder, with a new resource on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The course discusses treatment for these illnesses and teaches the knowledge and skills that family members need to cope with the challenges of living with a relative with a mental illness. The next session of this course runs on Zoom March 2nd to April 20th from 6:30- 9 pm. Contact NAMI to register by email namikentandqueenannes@gmail.com or by phone at 443-480-0565.
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For those of you who have been navigating the path to scheduling a vaccination, you know that it is challenging! Vaccine supplies continue to be very limited and all vaccinations are now restricted to residents of the counties in Maryland in which you reside or work. Bob Bjork and Lynn Dolinger continue to work to understand and update the process, any additional updates they become aware of will be sent through the new UUCR Google email group. The Health Department site in your county is your best source of information. The websites we've found most helpful are kenthd.org and marylandvax.org.
The Kent Health Department ( kenthd.org) is sending out notices to those who have registered, providing an opportunity to schedule an appointment, so we strongly suggest that you register on this site (under "Hot Topics"). We also suggest that you enroll the help of a friend or family member if you need assistance with this challenging process. If you still need further assistance, pleas e contact the church office by UUCR email or by UUCR phone at 410-778-3440.
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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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Feb 11 Dick Brockmeyer
Feb 24 Philip Dutton
Feb 25 Les Palmer
Feb 27 Laura Mitchell
We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your February 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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