Thursday, January 12, 2023 |
|
THIS SUNDAY'S
WORSHIP SERVICE
|
|
|
"At the Heart of Justice Work"
Rev. Sue Browning, Minister
Michael Casey, Musician
Jeff Davis, Guest Musician
In Person and Zoom
Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 10 a.m.
Our faith calls us to be an integral part of creating a more just world. In the swirl of information overload, how might we identify the next step on that journey? Where does common sense fit in? At this service with Rev. Sue Browning on this MLK weekend we’ll explore the power of centering common decency, respect, and compassion in all we do.
So we can begin the service promptly at 10 a.m., please arrive at the church, or sign into Zoom ( click here) by no later than 9:50 a.m.
REMINDER: After the service there will be a conversation about proposed changes to the UU Principles led by Rev. Sue Browning (see details below)
Welcoming Families and Children on Sunday Mornings
Each Sunday, UUCR offers childcare and simple age-appropriate activities for children of all ages. If you have any questions about UUCR's programming for families and children, please be in touch with Rev. Sue.
|
|
|
Upcoming Worship Services |
|
Sunday, January 22 — In Person & ZOOM
"Have We Crossed the Line? Anti-Semitism in America Today"
The headlines of the past few years require that we ask ourselves if we have crossed a line past the run-of-the-mill anti-Semitism, long present in American culture. Is a new more virulent strain of this ancient hatred brewing? What are the current efforts to avert such a change? Retired President and Professor of Middle East Studies at Gratz College in Philadelphia, and founding Cantor and Religious Leader of the Chestertown Havurah, Dr. Gary Schiff returns to the UUCR pulpit and shares a talk on this urgent issue.
- Dr. Gary Schiff, Guest Speaker
- Marilee Taussig, Service Leader
- Michael Casey, Musician
Sunday, January 29 — ZOOM ONLY — No In Person Service
"The Deeper We Go"
Religious educator Connie Goodbread says, "Faith formation is all that we do." As we move forward in "post-pandemic" times, let's imagine together a future where intentional faith formation is happening in faith communities for all ages all the time. At this service with Rev. Dayna Edwards, we’ll explore the opportunities, challenges, and spiritual implications of centering faith formation in all that we do with adults and children.
NOTE: This is a 5th Sunday in the month, and on 5th Sundays we hold our services on Zoom only (i.e., there is no service at the church). The service will be a chance to gather with our sibling congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Easton.
- Rev. Dana Edwards, Guest Speaker
|
|
|
So You Don't Miss Anything! |
- This Week's Worship Service Information
- Upcoming Worship Services Information
- Newsletter Index
- Helpful Links, Office Hours, Upcoming Events Calendar
- Upcoming Musical Guests
- Message from the UUCR Board of Trustees
- HELP WANTED: UUCR Programs & Events
- Experience "The New Year Epiphany" Event
- Recycling Collection at Farmer's Market this Saturday
- Changes to the UU Principles Conversation
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast
- Monthly Potluck at UUCR
- Pledge Drive Kick Off
- January's Outreach Collection — Baltimore Abortion Fund
- Great Valentine Cookie Giveaway
- Volunteers Needed for 2023 Winter Shelter
- Pastoral Care and Connection Committee
- Birthdays
- UUCR Contact Information
- End of Reflections Notice at the VERY END
|
|
|
If you don't see "VERY END of REFLECTIONS for January 12, 2023"
at the VERY END of this email, you're not seeing the entire email.
|
|
|
 |
This Week's
Worship Service
Last Week's Worship Service Recording
UUCR
UUCR Office Hours:
W, Sa, Su — 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
M, Tu, Th, F — CLOSED
|
|
|
|
JAN 15 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Sue Browning, minister
JAN 15 | Changes to the UU
Principles an after Service
Conversation led by
Rev. Sue Browning, minister (see details below)
JAN 20 | Monthly Potluck
(see details below)
JAN 22 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Dr. Gary Schiff, guest speaker
JAN 22 & 26 | Reproductive
Justice Zoom Meetings
(see details below)
JAN 29 | Worship Service
ZOOM ONLY
Rev. Dayna Edwards, guest speaker
FEB 05 | Pledge Drive Kick
Off
(see details below)
|
|
|
|
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!
|
|
|
JAN 15 | Jeff Davis
FEB 05 | Sombarkin
FEB 19 | Nevin Dawson
|
|
|
Message from the
UUCR Board of Trustees
|
|
The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that UUCR has received a very generous bequest from Dorris E. Scott, a former Chestertown resident and a member of UUCR for several years (2008 – 2014). She passed away in 2021, leaving the bulk of her estate to six charitable organizations.
During her lifetime Dorris was a beloved schoolteacher for 30 years, an avid antique collector, and an innkeeper. She was also an active member of the Scottish Society of Maryland.
UUCR touched the life of Dorris Scott in such a way that she wanted to leave us this gift as part of her legacy. We will be honoring her life and gift in a special celebration this spring.
The Board is formalizing a Legacy Advisory Task Force to recommend a process for determining how best to use the bequest. Over the next six months, the Task Force will reach out to external resources including the UUA for guidance and will solicit input from the congregation, exploring the concept of what this generous gift can mean to UUCR. The Task Force will be led by Nancy Holland and David Biehler, with M.Q. Riding representing the Board, Tom Tontarski representing the Finance Committee, and Lynn Dolinger as Secretary.
If you have questions, please contact Lynn Geisert, Board President, or Task Force co-chairs Nancy Holland and David Biehler.
With gratitude for our many blessings,
UUCR Board of Trustees
|
|
|
HELP WANTED
UUCR Programs & Events
|
|
Please use the sign-up sheets on the whiteboard if you can help as a:
- Sunday Service greeter
- Sunday Service coffee host
- Third Friday Potluck host
Please contact Jane Hardy if you can help with the annual "Great Valentine Cookie Giveaway" as a:
There are still many open dates available on the sign-up sheets for the above positions. Training is available for new volunteers (please contact Diane Shields dashdiane@gmail.com).
So far no one has contacted Jane to offer help with the cookie event so all openings are available (see details below).
|
|
|
Experience "The New Year Epiphany" |
|
For those who missed Jan. 6th's full moon gathering, you can now experience it in virtual reality. John Ramsey has posted a short video/slideshow of it on UUCR's YouTube channel (click here).
|
|
|
Recycling Collection on Saturday |
|
Changes to the UU Principles —
January 15 Conversation
|
|
Mark Your Calendar — January 15 — An After Service Conversation about Changes to the UU Principles
After service on January 15 (at 11:30 a.m.). Rev. Sue will share an update on the Unitarian Universalist Association's (UUA) ongoing process to review and update of our principles and sources. After a year plus of gathering input, the group commissioned to complete the review has an early draft of the proposed changes available for conversation. At this session we'll talk through the draft, the review process, and the role our congregation will have in adoption of any UUA bylaw changes. Ultimately any changes will be voted on at the General Assembly in June, 2024. This meeting will be in the sanctuary room and will last for about 45 minutes.
|
|
|
This month's potluck will be held at the UUCR church building on Friday, January 20 at 6 p.m. Our hosts for the evening will be Joan and David Biehler. No need to RSVP — just bring a dish to share. |
|
|
Widening Our Path — Welcoming All
UUCR's Pledge Drive Kick Off
Sunday, February 5th
Light hors d'oeuvres during coffee hour followed by the presentation of the proposed budget.
Your chance to support the work of
our UUCR community!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
|
|
|
January's Outreach Collection |
|
The Social Justice Committee’s first outreach collection for 2023 is on the theme of Reproductive Justice and our beneficiary is the Baltimore Abortion Fund. We chose this organization because of its reputation as an invaluable and principled resource for people seeking abortions, its Maryland focus, and its emphasis on practical help. They help their callers in multiple ways including:
- Transportation to and from the abortion care appointment
- Lodging to access an abortion care appointment
- Translation assistance
- Financial assistance to cover a portion of the caller's care.
Since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision the need for safe, affordable reproductive care has increased greatly. Maryland now serves as a place where people from neighboring states who no longer have access to legal abortions may come for care; the Baltimore Abortion Fund helps these individuals as well. To learn more, or get involved, including the possibility of volunteering to provide rides, please go to their excellent website: https://www.baltimoreabortionfund.org. (The need for rides is greater on the Eastern Shore, as there are fewer health providers here, and people seeking an abortion often must travel longer distances — yet another hurdle among the many economic, social, and personal hurdles they are already facing.)
You can continue to make donations to this organization throughout the month of January. You can send, or give, a check to the church office made out to UUCR and specifying "Baltimore Abortion Fund" in the memo line, or you can donate online at the church website using the "Donate" button (click here) and "Custom Amount," specifying "Baltimore Abortion Fund" in the comment section. Any questions, please contact Marilee Taussig, co-chair of the SJ committee at marileetaussig@gmail.com. Please make your donation by January 31st.
The SJ Committee is pleased to add an educational component to our reproductive justice outreach this month. Lauren Harton, CNM, will be the speaker at two Zoom sessions on Sunday, 1/22 and Thursday, 1/26 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Among other topics, she will talk about her job as a reproductive health provider at Planned Parenthood of Easton and the current legal aspects of abortion rights since the Dobbs decision and its effects on women's access in Maryland. More info and the links will be provided in upcoming editions of Reflections.
|
|
|
It's that time of year again to start planning for the "Great Valentine Cookie Giveaway" and your communications committee (PROCC) needs your help. Once again we will need volunteers to:
Bake a batch or two of cookies;
Help fill the boxes on the Friday or Saturday before;
Deliver boxes of cookies to those unable to pick them up at the church after the service on Sunday, February 12th.
|
|
|
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
for 2023 Winter Shelter
|
|
The Samaritan Group of Kent County is once again hosting the 2023 Winter Shelter and we need your help! We are happy to announce the return of pre-pandemic shelter operations — including family-style meals and evening volunteers. These opportunities to engage with those in our community experiencing homelessness are such an important aspect of what we do.
In this year's volunteer sign-up sheet you'll see THREE options for volunteering:
- Evening volunteers (5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.; 2 volunteers per shift)
- Meal volunteers (prepares and delivers shelter dinner by 6 p.m.; with option to stay and share this meal with the guests), and
- Overnight volunteers (10 p.m. - 8 a.m.; separate sleeping quarters provided).
With the return of our expanded operations comes an increased need in volunteer support. We hope you will join us this year!
TO SEE AVAILABLE SLOTS, AND TO SIGN UP
PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW
|
|
|
Pastoral Care and Connection |
|
You are encouraged to share your joys and sorrows with the UUCR Pastoral Associates (see below). This team is a mixed group — but all have had previous life experiences and a variety of professional training in counseling and philosophy. Please contact one, or several of us, if you “want to talk.”
Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
|
|
|
JANUARY
11 - Vida Morley
12 - Ralph Dolinger
13 - Melinda Lippincott
14 - Dianne Turpin
14 - Judy Graham
20 - Al Mathwich
22 - Clark Bjorke
29 - Zoe Panas
|
|
|
We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact the UUCR office by email (click here).
|
|
|
Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River 914 Gateway Drive | Chestertown, MD | 21620
Phone: 410-778-3440
Office hours: W, Sa, Su — 8:30 am-12:30 pm
Closed — M, Tu, Th, F
|
|
|
VERY END of REFLECTIONS for January 12, 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
