Thursday, October 28, 2021
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THIS SUNDAY'S
WORSHIP SERVICE
"The 8th Principle:
We Are Always Becoming"

Paula Cole Jones, guest speaker
Rev. Sue Browning, service co-leader

Online ONLY
Worship Service

October 31, 2021 | 10 am

Join Paula Cole Jones, a national advocate for racial justice, for a service on the emerging changes to Unitarian Universalists' commitment to anti-racism. It will be a chance to consider, "Whom do we need to be to make Beloved Community a reality?"

NOTE: This will be a joint service for the Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton. Rev. Sue Browning will partner with Paula Cole Jones for the service. There will not be an in person service on October 31st

So we can begin the worship service promptly at 10 am, please sign into Zoom (click here) by no later than 9:50 am. Thanks!

During this Sunday's service (on Zoom), members from UUCR and UUFE will be invited to directly share their own Joy or Concern. (Since this is a virtual only Zoom service we will not need to collect Joys and Concerns in advance.) 
Background on Our Speaker

Paula Cole Jones is a life-long Unitarian Universalist and a Management Consultant with over twenty years of experience in designing and facilitating workshops and dialogues for leaders and organizations. She is an innovator of institutional change. In 1999, Paula founded ADORE, A Dialogue on Race & Ethnicity. Her work includes being a leader in advancing the 8th Principle and the Community of Communities as practices of the Beloved Community. Paula is the author of a UU World Magazine cover story, "Reconciliation as a Spiritual Discipline." She is also the editor of a Skinner House book, Encounters: Poems about Race, Ethnicity and Identity and a contributing author to three Skinner House books, including the UUA Common Read, Justice on Earth.
Come Join Us for Online
Coffee Hour after the Service
It's been a while since UUCR and UUFE have had a shared service! All are invited to stay for the online Zoom coffee hour after the service. To participate, just hang on the Zoom "meeting" after the service and we'll transition to an opportunity for informal fellowship and connection! 
Helpful Links
Upcoming Events
This Week's
Worship Service



Previous Worship Service Recordings

are available on the UUCR YouTube channel


UUCR

OCT 31 | Worship Service
UUCR & UUFE, Online ONLY
Paula Cole Jones, Guest Speaker

OCT 31 | Memorial Garden
Event and Woodland Tour
UUCR Event
(see details below)

NOV 6 | "ISACC" sneak peak
Starr Center Online Event
(see details below)

NOV 7 | Daylight Savings
Time Ends - Turn your clocks back one hour.

NOV 7 | Worship Service
In Person and Online
Rev. Sue Browning
Barbara Parker, Musician

NOV 14 | Worship Service
In Person and Online
Karyn Marsh, Guest Speaker
Lynn Dolinger, Service Leader
Dick Durham, Musician
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!
Upcoming Services
Sunday, November 7

"Look Back Briefly"

Colin Powell was quoted as saying, “Always focus on the front windshield and not the rearview mirror.” Overall a helpful reminder, yet don't we need the perspective and wisdom from the past? At this service with Rev. Sue Browning, we'll consider how we strike a balance between learning from our experiences and moving toward the future. 

  • Rev. Sue Browning
  • Barbara Parker, musician


Sunday, November 14

"The Creation Story of Unitarian Universalism"

Numerous religions have creation stories that address not only the creation of Earth but also the founding of the faith tradition. For instance, Islam has the story of the Prophet Muhammed being directed by God to write the Quran, and the Mormon Church has the story of Joseph Smith meeting the Angel Moroni and receiving golden plates that contained the Book of Mormon. Even Christianity has the story of the founding of this faith in the Gospels, which entail the crucifixion of Jesus, and the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the early Jesus movement. What, however, is the creation story of Unitarian Universalism? In today’s service, Chaplain Karyn Bergmann Marsh will explore Unitarian Universalism’s founding stories.

About Our Guest Speaker

Karyn Bergmann Marsh, M.Div., serves as a chaplain resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and is a member of Towson Unitarian Universalist Church (TUUC). Prior to her residency, Ms. Marsh served as a ministerial intern at All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa. She graduated from Starr King School for the Ministry in May 2020 and was granted a preliminary fellowship by the Unitarian Universalist Association in April 2021. Prior to answering the call of ministry, Ms. Marsh was an active lay leader of TUUC.

  • Karyn Marsh, guest speaker
  • Lynn Dolinger, service leader
  • Dick Durham, musician
Sunday Hybrid Services Notes
SERVICE ATTENDANCE

October 24

In Person — 19

Zoom Online — 9

Please remember that with current Covid guidelines,
sanctuary seating is limited to 30
and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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UUCR Event
Please join us as we celebrate UUCR's past, present, and future on October 31st at 3 pm. On this day before "All Saints Day," we will gather at our memorial garden to remember our beloved members who have passed away and are memorialized in the garden, our very own "Saints." This ceremony will be followed by a tour, led by Carl Gallegos and Diane Shields, of our woodland area, with identification and descriptions of the plantings.

This will be an opportunity to look back, to enjoy our present blessings, and to foresee how we can best support our community.

🍂 In case of inclement weather, the remembrance service will be held within the sanctuary, with the possibility of the woodland tour continuing afterward for hardy souls.

🍂 Please bring a facemask to have on hand if needed. Facemasks are not required while outdoors, but be respectful of others who continue to mask and ask if they'd prefer that you wear one also.

🍂 Please continue to maintain social distancing whether indoors or outdoors.

🍂 Please check in on the event's attendance list in the unlikely event that contact tracing is needed.

🍂 If possible, please bring a lawn chair for yourself and a few extras for those who may need them.

🍂 A social time will be held in the parking lot after the service and tour. You may bring your own beverage of choice to be consumed outside the church building only (no sharing and none will be provided by UUCR). No food items are permitted anywhere on the church property.
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.”

For your information, The Washington Post of November 9, 2020, had an interesting article (link here) on coping with love and loss by Zibby Owens entitled — "After losing two loved ones to covid-19, I turned to books. Here are 15 titles that helped me cope." Included in the list is Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself by our First Lady Jill Biden. Another book Vida feels is worth examining (not on the list) is by UUCR member Marilee Taussig entitled — Old Enough: Making the Years Between 50 and 75 the Best Chapter of Your Life.

Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
Leadership Development Committee
Leadership Development Committee





As our congregation continues to adapt to hybrid services, we are becoming more inclusive through our sheer tenacity to welcome all who want to attend. Although we are still social distancing, masking, and limiting what is contained in our services when in the building, the fact that visitors, friends, and members have the choice to attend without leaving the safety of their home is a great accomplishment.

This inclusive attitude isn’t new to UUCR, but it has changed out of necessity. We want to make sure that all existing members and friends know they are welcome back. We also want to help others find us in all of the many ways our community is available to them. That is going to take a revitalized Membership Committee. Would you like to help? Finding new ways to connect with like-minded individuals and to make them
welcome when they visit our community is an important endeavor. Consider joining the Membership Committee this month, you’ll be glad you did! If you have any questions please reach out to Amy Warner, Diane Shields, or M.Q. Riding for more information.
Fun(d) Raising – It’s Fun(d)amental

Do you roll your eyes when you hear the word "fundraising"? Do you think your annual pledge is more than sufficient contribution to UUCR? Both of these reactions are understandable. But what if, beyond the intrinsic benefit of knowing you have helped your community, you get something fun out of pulling together an activity that raises money for our church?

There are a few ideas floating around for fundraisers to help our community come back together and the Leadership Development Committee would like a few members to help to
brainstorm and manage these activities. Please reach out to Amy Warner, Diane Shields, or M.Q. Riding for more details.
Online Event



Celebrate a hero of the Underground Railroad with a sneak peek at the musical “ISAAC”
Join us virtually on Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m. EST via Zoom and learn more about “ISAAC,” a new history musical commissioned by Kent Cultural Alliance and Chesapeake Heartland: An African American Humanities Project.

Based on his memoir, “ISSAC” tells the story of Isaac Mason, who was born into slavery in Kent County, Maryland but escaped to freedom in 1847. This free preview event will feature songs from the show and a conversation between Starr Center Director Adam Goodheart and “ISAAC” composer Marlon Saunders.

Marlon Saunders is a professor of voice at Berklee College of Music and is also a singer, writer, and producer. He has worked with artists such as Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, and Lauryn Hill and toured with Stevie Wonder. This is an event you don’t want to miss! Reserve your virtual seat here.
Birthdays

OCTOBER

11 - Bill Lindsay
16 - Denise Tontarski
11 - Cynthia Ramsey
17 - Catherine Brooks


NOVEMBER

*6 - Carl Gallegos
13 - Rev. Sue Browning
18 - Jan Brandon
20 - Tim Ford
21 - Sara Warner
24 - Diane Shields
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
END of REFLECTIONS for October 28, 2021