Thursday, September 1, 2022 |
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THIS SUNDAY'S
SUMMER DISCUSSION
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"Reflections on 'Making a Difference' "
Jane Hardy, Leader
In Person ONLY
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Our Democracy is under stress these days, as our rights seem threatened, the country is divided politically, and angry actors take center stage. How can an individual (in a reliably “blue” state) respond?
Now is the time to share concerns and hopes about the challenges facing us.
So we can begin the discussion promptly at 10 am, please arrive by no later than 9:50 am.
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Upcoming Summer Discussion & Worship Services |
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Sunday, September 11 — Ingathering Worship Service,
In Person & ZOOM
Join us as we mark the end of summer and return to our traditional Sunday services on September 11. Rev. Greg Chute will begin the new church year with a sermon on "belonging."
"Where Do You Belong?"
We all belong to a vast array of groups: family, friends, political parties, nations, book clubs, tennis teams, denominations, etc. Some of these groups we choose, some we are born into, some we cherish, some we're not so pleased with, some we acknowledge, some we are hardly aware of. Perhaps by exploring together our many groups we can better understand how we fit in, and how they fulfill our need for belonging.
- Rev. Greg Chute, Guest Speaker
- Annie Lavin, Service Leader
- Kate Bennett, Musician
Please remember that there will be a Special Congregational Meeting immediately following the service on September 11 (see details below).
Sunday, September 18 — In Person & ZOOM
"Finding the Light - Our Water Communion Service"
During the course of the pandemic many of the ways we connected formally and informally in our communities were interrupted. What in our relationships needs to be restored and revitalized? Why? At this service led by Rev. Sue Browning we'll explore the ways our congregation can serve as roots and wings as we imagine our vision for connection for the coming year. The service will include our annual Water Communion services. (Stay tuned for specific details on the Water Communion!)
- Rev. Sue Brown, Minister
- Jan Sprinkel, Service Leader
- Michael Casey, Musician
Sunday, September 25 — In Person & ZOOM
"Liberal is Not a Four-lettered Word"
Freedom is a word that has been bandied about in the United States for many years. Conservatives of late have been claiming to be the true proponents of freedom and labeling liberals as oppressors and communists. Yet, the root of the word, liberal, comes from the Latin word for freedom. Unitarian Universalism has long been known as a liberal faith tradition — as “a faith for the free” in the words of Unitarian theologian James Luther Adams. In this service, Rev. Karyn Marsh will explore what liberal means in Unitarian Universalism.
- Rev. Karyn Marsh, Guest Speaker
- Nancy Holland, Service Leader
- Al Martinez, Musician
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So You Don't Miss Anything! |
- This Week's Discussion Information
- Upcoming Summer Discussion & Ingathering Worship Service Information
- Newsletter Index
- Helpful Links, Office Hours, Upcoming Events Calendar
- Notice of Special Congregational Meeting
- Minister's Column
- Book Recommendations from Last Week's Discussion
- September is Hispanic Heritage Month
- The UUCR Committee on Ministry
- Pastoral Care and Connection Committee
- Birthdays
- UUCR Contact Information
- End of Reflections Notice at the VERY END
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If you don't see "VERY END of REFLECTIONS for September 1, 2022"
at the VERY END of this email, you're not seeing the entire email.
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UUCR
UUCR Summer
Office Hours:
Sa, Su — 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
M through F — CLOSED
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SEP 4 | Summer Discussion
In Person ONLY
Jane Hardy, leader
SEP 11 | Start Regular Session
Ingathering Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Greg Chute, guest speaker
SEP 11 | Special
Congregational Meeting following the service
SEP 18 | Worship Service
Water Communion
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Sue Browning, minister
SEP 25 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Karyn Marsh, guest speaker
SEP 27 | UUCR's 30th
Anniversary
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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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Notice of Special Congregational Meeting |
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A Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 11 following the Sunday Service.
The purpose of the meeting will be to present proposals to improve the accessibility of our building and grounds by installing an automatic door opener on the side entrance and installing a paved pathway to the Woodland Memorial Garden.
A question and answer session will be held after the presentation, followed by a vote of the congregation. This requires a quorum of 20% of the membership, so please plan to attend the meeting. Friends and visitors are invited to attend, although only members who have signed the Membership Book prior to June 12, 2022 will be eligible to vote.
In gratitude,
Lynn Geisert, President
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Re-Imagining How UUCR Serves Families and Children – A First Report
Prior to Covid, UUCR had consistent Religious Exploration (RE) opportunities for children. While our RE program was small, with the loving energy of Pat Bjorke and others, the outreach to families and children was always there.
Then came Covid. Then came Covid protocols. Children's vaccines were available much later than those for adults. Through this all, families juggled altered school and work routines. Early in the pandemic UUCR tried some children’s online and other programming, but the reality was everyone was just too wiped out to engage, and this past year UUCR did not have regular programming for families and children. These have been hard, unprecedented years, especially for families.
For 2022-23, UUCR is committed to boldly re-imagining ways to serve children and families as a top priority. The Board has asked me to lead a Children and Family Task Force to consider what might fit for families in our current world.
We’ll be starting with questions. What is going on for those parenting children and youth today? What do they see as questions their children will face over the next 5-10 years? What might be ours to do at UUCR to engage families who are trying to make sense of a complex world?
As we look at these broader questions (it will take time!), beginning on September 11 we will start offering what we are calling, "Childcare and Age-Appropriate Activities" during the Sunday service. This will be volunteer led and will be a "go with the flow" approach. The volunteer will have available several simple activity packets (covering different age ranges), books, and craft supplies to use as they see fit. Activities could include outdoor play and generally there will be a snack available. For September our volunteers will be Jackie Mathwich (Sept 11), Kim Agee (Sept 18), and MQ Riding (Sept 25). While at some point we can imagine having a more robust curriculum-based RE program, for September we just aren't there yet and don’t want to over promise. This is our start.
We’ll be reaching out to everyone in the congregation to get your thoughts and perspectives. What are you hearing from families and children in your networks? Please share with me any thoughts you have at any time.
In connection and patience,
Rev. Sue
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Book Recommendations
from Last Week's Discussion
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Author. Title. — Recommended by |
Armstrong, Dorsey, Years That Changed History: 1215. — Harry
***Hart
Bennett, Brit. The Vanishing Half. — Bob Bjork
Bernstein, Mark and Alex Lubertozzi. World War II on the Air:
***Edward R. Murrow and the Broadcasts that Riveted a Nation.
***— Vida Morley
Berry, Wendell. This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems. —***Joy Mayfield
Doerr, Anthony. Cloud Cuckoo Land. — Les Palmer
Erdrich, Louise. The Night Watchman. — Amy Warner
Fergus, Jim. One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May
***Dodd. — M.Q. Riding
Fry, Macon. They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture
***Settlement of New Orleans. — Philip Dutton
Hennessy, Ann. Poems for a Lifetime. — Betty Kerr
Hyde, Catherine Ryan. Pay It Forward. — Mark Handschuh
Kolk, Bessel van der. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind,
***and Body in the Healing of Trauma. — Gayle Folger
Lanham, J. Drew. The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored
***Man's Love Affair with Nature. — Lynn Geisert
Larson, Eric. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. —
***Nancy Holland
McCullough, David. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. —
***Linda Weimer
Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime. — Bob Coleman
Shindler, Bill. Eat Like a Human. — Philip Dutton
Steves, Rick. Travel as a Political Act. — Lynn Dolinger
Stonex, Emma. The Lamplighter. — Nancy Holland
Swafford, Jan. Johannes Brahms: A Biography — Gerry Edwards
Towles, Amor. A Gentleman in Moscow. — Jan Whitney
Towles, Amor. The Lincoln Highway. — Bob Bjork
Weiner, Eric. The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons
***from Dead Philosophers — Celeste Conn
Walker, Martin. Bruno, Chief of Police: A Mystery of the French
***Countryside. — Jane Hardy
Williams, Denise. Through My Eyes. — Mark Handschuh
Woodward, Colin. American Nations: A History of the Eleven
***Rival Regional Cultures of North America. — Lynn Dolinger
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September is Hispanic Heritage Month |
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Many Hispanic Americans can trace their roots back to the cultures of the Americas’ indigenous peoples, including the Aztecs (Mexico), Arawaks (Puerto Rico), Incas (South America), Maya (Central America) and Tainos (in Cuba and Puerto Rico).
Some of their roots can be traced back to the Spanish explorers, who set out in the 15th century to find a cheaper and easier way to trade with the Indies. Other Latinos can trace their roots back to African slaves brought to the New World.
Hispanic Americans are today identified by the countries from which they or their ancestors originated. This includes Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
This observation began in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson as Hispanic Heritage Week. President Ronald Reagan expanded it in 1988 to include a 30-day period that started on September 15th and ended on October 15. The Public Law 100-402 approved it and it was made law on August 17, 1988.
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The UUCR Committee on Ministry |
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The Committee on Ministry (COM) met to discuss the upcoming church year and to get to know one another better. There are two new members, Jackie Mathwich and M.Q. Riding, who are joining John Ramsey as a continuing member of the committee.
We will keep our membership up to date on the ongoing activities of the committee through the newsletter and in person at Sunday services. Our mission is to assist our Minister as well as observe and support the health of UUCR.
To accomplish this, we welcome all members to reach out to us, if you need something regarding the workings of our church. We’re here to help!
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Pastoral Care and Connection |
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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
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SEPTEMBER
-8 - Linda Weimer
14 - Larry Schroth
16 - Mary Pritchard
27 - UUCR's 30th Anniversary
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We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact the UUCR office by email (click here).
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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
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VERY END of REFLECTIONS for September 1, 2022
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