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“And this mess is so big, And so deep and so tall, We cannot pick it up, There is no way at all!”  

To view this pre-recorded 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, uuchesterriver.org, 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 January 10 service, please share it during the discussion or if you're not planning to attend, email the UUCR office at UUCR email by Friday, January 8 at noon.

Come join us for a time to see and talk to one another. It's the next best thing to being there!

Click on the Coffee Hour Zoom Link at 11:00 am this Sunday, January 10.

I am the New Year.

I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and did not find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search for it - but this time with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine now to grant - when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do -

All that you hoped but did not will,

All the faith that you claimed but did not have -

These slumber lightly waiting to be awakened by the touch of strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to life!

 ~~ author unknown

Shalom, Amen, Namaste, Blessed Be.

Keep your eye out for more information on this year's Pledge Drive. It is scheduled to begin on February 7, 2021. More information to follow shortly from your Pledge Drive Committee.

Despite the challenges of gathering to celebrate, we are pleased to announce that this Kent County tradition will continue....virtually on January 18 with Bishop Ronald T. Fisher of Faith Life Church as the keynote speaker. The virtual Breakfast will be aired Monday, January 18 from 9 am to 10 am.  The link will be published a couple of days prior to the event and made available on the UUCR Facebook page. Even though the event is free, we're reaching out to you to consider being a sponsor to support the many organizations that continue to serve in the face of unprecedented need, including Good Neighbor Fund, The Samaritan Group (winter shelter), The Community Food Pantry, as well as the Vincent Hynson Scholarship Fund at Washington College. Donations can be sent to the MLK, Jr. Breakfast c/o CVMA, P.O. Box 227, Chestertown, 21620, checks payable to Chester Valley Ministers' Association. Contact Lynn Dolinger if you have any questions, lynn.thirdwish@gmail.com or 215-872-5773.

There’s still time to sign the White Allies Pledge before the Social Action Committee for Racial Justice (SACRJ) publishes the names of those who have made the commitment in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 18.  The Pledge, which is available on the SACRJ website, sacracialjustice.com, provides an opportunity for white people who are committed to racial equity and justice in our community to Sign Up and Be Counted.    

1.    Click on this link https://forms.gle/T2a8VkWJiidbsSX87 and complete the consent form.

2.    Send an email to SACRacialJustice@gmail.com and leave a message with your consent and contact information. You will receive a confirmation email.

UUCR is working with other congregations in Kent County to assist with outreach in getting our elderly vaccinated, which is most of our congregation! While details are not firmed up yet, according to the Health Department, residents who are 65+ are prioritized for vaccinations possibly starting the end of January. However, an on-line application for scheduling is required. We are forming a team at UUCR to assist with this process. Our most current information indicates that on-line applications are not yet available, but that seniors 75+ will be the next group to get vaccinations. If you need assistance or want to help, please contact the church office by UUCR email or by UUCR phone at 410-778-3440.

Join the Green Sanctuary in our annual environmental book read! We will be reading As Long As Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker and discussing it in February, most likely on Zoom! This book is available on Amazon new or used as well as at the library. BookPlate is another source that is always accommodating. Happy reading and I hope to see you in February.

“Through the unique lens of “Indigenized environmental justice,” Indigenous researcher and activist Dina Gilio-Whitaker explores the fraught history of treaty violations, struggles for food and water security, and protection of sacred sites, while highlighting the important leadership of Indigenous women in this centuries-long struggle. As Long As Grass Grows gives readers an accessible history of Indigenous resistance to government and corporate incursions on their lands and offers new approaches to environmental justice activism and policy.

Throughout 2016, the Standing Rock protest put a national spotlight on Indigenous activists, but it also underscored how little Americans know about the longtime historical tensions between Native peoples and the mainstream environmental movement. Ultimately, she argues, modern environmentalists must look to the history of Indigenous resistance for wisdom and inspiration in our common fight for a just and sustainable future.”

Go to the link on the UUCR webpage here and enter either Amazon or IGive to make your purchases; .05% of what you spend will end up in UUCR’s coffers. Yes, it’s only a half-cent on the dollar, but these “ha’pennies” turn into dollars and then into scores of dollars.

Happy shopping!

Rev. Sue Browning, and the Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien, Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley

Darlene Wiggers (Office) p: 410-778-3440 | e: uuofchesterriver@gmail.com