On this final day of Hanukkah, we’ll revisit that age old tale of a tiny bottle of oil that sustained the flames through eight long nights, a miracle of the impossible becoming possible. Through this frame, we’ll talk about suicidality and the miracle of surviving extraordinary suffering. Often religion speaks of suicide as sin and today we will underscore our UU rejection of that idea.

***Please note that this service will not include any graphic content; we will not make any reference to specific suicides or kinds of suicide. If you are struggling, please reach out to someone in your caring network. Appointments with Rev. Laurel can be made here: calendly.com/revlaurelgray

If you would like a full transcript of the service, before or after Sunday, please email Rev. Laurel (laurel.gray@uucsw.org).

Join online: zoom.us/j/89873989254

The Circle Youth Group is starting up this Sunday, 12/5 at 12:30 pm at the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson (80 Main Street, Hudson). The primary tenet of this group is radical inclusiveness - all 9-12th grade teens are welcome! Your views, needs, and ideas are important, and valued here. Our work this year will be multi-focused, including building leadership skills (including leadership of the YG!), social justice projects, and discovering our own spiritual needs, beliefs, and practices through focused UU work and play. 

Our next Circle RE gathering will be Sunday, 12/12 at 1:00 pm at First Parish Northboro (40 Church Street, Northboro). We will be practicing and recording a slightly-silly Solstice Pageant, paper-bag style! No memorizing and no costumes needed - just a willingness to participate and have fun! Our pageant will be viewed the following Sunday (12/19) during each congregation's worship service.

We have thirty-five $50 gift cards to purchase for the Giving Tree for families and children in need this holiday season. If you are interested in purchasing one or more, email Erin Boudreaux at oboudreauxfamily@yahoo.com with: your name; the kind of gift card (Walmart, Target, or TJMaxx); and how many you want to purchase. Please wait to hear back from Erin before you purchase the gift cards as she will keep a tally of what we need. Thank you!

The Racial Justice Committee will meet on Thursday, 12/9 at zoom.us/j/81349801673.

For December, Book Group is reading The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey. Our December meeting is Friday 12/10 at 7:00 pm on Zoom.

The UUA is hosting an online event on 12/11, COMPASS, Navigating the Paths to Liberation Together, open to all who are interested in diving into an exploration of interdependence in UU theology and practice.

Our next SMOC Food and Clothing Drive collection is Thursday, 12/16 from 4:30 to 5:45 pm. Please note that this is a week earlier than usual due to the Christmas holiday. Thank you!

Music Director Kala Farnham will lead us in an Outdoor Hymn-Sing on Saturday, 12/18 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm on the church lawn. Join us!

UUCSW Reflections Podcast

Soul Matters Packet December 2021