All Church Email June 19, 2020
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UUCL
UUCL| June 19, 2020 In this Friday All-Church Email, please find the schedule of staff-led activities. Friends, we know these are tough days. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for pastoral care: Rev. Barbara is available at revcoeyman@uuclonline.org; Lenore Bajare-Dukes at Lenore@uuclonline.org. SUNDAY Sunday Online Worship: June 21, 10:00 a.m.: “In It for the Long Haul: A Revolutionary Love that Sustains,” Lenore Bajare-Dukes, Director of Lifespan Faith Development In recent days, we have seen sacred fire deepening commitments and igniting new determination to address racism in all aspects of life. We are living in an enormous moment. And: we also know that demanding justice is hard, often dispiriting, work: work which takes generations of struggle. How can we prepare ourselves to be in this for the long haul? How will YOU tend your sacred fire during and beyond this present moment? Children are welcome to attend this service and will find a Time for All Ages and Soul Work activities to do throughout. A note to all: we will ask you to reflect during this service. Please have some supplies for drawing, writing, or crafting with you. Lenore Bajare-Dukes is the Director of Lifespan Faith Development of this congregation. She first learned about taking action for congregational witness as a youth getting involved in her UU church in Charlottesville, VA. As part of her M.A. in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, she has worked with The Conciliation Project and Playback Theatre troupes to use arts for truth-telling about histories of racism; worked on an initiative mapping grassroots truth-telling and reparations initiatives; and has co-taught courses on truth-telling, racial healing, and restorative justice. Link to join: https://zoom.us/j/96623739683?pwd=UWFMQzF5OFR2V05idUJVSVNwYzBVdz09 Or join by phone: 301-715-8592 Meeting ID:966 2373 9683 Password: 71717 SUNDAY EVENING RED ROSE SANGHA: 6 P.M. See this weekly sitting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/419185030 See also this backpack project: https://zenpeacemakers.org/2020/05/35-backpacks/ Every evening: 7 p.m.: We invite everyone to create a home chalice, and to light the chalice every evening, knowing that others from this congregation are doing the same. Every Day: Reach out to at least one other person in this congregation. May we continue to look for moments of gratitude. May we remember to take deep breaths, to laugh, and to send regular virtual hugs to all whom we love. In faith Rev Barbara, Lenore, Eli |
| Notes from Rev. Barbara:Going to Indiana: Friends I am pleased to repeat here my announcement that I have been invited to serve as interim minister in Muncie, Indiana, starting in mid-August. As I pack up my office, I realize that some books are not here. If anyone has borrowed books please contact me to arrange a return: revcoeyman@uuclonline.org All Hands On Tech!!!!!!: Friends we need more volunteers immediately to volunteer on the Online Worship Support Team for Sunday morning worship. No previous experience with Zoom required: you will be mentored. Flexibility in Sundays when you are scheduled. Time asked for: one hour for tech prep during the week, one hour and a half on Sunday morning. Without more tech support, we may need to curtail the scope of some Sundays ofonline worship. Ask your neighbors and friends: perhaps a nice way to get involved in a lively Lancaster congregation. Contact Rev. Barbara revcoeyman@comcast.net or Lenore Bajare-Dukes Lenore@uuclonline.org. Staff “Off” Time: Please note that Lenore will take off from UUCL June 21 – 28. Rev. Barbara will use some vacation days June 28 – 3. General Assembly 2020: register for online UUA General Assembly, June 24 – 28, at https://www.uua.org/ga/registration. Please contact Rev. Barbara if you need financial assistance for the fee of $150, or Lenore if you are a youth in the congregation. TO EVEYONE, the following GA events are open TO ALL, Registration Not Required: General Sessions Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Co-Moderators Mr. Barb Greve and Elandria Williams preside over the general sessions in which the business of the Association is conducted. Service of the Living Tradition Led by the Ministries and Faith Development Staff Group, this service honors fellowshipped and credentialed religious leaders; remembering those who have died, recognizing those who have completed active service, and welcoming those who have received fellowship or credentialed status in the past year. The service includes a collection to benefit the Living Tradition Fund. Members of the public are welcome. Synergy Bridging Worship This is a transformative multigenerational worship. Come be inspired and illuminated at a celebration of treasured worship elements, rites of passage and brilliant contemporary musical performances.Sunday Morning Worship Join us for the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. The worship service will include a collection for the Tomaquag Museum, an indigenous museum featuring an extensive collection and archive of Southern New England tribal communities. Members of the public are welcome.See https://www.uua.org/ga/off-site for more information. Summer Congregational Activities: As we move into a summer schedule at UUCL, let us return to more intentional maintaining of an all-church calendar, accessible on the UUCL website. For now, please send Quin Martin, at churchoffice@uuclonline.org, a note about any congregational activities: clearly not for purposes of reserving space in the building, instead for helping one another know of activities and events to join in on this summer. This includes Soul Matters groups, book groups, work-out sessions, and more. Get creative and start a new activity which others can join in on! Join together in reminding members, friends, and visitors that, while the UUCL building is closed, the community remains open and active, the calendar is busy. Updates on calendaring will follow in subsequent ACE. |
| Children’s Faith Development:At-Home Nature Noticings:We invite you to choose one of these activities with your kids this week! |
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| This is Week 5 in our series of at-home nature-grounded faith development practices for the whole family. Check out previous All-Church Emails for others. As always, go at your own pace…take what will nourish you…and share a photo if you can! If you haven’t seen it yet: I highly recommend listening together with your kids (about 8+) the Kojo Nnamdi Show (out of DC), with “Kojo for Kids: Author Jason Reynolds Talks About Racism and the Protests.” |
| Adult Faith Development: Film series & educational opportunity: Side With Love, our UUA’s national justice organization, is offering a fantastic political education series you can join from your device! The 4-part series “Unfinished Business” speaks directly to the history we need to understand the present pivotal protest moment. 4 Wednesdays: June 10, June 17, July 1 and July 8, film watching at 7PM, discussion at 8. Catch up by watching Part I here, then register for the rest of this 4-part online series, based on the documentary “Reconstruction: America After the Civil War” narrated by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Bring a friend from UUCL! Register online now. Your weekly spiritual noticings reading:From Braver/Wiser, a UUA blog that offers a weekly short reflection and a prayer: • Claiming Our Names Happy Pride. It feels strange to say that; this moment is anything but happy because of an assault in this country on Black and brown bodies that has never really ended. Your weekly invitation to spiritual practice: Feed your spirit with the beautiful choral arrangement of “We Shall Be Known” for UU The Vote: featured half-way down the page here. |
Friday, June 19 is Juneteenth:The True End of Slavery in the United States
Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of the actual ending of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, word did not make it to Texas until June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers landed at Galveston and informed the enslaved that the war had ended and they were now free. In other words, for two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, slavery was still practiced in Texas. It took a military invasion of the state to finally allow Black people to simply be released from this system.
So Juneteenth is not simply a celebration of freedom– at least not in any conventional sense of the word; it is, however, a celebration of perseverance in the face of evil; of enduring toughness, of making a way out of no way. It is also a day of remembrance—remembering that words, and proclamations and policies mean nothing unless they are followed by actions.
| Church Life & Announcements |
| A Call to Public Witness for Racial Justice and Healing! Ten year from now, when you are asked, “What did you do in 2020 during the protests?” how will you respond? How will UUCL have responded? Though our church building may be closed, the people of this congregation are filled with energy. If there ever was a time to offer testimony of our UU Principals to our Lancaster community, this is it. And so, a public witness of action has been planned– one which will enable us to express our truths and stay physically safe. Where: in front of UUCL When: Friday, June 19 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 20 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. How to sign up: Click on this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44ACAE23A5FD0-uucl1 This link will take you to Sign Up Genius. Please enter your name(s) in one of the 2-hour time periods (Friday 4-6 pm or 6-8 pm; Saturday 9-11 am or 11 am-1 pm). Friends and allies of UUCL are most welcome to take part! There are 25 openings for names in each period. The goal of 25 people per time period is based upon having a noticeable presence in the space along Chestnut Street while maintaining social distancing measures. Please note, this public action requires all participants to be wearing masks and maintaining social distancing of at least 6 ft. Indeed, we will space ourselves so that much more than 6 feet will be maintained. What to bring: in addition to a mask, water bottle, and sun screen, please bring a sign expressing your UU-inspired truth for these times to share with our Lancaster community. Poster boards and markers are easily and cheaply available in any dollar store. Create a sign with a simple, clear message in large letters. This may take some time, for sign-making is both is both an expressive and spiritual act. If you have any question or problems with Sign-Up Genius, please call or email Brad Weaver: bradden_r_weaver@yahoo.com |
Protest Posters
Looking for a way to be involved with the protests? We will be creating posters for the protestors. They will be picked up and delivered to the protestors in downtown Lancaster. Join in this spiritual & educational activity to directly support the protests and honor those killed by police.
If you are interested, please contact Stephanie @ SJSantiago91@gmail.com for more information.
Summer Solstice On the Wheel of the Year June 20, Litha is the name of the longest day of the year or Midsummer. Summer Solstice celebrates the verdant Earth in full bloom, abundance, fertility, virility and the beauty and bounty of Nature. Litha lies directly across from Yule or Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Earth Spirituality celebrates Summer Solstice as the peak power of light, sun and heat of the year. Light and heat signifies growth and expansion, so joyous rituals are traditional and invites us to commune & feast with the Spirits of Nature. This season is diverse and rich, the fulfillment of the seeds that were planted in the spring. Life becomes easy as we await the fall harvest. Humanity has been celebrating the triumph of the light since ancient times. Steamy Midsummer marks the beginning of the Sun’s dying strength as it slides into the nurturing darkness.
Stay Connected with Realm!We are in the process of building our on-line directory, and your input is vital! All members for whom we have an email address in the church data base have received an invitation to create a log in. Simply stated, it is a way to stay connected to other members of UUCL, keep your own information up to date, and keep track of your own pledge and contributions. Several volunteers are in the process of calling members to verify the information we currently have, as well as give a short introduction to Realm. It can be accessed on a computer or through the mobile app, Realm Connect. Please don’t hesitate to contact Bev Geib if you have any questions about the program
Two NAACP TOWN HALLS 6pm Thursdays
Lancaster NAACP is hosting 2 more virtual town halls … on fair and equal rights in Health, Economics, Education This is the link to register for one or all of the seriesThe topics are:
Thursday, June 18, 6:00pm: Health and Economics
Thursday, June 25, 6:00pm: Education
Groceries for Reem Groceries for Reem Update We have a team of volunteers from UUCL taking turns food shopping for Reem in July. We need more people to buy Halal (Kosher) meats at Tabarek in Lancaster once in July. To volunteer contact: Naomi naomi.levine@verizon.net for further instructions including how to be reimbursed for the food. A big THANK YOU to our UUCL Grocery Team: Marianne Smith, Gina Hart, Brad Weaver, Holly Williams and Diane Toigo
Artful Living has News: Three New Chalices for meeting/classroom space When we return to our beloved church you will find three new small chalices purchased by the Artful Living committee. The chalices will be place in Emerson, Room 201 and one other classroom. The artist is a potter who is a member of the San Juan Island Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Friday Harbor, Washington. Below are pictures of the new chalices. To purchase a chalice for your home, see her website below. http://www.flamingchalice.com/
