April presents a unique labyrinth path built in 1986 by John Jarvis on the playground of the Lancaster Country Day School, lovingly laid, stone by stone, to commemorate the 12th century Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France. It is located on the east side of the building, with parking nearby, and is in an outdoor setting. Please be mindful to walk this pathway when school is not in session.
August 2: “Good Goodbye to Rev. Barbara” Heather Gehron-Rice
August 2: “Good Goodbye to Rev. Barbara” Heather Gehron-Rice, Service Leader
We will celebrate the work we have done together as we say farewell to Rev. Barbara and thank her for all the hard work she has done with us. We will hear from her colleagues Rev. Larry Peers and Rev. Keith Kron.
Worship Associate Heather Gehron-Rice has been a UU since 1996, with membership at UUCL since 1999. She completed her M.Div. at Lancaster Theoligical Seminary in 2007. She has served on the finance committee, the personnel committees, and is currently a member of the choir.
Link to join: https://zoom.us/j/96623739683?pwd=UWFMQzF5OFR2V05idUJVSVNwYzBVdz09
Or join by phone: 301-715-8592
Meeting ID:966 2373 9683
Password: 71717
All Church Email July 2, 2020
| Dear UUCL Community, We have returned to one All-Church Email on Thursdays. In this Thursday All-Church Email, please find the schedule of staff-led activities. Sunday Online Worship: June 21, 10:00 a.m“With a Capital T,” Rev. Chris Kapp It’s a hard thing, thinking that we just might be wrong about something. I mean, we get it in the abstract. We all know everybody makes mistakes, that people are fallible. But when we’re talking about ourselves…..well now, that’s a different story, isn’t it? Rev. Chris Kapp was ordained in 2002, after spending a good deal of her senior year of seminary working at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11. She served as a full-time interim/developmental minister and commissioned officer in The Salvation Army for 12 years, before breaking ranks with them due to theological and philosophical differences. She now works as a homelessness and housing systems change specialist, using data to uncover structural inequities, and advocating for systemic change in the social services arena. Children are welcome to attend this service and will find a Time for All Ages. Link to join: https://zoom.us/j/96623739683?pwd=UWFMQzF5OFR2V05idUJVSVNwYzBVdz09 Or join by phone:(301)715-8592 Meeting ID: 966 2373 9683 Password: 71717 Children’s worship at UUCL: 11-11:45AM Children’s worship resumes this week! If you have come before…if this is your first time…children (especially ages pre-K through 5th grade) with their caregivers and whole families are invited to share rituals and stories together on Zoom. We invite you to make a little space in your home for sacred time: getting a chalice ready (finding a candle, cup, Legosculpture…), finding a stone for joys and sorrows, and getting a blanket, mat, or cloth to sit on. (Note that we will have a more infrequent rotation of Children’s Worship this summer, so please watch the All-Church Email.) Join by Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/120250912?pwd=d3RiU0ZuZlRUOGkySHlhbzZFQTFudz09 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 |
| Staff “Off” Time: Please note that Bev and Rev. Barbara are currently on vacation, now through July 3. The office will be closed for the holiday on Monday, July 5. General Assembly 2020:Thank you to all who represented UUCL at the General Assembly 2020 this past week. What a week it was! Ask around at virtual coffee hour to hear from your delegates about their experiences. If you would like to see some highlights from the public events, please see https://www.uua.org/ga/off-site/2020 for links. Summer Congregational Activities: As are in 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: not for purposes of reserving space in the building, instead for helping one another know of activities and events to join in on. This includes Soul Matters groups, book groups, work-out sessions, and more. Get creative: 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. |
Worship July 5: “With a Capital T” Rev. Chris Kapp
It’s a hard thing, thinking that we just might be wrong about something. I mean, we get it in the abstract. We all know everybody makes mistakes, that people are fallible. But when we’re talking about ourselves…..well now, that’s a different story, isn’t it?
Rev. Chris Kapp was ordained in 2002, after spending a good deal of her senior year of seminary working at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11. She served as a full-time interim/developmental minister and commissioned officer in The Salvation Army for 12 years, before breaking ranks with them due to theological and philosophical differences. She now works as a homelessness and housing systems change specialist, using data to uncover structural inequities, and advocating for systemic change in the social services arena
All Church Email June 19, 2020
| 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/
All Church Email 5-29-20
| THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE of PASTORAL EVENTSand ALL-CHURCH EMAIL (ACE) Friday & Tuesday Noon: All-Church Email Sunday 9:45AM: Gathering Music for Worship Sunday 10AM: UUCL Online Worship Sunday 11AM: Children’s Worship Sunday 6PM: Red Rose Sangha |
| Dear UUCL Community, This Friday All-Church Email includes the schedule of staff-led events for the coming week as well as Announcements of congregational and community activities. Be sure to scroll down through the complete email, so to not miss a thing. Sunday Worship Online: May 31: “On the Brink of Many Thresholds”Even as daily life during pandemic as we’ve known it for weeks continues, we are also at a number of turning points: the warmer weather of summer, the end of academic terms, the transitions in church life including ministry. Let’s consider the potential in these thresholds. After the service, before social time, Rev. Barbara will announce her next interim ministry and discuss the ‘passing of the baton’ of ministry here at UUCL. • 9:45AM: Gathering Music: Make a cup of coffee, find your chalice, settle in to sacred space. • 10:00 AM: Worship. Service Leader, Rev. Barbara; Music, Eli Sauls; Time for All Ages, Lenore Bajare-Dukes Join by Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/857097077?pwd=VFZLUmozK205UklQQWJhL3l0OE9KUT09Or, join by phone: dial (301) 715-8592, Meeting ID: 857 097 077, Password: 71717 Children’s Worship: Sunday Morning, 11-11:45AM: A space for children (especially ages pre-K through 5th grade) with their caregivers and whole families to do our familiar rituals and share stories, emphasizing fun and sharing! We invite you to make a little space in your home for sacred time: getting a chalice ready (finding a candle, cup, Lego sculpture…), finding a stone for joys and sorrows, and getting a blanket, mat, or cloth to sit on. This week, we will explore things we can do to connect with and help each other. Join: https://zoom.us/j/120250912?pwd=d3RiU0ZuZlRUOGkySHlhbzZFQTFudz09 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/Please note that the Wednesday night Mid-Week Check-In is on pause, as staff consider how best to foster congregational connections moving into the summer. Calling all talents to participate in the UUCL Talent Show and Art Showcase! Where? On Zoom! (See next week’s All-Church Email) When? Friday, June 5, from 6:30-8:30PM.Hosted by UUCL’s choir and faith development programs, and featuring Robert Close as Emcee and YOU as participant (or viewer)! We welcome music, jokes, drawings, dance, poems, pet tricks, magic, etc. from people of all ages—children and youth encouraged. 3-minute average acts are encouraged…shorter is fine…maximum 5 min. Sign up by Sunday, May 31st! More information on registering can be found below: https://forms.gle/ftmUUKc6kprrPqZ8A You can find instructions as well as basic recording tips here. 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 |
| Children’s Faith Development:At-Home Nature Noticings: |
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| Which will you choose? 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! Join Children’s Worship this week at 11AM! If you haven’t joined yet, we welcome you–all children of Spirit Play age and their families and teachers. Calling all children and youth to participate in the UUCL Talent Show! See the notice above. More information and sign up here: https://forms.gle/ftmUUKc6kprrPqZ8A Adult Faith Development: Now is a particularly important time to lift up the sacred space created by and for Black UU and UU-adjacent folks online. Black Lives of UU (BLUU)’s next online sacred space, “Call & Response: Communication With Spirit in African Religious Traditions,” is Sunday, May 17th @ 4pm. For more, see below: BLUU’s online worship service is Black sacred space in its entirety – by and for Black people, with the words and voices of Black folks across the diaspora – and we hope that Black UUs and Black UU-adjacent folks (who share our values) from far and wide will join us! UU More information and REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/bluusun20 Weekly spiritual noticings readings will resume next week. Your weekly invitation to spiritual practice: Last chance to register for “Listening Deeply to One Another” from the Interfaith POWER Coalition for racial justice in fair education funding. Part of a monthly collective healing space series, first Wednesdays. Wednesday, June 3, 5:00-7:00 PM. Register here! |
| UUCL & Community Announcements |
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| Your MSC team is working with Rev. Israel to plan our candidating week of Sept. 13-Sept.20. Because of the uncertainty of worshiping in the sanctuary by September we are working on several different possible scenarios. The best case scenario is that we will be able to congregate together and have a regular all in-person candidating week. But we are also preparing for a possible all digital as well as a hybrid in-person-digital candidating week.In the meantime please remember that Rev. Israel is busy in Oregon with his current congregation and that all pastoral or other concerns should be addressed to Rev. Barbara who will continue to be our minister until Rev. Israel officially begins his ministry with us on Monday August 17th.Your MSC team: Laurie, Susan, Claudia, Kristen, Stephanie and Steve Closer To Home • The United Way’s “One United Lancaster” offers current information about COVID-19 as well as connections to receive and give resources: https://oneunitedlancaster.com• Lancaster Stands Up resource round-up. Click Here• POWER Interfaith Coalition, with which UUCL involved, is offering trainings, spiritual practices, and advocacy. More here and in the Adult Faith Development section. Click Hereus “Finding Grounding from the Inside Out.” Explore practices that support us in caring for and organizing ourselves and one another in this monthly collective healing space. We will use meditation, movement, deep listening, and storytelling. All are welcome! When: First Wednesday of the month, 5:00-7:00 PM Next training in the series: “Listening Deeply to One Another” Wednesday, June 3, 5:00-7:00 PM Register here! How to Contribute to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund This is a difficult time for all of us. So that we can help members who are affected financially, we are inviting those who are able to contribute to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. A donation can be made on line by going to the church web site, www.uuclonline.org and clicking the Contact Us drop down menu, then Donate. Again click the Donate button and you will be taken to our on line donation page. Complete the requested information, making sure you indicate your donation is for the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. If you prefer, you can send a check, indicating “MDF” on the memo line. Thank you in advance for your support. 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, RealmConnect. Please don’t hesitate to contact Bev Geib if you have any questions about the program Justice with MercyThe work of the UUCL’s Justice with Mercy Committee is grounded in the First Principle – the inherent worth and dignity of all people including those who have been incarcerated. We work to promote an understanding of the needs of returning citizens both in our congregation and in the wider community. We support the work of the various Lancaster County restorative justice programs. But there’s so much more to be done. We’ll be meeting virtually at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, June 9. If you’re interested in helping with our efforts, contact us at justicewithmercy@uuclonline.org. Groceries for Reem Please consider adding to the Go Fund Me site for Reem Desouky see link below. Local Congregations are taking turns food shopping for her. UUCL members will do the food shopping and delivery during the month of July. To volunteer contact: Naomi Levine at (717) 808-2159 or naomi.levine@verizon.net for further instructions including how to be reimbursed for the food. A Link to Lancaster Newspaper article written about her experience follows. https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/how-a-trip-to-egypt-for-a-divorce-led-to-10-months-in-prison-for/article_27ea2aba-9a00-11ea-b5df-1fde908734f3.htmlhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/help-welcome-reem-home Little Sparrows: The Little Sparrows contacted all but 40 members/households on our membership list. They also reached out to friends of the Church and potential new members. Thanks to Sue Harkleroad, Marianne Smith, Larry Carroll, Sue Zeigler, Gina Hart, Evanna Morris, Candy De Green, Linda Jones, Carole Campbell, Brad Weaver, Naomi Levine and Lou Ann Miller. Artful Living Design Contest Congratulations!! to the UUCL Banner Contest Winner, Amy Mozingo! Amy will also be the seamstress for this two sided banner. The banner will be used in the banner parade at the Virtual General Assembly this June and for future General Assemblies and it will be on display in the church sanctuary between GA’s.There will be embellishments around the edge around the circle. |
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| Please submit all ACE announcements to publications@uuclonline.org by 10AM Thursday. Support for Using ZoomWatch this video from our UUA Central East Region for a tutorial on logging in and joining a meeting online (Zoom). If you need a tutorial or some practice, we’re here to help! Please email Lenore Bajare-Dukes (Lenore@uuclonline.org) and Amanda Maher (ajmaher96@gmail.com) to set up a time with a UUCL volunteer or staff member. |
All Church Email May 1, 2020
| Dear UUCL Community, This Friday All-Church Email includes the schedule of staff-led events for the coming week. In particular, pay attention to the different mode and time of online worship Sunday May 3, as UUCL welcomes an invitation from First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia to worship with this UU community. Also see other announcements from the UUCL Community. Our schedule between Sunday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 7 includes: Sunday Worship Online: May 3, 10:30 Social Hour, 11:00 Shared Worship.Gather at 10:30 for UUCL social time and announcements. Join the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia at 11 am, led by UU minister Rev. Abbey Tennis. UUCL Social Hour (10:30AM): Join by Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/857097077?pwd=VFZLUmozK205UklQQWJhL3l0OE9KUT09 Join by phone: dial (301) 715-8592, Meeting ID: 857 097 077, Password: 71717 First Unitarian Philadelphia Worship (11AM): Join by Zoom: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/145662677 Call in number: (646) 876-9923 Meeting ID: 145 662 677 Children’s worship at UUCL: 10-10:45AM Note the time change! We will gather before worship at 11AM. Join by Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/120250912?pwd=d3RiU0ZuZlRUOGkySHlhbzZFQTFudz09 Mid-Week Check-In: Wednesday May 6: 7 p.m. Online Gathering for Personal Check-In, via Zoom. This week’s will be led by Lenore Bajare-Dukes and Eli Sauls. Join by Zoom: click on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/879307745?pwd=bWQrZXdGVGc4NldRYjdjR3lpNjNpUT09 or join by phone: dial 312-626-6799, Meeting ID: 879-307-745. Password: 71717 Come together Wednesday evening in community conversation to share personal joys and concerns, and to inform staff of any UUCL pastoral concerns. This week, we will play a piece of music as our focus for the evening. There is no time limit on this call. 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. See the attachment for a new week of chalice readings. 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 Children’s Faith Development: In response to feedback from some families, we offer you an 8-week series of simple, nature-grounded faith development practices. You will have received packets including seeds, which you can use for the “Caring for Your Plant” activities. Please let us know if you need any materials to make this work! You will have two choices each week, which can be done at your own pace. We know there is a lot of pressure on families to do activities, so take what will nourish your family, leave what doesn’t…and share photos if you can with us to connect with other children! Join Joanna Loewenstein, myself, and other families at 10AM this week for children’s worship! Note the time change, and the Zoom link above. Adult Faith Development: Each Friday, I am offering resources for spiritual noticings in the current pandemic. This week: “In the Midst of Powerlessness,” reflections and a prayer from the UUA’s “Braver/Wiser” blog. https://www.uua.org/braverwiser/midst-powerlessness Register now! Saturday, May 9, 10-12, Adult Faith Development gathering on loss. Deadline is May 3. Please email Lenore to register: Lenore@uuclonline.org. Since the beginning of March, the impact of COVID19 has been keenly felt by all of us. We have experienced many of the changes as losses, large and small. No matter how large or small the losses, they often bring feelings of fear, anxiety, irritability, and sadness and can wreak havoc with our sense of well-being. What losses have you experienced related to COVID19? Loss of a job and financial security? Loss related to changes in health or changes in a loved one’s health? Loss of routine interactions with family and friends? Changes in how and where you work, or familiar routines? Loss of the ability to be with a loved one who is ill, or to participate in rituals for someone who has died? We often operate on a day to day basis as if we know where life is taking us and have some level of security that things will be OK. COVID19 has peeled away that sense of security for many of us. The uncertainty that COVID19 has created, is another type of loss. Kay Welty and Cindy Foster-Clark are offering an opportunity to gather together in a small group to name and bear witness to those losses. In preparation for this gathering, reading materials and a worksheet will be emailed out beforehand to help participants to begin their process of reflection prior to meeting together. This group meeting will offer an opportunity to share and listen deeply to one another and to create sacred space together. A Zoom meeting invitation will be sent to those who register by May 3. Registration is first come, first registered. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Kay or Cindy at: kawcc@verizon.net cfosterclark@gmail.com Message From the Board of Trustees Dear Church Family This is a message from the Board of Trustees. We all mourn the loss of our physical church world, but we do celebrate in some of the new ways that have brought our community together. What is our future? We have some things we know, and many things we don’t. We will be proposing a budget for 2020-21 that looks much the same in revenue and expenses compared to a normal year. If nothing else, it will give us benchmarks to meet as the new year unfolds. We might need to make further decisions as our expenses, and specially our revenue stream, becomes more certain. We are not laying off any staff – everyone is cranking it out in this new abnormal. The business of the church, and worship, continues. We will follow all state guidelines regarding any re-opening plans. Our sense is to err on the side of caution, rather than open too soon. Summer worship is being planned as virtual. Unless, you know… magic happens. We don’t think it will. The Zoom meetings have brought in some folks who couldn’t participate in regular church. When the church re-opens, we might be looking at delivering the experience in a hybrid fashion, both on line and in person, so all can be included. The Board is working out ways to have a congregational meeting, including how to vote, in a virtual meeting. The first one is planned for May 17, when we hope to vote on a budget and Board of Trustee members. In the olden days our in-person meeting requirements did exclude people who needed to be at work and others who could not travel, so no system is perfect. The Board is overwhelmingly grateful to all the members who have seen needs and stepped in to do work they recognized as needed to be done– everything from phoning all members to polishing the vacant floors. The time for naming names will come later, but you know who you are. Thanks. Peace! May we do better with battling climate change than we have done with this pandemic! Alan Jacobs For your Board of Trustees Announcements of Other UUCL and UUCL-Related Activities How to Contribute to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund This is a difficult time for all of us. So that we can help members who are affected financially, we are inviting those who are able to contribute to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. A donation can be made on line by going to the church web site, www.uuclonline.org and clicking the Contact Us drop down menu, then Donate. Again click the Donate button and you will be taken to our on line donation page. Complete the requested information, making sure you indicate your donation is for the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. If you prefer, you can send a check, indicating “MDF” on the memo line. Thank you in advance for your support. 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, RealmConnect. Please don’t hesitate to contact Bev Geib if you have any questions about the program Sharing the Love Dear UU members. A group of volunteers are contacting all members via phone call, email or the postal service to make a personal contact during this difficult time. This is not a committee, just a sharing of love. We have the approval of the Board and the Minister in this endeavor. If you need assistance or help with the Realm system, which will house our new Directory, we can help you. “Love is the spirit of this Church….” Any questions or concerns, please contact Lou Ann Miller at 717-354-6304 or lamiller49@gmail.com. Blessed be. Glorious Beltane Web and Wheel of UUCL celebrates the peak of Spring as the Wheel of the Year turns toward Summer and the Web enfolds and strengthens us. On Friday, May 1, the earth holiday Beltane or May Day arrives clothed in glorious natural beauty and bursting with new life. Earth energies are at their peak of power and renewal. This year is especially glorious as we witness our planet’s renewal with cleaner air and waters and the promise of greater planet health as we reevaluate our past abuse of Mother Earth. In our current crisis, one joy we have at hand is the flowering of the earth within our vision and immediate access. Take a long walk, inhale deeply, touch a blossom and rejoice! Artful Living Design Contest Maybe with all this extra time on your hands, you are feeling like you need a creative outlet? Creative energy is also a great way to deal with the stress you may be feeling. All UUCL members and friends are invited to submit a design that represents our identity as the UUCL community for a banner to be used at future UUA General Assemblies. There will be a $100 prize for the winner. The required dimensions for artwork are 8”x 12 ¾” and the content should not be date specific. A pole is being made by the committee and we have the seamstress ready and willing for the banner. We have provided the link below for specifications and to get an idea of the way it will hang. The second link shows a banner parade from a past GA to get inspiration and see what other UU congregations have done to represent themselves. CLICK HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQ8d5mLviY Please submit ideas for the contest by emailing a pdf or jpeg to artfulliving@uuclonline.org. |
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UPDATE MARCH 31, 2020
Sign up for the All-Church Email to receive bi-weekly updates, including details about scheduled events.
Tuesday & Friday 1 p.m.: Zoom tutorials
Wednesday 7 p.m.: Zoom Check-in Gathering
Friday & Next Tuesday Noon: All-Church Email
Friday 10AM: All-Ages Dance Break & 10:30AM: Parents & Caregivers Social Time
Sunday 10 a.m. Worship and Devotions
Sunday 11 a.m.: Children’s Worship
Sunday: 6:00 p.m. Red Rose Sangha (info@redrosesangha.org)
SCHEDULE of PASTORAL EVENTS and ALL-CHURCH EMAIL
Tuesday Noon: ACE
Wed 7 p.m.: Zoom check in gathering
Friday Noon: ACE
Sunday 10 a.m. Worship and Devotions
Sunday 11 a.m.: Family Time
Sunday Morning, March 29: 10:00-10:30AM: Spiritual connections and check-in, via Zoom, led by Rev. Barbara, Lenore Bajare-Dukes, and Eli Sauls
Sunday Morning, March 29: 10:00-10:30AM: Spiritual connections and check-in, via Zoom, led by Rev. Barbara, Lenore Bajare-Dukes, and Eli Sauls.
Our Sunday morning time together will be more “programmed” than the Wednesday evening meeting. We staff are expanding our toolkit for online Sunday morning worship time: look for a Special All Church Email from us this Saturday morning, march 28, for more details about Sunday. This reflection time will be available to you on Zoom video as well as phoning in options.
Click on this link to join:https://zoom.us/j/806300513?pwd=MitJREZrVmYxNWJYRkhaYTVGSHlndz09
You may also call in: dial (929) 205-6099 and then enter the Meeting ID: 806 300 513 Password: 717176
Sunday Morning, March 29: 11-11:30AM: Children’s program for kids in pre-K through 5thgrade and their whole families. Led by Spirit Play teachers and Lenore. This will be a space for children and their caregivers to do our familiar rituals of chalice lighting, stones of joys and sorrows, hearing a story, and “going forth” to do an activity. Look for more details in Saturday’s email.
Click on this link to join:https://zoom.us/j/173945330?pwd=a2lTNkZiL0lXZ0w3b21hNlRFNzJtdz09Or, join by one-tap mobile: +19292056099,,173945330# US; or by telephone: 1 301 715 8592; enter Meeting ID: 173 945 330#.
Spiritual Reflection, March 22, 2020 10AM
Readings: March 22, 2020: 10 a.m. Spiritual Reflection
Pandemic: Lynn Ungar
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love–
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
–Lynn Ungar 3/11/20
Reading: The Courage [and Wisdom] to Stand Still in What is Real Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes
The tiger chasing me is not real.
The fear I am fleeing so well is imaginary.
There is actually no danger.
The palace I strain for so nobly is not real.
My ambitions are a distraction.
There is no treasure there.
My fears and desires drive me,
push and pull, before and behind,
yet they are so small, so small!
How puny my will is compared to yours.
How weak must I become to gain
the infinite strength of your will?
Give me courage to stand still in what is real,
to empty myself of my fears and desires
and be guided instead by your delight.
Walters Grant Awards for Cycle 4 of 2021
A total of $35,000 in grants were awarded for the fourth cycle. Four applicants applied for grants.
The awards given were:
- Homefields, David Strauss, $6000. Homefields is a nonprofit corporation providing homes and working opportunities for adults with an intellectual or developmental disability.
- Arch Street Center, Susan Lilly. $10,000.00. Arch Street is a drop-in facility for adults living with serious mental illness. The grant will assist in providing high quality food to the center.
- Parish Resource Center, Kate Good, $10,000.00. The grant will be used to initiate a conversation around diversity and race. The event features the authors of Cousins: Connected Through Slavery, a Black Woman and a White Woman discover their past- and each other.
- Lancaster Language Justice Initiative, Cindi Moses, $9000.00. This Grant will collaborate to increase awareness of language justice and build capacity within nonprofit and business sectors to effectively assist people with diverse language needs.
Please think about applying for a grant in the future.
Common Roads Information
Common Roads is a community organization that UUCL supports. The Common Roads Lancaster Youth Group provides social and educational programs for LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-17.
Common Roads is currently hosting groups hybrid (in person and online). The youth group for Lancaster is currently meeting virtually (unless otherwise stated). You can find more information about programming here: https://centralpalgbtcenter.org/commonroads
Here is a document that lists further information about all of our youth and young adult groups that will be updated on a monthly basis. https://tinyurl.com/CRProgramming
A Note from your Board of Trustees
Thank you for the questions and feedback from this past Sunday’s Town Hall meeting. One of the topics of discussion was how to make the church building a safe place to gather, with questions about improving air circulation and filters. Our HVAC consultant has advised us that there are not currently “Covid safe” air circulation metrics, and that our church is actually better than most buildings because of the HVAC system that we have. We have worked with our HVAC company to explore possibilities for improving our system, and the conclusions so far have been we’d have great expense for little improvement. We want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with our building – it’s just that there are no Covid-free buildings. What makes a building safer from Covid spread is the humans – bringing case rates down and vaccination rates up to lower community spread, and social distancing and masking while inside the building. We will continue to explore marginal improvements to air circulation as we hopefully get closer to lower case rates and reopening. We appreciate your patience. The most important thing you can do to get us all back into the building is to live out our UU values to respect science and communicate that to those around you.
Upcoming October and November Community Events
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster is proud to be a member of such a vibrant community. We have many partners in our community, and even more organizations that we support on a personal level. Below is a list of upcoming events in Lancaster, PA that align with our values.
Auction Winnings- Garden Party
UUs socialized last week in a beautiful backyard garden- an auction winning from last season’s auction fundraiser!
Share the Plate: October
Our Share the Plate organization for October is the Lancaster Education Foundation. The Lancaster Education Foundation has partnered with the School District of Lancaster to “Increase and Support Educational Excellence” since 1989. UUCL is happy to be able to support this worthy cause.
Faith Development Updates
Connect Deeply & Nourish Your Spirit through our monthly small groups & spiritual resources:
Introducing Soulful Home
Helping parents, partners, grandparents, and others raising children carve out faith-full family experiences in everyday life. This is for anyone whose family or household includes children (or playful adults!). Learn more about Soulful Home at UUCL here (please note that the registration link is not yet live). Email Lenore for more information.
Sign up for Soul Matters Small Groups!
Connect with a small group of 7-9 like-hearted people, once a month October through June. Facilitated by a UUCL member, groups explore a different theme every month through a packet of spiritual resources. Click for September’s packet. If you are interested, please fill out this form! Lenore will be in touch next week about your placement.
UU Wellspring
For those interested in a more intense small-group experience, we have a new group this year. The pilot group of UU Wellspring will meet every two weeks to encourage one another in a personal spiritual practice and to delve into the Sources of Unitarian Universalism through a year-long curriculum. Open to those who have been UUs for six months or more and have already participated in small-group ministry such as Soul Matters. Does this feel right for you? Email or Slack message Lenore to learn more.
Nourish your justice-seeking spirit with Emergent Strategy
A guidebook for shaping transformative change in turbulent times.
Meeting Friday evenings, 5:30-7PM, in UUCL’s Chalice Garden and on Zoom (multi-platform): October 15, October 22, November 5, November 19.
These are daunting days of change. Find some hope, and pathways to shaping that change, by meeting up with other UUs outdoors or online to read Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown, a queer, multi-racial, Black feminist, pagan doula and justice-seeker (read her blog here). Hers is one of the leading voices on radical transformation of harmful systems; healing from toxic individualism (for all people and most especially for people of color and people living in the intersections of several marginalized identities); and learning from principles of nature in doing activism for the long haul.
This is not a theoretical book, and it will not be a theoretical group: we are assuming everyone attending has a deep stake in healing from systemic violence and moving toward a more just world. Facilitated by Lenore Bajare-Dukes and Randy Newswanger.
Get your copy here, or contact Lenore to see if copies remain in the church library (and to join group).
Seeking Volunteers
Do you have a passion to share or time to offer? Maybe you could host a movie night, help put away supplies, play with toddlers in a kids’ corner during music night, or offer a spiritual practice. We only have programming if our community provides it! Email Lenore for a conversation about being involved.
Update from the Board of Trustees- Revised 9/30/21
From our Board:
The Board held another meeting on September 22 to continue the agenda begun a week earlier. The major discussion was about policies and procedures around church programming and events while we try to live well with COVID. Our approach to this topic will be laid out in a separate letter to the congregation in the next few days.
The Board and our staff, along with many others from our congregation are working hard to create programming to keep us nourished spiritually, connected in love and acting for justice in ways that are safe in the face of increasingly distressing trends in this COVID pandemic. And we are working hard to find ways to enhance the infrastructure of the physical plant itself to best ensure our safe return to using the building when it is deemed safe to do so.
Congregants are again urged to take a look at recent UUA guidance on gathering in-person at the following website: https://www.uua.org/pandemics/gathering-guidance.
We have also set dates for an informal Town Hall meeting – Sunday, October 10 on Zoom after the service – and our Fall Congregational Meeting, also on Zoom after worship on October 24th. Please save these dates for events that are important to the life of our covenanted community.
Paint, Prison & Possibilities
Join UUCL in attending Paint, Prison & Possibilities: Conversations About Justice, hosted by UUCL’s interfaith partners The Islamic Community Center and the Moravian Center. This event is October 1- November 29th.
Courtesty of the organizers:
Art For Justice, The Islamic Community Center, and the Moravian Center are excited to share with you the invitation to Paint, Prison & Possibilities: Conversations About Justice featuring an Art for Justice Exhibit: Incarcerated Artists’ Creations from within.
This is a exhibit of about 30 works of art done by incarcerated individuals paired with a series of panel discussions on topics related to art and criminal justice.
Panel discussions are open to the public at 227 N. Queen St (3rd Floor) and on zoom. (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7276959529) Panels will be made up of community members and leaders who are knowledgeable on the topics. A list of panelists will be sent in a separate email.
The Art Exhibit is available to the public on First Friday Evenings in October and November from 6-9 PM.
It is also available by appointment through sign up genius (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4AACAF22A3FF2-paint) or by calling 717-397-9722. Classes, groups, organizations, individuals and families are all welcome to attend.
The exhibit will be open from October 1, 2021 to November 29, 2021.
Please contact Pastor Mandy at 717-397-9722 with any questions.
Last Day to Register for the African American Heritage Walking Tour of Lancaster
Your last day to register for the Walking Tour is Friday September 24th.