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Now What? Part 2
November 8, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (Online Only at facebook.com/uurockford)
Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson
Matthew will consider the results or status of today’s election (VOTE!). What must we do now to protect, extend, and amplify our values? What spiritual work is now before us, as people and as a nation?
Happy Birthday to: Valerie Stenerson (11/03), Beverly Olpaka (11/03), Mary Anderson (11/04), Yvonne Beach (11/05) Elly Ressue (11/06), Will Boelcke (11/07), & Cynthia Simmons (11/08)!
Share the Plate with Equality Illinois
Equality Illinois envisions a fair and unified Illinois where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and where all people live freely regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or gender expression. Click here to donate.
Board Meeting Recap
We discussed a letter received from UUA Mid America about “Protecting Ourselves, Protecting our Community”. Discussed the treasurer getting online access to Wells Fargo accounts. We talked about the possibility of participating in Guest at your Table. We touched on the BLM sign being replaced, and Woodsong’s status.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5662364814 Meeting ID: 566 236 4814
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The First UU Rockford Annual Winter
Pandemic On-Line Auction / Marketplace / Art Fair
Last week we participated in a Zoom Dinner Party. We had a great time. We are conscientious isolators. Don’t see people. We don’t invite anyone to our house. We don’t dine out. This dinner party felt just like old times (last year). Set up the computer on the dining table, uncorked the wine, and appetizers, had a great conversation while eating dinner, uncorked more wine, talked politics, had another glass of wine because we did not have to drive home. Like I said, a great dinner party.
That is one of the Great things about the Auction. We always buy 2 or 3 dinner party offerings and always have a good time visiting with church friends. Sometimes old friends, sometimes new friends.
So far the Auction has only received one donated dinner party. We’ve got yoga classes and tarot card readings. We’ve got food baskets, beer baskets, and fresh bread. We’ve got a great Art Fair with city-wide artists showing.
But, we’ve only got one dinner party. Please think about donating some kind of social event. Dinner party, game night, movie night. If you are nervous about hosting a Zoom, we will set up and host the Zoom. Or, give you lessons and practice. If not, we are definitely still accepting donations of other kinds of Auction items.
While E.B. White is most remembered as the author of the beloved children’s books, Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web, he was a regular contributor to the New Yorker Magazine. I’ve been reading a book of his collected columns, On Democracy.
FDR loved this column from White’s “Notes and Comment” column. He read it at meetings, claiming, “Them’s my sentiments exactly.” In answer to the question from the Writers’ War Board, “What is the meaning of Democracy,” White wrote:
“Surely the Board knows what democracy is. It is the line that forms on the right. It is the “don’t” in “don’t shove.” It is the hole in the stuffed shirt through which the sawdust slowly trickles; it is the dent in the high hat. Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time. It is the feeling of privacy in the voting booths, the feeling of communion in the libraries, the feeling of vitality everywhere. Democracy is a letter to the editor. Democracy is the score at the beginning of the ninth. It is an idea which hasn’t been disproved yet, a song the words of which have not gone bad. It’s the mustard on the hot dog and the cream in rationed coffee.”
And, in his column entitled, “Definition of Fascism,” he writes this:
“Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), there is a certain quality in Fascism which is quite close to a certain quality in nationalism. Fascism is openly against people-in-general, in favor of people-in-particular. Nationalism, although in theory not dedicated to such an idea, actually works against people-in-general because of its preoccupation with people-in-particular. It reminds one of Fascism, also, in its determination to stabilize its own position by whatever haphazard means present themselves . . . This doesn’t make an America Firster a Fascist. It simply makes him, in our opinion, a man who hasn’t grown into his pants yet. The persons who have written most persuasively against nationalism are the young soldiers who have got far enough from our shores to see the amazing implications of a planet. Once you see it, you never forget it.”
Today, the official voting day, we remember what it’s all about.
Submitted by Teresa Wilmot
Chase the Chill
New knitted, crocheted, or sewn scarves, hats, gloves, blankets, to be distributed downtown Rockford and Freeport. For anyone who wants to make and donate your creations, the deadline is November 20th. Call me if you would like me to pick them up or to drop off at my house. Sandee Poznan 815-871-8857
*ZOOM Church Calendar*
Most “all church” events will be 337-267-3668. This is the Personal Meeting
ID for “Thomas Kerr,” our online identity (and the minister from 1870-1900,
who used all the new technology of his time to reach those he
served). Generally, there will be a waiting room and the host will need to
admit you.
– Coffee Hour on Sunday. 337-267-3668. 11:10 am. Chris will
be host.
– Touchstones: contact your touchstones group facilitator for the time
and meeting ID, if you don’t already have it.
– Caring Team Meeting – The Caring Team will meet on Zoom on the second Tuesday in November – 11/10 at 6pm ID 337-267-3668
Want to have a group – a book group, a parent group, a “circle supper”, or
whatever you like? You can create a free Zoom account (40-minute limit,
though often waived by zoom at minute 35). Or, you can use “Thomas Kerr’s”
– just email Autumn atoffice@uurockford.organd she can give you the login
and password.
Donating to NPR
Do you count on Northern Public Radio as a trusted source of news, music, and entertainment? If so, you probably know that the annual pledge drive for the local stations – 89.5 WNIJ/NPR and Classical WNIU 90.5/105.7) – is underway. But did you realize you can contribute to Public Radio and benefit our church at the same time? Here’s how it goes:
Working together, we can pool our tax-deductible donations and enable the church to air underwriting messages (Public Radio’s version of ads) informing the community about our church, its programs, and events. Once you decide on the amount of your gift, write the check to Unitarian Universalist Church, with “NPR” in the memo line. The office will send one big check to Northern Public Radio, and soon listeners throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin will start hearing about Rockford’s UU Church on their favorite radio programs.
The result? Much-needed revenue for the stations and valuable publicity for our church. Questions? Contact the church office.
Literature Link for Nov. 1 sermon about the many paths in our life’s journey
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. … But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane,” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemistor
Save the date. No matter the results of the election this year, we know we will want to gather in community. Please save the date and join the UUA, UU the Vote, Side with Love, and UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray for this event. Hosted on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.
UU Ministers are gathering from around the country to offer a space for respite, positive energy, peace and spiritual practice on Election Day.
You may join us at any time during that day to find a peaceful space for reflection, prayer, meditation and spiritual practice.
Different UU ministers will lead every 15 minutes.
Meeting ID: 995 5323 1971
Passcode: 954636
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Find your local number:https://uuma.zoom.us/u/aeHgtFP7Ry
We look forward to seeing you.
In faith and love,
Rev. Nica Eaton-Guinn, Minister, Chalice UU Fellowship of the Conejo Valley
Rev. Patrice Curtis, UUA, Ministries and Faith Development
Rev. Florence Caplow, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign
The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL | 4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107 | 815-398-6322 | uurockford.org |
