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MAY MUSIC SUNDAY: A VISION UNFOLDING May 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Online and in-person Our worship theme for May invites us to consider the practice of imagination. This Sunday, the Unicantors and guest musicians will present A Vision Unfolding, a challenging five-movement composition by Kyle Pederson incorporating both spoken and sung texts touching broadly on themes of social justice. Pederson has set both classic texts by Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes and recent texts by exciting new artists like Shanelle Gabriel. The composer offers the following vision for how he hopes listeners will receive his work:
“It is my hope that we lean into the invitation that the choir offers—that each of us might reach out beyond our comfort zone and seek to build bridges of care and connection, finding a better way of being in community. That we might stand in solidarity with those whose voices are too often dismissed, regardless of their skin color, sexual orientation, faith background, or other characteristics. That we might not dismiss, disdain, and judge those whose politics are different from ours, but that we might make the uncomfortable effort to see them as people just as worthy of respect and dignity.” (https://www.kylepederson.com/choral-works/a-vision-unfolding)
We hope to see you on Sunday for what is sure to be a remarkable worship experience.
We will share the plate with Severson Dells Our mission is to link people to nature through education and research in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area. We promote awareness of the natural world, fostering respect, enjoyment and preservation now and in the future. Click Here to Donate
Volunteers for Sunday, May 18
Thank you to the Caring team for volunteering for hospitality this Sunday!
Happy Birthday to: Sandra Locke (May 13), Ellie Hansen (May 14), Hannah Kaytonah (May 16), Sara Dady (May 16), Linda L Johnson (May 19), & Susan Molyneaux (May 19)!
Please keep Roger Benedict and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Roger’s son, Steven Benedict, 63, died on May 7th, 2025, at home with loved ones by his side after a courageous 5-year journey with esophageal cancer.
Matthew’s Memo
May 13, 2025
We are exploring the theme of Imagination this month. Sunday, I spoke about how we need a vision of the life we might live, and the world we seek, but also need to build that vision “brick by brick.”
If I ask you to imagine your life the way you want it to be, what do you picture? What comes to mind? If I say, “imagine a life you love and enjoy and feel proud of,” what comes to mind?
Perhaps that it’s too different from the life you have now. Perhaps you feel that you are mostly living the life you desire or imagine. If so, I hope that reflection produces gratitude and joy in your heart. You might reflect on how you go there, and give thanks for this.
Perhaps the life you imagine is only different from what you have now in a few respects. You’re close, in other words. Perhaps some of the things that you imagine to be different are coming. You might have current constraints – responsibilities and obligations – that require some compromises from your vision, but you’re working through those things. That’s good. Breathe. Be patient. And seek to enjoy what is for now. (I give myself this advice).
Perhaps your life is very different from what you imagine when you think of the life you seek. Perhaps more radical change is needed. Do you need to get sober? Change careers? End something that is not working? Breathe deep. Have courage. Seek out friends, resources, and pathways. You are not alone. People do make these changes. Envision clearly what you seek. Draw a picture, a literal one, or cut one out. Set that dream before you. Don’t give up.
And perhaps when I ask you to imagine a life you’d love to lead, you draw a blank. You don’t know what that might be. You feel like you’re going through the motions, or you don’t have time to think of that. Or energy. You’re not alone. Take it slow. Notice the little things that give you joy and spaciousness. Notice what is blooming, and nurture that. Look around at whom you admire. What about them appeals to you? Begin to build that vision. Try things out and see how they feel. I believe in you. Take your time.
Wherever you fall in this story, I think it is very useful to take that moment to imagine a life you would love. “Without vision, the people perish” – and it is true. We need a picture of our own life, to call us forward. Not one full of shame or guilt, but one grounded in hope and possibility.
Please join us this Tuesday at 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4848 Turner St. We suffered a serious legal setback in the zoning lawsuit against the Auburn Street clinic last month. We will receive an update from clinic administrator Meg Larkin about the future of access to reproductive health care in Rockford.
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Very Truly Yours,
Sara Dady, WCCC
Attorney
The Nominating Committee is proud to inform you of the following candidates for this coming fiscal year!
Garden Planting Day at the Church Grounds! Saturday, May 17 at 10am
The mulch has been spread and the Spectrum/UU gardens on the church grounds are cleaned up and ready to be planted! Spend the morning outside as we plant our warm weather plants and get ready for the growing season. If you would like to continue to help maintain the gardens over the summer (watering, weeding, harvesting, etc.), please fill out this form: Garden Volunteer Survey. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rebecca Beneditz. I hope to see you there!
Swap & Trade Barter Market – Check out the Catalog! Wednesday, May 21, 6-7:30pm in Deale Hall Let’s imagine a world where money doesn’t exist and we participate in a mutual aid community, offering up what we can to trade so we all get what we need. Join the Eco Justice Team to bring this idea to life for an evening! Need inspiration? Click the blue “Check out the Catalog” link above to see what people are bringing, or look for print versions in Deale Hall. Please note that registration is required and you can sign up here: Register for the Swap & Trade Barter Market If you have any questions, reach out to Dawn Nimmo or Rebecca Beneditz.
Who Makes a Difference in Our Community?
The Social Justice Team is seeking nominees for the Connolly Community Service Awards for 2024. A bit of history of the awards and the nomination procedures follow. If you know someone – or a group of people — you think should receive one of these awards, please turn in nominations to the church office.
History: In 1993 the church initiated a community service award to recognize a member of the congregation for significant contributions to the community. The award was named for Dr. Charles Parker Connolly, minister of our congregation from 1913 to 1942, and a recognized community leader.
To date the award has been presented to the following individuals: Walt Lewis, Mary Caskey, Martha Logemann, Pat Tollefsrud, Sandra Locke, David Weissbard, Lynn Liston, Pat Lewis, Jon McGinty, JoAnn Shaheen, Leigh Lakey, Roger Oehlke, Lola Gustafson, Allen Penticoff, Colleen McDonald, Jackie Dehler, Bob Arevalo, Dave Black, Myrna Lake, Dave Lantz, Barb Giolitto, Duane Wilke, Ellyn Ahmer, Dale Dunnigan, Nikki Ticknor, Bob Babcock, Shiraz Tata, Allyson Rosemore & Rebecca Beneditz, Gloria Perez, & Kathie Mattison.
More recently an award was established to recognize a young person, 8th grade through high school, for service to the church and community. Recipients to date are Emma Stocker, Katie Whitworth, Sandra Hill, Jackie Whitworth, Emily Pfleiderer, Max Freund, and Ari Almonaci.
The Social Justice Council has decided to have a “group” award. This award will be for a group of people, formally or informally organized, who have done the work of justice in our community. Two years ago the award went to the Cornucopia Group.
The awards are presented at the annual meeting of the congregation.
The nominations should include:
A detailed description of volunteer and/or professional involvement and accomplishments, tasks, performed and issues addressed impact on others, and other relevant information.
A signed statement that the nominee is willing to be nominated.
A nomination should include the name of the nominator and is due in the office (Send to Autumn uurockford@gmail.com) by June 3rd. The nominations will be reviewed and a selection made by the Social Justice Team before the annual meeting.
If you wish to borrow a t-shirt for the event, contact Lia Gima or the church office.
Wonderful Wednesday – June 4 at 6:30 to 8:30
An Essay discussion group on:
INVESTIGATING CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER DEATH
led by Duane Wilke
The Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies (BICS) had a contest for the best evidence-based essays on whether human consciousness survives physical death. Wonderful Wednesday participants are asked to read the first 26 pages of the winning essay Beyond The Brain by Jeffery Mishlove. There are many short videos included. He won $500,000 for this entry:
Please email revjoycepalmer@yahoo.com if you plan to attend so we can arrange seating. Not required to email.
We hope you will join us.
Our UU Library has added these books to our collection: The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels Sex Addicts Anonymous
Wesley Willows Group
The Wesley Willows group will return again in the fall.
Peasant Revolt Farm is a small scale organic-practice produce farm in Cherry Valley, Illinois. We are very excited to offer weekly or bi-weekly Produce Subscription Boxes (sometimes called “CSA”) throughout the summer season. We’ll have a pickup location at the Edgebrook Farmers Market (Wednesdays 9a-1p) and also offer a home delivery option. We will make any spot with at least 10 full-season subscriptions a pickup spot (UU church, for example!). For more information, please visit our website: peasant-revolt.com/subscription-boxes.html
Our Vision: A loving congregation that connects with ourselves, one another, and the larger community.
Our Mission: We care for ourselves, each other, and our neighbors while taking risks acting for justice. We are continuously building an inclusive, empowered, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, multicultural congregation. Our connections foster radical love for ourselves and others.
The Board of Trustees:
President: Matt Menze
Clerk: Kim Lowman Vollmer
Vice-President: Wendy Bennett
Treasurer: Bob Spelman Trustees: Clark Logemann, Rebecca Beneditz, Neita Webster
The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL | 4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107 | 815-398-6322 | uurockford.org |
