Days of Awe September 20, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (Online Only atfacebook.com/uurockford) Rev. Dr. Marlene Walker
In the Jewish tradition the days between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are referred to as the “Days of Awe”. It is a time to both celebrate the sweetness of life and to reflect on our own lives, and to make amends for when we have fallen short. In this time, when all seems so changed and uncertain, what can we learn from this Jewish practice?
Happy Birthday to: Sally Trefz (09/23), Bill Stanton (09/24), Jan Scott (09/25), Bob Bowling (09/25), Leah Krippner (09/25), Kathe Heyer (09/26), Katy Haun (09/26), Jack Armstrong (09/27),Tom Hunter (09/28), Allyson Rosemore (09/29), Jesse Dorner (09/29), & Stanley Campbell (09/30)!
Thank you so much for raising money again this year for the River Run!!!! We appreciate all you do for RAMP so much!!!! This year your total was $528 which is amazing!
I have a new Juicer. And a bread maker. Anyone need them please call 815-398-9515. If you would like to give us a call if you want them, but you don’t have to give us anything if you don’t want to. Thank you
Diana and Jack Berti
Share the Plate with NAACP The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Click here to donate.
Wonderful Wednesdays: Widening the Circle of Concern
September 30th, 7:00pm
Curious about how Unitarian Universalist congregations are confronting systemic racism and working for justice in our own spaces? Wondering what you can do to help make our congregation anti-racist? Want to know more about what kinds of support are out there in our greater UU world? Join in the discussion of the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change report, Widening the Circle of Concern (2020).
This Wonderful Wednesday event will be hosted by Teresa Wilmot and Ministerial Intern, Omega Burckhardt. Everyone is welcome to attend. If you would like to read the report ahead of time, it is available for free on the UUA website here: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening
*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. Matthew and Chris will
be hosts.
– Touchstones: contact your touchstones group facilitator for the time
and meeting ID, if you don’t already have it.
– Caring Team Meeting – The first Tuesday of each month at 6 pm. 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.
Caring for Each Other
Times are tough for many in our church family. You or someone you know may be dealing with illness, job loss, death of a relative or friend, divorce, loneliness due to isolation, overwhelming family responsibilities.
The church’s Caring Team exists to help us care for one another at such times. This group, which meets monthly, consists of about a dozen church members able to connect with you in times of need. Our very capable staff liaison is Membership Coordinator Chris Ainsworth.
Would you like to talk with someone who will:
Listen to your concerns?
Take a walk with you or meet for coffee in a safe, socially-distanced space?
Assist with food or transportation needs?
Reach out to a member or friend in a care facility as allowed?
Refer you to other sources for help if needed?
You are welcome to contact the Caring Team through Chris uurockmembership@gmail.com our ministerial intern Omega osburck@gmail.com, or me.
Board Update
The Board decided to replace our existing Black Lives Matter banner with a new one, at the same size and location. They heard a presentation on Socially Responsible Investing, and decided to move forward with investigating the creation of a policy. We discussed Matthew’s annual review and sabbatical plans.
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.
Implicit Racism
I’ve been leading a book discussion for the League of Women Voters, Greater Rockford, of White Fragility by Robin Diangelo published by Beacon Press, the independent publisher of the UUA. The target audience of this book is the same as its author, Robin Diangelo; white, middle-class, liberal people who know they aren’t in any way racist. But we have a lot to learn. I consider Robin’s book the perfect introduction to anti-racism for our congregation.
Once I finish the book discussion with the LWV next week, I’ll be planning a book discussion for Unitarian Universalists. You might want to buy the book, which was on backorder from Beacon Press last month. I bought a Kindle version from Amazon.com, which doesn’t require a bookshelf and has features like highlighting in 4 different colors.
If you find statistics to be convincing, this video will open your eyes to a side of health care in the US that is hidden.
Submitted by Teresa Wilmot
Touchstones Groups
If you are feeling disconnected and missing your fellow UU’s, now is a great time to join a Touchstone group! We are starting up some new groups, some with old friends and some with new ones.
Touchstones Groups are groups of about 8-12 people who meet to explore the monthly theme. Some will choose to meet online and some will gather in-person to share insights, laughter, tears, discovery, and connection. They generally meet twice a month, for 1-2 hours, depending on the size and group preference.
If you choose to join a group, please plan on participating regularly through the Spring, in respect of your fellow group members.
Lit Link for Sept 20 about Black Lives Matter is a theology
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” There’s a reason this is often a required text in high schools. Film version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG1e7fzsrJQ Audio with 30 day free trial https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/i-know-why-the-caged-bird-sings/89180 Read online free: allbooksworld.com › i-know-why-the-caged-bird
• “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes is one of the famous free verse poems about African people and their life before and after leaving their land. It was first published in 1921 in the journal The Crisis (magazine of the NAACP). The poem presents the voice and memory of the Africans who were forced into slavery, including the time when Abraham Lincoln fought to abolish it. A short but powerful statement of the power of our ancestors. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44428/the-negro-speaks-of-rivers
Saturday, September 26, 2020; 9:30 am Fair Tax Town Hall
Join Unity Temple and co-sponsors, Community Renewal Society, Faith in Place-Action Fund, Poor People’s Campaign of IL, the IL-League of Women Voters, Vote Yes for FairTax and UUANI, for a fair tax town hall. Hear from some of Illinois’ top preachers, important politicians, and hear riveting personal testimonials from those most impacted who share how the Fair Tax will make their lives better. REGISTER TODAY Contact K. Mooney with questions:soulfulstill@gmail.com
Greetings Beloveds!
In collaboration with UUSC, Side With Love is offering an exciting new webinar series to deepen our collective activism and participation in the Movement for Black Lives.
We invite you to participate in Taking A Collective Breath: Deepening our alignment with the Movement for Black Lives, a five-session series built around the elements of the BREATHE Act. The webinars will explore the components of the BREATHE Act and utilize its structure as a way to focus our energies to effectively support ongoing racial justice work. Come learn and build with local and national partners who are shaping conditions to make liberation possible. This is an invitation to locate yourself in this moment as well, we each have a role to play.
The BREATHE Act seeks to reform federal laws and eliminate funding for federal programs that criminalize Black, Muslim, and immigrant communities, reinvesting our resources in community solutions for education, health, and the environment.
The Series:
September 22 4pm PT/ 6pm CT/ 7pm ET
Webinar 4: Environmental Justice and Public Health.
Panelists: Environmental Justice Advocates and Directors Roundtable
October 13 4pm PT/ 6pm CT/ 7pm ET
Webinar 5: Holding Officials Accountable & Enhancing Self-Determination of Black Communities.
Panelists: Minister Sheena Rolle, Deputy Director Faith In Florida; Nicole Pressley, National Organizer UU The Vote and Let My People Vote Campaign
