Congregation established 1836
Newsletter of the
First
Unitarian Church
Alton, Illinois
110 East 3rd St. (location)
PO Box 494 62002 (mail)
Office phone
618-462-2462
www.firstuualton.org
March 2021
FIRST
UNITARIAN
FOCUS
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Congregation established 1836
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Newsletter of the First Unitarian Church Alton, Illinois
110 East 3rd St. (location) PO Box 494 62002 (mail)
Office phone
618-462-2462
March 2021 |
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Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m.
March 2021 Theme: “COVENANT”
This month’s services are pre-recorded videos and will premiere on our YouTube site at 10:00 a.m.
Click on the YouTube icon in the upper right corner of the church’s website.
The March 21st service from Rev. Khleber Van Zandt will not be on our YouTube site.
For that service go directly to https://www.youtube.com/user/uucov
Due to technical issues, sometimes the services do not upload exactly at 10 a.m.
Check for a message on UU Friends Facebook page regarding the start of any service.
Our live Zoom “Coffee and Conversation” time follows at 11:00 a.m. at the Zoom link below.
https://siue.zoom.us/j/726948775 (that’s a j not an i) - PASSWORD: 551868
Click HERE for PRINTABLE PDF version
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March 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Speaker: John Herndon Sermon title: “Moving the Fences, the essence of the faith in action of Unitarian Universalism.” March 14, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. ***(Daylight Saving Time Begins – set your clocks ahead Saturday night.)*** |
March 14 … Speaker: Joy Hoeft Sermon Title: “Unitarian and Universalism in the 3rd-6th centuries, and the people who reawakened Unitarianism in the 16th-18th centuries.” This is the first of seven in what will be a once-a-month series entitled “Unitarian and Universalist History and the People who Influenced our Faith” which will trace Unitarian and Universalist traditions over the centuries. |
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Speaker: The Rev. Khleber Van Zandt of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice, Florida. Sermon Title : “No Longer Black and White” Our dictionaries often define racism in terms of individual prejudice, but this does little to explain how social hierarchies are reproduced. While those of us who are white may be against racism, we still benefit from the distribution of resources put in place and controlled by people like us. The link to this service is https://www.youtube.com/user/uucov March 28th, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. To Be Announced If people need help with doing their worship service videos, please get in touch with Alex J. Hoeft . He would like to have the videos at least by the Friday before your service. /p>
Robyn’s Report Greetings everyone and Happy Spring ... despite what the Ground Hog said, Spring is full steam ahead!
As we move towards warmer weather, I am excited thinking about possibilities for us to meet on the church property to gather for services.
As more and more of us get vaccines, this gives us many more options.
So as things shift, we'll keep you in the loop on potential gatherings, weather permitted!
< With Spring upon us, plan for some workdays on the Church grounds in the coming months. We'll schedule days, weather permitting, as soon as we are able! |
Don't forget to come join us at our Sunday coffee hour ... come for a minute, come for an hour, or anything in between! It is a comfort to see familiar faces. I want to thank everyone who is working so hard to keep the congregation running smoothly, despite all being at a distance! A special shout out to the Worship Associates, and Joy Hoeft and Alex Hoeft who are tirelessly working on getting the services working smoothly every Sunday morning! I know how hard this work is and I am grateful for all of you. Love and Light, Robyn Berkley President of the Board
First UU Alton Healing Circle Via Zoom Saturday, March 13, 2021 10:00 a.m. to Noon If you are a church member who has felt hurt or troubled by the difficult experiences in this congregation over the past few years, you are invited and encouraged to come together to check in. In a small circle of listening (on Zoom), facilitated by Rev. Dr. Claudia Hall, you can let others hear how you are doing, what feels still unresolved, and what might be done to help you, or others, begin to heal. First UU Alton Healing Circle
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Concerns
Please continue to keep Nancee Magilson’s newborn granddaughter, Avery, in your thoughts and prayers.
Miscellaneous News and Notes
Church Board Meeting
The Board will have its regular monthly meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, March 9th from 6 to 8 p.m. If there is an item you would like the Board to address, please contact Robyn Berkley.
Mona Hebert has a 20-gallon aquarium to give away. It has a heater and UV light. It is just like brand new. (Fish not included.) Contact Mona at mlhebert41@gmail.com.
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VIRTUAL UUA General Assembly June 23-27, 2021 2021 Registration Information Registration for virtual GA 2021 is $200 per person. Financial support for registration as well as a payment plan are available. General Assembly registrants receive access to the 2021 Online Participation Portal, including live, simulive, and on-demand video content, the virtual exhibit hall, chat features, support, and a (new!) GA mobile app. For further information go to: https://www.uua.org/ga/registration To register for financial aid or a volunteer position go to the link below. https://www.uua.org/ga/registration/financialaid/volunteer
You can now make a financial donation to the church through PayPal. The blue logo icon is in the upper right-hand corner of the church’s homepage http://www.firstuualton.org/.
You may also donate using Givelify. Click on the large green square on the church’s omepage.
Or mail your check to the church at PO 494; Alton, IL 62002.
Do not be too squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they be a little coarse, and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again; you shall never be so afraid of a tumble. Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Recipe from 1962 Anna Ds Cookbook “Our Favorite Recipes” Coq Au Vin with Rice 2 lb. chicken thighs and 2 lb. chicken breasts ½ cup cubed celery; 1 cup dry wine; 1 cup chicken consommé; ½ tsp thyme; ½ cup cubed carrots; 1 box mushrooms, washed and sliced; 1 Tb. Cornstarch, ½ tsp. marjoram; 1 pod garlic. Cooked rice.
In a heavy skillet melt 1 stick of butter, add garlic, thyme, marjoram until the butter foams, then add chicken and brown quickly. Add wine when the chicken is brown, also the carrots, celery, and consommé (or broth). Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. When almost done add the mushrooms. Add more broth or consommé if needed. Remove chicken and keep warm. Thicken the gravy with cornstarch dissolved in consommé. Pour over cooked rice. From Mrs. Orland Forcade (Lottie)
CHURCH LEADERSHIP as of March 2021 2020 - 2021 Board Members President: Robyn Berkley robynberkley@yahoo.com Secretary: Mary Johnson mejohnson@mindspring.com Treasurer: Nathan Brown nathan.brown0621@outlook.com Member at Large: Aiden Crist arexboi@gmail.com Member at Large: Alex Hoeft alex.j.hoeft@gmail.com Member at Large: Carol McGrew carol_mcgrew@yahoo.com Member at Large: Pat Moore patjimmoore@charter.net President Elect: To be Determined
Message from UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray
Dear Friends - In the last year, we have experienced trauma unprecedented in our lifetimes. The assaults on our democracy, the devastation caused by COVID-19, repeated incidents of deadly police violence, the rise in white supremacist violence and the impacts of climate disasters continue to take their toll. So many lives and livelihoods have been lost. We are exhausted. We are grieving. |
To everyone in Texas, we send you our love and care and pray that you and your loved ones are safe. To leaders in communities impacted by these deadly winter storms, if your congregation, members of your community or local partner organizations are in need, the UUA’s Disaster Relief Fund is a resource for financial grants to help in this time. Please be in touch with Lisa Presley at lpresley@uua.org with any questions about applying for grants.
Over the weekend, we awarded a grant to the San Marcos UU Fellowship to bolster a community effort to house and feed those experiencing homelessness. We also organized a shipment of water to First UU Church of Houston to distribute in partnership with neighborhood organizations. These are small offerings in what will be a long recovery, but they are real ways that UUs make a difference through the UUA’s Disaster Relief Fund.
For those who are able, your donations to the Disaster Relief Fund will help us respond to the urgent requests coming in.
It matters that we lean more deeply into compassion
During times of grief and loss, we have traditionally found comfort and resilience in gathering together. As religious communities, it is what we do. Yet, we now approach the first anniversary of when, due to the pandemic, the UUA and most of our congregations shifted to all-virtual gatherings. For many, this has been an additional source of grief and isolation and can make it more difficult to process our grief and pain.
Given the layers of stress and trauma, the need to care for ourselves is more important than ever.
Encourage each other to take time off — and heed this advice yourself. It is critically important to support congregational staff and religious professionals, especially those who hold marginalized identities or who have children, to take time off.
We must recognize the level of trauma that has disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous and Latinx people and communities of color. Additionally, many of our children are experiencing untold stress and challenges. Parents are giving all they can to support their kids and their livelihoods.
It matters that we lean more deeply into compassion and care, for these are practices that remind us we are not alone and reinforce our humanity and our interdependence. There is no more important practice or culture to develop in this time.
Yours, Susan |
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March 21, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
Carol McGraw’s LEGO themed birthday party was postponed due to inclement weather.
