Sunday Service, May 30, 2021

The Empathy Gap. Speaker: Mary Ryan.
It’s been a rough time for the last year or so and one thing that stands out to me is that we seem to have a lack of empathy for what others are going through. This service will talk about how we feel (or don’t feel) empathy and how maybe putting ourselves in others’ shoes sometimes would be a good thing.

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From the Minister’s Desk — May 2021

According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of American adults describing themselves as Christians dropped from 77% to 65% in the last decade, and the percentage religiously unaffiliated increased from 17% to 26%.  What are we to make of this? What comes to mind for me is that this shift gives us UUs an opportunity – and a responsibility. Here’s what I’m thinking: It seems to me that people need, at least occasionally, to go deeper, to go beyond everyday concerns and to think about their purpose in life, their ultimate fate, and other such big questions. Religion provides a vehicle for this, and if people are becoming disenchanted with traditional religion, perhaps they should take a look at Unitarian Universalism. This is where you come in: you help spread our good news.

You’re chatting with someone – a friend, neighbor, co-worker, next person in line at Wawa: “I’m really tired of Covid – I especially miss going to church on Sunday morning.” “What church is that?” “The Unitarian Universalists, out on South Keim Street.” “Never heard of them. What’s so special about them?” “For me, it’s individual responsibility. No one is going to tell you what you have to believe. You have to use your experience and your head, to figure it out for yourself. What I really like is this line from one of our hymns: ‘Roots hold me close, wings set me free.’”

Or you might have this conversation: “I’m really tired of Covid, but one thing that I like about it is I can sleep late on Sunday morning and still be at church on time – via Zoom.” “Which church is that?” “Unitarian Universalist.” “I’ve heard of them – you can believe whatever you want, or nothing at all.” “You can believe what your reason, your conscience, your experience lead you to believe.” “Are there any beliefs that all of you – or almost all of you – share?” “I’m no expert on this, but here’s one: Democracy.”

It wasn’t until I was in my mid-thirties that anyone invited me to come to a UU church.  But better late than not at all. Don’t hesitate to acknowledge your UU affiliation. Be prepared to mention at least one of our seven principles, or to tell your story of how you found Unitarian Universalism, or of a time when the sympathetic moral support of others in the congregation or your UU faith were especially important for you.

Love, Dave

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President’s Message — May 2021

“After all, I can’t complain. I have my friends.”  ~ Eeyore

Friendship is part of the lifeblood that keeps the UUFP going. Seeing and being with friends is what most people have missed during this pandemic. The UUFP is no different. If not for friendship, why else would people come out to the fellowship on a chilly and rainy Sunday afternoon to kick off, of all things, the Pledge Drive? There wa,s of course, the Bake-off Contest, but what kept people there was catching up with friends. A good time, albeit a bit muddy, was had by all.

Congratulations to Lorien Duske on winning first prize in the bake-off. Her mini cheesecakes were delicious and definitely worth the calories! This fun event would not have been possible without the help of some special friends. First, thank you to our Treasurer, Linda Pallay, for her great leadership in developing and managing this year’s Pledge Drive. Second, thank you to Kay and Jon Price for providing oversight of the logistics of the event, ensuring that there were tents, picnic tables, and of course, coffee. Lastly, thank you to all who have pledged to provide ongoing support of the UUFP in the upcoming fiscal year.

As we start to hold outdoor social events, you may be wondering when we will start to have in-person Sunday Services. Wouldn’t it be nice that when we gather with our friends and it starts to rain, we could actually go inside the building? The Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Worship Committee, have been working on finding an answer. To date, we have developed a set of Guiding Principles that ground us in our decision making. We have also decided on a set of data that would help to inform us of the risk level of contracting/transmitting COVID-19 in our surrounding community. The data is pulled from the Berks, Chester and Montgomery County Health Departments. The Board and Worship Committee will be reviewing this information on a weekly basis. A letter providing more-in-depth detail on the above was emailed out to members and friends. This letter, along with the Guiding Principles and COVID Risk Tracker will also be posted on our website.

Next steps for the Board and Worship Committee will be to think through how we handle things such as children’s RE, Nursery Care, and the basic logistics of having a service while adhering to Covid-19 prevention protocols. We are committed to keeping you informed as decisions are made regarding our progress toward holding in-person (indoor and outdoor) Sunday Service, so look for updates on our website and in the Sojourner.

Remember, in order to keep our friendships healthy, we need to keep our friends healthy.

Yours in friendship, Linda K.

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From the Minister’s Desk — April 2021

It’s been quite a March. Beware the Ides! Celebrate Women’s History. Enjoy your Irish roots
– real or purely fictional. Passover brings its stories and symbolic meals to families in small pandemic pods. Appreciate the signs of spring – I’ve had reports of crocuses, and I’m hearing peepers and seeing wrens and robins in back of my house. March Madness goes on in some form. And it’s time to observe the anniversary of the declaration of the Covid 19 pandemic.

It’s been a long, strange year, of loss and change – the unfathomable numbers like over ½
million deaths, loss of jobs and income, evictions and homelessness, long lines for food banks. Drug addiction, overdoses and alcohol consumption have risen. Increased hate crime attacks on Asian Americans, and the terrible Spa Shootings. And also the tiny, yet overwhelming daily changes of lockdown – supporting distance learning, the anxiety of obtaining groceries, scattered family celebrations, missing hugs and handshakes, hair grown long and unruly. And the new face of our public lives – masks everywhere, baseball and football played before cardboard cutouts, even the Oscars’ best picture is open to movies not shown in theaters. The year that began as The Great Pause has become year of the Asterisk. What is normal anymore?

As the slow, frustrating, and erratic vaccine rollout begins to ease the worst of the pandemic,
President Biden has raised hopes that we may celebrate Independence Day with small family gatherings. We can look forward to a day of herd immunity. Meanwhile, we must keep up the known effective public health measures – masks and distancing, and accelerating the vaccine effort.

How can we begin to plan for return to Sunday morning worship in our building? Who do
we want to be? How can we best live out our UU values? This fellowship has been doing a great job of caring for one another, of maintaining and enhancing your building. The garden has expressed and supported your commitment. What else do you want to do? This is your opportunity to rethink what it means to be a significant presence of religious liberalism in Pottstown. How can we support each other in our spiritual development? How shall we mark our losses and celebrate our return?
Let the Great Pause become the Great Revival for us all.

Kerry

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President’s Message, April 2021

“Spring reminds us that all is not lost. In fact, it comes back around again,
no sooner or later than nature intends.”
~Jen, Aimhappy.com

Mother Nature has her own schedule, which has no regard for the schedule (calendar) that we
humans have put together. While we have had snow in what we define as spring and 70-degree
temperatures in what we define as winter, the change of seasons is continual and constant – it’s just on Mother Nature’s timeline. We really have no control over it. The same can be said for the COVID-19 virus. While immunizations, mask wearing and social distancing can dramatically influence the virus’s timeline, at the end of the day, we still need to patient and wait for the time when the virus is no longer such a threat to the members and friends of the UUFP. At that time, we will re-open the fellowship for in-door Sunday services. The board is currently working on guiding principles and metrics that will inform when it is OK to re-open. When this document has been completed, it will be shared with you.
The good news is that, just as Mother Nature’s activity is increasing, the activity at the fellowship is also increasing. The Garden Committee has started their work by cleaning up the beds and planting cover crops. In addition, the children were invited to participate and even walked away with marigold seeds that they will grow at home, and when the time is right, plant them at the fellowship. Thanks to the Garden Committee and Ruby Barnthouse for coordinating this activity. Other outdoor activities are being offered to enable friends and members to come together safely in an outdoor environment. These activities include more bonfires at the fellowship and outdoor walks coordinated by the Walking Club. Please come out to these events to enjoy the outdoors and the camaraderie of your UUFP friends.
Other activities that are being planned, include the kick-off of our annual pledge drive (more information to follow from our Treasurer, Linda Pallay) and our Annual Congregational Meeting, which is scheduled for June 13. While the date is firm, how we conduct the meeting is still fluid. Since we are still not meeting in-person at the fellowship, we are currently planning to conduct the meeting via Zoom. We realize that some members may not have the video capability for Zoom. Those members may be able to participate either by teleconference, or in certain circumstances, by mail. More information will follow regarding this so stay tuned.
Finally, the UUA General Assembly will be held on June 23 – 27 and will be conducted via Zoom.
Our fellowship is allotted two voting delegates and those delegates will be Allan Pallay and myself. More members of our fellowship may participate (just not as voting members). If you would like to virtually attend, you may register at GeneralAssembly@UUA.org. All are welcome.
In closing, I hope that you all enjoy the beautiful spring weather that Mother Nature sends us – whatever it might be.


In gratitude,
– Linda K

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Sunday Service, April 4, 2021

Easter Sunday – A Time to Dream, Speaker: Rev. Dave Hunter

My focus will be on Easter as a time of rebirth, of possibility, of dreams. In particular, I’ll discuss four inspiring dreams, from four very different sources: the Hebrew Bible, Dostoevsky, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus.

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Sunday Service, April 11, 2021

Loved into Being, Lay Leader Linda Pallay

This Sunday we will present a zoom service by the UUA entitled “Loved into Being.” Faith in Unitarian Universalism isn’t
just an intellectual exercise: it’s “heart” work. This full-length
worship experience features a sermon by UUA President Rev.
Susan Frederick-Gray, as well as vibrant music, storytelling,
and other worship elements that will help us to grow in spirit,
in courage, and in generosity.”

Coffee hour will be delayed until 12:30 so that we
can meet in person at UUFP for a dessert bake-off
as part of our pledge drive kick-off!!


Come and see the friends you have missed for so long and join
us in the picnic area next to the playground. Mask wearing is
mandatory and we will still be following physical distancing as recommended by the state and the CDC.

Please bring your own chair.

For those entering the dessert bake-off contest please see details in this Sojourner.

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Sunday Service, April 18, 2021


Who is We? Speaker: Rev. Kerry Mueller

This title came to me two decades ago, but the grammatical
anomaly held me back. Still, it never went away, and recently
became irresistible. Join us on Zoom or YouTube to consider
who really is us.

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Sunday Service, April 25, 2021


Befriending the Thief; Remembering Mary Oliver

Guest Speaker: JD Stillwater,
Past President of the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg;
Science Educator, writer and musician
Mary Oliver, the Pulitzer-Prize winning poet revered by many
UUs, died January 17, 2019. Mary was not one to deny or
push off thoughts of her own mortality; death and loss were
present in many of her works. In this service we join her in
facing and embracing what will come, what IS coming, for
each of us, while also remembering her and reveling in her
powerful poetry.

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In-person and virtual services information

Our services continue to be held virtually, the Board of Directors is actively creating a plan based on state, local and CDC recommendations and will update our site with current information to allow us to open safely.

Everyone is welcome to join our services. Our virtual service & coffee hour can be accessed using Zoom software. Services start at 10:30AM and coffee hour starts ~ 11:15 to 11:30 AM each Sunday. Both can be accessed through the same link. If you need to download Zoom use this link: US04WEB.ZOOM.US Click on “Join a Meeting” and enter the following: Meeting ID: 962 8898 7966 Password: 829906

We hope you will join us each week for both events.

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