Save the date for our Annual Fall Cleanup on Saturday, October 7th, 9:30 am-1:00 pm. Join with other members and friends to spiff up our UUFP property and prepare for the season ahead. There is lots of mowing, weeding, weed whacking, leaf raking, and shredding to tackle, along with various other outdoor tasks.
Please bring a bag lunch and a beverage.
Join UUs for Just Economic Community, UUs for Social Justice, Side with Love, and UU Ministry for Earth in Washington D.C. September 26–28 to learn about our food and farming system and advocate with our Senators for an equitable and climate-smart 2023 Farm Bill.
Every five years, Congress proposes a multiyear farm bill legislative package. We need your voice to join a growing coalition to support sustainable, regenerative, and equitable farm policies. We can not concede to the normal corporate agri-businesses to dominate the conversation. Farm bills address many issues UUs care about including food quality and food chain security, soil and water contamination, food deserts, equity for small-scale producers, conservation, research, crop insurance, and nutrition programs. The Farm Bill presents an important opportunity to create an agricultural sector that serves the needs of consumers and farmers in a way that is fair to all, protects the environment, and helps avoid a climate crisis. For more information, go to https://uujec.net/climatejusticeconference2023
Welcome fall, and welcome to a new year of Religious Education! We would like to invite all UUFP members to become involved in our Religious Education (RE) program this year. Every person’s life is nourished by the love and support we receive in community. It is a real privilege to be given the opportunity to help guide our young people as they grow spiritually, develop their sense of personal and social responsibility, and take joy in our engaging programs.
There are many ways to be involved. 1) Each Sunday before RE classes, the entire UUFP community worships together for a short 3-5 minute lesson. Time for All Ages can range from meaningful songs, dances, and theatrical lessons to read-aloud books and conversational lessons. 2) Conduct a multigenerational service or activity where people of all generations are engaged in mutual activities (e.g., Children’s Labyrinth Walk, Christmas Eve service, Creative Spirits service). 3) Teach a class. We typically have three separate groups: The Rainbow Room (infant to pre-school), RE (our elementary school learners), and Discussion and Doughnuts (a.k.a., D&D to our middle school kids). The age-appropriate lesson is chosen by that week’s teacher.
All teachers have current clearances on file. If there is interest but trepidation, we would be happy to schedule a teacher training. If inspiration is needed, it can be found on the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) Worship Web Library (www.uua.org/worship) or Curricula & Faith Development Library (www.uua.org/re). Please contact Director of Religious Education Ruby Barnthouse at RE@uupottstown.org for more information.
In the beautiful book, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy, one of the thoughts the boy shares is, “I wonder if there is a school of unlearning.” Wouldn’t it be lovely, if there were a place where we could go to roll back the lessons that we never meant to internalize?
Today we welcome back Cheryl Meinschein, who describes herself as “a retired Lutheran pastor with a Jewish mother and a Lutheran father, a Jersey girl married to a Pennsylvania Dutchman.” Her academic background includes a BA in Biology/Secondary Education, a Master’s of Divinity, and most recently a certificate in Paralegal studies. She feels that questions are often more interesting than answers.
In Jewish tradition, there’s a phrase in the Rosh Hashanah liturgy: “Who shall live and who shall die?” This question reflects the uncertainty of life. One of the many paradoxes of our human lives is the juxtaposition of the uncertainty of life alongside the opportunity for renewal. Life is always uncertain and, at any given moment, we also have the opportunity to renew the life we have. Given that we have a limited time in this world, how do we want to be living?
Today we celebrate the Annual Water Communion, which serves as a reminder that all are welcome to our space. Please feel free to bring a small container of water representing what has been going on in your life during the past year and say a few words about it. Neither the water nor the words are necessary, but they are most welcome. The Water Communion will not be recorded because of the personal material people may want to share.
More on Jimmy Carter’s Conservationism.
Lay Speaker: Lisa Jokiel.
Since her program on April 30, 2023, The Conservationism of Jimmy Carter, Lisa found more interesting information about Jimmy Carter. Today’s program will include additions to the earlier material and will be open to group discussion.
Coffee Hour follows the Service