June 2018 Minister s Musings by Rev. Julie Lombard Every June our monthly worship theme is Celebration! There is much to celebrate in the life of this church. In the month ahead we will recognize eleven new members, a couple of special people who will be given awards for being such dedicated members, and we will celebrate our annual Flower Communion. This is a very special month. I am looking forward to it, and I hope you are, too. We have so much more to celebrate here: another successful Annual Meeting, new lay-leaders guiding us forward and strong committees doing the work they are charged to do. We have closed on the 321 property; and the 321 Task Force is studying possible uses for the property and how 321 will help us fulfill our mission and vision. Let s celebrate our Religious Services Committee s commitment to filling our pulpit every Sunday in the calendar year! We have a strong Social Justice Committee that continues to lead the Soul Work Forum and educate us about important topics. Our Green Sanctuary Committee educates us on new ways to love our Mother Earth, and our Caring Team is considering a new Forum on Aging Well. There s always a new way to learn how our faith inspires us, whether by participating in a Small Group Ministry or by watching our youth learn in their various Religious Exploration Programs. We continue to demonstrate our love for art and music, as seen in the beautiful art exhibits throughout the year in our sanctuary and in our various music groups: the Singing Group, the Soul Song Choir, the Bell Choir. We are also home to the Northshore Ukulele Players. We certainly do what we love and enjoy sharing the fruits of our labor with the wider world. I just love ending the church year with Hal Morse s gallery show! I m very grateful that we have a committed staff and terrific partners who enjoy being here year after year: the preschool, the homeschooling group, and the theatre group. H. Jackson Brown, Jr. tells us, Mature love is composed and sustaining; a celebration of commitment, companionship, and trust. This place is oozing with a mature love that will sustain us for many years. Celebration is a way of life at NSUU. This is a very active faith community. There is nothing passive about who we are or what we do. We show up, we tell the truth, we do what we do with intensity, and we don t get attached to outcomes. These are the hallmarks of a strong ministry. It appears we deserve to celebrate this shared ministry. Let the celebration begin!
June 2018 Celebration JUNE 3 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am Resounding as One Rev. Julie Lombard June reminds us that summer will again be upon us. Graduations are underway, and many things are coming to an end. Some go away for the summer, while snowbirds are finally back. It is good to be together. We have a few more weeks before lay-led summer services begin. This summer we will worship every Sunday! Throughout June we will consider the many things for which we are grateful, and we will use this precious, sacred time to call attention to the ways we shine brightly. Please join us for worship as we formally welcome our newest members: Emeline Walker, Eric Swanson, Robert Gamer, Edith Fenton, Jack Lombard, Ken Kramer, Rachel Williams, Genevieve Moen, Charles Gravina, Joy Tutela, Grace Backman and Steve Rhode. Our guest musician, Amy Conley, will perform her vocal, instrumental guitar and banjo music. Amy is a music teacher and music artist from New Hampshire. JUNE 10 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am Blessed with Love Rev. Julie Lombard Let us enter, rejoice, and come into more of this special time in our church-year celebration. We have spent a bold and beautiful year together and we have much to be thankful for and praise. Let us reflect back over our year and all the good work we ve done here and in the wider community. Join us for spiritual merriment as we recall the days gone by and we shine a spotlight on all those who serve and make up our devoted lay-leadership. Music will be offered by our Singing Group, led by Helen Brandt and accompanied by Judy Putnam. JUNE 17 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am Flower Communion Sunday Rev. Julie Lombard For over 70 years Unitarian Universalists have been bringing flowers from their own gardens, or from fields and roadsides, to share on this day. All blooms are welcome. Flower Communion affirms that it is by our own free will that we join with one another, and that our gathered flowers are a symbol of our unity. The ritual teaches that as no two flowers are alike, no two people are alike, yet each makes a unique contribution to the whole. Our bountiful bouquet would not be the same without the addition of each flower, and so it is within our church community of all souls. Please join us for this special worship service an affirmation of our ever blooming beloved community. We end our formal services of the year and begin the summer with our Music Director Judy Putnam, Choir Director Helen Brandt and the Singing Group bringing uplifting and beautiful music. JUNE 24 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am In Praise of Books Lisa Judd Books and reading have always held a special place in American lives. In fact, the foundations of our republic were built by avid readers. Today, we still go to books for information, comfort, wisdom and inspiration. Books also provide us with entertainment, enjoyment, and escape. Before this service, please think about your favorites (of whatever genre). What are the ones that have stayed in your memory; ones you sometimes read again and again? Which ones amused you or offered the right insights at a difficult time in your life? Do they still have resonance in your life? This service will give us a chance to share the books we love and the reasons why they were important to us. Please come prepared with the names of some of your favorites. Good books are good friends and meant to be shared!
News from the Social Action Committee June 3 Food Sunday: NSUU supports the Danvers Food Pantry with donations of food, checks, and gift cards. Nonperishable food items may be left in the Food Pantry basket in the Fellowship Hall on Food Sunday, June 3, or at any other time. Checks and gift cards may be given to the Scottgales for delivery. June 10 Operation Troop Support Sunday: NSUU is a collection point for Operation Troop Support. Donations for the troops (both male and female) include toiletries (razors, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.), socks, puzzle books, candy and snacks. Donations may be left in the Operation Troop Support box in the Fellowship Hall. June 10 -- Share-the-Plate: Chaplains on the Way: Chaplains on the Way is an interfaith ministry, supported by 15 religious organizations. Volunteers go out into the streets, shelters, and gathering places of Waltham, MA, to bring a ministry of spiritual care and hope. They live out their mission by building trusting relationships with those who are experiencing homelessness, living in poverty, dealing with mental illness and/or addiction. They offer a ministry of spiritual care, listening, and companionship through life s struggles and triumphs. For more information and to see a 9- minute documentary about their work, go to: http://www.chaplainsontheway.us/ If you would like to donate by check, please make checks payable to Chaplains on the Way. Saturday, June 23 North Shore Gay Pride Parade: Walk with others behind the NSUU banner in the North Shore Gay Pride parade in Salem. The parade will follow a different route this year, leaving from Shetland Park Properties Parking Lot (27 Congress St.) and ending at Salem Common, where the Pride festival will follow. The parade will step off at 12 noon, promptly. If you would like to be part of the NSUU marching group, put your name on the sign-up sheet on the Social Action Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall or speak to Lois Markham. Sunday-Night Suppers at Lifebridge: Thanks to a dedicated crew of team leaders, who plan and organize, and volunteers, who buy food, cook, and serve, we provide a hot meal for about one hundred clients of Lifebridge in Salem on the fourth Sunday of each month. We welcome new volunteers. We are now signing up volunteers for the June 24, July 22, and August 26 dinners. Please note: We continue to work at Lifebridge through the summer months, when it is sometimes harder to assemble a volunteer crew. If you know you will be available on one of these dates, please sign up on or before June 17. The time commitment is 5:00 to 7:00 pm. You can sign up on the white board in the Fellowship Hall. If you would like to donate money for the purchase of food, you can make out a check to NSUU and write Lifebridge in the memo line. Please put your check in the offering any Sunday. Family Promise North Shore Boston: Family Promise North Shore Boston is a non-profit, interfaith hospitality network that provides temporary shelter, meals, hospitality, and case management for families experiencing homelessness on the North Shore of Boston. The goal is accomplished through the participation of hundreds of volunteers from North Shore congregations. Currently, the Social Action Committee is forming a group of volunteers from NSUU. Each volunteer will commit to two hours of service four times a year. Service may take the form of providing a meal, serving a meal, visiting with the families, driving, spending time at the day center with families, etc. Cathy Sullivan-Bradley is the volunteer coordinator for NSUU. If interested in volunteering, contact her at csb.re@comcast.net or 978-335-7878. Lending Library: The Social Action Committee has a small collection of DVDs and books on social justice topics. They are located on the ledge in the Fellowship Hall. If you would like to borrow a DVD or book, we ask that you sign it out and return it within two weeks, so that others may borrow it. Share-the-Plate Applications: The Social Action Committee welcomes proposals for the share-the-plate program. If you support a charitable organization whose goals are consistent with UU principles, please consider submitting an application for that organization to share the plate. Blank application forms are posted on the Social Action Committee bulletin board near the front of the Fellowship Hall. The Social Action Committee welcomes new members. Our next meeting is June 10 after the service. Contact Lois Markham for more information.
Green Sanctuary Based on correspondence, our Green Sanctuary chapter is pleased by the progress that has been made in reviewing our Action Plan for accreditation. We expect that a decision regarding this accreditation is on the horizon. We had a full agenda at our meeting on 2-11-2018, which was attended by members of Earth Stewards, the Interfaith Environmental Partnership. Also, State Senator Joan Lovely attended the meeting in which we discussed our positions on environmental-justice issues affecting us locally and statewide. At a future meeting, State Representative Ted Speliotis will join us as we advocate for our positions on environmental matters. In February, we also discussed the proposed ban on disposable plastic bags in Danvers, a measure initiated by our members. We have put the ban on the Danvers Board of Selectmen s meeting agenda, and will carry it further into a hearing. We do ask the congregation to follow the protocol on using coffee mugs. We remind you that, after use, these mugs should be placed in the designated spot. Thank you for your cooperation on this!
Saturday, June 16 th 8 a.m. 2 p.m. Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church 323 Locust Street, Danvers Drop-off: Friday, June 15 th 3 p.m. 8 p.m. Please no large furniture, exercise equipment or electronics For information, call Barbara Haight 978-729-5422