Our Spiritual Theme for April is
“The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.” - Albert Schweitzer
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Our spiritual theme for April is “Becoming”. Join us Sunday mornings or later in the week at our virtual worship services. Rev. Tony, members, and friends as well as guest speakers participate in the services. Our virtual choir along with our pianists Ann and Alan add beautiful music. These new innovations in technology and the generosity of time and talent from volunteers make it possible to share our Unitarian Universalist messages and values with all of you.
April 25 - “Re-Thinking RE”
The Rev. Sierra-Marie Gerfao reflects on what the pandemic is teaching us about the meaning of intergenerational community and the things she has learned from conversations with families at MUUS.
Services are posted on: https://facebook.com/muusct/live.
Tune in at 10:20 a.m. for announcements, and the service begins at 10:30 a.m. You do not need a Facebook account to view the service.
Hymn of the Month: “Rising Green” – We will use this hymn in each of the month’s services. The UUOne virtual choir has recorded this song to an imaginative accompaniment by Rev. David Jarvis. To add YOUR voice to this joyful song, contact Ann Quackenbos or Jeff May!
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MUUS Coffee Hour
Join us after the Sunday Service for Coffee Hour.
Bring your own  coffee and visit. All are welcome!
Join here
Meeting ID: 960 2842 8691 Password: 672120
Small Group Ministry
Small Groups have a powerful and transformative experience. Join a Soul Circle - an online small group ministry that meets regularly on Zoom. Groups are now meeting, but you can join anytime. You can sign up to join a group by clicking on this link or contact Rev. Tony.
Rev. Tony has created a Google Drive for Soul Matters materials for Small Group Ministry that can be found on the members page of the website under Soul Matters.
Zoom Book Group
Read with Rev. Tony Minister’s Book Group
Facilitator: Rev. Tony Lorenzen, revtonyuu@gmail.com
Join here
Description: Read novels with spiritual and religious themes and discuss with Rev. Tony. The group meets 3rd Wednesdays at NOON on Zoom during Lunch with the Minister, so bring your lunch and log on. The range of novels spans a wide spiritual and religious spectrum and includes a variety of fiction genres such as science fiction, memoir, fantasy, historical fiction, travelogue, and literary novel.
May 11 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Multi-Pantheon Fantasy)
NOTE – No need to contact the facilitator, just read and come to lunch. Lunch will happen regardless, if people read the books, so much the better!
Unitarian Universalism and Intersectionality: Understanding Self and Others in our Evolving World
Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 4-5 pm
 Facilitator: Dr. Tricia J. Stewart ( triciajstewart18@hotmail.com), Associate Professor in the Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership in the Education and Educational Counseling Department at Western Connecticut State University.
Join here
Meeting ID: 960 2842 8691 Password: 672120
Description - This time together will help us foster an understanding of intersectionality. It will also include a discussion of ways that principles of Unitarian Universalism are a natural fit to support intersectionality as a theory and a lived reality. Part of the time in this session will be spent looking at the ways that each of us has many identities, as a way to ground the experience.
NOTE – Please contact facilitator at least 24 hours ahead of scheduled date and time if you plan to attend. If there is no interest before a scheduled event time, the event will be cancelled.
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Share the Plate
Share the Plate Donations 2020-2021  |
| Month |
Organization |
MUUS value |
Amount |
| July |
Moral Monday CT |
Racial equality |
$200.00 |
| October |
UNICEF |
International income equality |
$100.00 |
| November |
Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministry (PB&J sandwiches) |
Income equality |
Private donations |
| December |
Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministry (PB&J sandwiches) |
Income equality |
Private donation |
| January |
Naugatuck Valley Project |
Income equality, racial equality, environmental justice |
$100.00 |
| January |
Southbury Food Bank |
Income equality |
$250.00 |
| March |
MUUS Racial Justice Book Club |
Racial justice (books made available to parents of CCS) |
$58.00 |
| April |
Color of Change/Encore |
Racial justice |
$100.00 |
Share the Plate: New Routines
MUUS had a tradition of supporting local and national organizations making the world a better place by putting donations in “the basket” twice a month. The basket is gone (for now) but our giving tradition doesn’t have to be.
Click on the picture to donate
Monica Burnham
For the Social Justice Coordinating Team
Black Lives Matter
Justice Woodbury – meets Sundays at 12:30 p.m. at North Green in Woodbury. Justice Southbury – meets Sundays at 2 p.m. at Playhouse Corner
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MINISTER’S SCHEDULE
Rev. Tony Lorenzen is in his home office Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. He is available for appointments on Zoom, phone or online chat. Monday is Rev. Tony’s day off, Friday is his Sermon prep day. You can reach Rev. Tony at (508)-344-3668 and revtonyuu@gmail.com
Rev. Tony Lorenzen Minister, The Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden and The Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society cell:
508-344-3668 revtonyuu@gmail.com
Website: http://revtonyuu.com
Facebook facebook.com/RevTony Twitter @revtonyuu.
Helping Hands
If you or someone in our congregation needs help, please contact helpinghands@muusct.org for assistance. We are keeping those who are ill or struggling with life circumstances in our thoughts and prayers. Please check our website www.muusct.org for additional resources for dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic. We are working to continue to be of assistance from a distance via ZOOM, etc.
Judith Frances, Liaison for Helping Hands
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 It’s easy to donate on the website: MUUSCT.org use a credit card or PayPal. Or mail in your weekly donations to MUUS, P.O. Box 876, Woodbury, CT 06798. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Support MUUS when you shop anytime, by shopping at “smile.amazon.com." There’s also a link for Amazon Smile on the homepage of our website MUUSCT.org. Amazon donates .5% of your purchases to us at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
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 UUA GA Update: Circle Round
Circle 'Round for Justice ● Healing ● Courage is the theme for General Assembly 2021. You may now view the full GA schedule! While we still have some big upcoming announcements (like this year's Ware Lecturer - details coming soon!), you can now preview the abundance of Virtual GA programming including 75 On-Demand Programs and 39 Live Webinars. And remember, there is no "tyranny of choice" at a Virtual GA because anything attendees miss live can eventually be watched On-Demand!
Save the date:
Saturday, June 26 at EDT/6 p.m. for the 2021 UU General Assembly Ware Lecture.
Stacey Abrams is the New York Times bestselling author of Our Time Is Now and Lead from the Outside, an entrepreneur and a political leader. She served as Democratic Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives for 7 years prior to running for Governor of Georgia, where she won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history.
Desmond Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, a graduate of Florida International University College of Law, and a Ford Global Fellow. Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2019, Desmond presently leads efforts to empower and civically re-engage local communities across the state, and to reshape local, state, and national criminal justice policies. (UU GA Registration required)
DELEGATE WANTED!
Based on our size, our congregation is entitled to two delegates. We have one volunteer and are looking for a second. If you are interested in representing us at this year’s General Assembly, please contact one of members of the Board. The Credential Manager is now open, and we can begin distributing member delegate credentials. Credentials allow member delegates registered for GA, to vote on business matters.
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 RE Save the date
Sunday, May 9 at 9:30 am on ZOOM.
Join with MUUS families for My Personal Scavenger Hunt. Create a story about yourself by using prompts from the at home scavenger hunt list. Do you have any pets? What is your favorite book? How about a game you love to play?
Soul Circle Small Group Ministry with Rev. Tony
First Fridays of the Month at 10 -11:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Rev. Tony Lorenzen, revtonyuu@gmail.com
Here is the link to join Zoom
Description: Using the Circle of Trust format popularized by Parker Palmer, Rev. Tony facilitates reflection on the month’s spiritual theme. IMPORTANT-each month we reflect on resources that are emailed well ahead of the meeting, so the earlier you let Rev. Tony know you are interested, the more time you have the material.
NOTE – Please contact facilitator at least 24 hours ahead of scheduled date and time if you plan to attend. If there is no interest before a scheduled event time, the event will be cancelled.
Wednesday, April 28, Noon on Zoom
Join here
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Saturday, April 24
1:00 p.m. Auction Pick Up Event Pick up your MUUS Auction winnings in the parking lot by the rear door of the church.
Sunday, April 25
4:00 p.m. Unitarian Universalist and Intersectionality: Understanding Self and Others in our Evolving World
Zoom Meeting ID: 960 28428691 Password: 672120
Monday, April 26
7:00 p.m. Common Read
Join here Meeting ID: 959 4407 4297 Passcode: 497374
Wednesday, April 28
12:00 p.m. Lunch with the Minister
By phone at +1929 205 6099 or log in here Meeting ID: 898 843 3706
Password: R3vT0nysRM (lowercase v, 3 not e, and Zero not letter O)
7:00 p.m. Fundraising Committee Meeting
Join here Meeting ID: 945 0832 0045 Password: 993500
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BIDDING HAS ENDED!
Earth Day Outdoor Movie Night 
