|
You're invited to worship with us in-person or online this Sunday, April 30th at 10:30 a.m. Gather in our Sanctuary at UU Meriden; or participate by joining our Zoom meeting, link below.
● ● ●
|
|
|
|
We welcome to UU Meriden for the first time guest preacher the Rev. Deacon Félix Rivera of the Episcopal Church for a change in perspective as he reflects on a gun buyback program called "Swords to Ploughshares" and his vision of bringing that program to Meriden — and how we can help. This sermon title comes from a passage in Isaiah, "...they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks"
Followed by Coffee Hour.
|
|
|
Rev. Deacon Félix Rivera
The Rev. Deacon Félix Rivera is a Deacon in The Episcopal Church, a branch of the Anglican Church, which endeavors to practice inclusive Christianity. Deacon Rivera is a friend of Rev. Tony and his wife, Rev. Tuesday, who is an Episcopal minister. Deacon Rivera serves The Episcopal Church in Connecticut, headquartered here in Meriden, as a member of the North Central Region Leadership Team (Hartford and Middlesex counties) and of the The Hispanic Ministry Network, a collaboration of CT Episcopal and Lutheran communities serving Spanish-speaking populations and honoring their Hispanic cultural traditions. Deacon Rivera is passionate about bringing a gun buyback program here and decreasing the amount of guns around us. Rev. Tony invited Deacon Rivera to share his vision and the Swords to Ploughshares program with us.
|
|
|
|
The Minister's Monthly Message
“Creatively Creating a Multiracial Congregation”
Dear Beloveds,
Our theme for this month is CREATIVITY! Fifteen of our members have taken the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Assessment which measures an individual’s or a group’s capacity to successfully understand and navigate different cultures. Later in the month (May 28th), I’ll spend a Sunday service reflecting on what we can learn from the IDI and how we might think creatively about becoming a more multicultural and multiracial congregation.
In 2018 I attended the “Revolutionary Love Conference” hosted annually by Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, where the lead Pastor is Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis (click here for more about her). Middle Collegiate Church is about as diverse and multicultural as a church gets. It’s racially diverse, economically diverse, has a substantial LGBTQIA+ membership, and every generation from the Greatest through to Alpha (born roughly 2010-2024) is represented in good numbers. Shortly after I attended Revolutionary Love, Rev. Dr. Lewis published a book called “The Pentecost Paradigm: Ten Strategies for Becoming a Multiracial Congregation.” I’m hoping the IDI will be one tool that helps think creatively about how to diversify the congregation. A good place to start is to consider Rev. Dr. Lewis’ recommendations. According to her, building a multiracial congregation involves:
* Embracing Call and Commitment
* Casting the Vision
* Managing Change and Creativity
* Creating Congregational Identity
* Building Capacity
* Cultivating Community
* Celebrating in Worship
* Understanding Congregational Conflict
* Communicating and Organizing
* Collaborating in the Public Square
We already engage in some of these strategies. We collaborate in the public square, we cultivate community, and we embrace the call and commitment For our next steps, we might begin by talking more with each other about our congregational identity – what it is and what it could be or what we want it to be – and thinking creatively about how we take those steps. The IDI may help us cast a multiracial vision. I’ll speak more about this during my sermon in late May. Have a creative month!
Blessings,
Rev. Tony
May's worship theme is Creativity. You can get started on Rev Tony's Spiritual Challenge for May will be included next week. Until then, April's challenge remains at the bottom of this newsletter.
|
|
|
|
Member of the Month, appreciating each other
Continuing our tradition of recognizing people who make a contribution to our church community by naming a month after them, May is Crystal Harrington month! Crystal is fairly new to our community. From the very beginning Crystal has jumped in to help wherever she can. She has assisted in multiple fundraising efforts like the tag sale and holiday fairs. You will see her in the kitchen, often helping with clean-up. She participated in our Clean our Church Day. Crystal has begun attending Social Justice Council meetings. One of the best things about Crystal is her upbeat attitude and beautiful smile. We are so glad you have joined us, Crystal!
|
|
|
|
🌼 May Day in the Garden 🌼
Gardening Monday, May 1st anytime 10 to noon
Weather permitting we will gather in the garden again this Monday at 10am. Let's nurture nature this May Day. We'll finish weeding the outside circle of the Spiral Garden. Weather dependent.
If you have any questions talk to Diane Szymaszek this Sunday at church or email her at deesmaz@gmail.com or text at 203-589-1480.
|
|
|
|
Wed 10AM @ Diane's 🎨
On Wednesday, May 3, 10am - noon, we will be painting rocks for our booth at the Middletown Pride Festival & Parade on June 3rd, 2023. Paint, rocks & designs be provided. If you would like to help, join us at Diane’s home; contact Diane at deesmaz@gmail.com or text at 203-589-1480. If you are interested in helping with the booth, please contact SJC at justice@uumeriden.org.
|
|
|
Amended Bylaws Final Draft
Thanks to the hard work and valuable input from many people we have a final draft for amended bylaws. This final draft includes changes recommended by members of our church community. Thank you all for your investment in this work. The link to this final draft is below. We will be voting them up or down at the annual meeting on May 21. Please make every effort to read through this draft and attend the annual meeting. Thank you for being part of our UU Meriden community!
If you have further questions, please contact the Board of Trustees, (Nancy, Janet, Trish, and Tony) at trustees@uumeriden.org.
|
|
|
|
Jen Stark Interment Service
Rev. Tony officiated an interment ceremony for Jen Stark’s family this week as Jen’s family placed her ashes in the ground among other family members at a cemetery in Tolland. Rev. Tony conveyed condolences from the congregation along with our love.
|
|
|
|
🌟 Read Aloud Book Group 🌠
This Tuesday, May 2 @ 7 p.m. - On Zoom
You're invited to the Read Aloud Book Group's next meeting on Tuesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. via Zoom! We'll read the first chapter of "Starry Messenger" by Neil de Grasse Tyson. We'll be reading out loud together and we'll discuss what we read. Reading ahead of time is optional (we’re reading together anyway!) and so is reading aloud - so don't worry it won't be you - unless you request to read out loud! 📖
Contact Liz Hall by texting or call to get the Zoom Link
860-978-9534
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
|
|
|
Soul Matters Small Group Ministry* Registration
Soul Matters Small group ministry registration is now open! There are five groups currently forming or seeking new members. For meeting days and times see the registration form. To register and sign up for a small group click HERE. Belonging to a small group is a powerful way to reflect deeply on spiritual and philosophical themes, deepen relationships with other members of the congregation, and listen deeply to your own heart.
Our small groups meet once a month. The meetings will consist of 8-12 people gathering for a time of reflection and sharing. Each gathering will include chalice lighting, a time to check in and share joys and concerns, a time for reflecting on questions and resources related to our monthly theme, closing words, and extinguishing the chalice. The reflection material will come from Soul Matters and be available at the beginning of each month on our website and via email directly to participants.
For more on the details of small groups, see our website at: https://uucentralct.org/smallgroups/ If you have questions or have trouble accessing the website or registration form, contact Rev. Tony.
* Please Note: UUCM is proud to have multiple options for Small Group Ministries, the groups described here are not connected to the Saturday Small Group Ministry which meets monthly and does not require registration, see their announcement also in the News section.
|
|
|
|
Small Group Ministry ⛪ Open Invitation
Third Saturdays, 10am, monthly at UU Meriden
In May, Small Group Ministry will meet on Saturday, May 20 at 10am in the Sanctuary of the church at 328 Paddock Avenue, Meriden. The Group meets on the third Saturday of every month from 10am until noon. No reservation needed. The leader picks a topic of discussion for the meeting. All are welcome. A reminder email will go out the week of the meeting. If you would like to be added to the reminder list, please contact Ann Rustici.
For further information, please call Ann Rustici at 203-559-5771.
|
|
|
Time Change: Meeting Now at 9:00 AM
The Board of Trustees meeting will take place Wednesday, May 10 at 9:00am via Zoom (rather than in the evening as previously announced.) Any UUCM member may attend and speak but not vote. If you’d like to attend, please email Trish Schneider for the Zoom link: trustees@uumeriden.org.
|
|
|
Gardening Mondays at UU Meriden! Details above.
📸 Photos from Diane
|
|
|
LOGO & NAME CHANGE
It's not too late: Your feedback is essential! Check out the options at the link below ⬇
See our website here: https://uucentralct.org/a-new-name-and-logo/ to learn about our new name and logo options and give us your feedback.
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
Worship this Month
Note: Sunday worship services at UU Meriden begin at 10:30 A.M. We are located at 328 Paddock Ave. Unless otherwise indicated, our Sundays worship will also be offered via Zoom aka "Hybrid." You can check if a service is in-person, online, or hybrid on the schedule below:
- April 30 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "Swords to Ploughshares" – We are joined for the first time by guest preacher Rev. Deacon Félix Rivera of the Episcopal Church for a change in perspective as he reflects on a gun buyback program called Swords to Ploughshares and his vision of bringing that program to Meriden — and how we can help. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- May 07 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "I'll Be There for You" – Rev. Tony Lorenzen leads us into May, and the theme of "Creativity." We reflect on creating ways to better support and take care of each others in a growing, changing congregation. Accompaniment by Kevin Wyman. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- May 14 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "Starry Eyed: Taking a Cosmic Perspective" – Special guest preacher Rev. Dr. Kelly M. Mason reflects on taking our responsibility as global citizens seriously and what changes when we make fundamental commitments to having Earth be our shared home. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- May 21 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "On Creativity & Change" – Worship Associate Anita Sanders reflects on the ways creativity requires changing that which already is and considers how we react to creative change as individuals and a community. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- Find out a bit about our May 28 worship service in the message from Rev. Tony about Intercultural Development below.
- Attending via Zoom: Our hybrid services are simultaneously live online via Zoom and in-person at UUCM. The UU Meriden Zoom meeting access link is always http://go.uumeriden.org/zoom. Unless otherwise indicated, worship services will continue to be hybrid.
- Please see our current COVID Policy on our website HERE, effective 10/2022
Our May Worship Theme is Creativity — For recommendations, inspirations, and free resources relating to our Monthly Worship Themes visit our website. You can read the Minister's Monthly Message at the top of this newsletter!
|
|
From Rev. Tony Lorenzen
Rev. Tony will present our congregational Intercultural Development Inventory assessment results to the board and then will discuss them with the congregation during our Sunday service on May 28, 2023.
If you took the Intercultural Development Inventory and requested a meeting with Rev. Tony to go over your own personal assessment results, now is the time to make an appointment. Everyone who took the IDI will receive an email from Rev. Tony with two documents attached – your personal IDI Profile (assessment results) and suggestions for an Individual Development Plan (IDP) along with a link to schedule a 30-minute appointment with Rev. Tony to discuss these results and recommendations. If you have not yet received an email with your results, please contact Rev. Tony.
PLEASE REMEMBER – the Assessment does NOT measure how Anti-Racist or Racist you are. It doesn’t make judgements about whether or not you are a good person or if you are well-intentioned. The IDI provides in-depth insights on how individuals and groups make sense of cultural differences and also how they respond to cultural differences. The IDI measures both one’s mindset and skillset. This is assessment is an opportunity to learn and grow personally and as a community; we all benefit from each of us who takes the time to share their perspective. Thank you to those who have done so!
If you have NOT taken the IDI assessment but would like to do so now, please contact Rev. Tony. We will make another opportunity to do this available soon.
Thanks once again for taking the Intercultural Development Inventory as part of our congregation’s efforts to further the congregation’s cross-cultural awareness and skill.
The Reverend Tony Lorenzen
Call or text 508-344-3668
Email revtony@pm.me
|
|
|
|
Support UU Meriden with a Secure Online Donation
|
|
It only takes a few clicks to support UU Meriden and the causes that matter most to you — online! The drop down menu on our PayPal allows you to select whether you are contributing to your pledge, adding to our weekly offering, donating to Social Justice Council, fulfilling your commitment to the Challenge Fund, or supporting our Pastoral Care Ministries. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our fundraisers last year and to everyone who participated in our Challenge Fund this winter! To check it out, click the PayPal icon below or follow this link: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=MWVNLAV4AHY6A
Thank you for your Generosity!
|
|
|
|
THANK YOU for all your generous donations & contributions through these years of change and challenges. Please continue to support the congregation financially. Click the PayPal icon to donate online now!
|
|
|
|
|
*and we believe you deserve rest!
Rev. Tony's April Spiritual Challenge
Resistance Requires Rest
My spiritual challenge for April is to develop a practice of Sabbath because practicing Sabbath is a form of resistance to late-stage capitalism, constantly being “on,” and viewing self-worth in terms of production.
In Jewish tradition the Sabbath is an entire 24 hours of rest from work devoted to family, mealtime, study, and contemplation. If an entire day is too much to start with, mark out a few hours once each week this month. Your practice may differ from traditional Jewish practice, obviously. Many people I work with in spiritual direction think practicing Sabbath means praying, studying the Bible or being “religious” in some way. It doesn’t need to be. I think the most important thing for a Sabbath practice is to disengage from the world of production, commerce, work, and its attendant stresses. Do something that enriches you instead – read, walk in the woods, have a meal with family or friends, host a game night, meet someone for coffee, make art, play music – you get the idea. Step off the treadmill of must, have to, should, ought to. Don’t answer or send email or text messages. Unplug, perhaps just take a well-deserved nap! What does this have to do with resistance? Much!
In his book Sabbath as Resistance, Walter Brueggemann says rest on the sabbath is an act of revolution and resistance against the economics of exploitation, which is basically what our practice of capitalism has become. The Sabbath is not only a spiritual discipline, but a form of resistance to everything the Pharaohs of the world stand for - greed, acquisition, power and control, anxiety, fear of want, self-centeredness, only the strong survive, some people are better than others. Rest on the Sabbath is an act of resistance against a political/economic/cultural system based on a hierarchy of wealth and power that view the individual not as a human being, not as a citizen but both an economic commodity and a depersonalized consumer of goods and services. There is no inherent human dignity and worth in this system.
Practicing Sabbath is part of meaning making and justice-doing. We all deserve rest – not just the wealthy, not just the privileged. We need to remember what we’re fighting and resisting for – for the right of everyone to enjoy life, live in peace, and become all they can be.
For more on Sabbath as Resistance, see my sermon from September 20, 2021 on YouTube Here (sermon begins at 24:45).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As always, I’d love to hear about your experiences with this challenge. Call or text me at 508-344-3668 or send me an email at revtony@pm.me.
|
|
|
Minister's Schedule
Rev. Tony is generally available 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday and at any time in an emergency. The quickest way to reach Rev. Tony is to call or text him at (508) 344-3668. You can also reach him via email at revtony@pm.me. If you contact Rev. Tony via email, and do not receive a response for more than 1 business day, please call or text him at the number above for a faster response.
|
|
|
Credits, Thanks, & Attributions
- UUA: Orange Chalice Logo
- Félix Rivera for his photo
- The Wall Street Journal: Swords to Ploughshares graphic, 2015
- Diane for her garden photos
- Rev. Tony: sample logo
- UUA.ORG/IMAGES: We Believe... image
- Future Newsletter Volunteers - and those who've already stepped up - If you wish this newsletter came out earlier, you can make that happen! Volunteer! Email announcements@uumeriden.org
|
|
|
PUBLICATION POLICY
Announcements for the Weekly Update, Social Media
Announcements are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday for that week's publication. Send your news to the below email address, say what it's for in the subject line, and if there is an attachment please write 'see attachment' in the email. Tips: be brief; pictures and links encouraged where appropriate; include a contact person and specific dates; no formatting is necessary. Announcements are subject to editing and approval; submissions will run in the Weekly Update each Friday, or Saturday – other email blasts should be explicitly requested. Items are prioritized for timeliness. Send your news to: announcements@uumeriden.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How to Contact UU Meriden
|
|
|
|
|
