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You're invited to worship with us in-person or online this Sunday, May 28th at 10:30 a.m. Gather in our air conditioned Sanctuary at UU Meriden; or join our Zoom meeting, link below.
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Rev. Tony Lorenzen reflects on our congregation's present and future in "Living and Learning Cross-culturally" through the lens of the recent conclusions from the Intercultural Development Inventory. What can we do moving forward to grow our capacity to live, work, and worship in a multicultural setting? Accompaniment by Kevin Wyman.
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Rev Tony: Where do you come from? What's your culture?
On Sunday May 28, 2023, Rev. Tony will speak about the Intercultural Development Inventory, Multicultural Competency, and how these things related to congregational life, work, and mission.
There will be an opportunity during the service to talk with others about your own cultural background.
To best be prepared for that conversation, please be thinking about the following questions and your responses to them:
• How many generations has your family lived in the United States?
• Where did your ancestors come from when they came to the United States? Did they come of their own free will or were they forced here by the slave trade, economic necessity, or as refugees?
• Who was the most recent person in your family to speak a language other than English at home?
• Do you still make and eat recipes and foods that have been passed down generation to generation in your family?
• What religion did your grandparents practice? Your parents? You? Your children?
• What were some birthday traditions in your family growing up? What was important to you as a child about birthdays? Do you still keep up those traditions?
• How do you feel when someone doesn’t make eye contact when speaking with you?
• How close does someone have to stand to you when speaking to you before you begin to feel uncomfortable?
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👍 Thank you! 👏
For an incredibly efficient Annual Meeting!
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UU Meriden's Annual Tag Sale • June 10, 9am - 2pm
Volunteering!
There will be a sign up sheet at church on Sunday to help with our upcoming Tag Sale: If you are able to help out, please put your name down for the time slots when you’d like to help – whether with set up on Friday, June 9 or at the tag sale on Saturday, June 10, or both! Keep in mind your own wellness in deciding how to share your energy – together we can lighten the load, cover all the time slots needed, and have fun doing it!
If you are not going to be in church this Sunday (5/28) and want to help please text Diane Szymaszek at 203-589-1480 or email her at deesmaz@gmail.com to let her know when you can help out.
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We have done an amazing job in recent years balancing our efforts to run a smooth and enjoyable tag sale for the local community and for ourselves. With everyone’s support we can do the same thing this year. Remember many hands means a lighter load for all. Thank you UUCM!
Sign up at church or contact Diane Szymaszek to volunteer!
See below for details & donations
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UU Meriden will be at PRIDEFEST in Middletown June 2, 3, & 4!
Social Justice Council is asking for volunteers for our booth at the Middletown Pride Festival & Parade NEXT WEEKEND -- We need volunteers to represent UU Meriden see the time slots listed above. Need is highest Saturday, June 3 but we're looking for help Friday and Sunday too. If you can pitch in with preparation or at our booth that day, please contact SJC at justice@uumeriden.org.
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UU Meriden's Annual Tag Sale • June 10, 9am - 2pm
SIGN UP SHEET AVAILABLE TOMOROW AT CHURCH
What Can I Do To Help?
- Check your home for items that you no longer need or want to donate. Please make sure they are clean and sellable. No clothes or books unless the books are the latest best sellers or a collectible.
- Let your friends and neighbors know you are collecting items for the tag sale. Look for people who are moving. This is a good source of tag sale items.
- Help set up on Friday June 9th between 9:00 and 4:00.
- Work at the Tag Sale on Saturday June 10th. Sign up for a time slot at church tomorrow or talk to Diane.
- Help with clean up at the end of the tag sale. We can always use new and fresh volunteers at the end of the day to help pack up leftover items.
- SPREAD THE WORD - Tell people know about UU Meriden's Tag Sale on Saturday June 10th — post online, tell your friends to tell their friends, message in a bottle, however you communicate, help us get the word out!
You may bring items anytime between now and the 9th of June. They can be stored downstairs. For larger items it would be better to hold them till the 9th if possible.
Contact Diane Szymaszek to find out more, volunteer, or arrange item drop-off.
Not sure what's sellable? One way to check, ask yourself: would I offer this to my neighbor? Would I re-gift it? Could I sell it online? If you wouldn't be comfortable giving it to an acquaintance or wouldn't sell it online, it may not be a sellable item for us.
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🌟 THIS TUESDAY 🌠
Read Aloud Book Group meets Tues, May 30 @ 7pm on Zoom
As usual, no preparation necessary: Liz will read out loud and we'll discuss what we read. You DON'T need to have the book or read the chapter ahead of time. IF YOU WANT to read aloud let Liz know. The text will be on the screen during our Zoom meeting. All are welcome!
We'll read the second chapter of "Starry Messenger" by Neil de Grasse Tyson.
Contact Liz Hall by call or text to get the Zoom Link: 860-978-9534
Join the Read Aloud Book Group on Zoom Tuesday, May 30 @ 7 p.m.
About the book: Starry Messenger by world-renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.
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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!
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Small Group Ministry ⛪ Open Invitation
Third Saturdays at 10am, monthly at UU Meriden
The Saturday Small Group Ministry meets monthly and is open to all, no registration required. The Group meets on the third Saturday of every month from 10am until noon in the Sanctuary of the church at 328 Paddock Avenue, Meriden. No reservation needed (This group is separate from our Soul Matters Small Groups which require registration). The leader will pick a topic of discussion relating to each month's worship theme. 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.
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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.
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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." Our Summer Schedule begins in July; worship services shift from 10:30 to 10 for the months of July and August.
- May 28 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "Living and Learning Cross-culturally" – Rev. Tony Lorenzen reflects on our congregation's Intercultural Development Inventory results and what we can do moving forward to improve our cross-cultural awareness and ability to live, work, and worship in a multicultural setting. Accompaniment by Kevin Wyman. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- June 04 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "Little Drops of Delight" – Worship Associate Anita Sanders reflects on the tiny drops delight she’s found in some of the smallest moments of ordinary life. Delight, even in small amounts is still delight. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- June 11 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "Norbert Capek: A Real Life Hope Punk" – Rev. Tony Lorenzen leads the UU Church in Meriden's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the UU Flower Ceremony and reflects on the example of its founder, Norbert Capek, who's story is a real life model of what fantasy author Alexandra Rowland termed "Hope Punk" - the opposite of the dystopian nihilistic tales called "grimdark." The term has given rise to an artistic movement centered on not losing hope even in the most desperate times and the reality that fighting for what is good and right is cause and reason enough to go on. Accompaniment by Kevin Wyman. In-person & via Zoom.
- June 18 at 10:30 a.m. . . . "Path to Delight" – On this Father's Day, when many celebrate the 'fathers' in our lives, join Worship Associate Peg Kirkpatrick as she reflects on her path to finding and holding delight, even when the light is dimmed. We'll ponder together how delight can offer us spiritual nourishment. In-person & via Zoom.
- 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 still find the Minister's Monthly Message and Rev. Tony's Spiritual Challenge in the section below.
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Support UU Meriden with a Secure Online Donation
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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!
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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!
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Rev. Tony's May Spiritual Challenge
• Creativity • Explore a New Medium •
My spiritual challenge for you this month is to explore new media. I’m not talking about trying a new streaming channel or listening to a new podcast. I’m referring to the 19 materials and tools used to create art of all types. These are:
1. Architecture 2. Carpentry 3. Ceramics 4. Drawing 5. Electronics/Digital 6. Film/Video 7. Food 8. Glass 9. Installation 10. Literature 11. Nature 12. Painting 13. Performing Arts 14. Photography 15. Printmaking 16. Sculpture 17. Sound 18. Technical/Engineering 19. Textiles
(For a great survey/introduction to these 19 different media see Don Corgi’s essay “What is Media in Art?” here: https://doncorgi.com/blog/media-in-art/)
Many people have at least one preferred creative medium. Even if you don’t consider yourself an “artist” you probably have some familiarity with at least one of these nineteen modes of creative expression. If you think that you are not “good” at any of these, that’s all right, you probably create nonetheless.
(See my spiritual challenge from last May’s (2022) on the theme of Beauty, which is all about “making good art” and reinforces the idea all art YOU make is “good.” You can watch that video here: https://youtu.be/5o5gdaDcwo0)
My personal creative media includes: Electronics, Film/Video, Food, Literature, Nature, Painting, Performing Arts, Photography, and Sound. I’m going to really be stretching myself to try something totally new. I’m leaning toward sculpture as I think it would be fun to try and make a sculpture out of various items lying around the house and garage. I might even try a chalice!
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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.
Click on the image above to see Rev. Tony's Spiritual Challenge on YouTube. The Minister's Monthly Message is still available below.
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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 still check out Rev Tony's Spiritual Challenge for May above!
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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.
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Credits, Thanks, & Attributions
- UUA: Orange Chalice Logo
- Rev. Tony/YouTube: screencap
- 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
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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.
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How to Contact UU Meriden
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