VirtUUal Faith Formation: April 30, 2021
What’s Happening in Faith Formation?
Welcome to our new monthly theme, Story! This week we focus on the segments The Welcome Mat, At the Table, and On the Message Board . Check out this week’s video here. You can access the Soulful Home packet here at your own leisure.
Many Ways to Connect
Popcorn Theology for 6th-8th Youth – Sunday at 1 pm. “Stargate: The Ark of Truth” Join the Zoom Meeting.
Taking Flight Sex Ed Program for 7th-9th Youth – Sunday at 1 pm. Youth must be registered to attend. See the email with Zoom info.
Pre/K Kids and Families – POP (Parents of Preschoolers) – May’s materials are available here. The password is YouGotThis2020 (case sensitive.) This UU-based program is to be used all month long. Do whatever fits your family’s schedule.
High School Youth – Sunday at 4 pm. Look for an email with details.
Current & Upcoming Adult Faith Formation
Intersectionality in Speculative Fiction: N. K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season – Tuesdays, May 4, 11, 18 at 7-8:30 pm - Facilitated by UCE member Emily Eckwahl-Sanna. Imagine a world where apocalypses are commonplace. Where frequent seismic activity—whether volcanoes, earthquakes, or other environmental disasters—result in extended winters and the widespread loss of human life.
Deepening UU Identity – May 26 at 7-8:30 pm via Zoom – Join us for our next session UU Spirituality: what does spirituality mean to us and how can we practice spirituality however we answer ultimate questions. Led by Rev. Eileen and Rev. Susan Frances.
Sealed by Katie Langston: Q&A with the Author – Tuesday, June 1 at 7 pm – Katie Langston’s memoir, Sealed, tells the story of her conversion to mainline Christianity out of Mormonism. Attendance at the 4/27 reading group led by Ruth Orme-Johnson is not required to also attend the Q&A.
From Rev. Karen Gustafson: April 30, 2021
Dear ones,
There is a large window in our upstairs bathroom that looks out into a patch of woods. Northern Minnesota is fully a month behind Central Illinois relative to the arrival of spring, and so, on this rather dreary day the view outside is all shades of brown and gray – except for the intrepid moss that grows on the north, south, east and west sides of the trees. Whereas I love the dazzling green of spring in your neck of the woods, I oddly treasure this fallow time of year when change comes more slowly and moves me to think about the nature of all things. This year especially as I move out of Covid and toward the end of my interim time with UCE, I am aware of the hidden changes that emerge out of winter.
Clearly there is deadfall, brought down by heavy snow or angry lake winds. But in the absence of leaves, it is impossible for me to tell which of the standing trees will bloom and which will, this summer, begin their journey back to earth. At ground level there are tiny sprouts making their way toward the light. Only a skilled botanist would be able to tell one from another and even they can’t predict which ones will survive to reveal their true identities. Late frost, hungry deer, stampeding squirrels all waiting to lay claim.
And in the end, spring will prevail. What is lost will most likely be forgotten as the living puts on its most extravagant show.
For me, the essence of Earth Day is to reclaim this poignant reality as it mirrors the nature of human systems. There is at once so much beauty and so much loss. Beauty and good fortune can be so seductive that the embedded presence of loss can be ignored.
At best what is lost becomes the stuff of regeneration in the form of lessons learned, mistakes corrected and wisdom claimed. At worst what is lost is human potential and the capacity for compassion and the will to work for change.
We are all emerging from many winters – the season itself can be harsh and especially so with the additions of Covid and growing urgency to address systemic racism and white supremacy in all forms.
At UCE there is much emerging beauty: the calling of Eileen Wiviott as your Senior Minister; the formation of the Anti-Oppression Task Force; a successful canvass; the structural review of many aspects of congregational life including Life Span Religious Education; wonderful virtual All Music Sunday and so much more.
Let us not in the presence of all of this splendor, forget the losses: those who have been left behind due to lack of access to technology; those who have not been able to engage because of illness; those who have drifted away because they have not felt welcomed or invited into connection. These tender shoots need our attention even in our grateful celebration of spring.
As you slowly re-emerge from this time of pandemic, please think of those with whom you have been long disconnected. Today would be a good day for reaching out with a phone call or an e-mail or a personal note. Let the power of those small gestures nourish the ground of your beloved community.
In love and gratitude,
Karen Gustafson
Interim Minister
Anti-Oppression Task Force Invitation: April 30, 2021
As you may recall, the Board of Trustees commissioned an Anti-Oppression Task Force at UCE in response to a call from the congregation, Evanston Interfaith leaders, the UUA through the Commission on Institutional Change, and Black Lives of UU “to engage in the struggle to dismantle white supremacy as it collectively exists” and “to become more inclusive, equitable, and diverse while… work[ing]…to be accountable to those most affected by injustice.” The purpose of this task force is to determine the ways in which this congregation might answer this call, making justice a reality both in our congregation and beyond.
Accomplishing this mission while working within the system of white supremacy that pervades all our institutions has proven much more complicated than anticipated. We decided we needed the assistance of an outside consultant. For that reason, a dedicated group of UCE members interviewed three outside consultants and chose the YWCA Equity Institute to work with us. We chose the YWCA because of their depth of knowledge and experience, their track record in working with Evanston institutions, and their familiarity with our church and its history. The YWCA will be assisting us with creating the task force, training its members, and beginning the work at UCE.
We would like to invite you to contact us about joining the task force. All are welcome who feel called to help build the Beloved Community. We need your voice.
We are looking for task force members who are willing to commit to these goals:
- To elevate consciousness and self-awareness, and to expand our shared desire and motivation to address oppression throughout UCE
- To identify policies and practices throughout UCE which offend, marginalize, or oppress those from marginalized communities and dismantle those policies and practices
- To develop and implement strategies, policies, and practices that reflect a commitment to equity and anti-oppression
- To shine a light on the harm that has been caused to marginalized people in our congregation in the past without causing further harm
- To commit to anti-racism and anti-oppression work within, among, and beyond our congregation
- To be an open, welcoming, anti-racist, anti-oppressive beacon of faith
We want to form a group that will bring as many different perspectives as possible to this endeavor. We encourage UCE members who have connections to organizations within our larger Evanston and Chicago community, such as Interfaith Action, Community Renewal Society, and Connections for the Homeless. Our hope is that a spectrum of voices from within our congregation will make up the task force.
We will strive to make it possible for anyone to lend their abilities and experience to the work. In doing this work, we will endeavor to create, as Micky ScottBey Jones states, “brave space./Because there is no such thing as a ‘safe space’…we will not be perfect. This space will not be perfect…we will work on it side by side.” We need to be in this work together.
Please fill out the attached form if you are interested in joining the task force and send it to bot@ucevanston.org. Please fill out the form before May 14, 2021. If you know someone who would be an excellent addition to this task force, please encourage them to fill out a form. We will be meeting with the YWCA on May 18th, when we will be reviewing the response forms of those who indicated their interest.
If you have questions, please send an email to bot@ucevanston.org.
May 2, 2021
We will host an online worship service on Sunday, May 2nd at 11:15 am.
The Formation of Our Faith
We are at an exciting point in time, as this pandemic has given us an opportunity to breathe – to re-evaluate and re-think things in our lives, with our UCE community being one of those. Our Faith Formation Force has been exploring new ways of “doing church” that better supports the spiritual, educational, and social needs of our community throughout the lifespan. Today, we celebrate the faith formation of our young people and families through pictures, videos, readings, and music. We will recognize our 8th graders as they bridge into high school, and hear from our graduating high school seniors as they bridge into young adulthood, and we will welcome our newest members joining our beloved community.
Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 11 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois.
Insist on Justice! Resist Inequality!: April 21, 2018
We’re organizing for the greater good. Come and share ideas and best practices with leaders in the fight for income equality, racial justice and immigrant rights at a conference titled: ‘Insist on Justice! Resist Inequality” to held at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, 9:30am – 3pm on Saturday, April 21.
After a keynote speech delivered by author Chuck Collins on the pivotal role played by social and economic equality in building a more just society, a panel of activists will share what they’ve learned about how to encourage more folks to join the movement, how to inspire volunteers and how to work in coalitions. Over lunch we’ll also have the chance to share ideas and learn from each other as we develop our own plans for the future.
Chuck Collins is the author of “Born on Third Base” and “99 to 1” which detail how government policy adds to US social imbalance and what we can do about it. He is the Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC and has worked with William Gates Sr and others to increase social responsibility and support for the inheritance tax among the wealthy.
Alan Mills of the Uptown People’s Law Center will share his insight into the fight for the rights of prisoners, tenants, and disabled people. Invited panelists also include Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, and Fred Tsao of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
This event is sponsored in part by the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program and the Unitarian Church of Evanston and its Susan Walker Fund for social justice.
To register for the conference at a cost of $15, including lunch, click here.
Hats Off to Jane Kenamore: April 23, 2021
Thanks to Jane Kenamore for extending her term as an Endowment Trustee and making an important contribution to the continuity and competence of the Endowment Fund Committee!
Jane served as Chair of the Endowment Trustees in 2019-2020, which was the final year in her term as a Trustee. She had been working with the Trustee who was to be the Chair in the current 2020-21 church year, when that person had to unexpectedly resign. Jane agreed to stay on as a Trustee and Co-Chair with Margaret Schatz, who Jane has mentored to be the 2021-22 Chair. Jane will continue working with Endowment after her additional year as Trustee and Co-Chair. As Chair and then Co-Chair of Endowment, Jane spent time reviewing the by-laws to make sure they reflected current practices and she is now a member of the Endowment Task Force which is looking at Endowment best practices.
Jane has been a member of UCE for over 30 years, and over that time she has served in other leadership positions. She was one of the first members of the Worship Arts Team and continues to be an important member of that Team. She is also a dedicated choir member, who was part of the visioning and implementing process for securing our section leaders.
Thank you, Jane, for being very professional, very thorough, and very knowledgeable!
VirtUUal Faith Formation: April 23, 2021
What’s Happening in Faith Formation?
Welcome as we continue our theme of Becoming! This week we focus on the segments At the Bedside, The Extra Mile, and Blessing. Check out this week’s video here. You can access the Soulful Home packet here at your own leisure.
Many Ways to Connect
8th and 12th Grade Bridging – We will meet on the lawn at UCE Sunday at 4 pm to record the bridging ceremony.
RE Sunday – May 2 – Featuring YOU! We’re taking submissions from families, kids, and youth to contribute to this special worship service. Here are some ways to do so:
- Send pictures of your family or kids doing an activity from the Soul Kits or Soulful Home packet.
- Make a short (1-2 minutes) video of your family about any of the following:
- How you have felt and stayed connected to UCE this past year
- How you have lived out your UU values as a family or individually
- Playing a musical interlude or singing your favorite UU song
- Showing artwork or reading a poem that relates to our UU Principles and values – including the proposed 8th Principle
- Your family lighting a chalice at home
You can put your picture or video in this Google folder by April 18. Feel free to email Kathy with any questions!
Taking Flight Sex Ed Program for 7th-9th Youth – Sunday at 1 pm. Youth must be registered to attend. See the email with Zoom info.
Pre/K Kids and Families – POP (Parents of Preschoolers) – April’s materials are available here. The password is YouGotThis2020 (case sensitive.) This UU-based program is to be used all month long. Do whatever fits your family’s schedule.
High School Youth – Bridging at UCE on Sunday at 4 pm.
Current & Upcoming Adult Faith Formation
Sealed by Katie Langston: Reading Group and Q&A with Author – Tuesdays, April 27 at 8 pm and June 1 at 7 pm – Katie Langston’s memoir, Sealed, tells the story of her conversion to mainline Christianity out of Mormonism. A conversation with Ruth Orme-Johnson for those interested in joining this “reading group” will be held on April 27th at 8pm. Attendance is not required to also attend the Q&A.
Deepening UU Identity – April 28 at 7-8:30 pm via Zoom – Second of four sessions. The Six Sources: understanding UU pluralism – how the broad sources from which we draw inspiration and wisdom make our living tradition unique. Led by Rev. Susan Frances.
Intersectionality in Speculative Fiction: N. K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season – Tuesdays, May 4, 11, 18 at 7-8:30 pm - Facilitated by UCE member Emily Eckwahl-Sanna. Imagine a world where apocalypses are commonplace. Where frequent seismic activity—whether volcanoes, earthquakes, or other environmental disasters—result in extended winters and the widespread loss of human life.