Installation Prayer Blessing: October 23, 2021
A Prayer Blessing Extended to Rev. Eileen Wiviott and the Unitarian Church of Evanston on the Occasion of her Installation as Senior Pastor on Saturday, October 23, 2021.
Loving and Merciful God, we come today in gratitude for this momentous occasion in the life of our dear friend Eileen and in the life of the Unitarian Church of Evanston.
We come in gratitude, first because we are witnesses to what the Psalmist wrote:
“This is the Lord’s doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes.” We are grateful for your anointed and appointed, your called and commissioned servant, Eileen.
Our Evanston community bears witness to Eileen’s gifts and contributions, already freely shared and given before this day of sacred consecration. We have seen her work with Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders. We have seen her work as an advocate for social justice and equity for all people. Before this day, we have heard her voice as a clarion call for justice on behalf of Jacob Blake, for equity in District 65, and for unity in our city. We have heard her story in clergy meetings, shared her faith in the unseen God, Creator of the Universe billions of years ago, and the quiet voice who awakened us this morning. We bear witness to Eileen’s skills as a teacher, administrator, preacher, planner, networker and one who sees no boundaries to Divine presence in the human family.
Then, too, we bear witness to the Unitarian Church of Evanston—a ray of hope in an often confusing and painful world. We thank God for the people of and in this sacred place. We bear witness to your commitment to nurturing the human spirit for a world made whole. We have seen your service as true neighbors, sharing your sacred space with others, committing to foster an atmosphere of faith and intellect, of words, music and the arts.
We bear witness to the actions and commitments of this church that help us realize Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s teaching that all life is interrelated and that we are all bound in a single garment of destiny. You teach us through word and deed that we can never reach our full potential unless all people flourish. This community has been on the forefront of building the Beloved Community. We bear witness to your workshops on race, your belief that Black Lives Matter, your extension of love to the multiplicity of faiths in Evanston and beyond.
It is because of what we have witnessed that we now pause to give thanks for the magnitude of this moment. We pray for the power of the Eternal God whom we know, worship, and understand in diverse ways to bless this union of pastor and congregation. May this union find its cup running over with love, grace, mercy and kindness. May the memory of this day sustain you long into the future. When storms come, may the marvel of this day be more than enough to see you through. When challenges arise, may the unity of this day be the strength that will allow you to surmount the difficulties and continue to thrive.
Thank you, Divine One, for the shift in the atmosphere on this day, for hurtling through the stratosphere and for landing here on Ridge Avenue in Evanston at the Unitarian Church. May Rev. Eileen Wiviott be blessed with good health, strength, and clarity of vision so that she may continue to be a guiding light at the Unitarian Church of Evanston and beyond its walls. And may our entire community be blessed, because of the blessings that You, Almighty and Ever-Present Source of Love, have showered upon us in this moment. AMEN
Rabbi Andrea London and Rev. Michael Nabors
WTC Chapters for November 21, 2021 Faith Formation Hour
2nd Chapter – Governance and
3rd Chapter – Congregations & Communities
Wanting to learn what our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is recommending as ways to dismantle white supremacy culture within our governance and leadership structures? Adult congregants are encouraged to participate in small group discussions of the Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, Widening the Circle of Concern. This report is a guiding document for UCE’s Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression work.
For our discussion in November, we will be reading 2 chapters. You are encouraged to read the chapter on Governance and the chapter on Congregations & Communities before November 21st so you are prepared for the conversation. You do not need to have participated in previous conversations to join this one!
These conversations will be taking place in-person as well as on Zoom. If you hold a marginalized identity and would want an identity-based caucus space to discuss Widening the Circle of Concern, please contact Rev. Eileen Wiviott or Rev. Susan Frances by November 14th so we can arrange that space.
If you would like to take part on Zoom, here is the link for November 21st at 11:30 am. Click here to join on Zoom!
The UUA Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) was commissioned by the 2017 General Assembly to conduct an audit of the power structures within the UUA and analyze systemic racism and white supremacy culture within our movement. This report, issued in June 2020, is the result of three years of labor by the COIC, gathering painful stories and doing the difficult emotional labor of identifying the ways systemic racism exists within Unitarian Universalism. The purpose and goals of the report include, to “identify the aspects of [white supremacy] culture that must be dismantled to transform us into a faith for our times.”
As the Board of Trustees, staff, and a few members have engaged with this report over the past year, we are clear that dismantling systemic racism within our institution is a shared responsibility and requires all of us to take part. Please join us in these vital conversations the 3rd Sunday of each month during the Faith Formation Hour through June 2022 (except April will be the 2nd Sunday).
~ Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Rev. Susan Frances
Thank you from Fair Trade Team: October 29, 2021
The Fair Trade Team would like to thank all those who attended our Faith Formation hour last Sunday. And a special thanks goes to Sheila and Kara Holder and their friend Jean Currie who provided creative planning and print materials – and the bananas – for the activities. It was fun to see so many enjoying the games and having good discussions while learning about fair trade. Some of our kids and adults especially enjoyed the chocolate milk made from fair trade cocoa while learning to spot the logos and words which identify fair trade products in our stores. Some have shown an interest in working with us which we happily encourage!
We hope to continue to provide information to you on where to find fairly traded products in our greater community and to offer a variety of products at our cart which will be open before and after the service each Sunday.
Oct 21, 2021 BOT Meeting Summary
The October 21st UCE Board meeting focused on the following.
There was considerable discussion of the first chapters of Unlocking the Power of Covenant, which the BoT is reading and recommends to interested UCE members. We considered such questions as the connections between theology and Widening the Circe of Concern, how social justice relates to our goals, and the importance of taking a fresh look at the UCE Covenant of Engagement and Ends Statements.
The Treasurer reported that we are still tracking closely to budget.
The ISC will support a Board Task Force to look carefully at next year’s budget, considering particularly the implications regarding the fact that the $72,000 federal PPP grant will not be repeated and we have lost of an important member due to age related life changes. This will help the Board and the membership consider how to maintain and even hopefully expand our programs.
The next Trustees meeting will be on Thursday, November 18 at 7 PM via Zoom. All are welcome.
Auction Update: October 29, 2021
Exciting Offerings at the Serendipity Auction
And keep your donations coming…
This year’s Serendipity Auction is brimming with amazing and creative offerings. Click here to view the Serendipity Auction catalog. Check out the beautiful handmade cards by Kathy Talmage. There are several gift certificates to local minority or woman owned or environmentally focused businesses, theatre tickets, sports teams, art classes, Pilates instruction, dinners and desserts delivered to your door, and that’s just the beginning!
Hoping to get away to a quiet place when the weather warms up again, look at these two wonderful lodging options in Wisconsin. Eager for a multi-generational online family game night activity, consider the drawful2 item. Interested in a thought provoking look at our history, check out this year’s Civil War Talk on Reparations.
We have 82 offerings so far (almost half from local businesses) and WE’D LOVE TO HAVE MORE! Have you hosted a group event in the past? Invite a new member from your Covenant group to co-host. Have a special talent or skill to share? Need other inspirations? Contact us at auction@ucevanston.org.
Ends Conversations Update: October 27, 2021
Everyone with a stake in the future of the UCE congregation – where we are going and how we want to be in the world – is invited to participate in open-hearted and spirited conversations about our End Statements. You can sign up for one of these conversations here:
In preparation, please consider these questions:
We hope that you will find one time to take part in this process of determining where we are going in shared ministry, for what purpose we are committed most as a congregation, and how we strive together to build the multigenerational Beloved Community of faith and covenant.
New Tai Chi Class at UCE: October 27, 2021
Tai Chi @ UCE is offering a new 6 weeks beginner’s class on Saturdays. The class will run from November 6 to December 11, from 9:45-10:45 am in the sanctuary when available.
UCE member Renee Gatsis who teaches the class has played Tai Chi for 40 years and taught it for over 20. She credits Tai Chi in large part for her equanimity and good health.
Participants will learn the Sun-style tai chi form adapted and popularized by Dr. Paul Lam. This meditation in motion is a gentle exercise with graceful, flowing movement performed at a slow tempo. The Sun style is a simple, upright form ideal for people of all ages. In fact, Renee has taught this form to teens as well as elders.
Regular Tai Chi practice yields many benefits including, but not limited to:
Want to learn more? Come to the Tai Chi information/demonstration session which will be part of the Spiritual Practices Faith Formation this Sunday, October 31, from 11:30 am – 12:15 pm in the sanctuary.
Interested in attending the 6 week class? Please register below.
October 31, 2021
We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, October 31st at 10:15 am.
An All Souls Halloween
At this time of year, it is said the veil between this and the spirit world is thinnest. We honor All Souls this Halloween, holding the dual companions of life and death, with solemnity and a little bit of silliness. We gather in community to hold our losses and learn from our ancestors with honesty and compassion. We also befriend our fears through fun. Bring your photos of loves ones to place on the altar or send them to Rev. Eileen to share virtually. And if you’d like, those of all ages may wish to wear a costume – ghostly or witchy, creative or kitschy. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads this service with Worship Associate, Lizzy Powers.
A few important notes about participating in-person:
- Everyone over 2 in and around the UCE building will need to be masked.
- We will maintain physical distance, which means, chairs will be spaced apart and seating is limited in the sanctuary to 120. We will have overflow seating in room 3 (25) and room 6 (20), to participate in the service through the livestream. Beyond this, there will be seating outside the sanctuary on the south lawn.
- Please review our UCE Guidelines for Building Use before Sunday.
Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 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 Mother and Child Alliance, formerly PACPI.