Dear Friends,

Life is complicated, and for me, the Thanksgiving holiday is always a reminder of that. I grew up with divorced parents, so Thanksgiving was the start of a whirlwind schedule of seeing everyone that lasted through the end of winter break. When I was in my 20’s, I was a vegetarian and Thanksgiving was the holiday that was hardest to navigate. Also in my 20’s, I became educated about the genocide of Indigenous communities and that made the cultural rhetoric around the beneficial relationship of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags difficult to reconcile. All of that is to say, Thanksgiving remains a complicated time for me.

This year, as I live into the Thanksgiving tradition of gratitude, I want to share with you how fortunate I feel to be serving the UCE community and to be on this part of life’s journey with you.

This summer and fall have been busy for our congregation and I am grateful for the creative and earnest ways in which we are living into our mission, to nurture the human spirit for a world made whole. For when our spirits are cared for, we have the energy to help shape our society, and as our world is made more whole, we have the resources to care for ourselves. It is a cycle that I see playing out in our congregation. In the past six months, we have formed five new teams. I hope as you learn about them, that one of them calls to you. There are various ways to be engaged with these teams, so I encourage you to reach out and have a conversation with the listed contact person to find out how you might get engaged in a way that matches with your time and energy.

Our Membership Engagement Task Force is will be providing its final report to the Board in January. As this Task Force winds down, we have two teams emerging from their work:

Congregational Connections Team – This team is the newest version of a membership engagement team. If you enjoy helping others get connected within our UCE community or providing fun ways to enjoy each other’s company, contact Susan Carlton through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org to find out more.

Leadership Development Team – This team is our newest version of a leadership engagement team. If you enjoy helping others grow their skills and transition from engaged member to engaged leader, contact Carolyn Laughlin through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org to find out more.

Engaging with the 2020 UCE Climate Action Resolution passed by the Board to bring our building’s carbon emissions in line with the 2018 City of Evanston’s Climate Action Resilience Plan, we have formed a new team that sits at the intersection of the Board of Trustees, Green Team, and Building & Grounds Team:

Emissions Reduction Team – This team has a long-term vision to help us reduce our community’s carbon emissions by 2035. If you have ideas or want to get involved at any level to accomplish this goal, contact David Bates-Jefferys through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org to find out more.

Building off of our work last year to create our Land Acknowledgment, we have coalesced a group of people with engaging ideas about how our faith community can grow in solidarity with local Indigenous communities:

Native Communities Solidarity Team – This team will be engaging our faith community in education and activism as we come together to be in relationship with local Indigenous communities. Contact Sallie Eggers through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org to find out more.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the reproductive healthcare case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, members and friends of our community have come together to work on this pivotal issue of our time:

Reproductive Justice Team – As more individuals come to Illinois to access vital healthcare, this team will be collaborating with the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI), Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF), and Midwest Action Coalition (MAC) to provide support for local clinics that provide abortion care. To find out more contact Jean Butzen through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Other things to watch out for in the coming weeks:

Our Mitten Tree is in full swing. To participate in purchasing presents, wrapping gifts, or making a financial contribution, click here.

Team 8th is working on a Black Labor Acknowledgement. To participate, contact Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

Our Anti-Oppression Task Force (AOTF) and YWCA Equity Institute Consultants will be presenting the results of the congregational survey at a congregation wide meeting on January 21, 2023. To participate, register here.

We are an expansive community and when each of us commits to doing one thing deeply and meaningfully, our hearts open and our world shifts. May you find that one thing and feel the joy of your commitment.

Yours in faith,
Rev. Susan

As we celebrate National Native American Heritage Month through learning and anti-oppression work, the REAL Team invites you to discuss Common Misconceptions and Injustices Facing Indigenous Peoples Today on Wednesday November 30th from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. (Central Time) via Zoom.

Our Indigenous siblings encounter widespread racism, poverty, and environmental degradation on Indian reservations and in urban areas. This oppression makes it difficult to survive as a people and to live fully according to their traditions. Many do not have the necessary resources, financial support, time, and energy to sustain and teach their language and culture. Survival itself depends on keeping their families intact, surviving rampant gender violence, stopping the destruction of their land, and maintaining their language and distinctive ways of life.

While some languages and cultural traditions are in danger of being relegated to the pages of ethnologists’ books, many Native communities enjoy a thriving original language and vibrant cultural traditions. Given the dominance of Euro-American culture and economy, these traditions also embody resistance and resilience.

Join the conversation to learn about misconceptions, the rich heritage at stake, and present-day struggles including:

• Brackeen v. Haaland, the Supreme Court case slated to strike down the Indian Child Welfare Act that also may destroy tribal sovereignty for land and other rights,
• The movement to address lack of protection for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and
• The fight to stop pipeline and other infrastructure projects being built on Native land.

We hope you can join us via Zoom on November 30 at 7:00 p.m.

I recently posed the following question to several UCE folks: “What word(s) best describe how you feel when walking into UCE?” Some popular responses included: peaceful, serene, thankful for this beautiful space, in community, inspired, at home, renewed, remembering wonderful times. Such reactions bring a smile to Liz Kennedy-Eason’s face. Together with her husband, Steven, Liz takes great pride and joy in their joint role caring for the building. When I recently interviewed Liz, it was clear that the church is her second home. “I work with love,” explained Liz. “I strive to provide a beautiful environment where a person feels safe and welcomed when they enter our building.” One of Liz’s favorite quotes comes from Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Liz relates this quote to her job: “Many people have walked through UCE’s doors and may have forgotten the details of what they heard or saw, but all will remember how the church made them feel. This is why my job is so important and why I give it my all.”

In 1998, Liz’s husband Kirk died unexpectedly and together with her 10-year old daughter, Lindsey, they began a search for spirituality and community. The first time they visited UCE was during the summer. At that time, summer services were lay led in Room 3 because that was the only air-conditioned space in the church. Margaret Shaklee led a Sufi dance that brought Liz to tears. Liz and Lindsey knew they had had found a home and Liz became a member shortly thereafter.

Fast forward a few years and we find Lindsey working part-time after school as a lobby staff person. As a teenager, Lindsey didn’t like working Saturday nights, so “Mom Liz” started filling in. At that point, Liz had worked 30 years in Human Resources and Payroll/Accounting and recalls the “a-ha” moment in the church parking lot when the trajectory of her life changed. “Right then and there, I made the decision to retire from the corporate world to embrace my ‘time’ versus my ‘stuff.’ I realized that time is life,” explained Liz. “I had enough ‘stuff’ but I didn’t know how much ‘time’ I might have.” The year was 2012 and Liz was hired on the spot as UCE’s first female sexton.

I’ve always thought it odd that churches still use the ancient word sexton to describe the duties that Steven and Liz perform. Per Wikipedia, “the words sexton and sacristan both derive from the Medieval Latin word sacristanus meaning custodian of sacred objects.” After spending time with Liz, I now think the word is a perfect description for what they do. Liz commented that “this building knows that Steven and I are here to take care of it. The church is alive – it has its own spirit.” In this Spring season, please join me in saying thank you to Steven and Liz for their hard-working and loving attention to all that is sacred at UCE.