Hi, Friends,

 

I’m back after a wonderful two week vacation. I traveled with two friends from high school through Porto, Portugal and London, England. The photo is of me looking down at the Douro River from the plaza surrounding the Sé Cathedral in Porto. I’m also pleased to report that we saw the Banksy statue in Waterloo Place in London.

 

As a visitor I took note of the adequate public transit, use of solar panels, and recycling and compost expectations in both Porto and London. This made me grateful for the attention our congregation is paying to environmental issues. From our solar panel installation this time last year to our hosting the Climate Action Evanston Earth Day event this past April, I am grateful for the support you have extended to make these initiatives a reality. 

 

I am pleased to announce that our Green Team is continuing our focus on environmental issues with a fresh name, format, mission, and vision. The new team name is Green Sanctuary Network. This team has transitioned to a new format in which they have a 4-5 person planning group, who will communicate with the larger team about programming and invite members of the larger team into time-limited volunteer opportunities. 

 

The Green Sanctuary Network Planning Group will continue to support our environmental working groups: Earth Day Working Group, Bike the Ridge Working Group, Harms Woods Working Group, and Spring Plant Swap Working Group. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Green Sanctuary Network or finding out about one of the working groups, please complete this Green Sanctuary Network form.

 

The new mission of the Green Sanctuary Network (GSN) is to weave the four essentials of climate action — justice, mitigation, community resilience, and congregational transformation — into the spiritual and communal life of UUCE. The GSN will live into this mission by:

  • Nourishing our team and supporting the ideas and energy of UUCE congregants
  • Grounding our actions in the realities of our community and those most impacted by climate change
  • Exploring opportunities for meaningful action and learning
  • Mobilizing for change through practical projects that reduce emissions, waste, and resource use
  • Reimagining together what a sustainable UUCE looks like within the framework of the UUA’s Four Essentials of Climate Action

 

I am also grateful for the joy you all continue to bring to our community despite the ongoing challenges happening within our country. The day after I returned from vacation, I had a meeting with the Congregational Connections Team (CCT). After lighting our chalice, the chair of CCT, Lina Hilko, shared with us a form of poetry that was new to me. It is a Lanturne Poem, which is a five-line verse shaped like a Japanese lantern with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, one.

 

Lina asked us to spend three minutes in silence to write a Lanturne Poem about summer and then we shared them with each other. It was a delight. As we head into the summer months, I invite you to do the same. To stop every now and again, create a Lanturne Poem or some other way to capture the moment, and then share it with someone. The members of the CCT agreed that I could share their Lanturne poems with you.

 

Yay!

Summer

Sun and Fun

More Light, More Time

Yes!

Sun

Travel

Time with friends

Read at the beach

Joy

Grab

Sunscreen

Grab a friend

Embrace Summer

Live!

Sun

Shining.

A smiling

face reflecting

Joy.

Breathe 

Open

Suspend time

Listen and look

Breathe

May this summer bring you what you need whether that is rest and stability, opportunities and adventure, or something more!

 

Yours in faith,

Rev. Susan