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Worship Planning Playdate: February 13, 2021

Have you wanted to participate in planning worship but didn’t know how to get involved? Do you have ideas for music, visual arts, ritual, story, or videos that could make our services more meaningful and engaging for people of all ages? You are invited to join the ministers and program staff who plan weekly services for a fun workshop on Zoom.

We’ll gather ideas and ‘metaphorage’ around service themes and topics. This is a great chance to dip your toe in – an investment of two hours that could scratch the itch or lead you to further involvement with worship planning because it’s just that much fun! Email Rev. Eileen if you’d like to join in or show up on Saturday, February 13^that 10 am.

Click here to Register

Click here to join the Workshop

Worship Planning Playdate: February 13, 2021UCE UCE2021-01-29T21:08:32+00:00

Building Use and Scheduling: January 2021

With the rising of COVID-19 cases in the Chicagoland area, we highly encourage groups to continue meeting virtually. UCE’s building is available for small group meetings (10 or less people) or individual appointments on request. All meeting requests must be sent to Jessica Meis, Communications Coordinator at admin@ucevanston.org. Please note your request is not finalized until you have received an email confirmation from the office and you see your event on the UCE Calendar.

Please note that staff hours are mostly worked remotely from their homes. Ministers and staff are happy to meet with you by appointment over the phone or Zoom. Click here for ministers and staff contact information. At this time, the office is not open for drop-in visits. If you have a scheduled in-person meeting or appointment, please review UCE’s Covid Guidelines. We ask that all who enter the building sign in and out on the clipboard at the door, wear a mask at all times, refrain from bringing food or drink (water is allowed), and follow the directions of staff on duty.

Thank you for keeping our UCE community safe during this time. We look forward to having you all back in the building when it is safe to do so.

Building Use and Scheduling: January 2021UCE UCE2021-01-26T22:29:34+00:00

Process Relational Theology: January 2021

Part of the “Visions of God” Series | Tuesdays, January 12, 19, 26 at 7-8:30 pm | All sessions will be via Zoom | Facilitated by Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Bob Mesle

Process Theology and UU Principles 1, 2, & 7

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person
2. Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are all a part.

The process relational worldview, values, and modes of thought offer a broad worldview which creatively links these UU principles and gives them greater depth. Since this is part of a larger series on “Visions of God,” we will give some attention, but not all of our attention, to this radically different concept of God. Process relational thinking is a valuable resource helping us address issues of environmental and social justice, and links with feminist, womanist, and queer theologies.

Rev. Eileen, Acting Senior Minister, considers herself a student and purveyor of theology.

Bob Mesle, PhD is the author of several books on process thought, including Process Theology: A Basic Introduction, 1993, Process Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead, 2008 and John Hick’s Theodicy, with a response by John Hick, Macmillan in the UK and St. Martin’s in the US, 1991. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy & Religion, Graceland University.

Click here to register

Click here for the Process Theology Reading List

Click here to view the 2nd Session Recording

Process Relational Theology: January 2021UCE UCE2021-01-20T23:02:56+00:00

Towards an understanding of BELOVED: Feb-Mar 2021

Towards an understanding of BELOVED by Toni Morrison
Tuesdays, February 2; March 2 at 7-9 pm | All sessions will be via Zoom | Facilitated by UCE member Barbara Hiles Mesle

If you see Toni Morrison’s novel BELOVED as daunting, that’s all the more reason it’s appropriate to discuss with friends. If you happen to have read all or parts of it before, or other novels by Ms. Morrison, you will see many connections on this re-reading. If you are new to Ms. Morrison’s works, prepare to be dazzled by this beautiful and brilliant writer. My exploratory approach– in the limited time we have– will be to focus on the ways this novel suggests that Traumas (both individual and collective) might be faced and stared down. Why do some characters develop resilience and even healing? What can we learn about facing our own traumas and the traumas of the United States? How might an introductory understanding of traditional African religions help us think about this novel? What did Morrison mean when she said her lifelong project was to write the story of African American girls and women back into American history? Why did Morrison win the Nobel Prize for literature (the first African American woman to do so) for this work? This important and compelling storytelling is worth your attention

Who is Barbara Hiles Mesle?

As a college professor of literature, (MA University of Chicago, Ph.D the University of Kansas), I taught a seminar in the novels of Toni Morrison for more than a decade. Ms. Morrison, in my opinion, may be considered the Shakespeare of the 21st century. I have a lot of experience making her novels more accessible and seeing connections within her impressive body of work. I think of Toni as a friend of my heart and mind (though I never met her in person).

I loved my job as an English teacher for more 40 years, most of them at a small university. But I was often reluctant to tell strangers that I was a professor of literature and writing. Why? Because sometimes this pall would come over their face, as if I was silently correcting their grammar, undangling their participles, and looking for “hidden meaning.” I promise you that is not me! After a lifetime of discussing literary texts, I have developed great respect for the insights of readers. You have things to teach me too! Let’s work together to begin to unpack this lovely novel.

Click here to register

Towards an understanding of BELOVED: Feb-Mar 2021UCE UCE2020-12-21T22:34:32+00:00

COVID-19 Update: November 20, 2020

Dear Congregation,

With Covid cases spiking and increased restrictions in Illinois beginning today, we continue with our strict building use guidelines. Unnecessary in-door gatherings are no longer advisable. We will be finishing our emergency overnight shelter on November 28th, as that is an essential service, but we ask all groups to avoid indoor gatherings at this time. It is difficult to be apart during the holidays but we urge you to care for one another by staying connected over the phone, Zoom, through cards, letters, and emails. Join us for our Sunday services and Wednesday evening gatherings. Please reach out to me or Rev. Susan if you have a need for support.

I share with you this message from our UUA President, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray.

With gratitude, I am wishing you peace and well-being,

Eileen

COVID-19 Update: November 20, 2020UCE UCE2020-11-24T04:27:23+00:00

November 29, 2020

We will host an online worship service on Sunday, November 29th at 11:15 am.

“It Takes Practice” – Matt Meyer
Our favorite songs, whoever the artist or whatever the style, were created in a strange alchemy of study and inspiration, of strict practice and of letting go. Spiritual Practice is a similar combination of dedication, muscle memory, and perhaps a little divine inspiration. Join us for a musical exploration of learning to risk, building the muscle memory of courage, and the spiritual practice of relationship when things around us are changing fast.

Matt Meyer is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist with a long background as a musician and worship leader for UU congregations. Matt lives in Boston but travels as an itinerant worship leader, bringing the good news of Unitarian Universalism to hundreds congregations all over the country. He serves as the Director of Operations for Sanctuary Boston, a contemporary UU worship community that meets on Wednesday nights. Matt is also a founding organizer of the UU Songleaders Convergence, a gathering for all UUs who love community singing to share skills, best practices, and songs, in order to build a more musical movement together. You can follow Matt and get his email updates on Music and Worship here .

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 during the summer 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 Deborah’s Place.

November 29, 2020UCE UCE2020-11-25T14:54:30+00:00

Mitten Tree Update: November 13, 2020

In a season that might feel disorienting, you can anchor to your UU values through the UCE Mitten Tree! New “mittens” will be hung as requests come in. Like most things this year, we have made a few tweaks to keep givers, receivers, and shuttlers in between safe. Please visit the Mitten Tree here, read the instructions for how each organization needs us to handle gifts, select requests you can fill, and may what you give bring you JOY!

The Mitten Tree is a tradition at UCE stretching back over 34 years, bringing a mutual sense of belonging and fulfillment for our church and broader community. We are so fortunate for the care and intention Carol Nielsen has brought to this practice of giving, and all of the gifts of friendship, inspiration, and gratitude many have received through participation.

This year, we will be partnering with 3 very special organizations to make the holiday season a little brighter:

The Rice Child & Family Center is located just down Ridge from UCE and is a safe home with wrap around services for children with post-traumatic behavioral dysregulation making traditional foster care inaccessible to them. The facility includes a medical clinic, group therapy classrooms, special education facilities, art therapy and maintains a goal of helping children return to a loving family environment. This year, we will be matched with 12 children to fulfill their holiday wish list. For security and safety, items can be purchased from an Amazon registry and sent directly to the Rice Center.

Connections for the Homeless is an organization near and dear to our UCE community. Whether through shared plate, Mitten Trees past, Our Giving House donations, or supporting affordable housing programs, Connections has and will continue to be a meaningful partnership for us. Connections supports more than 1500 people a year – preventing homelessness, sheltering those in crisis, providing advocacy services, and fostering development of job and educational skills. This year, we are looking to fulfill requests from 50 of their deserving clients.

Our third partnering organization this year is NEW. Sarah’s Circle has a proud history dating back to 1979 focused on meeting the needs of homeless women in Chicago. In December 2020, they will be opening a 38 unit Permanent Supportive Housing facility in Uptown. It is truly inspiring to see their team bring the pieces together, and we have the opportunity to make sure every new home has towels and dishes for each woman’s new home. Check out their website at https://sarahs-circle.org/ to learn more about this amazing organization.

Mitten Tree Update: November 13, 2020UCE UCE2023-11-15T20:24:08+00:00

Post-Election Day Resources: Updated November 5, 2020

Your UUA staff is working collaboratively with many other organizations to be able to provide support, and we are encouraging you to link up with organizations in your community to be part of the justice making. Some possibilities for you:

Join the Post-election Vigil and Community Gathering on Facebook on Thursday, November 5, at 7:30 pm Eastern, 6:30 pm Central:
https://www.facebook.com/events/3713971198666868/
Our Organizing Strategy Team, working closely with the UU Service Committee, is participating in national justice organizing coalitions Frontline Election Defenders and Choose Democracy, which are specifically focusing on election theft and preventing a coup. Together, they have included this content in the UU the Vote Organizing School, hosted a webinar with the UU Ministers Association, and are currently doing more work to engage other UU groups in the same conversation about preparation and asset mapping.
UU The Vote: https://www.uuthevote.org/ is one of the places to get more information about how the UUA is responding to the election and the activities that you can join in with.
Side with Love, our social justice advocacy organization: https://sidewithlove.org/
Choose Democracy is an organization promoting better use of democracy in our country: https://choosedemocracy.us/
We are encouraging congregations to use an asset map tool to frame their discussions around preparation for large-scale crisis scenarios (companion video here to explain the asset map tool).

Post-Election Day Resources: Updated November 5, 2020UCE UCE2020-11-05T23:10:03+00:00

An Important COVID-19 Update: October 30, 2020

For the last several months our region of Illinois has been in Phase IV of Governor Pritzker’s Illinois Plan. However, with the recent and significant spike of cases of COVID19 affecting the state, we have gone back down to Phase III, which means we can only accommodate up to 25 persons or 25% of space occupancy, whichever is less.

Fortunately, UCE has been operating under much stricter guidelines than Phase IV allowed so we are not needing to pull back but maintain the guidelines already established in June. Our Covid Response Team has reviewed those guidelines and made slight clarifications, which you can find here.

As we move toward the winter months, knowing that outdoor gatherings will be less likely, the staff, board and leaders of UCE, remain committed to holding everyone’s wellbeing as our highest priority.

You can also find full information on the state website [we are in Region 10].

An Important COVID-19 Update: October 30, 2020UCE UCE2020-10-30T19:37:57+00:00

Visions of God: Sept-Oct, 2020

For more information, or to sign up, email dan.solomon.45@gmail.com.

FACILITATORS

Bob Mesle is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy & Religion at Graceland University, where he taught for 36 years. His books on process relational philosophy and theology have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Japanese. He has been a keynote speaker at conferences at many leading Chinese Universities, and has taught the summer Process Philosophy Academy in China on several occasions.

Dan Solomon is coordinator for Adult Religious Education at UCE. A retired software engineer, and a lifelong student of religion, history, and philosophy, he has led classes on religious history and philosophy at UCE and other congregations. He is secretary of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS).

GOAL OF THE CLASS 

This class aims to help people explore a range of important visions embracing or rejecting “God,” and to share personal journeys with each other. We hope class members will learn some new ideas, clarify familiar ones, make new connections, and enrich in their own thinking.  

The question, “Do you believe in God?” is not productive unless we can get some clarity about what a person mean by “God.”  But for us, the question certainly raises interwoven questions of both REALITY and VALUES. It asks about what exists and how the universe works. Talk of “God” also raises important questions about what values “God” stands for and what feelings are invoked.  Geneticist and religious naturalist, Ursula Goodenough, notes that religion is about both “What is, and what matters.” –i.e., truth and ethics. Religions, including atheistic secularism, propose visions of reality coupled with claims about how we should treat each other given those beliefs.  This class will explore how some concepts of “God” engage us in those reflections.  

CLASS OUTLINE 

September 15: INTRODUCTION & DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES “GOD” MEAN TO YOU/US?  – What does the word “God” mean for us, in this class?  To what vision are you, personally, saying yes or no?    Looking ahead: Some preliminary questions, categories, and vocabulary.  Leaders: Bob & Dan
September 22: GOD: TRUTH AND VALUES: If cattle, sheep, and fish had gods… – Good thinkers have long recognized that we “create God in our own image.” But since humans and our communities are filled with diverse and often conflicting values, it should not surprise us to find people’s gods expressing equally complex and conflicting values, like compassionate love and xenophobia. Leaders: Bob & Dan
September 29: RELIGIOUS NATURALISM – Leaders: Jerry Stone 
October 6: CREATIVE TRANSFORMATION – What is worthy of our Ultimate Commitment in a naturalistic framework? H.N. WIEMAN (UUA Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Liberal Religion, 1975.)    Leader: Bob Mesle
October 13: SPINOZA,  PANTHEISM – Leader: Dan Solomon 
October 20: EXISTENTIALISM: BUBER, TILLICH, et al. – Leader:  Dan Solomon.  
October 27: GODS: A HINDU PERSPECTIVE – V.V. RAMAN, Guest Speaker

Visions of God: Sept-Oct, 2020UCE UCE2020-10-12T23:31:26+00:00

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