USH E-news April 10, 2024 | |
"Seeking, Sharing, Soaring" | |
Photo: Kevin Girouard, March 2024 | |
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Sunday Morning Service
10:30 a.m. April 14
“Seeking, Sharing, Soaring”
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Margaret Leicach, Michael Michaud, & Sue Smolski,
Worship Leaders
Sam Moffett, Music Director
Choir
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Matters of the Heart
To have a Joy or Sorrow read from the pulpit
on Sunday morning, e-mail Matters of the Heart
In person – use Matters of Heart basket for written cards on Sunday morning. Please provide concise information
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Religious Education: 10:30 a.m.
Annie Witzler, Interim RE Coordinator
Can't be here in person for worship?
Join us on ZOOM 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 931 0388 7934
Passcode: 128493
Virtual Coffee Hour follows via Zoom
Worship is also streamed on Facebook —
follow our page and receive notifications every time we go live.
Couldn't make it to USH, and missed the livestream?
Watch any service, anytime, here on Vimeo
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Worship Calendar
Join us, in person or online.
Upcoming Services:
April 14 – "Seeking, Sharing, Soaring", Margaret Leicach, Michael Michaud, & Sue Smolski, Worship Leaders/ GNO Speaker/ Choir
April 21 – "Self-Love and Acceptance: Always An
Inside Job", Sarah Krippenstapel, pulpit guest/ Margaret
Leicach, Worship Associate/Board Message
April 28 – Earth Day — "The End is
Nigh (and so is a New Beginning)", Rev. Bob/Carol Simpson Worship Associate/Choir
May 5 - "Solitude", Al Hetzog, MD/ Judy Robbins, Worship Associate
May 12 - TBA (Mother's Day), Reverend Bob/Peter Meny, Worship Associate/ Choir/GNO Speaker
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Housekeeping: 'Order of Service' New Deadline
The time has come to formalize a deadline for the Sunday Order of Service Insert announcements — noon, on Tuesday. Yes, the same deadline as the USH E-news.
This will facilitate timely completion of the Insert each week.
A few reminders: The format is concise, declarative sentences. Each announcement is time-limited, usually two weeks. Recurring activities require recurrent submissions. All submissions may be edited due to space considerations.
The Happenings section of the Insert is a listing of everything that is on the USH monthly calendar of activities and is published automatically.
If you have any questions, please contact Sue Smolski, editor of the OOS Insert.
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Thoughts From Rev. Bob...
Did you have a good eclipse? I didn’t travel to the “path of totality” (sounds like a sci-fi movie reference), and didn’t have the special glasses, but got to see the shadow of the moon eclipse the sun through the cardboard box, and even snuck a cheeky, half-second glimpse. Pretty cool, and thankfully, Helios did not punish me for my quick glimpse of the over-world. I hope your eclipse experience was safe, wondrous, and fun.
It’s pretty nice to have a holiday that everyone under the sun is celebrating together. Even my friends from other countries were reminiscing about eclipses past.
Here’s to something we all can share – each in our own way.
Yours in wonder,
Rev. Bob
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Become a member of USH…
A sense of belonging, a hope of warm welcome, a deep need for connection — to community, to purpose or to inspiration and maybe a touch of the divine... we come together at the Unitarian Society with so many different yearnings.
Membership offers further opportunities of connection in this vibrant community of liberal religious ideals, principled living, and simple friendship.
Life’s passage is filled with twists and turns both joyful and somber, and living it in the midst of relationship smooths the voyage.
Become a member. Rev. Bob, Laurie Kelliher, and any number of friendly faces are excited to help your decision that can lead to the May 19 New Member Ceremony…and cake...
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THE JOURNEY: A two session course for New Members
What does it mean to a member at Unitarian Society of Hartford? This course is an opportunity to explore how this congregation might make a difference in your life, and ways to further the experience here at USH. Led by Rev. Bob and the Membership team, the course is designed for those who are considering membership or those who have recently become members. It is intended for both those new to Unitarian Universalism, and long-time UUs. As well as letting you know about congregational initiatives, participants will have a chance to reflect on their own spirituality, and also get to know other newer members socially.
Two session course:
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Tuesday, May 7, 7:30 - 9:00 pm
To RSVP for this free course, please email Laurie Kelliher. Please let us know if you need childcare or if there are any other impediments to attending, and we'll see what we can do. If you can only make one of the two sessions, that's fine, do come on by!
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Help Wanted
Seeking: lay pulpit guests to share our free pulpit. (Caution: Soaring may happen.)
For those who create Worship Service Schedules, summer has already arrived. Ours is a year-round shared ministry. Our denomination's free pulpit is shared by ordained clergy and lay people who are invited to speak their truth.
You are invited to speak your truth.
This could be the year for your first experience as a pulpit guest or, perhaps, you are ready to return to our pulpit. Your willingness is the key.
Our Worship Associates and Reverend Bob are here to guide you through this experience. There are opportunities available in July and August, as well as in the fall.
Please contact: Reverend Bob; Sue Smolski, Worship Associate Coordinator; or any Worship Associate to discuss your interest in becoming a pulpit guest or exploring the possibilities.
~ Sue Smolski
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Stewardship Update
Week by week, we're inching upward toward our Stewardship goal... but we're not quite there yet. At last count, about 30 pledgers — individuals or families – who pledged their support to USH this past year were yet to respond. Our goal is somewhat ambitious, though needed to support our hopes for a lively, life-filled society. What do you like about USH? What would you like to see more of?? $308,000 is possible if we all search our souls... and pockets... and contribute toward deepening and enhancing the exciting opportunities here at the Meeting House. If you have not already returned your pledge, please do so soon.
Pledge forms are available at the Welcome Table on Sunday morning. Or, you can call the Church Administrator at 860-233-9897, extension 100, and a pledge packet will be sent to you.
~ Jim Venneman, Finance Chair
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Board Positions Open for 2024/25
There are two positions on the USH Board of Directors which will be coming open for next year: President-Elect, and Council Chair for Community Within. President-Elect is a one-year term, accompanied by the anticipation of its holder moving into the President slot the following year.
Community Within is the council overseeing, and providing support, to many of the program offerings which fall outside of worship or social justice. This is a two-year position, and the chair may choose to stand for a second two-year term should they choose. )Term limits for all board positions are outlined in the USH Constitution.)
If you might be interested in learning more about either position, contact Laurie Kelliher.
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Meeting House Presents
Friday, April 19, 7 p.m.
The Hot Flashes
$20 donation at the door
email MeetingHousePresents@gmail.com for reservations – put “Hot Flashes reservations” in the subject line
For more information, visit their website here
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Visible Progress
Last year – which seems a long time ago – our driveways and front parking area were resurfaced. This was a multi-stage process involving both heavy machinery and precise calculation, which produced an even, well-graded surface on which to drive, park, and walk. By autumn, only one stage remained: painting lines to guide vehicles into properly-sized accessible parking spaces, with attendant open areas for entering/exiting a vehicle. By the time the pavement had settled and 'cured' enough for painting, winter was coming and conditions for outdoor painting were not ideal. We should wait for spring.
Now it is April, and our painting contractor has signaled both of the following: (a) he would be available today, and (b) given the weather forecast for the rest of the week, it would be really, really good to get the job done promptly. (He didn't use those exact words, but close enough...)
You can see the progress above. By day's end, the work is expected to be complete. If you use this area for parking, you'll have well-marked guidance for parking on Sunday.
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Spring Choir Dates
Sam Moffett, our Director of Music Ministries, announces choir dates through June. The choir is open to all USH members, friends, and guests interested in singing. Participation only requires one rehearsal at 9 a.m. on the morning of a choir performance. Dates the choir will be singing are:
April 14 and 28
May 12 and 26
June 2 and 16.
Interested? Contact Sam at smoffettuu@gmail.com or (860) 371-8880.
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Arts of Worship Workshop
Tuesday, April 30 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m
In this session, led by Rev. Bob, we'll explore the art of writing and delivering sermons. If you didn't attend session one in April, you are still welcome to attend, please write Rev. Bob (USHMinister@gmail.com) to RSVP and to receive materials from the first session. Attendees are asked to have a try at writing a sermon (it's totally fine if you don't get very far!)
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REMINDER: The LUNCH BUNCH's April 16 meeting will take place at Seabury, from noon to 2. Ed Savage is organizing a separate room for us.
Non-Seabury folks: plan to park in visitor parking areas near the main entrance. Walk directly upstairs (or take elevators to your left) to the restaurant/café level.
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For more information on our weekly and monthly gatherings, click here.
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SpiritLife Conversations meets on zoom Saturday morning, April 20, 2024, 9:00-10:30 AM, to consider Awakening To The Dharma. Click here to read Joseph Goldstein’s article that explores the transformative impact of mindfulness and meditation. Click here for discussion questions to consider prior to the meeting. Open to members and friends of all three Hartford area UU churches. Go to UUSpiritlife.org to find the zoom link. Facilitated this month by Nicholas Bartoli
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SpiritChats
An Exploration of Nonduality
Upcoming SpiritChat Meetings: 4/19, 5/3&17, 2024
Nonduality proposes that, despite appearances, none of us is really a separate entity; that everything arises from and is part of a fundamental Oneness. This is a radically different way of perceiving the world and our place in it. It is often considered an element of enlightenment. Most people first approach nonduality as an intellectual concept and then finally as a lived experience.
Spiritual Teacher, Nicholas Bartoli, a former monk, is offering a spring series of Friday morning SpiritChats at the Unitarian Society of Hartford on April 19, May 3 and 17 to explore nonduality. Sessions are open to all on a drop-in basis, 10:00-11:30 a.m. A free-will offering of $20 or whatever fits your means is suggested.
For more information and the dates of all spring sessions, go to https://nicholasbartoli.com
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Passover Seder
Friday, April 26, 5:30 p.m.
Fellowship Hall
Passover is a Jewish holiday, based on the biblical story in Exodus of the enslavement of ancient Hebrew people in Egypt and their escape to the Promised Land. It is celebrated at a symbolic dinner, known as the Seder. This is generally celebrated as a family event at home - so children and all ages are always very welcome.
In UU practice, Passover is a time to remember how wonderful it is to be free. Passover is also a time to think of all the people in the world who are not free, and those who are hungry and poor. Our congregation will be honoring these traditions with a communal Seder dinner taking place on Friday, April 26, There we will share the Haggadah, the traditional story of Passover, and reflect on our collective liberation.
If you would like to come, please RSVP to Rev. Bob (USHMinister@gmail.com) and let him know whether you are able to bring (choose one) an entrée, appetizer, dessert, or drinks. Traditionally, all food is prepared without yeast or other leavening, symbolizing the haste of Exodus. There are numerous Passover recipes available online; for instance: https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/passover-food-dinner-recipes or Gluten free at https://elanaspantry.com/passover-menu/.
Sign up in Fellowship Hall.
If you have questions, please contact Diana Heymann, Rev. Bob, or Joe Rubin.
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March Social Justice Meeting Minutes have been posted here | |
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April Good Neighbor Offering: Brother Carl Hardrick Institute
For over 50 years, Carl Hardrick has worked in Hartford to suppress violence by getting people to work together. When the Hartford Police Department was asked what could be done to suppress violence, their simple answer was "Give us more Brother Carls."
The Brother Carl Hardrick Institute (BCHI) was created because Brother Carl is now in his eighties. For more than 50 years he has worked in Hartford's North End, helping to defuse potentially explosive situations and stepping in when trouble occurs. He works out of the Wilson-Gray YMCA on Albany Avenue. Brother Carl still helps when he can, but he can not do as much as he used to do.
Brother Carl first received national fame in the 1970s, when he was able to arrange a truce between the Magnificent 20s of Bellevue Square — which was the housing project where Brother Carl grew up — and the Hustlers of Stowe Village. In addition to the work he has done in Hartford, he has often traveled to major cities in this country to mediate gang wars.
The BCHI was created when JoAnn Price of Fairview Capital and Stephen Bayer of the Jewish Federation came together to address the violence within the greater Hartford community. The BCHI trains all members of the community to continue Brother Carl's work. The Institute takes a comprehensive approach to violence prevention by addressing mental health, culture, education and political advocacy.
I am pleased that the BCHI was chosen to be the recipient of USH's Good Neighbor Offering this month. It is good to learn about and work with our neighbors who live immediately to our East.
~ Jim Venneman
For more information, Click here
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Horace Bushnell Food Pantry
We need more of those wonderful protein foods with which you've been filling the bins in the lobby!
If you forget to bring in those jars of peanut butter, boxes of broth or shelf stable milk, think about putting some cash into one of the envelopes in the pews and writing "FOOD PANTRY" on the outside. Cash in the hands of the food pantry volunteers translates to a whole pallet of peanut butter or shelf stable milk purchased at a much lower cost than any of us pay for one or two items at the supermarket.
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GHIAA House Meeting Campaign 2024
(Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance)
GHIAA continues to hold "house meetings" through mid-April: 60 - 90 minute listening sessions (similar to Connection Circles) with a small group of people, facilitated by trained leaders. Through House Meetings, we identify issues that are affecting our community. We hear direct impact stories and identify leaders motivated to create positive change. We build connections among leaders and strengthen our relational network.
USH hosted a House Meeting on Wednesday, March 20 along with two other GHIAA congregations.
If you were not able to attend that meeting, see the House Meeting schedule below – all are welcome at any session.
Register for a session here
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 – 11:30, at Universalist Church of West Hartford in West Hartford (co-hosted by Center Church and Faith Congregational Church)
Sunday, April 14, 4:00 – 5:30, at First Church of Christ in West Hartford (co-hosted with Congregation Beth Israel and Westminster Presbyterian Church)
Monday, April 15, 6:30 – 8:00, at First Church of Christ in Glastonbury (co-hosted with the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury)
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CALL-IN for CLEAN SLATE
Thursday, April 11
860-566-4840
88.5% (or more) eligible for Clean Slate expungement are still waiting – more than 104,000 people. Gov. Lamont has not yet responded to letters or to a press conference on March 27 in any meaningful way.
Please take 5 minutes to call in to Gov. Lamont’s Office on Thursday, April 11 to protest him this delay.
Call 860-566-4840 during the day, between 9 and 6.
Suggested script:
• My name is ______. I am a resident of ______, and I vote.
• I am calling to ask: When will Gov. Lamont get Clean Slate fully
implemented (as he has repeatedly promised publicly)?
• More than 100,000 people are waiting.
• Gov. Lamont needs to meet with CONECT, GHIAA, and the ACLU right away to address this important issue. Thank you
If you cannot get through, or just want to send a brief email with the same message, you can email to: governor.lamont@ct.gov
Background: Originally passed & signed in June 2021, Clean Slate was planned to take effect on Jan 1, 2023. Just a few weeks before, the Governor’s staff raised concerns about implementation and legal definitions. A second Clean Slate “technical fix” bill was passed & signed (in June 2023) to smooth the way for full implementation by 1/1, 2024. On Dec 18, Lamont declared that 80,000 people would have their records erased by January 31 with more to follow by March 31.
In late March, the Lamont Administration publicly admitted that just 13,600 people have had their records erased, and tens of thousands are waiting yet again. This delay is attributed to unexpected data and IT issues; little has been done to notify the public, including those with criminal records waiting for record expungement. Expungement is needed so people may secure better employment, housing, education, and other opportunities.
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*Date Change
Join us for the Sum of Us April 18 Session: The Last Sundown Siren
The next Sum of Us podcast, Minden, Nevada: The Last Sundown Siren, will be discussed during a Zoom discussion on Thursday. April 18, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Podcast description: In 1921, the small town of Minden, Nevada began sounding a “sundown siren” that warned Indigenous people to leave the city limits or face violent consequences. Over a hundred years later, the alarm still blares daily. Why? It depends on who you ask. In a town full of historic markers, there’s nothing about the Indigenous history; local officials now say the siren is a tribute to first responders. Marty Meeden, a descendent of the local Washoe Tribe, had fought to end this traumatic daily reminder to no avail—until he met a pair of unlikely allies: a passionate white bicyclist and a teenage all-star runner. Together, they are working to silence the sundown siren forever, and show how remembering our history can help us all heal. This podcast can be accessed at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e6-minden-nv-the-last-sundown-siren/id1640137860?i=1000583121490
We will be discussing the history of sundown towns within CT, and hopefully a local person will share their first-hand experience with ‘Sundown Town’ messaging in our state. Zoom Link for Sum of Us discussions.
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Join the fun at USH —
Looking for a supportive, inclusive, non-judgmental home for your family’s spiritual needs? Let USH be yours! Visit and learn about Unitarian Universalism, our congregation, and how USH can foster your family’s religious or spiritual journeys.
Sign up for Sundays here online or in person at the welcome table. Questions? Reach out to our Interim Religious Education Coordinator Annie Witzler for more information.
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Children and youth will be welcome to participate in Sunday School activities, downstairs in the classrooms off Fellowship Hall. Upstairs worship in the Sanctuary is concurrent with Sunday School RE. All are welcome.
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The Our Whole Lives (OWL) program for 9th and 10th graders resumes this Sunday, April 14.
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New World Trio, April 14
“Determination”
2 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church
679 Farmington Ave., West Hartford
Join Anhared Stowe, violin, Peter Zay, cello, and David Ballena, piano, for works by Rebecca Clarke, Chen Yi, and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. Suggested donation is $20.
Under-recognized in their time, thwarted by society’s expectations of their gender, these three pioneers created extraordinary works of craftsmanship, lyricism, and beauty. British-born Rebecca Clarke is now coming into her own with resurrection of her chamber works. A travelling virtuoso violist in the 20’s, she submitted her trio and viola sonata under a man’s name in a competition where she became runner-up for first prize.
If anything at all good came out of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, it was that his rural relocation program re-introduced a whole generation of future Chinese composers to the music of their homeland. Classically trained Chen Yi used this experience to create an appealing blend of Chinese and Western music.
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel has always lived in her more famous brother’s shadow, but this trio demonstrates she was his equal in skill and imagination.
More information at www.newworldtrio.org or call 860- 586-8579. Reception follows, to meet the artists.
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Board Meeting
The next board meeting is Tuesday, May 14
6:30 p.m. Hybrid
Zoom Link HERE
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2023 – 2024 USH Board of Directors
Dana Donovan: President
Nancy Kemmerer: President-Elect
Jon Covault: Treasurer
Gloria Mengual: Secretary
Judy Sullivan: Social Justice Council Chair
Tina Davies: Community Within Council Chair
Laurie Kelliher: Membership Council Chair
Jim Venneman: Finance Council Chair
Rick Tsukada: Spiritual Life Council Chair
Paul Cipriano: Administration Council Chair
Have a question or comment for the board? Send an email to: ushboardofdirectors@gmail.com.
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The deadline for USH E-news submissions is
noon Tuesday
Please write in the 'Subject' field "USH Enews", and include the dates that your submission should be featured. Announcements about upcoming events appear for two consecutive weeks maximum, unless other arrangements have been made with the editorial team.
When forwarding information concerning an "outside" event or organization, please pre-edit your copy in order to keep the piece to 200 words or less. Note that all material is subject to editing prior to publication.
Articles should be sent as email file attachments, (MS Word preferred) and images need to be sent separately as jpeg, jpg, png, tiff, bmp, or gif files. Thank you for your cooperation.
Editor-in-Chief: Tina Davies
Production and Technology Manager: Karolina Wojtysko
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USH Calendar of Events
The calendar for April 2024 can be viewed HERE.
Please consult our Online Calendar regularly for all upcoming events coordinated by the
Unitarian Society of Hartford
To submit a Calendar Request (also for an online USH Zoom Room gathering) click HERE.
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