We are gathering in person and on Zoom this Sunday at 10:30am!
“We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame, and without compromise.” Elliot Page
We all deserve to be loved and accepted as we are, however we identify, whoever we love, this is an expression of our first principle – the inherent worth and dignity of every person, as they are. This Sunday we celebrate LGTBQ+ Pride with speakers Devin Krueger and Nim Poland sharing queer stories of community and resilience. Devin (he/him) joined UCM in December 2020, during our first and only on-line new members ceremony and is now our fabulous Worship Chair. I am delighted to welcome back Nim (they/he), who grew up attending UCM as a child and youth. He has spent many weekends and summers at Unicamp and youth group Con events. I will provide support as service leader at this service which is not to be missed! I encourage you to come in-person if you can. We will have some left over treats from Seedy Saturday to enjoy as well!
Sunday Services Zoom Link
Time: 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88155648070
Meeting ID: 881 5564 8070
Phone In via: 647-374-4685
The YouTube livestream of the Service will also be available to subscribers to the UCM channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD8jh9eDfIPsl51oMKSpqPw?view_as=subscriber
Please be aware our livestream is public. Although it is unlikely for you to appear, if you want to ensure you are not visible please keep your video off during the service.
Family Service
We encourage all families to attend in-person this Sunday. Come and enjoy a Pride service filled with music and stories. Nim Poland, one of the speakers, is a young adult who has grown up in the congregation and will be sharing their story. Children and youth will head out after the service for some spiritual exploration and return to the Great Hall at 12:15. Children will be in the Sunflower Room with Family Life Coordinator, Caitlyn Seale. Junior Youth and Youth will be in the Barn with Cassandra Ferworn.
We will be exploring important moments and considering how they define the stories of our lives.
More Time for All Ages
Hello families! If you have been enjoying the stories and/or reflections over the past few weeks, I encourage you to dig deeper and have Time for All Ages within your own household. Below are the discussion questions and resources accompanying the stories and/or reflections for the last few weeks:
This Sunday (the 22nd), the story is We are Inspiring: The Stories of 32 Inspirational Asian American Women by Angel Trazo. This story is Angel’s first book and was inspired by her desire to see the stories of Asian Americans like herself represented. If you are interested in learning more about the author: http://angeltrazo.com/
In thinking about stories, I encourage families to take part in this activity at home:
- Begin with a blank sheet of paper.
- Draw your river of life with its bends and turns, its smooth waters and rough spots, its strength/vitality, and its direction.
- Note your approximate age and/or dates along the flow of your river.
- Identify on your drawing the various key “marker events” in your life – the boulders in the river or places where the river changes course – that shape your story.
- If you were able to divide your life journey into sections, where would the section divisions occur? Give names to each of the sections of your life river.
- Record key relationships and losses in the appropriate places on your river of life. If you wish, jot down some thoughts and feelings to go along with these relationships.
The discussion questions to accompany the activity focus on principles 1 and 2.
Principle 1: The inherent worth and dignity of every person/Everyone is important
Principle 2: Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations/Everyone should be treated fairly and kindly
- What relationships with individuals and/or communities have been most significant at different points in your life?
- Who or what has most shaped you and how do you honor them?
- What losses have been experienced along the way and how did you feel?
- What thoughts or feelings were present for you while creating this drawing?