UNIverse Weekly October 23-29, 2020

October 23-29 2020

WORSHIP

October Worship Theme: Grief

It’s Complicated

The stages of grieving aren’t linear, and no one’s process is just like anyone else’s, as Elizabeth Kübler-Ross warned us in her often-misunderstood writings. This week we’ll discuss complicated grief and give ourselves a break from the pressure of handling grief the “right” way. There may even be some joy in the middle of it all!

Join Rev. Misha Sanders as we explore together.

The login for Zoom is https://nwuuc.org/zoom/ or follow the service on our Facebook page. Stay tuned in afterwards for Coffee Hour.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Lego© UU Sources Class

The Lego© UU Sources class for students in grades 2-5 will meet on October 25th at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. Students are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes.
Meeting URL:https://rtiorg.zoom.us/j/96836572260?pwd=emdIUzBMemFWY1Z5RURjOXppRngvZz09&from=msft
Meeting ID: 968 3657 2260
Password: 312961

CALL FOR CHALICE LIGHTERS!

WE ARE SEEKING CHALICE LIGHTERS FOR NOVEMBER. PLEASE SIGN UP! NWUUC welcomes children’s participation in the weekly Sunday service. Options to participate include lighting a chalice via Zoom during the service or submitting a video to re@nwuuc.org that can be played during the service. LED lighting options can be used instead of a flame. Please use this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F4AAEAC2F4-chalic

MUSIC MINISTRY

Art Reflects Life Series
by Philip J. Rogers

On Monday October 19 I received the following email message entitled,
“Something powerful and inspiring for my Unitarian friends” from Jan Nigro, Co-founder of The Vitamin L Project of Ithaca New York:

Dear Friends,
Here is a short new music video, “We Keep Going / Corona 2020” by Vitamin L from Ithaca, NY. It is a tribute to the perseverance of the human spirit and an appreciation for all the ways Essential Workers and people everywhere are helping each other in these challenging times. We think you will find it inspiring and, if you do, please share it with the members of your church, any Essential Workers you know and anyone else who would appreciate a dose of hope and inspiration.

This inspiring video that interprets current events in America is captivatingly
uplifting and worthy of sharing with friends and family, especially our youth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvAPBE-p76Q

Watch! Enjoy! Share!

OUR NWUUC FAMILY (CARE CORPS)

Would you like to schedule a private meeting with Rev. Misha? Please call the main number, 770-955-1408, to set up a time.

The Care Corps continues to make phone calls in an attempt to touch base with all members as we are still practicing social distancing. If you haven’t heard from us yet, rest assured your time is coming. However, we are placing calls based on birthdays and joining anniversary dates. If you have never put your birthday into the Realm system, we’ll never know when to wish you a happy birthday! Now is the time to learn how to use Realm and to be able make your own calls to friends you have been missing on Sundays. If you need help with accessing Realm, please send an email to the Tech Team at techhelp@nwuuc.org and one of our friendly tech gurus will call to help you. Remember, if you have something you want to share with us or with the congregation at large, feel free to email or call one of us—we are happy to hear from you. If you don’t want your joy or sorrow made public that is ok, too. You can trust our confidentiality.

Your Care Corps Team

From Rev. Joan

The news broke yesterday that Pope Francis had expressed support of same-sex civil unions. While same-sex unions are legal in the US, Canada, Europe and in some places in Central and South America, the pope’s position statement has implications worldwide.

The UUA has officially supported UU clergy performing Services of Union between same-sex couples since 1984, and has supported same-sex marriage since 1998. Nonetheless, UU clergy have been doing what we often called Services of Holy Union since the 1970s to my knowledge. At Northwest Rev. Robert Karnan did those services in what we now call the Art Gallery. During the 1980s I performed those services in the Chalice House as well as in homes and backyards for small numbers of friends and family. Those services were joyful and dignified and those couples and their guests were so grateful to have found a religious organization that would acknowledge and bless their union. I was very proud of the UUA when our General Assembly officially supported UU clergy performing Services of Union in 1984.

Pope Gregory did not issue an encyclical which is a specific category of papal document regarding church doctrine or policy. Indeed, his statement was in support of civil unions which are legal. Still, it’s significant. And this announcement came in the form of a video which debuted at the Rome Film Festival! And that made me smile.

If you have a joy or sorrow you would like to have shared in the UNIverse please call or email Rev. Joan Davis at 404-275-0236 or joanarmstrongdavis@gmail.com.

If you are going through difficult times and would like emotional support or are in any situation where support and caring are needed contact:
Rev. Misha Sanders, Minister, 770-955-1408
Rev. Joan A. Davis, Community Minister, 404-275-0236
Maria Drinkard, 678-644-6480
Karen Edmonds, 770-851-1354
Linton Hopkins, 678-938-8858
Valerie Johnson, 470-209-9864
Lil Woolf, 404-276-6189

(770) 955-1408 Office Hours M-F 9 am to 5 pm office@nwuuc.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NWUUC Fall Auction 2020

The air is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to change — usually that means it’s time for the fall auction! Like many things this year, it won’t be the same. But, we can do a 2020 virtual version.

You can view the auction online now at https://www.32auctions.com/nwuuc2020
Auction listings will be added online as they are donated, so be sure to keep checking. Bids will be accepted through November 30th at 5pm.

We are asking for only socially-distant donations this year. Be creative and safe! Some examples include:

Home-cooked dinners and desserts
Artwork or home decor
Themed-baskets (art/craft supplies, kids’ toys, books, etc)
Zoom lessons (yoga, cooking, life coaching, mini-concert)
Gift cards or certificates

Please fill out this form to donate items for the auction: https://forms.gle/Ue55oP1fTUPe8cLF8 and email Cameron Moore at stewardship@nwuuc.org with any questions!

CARPET CLEANING PREPARATION

Help is needed to clear the old carpet for cleaning this Saturday, October 24, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

We’re in the home stretch of finalizing the renovation and securing the Certificate of Occupancy for the main building, which we expect very soon.

The old carpet in the building is heavily soiled and needs to be cleaned before the furniture and other items are put back in place. A carpet cleaning company will do the actual cleaning but before they arrive, we need to move everything that is movable off the old carpet areas.

The chairs that are stacked on the old carpet in the Sanctuary need to be moved onto the surface of the newly carpeted area in Subramanian Hall.
Everything in the lobby needs to be packed up and moved off the carpet and also moved to the new Subramanian Hall.
All items in the administrative office need to be packed up and moved to clear as much of the carpeted area as possible. (Not the furniture, but everything else).

We would like to move everything this Saturday, October 24 between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon. With a small group of volunteers, it is anticipated this work will take 2 hours or less to complete.

If you can help, please contact me or be at the church on Saturday at 10:00. Teens welcome! I’ll be bringing a hand truck and a few boxes to pack papers and small items. If you have a couple of boxes you can bring that will be helpful. I’ll bring packing tape to put them together. Drinks and snacks will be available.

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Thanking you in advance,
Beryl Grall – Garden and Spaces
grallberyl@gmail.com
404 376 8494

Coffee Hour

Do you enjoy coffee hour each Sunday? Are you willing to be a host from time to time? From the beginning of our virtual Sundays we have been fortunate enough to have Liz Martin as our coffee hour host, (thank you, Liz!) but now that she is back into intense seminary studies she isn’t able to be the host each week.
It’s pretty easy if you have any tech skills at all, so don’t be shy! Send your name to our IT Helpdesk at techhelp@nwuuc.org and one of us will get back to you with how-to instructions.

Patio Pavers

Determined work warriors for the past two weeks: John Hagler, Allen Rider, David, Dominic and Gabriel Stewart, Larry Wallis and Morning Washburn. Many thanks to all of you for doing the final stretch of hard, tedious labor to make our patio beautiful. While there is no work party planned for this coming weekend, we will assess whether it is needed the following week.

Send us your pictures!!

At the worship service several weeks ago we had a slide show of pictures of US! It was great to see recent photos of many of us in our homes and elsewhere. It was so well received that we’d like to continue it for a while longer, so we ask that you upload your photographs of what you have been doing this summer, whether they are pictures of you coping during quarantine, or taking a vacation away or both. Please send pictures that include you, your families, friends and your pets in them so that we may share our collective joy.

We want to include as many people as we can. Please continue to upload your photographs to this Google drive link, https://forms.gle/9HmcXuR3RkEMU2fN9. If you are not able to access the drive, you may email pictures to this email address, webmaster@nwuuc.org.

IT Help Desk

If you need help using Zoom to log into the service or a church online meeting, logging into Realm, our webpage Nwuuc.org or into our Facebook Group page, we have a team of experts who can help. This desk is managed by Cameron Moore, Katy Lockhart, Kuru George, David Morgen and Russ Martin. To reach one of them email your questions to techhelp@nwuuc.org. One of them will respond with answers.

Shop NWUUC Merch

Check out Northwest’s new merchandise shop at Zazzle for T-shirts, polos, and more!

If you’re interested in submitting merchandise designs, please email Cameron Moore at stewardship@nwuuc.org.

NWUUC Book Groupies

The NWUUC Book Groupies will be meeting Tuesday, November 10th at 7 pm on Zoom to discuss Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Princeton Universitiy’s James S. McDowell Distinguished Professor of African American Studies. Begin Again is a reexamination of the writings of James Baldwin and his role in the Civil Rights Movement. A “beautifully written and achingly wrenching” book that might change you forever.

If you would like to order this book from our bookstore, please leave a message for Penny Raney at 770 551 8817 and we will make arrangements to get it to you. Also, please let me know if you want to be in the zoom meeting if you are not currently on our list.

Zoom Documentary Discussion
Stare Into the Lights My Pretties
7pm on Friday, November 13th

Watch the documentary Stare Into The Lights My Pretties on your own and then join a virtual discussion on Zoom!

The documentary looks at our compulsive obsession with our devices and how screen culture can affect us all physically, psychologically and socially.
Here is a link to where you can watch it for free. https://youtu.be/Q5qJjNM2Kx0

This event is open to all who are open to all and is not restricted to Atlanta or the United States. Feel free to invite anyone you think may be interested in joining our discussion. Please allow others to get their full thought out and that any disagreement is voiced in a civil way. At the end we will decide together the topic for the next month’s film.

Please email Adam Hicks bryantadamhicks@gmail.com to be added to the email list. That way you will be able to receive updates on future events as well as the zoom link and password, which will be sent out the morning of the discussion.

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS AND
JOINING ANNIVERSARIES 2020

October Birthdays October Joining Anniversaries

Ed Kilbourne 10/01
Karen Reagle 10/07
Hannah Johnson 10/09
Charlotte Alyea 10/11
Eileen Taylor 10/11
Cathryn DuBow 10/13
Helene Johnson 10/13
Gus Newman 10/13
Tony Barbagallo 10/14
Edward Lawrence 10/17
Quinn Page 10/18
Lynne Dale 10/19
Kathy Frost 10/21
Benjamin Manely 10/22
Alison Williams 10/23
Laura Hall 10/31

Penny Raney 10/22/1978
Michael Manely 10/28/2004
Shelia Manely 10/28/2004
Deborah Andrews-Gautney 10/30/2011
Helen Borland 10/18/2014
Harry Trendell 10/19/2014
Peggy Emrey 10/11/2015

CALENDAR

Saturday, October 24, 10:00 – 12:00 noon, Carpet Cleaning
(See article under Volunteers)

Sunday, October 25, 10 am Worship

Virtual Coffee 11 am

NORTHWEST LEADERSHIP

Board of Trustees 2020-2021

President Lil Woolf president@nwuuc.org
President-Elect Lynne Dale
Finance Trustee Pam Freeman finance@nwuuc.org
Secretary Sandy Davis board@nwuuc.org
Imm. Past President David Stewart
Trustee at Large Larry Wallis
Trustee at Large Grier Page
Trustee at Large (youth) Chloe Morgen

Ministries Team Leaders
Communications: Jenn Meunier Miller
Community: Brian Freeman
Gardens & Spaces: Beryl Grall-Petty
Justice: Dave Zenner
Adult Learning Lead: Marilyn Matlock, Co-Lead: Sally Mitchell
Stewardship Lead: Cameron Moore, Co-Leads: Gwen Kahn & Melissa Niedermeyer

Staff
Rev. Misha Sanders, Minister
Rev. Joan Davis, Community Minister
Adia Fields-Udofia, Religious Education Director
Dr. Philip Rogers, Music Director