Posts from February 2021
I Read the News Today, Oh Boy
About the BLM accomplishments. Last week the sermon spoke to the BLM (Black Lives Matter) record of non-violence, and its self-discipline. We spoke of BLM-led demonstration following the George Floyd murder ranged somewhere from 15 million participants, to 26 million. That’s a big range, produced by large polling differences: The Pew poll reported an estimated 16 million NORC reported an estimated 18 million Civis Analytics reported an estimated 23 million Kaiser Family Foundation reported an estimated 26 million Even if…
Warmup for the Next Round of a 21-day Challenge for Racial Justice
Our Service this coming Sunday will address the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement, and BLUU (Black Lives UU), and Antifa (the loosely organized anti-fascist assemblage). This is the first of 3 or 4 services that will address racial justice, and U.S. history. February is Black History Month, and I hope many of you are taking advantage of it. I personally have fallen behind in this area. I have only watched the first segment of the excellent The Black Church, hosted by Harvard professor…
Saturday’s Council of Chairs Meeting Update
The monthly Worship Theme service we use here at UUCE has the theme of POWER for February. For comparison, the UUA reports that the monthly theme from Soul Matters, Touchstones, All Souls (Tulsa), and Faith Rocket/Church of the Larger Fellowship) are: Belovéd Community, Mercy, Love, and Risk, respectively. I am glad to be reminded of this, because sometimes I cannot fold in a Theme, and am grateful for alternatives. Not that I rely on any of them for subject matter, nor do…
Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois
Cheryl Niemo, member of the Tree of Life UU Congregation would like to share with UUCE the word about a special training from Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois. Cheryl writes the training is geared toward creating Solidarity Circles for people who are newly released. We welcome anyone who would like to learn more. We would like to see an increase in support towards a more positive reentry process. You are welcomed to participate on Tree of Life Church’s team and/or develop your own. Hope…
Did You Know?
To vote at our annual meeting in May, our bi-laws state you must be “an active voting member”. An active voting member of the church is any member who has reached the age of sixteen years and has made an unrestricted contribution of not less than $100.00 to the general operating fund, for which no goods or services were provided (hereafter “unrestricted contribution”), during the first eleven months of the twelve months preceding the annual meeting, except that the minimum…
Worship Team Update
The Worship Team met Wednesday, and the news from that meeting is that we are scheduling two mini-series of Services between now and June. One series will be dedicated to racial justice and injustice, and not only for Black Folk. We will have one a month for at least 3 months. Likewise, we will have a series on the cluster of subjects that deal with gender and sexuality. We will likewise have one a month on these subjects and other related ones, including abortion,…
MLK College Scholarship & Annual MLK Food Drive
This month’s Share the Plate recipient is: The MLK college scholarship fund & the annual MLK food drive. Each year, the City of Elgin Human Relations Commission takes great pride in presenting a weekend of activities celebrating the life of one of our country’s greatest civil rights leaders, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year in lieu of the Prayer Breakfast, Dr. King’s birthday was celebrated virtually, but lost none of its power. Learn more by visiting the…