Joni Mitchell stated in her song, Woodstock, that we are stardust, we are golden, and that we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.  On the anniversary of the Woodstock festival Rev. Amy asks and explores what that means for us, getting back to the garden.

To attend on site, FULL VACCINATION STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages all those who can be vaccinated to be vaccinated, including boosters as appropriate.  

MASKING RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages attendees at worship services and other large gatherings to wear masks.

To attend by Zoom, click on this link: uuberks.org/zoom-worship. (If this is the first time you’re using zoom, you may be prompted to download a launcher app).

To connect by phone (audio only): 1) Dial the phone number: 1-646-558-8656 2) When prompted for the “Meeting ID”, enter: 921 4271 5512# 3) When prompted for the “Participant ID”, enter: #

Please plan to arrive or log on by 10:20-10:25 am to enjoy the gathering music, and, for those on zoom, to establish a connection before worship is scheduled begins. Zoom participant mics are muted throughout the service.

7:00 PM:

• For the Summer we’re revisiting stories from the past year: 

• From Our SoulMatters Team: “A great way to explore finding joy through playfulness and silliness is by sharing this book Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. In this story, a girl is upset because no one at school could say her name correctly. In response, her mother doesn’t get mad but instead playfully uses singing to brighten her daughter’s spirit and help her find a great way to handle the situation. It’s a great reminder about honoring the beauty and opening to the joy of everyone’s names.

• Your Name Is A Song words by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow pictures by Holly Hatam Read Aloud on Youtube  Berks Library Catalog link

SUNDAY

• In Person: in back of chalice house

• Summer RE our Principle and Sources series – this week we’ll explore our 5th source in conversation. [soulful home packet]

• 5th Source: Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit; 

• Onsite Only 

9:45 AM: Children’s RE  

Elementary Ages:  Onsite, email Erin Connolly by Saturday noon if you’ll be attending online

• On site: in office meeting room (room off Gerber room) * teens may help, let us know you’ll be coming

• RE Hangout – making music shakers for worship! We’re going to shake, shake, shake the rhythms of our heart! 

10:30- Worship Service- All Ages

Songs have power.  This morning we’re going to use the power of a song festival to ask what it means to discover that power.

• How to make visual art directed by breath 

• Coloring Sheet: Woodstock Inspired Zentangles from Canva

• Use a printed or hand labyrinth to find renewal as you attend worship this morning. Here’s a labyrinth you can print out and trace.  Labyrinth Printable

• Practice your Searching and Creative skills with Spark Maze

Monday – Thursday  Weekly posts on our covenanted RE Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/UUBerks.RE.page/?ref=share check out our Remind classroom. If you need to signup link here: remind.com/join/refuucbc

As summer ends – What are you beginning?

Is it a new school year?

A new job? A new work year?

A new hobby?

We will bless all of the tools for these endeavors and we’ll celebrate Woodstock along the way. * Wear your tie-dye and bring your thing to get blessed * Things that might get blessed: backpack, musical instrument, planner, to-do list notebook, car keys, coach whistle, camera, stethoscope. What will you be using regularly with you this year?

Planned Parenthood clinics are in need of patient escorts. Patient escorts support and assist patients who are walking from parking lots into health centers. They act as a buffer between the patient and protestors. There will be a training at the church on Wednesday, August 17^th from 5:30-7:30 PM. Anyone interested should complete this RSVP link, https://www.weareplannedparenthood.org/a/ppkey-volunteer-orientation-berks-august-2022 Please contact Bernice Hines Corbit at hines.bernice@gmail.com if you have any questions/concerns.

Do you know anything about solar panels? How about HVAC heat pump systems? Have you heard about the UUA’s Green Sanctuary 2030 program? From their website:

The climate-change crisis with Global Warming is the existential threat to the human species and the web of life. It is the urgent, overarching survival and justice issue of our time, calling  us to impactful action now. In an era in which the call to dismantle racism could not be more clear, and when the COVID 19 pandemic stunningly highlights that systemic racism is inextricably bound (PDF) to climate degradation and injustice, Unitarian Universalist. Faithful Response calls us to bring our individual and collective gifts together to act with bold, inspiring, collaborative, networked, and effective leadership to ensure a livable world for all descendants and create climate justice with those who are systematically oppressed.

Solar power has been an ongoing interest of the Building Keepers for a few years. With our church’s strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility, we at FUUBC want to do our part. The Building Keepers are looking for volunteers to help with a temporary ad hoc Solar Subcommittee to evaluate (1) adding solar panels on the church buildings and (2) upgrading our natural gas heating systems to electric heat pumps.  To do this, we will have a series of meetings (both in-person and/or virtual) to evaluate the different proposals from solar/HVAC companies and then prepare a final proposal to take to the M&O Team for final acceptance. Contact Frank Wilder at frank.wilder@uuberks.org if you are interested.

We are currently looking for anyone who is interested in volunteering to be a Greeter and when the time comes- to be an Usher.  This is a great way to get to know your fellow members or get to know them better    And of course- being of service can provide comfort to you and others!!

Currently we have a group of  approx 10 of us that rotate and fill in when we can but if we can get another 10 volunteers- then this will mean you would be a greeter every 6 -8 weeks and provides back up for our busy summer months.

We like to have two greeters at each service & when RE sessions are occurring on Sunday’s- one greeter arrives at 9:40 to greet those arriving for RE at 9:45 & the 2nd greeter arrives at 10 am to be available for those attending the Sunday service.

Please take time to consider this and please contact me, Joanne Koehler at jkbluesky@icloud.com or my cell 610-914-8827 if you are interested or have any questions.

UU BERKS CHURCH GATHERING COVID POLICY

Effective June 1, 2022 until further notice 

Given the evolving nature of the pandemic, the FUUBC Board will be making ongoing evaluations on a regular basis. We are using available metrics from:

• “U.S. COVID Risk & Vaccine Tracker,” which provides real-time data: https://www.covidactnow.org/us/pennsylvania-pa/county/berks_county/?s=21621088;
• CDC guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html

FULL VACCINATION STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages all those who can be vaccinated to be vaccinated, including boosters as appropriate. The church will be requiring proof of vaccination for the Minister, staff, guest speakers, and all RE volunteers.

MASKING RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages attendees at worship services and other large gatherings to wear masks.

_______________________________________________________________________

THE FOLLOWING GROUND RULES* WILL GUIDE CHURCH GATHERINGS

In gathering together, we promise to:

1. Wear masks when recommended by CDC guidelines.
2. Do not attend in person gatherings if you are not feeling well or if you have been directly exposed to Covid-19.
3. Gain consent before touching or hugging others. Be mindful of varying levels of comfort and safety with social distancing when approaching others.
4. Find ways to be inclusive of individuals who cannot be vaccinated, who may be immunocompromised, or who have hearing impairments.
5. Prioritize the safety of the whole community over our own individual sense of what is safe for ourselves.
6. Give and accept reminders of these ground rules gracefully.
7. Assume good intentions, but also accept that policies and these ground rules will guide our actions.
8. Respect the authority of the people making policies.

* adapted from Ground Rules by Carol Gay, UU Congregation of Cleveland

• Free parking is available on Sundays on the street and in the library parking lot.
• The parking garage across the street (4th and Cherry streets) has changed to a pay by app system. The app is called ParkMobile. It can be downloaded in the apple store or on the google play app. At this time we are unable  to offer discounted parking vouchers.

Last week, I attended the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries Conference and Song leaders Convergence. It was restorative, regenerative, and reinvigorating. There will be many ways I’ll be sharing what I learned and relearned over the course of those six days with you this year. For now, I’m going to share three poems and song texts that were sung into the shared spaces of the conference. Do you know their melodies? Do ones of your own making spring up for you?

What We Need Is Here (x2)

• Music That Makes Community

A Dedication

As for me and my house,

You will find us serving *truth,

*truth for all right now

* truth, peace, love, justice …..

• By Lea Morris

Wanderer (english translation, dedicated to Mark Freundt, retired music director from UU Church of Greensboro)

Wanderer

There is no road

We make the road

as we go

• Antonio Machado

I’m Not Alone

I’m not alone (x8)

I forgot for a minute who I belonged to

The mama earth, the wind + rain, the beauty + pain

I’m not alone

For me the world was created

I’m not alone

To dust I will return

• Aly Halpert from album Loosen & Anat Hochberg

by nadine j. smet- weiss

spiritual director 

we are here now

on the threshold

of a new beginning

who we have been

informing our future

yet not determining

who we become

if we can

meet each moment

with this wisdom

and awake to

our deepest desires

we will become

the change

we imagine