Blog

April 16, 2023

Have you ever had occasion to ask yourself “Who am I?” Most of the human theological stances define human beings as body, mind and spirit, or soul.  Where in all of that does the individual reside?  What part remains after a traumatic brain injury?  Or Alzheimer’s?

Chaplain Dennis Peters will share with the Blue Hills Unitarian-Universalists personal experiences that caused him to explore this intricate topic during the Sunday Service, April 16th.  A lively discussion is expected to follow.

Ch Dennis Peters & Lily

Blue Hills UU Sunday Services begin at 10 a.m.  All are invited to attend in the sanctuary at 230 W. Messenger, Rice Lake, or on Zoom. The Zoom link is sent to members, although all interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged. https://bluehillsuu.org

April 9, 2023

Blue Hills Unitarian-Universalists will commemorate Easter Sunday and the reawakening of spring with music and poetry on April 9th , 10 a.m.   The connection between the jubilation of Easter and the regeneration of life and spirit marks a time of celebration in nearly all cultures. 

Favorite hymns have been chosen to observe this joyful time, as well as selected poems and readings to highlight the importance of the holy morning.   A short video from the History channel highlighting Easter traditions around the world will be shown.

~ Don Karsky leads the BHUUs, drumming in Spring ~

Blue Hills UU Sunday Services begin at 10 a.m.  All are invited to be with us in our sanctuary, 230 W. Messenger, Rice Lake, or on Zoom. The Zoom link is sent to members; all others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com. Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged. https://bluehillsuu.org

April 2, 2023

Dr. Jeanette Gabriel, U Nebraska, Omaha, will address Blue Hills Unitarian-Universalists Sunday, April 2nd, examining the strengths and limitations of online genealogy research. Practical advice will be shared to research family history and find information important to you.  Dr. Gabriel points out that “Many have explored family histories online, but the information can be confusing.”  Individual family stories will be considered within the larger context of local, regional and national history.

Dr Jeanette Gabriel

Dr. Gabriel is a Wisconsin native, currently the Director of the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the U Nebraska-Omaha.  She received her PhD in Social Studies Education from University of Iowa, after an MD in Labor, Employment Relations at Rutgers University, and a BA  in History UW-Madison.  Her current research interests involve studying collaboration and conflict between ethnic groups, such as Jewish and Arab populations in Israel as well as Black and Jewish communities in the Midwest.

Blue Hills UU Sunday Services begin at 10 a.m.  All are invited to be with us in our sanctuary, 230 W. Messenger, Rice Lake, or on Zoom. The Zoom link is sent to members; all others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com. Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged. https://bluehillsuu.org

March 26, 2023

What might one expect to find when reading the poetry of Dante?  Member David Gold will share his discovery of how Dante planned to build a better earth, and other impressions with Blue Hills UU’s during the Sunday, March 26th service, “Lessons Learned from Reading Dante.” 

Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri, circa 1265-Sept 1301, most often referred to as Dante, was instrumental in establishing the literature of Italy.  Creator of Italy’s “Divine Comedy”, Dante helped establish the modern-day standardized Italian language;  his passion for the politics of the church and poetry resulted in his exile from Florence, Italy in 1301. 

Dante

Blue Hills UU Sunday Services begin at 10 a.m. -and may we remind everyone that Daylight Savings Time begins this day! Come be with us in our sanctuary, 230 W. Messenger, Rice Lake, or on Zoom. The Zoom link is sent to members; all others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com. Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged. https://bluehillsuu.org

March 19, 2023

Rice Lake’s Blue Hills Unitarian-Universalists will welcome Chaplain Dennis Peters on March 19th to conduct the 10 a.m. Sunday Service, focusing on “Tomorrow’s Child.”  What kind of lives will the next generation be living, compared to the culture and traditions we’ve grown up with?   Ch Peters challenge is to “Let’s look at the world that tomorrow’s children will be part of,  and what we’re doing to fashion that world.” And in the process let’s also look at those children, and how we might prepare them for all that is to come.

Third Sunday Pot Lucks

Third Sundays each month, BHUU also gathers after the service for our traditional Pot Luck gathering – bring a dish to pass and be with us as we gather downstairs for fellowship and gnoshing.   All who seek insight are welcome at BHUU, 230 W. Messenger in Rice Lake.  The 10 a.m. Service may also be accessed via Zoom;  the link is sent to members, and all interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  https://bluehillsuu.org

March 12, 2023

On Sunday March12th Blue Hills, Unitarian-Universalist fellowship in Rice Lake will share Rev Randy Lewis’ sermon “Black Like Me”, originally given at All Souls Unitarian church in Tulsa, OK where he served as student pastor.  Now in Raleigh, NC, Rev Lewis is Managing Director of  “Clergy 211”, an organization of inclusive, progressive clergy providing non-judgmental rite-of-passage ceremonies for all people, from all walks of life.   Rev Lewis is also described as “a passionate progressive thinker, social-justice advocate, entrepreneur, writer, and songwriter.”   

Rev Randy Lewis

Blue Hills UU Sunday Services begin at 10 a.m. -and may we remind everyone that Daylight Savings Time begins this day!   Come be with us in our sanctuary or on Zoom.  The Zoom link is sent to members;  all others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged.  https://bluehillsuu.org

March ON! 5, 2023

The March 5th Service at Blue Hills UU will include a presentation on “Justice” and what that means.  Former member of BHUU, Ken Hood will be with us once again through the magic of Zoom, to share insight on a program known as “Jonah – Advancing Hope”, a non-profit that has been active in the Chippewa Valley for over 15 years.  

Ken will be joined by organizers Lynn Buske and Michelle Pride to introduce us to JONAH, an interfaith organization working in partnership with religious groups who choose to work with individual activists and donor members of all faiths.  “We believe that our work is about building community and building capacity to address the root causes of poverty and injustice;  we come together for this important and public work because when every person does better, everyone does better.”

Ken Hood

Come be with us in our sanctuary Sunday at 10 a.m., or on Zoom.  The Zoom link is sent to members;  all others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged.  https://bluehillsuu.org

Februweary 26, 2023

There are many ways we choose to get through the winter months:  hobbies, winter sports, travel – and reading.  We of BHUU might fairly well be described as “book worms”, as my guess is the per capita number of books read by members is above the national average.  

The Service this last Sunday of February will feature our own Book Reviews – with all attending invited to share some of their most engaging finds of the past few months.  Member Judith Barisonzi will host the hour, and keep a list of titles brought forth to share with all after.

Light at the End Of …

Come be with us in our sanctuary Sunday at 10 a.m., or on Zoom as we explore the treasure to be found in books.  The Zoom link is sent to members, and all  others interested who may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged.  https://bluehillsuu.org

February 19, 2023

We’ve all heard of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, but did you know she was a Universalist?  In conducting our service Sunday February 19 at Blue Hills Unitarian-Universalist, Chaplain Dennis Peters will highlight some of the other facets of this impactive nurse, schoolteacher, patent office worker’s life.

Ch Peters notes that “At 5 feet nothing, Clarissa Harlowe Barton was one of the giants of her time, pushing for women’s equality in treatment and pay.”  During the Civil War, Barton provided care for soldiers on both sides of struggle;  Peters reports “When a cause was important to her, she pushed, bullied and badgered to make change – including President Lincoln!”

Sunday the 19th marks the return of our “Third Sunday Pot Lucks” at Blue Hills UU;  bring a dish to pass and be with us as we gather downstairs for fellowship. 

Pot Luck Sunday

All who seek insight are welcome at BHUU, 230 W. Messenger in Rice Lake.  The 10 a.m. Service can be accessed via Zoom;  the link is sent to members, but others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged.   https://bluehillsuu.org

February 12, 2023

As in all groups, growth may bring change;  so too the Unitarian-Universalists on a national scale.  Our UU Association has chosen to review and re-write some of our founding statements, and the Blue Hills fellowship has been energetically investigating the controversy that has emerged within our denomination, both as to the process and specific wording of proposed changes. 

Article II of our UUA by-laws contains the description of what we stand for, and is seen as the foundational statement of our beliefs.  A controversy surrounds not only the proposed language to replace our current “Principles and Sources”, which have traditionally focused on our most important values, but also in how we grapple with the thorny issue of racism.

The Seven Principles of UU

Our service on February 12 will review what is being proposed and to help us decide what position, if any, we choose to take as a fellowship as this long, complicated approval process moves forward.   Be with us Sunday at 10 a.m., either in the sanctuary or on Zoom as we take on this most important challenge to our association in stating “Who” we are and what we believe.  The Zoom link is sent to members, but others interested may request it from patriciashifferd@gmail.com.  Gathering for fellowship & coffee after the service is encouraged.   https://bluehillsuu.org