Blog

Sunday, October 27^th., our member Maureen Skuban will lead us to consider “Death and Dying.”  Of the two guaranteed facts of life, birth and death – death is surely the more avoided topic, and as Unitarians, who don’t lean on sacred texts of other religions for surety, so … where do we seek comfort?  And what has Ms Maureen found to make it an engaging area of study?

“At some point, doctors and funeral homes hijacked the way we interact with the death of loved ones. For many, especially in western culture, death has become a taboo subject. Having those end-of-life conversations with loved ones is awkward -and mostly avoided. But we know talking about death doesn’t make it happen any  faster, neither avoiding the subject stops it from happening.  Did you hear about the Buddhist coroner who got fired? He kept listing the cause of death as birth”

So let’s talk about it!  Join Ms Skuban, host of Shell Lake Library’s “Death Café”, as she weaves the topic of death and dying into a positive, upbeat service.   Can she do it? 

Blue Hills UU invites everyone to be with us for our services, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in the fellowship hall at 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  The zoom link is sent to members, and anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

Ch Dennis Peters will lead Blue Hills Unitarian Universalists in a study of “Humanism,” Sunday, October 22^nd.   In his homily, “The Action Side of UU”, Peters suggests we “… take a look at where Humanism fits into our world;   having been around for 100 years or more, there are questions that we might ask ourselves.”

Wikipedia states “the term generally denotes a focus on human well-being and advocates for human freedom, autonomy, and progress …” viewing humanity as responsible for:  the promotion and development of individuals, espousing the equal and inherent dignity of all human beings, and emphasizing a concern for humans in relation to the world, with a “reliance on science and reason rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world.” Humanists tend to advocate for human rights, free speech, progressive policies, and democracy.

Blue Hills UU invites everyone to be with us for our services, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in the fellowship hall at 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  THIRD SUNDAY each month is also a time for gathering after service to share in Potluck; bring a dish to pass and enjoy camaraderie and nourishment with members and neighbors. The zoom link is sent to members, and anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

Arthur Thexton, member of the James Reeb UU congregation which he helped to establish in Madison, will be with us at Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship this Sunday October 13^th.  His sermon, “Old Wine in New Bottles” will highlight observances of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and what significance they may have for UU’s.  Thexton promises “This will be an unusual service for us, with adapted ritual and congregational participation in a “UU Liturgy for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur”. 

For those of us merely aware of these high holy days, but with little understanding of their significance, the morning promises to be an enlightening exposure to the practices, their meaning and significance to those  of the Jewish faith.  “What can non-Jews learn from the High Holy Days?”

Thexton attended Meadville/Lombard Theological School, received his M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1974, after graduating cum laude from Beloit College in 1972.  He went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1977, and served as an Assistant District Attorney in Barron County during the mid-1980’s, before spending the majority of his career in Madison, WI

We invite everyone to be with us for our services, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in our fellowship hall, 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  All are welcome at Blue Hills UU; the zoom link is sent to members, and anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

We invite everyone to be with us for our services, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in our fellowship hall, 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  All are welcome at Blue Hills UU; the zoom link is sent to members, and anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

Rev Terry Cummings will celebrate St. Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of animals and the environment, at Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Sunday October 6^th.  A thirteenth century monk, St Francis founded the Franciscan order which still exists today.  Many faith traditions, including UU’s celebrate St. Francis Day with a blessing of the animals during the service.

We shall follow this tradition in honoring all creatures great and small. Those present in person or on Zoom will be invited to share stories and memories of their favorite animals, and may bring pictures to share –or may bring their pets to the service. Guest speaker Rev. Terry Cummings will offer a blessing to all that are present, in person and in the hearts and minds of members and friends.  Rev. Terry will also share a reflection on the spiritual connection between people and animals in her sermon, “Animals Are People Too.”

We invite everyone to be with us for services, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in our fellowship hall, 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  All are welcome at Blue Hills UU; the zoom link is sent to members, and anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

What do we know regarding the separation of church and state? Other than that it was meant to be a primal standard in our nation, has that blurred?

Five years ago, the 270-member Beth Adam synagogue of Loveland, Ohio, bearing the standard of “Old to Bold”, placed the issue of separation of church and state at the center of their social justice work.

Beginning with a humanist approach to their mission, it took several years of work and study to create a 45-minute, imaginatively illustrated presentation on the subject, which they have presented in person and via Zoom to more than 25 groups around the country.  We are graced to be able to have their team speaking and interacting with us via Zoom at our own Sunday service, September 29th.

We invite everyone to be with us for our services, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in our fellowship hall, 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  All are welcome at Blue Hills UU; the zoom link is sent to members, and anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

Blue Hills Unitarian Universalists will focus study on the “Second Principle” of their faith: “Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations” during the Sunday service of September 22.   The importance of these values in our lives and communities are regarded as bedrock to a functioning society.  

We’ll look to the renowned defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow, to guide our discussion by examining one of his historic cases. Dubbed “the absolute king of trial lawyers”, Clarence Darrow was a powerful and skilled attorney whose work highlighted and enacted much needed legal and social reform. He began as a specialist of labor law, transforming from a corporate lawyer into a civil rights activist who backed the working class and other marginalized populations.  We expect a lively discussion to follow the presentation.

All are invited to be with us on Sundays;  services begin at 10 a.m. in the fellowship hall at 230 W. Messenger St., Rice Lake and on Zoom.  Everyone is welcome to our congregation; the zoom link is sent to members, and all interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

BHUU welcomes back  our traveling chaplain Dennis Peters, announcing that “It’s a day for metaphors. Let’s talk about hummingbirds!” Peters explains “When you look in the dictionary under the word “feisty,” there should very well be a picture of a hummingbird.

This little bird can be fearless. You can be weeding in the flowerbed, and suddenly find yourself nose-to-nose with the little one; their wings are moving so fast they generate a vibration like a giant bumblebee. And just as suddenly, it’s gone! Leaving you wishing “No – Wait, Come Back!”  Be with us as Ch Dennis leads the fellowship to discover how does this becomes a metaphor we may all take to heart.

Third Sunday each month is also a time for gathering after service to share in Potluck.  All are welcome to bring a dish to pass and enjoy camaraderie and nourishment with members and neighbors.  As always – everyone is welcome at BHUU;  Sunday services begin at 10 a.m., 230 W. Messenger, Rice Lake, and on Zoom.  The zoom link is sent to members, although anyone interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

Each year Unitarian Universalists pause to reaffirm our spiritual community as  fall approaches;  “Ingathering” became a traditional time of return from summer travels, as members gathered together again.. 

Blue Hills UUs will share a more informal Ingathering this year.  Our time together will be spent sharing our hopes and fears of the year just past, as well as those we foresee in the year to come. Music, joys & concerns and readings will supplement our shared reflections.

Be with us on Sunday, September 8th as we practice the ABC’s of Fellowship;  our service begins at 10 a.m., 230 W. Messenger St. in Rice Lake and on Zoom.  As always – everyone is welcome at our fellowship;  the zoom link is sent to members, and all interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

We begin our journey into September with our Sunday Service coming to us from All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  All Souls was founded by people who came to Tulsa to seize the opportunities of a booming oil town – but could see that the presence of a liberal religious voice was needed for the healthy development of the community.  Envisioning a congregation coming together for the worship of God and the service of humankind, today more than 1,800 adults claim All Souls as their spiritual home.  

Their membership includes business, state and civic leaders – people from all walks of life holding a broad spectrum of personal and political views, and note that “Our building often houses both sides of a controversy. In a delicately and respectfully held balance, our congregation worships together while individually holding a broad spectrum of beliefs and unbeliefs”

Be with us at Blue Hills UU this September 1^st., as we link into a Sunday morning service with one of our dynamic affiliated Unitarian congregations;  our service will begin at 10 a.m., 230 W. Messenger St. in Rice Lake and on Zoom. As always – everyone is welcome at the Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship;  the zoom link is sent to members, and all interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org

What’s stokin’ your fire? Yankin’ your chain? In this fast and furious world of ours, there’s always an awful lot that gets us riled up … and quite often something wonderful we wish more folks would hear about!  Now it’s your chance to get it off your chest — SOAPBOX SUNDAY comes every once in awhile to Blue Hills UU, and returns again this coming service, August 25^th.  

So – dust off your current litany of such that needs our ATTENTION, warm  up your vocal chords and be with us to share that which is most pressing in your lexicon of all that needs more focus.

Services begin at 10 a.m., 230 W. Messenger, Rice Lake and on Zoom. As always – everyone is welcome at the Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship;  the zoom link is sent to members, and all interested may request it by contacting patriciashifferd@gmail.com. https://bluehillsuu.org