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Our service today will be lead by Joshua Berg.

–Welcome & introductions

–Chalice lighting

Music – Sending You Light

–Announcements & Speaking for Social Action

–Joys & Concerns – congregation

Music/video – Resilient by Rising Appalachia

Reading: “This Too Shall Pass: Tracing an Ancient Jewish Folktale” – Joshua Berg

–Sermon: Grace in the Unknown:

This months’ Soul Matters theme is “Thresholds” and the sacred word is “Surrender.” A threshold can be an entrance or exit over which we step, or it can mean the limiting force we have to surpass to take that next step. In these very uncertain times, thresholds seem to be tougher to cross and as we have been forced to surrender to the unknown. How do we embrace the increasing list of unknowns with grace in order to step forward and through?

–Discussion: Memento Vitae: What Reminds of Life? – Joshua and congregation

Hymn #131 Love will Guide Us – sung by Tisha Berg, Joshua will play

Offertory

Music – I Am Light: India.Arie

–Extinguishing the Chalice

–Friendship Circle

Looking forward to this Sunday May 3^rd, BHUU’s guest speaker will be Joshua Berg, a student at the UU seminary Meadville Lombard, Chicago.  Joshua’s sermon, Grace in the Unknown encompasses the month of May’s “Souls Matter” theme of “Thresholds”, and the sacred word “Surrender.”   

Berg expands this topic, sparking our interest by sharing that: “A threshold can be an entrance or exit over which we step, or it can mean the limiting force we have to surpass to take that next step. In these very uncertain times, thresholds seem to be tougher to cross as we have been forced to surrender to the unknown.”   How do we embrace the increasing list of unknowns with grace in order to step forward and through them?   Berg will also share the Reading “This Too Shall Pass: Tracing an Ancient Jewish Folktale” –

Once again we will gather through the magic of ZOOM > BHUU members will find the ZOOM link needed on their “April Calendar”, and more than likely a prompt will arrive later this week.   All are welcome to participate however, so serious parties interested may contact Ken Hood > ken@bluehillsuu.org for the link needed to take part in the service.

An award winning poet and author of non-fiction, Richard Terrill of Mankato, Minnesota will lead the Blue Hills UU’s in service Sunday April 26.  An accomplished musician as well, retired academic Terrill is steeped in the creative passages;  his message will consider the “Free & Responsible Search – UU Principles & the Creative Process”. Terrill comments “The way in which many artists go about their work can help us to appreciate the richness that following this principle can lend to our lives”. The morning is fairly sure to stoke our passions and imagination.

Once again we will gather through the magic of ZOOM > BHUU members will find the ZOOM link needed on their “April Calendar”, and more than likely a prompt will arrive later this week.   All are welcome to participate however, so serious parties interested may contact Ken Hood > ken@bluehillsuu.org for the link needed to take part in the service.

Blue Hills UU’s will commemorate EARTH DAY again this April 19^th, gathering together via ZOOM for our service.   Noted social justice leader Kent Shifferd will lead the service, bringing a message inspired by Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day.  The focus of Kent’s sermon will be renewal of  commitment of creating a better world once this pandemic is behind us.

Members will find the ZOOM link needed on their “April Calendar”, but all are welcome;  serious parties interested in participating may contact Ken Hood > ken@bluehillsuu.org for the link needed to take part in the service.

After a good start gathering on ZOOM last week, the Blue Hills Unitarians will be together again for Easter Sunday, this April 12th – via ZOOM. Members will find the link needed on their “April Calendar”, but all are welcome, so serious parties interested in participating may contact Ken Hood > ken@bluehillsuu.org for the link needed to take part in the service.

Pat Shifferd will lead the service through BHUU’s usual rituals of lighting the chalice, joys & concerns and our closing circle; her message will focus on the two most significant religious observances in Western culture: Jewish Passover and Christian Easter. What do these mean to you personally? And to us as Unitarians? Each person attending will be offered time to share their reflections.

We’ll begin @ 10:00. Hopefully we’re getting the hang of linking in and can begin with a full house. Our cyber-space Guru Ken Hood will be available to help those who need it at the above link. “See you” on Sunday!

Chalice Lighting #447

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Albert Schweitzer

Opening Hymn “Come Together”

Announcements & Speaking for Social Action

Presentation: “Telling Stories” by Judy Barisonzi

Joys & Concerns & Comments

Offertory

Closing Hymn “Be Still With Us”

Extinguishing the Chalice #456: We extinguish this flame but not the light of truth, the warmth of community, or the fire of commitment. These we carry in our hearts until we are together again.

Friendship Circle: Go well into life now, and when you need us, remember that here you will find the hands of friends.

Additional Reading/Resources:

Rocunited.org

angrytiasandabuelas.com

Your intrepid Board has conjured and contrived ways to hang-together through this challenging STAY HOME & BITE IT time zone. We will begin on APRIL 5 to gather in cyberspace via ZOOM. Members all received detailed instructions yesterday on the April Calendar. (edit, for security reasons the ZOOM meeting link is not posted public — If you do not have the link please email kchood@gmail.com and Ken will provide you access)

It might be wise to download the app/program ahead of time for my fellow neanderthals who can hardly negotiate our own cell phones, as we attempt to broach the River Zoom.

Judy Barisonzi has an April morning planned for us that’s sure to lift your spirit and affirm the “why” of our bond, so we’ll “see you” on April 5th! With hope, peace and love in our hearts.

~Jude Genereaux, Board Chair

To:   Our fellow Blue Hills UU’s –

RE:   We’re BLUE … BOO hoo hoo …

Your Blue Hills UU Board will be following not only the directives of WI Public Health agencies and Gov Evers, but our own good conscience, and deferring services until such time as we see the light at the end of the tunnel.   There will be one.   

We’re also looking to find ways to stay in contact with YOU and each other – email is excellent, we have a website and a Facebook page … and both our Regional and national UUA are setting up various manners of staying in touch via cyberspace.  We will advise you of all.  This link will take you to the Regional:  uua.org/midamerica

So stay in contact, keep us posted as to your status / stay well and Keep the Faith ~ we’ll be back! 
Your fearless leaders –

Jude Gx, Mark VanEtten, Pat Shifferd, Judy Barisonzi, Valerie Rude, David Hart & Linda Thompson

UPDATED on 3/24/2019

To our BHUU Fellowship:   

Your BHUU Board has discussed steps taken and advisories sent from our national leadership, the UUA, both within our recent Board meeting and via e-mail. At this time all meetings at our Fellowship building on West Messenger Street are suspended.

       We, the Board want to assure you that:

• We are monitoring the situation and will take steps in line with what our local public health agency advises as they develop;
  
• We are working on a phone tree and other ways to stay in touch with our members spread across Northwest Wisconsin;

 Everyone:  Keep heart and Stay Well.  Spring is in the air.

As part of the Blue Hills Unitarian-Universalist 10 a.m. church service, Sunday March 15^th will feature a discussion of the the UUA’s common read, “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the U.S.”   Most of us know bits and pieces of our country’s past experience with first inhabitants, but this enlightening text shares the depth of U.S. history rarely covered.     Former Lay Leader April Nielsen will lead the fellowship in exploring the dynamics of this text.

Religious education is offered to our youth at 10:30, and the “Third Sunday” potluck will take place after the Service.   All are always welcome at BHUU, located at 230 W Messenger in Rice Lake.