December 6, 2025
Houlton Unitarian Church Sanctuary (1917)
This is the oldest photograph in our archive of the interior of the Houlton Unitarian Church sanctuary that dates to 1917. At first glance, it appears as if nothing much has changed, but there are some interesting observations to the accurate eye. One of the most noticeable is the relocation of the organ keyboard console from the organ loft to the floor when the pump organ was electrified in 1927. Additional pipes were also added at the time to the back of the organ house, which covered the second loft window on the left. “The commodious choir loft” (as referenced in the Bangor Daily News article in 1902) became a little cozier. Two rows of front pews were also removed on the left side to make room for the move and the front pews had hymn book holder/dividers removed at some point, creating more floor space in the sanctuary front. By the looks of the light stanchions, the building was still using gas lighting in 1917. Overhead, the only riveted support plate was the one in the center shaped like an X. The other industrial-looking metal support plates, that you see in the sanctuary today, were added in 1988 for added reinforcement. This is when the building was added to the National Historic Registry, with restoration work also completed on the south wall stone foundation. The only carpet in the sanctuary was an Oriental style runner in the center aisle. We still have the large bible sitting on the pulpit in our possession. There are other changes, besides, keep it going and see what you find…
This is the Second Sunday of Advent and we will continue to reflect on stories from our shared past and how they are connected to visions and transitions to what lies ahead. The title of the sermon is “No Gaps” as the minister shares reflections and comments from previous minsters of UU Houlton, as well as his own. We are attempting to sing as many carols as possible from now until Christmas Eve. We also have our Christmas tree in the parlor, but it still needs to be decorated. We have a big box of ornaments, but if you’d like to bring more please do and we will decorate during coffee hour.
Our YouTube Channel content is the First Sunday of Advent Service as
Bill White delivers the message on the Book of Revelations and the Seven Churches. It is titled, “The Apocalypse.” The minister assists with service and Dale Holden is our musician which includes a familiar selection from Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.
We hope you can join us for one of the services online or in-person.
Enjoy the weekend!
In Ministry,
Dave
Flashback Blog Entry;
As the end of the year approaches, I thought I’d include a Backwoods Bog post from December of 2022. We had early snow that year as well, and then nothing until closer to the holidays. The Thoreau passage from his journal (December 11, 1855) mentions that “from the right angle” and the “right point of view” all of the world is a wonder to behold. I remember bringing in a piece of “old man’s beard” to place on the altar that year…
“old man’s beard in fresh snow” (2022)
To perceive freshly, with fresh senses, is to be inspired. Great winter itself looked like a precious gem, reflecting rainbow colors from one angle. My body is all sentient. As I go here or there, I am tickled by this or that I come in contact with, as if I touched the wires of a battery. I can generally recall – have fresh in my mind – several scratches last received. These I continually recall to mind, reimpress, and focus upon. The age of miracles is each moment thus returned…We get only transient and partial glimpses of the beauty of the world. Standing at the right angle, we are dazzled by the colors of the rainbow in colorless ice. From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow.
From the journals of Henry David Thoreau December 11, 1855
Although we had a white Thanksgiving this year, the snow was all but gone and the ground bare before our first December storm hit last week. With the coming of white comes a fresh covering of nature, the underlying objects and random surfaces all buried in fluffy insulation and frozen water crystals. You don’t have to be a poet or artist to appreciate the beauty of winter, you just need a sturdy pair of warm boots and a “get out into it” attitude. I did just that and took my camera (iPhone) along with me to share a couple of post-storm photos in today’s blog entry. The combination of cold and recently fallen snow invigorates one’s senses. Thoreau says, “To perceive freshly, with fresh senses, is to be inspired.” As the new year is about to begin, the model of nature offers “transient and partial glimpses of the beauty of the world,” but our own focused perception translates that into meaning and substance.
Along the riverfront of the Meduxnekeag the spruce and the fir trees hold a generous amount of “old man’s beard” high overhead, oftentimes dangling all the way down to ground level where a passerby can reach for it easily. The lichen, a symbiotic relationship between an algae and a fungus, has an enchanted look when viewed in the north woods during winter. Native Americans valued its medicinal antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral qualities. Here is an entry from the U.S. Forest Service website with additional information about this fascinating lichen.
Also known as Methuselah’s beard and old man’s beard, Usnea longissima is a lichen in the family Parmeliaceae (Kingdom Fungi). Usnea longissima is found in Western Europe and North America. This species is a pendant lichen that hangs from tree branches. It is a light yellow-green lichen with a central cord and short branches coming off of the central cord. In all Usnea species, the central cord is like an elastic band surrounded by a hard fungal cortex. Usnea longissima can be from 6 inches long up to 20 feet long. Usnea longissima is normally found in open or shaded forests that are near bodies of water such as lakes or rivers. It grows in the crowns of coniferous trees. Although it has a large range and was once common, Usnea longissima is now considered rare in the United States. Reasons for its rarity include pollution and loss of habitat.
As I walked along the river in front of the cabin with my iCamera, I took several shots of Usnea longissima in freshly fallen snow. As the new year looms in front of us, let us aspire to “perceive freshly, with fresh senses…” The world is a miracle every day, our mind the only limitation. All the best as the old year winds down.
In the woods,
Dave
December 15, 2022
Trivia Sunday ChallengeDecember 7, 12:30 – 2:30PM
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Who will hoist the Cup Memorial Cup at our December 7th trivia event — now SUPERSIZED for your enjoyment. (That means 4 rounds instead of 3!) Come join us and find out next Sunday from 12:30-2:30p…maybe it’ll be you lifting the prize. (Bring some friends to boost the brainiac quotient, too!) And while you’re at it, enjoy some yummy lunch, hot coffee, and lots of good company…it’ll be a blast!
THIS WEEK’S YOUTUBE SERVICE:
HERE IS THE SERVICE LINK FOR THIS WEEK’S YOUTUBE SERVICE
(Please note it won’t be active until 10AM on Sunday morning)
HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK FOR SUNDAY COFFEE HOUR:Topic: UUHoulton zoom coffee hour & check-inTime: Dec 7, 2025 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/89858499642?pwd=EbDZQmCw4p4RvEidqb5XQFJz1MHt79.1
Meeting ID: 898 5849 9642Passcode: 750146
Calendar of Events @UUHoulton
Dec 7 Sunday Service: David Hutchinson
Dec 7 Monthly Trivia Event at The Cup 12:30-2-30PM
Dec 9 Meditation Group 5PM (online)
Dec 13 LGBTQ+ Luncheon 12 Noon
Dec 13 Houlton Coffeehouse 7-9PM
Dec 14 Sunday Service: Dale Holden
Dec 21 Sunday Service: David Hutchinson
Dec 21 Winter Solstice Celebration 4PM (followed by a potluck in the fellowship hall)
Dec 24 Candlelight Christmas Eve Service 4PM (followed by a potluck in the fellowship hall)
Dec 25 Merry Christmas!!
Dec 28 Sunday Service: Kathryn Harnish
from the UUA Worship Web
Pobody’s Nerfect
By Kahla Childers
December 3, 2025
“While you might think it’s a trick, having affection for one’s goofy, crabby, annoying, lovely self is home. This has been my meager salvation.”
–Anne Lamott
December is a whirlwind in my family, and possibly in yours. Throughout this frenetic season I bake countless cookies, plan intricate activities for work obligations, and try to create holiday magic for others to stave off feelings of winter melancholy in myself. By the end of December, I feel like one of the ornaments that my dog has pulled off the tree to nibble on.
I try to conserve a bit of energy on Christmas Eve to make my favorite overnight cinnamon rolls. I lovingly make the dough before the candlelight service, baby the rolls overnight, and bake them fresh on Christmas morning as our home fills with eager anticipation.
Last year, just as my children started whimpering for sugar, I pulled the cinnamon rolls out, their pillowy bounty beckoning. I placed them on the counter to cool, insisting they would be ready soon. A few minutes later I heard a strange popping noise from the kitchen. My stomach sank as I realized the pan had cracked into a million pieces, filling the cinnamon folds with angry glass shards.
Defeat, disappointment, and the sharp jab of self-criticism filled me. My beautiful cinnamon rolls, the final gift of the season, were now detritus.
I sank onto the couch, my family taking turns expressing their own sadness while offering the comfort of candy pulled out from stockings. Reminded of our family motto, “Pobody’s Nerfect,” I grieved the loss with compassion. Our dog nosed me, climbing over to cuddle. My partner dug in the back of the fridge, hoping to find a leftover can of store brand cinnamon rolls. I sat in the morning light, surrounded by my family, the lights twinkling as holiday music filled the air. Taking a slow breath, the air around me finally stood still.
When faced with imperfection, self-criticism, or doubts, we can allow ourselves grace. We can try to breathe in the love that surrounds us, finding the anchors of self-compassion, connection, and community. Sometimes it can be hard to find meaning when faced with the daily work of living in this world and all its complexities. Yet, I still cling to the hope that whatever defeats or disappointments we encounter this season, we might find a bit of holiday magic that tastes sweeter than the most perfect treat.
Prayer
May I be happy, may you be happy, may we all be happy in this season. May I find peace and comfort in letting go of perfectionism and self-criticism. Help me feel the calm in the storm—even the ones of my own making.
UUHoulton front door ready for the holidays!
Prayer List
For those working for social justice and societal change
Pray for peaceful action and democratic process in our nation
The war in Ukraine continues
Prayers for the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Prayers for the peace process in the Middle East
Prayers for those affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
Prayers for those still affected by the interruption of SNAP benefits and heating assistance
(the government shutdown is now over, but it may take time for benefits to resume)
Prayers for those affected by the extreme weather conditions and drought in Iran
Prayers for those affected by the National Guard shooting in DC during Thanksgiving
Prayers for those affected by the flooding in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam
The Four Limitless Ones Prayer
May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness.
May we be free from suffering and the root of suffering.
May we not be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.
May we dwell in the great equanimity free from anger, aggression and delusion.
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