Weekly Update – January 10, 2026 Acknowledging the Heaviness of This Week Kathryn Harnish, on behalf of Dale Holden Friends, this has been a really hard week. The killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis has left a lot of us feeling shaken — sad, angry, and confused that this kind of violence continues to be a part of our America. Rev. Ashley Horan, vice president for programs and ministries at the Unitarian Universalist Association, lives in the neighborhood where the shooting happened and went to the scene when faith leaders were asked to show up as a presence of love, care, and witness. She said, “My Unitarian Universalist faith is the belief that every single human life has inherent worthiness and dignity, and that we are inextricably interdependent as humans, as neighbors. The combination of those two things means that there’s not actually a question about showing up like that — the greatest form of sin is feeling like we are separate from other people.”That really resonates. When something like this happens, it’s easy to distance ourselves, to think it’s far away or not really about us. But it is. What happens to one person doesn’t stop with them. It ripples out, whether we want it to or not.Maybe what we’re being asked to do right now isn’t to have answers, or to fix anything, but just to be human. Even when it all seems too awful and overwhelming, we can keep showing up for each other, keep choosing compassion, and keep leaning toward love. That, at least, feels like something we can do together. Blessed be. This Sunday’s Service Our January 11th service – “UU for You”, led by Randi Bradbury and Ira Dyer – focuses on the “basics” of Unitarian Universalism, including a little history and a little theology. Whether you’ve been attending the UU Church for a week or a lifetime, you’ll learn something new about how our tradition has evolved and how we practice our values in an open, accepting way. For those of you interested in joining via Zoom this week, here are all of the details you need:Zoom Link Meeting ID: 828 5488 9544Passcode: 789739January 4th ServiceTo view last Sunday’s open pulpit service, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJXp3rOLKrA. The video will be available to watch tomorrow morning, as usual. Share Your Thoughts with the Worship Committee! A small group of congregants has been meeting to plan upcoming Sunday services, and they’d love to hear what topics you’d like to explore in future services. To that end, please take a few moments to complete a short survey — either online or via a paper copy we’ll have available on Sunday. It’s a chance to share your interests, ideas, and even let us know if you might be interested in participating in a service! We’d like to have responses back by Sunday, January 18th…so don’t delay! |
| More on Our Celebration of Rev. Dave’s Retirement Mark your calendar for Saturday, …and start planning your most over-the-top dessert delight! We’re wishing Rev. Dave all the best for his retirement in The Cup Cafe from 2-5 PM in true UU tradition: a potluck. And since we want his retirement to be extra sweet, it’s a dessert potluck! |
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| We’re hoping everyone will go all out by sharing sweet treats that are extra-decadent, extra-fancy, or just extra-yummy. All are welcome to honor Dave as he marks this important milestone. Upcoming Services and Events January 12th: UU Board Meeting at 4 PM in the Parlor with the UUA’s Emily Cherry via Zoom -all are welcome! January 17th: No LGBTQ+ luncheon or Coffeehouse this month! January 18th: Sunday Service – “Don’t Sleep through the Revolution!” with Kathryn Harnish January 19th: Restore MLK Jr. Day luncheon (details forthcoming) January 24th: Reverend Dave’s Retirement Celebration 2-5 PM in The Cup Cafe January 25th: Sunday Service – “Wisdom Speaks in Many Voices” with MaryAlice Mowry |
| Pledges may also be made by sending a check to:UU Church of Houlton61 Military Street, Houlton, ME 04730. |
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