Rev. David Hutchinson, Minister, 446-6858 Leigh Griffith, Moderator, 694-5732 Treasurers, Mary Blocher, 521-5253 Barbara Erickson, 532-3297 Fred Griffith, Clerk, 538-6175 Karen Klahr, Newsletter, 532-4051  Church Phone, 532-9269 Committee on Ministry, Sylvia Williams, Fen Carmichael Newsletter – Winter 2021

Unitarian Universalist   Church of Houlton 61 Military St.   Houlton, ME 04730

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF HOULTON NEWSLETTER

MINISTER’S  MESSAGE

  “church under snow”    2020

From the Journals of Henry David Thoreau January 6, 1858

The first snow-storm of much importance. By noon it may be six inches deep…Very little evidence of God or man did I see just then, and life not as rich and inviting an enterprise as it should be, when my attention was caught by a snowflake on my coat-sleeve. It was one of those perfect, crystalline, star- shaped ones, six-rayed, like a flat wheel with six spokes, only the spokes were perfect little pine trees in shape, arranged around a central spangle. This little object, which, with many of its companions, rested un-melting on my coat, so perfect and beautiful, reminded me that Nature had not lost her pristine vigor yet, and why should we lose heart? Sometimes the pines were worn and had lost their branches, and again it appeared as if several stars had impinged on one another at various angles, making a somewhat spherical mass. There were mingled with these starry flakes small downy pellets also. This was at mid- afternoon, and it has not quite ceased snowing yet (at 10PM). We are rained and snowed on with gems. I confess that I was a little encouraged, for I was beginning to believe that Nature was poor and mean, and I was now convinced that she turned off as good work as ever. What a world we live in!

January 7, 1858

The storm is over, and it is one of those beautiful winter mornings when a vapor is seen hanging in the air between the village and the woods. Though the snow is only some six inches deep, the yards appear full of those beautiful crystals (star or wheel shaped flakes), lying light as a measure is full of value.

We are soon to be running out of days in this year 2020 (and none too soon I might add…), a year like none other in its unexpectedness, its demands and its plot twists. Just making it to this point (relatively intact) should give one a well-earned sense of accomplishment. But the challenges will not expire at the end of the year, and new variations of problems will most likely emerge in 2021 that are an unknown as of now.

That is why a collective pause at this moment is so important, a chance to catch our breath before we head into the new year. Thoreau suggests that Nature, or connecting to the “pristine vigor” of the natural world is a means to restore our own perspective on living in the world of daily headlines and unending crises of one sort or another. Why should we lose heart? Perhaps it’s something as simple as noticing a small snowflake on your parka or looking to the cold winter night sky and seeing the glitter of gems. Nature can ground us in times of uncertainty and change and inspire us with its innate beauty. What’s so unsettling about many of our current circumstances is that it is nature itself that is trying to re-balance itself and the adjustments are disruptive to life as we’ve known it. The coronavirus pandemic is the first plague of my lifetime, but experts are expecting this as the first variation of more to follow…Global heating is leading to climate shifts that effect everything from biodiversity and agriculture to real- estate markets. These environmental stressors will drive economic, social and political issues for years to come. How can we not lose heart?

As Nature returns to balance, so too must we. Surprisingly enough, perhaps covid could be our crisis-induced guide. As we have been forced to do things differently during the pandemic, some of these changes have had a positive effect. The workplace model may look very different post-covid with more people working from home and traveling to the office less often and less traffic on the commute. People are re-thinking how they spend their time and money. Everyday things we have taken for granted (social contact, eating out, going to a movie) are suddenly being appreciated as essential to living a good life. Civic organizations and community involvement will gain new support across the board. There are downward trending realities as well, but the balancing of the two will be critical to those working for positive change. Do not lose heart.

Here at UUHoulton we are doing things we never would have done without the driving circumstances of covid. Sunday Services are now available to view on our YouTube Channel, we meet via zoom for coffee hour and check-in on Sundays, our UUHoulton Facebook page has been re-vitalized, the meditation group is meeting in virtual space, I have a new minister’s blog and the church board is even meeting via zoom to conduct organizational business. Our latest project is a long overdue upgrade to our church website which is ready to go online in early January. While we certainly miss our in- person gatherings and first-hand community, technology and various electronic communications have kept us in contact with each other and helped nurture spiritual community in these unsettling times. Do not lose heart. There are gems along the way that will flash a glint of light in your direction as you go. As Thoreau would say, “What a world we live in!”

Return to balance in the new year. 

In Ministry,

Dave 

SUNDAY SERVICES at UUHoulton

Sunday Services at UUHoulton went online this past September in a response to the coronavirus outbreak. It is (most of the time) a 30-minute prerecorded service featuring live musicians and a short message from the minster broadcast from the Unitarian Parlor and available to view on our YouTube Channel at 10 AM each Sunday. All of the previous services are archived on the Channel in case you missed one or want to watch it again. We recommend that you like and subscribe to the Channel as the easiest way to access the service each week. We also send out a link to the Sunday Service as part of our UUHoulton Support Page that goes out weekly. We currently have 43 subscribers to the Channel and we have hit over 100 views on two occasions! When was the last time we had 100 people in church on a Sunday? It’s been a great way for those who live far away to still stay in touch with what’s going on at UUHoulton. Share with a friend and let them know they are welcome to join us via YouTube!

E-MAIL/INTERNET DISCUSSION LIST: UU HOULTON COMMUNITYAn email discussion mailing list is a tool for a group of people to exchange messages via email. Any subscriber to the list can send messages that are received by all the subscribers, creating an email-based group conversation. The UU Houlton Community Yahoo Group has been created for members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Houlton. We currently have 26 members. Please take a look at the webpage.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uuhoultoncommunity/   If you’d find it useful and wish to join just click the “Join This Group” button. After entering your info, remember to click on “save changes” before leaving the page. You can contact Rev. Dave or Karen if you have questions or need further instructions.

OTHER UU ONLINE RESOURCES

• The website of the Unitarian Universalist Association   http://www.uua.org
• The website of the Northern New England District (NNED)   http://http://www.uua.org/new-england
• The UUWorld magazine   www.uuworld.org.   (You can also sign up for a weekly email update.) www.uuhoulton.org