Rev. David Hutchinson, Minister Leigh Griffith, Moderator Donna Rich, Treasurer Karen Klahr, Newsletter Church Phone, 532-9269 Committee on Ministry, Sylvia Williams, Fen Carmichael Newsletter –  Summer 2021

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

MINISTER’S COLUMN

“big yellow”  photo by Dave

What sweet and tender, the most innocent and divinely encouraging society there is in every natural object, and so in universal nature, even for the poor misanthrope and most melancholy person. There can be no really black melancholy to one who lives in the midst of nature and still has one’s senses…

They give me a new sense of the vastness and mystery of that nature which is the common dwelling of us all. How important is a constant intercourse with nature and the contemplation of natural phenomena to the preservation for moral and intellectual health.

(And I say to myself) Yes, roam far, grasp life, learn much and live. The locks are unlocked; you are really free…at least live with a longer radius. 

from Henry David Thoreau’s journal

July, 1845

The Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor was a Saturday Evening staple from its beginnings in 1974 until 2016 as the show was broadcast from the historic Fitzgerald Theater in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. (If you happened to miss it on Saturday night you could catch it on Sunday afternoon but it never quite felt the same.)  They would occasionally take the show on the road and visit other American cities featuring local cultural peculiarities as material for their skits and special musical guests. On this particular Saturday night they were in New York City and when I turned on the radio I caught Garrison in the middle of a segment talking about Henry David Thoreau.  I’m not sure how he got started on Thoreau, but he was reading a few lines out of Walden such as “our lives are frittered away by detail…” and then Keillor added, “Of course, Thoreau didn’t have to live in a co-op apartment or didn’t have to deal with, say, plumbing.” He also commented on the abundance of street-corner preachers in New York City and went on to say you can’t really preach much nuance on a street corner.  I’m thinking that’s probably why you don’t see a lot of Unitarian Universalist ministers preaching on a subway train. But what about reading Thoreau on a subway train? So Garrison starts reading a few more passages from Walden occasionally adding the phrase, “Watch the closing doors please…”

Thoreau talks about a dour melancholy that can overtake us if we are not careful to maintain a certain mental economy of being. What is your mind-state these days? There are certainly plenty of factors in play that can drain both our physical and spiritual stamina, but there are also numerous ways to improve and revive our outlook. The New England Transcendentalist model included regular contact with nature and a return to our basic senses that interface with the amazing world around us; taste, feel, smell, see, hear and think (contemplate). Even the most distressing circumstances contain the possibility of exploration, curiosity and balanced engagement.  Hmmmmmmm, isn’t that interesting?  A large yellow flower in my garden can sometimes be all I need to get through the rest of the day. A kind glance from a friend (or someone I don’t even know) can renew my enthusiasm for life. 

As summer approaches and as covid restrictions are beginning to be lifted across the state and nation, I am cautiously optimistic that we can move forward in small ways and return to the  activities and societal relations that we have so missed. At UUHoulton we are planning an in-person Flower Communion Service in the sanctuary on the first Sunday of June followed by an outdoor potluck coffee hour. We also have several events scheduled for summer that we are excited about. (Check out the details in the newsletter.) While we have found ways to innovate and try new approaches to ministry and spiritual community during the past sixteen months there is no way to replace individual to individual interactions and contact. If we had taken these things for granted in times before, I think we will not do so again. There is a place for both on-line and in-person religious community and in the coming days we will explore what that might look like.  

As Thoreau said, “Yes, roam far, grasp life, learn much and live.”(watch the closing doors please…)

In Ministry,

Dave

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MODERATOR’S MESSAGE

Flower Communion! I don’t know about you, but I really missed it last year. I’m looking forward with cautious optimism to a summer of getting out and about more and spending time with people I have only had brief masked and distanced conversations with. Phones, Zoom, and texting work to communicate on a basic level, but can never replace the feeling of a face to face (even at a distance) conversation. We have an outdoor gathering or two in the works and will discover down the line how much activity we can have centered around our church building.  Baby steps until we can walk and, eventually, run! 

Welcome Summer!

Leigh Griffith – Moderator

FLOWER COMMUNION, PLANT SALE & OUTDOOR COFFEE HOUR

“walkway by Linda’s flower garden”   photo by Dave

Our traditional flower communion service will be held ” in-person” in the sanctuary on Sunday, June 6th at 10AM. Please bring a fresh cut flower to contribute to the ritual. This Unitarian tradition originated in 1923 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Dr. Norbert Capek asked his parishioners to bring and receive flowers as a symbol of their shared life as a spiritual community. Masks will not be required for the service but left to personal discretion. The service space will be well ventilated and spacing is encouraged for those with safety concerns. There will be no congregational singing during the service but there will be plenty of special music and creative participation. Rev. Dale Holden will be our music director and organist for the service and the Congregational/Unitune Ensemble will be singing. Please come and join us for this special service. Flashy shirts and splashy skirts are also encouraged for the festive and colorful occasion. The service will be recorded and available on the UU YouTube Channel later in the day. 

Roger Morin’s artwork will be available to view after the service and donations will be accepted to the Morin Art Fund for those interested in purchasing one (or more) of Roger’s paintings. If you have extra seeds, plants or seedlings left over from your garden planting please bring those as well as part of our flower/seed exchange and plant sale. 

Following the service there will be an outdoor coffee hour on the church front lawn. It is a pot-luck so bring something to share with the group. We will have tables and a canopy set up on the church lawn for dining. You can also bring your own comfy lawn chair if you like (and don’t forget the bug spray!). There will not be a grill on site this year so please keep that in mind as you make your plans. Everyone is welcome!__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MIDNIGHT MADNESS on the UUHoulton Front Lawn

July 2, 2021   Friday Night   4-8 PM
“Chicken Curry Night” and Art Sale

Join us for Midnight Madness on the UUHoulton front lawn. UUChicken Curry has become a Midnight Madness must-have. I don’t know how many years we’ve been doing this (of course it didn’t happen last year) but we’re doing it again. There is also a vegetable curry option. Get there early before we sell out! There will also be hot and cold beverages, iced lattes from the cafe and slushies to cool your cravings. Artwork from the Roger Morin collection will also be on display in the historic Unitarian sanctuary and on the front lawn (weather permitting). If you are interested in purchasing some of Roger’s painting donations will go to the Morin Art Fund.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

YARD SALE and ART SHOW – Saturday, July 3, 8AM – 4PM 
There will be a Yard Sale on the UU front lawn (and back parking lot) on July 3rd from 8AM until 4PM. The Arts and Crafts Fair sponsored by the Houlton Chamber of Commerce will be happening on the same day right across the street so you can check out both sales at the same time. The artwork of Roger Morin will be on display in the sanctuary and we’ll be accepting donations from anyone interested in purchasing some of Roger’s paintings. You will see a self-portrait of Roger shown below. Anyone interested in being a vendor please contact Leigh Griffith at computertutor@mfx.net or 207-694-5732

UUHOULTON RELATED LINKS

UUHoulton YouTube Channel   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBqT7LyWvxNQ2DbXvvNKHvAUUHoulton Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/HoultonUU

The Cup Cafe Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/The-Cup-Cafe-140376419359665

UUHoulton Website   uuhoulton.org     

Minister’s Blog    backwoodsblog.com
Watch the UUHoulton weekly service archived on our YouTube Channel

E-MAIL/INTERNET DISCUSSION LIST: UU HOULTON COMMUNITY

An 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