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Annual Appeal
Welcome to our Annual Appeal for Fiscal Year 27! Our theme this year is “ Belonging and Thriving - Together .” As we are confronted with national uncertainty and discord, it is vitally important that we build and strengthen our connection to one another and to other supportive communities. Our shared dedication to community outreach and social justice is essential. Here are the key dates for this year’s Annual Appeal: 03/01 Sunday Service kickoff & signup table for pledgi
uuseoffice
2 days ago2 min read
"Strategic Planning: A Discipline of Resistance" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, February 15, 2026
Gathering Music Welcome Centering Prelude "Winter Morning Meditation" by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting & Opening Words #429 in Singing the Living Tradition by William F. Schultz Come into this place of peace And let its silence heal your spirit; Come into this place of memory And let its history warm your soul; Come into this place of prophecy and power And let its vision change your heart. Opening Hymn "Come Sing a Song With Me" #346 in Singing the Living Tradition Words & Musi
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4 days ago3 min read
What Makes You Come Alive, Rev. Josh Pawelek, February 8, 2026
Our ministry theme for February is embodying resilience. Last week Stacy, Paula and Heather offered insights into what creates resilience in the natural world. Their message: diverse, connected, interdependent communities are resilient. We learned about mycelium, the vast fungal networks that carry nutrients and water, break down decaying matter, and even aid in tree-to-tree communication in the midst of threats. We learned about the role seed banks play in sustaining forest
uuseoffice
5 days ago8 min read
"What Makes You Come Alive?" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, February 8, 2026
Dean Howard Thurman Assison N. Scurlock, photographer Smithsonian Online Archives NMAH AC 0618.S04.01 Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from "Waiting to Grow Again" by Jennifer Johnson Opening Hymn "Winter Takes its Time" Music by Mary Bopp Words by Rev. Josh Pawelek and Mary Bopp Drone: Winter takes its time. Winter takes its time. Verses: Let us all heed winter's teaching. Let us no
uuseoffice
Jan 302 min read
"The Nature of Resilience" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, February 1, 2026
Gathering Music Welcome Centering "The Strength of Water" https://www.uua.org/worship/words/meditation/strength-water Prelude "Wellspring" Composed & performed by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Opening Hymn #169 "We Shall Overcome" African American spiritual adapt. by William Farley Smith Mary Bopp, piano We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday! Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome someday! We'll walk hand in h
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Jan 282 min read
"I Am Today" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 25, 2026
(from Vecteezy.com ) Welcome & Announcements Centering Chalice Lighting Opening Hymn #126 "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" Words: v. 1 Robert Robinson, v. 2-3 Eugene B. Navias Come, thou fount of ev'ry blessing, tune our ears to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. While the hope of life's perfection fills our hearts with joy and love, teach us ever to be faithful, may we still thy goodness prove. Come, thou fount of ev'ry visio
uuseoffice
Jan 202 min read
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory, Rev. Josh Pawelek, January 18, 2026
An early lyric sheet for “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” published by Philadelphia: Supervisory Committee for Recruiting Colored Regiments, c. 1863. We’ve sung through various iterations of the late 18 th -century American camp meeting song “Say, Brothers Will You Meet Us?” Just prior to the Civil War, federal soldiers in Massachusetts set the explicitly abolitionist lyrics of John Brown’s Body” to the same tune. Then, as the story goes the poet, author, abolitionist, p
uuseoffice
Jan 1810 min read
"Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 18, 2026
Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Mine Eyes Have Seen" by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words excerpt from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s eulogy for the Rev. James Reeb (March 15, 1965) Opening Hymn Mashup "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us" and "John Brown's Body" lyrics by various authors, adapted by Rev. Josh Pawelek traditional American hymn tune Say, brothers, will you meet us, Say, brothers, will you meet us, Say, brothers, will you
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Jan 123 min read
"The Arts as Resistance" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 11, 2026
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp, piano) Welcome and Announcements (David Klotz) Centering Prelude (Mary Bopp, piano) Chalice Lighting & Opening Words (David Klotz & Jane Penfield) #493 Hildegard of Bingen Fire of the Spirit, life of the lives of creatures, spiral of sanctity, bond of all natures, glow of charity, lights of clarity, taste of sweetness to the fallen, be with us and hear us. Composer of all things, joy in the glory, strong honor, be with us and hear us. Introduct
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Jan 61 min read
Two Epiphanies, Rev. Josh Pawelek, January 4, 2026
Our ministry theme for January is practicing resistance . I’m not surprised our friends at Soul Matters (the independent UU resource hub that provides materials for our monthly themes) landed on this theme at this time. As we have named many times over the past year, the administration in Washington, DC has engaged in many authoritarian actions, e.g., abducting and deporting people without due process, deploying federal troops to US cities, cutting the social safety net to pa
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Jan 49 min read
"Two Epiphanies" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 4, 2026
Gathering Music Mike Zanta, Guitar Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "White Flag" by Joseph performed by Meetinghouse Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Matthew 2: 10-15a (New Revised Standard Version) Opening Hymn #1007 "There's a River Flowing in My Soul" by Faya Ora Rose Toure (Rose Sanders) There's a river flowin' in my soul. There's a river flowin' in my soul. And it's tellin' me that I'm somebody. There's a river flowin' in my soul. There's a river flowin' in
uuseoffice
Dec 29, 20251 min read
"Reflections & Hopes" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 28, 2025
Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Edelweiss" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II Service Introduction Chalice Lighting & Opening Words Chalice Lighting #448 in Singing the Living Tradition by Christine Robinson We gather this hour as people of faith with joys, sorrows, gifts and needs. We light this beacon of hope, Sign of our quest For truth and meaning, In celebration of the life we share together. Opening Hymn "My Life Flows on in Endless Song" #108 in S
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Dec 23, 20253 min read
Where the Light Begins, Rev. Josh Pawelek, December 21, 2025
I want to share the words the choir just sang. The piece is “Where the Light Begins” by the choral composer Susan Labarr. The words are a slightly adapted excerpt from a longer poem titled “Where the Light Begins,” [1] by the Rev. Jan Richardson, an artist, writer and Methodist minister. The poem is from Rev. Richardson’s 2015 collection, Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons. [2] About the light she says: Perhaps it does not begin. Perhaps it is always. Pe
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Dec 22, 20254 min read
"Silent Night, Holy Night" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 24, 2025 - 5:00 PM
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Words of Welcome (Emmy Galbraith) Centering (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Prelude "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella" Traditional French carol Arr. by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens gently adapted by Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Hymn "Angels We Have Heard on High" Words by Earl Marlatt Music: French Carol Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o'er the plains And the mountains in reply E
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Dec 16, 20255 min read
"Evening Vespers Service" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 22, 2025
Gathering Music (Debbie Vinick, harp) Welcome Introduction Centering Chalice lighting and Opening Words "Forgotten Church" by James Crews The next time you pray for someone else, send whispered words on shaky wings up to the night sky, you might consider including yourself before the final amen. When you ask for your own happiness, plead for a flashlight to shine a path through whatever darkness you are facing, it's like stepping back into the forgotten church of this one bo
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Dec 16, 20253 min read
Emmy's Friday Update
Greetings CYM Families & Friends! Here's What's Happening in CYM this Sunday, February 15th: There will NOT be Children’s Chapel this Sunday Nursery : Childcare will be available in our nursery at 11 AM for children age 3 and under. Sunday Service : “Strategic Planning: A Discipline of Resilience” - Hear and be heard to form our UUSE vision, mission, and planning statements. Coordinator: Kate Kimmerle Time For All Ages : Children and youth in grades 2-8 will attend the b
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Dec 12, 20253 min read
Dan's Test Blog
Greetings CYM Families & Friends! Our lovely choir director, Jenn Richard, has prepared a phenomenal array of musical pieces perfect for kicking off the holiday season! Do not miss this Sunday’s annual Holiday Music Service for all ages. Children & Youth Ministry (CYM) classes will not be held this Sunday, and we hope that families will enjoy this festive service together in the Sanctuary. The exceptions are that the Nursery will be open and our High School Youth Group progr
uuseoffice
Dec 12, 20252 min read
"Where the Light Begins" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 21, 2025
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Joy on Christmas Morning" by Audrey Snyder UUSE Choir Chalice Lighting and Opening Words #542 "Solstice" by Diane Lee Moomey Again did the earth shift Again did the nights grow short And the days long. And the people Of the earth were glad And celebrated Each in their own ways Opening Hymn "Winter Takes its Time" Music by Mary Bopp Words by Rev. Josh Pawelek and Mary Bopp Drone: Wint
uuseoffice
Dec 11, 20252 min read
"Where the Light Begins" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 14, 2025
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements Introit "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Trad. English carol, arr. by BNL) the Gonzalez family, vocals Jennifer Richard, guitar Centering Prelude "Joy on Christmas Morning" by Audrey Snyder UUSE Choir Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "A Joyful Noise" by Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Hymn #253 "O Come, All Ye Faithful" by John Francis Wade O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem. Come
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Dec 10, 20252 min read
"Choosing Hope" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 7, 2025
Welcome (Stacey Musulin) Centering (Martha Larson) Prelude : Improvisation on steel tongue drum performed by Kristen Dockendorff Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from "We Gather" by Pat Uribe-Lichty We gather to find New ways of loving. New ways of thinking. New ways of being. We gather - yes, always we gather, for it is in gathering that we find our hope. Opening Hymn #118 "This Little Light of Mine" Words and music: African American spiritual, c. 1750-1875 This
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Dec 2, 20252 min read
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