God is Love.
--1 John 4:8
Dear Friends,
It seems quite fitting to choose "LOVE" as the theme for February, the month of Valentine's Day. But love is so much more than Cupid's work. We were reminded of this as we celebrated the life and message of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, who said, "Justice is what LOVE looks like in public."
Since our overarching theme this year is "theology", let's begin with the core theology of Universalism: "God is love. " Remembering the larger definition of love has been a primary concern for our faith from the beginning. One might even say that love is what made us who we are as a religion. Or if you want to put a less gracious spin on it, you could say love is what got us kicked out of the Christian club; it's what made others call us heretics. Simply put, we took the Bible seriously when it said, "God is Love." We also took Jesus seriously when he said that God is like a loving father. So when others said that God has predestined some of his children to heaven and others to hell, we just couldn't get our minds around that. How could a loving parent, or "Love itself," damn anyone to hell? For our Universalist God, there is nothing a person can do to get outside of the circle of love - no way to escape it or brush it off - and here we are, left with the challenge of making that kind of love real here on earth.
You might ask yourself, is love something you 'do' or 'fall into'. Probably both. It usually takes courage and can lead us outside our comfort zones. Love wants to keep knocking down divisions and pushing our affections out into wider and wider circles. Unitarian Universalism asks us over and over, "Are you sure your loving is large enough?"
This month we'll explore a range of meanings of "Love" and how it manifests in our individual lives as well as the wider world. Check out our Love Theme Resources online or pick up a copy at the Garden Door shelf. There is also a version for families. Don't miss opportunities for conversations about love:
- Feb 1, after worship, David Wheeler and Traci Dorsey will lead a discussion on this theme in the Fireside Room.
- Feb 13 - Popcorn Theology - Love Actually
- Feb 15 - The Light Left On program created and facilitated by Nancy Baker
- Small Group Ministry sessions
May you find much joy in your explorations and contemplations.
With much love for all of you,
Rev. Barbara
Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord
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I will be away for two weeks beginning the afternoon of January 25, for professional development and a few days of personal time. January 25-28, I'll be attending the annual meeting of the Fraters of the Wayside Inn in Sudbury. This group of Unitarian Universalist ministers has been meeting since 1903. On February 1, I will travel to the week-long Institute for Excellence in Ministry, where I will be studying with Joanna Macy in a seminar entitled, Just Transition in a Time of Unraveling. The worship service on February 22 will include reflections on that experience.
As always, you are tucked in my heart when I am away from you. If you have an emergency, please contact our congregation's president, David Wheeler at intersel@aol.com 603-465-5670 or cell 603-321-0754.
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Joe PollockAll about blindness, music, and listening. Bring your ears. Kali Fyre, Intern MinisterGandhi wrote, "Various religions are like the leaves of a tree, no two religions are alike yet there is no antagonism between them or between the branches on which they grow. Even so, there is an underlying unity in the variety which we see in God's creation." By deepening our awareness of other faiths,we might better expand our connection to our neighbors through greater understanding of their religious viewpoints. Kali Fyre is a student at Meadville-Lombard Theological School in Chicago. She is currently engaged in Community Ministry at the YWCA in Manchester, while engaging in her theological studies at Meadville-Lombard. Rev. Barbara McKusick LiscordMartin Luther King said, "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Yet, "love" is a lot to ask when speaking of our enemies - someone who has done us harm or some group we fear will do us harm. Continuing our year of theological themes, this Sunday's worship serves February's theme of Love as core theological principle of our faith. Rev. Barbara McKusick LiscordJoanna Macy writes, "Deepening global crises surround us. We are beset by climate change, fracking, tar sands extraction, GMOs, and mass extinctions of species, to say nothing of nuclear weapons proliferation and Fukushima, the worst nuclear disaster in history. Many of us fall prey to despair even as we feel called to respond to these threats to life on our planet." This Sunday, we will share some lessons learned from Joanna Macy's Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work that Reconnects, co-authored by Molly Young Brown.
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You can contact our music director, Carolyn McCreary (music@uucm.org 978-772-5870), for more information about our music programs.
Join in singing love songs in the Sanctuary following the community supper. All are welcome. Please join us!
Choir Rehearsals - Wednesdays starting Feb 11 from 7-8:30pm
Spring Music "Season" is upon us, and I invite singers to join us to prepare for our "music Sunday" service. This year, we will be sharing the music of Pete Seeger, activist and Unitarian Universalist. Invitation to Folk Singers If you have a Seeger song or story to share on "music Sunday", please contact me and we will include it in the service. (music@uucm.org or see me some Sunday.) |
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Lifespan Religious Education
LRE Events for all ages -- children, youth, adults -- are listed here.
See other church events in the UUCM News & Activities section.
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Welcome Family and Friends, to the month when cabin fever is said to reign, when hope that comes from knowing spring is one month closer stirs within, and Love fills the air. We wake slowly, walk stiffly (and carefully still), but begin to stretch and stir, watch the ground for breaks in snow and ice to spot signs of earth where we trust life also stirs, and begin to listen for early morning bird songs. Our children and youth stir most quickly, of course, but RE is here to help with many activities and much fun for all ages! When church is over for this week, don't let it stop there. Share with your family stories of your experiences with worship, feelings of awe, places that feed your spirit. Encourage them to share also. Perhaps light a candle or chalice together in the evening when all are at home, needing to calm before bed, and use that time to share something from your day and something you hope for tomorrow! With hope and love, Cyn Fennelly, DLRE OUUL (Our UU Life 7th and 8th graders) are exploring their UU heritage and identity and how that identity takes its place in molding the person each strives to be. February brings them closer to the time when they will begin outward exploration of their world through field trips and projects. In Our Hands (K-6th grade) is just getting started, but if you poke your heads in to a circle room you will hear happy sounds and see engaged children. Almost makes you want to sign up to share the circle with them! Hold on to those feelings. There is always room for one more Guide! The youth would like to raise funds to pay for some of the exciting activities planned this year. On February 7th, they will decorate cupcakes and cakes to sell at coffee hour on Sunday the 8th. We need bakers to make undecorated cupcakes. To volunteer, contact Beth Soederberg ( bsoederberg@sunriselabs.com or 472-3376) or Sandy Frades (sandyfrades@comcast.net or 673-2955).
Since February is often the time of cabin fever, the MSYG (Middle School Youth Group) has decided to cheer us up a bit by selling decorated cupcakes at coffee hour. This year we are trying something a little new for Sharing Friends. This will be a one-day event that focuses on learning more about each other, enjoying the richness of spirit in our congregation, and just plain having fun together! Please bring no gifts as this is about making friends and deepening our sense of community. We are hosting the Multi-Church Senior Youth Group at UUCM. Our Senior Youth Group will be helping to prepare the dinner meal. |
The Religious Education Committee (REC) provides a UUCM Family Resource each month for parents to use to enhance our RE program. It is similar to what Rev. Barbara provides each month, but shorter and geared toward children and youth. It provides information to parents on what the children/youth will be doing in their various circles and classes as well as other events. It provides activities and resources that families can enjoy together related to the monthly theme. You can link to the February UUCM Family Resource on LOVE here.
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In keeping with February's worship theme of love, we will be screening Love Actually. This 2003, R-rated film follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England. Hope you will join us for the film and some popcorn and lively conversation following the screening!
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In this session, led by Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord, we will learn about the history of our congregation before we had a building, dating back to the 1820s. We will learn how our building was funded and how the site was chosen. We will also gain a deeper understanding of our Bylaws and the governance structure of our congregation.
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This session of the Light Left On will explore Love as a theological and philosophical concept. We'll look at the many meanings and metaphors of love, at poetry that expresses love in ways that are spiritual, at famous couples in religious and literary history, and we'll enjoy some art and music that adds depth to our understanding of the many facets of love. There is a sign-up sheet in Barnum. All are welcome, but we'd like to know you are coming as we share a simple meal and need to plan for food. Questions: Contact Nancy Baker at ntbaker@att.net.
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Cure your cabin fever with an evening of warm food and good company and get an update on what's happening in the Partner Church village. Food provided by the Partner Church Committee;BYOB
The event is free and open to all. A $25 per person donation is suggested, as this will be the major fundraiser to allow Reverend Barbara to visit our new minister in Szekelyszentmihaly later this year. For additional information, please contact peggystokes@comcast.net or 603-321-4686. |
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Since this is a vacation month, we decided to celebrate by having a Vaca Kick-Off Potluck dinner and Fun Night. Please bring your favorite belly warming foods, your enthusiastic spirits, and your beautiful UU smiles. This is a Multi-Generational event as fun is ageless!
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Don't be stuck with good clothing that you can't use. Instead, donate it to support UUCM! Your donations of gently used men's and women's clothing will be sold on eBay through The Purple Turtle Women's Clothing shop- a top rated, online business of UUCM's own Linda Goodman. More info here.
- Linda and her team will do everything - list the items for sale, store them, and ship the clothing when it is sold.
- All proceeds will be paid to UUCM.
- A donation bin for gently used men's and women's clothing is located in Barnum Hall.
Linda could use help with this effort. To join her team, contact her at joelindamom@yahoo.com or 673-6567
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Learn how volunteers from UUCM and area churches support Anne-Marie House, which provides temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness. Tami McKay, Director of Volunteer Engagement at Anne-Marie House, and UUCM volunteers will explain this program and answer your questions. A light lunch will be provided. Please let Jean Lovely know if you will attend ( jlov181@aol.com or 595-2611) so we can arrange lunch.
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We need 5 volunteers each month on the second Sunday from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Contact Nancy Iannuzzelli for more information or to volunteer (672-2701, niannuzzelli@hotmail.com).
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Our suppers are becoming ever more popular! To learn more or to join the pool of volunteers, please contact Nancy Danzinger, UUCM Community Supper Coordinator, (ndanzinger@comcast.net, 673-9561), Barbara Smith (673-6629, brbsmith@me.com), or Dona Eaton (donageaton@gmail.com, 673-7526).
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We share with non-profit organizations that share our UU principles and values and whose key activities align with our current social action projects. Currently, we are sharing 35% of our plate each Sunday. Thanks to your generous contributions to these worthwhile causes, we are up over 10% in our plate giving over the same period last year.
Anne Marie House
| $277
| 2 plates
| Souhegan Valley Boys & Girls Club
| $117
| 1 plate
| Bridges (Our neighbor)
| $162
| 1 plate
| Chaplain's Discretionary Fund (Goffstown Women's Prison)
| $518
| 2 plates
| Ferry Beach Park Association Endowment
| $100
| 2 plates
| Home, Health & Hospice Care
| $170
| 1 plate
| Nashua Soup Kitchen
| $140
| 1 plate
| Partner Church
| $222
| 1 plate
| SHARE
| $858
| 5 plates
| UU Ministry for Earth
| $79
| 1 plate
| UUA
| $80
| 1 plate
| UU Service Committee (UUSC)
| $506
| 3 plates
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We also collected $400 for the UUSC Guest at Your Table project.
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For Circle Suppers, hosts provide the main dish, and guests bring other courses. Please consider hosting a supper for a minimum of six people, including hosts, and a maximum number of your choosing. If you live in a small space, you could join another person or couple with a larger place to host. We're also looking for a family or two to host Circle Suppers for families with children. Signups for hosts and attendees in Barnum Hall.
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This will be the congregation's second discussion on possible enhancements to our Sanctuary and Emerson Hall. We'll look at more specific proposals for the raised pulpit area and audio-visual systems. We'll continue to use the adaptive leadership approach and ensure that all voices are heard and honored. Childcare and lunch will be provided. Questions? Contact Ellen Groh at 465-3947. ** Soup, Chili, Cookies and Bars will be available for a donation to the MSYG. |
March 28th is one of UUCM's biggest fundraisers of the year. To make it a success, we need your donations. People love to bid on things they really need and want. Last year, we raised $12,500 thanks to your generous donations of vacation homes, scrumptious dinners, one-of-a-kind events, and many goods and services. Please help us meet or exceed this goal again this year!
- If you love to cook, offer dinner at your home or a dinner-to-go, or your homemade food specialty.
- Your special skills are wanted -- both cerebral (accounting, computer help) and physical (yard work, carpentry, or fix-it help).
- Got a suggestion? Contact co-chairs Dona Eaton (donageaton@gmail.com, 673-7526) or Leslie Bennett (leslieyingling1@aol.com, 672-4865)
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February: Marti Kennedy (mamamarti@mac.com or 673-6174)
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Cancellations on Sunday It's Snowing - Are Church Services and/or Children's Programming Cancelled?
To find out whether church is closed: - Check the uucm.org website
- Call the Church office at 673-1870
- Check WMUR-TV or www.wmur.com
- Check the websites of: WZID.com, 965THEMILL.com and WFEA1370.com (no on-air announcements on these three stations)
- And listen or look for the "Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Milford."
Closings on Other DaysIf the office is closed, there will be a message on the answering machine. It is best to call ahead to assure someone is in the office. For meetings or activities, check with the group leader.
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Please leave contributions in the SHARE basket in Barnum. This month's needs: Canned meats, side dishes (seasoned pasta mix, hamburger helper, etc), sandwich bread.
Please observe UUCM's Food Allergen and Alcohol policies on the UUCM Policies page.
Weekdays before 6pm and Saturdays before 5pm: Park only behind the church or in the circular driveway in front (and NOT in front of the Garden Door). For more parking information (including a printable map), click here.
In the Members & Friends section on the UUCM website, you will find the latest directory, committee listings, and info about people who've moved. Or you can get a directory from the UUCM office. If your contact information is incorrect, email office@uucm.org with 'Directory Changes' in the subject line.
Services provided by UUCM members & friends, rides to the airport or bus terminal, recipes, how to buy or consign clothing and goods with the proceeds going to UUCM -- plus links to hundreds of shopping sites where your purchase benefits UUCM, and much, much more!
- UUCM coffee hour cleanup, Sunday Greeters.
- Nashua Soup Kitchen, 2nd Sunday each month. Contact Nancy Iannuzzelli (672-2701)
- Contact Nancy Danzinger (673-9561, ndanzinger@comcast.net) to help with:
- UUCM's Community Suppers, 3rd Weds. every month.
- Community Suppers at SHARE, 4 hrs. one Tuesday every month.
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