What Does It Mean To Be A People of Ancestry?
Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values.
- Ralph Ellison, American writer
Our faith agrees with Ellison: there is a difference between relatives and ancestors. Relatives give us our brown eyes and bowed legs; ancestors bless and burden us with a legacy. Relatives are those we tell stories about; ancestors call us to carry the story forward. Our relatives allowed us to be here; our ancestors tell us why we are here and why being here right now matters. The difference is huge. It is - as Ellison also points out - all about choosing to see yourself differently and live by a different set of values.
Take success. There's an old line that challenges the hubris of some people with privilege: "He was born on third base but believes that he hit a triple." People who choose to see their lives through the lens of ancestry constantly remind themselves how they really got there. Instead of talking with puffed up chests about how they hit a triple, you will hear them speak of "the shoulders on which I stand." Hubris or humility? Ancestors never let us forget the latter.
You will also hear ancestor-conscious people speak of blessings differently. People of ancestry look at their blessings and choose to see not only a gift, but also a responsibility. It's one thing to gratefully celebrate the blessings passed on to us; it's quite another to be so grateful for those blessings that we can't help but ensure they get passed on to others. Simply put, ancestors pass on obligations. To be a people of ancestry means recognizing that something of value has been entrusted to you and that there is a long line of people behind you counting on you to pass it on. Even expecting this of you.
And whether that expectation feels to you like a blessing or a burden, it most surely also reminds you that you are part of something larger. Ancestors don't simply tell you that you are obligated; they tell you that you are obligated to something larger. And not just that you are obligated to it, but that it is dependent on you. Whether the story continues to be told is up to you! Whether the family tradition continues to be done is up to you! Whether the native language continues to be taught to the children is up to you! Whether the family cycles of health are strengthened or the family cycles of dysfunction are stopped is up to you! Ancestors plop these incomplete and intimidating endeavors in our laps and say, "We've done our part and taken it as far as we can. The next step of the journey is in your hands."
Which of course also means that our hands are connected. They handed the precious gift to us. We are asked to hand it on to those who follow. And they will hopefully continue the sacred chain.
And in the end, maybe it all boils down to that: seeing ourselves as part of a sacred chain. We are not small. Our lives are not insignificant or independent. Our choices are not without consequence to others. We are part of a story, not just a set of random happenings. Our choices tell the next chapter. Our choices connect the next link. Our choices pass on that which is precious and remind us we are preciously connected. This is what choosing to be a people of ancestry means. This is how it asks us to see our lives.
So, this month, let us all be grateful for those brown eyes, but choose to be part of the precious chain. What kind of ancestor will you be? Peruse the resources available online on this month's theme ANCESTRY or pick up a printed copy on the garden door shelf at church.
Blessings of joy and meaning to you in your November reflections,
Barbara
Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord
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Worship Services - Sundays at 10:30am
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Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord & Kali Fyre
During our candlelight All Souls' Service, we will reflect on death, bereavement and other losses. We'll also remember loved ones we have lost by lighting candles and writing their names in our All Souls' books. Please bring photographs and mementos of your loved one for the tables at the back of the sanctuary. After the service, we will celebrate the lives of all our lost loved ones by planting bulbs in their honor in our church gardens.
Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord This service will offer reflections on November's theme of Ancestry. What gifts and burdens come along with our ancestry? What kind of ancestor will you be?
Rev. Patrick McLaughlin, UU Manchester This service continues the 200 year old tradition of "pulpit swapping". While Rev. McLaughlin is offering worship in Milford, our Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord will be leading worship in Manchester.
We are grateful to be joined by Manitonquat (Medicine Story), a storyteller, an elder and a keeper of the lore of the Assonet Band of the Wampanoag Nation of Massachusetts. The concept of gratitude is an integral part of the way of being for the First Nations. He will share this perspective with us in our worship, followed by a workshop on applying "The Circle Way" to the 21st Century.
"The Circle Way of Our Ancestors - a Permaculture of the Heart - How It Could Change the World and Make a More Human Society"
This workshop offers five steps to change the world and is led by Manitonquat, who says, "We are getting it right with sustainable living in the environment, but our relationships with each other could use a new way of thinking. The Circle Way derives from the teachings of many native first nations elders, who are now passed from us. I find myself the elder now, with a responsibility to life to bring their instructions forward into today's world".
Rev. Stephanie Rutt and Linda Goodman Many of us can recite the prayer that Jesus taught by rote, but did you know that reading it in the language that Jesus spoke awakens an inner ecstatic cry missing from the words when translated from Aramaic to Greek to English? When we examine the words through the lens of the language that Jesus spoke, new vistas of meaning emerge and a sense of awe and wonder is awakened. Rev. Stephanie Rutt is an interfaith minister ordained in 2005 by the New Seminary for Interfaith Studies in New York City. She is founder and Presiding Minister of the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple, as well as the founder and creator of the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary and the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living, LLC. Today's service is based on her book, "Living the Prayer of Jesus, A Study of the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic."
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Lifespan Religious Education
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Lifespan RE offers programs for children, youth, and adults.
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What a great kickoff on October 18 with much conversation and laughter. - Sharing Friends Mailboxes - Leave little surprises, notes, drawings, poems for your friend through Nov 15.
- Nov 1 at 9:30am - Breakfast. Share a delicious breakfast. Family members also welcome!
- Nov 15 at 12pm, - Make your own ice cream sundae and celebrate this final event together.
- Keep in Touch - It is very rewarding to stay in touch. Why not sign up to light the chalice together?
- 7-9th grade OWL meets Nov 1, 8, 18 from 4-5:30pm.
- YRUU meets on Nov 1,8,15 from 6-8pm
- MSYG - Nov 21 10am-6pm Trip to Museum of Science, Boston. Click here for more MSYG events throughout the year.
- RE Circles every Sunday except
- Nov 22 - Thanksgiving multigenerational service
- Nov 29 - Social Justice Project
- Nursery and Friendship Finders available every Sunday
- Children's Choir (ages 5-10) rehearsal on Sundays from 10-10:20am
will start on January 10, in place of Circles. Parents will be contacted soon with information about the mandatory parent meeting. More about this program. Direct your RE inquiries to Sandy Frades, REC chair (sandyfrades@comcast.net or 603-533-2995)
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Potluck with Childcare NEW DATES!
Saturdays from 5-7:30pm on November 28, December 19, January 23, February 20, March 12 and April 16. Bring a dish to share. All enjoy a communal dinner, and then children are cared for while adults share conversation around a topic. (You don't have to have children to join this group!)
Sign-up forms are available on the Garden Door shelf or sign up online. Contact Genevieve Coursey or Rev. Barbara for more information.
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UUCM  News & Activities |
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Please plan to attend a congregational meeting on November 8th after the service. UUCM Members must vote to finalize the budget for this church year. Your voice and vote matter. Please be there. Childcare will be provided. Light lunch will be available. ~ Mark Schwartzberg and the Council
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 A memorial celebration of Rick's life will be held on Saturday, November 14, at 3:30pm, followed by a community dinner (provided) and a potluck dessert, and THEN an evening of music with our incredible musical friends. In lieu of flowers, Rick requested that memorial donations be sent to the American Youth Circus Organization ( www.americanyouthcircus.org), PO Box 482, Ithaca, NY 14851.)
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This year, we are continuing our support for three students in our Partner Church village. Each student has monthly expenses of $100 to $150 and we cover about 25-30% for them, for which they are tremendously grateful.
- Renata is studying Math & IT
- Krisztina is studying Agriculture and Veterinary science
- Zselyke is studying English & Romanian language and literature
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Join Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord and other area clergy on the Milford Oval, teaming up with Community Action for Safe Teens for a prayer vigil recognizing the effects of drug misuse in our community.
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- "Dreamcatcher" by Audrey Osofsky - a book for children about the Ojibway Indians' woven nets which protect their babies from harmful dreams. Donated by Jacquie Ferrency.
- "Our Voices, Our Land" - words by the Indian peoples of the Southwest with photographs to match. Donated by Jacquie Ferrency.
- "A Climate of Crisis, America in the Age of Environmentalism" by Patrick Allitt who seeks to find balance in interpreting the role of environmental advocates and naysayers, in successes and failures of governmental regulations, and who values the role of history in assessing America's complex environmental legacy. Donated by Bob Baker;
- "Spirits of Amoskeag, the Wounded Heroes of the Manchester Mills" by our very own Lois Hermann with Peter Paulson. A fascinating spiritual journey into the lives of children who worked and sometimes died doing dangerous jobs in the Amoskeag Mills, Donated by Leslie Bennett.
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 At the top of the page in the right-hand corner is a search box. Enter a word in the box, then click on Search. If you enter two words, enclose them in quotes - 'small group' You will get a list with all pages on the UUCM website that contain the word/words. Read more useful tips from the Communication Team.
Yes, more read the monthly newsletter than the weekly update. The monthly has photos, longer articles, and a look-ahead to the future. Submit your items for the Monthly Newsletter by the 20th of the month to
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If you wish to borrow church equipment/kitchen items, please talk with Property Chair, Barbara Smith, so we know where everything is and who needs to be reminded to return items to the church.
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There are dozens of volunteer spots waiting to be filled. We need your help during the Fair, in the days and weeks before the Fair, and after the Fair. Sign up now, and be a part of one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. Volunteer opportunities include: Set-up and Clean-up: The more volunteers we get for these jobs, the quicker and easier they will be. The Holiday Fair is a large event that uses most of the church building, and this is where we need you the most, if you are able.
-Help set-up or clean-up an area of the Fair by moving tables, chairs, and boxes as directed by Fair Leads.
-Do you drive a pick-up truck? Tables need to be transported to UUCM from Amherst the week of the Fair, and back again after the Fair. We also need help loading and unloading those tables. Crafts: -Help set out the beautifully handcrafted items our Craft Group has been working on all year, for sale in Emerson Hall. -Sign up for a shift during the Fair, assisting visitors in Emerson Hall. Ritzy Boutique: -Donate new or gently used, giftable items to sell in the Ritzy Boutique. -Help sort and price donated items in the weeks leading up to the Fair. -Help set out donated items for sale in the four rooms of the Ritzy Boutique. -Sign up for a shift during the Fair, assisting visitors in the Ritzy Boutique. Cafe: -Help prepare food, or donate groceries for sale to Fair visitors at Breakfast and Lunch. -Sign up for a shift during the Fair to serve, bus tables, or wash dishes. Bakery: -Donate homemade baked goods, jams, jellies, preserves, or other treats for sale in the Bakery. -Sign up for a shift during the Fair to assist visitors to the Bakery. There are additional volunteer positions available: - Laurel Wreaths: Help gather laurel for our handmade laurel wreaths; help make laurel wreaths for sale at the Fair.
- Publicity: Help distribute flyers and other publicity materials.
- Baggers: Assist cashiers by wrapping and bagging visitors' purchases.
- Floaters: Work in different areas as needed, for those who need bathroom/food breaks, or for those who are unable to finish their shifts.
- Raffle: Sell raffle tickets at the raffle table outside Emerson Hall.
- Garden Door Hospitality: Greet visitors at the Garden Door with a cup of warm cider, and provide directions to the various areas of the Fair.
For more information, please contact Marti Kennedy, 673-6164, or Betty Sweeney, (575)636-4302. Sign-up in Barnum Hall during Coffee Hour, or you can email Marti any time ( mamamarti@mac.com) with your sign-up preference. Thank you so much to all who have already signed up; we look forward to working with you!
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This year UUCM will be providing gifts to families in need through the SHARE Adopt-a-Family program. The YRUU will be organizing the requests using stars on a Christmas tree in Barnum Hall, then wrapping and delivering the gifts to SHARE. Look for the tree by November 15th. If you have questions, contact Sandy Frades at sandyfrades@comcast.net or 673-2955.
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We need 5 volunteers each month on the second Sunday from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Contact Meghan Hoye for more information or to volunteer (424-3431, meghan_jeff@comcast.net)
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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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November: Audrey Fraizer 603-672-0887
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Please leave contributions in the SHARE basket in Barnum. This month's needs: Toothbrushes & paste, deodorants, shampoo & conditioner, bar soap
Please observe UUCM's Food Allergen and Alcohol policies on the UUCM Policies webpage.
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.
Minutes from Council meetings and Treasurer's reports, newsletter archive, 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!
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