Download poems shared at the service (plus a couple of bonus poems)
Many times we’ve hosted conversations about books we love. In honor of National Poetry Month, let’s share our favorite poems. You can send the poem(s) you’d like to share ahead of the service to otterdreaming@gmail.com if you’d like people to be able to read along, or you can simply read to the gathering during the open mic portion of the service.
Service Leader: Nancy Barry
Share-the-Plate – Our plate recipient for March-April is NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Northeast Iowa. To donate to the recipient, simply designate so on your check mailed to: Decorah UU, PO Box 382, Decorah, IA 52101-0382 or use the Online Giving option.
DOWNLOAD THIS WEEK’S BULLETIN (pdf)
Decorah UU Bulletin – Sunday, April 12
Welcome and Announcements
Today’s Service relates to the 3rd UU Principle Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.
Chalice Lighting In Time of Silver Rain …Langston Hughes
In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of life, Of life, Of life.
In time of silver rain
The butterflies lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry
And trees put forth
New leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky.
When spring
And life
Are new.
Opening Song Still, I Rise …Maya Angelou
Reading Poetry and the News …Scott Gregory
Joys and Sorrows Please raise your Zoom hand to share any personal joy or concern with the Fellowship.
Silence Meditation /Sung Response Your joy is my joy; your sorrow, my sorrow. Together we live our days, together we love this place. In beloved community, we are not alone. …Ellen Rockne
Offering /Offertory For all that is our life, we sing our thanks and praise; for all life is a gift that we are called to use to build the common good, and make our own days glad. …Bruce Findlow
A Shared Collection of Poems in Celebration of National Poetry Month
Nancy Barry, Members & Friends
Closing Song This Land is Your Land …Woody Guthrie
Extinguishing the Chalice
We clasp the hands of those that go before us, and the hands of those who come after us. We enter the little circle of each other’s arms. And the larger circle of lovers, whose hands are joined in a dance. And the larger circle of all poets, passing in and out of life, who move also in a dance, to a music so subtle and vast that no ear hears it… except in fragments. …Wendell Berry
Announcements
Thank you to our service leader today, Decorah UU member Nancy Barry. After the service, please treat yourself to a little something, and we’ll be in virtual touch soon. Take care, all!
Share-the-Plate – Our plate recipient for March-April is NAMI NE Iowa, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, providing education, support and advocacy.
Next Sunday, April 19 – Earth Day: Marching On. Rowan Collins will explore the history of Earth Day and its continued legacy. Carol Hagen, service leader.
Decorah UU Support – As we continue to find our way through this challenging time, please remember: if you need help, let us know. While we might establish a more structured format for supporting one another in this way (picking up groceries or prescriptions, etc.), for now, simply let Otter know via phone 563-387-6050 or email otterdreaming@gmail.com. From there, we’ll look for someone who can help out while observing current health & safety recommendations, as well as observing confidentiality. We’ll all need support of one kind or another during this time. Please don’t hesitate to ask.
Decorah UU Giving – Decorah UU has set up online payment primarily for donations you might otherwise make in person at fellowship. Go to our Decorah UU homepage and click on the “Give Online” button, which will take you to the Giving page. There, you’ll find the “Donate” button which will send your payment through PayPal. You do NOT need a PayPal account. You’ll be asked to choose whether your donation is for Share-the-Plate or for Decorah UU. You can only choose one, so if you want to donate to both, you will have to repeat the process. You can use a debit or credit card. Below the “Donate” button on the Giving page, you may also consider two options for recurring donations. Please note: We deeply appreciate the gracious gifts of our members and friends, whether given on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. We understand that present circumstances and uncertainty may affect your ability to make a financial commitment to Decorah UU. Know that we value your “gracious gifts” to our fellowship, in whatever form they may be.
Decorah UU Circles – Decorah UU Circles are happening! Sometime this coming week you may be contacted by a member of our Fellowship who has agreed to help us stay connected while we are practicing physical distancing. Several Circles have been created with groups of 6 or 7 each, small enough to keep in touch easily. Whether you just make a phone call every so often, or decide to meet via Zoom, or exchange emails about books you are reading, gardens you’re planting, or what’s for dinner, we can help each other get through this time. When you are contacted, you can find out how you can help. This is a great chance for us to minister to one another in any way we can. (questions: contact sueotte@gmail, or call at 563-419-5396)
Decorah UU Service Archive – Did you miss a service we conducted by Zoom? Or did you attend but would like to watch it again? You can! Go to Decorah UU. There are two links to our new YouTube channel: a small YouTube icon in the upper right and a button in the middle that says “Watch past services on YouTube.” Once on the YouTube channel page, you can choose the service you want to watch. We will try to post the link within one week of each service. Tip: If you want to see the bulletin or other information about the service, you can click on the SERVICE ARCHIVE button on the homepage. From there you can click on a service and then the “read more” link.
Decorah Community Food Pantry – The Decorah Community Food Pantry remains open during this time of crisis with clients receiving pre-selected bags of food. All older volunteers have been replaced with younger ones to reduce risk, and a temporary director has been hired. These moves add to operational costs. The need to stay open is clear: just during the week of March 16th, the Pantry served 109 clients with 296 family members, 16 of these being new clients. The numbers are growing as more and more people are laid off. If you can help financially, please send a check to PO Box 26, Decorah, or donate through decorahpantry.org.
Unitarian Universalists in Solidarity with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe – On March 27, the Bureau of Indian Affairs informed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts of a U.S. Department of the Interior order to disestablish the tribe’s reservation and remove its land-in-trust status. Vice Chair Jessie Little Doe Baird says that the order will terminate the Tribe’s ability to self-govern, strip the Tribe of their reservation lands, and effectively terminate them as a recognized people. The UUA unequivocally affirms our support for the Mashpee Wampanoag People’s sovereignty and right to their ancestral territory, and condemns the government’s blatantly illegal and morally reprehensible attempt to strip the Tribe of their rights and their homelands. In keeping with the UU General Assembly’s responsive resolution to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, we urge Unitarian Universalists to act now in solidarity with the Mashpee Wampanoag people to defend their sovereignty and push back against this latest aggression on behalf of the federal government.
Member Emergency Fund – Unforeseen troubles come our way from time to time. If you or someone you know in the fellowship could use some help, please let Otter know. We may be able to provide support or short term monetary assistance. Confidentiality will be respected.
Topics: Literature