Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m.Â
Learning Community at 10:30 a.m. (Today is the last day of RE classes; more activities ahead!)
Childcare is available during our worship service for children six months to 3 years old (in the nursery.)
Social Hour: Buchan Reception Hall after the service
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"Freedom..." The Sacred Music of Duke Ellington
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The music from Duke Ellington’s Concert of Sacred Music invites us to reflect on the divine presence, both as it exists now and as it has from the beginning. It envelops us in grace and urges us toward love.
With the choir, big band, and soloist Cecille Elliott, the First Unitarian Church of Portland will worship to the soundtrack of selections from Duke Ellington's iconic "Concerts of Sacred Music." We honor one of America's greatest composers during the week of the 50th anniversary of his death while contemplating his vision for freedom—an increasingly relevant and desperate vision, even for today.
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NEW! — Ballots Are Due Sunday Morning!
Sunday, May 19, no later than 10:45 a.m.
Drop-off: Ballot boxes in the lobby
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Voting members, just a reminder that your annual ballots are due at the church this Sunday morning, May 19, no later than 10:45 a.m. It’s too late to put them in the postal mail in time to reach the office, so bring them to church on Sunday and drop them off in the ballot boxes in the lobby.
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MEETING — Committee On Hunger and Homelessness
In-Person: Sunday, May 19, 11:40Â a.m.
Location: Blue Sky Room
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Join us for a special end-of-the-year gathering this Sunday!
Our guest speaker, Ryan Deibert, a fellow UU congregant and the interim director of Multnomah Country’s homeless response system, will be joining us. This is a unique opportunity for you to engage in a meaningful conversation about homelessness in our area. Bring your questions and let's discuss together.
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MEETING — Care & Action for Reproductive Dignity
In-Person: Sunday, May 19, 12:10 p.m.
Location: Fireside Room
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Learn about our ongoing electoral activism to support reproductive health care and share your ideas as we plan for the next church year.
Contact Marni for more information. All are welcome, including children.
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FILM SCREENING — Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
In-Person: Sunday, May 19, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Room A108
Via Zoom: Monday, May 20, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
RSVP here by 4 p.m. to receive the link
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This documentary film is an outgrowth of a talk that Jeffery Robinson has been giving for over 10 years on the history of anti-Black racism and white supremacy in the U.S.
Jeffrey Robinson is a criminal defense lawyer, CEO, and founder of The Who We Are Project, former ACLU Deputy Legal Director, and Director of the Trone Center for Justice.
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Social Justice End-of-Year Gather-In
Sunday, June 2, 12:15 - 1:45 p.m.
Location: Buchan Reception Hall
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Join us for an end-of-year Social Justice Gather-In. We'll shout out to all the amazing ministries we've co-created this year, "harvest" some of what we've learned, deepen our connections for resilience and solidarity, and cast our organizing sites on the horizon.
This is an all-come event and will be an opportunity to learn about the breadth of our Social Justice ministry and share what calls us as we move into the election season and beyond.Â
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NEW! — Join Our Support Network: Lotsa Helping Hands
Sunday, June 2, 12:15 - 1:45 p.m.
Location: Buchan Reception Hall
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Do you enjoy helping others? Are you looking for concrete ways to strengthen our beloved community? Consider joining our church’s Lotsa Helping Hands support network!
Coordinated by Lay Ministry, Lotsa Helping Hands is a care calendar similar to Meal Train that enables volunteers to provide meals or visits for congregants going through challenging times.
And if you or someone you know could use the support of meals or visits—or if you have any questions—please contact one of our coordinators, Leslie or Susan.
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Upcoming Classes, Events & Gatherings
Enjoyed coming to gatherings at First Unitarian Portland? Consider contributing to sustaining our community. Your support goes a long way in fostering meaningful connections. Thank you!
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THREE-PART SERIES — Learning in Community: Human Rights & the Crisis in Gaza
Tuesdays, May 21, May 28, June 11 /Â 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.,Â
Location: Buchan Reception HallÂ
- May 21: UN Human Rights processes and the Right to Food
- May 28: Health and Human Rights in Gaza
- June 11: Student movements and Freedom of SpeechÂ
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Join Senior Minister Rev. Alison Miller and Director of Social Justice Dana Buhl to learn together about the current human rights crisis unfolding in Gaza due to the Israeli government's policies. Our in-person sessions will focus on collective liberation through a human rights lens. Participants will receive resources on the historical context and present-day situations.
We hold the complexity of this conflict and hope that our gathering will inform future actions for peace and liberation. We will include space for rituals to acknowledge the grief, anger, confusion, and all that participants may feel. It is designed to give participants a chance to learn in community in small groups.
Limit 30. Registration required.
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First Steps Class
Sunday, June 2, at noon
Location:Â Channing Room
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Learn about the ways in which you can engage and connect by diving deeper into First Unitarian history.
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Young Adult Bagel Brunch
Sunday, June 2, at noon
Location:Â Fireside Room
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Are you a young adult (18-35) interested in deepening your engagement with the church and meeting other folks your age?
Join intern minister Danielle Garrett, member engagement coordinator Jen Thomas, and other young adults for an end-of-the-year brunch! We’ll gather in the Fireside room after service on June 2 to get to know one another, enjoy some bagels, and discuss how we can strengthen young adult programming in the coming church year. Please join us! This event is open to all young adults, whether you’re a long-time member or it's your first Sunday at church.
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Shower Project Needs Clothes & SnacksÂ
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The Shower Project is going well, and our guests appreciate the service, especially the clothing donations. To ensure we can continue providing for our guests, we urgently need the items listed below. Your donations of these specific items will make a big difference in the lives of those we serve. Thank you for your support!
- Men's new white tee shirts M/L (urgent need!)
- Men's boxer briefs M/L
- Sugar packets
- Single-serving, microwaveable snacks (i.e., mac and cheese, oatmeal)
Items can be left in the COHHO bins in Fuller Hall.
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ON THE RADIO — 13 Salmon Shower Project on Think Out Loud!
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"The kindness of other strangers." Kelly Clendenon, our 13 Salmon Shower Project Coordinator, shares gratitude for strangers' kindness in providing shower access while living on the street.
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Our Soup Drive for LiftUp Continues through 5/31
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Please drop off any size can/carton/cup of soup to the COHHO food bins in Fuller Hall next to the kitchen. Thanks so much for your generous donations!
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NEW GROUP — Fare-Free Transit - PDX
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EJAG is forming a new group to advocate for eliminating fares on the Tri-Met public bus system. Currently, Tri-Met has a mishmash of standard and discounted fares.Â
Our question: Should Tri-Met be moved to a simplified system that ends the mishmash and instead eliminates the payment of any fare at all? There are environmental and economic justice issues, which would say YES. Come to the EJAG table after service, learn more, and sign up to become part of a Google Group to advocate for FARE FREE TRANSIT for the Tri-Met system.
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BOOK DISCUSSION — Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American
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The group, co-led by David Delk and Jean Pierce, will meet the first week of each month beginning in June, with the exact time determined by the participants' schedules.
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Learning Community E-NewsIt’s the last day of RE!
Rev. Leah Ongiri, Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Formation & Family Ministries
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I hope that children, youth, and parents will join me in expressing gratitude to their teachers for their time, attention, and presence. I am wowed, over and over, by the creativity and dedication of our teaching teams. They do it because they love it, but a heartfelt thanks–maybe even a handmade card–might be a nice way to acknowledge their commitment...continue reading.
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Social Justice Ministries
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In the Community
Longtime member Jewel Lansing died on April 10 at the age of 93. Jewell was an accomplished public figure, serving as Multnomah County Auditor in the 1970s and Portland City Auditor in the 1980s. In recent decades, she wrote eight books, including “Portland: People Politics and Power,” considered the definitive book of Portland’s Civic History. Jewell joined this church in 1994 and was active at the West Hills Fellowship. Her memorial service will be at West Hills on June 30 at 2 p.m. We hold her family at this time of loss.
James Thomas Chapman, father of Jason Chapman, our facilities manager, and grandfather of Garrett Moon-Chapman, one of our sextons, died peacefully on May 4 at the family home. James had a stroke on March 30 and spent the next month in the hospital. Even with limited communication, he was still present and could joke with his family. Jason says James could fix or build anything and was always available for emergency car repairs or tows when a family member was stranded. He loved hanging out with family, playing games, and making food. He was laid to rest on May 10 next to his wife, Nancy, at Mt. View Cemetery in Oregon City.Â
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Join Us for Cake and Ice Cream in Fuller Hall on June 9!
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Celebrate the end of the program year with cake and ice cream in Fuller Hall immediately following the service on June 9.
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Do you have a birth in the family, a graduation, an anniversary, a memorial, or other milestones to share?
You can acknowledge it to the entire congregation by sponsoring a floral bouquet. As we connect with friends, say it with flowers on the Chancel.
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Recurring Workshops, Classes & Gatherings
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Beloved Community of Color: Every second Thursday evening and fourth Saturday morning of the month. Email for more info.
Caregivers Support Group: Open to Newcomers. Fourth Sunday of each month at 9 a.m. via Zoom.
THIS SUNDAY — Care and Action for Reproductive Dignity (CARD): We meet on the third Sunday of each month. From 12:15 – 1:45 in Fireside.
First Connections: We meet monthly on the third Sunday for all new and returning folks! And it is a terrific way to meet new folks just coming into the community. Bring a brown bag lunch. Questions? Email Pat.
First Steps: Every first Sunday of the month at Noon // Location: Channing Room. Discover additional insights into life at First Unitarian Portland, avenues for connection, and delve deeper into Unitarian Universalism. Questions? Email Jen Thomas.
- Sunday Gathering at Church
Sunday, May 19, at 9:30 a.m. ||Â Location:Â Channing Room - Lunch Gathering at Elephants
Monday, June 24 at 12:30 p.m. || Location: Elephants Delicatessen S. Corbett
Sojourners: Lollygagging Our Way To The Inevitable: Sojourners and Sojourners 2 are two separate groups that meet for two hours in person at First Unitarian. Members support each other through the aging journey by engaging in facilitated discussion and activities, sharing personal stories and concerns, inspiring individual growth, and promoting friendship through social activities. All are welcome, but both groups are limited in size; no drop-ins, please. || Email Lucy with questions.
"T” Time: A Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender-Expansive, Exclusive Gathering: Meet on the second and fourth Sundays in Channing Room at noon.
UU the Vote: Join Us For Community and Letter WritingÂ
We're putting our Tuesday sessions on hold. Our final session before the break will be on May 28. Tuesday sessions will kick back into gear in September, just in time for the big mail drop in early October.
The blue tablecloth will be available every Sunday until October. Letters can be dropped off and picked up at the church office.
Letter Writing Schedule:
- Every Sunday until October / Social Hour
- Every Tuesday, through May 28 / 10 - 11:30 a.m. / B101
Women's Circle II:Â Meets most second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email Kim.
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Got something for Front Steps? Send in your church-related submission for our weekly publication. Use "Front Steps" as the subject line and submit here. Deadline: Tuesdays at noon.
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First Unitarian Portland’s Music Ministry. “We aim to craft beautiful and meaningful worship experiences for the congregation every week and strive to build a deep sense of community among our ensembles. We, singers, ringers, and players alike, feel proud and honored to serve this congregation in these ways.”
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