Join Us for WorshipSunday, December 19, 2021
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Family Service at 10 a.m. // Sanctuary Service at 11 a.m.
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Are we ready for the longest dark, when we are only now trusting the light? Did the virus shift not only our sense of safety, but our relationship to the seasonal cycles as well? There is pent up energy within us not yet ready to rest. How can we use this time of long dark to center ourselves as the new normal begins to be real for us?
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Family Worship
LIVE STREAM ONLY - Waiting for Christmas
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Join us for virtual family worship this Sunday!
Intern Minister Carter Smith will be speaking about anticipation and sharing the tradition of the Advent wreath. Rev. Tom Disrud will offer a meditation, and Dustin Hunley will offer music.
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Holidays at First Unitarian
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- Winter Solstice
December 21, at 7 p.m. Come celebrate together this longest night of the year, a time of music and ritual. Intern Minister Carter Smith will share a homily "Gathering Around the Fire."
For this worship, we will be building an altar together. If you are joining us in the sanctuary, please bring an item that represents this season for you, or an offering from your own altar if that is part of your spiritual practice. If you are joining us virtually, you will be invited to build an altar of your own.
- Christmas Eve Family Service
December 24, at 4 p.m. Live stream only. Tune in to enjoy our annual Christmas Pageant in a totally unique way.
- Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
December 24, at 8 p.m. The Christmas Holiday is beloved as a time of memories recalled and memories created. Despite the commercialism and the theological tests of this season, we gather to celebrate what is worthy of our care and commitment. We gather together to light candles against the dark and to pray for peace.
- Sunday, December 26, at 11 a.m. Poetry can be prophetic, grounding, invitational. For our regular Sanctuary worship, we will be reflecting on poetry that touches on themes of devotion and winter.
For this service, we invite you to submit poems that ground, encourage, and inspire you in this season to Intern Minister, Carter Smith. We will take time together for silence, for hearing, and reflecting on these works together.
Please note: we will have a limited amount of slots for poems, so we will not be able to share all that is submitted. However, Carter does look forward to reading every submission.
With hopes that all of us find time to center-in and celebrate, together, in this season.
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Register for In-Person Worship
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What's Happening This Sunday
Timestamps are Pacific Time (PT) unless stated otherwise.
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Caregivers Support Group
THIS SUNDAY! - December 19, 9:30 a.m.
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If you are caring for a partner or other family member with an ongoing health condition, you may benefit from the support of others in the same situation. Facilitated by lay ministers, the format is confidential and informal: a check-in and time to share needs and concerns, discuss resources and give one another caring support.
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Check out UU Animal Ministry!THIS SUNDAY! - December 19, at 7 p.m.
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The local chapter of the UU Animal Ministry meets monthly for online chats and to discuss ways that we can help the other species of the world. In November and December we are meeting a week early to accommodate holiday plans. Join our Zoom meeting if you want to participate.
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| Gmail Users: You may have to scroll down to the bottom of this message and click on "View Entire Message" to see the complete Front Steps.
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Thank you all for helping out local community last Sunday! Donations are still being accepted at the front office through the end of the year. Call first, because staff hours vary (503-228-6389). A donation box is set up to accept your kind hearted gifts to our houseless neighbors and their beloved pets.
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Donating To: PAW Team. These supplies assist veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing houselessness or extreme poverty in our community.
Collecting: (in the church office. Office hours: Sunday during the service & Monday-Thursday. Call first, because staff hours vary 503-228-6389). New or gently used donations of coats, leashes, collars, unopened food, kitty litter etc. and unopened canned or dry food. Monetary gifts should go to pawteam.org
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| | Upcoming Events, Workshops & Classes
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Nourishing the Spirit
This Saturday! - December 18, 10:30 a.m.
Facilitated by Rev. Katherine Jesch
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| In a world of violence, injustice, and loss, the spirit struggles to stay hopeful when many of us feel burned out, discouraged, and exhausted. It is helpful to gather in community to share our journeys and affirm each other’s experience. This monthly gathering offers collective spiritual practices to strengthen the bonds among us.
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Program ResourcesAdult Programs, Social Justice, Learning Community, Music & Arts
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Loving Kindness MeditationMonday's at 8 p.m.
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Join us for a moment each week to extend Loving Kindness to yourself, to those around you and to the world. Surround yourself in the blessings from those who have loved you and those who love you now. With this Meditation, over time, one can cultivate feelings of happiness and dispel loneliness, while letting go of fear and anxiety. No previous meditation experience necessary. An ongoing commitment is not required.
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Vesper Prayer ServiceFriday's at 5 p.m.
Note: No Vesper Service on Christmas Eve.
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End your week with a brief quiet time of prayer, reflection, meditation and music offered by our Lay Ministers. Let this be a pause at the end of the week, to receive and to be held in love, without the need to converse. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. An ongoing commitment is not required.
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Art for Social JusticeThe Speaking of Justice Editorial Team offers weekly art to deepen our connection to the work for social justice and building the Beloved Community.
Curated by Ethel Gullette, Speaking of Justice Editorial Team
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Rising Appalachia & the Thrive Choir | "Bright Morning Stars"
The Thrive Choir was born to sing the music for the revolution. Based in Oakland, California, they are a diverse group of vocalists, artists, activists, educators, healers, and community organizers who join together in big harmony. They celebrate the confluence of their many cultures & identities, including African American, Latin, Asian American, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, Immigrant, Jewish, & queer. Their music illuminates the joy, pain, and beauty of what it means to be human in this time of systemic transformation.
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Take Action for Honest Elections
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Oregon Honest Elections will soon submit 2 initiative petitions to the OR Sec. of State. These IPs would both establish limits on campaign contributions in an effort to get big special interest money out of Oregon elections. One initiative will be campaign finance limits while the second will also include provisions for creating a public funding mechanism to provide public funds to state level candidates.
We need to collect 1000 valid OR voter signatures as a first step to getting these on the November 2022 ballot. Can you help us with this first step? If you can, please let us know by completing this survey giving us info on how to contact you.
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You Can Help Stop US Funding of War
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The Peace Action Group (PAG) has written and sent a letter to both Rep. Blumenauer and Rep. Bonamici asking that they co-sponsor an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA - the War budget for the coming fiscal year) ending ALL military assistance to Saudi Arabia because that aid is being used in Sandi Arabia's war on Yemen. Those attacks coupled with the economic sanctions on Yemen have caused the largest humanitarian disaster in the world today.
PAG encourages you to urge Rep. Blumenauer and Rep. Bonamici to co-sponsor an amendment to the NDAA budget ending all military aid to Saudi Arabia as well as the American economic sanctions on Yemen. This amendment will be introduced by Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna. Rep. Blumenauer - (503) 231-2300; Rep. Bonamici - (503) 469-6010
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TAKE ACTION! - Blanket Collection to Support Western Farm Worker Association (WFWA) Holiday Gift Drive
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Each December WFWA provides gifts for children from 100 families. Soft cuddly blankets are often found on their gift list. If you wish to donate blankets (new only), please contact Mary Ann Barham or Laurie Lester to make drop off or pick up arrangements.
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In the Community
Marshall House, grandfather of member Adam House, died peacefully in his sleep on December 6, after a weekend spent with his family. He was 87 years old. His quiet, wry wit and his warm spirit will be missed.
We hold Joey Mohler, our music program assistant and one of our sextons. Joey’s grandmother, MaryAnn Havlik, died on December 3. She was 82, and a life-long resident of Mt. Angel, Oregon. MaryAnn spent much of her life in service to her community. Whether she was volunteering for her son’s grade school class, delivering mail at the Benedictine Nursing Center, or assisting at the St. Mary’s Parish where she was a devout member, she always found the time to dedicate to helping those around her. Outside of that, she loved music and travelling, and was known to open her home to anyone who needed a place to sleep after partying a little too hard at the annual Oktoberfest that she enjoyed so dearly.
Abigail Clauhs, one of our Affiliated Community Ministers at First Unitarian, asks us to recognize the death of Mathew P. Taylor, a beloved friend and fellow Unitarian Universalist ministerial colleague. Mathew was a student at Starr King, where they were currently student body president, and had been serving as an intern minister at the UU Church of Rockville, Maryland. They were also an important leader and ministerial presence in BLUU and DRUUMM. Abigail says, “To know Mathew was to know their booming laugh, their mystic heart, their way of making people feel wholly loved and known, and their deep commitment to collective liberation.” May we hold in love and prayer Mathew's family and friends, those grieving Mathew in this congregation, and the many UUs and other communities struggling with this heartbreaking news.
Barry Sutton, who has been part of our congregation for many years, has been in Good Samaritan Hospital for a couple weeks now after coming close to dying of hypothermia on the street. Barry looks forward to being back in church soon. He asks for our prayers as he recovers and heals.
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Do you have a reason to celebrate? Sponsoring Sunday morning Chancel flowers is a way to support the church and acknowledge life events. Want to celebrate a birth in the family, graduation, a birthday, an anniversary, or a memorial, or other special event? You can acknowledge it to the entire congregation by sponsoring a floral bouquet. As we reconnect with friends, say it with flowers on the Chancel.
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Ministerial Search Committee Update
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A big thank you to all those who participated in the “Cottage Meetings” to discuss the desired qualities of a new Senior Minister, and how you see the future of First Unitarian Church. Many people said that they found the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop to be beneficial.
Feedback from you helped the MSC prepare the Congregational Record and documents that are being sent to the Unitarian Universalist Association. The next step in this process is for prospective ministers to look over our materials during the holiday season. In January we will start interviewing interested candidates. We appreciate your trust in us as we continue the process. To read the Congregational Record.
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NEW! - December Moderator Letter: Season’s Greetings
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It was wonderful to welcome the Amity Choir back into the sanctuary last Sunday. Though we are proceeding with caution, it feels like we are moving back toward the church we knew before COVID. Attendance at in-person worship is growing and we hope to welcome vaccinated children back to RE in the new year...continued.
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Naming First Unitarian Foundation in Your Will or Estate PlanHelp assure the long-term sustainability of this beloved congregation by including First Unitarian Portland in your will or estate plan.
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Having trouble viewing our services through the website?
Find our Live Streams on Boxcast, Youtube or on Facebook.
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Have a Submission for E-News?If you have a church-related submission you would like published in our weekly Front Steps (E-News), please submit it here with subject line “For E-News.”
Submission deadline is noon on Tuesdays.
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| Holiday & Sunday Services
Sunday Services
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December Shared Plate This church year, we focus our giving on climate justice initiatives that use innovative solutions and an intersectional lens to support and build power for communities at the front lines...continued.
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Want to know what this church has to offer? Show up for events/classes/socials and stay engaged!
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Trying to find connection with those in the congregation with similar interests?
Contact one of the many groups run by members of the church and connect.
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Moved recently? Changed your phone number or e-mail? Fill out this form.
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