by WUUC | Mar 27, 2020 | Announcements
By Chris Smith
The name “Katherine” is a combination of the words “Kath” and “Er-In”. Neither of those words mean anything individually. But when you put them together, you form an amazing woman.
Katherine Smith was born somewhere in the boonies of Ohio, surrounded by a loving but certainly goofy family. But despite the uh… SUPER EXCITING happenings in Troy, Ohio, Katherine went to school at the University of Pennsylvania. (That’s the one known for academics, not football.) There Katherine met the love of her life… something called “abstract mathematics.”
Kate pursued that love throughout most of her life. First in
graduate school at the University of Washington, studying Computer Science, and
later at Microsoft where she now works as a Program Manager for the SQL Server
product.
Of course, abstract math won’t help you open jars or keep
you warm when it is a — at least to Katherine — chilly 77 degrees out. So she
decided to get married to a guy named Chris.
Now, her heart is no longer stirred by “formal operational semantics,” but instead by her “Smith boys”: Grant (5), Neil (3), and Chris (no seriously, the legos are for the kids, put those down).
Katherine is a kind, loving woman who strives to fill her family with the same sense of love and goofiness that she grew up with. (Although in a much more awesome place than “wherever” Ohio.)
She is thrilled to become member of WUUC, and relishes the sense of tight-knit community. All of her Smith boys love her greatly, and are confident that you — the WUUC congregation — will love her too.
by WUUC | Mar 27, 2020 | Announcements
From the WUUC Worship Team
UU’s are a ”people of liberation.” We can profit from interpreting the many holidays that occur during the month of April through our UU traditions.
The Rev. Suzelle Lynch of the Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield, Wisconsin writes, “Our freedom to find inspiration in many different sources is breathtaking and cherished… What it means is
that in our congregation, we are liberated from the tyranny of “one right path.” An atheist might share a hymnal with a person who believes in God as the “spirit of life,” and a humanist might drink coffee after
the service with someone who believes in reincarnation and the power of prayer. A person who finds great comfort in the teachings of Jesus might serve on the Board of Trustees with someone who maintains a steady practice of Buddhist meditation, or one single person might equally value both of these things.”
May you find inspiration in these ideas created from many traditions and sources.
Passover: “We are liberated together and liberation takes time.”
Easter: “Loss and defeat never have the last word. We can be liberated from hopelessness.”
Earth Day: “Saving the Earth is saving us. Our interdependence liberates us.”
Ramadan: “Make room for and remember what matters most. We are liberated from the material into the spiritual world.”
Additionally, in this time of stress caused by the unknown impacts that may be experienced from the COVID – 19 virus, may you experience moments of liberation from the isolation, anxiety and concern you may be feeling.
For spiritual materials on our monthly theme, go to https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MNPSZdlzlbmgcI4hLJ7q6MOOydoR8Q3c/view?usp=sharing
For spiritual materials on the Sacred Words supplement on Surrender, go to https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IJ4BtRkKNzJkKyXaBVUttgJIWCmGhk45/view?usp=sharing
by WUUC | Mar 27, 2020 | Announcements
By Donna Johnson
Being part of WUUC’s first online worship service on Sunday, March 8 was an amazing experience. On Wednesday afternoon, March 4, the health department recommended avoiding large in-person gatherings as a way of minimizing exposure to coronavirus. By Thursday, WUUC staff, worship team members, musicians, tech savvy people, and others were swinging into action:
? The previously planned service with its interactive and experiential components just wasn’t going to work in an on-line format, so we developed a new service that included Soul Matters resources for the themes of Wisdom, Courage, Persistence and Resilience and familiar hymns for
singing along at home.
? Staff and volunteers came to church on Saturday to develop and test a plan for setting up the pulpit area and the technology.
? The special music musicians, our new choir director, the chair of the minister search committee, stewardship leaders, and a stewardship testifier all agreed to show up in person on Sunday.
? All these people came to church early on Sunday (on the day we switched to daylight savings time no less), and because of all the planning and practice, the service came together beautifully.
? At 10 a.m. all of us at church were pleased-as-punch to see that members of the congregation were joining us from home.
? At the end of the service, the church crew applauded and virtually high-fived each other, and many of the people who joined from home stayed online to enjoy each other’s company in a virtual coffee hour.
Thank you to Bridget Laflin, Karen Hyams, Rachel Eddy, Mark Apland, Phil Archibald, Rebecca Guthrie, Kambria Tabor, Rob Katz, Lanny Commeree, Ava Priest, Kermit Sprang, Matt Smith, Terry Levitt, Lori Varosh, Rev. Diana Smith, and others who helped to make this service happen.
I am so grateful to be part of this community.
Donna Johnson
