PDF version of the Parish Messenger

Minister’s Message

“Enthusiastic Greetings from Maine!”

This is what I keep writing to my friends and family who have been following the adventure that my wife (Diane) and I, along with our four pets, have been making over the last few months.

They celebrated with us as we visited with you for a candidacy week this Spring and received confirmation on May 1^st of my call to serve as your next settled minister.

They cheered us on as we put our Delaware house on the market and began the arduous search for housing within a half-hour’s drive of Brunswick.

They expressed their care through curiosity when we sold our house early and began three months of living in our 21’ travel trailer/mobile zoo while we purchased a new home in Maine, left behind our jobs, celebrated Diane’s retirement from 30 years of professional ministry, and said goodbye to the congregations we have each served and loved through several globally-challenging years.

They tried to help when we had a vehicle snafu on the journey, even though we were far away from where they are.

By now, they have also congratulated us as we moved into our new home in Lisbon.

And honestly, I think they are a little tired of hearing each day how much we love Maine and how excited we are to be here. And, Diane and I know that’s before they’ve even heard the story behind the story of our move, and just how joyful and clear we have both been that we are called here – to this time, to this place, to this Unitarian Universalist congregation with such deep historical roots and such a vital present and future mission in the world. That’s the truly energizing part for me.

At the first of August, I will officially begin my work as your Minister. I’m so grateful to you and your church leadership for being hospitable enough to suggest and plan for just over a month of my working without expectations of leading Sunday worship services. This provides me with a wonderful opportunity to settle in, take some time to get to know you better, and strategize with you about how we will best work together. I also eagerly look forward to working with the Worship Committee to plan our Homecoming Sunday, September 11^th, 2022.

One of the things that I want to do during this time of beginning is to be intentional about listening well to you about what is most on your hearts – your hopes and concerns for your own lives, as well as for the church and larger community.

Practically speaking, I work best by appointments and trust we can easily find a mutually agreeable time to meet by phone, in-person, or via zoom. Please contact me at or by cell at 571-243-3506 to schedule a time to chat.

For at least the first month, as I begin to learn the needs of the community and the rhythm of the church, I will hold a regular time of being in the church office on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 am – 12 noon. Over time, I’ll learn the best hours and means by which to manage my time and our shared ministries.

I am thrilled to be starting what I hope will be a very long time of collaborative partnership with you. I look forward to further getting to know you. Please make sure we meet so that I can begin learning your faces along with your names and stories. If you know people in the larger Brunswick area that you think I should know, please introduce me to them. I am open to any information you want to pass along, including general tips for folx new to this state and area.

Blessings on this new beginning …
Kharma

UUCB Services in August

Aug 7 —”Still Far From the Edge”

A service led by Grace Lewis-McLaren. Music by Nell Britton.

There are times when only a few silent hours of watching the tide provide healing. From there I can return to the stories that hold my past and encourage my future.

Aug 14 – “Goodbyes and Ghosting”

A service led by Rev. Erika Hewitt.

What makes us “come alive” isn’t always joyful. Sometimes, we pull ourselves back from numbness or indifference by choosing to do important work in our relationships. When it comes to ending relationships (any kind!), however, it’s usually easier to check out rather than do the work. In this service, Rev. Erika explores how and why thoughtful goodbyes are a form of spiritual practice.

Rev. Erika Hewitt (she/her/hers) lives in Bath, where she serves remotely as the Minister of Worship Arts for our Unitarian Universalist Association. Erika also has a thriving wedding ministry extending throughout New England. She’s delighted to return to UUCB!

Aug 21 — “When Life Tosses you a Lemon, Pay Attention”

A service led by Louise Gephart. Music by Nell Britton.

Aug 28 — “Gardeners One and All”

A service led by Irene Austin. Music by Nell Britton, Irene Austin, and Stephanie Bernier.

Irene shares her gardening thoughts and experiences with us as they pertain to cultivating gardens literally and figuratively.

Join us in the sanctuary or watch us live on youtube at UUCB AV.

Pastoral Care Notes

Stephanie Bernier asks for positive thoughts for her husband, Ren, who started three months of chemo in June. His prognosis is great, but he’s having significant side effects.

Mike and Ben Heath expressed thanks to the wonderful and caring UUCB family for all the love and beauty in the June 18 Celebration of Life for Val Heath. It was a beautiful service, with many great helpers pulling the service and reception together.

We all at UUCB share the joy that Rev. Justine Sullivan has been elected to the UUA Board of Trustees!

New members Pete and Bette Horton celebrated their 64 th wedding anniversary on July 5.

Louise Gephart fell and broke her ankle. She had successful surgery on July 8 and is resting as comfortably as can be expected but will have to stay off that ankle for five weeks. She will enjoy emails, cards, and calls.

To share your joys & sorrows:

Write them in the book in the fellowship hall when you arrive for Sunday service
Send them by email to
All joys & sorrows are read by a pastoral care associate during Sunday worship service.

UUCB Board Update

I need your help with two things. I’ll try to make my request a little interesting with a metaphorical story.

When you read this, I’ll likely be at Topside Cottages in Cape Cod. Topside Cottages are owned by the family of my mother’s best friend from Junior High, Pat Brown. Pat and her husband had five children and my parents had 4. When I was young, we drove back and forth between Connecticut and New Jersey to spend Thanksgivings together. And every summer we all drove to Cape Cod and spent two or three weeks together on the beach. This beach vacation was steeped with traditions. Flipper breakfast on Sunday; a trip to Provincetown to visit the Penny Patch, the wharf, and The Lobster Pot; a climb up Pilgrim Monument; volleyball on the beach; and blueberry cobbler.

The measure of boyfriends, girlfriends, and future spouses has always been, “do they get invited to come to the Cape, and do they survive the grilling they get from the rest of us?” As some did make it through the gauntlet, the group grew. As much as the traditions were important to us, as we added people, our traditions changed. “I’m tired of climbing the Pilgrim Monument each year. What if we hiked to the tip of the Cape instead?” “There’s a new brewery in Sandwich. Does anyone want to go there this afternoon?”

Anyway, this summer vacation has continued for the 54 years of my life. It’s as important to me today as it was when I was six. There were times when I thought it was the Penny Patch, the beach, and the climb up Pilgrim monument that made the trip special. Over the years though, as Pat and then my mother succumbed to the rigors of life and fate, and as spouses and kids, and more kids, joined us–I have learned that it’s not the traditions that matter – it’s knowing that I have an opportunity to be with the people who love me that matters.

Our new minister, the Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, will start with us on August 1. She’ll spend August meeting the staff and as many of us as possible and then will lead her first service on September 11. In my conversations with Kharma, she has made it clear that she wants to honor UUCB’s traditions. I appreciate that, but I also want us to learn from her. Here’s my first ask of you. As you spend time with Kharma, when you hear her say, “I’ve seen it done XYZ way at another church,” invite her to tell you more about that and be open to the opportunity to add a new tradition or change an old one.

When I was younger and one of my siblings or one of the Browns brought a significant other to Cape Cod, my initial thought was something like, “Ugh. I want to catch up with my family and life-long friends. I don’t really want to meet someone new.” This is because, as some of you may have heard me tell you in a service this spring, I am an introvert. It takes work for me to socialize. Over time, it’s work I’ve learned to like, but work nonetheless. The reward is that, as I’ve done this work and as the years have gone on, those “new” significant others from the Cape have become dear friends.

The pandemic has caused a great deal of change and seclusion in our society. People have been stuck at home, have lost jobs, or changed jobs. Work and meetings have moved from in person to online. As people look for ways to connect, some of them will show up at our Sunday services, and some of them will show up in our everyday lives looking for us to invite them to Sunday services.

Many of you are better at being welcoming than I am, and just like me, others of you are still trying to get better at it. Here’s my second ask of you. Continue to be welcoming. Invite people to join us on Sunday. When you see someone new, make an effort to talk to them BEFORE talking to the friends you saw last Sunday. A few weeks ago, I noticed a visitor sitting quietly in the back. As the service ended, this person looked uncomfortably around and glanced toward the door as everyone else started to talk to their old friends. Sandy Sondheim stood up, walked briskly toward this newcomer, said hello, and I saw the newcomer’s face change. Thank you Sandy, and thank you to all of you that make UUCB welcoming.

Get Togethers

Join us for a Summer Get Together

Tuesday, August 9^th or Tuesday, August 23^rd

Finally, those lazy, hazy days of summer are here. So, the Membership Committee is coordinating a series of Brown Bag Lunches to provide several opportunities for us to gather.

Hosts will provide cold drinks and a simple dessert at their home.
Guests will bring their lunch and a chair.

FMI contact: Leigh Peranteau 725-4874 or

Homecoming Sunday – September 11

In place of our traditional potluck lunch after our Homecoming Service on September 11, please bring a chair and brown bag picnic lunch to meet on the mall immediately following the service.

Working For Justice Justice

Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action

The Bennett Award, instituted in 1999 by Dr. James R. Bennett to honor a Unitarian Universalist congregation that has done exemplary work in social justice, is accompanied by a $1,000 cash award. It is coordinated by the Unitarian Universalist Association (https://www.uua.org/justice-programs/awards/bennett)

First Parish in Portland, Unitarian Universalist – Portland, Maine was one of two recipients of the 2022 award. We celebrate them and, with our own RE Director sharing time between us, we are doubly thrilled.

“This congregation’s ministry with the Wabanaki peoples and several of their community organizations is a powerful example of how UU communities can engage in both the internal and external work to support indigenous liberation and sovereignty. The depth of their relationship that is enhanced by the honest self-learning and acknowledgment of historical harms caused by the congregation, has contributed to an ongoing truth-telling and healing process that creates an accountable and shared foundation for mutual liberation. In addition, their model of learning and engagement is one that has been shared with their state action network, and successfully replicated among other congregations in Maine.”

UUCB was recognized as one of three Honorable Mentions for 2022

“This congregation’s justice ministry is robust with strong community partnerships in the various efforts of the Working for Justice Steering Group. We appreciate the breadth of their ministries.”

Gun Violence

Gun violence impacts all of us and is a public health crisis in the U.S.

UUCB continues to support education in our Working for Justice Steering Group and offers services, vigils and rallies throughout the year. The photos here are from June 2022 vigil on the downtown Brunswick Mall.

“Hateful violence and natural disasters touch all of us. You want to help your children emotionally and spiritually process what is happening in and outside our communities. For UUs, action is a valid response” – By UUA Ministries and Faith Development: Faith Development Office

Teen Center

With school closed, the Teen Center Coordinator is organizing summer pickups and drop-offs of teens who don’t live within walking or biking distance. Two summer interns arrived to support the work of the coordinator and her assistant.

Both a snow-cone and a popcorn machine were donated to supplement the snacks and this month Otto’s Pizza and 2DineIn.com donated one of the July Week’s Meals of the month. Future plans include an outing to a movie or to Dairy Queen

The fiscal year ended June 30^th and the year-end report listed 1,455 youth visits and 41 new members. This contrasts to last year’s 466 visits and 15 new members and demonstrates a strong need for this organization.

Thank you to members of UUCB who designated the Teen Center as the July Charity with Soul.

MUUSAN – Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network

The Citizen Initiative “Our Power Maine: Returning Maine’s Electric Grid to Local Control”
is supported by the MUUSAN Climate Change Issue Group.

PUT MAINE’S POWER BACK IN OUR HANDS

Our economy and way of life depend on the electric power grid—and this vital infrastructure is also the key to addressing climate change. But the foreign investor-owned utilities running our grid today pursue profit at the expense of Maine’s best interests.

The result: We pay more for less. The solution: The Pine Tree Power Company, a local consumer-owned utility that delivers lower cost, cleaner, more reliable power.

Together we can take control of our energy future. Please join us! Learn more about the initiative and how you can help at https://ourpowermaine.org/.

Charities with Soul

Our Charities with Soul are supported exclusively with contributions to the “plate” passed every Sunday during the service or virtually.

Three ways to give:

At uubrunswick.org, click “Donate Online” Choose the “Plate” option
Text the amount of your donation to (855) 962-0440, and follow the prompts to complete your donation
Mail a check to: PO Box 129, Brunswick ME 04011, Memo Line: “plate”

August’s Charity with Soul: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is a nonsectarian organization that advances human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world, envisioning a world free from oppression and injustice, where all can realize their full human rights.It o riginated 70 years ago to help people escape Nazi persecution.

Through a combination of advocacy, education, and partnerships with grassroots organizations, UUSC promotes economic rights, advances environmental justice, defends civil liberties, and preserves the rights of people in times of humanitarian crisis.

They also engage communities around the world by teaming up with the UU College of Social Justice, which introduces participants to the work of domestic and overseas partners who are often on the front lines of addressing social justice issues.

UUSC’s efforts are built on the conviction that all people are entitled to basic human rights, which transcend divisions of class, race, nationality, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, and gender.

Mainline Unitarian Church has a long history of supporting UUSC, and we encourage every member’s support by:

Becoming a UUSC volunteer
Participating in the annual holiday Guest at Your Tableprogram
Attending special UUSC events at the church
Learning more about UUSC by visiting www.uusc.org

UUSC is financially independent from the Unitarian Universalist Association and the federal government. Member contributions make up about 60% of its annual budget.

Holiday Fair

It’s ON! UUCB Holiday Fair to return in December.

The Board has given a final okay to go ahead with our traditional Holiday Fair. Yay! It will be our first since 2019!

If you’re new to UUCB in the last two years, you may not know about our Holiday Fair or others all over midcoast Maine, traditionally held on the first Saturday in December. UUCB started with a simple wreath sale and café held in the basement of our old church building. A group purchased ready-made wreaths from a source in Ellsworth, brought them back to Brunswick, decorated them, and sold them on this date. That corresponded with Christmas fairs at St. John’s Catholic Church Christmas Fair and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The fair grew, during our efforts to be approved as an UUMFE Green Sanctuary, to include wreaths and greenery harvested locally and made by us at a festive wreath-making sessison. It also included a true lunchroom with elegant soups, beverages, and goodies, an art exhibition, in-house live music, a bake-sale, a church craft table, a children’s area, and outside handcraft vendors, sometimes including organizations from our list of Charities with Soul. The most recent additions to the program were a recycled jewelry room and a white elephant area.

That is what we’re hoping to bring back, possibly this year without the lunchroom, but maybe with take-out soups and baked goods. While the recycled jewelry room will continue under the vigorous leadership of Lisa Durrell, the white elephant area may be moved to another occasion.

More to come.

Robin Hansen, Chair

We Need Jewelry for the Fair

The Holiday Fair is a major UUCB fund raising event and a time for long-timers and new folks to join together in community!

The Jewelry Team relies on your contributions to ensure its success at the fair. Do you have dearly loved costume jewelry that needs a new home? It does not have to be elegant! Our team lovingly sorts, cleans, polishes, and cards your donations.

Your donations can be left in the jewelry box on the membership table, or they can be picked up. If you’d like to be part of the jewelry team, we’d love you to join us. For more information about jewelry pick-up or the next sorting meeting, email Lisa Durrell, at .

Concerts for a Cause – Save the Dates

Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations

Mr. Harley

Profits raised from this season’s concerts will support the Brunswick Area Teen Center and Maine Family Planning.

Deadline for Parish Messenger Articles

Copy deadline for the Parish Messenger is generally the THIRD SATURDAY of the month. However, the deadline for the September newsletter is a week later, Saturday August 27th.