February Services | Minister’s Message | Religious Exploration | Music Director| Board Update | WORKING FOR JUSTICE: | Charities with Soul | Midcoast New Mainers | Indigenous Awareness | MUUSAN | Gun Violence |Teen Center | UPCOMING UUCB EVENTS: | SoUUp’s On | Concerts For a Cause | Longfellow Days | Art Gallery | Parish Messenger Deadline
February Services
Sun, Feb 4 — Justice & Equity: Class Matters
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma, Music by Will Bristol
For the month of February, our theme is Justice & Equity (two of the values in the new UUA Article 2 proposal which will face final vote this summer). Today, we’ll begin our reflections by jumping directly into questions of Class. What should we be thinking about and doing in the face of such growing disparity in access to resources? Not to put too fine a point on it — let’s address the problem of poverty, and reflect together about the many ways in which our various class backgrounds influence our thinking on matters of justice and equity.
Sun, Feb 11 — Turning Towards Each Other: Building the Kin-dom of Heaven
Led by guest minister, Rev. Jodi Cohen*, Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Choir
How do we hold onto and create hopeful, hope-filled communities when so much of what surrounds us seems oriented towards encouraging despair? We ground ourselves in an ever-expanding understanding of “us” and take hold of the power that we build together.
*After serving the First Universalist Church of Auburn for over 20 years, this past spring Rev. Jodi began a new ministry organizing a statewide movement called Multi-faith Justice Maine under the auspices of the Maine People’s Alliance. In addition, she serves on the board and Public Policy Committee of the Maine Council of Churches, serves as tri-chair of the Maine Poor People’s Campaign, and works with the harm reduction community. She has two daughters, one of whom is, impossibly, in her freshman year of college, a husband, and, at this time of year, many, many mice who happily share their home.
Sun, Feb 18 — Justice & Equity: The How is the What
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma, Music by Will Bristol
As we work for justice and equity, it is important that the ways in which we work towards that goal are consistent with the goal itself. In other words, how we treat one another as we work for peace/justice/love – ought to embody the principles of peace/justice/love. We cannot, for example, achieve a loving end by hateful means. Today, let’s reflect on HOW we are working, being, and embodying Justice and Equity in our relationships.
School vacation – No RE classes
Sun Feb 25— Longfellow Days: Justice & Equity
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma and Maryli Tiemann, Special music by Jud Caswell
Join us and members of our larger Brunswick Community for our annual Longfellow Days worship service. On this 20th anniversary of Longfellow Days, we will focus on 19th century ideas about justice and equity, which were important to Longfellow.
Minister’s Message
Reflecting on Justice & Equity
For the month of February, our Soul Matters theme is Justice and Equity. These are actually two of the six values proposed in the new Article II revision proposal the UUA will vote on this summer. For the next generation of UU people, these will be the ways in which we describe ourselves and our purpose.
The final draft proposal articulates these values in this way:
These are clearly important values that define and shape Unitarian Universalism, as well as the lives of those who claim them as personal values. It’s OK to notice that these values, as well as the larger goals that they urge us toward, are pretty demanding. Sometimes, it can seem so daunting that we find ourselves immobilized or overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges we face.
It can be difficult to know what we can do as individuals to have an impact on some of the giant, complex systems of injustice that plague our world today. Racism, Climate Change, Gun Violence, War, Xenophobia, and many other forces are wreaking havoc on societies around the globe. It feels like it’s escalating to dangerous levels. And, as people of faith and hope, we know we cannot turn away from the suffering of our fellow humans and the planet that sustains us.
We don’t all approach faith in the same way, of course, nor would all of us apply that word (i.e. faith) to ourselves or our spirituality. Still, even the most cynical among us knows that at times, we catch a glimmer of hope and the possibility of a better way of being together. These glimpses propel us forward to build the world we long for.
I came across this reading by Maureen Killoran that I instantly found helpful. In fact, I am going to revisit this prayer daily throughout the month of February as a centering for this theme of justice and equity. I invite you to join me.
I PRAY THIS DAY FOR THE COURAGE TO BE …
The courage to be humble in the face
of inequity and pain,
to know that the power has been given me
to make a difference,
although not to end all suffering
or to save all the whales that populate our days.I pray for the courage of endurance,
to keep acting in the midst of despair,
to keep trying in the aftermath of failure,
to keep hoping in the emptiness
that follows loss or change.May courage give me patience
and may I ever know Love’s healing presence
at the heart and center of my days.
Justice and Equity are values that have driven and shaped my entire adult life, yet they continue to challenge me every single day. I lament the persistence of injustice and the agonizingly slow shifts that take repeated and gargantuan efforts to sustain, but I am not without hope. The joy that can be found in working together for justice and equity provides pretty powerful fuel for the journey ahead.
May our reflecting on justice and equity enrich us both personally and communally.
Blessings,
Kharma
Religious Exploration
A Poetic Reflection from the DRE
I don’t know how the month of February affects you all, but for this pale Irishman, the days still feel too short and the weather too cold to spend much time outside. When I do get outside in February, I cannot say that I spend much of that time feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. In fact, during the first full winter that I spent in Maine, I got such little time in the sun, that my vitamin D levels dropped below 20 (the optimal vitamin D level is 40-80). My doctor recommended that I take a large booster of vitamin D that winter and she also recommended that I start taking daily vitamin D supplements beginning in October. I have followed that recommendation since 2011 and it has made a huge difference. When I think about how much my mood and my health is affected by a lack of time in the sun, I am always reminded of the following poem:
I Know the Way You Can Get
I know the way you can get
when you have not had a drink of love.Your face hardens.
Your sweet muscles cramp.
Children become concerned
about a strange look that appears in your eyes
which even begins to worry your own mirror….Squirrels and birds sense your sadness
and call an important conference in a tall tree.
They decide which secret code to chant
to help your mind and soul.Oh, I know the way you can get if you
have not been drinking of love.You might rip apart
every sentence your friends and teachers say,
looking for hidden clauses.You might weigh every word on a scale
like a dead fish.You might pull out a ruler to measure from
every angle in your darkness
the beautiful dimensions of a heart you once
trusted.I know the way you can get
if you have not had a drink
from love’s hands.That is why all the great ones speak
of the vital need
to keep remembering God,
so you will come to know and see him
as being so playful and just wanting–just wanting–to help.That is why Hafiz says:
Bring your cup near me.
For all I care about is quenching your thirst for freedom!
All a sane man or woman can ever care about
is giving love!–based on a poem by Hafiz (14th c.) as translated by Daniel Ladinsky
A thing that I know to be true about me is that I require many drops of love on a regular basis to keep my face, muscles, and heart soft. I also know that I am a person who often needs to have his heart in the same room as the hearts of others to truly quench the thirst for love. A couple of Februarys ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself not only sun deprived but also emotionally parched from the lack of one on one connection with others. I don’t know how many bird and squirrel conferences were called but I did recognize that a “strange look” had begun to appear in my eyes. So, on a whim, one morning when I was brushing my teeth, I put my hand over my heart and said to my reflection, “I love you.” It was a simple act but it had an immediate warming effect on my spirit. That day, whenever I found myself starting to tighten up in the jaw or shoulders, I stopped, took a breath, and said to myself, “I love you”. By the end of the day, I felt more connected and a bit less lonely and parched. Never one for moderation, I decided to try an experiment- for 100 days, I told myself, “I love you,” for 100 days. The overall effect of this experiment was very similar to the effect taking a vitamin D booster had on my health and mood. I am not someone for whom the act of self love comes naturally. In fact, I can be quite self deprecating at times. So, this was not an easy experiment for me but, as I kept on with the practice, I found myself softening up and accepting aspects of my personality that I had previously resisted. I also found myself more accepting of and loving towards the people that I was engaging with. Even the people who I found generally hard to be around became easier to have patience with. It has been a while since I have done this practice fully but still now, throughout the day when I’m anxious, unsure of myself, or lonely, I find myself pausing, placing my hand on my heart, and silently saying to myself, “I love you”.
Toben Cooney-Callnan
Director of ReligiousExploration
A Note From Our New Music Director
Dear congregants of UUCB,
It has been a pleasure getting to know you all this past week. I have always enjoyed planning music specifically when it relates to a given theme. For the month of February at UUCB our “worship theme” is Justice and Equality. It is also coincidentally Black History Month. With this in mind, the music I will be contributing to services as well that which the choir will be singing during this month has its roots in Black History. I have chosen some of my favorite composers/artists who I have always been inspired by to play music of—Duke Ellington, Keith Jarrett, Stevie Wonder, Andre Crouch, Scott Joplin. I will especially try to highlight the music of Duke Ellington since it has very much been a part of the Unitarian movement with the advent of the tune “Come Sunday”. For me also, his music has always represented a Beethovenian depth of soul; a lightness that encompasses darkness. I will be playing as gathering music the standard “Tenderly” on the last January service as a transition into February as this is one of my most favorite Duke Ellington “covers”—which coincidentally encompasses the theme of Love. Then during the month of February I will play some excerpts from Duke’s Sacred Concerts as well as A Single Petal of a Rose—in my opinion one of the greatest studies in harmony and counterpoint. As to choir music, I am looking forward to bringing one of my favorite of anthems to services: a piece titled “MLK” originally by U2, then arranged by Bob Chilcott of the King’s Singers. The music uses as text an excerpt from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. This will also bridge the gap between January and February themes. The rest of the musical selections are still in the stage of final decision making but all hymns and choir anthems will encompass in some way the theme of Justice and Equality especially as viewed from the black perspective. I will be curious to see where you find connections between music and theme as you continue to come to services in the coming weeks!
Best.
Will Breton, Music Director
UUCB Board Update
I start this Board of Trustees Report with my own personal reflections. This photo was taken on my birthday at Reid State Park as I raise my arms and yell “yay” at the top of my lungs to express my joy at being alive. I chose the photo because it also reflects the joy I feel about UUCB. I see that joy and excitement in many of your faces when I come to church or attend committee meetings. I hear it in your voices as you interact before and after church services, and in the choir when they sing so beautifully. We are that joyful and resilient people. UUCB has faced one challenge after another since the devastating fire that destroyed our old church building in 2011. Look back at how far we have come since those early days of uncertainty and all the transitions and obstacles we have faced to get to where we are now. Our success is because of you, our members and ministers, who have and continue to work so hard and care so much about this church that UUCB was able to meet those challenges. We wouldn’t be growing and flourishing now without your many contributions. UUCB is a remarkable and special place. It’s not to say that we are perfect and don’t need to improve, but there is good reason to celebrate our achievements and raise our hands and yell “yay” for all our past accomplishments and to our hopeful future.
The Board of Trustees is holding a Listening Session after church on Sunday, February 25, at 11:30 a.m. There were concerns expressed at our congregational meeting in December about safety issues and how they effect our church’s desire to be a welcoming congregation. Let’s come together and share our feelings on how we balance our mission to be a welcoming church with the security concerns of our world. We want to hear from you.
Besides the Membership Committee and other relevant groups, board members Louise Gephart, Curt Neufeld, and I are going to delve into the overcrowding problem in the Fellowship Hall. Congestion during the coffee hour is not only an inconvenience for us all, but it also has a long-term impact on our growth possibilities and our ability to make people feel welcome. We would appreciate the congregation’s help in solving this. If you any have ideas or suggestions, please reach out to Louise, Curt or me. Your input would be much appreciated.
I don’t know about you, but I get a great deal of pleasure in seeing all the young children and their parents at church on Sunday mornings. But to encourage these families to continue to want to come to church, the rest of us need to step up and volunteer to teach or be a helper in the RE program. And that includes men as well as women. We can’t expect the parents to do all the teaching by themselves. Toben Cooney Callnan, Director of Religious Exploration, has made it easy for us to volunteer by preparing all the materials ahead of time. You can volunteer as little as three times a month as a teacher or once a month or more as a helper. There is no need for you to prepare materials to teach the classes or to make a long-term commitment. Toben does it all ahead of time. You only need to show up and the rest is easy. And the best part is that you get to meet and interact with these bright, interesting UU kids! To sign up, please talk to Toben or one of the RE volunteers at the Visitors Table in the Fellowship Hall after the service.
Finally, besides the geniality and fun that we have at board meetings, one of the things I enjoy the most as a board member is getting to read the monthly Minister’s Report. If you think Kharma is busy with all that she does at UUCB and she is, she has cast an impressively wide net through the community and beyond, spreading our UU values and principles in the process. This is something I think we all should be proud and appreciative of. Thank you, Kharma!
Representing the board, Faith Woodman
WORKING FOR JUSTICE
Charities with Soul
February Charity with Soul: Four Directions Development Corporation
Four Directions Development Corporation is a Native American CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution). Our mission is to improve the social and economic conditions of the Wabanaki tribes in Maine through education and investment in affordable housing, tribal business ventures, and Native entrepreneurship. We have four core programs and related products and services: The Small Business program supports business growth and tribal members’ success through small business loans, entrepreneur centers, artisan loans, and technical assistance; Residential Lending promotes safe and quality home ownership through home mortgages, home improvements, refinancing, and down payment assistance; Financial Counseling advances borrower readiness and personal financial health through free financial counseling, free tax preparation, and matched savings programs; and Community Development promotes facilities, housing, and business development through construction loans, permanent loans, operating capital, participation funding, and technical assistance.
Donations are used to increase tribes’ and tribal members’ access to our products and services. Our Financial Capabilities program and our Artisan Fund, two well-utilized programs, could especially use an increase in revenue. Four Directions is grateful to be able to support Wabanaki people and tribes in the ways we do and is specifically grateful that UUCB has recognized our work and believes in supporting our mission to improve the social and economic conditions of the Wabanaki tribes in Maine.
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”
MidCoast New Mainers Group
Arrival of New Families
Twenty-three of the sixty new asylum-seeking families have arrived in Brunswick and are settling into their new 
Brunswick Landing apartments. Their arrival was marked by an opening ceremony in early January hosted by the Developer’s Collaborative for the new arrivals and the organizations working with them. Here is a link to a television report of the ceremony. The remaining families will arrive in Brunswick later this winter. The orientation to Brunswick and to area services and organizations is being overseen by the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine and the United Way of Midcoast Maine. Meanwhile other families, who are not part of the sixty families moving to the new apartments, continue to relocate to the Bath/Brunswick area.
Read Together Tutor Training
Volunteer tutors are needed to work with children ages 6-14 who are English language learners and are learning to speak, read, and write in English. Training for new volunteers will be held on January 29, 31, and February 2, from 9:00am-1:00pm at Midcoast Literacy’s offices (9 Park Street, Bath, ME). Participants must attend all three days to complete the training. Volunteers are expected to meet with their learners twice a week for at least an hour, and for a minimum of 12 months. If you have questions about the training or tutoring in general, or if you would like to sign up, please email Katie Clark at .
Practice Drivers Needed
MidCoast New Mainers needs volunteers who are willing to practice driving with New Mainers who have their permit and 8-10 lessons from a professional driving instructor. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Carol Kalajainen at .
Indigenous Awareness
Recognition by the state of Maine of the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations remains the priority issue for the Wabanaki Nations in Maine. The Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition is focusing all of its energy on raising awareness and encouraging the support of legislators who have not, to date, been willing to support bills related to tribal sovereignty. The Alliance website has a bill tracker https://www.wabanakialliance.com/131st-bill-tracker/ that summarizes the content and status of bills now being finalized for the current legislative session and includes a tool kit for how to contact legislators and offer testimony. It is an extraordinary resource for all interested to learn more and who seek guidance about how to reach out to lawmakers. The voices of Maine citizens (our voices) are needed to achieve the goal of state recognition of Wabanaki tribal sovereignty.
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MUUSAN
The second or short session of the 131 Maine Legislature has started with much to be done before the April end date. Last year MUUSAN identified 18 priority bills which were worthy of our support, and, of these, 7 bills were defeated, 6 bills were voted as MUUSAN wished, and 5 were carried for this year. Please be sure to check the MUUSAN website (muusan.org) for more specifics.
We will be asking for help sending postcards to legislators in support of bills as they come up this session. Currently, we are supporting LD 1578, the National Popular Vote compact to make our presidential elections more democratic which will be voted on soon. Other carried over bills concern housing subsidies, the right of agricultural workers to organize, and expanding protected habitat. These will be considered later in the session.
Probably the most significant effort will go to supporting tribal sovereignty which at this point does not have a specific bill. Both MUUSAN and UUCB voted to support the Wabanaki Alliance, so stay tuned to see what bill will be presented and what can you do to help it pass. We will be having information tables and letter writing opportunities after church as needed.
GUN VIOLENCE
EDUCATION & AWARENESS
Register and join us online for MUUSAN’s February 10 network meeting: Advocating for New Gun Safety Laws for Maine in 2024:
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Brunswick Area Teen Center
There has been some partying kind of months at the Teen Center starting with Friendship/Thanksgiving and ending with Holiday Celebration. To cap it all off the teens greeted New Year 2024 by smashing the gingerbread houses they had made for the holidays. In 2024 the Teen Center will be testing the possibility of opening on Fridays, and they will continue to cook up healthier menu items, as well as experimenting with new activities.
Fabulous volunteer, Rebecca, led the kids through preparing homemade lasagna. Another day was inspired by National Green Juice Day as the teens made smoothies with spinach, pineapple and banana paired with a side of roasted veggies. The typical vocal resistance to offering up green food was quickly shattered as a few of the braver kids tried the smoothies and then filled their plates with veggies. Soon enough the teens had consumed all the juice and veggies. Jordan graciously donated her time to help get the new director, Taylor ,oriented for this year’s Gelato Fiasco Scoop-A-Thon on April 24.
Teen Center representatives attended the Community Provider Forum organized by the United Way of Mid Coast Maine, Town of Brunswick and Immigrant Resource Center of Maine. They were able to share information about the Teen Center with New Mainers who had just moved to Brunswick Landing.
The State of Maine recognized Jordan Cardone’s retirement and her eighteen years of dedication and service to the Teen Center with the following statement: “We extend our congratulations and best wishes; And be it ordered that this official expression of sentiment be sent forthwith on behalf of the 131st Legislature and the people of the State of Maine”.
The Jordan Cardone-Rewit Scholarship Fund to date has raised $6,200 of the $10,000 goal! Thank you to all who have donated! The award will provide funds of $500 annually for a graduating high school senior (who has been a member of the Teen Center), to be used for the post-secondary education of their choice.
Upcoming UUCB Events
SoUUp’s On
March 3, 2024
Looking forward to SoUUp’s On! The Membership Committee is planning a cozy luncheon directly following the service on March 3. We will quickly set up tables in the sanctuary and delicious soups, bread, fruit and desserts will be served in Fellowship Hall. While the sanctuary is being transformed to a dining area, coffee will be available in the RE wing.
We look forward to having a variety of delicious soups to serve. Sign up sheets will be at the Visitor’s Table so that you can tell us what kind of special soup you will bring to share. Also, if your last name begins with A-M, please bring bread or fruit. If your last name begins with N-Z, please bring a dessert, cookies or bars. We are looking forward to SoUUp’s On! Remember to sign up at the visitor’s table. Please join us!
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Concerts for a Cause
A Morning Cordial Retrospective
Saturday, February 24 @ 7:30 pm
Award-winning singer-songwriter, Jud Caswell, is the next performer for our Concerts for a Cause series to raise money for Midcoast New Mainers Group and Oasis Free Clinics.
One of the leading singer-songwriters on the current scene, Jud Caswell is a master multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, banjo, cittern, whistles and Irish drums. His interpretations of songs from modern acoustic to traditional folk and Irish are done with excellent musicianship, and his words and warm, tender voice portray his landscapes like Wyeth, with a reverence for humble beauty.
Jud’s originals have won some of the most prestigious songwriting contests in the country, including the legendary Kerrville New Folk competition. His songs have been taught at Berklee, recorded by Judy Collins, and named “#4 Song of the Decade” by New York’s WFUV. The single, “The Great Divide,” was #2 on Folk Alliance International’s Charts.
Jud has released 4 acclaimed CD’s. This concert will be a “Morning Cordial Retrospective” celebrating the pressing of Jud’s 5th CD, “Morning Cordial Vol. 1” CD! “The Morning Cordial” is a video series that Jud launched in March of 2020 to provide a sense of warmth and connection in a time that felt very solitary and isolating. He published a video every weekday for that whole first summer, and the series now has over 175 videos. Those videos included his own original songs, acoustic favorites, and many Irish songs.
For this concert, Jud will be taking the fan favorites of his Morning Cordials to the LIVE stage. What better way to get through the bleak midwinter than to enjoy a warm and friendly evening of great music that will invigorate the heart.
Schooner Fare
Saturday, March 30 @ 7:30 pm
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Longfellow Days 2024: ANNIVERSARIES
Amazing! It’s actually the 20th anniversary of Longfellow Days this year, and so we’re celebrating with lively programs throughout February — including parties at the beginning and end of the month.
Saturday, February 3 at 1 pm ~ A Book Launching
We are thrilled to announce the publication of Read to Me Some Poem: 20 Years of Longfellow Days Poems from Moon Pie Press, edited by Longfellow Days founder Maryli Tiemann and poet/editor/publisher Alice Persons. You are invited to be part of our festive book launch. There’ll be readings, refreshments, and a chance to mingle with some writers represented in this new volume.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle Street
Sunday, February 4, 1:00 PM ~ The Coursen Readings, Part One
Our 4-weekend series of poetry readings by Maine writers adds a special honorary element this year. Readers will share their own writing plus that of an esteemed poet we have lost since they were Longfellow Days participants themselves. On this first Sunday, former Maine Poet Laureate Betsy Sholl reads Maine’s 1st Poet Laureate, Kate Barnes, Bob MacLaughlin reads Herb Coursen, and Leila Percy reads the poetry of Jerry Day Mason. Refreshments.
Fireplace Room, Curtis Memorial Library
Sunday, February 11, 1:00 PM ~ The Coursen Readings, Part Two
This week’s pairings: Stephen Petroff reads the work of Robert Chute, Marta Finch reads poems by her mother Marta Finch, and Ellen Taylor reads those of Duff Plunkett. Refreshments
Fireplace Room, Curtis Memorial Library
Tuesday, February 13, 6:30 PM ~ Parsing a Poem
At this literary and social event, co-sponsored by the Pejepscot History Center, Gary Lawless and John Cross help us explore “Morituri Salutamus,” a reflection on youth and age that Longfellow composed for the 50th reunion (another anniversary!) of his 1825 Bowdoin graduating class. Refreshments. Registration required: Send an email with subject “Parsing” to . Please include name(s) of registrants and phone number for primary contact.
Pejepscot History Center, 159 Park Row
Thursday, February 15, 2:30 PM ~ Community Poetry Reading at the Highlands
Local poets Helene McGlauflin and David Sloan will read from their work and host this informal poetry lovers gathering for the community. Bring your own poems or your favorites written by others. Refreshments.
Georgetown Parlor, Maine Lodge, The Highlands, 30 Governors Way, Topsham
Saturday, February 17, 10:00 & 11:30 AM ~Mary & Henry: The Longfellows in Brunswick
This alternate tour of the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, co-sponsored by the Pejepscot History Center, will be led by PHC executive director Larissa Vigue Picard and Gemma Cannon. Gemma, a grief specialist and author of Voices of the Night, has discovered new material about Henry’s first wife, Mary, and more than we ever knew about Henry’s early writing. The tour through the historic home (where the Longfellows lived decades before the Chamberlains) is 60-75 minutes. Each session is limited to 15 people. Registration is required: Send an email with subject “LD House Tour” to . Please Include name(s) of registrants, preferred time, and phone number for primary contact.
Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, 226 Maine Street
Sunday, February 18, 1:00 PM ~ THE COURSEN READINGS, PART THREE
Three more Maine writers read from their own work and represent another poet: Jim Donnelly for Ted Bookey, Anna Wrobel for Lee Sharkey, and Susan Iverson for her father George Van Deventer. Refreshments.
Fireplace Room, Curtis Memorial Library
Wednesday, February 21, 1:00 PM ~ Samuel Longfellow and a New Vision of the Spirit
Henry’s younger brother Samuel was a Unitarian minister and hymn writer. During his time in the ministry, he was responsible for some radical changes in Unitarian churches and in hymn writing. What had been to this point a purely Christian-Biblical orientation shifted to encompass spirituality inspired by earth, sea and sky. Our speaker, The Rev. Mark W. Harris, is the minister of First Parish in Watertown, MA and the author of several books. This event is part of the Midcoast Senior College’s Winter Wisdom program.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle Street
Thursday, February 22, 2:30 ~ Community Poetry Reading at Thornton Oaks
Poets Helene McGlauflin and David Sloan share their own writing and host this informal verse-sharing session for the community. Bring your own poems or your favorites written by others. Refreshments.
Merrymeeting Room, Thornton Oaks, 25 Thornton Way (off Baribeau Drive)
Sunday, February 25, 10:00 AM ~Ecumenical Service
19th Century Views of Justice and Equality is the focus of our annual service in tribute to Longfellow. Led by ev. Dr. Kharma Amos and with music from Jud Caswell. Visit the Bible that Longfellow signed and donated to his church in 1878.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle Street
Sunday, February 25, 1:00 PM ~ The Coursen Readings, Part Four
Our anniversary tribute to great Maine poets, both current and others greatly missed, concludes with Jay Franzel, also reading Henry Braun; Claire Hersom, also reading Susann Pelletier; and Cindy Carney reading poems by Joyce Pye with an introduction by Joyce’s daughter, Jenny Wells. Refreshments.
Fireplace Room, Curtis Memorial Library
Tuesday, February 27, 6:30 PM ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HENRY!
So … we’re 20 years old – and Longfellow would be 217 today. It’s party time! Ren Bernier hosts our popular poetry open mic, and we encourage you to add your voice. Come share your poem or another’s that you appreciate, enjoy Bowdoin College’s a cappella group, The Longfellows and some delicious cake.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle Street
Art Gallery
February Artists: The Art Gallery Committee
This month the Art Gallery Committee shares some of our work with you. We use a variety of media including watercolor, acrylic paint, photography, mixed media and fiber. We hope that you enjoy our efforts. Some of our committee members are showing work: Paul Peranteau, Linda Gustafson, Joanne Allen, Ed McCartan, Carol Evans, Sandra Kimball, Sharon Brown and Pat Spock. We are helped and supported by Anne Merrifield and Cathy Meany!
We have a lot of fun displaying artwork by the larger communit each month. We are on the lookout for interesting artists or groups of artists. Let us know if you have any suggestions and we’ll look at the work. If you have any interest in working with us please contact any of us or just come to our meetings on the fourth Thursday of the month at 10:00 and check us out! You do not need to make artwork. You just need to enjoy it!
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Deadline for Parish Messenger Articles
Due to the holidays, the deadline for March Parish Messenger is Saturday, February 17th.
Send articles to