Sundays: 10:30 AM
Child care and religious education for children are provided during services. • SEE MORE
Save-A-Seat
We have returned to in person meeting with masks and seating arranged thoughtfully to ensure social distancing.
Save your seat for indoor worship. Click on link below:
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SUNDAY Service ~ May 22nd
10:30 AM
Guest in the Pulpit: Rev. Allison Farnum
Sermon: "The Circle of Love"
Our UUA President reminds us that no one is outside the circle of Love, and our UU Prison Ministry centers around this value. Join as Rev. Allison invites us to do justice in celebration of Life and Love.
Register to the left on "Save-A-Seat" for indoor services or join livestream on Zoom. Registration begins at noon on Friday.
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82860954710pwd=bWxnbkh2U2tRSzRueUZYZVNkNWdVZz09
Meeting ID: 828 6095 4710
Passcode: 305443
BUC Spotlight
BUC Easter Egg Hunt
SUNDAY, April 17th
At 10:30 a.m., during the adults' church service, mask wearing kids of all ages are invited to participate in our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Please bring a basket or a bag to collect the eggs. The hunt will be held indoors if it is raining, but mud alone won't stop us; boots might be a good idea. Let the Springtime fun begin!
Minister's Musings
Following is Rev. Allen's article in Contact, our monthly newsletter. It bears repeating.
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Minister’s Musings Rev. Allen Harden Charles Dickens began his Tale of Two Cities with “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Now, Dickens may have had his time in mind, but these words seem timeless. They definitely apply to where we are now. |
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The great news is that we can now hold some hope that the pandemic is waning, and barring another new set of variants, may even be headed towards a new normal where Covid-19 is just a really nasty disease. We are feeling it in most walks of life. And it was a true pleasure to join with most of you in church this morning, to share space, bump elbows, hear the piano, and to chat easily after the service. Our zoom sessions have served us well, and kept us connected in our time of need, but it is so nice to leave them behind us for a while. I look forward to a time of full ease in community. The terrible news is the sudden onset of a ground war in Europe, as Russian troops invade Ukraine. Already, these actions have incurred huge costs in life and property, and stolen the innocence away from new generations. I heard one woman interviewed as she was trying to take her child and her mother to safety in Poland. “I cannot express what I feel” she said, “and that is not because I don’t have the words in English, but because I do not have them in any language.” What can express how she must feel when everything secure and stable and safe in her world has been ripped away at the whim of one very powerful and dangerous man. And there are many things good and many things bad in between these two poles. It is hard to become centered when there is so much else to pull us this way and that. Today was a gorgeous day here in Chicago. It teased us about the coming of Spring and the regeneration of daytime and warmth and green things. I found great joy in the day, as I hope you did. In the face of everything, always seize the precious moments of joy. We need them, and we deserve them. In faith and love, |
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Rev. Allen |
Watch Previous Sermons on YouTube
For recordings of past sermons and services, see the Sunday Services playlist on Beverly Unitarian's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/beverlyunitarian
Minister's Message: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
My hopes for the coming year are that we all thrive, flourish, and grow. I wish that each of us can find places of comfort, niches where we feel safe. I wish that each of us will fell wanted, valued, and loved. These places might be physical, they might be in relationship with loved ones, they might be within our congregation. Taking care of one another takes intention and can be hard work, but it is an effort that the Beverly Unitarian Church community has been very good at managing.
At the moment, we are doing a déjà vu with the pandemic, and it is painful. I was so looking forward to sharing the beauty and glory of our Christmas Eve service with all of you in our sanctuary, and then joining in song and candlelight (and cocoa) afterwards outdoors. But, it was not to be, and we had to turn to a zoom-based service. The service itself felt lovely, but I missed you being there with us. Going virtual was the right thing to do, and most of us were able to enjoy the experience while eating cookies and treats so lovingly distributed by the elves of our castle. As I said, we are good at caring for one another, and we should all take pride in this caring nature.
I am confident that we can continue moving forward during the New Year, and we are starting to build programming ideas to create opportunities for continued engagement and stimulation. The first of these, that I will announce here, is a series of Monday evening discussions with the Minister. These will be zoom discussions that will start by addressing a specific topic that may be of interest or importance. I will offer these at 7:30 p.m. on the Mondays following Sundays when I lead worship – so there will usually be two each month. On January 3, we will consider tension in belonging to world community while living with national sovereignty. January 17 is Martin Luther King Day, so we will relate our own memories of Dr. King, the Civil Rights movement, and racial justice in America.
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I look forward to 2022, and will hold onto my optimism that the pandemic will recede and we can begin to live again, as we chose. |
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Discussions with the Minister & Zoom Links: |
❖ Mon, Jan 3, 7:30 p.m. Topic: World Community?
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89546688443?pwd=V3ppWWk4V1puMWtCQ2Y2eG1POVNnQT09
Meeting ID: 895 4668 8443
Passcode: 909589
❖ Mon Jan 17, 7:30. p.m. Topic: MLK and Civil Rights.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83920066152?pwd=ckJTQWV2alJjckVYakF2cHVzNWFaQT09
Meeting ID: 839 2006 6152
Passcode: 065770
Kids 5 to 12 years old
Children aged five through twelve, who are fully vaccinated, are invited to attend the first part of the church service to hear "the story for all ages." They will then leave to attend their UU Education classes, where everyone who is with them is fully vaccinated.
Buddhist Meditation
Reverend Marcia Curtis For more information please click redlotussangha.org.
Religious Education
Childcare for our youngest is available during services.
All children are welcome!
Beverly Unitarian Church 10244 S. Longwood Drive • Chicago IL 60643 • 773-233-7080