Search Results

Gathering Music Welcome Centering Prelude "Come, Come Whoever You Are" by Lynn Ungar Arr. by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "This Faith" by Heide Cottam Opening Hymn #21 "For the Beauty of the Earth" words by F. S. Pierpoint music by Conrad Kocher For the beauty of the earth, for the splendor of the skies, For the love which from our birth over and around us lies: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind's delight, For the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of human care, sister, brother, parent, child, For the kinship we all share, for all gentle thoughts and mild: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. Time for All Ages "The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld Musical Interlude Announcements Introduction to the Service Welcoming Visitors and Joys & Concerns Musical Response Offering Offering Music "With Open Arms" by Mary Bopp First Reflection - Emmy Galbraith Wisdom from Our Experts: Families & Religious Educators Second Reflection - Vivian Carlson Supporting Family Systems Closing Hymn #298 "Wake Now My Senses" words by Thomas Mikelson Traditional Irish melody Wake, now my senses, and hear the earth call; feel the deep power of being in all; keep, with the web of creation your vow, giving, receiving as love shows us how. Wake, now, my reason, reach out to the new; join with each pilgrim who quests for the true; honor the beauty and wisdom of time; suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime. Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry; voices of suffering fill the wide sky; take as your neighbor both stranger and friend, praying and striving their hardship to end . Wake, now, my conscience, with justice thy guide; join with all people whose rights are denied; take not for granted a privileged place; God's love embraces the whole human race . Wake, now, my vision of ministry clear; brighten my pathway with radiance here; mingle my calling with all who will share; work toward a planet transformed by our care. Extinguishing the Chalice & Closing Words The flame in our hearts never ceases burning. Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

MUSIC + MANTRA KIRTAN AT UUSE A welcoming community of music, meditation, and connection Join us for an uplifting, meditative experience blending contemporary music with the call-and-response singing of mantras. Mantra set to music opens the heart and lifts the spirits. The MUSIC + MANTRA series is a welcoming community gathering where contemporary live music meets the ancient practice of kirtan — call-and-response mantra singing rooted in India’s devotional tradition. No musical experience, spiritual background, or prior knowledge is required. You are welcome to sing along, dance, listen quietly, or simply be present. WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE: • Relaxation through sound – Quiet the mental chatter and de-stress. • A sense of belonging – Singing together fosters connection in a way that feels natural and inclusive—there's no pressure and no performance. • Accessible participation – Sit in a chair, relax on a cushion, or move and dance—engage in whatever way feels right for you. • Tradition shared with care – Rooted in the Indian devotional practice of kirtan and offered in a warm, contemporary community setting that honors its origins. ABOUT THE MUSICIANS:  HEART CENTERED KIRTAN • Libby Volckening — vocals and keys • Ezra Landis — guitar • Nico D'Amico — bass • Chris Ball — drums Together, they offer contemporary arrangements that honor tradition while remaining approachable for newcomers. ABOUT THE SPACE Hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Society East — a welcoming, community-centered venue committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. • Wheelchair accessible • Scent-free space • Chair seating provided (feel free to bring a cushion if you prefer the floor) • Free parking on site Whether you are spiritually curious, musically inclined, or simply seeking a peaceful and welcoming evening out, Music + Mantra offers a low-pressure way to connect—with yourself and with community. EVENT DETAILS Sunday, March 22 - 3pm Free-will donation ($20 suggested) at the door. No one is ever turned away.

This morning, we launch our 2026 Annual Appeal, during which we ask every UUSE member and friend to make the most generous financial pledge possible for the coming fiscal year which begins July 1 st . This is our largest fundraiser. The Annual Appeal raises the vast majority of dollars we need to operate from day-to-day, to provide decent salaries and benefits to our staff, to maintain our meetinghouse, to carry out our mission, to achieve our vision—the dollars we need, as the Annual Appeal theme suggests, for belonging and thriving together. Raising the money is never easy. Our Stewardship Committee does an amazing job running the Annual Appeal. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Stewardship chairperson, Patricia Wildes, and committee members Louisa Graver, Phil Sawyer, Larry Lundern, Jerry Myers and Stan McMillen. Raising the money is never easy, but I don’t want to understate the celebration at the heart of this moment. Your generous financial pledge to the Annual Appeal is a celebration of this Unitarian Universalist congregation, this spiritual community, this open, liberal, loving faith, grounded in our UU principles and values. Your generous financial pledge to the Annual Appeal celebrates the value of this congregation in your life and the value of Unitarian Universalism in your life. It celebrates your commitment to this place, these people, this faith. That’s why we made the decision to worship in the round today, all the generations, face-to-face. That’s why we invited the Atrium Brass Quintet to join us. It may just be me, but brass music on Sunday morning is always celebratory. I hope you feel similarly. As is the case every year, we need to raise more money in this year’s Annual Appeal than we raised last year. That’s the hard part. (By the way, in my entire career, I don't remember an annual appeal that ever sought to raise less money than the previous year!) In addition to the usual cost-drivers (inflation, cost-of-living adjustments for our staff, anticipated health insurance increases, etc.) there are a number of essential new expenses I want to flag for you. First, our Finance Committee and Policy Board have decided that the tasks of day-to-day financial management at UUSE are too big for volunteers to effectively manage. We’ve known this for a long time. We’ve tried to make it work. But the job is too big and there’s too much at stake. It is time for us to hire a professional bookkeeping service. The search for that service is already underway. Depending on what kind of service we ultimately hire, we anticipate a cost of anywhere from $8,000 to $25,000 annually. This is a big jump in our budget, and it is essential. Second, because we continue to anticipate a variety of building repairs over the next decade, we are hoping to raise significant funds for our building reserve in this year’s Annual Appeal. While we have other ways to increase this critical reserve fund—we are establishing an ongoing building reserve campaign—we believe a percentage of the Annual Appeal needs to be dedicated to these reserves every year. We’ve also being naming this for a while. It really is essential. We were hoping to dedicate $25,000 to this reserve. But to get us closer to a balanced budget, the board cut it back to $10,000.   There are some other new expenses, like building safety improvements and the one-time hiring of an amazing curriculum consultant, Kamora Herrington, to work with our Children and Youth Ministry program during the coming year. The proposed budget for next year will be available during the Annual Appeal. We are hoping for a 5% to 7% increase over last year. That is ambitious, we know. But we also believe we can do it. One of the reasons we believe we can do it is because we have gratefully and joyfully received a $15,000 grant to encourage us to increase pledges!  Pledge increases of 5% or more will be matched 100% from this grant. I want to pause for a moment, and invite all of you to weigh in. I have two questions for you to ponder. The first is about Unitarian Universalism. What do you love about Unitarian Universalism? The second is about this congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Society East in Manchester, CT. What do you love about this congregation? I invite you to turn to a neighbor and share your answers to these questions. Kids, you can talk to your parents or caregivers. Or you can talk to each other. Or you can talk to other adults you might know. Folks online, we invite you to type into the chat your answers to these questions. What do you love about Unitarian Universalism? What do you love about this Unitarian Universalist congregation, UUSE? We’ll share some of your responses in a moment. Alright, talk amongst yourselves!   [Discussion]   [Sharing]   Before we close, some logistics: Please sign up for one of the pledging potlucks. These meals in members’ homes are a great way to meet new people and discuss these questions in more depth. For folks online, please contact Stan McMillen. If you can’t make one of the potlucks, we ask you to respond to the Annual Appeal letter by March 17 th . If we don’t hear from you, an Annual Appeal steward will reach out to you. Please remember the stewards are volunteers with full plates. Please respond to them quickly. They appreciate it. The Stewardship Committee appreciates it. And, as a way of continuing the celebration, please note that near the end of the Annual Appeal, Sunday March 29 th , we are bringing back the chocolate auction. Watch the newsletter and eblast for more information. Logistics aside, what is most important to me, always, is that our Annual Appeal enables our congregation to continue as a place of belonging and thriving; that our Annual Appeal enables us to continue all the ministries we rely on (Sunday Services, Children and Youth Ministry, Music, Small Groups, Affinity Groups, Pastoral Friends, Buildings and Grounds, Sustainable Living, the Verplanck Partnership, and all our connections to social and environmental justice organizations and coalitions in the wider community). My fondest hope, year in and year out, is that our Annual Appeal enables us to continue serving as a beacon of liberal religion, spiritual searching, and community engagement from our physical home here on Elm Hill, on the Manchester-Vernon line, above the Hockanum River on its way southwest to the Connecticut River. Belonging and thriving. That is my hope. Please make the most generous pledge you can to this year’s Annual Appeal. Amen and blessed be.

< To Upcoming Services Apr 5, 2026 Easter Service. Sunday, April 5th: Easter Service. Coordinators: Rev. Josh Pawelek, Emmy Galbraith, and Mary Bopp. Sunday, April 5th: Easter Service. Coordinators: Rev. Josh Pawelek, Emmy Galbraith, and Mary Bopp. #MarchNewsletter OOS Sermon YouTube

< To Upcoming Services Watch the eBlast for the next scheduled Sunday Service: "Caring for Parents, Children Sunday Service: "Caring for Parents, Children and Their Families in These Times" The Surgeon General states that parents are more stressed than perhaps ever before; our young people experience unprecedented mental health challenges; and the rights of our beloveds are at grave risk. Yet many families with children show up at our doors seeking community and care. What can we do as a congregation to best respond to the needs of our families? Coordinators: Emmy Galbraith and Vivian Carlson. Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. Sunday, March 8, 2026 Gathering music starts at 8:50 and 10:50 A.M. Join the virtual service at 11:00 A.M. via our Zoom link: Contact the Office for Zoom Link. Or join by phone. Call 1-860-646-5151 Meeting ID 357 815 420#. In Case You Missed It: Click here for a Youtube video of the 2/22/28 service, "The Generous Spirit." Click here for a Youtube video of the 3/1/28 service, "Belonging and Thriving--Together!" #eBlast-03-04 Sunday Service: "Caring for Parents, Children  and Their Families in These Times" The Surgeon General states that parents are more stressed than perhaps ever before; our young people experience unprecedented mental health challenges; and the rights of our beloveds are at grave risk. Yet many families with children show up at our doors seeking community and care. What can we do as a congregation to best respond to the needs of our families? Coordinators : Emmy Galbraith and Vivian Carlson. Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. Sunday, March 8, 2026 Gathering music starts at 8:50 and 10:50 A.M. Join the virtual service at 11:00 A.M. via our Zoom link: Contact the Office for Zoom Link . Or join by phone. Call 1-860-646-5151 Meeting ID 357 815 420#. In Case You Missed It: Click here for a Youtube video of the 2/22/28 service, "The Generous Spirit." Click here for a Youtube video of the 3/1/28 service, "Belonging and Thriving--Together!" #eBlast -03-04 OOS Sermon YouTube

< To Upcoming Services Mar 15, 2026 Paying Attention. Sunday, March 15th: Paying Attention. Our ministry theme for March is paying attention. How do you pay attention? With your eyes, your body, your heart, your soul? What grabs and holds your attention? Most importantly, are you attending to what matters? Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek. Sunday, March 15th: Paying Attention. Our ministry theme for March is paying attention. How do you pay attention? With your eyes, your body, your heart, your soul? What grabs and holds your attention? Most importantly, are you attending to what matters? Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek. #MarchNewsletter OOS Sermon YouTube