News – August 5, 2022
Dear Members & Friends,
This past May I was in Columbia, Missouri for a performance. After the concert a member of the audience mentioned they were congregants at the Unitarian Church in town. When I mentioned that I was the new Director of Music at First Church and he replied, “Then you know what they say about Unitarians, God’s frozen people.” I laughed, but quickly responded, “Maybe here in Columbia, but not in Houston!” Happily, I can report that here at First Church our congregants are swaying to the rhythm of the music, singing along and on occasion standing and clapping their hands. It is a glorious sound when we all lift our voices in song. This is an indication that we are a warm, expressive community. Thank you all for fully engaging in worship each Sunday and feeling comfortable to express yourselves. This is the place where we can connect and reflect on our experiences as well as refueling for the week ahead.
This summer has been a busy one of planning for the upcoming season. The summer vacation season is ending. Now that it is August, choir will resume meeting on Thursday nights from 7-8:30pm in addition to rehearsing on Sunday mornings from 10:40-11:10am. We are always open to welcoming new members to our non-auditioned volunteer choir. We are blessed to have several members of our congregation who are professional and amateur musicians willing to share their gifts with us throughout the year. Our collective sharing has increased the richness and diversity of the music offerings at First UU.
On Sunday, August 14 our beloved former Director of Music, Dr. Jason Oby will be joining us to share a message about his near death experience. Following service he will also lead an informative music workshop “The Negro Spiritual as Solace & Social Justice.” Aligned with almost all our UU principles, this workshop begins at 1pm and we are excited about congregants and the general public joining us. Please register in advance at the following link: visit this link to register. While this is a free event, donations will be gratefully accepted.
The
church staff is gearing up for the Ingathering Sunday on August 21.
Please remember to bring a small amount of water from your recent
travels or a place that is special to you for the Water Communion. This
symbolic collection and blending of meaningful waters has been a UU
tradition since the 1980’s. It’s a beautiful way to begin the season
anew.
Dr. Jolie Rocke
Director of Music
jolie@firstuu.org
A Correction to the Most Recent President's Message
In
my statement to the membership last week, I incorrectly reported the
amount of an anchor donation for our upcoming Capital Campaign this
Spring. That number should have been $450,000. Perhaps that was
just a typo on my part. Perhaps it was my inability to consistently
appreciate the generosity of the membership of First UU that caused me
to state incorrectly a lower number. The fact is I am constantly amazed
by the generosity whether in the form of time, talent, or resources of
the membership of the Church. Regardless of the cause it is important
to bring this correction to your attention.
Ron Cookston
First UU Board President
Where are the Ministers in July?
Rev. Colin remains on sabbatical, researching his book and enjoying England. You can follow along on his adventures via his blog. He’ll be back in the pulpit on September 11.
