June 2020 Vol. 55, No. 10 As summer comes, it comes differently this year. There will likely be no parades or outdoor festivals, no water parks or amusement parks. There will likely be no faraway vacations, no big reunions and no summer camps. We will, no doubt, grieve many things that have become summer traditions and we will grieve the loss of things we were looking forward to. Make space for this grief. These losses are real and they come with deep felt emotions. It is important when we feel grief, that we express it. Not doing so can allow grief to fester into deeper emotional states that are harder to live with; depression, anxiety, hopelessness. You can make space for your grief by simply naming it. Set aside some time each day or week to name the things you are missing. You can do this as a family activity, you can write it in a journal, song or poem, you can include it in your prayers. If it's appropriate, you can respond to your grief with actions to tend to it. If you are missing a person that you can’t visit you can call them, or send them a card...or make something for them to let them know you care. If you are missing an activity, try thinking of what the “spirit” of that activity is and see if you can’t replicate it in some other way: read a book about a place you wanted to visit, play games online in teams, host virtual gatherings and picnics on Zoom. There will, no doubt, be grief this summer. And there will also be beauty, adventure, relaxation, discovery and fun. It will be a summer that we talk about for years to come. It will reshape our lives. This will be a summer when we stay closer to home; when we explore the beauty that surrounds us. It will be the summer that we finally start a vegetable garden, or the summer we build a treehouse, or the summer we perfect our rhubarb pie or finally buy a canoe, the summer we start painting, writing or meditating. This will be a summer to remember. Of course, we’ll be around this summer. We invite you to come by and sit in the gardens; the flowers, birds and butterflies will still be here. We hope to see you online for services. And if you need anything at all, let us know. We are still here for you. Be safe and be well. Be loved and be loving. Rev. Laura MVUUF is a liberal religious congregation guided by democratic principles whose mission is to engage members in a shared quest for spiritual and intellectual growth leading to lives of service, compassion, and justice. Uni•Sun June 2020 2020 Summer Services Summer services are live at 10:30am unless otherwise noted See our website for links to live and recorded services: mnvalleyuu.org June June 7th: Exploring our 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person. Rev. Laura Thompson June 14th: Exploring our 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations. Rev. Laura Thompson June 21st: Facts vs. Faith: Linda Hayen and Fran Bohlke will lead this service and perform a short play entitled " A Passion Play", written by Pippin Parker. The play explores awe and wonder in faith and sacred spaces. Does it have to be "Facts vs Faith" Or can we have both? June 28th: Live from UUA General Assembly: Join UUs from across the country as we come together to celebrate our faith and future.This service will be streamed live at 9am and at 12pm here: https:// www.uua.org/ga. Learn more about the service here: GA Sunday Worship July July 5th: What My Grandparents Knew: Ed Janes with Tom Bergmann Page 2 Uni•Sun 2020 Summer Services Summer services are live at 10:30am unless otherwise noted See our website for links to live and recorded services: mnvalleyuu.org July 12th: Exploring our 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregation; Rev. Laura Thompson July 19th: Exploring our 4th Principle: A free and re- sponsible search for truth and meaning; Rev. Laura Thompson July 26th: Exploring our 5th Principle: The right of con- science and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; Rev. Laura Thomp- son August August 3rd: The Grandmother Tree: Minneapolis-based writer, actor, storyteller and teaching artist Amy Salloway presents a true personal story about a ‘treelationship’ worth fighting for. Worship Leader: Linda Hayen Special Music: Fran Bohlke and friends. Stay logged in after the service ends for a discussion about writing and storytelling with Amy. Aug. 10th: Joys of Summer: Maria Bavier and Carla V. Ries Aug. 18th: Exploring our 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; Rev. Laura Thompson Aug. 24th: Exploring our 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part; Rev. Laura Thompson Aug. 31st: Exploring the Proposal of an 8th UU Principle: Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by building a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountability dismantle racism and other oppres- sions in ourselves and our institutions; Rev. Andrea Johnson Page 3 Uni•Sun June 2020 STAND IN SOLIDARITY This week has been devastating and heart breaking as we mourn the tragic and brutal death of George Floyd, yet another black man, whose life has been tragically cut short by a Minneapolis police officer. As Twin Cities residents, we are appalled, shocked and grief-stricken by what happened to George Floyd and the ensuing violence and destruction that our beloved city has endured. We are all holding many emo- tions and feelings, and this is complicated. We invite you to lean into your spiritual practices even more deeply during this time. It is okay to cry, be angry, feel numb or confused. Please also hold George Floyd’s family and friends in your hearts and prayers. He was a beloved father, brother, neighbor, and guard for a local homeless shel- ter. In the words of his sister, “He was grounded, he was spiritual, he was an athlete, he was an organizer, he was a comforter, he was an encourager.” He should still be with us today. We stand in solidarity with our Minneapolis community and for those of us who refuse to be silent or complicit in the racist systems that led to George Floyd’s death. Some powerful photos have been collect- ed here: https://bit.ly/3gryGak These photos represent communal grief and rage for injustice. As we see riots and looting happening as part of this process, folks who are not oppressed often lose sight of the bigger picture when they see these things happen. Do not let go of the real reason that all of this is happening; 400 hundred years of systematic racism and oppression. It is easy to see the riots as a means without reason, but it is not; it is manifested grief and rage. It is the tearing down of a system that values business as usual over justice and peace for all. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to this when he said, “A riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? … It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.” As a community that upholds the “inherent worth and dignity of every person” and as a community that affirms the “goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all”, we as a community of Uni- tarian Universalists must remain committed to supporting the pursuit of justice and the building of a be- loved community for all, even when and especially when it is uncomfortable for us. The discomfort we feel is often an unraveling of our own place in the systems we live in as we realize they are broken. Do not be deterred by discomfort, it is right to grieve and be angry when injustice occurs. And it is right to be confused and even afraid when the futures we face seem uncertain. Acknowledge your desire for peace, but look deeper for what it is you are truly seeking. Rev. Al Sharpton said as he addressed the crowds in Minneapolis on Thursday, “We do want peace. But do not confuse peace with quiet. There is a difference. Silence will bring you quiet, but peace comes with the cost of jus- tice prevailing.” Page 4 Uni•Sun STAND IN SOLIDARITY George Floyd’s life mattered. We believe that right now, the best way to honor his life is to take meaningful and peaceful action. Here are a few concrete suggestions: 1. Phone a friend. Take ten minutes and have a conversation with someone you know about police violence and George Floyd’s murder. Ask what the other person thinks, listen to their responses, and share your own perspective. 2. Phone a decision-maker. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman will decide whether or not the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with a crime. Call Attorney Freeman at 612-348-5550 and demand that he press charges against all officers involved with the incident. 3. Donate to the George Floyd Memorial Fund. 4. Support front-line organizations who are leading work on the ground: Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, Minnesota Freedom Fund, CTUL, COPAL, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, NAACP Minneapolis, Voices for Racial Justice, Showing Up for Racial Justice - MN, Allies for Racial Equity 5.