First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

"I can’t be numb. I must feel. I must say George Floyd’s name. I must love us. I must embrace us. I must protect us. I must do what I can to liberate this country from its hatred. If George and Breonna and Ahmaud and Daunte and Alton and Rayshard and Daniel and Atatiana and Botham and so many more are worth remembering, then their loss is worth feeling. I feel their loss and I feel the pain, but I refuse to force myself to engage in a system committed to Black losses."

Joy Wiltenburg on the flute, accompanied by Chase Castle on the organ, from Music Sunday

First U Band's performance of "Closer to Fine" by Indigo Girls

We will be having our monthly Vespers service today at 7pm. Join us on Zoom for our online musical meditation, and feel free to light a candle in your own home. Zoom link: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/875091698

It’s a long-term healing process. We all say the Pledge of Allegiance, but then people look and some of us don’t count in that ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ UUs have to keep working to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen again, and to do so in a kind manner.

First U Band did an incredible job covering "Looking East" by Jackson Browne a few weeks ago. You can watch sermons from our Sunday services and First U Band's music videos on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG_1vpOWIPb8-P19q6VU4Hg

Join The Philadelphia Orchestra this Monday at 7 PM for their (FREE!) 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute concert, highlighting those continuing his vital work today! Visit www.philorch.org/mlk-2021 for more info! Additionally, please feel free to check out and share the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/PhilOrch/posts/10157897324478202

From POWER: "Our Economic Dignity Campaign will host MLK ACTION DAY where we will challenge preemption which disallows cities from establishing their own minimum wage. Press Conference starts at 11 on Facebook LIVE, phone banking to local lawmakers to follow directly after."

Join Rev. Abbey and our fellow POWER congregations for a prayer vigil tonight in Sacred Witness for Democracy. 7pm - live at POWER!

This Thursday at 6:30pm, First Unitarian Church will be holding our first ever virtual Christmas Eve service. Light some candles at home and join us on Zoom. Together, we will re-tell the ancient story of miracles arising from unlikely places, sing carols, and recommit ourselves to bringing love and joy into our beautiful and broken world. Join us on Zoom: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/95927961570

ICYMI: First U Band did an awesome cover of "I Will Wait" by Mumford & Sons this past Sunday

Rev. Hannah Capaldi in this past Sunday service's "Time for All Ages" on remembering Walter Wallace Jr.

UU Ministers are gathering from around the country to offer a space for respite, positive energy, peace and spiritual practice on Election Day. You may join us at any time during that day to find a peaceful space for reflection, prayer, meditation and spiritual practice. Different UU ministers will be leading every 15 minutes.

Join us for a special Vespers service on Wednesday where we will sing and pray, share space for all that is happening and be together in all that we are feeling following Election Day. Invite anyone you think will need a meditative space that night - we will be joining with people throughout the region. All are encouraged to have some candles nearby to light throughout the service.

Today’s song from Guest musicians - Mouths of Babes, without our tech glitch from earlier! Enjoy, everyone. Let’s pray that America finds a way to Amaze us this week. https://youtu.be/U7JMgOBsbcI

This Friday with the Mayor's Office of Public Engagement

"I have ancestors and contemporaries who survived the upheavals of the 1960s in the United States, the riots in the cities across the nation, the crack epidemic and the AIDS epidemic, and the violence of New York City against Black people, immigrants, gay peopleall during times when the very future of that place was an open question. I am my ancestors’ wildest dream come true, and I would not be here if it weren't for their dreamings, their hopes, and most importantly their living. None of us would be here were it not for those who lived and won a fight that they were not meant to survive."

A message from our leader minister, Rev. Abbey Tennis

"Millions of Indigenous people and hundreds of Indigenous nations have resiliently survived 400 + years of systemic and violent attempts to eliminate them, only to be rendered invisible by white supremacy culture and institutions which pretend they no longer exist. They continue to assert their sovereignty, and their rights and relationship to their homelands, natural resources, culture and spiritual practices. They continue to lead efforts across this country to protect life itself, which depends upon the protection of the land, the water and the air. Indigenous people are still here and their lands are still occupied."

Love and solidarity to Unitarian Universalist Church-Tucson and No More Deaths/No Más Muertes

First U Band did an amazing cover of "Extraordinary Machine" by Fiona Apple for this past Sunday's service:

"Praxis means risking embodying our values under pressure and when we are afraid. So many of us have so much to be afraid of these days. Many of us find ourselves with no answers, going in circles when we ask what tools and resources we have to be more safe. We know that much of what we’ve been taught about safety is shaped by systems of oppression telling us who to be afraid of. And we know that real community protection does not criminalize us or our neighbors."