Upcoming Events

Current Community News

Office Hours - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Our staff is working reduced hours onsite but you can reach folks directly via email.

Beginning Sunday February 13, 2022
We are happy to announce that the church will reopen for worship services and we share the joy of being together in person.

Siding with Love - All Community Service
Rev Pam Rumancik & Pam Fodor
On the eve of Valentine's Day, we explore what love looks like in our Unitarian Universalist faith. All ages are welcome to the sanctuary for a special service of fun and faith. The service will still be shared on YouTube.

Please continue to wear your mask and maintain social distance for now.

General Assembly 2022
We invite everyone to join in via a multiplatform event. Not only will some delegates gather in Portland, Oregon, but many delegates will be participating from everywhere else, wherever they decide to connect virtually. Building on the infrastructure and experience from 2020 and 2021, GA 2022 will be a truly multiplatform Assembly, offering greater participation and accessiblity by congregations than we have experienced before.

Not only will GA 2022 transcend the space and the limits of being in one city, it will also reflect how we have reimagined our time together. The discussions of the important business of the Association will not be limited to a few hours but will unfold in a more deliberate and thoughtful manner over a period stretching from April to June.

The important business of the Association will unfold in a more deliberate and thoughtful manner over a period stretching from April to June.

Here’s a schedule of those discussions:

WEBINAR: Discussion of Proposed Business Resolutions

Saturday: April 9th at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Wednesday April 13th at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT

The Board is proposing two business resolutions this year. One calls for a multi-year process of writing new bylaws for the Association. The other suspends the General Assembly Planning Committee, pending the new bylaws. The Board will share the draft language of these resolutions, so it can receive congregational feedback.

WEBINAR: In-Depth Look at the GA 2022 Rules of Procedure

Tuesday April 19th at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT

A multiplatform GA will allow us to make decisions in a simpler and more democratic process. The Board will introduce new rules of procedure that will be adopted and used at this GA. After these webinars, the Board will host online chats during the month of May where UUs can discuss the resolutions and give feedback to the Board.

WEBINAR: What Does Multiplatform Mean for this Year’s General Assembly?

Thursday: May 26th at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT

As GA gets closer and more delegates are chosen, the Board will introduce some of the changes that result from fully embracing multiplatform gathering. This webinar will highlight many of the ways that congregations and delegates can participate in decision-making from wherever they are, and at a more thoughtful pace.

WEBINAR: GA 2022 Business Resolutions

Wednesday: June 1st at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT
Saturday: June 4th at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT

After receiving the feedback from congregations and other groups, the Board will introduce the final language of the business resolutions it previewed on April 9th and April 13th, authorizing a multi-year rewrite of the Association’s bylaws, and suspending the General Assembly Planning Committee pending the completion of new bylaws.

Business Resolution Mini-Assembly

Saturday: June 11th at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT

A mini-assembly will be convened to discuss the proposed business resolutions, so every delegate should be online for this. Congregations and delegates can propose amendments to the resolutions at this mini-assembly, and if they receive enough support, they will be discussed during General Session at GA. An amendment has to be presented in the mini-assembly in order to be considered during GA.

Learn more and pre-register for these webinars online. We encourage congregations to begin recruiting your delegates now and to share this information with your entire Board and congregational leaders.

Beloved Conversations Info Session Follow-Up
Watch the replay and find a discount code!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who showed up on Wednesday night to learn more about Beloved Conversations. You could have been anywhere, and you chose to be with us and we are grateful! This work of dismantling systems of racism and oppression is hard, necessary work, and prioritizing it means you are prioritizing your spiritual development. We are happy to bear witness to your journey.

If you didn't get to attend, you are in luck! You can view a replay by clicking here or clicking on the play button below.

The discount code for 15% off registration is available for use and sharing! You can find it in the replay.

The Shared Pulpit Sermon Writing Class
March 5, 19 April 2, 9, 30, May 7th
Offered by Rev Pam Rumancik
The class will meet in Joshi Chapel from 10:00 am - 12:00pm. Zoom participants can join if needed. This class will include four sessions designed to explore the work of creating re-flective, passionate and theologically grounded sermons and will culminate with the presentation of a sermon by each participant on April 30 & May 7th.

This class will follow the text and create space for journaling, discussion and exploration of the topics chosen by participants. It is important that everyone commits to regular attendance. The group dynamics are an important part of the growth process.
Contact Rev Pam minister@hinsdaleunitarian.org to sign up for the class.

Text:
The Shared Pulpit: A Sermon Seminar for Lay People by Erika Hewitt
Book can be ordered through In Spirit Book Store https://www.uuabookstore.org/

Non-Fiction Book Discussions

Tuesday Feb. 22. The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World and Us by Richard Prum. 2017. A major reimagining of how evolutionary forces work, revealing how mating preferences -- what Darwin termed "the taste for the beautiful" -- creates the extraordinary range of ornament in both the animal and plant worlds.

Tuesday, March 22. The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson. 2021. This bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs returns with a “compelling” (The Washington Post) account of how Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies.The development of CRISPR and the race to create vaccines for coronavirus will hasten our transition to the next great innovation revolution. The past half-century has been a digital age, based on the microchip, The computer, and internet. Now we are entering a life-science revolution. Children who study digital coding will be joined by those who study genetic code.

Tuesday, April 26. Animal, Vegetable, Junk by Mark Bittman. 2021. The climate crisis, COVID-19, and the recent reckoning with systemic and institutional racism have all revealed the many cracks in our global food system. In this thorough and revealing book, Mark Bittman discusses how we got to this point when reform is so essential.

Tuesday, May 24. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, By Dan Egan. 2017. An historical and modern perspective on what is happening to the Great Lakes…which is 20% of all the fresh water in the world. Ethan’s writing will open your eyes to what has and is happening to this beautiful body of water that is at our front doorstep. Read how the connection by the man-made St. Lawrence river and the man-made I&M Canal have contributed to the biological pollution of the Great Lakes.

Tuesday, June 28. Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth and Trials of American Democracy by Jami Raskin. 2022. In this searing memoir, Congressman Jamie Raskin tells the story of the forty-five days at the start of 2021 that permanently changed his life—and his family’s—as he confronted the painful loss of his son to suicide, lived through the violent insurrection in our nation’s Capitol, and led the impeachment effort to hold President Trump accountable for inciting the political violence.

Topic: Non- Fiction Book Group
Time: Fourth Tuesdays., Feb-June, 07:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87082881818

Support Diversity and Racial Equity Work in D86 School system
Rev Pam Rumancik has been working with local faith leaders to disrupt an attempt to bully the local school board into firing their superintendent while denying the systemic racism in Hinsdale. We know that bias exists in all of us because of the cultural messages we've received all of our lives. Please consider sending letters of support to these beleaguered leaders.

A letter from local activist Reid McCollum included this bit of information:

D86's administration and a majority on the School Board are committed to the DEI work that includes professional development for teachers and administrations. This is similar to training that many professionals have received in corporations across the country, especially in the past couple years.
Please consider sending an email that expresses your support for a mask mandate and DEI efforts in D86: boe@hinsdale86.org.

Please also consider attending the next D86 Board Meeting this Thursday, February 10 at 6pm at the Hinsdale South Library. If you'd be willing to speak, arrive closer to 5:30 to sign-in for one of ten 3-minute slots. Public comments are very early in the meeting.There are also public comments at the end of the meeting without having to sign up. If you are not comfortable speaking, come and simply clap for the folks that make supportive comments.

To be clear, there are reasonable people operating in good faith who have legitimate concerns with the D86 administration and the Board. I am not suggesting anyone go to defend the administration or the Board (or to directly refute extremists), but simply to show support for equity and clap for those willing to speak out.

Here are the articles and letters that have appeared in the media:

Here is a video of Rev Pam speaking - she is pretty far down in a black & white shirt:

https://patch.com/illinois/darien-il/see-video-hinsdale-d-86-leader-under-fire

Buddhist Meditation
Mondays meetings will be held virtually for the immediate future. We're currently reading and discussing the book No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners by Noah Rasheta instead of listening to a dharma talk after we meditate.

Wise Elders Weekly Gathering
Join Tracey Olson and elders of the community for a wide ranging conversation about life, memories, stories and a dash of politics for fun. Contact Tracy Olson for link

Past Event recordings

Sally Packard Celebration of Life
Saturday, November 20, 2021

Celebrate the life of long-time church member, Sally Packard, who died earlier in the year. We will hold the service in the church and record it for those who cannot attend in person. Sally lived an amazing life and was known for her ready wit and clear way of seeing the world. Please join us. All vaccinated folks are welcome to join us in person with a mask.

George Mrazek Celebration of Life Service
Saturday, October 23
11:00 am - On site and via Zoom
Join family and friends in celebrating the life of George Mrazek, longtime member of our community.
George Mrazek embraced life with both extreme reason and soul. He told his children that they could hold any opinion they liked, but they’d better be able to back it up... Read more

George Mrazek Order of Service with Links

Kathy Salzano Obituary
Memorial Service for Kathy Salzano
Saturday, February 20 Recording
It is with deep sadness that we extend our condolences to the family of Kathy Salzano who passed away on Feb 3 after a short bout with cancer.
Kathy's cheerful presence and kind heart will be sorely missed in our community. Her memorial service was held on Feb 20th.
You can read Kathy's Obituary Here and view a recording of her service.

In Loving Memory

Thomas S. Stillman

June 23, 1956 - July 15, 2021

Making Sense of the Unimaginable by Rev Pam Rumancik
Our community lost an exceptionally good man this past week. Tom Stillman was a gentle soul; kind, smart and loyal, with a sly smile and ready sense of humor. He loved his family and served his country. In the mind of anyone who knew him, Tom was rock solid, the salt of the earth. I first knew him when he served on the Search Committee calling me to serve this church. I appreciated both his intense commitment and his mischievous smile. He took life seriously, but made it look easy, which makes it so much harder to learn that he died by his own hand. This vibrant soul, who just celebrated his daughter’s wedding, made a decision that puzzles everyone who knew him.

What are we to do with that? As human beings, a core tug on our psyches is to identify patterns; to understand; to make sense of the world around us. Understanding seems to offer control that will keep us safe – even as we suspect it is mainly an illusion.

The contradiction that this man, devoted to keeping other people safe, could not be safe himself shifts the ground beneath our feet. It’s understandable to want to invent stories to understand why; to put this anomaly in a manageable box. Maybe we’ll lump it in with the tragic increase in self-induced deaths throughout law enforcement. Perhaps add it into the epidemic of suicide among older white men. Possibly even ascribe it to the accessibility of firearms during a particularly dark moment.

But the deepest truth is that we don’t know. All we know is that ending his life seemed the best choice at that moment for this good and decent human being. And we know that it hurts.

In her book “H is for Hawk” Helen McDonald illustrates the mechanics of human grief. She writes:

"‘imagine your whole family is in a room…someone comes into the room and punches you all in the stomach. … you all share the same kind of pain, exactly the same, but you’re too busy experiencing total agony to feel anything other than completely alone.”

You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. I’m guessing this describes not only Tom’s experience, but also that of those grieving his loss right now.

It seems that just about everyone experiences this kind of intense isolation at some point in life.
Whether through grief or illness, overwork or overwhelm, anxiety or loss, the more pain we’re in, the more alone we feel. And sometimes people around have no idea. Sometimes suicide comes out of the blue and loved ones are left feeling like they failed. If they had paid more attention; if they had just noticed some tiny sign; if they had made that call or reached out one more time… but none of it is true.

While connected in the wider web of being, we are each singly responsible for our own journey. Each of us experiencing that particular punch in the stomach within a separate consciousness and unique ability to respond.

Tom’s death reminds us of how little we actually know about the inner working of our fellow travelers, how isolated any of us might feel in a given moment. It invites us to widen our hearts and imagine that people around us, who seem fine, might be holding unseen pain. From that perspective we might choose compassion over judgement, humility over arrogance. We might choose to love even when it’s really hard.

Tom Stillman lived his life serving others and making the world a safer place. He provided for his family and made sure they had what they needed. He took care of the world around him and offered it his best. It is our deep sorrow that he didn’t share his pain so that the people who loved him could support him in his hour of need.

But this ending is not the sum of Tom’s life. It is only one day in a lifetime of sixty plus years which left a beautiful example of giving, of sharing, of loyalty and of service that can stand as a model to everyone who knew him.

Each human walks a path between joy and sorrow, navigating through challenges both visible and unseen. We might not understand, but we don’t have to. We only have to live and learn and remember to reach out when we find ourselves doubled over from an invisible blow.

You are loved. You are known. You have a community which can walk with you no matter how alone you might feel. We have to remember that we can only receive love when we open our hearts to those around us and that the best any of us can do is to remember our deepest connection to one another and look through eyes of love and care upon a hurting world.

Tom’s lasting legacy is a reminder to live each day in love.

Questions & Answer Period on End of Life Issues - Already past
You can still watch the videos below and contact Rev Harding for more information.
Have questions about family members or wanting to learn more about End of Life issues? Watch Elizabeth's videos about Palliative Care 101, Hospice 101 and Advance Directives ahead of our session. Write down your questions or scenarios and come to the Q and A session over Zoom. Elizabeth will be available for an hour to talk with you about the video material and any questions you may have. If you would prefer to talk with Elizabeth privately, she would be glad to set up an appointment with you. Rev Elizabeth Harding

You can watch a recording of this event here.
Stateville Calling,
Saturday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m.

stateville_calling_flyer_revised.pdf Stateville Calling explores the possibility of restoring incarcerated people’s lives, highlighting the personal narratives of elderly prisoners. Directed by Ben Kolak and produced by Yana Kunichoff, the hour-long documentary follows the current battle to pass legislation reinstating parole in Illinois, which the state hasn’t had since 1978.” (People’s World)

The discussion following the film will feature Bill Ryan, prison reformer and activist, along with a returning citizen and a representative of the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois.
This event is sponsored by the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale (UCH), in cooperation with Stateville Calling producer Truth & Documentary.
Questions, contact mhonelwilson@gmail.com