Perspectives for May 2026

In one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems, Oliver writes “If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give into it.”

This month of May, we are exploring the theme of Joy and Resilience. Joy feels like a challenging theme when so much in our world breaks our hearts and calls for our righteous anger. And yet, joy is essential for our lives. Joy helps remind us of the goodness, beauty and gift of life. This is especially important when life is difficult. Close your eyes, remember a time when you felt pure joy. What do you remember? What does joy feel like to you? For me, joy feels like liberation, connection and love. I feel it sometimes when I am struck by the beauty of nature, or when laughing or dancing or sharing great food in community.

However, joy is not something I can summon on demand. And while joy is essential, it doesn’t mean we should or even can always just try to “be happy!” Joy is a part of our emotional landscape, as is grief, melancholy, peace, calm, frustration, anger, sadness. But more than just one part of it, joy helps nurture our resiliency and our capacity to navigate our other emotions without hurting ourselves or others. Joy is life-saving. It helps us connect to life in a way that lifts our spirits and helps us remember the good in us and the good in life. This experience of joy – of the liberating experience of joy – reminds us why we organize for justice and dignity in our world.

Maya Angelou writes, “We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.”

I appreciate Mary Oliver’s wisdom that joy is not something we summon, but when we suddenly and unexpectedly feel it, don’t hesitate – give into it. Joy is precious and necessary. And in the midst of stressful days and lives and a world full of difficulty and cruelty, it can be hard to find. So if you feel it, lean into it. Remember that it is like oxygen to our spirits, our souls. Welcome it, feel all of it. Don’t deride it as simple or yourself as unworthy of it. Instead, lean into it, for as Oliver reminds us in the last line of the poem “Joy is not made to be a crumb.”

Here is a link to the full poem “Don’t Hesitate” by Mary Oliver.

Rev. Susan Frederick-Gay

Lead Minister

revsfg@uubloomington.org

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington Choir is participating in Resounding Joy: Beethoven 9 at the MAC. This event will take place on Saturday, May 16, at 7 p.m. (with a pre concert talk held at 6:15 p.m.) at the IU Musical Arts Center. Along with the Bloomington Chamber Singers, Voces Novae, and many other local choirs, they will gather together to celebrate Beethoven’s, “themes of chaos, redemption, grace, and struggle.” Tickets are $25 for adults, $12 for students, and free for children under 18. Click here for more details!

Susan Swaney, Music Director

music@uubloomington.org

Registration for volunteers for 2026-27 religious exploration is now open!

Since the pandemic, our pool of religious education volunteers has been mighty, but small. In the last year our numbers have grown, but not quite fast enough to meet the needs of our growing numbers of children and youth. This year, we have had a shortage of volunteers for at least one class almost every week. What this means is that religious education staff need to spend time each week sending out requests to people to fill the slots. If no one is available, we need to make last minute adjustments to combine classes, and/or fill in with staff. Combining classes often results in large numbers of kids in one room, with younger kids sometimes feeling overwhelmed; when both Eric and I are needed in classrooms, there is no one to troubleshoot, answer parents’ questions, or monitor the whole.

Many changes have been made to our CYRE program over the past few years, as we experiment to find what works best for children, families, volunteers, and the church as a whole in today’s environment. We recognize that there have been many shifts in our society since the pandemic, and that we are not going back to what was the norm in early 2020. I’m eager to share these changes with the congregation, but for right now I want to focus on one important one: volunteer engagement.

In order to offer our full program for children and youth, we need 38 volunteers who are willing to co-lead an average of 1.5 Sundays per month, or 18 out of 52 Sundays per year.

This year, I would like to have all 38 volunteers in place by the end of May, so that I will have time to modify the program if fewer volunteers sign up. UUCB members should plan to help with children and youth religious education classes at least one year in every five; if you are not able to help this coming year, please let me know which year would be better for you!

REGISTER HERE TO HELP WITH CHILDREN/YOUTH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

This year’s volunteer training will be held on Saturday, August 1, 10am - 3pm, with lunch provided. The training will cover safety protocols, church policies, classroom procedures, scheduling, materials and supplies, and curricula. Ongoing support for volunteers will be provided via a monthly meeting to discuss plans for exploring the upcoming congregational theme, as well as regular teacher breakfasts between services. RE staff members are available via email, text, phone and in person meetings as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions about your role in children/youth religious education. I am hopeful that this congregation will step up to support this important aspect of our community’s resilience and joy!

Stephanie Kimball

Director of Lifespan Religious Education

kimball@uubloomington.org

An Article from Linda Pickle, Vice President on the Board of Directors.

A lot is happening at the end of this church year as we head to our annual meeting on June 7. The movement toward granting Reverend Mary Ann Macklin the title of minister emerita of our congregation is coming to a conclusion. Our recognition of her more than 20 years of service for our congregation will happen at our annual meeting. You won’t want to miss this festive event!

The month of May will begin with a bang! On May 1, the church will be open for those of us able to make it a work-free, shopping-free labor day - a different way to protest and act responsibly too. On May 2, we will wrestle with the question: Who are we? Come to church at 10 am for a two hour gathering (with food and drink) that will be a fun way to approach who we are and want to be. Register here! It is planned as a lead-in for determining a possible name change and for re-fashioning our vision, a process which will continue this summer and fall.

Our successful pledge drive will finish in May. We have already almost made our goal for the coming church year. Hurrah for the pledge drive committee! Remember that it is never too late to make or change your pledge or to contribute toward the seed money fund that will result in hiring a second minister for the financial year 2027/2028. We are also close to hiring a ministerial intern for the coming year. Fingers crossed that this will work out for our community and will ease Reverend Susan‘s workload.

So many hopes and plans, so much to do! Be a part of it!

Being part of an interdependent community requires that we be intentional in our relationships with each other. Our Congregational Covenant describes how we will be together in ways that acknowledge and honor our interdependence. Because we are not perfect, we also need to develop support for times when we fail to uphold our Covenant and are no longer in right relation with each other.

Last year, the Board asked a small committee (Libby Devoe, Carol McCord, Scott Russell Sanders, Rich Slabach) to review our Congregational Covenant and the charge to our Right Relations Committee, which had become less active since the pandemic. Following their recommendations, the Board reestablished the Right Relations Committee this year with this charge. We are grateful that the following members agreed to serve: Denise Breeden-Ost, Mary Mahern, Charlie Pickle, and Drew Schrader. The Right Relations Committee is a resource for the Congregation as we live our Covenant and is available for guidance in times of conflict. We will introduce the members of the Committee at the annual congregational meeting on June 7 (12:15-1:45pm) so that they are familiar.

At the annual meeting, we will also ask members to vote on a new Congregational Covenant. The proposed Covenant draws from our current Covenant of Right Relations and incorporates revisions recommended by last year’s committee, this year’s Right Relations Committee, and the Board. You can find the proposed Covenant here.

The Board will offer three opportunities for members to provide feedback on the proposed Covenant prior to the annual meeting:

• Monday, May 18, 7pm by Zoom (please contact pres@uubloomington.org for the Zoom link)
• Sunday, May 31, 11:30am in person in the UUCB Library
• We also invite feedback through this Google form. We ask that written feedback be submitted by Sunday, May 31 at noon.

We are excited to share the proposed Covenant with you and look forward to hearing from you!

Jane McLeod

President of the Board

pres@uubloomington.org

The Habitat Task Force, with great help from the UUCB congregation, continues to make significant contributions of funds and volunteers to support efforts of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County to help provide more affordable housing opportunities for local people. The lack of affordable, decent homes is a persistent problem in Monroe County.

This spring, the task force will donate $10,000 to help financially sponsor another home in Habitat’s Osage Place neighborhood that will ultimately house 69 families on the southwest side of Bloomington. We raised funds through lunches provided to the congregation, chili and soup take-home sales, UU Holiday Bazaar sales, and proceeds from IU football game parking at UU.

Task force members, who work hard to organize fundraisers, are so grateful for the congregation’s willingness to buy meals and crafts and also to contribute food and items for us to sell. Our Breaking Bread for Habitat brunch in Fellowship Hall, with a take-home option, is on May 3 after both services.

Every summer, we also organize a UU & friends Habitat Women+ Build team to support this popular annual event that brings together more than 300 women to finance and build two homes. On June 9, this year’s community-wide Women+ Build kicks off. Team leader Barb Berggoetz, task force chair, will recruit about 35 women from UU and the community to build on a day in September. Each builder needs to donate and/or raise $300 to participate. Support for these builders is appreciated!

While we believe it’s important to provide funds to Habitat and to other housing-related efforts, we also work to educate the congregation on local housing issues and to provide opportunities for congregants to build. In addition to the Women+ Build, we typically organize two or more UU group Habitat builds annually.

A group of congregants will help frame a house in Osage Place on Saturday, May 16. In addition, a group of UU parents will do landscaping and planting there. If you’d like to participate, please email Barb Berggoetz using this contact form. Funds are not needed to participate in any build, except the Women+ Build.

Supporting the mission of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, founded in 1988, is one way our congregation contributes to the community’s overall well-being and to providing safe, decent places for people to live who may otherwise not be able to afford their own homes. Habitat builds an average of eight to tenhomes each year, with the help of many volunteers and community partners. To date, nearly 900 people have been housed in more than 250 Habitat homes.

In Osage Place, Habitat’s third neighborhood, 30 homes were completed in 2021 and 2022, and 39 additional homes are being built over the next few years. All who qualify for the Habitat program do so based on their need for housing, ability to pay a mortgage, and willingness to partner. Adult family members must complete 250 hours of volunteering, called sweat equity, before closing on their homes.

Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat houses are sold to future homeowners and financed with affordable loans. As homeowners pay back affordable mortgages, the funds are reinvested in Habitat’s operations to offer more families opportunities for homeownership.

The task force meets most months of the year, usually the first Sunday, between services and after the second service when UU switches to one service. We welcome new members and encourage UU congregants to participate in any way that fits their schedules, whether it’s participating in builds, fundraisers or other activities.

To learn more about the local Habitat for Humanity, visit its site at: www.monroecountyhabitat.org.

Barb Berggoetz

Habitat Task Force Chair

May Day Strong at UUCB will be held on Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Join us for an all-ages lunch and morning program in support of May Day Strong, a national call to action to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with an invitation to refuse business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping. We'll start at 10am in Fellowship Hall with coffee, donuts, singing, and a story for all ages. At 10:30, we’ll learn about the history of the general strike with a presentation by Dr. Mike Wallace, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, followed by a short film about the organizing behind the ICE resistance in Minneapolis. Kids are welcome to join for these activities or take part in crafts, games, and play with adult volunteers. At 12pm we’ll share a potluck lunch* and conversation about how we as individuals and a congregation can prepare for a general strike and similar efforts. At 1:00 we’ll talk about what comes next and end by 1:30. We encourage folks to continue their May Day observance around town at the 50501 May Day Skills & Solidarity Festival.

*Contributions to the potluck are welcome, but we understand if you can't bring anything this time. We will have plenty of food to share!

Democracy Task Force

democracy@uubloomington.org

The growing season has begun. Do you spend time listening to a sermon or choir spectacular while looking out the windows at something blooming? Do you count the colors driving in the parking lot? Have you watched butterflies and bees on the flowers, feeling your blood pressure relax?

What does it take to maintain our grounds? If you’ve been to a congregational meeting where the budget was discussed, you may have noticed the grounds committee doesn’t have a budget - we mostly count on volunteers. We pull weeds, distribute mulch, pick up litter, clear the parking area before it gets repaved. Occasionally we plant new things, and we monitor what has been planted. Lately our emphasis has been on increasing the native plants and getting rid of any invasive species. We consider overhanging branches, safety in the parking areas, accessibility on the sidewalks, blockage of air conditioning units. We water during droughts. One of our goals is the easiest possible maintenance.

We have two new sheds for storage of wheelbarrows, hoses, shovels, etc. Occasionally we get donations of miscellaneous items like gloves so new volunteers can help. Our new sheds took much planning by dedicated volunteers and were paid for with a bequest from the Special Purposes Fund, which was donated through the will of a congregation member.

We would love for you to join us in taking care of our grounds. One of the groups in Church Center (the congregational database) is Yardeners. Anyone interested in plants, yard stuff, etc., will be notified here of presentations or calls to yard work. You don’t have to be an expert. It’s a great way to learn, to get to know someone else you’re working with, and learn a little history of the church grounds and our “ancestors” who created special areas.

Check at the courtyard between services to see what’s happening that week.

Committee Members: Ann Kamman, Georgia Emmert, Mike Drescher, Devin McGuire, Eve Cusack.

The Midwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly (MUUSA) is a week-long, intergenerational summer camp for UU families, teens, and adults throughout the midwest. This year, MUUSA will be held on the campus of Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, July 5-11. Thanks to our successful Karaoke night fundraiser, and a generous grant from the UUCB Special Purposes Fund, we are able to offer six $400 scholarships for youth to attend camp, either as part of a family or as a "sponsored" teen (one per family). We also have limited funds for people who may want to attend MUUSA but need some financial help. For more information about MUUSA, please visit MUUSA.org. To request a scholarship, please contact Steve Krahnke by clicking here.

Sponsored by the Planned Giving Committee

Sunday, May 31st
Fellowship Hall, 12:30-2:00
Childcare provided upon request

No one plans to fail, but many fail to plan.

Strong financial plans balance:

• Growth
• Protection
• Tax efficiency
• Legacy

The Key Questions Everyone Should Ask

• Is my investment allocation appropriate?
• Does my family have proper protection?
• Am I minimizing taxes over my lifetime?
• Is my plan prepared for healthcare costs?
• Am I leaving money to my family and causes efficiently?

Wealth is not about chasing returns. It’s about intentional planning so your money supports your family, your goals, and your values.

Come join local Financial Representatives Bonnie Dyar and Jeff Huston for a discussion of these and other financial concepts from a values-forward perspective.

Sunday, May 31, 12:30-2pm in Fellowship Hall. Please register.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington summer service schedule begins on Sunday, May 24, 2026. We will meet for one service at 10:30 a.m. from May 24 - August 2. Our service schedule switches back to 9:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 9.

May 17, 2026

Life Saving Joy

Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

We sometimes think of joy as frivolous or unimportant, but joy is essential for our well-being. How do we weave more joy into our lives?

Total In Person & Online Attendance Each Sunday

Total Donated to Tandem Each Quarter from the 25% Sunday Plate Offering

Quarter 1: $2,598.81

Quarter 2: $2,367.55

Quarter 3: $2,736.75