High Street Happenings
Week of Sunday, August 24th, 2025
This Sunday
August 24th, 11:00AM In person Worship Service
“A Year of Saying “Yes!”
Sermon by Rev. Amanda (pre-recorded)
What happens when you decide to say “Yes!” to life? A lot! Joy, fear, adventure, sorrow, and everything in between.
Join us this Sunday as Rev. Amanda shares an update on her personal commitment to saying yes to life. Through this recorded sermon, she invites us to reflect on what it means to embrace opportunities, challenges, and growth with openness and courage.
All are welcome—come as you are and explore the many ways “Yes!” can shape our lives and our faith community.
High Street has a creative and skilled community. Let’s honor that and encourage each other by meeting to share in our talents, learn from each other, and generally have quite a lot of fun. The following questions would help guide decisions around how and how often this group comes together. Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas! Survey link below. Survey closes at 11pm on September 12, 2025.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BKR99NS
A Word about Worship
We have been here before, facing a time of transition between one beloved minister who is leaving and another unknown minister who will be arriving. Thankfully, we have an excellent Transition Team who will be helping guide as we wander in the wilderness for a season.
Some of you may be a little anxious about what Sunday mornings will look like in Rev. Amanda’s absence. Well, we’ve already experienced her absence on a monthly basis on her non-preaching Sundays, when we’ve had guest ministers / speakers. As I’ve said, we’ve been here before.
Because we will be relying mostly on guest ministers during the next few months, the Board has significantly increased our speakers budget through this fiscal year. This will enable us to enjoy a few voices in the pulpit that we have come to know and love.
High Street has always been blessed with a cadre of ordained ministers who know well how to lead worship and deliver meaningful messages. Between now and January, you will hear from the Rev. Dr. Scott Dillard, the Rev. Tina Clark, the Rev. Bob Bledsoe, and perhaps even me.
You will also be hearing from several members of our congregation who completed a class with Rev. Amanda called “The Shared Pulpit,” where they learned the basics of sermon preparation and delivery. There will also be guest speakers from our community.
We have been here before. It’s important that you know that we have a plan. And more than a plan, we on the Worship Team have a commitment to providing worship services that are creative, informative, transformative, and inspiring.
And, who knows, there may be a Sunday (or few) when Rev. Amanda checks in from the UK to keep us updated on how she, Wanda, Nora, and Joe are doing as they begin their new lives “across the pond.” Pip-pip, cheerio, and all that rot!
What we need from you is your patience and your presence. It will be tempting to “phone in” church via Zoom. I hope that each of you will make a special effort over the next few months to be physically present in worship at High Street. Building a beloved community is all about showing up.
Feel free to contact me if you have any worship concerns.
We have been here before. In the grand scheme of things we will be in the same place at some point again. If our history teaches us anything, it shows that we can make it through this period of transition with flying colors, as long as we find ways to be together … in faith, in worship, in service.
May it ever be so. Blessed be. Amen.
Arlen
Newsletter Articles
A Note From Rev. Amanda
Photo by Max Andrey on Pexels.comBeloved High Street Community,
As my family prepares to move to England, my ministry with you will shift from full-time in person to quarter-time pastoral care and transition support. Change and distance are never easy, and I know this moment holds both excitement and heartache.
What I also know is this: you are resilient. This congregation has met every challenge with courage, creativity, and deep love. Our shared values call us to community, to resistance, and to care for one another. In this new season, I encourage you to lean inward to sustain the beloved community at High Street and to continue reaching outward—building partnerships and alliances that strengthen our collective work of justice and love.
Though I will no longer be with you every week, I remain available for pastoral support. You can reach me at rev.amandas@gmail.com. I will also be working closely with your Board and the Transition Team to prepare the congregation for its next chapter of ministry.
Remember to be good neighbors to one another. Keep showing up for each other, and for the world that needs your love and courage. This community has all the heart and strength it needs to keep thriving, together.
With deep love and faith in you,
Rev. Amanda
In these complex times, many parents and caregivers are wondering how to discuss politics, fascism , and social justice issues with their children in age-appropriate ways. As Unitarian Universalists, we value truth, justice, and compassion, and we believe in nurturing our children’s understanding of the world while respecting their developmental stages.
Below, you’ll find book recommendations, discussion tips, and resources to help guide these important conversations.
Early Childhood and Elementary:
Alejandria Fights Back! / ¡La Lucha de Alejandria! By Leticia Hernandez-Linares. Alejandria fights rent gouging in her mostly immigrant Miami neighborhood.
Barrio Rising by Maria Dolores Aguila. The protest that build Chicano Park
Bobbin Girl by Emily Arnold McCully. Historical fiction based on a true story about the Lowell textile workers
Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston Weatherford. The Greensboro sit-ins
The Harvey Milk Story by Kari Krakow
We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom. Inspired by the may Indigenous-led movements across North America
A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara. Introduces social justice concepts in an engaging ABC format.
We March by Shane W. Evans. A simple, powerful story about the 1963 March on Washington.
The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson. The true story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, the youngest child to march for civil rights.
What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers. Explores civic engagement and democracy.
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham. Helps kids understand racism and privilege.
For Teens (Ages 13+)
The Assignment by Liza Wiemer. Inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact.
Come out and Win: Organizing yourself, your community and your world by Sue Hyde
Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson
Being Heumann by Judith Heumann. A memory of a disability rights activist.
How We Win by Geroge Lakey. A Guide to nonviolent direct-action campaigning
Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes. About organizing and the revolutions of reciprocal care
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi. A teen friendly adaptation of *Stamped from the Beginning*.
This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell . A guide to understanding and dismantling racism.
How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation edited by Maureen Johnson. Essays on youth activism.
– Tips for Discussing Politics with Kids
1. Start with Values: Frame discussions around UU principles (JET-PIG!).
2. Keep It Age-Appropriate: Younger kids need simple explanations; teens can handle more complexity.
3. Encourage Questions: Let kids guide the conversation based on their curiosity.
4. Focus on Empowerment: Discuss ways they can take action (letter-writing, protests, community service).
5. Model Respectful Dialogue: Show how to disagree with others while maintaining dignity.
Our faith calls us to raise informed, compassionate children who seek justice. By engaging in these conversations, we help them grow into thoughtful, engaged citizens.
In love,
Paula Del Rio – DRE
dre@hsuuc.org
UUMUAC 3rd Wednesday Vesper Service August 20, 2025
“Dignity”
Dan Kenney
Our celebrant is retired DeKalb, Illinois high school teacher Dan Kenney. He will be exploring Tim Shriver’s Dignity Index and Dignity Pledge – an instrument for healing America’s divisions. Dan is a long-time member of the UU Congregation of DeKalb, and the founder of DeKalb County Community Gardens (now “Rooted for Good”), which began as a backyard effort to grow a few vegetables, and now feeds thousands of DeKalbans with weekly free food distributions. Dan is a regular contributor to WNIJ Public Radio’s “Perspectives” series.
UUMUAC 3rd Wednesday Vesper service September 17, 2025
“Church of the Free Spirit”
Dr. Matthew Shear
What shall we call a true liberal religion? I contend that labels from past centuries will not do in our time. In this service I will explore concepts I’ve come to believe are essential to a workable intersection of liberalism with religion and society.
Dr. Matthew Shear is a 1980 graduate of the New England College of Optometry, and completed a post-graduate program from the Baltimore Academy for Behavioral Optometry in 2002. He has also trained as a peer counselor, eventually teaching the technique to others. His particular interest is in the effects of misperception on our understanding of ourselves and the world, and how that affects our behaviors. This focus eventually led him from clinical practice to becoming a religious professional. He began preaching lay led services in 2007, and in 2018 was engaged by Channing Church in Rockland, MA as their full time Preacher, where he served for two years. A former Board member of UUMUAC, he is still an occasional preacher of their 3rd Wednesday Vesper services and elsewhere.
Coming Up at High Street!
One more quick note before you go…
Remember to drink your water,
take your medicine,
take time for rest,
and build the beloved community.
With Love From,
Your Staff and Community at High Street UU
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