I Worried
by Mary Oliver
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And I gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.
Next Service
August 16 at 11:00 am
“Immigration”
Led by: Rev. Dan Miyake
In person at UUCEL or live on Facebook.
Announcements
Service Changes: Please note that the services for August 23 and August 30 have changed from what was listed in the Bellnote. August 23 will be Sharing the Bounty, led by Gretchen Marshall. August 30 will be Expectations and Resentments, led by Cory Page. Please plan accordingly, especially if you’d like to participate in the Sharing the Bounty service!
Blessing of the Backpacks: Since it is back to school time, Rev. Dan will be offering a Blessing of the Backpacks during next Sunday’s service (August 16). Everyone, even adults, are welcome to bring their backpack, briefcase, purse, or other bag to be blessed as we enter into a new school and church year.
Soul Matters Small Group: Rev. Dan will once again be leading a Soul Matters Small Group this year. This group meets once a month, and engages with a monthly themed packet of readings and exercises geared toward deeper spiritual thinking, personal growth and awareness, and building relationships. Though the previous groups have been fairly small, everyone who has participated stated that they enjoyed the group and got a lot out of working with the content of the packets. A new group will be forming in September. If you would like to participate, please contact Rev. Dan. You can also talk to some previous group members, such as Peter and Megan Blackshear, Ann Green, and Tom Triplett about their experiences with the group.
Love at the Center Book Group: Starting in September, Rev. Dan and Ann Green will be leading a congregational reading of the book “Love at the Center”, edited by UUA president Sofia Betancourt. This book is a collection of insightful, short essays by various UU ministers about the centrality of love in our UU values, faith, and identity. The way it works is that everyone will be encouraged to purchase the book, read selected essays, then come together, probably via Zoom, to discuss the readings. The UUA has long suggested congregational reads, and up until now, we have not really engaged with any of them. Both Rev. Dan and Ann agree that this book is especially appropriate in this current environment in which we live, and hope that you all will choose to participate. Please contact Rev. Dan or Ann if you are interested or have questions.
Annual Church Picnic is Coming Soon:
Friday, August 28 from 5:30pm on… at the church!
We’ll have a fire pit hot and ready to go! There’ll be hot dogs to roast with condiments and water, and marshmallows with graham crackers and Hershey bars for s’mores
With music and games and fellowship. Bring your family and friends, and a lawn chair and a side dish or dessert. This is a low-key, high-FUN event – relax and enjoy! Please let Elissa know if you plan to attend so we have an idea of how many to expect.
[Rain date – Monday, August 31]
Security Training: The Michigan State Police will be hosting the Security in Places of Worship Training on August 19, 2026, from 8:30a.m. – 4:00p.m – hosted at the Trinity Fellowship Evangelical Free Church, located at 15085 220th Avenue, Big Rapids, Michigan 49307. This class is open to both law enforcement members and members of the public. All registration is completed through Professional Development Learning Center (PDLC) with a registration closing date of August 12, 2026. Non-MSP personnel can review instructions on creating an account in the PDLC to register for this course.This class is limited to 80 people. The cost is $50 and includes training materials, lunch, and beverages throughout the training. For questions, contact Michele VanSickle, Michigan State Police, 517-855-8244.
Memorial for Fred Marshall: There will be a memorial service for beloved UU member Fred Marshall on Saturday, August 29 at 1:00pm at the church. Save the date, and stay tuned for more details.
Jackson County Immigrant Coalition: Many members of the congregation have expressed interest in joining the JCIC. Due to the nature of the coalition’s work with vulnerable people, the first step to getting involved is to fill out a secure vetting form. Please visit the JCIC linktree to access that form: https://linktr.ee/Jackson_County_For_Immigrants (the form is the second link from the top). Feel free to explore the other helpful links on the page.
A New UU Hymnal! Our two printed hymnals have old favorites, but the UUA has a new hymnal and it’s not printed; it’s online! Sing Out Love is a collection of music for services that includes some old favorites and many new selections, with more being added all the time. And you have access to it. Go to singoutlove.org/song-library, log in with the ID uuliberty@gmail.com and the password Eliberty1856. Make a suggestion for what you’d like to sing at church!
Worship Committee seeks speakers: Do you have an idea for a service, or a willingness to take us on your spiritual journey? Or do you know someone in the community who would? Please contact Darrin Palmer or another member of the Worship Committee. They are happy to help create a Sunday Service!
Social Mission Designee:
The Social Mission Designee for the 1st quarter is the Jackson County Immigrant Coalition (JCIC). JCIC are friends, families, and neighbors united in protecting & supporting our Jackson County immigrant community through allyship, education, and activism. Please give by using the donate button on our website or by contributing with a check with Jackson County Immigrant Coalition in the memo.
Minister’s Schedule:
- August 12 – Off
- August 13-14 – UUCEL
- August 15 – Off
- August 16-18 – UUCEL
- August 19 – Off
Rev. Dan is available for 1:1 emergency pastoral care regardless of his days off. If you are in need of immediate pastoral care, please contact him right away. Please refrain from texting Rev. Dan after normal work hours unless it is a critical issue that needs immediate attention; if not, email him the next workday. If you need an immediate response to an email on a day off, type “URGENT’ in the subject line.
Please submit items for this weekly email by Tuesday afternoon at WednesdayChimes@gmail.com. Please include the date(s) you would like the announcement published in the subject line of your email.
Sunday Announcements
Please submit items to be announced on Sunday to the Worship Committee at uuliberty@gmail.com
Joys and Sorrows
Please submit items for inclusion in our Sunday service to the Worship Committee at uuliberty@gmail.com