Hello and welcome to the online service
of the Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which we call "roof"
My name is Paul Vozdic or "Voz"
I'm a member of this congregation
because the people and mission of RVUUF
help me define my values and put them
into action.
These online services are our way of 
connecting to each other
and continuing to keep the mission of our congregation and Association before us and out into the world
We're glad you're here and we ask you to join us in embracing diversity, empowering connection, and engaging in this work
Each week we acknowledge that the land
on which we live is the traditional home 
of the Shasta, Takelma and Latgawa people.
We remind ourselves that Indigenous people 
are part of our community
and continue to experience the
effects of colonization and conquest
We also commit ourselves to work for a
world in which the lives, work, bodies
dreams and leadership of Black people
are honored and respected.
We are committed to fighting for the worth and dignity of people in our community
and the dignity of people throughout the world.
We remind ourselves each week that we must put our words and our principles
into action every day
for justice and the common good
Welcome and thank you
again for being with us
 
Traditionally, on the first Sunday of
each month I've stood in front of the
congregation and collected food and
money for the Ashland Emergency Food Bank
Today, June 7th, is the first Sunday
of the month. I'm standing in front of you
and asking for your donations.
However, you can't walk down the aisle
and hand me your money or food, though we each know the need is greater now than
at any time in recent memory.
What you can do is send your check made out to
the Ashland Emergency Food Bank at 
560 Clover Lane, Ashland.
Ray, the food manager
tells me they especially need soups, spaghetti sauce, cereal, and black beans.
If you would prefer, place those foods in
a bag and put it on my front porch
If you do that this week I'll take it to
the food bank the following Monday.
I'm at 647 Siskiyou Boulevard,
 4 doors down from Safeway. 
Your choice.
The need now is urgent
Thank you for the generosity you have always shown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Precious Lord
take my hand
lead me on
let me stand
I am tired
I am weak
I am worn
Through the storm
through the night
lead me on
to the light
Take my hand, (take my hand, take my hand) Lord
and lead me home.
When my way
grows drear
Precious Lord,
linger near
When my life
is almost gone.
At the river (river)
Lord, I stand
Guide my feet,
and hold my hand
Take my hand, (take my hand, take my hand)
Lord, and lead me home
[humming]
 
You have to act as if it were possible
to radically transform the world
and you have to do it all the time.
 Angela Davis
The moment we choose to love we begin to
move against domination, against oppression.
The moment we choose to love
we begin to move towards freedom; to act
in ways that liberate ourselves and
others. That action is the testimony of
love as the practice of freedom.
bell hooks
The light of our chalice would soon flicker and die without the oil that nourishes the flame.
And just as the flame cannot burn without oil,
our community cannot survive without the financial support of its members and friends:
the oil that keeps the flame alive and fuels the shared mission and ministry of our fellowship.
Let us give freely and generously to sustain and
strengthen community we are now the
keepers of the flame that burns for
justice and a world made whole.
Please use this  as a time
of centering and commitment
To Be of Use by Marge Piercy
The people I love the best
jump into work headfirst without
dallying in the shadows and swim off
with sure strokes almost out of sight
they seem to become natives of that
element the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing likes half-submerged falls I
love people who harness themselves and
ox to a heavy cart will pull like water
buffalo with massive patience who strain
in the mud and the muck to move things
forward who do what has to be done again
and again I want to be with people who
submerge in the task who go into the
fields to harvest and work in a row and
pass the bags along who are not parlor
generals and field deserters but move in
a common rhythm when the food must come
in or the fire be put out the work of
the world is common as mud botched it
smears the hands crumbles to dust but
the thing worth doing well done has a
shape that satisfies clean and evident
Greek amphoras for wine or oil Hopi
vases that held corn are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used
the pitcher cries for water to carry and
a person for work that is real
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Until the killing of Black men,
Black mother's sons
is as important as the killing of white men
white mother's sons
we who believe in freedom cannot rest
we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Hello. You know, I've been here in Ashland
 for a number of years now
and we are in the midst of social
and societal upheaval like we've never seen.
First the pandemic, now this coming
to terms with the history of racism in
our United States again. Now is the time
we're facing the truth again because
racism is so deeply embedded in our
country. It's hard of course it's hard
this nation was built on two
simultaneous genocides of Black and
Brown people: the theft of the land
itself through the annihilation of the
Indian nations and the slave trade which
flourished both in the north and the south
it's even said that the unit... the
bells of the Unitarian churches would
have cried out for freedom had they not
been stuffed with cotton.
the roots of
where we find ourselves are deep. And
when I hear people say, "What can I do?"
it makes me realize that there's a certain
level of privilege in that question.
If you're able to ask "what should I do" and
ponder it and wonder... I've even heard
people say, "Oh I'm intentionally keeping
my head in the sand. The news is too hard..."
If you're able to do nothing it's
because it's not happening to you the
pain the suffering the beatings
it's not happening to you so first
that's not a guilt thing that's just an
acknowledgment that not everyone is in
the same position and those of us who
find ourselves with the leisure the
luxury of asking that question need to
acknowledge that that is privilege. I
want to take the question seriously and
I want to take it seriously enough to
try to answer to give real answers to
the question well what should I do
what can I do I want to tell you that
the answer to that is do anything to
anything you can do just do something
protest is not the only possible action
if it's too dangerous for you to be out
on the streets there are a million other
things you can do.
the first thing and
the most important thing in in some ways
is to feel. I want you to lament. I want
you to cry. I want you to grieve and face
the sorrow and suffering that's before us.
The first way that we learn to act is
to is to feel the bond of empathy
between ourselves and the suffering so I
intentionally and purposefully used
images and music that I hope would move
you emotionally that would make you cry
that would help you access the feelings
about what's going on in our world
because if we can't access our feelings
we can't access our power to make a
difference maybe you're not feeling
sorrow maybe you're feeling rage and
maybe that's confusing to be so angry
and we're taught to sublimate our anger
to put it aside; that anger is trouble
 or dangerous and I want
to say here and now
anger is sometimes absolutely
appropriate
I saw a protest sign in a picture just
yesterday that said, "Black rage is
justified!" That is so true
and I want us to grapple with the anger
and the rage in a way that empowers us
to act. Wha.. if you're not angry why are
you not enraged at what is happening in
our streets what is happening in our
nation and then the third thing I want
you to feel is dedication a kind of
commitment committed motivation and
persistence which isn't the same as
feeling hope hope says everything will
be okay. Dedication says we who believe in freedom shall not rest
after you've
really started to feel I want you to
learn there are resources available
everywhere right now there is no reason
you can't learn about the history of
racism about what's actually happening
about how to unlearn the things that
have been taught to you as a person of
color about your value or as a white
person about the values of the value of
others learn avoid this is not the time
to avoid the media this is the time to
learn to be wise and selective and to
find resources that help us learn to do
better
books articles films there's a million
ways to learn.
the responsible search for
truth and meaning is one of our
principles and we can't let ourselves
off the hook just because the learning
might be uncomfortable it might be
painful to change our beliefs about the
world those beliefs were forged in the
system we currently have and it needs to
change that's gonna take some courage
the third thing I want you to do is give
now I'm aware but this is the third time
in this service you've been asked to
give first to the food bank then to the
congregation and now I want you to give
to organizations that are working on the
ground for the struggle for freedom for
Black and Brown people in this world
One of the most powerful things we can do is put our resources into it
redistribution of what was taken by
force and violence is not just something
to fight for on some political level
where it's likely to fail again and
again redistributing what we have now
can sustain the work of justice and help
change the world
the following slides in this video are
gonna offer you a whole bunch of ways to
get involved to do something to be of use.
choose one choose many find more
just feel learn give and act now. Now is the time.
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe 
we shall overcome some day.
Look at the world that we live in.
Look at the trouble and pain
Look how all is forgiven
When we lose so many in vain
See how some things are changing
See how some things are not
See which people get answers
And then see which ones are forgot
We are
just like you
we bear with shoulders so true
we're told
this land is for you and I
Then why are we the ones to die?
We are standing up.
We will be the light.
We all deserve the right
to freedom
Let this be the light
Young, old, black and white
Come join the right to fight for freedom
Look at all this frustration
Look at all this regret
Ooooh, look at how we've been broken
and they tell me we are the threat
Can you see my son like a brother?
Can you see me just like a friend?
And for my [inaudible]
Then tell me when the killing will end
We are
just like you.
we bear with shoulders so true
these words are not just to comfort me
I sing for equality
We are standing up.
We will be the light.
we all deserve the right to freedom
Let this be the light
Young old black or white
come join the right to fight for freedom
(We are beautiful. We are beautiful. We are beautiful...)
We all deserve to be
Free!
We are standing up.
We will be the light.
we all deserve the right to freedom
Let this be the light. Young old, black or white
Come join the right to fight for freedom.
We are standing up.
We will be the light.
We're all just trying to fight for freedom.
Let this be the light,
Young old, black or white
Come join the right to fight for freedom
We are standing up
We will be the light.
We all deserve the right to freedom.
Let this be the light
Young, old, black or white
Come join the right to fight for freedom.
Hey I'm Celisse and thank you so much for
watching this video here are three
things that you can do today to help
click these links to donate to learn
more about volunteering opportunities in
your area and to share this video let's
remember we are the answer
It's hard to know how to help.
 It's hard to know how to survive.
Some of us are shaking off the shock and stupor that have protected us 
from knowing, from seeing, from bearing
witness to ongoing oppression and
suffering around us some of us feel the
bruises whether freshly made by a boot
or baton or the lingering pain of
generations of trauma this is not easy
but if change is going to come we need
to let ourselves be uncomfortable let
ourselves feel the pain unlock the anger
and face the fear if we are going to
change to heal to find a way through the
lament and on to freedom we have to
listen to the words of Heide Cottam
who said I implore you today do not turn
away and do not lose hope face what we
are doing and have done find hope that
there are more and more rising and if
you cannot find hope then become it
may it be so may we be the ones that
make it so amen ase' and blessed be.
you
