April 6th 2025

#149 Lift Every Voice and Sing

Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring,

ring with the harmonies of liberty;

let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies,

let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;

sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,

felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet

come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;

we have come, treading our path thru the blood of the slaughtered,

out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last

where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,

thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

thou who hast by thy might led us into the light,

keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;

lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;

shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand,

true to our God, true to our native land.

#123 Fuente de Amor / Spirit of Life

Fuente de Amor, 

ven hacia mí.

Y al corazón, cántale tu compasión.

Sopla al volar, sube en el mar,

hasta moldear la justicia de la vida.

Arráigame, libérame,

Fuente de Amor, ven a mí, ven a mí.

Spirit of Life, 

Come Unto Me.

Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.

Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;

Move in the hand, 

giving life the shape of justice.

Roots hold me close, wings set me free;

Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me. 

UU Shared Values by Kate Gillis

Equity, Pluralism, Justice

Justice and Love, Love, Love.

Interdependence, Transformation

Generosity and Love, Love, Love.

“Hope Lingers On” 

by Lissa Schneckenburger, 

arranged by Andrea Ramsey

My chosen, when love is gone, 

in our darkest hour, hope lingers on,

My fam’ly, when peace is gone,

in our darkest hour, hope lingers on,

Refrain:

I will not hate, and I will not fear,

in our darkest hour, hope lingers here,

My sib’ling, when equality gone, 

in our darkest hour hope lingers on,

My neighbor, with tolerance gone,

in our darkest hour hope lingers on,

Refrain

My love, when honor is gone,

in our darkest hour hope lingers on,

My country, when justice is gone,

in our darkest hour hope lingers on,

Refrain

“I Will Be the Light” by Gerald Custer

I will be a light in the darkness,

I will be a star in the sky;

I will be a voice in the silence,

I will be a cry.

I will be the light in the darkness,

I will be the star in the sky;

I will be the voice in the silence,

I will be your cry.

Let us shine like light in the darkness,

let us blaze like stars in the sky.

We will sing your songs in the silence,

we will be your cry!

We will be the light!

#95 There Is More Love Somewhere

There is more love somewhere.

There is more love somewhere.

I’m gonna keep on ‘til I find it.

There is more love somewhere.

There is more hope somewhere…

There is more peace somewhere..

There is more joy somewhere…

All event registrations and RSVPs can be found on our website, uucr.org/register

Questions? Contact us at communications@uucr.org.

• Our Midweek Vespers Services are each Wednesday at 7 p.m. in person and on Zoom! Join Rev. Rebekah, the staff, and our Worship Arts Team for 45 minutes of centering readings, meditations, and music.

• Helpful Humans Needed! We’re in search of virtual humans who can assist Chloe Ockey, our Director of Communications, one Sunday a month by greeting and connecting with our Virtual Members, Congregants, and Friends on Zoom. For more information and to sign up, contact Chloe Ockey at chloe.ockey@uucr.org.

• April Town Hall: Hopes, Dreams, and Honesty about UUCR’s RE Program - TODAY after service. - The Right Relations Team and Family Faith Formation Team will facilitate a Town Hall after service on April 6 to talk about our congregation’s hopes and dreams for RE at UUCR. There will be a 40-minute Restorative Circle Exercise to share and listen to each other in honest conversation. We invite everyone to join the circle on April 6th. A virtual Town Hall will also be happening on Thursday, April 10th at 7 p.m.

• Native Plant Sale — Order Now! Organized by Cub Scout Pack 493 - Support local wildlife and Scouting! Cub Scout Pack 493 is selling beautiful native plants that support butterflies, pollinators, hummingbirds, and songbirds native to our region. Our inventory includes low maintenance perennial plants with a variety of sun and soil requirements. Order online at http://pack493plants.com, or after service on March 30 & April 6 for pickup on April 27 in the courtyard. Don't have space for plants? Consider donating to our children's garden!

• UUCR Hiking Group - Saturday, April 12th at 9 a.m. - Join us on the Matthew Henson Trail! Parking: 13800 Layhill Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906 (Across Layhill Road from Middlevale Lane. North of Faith Community Baptist Church)

• Join us for the return of the UUCR Passover Seder! - April 12th at 5:30 p.m. in Founders Hall - This family-friendly, all-ages gathering offers a unique take on tradition, featuring a collective and symbolic retelling of a timeless biblical story of liberation. The evening will conclude with a potluck dinner and engaging conversation. When registering, please select a food/beverage item that you would like to bring for the potluck (as you are able), enough for 6 people. Ritual foods/beverages will be provided. First time seder goers are especially welcome!

• Welcome Breakfast with Rev. Rebekah - Sunday, April 12th at 9 a.m. in Founders Hall - All Newcomers, Visitors, and New Members to UUCR over the past year or so are invited to attend a Welcome Breakfast with our minister, Rev. Dr. Rebekah A. Savage. If you’ve come to UUCR in that time, please take this opportunity to meet (or re-meet) and be in conversation with Rev. Rebekah! If you’re able to join, please do register to let us know you’re coming so that we can be sure to have enough food to go around! Come, even if you haven’t registered, and even if you’ve attended another breakfast recently...we’d love to have you join us again!

• Emerging and Young Adults Potluck Luncheon - All Emerging and Young Adults (anyone ages 18-35) are invited to join us for a potluck following the service on April 13th! You don’t have to be a part of our Young Adults Group to join. Bring your favorite foods to share, and let’s have a time for community, food, and fellowship. Register at uucr.org/register.

• Jane Simoni will lead a hybrid training session for the Pastoral Care Team and Occasional Angels at noon on April 13th in Room 44. It will focus on self disclosure by pastoral care volunteers: when it could be helpful but also what to be aware of.  We are opening the training to anyone in the congregation who might be interested in becoming more involved with Pastoral Care. Send an email to pastoralcare@uucr.org if you'd like the link to the session or if you'd like more information about Pastoral Care at UUCR.

• LGBTQIA+ Lunch and Mixer - Saturday, April 19th at Noon - Join us for a vibrant LGBTQIA+ lunch and mixer with Rev. Rebekah, featuring a delicious potluck where everyone is welcome to connect, share, and be in community. Bring a dish, drink or dessert to share.

• Breakfast of Care and Support - April 20th at 9 a.m. - In these challenging and heartbreaking times, we extend an invitation to all current federal employees, those federal employees who have been fired or resigned, federal contractors who have lost their jobs, and their families to join us for a UUCR hosted breakfast before Sunday worship. This is a space of care, connection, and support. For those who wish to show solidarity, we invite you to bring breakfast item to share as a gesture of care for those impacted. You are welcome to stay for the breakfast as well. Together, we can nourish not only bodies but also spirits, reminding one another that community sustains us in difficult moments. Join us as we gather in love and support. You are welcome here.

• Environmental Justice Town Hall and Potluck - Sunday, April 20th at Noon in the Sanctuary - Please join us as we discuss how our UU values guide us to care for the Earth and take action for climate justice. We will share ideas, celebrate progress, and explore ways to enhance our dedication to environmental stewardship. There will also be a Community Potluck featuring plant-based and vegetarian dishes. Please bring a dish to share as we come together to nourish our bodies and spirits as a community.

• Registration for this year’s UUA General Assembly is now open! Join us in Baltimore  for the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association. This is a time for participants to gather and worship, witness, learn, and connect. Visit uua.org/ga to register today!

• Want to learn more about upcoming events and activities in the Congregation and Community? Subscribe to our email newsletter, E-Weekly on our website, uucr.org/comms. The newsletter is also accessible each week by visiting uucr.org/news.