March News & Views
- Feb 26
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 27
The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness. Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving its gifts with open eyes and open heart. Robin Wall Kimmerer
Praying by Mary Oliver
It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
Greetings my friends,
I’ve been keeping you all in my thoughts while we’ve been battling the blizzard and its aftermath. I hope you are all safe and warm and, hopefully, semi-dug out by now. As inconvenient as this storm has been, it has been a great time to exercise this month’s Soul Matters theme of Paying Attention.
My husband and I spent the days before the storm walking through every inch of the yard, looking closely at structures to see where they might fail, battening down the proverbial hatches, and trying to anticipate what might happen. Then all anyone can do is watch and wait.
The snow came fast and heavy and the wind was wild. I stared out the window for long moments with my dog, Cleadus, beside me, as interested as I, like it was this great show we couldn’t stop watching. Just paying attention to the artistry and power of these elements dancing feverishly with each other. I don’t think I slept more than a few hours in a row as the worst of it rolled in. I would keep waking up and pulling the curtain aside, knowing I wouldn’t see anything but snow sticking to the window, but checking on things, as if the storm needed my attention. And in the morning, in the light, blowing everywhere, coming down madly, it was glorious.
OK, I admit to loving this a little bit, despite all the craziness it causes. There’s something delicious about everyone having to slow down, having to wait things out and find other ways, having to pay attention to things we rarely do. It feels like poetry writing itself.
I included Mary Oliver’s poem above because she was the absolute Queen of paying attention and offering up her observations with beautiful, buttery words. Her poem is the best way to describe praying that I could ever imagine. Try it in the silence of the snow. Toss your hopes and fears and thoughts into the silence and listen. Consider it an exquisite gift to have all the sound so tamped down, so quiet under these cold blankets. You might be surprised at what you can hear in your heart.
Let’s make sure we check up on each other and pay attention to who needs what as we get through this challenging time together. And keep in the back of your mind that Spring is almost here and when the snow melts, as it always does, there will be flowers waiting to bloom.
Bright Blessings- Rev. Karen
Soul Matters: Welcome to Paying Attention
Alice Walker famously wrote, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.”
Walker’s words are a beautiful reminder that attention and gratitude go hand in hand. Indeed they are a perfect embodiment of the dominant understanding of attention: that it’s here to wake us up to life’s many gifts.
But dig a little deeper and you discover that attention has a few additional and ulterior motives up its sleeve. So, friends, we want to give fair warning right here at the start. We want you to be ready for all that attention has in store for you. You see, the truth is, attention won’t just make you grateful, it will make you fall in love. And it won’t just enable you to notice life’s gifts, it also will make it impossible to ignore life’s pain.
So, first, the part about falling in love.
Mary Oliver wrote, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” It’s an essential reminder that we cannot love someone or something that we do not fully see. Glances and self-interested attention never get to the real person or thing. They keep us on the surface of things and treat the other as a mirror. What we fall in love with, in such cases, is what we want from them and how we want them to make us feel. Which means that all we’ve really done is fall in love with ourselves and our own longings.
Attention wants more for us than this. It wants us to learn that truly loving someone or something requires the difficult work of noticing our wants and then putting them down. This kind of love asks us to look without expectation of who or what we hope the other will be, an act that mystic and philosopher, Simone Weil, calls self-emptying. It’s a type of looking that keeps on looking until we discover something entirely new, entirely other, entirely unique. And once we notice that stunning uniqueness, we’re in trouble, because it will completely reshuffle our desires and devotions. It will knock us to our knees. Nothing will seem as important or precious as the particularity of the other. We will want nothing more than to ensure that the other feels seen. And we will come to know this as love.
Now, what about attention and pain? What does attention want from us in this regard?
Well, this time it’s a UU minister, Rev. Sean Dennison, that best guides us on our way. Rev. Sean writes “The ability to see beauty is the beginning of our moral sensibility. What we believe is beautiful we will not wantonly destroy.” In other words, seeing the beauty of something comes with a commitment. You don’t just think to yourself “Oh, that’s pretty,” you think “My God, I must protect it.” Its survival becomes your survival. Its pain becomes your pain.
All of which is to say, yes, you can expect to leave this month feeling grateful, but you should also be prepared to feel altered. To understand attention as a doorway into love and pain, is to understand that the work of attention is not just about realizing all we’ve been given; It’s also a reminder that to look, to really look, is to risk being re-ordered. And made larger, as devotion to others and the pain of others displace the smallness of love of self.
And maybe in the end, that’s what we should be most grateful for: the way looking, almost always, leaves us larger.
Read the entire Soul Matters Packet for March. Download below.
The 200th anniversary of the American Unitarian Association offers Unitarian Universalists an opportunity to ground in our deep religious roots in America, explore some of the early and radical theological ideas at the core of our faith, and consider where we go from here.
Meet the Moment: How the Wave of Momentum Is Carrying Us Forward
Meet the Moment is a movement-wide framework designed to help Unitarian Universalists analyze present-day realities and discern faithful, values-based responses. It provides shared language and guiding questions to support congregations and leaders as they assess the conditions shaping their communities and determine how to respond with clarity and purpose.
This collection from UU World gathers reporting and reflection on the framework’s development, its current implementation, and the ways it is taking shape in congregational life. Together, these reports illustrate the growing momentum of this work and provide a glimpse of how it may continue to evolve in the months and years ahead.
Click on each hyperlink to read the article and explore the possibilities in our own congregation.
What Is ‘Meet the Moment’?
Exploring Framework Question One: What is the Moment We Are In as UUs and in Our Wider World?
Exploring Framework Question Two: What Are the Most Urgent Needs of This Moment?
Exploring Framework Question Three: What Do Our Values Call Us to Do in Response to This Moment?
Tony & Marc did an amazing job at clearing our lots after the blizzard, BUT space is really tight. If you can carpool to church on Sunday, that would be ideal. Please keep in mind spot #1 in our rented lot is permitted for 7 days per week, so please do not park there. Drive safely, New Bedford's side streets aren't the best—stick to the main roads if possible.
Did you miss Sunday Service? Watch it here!
Sunday Service
Arts & Culture Nonprofit Meetings Scheduled
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford is forming an art & culture nonprofit! We will be facilitating a series of meetings to discuss details, board members, grants, and more.
Meeting Three: March 3, at 7 PM on Zoom
All interested individuals are encouraged to join the conversation.
Reminder: By-Laws Committee & Membership Meeting
We will be holding a FINAL in-person meeting after church on March 1, to discuss changes to the by-laws before they are voted upon at the Annual Meeting on May 17, 2026.
What does it mean to be a people of Paying Attention?
March 1: The Power of Paying Attention to Our Impact on Others
March 8: The Power of Paying Attention to Inequality
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
March 12: Art, History, Architecture {AHA} I am NB Storytelling
March 15: The Power of Paying Attention to the Present Moment
NB ½ Marathon Church Closed
March 22: The Power of Paying Attention To Our Relationship with Water
March 29: The Power of Paying Attention to The Wisdom Within
Holy Week!
Jokes, because laughter is the best medicine!
Each religion has its own Holy Book: Judaism has the Torah, Islam has the Koran, Christianity has the Bible, and Unitarian Universalism has Roberts' Rules of Order.
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday:
"I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."
Q: Why should you always be quiet in church?
A: Because people might be sleeping!
Please share these events with your family and friends, and consider attending yourself. We would love to see you!
FREE Events Happening at UUNB
Being Human takes place every Friday at 11 AM. Please use the parking lot door. The Parking lot is cleared of snow, but it very tight. Please carpool if you can, as parking is limited on the street.
Friday, February 26, at 11 AM
Friday, March 6, at 6:30 PM
Thursday, March 12, at 6 PM
Ticketed Event, Saturday, March 14, at 7 PM
No pre-sales, tickets at the door only. Please enter through the parking lot door on 8th Street. Tickets are $20—cash or credit.
The concert celebrates Ireland's rich musical legacy-from the haunting beauty of traditional folk tunes and the elegance of classical masterpieces to the excitement of Broadway favorites and the energy of modern pop hits. From "Danny Boy" to U2-there is something for everyone!
The concert stars Erin Hogan, Marcus Huber, Hannah O'Brien and Matthew Larson-four incredibly versatile artists who bring a wealth of experience to the musical genres presented.
Tickets are $30.00, and and may be purchased online at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/echoes-of-ireland-tickets-1981595923751?aff=oddtdtcreator
Our Mission is to encourage diversity and mutual acceptance and work for positive change in ourselves and our community.
"We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other."
Our Promises
Each person is important.
Be kind in all you do.
We help each other learn.
We search for what is true.
Each person has a say.
Work for a peaceful world.
The web of life’s the way.
Build the beloved community, free from racism and oppression.
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 994-9686
Administrator ext. 10
Minister ext. 13
Karen cell: (508) 441-9344
Thrift Shop ext. 12
Board Members & Officers
Steve Carmel, President
Charles Morgan, Vice President
Deborah Carmel, Treasurer
Elise Rapoza, Secretary
Trustees
Camilla Brooks
Niko Tarini
Mary Rapoza
Jack Vitale
Committee Chairs
Staff
Rev. Karen Leblanc, Minister
Yasmin Fle-fleh Vincent, Director of Religious Education
Randy Fayan, Director of Music
Jessica DeCicco-Carey, Administrator
Tony, Gonsalves, Facilities Manager
John Manning, Sunday Sexton
Mari Fay-Martin, Sunday School Teacher
Sam Angelini, Sunday School Teacher
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM
(508)994-9686 ext.12
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