Join us every Wednesday at 7:30pm, for the weekly midweek vespers service. These will be short, contemplative services where we can gather together each week, listen to poetry and music, and share our joys and sorrows. After the service we will have a chance for fellowship. These services will be happening on Zoom meeting. The link is https://uuma.zoom.us/j/94203615957. A passcode will be required to attend. Please contact admin@kuuf.org and the passcode will be emailed to you. We hope you can join us for some meditative contemplation as we enter fall and winter.
Black Lives Matter day of action, Friday June 12
Greetings dear KUUF community,
As the last two weeks have unfolded and we have seen a powerful sustained witness to the tragic death of George Floyd, I am uplifted by the photos I have seen of our members participating in protests around Kitsap County. Our banners have been everywhere! How wonderful that because of the commitments we have taken in the past, we are able to show up in such a meaningful way when the Movement for Black Lives needs us the most.
This Friday, June 12, Black Lives Matter-King County has invited everyone to participate in a statewide day of action in support of all Black lives in Washington State. There are several ways to participate and I wanted to take a moment to outline these opportunities for you. Because of the risk of COVID-19, and because of the spike in cases we saw in Kitsap County this week, it is important to weigh the risk of each action and decide for ourselves what we feel most comfortable doing.
The general strike in Seattle is happening at Judkins Park at 1pm. This is a high risk event. Our parish nurse, Jennifer, recommends not attending this if you are over 60 or have any immuno-concerns. If you attend this march, you should consider getting tested for COVID-19 afterward, to monitor your exposure. Tests are available from primary care physicians.
There is a solidarity march happening that day in Silverdale, from 1-4pm, organized by the Kitsap Youth Activism Team. This is a medium risk event. Folks will be standing at the intersection of Silverdale Way and Ridgetop Boulevard. Nurse Jennifer recommends following all precautions to the best of your ability (masks, 6-feet distancing). If you are not able to maintain social distancing at this event, you might consider getting tested for COVID-19 afterward.
KUUF members and friends are hosting a witnessing in Port Orchard. This is a low risk event. Attendees are required to wear masks and maintain strict social distancing. Folks will be standing outside City Hall at 216 Prospect, from 3:30-4:30pm. Social interaction will be minimal so as to maximize safety.
If you have attended multiple protests in the last two weeks, your risk of having been exposed to COVID-19 is high, and I encourage you to consider other ways of protesting in the days ahead. We will continue to see spikes in coronavirus cases in the next few weeks and it is important that we take care to manage the spread as much as possible.
If you are unable to protest in person and are wondering how you might participate, I invite you to read this open letter from Kitsap ERACE:
As part of our congregational commitment to dismantle white supremacy, Kitsap UU Fellowship has joined many other local organizations as part of the Kitsap ERACE coalition. We are dedicated to this movement for the long term. And it will take all of us working together, doing what we can where we are at and with what we have, to make lasting change.
And lastly, I want to express my gratitude to all of you. Again and again I am reminded what a privilege it is to serve as your minister. And during this time of uprising, I am continually uplifted by your dedication to building the beloved community. Blessings to you all.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or want to discuss how you might participate in this effort. You can also email Nurse Jennifer at nurse@kuuf.org if you have questions or concerns about COVID exposure.
In love, faith and solidarity,
Rev. Jessica
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Rev. Jessica Star Rockers
(she/her/hers)
Kitsap Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
360-377-4724 x. 2
To schedule a meeting:
https://calendly.com/revjessicastarrockers
Kitsap UU Fellowship Online Vigil
Dear beloved KUUF Community,
This is a time of grief and heartbreak. For some of us, this is not a new grief. We have carried it across multiple generations. For others of us, this moment feels new and unfamiliar. We are all being called to witness to the injustices around us, the injustice of the killing of George Floyd, the injustice of the murder of Stonechild Chiefstick, the injustice of the police brutality against black people, people of color and indigenous people throughout our nation’s history and up to today. A multi-state peaceful protest to this injustice has been co-opted by white nationalists, who have turned violent. And our police have responded by escalating the situation until riots have broken out in almost every major city. And all of this, in the midst of a global pandemic.
This Friday at 6pm we will be holding an online gathering to grieve together, as a KUUF community. We will grieve George Floyd and the loss of BIPOC life to police violence. We will grieve all that we have experienced these past several months. And we will support one another through this time of heartbreak.
Friday, June 5, at 6pm
Kitsap UU Fellowship
Online Vigil
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/92558495821
Some of us have already shown up to protest actions, wearing our masks and carrying signs, to support the movement for Black lives. There is another protest today, in Poulsbo, and one on Bainbridge on Thursday, organized by the Kitsap ERACE organization. This is a group we can trust with whom many of us have a personal relationship. If you attend one of these protests, please be careful and follow the direction of the event organizers. https://www.facebook.com/events/581493419430083/?event_time_id=581493422763416
I am so grateful to all of you on the frontlines who are carrying our KUUF banner and taking personal risk to say that we as a community believe that Black lives matter. For those of us who feel the risk is too great, particularly because maintaining social distancing is very difficult when protesting, I would like to share another link with you. There is a huge amount that we can do from home to take action. I encourage each of us to do something on this list. https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234
You can also follow Kitsap SURJ for more actions and information in the coming days and weeks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/KitsapSURJ/
And this evening there is an online vigil hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Association. UUs from all around the country will gather to mourn together. https://www.facebook.com/events/565501584112407/
As we come together to grieve, let us lean on one another, using the collective strength of this beloved community to keep loving, keep fighting, and keep building the world which we all seek. A world of justice and dignity for each and every person, particularly Black, indigenous and people of color. Let us continue to say it loudly, that Black lives matter. And let us commit ourselves once again to upholding this truth, today and in all the days to come.
Blessings and gratitude,
Rev. Jessica