A Poetry and Music Service on the Journey of Wholeness

PDF of the Program

Co-presenters: Kristen Dillon and Scooter Cascadia
Music: Rebecca Stonestreet and Scot Bergeron

Join us as we gather to listen to poetry healing wounds, healing relationships, healing the past, healing the earth, and healing our hearts. We create a space for the poems to arise from the depths and to cultivate our attention and presence. These journeys of healing possibilities are intermingled with melodies that also nurture our wholeness.

“The World Needs Your Voice” is one of many songs that make this the right time to come together to express our love, our grief, our rage, and our vision. We’re gathering to meet each other, to sing together, to support our steadfast local organizers and to inspire more people to get involved. Mixing songs and beautiful projected images, Jim Scott’s lyrical melodies and powerful poetry take us from grieving to celebration, and from protest to a positive vision for our community and the planet. Facing the urgency of our environmental crisis, this musical and visual experience challenges us to feel, to learn and to act.

Hosted by the Gorge UU Fellowship at the Rockford Grange. Please help us spread the word! If you’d like to volunteer for the event, please contact administrator@mcuuf.org

Who is Jim Scott? Formerly a member of the Paul Winter Consort, Jim was composer of their celebrated Missa Gaia/Earth Mass and sang their anthem song Common Ground. He has toured the world, recorded nine CDs of original music and published a growing line of choral works. From soundtracks for film and PBS, to performances in Carnegie Hall and the Great Hall of the United Nations, Jim has performed and recorded with illustrious musicians in many genres. His friend and mentor Pete Seeger called him “Some kind of a magician.” Paul Winter said of his long-time collaborator “his music sings of the life spirit.”

You can see Jim Scott on YouTube here.

Suggested Donation: $20

WE’RE BEAUTIFYING THE BENCHES! Aug 7, 8:30 am-2:30 pm, with Potluck Lunch (A second work party on Aug 14 may be scheduled as needed).

We will be removing the carpeting from the benches and the floor below. They are attached with nails or staples that need to be removed. We will remove any residue from the padding left on the benches. We will be working carefully as not to damage the original finish if we can, followed by a sweep and vacuum of the area. We’ll then clean with TSP and wipe down the benches and floor. At that point we will determine if we can save the original finish or paint the benches on the 14th.

David Kao will provide one wet/ dry vacuum and contractor trash bags. He will also have extra tools for people who do not have them.

PLEASE WEAR PPE:

Work clothes, gloves for demo, rubber gloves for cleaning, dust masks.

CAN YOU BRING TOOLS? We’re looking for:

Hammer, pliers/ nail pullers, scrapers (preferably plastic) , old plastic containers for collecting nails and staples removed, putty knife, Shop Vac, utility knife, buckets & sponges, rags and towels.

RSVP by email to both David and Barbara and let us know if you will be bringing any tools with you.

dbkao101@gmail.com, minister@mcuuf.org

Join Rev. Barbara Prose every first Sunday from 12-1 pm, downstairs in the Gathering Space for an opportunity to connect in a small group. Bring your curiosity, learn about Unitarian Universalism and all that our Fellowship has to offer. Ask questions, and get to know each other as well.

This is a great starting point for those curious about joining the Fellowship as well as for those hoping to go deeper into their understanding of Unitarian Universalism.

With Marna Scooter Cascadia and Aera Atkins

The sixth source of Unitarian Universalism reads: “Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.” Join us for a conversation exploring the path of the Fairies and how our own playful encounters with the subtle realms may help us understand and nurture kinship with all life.  Listen in and bring your own vibrant experiences and connections to our exploratory conversation.

This service is in person and online on ZOOM at tinyurl.com/uusundays

PDF of Program

“The map is not the territory.”

The natural world into which we are born is as it is and ever was; mysterious and boundless. However, we understand, experience, and interact with the world through maps which we are given and maps which we create. We tend to live within the bounds of our maps while craving the experience of being without borders, of love beyond belief.

Presented by Gregg Dorris, PsyD

Join Rev. Barbara Prose every first Sunday from 12-1 pm, downstairs in the Gathering Space for an opportunity to connect in a small group. Bring your curiosity, learn about Unitarian Universalism and all that our Fellowship has to offer. Ask questions, and get to know each other as well.

This is a great starting point for those curious about joining the Fellowship as well as for those hoping to go deeper into their understanding of Unitarian Universalism.

Every First Sunday of the month, join Boyd Becker as he leads our impromptu “All-Ages Popup Choir” in learning a song to sing during the morning’s service. No experience or reading skills necessary! Just join us for a warm up, learn a song, and sing!

In her 2021 book Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred, Victoria Loorz “explores the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it.” This Sunday, we will gather outside the forested home of Dan Ball and Lori Golze to immerse ourselves in the wonders of the natural world. Following the practice of the “church of the wild,” we will spend some time in silent, solitary contemplation of nature and time in communal sharing. Come and experience this new and different way of “doing church.” 

This service will be in person only. Please bring a folding chair if you have one, comfortable walking shoes, and water. 

Dan and Lori’s place is located on a 10 acre, forested hillside, just above the flowing Neal Creek.  There are options to wander through the quiet woods, sit by the flowing water and listen to the forest, or sit in nearby, shady grassy areas.  Dan and Lori live at 2717 Swyers Drive in Hood River.  Call Dan at 541-969-8873 if you need directions.  There is some parking near the house, or you can park on Swyers Drive next to the orchard, and hoof it up the driveway to their back yard where the service begins. There will also be parking help.

2026

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
OF THE MID-COLUMBIA UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP 

Sunday, June 21, 2026
Sunday Service begins at 10:00 a.m.

The Business Meeting will be Called to Order at 12:00 p.m.
In-Person at 4262 Barrett Dr. Hood River, OR and Online
Participatory ZOOM LINK: tinyurl.com/uusundays

The Board of Trustees of the Mid-Columbia Unitarian Universalist Fellowship calls all members of the Gorge UU Fellowship to attend and participate in the annual meeting of the Congregation to be held on June 21, 2026, to be conducted in person and broadcast online at the link provided below.

The business to be transacted at an annual congregational meeting includes “…election of trustees, officers, and members of the Nominating Committee; and adoption of a budget for the ensuing fiscal year; and such other business as may be needed” (Bylaws Art. V, Sec. 1).

In addition to elections and adoption of a budget for 2026-2027, the Board proposes the following items for the meeting agenda:

• Discussion of Bylaws Task Force

• Discussion & approval of Annual Fellowship Report

• Approval of new Board members, including election of officers

Email administrator@mcuuf.org for draft budget.
Our Bylaws require that the notice of a Congregational meeting is to be published at least 14 days prior to the meeting (Art. V, Sec. 3). The text of any proposed amendments to Bylaws is to be included in the Notice (Art. XIII, Sec. 1).

The Zoom link for the Annual Meeting is: tinyurl.com/uusundays

Submitted: May 27, 2026
Dan Ball, Secretary
Paul Blackburn, President

Join us for the UUA General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship with Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryn. We’ll be joining with thousands of other Unitarian Universalists from around the country as we gather in the Grange to watch a recording of this very special service. You can expect great music, inspiring words, and some chills down your spine as we experience some of the best worship that our denomination has to offer. And we’ll even be setting up a breakfast bar upstairs so that we can nosh as we watch.

The service will be followed by our Annual Congregational Meeting at 12 pm.

Join the Freedom Choir!

The Freedom Choir is open to all to participate. There are two rehearsals happening from 5:30-7 pm on June 15 and June 17 at Riverside UCC (State St and 4th in Hood River). The performance will be at 4 pm on the 19th. If. you’d like to participate, please come to the June 15 and June 17 rehearsals.

Join the Freedom Choir!

The Freedom Choir is open to all to participate. There are two rehearsals happening from 5:30-7 pm on June 15 and June 17 at Riverside UCC (State St and 4th in Hood River). The performance will be at 4 pm on the 19th. If. you’d like to participate, please come to the June 15 and June 17 rehearsals.

Bring your questions and curiosities to the Town Hall after service as we prepare for our Annual General Meeting on June 21.

Presented by Dan Ball with celebrant Rev. Barbara Prose
Music by Jasper Krehbiel

PDF of our Program

We take time once a year to give thanks and bless our companions in life—cats and dogs, birds and chickens, turtles and fish and so much more! This ceremony also acknowledges that our lives are made fuller and richer by the creatures that inhabit the Earth with us, not just those that live with us. In recognition of those critters special to you, bring them, a picture, or a memorabilia reminder with you to share at a blessing alter at our service at the Grange.

The Executive Director of the UU Animal Ministry, Rev. John Millspaugh, visited us a few years ago. Learn more about Rev. John here. He recommended that we honor the animals and have a dairy and meat free hospitality Sunday Service. Therefore, our Hospitality Team will have no flesh food or other animal products during our coffee time after this service.

This service will be followed by the Fellowship Town Hall at 12 pm. Members are encouraged to attend and bring your questions before the June 21 Annual General Meeting.