Worship This Week
10 a.m. October 5th
Cultivating Compassion: What Are You Addicted To?
Led by Rev. Lori joined by folks from Portland Treatment Center, October Share the Plate recipients.
Music by the Pick-Up Chorus
For our Sunday security, we lock the doors at 10:05. Ushers will monitor the doors until 10:15.
Church Activities This Week
Unless indicated otherwise, these activities welcome all members and friends.
Full calendar below with links to these & other upcoming events.
Sunday, Oct 5th @ 10:00 AM - Worship (Click Here to Live Stream)
Sunday, Oct 5th @ 11:15 PM - Holiday Fair Planning
Wednesday, Oct 8th @ 9:30 AM - From Aging to Saging: A Wisdom Circle
Thursday, Oct 9th @ 7:00 PM - SBGM Online
Friday, Oct 10th @ 9:00 AM - Worship Committee
Office Hours
Administrator
Brian Dustin
Mon/Wed/Fri 8-10 AM
Caring Needs
Message from Rev. Lori
Hello Good People
We head into the month of October with the theme of cultivating compassion. What a hugely important theme right now and what an invitation to all of us to participate in! We are sharing our plate this month with Portland Treatment Center, located in Biddeford, and joined this Sunday by two champions from the organization to share about their important work!
I titled this Sunday’s service, “What Are You Addicted to?” thinking of addiction through the lens of compassion. We are all addicted to something. When we recognize that shared fact, we can find the truest source of our compassion. It is our connection. Our connection to each other in our most vulnerable places and spaces. I have heard it said that connection is the opposite of addiction. When you feel connected to others, able to reach out and seek support and offer it, you feel true purpose and calling. That is one of the secrets to a fulfilled life, a meaningful life, and a healthy life! We will have the opportunity to hear about some journeys with it and also some of the gaps in the system. These gaps sometimes/often add challenges to folks getting back on their feet. We can help in our small way financially. And we can help the world tremendously through self reflection and connection to our own issues. And, of course, our sense of compassion towards self. That gives us the strength to direct our compassion outwards!
Let’s focus today on what our own challenges are and how we connect with those as tools for connecting deeply with others in empathy and service!
Addiction isn’t just about drugs or alcohol. It’s broader, and honestly, a lot more familiar than we like to admit. Most of us know what it’s like to chase a feeling—whether it’s the dopamine hit from social media, the comfort of a nightly glass of wine, or the mindless escape of binge-watching something when life feels a little too sharp around the edges. Addiction, in some ways, is about the stories we tell ourselves: “I need this to unwind,” “I’ll stop tomorrow,” or “It’s not that bad.” We all have a version of that narrative.
On a deeper level, addiction is about trying to fill some gap—boredom, loneliness, anxiety, pain—with something that offers relief, at least for a moment. But the relief is temporary, and the need is persistent. That’s the cycle. It’s not a moral failing; it’s something that connects all of us as humans. We want to feel good and avoid pain. Sometimes, the ways we try to do that end up hurting us.
The truth is, everyone is at least a little bit addicted to something. And the more we can acknowledge that—without shame, without judgment—the more honest we can be about what we’re really looking for, and the more compassionate we can be with ourselves and others. Connection, not isolation, is the antidote. And maybe that’s what makes us human: the search for comfort, and the hope that someone else understands. Perhaps being the understanders first is a good place to start.
I invite you to read this again, perhaps out loud and in your head.
Think about the gaps in your life that cause you angst and how you fill them.
Surround yourself in warmth and light.
Come together this weekend for the warmth and light of others and the openness to consider how we help in tangible ways.
Rev Lori Whittemore
(she, her, hers)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco Biddeford
Futures
We had our first meeting of the futures salon last week. The time together will consist of mapping our assets, considering the needs of our community and the broader community, inviting in dialogue partners from the broader community, identifying some gaps that we can and want to fill in consideration of our assets and principles.
This is a forum open to any all. We will post our meeting dates. We will keep you all updated in fliers and messengers and on our website. We will post things in the Parish Hall and bulletin boards and seek everyone’s input as we develop specific questions we are asking of ourselves. The questions to be contemplated will always be posted at least 2 weeks before our next meeting so you can ge the meeting on your schedule or send thoughts along for consideration. Stay tuned and reach out to Rev Lori for questions!
We are going to have an organizational meeting right after church on Sunday for everyone interested in working on the holiday fair. We need to get a date for the fair as well as a theme.
So, please come so that we can start to plan all of the details regarding the fair.
Ongoing activities
Share the Plate: October
Portland Treatment Center
At Portland Treatment near Portland, Maine, we understand that every individual’s path to recovery is unique. Whether you or your loved one is struggling with alcohol dependency or a substance use disorder, our compassionate team is here to guide you toward lasting hope and healing. From day one, our goal is to provide a safe, welcoming environment where you feel empowered to take the first step toward a healthier future. With programs tailored to your needs—like our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and referrals for detox services —we’re committed to helping you reclaim control of your life.
School Street Coffeehouse Fundraiser
School Street Coffeehouse is pleased to offer special edition stickers, donated by Thomas Clukey, as part of a $1 fundraiser.
Stickers will be available at Coffeehouse events, open mikes, and during Social Hour on Sundays. For those of you at a distance, stickers can be obtained by mail with a $1 donation and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Every sticker purchased will support and give visability to the Coffeehouse, helping sustain this brand new tradition at UUCSB.
Hannaford Gift Cards
Would you like to donate to the church in a way that doesn’t cost you anything? If you buy your weekly groceries with a Hannaford gift card purchased from UUCSB, the church gets 5%. Our church depends on this fundraiser to contribute to its operating budget. Cards are available in $100 or $50 denominations. Gift cards are for sale in the Parish Hall every Sunday after the worship service. If you are worshiping virtually, just call or email Jane P. and make arrangements to pick them up at another time. Thank you for participating in this fundraiser in support of our church.
Save the Date! Upcoming Events
October Spotlights: Our new program From Aging to Saging, created for but not limited to our long timers, is set to begin on October 8. at 9:30. It will take place the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 9:30-11:00 and will explore several practices to deepen spirituality. Read more about it in the September Messenger. And study up on Small Group Ministry over here. Please rsvp to revlori@uuchurchsacobiddeford.org to let her know if you are planning to attend!
Also, on Saturday, October 11th join UUCSB community member, Deborah, for a guided forest walk in Baldwin Maine from 11-1. Deb will share her knowledge with folks as well walk her wooded trails and nature preserve. She will share why different tree species dominate different wooded parcels, how to identify and date logging stumps and roads, the role of the “nurse” tree and so much more. Share kinship with the community and lunch and something to share. Click on the forest walk picture below for more information!
These UUCSB meetings, community events, and important deadlines are just around the corner.
Learn more by clicking on a square or check out our full calendar over here!
