Worship This Week
10 a.m. December 28th, 2025
Dec. 28th: Janus
Service and Music with Rev. Charles Grindle with Rev. Niki Norman: Charles is a classically trained musician with a passion for music of all kinds. He has worked as a pit musician and music director for school and community theaters in Maine and New Hampshire as well as serving as a church organist and pianist. Charles has also played in clubs and lounges from New Brunswick to California and has appeared onstage in Portland community theaters. He and Niki first met and worked together at First Parish in Portland This year they will be reminding us that ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall’, an anthem from the 70s written by Hiller and Goodison. “It is time to take these words to heart as we move toward better days for all of us”. This is about their 7th time offering a musical uplift for the coming year!
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.
Friday, Dec. 26th - Deadline for The Messenger: NEW ADDRESS: UUCSB.webchaplain@gmail.com
Sunday, Dec. 28th @ 10:00 AM - Worship (Click Here to Live Stream)
Friday, Jan. 2nd @ 12:00 PM - Brown Bag Lunch
Office Hours
Administrator
Brian Dustin
Mon/Wed/Fri 8-10 AM
Caring Needs
Message from Rev. Lori
Hello Wonderful People,
Here we are in liminal space again! The space between our celebrations of Hanukah, Christmas, Solstice and our celebration of Janus coming up on Sunday. Time to take a breath from all of the busyness of the season and prepare to inventory and let go of the baggage of 2025. And where to begin with that…am I right? We have focused on hope, and joy and love and community. So when we take inventory, hold those close as barometers of your year. I share a quick verse about Janus:
Two faces,
one looking back, one forward—
keeper of thresholds,
guardian of beginnings.
In one eye, memory:
what shaped us, what we survived.
In the other, possibility:
doors unlatched, light not yet named.
Janus teaches us
to pause in the doorway,
to bless what was
and step—awake—into what may be.
I invite you to close your eyes and picture your doorway, literally or figuratively. Glance backwards and see what baggage, furniture, trash, treasure sits behind from the past. Notice what captures yours attention the most. What emotion, event, experience is most present for your as you think about 2025? I invite you to bow to it/them and thank them for what they offered. I invite you to forgive them or yourself for any unwanted or unhappy energy. I invite you to release it/them through your doorway of 2025 and begin to envision what closing that door looks like.
Now to the future. Visualize your most hoped for dream for 2026. I know many have big events happening and I am envisioning all joyful, wonder filled moments for you. What does that joyous future look like? What do you hope for most? Who is there with you? Where is it taking place? What is the season where this is revealing itself? Of course reality is always more mysterious and unexpected than our imagination, but I believe our spirituality beckons us to envision possibility in all things. It beckons us to hope in all things. It beckons us to love in all ways.
What is love calling us to do this week? What is love calling you/us to do in 2026? What is love calling you/us to do?
Peace and Blessings
Rev Lori Whittemore
(she, her, hers)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco Biddeford
Exciting News for January! 🎉
Starting in January, The Messenger and the Friday Flyer are going online!
After a wonderful run as our Messenger Master, Matt H. is passing the torch to our Web Chaplain, Morgan R., who will now publish The Messenger monthly on our website—with an interactive email version coming soon.
At the same time, Brian D. is handing off creation of the Friday Flyer so he can focus on other important work. During this transition, Brian will send out a simple email each week with a link to the website.
What does this mean for submissions?
Please send anything you’d like included in The Messenger by end of day December 26 to Morgan’s new email:
uucsb.webchaplain@gmail.com.Starting January 1, send all Friday Flyer submissions to the same address!
Thanks so much for your support as we step into this new chapter!
Maine Needs Winter Gear – A Collection Drive
We need warm coats, warm hats, waterproof boots & Gloves, snow pants, warm socks for adults and kids. Gently used or new welcome. A drop box will be available at the church.
Ongoing activities
Share the Plate: December
We will share the plate in December with Hope Squad. Their mission is to see those that are invisible; to hear those that have no voice, and to reinforce the infinite value and worth of each person we meet by providing a loving, compassionate and consistent presence, needed resources and hope to those living in the shelters and on the streets of Maine through our mobile peer outreach. We made over 400 sandwiches for their outreach in November while we shared the plate with the saco food pantry that was hard at work to support people iduring the SNAP crisis and the holiday. We are sharing the December plate with the HOPE Squad.
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
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!
