| This service asks us to take a careful look at the nature and state of our “democracy” in the United States. Until recently, many of us, including the speaker, may have taken its security for granted, but now it is clearly in peril and we must ask: how do we respond? I seek the answer through the music of Leonard Cohen (Democracy Is Coming to the USA), David Mallett (Celebration), Tommy Sands (Daughters and Sons), and Charlie King (She Would Not Stop Knocking at the Door) along with the words of MLK set to music by Eileen Vance. Geoff’s Unitarian Universalist experience began with family connections to the Mt. Kisco, NY UU Fellowship, where he started to present musically based Sunday Services forty years ago. By that time, he’d become an active member of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and that organization’s environmental/humanist message had begun to reshape the focus of his folk music repertoire. From one of these, Pete Seeger, he learned a special lesson of how thrilling it can be to get an audience to share in the experience of singing. One of his peak experiences to date was in June of 2003, when he was selected to lead three songs at the GA Closing Celebration in Boston and felt the exquisite power of thousands of voices joined in purpose and harmony. For 35 years Geoff sang and organized maritime music at Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. Since then, Geoff has had an active touring schedule and has turned greater attention to music that speaks to issues of social justice, the climate crisis and our need to find common ground. One of Geoff’s great concerns is that our culture, particularly through modern electronic media, teaches us not to join in, but rather to be cautious and isolated. He believes anyone can sing, and that one of the greatest affirmations of our humanity is to lift our voices together, whether in song or in protest. He will be the featured performer at the Cranberry Coffeehouse (hosted by our congregation) on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30pm. |
We hope to see you in person! Our COVID policy has been suspended and masking is now optional. Online information .. https://zoom.us/j/97989696520?pwd=ZG9NclFYQm9VV0NTb2VhNVM0R00xQT09 Meeting ID: 979 8969 6520 Passcode: 183183 Phone: +1 929 205 6099 Order of Service: uubinghamton.org/order-of-service/ |
UUCB Social Hour You are invited to join the in-person social hour after the service. We also host a Zoom social hour then. In that session we will take a minute for any special announcements before doing our usual break-out rooms. Same Zoom information as for the service. |