Announcements

All Ages Worship (25 May 2025)

Please join us on Sunday (25 May 2025) at 11:00 AM for “Social Justice as a Spiritual Practice ( . . . and Spiritual Practice as a Way to Keep Doing Social Justice)” by Susan Caldwell (All Souls Director of Lifespan Religious Education).

For many years, Unitarian Universalists have often struggled with the question of our identity as a faith tradition.  Are we all about spiritual growth or social justice?

Ultimately, we have to come back to the only answer for both choices — Yes.

The work of justice is sacred work and the work itself can feed our spirits, but this work is for the long haul.  We need to be looking out for each other, to provide shelter, food, rest, or pep talks as needed — and we each need a source of spiritual sustenance to keep us grounded for what is ours to do.

We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA  71106 if you are able to do so.

Our service will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live here if you cannot attend in person.

State-level COVID data can be found on the Louisiana Department of Health’s respiratory virus dashboard web page.  The most sensitive metric to follow for current COVID trends is the “Laboratory Surveillance Data” link.  The link is currently showing COVID and flu rates with a slight uptick as of 17 May 2025 while RSV is maintaining a very low level in our state.

Starting on 13 November 2022, masks will be optional indoors at All Souls.

Anyone who prefers to keep wearing a mask is welcome to do so and attending worship through livestream video is also an option.

We will still have KN95 masks available in the foyer for anyone who needs one.

We continue to recommend that you stay home if you have any symptoms, and that you keep up with all available vaccinations and boosters.

We no longer require proof of vaccination against COVID for all attendees ages 11 and up for indoor events.

However, we do strongly encourage that anyone attending our worship services or other indoor events at All Souls be vaccinated against COVID.

If you are recovering from COVID and have no symptoms, you should mask in public until you have tested negative twice in a 48 hour period.

We also ask that you go by the previous CDC guidelines of waiting at least 5 days past the onset of symptoms rather than the current 24 hour recommendation.

And of course — if you have symptoms (COVID or other respiratory illness) — please stay home and take care of yourself.

Our May 2025 give-away-the-plate recipient is Shreveport Green.

And you can contribute to All Souls using this online resource.

Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education (25 May 2025)

Please join us on Sunday (25 May 2025) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM.

Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom.

Our topic will be “Legislative Watch 2025” with Susan Caldwell and Barbara Deger.

Molly Ivins said:

“When politicians start talking about large groups of their fellow Americans as ‘enemies,’ it’s time for a quiet stir of alertness.  Polarizing people is a good way to win an election, and also a good way to wreck a country.”

True to form, the Louisiana State Legislature seems to be looking for all sorts of ways to do just that.

We are trying to do at least a little of the work of letting you know what to watch for and to let them know you’re watching.

Zoom Lunch This Wednesday (28 May 2025)

Please join us next Wednesday (28 May 2025) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch.

Our weekly Zoom lunch is zoom-only this week.

If you do want to meet in person, send Susan a text message (318-465-3427) to let her know.

Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Meditation with Larry Androes (24 May 2025)

Please join us on Saturday (24 May 2025) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes.

This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person.

This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching.

All Ages Worship (18 May 2025)

Please join us on Sunday (18 May 2025) at 11:00 AM for “The Enemy of the Good” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell.

Rev. Barbara is in the pulpit this morning and members of the All Souls Choir will sing.

This is Rev. Barbara’s last Sunday in the pulpit before she leaves for summer vacation and study leave.

We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA  71106 if you are able to do so.

Our service will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live here if you cannot attend in person.

State-level COVID data can be found on the Louisiana Department of Health’s respiratory virus dashboard web page.  The most sensitive metric to follow for current COVID trends is the “Laboratory Surveillance Data” link.  The link is currently showing COVID and flu rates decreasing as of 10 May 2025 while RSV is maintaining a very low level in our state.

Starting on 13 November 2022, masks will be optional indoors at All Souls.

Anyone who prefers to keep wearing a mask is welcome to do so and attending worship through livestream video is also an option.

We will still have KN95 masks available in the foyer for anyone who needs one.

We continue to recommend that you stay home if you have any symptoms, and that you keep up with all available vaccinations and boosters.

We no longer require proof of vaccination against COVID for all attendees ages 11 and up for indoor events.

However, we do strongly encourage that anyone attending our worship services or other indoor events at All Souls be vaccinated against COVID.

If you are recovering from COVID and have no symptoms, you should mask in public until you have tested negative twice in a 48 hour period.

We also ask that you go by the previous CDC guidelines of waiting at least 5 days past the onset of symptoms rather than the current 24 hour recommendation.

And of course — if you have symptoms (COVID or other respiratory illness) — please stay home and take care of yourself.

Our May 2025 give-away-the-plate recipient is Shreveport Green.

And you can contribute to All Souls using this online resource.

Religious Education for Children and Youth (18 May 2025)

This Sunday’s religious education activity for children and youth during the 11:00 AM worship service will be exploring peace, social justice, and the interdependent web.

The last line of our Chalice Lighting says:

“We care for the Earth and for each other.”

This week we begin our season of emphasis on social justice as a spiritual practice in our history and in our actions in the present moment.

Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education (18 May 2025)

Please join us on Sunday (18 May 2025) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM.

Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom.

We will be discussing “From Francis to Leo:  And How Does it Matter to Us as UUs?, Part 2” facilitated by Susan Caldwell and Barbara Deger.

Turns our we’re not the only church nerds in the group and the discussion last week was so energetic that we didn’t even get to the video (a Democracy Now segment profiling the new pontiff).

This week, we’ll watch the video about the new Pope, answer some questions that came up last week, and take a look at the first full week of Pope Leo’s papacy.

 

Donate a Banned Book to the Banned Book Bookshelf

Starting this Sunday (18 May 2025) and beyond — donate a banned book to our congregation’s banned book bookshelf dedicated to the memory of John Tuggle.

Thanks to our Board President Sally Wood (who was inspired by a gift of banned books from her daughter) we now have a banned books bookshelf in the sanctuary foyer waiting to be filled.

Please bring one or more banned books from your home library to donate to the bookshelf.

Want to find out what books have been banned?  Check out the American Library Association’s Banned Book Lists.

You may be surprised by some of the books on it and a Unitarian Universalist is probably going to have at least one banned book in their home library.

The Banned Books Bookshelf is dedicated to the memory of our own John Tuggle who (before his death in September 2024) was Director of the Shreve Memorial Library System and a fierce advocate for the right to read the books of our choosing, free from censorship by those who would rewrite history, and even write some of our fellow citizens out of existence.

Let’s work together to build this very fitting memorial to our friend John.

Zoom Lunch This Wednesday (21 May 2025)

Please join us next Wednesday (21 May 2025) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch.

Our weekly Zoom lunch is zoom-only this week.

If you do want to meet in person, send Susan a text message (318-465-3427) to let her know.

Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.