September 2023

BLUU’s online worship services are Black Sacred Space in their entirety— by and for Black people, with the words and voices of Black folks across the diaspora— and we hope Black UUs and Black UU-adjacent folks (who share our values) from far and wide will join us!

For our non-Black siblings in faith, please DO share this invitation with Black folks in your life and community. Getting the word out about BLUU’s gatherings and other programming is one powerful way of lending your support, and we deeply appreciate it!

For all of our services, feel free to come into our BLUU Zoom Room as early as 15 minutes before the start of the service to get settled, say hello to the folks who are already gathering, and listen to the music softly playing as we all prepare for our time together.

Sign up for worship here: https://bit.ly/3wYfnjb.

Every meditation begins at 8:25 p.m. ET/5:25 p.m. PT with a five-minute check-in. Then, Ms. Alice offers a five-minute dharma talk, 15-minute meditation, and an ending with Darshan, a gaze blessing for all participants in the Zoom “squares,” our chosen families, the wider community, and our world family.

Black Sacred Space is by and for Black people. If you are a Black UU or a Black person who shares our values of love, justice, and liberation, please join us on Zoom.

Alice Ocrey has practiced Secular Buddhism since 2009. She became more involved with Secular Buddhism when she joined Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Chicago in 2010. When the Tuesday evening Sangha was held there, she was an avid participant. During the earlier parts of the pandemic, she was one of five people who facilitated a Daily Meditation. To date, Daily Meditation welcomes between 20- 60 participants. Some participants Zoom in from Seattle, Portugal, Pakistan and other parts of the United States and the world. Whenever you come, you will be welcomed with open hearts.

BLUU Welcomes Our First

Commissioned Lay Minister: Meet Albie Johnson

Some of us may be familiar with CLMs. They serve in various capacities—

providing pastoral care, assisting with worship, supporting community engagement, etc. They typically only serve in congregational settings. But because BLUU is an ever-growing spiritual community as well as an organization, the Council accepted Albie’s desire (and our hope) for her to serve with BLUU. With all the paperwork turned in, and the last tasks completed, Albie is set to be approved by the Council and started with us as of Sept. 1.

Albie is a lover of poetry and the arts. She considers life a series of Journeys and looks forward to them all. As a curious being and seeker of religious and spiritual studies, Albie has served as Minister, Lay Minister, and Religious Educator prior to fully embracing Unitarian Universalism in 2016. She is currently serving All Faiths Unitarian Congregation as a part-time contract minister.

For more information about Commissioned Lay Ministers, check out their page on the UUA’s website.

Meet BLUU’s Development Officer: Alexandrea Kouame

Alexandrea works remotely from Minneapolis (the unceded lands of the Dakota people). She is a part-time contractor. There is a plan to add a mentorship component to her work to mentor a person of color in development work in 2024.

BLUU is blessed with a community filled with pastoral and spiritual leadership. Please don’t forget that the BLUU Ministerial Network has a pastoral care line available for Black folks. You can text or call 984-219-8710 to schedule a time to speak with a BLUU chaplain.