Month: June 2023

TV Recommendations with Rev. Gretchen: Nine New Shows

June 9, 2023 /

It’s June, which means this is my last post in this series! I hope you’ve enjoyed watching tv over the last few weeks.  

The amazing thing about TV right now is that great shows come out every day, and new discoveries of brilliance, originality, and creativity are constantly possible. Which is amazing and also sometimes overwhelming because it can be hard to keep up and track all that’s out there that is worth watching. To help focus on some of the best brand-new shows, I offer this list of recommendations, all of which have dropped in 2023, as my last post and as a reminder to keep watching tv! 

Nine New Shows

  1. The Diplomat (Netflix, 8 episodes, 50 minutes) – Keri Russell stars in this entirely compelling story of a diplomat accustomed to behind-the-scenes nitty-gritty thrown into a high-profile ambassador position as a test run for being recruited into the vice presidency. Despite this serious-sounding premise, this is a super fun show, in a tone similar to the West Wing or the Newsroom, that is both geo-political intrigue and romantic comedy. Keri Russell is perpetually sweaty yet somehow always gorgeous and her husband is somehow slimy, and yet you can’t also kind of root for him. This is definitely one of those shows it’s hard to stop watching once you start.  
  2. The Last of Us (HBO, 9 episodes, 45-75 minutes) – Don’t let the “adapted from a video game” OR the “zombie apocalypse” part of this show stop you from giving it a try. I am generally not oriented to either of these genres, but still found this an emotionally rich and compelling story, mixed with a sort of buddy-road-trip vibe for our two main characters, Joel and Ellie, who are trying to get across the devastated country with the hope for a cure for the fungal virus that has decimated so many.  A couple of the episodes in this series provide truly brilliant acting and storytelling that you don’t want to miss.  I have some mixed feelings about the ending, but definitely already look forward to season 2.
  3. Daisy Jones & The Six (Amazon Prime, 10 episodes, 50 minutes) – This story of a (fictional) 1970s band in their rise and fall, as well as their personal relationships of love and chaos behind the scenes. Featuring original music, a cast that spent a lot of time rehearsing together (and it shows), and a stunning lead in Riley Keough, also known as Elvis Pressley’s granddaughter.  I thoroughly enjoyed this show, even if it is sometimes predictable and light, the music is great and the acting is compelling.  
  4. Will Trent (Hulu/ABC, 13 episodes, 50 minutes) – This is an extremely satisfying and easy-to-watch variation on the “guy who is really good at solving crimes” genre a la the Mentalist, Monk, or Psych, starring the compelling Ramon Rodriguez alongside Erika Christensen (who I always root for as an actress) as his “we don’t date” lifelong love interest. While this show isn’t breaking new ground, it is a highly entertaining procedural with a strong cast (probably stronger than the material they are working, including the brilliant Sonja Sohn and underutilized LisaGay Hamilton) and a throughline story that keeps you engaged. 
  5. Class of ‘07 (Amazon Prime, 8 episodes, 30 minutes) – This would probably be on my “this show isn’t for everyone list,” but if you’re into irreverent apocalyptic high school reunion stories, this Australian series is definitely for you. Set at an all-girls school reunion where suddenly they all realize they will be spending the end of their days with the people they least want to hang out with again, this show is absurd, goofy, sometimes gross, and also totally engaging and fun to watch. This show takes a while to find its rhythm, but the ensemble cast keeps you coming back, and by the second half, it feels fun and fresh.
  6. Poker Face (Peacock, 10 episodes, 50-60 minutes) – The main reason to watch this show is Natasha Lyonne, who you’ll know from Russian Doll, Orange is the New Black, or maybe further back in American Pie. She holds an undeniable charisma, such that even you’ll stick with the slower parts of this series just to find out how she fares in the end.  Lyonne plays Charlie Cale, a casino worker who also happens to be a human lie detector.  Wherever she goes, she also happens to find herself entangled in murder and mystery, which she inevitably ends up solving before moving on to the next adventure. If you’re getting Columbo vibes, that’s not an accident, as the creators reference that show along with others that use a “howcatchem” structure where you know who did it from the beginning of the episode, but the drama of the series is how they will be caught.  This pattern can get a little too predictable, and they wait a little too long to bring the long arc mystery back into play, but this is still a highly entertaining and fun crime drama, especially, again, because Lyonne is just too fun to watch.  
  7. Dead Ringers (Amazon Prime, 6 episodes, 50-60 minutes) – High-camp horror is my best description of this show, which I’m not sure sells it very well.  For me, the ick factor is overcome by the curiosity factor, as we hope to learn what identical twins Elliot and Beverly Mantle have planned for their women’s health / highly experimental reproductive laboratory once they can secure the needed funding. Rachel Weisz offers an amazing, chilling performance as the twins, as the show takes us on a gorgeous, weird, unexpected, and emotionally complex journey, building steadily towards the finale. Theoretically based on the 1988 film starring Jeremy Irons, by changing the gender to women, there is an extra layer of commentary about female control and agency, highly relevant to our world today.  
  8. The Night Agent (Netflix, 10 episodes, 50 minutes) – I’m realizing my list is heavy on the crime/political intrigue genre…not sure why that is, except that sometimes these can feel like comfort food when there’s a lot going on in the world. The Night Agent is a very solid entry in this genre, telling the story of a highly loyal CIA Agent who ends up in over his head attempting to uncover the traitor within the white house.  This show is smart without being overly complicated, and Hong Chau, who generally makes everything she’s in better, is great fun as star Gabriel Basso’s Peter Sutherland’s main contact.  
  9. Tiny Beautiful Things (Hulu, 8 episodes, 30 minutes) –  If you enjoyed Cheryl Strayed story in Wild (either book or movie), this is a little like a sequel, as it follows Strayed’s life as she becomes the author of the advice column, Dear Sugar – although slightly fictionalized into the character of Claire. The two leads – Kathryn Hahn as Claire now and Sarah Pidgeon as Claire as a young adult – are both doing great work as they work to keep the tone from being way way way too much and instead land on “much.” This is what Claire is – she’s messy and still struggling to become the person she wanted to be, even at 50, and yet also finding herself giving other people advice. I’m guessing her messiness will make this a show not for everyone too, but if you’re a Kathryn Hahn fan in any sense and/or are looking for a witty tearjerker, this show is for you.

A Year of Music-Making and Community-Building

June 7, 2023 /

Wow, it has been an incredible year for music ministry at Foothills! It’s hard for be to believe that my first visit to the church was one year ago this week. In the 10 months since I started serving as your music director, we have shared so many incredible experiences together. Let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the musical highlights of the past year:

Benjamin’s first rehearsal with the choir during his interview in June.

In August, the Foothills Choir started up again after a period of dormancy during the pandemic. The choir’s first project was preparing music for a celebration of life ceremony for longtime Foothills member and retired choir director, Bob Mollison. We were joined by former students of Bob’s from around the country, bolstering the choir to over 40 singers, as well as guest musicians from the local Front Range Chamber Players.

Special music for our annual Water Ceremony at the Drake Center.
In September we held our annual Water Ceremony at the Drake Center, where a small group of Foothills musicians provided special music for the service, including premiering an original song that Steve Sedam wrote for the occasion.
The Global Peace & Justice Pick-up Choir sings a Ukrainian protest song.
Later that month, we partnered with the church’s Global Peace & Justice Team to host a film screening of “The Singing Revolution,” the story of Estonia’s non-violent, musical independence movement. Attendees had a chance to learn and sing some historic Estonian and Ukrainian protest songs. In October we held a follow-up event, the Global Peace & Justice Pick-up Choir, where participants learned protest songs and choral music from around the world, then shared those songs in Sunday services as a call for peace in Ukraine and around the world.
Singing along the rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset.
In November, we took our music ministry on the road as a part of the Foothills Grand Canyon Retreat! Every night of the retreat, participants gathered along the rim of the Canyon to sing songs of gratitude and love of nature, and every night we attracted tourists to sing with us who weren’t even a part of the retreat! This month also saw the return of our candlelit Vespers Services, which combined prayer, ritual, and music to create beautiful evening worship experiences. These services featured musical meditations that included didgeridoo, drums, various string instruments, and chants from the ecumenical Taizé community.
The Foothills Choir rehearsing Christmas and Hanukkah songs before the service.
Foothills’ Holiday Children’s Choir performing in services.

The holidays season at Foothills was filled with festive music! Worship services in December featured the Foothills Choir and our Holiday Children’s Choir, who shared modern and traditional holiday songs for both Christmas and Hanukkah. We also held a special special Winter Solstice vespers service with music celebrating the darkness and turning of the seasons, led by the Foothills Madrigals. Services on Christmas Eve were full of congregational songs woven throughout the Christmas story, as well as carols led by youth singers from our community.

Foothills’ caroling group arrives to sing at Columbine Senior Living.
Outside of services, a group of Foothills carolers also shared holiday songs and stories with the residents at Columbine Senior Living, another longtime Foothills tradition that returned this year after being on pause during the pandemic.
Foothills members marching at the MLK Jr. Day march in downtown Fort Collins.

In January, we held our first-ever MLK Jr. Day Pick-up Choir! This event invited people to sing protest songs from the American civil rights movement, learn the stories behind the music, and explore how the legacy of those songs lives on today. We had a record turnout, with over 40 singers from ages 10 to 90 years old! The singers then shared some of the songs we learned during services on MLK Jr. Day weekend, then took to the streets to sing at Fort Collins’ MLK Jr. Day March. Singers from Foothills led singing and chanting all along the route of the march, joining our voices with members of the wider community to call for justice and equal protection for all people.

Local drag queen Krisa Gonna performing during Sunday services.

In February, we launched a new worship series, GenderFluent, which was all about exploring the sacred mysteries surrounding Gender identity and expression. As a part of this series, we welcomed local drag queen Krisa Gonna, who gave an incredible performance in our Sunday services! The Foothills Choir also led the congregation in singing “You Are Loved,” an incredible choral anthem with words by our very own Rev. Gretchen. This series was so well received that we have adapted it into a curriculum––including all of the songs, hymns, and special music that were a part of our services––which other churches can use to start conversations around gender in their own communities.

In April, we held the Active Hope Pick-up Choir, part of a series exploring how we can work through climate despair to create meaningful change to protect the earth. The Pick-up Choir learned songs from Earth-based spiritual traditions, climate justice protest songs, and the stirring anthem, “Hallelujah for the Earth.” These songs served as the focal point for discussion around feelings of climate grief and loss and also served as a rousing call to action. Sharing these songs in our Earth Day services with the Pick-up Choir was one of my highlights of the spring!

A group of Foothills musicians on Music Sunday.

In May, we closed out the year with an incredible All-Music Sunday! These services were made up entirely of music suggested by members of our community, ranging from folk songs and renaissance madrigals, to pop music and original compositions, performed by all of our choirs, plus several special groups of singers and instrumentalists. The church was filled with joyous music and with people coming together to celebrate the songs we love. It was a beautiful way to end the season!
 
Looking ahead, the music ministries at Foothills have so much to look forward to next year! Planning is already underway for special music for the grand opening of our new sanctuary in September, including guest musicians and new songs presented by the Foothills Choir, plus an opportunity to get involved with music for the first services in the new space! In the coming months, I will also have some amazing news to share about the return of the Children’s Choir in the fall, an upcoming musical collaboration between the Foothills Choir and another group in our community, and information about opportunities to perform in an inaugural concert in the new sanctuary!
 
Thank you for being a part of this incredible year of music-making and community-building at Foothills. I can’t wait to continue singing with you in the years to come!

Benjamin Hanson, Music Director
benjamin@foothillsuu.org

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June 2023 Series Invitation: Sit By Me

June 2, 2023 /

About this time last year, Carri and I started saying a new mantra to ourselves: leave the house.  
 
It was kind of a joke, kind of not – because we recognized that we had fallen into some new habits during the pandemic that made it more likely that we would barely leave our home most days. Some days, we realized we’d barely left our living room. 
 
Especially since, at the time, she and I were primarily working at home, there just wasn’t a requirement to leave in the ways there were pre-pandemic, and even though we weren’t feeling COVID-cautious about being out in the world, it felt like there was just some sort of gravitational force field keeping us from leaving.  
 
And yet, at the same time, we also recognized an increasing sense of loneliness and desire for more personal connections and social time with people other than each other. We complained about not having people to hang out with, and we even joined a couple of meet-up lists that seemed to align with our interests….yet nothing changed. And the main reason for this, we had to acknowledge, is that we didn’t really leave our house.  
 
This is all a true story I am confessing here, and also I think it’s a good metaphor for the challenges of belonging. Humans are wired for social connection. We need it like we need food, air, and shelter. And yet, there is something about life today that has us caught more often than not in cycles of isolation, disconnection, and loneliness. We all struggle to leave our (metaphorical and sometimes literal) house. We struggle with the awkwardness and vulnerability required to create real and lasting relationships. We struggle to prioritize the relationships we already have. And sometimes, we struggle to know just how real belonging could and should happen in today’s theoretically hyper-connected world.  
 
This was all true before the pandemic. Studies showing increasing isolation and social disconnection started popping up in the 1990s, as exemplified by the scholarship of Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone. These trends increased over the early 2000s. Social media has given us the illusion (and serotonin boost) of belonging while rarely delivering on humans’ deeper needs for intimacy, meaning, and purpose – all components of true belonging. The pandemic (as with many other things) accelerated and complicated what was already true. As Surgeon General Vivek Murthy puts it in his 2023 report, our country is now experiencing an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation.”  
 
For all the many ways our church is called to respond to life today, the challenge of belonging and community feels the most central to me. Because belonging is something that people come to Foothills seeking most of all. It is one of the most urgent questions on their hearts (whether they could or would articulate it that way or not), and that is true whether it is their first time showing up on a Sunday or they’ve been coming for decades. The longing for true belonging is life-long. It evolves but doesn’t go away.  
 
For all these reasons, we are excited to spend the month of June exploring a series on belonging. A series we call Sit By Me. Because ultimately, studies show that the best way to experience belonging is to invite someone else into it with you. To recognize that belonging starts within ourselves. To discern the underlying beliefs that get in the way of belonging and to shift those. To practice belonging like a leap of faith. A leap we can all take together.  

This Sunday, I invite you all to leave the house (virtually or IRL) to help us launch our series with the 100th anniversary of the Unitarian Flower Ceremony at 9:30 AM. We’ve saved you a seat.

With love,

Rev. Gretchen

Learn more about our Sit By Me series.
Get details about our Sunday services.

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