Unitarian Universalists of the
Online Newsletter for March 2007
April Newsletter Deadline is Monday, March 26. Submit items to kivana“at”comcast.net
March
4 “The Sun Never Says ‘You Owe Me’”
Rev. Judy
Welles; Carol Lindsay, Worship Associate; Music
will be provided by Sally Beaver, KidsSing, and the
Choir.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be
as generous as the sun, with no expectation of being repaid for all that we
give? Today, as we begin our annual stewardship drive, we’ll reminisce
over the past two years at UUCV and be reminded of all the reasons to practice
generosity in our spiritual home.
March 11 “Keeping Sabbath”
The Rev. Duane Fickeisen
and Dan Cozort, Worship Associate. Music will be provided by Ken Laws, Carole Knisely, and the Choir.
Life, for many
of us, is out of balance. It can be difficult to keep priorities straight and
attend to the things that really matter in the midst of competing demands.
We'll explore the old idea of making intentional time to nourish your soul and
spirit and what it might mean to keep the Sabbath as a part of your practice.
The children will present their understanding of the right of conscience and
the democratic process.
March 18 “All Are Neighbors”
The Rev. Duane Fickeisen
and Bev Motich, Worship Associate. Music will be provided by Pat Spader and by KidsSing.
In this
intergenerational service, we'll introduce the sixth principle of Unitarian
Universalism -- "the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and
justice for all" -- by considering who are our
neighbors and what does it mean to live in the world of nearly instantaneous
communication, yet in the midst of tremendous economic differences.
March 25 "The End of Poverty?"
Dan Cozort and
Carla Claycomb, Worship Associates. Music will be provided by Pat Spader, Gabe Baker, and the Choir
Recently
Jeffrey Sachs has written on how to end extreme poverty in the world, a goal
that he says can be attained in less than twenty years through relatively
modest increases in aid from the world's richest countries. Today we will
address the problem of world poverty and consider solutions. But we will also
consider whether poverty is really about money.
April 1 “The Hero's Journey”
The Rev. Duane Fickeisen
and Dot Everhart, Worship Associate. Music will be provided by Carole Knisely, Virginia and David Jackson, and the Choir
Jesus entered
Our monthly minister’s column, this month by
Rev. Judy Welles
Back in the
early days of this congregation, there was a common saying among us: “Everyone is on the Membership
Committee.” This attitude of welcome and
hospitality has been significant in shaping the UUCV culture; we are a warm and
welcoming group, and most of the newcomers who give us feedback about their
first experience here tell us that they were impressed with our friendliness.
Recently Duane
and I and others in the UUCV leadership have been looking closely at the
five-year, long range plan that you adopted in October, 2005. So many of the goals we set for the early
years of the plan have been accomplished – we have reason to feel proud of our
efforts. Yet the ultimate success of the
plan is predicated on numerical growth, and that is one area where we have not
met (or even approached) the goal. One
goal was that by the end of the current fiscal year, our membership would be
170. Currently it is 155, a net increase
of ten from this time last year.
All of the
parts of the long range plan are integrated, and we will shortly find that we
won’t be able to proceed much further with various aspects of the plan unless
we can also increase our numerical growth.
Hence this column, a reminder to all
of you, because remember, everyone is on the Membership Committee!
The “official”
Membership Committee (consisting of Rachel Teates,
the new chair; John Kallmann; Gisela Roethke; Jill Kachmar; Jane Freeman; and Doug Spencer) has begun a systematic
study of a DVD produced by the UU Church of Golden, Colorado, which is a
mid-size congregation that has grown steadily, undoubtedly due to the radical
religious hospitality that they extend to their many visitors. Here are a few
points from that video that we wanted to share with the whole congregation, since
everyone is on the Membership
Committee.
“Scoot over and
make room” is a wonderful metaphor for something more than welcoming someone to
sit next to you in the sanctuary… but let’s start there. I notice from the pulpit that people have
their preferred places to sit on Sunday mornings. That’s fine, and I wouldn’t dream of asking
you not to sit in your usual spot. (I
like knowing where to look for someone in particular when I hope to reach that
person with a point in my sermon.) But
if you’re sitting close to the end of a pew and someone comes in who’s looking
a little nervous and shy, please make eye contact, smile, and scoot over to
make room for them. No one wants to have
to climb over someone else to get into a pew, but everyone appreciates a friendly
person to sit next to.
You can also
“scoot over and make room” with your time and attention. Make room in your coffee hour conversation
for someone who is standing alone with no one to talk to. Please keep your eyes open for an unfamiliar
face. Don’t worry whether it might be
someone who’s come to UUCV before. You
could say “I don’t think we’ve met. Have
you been here before?” Whether they have
or not, you’re now set up to meet someone new.
It’s a good and healthy sign of growth when not everyone looks
familiar. And if everyone makes it a
point to greet newcomers (rather than expecting the greeters to take care of
it), our visitors will have the experience of truly feeling welcomed by the
whole congregation.
When talking
with a newcomer, I like to ask a neutral question like “How did you find
us?” That could invite a range of
responses from “I drove down Forge Road from Carlisle,” to “I’m going through a
lot of changes in my life right now, and coming to church seemed like it would
be a good idea.” Often people will talk
about finding our web site first, and then deciding to come on a Sunday.
In any case,
there’s your opening for further conversation.
Ask them “Oh, do you live in
Hospitality is
an important religious value. Please
help us live up to our reputation as a welcoming congregation (as well as being
a Welcoming Congregation) with your friendly welcome to all who come through
our doors. At UUCV, all are worthy and
all are welcome.
From Kit Franklin, UUCV
Board President
At
the risk of sounding like NPR recently, let me remind you that UUCV needs your
support to keep our programs going. This is the month that we ask each member
to make an annual pledge. We do this only ONCE each year. We need your promise
of support ahead of time so that we can plan and budget our activities and
commitments.
But
we try to make it fun for you, as well. The first Sunday in March, the morning
service, which includes the Sermon on the Amount, is followed by a bit of
hoopla and music. Over the next few weeks, there will be a series of Soup
Suppers in members’ homes. We hope you each will have signed up for one on the
table in front of the stage in the Social Hall. Choose one that is near your
home, or one at a convenient time, or best yet, one being hosted by someone
you’d like to get to know better. Soup Suppers are friendly gatherings of 8 to
12 members or friends of UUCV who, over bowls of hot soup, talk about our Beloved
Community, what it means to us, and what our hopes and dreams for its future
are. In past years, many of us have said we enjoyed the evening very much.
One
of the dreams we often hear expressed is that our Music Program might blossom
and grow. We had considered applying for a Chalice Lighter’s grant to pay for a
part-time Music Director, but that was put on a back-burner when our finances
were looking a bit gloomy. Now the sun is out again, and your Trustees have
decided to apply for the grant in March. The assumption is that as the grant
funding runs down over 3 years, we will be able to continue to pay the salary.
With your support, we can do that!
180
CHOCOLATE GOLD DOUBLOONS! WHAT A TREAT
Following the service on Sunday March 4,
get your coffee and tea and come back to the Sanctuary for an informative
session on U.U.C.V.’s finances for Fiscal Year July
1, 2007 through June 30, 2008, Larry Berger-Knorr,
speaker. Final details on our budget, of
course, will depend upon our collective generosity. After the presentation, you will have time to
ask questions.
Then we will swing into our kick-off
celebration of the new canvass in the Social Hall. You will have the opportunity to attend one
of fourteen soup suppers being held from early March through April 1. You are encouraged to pick up your packet,
which includes our new-improved carbonless two-part pledge form so that you
have a copy of your commitment, plus a “how much is appropriate for your
budget” calculation sheet.
Stay and enjoy the music of Virginia and
David Jackson while partaking of light food and drink. And oh, yes, Chocolate Gold Doubloons!
Questions? Please contact
John Kallmann, Canvass Chairman, 245-2360 (Home),
245-0411 (Shop), johnkallmann@earthlink.net
By Kevin Snow, UUCV’s
Director of Religious Education
Wow!
March is here and with it the first tendrils of Spring,
I hope? After being slammed by two storms and getting my car trapped so
thoroughly in my alley after the first one I am ready to see the first things
that are green come up through the ground and listen to the birds call out the
song that winter is coming to an end. My grandmother says she knows
spring is here when the doves are singing and she heard them giving their call
the last Saturday in February which struck me as ironic since the next day we
got a bit of a snow storm! But not to let a little snow get
us down, things progress onward and upward in the RE Department.
Snow
didn't get us down for that last Sunday in February in the Coming of Age group,
but it appears we are a bit more ambitious (or foolish?) than some of our UU
counterparts in the area. Our middle school aged group decided to
make the trek to the Lancaster UU church for what was planned as a regional
middle school event with our surrounding UU congregations, however everyone but
us cancelled! Imagine that!
But
all was not lost. We attended a very informative service presented by the
middle school class of the
Since
I seem to be reporting on achievements here it is time to broadcast another big
achievement. UUCV raised $418 and some odd change for the Guest at Your
Table Program this year! Good job UUCV! The money will go to worthy UUSC
functions and services that will help people around the world. The Coming
of Age group also held a very successful clothing drive that resulted in
roughly 30 to 40 large bags full of clothing. The clothes went primarily to
Project Share and the YWCA's program to help victim's
of domestic violence and sexual assault needing clothing for when they have to
go to the hospital. Project Share sent the kids a very nice thank you
note that was much appreciated!
Also,
the Youth Group through their second annual truffle sale made well over $300,
if I am not mistaken, towards an event to support the local Catholic Worker's
House in
Well,
the next things on my agenda are to finalize plans for Summer
and Fall RE which are moving along rapidly. Keep your eyes out for a
future meeting to talk to potential teachers and interested folks for the
summer. I won't spring this meeting on anyone too soon but please be thinking
about your summer plans and whether you can help us with Sunday Summer Camp by
leading or assisting with a fun summer camp-like activity, such as a nature
hike or swim in the creek! Rebekah Feeser has already approached me with a possible idea for a
fun summer Sunday session so follow her lead and start thinking about fun
things you might be able to teach us. I envision game days and hikes and fun
hands on crafts and all sorts of things that will combine fun within a UU principle
context, but the emphasis is on fun this Summer.
Stay tuned for information about next year's curriculum. Ok, with that
information I have you all up to date. See you next Sunday!
Sunday
morning adult education continues in March with Don Hoffman’s four-session
course on “The Jesus Mysteries: New Scholarship on the Origins of
Christianity.” Don, a lifelong student of philosophy, is basing the course on The Jesus Mysteries by British scholars
Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy (which also happens to
be The Serious Stuff Book Group’s March selection). The book postulates that Christianity
originated as a Jewish adaptation of the Greek and Egyptian mystery religions,
that there was no historical Jesus and that “heretical” Gnostic Christians were
the original Christians.
Classes
run from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Sundays in the Dining Room. Child care is available
if you call the UUCV office on the Thursday before the class.
Class
schedule:
March
4 -- Death and resurrection: A brief history of an ancient metaphor.
March
11 -- From Christ to Jesus: The making of the most misunderstood story ever
told.
March
18 -- Know thy self: The Gnostic key to understanding the all.
March 25 -- Rethinking reality: The case
for a mind-as-matrix cosmology.
A
special guest will address the Sunday morning adult education class on April 1. Dr. Lahay
Hussein, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Baghdad and a
scholar in residence at Dickinson College this semester, will speak on
"Women in Iraq: Before & After the War of 2003." Dr. Hussein, who has been voted "best
teaching personality" by her students at the
We
are fortunate to have the opportunity to hear a first-hand, expert account of
what is going on in
The Social Action Council was active on
several fronts (see Jan./Feb. Social Action Matters), including a sale of Fair
Trade products at Dickinson College's Holiday Bazaar, promoting UUCV
attendance at the recent peace march in Washington, D.C., organizing a
roundtable discussion of the war in Iraq, continuing to work on promoting
an antidiscrimination ordinance in Carlisle that would include GLBT (gay,
lesbian, bi-sexual, trans-gender) protection, among other antidiscrimination
activities, and, of course, continuing support for the Bursary Program, which
has expanded to include 48 Mozambique teenage girls in school. In
consultation with Karen Butt, UUCV set a goal of $16,200 to keep six additional
girls in school. Thanks to the generosity of 91 donors who gave amounts
ranging from $25 to $120, the drive raise $16,300. The
Fair Trade sale produced a return of $190 for the Bursary Fund, based on sales
of more than $1,000, according to sale coordinator Kay Elco.
Alan Franklin, GLBT Initiative
Coordinator, said the initiative is also promoting legislation to legalize
civil unions of same-sex couples, ensuring that the rights and privileges
enjoyed by spouses will be guaranteed for same-sex couples. The GLBT task
force is also working to oppose efforts to amend the state constitution to
define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
And in our Change for the World program,
in January we collected $255 for
The new Cumberland Valley Rail-Trail is
almost complete, but the council needs to
work on care and maintenance of the trail. CVRTC depends on local
membership dues and contributions to pay for the maintenance of the
trail. CVRTC also depends on volunteers to provide all the labor. The
Council needs people to adopt different sections of the trail and to arrange
group work days. Individuals are invited to come one of the Councils a work
days. If you would like to be notified of future work days or if you or
your group would like to schedule you own work day please contact the council info@cvrtc.org.
The Pot Luck Supper will be held on Friday,
March 2nd at 6:30pm. Music for the evening will be Great Female
Vocalists of a bygone era. Bring a dish to share, join in the festivities and
dine by candlelight. The ambience will be good for the soul.
The Writer's Group will meet on Saturday, March 24 from 1:00 to 3:00
p.m. at the home of Joan Campbell,
The Serious Stuff Bookgroup
will meet on March 25, 2007 from 6:30-8:00
PM in the meetinghouse library to talk about "The Jesus Mysteries" by
Freke and Gandy.
The scholarly authors believe that first century Jewish mystics adapted
the potent symbolism of the Osiris-Dionysus myths into a myth of their own, the
hero of which was the Jewish dying and resurrecting godman
Jesus. Therefore, the story of Jesus is a consciously crafted vehicle for
encoded spiritual teachings created by Jewish Gnostics. We are unaware of this,
they claim, because the Roman Catholic Church destroyed evidence of the connection
between Christianity and the pagan mysteries.
This book will obviously be controversial. It is written beautifully and includes extensive
notes and bibliography. Anyone may
attend the Bookclub meetings-- even if only to
listen. Be not shy. Or be shy and come anyway.
If you have questions, please ask Leslie Carr--lgcarr222yahoo.com
Congratulations
to
The annual
Joseph Priestley District spring conference will be in
There are
workshops, worship services, a keynote speech, and lots of opportunities to
network with other UUs as well as the annual meeting
of the district. Workshop sessions are offered on social action, congregational
leadership, growth and membership, and other topics. UUCV will be entitled to
send several voting delegates and non-voting participants are very welcome.
To learn more,
see the schedule, and find a registration form, go to the JPD website and
follow the links for the Spring Conference on the home page at http://www.jpduua.org/
Early
registration by March 27 is discounted, and includes lunch and dinner on
Saturday. Family rates are also offered.