The UU News the Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City Founded in 1841 April 2015 ______
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The UU News The Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City Founded in 1841 April 2015 ________________________________________________________________________________ April’s Social Justice Offerings Benefit In This Issue Elder Services Minister’s Column...........................................2 Elder Services provides programs, services and resources to Religious Education….....................................3 assist persons age 60 and over to stay active, independent Staff Reports....................................................4 and safe. A measure of their success is the quality of life Upcoming Events............................................5 experienced by clients in Johnson County and east central Committee Reports.........................................8 Iowa who are able to remain in their homes. Service areas 2014/15 Volunteers.......................................10 include Case Management, Aging Resource Center and April Calendar & Board Highlights..........INSERT Options Counseling, Home Assistance (Meals on Wheels) and Senior Volunteer Services (RSVP). Thank you for your generosity to help continue these efforts. Cash or checks to UUSIC (Elder Services on memo line) may be given during Sunday offerings or sent to the office. Upcoming Services April 5th: ‘Awake, Arise and Rejoice,’ Rev. Steven Protzman One of our hymns says: “Lo, the earth awakes again- Alleluia!” All around us, the world is awakening, spring is beginning to bloom. The air is filled with rejoicing and the time of singing has come. On this Easter morning we will gather as a community of all ages to welcome new members and to celebrate life’s power as it triumphs over winter and fills the world with beauty, vitality and hope once again. 9:30 & 11:15 am Services in the Sanctuary 10:30 am Social Hour & New-member Reception in Channing Hall April 12th: ‘Planted at the Gates of Hope,’ Rev. Steven Protzman Unitarian Universalism tends to be a cheerful religion—Victoria Safford says that “our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of hope”—yet we are also realists about a world in need of healing. As we honor our many volunteers this morning, we will also welcome the gifts of spring—hope, renewal, and the promise of new possibilities—and reflect on spring’s spiritual work of both seeing the world as it is and as it could be. 9:30 & 11:15 am Services in the Sanctuary 10:30 am Reception Honoring our Volunteers in Channing Hall April 19th: ‘There is No Planet B,’ Green Sanctuary Committee and Ed Fallon Ed Fallon walked 3000 miles across America in the Great March for Climate Action in 2014. He hosts the Fallon Forum and is a dedicated activist for climate action, peace and justice. As we celebrate Earth Month, Ed will help us understand the intersection of peace, justice and our climate and invite us into a deeper commitment to care for the earth, because there is no Planet B, no other home. 9:30 & 11:15 am Services in the Sanctuary 10:30 am Social Hour in Channing Hall Sunday Childcare April 26th: ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ Rev. Steven Protzman Ah spring. In the air there’s a feeling of awakening, the promise of renewal in the world Nursery: open 9:30 am to and of course baseball! In honor of our Treats and Talents Auction with its theme of “Take 12:30 pm Me Out to the Ballgame” this year, this service will be a romp through the theology of First Service: Multi-age baseball. What can we learn about living and about Unitarian Universalism from this sport children’s programming that is a mix of structure and excitement, rules and unpredictability? (9:45 - 10:45 am) 9:30 & 11:15 am Services in the Sanctuary Second Service: Religious 10:30 am Silent Auction & Social Hour in Channing Hall Education Classes (11:30 am - 12:30 pm) From Our “We need not think alike to love alike.” Minister —16th century Transylvanian Unitarian Francis David “If we agree in love, there is no disagreement that can do us any injury, but if we do not, no other agreement can do us any good.” —19th century American Universalist Hosea Ballou Along with the promise of spring, there is another promise I But as the light lengthens, preacher of good news, evangelizing need to remind us about. Our covenant of right relations is our leaves and branches, promise to one another to walk together in love, respecting his large gestures beckon green out of gray. our diversity in all things, and creating a safe space for people A crocus shooting up a purple hand here, there, as I stand to be honest and vulnerable. I am troubled because I have on my doorstep, my own face drinking in heat and light like been told that some members of this congregation who do not a bud welcoming resurrection, and my hand up, too, ready to agree with the outcome of the facilities vote are silent because sign on for conversion. they fear they will be ridiculed for not being in the majority. —From “Revival” by Luci Shaw I heard someone referred to as an “idiot” because they don’t agree with the decisions that have been made. When we I started some yard work these last days of March and I’ve began this process we agreed that our most important task noticed the first crocuses coming up! Spring is truly arriving was to live up to our highest values as an inclusive and loving with, as Luci Shaw says, the light lengthening and spring flowers community. One of our values is radical hospitality, which starting to appear. I really like her playful metaphor of the light means we listen to one another, respect each other and make as a “preacher of good news who lengthens and draws the room for different ideas, opinions, beliefs and convictions exuberant green of the spring out of the gray of the winter.” The about our future in the same way that we make space for light’s good news is that the suffering and death of winter are not our diverse theological, philosophical and spiritual paths. As final; life and love triumph in the arrival of spring. Shaw’s poem Hosea Ballou says, if we are not held together by the bond invites us to participate by “standing on our doorsteps, drinking of love, nothing else ultimately matters. As we celebrate the in the heat and the light” like the buds and flowers which are promise of spring together, will you renew your commitment welcoming resurrection, the appearance of life out what seems to making UUSIC a truly diverse spiritual home where lifeless. There is comfort, relief, even surprise- maybe we have everyone will feel safe, welcomed, loved and cherished? a “conversion experience,” feeling renewal and new hope as Grateful to be here with you as our long and wondrous we realize we have been given an opportunity to awaken after journey together continues, the sleep and quietude of the winter. How will you use this gift you have been given, spring’s promise of the chance to burst Steven forth like a crocus from the great and cold dark of winter into Other News Items of Note the light once again? This month I will be attending the MidAmerica Regional Our worship theme for April is “The Promise of Spring.” Spring Assembly, which will be held in Naperville, Illinois. Along is a time of many religious festivals around the themes of with the annual business meeting of the region, there will be resurrection, hope and renewal. It’s no surprise our ancestors worship services and workshops, time with my colleagues, would want to celebrate after being pushed to their very limits and opportunities to meet UUs from all over the region. The by the winter. All of a sudden there are signs of new life as new theme this year is “The New in the New Era of Unitarian green growth and flowering beauty appear. The most familiar Universalism.” festival for most of us is Easter, when Christians celebrate their Last month, in my Economic Justice sermon series, I mentioned belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his the intimate connection between economic justice, caring crucifixion. In the Jewish tradition, there is the Passover, a major for the earth and climate change. The UUA has declared the Jewish festival that lasts eight days and commemorates the period between March 22nd, World Water Day, and April liberation of the Children of Israel and their Exodus from slavery 22nd, Earth Day, to be Climate Justice Month, a month of in Egypt. In India, Holi, the festival of color, is a Hindu celebration learning and discernment. To learn more about Climate Justice that welcomes the spring and celebrates Krishna. Bonfires are lit Month, go to www.commit2respond.org. This is the website and revellers throw colored powders and dyes over each other. of Commit2respond, a coalition of Unitarian Universalists and Along with the earth-centered traditions, including the Pagans other people of faith working for climate justice. and the Druids, other spring equinox celebrations across the world include the Japanese Higan, which is marked by reciting I am one of 1900 faith leaders who signed Amicus curiae sacred texts and visiting relatives’ graves, Naw-Ruz, the Baha’i (Friend of the Court) Brief #14-556 for the Supreme Court New Year’s Day, celebrated with prayer and festive meal, and case on marriage equality to be heard this year. Along with NoRuz, the Zoroastrian New Year’s Day which is celebrated signatures from many other UU ministers, the Brief also by cleaning the house, wearing new clothes and giving gifts, notes that nearly two decades ago, in 1996, the Unitarian growing green herbs, giving thanks, and making merry.