Kensington Unitarians Art Exhibition This Autumn
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?E Kensington Unitarians Newsletter: August / September 2013 What’s On... A Message from our Minister: Thursday 1st August, 7.00-8.00pm ‘Heart and Soul’ Spiritual Gathering Filling the Void ‘Midnight at the Oasis’ – coordinated by Sarah Tinker If your journey to Essex Church brings you along the main road of Notting Hill Gate, you’ve Sunday 4th August, 11am-noon ‘Bread of Life’ probably noticed that it has been closed for some Service led by Rev. Sarah Tinker time. In April, whilst investigating a water leak, Thames Water found something far more serious. Sunday 4th August, 12.45-2.45pm A great big hole, with nothing in it. Empty space, Lammas Gathering and Ritual: with double decker buses trundling above, held Led by Rev. Sarah Tinker aloft by a layer of tarmac and little else. The road has been closed ever since, with hopes that the work may be finished by the end of Monday 5th August, 12.30-1.30pm August. The road works have caused lots of problems. Far more traffic is coming past the Nia Technique with Sonya Leite church and that has increased noise levels and fumes. Vehicles are often stuck in queues Sunday 11th August, 11am-noon and drivers beep their horns in frustration. Buses are having to take considerable ‘Money Making the World Go Round’ diversions. But there are some benefits too. Some of the car free areas are more Service led by Rev. Sarah Tinker pleasurable to walk in and perhaps best of all are the ‘customer information boards’ provided to tell us all what’s going on beneath the surface, complete with photos and lots th Sunday 11 August, 12.30pm of technical information. One early photo showed the ‘great void’ beneath Notting Hill – a Small-Group Communion gloomy murky shot of – well, a photo of not very much really. A hole, a void, a space with Led by Susan Smith nothing in it, 3 metres deep in places and stretching beneath 50 metres of road. Sunday 11th August, 2.00-3.00pm Now it may be a genetic thing with us ministers (I don’t remember it being taught at Nia Technique with Sonya Leite theology college) but it’s such a temptation to launch into one of those ‘it’s a bit like Monday 12th August, 12.30-1.30pm life….’ pieces of writing. Is it just me that resonates with this image – of life with empty Nia Technique with Sonya Leite spaces in it, of places within us that yearn to be filled, of gaps that we may suddenly stumble across within ourselves, not having realised that they’ve been there, hidden, th Monday 12 August, 7.00-9.00pm perhaps for years? For a long while in young adult life I looked around for a group to ‘Rediscovering the Bible’ belong to, an organisation which fitted my spiritual yearnings. I tried many different Bible-reading with David and Jane paths, some religious and some with a personal growth approach. Now you might th expect me to say that once I’d found Unitarianism the void was filled and ‘we all lived Sunday 18 August, 11am-noon ‘Celebrating the Reformers’ happily ever after’. But it wasn’t really like that. In truth it took quite a while to decide to Service led by Howard Hague stay and put down roots in the congregation I happened to find. It took even longer to accept what I found, a group with faults and foibles just like any other. What made the Sunday 18th August, 12.30-1.15pm difference and allowed me to settle was that I developed a sense of ‘ownership’ and ‘Finding Your Voice’ started to care – and that helped me to belong. Singing Workshop with Margaret I reckon that most of us experience a feeling of inner emptiness from time to time and th Monday 19 August, 12.30-1.30pm we’ll try all sorts of ways to fill the void. Tons of rock and concrete seem to be doing the Nia Technique with Sonya Leite trick in Notting Hill Gate but for human voids I’d recommend finding a community and taking the time to settle in and get to know people. Sunday 25th August, 11am-noon ‘Summer in the City’ Rev. Sarah Tinker Service led by Rev. Sarah Tinker Tuesday 27th August, 6-8pm ‘Propaganda, Power & Persuasion’ Cultural Outing to the British Library In this month’s newsletter… Sunday 1st September, 11am-noon * ‘What Do I Mean When I Say “God”?’ – some reflections * ‘Heart and Soul’ Gatherings * ‘Saying Thank You ‘12 Steps to Spiritual Health’ - course this autumn * ‘Act(ions) of Equality’ by Tristan Jovanović is Good for your Soul’ * Poems by John Hands * New Church Merchandise * Film Reviews by Liz Tuckwell * Service led by David Francis Darling ‘My Summer Ritual’ by Veronica Needa * ‘Why I Go To (whisper it) Church’ by Helena Foss Listings continue on back cover… * Lammas Gathering * ‘A Long Wait’ – sermon by Rev Sarah Tinker * and much more… Kensington Unitarians October Newsletter Deadline At Essex Church (founded 1774), Notting Hill Gate The deadline for the next (October) issue of th the newsletter is 15 September. Please send your newsletter contributions to our editor, Kensington Unitarians are a community of kindred Jane Blackall, by then. Thank you!!! souls who meet each week at Essex Church in Notting Hill Gate to explore, reflect, converse, be still, share Email your articles to: joys and sorrows, and support one another on life’s [email protected] journey. We are proud to be part of a worldwide and historic liberal religious tradition. Our main activity is Sunday worship and we hold a Volunteering Rotas: service each week at 11am. All are welcome. Services are usually themed and include readings from a variety Stewarding, Coffee and Greeting of sources, prayers, music, singing, stillness, and a short sermon. Our children’s leaders provide an alternative programme of activities for younger people. Small-group activities are another key part of our programme. We offer courses and one-off workshops exploring spiritual and religious matters and considering life’s meaning together with others on the spiritual journey. Stewarding: th 4 August: Sam Boyero Kensington Unitarians at Essex Church th 112 Palace Gardens Terrace 11 August: Gina Bayley th Notting Hill Gate 18 August: Veronica Needa London W8 4RT 25th August : Niall Doherty st Office Telephone: 020 7221 6514 1 September: Natasha Drennan th Email: [email protected] 8 September: Veronica Needa th Web: www.kensington-unitarians.org.uk 15 September: Gina Bayley 22nd September: Natasha Drennan 29th September: Alice Lambert Coffee: 4th August: Amanda Clark Gathering the Waters th 11 August: David Darling th Sunday 15 September 2013 18th August: Gill Hague th 25 August : Juliet Edwards 1st September: Jane Blackall 8th September: Caroline Blair 15th September: John Hands 22nd September: Margaret Darling 29th September: Juliet Edwards Greeting: 4th August: Carol Sheppard 11th August: Sue Smith 18th August: Jo Ridgers th 25 August : Jo Ridgers 1st September: Roy Clark We will be holding our annual ‘Gathering of the Waters’ 8th September: Tristan Jovanović th ceremony in the service on Sunday 15 September. 15th September: Heidi Ferid nd 22 September: Jim Blair th If you go away anywhere over the summer months then 29 September: Gina Bayley please do collect some water from the places you visit and save it to bring along to this service. Alternatively please do We circulate the rota list each month by email. Please contact bring water from your kitchen, your local pond, water from Jane if you are willing to be on the rota mailing list. the places of your lives, to join together in community. [email protected] 2 A photo of our special ‘Heart and Soul’ spiritual gathering – on the theme of ‘Openness’ – in Kensington Gardens this July. Book Now for this Autumn Course: ‘Heart and Soul’ Midweek Spiritual Gatherings ‘Twelve Steps to Spiritual Health’ Thursdays 1st August and 5th September 2013 from 7-8pm Gathering at 6.45pm downstairs in the library Followed by social time and refreshments Since the start of this year, we have been holding regular ‘Heart and Soul’ spiritual gatherings on the first Thursday evening of each month, for new and alternative forms of Unitarian worship. These gatherings are led by members of the Worship Leaders’ Practice Group. If you feel enthusiastic about the prospect of midweek services and NEW evening group from 7.00pm to 8.45pm experimenting with different forms of worship then please th th Thursday evenings: 12 and 26 September, do come along and support us or get involved. th st th th 17 and 31 October, 14 and 28 November After the great success of last month’s trip to the park, in Based on a book written by our District Minister David Usher, August we will take advantage of having the whole church this course explores what it means to us to feel spiritually to ourselves and if the weather allows we will hold our healthy. Each evening will focus on certain areas of life – alternative worship in the church garden. We’ll be starting such as our bodies, our relationships with others and with at 7pm but our theme will be ‘Midnight at the Oasis’ and money, our work, the natural world, mortality, community, we’ll have time to appreciate our garden, described by celebrating – and we will encourage one another to take some as a little oasis in the midst of our busy city. With simple steps to increase our feelings of well-being, both in some Middle Eastern snacks to enjoy together after the the world and within ourselves.