JANUARY 2020 ALL SOULS A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Connect with All Souls: Sunday Services Services at 10:00 & 11:15 a.m. Facebook: January 5 Galen Guengerich www.facebook.com/AllSoulsNYC January 12 Galen Guengerich
Our Website: January 19 Multigenerational www.AllSoulsNYC.org MLK Day Services Led by Audette Fulbright
January 26 Lay Sunday Sermon Podcast: Led by the Board of Trustees allsouls-nyc.org/worship/sermons/ or search iTunes!
Twitter www.twitter.com/RevGalen January Bulletin Contents Email Message from the Associate Minister 3 [email protected] Message from the Board 4 New to All Souls? 5 Phone Worship and Music 6 (212) 535-5530 1157 Lexington Avenue The Adult Forum 8 New York, NY 10075 Religious Exploration 13 Congregational Life 16 Congregational Groups: 20 Here are ways that you can send us your comments, Fellowship concerns, questions (and praise!) about All Souls: Congregational Groups: 22 Email the entire Board at [email protected] Service Send suggestions to management at [email protected] January Events Calendars 24 The lines are always open. We want to hear from you!
JANUARY 2020 2 Reverence Road
The turn of the sun this January contribute. Contribute financially -- give generously, ushers in not only a new year, because this is the one place where a vast array of but a new century for All Souls. good in the world is being done. Contribute time, It is also a critical election year. because it takes a village to be a village. Contribute Without question, 2020 is a year in action -- because we cannot change the world of import, a time when we should when only a very few of us show up when the world all take very serious stock of what needs us. we consider most important in our lives, and in the world we want to The President of my seminary, the Rev. Dr. Rebecca build for our children's children. Parker, would talk about giving in a powerful way. In her wonderful article, “A Spiritual Practice for Our You and I already have chosen something crucial for Time,” Parker shares what Steve de Groot told her such a time. We are part of a community of faith, a about his own practice of tithing to his church: religious community dedicated to the principles of justice and the work of Love. It is a place where we "The people I loved and admired most tithed: craft our moral code, and where we bring our gifts to my parents and leaders in our church. Their lives the altar of humanity, becoming stronger together. We challenged me by their goodness. I wanted to be like have the power to be a transformational community. them, so I tithed to model my life on theirs. As the (literal) dust settles around us, what will be "But then I matured in my faith: I came to my own revealed in this coming year will say so much about reason for tithing. This is why I do it now: I tithe us: that we care enough to make strong the walls of because it tells the truth about who I am. If I did our faith, and that we are serious about the work of not tithe, it would say that I was a person who had beloved community. nothing to give, or I was a person who received This year, at All Souls, you are called to Great Work. nothing from life, or I was a person whose life's You are called to be centered in spiritual practice meaning was solely in providing for my own needs. -- weekly worship, meditation practice, small group “But in fact, who I am is the opposite of all those reflection, theological conversation. You are called to things. I am a person who has something to give. I serve - those who are hungry or homeless, the care am a person who has received abundantly from life. of those who are lonely or hurting, the blessing of I am a person whose presence matters in the world. guiding children and youth along a meaningful path I am a person whose life has meaning, because I am into adulthood. And, you are called to set forth beyond connected to and care about many things larger than these walls to change the world. This year, we will: myself alone. If I did not tithe, I would lose track of • work with the UUA's UUtheVote program, to these truths about who I am. By tithing, I remember register and encourage voters; who I am.” (from “A Spiritual Practice for Our Time” • engage in dynamic climate change work— by the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker. In Everyday Spiritual between ourselves, and also with other New Practice, Scott M. Alexander, ed. Skinner House York UU congregations and local environmental Books, Boston.) organizations; The world needs us, and we need you. This year could • connect our immigration work to the work of not be more important. I hope you will be bold in helping those who have escaped sex trafficking showing up with and for your All Souls community— build safer lives; we need each other more than ever. • do the important and sometimes hard work See you in church, of being an anti-racist and trans welcoming congregation; • become a Red Ribbon congregation, prepared to help defeat the spread of HIV/AIDs. To do any of this -- indeed, to continue on our centuries-long journey, we need every single person to
JANUARY 2020 3 From the Director of Growth The Board of Trustees
Friends, January 2020 marks the end of the year It has been a special privilege to experience my in which we celebrated our Bicentennial first holiday season at All Souls. An event that while enduring the stresses of being particularly sticks out is our Cocoa, Cookies, and out of our sanctuary as it undergoes its Stories for All Ages event in early December, restoration project. We can now see light which closed with an enthusiastic, multigenerational at the end of this tunnel of construction, carol sing. and although there will be exterior scaffolding on the building until early I am a former choir kid who would sing descants in church with my summer, we hope, at this point, to be sister to try to impress those standing near us in pews. Surely, I don’t back into the Sanctuary by Easter. While need sheet music to recall the lyrics to the second verse of “Hark! The we are almost able to see the light of our new dawn, often the Herald Angels Sing”! Or so I thought... until I began belting out the darkest part of night is just before those rays of light appear – so lyrics to the version I grew up with in Presbyterian church, “Christ by please continue to keep your patience and good humor. highest heav’n adored,” while the All Souls community had moved to verse four, “Come Desire of Nations come!” Luckily, I was in the back, At our Annual Meeting next month, you will elect new Trustees, where my cheeks could burn in solitude. and we will say farewell to Carol Kirkman and Elizabeth This isn’t the first time I have brazenly assumed that I knew the Hutchinson. It is a privilege to work with such talented and lyrics to other hymns that the Unitarian Universalist church sings industrious people, and they will be missed – although the differently. There are many times when a single word differs between friendships formed during this time together will certainly a Unitarian Universalist hymn and the hymns I grew up singing. endure. I hope you take the time to thank them for their service Words are powerful. Even one word can completely change the to All Souls when you see them. meaning of a hymn. As we head into our own “Roaring Twenties,” let’s rededicate In the same way I should not have assumed I knew the hymn’s words ourselves to strengthening All Souls, both in membership by heart, I cannot assume that I will understand the needs of the All numbers and in financial health, to live up to our magnificently Souls community right away. That is why it has been a pleasure to sit strengthened sanctuary! down with so many of you and listen to your incredible histories with All Souls, while receiving feedback on what you feel our needs for Julie Brannan growth are moving forward. As many of you know, we are conducting a President communications audit with the consulting firm, Vandersall Consulting, who count numerous churches across the country as their clients. With their help, we are expecting to implement many changes in the ways All Souls communicates in the upcoming year. Words are powerful, whether sung in a hymn, hung on a sign on our gate, or advertised on our website. I hope you will “watch this space” for SAFETY AT ALL SOULS exciting changes to come in 2020 and beyond. In the meantime, I In the past few years, the issue of making our congregations promise to study Singing the Living Tradition! safe places has become more prominent. Congregations are Cecily Millen carefully and intentionally putting into place policies and procedures around a variety of safety issues. These safety issues range from where to go in case of an emergency to how people should be treated as a participant in this community. Our commitment, as Unitarian Universalists, to the inherent worth and dignity of every person and to justice and compassion, compels us to create a safe and nurturing environment that protects children and adults from harm and promotes their spiritual growth while part of our community. We affirm our commitment to maintain an environment free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, physical ability, gender, or sexual/affectional orientation. In light of all of this we have prepared a safety policy for the congregation. The Unitarian Church of All Souls safety policy is located on the All Souls webpage at www.tinyurl.com/ASpolicies and on the All Souls Kids website at www.allsoulsreligioused. org or you may request a copy from the office.
JANUARY 2020 4 New to All Souls? ALL SOULS ARE WELCOME WORKSHOPS January 12 and January 19 1:00-3:00 p.m.
All Souls is New York City’s flagship church in the Unitarian Universalist faith. All Souls affirms the right of all people to express their whole selves in community, worship, and service. Established in 1819, All Souls is a congregation of more than 1,000 members, who aspire to be leaders in community action, theological literacy, and love and connection with the natural world and each other. Week by week, All Souls continues to create meaningful opportunities for spiritual growth and tangible outpourings of love and service, because of the investment of new and old friends aligned in their vision for this radically- loving and justice-seeking community. Through membership, participation, and investment, you acknowledge that you are vital to the spiritual and organizational strength of this congregation.
This January 12 and 19, Galen and Audette are hosting two All Souls Are Welcome sessions from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
If you've considered membership, or are interested in learning more about how to find your place at All Souls, these workshops are for you! These conversations are your chance to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, dig deeper into our vision for All Souls in 2020, and discuss how you can invest further into this community. Please RSVP or send any questions to our membership assistant Robert Wohner, at RobertW@ allsoulsnyc.org. Attending this workshop is entirely voluntary and there is no obligation to formally join the church. If you cannot join us on these dates, email Robert, who will schedule a one-on-one meeting for you with one of our ministers. Our desire is to regularly provide opportunities for you to learn about All Souls and outline how you can get involved. Let’s grow together in our commitment to bringing what we have for the good of those around us.
JANUARY 2020 5 Worship and Music
Chancel Flowers January 5 Jeff Russian, you are well missed and still loved Love, Liz, Zach and Anna Ames
In loving memory of her grandmother, Katherine Brunnings, and her great aunt, Helen Dennis, by Rae and Robert Gilson In loving memory of Eleanor (Nunnie) Barrett Montgomery by her daughter, Annie Montgomery
January 12 In loving gratitude for the life of Anne Bennett Brandenburger whose inspiration will be with us forever by her husband, Tom, and her daughters, Allie and Maddie Brandenburger, and Will Brandenburger In loving memory of Mel Cammisa by Deborah Taylor I celebrate your life
January 19 In loving memory of his mother, Anne L. Szatrowski, by Ted P. Szatrowski
January 26 In loving memory of her mother, Marjorie H. Milde, (January 25, 1908-December 8, 2009), by Hannah Marks
To dedicate Chancel Flowers to remember loved ones who are deceased or honor special people or joyous occasions, please email Hannah Marks at [email protected] or call (212) 410-4517.
JANUARY 2020 6 Worship and Music
From the Music Department GET TO KNOW THE CHOIR At one point, a jazz saxophonist friend of Enid’s performed during GARY PRESS, BASS Galen’s All Souls at Sundown service series. Enid and Gary attended their first All Souls service soon after. Interviewed by Bryan McNamara Gary: We were sitting in the pews not knowing quite what to expect. Bryan: You started studying music in third Then the choir started to sing, and we looked at each other… simply Grade on the violin, right? What was your blown away. The gorgeous singing opened me up to Galen’s sermon experience with music before the violin? which connected with us both as well. We would come back for both the music and the sermons and became members of All Souls Gary: I remember hearing music around the in 2007. I met Wally Klauss when he was still here and inquired house. We had a big collection called the Readers' Digest: Great about auditioning for the choir. However he was “full up on Basses” Orchestral Music (about 70 LPs), so I was exposed to great music at the time, so I just went and sang for him anyway toward the end early on when my parents would listen to it. I’ve seen photos of of his final season at All Souls. I got some good feedback, and he myself as a wee lad at the piano, but I don't have any recollections encouraged me to audition for Misa Iwama, Interim Music Director, of playing it, although I am sure I tinkered with it. My parents were in the following season and I got in. I've been here ever since, and it both wonderful singers in high school (in fact, that’s how they met). has been amazing to have such a high-level musical experience after After playing violin for a couple of years, I started taking private moving on from my instrumental performing life. lessons with a wonderful teacher whom I adored. I really started getting into music. Unfortunately, that teacher moved away, and B: What's a favorite piece you've played or sung? I never found another teacher I “clicked” with. Consequently, my Gary: That would be the Mahler symphonies that I’ve been lucky interest in violin began to wane. In eighth grade, I played violin in a enough to be a part of. As a chorister, I've performed Mahler 8th; string quartet that visited the elementary schools to promote the as a tubist I’ve done the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. The 6th is my very junior-high music program. The quartet was invited to the end-of- favorite of his symphonies, but I've never had a chance to perform it! year band party, and that's when the band director sat down next to me and said, "How'd you like to play tuba?" All I could envision were B: Is there a performance you can't stop thinking about? the cool giant tubes I had seen on a tuba backstage once. I fell in Gary: The Dessoff Choir was contracted to do the last two concert love immediately. series of Lorin Maazel's tenure as Music Director of the New B: What did you like about the tuba? York Philharmonic. The final performances were Mahler's Eighth Symphony. The end of that symphony is absolutely electrifying, and Gary: Just purely the sound. You could say it really “resonated” with the last of those three performances was incredibly emotional. You me! I eventually started taking private lessons, and as I improved, it finally arrive on a glorious E-flat Major chord (complete with organ snowballed and it became clear to me pretty quickly that this was all and off-stage brass) after 90 minutes of breathtaking music. As the I want to do. final chord resounded, the crowd went absolutely nuts! It was truly a Gary grew up in Broomall, PA. He battled Rochester, NY’s snow and memorable moment, a highlight of my performing career! wind during undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music. Graduate school was done in two parts, first at the University of Southern California, then at the Manhattan School of Music. He spent the following few years playing tuba and teaching in New York and various Texas cities before meeting his wife, Enid (a wonderful professional clarinetist) at a summer music festival, and eventually settling in New York. Gary began singing in choirs after Task Specific Focal Dystonia (a neurological condition) ended his tuba career prematurely. Gary: As the condition worsened, Enid could see that I needed a performing outlet because I was just getting frustrated every time I touched the instrument. She convinced me to audition for the New York Choral Society, and with some convincing (since I’d never sung a note in public before), I agreed. Gary sang with New York Choral Society for one season before auditioning for The Dessoff Choirs. Gary: It just happened that Dessoff rehearsed only three blocks from our apartment, so Enid and I auditioned for it and both got in. The very first concert we performed Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé with the NHK Symphony of Japan and maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, including a performance in Carnegie Hall. Not a bad way to start a season!
JANUARY 2020 7 Adult Forum
First Sunday of Each Month at 10:00 & 11:15 a.m.
Connection Circles- What is it you are looking for when you come to All Souls on Sunday morning? Great worship? Of course. Education? Certainly. Fabulous music? No denying it. But when asked, many of you say what draws you, and what keeps you coming, is the community and a sense of belonging. Connection and Belonging. Connection Circles are yet another way to connect and belong. Groups of 8-10 people share on a topic and nurture intimacy, depth, and connection in their lives. Run by trained facilitators, these groups meet together throughout the year. Stay the whole year or just attend one session. It is up to you! Why not try a Connection Circle and give your self the gift that lasts a lifetime?
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5 Connection Circles at 10:00 a.m. The Creative Prescription with Cherie Henderson- Using creativity and reflective writing, this is a supportive community of people who have experienced the challenges of illness as a patient, family caregiver or professional provider. Meets in the Minot Simons Room. Climate and Faith with Stacey Mitchell - Many of us are keenly aware we face a climate crisis. But how does faith respond to such a moment? We will explore Christian, Humanist, Buddhist, Unitarian Universalist, Native American, and Jewish perspectives to this question—a different tradition each month. Meets in Galen’s Office on the 1st floor. State of the Union with Jennifer McDonnell and Laird Kelly - Are you worried or anxious or fearful about everything? Do you feel you need place to talk about truth and democracy, climate issues, white supremacy, corporate money, and the like in a safe place? This circle is for you! Not for bashing any one person but for looking at the bigger system issues. Meets in Audette’s Office on the 1st floor
Connection Circles at 11:15 a.m. Unitarian Universalist Soul Matters with Tracy Sprowls - Each month we dive into a theme that allows us to tread the more shallow waters but also to dive into the depths of meaning these themes have to offer. Each month we discuss a theme together (for example: belonging, attention, awe, wisdom) and explore exercises to put these themes into practice in our lives. The theme for January is Integrity. What does it mean to be a people of Integrity? Meets in Galen’s Office on the 1st floor. Unitarian Universalist Parenting with Jean Clarkson - How to raise your children with UU values; how to help them lead lives with spiritual values such as compassion, the interdependent web, confronting bullying, etc. Meets in Audette’s Office on the 1st floor. Caregivers Support with Susan Cooper, Caregivers Connection Circle - Caregiving can be a lonely experience. This group provides an opportunity to connect with others who understand. The group meets once a month to learn, laugh, complain, share stories, connect, and ask questions. Whether you are caring for a family member, a friend, or a loved one, whether they or you are old or young--come take care of yourself. Susan was a hospice volunteer for 10 years, and she was a caregiver herself for several years. Meets in Room 3A JANUARY 2020 8 Adult Forum
Adult Education and Unitarian Universalist Faith Formation at 10:00 a.m. A seminar and discussion at the 10:00 hour organized and designed by the ministerial staff of All Souls. These seminars have an ongoing theme for each Sunday with the overarching theme being a focus on deepening and strengthening our understanding of Unitarian Universalism. A fee of $10 to $20 per Sunday will help offset the cost of this program to All Souls. Any contribution is welcome and appreciated. Sessions take place in the Minot Simons Room unless otherwise indicated.
SECOND SUNDAY: SOCIAL JUSTICE, Sunday, January 12 Our Best Selves – How to Understand the Effects of Unconscious/ Implicit Bias in Daily Life with Rev. Audette Fulbright We each live in a culture that we did not design. We bring to it our own experiences, ideas and ethics. But each of us is also subject to unconscious influences -- some good, some neutral, and some problematic. Join Rev. Audette for this exploration of what implicit or unconscious bias is, and how to mitigate its harmful effects in our lives. REV. AUDETTE FULBRIGHT is the Associate Minister of All Souls.
THIRD SUNDAY: IT COULD BE WORSE, Michael Eselun at TEDx UCLA Salon, Sunday, January 19 Michael Eselun explores compassion through the lens of a common coping perspective used nearly universally when the going gets tough— “it could be worse”. MICHAEL ESELUN has served as the chaplain for the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology for the last ten years. Highly regarded as a keynote speaker, Michael speaks extensively to healthcare professionals, patient populations and faith communities across the country. He weaves stories with vulnerability, insight, and humor-- stories to wrap around the deeper questions of life, mortality and meaning. Michael has also worked as an activist/educator addressing anti-LGBTQ bias and homophobia in the larger community for over 30 years. Michael was recently inducted into the UCLA-Semel Institute Eudaimonia Society, in recognition of having lived a meaning-driven life. He has two TED talks available on-line via YouTube. He will have 4 volumes of CD’s available for purchase—each including 3 of his talks. www. michaeleselun.com.
FOURTH SUNDAY: MINDFULNESS AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, Sunday, January 26 In this series on mindfulness, we explore how to enrich our lives by paying closer attention to the present and by gaining better awareness of our thoughts, speech, and actions. The benefits of mindfulness range from cultivating wisdom, to reducing stress and pain, to advancing social justice. Reading for January 22: Pages vii-30 in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. There are copies of this reading in Pamela's mailbox at the church, and they can be picked up from the receptionist. Pamela can also email the reading upon request at [email protected]. PAMELA PATTON is responsible for coordinating all pastoral matters at All Souls. Pamela also runs the Buddhist, Meditation, and Mindfulness programming at the church.
JANUARY 2020 9 Adult Forum
All sessions take place in the Minot Simons Room unless otherwise indicated.
Sundays, January 5, 12 & 19 at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, January 26 at 11:15 a.m. A Journey Through Homer’s Odyssey Bioethics, Immunization, and Dr. Jonas Salk with Rebecca Minnich with Donald H. Marks Homer’s Odyssey gave western literature its first Nearly 65 years after Dr. Jonas Salk, revered real human protagonist. Odysseus, though, is far American vaccine researcher, tested and made from perfect: he is scarred and traumatized from a available a vaccine to wipe out the dreaded viral brutal war, at odds with gods he has offended, and communicable illness Polio, the disease persists. above all, yearning for home. While Homer’s world When taken in appropriate context, an ethical offers us a view of mortals at the mercy of fickle, approach to vaccine-preventable illnesses considers tyrannical gods, it also shows us the early glimmers the current and potential magnitude of infectious of an ethical, moral universe in which we human beings find our true illness, and the actual incidence of non-vaccine home. The Odyssey is about that journey home, and all the sacrifices childhood illness. Consideration of resource allocation and public that must be made to get there. Can a Greek text composed in the health priorities is given. The application to bioethics as described by 8th Century BCE help us to redeem the good in these times of moral, Dr. Salk is addressed. political, and ecological crisis? As Unitarian Universalists, how do we navigate the rough seas to find our way home to a place of meaning in DONALD H. MARKS, a member of Morristown Unitarian these confusing, and sometimes frightening times? Fellowship, is a medical researcher and practicing physician. He holds a medical degree, and a doctor of philosophy in Microbiology SESSION ONE: HOMER’S WORLD from the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Sing in me, Muse/and through me tell the story of that man…” These Genetics, both from UCLA. He is the former Associate Director of are the opening lines of Homer’s Odyssey, the second oldest surviving Antimicrobial Research at Hoffmann La Roche and the Director of text in the Western Literary canon. But who is this Muse, and where Adult Vaccines Research at Connaught Pasteur Merieux. Dr. Marks is does that man, Odysseus, stand in relation to the gods of his time? the author of over 30 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, holds Where does his story begin? In this session, we discuss Books I five U.S. patents, and conducts research on the use of MR imaging to through VIII of The Odyssey, which ask us to consider the aftermath understand the effects of medication on the brain. In addition to his of war, its impact on family life, the waves of destruction it leaves in professional publications, he is the author of four full length works its wake. How does Odysseus find purpose in the senseless aftermath of medical fiction. of the Trojan War?
SESSION TWO: ODYSSEUS’S JOURNEY In Books IX through XVII of The Odyssey, Odysseus is tested by temptation, fear, and adversity in his journey home. We see through his actions how he comes to represent the best among flawed mortals: an embodiment of ethical principles, willingness to learn from mistakes, and determination. Where in our own lives do we find ourselves “tied to the mast,” taking a journey into darkness to face hard truths? In need of a strategy to get through a tough situation? What can we learn from Odysseus’s enduring family values? SESSION THREE: THE MEANING OF HOME In the final books of The Odyssey, our protagonist is finally reunited with the son he hasn’t seen since he left for the Trojan War. He also learns that a goddess has been in his corner all along. Athena, daughter of Zeus, reveals herself to him, fully armed for battle. But she offers no deus ex machina – Odysseus and his son must fight with everything they have to drive off the suitors who have been wrongly trying to claim his wife, Penelope in his absence. In the final bloody battle, it’s easy to miss the overarching Homeric truth – the value of home and what it’s worth to the human heart.
REBECCA MINNICH is an Adjunct Professor at City College of New York, where she teaches World Humanities, Literature, and Creative Nonfiction. She has an MFA in Creative Writing, is a published journalist, essayist, and book reviewer. She has been teaching Homer’s Odyssey to undergraduates at City College for the past seven years. She has been a member of All Soul’s since 2007, and was a founding member of the All Soul’s Writers’ Group. JANUARY 2020 10 Adult Forum
William Ellery Channing Lecture on Unitarian Universalism Inaugural Speaker: Rev. John Buehrens Sunday, January 12 at 12:45 p.m. Rev. John Buehrens was associate minister at All Souls from 1987 until 1993. He was president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations from 1993 to 2001. He is the co-author with Forrest Church of A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism. His other books include Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals (2004); A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion for the Twenty-first Century, with Rebecca Ann Parker (2011); and Universalists and Unitarians in America: A People’s History (2011). Sponsored by the Bicentennial Committee and the All Souls Adult Forum.
JANUARY 2020 11 Adult Forum
Adventures in Ideas Stereotypes: They Don't Affect Us, Right? with Dennis DeForge Sunday, January 12 at 1:15 p.m. in the Minot Simons Room We are too enlightened, right thinking, open minded, tolerant, politically correct, and sensitive as Unitarians to traffic in such mental shorthand. Oops--stereotype alert. Can we ever completely avoid this pitfall? Bring your favorites and let's deconstruct them. Upcoming Buddhism & Meditation Events These things can be frivolous and dangerous And they can be as biased on the positive side as on the negative. How about: all black men play basketball; all gay men don't; Irishmen drink; men are All Souls Sangha from Mars, women are from Venus; Englishmen always queue Sunday, January 5 at 1:30 p.m. up; Chinese people don't; Canadians are polite; librarians are in the Forrest Church Gallery repressed..."The task of filling up the blanks I'd rather leave to you," as the lord high executioner in The Mikado says. All are welcome — those who are curious to learn more about meditation, for both beginners and practicing Buddhists. We continue our monthly gathering for the practice of meditation. Come and help create an All Souls Sangha — a community of people who come together to meditate and study the practice of Buddhism. We will be led by Dr. Pilar Jennings, who is a writer, psychotherapist, professor at Union Theological Seminary, and a Coming of Age, Again practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. (For Adults) Buddhism Study Group First Meeting Tuesday, January 28 Sunday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m. Traditionally, Coming of Age has been a time Location to be announced for our 9th graders to explore their theology and Buddhist scholar Harry Miller leads this group which is an beliefs and then share them during a service in opportunity to explore Buddhist teachings based on participants' May. But, did you know that only about 12% of interests and questions. adults in our congregations grew up Unitarian Universalist? Doesn’t it make sense, then, that Sangha II adults in the congregation could learn more about Meditation and Discussion Group Unitarian Universalism? Sunday, January 19 at 1:30 p.m. This is why we now do Coming of Age, Again. Location to be announced A new Coming of Age, Again program for adults Sangha II: Meditation and Discussion Group is designed to give facilitated by Rev. Tracy begins in January. We All Souls Sangha attendees an additional monthly opportunity meet once a month through July. We will explore to get together and to get to know each other. Anyone who has attended our regular Sangha meeting with Pilar is welcome and and develop an understanding of faith, our encouraged to attend. personal truth, and Unitarian Universalism. And we will join with the 9th Graders Coming of Age Mindfulness as a Spiritual Practice class in some community events and a trip to Sunday, January 26 at 10:00 a.m. Boston. Finally, in August, you will present your (see p. 9 for more information) credo during a worship service.
Please contact Pamela Patton with questions about these Buddhism and Want to know more or sign up? Please email Mindfulness programs at [email protected]. Or visit the Buddhism me at [email protected]. and Mindfulness page on the All Souls website.
JANUARY 2020 12 Family Ministry (ASK/ASPYRE)
From the Assistant Minister of Lifespan Faith Formation All Souls Kids (ASK) Calendar
In the last few years, the Religious Education Jan. 5 Regular Classes at 10:00 Committee has helped develop a mission for Worship in Reidy Hall - Time for All Ages at 10:00 the program, evaluated growth strategies, and reviewed contemporary ideas on faith Jan. 10 Parents' Night Out - 6:00 to 10:00 formation and identity development. We have been very pro-active in building community, Jan. 12 Regular Classes at 10:00 connecting families, and considering a whole- Chapel at 11:00 child approach to education. Friends Across the Ages Kick-off in Wiggins Hall These last three years, our work together has focused on family ministry while moving away from the nuts and bolts Jan. 19 No Class of curriculum, policy, and budget details (although these things are Worship in Reidy Hall - All Ages, all service-MLK Jr. Day still on our minds and hearts). Jan. 26 Regular Class at 10 Family Ministry has us now ask, how does the congregation welcome Chapel at 11:00 our families into the community of All Souls, making them feel included in every aspect of congregational life from worship to service Nursery and preschool aged children are welcome to go directly to opportunities to social justice? How do we support busy families their rooms or they are welcome to stay with the parent or guardian. in the religious education of their children when they are not at All Whatever works for you! The Nursery and Preschool are open every Souls? And finally, how do we instill in our families an understanding Sunday. of who they are as Unitarian Universalists and how do we help them live Unitarian Universalist values in the world? Because of the change in focus, the Religious Education Committee is changing their name to the Family Ministry Team. Our program will now be called the All Souls Kids program instead of religious education. And our youth group will be called ASPYRE (All Souls Programming for Youth Religious Empowerment) rather than the youth group. Each week we ask I know it will take awhile to get used to the new names. But take a different classes to bring look around and you will see the signs all around you. The signs of desserts for Monday Night family ministry happening in worship, in community events, and in Hospitality. our interactions. And the new signs that announce this bold, new effort on bulletin boards, emails, and literature. It is great doing ministry with you! Please bring desserts to Rev. Tracy’s Office.She Tracy Sprowls will make sure the volunteers have the baked goods on hand for the guests on Monday night. The schedule for January is: January 5: 6th Grade and ASPYRE January 12: 7th & 8th Grades January 19: Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade January 26: 3rd, 4th & 5th Grades
This month our theme is: What does it mean to be a community of Integrity? Visit our website at www. allsoulsreligioused.org to explore Unitarian Universalism through this theme. We have resources for movies, books, games, discussions, even vacations to explore this theme at home.
JANUARY 2020 13 Parents’ Night Out Friday Night, January 10 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Bring your child or children and leave them with trusted caregivers here at All Souls. Go out on the town! Suggested donation is $25 Please sign up! Contact [email protected] and [email protected] Pizza and popcorn are provided (gluten-free, vegan options) Family Ministry (ASK/ASPYRE) Friends Across the Ages On January 12, we are kicking off a new way to connect the children of All Souls with an adult in the congregation they most likely don’t know. Why? Because when children know other adults, they feel seen and heard. When children know other adults, they trust their community. When children know other adults, they know they belong. And, when they grow up and come visit All Souls, other people will know them other than their parents! And what about the adults? Well, the answers are pretty much the same. Knowing people of different ages strengthens community, builds lasting friendships, and helps create a dynamic, inclusive community where everyone feels connected and feel like they belong. Our new Friends Across the Ages is simple: • Sign up to be a friend by filling out a simple questionnaire and leaving it with Rev. Tracy. Get the forms during Coffee Hour or from the ASK office. • You will be assigned a friend based on the questions you are asked on the form. • You and your new friend will be a secret to all but Rev. Tracy and the parents. • You will be given a bag with a number and so will a child. It will hang in the Wiggin Hall on Sundays. • Each week or so from January 12 through March 1, leave a note, a small gift, or a sticker in the paper bag in Wiggins Hall. The child will do the same. • Leave little clues as to who you might be in the bag, too. • On March 1, we will have a luncheon where the friends will meet face-to-face. This will be an opportunity to have lunch, talk, do a craft, and celebrate your new friendship!
Traveling Chalice Program Any family at All Souls is welcome to participate in 0ur Traveling Chalice program. The purpose of the Traveling Chalice program is two-fold: first, for each of us to become more familiar with an important symbol of Unitarian Universalism and, second, to connect us to each other and to Unitarian Universalists beyond our congregation. The Traveling Chalice Bag has all the materials you will need. Send Tracy an email to sign up for a week at [email protected]. Want to learn more about the chalice? Visit https://www.uua.org/ beliefs/who-we-are/chalice.
JANUARY 2020 15 Congregational Life
Shared Ministry Right Hand of Fellowship As we consider the New Year and the possibility This New Year, my commitment is to get to of new habits of acting, speaking, and know our new friends and connect them with thinking, I’d like to suggest trying out the word the people and opportunities that make All “intention” instead of resolution. Intentions Souls feels like home. Inviting others into are less goal oriented and more about what’s this community is one of the greatest gifts underneath our goals. Mindfulness is the we can give as a church. Weekly, All Souls discipline and the ethic behind intention. provides many opportunities for new friends Intentions, supported by mindfulness, bring out and longtime members to flourish in learning our best selves. and service, within a caring and intellectually- The practice of mindfulness, which can do wonders for offering a curious community. Whether watching the Community Choir sense of inner peace, is ultimately about ethics. By paying attention perform on Sundays or the planning around LGBTQIA advocacy and being here and now in the moment, we can contribute to a or climate justice or any of the other ways All Souls demonstrates world that is more just and more peaceful. Please join those in our love in action, I am inspired by the range of ways All Souls takes the All Souls community who are curious about mindfulness at our expertise and passion of its members and utilizes it for the tangible next Mindfulness as Spiritual Practice session. We meet and spiritual benefit of our neighbors and City. at 10:00 a.m. on the fourth Sunday of every month. This So if you’re new at All Souls, join us for our All Souls Are month we are meeting on Sunday, January 26. Welcome workshops on January 12 and January 19. These With love, workshops provide guests and newcomers a chance to hear directly Pamela Patton from our ministers Revs. Galen and Audette, who will dive deeper Director of Pastoral Ministries into the life of our church, answer questions you may have about Unitarian Universalism. It is also an opportunity to consider how you can invest your time, talents, and spirit into this community The All Souls Pastoral Ministries program provides through membership. spiritual and emotional support to members and friends who are: Membership is a vital part of our church because you are a vital part of our church. All Souls does not measure success in numbers • Going through a life crisis but in impact. We truly cannot be the church this city needs • Concerned about family matters without emerging leaders supporting our vision of a world where • Concerned about career matters the Earth is respected, the dignity of all is affirmed, and the • Curious about discussing spiritual practice needs of our neighbors are met through friendship, hospitality, • Feeling lonely, guilty, depressed or suicidal and accompaniment. • Concerned about drinking, drug abuse or other compulsive behavior So please come on January 12! If you have any questions or • Going through an illness would like more information, please reach out to me at robertw@ • In a hospital or rehabilitation facility allsoulsnyc.org. If you can only make one of the sessions, let me • Grieving the loss of a loved one know! I will find a time for you to meet with our ministers one • Interested in discussing Advanced Care Directives, living wills or on one. Their desire is to guide you in worship and ensure you pre-planning memorial services are reaching your full potential in our loving community. These • In need of practical assistance such as shopping or help with workshops are your first (of many) opportunities to make All getting to medical appointments Souls a place where your passion for a better world is shared • Concerned about a troubled world and strengthened. • Simply in need of someone to talk to Robert Wohner In cases where members and friends are going through a difficult Membership Assistant time, we recommend a connection with a Lay Pastoral Associate (LPA). LPAs are lay members of All Souls who serve as pastoral caregivers alongside our ministers. They offer spiritual and emotional support to members of the congregation going through life transitions and losses. Conversations with the ministers and Lay Pastoral Associates are all strictly confidential. If you would like to discuss mindfulness, meditation, how you might create a New Year’s intention, or how to shape a spiritual practice, please reach out. I’m always eager to hear from you at Pamela@ allsoulsnyc.org or (212) 535-5530.
JANUARY 2020 16 Congregational Life
POTLUCK & WORKING EVENING Thursday, January 16 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Forrest Church Gallery
Join us in the Forrest Church Gallery as we collaborate on our Climate Action work. There are a few working groups, so whether you have participated before or are new, JOIN IN and there will be something important to work on. Areas of action include: * UU Green Sanctuary work * Upcoming environmental legislation we can support * Tree planting efforts in underserved NYC neighborhoods * Coordination with other UU congregations & Extinction Rebellion NYC Three Changes You Can Make Today to Reduce Plastic Waste 1. Remember your reuseable shopping bags. According to Global Citizen (globalcitizen.org): "People use an estimated 100 billion plastic bags each year in the US alone. Around the world, between 500 billion and 1 trillion are used annually, but only 1 in every 200 bags gets recycled, according to nonprofit organization Conserving Now. Billions of them instead end up as litter that lingers for hundreds of years." 2. Drink your coffee from a reuseable cup. Over 500 billion single-use coffee cups are thrown away each year around the world. These cups range from full plastic cups to plastic-lined paper cups topped with plastic lids. Often, these cups end up in landfills where they take years to breakdown. By bringing a reusable cup or mug to your favorite coffee shop, you can be part of the solution, according to World Wildlife Fund. Some stores will even give you a discount for bringing your own cup! (Global Citizen) 3. Avoid bottled water. Bottled water companies don't produce water - they produce plastic bottles. In addition to the huge water rights issues, the plastic waste from bottled water "not only adds to plastic pollution after use, but its production demands a massive amount of fossil fuels that also contribute to environmental degradation. Around 17 million barrels of oil, more than enough to fill 1 million cars with fuel, are used to make water plastic water bottles in the US each year. Switching to a BPA-free reusable water bottle will benefit the earth and your health while saving you money after as few as 10 uses, according to TreeHugger." (Global Citizen)
JANUARY 2020 17 Congregational Life All Souls Salons Reclaiming the Lost Art of Conversation Sunday, January 5, 6:00 p.m. in the Ware Room These Sunday evening gatherings with Rev. Audette are an opportunity to have deeper conversations about topics that matter. Once a month, make a little time to sit with your All Souls neighbors and just talk for a while. Our guided conversational format welcomes salon newcomers and the experienced alike. January Topic: Identity Who do you think you are? Who do others think you are? What part of your experience most defines you — least? We show up in the world in hundreds of ways... how solid or fluid is identity?
NAVIGATING A CULTURE OF LONELINESS CONNECTION CIRCLE 2nd Thursday of each month, Thursday, January 9 10:30-11:45 a.m in the Ware Room Americans today have more freedom and choices than at any previous point in history. Yet an astounding number of us feel more alone than ever. Especially in a large city, navigating a culture of loneliness can be a challenge. This Connection Circle, led by Rev. Audette, will help us make new connections and find new pathways through a sometimes-lonely world.
JANUARY 2020 18 Congregational Life
PRIDE TEAM ALL SOULS MEETING IMMIGRATION
All Souls is a Welcoming Congregation TEAM Tuesday, January 14 The date of the Immigration at 10:30 a.m. team meeting in January in Rev. Audette’s office will be coming soon—we are coordinating with our UU If you are interested in helping neighbors. Check the Friday us coordinate our Welcoming Congregation activities and/or emails and Order of Service build our HIV/AIDs awareness and for updates, or subscribe to support, join our planning team for our Souls in Action by contact conversation with Jessica Bailey and Rev. Audette at Watchful Eye. [email protected].
ENLIGHTENING IDEAS The Women’s Alliance cordially invites everyone to our We will explore Enlightening Ideas that can enhance our ALL-CHURCH event, lives. We will focus on Ideas that we actually use and practice to The Annual Angie Henry Utt Lecture energize our lives and point us in the direction of a happier with Johanna Neuman and more fulfilling life. Saturday, February 8, 3:00-5:00 p.m. WHEN : Fridays January 3, 17 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Ware Room. in Reidy Friendship Hall 3:00–3:30 p.m., tea, coffee, other refreshments, and conversation. 3:30 p.m., speaker, followed by Q & A. INSPIRATIONAL POEMS, Please join us for both a social event and the annual Utt Lecture. QUOTES AND STORIES This year's speaker is Johanna Neuman, one of the nation’s leading experts on the history of women’s suffrage, who has written two Come join us for an inspirational evening of Poems, Quotes books on the subject, Gilded Suffragists: The New York Socialites and Stories to share or just listen to. We use the various Who Fought for Women’s Right to Vote and How Women Won the readings as prompts for our own writing and reflection. Right to Vote: The Long History. As a journalist, Ms. Neuman has There will be no judging or critiquing, just self expression, covered the White House, the State Department and Congress for enjoyment and inspiration. both USA Today and the Los Angeles Times. She will speak about her work. WHEN: Fridays, January 10 at 24, 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Ware Room. NOTE: Small finger foods such as cookies or candies would be welcome contributions for our table of refreshments offered to the Contact Andre and Judy de Zanger 212.289.8856 or attending All-Church community. Thank you! [email protected]
JANUARY 2020 19 Congregational Groups for Fellowship, Learning, and the Arts Women’s Alliance Women’s Alliance Cinema Club The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wednesday, January 8 Friday, January 31, meet at 12:45 p.m. Join us for a screening of a current film. The film selection, time Steinhardt Conservatory entrance and theater location will be announced by email a few days before. Tour: Contemporary Seasonal Highlights (1:00 p.m.). Meet just inside Lunch afterwards to discuss the film. Contact Maureen Marwick at the Steinhardt Conservatory at 12:45 p.m. to participate with WA in this [email protected] or (212) 249-0171. public tour. Enjoy a guided tour of exotic flora of tropical deserts and Mediterranean climates without leaving New York. Garden entrances Play Reading at Ethical Culture Society at 150 Eastern Parkway, 455 Flatbush Avenue, and 990 Washington Friday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m. Avenue, Brooklyn. Admission: Free entry and tour winter weekdays. 2 West 64th Street RSVP to participate in a lunch reservation at a nearby restaurant: Alix- Marie Hall at [email protected] or (917) 621-5495. Reception at 6:30 p.m. Performance at 7:00 p.m. Admission: $10.00. Contact Maureen Marwick at [email protected] or (212) 249- 0171. The play will be announced by email a few days before. Women’s Alliance Bridge Club All Souls Young Adults Monday, January 13, 27 at 2:00 p.m. in the Ware Room First Sunday Brunch We are inviting both experienced and new players to join a mix of skills. Sunday, January 5 at 1:00 p.m. A friendly, non-judgmental group, we view mistakes as opportunities to Five Mile Stone (1640 2nd Ave) learn, not to criticize. REFERENCE: Audrey Grant’s Bridge at a Glance, Join us for fellowship and a bite of food at a local spot. Following Coffee with copies available to check during the game and to borrow. Coffee, Hour, we will head out to brunch at Five Mile Stone (2nd Ave and 85th tea (and sometimes cookies) on hand. Contact [email protected] St) together. To find us, come to Coffee Hour after the service, or meet or (212) 744-4637. us at the restaurant. We hope you can join us! Monthly Luncheon ASYA Dreaming Session: 2020 and Beyond Wednesday, January 15 at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, January 12, 12:25-2:30 p.m. in Reidy Friendship Hall Location TBD Speaker: Liza Abraham, Voter Protection Director, New York Year after year All Souls Young Adults remains a vibrant, thriving Democrats. Topic: State of Voting Rights 2020. Ms. Abraham will take community because of our members’ commitment to bringing us back to 2013, when Shelby v. Holder was passed, giving all states people together for spirited events and myriad relationship-building freedom to pass voting legislation of their choice, and how this law has opportunities. Join us as we take a pulse on the current state of ASYA and dream together possibilities for the future including new event affected the voting landscape. There will also be a short business meeting. initiatives, our connection to All Souls at large, expanded leadership, Bring your own lunch. Beverages and desserts will be provided. and more! The Jewish Museum Vegan Potluck Dinner Saturday, January 18, meet at 11:05 a.m. Saturday, January 18 at 6:30 p.m. 1109 Fifth Avenue (at 92nd Street) in the Ware Room Self-tour: “The Rise of American Art.” Discover Edith Gregor Halpert, Join the young adult group for an evening of food and community. Bring influential art dealer. This is the first exhibition to explore Halpert’s a dish that’s free of meat, dairy, and anything else that comes from remarkable career supporting her socially progressive values. Born in animals, or just bring yourself to share a meal with us. All are welcome! Odessa, Halpert was the first significant U.S. woman gallery owner. This exhibition will feature some 100 works of folk and American modern art previously exhibited at the Downtown Gallery. Admission: Free on Young Adult and Newcomer Bagel Brunch Saturday. Meet at 11:05 a.m. inside the lobby, after the security check and Sunday, January 19 at 12:25 p.m. coat check. RSVP to Alix-Marie Hall to be included in a lunch reservation in the Forrest Church Gallery at a nearby restaurant on a busy UES Saturday: AMHadvisory@yahoo. com or (917) 621-5495. Following the 11:15 a.m. service, All Souls young adults and newcomers of all ages are invited to join us for bagels and community-deepening An Evening of English Country Dance conversation. Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. Church of the Village, 201 West 13th Street Program: 7:00-7:30 p.m. dance lesson, 7:40-10:00 p.m. dancing to live music. Refreshments will be served during a break in the dancing. Wear comfortable shoes. RSVP: Isabel Mountbatten at [email protected] or (212) 362-5060, Christine Goodwin at [email protected] or (212) 348-7980. JANUARY 2020 20 Congregational Groups for Fellowship, Learning, and the Arts
Women’s Reading Group Tuesday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m. ALL SOULS CLASSIC FILMS in the Minot Simons Room King Kong The Women’s Reading Group meets one Tuesday a month to discuss books written by women that are available in paperback editions. The Friday, January 24 at 6:30 p.m. discussion covers the entire book. Books are nominated by members and The original King Kong (1933, 100 voted upon by the group - usually at a potluck called for that purpose. min.) is a paramount example of January 14: Milkman by Anna Burns spectacle and excitement from the earliest era of talkies. Unlike its February 11: Transcription by Kate Anderson many successor films which suffer Questions? Contact Mary-Ella Holst at (212) 861-2950. All are welcome all the flaws of being mind numbing, to join us! instantly forgettable, big budget Hollywood action movies, this film Writers’ Group has an emotionally poignant story, and its special effects hold up well too! The movie starts at 7:00 p.m. followed by discussion. Mondays, January 13 and 27 Bring drinks or snacks to share! 6:30 p.m. in the Ware Room This group welcomes all writers, whether of fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, published or unpublished, as well as journalists and people Circle of Elders who work in publishing. All are invited to read their work. Comments and discussion are welcome. For further information, contact Marilyn Thursdays, January 9 & 23 at 2:00 p.m. Mehr at [email protected] or Tim Kelley at [email protected]. in the Ware Room January 9: Beating the Wintry Blues Stories with Soul January 23: Seasonal Activities The Circle of Elders is open to everyone in the latter part of their lives. Wednesdays, 6:45 p.m. in the Ware Room Its purpose is to talk about the challenges this time of life brings and Welcome! Relax around the fireplace with friends and listen to a short story. to share experiences, information, and ways to enrich and make the Then join the conversation afterwards… or simply enjoy the company. First most of these later and more time-limited years. For more information, class readers. The perfect way to mark the mid-week. Now in its 27th year, contact Mary Keane at (212) 879-6340 or [email protected]. Stories with Soul invites you to join us for a one-hour short story reading and discussion. No prior reading is necessary. “A mecca for lovers of the short story” (Columbia Spectator) and a great way to meet people. For more information or to receive the monthly schedule via email, contact Steve Michelman, Coordinator, at [email protected], or Teresa Brooks, Co-Coordinator, at [email protected]. On Facebook: Stories Career Development with Soul All Souls UU NYC. and Life Design Group THURSDAY, January 2 One-on-One Clinic Selection to be Announced, read by Rebecca Minnich Thursdays, January 9 & 23 at 6:45 p.m. January 8 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY – to help you get to do what you really For Esme with Love and Squalor by J.D. Salinger, read by Tim want to be doing, whether it's for pay or not. To make appointments, Kelley email John L. German [email protected]. All are welcome—no memberships necessary, no reservations necessary. January 15 The Guilty Party by Shel Silverstein, read by Jean Coleman
January 22 The Only Way Out is Through by Alethea Black, read by Christina Black
January 29 Police Dreams by Richard Bausch, read by David Hainsworth
January host, Anne Hollyday
JANUARY 2020 21 Congregational Groups for Service and Outreach
Nuclear Disarmament Task Force Task Force Meeting Sunday, January 19 12:45 p.m. in the Chapel Come and help set our agenda for what promises to be a critical year We at Heart & Soul hope all of our fellow congregants at All Souls for world peace. Failure to renew the New START treaty would risk an have had a joyous holiday season, and express our heartfelt gratitude extremely dangerous and ruinously expensive new nuclear arms race. for your generous and continuing participation in our annual appeal. Efforts continue to block deployment of dangerous new "low yield" Now that the holidays are over we begin together as a congregation nuclear weapons. We will also be discussing ways to support the Back to reach out and serve our neighbors as our third century begins to from the Brink campaign, which seeks to take nuclear missiles off hair- unfold. trigger alert and to curb Presidential power to start a nuclear war. All are welcome. For Heart & Soul and the programs we support, the services on December 15 were special. At the early service, the New Amsterdam Boys and Girls Choir, a program led by James Backmon that we are able to support each year thanks to your generosity, performed beautifully with our Children's Choir in the Christmas Pageant. Both service openings were delivered by George Collins, who for years, together with a dedicated group of volunteers from the congregation and the wider community, has performed the miracle of Monday Night Hospitality. George’s comments captured so well UUs for Justice in the Middle East the spirit of our outreach programs and the central importance of community service to the very core of our life as a congregation. The All Souls chapter of Unitarian Universalists George spoke of the comfort offered to our guests by Galen and by for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) will hold Dr. Holly Atkinson’s efforts to provide doctors to perform health its next study group meeting on Sunday, screenings. January 19, 2019, at 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Minot Simons Room. We will discuss the George spoke of the “amazing offering from this congregation to its ongoing conflict over land in Palestine, as influenced neighbors,” an unwavering commitment for 40 years to help feed our by current events in the United States and in Israel, neighbors and to help “those that would otherwise not be able to stay and as analyzed by Eyal Weizman, founding director in their housing, find shelter, find jobs, have hope.” of Forensic Architecture, in his book, Hollow Land The church followed up on the spirit of George’s remarks with an (2017), as well as other topics. announcement from the pulpit that the morning’s offering would Upcoming All Souls chapter study group meetings will be on Sundays be divided by Monday Night Hospitality and Friday Soup, and the from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the Minot Simons Room: February 23, March congregation responded with generous contributions. 22, April 19 and May 17 (this date only in Mary-Ella Holst Room). As George stated: “To me the measurement of any church is in part Please check with our Google Group postings for announcements. For what it does to help the suffering of others.” So it is for all of us. information about the All Souls chapter of UUJME contact Karen Steele ([email protected]) or Deborah Taylor ([email protected]). With gratitude, For information about the national UUJME, go to https://uujme.org/. Jeff Friedlander Founded in 1971, UUJME is a national Unitarian Universalist social President, Heart & Soul Charitable Fund justice organization; its Vision is A just peace in Palestine-Israel that reflects our UU values of respect for the inherent worth and dignity Please contribute at heartandsoulfund. of every human being and justice, equity and compassion in human org. relations. For information about the national UUJME, go to https:// uujme.org/.
JANUARY 2020 22 Congregational Groups for Service and Outreach New York Common Pantry
February Bulletin Deadline: Every month, All Souls members and friends donate money and/or food items to the New York Common Pantry (formerly the Yorkville Common Pantry). Please stop by the Food Pantry table to donate money with a January 15 credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Please send event info to Discover) or to drop off goods. [email protected]. On January 12 we would love to collect: Dry pasta (whole wheat preferred) Canned tuna/chicken/salmon Dried or canned beans You can also bring the food donations (no glass containers) to the church's Front Office anytime and say they are the January donations for the Food Pantry Table. Please contact Wiley at [email protected] to be added to the reminder list.
JANUARY 2020 23 Calendar of Events ALL SOULS January 2020
Ongoing Mondays Tuesdays Fridays weekly 7:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 12:00 p.m. events Monday Night Hospitality Community Choir Friday Soup Kitchen
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
New Year's Day 1 2 3 4
6:45 Stories with Soul 12:00 Friday Soup Kitchen 7:00 Enlightening Ideas
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
10:00 & 11:15 Galen Guengerich 7:00 Monday Night Hospitality 6:30 Community Choir TBA WA Cinema Club 10:30 Culture of Loneliness 12:00 Friday Soup Kitchen 10:00 & 11:15 Connection Circles 6:45 Stories with Soul Connection Circle 6:00 Parent's Night Out 11:15 Adult Forum 2:00 Circle of Elders 6:30 WA Ethical Society Play 1:00 ASYA First Sunday Brunch 6:45 Career and Life Design Reading 1:00 Board of Trustees Meeting 7:00 Inspirational Poems 1:30 All Souls Sangha 6:00 All Souls Salon
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
10:00 & 11:15 Galen Guengerich 2:00 WA Bridge Club 10:30 Pride Team Meeting 12:30 WA Monthly Luncheon 6:00 Climate Justice Potluck ' 12:00 Friday Soup Kitchen 11:00 WA - The Jewish Museum 10:00 & 11:15 Adult Forum 6:30 Writers' Group 6:30 Community Choir 5:30 Immigration Team and Work Night 7:00 Enlightening Ideas 6:30 Vegan Potluck Dinner 12:25 ASYA Dreaming Session 7:00 Monday Night Hospitality 7:00 Women's Reading Group 6:45 Stories with Soul 12:45 Inaugural Channing Lecture 1:00 All Souls Are Welcome 1:15 Adventures in Ideas 1:30 Buddhism Study Group
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
10:00 & 11:15 Audette Fulbright 7:00 Monday Night Hospitality 6:30 Community Choir 6:45 Stories with Soul 2:00 Circle of Elders 12:00 Friday Soup Kitchen 10:00 & 11:15 Adult Forum 6:45 Career and Life Design 6:30 All Souls Classic Films 12:25 Newcomer Bagel Brunch 7:00 Inspirational Poems 12:45 Nuclear Disarmament 1:00 All Souls Are Welcome 1:00 UUJME Study Group 1:30 Sangha II
26 27 28 29 30 31 10:00 & 11:15 Lay Sunday 2:00 WA Bridge Club 6:30 Community Choir 6:45 Stories with Soul 12:00 Friday Soup Kitchen 10:00 & 11:15 Adult Forum 6:30 Writers' Group 7:00 WA- Evening of English 12:45 WA - Brooklyn Botanic 7:00 Monday Night Hospitality Country Dance Garden