Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wayne County a Member Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Newsletter for July/August 2017 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wayne County A Member Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association July & August Service Schedule Note: One service only, at 10:00 am. Join us for coffee after the service. July 23: How Do You UU outside of the Fellowship (Gail Woosley) Exploring how we practice our Principles in the real world, while on vacation, and while visiting new or far away places. July 30: William Humphrey Our mini-cluster of UU congregations is exchanging ministers this Sunday. Mr. William Humphrey is a trained educator/administrator and is serving as the minister at All Souls UU Church in Belleville, Ohio. Will is an insightful and curious colleague, and we’re excited to invite him to our pulpit. Rev. Strawn will be preaching at Westfield Center in this exchange. August 6: Immigration: Behind the Scenes View (Jenny Dirksen) Ms. Dirksen has worked tirelessly for many years on issues of immigration - justice, language, hospitality - meeting every day needs of those who are new to our country. These are people we often don't even notice! August 13: Christian Sophia & Sun Dance Tree: Birthing the Future (Christopher Reynolds) In the Sophianic tradition, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in union with Mother, Daughter, Holy Soul. The union of Trinity and TriniSophia birth the future. In the indigenous tradition, the same theme of birthing the future appears in how the 4 days of the Sun Dance are a roadmap for the News year to come, but in poetic, metaphoric form. With knowledge of Sophia and of the Sun Dance Tree, it is possible to access soul and spirit in insights that give momentum to the way forward into a beautiful experience of life for the coming year. August 20: Wonders of the World Celebration with the Green Sanctuary Team What's in the garden? What have the kids been learning while we were inside the great room? This is a multi generational service celebrating the UU culmination of our summer programming. Don't miss it! August 27: Water Communion (Rev. Elaine Strawn) We gather together as a full community this Sunday, bringing reminders and memories from the places we've been during the summer. This is an interactive, sharing, service. We invite you to share a meaningful memory of your summer, and/or bring drops of water which symbolize your journeys. We pour this water together, symbolizing our coming together again as a full congregation. It is cleansed and reserved for Baby and Child Dedications which will happen this year. Page 2 The Minister’s Column This year we begin a slightly new pattern. Intending better integration of Sunday services/Religious Education and other programming, the staff has chosen to move toward “themed ministry.” We purchased a program produced by religious professionals in the UUA’s Southwest region: “Touchstones”. Each month’s theme, includes worship resources, Small Group sessions, and supplemental RE suggestions. We begin this month with “Circles of Life”. Beginning in September, the second Sunday service of each month will focus on the theme. The third Sunday will be our multi-generational service, again using that theme as the focus for our interactive service. Four Small Groups will meet each month, further exploring the theme, deepening our conversations with one another. Watch for sign-up sheets in September, or join our “try-it-out” sessions at 11:00am or 7:00pm on the fourth Wednesdays of July and August. (See a more in-depth description in this newsletter). Finally, the personal reflection piece; each day check for a short quote to ponder as you move through your day. These will appear on our UUFWC Website and Facebook pages as well as in our googlegroups email. Let us know what you think. Why do this? Two reasons spring to mind: 1. to integrate our programming across the generations. We are hoping to foster deeper conversations among us and within our families. 2. to provide consistency in our full program. This year is an experiment. And we're looking forward to it. Our other exciting news is that our ministerial intern, Drew Frantz, will be joining us in September! As a half-time staffer, Drew will be leading one of the Small Groups, doing some preaching and pastoral care, and getting to know what a fine congregation this is. 2017-2018 should be an exciting year! Come along for the journey! Wake Now Our Vision Have you considered mentioning the Fellowship in your will or estate plan? Now is the time to do it! Rev. Laura Randall, the Legacy Campaign Director explains, "In order to promote and inspire planned giving among Unitarian Universalists, the Wake Now Our Vision Legacy Challenge will match new legacy gift intentions at 10% of the gift’s estimated value (up to a $10,000 match on a $100,000 planned gift) with a cash match. Our institutions and congregations will benefit now from this match and will benefit even more in the future from legacy gifts. This match is made possible through a generous grant offered by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock.” So put us in your will, or name us as a beneficiary, fill out the paperwork and submit documentation of your intention and the Congregation at Shelter Rock will send us an additional 10%! Download the form at wakenowourvision.org. Anne will also have copies in the rack outside her office. Page 3 Religious Education Over the summer, RE slows down a bit so that volunteers get some rest, classrooms get cleaned, and preparations are made for the upcoming year. There are many exciting things in the works for the RE Program. Caregivers, please watch your mail in mid- August for a 2017-18 flyer and calendar. The mailing will also Upcoming Events include an RE Registration form—please turn this in by the first day of RE on September 10th so we have the most up to date information on your child(ren). Thank you! SUMMER August 13th 10a- Summer Program I would like to send a big thank you out to the Green Sanctuary Wrap-Up Team for leading this summer’s children’s program: Betty Schuler, Margo Curl, Sue Gross, Norma Barber, Susan August 20th 10a- Heady, Bethany Jasin, Ruth Dykstra, and Kevin Cannon have Summer All-ages st th curated wonderful lessons for our 1 -6 graders. service (NO RE) The children have been learning how to better live out our 7th Principle this summer by participating in a variety of aspects of th gardening. Come find out what they have been working so hard August 27 - 10a- on during an all-ages service led by the Green Sanctuary team on Water Communion August 20th at 10am. You may even get to sample some of their (Multigen/NO RE) harvest! September 3rd 10a- Animal Blessing Please note: (Multigen/NO RE) Parents Group, Game Night, RE Committee, and Playgroup will take a break over the summer and resume in September. September 10th 9:30a- First day of RE 2017-18! For information about Religious Education, please contact Chelsea Churpek, Director of Religious Education Page 4 Racial Justice and the Fellowship Sign When the Racial Justice group went to a district meeting in Cleveland last spring, we learned that UU congregations over the country were putting up signs promoting racial justice, and “Black Lives Matter.” We proposed a sign last summer, and a majority of the fellowship voted for it. But some us felt that we needed more time and more dialogue. We paused to formulate a board policy regarding sign content. We needed a policy that would enable us to choose our phrases, and we needed to make sure all voices were heard. Much discussion has followed. We feel that a sign would expose others to our ideas. It is a ‘coming out of the closet’ by revealing our principles to strangers. We hope this will attract people who would agree with us. We know there are people who will not. But we take a risk in order to get people to think and discuss. We feel it is a right to be able to express our beliefs. We want to take a stand in times of an ongoing spiritual and moral crisis. We feel it is our duty to speak out for justice. We want to display the values of our 7 Principles. We wish to take stand to support various minority groups. White folks in America have had ongoing privileges that minorities, people of color, still do not have. We have chosen to remain silent and safe. But silence does cost lives as well as the quality of life of every race. We may alienate those who do not perceive an injustice. We intend to confront our own ‘white institutionalized privilege’ by acknowledging it, discussing it, and respecting differing points of view. We support revealing our values to the community with this act of public witness. We believe we will feel stronger but not always more comfortable. UU’s do not subscribe to a dogma. Our slogans will represent of cross section of what a cross section of us believe. No one will agree with all phrases. We hope we can disagree with love, and the knowledge that the specific slogans are temporary and that JUSTICE is permanent. • We have talked with the city-zoning manager, Andrew Dutton. We know now that zoning constraints in an R-1 district are: A temporary sign is limited to 6 square feet. A 3 x 2 sign is not big enough to be clearly seen from the road.