What’s going on... April 2009

Sunday Services

Sunday, April 5 – Rev. Fred Howard, “Cleaning out Closets –The Spiritual Work of Forgiveness”

It is a common human tendency to put away things that we don’t really have the time or energy to deal with today.  So we accumulate clutter in the corners and closets.  This tendency also crops up in our spiritual lives – hurts, resentments, and grudges get put away on our spiritual closets.  In today’s sermon I will share some of my own struggles with forgiveness, explore some dynamics of this most difficult spiritual practice, and share some of the things that must be considered if we are to forgive with integrity.     

  
Sunday, April 12 – Dr. Michael Stoltzfus, “The Middle Path:  Aristotle and Buddha”

Aristotle and Buddha both advocate for a middle path or a virtuous mean between vicious extremes.  We will articulate how the middle path is rooted in habitual dispositions, tolerance, impermanence, and a disciplined individual and collective life rooted in wisdom, compassion and concentration in the midst of the present moment.  Both Aristotle and Buddha suggest that the way of the middle path can lead to an enduring spiritual and moral fulfillment or happiness.  

Sunday, April 19 – Rev. Jane A. Page,    “Dance of the Seven Veils”

We all have experienced times when we feel like a veil of illusion has been lifted and we can see more clearly.  These times of revelations have been examined in religions, science, and the arts.  Rev. Jane will explore (through music, dance, and narrative) the shedding of illusions experienced by a character in a Tom Robbins novel and the implications for our own enlightenment.  

Sunday, April 26 –  Dr. Betty Derrick, UUSC Justice

We celebrate Justice Sunday to focus our attention on the social justice work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and on our own local social justice work.  This year’s theme is “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights…Celebrating 60 Years of Justice.”  In light of the current economic crisis, we will focus our service this year on Economic Justice, one of UUSC’s four program areas.  The other areas are Civil Liberties, Environmental Justice, and Rights in Humanitarian Crises.   

            Many UU church’s celebrated this annual service the last Sunday in March.  Though ours will be a little after that date, our small congregation continues to participate in numerous local projects and many of our members have joined in the global work of UUSC.  Our church was recognized as a “Creating Justice Banner Society 2008” in honor of exceptionally generous congregational corporate support for UUSC’s human rights and social justice work.  If you are not already a member of UUSC, please consider joining during our Justice Sunday service.  Information will be provided then or you can go to www.uusc.org.

            Most of you know Betty, who is a member of our congregation and newsletter editor.  She serves as our congregational UUSC representative.

Rev. Jane A. Page, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro, serves our congregation in Valdosta each month.  She is available for conferences and special services when she is in Valdosta.  Web Page: http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/~janepage/ Some of Rev. Page’s sermons are posted at http://uustatesboro.uuism.net/sermons.html

Pledges This is the time of year our Board asks each of us to make a financial pledge to the work of our church for the coming fiscal year.  Our fiscal year begins July 1.   In order for the Board to prepare a budget for a congregational meeting vote in May, they must have your returned pledge letter immediately.  Please place it in the offering plate, mail it to the church (PO Box 2342, Valdosta, GA 31604).  Be as generous as you can be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Religious Education for Children

The children in our RE program have just finished examining creation stories from different religious traditions. They played games and did crafts and activities with the creation theme. Susan Bailey says, “We even pretended to be Creators.  We formed our own animals, plants, volcanoes and other things out of play dough.”  They are now discussing the story of Noah and the Flood and finding related themes in other religions.

            The RE program for children meets at 10:45 AM concurrent with the Sunday morning service.  Volunteers to help in the classroom are needed. Contacts: Mya Storey; Susan Bailey.  Thank you Susan and Mya for all of the wonderful things you are doing.  It is so exciting to see all of the children each Sunday and to see their excitement  as they participate in the RE activities.

 

Some of our RE children on our Meditation walkway after we lost one of our trees this winter.

 

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our President, Doug Tanner , or Membership Director, Lars Leader.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.          Rev. Jane Page and Rev. Fred Howard also welcome your questions about UU membership.

MINISTERIAL MUUSINGS 

Rev. Jane Page

April 2009

 

After a rather unusual service (that we UU’s sometimes like to have), my husband remarked, “The folks who were at our service for the first time were probably wondering, ‘What kind of place is this?’”

            That’s a good question.  Just what kind of place is this where our group gathers each Sunday morning?  My first response is – a sanctuary, a safe place.  Many of us initially gather with other Unitarian Universalists because it’s a place where we can be open, where we can honestly be ourselves and be safe. We will not be deemed heretical because our beliefs do not match some creed or dogma handed down from our fathers.  We need to be with others who affirm our inherent worth and dignity and encourage a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. 

            But it’s more than a sanctuary, of course.

This place is:

A school, where we learn and expand our minds.

A lunchroom, where we receive nourishment for our souls.

A play room, where our spirits laugh and tumble with each other.

A workplace, where we give our time and talents to help others.

An altar room, where we bring our gifts and the first fruits of our labor.

A theater, where we witness the drama of life and death.

A family room, where we commune with loved ones.

A laundry room, where we wash away the bitterness and despair.

A hospital, where we come for emotional and spiritual healing.

A locker room, where our team gets encouragement and makes plans to work toward our goal of a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

And that list could probably go on and on, because this place has different meanings for different people.  One of the readings in the back of our hymnal provides a good description of this place.  It’s by Kenneth Patton and entitled “This House.”

This house is for the ingathering of nature and human nature.

It is a house of friendships, a haven in trouble, an open room for the encouragement of our struggle.

It is a house of freedom, guarding the dignity and worth of every person.

It offers a platform for the free voice, for declaring both in times of security and danger, the full and undivided conflict of opinion.

It is a house of truth-seeking, where scientists can encourage devotion to their quest, where mystics can abide in a community of searchers.

It is a house of prophecy, outrunning times past and times present in visions of growth and progress.

This house is a cradle for our dreams, the workshop of our common endeavor.

What kind of place is this?

It’s a wonderful place to BE!

Won’t you join us?

           

Special Note:  This place has been a wonderful place for me to BE once a month for the last three years.  For some time now, I’ve become aware, however, that I’m trying to do TOO much.  And I think it’s good when we recognize our limitations.  Therefore, I recently shared with your leadership that this would be my last year as your monthly visiting UU minister.  This relationship has been so very meaningful to me.  And it was a terrific opportunity for me to bring my grandchildren to visit their father while I also was able to serve you.  My grandchildren are both very involved now in weekend activities here in Statesboro, and their father has made the commitment to make the trip north rather than us making the trip south.  Again, I am so grateful for the time we’ve spent together and look forward to visiting you “once in a while” in the future.  AND, I look forward to seeing you at least a couple more times this year!  In Faith, Hope, and Love, Jane

 

Newsletter Editor:  Betty Derrick Website:  Carol Stiles Local Publicity: Dee Tait Photographer: Mya Storey April 15: Deadline for the May newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Have Some Fun!!

Games Night- At the church

Saturday, April 18   7:00 PM 

Bring some finger foods and munchies to share, libations if you’d like, the kids, a friend, a favorite game and let the games begin.  See Sue Bailey for further details.  Come enjoy the fun! 

 

Book Discussion and Potluck

Friday, April 24     7:00 PM

At the church

Bring a dish to share.  Coffee and tea will be provided.  You are welcome to bring other beverages.  We’ll plan to wind up by around 9:00 PM if you have other end of the week commitments.  We selected the book this time through an on-line vote. (Two books received 1 vote each  as well as two additional books were added to our list.) The book receiving the most votes was "Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son" by Leroy Aarons.  "Prayers for Bobby" is a made for TV film which Mya saw recently and has more recently learned is a book.  It is a true story. It deals with issues for a young gay man growing up.  She says it is a different perspective than that in the Marc Addams book we read a while back.  We have been selecting books which deal with different cultures, religions, and life styles.  Let us know your suggestions.  Contact: Betty Derrick

            Several people have asked for a list of the books we have discussed since we restarted the book discussion group after years of dormancy.  Here it is:

Zora Neale Hurston: “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

Khaled Hosseini:“The Kite Runner”

Ray Bradbury: "Fahrenheit 451" 

Marc Adams: "The Preacher's Son" 

Lars and the Real Girl- movie

Idliby, Oliver, and Warner : “The Faith Club”

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin: “Three Cups of Tea”

Thomas DeWolf: “Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-Trading Dynasty in U. S. History”

Perhaps we should use this list to think about areas of difference we have missed in our reading or aspects of difference we ought to explore through our reading, which we have yet to cover.  It occurs to your editor that perhaps in the future we need to choose some books which deal with Asian cultures and religions.  See what you think.

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

New Hope Christian Community Church- Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 4:30 PM. Service at 6:00 PM.  http://internationalchristiancommunity.ning.com

Taoist Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday: Beginners Class: 5:30-6:30 PM; Continuing Class:6:30-8:00 PM  Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin 

PFLAG Meeting – 4th Tuesday each month, 7:00PM

Contact: Doug Tanner The web page for PFLAG Valdosta:
http://pflag-valdosta.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

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Social Action Activities

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday (and 5^th when there is one) of each month.  If you would like to help deliver meals beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Frank or Rosie Asbury.

Accepting Difference Project

AAUW Sister-to-Sister Summit: The Accepting Difference Project through our UU Restoration fund recently donated $400.00 to help support this project.  This American Association of University Women project which reaches 100 or more middle school girls for a full day of activities on the VSU campus, is in it 11^th year.  The program seeks to raise the self-image of these young women and provides mentoring opportunities for them.   Acceptance of self leads to acceptance of others who may be outside the usual comfort zone of some of these young women.

 

VIGIL FOR PEACE:  CANDLELIGHT PRAYER AND REFLECTION   With Board approval for the use of our facilities the Accepting Difference Project will precede with this project.  Plans are already underway for the Day of Prayer Observance.  

Environmental Justice: April's UUSC Justice Action

April's Action of the Month is Environmental Justice, in anticipation of Earth Day on April 22. Two important dates lead up to this action: World Water Day(3/22) - a day to remember that access to clean, safe water for drinking and bathing is a human right -  and Earth Hour (3/28) - at 8:30 PM local time participants are asked to turn off their lights for one hour in order to draw attention to the link between energy use and global climate change .  

Send a Love Letter to Salt Lake City!   Help Us Proclaim "Marriage is a Civil Right" at General Assembly

We have a unique opportunity to hang a three foot by ten foot marriage equality banner on the large tower of the Salt Palace Convention Center in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City during this year's General Assembly in June. Utah residents donated $2.6 million in 2008—more than any other state outside California—to support the passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. Displaying our "Marriage is a Civil Right" banner will send a strong message that we are standing on the side of love.

            We must raise $6,000.00 quickly to make this advocacy event possible. The Salt Palace is willing to display our banner, but will not reserve the space until payment is in hand!  Make an online credit card donation through the UUA's secure website Or call toll free: 1-888-792-5885 Or send a donation to: Marriage Equality Banner ,c/o Tom Klein, Unitarian Universalist Association ,25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108.  Checks should be made out to the UUA with "GA Banner" on the memo line.

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Join UUs from around the country in Niagara Falls, July 19-22, 2009:  Come experience the wonder of Niagara Falls including some great educational opportunities while being taken care of like royalty.  The UU Church of Niagara is conducting a four day UU Niagara Experience which is a lifetime opportunity to encounter the Falls up close from every perspective.  For information visit our web site : http://www.uunex.net/  

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 ABOUT OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Congratulations to

v Fred Howard on his progress in the UUA ministerial credentialing process.  Fred recently received final approval from the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee. The MFC officially approves (fellowships) ministers for UU ordination, but it is individual congregations, not the UUA or the MFC, that vote to ordain candidates.   Newly fellowshipped ministers are recognized in a special ceremony at General Assembly each year.  It would be wonderful if representatives from our congregation could be at General Assembly in Salt Lake City this summer, if Fred plans to be there to be recognized.

v Lars Leader who qualified recently for the Boston Marathon.

Keep in your thoughts

v Our members and friends recovering from recent accidents.

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UU Church of Valdosta Board of Directors

March 4th, 2009

Attendance: Doug Tanner, Rosie Asbury, Sue Bailey, Bill and Valerie Webster and Kari Wells

Old Business:

·         Roof is repaired.

·         The Board supports the use of the building for Community prayer vigils as long as they don’t coincide with other scheduled church activities.

·         Renter’s agreement still being updated.

·         Missed the date to sign up for a booth at the Azalea festival.  Next year we will need to do that in January.

·         Congregational meeting still planned for May 17.

New Business:

·         It has been brought to the Board’s attention that some of our visitors don’t realize that we have anything after the coffee and snack break.  We are going to ask our Lay Leaders to add a little reminder at the end of the service about our friendly discussions which follow coffee time.

·         Treasures report:  Need to add website costs to the budget for next year.

·         Programs report: Need to contact regular speakers and find out their plans for speaking over the summer.

·         RE report:  They will be working on a performance for the church in March.

The next Board meeting is April 8 at 6:00.

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Treasurer's Report

Rosie Asbury - February  2009

Receipts                   February                 July -present

  Plate                       $ 141.00                  $ 1025.00

  Pledge                       935.00                     9475.00

  Rent                          440.00                     2040.00

  Total Receipts       $1516.00                   $ 13115.00

Disbursements           

  Speakers’ Fees                   $ 900.00                    $  7050.00

  Repairs & Maint.                   750.00                        1710.16

  Newsletter                                 0.00                          212.28

  Termite/Pest Cntrl                  342.00                          342.00

  Postage                                      0.00                           29.69

  Supplies                                     0.00                         183.84  

  Utilities                                   222.60                       1852.65

  Advert./Website                     350.00                         495.00

  UUA Dues                             722.00                       1422.00

  Others                                        0.00                         176.00

Total  Disburse.       $ 3286.66                                $15207.20

Net Receipt             $- 1770.66                               $- 2092.20

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS                    Joan Lund

Happy April, one and all. It has become a tradition for me write a column about General Assembly, and this year to encourage you to travel to Salt Lake City in June 24^th to 28^th for our annual Association meeting. It is an especially important occasion this year because we honor Rev. Bill Sinkford for his eight years of outstanding presidency of our Association, and we elect a new UUA President. Another reason to attend is to experience UU University which will be part of the programming during GA rather than the days preceding the Assembly.

            Also it is an important year for the Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI). The invitation is with congregations and districts to take our current topic of concern and face it, reflect upon is, learn about it, respond to it, and take action on it. The current CSAI adopted at the 2006 GA started with the question: “…should the UUA reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war…and adopt a principle of seeking just peace through non violent means”.  This year's Assembly will vote to adopt a new Statement of Conscience, Peacemaking.

            The Ware Lecture this year will be delivered by Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University. She is an author whose academic research is inspired by a desire to investigate the challenges facing contemporary black Americans and to better understand the multiple, creative ways that African Americans respond to these challenges.

            In addition to worship services, events, and exhibits, a wealth of great programming is being sponsored by the General Assembly Planning Committee. All promise to provide a rich experience for everyone who attends. There will be much diversity in programming to please the interests of attendees including: Facilitator training in Small Group Ministry, Dance as a Spiritual Experience, Building Unity between different racialized ethnic groups, Confronting the Top-heavy Distribution of U.S. Wealth, and much more.

            And last but not least is beautiful, vibrant Salt Lake City. The city is a vacation destination. All around are accesses to natural recreation, remarkable history, warm hospitality, and more diversity than Salt Lake City is known for, with a booming Hispanic community and a major locale for the resettlement of displaced people…including several hundred from Hurricane Katrina. There is a light rail system in the convention district and the airport is mere minutes away from the Salt Palace Convention Center, where most GA events will be held.

            I encourage you to check out generalassembly@uua.org for more information. You know I can be reached at jlund@uua.org.

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UU Activities and Announcements

March 20-22-Florida District Annual Assembly

April 17- 19-Women's Retreat Weekend, The Mountain, Highlands , NC

May 15-17-UNIVERSALIST CONVOCATION 2009: Celebrating the religious heart of Unitarian Universalism, UU Church of Birmingham , Alabama   www.nmuc.org/Convo

June 24-28- UUA General Assembly, Salt Lake City , UT