What’s going on...February 2006

Sunday Services

 

February 5 – “The Etruscan Pals”

Nationally known Tallahassee musical duo Carrie Hamby and David Leporati will play a rousing mixture of Old World acoustic folk music on mandolin, accordion, and guitar. Come prepared to sing along if the music so moves you!   Come and welcome this group we had originally scheduled for Christmas Day.  When it became apparent that few in our congregation would be able to attend that day we rescheduled this program.  Be sure to take advantage of what promises to be an excellent program and invite someone to join you.   

February 12 – “What Time is It?  A Post-Menopausal Reading of Ecclesiastes 3” - Dr. Jane Page

Dr. Jane Page will present a message that utilizes a passage from Ecclesiastes to examine the passage of time.  In this light-hearted (and serious) sermon, Jane uses events from her own life as well as events from the "teacher's" life in Ecclesiastes to explore getting older and making the most of it.

UU Minister in training Jane Page is an intern at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta, GA and a candidate for UUA ministry.  She retired from a position as a Professor of Education at Georgia Southern University in June 2005 and will receive her Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School In June 2006.  Jane lives in Statesboro , GA with her partner, Greg Brock.   

February 19 – “Taoism as Biospirituality”

VSU Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies Michael Stoltzfus will continue his year-long series on world religions in as he discusses Taoism as a religion that has to do with the whole of one’s body.  What many in the West call matter and spirit are, in Taoist terms, both manifestations of our biospirituality.  Taoists understand the mind and spirit as organic functions of the energy systems of our bodies.  Taoists are thus concerned with what they do with their bodies just as much as what they believe in their minds or feel in their hearts.  We will discuss the religious significance of our bodies and highlight the profound naturalism of Taoism.  

February 26 - Don Crosby "A Case for Religious Naturalism."

Religious naturalism has a long history, but it has come increasingly to the fore in recent years as a significant alternative to theistic and other kinds of supernaturalistic religious faith, with a number of books and articles written about it. Don Crosby invites and welcomes discussion following the talk. 

Don Crosby is a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy from Colorado State University , where he taught for 36 years. Philosophy of nature is one of his special interests, and he taught a graduate course for many years called "Philosophical Models of Nature." His Ph.D. in philosophy of religion and ethics is from Columbia University in New York City . His most recent book is entitled Novelty (2005), and the one nearest to that is entitled A Religion of Nature (2002). He has just finished a book called Living With Ambiguity: Religious Naturalism and the Menace of Evil. He grew up in Pensacola , Florida and he and his wife have been members of the UU Church in Tallahassee for a little over three years.

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Sunday Service Assistance:  Helen Gerhardt will appreciate your assistance with Sunday services.   There are several jobs someone performs every service including lay leader, flowers, greeting guests, greet and meet host after the service, and music director.  Many thanks to all who have helped out in recent months.  Talk to Helen if you can join this core of assistants.  We especially need someone to take over the job of planning music for the service.  You don’t have to be a musician.  There are a number of resources available for all of these jobs.

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Members please make an annual contribution of record before January 28!  This is the time of year that our congregation reports its membership and pays $70.00 per member in Florida UU District and Unitarian Universalist Association dues for each member.  Although our congregation does not “charge dues,” our bylaws do require that a membership obligation is to make an annual contribution of record.  The current church year began July 1, 2005.  To continue as a member, please be sure you have made a contribution of record by January 28, 2006.  We need your contributions to continue the important work we do in south Georgia.

If you receive this newsletter and are not a regular contributor to the church we would appreciate a minimum gift of $12.00 to cover its costs.  If you are interested in joining this congregation, please note the following invitation.  

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our President, Lars Leader.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

 

Newsletter

Editor:  Betty Derrick

Website:  Carol Stiles

February 15: deadline for the March newsletter  

  Social Action Activities

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday of each month.  If you can deliver meals on this day beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Dee Tait.

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Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition Announcement Mark your calendars now!   SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2006 ~ No Fooling!  SOUTHERN REGIONAL MARCH for PEACE IN IRAQ and JUSTICE AT HOME, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, 12:00- 4:00 PM  Proposed Route: Martin Luther King, Jr. Center to Piedmont Park

Our organizing committee, with representation and input from several areas of  Georgia and neighboring states, is off to a strong start.  However, we want to make contact with many more of you from across Georgia and the Southeast in the near future.  Our goal is to connect with thousands so that we can march together for Peace in Iraq and Justice at Home on April 1 in Atlanta !   If you and/or your organization affirm the March Call, please send us (by email or with a stamp) your official endorsement on the form accompanying the Call.   We hope that many of you and your organizations and faith groups will become sponsors by offering financial assistance.  Although we have not yet developed a complete budget, we believe our costs will exceed $10,000 and will appreciate and use responsibly all contributions.    We look forward to hearing from you.  For justice and peace, Ann Mauney Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta  www.georgiapeace.org

About Our Members and Friends

v   Keep in your hearts.... our members and friends experiencing serious health concerns, caring for family members, or who have recently lost family members.

“The universe is sacred

You cannot improve it.

If you try to change it, you will ruin it.

If you try to hold it, you will lose it”

Lao Tzu, Tao de Ching

 

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At the beginning of this New Year your editor has been remembering once familiar faces who have been missing too often in recent months from our activities.  Some we know are dealing with difficult health and family issues.   Others like Joan Cline and your editor take off traveling from time to time. (Hope you are having fun Joan!  I am!)  It was good to see Charles Green several times just before Christmas and Charles Judah was back on a recent Sunday.  We’ve been glad to see Paula McNeill too of late.  Those of you who haven’t been able to join us, Helen Gerhardt has been planning wonderful programs that you have been missing.  Our small congregation needs everyone, not only to fill our seats and support our congregation, but to support each other in our life pilgrimage together.  We miss you, hope you are well, but if you aren’t with us we don’t know what your joys and concerns may be.  Please come by and let us know what is going on with your families and in your lives.  UU Valdosta needs you.

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UU Board News:  Board of Directors Meeting, January 12, 2006  In attendance were Lars Leader, Helen Gerhardt , Doug Tanner, Joan Cline , and Rosie Asbury.  Jim Ingram has repaired the damaged church sign except for the lighting.  Lars is checking on whether the insurance of the driver who damaged the sign will pay for the expenses.  A discussion on starting Sunday services at 10:00 AM because some people have expressed/suggested this was tabled until the board gets more information and input from the congregation.  The church’s annual national and district UUA dues are due soon ($70.00 per member). The Board approved a motion to begin informing the congregation starting January 15, 2006, that an annual contribution of record is a requirement of voting membership as stated in the Bylaws. The count of contributing members must be submitted to the UUA by February 1, 2006. Only members who have contributed from July 1, 2005, to January 29, 2006, will be included in the count for our congregation’s Fair Share annual dues.  The next Board meeting will be on February 9, 2006, at 6:00 P.M.

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Treasurer's Report

Doug Tanner

FUND BALANCES at December 31, 2005

General Fund                                        $23,886.05             

Restoration Fund                                 $15,215.64             

Total (Cash in Bank Accounts)         $39,101.69             

OUTSTANDING DEBT

 Mortgage                                             $24,849.54             

OPERATING RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS:

                                                November              YTD Six Months

Receipts:                                                                                               

  Plate                                          73.00                            627.19

  Pledge                                  1,175.00                         5,800.00

  Rent                                         140.00                         1,340.00

  Interest Income                         0.00                             335.52

  TOTAL RECEIPTS            1,388.00                           8,102.71 

Disbursements:                                                                    

  Minister Expense                       0.00                                0.00

  Mortgage                                 500.00                         3,000.00

  Speaker's Fees & Expenses   732.55                        1,668.75

  Repairs and Maintenance        0.00                             326.00

  Postage                                       0.00                             185.60

  Supplies                                      0.00                             221.97

  UU Conference Attendance   0.00                              189.00

  Utilities                                     98.05                             751.28

  Advertising                                0.00                               84.80

  Other                                           0.00                               30.00

  TOTAL DISBURSMTS     1,330.60                          6,457.40

NET RECEIPT (DISBURSEMENT)  

   $57.40                         $1,645.31

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UU Activities and Announcements

Further information is posted on the bulletin board in the R.E. wing at the church.  Also check your Sunday Order of Service for announcements. 

Feb. 3-4 Creating the UU Church of the Future, seminar led by Mike Dural. Vero Beach (registration due Jan. 23)
On speaking of Michael's book “The Almost Church,” Rev. Marilyn Sewell states: “Mike Durall has done our movement a huge favor by pulling together this passionate and prophetic piece of work, a combination of hard facts and vision. This is the kick in the pants that we’ve been needing for a long time. I would recommend The Almost Church to anyone interested in Unitarian Universalism taking its proper place in a society that so badly needs our values.”

11-12 Social Justice Weekend, Si Khan concert and seminar, Clearwater, FL
15 Building Dedication – UU Fellowship of Vero Beach Vero Beach, FL
24-26 Interweave Convo: Accepting Ourselves, Accepting Each Other, Clearwater, FL

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS

Joan Lund

Greetings for the month of February, a time when our thoughts may turn to love. And what better “love” to have than for a wider UU world: our District. I write this column several weeks before it reaches your newsletter; the January District packet was full of exciting, wonderful, diverse, interesting February weekend opportunities available for our congregations and/or individual UUs. This column will highlight some of these, with the hope that you will want to participate in one or more of these offerings.

The first February weekend brings a one and a half-day seminar led by Michael Durall, called Creating the UU Church of the Future, will be at the UU Fellowship at Vero Beach . His most recent book, The Almost Church: Redefining Unitarian Universalism for a New Era, is a challenging and provocative critique of the UUA and our UU religion. I have heard Durall speak, read the book, and strongly suggest attendance at this conference. Because this is a fast-approaching event I suggest you telephone the District Office to determine how you may participate.

The next super weekend (February 11^th-12^th), devoted to social justice, will be held at the UUs of Clearwater, with Si Kahn, a noted social reform activist, songwriter, and author PLUS Rev. William Sinkford, UUA President. This is a not-to-be-missed event. Si, who began his work in 1965 in Arkansas , has worked for over 40 years as a civil rights, labor, and community organizer and musician. He founded, and is the Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership. Included in the Saturday schedule will be a panel discussion with prominent persons involved in social justice law and the ACLU. Rev. Sinkford will be in the pulpit at the Sunday worship.

If you miss hearing Rev. Sinkford in Clearwater, he will be preaching at the UU Church of Tampa on February 18^th. Better yet, you are welcome both Sundays so plan to be in the congregation each Sunday Bill speaks.

There will be an Interweave Convo, “Accepting Ourselves, Accepting Each Other”, also in Clearwater , February 24^th-26^th.   Congresswoman Sabrina Sojourner will speak Saturday evening on “Diversity and Living by the Heart”. Sojourner is the first open lesbian to be elected to the U.S. Congress and is a nationally recognized educator on diversity and multiculturalism. She is past Director of Diversity Programs and Woman of Color Programs for the National Organization for Women. (For more information see www.uua.org/interweave/  )

Whew! A full month, for sure. I look forward to seeing you at some of these events.   Stay in touch, in good health, and active in your congregation. I enjoy and profit from hearing from Florida UUs, and can be reached at jlund@uua.org.

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday Evenings: Beginner’s Class 5:30-6:30 PM.  Continuing Class 6:30-8:00 PM.  A new beginner’s class began January 16.  Contact Dennis Bogyo.   

New Hope Christian Fellowship - Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 5:00 PM. Service at 6:00 PM. 

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Israeli Government Designates Unitarians as "Righteous Among the Nations" for Rescue Work During Holocaust

( Boston , December 6, 2005) The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee announced today  that the Israeli government has designated the late Rev. Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp Cogan as "Righteous Among the Nations," an honor conferred to individuals who extended aid to rescue Jews during the Holocaust. To date, over 20,000 individuals  have been named as "Righteous Among the Nations," but until the Sharps were so designated, the honor had only been bestowed on one American, Varian Fry.

Unitarians and Universalists watched along with the rest of the world as Hitler and fascism took hold in Europe . As the UU Service Committee notes in a piece on its history  and founding, "Between l934 and 1938, the Reverends Charles Joy and Robert Dexter (both members of the American Unitarian Association staff) traveled abroad and reported back regularly on conditions among the refugees." Although delegates to the 1933 and 1936 General Assembly of the AUA had passed resolutions decrying the persecution of Jews in Europe by the Nazis, the outcry went unheeded by the US government." In October, 1938, Czechoslovakia fell. American Unitarians, who held close ties to Czech Unitarian congregations and to the Rev. Norbert Capek, were stunned and in December of that year, the Board of Directors of the AUA agreed to a plan for a "service mission to Czechoslovakia ."

In February of 1939, Martha Sharp and the Rev. Waitstill Sharp (minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills, MA  ) sailed for Europe as representatives of the American Unitarian Association on what was described as an 'exploratory visit.' They arrived in Prague as Nazi troops were marching into the city, which held 250,000 refugees. Working independently, Martha interacted primarily with refugees; her persistent efforts enabled many to cross borders safely. Meanwhile Waitstill set up an underground escape route from the city about which little is known to this day.

Largely as a result of the Sharp's courageous efforts, the Unitarian Service Committee was established in May 1940 as a standing committee of the AUA. The nascient organization decided on a mission that would orient it firmly on the side of promoting democracy outside of the United States – a controversial decision during a time of US isolationism.

The Sharp's rescue list focused on intellectuals and anti-Nazi political leaders as well as children. In August l940, the Sharps returned to the US from Europe , barely escaping arrest and detention. Later, after the fall of almost all of Europe, they sailed again for Marseilles and then, Lisbon . There, Martha Sharp arranged for 29 children and 10 adults, refugees from Nazi-occupied countries, to set sail for the US . They thus escaped internment under the Vichy French government, which later deported hundreds of thousands to Nazi death camps.

The numbers of people rescued by the Unitarian Service Committee during and after the war years (often in collaboration with other agencies) has been estimated to be between 1,000 and 3,000.

Yad Vashem  (so named from a passage in the book of Isaiah), the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953  by an act of the Israeli Knesset. Since its inception, Yad Vashem has been entrusted with documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving the memory and story of each of the six million victims, and imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come through its archives, library, school, museums and recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations.

Located on Har Hazikaron (the Mount of Remembrance) in Jerusalem , Yad Vashem is a complex of tree-studded walkways leading to museums, exhibits, archives, monuments, sculptures, and memorials. Since 1963, a commission has been charged with awarding the title "Righteous Among the Nations" to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.  The awarding of this honor to the Sharps is largely due to the relentless work of their grandchildren, Artemis and Misha Joukowsky.

A person recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" is awarded a specially minted medal inscribed with the individual's name. Awards are distributed to the rescuers or their next of kin in ceremonies in Israel or in their countries of residence. The Sharps' courage was honored in November at a ceremony held at Brown University Hillel (Brown was Martha Sharp's alma mater as well as that of her daughter and grandson, Misha). Waitstill and Martha Sharp's names will be inscribed among those similarly honored by Israel in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in June, 2006.

Original patch of Unitarian Service Committee as designed by Hans Deutsch

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Website for UU Singles:  UUsingles.com provides matchmaking services for Unitarian Universalists and other like-minded liberal religious thinkers. They make it fun to meet other singles while promoting the inherent worth and dignity of every individual — a fundamental principle of Unitarian Universalism. Individuals age 18 and older of all sexual orientations are welcome to join.  Posting ads is free and membership dues are modest.