THE REP RTER - St. John`s Unitarian Universalist Church
Transcription
THE REP RTER - St. John`s Unitarian Universalist Church
THE REP RTER Newsletter of St John’s Unitarian Universalist Church Sunday Community Worship Services June 24, 2012 Interim Minister the Rev. Helen Carroll June 24, 2012 "St. John's on St. John's Day: Thoughts on the baby and the bathwater" What does it mean to be a Unitarian Church with a saint in our name? June 24 is St. John's saint day, and we'll look at the tradition of St. John’s Day worldwide, and consider the legacy of the name of our church. Minister Emerita July 1, 2012 “Where Do You Go When You've Sold Your Soul, Part 2” The Rev Bonnie Meyer Several years ago I related the anguish of some hospice patients who felt it necessary to put on religious or emotional facades as they were dying, with the message that we need places like St John's where we can be who we are. I will pick up on those ideas and offer some thoughts about the trust needed for us to be authentic, and factors which build trust. Director of the Rev. Annie Foerster Minister of Music Dr. Catherine Roma Assoc. Director of Music Rachel Kramer Religious Exploration Elizabeth Wilson Ministerial Intern Amy Shaw Caretaker Tim Johnson Office Administrator Mary Jo (Josie) Arens July 8, 2012 “Not Just a Dream” Mayra Alza, Don Sherman and young Dream Activists Jose and Heyra Who gets a chance at the American Dream? Who has the right to go to college, to work, to vote? These are things we want for Jose and Heyra and their friends who were brought to this country as children – hence the name “Dream Act” for the bill that would give them a pathway to citizenship. But after three years of delays, they are tired of waiting. They don’t want us to think of them as just “dreamers.” What can we do to support these young people? Let’s ask them in person! Church Office 513-961-1938 office@stjohnsuu.org Office Hours Through June 15 M-F 7:00 am to 2:00 pm Church Website www.stjohnsuu.org e-News Submissions office@stjohnsuu.org Newsletter Editor July 15, 2012 "We Are the Divine" Amy Shaw, Ministerial Intern As Unitarian Universalist we have many truths. We are a part of a shared web of creation and we understand divinity through understanding ourselves; our own principles, convictions, perfections, and moral nature. We are the Divine, and the Divine is us. Join ministerial intern Amy Shaw as she explores William Ellery Channing's idea of the spark of Divinity in all. Marty Harrington Newsletter Submissions reporter@stjohnsuu.org Newsletter Email List reportermail@stjohnsuu.org Next Newsletter Deadline Wed July 11 at 5 pm ________________________________________________________________ Our Mission: St John’s is committed to creating a safe and caring community, working for peace and social justice, and celebrating beliefs that respect freedom of thought. Eagle, symbol of St John the Evangelist ST. JOHN’S CHURCH WIDE PICNIC Sunday, July 29 at 3:00 pm Location: Winton Woods “Owl Overlook” picnic shelter Handicapped accessible, rest rooms on site, and a new children’s playground recently added. WHAT TO BRING. . . ACTIVITIES AND GAMES. . . bring a generous dish to share bring your own drinks (alcoholic beverages allowed in the shelter) bring meat to cook on the grill, if desired bring lawn chairs if convenient bring “toys”: corn hole game, a volleyball, horse shoes, Frisbee, hula hoops, plus???? volleyball (net is there; bring your ball) horse shoes (pits are there; bring horse shoes) corn hole game (we have one – bring more) Games and activities will be planned for all age groups – children to adults DIRECTIONS. . . From the south, take I 75 north, then Ronald Reagan Highway (Route 126) west. Exit at Galbraith Road toward Winton Road. You will turn left on Galbraith (going west) and then turn right on Winton Road. Go north on Winton for about 3 miles, then turn right on Lakeridge Drive which is before the lake/harbor area. From I275 on the north side of Cincinnati, take Winton Road south for about 4 miles and turn left on Lakeridge Drive which is after the lake/harbor area. Once on Lakeridge Drive, take an almost immediate left into the park, then right, then left. Follow the signs to Owl Overlook shelter - signs will read “St. John’s Picnic”. Note: you will need a park sticker to enter: $3 for the day or $10 for the year. More details are on: www.hamiltoncountyparks.org. RSVP ... so we can plan our activities and accommodate all people. Give us the ages of your children so we can provide for them! Please contact LaDonna Fritz. Lively After Fifty (LAF’s) SUMMER POTLUCKS July 20 ~ August 11 ~ More??? The next summer pot luck for LAFs will be held on 7/20/12 at 6:30 pm, at the home of Linda Linker in Wyoming, OH. Linda will supply non-alcoholic beverages. Please bring a dish to share, and beer or wine if you so desire. RSVP to Linda before Wednesday, 7/18/12. The next potluck after that will be 8/11 at the home of Nina and Howard Tolley. Additional dates may be added in the future, so stay tuned! Page 2 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012 Changeover on the Board ¡Escucha! el 8 de Julio Brush Up on Your Spanglish effective July 1, 2012 St John’s July 8 service will feature three hymns with verses in both Spanish and English. If you would like to check out the lyrics in advance, email your request to Marty Harrington at Reporter@StJohnsUU.org. You can familiarize yourself in advance with how the lyrics fit the music by searching for the following on YouTube: No Nos Moveran Esta Tierra Es Tuya De Colores Front row: Claire and Barbara. Back row: Penny, Judy, Diana, and Marty (AKA Brush up on your board members! President Outgoing: Jim McDonough Incoming: Claire Wagner Vice President Outgoing: Claire Wagner Incoming: Diana Long Secretary Outgoing: Kathy Rentz Incoming: Judy Strong Finance Council Penny Shada continues. Community Council Outgoing: Jan Hay Incoming: Kathryn McDonough Administrative Council Kathleen Smythe continues Mission Council Outgoing: Frances May Brooks Incoming: Marty Harrington Property Council Outgoing: Frank Meyer Incoming: TBA Why the Spanglish? The service is dedicated to the Dream Act, and a number of Dream Activists will be presenting their stories. If you missed the March Forth Immigration conference, this will give you a second chance to meet these amazing young people! We expect that we will also have family members who are more comfortable in Spanish than English; this is our welcome to them. When we say “meet” the Dream Activists, we mean it literally. The best part of the service might well be Cousins Heyra and Jose the conversation afterward in Krolfifer. The Dream Activists and friends will be staying to socialize and converse with all of us. (And yes there will be coffee and snacks!) In Memoriam Andy Wolf, retired Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra bassist and longtime member of St John’s, died peacefully in hospice on Thursday evening, June 21. Our hearts go out to Emily Hodges, Andy’s partner for 27 years, who is also a longtime and well-loved member of our congregation. Religious Development Council Outgoing: Diana Long Incoming: Barbara Tonne Emily asked the Reporter to thank everyone for their healing thoughts and prayers. She will arrange a memorial service for August or September, at St John’s, with the St John’s music that Andy loved. Nominating Committee Chair (non board elected position) Outgoing: Bill Luerssen Incoming: Jim McDonough Emily specifically requested that no flowers be sent. Andy’s memory would be highly honored by a gift to St John’s Unitarian Universalist Church in lieu of flowers, she said. Page 3 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012 Greater Cincinnati Pride Interfaith Service Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 7:00 pm at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church 103 William Howard Taft Road Join us in celebrating the "Spiritual Side of Pride" with an interfaith evening of song, scripture, prayer and inspiration. Over a dozen clergy and lay leaders from across the rainbow of religious perspectives will lead this service which honors how diverse faiths respect and embrace people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. This service is presented by UUGC (The Unitarian Universalist Council of Greater Cincinnati). For additional information, please visit: www.cincinnatipride.org. Volunteers needed to bring food, drinks and to help with usher and organizational duties. Contact MJ Pierson at MJPier0410@aol.com. Cincinnati Pride Parade Saturday June 30, 2012 Check-in at 10:00 am; Parade Begins 11:00 am Downtown Cincinnati Once again we will have a UU Council Float and many marchers carrying banners from each of our UU Congregations. Last year we had 30 to 40 marchers but we hope to do better than that this year. Wear your "Standing on The Side Of Love" bright yellow tee shirt or a UU theme shirt or even just a solid rainbow colored shirt. The march starts on Sentinel street off of 5th Street downtown and check in is at 10 am. The start of the parade is at 11:00. The parade winds its way to Sawyer point where there will be music, entertainment and booths. If walking is too difficult you can ride in the float or we will arrange more transportation and rides. Last year the parade lasted about an hour and was a lot of fun. Let's have the most UUs in the parade as possible. Our themes will include Marriage Equality and Supporting the Dream Act. Also Saturday June 30 we will have a UU Council Information booth at Sawyer Point. This booth has information about Unitarian Universalism and is a great deal of fun having conversations with people and watching the fun. Volunteers would be asked to sign up for two hour increments to man the booth to hand out information and talk to people. We will also have petitions for support of the Dream Act as a continuation of our March Forth For Justice Program. Northern Kentucky Pride: Sunday July 1 the Pride activities move to Northern Kentucky lining the streets around Goebal Park near 5th Street, Covington. Again we will have the information booth and the petition drive and ask for volunteers in two-hour shifts. UU Pride Volunteer Central: We could still use volunteers for these events, as noted above – to run information booths, usher, bring food, etc. Shifts are two hours. Contact MJ Pierson at MJPier0410@aol.com if you can volunteer for any of these activities. Page 4 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012 A WEEK IN SZENTLASZLO Ruth Anne Wolfe and Mary Darner report that they have completed their week long craft school in our partner church village of Nyaradszentlaszlo, Romania. Classes for the two were held outside in the picnic area near the minister’s house. The older women of the village were their teachers. They learned spinning hemp on a drop spindle and two kinds of embroidery (irasos pronounced “e rah shosh”) from the experts who do fine work. While Ruth Anne and Mary were working, some of the other women worked on woven mats using strips from used fabrics. Later they were joined by children from the nearby elementary school. The school, housed in a building owned by the Unitarian church, teaches children in grades 1 through 4. There are only eleven kids in the school. The boys joined the girls in making beadwork and bracelets. Ruth Anne and Mary raised the idea of the women making doll clothes in Szekely folk dress patterns. The women could then sell the dolls with the folk dresses to visitors stopping to see their historic church. The women decided the girl dolls should be named Marta in honor of Rev. Kiss and Rozsa’s daughter who now lives in the Los Angeles area. Their day started with a breakfast of sausage, polenta with cheese, sheep cheese filled pancakes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, coffee and, of course, palinka the homemade plum brandy. Throughout the day, Ruth Anne and Mary were brought coffee, wine and kurtos kolache, sweet bread made over an open fire. Lunch, often served mid afternoon and dinner often late in the evening always started with palinka and included homemade wine. Our travelers were given gifts of kender (hemp) cloth and knitted socks made by Aniko Bustya who is 86 years old. The gifts came with tears and hugs. They were given honey by Istvan who, after his retirement, has become a beekeeper. Their days ended with walks down the road singing, telling stories and laughing. They’ll have many more stories to tell us when they return on June 25th. ~ Tom Darner, the Friends of Szentlaszlo From the ffice By Josie Arens St. John’s Office Administrator SUMMER OFFICE HOURS now in effect: Office open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 7:00 am – 1:30 pm Office closed Monday and Fridays Josie will be on vacation from June 25 thru July 9. There will be office coverage Tuesday – Thursday from 9:00 am to noon during that time. DEADLINE REMINDERS for upcoming weeks Order of Service announcements: For the Sunday, July 15 service, deadline is Monday, July 9. For the Sunday, July 22 services, deadline is Monday July 16 ENews will be suspended the weeks of June 25 and July nd 2 . Next ENews deadline will be Wednesday, July 11. REPORTER will skip a week on July 8. The next Reporter deadline is thus July 11, for the issue dated July 15. After that, the Reporter resumes its usual biweekly schedule. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME! Tuesday, August 14 Children & Youth RE would like to invite all St. John’s members and friends to enjoy a fun, multigenerational opportunity—an evening at a Cincinnati Reds game on Tuesday, August 14. The Reds will play the New York Mets. View Level group tickets are $10.00 each. EVERYONE —young and old alike—is invited to attend!! (A minimum of 25 participants are required to take advantage of this great ticket offer.) RSVP to DRE Elizabeth Wilson if you are interested— youthre@stjohnsuu.org or 513-779-6923 - or see the sign-up sheet located on the south wall of Krolfifer. nd Deadline to order your tickets is Monday, July 2 ! Page 5 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012 RE-flecti ns By Elizabeth Wilson St John’s Director of Religious Exploration SUMMER RE BEGINS!! Our summer RE program got off to a great start last week with the Native American curriculum, Keepers of the Earth, by award-winning Native American author Joseph Bruchac. Each week we’ll explore Native American stories from a variety of North American tribes. What better way to start off the summer than with a story about how the world was created! The kids asked lots of great questions. . .we are fortunate to have so many terrific, curious minds among us!! After our lively discussion, we proceeded to go outside to explore the front lawn of the church and look close-up at all of the wonderful plants, animals, and objects that reside there. The thousands of red bugs scurrying around the ground were an especially big hit and the kids really enjoyed using their magnifying glasses! Speaking of magnifying glasses—many of the kids expressed interest in keeping the ones we used. Unfortunately I could not give them away—too expensive and we’ll be using them lots this summer!—but I wanted to let you know that United Art & Education, with several locations in the greater Cincinnati area, has some terrific magnifying glasses perfect for young kids for under $10. Encourage your child(ren) to explore their natural world. . .and it is especially fun to do so when you can see things up close and personal! In addition to the stories and activities we’ll do each week during RE time, I will be providing a “Taking It Home” sheet that offers suggestions on how to further explore the day’s theme—additional activities, crafts, recipes, storybooks, websites, etc. If you miss a week, look for extra “Taking It Home” sheets on the RE bulletin board in Haehnle. TH IMMIGRATION WORSHIP SERVICE ON JULY 8 Even though our summer programming is geared for younger children, I wanted to let parents know of an exciting upcoming worship service. Marty Harrington and Howard Tolley are planning a service on immigration, featuring several teenage Dream Activists. This service offers a wonderful opportunity for our youth (especially middle school and senior high) to better understand one of today’s most important social justice issues as well as an opportunity to personally meet fellow youth who face many struggles. I expect it will be quite inspiring! If your youth would like to help serve as a greeter and/or usher for this service, let me know! COMING SOON—LOTS O’ SUMMER FUN!! nd 2012 Cincinnati Reds Game! I have tentatively reserved Tuesday, August 14 for our 2 annual “St. John’s Goes to a Reds Game” event!! View level tickets are $10 each with a minimum number of 25 people needed to participate. Deadline to order tickets is Monday, July 2. See the article advertising this fun event located elsewhere in this issue! First-ever “Habitour!” Amy Monson of St. John’s notified me of an upcoming special event that benefits Habitat for Humanity. It’s the inaugural “Habitour”—a cycling event that will be held in and around Oxford, OH on Saturday, September 8. There will be three routes to suit nearly every bike rider—a family fun ride (7-10 miles) through Oxford, a 25 mile course that loops through beautiful Hueston Woods, and a metric century (62 miles) that will take in both the state park and surrounding country roads. I’m hoping we can get a sizeable group of St. John’s folks to participate in this worthy cause. . .and I’m looking for someone to assist me in recruiting families of all kinds for this event. Let me know if you’re interested. . and start training now! MARK YOUR CALENDAR. . . Sunday, July 1: REMINDER—Summer worship service start time changes to 10:30 am! Monday, July 2: Reds game ticket orders due! Sunday, July 29: St. John’s picnic at Winton Woods Saturday, September 8: Habitour cycling event to benefit Habitat for Humanity in Oxford, OH Got suggestions? Send me an email (youthre@stjohnsuu.org) or give me a call (961-1940 (church office). Summer DRE church office hours are Wed & Thurs 7:00 am-12:00 pm and by appt. Page 6 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012 Church Calendar Sunday, June 24 11:00 am Service 12:30 pm YAL (Young Adult Lunch) away Monday, June 25 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ 4:30 pm PEACE VIGIL - Central Parkway 7:00 pm Search Committee - Library Tuesday, June 26 ~ Josie Vacation Day (office covered 9-noon) ~ 10:00 am Yoga 1:00 pm Wise Women of St. John's - Library Wednesday, June 27 7:00 am Josie vacation day 4:30 pm Caring Circle 5:00 pm eNews Deadline 6:30 pm Goddess Group @ Hammond North Thursday, June 28 ~ Josie Vacation Day (office covered 9-noon) ~ 10:00 am Meditation 7:00 pm Singing Class - Krolfifer 7:00 pm Pride Interfaith Service @ Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Friday, June 29 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ 7:00 pm Game Night Saturday, June 30 10:00 am Worship Arts Committee – Library CINCINNATI PRIDE – see page 4 Sunday, July 1 10:30 am Service (Note summer time change) Monday, July 2 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ Tuesday, July 3 ~ Josie Vacation Day (office covered 9-noon) ~ 10:00 am Yoga 7:00 pm Young Adult Discussion and Action 7:00 pm Book Group (N Tolley) Wednesday, July 4 ~ HOLIDAY - OFFICE CLOSED ~ ~ NO ENEWS THIS WEEK ~ ~ NO REPORTER THIS WEEK ~ 7:00 pm Search Committee - Library Thursday, July 5 7:00 am Josie Vacation Day (office covered 9-noon) 10:00 am Meditation 7:00 pm Singing Class - Krolfifer Friday, July 6 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ Sunday, July 8 10:30 am Dream Act Service (Note summer time change) 12:30 pm YAL (Young Adult Lunch) away 6:00 pm Men's Group (away) Monday, July 9 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ 7:00 pm Search Committee - Library Tuesday, July 10 10:00 am Yoga Wednesday, July 11 5:00 pm eNews Deadline 5:00 pm Reporter Deadline 7:15 pm Connections - Darwin Thursday, July 12 10:00 am Meditation 7:00 pm Singing Class - Krolfifer Friday, July 13 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ Saturday, July 14 7:00 pm Circle Supper - Location/Time TBA Sunday, July 15 10:30 am Service (Note summer time change) 11:30 am Member Friends Picture Taking - Chapel Monday, July 16 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ 7:00 pm Search Committee - Library Tuesday, July 17 10:00 am Yoga Wednesday, July 18 2:00 pm COCC - Library 5:00 pm eNews Deadline 7:00 pm Board Meeting - Krolfifer Thursday, July 19 10:00 am Meditation 7:00 pm Singing Class - Krolfifer Friday, July 20 ~ Office closed (summer schedule) ~ 6:00 pm Summer Potluck @ home of Linda Linker Sunday, July 22 10:30 am Service (Note summer time change) 12:30 pm YAL (Young Adult Lunch) away Looking Forward Sunday, July 29 3:00 Church-Wide Picnic Saturday, August 11 LAF Summer Potluck (see page 2) Tuesday, August 14 7:10 pm St John’s Goes to a Reds Game Saturday, September 8 HABITOUR cycling event (see page 6) Page 7 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012 Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Cincinnati, Ohio Permit No. 2429 UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH 320 Resor Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45220-1616 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Thought f the Week We forfeit three-quarters of ourselves in order to be like other people. ~ Arthur Schopenhauer Page 8 ~ The Reporter ~ June 24, 2012