The Monthly Newsletter of Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church. Sunday Services

Transcription

1 A Community of Open Hearts, Inquiring Minds, and Helping Hands December 2018 Edition 639 The Monthly Newsletter of Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church Sunday Services The theme for December is, What does it mean to be a people of Mystery? December holidays abound with stories of miracles, a concept challenging to many Unitarian Universalists. How can we translate miracle tales into fables of purpose and meaning? December 2nd Rev. Jeff Stages of Faith We all travel unique religious paths. Some common landmarks exist, however, that many of us can identify in our journeys. Today will provide a framework we can use to share the stories of our travels -- and perhaps better understand your own odyssey. December 9th Rev. Jeff Impermanence In 1841, Unitarian minister Theodore Parker wrote the now famous sermon, The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity. Parker laid the groundwork for our modern belief in deeds, not creeds by differentiating between permanent truths and impermanent practices and beliefs. In this holiday season of filled with many standard traditions, let us take time to appreciate the transient elements of life and their importance to our spiritual growth. December 16th A Christmas Carol, Reimagined - The TJUC Players and Barb Friedland, DLRE The TJUC Players, featuring our children and youth, joyfully present our annual holiday season storytelling service. This music filled, family-friendly service will offer a reimagined telling of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. Do you think you know the story? Well, think again! After our service ends, we will welcome a very special visitor. This service includes our mitten tree tradition as well. Please bring mittens, gloves, hats etc. to donate to people in need. The Malvina Reynolds room will be staffed to support our little ones and a special activity table will be placed in the rear of the sanctuary to support our families. December 23rd Rev. Jeff Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman There are many reasons why Unitarian Universalists should familiarize themselves with the Bible. For one, we live in a society dominated by Christian culture that requires a certain degree of literacy on our parts to engage meaningfully. More important, there are stories in the Bible - often overlooked stories - with deep meaning for Unitarian Universalists. December 24 Christmas Eve Rev. Jeff Leaping in the Womb The lessons and symbols of Christmas extend far beyond the manger, gifts from afar, and angels. And Christmas celebrates not just one special birth, but all new beginnings. Christmas also reminds us to acknowledge the dreams and prayers that give rise to new starts, and the excitement that creation generates.7:00 pm We extend a special invitation to visiting families and friends to join us for this special celebration of message and music.

2 Pulpit Ponderings December is a time of joyous celebration and heart-filled reunions. December can also be a time of sorrowful remembering and isolating circumstances. The onset of winter brings snowy activities for some, but longer and colder nights for others. For me, December calls to mind the deaths of my mother and father, who lived to celebrate their 50 th wedding anniversary this month many years ago. December reminds many of us of lost connections, of homes past, and lives left behind. So, this month, enjoy time with family and friends. Share gifts of time and energy, as well as those of monetary value. And remember our neighbors who cannot be with loved ones this season. Remember those who lack the resources to meet the American social standard of Christmas extravagance. This year in particular, let us all remember those who have left their homes, fleeing violence and oppression; those left homeless as a result of domestic abuse, financial distress, or mental illness; and those for whom home sits on the precipice of capricious immigration law enforcement and bigotry. We don t have to believe in the Nativity narrative to accept its power as a metaphor for those seeking shelter from life s challenges. For every night a child is born is a holy night a time for singing, a time for wondering, and a time for worshipping. Rev. Jeff Holiday Fun For Everyone! Friday, December 7 th at 6:30 PM Special activities Maybe a Carol sing will happen! Enjoy connection and conversation Bring games to share, snacks and desserts too! *Sponsored by the Family Ministry Program team and Barb Friedland, DLRE WinterFair! Fare By the time you see this WinterFair will have been put together, happened and been put away. All in the blink of an eye! It rises in our church, and whoosh it's gone! Infinite thanks and endless gratitude to all who helped it happen! You all dived in, hopped on the band wagon, helped and created a wondrous event. The artists are deeply grateful for the superlative hospitality we shower on them. Many have said that coming to WinterFair is the one time of the year they come to church, not because they're coming to a church. It's because of the way TJ feels when it's filled with beauty, kindness, generosity, friendship, and the blessings of the creative spirit. THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!! From Diana Fulner and the whole WinterFair Team

3 Looking for a holiday gift to give a dinner host, coworker, or your child's teacher? Instead of the usual bottle of wine or tree ornament, present them with a bottle of rich green olive oil made from Nabali olives, an indigenous Palestinian variety that produces one of highest quality olive oils in the world. Robust & peppery with a strong fruit finish. Cold pressed without any refining! Only $13 for a 500 ml bottle. Olive farming is not just economically important in the West Bank it is culturally important as well. Many of the olive trees are hundreds of years old, and they hold an almost sacred significance for farmers. Some of the trees have been passed down from generation to generation. TJ s Green Sanctuary Committee believes offering this Fair Trade organic olive oil for sale is a good UU thing to do, supporting small scale Palestinian olive growers in a part of the world that faces a multitude challenges who are members of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC), a non profit, non governmental organization. Stop by our Fair Trade table in the Gathering Area to buy chocolate bars, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, & more all organic & Fair Trade. Travel to Kenya Experience Kenya with you TJ friends. See firsthand what TJ's Kenya Education & Program is doing to improve and change the lives of children we sponsor. We'll start our journey April 2, 2019 and return home April 14th. The children will be on school break when we arrive, so we'll have plenty of time to visit with each of our sponsored secondary children while they attend KEAP's special tutoring session at Mago Guesthouse. We'll also visit some of their homes to meet their families. On past trips we usually have several meetings to prepare and plan, talking about what each person hopes to experience while in Kenya. Maybe we would want to tour a tea factory, visit a local market, health clinic, or history museum. We could hike in nearby forest with the kids - it just depends on what the group wants to do. Arrangements can also be made to visit our sponsored students who are attending university. The second week some of the group may want to go on safari to visit one or two of Kenya's National Parks. If your time is limited, you may want to stay for only the first week. If you would like more information or have questions, contact Debby Sublett debbysublett@aol.com.

4 Sunday Mornings at 9:30 Adult Sunday Morning Class, 9:30 to 10:45 December First Sunday Current Issues Rural America Is there a rural-urban divide in America? If so, how do rural Americans' lifestyle, values and perceptions differ from other Americans? Additionally, how and to what degree is rural America experiencing economic decline and population loss? All other Sundays For the balance of the month of December we will discuss ideas of contemporary thinkers including Steven Pinker, Dan Ariel, John Rawls and others on subjects such as language, reason and rationality, equality, morality and justice. ONE MORE DAY! Wednesday, Dec. 5 is our last day for pictures for the TJ Pictorial Directory. Times will be announced in the Order of Service this Sunday. Contact Janet at janet@tjuc.org if interested. Electric Car, Hybrid Owner, Energy Miser? Beat Your Zipcode! TJ s congregation averages 48 tons of CO2 annually based on zip codes and average income. The US household average is also 48 tons based on 2011 data. Beat your zip code! Calculate your individual carbon footprint based on your stewardship of the environment. CoolClimate.berkeley.edu Share on the Green Sanctuary poster in Welcoming Space. La Casita Food Pantry Collection THANK YOU Thanks to all who generously contributed food, diapers and toiletries for La Casita in October. And congratulations and appreciation also go to our TJ Youth who trick-or-treated in neighboring Crossgate to gather donated goods for La Casita. The Friday Afternoon Chalice Circle organized the collection, and delivered 3 carloads of goods to La Casita s Food Pantry! They reported that their cupboard was quite bare and that the staff was appreciative of our generosity.

5 All I want for Christmas is. Gloria is a sweet young girl. She is one of the children TJ supports through our Kenya Education & AIDS Program (KEAP). What does Gloria hope to get for Christmas? Not computer games or fancy toys - just one set of clothes & maybe a pair of shoes if she s real lucky. KEAP does an extraordinary job providing these children with medical care, a good education, a safe place to live at the boarding schools, good food while at school, & each year they receive a new school uniform to wear when at school. But when they leave school their uniform stays at school. The clothes they have to wear outside of school are old, torn, & thread bare. Each December our congregation joins together to make sure each of these children receive one present for Christmas. Won t you share your holiday joy with our sponsored children in Kenya? You can help! You can choose one of the levels below - Stop by our table in the gathering area next Sunday to let us know the gift amount you d like to give. Any amount is appreciated! Or mail your check made out to TJUC to our KEAP treasurer Steve Koehler 2703 Sycamore Woods Court, Louisville KY Note on your check that it's a donation for KEAP Holiday clothes. One dress for a girl or long trousers & shirt for a boy $30 Underwear & two pairs of socks $5 One pair of sturdy shoes $25 One complete set of clothes & shoes $60 All clothes are nearly new purchased by our Kenyan caregiver Sheilla from hard working local people who sell clothes on the streets in Kisumu. Thank you for making Holidays merry for our Kenyan children. Holiday Have A Heart Tree NOV 25, DEC 2 & 9 Gift Return deadline DEC 16! The Social Justice Committee is proud to present our Have a Heart program for this Holiday Season. This year our TJUC community has an opportunity to share the holidays with clients of the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services and with La Casita, which provides services to the Latinx community. The Have A Heart Tree will be in the Welcoming Space beginning November 25. Please look for the hearts on the tree which list gift suggestions. Here is how Have A Heart works: * Select a heart from the tree and take it with you * Please wrap the gift and label it with a nametag, if possible * Attach the original Heart to the package * Return gift to TJ by December 16 th Thank you for helping to warm the hearts of others this holiday season. Please contact Lesley Henney at or L.Henney18@gmail.com if you have any questions.

6 Engage Your Spirit: TJUC Mandala Project Sunday December 9 th -16 th TJUC and the Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion are delighted to host the traveling Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in India. The Monks will be creating a large sand mandala in our sanctuary beginning after the service on December 9 th and concluding early on the morning of Sunday, December 16 th. Please join us during any of the hours when the Monks will be working. The current schedule is: Dec. 9 th - Sunday -12:30-4:00 PM: Opening Ceremony and initial stages of construction of the mandala. Dec. 11 th - Tuesday -11 AM to 5 PM: Monks at work on the mandala Dec. 12 th - Wednesday -10 AM to 5 PM: Monks work on the mandala; Special noontime meditation led by the Monks at TJ Wednesday. Dec. 13 th - Thursday evening 2-8 PM: Monks at work on the mandala. Family friendly educational experience for all ages between 4-6 PM; Labyrinth walk with Rev. Jeff during this time as well. Dec. 14 th - Friday 10 AM to 5 PM: Monks work on the mandala. Dec. 15 th - Saturday, 1-5 PM: Monks work on completion of the mandala. Dec. 16 th Sunday, 9:00-10:30 AM: Mandala dissolution ceremony at TJUC, followed by bringing sand to the designated water location. All those present will receive a small amount of blessed sand from the mandala. More information about the Drepung Gomang Monastery here:

7 December 2018 Saturday, December 1, :00 AM - 05:00 PM WinterFair! Sunday, December 2, :30 AM - 10:45 AM Current Events Discussion 12:45 PM - 02:15 PM Music Committee 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM Transition Team Monday, December 3, :00 PM - 01:30 PM Men's Group at Bob Evans 12:00 PM - 01:30 PM Women's Group at Bristol 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM Rental Committee Tuesday, December 4, :00 PM - 09:00 PM Bridge Group 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM Choir Rehearsal Wednesday, December 5, :00 AM - 11:00 AM Personnel Committee Thursday, December 6, :00 PM - 08:00 PM Women's Choir Friday, December 7, :00 PM - 08:30 PM Fun Night Saturday, December 8, :00 AM - 11:30 AM ARE Committee Meeting Sunday, December 9, :30 AM - 10:45 AM Parent Group 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Aesthetics Committee 12:30 PM - 03:00 PM Buddhist Mandala 12:45 PM - 02:15 PM Caring Ministry 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM Board of Trustees 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM Christmas Carol 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM KEAP Meeting Monday, December 10, :00 PM - 09:00 PM Crossgate Meeting 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM Humanist Grouip Tuesday, December 11, :00 AM - 05:00 PM Buddhist Mandala 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Labyrinth Walking 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM Bridge Group 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM Choir Rehearsal Wednesday, December 12, :00 AM - 05:00 PM Buddhist Mandala 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM Buddhist Meditation Thursday, December 13, :00 PM - 08:00 PM Buddhist Mandala 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM Women's Choir Friday, December 14, :00 AM - 05:00 PM Buddhist Mandala Saturday, December 15, :00 AM - 01:00 PM Christmas Carol 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM Buddhist Mandala Sunday, December 16, :00 AM - 10:30 AM Buddhist Mandala 09:15 AM - 10:30 AM Social Justice Meeting 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM Promotions Commiottee 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM SSPC Meeting 12:45 PM - 02:45 PM Family Ministry Tuesday, December 18, :00 PM - 09:00 PM Bridge Group 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM Choir Rehearsal Wednesday, December 19, :00 PM - 02:00 PM Brownbag Book Group Thursday, December 20, :00 PM - 07:30 PM Hospitality Committee 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM Women's Choir Sunday, December 23, :15 AM - 10:30 AM Green Sanctuary 12:45 PM - 03:00 PM Transition Team Monday, December 24, :00 PM - 08:30 PM Christmas Eve Service Tuesday, December 25, :00 PM - 09:00 PM Bridge Group 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM Choir Rehearsal Thursday, December 27, :00 PM - 08:00 PM Women's Choir Sunday, December 30, :00 PM - 02:30 PM Council Meeting The next Tapestry Deadline is December 21st 2018

8 How do you support a friend who is homosexual (LGBTQ)? What do the Holy Books say? What Source of Inspiration Humanist, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, BYOT (Build Your Own Theology- a UU practice that draws from many traditions) guides a Welcoming Congregation like TJ? See brief calendar of events below: Sunday Service, January 13 (11:00 to 12:15): Rev. CJ Wright will introduce the series of afternoon presentations and offer support to the LGBTQ community, many of whom have an especially hard time during the holidays. Sunday, January 20: Rabbi David Ariel-Joel presents on Jewish scripture/tradition Sunday, January 27: Kevin Karl presents on Christian scripture/tradition Sunday, February 3: Dr. Riffat Hassan presents on Muslim scripture/tradition Sunday, February 10: CJ facilitates a wrapup discussion with participation by all three speakers NO Humanist Meeting for December As we did last year, The Humanists of Metro Louisville will not have a December meeting due to the busy schedules so many of us have during the holidays. We look forward to seeing you at our January meeting. How Do We Care? I recently heard from a TJ member who had visited a Unitarian church in Cincinnati. She said that she loved the way we were cared for when we entered the church. I think TJ is a good example of a warm welcoming church. Could we do more? How do we care for those who are looking for a church home? On Sundays, Look for those who are wearing a visitor name tag with the orange stripe. at the top. Those are the ones that need a special welcome. Caregiver Support Group Jewish Family & Career Services located at 2821 Klempner Way, Louisville Phone number The first Tuesday of the month at 4:00 pm. (November 6) Susie Pasikowski will be facilitating our group and Naomi Malka will be in our group as counselor. If anyone has questions call Susie at We want to help as many people as possible who are in a caregiving situation. All are welcome. Please like our page: Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church/ Louisville, KY It s important to Share TJ s Facebook Events and Timeline posts. Every time you share with your friends, they pass it on to others who learn about our great programs and special events! Please help us spread the word and Share it! See how many found us:

9 CONVERSATION CAFÉ Are you new to TJ or to Unitarian principles and beliefs And have questions? Please see Janet Taylor, Membership Coordination after the service on Sundays Hotel Soap for Days for Girls Our Louisville Days for Girls International team needs those little bars of soap from your last hotel visit. We use the soap for the feminine hygiene kits we make for girls in severe poverty so they don't have to stay home from school during their period. We made 70 kits in 2017 that went to Nigeria and Kenya. We need about 20 bars of soap to complete the kits going to Kenya in January. Please put them in the donation bowl at the coffee sales table at TJ on Sunday. Sheila Ward Diane Guenthner EACM Thanksgjving Basket Collection THANK YOU Thanks to all who contributed food and Kroger gift cards to our Thanksgiving Basket Collection that benefitted EACM families in need. Special thanks to Beatrice Holt and Susan Barth who delivered the goods to EACM s distribution Center. TJUC s generous spirit continues to help our neighbors during the holiday season! Refresher Training on TJ Safety Procedures January 2019 Active Aggressor, Fire, Tornado, Earthquake, Power Outage instructions. TJ has recently reviewed its safety guidelines for our congregation and visitors during all events held at TJ. This includes not only Sunday services, but evening meetings, rental events and advance planning and education can help us prepare. The UUA has recommended establishing procedures and TJ has researched multiple agencies and sites for the best Guidelines include evacuation procedures for fires, tornados and active aggressors. Do you know what to do if an emergency is identified? Which way to go? Who will make sure everyone has evacuated? Who will make sure the children are safe? In January, TJ will offer a refresher training including Q&A, written guidelines, and an active aggressor video Any TJers who are interested in learning about our safety guidelines are welcome to attend. Greeter training will be scheduled in December. Rick McChane will announce future dates. Stay tuned for dates for this awareness training. Keeping our TJ community safe is paramount. For any questions, contact Ellen Sisti Wade, bigole@aol.com Who Likes To Sing? TJ s Young Voices group is reforming! Children and youth who like to sing, are invited to come to Sawyer Room A at 10:30 AM on Sundays. The group will be singing a song during the December 16 th service. DLRE Barb has prepared an audio file of the song. Please send an to barb@tjuc.org to receive that file so you can begin helping your child/youth learn it.

10 Joys and Concerns Marti Hoskins shared that Brandon, her grandson, has earned his high school diploma and will be working full time. Brandon just turned 18 and has also earned his Eagle Scout award. Congratulations to Brandon for his hard work. Tiffany Johnson updated us on baby Oliver s medical progress. His artery is growing on its own and at this time does not need surgery. Jackie Thomas announced that her 33 year old son recently received his RN degree from JCTC and passed his state boards. Sonya Goff shared that she has been sick, but the good news is that she has lost 91 lbs. The latest news is that she will have knee replacement surgery on December 31st. Hiroko Lippman talked about her visit with her son and her grand daughter. Her grand daughter is rapidly learning to speak Japanese and loves the cartoons that Hiroko brings her. Beatrice Holt and some friends are collecting gently used coats and other warm items of clothing. The donations will go to the clients of St. Vincent De Paul. Susie Pasikowski shared with great joy that her children and grandchildren had come for a visit with Jim and her. Susie was glad to have all of this company and glad to see them leave so she could return to her quiet life! Rus Funk made the announcement about Guest At Your Table. He told the story about Argelia who immigrated from Mexico and settled in rural Georgia. She had problems with the police, wage theft and her housing rights. Argelia worked with the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights to resolve these issues. She now works with other immigrants so they will be treated fairly. The Georgia Alliance works with the UUSC and benefits from the Guest at Your Table fundraising program. Joe Brennan mentioned that the memorial service for Dave Fry was Saturday, November 24th. This day was also Dave s 80th birthday. Dave would have really enjoyed the music, the poems and the wonderful tribute by Elwood Sturtevant. We all enjoyed having Elwood with us. Frank Richmond reported that Yvonne had been declared to be CANCER FREE! This is a huge relief to everyone. Dawn Moretz shared that her son has been made a 1st Lt. in the US Army which is very exciting. Ernie Weil announced that Dave Fry died suddenly on October 29th. He asked that we send positive thoughts to Margie, Dave s wife, his many family members and friends who are feeling the loss of Dave. Dave was a long time member of TJ and a devoted supporter of our church. Chris George shared that some of his family is Jewish. He attended a Sabot service recently to show solidarity with the families mourning their loved ones who were recently killed by a gunman in Squirrel Hill, PA. Bruce Murray shared that his wife, Beth, had a serious fall when she was walking their dog, Wiley. Fortunately, Beth only suffered some bruising and minor cuts. Dennis Neyman reported that his niece and her family had a serious house fire. Fortunately her family has rallied around them and is helping them with housing, etc. Rick McChane had a slight bike accident. He is at home recuperating with a broken pelvis. Roxanne shared that Toni Hardin had emergency back surgery on November 24th and will be in the hospital for about five days.

11 What Does It Mean To Be A People of Mystery? Unitarian Universalists tend to think of ourselves as the religion that loves questions and questioning. Or to put it another way, we love figuring out life s mysteries. But what if mystery isn t just something to figure out? What if it s also something to be listened to? This is the lesser recognized call of our faith. Being a people of mystery isn t just about engaging life as a marvelous puzzle. It s also about allowing yourself to be spoken to by life s wonder. This seems especially timely as we enter this season of mystery and wonder. Here s a list of questions to consider. The goal of these questions is to encourage figuring out what our monthly theme means for you and your daily living. Instead of trying answer each one, you are invited to find the question that is calling to you. Which one contains your desire to explore? What was the first experience with a sense of mystery to capture your imagination? How does that still shape you today? Who has taught you the most about living with and loving the mystery? What s the most unprovable thing you place your faith in? What mysterious experience still nags at your disbelief? What engages you with experiences of wonder and mystery during what many call the season of light? If you had to name one holiday miracle you believe in, what would it be? Do sunsets and sunrises whisper to you? Have you ever heard silence speak? Has mysterious meaningful coincidence (synchronicity) ever pointed you in the direction you needed to go, right when you were not sure of your way? In your experience, has love been a mystery or a choice? Has it been an accomplishment you created and choose or a mysterious other presence that choose and created you? Do you spend more time treating life like a problem to be solved, a game to be won, a struggle to be survived or a mystery to be lived? It s said that we will never experience the fullness of our being until we get in touch with the mysterious divine that dwells within us. Has this been true for you? It s said that we stop struggling to feel at peace once we experience the mysterious and transcendent love that will not let us go. How has this been true for you? What s your question? Your question may not be listed above. As always, if the above questions don't include what life is asking from you, spend the month listening to your days to hear it. Mixed Chopir Every Tuesday at 7:00 pm. Just drop in if you are interested or contacfrank Richmond at frank@tjuc.org Women s Chopir Every Thursday at 7:00 pm. Just drop in if you are interested or contact Linda Marks Morgan at linda@tjuc.org

12 Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church 4936 Brownsboro Road Hwy. 22 Louisville, KY Return Service Requested December 2018 Edition 639 The Work of Christmas Begins When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart. By Howard Thurman Rev. Jeff Liebmann, Interim Minister - call for an appointment Barb Friedland, Director of Lifespan RE 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Tuesday through Friday to Barb@tjuc.org Messages may be left for her outside of these hours at (502) Frank Richmond, Music Director Janet Taylor, Membership Coordinator Debbie Horvay Administrator/Newsletter Editor Monday - Friday 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Ellen Wade, Rental Coordinator Weddings and Rentals Call the office. Office hours: Monday thru Friday

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