The Communitarian Newsletter of the Community Unitarian Universalist Church July 2016

Transcription

1 Newsletter of the Community Unitarian Universalist Church July 3 "Patriotism" Speaker: CUUC Worship Committee Here we are on the cusp of another Independence Day celebration 240 years. What do we celebrate? Do you have patriotism why or why not? Worship Associate: CUUC Worship Committee Musicians: Ellen Fillion 2819 W. Sylvester Street, Pasco, Washington Sunday service at 10:30am Reverend Doak Mansfield Minister@CommunityUU.org Minister Hours 10 AM - Noon Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, other times by appointment office@communityuu.org CommunityUU July 10 Youth Health Speaker: Bethany Hickey Bethany Hickey from Planned Parenthood will help us understand youth health issues. Worship Associate: Virginia Tomlinson Musician: Kevin Rex and Barb Tarasevich July 17 "The Blessings & Curses of Spiritual Anarchy" Speaker: The Reverend Doak M. Mansfield, D.Min. A consideration of the dangers of libertarian individualism to communitarian needs and requirements. How can there be spiritual freedom within an interdependent community? Some insight into the harmony ethic of native people. Worship Associate: Donna Brown Musicians: Fran Handy July 24 "Finitude Contemplating Infinity" Speaker: The Reverend Doak M. Mansfield, D.Min. Some metaphysical speculation informed by recognition of a postreligious awareness and a ruthless fundamentalism in denial of history s lessons and scientific wisdom. What are options for some new, compelling spiritual understandings, allegiance, and faith development? Worship Associate: Mike Truex Musician: Fran Handy July 31 "Connecting Existentialism and Taoism" Speaker: Mike Truex To me, personal experience and the surrounding mystery are entwined, distinct but inseparable. Worship Associate: Mike Truex Musician: Mike and Shannon Truex Joy and service right here! Right now!

2 Notes from the Journey The Reverend Doak M Mansfield "June Orlando, Florida" That dateline will be forever written in U.S. and world history as the day and place of a senseless tragedy. The destructive ideologies (psychopathic homophobia, distorted religious fanaticism, and hate filled sexism) that merged, blended, and erupted there at Pulse night club found expression in an act of terror mass murder and wounding. The result was over a hundred casualties, with 49 dead. We ve endured a deep cultural wounding whose healing will take generations. This legacy is woven into the fabric of our story. Politicians will posture, advocacy groups of all opinions will rant, vigils will be held, prayers lifted, funerals conducted, tears shed, and months of recovery endured by survivors. Sidebar: There has been a huge spike in gun sales after the Orlando massacre and news reports of the NRA rushing around Capitol Hill cajoling Congress members in near frenzy to protect gun industry profits and prevent sensible rules to regulate military-grade, assault semi-automatic killing tools! Our minds seek explanations in order to give us some "power" to cope with this horror. Our hearts ache in empathy. It may be that there is little reason in such violent outrages against others. War is managed murder with some excuses, justifications based on defense of our "way of life" or some vague national interest, whether valid or not. The murders in Orlando by one person or anonymous murders through governmental policy decisions and military chains of command are both violence directed by humans against humans. It is the ultimate rejection of community, interdependency, and thus life caused by either human-crafted politics/ philosophy or human-manifested psychosis. The sickness of homophobia to me is a hate conjured with equal parts religious malpractice, spiritual cancer, scientific stupidity, and psychological sexual dysfunction. Millions are infected by this destructive and deadly disease. The cure is courage on the part of the healthy and those who seek health to witness to the value of humanness, respect for interdependency, and honoring of diversity. It is activating a redemptive love that puts faith in overcoming the effects of hate s poisoning for the sake of life. Poets and preachers use images of light and dark, love and hate, to inform and inspire such a hope. We all died a bit in Orlando Sunday morning June 12 and we all share the wounds inflicted...all because of hate. Dark fear striking out to destroy. May we all live in love's light and together help hold back the dark. Let us be agents of love overcoming hate, living lights who together illuminate and guide: contributors to sustained and heathy life in all life's diversity and true wholeness. Love - Doak Fellowship & Spiritual Practice Exploring Ideas with the Minister Exploring Ideas with the Minister is an opportunity to expand ideas shared on Sunday morning as well as perennial topics in spirituality, faith, and human history with our minister, The Reverend Doak M. Mansfield. The style is casual and interactive. Bring a brown bag supper, coffee and juice provided. The next Exploring Ideas with the Minister will be Wednesday, July 13 at 6:30 pm. Gentle Yoga Weekly Gentle Yoga Classes are held at CUUC on Saturdays mornings 9:00 am - 10:15 am. Join us as we explore techniques to relieve stress and ease body and mind into improved strength, flexibility and balance. Yoga mats and props will be available to use or you can bring your own. Drop-ins are welcome. Classes are $15 each session or you can purchase a 'punch card' of 10 classes for $120. Save the Date: International Women s Convocation February 16-19, 2017 in Pacific Grove, California More information to come! 2

3 Presidents Message By Mark Painter The following is a reprint of the Board President Report from the Annual Meeting in May. Your members of the Board of Trustees for the past year were: Mark Painter, President; Marla Marvin, Vice President; Heidi Newsome, Secretary; Denise Pitts, Treasurer; Alex Emig, Barbara Tarasevich and Larry Bolan members-at large. The board meets monthly at 6:30pm, on the first Tuesday of the month. The board is the governing body of the church and its function is to identify key issues affecting the church, provide guidance and approval on documents, policies, and expenditures. It provides oversight on actions necessary for the operation and growth of the church. Members of the congregation may address the board at its meetings (an advance request is preferred). The board met for its annual retreat in September We looked at progress and status of: Our Facility, Individual Spiritual Growth (Culture of Yes, Small group ministry, and Interfaith Activities), Religious Education, Being a Positive Influence on our greater community, and how our new Minister can contribute into our community. I think that our community has grown in strength and vitality over the last year. I think that Doak and Peggy have added to that strength with their own unique talents and gifts. I think that our own members have stepped into new responsibilities with creativity and grace. We have continued to increase our positive influence to the community with program growth in Social Justice with ANSIL and AGF. We have also initiated personal growth programs like Chalice Circles. We are strong, loving, and intelligent as individuals and as a community seeking progress for all of our lives. It has been a pleasure to serve the church as its board president for the past year. Blessed Be, Mark Painter At our Annual Congregational Meeting May 22, a new slate of Board Members was elected. Congratulations to all our new and continuing members of the Board of Trustees. President: Alex Emig, Vice President: Mark Painter, Secretary: Barbara Tarasevich, Member-at-large: Larry Bolan, Member-at-large: Gail Taff, Member-at-large: Virginia Tomlinson Denise Pitts will be continuing as Treasurer for another term. Fellowship & Spiritual Practice Men s Dinner The CUUC Men's Group meets on the third Friday of the month. Do not be afraid to be fashionably late! We are now primed for thought provoking debate. The world has turned, it s time to expand the conversation and get our creative juices flowing. The topics are often "out of this world." Our next meeting is July 15 at 5:30pm at the church. fred.dunhour@mindspring.com. with questions. Women s Luncheon All women of the congregation are invited to lunch on the second Tuesday of each month for fellowship and fun. This month s luncheon is July 12 at noon and will be held at our summer location, at the foot of Lee Boulevard in Howard Amon Park in Richland. Bring a bag lunch and a lawn chair. Look for us at one of the picnic tables on the south side close to the river. First one there grabs a table. In case of rain, we'll meet at the Richland Community Center, which is around the corner on Amon Park Rd, South. For more information, contact Diane Reed at ladybookww@gmail.com 3

4 Religious Education News By Pauline Schafer Have you seen the CUUC children s garden this summer? Seeds planted by the RE Kindergarten through 5th grade class were sprouted and nurtured indoors, then transplanted to a plot filled with rich new soil and a soaker hose watering system. Sunflowers stand around the edges like sentinels, and orange marigolds and blue borage attract pollinators to the tomato and pepper plants. Thanks to Shannon Hays-Truex and the capable RE team, we have a thriving and beautiful garden tended by our congregation s children and adults. I feel very fortunate to be stepping into the role of RE Coordinator during this season of abundance. I look forward to meeting with parents throughout the summer before and after services to discuss your hopes and ambitions for what our RE program should provide. Gardens have always been a great meeting place, where stories and conversations spontaneously sprout while weeds are being pulled and seedlings thinned. So don t hesitate to bring your coffee outside and enjoy the garden talk. We are still in need of volunteers to help with RE classes this summer! You can spend time in discussions with the middle schoolers, guide the Kindergarten through 5th graders through an activity, work with both in a combined class, or have fun with the littles in the nursery. If you can help any Sundays in July or August, please contact Pauline Schafer at pauschafer@hotmail.com and I can answer your questions and get you started. Homelessness Initiative Update by Leiloni Mahoney Our efforts at the ANSIL (A New Start In Life) are continuing to make an impact. In May UU volunteers logged 140 hours of support time to both the Hygiene Center (laundry and shower facility) as well as ANSIL Hall and Ed Center program development and resident support. ANSIL Director Janet Pierce sent these words: "Thank you all so much. Since you have begun volunteering, the number of people we have been able to serve has increased dramatically. During May we had at least 399 service units (each shower, laundry etc. counts as one service unit). Thanks again, your service is making a difference in the lives of these folks." Special thanks are due to regular contributors: Suzi Czarnek, Beth Meyers, John & Leiloni Mahoney, Peggy Owens-Mansfield, and Bill & Marjie Reinig. Contact any one of us to see how you can join in and contribute! Our Food Drive goods are being distributed in 'Snack Packs' to Hygiene Center clients and the donations have been transferred to ANSIL. Ongoing Volunteer Needs: Hygiene Center volunteers to split shifts or sub in for those on regular rotations; volunteers run the center Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm. Ed Center volunteers to start offering regular GED and/or vocational training support hours; hours to be offered currently under discussion. Volunteers with experience/interest in furthering program development. Current Goods Needs: Need for single-serve, shelf-stable foods is ongoing. The basket set out at the back of the Sanctuary for the Foods Drive will be left in place for ongoing collections. Gently used backpacks. Summer clothing, especially men's t-shirts. 4

5 CUUC Contacts Minister: Reverend Doak Mansfield Secretary: Gayle Wilde RE Education: Pauline Schafer Board of Trustees: President: Alex Emig Vice President: Mark Painter Treasurer: Denise Pitts Secretary: Barb Tarasevich Member-at-large: Larry Bolan Member-at-large: Gail Taff Member-at-large: Virginia Tomlinson Committees Worship Mike Truex, Alex Emig, Donna Brown, Virginia Tomlinson, and Diane Reed are the current members of the worship committee and work with Reverend Mansfield to provide Sunday services for CUUC. A key element of our effort is collaborating with Reverend Mansfield in support of his Sunday services. We also discuss, plan, and bring in a variety of outside speakers throughout the year. We work within the congregation too, having members of the congregation lead or participate in Sunday services. Our activities include preparing each week for the elements of the Sunday service. It s quite rewarding to participate on the committee and to be involved in the genesis of service ideas and with Sunday service programming. While it may seem daunting, we have a good system in place and Reverend Mansfield is a steady guide for our efforts. If you have questions or interest in joining the committee, please contact Mike Truex at mike.shannon.truex@gmail.com. Buildings & Grounds Hands & Heart The Hands and Hearts Committee would like to remind you that we are here to help, not just for big events where we all cry or laugh, but also for the little things as well. We are here to help you out in any way we can. You can seek us out at church (our name tags have the heart stickers) or call us up at home. (If one of us doesn't answer, keep on trying other numbers). If you know of somebody who needs looked in on, or if you want to discuss your own situation, please give us a ring. Bev is our card person, if you know someone who needs to receive a get-well card, sympathy card, etc. please contact her. Denise Pitts Jennifer Comstock Marla Marvin Bev& Bryan Schroeder Gail Taff The Building and Grounds Committee can always use a little help. We find joy in sharing the wealth... the wealth of our service to our CUUC home and our community of users. We are focused on the day-to-day maintenance and incremental improvement of our lovely CUUC facility. We seek new committee members to lend a hand, whether you're a crafty do-it-yourselfer or a born organizer, we would love for you to have just a small share of our joy and service through the Building and Grounds Committee. Please contact Fred Dunhour at fred.dunhour@mindspring.com with your questions or suggestions. 5