First Unitarian Church

Transcription

1 First Unitarian Church A Member Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association Volume 18 Number 12 December 2012 Rev. Dawn Cooley, Senior Minister, minister@firstulou.org Chris Rothbauer, Intern Minister, intern@firstulou.org Linette Lowe, Acting Director of Religious Exploration, dre@firstulou.org Barbara Creasy, Office Administrator, office@firstulou.org Earl Reynolds, Building Supervisor Claudia Runge, President, Board of Trustees, president@firstulou.org Celebrations of Life December 2 Led By December 9 Speaker December 16 Speaker December 23 Speaker December 30 Led By Sunday Services begin at 11:00am Living Our UU Principles/Chalica Linette Lowe and RE Classes Revelation is Not Sealed The Rev. Dawn Cooley Advent Dedications The Rev. Dawn Cooley The UU Spirit of Christmas Chris Rothbauer Expressing Gratitude Worship Ministry Calendar Highlights for December What's Inside? 2 Speaking Of... Rev. Dawn 2 Thoughts from Chris 3 RE Highlights Linette 4-5 Description of RE Classes 6 Children s Celebration 6-11 Updates from the Ministries First U Happenings 13 Vespers Updates 14 Board of Trustees 14 News from Organizations 17 Ministry Theme Dec. 2 First Sunday Lunch 12:30-2:00 Dec. 3-9 Chalica Dec Hanukkah Dec. 16 CUUPs Yule Sabbat Dec. 21 Winter Solstice Dec. 23 Children s RE Holiday Stories Dec. 24 Vespers Service 5:00 Dec. 25 Christmas Day The complete calendar can be viewed on our website: VESPERS SERVICE Dec. 24 5:00 p.m. Cookie Reception Afterwards. See page 13 for all the Details. Love is the spirit of this church... 1

2 Speaking Of... We generally don't talk much about Advent in Unitarian Universalist congregations, but I find I am being drawn to the idea more and more as the years go by. Particularly with the idea of Advent as a time of anticipation. I remember Advent calendars when I was growing up each day held a chocolate behind a little door. A treat that I looked forward to opening each morning. I am thrilled with the idea of bringing that tradition to my family in the way Linette describes in her column. I suspect some enterprising person could make a fair chunk of change by making and selling such calendars to Unitarian Universalists in a similar position as I am! (hint: I will be your first customer!) Advent is a time of anticipation of hoping and looking forward to the exciting event just around the corner. And we have so much to look forward to right now! I am looking forward to our impending Anticipation The Rev. Dawn Cooley capital campaign. I can't wait to hear what other capital improvements may inspire people as we continue to claim our unique identity as the historic, urban Unitarian Universalist church in Louisville. Of course, no conversation about anticipation would be complete without a mention of General Assembly in June 2013, which will bring 3000 to 5000 Unitarian Universalists from around the country and world to Louisville for the first time. There is a G.A. Update elsewhere in this Steepletalk the momentum is growing!! But anticipation is not always happy, and it is not without its anxieties and fears. Some of us are anticipating changes in our workplaces that may be causing us anxiety. Others of us are nearing the end of our lives - an anticipation that sometimes turns to fear. The unknown can be scary. Some of us are adding new members to our families, which is often happy but still a reason for anxiety or nervousness. During this season of Advent, of anticipation, may the stories of the season ground and inspire us. May we all find a star that can guide our way into the mysterious unknown. Blessed be. Thoughts from Chris Rothbauer It's hard to believe that the holiday season is almost upon us! For some of us, this means a time of family, festivities, reflecting on our blessings and, of course, overeating! With Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, and Kwanza so close together, there's not a lot of people who won't be celebrating in some way. I know, for my part, I'll be enjoying a well deserved break from my day job. But many others will be spending the season alone this year, and the December festivities are often a reminder of their loneliness and isolation. I have seen statistics where depression and suicide increase during the holiday season. And I wonder, in a nation of such plenty, why we don't have more people willing to reach out a helping hand to those who don't have a lot to be thankful for. I think we need to be reminded me of the true spirit of Christmas: the desire to bring all of God's children together, not as Christians or Jews or Gentiles, but as people with inherent worth and dignity. As Unitarian Universalists, we can continue this work through the good we do in the world. This holiday season, if you are feeling exceptionally blessed, I encourage you to pay your blessings forward. Think about what you can do to brighten the season for someone who may not be as fortunate as you, and make a commitment to do something good every day for another person. In the words of Gandhi, be the change you want to see in the world....and service is its law. 2

3 Religious Exploration Highlights for December Linette Lowe The season of December holidays is upon us! For many of us, traditions, both new and old, play a central role in our celebrations. I'm excited that we will once again be celebrating Chalica in our December 2 service, as the children, youth and adults in our RE program share their understanding of Living our UU Principles with us. Chalica is a relatively new, unique UU holiday. During the first week of December, UU's light a chalice and reflect on the seven principles, one each day. At our house, we incorporate Chalica into another favorite tradition from my own childhood: the Advent calendar. When I was young, we always had a calendar with little perforated doors that we opened each day, behind which was a treat or a saying, counting down to Christmas day. We have adapted this idea to suit our UU values by creating a Holiday Countdown calendar of our own. I have a felt hanging with pockets for each day of December on it, and in those pockets I place a slip of paper and a small treat for each day before Christmas. The first full week, the slips of paper celebrate Chalica with the principle for that day and something we can do together as a family to live out that principle. For instance, for Each person is important, we choose someone to write a note to just to tell them that we love them (Grandma loves this one, as she often gets a note from her grandson!) For the rest of the month, the slips contain activities to do together to celebrate the season in simple ways and to recall our gratitude for all we have. For instance, one slip says, Make the house smell like the winter holidays, and so we put cinnamon sticks and cloves in a pot on the stove, or make orange and clove pomanders, or gather natural greens to hang inside. A favorite slip says, Call Papa (who lives in Florida) and sing Christmas carols on the phone. Another slip says, Take a gift to someone who does not expect it. We make homemade goodies and take them to a neighbor we haven't met, or to a nursing home, even to our local librarians. They really enjoy it, but it also makes us feel like we are living out our values in real and, yes, fun, ways. I find that having these activities to look forward to each day makes every day leading up to the holidays special, and it keeps our focus on being together as a family and celebrating in ways we feel good about. I hope you'll find both new and old traditions this season that help you live out our UU principles. Happy Holidays! A simplified version of the UUA Principles is as follows: 1. Each person is important. 2. Be kind in all you do. 3. We re free to learn together 4. And search for what is true. 5. All people need a voice. 6. Build a fair and peaceful world. 7. We care for Earth s lifeboat. I hope you will find a way to celebrate Chalica in your household this year! Make it your own! Upcoming RE events December 2: Annual Chalica/RE Celebration of Life December 23: no RE classes; Holiday Stories program in the Open Classroom December 24: return Guest at Your Table boxes at Vespers Service December 30: no RE classes; 5 th Sunday activity January 6: RE classes resume Please feel free to contact me at dre@firstulou.org or by phone at (502) with any questions or suggestions you might have. I look forward to working with you! Love is the spirit of this church... 3

4 Exploration Hour Opportunities for Adults 9:15-10:30 Adult Religious Exploration. Participants engage in their own faith development and contribute to that of others who are present. Child care is available for infants and toddlers by trained child care employees. Grade appropriate Religious Exploration is available for children and youth pre-sc hool through high school. Room 103, Library 101, Parlor 1 st Sunday Dec. 2 Round Table: The Journey of the Universe Theologies: Paganism 2 nd Sunday Dec. 9 Sunday Morning Books Theologies: Non-Theism 3 rd Sunday Dec. 16 Round Table: The Journey of the Universe Theologies: Paganism 4 th Sunday Dec.23 Round Table: The Journey of the Universe 5 th Sunday Dec. 30 No RE Classes 5 th Sunday Activity 205, Open No Program Creative Arts Classroom 214, OWL UU Parenting meets weekly Social Hall Coffee & Current Events meets weekly 206 Silent Meditation is available weekly Please note that several classes will not meet on December 23. Alternative programming for children is planned that day in the Open Classroom. They will share holiday stories. Fifth Sunday Multigenerational Project: To Be Announced. This quarter s fifth Sunday falls in the middle of busy winter holidays. Watch the Sunday FYI announcements and check the website for the Dec 30 program. Theologies Theologies. Rotating weekly, theologies classes will explore different faith paths from a Unitarian Universalist perspective. All classes are open to any and all, to believers and non-believers, to those of faith and of non-faith traditions. Dec 2 Paganism: Pagan Satire. Listen to pagan film, read bawdy poems and enjoy a good laugh with us. It will take you through the upcoming and often stressful upcoming holiday season. There IS the profound within the profane. Dec 9: Non-Theism: "Meaning" for the Non-Theist. This session will focus on where non-theists locate ultimate meaning and purpose in life. Dec 16 Paganism: Reincarnation and Rebirth. In preparation for the winter solstice and the sun's return to warm the earth. Dec 23 Bible Study: no program due to holidays. UU Parenting UU Parenting (fall semester). The group will select topics from the blog of UU Religious Educator and author Michelle Richards (blogs.uuworld.org/parenting), such as Why UU parents should help their children pray or Helping children understand white lies. Carol Uebelhoer...and service is its law. 4

5 and Lisa Mascio-Thompson, leaders. Parenting will NOT meet on Dec. 23. Round Table Round Table. First, third, and fourth Sundays. Kris Barski, program planner. Dec 2 Stewardship, Nature and Listening. Guest Speaker Bob Brownbeck will speak on the importance of recycling and taking care of our planet, and share his work in this area with Jacques Cousteau. Dec 16 James Freeman Clarke. Clarke was a pioneer and leader not only in our church and denomination, but in Louisville and the nation. Dec 23 Winter Holiday Memories. Join a conversation sharing your best (and worst) experiences of Christmas, Divali, Hannukah, Socrates' Birthday, Yule etc. Creative Arts Creative Arts. Explore the art of creativity through improvisation, theatre, and mime. Gaining both basic creative skills as well as liberal and social minded experiences. Second and fourth Sundays. Stefan Gearhart, leader. Dec 9 Theatre of the Oppressed #2. Developed by Augusto Boal, this is a series of imaginative exercises that explore how oppression appears in our societies, and how we might fight it. This is the last session of the Creative Arts program. Sunday Morning Books. Selections focus on science, environment, theology, leadership, history, politics and their connection to Unitarian Universalism and to the life of First Unitarian Church. Second Sundays; Jill Sampson and Kathy Rogers, facilitators. Dec. 9 The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell Jan. 13 Delusions of Gender: How our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference by Cordelia Fine Additional books are listed on firstulou.org/books Coffee & Current Events Coffee & Current Events. This group meets in the social hall each week with no formal curriculum for conversation about current events as informed by UUA principles and faith. Meditation Room. Quiet space has been designated on the second floor for silent reflection, prayer, or meditation. A number of meditation aids are available. Schedule change: Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Adults (OWL) will not be offered during Exploration Hour in the spring. This program will be scheduled at another time based on interest and leadership availability. Please contact Carol Uebelhoer, OWL leader, to indicate your interest and schedule availability for Adult OWL. Sunday Morning Books Meditation More Information The First Unitarian website has the latest updates about the curricula described above. To learn more, visit firstulou.org or contact Linette Lowe, Acting Director of Religious Exploration. Love is the spirit of this church... 5

6 Children s Celebration Kathy Thackeray and Vanessa Richmond When the preschool through 3rd grade children are sung out of the service on Sunday mornings we go upstairs to the preschool/childcare room. Vanessa has been guiding us through movements to some Bartok music. We encourage the children to express the movements they feel as they listen to the music. Vanessa is there to inspire us to hear and feel the music. We are practicing some hymns for the Chalica Service on December 2nd and for Vespers on December 24th. Last week we worked on creating a "Grace". I will share with you that Vanessa and I know that there is a hamster named Grace, that many children have friends named Grace, and that someone has a grandmother named Grace (how appropriate for a Grandmother). So as you can see we had to work through all the ways "Grace" is used before we could get to creating a "Grace" - the blessing before a meal! Living What We Believe Updates from the Ministries The purpose of life is a life of purpose. ~ Robert Byrne Worship Ministry One of the responsibilities of the Worship Ministry is to help in the preparation and implementation of worship services. This includes things like lighting the chalice (open to children and adults), being an usher, providing the chalice table decorations, being a worship associate, and, if you excel at behind-the-scenes aid, helping occasionally to arrange the chairs, put up tables, and move the stage, We are grateful to the many people who have already volunteered, but, these are not exclusive responsibilities. We welcome new volunteers. None of these positions requires an inordinate amount of time and only a little training. Please let co-chairs Trish Ramey (tramey@alum.bu.edu) or Jane Martin-Buckley (jane_buckley@earthlink.net) know of your interest. BTW, we are actively looking for some volunteers to help with the stage moving to accommodate Christmas Eve vespers. Contact Lee Wells, sanctuary layout coordinator (lkwellsuu@gmail.com) to find out more. The Worship Ministry was happy to welcome Christe Lunsford as the church's new choir director in late October. Concurrent with her arrival, the WM formed a subgroup, the Music Team, whose purpose is to support First U's music program by being a liaison between Christe; John Combs, our accompanist; volunteer musicians; the Worship Ministry; and the minister. Currently the Music Team is composed of Trish Ramey, Worship Ministry liaison, Bernie Schweikart, Pat Allison, and Brian Daly, special music coordinator, and Lois Allen, choral music librarian....and service is its law. 6

7 A Note from the Music Ministry Christe Lunsford The Role of the Choir Director After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. Aldous Huxley Behind the scenes, the choir director does much more than wave her arms in front of the choir on Sunday morning or meet with this dedicated and talented group of individuals on Thursday evenings. The choir director must be well versed in teaching good technique, music theory, conducting, harmony and vocal production. S/he has a varied knowledge of musical styles that are appropriate for performance by a group. Sometimes the choir director acts as accompanist or as a composer/arranger. Church choir directors also coordinate performance selections with worship leaders to enhance the ministerial theme or special occasion. But most of all, I believe that a good choir director must be able to motivate, be creative and inspire others. Inspire: to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence. To produce or arouse a feeling, thought, etc. Origin: Latin inspirare to breathe. My own definition would include the word passion; to inspire a group of passionate people to share their time and talents with a community at large in an effort to express the inexpressible. Our choir at First UU meets Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. If you have a passion for music, please consider joining us. Our schedule for the next several weeks is full of beautiful and inspiring holiday music which we will perform at the December 24 th service. I m looking forward to having the chance to work with you. Nameste, Christe Resource Ministry CHURCH SAFETY ISSUES In October Resource Minister Leaders approach to safety planning focusing on attended two workshops dealing with church people, places, and things. Then to create safety. Kathy Drehmel attended an all day policies and procedures that address all workshop on October 16 th at Southeast three levels. There were also tips on Christian. The course was presented by The ensuring that key people are CPR and/ or Center for Personal Protection and Safety First Aid -certified. Ministry for Churches. Now that we have what seems like an Part of the training dealt with acts of abundance of information we will work aggression that could happen at church - through to determine - what is most relevant dealing with Intimate Partner Violence, for First Unitarian? What are our disruptive individuals, a congregant who needs? What would be the most helpful? brings a weapon to church, and protecting How can we develop a Safety Policy that children. The afternoonsession included how serves us best without being too cumbersome to form a Crisis Management Team, and and unrealistic. (For example, do we need to developing a Safety and Security Policy. have a plan for dealing with a suicide On October 25th Michelle Pierce bomber at church?) We will be assessing and attended a webinar on Safety Planning for compiling information. More to come! Congregations sponsored by the Heartland If you have any questions or comments please talk to us District and presented by the Reverend anytime, or leave a note in the Resource Ministry mailbox or contact Kathy Drehmel and Michelle Pierce, at Doctor Lisa Presley. The recommendation of Resourcesministry@firstulou.org, the presentation was to take a three-part Love is the spirit of this church... 7

8 Churchyard Friends Progress in November Plans for December A new project was begun in November after a couple of weather related false starts. Kathy Thackeray and Carol Findling began a new bed on the east-facing slope on Library Lane. We planted a liriope (monkey grass) edge and lots of daylilies and a few daffodils. As of mid-november, there are still more daylilies and daffodils to plant, weather permitting. This means no grass to cut on that slope and some pretty flowers in spring and summer! Winter is a good time to prune some trees and shrubs, evergreens and ones that bloom in spring, so we plan to mulch, using all the newly fallen leaves and do some pruning, weather permitting. We want to prune the Courtyard viburnums and get advice on other pruning projects we might do in the next few months. Mission and Outreach Ministry Holiday Assistance for Coleridge-Taylor Families During the upcoming holiday season, we are again making an effort to reach out to our neighbors at Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary School, located at 1115 W. Chestnut Street. Coleridge-Taylor s student population is a mix of children from all parts of the Louisville metro area. The enrollment is approximately 600 students who are in preschool through grade five. Of the 600 plus students, about 58%, or 350 children, are eligible for free or reduced lunch prices due to family income. Coleridge- Taylor is located in zip code 40203, which has been named the 13 th poorest zip code in the United States, based on average per capita income of $14,941. These statistics give a glimpse of the real lives of some of the students at Coleridge- Taylor. Some are from households which live in chronic poverty and struggle to make it from day to day. Some are from households that normally make ends meet, but due to job loss, unexpected medical problems, disaster such as fire or flooding, or other unforeseen circumstances find themselves unable to pay bills and provide for the family. Some live in households which struggle with ongoing debilitating mental illness. Whatever the reason, the effect is the same for children who aren t sure if they ll have food at home, if they ll have the clothing they need, or if there will be a holiday celebration in their home. We all know that children who are cared for and have what they need are much more likely to be successful in school and in life. Your generosity can not only help make that happen, but can also brighten the lives and boost the morale of many of these families who struggle. If you would like to play Santa and adopt a family or child by providing a toy and clothing gift for the holiday season, please see Mary Ballard at the Mission and Outreach table after church on Sunday, or contact Mary via phone ( or ) or (ballardmb2@bellsouth.net). Mary is working with staff at Coleridge- Taylor to identify the families most in need, and will have information to give you on sizes, toy requests, etc. Gifts may be returned to church by Sunday, December 9 for delivery to Coleridge- Taylor. Thank you for your consideration!...and service is its law. 8

9 UU congregations are currently organized within districts, our own district being Heartland. The Unitarian Universalist Association provides partial support to the districts, but the districts are governed independent of the UUA, based on the votes of delegates from the member congregations. For many years, Heartland has cooperated with two nearby districts, Central Midwest and Prairie Star, on specific projects, most notably Midwest Leadership School. Now there is a move to regionalize, and Heartland has recommended to its member congregations that it merge with Central Midwest and Prairie Star to form a MidAmerica Region to replace the three districts. Funding would come entirely from the UUA (with UUA fair share increasing to replace the now separate Heartland fair share ). When the Heartland District holds its annual meeting in Muncie, Indiana this The HEARTLAND DISTRICT spring, First U s delegates will be asked to vote. We are researching the advantages (for example, lowering administrative costs) and disadvantages (for example, much longer distances to travel to annual meetings). At the moment, we have insufficient information to guide our delegates. Would services change? Would the great distances diminish democratic input? Would large cities (or, conversely, small fellowships) dominate? Is there an advantage to providing services locally? What would be Boston s role in regional governance? What is the alternative if the vote is no? We invite you to join us in reading, talking to others, gathering the information that will tell us how the proposed merger would affect First Unitarian of Louisville. And if you are interested in serving as a congregational delegate to the April Heartland meeting, please contact Mission and Outreach. UU General Assembly ( GA ) Update Kathy Gapsis "The 3 Louisvillearea UU churches are preparing to provide hospitality for as many people as possible for our upcoming UU General Assembly, in Louisville, June (Housing needs may be from June 17-24) Hosting fellow UUs participating in GA is a wonderful way to connect with UU congregations all across the country, and participate more fully in our denomination. Whether you have an extra bedroom (or two) available, a pull-out sofa in the living room, or "a piece of the floor" in the den, please consider welcoming our GA guests into your home. A volunteer team will confirm host availability, coordinate placement, and provide introductions. Guests and hosts will HOUSING FOR THE GUESTS receive each other's contact information and itinerary via , and are advised to discuss/confirm lodging personally - and get to know one another a bit prior to the stay. Guests' payments go directly to First U. Guests understand that host homes are not professional B&B facilities, rather they provide an opportunity to meet other UUs, stay in a friendly environment, save money on lodging, and know the proceeds benefit the host's congregation. Hosts are asked to be present upon guests' arrival, offer fresh linens for sleeping and fresh towels in the bathroom, and basic necessities. Meals and transportation are not expected. If you are interested in hosting, please contact Kathy Gapsis, kgapsis@gmail.com, as soon as you are able. The next step will be to fill out a host application, which will be available at First U's website, in January. Love is the spirit of this church... 9

10 Partner Church Dear Brothers from Louisville! It's been a long time since I had written to you, because my son Előd was looking for a new job. He took 1 year off from teaching and thank God, after a few months he got a job in Budapest, Hungary as an English speaking IT specialist (help desk). He's leaving us, too and only my wife and I will be here in Nagyenyed. Itt will be hard for us to get used to it, but we ask the Lord to give them a chance to make it in their lives! I hope that after he's settled down and will have an internet connection, he will write to you. Our summer was very hot and dry, with no rain for 3 months, many plants, flowers and fruits dried up in our garden. This summer we didn't have any vacation, we relaxed while working:) The most important events in the life of our Church: 1) On June the 24th we held a confirmation, when 2 girls and 1 boy became an individual member of our congregation 2) On June the 30th we had a marriage ceremony for a young couple working in Ireland. 3) On July the 8th there was an ecumenical ceremony at the local catholic church and there I did a service about Hungarian-Romanian relations in Nagyenyed. It was organised by the Hungarian ambassador, working in Bucharest. 4) On July the 28th we held a burial ceremony for a 86 year old woman, who had 6 children. 5) After this burial, on the same day there was another marriage ceremony for a Unitarian girl and an orthodox Romanian boy. Greetings from Nagyenyed. 6) On the 11th of August we visited the Unitarian Meeting at Szelykefürdő with my wife and our currator Makkai Béla and his wife 7) On the 23rd of September we had a visit from a social organisation made of women, who held a cultural program for us about a famous Hungarian poet who was a teacher in Nagyenyed, called Áprily Lajos. It was a heart-warming event as these retired women, mostly over 70 recited his poems 8) On September the 30th we had thanksgiving with holy communion 9) On the 2nd of October we had another burial, one of our elders of our church, Móricz József, who was 68 years of age 10) On October the 6th came another sad event for us, as one of my colleagues Bartha Alpár (53) died and was put to rest at Torockó. 11) Other burial ceremonies were on the 16th of October, a 61 year old man and on Nov. the 4th a 62 year old woman at Marosújvár. 12) On the 28th of October there was a happy event, also, with welcoming a little girl into our congregation through baptisim. So as I said, it was a long time and many events happened in our congregational life, some happy, some sad. We wish You all the best in strength and peace and hopefully things will work out for my son and he will contact you then;) Best wishes, Rev. Sándor Botond...and service is its law. 10

11 UU Social Justice Network Jo Ann Dale Just what IS the Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network? In August of 2011, the three local UU churches banded together to form the Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network. UUSJN s mission is to use the combined resources of Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church, First Unitarian Church and Clifton Universalist Unitarian Church to address issues of social justice, and to expand the UU social justice presence in the community through action and witness. In our short time together, we have already sponsored a family from Burundi, organized a joint service "The 'I' in Immigration", held a fund raising lunch for the family (over $1400!) plus a special collection for Kentucky Refugee Ministries (over $700 raised) and offered a Social Justice film series. We have worked collaboratively for the Louisville Hunger Walk and Aids Walk, Repair Affair and Project Warm. Also, we co-sponsored with Highland Baptist and others, a presentation on Dominionism. We staffed a UUSJN booth at the Festival of Faiths. We are now working on a program to present in conjunction with the 2013 UU General Assembly, coming to Louisville next June. We maintain a local social justice calendar at uulouisville.org, so that any member of the public is able to see the diverse ways in which UUs Stand on the Side of Love. Does this sound like something of which you would like to be part? You are in luck! Network meetings rotate among the three churches, and everyone is always welcome. We next meet December 10, 2012 at 7:30 pm at TJ. If you would like to join us in our collective efforts, please plan to attend. For more information, contact Henry Austin: hfaustin@bellsouth.net / or Jo Ann Dale : mamajo16@yahoo.com / EXAMPLES OF SERVICE in Ministry and Outreach Opportunities to stand on the side of love still abound: Jill Sherman is coordinating volunteers to serve an evening meal each month at the Center for Women and Families. Amy Lewis is coordinating volunteers to assist with the clothes closet and food pantry maintained by Help Ministries at Calvary Episcopal. Jo Ann Dale is still picking up used books to benefit the New Life Children s Home in Uganda. Mary Ballard is coordinating our holiday efforts to assist the neediest families at Coleridge Taylor Elementary. Kathy Gapsis is coordinating the massive Home Hospitality project in conjunction with General Assembly Carol Findling is offering opportunities to sign Christmas cards for our friends in Transylvania. Kathy Rogers is leading discussion of issues of reproductive justice, the newest UUA Study Action Issue. And Bev Daly will be leading discussions of The New Jim Crow, this year s Common Read.. Information on these and more opportunities can be found at the Mission and Outreach Table on Sundays. And you? What is YOUR social justice outreach passion? Love is the spirit of this church... 11

12 Report on Jewelry and Scarf Sale We made well over $300 at the Jewelry and Scarf Sale. This help will be used to help our Partner Church. Thanks to all of you who came and bought lots of 'treasures'! A special thank you to all who helped prepare, sort, price, publicize, move and set up and take down everything. Report on Annual Service Auction THANK YOU to everyone who participated in last month s Service Auction! Dozens of people helped, donated, and bid, and all of you together made the auction fun and successful. Special thanks to Doug Taylor, John Findling, Anne Miller, Geneva Fry, Jill Sampson, David Runge, Jack Jackson, Monica Turner, Rita Sasse, and Carol Findling (and others who helped with child care)! We raised nearly $8,500 for the church; and there are some items still available, so the final total will be even higher! Watch your for chances to buy remaining items, and for lists of the things you donated and/or bought. Sharing the Joy Decide to bring a little joy to one or two of our homebound members by delivering a box of goodies or help in the kitchen. We also need to remember those members and friends who are homebound. We will be preparing goodie bags for these folks and are looking for people to deliver one or two packages of goodies to someone in your neighborhood. Please contact Rita Sasse at (502) sasse.rita@gmail.com to volunteer for these activities. First U Happenings Louisville Orchestra's Susannah Onwood Visits the Brownbaggers Join us Monday, December 10, in the church library for lunch at about 11:45 AM and stay to hear our own Suzie Onwood tell us about her experiences playing cello in the Louisville Orchestra. Christmas Gift Idea Kroger Gift Cards! Don't know what to get cousin Harry for Christmas? Anyone who eats will be happy to get a $20 Kroger gift card -- and every time more money is put on First Unitarian Church gets 4% at no cost to you! See Gary Drehmel for more details. Picture taken at last year s party BONENKAI PARTY (Forget the Year) The Eickmanns will be having their Bonenkai (Forget the Year Party) on Sunday, December 30 from 4-8 p.m. There will be a Christmas Tree with real candles and festive food and drink. All UUs welcome! They are in New Albany, 1742 Millerwood Dr. off Charlestown Rd. katuwe@aol.com for directions. Bonenkai literally means to forget the year gathering. The purpose of the party, as its name implies in Japanese, is to forget the woes and troubles of the past year....and service is its law. 12

13 First U Happenings VESPERS Update! The Story of the Christmas Tree First Unitarian Church Vesper Services 5:00 p.m. December 24, 2012 Followed by a Cookie Reception POINSETTIAS For Vespers $10 Members and Friends have the opportunity to purchase, beautiful red poinsettias for our Vesper Service, In Memory of, In Honor Of, or In Celebration of, loved ones, special people, causes, events, or occasions. Examples will be posted on the Worship and Resource Ministry kiosk in the Social Hall. Your remembrances will be listed in the Order of Service at Vespers. The Aesthetics Team will decorate the church with the Poinsettias Christmas week. After Vespers, you may claim your plant and take it home. The cost is $ Checks (made out to First Unitarian - Poinsettias on the memo line), or cash, can be given to Pat Allison or Kathy Drehmel. Remittance can also can be placed in the special Poinsettia box located in the Volunteer Area - forms will be available next to the box. The order deadline is December 17th. Questions? Contact Pat Allison; Worship or Kathy Drehmel: Resource Ministry. Thank You Fun Opportunity For Children and Adults Rev. Dawn is looking to fill the following non-speaking roles for our Christmas Eve Vespers production. There will be ONE rehearsal, after the service on 12/23. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact her at revdcooley@gmail.com or call Available roles: Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Angels, Friendly Beasts, a Star, and Wise(people) Vespers Reception FINGER FOODS NEEDED Catch the holiday spirit and become part of the Vespers evening at First Unitarian. Volunteers are needed to bring sweet or savory finger foods for the reception. Cooks are invited to show off their favorite cookie, candy or brownie recipe. If you aren't a baker or cook, please consider buying chips and dip, crackers, cheese, nuts, raw veggie tray, olives and pickles, candy or cookies. Please remember finger foods only!! Donations need to be delivered to the kitchen by 4:30pm on December 24th. Lastly, if you would like to don an apron and help with serving punch or preparing food trays during the verpsers service, we are looking for you! To volunteer, please call Rita at or sasse.rita@gmail.com Sunday Morning Schedule 9:15 Religious Exploration 10:30 Intermission 11:00 Celebration of Life Sundays 1 st Sun. First Sunday Lunch, 12:30 1 st Sun. Covenant Group, 1:00 in parlor 2 nd Sun.Covenant Group, 1:00 in parlor 2 nd Sun.Covenant Group 1:00 Meditation rm WHEN WE MEET See Rev. Dawn about Covenant Groups Mondays 1 st Mon. Book Club, 6:00 in parlor 2 nd Mon. Brown Baggers, 11:30 in library 2 nd Mon. Missions/Outreach 5:00 library Tuesdays 2 nd Tues. Finance Committee, 6:00 in library 3 rd Tues. Board Meeting, 6:00 in library 4 th Tues. CG leaders, 6:00 in parlor Wednesdays Weekly: Staff meetings, 10:30 in parlor 1 st /3 rd Wed. CUUPs Class, 7:00 in library 2 nd Wed. RE Meeting, 6:00 in library 4 th Wed. Worship Ministry 6:30 in library Thursdays Weekly: Choir Practice, 7:15 in choir room 1 st Thurs. Ministry Council, 5:30 Saturdays 2 nd Sat. House and Grounds, 8:00 am 4 th Sat. Churchyard Friends, 9:00 am Love is the spirit of this church... 13

14 News from the Board of Trustees Geneva Fry Board members: Roger Bradshaw, Bev Daly, Geneva Fry, Claudia Runge, John Scruton, Pat Triplett, Carol Uebelhoer, Kay Woodworth At the Special Congregational Meeting on November 19, the motion proposed by the Board of Trustees was passed by an overwhelming majority. As a result of the vote, the church will replace, as soon as possible, the roof and eight HVAC units on the roof at a cost of approximately $180,000. The congregation will borrow up to $250,000 from the church endowment fund Green Scene to complete those projects and to make other capital improvements. Between now and the annual meeting in June, the congregation will work through a process of generating a list of other capital improvements. A vote to approve the list will be taken at the annual meeting. In late summer of 2013 we will launch a Capital Campaign to repay the loan from the endowment. Carol Findling WIN WATERWAY IMPROVEMENT NOW The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District is holding occasional meetings to get input from citizens about their WIN (Waterway Improvement Now), which involves an agreement (consent decree) with the federal Environmental Protection Agency to build a system of separate storm and sanitary sewers. This will cost the community $850 million and was entered into in It is scheduled for completion in Now it is about 25% completed and is on schedule and. under budget. Currently, many of the older parts of Louisville have combined sewers. These are large older sewer pipes that carry sewage to. the wastewater treatment plant. Storm water runoff from streets and rooftops flow into the same sewers on rainy days. The sewers often fill up, causing excess storm water and sewage to overflow into Beargrass Creek or the Ohio River at points called combined sewer outfalls or CSOs. Also, many of these older sewers have large and small leaks. Changes will be proposed in January and February 2013 and MSD will publicize meetings to involve interested citizens. You may sign up to receive sewer overflow alert s and notification s at the Project WIN website, msdprojectwin.org. ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS On a more seasonal note, Phyllis Fitzgerald gave a talk at the monthly Sustainability Forum on alternative Christmas/Hannukkah celebrations. Some of my favorites include: decorating little gingerbread houses (either a kit or from graham crackers) try making all or most of your gifts make breads or candies for gifts give gifts of time, such as cooking a quart of homemade soup each month for a year go for a Christmas eve walk with your family or community sing carols at a local nursing home read a special story or book each evening during advent ask family members to donate to a charity that is special to you each year and give/send you a card telling that you ve done that wrap any presents in colorful comics, old sheets of maps or pillowcases knit, crochet or sew a headband, scarf, and mittens make a board game that several can play Carol has several pages from the talk that you can make copies of if you want....and service is its law. 14

15 The Woman s Alliance The Alliance is happy to announce that Sr. Dorothy Jackson, SCN (Sister of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky) will be speaking at our general membership meeting on Saturday, January 19, Sr. Dorothy is a board member of Network a national Catholic social justice group that sponsors the now-famous Nuns on the Bus. We invite all women of our congregation to come and learn about the educational and lobbying efforts of the Network for economic justice, healthcare justice and immigration reform and how the Alliance can support their efforts. The meeting will be January 19, from 1-3 pm. Interweave Interweave Continental is a membership organization actively working toward ending oppression based on sexual orientation and gender identity, recognizing that we will not be free until all oppression is a thing of the past." By voting to become a Welcoming Co ngregation, First Unitarian Church agreed to the Commitments listed in The Welcoming Congregation Handbook. Commitment #5 states: A Welcoming Congregation engages in outreach into the bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender communities, both through its advertising and by actively supporting other bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender affirmative groups. REFLECTION: Did I take an action this month to promote civil rights and full inclusion for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people? Out to Win in 2012 Congratulations goes out to all the openly out LGBT peoples who won their candidacy for government offices. Among those are: Tammy Baldwin made history Tuesday night (Election Day) -- twice. She became the first openly gay politician, and first Wisconsin woman, elected to the U.S. Senate. Mark Pocan was elected in Wisconsin s 2nd Congressional District, becoming the first gay candidate who will follow an openly gay member of Congress. In New York, Sean Patrick Maloney was elected in the 18th Congressional District. In California s 41st Congressional District, Mark Takano became the first openly gay person of color to win election to the U.S. House. U.S. Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Jared Polis, D-Colo., won reelection to their seats. In Arizona, former state lawmaker Kyrsten Sinema maintains a narrow lead in the newly-drawn 9th Congressional District. She will become the first openly bisexual member of Congress. Seven state legislatures gained their first or only openly LGBT state lawmakers this year, including North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, New Mexico, Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida, which went from zero to two gay legislators. And in Oregon and Colorado, state legislative election results have positioned two out lawmakers to become House Speakers. The Interweave Chapter of First Unitarian Church would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy winter holiday season. For more information about Interweave, please contact Interweave co-chairs Lori Martin (interweave@firstulou.org) or Clare Zigner, or leave a message in the Interweave mailbox in the volunteer area. Love is the spirit of this church... 15

16 First Unitarian of Louisville Covenant of UU Pagans Twas the night before Yuletide and all through the glen Not a creature was stirring, not a fox, not a hen. A mantle of snow shone brightly that night As it lay on the ground, reflecting moonlight.. Yule, which is also known as Solstice Night is the longest night of the year. From this day forward, the sun's "rebirth" was celebrated as the days become longer. Please join CUUPs as we celebrate Yule on Sunday, December 16, Our Sabbat Celebrations are on Sunday night. The doors open at 5:30pm and the Circle starts at 6pm. A potluck dinner will follow around 7 pm. The Covenant of UU Pagans of First Unitarian Universalist Church or CUUPs offers Sabbat Celebrations and classes in topics relating to earth based traditions or nature spirituality. CUUPs is a free and open community of people who practice earth-based spiritualities. Our classes are a blend of lecture and discussion with seekers, those new to the path and experienced practitioners in attendance. We meet the first and third Wednesday of each month. Our classes start at 7pm and last till about 8:30pm. Our upcoming classes in December are on December 5 and December 19. If you need additional information, please us at cuups@firstulou.org There is no charge for Circle Celebrations or classes.. VESPERS Happy Holidays SERVICE STEEPLETALK Published every month by First Unitarian Church of Louisville 809 South 4 th Street Louisville, KY Editor: Barbara Creasy Next Deadline: December 15 (Covers the month of January) editor@firstulou.org VESPERS SERVICE Monday December 24, :00 p.m. Followed by a Cookie Reception...and service is its law. 16

17 Ministry Theme for December: Revelation From the Tapestry of Faith Curricula, Themes in North American Unitarian Universalist History Because Unitarian Universalism supports freedom of thought and belief and does not require subscribing to a creed, we are free to look for truth in many different places. "Revelation" is the word traditionally used to describe how God becomes known to human beings. We have adopted the word to describe truth more generally. We look in different places for truth which keeps emerging, rather than being sealed, or confined, to a particular book or tradition. We look to our own personal experience, trusting it as much, or more than, the words from the past. Beginning with the Transcendentalists, Unitarians began to find truth in religions other than Christianity. Emerson, for example, studied the Bhagavad-Gita, a Hindu scripture. In 1893, Jenkin Lloyd Jones, a prominent Midwestern Unitarian leader, brought the Parliament of World Religions to Chicago, hosting participants from a breadth of religious backgrounds to share their thinking. By that time, Universalists, too, had begun broadening the concept of Universalism beyond the idea of universal salvation to embrace what is universal in human experience... Around the same time, many Christians were shaken by scientific ideas. Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution. Unitarians and Universalists had already realized that science, too, was a source of truth, so had little difficulty with Darwin's ideas...again, Unitarians and Universalists had no problem with such ideas, because they embraced the ever-widening sphere of truth from a variety of sources. Reflection Questions: 1. What does revelation mean to you? 2. What aspect(s) of revelation do you think people struggle with most? 3. Where have you had a revelation? Is there a particular time/place/way in which you regularly experience revelation? As Unitarian Universalists, we say that we draw inspiration from many sources, including: Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life; Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love; Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life; Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves; Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit; Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Are any of these sources of inspiration a source of revelation for you? Are any of these sources avenues through which revelation may be shut-down for you? Love is the spirit of this church... 17