CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM IN ARLINGTON

Transcription

1 Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church 2001 California Lane Arlington, Texas Kaleidoscope January, 2015 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM IN ARLINGTON Sunday Jan 4 10:00 a.m. Coffee CUUPS 10:00 a.m. Sunday School Gang: The Dead Sea Scrolls 11:00 a.m. Do What You Can a sermon by Rev. Peter Friedrichs (delivered by John Blair) #2 of 3 sermons in a series 12:20 p.m. Finance Committee meeting 12:30 p.m. Intro to UU (Chad Martin) Sunday Jan 11 10:00 a.m. Adult Forum: TBD 11:00 a.m. Anita Mills speaks on I Will Walk with You (see page 5) 12:30 p.m. Board Meeting led by Lea Worcester Saturday Jan 17 8:00 a.m. Early Bird Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong Sunday Jan 18 7:30 a.m. Early Bird Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Club 10:00 a.m. Coffee CUUPS 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Sunday School Gang: The History of Christianity 11:00 a.m. Adam Daniels speaks on An Introduction to Zoroastrianism (see page 2) Tuesday Jan 20 5:30 a.m. Texas UU Legislative Action Day Austin bus trip (See Page 5) Saturday Jan 24 8:00 a.m. Early Bird Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong Sunday Jan 25 7:30 a.m. Early Bird Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Club 10:00 a.m. Adult Forum: TBD 11:00 a.m. Keven Holt speaks on Walking Through Fear 12:00 p.m. Monthly Potluck Luncheon

2 Worth a Look by Barry Hansen The website is to religion what is to journalism. A completely satirical website that stays in character from beginning to end. The everentertaining Brother Harry, The Bible Answer Man, can be seen on YouTube and believe it or not on CSPAN.org (addressing an atheist convention of all things). Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian, has among other videos Betty Bowers Explains Traditional Marriage that is must-see TV. And don't forget the constantly rotating crazy Bible verses and the JesusLand Tee-shirts for sale. Check it out and when you finally stop laughing let's talk. Happy Birthday UU by Barry Hansen Quillen Hamilton Shinn, Universalist missionary and founder of Ferry Beach (Jan 1) Josiah Wedgwood, founder Wedgwood pottery (Jan 3) Olympia Brown, first woman ordained by a denomination (Jan 5) Sir Isaac Newton, English scientist and mathematician (Jan 6) Millard Fillmore, 13th President of the United States (Jan 7) Ethan Allen, Revolutionary War soldier (Jan 10) John H Dietrich, pioneer Mid-West humanist (Jan 14) Albert Schweitzer, Alsatian medical missionary, theologian, writer, musician, philosopher, member of CLF (Jan 14) Clara Cook Helvie, Unitarian minister women's rights (Jan 24) Joseph Tuckerman, Unitarian minister-at-large to the poor (Jan 18) Robert Burns, poet, (Jan 25) Keith Olbermann, political and sports commentator (Jan 27) Breakfast Club The Arlington UU Breakfast Club meets from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. the last two Sundays of the month. Locations will vary. We meet at church and carpool to a restaurant nearby. Early Bird Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong The last two Saturdays and Sundays of each month we meet at the Arlington UU Church at 2001 California Lane. Practice runs from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Saturdays and 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Sundays. We'll be practicing Standing Qi Gong (Chi Kung) followed by moving Qi Gong in the form of Closet and Traveling Tai Chi and the First Section of the 108 Long Form. These are fundamental to the entirety of traditional Yang Clan Tai Chi Chuan. Both beginners and invested students benefit. Adam Daniels Adam Daniels is an ordained minister of the Traditional Ahrimanic Religion. He has studied Zoroastrianism and Vedic Hinduism since Adam also has studied occult topics since 2000, specializing in Enochian Practices. Adam runs a spiritual/religious group in Oklahoma City. As an educator, Adam has created a You Tube channel with over 100 videos. He is a self-published author four times over, with one of those books being worked on by Dorrance Publishing. AUUC Mission Statement Our mission is to provide a nourishing environment: In which liberal religious thought and spiritual growth are encouraged; where doubt is welcome and free choice is the rule In which we will be motivated to contribute to the betterment of all life In which we will teach and promote all of the other Unitarian Universalist values, embodied in the Seven Principles 2

3 Our Natural World Plants of the AUUC Our church is blessed by having nearly three acres of land including nearly an acre of natural woodland. This land has been preserved and nurtured by us since we first acquired it in the late 1960s, nearly 50 years ago. As is true of any healthy piece of land, it includes numerous species of plants. This column will feature some among them from time to time. Ulmus americana, generally known as the American elm is native to eastern North America. The American elm before the introduction of Dutch elm disease commonly grew 100+ feet tall with a trunk up to 4 feet in diameter supporting a high, spreading umbrella-like canopy. It occurs naturally in rich bottomlands, floodplains, stream banks, and swampy ground, although it also often thrives on hillsides, uplands and other well-drained soils. The species attains its greatest growth potential in the northeastern US, while elms in the Deep South and Texas grow much smaller and have shorter lifespans, although their survival rate is higher due to the climate being unfavorable for the spread of Dutch elm disease. The American elm's biology in some ways has helped to spare it from total obliteration by the Dutch elm disease, in contrast to what happened to the American chestnut with the chestnut blight. The elm's seeds are largely wind-dispersed, and the tree grows quickly and begins bearing seeds at a young age. It grows well along roads or railroad tracks, and in abandoned lots and other disturbed areas, where it is highly tolerant of most stress factors. On the AUUC grounds a somewhat ragged specimen exists in the far northeast corner next to the park, isolated from other elms in the area. 3 Carolina jessamine is a favorite native vine for gardeners in zone 6 and south because it puts on a spectacular display of masses of fragrant yellow flowers in the spring, it's evergreen, and it's a robust grower with no serious diseases or pests. The small, opposite, ovate leaves are widely spaced on wiry reddish stems that climb by twining. It's native to open woodlands with sandy moist soils in the east and south part of the state. Although it adapts well to the heavy clays of the rest of the state, it will need some supplemental water the farther west it is grown from its native habitat. Carolina jessamine flowers most profusely in the full sun, but will also flower in the shade. It will twine on trellises and over supports on fences and walls, and can even be used as a dense groundcover. Although it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Carolina "jasmine," true jasmines belong to the genus Jasminum. It can grow to 3 6 m high when given suitable climbing support in trees, with thin stems. Its flowers are strongly scented and produce nectar that attracts a range of pollinators. Historically Gelsemium sempervirens was used as a topical to treat papulous eruptions. It was also used to treat measles, neuralgic otalgia, tonsillitis, esophagitis, dysmenorrhea, muscular rheumatism, headaches. All parts of this plant contain toxic strychnine-related alkaloids and should not be consumed. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Children have been poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flower. Despite the hazards, this is a popular garden plant in warmer areas, frequently being trained to grow over arbors or to cover walls. A fine specimen grows next to one of the gates by the church s pond.

4 Meet Robert Treat Paine UUism is a creedless religion our deeds speak louder than our words and so it may be easier to understand UUism as a living faith by noting the individuals who have been associated with UUism. Robert Treat Paine was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and served as the first Attorney General of Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He was a lifelong Congregationalist and a devout Christian, but when his church, the First Church of Boston, moved into Unitarianism late in his life, Paine followed that path. Modern-day Unitarian Universalists might find his Unitarian religion rather distant from their own, but his life exemplified the kind of life a UU today might aspire to follow. Robert Treat Paine was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 11, He was one of five children of the Rev. Thomas Paine and Eunice (Treat) Paine. His father was pastor of Franklin Road Baptist Church in Weymouth but moved his family to Boston in 1730 and subsequently became a merchant there. His mother was the daughter of Rev. Samuel Treat, one of the principal founders of Newark, New Jersey. The Treat family in particular had a long history in the British colonies dating back to the Mayflower. Paine attended the Boston Latin School and at the age of fourteen entered Harvard College, from which institution he graduated in 1749 at age 18. He then was engaged in teaching school for several years back at the Boston Latin and at Lunenburg, Massachusetts. He also attempted a merchant career with journeys to the Carolinas, the Azores, and to Spain, as well as a whaling voyage to Greenland. He began the study of law in 1755 with his mother's cousin in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Another cousin, Col. Samuel Willard, raised a regiment to fight in the French and Indian War. Paine was unsuccessful in gaining an officer's commission in that regiment and so volunteered to serve as chaplain. When he returned from a brief military campaign to Lake George (the Crown Point Expedition), he did some occasional preaching and returned to his legal studies. In 1756 he returned to Boston to continue his legal preparations with Samuel Prat, and he was admitted to the bar in He first considered establishing his law practice at Portland (then part of Massachusetts but now in Maine), but instead in 1761 moved to Taunton, Massachusetts, then back to Boston in In 1768 he was a delegate to the provincial convention which was called to meet in Boston and along with Samuel Quincy conducted the prosecution of Captain Thomas Preston and his British soldiers following the Boston Massacre of March 5, John Adams was opposing counsel, and his arguments won the jury's sway, and most of the troops were let off. Paine served in the Massachusetts General Court from 1773 to 1774, in the Provincial Congress from 1774 to 1775, and represented Massachusetts at the Continental Congress from 1774 through In Congress, he signed the final appeal to the king (the Olive Branch Petition of 1775), and helped frame the rules of debate and acquire gunpowder for the coming war, and in 1776 was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He returned to Massachusetts at the end of December 1776 and was speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1777, a member of the executive council in 1779, a member of the committee that drafted the state constitution in He was Massachusetts Attorney General from 1777 to 1790 and prosecuted the treason trials following Shays' Rebellion. In 1780, He was a charter member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He later served as a justice of the state supreme court from 1790 to 1804 when he retired. When he died at the age of 83 in 1814 he was buried in Boston's Granary Burying Ground. A statue to commemorate him was erected in the Church Green area of Taunton. Paine s signature on the Declaration of Independence 4

5 Texas UU Legislative Action Day January 20 The link for the bus to Austin, for 56 passengers, is now open; and we want everyone who wants to go to register so there are no duplications or omissions. If there's enough interest we could have a second bus from Fort Worth in addition to the one from Dallas. Register by January Please pass the word. It's also on the NTUUC Facebook page. This is a one-day round trip. Daniel Polk, administrator NTUUC - North Texas Unitarian Universalist Congregations, ntuuc.org Celebrating more than a century of liberal religion in North Texas. Anita Mills Anita is past President of Oak Cliff Unitarian Universalist Church and currently President of the Board of Trustees of North Texas Unitarian Universalist Congregations (NTUUC), coordinating cooperative activities of the 13 UU congregations in this area. She also organized the Common Ground Street Choir. About her January 11 homily I Will Walk with You she says Walking together unites us with others of like mind. But what about those we don t agree with? We want a just, compassionate, sustainable world; and UUA initiatives urge us to cross borders of race, culture, and class. But how do we do that? Anita Mills The Common Ground Street Choir s Story Emma s Revolution threw down the gauntlet at their workshop at the 2014 UUA General Assembly. They said we ve lost the peaceful nonviolent protests of the 60s and 70s. Now, no one seems to know the songs or sings at protests and marches. Now it s the three-word chant, which is confrontational. They challenged congregations to start revolutionary street choirs to show up at protests to SING the message, and teach the old songs and bring some new ones, too. Singing evokes emotion. It s a peaceful, nonviolent way to convey a message. And it can create magic. So early in 2014 in North Texas we began the Common Ground Street Choir. Our website is at So far we have participated in demonstrations in Dallas and Grand Prairie supporting a variety of causes ranging from saving honeybees from pesticides to promoting fair labor practices to marching in the Dallas Pride Parade. Members of the choir come from all over the DFW area, sharing in common our passion for peaceful protests and our Standing On the Side of Love yellow T-shirts. We rehearse (at varying locations) every couple of weeks on average and welcome anyone to come join us. This is a multi-congregation and even interfaith group. For those who have not attended our rehearsals, these are not formal affairs. We sing because we like to sing and we are passionate about social justice. We get together so that we can all become familiar with the songs in our repertoire, and build confidence for when we do go to demonstrations/rallies. John I. Blair 5

6 Philosophy Corner: The best thing about time passing is the privilege of running out of it, of watching it break over me and everyone I know. No more time, no more potential. The privilege of ruling things out. Finishing. Knowing I m finished. And knowing that time will go on without me. Often I believe I m working toward a result, but always once I reach the result, I realize that all the pleasure was in planning and executing the path to it. It comforts me that endings are thus formally unappealing to me---that more than beginning or ending, I enjoy continuing. Submitted by Naren Jackson, from an article in the October 2014 Atlantic magazine ***************************************** For me the chief pleasure of a garden lies not in sitting in it but in making it. In experiencing its constant changes, not looking for a stasis that never occurs and, if it did, would mean the garden was dead. Submitted by John Blair AUUC Board, Committees, CUUPS Wonder who does what in our church? Would you like to find a committee that you can join? Or (alas) want to know who to complain to when something goes wrong? Below is the answer a list of officers, committees, and organizations within the church. Not listed are the many other people who contribute by playing the piano for Sunday services, taking out the trash, making coffee, repairing the windows the list goes on. To everyone, thank you for your generous contributions of skills, effort, and time! Lea Worcester Board of Trustees President Lea Worcester; Past President Barry Hansen; Vice President John Blair; Secretary Doreen Kaszak; Treasurer Larry Heath; Trustees at Large Zak Kaszak, Daniel Woods, Phyllis Gillette Regular Committees Finance Committee: John Blair (Chair), Larry Heath, Joyce Rury, Patsy Rosen, Zak Kaszak, Phyllis Gillette Membership Committee: Phyllis Gillette Building & Grounds Committee: Steve Lotz (Chair), Daniel Woods, Barry Hansen Religious Education: Sandra and Chad Martin Publicity Committee: John Blair, Keven Holt, Daniel Woods Program Committee: Barry Hansen, John Blair, Keven Holt, Daniel Woods, Tu Le Tesoro Social Justice & Environmental Concerns Committee: Worship Committee: Lea Worcester, Phyllis Gillette Special Committees Committee to Develop Building & Grounds Use Policy: Lea Worcester, Joe Tesoro, Daniel Woods, Zak Kaszak, Lisa Rivers, Phyllis Gillette, Ann Rodriguez CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans): Tu Le Tesoro (Chair), Joe Tesoro (Secretary), Lisa Rivers (Treasurer), Mike Joffrion (Activities Coordinator), Ann Rodriguez, Chad and Sandra Martin, Phyllis Gillette, Lea Worcester (consultant) 6