Nantucket Unitarian Universalist Newsletter - July 2015

Transcription

1 Second Congregational Society Unitarian Universalist 11 Orange Street - P. O. Box 1023 Nantucket, MA (508) Nantucket Unitarian Universalist Newsletter - July 2015 COMMON PATHWAYS * By Reverend Linda Simmons Homecoming Let s begin on all fours for table top, now into high plank and now up and back into downward dog For ministers, Monday does not mark the beginning of our week but the beginning of our weekend. It is a day when we wake and try to not formulate the next sermon, check our , or plan the rest of the week. It is a day to refresh, restore, and reawaken. The way I do this is by going to Clay Twombly s early morning yoga class. Clay begins with a gentle smile. Seated softly in front of us all, he reads from a book that has touched him. Last week he read from Thich Nhat Hanh s, The Art of Communicating: Home is the place where loneliness disappears. We ve gone away from our homes for a long time but the path back is not long. Going home requires only sitting down and being yourself, accepting the situation as it is. From this breath filled center, it is not long before we are in pigeon, dog, lizard or cobra pose. My mind quickly takes up its own pose: I am not a pigeon, dog, lizard or cobra! I look around and envy all those who slide into these poses gracefully and stay there with seeming ease. The chattering goes on: When is he going to tell us we can get out of this? Why does she look so happy in this god-forsaken posture? As if inside my head, Clay s words rise above my insistent thoughts, This posture is not only about your body, it s about your life, it s about the way you sit with suffering or ease, the way you move with discomfort, the way you imagine others experience of this moment. Be present. Listen to yourself. And let go of the chattering and breathe. What happens to what you are feeling when you are left to simply feel it? His words inspire a collision with the present every time. Yoga is not only what you do in this room, he tells us. It s primarily about what you do in the world when you leave here. How do you enter each moment, with which posture, distracted by which patterns of thinking that limit you and keep you from the experience and people in front of you? The quote Clay opened with from Thich Nhat Hanh went on, Home is inside us. It might be a mess in there but with our breath, we begin to tidy up. May we all find ourselves home, with enough love and hope to open the door and sweep out what no longer serves us. *Nantucket is full of common pathways, some known by many, others known only by a few. Our Meeting House brings us together, traveling over many pathways, some common, some not, as we learn to walk with each other even when the ways are unfamiliar and unmarked. JOIN US AT 10:45 A.M. EVERY SUNDAY Sunday, July 5 Patriotism and Radical Faith Rev. Linda Simmons Sunday, July 12 Happiness Rev. Linda Simmons Sunday, July 19 A Prophetic Sisterhood Rev. Linda Simmons Sunday, July 26 Celebrate Music Sunday Lay Led Service Families Welcome! Religious Education for Children Every Sunday

2 PRESIDENT S REPORT Dog Church by Susan Richards, Board of Trustees President Every other Sunday, a couple of hours before our 10:45 service at the Meeting House, my dog, Gwen and I attend Dog Church. Unlike the one familiar location that is the mainstay of my "human" church experience, Dog Church changes locations from week to week. That's part of the beauty of this dog church experience...getting the chance to experience a different part of the island with each walk... The walk may be different each week, but my fellow dog-walkers are almost always the same... Gwen's and my Dog Church community is a quirky bunch of loveable characters... just as my UU community holds its share of unique and memorable characters as well... When I think of the dogs in my dog church community the first word that comes to mind is diversity... younger, older, differently abled, introvert, extrovert, risk-taking, safety seeking, serious and fun-loving... the dogs in our Sunday morning group cover the spectrum... sensitive Rhodey, Gwen the leader, independent Sawyer, strong-willed Iris, gentle Agnes, eager to please Ike, and very vocal Maketah... The same word comes to mind when I look around at my congregation at the Meeting House... such a diverse group with so many different strengths and yet we're all on this walk together... As i watch the different members of our dog group I am entertained, intrigued, and impressed... and I feel the same way about the group of people I am with in our human congregation. I love my walks... both with the dogs in Dog Church when we travel the different paths around the island, along with the walks I take with my fellow congregants at 11 Orange Street each Sunday... July Calendar of Events Thursday, July 2, 7 p.m. Lon Solomon Presented by Spiritual Heritage Nantucket Free and Open to the Public Saturday, July 4, 9 a.m. Reading of the Declaration of Independence Wednesday, July 8, noon Lunch Bunch with Rev. Simmons Parsonage, 10 Fair Street What are your favorite UU hymns? Our lay led service committee is planning Celebrate Music Sunday for Sunday, July 26th when we will be featuring favorite UU hymns from both the gray and teal songbooks. Nominate your favorite hymns for the service by sending an to lindaspery@gmail.com by Sunday, July 19th. While you re at it, if you have a favorite choir anthem, let us know that as well. Thanks for your feedback! Saturday, July 11, 10:30 11:30 a.m. Children s Storytime with Rev. Linda Under the tent at the Farmer s Market The First Principle Project - A Congregational Conversation Join us in Hendrix Hall on July 12 at 12:30 p.m. after our Sunday service to discuss the upcoming congregational vote on changing one word in our UU First Principle - from "The inherent respect and dignity of every person" to "The inherent respect and dignity of every being". What exactly would this change mean for us as individuals and as a congregation? Susan Richards will facilitate the discussion. Sunday, July 12, 12 p.m. First Principle Project Meeting Hendrix Hall Sunday, July 19, 11:45 a.m. Annual Meeting Wednesday, July 29, 8 p.m. Geschke Lecture Series: Susan Glasser Presented by Nantucket Atheneum For information and to purchase tickets visit

3 RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION Spirit Play By Jen Dunbar On June 6, 2015 I had the pleasure of going to a Spirit Play workshop. Susan Richards attended one of these workshops last year but I was not able to attend. Susan has shared with me a bit of Spirit Play. Unfortunately, for me Susan fills in for me, when I am not able to teach RE. Therefore, I have not really been able to see Spirit Play in action. The workshop was taught by co-founder, Nita Penfold. Nita was a very enthusiastic and inspiring teacher. Spirit Play is a way of story telling that uses Montessori's approach to learning. It gave me many ideas as well as stories to use in our RE program. I think the children will love it. Calling All Docents! Now through Labor Day (and beyond) our sanctuary is opened up for the world to see and appreciate. That's when our docent team steps up to proudly show off our island treasure. Everyday, Monday through Saturday, from 10am till 2pm, our docents stand ready to greet visitors and answer questions about the more noteworthy highlights of our meeting house. We're putting out the call for more congregants to join our docent team. All it takes is just a couple of hours a week, the love for our beautiful building, and a friendly smile for every visitor that steps into our national treasure. You don't have to be an expert in church history as there are plenty of handout materials to answer most questions. This summer there's an added special talking point: the Portuguese Bell, which turns 200 years old on December 18th. In fact, the town has proclaimed this year "The Year of the Bell". If you'd like to join our team, contact Peter Richards (cobbleland@aol.com). We think you'll find that being a docent is a very rewarding experience! THE BEST WAY TO START THE 4 TH OF JULY Happens 9 AM at the Meeting House for the 15 annual reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Come one, come all to our memorable and moving family event that sets the spirit and excitement of Independence Day. Join us for Sousa Marches on the Goodrich organ, a patriotic sing-along with Bob and Diane Lehman, the national anthem sung by Greta Feeney, a choral reading of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, signing a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and a raffle chance to ring in the 4 th on our historic 1815 Portuguese Bell. Bring your friends and come early to get a seat.

4 Sermons for July On the first Sunday of every month, Rev. Linda will remain in the Sanctuary after service to give an overview of what it means to become a member of the UU Meeting House and to answer questions. Please join us for this informative and low-key discussion. July 5: Patriotism and Radical Faith - Rev. Linda Simmons What does it mean to be patriotic? What are the roots of that expression? This sermon will explore the responsibility and accountability of patriotism from the perspective of radical faith. July 12: Happiness - Rev. Linda Simmons We all want to be happy. What factors contribute to happiness and what can we do to have more of it in our lives? This sermon will explore the latest research on happiness and the work of Ishmael Beah who was a child soldier in the Sierra Leone civil war and his book, Radiance of Tomorrow, in many ways a book about finding happiness beside great suffering. July 19: A Prophetic Sisterhood - Rev. Linda Simmons There are many Unitarian and Universalist women in history who walked a path not traveled before. They went outside the walls of their faith traditions and into community in the struggle for equality. Women are still working for equality in our country and around the world What can their stories offer us all? July 26: Celebrate Music Sunday - Lay Led Service This Sunday our lay led service will be a celebration of music and the talents of our congregation. Join us as we sing favorite hymns together and hear performances by the choir and soloists. We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: ~ The inherent worth and dignity of every person. ~ Justice, equity and compassion in human relations. ~ Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. ~ A free and responsible search for truth and meaning. ~ The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large. ~ The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. ~ Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. July 19th Congregational Meeting All Meeting House members both year-round and summer, are invited to our Congregational Meeting on the 19th of July immediately following the service. We have two congregational meetings per year, our annual meeting in January when the budget is presented and voted upon by the congregation, and this meeting in July when the budget and actual year to date expenses are discussed and congregants can ask questions. In addition to the budget review, the First Principle change of wording recommendation will be voted upon.* We strongly encourage all to attend. If you have any questions please contact Rev Linda or Board President, Susan Richards. * There will be a congregational conversation about the proposed First Principle word change on Sunday, July 12th after service. Second Congregational Society Unitarian Universalist 11 Orange Street - P. O. Box 1023 Nantucket, MA (508) (Office) office@unitarianchurchnantucket.org Church Staff Rev. Linda Simmons, Minister ~ Edward B. Anderson, Minister Emeritus Diane T. Lehman, Music Director ~ Lucretia Voigt, Office Manager ~ Jen Dunbar, Lead RE Teacher Ed Sullivan and Dennis Santangelo, Sextons ~ Chuck Gieg, Bookkeeper Board of Trustees Susan Richards (President), Jan Ellsworth (Vice President), Paul Stewart (Treasurer), Steve Estabrooks (Clerk) Cynthia Csabay, Joanna Greenfield, Joy Margolis, Jim Sulzer, Lora Stewart Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - noon Minister s Office Hours: Tuesday, 10 a.m. noon and by appointment

5 Meet Our Members Meet Our Members is a monthly series highlighting a different member or family each month. Yvonne (Yve) Shevalier I started coming to Nantucket in the spring of 1990, spending every summer until 2003 on island. Born in a small town outside of Bern, Switzerland, I always wanted to travel, seeing what there is to see of the world and its people. My background in diplomacy and hospitality has helped me face work and life challenges, and fostered my curiosity of the world. I became interested in the Unitarian Church by accident one Sunday in 2009 while attending a service with a friend. After 2 years of attending and developing friendships with members of the church, I felt compelled to help. I started bringing Sunday morning snacks, became involved with Children s Sunday School, and had the privilege of being asked to become part of the new search committee, leading to our blessing at being graced by Rev. Linda Simmons. I feel deeply connected to Nantucket in a way that runs deep in my appreciation of nature. I live in a beautiful area of Warren County, New Jersey, and work as a personal assistant with a wonderful family. I m able to pursue my hobbies of sculpting and pearl jewelry design and of late, some poetry. I always look forward to visiting the island and connecting with friends. I would like to share a poem I wrote this past March: Path to Love I want to drag you all over the planet and drive aimlessly around the country side Find great restaurants off beaten paths walk around off beaten paths dance under a full moon on cobble streets We are not on the same stairway people have stepped on our very fragile beings you & I but I take in your scent, I see the man inside, I smiled when you prepared dinner, I smiled as you told me about laundry day, I smiled as you brought me coffee the care you took in toasting an English muffin everything you do is felt 10 times over without your realization of For this is how love creeps in every so silently like a butterfly feeling her first soft winged flight I did not choose this nor is this something one can plan it happens without warning like the dew coming over the moors moving ever so slowly it renders me speechless not wanting to ruin its path all I can do is rest my head, be still and listen to my heart. GRASSROOTS NANTUCKET Seventh Principle Project/Green Sanctuary By Gary Langley On Summer Solstice, Sunday, June 21st, we introduced The Seventh Principle Project/Green Sanctuary as a new initiative for the congregation to consider. It was a timely message as Pope Francis had, just 3 days earlier, issued his encyclical on climate change. Gary Langley, Lora and Paul Stewart, and Susan and Peter Richards presented the idea during the service. Joanna Greenfield added her voice with a poetry reading while Rev. Linda supported us with a service consistent with the message that the time is now to get involved as a congregation to do our part in addressing the challenges we all face for our ultimate sustainability as a species and that the 7th Principle Project/Green Sanctuary is a vehicle to accomplish just that. At its heart, the 7th Principle Project/Green Sanctuary is an awareness that it is time to truly embody an understanding that our individuality does not and cannot exist in isolation, that everything we do affects the planet and every living thing on earth. It is about asking these questions together and letting the answers form between us. It provides a path for the examination of our current impact on the environment and society and through education and action, creates practices of resilience, sustainability, and care for each other, especially the most vulnerable among us. This project is designed to be flexible and responsive to the attitudes and culture of the individual congregations. We are asking each member of the congregation to become actively involved in the process by joining the effort and lending your voice to the discussion on what projects our Nantucket congregation will take up. Please contact Gary Langley (gary@blinddogphoto.com) for further information. To review the Unitarian Universalist Associations Green Sanctuary Program go to:

6 Concert Series TICKETS at the Door $12 Kids -12 FREE CONCERT SERIES TICKET BOOKS $70 for 7 concerts. Thursday, July 16: The Delaware Valley Saxophone Quartet Based in beautiful Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, the Delaware Valley Saxophone Quartet plays a broad range of music from classical to jazz to popular. Thursday, July 23: NCMC Women s Chorus NCMC Women s Chorus, directed by Barbara Elder. This engaging and talented group of women offer and eclectic mix of pop tunes, folk and world music sung by women around the world. An uplifting and joyful concert for all ages. Thursday, July 30: Matt Hutchinson Jazz Pianist Pianist Matthew Hutchinson performs soulful, personal interpretations of classic jazz compositions and other songs from the Great American Songbook. Thursday, August 6: Hyannis Sound Men s A Capella Group Founded in 1994, The Hyannis Sound provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of singing and traveling for 10 young men each Summer, and a vocal experience their audiences can t get enough of and look forward to each year. Thursday, August 13: Jessica Goodenough Heuser -Soprano Women Find A Voice - A concert of words and music written by women. From medieval to modern chant to today, this concert will have something for everyone! Diane Lehman, piano Guest vocalists TBA. Thursday, August 20: The Bob Lehman Trio Bob and Diane Lehman with Erik Wendelken on the stand-up bass come to the Meeting House for an entertaining hour of standards, popular and novelty tunes. Join in the fun with this local band led by our very own Bob Lehman. Thursday, August 27: NCMC Jazz Band Under the direction of Nigel Goss, the Big Band delivers every swing rhythm and melody you ve come to expect from their huge sound of brass and percussion. Come hear the music of the swing era and beyond, and just try to stay seated while the danceable strains of all the classics fill the sanctuary and bring down the house! All performances in the historic auditorium of the Second Congregational Meeting House, Unitarian Universalist, 11 Orange Street, Nantucket ALL CONCERTS BEGIN AT 5 P.M. ON THURSDAYS