Petals Eastrose Fellowship Unitarian Universalist October 2018 Volume 62 - Issue 10 From the Minister: How are we called? Some people make New Year Resolutions. I make Church Year Resolutions every August, about how I will manage my time, and priorities with you, and how I will reserve time for my family and life outside of Eastrose. And each year, by the end of September, I ve broken most of them. If I am working beyond my contractual boundaries it means that as a congregation we re probably trying to do too much as well. So this fall, I hope we will find ways to be in conversation and discernment about what it is we do best; what it is we feel most called to do. We started this conversation on September 9 with folks who have been involved with Eastrose for less than two years. And we will be continuing it as part of our annual Pledge Drive conversations. The priorities you identify will also guide our 2019 budget recommendations reflecting both your financial commitments and your articulation of what is most important to each of you. You don t have to wait for a formal invitation to continue our discernment. Please share with me or any member of the Eastrose Board where your passions for Eastrose live. We will do our best to create forums to discuss those passions. I have only one limiting request: please don t send any, we should, or you should statements; what we all need to be discussing is, I will. We speak often about how we are a small congregation acting like a large one. The one sure way I know to act our size is to our activities to things that some of you are drawn to support. Over time our membership and our budget may grow to allow for more paid staff, or more material resources. In the meantime, to be as healthy as possible, we must recognize and respect our current resources. If we can do this, our congregation will grow in spirit, deepen our understanding of who we are as a community, and become more of who we are called to be, as individuals and as a congregation. I have absolute faith that when we work together we support each other, support the values we share, and provide the foundation for those who will follow us in this important liberal voice in East County. Please join me in a commitment to be respectful of time and talent. Together we can usher Eastrose into a time of spiritual growth, and meaningful service. Love, Patti
From the President: Let s have fun! Welcome back to Eastrose this fall! I spent a wonderful summer in the RE Garden with children. You can look forward to hearing more about how the garden went soon. Spending time with the kids has inspired me to bring more family fun to Eastrose. The Board and I have been talking about having special events such as movie nights, game nights, and much more. If you are interested in in talking about or learning about some else's culture or religious beliefs. I want to hear from you. What activities would you be interested in going to or even leading? What days and times would be good for you? Thank you, Frank Garneaux The Pledge Drive Is Coming Watch your mailboxes - digital and/or postal for information about our annual pledge drive. Your promise and its fulfillment keeps our doors open and makes it possible to take action, worship together, raise our kids, and have fun with each other. We ll ask you to consider the value of Eastrose in your life and in the community, and to pledge your support for the coming year. Thanks, Kathie Loveall, Canvass chair Neighborhood Plant Swap Saturday, October 13th, 10:00 - noon In an effort to connect with our wider community and encourage camaraderie amongst us gardeners, Eastrose Fellowship is hosting a plant swap on Saturday, October 13th, 10 am - noon. Here s how it works: pot up the extra plants in your yard and bring them over. Be sure to label plants with their name and best growing conditions. Pick up some cool new treasures for your garden. This is a fun way to introduce more diversity into your garden. Feel free to bring these to swap: plants, seeds, houseplants, tools, decor, mason bee houses, etc. No invasive plants please. Join us for this fun, community affirming event! For more info, contact Karen Pyle kpyle23@gmail.com Neighborhood PLANT SWAP 2 October 2018
Why Should I Use Social Media? Saturday, October 6, 10:00 - noon The upcoming class Why should I use social media, led by Patty Walsh, has a few spots available. It is currently scheduled for Saturday, October 6 th from 10 to noon at her home. Please contact Patty Walsh if you are interested in joining. There is no fee for this class. OPAL - Eastrose Pagan Group Thursday, October 25. 6:00-8:30 pm Oregon Power and Light has moved the October meeting from Tuesday to Thursday, October 25th. Our presenter will be Jack Mandeville, who is interested in all pagan practices and participates in an online group called, "The way of the river." In November we will return to the 4th Tuesday, Nov. 27, and Marie will present on a topic of her choice. The next few meetings we will take turns sharing our pagan items of interest, travels, studies and questions. We will ground and center, cast a circle, respect the quarters, check-in, and listen to our presenter while in circle. Our primary goals remain mutual support and continuing education focused on neopagan and other earthcentered spiritual traditions. Our group serves people who have studied neopagan traditions in course work or independent study and would like something more, and we especially invite those in solitary spiritual practice who yearn for some structured interaction with other pagans. We meet at the Warren James House, owned by, and adjacent to, Eastrose Fellowship. Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of each month except July and August. 6:00 pm: doors open, bring your own supper (kitchen and dessert available) and socializing 6:30 pm: program starts. 8:30 pm: wrap up. Contact Sue Steward for more information. opal@eastrose.org October 2018 3
A Month of Sundays at Eastrose Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Children s Religious Exploration Program 10:30 a.m. Universalist Recovery Church (URC) 2:00 p.m. Our Sunday services begin at 10:30 a.m., and end at 11:45. Coffee, tea, and conversation follow. On the first Sunday of each month there is a potluck lunch for all. Children attend the first 15 minutes of the worship service, then leave for their own program. The Nursery is open for infants and preschoolers 10:15-12:15. Led by Rev. Barbara Stevens, the Universalist Recovery Church invites you to share readings and reflections that explore how the topic affects our lives. October 7, 2018 Moving Forward Together Reverend Patti Pomerantz As we move into fall and the days begin to shorten, I start to dream. As our annual pledge drive begins in earnest, I start to dream about what 2019 can look like for Eastrose. We ll start building the budget with the information you ve shared and the pledges you make. I ll talk about some of my dreams are as we move forward together! Worship Leader: Patty Walsh Creating Home - - Animal Homes Perhaps the most radical thing we can do is to stay home, so we can learn the names of the plants and animals around us; so that we can begin to know what tradition we're part of. Terry Tempest Williams When we explore nature around our homes, we can notice and appreciate the spider living in the attic, the toad under the bush in front of our house, and the house plants we love. These little pieces of nature are where we must stop, look, and listen. Indigenous People's Day: Entitlement, Race, and Anger Those of us who have pale skin or earn a comfortable income often take for granted our status in this world. On this day when we have historically celebrated the brutal beginnings of genocide brought by Christopher Columbus, let us consider what it is like for those whose skin color or circumstances force them to be careful how they behave and to squelch the anger that arises out of humiliation and shame. Community potluck lunch at Noon - all are welcome! October 14, 2018 The Road to Character AJ Kincaid Immanuel Kant wrote, Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no truly straight thing was ever made. The crooked timber school of human nature reminds us to meditate on the reality that we are not born with good character. Our character is a work of both effort and joy, something that we are most ultimately personally responsible for, but which we can only truly develop in relationship with others. This school of thought reminds us that first we must always, as the song goes, always be humble and kind. This school of thought fell out of favor in the middle of the last century. Might it s time have come again? Worship Leader: Char Woods Creating Home - Home in Nature I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. Henry David Thoreau Thoreau believed in a simple world where we can look to the rhythms of nature for examples of a good life. Opinionated and philosophical, Thoreau was likely considered a curmudgeon by some of his peers. The lessons of modeling our home life after nature and keeping life simple are relevant to children in today's world. Happiness, Sex, and Money Early recovery is often be a time of putting one s life back together, with all the stress and uncertainty that implies. Happiness can elude us, but without a sense of joy in life, our addictions can seem more appealing than ever. Even when we are stable, enjoying life, upsets to our financial or romantic lives can make us feel despair. How do we take pleasure in life when it seems we have lost everything? Scrip Sunday: Order prepaid gift cards for your regular shopping, and Eastrose gets a small commission.
October 21, 2018 Who am I? This one or that one? Reverend Patti Pomerantz Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah begins his book titled, The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity with the quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that titles this reflection and continues: Am I then this one today and tomorrow another? In this time of identity awareness, Appiah aims to give us tools to come to our own conclusions about the use and misuse of identity today. Worship Leader: Phyllis Adams Creating Home - Hearth and Home And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. The Torah, Deuteronomy This passage in Hebrew scripture provides instructions from God as to how followers should keep their faith. People are commanded to love God, and they are commanded to ensure faith-keeping across future generations. Spiritual Maturity One way to define spiritual maturity is our capacity to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty. Life is full of uncertainty, and very little is as black and white as we would like. Twelve-step groups recognize the dangers of black and white thinking, but how do we learn to tolerate the uncertainties of life? October 28, 2018 Samhain: Past, Present, and Future Sue-Ann Nystrom Our ritual will focus on honoring our ancestors bring an item to be blessed on the ancestor altar. We will celebrate what many neo pagans and Wiccans see as The Witches New Year and we will look to the future! We hope that you will join us to celebrate this most important pagan holiday. Worship Leader: Sue Steward Creating Home - Book of Ruth What is home? A roof to keep out the rain? Four walls to keep out the wind? Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father, warmth of loving hearts. Home is first school and first church for young ones, where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind Ernestine Schumann-Heink We consider choosing and establishing homes. Millions of children in our country are living in homes that reflect a picture different from the mother/father/biological children nuclear family. Whatever their own family makeup, all the children live in a world with increasingly diverse family structures. Daylight Savings: Time rules our lives. We often don't feel as if we have enough of it. And sometimes we can feel as if time lasts forever. What role does time play in our lives? How can we be in better relationship with time? Diwali Reverend Patti Pomerantz This year I want to explore the sources of Unitarian Universalism beyond the traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs most of us are familiar with. I ll begin by exploring the Hindu festival of lights Diwali, which falls this year on November 7. I look forward to learning together. Worship Leader: Patti Walsh November 4, 2018 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS: MOVE THE CLOCK BACK ONE HOUR! Creating Home - Hare's Gifts The religious community is essential, for alone our vision is too narrow to see all that must be seen. Together, our vision widens and strength is renewed. Mark Morrison-Reed We explore how people co-create our community homes together. Using story, games and other playful activities participants are invited into the Creating Home community. The Faith in Action activities offer ways for participants to help and appreciate other members of the faith community too. All Saint's Day - Hebrews 12:1-2 All Saints Day is a Christian holiday in which people remember the saints of the church. Many churches, however, also invite those in attendance to remember those who have died in the past year or years - those who have played important roles in their lives and in society at large. Who are the saints we carry with us this year? How do they, as the author of Hebrews writes, help us to persevere in the race that is set before us?
Save the Date for Winterfest 2018 Winterfest, Eastrose's annual holiday tea and bake sale, will be held on the afternoon of Saturday, December 1. Put it on your calendar now so you don't miss out. Seating is limited. If you have ideas on how to make this year really special, contact Cynthia Hopkins at 503-512-8119 or at cynhop@comcast.net. Look for more information in next month's Petals and in enews. Passage Meditation Tuesdays 7:15 p.m.-8:45 p.m. in the Eastrose Sanctuary By giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose. ~Eknath Easwaran An inspirational passage turns our thoughts to what is permanent, to those things that put a final end to insecurity. In meditation, the passage becomes imprinted on our consciousness. As we drive it deeper and deeper, the words come to life within us, transforming all our thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds. We meet to discuss how the Eight Point Program (of which meditation is one) works in our lives enabling richer experiences, to meditate together and to support each other s individual practice. If you are interested in starting a daily practice or deepening your existing practice please join us. All are welcome! For more information contact Jude Watson. 6 October 2018
Leadership Experience 2019 Pacific Western Region Staff are happy to announce the launch of Leadership Experience 2019 a pilot leadership development program for the Pacific Western Region: https://www.uua.org/pacificwestern/webinars-workshops-and-trainings/leadership-experience-2019 This pilot program will be a hybrid in-person/online learning experience. Participants will meet for a weekend retreat January 2019. Participants will then have eight follow-up 90-minute video conference calls by Zoom February through May. There will also be an optional gathering for all participants at UUA General Assembly in Spokane, Washington, in June. This program will be ideal for board members or other individuals in leadership positions within a congregation. Congregations are also strongly encouraged to send people who are being considered for future leadership positions. Ministers and other religious professionals may also attend. Participants will gain a deeper grounding in Unitarian Universalism and will also gain knowledge and skills regarding mission-focused leadership, systems thinking, change management, anti-oppression and multicultural transformation, and conflict transformation as well as other topics. Youth Fall Con - October 26-28 Fall Registration is OPEN! October 26-28 we will gather in Randle, WA at Camp Cispus for our annual youth fall con. The theme? Naturally UU, centered around nature and how we connect with it. Early registration ends 9/26 and registration closes 10/10. Details and registration can be found here: https://register.pwruua.org/event-registrations/pnw-youth-con/ Contacting Eastrose Office Phone: (503) 665-2628 Website: eastrose.org Email: office@eastrose.org Minister: Reverend Patti Pomerantz ppomerantz@uuma.org Office hours: Most Wednesdays 11:00-3:00 and by appointment Please call ahead for a meeting time. Director of Religious Exploration: Debby Smith-Rohmbock DRE@eastrose.org Eastrose Board of Trustees: Frank Garneaux, President Eric Tschuy, Vice President Lynne Pfeiffer, Secretary Deb Moskyok, Treasurer Office Administrator Kate Katahdin M-W-F 9:00 a.m. to Noon Interim Bookkeeper Sue Steward bookkeeper@eastrose.org Staff Pianist Mary Reese Webmaster Sue Steward enews Editor: Lynne Pfeiffer Sunday Order of Service Joyce Walsh Petals Editor Kathie Loveall October 2018 7
Eastrose Fellowship Unitarian Universalist 1133 NE 181 st Ave Portland, OR 97230 503-665-2628 eastrose.org EASTROSE MISSION STATEMENT We, the members of Eastrose Fellowship Unitarian Universalist, covenant to provide an open-minded, caring community, to support ethical values, and to nurture the emotional, spiritual and intellectual needs of our membership. Our mission is to nourish a liberal religious community, to respect and celebrate the diversity inherent in humankind, and to bring the hopefilled message of Unitarian Universalism into our community and world.