Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

NUUSLETTER

 A Newsletter for our Members and Friends

  October 2004 - Web Edition

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Every Sunday Fellowship at 9:30am, Service at 11:00am

 

October 3

Forum:  The conundrum of Africa – Who is to blame or should blame even be designated? Facilitated by Margaret Drake

Service: “Simple Gifts, Too.”  Presenter: Linda Foshee, Lay Minister, Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church.  Many Unitarian Universalists carry wallet-size cards imprinted with the seven principles of the UUA, but few of us can recite them from memory.  Even if we could, do they answer the questions non-UUs ask about our faith movement?  Reverend Marlin Lavanhar, minister of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Tulsa, OK, has developed what could be called the ultimate “elevator speech”: a commissioned painting entitled “Simple Gifts, Too.”  Perhaps it can assist us in stating positively who we are, why we are, and why it matters!

October 10

Forum: Dr. Cynthia Corkern from Raymond Detainment Center about her program.  Facilitated by Waverly Lyles & Margaret Drake

Service: “Turning is Our Delight.”  Rev. Jacqueline Luck, presenter.  The leaves are turning, the seasons are turning, and the congregations in Ellisville and Jackson are turning a new leaf.  This sermon is about transitioning in general and in particular about what is to be expected as your congregations are transitioning.  Potluck lunch will follow.

October 17

Forum: Who is caring for the children?  Facilitated by Margaret Drake   

Service: “Ramadan.”  Sabri Agachan, speaker.  Jim Becker, coordinator.

October 24

Forum: What shall we do about Social Security?  Facilitated by George Vockroth and Margaret Drake

Service:  “Remembering and Honoring.”  Jacqueline Luck, presenter.  “All Saints” or “all Souls Day” and the Mexican “Day of the Dead” ask us to remember those who have gone before us and whom we honor and love and to whom we are indebted.  This will be a day of celebrating those lives, so bring photos or memorabilia to place on the altar we will construct.  You may choose to share or not about the things you bring.

October 31

Forum: Will the election be fair on Tuesday?  Facilitated by Margaret Drake & Fran Leber

Service:  TBA  Children may wear their Halloween costumes and will participate in the first part of the adult service. 

Deadline for submissions to the October UUCJ NUUSletter: October 18.  Please make submissions to Susan Voisin at NUUSletter@uujackson.org. Articles should be brief and may be edited.

If you would like to receive the NUUsletter by email, contact Susan at the email address above.

     A New Leaf     

You of UUCJ and of Our Home are “turning a new leaf” this year as you have invited me to join you in your ministry in Mississippi.  While I contemplated this “new leaf” of ours, it occurred to me that “A New Leaf” might be a good title for my minister’s column in our two newsletters this year.  ”Turning a new leaf” brings new possibilities for all involved.  Actually, the phrase can be “turned” in many different ways: “a new leaf” might be a page in the history of a church, or a page in the life of the congregation, or the ordination of a new ministry, or simply a leaf of a journal of scribbled thoughts, a sketch book of observations, a page in a book of prayer.  And so, my friends, I give you… “A New Leaf.”

We have begun our ministry together “in beauty,” by symbolically sprinkling nurturing “living water” on blooms destined for the church yards as a demonstration of your commitment, and mine, to nurture and support your dreams and vision for the future of your churches and progressive religion in MS.  May they flourish and grow in strength and in beauty.

The Church of the River in Memphis invites you to an ordination service.  That congregation, my intern congregation, is ordaining me to the ministry Saturday, November 6, at 3:00 pm.  You are invited to this ceremony and reception following.  The date was pushed into the fall as I chose to wait on the birth of Sofia Claire Roberts, the firstborn of my son Jeff and his wife Kathryn this past Saturday, September the 18!  What joy!

Much important and somewhat tedious work has been in the works this month as we have ironed out some details such as answering machines and voice mails.  You in Jackson will be able to leave a confidential message for the minister on the voice mail when calling the church number, 601-366-9079.  There will be a recorded message of greeting first.  I will be able to check those messages even when in Ellisville and will reply as I can.  I prefer that my email address be used only for the details of church business.  I won’t have time for discussions, etc., online, but you may make an appointment to talk with me by calling the church.

In Ellisville, we plan to have a recorded message on the answering machine with a box in which you can leave confidential messages for the minister that I will access from anywhere in Mississippi.  In the meantime, I have a local phone in Moselle which you can use to reach me.

We at both churches are in the process of determining programs for this fall and winter and more long range planning and goal setting.  We desire to know your insights and ideas, so please call me with them so you and this community may be better served by the plans made.  Things are beginning to fall in place, I am learning my way around a bit, and new routines are being established.  I am glad to be in Mississippi and with you.

In beauty it is begun!

Jacqueline Luck

The President’s Corner

Do you know about “elevator speeches?”  The “elevator speech,” as Rev. William Sinkford tells us, is “what we would say between the sixth floor and the lobby when someone asks us, ‘What’s a Unitarian Universalist?’”  That would be about a forty-five second speech.  What would you say?  Have you thought about it? 

I’ve tried to “write” my elevator speech, and although I’ve come up with a few, I keep changing those speeches.  Why?

I change when I hear a “better” one.  “Oh, that’s good,” I think, “I like that one.”  But, then again, it’s someone else’s.  I change when I read a little more about our faith.  I change from a “positive one” to a “negative one,” i.e., what we don’t believe, when I’m in “that” kind of mood (not a good thing). 

So here is the newest version in my ever-changing answer:

“Unitarian Universalism has its roots in two movements dating back to the early Christian church.  [I say this because so many people think we were born yesterday!]  The Unitarians believed that god was one entity, and the Universalists believed in universal salvation.  Together today, Unitarian Universalists believe that one’s spiritual life is a personal journey to be welcomed and supported by our Church Community.  Although we accept principles that guide our living, we do not profess a dogma.  All are welcome.”

Still not perfect, but I will continue to improve upon it as I grow in the faith.  What about you?  What’s your elevator speech?  Are you prepared? 

Be well.

JoAnn

October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen.  It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again.

Hal Borland

Children's R.E. News

Special thanks go to Clayton Gressett who did such a superb job of sharing his summer "People to People" experiences with us on September 5.  Chris Steere played the offertory, and R'Daniel Kyles, Sharmila McBatra, and Mike Steere did a presentation on the history of UUCJ in celebration of UUCJ's 53rd birthday.

Ranjan Batra and Stacy Callender have helped the children get off to a good start in their new fall classes. 

Our next religious education committee meeting will be after the service on October 17 in the Newman R.E. Building.  Anyone interested in the children's program may attend.

On Sunday, October 31, the children may wear their Halloween costumes and will participate in the first part of the adult service. They will pass out UNICEF cartons during the offering so people who were unable to attend our UNICEF/ Halloween party will have an opportunity to contribute.

All Church UNICEF/Halloween Party

Are you longing for some good old-fashioned Halloween fun?  Then mark your calendars for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 29.  It's time for our annual UNICEF/Halloween Party.  We'll have costume contests for all ages, games, refreshments, spooky stories, and other magical delights.  Best of all it's Halloween with a heart. We suggest a donation to UNICEF of $5 per person, or $15 per family--more if you wish!

You can help make our party the best ever by volunteering to assist with activities or refreshments.  Contact Dary Shenefelt or sign up on the sheet posted on the bulletin board.

Liz Steere

From the VP of Membership…

 As VP of Membership, I am in charge of matching needs with houses.

 We had one request to shelter a couple from the Gulf Coast in Jackson.  They arrived at Dary & Ray's house on September 15^th and went home on the 16^th.  (They found tree limbs down but had no real damage and the electricity was on.)

Several other church members were at the ready to provide assistance, but were not called upon to do so.  Several people were involved in relaying phone messages to me.

While opening the church was an option, it was nice that we didn't have to put people on the floor of an empty building.  Instead, they got real beds and home-cooked food.  Dary and Ray are to be commended, along with the others who stood at the ready.

Announcements Now Available on the WWW

Our webmistress, Liz Steere, has added a page of announcements to the church website: www.uujackson.org/announcements. Anything that would be considered appropriate for announcement at a church service will also be considered for inclusion on this page.  If you have announcements to be listed on the website, please email them to webmistress@uujackson.org.  Please include addresses for any related websites, and/or email addresses for contacts so that links can be added to your announcement.  Please also include the date your announcement may be removed from the website if it is not obvious from the message.

From the Mid-South District Office

Today, as Hurricane Ivan cut through the heart of Mid-South District, the Board of Trustees of Mid-South moved to establish a Hurricane Relief Fund to aid those whose lives, homes, churches, and communities have been damaged by the powerful storm.

The Mid-South Hurricane Relief Fund will be available first to those UU congregations and their members whose lives and properties have been the most uprooted, but it may also be used to aid those in the wider communities who have great need.  Administered by the board and through the district office, the monies will be available for repairs where the need is greatest.

The Mid-South Treasurer will oversee the fund, and contributions should be sent to:

      Mid-South/UUA Hurricane Relief Fund
      c/o Ann Green, Treasurer
      827 Sutton Hill Rd,
      Nashville TN 37204

Checks should be made to Mid-South/UUA and marked for Hurricane Relief Fund.

Mid-South Theme is Deeper and Wider - Way to Grow

Each year Mid-South District chooses a theme for the year ahead, a theme that will be highlighted when we come together at the Healthy Congregations Conference on October 9th and at our Annual Assembly April 23^rd--a theme that, we hope, might inspire conversation and reflection in our home congregations.  This year our theme is:  Deeper and Wider--Way to Grow.