Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

NUUSLETTER

 A Newsletter for our Members and Friends

June 2006 - Web Edition

Love is the spirit of this church, and service is our law.

To dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.

This is our covenant

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

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

June 4

Forum: "LDS" (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) missionaries have accepted the offer to present a message of their beliefs, their faith tradition, and to entertain questions from those attending.   Facilitated by Brian Heffner

Service:  “Service is Our Prayer,”  The Reverend Luck. This sermon was called forth by my research into Universalism. I found Universalist social principles written early in the twentieth century that challenge me today. They could become the rallying cry for Unitarians and Universalists in the twenty-first century. The Universalist message is a hopeful one so badly needed in times like these. 

 

June 11

Forum: "H.I.V. and AIDS."  Presented/Facilitated by Tom Head

Service:   "Humanist Letters."  This is the second in a series of readings presented by our own Bill Gressett.  These treatments capture and then release Bill's observations and perspectives.  Potluck Lunch will follow.

 

June 18

Forum: "Gardening--As Spiritual Practice." Dan Overly will share a viewing of the documentary entitled "Uprooted" and will present his practice of deliberate gardening as plan for healing.  The restoration of the human body and spirit through patient and mindful gardening is as much the product as is the well-tended garden the outward goal.  Facilitated by Brian Heffner 

Service: "Fathers' Day."  JoAnn Bienvenu will carry the message.

 

June 25

Forum: "Speaking Of Faith."  This is the Sunday morning program that is aired at 9 am on the MPB (Mississippi Public Broadcasting) network, locally at 91.3 FM.  Begin listening to this program on your way to the UUCJ--and finish hearing the program until it finishes at 10 am.  Lively discussion usually follows until 1030.  Facilitated by Barbara Scobee.

Service: "The Summer Solstice."  Tom Head will present the program

 

NOTE: The NUUSLetter is going on a mini-hiatus for the summer.  The calendar and worship schedule will be mailed as usual, but there will be no articles in the next two issues.  If you have an event to list on the calendar, email it to NUUSletter@uujackson.org.

If you would like to receive the NUUsletter by email, please user our NUUS subscription form.

Mississippi Musings

Father's Day is around the corner, and I'm aware of so many different feelings and thoughts of fathers. Two of my sons are fathers of little girls; another has his first on the way... due in August. I chuckle inwardly as I watch one granddaughter's Momma tie bows in her daughter's hair, as I remember my young son calling girls at school "bow heads," with disdain. I am amazed when I see one of those boys, now on the floor playing with his daughter and her new Barbie kitchen. I have been moved deeply as I watch both bathe their babies, change their diapers, and do all of the zillions of things fathers do. I observe as they shoulder the responsibilities of a father. These sons have literally transformed before my eyes, from toddlers to rough and tumble boys always in motion, to adolescents, and into husbands and fathers.

I search my memory for hints of this transformation in their youth. I remember bouquets of wild flowers brought by each to their mother, climbing into laps of those they loved, and hugs and kisses.  Were these signs that they would one day be good fathers? I remember their love for our dogs and puppies, trips to the pet store just to look at animals, and scrawled letters when we were apart; were those indications that they would be good fathers? They loved, they were loved, and they knew they were loved.

But don't many fathers-to-be experience such? Some men, maybe because of addictions, illnesses, the hardness of their lives, tremendous disappointments, or whatever reason, really don't become very good fathers. But I wonder what a "good father" is anyway. At what point do any of us reach the limits of goodness, and become in someone's mind a "bad" person? Or is it as I've come to believe that being judged by the roles we serve removes our humanity?

A woman I know well told me of her verbally abusive father, and her fear of him. After he died, she realized there was nothing to fear from him anymore, there was no viable reason for her to be angry anymore. She tells of how she began to release the stranglehold she had on her image of her father. Sometimes looking at old family pictures she saw him as a boy playing and laughing as her children played and laughed. She found a letter he had written his mother similar to those she had received from her son. She heard stories from aunts about his life that she had never really listened to before, and things changed within her heart. His life became one of sadness; he had been a boy like any other, wanting, hopeful. When did the change happen? She doesn't know, but she finds she loves that boy as she loves her children, and her heart has softened. She wishes she had been able to know him as such when he was alive. She even began to "talk to him" when she was alone, often driving, and somehow she feels reconciled with her father today.

Transformations of a body, from babe to adult, and transformations of emotions... from "bow-head" to loved daughter, are wonders to behold. And though they are available to us everyday, transformations of the spirit, from fear to forgiveness and hurt to healing, such miracles drive me to my knees in awe.

Jacqueline

The President’s Corner

by Waverly Liles

The month of May had its highlights.  The best of those may well have been the recognition of new members with certificates along with the Bridging Ceremony for Clayton Gressett.  Those events were very, very worthwhile; altogether nicely done.

June is starting with a full plate: Summer solstice, General Assembly, Presidents’ Convocation, and Reverend Luck’s last service before leaving for General Assembly and on to her vacation.  Throw in Fathers’ Day as well as Juneteenth Day and there you have a lot on the calendar this month.  Speaking of calendars brings to mind the fact that Stacey Callender, who was a wonderful part of our church life before departing for colder climes, is returning to the Jackson area.   Our cup runneth over for this month.

Everyone has been helpful and supportive as I have struggled with this new position.  The Board of Trustees has been extra special.  We all know that taking previous president Margaret’s place is well nigh impossible, but hopefully, together we can keep things together.  Thanks to everyone for your patience and help

Children’s RE News

Elise and Rick Morse-Gagne helped the children celebrate Earth Day with songs by Pete Seeger, a UU social justice/environmental activist. After the lesson several adults accompanied the children in picking up trash on N. State Street near the church. The children were amazed at the amount of trash they collected.

Trina Cameron introduced a series of three lessons devoted to the spiritual satisfaction of working with clay with a story about Josiah Wedgewood, an 18th century Unitarian potter who believed in treating his factory workers fairly and who spoke out against slavery. Susan Haik helped the children make clay pots, and the children went on a field trip to Susan's house to discover the joy of a pottery wheel.

The children had learned the song by Malvina Reynolds that says "Love is like a magic penny," and on Mother's Day they presented their mothers and all the women in attendance a 'magic penny" with a photo of themselves on the front side. On the back side they wrote some kind of love they would like to give away to the recipient such as a big hug or a promise to help in some way.

Memorial Day weekend the children spent time together celebrating the arrival of summer.  They played relay and water games. It was great fun!

This summer we are looking for volunteers to share their talents, skills and gifts with the children.  Please talk with Dary Shenefelt or Trina Cameron if you are interested in participating.  A portion of the summer will be spent constructing props for a presentation to be made in the fall of the Japanese folktale The Stonecutter. 

The R.E. Committee will meet with Rev. Luck on Thursday, June 6, at 9:00 a.m. Anyone interested in Children's R.E. may attend.

Dary Shenefelt