Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

NUUSLETTER

 A Newsletter for our Members and Friends

November 2007 - 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

A few weeks ago there was a murder that occurred in a trailer park not far from Jackson. In the process of police investigation, it was discovered that the trailer park was the home of a dozen or so undocumented persons. The news that night on the local TV channels paired the murder with the roundup of these undocumented people. The news media honed in on people’s fears of violent crime and of undocumented people living in this trailer park. The two events were unrelated. Yet the symbolism of pairing the two together was profound. Murders and other violent
crimes will happen when we have undocumented people living among us.

This sort of demonization of humans is common when there is a refusal to understand our diversity. When there is an insistence that all people must be like me in race, in attitude, in creed. We lose the ability to see that diversity is a gift to us. We become narrow in our perceptions. We become accustomed to fear. We begin to think in terms of protecting me and mine from the other, from you. We fail to see that love is the bridge to living in community.

It is sad that a conflict arose that resulted in the murder of another human. It is equally sad that our news media chose to disparage an entire group of people for living in the vicinity of that crime. Francis David, 16th century Unitarian, stated “We do not need to think alike to love alike.” It is in our not thinking alike that has generated the greatest amount of new ideas; new inventions; new ways of being together. We live in a pluralistic society. This is our greatest strength.

I believe Unitarian Universalism is poised to be a teacher in how to live in this society with all of our pluralism, with all of our differences. We as congregations have covenanted together to draw on a multiple of religious and secular traditions that inform our spiritual paths. We have much to offer this fragmented society that all can live here peacefully and all have contributions to the betterment of the whole. And we have much to learn from their diversity gift to us. There is the adage that the teacher will arise when the student is ready. We have many students appearing asking for a different way of being. If you don’t believe me, check the number of visitors that are checking our congregation out each Sunday to see if our professed values are the real deal. Are we ready to teach?

Blessings abound,

Fred

 

  President's Corner

 

At the New Minister Workshop in September, Eunice Benton, Mid-South District Executive Director gave me a copy of Tom Owen-Towle’s book, “Growing a Beloved Community.” The book discusses twelve hallmarks of a healthy Unitarian Universalist congregation. Over the coming months, I plan to share those hallmarks with you, either in this column, or on Sunday morning forums or worship services. These are not necessarily new principles, nor are they limited to religious communities or unique to Unitarian Universalism. The concept of a beloved community, while firmly rooted in theology, is about a continuum of hope from the pulpit, to the pew. to the larger community. It is this kind of beloved community that I hope UUCJ to be and become.

The twelve hallmarks are:

1. Occupy holy ground
2. Welcome all souls
3. Care for your own
4. Give everyone a voice
5. Encourage unity amidst diversity
6. Balance justice and joy
7. Look back, around and ahead
8. Spread our good news
9. Practice respect
10. Nurture stewards
11. Keep journeying
12. Know that you are not alone

I look forward to discussing these principles with you over the next months. On Nov. 25, I will be talking about occupying holy ground during Sunday worship. I hope you will join us in growing our beloved community.

Gwen Combs

 

From The Desk of the DRE

 

Our R.E. year is in full swing and we’re looking forward to the winter holidays. Our elementary children have been exploring stories from the Jewish scriptures while our youth have been learning about the life and teachings of Jesus. Ask them about what they have learned when you see them. Also, drop in to see some of the arts & crafts they have created during their studies.
 

We have had three members attend training for the Our Whole Lives (OWL) comprehensive sexuality education curricula for 7th-12th grades. We are looking forward to being able to offer this vital experience for our community. Thank you to Amy Griggs, Brian Heffner, & Susan Knipe for volunteering to attend this training & lead the classes!

Across the Ages

Our children will join the adult service on Nov 18 for a Story for All Ages and share an intergenerational Weenie Roast & Campout Halloween party with ghost stories and sing-a-longs. Please take time to talk and get to know our children and youth!

How You Can Help

We need volunteers to help chaperone the Halloween Party, to read the Story for All Ages and to assist with planning the Candlelight intergenerational service. Also, we are still looking for Jesus-era costumes for our youth, so if you have a Halloween costume or old robe we would welcome it! 

MID-SOUTH NEIGHBORS
Eunice Milton Benton, District Executive

 

Mid-South District is our ‘neighborhood’ of congregations: 33 congregations in Alabama, Mississippi, most of Georgia, and parts of Florida and Tennessee. We want to be good neighbors for each other. We also want to keep growing Unitarian Universalism, and we are gently accomplishing that in MSD.

New things happen all the time that are part of our growing story. For example, this fall the website for Mid-South District – www.msduua.org – was re-done! Pay a visit and you’ll find, under the ‘Congregations’ tab, a map that locates our congregations and links to their websites. Under ‘Resources’ you’ll find tons of resources! The ‘Home’ tab has vital information, and the home page has current stories and key links.

A big piece of news this year is the ‘arrival’ of a new congregation – the UU Congregation of Tupelo, Mississippi! Their congregation has been growing folks and developing programs for several years, and this year they have formally affiliated. We congratulate them and welcome them to Mid-South and the UUA!

Always a big success for Mid-South is our Chalice Lighter Program, a real neighbor-to-neighbor support program to help individual congregations start new programs and grow to new places. Ask about this in your congregation! And read about it under ‘Resources’ at the Mid-South website.

It’s great to be a neighbor in the community of congregations that is Mid-South District -- and great to stay in touch!

Eunice Benton
Mid-South District Office
9 County Rd. 1058
Oxford, Mississippi 38655

Deadline for submissions to the December UUCJ NUUSletter: November 18. Please send your submissions to NUUSletter@uujackson.org.