Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

NUUSLETTER

 A Newsletter for our Members and Friends

May 2008 - 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

As I write this, it is almost Earth Day. I remember the first Earth Day celebration, 38 years ago. The church I attended as a teenager participated in Earth Day with an all day clean up of Orange Square, the small park across the street from the church and as I recall there were some talks held at the church on the importance of being good stewards of our planet. 

Today, Earth Day is more than just cleaning up the litter that we were too lazy to place in trash receptacles. And lazy does not even acknowledge the full weight of that act; there is a strong tinge of arrogance attached to littering as well. And privilege.

Arrogance that comes from centuries of teachings that human kind was to dominate and subdue the earth to our will. Privilege in that we were the superior entities on this planet and not simply animals like the whale or the grizzly bear. We ruled. 

Today, we are realizing, albeit slowly, that we are not the masters of our planet. We are an interconnected, interdependent species with all of life on this planet. Our survival depends on the survival of even the smallest creature or plant. The difficulty in this realization is that our society wants instantaneous consequences. We want to see results immediately and that is not how the planet works. Evolution takes time. Slowly poisoning our eco-system takes time for it to show up in the environment. And we are even slower to realize that we had something to do with it.

Several years ago there were reports of frogs either disappearing or having increased deformities. Pictures of frogs with extra appendages or lack of appendages began to show up on the internet. Some of the frogs were sterile. It slowly dawned on people that perhaps this was the result of DDT and other pesticides and chemicals being used. The reason these effects showed up in frogs is because amphibians have a shorter life cycle than other more complex animals. They also have a skin membrane that is purposely conducive to absorption of moisture—moisture that may be contaminated with chemicals such as pesticides.

Could it possibly be that our use of chemicals are also having profound effects on our DNA as well but because our life cycle is slower it will take some time before it shows up in the human species? Or has it already appeared and we are blind to recognize it as such? Why is it that autism incidence rose 1342% since 1993? And Asperger’s Disorder has an even higher rate of incidence. It simply cannot be because we are better at diagnosing these disorders. Could our pollution habits have a connection to the rise of these and other disorders?

I am not suggesting a conspiracy theory here. I am, however, asking questions of where our arrogance to our planet has led us to. Whether we like to think so or not, we are part of the ecosystem of our planet. The only difference is we have the profound ability to impact that ecosystem and us along the way. It is time we become conscious of that impact and change our behaviors.

Blessings, Fred

 

  President's Corner

 

I have been thinking about transitions. I have decided that life, or at least my life, is really all about transitions. They happen daily, in small ways. Every now and then, big transitions happen. I have a friend who holds firmly to belief in the “10 minute” window. He says that we can’t do anything about what happened 5 minutes ago and we can’t do anything about what will happen 5 minutes from now, so we have to make our best efforts right now, in this 10 minute window. Thus, the daily transitions. The recent storms that swept through the Jackson area pointedly reminded me that transition from a perfectly sunny day to a dangerous, damaging one takes less than 5 minutes.

Our congregation has transitioned to a new administrative year, electing and installing the newly configured Board of Trustees during late March and early April. Our congregation perhaps needs to contemplate some big transitional issues this coming year. We talk often of growing our congregation. I think we must give thought to growing the congregation in ways besides just numbers of members or making our facility larger. What can the depth of our growth be in terms of the good we can do for our beloved community and for the larger community in which we exist? What should be our ministry to each other and to our larger community? What transitions do we need to undergo to, first, identify our ministries and, second, to carry them out? 

We are all committed to this beloved community in various and unique ways. May we join together to strengthen and sustain our congregation’s mission and vision and the transitions they may involve.

Gwen Combs

 

From The Desk of the DRE

 

Our 2007-2008 Religious Education year is coming to a close! Thank you to all of the members and friends who helped by teaching our children and youth programs over the past school year: Diana Barnes, Ranjan Batra, Rebecca Burr, Jassen Callender, Jody Gore, Paul Gore, Jennifer Keyser, Waverly Liles, Maureen McGuire, Dary Shenefelt, David Voisin, and Judy Williams. As always, we offer our special thanks to Dary Shenefelt who contributes so much of her time, talent, and treasure to our children and youth! We are so grateful for all that you do!

Over the past year we have shared in several intergenerational services, including the Blending of the Waters, Honoring Our UU Ancestors, Easter Flower Communion, and a Haggadah service. We have also had some great outings together including the Halloween Camp Out, the field trip to the Pocahontas Indian Mound, and the MSD youth Millennium FalCON in Huntsville, AL.

This month wraps up our regular curricula which include stories from Hinduism and Buddhism for our elementary children and an exploration of personal belief with our youth. But we will soon begin an exciting A Summer of Seuss program! All of our children and youth will explore meaningful lessons on racism, environmentalism, and the power of creativity using the fun-filled stories of Dr. Seuss as a guide. Be sure to look for your chance to share a fun story and activity with our UU Kids this summer!

This month we will continue our adult Religious Explorations of Spirit in Practice with a workshop exploring Body Practices (5/18). Come add your perspective to these engaging and challenging conversations! 

Across the Ages

Our children and youth will join the adult service for an Intergenerational Service on May 25th. Please make a point of welcoming the children in the service!

How You Can Help

WE NEED YOU! Please assist with the R.E. summer program—A Summer of Seuss! We have an exciting summer planned filled with fun activities based on stories from Dr. Seuss! Hurry and reserve your spot to share your favorite Dr. Seuss story with our children & youth! If you are interested, please attend the R.E. Committee meeting [May 4th 10:00 am] so we can schedule the summer.

Contact the DRE at vp-re@uujackson.org for details.

 

 

News from the Mid-South District 

Eunice Milton Benton, District Executive

 

It’s UUA GENERAL ASSEMBLY time! The 2008 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations happens in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, June 25-29. GA is a gathering of UU congregations and a feast of Unitarian Universalism worth at least one pilgrimage for any Unitarian Universalist!

You can find more information about this rich annual event and register to attend at: http://uua.org/events/generalassembly Right before GA begins there is a two-day educational event called UU University. Congregation leaders – current or upcoming – will find this time well spent!

More information about UU University is at www.uua.org/events/uuuniversity. As usual we will host a Mid-South District Ingathering at the very beginning of GA, on the Wednesday afternoon before the Opening Session and Banner Parade – so we hope to see many folks who are attending at this event!

The General Assembly is where the democratic governance of our Unitarian Universalist tradition is lived out. It is the place where the voices of individual Unitarian Universalist congregation are heard. Your congregation can elect delegates to General Assembly, to represent you in the votes taken during the plenary sessions. With the 2008 GA happening as close by as Ft. Lauderdale, folks from our region can imagine attending – so give serious consideration to this opportunity this year! See you in Ft. Lauderdale!

Mid-South District - UUA

On the web at www.msduua.org 

Eamil: msduuoffice@aol.com 

 

 

News from the Annual Meeting

At our March 30, 2008 Annual Meeting we adopted the following items:

* New Mission Statement: 

“Seeking what is good, true and holy in life, our mission as a church of faith and reason is to promote justice, welcome diversity and serve with love.”

* New Vision Statement:

We resolve:

“To be a religious community, welcoming diversity and respecting human beings and our environment;

To be a church of faith and reason, nurturing the life journeys of those who join their strength to ours;

To be a progressive fellowship, promoting justice and cultivating religious freedom;

To be a caring neighbor, invigorating the greater Jackson Community while renewing ourselves from within.”

* New trustees:

President Gwen Combs

VP Membership Natalie Maynor

VP Programs Todd Allen

VP Buildings & Grounds Brian Heffner

D.R.E. Stacy Callender

VP Communications Judy Williams

Trustee Bill Gressett

Secretary David Voisin

Treasurer Ray Shenefelt

Minister Fred L Hammond

* Amended by-laws: Tell Gwen Combs or Judy Williams if you would like your own copy of the revised by-laws.

 

 

Groups, Meetings, and Announcements
 

Brian Heffner’s Building & Grounds News: The water pipe in the RE building was promptly repaired. Thanks!

Susan Haik’s Social Action Concern: Did you know insurance companies are trying to make a mastectomy an outpatient procedure where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against their doctors’ wishes? These patients are frequently still groggy from anesthesia and may even have drainage tubes still attached. We can help give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery by taking two minutes to sign Lifetime Television’s petition that supports the bill, Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. The act requires Insurance Companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stays for mastectomy patients. The web site http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition

John Autry’s UUCJ Event Report: When we hosted Rev. Gordon Gibson’s civil rights tour back on Monday, March 24, it was a memorable evening. Gibson, who had been with UUCJ in the turbulent 60s, had organized this tour of southern civil rights landmarks for UU ministers, members, youth, and friends. Rev. Hammond shared the history of our congregation with the group, includeding details about Klansmen wounding our then pastor Thompson and noting that the windowless sanctuary was designed to protect members from further hostility by segregationists. One member of the tour had actually been chased by Bull Conner’s dogs in Birmingham! Ask John for a colorful description of this fellow. Fran Leber had the affair catered by Foodies. The meal was tasty and featured bread pudding with a delicious sauce!

Friday, May 2: Check out the May 12 TIME 100 issue. It will carry a UUA ad "My God is Better Than Your God," that includes a free DVD offer. This issue, featuring 100 people whose power, talent or moral example help to transform our world is one of the most heavily read issues of the year. 

Friday-Sunday, May 2-4: Mid-South District Annual Assembly in Valparaiso, Florida. You can register online until April 28 or on site when you arrive. You will enjoy inspirational testimonials, informative workshops and connecting with fellow UUs in our area. Especially pertinent will be discussions about a proposed new program, Unlimited Potential! [UP!] for small congregations. It would be wonderful to have a few people attend this workshop for the resources it will bring to Jackson. Find more details and registration form at www.msduua.org. 

Friday, May 23, at 6:00 pm: Board of Trustees one hour meeting at UUCJ. Note that this should conclude before film night begins.

Friday, May 23, at 7:00 pm: 4th Friday Film Night - See the Calendar page for details.

Sunday, May 11 at 1 PM all over the world -- [Inspired by a story written by Sharon Mehdi of Ashland, Oregon, The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering.] You are invited to join participants across the globe in standing for a moment of silence to recognize the importance for all children to have safe drinking water, clean air, adequate food and health care, access to education, and safety from violence. Find more info at http://www.standingwomen.org.

Saturday, May 24, 9:45 am - 4:30 pm: MS UU Congregations’ Workshop on RE Visioning: here at UUCJ! (See last page for flyer.) Connie Goodbread, a Lifespan Program Consultant for the Mid-South District, will feature envisioning and implementing religious education for the whole family -- from young children on up -- in small UU congregations. Connie's enthusiasm for meeting these challenges is contagious. Join the fun and learn with other Mississippi UUs. The cost is $20/person due at check in (includes lunch and workshop materials). Register with Fred by May 17, as lunches will need to be ordered. Also be sure to indicate if you will need childcare (number of children and ages) and if you want a veggie lunch. 

Sunday – Wednesday, July 20-23, 2008: UU Niagara Experience We are invited to join UUs from around the country in Niagara Falls to enjoy the wonder of the Falls and experience some great educational opportunities while being taken care of royally. Spend four days exploring the rich history and natural beauty around the Falls. For information visit their web site : http://www.uunex.net/ Open to all, including non-UUs.

 

May Family Page

May is a month to celebrate the fullness of spring and the coming of summer! It begins with the traditional celebration of Beltaine, an Old Celtic/Welsh feast of Blodeuwedd (Goddess of Flowers) and Llew (the Oak King - God of the waxing Sun) and May Day, a day to celebrate sacred love and the flowering vegetation by gathering flowers and dancing around a Maypole. May ends with the Jewish Feast of First Fruits, or Shavuot, where, in celebration of the first fruits of the grain harvest, loaves of bread were offered to Yahweh.

There is also a combination of religious and secular holidays: the National Day of Prayer (1st) is a day to pray for freedom of religion and the separation of religion and government throughout the world while we also commemorate the publication of the Humanist Manifesto (13th), which exhorts people to affirm and engage life and to work towards the happiness of all people.

May also marks the birthdays of two very important UUs: Horace Mann (4th) and Margaret Fuller (23rd).

Horace Mann (May 4, 1796-August 2, 1859) was an educator and a statesman who greatly advanced the cause of universal, free, non-sectarian public schools. Mann also advocated temperance, abolition, hospitals for the mentally ill, and women's rights. His preferred cause was education, about which he remarked that while "other reforms are remedial; education is preventative."

Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810-July 19, 1850) was an author, editor, and teacher who contributed significantly to the American Renaissance in literature and to mid-nineteenth century reform movements. A brilliant and highly educated member of the Transcendentalist group, she often challenged Emerson both intellectually and emotionally. Her "conversations" were said to be life-changing. Fuller’s major work, Woman in the Nineteenth Century profoundly affected the women's rights movement which had its formal beginning at Seneca Falls, NY, three years later. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote that Fuller "possessed more influence on the thought of American women than any woman previous to her time."

Other May Holidays:

5/2: Holocaust Remembrance Day: Day to mourn Jewish victims of genocide and anti-Semitism, make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Jewish Americans.

5/5: Cinco de Mayo: Day celebrating Mexico's struggle for independence and a day to mourn Hispanic victims of exploitation (past & present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Hispanic Americans

5/11: Mothers’ Day: Day to give love and thanks to all mothers and to celebrate motherhood and its sacred duty to provide for the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of children.

5/17: Brown v. Board of Education Anniversary: Day the Supreme Court concluded that ethnic-based segregation of schools violates the U.S. Constitution (1954)

5/19: Saga Dawa Duchen: Tibetan Buddhist festival celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE).

5/26: Memorial Day: Day to contemplate all the horrors of war, mourn war's victims, and support relief efforts for them.

 

A Mississippi UU Congregations’ Workshop on RE Visioning

“Small Power”

Workshop Leader - Connie Goodbread

Acting Lifespan Program Consultant

Mid-South District UUA

Saturday, May 24, 2008

9:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

Jackson, MS

4866 N. State St.

 

Cost: $20/person (includes lunch and workshop materials). Please pay at the door. Send your congregation’s attendee names to Fred Hammond  Registrations are needed by May 17th so lunch can be ordered. Please indicate if you need childcare (number of children and ages) and if anyone attending will want a veggie lunch.

Workshop Outline

Morning Session: 2.5 Hours

Chalice Lighting, Story, & Introductions

“Why would we want all ages to be part of our faith community?

Basic Assumptions:

•Faith development is all we do.

•Unitarianism Universalism is all we teach.

Break

Article: Small Power

Split up into congregational groups to answer these questions:

• How would you describe your congregation as a human being?

• Describe your worship service in one word – only one.

• What is the deepest reason for your congregation to exist .

Lunch - 1 hour

Afternoon Session – 3 hours

Large group discussion on the above questions.

Studies on denominational retention of young people.

What is our job?

Split up into congregational groups again.

Break

Large group sharing

Closing

Chalice Extinguishing

Sponsored by the Mississippi UU Planning Team with the support of the Mid-South District Mississippi Steering Committee.

 

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