Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

NUUSLETTER

 A Newsletter for our Members and Friends

JUNE 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

It is hard to believe that it is June. It means there needs to be some thoughts as to what y’all will do without professional ministry. My contract ends the end of July so I will be in the pulpit only three more times this year. It is hard to believe.

I hope you will continue exploring and moving forward on the plans to offer Our Whole Lives to the greater Jackson community. This is such an important program especially in this state where public school boards have voted to only offer abstinence based only sexual education. This curriculum is by far the best I have ever seen through out my years in providing AIDS prevention education to youth. It can be a cornerstone ministry for this congregation to empower our communities’ young people in making healthful relationship decisions. Lives will be saved. Lives will be enriched by the relationship skills taught.

I hope you will continue involvement with Habitat for Humanity. Post Katrina there is still so many people who were made homeless by this storm. Habitat for Humanity is one program in our community making a difference and new start for these and other families. The gift to be able to move into a home that a family helped build and now owns is a source of pride and empowerment that goes beyond the having of shelter. It is the realization that dreams can become reality. There is much power in grasping that realization.

I hope you will continue your weekly lunch at a local restaurant after the services. Having been a part of these get-togethers, I have seen first hand the enjoyment of fellowship over a wonderful meal. I have been gratified to see you extend the invitation to newcomers. This is a marvelous way for newcomers to become connected to this wonderful community.

What is next for me? Well, I am in conversation with the good folk at Tuscaloosa, AL. They are looking at having me serve them 2/3rds time this coming year. I will also continue my relationship with Our Home in Ellisville on a once a month basis. My home would be located in Tuscaloosa, AL. And I am exploring with Eunice Benton, our Mid-South District Executive, on how I can continue to be of service to the rest of Mississippi. We are exploring some creative ways to provide service through the wonders of technology. The hope is that I will record on DVD ten sermons / Adult RE / workshop materials that would be made available by subscription to Mississippi congregations. My blog would be linked to the congregation’s website to expand the conversation of Unitarian Universalism in Mississippi and I will also visit the congregation for a weekend offering a workshop and Sunday service once during the year. The workshop would be part of the “Unlimited Potential! Program” (UP!) that Eunice and Connie Goodbread are developing. I would continue on the Mississippi UU Steering committee.

Life is a constant shifting, isn’t it? As we shift towards new things in the future, it is my hope that we will allow ourselves the space and the grace to see new opportunities in the midst of these changes.

Blessings, Fred

 

  President's Corner

 

Our younger son, Evan, had an imaginary friend from about the age of 3 to the age of 6. The friend’s name was Pokey. We had to make room for Pokey in the car seat, at the breakfast and dinner table, and anywhere else the family gathered. I was never sure if Pokey actually went to kindergarten and first grade, but Pokey did wait with us at the bus stop every school morning. Sometimes while we waited for the bus, Pokey would apparently dance the Hokey-Pokey. (I learned much later that Pokey took his name from this familiar dance.) Evan, his brother, Ian, Pokey and I would sometimes do the Hokey-Pokey while waiting for the school bus, at Pokey’s insistence. Evan and Ian both had an incredible sense of humor and I figured out, again much later, that the 5 and 6 year old Pokey was a great joke on Mom, just to see if she would do the Hokey-Pokey while waiting on the school bus. (Being the “free spirit” that I am, I had no hesitancy doing the Hokey-Pokey at the bus stop.)

You remember the dance: you put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you do the Hokey-Pokey, then you turn yourself about. I think serving our congregation is a lot like doing the Hokey-Pokey. Different folks put a foot in for awhile and then turn themselves about, taking a rest for awhile. If you recall, as the dance goes on, you put more and more of yourself into it until at the end of the dance, you put your whole self in, you take your whole self out, you do the Hokey-Pokey, then you turn yourself about, and start all over again.

Vacation, rest, and renewal are necessary to revitalize our souls, our intellect, our emotions, and our physical energy. We need to be sure to profusely thank those who have served our congregation this church year in whatever role. And we need to be sure to allow them some time to rest once in awhile. While they rest, others of us need to continue the dance until it is our turn to rest for awhile. While some take this summer to rest after a busy church year, I hope others of us will step in and continue the dance that is the UUCJ.

Gwen Combs

 

From The Desk of the DRE

 

We had a wonderful RE Sunday, led by our children and youth, where we recognized our volunteers over the past year. They did a terrific job leading the service and sharing the best they have to offer! Anyone there can attest to the talent and wisdom on display from our future UU leaders!

We are having A Summer of Seuss! Not only will the children and youth explore the life messages in Dr. Seuss stories, but we will be sharing these stories with the adults in the worship service as a Story for All Ages. The stories for this month are:

June 1 - My Many Colored Days: Stacy Callender

June 8 - Horton Hears a Who: Ranjan Batra

June 15 - The Sneetches: Susan Knipe

June 22 - Green Eggs and Ham: the Bollingers & Diana Barnes

June 29 - Horton Hatches the Egg: Amy Griggs

We still have a couple of opportunities in July for you to be involved. So share a favorite Dr. Seuss story and have some meaningful fun together!

Also this month we will be wrapping up our adult Religious Explorations of Spirit in Practice with three workshops exploring Soul Practices (6/8), Life Practices (6/15), and Justice Practices (6/22). Come add your perspective to these engaging and challenging conversations!

Across the Ages

Our children and youth will join the adult service each Sunday this summer. Please make a point of welcoming the children in the service!

How You Can Help

WE NEED YOU: We need extra hands to help with the R.E. summer program—A Summer of Seuss! Please lend your time and talent to serve with love!

R.E. COMMITTEE meeting [6/1 - 10:00 am]: We’ll review the summer schedule & plan the 2008-09 year. Contact the DRE at vp-re@uujackson.org for details.

 

UU RAINBOW PRINCIPLES As Unitarian Universalists we believe that we should: RED - Respect others ORANGE - Offer fair & kind treatment YELLOW - Yearn to learn GREEN - Grow by sharing your thoughts & feelings BLUE - Believe in these principles & act on them INDIGO - Insist on peace, liberty, & justice VIOLET - Value nature

 

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 

 

 

Groups, Meetings, and Announcements
 

The board of trustees’ meeting on May 23 resulted in the following items:

 

* We will have a book sale every Sunday during the summer, June-August. Please bring your books to sell. $.50 for paperbacks and $1.00 for hardbacks. The books will be available between Forum and Worship. 

* In June we will be participating in the National Religious Coalition Against Torture's Torture Awareness Month, including the display at our church of the banner we recently purchased from the coalition.

* New Vibrations arranged with us to rent space for its weekly classes beginning Saturday June 7. It will be hosted by Lelon Thompson, the minister of music at Wells Church, who will lead group sessions and teach classes in such topics as intuitive development and channeling. Dates and times for most of the classes are listed below. More information will be available at the UUCJ office on June 1 or by contacting Judy Williams.

* Sunday, June 22, is designated Habitat Offering Sunday. We have supported Habitat for Humanity projects for the past several years. Please consider giving generously to this religious community effort. Make sure your check or contribution is clearly designated for the Habitat project.

Upcoming Events

Friday – Sunday, June 6-8: Mid-South District Annual President's Convocation at Camp McDowell, AL.

Saturday, June 7: New Vibrations 

Group Session Power of Intent from 10:00 am to 10:45 am open to the public and, at least initially, free of charge. (The group will continue to meet each Saturday on weeks 1 through 4.)

Class Messages from the Light: channeled group and individual messages from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Cost is $10 per person, (The class will continue to meet every other Saturday)

Saturday, June 14: New Vibrations 

Group Session Power of Intent from 10:00 am to 10:45 am open to the public and free of charge.

Class Developing Your Intuition from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Cost is $10 per person.

Saturday, June 14: Planting Peace, this year’s Interfaith Cooperative project will be to landscape homes on Wood Street near the Jaycee Park (Mid- City/Georgetown area). Our youth may participate in this, as well as many other workdays to come in November, when the rest of the new cul-de-sac being created will be finished. Contact Jassen Callender for more information.

Friday, June 20: Board Meeting: from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Saturday, June 21: New Vibrations

Group Session Power of Intent from 10:00 am to 10:45 am open to the public and, at least initially, free of charge. (The group will continue to meet each Saturday on weeks 1 through 4.)

Class Messages from the Light: channeled group and individual messages from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Cost is $10 per person, (The class will continue to meet every other Saturday)

Sunday, June 22: Habitat Offering Sunday. As in previous years we will be offering support for Habitat for Humanity. Contributions should clearly indicate that they are for Habitat’s project.

Friday, June 27: 4th Friday Film Night is cancelled this month.

Saturday, June 28: New Vibrations 

Group Session Power of Intent from 10:00 am to 10:45 am open to the public and free of charge.

Class Developing Your Intuition from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Cost is $10 per person.

 

 

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