FROM THE ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
For most of this month I have been on vacation here in Chicago enjoying what an amazing city this is throughout the year. I've enjoyed the beaches, the Taste of Chicago, fireworks in Grant Park and in Evanston, concerts in Grant Park and at Ravinia and most of all time to rest and catch up on the large pile of books waiting to be read.
I took a one week break from my Chicago vacation to attend RE Leadership School at The Mountain. It was an amazing experience. The Mountain, as many of you have experienced, is always a wonderful place to be. A UU owned and operated camp and conference center located in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, it is literally on the top of a mountain - with views that take your breath away. Amidst the 400 year old oak trees that cover the top of the mountain, 50 religious educators from around the association gathered to learn and deepen our skills as leaders and religious educators. It was hard work, lots of meetings, small groups, a challenge course and even a high ropes course (for those brave enough!). The magic and spirit of The Mountain was ever present in the air and in the earth and rocks under our feet. It was an inspiring time. I learned and shared a lot. The realization, and commitment, that Life Span Religious Education is central to our faith and to our congregations has become widespread throughout the UUA. It is an exciting time to be involved in RE in our congregations and in the association as whole. I will be sharing much of what I learned with you in the coming months.
A year from now you also will be able to experience the magic of The Mountain as a congregation, when we return once again for a congregational retreat. Several years ago this congregation participated in a series of urban church retreats at The Mountain and many of you came back with memories of the magic of The Mountain. We will be returning for our own congregational retreat during August of 2002. It's just a year away and it's not too soon to begin planning now to attend. So plan to put the dates in your calendars and watch for more information in upcoming newsletters and announcements.
Following leadership school I returned to vacationing with several days of camping in the Smoky Mountains and more time enjoying Chicago in the summer. I will have a brief visit with my father in Massachusetts in late July, returning for a bit to the office the first week of August, and following a week in Michigan from August 6-12 my vacation time will come to an end. As much as I enjoy vacation and summer I'm looking forward to getting back and beginning preparations for the new year in RE here at First Church. Be sure to see the announcements in this newsletter about summer RE activities. It will be good to see all of you again!
Blessings,
Marlene
THIS PAST MONTH IN RE
The summer RE program continues with two age group classes. The Preschool-Kindergarten class is continuing to create their bulletin board banner about the many ways that God is imaged. Stop by the preschool class room and see it. The 1st - 5th Grade class is continuing to explore images of God in the Jewish and Christian traditions.
UPCOMING RE EVENTS
Sunday August 5th
Mid Summer Picnic at the Beach.
All are invited to enjoy an August afternoon at the beach. We will announce which local beach during church or you can check with Rev. Marlene (773/955-1607). Bring a dish and cold beverage to share, games, and beach paraphernalia for an afternoon of fun, relaxation and catching up with each other.
Saturday August 25th
First Church Day at Magic Waters
Magic Waters is an exciting water park in Rockford and we have arranged for a special group rate. Sign up on the RE Bulletin Board in the hallway or call the church office. Cost is $9.25 per person and we will be arranging carpooling for those who need it - but let us know by signing up well in advance. For more information speak with Rev. Marlene.
Sunday August 26th 12:30 - 3:30 PM
Teacher Training and Orientation
All teachers, past, present and future are invited to attend this teacher training. All those planning to teach Church School this coming year are strongly urged to attend. We will review and discuss this year's curriculum theme of World Religions, new registration materials, upcoming special teacher training opportunities and the nuts and bolts of Church School teaching. A light lunch will be provided and Rev. Marlene promises that we'll also have fun.
CALLING ALL YOUNG ADULTS (AGES 18-35)
Join each other and Rev. Marlene on Friday, August 17th, at 6:30 PM at the Church for an end of Summer social gathering. Some of you are here year round, some of you are home for the summer, and some of you are about to head off for college for the very first time. As young adults you represent a wide range of age and life experiences. Come get to know each other and share your ideas about forming a Young Adult group at First Church. Rev. Marlene will provide food and beverages. If you can't join us and have ideas, please call and let us know about them, and if you are heading back to school (or going for the first time) call and let Rev. Marlene know your mailing address so we can keep in touch with you!
FROM THE BOARD
by Joan Pederson, President of the Congregation
Plan to be at church on Sunday, August 12, and plan to stay a little later than usual. Child care will be available.
If you are a member of First Unitarian, you should have received formal notice of a Special Congregational Meeting after the service on August 12 by the time you read this. More in a moment.
The service that morning will share the highlights of the recent UUA General Assembly, held late in June in Cleveland. If you are interested in social justice, come. If you are interested in youth, come. If you are interested in the new leadership of our movement--now the first historically white denomination to be led by an African American--come. If a Beacon Press book ever changed your mind or opened your heart, if you'd like to get multiple perspectives on our association's work regarding race, if you want to share the joy of witnessing fellow church members as they attain ministerial fellowship, if you want a sense of what the UUA offers each of us, come.
And while those presenting the service cannot replicate for you the amazing experience of worshipping with 4,000? 5,000? other Unitarian Universalists at the Service of the Living Tradition, we'll do our best. Do come. If you cannot make it, be sure to read Allan Lindrup's perspective on GA, which appears elsewhere in this issue.
Back to the need for a special congregation meeting.
The Fenn House roof leaks. Badly. Our principal space user, and the sole user of Fenn House, is the Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago. Our operating budget benefits from their continuing use of Fenn House, which the University has taken good care of and considerably improved during the decade or more of our relationship. The seriousness of the deterioration of key parts of the roof became apparent earlier this summer. Serious internal damage will result if the roof is not replaced as soon as possible. Not wanting either to sustain such damage or to strain relations with our space user, we must replace the roof.
Faced with a choice between (a) replacing the leaky part of the roof now and the rest of the roof within five years, and (b) replacing the whole thing now and enjoying the savings from the resulting efficiency of repair, the Board of Trustees decided at its July 19 meeting to recommend that the full job be done now. It will not be cheap. Part of the job, and much of the cost, entails the removal of the heavy slate of the prior roof that underlies the present one.
Roof repair cannot take place during the snow, wind, and cold of a Chicago winter. (If you, like me, have lived in apartment buildings for most of your life, this might be news to you. Believe it.) If the job is to be completed during the present roofing season, the job must begin soon.
Without you, the job cannot start. At the meeting we will consider a financing proposal. If it passes, work can begin. If it doesn't, an alternative plan will be developed and we will meet again as soon as possible. But if we don't have a quorum on August 12, we're stuck.
Again: Without YOU, the job cannot start. Please be there.
Other Board activity and action in July:
AMONG US
Our thoughts are with Doug Anderson and other family and friends of Linnea Anderson who was remembered in a Memorial Service on July 8, 2001. Linnea had been a long time member of our church and a member of the Montgomery Place Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists. At Montgomery Place, she often offered her gift of piano playing for the nourishment of the community. She was a beloved citizen of Hyde Park, who had given numerous contributions to the community, especially through her work with the Hyde Park Coop. Her late husband, Douglas, was also a long time member of the church. Their son, Doug, also a church member, offered the eulogy at Linnea's service. Rev. Nina Grey conducted the service.
We also send our deep sympathy to the family and friends of Ruth Owens, who was remembered here in a funeral on July 3, 2001. Mrs. Owens was the widow of Jesse Owens, the renowned Olympic athlete. After Jesse's death, Mrs. Owens continued the spirit of his work to nurture young people. They had discovered Unitarian Universalism while they lived in the southwest, and Mrs. Owens began to attend our church when she returned to Chicago in 1991.
Our continuing warm wishes to members and friends continuing their recovery: Tom Huyck, Helen Jones and Alex Coutts.
Warm wishes to Robert Wissler who is recovering from a fall.
Our thoughts are with Georgia Pierre.
We hold Jim and Jane Stevens in our hearts.
It was wonderful to see Enid Norman who recently visited from her home in England.
We are glad to see Ron Wentzel is on the mend. Our continuing best wishes to him as he recovers.
MEET OUR NEW CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR
by Bette Sikes, Chair, Administrative Committee
Our new Church Administrator, Rick Brown, began work in our offices on July 23. A resident of Rogers Park, Rick is a member of Second Unitarian Church. His most recent position was as a coordinator of national marketing activities within a network of 146 regional malls in 39 states (most recently on promotions associated with the N'Sync music tour). From fall 1997 through fall 1999 he was administrator at Second Unitarian Church. Earlier work was for C*Span and an assortment of newspapers in Chicago, on the East Coast, and in Texas. He has also taught English as a second language in Japan and the United States. He has much to learn about us and our practices and procedures, so be patient with him. Also since he is a faithful member of Second Unitarian, you should not expect to see him at our church on Sundays.
Any questions? Ask sekisetteb@aol.com
SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
11:30 a.m., Sunday, August 12
Subject: Financing of a New Roof for Fenn House
Notice, agenda, and background information have been mailed to church
members and are available in the church office.
GOODBYE PARTY
Bid Harvey Thomas a fond farewell Saturday, August 4, 6-9 p.m. at a potluck
at his place. He will be going to a faculty appointment in the department of
Health Sciences at Illinois State University in Bloomington, IL. Bring a
dish to share, a bottle to drain, and disposable tableware. The only
acceptable gift is an empty moving box. 5201 S Ingleside #1, 773/324-9332.
NEWS FROM STARR KING
by Bette Sikes
First Unitarian has sponsored two members of our church at Starr King in
their training for the ministry. Karen Day graduated this spring, having
received preliminary fellowship from the UUA Ministerial Fellowship
Committee, and is pursuing community ministry. Jan Johnson writes with news
of her third year.
Dear Friends at First Church:
As many of you know, Karen has graduated. I had mixed feelings when Karen
graduated this year. I was happy for her, but I will miss her at school.
Even though I have made good friends at school, it has always been a special
comfort to me knowing that she was there. Karen's presence at Starr King
made a difference. Her thoughtful questions and comments made us aware of
some of the ways we could live our faith more fully at Starr King and in the
community. Good luck in your future ministry, Karen!
I completed a nine-month internship at Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist
Church in Walnut Creek, CA. MDUUC is a 350+-member church. Rev. David
Sammons, formerly of the Evanston church, has been the minister there for 17
years.
My internship was rich and varied. One of my favorite things to do was visit
people in their homes. This allowed me to know and be known in a less formal
way than usually happens on Sunday mornings. I conducted three weddings and
a memorial. I planned and led two adult RE classes. I will offer one of
those classes, "Music and Poetry of the Mystics," at Starr King in the fall.
I led a youth retreat and facilitated a group for seniors over the age of
70. I had the great fortune of preaching at the Interfaith Council of Contra
Costa County's Martin Luther King service held in the city of Walnut Creek.
Although I entered Starr King thinking that I would become a chaplain in a
hospital or prison, during my internship I fell in love with parish ministry
and plan to seek a small parish after graduation if all goes well in my
meeting with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee in November.
I return to Starr King for my fourth and final year this fall. Sometimes I
can't believe so much time has gone by. It was great seeing Bette, Finley,
Grace, Harvey, Joan, Julie, Morgan, and Vivian at GA. Seeing all of you
reminded me of the special place First Unitarian Church of Chicago has in my
heart. I am still a pledging member and will remain one until I am called by
a church.
Peace and love,
Jan Johnson
SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL REPORT
Julian Bond, affirming the NAACP's commitment to social justice, defined
social justice as the attempt to eliminate the cause of racial
discrimination. At its July meeting the Social Justice Council discussed
the possibility of forming a Racial Justice Task Force to coordinate the
anti-racist activities of the Council: these include our anti-klan and
anti-nazi activities. The Task Force would differ from the Charlotte
Lackner Anti-Racism Committee by focusing on issues outside of the church
rather than internal issues.
If you are interested in participating in a Racial Justice Task Force,
please talk to Bobbi or Finley Campbell or other members of the Council. Or
just let us know if you think forming a task force is a good idea or a bad
one.
The Social Justice Council will not be meeting in August. Our September
meeting will be an evaluation of our previous activities and plans for the
next year at a special meeting time, Saturday, September 8. Call Bobbi
Campbell (773/752-4019) for details.
The Environmental Task Force will be holding a discussion of Jared Diamond's
book "Guns, Germs, and Steel." E-mail Paul Ulbrich
(paululbrich@hotmail.com) for information.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Dear Editor:
Thank you for your article of June 25 covering the election of the first
black president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Rev. Bill
Sinkford. As you suggested, Unitarian Universalism is a liberal
denomination. We affirm the dignity and worth of every person and fight for
the rights of all. We were the first denomination to ordain gays, lesbians,
bisexuals, and transsexuals, and we are justly proud of our Interweave
Ministry.
In addition to this, "UUs" have worked alongside activists of other faiths
in a variety of social justice causes, especially anti-racism: during the
19th century, some UUs were leaders in the Abolitionist Movement, with one
of our members, Col. Robert Shaw, being a commanding officer of the 54th
Massachusetts (colored), depicted in the movie GLORY. In the post-Civil War
period UUs became involved in a variety of progressive movements to mitigate
the horrors of industrial capitalism. In the 1960s, UUs were involved in
the Civil Rights Movement, offering up Rev. James Reeb and Mrs. Viola Liuzzo
as martyrs to the cause in Alabama. And at present we have a major
anti-racist program called the Journey toward Wholeness.
Locally the First Unitarian Society has a Social Justice Council, which has
been active recently in anti-klan, anti-nazi, and anti-police brutality
work. Other Unitarian churches in the area have similar activities.
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice has conducted marches against
hunger and fundraising for the homeless. Nationally the Unitarian
Universalist Service Committee carries out social service work in the U.S.
and in Latin America.
Our members include people from a variety of faith perspectives.
Historically, the Unitarian Universalist Association is an outgrowth of a
Christian tradition emphasizing the unity of God as opposed to the trinity,
and the universal love of Christ. More recently, primarily in the 19th and
early 20th century, we have added to our Judeo-Christian heritage the
ethical insights of other great religions as well as the social insights of
great non-religious thinkers and the ecological sensitivity of Paganism.
We are proud of our work in all fields of oppression and injustice and
welcome the participation of other like-minded individuals. We have seven
core principles (not six as the article states), which include
Sincerely yours,
Roberta Lammers-Campbell, Chair
Social Justice Council
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE
Diana Gray, Chair
The Criminal Justice Task Force of the Social Justice Council of the First
Unitarian Society of Chicago met June 28, 2001 and adopted the following
vision and objectives.
Vision
Promote greater justice and equality at all levels of the criminal justice
system through education, advocacy, witness, financial support, and direct
action.
Objectives
1. Select and prioritize specific issues for Task Force focus by official
action of the Task Force no later than September 30 each year.
2. Educate the Task Force members and the congregation about critical
criminal justice issues by sponsoring at least four Task Force education
events annually.
3. Advocate for improvements or against injustices in the criminal justice
system through letters, petitions, publications, or other formal
communications.
4. Participate in public witness events supporting or protesting issues or
incidents related to the criminal justice system.
5. Help provide financial resources to send a representative for the Social
Justice Council and Criminal Justice Task Force to the UUA General Assembly
each year.
6. Form liaisons through membership, donations, and representation with
other groups within and without the UUA community that share common aims for
the promotion of greater justice and equality in the criminal justice
system.
7. Work toward the identification, planning, and implementation of a direct
action project in which to involve the congregation by September 30, 2003.
The five members in attendance also prioritized the issues on which they
believe the committee should focus its resources over the next year. The
top five issues in order of their ranking are:
1. War on Drugs
2. Police misconduct, brutality, and killings
3. Racial profiling
4. Elimination of the death penalty
5. Juvenile justice
FIRST FORUM FOR AUGUST 4, 2001
From Wagner To Auschwitz: A History of Anti-Jewish Racism
A First Forum by Finley C. Campbell, member, the Social Justice Council
Recently, there has been some controversy over the decision of Daniel
Bernboim, the senior conductor of the Chicago Symphony, to play the music of
Richard Wagner at a concert in Israel this past July after he had promised
not to do so, in light of protests from sections of the Israeli community.
This led to a flurry of news reports, letters to the editor, etc. in the
nation's newspapers. It also raised questions about whether an artist's
racist feelings has anything to do with the greatness of his art. The
purpose of this forum, which will be coming from an anti-racist bias, is to
raise, and hopefully answer, the following questions: Was Richard Wagner a
racist? If so, what kind of racist was he? Intellectual? Emotional?
Political? Does his art reflect his racism? What influence did his racist
ideas have on German culture? Politics? Is there a connection between his
anti-Jewish ideology and the horrible practices of the Nazi Party? Why does
a Jew like Daniel Bernboim defend Wagner? One of our former members, Rev.
Barbara Hoag, recently visited Auschwitz, the largest and the most infamous
of the Nazi slave/labor, death labor, industrial type concentration camps.
She reported how moved she was by what she saw. According to a Jewish
defender of Wagner, he had nothing to do with such places. Is this true or
not? Come to this forum and take part in what promises to be a painful and
controversial exploration of the organic connection between ideology and
practical activity.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Open Hand Chicago needs volunteers for home delivered meals and grocery
center programs. Open Hand Chicago is the city's leading not-for-profit
organization providing food and nutritional services free of charge to
low-income men, women and children significantly affected by HIV/AIDS.
Clients who are homebound receive home-delivered lunches and dinners, while
those who can pick up and prepare their own meals receive groceries at
weekly visits to one of four neighborhood-based grocery centers. Open Hand
relies upon a dedicated corps of community volunteers to staff its food
service programs. Volunteers at the grocery centers assist with a wide range
of tasks including unloading trucks, stocking grocery items, greeting
clients, and assisting clients with their grocery list. Volunteers with the
home-delivered meals program spend one to two hours delivering food once a
week to clients, either in their own car or as runners who actually hand the
meals to the client. Anyone wishing to donate time, or for more information,
please call Open Hand Chicago at 773/665-1000.
CORRECTION
There was a typographical error in the New Member Profiles in July's
Newsletter. It should have read Kristen Boeke-Greven and E. Aaron Greven,
instead of Kristen Boeke-Grezen and E. Aaron Grezen. Our apologies for the
error.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2001 REPORT
Allan Lindrup 773/643-8061
(For full text of this report please contact Allan.)
I attended the UUA's 2001 General Assembly (GA), held in Cleveland,
Ohio, from June 21 to 26, as one of your four delegates. This GA was well
attended, with 4,582 people registered as either full or part-time
participants. It was noteworthy that over 20 members of our congregation
attended of this GA! It was also noteworthy that there were several hundred
high-school aged youth in attendance, including many, like our Anne Jonas,
who were delegates.
One of the highlights of this year's GA was the election of a new
President and Moderator. Rev. Bill Sinkford was elected our denomination's
first African American President with about 68% of the vote. This garnered
our denomination a fair amount of publicity around the nation. Diane Olson
was elected Moderator, our denomination's top volunteer position.
Other items I found noteworthy: