April, 2006
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Elsewhere you can find: Religious Education News By Danielle Gerrior RE Reflections Spring is finally here! Though some days it feels like it more than others, warm weather is on its way, and so are our spring religious education traditions! On April 9 we will again have all of our Sunday school classes together for a Social Justice Sunday, this month focusing on Peace. Specifically, we will be learning about peacemaking in our own lives - in our families and in our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering that Sunday is invited to contact me at dgerrior@firstuchicago.org or 773-324-4100 x.15. On Easter Sunday, after a multigenerational service, the young people will be hunting for Easter eggs (weather permitting, of course!) During the service itself, we hope to have the children sing the call to worship, so please try to be there, and in the coming weeks, so that we can practice! The Mystery Friends program is in full swing, and will continue all month, culminating on April 23rd with a "demystifying" event. The end of the year approaches, but there are still a lot of fun and
learning yet to be done! I look forward to seeing you all at church! Soulful Sundown First Unitarian's Young Adult and Campus Ministry announces its next Soulful Sundown worship service at 6:00 p.m. on April 2 in Hull Chapel. It will be led by Dr. David Breeden, a seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School. The service is called "Beat Theology." David describes it thusly: " What’s theological about a bunch of people wearing berets and playing bongos? Why bother talking about some freaky people who lived in the 1950s? The legacy of the Beats is a belief that spirituality, freedom, and creativity are all one big ball of wax. So bring your bongos if you’ve got ‘em and be ready to melt reality." Donations of time and food are always needed. See Edward Scott Michael to offer assistance. Young Adult and Campus Ministry will also meet Sunday, April 16th at 6 pm in Hull Chapel for a business meeting. The meeting will focus on leadership development for next year. Membership Committee The Membership Committee has agreed on the following Mission/Vision statement: MISSION: To strengthen our beloved community and encourage newcomers to join in our quest for meaning, love, and justice. VISION: "Any person who subscribes to the purposes of this Society and is approved by the Membership Committee shall become a member of the Society upon signing the Membership Book." (First Unitarian Society of Chicago, Bylaws, Article IV: Membership, Section 2) To fulfill this charge, the Membership Committee shall
In addition, the Membership Committee shall seek to
New Adult RE Course: “Unity and Poetry”
Instructors: Krista and Jon Berliner
In this four-week class, poetry is used to deepen our awareness and acceptance of one another. The exercises and assignments in the course are designed to extend our awareness of what other people are saying and expressing, and to foster a better understanding of our own life's journey and experiences. To this end, we will be reading and writing poetry guided by such weekly themes as nature, the senses, and family. Through poetry, we will strive to better express our thoughts and insight, and, in turn, become better friends, colleagues, partners, neighbors, and communicators to one another. This course will be co-taught by First U friends Krista and Jon Berliner. Krista is a freelance writer and poet; Jon is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Chicago, writing a dissertation on American literature, and a Visiting Lecturer in English at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The four-week class will meet Thursday nights, from 7 - 9 p.m. May 4, 11, 18, and 25th, in VOV Gallery. All reading materials will be provided. For questions about this course, please contact Krista at kjianna@yahoo.com Affordable Housing Forum On Saturday, April 29 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, there will be a forum at our church on “The Changing Nature of Our Community: Can You Afford to Live Here,?” sponsored the Social Justice Council, the Racial Justice Task Force, Hyde Park OWL, and the Interfaith Open Communities - Hyde Park Cluster. We will be able to hear from a variety of sources, including elected officials, developers, and other community activists. For those of us who want Hyde Park-Kenwood to remain multi-racial, age and economically diverse, this will be an important opportunity to meet the “players” and others concerned about this issue. For more information see Joan Staples. Music Continues at First U By Joan Staples The choir concert on March 11 went well! Choir pieces alternated with hymns sung by the audience - and organ pieces framed the concert. Our thanks to Michael Thorn, Director of Music; Frank Zonars, accompanist; and our soloist, Cindy Pardo; and percussionist, Lia McCoo. Kathy Szoke coordinated the reception with contributions from the choir. We were able to distribute copies of our program/ad book to our audiences at both Winter concerts. We hope our avertisers will be patronized. We have a few extra copies if you would like one. Michael is now planning for Choir Sunday on May 7 and the four Spring concerts: April 30, May 7, May 14, and May 21. The Sunday spring concerts will be at 3:30 p.m. for about an hour. Mark your calendars now! “Living Our Mission" Stewardship Campaign By Cindy Pardo When was the last time you increased your annual pledge to our church? Have you given serious thought to the value of our liberal religious community to you, your family, and the larger world? Now that we have a vision and mission statement for our congregation, how do we go about living out our shared values? This year's Stewardship Pledge Campaign offers us an exciting opportunity to make a real difference through a program of Social Mission outreach, funded by our plate offerings. The line item in our budget for non-pledge plate offerings is $10,000. The Board of Trustees has approved turning all plate offerings over to a variety of community and social action organizations for the 2006-07 fiscal year. Of course, that means we will not have those dollars to pay salaries, heat the building, or create new programs. What it also means is that every one of us has the opportunity to live our mission by pledging to support this initiative. The Board has not yet worked out exactly how the plate offerings will be distributed, but by committing to this path it has expressed its faith in our church community. Do you believe, too? There are other additions to our budget. We are all aware of the need for decent health care insurance. Fairness means that we must offer such to our staff. The costs for utilities and other building needs are going to be higher this year, just as yours undoubtedly will be. Soon you will be asked to participate in an "Every Member and Friend" pledge campaign, where a member of our Stewardship Team will ask to meet with you to discuss your hopes for our church and how you can support our mission. Please be willing to sit down and talk with your canvasser. Your input is important - and so is your pledge. Consider now how you can participate in "Living Our Mission." The One and the Many: Embracing Spiritual Pluralism in Congregational Life Are you interested in exploring a spiritual path in greater depth? Read about our Spiritual Pluralism project. Perhaps you will find a group that will help you grow in spirit and deepen your Unitarian Universalist faith. Speak with Rev. Nina Grey for more information. Now we invite you to read below: Our Spiritual Pluralism project, The One and the Many, has begun. Initiated by Rev. Nina Grey as her Doctor of Ministry thesis project, The One and the Many is under the auspices of the Adult Religious Education Committee of the Religious Education Council. Based on her Unitarian Universalist principles which honor the spiritual pluralism of Unitarian Universalism, The One and the Many is beginning with four groups, each grounded in a different path. Yet all groups are centered on UU principles. The four groups are: UU Buddhist, UU Christian, UU Humanist and UU Nature-Based Spirituality. They will meet one or two times a month. Each group will have a covenant, an agreement of how they will be together and expectations they have of themselves and one another. Their gatherings will include both study and practice. They will pay attention to the ways oppression has been part of the history of the path. There will be opportunities for sharing among the groups and also for dialogue. A Forum is planned for the fall. And the groups will be able to offer worship opportunities to the larger congregation. You will read announcements at various times about when and where the groups are meeting. Check out your orders of service on Sundays, speak with one of the leaders, or be in touch with Nina. Group leaders are: Jessica Purple Rodela and Cynthia Oakes (Buddhist), Joanne Kent and Finley Campbell (Christian), David Breeden (Humanist), and Ellen Cooper-Davis and Susan Scrimshaw (Nature-Based/ Earth Centered). A Coordinating Team is helping Rev. Grey develop the project and assess it as it goes along. The team members are: Phiefer Browne (chair of Adult Religious Education), Neil Gerdes, Allen Harden (from the Advisory Council on Corporate Ministry, the Board's committee which accompanied Nina on her D. Min program), Cynthia Oakes, Anita Orlikoff, and Rosemary Snow. They will meet monthly to reflect on the project's progress. Each of the Coordinating Team members is also in one of the four groups. Message Board Local School Welcomes Tutors I recently met with the Assistant Principal at Ray School (one block east of our church) and learned that she would be pleased to have adult volunteer adults assist in their after school tutoring program (grades K-6). The tutoring schedule is 3:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday and those interested should contact Mrs. Dolores Lobbins, Assistant Principal, Room 113, William H. Ray Elementary School, 5650 S Woodlawn, Chicago Il 60637 - Ken Schug Talent Auction The annual Auction is over, however there are still a few items left to bid on. Please see the catalog after church on Sunday, or in the church office: Available is the Tutoring in Math or Science, Pecan Pies, and more. Thanks to all who helped on the event. See you next year. - Madeiria Chicago Children’s Choir The Hyde Park Neighborhood Choir of the Chicago Children’s Choir, which rehearses in our church, will give a concert in our church on Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. The $10 admission charge goes to help finance tours by the choir. Thanks Please accept my sincere thanks for the members and friends of First Unitarian Society who continue to demonstrate what a "family" truly is: those who don't ask what to do, they just do; those who do and then do more; those who call and come. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Betty and Mary Holcomb Among Us We send our warmest get well wishes to Gloria Gnatz. Our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of long-time and beloved church member Gary Yasutake, who died on Wednesday, March 15, 2006. A Memorial Service will take place in our sanctuary on Saturday, April 15, 2006, at 1 p.m., with a reception following in Hull Chapel Our best wishes to Florence Teegarden who will have moved on April 1 to her daughter, Joanne's home. We are thinking of Rev. David and Brenda Arksey, as we send our warmest get well wishes to David's father. We continue to hold Ann Germany in our hearts. And we continue to hold Betty Holcomb and her daughter Jala McKee in our hearts. We keep Robin and Jim Moir in our thoughts and send Robin our warmest get-well wishes. Our very best wishes and congratulations to Allan Stern and Susan Scrimshaw on the occasion of their marriage, Saturday, March 25, 2006. Their wedding was held in our sanctuary and the Revs. Nina Grey and Louis Schwebius co-officiated. Melissa Harris Lacewell is the author of an article, “Beyond Repair,” in the March issue of The American Prospect, discussing the moral issues presented by the rebuilding of New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Social Justice Report By Ellen LaRue The First Congressional District Candidates & Community Forum was held on Febraury 25. The two Democratic candidates either participated or were represented; the Republican candidate was unable to participate. About 75 people attended and raised a wide range of questions. We salute our co-sponsors, the Hyde Parkers for Peace and Justice, for their skill and tireless efforts in making the event a success. Thanks also go to Rick Brown and Angelo Blumenberg for making things go smoothly. So why did we co-sponsor a candidates meeting? Because these days the issues in elections have social justice and life and death consequences, and by our fifth principle we agree to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large. At our March 9 meeting we agreed to endorse the March 18 anti-war march in Chicago, and commend it to the congregation. At the meeting we briefly discussed the Midwest Workers Association project. We decided we needed a set of criteria for assessing such a project. Allan Lindrup volunteered to draft a set of criteria. He has done that. We will try using the criteria to evaluate the MWA project. This will be on the agenda for the April 13 meeting. Anyone interested may obtain the list of criteria at the SJC table during social hour. (Remember the list is a draft, so comments and suggestions are in order.) At the meeting we also decided to propose Saturday April 29 as a Day of Action for Peace and Justice for our congregation. On April 29, from 8:30 to noon, the Affordable Housing Forum will take place in our church. This will be a community forum addressing rising housing costs in Hyde Park, the inability of some residents to remain in the community, and what can be done. Joan Staples, Kennie James, and Winston Kennedy can provide more information about the forum. Also on April 29, a big anti-war rally will take place in New York City. Our congregation passed a resolution against the Iraq war just after it started. So when members of our congregation bear witness against the war by participating in anti-war events we sometimes ask for the endorsement of the Social Justice Council and of the Board of Trustees to act as a delegation of the First Unitarian Church. That way we can all be part of important events even when we can't physically be present. Endorsement will be on the agenda of the April 13 meeting of the SJC. For information about the rally and travel, see Elvira Pelliteri, or Bobbi or Finley Campbell. We invite all members and friends of our congregation to take part in one of these events on April 29 - to be part of the river of people flowing toward peace and justice. Of course if that is impossible, there are plenty of other ways and times to get in the river. The main thing is for everybody to get wet. All are welcome at the next meeting of the Social Justice Council, April 13, 7:15 PM. JOIN THE MARCH AGAINST THE US/IRAQI WAR By Dr. Finley C. Campbell Co-chair, Racial Justice Task Force When? Saturday, April 29, 2006, from 9 am to 5pm; leaving out Friday, April 28 in the late afternoon or early evening and returning Sunday, April 30, 2006, in the morning or early afternoon. Where? New York City, Manhattan. If we have enough people from First Unitarian and surrounding churches, we will leave from Hyde Park; if not, we would leave from a variety of locations, depending on transportation choices. Who? A variety of organizations, mainly labor; people (anti-war persons from the far left to the Christian right), and our own Racial Justice Task Force are supporting this march. A proposal has been presented by the RJT to the Social Justice Council to have it or the Nine/Eleven Study-Action Group to endorse this action. The target populations are anti-war activists in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest areas. What? A large scale anti-war rally, march, rally to protest against the ongoing destructiveness of the US war in Iraq and the subsequent civil war violence which is emerging around issues of identity politics. In addition, marchers will be demanding a variety of social justice reforms which are being thwarted by the billions being spent on the US occupation of Iraq. How? In terms of money, it depends on how we go: if we go by airplane, then it is $125 per person round trip (Southwest Airlines); if we rent a bus, then it would cost $80 per person with a full commitment of 45 people; if we go with another Chicago group, then the round trip price is about $80 - 90 also. Right now, we are asking people who are committed to going to register for the march with a $25 non-refundable fee. This fee will be used to help others to go in case you couldn't. Based on the information so far, there will be an initiating rally, followed by a march, ending with another rally at the terminal point. Given the fact that there are several hundred groups organizing for this march throughout the Midwest, East Coast, and South, it should be well over 120,000 people participating. It is being billed as the biggest anti-war movement since the US/Iraqi War began, with a major focus on making it a family affair. In addition, some radical groups are linking the march to the annual May Day March. We are hoping that we will be going as official delegates of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago. In addition, we hope to hook up and march with Unitarian Universalists from the Midwest and East Coast areas, especially New York UU's. Why? We at First Unitarian and our friends should go because we as a church unanimously supported a resolution at the beginning of this terrible war some three years ago opposing it and predicting that it would turn out to be a disaster. Since then, new people have joined our church; those who were fifteen at that time are now 18, of draft age. Those of us who were ambivalent about opposing the war have now become more firmly opposed to it. Thus, the time is now ripe to affirm our opposition by either going to New York or supporting those of us who will be going. For more information, contact me or sign up at the Social Justice Council Table. UU News UU District Assembly The annual UU Central Midwest District Assembly will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, April 21-23. The theme will be, “Taking Our Country Back from the Religious Right.” The featured speaker is Rabbi Michael Lerner, founder of the TIKKUN community, an international community of many faiths, calling for social justice and political freedom. Keynote at 9:15 a.m. Saturday. Other great events are the Opening Ceremonies and Banner Parade at 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Banquet Saturday night, useful and informative workshops on Saturday and worship services both Saturday and Sunday. Register online at www.regonline.com/89851. Held at the Madison Concourse Hotel, 1 W. Dayton St., Madison WI 800-356-8293. UU General Assembly The annual General Assembly of the UUA will be held June 21-25 in St. Louis, Missouri. The theme is “Toward Right Relations.” On-line registration is now available at www.uua.org/ga. You may also apply by mail. Registration forms are available in the office. GA is handicap accessible. Children’s and Youth programming is available. You may also plan to volunteer at www.uua.org/ga/ga06/Volunteer. (Volunteering lowers the cost of registration.) Please let Bobbi Campbell know if you plan to attend GA. Please let church president Ken Schug know if you would like to be a church delegate to GA. Public Witness Workshop A workshop entitled “Public Witness for UUs: Inspired Faith, Effective Action” will be held Saturday April 1st at Third Unitarian Church, 301 N. Mayfield, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Speakers will be John Hurley, Director for Information and Public Witness for the UUA, and Rob Keithan, Director of the Washington Office for Advocacy of the UUA. The workshop is sponsored by the UU Chicagoland Marketing Initiative, a program of the Chicago Area UU Council (CAUUC). The purpose of the workshop is to learn “how to develop a program of effective action for social justice, then use the news media to broaden our work into public witness.” Topics to be covered range from building effective social justice work, to “developing a public witness story by choosing an issue to bring to public attention,” to the practicalities of understanding the media, how it works and what it wants. Cost of the workshop is $20, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. You can register by email to howshak@rcn.com and pay at the door, or you can send a check in advance to CAUUC, 17 W. Maple St., Hinsdale IL 60521. CONARTIST! CONARTIST is a Young Adult (ages 18-35) District Conference sponsored by the Central Mid-West District (CMWD) Young Adult Steering Committee (YASC), to be held here at First Church on March 31 - April 2. The conference's mission is to take a creative journey with the Central Mid-West District Young Adult Spiritual community. Join us for making art with a message & sharing what inspires your faith. Art explodes at CON-artist with a chance to explore faith, community and social justice with poetry, visual art, theatre, movement, food, and friends. Bring a canned good for the local food pantry (and poetry inspiration). Bring clothes to exchange and decorate, extras will also be donated. Bring poetry or art that speaks to your soul. Bring your expressive self! Register NOW! at www.connectUU.com |