January, 2013
Rev. Scott Tayler
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What Does It Mean to Live
a Life Of Heroism?
I’m looking forward to this month’s
theme of heroism. There are so many
ways that our Unitarian Universalist
tradition calls us to be bold and daring.
I’m also proud of the way our tradition
challenges us to think about heroism in
a typical ways. This reflection by my
colleague (and previous guest preacher
at UUCC), Rev. Tina Simson, speaks to
this beautifully. It opened my mind
and my heart. I hope it does the same
for you.
from military heroism in addressing this
month’s theme, I was a bit puzzled. We
are not usually a people who shy away
from complicated issues, and I know this
can be a charged and challenging
conversation. I also know that it’s a topic
where we may experience a great diversity
of opinion in our community. Yet this kind
of exploration and exchange around
differing opinions can build bridges
between people. It makes our community
stronger when we are open to learning
from one another. So I guess that’s all the
more reason to include it here.
But there’s another reason, too. You see
I’m a military mom and I know there are
several military families in our community.
As I often say to others, “ Yes, liberals do
indeed have family in the military who
share our beliefs and convictions and yet
choose this path of service.”
A Letter from Rev. Tina
My son Josh has been in the Air Force for
close to 20 years and quite frankly he’s my
hero in so many ways. It’s not just that he’s
the one who goes to war on our behalf,
which he does. It’s that he is willing to go
where most of us are not. He leaves his life
and takes his orders and works to make
the world a better place. It may not be how
I would chose to do things, and clearly it’s
not. I’m a minister and he’s an airman, but
I truly believe we both have a role in this
flawed and imperfect world.
I have to be honest. When I received a
note from one of our Soul Matters
members that encouraged me to stay away
Josh has had two tours of duty in Iraq. He
left his young family without question and
went to war because that’s what we, as a
May all of our New Years start off
heroically,
Rev. Scott
nation, asked him to do. He’s an IT
specialist so was mostly safe and away
from the fighting, but because he felt he
wasn’t doing enough, he’d finish his 12
hour work days and then sit at the hospital
with the wounded, every day. I remember
one letter he sent, “I don’t do much at all, I
just sit with them. We talk if they can, and
laugh.” He said, “They need to know they
are not alone and that their sacrifice
matters.”
January 13 Rev. Scott Tayler preaching-”The Hero That Is Us”-- An exploration of
an uncelebrated type of daily heroism that
matters more than we know.
January 20 Rev. Kaaren Anderson
preaching--”Heroism And the Necessity Of
Righteous Indignation”-- Is anger always a
bad thing?
January 27 Rev. Scott Tayler preaching--”
Since When Did We Decide That Wealthy
Men in Gray Suits Are Our New Knights in
Shining Armor?”
Josh tells me that he believes no soldier
joins the military because they believe in
war, they believe in service in the name of
peace. He tells me that being in the
military isn’t heroic; you get trained and
then do what you’re told. He tells me that
the true heroes are those of us back home,
living the life we claim as citizens of the US
and working at every turn to make our
world a peaceful place that will make war
obsolete.
Ready to Join the Church?
So perhaps as we tackle this month’s
theme, we might consider that being
heroic isn’t about fighting, not even
military heroism. It’s about where we are
willing to go, in the name of what we
believe. What are we willing to do, or to
sacrifice? What are we willing to be in the
name of peace, love and compassion, and
justice? What are we willing to own up to
and what are we able to claim?
Our next new member joining ritual will be
on Sunday, January 13. If you are
interested in joining or want some help
thinking about whether or not joining is
right for you, please contact Rev. Scott
([email protected]) or our ministerial
intern, Ellie Kilpatrick
([email protected]).
Tough questions, I know, but together we
can explore all these angles and be better
because of it.
Rev. Tina
Fracking in New York State –
To Be or Not to Be?
If you have concerns about the Gas and Oil
Industry’s plan for horizontal drilling in NY,
please consider responding during the
comment period which will end at 5 p.m.
on Friday, 1/11/13. Your comments on the
regulations as proposed and your letters to
Governor Cuomo do matter. During the
previous comment period, the Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Sunday Services in Janaury
January 6 Judy Cadle speaking—
“As we go into a new year, is the past
important?” Discover why we need to
break the tradition of New Year
Resolutions.
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received in excess of 38,000 comments.
The largest number ever received
previously the DEC was 1000. Each
comment had to be addressed and the DEC
will be required to do that again following
this comment period.
Don’t know enough about the
regulations to make a reasoned comment?
Here are resources to help you:
Chip Northrup who worked for
years in the Gas and Oil industry, explains
in detail each regulation and its
shortcoming:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?ti
tle=NY_Fracking_Regulations#How_to_Res
pond_to_the_DEC.27s_Proposed_Fracking
_Regulations
State. Numerous Environmental
Organizations oppose Fracking overall. For
those interested, there is no lack of solid
data to support concerns about water
contamination, effects on local economies
such as tourism, farming, roadways and air
quality.
Questions: Please call Rita Carey at 585398-7508
Chip's
blog: http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/201
2/12/14/how-to-read-the-frackingregulations/
Put the MLK Day Interfaith
Worship
On Your Calendar
Link to the DEC
Regs: http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/
77353.html
Each year we join with other faith
communities and meet down at the
Congregationalist Church to honor Martin
Luther King Jr.’s dream for an impact on
the world. This year it is on January 21st
at noon. Rev. Scott will be participating
and we have been asked to help with
ushering and providing some snacks. If
you’re willing to help usher or provide
snacks, see Rev. Scott. No matter what,
put the date on your calendar and join us
for this important community-wide event.
From Rev. Scott
How to Submit Comments:
• DEADLINE for submission of comments:
5PM, Friday January 11.
• If you're submitting comments via the
DEC website, the system is set to stop
accepting comments after 5PM, Friday,
1/11/13. Submit online at
http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/76838.ht
ml
• If you plan to hand deliver the messages must be delivered to the Albany office only
(not branch offices) by 5PM on Friday, Jan.
11.
• If you plan to snail mail - must be
postmarked (not received) by January 11
• Do NOT Email comments - use the online
submission form, hand deliver, or snail
mail.
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The Canandaigua Lake Watershed
Association opposes Fracking in New York
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Bus to Albany
Zora Gussow, Rochester's New
Yorkers Against Fracking organizer, has
secured a bus to Albany for the Governor's
State of the State Address rally on January
9. Sign up
here: http://tinyurl.com/c6ldfma For
questions or concerns, contact Zora
at [email protected]
From Rita Carey
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Board News
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At the December meeting the Board invited a
few of the church leaders to join in a discussion
of two options for the future of the church. Our
discussion was very useful and helped the
Board discover what needed further
clarification.
By now, you should have received
copies of the proposed partnership agreement
with First Unitarian and information about the
process of calling our own part-time minister.
Also, included is financial information about
both options. If you have not received this
mailing then , please, contact Sara at
[email protected] or call the church.
The Board hopes that you will have
time to study the information that we have sent
out and to carefully consider both options. They
both have pros and cons and some of those are
more obvious than others so careful thought is
needed.
Come with your questions to the
information sessions which will follow the
services on January 13, 27, and February 10.
From Board President Lynn Overgaard
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UUs on YouTube
The last two services, Dec. 2, 2012 and Dec. 9,
2012, are available in edited form on our church
website (www.canandaiguauu.org) and on
YouTube.
December 2 was Rev. Kaaren Anderson's
sermon "Unwrap Your Heart" and December 9
was Joan Berend, Gigi Horwood-Benton and
Edgar Brown telling us of their "Blessings."
From Dan Brigham
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