April 2015
Newsletter
April Worship Theme: FAITH
Also Inside:
With a little help from our friends, we will more than get by (Pg. 3)
UUCA Celebrates National Volunteer Week (Pgs. 4)
Soul Seeds: April 2015 (Pg. 7)
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
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Faith
Introduction to April’s Theme
by Rev. Kirk Loadman-Copeland
from “Touchstones: a Monthly Journal of the Pacific
Western Region Unitarian Universalist Association”
Faith is a topic worthy of our consideration as Unitarian
Universalists. Most of the time people use the word faith
as if it were a synonym for belief. It is not.
While attending Harvard Divinity School, I had the opportnity to take a course in world religions taught by
Wilfred Cantwell Smith, a historian of religion. His book,
Faith and Belief, published later, draws a vital distinction
between belief and faith. For Smith, belief is “the holding of certain ideas.” He writes, “Faith is deeper, richer,
more personal. It is engendered by a religious tradition
in some cases and to some degree by its doctrines, but
it is a quality of the person and not the system. It is an
orientation of the personality to oneself, to one’s neighbor, to the universe; a total response, a way of seeing
whatever one sees and of handling whatever one handles; acapacity to live at more than a mundane level;
to see, to feel, to act in terms of a transcendent dimension...Faith, then, is a quality of human living.” Belief is
content; faith is a process that influences the way we
live, and makes it possible for us to live with meaning
and purpose.
James Fowler, author of Stages of Faith, considers faith
to be our response to essential questions regarding our
hopes and dreams, our commitments, and what we
trust in life. He writes, “Faith is not always religious in its
content or context. To ask these questions seriously of
oneself or others does not necessarily mean to elicit answers about religious commitment or belief. Faith is a
person’s or group’s way of moving into the force field
of life. It is our way of finding coherence in and giving
meaning to the multiple forces and relations that make
up our lives. Faith is a person’s way of seeing him- or herself in relation to others against a background of shared
meaning and purpose.”
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While it is true that our faith can emerge without intention as we respond to life, an unexamined faith like an
unexamined life does not serve us well. Unitarian Universalist scholar James Luther Adams writes, “An unexamined faith is not worth having, for it can only be true by
accident. A faith worth having is a faith worth discussing
and testing.”
An examined faith takes into account all of the reasons
in the world for pessimism, of which there are many,
weighs them in light of what is possible, and finds reason
for optimism. An examined faith never allows the enormity of a mountain to get in the way of trying to move it
bit by bit for as long as it takes.
An examined faith understands the leap of faith as one
made “half-sure and whole-hearted.” When we begin
to examine our faith, to make sense of it, we understand
how vital it is to life itself.
Without faith, we have little reason to even get out of
bed in the morning. With faith, our reasons for living
and loving multiply exponentially. Faith cannot be prescribed or proscribed. It must be uniquely fashioned out
of your experience of life. Unlike belief, faith is individual. No one else has your experience, your values, your
dreams, or your faith. You can share and examine your
faith with others in this religious community as a way
of making sense of your faith. Through such examination, faith becomes an even more compelling motivation and compass in our lives, as it ignites our own fire of
commitment. Since we are made of the stuff of stars, let
our faith burn brightly, pushing away the darkness.
Whoever you are, whatever path you are on, you are welcome here.
With a little help from our friends, we will more than get by
Above Board - April 2015
tion. We could make the job of volunteering on the stewardship campaign feel more connected to our mission. These
If you’re anything like me, you love UUCA – but even more, you changes will make our congregation’s success sustainable for
love what our congregation can potentially be. I feel so excited, the long haul… but they’re hard to make while we’re busy dolike we’re right around the corner from blossoming in a whole ing things the way we do them now!
new way, and I don’t think it’s just the smell of spring in the air.
We’ve made a lot of promising new starts at UUCA over the last That’s where the help from our friends comes in. UUCA is hostyear, and we have some outside help now to make us even ing two consultants: Dan Hotchkiss and Bill Clontz. Dan visited
in February, and Bill’s visit is near the end of March.
stronger.
by Amelia Shenstone
Dan Hotchkiss is a national expert on congregational governance and also a UU minister. The Board studied his book,
Governance and Ministry, a few years ago, so his viewpoint is
already somewhat ingrained in our heritage. When he visited,
he met with the Board as a whole, several committees, the
staff, the Nominating Committee, and several former Congregational Presidents to get a sense of our congregation’s personality and where we might grow. He asked questions like,
“what does the Board spend its time doing, and what would
it ideally spend its time doing?” and “what is staff responsibility, and what is Board responsibility?” As of the time of writing,
we’re looking forward to his report and recommendations,
which will be incredibly useful as we begin the new Board year
in May. Dan’s visit is funded through the Growth Initiatives, a
fund UUCA maintains to receive bequests that are not otherFolks are obviously feeling the love: through new fundraising ef- wise designated.
forts and high pledging generosity (and some savvy cost-cutting
Bill Clontz is a congregational finance expert who we’re bringby our staff), we ended last year with a substantial surplus.
ing in to help us transition to year-round pledging. You may
One of the great things about my viewpoint as President-Elect recall hearing that last fall was UUCA’s “last stewardship camis that I can see how all the pieces fit together, so I know that paign” because we are moving to a new stewardship model:
one of the reasons that UUCA is budding right now is because pledges will be assumed to renew year-to-year, and each
the pieces, including those more behind-the-scenes, are fitting pledging unit (family or individual) will get a call to check in at
pretty well. Our Board members work diligently in committees some point during the year. This transition should make stewto connect with the congregation (Congregational Life Com- ardship less stressful and more about personal connection to
mittee), monitor our finances (Finance Committee), ensure that UUCA, but like any major administrative change, it’s bound
our leadership is working within the parameters set by the con- to have its challenges. Bill’s visit will include conversations with
gregation (Planning, Evaluation, and Monitoring Committee), staff, the Generosity Team, the Finance Committee, UUCA Enand keep our rules up to date to serve us well (Bylaws and Gov- dowment Fund officers, several of our ministry teams, as well as
ernance Committee). Your President and President-Elect meet the whole Board. He’ll help us build on the things we do well
weekly with the Senior Minister so we can have a “no surprises” with our financial stewardship of UUCA to transition as smoothly
style of leadership. Talented, committed volunteers lead and as possible. His visit is funded through Growth Initiatives and
participate in all sorts of activities from making music to teaching subsidized by the UUA – our denominational dues at work!
RE to lay ministry, and on and on.
I’m so proud of where UUCA has come, and where it’s going,
But there are ways we can be even better, and the outside help thanks to our wonderful leaders and engaged congregation…
we’re getting to achieve our full potential is a big part of why I and a little help from our friends. What a great time to be stepfeel we’re on the verge of blossoming. We could help the Board ping into the President role!
spend more time thinking strategically and less on administraLike the trees all over Atlanta, UUCA has been budding lately. In
the last year, we’ve had a new crew of staff bringing new energy to congregational life, communications, our building, and
our administration. Our senior minister came back from his 2013
sabbatical raring to go and has ignited essential new teams like
EnterCulture and Building and Grounds. We have a new playground. Our Facilities Study Team has been hard at work all year
leading the congregation in discerning the future of our physical
space. We are building our recognition and relationships in the
larger community with events like Improving Community Police
Relationships in the Wake of Post-Ferguson and Remembering
Selma, Reaffirming Our Call, and building our relationships with
each other through small group ministry workshops and new support groups. And that’s not everything – I could go on!
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
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Spring is in Bloom
R e v. J a n e T h i c k s t u n,
Interim Associate Minister
Ah, Spring! Spring is so
beautiful here in Atlanta! And
it comes so early, compared
to what I’m used to up north.
Daffodils in February! And
March has displayed the
blooming trees, the forsythia
bushes, the lawn grasses and
weeds in all their glory. My
favorite, the dogwood, will
blossom in April.
April is a season of hope.
Spring is in full swing; we
witness the resurrection of the
earth. We have passed the
equinox; it is officially spring,
and we have more hours of
daylight than of darkness.
We will celebrate Easter,
celebrating the triumph of
the human spirit, of life over
death, of hope over despair.
We will celebrate Earth Day,
celebrating our kinship with all
of life and our humble place
within the whole.
way of nature. Life is transient;
something must die that new
life may be born. These
beautiful blossoms bloom
because the soil that nurtures
them contains the death of
previous season’s life. There
is no true joy without the
recognition of loss. The pain
is part of the happiness. That’s
the deal.
And that’s the message of
Easter, and of Spring. This
April, may you find the joy in
your life. No matter what loss,
what pain, what struggles
you may be dealing with,
may you take the time to look
around and enjoy the beauty
that is all around us here in
this season. May you find
hope in the blossoms, and in
the blossoming of love in your
heart.
I was with a friend recently,
In faith,
whose mother was just
Rev. Jane
diagnosed with a terminal
illness and whose daughter
has just become pregnant
with his first grandchild. Death
and new life, grief and joy, are
intertwined in his life right now.
Of course, that is the
UUCA Celebrates National Volunteer Week
Join us on the start of National Volunteer Week, Sunday, April 12th for a Leadership Development
& Volunteer Celebration! UUCA will be honoring its committed volunteers, leaders, and those who
have committed their time and service to make a difference at UUCA. We will be serving finger
foods and other treats, Rev. Makar will speak, and you’ll learn more about the City, the new UUCA
Volunteer Manual, and other leadership tips and tricks. Anyone who has worked to build our
beloved community is welcome to attend. To get your invitation, please contact Jessica Seales,
Director of Congregational Life, at 404-634-5134 ext 211 or [email protected]. We hope to
see you there!
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Whoever you are, whatever path you are on, you are welcome here.
Jivin’ With Jonathan: “Running as a Spiritual Practice”
J o n a t h a n R o g e r s, U U C A Y o u t h P r o g r a m s C o o r d i n a t o r
When I decided to become a minister and attend divinity school, one of the reasons was that I wanted to
deepen my own spiritual practices. Although being a student at a pluralistic institution exposed me to many
new practices, it actually made it harder to keep up my own pre-existing routine. The time stress of studying,
working and training to be a minister made it harder to devote as much time as I wanted to my personal
spiritual maturation, but it made me focus that much harder on what was important to me. I found that
running was the most important spiritual practice for me to prioritize in terms of staying physically, mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually healthy. I have been running every other day for the last five years, and I start to
get antsy if I postpone even one day.
Lately I’ve begun to see on Facebook a number of UUCA folks sharing about their walking, running or other
exercise routines, sometimes including multiple members going together. The book “Born To Run” by Christopher McDougall presents the idea that humans evolved to hunt on the run, as part of their tribal activities,
and that running or exercising as part of a group is an important part of being in human community. Whatever any one person’s preference may be for keeping themselves healthy, I am glad that we have groups
of congregants at UUCA gathering to exercise together, build community, and promote physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual health. Anyone who has tried to keep up during a game of “Shuffle Your Buns” knows
we have quite the active group of teens here, too. May we all begin spring healthy and well, and may we
find our paths to all forms of wellness deepened by our church community!
Michelle’s Musings: “Death Personified”
Michelle Bishop, UUCA Children’s Programs Coordinator
One of my favorite authors, Sir Terry Pratchett, died recently. The loss of him in our world, saddens
me as a person, as a reader, and as a Universalist. As a person and reader, I am saddened that the
world will not get to experience further the ramblings of his wit and his imagination. At least as a
reader, I console myself that there are something like 40 books in his Discworld series, and that I can
re-read them to my hearts delight.
Although, I have no idea how Sir Terry personally identified in the context of religion, in reading his
stories came my first introduction to a form of universal salvation. Of course, if you are familiar with his
writing then you know, that nothing is quite that easy. This salvation comes in the character of Death
whose personality is slightly sardonic, slightly caring, with a pinch of all-knowingness. The reader is
informed that each person who dies is taken to the afterlife they expect to go to. Bad people who
expect to go to heaven do, Vikings who expect to go to Valhalla do, even good people who expect to go to hell do. The reader is shown, even when the characters in the story are not, how Death
feels about the waste of spending eternity in less than ideal circumstances.
As a person whose beliefs (even at the time I started reading these books) leant toward Universalism
anyway, this idea of being able to choose where we go after death really struck me as possible. All
we need to do now, is convince everyone in the world that they deserve to go to heaven.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
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Interweave: LGBTQ & Allies at UUCA
Joetta Prost
Interweave is the community of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersexed,
and Queer (LGBTQIQ) persons and Allies within UUCA.
Interweave is looking ahead to the upcoming Supreme Court ruling (anticipated in June 2015).
Watch the listserv for a meeting to discuss how UUCA can support couples who want to marry
in Georgia. If you are interested in helping with this planning, please send an email to Joetta at
[email protected].
Here are five ways to learn more about Interweave:
• Join us for lunch on Sunday April 19 after second
service(around 12:45 or
1:00) at Thai Chili http://
www.thaichilicuisine.com/
located at 2169 Briarcliff
Road NE, Atlanta, GA
30329.
• Look for the Interweave
table in the Social Hall on
Sunday mornings - we’ll
be there at least monthly.
• Send an email to [email protected].
• Join the Interweave email list
(also called a listserv) which
is used to distribute information about activities and topics of interest. Join at http://
groups.yahoo.com/group/
UUCA_Interweave Note: you
will need to log in to your Yahoo account or create one if
you don’t use Yahoo. Then
indicate that you want to join
the Interweave UUCA group.
Once you are in the Yahoo
group, you may edit your account to receive messages
via your preferred email address (gmail, att.net, etc.).
• Join the UUCA Interweave
Facebook page - https://
www.facebook.com/
groups/uuca.interweave/.
For more information,
contact interweave@uuca.
org.
Our Caring Community
Our love and sympathy go to these congregants who have lost loved ones this year:
Ardene Whittlesey’s mother died New Year’s Eve.
Long-time member Ruth Sanford died in late January.
Kathy Shell’s and Joetta Prost’s brother-in-law died in late January.
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Whoever you are, whatever path you are on, you are welcome here.
Soul Seeds: April 2015
May the flowers remind us. Certainly one of the things we
are reminded of is how beautiful Atlanta is in the spring.
One UUCA member puts it this way: “The dogwoods,
azaleas, forsythia, and Bradford pear blossoms that pop
open in March and April take one’s breath away.” (Not
just because of all the pollen in the air, I hope!) And you
may agree with her when she goes on to say that, in this
rebirth of nature all around us, we have the true and deep
meaning of Easter: “that which was dead has come back
to life!”
a meal with the wrong kind of people—you became
impure, you became a sinner. Same thing happened if
you were a tax collector or a shepherd or a homosexual
or a woman—you could be a morally good person, but
because you belonged to the “wrong” kind of social
group, you were impure, you were a sinner. There it was.
And it was the duty of all religiously faithful people to stay
away from them. Don’t consort with sinners. Don’t share a
meal with them. Stay away.
So Jesus would not stay away from the impure. Jesus would not
stay away from sinners. When Jesus saw the tax collector Levi, Jesus
said, “Come follow me.” How could he not say this? Jesus would
eat with this man, and he would eat with others who were judged
by the purity laws of the day to be sinners and impure. We see Jesus
doing this again and again in the Christian gospels. The Jesus of
history, spreading a welcome table that was all-embracing and
all-inclusive, because he believed that if heaven was ever going to
come to earth, that’s what it would look like. People in all diversity
and difference, gathered by a spirit of love to sit at the beloved
community of the welcome table. It is just as the apostle Paul
May the flowers remind us. For myself, the flowers remind
would say years later, in Galatians Chapter 3: “There is neither Jew
me of the great religious prophet from Nazareth—his
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor
radically inclusive social and spiritual vision. Luke Chapter female” before God. I would also add this: that there is neither black
5 illustrates this in the following way. The passage reads,
nor white nor brown. There is neither gay nor straight. There is neither
“Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting Democrat nor Republican. There is neither Christian nor Buddhist.
at the tax office, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ So Levi
There is neither atheist nor theist. Each and every one belongs to the
left everything, and rose and followed him. Levi made him welcome table. Each and every one is precious and belongs.
a great feast in his house; and there was a large company
of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them.
And I wish I could say that people got the message. I wish I
But the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his
could say that. But purity laws of one kind or another still operate
disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat with tax collectors and among us, dividing us from each other, creating resentments and
sinners?’ And Jesus answered them, saying, ‘Go and learn estrangements between different religions and different races,
what this means, ‘I desire compassion and not sacrifice.’
different classes and different sexual orientations and so many other
For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
differences…..
May the flowers remind us. Another UUCA member told
me that, when she was at the Holocaust Museum in
Washington, as well as Yad Vashem and Dachau, and she
witnessed the hatred and destruction that humans had
inflicted on each other during World War II and continue
to inflict on each other, she thought about our Flower
Celebration. She thought about how its message of finding
life and beauty in the midst of destruction is so very, very
special.
What’s happening in this passage is truly amazing, but to
see it, we need some background information. One of the
several religious groups in Jesus’ time was the Pharisees,
and the religion of the Pharisees and their scribes revolved
around purity laws covering every aspect of life, great
and small. Break a purity law, and not only did this make
you a sinner and put you at odds with the community, it
put you at odds with God. Break a religious rule, and you
became impure. Belong to a certain kind of social group,
and you were by definition impure. The thing to remember
here, above all, which is going to sound strange to our
ears today, is that back then you just didn’t automatically
equate being a morally bad person with being a sinner.
You could be a morally good person, but if you broke
a religious rule—like you took too long a walk on the
Sabbath, or you didn’t observe the ritual washings before
eating, or you touched the sick or the dead, or you shared
So we need reminding. We need to be reminded that there is a
better way.
So may the flowers remind us. Not just about the rebirth of nature in
springtime. Not just about the beauty and grace of this world even
as we face the injustices of the past and of the present. But also
about welcome table vision of radical hospitality and inclusivity
which Jesus of Nazareth preached so long ago and gave his life to.
Easter Sunday, April 5, UUCA will observe its annual Flower
Celebration during the 9:30am and 11:15am services. Come and
be reminded of good things. Come and be inspired. Bring a friend,
bring your family.
And don’t forget to bring a flower!
Love and courage,
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
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Intertwined: Art Reception
April 11, 2:00-4:00PM
The UUCA Gallery is proud to host Intertwined: Contemporary Southeastern Fiber Art from March 25 to April
20. This two-part exhibition includes a competition juried by Dot Moye and an invitational segment honoring
fiber artists who have been instrumental in the growth and development of the Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance
(SEFAA). This exhibition will showcase a wide range of content, materials and techniques with common
threads of craftsmanship and passion. The Southeast has maintained a long-standing fiber arts tradition.
New interpretations build on this foundation through the guilds, workshops and art centers such as SEFAA.
Intertwined is a traveling exhibition which marks SEFAA’s 5th anniversary. It will be shown at Hudgen’s
Center, Lamar Arts in Barnesville, Albany Museum, and the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta. We are
honored to have a reception here at UUCA on Saturday, April 11, from 2 to 4 pm. Everyone is welcome to
attend and view this stunning, imaginative show.
North Georgia UU Social Justice Cluster
Eleven members of our congregation attended the quarterly meeting of the North Georgia UU Social Justice Action Cluster (NGUUSJAC) held at UUCA January 24. Highlights of the meeting are below.
The Cluster reviewed a draft of a common position on firearms and each congregation was asked to post
their policy on the group’s Facebook page. Participants also agreed that each congregation needs procedures for handling violence and/or disruptions inside sanctuaries.
A Dropbox link has been established to hold pictures reflecting each congregations social justice actions.
The Cluster heard of the upcoming bills in the Georgia legislature relating to law enforcement and grand
jury reform, and sex traffic and explotation. Information on immigration reform and religious rights bills was
shared.
The Cluster formally agreed to become a partner of the Moral Monday Coalition. Moral Monday representatives asked the attendees to share with their congregation the need for financial assistance for the Selma
march anniversary.
An invitation was issued to UUs to participate in the 125th Memorial Ceremony of the Massacre at Wounded
Knee to be held in December 2015.
The group agreed to elect a facilitator and co-facilitator for one year terms. The next meeting will be Saturday, April 25, 10:00am-1:00pm at the UU Fellowship of Athens. All interested UUs are invited to attend.
Please contact Mary Crawley, [email protected], for more information.
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Whoever you are, whatever path you are on, you are welcome here.
Ens & Outs Invitation and Activities
Ens & Outs, UUCA’s Environmental and
Outings group, was formed over 30
years ago by a group of UUCA early
environmentalists who wanted to
hike together and is well known and
respected by the GA environmental
community.
Apr. 18 Chickaumanga Creek
Wildflower Hike
This is a 6 mile moderate hike through the
woods and next to two creeks. This trail is
known for its spring wildflowers. For more information contact GWEN BERGEN at [email protected] (preferred) or 301-434-1652.
For information regarding Ens & Outs,
please contact Sally Joerger (saj60@
mindspring.com). To be on the Yahoo
email list contact David Dusenbery
([email protected]). COME
JOIN US! ALL ARE WELCOME!
Apr. 4-5 Table Rock/ Clemson
Outdoor Weekend
Cynthia Warner is hosting this wonderful
weekend of hiking at Table Rock, evening
potluck picnic at Clemson Outdoor Center
Sat. & Arts Festival on Sunday. You can sign
up for just the DAY HIKE at Table Rock, OR for
the entire WEEKEND of events.
To SIGN UP, CONTACT SHARON at: sharonworsham@yahoo,com, as soon as possible
for details on weekend overnight reservations, or no later than Mon. March 30 to
SIGN UP for Sat. hiking and evening potluck.
Apr. 25 State Botanical Gardens,
Athens
Explore the beautiful spring blooms and na-
Apr. 11 Oconee Wildflower & tive plant trail with ANNIE ARCHBOLD. Leave
Waterfall Hike
from UUCA parking lot at 9AM. May visit na-
The first is a short, easy walk in an area full tive plant nurseries in the area as well.
of spring ephemerals. Then we’ll head out
Yellow Branch Falls-a waterfall with a “10+” For more information and to sign up contact
rating-- a moderate 1.3 hike in to a falls. This Annie at [email protected].
short description doesn’t even begin to tell
of the beauty of the area. We’ll plan to eat
dinner out together after the days hiking.
For more information and to sign up contact SALLY JOERGER, saj60@mindspring.
com or 404-929-9221.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
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Thank You, Ruth, For 35 Years!
Ruth Gogel has held the position of Chair of the
UUCA Art Committee for 35 years, promoting
Southeastern artists.
For eleven shows a year, for those 35 years, she
has searched out Southern artists, reviewed their
work, and determined if the paintings, sculpture,
jewelry, fiber art, photographs and other visual
offerings would be a good fit for our gallery space
and up to Ruth’s discerning standards.
With Ruth’s commitment to the arts and her
church, our walls have come alive and fed our
spirit.
Please join us after the second service on April 26
for a reception in her honor.
Upcoming Events & Activities
March 1 - May 31 - General Assembly
Registration
Mark your calendar and consider attending
the Unitarian Universalist Association General
Assembly, which will take place June 2428 in Portland, Oregon. This is the yearly
gathering of UUs where the business of the
Association takes place. There are many
great workshops, worship experiences,
opportunity for social justice activities, and
reconnecting with old friends. The theme
for GA 2015 is “Building a New Way.” Housing
reservations open March 1 (it’s wise to book
early) and general program registration can
be made March 1 through May 31 without a
late fee. For more information and updates
go to http://www.uua.org/ga/.
March 29 & April 5 - Easter Sock Tree
It’s Spring!!!! Time for our annual Easter Sock
Tree. Please bring socks, pants, and toilet
articles to decorate the trees in the social hall
Sundays, March 29, and April 5. The colorful
underwear and soaps, tooth brushes, tooth
paste, shampoo, powder, hand creams, etc
will brighten the springtime for the women
and children at the shelters for the Partnership
Against Domestic Violence.
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April 2 - Men’s Fellowship
The Men’s Fellowship will meet Thursday, April
2nd, at UUCA in Room 216 from 7-9 pm. After
“Checking-in” with each other, there will follow
personal and group exploration, sharing,
reflection and discussion. All men are welcome.
Contact Sven Lovegren at solovegren@yahoo.
com for more information.
April 4 - Passover Seder
Passover Seder - Sat, April 4, 2015 at 6:00 pm.
Come enjoy the festive family-style seder meal
and service complete with singing, worship
and fellowship! Tickets are Adults $7, Children
$4, Family max, $17. Bring a side dish to share
and save $1/person on your tickets. Don’t miss
this annual event for all ages! Sponsored
by L’Chaim (Jewish Celebrations & Awareness
Group).
April 16 - Third Thursday Cinema
Shadows of Liberty
Shadows of Liberty reveals the extraordinary
truth behind the news media: censorship,
cover-ups and corporate control. Filmmaker
Jean-Philippe Tremblay takes an intrepid
journey through the darker corridors of the
American media landscape, where global
conglomerates call the shots. For decades,
their overwhelming influence has distorted
news journalism and compromised its values.
Whoever you are, whatever path you are on, you are welcome here.
May 3 - Floralia Dinner on the Farm: Spring
Benefit for UUCA
On Sunday, May 3, 2015 Gaia Gardens/Love
is Love Farm and UUCA invite you to join us for
the Floralia Dinner on the Farm to celebrate
and benefit the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of Atlanta. The dinner is named
Floralia after the festival for the Roman
goddess of flowers, vegetation, and fertility.
Nature will be in bloom when guests arrive at
4pm and are greeted by a cocktail reception,
followed by a tour with Farmer Joe Reynolds.
Dinner will be outside along the gardens
on grass and gravel. This night will be a
4-course meditation on the farm and season
interpreted into deliciousness by celebrity
Chef Philip Meeker formerly of Kimball
House. Chef Meeker believes in nourishing
cuisine that supports a holistic lifestyle and
will be preparing courses that will captivate
omnivores and vegetarians alike. Wine will
also be paired. (Must be 21 years+ to attend.)
All proceeds will benefit UUCA’s Operating
Budget.
Upcoming Sunday Services
UUCA’s worship services are organized around monthly spiritual themes that play a
significant part in the development of a well-grounded religious and spiritual life. Seriously
engaging them and other similar religious/theological themes could change your life!
All the sermons in April explore the issue of “Faith” from a unique angle. Additional
resources for exploration are available on the UUCA website HERE in the form of the
Touchstone Journal. Each Touchstone Journal offers:
1. Introduction to the theme
2. A wisdom story for all ages
3. In-depth theological reflection
4. “Family Matters” section for use by parents and religious educators
5. Small group discussion guide
6. “Readings from the Common Bowl” (a quotation on the theme for each day of the
month)
7. Contemplations (a guide to go deeper and an invitation to receive a brief reading three
days a week)
At UUCA, we are committed to the spiritual growth of people of all ages. Whoever you are,
whatever path you are on, you are welcome here!
Sunday, April 5, 2015
“Easter Sunrise Service”
Rev. Anthony Makar
This special service from 7:30-8:30am
draws from our Unitarian Universalist
source tradition of liberal Christianity.
Celebrate Easter through beautiful
readings, music, and a classic Communion service.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
“Easter Sunday”
Rev. Anthony Makar
Sunday, April 12 2015
“Robert Fulghum’s Faith”
Rev. Anthony Makar
Sunday, April 19, 2015
“UU Faith”
Rev. Jane Thickstun
We’ll explore the concept of faith – what
does it mean for a Unitarian Universalist
to have faith? Faith in what? What does it
mean to talk about Unitarian Universalism
as a faith?
Sunday,April 26 2015
“How Do I Know I am
Growing?”
Rev. Anthony Makar
As Unitarian Universalists, we know that
the journey of faith is a lifelong one,
and there is never a point where we’ve
“arrived.” Nevertheless, it makes perfect
sense to wonder if we are growing. What
are some things we can look for in our
lives as evidence that we’re becoming
more mature in our faith?
Published in 1988, All I Really Needed to
Know I Learned in Kindergarten stayed
on the New York Times bestseller lists for
nearly two years and established the author, Unitarian Universalist minister Robert
Fulghum, as one of America’s most beloved homespun philosophers. Almost 30
years later, and many books later, it’s a
good time to pause and ask about this
influential UU minister, “What’s his faith all
about?”
All ages are welcome in this beautiful service featuring an inspiring message about what Easter can mean
to Unitarian Universalists. We will also
have our beloved annual Flower Celebration. Please bring a flower to exchange during the service.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
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Ministerial Staff
Rev. Anthony David Makar, Senior Minister
Rev. Jane Thickstun, Interim Associate Minister
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Minister Emeritus
Rev. Dr. Eugene Pickett, Minister Emeritus
Program Staff
Jessica Seales, Director of Congregational Life
Sonya Tinsley Hook, Fun & Fellowship Coordinator,
Michelle Bishop, Children’s Programs Coordinator,
Rev. Jonathan Rogers, Youth Programs Coordinator,
Donald Milton III, Director of Music
Travis Vaughn III, Assistant Director of Music
Publication Deadlines
Newsletter: Deadline for submissions is at 5pm the third
Sunday of the month prior to publication. Send submissions
to [email protected]. Editors reserve the right to edit
submissions for consistency, clarity, and length.
The Weekly Update: Weekly Update submissions are due
Tuesdays at 5pm. Send submissions to weeklyupdate@uuca.
org. Submissions to the Weekly Update are incorporated
into the UUCA website and Facebook page as appropriate.
Administrative Staff
Karen Roy, Director of Administration
Tiffany Kindred , Marketing & Communications Specialist
Travis Vaughn III, Office Administrator
Jude Peters, Facilities Administrator
Bo Gaiason & Dan Moore, Building Attendants
Board of Trustees ([email protected])
June Lester, President
Amelia Shenstone, President-elect
Grier Page, Finance Trustee
Christian Harden
Cindy Hoffner
Howard Lewis
Melissa Marion-Landais
Karen Martin
Bill Mengel
Laura Murvartian
Marie Palena
Erin Stanfill
Should you have any questions,
please contact contact us
404-634-5134
uuca.org | facebook.com/UUCAtl | @UUCA
The UUCA Office is staffed by an office volunteer at the
reception desk Monday — Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. Office
hours for individual staff varies.
Universalist Unitarian Church of Atlanta
1911 Cliff Valley Way, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
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Whoever you are, whatever path you are on, you are welcome here.