Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens Tapestry November 2016 Board of Trustees Fellowship Lee Cornell Okland Partner Church Minister & Family Visit [email protected] Barbara Teskey [email protected] Rich Rayburn [email protected] Come greet and meet the Reverend Levente Kelemen, his wife Eva, and their younger son, Tas, during their visit from November 9 through 14. Roger Bailey Member-at-large Carol-Lee Baker Member-at-Large Linda Gilbert Member-at-Large Fabiana Hayden Member-at-Large Liz Weaver Member-at-Large Rosemary Wood Member-at-Large Lay Ministers Fun & Fellowship: Ange Kahn [email protected] Connections: Michelle Leebens-Mack [email protected] Justice: Karen Solheim As events and activities are scheduled they will be added to this page online: http://uuathensga.org/events/okland-visitors/ or contact the office. We hope to have a potluck dinner, Forum discussion, and Sunday service opportunities to hear from our partner church guests. November 11 Youth Fun Friday Youth in grades 5 and up are invited to meet up for a fun evening out at the Rush Trampoline jumping center, followed by a dinner together for an evening filled with fellowship and fun with Tas from the visiting family of our beloved partner church in Okland, Transylvania. RSVP to Morgan by Wednesday, November 9. All parents must complete the Rush Waiver an a UUFA Youth Permission Form in advance. November 12 All Fellowship Potluck UUFA folks are invited to socialize with our guests and each other from 6-9 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Let’s show the Kelemens good Southern hospitality and provide them with some great food! Bring your favorite dish to share. Please RSVP with Michelle Leebens-Mack at [email protected]. November 13 Q & A with the Kelemens Join us for this unique opportunity to engage in conversation with the minister of our partner church in Okland, Romania, as he and his family are in Athens. Bring your questions. Share your thoughts. [email protected] Stewardship: Herb West [email protected] Lifespan Development: Aleta Turner & Vivian Sellers [email protected] [email protected] Spiritual Arts: Myrna Adams West [email protected] Get your jingle bells on and come on out for a day of holiday merriment! Children and adults will have the opportunity to make and wrap as many as 10 different gifts to give to loved ones with pride in a festive 9 am-12 pm, Fellowship Hall atmosphere, and we may even get a visit from Santa! Saturday, December 10 There will be volunteer elves to help children so parents can sip cider and mingle with each other, or drop off children ages 7 and up to run errands if permission form is on file. An adult must enter the building on drop off and pick up to sign in and out. A suggested donation of $3-5 helps offset costs. Advance sign ups are recommended, as we will limit participation to 40 gift-makers. Find registration forms online or as sign up sheets at UUFA. Nifty Gifty PAGE 2 T A PE STRY Sunday Worship Theme for the month – Reconstruction November 6 – The Creative Destruction of a Mother Goddess How might a Hindu Mother Goddess wield destruction as a positive force for creation in our lives? Service led by Rev. Alison Eskildsen with a guest jazz ensemble. November 13 – Getting Past Election Politics As we recover from the elections we welcome Rev. Levente Kelemen, minister of our partner church in Oklánd, Romania, and his family. Service includes Rev. Alison Eskildsen and the Chalice Choir. November 20 – The Little Boy Rev. Mark MorrisonReed, guest minister, leads a service about obstacles he has encountered that led him to social activism. Special music by UUFA’s You Band. November 27 – Finding Our Way *ONE SERVICE AT 11 am ONLY (due to the holiday weekend) Theseus held onto a thread to find his way out from the cave. Do UUs have such a guide? Service led by the Religious Education Children & Youth November 6 – Children’s Worship Service (CWS) Children & youth begin in the sanctuary, then dismiss to the Rainbow Room for our monthly 1st Sunday Children’s Worship Service (CWS). This Sunday, RE Chair Liz Weaver introduces the monthly congregational theme of awareness. In combination with this year's 7th principle nature connection program in elementary classes, the CWS will include fun sensory activities about "Awareness in Nature.” Children's Music Leader Chris Hayden will lead theme-related songs. Youth in grades 6-12 are encouraged to sign up for leadership roles by contacting Morgan. ONE Service at 11 am. Reverend Alison Eskildsen with the Chalice Choir. Worship begins with everyone in the sanctuary for the first 20 minutes or so as we share a welcome, light our congregational chalice, sing a hymn, and experience a storytelling or brief conversation. Children and teachers are recessed from the sanctuary by congregational singing. Children and teachers go to their classrooms or to a special children’s worship in the Fellowship Hall. Parents are welcome to accompany their children if they wish. Remaining adults hear a sermon, special music, sing, meditate or pray, and share brief joys and sorrows within the community on most Sundays. For more on UUFA’s worship services, visit the Spiritual Arts page at www.uuathensga.org. Cause of the Month Cause of the Month Conversation Linda Lloyd, Exec. Dir. Of Economic Justice Coalition (EJC) November 6 10 am Fellowship Hall During worship services, an offering is collected for UUFA's Social Action 'Cause of the Month'. This month the offering is shared with the Economic Justice Coalition. For more on this program and UUFA's Share the Plate initiative, click here. Community Forum Nov. 20 November 13 – Chalice Children~ Habitats; Seekers~ A Miracle Inside; Youth ~ Youth Group Meeting, 1112:30 pm End of Live Decision Making with Dr.Toni Miles November 20 – All-Ages Worship Service There are no religious education classes during All-Ages Worship Services, but childcare is available as needed. There will be opportunities for children and youth to participate in the worship service. Please let Morgan know if your child would like a role. Many caregivers find themselves in the position of being asked to act as a surrogate decision maker. How do they feel about this role in the lives of persons under their care? Since July of this year, we have interviewed more than 30 residents, families and staff in nursing homes. Each speaker gives an eyewitness account of the experience with their loved one's dying process. Under these circumstances, caregivers express an unmet need for bereavement care for themselves. I have learned a lot from this frank and open discussion of palliative care, Advanced Directives and the Physicians Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST). November 27 – RE Classes: Chalice Children~ Life Giv- ing Plants Seekers~ Miracles We Can Make; Youth ~ Youth Group Meeting, 12:30-2:00 T A P E ST R Y PAGE 3 Spiritual Arts Goddess Group & Writing as Spiritual Practice On November 20, the Goddess Group will hold a workshop/presentation on aromatherapy with opportunity for members to make their own intuitive blends. Barbara McLaughlin will facilitate this gathering in the Fellowship Hall from 1:30-3:30 pm. 5. Have you ever reconstructed some aspect of your life? How? Why? When? What? Reservations for the Twelfth Annual Holiday Tea with the Goddess are now open. This annual event is held at Myrna’s home, so space is limited. Please email Myrna ([email protected]) if you would like to make a reservation. 7. When have you reconstructed something in your own life by looking at it differently? Explain. For inspiration, email Myrna for a copy of “Before the Solstice,” by Patricia Nerison. We will continue the study of the Rise Up & Call Her Name curriculum from Women & Religion on third Sundays, January through July of 2017. Stay tuned for more information. To learn more about the Goddess Group, visit our web page at http://uuathensga.org/spiritualarts/goddess-group/ or contact Myrna Adams West, the Lay Minister for Spiritual Arts, at [email protected]. Writing as Spiritual Practice Writing as Spiritual Practice will meet Sunday, November 6 at 9:00 am in the sofa room behind the sanctuary. To find out more about this Stepping Stone, go to http://uuathensga.org/education/adult-education/writingas-spiritual-practice/, or contact Myrna Adams West, the Lay Minister for Spiritual Arts at [email protected]. Below are some suggested prompts for writing on the November theme of “Reconstruction.” Everyone is welcome. Choose one or more of the following or make up your own assignment: 1. List all the possible meanings of “reconstruction” that you can think of. Choose one and define it by using examples from your own or someone else’s life. 2. Does destruction necessarily precede reconstruction? Why or why not? 3. What in your life needs to be reconstructed? What do you need to let go of in order for that to happen? Explain. 4. Is “reconstruction” the same as “transformation”? Why or why not? See the excerpt from Brenda Miller’s essay (Email Myrna for a copy.) for inspiration. 6. If you could reconstruct some aspect of “western civilization” what would that be? Why? How? 8. Nature is of dual nature (pun intended). It both destroys and, having destroyed, reconstructs. Describe an example of this dual nature in your own life, either of your own nature or of Mother Nature. For inspiration, email Myrna for a copy of Randy Minnich’s “Acorns." There are three inspirational pieces for this assignment: an excerpt of an essay by Brenda Miller; “Before the Solstice,” by Patricia Nerison; and "Acorns" by Randy Minnich. If you would like a copy, please email Myrna at the address below. For more information or for copies of inspirational pieces for this assignment, contact Myrna at [email protected]. --------------------------------------------------------------- UUFA in the Community: “Voices of Memoir” Nov. 13 3 pm @ ACC Library LIVE at the LIBRARY – YOU’RE INVITED to hear UUFA members Roger Bailey, Caryl Sundland, Nancy MacNair, John Blelye, Rosemary Woodel, and Chip McDaniel, and other Athens community members reading at “Voices of Memoir” Sun. Nov. 13, 3 pm. Reception and memorabilia table will be held immediately following. T A P E ST R Y Get FREE (Food Responsibility and Enjoyable Eating) November 9 The FREE (Food Responsibility and Enjoyable Eating) group will be serving our first 2016-17 monthly dinner on Wednesday, November 9, at 6:30pm in the UUFA Fellowship Hall. Suggested donation is $6 - $12 per adult (which does not cover wine) and $4.00 per child. November's menu: chili and cornbread. The suggested donation has been increased this program year so that FREE can contribute a local, in-season for the monthly meal UUFA provides for Our Daily Bread. Please sign up by Sunday, November 6, on the sheet posted in the Fellowship Hall on the justice board or email Kate Blane ([email protected] ). PAGE 4 Music Ministry Putting it Together Sometimes we have to take things apart to put them together. Whenever the drum circle or choir begins learning a challenging piece of music, we break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. By dismantling something that seems so difficult and overwhelming, we can begin to understand it, appreciate it, and finally make music! There are many ways to experience music at UUFA -and beyond- this month. Come hear our choir and other musicians at the 2016 Justice Fest on Saturday, Nov. 5th at UUFA. Hear Crystal's recital on Tuesday, November 15th, 3:30-4:30 at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music (Ramsey Concert Hall). Come drum with drummers from the Athens community on Friday, Nov. 18th at 5:30pm in front of the Athens Library. Take part in an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 20th at 4:30 pm at First Baptist Church. Come join in the fun! In the Spotlight Peggy & Bill Horton Congratulations to Peggy and Bill Horton, our November volunteers being recognized in the Volunteer Recognition Team's Spotlight Series. Peggy and Bill Horton's volunteering reaches beyond the walls of the Fellowship. The guests of both Our Daily Bread and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Athens have benefited from the Hortons' friendly assistance. In addition to Peggy's scheduling ODB volunteers for several years, the couple has also served the third Friday lunches. And they can often be found welcoming IHNA guests to the organization's Hancock Ave. location on Sunday afternoons. To nominate a UUFA member or friend you feel is making a difference in the Fellowship, just follow this survey link to let the Volunteer Recognition Team know about your nominee or mail or call the office. Fun & Fellowship Second Lookers Meets November 8 Second Lookers Are you a Second Looker, retired from your job but not from life? Let’s meet for lunch, conversation, and laughter. Hope you will come -all are welcome. Bring a sack lunch; drinks will be provided. If you need a ride or can provide a ride, please contact Sally Randall (706-769-7540). Second Lookers meeting for Tuesday, November 8 will be at UUFA in the Fellowship Hall. Come celebrate our friendships and be ready to laugh a lot! If you need a ride or more complete directions call Hester at 706-548-4182 or Sally at 706-769-6540. T A P E ST R Y PAGE 5 Holiday Benevolence Market December 3 Tired of buying sweaters for uncles who will never wear them? Do you need something to bring a sparkle to your sister’s eye? Then please join us for the annual Benevolence Market, which will be held this year on December 3 at First Presbyterian Church of Athens, 185 E. Hancock Ave, from Noon to 2 pm in the Fellowship Hall. UUFA’s choir will sing again this year at 1:30 pm. excellent holiday shopping as well as supports local efforts to make Northeast Georgia a better, more welcoming place. The Benevolence Market offers an alternative holiday giving experience where shoppers buy symbolic gifts. No sweaters here, but you can purchase food and shelter for a homeless cat from the Athens Area Humane Society or a box of nails from the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity and help a family make a new start in their own home. Questions? Please contact First Presbyterian coordinator, Rev. Margaret Davis, (706-5434338 ), at UUFA Pat Adams ([email protected]) or Heather Kleiner ([email protected]). Thank you for your support! Whatever your passion, more than 30 local agencies will be represented. The Benevolence Market offers Nifty Gifty Elves Elves are needed for our holiday gift-making extravaganza. We’ll need craft-helpers, giftwrappers, set-up elves, clean-up elves, kitchen elves, and more. Look for sign up sheets around the Fellowship or contact Morgan ([email protected]), The Market is supported by local congregations and is an ecumenical effort. Live music and a light lunch (donations in support of FPC’s youth mission projects gladly accepted!) will be provided. Shopping lists will be available in the foyer at UUFA two Sundays before the market, and of course, on site on Dec. 3. New to UU Orientation Join UUFA leaders on Saturday, Dec. 3rd, 8 am — 12:30 pm. This class is for UUFA newcomers who wish to learn more about UUFA and Unitarian Universalism. The history and development of Unitarian Universalism and the founding of UUFA will be covered, as well as information about programs, activities and services. The class will begin with a light continental breakfast and end by noon. Child care can be arranged with advance notice. For more information, contact the Fellowship office ([email protected], 706-546-7914) or Larry Dendy, chair of the Membership Committee ([email protected], 706-546-0431). Recent Deaths in the UUFA family Alex J. Bergins Alex passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2016 around 2 pm. There will be a jazz concert and refreshments on a weekend afternoon sometime in the near future. Laura Conroy With great sadness, please note that Laura Conroy died recently. Laura was a child of the Fellowship who once assisted in the Nursery. An instructor at Canopy Trapeze Studio, Laura spearheaded a program to bring in and teach scholarship-funded classes to members of our Spanish-speaking community. It is requested that instead of flowers, financial contributions be made to The Laura Conroy Memorial Fund to help Canopy carry on Laura's mission, and make this program the success she envisioned. The Conroy family shares that Laura's suicide was not premeditated, but the result of a rash impulse brought on because of a sudden, destabilizing hypoglycemic condition. Canopy Studio will host a community celebration to remember the life of Laura on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2 pm. TAPESTRY PAGE 6 Governance Get on Board! At its October 11, 2016 meeting, the UUFA Board of Trustees accomplished the following. Discussed: ways in which members of the Board of Trustees can become more visible and available to members of the congregation; and results of the recent Financial Feasibility Study. Took the following actions: to call a Congregational Meeting for November 6 at 12:15 for the purpose of voting on the Capital Campaign and budget goal for the building concept; and to authorize the President to sign the Kiwanis contract. Accepted the following reports and discussed when necessary: Treasurer’s report;Expanding Our Vision report; and Policy & Procedure Manual update. Important Date: Sunday, November 6 – Congregational Meeting, after second service Purpose: to vote on the Capital Campaign and budget for the building concept master plan To read the adopted September 13, 2016, Board minutes, please click HERE – September 13, 2016. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is November 8, 2016, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Comments are invited. You are welcome to attend this meeting, or please share any feedback you have with any Board member. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Teskey Secretary, UUFA Board of Trustees Justice Social Action Committee Be the Change You Want to See in the World! You are invited to become a member of the UUFA Social Action Committee (SAC)! How? Attend our next meeting on November 6 immediately after the Congregational Meeting. Want to know what transpires between SAC meetings? Join the SAC listserv at http://lists.uuathensga.org/listinfo.cgi/social_actionuuathensga.org This listserv will let you know what transpires not only within SAC but also in the local Athens area in terms of social action. Everyone is encouraged to sign up! CAUSE OF THE MONTH: The Cause of the Month Share the Plate for November is the Athens Economic Justice Coalition. On Sunday, November 6, a representative of this organization, will speak about this cause. CANtributions to the ATHENS AREA EMERGENCY FOOD BANK: "We're #3; we're #3? After eight months of competition among the twenty-five area faith communities CANtributing to the Athens Area Emergency Food Bank, UUFA is in THIRD place with our total CANtributions of 1930, only 1437 items out of second place! CAN you CANtribute at least five cans a month? The wicker basket as you enter the sanctuary is willing and able to receive your CANtributions of either nonperishable food items or monetary donations. Tuna, saltines, pork and beans, and green peas are always needed. Not a fan of grocery store shopping but still want to CANtribute? Donate any amount of money (designated as Food Bank), and savvy SAC shoppers will convert your cash or check to cans. CAN YoUUr Birthday! How can you CAN YoUUr Birthday? Whenever you celebrate your birthday, bring enough nonperishable food items to match every year you are celebrating. For example, turning 60? Bring 60 cans! Turning 16? Bring 16 cans. The wicker basket as you enter the sanctuary is willing and able to receive your CANtributions whether you are celebrating your birthday or not! Not a fan of grocery shopping, buy a grocery card (See John Olive) and donate it to the Social Action Committee (SAC), and SAC's savvy shoppers will shop for you. All CANtributions will be donated to the Athens Area Emergency Food Bank. For questions about any SAC initiative, please contact chair David Jarett ([email protected], 706.338.2798). TAPESTRY PAGE 7 Board of Trustees UUFA Theme for November, Reconstruction Reconstruction for us here at UUFA may soon have particular significance in respect to our ongoing plans and actions toward changing our building. Our reconstruction era will center around making changes that will allow for growth both in numbers and in diversity. Diversity in our programs, our outreach, our involvement in the greater community and the welcoming of our greater community to our reconstructed physical structure. We have a lot to look forward to. During this time we will continue to celebrate our diverse backgrounds, enjoy our similarities, value all life, strive for justice and equality, search for truth, be supportive of each other’s growth and remain cohesive within our beloved community. On a larger scale, during this month of November our nation may take steps toward reconstruction. The election will be decided and regardless of who serves as our President, we as a nation have a lot of reconstruction work ahead. Following a particularly divisive election process that has revealed the prevalence of intolerance, racial prejudice and hatred, xenophobia, acceptance of misogynistic attitudes, accepting without question the radical statements that have been made and also the lack of awareness of our democratic process, where do we go from here? I, personally have been shocked and saddened by the extent of hatred that has been expressed by such a large number of our citizens. I’m certain that many others Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Nov. 20 Join Rev. Alison Eskildsen and clergy from the Congregation Children of Israel, Al-Huda Islamic Center, First Presbyterian, and others at the First Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. Members of all sponsoring congregations are invited to attend the service and reception afterwards. And, we encourage attendees to bring food to share for the reception. When: Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, at 4:30 pm Where: First Baptist Church, 355 Pulaski Street, Athens, GA 30601 We hope to see you there! Art in the Foyer http://uuathensga.org/art/ to view a recent talk by the artist. have been also. These attitudes and this hatred have been legitimized and intensified during the campaign. I thought that we had made much greater progress in our attitudes and acceptance. Is it better that we are aware of the extent to which these feelings exist? It’s time for reconstruction of our moral and ethical character. It’s time for national understanding and acceptance of others and the diversity that is such a part of being American. Exactly how this comes about, I have no idea. As an individual, I feel that I can’t do much to make this happen. I can, however, strive to be accepting, understanding, kind, compassionate, and work toward justice and equality in our community. As UUs living our seven principles, we are already active in these regards. We can continue to reach out into our greater community making connections, demonstrating acceptance, and by supporting racial justice and equality. Sharing some personal thoughts, In Fellowship, Carol-Lee Baker Nov. 5 EJC Annual Justice Fest @ UUFA Support UUFA’s Justice Partner, the Athens Economic Justice Coalition (EJC), at the 5th Annual Justice Fest on November 5th from 4-7 pm. “A New Vision for Economic Fairness” an afternoon of music and motivation. Keynote Speaker: Pastor Robert Finch, Human Resources, Director, Athens Regional Hospital, and the Dr. Ray MacNair Lifetime Achievement Awardee: Freedom University Co-Founder, Dr. Pamela Voekel. Reception immediately following the program with heavy hors d’oeuvres. Tickets: $20.00. Get yours today! Call 706-549-1142 or email [email protected] for tickets. The mission of the Economic Justice Coalition to promote a living wage and strong families by providing economic stability. For more information about sponsorships and ads, please contact Lee Smith at 706-2550148 or Linda Lloyd at 706-202-0324. EJC is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit so ALL donations are tax deductible and will be recognized at the event. n i, TAPESTRY PAGE 8 Wondering with AWE A Follow-up on Racial Justice One recent Sunday (October 23) I pressed the issue of our Fellowship supporting greater racial equality. I put that support in the context of Black Lives Matter (BLM). Since then I have heard from a couple of members who are uncomfortable with supporting BLM because it includes some political aspects, as well as some unwelcome elements resulting from the fact that it’s a disorganized movement with no central authority to control or set limits to actions taken in its name. That means people can say or do things under BLM’s umbrella that are not condoned by its founders or all its supporters. That creates problems for those of us who support BLM’s broad goal of racial justice, but not some of its follower’s methods. Because of these concerns, I regret implying that UUFA’s goal should be unconditional support of BLM. I endorse racial equality and I believe when black lives matter, all lives will matter. And, I believe police lives must matter, too. Like our own Athens-Clarke County police chief, I want fewer guns available that put police lives at risk. In focusing on BLM, I don’t want to imply that blacks killing blacks doesn’t matter, either. I think all this violence is tied up together and must end. I continue to encourage UUFA to move towards greater personal understanding of how white privilege impacts all lives, how unconscious bias impacts all lives, and how we may participate in systemic injustice. I continue to encourage UUFA to adopt its own resolution of support for greater racial equality—separate from any specific support of BLM. For me, what’s important is not BLM or hanging a banner. It’s about UUFA maturing in its understanding of race matters, and bending our own personal moral arcs towards greater justice. This work isn’t easy or obvious, but it is vitally important spiritual work because it requires deep self-examination. I appreciate that BLM has given racial justice the motivating UU Fellowship of Athens 780 Timothy Road, Athens, Georgia 30606 706-546-7914 — www.uuathensga.org Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm Other times by appointment. To share news, email [email protected] by noon Thursday each week. For pastoral care concerns, contact Susan Ponsoldt, CARE Program Coordinator, 706-548-4821. energy and visibility it desperately needs, even as I reject some acts done in its name. I support and embrace all members of this Fellowship, whether you want to stand and protest on the streets, write a letter to legislators, read a book, or engage in some other action. I appreciate that even when we disagree, if we listen to each other we learn from each other. It is my hope and prayer that UUFA’s growing awareness of racial inequality is helping to bring about the beloved community we desire. Love must guide me and you as we explore what it truly means to affirm the worth and dignity of all people. I invite you to explore the UUA web pages (http:// www.uua.org/multiculturalism/black-lives-matter) that might shed light on some of our denominational connections and actions around racial justice and with Black Lives Matter movement. UUFA doesn’t need to put up a banner to help bend the arc of justice towards love. But let us continue to live out our Seven Principles in as many ways as we can. Blessings, Alison To submit news items for all publications, written & online, please email [email protected] Rev. Alison Eskildsen, Minister 706-424-9449 (c), [email protected] Rev. Dr. Don Randall, Community Minister 706-353-0709, [email protected] Amber Fetner, Music Director [email protected] Shaye Gambrell, Congregational Administrator [email protected], [email protected] Morgan Watson, R.E. Director [email protected] Crystal Wu, Pianist, [email protected]
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