From liz.siemers at washburn.edu Mon Jan 24 18:12:11 2005 From: liz.siemers at washburn.edu (Liz Siemers) Date: Mon Jan 24 18:12:31 2005 Subject: [Beacon-text] February Message-ID: <41F572BB.E5BA27D0@washburn.edu> A Month of Sundays . . . February 6 ? Pulpit Exchange with the Rev. Paul Evans of MCC February 13 ? Hugs and Quiches XX In the Company of Others. Join Janine Silsby and Bob McDaneld as they ponder the relationships that make each of us whole. Those of us who believe, "no man is an island", are always wishing to create, and sustain, the tenuous bonds which hold us together. As always, this ensemble program will include music, personal relationships, essays and poetry. There will, of course, be an opportunity for congregational reflection and participation. The program will be followed by our traditional quiche and salad lunch. Adults $5 and children 12 and under $3. Program Contact - Bob McDaneld February 20 ? Democracy as a Spiritual Practice In honor of the observance of President?s Day on this third weekend in February, this sermon will explore the topic of democracy. Is the uncivil discourse that now often passes for politics tearing at the fabric of our nation?s social compact? Is our divided nation really the right purveyor of democratic ideals to the world? Many Americans still have a sense of hope for our country and our political system, especially as we continue to engage in open and respectful dialogue. The Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz will add her thoughts to the mix in this sermon. February 27 ? The Language of Reverence Unitarian Universalists have been challenged in recent years to deal with a big question: Are we talking about religion in a way adequate to our needs as a religious community? The debate has been a hot topic within Unitarian Universalism since 2003, and both humanists and theists in our ranks have called for us to reclaim a language of reverence so that we can truly engage the broader culture in religious discourse. (The topic for the Rev. Lisa Schwartz?s sermon was selected by Todd Jefferies, a privilege won at the Fellowship auction last September.) Services begin at 10:30 a.m. New Horizons by Lisa Schwartz I don?t find it easy to do sitting meditation, so often walking meditation is more rewarding and illuminating for me, especially if there?s a fine place to walk. The prairie Labyrinth at White Memorial Camp by the lake in Council Grove is such a place, and I recently found a stray journal entry I?d written during a past ?Cluster? campout there. Here?s a summation of the experience: I walk slowly and deliberately towards the center of the Labyrinth, breathing the fresh, autumn breeze. Around me the red sumac is especially vivid against the clear blue sky. Tiny morning glories bloom around my feet; their blossoms open chalices reflecting their paler blue back to the sky. The stones marking the circular path are the color of bone, smooth and curved. As I enter the Labyrinth my thoughts wheel and tumble around, like the birds wheeling above the lake. The birds? swirling dance is punctuated by their occasional dives, as each in turn seeks fish from the depths below. Finding sustenance or not, they soar up again - bright white, rising on the currents of air. Nearing the center of the Labyrinth I try to let some of my swirling thoughts dive deep like the birds. What kinds of fish might be raised from the depths, impaled on the sharp beak of consciousness? I reach the center, where someone has placed a milky-white crystal. It is meant for focus, I guess, but the sunlight is only permitted entrance to the outer layers of crystal, while the murk within seems impenetrable. I sit near the center of the grassy circle, hoping for some Great Truth to emerge from the murk of my musing brain. I turn from the blue October sky and look closely at the earth. Paul Tillich called God ?the Ground of Being,? and I?ve always liked the image. I enjoy the sensation of being held fast to the Ultimate by something as elemental and as irresistible as gravity. As I look closely at the cropped grass and small rocks around me, I become aware of a small grey pebble, almost a perfect sphere. I begin to roll it around with my pencil, and muse on the spherical planet on which I sit. I try to meditate on this small model of Earth, but I am distracted by its unlikely shape. It occurs to me that this tiny, dove-gray sphere is a gift from the Universe?just for me! I pick it up and begin to roll it around between thumb and fingers, enjoying the roundness, satisfied to be the recipient of such a fine gift. I imagine that centering energy emanates from its core and infuses my body. As I glance back at the ground, though, I see a scattering of these small grey orbs. Before I can ponder the significance, my Gift from the Universe crumbles under the pressure from my fingers, and I finally have a revelation: Rabbit turds! I?ve been meditating on rabbit turds! And the laughing call of the diving birds echoes in my ears. I spend a moment reflecting on the rabbits? experience of the Labyrinth. There are undoubtedly many paths to the center for them, and I am humbled as I think of my own deliberate walk to this place that the rabbits see both as dinner table and toilet. And I realize that I must look pretty silly to the rabbits, sitting in the midst of good grazing land wasting dinnertime pondering rocks and playing with turds. And maybe they?re right. Sometimes I get caught up in the search for Ultimate Meaning, yearning my question to the Universe, ?Is this all there is?? And sometimes I sense a response: ?What good will it do to look for more, until you can digest what?s in front of you?? May fruitful and fertilizing meditations be yours in February! Seekers Forum The Seekers Forum meets every Sunday from 9-10 a.m. There we discuss books that we are reading, view topical videos, rehash current events -- always an interesting hour. Everyone is welcome! Also welcome are suggestions for books or other material to discuss or view. In recent months, we have discussed: The Crime of Punishment by Karl Menninger, Brown: The Last Discovery of America by Richard Rodriguez, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, The Alphabet versus the Goddess by Leonard Shlain, Freethinkers by Susan Jacoby, Nature via Nurture by Matt Ridley, Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler, Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, the PBS video The Question of God -- covering quite a range of topics! The weekly bulletin will give more specific information regarding our current topic of discussion. Cleaning the Kitchen, Helping your Soul The spiritual teacher Bernie Glassman uses the Zen monastery practice of cleaning the kitchen as a metaphor for cleaning the mind. And Unitarian Universalist Jeanne Desy says that ?actually cleaning the real and tangible kitchen is a form of meditation.? Emptying the coffee urn, emptying the mind. Rinsing the teacups, purifying one?s intention. Sweeping the floor, clearing the crumbs of resentments from our souls. You are invited to participate in this meditative experience on Sundays following our service and coffee/tea hour. Contact Judy Sasser, Kitchen Guru, to schedule your enlightenment. Unitarian Universalist Bible Study: Not an Oxymoron After All The Rev. Lisa Schwartz will again lead a brief, introductory Bible class beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 23rd and continuing through the first four Wednesdays in March, from 6:30 to 8:30 each evening. This 5-week class is the second part of the Rev. John Buehrens? study, ?Understanding the Bible for Skeptics and other Seekers,? and will cover the New Testament. Good feedback from participants in the last session will help revise the format a bit. The class is open to anyone; attendance at the Hebrew Bible sessions last fall is NOT a prerequisite. Participants should have a copy of Buehrens? book (available at Hastings?), and there are reading assignments for each session. Potluck TheatRE Those of you who read your email know that Potluck TheatRE may be moving days, but we?ll have at least more one Sunday evening meeting on February 20th at 5:30 pm. If it is available at the library, we?ll watch Come See the Paradise, a film about Japanese internment during World War II (rated R). Alternate selection is Snow Falling on Cedars. February 19th is Japanese-American Internment Day of Remembrance. Please bring a potluck dish to share. Contact Liz Siemers for more information. Articulating Your UU Theology Wednesday, Feb. 16th 5:30-8:30 Even long-time Unitarian Universalists are sometimes bewildered when people ask, "What do Unitarian Universalists believe?" This class will be an introduction on how to describe Unitarian Universalism in a succinct yet meaningful way, and a way to start exploring some of our theological truth-claims, as well. The group will follow the Wonderful Wednesday format of gathering for a potluck at 5:30 and beginning the class by about 6:15. Childcare will ONLY be available by reservation! Call the UUFT at 272-9233 by Saturday, Feb. 12th if you need on-site child care. Unitarian Universalist General Assembly June 23-27 in Fort Worth, TX SAVE THE DATES!!! General Assembly is one of the most invigorating, stupendously awesome experiences a Unitarian Universalist can have! Imagine gathering with 5000 Unitarian Universalists! Imagine excellent workshops and classes, worship and spiritual gatherings from UU Pagan to UU Christian. Imagine a HUGE marketplace filled with UU art, handmade clothing, exciting ideas, and more BOOKS than you can possibly carry! Imagine lectures on wide-ranging topics from the best that our culture has to offer (last year?s presenters included Robert Reich, Holly Near, and Sharon Welch). Imagine a diverse, vibrant, international group of youth and young adults. All this and MORE will be within driving distance from Topeka!! GA has recently been held in places like Long Beach, Calgary, and Boston. But this year GA is just 8 hours south of Topeka, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Info about carpooling with area UUs will be provided as it becomes available.) Registration will open online on March 1st (uua.org/ga), and costs per adult for the whole experience are only $260 if you register before May 1. Limited financial aid is available, or you could be a GA volunteer and get a FREE PASS to GA!! Volunteer duties include helping with registration, staffing an info table, handing out or collecting ballots at the business meetings, and other EASY tasks. You are guaranteed plenty of time to attend workshops and lectures, browse the marketplace, and generally soak up the atmosphere. Youth aged 14-20 qualify for a reduced GA registration rate by registering for Youth Caucus. (Contact the Youth Office at yruu@uua.org or (617) 948-4350.) Children under the age of fourteen are permitted to attend GA with their parents or guardians for free, and if not participating in Children's Programs, are not required to register. If day care is required for young ones, several Children's Programs are available (advance registration required). UUFT Board Meeting January 11, 2005 Attendance: President Mary Galligan, Carlene Eberspacher, Barb Jacobs, Deb Kirmer, Jackie Lakin, Richie McDaneld, George Paris, Scott Rothschild, and the Rev. Lisa Schwartz. Absent: Don Chronister, Sarah Granger. 1. Minutes of December 14, 2004 board meeting approved unanimously. 2. Accepted resignation of Secretary Leah Piatt. 3. Treasurer Eberspacher?s report accepted. 4. Melanie Kitchner, co-chair of the Welcoming Congregation Committee, presented the committee?s report to request recognition as a welcoming committee. Board endorsed the report unanimously. The report will be sent to the Unitarian-Universalist Assn. 5. Approved Don Chronister being the board?s appointee to the Nominating Committee. 6. Social Justice Committee requested board make appointment of UUFT representative to Interfaith Board. Board members could not think of any potential nominees. 7. The Social Justice Committee requested approval to take over the Second Sunday lunch as a substitute for its coffee treats fund-raising project. Proceeds will be collected quarterly and sent to a charity of the committee?s choice. One quarter will be designated for improvements in Talpatetates, El Salvador. Board gave unanimous approval. 8. Social Justice Committee requested that contributions to the committee from Bill Miller memorial funds be used for Unity Summer program, which will provide a stipend for Fellowship youth who serve in some kind of social service activity. Esther Miller supported the proposal. Board approved unanimously. 9. Rick Crawford, chairman of the Endowment-Investments Committee, gave an overview of the Fellowship?s endowment funds, including the purpose of endowments and standard uses of them. 10. Board gave unanimous approval for a proposal from Liz Siemers to have a used video-sale fund-raiser at the Fellowship in February or March for the purpose of buying new video equipment for the Fellowship, possibly a home theater projector and screen, or TV/VCR/DVD combo. 11. Jackie Lakin agreed to look at long-term audio-visual equipment needs of the Fellowship. 12. Meeting adjourned Last Minute Folk Concert Series SATURDAY, FEB. 19, 7 PM " With all the music inside Amy Martin, how can she keep from singing?"? The Entertainer (Missoula, Montana) "Her style is as bluesy and bold as it is melodic and ear-pleasing, and her vocals are as pure and steady as a young Joni Mitchell. Martin's songs reveal more with each listen."---Pacific Northwest Inlander Amy Martin - This 30-something singer-songwriter-activist travels from Missoula, Montana to Topeka for a benefit concert for The Topeka Aids Project, Inc. (TAP) - a community-based program active since 1985, committed to working with HIV-infected persons and their significant loved ones, and through education minimizing the HIV infection rate. Rosemary Cutrer - Opens the evening with the gift of storytelling. Tickets: $10 at door, $8 advance, $6 students. Contact: Todd Jefferies, Bill Lucero (UUFT-SJC).