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Wednesday, 22 May 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
CLICK A TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THAT ARTICLE
BUUF’s Mission Statement:
To question,
To love,
To serve,
To celebrate differences— Together.
In the BUUF is the monthly newsletter of the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 4340 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Joseph, MI 49085-8712. Articles should be given to the newsletter editor no later than the 20th of the month. Items for Sunday Bulletin should be in by Thursday.
Rev. Viola Moore
PASTORAL LETTER
READ VIOLA'S LETTERS
ON HER BLOG!
We join, in the spirit of love, to develop our religious attitudes objectively and honestly that life may be more meaningful.
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BUUF’s Board of Trustees meets on the 2nd Sunday of each month following the service. Contact Janice for more information.
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The BUUF Book Club meets monthly. Questions? Contact Amy Eklund, amyeklund at hotmail.com
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We Are A WELCOMING CONGREGATION
This Unitarian Universalist community welcomes and celebrates the presence and participation of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people. |
BUUF Ministers
Rev. Dr. Roger Brewin
Rev. Donald Wheat
Rev. Viola Moore (Emerita)
Rev. Jim McConnell
Student minister
Beth Lefever
Board of Trustees
Janice Zerfas, President
president at buuf2.org
Emily Hecht, Vice Pres
vp at buuf2.org
Dorothy Long, Treasurer
treasurer at buuf2.org
Amy Eklund, Secretary
secretary@buuf2.org
Chris Sirotiak
Lisa Dalgleish
Staff
RE Director
Office Administrator & Newsletter Editor
David Sarra
office at buuf2.org
bookeeper
Gretchen Ohmann
bookkeeper at buuf2.org
 Director of Religious Education
Dave Sarra
RE VISION
The purpose of the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship religious education program is to provide the following:
- A sense of community
- Knowledge of UU history
- An understanding of world religions
- A spiritual sense
- Connection with nature
- Social action
- A grasp of how to talk about UUism with other children
As adopted by the RE Committee, January 2000
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BUUF Adult RE - Speaking of Faith
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. we gather at the homes of members of BUUF to listen to and discuss selected shows from Krista Tippett’s Speaking of Faith NPR program. Feel free to attend any or all of our get-togethers. The programs may be downloaded or listened to for free at speakingoffaith.org. We try to choose and schedule programs a month in advance. If you need directions, phone numbers, or if there is a particular show you would like to discuss or host, please let me know.
Dave Sarra, Director of Religious Education
telephone: 269-426-4051
Central Midwest District Online Workshops
upcoming workshops
Details:
Midwest UU Leadership
Subscribe to MIDWEST UU LEADERSHIP by Email
Latest Webinar Videos
General Assembly 2011 in Charlotte will mark the 50th anniversary of the merger of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America.
Join thousands of fellow Unitarian Universalists from across the country as we remember the persons and events that brought into being the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in May 1961, to reflect on our denomination’s relevant achievements and struggles since then, and to chart new aspirations for the future we are determined to shape.
Experience wonderful and uplifting worship services—morning and night—led by some of our best worship leaders, with glorious music and inspiring messages. Read more...
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Bob Milne Concert 2011
 Two appearances in St. Joseph
World
Class
Ragtime
7:00 pm
Thursday January 20, 2011
"Ragtime of the River"
7:00 pm
Friday, January 21, 2011
"Blues, Boogie-Woogie & Ragtime"
Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
4340 Lincoln Ave St. Joseph, MI
269.429.2883 or tickets@buuf2.org
Advance Tickets $15 (at the door $20)
Children under 12 $5
Read more...
May We Dance In The New Year!
January 1, 2011
Dear Members and Friends,
Some of you have shown some concern over my having a 1949 Ford in my living room. Frank gave a partial explanation to Harvey after church. The Ford through the alchemy of art is now an award-winning sculpture of theological meaning. The artist was only seventeen at the time of the creation, having never studied religion. It is an illustration of the mystery of artistic creation. Heartha can tell us more about that. To be an artist means to be in touch with the spirit world.
I think the bleakness and emptiness of our culture points to a sickness unto death of the soul. Where does this sickness unto death come from? It comes from our competitiveness, our violence, our enviousness, and our being besotted with things and yet more things. And yet we are not happy though surrounded with all the goodies money can buy. What we have forgotten in our scramble to become rich is the basic fact that the purpose of life is connection to others, to nature, and to ourselves.
Now at holiday time it is time to celebrate connection; to family, to tradition, to others. No matter how different in culture and tradition, we are all connected in the dance of life no matter how we try to deny it. Original goodness is working in every one of us just seeking its way into our common life.
We are moved with compassion when we see the hunger, the disasters of wars, and the scourge of the homeless. As religious people we know that these are our brothers and sisters whose claims we cannot deny.
As we move through the dark days of winter’s cold, may the memory of parties, celebrations, and waves of great music keep us warm and help us to listen to the still small voice which whispers and then shouts YES to life, full of mysteries of art and love. As religious liberals we stand on the solid rock of love which liberates and transforms.
May we dance in the new year with all its promise and possibilities of learning the art of living. “Adorn your soul with gladness” and light up the world!
Frank joins me in wishing you happiness and adventures in the spirit.
Love,
December 1, 2010
Dear Members and Friends,
Have you ever wondered whether what you do between Sundays means anything at all; and what does your daily life mean to the universe, your continent, your country, your state, Berrien County and the city of Saint Joseph? The poet Rilke said, “Believe that with your feelings and your work you are taking part in the greatest; the more strongly you cultivate this belief, the more will reality and the world go forth from it.” This is difficult to believe when there is so much negativity and meaninglessness thrown at us by the popular press, the billboards, and the steady stream of the vulgar and the banal, which appear unbidden on our computers, that it is difficult to believe that our ordinary lives mean anything at all --- except to our families. Will we lie in unvisited tombs without having forked the lightening even once?
Let me tell you about the Mayor of Lemgo, Germany, in 1944, when the American army was approaching the city with the intention of destroying the city by fire. The Mayor explained to the American General that the city was undefended and did not manufacture material for the war effort. He said that all the men were in the army, leaving behind defenseless women and children. The American officer spared the city. When the Mayor was on his way back to the city square to announce the good news that the city was spared he was shot by super patriots who thought the Mayor was a traitor, for even having spoken to the enemy. I cannot find the name of this Mayor --- for he is not even a footnote in the history of World War II. This reminds me of some lines from Vachel Lindsay’s poem The Eagle That Is Forgotten: “Better to live in the people, than to live in a name.” He was speaking of John Peter Altgelt, a former Illinois governor (1893-1897) who was a leading figure of the progressive movement and who improved workplace safety and child labor laws.
So we, in our ordinary, extraordinary lives, working for justice and peace in our non-spectacular way, living our daily deeds of kindness and generosity, bless all who touch our lives. When I think of the work our members at BUUF do, adding colors to the rainbows of our lives and creating small beginnings which silently change the world, I see that in the silence of our hearts, we are moved with compassion over our suffering world. No one lives an ordinary life. Each person brings a unique gift of unrepeatable treasures. May we see each other with fresh eyes as we greet each other in Holiday Joy. I’m always moved to tears by the words with which George Eliot closes her novel Middlemarch: “Her finely touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus* broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”
*Cyrus, founder of Persia, punished a river by dividing it into 160 channels as punishment for drowning his favorite horse.
Frank joins me in wishing you a blessed holiday with family and friends.
Love,
What Do UUs Believe?
 Some years ago, I attended a New Year's celebration. There were several UUs in the crowd The inevitable question came up. What do UUs believe? A friend's answer was, "We are not Christian. So, most of us do not believe that Jesus was the son of God." And so it went. The response was mostly about what my friend did not believe. I think that when talking to non-UUs, especially folks who are not theologically well-informed, it is much better to skip the I-don't-believe part. Most religious people have only rudimentary understandings of their belief systems. Here is a short approximation of the answer I give, when I am asked the what-do-you-believe question. I believe that there are many paths to the truth of human existence. I believe that life is inherently meaningful and that the universe is intelligent. I believe that the best ways yet discovered, to have a meaningful, intelligent, and adventureful life is to follow the prescriptions of all the great religions. These prescriptions include the practice of kindness, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, and grace. Ours is a free religion as seen through the lens of enlightened reason and faith. If there are follow up questions, the conversation can become quite interesting. Happy New Year, Jim McConnell Note: Heartha Whitlow would like to see more member input in the newsletter centered around the topics of wholeness, transcendence. and ideas of God. I like this idea. If you would like share some of your theological or metaphysical thoughts, please submit them for publication in the BUUF newsletter. December 2010
Three Ways of Knowing
From The Humanist Manifesto III: Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation and rational analysis.
From Saint John of the Cross (16th century Spanish mystic): If a man wished to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark.
From the Bodhidharma ( a 5th century Buddhist monk): This one life has no form and is empty by nature. If you become attached to any form, you should reject it. If you see an ego, a soul, a death, or a birth, reject them all.
The quotes above represent the main three ways of knowing (epistemology) that our species has created. My particular point of view is that we need all three if we want to live balanced lives. However, practicing all three is a bit of a balancing act in itself. As you can see, the Manifesto III and St. John of the Cross contradict one another, and the Bodhidharma contradicts them both.
The Manifesto III clearly exalts the rational use of the intellect. It is in effect saying that the best life is the rational life. This is the way of classical Greece. Truth and beauty are discovered only through reason.
On the other hand, St. John is saying that the intuitions and revelations that come from faith in a higher power are the best foundation for the good life. Think The Force in “Star Wars.”
On the third hand (if that is possible), the Bodhidharma is saying that the world, including reason and faith, is an illusion. The best way to a good life is to practice unattachment. When one is unattached to forms, then one freely participates in the one true way, which is the Buddha Nature. (Unattachment is not at all the same thing as detachment.)
So what’s it to be? How are we to live our lives? What ground do we stand on? To my way of thinking, the recipe for life changes with the situation. A dab of reason is almost always necessary. Other times, it takes a whole lot of unattachment to make it through the day. Most of the time, a pinch of faith enhances the flavor of life.
For a delicious life, we have these three lovely ingredients from which to choose. A steady diet of only one of them will lead to spiritual malnutrition.
Jim McConnell
More Festivals and Celebrations!
As we continue with our Religious Education course on celebrations and festivals of faith, let me draw your attention to some of the classes we’ve had since I last wrote. We learned the differences between All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Day of the Dead which are celebrated on November 1 and 2. We followed this lesson with one on Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Our students created their own rangolis on the pavement outside our kitchen door. After that we learned about the Day of the Hajj (November 15) and Eid-ul-Adha (November 17). The students practiced the Moslem prayer ritual and learned about the Five Pillars of Islam.
We then discovered the history of the celebration of Thanksgiving in the “new world” from various points of view. That was followed by a class on Hanukkah (December 2-9), another festival of lights, and our students “gambled” with a dreidel. We touched on Zen Buddhism with a class on Bodhi Day (December 8), which is the observance of the enlightenment of the historical Buddha. We finished 2010 with a class on Kwanzaa (December 26-January 1).
Our students presented a Kwanzaa service to the fellowship on December 19, during which they discussed the history, symbols, and principles of the celebration. I hope you all enjoyed some sort of New Year’s celebration for the new year on the “western” calendar. We’ve got more new year’s celebrations to celebrate in the coming months, too!
Membership News
BUUF’s Kitchen
Thank you to Emily Hecht for offering to oversee BUUF’s kitchen. Keeping track of Fair Trade coffee and other inventories can be a time consuming task and Emily’s help is really appreciated! Please see her before donating items, especially coffee.
UU History and BUUF Overview
Jim McConnell and Lisa Dalgleish are organizing a UU history and BUUF overview series for anyone interested in learning more about our heritage. Class dates and times will be announced in January. Visitors, Members and Friends are all welcome to attend.
Welcoming Visitors
Thank you to everyone at BUUF who make our visitors feel welcomed by stepping up as an informal BUUF Greeter. Entering a new church for the first time, or even the second or third time, can be intimidating, so it’s a joy to see BUUF folks saying hello and helping visitors navigate through Sunday service, coffee break and Circle Talk.
Membership
What are the responsibilities and rewards of BUUF membership? This can be a difficult question to answer because each of us has a different way of being a member and a different way of experiencing membership. Membership in BUUF requires a commitment to furthering BUUF’s mission: To question, to love, to serve, to celebrate differences—Together. Visit the Guest and Member Services table to learn how you can become more involved in BUUF. For more information, or to start your BUUF membership journey, see a board member or the membership committee chair person.
-- Lisa Dalgleish
BUUF’s New Septic System
For years, the back toilets at BUUF occasionally could not be used because they would overflow if flushed. Though not being able to use the back toilets was usually only an inconvenience, not having working toilets when events brought a hundred people into the building was a problem that needed to be solved. (City sewer lines are not available now and will not be available in the foreseeable future.)
It was thought that the high water table prevented the septic tank from draining. The high water table may have been a factor, but the primary problem was that the septic tank did not drain properly because the baffle in the tank had broken and permitted solid waste to enter and clog the drain (and probably the drain field).
The Berrien County Health Department determined that, if the septic system were reconstructed, the high water table would require the use of an above ground (mound) septic system. On October 5, 2010, the BUUF board obtained a permit from the Berrien County Health Department. By the end of October, the BUUF board had contracted with Meyers Septic and Sewer to have the system reconstructed at a cost of $11,900. Work began November 8 and was completed November 12.
Construction of the 20-by-50 foot drain field mound west of the parking lot began with removal of the topsoil to a depth of three feet. The excavation was filled with four feet of sand on which six, four-inch, perforated drain lines were constructed. The drain lines were then covered with six inches of washed stone, a layer of straw, and topsoil.
Effluent from the septic tank at the southwest corner of the building and the septic tank at the northeast corner of the building now flow through four-inch drain lines into a 500-gallon holding tank in front of the building. When the holding tank is filled to a set level, the effluent is pumped through a two-inch pipe to the drain field mound west of the parking lot.
The two 750-gallon septic tanks need to be pumped every three to five years. Filters on the drains of the two septic tanks need to be removed and cleaned every six months. If the effluent is not being pumped from the holding tank, a visible and audible alarm above the electrical shutoff at the southwest corner of the building will be activated. If necessary, a valve redirecting the effluent from the front septic tank to the front yard drain field would permit the front toilets to be used until repairs are made.
In the spring, the areas of the lawn damaged by the construction will be seeded and recommended grasses will be planted on the mound. Traffic and extraneous growth on the mound will be minimized.
-- Charles Long
Service Auction
The annual BUUF Goods and Service Auction took place Saturday October 23. In total, $2400 was raised in bids on a wide array of goods and services offered by our members. The children added $171.00 to the pot with the sales of their pizzas, cookies and soup. I know everyone ate well that night. As usual, the BUUF congregation offered many wonderful items of which were bid on very eagerly. And the bids were encouraged with great enthusiasm by Walter Pascal, our evening’s auctioneer.
Gloria Weberg handmade three sock monkeys and Julie Williams offered two fun dinner parties with paella or chili and croquet. Members will enjoy a home cooked meal by Jim Mc Connell while they watch and then discuss the movie, “The Reader.” Amy Eklund’s feet will stay warm and colorful wearing a pair of Francie Porter’s hand knit socks. In turn, Marilyn Klawiter hopes to learn the secrets of Amy’s photography skills. Emily Hecht can’t wait to sit in a speeding racecar with Pat Ohmann at the wheel. Chris Sirotiak is going to treat someone lucky with home baked desserts, soups and pasta for four months. These are just a sampling of the many wonderful items and goods offered.
-- Emily Hecht
Invitation to Participate in Congregational Common Read
 Delegates to the 2010 General Assembly selected “Immigration as a Moral Issue” as the Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI) for 2010–2014. All are invited to read a book chosen by the UUA and to participate in discussion groups.
The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands by Margaret Regan is available in paperback at the UUA bookstore for $15.00. It is also available from a variety of other booksellers and the publisher Beacon Press. ISBN: 9780807001301. For more information see www.uua.org/publications/commonread.
Emma's Revolution to Play at People's Church in Kalamazoo
Emma’s Revolution (Pat Humphries and Sandy O) is a dynamic duo that sings folk music, usually with a spiritual or political message (“Swimming to the Other Side” for example). They will join People's Church in the service on January 30, 2011, and will be playing a concert that night at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Please contact Sue Caulfield, michsooh@gmail.com with questions. Read more...
BUUF CALENDAR
Friday, January 7
BUUF Book Club (7:00 pm - 9:00 pm)
We continue our tradition of gathering around Mary Lou Elson's fireplace and with a discussion of The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway.
Elliot Mandel of Booklist says: "Inspired by Vedran Smailovic, the cellist who, in 1992, played in a bombed-out Sarajevo square for 22 days in memory of the 22 people who were killed by a mortar attack, this is a novel about four people trying to maintain a semblance of their humanity in the besieged city. Kenan trudges across the city to collect water from the brewery for his family; on his way to buy bread, Dragan meets an old friend who reminds him of life before the war; Arrow, a sniper fighting against the occupation, is charged with keeping the cellist alive; and the cellist himself, in his simple act of performing, courageously
brings a touch of life back to the citizens. Although Galloway’s characters weigh the value of their lives against the choices they must make, he effectively creates a fifth character in the city itself, capturing the details among the rubble and destruction that give added weight to his memorable novel."
Saturday, January 8
BUUF Youth Service Project (1:00 pm - 6:00 pm)
Jim McConnell is hosting a BUUF Youth Service Project at BUUF. BUUF youth will help prepare food for those in need. Pizza and drinks will be provided. The movie Flatland will be shown. And a good time will be had by all! Please join us.
Sunday, January 9
BUUF Board Meeting (8:30 am - 10:00 am)
The BUUF Board meets at BUUF at 8:30 a.m.
Sunday Service: Jennifer Hsu (10:30 am - 11:30 am)
Jennifer Hsu from the OutCenter presents this Sunday's service.
Tuesday, January 11
Speaking Of Faith (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)
Jim McConnell hosts this evening's Speaking of Faith program titled Pursuing Happiness with the Dalai
Lama which is described as follows: "An invigorating and unpredictable public conversation on happiness, exploring the themes of suffering, beauty, and the nature of the body.
Sunday, January 16
Sunday Service: Dr. Asher Kaufman (10:30 am - 11:30 am)
Dr. Kaufman is a professor of history at Notre Dame University and a member of the Kroc Peace Institute. He is an Israeli citizen whose passion is peace in the Middle-East.
Tuesday, January 18
Speaking Of Faith (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)
Joanne Krettek hosts this evening's Speaking of Faith program titled Marriage, Family, and Divorce which is described as follows: "American ideals of courtship and marriage echo with Biblical imagery
-- 'bone of my bones,' 'flesh of my flesh.' But what does the Bible really say, and how has it been taught across the centuries in which the institution of marriage has changed dramatically? Rabbi Elliot Dorff and New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson bring their personal perspectives and insights to the conversation." Thursday, January 20 Bob Milne Concert (7:00 pm - 9:00 pm) Bob Milne returns to BUUF for the first of two performances. Showtime is 7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and $5 for children under 12 years of age. Check our Home Page for more details and for ordering tickets. Friday, January 21 Bob Milne Concert (7:00 pm - 9:00 pm) Tonight BUUF welcomes Bob Milne to the second of his two concerts. The show starts at 7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and $5 for children under 12 years of age. Visit our Home Page for more information and for ordering tickets. Sunday, January 23 Sunday Service: Rev. Jim McConnell (10:30 am - 11:30 am) Rev. Jim McConnell presents this Sunday's service. Sunday, January 30 Sunday Service: Beth Lefever (10:30 am - 11:30 am) Beth Lefever returns to BUUF to present this Sunday's Service. Wednesday, February 2 Family Drumming Circle (7:00 pm - 9:00 pm) First Wednesday of each month is an informal drumming circle for all ages. Arrive when you can, stay till we're done, probably around 9 pm. Bring drums, shaky bangy things. We will have a few extras. Our goal is simply to have fun sharing the beat. We may sing, we may dance, we may talk, but we'll always start out our circle with the drums. Join us when you can! Open to the public, so bring friends! Contact Info : Gretchen Ohmann, 269-369-1114 gretchen@ladyweave.com Sunday, February 6 Sunday Service: Rev. Jim McConnell (10:30 am - 11:30 am) Rev. Jim Mconnell presents this Sunday's service. Sunday, February 13 BUUF Board Meeting (8:30 am - 10:00 am) The BUUF Board meets at BUUF at 8:30 a.m. Sunday Service: to be announced
Sunday, February 20
Sunday Service: Rev. Jim McConnell (10:30 am - 11:30 am)
Rev. Jim McConnell presents this Sunday's service.
Fuzzy Aspirations & Hard Realities
Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed will be the Keynote Speaker
in Bloomington Illinois at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center
“Why has becoming more culturally and racially diverse been such a challenge for UUism? Why, when our intentions are so good, is it still a struggle? There is a surprising, and painful, truth behind Unitarian Universalist efforts to become more racially and culturally diverse. This truth must begin with taking an honest look at who we are and why we are who we are, and it ends in a conundrum but not without hope. If UUs really want to change, accepting the truth is the only place to start. Torn between our reality and our aspirations, what are we to do?"
This presentation with will include viewing the DVD: Black Pioneers in A White Denomination, music and singing that explores what music has and has not appeared in UU hymnals over the last 50 years, small group discussion in which hard questions are reflected upon and a lecture based upon the findings in the Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed’s just released book Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism. In the end we will not only consider why achieving diversity is challenging, but also talk about which congregations have become successfully diverse and how.
Join Mark Morrison-Reed for an inspirational exploration of these issues, combined with worship, music and fun! Saturday will consist of two sessions with our keynote presenter, including some small group breakouts. An extended lunch hour will offer 2 one-hour informal sessions for affinity groups, workshop-type presentations, resource sharing, or browsing the UUA bookstore and district vendors.
Raised in the Unitarian Universalist faith, Mark was ordained in the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 1979. For 26 years, he and his wife, Donna, served as co-ministers--first in Rochester, New York, then in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Morrison-Reed's graduate thesis, Black Pioneers in a White Denomination, was published in 1984 and is still in print. Now retired from full-time ministry, Morrison-Reed divides his time between writing and other interests. He has been working with Meadville Lombard Theological School to organize and build the library's archive of materials relating to African American involvement in Universalism, Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism and is teaching at the school on his research.
Download a detailed brochure (PDF 1.4MB) or read more.
Register ONLINE! www.cmwd-uua.org
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