December 2007
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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.	ALONG THE WAY . . . BUUF Religious Leader Beth Lefever The Christmas season is once again upon us, and however – or whether -- we choose to observe it, we will not remain untouched. We will not remain untouched by the Christmas carols blaring at us from every public sound system; from the commercials imploring and manipulating us to buy, buy, buy; from the congested traffic as people make their way to the malls and restaurants and shopping centers. We will not remain untouched by the memories of past Christmases, both those we long to replicate and those we would as soon forget. We will not remain untouched by the hopes and dreams of our children, caught up in the season’s excitement; neither will we remain untouched by the impulse to make their dreams come true – at least some of them. We will not remain untouched by the knowledge of other children whom, by reason of circumstance, are bereft of excitement. We will not remain untouched. And so, as the season comes upon us, let us take a few moments to simply be quiet, to draw around us a spirit of calm and peace and tranquility. And in that quiet place, let us consider the depth of the Christmas story, and what that might mean in our lives; let us consider the true nature of the remarkable man whose birth our culture celebrates; let us consider what we want the season to be, and how we might make it so. Peace, Joy and Love, BUUF Ministers Religious Leader — Beth Lefever, minister@buuf2.org Rev. Dr. Roger Brewin, Rev. Donald Wheat, Rev. Viola Moore (Emerita) Board of Trustees Dave Sarra, President, president@buuf2.org Rev. Viola Moore, Vice President Dick Berndt, Treasurer, treasurer@buuf2.org Amy Eklund, Secretary Bea Takeuchi * Tom Hackley * Gary Cook RE Director — Teresa LaPlante, DRE@buuf2.org Most PHOTOS for In the BUUF by Heartha Whitlow Office Administrator/Newsletter Editor — Gretchen Ohmann, office@buuf2.org

	In the BUUF . . . December 2007
We join, in the spirit of love, to develop our regligious attitudes objectively and honestly that life may be more meaningful.       BUUF’s Board of Trustees meets on the 4th Sunday of each month following the service. Contact Dave Sarra for more information.	Pastoral Letter . . . Rev. Viola Moore Dear Members and Friends, When I was a kid, one of the thrills was reading the Funnies in the Boston Sunday Globe. This paper was hidden under the living room couch in case anyone should drop in. Church members often came to the parsonage after the service, usually on a church-related matter. lt was considered "worldly " to take the Sunday paper, so my mother warned us, "Someone may come!" We could not wait to read "Maggie and Jiggs", the "Katzenjammer Kids" and "Popeye," some of our favorites. My mother always kept the living room neat and clean because "someone might come!" To this day, I keep house "preacher style" with the phrase resounding in my ears, "someone might come." There is something good about living in expectation. lt keeps one looking ahead lest you miss something exciting. It is now the season of great expectations, when we look forward to seeing relatives and friends in holiday celebration. For Christians it is Advent, a time of introspection and preparation for someone is coming. In our hymnal, we have "O Come O Come Emmanuel." We, too, are waiting for the arrival of someone who will show leadership in the present darkness. We do have a plethora of candidates, and they are trying to persuade us that we should choose one of them who like Moses will lead us into the promised land of peace and plenty. As carols, reindeer, Santa Clauses appear on every lawn and rooftop, we look again at the baby who connects us with the stars. Luther said, "God is very small, in the cradle". He reminds us that any night a baby is born is a holy night, and any child may the bearer of a great light. Christmas reminds us again that each person is holy and we celebrate that as our first principle. Families have their own private traditions in which the family joins in decorating the house and the tree in preparation for someone is coming who may speak a word of hope, inspiration or joy when we least expect it. We sing in an old carol, "how silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given." In another carol, we are reminded, "People Look East; Love the star is on its way!" No matter what we think of Jesus, the fact remains that he divides all history and our calendar reflects the story of his tragic life. His words have moved multitudes toward justice and gave us a model of authentic human living. Jesus is still hanging on the wheel of history. The language of religion is symbolism. Each of us will react differently to the Christian story. Will we give the wheel of history one more turn, or rejoice that once love came down in a baby, in an unimportant town, and changed everything! May we in our scientific certitudes reach out to stars and listen for angelic choirs. Love in this most glorious season, THE OXEN by THOMAS HARDY Christmas Eve and twelve of the clock, "Now they are all on their knees," An elder said as we sat in a flock By the embers in hearthside ease. We pictured the meek mild creatures where They dwelt in their strawy pen, Nor did it occur to one of us there To doubt they were kneeling then. So fair a fancy few would weave In these years! Yet, l feel, If someone said on Christmas Eve, "Come; see the oxen kneel" "In the lonely barton by yonder coomb" Our childhood used to know," I should go with him in the gloom, Hoping it might be so. (1860 - barton means farm and coomb means valley)

	In the BUUF . . . December 2007
RE Vision The purpose of the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship religious education program is to provide: 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 Adopted by the RE Committee January 2000	Religious Education . . . Teresa LaPlante, DRE Greetings to All, Whether you celebrate Christmas, Yuletide, Kwanzaa or another winter celebration, there is no doubt that you feel the celebrating spirit all around you. To me, all of the winter holidays, regardless of religion, celebrate the birth of the son/sun at winter solstice. As it grows darker and darker throughout fall, suddenly, one day, the sun begins to shine just a little longer and stronger again…just a little, but it is enough to give hope to spirits and joy to hearts. We celebrate. We laugh, we love, we give gifts, we sing. Ah, singing! I love the Christmas carols. I can easily sing about the sun being born, never mind if the sun is represented as a "son." Still, it's also nice to have songs that really say it how we feel. For that reason, the children will sing some special carols on Sunday, December 23, rather than have classes. Some of the songs you will recognize, others may be the same tunes with the words just a little different. We hope you enjoy their songs and celebrate with them! It's a wonderful time of year! Texas and the Simple Things in Life I have returned, exhausted but satisfied, from my trip to Texas. I was not only able to hold my new grandson, Keaton MacAllen Lout (who weighed 8 pounds 14-3/4 oz at birth) during his first few moments of life, but I also stayed in the hospital for 3 days to help my own baby, his mother, through some complications of the C-section. She is home now, and doing fine. On Saturday, I traveled to Tyler, Texas, to witness the marriage of my brother at a nearby ranch. He had been a widower for 10 years and we were beginning to despair of him ever marrying again when he met a wonderful woman. Two months later, we were at the wedding. It was a simple ceremony outdoors. My favorite part was when she was "given away." Instead of being given away (after all, she has been a single mother for years now and needed no one to give her away), it was asked, "who gives permission for this woman to be married?" Her three daughters, sitting on the front row, all chimed up, "I do!" For her children to vocally state their approval of the match not only gives the marriage a huge step up, but also allowed her children an active part in the decision. I liked it. And I liked the simple ceremony that did not need frills or thrills, but only the looks of love and wonder of the couple-as if they, too, had almost given up hope when love happened to them again. I don't know if it is my age, but I am becoming more and more enamored by the simple things in life--simple plans, simple clothes, simple meals, home decorations that double as useful. Simple. Worship, especially, is more attractive to me when it is done simply and honestly, which brings me to chalice lighting. Lighting the Chalice A meaningful part of every BUUF service is the lighting of the chalice. It's not a very old tradition, but it does have a lot of meaning. It was introduced as a Unitarian symbol by Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, during his work with the Unitarian Service Committee during World War II. According to UUA.com, to Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love. And during WWII, it was a flaming proclamation for freedom and tolerance for all. Today, Unitarian Universalists have many different interpretations of the image. For example, some see the cup as representing their religious community, with the flame representing ideas, spirit, truth, and more. What does it mean to you?

	In the BUUF . . . December 2007
chalice from the Unitarian Church of Evanston, IL       To contact Teresa, e-mail DRE at buuf2.org                   Experiential Spirit Journeys: The Bear Posture	Lighting the chalice is a simple act. A person goes up, clicks the Bic, and lights the chalice. That's it. Like my brother's wedding, you don't need frills when the very act has meaning. When a child chooses to light the chalice, their reasons are simple. I believe they do it as an opportunity to take part in the service and to be a part of the congregation. When they light the chalice, it is their turn to have a voice. We provide a simple form to use to introduce each child and to give them a chance to voice their thoughts/feelings. They can light the chalice in honor of anything they want--from ice cream to BUUF. They can share their favorite quotes/books. As they grow, we have the opportunity to watch their spirit grow, too, through their choices. Adults, too, can make this act more meaningful for themselves. Here are some ideas: You can sign-up to light the chalice in honor of a special day-your birthday, the anniversary of a loved one's passing, Veteran's Day, etc. Say, "I am lighting this chalice in honor of ____" so that we, too, can share in your experience. If you would rather someone else did the speaking, you can fill out one of the chalice lighting forms (find them on the table) and give it to me before service. I will be glad to share your thoughts with the congregation as you light the chalice. If you have a special quote or short piece of poetry/prose that you would like to share with everyone, you can give that to me to be read as you light the chalice. As lighting the chalice becomes part of your celebrations and experiences throughout life, you will make the simple act of lighting the chalice more meaningful to yourself and to everyone who shares in this act. Experiential Spirit Journeys Many years ago, facing an arranged marriage, I prayed long and hard to the Christian God to send me back to Michigan (I was in Texas at the time) by sending a certain boyfriend down to get me. Another boyfriend from Michigan showed up instead. (Surprise!) I decided that Satan had sent him, not God, So, I got married and remained in Texas. Fast forward 12 years and I, now divorced and a pagan, had left Texas and returned to Michigan. While doing a past life regression, I learned that the two boyfriends were both parts of a former life and it was destined that I return to Michigan to take care of karmic business, so to speak. It was then that I experienced an epiphany. It was a simple one, but powerful -- that I had received the same answer from different Gods. Dig past ideas of Satan and other dogma, the truth was that I had known I was supposed to return to Michigan. God knew I was supposed to return to Michigan. I just didn't know that God knew I knew and I certainly didn't know that my heart could be depended upon (we were vehemently taught otherwise). So, I spent 12 years doing other things while my destiny waited for me to listen to my heart and whichever God (or Goddess) it would take for me to do that. Our greatest blessing -- given our limitations in this experience called life -- is that we cannot remember our former spirit life. Our greatest curse -- given those same limitations-is that we cannot remember our former spirit life. We really are spirits having a human experience-that's where we get our immortality from. Human bodies die and disintegrate; the spirit lives on. It helps us tremendously when we remember that, and we can do that by connecting with our spirit lives whenever possible. Spirit Journeying is a way to connect with our personal various spirit helpers (animal, human, or Gods) directly, to receive answers to questions, direction in our life, healing, and other experiences that will improve our natural/spiritual state. Spirit Journeying is results-oriented. You do not have to get into specific postures to journey. We are only adding them because it has been found that they help with the experience. This experience is not limited to religion, but is used (in one way or another) by shamans in many religions throughout the world. Thus, we will begin 2008 with the teen/adult class, Experiential Spirit Journeys, a weekly hands-on guided class on spirit journeys. The class will be offered at two different times each week, but you only sign-up for one of them. Email DRE at buuf2.org to sign-up. Registration forms are available on the table at the church. You can give them to me or put them in my box in the office.

	In the BUUF . . . December 2007
BUUF is a part of the UUA's Central Midwest District                     Clara Barton	In our hour-long class, we will try a different posture each week (for 6 weeks). The postures are based on the book, Ecstatic Body Postures, by Belinda Gore, now leader of Cuyamungue Institute in New Mexico. The purpose for each posture will not be explored until after we attempt the spirit journey (done by simply listening to the drumming/rattle and relaxing as we each focus on our intention). We will then compare experiences and see how our journeys line up with what was intended. The experiences I had when doing just one of these postures has greatly changed my outlook on life and on spirit. I highly recommend it. At the end of six weeks, those interested in continuing to journey will meet on a bi-weekly basis. For more information on Ritual Body Postures, you can visit the website of Cuyamungue Institute at http://www.ritualbodypostures.com or google "ecstatic body postures." Spirit Journey Class Information: This 6-week class is open to anyone 14 years and older. You can pick up a registration form at BUUF and give to Teresa. Cost for the class is $10/person. Because of the small class size, we are going to offer two classes at 7:00pm: one on Wednesdays, beginning January 9; the other on Saturdays beginning January 12. This class will be open to the public, so bring a friend. Attendees should dress comfortably and bring a blanket/beach towel and a small pillow. CHILDREN'S CLASS SCHEDULE December 2 - Lesson 7: Christopher Reeve (a super man) 9 - Lesson 8: Sophia Lyon Fahs: Each Night a Child is Born is a Holy Night 16 - Holiday Party - (Teresa leading classes) 23 - Children sing Yuletide songs in service (no classes) 29 - No classes January 6 - Lesson 9: Joseph Priestley 13 - Lesson 10: Vihjalmar Stefansson: Learning from Others, Learning from Nature 20 - Lesson 11: Clara Barton: A Shy Little Girl Becomes a Brave Woman 27 - Lesson 12: Louisa May Alcott HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mark White December 4 Gretchen Ohmann December 5 Kate Fuller December 12 Emily Cottingham Sarra December 12 Kyle Vonk December 17 Cory Kauffman December 25 Gladys Peeples-Burks December 29

	In the BUUF . . . December 2007
We Are A WELCOMING CONGREGATION This Unitarian Universalist community welcomes and celebrates the presence and participation of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people.	UPCOMING EVENTS [don't forget to check our online calendar!] December 16 Beth Lefever “When We Wend Homeward”  December 23 Teresa LaPlante Yuletide Songs with the Kids December 30   no service this week January 23   Nationally renowned ragtime pianist Bob Milne puts on a concert at BUUF February 22-24   Winter WomanSpirit in Deerfield, IL. keynote speaker Rev. Shirley Ranck

Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 4340 Lincoln Ave., St. Joseph, MI 49085 * 269-429-2883 * www.buuf2.org * office at buuf2.org