Newsletter
of the
May 2008
www.uucl.org
Worship
Services
Sunday, May 4,
Esther
Hurlburt, M. Div. and candidate for UU ministry, will speak. This sermon is a
prelude to our newly imagined “Lay Caring Team,” which will involve all UUCL
members, and provide far more responsiveness to needs for concern and caring.
There will be an opportunity to sign up for levels of participation, and
trainings on lay pastoral care. **There
will also be a New Member Ingathering during
the service**
Worship
Leader: Esther Hurlburt. Ushers: TBA. Greeters:
1st
Sunday Lunch
The May 4th lunch
will be sponsored by the Greeters & Membership. If you will be staying for the lunch, please
bring a dish to share.
Sunday,
May 11,
Kenneth
Anderson is noted for his exceptionally rich bass-baritone voice, and powerful
musical interpretations. Legendary activist and folksinger, Pete Seeger, has called him “one in ten-thousand, reminding one
of Paul Robeson.” There will also be a dedication for
Audrey Bennett, daughter of Cole & Michelle, and sister of Oliver!
Worship
Leader: Rev. Cynthia Cain. Ushers: James & Charlesmarie
Maxberry.
Greeters: Andy & Terri
Weber. Chalice Table: Shirley Dennis. Board Member in Attendance: Andrew Mooney.
Sunday,
May 18,
Take
a journey through a year of RE in pictures. Witness the progress of the
Coming of Age youth and their Credo statements. Prepare to be entertained
and amazed. There will also be a dedication of Nick & Alexandra Rumford, son & daughter of Sabrina & Rob.
Worship
Leader:
Sunday,
May 25,
For
Memorial Day, we’ll start with a look at Gen. Patton’s all-Black brigade during
WWII and other historic Black military groups; and consider the ever-present
questions of race through the lens of the ever-present questions about war.
Worship
Leader: Rev. Cynthia Cain. Ushers: Danielle Turpen and Mac Reid. Greeters:
Jeanne Van Arsdall and Larry Iaquinta. Chalice Table:
Sunday,
June 1,
The
Flower Communion is a long-standing ritual tradition in Unitarian
Universalism. It helps bind us together
and reminds us of the diversity and strength of our faith community. Please bring a flower from your garden, or
from a florist, to share with the congregation.
Worship
Leader: Rev. Cynthia Cain. Ushers: TBA. Greeters:
** Summer Service
Introducing White, Our Color for May
White projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality.
Doctors don white coats, brides traditionally wear white gowns, and a white
picket fence surrounds a safe and happy home.
Cynthesis: That’s Why It’s Called the WHITE House….
Over my adult life, the question has
come up: Who do you think will become President first… a woman or an African
American? Usually, the answer among
people of my generation was “neither, in my life time.” As I write, we are facing the situation many
of us never imagined we’d face! Equally
possible at this juncture is that the answer may remain “neither.”
So much has been stirred up by this election. One would be remiss to ignore the
undercurrents and the sub-texts of each accusation and speculation. Whatever else he is, Barack
Obama is still a Black man, as understood by
Americans, and Hillary Clinton is still a White woman. Beneath and hovering slightly above every
casual remark and every carefully worded attack is that reality.
And the big white lie we tell every day is that it isn’t
a big deal.
But when we look at voter statistics in this primary, how
else do we explain the fact that blue collar and working class white Americans continue to support
White is our color for May. We have two child dedications scheduled, and
we have two Sundays planned where the discussion will touch upon race. Since the overwhelming majority
of our members and of Unitarian Universalists are “white,” (I prefer the
term Caucasian, even though that’s
not exactly right either), it might be a good time for us to think about the
notion of “whiteness.” The reason it has
been used for baby dedications and weddings and that the Pope wears white is
that it is associated with purity. Yet
we know now that white is not the
absence of color but the blend of all colors of the spectrum in equal
amounts. My most vivid memory of reading
Moby Dick for
the first time is of the chapter “The Whiteness of the Whale,” where Melville
(a Unitarian) parses the many ways in which whiteness can evoke horror as well
as peace and light.
“White” people are not better; in fact, they are not even white! Caucasian skin most likely evolved from dark skin as humans progressed
into colder latitudes and needed less pigment to absorb more Vitamin D. And it would probably be difficult to find a
“white” American who did not have Black, Asian, American Indian, or other
ancestry somewhere. So
why all the fuss? Unitarian
Universalists have been among the first of the faith groups to deconstruct
these questions and to grapple with the uncomfortable answers. I hope we can continue to do so, and not let
the Big White Lie, that racism is a thing of the past, keep us silent.
Meanwhile, whether you are white, Black, or Brown, you
might enjoy a website called www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com. The list, delivered with humor and honesty,
includes coffee, farmers’ markets, Yoga, Toyota Prius,
and Barack Obama. See you
in church!
With love, Cynthia
PS. Our own Heather
Carpenter, graduate of
UU 101 – June 1
Visitors are welcome to join Sarah Herbener,
UUCL's Membership Coordinator, in the conference room
at
Our
Journey Together
Religious Exploration (RE) for Children and Families With the
sunny days and warm weather, summer is right around the corner! We are planning a lot of wonderful
experiences for UUCL families ... Creative Suummer! Outdoor sculpture, Garden Creations, Mural painting; bringing the 7
principles to life and so much more.
Are there any adults who are good with a chainsaw? We would like to make the tall stump by the
Allen House into a child designed sculpture, and we need help with the big
cuts! The kids can do the detail
work!
There is a SUUMMER Sign Up list on the RE table Every Sunday in the summer
starting June 1st. We Need Volunteers (Adults and Teens) to give our regular RE helpers a
break! We design Multi-age
activities with many options for the children and youth. Let's have fun together. Creative ideas and suggestions are welcome.
RE Committee
News:
We have been hard at work on our
The RE Committee is also planning a Parent of High School Youth (and youth who will soon be in High School)
meeting. We will be talking about
ways to improve our High School program. Two meeting options will be scheduled soon.
We are planning an on-line
survey for the early fall about what parents and UU members feel it is
important for the children and youth at UUCL to learn. This feedback will be used to strengthen our
RE planning and get more people involved in the process.
Upcoming Events:
R
Sun. May 4th - Ice Cream Sundaes! The 3rd-4th class won
an ice cream sundae party for the Ultimate Egg Hunt. The 3/4 class will get free sundaes with all
the toppings. Do you want ice cream too!?!
We will set up an Ice Cream Sundae bar
immediately after 1st Sunday lunch and we will accept donations for
the RE music program.
R
Sat. May 10th -
R
Sun. May 11th is Mother's Day. Show your
love to the one who gave you life! All
children and youth will be getting ready for the RE Celebration service the
following Sunday. Please come and help
us pull together a great service!
R
Sun. May 18th is the RE CELEBRATION
service. We will be recognizing the stages of life with
a ceremony for Kindergarteners, 8th graders, and Graduating Seniors. If you have a child/ teen in any of these
age categories, please let Stacey know soon. This service will feature our Coming of Age
group presenting their Credo statements.
All of our Amazing Leaders, Guides, Advisors, Mentors, Assistants, and
RE Committee members deserve your appreciation. This
year we have had over 55 volunteers! It
takes a lot of people to share their time, energy and ideas to run our RE
program. Thank you for your time and
investment in our children and youth!
R
Sun. May 25th is the Summer Start Party. Fun &
Games for all ages! **Families with
travel plans during the summer, remember
to collect a small sample of water
for our water service in the fall. We will share our travels as we mingle our waters.
Our experiences enrich our whole
community.
R
June 2nd-June 5th - The
Coming of Age Group will be in
Our
Whole Lives (OWL) is an extensive
sexuality education program. There are
programs for K/1 & 4-6, 7-9 & 10-12 and Adults. If you are interested in becoming a trained
facilitator for any of these programs, let Stacey know ASAP, so we can budget
and schedule a training. There are a number of trainings coming up this
summer and fall. **We especially need to train facilitators for the 7, 8, 9 & 10-12**
which we would like to offer in the fall. Parents of youth in these classes can be
trained for a different age group.
If you have a seldom used (but in good working condition)
CD player, we would like for every RE classroom to have their own player. Thank you!
Take some time to enjoy the beauty of May in
Peace on your journey, Stacey
Music Notes
¯
Special thanks to
Judith Hersh who has been filling in for Alan as he recovers from a strained arm.
¯
The UUCL Choir will next sing in June. Thanks to the many who
showed up for the April 20 service to sing the Offertory. We will try to sing at least one Offertory a
month during the summer, just to keep our voices up. All are welcome!
Alan Hersh, Music
Director
Originally,
scientists wore beige coats. In the late 19th century, medical professionals
chose white ones. The color white was chosen because of the idea of hope and
expectations for healing and recovery that the physicians would bring.
Membership Corner
I spent some time
last week going through the past year’s blue visitor cards and found that
what’s true for many UU churches is true for our church as well: the vast majority
of people first visit a
UU church either because they saw information about it on the web (thanks to
Nancy Fordyce for keeping our website up-to-date!) or because they heard about
it through a friend. I love knowing so
many of us enjoy our time at UUCL so much that we want to recommend it to our
friends!
I’d like to encourage all of us to
make sure friends and family who might be interested know about our church and
feel they are welcome to visit. Of
course all of us have had unpleasant experiences with people trying to
evangelize us into their religions, and we don’t ever want to be pushy, but we
should keep in mind that there are a lot of people who would be a good fit for
our church but who don’t know anything about us or who have misconceptions
about what Unitarian Universalism is all about.
Here are a few things to try:
Invite or bring someone to a Sunday
service, particularly one you think will appeal to their interests. (We’re planning a few special services in
September we think will especially appeal to visitors; more on that
later.) Also, invite or bring someone to
other church events, groups, and activities.
Many members of UU churches join after having participated in another
church activity such as an adult RE class; not everyone starts with Sunday
services. Be sure people know nonmembers
are welcome to try out some of our classes, activities, and groups to see what
we’re all about.
Then, if you know a friend has
attended a church service or event and you feel comfortable doing so, follow up
with them, see if they liked it, and let them know they’re welcome to
return. The Membership Team and I follow
up with visitors when we can, but nothing’s better than having a friend call to
say, “The group enjoyed having you there; I hope you’ll come back again next
time!”
Thanks to all of you for inviting
friends to explore all that we offer here at our church home. No one else in
Sarah
Herbener, Membership Coordinator
membership@uucl.org
“Giving Away the Plate”
May:
The May 4
Offertory will go to the Lexington Inner City Outings (ICO) Program; an
outreach program of the national Sierra Club. They work with three inner city agencies here
in
June:
Violence triggered by the flawed election in
The
current crisis in
Environmental
Task Force
Green
Tip of the Month
Because
of technological advances, electricity now generated by wind power, a primary
renewable energy resource, is cost-competitive with that generated by some
fossil fuels. The
Adult
Religious Exploration
Introduction to Islam
Thursday, May 5th,
Welcome a
special guest for "Intro to Islam"...
Hasan Ozturk,
our Muslim friend from
More shades of white
are available commercially
than any other color.
The
A
Committee
Members:
Women's Spirituality
The Women's Spirituality Group will meet Saturday, May 17. Come at
Lexington-Bluegrass
Pagan Pride, sponsored by LexCUUPS, has a new website up and running! Check it
out at www.lexpaganpride.org.
Interweave
A number of people have expressed interest in
Interweave. We will get together for
lunch on Sunday, May 18 after the service.
Let’s meet in the Fellowship Hall and decide whether to buy pizza from
the teens and stay at the church or to go out.
I (Mary Crone) will hold a sign up in the Fellowship Hall. Interweave is a support group for GLBT people
and friends. Everyone is invited to have
lunch with us.
“An Evening to Remember”
June 7th,
Entertainment by Jim and Dena Smith.
A Dinner
Prepared by Sharon Schilling.
Food
Join us
for this lavish Service Auction Event!
$25.00 a person
Call the
church office, 223-1448, to reserve your seat
at a
gorgeously decorated table. All proceeds
will be donated to the Florence Crittenton Home
In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements,
the directions, and the four seasons. White was associated with metal, west,
and autumn.
Pride Prom – May 30
The
UU Teens are working with the community Gay Straight Alliance for Youth to put
on the second annual Pride Prom, May 30 at the church. We are looking for
adults willing to help decorate between
Don’t Forget The Water! Collect a small sample of water from your
travels this summer for the Water Service this fall.
Group/Committee News
Art House Movie and
Discussion Group: Thursday, May 1 and
June 5. To be added to the e-mail
notification list, or for more information, contact the office.
UU Community of
UU Men's Night Out: Tuesday, May 6 & June
3,
UU Women Dining Out: Thursday, May 8,
Middle School Youth Group: Fridays, May
9 & May 23,
High School Youth Group: Fridays, May 9 & May 23, at
Justice Council: Sunday, May 11, after services, at Joseph-Beth. The
Justice Council coordinates the various social & environmental justice
projects at UUCL.
Riverbirch Yoga:
Wednesdays,
LexCUUPS: Sundays after the service outside (or in classroom 2 if
the weather is bad).
Humanist Forum: Wednesday, May 14,
Moms’ Group: Saturday,
May 10,
Breakfast at the
Environmental Task Force: Sunday, May 25,
Simple Living
Dinner:
Sitting Meditation: Sundays,
Sunday Sangha: Sundays,
Next Uniview Deadline:
Wednesday, May 28 at
This issue will cover June 4 thru July 2.
May 2008 Events are held at UUCL
unless otherwise noted
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Thursday 1 6:30p, Art House Movie
Night |
Friday 2 7p,
1st |
Saturday 3 |
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Sunday 4 9a,
Meditation 9:30a,
Choir Rehearsal 9:45a,
Sunday Sangha 12:30p,
1st Sun. Potluck CUUPS,
after the service 4p,
UU Comm. of |
Monday 5< |