April 2004 THE CHALICE
NEWSLETTER OF THE OBERLIN
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP
317 East College Street
Oberlin OH 44074
a welcoming congregation that seeks to be a spiritual home to people of free faith regardless of race, sexual orientation, class, or any of the other differences that might separate us
SUNDAY MORNING PROGRAM SCHEDULE -- ALL ARE WELCOME
Sunday School: 9:30 - 10:30 Child care: 10:30 - Noon
Forum: 9:30 - 10:30 Social Gathering 10:30 - 11 Service: 11 - Noon
Care for the very youngest children available during services and forums
OUUF WEBSITE <www.ouuf.org>
KATIE STYER 1955-2004
The OUUF family mourns the loss of Katie Styer. Wife of Dan, mother of Greg and Colin, Board Secretary, Sunday School staffer, friend and colleague -- no list of roles can do justice to the fresh absence in our midst. She is sorely missed.
Sunday, April 4, 2004 IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DREAM, HOW YOU 'GONNA HAVE A DREAM COME TRUE? morning service -- 11:00 am Reverend Don Rollins As we begin our annual pledge drive, let's pause to revisit our shared vision, goals and financial needs. All are welcome. EAST AND WEST: TAOISM AND UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM fellowship forum -- 9:30 am Don Rollins Part sermon, part discussion, Don will lead us in a look at how we might supplement liberal religion with Eastern thought and practice. All are welcome. CANVASS POTLUCK! Join OUUF for our 2004 Canvass Kick-off! On Sunday, April 4, from noon until 1:pm, we'll receive our pledge packets, share a pot luck brunch and be entertained with a demonstration and instruction of Icho Daiko by the Oberliln-based Japanese drum group coordinated by Yukiko Ebaro. You don't want to miss it!! Please bring a dish to share and table service for you and your family. Questions: Kerry Langan, Joe Huber or Eleanor Helper. |
FROM THE MINISTER... Reading The Plain Dealer sometimes feels like looking at a car crash; I know my gawking benefits no one, yet I can't seem to help myself. Body counts, bombings, crime, poverty, injustice, despair - all these for less than a buck per issue. And don't get me started on the circus show of an election that is already becoming the currency of every publication from the weeklies to the tabloids. Hope is on the wane, we're told. Things are bad all over. Not so. At least not at about 12:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, March 25, 2004 in the sanctuary of an old Universalist church in North Olmsted, Ohio. That's when Ed and Danusia met with me to plan and rehearse their wedding. Ed is an American citizen and Danusia is a Polish national. They met in Poland. Ed speaks some Polish and Danusia speaks some English. (As you well know, I barely speak English, thus I was fortunate that Ed's sister, Irene, is fluent in both languages. It was she who provided the glue for our cross-cultural mosaic of a wedding.) [continued over ==>] Sunday, April 11, 2004 ABRAXAN COMMUNION morning service -- 11:00 am The Congregation of Abraxas was a quasi-monastic order of UU clergy and laity that operated from 1976 to 1985. |
| Its stated purpose was to encourage a renaissance
in spiritual and liturgical transformation within the UU
movement. The form of practice was based on the
model of the Benedictine liturgical hours, with input
from Buddhism and UUism. The Congregation never
aspired to take the place of local churches and never
intended for its worship forms to replace those more
commonly followed in most congregations, but Abraxas
had a substantial impact on UU worship. We are doing
their Easter service. All are welcome.
LITURGY FOR UUs fellowship forum -- 9:30 am Dave Burwasser, Forum Leader We come down many pathways to reach our OUUF sanctuary Sunday morning. What kind of liturgy serves the needs of our theological diversity? All are welcome. SECOND SUNDAY DONATION Loose cash and change in today's collection basket will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County. Offerings for OUUF may be made by check or by cash/change in a marked envelope. The Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County offers youth a positive safe environment where they can play, complete homework and learn life skills. Their location on North Pleasant, which has now been secured by a new contract with the Oberlin Board of Education, gives these children a place they can call their own with supervision that encourages them to grow and thrive. Minister (continued) Clergy folk like to think they can tell a great deal about a couple - gay, straight or otherwise - during the session(s) that precede a ceremony, but the real litmus test of blossoming love is the rehearsal. Ideas clash, relatives meddle and nerves fray. (Folks, there's a reason for the veritable multitude of wedding chapels in Vegas...) Back to Danusia and Ed, there were some obvious and distinct obstacles to be overcome, yet overcome, we did. And when it came time to rehearse the vows, it was tears all around, for, you see, Danusia and Ed are the real |
deal. They're in love. In a world where children are
recruited as soldiers and economists posit outsourcing
as a good thing, love dares visit a little chapel on a
Thursday afternoon. Hope waxes, life is good.
As I write this, the wedding is yet to take place. For all I know, the wedding may be a spectacle of miscues and muddles - most of them mine! But I'm willing to bet the ranch on the love between those two people. Perhaps, I need to bet the ranch on that kind of love in this kind of world. So, here's to Ed and Danusia. May their love be long and lasting. And may they know the spark of hope and goodness they bring to others. Peace, Don OUUF DISCUSSION GROUP On the fourth Tuesday of each month, UUs from Kendal and OUUF meet to discuss a topic of relevance for religious liberals. Our March meeting was based on the Humanist Manifesto I. Our next session is scheduled at Kendal for April 27, at 7:00 P.M. Our topic will be Humanist Manifesto II and Don Rollins will facilitate our discussion. Please consult the Internet or a library to get a copy of the document. See you there! |
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST VISIONS
Darlene Krato wrote this personal description of UUism as part of Rev Don Rollins's January session at Kendal. Don asked her to read it at the opening of the LERM meeting, also at Kendal in March.
UUs are a community of people who are part of a religious movement that dates back to the 300s and has had a history of free thinkers who have realized that Life is a Gift and that we all have a responsibility to draw our own conclusions as to what we should each believe. Our leaders have helped us do this by looking at all the wisdom of the world, be in Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, Agnostic, Buddhist, Jewish, etc. In this community you will find no creed, but a covenant which helps each congregation to be able to function together by sharing concern for each other and trying to understand the beliefs of each member, though they may not be one's own. Through our services we have time for reflection through readings, music, meditation and sermons or homilies. This gives one an opportunity to digest the concepts presented and to see if they work for your belief system. You do not have to accept into your life what does not fit. We are a living democratic society with a super tolerance. It is also important for you to know what we have a strong concern and responsiblity for educating ourselves and our children in Social Justice, the world around us such as our community, our environment and the ability to Share and even more Give of ourselves.
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FREE HOME WEATHERIZATION ...for those below poverty level according to Lorain County Community Action Agency. Ten homes will be selected for free home weatherization by the Youth Energy Squad (YES). Areas in one's home to be improved upon may include weather stripping doors and caulking windows; low-energy light bulbs, low-flow water tank in the toilet, low consumption shower and water heads, and insulating water pipes and water heater. YES is an interfaith community youth initiative (see the R.E. column). For applications contact Mt Zion Community Development Corporation at 774-2833. Application deadline is April 8, 2004. For further information contact either Barbara Kirby at 774-2833 or Kim Peters at 776-0132. LENDING AN EAR On every Sunday when Don is present, some members of the board will be available for 10-15 minutes after the service to listen to members' and friends' thoughts and concerns. |
NICKEL AND DIMED: ON (NOT) GETTING BY IN AMERICA The Social Action Task Force has been able to obtain tickets for this stage production of Barbara Ehrenrich's revealing book on Sunday, May 16th at 2pm at the Cleveland Public Theatre. Cost is $12 per ticket. We plan to car pool. The theatre needs to know how many of the tickets that are reserved we will use, this first week in April. Please call Darlene Krato, TODAY, at 774-6316 or e-mail <DarleneRaeK@AOL.com>. VISIONING R.E. Saturday, April 3, 9:30am, at Oberlin Community Services (OCS), Don and Kim will lead a "Visioning RE" workshop where parents will be guided through a mission and covenanting process. This will clearly give the RE Team direction for goal setting in the future. Families encouraged to RSVP to Kim. Child care at the Frantzes'. Please bring a financial contribution for OCS. Kim Peters |
FROM THE PRESIDENT...
The Ides of April approach, meaning it's time to talk about that unpleasant topic, money. At the congregational meeting March 14, we chose to seek an increase in our budget for professional ministry. This is, of course, dependent on whether we are able to increase our income to an equivalent amount. We will base our actual operating budget for the next year on the pledge information you provide in the upcoming canvas. In a sense, we have three separate ballots on this issue: the two remaining are your actual pledge for next year's budget and the final approval at our annual meeting in June. At that time, we will better know what increased ministerial support would look like.
Keeping our religious community going and growing depends on the financial generosity of all of us and on each of us contributing a fair share. Each member and friend will be receiving a pledge packet in early April and it will contain some information about estimating one's fair share.
Voluntary service is part of what makes our Fellowship the dynamic spiritual community it is. However, even though your volunteer support is a vital part of our shared ministry, it cannot replace the cash we need to sustain our meeting space, staff, and programs. Your pledge is the building block with which we make our financial plans for the next fiscal year.
It has been our sad necessity to replace Katie Styer on the Board. Carol Wilde has agreed to serve. She will also be Board Secretary. Cal Frye
FINANCE TEAM NEWS The Finance Team met on March 4th and 25th. The Annual Canvass will kick off on Sunday, April 4. All members and friends will receive a canvass packet including a proposed budget for 2004-2005. The new budget reflects the Fellowship's decision of March 14 to increase professional ministry up to one-half time. The Team is recommending to the Board of Trustees that an endowment fund be created, known as the OUUF FUND, to help ensure the permanence of the Fellowship, and to provide potential donors with confidence that their gifts will be secure. Provisions of the fund would restrict expenditures to a limited percentage of the earnings, and in no event would the principal be available for spending. The Fellowship would continue to maintain additional reserve funds (currently two funds, program reserve and building reserve), in order to meet special and unexpected needs. The Team is in the process of adopting an investment policy. The policy will call for a diversified portfolio of socially acceptable stocks and bonds, and cash, and will be a guide to the Finance Team in its formation of investment recommendations for the Board. The Team will meet again on April 29. Anyone interested in being a part of the Finance Team is asked to contact Keith Koenning at 774-1502. TREASURY NOTES March 1 - March 28, 2004 Income: $2,394.18 Expenses*: 324.18 |
Total: +2,070.00 *(End of month bills not paid as of this reckoning.) Fiscal Year to 3/28/04 Income: $22,724.73 Expenses: 17,915.07 Total: +4,809.66 Virginia Erdy Sunday, April 18, 2004 EARTH DAY Green Sanctuary Task Force morning service -- 11:00 am Earth Day is a time of celebration and dedication. We celebrate the benificent ecological complexity that supports us on this planet, and we rededicate ourselves to preserve, protect and defend the interconnected web of all existance, of which we are a part. Please bring something natural and portable to add to our natural altar to the Earth! All are welcome. THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT fellowship forum -- 9:30 am The built environment is what we have created for ourselves in cities, suburbs and towns, and it stands out against (and often at the expense of) the natural environment. There is, not just conflict, but an interface between technology and environmental protection; and we must be alert to technological changes in the way we |
| build our environment. Speaker TBA.
All are welcome. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! April Showers have brought to our Fellowship many members that have given us growth. Helen Hoskins, Barbara Harding, Mary Anne Moore, Forrest Locklear, Andy Frantz, Valerie Frantz and Eric Stewart. Happy Birthday to you all!! THE SITE TEAM The Site Team does the set-up before the Forum and the take-down after the service. This is essential to our use of the Early Childhood Center space. Contact Peg Tucker, 775-0301 <Tucker@kellnet.com>. |
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION As we approach our time together visioning our Religious Education program on Saturday, April 3, I am aware of a sense of loss. Katie Styer will not be there. Katie, who brought her sons Greg and Collin to the Fellowship and persevered when times were difficult. Katie, who taught RE classes for 5 or 6 years. Katie, who stepped in as a reluctant RE co-chair when no one else could. Katie held a lot of our RE memory and impressed me with her commitment and organized mind. Although we had our struggles together, we both recognized and respected the commitment, honesty and strength within each of us. She will be missed. It is our privilege to have Colin and Greg remain with us. It is our duty now to listen, involve and support them as we can. May our UU community be a shelter for all that they will have to endure. That said, I very much look forward to the time we will spend together on April 3 visioning a future for our RE program. I am truly excited and honored to be so involved in what I anticipate will generate great ideas, a whirl of energy and a sense of hope and commitment. Thank you for joining me on this journey. It is a great regret, however, that Don is unable to attend since a very dear friend of his died recently. The funeral is April 3. I truly appreciate Don's support and ideas that will be implemented throughout the visioning. Our condolences, Don. In closing, we can take pride in the array of activities our kids do Sunday mornings. From chalice lightings and poems recited, to mini autobiographies to discussions on nutrition, prejudice, democracy and sex, our kids are encouraged to explore and express their curiosity, uncertainty and vision. Dream on one and all! Namaste, Kim kpeters@eriecoast.com, 776-0132 |
HOW TO FIND THE OBERLIN U.U. FELLOWSHIP
OUUF meets in the Oberlin Early Childhood Center at 317 East College Street, marked by a large abstract statue of a parent and child. Service and Forum space is barrier-free. Parking in the front and to the east.
Sunday, April 25, 2004 BELTANE Dave Burwasser, Service Leader morning service -- 11:00 am The Pagan view of sacred sexuality is not a theologization of the Playboy Philosophy. What Pagans celebrate on Beltane has implications for the autonomy of women and the care and enlightenment of children that is quite different from the Judeo-Christian convention and its secular antithesis. All are welcome. A WALK ON THE PAGAN SIDE fellowship forum -- 9:30 am A different perspective on the calendar, the Earth, the body, the spirit, life and death inform the Pagan point of view. But Paganism isn't just one perspective, not even just one theology; arguably, it has more variants than Christianity. Speaker TBA. All are welcome. |
GREEN JOURNAL Kim Peters, April Columnist Cool Social Action Alert! Fellowship youth have teamed up with youth at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin and Oberlin College Environmental Studies students to form a partnership called the YOUTH ENERGY SQUAD (YES). Our Scott Koenning and Eddie Miller, along with 4 Mt. Zion youth received training in February on how to properly weatherize homes. They practiced caulking small cracks and using expandable foam for larger ones, as well as insulating water pipes and wrapping a hot-water heater. The students also replaced high energy light bulbs with low energy use florescent ones and installed low-flow water heads at end of taps and shower heads. YES participants petitioned the Bill Long Foundation and successfully secured $1000 for supplies to weatherize 10 low income homes throughout Oberlin! Home weatherization is due to begin after application reviews in mid April. If you see either Scott or Eddie around, be sure to congratulate them on this unique endeavor! |
| < OUUF 367 North Prospect Oberlin OH 44074 Published by Oberlin Unitarian Universalist Fellowship: member, Unitarian Universalist Association and Ohio-Meadville District thereof. /td> |
Member: Oberlin Area Cooperating Ministries. Mail: MPO Box 0354, Oberlin OH 44074-0354 Phone: 371-1345 Email: <webmaster@ouuf.org> Website: <www.ouuf.org> Clergy: Rev. Don Rollins. R.E. Director: Kim Peters. Chair: Cal Frye. Vice Chair: Barbara Fuchsman. Secretary: Carol Wilde. Treasurer: Virginia Erdy. Editor: Dave Burwasser. Webmaster: Cal Frye. |