Editor: Margaret Batschelet, typea45@swbell.net
Nosotros, las congregaciones miembros de la Asociación UU, convenimos en afirmar y formentar el valor y la dignidad propria de cada persona.
January 22 marks the thirty-second anniversary of the passage of Roe v. Wade, a decision that made abortion legal and available in the United States. Unfortunately, women's freedoms of choice granted through Roe are gradually eroding, particularly in recent years under conservative political administrations and post-election debate about what constitutes 'moral values' in our country. How are reproductive rights spiritual issues, and what can people of liberal religious faith do to support Roe v. Wade against those who would like to overturn it?
After a long hiatus, the men's group has revived itself and is headed off in a new and exciting direction. Four members met last week at the Liberty Bar and decided to try regular meetings, each of which focuses on a particular topic. (This is not to say that we'll not have irregular meetings of other sorts as well.) If you're a male friend or member, you should trot over to http://www.quiensabe.com/temp/lbiniative.html, and read about the plans made at the Liberty Bar. The group plans to meet biweekly at the church on Sundays.
We especially urge former members or friends to give the new format a try, even if you're no longer coming to church. We still love you. And, we especially urge men in the church who have yet to join the men's group to give it a try. You will come to love us.
Our next Adult Religious Education class at CUUC will be based on the following book: Alice Blair Wesley, "Our Covenant: The Lay and Liberal Doctrine of the Church, the Spirit and Promise of Our Covenant." Meadville/Lombard Press, 2002.
This book is available through the UUA bookstore: go to http://www.uua.org and follow links to the bookstore.
We will discuss the book in two class sessions. The first will be on Sunday January 23. For that, I ask you to read the first three chapters (actually lectures). Anyone may attend this adult religious education program. If anyone has been unable to get the book and wants to attend the class, please let me know so that we may have a copy available for you on Sunday. I also strongly encourage this work as reading for our board of trustees: Alice Blair Wesley offers important ideas about covenant and how we lead our congregations. She originally presented these talks as the UUA Minns Lectures, 2000-01. Alice Blair Wesley has had Texas connections during her long career in UU ministry.
Any question, feel free to contact me. -Barbara Coeyman, barbrevbarb@aol.com
January 23 - "Celebrating Choice: Protecting Roe," Speaker: Rev Barbara Coeyman
January 30 - Speaker: Steve Botts
February 6 - Speaker: Margaret Batschelet
The Women's Support Group will meet at the church at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: January 31, February 14, February 28.
The next series selected for the Remarkable Film Group will feature the works of Sydney Poitier. The first film in this series will be "A Raisin in the Sun." The 1961 film is based on a prize-winning play that has recently been revived on Broadway. The film will be shown at 6:00 PM on Sunday, February 20 at the church.
The second film in the Sydney Poitier series for the Remarkable Film Group will be "Paris Blues." This 1961 film also features the performances of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The film will be shown at 6:00 PM on Sunday, March 20 at the church.
The Remarkable Film Group will conclude its Sydney Poitier series with "To Sir, With Love." This 1967 film is set in a high school at the East End of London and features the famous theme song sung by Lulu . The film will be shown at 6:00 PM on April 17 at the church.
There will be a ceremony to celebrate our new members on January 23. So far, we have three new members signed up to join the congregation. Come to the service on this Sunday to extend a warm welcome to our new members.
A soup lunch will take place immediately after the service on Sunday, January 23. This month the soup lunch is being sponsored by the Religious Education (RE) Program. Come share warm soup and other delicious items with fellow members and friends. The monthly soup lunch is organized to raise funds in support of our church operations. The charges will be $4 for adults, free to children. Visitors are also welcome to join us at no charge.
ou can now shop at your favorite places and benefit the church financially as well. The E-Scrip program provides a small percentage donation to our church each time you shop using a credit card at stores such as Macy's, Office Max and use other services such as Pepboys Auto. Participating merchants also include American Airline, Budget rent-a-car and most major cruise lines. Our church is a registered group with E-Scrip. If you wish to join this program, visit the web-site (www.escrip.com) and sign up with the credit card that you use to shop. Make sure that you identify our church (Group ID: 1030041) as the group to receive your support. That is all you need to do.
The new curriculum for the children, "God Images" has been implemented during the past few months by Glenna Jones-Kachtik. It is going splendidly!!! The students are planning on sharing lessons learned sometime later this year. I visited the classroom last week and found them all busily engaged in an activity which helped them to differentiate between reactions that were thoughtful, emotional or sensory as they observed different objects and situations. Paying attention to one's reactions provides a good basis for analyzing beliefs. What a great opportunity for our children. Many thanks to Glenna for her commitment to our children.
We need more groups to sign up for soup lunches. These are both a source of community for the church but also a source of cash for various projects. Encourage your group or committee to sign up. Thanks, Nancy White, Treasurer
Quick action by UU's on behalf of the people of South and Southeast Asia has already made a difference. The outpouring of generosity has been simply staggering. Boxes upon boxes of donations arrive at our office each day, with no letup in sight.
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee has already raised more than $400,000 in online donations alone and estimates that we may have raised an additional $400,000 from mailed-in donations that are still being tabulated. Of this, 92 percent or more goes directly to relief efforts.
Because of the scale of the disaster, new needs are surfacing constantly. UUSC's work to channel these relief and reconstruction funds to where they are needed most was recently highlighted in New York Newsday. I'm passing along the article below to give you an update on what your Tsunami Relief Fund contribution has accomplished to date. You can also read the article online by visiting http://www.uusc.org/tsunami/newsday.pdf.
In peace and justice,
Mary Lania
Program Associate for Asia
UUSC
Our young Harvard Square Library is still growing worldwide on the Internet. In January 2005 our past year closes with these total statistics: more than three-quarters of a million page viewers per year in almost 100 countries on six continents.
Our viewers' favorite series (which we began five years ago) is the 150 color illustrated biographies of Notable American Unitarians 1936-1961. Next most popular (likewise assisted by a grant from the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program) is our online communication of 100 color illustrated brief biographies of 100 Notable American Unitarians 1740-1900.
Among our many new offerings is the freshly edited and illustrated online version of the original Beacon Press book Speak Out Against The New Right. More about this in the next issue of UU Notable News. You can view it by just going to Google and typing Harvard Square Library, where you will discover still more new articles:
People Of Power celebrates nineteen women and men whose lives inspire us to become who we are. Prayers Of Power shares notable selections largely written by Unitarian Universalists.
Charles Hartshorne, the great late Unitarian Universalist philosopher, is featured by our publication on the worldwide web of (1) the first biography of his life and thought (2) an updated bibliography of his writings, and (3) a series of essays portraying his liberal religious New World View.
Our other items online include Rabindranath: Tagore Poet Of Power, Heraclitus: Prophet Of Power, Dancing With The Sacred, The Harvard Square God, Cambridge On The Charles as viewed by Alan Seaburg.
Ampler information is yours when you view Harvard Square Library http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org, a retired minister's venture in liberal religious electronic communication. Please share the news and also send your comments. Herb Vetter, Director, hfvetter@post.harvard.edu.
I will be ordained to Unitarian Universalist ministry by Live Oak UU Church on Saturday, March 5, at the church. The service of ordination is at 4 p.m. A social gathering will precede the service, starting at 3:00 p.m. and a fellowship dinner will follow, starting around 5:30 p.m. To the best of my knowledge, there has not been a UU ordination in Austin since 1966, so it's probably time to catch us up on ordination's meaning and significance.
To ordain is to invest someone with ministerial or priestly authority, a very high honor. Ordination is a significant career marker, and grants one the title 'Reverend.' The method of ordination in any given denomination is influenced by its governance. Unitarian Universalism is governed by congregational polity, which means that decision-making authority lies in the congregation, not in church hierarchy. For example, in congregational polity, a church owns property, determines it own conditions for membership, and ordains ministers. UU congregations are advised to ordain only persons in ministerial fellowship, granted by passing the Ministerial Fellowship Committee exam.
Ordination usually lasts for life: that is, it is not tied to serving a particular congregation or a community ministry. Generally the ordaining church and the ordainee have special relationship. Live Oak has supported me the past seven years, during seminary, MFC exams, and now as endorser of my chaplaincy at Planned Parenthood Austin. I am honored that the church has now voted to ordain me.
In ordination, a congregation is participating in the 350-year-old heritage of the free church in this country. American Unitarians first defined congregational polity and ordination in their Cambridge Platform of 1648. Universalists did the same in their Winchester Profession of 1803. Since merger in 1961, the UUs explain ordination as both freedom and responsibility on the part of both congregation and minister, a 'mutual commitment to service and support to further the cause of free religion.' Ordination is an important act of covenant.
The theme of my ordination is "Community." UUs in the Austin community and the Austin interfaith community will attend. The service includes a Community UU Choir. If you wish to participate in the choir, please contact me. The one and only rehearsal of the complete choir will be at 2:30 on March 5 in the sanctuary of Live Oak Church.
Invitations, instructions for R.S.V.P., and driving directions will be or already have been sent to all congregations in the southwest district. Live Oak church is at 3315 El Salido Parkway, Cedar Park. For any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
With Great Joy,
Barbara Coeyman
512-453-2026, barbrevbarb@aol.com
January 23 - New Member Welcome Ceremony
January 23 - "Celebrating Choice: Protecting Roe," Speaker: Barbara Coeyman
January 23 - Soup Lunch after services sponsored by the Religious Education committee
January 23 - Adult RE: "Our Covenant: The Lay and Liberal Doctrine of the Church, the Spirit and Promise of Our Covenant." After soup lunch.
January 23 - Simplicity covenant group, 6:00 p.m.
January 30 - Speaker: Steve Botts
January 31 - Women's Support Group, 7:00 p.m.
February 6 - Speaker: Margaret Batschelet
February 6 - Simplicity covenant group, 6:00 p.m.
February 20 - Remarkable Film Group "A Raisin in the Sun," 6:00 p.m.
February 27 - Speaker: Dr. Barbara Coeyman
February 27 - Adult RE: "Our Covenant: The Lay and Liberal Doctrine of the Church, the Spirit and Promise of Our Covenant." After soup lunch.
March 5 - Ordination Service for Dr. Barbara Coeyman, Live Oak UU Church, Austin, 4 p.m.
March 20 - Remarkable Film Group "Paris Blues," 6:00 p.m.
April 17 - Remarkable Film Group "To Sir, With Love," 6:00 p.m.
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