Editor: Steve Botts, stbotts@texas.net
Nosotros, las congregaciones miembros de la Asociación UU, convenimos en afirmar y formentar el valor y la dignidad propria de cada persona.
President
Mary Grace Ketner
Secretary
Vicki Lee Mattern
Treasurer
Nancy White
At Large Member
Sonya Graham
At Large member
Peter Van Dusen
Operations & Maintenance Committee Coordinator
John Bradshaw, Patrick Shearer
Member Services Committee Coordinators
Clem Chow, Jeff Ketner
Program Committee Coordinators
Henry Halff, Stephanie Shearer
CUUC Website Manager
Margaret Batschelet
Recently my life started moving at a faster and faster pace until it felt as if it was slipping into unmanageability. Ash Wednesday arrived, traditionally a time to give up something for Lent. Many Catholics give up meat or sweets for 40 days. I wondered if I could give up rushing.
Spiritual practices from any source offer us the ability to extend blessings. I've actually experienced that kind of blessedness for seconds at a time!
Even though spirituality is my business, it's easy for me to prioritize the material over the spiritual. I start grasping toward another goal, and forget what true "success" means. I suffer from FMS ('fraid of missing something), and I forget to say "no thank you."
I knew my condition had worsened when I heard myself curse when a car got in my way causing me to get stuck at a traffic light. "Wow! what a spiritual giant, you are!," said my sarcastic inner critic.
Eight days into Lent, I have slowed a bit but I keep being tempted to do my imitation of the Tazmanian devil. Whoa, giving up the habit of hurrying is going to be harder than I thought!
However, I noticed that my first efforts brought some results. I started tuning into a spiritual frequency, paying attention to a world that is more real than the seen world. The world we see is full of illusions projected by our attachments, desires, and fears. Fortunately, our hearts enable us to discover a real world beyond our concepts and illusions.
Moments of prayer and meditation have given me experiences of profound peace. Tapping back into that acceptance keeps me from trying to hold reality with clenched fists. Bringing those moments of faith into my activity is the challenge.
Lately I've engaged in the mother of all excitements- successful community organizing with the 10 Tree Challenge! But super jazzed becomes hyper, and hyper becomes rushing, and before I know it rushing becomes stressed. I move from faith to fear as I desperately try to make things right in my world. It's all fun and games until I realize that I feel more like John McEnroe than the Dalai Lama.
It becomes time to see victory in the struggle. That's not the same as the president prematurely declaring mission accomplished. It means re-deciding to have faith. It means controlling my attitude, the only thing that's mine to control.
Surrendering the outcome to the natural and divine order lets us be fully in our lives. Let me tell you, it really deflates the inner critics when we decide that our flawed skills and puny efforts will be good enough.
Hurrying is a habit that causes us to believe we live in a world of scarcity with limited opportunity. It tricks us into thinking that outer success can bring lasting inner peace. Sacrificing means letting go, giving over. It enables us to do our part, and let it be enough. The only striving that's left is striving to serve the highest good.
My decision to give up rushing for Lent means pacing myself for the long haul. I won't rush to give up hurrying. I will do it this moment and, hopefully, in the next moment too. Maybe some time we will all be doing service without rushing, and we will be together in peace. See you there!
My first year out of college, I taught high school English and Spanish in Hondo, Texas. Yes, Hondo; as in This-is-God's-country-don't-drive-through-it- like-hell. I escaped as often as I could, driving to San Antonio to see college friends or to Kerrville to visit my parents and do my laundry free (though I found out later they were on to me about that laundry business.)
I even left town to get my hair cut. I went to a place in Castroville called "My Beauty Shop." The owner seemed not to mind spending all Saturday morning with me, telling stories about growing up Syrian in south Texas and getting beat up by white boys for being Mexican then getting beat up by Mexican boys for being a gringo. He would laugh at the memory! Sometimes he would stop halfway 'round my head, strike a pose, and recite poetry or we would sing alternating bars of "Age of Aquarius." At the end of the morning, I would pay him, making a check out to "My Beauty Shop."
"I called it that," he said "So that people wouldn't feel like they were giving away money when they come here. You know, if you're writing 'MY Beauty Shop' on a check, it's like you're paying yourself."
Sometimes I think of our church in that way: "MY Church." Don't get me wrong; I love the name of our church, but when I think about how much I get out of it, I realize it might be utterly appropriate to write "My Church" on my check.
This is the second in a series of parables for the wonderful folks who make this church run. My aim in publishing them, other than my own amusement, is to help make this church's programs so good that every newcomer will say, "This is a church where people really care."
In 1946 T. Carr Forrest and John Cotton founded an engineering firm in Dallas. Under the driving force of Forrest's leadership, Forrest and Cotton grew to the pre-eminent engineering firm in the Dallas area. Then, in the mid sixties, Forrest died. Within five years Forrest and Cotton had been sold and the buyer had gone out of business.
An outfit known as Halff Associates was, at that time, an up-and-coming young engineering firm. Its growth was fueled by the driving force of its founder, Albert Halff. The decline and fall of Forrest and Cotton did not escape Halff's notice. Seeking to avoid Forrest and Carr's fate, he incorporated Halff Associates, established a management council, and sold stock to his senior engineers, thus making them partners. He groomed his most trusted young engineer to take over the firm.
Halff Associates, Inc. recently celebrated its 55th anniversary. It has undergone three changes of leadership. It employs about 250 engineers and an equal number of other staff. It has offices in six Texas cities. The leadership structure that Halff set up in the sixties is still in place.
Peter Van Dusen is a member of CUUC and the worship committee since 1996. He has been a philosophy instructor at St. Mary's University since 2001. Peter earned a M.A. in philosophy at California State University, Long Beach in 1984. He also graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1970. Areas of professional interest are ethics and economics. He is an amateur flutist with personal interests in classical music, history and German studies.
Henry Halff is a lifelong Unitarian. He has been a member of CUUC since 1994. He has served on the Board of Trustees as an at-large trustee and as president. He has also chaired the Member Services Committee. He currently serves the church as Chair of the Programs Committee, Canvass Chair, member of the Nominating Committee, Service Auction Director, and member of the Membership Committee. He participates in the Men's Group, the Social Action Committee, and the Worship Committee. His ambitions for the church are to see it thrive and grow as a force for good in the world, as a center for all manner of spiritual thinking, and as a source of support for its members.
Phil Schulman, the consulting minister at CUUC, has been a lifelong advocate of ecological awareness and social justice. At age 11, he first petitioned the citizens of his town to save the forest behind his home. Since then he has written editorials, served as a board member of a national human rights organization, participated in myriad campaigns for peace, ecology and social justice, spoken at rallies, vigils and demonstrations, and walked on peace pilgrimages across the US, France and Palestine. He says he's delighted to share his passion with us all.
(See 3/16 posting for information about Peter Van Dusen.)
Glenna Jones-Kachtik holds a BS in Elementary Education (grades 1-8) from Texas A&I (now A&M). She has taught in the public and private schools in grades 2 through 7. She was children's librarian at the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library in Kerrville for 5 years and put on some great puppet shows and plays during that time. Glenna is also a registered massage therapist.
Warren Lieberman is the administrator of Temple Beth-El in San Antonio. He is also actively involved in a number of civic, professional, and religious organizations and their activities. There are too many to list completely, but some include serving as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and the SAM Ministry Homeless Shelter, as well as serving as a panel member of the Youth Program Review for the United Way. Mr. Lieberman has also served as chair and teacher for a religious school.
During the month of March, the RE Class has studied Confucianism and we have embarked on a study of Taoism. We will study God Images of Taoism - including the Yin Yang, make tea, color a picture of Kwan Yin, have a demonstration of Tai Chi, then compare Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism through the picture book The Vinegar Tasters, and a spend a short time with the Tao of Pooh.
April will bring two special holidays: Easter and Earth Day. The children will be participating in the Easter/Flower Communion Celebration by singing a song and doing some of the readings. This musical service, coordinated by Peter Van Dusen, should be lots of fun.
The Earth Day Service on April 23rd will be a special inter-generational service. We are planning a Celebration and Feast for Earth Day which will incorporate songs, readings by all and a meal complete with dessert! It will also touch on the connection of Earth Day with the 7 Principals of Unitarian Universalism. The Orders of Service will be programs containing all the words as a keepsake.
I have also asked that the YRUU meet on this Sunday in April instead of the 2nd Sunday so that they can participate in the service as well. Everyone will have a part! At the present time, RE closing service is being planned for the 2nd Sunday in June as an inter-generational service with our Minister, Phil Schulman. RE will be held on regular service dates during the summer.
As you can see, lots of exciting things are going on in our RE Program. I am looking forward to April, May, June, July, & August, to working with the new worship committee chairs and the new board as they are elected. I will be contacting the parents for input into the curriculum for next year's classes.
Eighteen CUUC Members met on Sunday, 2/25/06, and agreed that there were three areas that attracted them to attend the activities of this congregation. They divided into three groups to discuss each one.
The group itself was representative of the varying beliefs held by those who are attracted to this church, ranging from atheism to theism. They could agree that the worship programs held during the next 12 months would be successful if:
Peter will present the comments from the group to the Worship Committee when it meets to discuss worship programming.
The group: Clem Chow, Von Kachtik, Jeff Ketner, Vickie Mattern, Phil Schulman
This group discussed specific activities, including:
The group: Steve Botts, John Bradshaw, Marilyn DeKing, Glenna Kachtik, and Nancy White.
This group agreed that it would be a good idea to initiate activities that would increase the exposure of others to CUUC and require individual, not group, efforts to achieve. For example:
The group: Joan Bradshaw, Patty Gullick, Phyllis Katcher, Mary Grace Ketner, Lori McVey and a guest who attends occasionally
The next actor/director the group has chosen to showcase will be Kenneth Branagh. An actor who also directs, Branagh is often credited with making the works of Shakespeare more accessible to the modern audience. The first film selected is quoted as proof of this reputation: "Much Ado about Nothing". The 1993 film features Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000531/. This film will be shown at church at 6:00 PM on Sunday, April 16
The second film in the Kenneth Branagh series will be "Othello". The 1995 film features Laurence Fishburne (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000401/)in the title role with Branagh assuming the role of Iago. This film will be shown at church at 6:00 PM on Sunday, May 21.
The Remarkable Film Group selected "Rabbit-Proof Fence" as the third in the series. The 2002 film is set in Australia in 1931 when three aboriginal girls escaped after being plucked from their homes to be trained as domestic staff and set off on a trek across 1500 miles in the Outback. This film will be shown at church at 6:00 PM on Sunday, June 18.
A new group has formed to promote and develop cohousing in San Antonio. It meets first and third Wednesday evenings (6:30--8:30 pm) in the fireplace room of CUUC. CUUC members currently involved are Stephanie & Patrick Shearer, Peter Van Dusen and Nancy White, but membership is open to anyone interested in manifesting intentional community in the way we physically house ourselves. Our next regular meeting will be Wednesday, April 5th, but we will also be meeting on Saturday afternoon, 3/25 to look at potentially suitable properties and building sites near downtown San Antonio. Contacts: Peter Van Dusen, (210) 724-1614, Martha Henry, (210) 732-3332.
Last year was a watershed year for the church. It was the year that we started taking membership seriously. It was the year that we started taking seriously the Commission on Appraisal's argument that "… membership is a journey, both for the individual and the congregation." It was a year that we decided to make that annual canvass into a time of reflection and renewal of the bonds between the church and its members.
If you were with us at this time last year, you may recall some of the events surrounding this transition: the all-church retreat and the Giving-Tree ceremony. And, of course, there was the Covenant Classroom where we took a collective look at what the church held for each of us, what the church needed to fulfill its promise, and what we would do as individuals to meet those needs.
Most important, last year, for the first time, you made a covenant with the church, a covenant that committed the church to meeting your expectations of it and that committed you to doing your part to make the church the best it can be and of giving your fair share to meet the church's financial needs.
Many of us found it hard to swallow this notion of a covenant. Some took the covenant to be like a contract, which would somehow force them to assume burdens that they did not want to assume. Others did not see the point of setting out their expectations of the church. In fact, your covenant with the church is more like marriage vows, a sincere expression of what binds you and the church to each other. In other respects, the covenant is nothing at all like marriage vows. For one thing, it can only express how you and the church relate at this point in time. Indeed, the covenant is only good for a year, at most.
I hope that with each year, your relationship with the church will deepen. I hope that with each passing year, the church will enrich your spiritual life more and more, and you'll find yourself more and more willing to serve the church.
Here we are, a year into this journey and it is time to see where we have been and where we are going. We did this as a congregation at the all-church retreat (reported in this newsletter). Now it's time for each of us to re-examine and renew our relationship with the church. I hope that you'll look back on the year as one that deepened your membership in the church. I hope that find the hours and the dollars that you contribute to the church to be more of a natural, integral part of your life than they were last year. I hope that you'll see new ways that the church can contribute to your spiritual life. I hope that you can see more clearly how you can serve the church in its mission.
This year, we'll kick off the canvass after the April 2 service as we did last year, with Covenant School. There you'll get a chance to review what this church means to you, what it needs in order to meet our needs, and what you can do to help meet those needs. All this will be done, as it was last year, with nothing more than stickies and poster board. Every task that the church needs to function will be posted on a sticky. In three-bears fashion, we'll have small tasks for members still testing the waters, middle-sized tasks for members looking for something more meaningful, and great big tasks for members ready to assume leadership roles. We'll also have a canvass package ready for you with everything you need to renew your covenant with the church. We'll have SOMETHING TO EAT! And, most important, we'll have lots of fun. If you think you have a reason not to come, let me know and I'll destroy it.
We've arranged for one of the church leaders to contact you on or after the kickoff in case you need help or have questions. We need to have your new covenant April 23. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Very few (actually none) of those who attended the Great 2006 CUUC Service Auction Gala noticed that something was missing, namely the Extreme Makeover: Church Sign Edition Contest. You may (actually you probably won't) recall that this contest offered a prize to the best design for a new sign to replace the existing aged structure now on Beverly Mae.
I, the auction director, now seek to rectify this grievous omission by opening the contest up to entries once again. Here are the rules:
Henry M. Halff
210-493-75019
Villa Verde Antonio, TX 78230-2709
(Fax) 210-479-6435
Cell) 210-363-7501
hmhalff@mac.com
OWL, Our Whole Lives, the comprehensive and highly acclaimed sex education course created by the UUA is available to our families of CUUC. The classes are presented at First UU Church and age appropriate groups are scheduled throughout the year with 7th through 9th graders currently attending. The presenters of the curriculum must be specially trained through the UUA. While it is too late to attend this year's class or training, now is the time to consider making arrangements for the next school calendar year. Plans for the classes and training for the year 2006-2007 have not been finalized but any interested parent or adult wishing further information about either the classes or the training should get in touch with Mary Alice Partain. Email dre@firstuusanantonio.org or call her at 344-2431.
The women's support group schedule has changed. Instead of meeting every other week, the group now meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at the church at 7:00 p.m. All women of the church are welcome to attend our upcoming meetings on March 27 April 10 April 24
The Operations and Maintenance Committee wishes to point out a need and an opportunity for all members. We need help in keeping our facilities neat and picked up. If you see an empty or half finished soft drink can on a table or window ledge dump it out and crush the can; coffee cup where it doesn't belong? wash it put it away; if you see a thread or a bit of glitter on the floor that has worked it's way out of the corner from Christmas past, if you see an errant piece of paper, or a leaf tracked in or any sort of "nit" please take a moment to do what you might do at home, pick it up and dispose of it properly.
You have our thanks in advance.
On April 23, the Men's Group and the Social Action Committee will host "Appalachian Voices," an organization that works closely with the coalfield residents of Appalachia to stop a very destructive form of coal mining called mountain top removal. The group has a slide show as well as to coalfield residents who will speak to the issue. You can read more about them at http://www.appvoices.org.
The Women's Support Group is open to women and friends of the church. We meet every 2 weeks, on a Monday night at the church, starting at 7 p.m. and usually finishing before 9 p.m. Each woman usually talks for about 10 minutes about anything she wishes. However, you don't have to talk if you would rather not. What is divulged is kept confidential unless otherwise stated. It is a great way to get to know the women in the church on a more personal level in a safe environment. We invite you to come and join us and let us get to know you.
The Cuuc men's group meets every other Sunday from 6:30 - 8:30 P.M. The current schedule is 9/25,10/9,10/23. All CUUC men or visitors are welcome to join us.
Group leadership rotates from meeting to meeting. The leader for each meeting is also the host, and he is responsible for furnishing snacks and drinks.
We usually start off meetings with a clearing, in which each member is allowed to talk about recent events in his life, if he wishes to, for as long as he sees fit. Next, the facilitator introduces the topic for the evening. This may involve a short reading - a poem, an article or other text. The subject could be just about anything that the facilitator would like the group to address: What's going on at CUUC, religion, economics science, health, family, friendship, etc.
Around 8:30, we wind things up by deciding who is going to facilitate the next meeting, declare this one finished, clean up, and leave.
The Remarkable Film Group consists of members and friends of CUUC who gather each month to view one feature film and discuss it afterward. Everyone is welcome to attend. The films are usually shown at church at 6 PM on the third Sunday of each month. Films are shown in a series. The attendees select the theme and content of each series normally compose of four films of a common theme, directed by the same person or featuring a specific actor or actress. Past film series have carried such themes as Women Messiahs or include films directed by John Sayles or those featuring Peter Sellers. Current leaders of the group are Clem and Joyce Chow. Any questions about this group may be directed to Clem or Joyce.
Dan Brown's hot book The Da Vinci Code is for the first meeting of the Book Club at 7 p.m. on May 2nd at the church. In addition to a murder mystery, romance and controversy, the novel offers an unusual religious controversy: Did Jesus Christ and Mry Magdalene marry and create a bloodline that continues today?
The book was challenged in copyright in England in March and will appear during late May as a new movie.
At the Public Library, the book is available in either regular type or in enlarged type. H.E.B. also offers the hardback with a small discount in larger stores.
Been a boat-rocker for decades, so I relate to his message. Example: I'm in the Green Party because the major parties are on the same page: taking big contributions from corporations to advance the donors' agendas. Result: we have government by corporations, not government by the people.
The Green Party occasionally manages to win a few local races, with the chance of winning a major race, nil. But the Greens don't roll over and give up, instead acting as a gadfly to keep the people's issues at least on the radar screen. Trying to save the world in its own way.
Many people would agree with the Greens' message if they could just hear it, but media access is extremely expensive, and the major parties, with their deep, deep pockets full of corporate donations, can afford it.
The Green Party accepts no tainted money. Example: The Express-News charges $10,000 for a full-page ad run one time. That is far more than the Bexar County Green Party usually has in its miniscule treasury. We are not against corporations, but for control of them. Lord Acton says "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"--Allen Lawrence
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