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March
2003
The
Clarion deadline coincides with the monthly
Friendship Potluck Luncheons on the third Sunday
of the month. Submissions can be in writing, on
disk, faxed (773-5018) or e-mail at newsletter@uugreenfield.org.
Past
issues of The Clarion can be found by clicking here.
March
2003 Clarion
Headlines:
From
the Minister
After a service on the concept and word “race,” intern minister Manish Mishra approached me. Manish affirmed the worth of the service and message. Then he said, “It suffered a bit from Euro-centrism.” He explained, “Your approach relied heavily on how the word ‘race’ came to be used in Western countries. In fact, there were terms used on the Indian subcontinent to describe racial affinity that date to between 1500-500 BCE. The racial identification of being ‘Aryan’ (lighter-skinned and European in origin) is in fact described in the oldest of Hindu texts.”
See inside for the full critique! Good content aside, this is a reminder that Manish, Chris, and Manish’s marvelous co-ministry with us take leave as of June. To the extent his time and energy allow this Spring, I encourage community members to open themselves to Manish’s services, whether through his Sunday leadership, discussion series, or pastoral perspective (racism being but one subject among many). Open to him your transformative process as a human being: it is rich what we have to share. With humility and in differing and bettering ways, Manish has transformed me.
Peace
— Jonathan
Rehmus
Note on Ministry Availability and with Further Appreciation:
From March 19-25, I will be on break with my family and will be unavailable. Those with emergency pastoral needs can contact Manish Mishra during this period at 413-498-5408. Jon Rehmus
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Drumming
With Ellen Clegg
Sunday, March 16, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
We hope you can join us for this
energizing experience. All ages are invited. Ellen
is a wonderful facilitator who finds rhythms to
satisfy both experienced and novice drummers. $10,
young children free. Pre-registration is
appreciated. Bring your own drums and rhythm
instruments, if possible, and Ellen also brings
extra drums to share.
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Coffee
& Soul
On March
15, Coffee & Soul will be presenting a double bill with Scott Alarik and Laura Wood. Laura was our opener for Relative Strangers in December, Scott in January for our Rani Arbo/Brooks Williams concert. The full-hour open mic session will be dominated by our own “Open Mike” Chrisman who has a new CD coming out and will be performing with various friends who participated in making it. Also scheduled for the open mic is area favorite Marcia Shuron Harris. We expect a great night of music, as usual, and hope for a good turn-out so that when Scott Alarik returns to his other job as a writer for the Boston Globe he will give us two thumbs up. If you are interested in baking for admission, please call Carole Groman (625-2348). Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, half-price for open mic performers, under 18, and seniors. Tickets available at World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield, Boswell’s Books in Shelburne Falls, or by calling the church (773-5018).
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Board
Notes
The Board of Trustees meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the church. The Board is your representative governing body; contact us if you have nay concerns. Here is a brief summary of major items from our February meeting.
1. Pledges are coming in according to expectations. Recently all members should have received their current quarterly pledge statement. For any questions regarding contributions as tax deductions call Margo Campbell.
2. The main business was an unexpected proposal for the acquisition of a Yamaha Model DC7 Concert Grand 2 characterized as being in mint condition. The proposal was favorably and referred to the Music Committee for consideration. Advance word has it, the committee will recommend purchase. Accordingly, if the Board also agrees the church by-laws require a general vote on the matter. Full information concerning ownership history, estimated value, actual cost and purchase plan would be presented. Our expectation is to resolve the issue at the March meeting.
3. Consideration was given to providing a travel van rental for a day or two to encourage single day attendance at the UUA General Assembly in Boston. Another possibility might be a stipend for carpooling arrangements. Information concerning daily programs and costs are expected in March. Any members interested in group attendance should contact Jon Rehmus, Diane Dix or members of the Board of Trustees.
4. The March meeting sould also feature a report from the task force on R.E. organization.
- David Bigda, Chair of the Board of Trustees
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Jubilee Action Group: Church and Community Outreach
Purpose of Group: Increase our familiarity with non-white peoples (churches) in our community by visiting churches.
Beginning and Ending Dates: June – August 2003
Contact Person: Leigh Youngblood
Members’ Names:
Kim Smith
Judy Walter
Leigh Youngblood
Eve Brown-Waite
Overview:
Greenfield was nearly an all-white town until very recently. Recent “newcomer” groups are not entirely welcomed and most of us are ignorant of their communities and churches. We propose summer visits to broaden our awareness and to begin bridge-building wit churches, including Spanish evangelical, black, Moldavian, Ukrainian and Korean.
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INTERESTED IN UU
SPIRITUALITY?
Have you ever wanted to read some of the great writings of our UU forebears, such as Channing, Emerson, Parker, or Ballou? Have you wondered what bearing these great thinkers have on our modern day practice of UU'ism? If so, then have we got the class for you!!! Minister Intern Manish Mishra will be offering a class on UU Spirituality starting in mid-March. This class will look at and discuss selections from some of the great, historical UU thinkers of our movement. We will share our thoughts on the meaning of these great writings and sermons, and discuss what these UU thinkers might contribute our our modern day understanding of what it means to be a spiritually grounded UU. Our first class session will be Sunday, March 16th at 9am, and continue thereafter on a weekly basis through May. If you are interested in attending this course, or have questions, please write to Manish by email at:
MMishra@aol.com.
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Conversations With Hope Continue
Members of Hope Church in Amherst will be meeting in the Parish Hall on March 7 with members of the Social Action Committee and staff for a second conversation with members of the Hope Church in Amherst regarding their programs in dealing with racism. Results of these meetings will be shared with the congregation in the near future. The previous meeting was quite helpful as the Hope Church members shared how they have a spiritual base to their anti-racism work.
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Notes from the DRE
Each Sunday morning since September 11, 2001 the children and I sing these words: “Give light and people will find the way. Teach peace and people will find the way.” Saturday after Saturday dozens of us stand out in the cold, in the snow, in the rain holding up our signs for peace. Hundreds of thousands of us have signed petitions, written letters, made phone calls urging our leaders to work for peace. Millions of us – all around the world – braved the freezing cold and the police to rally together for peace on February 15. And nothing changed. Nothing changed.
Recently, as it has begun to look like there is no way to stop the juggernaut of impending war, I have begun to lose hope. “Am I simply a naive fool?” I ask myself as I go out there one more time with my peace sign. “Am I leading the children down the primrose path to nowhere?” I ask as I talk to our children about the importance of peace. Sometimes I feel like I am.
But just as I got to the depth of my despair, I was reminded of something important. Yes, we may well lose this battle; there may be no way to stop this war on Iraq. But we have to keep up the struggle, because that struggle is bigger than this war.
The struggle is not simply about how we deal with this particular conflict with Iraq; it is about how we deal with conflict in general. The struggle is not only about making peace in this difficult time; it is about creating a world where peace is the norm and violence and aggression is recognized as abhorrent behavior. By standing up for peace now – even in the face of probable failure – we are helping to turn the tide of planetary consciousness which will ultimately change the way all of us exist on this one fragile planet.
So I’ve come to the conclusion that I must continue to stand for peace – even when it’s cold and I’m tired and feeling hopeless. I have to continue the struggle because I am a mother and I care deeply about the world that we are creating for our children. I have to continue to stand for peace because I am a religious educator responsible in a small way for shaping the future. And I have to continue the struggle because I am a Unitarian Universalist, committed to these UU principles:
— the inherent worth and dignity of every
person;
— the right of conscience and democratic
process;
— world community with peace, liberty and justice
for all;
— respect for the interdependent web of which we
are all a part.
It is these principles, among other things, that should compel all of us to continue the struggle for peace, even when the struggle seems futile.
In Peace & Hope – Eve
A great big and heartfelt THANK YOU to the All Souls community for your caring and assistance while I was away in Chicago. To those of you who helped my family by calling, providing a meal, babysitting; to those of you who kept the Sunday School afloat; to those of you who held me in the light with your love and good wishes - THANK YOU. It made a difference! Holding all of you in my light of love and gratitude - Eve
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A Sure Sign of Spring:
Mid-Week Music Resumes
March 19 — Eric Goodchild, bagpipes
March 26 — Chris Devine, multi-instrumentalist
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Critique and Response:
Manish Mishra and Jon Rehmus
Manish: In your sermon, Jon, you examined Latin and other European origins of this term, ‘race,’ and used this approach to implicitly show how concepts of racial consciousness came into being. But that type of linguistic analysis is in and of itself Euro-centric! Concepts of race and racial consciousness existed for literally thousands of years before ‘race’ evolved in the European context. In fact, there were terms used on the Indian subcontinent to describe racial affinity that date to between 1500-500 BCE. The racial identification of being ‘Aryan’ (lighter-skinned and European in origin) is in fact described in the oldest of Hindu texts. This racial identification is held up as a mark of pride in contrast to the darker-skinned, indigenous (Dravidian) inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent. Racial consciousness is by no means a European invention, linguistically or otherwise.
Jon: Your criticism pointed out how my approach needed breadth. Preparing for the sermon, I knew that European and American racism in the late 1800s and 1900s identified with Aryan origins (the Princeton lectures of Woodrow Wilson are a good early example). But to what extent? You challenged me to further research. It turns out, after Indo-European language links were established in the 1700s, an errant train of mainstream science (and philosophy) in the 1800s tried to forge links to the Aryan cultural myth (whose forebears in India gave rise to the Hindu caste system). These links proved untrue or fictitious. Where authentic science fails to legitimize racism, myth and stereotype and misrepresentation about data too often serves! Manish, you added: racial consciousness goes back to a long history in our encounter with “The Other.” Ancient precursors based in myth have been drawn on to try and legitimate the West’s own obsession with notions of racial purity or separation. And our fears of the Other.
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WHO IS GOING TO
GA
June 26 - 30?
It would be helpful to know who in our community is attending General Assembly in Boston this summer. If we know who is interested in attending either some or all, we can pool that information to arrange carpooling or van rental if some are interested in attending all or part of the gathering, and sharing of rooms is also possible. Do you have friends or family who would offer hospitality to anyone? Please let Jon or Diane know and we will keep a list and share it when time gets closer. Reminder: Registrations re-open on March 1. Also, lodging reservations will open. (See
Board Notes for more)
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The New Church
Directory Is Finished
Copies are available at the church or, if preferred, can be e-mailed to you so you will have a copy in your computer. Please remember, this is for church use only and not to be shared with people outside our community. Contact Diane if you would like it e-mailed to you.
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Wheel
of Life
This column is our
way of sharing with others some of the important
events that affect members of our community. If you
know of something that you feel would be appropriate
for this column please contact Diane Dix by phone or
e-mail your news to: newsletter@uugreenfield.org
and, also, to her home e-mail address which is endia2020@yahoo.com.
Christine Bates is among six area residents to receive grants from Community Connections
Coalition. She will work with adolescents involved in the juvenile courts system on projects in the Montague Community Garden this summer.
Sky Dix was named Worship Coordinator for the Continental Social Justice Youth Conference. This five-day conference attracts young UU’s from across North America.
A neat connection:
Avis Ellis made the generous donation of the “Kings and Queens of Africa” series which hangs on the walls of the parish hall and minister’s study. Thank you again, Avis, and for more reasons: one of the artists whose composition is in the parish hall (King Mussa, the famed 14th Century King of Mali) is Barbara Higgins Bond. Unbeknownst to the Journey Toward Wholeness Committee (which hung the series), she is Julia Ellingboe’s aunt!
Here is a partial list of names of All Souls community members who went to NYC on Feb. 15. The Brown-Waite family, Judy Wolter, Molly and Essie Chambers, Suzanne Carlson, Tom Gajewski, Carole Groman, Risa Sudolsky, Meg Baker, Serena Torry, Emily Boss, Diane Dix’s children, Christine Bates, Ruth Sterling and her daughters.
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Dates to Watch for This Spring
April 26 — Annual Spring Rummage Sale in the Parish Hall. Save household items, toys, books, sporting equipment, clothing, etc. More in the April issue of The Clarion.
May 4 — Dana Vespers, Pioneer Valley Brass, free public concert, 3 p.m.
June 8 — Greenfield 250th Anniversary Parade, Mary Ann Milewski and Irmarie Jones are planning a concession. If anyone can help, contact Irmarie. It would be from noon on Sunday until the parade goes by after 1:30 p.m…...probably3 p.m.
June 22 — Church Picnic at Camp Keewanee
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Writer’s (and Not Writer’s) Group Forming
Hello fellow All Soulsians,
I have a dream, that is, nothing less than a number one best seller non-fiction compilation of the thoughts and reason held within the minds of our own congregation, with proceeds to benefit All Souls Church. All we have to do is answer one simple question, “Why are we Unitarian/ Universalists”? If there is an answer, it must be worth printing. And if we can actually explain it, I’m sure pepole will be interested in reading it. The difficulty is putting it into words, stories, and autobiographical sketches, while keeping it personal and at the same time touching on universal concerns and of course somehow creating a cohesive non-fiction book - without any run-on sentences (among other things).
I’m thinking that a weekly writer’s circle, meeting at All Souls would act as the backdrop for this ongoing effort. Any All Souls people, young and not young, who have a story about their coming to terms with religion in their lives, and about why they have chosen Unitarian/Universalism, and who want to share it, can contact me to get involved. If you are a new UU, life-long UU or a new attendee (convert?) to UUism, your story will add value to this work.
What is my vision at this point? I believe that within our own congregation is a message for the world, hidden within our subconscious, comming to light in little bits and pieces here and there -- It is a vision and an understanding of why the world is where it is today, and why the world is a better place with Unitarian Universalism. It’s just a matter of getting it out and on paper, and then doing a whole lot of editing. I also believe that if I am wright (right), then the finished product could be a great fund raiser for All Souls too.
Well, that’s a good place to start. If you are interested in joining me on this adventure, please call or email me. We will share stories and help draw each other out, getting to the underlying themes and “universality” of our ideas. If nothing else, it will be great fun.
And thank you for the opportunity to try this out, as my way to try and give something back to the church (and to the religion) that has given me so much.
- John Walter, ajwalter@hge.net
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All
Souls Church History, Fourth Installment
(Every month it is hoped that there will
be an item of church history in The Clarion. Some of the
long time members are meeting monthly to bring the history
up to date. It has been quite sketchy since about 1940. Here
is a contribution from Rev. Holly Bell.)
Religious Education 1948 — 1956
Soon after coming to Greenfield in 1948, Stan,, having been brought up Baptist and I having been brought up Methodist and having become totally anti-religious, discovered the Unitarian church. This seemed to be a good compromise to meet the challenge of introducing our children to a religion in which we could be comfortable.
Clyde Williams was the minister – a delightful person, but the Sunday School was almost non-existent. In order to get something started, Stan agreed to be a nominal Superintendent with the stipulation that he would tell a story each Sunday to the little group of youngsters gathered in the parish hall. They would then divide into about three classes and Stan would go up stairs to hear the sermon.
Now Stan had been discharged from the Army after spending a year in the occupation troops in Italy after the war and I with young Stan joined him for a year in Switzerland. Stan had no civilian clothes so, as was the custom there, he bought material and had a suit made. It turned out to be a sort of zoot-suit with padded shoulders and wide lapels. It was the only dress-up piece of clothing he had to wear to church. He looked a bit like a dapper gangster. One morning, after his talk, as he walked past a small group of children, one little girl (He recognized her as Judge Tisdale’s daughter), turned to her friend and whispered in an awed voice, ”There goes God” Stan decided it was time to quit!
Within the next few years a number of families our age and with children came into the church and created a real need for a viable Sunday school. At this time (about 1950) Paul Chapman was called as our minister. I became RE Chairman and Mrs. Chapman took over as superintendent. Over the next few years the Sunday school grew rapidly. We had just two classrooms – one on each side of a stage which at that time existed in the parish hall. Age-groups were doubled up and classes were scattered around the parish hall. Obviously any activities in which a teacher might wish to indulge were almost impossible.
Within a few years, about 1953-54, I went before the Annual Meeting to beg some funds to clean out and renovate an old furnace room which was right across from the present bathrooms. Craig Cole was in charge of the renovation and had a group of the men doing much of the work. One extra classroom was a help for a while but the Sunday school kept growing and was already becoming over-crowded again when Holly Bell was appointed Superintendent in 1956. In last month’s Clarion Holly wrote about her years as Religious Education Director and the renovations which gave us essentially the set-up that now exists.
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