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April
2005
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.
April
Clarion
Headlines:
All Souls UU Church Welcomes You - UU Greenfield MA All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
The
caring coordinator
for April is Jana Cummings.
From
the Minister
With
the late-March snowstorm having laid down another
blanket of patience, Spring is taking on the aspect
of something powerful welling up, like a lava
chamber that must vent its contents soon. Or like
some strong-voiced, drunken troubadour coming off
break, now about to burst into song. “The green
ones have come from the other world tipsy,” says
the Sufi poet Rumi. “Like the breeze, up to some
new foolishness.”
Rumi’s
translator Coleman Barks comments, “For the
mystic, the inner world is a weather that contains
the universe and uses the universe as symbolic
language. Spring is not so much a metaphor for a
state of attunement as it is that attunement.” In
other words, we – all of us in the northern
hemisphere – are not just going through Spring,
observing and enjoying it. We are Spring ourselves,
Spring is us and expressed in us as it is in all of
Earth’s being.
“A
Spring wind moves any branch that isn’t dead,”
said Rumi, talking not of the trees but of our soul.
With dance upon the green, with gardening, with a
cup of tea next to a window thrown wide open, with
the ecstasy and extravagance that the smell, touch,
sounds, and sights of the season bring … sense
Spring inside and be it!
Jon
Rehmus
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Ministry
Notes and Programs
Interested
in joining All Souls as a member? All who are 16
years old or older are welcome to become a member of
All Souls: it is a chance to empower yourself within
the church as well as express your deepened
commitment. There are two Sunday-morning breakfast
orientations (May 22 & 29) before the New Member
Sunday on June 5 when many sign the membership book.
However, if you want to know more before then,
contact me (Jon Rehmus; 624-3025) or come to a Newcomer’s
Circle after service, Sunday, April 17. This
will be a chance to talk with me and other members
about the church, UUism, and to get initial
questions answered. Do join us!!
Sunday
Adult Discussion Group begins again April 3
(9:00-10:00 a.m. in the minister’s study) with a
new series, “Lao Tse’s Tao Te Ching.” These
2500 year-old “Books of the Way and of Virtue”
were very influential on the course of Confucianism
and Buddhism and continue to enlighten us with their
perspective on nature, human purpose, and
governance. We will take a study aid/personal
reflection approach focusing on a “chapter”
(usually 12-15 lines) each Sunday. No background or
reading required; all are welcome!
Thanks
to Janice Sorenson for getting the bathroom painting
underway. She and I could use a couple more
volunteers (or we may have to wait until summer for
it all to get finished). It’s a lot of fun, says
I, Tom Sawyer: good company, good music, good color.
It’s fun to improve this important public space in
our church.
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Canvass
Kickoff Dessert Buffet and Ice Cream Social
April 8th
Join
us on Friday night, April 8th, from 7:00 – 8:30
PM, as we kick off this year's Canvass. For the
adults, we’ll have fancy desserts, coffee, tea and
wine upstairs in the sanctuary, accompanied by the
piano stylings of our own Bob Cummings. Downstairs,
we’ll have ice cream, toppings and mix-ins so the
kids can make their own sundaes (with adult
supervision). The ice cream and hot fudge sauce will
be provided, but we’re looking for topping and
mix-in donations (be creative!). Bring yourself,
your partner, your kids, your generosity of spirit
and your wallet to the church on April 8th for a fun
evening!
Tag
Sale April 23
The
Annual Spring Tag Sale is scheduled for Saturday,
April 23. Let’s make this the best one ever.
Household items, sports equipment, bicycles, good
books (not textbooks) collectibles, toys and jewelry
… whatever you think will sell. NO clothing. If
you can help set up or work at the sale, or both,
see Irmarie Jones. (774-4954)
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Notes
from the DRE
I’ve
heard a lot recently about a general sense of
malaise and ennui affecting our church. I suppose in
a sense, this might be true. A lot of us are feeling
overwhelmed. And a lot of us are pulling back.
But
on one recent Sunday afternoon, after most of the
congregation had gone home, ministry was very much
alive and well throughout All Souls. A group of
animated adults were busy in the Sunshine Room
talking and learning about human sexuality. Another
group was around a table in the Parish Hall sharing
ideas about how to keep people – new and old –
feeling more connected to one another. In the
kitchen, while washing dishes, tears of grief and
words of support were quietly being shared. At the
same time, one of our church families was off at a
nursing home, visiting other members of our church
family. Meanwhile, upstairs in the office, someone
took a few minutes out from neatening up the church
to help me find just the right words to help cheer
up someone experiencing a difficult time. All of
this when church had supposedly ended!
I
hope this serves as a reminder to all of us that our
ministry is varied and widespread. It is not
strictly limited to Sunday morning services or even
to what goes on inside the church. This is also a
reminder that, though we may be feeling tired and
stretched and even financially precarious, we are,
indeed, fulfilling our mission of ministering to one
another and to the larger community.
Part
of my ministry to the larger community involves my
work with domestic abuse victims. Some of you know
that I have recently started a new NELCWIT-administered
fund to help domestic violence victims. The
“Devorah’s Door To Safety Fund,” named in
honor of my grandmother who died last December, will
provide grants of up to $350 for emergency safety
needs. We are now actively soliciting donations for
the fund and are seeking sponsorship for our
fundraising performance of “Body Language: A
Celebration,” on May 7 at All Souls.
I
welcome the help and support of the All Souls
community with this important work. Donations – in
any amount – can be sent to my attention at
NELCWIT, 10 Park St., Greenfield. Simply write
“Devorah’s Door” in the memo line. You can
also contact me if you’d like to order tickets to
“Body Language” or lend your support in another
way.
Whether
you join me in this particular ministry or minister
to the community in your own way, please be sure
that what we do matters. And that the work of All
Souls is alive and well.
In
Love and Light, Eve
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Children’s
Seder April 24th
The children will be celebrating Passover with a
Children’s Seder on Sunday morning, April 24,
during their Sunday School time. Please contact Eve
(772-0043) if you would like to assist or
participate.
Wheel
of Life
News from Gloria Bean who reports that although she
misses her friends in Western Massachusetts, it's
hard to beat Florida weather (except in hurricane
season). She had a procedure February 3 at Johns
Hopkins that should arrest the progress of the cysts
in her back. There is some immediate improvement and
she hopes for more as nerve function improves. The
UU Vero Beach Church was the setting of Gloria and
Nelson Applegate's small wedding on March 5.
Congratulations! Gloria says she is selling her
condo privately for another month before listing
with a broker. If anyone is interested, she can be
reached at 772-664-5152 or Gloriad75@aol.com.
Emma
Nicole, infant daughter of Barbara and Mark Zaccheo,
died shortly after birth on March 24. We extend our
deep condolences to her family.
Isabel
Cole is in the Charlene Manor after surgery for a
broken hip. She was unable to attend the Mid-Week
Concert on March 23 when Jerry Noble and Bob
Sparkman played. The Coles introduced the musicians
which began their highly successful music
partnership. They recognized Isabel’s absence from
the audience and dedicated their last tune, one of
Craig’s favorites, “Just a Closer Walk With
Thee”, to her.
Last
month Craig and Isabel purchased a new refrigerator
for the church kitchen after the old one broke down.
Thank you from all of us.
Catherine
Waddell signed the Membership Book last month.
Welcome!
George
and Cynthis Bluh house sat for their daughter during
February in San Francisco and found the city
blooming with spring flowers. Jim Craig, our former
minister, now living in Napa, called to invite them
to a concert at Mission Dolores Basilica, the oldest
mission in San Francisco. He was part of an ensemble
which, joined with another choir to sing “Music of
the Americas.” The last part of the performance
included the rousing “Missa Criolla”, which
reminded the Bluh’s of the Andean “Missa Andina”
concert at All Souls Church a few years ago.
Margaret and Jim invited them to a Japanese
restaurant afterwards. They thought the Craigs
looked well and were involved in interesting
activities, one of which will be a tour of Jim’s
singing group in Europe this summer.
Suzanne
Gluck-Sosis is a member of the Spiritual Cinema
Circle. She receives four amazing spiritual films
each month and would like to offer people the
opportunity to see them the third Wednesday of each
month. Please call her if interested. 774-3585
Suzanne
Gluck-Sosis is also offering free Reiki sessions at
her house. Please call her if interested - 774-3585.
Each session takes fifty minutes to an hour.
(We
extend concern and appreciation for all of you
taking care of family members and friends in times
of illness and need. If you would like prayers, a
healing contemplation, or just good vibrations
offered, feel free to make a recognition or prayer
request of the minister, the Caring Coordinator of
the month (see the Clarion) or through Joys &
Concerns.
Please
help keep the community informed of significant
events affecting our members. If you have any
information you would like included in Wheel of Life
please speak to Diane Dix.)
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Fifth
Friday Family Fun Night!
April
29, 6 — 8:30 p.m., Parish Hall
We’ll supply pizza and beverages. You bring a
snack to share, your favorite games, yourself, and
your family. All are welcome to this
intergenerational event.
ATTENTION:
PARENTS OF CHILDREN 6-8 YEARS OF AGE:
Radiation and Public Health, PO Box 60, Unionville,
NY 10988 are testing baby teeth to determine the
effects of radiation from nuclear power plants on
the children. There is a tooth donation form to fill
out and mail to the above address. This is
distributed by Traprock Peace Center (traprockpeace.org)
See www.radiation.org for more information. Also
when you send teeth, pad the tooth with cotton or
plastic and tape, so the tooth does not get crushed
when being put through the stamper machine. See
Suzanne Gluck-Sosis for forms. Thank youfor
participating in this important study.
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Choir
Announcement
The
All Souls choir will be singing two more times this
spring. Please come and sing with us.
May
15 (with Jim Scott)
June 5 (New Member Sunday)
Our
plan is to meet for rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. on the
three Sundays preceding the weeks we are going to
sing. . We will work on parts for the first two
rehearsals, and then work on putting it together at
the third Sunday rehearsal. We will also have a
rehearsal on the Thursday before the day we sing and
one rehearsal at 9 a.m. the day we sing.
If
you want to sing with the choir but can’t make it
to all the rehearsals, please call or talk to Carol
Flandreau (863-4201) to get copies of the music to
work on at home. We plan to do music that is fun to
sing but not too difficult to learn. Hope you can
join us!
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Dates
to Remember As We Approach the End of the Church
Year
May
14, 7:30 PM — Coffee & Soul’s Second
Annual Peace and Justice Celebration. Jim Scott,
Charlie King and Karen Brandow, and Peter Siegel.
Come join these musicians and representatives from
Valley activist groups tabling for this uplifting
event. We will celebrate solidarity here at our
corner on Hope. $15 in advance, $17 at the door.
(Church members: If you would like to arrange for a
family discount for this concert, please contact Don
Kruger.
Sunday,
June 5 — New Member Sunday
Sunday, June 12 — R.E. Sunday
Sunday, June 19 — Annual Church Picnic at
Northfield Mountain Recreation Area
Monday, June 20, 7:00 PM — Annual Meeting
Traditionally,
All Souls Church suspends regular Sunday services
during the summer and then we re-assemble for a
Water Communion on the Sunday after Labor Day
week-end (September 10, this year). We welcome plans
for activities which give our community members
opportunities to meet informally during the summer.
If you would like to organize an activity such as a
hike, a picnic, Circle or Round Robin dinner,
informal Sunday brunch, book discussion, lay led
services in the Parish Hall, etc., please contact
Jon or Diane if you would like to make plans for the
summer. The summer schedule will be published in the
summer issue of The Clarion which covers July and
August.
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Membership
Committee Needs More Involved Individuals
The
Membership and Hospitality Committee is in desperate
need of new members and/or volunteers to assist us
in the many tasks we are responsible for at All
Souls. More
specifically, we need individuals or groups to:
— Host
a coffee hour
— Host
a Friendship Luncheon
— Be
a Caring Coordinator for a month
— Organize
a Circle Dinner (or progressive dinner)
— Make
a reminder call to the Coffee Hour host each week
— Assist
with Newcomer Orientation
— Assist
with New Member packets
— Help
launch Small Group Ministry
— Help
make sure visitors and Newcomers feel welcomed,
especially during Coffee Hour
We
meet regularly on the 3rd Sunday of each month after
Coffee Hour in the Chapman Room.
You are welcome to join us any time.
We also welcome volunteers who want help out
but choose not to attend the meetings.
Please
contact Martha Elliott or Margo Campbell for more
information or to offer your help.
Thank you!
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Around
the UU Universe
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is
accepting submissions of artwork for their holiday
2005 cards. The deadline is on or before May 6.
Submissions can be mailed to UUSC Holiday Card
Contest, 130 Prospect St., Cambridge, MA 02139-1845
or e-mailed. Submission guidelines for the e-mailed
submissions can be found at volunteerservices@uusc.org
Suggestions for greetings inside the cards are also
welcome.
The
Unitarian-Universalist Church of Barnstable, MA,
offers Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast opportunities. All
proceeds benefit the church. Members of the church
provide Bed & Breakfast facilities in lovely
private homes over a wide area of picturesque Cape
Cod year round. Rates are $80 per night, single or
double occupancy. For more information, call
508-362-6381, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.
Or look at the website: www.barnstableuu.org.
The
UNI Coffeehouse at the Unitarian-Universalist
Society Meetinghouse in Springfield, MA, will have
two concerts this month. Magpie (Greg Artzner and
Terry Leonino) will perform at 8 p.m. on April 9. On
April 17, there will be a special 2 p.m. Sunday
afternoon concert with Robin Huw Bowen who will play
the Welsh Triple harp. This concert will be held in
the sanctuary and is $15 in advance (mail checks to
245 Porter Lake Drive, Springfield, MA 01106) or $20
at the door.
Information
about UU summer camps has arrived. This year Ferry
Beach is offering a new series, “Transforming
Congregations: Small Group Ministry” from August
13 — August 19. The Unitarian Universalist Small
Group Ministry Network will offer an opportunity to
individuals and teams from congregations of all
sizes to learn and practice the basics of Small
Group Ministry with experienced practitioners and
leaders. Information about all of the offerings at
Ferry Beach can be found at www.ferrybeach.org
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Music
for All Souls on April 3rd
Mark
Fraser, cello and Sooka Wang, piano
This program is different from what was originally
planned. Mark and Sooka are world-class performers
who have played at All Souls in the past. This
program is highly recommended. This is the last
concert of the season. Please support the program
and treat yourself to a wonderful musical
experience. $10, $7 seniors and students
Mid-Week
Music Continues
Wednesdays,
12:15 — 12:45 p.m., free, donations appreciated
April 6 — Mohawk Jazz Band, directed by Nick
Waynelovich
April 13 — Francis Doughty, guitarist
April 20 — Dick Hurlburt, clarinet and tenor sax
and Gene Clark, piano
April 27 — Greenfield Community College Chorus,
directed by Marjory Heins
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Homegrown
Economics Course
The debate in Franklin County is on
“development” and most people want to bring
better jobs to the region to make up for the
tremendous loss of the tool and die industry. But
where are these jobs going to come from?
All
Souls Church is planning a three sessions workshop
on home-grown economics that starts with the effects
of Globalization, then looks at some Franklin County
success stories. In the third and last session, we
will summarize some of the planning studies that
have been done for Franklin County, and draw on the
skills and insights of those present to ask:
“Where do we go from here?”
Finally
there will be a Sunday Service on May 8th , the
topic, “We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For!
Economics in Action” will draw on all three
sessions. A team putting the course together
includes Pam Kelly, former Director of the Unitarian
Universalists national economic justice network and
John Waite, current Director of the Franklin County
Community Development Corporation. 20 Minute Service
and a “Fair” at the Coffee Hour. Your Ideas?
Call Pam Kelly 774-3150. All are welcome. Calling
the church office (773-5018) to say you plan to come
will help with food planning.
Outline:
Economics Course On 3 Mondays 5:45 — 7:30 PM,
Soup and Bread at 5:30PM-RSVP 773-5018)
April
4th -- Session 1: The Global Context: Why Has
Franklin County Lost All Those Good Jobs? Can We Get
Them Back?
Rap:The importance of jobs—“...the
inherent worth and dignity of every
person.”Facilitated Go-Around: Who is in the
group? What are your interests?
Rap:
Where Have All the Good Jobs Gone? What is
Globalization? Who wins? Who loses?
“Free”
Trade Policies—the effects of NAFTA; CAFTA; FTAA
(areas of economic development- fixing the future by
establishing international trade policy)
Video:
“Trading Democracy” by Bill Moyers (30 min)
Book
Review: (for those who read) — Alternatives to
Economic Globalization by The International
Forum on Globalization (2004) :John Cavannaugh.
Facilitated
Check Out: Where do we go from here?
April
11 — Session 2: Case Studies: “We Are the Ones
We Have Been Waiting For.”
Facilitation--Review
Book—Alternatives to Economic Globalization by the
International Forum on Globalization. Introducing
the framework for the creation of alternatives, (
last half of book).
Rap:
The Church and the job market—The Creation of the
Mondragon Co-operatives
Case
Study: Retail--- Contrasting Retail/ Consumer Co-op
Case Study: Production—A Case Study: Story of A
New Business “Light Life”
Case Study: Coming Soon: Coop Plus-BioDiesel
Facilitated:
New ideas & Your ideas?
Summary:
What do we observe from these stories? Next--Looking
at Franklin County.
April
18 — Session 3: Local Enterprise: How Can We
Develop Good Paying Jobs in Franklin County?
Rap:
Building from the perspective of the economic
planning studies, summarized. What and where are the
“economic engines” & resources for Franklin
Co?
Franklin
County CDC—Business Training; Business incubator;
Venture Center; Food Processing and Marketing
Center, Loan Fund. John Waite. Universities —
Institutes at U Mass; Agriculture—CSAs, Organic
Trade Association — The Arts — Sustainable
Energy---
Facilitated:
What are the factors that allow us to take advantage
of the economic engines? Or what are some new
economic engines? …Your ideas?
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Lori
McKenna and Amy Rigby at Coffee &
Soul on April 16th
This
is an outstanding double bill! Lori McKenna combines
“beautiful, heartfelt lyrics with a gritty
been-there voice” and “weaves songs about the
struggle for love, faith and a better tomorrow.” Amy
Rigby has been compared to everyone from Elvis
Costello to Carole King and makes “terrific,
all-too-overlooked roots-pop records that nail the
likes of class, men and 'middleescence' with wit,
grace and self-deprecating charm.”
Tickets
are $15 in advance, $17 at the door. Tickets are
available online at www.uugreenfield.org/coffeeandsoul,
at World Eye Bookshop, Greenfield or reserve by
calling the church office at 413-773-5018. The Hope
Street door opens at 6:30 for refreshments; concert
seating begins at 7:00 PM.
The
Clarion deadline for the March issue is April
23rd. Submissions
can be in writing, on disk, faxed by using the
church number or sent to "newsletter" or
"administrator" or "music" @uugreenfield.org.
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