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June
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.
June
Clarion
Headlines:
From
the Minister
On
our year-end Sunday gatherings:
On June 5, bring a cut flower to share. On
June 12, bring a sense of thanks. On June 19
bring a dish for the church picnic: out over the
green park lawns and great river, the blue sky was
so beautiful last year. A vaulted sanctuary
unto itself!
On
June 5, we experience a sharing ritual, invented by
a European Unitarian, called a flower communion.
On June 12, we experience a ritual of appreciation,
done with the drama and glamour befitting the end of
Eve Brown-Waite’s service as Director of Religious
Education. On June 19 is the ritual of the
old-fashioned church picnic.
On
June 5, I feel called to preach -- perhaps as I
haven’t preached before -- on what makes this
religious community important and special. On
June 12, we are called to express our commitment
once again in religious service to our children.
On June 19, we are called to begin the blessings of
summer and to express joy and fun at the Solstice.
On
each and whatever occasion, come to celebrate life,
service, community, blessings -
Jon
Rehmus
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Annual
Meeting June 20th
Monday, June 20, 7 p.m. — Annual Meeting
Please join us at this immportant yearly event. We
must have a quorum to pass the budget and make other
church decisions.
Attention:
All Committee Chairs!
Annual Reports will be due on or before June 15.
Your cooperation in meeting this deadline will be
appreciated. If possible, please e-mail
your reports to administrator@uugreenfield.org AND
to endia2020@yahoo.com
Ministry
Notes and Programs
Interested
in doing a good deed at 5 a.m. on Saturday (as in
Saturday morning), June 4? Every year the
interfaith community holds a night’s sleep-over on
the common to maintain awareness of homelessness and
the needs of our local shelters. You can spend
the night with the group; All Souls folks have in
the past. You can give money to the Interfaith
Council’s Shelter Fund; each year our Christmas
Eve offering is dedicated to this fund. Or you
can help me in my annual role in putting on
breakfast for the stalwart, be the many or few,
young or old (and they are usually both and desirous
of warm food). Give me a call (624-3025) if
you would like to get involved. Jon
• Sunday
Adult Discussions occur from 9-10 a.m. on June 5 and
June 12, meeting in the Chapman Room near the front
door of the church. We conclude the church
year continuing to focus on passages of Lao Tse’s
Tao Te Ching, but on June 12 there will also be a
consideration of topics for the coming year.
Newcomers and drop-ins are welcome!
• There
will be a Mid-Week Music committee meeting after our
last performance of the spring season. If you
are concerned for the needs and well-being of this
successful concert program, join us at 1:15 p.m. on
Wednesday, June 8.
• Ministry
During July: Each year the church grants me leave in
July when I am on-call only for very
emergent/critical situations. When I have to be out
of state, other pastors cover for me for similar
situations. This year, in company with Karen
Rehmus and our daughters, I am leaving the country!
On June 30, we leave for Greece, courtesy of an
anniversary gift of Karen’s parents (our 15th;
Karen was born in Greece as were all her
grandparents, and we stayed at her parents’ Athens
apartment during our honeymoon). It is of course a
great blessing to be sharing this with Sophia and
Martina. During this extended period, pastoral
coverage in the case of death or other critical care
situation will be handled from June 30 – July 9 by
the Rev. Doug Wilson of Rowe Camp & Conference
Center and July 10 – July 20 by the Rev. Holly
Bell of All Souls. Please also know that an
immediate message left with the church administrator
Diane Dix or on the church phone message machine is
very important in providing connection and support
in the case of emergencies while I am away. As I am
of Holly and Doug, I am appreciative of ways church
members allow me to focus on my family and in this
annual July leave time, my re-creation needs. This
year in return journey – but my first to the
Delphic oracle – it feels like family and
re-creation deluxe! Jon
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A
Special Invitation from the DRE
Several
times each year, actors celebrate themselves with
big, glitzy award shows. I’ve always wondered why
people in other fields don’t regularly get dolled
up and pat themselves – and each other – on the
backs. I mean no disrespect to performing artists
here – but I hardly think what these folks do is
as important as what a lot of other folks do. Hey, I
like a good movie as well as the next person. But
where is the pomp and praise for the people who are
working to save lives, cure social ills and stop
wars?
What
if there was an award show that celebrated those who
work for good? What if those underpaid and
uncelebrated folks who help others and strive to
create a more just and peaceful world had their own
chance to get all gussied up and receive their due?
Well, if that happened, then many of us would go
home winners!
So,
on Sunday, June 12 – my last RE Sunday as your
Director of Religious Education – please come to
the First Ever Golden Chalice Awards. The
“Challies” are designed to recognize true
achievement in the field of spiritual leadership and
generosity of spirit. “Challies” will be awarded
to the kinds of heroes that generally go un-sung but
whose praises are well worth singing.
So
mark June 12 on your calendar. Come to church that
morning in the spirit of celebration – and come
dressed to the nines too! Come walk the red carpet
and maybe even have your picture snapped by the
paparazzi! Come celebrate yourself and the many All
Souls folks who deserve some praise. Come to the
First Ever Golden Chalice Awards! Maybe it will
become an annual event. Why not? We all deserve some
patting on the back, too.
Black
Tie Optional.
I
hope to see you all there, Eve
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Mid-Week
Music
June
1 — Jamie Goodnow, piano & Laura Doughty,
soprano
June
8 — Carol Pedigree, reenacting history with
hats!!!
End
of Mid-Week Music Spring 2005 season.
Wednesdays,
12:15 — 12:45 p.m., free, donations appreciated
(Top
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Wheel
of Life
Our
deep sympathy to Kate Wadleigh, whose mother passed
away last month.
Bethany
Sterling was Dorothy in the Ja’Duke production of
“The Wizard of Oz”.
Maia
Porter won first place in the experimental
film category of the Five College Film
Festival at Hampshire College.. The film was
excerpted from an interview with her mother, Diane
Dix, regarding her dove tattoo and is entitled
Tales of the ‘60s” (Abridged Version).
If
you would like to have the new directory information
in your computer, please let Diane Dix know and she
will e-mail the directory (names and addresses only)
as an attachment to you.
Congratulations
to jordan funke who received her Masters in Library
Science from Leslie College. Congratulations to high
school graduates Max Johl (Greenfield High School)
and Collin Cheek (Franklin Tech).
Janice
Sorensen is performing in the play “Crimes
of the Heart” with the Ashfield Community Theater.
Condolences
to Barbara Schleuter, Monica Sharp’s daughter,
whose husband, Wolf, passed away last month
after a period of declining health. They live
near Monica in Pacific Palisades, CA.
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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Proposed
Sabbatical for Rev. Rehmus in 2006
The Hebrew bible states a tradition in farming where
every seventh year, a field should be allowed to
rest without crops grown on it. Organic farmers
recognize the benefit of letting a field grow
"on its own" every few years: the crops
are better in following years.
This
is the principle behind a sabbatical year for
teachers and ministers. A sabbatical is a period of
study, rest, and travel away from the regular duties
of teaching or preaching. It is not a vacation in
the commercial sense; it's a period to refresh the
perspective, gaining new insights and knowledge that
will be shared with the community.
Our
Ministry Agreement with Rev. Rehmus includes a
provision for sabbatical leave. Since we're
approaching the traditional seventh year of Jon's
ministry at All Souls, we're proposing a sabbatical
beginning in February, 2006 for four months. During
those months, Jon's duties in the pulpit will be
covered by guest preachers, and his pastoral duties
and other spiritual needs of the community will be
assumed by substitute ministers (such as the Rev.
Douglas Wilson from Rowe Camp). Jon plans to use the
time away to pursue language studies and other
interests.
Congregations
gain perspective when their minister takes a
sabbatical as well: they learn to deal with
organizational issues on their own, and see the
relationship with their minister in a new light.
This is why the UU Ministers' Association strongly
encourages sabbatical programs. Yet, sabbaticals
also present emotional and financial challenges for
congregations. That's why we would like to start the
discussion about this issue before the Annual
Meeting at which Jon's sabbatical proposal will be
presented. Please feel free to contact any member of
the Committee on Ministry (Dan Tinen, Meg Baker,
Rocky Perham, and Susan Schillmoeller) with
questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Dan Tinen, Chairperson, Committee on Ministry
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Small
Group Ministry Starting Soon!!
The
Membership committee has been talking about creating
a small group ministry. We have decided to give it a
trial run starting this summer! We hope to create
1-3 small groups that can meet from June thru
September.
Small
group ministry is intended to:
• Deepen spirituality thru shared practice
• Create a place to explore important issues
within a UU context
• Strengthen our connection to the congregation
• Connect across age gender ethnic economic and
other differences
• Help new members connect with the community
• Be a safe and nurturing environment to listen
and be heard
We would like to form groups that can:
• Have 6-12 members
• Meet once or twice a month, 1 1/2 or 2 hours
• Support spiritual growth
We
will be creating groups based on the times people
are available to meet. Each group will have two
co-facilitators and each session will have a
specific format, determined by the group, and a
topic of discussion that is shared by all the
groups. If you are interested in being a part of
this please let us know all your available times. We
will have sign up sheets available at church. Please
connect with Martha Elliott if you have any
questions.
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Property
Committee Proposal:
Major Insulation and Heating Project
The
Board of Trustees has received a comprehensive plan
for the installation of ceiling insulation in the
sanctuary to be combined with another plan for a
main boiler replacement. Estimated cost of the
package is 30-35 K. General discussion of the
proposal followed the presentation; however, the
Board did not take any official action.
The
board will consider the matter again in early June.
If approved, the proposal would go before the church
membership at the Annual Meeting. In all likelihood
an informational letter will be prepared if the
proposal becomes and agenda item for the Annual
Meeting.
— David Bigda, co-chair Propery Committee
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Annual
Church Picnic
Saturday, June 19, 10 AM TO 2 PM
This year's picnic will be at the Northfield
Mountain Recreational Area on the Connecticut River
again this year. It is a scenic area with a pavilion
and an open field overlooking the river.
Directions: Take Route 2 East to Route 63 North
(left just past the bowling alley). The entrance to
the picnic area is about 2 miles up the road,
opposite the Visitor’s Center entrance. The
picnic area is all the way to the right.
Apologies to our West County friends for the added
distance. Buckland Recreational Area or
Camp Keewanee were either not available on this date
or too expensive.
There
is no swimming, but a nice open area for Frisbee,
softball, soccer, and other games and there
are woods and a stream for the young naturalists to
explore with their parents. Drinks, condiments,
paper plates and other paper products will be
provided. There will be a hot grill and a volunteer
to barbeque the meats and grillable foods you bring.
Please
bring a dish to share, such as garden and summer
salads, casseroles, pasta dishes and desserts.
Please label foods as vegan, vegetarian, or meat if
it is not obvious.
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Sunday
Morning Meditation
Paul Flandreau is making plans to host a weekly
morning meditation in the sanctuary of All Souls
Church. The initial plan is for a 30-minute
meditation session, which will either be 20 minutes
sitting followed by 10 minutes walking meditation,
or a full 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Which
day of the week and the starting time are open for
discussion by phone, email or at first session.
Current scheduling for first session is 7:15 to 7:45
am on Wednesday morning June 22nd. Plan to arrive
five minutes before starting time to allow sitting
down together. Bring a sitting cushion if you
choose, or plan to sit in a pew. Contact Paul at
863-4201 or p.flandreau@verizon.net.
Activities
and Gatherings During the Summer???
Traditionally, All Souls Church suspends regular
Sunday services during the summer and re-assembles
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 create and organize an
activity, such as a group hike, a picnic,
Circle or Round Robin dinner, informal Sunday
brunch, book discussions, lay led Sunday morning
services in the Parish Hall, game night,
sing-a-long, whatever, please contact Jon
or Diane . The schedule will be published in
the summer issue of The Clarion which covers July
and August. The deadline for that issue is June 20.
Housesitter
Available
Do you need someone to care for your home, pets and
plants while you're away this summer? I need some
quiet space for reflection. — Greta Shultz
The
Clarion deadline for the Summer issue is June
20th. 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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