| Jack Ford - Minister | Janet Andersen - R.E. Director |
| Dee Tait - President | René Kerr - Treasurer |
| Steve Andersen - Vice-president | Martha Horowitz - Secretary |
| Dorelan Miller - Youth Ambassador | Carol Stiles - Newsletter Ed. |
What's going on.... March 1998
| Sat | Feb. 28 | 8:00 AM -
4:00 PM
|
Super Saturday Seminar (S3), at the church |
| Sun | Mar. 1 |
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
|
R.E. - Youth and Adult
Service - Jack Ford, Einstein and The Lizard (Freedom and Wilderness) |
| Tues | Mar. 3 |
11:00 AM
|
Break Bread Together meal delivery |
| Tues | Mar. 3 |
7:00 PM
|
Women's Group at the church |
| Sat. | Mar. 7 |
7:00 PM
|
Games night!! |
| Sun | Mar. 8 |
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
|
R.E. - Youth and Adult
Service - Brad Bergstrom, Nature Walk at the church-in-the-woods (VSU Dept. of Biology) |
| Sat | Mar. 14 |
4:00 PM
|
Interbeing Meditation Service, Jack Ford |
| Sun | Mar. 15 |
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
|
R.E. - Youth and Adult
Service - Jack Ford, Search for Truth and Meaning |
| Tues | Mar. 17 |
7:00 PM
|
Women's Group at the church |
| Sun | Mar. 22 |
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
|
R.E. - Youth and Adult
Service - Ted Santos, Euthanasia * (South Georgia Medical Center, Valdosta) *tentative dates |
| Sun | Mar. 29 |
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
|
R.E. - Youth and Adult
Service - Roberta George, Yoga* (Lowndes/Valdosta Cultural Arts Center) |
| Tues | Mar. 31 |
11:00 AM
|
Break Bread Together meal delivery |
Coffee House II - a great success! We did it - again! About 80 people enjoyed four hours of entertainment and fun last Saturday, at our second coffeehouse - first one in the new building! Many thanks to René, Molly, and Doug, and to everyone who helped to prepare and worked during the coffeehouse. Let's do it again - soon! But first, ahh-h-h, March, not quite so busy.....but much to do!
Saturday, Mar. 7, 7:00 p.m. Come, relax, after a busy month of UU activities.
Bring a friend, a game, a snack to share if you wish, and a dollar donation.
The games begin around 7:00 p.m. and will continue until….? Call René
Kerr or Julie Halter for more information.
Worship: The Art of Sunday Services
Leader - Rev. Barbara Child, Tampa
Religious Education:
Leader - Sara Reece, RE Coordinator, UU Church of Tallahassee & Campus Ministry
Finance:
Leader - Ed Porteus, President, Florida District of the UUA
Leadership:
Leader - Rev. Mary Higgins, District Executive, Florida District of the UUA
Each congregation is asked to send teams of 4-5 people to participate in workshops in each of four areas of church life listed above. The seminar in Valdosta is one of three being held in the district this winter (the other two are in Miami and Clearwater, FL). The S3 in Valdosta is coordinated by Nancy Bass with local arrangements coordinated by Dee Tait. Contact Dee to see what needs to be done to help host this day-long seminar in Valdosta!
Send your e-mail address to Carol Stiles (cranfun@peachnet.campus.mci.net). If you wish to receive the newsletter electronically, let Carol know.
| Kristy Montgomery 3/5 | Dorelan Miller 3/9 |
| Delane Slone 3/13 | Meredith Tatch 3/26 |
| René Kerr 3/29 | Soren Andersen 3/26 Leif Andersen 3/26 (okay, these two are twins....) |
Two nights a week, 5:30 p.m., currently Monday and Wednesday, with ongoing
classes after the beginners' classes. Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin,
for more information and future schedule.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Who is in charge of Holidays this year, I want to know? What is the big idea,
putting Valentine's Day right after Friday 13th? That was a rough one, I must
say. Could be worse though. What if it was the other way around?
I had a great weekend with you in Valdosta. Our Interbeing Worship Service was attended by six adults Saturday, and four of them were new to the experience. Three of our children also joined us. They entertained themselves with crafts and games. Afterward, we planned a kite flying session, but that never got off the ground. The only winded thing was me, from running around the field.
You should find a copy of the Fourteen Precepts with this newsletter. I offer them for you to put up as a meditation tool. Or study them and bring your ideas to our Interbeing Service, which we plan to hold on the third Saturday of every month.
I hope you have (or had) tremendous fun and success with the Coffee House. My heart will be here with you, but the rest of me is forced to run away to Mardi Gras. Oh darn!
Love and Peace.
I'll see you February 28th for Super Saturday!
UU in The Pines
....a year round, rustic Conference Center in West Central Florida's rolling hills, 40 miles north of
Tampa. Thirteen acres with towering oaks and pines houses sleeping, dining and workshop
facilities. Home cooked meals, outdoor adventures, and quiet, rural atmosphere renew body, mind
and spirit. Groups and individuals welcome.
Contact: 7029 Cedar Lane Brooksville FL 34601
uupines@pro-scat.cts.com (More info to follow when I find the link on the UUA website!)
Points from the President
"Home is where the heart is," someone said. Five years ago, Unitarian Universalism was new to me, but when I came to the UU Church of Valdosta, it felt like "home."
Two years later, I had the good fortune of being able to retire from my job and travel a great deal -something I had not done before, other than numerous job-related trips.
As I travel, certain facets of my life sustain me and prevent me from feeling dislocated. One of the most sustaining is finding the nearest UU Church after I arrive at my destination. Some of the churches that come to mind are Clearwater and Naples in Florida and then in Pennsylvania, one that started in a place that had previously been a high school lunchroom, and another more suburban church on the Bucks and Montgomery County line near Philadelphia.
Most recently, the nearest church was the large First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, established in 1796 as the first Unitarian Universalist Church in the United States. I had delayed going to the First Church, because I thought it would take longer to drive into Center City Philadelphia (which proved not to be the case), but also probably feeling that it might not have the same friendly atmosphere as the other two smaller churches in the area. I was so pleasantly surprised. The First Church topped them all in friendliness and welcoming atmosphere, so I continued to go back to the church services and social events there.
The moral to this story is that home really is where the heart is, and in my way of thinking, home, heart and UU churches are somewhat synonymous.
-- Dee Tait, President
UUA Web site: http://uua.org/
A Message From JOHN BUEHRENS, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association
RE: THE CRISIS WITH IRAQ
Like many of you, I finished listening to President Clinton's statement concerning
Iraq and was reminded of what Thoreau said at the time of the Mexican War: "Blessed
are the children, for they have not read the President's message."
Many Unitarian Universalists will oppose the use of military force. For many
in our family of faith, such opposition is a matter of consistency and conscience.
Like conscientious objectors in other eras, such opponents of militarism deserve
our respect and support.
Unlike Quakers and other religious communities committed to a consistent peace
witness, Unitarian Universalism also includes many individuals who believe that
military force is sometimes, sadly, necessary. I am one such person.
In recent decades three Unitarian Universalists have served as U.S. Secretary
of Defense -- Elliot Richardson, William Perry, and now, William Cohen. Those
who take on such daunting responsibilities also deserve our respect and support,
as do all the men and women who serve in our military.
The crisis in Iraq seems to me like a police hostage crisis. Saddam Hussein
holds innocent men, women and children within his country, along with weapons
of mass destruction dangerous not only to them, but to the entire neighborhood
and to the world community.
The resolutions of the United Nations must be enforced. The failure of the UN's
predecessor, The League of Nations, was a direct result of its failure to enforce
its resolutions against aggressive dictators and terrorist regimes. The Secretary
General, responding to members of the Security Council reluctant to see force
used, will use every diplomatic tool available to him to resolve the crisis.
Let us hope that he is successful. If he is not, let us pray that the use of
force is as it should be: proportional to the goals of the UN, with minimal
impact on civilians. In my judgment, the consequences of diplomatic failure
will belong squarely with Saddam Hussein, as will those of any attempt to use
civilians as human shields. Such tactics are truly those of a ruthless dictator.
I do not ask every Unitarian Universalist to think alike in this complex matter.
I do ask that we maintain the bonds of love and respect within our family of
faith and in every public discussion. May freedom of conscience, reasoned discussion,
and tolerance of differing perspectives be the method by which we teach one
another to be persons of moral character and spiritual leadership. And may we
serve, each in our own way, that world of justice and peace for which we all
yearn, together.
--John A. Buehrens
President, Unitarian Universalist Association
February 17, 1998
Contact:
Carol Stiles
c/o UU-Valdosta
1951 East Park Ave., Valdosta, GA, 31602
e-mail: cranfun@peachnet.campus.mci.net
UU Activities and Announcements
Check the bulletin boards in the church and R.E. building for more announcements and information on the following events:
February 28
Super Saturday Seminar (S3)
North Region, hosted by UU-Valdosta
March 1
Deadline for nominations for Florida District awards.
March 6 - 8
UUA Renaissance Module on UU History, held at UU Fellowship of Lakeland, FL.
March 13 - 15
Creating a Jubilee World, an Anti-Racism workshop, sponsored by Community UU Church, Daytona Beach, FL
March 21
Northeast Cluster Meeting, Gainesville, FL
(see page 4 of this newsletter for more info)
March 21
FL -UU Women and Religion workshop: The Voice as a Curative Instrument - a healingsong circle workshop for women. With Kay Gardner. UU Church of St. Petersburg, FL
March 20 - 22
Choir Formation Workshop at UU Church of Brevard, West Melbourne, FL
April 17 - 18
Florida District Annual Meeting, Gainesville
May 22-24
Women and Religion Retreat
(location to be decided)
June 25 - 30, 1998
General Assembly meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Rochester, NY
July 28 - Aug 1, 1998
Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI '98), Radford University, Radford, VA
The website address is:
http://themountain.uua.org/mountain
Some examples and dates for 1998: (Note: list has been updated since last newsletter!)
Youth camps for different age groups (and with different focuses) are scheduled for different times during the summer. See the flyers in the church or contact Carol for more info.
2. Do not think that the knowledge that you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, visits, images and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy and material resources with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and understand the nature of your anger and hatred and the nature of the persons who have caused your anger and hatred.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and can cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species of the Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. (For brothers and sisters who are not monks and nuns:) Sexual expression should not take place without love and a long-term commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.