Nashua UU News -
Newsletter of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, New Hampshire
58 Lowell Street, Nashua NH 03064 603-882-1091
www.UUNashua.org Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m.
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Upcoming Services
September 12: Ingathering Service; Religious Education Dedication; Water Sharing.
We begin another year in our congregational life with this Intergenerational Service. It is a time to bring our various summer journeys--as far flung or as close by as they may have been--back to the home we share in this UU community. We'll initiate our Religious Education Program with a Dedication of Teachers, Teacher's Aides, as well as students, parents, and congregation. Our Water Sharing Service will focus as much on the significance or meaning of our various summer travels as well as their locales. Bring a small portion of water--actual or representative--of your most meaning summer journey, whether it was here in Nashua or in some other part of the world.
September 19: The Year Ahead: Challenges and Promises for Religious Liberals.
As I begin my 23rd year (but, hey, who's counting!) of my ministry with this congregation I'll offer my view on what it holds for us by way of challenges and promises--in our personal lives, the life of our congregation, and the life of our community, nation, and world. I continue to believe, as strongly as ever, that our liberal way of "doing religion" can strengthen and nurture lives in some truly amazing ways, which is why we need to keep on being the best UU community we can be, both for our members and friends as well as those who come into our midst. The past few months have also presented some disturbing challenges to those who share a concern for the common good of our country--and I'll expand upon this in my "Reflections and Ruminations" column.
September 26: What Is Holy?
I go to the late Allen Ginsberg's iconic poem Howl for this one. At some point after writing the initial version of his best know work, which offers up a caustic indictment of the mid-1950s American culture, Ginsberg wrote what he called a Footnote to Howl in which the recurring word is "holy." The poet shifts from protest to affirmation by identifying all that he sees as holy in the midst of the brokenness he sensed all around him. With this as a taking off point, I'll explore what constitutes "The Holy" in life and how a search for The Holy is a way of getting beyond debates about the existence or non-existence of God.
Reflections and Ruminations....
It's been a summer and then some; then some in terms of what seemed like a perpetual heat wave. It was also a "then some" summer for me and my family. Michele and I acquired a daughter-in-law after a really wonderful wedding of our son, Gordon, and his now wife, Crystal, in our sanctuary. By the time we re-gather as a congregation a niece, with whom I've been close throughout her life, will have had her wedding in Seattle.
I had a very enriching week at the Pacific School of Religion as I took an intensive writing seminar there. I also managed to get some traction on my latest writing and research project, which involves exploring some of the spiritual and religious currents found in the life and writings of Woody Guthrie. I haven't abandoned Jack Kerouac and the Beats; but find I do need to push into some new territory!
And I hit the big six-five--which means, among other things, I'm now carrying a Medicare Card in my wallet!
So now it's time to re-connect with you, as members and friends of our wonderful congregation. I've felt blessed, especially over the past couple of years, by the love and care we've shown for one another. I trust that will continue. I've felt blessed as well by the various ways in which our many spiritual explorations--individual and shared--have deepened many of our lives. This, too, I trust will continue.
As personally fulfilled as my life is at this time, I'm seeing some very disturbing clouds on our social and cultural horizon. I will grant that reasonably minded persons can have honest differences of opinion on how we as a nation best deal with the matter of persons who are in this country without legal sanction. I'll grant even further that reasonably minded persons can have honest differences of opinion on the wisdom of constructing an Islamic Center--which includes a mosque--in some proximity (although not on the site) of the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
But the ugliness and the vitriol that these two issues have exposed and loosened go well beyond reason. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously remarked, at an earlier stage in our country's history, that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Indeed; and what I greatly fear right now are the irrational and shamelessly manipulated fears that these two issues have engendered. I'll save any further commentary until my sermon on September 19.
It will be good to see all of you again.
Peace,
Steve
Announcements
No More Executive Board - Now it's the Board of Trustees
Among the revisions to the Church Bylaws that were adopted at the Annual Meeting in June is the Board's name change. Instead of an Executive Board, we now have a Board of Trustees. The name change reflects the change of function of the Board since the 2005 Executive Board voted to transition to "policy governance."
The Board of Trustees consists of the president, vice-president, clerk, treasurer, and several members-at-large. Our job is to monitor the church's progress toward achieving its purposes and goals and to set policies that will guide its future course. That means that, as much as possible, we will be doing long term thinking. The purpose of the Board of Trustees is to represent the whole congregation in this planning.
Board of Trustee meetings will be held at the church on the second Tuesday of each month, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Except in rare instances of closed sessions, all meetings will be open to any member of the congregation who wishes to attend. We would like everyone to know who we are and to contact any one of us if you have questions or concerns. We are Ellen Fisher (President), John Burkitt (Vice President), Hilary Keating (Clerk), Mike Wilt (Treasurer), Stephanie Ballentine, Adrian George, David Golden, David Hudson, Rosalie Kuehn, Donna LaRue, Mary Licking, and Jenn Morton.
Committee News
Social Justice Committee
The SJC would like to offer some opportunities for you to contribute to the community in which we are a part. Outreach Collections: We are seeking applicants for the money donated each week at Sunday Service. We have proudly served the less fortunate in our community through your donations by contributing to agencies such as Habitat For Humanity, Burundian Refugees, Afghan Women, Bridges, and Harbor Homes. You decide to whom you would like to contribute. To contact the Outreach Committee, go to the church website and find an application under "Community Outreach" or contact me.
Another way to serve is to make casseroles for the Nashua Soup Kitchen. Our church has a strong commitment to helping homeless and at-risk persons by supporting the Soup Kitchen. Each month we deliver 6 large casseroles made by members in the congregation. It's easy and is a good project for a family, group or individual. You can sign up to make all 6, or just 2. They can be made in your own home or at the church kitchen. I provide the recipe and directions. Contact me for more information or to sign up.
Finally, we are always collecting non perishable food, socks and personal care items. These are donated to the Soup Kitchen or The Pastoral Care Center. The collection basket is located in the church gallery. Contact Mary Ferguson 
.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, September 11, 2010 Barbara Berrios' Birthday Party
We are going to help celebrate Barbara Berrios' BIG 80th BIRTHDAY. That calls for a BIG PARTY that will be given by her friends. It will be held at church at 4:00 p.m. Bring a dish to share - the list of items needed includes appetizers (finger foods). The event is BYOB, casual dress, and Barbara has requested no gifts.
Any help that can be offered will be greatly appreciated. If you can help, or to RSVP, please contact Janie Andolsun .
New Moon Reiki Circle - Sunday, September 12 at 6:30 - 8:30 P.M. in the Chapel
This group is for anyone interested, those who are familiar with Reiki, those who practice and/or teach, and those who are curious and would like to experience Reiki energy. The energy works on all levels of one's being. We intend to come together to send healing energy to each other and to the world. All are equal; there are no expectations. The energy circle will provide an equal balance of giving and receiving; the energy goes where it is needed.
We invite you to bring something special to you to put on the altar during these sessions - a picture, stone, jewelry, etc. These objects will be energized by their presence during the circle. We plan to gather once a month on a Sunday close to the new moon (day/time to be determined). Keep in mind that this is not a class. There will be time following the session for questions/impressions to be shared. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing. If you prefer to sit on the floor, bring a mat or blanket for your own comfort.
Facilitated by Robin Panousis and Anya Zakiewicz.
UU Hikers: Outdoor Recreation Events
Each month we plan to organize at least one activity outdoors for people to enjoy active and sociable recreation. Local events will be on Sunday afternoons, and occasionally we will offer a longer activity on Saturdays. If you would like to find out about these events, join the Hiking with Kids NH FaceBook page or contact Dick Widhu. We will then send you last-minute information on times and places to meet.
Sunday, September 12 Educational bushwhack to Middle Pawtuckaway Mountain
Pawtuckaway State Park from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm. We will ignore the trail on this easy mountain and instead go straight up through the woods, showing kids (and interested adults) how they can use a map and compass to find their way. From the parking lot we will walk 0.3 miles on a dirt road, then another 0.3 miles going up 400 feet to the summit. Bring a compass if you have one; we will provide maps. You may wish to wear sturdy shoes and carry a daypack with water, snack and bug repellent. We will meet inside the park at the intersection of Reservation and Tower roads. For more info see:
www.nhmountainhiking.com/hike/pawtuckawaym/directions.html
UU Men's Group
All men are invited to join our newly formed group, which meets every other week on Thursday nights from 7:00 to 8:30 P. M. We plan to take turns choosing a topic pertaining to men's issues each week for discussion. We will be hosting an introductory evening for any man who wishes to check us out Thursday September 16 in the Fellowship Room. We will have pizza and some beverages. For more information contact Dick Widhu . We welcome you to join us.
Sunday, September 19 - Help Us Dedicate Our Peace Pole
In recognition of the International Day of Peace (www.internationaldayofpeace.org), we will be dedicating our new peace pole on Sunday, September 19th, right after the service. It will be "planted" outside the glass link between the sanctuary and White Wing building. After a brief ceremony, we will head inside to coffee hour where there will be a peace cake to celebrate the occasion
Thanks to Shirley Rayburn for donating the peace pole to the church.
Sunday, September 19 Pat Ladew's Book Group
Pat Ladew's book group is regrouping for fall. The first meeting will be from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Youth Room. The book of the month is The Tender Bar, by J.R. Moehringer. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for Sunday, October 17, and Sunday, November 21. Books to be decided. For more information, contact Pat .
Full Moon Drum Circle - Sunday, September 26 at 6:30 - 8:30 PM in the Chapel
This drum circle will focus on the spiritual rather than musical. The structure will be casual. We will start the evening with a circle closing, share in a guided meditation, and then move into percussion starting with a steady beat. Once a rhythm is introduced, others follow and contribute their own accents to build the beat organically. This activity will continue until the rhythm loses momentum and stops. Listening, improvisation, and letting go are the key to the creation of the ever shifting layers of rhythm we seek. If time allows, we will open for sharing of experience with each other. Bring your drums, rattles, or other personal percussion instrument; wear comfortable clothes, and join us for a journey into spirit drum. If you need information, please contact Anya Zakiewicz.
Facilitated by Robin Panousis and Anya Zakiewicz.
Social Activities - Sunday, September 26, 2010: Apple Picking!
Meet out at Elwood Orchards (54 Elwood Rd. Londonderry) from 1-3pm. Buy a bag to pick into at the roadside stand. We will be picking in the orchard behind the stand, across the street from the farm. This event is weather dependent. If it is raining, it will be postponed until October 3rd.
Friday, October 1, 2010, 7:30pm: Trivia Night!
Q: What was the first living creature ever ejected from a supersonic aircraft? (find the answer below)
Back by popular demand. Round up a team or come alone and we'll find you teammates at the door. Bring your otherwise useless knowledge of pop culture, obscure world history facts, and amazing achievements in the sports world. $5/person entry fee, to benefit UU Nashua. Tickets available during coffee hour, or from Jenn Morton.
Upcoming Social Activities:
Saturday, October 30- Costume Party & Dance
Thursday, November 25- UU Thanksgiving Dinner
A: Trivia Answer- A bear in 1962. It was parachuted from 35,000 feet to a safe landing on earth.
Simple Gifts Coffee House Concerts Schedule:
Acoustic Eidelon October 2
Don White and Christine Lavin November 13
Paul Rishell and Annie Raines December 11
Billy Novick and Guy Van Duser January 15
Performers Showcase February 12
Mike Morris with The Kelpies opening March 12
To be determined April 9
Sarah McQuaid May 14
Church School News
September Calendar
| 12 | INTERGEN WATER SERVICE Children in Church Babies and Toddlers in Room 2 First Youth Choir Rehearsal in Room 11 Teacher Orientation, 11:30 a.m-Noon Youth Room |
|---|---|
| 19 | R.E. Meeting, 8:15 a.m. Rm. 7 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES (EXCEPT OWL Class) OWL Parent Orientation (Required), 5-7 pm in the Chapel Sr. High Youth Group 6-8 pm in Youth Rm. |
| 26 | 11:30 Ice Cream Social OWL Parent Orientation (Required), 5-7 pm in the Chapel Sr. High Youth Group 6-8 pm in Youth Rm. |
Junior High Youth: Owl Parent Orientation
Church members who are parents of junior high youth will be receiving a letter with information about the "Our Whole Lives" sexuality education curriculum which will be taught this year beginning October 5th. The class includes a mandatory two-part parent orientation session.
REQUIRED: Parent Orientations are scheduled for September 19th and September 26th from 5-7pm in the chapel.
If you are a new member, or if you do not receive the letter and are interested in enrolling your youth in this class, please contact Chris Parker in the RE office as soon as possible. We do not open this class to new participants after it has started.
Teacher Orientation
We will be having a Teacher Orientation on Sunday September 12th after the Intergenerational Water Communion and Teacher Dedication Service. It will start at 11:30 in the Youth Room and will be very brief. Childcare will be provided upon request. Photos will be taken for the classroom signs. We will talk about classroom management, safety issues, and the church school calendar. Curriculum will be distributed. This is a must if you are joining a teaching team this fall.
FIRST SEMESTER TEACHERS
Our thanks go to the following people who are signed up to teach the first semester:
| Dawn Cutler | Donna LaRue |
| Tyler Cutter | Dan Earley |
| Andrea Lerude | Krista Earley |
| Anne Lederhos | Linda Donaldson-Guidi |
| Amy Butenhof | Ginger Hedges |
| Jennifer Morton | Billy Parker |
| Karen Murray | Andy Straussberg |
| Steve Griffis | Chuck Rehberg |
| Cecile Bonvouloir | Mickeline Shepherd |
| Peter Guidi | Monica Staples |
| Michelle Morrison | Steve Hedges |
Classrooms Locations
| Grade | Curriculum | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Babies/Toddlers | 2 | |
| Preschool | We Are Many, We Are One | 3 |
| Kindergarten | Treasure Hunting | 4 |
| First | Picture Book UU | 5 |
| Second | Around the Church, Around the Year | 9-10 |
| Third | Heart Talk for Kids | 8 |
| Fourth-Fifth | Toolbox of Faith | 7 |
| Sixth-Seventh | Amazing Grace | 6 |
| Eighth-Ninth | Our Whole Lives O.W.L. | Youth Room |
| Youth Group pm | 6-8 pm in the Youth Room |
Teachers Still Needed
We are looking for a few people to round out our first semester teaching teams. Still needed are teachers for Around the Church, Around the Year (Second Grade); and substitute teachers. Please contact Chris Parker if you are interested.
Children In Church Every Week!!!
We are initiating a new schedule this year by inviting the children to join their parents at the beginning of every church service! Except for the occasion of Intergenerational services where everyone stays for the whole service, children will be released to their church school classes after about 15 minutes. This is an opportunity for families to worship together and for our church family to gather as a whole on a weekly basis. We are looking forward to the upcoming change!!!
Youth Choir
Love to sing? Join the Youth Choir! Please join us on September 13th in the Choir Room from 11:30 until 12:15 for our first rehearsal of the church year. If this will be your first time to attend Youth Choir, please bring your parent to meet Jed and sign up to receive Emailed Youth Choir announcements. Consistent attendance and love of singing are the only requirements to join. Questions? See our Music Director, Jed Holland, in the Choir Room. Interested in being a Youth Choir Leader? This is an offering for our older Youth Choir members. After attending Youth Choir rehearsal, singers of middle-school age and older are invited to stay a little longer and learn special parts and songs chosen just for you!
Questions? See our Music Director, Jed Holland.
Sr. High Youth Group
Sr. High Youth Group will be meeting Sunday evenings in the Youth Room from 6-8pm starting on September 19. We welcome Sr. High students. This year's Youth Advisors are Mickey Saunders, Chuck Rehberg, Monica Staples and Steve Hedges. Feel free to join us!
Ice Cream Social Sept. 26th
To celebrate the 2010-2011 church school year, the Religious Education Committee will be sponsoring another Ice Cream Social open to all members of the church with the help of Michelle Morrison and Jenn Morton. This will happen on the second Sunday of church school, September 26th at 11:15. Weather permitting, ice cream will be served in the grassy area next to White Wing on the Canal Street side of the Church School. Please join us!!
Adult Religious Education
The Nashua Buddhist Meditation Group offers a regular space for UU Church and Nashua community members to join together to practice meditation and to provide opportunities to study the Dharma with longtime practitioners and students of Buddhism. Every Wednesday from 7 - 8 pm, group sitting and walking meditation is practiced in the auditorium. Beginning Sept. 1, there is an Open Book Discussion every first and third Wednesday from 8-9 pm in the Youth Room. Information flyers are available in the church office and in the back of the church. Also, feel free to contact Cynthia Schroer , coordinator.
Covenant Groups offer adults a chance to meet in a gathering of 8-10 people to have themed discussions and connect with each other on a more personal level than is possible during coffee hour. You can learn more about Covenant Groups and sign up for one at the Information Table in the Dining Room or the church office.
Food For Thought Thursdays
Our first offering will be Writing Your Spiritual Narrative, led by Rev. Stephen Edington Thursday evenings from 7-9 pm Oct. 14, 21*, 28 and Nov. 4.
Your life is much more than a series of events. It is also an ongoing narrative that tells its own story. What makes is a "spiritual narrative" is the discovery of some of the deeper themes and recurrent meanings that are found in that story/narrative. I'll be using some of the techniques and guideposts I've learned in two intensive writing workshops I've taken in recent years to help shape the direction of this Food For Thought Thursdays Series.
*Date may be changed due to White Wing Open House.
OUR MISSION AND COVENANT
Embracing the Purposes and Principles of Unitarian Universalism and the Vision we have chosen, as members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, New Hampshire, we will:
Support and respect one another in our searches for meaning, value, and personal/spiritual growth;
Join with one another in providing, nurturing, and celebrating a free religious community through common worship, shared activities, and programs for all ages;
Promote a sense of family within the congregation through mutual support and friendship, and by attending to each other's needs;
Be a positive presence for, and work to create, a more just, humane and caring society through outreach to our local community and to the wider human family.
OUR VISION
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, New Hampshire will be a beacon of liberal religious thought and action whose members are committed to the search for truth and meaning, the acceptance of diversity, and the promotion of social justice within a supportive and caring community.
The next Newsletter deadline is Sunday, September 19, 2010, at 6:00pm.
Please send submissions via e-mail to the Newsletter Editor.
Prepare your submission in MS Word (or save it as a text file) and send it as an attachment to the e-mail.
Please send graphic files separately. If you do not use e-mail, leave a copy of your submission (preferably typed) in the red Newsletter folder outside the church office.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua
Stephen D. Edington, Minister
Laurie Goodman, President
Jed Holland, Music Director
Chris Parker, Religious Education Director
Sherri Woolsey, Office Administrator/Membership & Volunteer Coordinator
Sandra Martinage, Sexton
Church Office Information
Steve Edington's Hours
9:00 a.m. to Noon, Tuesday through Thursday, Afternoon and evenings by appointment.
Feel free to call Steve's home anything before 9:30 p.m. Emergencies: call anytime.
Church Staff Hours
Chris Parker, Religious Education Director: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
Sherri Woolsey, Church Administrator/Membership and Volunteer Coordinator: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the church year
Contact the Church:
phone 603 882-1091 |
Send a message |
www.uunashua.org
