USH-Enews January 15, 2009

USH-Enews January 15, 2009

Jump to: Calendar; What's happening; A matter of opinion; External events; Further down the road; Did you know?

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Snow Storm
(Photo by Carol Cooper)

The USH-Enews is a weekly email newsletter produced for members and friends of the Unitarian Society of Hartford. The USH web address is: http://www.ushartford.com/ Check at the end of this USH-Enews for information on submissions, subscriptions and escape from the mailing list. And, to read the monthly Meetinghouse Messenger (newsletter) on the web or to find past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Office hours: Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Rev. BJ office hours by appointment.

Worshipping Together Since 1830
Sunday, 9:45 AM and 11:15 AM

Sunday - 18 January - Some Roots of Racism - Our annual celebration of the birth of MLK is a good time to explore some of the roots of racism in our systems and ourselves.

After the 11:15 service, soup will be available.

Music - For Martin Luther King Sunday, the Choir sings the great anthem Sound Over All Waters composed by Paul Halley for Coretta Scott King. Our alto section-leader Lindsey Grebeldinger takes a break from her vocal and operatic studies to be the soloist at both services.

REflections on Children's Programming -

Religious Education Classes

Spirit Play: The Paper Bag Princess
Second & Third Grade: Martin Luther King Day
Fourth & Fifth Grade: We Believe: In Inherent Worth
Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Grade: Music and Mandalas: You Can Think Differently
Youth Group Activities: Soup Making

Coming of Age
Eighth Grade students are invited to participate in the Coming of Age class to begin in March. More details to come. Please see Gail with questions. - Gail M. Syring, DRE

What Else is Happening & Announcements

Let's make a special effort this week to bring in clothing for the Horace Bushnell Children's Food Pantry

Let's Eat Together (in small groups) - The Circle Dinner registrations are early this year, January 18th is the deadline! Register in Fellowship Hall during Sunday coffee hours.

The dinners are a pleasant way to enjoy being with old friends and meeting new ones. Six to 10 adults are randomly assigned in different groupings for each Saturday evening dinner. The dates are: February 7, March 14, and April 18.

Guests bring appetizers, salad, side dish, or dessert. Host furnishes the entree, beverage, and bread.

We understand that some can't host, but we do need hosts, so if your home can seat six, please host one dinner. Fanciness isn't required--paper plates are fine if more convenient. Getting together is what's important!

Registration: $2.00 per household. - Marion Kelliher

Teaching Peace in Time of War - Celebrate Martin Luther King Day on January 18 by attending the showing of a film at 1 PM in Fellowship Hall. Soup will be available. The film is sponsored by the Information and Advocacy (IASC) Sub-Council.

A decade of civil war has cost the lives of more than 250,000 people in the former Yugoslavia. The children were irrevocably affected by this violence. The region was characterized by simmering hostilities and deep rifts along the lines of ethnicity, religion,citizenship and class. Can they be taught a language of peace when they have known only war?

We witness small triumphs. The film offers a sense of optimism that even schools in the most troubled circumstances can become beacons of peace.

Noah Webster School Volunteers would find this video essential viewing. - Joan Kemble

Save February 1 at 1:00 to watch "For Everyone, Everywhere." This is the film mentioned by Charlie Clements on UUSC Sunday. It was made by the UN on the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Recycle What? TerraCycle will donate $.02 for every Nabisco cookie wrapper (large and small) we collect and then will upcycle those used wrappers into accessories and products. Never heard of upcycling? me neither. They will do the same for drink pouches (not boxes). Please cut open the bottom inside of the pouch, remove straw and rinse. Bring both to the green table every Sunday. thanks for helping eliminate the need to burn these items.

Also, check out our new improved bulletin board (at the bottom of the stairs to Fellowship Hall) with expanded "did you know?" section with tons of useful environ-friendly info

Rock the Meeting House - Master vocalist and keyboard artist John Jesensky (sometimes appearing in the guise of our mild-mannered Music Associate) will bring his sizzling song stylings to the music of Billy Joel and Elton John on Saturday, February 28th, 8:00 PM, at the Unitarian Society of Hartford's Meeting House. Hear him tear down the place with classic covers of hot tunes, and soothe the crowd with ballads that pluck the heart strings.

Featured along with John is the cutting-edge band Forget Paris, performing a set of original music, and bringing their own inimitable sound to the stage.

Tickets are only $10 for USH members and for students. General sales at the door are $15 (still a bargain). Snow cancellation date the following Saturday, March 7 at 8 PM.

For information and advance tickets call Brian Mullen at 860 233-9897. This is sure to be a sold-out event, so clue in your friends and spread the word. The Meeting House will be rocking, and you don't want to miss the show!

Applications Sought for Projects Under the Petty Memorial Fund Grants IASC is seeking potential grant recipients to aid their goals towards peace and justice. Past grants have been awarded for quality of life projects in a Mexican village and work countering global warming right here in Connecticut. If you think your work may qualify for funding, please send your proposal to IASC, c/o Bill LaPorte-Bryan at the Meeting House

Adult Programs - Plan to attend the January 25 FAIR for the 2009 Winter/Spring Programs for Adults and Families in Fellowship Hall following both services. You'll be able to meet some of the presenters, ask questions about the programs, and register.

Along with your favorites - Great Decisions starting Sunday, Feb. 8, Friday Dinner and Movie, Tai Chi beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4 and SGM,. - there are many new offerings. Some of those in February will be:

Living a Sustainable Life, a discussion facilitated by Bev Prager, Tuesdays, 4:30-6:00 PM beginning February 10th.

Spiral Beaded Necklace Workshop with Irene Dizes, Saturday, Feb. 7 and 14.

Potluck Supper and Game Night, Friday, Feb. 20.

"Improv of Integrity" facilitated by Lindy Ackman, Saturday, Feb. 28. Designed for young adults (12-17).

However, before then, plan to attend the Sunday afternoon program, January 18, in Fellowship Hall at 1:00 pm. The film Teaching Peace in the Time of War, sponsored by the Information and Advocacy Sub-council, will be shown. Soup will be available to purchase before the film. More

Announcing Spring Small Group Ministry -We are happy to announce our program for spring Small Group Ministry, where small groups meet to connect with one another and share meaningful readings and life experiences. New this spring is a Mini-SGM consisting of four sessions. The shorter program is a good way for newcomers to SGM to try it out, or for those with busy schedules to get their “SGM fix.” This group will convene at the USH Meeting House on Wednesday evenings starting March 11, and is facilitated by DRE, Gail Syring.

Back by popular demand is a family-friendly SGM. This group is open to everyone, but will especially accommodate adult members and friends with younger children. It will meet on Friday evenings at the Meeting House starting March 6, facilitated by Bill Shoemaker.

This group will accommodate families by meeting only six times (from 5:30 to 8:00 pm) and providing dinner (cost shared by participants) and childcare. You may also choose a Monday evening group in Farmington starting February 23, facilitated by Fred Louis and hosted by Janice and David Newton, or a Thursday evening group in Hartford starting March 5, facilitated by Carol Davidson and hosted by Bruce Robbins. An afternoon group will meet on Mondays in East Hartford starting March 23, facilitated by Barbara Fraher and hosted by Dick Edwards. Each group at the first meeting sets the future meeting dates.

Interested persons are encouraged to identify accessibility concerns (including assisted listening devices or allergies) to Mike Roy so we can address these concerns to the best of our ability. You may consult the upcoming Adult Programs Catalogue for more information. Please sign up at the Adult Programs Fair on Sunday, January 25, or by contacting the church office. - Mike Roy

IF ONLY… An appeal addressed to Jews, Arabs, and concerned people everywhere in response to the war between Israel and Hamas

by Yehezkel Landau

The writer spoke at USH on 11/09/08

If only our empathy and compassion were as strong as our capacity for self-justification;

If only we could protect ourselves in ways that do not inflict harm on others;

If only we could see ourselves as interdependent, rather than isolated and threatened;

If only we could see the Image of God in one another, rather than projecting mythic images of Arab Nazis or Jewish Crusaders;

If only our leaders were committed to transforming conflict nonviolently rather than too often using military means to achieve political aims;

If only peace education were a part of school curricula throughout Palestine and Israel;

If only political agreements outlawed incitement and demonization in public speeches;

If only the Israeli and Arab media conveyed multiple perspectives, along with humanizing stories and images, rather than reinforcing prejudices;

If only we could address the core issues and grievances, rather than reacting to the latest round of violence or the fear of further violence;

If only the Arab perception of the state of Israel (in its pre-1967 borders, with mutually accepted adjustments) was of a people coming home and exercising the right of self-determination, rather than of a colonial conquest by outsiders;

If only Arab and Muslim leaders could acknowledge the existential fears of the Jewish people following the Holocaust and reinforced by subsequent wars, bellicose rhetoric, and the prospect of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Israel’s adversaries;

If only the Jewish people, in Israel and elsewhere, could acknowledge the deep, unhealed wound of the Palestinian people, displaced and dispossessed in large numbers in the war of 1948 and under prolonged occupation following the 1967 war;

If only Israel would join the Palestinian people in developing democratic institutions rather than destroying their civic infrastructure in the name of self-defense;

If only we could see the problem as a regional crisis, with multiple, interrelated challenges, rather than a bilateral conflict between Israelis and Palestinians;

If only the new American administration would engage wholeheartedly in Middle East peacemaking, deploying a full-time envoy to the region with negotiating skills comparable to those exhibited by George Mitchell in Northern Ireland;

If only a spiritual dimension to peacebuilding—drawing on the practical resources in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—were included in Middle East diplomacy, so that religious extremists would be countered in their own terms and political arrangements would be grounded in mutual repentance, the healing of trauma, and sustained hope for the future;

If only we could envision a future of cooperation and shared blessing, rather than a no-win war lasting generations;

If only the children on “the other side” were as precious to us as our neighbors’ children;

If only our young people were exposed to their peers on “the other side” early on, so that they could build friendships that transcend the “us-vs.-them” dichotomy;

If only we could build Shalom/Salaam together, with a Jewish-Arab peace corps constructing homes, schools, and hospitals in a state of Palestine alongside Israel, and with expanded cross-border initiatives in the areas of health, education, culture, the environment, and sports;

…then perhaps, with God’s help and courageous leadership on all sides, both Israelis and Palestinians could experience genuine peace and security, with fear transformed to trust, anger to forgiveness, grief to compassion, and narrow self-interest to mutual solidarity.

The writer is a dual American-Israeli citizen who co-founded the Open House Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence in Ramle, Israel, and now teaches Judaism and interfaith relations at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut.

Let’s all remember to “CARE and SHARE” Every Week - with our neighbors, whose hunger and challenges continue to grow. Large bins in our front lobby hold our ongoing collections for the HORACE BUSHNELL CHILDREN’S FOOD PANTRY and SOUTH PARK INN. For the Food Pantry, our goal is for each person to bring one nutritious non-perishable food item each week.

On the Calendar

Thursday, January 15
9:30 am International Women’s Circle, Fellowship Hall
6:00 pm NVC Gathering, Minister’s Study

Friday, January 16
5:30 pm Family Friendly SGM, Fellowship Hall
7:00 pm Review & Renewal of USH Worship & Music Vision, Chapel

Saturday, January 17
10:00 am Review & Renewal of USH Worship & Music Vision, Chapel
12:00 pm Membership Sub-council, Servetus

Sunday, January 18
9:00 am Music rehearsal, Sanctuary
9:45 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
10:45 am Music rehearsal, Sanctuary
10:45 am Coffee, Fellowship Hall
11:15 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:15 pm Coffee, Fellowship Hall
12:15 pm Youth Choir Rehearsal, Chapel
1:00 pm Teaching Peace film, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel
4:00 pm Review & Renewal of USH Worship & Music Vision, Chapel

Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
OFFICE CLOSED

Tuesday, January 20
6:00 pm Worship Associates, Ballou
6:45 pm Caring Network, Servetus
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, January 21
5:45 pm Meditation and Dharma Gathering, Emerson
7:15 pm NVC Practice Group, Emerson
7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

Thursday, January 22
7:00 pm BTWWDA, Emerson

Saturday, January 24
10:30 am Rental, Chapel

Sunday, January 25
9:00 am Music rehearsal, Sanctuary
9:45 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
10:45 am Coffee and Programs Fair, Fellowship Hall
10:45 am Music rehearsal, Chapel
11:15 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:15 pm Coffee and Programs Fair, Fellowship Hall
12:15 pm Youth Choir Rehearsal
1:00 pm Council on Social Justice, Library
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Italicized entries are non-USH events.
Please notify Brian Mullen of all additions or changes to the calendar. Follow this Link to all our scheduled events!

Caring Network - Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. If you know of any member experiencing some difficulty, please contact Diana Heymann, Chair of the Caring Network (heydiana(at symbol)comcast.net) 860.461.0908 or call the office so we can provide some assistance. A wide range of community services is also available to those in need by calling InfoLine at 211. Please contact Diana if you are able to volunteer your services.

From the Editor:

This Week’s Feature Articles

One last word on Worship Evolution
Peter Magistri to Step Down as Sexton
Worship Associate Search to Begin
If Only (Yehezkel Landau- November speaker)
Monthly Column from the DRE
Justice is Flowing
Where do SGM Reading Come From?
Spring Small Group Ministry Sessions

One last word on Worship Evolution before our Congregational Dialogues! The conversations on worship are Friday night January 16th at 7 PM, Saturday morning the 17th at 10 AM or Sunday afternoon the 18th at 4 PM. BJ and members of the Worship Sub-Council will be present at all meetings. -

To read about Rev BJs personal philosophy on worship, and her professional opinion regarding the blending of “Unitarianism” and “Universalism” see her blog this week.

To read about the new Worship Associate Search

To answer this question, WHY are we having ANOTHER congregational dialogue on worship

To see a listing of transforming moments in worship offered by congregants

Study Sheets for worship dialogues this weekend-please copy, read, and bring with you!

The strategic plan which I was given during search and upon arrival 2 ½ years ago calls for more lay interaction in worship, and more diversity in music and worship style. For us to respond to this "call" requires a subtle restructuring of both the elements and the content of the elements in the "order of service." You may have noticed some examples of this restructuring through out the Fall:

Clergy shares service preparation and moderation with trained and "quality assured" laity. This builds awareness that ours is a shared ministry, sharing the tasks AND the rewards of ministry, and it strengthens community as it gives those in the pews a ‘window’ for getting to know other congregants more fully)
Congregants have experiential opportunities beyond listening, standing and sitting, and singing a particular genre of hymnody (the embodied rituals like our "candles." and singing of "rounds" or "chants" provides more worship "inputs" for those whose primary receptors include physical senses like movement and the visual.
The sermon "slo," which traditionally held most of the content and thematic expression of the service, is sometimes dropped into other service "slots," requiring a more thoughtful and curious listening if "content" (cognitive input) is ones primary source of ‘input’ during worship.
The service content is presented more often with examples that are relational and experienced inwardly (psychological, emotional) than with examples which focus on the intellectual manipulation of "external" current events, news, scientific theories, political concerns.
Instrumentation, which has been primarily the organ, is shared more often with the piano.
There are more opportunities for untrained voices to be assisted in experiencing singing as the robust and rewarding experience that is now is for the chancel choir (having a song leader who encourages congregants during hymns and offering a "joyful noise" or "celebration" choir experience for untrained voices.)
The Chancel Choir continues to sing selections (usually in the "offertory" slot) chosen by Mattie, the complexity and breadth of which are limited only by the number of congregants who are interested in the discipline of being 'trained' by Mattie.
The content of "anthem" slot, and the "offertory"’ slots in services when Chancel Choir is absent, are still much in flux and dependent on our financial and volunteer resources—They have most typically been filled with solos by paid leads, or instrumentation, and remain open for diverse offerings from a "joyful noise’" choir or guest musicians among our membership.
We are more intentional in the planning of multi-generational services so that the interests of children are reflected throughout the service when they are present for the entire service.

Impact of Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Worship: Those among us who were more well served by worship and music as it existed before this type of restructuring will sometimes feel that something is missing and that something has been added which is not to their liking. Those who were less well served by worship and music as it existed before this type of restructuring will feel that some things have been added that enhance their worship experience, and there are fewer things to which they do not resonate. Our Worship Arts Sub-Council continues to study how to achieve a balance such that, over a span of one or two months, as many people as possible get to participate in and experience their preferred style in worship and music. A commitment to attending as often as possible will guarantee the experience of ones particular preferences, and will provide opportunities for growing in spirit through the practice of generosity and patience when ones preferred styles are available less often. - BJ

Peter Magistri to Resign His Role as Society Sexton - Peter has formally let the USH staff and leadership know that in May of this year he will be stepping down as USH Sexton. He has indicated that this is purely an economic decision that is made possible by his attaining the age to receive early Social Security monthly disbursements. He goes on to say that "These nine+ years have been interesting, challenging, fun, rewarding and fulfilling. Working with all of you and the many Society members continuously reinforced my opinion that working with volunteers is it's own reward. Thank you for that."

We have been blessed beyond measure to have Peter's loving attention to our facility for nearly a decade and we recognize that we will never know the unseen hours of devotion he bestowed on the Meeting House. We have reaped the benefits of his attention to spaces and 'stuff' being organized, ordered, functionable and welcoming.

His patient and courteous attention to training and supervising our youth as Sunday Sexton, to directing the work of our current custodian Robert and to assisting people who have rented our space is an enduring model for who we want to be. Peter's clearly observable respect and compassion for all living things (including our earth), mingled with a passion for justice and commitment to "the big picture" is Unitarian Universalism at its best.

We all wish him the best as his life takes a new turn and are thankful he will remain among us as a congregant! - BJ

DRE Monthly Column - I heard an anecdote recently about a child who was in a restaurant with his parents. The waitress took the lunch orders of the adults, and then turned to the child. “What would you like for lunch, honey?” “A hot dog!” he said, with much enthusiasm. “No hot dog!” replied his parents. “You should have something healthy!” The waitress turned back to the child and inquired: “What would you like to drink with your hot dog?” The child, astonished, turned to his parents and exclaimed: “She talked to me like I was real!”

Do you remember the first time an adult listened to you with the same attention and presence that they would another adult? It can be so powerful, so affirming to be heard and valued in that way. In March, our eighth grade students will be invited to participate in our Coming of Age (COA) program. Similar in structure to Small Group Ministry, the youth will be given the opportunity to consider their own personal theology, to articulate their spiritual identity, and to contemplate some of the “big” questions. It is essential that there will be adults in these conversations with them, to share their own experiences, to acknowledge that even grown ups don’t have all the answers and most importantly, to talk to them like they are real.

Would you be willing to participate in these discussions? COA will occur during the regular Religious Education class time at the 9:45 service. Class will meet ten times between March 1 and May 24, with a Coming of Age service on May 30th. If being part of this team of mentors appeals to you, please contact Gail at: dre@ushartford.com.

New Worship Associate Search Begins - In summer, we will be welcoming a new music staff person who will help us enhance our musical program.

We need a team of people with varied interests and competencies regarding music, whose charge will be two fold:

to research and create a music program which will meet as many of our music needs as possible, and to determine what kind of staff is needed and is affordable.
to conduct a search for the staff who are needed to sustain that program within our financial means.
Rev. BJ recommends that our music program include:

choirs—for kids, trained singers, and untrained singers;
guest musicians from the pews and the community;
use of both organ and piano in worship;
congregational singing led from the chancel by someone with musical ability who loves to sing out and who wants others to have that joy and faith building experience no matter what their singing abilities.

If you want to make input into this reshaping our our music program and staff, you will have an opportunity to make application very soon. Rev BJ, Mattie, Sue Kinney and Edith Savage will serve on the team and will select its other members from among the applicants. (John Jesensky (current music associate) and Susan Huntington (HR representative) will serve as consultants to the team.) If you are NOT selected, you will be interviewed and your input gathered and considered by the team.

Justice is Flowing, was the title of Charlie Clements Sermon on January 4th. To begin he briefly sketched out the background of UUSC, the folks that bring you Guest at Your Table Boxes and marshal resources for man made disasters like Darfur and natural disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Unitarian Service Committee was created by the American Unitarian Association in 1940 and became a separate organization after World War II. The organization receives no funds from the UUA. Your participation is earnestly solicited.

Dr. Clements noted the work of the “new” organization during the Holocaust when it was responsible for assisting more than 2,000 men, women and children escaping the Nazi horror.

Much of his talk focused on the development and continuing favorable impact of the, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a copy having been provided to those who attended the service.

The Declaration, among other things recognizes that human dignity of all people is the foundation of justice and peace; that disregard and contempt of human rights have resulted in barbarous acts; that freedom of speech, belief, freedom from fear and want, are proclaimed as the highest aspiration of people. The document is direct in some of its provisions. For example, it notes we all have the “right to profess our religion freely, to engage in it, and practice it either alone or with other people. Another says that all children have a right to education and should be allowed to go to school. One, sometimes seen as radical, says everyone has the right to rest and leisure including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Today, the UDHR, as it is know in short, has become an important part of international law surpassing expectations of its authors as its influence spreads and concepts and content is incorporated in governing documents.

The sermon went on to describe specific items influenced by the Declaration.

One outcome of a children’s rights effort developed into the, Convention of the Rights of the Child. Various representative groups agreed to take this document back for ratification by their nations. Ratification means UN member states agreed to abide by the provisions, consent to be monitored, and amend domestic law to be consistent with the treaty. 190 of 192 countries in the UN have ratified the Convention. Of note, neither Somalia, which claims not to have had a government, nor the US has signed the Convention. Unlike the rest of the world we apparently believe in maintaining the right to try a juvenile of serious crime, and if convicted, we wait until their majority at which point we may execute them. The rest of the world also believes age 18 should be reached before youth are given weapons to use in the military.

When Chile signed the Convention against Torture it became possible for a Spanish court to arrest General Pinochet subsequent to his acts of torture and “disappearing” of large numbers of dissenters.

Work in Guatemala, South Africa, Burma, and Darfur were described in compelling terms. The bottom line, Whether the issue is abolition, women’s suffrage, the Holocaust, civil rights, Vietnam, Central America, Iraq, or equal marriage, UUs are there bearing witness, providing leadership and insuring that justice is flowing down like waters.

For full details see the published sermon - DCN

Small Group Ministry: Where Do The Readings Come From? “Where do Small Group Ministry readings come from?” is a question that occasionally rises within a SGM group. It may arise from great pleasure and satisfaction, as in, “Wow. This is really good.” Or it may come out of just plain curiosity. Or it may come out of a sense of disagreement, as in, “I don’t agree with this author at all. Who picked out this reading?” We who implement SGM are pleased with all and any reasons for asking; asking means people are engaged with the topics and care about them.

And we are open to feedback. We need it, to make sure we are achieving our purposes. Chief among these is to engage people and to get them talking to each other. Through sharing personal experiences, they get to know each other and, ultimately, to care about each other.

So where do the readings come from? First of all, Bev Spence, who loves nothing better than to sit and read, picks them out from within the books (fiction and nonfiction), magazines, newsletters and on-line journals she is reading. In a true-confessions way, she will admit she reads catalogs and goes to bookstores to look for resources likely to hold appropriate readings. (It’s not all “happy accidents.”)

Occasionally suggestions for readings and sources come in from SGM participants and facilitators.

Bev puts all the potential choices on her computer, with attribution for source and author. For each one she crafts a series of questions for facilitators to ask group members.

A selection of possible readings is sent to Mike Roy and Kent Jamison, who join Bev for a meeting where specific readings are selected, put in order, and the questions fine-tuned.

Because many participants have said they like to be surprised, topics and readings are generally not announced ahead of time, but it is up to each group to decide. However, participants with special needs (vision difficulties, hearing problems) and others who so desire may always request copies of all readings and questions ahead of time.

Sources of readings under consideration for use this spring include Heron Dance, an on-line journal; a Unitarian fellowship newsletter; Measuring the Immeasurable: The Scientific Case for Spirituality published by Sounds True; Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden; Balance 20/20: Six Keys to a Harmonious Life by George Bartko; Time magazine; Every Word Has Power by Yvonne Oswald; True Nature: An Illustrated Journal of Four Seasons in Solitude by Barbara Bash; One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World by Ingrid E. Newkirk; The Men in My Life by Vivian Gornick; and A Wishing Year: A House, A Man, My Soul: A Memoir of Fulfilled Desire by Noelle Oxenhandler. (No, this last one is not a romance novel but a serious consideration of wishing, which some may equate with praying. So there!)

We won’t be telling you the topics ahead of time. But let us add that, if you sign up for Small Group Ministry this spring, you can expect to find yourself reflecting on such things as the natural world, solitude, awareness, change, emotions, and, of course, spirituality. Small Group Ministry allows us to set aside time to reflect on how we are living our lives and whether that lines up with how we wish to live our lives. Clarity in our own minds may come before or during our sharing with others, but SGM reflections make it more likely we will achieve it.

And, by the way, the reading from The Men in My Life calls us to reflect on how much we are formed by outside forces and how much we are formed by our own choices and actions. Let’s hope that one is chosen. - Bev Spence

External Events and Educational Notes

Hartt Students to Perform at King Tribute Concert - Two Hartt School students will be among the performers when the Hartford Symphony Orchestra presents its 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert on Saturday, Jan. 17. The concert will take place at 4 PM at the Hopewell Baptist Church in Windsor, Conn . More

Further Down The Road (About 30 Days)

A Matter of Opinion:

logo Did You Know? - Green Sanctuary Sub-Council -

We are setting up a listserv for Green Sanctuary supporters (distinct from the formal sub-council workers). If you wish to be part of it and have not been subscribed already, send your email address and name to dcnewton@ushartford.com requesting inclusion

Nuts and Bolts: The member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote: the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process, within our congregations and in society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part.

Generally, USH-Enews will be posted on Thursday. Send email related to the USH-Enews to dcnewton at ushartford.com If you have announcements or articles you wish to be published, send them along with the subject line USH-Enews by 4:30 PM Wednesday evening. Comments are always welcome. If you wish to have your name removed from the distribution list or have learned of the electronic publication and wish to have your email address added, just ask. © Unitarian Society of Hartford

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 01/07/09 8:30 PM)