USH-Enews June 24, 2010 Print Only Edition

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 or to find past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Sunday - 27 June - Themes of Leisure or Ease as a Primary Human Need - What is the role of rest in healing of mind and body? We will reflect on sacred texts such as this one from the Hebrew Bible: “So eat your bread with gladness and drink your wine with joy for God has already approved of your works.” Can our faith offer some soul medicine that might be effective in the hurried and harried lives of the 21st century? - Rev. BJ

Summer Program
This Sunday, June 27th will be the beginning of our summer program, Green Crafting: Protect the Environment while Having Fun! Join us for an introduction to what kids can do for the environment, and to decorate the classroom with green themes!

News from General Assembly, Minneapolis -"Ministry Days” are in full swing. We’ve heard from our president Rev. Peter Morales in an hour long Q & A, and he reports that we, his minister colleagues, ask the most convoluted five part questions he has ever heard! His central message as I heard it was:

#1 People across America are hungry for something and are coming to us to find it. We have over 250,000 visitors a year, around 5,000 every Sunday, in a denomination which has only around 160,000 people. (Morales is ‘famous’ for the statement that all we need to do to have astronomical growth in, to stop repelling visitors!)

#2 The something they are hungry for is "connection." Americans are more isolated than any community of people have ever been through out history. Nearly 1/3 of American households are made up of one person. When a 1980 survey asked “how many people do you have with whom you share deeply personal concerns” the answer was three. In 2005 the answer to the same question was zero. Americans are starved for authentic personal connection.

#3 UU congregations can create and offer genuine connection as our clergy are continuously professionally trained and share ‘best practices,’ and as our congregations overcome deeply engrained systemic obstacles to transforming our church cultures into circles of care.

The Big Point

And here is the biggest challenge to us at USH. Morales reported from surveys of our congregations over the past few years that there are 2 UU movements: the one in New England and the one in the rest of the country. The New England movement is in rapid decline. The other movement is still growing though by small increments.

What are we to make of that? What traits might New England congregations share which are less prevalent in other regions?

How are we examining those traits to determine which ones give us the dubious honor of belonging to the declining region? How are we showing ourselves willing to do something about that?
How can we continue to be the bearers of our proud heritage of Unitarianism and supporters of our heritage of Universalism while releasing some things, which though good in themselves, might be less helpful as we progress through the increasingly multicultural, technological, holistic and participatory world of the 21st century?

That was day one at General Assembly for your minister. Stay tuned! - Rev. BJ

Attention Young Adults! July 2 TGIF - If you are 18 to 35 (or thereabouts!) please plan to come to the minister’s house for a “TGIF” “Thank God It’s Friday” gathering. Wine, beer, and soft drinks provided. Bring your favorite snack or appetizer at 6:30 PM, and stay as long as you like!
If you are NOT 18 to 35, please contact someone you know who IS, and tell them about this chance to make connection with UUs who share similar life issues. (Please rsvp revbj at USHARTFORD dot COM and we’ll prepare libations accordingly!) - Rev BJ

USH Unitarians are Remarkable People - From time to time, as many of you know, we look at ourselves, examples in many different ways of most remarkable people. We continue that effort now with a few words about some of our recently elected leaders.

Meredith Vasta, Secretary has been a member of USH since June of 2005. She has been involved in the Lay Listeners/Visitors Program as the Administrator since 2008. She stepped in as Secretary on the USH Board in December, 2009 and is was elected to the Board to continue her work as Secretary. She discovered she was a Unitarian by taking a quiz on beliefnet.com and was delighted to find a spiritual home that fit perfectly. Meredith is married to J. Cedric Woods and together they live in Salem, CT. Yes, it is about 40 minutes drive on Sunday from home - the most popular question we get at coffee hour! Meredith has worked at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center as registrar/collections manager since 1999. She has a PhD in Anthropology, is allergic to cats and dogs (sadly), loves going to the movies but won't tolerate missing the previews, doesn't like seafood, and loves to read mysteries. (Mostly quoted from the Annual Report)

Memorial Gardens - Do You Enjoy Gardening? The two Memorial Gardens require a great deal of care. Over two-dozen families have trusted us to care for the place they chose to inter their loved one’s ashes. This is a commitment the Unitarian Society made, and is one we must honor. Would you be willing to help us? If so, or if you have any questions, please call Janice or David Newton at 860-677-1121 or email dcnewton@snet.net If you haven’t visited the Gardens, please do! Thank you!
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The Memorial Garden, a place of beauty, peace and tranquility was established in 1991 and further developed because of an anonymous donation by the addition of new landscaping in 1999. A patio area with benches was also added providing a comfortable place to mediate and remember.
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Plantings in the Garden were selected to produce blooming through most of the season. The Garden has an automatic watering system. In the adjacent entry from the church, is a wall plaque commemorating those whose ashes are interred in the Garden. There is a Tree of Life sculpture on the wall of the Garden.
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The Unitarian Society of Hartford’s Pet Memorial Garden was constructed during the summer of 2006. Longtime member Helen Skinner made this beautiful place possible because of a generous gift. It is a quiet, serene area for us to come to as we remember the very special pets in our lives and find peace while dealing with our losses. - Janice Newton

Sidewalks Under Construction - As the years have passed, the Meeting House sidewalks have cracked and deteriorated in various places. Several people have fallen particularly during the winter on the north entrance sidewalk and the west walk grading up to the parking lot.

Recently, B & G has contracted for sidewalk repair, including total replacement of the north sidewalk, installation of a new functional drain near the Meeting House north entrance with proper slope throughout to permit better and more uniform drainage.
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In recent years several major capital projects have occurred to preserve and enhance the building. These projects have included waterproofing of all external concrete, a major upgrade of the organ, new super efficient boilers, fixing up Fellowship Hall and a couple of RE classrooms, and relamping most lights with more efficient tubes and, most recently, refinishing the walls of the Ambulatory - David Newton

A New Year, A New Initiative, A New Hat! - In response to our evolving understanding of our financial resources and the enrollment and attendance numbers in Religious Education, in the 2010-11 church year my responsibilities will be shifting to allow me to work on a new membership initiative. I will spend 2/3 of my time as the Director of Religious Education and the remaining 1/3 as the Volunteer Coordinator.

In my role as Volunteer Coordinator, I will be spearheading an initiative designed to meet the needs of our current membership to make connections, share their talents and experience the best that our community has to offer while promoting those same gifts to potential new members.

The initiative will include a new assimilation program for new members, a survey of skills and interests of all members, and the development of affinity groups designed to make connections between members with similar passions. Additionally I will assist our Council members to match volunteers with programs and tasks that suit their individual needs and talents. A social media campaign will help to get the word of our congregational vision out further into the community.

You can anticipate a variety of new programs, workshops and social opportunities in the coming year. Please support the community by attending these events or suggesting one of your own. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns. - Gail M. Syring

Are You Having Any Fun? - They are common, ordinary, good words—leisure, fun, play—but often seem hard to define, explain and can even become controversial. “How can you tell if it’s leisure you’re having?” Reverend BJ asked the congregation during the service on Sunday June 20. Some responses: having fun, feeling good, losing track of time, mind is quiet, being retired.

Reverend BJ suggested we mentor and model the lives of children as the best way to understand leisure. Children at play don’t ask the same questions adults do. They don’t always have rules. There do not have to be winners and losers. There is no specified length of time. “Why would anyone keep doing things that aren’t fun anymore?” was another question we were asked.

Calling Steven Jay Gould, a “truly great scientist and thinker who could write splendidly about the natural world,” Reverend BJ introduced his idea of neoteny (literally, “holding on to youth”). Man is advanced and superior to other life forms because he retains traits of childhood. As Gould put it, “In neoteny, rates of development slow down, and juvenile stages of ancestors become the adult features of descendants.”

Reverend BJ (and Gould) used a parable from T. H. White’s novel, The Once and Future King to show that humans are learning animals.   Here’s how the parable went: “God created all animals as embryos and called each before His throne, offering them whatever additions to their anatomy they desired. All opted for specialized adult features—the lion for claws and sharp teeth, the deer for antlers and hoofs. The human embryo stepped forth last and said, ‘Please, God, I think that You made me in the shape I now have for reasons best known to Yourselves and that it would be rude to change…I will stay a defenseless embryo all my life…

God was delighted. He said to Man, “You will look like an embryo till they bury you, but all the others will be embryos before your might. Eternally undeveloped, you will always remain potential in Our image, able to see some of Our sorrows and to feel some of Our joys. We are partly sorry for you, Man, but partly hopeful.”

Reverend BJ suggested that too much stuff clutters our lives and we become overwhelmed by obligations, tragedies and philanthropic needs. Even the hobbies we choose often feel like work rather than leisure, and we are bombarded by those proposing leisure as a commodity. Perhaps, she said, we can take on leisure as a spiritual discipline. This would require three things.

1.    Leisure must be voluntary. We need to make space and time in our lives to ask, “What do we want?”

2.    Leisure must be intrinsically motivating of its own merit. While we are at leisure, so many other needs are being met.

3.    Leisure must be an experience of the mind, leaving us refreshed, renewed and ready for the next thing. It can be present in whatever we’re doing and we must be open to accepting joy.

Those who keep on “playing” are those who thrive, adapt, multiply and prevail. They show creativity, flexibility, curiosity, intense focus, and follow the body rather than dragging it around after themselves.

After the service we went down to Fellowship Hall and had a really fun time honoring Joan and Tom Kemble for their many, many years of service to the USH. They plan to sell their farm/B&B and retire to Wisconsin. We ate, we drank, we talked about them, we welcomed their many family members present for the celebration, and we demolished the incredible cake depicting the Meeting House made by long-time member Kit Northup. Yum. Fun.- Kayla Costenoble

Adult Programs - We wish to thank all of you who planned and participated in the successful 2009-2010 Fall and Winter/Spring Programs for Adults and Families. More

Dinner and Movie News and Nominations Survey. One week left for dinner and movie nominations and survey. Please send your Dinner and Movie nominations for the next year's season and the Dinner and Movie survey by Wednesday, June 30.
You may nominate five titles of any genre, and there will be an opportunity to lobby for your favorites (via email) following the collection of titles. If you have not attended but are interested, you are eligible to nominate. Send your titles to pickmovies@ushartford or mail to Dinner & Movie, USH, 50 Bloomfield Ave, Hartford 06105.

The survey is available through this link; it is designed to get your ideas on format and costs. Here's your opportunity to offer suggestions and comments. Again, anyone interested may submit a survey to the email address or mail address above.
Be sure to include your email and mail address for voting and/or response.
Questions? Email pickmovies@ushartford.com or call 860-693-4269. Remember the deadline: June 30.

Caring Network - I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it. Harry S. Truman - 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.- before 10:30 on Sunday. 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.

Green Topics - Did You Know? - Check out www.nuride.com to get awards for carpooling, biking and walking instead of using your car. Awards for not polluting? - it doesn't get better than that!

Connecticut Farmers’ Markets

Various locations throughout the state

Did you know that Connecticut has over 100 Farmers’ Markets? Support local farmers, eat fresh food and prevent pollution. For locations and schedules, visit www.ct.gov/doag (type Farmers Markets in
search box)

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