USH-Enews for June 28, 2007 Print Only Edition

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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 line, or past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Office hours: M-F 9-3 (excluding W 10 -11); Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Rev. BJ office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday by appointment.

Sunday - 1 July - Power Play (10 AM Service) - An overview of the many faces of power and how it has been used and misused throughout time. Examine how we can be conscious of our own power and use it to help ourselves and others around us lead a meaningful life. - Rebecca Bryan

Your editor asked Rebecca if she would care to say a bit more about the service. And she did. She said, " I am going to challenge you to live your life remembering that EVERYTHING has power. Your decision to be intentional and truthful has the power to change yourself and the people around you in ways unimagined. " This sermon is dedicated to the UU principles and the power of living our faith.

Rebecca is our USH Immediate Past President having been a member for about 14 years. She has two children, Jacob and Ginger. She is married to Bart Bracken, also a former President of USH.

Rebecca has worked in the nonprofit sector for past 20 years and is currently VP at Payne Forrester & Associates, a consulting firm working exclusively with non profits.

Music: Our service today studies the concept of power. What better composer to
select than the powerful, and often stormy, Ludwig van Beethoven? However, with his "sturm und drang" (musical term for dramatic, and clashing) music, Beethoven also wrote some of the most soothing music heard by human ears. Please forgive the splicing of Sonata Pathetique, as it perfectly demonstrates both the stress, and passion of Beethoven. Our postlude, by special request of Rebecca Bryan, is, Let it Be. This amazing song speaks volumes towards the concept of power. Please join in on the singing of, Let it Be!

REflections - Summer Programming - Please join us this week for Community Mural Painting, and next week to Make Your Own Rainstick. Children of all ages, and those young at heart are encouraged to come out and play!

Ask not what RE can do for you...Our cooperative Religious Education program thrives due to the creativity and commitment of our volunteers. Our dedicated team chooses the curricula, teaches the classes, assists in the classrooms, chaperones field trips, and provided numerous other essential services for our children. Each adult involved in RE has an indelible impact on the spiritual development of the children in our congregation, and your talents are needed to make our team complete. Please consider including the RE program in your personal ministry this year, and set a living example of the seven principles for our children.

Comprehensive training is available for all positions, and no prior experience is required. Please contact Gail Syring at DRE(at symbol)ushartford.com or at the Meeting House to discuss what level of commitment is right for you. - Gail M. Syring
DRE

From the Editor: Last week you may have received an email reminding you about the USH-Enews two week edition. We were working on a backup emailing system for your editor and there will be some confusion as we continue to work out procedures to accomplish the objective of having Ed Savage function as a backup on some of the technical things we do in communications.

This Week’s Feature Articles

An Audience Doing Better - The bell rings at the Welcoming Table signifying the service is about to begin. We hustle to our pew and look about. "Attendance is a little light this week," we whisper to one another. Music ends and the Worship Associate begins the preliminaries.

By the time we are singing the first hymn, we look about again and whisper, "Attendance is really quite good this week."

Then, don't-you-know, during the first prayer or relatively silent part of the service, a cell phone will ring. Sometimes more than one!

This is not a leadership issue. This is a followership issue. We know what to do, so let's do it! Allow yourself a whole five minutes to arrive, get parked and walk into the sanctuary. Get to your pew on time and put the cell phone on vibrate before the service begins. Socializing with friends is great, so let's do it during coffee hour.

Chancel Banners - You have probably noticed we have some very nice Chancel Banners that appear from week to week behind the Chancel. Here is how you can see them all. Go to the storage room and remove them one by one from their various storage "tubes," carry them into the light, unroll them, then take a look. Now, go put the one you viewed away and find the next one - repeat the process until you find the one you want for your event.

That is how you do it, that is, until now. Try this link! (artway and worshipartssub take note)

Hope for a State EITC (A Piece of Economic Justice) - Gone!

The Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice (GHICEJ) is deeply disappointed and outraged at the refusal of the Governor of Connecticut - and the inability of the State Legislature - to enact a State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). A state EITC would have helped 165,000 hard working low-income families to make ends meet.

GHICEJ, together with a huge coalition of agencies and activists, put an enormous amount of time and resources into passage of an EITC. Over 8,000 petitions, collected statewide, were delivered to the Governor and leaders from both parties. Our signatures reflected across the board support from Democrats, Independents and Republicans and from families of all different income levels. Our petition signers understood that a typical low wage worker making just $8 to $9 per hour can not cover basic housing, medical care and other basic living expenses.

A Clergy Press Conference, an Advocates Day, a Public Forum, and a One Connecticut Press Conference were also held. Phone calls, meetings with leadership, individual letters and public testimony were all provided to lift up this issue. After so much commitment and hard work of many, we certainly thought that this legislative session would yield and produce a win on this issue. - Shai Cassell

The sermon, The Practice of Compassion by Elli Findly is now available for your summer reading.

UU Singles Dinner and Fireworks - If you are single and looking for a way to celebrate the Fourth, come join us for the evening of Saturday July 7. We will start at the Prospect Cafe for dinner at 6:00. Then we will go to Trinity College for a patriotic carillon concert at 8:00. Then the fireworks will go off at 9:45.

Meet other singles from the three local UU churches and others of like mind. Join the group and participate in our activities throughout the year. RSVP to Larry Lunden, bigcheese(at)yahoo(dot)com, or 232-2416 so I will know you are coming.

Volunteers needed - to paint and assist with renovations to our children’s classrooms. If you have some time available in August contact Skip Berrien at fberrien(at symbol)comcast.net or call him at 243.0149.

Adult Programs: - Why Not Try Small Group Ministry This Summer? In summer we run shortened Small Group Ministry, with only four weekly sessions. The July group is full, but we still have openings for August. Margaret Leicach will facilitate the group, starting on Thursday, August 2. It will convene at the Meeting House in air-conditioned space. If you haven't tried SGM before, this is a great way to test the waters. You may sign up by contacting the USH office.

The Choir is off For the Summer - resting voices, attending concerts and (for many) joining the Concora and Berkshire summer choral programs. The traditional first rehearsal for next year will be the Wednesday after Labor Day. If you're a singer and have been thinking of joining the choir, this could be your year! Basses and tenors are especially welcome, but there's also room for altos and sopranos. An interest in good food is also helpful since our first rehearsal is preceded by a potluck! Please contact Music Director Mattie Banzhaf (banz(at symbol)hartford.edu) or any choir member for details.

Nominations - for films for the 2007- 8 series may be sent to pickmovies(at symbol)ushartford.com or put in the Adult Programs mailbox in the USH office. Voting will take place in later in the summer. The deadline for recommendations is June 30th.

Caring Network - Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one. ~ Nicholas Berdyaev - You are the ears of the Caring Network. As of July 1, Diana Heymann will be the Chair of the Caring Network. Please tell Diana (heydiana(at symbol)comcast.net) 860.461.0908, or call the office when you learn of any of our members enduring the stresses of life so we can reach out to those in need. - Offer your services. A wide range of community services are available to help you. Call InfoLine at 211.

A Matter of Opinion: (space for comment on USH issues from members and friends) - Editor retains the right to make minor changes – letters should be issue oriented)

Friday, June 29
7:00 pm Church of the Divine Light, Library

Sunday, July 1
9:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
10:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
11:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Church of the Divine Light, Chapel

Monday, July 2
6:30 pm Survivors of Incest Anonymous, Murray

Tuesday, July 3
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, July 4
INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY
(Office and Meeting House closed)

Friday, July 6
7:00 pm Church of the Divine Light, Library

Sunday, July 8
9:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
9:00 am Building & Grounds, Murray
10:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
11:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Church of the Divine Light, Chapel

Italicized entries are non-USH events.

Please notify the office of all additions or changes to the calendar. To get on the calendar, call 233.9897 More general calendar information covering several months may be found here.

External Events and Educational Notes

Look Great—Help a Great Cause -
at the Mahila Fashion Show & Sale Fri. June 29th: Fashion Show Sat. June 30th Clothing Sale Unitarian Universalist Society: East 153 West Vernon St., Manchester - We are hosting a different kind of Fashion Show and Tag Sale to help change the lives of cleft palate children and help educate low caste girls in Nepal.
June 29th will be an evening of fun featuring Nepalese tea, delicious deserts, live music and a run-way fashion show. High-end consignment quality fashions, available for sale, will be modeled on the red carpet. A seamstress will be available to make your purchase just right. Any items not sold on Friday evening will be available at the Tag Sale on Saturday. For questions, or more info, call 860-730-3382 or e-mail jyounghall99(at symbol)cox.net

Did You Know? - This little feature has been dedicated to our history and most recently to the UU principle - .. respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part. If anyone wishes to recommend a document related to the green aspect of UUism for use in this space, please send along your thoughts. - Editor

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