USH-Enews October 25, 2007

USH-Enews For October 25, 2007
Jump to: Calendar; What's happening; A matter of opinion; External events; Further down the road; Did You Know?

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Change is hard, but the results sure can be miraculous! (Photos by C. 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 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.

Worshipping Together Since 1830 - Services at 9 & 11 AM

Sunday - 28 October - Our faith in Humanity - Join us as we celebrate the annual UN Sunday. We will welcome new members to USH and dedicate our newest infant “member.”

Music - "We Are the World” and there’s “Plenty Good Room” for everyone. U.N. Sunday invites a wealth of inclusive music and the Choir has found some anthems that bring all voices into the song. Please plan to take some deep breaths and add your voice too, from the bottom of your heart.

REflections on Children's Programming - Nursery Dedication
This Sunday, October 28, 2007, we will officially dedicate the newly renovated David A. Stone Nursery as we welcome the first of three infants into our congregation. There could be no better illustration of our congregational theme of family than the incredible commitment of the volunteers who brought this project to fruition. From the original creative charge led by Nina Binin and Kathy Ferguson to the indefatigable project management of our Child Advocate Skip Berrien, the nursery has been blessed by the many gifted hands of our members and friends. Without the time and effort of each person who wielded paint brushes, nail guns and delivery vehicles, the nursery would be incomplete, and words can only begin to capture our profound gratitude.

For a complete list of our illustrious team, and photos of the renovation, please see the September 20, 2007 issue of Enews.

It is with pride that we welcome families into our congregation, secure in the knowledge that together we have created a warm and welcome environment where our children can begin their spiritual journey with the Unitarian Society of Hartford family.

World Religions Field Trip - Our middle school class will be visiting the Universalist Church of West Hartford on Fern Street on Sunday, November 4th. Permission slips will be distributed this week. Parents are encouraged to bring their children directly to the Fern Street Church before the 11 AM service, however, rides from USH will be provided if necessary. If your child needs a ride, please contact Gail at: dre(at symbol)ushartford.com. - Gail Syring, DRE

USH Governance 101, Sunday, October 28 immediately after the 11:00 AM service – Do you have questions about the USH structures – the Board, Councils, Sub-Councils, Committee and other things? How are they formed? Who is on them? What do they do? How do they relate to one another? Where does the staff fit in? What are the roles of the Minister? Where are all these things defined? If you would like to spend about an hour in a conversation about how these things work at USH, please join us on Sunday immediately following the 11:00 AM service in the Chapel at Noon.

We have two sermons newly available on the web, Language and Peacemaking: Our Faith in Connection & Our Faith in Social Justice. Here is the link

Directory Photos and Corrections Solicited - The office will from time to print more Photo Directories, which means that YOU can still send your digital photo to Brian in the office, OR you can encourage someone you know to do so whose photo did not make the current version. Feel free to continue contacting Brian with any errors you notice as well.

Our goal is to have every member and friend have a photo in the Directory!

What Else is Happening & Announcements

Art News - October 21 through November 18 the Meeting House is host to another talented Farmington Valley Artist. Andi Thorne applies her watercolors to a variety of subjects. This exhibit focuses on a subject dear to New Englanders.

This Sunday a showing of an HBO award winning film, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib will be shown in Fellowship Hall at 1 PM. The film will be shown in 500 cities sponsored by the National Religious Coalition Against Torture. The UUA is a member. A facilitated discussion will follow. Light lunch provided. The film is for mature audiences only. Questions to Joan Kemble, IASC. - Joan Kemble

Environmental Justice Conference - The Ct Coalition for Environmental Justice 3rd annual conference will be Saturday, Oct.27 at the UConn School of Business, 100 Constitution Plaza in Hartford, 8:30 AM. Our own organization of CUREJ (Congregations United for Racial Equity and Justice) has partnered with CCEJ in its efforts to clean up the environment in the Hartford Area. A selection of 14 workshops will be provided. More - or speak to Kembles on Sunday. - IASC

30th Annual Festival of the Season - Mark the date, Saturday December 1st 3:00 - 8:30 PM.

If you are interested in helping please contact Patrice Fitzgerald (particefitzgerald(at symbol)gmail.com) Watch for details in the USH-Enews, Meeting House Weekly and posters around the building.

Are you willing to donate a Holiday Tree for the Lobby? Let us know and thanks.

Tickets for the dinner ($5 individual; $15 for a family) will be on sale this Sunday.

Want to Give it a Try (just in case) - Sometimes a Circle Dinner participant can't attend as planned. That's when we need a list of substitutes we could call upon if needed.

A substitute who says yes will be asked to bring a dish (appetizer, salad, vegetable or dessert) to the home of the evening's host and will join the other Unitarian guests around the table. It's a very pleasant way to visit with old friends or meet new ones.

Maybe you'd never be called upon to substitute, and even if you are, you could always say no. However, how about putting your name on the list ("just in case") ? Please contact Marion Kelliher, 286-2740, or marion.kelliher(at symbol)gmail.com

From the Adult Programs Sub-Council - The winter/spring term is fast approaching and perhaps you or someone you know have an idea for a program to present. Proposal forms will be available at the Registration Table following the 9 and 11 AM services on Sunday (forms are also available in the office or our web site). Do take a look at the Book Cart located near the Registration Table. Among the books that are available to purchase are:

Old School by Tobias Wolff.
10 Principles of Spiritual Parenting by M. Doe and M. Watch.
Dancing with the Sacred by Karl Peters.
100 Questions that Non-Members ask about Unitarian Universalism by John Sias.

Registrations will be taken for the next Friday Dinner and Movie, November 9th, that will feature The Color Purple.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the International Drumming Program, Sunday, November 4, 1:00-2:00 PM.

Another type of Music Sunday: Sunday, November 4, 1 PM
Drumming with Alvin Carter Sr. - Members and friends, families, children of all ages ~ come to another free interactive intergenerational drumming program! Bring your rattles and percussives to Fellowship Hall at 1 PM on Sunday, November 4.

The youth group will be selling soup during coffee hour, and you can bring a sandwich or bag lunch to eat before the program. We will have cookies and lemonade for all.

Luckily, Alvin Carter Sr, master of Afro-percussion, former artist in the Hartford Schools, has agreed to an encore of last March’s program, which got folks from 4 to 84 happily singing and drumming, laughing and smiling. Alvin shares his love of drumming, infused with a warm gentle message of love and mutual respect.

This is the first program this year presented to the USH community by the Unitarian Alliance Ministry to Women (aka Alliance), a program designed to appeal to people with a sense of rhythm, who like music, anyone with a heart beat! And it relates to the theme of “Family” chosen for this year. Last year the series offered three programs, including drumming; there will be two additional Sunday presentations next spring.

Remember, no advance registration or reservation needed – just show up ready to enjoy making music together!

GHICEJ PRESENTS Universal Heath Care, 2008 Is it dead, or just sleeping? - The Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice is reaching out to its members and other people of faith to engage with each other about the urgent need of universal health care for all people in Connecticut.

When you expend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness. (Isaiah 58:10).

Date: November 12, 2007 - Time: 6:00 PM to 8:30PM - Location: St. Patrick, St. Anthony, Franciscan Center for Urban Ministries, 285 Church Street, Hartford, CT

High Quality, Affordable Health Care For All in Connecticut is Within Reach!”

Caring Network - What we leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments but woven into the lives of others. - Pericles - You are the ears of the Caring Network. Diana Heymann is 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.

Further Down The Road (About 30 Days)

Interested in a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service? - This year, Christmas Eve, December 24th, falls on a Monday and Rev BJ will conduct a special intergenerational service at 4 PM. Following that, she will be getting on an airplane to fly home to spend Christmas Eve with her family for the first time in many years. As the Worship Arts Sub-Council, we support her decision to be with her family for a traditional holiday reunion. Help Needed

Concert to Benefit Homeless Shelters - There will be a concert to benefit area homeless shelters at the Universalist Church of West Hartford 433 Fern St, West Hartford, CT 06107 on Sunday Nov 11 at 3 PM. More

Randall Thompson’s Peaceable Kingdom - will be the featured work when the Unitarian Society of Hartford and the Universalist Church of West Hartford combine their choirs for services on Dec 9 and Dec 16, 2007. The services on 12/9 will be at USH on Bloomfield Ave in Hartford at 9 and 11 AM. On 12/16 they will be held at the Universalist Church at 433 Fern St. in West Hartford at 9 and 11 AM. More

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)

External Events and Educational Notes

Don’t miss your chance to purchase tickets for West Hartford’s only theatrical cemetery tour! - The Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society is sponsoring the third annual West Hartford Hauntings, a frightening theatrical night time tour of West Hartford’s North Cemetery. Visitors take a horse-drawn carriage to the cemetery, disembark, and meet their guide. She’ll lead you safely through Death’s domain… or will she?

Tours on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, October 26-28 every 15 minutes from 6 to 8:45 p.m. West Hartford’s North Cemetery, near 90 North Main St. in West Hartford.

Tickets are available by calling 860-521-5362 x21. $15 for adults, $9 for children 17 and under. The event is recommended for kids age 10 and over.

Pasture-raised lamb for sale. Whole or half. call Tom Kemble, 633-4503

Sunday, November 11 Sixth Annual Interfaith, Multi-Cultural Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”) Remembrance

Part I 4:00 PM at Center Church, 60 Gold Street in Hartford
CONCORA: Music of Remembrance and Hope
Music of Remembrance and Hope reflects on the tragic events of the Holocaust and honors those persecuted and lost, but also celebrates the hope of the human spirit. This powerful program of music and narration testifies to music’s life-affirming power, even in the face of absolute despair. This concert will serve as a prelude to Charter Oak’s Kristallnacht commemoration. Tickets are $45 preferred seating, $25 general admission and $10 for students. Discounted tickets for neighborhood residents available. Please call 860.224.7500 for more information.
Part II 6:00 PM
We will meet on the steps of Center Church for a candlelight walk to Charter Oak, where a ceremony including music, dance, ritual and the witness of Hans Stargardter, a survivor of Kristallnacht, will take place. Gather with your neighbors to remember two nights in 1938 when the terror of the Holocaust began and the streets of Germany were strewn with broken glass. In this time of growing polarization and suspicion, join us as we stand together in solidarity to affirm the gifts and blessings of diversity.

Ceremony at Charter Oak will begin at 6:30 PM, light dinner to follow. Free.

From the Editor:

This Week’s Feature Articles

Distraught Gnome Offers Resignation
Youth Group Solicits funds
Taking a Stand at USH
Second Nonviolent Communication Session
Getting to Know Peter Meny, COA Chair

Our Award Winning Youth Group is Again Soliciting Funds through the Sleeping in Boxes Event November 10-11 - I spend one night each Fall sleeping outside in a cardboard box to assist our youth group as they raise money and consciousness for the homeless.

I and three other adults along with about a dozen teenagers gather on the Meeting House lawn on a Saturday night. The teens create an elaborate shanty town out of cardboard boxes & duct tape while the adults build a campfire until the adults & teens come together for the inevitable ”Oh, come on! We can put the boxes closer to the fire than that!!” discussion.

A compromise is reached and all gather around the fire as the teens eat, discuss homelessness, eat, talk about how much money they raised last year & how to raise even more this year, eat, play guitars, eat, play games and eat until the 11 o’clock teen-created worship service.

All return to the fire for more eating and conversation until, one by one, teens wander off to their boxes for sleep.

As Sunday morning approaches, any sleeping teens are awakened to join the others in pan-handling at the church entrances. Teens do amazing service when it’s fun. (That’s the key: it’s gotta be fun.) As I watch them laughing, smearing their faces with ashes from the fire, and trying to get as dirty as possible, I start to wonder if we’ve overdone the “fun” part; I begin to fear they may be missing the point…

…until I hear the outrage in their voices as they discuss the cause for which they fight; and until I see the looks on the faces of the congregants who are seeing children – many of whom they have known since birth – appearing desperate, begging, “homeless”…

My sleep depravation and body pains give way to a deep knowing that “the point” has not been missed.

This year, we will be sleeping out on November 10 – 11th. All proceeds will go to a homeless shelter for women and children called My Sisters’ Place. Please support our youth group by signing their pledge sheets for as generous a donation as possible. - Leona Mae Page

Promoted Gnome Again Offers Resignation to B&G Sub-Council in Bout of Frustration - You may remember the USH Kitchen Gnome offered to resign over the situation in the USH Kitchen that developed during a period of Gnome inattention. Subsequently, those using the kitchen facilities improved their behavior following the saying, "..leave it in better condition than you found it."

In an effort to maintain a happy USH Gnome, the job responsibilities were increased and the Gnome was given the new title of, USH Building Gnome (USHBG).

After the Holly Near concert, the USHBG appeared before the B&G Sub-Council in a totally distraught condition violently weeping, fell upon the floor and pounded on the carpet with little gnome fists in frustration. Between tearful gasps, the Gnome said folks used regular masking tape to stick temporary signs on the newly painted restroom doors and elsewhere, and subsequently pulled off the paint with the masking tape. The little Gnome has frequently pointed out no masking tape should ever be used on walls, glass or plexiglas around the Meeting House. If you must use something, use one of the easels available in the storeroom or if you must, try the blue painters tape (there is a roll in the cabinet in the office) made for paint jobs that comes off rather easily without leaving residue behind after a reasonable period of use. Do not tape anything to the plexiglas as cleaning it is an awful job, if possible at all.

As for the USH Building Gnome, we must now consider the consequences of losing its vigilant service to a better paying employer offering a less stressful position.

Then, how will we manage to arrange protection for the aesthetic improvements evident around Fellowship Hall, in the David A Stone Nursery, and various other spaces? Perhaps, if we cooperate in keeping the building looking its best, we can persuade the USH Building Gnome to remain with us.

It is up to all of us! - DCN

Taking a Stand (Editor's note - Since last year a group of USH members and friends has been developing a policy to cover the process by which USH may take a stand on various social issues. The statement following by Shai Cassell refers to this work in progress.)

HI all- As we contemplate what is best and most appropriate for USH in adopting a process for considering position statements, may I pass on the words of our UUA President William G. Sinkford as contained in a letter mailed to all congregations in September 2007:

"We're in the public eye more and more these days through the stands that we've taken. And it never fails that when we speak up, when the media covers our actions, it means more visitors will be coming to our door, trying to learn what we're all about and whether we might offer them a spiritual home.....every time we take a stand, it's an invitation of sorts. because when people hear one of us speaking from a position of faith in favor of comprehensive sexuality education that goes beyond "abstinence only." or in favor of examining our country's moral balance sheet so that the cost of war in Iraq, for example, is weighed against what those same dollars could have done to fight hunger and work for peace and rebuild lives in the Gulf Coast, many will be intrigued. Imagine if there were twice as many voices and hands speaking and working with us."

IMAGINE!!! - Shai

A 2nd Non Violent Communication Training! - More than 30 folks participated in our Fall NVC training, and will be continuing to gather in small practice groups—getting to know each other better, and becoming more familiar with a wonderful tool for creating peaceful relationships in any arena of life.

There is now opportunity for more of you to learn this dynamic tool for recognizing how we can transform the way we are unknowingly violent in our language, in a way that hurts ourselves, others, and the groups which we love. Join Rev. BJ for a provocative and powerful experience of four intro classes at the meeting house at 7 PM on Thursdays Nov 8, 15, 29, and Dec 6.

Ask one of these folks what they’ve experienced, then email Rosie rosierindfleisch(at symbol)ushartford.com to register and to order your text, ($15-not a requirement though recommended) which is the only charge: More on NVC

Faye Ahlberg, Wendy Avery, Anne Bailey, Virgina deLima, Dick Edwards, Liz Garmise, Maggie Green, Traci Hardison, Barbara Hellenga, Diana Heymann, Charles Huntington, Margaret Leicach, Fred Louis, Larry Lunden, Chris Mulcahy, Leona Mae Page, Betty Palmer, Beverly Prager, Paul Quin, Rosie Rindfleisch, Ser Seskevich, Gail Syring

Getting to Know You – Peter Meny, Chair, Council on Administration (COA)

Peter comes to us with a B. S. University of Notre Dame, Psychology; M.S. - University of Hartford, Educational Psychology, and a Sixth Year Degree – also from U-H in Educational Psychology.

Peter has been a School Psychologist in the Glastonbury Schools for 27 years working at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Presently he works at middle school and also works with a team that evaluates pre-school children with special needs.

Peter’s wife Deb is presently an at-home mom. She has a background in sales, marketing, and most recently was a Library Media Specialist in the Hartford Schools. She is the daughter of a retired UCC minister. Olivia, age 16, is a junior at Hall High in West Hartford. She is active in the Youth Group at the Meeting House, likes to make jewelry (she works at the Beadoir in West Hartford Center), and is an excellent chef.

In the recreation department, Peter has what can only be termed a challenging avocation. As he says, “I have been a licensed glider pilot for 20 years. Deb, Olivia, and I enjoy going to the Catskills where my glider club is located. I’m also a sports fan (Yankees and UConn).

Asked how he came to USH, Peter responded, “I was raised in the Catholic faith but decided to find a better theological ‘fit’ when I was in my thirties. I’ve been a member since 1985 and was the Society President in the early 90’s. More recently I’ve been a member of the Stewardship Committee. - DCN

Training for Lay Pastoral Listeners - - 5:15-6:45 PM Thursdays through Nov 15 More

On the Calendar

Thursday, October 25
5:15 pm Lay Pastoral Listeners, Emerson
7:00 pm Rental, Ballou

Saturday, October 27
5:30 pm Rental, Sanctuary

Sunday, October 28
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, CHAPEL
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
10:00 am Youth Choir, Chapel
10:00 am Adult Programs Sub-council, Murray
10:00 am Council on Social Justice, Library
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:00 pm Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
12:00 pm “How it Works at USH: USH Governance 101”, Chapel
1:00 pm “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Monday, October 29
6:30 pm Survivors of Incest Anonymous, Fuller
7:00 pm Artist’s Way, Servetus
7:00 pm Small Group Ministry, Murray

Tuesday, October 30
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, October 31
6:00 pm Dharma Gathering, Fellowship Hall
6:30 pm Tai Chi, Fellowship Hall
7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

Thursday, November 1
9:30 am International Women’s Circle, Fellowship Hall
5:15 pm Lay Pastoral Listeners, Emerson
7:00 pm Rental, Ballou

Friday, November 2
6:00 pm Welcoming Congregation Sub-council, Library

Saturday, November 3
8:30 am Board Retreat, Library

Sunday, November 4
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, CHAPEL
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
10:00 am Youth Choir, Chapel
10:00 am Youth Soup Making, Kitchen
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:00 pm Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
1:00 pm International Drumming Circle, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel
5:30 pm Rental, Library

Italicized entries are non-USH events. - Please notify Brian Mullen (233.9897) of all additions or changes to the calendar. More general calendar information covering several months may be found here

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)- teaches life-serving self expression and compassionate listening. Using these skills, one person can transform an office, an institution, or a relationship.

NVC gives us the tools and consciousness to see clearly what triggers us, to take responsibility for our reactions, and to deepen our connection with ourselves and others, thereby transforming our habitual responses to ourselves and to others.

Learning NVC is a process similar to learning a new language or skill: step by step learning, coupled with ample time for practice, lead to growing mastery. While it takes time to develop fluency, any knowledge of a new language makes it more likely that communication can take place where previously it was not possible.

NVC is based on the fundamental principle: Underlying all human actions are needs that people are seeking to meet, and understanding and acknowledging these needs can create a shared basis for connection, cooperation and, more globally, peace.

Ultimately, it involves a radical change in how we think about life and meaning.

NVC was developed by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, who has in more than 40 years brought it to individuals a nd organizations world-wide. NVC has been used between warring tribes and in war-torn countries, in schools, prisons, and corporations; in health care, social change and government institutions; and in intimate personal relationships.

Read more about it at the Center for NonViolent Communication website,

NVC Introductory classes are lively explorations of the basic principles of Nonviolent Communication. Live modeling demonstrates how the NVC process can be used in a wide variety of real-life situations. Participants have the option of using situations from their own lives as they learn and practice.

If this sounds like something you’d like to learn, join us for four intro classes in November, on Thursday evenings at 7 PM. We’ll gather the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 29th, at the Meeting House. Note: You will need Marshall Rosenberg's book, Nonviolent Communication - A Language of Compassion, prior to the first session. Please rsvp to Rosie ( rosierindfleisch(at symbol)ushartford.com) right away so she can order you a book!) There is no other fee.

Getting to Know You: Past profiles:
Bill Young - President
Heather Ferguson-Hull - President Elect
Nina Elgo - Board Secretary
Margaret Leicach - Treasurer
Karla Principe, Board Member - Council on Community Within Elected At-Large
Mattie Banzhaf, Music Director
Bill LaPorte-Bryan Chair Council on Social Justice
Patrice Fitzgerald, Chair UPA
Kelly Lyman - Chair, Council on Spiritual Life

Did You Know? - The Monarch Butterfly grows as a larva eating Milkweeds, which have a component that can make a predator sick when it eats the adult butterfly. The colors are know as warning colors, thus predators after one experience learn to avoid this showy meal!

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 10/24/07 8:48 PM)