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50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105
Tel: (860) 233-9897 / FAX 233-1333
Email: firstunitarian@ushartford.com
Reverend Barbara Jamestone, PhD
USH-Enews For December 14, 2006
Jump to: Calendar; What's happening; A matter of opinion; External events; Further down the road; Our roots; The bottom LineThe USH-Enews is a weekly email newsletter sent to 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 USH-Enews click here.
MEETING HOUSE HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS. The Meeting House office will be open through Friday, December 23, during the regular hours: Monday though Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 PM. The office will be CLOSED during the following week Tuesday, December 26 thru Friday, December 29, and will reopen Tuesday, January 2, 2007. Happy New Year!!
Office hours: M-F 9-3 (excluding W 10 -11); Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday - Available at the noon hour and at other times by appointment.
Worshipping Together Since 1830
Services held at 9 and 11 AMMusic Sunday 17 December
Rev. Jamestone will join the choir in telling the age-old Christmas Story. Schutz’s musical groupings show the Angel speaking to the holy family (“Get thee up, Joseph!”), the shepherds’ chorus, the wise men and high priests. Each is accompanied by a different instrumental sound. A small band of instruments including recorders, viola da gamba and theorbo (a large lute) adds a sense of the period to the voices of our soloists and choir.
Please note, This week the same program will be given at 9 AM and at 11 so please consider the 9AM service as that is likely to help the parking situation.What Else is Happening & Announcements
Remember - Dec 24, one morning service 10 AM, plus the late evening service at 10 PM
Dec 31, one service 10 AM - thanks Patrice Fitzgerald
POINSETTIA GIVING! We would like to spread cheer to our friends who are not able to get to the Meeting House by taking a poinsettia to them. If you can sponsor a plant, or two, at $10 each, please place a check in the offering basket, payable to “USH” and clearly marked "POINS", or send it to the office. Also, if you can deliver a plant to someone, indicate that on the listing in the front lobby. Plants may be delivered after the 10 AM service on December 24.
Ember Days: Practicing the establishment of Peace on Earth with Rev. BJ - During Winter Ember days at USH, we will reflect on the practice of peace, as it is experienced in lectio divina, the prayful reading of texts. Using the words of Thich Nhat Hahn and Jesus, men known for bringing peace to the hearts of many, we will practice establishing peace of mind, heart, and body during the busy holiday season. December 15 and 16, 6 to 8 PM. There is no cost for these sessions. Bring your journal, and a blanket or cushion if you like as we will be "sitting." In the Chapel.
RE: We are excited to announce a new Religious Education offering
On December 24th, Christmas Eve, at the 10 AM intergenerational service, bring "Guest At Your Table" Boxes to worship!
If you are coming to church on Christmas Eve, please bring your GAYT boxes to the worship service, where they will be received during the offering. (If you want credit for this gift, please fill in the information on the bottom of the box beforehand.) If you do not plan to be at church on the 24th, please turn in your boxes the next time you attend after that. Put them on Brian's desk in the main office.All LGBT members and supportive family & friends are welcome to join in a meeting on Sunday, Dec 17th from 10 - 11 in Channing. The meeting will be to discuss plans for both social and educational events this coming year at USH. Light refreshments will be served. Come ready to share ideas or just to listen in and learn more about what activities will be happening in 2007. To RSVP or get more information please contact Peg Otto at pegotto(at symbol)sbcglobal.net
Parents and Anyone Interested! Come to the Religious Education Overview and Teacher Orientation being held in the Library 10 minutes after the conclusion of each service this Sunday.
An overview of the religious education program will be presented during the first 15 minutes, and a separate Teacher information and orientation session will follow for the continuing 15 minutes. In a half hour, you've completed RE 101. Join us! If you have questions, call Nina at 673-6180.
LET'S DO IT AGAIN ! You can register for a new round of Circle Dinners. Current registrants have one more dinner - scheduled for January 6.
SO NOW IT'S TIME TO PLAN A NEW SET OF DINNER DATES - for March 3, April 7 and May 5. Participants will be mixed at random to attend dinners in each others' homes. (But not everyone will host.) Hosts supply the entree. Their guests are assigned to bring either appetizers, salad, vegetable or dessert. It's a fine way to be with old friends and meet new ones in a more intimate setting than the Sanctuary or committee meetings.
Registrations are $2.00 per household - to cover mailing costs. Register in Fellowship Hall on Sundays between services. Deadline: February 4. Or, might you want to be listed as a potential substitute? For more information, call Marion Kelliher 286-2740.
USH Annual Winter Spirituality Retreat - time for deeper personal reflection supported by our caring community. - Begins Friday 1-19-07 at 5 PM; ends Saturday 1-20-07 at 3 PM at Connri Conference Center.
What has made this retreat so special? is it the fireplace roaring Friday night or the charades and board games people play? Is it the good intentions of the circle gathered in worship away from familiar places? Is it the quiet grounds and a chance to walk alone in silence thinking about bigger questions in your life? Is it the heartfelt sharing in the closing circle? Join us this year and find out for yourself.
COST $85. DOUBLE OCCUPANCY, $115. SINGLES ROOMS. Download a Microsoft Word file with all details and registration form.Invite Someone New to Sunday Services - more
From Adult Programs - Ember Days (see above)
Registrations for the following programs will be taken this Sunday during coffee hour following the 9 and 11 AM services. There will be no registration table on the 24 and 31st, but You may call the USH office at 233-9897 to register for the following programs, and payment may be made with a credit card. Also, you might want to check out the book cart for a gift idea during this holiday season.
Tai Chi and Feldenkrais will be starting Wednesday, January 3, 2007 for 8 weeks*** SPECIAL FREE OFFER for those of you who would like to try one session. You are invited to come to the first class of Feldenkrais, 5:15 - 6:15 pm or Tai Chi, 6:30 - 7:30 pm on January 3.
Curious about what a Feldenkrais session looks like, feels like? The beginning of this Australian video shows several folks performing the movements in a therapeutic setting. While this video goes on to proclaim healing attributes of Feldenkrais, we aren't promising that. But you will experience a beneficial awareness of habitual movements and the mind/body connection. You can improve your overall well-being. See the video.Then, try a free session yourself! Wear comfortable layered clothing and bring a mat and flat pillow or foam board. Our instructor Monika Forstner has trained in Feldenkrais in Germany for four years and is a Feldenkrais practitioner.
Tai Chi is a martial art that improves your flexibility, balance, endurance, concentration and inner peace. Movements are slow, rhythmic and gentle. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and soft, lightweight shoes, although bare feet are fine as well. Our instructor, Monika Forstner, has taught various forms of Tai Chi for ten years and is a nationally licensed AMTA member.
On January 12, the USH Friday Dinner and a Movie program will offer pot roast and "Prairie Home Companion." "Robert Altman adapts the radio to the screen, or the screen to the radio, in this affectionate, mortality-fixated salute to old-timey music, values and the timeless allure of Powdermilk biscuits." *Get tickets during coffee hour at the Adult Programs table or call the USH office and use your credit card. If you prefer a vegetarian meal, please indicate when making your reservation.*Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes website
SMALL GROUP MINISTRY - Our Spring 2007 Small Group Ministry sessions will begin at the end of February.
We are accepting registrations now.
Monday evenings Fred Louis will be facilitating at the home of Janice and David Newton in Farmington.
Tuesday evenings Gail Syring will be facilitating an LGBTI affinity group (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/intersex) at the Meeting House in Hartford. A host will be chosen from among the participants.
Wednesday nights we have two offerings. The first is facilitated by Bev Prager at the home of Carol Shoemaker in West Hartford. The second is facilitated by Bill Shoemaker at the home of Kayla and Earl Costenoble in Bloomfield.
Thursday mornings from 10 AM to 12 noon Barbara Fraher will facilitate at the home of Cecelia Roehl in Glastonbury.
Small Group Ministry groups meet eight times over a two-month period. Facilitators and hosts select the first meeting date, and the other seven are planned at the convenience of group members.
During these sessions group members are invited to share their personal experiences as they relate to special topics and readings. The SGM format includes candle lighting, opening and closing readings, a check-in period, refreshments, and time to respond to questions related to the chosen topic.
You can register by calling our Meeting House office at 233-9897 or by stopping at the Adult Programs table after Sunday morning services. Please mention any special needs at the time you register.
Two Year Calendars are on sale now by the Women's Alliance. Stop in Fellowship Hall after services each Sunday through Jan. 7, still just $2 each or three for $5.
Your Signature Still Wanted - for (EITC) More information
Caring Network: It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little - do what you can. ~Sydney Smith - You are the ears of the Caring Network. Tell Janice Newton 677-1121 when you learn of our members enduring the stresses of life so we can reach out to those in need. - Offer your services.
ON THE CALENDAR:
Thursday, December 14
9:30 am International Women’s Circle, Fellowship Hall
12:00 Noon Women’s Alliance Holiday Party, Library
7:00 pm CDL, Chapel
Friday, December 15
6:00 – 8:00 pm Ember Days, Chapel
Saturday, December 16
9:00 am Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary
6:00 – 8:00 pm Ember Days, Chapel
Sunday, December 17
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE I Special Music, Sanctuary
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
10:00 am Children's Choir, Chapel
10:00 am Disabilities, Murray
10:00 am Welcoming Congregation, Channing
10:00 am RE 101, Library
10:15 am Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary
10:30 am Chalice Choir, Emerson
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE II, Special Music, Sanctuary
12:00 pm Coffee Hour II, Fellowship Hall
12:00 pm RE 101, Library
12:15 pm Coffee, Carrots, and Conversation w/Minister, Minister's Study
Monday, December 18
6:30 pm SIA, Emerson
Tuesday, December 19
12:00 noon ICEJ Clergy, Library
6:00 pm Stewardship, Library
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall
Wednesday December 20
10:00 am Staff Meeting, Minister's Study (Office Closed)
10:30 am Village, Sanctuary
7:30 pm Choir, Sanctuary
Saturday, December 23
9:30 am – 2:00 pm Rental, Chapel
Sunday, December 24, Christmas Eve
9:00 am Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary
10:00 am Intergenerational Worship Service, Sanctuary
11:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
11:15 am Coffee, Carrots, and Conversation w/Minister, Minister's Study
10:00 pm Candlelight Service, Sanctuary
To get on the calendar, call 233.9897Further Down The Road (About 30 Days Max)
Save the Date and Plan to Join Us
on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 for the
3rd Annual Public Meeting of the
Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice. moreUUSC JustWorks Camp - Participate in the Katrina rebuilding effort by taking part in the JustWorks camp in New Orleans FEB. 3-10. More information
From the Editor: You will notice we have added a new feature at the bottom of this column, suitably named, The Bottom Line.
***
This Week’s Feature Articles
Word from Rev BJ - Christmas gift list. What thoughts or feelings stir your mind, heart, and belly upon seeing those words? Joy, dread, anticipation, pleasure, duty, anger, resentment, panic, determination?
Did you get a hint of an ‘easy peaceful feeling’? What would the experience of gift creation be like if we did it with feet firmly planted in peace of mind and body? Christmas was born to celebrate the birth of one known as the prince of peace, a birth heralded by angels proclaiming the age of peace on earth, a birth that promised to bring us a peace that passeth understanding.
My fellow Alabamian Helen Keller said, “I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace.” If you have a couple of hours, or six hours to spare ( December 15 and 16—6 to 8 PM.) I invite you to join me for Emberdays of reflection in the Chapel, on the subject of practicing peace. With journal and cushion (and blanket?) we will read, write, meditate, and share thoughts toward the understanding that bringeth peace, even while working through a Christmas gift list.
HOLY COWS AND OTHER SIGNS OF HOPE - “Hope” was the operative word in Reverend BJ’s sermon on December 10. In explaining her sermon’s intriguing title, Holy Cows and Other Signs of Hope, Rev. BJ recounted an incident many years ago when she drove past a field in which many cows were happily frolicking. At that point, she said, she “felt a surge of hope” and a feeling that “anything is possible.”
Another sign of hope? “It is amazing,” Rev. BJ said, “that one human life (that of Jesus) could make such a profound change in the history of the world.” His story, she suggested, is a reminder that there is more, and that “restoration, redemption and renewal” are possible.
Another example from Rev. BJ’s anthology of hope? The story of long-time Saturday Review editor Norman Cousins, who developed a recovery program for himself incorporating a positive attitude, love, faith, hope and laughter—induced by Marx Brothers films—and survived a life-threatening illness beyond expectations. His Anatomy of an Illness details this. Rev. BJ read from Cousins’ words in the readings at the back of our UU hymnal. Cousins did not see hope as an opiate, she said, but argued that thoughts and feelings have consequences.
During the service and before her sermon, Rev. BJ asked, “What brought me to Hartford? Her answer: your staff. And then she introduced Rosie Rindfleisch, currently Administrative Assistant, a member of the Society since the early 1970’s and this Sunday’s Testimonial speaker. “Almost everything I do here is polished by Rosie’s attention, “ she stated. Rosie then told some of the varied activities she has been part of over the years and said the grounding she gets from our worship services and celebrating our common humanity keep her coming here.
Rev. BJ concluded her sermon by stating that “Hope is all right here…One sparkplug is sufficient for accomplishing miracles…let Christmas come.” - Kayla Costenoble
A Matter of Opinion: (space for comment on USH issues) - Editor retains the right to make minor changes – letters should be issue oriented)
Many thanks to all of you who helped make the Festival of the Season Potluck a rousing success by helping organize and serve food and staying to help clean up and put away tables, chairs, etc. Your help was deeply appreciated.
Janice and David Newton
External Events and Educational Notes
A Few Words About Our Roots From The Book, Hartford Unitarianism 1844 -1994 by Freeman Meyer:
On June 4, 1978, the Rev. Joanne Papanek [Orlando] became the first woman to be ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry by the Hartford Society. Traditionally, ordinations and installations take place simultaneously, on Sunday afternoons. But because Papanek had already been installed as chaplain at the state hospital in Norwich, she asked that the ordination take pace on Sunday morning so that the Hartford congregation could participate. Lauriat graciously consented and Papanek was duly ordained in front of the Board of Trustees, the Women's Alliance, and the congregation.
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FriendsOperating Expenses Endowment contribution to Operating Budget This is a new educational feature. We may tinker with it a bit before it settles. Comments are welcome. Full November Financials
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 12/14/06)
