BEACON June 2011 - Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation

8/6/2019 BEACON June 2011 - Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation

1/12

B E A C O Nn i t y T e m p l e U n i t a r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t C o n g r e g a t i o nJ U N E 2 0 1 1

FROM REV. EMILY GAGE

One Service Only Beginning June 19SummersatUnityTemplerunatabitofaslowerand

moreinformalpace.FromJune19throughSeptember4,

therewillbeoneworshipserviceonly(insteadoftwo)

at9a.m.Justthinkyoucancometoworshipinthe

earlymorningandhavetherestofthesummerdayto

enjoy!We'llhaveavarietyofpulpitspeakersfromthe

congregation,aswellasbothRev.AlanTaylorandRev.

EmilyGage.Forouryoungpeople,ournurserywill

continueasusual,andforthosefrompreschoolage

throughupperelementary,wewillhavemultiage

programming,taughtbysomeofourteenagers.Itwillbe

lotsoffun!(Moreinformationonthisforthcoming.)We'll

resumewithtwoservicesandregularreligiouseducation

programmingonSeptember11,2011.

ItsnotalwayseasytobeaUnitarianUniversalist.Onsomelevel,itseems

likeitshouldbeeasy.Afterall,

wearenotacreedalreligion.

Noonegetstotelluswhatwe

havetobelieve.

Asaminister,itsa

wonderfully

liberating

thing.

UnitarianUniversalistparishclergyallhaveitwrittenin

theirlettersofagreementsomewhere:theyhavethe

freedomofthepulpit.Thephrasejustgivesmean

expansivefeelingwhenIthinkaboutit.

Well,then,someonemightwonderifyoudont

believealike,whatbringsyoutogether?Ifyouhave

freedomofthepulpit,howdoyouknowwhattopreach?

Thefirstanswer,ofcourse,isthatwearea

covenantalreligion.Thatis,wedoagreeonHOWweare

together.Weworktogetherinthespiritoflove,

acceptingoneanother,learningfromoneanother,

encouragingeachothersspiritualgrowth,honoringeach

othersinherentworthanddignity.

Thesecondanswerliesinthefullerphrasing.Usually

onereads:theministerisgrantedtherightand

responsibilityofthefreedomofthepulpit.Thatis,a

ministerhastobemindfulabouttheuseofthat

freedom.IalwaystakeittomeanthatIhavetopreach

thetruthasIseeit,asIunderstandit.ThatshowItest

whatIsay.Idothatknowingthatthetruththatyou

experiencemaybeverydifferentfrommine.Ourjob,

then,inreligiouscommunity,ispartlytoengageinthe

ongoingquestfortruthandmeaningbylisteningand

talkingwithoneanother.Wedontmentionitmuch,but

therightandresponsibilityofthefreedomofthepewsis

justasimportantasthefreedomofthepulpit.

Iwasstruckbyallthisanewtheseconceptsof

freedomandcovenantonSunday,May22.Our10

ComingofAgers,SarahBlobaum,KarinaFadragas,Zoe

Kelley,ErinLynch,NikManiotis,GabeMatesanz,Daley

Ripley,ZoeRyan,JakeSkubish,andNoraWatkins,each

deliveredtheirowncredostatementduringtheworship

service.Talkaboutcourage!Withhumor,grace,and

authenticity,theyeachspokeaboutwhattheybelieve

andhowtheylive.Thecredoswerealldifferent,of

course,andmanyofthemtouchedoncommunity,love,

empathy,andayearningforunderstanding.Iftheydid

notstateitexplicitly(thoughsomedid),theyshowed

thattheyfeltacceptedandwelcomedatUnityTemple,

whoevertheyare.(Ifyouwerentthere,takealistenon

line.Youwillbeenrichedandblessedbytheirstories

andtheirperspectives.ThatiscertainlyhowIfelt.)Free

tobelieveandsurroundedbylove.

Ithoughtabouttheseconceptsoffreedomand

covenantagainduringourannualcongregational

meeting,whichtookplaceaftertheworshipservicethat

sameSunday.Weoperatebydemocraticprocess,and

weseethatmostclearlyatthatmeeting,wherewe

oftenquestionanddebatevariousissues,sometimes

withgreatpassion.Thisyearthemostcompellingissue

wasaboutwhetherornottoadoptthisparticular

statementassomethingaffirmedbyUnityTemple

UnitarianUniversalistCongregation:AsUnitarian

Universalistswebelievethatweshouldworkfora

peaceful,fair,andfreeworld.Wearecommittedtothe

promptwithdrawaloftroopsfromIraqandAfghani

stan.Withintheframeworkallowedbyourrulesand

Continuedonpage4


2/12

2 TheBeacon

Are YOU New? Welcome!IntroductiontoUnitarianUniversalism

ThissessionistheprerequisiteforthePathwaysto

Membershipcourse,andisopentoanyonewhowould

liketolearnmoreaboutUnitarianUniversalist

philosophy,identity,history,andtheology.Formore

informationandtoregisterforthisclass,contactSue

[email protected].

InstructorisRev.EmilyGage.Nextclassdate:Sunday,

June12,2011,from1to3p.m.Location:UnityHouse.

Nocharge.ThenextclasswillbeAugust7,2011.

PathwaystoMembership

Thistwosessionclassisforthosewhohavealready

takenIntroductiontoUnitarianUniversalism.

Participantswillreflectonanddiscusstheirpersonal

attitudesandbeliefsaboutreligionandspiritualitywith

othersintheclass,andlearnmoreaboutour

congregationanditsprograms.Formoreinformationor

toregisterforthisclass,contactRobBellmarat

[email protected]:

Saturdays,August13and20,2011,from9a.m.to12:30

p.m.Location:UnityHouse.Cost:$20.

Forfreechildcareatalloftheseopportunities,[email protected].

MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

InOurPulpit 2

MembershipOpportunities 2

BoardofTrustees 3

CommunityMinister 4

MusicDirector 5

AdultReligiousEnrichment 6

ReligiousEducation 7

ChaliceCircles 8

SocialMission 9

SabbaticalMinisterforPastoralCare 9

UTRestorationFoundationEvents 10

JuneEventsNotToMiss 11

INSIDE THIS ISSUEN OUR PULPITJune5::TitleTBAwithRev.QiyamahA.Rahman

Rev.QiyamahA.RahmanhasbeenaUnitarianUniversal

istsince1992andisafacultymemberatMeadville

LombardTheologicalSchool.SheearnedaM.Div.from

MeadvilleandadoctoratefromClarkAtlantaUniversity's

Africana

Women's

Studies

program

with

a

major

in

genderanddevelopmentandaminorinfeminist/

womanisttheory.Rev.Rahmanisanavidreaderand

writerandisworkingonaseriesdocumentingthe

presenceofAfricanAmericanwomeninUnitarian

Universalism.Hermostrecentpublicationisashort

biographyonFatimaMeer,acelebratedSouthAfrican

Muslimactivist,publishedintheEncyclopediaofWomeninWorldHistorybyOxfordPress.Shehasthreeadultchildren,Libra,KaleemaandMuhammad,anda

grandson,Brandon.ShecurrentlylivesinHydeParkwith

hertravelingcompanion/cat,Lili.

June19 ::LiberalReligionandTheReligiousExperience

withJohnWood

JohnWoodhasbeenamemberofourcongregationfor

almost50years,andcurrentlyservesasaPastoral

Associate. HeisretiredfromNorthwesternUniversity

wherehewasinresearchadministration,andwas

formallytheCoCIOoftheAmericanHospitalAssocia

tion.HeandhiswifeJaneleadanactivelifewithinour

congregationandlocalcommunity,andgreatlyenjoy

theirannualtravelstovisitwithgrandchildren.He

confessestoagreataffectionforbadpuns. Onthe19thJohnwilltalkaboutthevarietyofreligiousexperiencesof

liberalreligionists(andperhapsuseabadpunortwo).

June26 :: TheAlgebraOfLosswithChrisNemeth

ChrisNemethhasbeenaUTUUCmembersince2000and

isaDirector/PartnerwiththeChicagobasedmanage

mentconsultingfirm,TheKeystoneGroup.Previously,

ChriswastheManagingPartnerforIntegrationPartners

LLC,theCEOofStraightLineDevelopment,andcoowner

oftheForestParkwineboutique,HouseRed.Chris

maintainsanactivescheduleasaperformingviolinist

andisthesubjectofthedocumentaryshortfilm,

ExpressingTheInexpressible(2010). HelivesinOakParkwithhiswife,Tara,andtheirtwogirls,Marieand

Vivienne. OnJune26th,Chriswillspeaktohowour

popularsocietyasocietyweddedtothenotionthatwe

shouldultimatelybeabletohaveitallseems

increasinglyfearfulofandunpreparedfortheinevitabil

ityofdisappointment,tragedyand,ultimately,deathand

loss.Thissermonwilllookattheexperienceoflossfrom

avarietyofanglesandconsidersomeoftheunderlying

variables,torevealsomethingofitsdeeperalgebra.

Memorial service for Nancy BunceAmemorialserviceforNancyBunce,willbeheldon

Saturday,June4,2:30p.m.,inUnityTemple.


3/12

June2011 3

From the Board PresidentDuane [email protected]

Thingsarelookingup:thesunisout,thetempera

tureisup,wehaveabudgetfornextyear,Rev.Taylor

willreturninamonth,andWrightPlusandtheAnnual

Meetingwereaccomplishedinthesameweekend! To

thosewhorespondedtoourappealtostretchtomeet

ourbudgetgoals,weexpressourdeepgratitude. We

arenotquitewherewewouldliketobeforandstaff

salariesandforourresponsibilitiestothedenomination,

butwearemovingintherightdirectioninchallenging

times. Thankyou.

AndwhileourAnnualMeetingisstillonmymind,IneedtotellyouthatIhaveparticipatedinenoughUU

debatesbynowtoknowthatmanyofusholdourideas

onsocialjusticeclosetotheheartandwithagreatdeal

ofpassion. Itisthatpassionandcommitmentthat

movestheworldinapositivedirection. Iamalso

frequentlyastonishedthattherearethosewhodont

agreewithmycarefullyreasonedposition. Aswemove

intoournewyearofgrowthandrenewal,itismyhope

thatwewillcontinuethedialogue,thatwewillpersuade

andcajoleandthinkandmeditateandmaybewewillbe

abletospeakwithonevoicetoourwidercommunityon

someimportantissuesofpeaceandjustice.

ToquoteRev.Gage,Eachofushassomething

importanttocontribute.Webrieflyrecognizedtheend

oftermsofserviceofsomeimportantchurchleadersthe

otherday. Justafewmoretoacknowledge: ThePursuit

Teammemberswhodidamarvelousjobofmovingus

aheadinourquestformorespaceandtherestorationof

theTemple. TheyareJohnCinelli,BetsyDavis,Brian

Farrar,PaulFisher,MaryEllenMunley,Ronald

Scherubel,MichelleSherbun,andLynnKamenitsa.

Furthermore,Iwouldliketoagainrecognizethe

dedicatedserviceofourretiringmembersoftheBoard

ofTrustees:GlennBrewer,MargaretEwing,Nina

GegenheimerandPollyWalwark. Theyhavebeen

perceptiveandactivestewardsofourcongregation.

Andwelcometoournewboardmembers;Josh

Ditelberg,KristinaEntner,andLarryStuder.

Itakeprideinouraccomplishmentsandlook

forwardtonewhorizons.

REPORTFROMTHEBOARDOF TRUSTEES

20102011Greeters:

RobBellmar

RogerBonine

GlenBrewer

PatCallahan

RebeccaCallahan

ColletteClark

AnneDevaud

DuaneDowell

VeraDowell

JulianaEngel

MargeEntemann

MargeEwing

MikeEwing

MichaelFilla

LynnGilchrist

TomHall

BrianHance

JeffHoffman

KenHooker

BobInnocenzi

NitriceJohnson

SusanKerwin

MargaretKlemundt

SallyLamke

CharoletteLee

MaryLeonard

JillOlsonHarren

SteveManning

AllenMcVey

MariaMurzyn

MarilynMyles

MonicaPhillips

GaryStoppleman

DougWaco

JimWalwark

AnnWeist

GaryWilson

GaryWoll

JudyWoll

JaneWood

JohnWood

KathyWyman

DougZapotocny

20102011Pathways

Facilitators

GaryWoll

MaryRoseLambke

JohnBoblick

LaurieBellmar

RobBellmar

HilaryGray

AnneDevaud

MatthewLewis

KarinSullivan

KenHooker

LynneHensel

LarryKameya

KristaMikos

MegHerman

MarkRobinson

Thank You Sunday Morning Greeters &Pathways FacilitatorsThemembershipcommitteewouldliketothankallof

theSundaymorninggreeters,whogivesogenerouslyof

theirtimetowelcomenewcomers,friends,andmem

bers,andthisyear'sPathwaysFacilitators,whoushered

ournewmembersintothecongregation. Thankyoufor

allyoudo!

Bring something back to Unity Temple!Itseemslikealongtimefromnow,butSunday,

September11,willbeourhomecomingSundayafterour

summerschedule.WehaveaWorshipForAllAges

plannedandwe'llbecelebratingwithawateringather

ingceremony.Besuretocollectsomewaterfrom

whereveryourjourneystakeyouthissummerwhether

nearorfarandbringsomebackforouringathering

thatSunday.Thanks!


4/12

4 TheBeaconFROMTHE COMMUNITYMINISTERRev. Clare [email protected]

Asweturntothepartof

theyearthatreminds

ushowgratefulweareto

liveonourlovelyplanet,I

amthinkingalotaboutthe

environmentalconversation,

anditsstrengthsandweaknesses.Atitsbest,theworkI

doremindsusthatwelovebeingahumananimalina

complexandbeautifulworld.Becausewedoloveitand

rememberthatitsastrangeprivilegetobehereatall,

weactinrecognitionofthatprivilegebybeingkindto

eachotherandtotheotherlivingthingswesharethe

planetwith,andwetrytopreservewhatisbeautiful

heresothatthosewhocomeafteruscanknowthose

thingstoo.

Atitsworst,though,theenvironmentalmovementis

oneofundiscerningjudgmentonothersbypeopleof

privilege(usuallymiddleclasswhitepeople),often

combinedwithakindofunrelentinganxietyaboutthe

futureoftheplanetandtheimminenceofharm.Its

exhaustingtobepartofamovementlikethis,andits

unhelpfultoo.Wedosometimesfindourselvesinthe

morassofaparalyzingfocusonminutiae.HowdoI

recyclenumber6plastic?AmImorallysuperiorbecause

IdriveaPrius?IfIeatagreenbeanthathaspesticide

residueonitamIgoingtodieanimmediateandpainful

death?

Thesekindsofquestions,andthedesiretojudgeand

controlthebehaviorsofothers,keepnewpeoplefrom

comingintothismovement.Itfeels,whenviewedinthis

light,notonlyoverwhelmingbutveeringtowardthe

trivial.Butthesekindsofundiscerningjudgmentsnot

onlyalienateusfromourbrothersandsisters(who

oughttobegivencreditfortheirintentions,becausewe

needtobegivencreditforoursalso),theyalsokeepus

frommakingjudgmentswhenwereallyneedto,oreven

knowinghowtodothat.Whenaparticularcoalcompany

(nottonameone)violatespublicsafetyrequirements

overandoverandoveragain,weshouldmakea

judgmentaboutthat.Notaboutthepeoplewhoworkfor

thecompanyweshouldadmitthatweknownothingat

allaboutthosebutabouttheabilityofthecompanyto

conductitselfinasociallyresponsiblemanner.The

solutionisntanotherfineitscharterrevocation.But

werebusysittinginourPriusesintraffic,judgingour

fellowdriversaslessworthythanwebecausetheyre

drivingcomparativegasguzzlers.Andworryingaboutthe

toxicimplicationsofagreenbean.(Itsnotgoingtohurt

youanditalreadydiditsdamagetotheguywho

appliedthepesticide.Hestheoneyouneedtobe

worriedabout.)

So

now

that

the

days

are

finally

warm

and

the

sun

is

finallyout,maybewecantakethemonthofJuneto

remindourselvesofwhatwelove,andtoremind

ourselvesthatitislovethatdrivesuswhenweareatour

best.Sowemakenojudgmentsontrivialmatters,either

ofourselvesorofothers,butsimplyresolveasfaraswe

areabletobeconsistentinbeliefandpractice,andto

helpthosearoundustobeconsistentalso.Andthenwe

canthinkaboutwherejudgmentsreallyneedtobemade

inordertoprotectwhatweloveforfuturegenerations,

anddosomethingaboutthat.

procedures,therewasalotofdiscussion,bothproand

con.Thediscussionwasfairlywiderangingandbrought

upallsortsofissuesandperspectives,somewithgreat

feeling.TherewereplentyofthingsmentionedthatI

hadntyetconsideredwhenlookingatthestatement.In

theend,67percentvotedtoaffirmthestatement.In

ordertoadoptsuchastatement,however,weneedan

80percentaffirmativevote.Iknowtherewerethose

whowalkedawayfromthemeetingdisappointedinsuchanoutcome.Yetwelistenedandengagedwithone

anotherrespectfullyandfollowedgoodprocess.Freeto

believeandsurroundedbylove.

ItsnotalwayseasytobeaUnitarianUniversalist

becausesometimes(often)weDONTbelievethesame

thing.Instead,wehavetofigureouthowtobewithone

anotherwhenwedont,livingourvaluesasweengagein

thosedisagreements.Anditspreciselythen,atthose

mostchallengingmoments,thatweencounterthe

greatestopportunityforgrowth.Whoknowswhat

transformationispossible?

Isaidacoupleofthingsattheannualmeetingthat

bearrepeating:Eachoneofusmakesadifference.

Becausethereisonlyoneyou,youenrichusandbless

yourreligiouscommunitywithyourpresenceandyour

stories.Thankyouforthat.And:Iamproudtoservethis

religiouscommunity.Iamfilledwithhopeforourfuture,

andIlookforwardtoourcontinuedjourneyonthis

ongoingquestfortruthandmeaning.

Gage,continuedfrompage1


5/12

June2011 5

Marty [email protected]

TheUnityTempleSingerspresentmusicforservices

onJune5thfeaturing"ANativeAmericanPrayer"and

theAfricanAmericanSpiritual,"DowntotheRiverto

Pray."Thelatterisapieceisparticularlymeaningfulto

Rev.QiyamahRahman,theministerforthemorningas

wehonorherandherspiritualjourney.

FlowerCommunion,June12,featurestheUnity

TempleChoirinourlastappearanceoftheseason.The

choirwillsingaselectionspeciallycomposedforflower

communionservicesbyformerMusicDirectorJonathan

Miller. Thepiecewillfeature10soloiststhroughoutboth

services.

UnityTemplewillhostanendoftheyeardinneron

Wednesday,June15,tothankthemembersofthechoir

fortheircontributionthroughouttheseason.After

dinner,membersofthechoirwillpresentatalentshow

tohighlighttheindividualgiftsmembersalltoooften

hideintheranksofthegroup.Poets,jugglersaswellas

singerswillappearinthespiritoffunandcelebration.All

singerswhohavesungwithusareinvitedtoparticipate

andattend.

AssummerservicesbeginonJune19,wewelcome

thekeyboardcontributionsofAbagailAllison,Betsy

Davis,TehraHiolskiandPeterStorms.Contributionsby

othermusiciansofthecongregationshouldbedirected

toMusicDirectorMartySwisher

([email protected])orReverendScottTalbotLewis

([email protected]).

IntheStyleofTaizfourthFridayserviceswillbesuspendedforthesummer. Thenextservicewillbeheld

onSeptember23.Theteamisinneedofadditional

supportintheareaofmusicians,technicalsetup,candle

lightingandplacementandworshipplanning.Please

contactMusicDirectorMartySwisherforsuggestions

andcontributionsofsupport.Attendanceatthese

servicescontinuestobehigh.Weareproudtoofferthis

spiritualexperiencetoourcongregationandfriendsofthecongregation. Pleaseconsiderhelpingustoinsure

thecontinuanceoftheseservices.

Aswewrapupthisseasonofmusic,PeterandIare

gratefulforthesupportandsuggestionsfromthe

congregation.Asweplanfortheupcomingyear,weare

remindedofthemanymembersandfriendswhohave

volunteeredcountlesshoursofservicetothemusicallife

ofthiscongregationenhancingourexperienceas

aworshipcommunity.Thankyou.Welookforwardto

exploringallourresourcesandhopetoinvolveeven

FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

DOUBLEOPEN MICON JUNE 183RD SATURDAY COFFEEHOUSE

EX LIBRIS BOOKSTOREThewarmandrelaxingdaysofsummerarealmosthere

afterourlongcoldwinterandchillyspring. ExLibrishas

anumberofstimulating,entertainingandthoughtful

booksthatcanaddtoyoursummerrelaxation.Wewill

beopenonJune5andJune19.Wehopeyouwilllook

forbookstoaddtoyoursummerreadinglist.

3rdSaturdayCoffeehouseOpenMicNightcelebrates

summerwithatwiceasniceOpenMic.Bringyour

music,magic,musingsandmysteriestoOpenMic/Open

MicNight,onSaturday,June18.Whateveryourgenre,

themicisyoursforfiveminutes.

JoinusinUnityHouseatUnityTemple,875Lake

Street(atKenilworth),OakPark.Doorsopenforsignup

at7:30p.m.OpenMicPartIbeginsat8p.m.,followedby

intermission.OpenMicPartIIstartsupat9p.m.Charlie

Rossiterwillhost.Weareacousticnoequipment

provided.$3$5donation.Formoreinformationcall708

6609376.

Unity Temple Gives...Thegenerosityofourcongregationismakinga

differenceinpeopleslives. EverySundayour

collectionplateofferingsaredonatedtoaworthy

charitableorganizationinsupportofourmissionand

values. DuringthemonthofApril2011,yourweekly

collectiondonationscontributedthefollowing

amountstotheseorganizations:

HpitalAlbertSchweitzer: $1,186.64

UUSC: $1,108.01

MeadvilleLombardTheologicalSchool:$432.35

FaithinPlace: $1,186.63

Thankyouforyourgenerosity!

moreofyouinthecomingyearasweplantooffer

performanceopportunitiestotheWomenInspriedby

SongEnsemble(nonauditionedwomen'sensemble),

ChaliceSingers(children'schoir),UnityTempleSingers

(auditionedacappellachamberensemble),andtheUnity

TempleChoir(nonauditionedadultchoir). Wewelcome

yourparticipation,yourideasaswecontinuetobe

inspired

by

the

work

here

and

the

many

wonderful

peoplethatcontributetomakingUnityTempleavery

specialplace.


6/12

6 TheBeaconADULT RELIGIOUS ENRICHMENTMovies with Meaning

JapaneseEnglishnovelist,KkazuoIshiguroinfuseshis

twomajorworkswiththequestionTowhatdegree

doesaccesstopowerandprivilegeeffectourpersonal

agency? Theseworkshavebothbeenbeautifully

adaptedforfilmbythetalentsofleadingEnglishfilmmakersandactors. Eachisacriticallyacclaimedworkof

art. Readingthenovelsorotherworksbythisout

standingauthorisstronglyencouragedtoenrichour

discussion.

Thursday,June16:TheRemainsoftheDayInthisMerchant/Ivoryproduction,AnthonyHopkinsand

EmmaThompsonstarastheloyalandefficientbutler

andmoresophisticatedhousekeeperwhoservetheNazi

sympathizinglordwithoutquestioninghisethicsor

motivations.(1993,RatedPG)

Thursday,July21:NeverLetMeGoKathyandRuth,playedbyCareyMulliganandKeira

Knightley,arefriendsandrivalsforPetersaffectionata

strictEnglishboardingschoolwherethestudentsare

groomedforalifeofspecialpurpose.Withfatesboth

knownandmysterioustothem,theystruggletocreatea

happyandmeaningfulexistence.(2010,RatedR)

MovieswithMeaningisanongoingAdultReligious

Enrichmentprogramthatusesmoviesandgroup

discussiontogainnewinsightsintothehumansituation.

FilmsscreenthethirdThursdayofthemonthat6p.m.in

theWestBalconyandarefollowedbydiscussion.For

moreinformationcontactScottTalbotLewisat708445

1466.

Parents Support GroupUTfamilieswithspecialneedschildrenmeetonthethird

Tuesdayofeachmonthat709S.OakParkAve,Oak

Park,at7:30p.m.ContactsareCarolDiMatteoorTom

Dunnington,[email protected].

Career Transition OutreachEveryMondayfrom8:45to9:45a.m.atUnityTemple,

DianeWilson,LCPC,andBrookeMcMillan,LCSW,help

thosefacingjoblossandcareeruncertainty. This

outreachhelpsparticipantsmanagethepsychological

andpracticalaspectsoftheirjobtransition. Authorof

BackinControl,Wilsonisacoach,counselor,andneurofeedbackspecialist.Formoreinformationemail

[email protected].

Knitting for PeaceKnittersmeetonthesecondandfourthSaturdaysof

everymonthat2p.m.intheGaleHouse.Outputis

donatedtotheUniversityofChicagoHospital,Project

Linus,andotherswhowepersonallyaretoldareinneed

becauseofillness.Contact:SarahMuller,

[email protected].

Purple SagesOnWednesday,June22,theSageswilldiscussthe

seminalfeministbook,WhenGodWasaWoman,

whichwasfirstprintedinthe1970s.Discussionwill

beledbySageLettyMcSpadden.TheSagesmeetthefourthWednesdayofeachmonthinthesecondfloor

BookDiscussionRoomoftheOakParkPublicLibrary,

from11:30a.m.to1:30p.m.ContactsareJoyceMarco,

[email protected],andJoanVanNoteat7087051428.

The Annual Unity Temple Blood DriveHelppeopleinneedandearnapintofBen&Jerrys

icecreamattheAnnualUnityTempleBloodDriveison

Sunday,June5,from8:30amuntil1:30pm. Asalways,

itsdonewithourpartner,HeartlandBloodCenter,and

thedonatedbloodisdistributedinourcommunity. To

makeadonation,youcan:

1. Signupafterservicesduringcoffeehour,

2. ContactMariaMurzynateitherUnityTempleBlood

[email protected]@Gloor.com,orcall708

54370703. Walkin.Walkinsarealwayswelcomethedayofthe

drive.

Donatingbloodissubjecttocriteriaregardingtravel

andmedications.Ifyouhavequestionsregardingthis,

youcanvisitwww.heartlandbc.orgforanswersorstopat

thesignuptableafterservices.Remember,yougeta

couponforathankyoupintofBen&Jerrysicecream

withyourdonation!

Thanksinadvance. Anyquestions,pleasecallMaria

Murzynat7085437070.

Summer Solstice CelebrationAllareinvitedtomeetinfrontofUnity

TempleonFriday,June17,at7:30

p.m.,foraSummerSolstice

Celebration.Thegroupwilljourneythe

Labyrinthlocatedacrossthestreet.

DrummingwillfollowinUnityHouse.Formore

informationcontactJudyPlum,[email protected]

7082995111.


7/12

June2011 7RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Bring Flowers to Annual FlowerCommunion ServiceOurannualFlowerCommunionserviceisSunday,June

12. TheU.T.FlowerCommitteeasksthateveryone

pleasebringaflowerorflowerstoshareduringthisspe

cialservice. Thisdaywerememberandhonorthelifeof

UnitarianministerReverendNorbertCapek,andthe

beautifultraditionhebeganthatisstillcelebratedby

U.U.congregationsaroundtheworld.Beforetheservice

begins,we'llcollectalloftheflowersinthefoyerandput

theminbaskets,whichwillthenbepassedandshared

withoneanotherduringworship. Theflowersyoubring

cancomefromyourgarden,theFarmersMarket,oryour

localgroceryorflorist. Thevarietyofflorawebringre

mindsusthatwe,liketheflowers,areeachuniquecrea

tions.FlowerCommitteemembersNinaGegenheimer,

JaneColeman,&DianeMaciejewskigreatlyappreciate

yourcontributionstoourservice.

GREEN NEWSThankyoutothemanymembersofourcongregation

whotookthetimetoanswerthesurveycreatedbythe

GreenSanctuaryCommittee. Over100people

participated. Notsurprisingly,ourmembersarealready

makingmanylifestylechoicesthatreducetheiruseof

theEarthsresources.Wealsodiscoveredsubjectsthat

peoplewouldliketolearnmoreaboutlowimpact

gardeningtechniquesandcomposting;rainbarrels;

makinggreenlifestylechoicesonalimitedbudget;and

sustainablefoodchoices. Wehopetoofferprograms

andtipstosatisfythoseneeds. Toexplorethesurvey

responsesindetail,[email protected]

wewillsendyoualinktotheresults.

Thesurveyresultswillalsoassistusinapplyingfor

officialGreenSanctuarystatusfromtheUUA. Wewillbe

meetinginJunetofleshoutouractionareasforthat

applicationandhopetofinalizeourpaperworkthis

summer. Ifyouhaveanyquestionsabouttheworkof

theGreenSanctuaryCommitteeorwanttolearnmore

aboutwhatwearedoing,[email protected].

We

welcome

ideas

on

how

to

promote

respect

for

the

interdependentweboflifeofwhichweareapart.

Fun, Sun and Learning!Summerisapproachingandwithit,SummerRE!

ThisyearourcurriculumfocusesonourUUprinciples

andcommitments. Onceagain,SummerREwillbefor

preschoolerthroughfifthgraders. Olderkidsare

welcometocomeandhelpout. YourkidswillgotoUnityHouseafterchildrenstimeandyoucanpickthem

upaftertheserviceontheEastBalcony.

AmyClarkWilliamswillbecoordinatingSummerRE

forherthirdyear. Shehasagaingatheredawonderful

teachingstaffofourUnityTempleteens. Have

Questions? ContactAmyClarkWilliams

[email protected].

Our Young people need YOU!Fabulous,thoughtprovoking,energetic,challenging,

lovingUnityTempleyoungpeopleagesthreeto18are

seekingequallyfabulousadultguidesfortheirreligious

journeys.Enthusiasm,commitmenttoownlearning,

willingnesstoseethingsinanewwayallamust.

Curriculum,training,greatteammembers,andsupport

provided.Assistants,teachers,roomparents,special

projectleadersareallwelcome.BeginsinSeptember.

[email protected]

withyourquestionsandwillingnesstovolunteer.

BAG Day June 18BAGDayonSaturday,June18? Manyofournewmembersmaybeconfusedbytheterm: Building

andGroundsdaygivescongregation

membersanopportunitytospiffup

ourbeautifulUnityTemplewithour

barehands.Weworkfrom9a.m.to1

p.m.(You'reverywelcometocomeparttime!) Workers

areneededtoscrubdownthekitchentolooklikeour

own,towashwindows,anddustthewoodmoldingeve

rywhere....andmore.

Thoseunabletocleanareinvitedtocontributeby

bringingcoffee,juice,orgoodiestostartthemorningor

sandwichesandcookiestocelebratethesparklingplace.

[email protected]

callTracyZurawskiat6088486225x.104.

QuestionsaboutBAGDay? Ifyouhavequestionsabout

theevent,feelfreetocontactVeraDowell(708209

8708)[email protected].

Meet the Urban Worm Girl June 20!TheUTUUCEthicalEatingGroupiscosponsoringUrban

WormGirlStephanieDaviespresentationattheOakPark

PublicLibraryonMonday,June20,at7p.m.Susanraises

wormshereinOakParkandenthusiasticallysupports

compostingandgreengardeningtechniques.Joinusas

welearnaboutgrowingheirloomtomatoesandmore!


8/12

8 TheBeacon

UU Community and the Need to BelongReading

InhisbookonCommunity:TheStructureofBelonging,PeterBlockassertsthateachofustells

ourselvesastoryaboutthecommunitiestowhichwe

belong.Forexample,wemighttellthestoryofourUU

communitybydescribingitasaplacewherepeoplewho

nolongerembracethereligiontheygrewupincanfinda

home.UUcommunitiesarewelcominginthissense

becauseourreligiondoesntrequireadherencetoany

particulartheologyorcreed.Thetheologicaldifferences

thataresometimesthesourceofheateddisputesamong

theworldsreligionsdontdivideus.

However,othersortsofsplitsdodivideus.SomeUU

membersaremorecomfortablethanotherswithwhats

loosely

referred

to

as

God

talk.

Some

UU

members

placeahighvalueonintellectualpursuits,andonlogic

andscienceasthebestwaytofindtruth.OtherUU

membersplaceahighvalueonfeelings,onintuition,and

onthetruththatartandthehumanitiescanreveal.

Thesedifferencesarereflectedinourlifeasa

community.Forexample,theyarereflectedinour

Sundayservice,wherewerefertoourcovenantwith

oneanotherandwithGodsomeUUcommunities

omitthewithGodphraseintheirservice.These

differencesarealsoreflectedinwhatreligiouseducation

courseswepreferandwhatsermonswearedrawnto.In

fact,yearsagooneoftheplannersoftheUUsummer

camp,aweeklongeventthatdrawshundredsof

membersfromallovertheMidwest,oncerespondedto

acamperwhodidntcareforthatyearsthemespeaker.

Ilovedlastyearsspeakerwhycouldntwehave

morelikehim?thecamperlamented.Well,the

plannerexplained,wetrytoalternate,sothatoneyear

wehavemoreofaheadpersonandthenextmoreofa

heartperson.

Howmuchdothesekindsofsplitsdisruptourfeeling

ofbelonging? Andhowcanwecreateacommunitythat

feelsequallywelcomingtomemberswhodifferintheseways?

DiscussionQuestions

1.Whenhaveyoufeltthatyoureallybelonged?What

wasitaboutthatcommunitythatcreatedthatfeeling?

2.Whenhaveyouhadastrongfeelingofbelonging,or

beingconnectedwith,theUnityTemplecommunity?

Whenhaveyoufeltlikeyoudidntbelong?

CHALICE CIRCLES 3.Haveyouencounteredthesplitsdescribedabovebetweenheadandheartpeople,orbetweenpeople

whoaremoreorlesscomfortablewithGodtalk?To

whatextentdoyouthinkthesedifferencesdisruptour

senseofbelonging,oursenseofbeingacommunity?

4.Giventhatdifferencesexist,whatcanwedotocreate

acommunitythathelpseachofusfeelwebelong?

ClosingReading

Thekeytocreatingortransformingcommunity,then,is

toseethepowerinthesmallbutimportantelementsof

beingwithothers.Theshiftweseekneedstobe

embodiedineachinvitationwemake,eachrelationship

weencounter,andeachmeetingweattend.Foratthe

mostoperationalandpracticallevel,afterallthethinking

aboutpolicy,strategy,mission,andmilestones,itgets

downtothis:Howarewegoingtobewhenwegather

together?Community:TheStructureofBelongingbyPeterBlock,(2008),p.10.

Join a Chalice Circle,weekdays or any day!Anewdaytime,weekdayChaliceCircleisforming.

ScottTalbotLewiswillfacilitate. Inaddition,there

are15otherChaliceCircleswithmanypossible

schedulesandtimesformeeting.ChaliceCircles

createopeningsfortrust,friendship,honesty,growth

andreflection.Theyareaspiritualpractice.We

welcomeadultsofallages.Beknownasyouare,join

agrouptoday.Forinformationaboutjoiningany

ChaliceCircleorfacilitatortrainingcontactMarge

[email protected].


9/12

June2011 9SOCIAL MISSION

RecentlyafriendandcolleaguetoldmethatMayisperhapsthehardest

monthforministers. Itsfunny,butwhenmymother

wasstillteaching,sheusedtosaysomethingsimilar.

Heresthetruth:Mayisthehourbeforecheckout

time.Therearesomanythingstobefoldedupandput

away.Thereareticketstorememberandlastlooks

underthebed.Wereallreadytogetgoing,butdont

wanttoforgetanything.

Listen,youregoingtoforgetsomething.My

cowboybeltandmy100percentcottondressshirts

aregone,andImstilllivingagloriouslife.

Forthoseofyouwhotakelifealittlemoreliterally:

itsJune,easeup!Enjoythesummeranddontworrytoo

muchaboutwhatyoushouldbedoing.

GodisouttherewearingherSundaybest,savorher

beauty.Sheswarmandfullofpassionateenergyspend

timeatthethingsyouenjoywiththepeopleyoulove.

Therearelotsofsayingsaboutwhatwillbe

rememberedin100yearsoronourdeathbeds,butfor

meTennesseeWilliamssaiditbest:Inthetimeofyour

life,live.Thattimeisshortandwillnotcomeagain.And

themonosyllableoftheclockisloss,loss,loss.

Itisaprivilegetoserveasyourministerandtheonly

giftIcangiveinreturnismydearesthopeandwishthat

youlivewithutterconvictionandsincerity. Ifyouare

sadthatisyourexperiencenow,butnotalways. Ifyou

areexperiencinglifesabundantfulfillment,savoritand

findwaystoshareyourjoy.Ifyouareheldbythebeauty

ofnatureormusic,Iknowthatpleasuretoo. Blessyou.

Liveandloveboldly.

SABBATICALMINISTERFORPASTORAL CAREScott Talbot [email protected]

Community Renewal Society Training &Listening CampaignTheCommunityRenewalSocietypresentsaListening

Campaign(notawhisperingcampaign). CRSwantsto

hearfromareacongregationslikeoursaboutimportant

socialjusticeissueswefeelneedthemostaction.From

thisinformation,CRSleadershipdevelopstheirfuture

actionissues.Thekickoffofthecampaigntakesplaceon

Saturday,June4,from8:30a.m.to12:30p.m.ata

nearbychurch.Thehalfdaysessionwillincludecommu

nityorganizing trainingandtheMartinLutherKingCom

munityEmpowermentAssembly.Wellalsocelebrate

recentvictories.Learnaboutrestorativejusticeandthe

HighHOPESCampaign,andtakeactionsbacktoyour

congregation. Tojoinorsharearide,contactAllenVan

NoteorRichPokorny,[email protected](708)

2181202.

Food Rescuers Needed Once a MonthWanted: Afewfaithfulvolunteerstodoaoncea

month shift, rescuingfoodfromTraderJoe'sonFriday

morningsat10a.m.Musthavevehicle.Youwillteamup

withotherstogotoTraderJoe'sinOakPark,loadupand

bringrescuedfood (mostlyproduce)totheOPRFFood

PantryatFirstUnitedChurch,whereyouwillsortand

bagitems. Ifyouwouldliketoparticipate,pleasecon

tactBarbaraMoline([email protected]).

Addressing the U.S. budget deficit andour nations long term debtUnitarianUniversalistsforSocialJusticewillholdits

SpringQuarterMeetingonSunday,June12,from2to5

p.m.,attheU.U.CommunityChurchoftheSouthSub

urbs,70SycamoreDr.,ParkForest,IL60466. Thepro

gram,between2and3p.m.,istitledAddressingthe

U.S.budgetdeficitandournationslongtermdebt.

MembersoftheUUSJTaskForceonEconomicJustice

andHomelessnesshavestudiedthereportoftheNa

tionalCommissiononFiscalResponsibilityandReform,releasedlastDecember,andhavedevelopedtwoalter

nativeproposals. Representativesofthattaskforcewill

presentthemandexplainwhytheyweredeveloped,af

terwhichattendeesmayaskquestions.

TheprogramwillbefollowedbyaUUSJBoardofDi

rectorsmeeting,whichisopentoall. Fordrivingdirec

tions,coordinationofcarpooling,orinformationonpos

siblepublictransitalternatives,email

[email protected]

hoursinadvance.

Food for the SoulBesuretotuneinto"FoodfortheSoul"onChicago's

ProgressiveRadio,WCPTat820AMandat92.7(North),

92.5(West),and99.9(South)FM. Thisisaweeklyshow

eachSundayat6p.m.featuringcomponentsofchurch

servicesrecordedliveatoneofseveralparticipatingChi

cagolandUUCongregations. Tuneintohearwhatyour

fellowUUsaredoing.


10/12

10 TheBeaconUNITY TEMPLERESTORATION FOUNDATIONGunnyHarboe,FAIA::RestoringtheRookery:Root,Wright&theRestLyman&AnnaShepardEnrichmentSeries::Tuesday,

June7,2011,6:30p.m.

Usingrareandneverbeforeseenimages,awardwinning

architectGunnyHarboeofHarboeArchitects,will

presenthis1992restorationofBurnham&Root's1888

masterpiece,theRookery.HewillalsodiscussFrank

LloydWright's1905lobbyredesignandthe1931Art

DecorenovationbyWrightdisciplesWilliamDrummond

andBarryByrne.Gunnyhashadahandinrestoringsome

ofChicago'smosticonicstructures,includingMiesvan

derRohe'sCrownHallontheIITcampusandSullivan's

CarsonPirieScottdepartmentstore.Healsodeveloped

theUnityTempleMasterPlanforRestorationin2006

andwasthearchitectforthe2010repairandrestoration

ofUnityTemplessouthroofslab.In2010,hewasnamed

a"ChicagoanoftheYear"byChicagoMagazine.Admission:$12studentsandseniors;$15allothers.To

purchasetickets,visitwww.utrf.org.

TheShepardEnrichmentSeriesisajointprogramoftheFrankLloydWrightPreservationTrustandUnityTempleRestorationFoundation.

UnityTempleRestorationFoundationandtheFrankLloydWrightPreservationTrust

Thelast10monthshavebeenatimeofcollaboration

andconnectionforUTRFandtheFrankLloydWright

PreservationTrust.InSeptember,UTRFsboardandstaff

hostedareceptionforCelesteAdams,thePreservation

TrustsPresidentandCEO,towelcomehertoOakPark

andhernewposition.InOctober,wecopresenteda

BreaktheBoxevent,inwhichDavidPatterson,a

volunteerforbothorganizations,demonstratedthe

relationshipbetweenWrightsarchitectureand

Beethoven.InJanuary,weinauguratedanewjoint

program,theLyman&AnnaShepardEnrichmentseries,

whichofferslearningeventsfocusingonWright.Jack

Lesniak,chairofUTRFsArchitecturalRestoration

CommitteeandlongtimePreservationTrustvolunteer,

kickedofftheShepardSeriesinJanuary,withavirtual

touroftheHome&Studiosrestorationintheearly70s.

GunnyHarboestalkonJune7(seeabove)willbeour

secondShepardSeriescopresentation.Andfor2011

2012,thePreservationTrustisUnityTempleConcert

Seriesspresentingpartner.

The Lorraine Galasek Memorial FundLorraineGalasekwasalongtimememberofUnity

Temple.Shegenerouslydonatedhertimetothemem

bershipcommitteeandtowelcoming.Lorrainetookpar

ticularprideintheWelcomingDinnerfornewmem

berssheadvised,cooked,prepared,andgenerally

madesuretheentireeventwasadelightforallwhoat

tended.Justbeforeherillness,shehadvolunteeredto

inventorythekitchenandassessitsneeds,especiallyas

itconcernedtheWelcomingDinner.

When

Lorraine

died

on

January

20,

2010,

her

family

welcomedmemorialgiftsinLorrainesname.Thesegifts

continueherlegacyastheyareusedtoupgradethe

UnityTemplekitchen.Thankstogenerousdonorsand

Lorrainesvisionofhospitality,wehavepurchasednew

tableclothsandnapkins,muchneededservingpieces

andtableware,andtwentylovelynewservingbowls,as

wellaspartiallyfundthepurchaseofanewgasrange.

Lorraineswarmthandgenerositycontinuetoblessour

congregation.

Wearehappytobeabletoreportthisgoodnews.The

boardandthestaffofUTRFfeelthatastrongpartnership

withtheFrankLloydWrightPreservationTrustis

beneficialfortheorganizations,thevolunteers,andthe

community.

Questionsorcomments?CallUnityTempleRestoration

[email protected]

ourwebsiteatwww.utrf.org.


11/12

June2011 11

Board of [email protected]

DuaneDowell President

IanMorrison VicePresident

MargaretEwing Secretary

GlennBrewer Treasurer

JeanBorrelli

BetsyDavis

NinaGegenheimer

JayPeterson

DavidRipley

DianeScott

JenniferWalters

PollyWalwarkOur StaffForallcalls,pleasedial7088486225

andthenyourpartysextension:

Rev.AlanC.Taylor,SeniorMinister

OnsabbaticalthroughJune30,2011Rev.EmilyGage,MinisterofFaithDevelopment

ext.103 [email protected]

Rev.ScottTalbotLewis,SabbaticalPastoralCare

Minister

7082506810 [email protected]

TinaLewis,InterimMembershipDirector


DavidWilke,DirectorofAdministration


MarthaSwisher,MusicDirector

[email protected]

HeatherGodbout,YouthCoordinator

ext. 107 [email protected]

MeridianHerman,RentalManager


SuleKivancAncieta,PreschoolCoordinator

Janet

Krumm,

Nursery

Coordinator

DavidOsorio,Sexton

RitoSalinas,Sexton

PeterStorms,Accompanist

JenniferFlynn,PublicationsAssistant


TracyZurawski,Bookkeeper


WWW.UNITYTEMPLE.ORG

EVENTS NOT TO MISS THIS MONTHJune4 NancyBunceMemorialService

2:30p.m.,UnityTempleSanctuary

June5 AnnualBloodDrive

8:30a.m.,UnityTemple

June

9

Building

Coalitions

for

LGBT

Equality

andJustice

7p.m.,FirstUnitedChurchofOP

June11&25 KnittingforPeace

2p.m.,GaleHouse

June12 AnnualFlowerCommunionServices

9and10:45a.m.services

IntroductiontoUU

1p.m.,UnityHouse

UUsforSocialJusticeSpringMeeting

2p.m.,U.U.CommunityChurchoftheSouthSuburbsinParkForest

June16 Movie:TheRemainsoftheDay

6p.m.,UnityHouse

June17 SummerSolsticeCelebration

7p.m.,meetatUTentrance

June18 BAGDay(BuildingandGroundsDay)

9a.m.,UnityTemple

3rdSaturdayCoffeehouse

7:30p.m.,UnityTemple

June20 UrbanWormGirlStephanieDavies

7p.m.,OakParkPublicLibraryon

June22 PurpleSages(SeniorWomen)

11:30a.m.,OakParkLibrary

Visit Our Calendar Online!Atwww.unitytemple.org/calendaryoucanfindreal

timelistingsofeverythingoccurringatUnityTempleas

wellasschedulerooms. SelectAddEventatthetopofthecalendarandcompletethewebform. Youwillre

ceiveanemailwhenyourUTUUCeventasbeencon

firmed.

BEACON Newsletter SubmissionsJuly/August2011Beaconsubmissionsaredueat10

a.m.onJune20.Ifyouarepromotinganeventor

group,pleaseusethepublicationssubmissionlinkon

thelowerlefthandsideoftheUnityTemplehome

page,www.unitytemple.org.Questionsandinquiries

[email protected].


12/12

C h a n g e s e rv ic e r e q u e s te d

Nonprofit

Organization

USPOSTAGE

PAIDOakPark,IL60301

PermitNo.305

Unity TempleUnitarian Universalist Congregation875 Lake StreetOak Park, IL 60301708-848-6225

www.unitytemple.org

June5,servicesat9a.m.and10:45a.m.

NamingandClaimingOurTheologiesRev.QiyamahRahman

Offering:ClusterTutoringJune12,servicesat9a.m.and10:45a.m.

FlowerCommunionSunday:

Worship

for

All

Ages

ThisSunday,weaskthatyoubringacutfloweror

two(orthree)toservicestoshare!

Rev.EmilyGage

Offering:ChildrensClinic

Upcoming ServicesJune19,servicesat9a.m.only

LiberalReligionandTheReligious

ExperienceJohnWood

Offering:CROPWalkJune26,servicesat9a.m.only

The

Algebra

of

Loss

ChrisNemeth

Offering:DisabledAmericanVets

Documents

BEACON June 2011 - Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation