The Unichord
Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin - January, 2000
MONTH OF SUNDAYS
2 Sunday Services Committee
9 Imperfect and Good Enough
This service is about acknowledging that we are very fallible beings, imperfect in so many ways, yet at the same time understanding that we are "good enough". It’s about finding joy and satisfaction in an imperfect world. Service led by the Rev. Dan Brosier
16 Moving The Dream Forward
Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others had a dream of how the people of this nation would live together. It is a wonderful dream which many of us want to see become a reality. In this service we will look at the state of that dream and what we might do to further it along. Service led by the Rev. Dan Brosier.
23 The Survivors
Sexual abuse is more prevalent than any of us want to believe. It is important to understand that it does exist and that the survivors of such abuse carry the scars for the rest of their lives. This service is about the survivors. Service led by Colleen Connelly and the Rev. Dan Brosier.
30 Sunday Services Committee
ALL SERVICES BEGIN AT 10:45 A.M.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
Markings
My son doesn’t trust me when it comes to sledding. He won’t let me put him on his sled and aim him down the hill. He thinks I will send him into a tree.
It is unfair. He remembers that one incident. It wasn’t my fault, the sled seemed to have a mind of its own. I pointed it straight down the hill away from any trees and let it go. Mysteriously it curved its way across the hill towards a lone tree. I ran frantically trying to stop the sled, but it had too great of a head start. The sled hit the tree, my son cried--his trust in me with sleds shattered.
It didn’t seem to matter that before that one accident I had sent him safely down the hill any number of times. The incident verifies a basic truth in human relations, that one violation of trust often outweighs any number of times it was fulfilled. One automobile accident after 40 years of safe driving can make one very uncomfortable in a car for years afterwards. One bad encounter with shrimp can change a seafood lover’s appetite for a time. One lie after years of truthfulness can shatter a long held trust.
Without a doubt the trust can be rebuilt, but it takes a couple to things. For one it takes time--a lot more time than the moments it took to violate the trust. That becomes all too painfully clear after the fact as we try to rebuild the relationship. The other thing it takes is communication--we have to talk to each other about what happened.
Sam and I will return to the sledding hills this year. We will take it slow and easy, run after run, building the trust once more. I will have to be patient. I want it to be like it was before that encounter with the tree. With time and talk, though, we will reconstruct, brick by brick, that part of our common foundation. Fortunately in the scheme of things sledding is not a major concern, but I imagine such will surely come one day. I hope then, like now, we will have the time and sensibility to work it through. Right now he is stuck with me for a few more years--enough time, I think, for me to improve my sledding skills.
Secret Friends
Secret Friends begins soon! This month, the RE Council will be doing Secret Friends, which is where people 14 yrs. and up are paired with a younger child. For two weeks prior to Valentine’s Day, secret friends send notes and make phone calls with clues to their identity. On February 13th, all secrets are revealed! Look for a clipboard soon.
Pantry Sunday Reminder
Start the new year right. Last month the collection for the Interfaith pantry was quite meager. Bring in your donations for the Interfaith Pantry on Sunday, January 2, Pantry Sunday - non-perishable food items, paper goods, toiletries or infant needs.
If you happen to forget, you have the option of donating cash. Containers for your cash donations will be by the collection baskets in the entrance areas on Pantry Sunday. Call Henny DuBois with questions.
New Members’ Ceremony
During the service on January 23rd we will hold a brief ceremony welcoming those who have joined over the past several months. If you are interested in joining the church, you might consider doing so prior to this occasion so that you are included. If you have any questions, contact Jim Hermann or Dan Brosier.
Alert
Rev. Peri Murdock, minister of the UU church of Stockton, IL has notified the Central Midwest District office that someone, identifying herself as Lois Rich, has been calling people in Unitarian Churches and requesting a $35.00 donation "for a fundraiser." The UUA has been notified.
As much as we, as UU's, want to support good causes, we, in the district office, invite each of you to be cautious and to request information be sent in the mail rather than agreeing to support a cause solicited by phone.
Carol Hosmer, District Office Manager.
An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism
After the service on January 9 the Membership Committee is offering an opportunity for those new to our community who would like more information on this church and UUism in general to join us for a meal and discussion. The program will begin at 12:30 and run until 2:00 PM--childcare will be available. If you are interested please sign up on the designated clipboard in the lobby.
Help Wanted:
Not-so-mature, spontaneous people to have fun in a small group setting. Must like art, music, food, smiles, and hugs. Teaching positions open February 13th. See Kathy Underwood for application.
An Invitation to Service Auction 2000
Feeling a bit out of sorts, now that all of the millennial festivities are behind us? We have the cure. There's no time to lose, we all need to start now to prepare for Service Auction 2000. This year it is scheduled for Saturday night, February 5, at the Church. Our Y2KB group will be serving dinner before the auction to help raise money for their trip. Everyone is invited and child care will be provided for both events. We need your auction items submitted as soon as possible. Silent Auction items should be brought to the church by Sunday, January 15.
Perhaps you are new to our fabulous annual Auction event. It began over 20 years ago, when we were still in the pocket watch building downtown. Back then they had Las Vegas night, a major fund raiser (this is before the State took over gambling). At the end of the evening participants bid on items with their gambling winnings, and the tradition was born. Now the auction itself is the entertainment. Sharing the bill with our witty auctioneers will be Steve Askins, Master of Ceremonies extraordinaire. Bring lots of money with you, because besides having a load of fun, the auction is a major fund raiser for our church. There are bargains to be found, and items for purchase that you can't get anywhere else. There are also many opportunities to fill up your social calendar. You are probably asking yourself right now, what can I contribute? The offerings each year are as varied as our congregation and suit each person's lifestyle, means and passions. This year we have headline items like timeshares anywhere around the globe, Chicago Bulls sky box tickets, fine art, and expensive jewelry. People will offer extremely useful items like babysitting, painting, handyman work. There are great social activities, parties, dinners, concerts and game nights. The only limits are our own imagination. Because we have had so many wonderful contributions, we have reintroduced the silent auction component of the auction. Some of the more tangible auction items will be put on display in the church foyer during the last two weeks in January. Bidding methods may vary slightly, but we all will have several opportunities to bid on Silent Auction items before the highest bidder is identified on the night of Service Auction 2000. For all of the other auction items, events, trips, services and the like, the lively bidding will begin shortly after dinner. See you there!
Your Needs in the Community:
This is the time when we look towards a new beginning - especially this year with a new millennium upon us. As the result of the fall Board/Committee Chairs retreat, a small group has formed to look at the needs of everyone in our church community. We are calling ourselves "Task Force 2000". Over the next few months we will be seeking your input to the question, "Is this community meeting your needs?" Our approach will be varied: from emails, to forums, to sermons, the Unichord, and one-to-one conversations. So use this season of reflection as an opportunity to look at your relationship to, and within, this community, and be willing to share it with us. We look forward to hearing from you! – Joyce Becker, Shirley Wolin, Kathy Underwood, and Cathy Braun.
Teacher Turnover Breakfast
The Teacher Turnover Breakfast will be held January 30th at 9:30am. Teachers from fall and spring semesters are invited. RSVP to Kathy Underwood.
Religious Education Department
W
elcome to a new year! This month will be a busy one for everyone in religious education, so we’re starting the year off with a bang.There will be R.E. classes the first two Sundays of the month. On the January 16, we will begin our fourth Annual Fine Arts Program. This is where the students spend three weeks participating in a special fine arts class. This year we will be doing dance, drama, and poetry. On February 6, they will present their accomplishments during a special intergenerational service.
Also in January we will begin Secret Friends. Anyone 14 years or older can sign up to be a secret friend to a younger child. By doing so, you then agree to contact the child anonymously three times during the weeks prior to Valentine’s Day. This can be done through letters, cards, phone calls, emails - use your imagination! Leave them clues to guess who you are. On February 13, we will have a special event where you meet your secret friend and reveal your identity - if your secret friend hasn’t already guessed!
This month also marks the end of the fall semester. To honor the occasion, we will be having a Teacher Turnover Breakfast on January 30 at 9:30 a.m. This is one of the ways I say "Thanks" to all the teachers, as well as give the spring semester teachers an opportunity to get feedback on events that happened earlier in the year. If you’re interested in teaching this spring, either sign up on the clipboard, or see me.
Kathy Underwood
Director of Religious Education
Book Group
You are warmly invited to join the members of the Book Group at any of their upcoming meetings, which begin at 7:00 p.m.
- January 7 The Reader by Benrhard Schlink. At the home of Shirley Wolin.
- February 11 The Moor’s Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie. At the home of Barbara Sugden.
- March 17 On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons. At the home of Jackie Van De Warker.
- April__ Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton. At the home of Joyce Becker..
Quilting
The winner of this year's raffle quilt was Paula Grocke, a secretary at the U-46 Elgin District offices. She was thrilled.
The next quilting is on Saturday, January 15; all who are interested come by and help with this successful project.
The Aesthetics Committee would like to remind you to remember throughout the year to look for meaningful ornaments for our tree at church. It is pitifully bare this year. Thank you for your help in this matter.
Wearing Name Tags
A reminder to all members that it is important to wear name tags on Sunday morning. Wearing our name tags helps new people feel more at home since they can speak with us by name and associate a name with a face. Not wearing name tags is a way of encouraging newcomers to feel outside and separate from the established community.
Becoming a Member
Our community warmly welcomes those who wish to join. There is nothing particularly difficult or mysterious about becoming a member of our church, in fact it is quite straight forward. After a person has visited with us a number of times and is interested in learning more about membership that individual should contact the minister to set up a meeting. When the decision to join is finally made and the individual is ready to make a commitment, they then sign our membership book. This commitment of membership includes sympathy with our covenant and principles, participation in the events and committees of the church, and financial support. If you would like to join or want more information contact Jim Hermann or Dan Brosier.
APOCALYPSE!
After church on January 16 and the 23rd beginning at 12:30 PM we will be showing part of the PBS video Apocalypse which examines the history of the apocalyptic movement in western culture. We will begin each session with a light potluck lunch. Following each segment there will be some time for discussion. Each session should last about an hour and a half. If you are interested in participating please sign up on the designated clip board.
Bully Pulpit -January
R
esolutions for a new millennium, a new century, a new decade, a new year, a new month, a new day, a new hour."Do all your work as though you had a thousand years to live, and as though you were going to die tomorrow."
- Mother Ann Lee, founder of the Shaking Quakers (Shakers) in America.
In the year 999, a millennial visionary might have resolved to eliminate feudalism, to reform the Christian Church, to revive Western knowledge and art, to explore the world, and to create an industrial society.
For the coming millennium, we can resolve to bring democracy to all people, to make peace happen everywhere, to promote self-actualization, to colonize the galaxy, and to create a computer-enhanced society.
"The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves --- and the rest of humanity."
- Jean Luc Picard, Star Trek: First Contact, about the 24th Century.
In the year 1899, a 20th Century visionary might have resolved to create a united organization of world nations, to bring together diverse peoples through mass communication, to bring a good measure of equality to women and minorities in the US, to explore the air and our solar system, and to create an electronic society.
For the 21st Century, we can resolve to eliminate poverty and disease, to eradicate bigotry and prejudice in the US, to bring freedom and justice to the nations of the world, to colonize the solar system, and to create a pluralistic society.
In the year 1989, a church visionary might have resolved to build a new church building, to add singers and dancers to our services, to create a Vision for the Year 2000, to organize a Committee of Committee Chairs, to build a labyrinth of stones, and to have a minister who speaks to our hearts.
For this decade, we can resolve to provide space for new members who will find us, to have full-time staff to support our programs, to create a prairie and garden on our grounds, and to become a leader for social action in Elgin.
Last year, we might have resolved to sponsor a youth home in Elgin, add an inclusion statement to our By-Laws, to create a meditation time on Sundays, and to finish five rooms on the 2nd floor.
This year, we have resolved to consider becoming a Welcoming Congregation, to revitalize our social activities, to train leaders in conflict management skills, to increase involvement in community, and to keep in contact with visitors, friends, and members.
This month, this day, this hour - I resolve to take better care of myself, to take better care of my family, to take better care of my Church.
Jim Hermann - President
January Calendar
SU 02 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
9:30am Meditation/Reflection
Sunday Services Committee
12:15pm Action Plan Task Force
Dance Rehearsal
TU 04 7:00pm EICA
Church Council
W 05 7:00pm Barn Bells
TH 06 7:00pm Publicity Committee
FR 07 7:00pm Book Group
SU 09 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
RE Council
Social Justice Committee
9:30am Meditation/Reflection
12:15pm Action Plan Task Force
12:30pm Dance Rehearsal
M 10 7:00pm Finance Committee
Committee on the Ministry
W 12 7:00pm Barn Bells
TH 13 7:00pm Aesthetics Committee
S 15 9:00am Quilting
SU 16 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
9:30am Meditation/Reflection
12:15pm Action Plan Task Force
12:30pm Dance Rehearsal
T 18 7:00pm Church Council
W 19 7:00pm Barn Bells
SU 23 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
9:30am Meditation/Reflection
12:15pm Action Plan Task Force
12:30pm Dance Rehearsal
12:45pm Membership/Hospitality Committee
TU 25 7:00pm Board of Trustees
W 26 7:00pm Adult RE Meeting
Barn Bells
SU 30 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
9:30am Meditation/Reflection
12:15pm Action Plan Task Force
12:30pm Dance Rehearsal
