The Unichord
Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin - May 2000
MONTH
7 - The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail
In 1846, Henry David Thoreau went to jail for refusing to pay his poll tax. He did so to protest the United States "war against Mexico". This service is a reading theater presentation of a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee about that night Thoreau spent in jail. Service led by the Rev. Dan Brosier.
14 - The Divine Mother
In times past, religion was filled with images of the feminine and motherhood. On this Mothers Day we will explore some of that heritage--we will examine the feminine face of the divine. Service led by the Rev. Dan Brosier.
21 - Sports--Religion, Science, or Just Plain Fun?
Sports permit us to judge people by what they do, which simplifies the search for meaning. Sports do not etherealize the body; they make it more concrete. Sports are about the finality of the consequences of an action or series of actions--an athlete's fate rests on making a physical but deliberative choice. Inspired by the writings of Gerald Early. Presented by the Sunday Services Committee.
28 - Sacred Origins of Profound Things
The history behind many of the rites and rituals of the world's religions is fascinating. In this service we will examine some of that history to better understand why certain practices and beliefs exist today. Service led by the Rev. Dan Brosier.
All Services Begin at 10:45 A.M.
Markings
I am in the process of redecorating my office. Actually the word "redecorating" isn’t correct because I never really decorated it to begin with. I just moved in and placed things where they were to various degrees accessible and out of the way. Not too long ago, though, it was pointed out that after living this way for five years it might be time to actually put some thought into the space.
The problem is that when it comes to decorating I can spend time and money and still end up with space that is neither tasteful nor thoughtful. I am not especially gifted in this area. I mentioned this to Paul Hanifl and he and Suzanne put me in touch with a person who helps people create harmonious environments through the ancient Chinese art called feng shui. From what I read, it is based on something called "chi" energy.
To be honest I was skeptical. Such notions of energy flow are not part of my understanding of how the world works, let alone how I would approach decorating an office. As I did a little checking, though, I learned that feng shui seemed to be well regarded so we set up a time to meet and look over the space. In preparation for that meeting the consultant needed to know my birth date and time, and a few other details about the history of the church.
To make a long story short, we did meet and discussed not only my office but other areas of the building as well. I didn’t follow her explanation concerning energy flow and direction, but I listened and answered any question she posed. I wondered how it would all tie together in the end, and I was a little anxious as to what she might recommend.
To my pleasant surprise though, the recommendations she gave made great sense—even to me. I don’t know how her process worked, but she was able to give some very good suggestions about how to arrange furniture and what to put on the walls. Her suggestions were thoughtful and, I believe, in line with what many with experience in interior design would make. Her process was different from traditional designers, but it brought her to of the same conclusions.
It was a good experience. Not only do I have solid ideas about my office, but also I am reminded that there are a number of ways to make sense of things—or in a little broader terms, that there are many paths to truth.
Annual Meeting
After the service on Sunday May 7 we will hold our annual meeting at which we will elect new Board members, RE Council members, and Endowment Committee members in addition to approving a budget for the coming fiscal year.
Wheel of Life
We are saddened by the news of the death of Anne Branstrator’s mother who died in March after living the entire 20th century.
Annual Rummage Sale June 8, 9 & 10
As you are doing your spring
cleaning, please think of bringing your "treasures" to the church to
include in our rummage sale. This is a big fundraiser for the church, and is an
easy way for you to contribute. We accept all donations, but would request that
everything, particularly clothing, be clean and in good condition. If something
is not in working order, please mark it as such.
All items can be brought to the church and put on the third floor at any time (please make sure you mark your donations "for rummage sale" or something similar). If you have large and/or heavy items which you need help moving, please call Andrea Schmidlin.
Please mark your calendars with this year's sale dates. If you have some time to spare to the effort, please consider volunteering. In order to make the sale successful, we need many people to pitch in. You can help with set up, pricing, making/setting out signs or working during the sale. Look for the clipboard at church.
Drumming Circle Sunday, June 18
We will be hosting a drumming
circle on Sunday, June 18, beginning at 8:00 PM at the church in conjunction
with the summer solstice. Drumming circles create a rhythmic experience to
celebrate community and nature. This drumming circle is open to those 10 years
of age or older. Participants are invited to bring drums or other percussive
instruments. The event should last about an hour and a half. For more
information contact Dan Brosier 847-888-0668.
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 straightforward. 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.
Department of Religious
Education 
May 2000
As has happened often this past year, my daughter Savannah has surprised me with her questions and words of wisdom. This week I was blessed with two such occurrences.
The most recent one was on Tuesday, which as of this writing is the week before Easter. "Mom, why do they call it 'Good Friday' when Jesus died that day?" At the time we were at Target, and she was admiring all the Easter candy, baskets, and knickknacks. My wise reply was, "Well, I'm not sure why. We'll have to ask Dan."
And like a good parent, I did ask Dan, who then looked up a couple of reasons and wished me good luck in explaining them to a six-year-old. I then did my best in relating the information back to her and she was satisfied with it at that point in time. By the way, if you want to know the answer, you'll have to ask Dan yourself.
The other discussion we had concerned death, which was good timing since her Sunday School class would be talking about birth and death the next two weeks, and there is the connection to Jesus' death and rebirth at this time of the year.
She began by asking me about my cousin who had died last year on the summer solstice from a brain aneurysm. First there were the typical questions, like "What's a brain aneurysm?" and "Will I get one and die?" Luckily, the next day was her physical exam, so I suggested that she ask the nurse or doctor her questions.
Now usually that would be enough to satisfy her curiosity, but not this time. She started to cry, saying that she didn't want to die and leave her family. This surprised me greatly. Most children are afraid of their parents dying and leaving them behind.
After much reassuring, she stopped crying and everything seemed to be okay - for a while. Thirty minutes later she was upset again. When I asked what was making her sad this time, she replied through her tears, "Why does God make bad things happen?" Well this one really caught me by surprise! The best I could do at the moment was say, "I don't know why."
Later, after I gave it some thought, however, I wisely said to Savannah, "We'll have to ask Dan."
Fondly, Kathy Underwood - Director of Religious
Education
Wedding Invitation!
Donna Ruhl and Steve Askins cordially invite you, the members and friends of the UU church of Elgin, to celebrate with us when we marry in our sanctuary on June 17, 2000 at 2:00 P.M. The reception will be downstairs immediately following the ceremony.
Please let us know if you will be attending. So that we may plan for the greatest enjoyment for all, we request that you reply with the number of adults that we can expect and the number of children needing childcare
Kindly RSVP by May 17 to Donna:
We hope to see you at the wedding!
Donna and Steve
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.
- June 2 Personal History by Katharine Graham. At the home of Henny DuBois.
- July 14 Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. At the home of Laurie Kiesewetter.
- August 18 The Hours: A Novel by Michael Cunningham. At the home of Alice Macy.
Quilting Group
The quilting group will
be meeting to finish this year's raffle quilt on Saturday, May 13 from 9 A.M. to
4 P.M. We hope you will be ready for your raffle tickets at the picnic in June.
Kudos
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Carl Deitrick for donating a newer, larger screen monitor for the church office. |
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Sheena John for developing a plan for our meditation garden. |
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Dotti Carringi for designing a brochure for the Social Justice Committee and for her work on revising the church brochure. |
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Jim Burnidge and Paul Hanifl for their many years of service on the Finance Committee. |
Taste of Committee
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee meets monthly to oversee the financial transactions, obligations, and assets of the church. Its responsibilities include developing a proposed budget to submit to the Board and congregation; reviewing current finances each month; overseeing fundraising activities such as the service auction and rummage sale; reviewing insurance needs annually; developing financial projections; overseeing investments and capital fund drives.
The committee consists of the treasurer and six members appointed for three-year terms. This month Jim Burnidge and Paul Hanifl are retiring from the committee after many years of dedicated service, to be replaced by Carl Deitrick and Rusty Winchel. Other members of the committee are Jim Hermann, Church Jeffries, Dan Riordan, Jim Porter, and Alice Macy, Treasurer.
Earth Wisdom Labyrinth
The Earth Wisdom Labyrinth is open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours. Groups wishing to walk the labyrinth are asked to avoid Sunday mornings. If a group is interested in using the building as well, contact the church office for rental information
Boston Trip Fundraiser
The Boston Trip 2000
youth will be serving lunch at the annual meeting following the service on May
7. The meal will consist of sandwiches, fruit, chips, dessert, and drinks and
will cost $6.00, payable at the door. Thank you for supporting our trip to
Boston!
Burning Question Coffeehouse is Back!
The Burning Question Coffeehouse will reopen on
Saturday May 13 at 8 P.M., with featured performer Sarah B, food and drink and
great company. The reopening of the coffeehouse is due to the combined efforts
of Kim Cecil, Rusty Winchel and Sarah B, and lots of volunteers. If you want to
be one of those volunteers, please make sure to get your name on the sign-up
sheet in the lobby. Otherwise, just show up on May 13 for a great show - and -
this just out: the first twenty people through the door will receive a free
cassette containing Sarah's new single "Angel Fly", which she
debuted on All Music Sunday this March, and which will not be available
elsewhere until the release of her new album later this year. See you on the 13th!
May Birthdays
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05 Dave Underwood |
Pantry Sunday, May 7
A list follows to help you decide what to buy for Pantry Sunday, May 7, donations: jelly, dry pinto beans, bar soap, peanut butter, fruit juice, chili and tuna fish. All Peoples Inter-Faith Pantry people indicated that these items are needed.
Yes,
as in the past, bring your donations of non-perishable food items, paper goods,
toiletries or infant needs on our Pantry Sunday, May 7, for the Inter-Faith
Pantry. These items can also be brought on other Sundays during the month and
deposited in the basket located on the east wall in the multi-purpose room.
If you wish to make a cash donation to the Pantry instead of donating purchased items, containers for these donations will be near the collection baskets in the entrance area on pantry Sunday. (Henny DuBois)
Bully Pulpit - May 2000
This is my last article as President. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me during that last two years. It had been an honor and a privilege to serve as President of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin.
Some people deserve special thanks and I want to mention them by name.
Foremost, I would like to thank my wife, Esther Hermann. Without her support and guidance, it would not have been possible to complete this service. She seems always to be there for me and I appreciate her support.
Among church leaders, I want to thank Dan Brosier most of all, as much for his general support as his spiritual support. Much of the operation of this church still depends upon Dan. I have tried to reduce the amount of church business that he does. Still, the church does not run without him. He will always be the best minister that I have ever met.
My Vice-President, Andrea Schmidlin, deserves a lot of credit also. She defined the role of Vice-President as the Chair of the Church Council. She worked hard for the Board of Trustees and the Church Council. It would not have been possible without her.
The Treasurer and Secretary, Alice Macy and Chris Davis, the other officers of the Church, have worked hard during the last two years. They have been supportive and I appreciate all their efforts.
The other Trustees, Joyce Becker, Chuck Jeffries, Laurie Kiesewetter, and Scott MacDuff, were a great group to have as Board members during the last two years. We enjoyed some good meetings together and I want to recognize their support.
Finally, I would like to thank all the members of the congregation for their encouragement during the last two years.
Jim Hermann, President, Board of Trustees
May Calendar
WE 03 7:00pm Rental - WiccanTH 04 7:00pm Publicity Committee
SU 07 9:00am Aestheics Committee
12:15pm Sunday Services Committee
12:30pm Congregational Meeting
S 13 3:00pm Set-up -Coffee House
8:00pm Coffee House
SU 14 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
M 15 7:00pm Finance Committee
T 16 7:00pm Church Council
Th 18 7:00pm Rental - Wiccan
S 20 6:30pm Circle Suppers
SU 21 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
9:00am Social Justice Committee
T 23 7:00pm Board of Trustees
SU 28 9:00am Unichord Rehearsal
12:45pm Membership/Hospitality Comm.
