glowing chaliceThe FORUM
Monthly Newletter of MVUUF
February 2008
Volume LV, No. 6

Lew Hann building photo

THE FELLOWSHIP GLOWS IN THE EVENING
Greetings! 
You are receiving this email because you are a friend or member of MVUUF. If you don't wish to receive our emails, let us know by replying to this email or using "safe unsubscribe" at the bottom of this email.
 
Thank member Lew Hann for taking the beautiful wide lens photo of the Fellowship (above) for our use. This view was caught at dusk and you'll see it on our website just about any minute now.

Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

8690 Yankee Street
Dayton, OH  45458
937-436-3628
 
mvuuf.org
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Kriss Gang, presidentAny doubts I may have ever expressed about the commitment of the members of MVUUF were washed away on January 13 at our semi annual congregational meeting. This was a meeting that I had not been looking forward to all through the fall of 2007 because of the massive deficit and the emotionally difficult decisions it looked like this congregation would have to make to bridge the enormous financial gap we faced. I seriously doubted that after three years of asking members to "dig deeper" we could again count on our members to make up our annual shortfall. But we asked, you gave and I was so gratefully proven wrong. This of course would not have been possible without Scott Leonard's leadership and his personal financial commitment as well as that of John Bierman and those anonymous matching grant donors that made our "close the gap" campaign a success.

 

So it will be on a much more positive note that I hand over the reigns to Scott who will begin his term as president on March 1. It has been nearly three years since I was first elected and I am often amazed at the changes this congregation has worked successfully through during my tenure. I won't even begin to list them here, but wanted to take this last opportunity to thank everyone who supported me, and more important, all of the elected lay leaders and volunteers who worked so hard to see this congregation transition to a new ministry under a new system of governance.

 

I sincerely believe that this congregation is in the best position it has ever been in to grow both numerically and spiritually and reach out even deeper and broader into the community and make our voices heard. Every Sunday we see more and more new people coming through our doors and we will see more and more new members joining MVUUF. With all that we have going for us at this point in our 50 year history, there is no limit to what we can accomplish when we set our minds, our hands and our collective resources to the task.

 

I thank you all so much for the opportunity to serve as board president. The last three years have been an extremely rewarding experience for me personally and I look forward to my continued and active participation as an "at large" board member.

 

Kriss Gang

Board President

Quick Links
TIME FLIES
Natalie Spriggs

I am always amazed at how fast time flies. I am heading toward month six since being hired and I see so many changes happening here at MVUUF. First, I was sad to see my DRE assistant, Brianna, moving on to a new job. However, that opened the door for our new DRE assistant, Renee. I am very excited to be working with her.  Renee has tons of experience working with people as well as organizing places from top to bottom. I look forward to seeing what kinds of things she comes up with to help make our program stronger. She is truly a blessing to our YRE family.

There was also a new position created, teen childcare provider, to help support our safety policies. Thus, we hired Kayleigh. I am happy to be working with her too. Kayleigh will be joining Kate on Sunday mornings in childcare during adult Religious Education. Having childcare during adult RE on Sunday mornings is a wonderful opportunity for all the adults with children to take advantage of our morning classes and receive free childcare while doing so. Kate and Kayleigh have such a great time with the kids! Sunday morning childcare starts at 9:30 (as do the adult RE classes). Kayleigh will also be working in the nursery and preschool classroom during services, with Beth. She works wonderfully with children and we are lucky to have her join our Youth Religious Education team! Please take a moment to welcome both Kayleigh and Renee and help them feel at home.

I also see our classrooms growing in size. When  say growing, I mean growing. We have almost doubled our YRE attendance. This is an exciting time. As more children/youth attend and continue to attend, our program grows even stronger. In February, a YRE task force will come together to plan out our summer and fall curriculum as well as map out our curriculum direction for the next few years. Some really exciting news is the YRE programming will start to offer regular Sunday preschool classes where our preschool children will follow UU curriculum. This will start this coming spring or fall.

Just around the corner, the Age of Reason Program for 2nd and 3rd graders will begin. In this program, our children will learn about what it means to be a UU. The classes will be held during the regular YRE programming on Sunday mornings. More information coming soon!

Busy, busy, busy! The teens and young adult group are hosting a Super Bowl Party at MVUUF on Sunday, February 3, starting at 6:00 PM. This family friendly event is a great way to hang out with others while watching the BIG game. It is only $5 to get in, and kids are free! There will be lots of free food too. It will be great to see our teens and young adults working together!

Mystery friends is also off and running. This is a great event that helps bridge generations. The children get to know an adult and visa versa. What a wonderful way for everyone to get to know each other!

So this is what the Youth Religious Education program is up to nowadays. As always, YRE is keeping me on my toes. Believe it or not, I am still enjoying every minute of it! Just a reminder, we do have a yahoo parent message board if you are interested in joining. This will inform you of the latest happenings in our program as well as sending out reminders. Just send me an email if you would like to join! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

HALFWAY TO SUUSI

SUUSI 2008 begins at 10:00 AM on July 20! We're halfway there! This year's theme is "Pilgrimage" and we'll be at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. Think about joining UUs from all around the region there. It could change your life!

 

You don't know SUUSI? Click here to learn about SUUSI!


YRE COMMITTEE
Interested in Youth Religious Education projects, curriculum and other matters?
 
Meet on the second Sunday of the month after service, next on February 10 at 12:30 PM.
 
All are welcome!

REACHING OUT

Rev. Amy Russell

Rev. Amy Russell

Conversations in Membership committee meetings in UU churches often wrestle with some of the same issues. There's usually a conversation like this one:

 

"We should be calling people who aren't showing up to find out if they're okay."

"We don't want them to make them feel guilty for not coming every Sunday."

"But if we don't call, how will we ever know what's going on with them?" 

 

We have this fear, I think, as UUs, that calling a church member out of the blue to see how they are doing is a "churchy" thing to do. We fear emulating that model of churches who were known to instill guilt in members when they didn't attend regularly. But in this case, I'm afraid we've thrown the baby out with the bath water. We certainly don't want to create expectations for a certain level of attendance as a membership criteria. But then when we don't call, we don't have the opportunity to tell people that we miss them.

 

Our new CareCallers have volunteered to do some of this calling at MVUUF. But that doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't be doing it as well with the people we care about.

 

We just welcomed ten new members into our community. Some of them are returning members and some are brand new UUs. In our welcoming ceremony, we say to our new members, "We trust you will find this a caring, supportive place."  We want people to feel cared for in the Fellowship. Are we doing enough for this to happen?

 

During our Joys and Concerns time in every service, I get to say some words that have become almost sacred to me from my earlier time at this Fellowship. We say, "We are a single, separate people linked in community by love and need and our search for truth. What touches one of us, touches us all." I remember when I was going through a bad time in my life, and these words were a tremendous comfort because they represented hope to me that people cared. That caring became true for me as people in this Fellowship called me, came by to visit, made my family meals, and were constantly checking to see how I was doing.

 

Sometimes people don't feel comfortable sharing during Joys and Concerns because they don't have a specific thing that is their concern, although they may not be feeling quite right about life. Often these people might stop coming to church for a while. That is when we need to be aware of calling someone, checking on them, letting them know that they are not forgotten; that they are cared for.

 

Over the next year, as I learn more about MVUUF, I hope that we will begin working on redefining our mission, our purpose as a community. I hope that part of our purpose is to be a caring, supportive community as we always have been.

 

SUNDAY SERVICES
 
February 3 at 11:00 AM
Religious Tolerance vs. Religious Respect
Rev. Amy Russell
As  Unitarian Universalists, we have deep historical roots in religious tolerance starting with King John Sigmund of Transylvania whose Diet put religious tolerance into law.  However, do we practice just tolerance of other's religions, or do we practice religious respect by listening and dialoging with people from various religious points of view?
 
February 10 at 11:00 AM
Homosexuality and the Bible 
Rev. Meg Barnhouse
Many people base their objections to same sex relationships on passages from the Jewish and Christian scriptures. What do those scriptures actually say? What are some different ways to approach those texts? What language are they in? What do the words really mean? Meg Barnhouse spent three years at Princeton Seminary training to read and interpret the Bible. She says it's fun to use that training to stand on the side of love.
 
February 17 at 11:00 AM
Celebrating Small Successes
Barb Weber
As the earth slowly turns toward the light and warmth of spring, what can keep us going during these remaining weeks of winter's dark and cold?  Lifting up our small (and not-so-small) successes can both encourage and inspire us to continue our journey toward the good that we seek.
 
February 24 at 11:00 AM
Principles of Dueling
Pat Santucci
As a contestant on the game show Duel, Pat went through the looking glass into the world of prime time network television. Sequestered from the outside world, he and his fellow contestants developed ways to communicate without speaking and built a small society in which many of our UU principles were clearly evident, setting ourselves against the designs of the television producers. In the process, they learned quite a bit about greed, ego, ambition, carryout food, and the entertainment machine. What does the TV industry think about people? We'll find out, after this.
MEG BARNHOUSE IN CONCERT

Meg Barnhouse

Meg Barnhouse will appear at MVUUF live and in concert on Saturday, February 9, and you will not forget her, once you have heard this amazing UU minister, singer, songwriter and author.

 

Saturday

February 9

7:00 PM

MVUUF

Tickets $10 advance/$13 at the door (suggested donation)

 

ADDED BONUS:  Meg's partner, Kiya Heartwood, who is half of "WISHING CHAIR" will join Meg for this show. Don't miss this opportunity! In case you are worried that she JUST rocks, she also plays waltzes, blues, folk, you name it, and will be reading some of her funny, witty stories.

 


The Rev. Meg Barnhouse, a uuworld.org columnist, is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Meg Barnhouse grew up in North Carolina and Philadelphia, and she has lived in Spartanburg since 1981. After graduating from Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary, she worked as Chaplain to Converse College for six years, teaching Public Speaking, Human Sexuality, World Religions, and other courses. Meg has been active in the community, helping to found the SAFE Homes Network for battered women. She is credentialed as a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

 

Meg also travels nationwide as a speaker, singer/songwriter and humorist. Meg is the mother of two wise, funny and handsome sons, ages 17 and 20. She has a second-degree black belt in karate, and is a commentator for NC Public Radio on a segment called "Radio Free Bubba." She has also been heard on National Public Radio's "Weekend All Things Considered."

 

Her books, The Best of Radio Free Bubba, Rock of Ages at the Taj Mahal, Waking Up the Karma Fairy, Return of Radio Free Bubba, and her newest, Did I Say That Out Loud? will be available at the show. Her first CD, "July Blue," is a mix of 12 original songs and 3 stories, including "A.D.D. Blues" and "Bipolar Waltz." The new CD, "Mango Thoughts in a Meatloaf Town," has 13 original songs, including "Move Over" and "All Will Be Well."




Constellation!

A Heartland District Junior High Conference will be held at the Fellowship on March 14 through 16. Youth from 6th through 8th grades, as well as fun adults are invited. The $30 registration fee will include:

  • Workshops and Activities
  • Fun
  • Social Justice Projects
  • Worship
  • Group Games Galore!
  • Crafts

Be sure to bring sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, clothes for Saturday and Sunday, cards, and a musical instrument if you desire. Be there or be square, er, star!

 

Email your questions and concerns to Elise, Heartland's Jr. High Transitional Age Range Representative, at  [email protected]

 

Click here for more information on Constellation!

 

Registrations due by March 9th

 

TREASURED MEMBERS
                                                                                By Judy Rengel

MVUUF has a membership status known as "Member Emeritus".  This honorary title goes to members who have shown longstanding dedication and support of the Fellowship. Some of these people have been with us from the days of Stillwater and First Church.

 

This year, with input from the care callers, a list was compiled of individuals they felt deserved this title. The names were submitted to the board for their input. A certificate has been prepared for presentation to the Member Emeritus honorees.

 

The names of honored members are: Jan Conrad, Jessie Hoffman, Charles Lewis, Rose Notz, Donald and Virginia Renner, Gwyneth Risley, Virginia Simpson and Jane Thomas. 

 

Our members are our treasures, whether 1 month or 100 years old. If you are a member, please know that you add value to our Fellowship. If you are not yet a member, but are considering joining, we welcome the chance to talk with you.

 

We offer you a place of community and fellow seekers. For information about membership opportunities contact the office at [email protected].

 

CARE CALLERS MEET FEBRUARY 14
                                                                       By Marilyn Faulconer

Care Callers will meet Thursday, February 14 at 7:00 PM in the Founders' Room at the Fellowship. We will make some list adjustments so bring yours. We will discuss the delivery of emeritus certificates, assignment of new members and any concerns you may have. Hope to see you all. Happy Valentine's Day!

HOW CAN WE HELP?
                                                                        By Leslie Woodward

"Life is precious.  Not because it is unchangeable, like a diamond, but because it is vulnerable, like a little bird.  To love life means to love its vulnerability, asking for care, attention, guidance, and support."

                                                            -Henri Nouwen

 

Within the next few months, MVUUF will be reaching out to each of its members, especially those facing personal challenges. As a community of faith, we would like to know what we could do to help support members when problems appear in their lives, whether they are physical, emotional or spiritual struggles and whether they are short term or permanent conditions.

 

In other words, how can we help? The Fellowship is considering a variety of different ways, including support groups, education forums, healing worship services, transportation services and a number of other possibilities. But before we can begin planning, we first need to gather information.

 

Look for more news in the coming weeks as we develop ways for you, as a member of our beloved community, to tell us what you would find supportive and useful.

CARING AND SHARING

Keep Ellen Beck in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers from her surgery.

 
Hold in your heart member Bettie Nickell, as she deals with her illness.

 

Gary Courts' surgery was successful and he is doing well with his physical therapy.

 

Remember Kathleen Pennington as she tends to her ailing father.

 

Send healing thoughts to Jan Atkinson's mother, who is recovering from a broken foot.

 
Keep these families in your thoughts and prayers:

Elsie Fenic's 99 year old mother, Martha Wagner, who was still swimming at age 97, passed away in late December.

 

Nancy Hartman's husband, David Paul Hartman, passed away in late December.

 

Sara Davis' father passed away in January.

ELEMENTS OF UU SUNDAY SERVICES

ENDING THE SERVICE

 

This past few months, the worship committee has been exploring people's attitudes toward and suggestions for different elements of the Sunday morning service.

 

Results have been discussed at the worship committee meetings and with Amy. We have appreciated your input.

 

The final survey will be about Ending the Service. Look for it in February in a Sunday morning order of service and on the MVUUF online discussion group.

FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH
A BRIEF HISTORY
                                                                              By Don Ferguson

Forty-eight citizens met at the Dayton YMCA on the night of May 18, 1910, to start a Unitarian Church, but they discovered that they were two short of the required fifty members for a charter. A woman made a telephone call to two sisters she knew, they joined the group, and the First Unitarian Church of Dayton, Ohio was born. The meeting was conducted by Rev. Ernest C. Smith, Secretary of the Western Reserve Unitarian Conference, Chicago, Illinois, assisted by the Rev. C. W. Casson. The Rev. John M. Davidson of Xenia, Ohio, a member of the American Unitarian Association of Boston, Massachusetts and Elizabeth D. Elliott, wife of Russell Elliott, were responsible for arranging the meeting.

 

After obtaining the signatures of fifty adults, the Articles of Incorporation were signed on May 21, 1910 by Francis K. Fassett, N. M. Stanley, Frank C. Moody, H. L. Orrman, J. Elliott Dodd, Elizabeth D. Elliot, Grace B. Heathman, Sarah Howard Peirce (of our stained glass window fame), and Alice Kile Neibel.

 

The Articles of Incorporation were filed on May 23, 1910. "Said Corporation is formed for the purpose of providing a place of worship for its members according to the principles and practices of the Unitarian Church and to promote the interest of a progressive and exalting religion; to receive and hold donations and bequests and funds and other property arising from other sources; all for the benefit of said corporation, and to enjoy all the incidental rights and privileges of a society organized for various purposes as set forth above."


DIANE DOVER IS FEBRUARY ARTIST

Artwork by Diane Dover

Diane Dover's body of work is rooted in her close observations of the natural world. As an amateur naturalist, she has spent many hours in close observation of the flora and fauna of the Ohio area. Her artwork reflects this attention to detail in many ways. She is particularly interested in the world of birds, a recurring theme in her work. Diane's original ideas take shape in a variety of media, including quilts, fabric sculpture, intricately designed seed bead covered gourd bowls, origami and greeting cards.
 
Diane studied art at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University, and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wright State. Diane is a long time member of MVUUF. She lives in Beavercreek with her husband and son, who often accompany her in her wildlife adventures!
SUITE RUNNERS NEEDED
  Dayton Dragons Logo

Interested in helping raise money for MVUUF by working one or more nights during baseball season with other MVUUF members as a Suite Runner for Dayton Sportservice?  See Lucy Kazyak or Dale Bockhorst with questions or to sign up. Or email them at [email protected]

BASKET DONATIONS

Village Banking Logo

MVUUF will donate a third of the January and February 2008 basket collections that are not designated as "pledges" to FINCA International, a highly regarded microcredit organization. Microcredit has become an important force in helping to alleviate poverty and encourage economic growth. FINCA (Foundation for Inter National Community Assistance), through their "Village Banking System," provides financial services to the world's lowest income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets, and improve their standard of living. It was recommended by the UUA, and a number of UUA congregations have been supporting their work.
 
FINCA currently serves poor populations in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Congo, D.R., Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kyrgystan, Malawi, Mexico, Nicaragua, Russia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Just $50 provides a first loan to a new FINCA "Village Banker." The funds are reloaned when they are repaid, which is usually within four months. Each loan provides startup capital that will support a family that averages five people.

 

Thus, if we give $350, we will enable them to finance $1,050 in loans the first year, which will provide a total of 21 loans and "improve 105 lives" in the first year. The loans from our initial gift will continue to support new entrepreneurs at this rate year after year.

Click here to learn more about microcredit.

THANKS FOR HELPING
                                                 By Kate Santucci, Social Concerns

Thank you to everyone who contributed extra money to the collection basket during the months of November and December! Our teens were able to shop for supplies to outfit two apartments for the Daybreak Shelter. They had a great time, and provided cleaning supplies, sheets, towels, and other "getting started" items to help teens transition from the shelter into independent housing. Your generosity made this happen. Again, THANK YOU!

 

In January and February, our donations will be going to a microlending organization (see article above), and in March and April we will be helping some Iraqi refugee families get settled into their new homes in the Dayton area. More info will be coming soon! Thanks for all you do.

2ND SATURDAY LUNCH AT THE OTHER PLACE
                                                         

The Other Place logo

February 9 Menu

Pulled Turkey Sandwiches (provided by Adina & Rita Reeves)
Warm Mixed Vegetables
Roasted or Mashed Potatoes
Whole Fruit
Desserts (provided by Dorothy Lane Market)
 
To provide a dish or help serve, send an email to [email protected] today!
MVUUF, CROSS CREEK AND PFLAG
COSPONSOR MOVIE

On Friday, February 15, the movie For the Bible Tells Me So will be shown at MVUUF at 7:30 PM. This movie talks about how one's faith is a contributive factor in supporting GLBT rights. A panel discussion will be held afterward.

 

FILM SYNOPSIS

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families, including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson, we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

 

The movie will also be shown on Saturday, February 16 at Crosscreek Community Church at 667 Miamisburg-Centerville Road at 7:30 PM.

 
Donations are accepted and the proceeds will go to Equality Ohio and PFLAG.

MEN WHO COOK

 

Men Cooking

 

Saturday

February 23

6:30 to 8:30 PM

 

Don't miss Men Who Cook! Men of the Fellowship will prepare and serve their finest culinary creations: appetizers, soups, entr�es, and desserts. Wine and other beverages will be served. Musical entertainment will be provided, and there will be a 50/50 raffle as well.

 

Tickets are $30 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under, with the proceeds going to MVUUF's general operating fund.

 

For more information, contact:

 

Bob Lewis [email protected] 

 

 

SERVICE AUCTION MARCH 8!

The 2008 Service Auction Needs You

 

The MVUUF Service Auction is happening Saturday, March 8 from 6:00 to 9:30 PM.  This is not just one of our biggest social events of the year, it is also our biggest fund raiser of the year, and we need everyone's help to make it a success.

 

First, we need your donations!  Newcomers might ask, "what kind of donations?"  People donate both services and items.  Example services include: hosting a dinner for eight people, hosting a party with board games for twelve people, hosting a picnic on a hiking trail for six people, computer tech support for four hours, handyman services for a day, pet sitting or house sitting, a one hour yoga lesson.Be creative! Other folks prefer to donate items such as baked goods, arts/crafts, or collectibles. (Please save "garage sale" items for the spring sale.)

 

Second, if you can help with the party or the auction, volunteers are needed. We need help with child care, decorations, setup, cleanup, bringing snacks for kids, and keeping the serving tables stocked with food from the kitchen.

 

Please complete a form (you'll find a stack in the Gathering Space) and return it to the MVUUF office by Sunday, February 24 so we can include your donation in the auction catalog. Questions? Call Scott Leonard.
SUPER BOWL PARTY
Super Bowl LogoBetter than being in Arizona! Your friends will all be at the Fellowship. There will be lots of free food. The big game will be projected into the wall. Come for the fun, the fellowship, the excitement, the food!
            Sunday
February 3
6:00 PM
 
$5 ADULTS, KIDS ARE FREE
ALL PROCEEDS TO THE FELLOWSHIP
SPONSORED BY THE TEENS & YOUNG ADULT GROUP
FELLOWSHIP GOURMETS
The Fellowship Gourmets' next dining experience will be:
 
FRIDAY
February 22
6:00 PM
Franco's Ristorante
324 East Fifth Street
Dayton
222-0204
 
RSVP to Cyndi Reeves at [email protected]. Two notes: dinner will be on FRIDAY this time and Cyndi has a new email address.
 
Add to your calendar: C'est Tout, a casual French bistro, on Saturday, March 22 at 6:00 PM. More next month!
FOUR FAITHS SEMINAR

Amy Russell will lead an adult education seminar based on the book Religious Integrity for Everyone, by Fred Campbell, retired UU minister. The Four Faiths Seminar will meet in the Founders' Room on Tuesdays at 7:00 to 8:30 PM starting February 26. The seminar looks at the faith of UUs from four perspectives: Theists, Humanists, Naturalists, and Mystics. 

 

The seminar will meet for nine sessions, excluding March 25. Participants will be expected to purchase the book, which can be obtained on Amazon either new or used. Anyone is welcome to attend. A sign-up sheet will be available in the Gathering Space.
MORE MEDITATION

Several people have requested that another Buddhist Meditation group form and meet on Sundays at 9:30 to 10:30 AM. If you are interested, please come to an organizational meeting on Sunday, February 3 at 9:30 AM in one of the RE classrooms. The group will discuss how they will lead themselves and how often they want to meet.

ASTROLOGY CLASS PLANNED
New Fellowship member, Brad Kochunas, is willing to facilitate classes on psychological astrology at no cost if there is sufficient interest and a room available. Please contact him for details at [email protected].
COMMUNITY DISCUSSION GROUP

The Community Discussion Group is an adult group that meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 to 10:45 AM in the Founders' Room for fellowship and thought provoking discussion. A chance to let your hair down, speak your mind or say nothing at all, without criticism. Up close and personal. Please join us!

 

Sunday, February 3
Basics of Paganism

Paganism is the ancestral religion of the whole of humanity. This ancient religious outlook remains active throughout much of the world today, both in complex civilizations such as Japan and India, and in less complex tribal societies worldwide. It was the outlook of the European religions of classical antiquity: Persia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as of their "barbarian" neighbors on the northern fringes, and its European form is reemerging into explicit awareness in the modern West as the articulation of urgent contemporary religious priorities. Presented by MVUUF CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans). Moderator: Cyndi Reeves

 

Sunday, February 10
The Ability to be Objective

The human nervous system makes a very quick analysis of situations based on past experiences and judgments. This is done automatically and before we have a chance to get the sensory data for our conscious decision making process. We often, however, take this quick assessment as a conscious rational decision. The question is how this fact gets us into trouble. A student of mine wrote a very good paper on this process using the book Blink. I have permission to give group members a copy of her paper the week before my presentation. Moderator: Joe Lawrence

 

Sunday, February 17
The Joys of Volunteering

There are "feel good" payoffs in volunteer work, especially when you are doing a worthwhile job that you enjoy. Even if you are still gainfully employed, a few volunteer hours might give you some new perspectives on the world around you that you might not have during your normal working hours. Moderator: Elfi Purkey

 

Sunday, February 24
A Look at Philanthropy

We'll discuss general aspects of philanthropy, such as who gives, what are favored charities, how to evaluate a charity's use of the money, etc. Group members will have an opportunity to share their experiences and expectations. Moderator: Sam Kramer

 

THE WOMEN'S GROUP

The Women's Group is studying topics from The Spirit of Life UU curriculum through March. The Spirit of Life study is the adult part of the UUA's new Tapestry of Life series of courses on spirituality for all ages. The group explores a different aspect of spirituality each week, prompted by the lines of the familiar song. There are discussions and activities each Sunday at 9:30 AM, and all women are invited to attend. Feel free to drop in for individual topics. If you have any questions, contact Barb Weber or Shirley Forrest.

 

Upcoming discussions

 

February 3

All the Stirrings of Compassion: Caring for One Another

 

February 10

Blow in the Wind, Rise in the Sea: Nature and Spirit

 

February 17

Move in the Hand: Living Our Spirituality in Day to Day Life

 

February 24

Giving Life the Shape of Justice: Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves

SMART CHOICES
This women's group meets the first and third Monday evenings, generally at the Fellowship.  Together we share talents and ideas or do something that is fun or instructive.  It is a good way to know UU women better and just have fun. You are welcome to join us! 

 

Monday, February 4

7:30 to 9:00 PM

Come to the Fellowship prepared to talk about your first love. That might be a person or career, hobby, etc.

 

Monday, February 18

7:30 to 9:00 PM

We will meet at MVUUF and share our thoughts about books that have impacted our lives in some way.

 

Monday, March 3

7:30 to 9:00 PM

Meet at the Fellowship and bring a cassette or CD of a song that you would like to share.

 

Monday, March 17

6:30 PM

Meet at El Mason Restaurant for dinner and St. Patrick's Day celebration.
DAYTIME BOOKS
The MVUUF Daytime Book Club meets monthly on designated Wednesdays. We meet at 10:30 AM at the Fellowship in the Richard Venus Library. We discuss the book and author for an hour, then go to a local restaurant for lunch together. It is open to anyone and all are welcome. Contact Sylvia Wince or Carol Vincent for information.

 

February 20

Mountain Beyond Mountains: The quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder 

 

March 12

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

 

April (Date TBA)

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini
EVENING BOOKS

The Evening Book Discussion Group will meet at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, February 12 at Alice Diebel's house to discuss A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

 

The March 11 meeting will be at 7:00 PM at Ann Snively's house for a discussion of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

 

The book for April 8 is Funny in Farsi: a Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas, location to be determined. 

 

The book for May 13 is Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins, location to be determined.

 

New participants are welcome.  Contact Ann Snively if you would like more information about the group.
CINEMANIACS

Sunday, February 17
If you're wild about films, join Cinemaniacs the third Sunday every month at The Neon movie theater for the 4:30 to 5:30ish showing.  The title and time will be sent by email late in the week just prior to the Sunday event. Everyone is welcome! After the movie, we meet in the lobby for fellowship and discussion. Send questions or requests to be added to the Cinemaniacs email list to Pete Hering at [email protected].

CUUPS
MVUUF CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans)

 

Explore the beauty of Pagan, Goddess, and Earth-centered spiritualities woven together with Unitarian Universalism.

 

Upcoming Events

 

Saturday, February 2, 5:00 PM

IMBOLC Ritual/Feast (Bring food to share)

 

Sunday, February 3, 9:30 AM

MVUUF CUUPS in Community Discussion Group "Paganism"

 

Sunday, February 3, 12:30 PM

Open Social Gathering

 

Sundays, February 10, 17, 24, at 12:30 to 2:30 PM

Unitarian Universalist Association Adult Religious Education Curriculum "A Brief Introduction to UU Paganism." Bring snacks, brown bag lunch or food to share.

 

All members and friends of MVUUF are welcome! Contact any member of MVUUF CUUPS for additional information.

DIVERSITY COUNCIL SPONSORS MOVIE

The Centerville Washington Diversity Council invites you to a showing of the feature film Amazing Grace, about the life of William Wilberforce who led a 20 year effort to abolish slavery in Britain.

 

Amazing Grace will be introduced by Marshall Mitchell, executive vice president of Wilberforce University, who assisted with the film and its campaign. A representative from the Freedom Center in Cincinnati will provide closing remarks about the ongoing effort to abolish slavery in all parts of the world.

 

Thursday

February 21

7:00 PM

Centerville High School

500 E. Franklin Street

Centerville