Minister's Musings

Want Ad: Our Welcoming Congregation seeks new Chairperson for Interweave.

Recently I've heard it mentioned several times by both gay and straight members that it doesn't matter that we don't have an active Interweave group at the moment. The reason? We are beyond noticing who identifies as straight, and as gay, lesbian, transgender or bi-sexual. While I rejoice and agree that a person's gender orientation seems to be a non-issue at UUCT, I also hope that we can find an Interweave Chair.

Here's why: While we as religious liberals may agree on gender equality and same-sex rights to marry, there is no such agreement in our Florida culture. We have much work to do to demonstrate our First Principle beyond our lovely campus. Within the past year, a Public Policy survey found that over half of Florida voters opposed same-sex marriage. Under Florida law, same-sex marriages and civil unions are not recognized. Fact: in Florida, same-sex marriage and civil unions were constitutionally banned on November 6, 2008 with 62% of the vote.

It's wonderful that we're beyond noticing differences in gender orientation at UUCT and that we have seen progress in the city. I'm glad that on April 13th, Tampa mayor Bob Buckthorn signed into law a domestic partner registry within Tampa city limits. It allows same-sex couples to make end-of-life care and funeral arrangements; it allows hospital visitations.

But I hope that the day will soon come when same-sex marriage will be legal in Florida. I hope the day will soon come when the domestic partner registry will be seen as having been a necessary but quaint separate-but-equal stepping stone. Yes, it is progress, but we're not there yet.

Fact: Within the past year, a Florida survey found that only 33% responded "yes" to the statement: "Gay couples should be allowed  to marry legally."

Until same-sex marriage is legal in Florida, we at UUCT need to continue to work for GLBT rights. Let's keep our rainbow flag flying. Interested in chairing Interweave? Let me know at revsaraz@aol.com. Thank you.

Other Matters

This is Katie Culbert's last month with us as the Director of Religious Education for Children and Youth. Katie is pursuing her Master of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, on her way to her goal of becoming an ordained Unitarian Universalist parish minister. She'll be doing a lot of the course work while in Tampa, thanks to online accessibility. So good luck to you, Katie, and we'll look forward to seeing you at UUCT!

Roger Grugel, Intern Minister, will conduct the Child Dedication service on June 10. Do you have a young child to be dedicated? Contact Roger at rcgrugel@yahoo.com.

On June 10, I will be at my undergraduate school, Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, class reunion. My, uh--should I admit it?­ Why not?--50th Reunion. I've been invited to give the sermon at the chapel service that day and feel honored to do so.

Have a great June, everyone! See you at church.

Rev. Sara

UUs Discover . . . Themselves! 

It's been another quiet month at UUCT . . . NOT!   

Our grounds and facilities improve almost weekly, with a new pergola in the Memorial Garden, better designation of parking places, and new carpeting installed throughout the sanctuary, among many other developments.  As our annual church year comes to a close, we have several opportunities to gather in community, beginning with Sunday May 20th, when we have an all-church potluck after Sunday service, followed by a concert. Activities continue in June with a service at the close of Sunday classes for children and youth, and on June 8th with a family barbecue, music, and games for members and friends of all ages.   

We have begun the search process for our new Director of Religious Education and hope to identify this person before our current DRE, Katie Culbert, leaves at the end of June to focus full-time on her seminary studies.  Rev. Sara Zimmerman continues to develop plans for her sabbatical time, and the sabbatical committee is hard at work to ensure that members' needs, both religious and spiritual, are met during the sabbatical period from September 1, 2012 - February 28, 2013.    

I hope you will join in many of these activities, as well as others discussed in this issue of the Domelight and on our Web site. As always, let me know if there are issues concerning our congregation that you feel the church leadership should address. 

In the spirit of community, 

SABBATICAL COMMITTEE UPDATE 

By Ed Benedict, Member, Sabbatical Committee 

Planning for Rev. Dr. Sara Zimmerman's sabbatical, September 1, 2012, through February 28, 2013, continues to identify some intriguing opportunities for our congregation.  We will have the possibility to renew our acquaintance with some Unitarian Universalist ministers who have served our congregation in the past or have been associated with us.
 
Rev. Dr. Sara has been able to get the Rev. Jim McKinley, who served us as an interim minister for two years, 1995 to 1997, to commit to speaking in our pulpit for two Sunday services.  Rev. McKinley current serves as a settled minister to a congregation in Hendersonville, NC.  Another old friend who will be making a reappearance during the sabbatical is the Rev. Brock Leach.  We had the good fortune of having Rev. Leach as a ministerial intern just a couple of years ago.  He is committed to speaking for four services during the sabbatical, including our Homecoming service in September.
 
Another minister who has committed to four sabbatical services is Rev. Elena Rigg, a UU minister, Retired Emeritus, who now lives in Ft. Myers.  Yet another familiar face, the Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, the minister of our sister UU congregation in Clearwater, has agreed to help with Rites of Passage Ceremonies during the sabbatical period.  

At the same time Rev. Dr. Sara has been lining up these speakers, she has been recruiting other guest speakers to commit to her grant-related curriculum.  As these commitments are firmed up, we will pass them on to you.  A full listing our all our guest speakers during the sabbatical will be published in a brochure in August 2012.  Please watch for it.   

Read a Good Book!

By Carol Baker

Here are the selections for the month of June.  Remember, summer is just beginning, so you still have time to make some suggestions for "beach reading" -- or any other sort of reading.  Just e-mail me at cbanddave1@verizon.net and I'll be sure to put your recommendations in next month.

M.T Jaureguizar:  One of my favorite books is the Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter.  It is a beautifully written story about a boy's life in the 1930's that is sure to stir many emotions in the reader.
 
Molly Conlon:  I suggest It's Not about the Bike by Lance Armstrong.  It showed how Lance Armstrong had to look deep within himself versus solely relying on his physical strength.
 
Bill Blymiller:  I am currently reading Alex Rosenberg's The Atheist's Guide to Reality.  It is a very interesting discussion of why religious arguments for the nature of reality are accepted so much more easily than the scientific arguments. It all revolves around the human preference for a good story rather than facts.

I am also reading some current "film noir" detective stories, mostly by Jeff Lindsay (Dexter) and John Connolly (Charlie Parker). I just picked up Mickey Spillane's I, the Jury to go back to the source of hard-boiled detectives.

Fran Davin:  I have recently finished First Family, Abigail and John Adams by Pulitzer Prize winning historian Joseph Ellis. This is a fresh examination of the unusual relationship between two strong people who had a profound influence on the shaping of our country.  Mr. Ellis does a superb job of capturing Abigail's intellectual abilities and the impact her thinking had on John's contributions as one of the shapers of a fledgling nation.

Thanks for the suggestions for good reading.  We look forward to many more "good books" for the summertime.   

Our Great Courses Discussion Group will take a 6-week hiatus during May and early June. The next meeting will be Monday, June 18, 7 - 9 p.m. 

We've decided that we'd like a little history to go along with the philosophical ideas we are studying. So several participants have chosen to report on events in certain countries or regions in the year 1000 C.E. They will share information with the rest of the group on June 18. China, India, and the UK have been chosen, but others can report on any area they choose -- or come with rotten tomatoes to throw during others' reports.   ;-(

Join us when you can. Snacks are provided, but BYO drink.

Contact info: manningjea@yahoo.com or 813.857.0468

CONTRIBUTOR STATEMENTS

By Joyce Formica, Pledge Secretary

Your financial support of UUCT is greatly appreciated.

To help you see where you are in your 2012 financial pledge to UUCT, statements will be sent to you (pledging members) in June.

During the summer, due to vacations, Sunday service attendance sometimes drops off, so when making your vacation plans, please remember to include a plan to maintain your pledge.

You may also inquire about the status of your pledge at any time by contacting me at (813) 988-1807. Or just stop by the office on a Sunday morning.

A Tale of Two Parking Lots

By your proud Parking Committee:

Marla Frazer, Earl Harvey, and Don Hunter  

Remember when...

... You never knew where to park?

... Someone always parked in a driveway and blocked everyone else?

... We played games like "I know I can fit my car between those two trees"

... We weekly fished cars out of the muck or the retention pond?

... There were never enough spaces?

... There was only one handicapped space?

... We had to park on Morris Bridge Road on a regular basis?

... Potholes by the entries could swallow your car?

Those days are officially over.  The parking improvements made possible by your generous contributions to the new building project, are almost finished.  We have gone from 45 random spaces squeezed among the trees to around 100 spaces, all clearly marked with concrete markers.  We now have plenty of spaces for all our regular events, and additional overflow parking easily accessible as well. We have 6 dedicated handicapped spots, and 2 bike racks.

So now we need to work on a new etiquette for parking.  Please help us make the most of our new spaces.

1.  If you are able bodied, please park away from the buildings and enjoy a stroll through our beautiful grounds.

2.  Leave the spaces on the Morris Bridge Road side open for latecomers, visitors, and the less physically able. 

3. Aim your front tires at a parking marker (or your back bumper if you're a non-conformist).   Pull all the way in. 

4. Think about the size of your car and the size of the space you choose. We have measured the width and tried to make all the spaces the same, but the depths vary greatly.  Some of the spaces near the front entrance and the Big Dome are really short and best fit compact cars. If you drive a very large vehicle, there are more than 10 spaces where you can park and absolutely no one will bump into your car (along Morris Bridge past where the dumpster used to be, in the meadow on the south side, near the new retention pond facing into the memorial garden). 

5. Use the Davis Road entrance more often.  This will reduce the bottleneck at the main entrance.  It is also a safer driveway to exit from, as there is greater visibility and a straight road. 

5. Don't park in front of posts and fences where there are no concrete markers.  All of the new white and tree posts are there to indicate that it is a driveway area, so keep moving. 

6.  There is a low area in the newly cleared far woods (think Easter Egg hunt).  We don't know yet what will happen when it rains.  So, when in doubt, don't park your car pointing into a pond. 

There are a few more improvements coming... more signs, reflectors to help mark the roads, landscaped planting beds to help direct cars. Keep your eyes open and enjoy our beautiful grounds and wonderful buildings.