The Anvil - July 2, 2012

Rev Adam will be teaching this month at Ferry Beach UU Camp in Saco, Maine. He and his partner will be travelling July 2-16, driving to Maine by way of Upstate New York. We will welcome him back to Chicago rested and refreshed and he will be back in the office after July 17th.

Please contact the office with any pastoral concerns. Rev Adam has arranged for Rev Elizabeth Harding and Rev Pam Rumancik to be on call to help with any issues that may arise.

Lay Preacher Training -

July 9, 2012 7:00 - 9:00pm

TRAINING FOR LAY PREACHERS: For anyone who has wanted to lead a solo or patchwork ( group) service, we invite you to a lay preacher training ! We want you to know that we need more lay participants , so if you have been holding back, now is the time to participate. Come join us as we discuss worship, developing a sermon, and how to apply. For more information, contact Reverend Adam or Linda Marquis @

Lkmarquis@mac.com ( 773-857-3035).l formation.

Pledge Reminder ~ It's Not Too Late!

FORGOT ABOUT THAT FINAL PLEDGE PAYMENT? NO WORRIES! We will we still gratefully accept your pledge payments for the 2011-12 church year. Every year for one reason or another our members don't get around to, or can't complete the pledge they made for the current fiscal year by June 30 - but it's not because they don't want to or won't ever be able to complete this annual gift. But every year, most of those folks do make payments in July and August. Thanks for getting your late payments in!

Our bills don't take a summer vacation, so we're very grateful for people who plan to pay their new pledge for 2012-13 in monthly installments that start in July.

Sunday Services for July...

July 8, 2012 What About the Heroes?

Our guest preacher , Reverend David Weasley , the Community and Congregational Relations Coordinator at the Night Ministry, will be preaching about the organization and it's work with youth experiencing homelessness in Lakeview and beyond. Second Unitarian has been an integral part of the Night Ministry since it was founded 35 years ago. David will speak to the social and spiritual importance of this lasting partnership. Readings include a poem written by a young person experiencing homelessness and a scene from The Avengers Movie.

July 15, 2012 Surviving- Moving Beyond Hope- and Thriving

Our July 15 Sunday service will by lay led by Janice Stashwick, who will explore different dimensions of hope in facing adversity. Janice will share her own journey with facing -- and beating -- cancer and how that experience strengthened her spiritually. Janice recently achieved Aspirant status to candidacy in UUA ministerial formation.

Religious Services Committee

***NAME CHANGE***

We are now the

Sunday Services Committee (SSC)

The Religious Services Committee (RSC) is being renamed the Sunday Services Committee ( SSC). The name change reflects an attempt to clarify our mission and scope. Second Unitarian has a variety of worship services which do not fall on a Sunday such as Vespers, Solstice and Seder. These services fall under the responsibility and supervision of the minister, not the SSC.

chalice globe

The Board of Trustees agreed that this change would be appropriate and voted to change the name to Sunday Services Committee. The primary mission remains constant: to engage, encourage, and support lay involvement in Sunday Services. As before, congregants are welcome to bring questions and feedback directly to the Sunday morning preacher or worship leader - lay or clergy- and also to the SSC. We welcome congregational input on all aspects of Sunday Service. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments at SSC@ Secondunitarian.org.

Disability Pride Parade

Pride is for everyone. Please join people with disabilities, their families, friends and colleagues at the 9th Annual Disability Pride Parade in downtown Chicago on Saturday, July 21. This is a day to celebrate diversity, acceptance, and justice. Please contact Janice Stashwick (janstash22@gmail.com or 312-810-2233) if you would like to be part of 2U's contingent to march in the parade. The parade steps off at Dearborn and Van Buren at 11 a.m., marches north on Dearborn to Daley Plaza. If you are interested in volunteering as a parade marshal or in any other capacity, please contact Byl Adam (byljadam@gmail.com).

Or just come down to cheer us on...and stay for the entertainment at Daley Plaza. Some acts this year are: the Jesse White Tumblers; The Arts of Life Band; Collective SOLE dance troupe; Praetorium Signing Church Choir; and rock band Eden. See you there!

Worship & Church Picnic -

Sunday July 29, 2012 11:00am

Please join us Sunday, July 29 for worship in
Lincoln Park, GROVE 15

right on Lake Michigan, at 11:00am.

Here is the map:

http://www.secondunitarian.org/grove15map.pdf

Church-wide potluck meal immediately after service.

What yummy thing will you bring?

If your last name begins with the following letter, please bring the following:

A-E: Side Dishes & Salads picnic

F-L: Desserts

M-R: Beverages

S-Z: Main Dishes

We need YOUR help. Please let David Leaman, deleaman@att.net, know if you can help with any of the following:

*Set up or clean up

*Bring tables & chairs

*Give rides to the park

If you need a ride to the park, please contact David Leaman, deleaman@att.net

Looking forward to a lovely Sunday in the park!

Sun / Moon Ritual Group Forming:

One Year of Worship

Are you interested in the cycles of life? Do you enjoy the Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice rituals at 2U? Are you interested in learning about the Pagan high holidays, also known as the Wiccan Sabbats? We are forming a Sun/Moon Ritual Group to create and offer Pagan worship for our congregation. The Sun/Moon Ritual Group will be honoring the cycles of the sun and moon throughout the year by developing and hosting a ritual on each of the Wicaan Sabbats.

Susan Frances will facilitate this group. Please join her in creating the rituals that the rest of the 2U community will be invited to participate in over the next year. You may contact Susan at 773-304-7118 orsfrances@meadville.edu. The first meeting is on July 11, 2012.

During 2U's 2012-2013 church year, the dates and names of the Wiccan Sabbats are:

8/1/12 (Wednesday) - Lughnasadh or Lammas

9/21/12 (Friday) - Autumnal Equinox or Modron

10/31/12 (Wednesday) - Samhain

12/21/12 (Friday) - Yule or Winter Solstice

2/1/13 (Friday) - Imbolc or Bride

3/21/13 (Thursday) - Eostre or Spring Equinox

5/1/13 (Wednesday) - Beltaine

6/21/13 (Friday) - Litha or Summer Solstice

Everyone is invited to join the group on these dates to celebrate the high holidays, even if you don't join the Sun/Moon Ritual Group in developing the rituals.

Blessed Be.

Choir Corner

The 2U choir is catching its breath and resting its voices over the summer. The regular Tuesday evening rehearsal schedule (7:30, in the sanctuary) will resume in mid-August, to prepare for a September service. New voices (and new faces) are always welcome!!! For more information, email music director Marianne Parker. Don't use email? Call me, Myra Epping, at 773-338-4086.

Chamber Musicians Needed

Interested in playing chamber music for one of the Sunday services at 2U? The Music Committee is looking for instrumentalists who might like to play with others in a variety of chamber ensembles during Sunday services. Please contact Music Committee member Monica Drane or 2U Music Director Marianne Parker if you are interested or have questions.

August Nicaragua Brigade Needs Brigadistas!

UU Church West in Brookfield, WI

needs at least 5 more volunteers to travel to Nicaragua August 11 - 19 this summer to build houses for the poorest of the poor, and to build community across boundaries and borders. We need five more in order to meet the minimum of 12 required to form a brigade. More than 5 would be even better. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please contact one of the 3 group leaders below. You don't have to be a church-member to be a brigadista.

Jim Fischer     (262) 860-0240 gleesonfischer@sbcglobal.net
Joe Lange       (414) 873-4566    joelange@wi.rr.com
Eddee Daniel   (414) 771-8857   eddeedaniel@sbcglobal.net

UU Buddhist Fellowship Convocation

Greetings from the UU Buddhist Fellowship.

The UUBF holds a convocation every two years. These biennial convocations are an opportunity for Buddhist-inclined UU's to get together for conversation and mutual inspiration. There is a Special Early Bird General Assembly Rate, available until July 7, 2012.

We will gather in the greater Washington-Baltimore area, April 5-7, 2013, with our guest teacher, Tara Brach, founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and a leading western teacher of Buddhist meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening.

The flyer and on-line registration are available on our web page, www.uubf.org.