January 2014

Rev. Dr. Doak Mansfield, Interim Minister

Erin Powers, DRE

In This Issue

Wondering While Wandering

Chalice Lighting Meditation

Desk of the President

Transitional Time

R.E. flections

CUUPS Full Moon Celebration

Wicca 101

The Challenge of Marriage

Tree Trimming Party!

Adult Religious Education

Membership Recognition

The Good Book

Rabunctious Roustabouts

Friendship Dinners

UUSC-UUA Response to Hyphoon Haiyan

Senior Connection

In the Spotlight

Women's Retreat

What Really Matters?

Come and join Buildings & Grounds Work Day,

January 11th,

9-11 a.m.

Click for
The Church Calendar

Al-Anon

Al-Anon meets at UUCT on Saturdays at 10:30 am each week. For additional information in Hillsborough County, call 813-881-9372 or visit us on the web at www.tampabayalanon.org.

DOMELIGHT
Deadline for Submissions: 17th of each month

Length of Articles:

300-350 words

Submit via email to: domelight@uutampa.org

DL Editorial Board:

Pat Busbice

Mary Francis

Ron Hammerle

Christine Smith

Board of Trustees

Beom Lee
Jodi Pecoraro
Roger Polcyn
John Powers
Chuck Smith

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Wondering While Wandering . . .

The Rev Dr. Doak M. Mansfield, Interim Minister
2014 is here! One important reason to invent a clock in ancient times was to alert religious folk to their obligations to prayer. From those times it is been a practice of humans to track time, designate passages of process, measure and value, one can say, in minutes, hours, days, years and so forth. For our purpose January 1 is a beginning of a new period of record, a new measure of our being and becoming: a year.
We live within time. I feel that each one of us wears down after a certain peak in our lifetime. We can have a great conversation on when your or my 'peak' time is: age 35, 40, 45 or later or earlier maybe even 20. I might push for 13 years of age. At 13 all possibilities seem to exist.
As one gets into the "sage" or "crone" age, generally I'd say by the 60s, one should have been bruised, disappointed, and grieved enough to come to some peace and sense of wisdom about what really matters. Oh, and by 60 one has smiled and experienced wondrous highs as well. Granted these are general assumptions but I think I'm close here. What does wisdom reveal? What does wisdom teach? Here are my seven bits of worthy wisdom;
1.    I'm not in ultimate control.
2.    I'm stronger than I think I am.
3.    Trying may not work but it has potential for surprises.
4.    Loving kindness changes situations, self, and others.
5.    Happiness is not earned but it can be discovered.
6.    Life is not about surrender or control; it is about participation.
7.    Wonder redeems, change renews, and adaptation is eternal.
My hope for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa community in 2014 is to continue becoming more creative and stronger as a people and ministry that nurtures the spirit, lives love, works for justice, and practices reconciliation. May freedom be our means and our way be though honor and respect for each one's power to craft meanings that work. Such is the challenge of "faith-ing": striving for meanings, living values, and practicing ethics that inspire, guide, honor, and sustain.
We do that though openness, gentleness, sincerity, generosity, participation, and creativity. What we bring to our being pretty well directs becoming.
For you, all my cohorts, friends, and fellow travelers: "May all your days be full and well lived and may you find all its gifts and share them joyfully."

Together in Love - Doak

A CHALICE LIGHTING MEDITATION

Our time of search and celebration now begins...
Let us acknowledge the freedom; the informing principle and environment, in which we come together as a seeking and servant people.
May we acknowledge and remember with appreciation the generations past who groped in all sorts of darkness; those of nature, mystery, and of human fear.
May we acknowledge the sacrifices of all courageous spiritual pilgrims, ken of blood and affection, who struggled with bold creativity and relentless love to contend with all the forms of darkness over human aspirations, achievements, and hope.
Let us dare with courage and resolve,join their company, and strive to sustain the community of light, love, and liberation.
May we with imagination and authenticity relate to the now and the future: our needs, our fears, our complicities, and our possibilities.
For the past, those present, and those to come close at hand the universal we would be so dedicated and contrive to carry the light, love, and liberation. As I light our chalice, symbolic of our intent, would all the people please say with me, yes? Yes.
Doak Maddox Mansfield

Desk of the President
It's the new year. Happy or not. It is here. And it is going to be an exciting year for us, and one that we are taking very seriously (but with a smile on our face). This year we will be planning, building, shaping, reshaping, and improving our Church. We will have missteps, victories, squabbles, tears, laughter, anger, reconciliation--it's all in the cards for us. With luck and work, the church will be here this time next year this time, and 10 years, 20, 50 years from now. Nothing new, for over 50 years people like us have worked to create and keep this a haven for folks like us.

Thank you for all your work in the past and all that will be done. So, volunteer an extra hour, pick up a piece of trash, clean a dirty window - and smile in gratitude. You are loved by lots of people in this Church and if I sound like your Dad reminding you of the love and obligations of family life . . .

Bill

UUCT

One Place. All Faiths. No Problem.

Transitional Time (Sept. 2013 - Aug. 2015 Interim Ministry) Objectives

1.     The acknowledging, considering, and coming to terms with the church community's history and legacy.
2.     Considering and developing an appropriate identity.
3.     Encouraging and allowing new leadership to emerge and merge.
4.     Strengthening and expanding UUA (The Unitarian Universalist Association) and local community relationships and links.
5.     Committing to new directions in professional and lay ministry.

From The Reverend Dr. Doak M. Mansfield

R.E.flections by Erin Powers

This month, I'd like to put the spotlight on one of our awesome Religious Exploration teachers, Batina Timmons. I'm always impressed by Batina's creativity and calm nature with our children. For those not too familiar with Batina, she loves adventure. She discovered UU's while studying nutrition at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 1995. Originally from Indianapolis, she found her way to Tampa in 2000 by way of Sonoma County, CA, Gulf Shores and Tuscaloosa, AL, Oak Park, IL and Sheboygan County, WI, where she planted roots and started a family. After 17 years of marriage, Batina was remarried. Katie Culbert our ex-RE Director performed a commitment ceremony last December 2012 to her current wife Bobbi Peterson. She now shares a blended family of four children, Jared Peterson 15, Jett Sramek 12, Allyson Peterson 11, and Isadora Sramek 8. She has made a career in the healthcare industry as a nutrition therapist who focuses on patients with kidney failure, diabetes, and bariatric surgery. In her free time, she can be found riding motorcycles, supporting the arts, and hanging out in any body of water.

Circles in the Woods CUUPS

Circles in the Woods CUUPS sponsors a monthly Full Moon Celebration on Saturdays closest to the full moon.

Join us on January 18th @ 7:30 pm as we welcome EarthFamilies CUUPS from Lakeland UU Church.

All Circles in the Woods CUUPS activities are open to the public and held at UUCT. The only cost is a love donation. Families with children are welcome. No pets please. Plan to stay to socialize afterwards. Bring a dish to share. All are welcome who come in perfect love and perfect trust.

For more information about Circles in the Woods CUUPS, e-mail cuups@uutampa.org.

Six session classes will be on the 1st and 3rd Sunday afternoon beginning on January 5th through March 16th. A love donation of $25 is suggested. Class attendees, who are interested, will write and perform the April 12th Full Moon Celebration.

Class One - January 5, 1pm - 3pm - Herstory
Religion in Paleolithic Times
Cultural Influences around the globe
Medieval Europe and Burning Times
Reemergence of the Craft Activities:
Introductions, Meditation, Discussion, Begin your Book of Shadows

Class Two - January 19, 1pm -3pm - The Goddess and the God
Define Sacred
The Divine Personified
The Great God/dess Archetypes
Activities:
Creating altars and share your image of God/dess

Class Three - February 2, 1pm -3pm - The Wheel of the Year
Class Four - February 16, 1pm -3pm - Magick and Ethics
Class Five - March 2, 1pm -3pm - Ritual Basics
Class Six - March 16, 1pm - 3pm - The Working Circle

For more information about Circles in the Woods CUUPS, e-mail cuups@uutampa.org.

THE CHALLENGE OF MARRIAGE Four times over the past two years, it has been our pleasure, Anthony Miller and Randall Gainforth, to work with small groups on the challenge of being parents in this age of Social Equality. Navigating these new parent-child relationships of social equality are challenging and we are often left feeling like our parent skills make us poor parents. Nothing could be further from the truth as time and time again parents step up and meet the demands of the situation with flexibility and good problem solving skills.

Now we would like to present another relationship that is also challenged by Social Equality: Marriage. Just as being a parent has changed, so has our relationship with our partners. No one today is willing to be in a "lesser" position when it comes to the structure of our marriages. Fortunately, all of us have some positive experiences with what can be called Quality Relationships. They are usually the kind of relationships we have with our good friends. Unfortunately, often times when we commit to a long term relationship, we think the "rules" of social living change and that's where we will often create problems of power struggles, revenge cycles, grudge holding, and emotional stonewalling.
But if we understand that we can not control anyone else and if we take Self Responsibility, we can step up to the challenge of marriage and find ourselves in a relationship that creates happiness and good mental health for both of us.
Please consider joining us for the Challenge of Marriage in a four-six week group starting the last week of January.

The photo booth was a hit at our tree trimming party!

Adult Religious Education in the New Year

by Jeffery Austin

It struck me as so very fitting that the day chosen to memorialize the life of civil rights and human rights legend Nelson Mandela was December 10th, 2013. Not only was Mandela a Nobel Peace Prize winner (as is the world leader who eulogized him, our President Barack Obama) and the traditional date when the Nobel Peace Prize is given happens to be December 10th each year but Dec. 10th is the birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This United Nations declaration, largely authored by former U. S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, was adopted and proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on December 10th, 1948.

Two local folks most admired by me are a lady and a gentleman born in 1948 (wasn't that birthday cake Pegs shared with us a memorable carrot cake?). At the heart of 30 articles of the UDHR, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is Article 19 which says something essential, I feel, about Adult Religious Education:

Article 19 "Freedom of Information and Opinion"

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." This January, Jay Hall will offer three class meetings exploring the influential book by Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Course dates are January 9, January 16, and January 23.

It's worth noting that the immediately preceding UDHR words, a few firm lines which conclude Article 18 (Freedom of Belief and Religion) say we're free to be: ". . . in community with others and in public and in private, to manifest . . . religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

Happy New Year to one and all!

SAVE THE DATE - Feb. 9th - Membership Recognition

Our longest-term members will be recognized in the Feb. 9th Sunday morning service, followed by an all-church luncheon in the Multi-Purpose Building at 12:15. Been here since before 1995?? - watch your mailbox for a special invitation! The rest of us will enjoy a lasagna and salad lunch in your honor, with plenty of sweet desserts!!

This Valentine Luncheon is our way of saying

"We love this church, we love our members!"

The youth are helping by serving the meal, and younger RE children will make table decorations. Save the date and bring the whole family; childcare will be provided.

Jeannette Manning, Membership Committee
813-857-0468, manningjea@yahoo.com

Good Book Column

Hi, Readers: New year, new books. And here are some ideas for your reading pleasure.

Ron Hammerle: After all of your holiday gift buying and receiving, have you ever wondered how, when, why or whether Amazon might become the Wal-Mart of the 21st Century? If so, this book's for you: The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, by Brad Stone; Little, Brown and Co., 2013. Whether your interest is in shopping, business, entrepreneurship, technology, Internet marketing or learning more about the company that's planning to build a one million square foot fulfillment center just south of Tampa, you'll find a book to fit your interest here. You'll also get one of the best inside stories about the company's founder. Author Brad Stone has covered Amazon and technology in Silicon Valley for several national publications, including the New York Times and Newsweek. He is now a senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek.

Joan Lund: The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton is basically about secrets and love by an author who has a deep connection for all things British, mystery, and family intrigue. From her tree house, sixteen year old Laurel witnesses a murder committed by her mother, which shocks to the depth of her soul. Fifty years later, a successful and talented actress, she returns to the family countryside home to celebrate her mother's ninetieth birthday. Laurel is determined to discover the truth about that long-ago day, tracing a secret history of three extremely different strangers in war-torn WWII London whose lives are entwined. An excellent read.

Editor: I am reading a wonderful book for the Temple Terrace Library Wednesday Book Group. It's called Canada by Richard Ford. After this, my first introduction to this writer, I'll be reading more of his because of his wonderful ability to make his writing sing. It's like beautiful music to me. About a 15 year old boy whose life is forever changed by his parents' decision to rob a bank, the book portrays the boy's actions and thoughts in a true fashion. Ford has won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award.

That's it for January. See you next month with more books!

Carol Baker

Rambunctious Roustabouts

This group would like to regenerate now that we have a Social Activities Committee. Marjorie Acker has requested a traveling group to visit museums, parks (eg: Hillsborough River State Park for a picnic), kayaking, canoeing, etc. Activities would take place once a month on whatever date decided by those who wish to attend. This would not be a part of Senior Connections as all ages (not just seniors of all ages) are invited. Please call Marjorie at 941-753-7115 as she will coordinate this group for me.

FRIENDSHIP DINNERS

Candy Gale and Russ Patterson will open their home for Saturday, January 18.
Sign up to attend at the bulletin board in the back of the church.

If you would like to host a Friendship Dinner, your only obligation is to open your house and provide an entr�e, drinks optional. Every guest brings a dish; host stipulates the number of people she can accommodate. Please note: If you have attended several dinners and not hosted, you may want to allow someone else to take your seat this time. For questions see Pat Busbice, pwbuzz77@gmail.com or 813-994-0355.

Joint UUSC-UUA Response to Typhoon Haiyan

UUSC President Rev. Bill Schulz and UUA President Rev. Peter Morales have issued this joint statement in response to devastation of Typhoon Haiyan:
"As images of the devastation that Typhoon Haiyan has wrought in the Philippines fill the media, we are coming to see the enormity of the humanitarian disaster. The photographs and videos are heartbreaking. As compassionate people, our thoughts turn immediately to how we might help.

Our concern is intensified by the special historic connections Unitarians and Universalists have with the Philippines. We have UU congregations in Manila and on the island of Negros. UUSC has an environmental justice partner, IBON. Early reports indicate that our UU brothers and sisters escaped the worst of the storm. For millions of others, the need for relief is desperate."

The UUA and UUSC are launching a joint special appeal for Philippine relief efforts. As is our practice with international disaster relief, UUSC will take the lead in distributing funds where they can do the most good, targeting contributions toward those most marginalized.

Please be generous.
https://secure2.convio.net/uusc/site/Donation2;jsessionid=C83615031E83E9EDBC019589345CB484.app261a?df_id=3581&3581.donation=form1

The monthly meetings of the Senior Connection are cancelled until further notice. If we receive requests to start it again in the new year we will start it up again.

In the Spotlight . . .

Pat Busbice

My husband Wayne and I moved to Wesley Chapel in 1998 from

Maryland and we immediately set out to find a UU church, our first to join.

When we met, Wayne was a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base in DC, and at the same time principal of a large junior high school in Maryland, and I worked for him. Within 10 years he was retired and working for me, in a personnel placement company I had started in DC and the MD suburbs, a business that I kept for 20 years. In the 80s he started his own successful business producing country and bluegrass records, and by the 90s we both were very active in Democratic politics in Maryland. Both our governor and our wonderful MD senator, Barbara Mikulski, started their local re-election campaigns at a gathering in our house.

Busbice is a made-up name, in case you're wondering. We did a lot of research and the mystery of the name change sparked our joint interest in genealogy. To explain the fascinating family story of two murders, a flight from Pinkerton detectives, and family secrecy starting in the 1890s (and also, our own personal story), Wayne and I wrote a book in 2004, "Uncovering the Secrets of a Southern Family."

Wayne and I were together for 40 years until he died in December of 2011. I have seven children, my five and two steps, and six grandchildren. Now, family is scattered over six states.

I have kept busy as newsletter editor, then president of Tampa Bay Newcomers, and president of Pasco County Genealogy Society, and in UUCT choir, Social Action committee with Fran Davin, and piddling around on the edges of other committees.

Women and Power

4th Annual Florida Unitarian Universalist

Women's Retreat

March 21-23, 2014

DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center Ellenton Florida

During our weekend together we will share stories and inspirations and explore the many aspects of power in our lives and in the lives of women of the world.

The retreat begins Friday at 5:00pm and ends Sunday at Noon. Along with our planned program, there will be opportunities for conversation, relaxation, outdoor activities, music, singing, drumming, labyrinth walking, and more.

DaySpring Conference Center is conveniently located off I-75 just north of Sarasota on Florida's West Coast. The beautiful campus nestled under ancient oaks and located on a cove of the Manatee River offers a serene setting for our annual retreat. Take a look. http://Dayspring.dioswfl.org.

$220 per person covers expenses for a semi-private room and six meals. 8 women share a cozy cottage with 4 bedrooms and 4 baths, a screened porch and common area. A non-refundable deposit of $20 will reserve your place. Final payment is due January 15, 2014.

Come join us for a memorable weekend.

To register fill out the registration form or contact Rita Sizemore rsrsizemore@gmail.com 239-437-1014 to receive one.

Love and Time

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said,
"Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. Realizing how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"
"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."

Source Unknown

A Month of Sundays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa

Services begin at 11 a.m.

January 5     "2014: Here We Go Again"
Reverend Mansfield will offer some wonderings about history, learning, lessons, heirlooms, and weighty unnecessary baggage at the beginning of a new measuring of time.

January 12     "Say Something About..."
Questions will be gathered on January 5 and at the beginning of this service from the congregations for Reverend Mansfield's response. This is a twist on the "Q & A." He will pull the questions out of a basket and offer his response, reaction, comments. It should be interesting.

January 19
The Reverend Mary Louise DeWolf, former UUA District Executive and Minister Emeritus of Nature Coast UU Congregations will be our guest speaker. Rev. Mary Louise DeWolf is a second generation native Floridian who was raised in the Methodist church and found Unitarianism after she began her teaching career. She taught biology and chemistry in the public schools in Florida, Georgia, California, and England for thirty-three years. This was followed by being a Co-District Executive for the Unitarian Universalist Association for the Florida District and the western half of the Mid-South District. It was during this time that Rev. Mary Louise began her studies for the ministry. Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists (in Crystal Springs, Florida) engaged her as their part-time minister in 2003. She served in this position until retiring in 2010, after which the congregation voted her the status of Minister Emerita.

January 26    "Love's Other Name"
Reverend Mansfield will consider the heart of our progressive faith as an ethical imperative and how that might work for the individual and a community. The Choir participates.

Conversations With The Board: Members of the Board of Trustees will be present for conversation after church on the last Sunday of each month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. The purpose of these conversations will be to open communication and share ideas. Come with questions and ideas, but always with an open mind.

"Veil after veil of thin dusky gauze is lifted, and by degrees the forms and colours of things are restored to them, and we watch the dawn remaking the world in its antique pattern."
~ Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Contact Info
UU Church of Tampa

email: info@uutampa.org

11400 Morris Bridge Road, Tampa, FL 33637

813-988-8188