June 2014

Rev. Dr. Doak Mansfield, Interim Minister

Erin Powers, DRE

In This Issue

Wondering While Wandering

R.E.flections

Desk of the President

Technology News

Seeking Audio/Video Techs

Elected Board Members

Marla Frazer Recognized

Ministerial Search Committee

Circles in the Woods CUUPS

The Good Book

High School Youth Programs

Distinguished University Professor

Game Night

Children: The Challenge

Friendship Dinners

Summer Fun

Adult R.E.

HOPE

Morris Dancers

Trunk Sale News

mUUsic

Letter to the Editor

The Mountain

The Chick Being Born

Come and join Buildings & Grounds Work Day,

June 14th,

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 . . .

June is here. From what I have been told the next couple months are the trying time for "wannabe" Floridians. I'm assured there will be heat and more heat. I understand it can be a harsh test and hurricanes and mean storm are also very possible. Thus the reason for our beloved "snowbirds", I'm a-guessing. June is the month with the longest daylight hours of the year in the northern hemisphere. More time for heat and humidity, don't you know!

As it is with all things we confront, the only way through is through. We will persevere. Remember hydration and sunscreen.

The seasonal patterns, rhythms do vary from region to region. Many of our northerly neighbors faced a winter for the record books with deadly cold and debilitating snow. There were too many days during that time when I noted how happy I was that we were not in "that mess" up north. I imagine those who endured those days are now thankful those days are past and hopeful that the few months ahead are times for relief and recreation, renewal, and growth.

Once upon a time taking the long view, there did appear an economy of sorts, a natural balance of weather. The new and critical news is the extensive scientific discoveries of the impact, influence of global weather changes to the overall weather patterns. The changes will cause real challenges to the ways of life we know. These may come sooner than later the reports indicate. It is common sense to understand that population growth, industrialization, and the related growth in pollution is impacting the environmental changes and not for the good.

Agriculture, energy demands, land formations, infrastructure, and human interaction are in for some powerful changes, adjustments, and new creative lifeways and patterns of existence.

I suspect and hope our attention will be drawn more directly to the spiritual and religious aspects of the environmental issues of today and the future. How can we be better, healthier, contributing partners in the sustaining of a sustainable world? Live more simply, learn and live new ways to shrink our "footprint" on creation, become agents of renewal and recycling. May it be all "for goodness sake" and the future. Those who care and love will find ways to help...here is a lead: The Green Sanctuary Program (an initiative for and by UUs). http://www.uua.org/environment/index.shtml

Our past nine months at the church have been busy and good for community. The energy in our shared life Sundays has been great, committee activity intentional and creative, social life full, and the Ministerial Search Committee launched and busy. I'm delighted by our situation. I am proud of us and happy our time is going productively and with laughter and good relations.

TRAVELS -
Pegs and I will be attending the Annual General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Providence, RI June 24-28. It will be an opportunity to connect and reconnect with UUs nationwide. Over 4,000 are expected to attend. We will be back. You can count on that!

Together ~ Doak

The Reverend Dr. Doak M. Mansfield, Interim Minister

Summer Time RE!

Our regularly scheduled RE classes will be ending soon to make way for Summer Time RE! During the summer we invite church members to spend a Sunday in RE and share a passion or talent. If you have something you'd like to share, please let me know so I can get you on my calendar. Last year we had lessons on yoga, fossils, Paganism and more! I also have several chalice art lessons planned. Along with our guest RE teachers, I need a RE assistant each Sunday. This is a great way to spend some time with our awesome UU children! Please get in touch with me to sign up for a Sunday or two!

Spirit Play
I recently attended training for a Montessori based curriculum called Spirit Play. I plan to start this in our PreK-1st class in the fall. For anyone who has had experience with Montessori, you know how much fun it is! If you haven't, there's no better time to learn! Spirit Play and Montessori classrooms require more prep than a usual RE classroom, but once it's set up the classes flow well. I am working on a wish list of items needed to get our classroom ready for the fall. The items needed are not expensive and can be handmade, which is often preferred. Stay tuned for more info on Spirit Play!

Please check the RE bulletin board for sign-ups, wish lists and other ways you can support our Religious Exploration Program. We are growing UUs and we need your help!

Erin Powers, DRE for Children & Youth

Desk of the President
Thank you to Chuck Smith for hours of trimming, leaf blowing, and power washing. Thank you to Ed Benedict for his constant work on the buildings, signs, filters, contractors and small dome. Thank you to Mary Francis for all her efforts on the small dome, the Memorial Garden, and sanctuary video screens. Thank you to the Wednesday Chalice Circle (Marylou, Pat, Jerry, Denise, Ara, Peggy, David, and Melissa) for their extraordinary work on the entrance landscaping. Thank you to Tom Krumreich for his efforts on the grounds. Thank you to Jodi Pecoraro for coordinating the new communication system between our buildings (including crawling in the attic to fish Ethernet cables.

I say thank you to all these folks (and all the others who have labored on our facilities) for two reasons. The first is organizational. As Board President I am aware of how important a clean and attractive place is in attracting new members (and new ministers!) and I thank you. As Bill the member I thank all of you for making this a more wonderful place to be.

If you hurry in on Sunday morning and then hurry out I would suggest that you find some time to sit in the gazebo, or in the quiet of the new education building looking out those beautiful windows, or on the benches in the plaza, or in the sanctuary.

It's a marvelous place. And I thank you.

Bill

UUCT

One Place. All Faiths. No Problem.

Technology News

By now you have seen the new screens, but did you know we just completed another technology project? -- a wireless data connection from the sanctuary to the education building. This means we now pay our internet service provider for only one account instead of two, at some dollar savings to us.

Facing the church door look up to your right and on the wall near the roof there is a small white box with a black cord. This device exchanges radio signals with its brother (or sister) mounted on the side of the education building thereby allowing computers in one building to be on the same network as the other building.

This project was headed up by Jodi Pecoraro and engineered/installed by her friend Wes Jones. There are stories to be told about the attic in the education building and fishing . . . I don't know, ask Jodi.

If you have any questions please grab Jodi or me and we'll both lie as convincingly as possible to try to keep you believing we understand this magic.

Bill Blymiller

Seeking Audio/Video Technicians and Trainees

We have screens in our sanctuary now! And now we are learning how to make the best use of it. The screens will display our Order of Service, hymns and other songs, stories read to our children, speakers' visuals, and other service elements.

Where do we need volunteers? Now the sound room is also video so we need to change the name to the Audio Visual room. We need technical help! No worries - we will have training soon so you can learn to use the sound board, record services, and operate video display. Our plan is to have two volunteers every Sunday and the ability to rotate people to reduce the frequency needed. We also need content providers, folks who know or are willing to learn Powerpoint and can create what is put on our screens.

Exciting times at UUCT! If you are interested, or even might be interested, contact our Worship Chair, Diane Gainforth at worship@uutampa.org.

New Board Members Elected

Congratulations to the Board members who were elected at the May Congregational Meeting!

Effective on September 1, Mary Satterwhite and Kim McDonald begin their first three-year term, and Randy Gainforth, re-elected, will continue for an additional three years.

Thank you for serving our community!

Betty McCluer Lee Distinguished Service Award

Marla Frazer was recognized with the Betty McCluer Lee Distinguished Service Award for 2014.

The Betty McCluer Lee Distinguished Service Award acknowledges members for "high standards of diligence and dedication" to the well being of UUCT. Nominations for the award come from our congregational members, and the Board of Trustees votes to confirm the nomination. So when you next see Marla, please offer your congratulations and thanks for her service to our church.

Where's Earl? We don't know! But he wasn't around when a nice lady walked by and agreed to take our photo. Left to right: Joan Lund, Marni Harmony, Elise Richardson, Marta Pearson, Ed Benedict, Ara Rogers and Mary Francis - missing Earl Harvey

Ministerial Search Committee

The Ministerial Search Committee members held their retreat led by the Rev. Marnie Harmony on Friday and Saturday May 16 and 17. For those of you not familiar with what a committee retreat means in UU language, it means a lot of work in a short amount of time! The retreat also gave them the opportunity to get to know one another better and prepare for the work that lies ahead. The committee accomplished a lot but managed to squeeze in some fun!

Members of the committee agreed on the following roles:
Joan Lund - Chair
Mary Francis - Packet Editor and Distributor
Ed Benedict - Arranger
Marta Pearson - Reference Checker
Elise Richardson - Secretary
Ara Rogers - Survey Coordinator
Earl Harvey - Treasurer and Negotiation Team

In assuming these roles, we agreed to take the lead on that particular aspect of our search. We know we will need lots of help and participation in the months ahead especially from you, members of our congregation. Opportunity abounds! We have a lot to do and will need your help. Some of you have already heard from us, but more requests are on the way.

You may have heard this will be a secretive process. We will be sharing a lot of information throughout our entire process -- but never, never, will we discuss ministerial candidates.

We will be available the last Sunday of every month at the Conversation with the Board and expect to seek other opportunities to discuss our progress. Our first projects in 2014 will be:

Conduct a congregational survey by the end of September. The survey will help inform our congregational record and packet.
The congregational record is the online informational page where congregations and ministers in search will first find one another, which should be complete by mid-October.
The information packet is where we get a chance to show ourselves off in greater depth to interested pre-candidates, and will be complete by November 30.

For those of you who have no idea what these words mean, have to fear. We will be sharing more information soon, or just ask any member of the Committee.

The committee can be reached at search@uutampa.org.

Circles in the Woods CUUPS

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

On June 14 Full Moon - for the first time ever welcome W.I.T.C.H. -- Witches in Training for Change and Harmony -- for our ritual, and watch out for the fae for they cannot be trusted!

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.

Good Book Column
Hello Dear Readers:
Here are the contributions from our readers for good book ideas.

Carol Ames: A Year By The Sea, Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman. Life is a work in progress, as unfinished and ever-changing as the sandy shoreline along the beach. Here is the entrancing story of how one woman emerged from a stagnant period, finding the energy to renew her marriage and the courage to persevere in the living of an unfettered life. Joan Anderson shocked both herself her husband when she refused to follow him to an out-of-state job. Instinctively knowing that accompanying him at that point would be senseless, she chose instead to seek refuge in a cottage on Cape Cod. So began a seaside saga in which Anderson learned many lessons.

Jeff Austin: In light of the recent U. S. climate change report, I found a new, 2014 novel by acclaimed author Chang-rae Lee to be all the more relevant, especially to Tampa. The book is called On Such A Full Sea. Not only is the setting fascinating as Lee reveals a future North America changed environmentally, socially, and economically but the leading character's a winner. Fan, described in the charming voice of the all-knowing narrator as "our petite, gentle Fan" is a talented, productive part of her community. As a small, 15-year old worker, she dives in their aquaculture fish tanks. Fan loves a teenage boy named Reg who, like Romeo, is the future of Fan's gentle existence in the settlement of B-Mor, a future Baltimore. Reg, a hydroponic farm worker descended from the former African-American residents of Baltimore, is her loving partner - until he goes missing! Fan must set out on foot on a quest from B-Mor to find and free Reg. Along the way, she reveals to us firsthand what a future northeast America looks like: settlements like B-Mor produce food for wealthy and exclusive communities behind high walls - the Charter Villages - while dangers await in the "Open Counties", scorched, poor lands lacking high walls and locked gates. Chang-Rae Lee is an accomplished novelist (director of Princeton's creative writing program) who brings the global realities of climate and culture change to life on each carefully crafted page.

Thanks for contributing your recommendations. See you next month with more good books. Happy reading!
Editor, Carol Baker

UUCT'S RUSS KIRBY NAMED "DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR" FOR 2014 AT USF

TAMPA, FL, April 22, 2014 - Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa past president Dr. Russell Kirby was today named a "Distinguished University Professor" (DUP) for 2014 by the University of South Florida (USF).

Two other USF professors joined Kirby in being selected for this exceptional academic distinction: Dr. Carolyn Ellis, Department of Communication, College of Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Dmitry Khavinson, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Arts & Sciences.

Announcing the awards, Ralph C. Wilcox, USF Provost and Executive Vice President, said, "Being selected as a DUP involves an intensive internal and external review of the faculty member's credentials that culminates in selection by the DUP Recommending Committee. These outstanding professors will have their titles formally bestowed at the Faculty Honors & Awards ceremony to be held during the Fall 2014 semester."

Kirby remarked, "This is one of the highest types of recognition USF gives to current faculty. There was a significant field of superbly qualified candidates, any one of whom could have been chosen. I sincerely appreciate that the Committee -- a highly respected group of my colleagues -- have honored me in this way."

Wilcox continued, "Being nominated for DUP status is a significant honor because it indicates that the individual has an outstanding scholarly record and has made significant contributions to USF and her/his profession." Wilcox said this year's DUP award recipients have his personal admiration for their accomplishments.

USF issued a statement marking the occasion which reads in part: "Dr. Kirby joined USF in 2008 as a tenured Full Professor and the Marrell Endowed Chair in the College of Public Health's Department of Community and Family Health. His previous position was Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

"Kirby's record at USF is distinguished in both teaching and research. On the teaching side, he was selected by students as the USF College of Public Health Outstanding Professor of the Year for 2013. He has also received national recognition for his teaching.

"In 2007 he received the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship...through the Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology and...he was elected in 2010 to a two-year term as President of the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health.

"Dr. Kirby's research record is equally compelling. His doctorate is in human geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he has an MS from the same university in preventive medicine-epidemiology.

"This skill set is unique and has led him to diverse collaborations that advance a multitude of research interests such as, population health informatics, perinatal epidemiology, birth defects and developmental disabilities monitoring and epidemiology, and the application of spatial analytical techniques and GIS to public health issues and concerns.

"He has authored or co-authored over 200 publications, with at least ten per year since 2004. Many of these papers are highly cited because his work has been seminal to understanding the epidemiology and surveillance of birth defects."

Kirby has been hailed as "...one of the leading birth defects epidemiologists in the world."

TEEN & ADULT GAME NIGHT - taking a break

Our every-second-Friday "Teen and Adult Game Night" is taking a summer vacation and will start up again in August.

We plan to branch out to games not usually seen at Game Night, so make a list of what you'd like to play and send it to Jeannette Manning at manningjea@yahoo.com or tel. 813-857-0468. Have a great summer!

Join us for
Children: The Challenge

*This course has no religious affiliation*
A six-week study group for parents

April 24, 2013

Tuesdays @ 7:00

We will be meeting at the

Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa

Multi-Purpose Building

11400 Morris Bridge Road

These groups will be conducted by local therapists, Anthony Miller, LMHC and Randall Gainforth, LMHC on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Cost is free and a limited number of Rudolf Dreikurs' Children: The Challenge will be made available for $17.00.

Parents want help in knowing how to reduce conflict, have fun, and raise responsible children. These groups are designed to help parents deal with such concerns as bedtime, meals, chores, homework, school and fighting. The groups provide a source of encouragement and support for parents who want to improve their relationships with their children.

Parents will learn:
*   how to develop friendly and cooperative relationships
*   how to create a family atmosphere of freedom with order
*   how birth order affects decision making and personality development
*   the use of encouragement
*   the basic goals of misbehavior
*   conflict resolution
*   how to conduct family meeting

Questions? Call Randall Gainforth at 813.988.7500 or rgainforth@aol.com

FRIENDSHIP DINNERS

Friendship Dinners have a new twist! The group that was hosted by Karin and Terry Lanning in March has decided to do a dinner circle. Each month one member of that circle group will host the dinner, so the same group gets together once a month until all members have hosted a dinner. At that point, they can discontinue the group or start over.

Friendship dinners or circle dinners are a great way to get to know some of your fellow UUs. If you would like to host a regular friendship dinner, or start a circle dinner, or would just like more information, please contact Kim McDonald at 813-380-2628 or email kim9mcdonald@gmail.com.

Social Activities

Anyone interested in staying cool this summer? Perhaps a trip to the Aquarium? Tampa Museum of Art? Tampa Museum of History? Dali Museum? A movie? Godzilla? Email me at marysatterwhite@gmail.com. I will put you all together for those who may be interested. Mary Satterwhite

Adult Religious Education

Let's talk a little about our UUA General Assembly 2014 and a handful of Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs) in the evening May 29.

(Please check your announcements in the Order of Service for current info on this)

I love the way the arts - literature, theater, cinema, and, especially, poetry - enliven our lives and help in healing processes we need all the time. Perhaps this season of springtime renewal is the best time to think about these healing arts, previously a great area of study just up the road at the Univ. of South Florida's Morsani Medical School - USFHealth! - known as Bioethics and Medical Humanities -- a Master of Arts program where I met some bright, caring leaders from UUCT in the classroom and on the campus, particularly around Moffitt Cancer Center and James A. Haley Veterans Medical Center close by.

Getting alongside people who after years of rearing UUCT children or being those children themselves, allowed me to thoroughly see how their ministering to others in need is productive and so VERY needed! Going out into the world is the purpose, I feel, of our Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs).

The theme of General Assembly this year tellingly aligns with what I'm recalling. It is "Love Reaches Out." In about one month in Providence, Rhode Island, for a spell spanning June 25 - 29, gifted, informed, and experienced people like many of us will get together to build on the ways we reach out in the world. Read more at this link: http://www.uua.org/ga/

Four weeks ahead of time is an essential time to meet here in our Multi-Purpose Building to discuss proposed CSAIs at 7:30 in the evening on May 29, 2014. I'll facilitate as best I can and we will start with balanced approach that puts no one CSAI in a preferred place at the top of our list.

You can read online about the substance and structure of each of five CSAIs at the link below. In simply alphabetical order, the Statements are titled like this:

Empowerment: Age and Ability Reconsidered

Ending the War on Terror

Escalating Inequality

Gun Violence: A Public Health Issue

Renewing and Securing Our American Democracy
http://www.uua.org/statements/current/index.shtml

I believe there is a lot here for every one of us and the future holds even greater promise. To make these five Statements even more meaningful for me, as just one of the many military veterans among us, I read these Statements and must read between the lines to see where our many folks returning from service in these long wars are included, if at all. How might we improve that? Are wartime vets found among those in the first Statement listed - those who may have their "ability" reconsidered? I do hope so. How can we make the other four Statements include all of us better? Let's talk some about your viewpoints on Thursday, May 29th.

Jeffery Austin

HOPE Happenings

Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality
By Judy Lane

We have started the Investment phase of the HOPE annual cycle, which means we ask each of us to invest in an organization whose work we believe in and we invite local businesses to join us in investing as well. Currently we have a Criminal Justice Committee looking at both the Ban the Box amendment and the initiative to decrease the number of arrests of children and youth in Florida, and also an Affordable Housing Committee. We are seeking to establish an Affordable Housing Trust Fund for Hillsborough County. That's a locally funded and locally controlled fund to help provide affordable housing in our county. From studying our research, we have learned that there are 42,000 families earning $28,000 or less in our county who are paying 50% or more of their income on housing, which means they are struggling to pay for food, utilities, transportation and health care. Many of these people work every day - as nurses' and teachers' aides, in hotels and theme parks, and in assisted living facilities. But the reality for them is that there are few vacant apartments in Hillsborough County, the turnover is low, and there are 13,000 families on low-income housing waiting lists. As the HOPE Affordable Housing Committee looked at how other counties and cities have solved this problem, they found that 700 local Affordable Housing Trust Funds have been established across the country. These are locally controlled, locally funded programs that help provide funds for affordable housing. Several years ago the State of Florida established such a fund to help in financing affordable housing in the state. But, over the past three or four years the legislature has raided that fund to use for other purposes. Hillsborough County needs its own fund, funded locally and controlled locally. To get such a fund is not easy, to find monies for it will be even more difficult. It requires the kind of people power that we can only have working together. That's why our congregation is part of HOPE - to help make systemic, long-term change happen in our community.
Now is the time to begin to plan on making your investment in the work of HOPE. At the June 2 HOPE Celebration to which you all are invited, we will be highlighting our investment drive and the successes we have had this year. Each Justice Ministry Network member is asked to contribute at least $200 or more (which can be made in smaller payments) but, anyone can contribute so that we might do this important justice work in our community.
We know where our dollars go when they go to HOPE - to training of our leaders and for the costs of our two organizers. When we think about the dividends our community has received over the 25 years of HOPE's history - additional dental chairs serving 15,000 low income residents, extension of late night bus service on 8 bus routes in our county, the Alternative to Out of School Suspension program that has assisted 150,000 students over 14 years, the City Council ordinance giving a Fair Chance to people with records by taking the question about arrests off of the initial City of Tampa job applications - our investments have paid off grandly.

Please plan to join us for the Celebration on Monday, June 2, 6:45-8:45 pm at Corpus Christi Church, 9715 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace. Please bring finger foods to share.

Morris Dancers in the Dome

The Goddess smiles as the May Pole is danced to bring enough love in the world to protect the Earth!

... And a Good Trunk Was Had by All!

On April 26, from 9 to noon, several UUCTers and a couple of their friends gathered for a "trunk" sale in the church's front parking lot -- Harriet Blymiller, Fran Davin, Tom Krumreich, Carol Partington, and Suzie Siegel. Organization, physical support in the form of tables, and food vending were supplied by Pat and Ed Benedict.

Yep, we sold stuff to each other, but also to other UUCTers and folks who, thanks to Suzie, read about the sale on Craig's List. On top of that, we had a good time being together, and talking about -- literally -- stuff.

This little effort raised over $200 for the church, and the final count may not be in yet - especially if I ever get around to trying out the kayak Tom has for sale!

So-o-o ... save your stuff!

Everyone agreed that this was a relatively easy, practical, and successful fundraiser, so we decided to hold another -- TBA. Pat will help organize and Fran has agreed to do more thorough publicity. After this trial run, we'll do better (+$$$) next time for our spiritual home.

Harriet Blymiller

UUCT mUUsic Group

Meets 7:30pm Mondays

Behold our muse. Not sure how musical you are? Afraid you'll be embarrassed?

Come to mUUsic Group sessions anonymously if you like. Your secret will be safe with us. So, please join us in the Small Dome. We're there every Monday at 7:30 PM.

In the spirit of old-time hootenannys and good-time jam sessions, this is an informal gathering of musicians, vocalists, and just plain music lovers who want to make or listen to mUUsic. Sing, play an instrument, drum, or bang on an upside-down waste basket. Get creative. It's all good.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability or experience. So come one, come all, and let the good times roll!

Error

I noted Betty Lee's middle name was spelled wrong in the May issue of the Domelight. Her name is Betty McCluer Lee. Thanks for a great looking newsletter. Joyce Formica

So sorry for the error! Thank you for bringing this to our attention!

THE MOUNTAIN
WWW.MOUNTAINCENTERS.ORG

FUN & ADVENTURE WEEK (June 30-July 5) Bargain-priced, family fun like decades ago--all concentrated in 6n/5d at The Mountain: Rafting*, Rock-Climbing*, Ziplining*, Hikes, Waterfalls, "Childcare Windows", Campfire with s'mores, Fireworks on July 4th, "SweeTreat", evening programs, plus other options on-site and in the area. Kids 0-6: Free! 7-17: $35/night plus $25pp program fee. 18-90+: 3 packages ranging from (4d/3n) $250 to (6d/5n) $400. Program begins with check-in Monday and ends after Saturday breakfast. Click here for schedule and program descriptions. Signup at www.mountaincenters.org for this vacation week of fun for all ages! *Optional "high adventure" activities have minimal vendor charges.

The Chick Being Born

When in the midst of great change, it is helpful to remember how a chick is born. From the view of the chick, it is a terrifying struggle. Confined and curled in a dark shell, half-formed, the chick eats all its food and stretches to the contours of its shell. It begins to feel hungry and cramped. Eventually, the chick begins to starve and feels suffocated by the ever-shrinking space of its world.

Finally, it own growth begins to crack the shell, and the world as the chick knows it is coming to an end. Its sky is falling. As the chick wriggles through the crack, it begins to eat its shell. In that moment -- growing but fragile, starving and cramped, -- the chick must feel like it is dying. Yet once everything it has relied on falls away, the chick is born. It doesn't die, but falls into the world.

The lesson is profound. Transformation always involves the falling away of things we have relied on, and we are left with a feeling that the world as we know it is coming to an end, because it is.

Yet the chick offers us the wisdom that the way to be born while still alive is to eat our own shell. When faced with great change -- in self, in relationship, in our sense of calling -- we somehow must take in all that has enclosed us, nurtured us, incubated us, so when the new life is upon us, the old is within us.

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

A Month of Sundays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa

Services begin at 11 a.m.

June 1, 2014 "For What Purpose?"
We will celebrate Membership Sunday and welcome several new folks to official membership.

June 8, 2014 "Top Ten Reasons Liberal Religion Still Matters"
Reverent Don Rollins, Minister of the UU Church of Tarpon Springs, FL
A PULPIT EXCHANGE SUNDAY

Doak will speak in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs, FL and their minister The Reverend Don Rollins will speak here. He will offer some reminders about the free religious tradition and why it's relevant in a postmodern world.
Rev. Don Rollins is a native of southern Ohio; he began his career in 1985 as a credentialed UU religious educator, and has since specialized in interim and contract ministries throughout the US. He settled in Tarpon Springs last summer. Music is a great part of his life and ministry.

June 15, 2014 "Into the Grab Bag"
The Reverend Doak M. Mansfield
I have cards collected a few months ago on ideas, questions, topics that folks in the congregation provided. I'll pull a few of those out and offer my take on what they provoke, evoke, challenge.

June 22, 2014 "Inclusion's Gifts"
The Reverend Doak M. Mansfield
Doak says, "I will consider the challenge and opportunities of being an authentic welcoming congregation. Diversity is truly a strength and a way to health yet it calls for understandings and a generosity of spirit that is reciprocal."

June 29, 2014 "The Serenity Prayer"
The Reverend Mary Anne Dorner
Rev. Dorner will discuss the famous prayer attributed to theologian and ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr, as well as its philosophical precursors, and will show how it can impact your life. Worship Associates: Pat Busbice, Earl Harvey, Christine Smith

The Reverend Mary Anne Dorner is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, and was ordained a priest in 1991 in the Episcopal diocese of Delaware. She has served parishes in Delaware, Pennsylvania and southwest Florida. Recently retired, she occasionally conducts Sunday services as well as leading quiet days/retreats for women. She serves as an adjunct professor in theology for Barry University in the University Partnership Program in St. Petersburg and New Port Richey, has been a chaplain in hospice and nursing homes, and currently volunteers as chaplain at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. Aside from religious duties, Rev. Mary Anne leads a dynamic ladies' book club, as well as a writers' group that was formed after taking a Writing Your Life Story class at USF/OLLI last summer. Rev. Mary Anne is married and has four children and eight grandchildren. She enjoys working with people of all ages, especially children and those young at heart.

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.

We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.
~Mother Teresa

Contact Info
UU Church of Tampa

email: info@uutampa.org

11400 Morris Bridge Road, Tampa, FL 33637

813-988-8188