Seems this space needs to be dedicated to worthy and weighty ideas and thoughts. I "should" be writing on profound theological concepts, philosophical notions, ethical pronouncements of significant import, cultural observations that enlighten, and psychological advice that helps and maybe even heals.

I'm just not there at this writing. The heat of middle summer in Tampa, serious humidity, and equally amazing storms have a depressing power over my energy and activities. The buzz and rush of the end of vacation season and the routine of school's demands for so many are upon us. It feels like a catch-up time, an in-between passage where changes are on us but they are not necessarily welcomed. My analysis here may be a bit weak but I feel and see a disorientation in my moods and rhythms. I am probably projecting those on the world.

Our interior psychological workings, processes, focus, interest, are as a filter on how we see and engage the world. I'm persuaded it takes an act of will, a want, a bit of courage to move out from our flat, energy-less, maybe even dark space and attitudes to be "with" people and more healthily involved with life.  

I believe it must become a working "con game". (Con comes from the idea of a confidence game; usually a cheating of some fashion but I think the idea can be broadened and useful for our spiritual journey.) 

Even in the midst of times when it is difficult to be excited, enthused, carrying one can "pretend" to good effect. "Act as if you have faith and you will find faith" is an old Jewish saying I understand. I like it. "Fake it until you make it" guidance comes from recovery programs. I like this one as well.

Nothing profound with sparkling insights, dear ones, this month save this: we are involved in a beloved community at UU Church of Tampa, with enough flaws to keep us humble and enough great qualities to make us proud. Informed by freedom and guided by compassion we have opportunities to learn, celebrate, help, and bless one another and our world. May we cherish such and be about with creativity and loyalty appreciating it, sustaining it, and making it stronger.

I'm mighty glad to be with you.

The Reverend Dr. Doak M. Mansfield, Interim Minister

I've had the opportunity in the last month to sit up front with my guitar in my lap while the service is going on.  I try to appear thoughtful and appreciative and, dare I say, presidential (in case anyone is glancing my way). But I've still had the chance to gaze across the sanctuary and I'm always to happy to see people I don't recognize or know. 

Spotlight on Search

The search committee and the congregation have certainly been busy this summer.  Many thanks to the members and friends who have already completed the survey on line.  If you didn't receive an invitation, contact us at search@uutampa.org and one of us will send you out the web site link. By conducting the survey on line, the analysis can be completed faster and more accurately.  Paper copies of the survey are available for members and friends who do not have access to a computer.  Copies and a collection box for completed documents are located in the Large Dome on the table by the nursery.  Please leave a message at 863-648-1995 to have a copy mailed to you.  Completed paper surveys must be returned to the church by September 15.

This part of the search for a settled minister is called Inquiry and Information Gathering.  The questions in the survey are going to give us lots of information about who we are as a congregation and what we might want to look for in a minister.   However, there are some questions that are best answered by personal communication.  That's where the cottage meetings come in; they give us the ability to listen to everyone in the congregation that is able to participate.  The remaining schedule for cottage meetings and how to register are listed below.
 
Comments, questions and conversations are welcome in person anytime, or by email to search@uuct.org .

Elise Richardson, Joan Lund, Ara Rogers, Marta Pearson, Ed Benedict, Earl Harvey, Mary Francis

Come to UUCT on Sunday September 21 ready to participate in this UUA sponsored workshop led by Mary Esther Johnson and Suzanne Fast.

The selection of a minister is important. The Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop is another opportunity for everyone in our congregation to be a part of that process. This experience will provide guidance for the search committee in our work.  

Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014 

Time:  Worship Service: 11 AM to noon 

    Workshop:  1 - 4 PM

 

Child Care will be provided if requested by September 14.  

Email:  search@uutampa.org with questions, childcare request or other special needs.

   

Submitted by Elise Richardson for the Ministerial Search Committee and the Board of Trustees.

Pat Adair
Pat Adair grew up in Seminole Florida,  where the Methodist Church formed the center of her family's social life. She earned a BA in English at FSU, and has enjoyed working in educational publishing , advertising and public information.

After moving to Temple Terrace  1975, Pat became a mother, a volunteer, a part time worker, and a part time student, serially and often simultaneously. She began attending UUCT with daughter Lauren because she valued our religious education program.

Pat retired from USF in 2005. Today, her greatest joy comes from times spent with family -- husband Lee, daughter Lauren, son-in-law Adam, and granddaughters Ella and Sarah. Dog Buddy rates too.

Last year Pat joined a Chalice Circle at UUCT.  That experience has led to her rejoining UUCT this year.

Carol Aimes
I was born near Boston but at age five my family moved to Western Pennsylvania up the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh where I grew up.
 
I was of the generation when often wives received a "PHT" (Putting Husband Through) degree as they worked so their husbands could complete their schooling.  I worked in administration at Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania for 22 years until my retirement in 1997.
 
My favorite pastime is reading.
 
I am a life-long Unitarian.  Both my maternal grandmother and mother were Unitarians.  I was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County, Pennsylvania for over 50 years.

Aleta Edwards and Rand Edwards
Aleta and I are looking forward to making it "official" on August  3rd.  In response to questions from Jeannette Manning, I will respond for myself and Aleta will respond separately.

I was born and bred in Goshen, Indiana, home of the Mennonite Goshen College, escaped as soon as I could to college in Washington, D.C. (GWU) during the Vietnam War era (and got tear-gassed with the minister from my UCC church back home as we marched on the Vietnam Embassy), majored in philosophy, then moved to Chicago for graduate work in world history (UofC).  Following a hiatus while I did alternate military service in Providence, RI, I returned to UofC to finish--all but my dissertation!  I moved to Boston, where I finally landed a job as a writer for a start-up software company, then married Aleta, a roommate from Chicago, and we moved to Raleigh, NC, where we both worked for IBM, until Aleta decided to return to school and we went back to Chicago.  I left IBM a few years later, when my repressed social conscience led me to get a Master's in social work, which I've been practicing ever since.  I've managed programs in child welfare and criminal justice in Chicago, managed a mental health clinic in Montgomery, AL, and have been working in a dialysis clinic in Tampa since our move here in 2011 (my brother had died of kidney failure in 1972, and I've always felt a connection).

My interests are mainly politics, reading and listening to music, and they're pretty eclectic in both of the latter two (I've never understood why someone is not supposed to like classical music AND bluegrass or jazz).  I'm in a book discussion group with other local UofC alumnae and (occasionally) take Tai Chi classes at the local UUCT-Taoist center (where half the members seem to attend our church!).

Finally, about previous religious affiliation: I was raised in the United Church of Christ (with a very progressive beret-wearing, motorcycle-riding minister), drifted off into agnosticism as I learned more about religion and to question more, and converted to Judaism after I married Aleta.  UUCT has been the warm, welcoming place we've been looking for since moving to Tampa, and Aleta and I both feel a close bond with Doak and Peggy.


Colan Hays and Dawn Scott-Hays
Colan & I met in college the day he moved into my apartment complex.  We had a few heated exchanges over assigned parking spaces, and quickly became parking lot nemeses who later discovered that we traveled in the same social circle. After the first day, we kept running into each other, kept ending up at the same parties, same local study spots. Over time, running into each other and exchanging sassy banter became our favorite pastimes, that eventually led to a solid friendship. He became my favorite person and I his. We were exactly what the other person needed. Its been 13 years since that first encounter in the parking lot and we have lived, loved and supported each other completely. Colan is more musically and mathematically oriented, while I am more artistic and science minded. I am uncontrollably emotional and he unequivocally calm. A true Yin to my Yang! We never thought we were incomplete in any way, but we always had more love than we knew what to do with. We had a plan for our future, a plan to adopt, to start a family. We now have a beautiful daughter, with hopes of finalizing her adoption. 

Have you seen the bumper sticker that says: "My Religion is Lovingkindness"? I must have been distracted by the thousands of monthly miles I must drive to get in to Sarasota County to do my library work deep within that library system. I thought that driver was sending the message that she was not, as they say, "a member of any organized religion." My ignorance is the very reason we want to have lots of Adult Religious Education at UU of Tampa.

Coming soon is a great class, or should I say a "Grant" class with Grant Wilson which takes up the topic of Lovingkindness, among a set of topics in Western Buddhism. It will be based on the fine book by Joseph Goldstein (2002) entitled simply one "Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism". It's from a very good publishing house, HarperSanFrancisco, and it can be bought from Amazon through our UUCT website http://www.uutampa.org with some share of the purchase price going to UU Tampa.

Jeff Austin, Adult RE Chair

Friendship Dinner

David Stickell has stepped up to be the person responsible for Friendship Dinners.   You can contact him at dw_stickell@verizon.net or call him at 813-988-7272.

We will schedule another one next quarter.  We also invite anyone who is interested in learning about the Hungarian culture and Unitarians in Transylvania to join us in our next committee meeting after church on Sunday September 21, 2014.

We need volunteers! Our plan is to have two volunteers every Sunday and the ability to rotate people to reduce the frequency needed.  We will train you so don't be shy!  Training in September - or October.
 
Exciting times at UUCT!  If you are interested, or even might be interested, contact our Worship Chair, Diane Gainforth at worship@uutampa.org.

 

I would appreciate it if you would change a few things in the President's column. Please change the uIS  to IS  and the knwew to knew.  ~ Bill

Bill, we apologize for any errors we introduced when resting our elbows on the keyboard. ~ Domelight Editors