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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
February 15, 2015
In This Issue...
Worship at 2U

Sunday, February 22
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Jonathan Dunmore

Sunday, March 1
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Gail Gallagher

Sunday, March 8
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Carey Farrell

Sunday, March 15
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by 2U Choir
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Children & Youth Faith Development Schedule
 
Child care for infants and toddlers is available every Sunday in the Green Caterpillar room.

Sunday, February 22
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
Youth Group

Sunday, March 1
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, March 8
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
Youth Group

Sunday, March 15
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
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Church Office Information & Staff

Minister
773-549-0260, ext. 13
Office Hours:
Wed-Thurs evenings, other days & times by appointment
 
Dir. of Faith Development
773-549-0260, ext. 12
Office Hours:
Sun 9:00-3:00
Other days & times by appointment

Congregational Administrator
773-549-0260, ext. 10
Office Hours: 
Mon-Thurs 10:00-4:00 
 
Community Minister
773-593-7500
 
Music Director
                                  
2U Ministry Leaders

Board of Trustees

Adult Faith Dev.

Bookstore

Buddhist Fellowship

Building & Grounds

Committee on Ministry

Covenant of Earth & Sky

Fellowship Committee

Finance Committee

Green Sanctuary

Hospitality 

Library

Lifespan Faith Dev.

Membership

Music

Newsletter

Night Ministry Outreach

Pastoral Care

Safe Congregations 

Senior Luncheon

Small Group Ministry

Social Justice

Sunday Services

Transylvania Church

Webmaster

Young Adult Group
David Dyer
Stephanie Bens
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Board of Trustees 
 
 






                                  
From the Minister

During this year's Black History Month, I cannot help but be aware of the role history plays in all that we are and do. It is prelude and foundation, filled with pride, brokenness, and everything in between. Our national history regarding issues of race and power is painful and also contains times of transcendent power and hope. Those moments of transcendence remind me to look not just to history, but to what is to come - not just to Black History, but to those voices speaking of Black Present and Future.

 

In the past months, we have engaged with issues of racial justice and our complicated national history in conversation, action, and worship. With two services in this theme from Rev. Rudra and Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed at the end of January, we led into this month with plenty to consider. Since the 50th Anniversary of Selma is the second weekend of March, we're going to look back and forward then, too. For the rest of this month, I encourage you to go out and see the movie Selma, read one of Rev. Morrison-Reed's books, find a way to explore our history through the perspective of Black citizens, artists, historians, and preachers.

 

May we step into more places of transcendence and power to create a future in which the wounds of our history can be healed with justice and full equality!

 

Faithfully,

Rev. Adam

The Heroine's Journey
 
A Women's Book Discussion Group is a place for women to connect, ponder and share about life's great questions. What does it mean to be a heroine? And what does it mean to be a modern-day heroine in 2015? As a woman, I feel that these questions are especially important. Many examples of what it means to be a hero, to set foot on a journey, are given from a masculine point of view. But there are infinite possibilities for what may constitute the quest for a soulful, meaningful life.
 

I have been excited to be a member of Second Unitarian Church for the past six months. I am a writer, poet, songwriter and musician. I have studied myths, stories, fables and legends from a Jungian perspective and participated as member of a Jungian discussion group for the past five years. I love to read and share about great books and stories with others. I find great books to be inspiring and empowering as they take the reader on an adventure.  

 

The Heroine's Journey will meet every other Sunday at 12:00 pm. for three months as we read through Carol S. Pearson's The Hero Within. If you are interested in joining me in this adventure, come to an informational meeting Sunday, March 1st at 12:00 pm in the youth group room to see if this group is a fit for you!  RSVP to [email protected].


~
Lauren Nelson

Grief Support Groups for Members and Friends of 2U
Rev. Elizabeth Harding, a member of 2U who works as a Grief Support Counselor with Midwest Hospice and Palliative Care facilitates grief support groups for those who have recently experienced the loss of family members or close friends.  

Elizabeth is willing to do a grief 
support group at 2U but would like at least 8 participants to do the group. Please contact Nanna Cross ([email protected]) if you are interested in participating in a grief support group at 2U. This group wouldn't meet until late spring/early summer. 
 
Elizabeth will be facilitating a group at the Bodhi Center in April, which is on Diversey and Magnolia Wednesday evenings, 7 to 8:30 PM. There is no set date for that group yet. Members and friends of 2U are welcome to join, but Elizabeth requests contacting her at work to register (847-730-1209;
[email protected]).
Classes From the Pastoral Care Team in 2015

The Pastoral Care Team at 2U is hosting a series of classes to provide information about approaches to planning for many aspects of the end of life. They hosted three sessions during fall 2014, and will hold several more in winter and spring 2015. Mark your calendars for these upcoming session dates:

  • Financial planning considerations: Sunday, February 22, 12:00-1:30pm in the Sanctuary. Joan Ente, geriatric care manager for CJE SeniorLife, will join us as a guest presenter. She will discuss important financial obligations to keep in mind as age and you approach end of life, in relation to health/long term care expenses, housing, funeral and burial, etc. She will help people get a sense of what it costs to "get old".
  • Legal aspects of planning for end of life: Sunday, March 22, 12:00-1:30pm in the Sanctuary. August Staas, 2U member and attorney at law, will cover considerations related to the law that you may have questions about as you age. Topics include wills, trusts, power of attorney, bequests to the church, and tissue/organ donations.
  • Death with Dignity: While not legal in Illinois, physician-aid-in-dying is an important movement in relation to end-of-life care options, so we will host two events this spring in relation to it. on Saturday, April 25, 10:00-12:00pm, we will screen the documentary How to Die in Oregon, which tells the stories of terminally ill Oregonians, their family and friends, and their doctors, as they consider utilizing physician aid in dying. The following weekend, on Sunday, May 3, 12:00-1:30pm, we will be joined for a panel discussion by two individuals who are leading the movement to legalize physician aid in dying in Illinois: Bess Schenkier of Compassion & Choices, and Ed Gogol of Hemlock of Illinois.

Please RSVP here to help us plan for each session, and a reminder email will be sent to you the week before. The series is open to everyone, regardless of age, spot in the "planning" process, or being a 2U member or not. To help cover costs of guest speakers, we request each attendee to donate a one-time amount of $10, no matter if you attend one class or all of them. You can bring cash or check (made out to Bonnie Ewald) on the day of the event.

Please contact Nanna Cross or Bonnie Ewald with any questions.

2U Night Ministry Coordinator Needed!

After serving as 2U Night Ministry Coordinator for the past three years, David Gutowsky, will now be passing the torch down to others. If you have interest in learning more about this position or are interested in being a candidate to take over, please contact David.

Looking for Volunteers for the Pastoral Care Team
practical care
The Pastoral Care Team at 2U provides two separate ministries: a Listening Ministry and a Practical Care Ministry. Volunteers for the Listening Ministry are partnered with a church member who is experiencing a stressful life transition.

 

The Practical Care Ministry provides hands-on assistance; for example: rides, meals, emergency babysitting or light housekeeping. 2U has a tradition of providing meals for new parents after the birth of a child and for members recently discharged from the hospital. Other members request rides for a doctor's appointment or clinic visit, or rides to church.

 

The Pastoral Care Team currently has requests for rides to and from church because of the severe weather. Contact Nanna Cross if you are able to provide rides to members, either only occasionally or on a regular basis.

 

If you are interested in the Listening Ministry, contact Rev. Adam Robersmith for more information.

Lay Leaders Needed!

2U has had a long tradition of lay-led services, where we lend the pulpit to a member of our congregation for them to share something meaningful with the rest of the congregation.  Recent topics have included the poetry of Rumi, the meaning of the Green Sanctuary Committee and a patchwork service on the topic of "This I Believe..."

 

If you feel you have something to share with the congregation and would like to lead services one Sunday, please contact the Sunday Service Committee at [email protected].

Old Narthex Gallery

Susie Inverso's photographs will be on display through Sunday, March 29th in the Old Narthex Gallery at Second Unitarian. Gallery hours are Sundays 10am-12:30pm and by appointment.

The BYC Garners Unanimous Support from Lakeview Community Group
On Monday, February 9, the South East Lake View Neighbors (SELVN) voted 19-0 in favor of supporting the Broadway Youth Center (BYC) in an upcoming Special Use Permit renewal hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeal.

This zoning hearing, which happens next month, will help the BYC continue serving youth at Wellington United Church of Christ at 615 W. Wellington Ave. And having the community support the health and lives of our youth is incredibly important to Health Brown Health Center.

Both Imani Rupert, the Director of the BYC, and Michelle Wetzel, HBHC's Senior VP of Policy, Strategy, & Business Development, attended the vote to voice once again the importance of maintaining BYC's current location. And both were ecstatic when the vote was handed down.

"Having this support has been the highlight of my week. Nearly 600 youth access drop-in services each year, and it's really important that we are able to deliver these life saving services without interruption," said Rupert.

While this vote is an exciting step forward, it's also symbolic given that last year SELVN voted against the BYC, voicing concerns about safety issues that housing a program like ours could bring to the neighborhood.

"This vote really came out of a culmination of a year's worth of a hard work of building relationships and open communication with the community. But also showing them that the BYC has a highly trained and highly responsive staff who can handle certain incidents appropriately and immediately so that they didn't become a problem for the community," Wetzel said.

She added, "Now that we have support from SELVN and Alderman Tom Tunney, we feel really good about the upcoming hearing and the future of the BYC."

Interested in showing your support for BYC at the Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing? Please join them on Friday, March 20, 2015 at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., in City Council chambers, time TBD. 

Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine
Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine is an award-winning, powerful feature documentary about Matthew Shepard, the gay young man who was tortured and murdered in one of the most notorious hate crimes in U.S. history. Directed by Michele Josue, a close friend of Shepard's, the film revisits the shocking case with never-before-seen photos, rare video footage, and new revelations about Shepard's all-too-brief life.

Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine opened at Chicago's AMC River East 21 this past Friday, February 13, 2015 and will have a limited theatrical run in Chicago through Thursday, February 19, 2015.

New York Times contributor Nicolas Rapold wrote, "In lingering over moody night streets and trembling faces, Ms. Josue has brought this film to the verge of becoming a tear-jerker. But, as epitomized in an extraordinary scene with a conflicted priest, it's all part of a shared soul-searching that still continues."

For more information about the film, please click here.
From ONE Northside






The Municipal Elections are rapidly approaching on Feb 24th! Two weeks ago, ONE Northside sent out a questionnaire to all candidates running for alderman in Wards 2, 32, 40, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48 and 49.

You can access candidate responses to the questionnaire by clicking here.  Additionally, you can find more information on Early Voting.

ONE Northside is a nonpartisan organization and does not endorse candidates.

Second Unitarian Church does NOT endorse or sponsor any political party or candidate.
UUJEC Conference

The UUJEC (UUs for a Just Economic Community) is hosting a conference February 20-22, 2015 at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, so participants can share ideas on implementing the Escalating Inequality Congregational Study/Action Issue passed at the last General Assembly, and walk the talk of creating a society with more equality of wealth and opportunity.


The conference, titled Escalating Inequality or Opportunity for All, will be held from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. Topics to be covered at the conference include wage issues, money in politics, and racial justice. The Rev. David Breeden from the Commission on Social Witness and Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies will be keynote speakers. Bertha Lewis, President of the Black Institute and co-founder of ACORN, will speak on racial justice issues.

The conference will help equip activists to return to their congregations ready to guide their members in action and reflection on the problems of income inequality. Those attending will also have the opportunity to learn what other congregations are doing to implement the CSAI, find out what UU legislative networks are doing nationwide, and provide feedback on the UUA's Escalating Inequality study guide. Attendees can also preview UUA curricula on economic justice and classism and screen films on these topics.
 
To register for the conference or to find out more, visit the UUJEC website.
Seth Fisher Ordination

Sunday, February 22, 2015 

4:00pm

 

Seth Fisher invites everyone to his ordination next Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 4:00pm at Peoples Church of Chicago.

 

Peoples Church of Chicago

941 W Lawrence Ave

Chicago, IL 60640-8319

 

Seth hopes to see you there!

Organizing for Change: Addressing Classism in Your Faith Community

Saturday, February 28, 2015

9:00am to 4:00pm

 

First Unitarian Church of Hobart

497 Main Street

Hobart, Indiana 46342

(50 minutes Southeast of Downtown Chicago)

 

Join First Unitarian Church of Hobart and UU Class Conversations for a workshop exploring class and classism and the role of classism in escalating inequality. Class Conversations helps UUs get real about privilege and access by building on our faith community's ongoing diversity and anti-oppression work - from race to gender to sexual orientation - and by exploring the little considered, almost taboo, subject of class.  We infuse this exploration with our history, principles, and spiritual traditions.

 

This interactive, full-day workshop provides an opportunity for participants to identify their own class backgrounds and then develop language, concepts, and strategies to bridge class differences. Participants examine the practices of their groups and organize toward eliminating classism and becoming more class-inclusive. The goal of the workshop is to strengthen commitment to social justice and effectiveness in making change both within UU groups and beyond.

 

To register or obtain additional information, contact Carl Wolf at [email protected] or call 219-942-1611. Workshop fee includes lunch: $50, more if you can, less if you can't.  Please note, the registration deadline is Feb. 23.  For rides from Chicago, contact Kellie Kelly at [email protected].

 

To learn more about UU Class Conversations, explore their web resources at http://www.uuclassconversations.org/ or contact Rev. Dorothy Emerson at 781-483-3133 (Boston area).

Choir Corner


The 2U choir rehearses in the sanctuary on Tuesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30. All voices are welcome! Tenors are especially welcome! For more information, please contact our music director, Marianne Parker.

Money Matters
The weekly cost of running 2U is $5,890!

2U's annual budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015 is $306,403.

For the Year to Date period July 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate =
$143,922
Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate =
$143,041
     Surplus or (Deficit)
$881

ActualBudgeted
Total Revenues Year-to-Date =$205,281$191,873
Total Expenses Year-to-Date =$179,958$180,813
     Total Surplus or (Deficit)$25,323$11,060

In January, we raised $701.25 for the collection plate sharing recipient, the Unitarian Universalist Military Ministry Great Lakes.

Thank you so much for helping to make 2U possible!
Anvil Deadlines
Have a message to put in the next Anvil? Plan ahead! Please have all submissions for the next newsletter submitted to Andrew Zallar, Congregational Administrator, at [email protected] by noon on Wednesday, February 25th.