Anvil header

Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
July 1, 2015
In This Issue...
Worship at 2U

Sunday, July 5
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Aidan McCormack
Music: Lauren Nelson

Sunday, July 12
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music: Marianne Parker

Sunday, July 19
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Epiphany Paris
Music: MarySue Barrett and Kimberly Bares

Sunday, July 26
Service at 10:30
Worship Leaders: Rev. Adam Robersmith and Dir. of Faith Development, Raquel Garcia
Music: Kat Kidwell
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Children & Youth Faith Development Schedule
 
Child care for infants and toddlers is available every Sunday in the Nursery or Green Caterpillar room.

Sunday, July 5
Spirit Play Light
All classes together in Fleishman Hall

Sunday, July 12
Spirit Play Light
All classes together in Fleishman Hall

Sunday, July 19
Spirit Play Light
All classes together in Fleishman Hall

Sunday, July 26
Intergenerational service: no classes
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Church Office Information & Staff

Minister
773-549-0260, ext. 13
Office Hours:
Wed-Thurs afternoons and evenings; Sunday afternoons and other days & times by appointment only
 
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 Potluck Lunch

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 Susan Zeigler, Board Chair

Hello Second Unitarian congregants! I am so pleased to be stepping into the role of Chair of the Board of Trustees at 2U as of July 1st. This past church year has been one of intense learning and reflection, and I look forward to continuing to work with such a hard-working and dynamic group of board and staff members.

 

While I am excited to move into this new leadership function, I must admit that I do so with a bit of trepidation as we lead into Adam's five month sabbatical starting in September. I see this as very normal since Adam has been such a pillar of support for the 2U community. I actually would be concerned if I wasn't worried! One of the many things that Adam has cultivated at 2U is our ability to look within and find each of our own leadership capacities in service to the community. I have no doubt that these capacities (along with the support of our part-time sabbatical minister, Emmy Lou) will allow us to get through the sabbatical period unscathed. Not only will be unscathed, but I believe we will be all the stronger for it.

 

One theme for this church year will be communication. I will be working with the board regarding more deliberate ways that congregants can be better informed about the state of the church. You will hear more about this in the coming months - in the meantime, if you have particular ideas regarding church communication, please feel free to reach out to me at a service, or via email at [email protected].

 

See you in church!

Worship Associate Training

Sunday, July 26, 2015

12:00pm

 

Have you thought about lighting our chalice? Being one of the friendly folks assisting during the candlelighting? Offering our readings to the congregation? Would you like to be a part of presenting worship at 2U without preaching or being a musician? 

 

If you've answered "yes" to these questions, I invite you to consider becoming a Worship Associate for 2U. Please email, call, or catch me on a Sunday after worship to let me know that you're interested. I'll be happy to answer your questions. We'll be holding a training on Sunday, July 26th after worship in the Sanctuary. You can sign up either by emailing me at [email protected] or by using the sign-up sheet on the Welcome Table.

Faithfully,
Rev. Adam
COVES Lammas Celebration

Friday, July 31, 2015

7:00pm

 

All are welcome to join Covenant of Earth and Sky (CUUPS Chapter) for Lammas, also known as Lughnasah, on Friday, July 31 at 7pm in the Sanctuary. Lughnasah is the First Harvest of three. Autumnal Equinox is the Second (in September), Samhain (in October) is the Third. At Lugnasah, we honor the Celtic God Lugh (sun, harvest, passion) and Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. The wheat is tall, the colors just start their change and the bounty of fruit and vegetable are enjoyed. We follow the Wheel of the Year by thinking about what to preserve in our spirit from the year and what lessons we can harvest. All are welcome to bring a dish to share in our bounty of the harvest. Please contact Shauna for any questions or comments.

Things You Can Learn From a Pagan

By Karen Clark 

 

Paganism is not just about beliefs, it's about stepping outside of the strictures of everyday reality and stepping into full-bodied experiences of the wild, magical world of what else is true and possible.

 

Life is delicious.

Paganism is a spiritual practice that calls us to a joyful, sensual communion with nature and our bodies.

 

Take a walk on the wild side with your unruly, untamable pagan nature. Turn up your favorite music and dance from the inside-out. Eat a bowl of the ripest, sweetest fruit you can find. Make love to your partner as if you are made of one skin. Breathe the blue of the sky deep into your lungs. Be radically, delectably, unapologetically alive!

 

The Earth is alive.

Paganism is defined by its earth-centered ethos. While our collective humanity has lost sight of the ways of the green world, pagans hunger to touch and be touched by the powers and splendor of nature. And in this sensual, embodied exchange, we awaken to the living world.

 

Hang out in your favorite green space with your senses on high. Attune to your exchange of breath with the trees: their green breath of oxygen with your red breath of carbon dioxide. Open your flat palms toward whatever wild thing catches your fancy and sense the tingling meeting of your energies. Peer into the microcosm of a rotting log, with its teeming collective of interdependent inhabitants.

 

The Goddess is everywhere, in everything.

She is the burning ember of light interwoven with matter that shines forth in all living things. She is the unending, outrageous beauty of the wild world. She is the driving force that calls us to strive and struggle, and to grow and blossom. Her cupped hands hold us in the shifting seasons of our joys and sorrows, and life and death moments.

 

So without, so within.

Pagans celebrate the wheel of the year: eight sabbats that mark the turning seasons of nature and their shifting balance of darkness and death with light and life.  Ponder the seasons of your own life: the death-like times when darkness, sorrow and loss swallowed you whole, and other times when the sun was shining bright and life was rich and full.

 

So without, so within; like the natural world, our humanity is woven of darkness and death, and light and life. And in this bittersweet, powerful truth, we can find our balance and wholeness in the face of life's shifting seasons.

New Sunday Social Managers Needed

Darrin and I regrettably find ourselves unable to continue hosting the Sunday Socials. We hope we have given you a sense of what a delightful tradition this could be for our congregation, bringing us all together over a good meal and good conversation. 

 

The responsibilities of the manager include publishing notices of the upcoming Socials, assigning food dishes to bring, ensuring all needed kitchen supplies are available for the event, setting the food out for service, keeping the food warm and ensuring clean-up is complete.

 

If you have an interest in being involved in these events, please call either Darrin Weatherspoon at (773) 316-4264 or myself, Nancy Kloetzli at (773) 561-5150. Either Darrin or I could arrange to be available for the first one or two Socials to help you get comfortable with operating the kitchen equipment, etc. Looking forward to hearing from you.

From the Sunday Services Committee

podium Do you have an idea, a concept, or a story you want to share with our congregation? Do you think there is something we could all benefit from learning or thinking about or just sharing together? Consider doing a lay service!

 

Second Unitarian has a long tradition of lay services, in which a members of our congregation are given the pulpit to share their thoughts and feelings. Recent services have included topics such as prison ministry, the poetry of Rumi, and "This I Believe." If you are interested in providing a service, the Sunday Services Committee will support and guide you through the entire process. To learn more, simply email [email protected].
Choir Corner

musical chalice

2U choir members will be taking a break and resting their voices over the summer. Regular Tuesday night rehearsals will resume with the start of the official church year in the fall. If you would like to be added to the 2U choir notification list, please email Congregational Administrator Andrew Zallar. For more information about the choir, please contact 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 May 31, 2015:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate =
$213,150
Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate =
$227,865
     Surplus or (Deficit)
($14,715)

ActualBudgeted
Total Revenues Year-to-Date =$286,668$282,712
Total Expenses Year-to-Date =$295,859$279,333
     Total Surplus or (Deficit)($9,191)$3,379

In May, we raised $891.52 towards the collection plate sharing recipient, Jane Addams Senior Caucus.

Thank you so much for helping to make 2U possible!
Stay Connected
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Click here for more information about the UUA and click here to sign up for their newsletter, UU World.

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Submission Deadlines
Have a message to put in the next Anvil or Orders of Service? Plan ahead! 

Please have all submissions for the next newsletter submitted by noon on Wednesday, July 29.

Please have all submissions for the Orders of Service submitted by noon on Wednesday prior to the Sunday you'd like the announcement to appear.

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago
656 West Barry Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657

Phone: (773) 549-0260