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Unity Church of North Easton News
(Unitarian Universalist)
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"Welcoming people into community to grow in thought, spirit, and service to others."
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Volume 4, No. 8, December 13, 2014
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 The War On Christmas
By Rev. Kristin Schmidt, Consulting Minister
A couple of years ago a bona fide "war on Christmas" was waged on either side of New York's Lincoln Tunnel. An organization called the American Atheists erected a billboard on one side with a picture of the nativity scene and a large caption that read "You know it's a myth. This season, celebrate reason."
In response, the Catholic League erected their own billboard on the other side of the tunnel that depicted the exact same nativity scene, but their caption read "You know it's real. This season, celebrate Jesus."
For reasons that mystify me, this seems to be the only kind of coverage Christmas gets this time of year. Only religious polar opposites seem to attract attention; people for whom theology is cut and dried; for whom every word is either true or it isn't. And yet I think we do a disservice to our religious tradition if we are willing to consider its truths only literally. Because a story can bear great truth even if we don't believe it "really happened" in a factual way.
For me, the real "war on Christmas" is that our nation and globe are mired in greed, racism, and inequality. This time of year, my heart resonates deeply not with facts or creeds about Jesus, but with the Advent themes of waiting and hoping for a light to finally be born into my community; a light bright enough to overcome all of the different kinds of darkness in our world; a light like so many other lights that have been born into and transformed the world. What else could I hope for?
It is my faith in humanity's shared capacity to work with the Spirit and one another to create justice, that gives me hope as my family and I prepare to welcome our second child into this troubled world. It is my faith in the God-with-us that glows in every newborn's face, that dwells in and with us all, that gives very real meaning to this season for me. May we each find time and space this month to wait and hope for a better world.
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Unity Church has a wonderful opportunity to partner with the Old Colony Y to help families get a Christmas which they wouldn't have otherwise.
Old Colony Y staffs shelters in Brockton for many families without the resources to provide their children with Christmas prese nts.
We will help by getting their families' wish lists and creating a wish list tree at the church. Please consider fullfilling a family's wish and purchase gifts for these children.
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Remembering Someone - the Memorial Fund
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Ed White
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The Unity Church Memorial Fund was conceived by long-time Unity member Ed White many years ago as a way to memorialize loved ones and to provide a means of funding special projects and purchases at Unity that fall outside of the operating budget and that we may not be able to afford otherwise.
In recent years, the Memorial Fund has either funded, or helped to fund, many projects that have enhanced the life of the congregation. Some of these projects include:
- The Lift Project
- Holly House renovations
- LCD projector and cart
- Parish Hall chairs and tables
- Assistive listening devices
- Announcement stands
How the Memorial Fund Works
Here's how to memorialize someone by making a donation to the Unity Church Memorial Fund:
- Send a check and a note to the Memorial Fund Treasurer, Ellen Dehm via the church office. Be sure to include the name of the person you wish to memorialize and the contact information for the family/loved ones to receive notice of your donation.
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The memorialized person's name will be entered into the
Memorial Fund Book, located in the glass case in the Chaffin Room.
- You will receive a thank you for your tax-deductible contribution to the Fund, and the family receives a note informing them of your donation. The money is placed in the Fund.
How the Memorial Fund is Used
In general, only the income of the fund may be spent, unless specifically noted otherwise by the donor. The principle continues to grow so that generated revenue continues over the years. Expenditures should be for entities worthy of a memorial project or item, that is to say, something of lasting value that would serve the congregation as a whole, and not part of the routine operating budget.
If a congregation member has an item or project that they think would be a good fit for the Memorial Fund, they submit their idea to the Memorial Fund Trustees for approval; if approved, the Trustees take the request to a Congregational Meeting. The expenditure must then be approved by a voting member majority at the meeting.
New Fund Treasurer
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Ellen Dehm
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Recently, Ellen Dehm was appointed by the Executive Committee and Memorial Fund Trustees to take take on the role as Memorial Fund Treasurer/Trustee. Ellen is replacing Greg Wolfe, who stepped down to devote more time to his many other volunteer positions at Unity, including Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee (EC), Unity Church Band leader, AV Committee, and choir member.
Anne Fredericks and Walter Tramontano (shown below) will continue in their positions as Memorial Fund Trustees. (Walter is also an EC Member-at-Large, and Anne is also serving as our current EC Treasurer.)
If you have questions or would like to make a donation to the Memorial Fund in honor or memory of someone, please contact Ellen, Anne, or Walter. |
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5th Annual Winter Solstice Service
 Winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest.
The solstice lasts only a moment in time and has many different names such as "midwinter", "the longest night", "the shortest day" or ""the first day of winter". The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days.
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but in most Northern Hemisphere cultures, there is recognition of rebirth.
Join us for a lively celebration of the longest night
on December 21st. We will meet in Parish Hall at 5:00.
Come to sing, dance, let go of your burdens at the fire and welcome the return of joy and light.
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Meet the Greeters
by Audrey Davies, Fellowship Committee
This year we are fortunate to have nine teams of greeters and two "pinch hitters" for Sunday services. The Fellowship Committee agrees that the presence of two greeters at the church entrance is very welcoming and also provides for helping with encouraging the use of name tags.
Each team rotates every nine weeks and the schedule is in place for the year. The following list denotes the order in which they are assigned. Please take a moment to thank them for this service to the church community when you see them.
- Richard and Lori Freitas
- Craig and Anne Fredericks
- Edie Marsden and Cheryl Brigante
- Mark and Melanie D'Aiello
- Ken and MaryLu Love
- Andy and Bob Champagne Willis
- Jason and Victoria Gold
- Pat and Chris Pender
- Audrey Davies and Susanne Rogers
And our 'pinch hitters' who are available to fill in when someone of the above teams is unable to be there on the Sunday assigned. They are Carolyn McCafferty and Marcia Tims.
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 What's happening in RE?
by Deanna Greenstein, Coordinator of Religious Education
Fall Religious Education is now winding down. The children had a wonderful autumn, learning about morality and making moral decisions. This is especially relevant in the wake of what is happening in our world. Though the recent events in Ferguson have not been brought up directly in Religious Education, we have explored the "gray area" of our decision making and resulting actions. The children spent a great deal of time discussing "good" and "bad" people, and learned together that no person is ALL good or ALL bad. Our character, the person we are on the inside, is made up of many facets. No one can be "good" all the time, and just because someone has made bad decisions does not necessarily make them a "bad person". There is good inside every person, even if we have to search deep for it.
And now, in true "Deanna" fashion - I would like to share a story with you:
One evening an old Cherokee man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, 'My son, the battle is between two wolves inside of each and every person. One wolf is full of anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is full of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.'
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'
The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'
This story holds so much relevance in today's world. We each feel negative things at one time or another. And yes - sometimes it is appropriate to feed that bad wolf. You do not always need to suppress your anger. At times it is necessary to let that anger be known. But, we all need to remember to just give that bad wolf a nibble. Save the "feast" for the good wolf. Be the good you wish to see in the world.
Always remember - "Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr.
ALL lives matter.
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Quiet Inspiration
If you have ever found inspiration while looking at the beautiful stained glass windows in the east and west transcepts of the church, you might be interested in how LaFarge, the artist, viewed this work. The article below was written by Robin Neely for Stained Glass Quarterly. Robin served as the stained glass consultant for the restoration of the Angel of Help and the Wisdom windows, and also, during the church restoration, for the Good Shephard window in the Chaffin Room, and side windows of the sanctuary.
To find more historical information about Unity Church, have a peek at the Historic Unity Church area of our web site. Enjoy!
"I
have done the Ames window...and have suffered much from it"
By the time John La Farge wrote to his friend historian Henry Adams about the completion of the Angel of Help stained glass window for Unity Church in North Easton, Massachusetts, he was already considered one of America's leading artists.
Well known for works in painting, book illustration, stained glass, and murals, La Farge had just completed what a critic declared in the 1887 Art Review to be "the most elavorate window made in the United States." 
What La Farge did not know is that this would be the first of two masterpieces he would create for the church (the other being the Wisdom Window), two important windows that would become the crown jewels in a small New England town already resplendent with architectural treasures...
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Church Office Memos
 by Gail Bruno, Office ManagerDid you Find Your Name Tag? Last year, we started using a brand new process to make sure name tags were available for members and friends.
On Sunday mornings, name tags are on a board in the back of the sanctuary. Please put yours on when you enter, and keep it on during Social Hour. If you can't find your name tag, please contact Gail at the church office, If you forget and take your name tag home, and then forget to bring it back on Sunday, there are temporary name tags available, please help everyone feel welcome by wearing a name tag.
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Add a Bit to the Kitty, Any Time of Year
Do you shop on Amazon.com? Be sure to visit Amazon through Unity's homepage first. Every time you use the Amazon widget, Unity Church receives up to 8.5% of what you've spent at Amazon! During this crazy shopping season, or any other time of the year, 8.5% can add up to a lot for Unity!
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Unity Church Bed & Breakfast Fundraiser is Back!
Host friendly, interesting dancers and musicians while raising money for Unity Church!
You can help them and raise some funds for Unity Church by providing a bed or even just floor space to participants during the fair on April 24-26, 2015.
This was a wonderful success last year, generating good will and funds for our community.
Here's How it Works
- Church members register to provide a bed and/or floor space, a shower, and a continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
- Anna Linzi matches hosts with guests. Please contact Anna at (781-727-7521).
- Hosts and guests email each other to finalize details, like check-in and check-out times. Guests send the checks to the church. This year there are weekend rates at $60 per person for floor space, $75 per person for single bed space, and $150 per bed for a double/queen/king.
What Hosts Need to Know
- The festival starts on Friday, April 24, 2015, at 7 p.m. and ends at 11:30pm each night, so many of the guests will be coming to your house late. It starts at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. You can specify quiet hours that work for you.
- The festival has a lot of activities, dances, performances, workshops, and more! Here is more information about the schedule of events.
Host Application Form
You can also contact Anna Linzi at 781-727-7521. Anna is leading this event for Unity Church.
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Just  a note to wish everyone Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, and let you know that the next edition of the Unity News will be published on January 9.
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When the Weather Outside is Frightful
For the safety of our friends and members, in case of extreme weather conditions, please call the church office (508-238-6373) after 8:00 a.m. on the day of the Service or church event for a message about whether the Service or event has been canceled.
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Looking for Unity Church Member Contact information?
You can find it on our web site under the Member Access menu,
after you log in as a member.
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New to Unity Church?
New to Unity Church or want to Join Our Mailing List?
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Photo/Graphics/Video Credits for this Issue of the Unity News
Cathy Adler, Cheryl Brigante, Ernest Cohen, and Ellen Dehm
Unity News Contact Info
For questions or comments regarding this message, please contact Cathy Adler, Unity News Managing Editor & Web Administrator,
at welcome2ucne@gmail.com . |
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