First Unitarian Newsletter

VOL. 56 NO. 10

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2002

SUNDAY WORSHIP

November 10, 2002 at The First Unitarian Church

9:00 a.m.
	*	*Prayer Group*, led by Rev. Schade, will meet in his office at 9:00 a.m. To reach Rev. Schade's office: go into the kitchen, take the stairs and turn left.
	*	*World Religions: Stories of Transformations* will meet in the CHapel. This week's topic will be a story called the Baal Shem Tov's Storyteller, led by Rev. Merritt.
	*	*Adult Choir Rehearsal* will be held in the Sanctuary.
	*	*Children's Choir Rehearsal* will be held in the Bancroft Room. Director: Nathaniel Needle
	*	*Early Childcare* will be available in the Dining Room for children whose parents are involved in church programs.
		Caregivers: Mari Lopez, Monica Lopez, Amanda Sprow, Jennifer Comeau
10:15 a.m.
	*	*Nursery Care* (for children under the age of 3) will be available in the nursery during the worship service.
		Caregivers: Mari Lopez, Monica Lopez, Amanda Sprow, Jennifer Comeau
	*	*Chalice Children (for children who are already 3 years of age, but not yet in kindergarten):* This class will open at 10:15 to allow parents time to settle their children before worship begins. Our church is a place where we learn to help others. In Sunday School this week, we will talk about how our families take care of us and about what we can do to help take care of others.
		Teachers: Ruth Shortreed, Rebecca Epstein, Kyla Ferguson

Sunday Worship - In the Sanctuary
Sunday Worship			In the Sanctuary
10:20 a.m.	--	*Church Announcements*
10:30 a.m.	--	*Worship Begins*
		Sermon: "The Ten Tasks of a Unitarian Universalist"
		The Rev. Barbara Merritt, Senior, Minister - preaching
		The Rev. Thomas Schade, Associate Minister - liturgist

		At one of the Assessors' breakfasts at church, when a list of 10 principals of Unitarian Universalism were read out loud, a parishioner whispered to me, "Don't we have to actually do anything as religious liberals?" This sermon is my reply to that excellent question. No doubt, we are well equipped with noble principles, and lofty values, freedoms and affirmation. But what are the actions which must follow, if this faith of ours is to make an ultimate difference to ourselves or to the world? This would be a wonderful Sunday to invite a friend who might be looking for an interfaith religious community like ours.

		"The chief task in life is the care of your soul. You should care for your soul and work to improve it, and you can improve it only with love." --Leo Tolstoy


10:30 a.m.
	*	*Ushering: Susan Peckitt* and Harold Stevens-head ushers.
	*	*Flowers* given this week by The Booth Family in honor of Howard M. Booth and Mr. and Mrs. George F. Booth.
	*	*Candlelighter:* to be announced Sunday morning.
11:30 a.m.
	*	*Fellowship Hour* in the Dining Room. *Hospitality* : UNICEF Coffee Hour Carnival in Unity Hall.
12:00 p.m.
	*	Religion In Our Times will be held in the Chapel. Topic: "Nuclear Power - Friend or Foe?" with Joe Muckerheide.

Sunday School Notes

Children's Worship in the Robbins Chapel: This Sunday, all children from Kindergarten through 6th grade are invited to Children's Worship in the Robbins Chapel, beginning promptly at 10:30. Our theme will be the second Principle, "Offer fair and kind treatment to all."

Feeling at Home (for children in Kindergarten): We wish to thank Ken Waugh for bringing his pet turtles to our class last week. We enjoyed seeing them. This week, we will talk about families, all different kinds of families. Teachers: Karen Hoke, Bill Hoke

Stories About God (1st grade): This Sunday, we will consider two concepts. The first is that searching for God is like working on a puzzle, and the second is that there will always be mystery woven into one's understanding of God. We will work on some puzzles. Teachers: Pam Ratcliffe, Rick Epstein

Adventures of God's Folk (2nd grade): We learned last week about the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt. This week, we will learn about the sojourn in the wilderness and the Ten Commandments. Teachers: Suzanne Westbrook, Gerri Bianchi

Holidays and Holy Days (3rd grade): On Sunday, we will learn about Maulid al-Nabi, the birthday of Mohammed. We will learn more about the Moslem religion, particularly Moslem prayer. Teachers: Eduardo Morales, Sarah Lyon, Beth Theriault

Stepping Stone Year (4th grade): Continuing our unit on creation, we will talk about what we can learn about the age of the earth and the beginning of life on this planet from rocks and bones. We will make a replica of a fossil. Children are asked to bring a small shell, a piece of bark, a leaf of a fern, or a twig to class this Sunday? Teachers: Julianne deRivera, Bernadette Nelson

Timeless Themes (5th grade): Our theme this week is jealousy and envy, as illustrated in the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 37. We will consider the issue of favoritism. Teachers: Cynthia Morales, Maria Acosta Cruz

Life and Teachings of Jesus (6th grade): Our class has been small lately (only 1 person last Sunday!), and we have not moved forward in our study of the life of Jesus. This Sunday, we will finish our discussion of the baptism of Jesus and move on to the story of the Temptation in the Desert. Teachers: David Nase, John Bianchi

Neighboring Faiths (7th and 8th grades): We are fortunate to have Rev. Tom Schade as a guest in our class this Sunday. He will lead the class toward an answer to the question, "How can I know what to believe?" Teachers: Tim McNamara, Nat Needle

Senior High: YRU2 will meet during the Sunday School hour to plan the next series of events, including the Thanksgiving Bake Sale and the trip to Boston on 12/8. Please make every effort to attend this meeting. Leaders: YRU2 Officers and Advisors

G U E S T M E M O

"Enough Color"

From Maine to Vermont, from New Hampshire to Connecticut, from the Cape to the Berkshires, the results have been tabulated. This was not a banner year for autumn foliage in New England. My botanical friends tell me that September was just too warm! It is the combination of below-freezing nights and warm days that produces our annual glorious, riotous color. Most years, I try not to turn on the heat before October 1st. I usually fail. This year it was easy. A hard freeze did not occur in our backyard until late October.

So trees that are usually brilliant, were a bit dull. And on the weekend that was supposed to be "peak" in this region (Columbus Day weekend), most of the trees were still summer green. I noted some nice yellows, and a few beautiful red leaves on the sidewalks, but I, like many of you, have been under-whelmed and a little sad about the no-show fall display.

Thus last week, when my husband and I walked to the grocery store, I had no expectations. The "milk run" was inspired by the need for exercise and staples. A shortcut onto Lee Street was simply intended to shorten the "exercise" part of the trip. And that's when I saw the sugar maple tree. Red, pink, and yellow…and radiant; the kind of "jaw-dropping" marvel that takes your breath away. It was only one tree, but it refreshed all my memories of the wonderful blessing this season has to give. And the colors of that one tree have remained in my mind's eye. One great tree was beautiful enough to make me feel blessed and fortunate.

Since then, I have been watching, with some curiosity, how the rest of the autumn would progress. As I walk in the early hours of the morning, I'm seeing an astonishing amount of fallen green leaves on the streets. The usually brilliant "burning bush" just outside my office window at church might as well have been an oak tree, for all the color it has mustered. But now, well into November, when usually all the maple trees are bare, I'm seeing a maple grove that has turned to pure gold, shimmering with bright yellow light. Heaven should be so beautiful! And out in the country, there are still pockets of color that are stunning. It's an unusual autumn to be sure; with its own unique beauty and gift, with color enough to startle us with its grace.

Enough is a difficult concept for North America in the beginning of the 21st century. We've always been a culture focused on more: more land, more wealth, more power. We're always looking for more exciting entertainment, faster computers, larger TV screens. The media makes lists about the top 10 companies, the 10 wealthiest entertainers. (I've never seen a single news story on 10 individuals who have sufficient money or enough success to be content and satisfied.)

How would we experience our lives, if we could say, and believe, that conditions were good enough? The litany might sound something like this:

* No, my health isn't perfect, but I'm in good enough shape that I can enjoy many activities.

* Yes, my pension fund is down, but I have a comfortable home and food and shelter, and I'm OK for the immediate future.

* My kids are happy enough, successful enough, busy enough. I can relax.

* Not all my relationships are going smoothly, but I have enough friends and family and colleagues that I can see that God has given me good companions. I am not alone.

* My prayer life is distracted. I can't seem to keep my promises to love God, or to care for my soul, or even to remember the source of my truth, my peace, my hope. Nevertheless, I keep trying, and that is enough of a sign of God's presence.

* I have lost some of the people I have loved most dearly. They have died, or moved away, or disappeared. Nevertheless, enough people whom I love with all my heart are still here with me, and they remind me that love is eternal.

* I love imperfectly. I work imperfectly. I eat too many sweets. And I can waste an enormous amount of time in front of the television set. But there is enough graciousness in this world to include the likes of me and you. There is enough goodness in existence to carry us through this season, and all the seasons to come.

~Rev. Barbara Merritt

Calendar of Events

*Worship Services are held each Sunday* *at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary.* *Church Office Hours:* *Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.*
Tues. Nov. 12
	2:30 p.m.	William Wordsworth Poetry Roundtable in the Chapel. For further information, please contact Inger Gilbert by calling the church office. All are welcome.
Thu. Nov. 7
	7:30 p.m.	Adult Choir Rehearsal in the Bancroft Room
Fri. Nov. 8
	7:00 p.m.	Women's Cinema in the Bancroft Room
Sun. Nov. 10
	9:00 a.m.	Prayer Group in Rev. Schade’s office.
		World Religions: Stories of Transformation in the Chapel, with a story selected by Rev. Merritt called the Baal Shem Tov's Storyteller.
		Adult Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
		Children's Choir Rehearsal in the Bancroft Room
	9:30 a.m.	BYKOTA Meeting in Sunday School Room 1
	10:20 a.m.	Church Announcements
	10:30 a.m.	Worship Service begins in the Sanctuary
		Children's Worship Service in the Robbins Chapel
	11:30 a.m.	Fellowship Hour in the Bancroft and Dining Rooms
	12-1:00 p.m.	Religion In Our Times in the Chapel. Topic: "Nuclear Power - Friend or Foe?" with discussion leader, Joe Muckerheide.
Mon. Nov. 11
	5:30 p.m.	Zen Meditation in the Chapel
	6:30 p.m.	Fellowship Supper in the Dining Room
	7:30 p.m.	Monday Night at the Church - Discussion Topic: "The Youth and Education of Jesus, Under the Influence of Joseph the Carpenter", led by Joseph P. Baratta, Ph.D.
Thu. Nov. 14
	6:30 p.m.	Holiday Fashion Show Meeting will be held in the Chapel
Fri. Nov. 15		DEADLINE for Early GA Registration
Mon. Nov. 18
	6:30 p.m.	Membership Committee Meeting at the church
Sun. Nov. 24
	12:00 p.m.	Religion In Our Times - Topic: "Compassionate End-of-Life Care-Part II - Making Your Wishes Known" with discussion leader, Janice B. Yost, EdD, and Bill Densmore.
Sat. Dec. 7		HOLIDAY FASHION SHOW with proprietor of Nasrin Couture, Nasrin Bigonahy, at the church.
Sun. Dec. 8
	12:00 p.m.	Religion In Our Times - Topic: "Cultural Creatives - Are You One?" with Virginia Swain.

News Articles

Monday Night at the Church
On November 11th, Joseph P. Baratta, Ph.D., will present "The Youth and Education of Jesus, Under the Influence of Joseph the Carpenter," an illustrated slide lecture in the spirit of the quest for the historical Jesus. Joseph Baratta is an assistant professor of history at Worcester State College. He writes about United Nations reform and thinks that there is more that unites us in religion than divides us. He has long studied the sources in the quest of the historical Jesus. This lecture started in an investigation of the probable role of Joseph the carpenter as an apparently admirable father. Please join us 6:30-7:30 p.m. for dinner, followed by our discussion 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Intense Requiem...Appreciated
Our thanks once again to the Sanctuary Choir for their wonderfully moving offering of Brahms' Requiem last Sunday for our All Souls' service. There's no rest for the weary -- they're already preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas services.

Religion In Our Times
Church members and their guests are welcome at any or all of these sessions…no special expertise or preparation required. Please join us this Sunday, November 10th at 12:00 noon in the Chapel for "Nuclear Power - Friend or Foe?" with James Muckerheide. Last Spring, WPI professor emeritus Jim Demetry provided a great overview of where our energy comes from, how it is used, and the options for overcoming the impending shortage. He then facilitated an interesting discussion of the options, including reduced consumption, more use of nuclear power, and alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, wood, fuel cells and geothermal. At the conclusion, a majority of those present supported a RIOT session on nuclear power with an informed advocate. Jim Muckerheide has been the Mass. State Nuclear Engineer since 1990 and formed the Center for Nuclear Technology and Society at WPI in 1997. He graduated from Lowell Tech in 1971 with a degree in nuclear engineering and has had extensive experience in the nuclear power industry. He sees nuclear power as a 21st Century imperative to save the planet from the environmental impact of oil and coal and war over oil supplies. Other Upcoming Religion In Our Times Programs: 11/24 Compassionate End-of-Life Care-Part II; Making Your Wishes Known - Janice B. Yost, EdD, with Bill Densmore; 12/8 Cultural Creatives - Are You One? - Virginia Swain

Worship Being Worship
Over the last few months, so many wonderful and exciting programs and projects have been springing up in the parish, that by the time we get through announcements and additional activities, the worship service has consistently been running over the usual allotted hour. A strong church service can't be locked into a 60-minute cage, but going over an hour ought to be the exception, not the rule. In order for there to be time for scripture and sermons, prayers and sacred music, starting November 10th, the announcements will begin at approximately 10:20 a.m. If there are many, many announcements, they will begin a little earlier. In any case, worship will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. with the prelude music. (If you can't get to church early enough for announcements, you will find most of them printed in your order of service, and all of them in the next week's newsletter.) -Rev. Merritt and Rev. Schade

Holiday High Fashion Show
"Fashion" Some Baked Goods...for the exciting December 7th Fashion Show. Needed will be your luscious cookies, breads, pies, etc., both to sell that day at our baked goods table and also to serve as desserts for the Fashion Show luncheon. Please signup to donate your baked items after the Worship Service this Sunday. Thanks so much! If you have any questions, please contact Carol Lucas through the church office.

Human Concerns
November is the Spare Change Collection month, to help in feeding hungry families in Worcester. Look for the "Hungry Teddy Bear" money used by Friendly House to buy food at $.14 per pound from the Worcester Food Bank and distributed to those in need in our local neighborhoods.

Interfaith Hospitality Network
The local coordinator for the IHN, Joanne Marhefka, recently sent me a letter explaining that help was needed. A church that had been scheduled to take the families in this shelter program from November 10-17 had to cancel. I spoke to Rev. Merritt about offering our church again for this purpose. (Usually, churches provide shelter, food, and supplies about two weeks each year. As many of you know, we hosted 15 people from October 13-20. Our next scheduled time to host the families is the spring.) Rev. Merritt had checked with staff and committee members and said if we could find seven people to take on the job of overnight hosts, we could do it. After one announcement at church, enough people stepped up to help. Ms. Marhefka has told me other parishes will be supplying food and supplies. However, if there is someone who is motivated to cook a dinner and serve it, there are still a few spots available. Please call me at (508) 852-0814. Also, belated thanks go to Barbara Khosoa, who made a fancy Halloween cake for the guests, Meredith Pasky and Brooke Belcher who laundered sheets and blankets, Renee DesRosiers for professional massages, and bed movers: Margaret Hunt, Rob Merritt, Gwen, Billy and Sten Gustavson. -Liz Gustavson

Thanksgiving is Coming!
Laura Howie and Kristine Johnson will coordinate a dinner for all who wish to join us. Make your reservation now. The more, the merrier! Please call Laura or Kristine through the church office.

Membership Directory
The church office is updating our membership directory. and will continue, through November 10th, to have one copy available at the Welcome Table for parishioners to view and update. The information contained in the Directory will reflect your address and phone number as it currently appears in our computer records. If you are unable to be at church on these Sundays and have recently moved or changed your phone number, please call the church office to let us know. Thanks!