December 2001 Newsletter

Sermons
December 2 -- “The Light of Advent”, by Practicum Minister, John Biedler, M.Div.

Those who try to prove that miraculous things did not happen that night 2000 years ago have not understood the ancient tale. The story is not meant to tell us what happened once upon a time, but rather what is always happening for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

December 9 -- "How Hanukkah Might Light our Day”, by John Biedler

Why is the tradition of lights still practiced among Jews today? In this sermon we will step back into history, back into time and myth, and into a Hanukkah for today.

Following the service, Dick and Lorelei Zaker will serve potato latkes, a Hanukkah tradition.

December 16 -- “Christmas is for Kids”, by John Biedler

Intergenerational services allow our children to participate directly in the program in ways that teach us as adults better than any "adult" sermon could ever do. Bring your children and grandchildren! More importantly, I hope you will participate.

December 23 -- "Sweet Peace and Joy”
Our desire for peace and joy always grows this time of year -- and this year especially. Come celebrate with us in song and words in this intergenerational holiday service -- and feel free to bring along one of your favorite Christmas treats to share!
Service Leader: Dick Zaker

Dec. 30 -- "My Life as a Poet" by Ken Robertson

Ken intends to maintain the festive spirit by explaining how, without planning to do so, he became a published poet. He will read from his chapbook of poetry called Caution Horses and other Poems. His poetry is often light and humorous, sometimes serious, but never opaque.

Open House
UUFD members, friends, and their guests are invited to a Holiday Open House from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, hosted by Judy and Vern Thistlethwaite, at their home (2529 W. Hunt). Ann Limerick, who is moving to Texas, will be guest of honor. Bring only yourselves and your best wishes.

Other Important Dates
Every Wednesday -- The Men’s Lunch Group, “We’re Only UUMen”, will meet at noon, at Red Lobster.

Dec. 6 -- 1 p.m., Women’s Lunch Bunch at the new O’Charley’s restaurant, north of Hickory Point Mall. Please call Marjory Powell at 423-4688 or e-mail Joan Brown at joangracias@aol.com if you are coming.

Dec. 7 -- Morning, come decorate the Christmas tree, donated by Marge Evans, at the church. Call Marge (864-2843) or Kathy Kline (428-1807) for more information.

Wednesday, Dec. 12 -- 6 p.m., Women’s Book Group. The group will meet at Sally VanNatta’s, 254 N. Woodlawn. RSVP with Sally at 423-0214. The group will be discussing book choices for next year’s meetings, so bring your ideas! Also bring a dish for the potluck! Members are asked to bring books they want to trade. Any books left over will be donated to the women’s prison.

There will be no Board meeting in December.

Hat and Mitten Tree
By Kathy Kline
Again this holiday season we will have a community service activity of decorating a tree with NEW children’s size hats and mittens. Please bring these items to UUFD the first three Sundays in December. They will be donated to the Dove Children’s Clothing Room to complement the many coats that are donated each year. 

Share the Bounty
Please remember to bring nonperishable food items for the basket in the foyer. The food will be donated to the Northeast Community Fund.

Covenant Groups Take Shape
The organizational work has come together, and our Covenant Groups are under way. As envisioned, Joan Brown is heading one group, meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. Ron Shafer is leading “The Spiritual Journey” from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. The Covenant Groups are meant to meet regularly, on the order of one or two weeks out of each month.

Please contact one of these people if you’re interested in getting in on what promises to be an engrossing “coming together” opportunity.

A Prayer for the Season
By Macrina Wiederkehr

Creator of the Stars
God of Epiphanies
You are the Great Star
You have marked my path with light
You have filled my sky with stars
naming each star
guiding it
until it shines into my heart
awakening me to deeper seeing
new revelations
and brighter epiphanies.

O Infinite Stargiver
I now ask for wisdom and courage
to follow these stars
for their names are many
and my heart is fearful.

They shine on me wherever I go:
The Star of Hope
The Star of Mercy and Compassion
The Star of Justice and Peace
The Star of Tenderness and
Love
The Star of Suffering
The Star of Joy

And every time I feel the shine
I am called
to follow it
to live it. . .

From the Minister
Advent means in its larger context "the expectant arrival of something 
significant." In Christianity, it is the expectation of the birth of the 
Messiah, the Savior, Jesus the Christ.

On our calendars this year, Advent begins on December 2, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. For the more devout in the Christian community, Advent is to be observed as a season of prayer, fasting, and penitence, in preparation for the celebrated day of hope's birth in the Christ child.

Of course, we all know that this season is, for the most part, completely overshadowed by what we can readily see is a very commercialized image of a jolly old Saint Nicholas, with reindeer; a sleigh full of gifts (which we of course paid for), lighted, laden Christmas trees all about, and the all too often perfunctory wishing of Merry Christmas to those we meet.

Yet the dream of Advent nevertheless marks the beginning of an ancient message of expectancy, of a deep hope within all our hearts, a hope for the promise of a brighter future, of happier days. It conjures a longing for renewal, for the newness of spring again, for the rebirth of blossoming flowers and budding trees, for the gray of winter to be over and gone.

Advent is a time of waiting, when nights are dark and long, waiting, looking for that long expected event to happen.

And so it is in these weeks of Advent, sermons are given across the land about the coming of the Christ child, Emmanuel, "God among us."

And if we pause, this message can be found to be very relevant to all of us as we reflect upon our own pasts and those futures we all hope to live into.

Maybe the message of Advent is simply to never give up hope; never give up our determination to make our world better, both personally and globally.

Yes, Advent is about waiting, but waiting in a particular way, knowing that we are the ones who must hope…that we are the ones who must help bring that Peace about.

It is in this spirit I wish you and yours a very Happy and Hope-filled Holiday Season.

In Faith,
John

Finance Committee News
By Vern Thistlethwaite
Thanks to all who have kept pledges and donations to our Fellowship coming in so far this year. We hope all members and friends will contribute as generously as possible so that our rich program can continue to thrive and grow in the Decatur area. We are beginning to build a budget for next year that will contain the financial support needed to hire a part-time (at least) UU minister Our pledge breakfast will be before service on March 3. Please mark your calendars.

A "Trust-ing" Relationship
Interest has arisen lately as to how to help the Fellowship financially through the Trust Fund. The Trust was established about 10 years ago to administer some substantial gifts and bequests from members. Interest from investments in the Trust have financed a few major improvements to the church building, such as roofing and soundproofing, and resurfacing the parking lot. The Trust has always been considered a resource for emergencies and needs above and beyond the normal operating budget. A three-member committee oversees the Trust.

Here are ways you can contribute to the UUFD Trust Fund:

1) Write a check to the UU Fellowship of Decatur and indicate the money is for the Trust Fund.
2) Write a check directly to the Trust Fund of the Unitarian Fellowship of Decatur.
3) Direct your stockbroker to transfer specific holdings of securities such as stocks or bonds from your personal account to the UUFD Trust Fund account at A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc.
4) Specify in your will that upon your death a bequest will be left to the Trust Fund of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur. The UUA Endowment Fund Guide suggests an amount equal to at least five times an individual’s annual pledge is an appropriate level of giving.
5) In addition, the UUA offers a number of options under which a member’s gift or bequest may be shared between the UUA and their local church or fellowship.

In a nurturing environment of openness, mutual respect, and friendship, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur is a welcoming, diverse congregation. We share values and seek to celebrate life and support one another in our inward and outward searches for spiritual meaning, provide a liberal religious presence, and strive for compassion and justice in our community and our world.

Our newsletter is printed monthly. Lorelei Zaker is the editor. Webmastering services provided by Ray Westerhoff.  Articles can be submitted through e-mail at absurdmom@springnet1.com, by putting them in the newsletter mailbox at UUFD, by mailing them to her in care of the fellowship,or by leaving a phone message for Lorelei at 429-1355. The deadline for the January 2002 newsletter will be noon, Sunday, December 16

UUFD Officers
President: Kathy Kline
President-Elect: Mark
Sorensen 
Vice President: Wade
Greiner 
Past President: Anne Reeser
Secretary: Dick Zaker 
Treasurer: June Allison 
Board Members At Large:
Marjory Powell 
Jason Kamrath 
Carol Brewer 
Bill Faber

Program Committee:
Mark Sorensen
Ron Shafer
Ken Robertson

More about Covenant Groups from John
For the past few months you have heard me speak on the idea of establishing small Covenant Groups within our fellowship.

Those of you at the Sept. 30 service received a taste of what a Covenant Group is like. We broke into small groups of 5 or 6, and each person shared with their group their experiences in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. I asked John Hays, Joan Brown, Chelso Frescura, and Marjory Sandberg to facilitate those groups. It was great. In fact, after the service, I noticed how many people stayed in the sanctuary to share -- no one seemed interested in leaving the room for coffee and cookies!

That's what a Covenant Group experience generates -- people connecting with one another, discovering shared lives, and, as Mark Morrison-Reed said, "unveiling the bonds that bind each to all."

So now that we’re starting our groups (details on page 2), you may be asking how these groups differ from other small groups in the church.

According to Bob Hill, co-district executive of the SW District of the UUA, Covenant Groups have the following five characteristics:

1. SIZE - The ideal about six to 10 people.
2. FREQUENCY - Preferably twice a month, but some may want to meet once a week.
3. FORMAT - Covenant Groups have a centering time, usually a chalice lighting and a reading; a "check-in" during which each person has an opportunity to speak; discussion; at closing each person is asked to say how he or she is feeling; then, a brief closing ritual.
4. LEADERSHIP - Usually each group has one facilitator and another who is in training. Right now we are in need of three more people to be trained, so please tell me if you have an interest.
5. THERE ARE TWO GUIDING COVENANTS - Each group must define how the members intend to relate to each other and how they, as a group, will serve their church. In other words, they write their own covenant of affiliation and purpose. And these are themselves evolving and changing.

There is, I believe, magic in Covenant Groups, and the magic depends on all five points coming together, with careful design.

I am very committed to the success of all of these groups as we launch them into being in the weeks ahead.

I hope you will join one and make your own personal covenant. The rewards are remarkable.

In Faith,
John

Want to share with other UU Parents?
Do you want to talk with other Unitarian Universalist parents from across the county? The online service iVillage.com has a bulletin board just for UU parents! You can get to the board by going to uua.org, then to UUs Online, then UU Parenting.

Chalice Lighters
By joining the Central Midwest District’s Chalice Lighters, you can be part of the growth of Unitarian Universalism in the Midwest and could possibly help our fellowship earn a grant in the future.  The CMD’s "Chalice Lighters" program provides significant, ongoing funding for well thought-out extension efforts connected to growth of the larger vision of Unitarian Universalism in our area.

"Chalice Lighters" pledge to give ten dollars (or more) three times each year for the following purposes: to initiate a new congregation, to acquire meeting space for a congregation, to secure a minister, religious educator or other professional staff, or to provide for an outreach or public relations program.

The Fall 2001 Chalice Lighter grant is going to the UU congregation of Rock Valley, just northeast of Rockford, for a new church start.

The Chalice Lighter grant will be used to support a New Congregation Organizer who will help the fledgling congregation with publicity, hold informational start-up meetings to attract new members, and other organizational tasks.

If you would like to learn more about how the Chalice Lighters program works and how our support could possibly help our congregation qualify for a grant in the future, call John Hays at 423-8471.

Welcome New Member
Terry Ankrom is our newest member! The husband of Kathy Kline, Terry has a daughter, Bekah, who is a student at North Central College in Naperville, and a son, J.P., who is a student at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Terry is a senior analyst for HSHS in Springfield. Terry has a diverse religious background, and we welcome him as a UU!

Hymnal donated to Great Lakes UUs
Our fellowship answered a plea to donate a hymnal to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, north of Chicago, the boot camp for all US Navy enlisted sailors. The Center now offers a Unitarian Universalist worship service led by Chaplain Candidate Eric Johnson, our only UU Chaplain to the US Navy. The service attracts from 100 to 150 sailors and marines each Sunday -- now the third largest service offered at the base! These young sailors and marines were eager and motivated to learn about and practice UUism, but the group had only the chaplain’s "Singing In the Living Tradition"!

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