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Minister: Rev. Douglas Taylor Ministerial Intern: Charlotte Lehmann Moderator: Shawn Steketee Moderator-Elect: Debby Herman Director of Lifespan Faith Development: Lynn Garman Music Director: Vicky Gordon Organist: Gail Elyse Schmick Office Administrator/Beacon Editor and Lifespan Faith Development Assistant: Karen Armstrong OFFICE HOURS: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays. SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:30 and 11:15am HOW TO CONTACT US: 183 Riverside Drive Binghamton, NY 13905 Phone: 607.729.1641 Fax: 607.729.1899 Email: office@uubinghamton.org Web: www.uubinghamton.org TO SUBMIT AN ARTICLE: Please e-mail to the office address, or a leave a hard copy on the office desk by the deadline printed below. Please include your name & phone number.

THE NEXT BEACON

DEADLINE IS

June 20

Upcoming Services: June 8, 2014 “Passages” Rev. Douglas Taylor This is our annual service to honor births, marriages, and deaths. We also have our bridging ceremony, child dedications, and new member recognition. Following this 10:00 service we will hold our Annual Congregation Meeting and then on to our Annual Picnic! June 15, 10:00am “TRUE GRIT: Passion, Perseverance and Staying Power” Charlotte Lehmann For this Father’s Day service, we will consider the role of what sociologist Angela Duckworth calls GRIT in our being successful and productive people. True GRIT involves the character traits of passion, perseverance and staying power. This is my last pul-pit appearance at UUCB. The Choir will sing.

June 3, 2014

Join us after the congregational meet-ing on Sunday, June 8 for our annual meeting and picnic. Bring a side dish, dessert or beverage to share. We will provide Phil’s Chicken and drinks.

Hope to see you there!

The Beacon

Summer Services are Coming UP at UUCB!

It’s that time of year when we get to experience Sunday services from different voices in our congregation and our greater community. Be sure to look for the new listing of Summer Services that will be avail-able at the annual congregational meeting on June 8. We have lots of great services that you won’t want to miss!

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Musings from Our Minister

Last month a question came up in the Good God Group about a phrase I use to close each sermon: ‘World without end.’ Someone asked “Isn’t that line in the Lord’s Prayer?” So those of us who knew it started reciting it through to see if that line was there. “Thy will be

done,” “Give us this day our daily bread,” “As we forgive those who have trespassed against us” “Deliver us from evil,” “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory …” And that’s where we found it. Most of us in the room said “… forever. Amen.” But among us, the one who had asked the question originally, said “…world without end. Amen.” Some communities will create liturgical renderings of scripture. It seems like that is what happened for this one person in our group. She remembered a version of the Lord’s Prayer that ended, not with “forever” but with “world without end.” I start-ed exploring through various prayer books in my collection and online – I find this sort of question quite interesting. I found that it was not the Greek or Hebrew words that sent this into interesting translations, it was the Latin! This makes sense because scripture was translated into Latin for most of the centuries of interesting liturgy in the church. I discover that Ephesians 3:21 is often translated into English as “world without end.” The Latin phrase “in saecula saeculorum,” is more literally rendered: “in a century of centu-ries.” It was a poetic way of saying ‘eternity’ or ‘forever.’ The poetry of it comes from ‘a century’ being what was considered the longest possible lifespan. So another way of saying it would be “in a lifetime of lifetimes.” I don’t know if any of you are still reading at this point. You may find this very boring, but I was hooked, and I hunted deeper into this concept. Interestingly, a centu-ry of centuries (100 x 100) would be 10,000. Ten thousand years is another poetic ren-dering of ‘forever’ that I have heard. I recently sang Amazing Grace at a memorial ser-vice and found the 4th verse saying “When we’ve been there ten thousand years…” And from a completely unrelated culture, the Chinese writings of the Tao Te Ching refer to the “Ten Thousand Things” which is generally understood to be “everything.” And in

China, “Wansui,” or “ten thousand years,” is said as a wish for long life. So when you offer a prayer, offer it not only for your life but for a lifetime of lifetimes. When you perform some good, do it not for the sake of having an impact on one century but on a century of centu-ries. When you care for one thing, keep an eye for the ten thousand things as well. “Forever” and “Eternity” are endless and immutable words, they are hard to fit into my living, but a’ lifetime’ I under-stand, a ‘century’ is very long but I can understand it. By metaphor and analogy I begin to see how my life and my actions fit into the cares and needs of the whole world. By poetry we can see infinity. In a world without end, may it be so!

-douglas

Reverend Taylor is in the office most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and can be reached at 607.729.1641 or dtaylor@uubinghamton.org

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“The Spiritual is Nothing Without the Physical”

I love this liberal religion that I was raised in. I love that we strive always to do our best, that we covenant with each other to be in right relation-ship, and that when we miss the mark we aim to hold each other accountable with grace, affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person. And I am a firm proponent of the value of engag-ing in both the life of the congregation and the ac-

tivities of our denomination. We are a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA). June is the month when essential events in the life of UU congregations take place; many congregations hold their Annual Meeting in early June at the end of their fiscal year and it has become tradition for UUs from across the country and even around the world to make pilgrimage to General As-sembly (GA). This year, GA is in Providence, RI from June 25-29. There is a great group going from our congregation. Even if you don’t go to RI, you can join in with thousands of UUs by watching sessions available through live-streaming at www.uua.org. There will be prominent links when the time comes; in the meantime, learn about GA by visiting the UUA website. Getting involved in denominational affairs can be a very enlightening and inspiring way to live out our faith and its principles.

Sometime during GA, somewhere on the UUA Expressway outside the Exhibit Hall, I will meet Susan Lawrence, Managing Editor of Ministries and Faith Development at the UU World. I had a delight-ful conversation with her on Friday. Susan is working with me to put together a contribution that will ap-pear in the Family Pages of the fall issue of the magazine, which will have as its theme geology and spirit-uality. It was our DLFD, Lynn Garman, who forwarded the call for submissions to me. (Thanks again, Lynn!)

Susan and I talked about how I was influenced by my father (a professional geologist whose focus was mining and mineral exploration) to engage with my physical surroundings, to explore the world and make meaning from my experiences, and to discover with awe and wonder Creation in all of its beauty and power, its vastness and intricacy, as well as to live in the spaces between where there is tension.

The tensions between science and religion still exist on the extreme edges of these disciplines, but more and more people are grasping that science and religion are not diametrically opposed. More and more of us recognize that science and religion share common ground. Both involve exploration, engage-ment and meaning-making as we humans continue to reach for greater understanding and connection with that Universal Oneness of which each of us is a small, but significant part.

My father was a man of few words. I learned from his example. The values that he passed on to me – honesty, loyalty and generosity, are a few of them – are universal, despite our differences with respect to politics or social justice issues. It is because of our differences and also my respect and appreciation for him, actually, that I recognize and inhabit places of tension and ambiguity in my own life. As Susan real-ized at one point during our conversation, when it comes to human beings and our place on earth, “there are no absolutes, are there?”

Geology, as my first career choice, was always grounded in my spirituality. I had that epiphany as a junior in college, when another student was talking about her summer job experience as a Geologist-in-the-Park at Yellowstone NP. She not only gave geology talks, but, as a Navajo woman, she offered talks on Native American spirituality and the Navajo people’s relationship to Grandmother Earth. Michael Dowd’s evolutionary theology, what he calls “creatheism” speaks to me better than trying to string together a whole bunch of adjectives to describe what my early exposure to Humanism has evolved into as a result of my life’s pilgrimage, my spiritual journey.

I cannot say it enough: the spiritual is nothing if it is not grounded in the physical. It is our ways of being and doing that show our values, our ethics and our morality. May all that you are and all that you do inspire and assure that those who follow us will act and be faith-filled stewards of all that we inherit in our lives.

Blessings on our journeys,

Charlotte Lehmann

Charlotte Lehmann,

Ministerial Intern, ca n

be reached at 607.729.1641

or emailed at

intern@uubinghamton.org.

Charlotte is generally in the

office Tuesdays through Fri-

day with office hours on

Wednesday and Thursday

from

2-4pm. You are encouraged

to schedule an appointment

in advance.

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REFlections The Summer Solstice is a time to reflect on the growth of the season. Seeds planted in the Earth as well as our own seeds of our soul; a time of cleansing and renewal; a time of joyous love and growth. From www.avalonvisions.com Let the light shine…… After this long and cold winter, I have been soaking in the opportunities to be outside this spring! I have been busy planting my gardens – both vegetable and flower gardens, making the most of the lengthening days this time of year. And, I hope you have had a chance to take a look at the dining for Dollars offerings when I will host a Solstice Celebration.

Let the light shine……Solstice derives from a combination of Latin words mean-ing "sun" "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. During the summer solstice the sun sits highest in the sky. This is the longest day of the year and the beginning of the summer season. We feel the solar energy pouring down upon the Earth, vitalizing and strengthening us, powering us both literally and metaphorically. For me, it is a season of expansiveness, as I enjoy working in my garden, swimming in our pond, and outdoor gatherings on the deck. We can honor this time of the year by: Gathering magical plants and healing herbs, as they are at their most potent Gathering with others for a time of common sharing and service Keeping a sacred fire burning Exchanging songs, stories, and poems with others Dancing, drumming, playing Making an agreement of something that you will do to improve life, bring light and

love into this world in your own creative way and begin to carry it out

Let your light shine…… Even as we revel in the light we prepare for the next sea-son of growth, the return of the dark, as we now move towards the winter solstice. As with the turning of the seasons, we at UUCB are both closing out one program year and preparing for the next. Consider what you will do to bring light and love into our congregation…What seeds will you plant? How can we support your renewal and growth? If you have suggestions for our program in the coming year, or if you find yourself interested in what you can do to support our Lifespan Faith Development programs, please contact me.

Bright Blessings, Lynn

Program Calendar June 8 – Passages Worship Service for all ages; include Youth Bridging June 8 – Bounce House/special activities for children during the Congregational Meeting June 8 – Youth Group Meeting, 4-6 pm June 8 – Parents of Youth Group, 4-6 pm Summer Sundays June thru August– Nursery Open July 6 – Summer Program begins

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We’re on TV: Our services are cablecast on Time Warner Cable channel 4 at 1:30 PM Sundays. The Joys and Sorrows portion of the ser-vice is never broadcasted on televi-sion. FREE LUNCH! Lawn Care Help: W e now need volunteers to help with maintaining and mowing our lawn at UUCB.

Please sign up for a shift on the vol-unteer sign-up sheet. When you complete your shift, you will get a free Subway sub

of your choice. Thanks! Please call Scott Clarke at 775-4166 for more info! LOST AND FOUND: We have lots of umbrellas and spring jackets that have been left here lately. Are any of them yours? _________________________

Thank a Teacher Today! Please show your appreciation for the teachers and leaders in our Lifespan Faith Development program who have made this year’s program a success! Whether you have attended an adult program, or your child has participated in Sunday morning religious education, our programs depend on volunteers who give of their time, heart, and spirit. Please take a minute to thank the lead-ers who have supported your family’s religious journey this year! Special thanks to all those who contributed or helped in our annual Teacher Apprecia-tion Brunch! If you led a children’s, youth or adult class or group this past year, be sure to see me to receive a small gift as a token of gratitude for your contribution to our community this past year.

Are you interested in having your child Dedicated? We will include a time for Child Dedications if there are any parents ready to take that step. Contact Rev. Douglas Taylor if you are interested or if you have any question. A Child Dedication can occur nearly any Sunday morning, but we often host them during our annual passages service – this year it will be on June 8th at 10:00. What is a Child Dedication? Most faith traditions have a way of welcoming young ones into the community and blessing them. In our Unitarian Universalist tradition we affirm that a baby arrives as a whole and good person. Our services of “child dedication” allow us (parents, family, friends, congregation) to promise to the child and to each other that we will love and nurture the child, that we will teach the best of what we know. We are not dedicating the child to any belief or cause but are in-stead dedicating ourselves to this responsibility of raising a child in our community. ________________________________________________ Summer Meditation Change: The Sunday Morning Meditation Sessions will continue over the summer, but the time will be a little bit lat-er. Sessions will start at 9:15 AM in Room 10 starting on May 25th. ________________________________________________

YOUTH BRIDGING Sunday, June 8, 10am Worship Service

If you are graduating from high school this Spring or are a parent of a perspective graduate and you would like to be recognized at our annual bridging ceremony or would like

more information, please contact Lynn Garman at dre@uubinghamton,org

Dining for Dollars Update: The bidding continues for the unique and excit-ing dinners and events that are posted on the windows in the Social Hall. Make sure to get your bid on the form so you don’t miss out! Bid-ding ends at the close of the annual picnic on Sunday, June 8! Call/Email Renee Taft 754-7839 or Susie Ravage 741-9993/susieravage@gmail.com for more info.

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GREEN MATTERS First Annual UUCB Scrap Metal Drive This is a great time to take those items of scrap metal you have been saving up and drop them off at UUCB anytime during the week-end of June 14. Put them in front of the play-ground fence at the back parking lot. Items must be “mostly metal” and no one item should weigh over 40 pounds so we can lift it safely. All proceeds will be donated to UUCB. If you have any questions, just con-tact Wes Ernsberger or John Patterson.

Eco-Justice Notes One of the best kept secrets is a marvelous weekly commentary called Eco-Justice Notes. It is written by Rev. Peter Sawtell, founder of Eco-Justice Ministries. He writes about envi-ronmental justice issues from a liberal Chris-tian perspective. His column never fails to be engaging, thoughtful, and full of insights. Give it a try. To subscribe, go to eco-justice.org/E-about.asp.

Why Fossil Fuel Divestment? There are many good reasons why divestment makes a lot of sense -- both for organizations and for individuals. Perhaps these are the two most important ones: 1) It aligns our invest-ments with our values. Who would want to invest in an industry whose business model, if successful, will bring down civilization? 2) Divestment helps to create the right political climate for urgently needed policy changes such as putting a price on carbon. It does this by stigmatizing fossil fuel companies as social outcasts in the same way that earlier divest-ment movements stigmatized tobacco compa-nies and companies doing business with South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Green Quote “The climate crisis is so urgent that if you own fossil fuels, you own climate change.” -- Ellen Dorsey, Wallace Global Fund .

Dear Members and Friends: This has been another year of great activities at our congregation, filled with high quality religious edu-cation and spiritual development, inspirational and challenging sermons, focus on social justice, equali-ty, and environmental issues. The list goes on and on. It truly is a joy to have found UUCB for myself and my family. However, as the year ends, we find ourselves back in a familiar place--with your Board constructing a def-icit budget. Simply put, the expenses of operating this congregation exceed the amount of income that we have. As with any budget, there are only two or three ways that one can respond to get a budget in balance. We attempted to grow more income by having open and direct discussions at our Town Hall meetings a couple of weeks ago. That resulted in some in-creased pledging and some ideas for future fundrais-ing initiatives. We cut expenses. Based on our in-come and expenses gap, we cut back on several re-quested budgetary line items and decided not to backfill the Sunday Services Coordinator or Organist positions for the time being. However, even with those initiatives, we find our-selves short by $28,482.00. So, at the upcoming an-nual meeting, please be prepared to give your Board guidance on whether you would prefer that we: 1. Cut expenses enough to put the budget into a bal-anced state. This would likely mean cutting or re-ducing hours in paid staff. 2. Raise income. This would mean that members of the congregation would need to increase their pledg-es, plate donations, and volunteer to help launch more fundraising initiatives. 3. Maintain the status quo. This would mean anoth-er year of utilizing our checking account to bridge the gap between our income and our expenses. Speaking as an individual, this is the approach that scares me the most--as it doesn't solve our ongoing issue and continues to deplete our "rainy day" re-serves. 4. Pursue some combination of the above--or come up with something completely different. I thank you all for your commitment to our congre-gation and feel optimistic that the creativity, intel-lect, and dedication of our community will help find a positive resolution to our ongoing budgetary is-sues. ~Jason Smith, on behalf of the Board of Trustees

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New Year-New Calendar

We will soon be clearing the calen-dar and getting ready for our new year’s events, meetings and offerings. I you would like to schedule an event in the new church year, please email Karen with the date and time of the event, which room you would like to have your event in, and if you request anything special for your event (like the projector of screen). You may also complete a calendar request form, which are available online at our web-site or from Karen in the office.

Summer Children’s

Program Gather the Spirit

The world's religions provide a variety of examples of how water has been regarded as part of a sacred life process,

not simply another product for consumption. At the same time, our increased comprehension of the story of evolution as understood by science gives us a renewed appreciation for the role of water in sustaining life. To see water as a source of life, not merely a resource, is the challenge of a new synthesis of science and religion in our times. — Mary Evelyn Tucker Perhaps, today, there is no more compelling focus for our stewardship than the clean, drinkable water all life on Earth requires. Through a lens both sci-entific and religious, using activities a wide range of ages can do together, this program addresses the importance of water, the inequity of access to clean water, and actions we can take as Unitarian Universalist stewards. With our riverfront loca-tion, we are uniquely situated to explore these questions and more! More information, including registration and leader sign-up, is available during coffee hour in the social hall.

Please Welcome Percy to our Nursery Staff

I hope you will join me in welcoming Percy Blank to our Nursery Staff. Percy began working in our

Nursery on June 1. He is a student in the BCC Early Childhood program, where he is working on a second undergraduate degree, having graduated several years ago from Simmons College in Boston. Percy has had experience working with children of all ages, most re-

cently in a community center with Americorp, and came highly recommended for his reliability and gen-

tle, caring way with children. Thanks to all who helped us through this temporary vacancy, especially our substitute childcare workers and the members of the Personnel committee. Please note that parents of Nursery children will be asked to complete updated information cards so that Percy and all our staff can

best serve your child.

Bounce House and Fun

Our Congregational Meeting is com-ing up on June 8, and we encourage parents and teachers to take an active role. To help you along, we will have some extra fun for the children during the meeting and picnic – a Bounce house and other fun activities. Plan now to join us as we celebrate the offi-cial end to our congregation’s program year.

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UUCB 2014-2015 Proposed Roster for Annual Meeting Approval

Moderator Deborah Herman 2015 Moderator-Elect Andrea Palmeri 2015 Treasurer Raymond Noonan 2015 Treasurer-Elect Shawn Steketee 2015 Clerk Dorothy Haverly 2015 Trustee Paul Bange 2015 Trustee Jeff Deacon 2017 Trustee Trebbe Johnson 2017 Trustee Kathleen McKenna 2016 Endowment Committee Jean Rose-Klein 2017 Personnel No Nominee at present 2017 Leader Development & Resource Darlyne Mitchell 2017 Leader Development & Resource Lauriel Thomas 2015 Leader Development & Resource Lynne Theophanis 2017

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO CONGREGATIONAL BY-LAWS June 2014

1. Our current non-discrimination clause has been expanded to include both hiring practices and membership, and to reflect openness to all religious beliefs. Art. III

2. Names of several committees have been appropriately revised (Leader Development & Resource, Member-ship, Adult Programs, Children & Youth Programs, Committee on Ministries); the title of Director of Religious Education has been changed to Director of Lifespan Faith Development. Throughout

3. The titles President and President-Elect will replace Moderator and Moderator-Elect. A moderator is simply someone who presides over meetings, as opposed to serving as congregational leader. Most other UU congrega-tions use President and VP or Pres.-Elect, so as we expand our relationships regionally and denominationally, it is more consistent to use the same terminology. Throughout

4. Redundant wording and editorial comments have been removed. Throughout

5. Language has been adapted to reflect various ways of distributing information (e.g. meeting notices will be distributed electronically as well as via postal mail). Throughout

6. Stewardship Committee is now subsumed into the Membership Committee. Art. XI, Sec. 1

7. Chair of Program Council will be a liaison from the Board of Trustees, not necessarily the Moderator-Elect. Art. VIII, Sec. 4 (c) and Art. X, Sec. 1

8. Leader Development & Resource Committee has replaced the Nominating Committee, with an expanded mis-sion and responsibilities. Therefore the terms of service have been extended and staggered, and only meetings in-volving discussion of potential candidates or scholarship recipients will be in executive session. Art. XIV

9. Composition of Personnel Committee, and method of selection have been revised to reflect current practice. Art XI, Sec. 2 (c)

10. Technology and Communications is now a standing committee. Art XI, Sec. 1

11. The Board of Trustees no longer supervises staff (Art VII, Sec. 3(d) – this responsibility is shared among the minister, the DLFD and the office manager (See revised Personnel policy, not part of by-laws).

12. Quorums for meetings have been increased (from 15% to 20% for regular meetings, from 15% to 40% for call-ing or dismissing a minister), as have percentage of affirmative votes for calling a minister (from 2/3 majority to 85%). Art. VI, Sec. 3(a); Art. XII, Sec. 2 (c); Art. XII, Sec. 6

13. Quorum for a Board meeting requires 5 VOTING members. Art. VII, Sec. 2 (c) Wording calling for an annual budget meeting in addition to an annual congregational meeting has been adapted,

requiring only one meeting, which will include presentation of and voting upon a budget. Art. VI, Sec. 1 (c)

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June is LGBTQ PRIDE month….Join the UUCB Rainbow Alliance for some great

events !

Rainbow Flag Raising

Saturday, June 8 at 11am. Join us at the Standing on the Side

of Love banner at Binghamton City Hall as we raise the rain-

bow flag!

People of Blessing Interfaith Service Temple Concord is hosting the People of Blessing Service as part of PRIDE Month, Wednesday, June 11th at 7:00 PM. The service will include music, readings, speakers, sacred clowning and a shared blessing by community clergy. The offering for the evening will go to support this annual service and other programs of the PRIDE Coali-tion. All those interested in singing with an interfaith choir for the should come at 6:00 PM to learn a piece to sing during the service. Our own Vicky Gordon will be leading the chorus and offering other musical pieces. All are welcome. Refreshments will be provided by Temple Concord following the service.

Visit the UUCB table at Pride Palooza!

PRIDE PALOOZA! June 14, 2014 from noon to 5. UUCB will once again have a table

at this year's Pride event on Court Street in downtown Binghamton. It is a family

friendly event, with food vendors, live music, a face painter and animals from the Ross

Park Zoo, and a number of fun things for kids to enjoy. Stop by and say hello and help

support this great event in our community.

FREE Movie Night!

"Equality U" will be shown in con at UUCB on Friday, June 27 at 7 p.m. Please join us

for this powerful film. The young man who made this movie was thrown out of divini-

ty school for being gay. He then chartered a bus with friends and they went around

the country to Oral Roberts University and other Christian schools with divinity pro-

grams and asked them their policy on gay people. While we have come a long way, we

still have far to go... join us!

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The BEACON

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALI ST

CONGREGATION OF

BINGHAMTON

183 Riverside Drive

Binghamton, New York 13905

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

After the Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 8.

Join Us!

“We offer a spiritual home where we explore,

celebrate and cherish our interconnectedness,

encourage growth and transcendence, and act

with justice and compassion.”

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