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Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire
Spirit of LifeJuly 2017
Sunday Worship 10:30am
Mission: We come together from diverse traditions as a welcoming, religious community with shared values, seeking spiritual growth, lifelong religious education, and fellowship. We strive to promote justice, acceptance, and compassion in the world.
Music: Trustee/Greeter:
Greeter: Hospitality:
Hospitality/Chalice:
Music:
Trustee/Greeter: Greeter:
Hospitality: Hospitality/Chalice:
Music:
Trustee/Greeter: Greeter:
Hospitality: Hospitality/Chalice:
07-02-17“Interdependence Day”: Mandy Beal As our nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, what might it mean if we focus instead in celebrating our interdependence. Mandy Beal is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological Seminary ('16) and candidate for UU ministry. Mandy just finished a ministerial internship at First Parish UU in Lincoln MA and will serve as Youth and Connections Ministry Asst. at First Unitarian Church in Worcester starting in the fall.
07-09-17“Protecting the Environment for Wildlife”: Jane Winn Jane is one of the founders and Executive Director of Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). BEAT's work is based on a strong foundation of science and focuses in 3 environmental areas: watchdogging, stewardship, and education. The group works tirelessly to try to ensure our environmental laws are enforced and better laws are enacted, to protect the environment for wildlife in support of the natural world that sustains us all.
Share the Plate with BEAT (Berkshire Environmental Action Team)
07-16-17“Faithful Fireworks”: Rev. Kathy Duhon Rev. Kathy Duhon will be leading worship once a month during Carol's sabbatical and she is doing a “sermon series” on Faith, Hope, Love, and Joy, seeking deeper understanding of one of these subjects each month. No, this will not be dry theology, as you can may note by the titles: “Faithful Fireworks", "Hopeful Hullabaloo”, Outlandish Love”, and “Joyful Hi-jinks”. Come for some refreshing ideas from our religion. If you want to speak with Kathy about a pastoral concern, please schedule a time to speak with her that is different than when she is leading worship Her contact info is listed elsewhere in this newsletter.
Marian Rose Bill Young Marion Jansen Ricky Bernstein Sharon Meyer
Hilda Banks Shapiro, Ed Chastain Bill Young Marion Jansen Stu Dalheim Zoe Dalheim
Hilda Banks Shapiro UUMSB Choir Bill Young Marion Jansen Diane Moran Richard LaRhette
Reverend:
Carol Allman-Morton
Mailing address: PO Box 783, Housatonic, MA 01236 Tel: 413-358-3877
Residence: 1089 Main Street, Housatonic, MA 01236 Click here for map and directions
Justice, love, and compassion in spiritual community
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Mission: We come together from diverse traditions as a welcoming, religious community with shared values, seeking spiritual growth, lifelong religious education, and fellowship. We strive to promote justice, acceptance, and compassion in the world.
07-23-17
“Music Sunday”: led by Al Thorp Al Thorp is a member of our congregation, and he will be joined by several musicians from our congregation. David and Permelia Sears are Directors of Music at First Congregational Church of Monson MA. They have both taught music and given organ and piano concerts across New England. Rebecca Sears is Visiting Asst. Professor of Classics at Tulane University and has played violin with the Lowell Philharmonic and Arlington Philharmonic.
07-30-17 “When We Are at Our Best”: Rev. Justine Sullivan As I write this, news is still breaking about the recent shooting at a bipartisan baseball practice in Alexandria VA. As part of his official response, House Speaker Ryan, obviously rattled, said these words, “We don't shed our humanity when we enter this chamber.” This was meant to be an affirmation of civility and basic democracy, and it was, but it left me thinking, is this the best we can do? Can we do more than fail to shed our humanity when we disagree with one another? Who are we, I wonder, when we are at our best as people living in community? As a people of covenantal faith, we ought to have something to say about that.
Music:
Trustee/Greeter: Greeter:
Hospitality: Hospitality/Chalice:
Music: Trustee/Greeter:
Greeter: Hospitality:
Hospitality/Chalice:
David & Permelia Sears, organ; Rebecca Sears, Violin, and UUMSB musicians Bill Young Marion Jansen Dona Burdick Connie Canty Marian Rose Dennis Downing Marion Jansen Susan Montague Jose Garcia
Reverend:
Carol Allman-Morton
Mailing address: PO Box 783, Housatonic, MA 01236 Tel: 413-358-3877
Residence: 1089 Main Street, Housatonic, MA 01236 Click here for map and directions
Worship schedule cont.
Sunday July 23rd – 8th Annual Appalachian Trail a la Downing (a treasured UUMSB tradition!), Monterey. Start at Dianna and Dennis’ place, hike the AT, come back for a BYO-Everything (except for the grill) Bar-becue. Or just come for the barbecue somewhere around 3 to 3:30pm.
Driving Directions to the Downing home
From Great Barrington turn right onto Route 23 East, continue approximately 1½ miles past Butter-nut Ski Area on Route 23 East to signs “Appalachian Trail” & “Town of Monterey.” We are the first house on the left—9 Main Road—after the signs, approximately 500 feet from the Appalachian Trail-head, just before Route 57 South branches off to the right. (Townscape Gallery is directly across the road.) You can turn in to our circle drive and park anywhere on the grass, or you can use the driveway just past the intersection and park on the big lawn next to the house.
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Carol will be on sabbatical from July through October.
For any pastoral concerns while she is away from the congregation, please be in touch with our founding minister, Rev. Kathy Duhon. She can be contacted at [email protected] or 518-794-0021. For congregation related questions you can be in touch with Martha Page, our new Board chair and she can help connect you to answers. If you have questions about membership, contact Ray Garnett and Al Blake.
*************************************************
Thank you Ray (Garnett) for sharing the opening words from the UUMSB Board meeting:
Mindful of truth ever exceeding our knowledge,
and community ever exceeding our practice,
Reverently we covenant together, beginning with ourselves as we are
To share the strength of integrity and the heritage of the spirit
In the unending quest for wisdom and love.
-Walter Royal Jones, Jr.
Part of what we want from life is comfort, security, independence, but
another important part of what we want is the satisfaction that comes from
sharing values, working together in a common cause, belong to something
larger and more lasting than ourselves. -Gary Kowalski
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Message from our President
Happy summer, everyone!
There are few things I like better in this world than the Berkshires in the summer. While I am not always crazy about the increased traffic, I know that it reflects the rich offerings and opportunities in this green and beautiful place where we live. Opportunities also abound here at UUMSB… opportunities embedded in a new church year, a new strategic plan, new and deepened relationships with individuals and organizations in our community, and the frequent visitors that the summer months often bring to our doors! As we say goodbye and wish Reverend Carol a blessed and productive sabbatical, we also say hello to Reverend Kathy; we will see some familiar faces in the pulpit during the next few months, and also some new ones. The opportunities for growth and change, as well as the comfort of familiar things are all present; knowing that we will experience them as a beloved community makes me both happy and honored to serve as your new congregation president. I so look forward to working with all of you to shepherd UUMSB on this stage of our journey.
“A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and
that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other's lives. It is
the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each
other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.” -Wendell Berry
- Martha Page
**********************************************************************
July 22nd at
4:00pm
Organ Concert
Free and Open to the Public
The recitalists will be David and Permelia Sears of Dunstable, MA joined by their daughter Rebecca on violin.
(see attached flyer)
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What’s Happening in July on the UUMSB's Social Justice Front?
As reported in last month’s UUMSB newsletter our Social Justice and Membership Committees hosted a potluck dinner and panel discussion with the purpose of flushing out an idea that began when the Greenagers came for Share the Plate Sunday earlier this year. Our question we wanted to discuss with our Housatonic neighborhood was might the neighborhood be interested in partnering in a community garden? Greenagers would build some raised beds to grow vegetables on our UU property and we would work in community.
Well, the potluck and discussion took place on Friday night in June in our Social Hall. The shared dinner was delicious (somehow it always works out) and the discussion was oh so interesting! We wish more UUers and neighbors had participated, but the small crowd was very enthusiastic!
Four non-profit organizations were represented on the after-supper panel: Berkshire Interfaith Organizing (BIO), Greenagers, Indian Line Farm and Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV). If nothing else comes from the evening, representatives from four local organizations – all focused in some way on expanding the important resource of local food for local people – were introduced to each other. The representatives were for BIO (Paula Morey and Wendy Krom), Greenagers (Aretha Whitehead), Indian Line Farm (our own Elizabeth Keane), and BAV (Cynthia Pansing). Since each organization comes from a different place in this important and growing industry, we all learned a great deal listening to their various perspectives.
Martha Page (our new UUMSB Board President) was the panel moderator. Martha leads a CO non-profit in the food industry – so she was a perfect fit moderating the panel. We learned that church gardens, created by church members and neighborhoods are becoming more common. The church offers the space, a non-profit resource helps supply the know-how, and the community gets involved with sweat equity and benefits from a new resource for fresh food. It is a win-win for all – and we want to give this idea our best shot – not ‘telling our neighbors’ what we could offer them – but by working in partnership and making the decisions together. If you have any ideas about how to help this pending project become a reality let one of us hear your voice. We have opened the discussion and intend to continue this dialogue about having a Housatonic Community Garden – right here at UUMSB. If you have any questions ask a member of either the Social Justice Team or the Membership Committee.
The collection on Share the Plate Sunday for July 9th will be for BEAT (Berkshire Environmental Action Team) and the director of BEAT Jane Winn will be giving the address on that Sunday morning. Since July begins our Environmental Justice 3rd quarter theme for Share the Plate, Jane will be a great beginning to let us hear how a local organization gets started and keeps focused on the work of environmental justice right here in Berkshire County. If you have never met Jane before please join us on Sunday, July 9th. Our Social Justice Team Member Al Blake will be opening the service and introducing Jane to our UUMSB congregation. Come one, come all!
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The work of your UUMSB Social Justice Committee is open to all. We meet once a quarter to continuing mapping out our 2017-2018 justice work – consider joining us for our 3rd quarter meeting before the Sunday service on July 23rd (9a.m.). We promise that you can join us in this discussion without any ‘committee’ commitment. Just come check us out!
In the journey, Tommie for the Justice Team ~ Ricky Bernstein, Al Blake, Valerie Bluhm,
Karen Clark, Stu Dalheim, Sheryl Davies, Ray Garnett, Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant,
Sandy Noyes, Martha Page, Sue Protheroe, Gary Shaw.
A belated thank you to Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant for co-facilitating our conversation on race on May 7, and thank you so much to the 26 people who came to participate! There was interest expressed in an ongoing conversation beginning in the fall. For those who would be interested in helping with the planning of the program, please be in touch with Carol, who will be pulling together folks to start the ball rolling while she is on sabbatical ([email protected]). Don't forget that there is great work being done on the first Thursday of every month, with the Towards
Racial Justice South meeting, here at UUMSB at 7 p.m. For more information on that program, you can be in touch with Gwendolyn ([email protected] or Karen Clark ([email protected]). For those looking for more resources on the ongoing conversation in Unitarian Universalism, check out this website that is compiling lots of the content on the web: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10QbuEL7ADWpm5GvpRf-UdU2nbylllpK07DOgzM2dCpc/mobilebasic
You can also check out UU World magazine for updates uuworld.org.
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Welcome to our ‘new’ Board members: Martha Page becomes
our new President; Mark Thiemann joins us as Vice President; Chuck Pierce and Laurie Shaw as Members at Large. Thank you to our outgoing ‘old’ Board members for their contributions while on the Board: Sheryl Davies, Dan Haas and Jan Hutchinson.
The Caring Committee, a part of the
Membership and Growth Committee, coordinates
and delivers caring services to members
experiencing difficulties. We are available for
anyone needing assistance in life or family
situations that seem to come to everyone from time
to time. Our committee finds volunteers from the
congregation to help provide visits, food,
transportation, and other services, depending on
the situation.
Whether you or someone you know may need
information, encouragement, a hand or a ride,
please call:
Valerie Bluhm (413) 394-4309
Zoe Dalheim (413) 243-3617
Phlox Laucher (413) 281-8351
Sharon Meyer (413) 528-0956
Sue Montague (518) 321-5102
07 Rebecca Sellon
09 Zoe Dalheim
12 Al Blake
16 Emmanual Dongala
17 Martha Page
21 Dianna Downing
22 Hannah Chamberlain
25 Sue Corcoran
28 Abbey Morton
Would you
like to join?
Come and sing with us!
We rehearse at 9:25 a.m. before worship on the Sundays we will be
singing.
Contact Marian Rose for information.
This month we sing on the 16th
Facebook/uumsb
and share our events and announcements.
Thank you!
UUMSB Community News: If you have any personal joys or concerns that you would like to share, send them to Sheena at [email protected]. Thanks!
Saturday July 15th at 2:00pm Chet Kalm’s Life Celebration service will be held at our home 1089 Main Street, Housatonic.
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UUMSB Social Media ‘Go To’ Page
Online UUMSB Google Calendar! You do not have to be signed in to anything to see it. The calendar will reflect our programs, meetings, and worship information for each Sunday.
Click on this link: UUMSB calendar
Let Sheena know! Email her at [email protected]
Jan Hutchinson’s Raggedy Prayers and Crooked Ladders.
WHERE DO I FIND INFORMATION ON EVENTS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY?
The most comprehensive listings are: In the newsletter (print, email and web); On our website (uumsb.org) On our Google calendar: (https:/www.google.com/calendar/[email protected]&ctz=America/New_York) Updates and changes are sent out over email and posted on Facebook In the weekly insert at worship; On the bulletin board in the social hall If you have any announcements to go out by email or to be printed in the Sunday insert, send them to [email protected] by Tuesday each week. If you have something to be posted to Facebook, you can send that to [email protected] anytime, or post from your account on the UUMSB page.
CLICK ON THE LINK:
BHRSS Berkshire Human Rights Speaker Series
Clara Barton District
Construct Inc
Unitarian Universalist Association
UU Mass Action
UUMSB
UUSC
HospiceCare
RSYP Railroad Street Youth Project
Hands in Outreach HIO
Multicultural BRIDGE
350.org
Twitter/uumsb
Facebook/uumsb
Tumblr/uumsb
Standing on the Side of Love Commit2Respond
PFLAG
Are you a Facebook user? Check out UUMSB on Facebook, including a calendar of all our events!
“Like US” and help spread our messages to your friends.
Four Freedoms website. www.4freedomscoalition.org
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Our congregation’s first meeting was in 1995 with 6 people in attendance. We are a chartered congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association. We currently have 67 members and maintain strong ties to our community. We are a growing congregation in the liberal tradition that respects ideas, values diversity, and encourages the exploration of spirituality and life’s meaning.
UUMSB Church, Housatonic Click here for map and directions-
UUMSB Board
President: Martha Page (860) 597-2612 Vice President: Mike Thiemann (413) 344-6969 Secretary/Clerk: Dennis Downing (413) 528-3381 Treasurer: Bill Young (860) 597-2627 Trustees at Large: Ray Garnett (413) 232-0248 Chuck Pierce (413) 528-7910 Laurie Shaw (413) 528-0343
Membership and Growth Committee meeting 9:15am: Sunday July 2
Worship Committee meeting 12Noon: Sunday July 2
South County Race Task Force 7:00pm: Thursday July 6
Trans Group meeting 7:00pm: Thursday July 6
Facility Use Committee meeting 9:00am: Sunday July 9
Chet Kalm’s Life Celebration service 2:00pm: Saturday July 15
Choir Rehearsal 9:25am: Sunday July 16
Board meeting 12Noon: Sunday July 16
Trans Group meeting 7:00pm: Thursday July 20
Organ concert at UUMSB: David and Permelia Sears joined by their daughter Rebecca on violin. (see flyer)
12Noon: Sunday July 22
Social Justice Team quarterly meeting 9:00am: Sunday July 23
Annual Appalachian Trail a la Downing (followed by BYO BBQ from 3pm) 12Noon: Sunday July 23
All gatherings held at UUMSB in Housatonic unless specified otherwise Click on this link to go to UUMSB calendar
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ORGAN CONCERT Saturday, July 22, 2017: 4:00pm
Free and open to the Public
Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire 1089 Main Street, Housatonic, Ma 01236
The recitalists will be David and Permelia Sears of Dunstable, MA joined by their daughter Rebecca on violin. The program features the historic 1893 two-manual Johnson pipe organ, one of the few unaltered Johnson organs still in use. The first half of the program will contain music by Baroque composers from several different nationalities, while the second half will feature 19th and 20th century American Romantic composers. These works include Pachelbel’s Ciacona in f Minor, which uses almost every sound available on
this organ, Albrechtsberger’s Prelude and Fugue for organ four-hands, which the Sears enjoy playing together, and On the Coast by Dudley Buck, a brilliantly effective portrait of waves dashing along the rock-bound coast. They will also provide organ music for the Sunday service the next day. The Sears, who play on a large Johnson organ in Monson, MA, like to visit and perform on historic 19th century American pipe organs.
Come and enjoy this hour-long concert!
