“Random Ruminations” A big reason why I like the Christian liturgical calendar (we’re still in Epiphany, by the way) is that it is almost entirely based on pagan feasts and celebrations. The institutional church in its earliest efforts to gain converts – that is, to build and consolidate its power – appropriated the pre-Christian traditions of our “heathen,” agriculturally oriented ancestors. These were re-packaged and sold as the next new thing to Celtic peoples especially in Ireland. It was a brilliant bit of marketing! In this way Samhain (pronounced “Sa-win”) became All Hallows, All Saints, and All Souls days. In Ireland February 2nd , or thereabouts, was originally Imolc, the feast of the Goddess Bridget, a time of beckoning the light with bonfires and rituals of weather prediction. Invoking spring was key to the agricultural economy. Call me a bit jaded, but I wonder if events in the Gospel accounts weren’t strategically mashed into the pagan customs rather than having seasonal importance on their own. The Goddess Bridget became Saint Bridget.

Candlemas – February 2nd in the Christian calendar – was first the feast of the circumcision of Jesus (Luke 2:21); later Presentation Sunday (Luke 2:22-23). The Gospel gives no date or season for the 2 earliest of these. Added much later, Christian Candlemas still celebrates the blessing of church

candles for lighting the mid-winter darkness on February 2nd. Convents and monasteries in Ireland were built on sites sacred to the pagans. In County Kildare up until the 12th century nuns continued to light the traditional February bonfires of Imolc until a bishop ordered them to stop. A sign that Spring

was coming soon was bad weather on Imolc. Kind of counter-intuitive, if you ask me. But here we have it on February 2nd, Ground Hog’s Day: If it’s an overcast day and Punxsutawney Phil can’t see his shadow, Spring will come sooner than later. Good news! And isn’t the pagan persistence just wonderful? On to a more difficult subject: God or Mammon? June 30th, 2013 is the end point for my having anything to say about our church.

Thank You - Good Bye - Hello More About Newtown The Ribbon Was Cut Five Wishes

Random Ruminations We Care About You North Shore Forum: Homelessness …….. And More

Words from Wendy

What’s Inside?

Minister’s Hours

By Appointment.

Please call

978/290-8124

February, 2013 Volume 4: Issue 2

Newsletter of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church The First Universalist Church in America

Organized in 1779 as The Independent Christian Church

THE REVEREND WENDY FITTING, MINISTER Worship Service: 10:00 am

10 Church Street [corner Middle & Church Streets] Gloucester MA 01930 (978) 283-3410 www.gloucesteruu@earthlink.net

Continued on Page 6

Special Guest: Sunday, February 24th

On Sunday, February 24th, 2013, at our 10:00 am service, we will welcome Ginny Cohen, R.N., as guest minister. Ginny's ministry is devoted to end of life issues. She will speak about Five Wishes, a Living Will that incorporates emotional and spiritual needs along with medical wishes.

Continued on Page 6

TIME TO BRING IN YOUR BOXES The children in the Religious Education program and the Social Justice

Committee thank everyone who took home a Guest at Your Table box before the Christmas holidays. Your willingness to help support the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is very much appreciated. Now, with the holidays passed, it's time to bring in those boxes, with your contributions to the UUSC. Please bring them to the church service on either Sunday, February 3 or February 10 ...

Making out a check to UUSC for the amount of your contribution would simplify bookkeeping matters a great deal, and counting the change is a good teaching tool to use with your children … but you can bring in cash if you wish. The members of the Social Justice Committee will be receiving the boxes (or checks) are the people to see on those Sundays. They are Shep Abbott, Jerry Ackerman, David Demaine, JoAnn Souza, or Janet Young. Or, if you can't track down any of them, please don't wait -- just turn over your contributions to Karen in the church office, and she'll take over. And again -- thank you for supporting these good works!

We have had a wonderful time in the classroom after coming back from the Holidays. Classes resumed on January 6th and there was a multi-generational service on January 20th. We have talked about the creation and the children got to make a mobile illustrating the seven days. We saw lots of creativity out of them with that project. We also talked about what that story teaches us as people and how it makes us feel interconnected. My goal was not only to teach the story to the children, but to make them feel closer to their fellow man. I also wanted to connect this story with our own Unitarian Universalist principles and why we help others. We have also talked about Adam and Eve and what the story means to us now. The children made comic strips about what they thought about the story and other choices Adam and Eve could have made. The months was filed with stories from Timeless Themes and activities for the kids.

If there are projects that your kids would like to do in class I would love to hear about it so we can incorporate some of their ideas in RE. We are still collecting donations for the Open Door Food pantry and Cape Ann Animal Shelter. We will be doing a field trip on February to the Open Door Food Pantry and the first Sunday in March we will visit the Cape Ann Animal Shelter to deliver the items collected so please get any donations in. I will be looking for more volunteers. Now that we have more children attending Religious Education on a regular basis I would like to use two classrooms again. I will need three volunteers per week instead of one. If you have any particular talents you would like to share please come see me. I would like to hold another parent meeting to talk about next year and what we will be covering. I would like

to purchase an existing UUA curriculum and I want parents input. If you have friend that may want their children in an RE program please bring them to that meeting so they can see what we are all about. Remember parents and friends are always welcome in the classroom we enjoy the diversity of information and have some great discussions in there.

Page 2 R.E.marks from Tabitha

Guest at Your Table Boxes Due NOW

2 Jen Fahey 7 Agnes Fowler 9 John Eoll 13 Val Babson

Tabitha and Brad were married

over the January 20th weekend.

We wish them a long and happy

life together.

Tabitha Carty-Mercier is her new

name.

Page 3

At the Annual Meeting on January 27th, Holly Tanguay, chair of the Board of Managers; Tim Dewart, co-chair of the Finance Committee; Caroline Connolly, chair of the Religious Education Committee; Newt Fink, chair of Building & Grounds; Rufus Collinson, chair of the Music & Liturgy Committee; Peter Higgins, Treasurer, and Loren French, clerk; stepped down for a well-earned “retirement.” Many thanks for their countless hours of service behind the scenes, without which church couldn’t happen. Dick Prouty becomes the Board Chair; Jeremy Melvin transitions to the Religious Education Committee; Charles Nazarian takes over the helm at Music & Liturgy; Ken Belanger continues as co-

chair of Finance and Scott Memhard joins him as co-chair. Deborah Way returns to chair Membership, Holly Tanguay fills the Vice-Chair position; Rufus Collinson fills the Clerk’s position and Scott Memhard becomes our new Treasurer, and the Care Committee returns to a board position with Peggy Kimball

as chair. Continuing at their positions are Bev Melvin (Staff Relations), and Jerry Ackerman (Social Justice). From Holly’s report: “The hallmark of the last year has been preparing for change. At the end of June Wendy will retire and the church will enter a new era. To prepare for that change we have established a Transition Team and completed our first ever round of Strategic Planning. In the meantime the spiritual and community life of the church has gone on unabated. Thanks to the devoted work of the Building and Grounds Committee, endless hours of volunteer work by Newt Fink and his band of helpers, the

skill of our contractor's crew, and a Community Preservation Act grant through the City of Gloucester, we installed two lifts, an access ramp and a handicapped accessible bathroom this year, completing Phase 1 of our Americans with Disabilities Act project. We are going to have a great party to honor Wendy's retirement. She will be leaving the pulpit and entering a new stage of life. She will still be our friend, neighbor and supporter and we are going to see her off in style. ”

Thank You! - Good Bye - Hello!

The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church newsletter has received its first (in memory) letter to the editor, from Stacy Randell, director of Wellspring Cape Ann Families and a longtime voice on Cape Ann for social causes. She commented on our omission, last month, of two other victims of the killings in Newtown, Connecticut -- Adam Lanza and his mother, Nancy -- bringing the total number of those killed to 28. Her letter follows:

We will add that it's important to note, also, that many, many others also suffer emotionally from incidents such as this, and they too should not be forgotten.

Jerry Ackerman, chair, Social Justice Committee

More About Newtown

Annual Reports were emailed to all who have email; a few paper copies are available for those without computers.

Membership Directories were passed out; copies are available in the church office. We are asking those who are able … to make a contribution toward the cost of printing.

[actual cost $1.50/directory].

Hello, I just finished reading your great online newsletter. I have one comment about your ideas for Newtown support. I continue to read everywhere about the 26 people who lost their lives that day. There were actually 28 people including the killer and his mother. Even if people can't find it in their hearts to remember his soul which must have been tortured in order to commit this act, surely his mother should be among those we remember. Can you please add her to your plans for remembrance? Thank you for all your good work in the community and the world. Sincerely, Stacy Randell, Gloucester

January 20 Given by Carol and Jerry Ackerman in thanks for all the friends they have made at our church.

January 27 Given by Mr. & Mrs. Philip K. Jensen (of Orinda CA) in loving memory of Philip’s father, Arthur Jensen, and of the

“East Gloucester Girls,” ‘Jenny and Lillian Hensen and Mildred Smith.’

We're really into winter now and the cold/flu season is upon us, for sure. Time to slow down, keep warm and take care of

ourselves. Here are a few bits of news on members of our congregation. Rosalie Katz and her husband Bob have moved from the house on Main St where they had been for many years to a smaller house at 12 Green St, Rockport. Her telephone number is the same. Rosalie says that downsizing is a huge task, which she is tackling bit by bit. She hopes to come back to church when her workload has eased a bit. Meanwhile, she would love to hear from folks at church! Bev Melvin had hip replacement surgery on January 10th in Lynn, which kept her in the hospital for a few days; she’s now at home recovering. Another hip surgery in January: David Demaine had his hip replacement done on January 23rd. Like Bev, he, too, will be home after a few days in hospital. He will be looking for company - people to stop by and chat for a while. We will send out a post-surgery update when we have some news.

Tabitha Carty, our Director of Religious Education, has been dealing with some difficult issues surrounding her older son Kevin. This is taking a lot of her time and energy. Any good wishes or cards would be much appreciated, I'm sure. Her address is in the directory. The Care Committee has been talking about being sure to reach out to some of our members who can't get to church these days. So on Sunday, January 13th, we sponsored a "Greeting shower" at coffee hour. Paper, and pens and pre-addressed envelopes were provided. A number of us wrote notes of greeting and put them in the envelopes, which we then mailed. Think what a wonderful surprise they were when they arrived in the mail! Here's hoping that all of you are escaping the worst of the cold/flu blitz that seems to be everywhere, and are looking forward to a happy and fulfilling new year. Pathways for Children sent us a note recently thanking us for our “Giving Tree” donations of jackets, snow pants, boots, pajamas, hats, gloves, etc. valued at $200.

Page 4

We Care About You

Kerry Mullen writes that the picture on the left is her friend Shep Abbott's latest artwork - installed on a telephone pole on Washington Street in Gloucester. She says that “the world needs more of these!”

On the right is a snap-shot that our minister Reverend Wendy Fitting took, which she calls “Rocky Neck Burkas.”

Page 5 North Shore Forum to End Homelessness

Public Forum in March For some, the recession is over, for many families and youth it is not. Their opportunities are limited: jobs still are hard to come by, food pantry resources are strained and affordable housing almost non-existent. Here on the North Shore, many families and youth are in desperate need. To address this crisis, North Shore Voices to End Homelessness, a group of North Shore organizations and congregations will hold a public forum at the First Church of Swampscott Congregational, 40 Monument Ave in Swampscott on Sunday, March 24 th at 2:30 pm. All who share our concerns for those in need in these difficult times are welcome to attend to learn how they can help. The keynote address will be given by Dr. Megan Sandel, M. D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health at the Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health and an investigator for Children’s Health Watch. Dr. Sandel is a nationally recognized authority on the affect of homelessness on children’s health and will share her ideas on how to help them. Other speakers will address key public policy issues related to services at the state and local levels and offer first-hand accounts of their experience dealing with homelessness on the North Shore.

Learn What You can Do to Help North Shore state-level Senators and Representatives are invited to participate in this discussion of policy solutions. There will also be informational tables and an opportunity to meet organizations and advocates who are working to improve the availability services and to end homelessness locally.

For more information

Call Sue Kirby of Promise the Children at 978-910-0190 or Sister Linda Bessom

of the Mass Coalition for the Homeless at 781-595-7570 at ext. 18.

January 30th was indeed a special day at our church …. for that

was the day when the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and dedication

of our two new lifts took place. Holly Tanguay, chair of the

Board of Managers during most of the construction, thanked

the City of Gloucester, private donors, and the Community

Preservation Committee from which the church received a

$30,000 grant. Also on hand were Joe Randazza and Larry

Brooks, who use wheelchairs to get around town. They each took the first “ride;” Joe up to the

Sanctuary level, and Larry down to the Vestry level. This project which cost a total of $100,000

included the two lifts, a ADA accessible lavatory, widened door entrances to both the vestry and sanctuary, a widened hallway on

the sanctuary level … and an accessible ramp to enable people to enter the church via the Church Street entrance.

Page 6

The Ribbon Was Cut!

Five Wishes was developed by Attorney Jim Towey, who worked closely with Mother Teresa in a hospice she ran in Washington D.C. This document is a way for individuals and families to plan ahead in order to better cope with serious illness or accidents. Anyone over the age of 18 can fill out the form. It meets Massachusetts's requirements for durable power of attorney for health care. When signed and witnessed, the Five Wishes document should be shared with family members, doctors, and attorney. Materials will be available after the service at coffee hour.

Ginny is a graduate from Northeastern University, School of Nursing, and holds a certificate in Congregational Health Ministry, Parish Nursing Program, from Andover Newton Theological School. Ms. Cohen’s sermon title is "Is there such a thing as a good death?”

Words from Wendy

The healthy wall of separation between the former minister and the church is just as solid as the wall between church and state. So there are a few things I want to say before I leave. The most important is, pay close attention to keeping the model of church coherent. And the most insidious way to stray into incoherency is to be dominated by fear; specifically, fear of not enough money. We’ve been through this. I guess all faith communities struggle with balance in this regard, but it takes conscious, careful, mindful vigilance. Friends of a member of our church for some years attended a Unitarian Universalist church in a New England State not our own. Eventually they left, exhausted by the climate of desperation about money that ruined Sunday mornings for them. It’s a cautionary tale. If your business is losing money; if there’s not enough money to pay your employees, or invest in research, development and innovation to stay competitive; if your stock-holders are

worried about their stake, then it’s time to get your undies in a bunch. Here in church it’s very different. Most important are our relationships with one another and within the larger community. And even with the very best of intentions, if we’re fearful that we won’t have enough money, if our thinking is suffused with anxiety, we muddle the model of church. If we judge the people in the pews and the strangers who walk through our doors by how much money they have, how much they will pledge, what kind of car they drive then that will be the sole measure of their worth. If that happens, the church is lost and so are we. The most important lesson I’ve learned in 23 years as your pastor are in these three words: Be not afraid.

Continued from Page 1

Five Wishes Continued from Page 1