Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

May 6^th

"The Religious Philosophy of William James"

Dr. Ronald Glossop, Professor Emeritus

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

William James (1842-1910) was one of America's most influential philosophers.  In essays such as "The Will To Believe" and in his book Varieties of Religious Experience, James displayed a knack for stating philosophical issues in a striking way that enlivened them even for non-philosophers. His open-minded, personal, pluralistic, and pragmatic religious ideas have appealed to many (but not all) Unitarian-Universalists. 

May 13^th – Mothers’ Day Flower Communion

- Intergenerational Service -

“Thanks, Mom!”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Parenting can be thankless, as can teaching, tutoring, mentoring, or counseling.  Those of us who’ve had such people in our lives must sometimes struggle to find ways of expressing gratitude, especially if the person filling those roles for us wasn’t perfect.

It is Flower Communion Sunday, so please consider bringing a few flowers to share during this annual ritual. 

May 20^th

“Faith in the Marvelous”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

In Rabindranath Tagore’s Crossing, the poet recalls that in his childhood, “faith in the marvelous bloomed anew each dawn.”  How can we keep that childlike ability to find joy in the world amidst the accumulating tragedies of living in a post-apocalyptic age?

May 27^th - Memorial Day Weekend

“Memorial Day”

Margret O’Neall, Student Minister

First Unitarian Church of St. Louis

Margret A. O’Neall, a long-time member of First Unitarian Church of St. Louis, now serves as its Student Minister.  She coordinates the Covenant Group program and helps support other processes in church life.  Margret serves on the faculty of Saint Louis University School of Public Health and is entering her third year of part-time study for the UU ministry at Meadville-Lombard Theological School in Chicago.

May 6^th – 9:30 a.m. – Common Fire:  Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World.  Using the book by A. Parks Daloz we will examine the landmark study that reveals how we can become committed to the common good and sustain such commitments in a changing world. This is a continuing monthly series recommended for all UU's who are interested in social justice.  Facilitated by Beth Nalick.

May 13^th – 9:00 a.m. – Welcoming Congregation.  This ongoing workshop is open to everyone and you need not have attended previous sessions to start attending now.  This program is designed to help congregations develop individual and institutional strategies in order to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their families.

May 20^th – 9:30 a.m. – Forum Topic – "How Can We Have Free-Will?"

A controversial issue in both theology and philosophy is the free-will problem.  If God is all-powerful, how can people do anything but what God causes them to do?  If all events in the universe are caused, how can people do anything but what they are caused to do by their heredity and environment? Even if some behavior is unpredictable, is acting freely the same as acting unpredictably? Is acting freely the same as acting rationally?  Ron Glossop will be the discussion leader

May 27^th – 9:30 a.m. – “In Search of the Historical Jesus” – Facilitator:  Beth Nalick.

A First Glance

I’ve just finished reading Barack Obama’s first book, Dreams from My Father (Crown Publishers, 1995) in which he wrestles with his identity as the American son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya.  Obama searches through his life story - growing up in Hawaii, living in the Philippines, working in Chicago and New York City, attending Harvard Law School - looking for clues to who he is and how he might fit into his surroundings.  He even travels to Kenya, hoping to find clues as to his father’s life from the many family members still in Kenya.

Obama’s search prompts my own reflections on identity and how my own culture and context has molded the shape of my life and directed some (all?) of the paths I’ve trod.  Obama has lived as a black man in America, something I will never fully comprehend because of my white skin.  Obama grew up without his father’s presence, another thing I can only empathize with since my father was always there as I was growing up.  I realize the privileges that have been handed me because of my race, class, gender, and orientation.  And I realize the legacies of privilege still inherent in the systems I’m a part of.

As I write, news begins to trickle in about an unfolding tragedy on the Virginia Tech campus.  Early reports say two - no, twelve - no, thirty or more people are dead at the hands of a mysterious shooter.  Has the murderer been caught?  Was it an act of terrorism or just simple (?) domestic violence?  What in the world can all this mean? 

My heart goes out to those killed and wounded.  After a long moment, it goes out to the perpetrator as well.

Ultimately, this begs more questions about identity:  Who are we as a nation that such tragedies afflict us?  How must it be to live in Iraq when such massacres are commonplace?  What response can possibly be appropriate to such situations?

     One of my favorite hymns includes the line:

Peace shall walk softly through these rooms,
Touching our lips with holy wine

    ‘Til every casual corner blooms into a shrine.

I believe we are people who should carry peace into places where peace does not presently dwell.  Walking softly, seeking to share a sense of the holy with whomever we meet, we shall turn corners - whether casual or caustic - into shrines of love rather than hate, of life rather than death.

May the light of love shine on you all your days,

See you in church,

In Our Church Family

We celebrate the birth of Audrey Mae – the granddaughter of Peg Flach.   Audrey arrived on Saturday, March 24^th weighing 7 lb, 14 oz.   Mother and father, Laura and Jeffrey, are settling in to the routine of “life with baby.”

Our sympathy is extended to Kit and Ronnie Schoenborn on learning of the death of Kit’s mother on April 1^st.
She was 96.

UPDATE Your CHURCH DIRECTORY

Alan and Betty Korte

Chalice Circles

We now have 4 Chalice Circle Groups formed: a men’s group, a woman’s group, a pagan group, and a “general” group. All are welcome to become part of this small group ministry program. The purpose of these groups as expressed in the literature on Small Group Ministry is “Intimacy” (Community and friendship building) and Ultimacy” (Spiritual and meaning exploration). This is an opportunity to develop friendships and explore life’s journey at a deeper level than is usually found by attending church services and chatting at coffee hour. Meeting times of the various groups can be found in the monthly Calendar. For further information contact Marcia Custer – mcuster@siue.edu .

Upcoming Chalice Circle Gatherings

Saturday – May 5^th – Men’s Chalice Circle.   Anyone who self-identifies as a man and is interested in forming a Men’s Chalice Circle is invited to meet in Emerson Place at the church for exploratory discussion from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.   We will discuss several models for such a group and talk about the direction we’d like to take in forming the group. For further information contact Khleber Van Zandt:   314-223-0551 or 618-520-0567 or kvanzandt@uuma.org

Sunday – May 6^th – Second Sunday Chalice Circle

(Meeting on the 1^st Sunday this month due to Mother’s Day) at the church from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.  Bring brown bag lunch.  For further information contact Jackie McDonough:   jmcdonough2019@aol.com

Saturday – May 19^th – Women’s Chalice Circle – at the church from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.    Contact Marcia Custer:   mcuster@siue.edu

Pagan Group Chalice Circle – Time/place to be announced.  For information contact Stacey Wolff:

kartoffel@piasanet.com

Thank You to Everyone Who Donated a Hymnal

Over the past fourteen years we have purchased all the hymnals for the church by asking members and friends to donate a hymnal in their own name or in honor or memory of someone.  Last month another call went out for donations for fifteen hymnals, and money has now been donated for most of the new hymnals.  Next Sunday look at the bookplate in the front of the hymnal you’re using to see who gave it.  Maybe someone you don’t know … maybe someone sitting next to you.

ALL MEMBER

ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING

Friday, May 18 

 7:00 p.m. dessert – 7:30 p.m. meeting

All church members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting on May 18th.  This meeting provides an opportunity for members to participate in our democratic traditions by voting on issues at hand, and to learn about and have a say in what’s going on at the church.  Dessert will be provided at 7 p.m. in the Kate Wuerker Room.  the meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.  childcare will be available.

Spring Cleanup and Job Day at the church

May 5^th – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

There’s something on this list for everyone.  We need people who can do the following jobs:

Installation of light fixtures

Ceiling drywall

Ceiling painting

Painting of a door

Painting of railings

Landscaping and spreading mulch

Window washing

General cleaning

Running errands for other workers

Giving advice on larger jobs

Anna D. Sparks

Women’s Alliance

Thursday, May 3rd at

Corinne Hawkins’ home

11:30 a.m.

The May meeting will be a “brown bag” lunch at Corinne Hawkins’ home.  For directions and to let her know you will be attending, please contact her by Monday, April 30^th.

Here are the names of church members and friends who are celebrating birthdays this month. We have many new members and friends whose names possibly didn’t get on the birthday list. If this is ‘your month’ and your name didn’t get included, we’re sorry.  For future months please let Mary Johnson (mejohnson@mindspring.com) know the day and month of your birth.

  1 May – Patrick Rebmann

  7 May – Amy McMurray

  9 May – Andrea Gross (1999)

  9 May – Nancy Sakalauski

11 May – Diane Thompson

12 May – Marcia Salisbury

13 May – Mark Tade

14 May – Khleber Van Zandt

16 May – Rose Hoshiko

18 May – Dee Smith

22 May – Jacob McMurray (2006)

26 May – Audrey Wiseman

28 May – Willis McCoy

28 May – Mark Antieau

31 May – Davona Paul 

EVERYONE IS INVITED

4^th Sunday

Sunday Pot Luck Lunch

May 27^th

Bring a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and fellowship!

– PLEASE PLAN TO HELP –

A-Mc will do Table Set Up

M-Z will do Clean Up

Everyone will be responsible for setting food out on the buffet table.

(Note: when doing clean up please do not fold up all the long tables.  We want two left up with chairs around them.)

CHOIR NOTES

The Choir is now having weekly rehearsals.   Everyone is invited to come to rehearsals as their schedules allow.

CHOIR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 3^rd @ 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 10^th @ 7:00 p.m^.

Thursday, May 17^th  @ 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 24^th @ 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 27^th following potluck.

Thursday, May 31^st @ 7:00 p.m.

Contact Willis McCoy for further information.

wbmccoy@charter.net

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

I would like to give you a virtual tour of one of our classrooms today.  Pre-Schoolers and Kindergartners come in the door after leaving chapel or sanctuary.  They are led in by a teenage assistant and greeted personally by an adult teacher.  They choose their very own pillow from the pile by the door and join the circle on the floor.  All of the furniture in the room is sized just right for them, and nothing that they may need is out of reach.

The lesson starts out by introducing anyone who may be new to the class that week, and finding out how everyone’s week has been.  Then the entire circle sings the opening song “Love Surrounds Me.”  After singing, it is story time, but this is not a story that is just read from a book.  It is a story that is brought to life as it is told through the use of manipulative pieces to tell the story.  After the story is presented there is time for wondering questions that help explain what the story is trying to teach today.

Then it is time for the children to do their work.  This may seem like a lot to ask of children so young, but it is not what it sounds like.  Their work consists of being able to choose their next activity from a group of trays that are available to them every week.  They may sculpt with play dough, build with blocks, paint, or draw with markers or chalk.    They may also choose to use one of the stories that they have been told before, either in this class or in a previous session to explore them and think about them some more.  They also have a costume corner where they may choose to act out one of the stories.  This freedom to choose their activity for the day means that no matter what type of temperament a child has that day, quiet or active, they should be able to find something that will help engage them in the learning process. 

When it is time for our work to be put away for the day, the children clean up and then return to the circle.  They are then each asked personally by the adult teacher what they liked/learned today.  It is then time for the closing song “Go Now in Peace,” and the parents are waiting to take them upstairs to coffee hour.

This classroom environment has been designed to create a “community of children” which I hope will one day grow up to become a community of UU’s.

Thank You, Jamie Gross

The Church Library

The church library collection has been “weeded” and materials are being classified and labeled using the Dewey Decimal system common to most public libraries.  The scope of the collection includes materials on Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism, and works reflecting the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism, including Humanism, Ethics, World religions and their sacred texts, Social justice, and Ecology.  We are trying to maintain this focus in the collection and are trying to update the collection by adding materials that are no more than three years old.

To borrow materials, fill out the checkout sheet on the clipboard by the library.

When returning books, please place them on the top of the shelving unit that is to the right of the AV cabinet and mark on the checkout sheet that they have been returned.

Titles new to the collection that may interest you are:

·         Call to Selma: eighteen days of witness / Richard Leonard – 323.1 L 2002.

·         Elie Wiesel and the politics of moral leadership / Mark Chmiel – 813.5 C 2001

·         This day in Unitarian Universalist history / Frank Schulman – 289.1 Sch-t 2005

·         Reason and reverence: religious humanism for the 21^st century / William R. Murry – 211.6 M 2007

·         On Compact Disc:  From Jesus to Constantine: a history of early Christianity / The great courses series: Religion. Part 1 and Part 2.  (This series was donated by Alan Korte.)

Mary Johnson  

Meditation Time

At 6:00 p.m. on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays, a half-hour period of meditation is held in Emerson Place.  Anyone in need of some quiet time/space is invited to come by at that time.  The dates for meditation in May are May 1^st and 15^th.  Contact MaryLu McManus mlmcmanus@charter.net if you have questions. 

Interfaith Group Meeting

The interfaith group “All God’s People” meets at our church on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.  Currently the focus is a DVD series entitled “Great Figures of the Old Testament.”  Following each program there is a time to discuss historical and current issues arising from the ideas presented on the program.  The story of Noah will be discussed on May 1^st and the story of Abraham will be discussed on May 15^th.  All are invited to come to “All God’s People.”

Notes from Jamie –

Director of Religious Education

• Bring in your empty ink jet printer cartridges for recycling.   The basket is in the foyer.

• Stop by the RE book hutch in the Kate Wuerker Room to shop for books offered by Beacon Press and Skinner House.
• The next session of Our Whole Lives will be held on Saturday,
  May 19^th from 1 – 6 p.m.

St. Louis Area Unitarian Universalist Council (SLAUUC) Meeting – May 12^th

The quarterly SLAUUC meeting will be held on Saturday, May 12^th at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  SLAUUC is made up of representatives of the Unitarian Universalist churches and fellowships from Alton, Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Columbia, Ellisville, Jefferson City, Mt. Vernon, Kirkwood, Rolla, and St. Louis.  Jim Moore is our church’s representative to this group.  If you are interested in getting involved or interested in learning more about SLAUUC please contact Jim at patjimmoore@charter.net.

UU Summer Camps

UU CAMP LAFORET IN CARBONDALE , COLORADO

(July 29^th – August 4^th).  Did you ever think about going to a UU summer camp or spending a week in Colorado during the summer?  Why not combine the two and come to Camp LaForet in Carbondale, Colorado?  Located at the foot of Mt. Sopris between the hot springs in Glenwood Springs and the music festival in Aspen, Camp LaForet has activities for all: workshops and support groups for adults, a children’s program led by experts, and a special haven for teens and young adults.  Afternoons are free for hiking, rafting, trips to surrounding areas, massage, games, and the gifts you bring to share.  Evenings feature such activities as Dances of Universal Peace, talent night, and the Friday Night Party.  Please explore our website for more information or to register:  www.CAMPLAFORET.COM

BAYSIDE CAMP - A Unitarian Universalist family camp at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (July 15^th – 21^st).  The camp includes morning adult workshops and worship services – with an emphasis on a variety of activities based on age for the kids – and lots of free time in the afternoons for family fun and relaxation.  Email Emma Williams at cnmne@verizon.net or browse http://www.yahoodrummers.com/bayside

Crisis Food Center

Many people who live in the River Bend area were forced to make a decision this winter. With the recent utility increases, hundreds of individuals and families had to choose to use money set aside for food to try and pay their electric and gas bills. The choice was “To Heat or To Eat!”  The Crisis Food Center is doing everything possible to help in this critical time. Since January 1^st the center has given food to over 900 families which includes 750 children.  Think about food items that are children friendly when you make your purchases this month. The Center welcomes jars of peanut butter and jelly, cans of chicken noodle soup, fruits, and vegetables, boxes of spaghetti, pudding, jell-o, cereal, and fruit juices.  Thank you for your donations.

Jen Politsch

The Church office will be mailing out fewer newsletters starting in July.

You may go to the Church Website at

www.firstuualton.org

to view the current newsletter anytime.

 If you would like to remain on the mailing list to receive printed copies of the monthly newsletter please fill out the form below and place it in the designated box at church or mail it to the church office at:

First Unitarian Church mail list
P.O. Box 494
Alton, IL   62002