Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

July 5

July 12

“The Starry Night”

Paul Hebert

The images portrayed of Vincent Van Gogh in songwriter Don McLean’s tribute to the master artist are in turn given form in Vincent's own view of the world. In turn, those images provide us with a way to experience life, removed from our usual hectic daily pace. Just as Don McLean found a way to give voice to the feelings Vincent's images evoke, so we too have much to gain by learning to step back from the needless details of our daily lives, to learn to see the beauty in life's simplicity.

Paul joined the church in 2003 and found the kind of spiritual refuge he was looking for. He has been employed at Boeing for twenty years.

July 19

“Embracing Failure”

Kevin McCarthy

Ron has given over 100 sermons from our pulpit and has been a member here since 1994.  He is a Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

July  5 -   Humanist/ Non-Theist Discussion led by John Herndon.

July 12 –   “Speaking of Faith” - Obama's Faith Based Office.  The very words "faith-based" became controversial during the Bush administration, yet Barack Obama has retained the faith-based centers in 11 federal agencies that his predecessor created. And within weeks of assuming the presidency, he announced priority areas for his own White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships — including economic recovery and poverty reduction, abortion reduction, responsible fatherhood, and global interfaith dialogue. In a live, public conversation, we meet the 26-year-old political strategist, Pentecostal minister, and trusted associate of the president who will lead this charge. Part I.

July 19 –  “Speaking of Faith” - Obama's Faith Based Office.  Part II.

July 26 –  To be announced.

Church Committee Meetings This Month

Program Council – Sunday, July 5 – 11:50 am.

Growth Committee – Sunday, July 12 – 11:40 am.

Pastoral Care Team Leaders – Thursday, July 23 – 6 pm.

Social Justice Committee – Sunday, July 26 – during potluck lunch.

A First Glance

Thursday, 6:45 a.m., my first morning at a retreat center in Wisconsin.  On the back porch of an old log cabin, I spread my yoga mat on the rough concrete and sit down all alone to face the rising sun.  A new day is dawning in spite of my fitful sleep of the night before, and I maintain high hopes that centering myself in the stretches and relaxations of my morning yoga practice will bring relief from the nagging headache of the previous days’ stresses.

I have heard many ministerial colleagues through the years say that by late May of any given year, they are emotionally and physically fried by the weight of their work and they are desperately looking forward to the summer.  I haven’t been able to relate overmuch to their expressions of exhaustion but this year the frantic pace of church life, the uncertainties of the situation in the world, and my attachments to all such things have combined to leave me feeling mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. One saving grace these past months has been my yoga practice.

Developing a yoga practice, I have experienced feelings of comfort and challenge, success and failure. 

My hamstrings remain the most consistently challenging and inflexible portion of my physique, which is apparently genetic because my father has never even been able to sit cross-legged on the floor.  I have never been able to touch my toes, but I am closer to being able to do so now than ever before.

In my yoga practice I have gained a much better kinesthetic sense of myself in the world, which can turn out to be important in embodying the principles I talk to others about each week.  Perhaps dancers learn early on where their bodies are in space and the relationships in space of one body part to another, but neither my engineering education nor my preparation for the ordained ministry asked much of me in this regard. 

The physical exhilaration and relaxation of yoga has afforded me emotional benefits as well, helping move my prayer and meditation life to new levels.  I can’t imagine how much worse I’d have felt this spring without yoga to look forward to.

7:45 a.m., two days later, in a room on the fourth floor of a Marriott near Milwaukee.  I wake up later than usual and try to talk myself out of doing yoga – I’m tired, I’m grumpy, I have too much to do.  But something else calls, and I push the ubiquitous hotel furniture aside, pull open the curtains, and sit down alone on the newly carpeted floor.  The sky is completely overcast and raindrops pelt the window as I sit motionless, facing east where I trust that the sun must be coming up somewhere.  As I begin to try to quiet my monkey mind, an opening in the clouds develops out near the horizon, and rays of sunlight pour down on the soaked earth.  If I had talked myself into skipping yoga, I would have missed this message from the universe.  As it is, I say a prayer, give thanks, and begin again.

Namaste, and see you in church,

Mark Your Calendars:

A Quick Guide to this Month’s Happenings

Wed.,      July   1 – Green Sky Sangha – 7 pm

Fri.,        July   3 – Evening – Alton fireworks display – Refreshments available from 6:30 pm

Sun.,        July   5 – Program Council – 11:50 am;   Spiral Scouts -- noon

Wed.,    July   8 – Green Sky Sangha – 7 pm

Thurs., July   9 – Men’s Lunch Group – 11:30 am

Fri.,      July 10 – Pagan Chalice Circle – 6 pm

Sat.,      July 11 – Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up – 8:00 am

Sun.,     July 12 – Growth Committee – 11:40 am
Film showing “Southern Comfort” – noon
Drum Circle – 6 pm

Mon.,   July 13 – HIV/AIDS support group

Tues.,   July 14 – Board meeting – 7 pm

Wed.,   July 15 – Green Sky Sangha – 7 pm

Sat.,     July 18 – Work Day – 9 am;        Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle – 2 pm

Sun.,    July 19 – Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle –  noon

Mon,    July 20 through Thurs., July 23 – Vacation Chalice  Camp – Time yet to be determined

Sat.,     July 25 – 4^th Saturday Lunch – noon

Sun.,    July 26 – Potluck Lunch; Social Justice Committee meeting

Tues.,   July 28 – Men’s Chalice Circle – 7 pm

Spiral Scouts

Spiral Scouts will meet at noon on July 5^th.  They will meet regularly on the first Sunday of each month.  Contact Kristen O’Steen for further information.

JOIN US FOR LUNCH AND A FILM

Grand Jury Prize (Documentary), Sundance Film Festival 2001;
First Prize, Seattle International Film Festival ;
Special Audience Award, Berlin Film Festival

On Sunday, July 12, at noon, the Social Justice Committee will sponsor the showing of the movie Southern Comfort.  This documentary chronicles the last year of the life of Robert Eads.  Eads is a female-to-male transsexual living in the depths of Georgia who, at the age of 52, is diagnosed with cervical cancer. The film is a follow-up to our Gender Identities workshop in April and is a part of our continuing efforts to be educated on what it means to be a Welcoming Church.  The Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle will serve lunch.  A small donation for lunch is suggested.  The money will go to the Human Rights Commission's work on transgender education.

Jennifer Herndon

Building and Grounds News

OUR BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDING NEEDS SOME T.L.C.

Join us at the church on Saturday, July 18 for our Summer Building and Grounds Workday.  We’ll be here from 9-4 working on such jobs as painting; window washing; plumbing; general repairs; interior cleaning; weeding, trimming, and pruning in the landscaping; and more.  Come for part or all of the day. Bring your lunch or order out. Come dressed for work and bring your own garden gloves, pruners, tools, or whatever you think you will need. 

Child care will be provided if you notify me by Sunday, July 12. I guarantee you will enjoy the fellowship of working together and will take even more pride in the appearance of our church facility.

Pat Moore

Building and Grounds

To our NEWEST church member.

Melissa Prado joined the church on May 31.  Please get to know her and her children and add her contact information to your Church Directory.  Addresses and phone numbers are not listed in the online version of the newsletter.  Please check the printed version for this information

Melissa Prado

Kati, Corbin, Marilyn

melissamprado@hotmail.com

Highway Clean-Up Day

Saturday morning, July 11^th

Meet at church at 8:00 am

It’s time again to do our quarterly clean up of our four-mile stretch of Highway 67.  The more people who help, the less time it will take and the more enjoyable the work.  This is one of our community service projects.  The church’s name is on the sign approaching our stretch of the road, giving us added incentive to keep the area trash-free.  Mark Tade is the Clean-Up Coordinator and will have a sign-up sheet at church for volunteers.

A Women’s Circle Gathering at ROCKHAVEN Ecozoic Center

Sunday, July 19

9 am to 3 pm

This is a workshop-retreat that explores women's archetypal roles as mother, daughter and sister. Using Sue Monk Kidd's material: "The Secret Life of Bees," participants will explore topics such as love, forgiveness, self-discovery, freedom, and the like.

The gathering includes presentation, group conversations, and ritual.

Participants are required to read the novel before attending the gathering.

Cost: $45.00 (includes lunch and all materials)

$35.00 (early registration—full payment before June 30, 2009).  Overnight accommodation: $50.00.

Send registration and payment to:

Rockhaven Ecozoic Center

7621 Rivermont Trail, House Springs, MO 63051

www.rockhavencenter.org

(636)375-3159

Facilitator: Fran Raia, CPPS.  Fran is an educator and facilitator for many years.  She teaches “Woman and Sacred Writings” at Maryville University.

Layne Simpson

Church Youth Participate in the

Alton Bucket Brigade

Although rained out on the original May date, on June 6^th the church Youth Group and Advisors helped paint a house in Alton as a service project for the community.

Green Sky Sangha

Green Sky Sangha Group now meets every Wednesday at 7 pm and invites anyone interested in meditation to join them. No prior knowledge of meditation is required.  The group practices various forms of meditation and discusses ideas related to Buddhism.

                                                             Dee Evans

Community Women’s Drum Circle

Sunday, July 12^th

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: First Unitarian Church of Alton, IL

This meeting will also be a business meeting of sorts. We will discuss:
1. Whether we want to continue meeting.
2. If so, do we want to keep the same date and time?
3. Do we want to allow children to participate all of the time, some of the time or not at all?

If you have any desire for input, please attend.  I will bring some snacks.

Any type of drum allowed (even children's plastic drums, maracas, any percussions instrument will do). No experience required.  Drum whatever comes through you, carefree, easy going.  No one under 18 years of age invited to participate.  If need of childcare, please contact Layne Simpson by the Tuesday before drum circle meeting so I may arrange. Bring extra drums, maracas, etc., sage.

Contact Info.:   (Please put “Drumming” in the subject line).

Anna Ds

The Anna Ds Women’s Alliance will not meet during July and August.  Their next meeting will be on Thursday, September 3^rd hosted at church by Mary Weber.

Men’s Lunch Group –

All the men in the church are invited to attend.

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet on Thursday, July 9^th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL.  Contact Nelson Shaner or further details nshaner@charter.net.

Treasury Note

This month’s deficit of $1,401.04 was less than the usual monthly deficit and is consistent with our pledge surplus.  Our budget surplus still appears adequate to see us through the rest of the fiscal year as long as most of the previously-made pledge commitments are met.  I was gratified and relieved that the congregation approved the transfer of funds from the Endowment Fund to fulfill the budgeted contribution from that source.

I donated the remaining contributions ($208.25) for our Louisiana “work trip” to the Southern Mutual Help Association, the agency which coordinated our week there.

I have already signed up 3 people for “direct payment” of their pledges via Vanco Services.  I anticipate signing up a few more people in the near future. However, the Board has decided to cancel our subscription to the Vanco website donation service (which is completely separate from the “direct payment” service).  After two and one-half months, our “Donate” button on the website has not provided a cent, and it is considerably more expensive than the “direct payment” service, costing $25 a month versus $0.25 for each direct donation. I intend to investigate using Paypal as a replacement website donation service.

Jerry Johnson, Treasurer

CHALICE CIRCLES

UU Pagan Chalice Circle

Friday, July 10^th at church

6 to 8 pm.

Contact Kristen O’Steen.   Thanks to everyone who helped at the Pagan Picnic in St. Louis last month.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

Saturday, July 18^th at church

2 to 4 pm. 

Contact Marcia Custer.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Sunday, July 19^th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place.

Potluck Lunch

July 26^th 

Bring a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and fellowship!  If possible please bring a dish that serves at least 6 to 8 people. 

When at all possible, in an effort to be more conscious of the environment and to reduce the trash that our church might add to the ever growing area landfills, we are using the church’s china plates instead of disposable ones.

A-Mc will do Table Set Up

M-Z will do Clean Up

PLEASE PLAN TO DO YOUR SHARE IN SETTING UP AND CLEANING UP.  DONT LEAVE THE TASKS FOR A FEW PEOPLE TO DO.

RE-MINDERS

Please bring in your empty ink jet printer cartridges and place them in the bin in the church foyer for recycling.

Donations may be brought in now for the youth rummage sale and placed in the RE office.  The sale will be held in August.

The youth group will be hosting the July 3rd fireworks bake sale at the church.  Donations are needed for this event.  Please see the RE column in this newsletter for more info.

4^th Saturday Lunch –

A Social Justice Venture

Saturday, July 25^th is the date of our next 4^th Saturday Lunch for those in need of a meal.  A signup sheet will be available so you can decide what you would like to bring.

Our lunch buffet line opens at 12 noon.  We ask that if you are bringing food that you arrive at least by 11:45 am.  Set-up help is welcome anytime after 10:30 am and cleanup help is always needed after lunch is over.

If you have questions contact Mary Johnson.

Most people enjoy getting a card or email or phone call on their birthday.  Below is the list we have of church members and friends celebrating birthdays this month.   If you don’t think the church office has your birthday on file, please contact Becky Green and give her that information.

  1 July – Stacey Wolff

  6 July – Joan Hashimi

  7 July – Lois Fischer

  8 July – Kay Ott

  9 July – Lucy McAneny

10 July – Zachary Alton (1999)

14 July – Brian Salisbury

15 July – Paul Berney

18 July – Dick Blanton

19 July – Katie Gibbs

20 July – Kevin McCarthy

21 July – Elise Rebmann

21 July – Paula Tarbell

22 July – Hugh Hallett

22 July – Kati Prado (2004)

23 July – Veronica (Ronnie) Schoenborn

24 July – Irene Mondhink

24 July – Midge Hallett

25 July – Nelson Shaner

26 July – Cheryle Tucker-Loewe

26 July – Lyric Johnson (2007)

28 July – Erkin Baker

29 July – Grace Madison

30 July – Alex Hoeft (1993)

30 July – Tom Sakalauski

Community

Outreach Offering

General Information:  One-half of the cash collection and one-half of any undesignated checks put in the collection on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays are given away to charitable causes.  The entire amount of checks designated for a specific cause is donated to that cause.  The money donated does not include pledge checks or money otherwise earmarked by the giver.   In May, $290.50 was given to the Land of Lincoln Legal Aid l.

We welcome your suggestions for future C.O.O. recipients.    Please contact Mary Johnson with your ideas.

July’s Community Outreach Offering will go to the local chapter of the NAACP to support their “Back to School – Stay in School” school supply distribution event scheduled for August 8^th.  You may also bring school supplies to church during July if you wish.  A collection box will be available in the RE Foyer.

     We have learned of the recent death of a former minister, The Rev. Jean Gilpatrick.  She served our church from 1983 to 1985 and died at the age of 84 in Bethesda Maryland.  A copy of her obituary will be on the kiosk in the Kate Wuerker Room.

ALTON CRISIS FOOD CENTER DONATIONS

As you head off on vacation and plan on some summer fun, please remember that “hunger doesn’t take a vacation,” and continue to bring donations for the Food Pantry during the summer months.

Jen Politsch

Interested in Visiting Unitarian Universalists

in the Philippines?

The Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council (UUPCC) will be offering a group trip to the Philippines March 5-16, 2010 to experience the remarkable people and culture of the Philippines.

There are over 2,500 Unitarian Universalists worshipping in 29 different congregations in the Philippines today, mostly on the large tropical island of Negros.  You will have an opportunity to visit several of these UU groups and learn how their UU beliefs, courage and determination are guiding the lives they live in communities which are mostly characterized by extreme poverty. Their dreams and the determination of the UU Church of the Philippines to realize them and grow as a faith are truly inspirational.  

The cost of the fall trip is $1450 (excluding airfare to Manila).

For more details and information contact Lee Boeke Burke, or check out the UUPCC website, www.uupcc.org.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE PROJECT

Coffee will be available for purchase on the first Sunday of each month.  Whole bean, drip grind, regular, decaffeinated and flavored coffee will be available. 

Look for Linda Van Zandt at the Equal Exchange table in the Kate Wuerker Room.

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

One of the most popular activities that our youth group participates in is our district youth cons.  These are weekend-long events that take place twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring.  They offer our high school youth the opportunity to network, learn, and worship with approximately 200 other UU youth from the entire Central Midwest District.  Our youth come back from these events tired, but also very energized about being a UU youth.

At least once a year these events are held several hours away from our area.  On these occasions, the St. Louis area UU churches get together and rent a charter bus.  This allows those dedicated adults that go with our youth the opportunity to rest before and after the con instead of having to drive while tired.  It also allows our youth more time to network and fellowship with all of the youth from the St. Louis area.  This networking has also led to other St. Louis area youth events.

In order to pay our share of the charter bus rentals the youth will be doing some fund raising this summer.  The first event will be the Alton Fireworks on July 3.  Traditionally this church has set up a booth in front of the sanctuary and sold hot dogs, soda, water, and baked goods.  This year the youth will be in charge of this, but they will need your support.   We are asking for donations of baked goods, bottled water, soda, hot dogs and buns.  These can be brought into the church anytime before July 3.  We will begin the event at 6:30 that evening with the fireworks starting at 9.  Bring your lawn chairs and join us on the church lawn for this fun and relaxing event.

In August the youth will be holding their annual rummage sale.  This is an event that they have been doing for several years now.  It is advertised to the public and since we have it inside the RE classrooms, it happens rain or shine.  Because this event allows all of us to clean out our closets, basements, and garages, this is also a very popular event among the adults of the congregation.  Donations of items may be brought in now and placed in the RE office downstairs.  This gives the youth the opportunity to begin sorting and pricing early so that it does not have to be done all in one night.

The youth in our church are involved in our community in a variety of ways.  They participate in worship, on committees, on the board, teach RE, provide child care, and assist with social action projects of the church.  Please come out this summer and do what you can to support them.

Thank you, Jamie Gross

(Note:  Due to length, this article was shortened by the newsletter editor.  For the full article contact Delores – her phone number is in the church directory.)

            When Cindy Mayhew and I drove to Comprehensive Health Systems in East St. Louis to cover the opening of their new facility for the Recovery Times … we used some printouts from MapQuest^TM … One of the printouts contained … a short ad about a writer who was scheduled to give a speech and sign her book at 7:00 that night [at Left Bank Books].  Her name was Nancy Kehoe and her book was Wrestling with Our Inner Angels.  The subject was the growing recognition of the importance a person’s religious/Spiritual beliefs have in their recovery in the mental health field.  This was of particular interest to me since I have been taking a class in Spirituality at the Community Counseling Center in Alton for many years, and have gone round and round with some of my counselors about my religious beliefs ...

                Kehoe is a Catholic nun of the Society of the Sacred Heart as well as a psychology provider … [and] an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

                When she began, she discovered that consumers (she used the word “clients” which is not politically correct in the Illinois Mental Health System) feared to reveal any personal details of a religious nature and clinicians feared to bring religion up because they felt that it would cause an individual to suffer further delusions.  But … this was not the case.  Also there was a fear that the clients/consumers would try to convert each other.  This was also not the case.

                During her speech, Kehoe spoke about a woman called “Bev” who was a very creative, though troubled person.  Bev died, leaving Kehoe a legacy of a bag of books, and a crate with 25 notebooks written by Bev and odds and ends of loose paper – reams … which led Kehoe to be inspired to write her book.

                In her book, Kehoe says “My experience and my work with the clients have convinced me that there is more to a person than his or her diagnosis.  We need to have a curiosity about what is at the heart of a person and foster that, whether we call it spiritual or not.”

                One of her major points concerned the difference between symptomatic voices and that coming from a connection with religion or spirit.  “It depends on how it makes the person feel.  If the person feels bad, then it is probably a symptom.  If, on the other hand, it uplifts a person and helps them, it is probably from the spirit.”

                Approximately 35 people attended Kehoe’s speech.   Most were nuns, but others were consumers and providers. … Kehoe held a question and answer session.  Cindy and I both made comments …       I bought a copy of the book and stayed up most of the night reading it … I feel that I was drawn to the lecture by more than a coincidence.  I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn more about the subject of mental illness and how a person’s spiritual outlook can lead to her recovery.

From the UUA Social Justice Website

Action

Celebrate Independence Day by devoting a day of service to community. Show this country your love by cleaning natural areas, painting over graffiti or any other direct service.

March in a local parade as an anti-war group. Show your love for the country and support for the troops by asking for their quick and responsible redeployment home. Or honor the diversity of this nation by hosting a BGLTQA float. Or march for comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform.

Hold pot luck for the hungry. Have people in your church or community bring a hot dish, salad or side and serve a free meal in the park for your community's forgotten members.

Unitarian Universalist Association Grounding

At least two signers of the Declaration of Independence were confirmed Unitarians—John Adams and Benjamin Rush. While another signer, Thomas Jefferson is often claimed by UUs as he was sympathetic to Unitarian theology.

Unitarian Universalism is a uniquely American religious tradition. Many of our values are deeply rooted in the same values that started this country. As American citizens, we celebrate this holiday as recognizing the freedoms we have — including the freedom to practice our chosen religion.

However, many of the political values of the nation are not shared by UUs today. We claim this holiday to remind us to work for the promise of the nation to promote peace, justice and equity for all.