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Gordon delivering the words of Ben Franklin
Stan as Daniel Shay - late of the Massachusetts rebellion.
Lady Liberty
Teri Cornell spoke to us about the fear factor.
Some people seek out the adrenaline rush that comes from confronting our fears. They go skydiving and who knows what else. On the television program called “Fear Factor ” people confronted their fears because they got paid for doing it. For some people, this happens all the time. There is no need to seek it. Just leaving the house produces anxious feelings.
The worst part of suffering from an anxiety disorder is the belief that the problem is unique to them. They don’t know that other people have the same fears.
Anxiety disorder is a learned reaction to stress. But the qualities that make us debilitated also make us good employees. Sensitive, hard working, holding yourself accountable to high standard. Fear doesn’t have to be debilitating to the point where it interferes with your life. Sometimes that means being at the mercy of any too many “what-if” conjectures that for “normal” people would not be so limiting. For some people, spirituality is debilitating because many of us weren’t allowed to question what was taught.
Feel the fear, do it anyway. You will be OK. When you do face it, you will be given the gift of knowing what comes out at the other side of your fears.
See Rachel Naomi Remen at www.rachelremen.com/. She has two books: 
Dr. Remen’s tells stories about real people with fears such as: that we don’t belong, that we are powerless, that there is no place of safety or refuge for us. The healing they find heals us all.
Candles were lit for Donnie Williams, brother of Barb Wade, the master gardener who has been consulting with us on the grounds; Beth who is in Mt Carmel; Thurman’s 76th birthday (Thurman has returned safely from his travels and is quoting Dylan Thomas on the topic of birthdays); Teri Cornell’s granddaughter; Charlotte’s friend; the people and wildlife of Louisiana; and members Kimberly and Barb H. who are not able to be with us because of their current difficult life circumstances.
Joys: We have new cushions for those among us who have difficulty sitting for such a long time on hard chairs.
The Yard sale is coming on June 11. Get your stuff ready.
Matt and Emily brought refreshments today.
The children’s story was of the Blind man and the hunter.
Jan is trying to solve the problem of the Kroger fund-raising program. We must certify with the Federal IRS that we are a tax exempt organization. She is recruiting help to solve the IRS form for that certification.
Marco gave us an update on his Spiritual Journey and on particle wave duality. It was simultaneously “Little bits of matter matter” and “Little bits matter.” The energy and the connections exist whether or not we are aware that they exist. How are we able to connect to that energy that we (that is to say; most of us) aren’t even aware that we are connected to it?
Quantum particles are a metaphor for our connection to the energy that binds all living things together. Quantum mechanics seem to operate just fine on their own, but as soon as we start to examine it, it appears to manifest itself different way. Using quantum mechanics as a metaphor, we notice that the energy of the universe binds all living things together. For example, perhaps there is a real and physical link between all living things that we cannot comprehend. While we are sitting here not comprehending it, we are somehow perceiving it. Nevertheless, what we perceive appears to us to be something else. At this point (and at all points,) the energy of the universe collapses into something we can comprehend (which is a good thing because otherwise it would be incomprehensible.) So, we end up with something that we can comprehend (and to some limited degree explain,) but, what we comprehend may not even come close to the vast, underlying, incomprehensible, “real” universe in which we live.
Another metaphor, that our body is a “temple,” can also help here. Somehow, throughout history, we humans comprehend that our body is a sacred temple. Perhaps we perceive it as such exactly because our body acts as an antenna that is tuned into that energy in the universe. That would be a sacred thing, indeed.
Jan was unable to attend this week, but her thanks to the congregation for all its hard work this spring fixing up the building and grounds was communicated to us through Betty. Candles were lit for Jan, Barb, Barb, and Thurmon. Central Ohio for Peace meetings are on Mondays.
Rummage sale is June 11 and 12. We need people to help that day and we need contributions of things to sell.
Grounds clean up will also take place on Saturday June 12. That way we can cross utilize people for rummage selling and grounds clean up depending on whether we need hands in one place or the other.
Perry challenged us to volunteer in the community once a month for the summer months. Perry has a list of volunteer opportunities. If I get an opportunity to talk to him, your intrepid newsletter writer will try to get a link to those volunteer opportunities here at the UUCE website.
Marco bought a new blade for the lawnmower. This was badly needed as the previous blade was badly bent.
And finally, don’t neglect to sign up to bring snacks for the rest of us every once in a while… um, I mean “refreshments.”
Betty performed a beautiful flower ceremony based on the teachings of Norbert Capek. Norbert ?apek (1870-1942), a Czechoslovak minister of extraordinary ability who, after spending a few years in the United States, returned to Czechoslovakia in 1921 to found in Prague what soon became the largest Unitarian church in the world. His work set in motion a vigorous new Unitarian movement across the land. The Nazis seized power in 1938, and his tragic death, in a Nazi concentration camp, was a terrible loss for the church and his country.
Using flowers the congregation shared stories and memories of mothers, grandmothers, and also daughters. We shared stories of mothers who loved history, and mothers with a love of flowers, of music, and of poetry. We showed that we have an awareness of our mother’s love of us even while they are doing the exactly wrong thing… smothering our own personhood as they insist on us living life according to the choices that they would make. On the other hand, sometimes our mothers give us good guidance. Yet, sometimes they teach us about awareness. There are mothers whom we miss, and mothers who miss us. There are even those of us who have no understanding of flowers and how they connect to the thought of our mothers.
Go in peace.
Do not forget the church is in need of donations for our rummage sale June 14, 15. We lit candles for the flood victims in Tennessee, and for the victims, human, plant and animal, of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Charlotte shared a beautiful passage for the beauty of spring.
Stan explained what he did at the Meadville District UU meeting in St. Clairsville. Our District is comprised of Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, all of West Virginia and most of Ohio. He attended sessions on how to help congregations combat racism, but the natural friendlyness of our little congregation already does everything that they were trying to teach, so we compare very favorably to them. We are among the smallest congregations.
There is designation of “green” congregation that we can strive for, but the elements of qualification are long and complex. The District sells a book that has all of the information required to establish a green congregation, but it is expensive. The website for the Meadeville District, www.ohiomeadeville.org does not have the information so far as could be determined after a casual search. The casual search did reveal that there was some rather interesting information available at the website, it was just that information about how to qualify as a “green” congretation was not readily apparent.
A candle was lit for the victims of the Oil Slick that is approaching the coast of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Next week: EVERYONE SHOULD BRING A FLOWER TO CHURCH for Betty’s flower ceremony.
Everyone interested in Church Landscaping please be prepared to stay for a while after services are over on May 16. Becca wants to organize us again in case we are fallen into disorganization since the last organizing meeting was organized last fall. Nancy has some recommendations to share from a landscape expert friend of hers. The friend used to be the proprietor of “Herb and Ewe” in Thorneville.
Joy received her small individualized work of art from Betty that every new member receives… that work of art which we casually call our “name tag.” Gordon has an updated members list. Contact Gordon to get one for your very own.
We had travelers from Hartford County Maryland visiting this week. Thurman will begin his travels next week. He is staying at Bed and Breakfast establishments that are run by UU members. There is a book and a website that tells the locations of all of these enterprises. See Thurman for details… (he paid the fee to get the book.)
Next week at 1PM there will be a ceremony for standing women. (see www.standingwomen.org)
(In May of 2007, thousands of women stood together in 75 countries and on all the continents of the globe to show their support for the world of which they dream. Inspired by a story written by Sharon Mehdi of Ashland, Oregon, The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering, collectively they decided that it was time to take a stand to make a difference. By standing for a moment of silence, participants will recognize the importance for all of the children of the world of issues such as safe drinking water, clean air, food for all to eat, access to basic education, adequate health care and safety from violence. The event is not limited only to women.)
