подаръциToday we were celebrating Mother’s Day with Poetry, Memories and Music. Lead by our dream team, Becca and Betty, we started off with Susan Boyle singing A Mother’s Day Prayer… well not actually Susan Boyle, but it sounded really nice. They, Becca and Betty (without Susan), taught us about Julia Ward Howe and the original effort to institute Mother’s day. Julia envisioned it as Mother’s peace day. So much devastation had traumatized the country that she wished that the women of one country will not allow sons to be trained to injure the sons of those women of another country.
“Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.” In 1872, it finally came to pass.
Betty read a poem by James Whitcomb Riley. Savanna read one by Eugene Fields. We all had an opportunity to tell stories on our mothers. Some of the story tellers had their mothers actually in the room. Thurman read “Let me Grow Lovely” by Karle Wilson Baker.
We lit candles for the Nuns in Catholic orders everywhere who obviously need our support since they aren’t getting support from other denominations. We lit a candle for Jan’s mother who has shingles. Thanks to Becca for arranging for the grass cutting.
Next week we are having the annual Church meeting. June 1 starts our new fiscal year.
Let Me Grow Lovely
Let me grow lovely, growing old–
So many fine things do:
Laces, and ivory, and gold,
And silks need not be new;
And there is healing in old trees,
Old streets a glamour hold;
Why may not I, as well as these,
Grow lovely, growing old?
Karle Wilson Baker
Posted 3 days, 17 hours ago at 11:44 pm. Add a comment
Joy and Sue spoke to us about how much a change in thier diet changed their health perspective and vastly changed their overall health. Joy made the change to a healthy diet after reading *Wheat Belly* by william Davis. Giving up grains for more fruit and vegetables made a huge changein her health.
Sue has had chronic health problems all her life and no one was able to give her a diagnosis. Actually, almost all the doctors had a diagnosis, it was just wrong. Then sue discovered that the symptoms of Celiac’s disease fit her symptoms. Every person is their own best researcher and doctor.
Celiac is so oftern mis-diagnosed that Sue wants everyone to know the symptoms so that they can be informed.
I don’t have my notes at the ready right now so I have no information on the announcements.
Peace
Rick
Posted 1 week, 4 days ago at 11:17 pm. Add a comment
Откъде да купя иконаToday we had a lesson in meditation from a teacher at the Tibetan Buddhist meditation and study center: Karma Thegsum Choling. 2600 years ago the Buddha began instruction. He believed that every human possesses the ability to demonstrate (1) loving kindness and compassion, (2) Virtue, and (3) the ability to tame the mind. All I can say is that the Buddha never met my nephew.
Anyway, Buddha knew that the mind has an unlimited ability to think things. During meditation, we have to learn to recognize that and let it go. Sit in a dignified way, sit up straight, take a deep breath, raise up your chest, tuck in your chin, and set a timer. OK, it is more complicated than that. The instructor gave us all a booklet to take home. Joy pointed out that there is a “Meditation for Dummies” book available.
Our story was Mindful Monkey and Happy Panda.
Don’t forget to register your Kroger card for Kroger rewards for the church. Yes, again. We have to do it every year. No, it doesn’t affect your discounts or fuel points. It is designed for you to shop more often at Kroger so that UUCE gets our extra financing. Any more questions? find Kroger Community Rewards on the internet. Click on Columbus (for some reason they do this by geography) Our reg number is “80237″ You can check your fuel points while you are there.
Volunteerism. Church members cleared the way for spring lawn mowing today. Next week Rick will roto-till the meadow for wildflower planting. The Three Cranes Grove planted trees yesterday in the park. Oak and Dogwood. Betty thanks everyone for being so generous in sharing food following services. Joy’s joy is that everything at her work has gone smoothly recently. We lit candles for Betty’s son who is looking for a job and Sylvia who’s newborn babies died suddenly. Also we lit candles for the Ohio Nat Guard members killed recently and for a successful resolution to the middle east conflict… such a small candle for such a big task.
Peace,
Rick
Posted 1 month ago at 12:15 am. Add a comment
Rick spoke to us today about man’s relationship to animals. It is a funny complex relationship. Obviously we humans feel strongly about our relationships to them and they have been at the center of our spiritual relationships. Animals are the subjects of the first cave paintings – which strongly speaks to our spiritual nature. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Genesis says animals are set on the earth before man. The creation of animals is the first time that god the creator says that his work is good or beautiful (pretty as you may think they are, oceans and firmament don’t get that “good” kind of recognition from god). Then the Judeo-Christian god tells man something very interesting, to maintain dominion over the animals. So what is that relationship? Western European traditions have struggled with this. The first animal protection laws against cruelty arise in the 1600’s. But, even if we agree not to be “cruel” to them, there is still the problem that we eat them that has to be worked out.
In human traditions, we eat some animals, but decide that it would be cruel to others to eat them. For some people goats are pets, for some people goats are BBQ. Dogs have the same dilemma… pets and menu items both depending on who you ask. Some people who report themselves to be vegetarians will also eat meat, but they justify it depending on who they are. For some it is OK to eat fish because they don’t have cute fuzzy faces. For others, they can’t bear the thought of eating an octopus because they are so incredibly intelligent. For some, chicken is ok for whatever reason… lack of a cute face seems to come up a lot. But for some people who profess to be vegetarians by conviction, just the smell of a good taco can be enough to temporarily set aside their convictions.
The conclusion is that humans are full of failings and just not good at convictions… whether it be about the relationship humans have with their animals or the relationship humans have with their god. Not only is it easy for humans to fall off the vegetarian wagon at the smell of a tuna sandwich, but look at the rules that Judeo Christians have to follow in the bible… No matter how many times the bible says it is an abomination to eat pork, we convince ourselves that it is OK to eat pork. But, when the bible even suggests that it might be a problem to be gay… well… humans can create hugely organized movements around being anti-gay because, well the bible instructs them to do that. And Judeo-Christian humans also readily convince ourselves that it is OK to refrain from stoning adulterers as well.
News: Not so much this week because my reporting skills were compromised on Sunday. Many people need remembrances in your thoughts this week, so think about some of them. Church board meeting next week. The church “Earth day” is going to be Sunday April 22… please consider staying on to help clean up the grounds. Hopefully we will finally till the soil and create Shirley’s dream of a wild flower meadow down near the river.
Peace,
Rick
Posted 1 month ago at 7:51 am. Add a comment
Elisabeth taught us about Vodou. Vodou is an interesting set of beliefs wherein religion is integrated into all aspects of life.
Zora Neale Hurston is a cultural anthropologist who studied Vodou in Haiti. She brought back fascinating information about the culture and the religion, but she suffered by the world’s inability to really understand the phenomenon. Any insufficiently understood phenomenon appears as “magic”, and the world was unprepared to call it magic.
Ultimately, the pharmaceutical companies sent an ethno-botanist to the Caribbean to find medical uses for some of the items used in Haiti. Puffer fish have a poison that slows the heart rate and causes the recipient to be unresponsive. Another substance causes pulmonary edema. Datura Stramonium is a drug that induces a zombie like state. Even the dirt in Haiti contains residual toxins. It turns out that the practitioners of vodou may not possess magic at all, but may, instead, be very good at understanding drugs.
Inducing the Zombi state is something that is done to punish someone. In ancient times, it may have taken the place of banishment or perhaps capital punishment. Of all the cultures that use drugs in the practice of their religion, vodou is one of the rare ones that use drugs in a punishment capacity.
One of the tenants of UU is to seek knowledge in freedom. We gloss over that line every Sunday as we talk through the Seven Principles. Sometimes it is good to remember that not everyone has seeking knowledge in freedom available to them.
For more information, look up Zora Neale Hurston’s books and the Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis (Simon & Schuster, NY)
Earthkeeping summit is coming up Mar 31, 2012. It is an all day affair and you won’t be disappointed. Savanna is delivering Girl Scout Cookies to her customers.
Joys: Betty appreciates Gordon typing up the membership lists. Without Gordon, we would not know who we are. If we don’t know who you are, then please start coming by the building at 11:oo Sundays. You will not be disappointed.
Peace,
Rick
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 6:36 pm. Add a comment
