Here are some new events and activities you might like to put on your calendar.  See our previous Outside 1st Universalist announcements for other upcoming events.

• Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 – National Coming Out Day.  This day velebrates those bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people who have braved fears of discrimination, rejection, hatred and violence to lead open lives in the community.  Take a moment to celebrate our friends, family members and others whose courage has paved the way for others by coming out.  Send a card, write a letter or email, light a candle of thanks and celebration for all of those who celebrate the day.
• Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 – daylong — Social Welfare Action Alliance conference and workshop on poverty and violence at the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 141 Adams St., Rochester. We will have two free tickets and others cost $20. See Sarah Singal, Sally Hamlin or call Kris in the church office.
• Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008 – 7 p.m. – Volunteer training for RAIHN at the Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs St., Rochester. This training is necessary before starting to volunteer in the RAIHN program. This session will be RAIHN Director Erica Vera’s last, as she leaves for a new job.

• Monday, Oct 27, 2008 at 6 p.m. – Annual RAIHN dinner at the Church of the Transfiguration in Pittsford. Keynote speakers are Joe Robach, Bill Johnson and Erica Vera. Cost is $40 per person. Order tickets by phone at (585) 506-9050 or in person at the RAIHN Day Center, 34 Meigs St., Rochester. Donations are welcomed for a silent auction fundraiser; drop off gadgets, art work, condo rental, etc. to Deni Mack at the Church of the Assumption, 20 East Ave. in Fairport, NY. For more information about the dinner and auction, contact Deni Mack at (585) 388-0400 x314 or by email.
• Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 – United Nations Human Rights Day. This is an evening event held at the Downtown Presbyterian Church (DUPC). The topic is School to Prison Pipeline. More details to come.

October 2008

“I wonder if the fall has rheumatism?  Do the limbs of the full grown, aging trees have aches like the one in my right shoulder?  The tree, like me, is a perennial.  It too may get weary and crotchety after too many cycles of seasons.  The annuals demonstrate life’s most efficient wisdom, to have one spring and one summer, and have done with it.  Let all things seed through the cruel winters.  If life can be born again in the spring, it does not get involved in hibernation and releafings. “ From Reverend Kenneth Patton, Unitarian Universalist minister, in his book All Blessedness: a Book of Psalms.

As I am writing this, I have a dull pain in my right shoulder that comes when I do too much leaning over a keyboard in just the wrong way.  I have to pay attention to how I sit and make sure I get up and move around every once in a while.  Not altogether a bad thing at all.  I never used to have such strange body aches and pains.   But I am no longer the youngster I once was, when I could get little sleep and work and play long hours with no physical consequences.  Now intentional daily stretching is part of my morning routine.  If I forget, watch out!

And so it is with our congregation.  Paying close attention to where we show our age, where we might be stuck in a pattern of activity that no longer serves us, is good work for any religious community.  We must stay nimble and flexible if we want to be part of the changing landscape in which we worship and gather, stay fresh and alert.

But I am happy to report that I like being a perennial, having the chance to hibernate a bit in the winter, become more reflective, take time to enjoy the short days and long nights.  For the moment, however, I am even happier being part of the change from summer to fall, from temperatures in the mid-eighties to the fifties in twenty-four hours. I think these swift shifts in weather makes us resilient and attentive beings.

With that resilience and flexibility in mind, I have been attending as many committee meetings as I can this past month, just to get to know who you are and find out how you do things, how you meet and greet one another, how you share your ideas and dreams with one another.  I hope to be helpful to you, as a new-comer here, and share feedback and perceptions with you as we learn one another and grow together in our ministry.   We have much to offer the world and one another, and it is good to know the world needs our gifts as much as we need to share them!

See you in church!

We hope you’ll join us in these newly-listed activities. Some are educational, some are purely social and some are both. Inter-generational activities include children of all ages, while other activities are for adults only. Check the details to see if childcare is provided.

• Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008 — Mirth & Merriment Activity Survey in today’s Order of Service. At various gatherings during our interim ministry year, many expressed a desire for more church events devoted solely to having fun together. Look for the survey in today’s Order of Service!
• Oct. to Dec. 2008 — Weekday parking will be limited due to scaffolding that will be in use while our gutters are repaired. If you plan to come to the church during business hours, please use alternative parking. Projected completion is the first week of December.
• Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 — Association Sunday will be the focus of our service today. See our sermon and the UUA Association Sunday webpage for details.
• Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 — The Semi-Annual Meeting will be held in the sanctuary immediately following the service.
• Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 — All-Church Italian Potluck Dinner. Set-up 4:00 pm. Gathering 4:30 pm. Dinner begins 5:00 pm. Event ends 7pm. Please bring an Italian dish that serves 6-8. Contact Marie Sidoti.
• Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008 — Fall Clean-up . Join us as we spruce up our church building for Fall. Contact Alain Perregaux for more details.
• Friday & Saturday, Oct. 24 – 25, 2008 — Ministerial workshop. The Rev. Tom Chulak, a SLD executive, will lead a workshop on building a vision of shared ministry, planning the future and nurturing the spirit. All congregants are welcome Friday night. The Saturday workshop is for trustees, staff and congregational leaders.
• Sundays, Nov. 2 & 9 — Spare Change collection. Can you spare some spare change? If so, we’ll be collecting your spare change on these two Sundays. Last year the congregation generously gave more than $600, and we hope to top that this year. Every nickel counts! Thanks for your contributions.
• Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 — the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed returns to our pulpit to preach on Universalism. After the service, he will sign copies and reading excerpts from his new book, In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby. In the book, he wrestles with racism, the death of Martin Luther King, black radicalism and his experience in an interracial family. The book is to be released in mid-October by Skinner House and will be available for purchase at 1st Universalist today.
• January 2009 — Meditation Manuals and book orders. The Library Committee will send in a book order to the UUA Bookstore, which will include the newest Meditation Manuals. If there are Beacon Press, Skinner House or other books you’d like us to order from the UUA Bookstore, please let Keith Stott and Phil Ebersole know. UUA Bookstore, Beacon Press and Skinner House catalogs are available in the Clara Barton Library, which is open each Sunday during coffee hour.

Some of our ministries would like your involvement too …

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE): School-age children are welcome to join our RE classes, which are held upstairs following the Message for All Ages. Nursery care is provided throughout the service.

Here are new events and activities you might like to put on your calendar. See our previous Outside 1st Universalist announcements for other upcoming events.

• October 4, 2008 from 9:30am-4pm — Politics and Liberal Religion in the Wake of Knoxville. This is a SLD event hosted by First Unitarian Society of Schenectady. Per the SLD website, “”Politics & Liberal Religious Values in the Wake of Knoxville” will be the focus of the third annual Social Justice Conference with an address by Blair Horner, Legislative Director of the New York Public Interest Research Group.  He has held this position for 21 years, interrupted only by a stint in Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office to create Project Sunlight, an interactive website that allows New Yorkers to learn more about state politics.  He has been a driving force behind NYPIRG’s successful campaigns to protect consumers, preserve the environment, reduce tobacco use, reform and make government more accountable, improve healthcare quality and provide the public with information on how state government works.  This will be an opportunity for social justice people to consider the implications of their faith in a critical election year.  Brochure & registration form.”

• October 10 & 11, 2008 – NYSCU (New York State Convention of Universalists) Annual Meeting, hosted by the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie. Please see bulletin board for agenda and registration forms.

We hope you’ll join us in these activities. Some are educational, some are purely social and some are both. Inter-generational activities include children of all ages, while other activities are of interest to adults only. Check the details to see if childcare is provided.

• Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 — Social Justice Plate Offering during service. Money collected will benefit children in the Rochester City School District with their back-to-school needs.  Sarah Singal and Santosha Kuykendall will also be collecting in-kind donations (backpacks and school supplies) after church.
• Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 — deadline today — First U T-shirt order will be placed today. The navy blue t-shirts are $15 each. If you’d like to put your t-shirt check in the plate during the offertory, please write “T-shirt Fund” and size on the memo line of the check.  Contact: Santosha.
• Friday, Sept 26, 2008 at 6:30p.m. — in the adult lounge — Movies to Inspire and Uplift will show “Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story” followed by discussion.  There is no charge, but donations of snacks to share are gratefully appreciated.

  Dorothy Day is no saint. She lives hard, makes mistakes, endures the consequences. But the unquenchable fire burning within her cannot be contained. Dorothy wants to make a difference. During the Depression, she vows to house the homeless, feed the hungry, tend the sick. Easily said. Not easily done when her total finances amount to 97 cents in a battered canister. Yet Dorothy persists, walking on frequently stormy waters of faith.

  Popular stars and important themes combine in this compelling true story of the “American Mother Teresa,” filmed by Paulist Pictures (Romero) from a script by ER writer and executive producer John Wells. Moira Kelly plays Day, the impassioned New York journalist who launched the activist newspaper “Catholic Worker” and put the words she wrote into controversial action. Martin Sheen, Melinda Dillon and Brian Keith join Kelly in this moving saga of a faith not just believed, but lived. RATED PG-13 for a range of thematic elements, some sexuality and brief language.

  RSVP to Linda Lorenzo

• Sunday, Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, 2008 — RAIHN host week at 1st Universalist. See our Social Justice page under Congregational Life for details. There are many volunteer opportunities available. If you are able to help, please contact Matt Comeau.
• Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 — Small Group Ministry based on the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism begins today. Please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the Clara Barton Lounge.
• Friday, October 10 & 11, 2008 — NYS Convention of  Universalists (NYSCU) Annual meeting of the NYSCU hosted by the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie. Please see bulletin board for agenda and registration forms.
• Thursday, October 16, 2008 — deadline today — UUA Principles and Practices: The UUA Commission on Appraisal has recommended changes and invites feedback. Please go to http://www25.uua.org/coa/ and click on the word “draft” in the first paragraph.
• Friday, October 17, 2008 — in the adult lounge, Movies to Inspire and Uplift will show “Iron Jawed Angels”, starring Hilary Swank  We will be viewing this movie in the sanctuary at 6:30 PM and will move to the Clara Barton Lounge for discussion directly following the movie.  There is no charge for movie viewing and discussion time. Anyone wishing to bring a snack to share will be gratefully appreciated.

  Said reviewer Bret Fetzer, “The fight for women’s voting rights has rarely been given as dramatic a treatment as in Iron Jawed Angels. Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry) and Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park) star as second-wave suffragettes Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who led the final fight for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.  The mounting energy of the fight–and the increasingly nasty opposition–gains real momentum when a wartime picket line leads to Paul, Burns, and their sisters-in-arms being arrested on trumped-up charges and imprisoned. The actors–including Julia Ormond (Smilla’s Sense of Snow), Angelica Huston (Prizzi’s Honor, The Grifters), and Brooke Smith (Vanya on 42nd Street)–give fervent, determined performances.”

  RSVP to Linda Lorenzo

Our own, very talented, John Akers, gave us a unique music service that included songs which changed him in some way. Given here are the songs and the sermon.

First, the songs he performed, in whole or in part, at different parts of the service were:

Pre-service: “Take Five” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet from their album Time Out

Music for Reflection: “Shower the People” by James Taylor from his album In the Pocket

Message For All Ages: “Three Is The Magic Number” by Bob Dorough from the TV show Schoolhouse Rock

Musical Interlude:

• “Freedom/Motherless Child” by Ritchie Havens from the album Woodstock
• “I Had A Dream” by John Sebastian from the album Woodstock

Offertory Selection: “The Universal Hum”  by John Akers from his album King Cake & Carmelites and performed by the First Universalist Church of Rochester choir

Sermon:

• “Eyes On the Prize” – many singers have done this unattributed song, Mavis Staple is one
• “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke from his album Legend
• “All Apologies” by Kurt Cobain from the Nirvana album In Utero
• “Biko” by Peter Gabriel from his album Peter Gabriel released in 1980, aka the Melt album
• “Homeward Bound” by Simon & Garfunkel from their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
• “God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)” by Randy Newman from his album Sail Away
• “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz from his album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

Music of Inspiration:

• “Lord Let Me Try Again” found on Rev. Milton Brunson’s Thompson Community Singers Super Hits album
• “The Healer” by John Akers from his album Born On A Monday

Second, the sermon was:

Music has always been my religion. Until I met my wife, it was the central thing that gave my life meaning. It defined who I was even though, to this day, it sounds weird to me to say that I am a musician or worse, an artist. But it is truly the one place, because I think of music as a physical place, where I feel the most complete, the most competent, the most at peace.

Music in many ways was my religious precursor to Unitarian Universalism. By its very nature it espouses similar tenets: it describes the world as it is and as we want it to be; it can be an intellectual experience to be analyzed and studied or one of pure joy and mystery that should simply be wondered at. It is both spiritual and secular, sacred and profane. But ultimately, it is up to each individual to make their own meaning of it. Music has no dogma.

Music can affect human beings in a way words or pictures cannot. It can inspire us with or without words.

There is physics involved; it can literally move you and penetrate you – the bass of Family Man Barrett for example. It can physically and emotionally overwhelm you. As Prof. Melba Beals of the Little Rock Nine said, when she was asked why civil rights activists of the 1950s & 60s sang, “When I sing, you stand in my power.”

(Here John performed “Eyes on the Prize” with these lyrics …
Paul and Silas, bound in jail
Had no money for to go their bail
Keep your eyes on the prize, Hold on
Paul and Silas thought they was lost
Dungeon shook and the chains come off
Keep your eyes on the prize, Hold on)
… followed by Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”)

All of us at one time or another has had the experience of being brought to tears by music, often taking us by surprise (John suggests Tim McGraw’s “Live Like you’re Dying” here). It has the ability to reach us in a way that nothing else can. I heard a story on NPR this week about the Albion Women’s Correctional Facility Choir. One of the inmates talked about how singing in the choir transformed her. Asked to describe the emotions she felt when they sang, she couldn’t find the words and sighed, almost coming to tears. She didn’t need to say anything. All of us have felt that power at one time or another.

Music is a teacher. It can open our hearts and minds to new ideas, even inspire us to change. Simple pop songs can do this. When I was in high school and college in the early 80s, the galvanizing issues for young people were the lingering threat of nuclear war, apartheid and the early AIDS crisis. There was a song by Peter Gabriel that spoke to me at an emotional level, even though I didn’t know what he was talking about. So I looked it up (in a book from the library … no internet yet). After I understood it, it became that much more powerful to me. It was an early anthem ahead of its time. (Here John performed Gabriel’s “Biko” and suggests “Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.)

Music is part of the great loyal opposition of human progress, sometimes overtly and oftentimes subversively. It challenges conventional wisdom and has been known to help topple establishments of all kinds. For me, the most visceral and powerful voice of subversion was the punks. Although he was really the second or third wave of punk, Kurt Cobain captured that spirit of self loathing in a cultural critique (here John performed Cobain’s “All Apologies.”)

So much great music, from the 1930s like Woody Guthrie and Bill Broonzy to Pete Seeger in the 50s to the endless list of musical prophets in the 1960s, revolutionized the popular culture and changed the cultural conversation. (Here John performed Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound.”)

But the greatest teacher of this principle for me has always been Randy Newman. His music recalls an older melancholy time and place, but his lyrics, in a two minute pop song, can cut like a knife with acerbic humor and painfully honest commentary. (Here John performed Newman’s “God’s Song.”)

Music is also about pure joy. It has given me many moments of euphoria, moments when I really feel I can transcend the physical world. Musicians, like athletes, talk about flow and being in the zone. When you are able to combine the intellectual and physical skills of music (both of which I have very few) with human emotions, the result is a powerful joy. (Here John performed Mraz’s “I’m Yours” and suggests Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”)

©This sermon was written by John Akers for the congregation of the First Universalist Church of Rochester, New York and was delivered on September 28, 2008. No part of this sermon may be copied without permission of the author.

Here are some events and activities you might like to put on your calendar.

• September 15, 2008 — deadline for Chalice Lighter Grants. The deadline for filing an “Intent to Apply” form. An “Intent to Apply” must be filed with SLD in order to obtain a Chalice Lighter Grant application.
  
• September 16, 2008 – Zhaxi Zhouma Rinpoche Lecture. Zhaxi Zhouma Rinpoche will be giving a free lecture at the First Universalist Church at 150 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, NY, on September 16, 2008 from 7-9 pm. “Anyone interested in obtaining good fortune and happiness, becoming enlightened in this lifetime, and learning more about why and how Dorje Chang Buddha has come to America should attend this presentation.” Please visit www.zhaxizhuoma.net for more information.
• September 18, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. — Let’s Get Political! – formerly Causes in Common. Location: Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave, Rochester NY. Open to the General Public. Interfaith Impact and the Empire State Pride Agenda will be hosting an educational forum on the position of local candidates on the following pieces of legislation:
  • Dignity for All Students Act
  • Healthy Teens Act
  • Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)
  • Marriage Equality for Same-sex Couples
  • Reproductive Health & Privacy Protection Act

  This is your opportunity to find out where incumbents and those seeking political office REALLY stand on issues that effect your quality of life and our shared prospects for a future that offers greater freedom and opportunity for us all. You owe it to yourself and your community to attend this forum and GET THE FACTS before you cast your vote this November.

  Questions can be directed to WNY Field Organizer Todd Plank via email.

• September 19-21 – Unirondack work/play weekend. Have you ever visited Adirondack, our UU camp in the North Country? It’s a beautiful and reverence-inspiring place. Work/play weekends are a low-key way to enjoy the woods and contribute to the upkeep of the camp. Attendees spend Saturday morning cleaning and repairing facilities, and the rest of the weekend hiking, canoeing, or otherwise relaxing in the great outdoors. Cost is $15 for communal meals. Accommodations (cabins) are rustic. Contact director@unirondack.org.

Peggy Meeker, Acting DRE

We proudly announce that the Rev. Peggy Meeker has accepted the position of Acting Director of Religious Education (aka DRE) at 1st Universalist.

Peggy is busy getting to know the people, plans, projects, and policies that make up our Religious Education program for children and youth. She begins this coming Sunday with a project to welcome our new minister and introduce the UU Principles, which will be our focus this term. If you haven’t met Peggy yet, please introduce yourself to her over the next couple of weeks.

We hope you’ll join us in the activities below. Some are educational, some are purely social and some are both. Inter-generational activities include children of all ages, while other activities are for adults only. Check the details to see if childcare is provided.

• Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 — SEM food ingathering during service. Donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, and paper goods will be collected to benefit the Southeast Ecumenical Food Cupboard. See our Social Justice sub-page under Congregational Life for  more details.
• Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 — Registration for Religious Education (RE) classes will be held in the Clara Barton Lounge immediately following the service today.
• Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 — 7:00 p.m. — The Causes in Common event originally to be held at 1st Universalist today has been re-framed as “Let’s Get Political!” and will now take place at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave, Rochester NY. It is open to the public. Interfaith Impact and the Empire State Pride Agenda will be hosting an educational forum on the position of local candidates on several pieces of legislation. More info can be found in the Outside 1st Universalist Announcements.
• Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 — Social Justice Plate Offering during service. Money collected will benefit children in the Rochester City School District with their back-to-school needs.  Sarah Singal and Santosha Kuykendall will also be collecting in-kind donations (backpacks and school supplies) after church.
• Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 — deadline today — First U T-shirt order will be placed today. The navy blue t-shirts are $15 each. If you’d like to put your t-shirt check in the plate during the offertory, please write “T-shirt Fund” and size on the memo line of the check.  Contact: Santosha.
• Friday, Sept 26, 2008 at 6:30p.m. — in the adult lounge, Movies to Inspire and Uplift will show “Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story” followed by discussion.  Please bring a snack to share. RSVP to Linda
• Sunday, Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, 2008 — RAIHN host week at 1st Universalist. See our Social Justice sub-page under Congregational Life for details. There are many volunteer opportunities available. If you are able to help, please contact Matt Comeau.
• Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 — beginning of a Small Group Ministry based on the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism. Please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the Clara Barton Lounge.
• Friday, October 17, 2008 — in the adult lounge, Movies to Inspire and Uplift will show “Iron Jawed Angels”, starring Hilary Swank  We will be viewing this movie in the sanctuary at 6:30 PM and will move to the Clara Barton Lounge for discussion directly following the movie.  There is no charge for movie viewing and discussion time. Anyone wishing to bring a snack to share will be gratefully appreciated.

  Said reviewer Bret Fetzer, “The fight for women’s voting rights has rarely been given as dramatic a treatment as in Iron Jawed Angels. Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry) and Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park) star as second-wave suffragettes Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who led the final fight for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.  The mounting energy of the fight–and the increasingly nasty opposition–gains real momentum when a wartime picket line leads to Paul, Burns, and their sisters-in-arms being arrested on trumped-up charges and imprisoned. The actors–including Julia Ormond (Smilla’s Sense of Snow), Angelica Huston (Prizzi’s Honor, The Grifters), and Brooke Smith (Vanya on 42nd Street)–give fervent, determined performances.”

Some of our ministries would like your involvement too …

Outreach at First Universalist
The Outreach Ministry, aka Social Justice, is organizing and needs your input. Our current endeavors focus around Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network, Southeast Ecumenical Ministries, and the social justice plate on third Sundays, and we are proud to continue all these activities.

In addition, we need some people to meet from time to time and brainstorm about what  we need to do, and to make sure it happens. We need some folks to be go-to people for members, visitors and friends looking to get involved in particular areas, such as Peace, Gay Rights, Environmental issues, and International Social Justice.  Please contact Sarah Singal at church, by phone, or by email and find out how you can join others in serving the community.

MOCHA (Ministry of Coffee Hour Activities)
It was wonderful to be together again at coffee hour on Water Communion Sunday!  Our thanks go out to our “kitchen fairies,” who magically appeared and helped with serving and clean-up.

MOCHA is attempting to “go green” this year.  We’ll be using real dishes and glasses.  We’ll be working on posting directions for the dishwasher to make clean up easier.  Please bring in a mug from home if you have not already done so. (Of course, we’ll have a few extras on the table, just in case.)

The sign-up sheet has been posted on the standing bulletin board in the Clara Barton Lounge.  Please consider signing up for a Sunday.  There are written directions available tacked to the bulletin board.  As always, Karl and Nancy would be glad to work along with new volunteers to make things go more easily.  Everything is provided for coffee hour.  It takes 30 – 45 minutes to set up before church and about the same amount of time for clean up.

Social Justice Plate Offering Nominations
Do you know of a local social justice organization that could use a one-time infusion of cash?  Please consider nominating them for our Social Justice Plate Offering.  The forms are in the church office.

Religious Education
Volunteers are welcome for our Religious Education Program. Please contact Peggy Meeker for more info.

Lay Sunday Speakers
Lay Sunday Speakers are needed for the upcoming church year.  More information is on our Lay-led Services sub-page of the Worship page. Please contact Linda Lorenzo. (Note: as of Sept 30, 2008, the Lay Sunday speakers list for 2008-09 has been finalized.)

The Sept. 18, 2008 Causes in Common event has been re-framed as “Let’s Get Political!”

Location: Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave, Rochester NY
Time 7:00 PM; Open to the General Public

Interfaith Impact and the Empire State Pride Agenda will be hosting an educational forum on the position of local candidates on the following pieces of legislation:

• Dignity for All Students Act

• Healthy Teens Act

• Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)

• Marriage Equality for Same-sex Couples

• Reproductive Health & Privacy Protection Act

This is your opportunity to find out where incumbents and those seeking political office REALLY stand on issues that effect your quality of life and our shared prospects for a future that offers greater freedom and opportunity for us all. You owe it to yourself and your community to attend this forum and GET THE FACTS before you cast your vote this November.

Questions can be directed to WNY Field Organizer Todd Plank via email or call 585.271.2420.

September 2008

Things are really starting to Rev Up (no pun intended) at First Universalist. I can feel the excitement in the air as we begin to meet with one another, plan for the upcoming church year, share stories of summer adventures and challenges and describe our hopes and dreams for this beloved community.

In my initial conversations and meetings with you, I continue to be inspired by you. Your enthusiasm and energy not only for your faith community, but also for Unitarian Universalism; our message of hope and salvation for all of us in the here and now keeps me smiling and lifts my heart.

Amidst all the news of tragedy and demise spread across our daily newspapers, all that arrives in our email accounts and what we read on blogs and websites, we are challenged to find ways to hold out hope for our world and for one another.

The particular tragedy that struck our UU Knoxville Tennessee congregation a couple weeks ago, which took the lives of two and seriously injured seven congregants, struck too close to home for many of us.

To take all this into our hearts and minds, to find our way among and amidst this, we must open up fully to what it is we can stay faithful to, what it is that calls us together Sunday after Sunday, to commit to raise our children in our tradition with the stories of UU leaders who have made a difference in the world. We can give them assurance that we build upon generations of those who have come before us who have not been afraid to speak for justice, or to intervene in ways to keep us safe, even when it has been unpopular and risky.

Our work is to find new ways to companion one another on this path to a new type of fidelity.

The coming autumn season brings images of going back to school, starting over again, making new friends, cracking open new textbooks and contemplating closing the season of open, relaxed schedules that allowed more daydreaming than date books.

This September, my date book is quickly filling up with appointments and committee meetings, and I hope, conversations that help me know who you are. Please call me or email me or, better yet, stop by the newly refurbished Minister’s Office – it is beautiful! – to say hello.

I look forward to time spent with each of you as we get to know one another, continue to dream of the possible, building this community as we go.

See you in Church!