March 27th, 2008 Vol 49, no 28
Spiritual Celebration and Programs
March 30th UUA JUSTICE SUNDAY
9:15AM - Spiritual Celebration: "For You Were Once a Stranger"
Angela Ferguson, Chair of the Missouri / Kansas American Immigration Lawyers Association and Member of People of Faith for Hospitality and Justice / Greater Kansas City New Sanctuary Movement, will discuss the relevance of the New Sanctuary Movement for Unitarians.
10:45 a.m. Program:: "Immigration - the Civil Rights Movement of the Decade."
Angela Ferguson (see description above) will continue her morning's comments with a discussion of the current politics of immigration.
April 6th
9:15AM - Spiritual Celebration: Member Dave Fullerton will give the reflection. Dave says: "What Elie Wiesel wrote in the book "Night" about his life before the Holocaust may be the key to understanding why he wrote the book and what he wanted to express - a message I believe that is very palatable for UUs."
10:45 a.m. Program: "Life Transitions: The Later Years". Arthur & Janney Burgess, Helen Gilles, and Earl Nehring reflect on meeting the challenges and changes life brings as one grows older.
francisco Wins LWV Award!
Our member and Kansas State Senator, marci francisco, has been honored
for her efforts to make government open and accessible to all citizens.
She is the recipient of the eighth annual Helen Fluker Open and Accessible
Government Award. According to the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas
County, "she is a dedicated person and has shown that she is certainly
caring for her community" and "is always willing to listen."
Both her previous work as a Lawrence City Commissioner and her current role
in the State Senate were cited in the award. A newspaper clipping of the
announcement is on the Fellowship bulletin board.
Strategic Planning Project Team
Meeting Sunday, March 30th at noon.
At this meeting we will hear further reports of the progress and plans of each team dealing with Public Relations, our website, being a Welcoming Community, expanding Social Action, and Wednesday Programming/Adult RE. We will also discuss how the various Teams can work together to achieve their goals. All are welcome to attend! Come and share your views and creative ideas as to how we can better serve each other and our community.
Joys & Concerns
Jeff & Sue Lewis spent last weekend near Marysville where Jeff's 96 year old Grandmother has been in the hospital in very poor condition. They fear this will be her last Easter and the family has gathered.
Howard Baumgartel fell a week ago and went into the hospital on the 16th with a cerebral hemorrhage. Marguerite's daughter-in-law, Pat Kerfoot, is now here to help them immediately move into a two bedroom apartment at Brandon Woods.
Howard's daughter, Mona, is also here and will confer with Howard's doctors about his immediate care and future rehabilitation program. Considering the situation, Howard is doing quite well at present in LMH.
Ellie Unruh reported that, unfortunately, cells from Wes' leukemia got into the spinal fluid, causing him further difficulty and requiring additional chemotherapy. Wes continues to cooperate with the doctors and to bravely fight his illness.
Our thoughts are with these members and we wish them all the best!
New Addition Moves Ahead
You are welcome to stroll through our new addition any Sunday. With the metal studs in place you can easily identify the, lobby, the kitchen, the sanctuary and the smaller rooms for heating and cooling equipment, audio-visual control, and storage. A spacious coat hanging area just inside the new entrance is also easy to spot. The electrical contractor began work this Monday and the roofing contractor should be on the job next week.
Exploring Membership Class
A new 4 week Exploring Membership course will begin Sunday, March 30th, from noon to 1:30. Offered by Darla Sigmon and Nicole Goodwin, it is designed for individuals new to Unitarian Universalism (UU), those considering membership or new members. It will acquaint you with the Fellowship community and answer your questions about UU. A light lunch and child care will be provided. Interested? Contact Darla Sigmon, darsigmon@gmail.com, 917-0138, or Nicole Goodwin, nicolelgoodwin@yahoo.com, 760-0789.
Thoughts on Obama's Speech
Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Rev. Meg A. Riley, Director of the UUA Advocacy and Witness Staff Group, have shared their thoughts on the intersection of religion, politics, and race following Barack Obama's March 18, 2008 speech.
Sinkford, writing on UUA.org says, "Obama's speech, by naming the honest concerns and fears on both sides of the racial divide, presents us with that rarest of opportunities, an invitation to re-engage with an issue many people would prefer to ignore. I hope and pray that we have the courage to take advantage of this gift."
Sinkford's complete statement, as well as additional resources, can be found at http://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/103966.shtml .
Riley, writing on the UUA Advocacy and Witness Blog ("Inspired Faith, Effective Action") observed, "I believe that conversation about race in the United States is relevant to every day of all of our lives. While the country actually focuses on race for at least a news-nanosecond, this could be the moment to take the step of amplifying the conversation with every resource we have. And when a Presidential candidate invites us into a meaningful conversation on this topic, we need to accept with heart and soul; such an opportunity is long-overdue and may not soon come again.
See "What we can learn from Obama's Speech" for Riley's post and additional resources.
Is Inequality Making Us Sick?
This Thursday, March 27 at 9 p.m., PBS will begin a 4-week series "UNNATURAL CAUSES: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?" According to the producer, "it turns out there’s much more to our health than bad habits, health care or unlucky genes. The social conditions in which we are born, live and work profoundly affect our well-being and longevity." The series originated from a partnership with NACCHO’s Health and Social Justice Committee on which Nancy Jorn previously served. She thinks it will provide an important perspective on public health issues. The series continues at 9 p.m. on April 3, 10, and 17. (NACCHO = Nat’l Assn. of City and County Health Officials)
Mark Turnbull & Common Ground
Grammy nominee Mark Turnbull & Common Ground will be in Lawrence on Saturday, March 29th at 7:00 p.m. at the ECM building, located on the corner of 12th and Oread near the Kansas Union. And then the group will play at Unity Village on Sunday, March 30th at 1:00 p.m. in the chapel.
Common Ground comes to the Kansas City area as part of their "Road Less Traveled" concert series, performing an original blend of folk/rock music interspersed with oldies from Dylan, the Beatles, and more. The show is $10 suggested for adults and $5 for students. For more information, go to www.spiritfest.com or call Eugenia at 785-843-0113.
Common Ground features Grammy nominated guitarist and folk singer Mark Turnbull from Laguna Beach, award winning bass player Mark Austin from Dallas, and Susan Wright Mogilka from Oklahoma City. They have been featured at the North American Interfaith Conference and travel the U.S. with their musically inspired message of hope and community.