may 27th, 2008 Vol 49, no 37
Spiritual Celebration and Program
June 1st
9:15AM - Spiritual Celebration: "Grail Seeker: Henry Wallace's Spiritual Journey," will be presented by Ted Wilson. Henry A. Wallace was a geneticist, successful business man, and a prominent political figure during the 1930s and 1940s. He was also engaged in a lifelong search, largely hidden from family, friends, and associates, for spiritual enlightenment that led to exploration of Native American cosmology, Theosophy, and medieval mysticism, among other religious belief systems.
June 8th
9:15 a.m. - Spiritual Celebration: "Katrina: A Human-Made Tragedy" Last month, consulting minister Jill Jarvis accompanied twenty Unitarian Universalists to New Orleans to support the victims and heroes of this "most unnatural disaster," witnessing to the ongoing injustice and assisting with the rebuilding effort. In this spiritual celebration service Jill will share her experience of standing in solidarity with victims of the tragedy that is attributed to Hurricane Katrina. The profound, heartbreaking, yet joyful work of salvaging homes and lives has only begun, though the nation's attention has turned elsewhere. (Might there be interest among Fellowship members in making the journey next year? Let's begin the conversation.)
Reminder
Remember to gather a vial of water or a special stone from your travels this summer to bring to our annual "Ingathering" scheduled August 24th.
Pass the Baton!
For the opportunity to publish weekly the Pleasant Valley Press newsletter over the last few years, I wish to express my thanks. By serving up UFL news electronically, we have saved thousands of dollars in stamps, envelopes, copy expenses, gas, and labor. This will be the last issue I will be publishing to the website. The new Newsletter Committee will be submitting a newsletter in .pdf format, and I will be posting a link to the .pdf each week.
~Janet FitzGerald
Committee Sign-Up Sheets
June 1 and Committee Job Fair June 8
Sign-up sheets for 2008-09 committees will be downstairs in the social hall next Sunday, June 1. Also, on Sunday, June 8, a committee job fair will be held after both the service and the program. Representatives will be available to talk about their committees then, and refreshments will be provided. Please sign up for committees, even if you are planning to continue on the same ones.
Relief for Earth Quake Victims in China
I'd like to call attention to a flier I posted on the UFL bulletin board (basement) and left on the back table upstairs today (Sunday, 25th). It's an appeal for aid to victims of the Sichuan earthquake. It lists 6 possible agencies, with websites, to receive donations and gives pros and cons for each conduit. I could fax or mail copies to anyone who would like information before next Sunday.
Carol and I have strong feelings about this as Carol taught five months in Chengdu, sixty miles from the epicenter, and a Chengdu institute supported my field work during the same period. Although we have no love for the Chinese government, we know some wonderful people there.
~Paul and Carol Enos
Editor's Note: For those wishing to donate funds for earthquake orphans through reputable charitable organizations see the following:
Melody Zhang of Children's Hope International has a heroic video and story of their efforts to reach the most isolated orphans (scroll down for donation button): http://www.melodyzhangorphans.blogspot.com/
View the Half the Sky efforts at: http://www.halfthesky.org/work/earthquake08.php
Love without Boundaries has continuous blog updates on relief effort at: http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/earthquake.cfm
UUA President Celebrates California Supreme Court Ruling
May 15, 2008
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President William G. Sinkford today applauded the ruling of the California Supreme Court and its historic support of marriage equality. The Court, in issuing its opinion (PDF) said, "in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples."
Read more: http://uua.org/news/newssubmissions/110016.shtml