The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, Oregon

Special Meeting on Art and the UU Principles

The Board has called a meeting following the September 25 service for congregational consideration and support of a proposal the Rev. Rick Davis is planning to initiate for presentation at the Pacific Northwest District of the UUA.  Please read the following explanation and plan to attend.

Art, the Seventh Source of Unitarian Universalism?   In our Unitarian Universalist Principles we list six sources of our faith; these are printed in our order of service every Sunday.  Yet it has struck some of us that a vital source of inspiration and renewal is not listed:  Art, in all of its glorious manifestations – music, painting, sculpture, poetry, literature, drama, dance.  Many of us have found beauty, truth and meaning by virtue of our encounters with art and would like to initiate a process whereby the Unitarian Universalist Principles would be amended to reflect this fact.  Rick will be exploring this theme in his sermon on September 25.  If the congregation votes its support at the meeting following the service, the next step will be to have the Pacific Northwest District vote on this at the business meeting of the Annual General Meeting in February.  If that passes, the recommendation will then go before the UUA Board of Trustees, which may refer it to a special committee for consideration or send it directly to a vote before the entire General Assembly of the UUA.  If this measure clears all these hurdles, our Principles and Purposes will add art as our seventh source.  If so, it will be gratifying to know that this momentous process began here at UUCS. 

Reverential Ramblings

It’s the end of the final family camping trip of the season; the car is tightly packed and we’re ready to roll back to civilization.  I turn the ignition and hear a familiar clicking sound that lets me know the battery is dead.  Drat!  I’ll have to get a jump start.  I humbly approach some fellow campers for help.  One agrees to drive his truck over and open the hood so I can charge off his battery.  Another walks to get his jumper cables.  During this moment of vulnerability and dependency I look around at the other folks in the campground with new eyes.  I dare say that every one of them would help me if I asked.  They are each my potential rescuers.  It’s a healthy and humbling corrective to my perspective.  I feel less independent and self contained, more aware of how much my life does depend upon the efforts of countless others in more ways than I could say.

We return to civilization and are shocked to learn that Hurricane Katrina has caused untold damage and suffering in several Gulf states – perhaps the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history.

And I wonder:  Was the severity of the hurricane a consequence of global warming?  If the area between New Orleans and the coast had not been so denuded of vegetation by oil companies might it have buffered the impact of the storm on that city?  These are questions that will be debated in coming days.

Certainly the possibility of there being such a devastating storm had been a concern for some time, and experts had repeatedly warned that steps needed to be taken to insure the safety and well being of those who were in harm’s way.  As the storm approached, many did have time to evacuate and find safety, but many others, especially the most vulnerable – disproportionately black and/or poor – did not get the help they needed.  And how they have suffered as a consequence!

It reminds me of the sinking of the Titanic.  No one thought it would sink and the builders neglected to have enough life boats to accommodate all passengers.  When the Titanic hit the iceberg and began to sink, the first class passengers were put into life boats, but the poor souls in steerage were held at bay.  They went down with the ship or froze to death floating in the icy Atlantic. 

As of this writing we don’t know how many have died because they got left behind.  But we as a nation must now face the shameful fact that we did not think enough of the well being of the poor and vulnerable to plan for their safety and well being.

Actually, this calamity is but a visible and dramatic example of something that has been going on for the past couple of decades.  The social safety net has become increasingly frayed, and more and more of the poor and vulnerable fall through and have been left to fend for themselves.  Mostly, their hardship is out of sight and out of mind, for they lack the political clout to get the attention they need.

May this be a teachable moment when we face the fact that we can and should create the kind of society in which the basic needs of all are met.  We do have the resources, now we must muster the national will to act as compassionately as I believe we truly can.  After all, each one of us is dependent upon others, none of us would want to be stranded and neglected.  What we wish for ourselves, we should wish for all.

Love, Rick

Homecoming Sunday September 11

Our 2005-06 year begins with our annual intergenerational homecoming service and water communion.  You are encouraged to bring a small vial of water from a place that has nourished your spirit this summer (or bring water that symbolizes such a place).  People will share their summers by emptying their containers into a communal bowl; this water, once boiled, will be used in other ceremonies during the year.

In place of a sermon there will be a play titled Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water, presented by the UUCS Performing Arts Team.  Actors include Chloe Nord, Dennis Ehrp, Leah Knudsen, Nicky Brownson, Jane Fields, and John Roy Wilson.  Cherie Ulmer is the director.

After the service we will have a potluck in Hanneman Fellowship Hall.  Please bring a dish to share according to your last name: A-M, main dishes; N-S, side dishes; T-Z desserts.  Children are welcome, and high chairs are available.

Tibetan Monks Visit

The UUCS Meditation Group is a sponsor of a visit to Salem this Wednesday through Saturday by Tibetan monks from Gaden Monastic University in southern India.  These followers of the Dali Lama will give four evening (7 p.m.) presentations, the last three at our church, and all are invited to attend.  A donation is requested.

                Wednesday, September 7:  Lecture on Lovingkindness  (at Woodland Chapel)

                Thursday September 8:  Lecture on World Peace and the Unity of All Religions

                Friday September 9:  Tibetan Folk Music and Dance

                Saturday, September 10:  Group Empowerment – Buddha of Compassion

Thursday through Saturday other monks will offer Personal Healings ($75) and Astrological Readings ($100) between 8:00 and 11:30 a.m. and between 2:00 and 4:30 p.m. at our church.

For more information contact Ed Klimowicz, Kristen Hunt or the church office.

Board meets September 8:  Members Invited

Members are always welcome at meetings of the Board of Directors, which occur the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m., usually in Hanneman Hall.

On September 8, in addition to the usual monthly business and reports, the Board will consider the Membership Team’s reduced budget, having an Assistant Treasurer, the Equipment Reserve Fund, plans for Auction proceeds, an automobile donation, a special offering for our partner church, and Hurricane Katrina response.  Continued from previous meetings will be music program planning, conflict resolution structure/strategy, policy on use of the UUCS directory, and the threatened lawsuit.  New business includes discussing/assigning authority to make purchases and sign agreements.

Join us. It's great fun.                                                                                                David Boaz

Read on for news of MANY more activities…

Marvelous Monday Resumes

September 12 is the fall’s first Marvelous Monday, a day when all are welcome to gather at 6 p.m. for a simple supper (small donation) and then attend one of the meetings of the various teams which coordinate parts of our church program.

For instance, Dick Boyle, chair of the Social Action Team, says, “If you are interested in discussing and planning social action projects for the coming church year, you are invited to join us on Marvelous Monday.  We hope to see you!” 

There are also teams for Religious Education, Sunday Services, Fellowship, Membership, Operations, Finance, UU Con­nections, Communications, and Meditation/ Spiritual Practices, and most of them will be meeting September 12.

Coffee Team Re-forms

The Coffee Team is re-forming after a hiatus this summer. We would like to have six teams of 3-4 people each. Several people who served on the Coffee Teams last year have indicated they would serve again this year.  However, we still need some new volunteers to fill out the team.

Come join a Coffee Team.  It is a good chance to work with great people, meet new friends and say "Howdy" to the many who join us for coffee or tea after the Sunday service.  Training will be provided for new­comers.

Many thanks to Nancy Webber Files, Ray Files, and Betty and Paul Rice, who have stepped up and made coffee the past several weeks.

If you are willing to be on a Coffee Team or have questions concerning this IMPORTANT function of the church, please contact me.

            Sandra Meredith

Interfaith Hospitality Network

Our turn to host several families in the RE wing for dinner through breakfast comes September 11 to 18.  We still need some people for the various jobs:  providing dinner, being with the guests in the evening, staying overnight and/or providing breakfast.  For more information or to volunteer, call Loraine Stuart or Rosa Barton.

The Network’s 2nd Annual Benefit Concert is again hosted by First Presbyterian Church, 770 Chemeketa St. NE, September 25, at 7:00 p.m.  This family friendly concert will feature musicians from several congregations in our Interfaith family, including the UUCS Choir.  A reception will follow to honor all the Salem IHN volunteers.  A free-will offering will benefit Salem IHN.

Life Lines Lay Ministry

The Life Lines Team will hold a training session at church on Saturday, September 17, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.  We invite all interested persons to attend and find out about our satisfying work. If you have questions, please contact Ellen Howard.

Auction Coming!!

Put November 12 on your calendars, so you won’t miss our UUCS Auction.  It has been five years since we had one – too long!  That evening you can

·  have a good sociable time with friends

·  help raise our staff salaries 4% instead of the 2% provided in our budget

·  help support some other undersupported funds

·  buy some fantastic stuff, and services too

Also, please start thinking about what you can contribute to be auctioned, either in the oral auction or the silent auction; we will have both.  Dinners are popular, for the good food AND the good company – for the providers as well as the buyers.  Vacation cabin time, help with your computer, yard work, … can be a godsend to someone.

This is not a rummage sale!  Those are good too, but this isn’t it! 

If you can volunteer to help with the auction, or are ready to volunteer goods or services to be auctioned, please contact George Struble.

Social Action: Donations

In the first half of 2005, 923 pounds were contributed to Marion-Polk Food Share, representing a 100% increase over the same period last year.  There was a total cash donation to the food bank of $52, which was considerably less than in the first half of 2004.  Perhaps this was because of the economic slowdown. The HOAP (Homeless Advocacy Outreach Project) donations in the first half of 2005 were equivalent to $24, also down from last year.

Thanks very much to UUCS members and friends for your continued generosity.

Dick Boyle

Membership Team

If you are new to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem (UUCS) and want to learn more about us and our principles, we invite you to an Orientation Meeting on Sunday, October 2.  A follow-up meeting, Path to Membership, for those wishing to explore becoming a member, is scheduled for Sunday, October 16.  Both sessions convene after the Sunday Service in Reverend Rick’s Office.  The two sessions provide information on UU history and guiding principles, as well as on religious education opportunities, congregational organization, and membership benefits and responsibilities.  Child care is available for both sessions, and a sandwich lunch is provided after the October 16th Path to Membership meeting.

Kay Cogswell

Women’s Alliance

Here’s a special invitation to all women in the church:  the Women's Alliance meets the first Thursday of the month.  Traditionally, there is no September meeting, so the first meeting will be Thursday, October 6.  If you have been thinking about it or wondering if you want to join this lively group, cogitate no longer.  All are welcome.  You make new friends, enjoy the fellowship, and find ways to sustain our church congregation.  See you there!

Marge French

Be the change you want to see…

Sign up to TEACH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES and make a difference through your example and in the relationships you establish with the children and youth of our community.

Teachers will be thoroughly oriented, trained, and supported by RE staff; in fact, all lesson preparation is done for them!  They teach in pairs (out of a team of three), have at least every third Sunday off, and commit to only ten Sundays over a four-month period.

Or, sign up as a substitute or as a helper at one of our Special Sundays, which happen sporadically throughout the year.  In addition, we need mentors who will meet once a month with a youth in the Coming of Age program.  Support your Religious Education program and sign up today!  For more information, contact Claire Diehl, Director of Religious Education.

Beautiful Landscaping

It has been a fine summer for our garden.  It has been a constant challenge to keep the plants moist in the heat, but the dandelions are doing great.  With the fence expense projected, I think we can afford a couple of loads of bark dust to dampen the weeds and to keep our plants from drying out as quickly.  I will call some of you about the next work party and hope others will come with shovel in hand to help distribute the bark, lay some pipe, haul debris, handle the weed whacker, and pull weeds.  We will start at 9 a.m. and will probably be ready to quit by noon.  That's on September 17th, the third Saturday of the month.  We need strong bodies! We also encourage you to bring your kids and make it a family affair.  They can rake or weed and enjoy being part of a working team. 

We remind the entire congregation that trees make a marvelous memorial, and we need two trees beside Hanneman Hall.  We also would appreciate any help with the expense of the bark dust.  We aren't provided with a budget allowance for any of our landscaping, so we count on your generosity, the plant sale, or memorials.  Please mark your calendars for the 17th and call if you have dirt or could donate a tree.  Team chairs are Iris Sea and Sharon Dearman.

Iris Sea

Greeters

Would you like to welcome people arriving Sunday mornings?  Greeters work in teams, doing this once every six weeks.  Contact Katie Howe.

YRRUU Plans

YRUU, the group for those aged 14-20, will begin its 2005-06 calendar year on September 18 with a meeting right after church for parents of new members. The first member meeting will be Monday, September 19, at 7 p.m. at the church.  Contact one of the advisors listed in the Sunday bulletins for more information.

Movie Group

Our Covenant Group has room for a small number of new members.  We meet on the first Sunday evening of each month to talk about a movie we have each previewed.  We take turns choosing the movie, with an eye to religious, moral, and spiritual content.  We also honor an agreement to provide, as a group, a needed on-going service to the congregation.  If you’re interested, please contact Ellen or Chuck Howard, Virginia or Dave Cozart, or Mary Murphy.

Mary Murphy 

Men’s Retreat

UU MEN UNITE!   Make plans to attend the UUCS Men’s Retreat at Silver Creek Lodge from Friday Evening, October 28, through Sunday morning, October 30.  We have space for 24.  Total Cost for lodging and meals is about $100 (scholarships available).  A time for male bonding, personal exploration, spiritual deepening, bocce ball, music, hiking, and more.  Details will follow.

Our Vision/Mission

Pacific Northwest District Executive Janine Larson will facilitate a congregational vision/mission workshop Saturday morning, October 15.  This will be a time to connect with others in deep conversation, to dream and hope and create a vision and mission.  Let your presence be felt and your voice be heard.  Details will follow.

UUCS Community News

Cheers and thumbs-up for the two teams of painters who re-did the outbuildings (garden shed, pump house, etc.) as well as the front gate: Tim McFarland, John Roy Wilson, George Struble, Ray Files, Paul and Ray Rice!

Long time UUCS member Don Beale suffered a massive heart attack two weeks ago and was in a coma for many hours afterwards, but through the medical wizardry at Salem Hospital’s ICU and the positive energy directed toward him by his close family and friends, he is now at the Benedictine Nursing Center in Mt.Angel, recuperating. He welcomes brief visits from his friends.

Taking a courageous “first step,” Anne Alexander, who has been visiting her husband Don, a patient in the Altzheimer’s unit at Marion Care Center in Sublimity, daily for the past fourteen months, is reuniting with friends in her home state of Texas this week. She and Don left the area 51 years ago and have remained in close contact with the many family members and friends. Austin and Ft.Worth are the stopping places; the events will include the wedding of Anne’s brother.

Rory Gravelle worked at the Silver Creek Falls Y Camp this summer and received a “field promotion” to “unit aide!” Meanwhile, his sister Kayla provided day-care for her niece, the daughter of Phil Carver’s daughter Laura, so Laura could continue master’s studies at PSU in secondary science education.

Congratulations to Steve Ovens, who, with partner Tracy Boyle, moved last summer to Milford, Pennsylvania, for landing a well-deserved position as chief engineer and maintenance engineer at the Pocono Palace, one of the four upscale, regional resorts in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania!

Mary Ann Kaestner will bid her final adieu to UUCS and Salem during the first week of October. She has divided her years between Salem summers and Palm Springs winters, but henceforth will omit the Salem piece. This will allow her to travel during the summers, as she will be doing from mid-to-end of September, visiting Spain: Bilbao (the Frank Gehry Design Museum), Pamplona, Barcelona, Toledo, and Madrid. Son, Jan Eric, will transport her household goods to Santa Barbara for placement in her Palm Springs home.

Harold Hutchinson has relocated! We visited him last week in his airy, roomy, and delightful apartment. He welcomes visits from UUCS friends.

Pam and Ernie Williams vacationed in Victoria, B.C. and Vancouver Island, stopping for an overnight visit with Alma Howard and Herman Leder in Seattle. Herman and Alma appear very well and enjoyed a family reunion in Michigan’s lake country.

Congratulations to Bruce Hunt, who just learned of his teaching contract with the Salem-Keizer District – on his birthday!  At McKay High School he’ll teach several sections of Chemistry and also the Integrated Science curriculum, which includes mid-proficiency English language learners.

Congratulations to Lydia Gutierrez on completion of a second master’s degree, this one from OSU in counseling! She’ll resume her teaching position in special education at Salem’s Roberts High School.

After a summer of “stateside” vacationing, John Thomas Maluski, wife Pam Ruona, and son Dominic, have returned to Korea for his second year of teaching language arts and reading at an American military secondary school.  Pam writes: “It was fabulous to see friends, neighbors, former colleagues and family. It was reassuring and heart-warming to be around so many people who support and care for us. It was a bit surreal to be back in Salem and not able to live in our house. However, we were lucky (thanks to John Roy Wilson) to be able to house-sit for a month. It was incredible to breathe fresh air, to feel totally at home, and to renew my appreciation for the beauty and specialness of Oregon.

“After our Salem stay we drove east to North Dakota and Minnesota, taking a friend of Dominic’s with us. Although it did get a little noisy in the car they kept one another entertained.

“We visited most of our immediate families in Minnesota. My 80 year old mother has been quite ill and her prognosis isn’t good, and my father is 90! We had a family reunion in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and another reunion with most of John Thomas’ siblings, just south of there.

“We kept cool in that hot country by swimming in pools and lakes. I taught the boys to play ‘freeze tag’ from the raft in the lake where I grew up, and felt like a kid again!

“We’re safe and healthy, which means a great deal. I don’t know what the future has in store, but I’m certain it’ll be interesting, growth-enhancing, and positive.” 

If you visited the fine arts show at the State Fair last week you saw that UUCS member John Casey was one of three artists selected to judge the professional art competition. One perk: exhibiting (not in competition!) one of his own works, a six foot acrylic of a logger. He’ll soon submit it to the Association of Oregon Loggers and other prospective investors.

John is preparing to move to McMinnville at month’s end, and has bought a home. He has also joined a new artists’ cooperative, “New Currents Gallery,” just off Third Street in the downtown core area. In addition, he’s established a studio in the Grand Ballroom, a historic building downtown.

Deciding to spend their children’s inheritance and enjoy it in their company, Diana and Egon Bodtker revisited Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Scottish Highlands last month. The group included their daughter, her partner, and two grandsons. Citing the changes they noted in Iceland, Egon wrote of the “large increase in the urban population of Reykjavik and other urban centers. The Vikings had denuded the forests, using them for fuel, so the second most startling change was the reforestation of the land.”

“We traveled by ferry to the Faroes; my grandmother and great-grandmother had come from there, and we maintain contact with cousins there. The English-speaking, fourteen year old grandson of one of my cousins spent hours playing computer games with our grandsons. He is set to spend three months on a fishing boat in the Barents Sea, and in a year he’ll return home and continue his education at high school and then college.

“In Aberdeen we enjoyed a day’s visit to a falconry where the birds are reintroduced into the highlands, and participated in flying, catching, and feeding. It’s truly exciting to have birds land on one’s arm and fly through the crowd from one perch to another!

“At Loch Ness we enjoyed several sightings of ‘Nessie’ and on to Loch Lomond, then to Ben Nevis, the highest point in Great Britain (4400'), then Glencoe, Glasgow and home.”

Marjory Smith has had surgery on her tongue, with skin grafts to replace tissue removed because of malignancy.  Her daughter Merrily Haas reports progress is continuing but SLOWLY. She is now in a skilled nursing center to regain her strength and receive therapy until she is able to return to her apartment.  An active and beloved member of the Eugene congregation for many years, Marjory has attended UUCS occasionally since moving to Wilsonville.  Merrily is collecting her mail, and taking her any email messages we send.

September 6 Ken is scheduled to have a total right shoulder replacement, perhaps a “logical” progression after both total hip replacements. Simply put, he’s worn through all of the cartilage which allows the joints to function well and reasonably painlessly. He’s altogether confident in his orthopedic surgeon’s skills, but also aware that the rehabilitation for a replaced shoulder is even more challenging and arduous than for a hip. Physical therapy and commitment to its rigors appear to be the key to successful post-operative function and will commence the day after surgery!

Please contact me with your news, reasons for celebrations of joy, and sorrows you’re willing to share with others in our community.                            

Joan Erickson

SUNDAY SERVICE AND CHURCH SCHOOL

10:30 a.m.     (Child care available)

September 11            Our Annual Water Communion Ceremony  --  An Intergenerational Service   The Reverend Richard R. Davis and Members of the Performing Arts Team

This service will feature a dramatic presentation of a story for all ages, uplifting music, and our annual Water Communion Ceremony.  Please remember to bring a small vial (or empty film canister) of water that has nourished or nourishes you.   This may be saltwater from your visit to the coast, or river water, or water you didn’t spray on your lawn, or water you swam in or used in a water balloon skirmish or whatever.  During this ceremony everyone will have the opportunity to             say a few words and pour their waters in a common bowl.  This ritual reminds us how our lives flow together, creating a religious community.  Our Annual Homecoming Potluck meal will follow (see page 3).

Note:  A special offering will be received for the benefit of our Partner Unitarian Church in Simenfalva, Romania, which was devastated by a flash flood recently.

September 18             “With a Vision, the People Flourish”          The Reverend Richard R. Davis

An admonition in the book of Proverbs states that “without a vision, the people drift and die.”  On the other hand, if a group of people come together, united by a lofty, life affirming vision, they will flourish.   This sermon is intended to stir the pot a bit and get us all thinking about what we see as our unique vision and mission as a congregation in preparation for our Congregational Vision/Mission workshop on Saturday morning, October 15 (see page 7).

September 25 “Art, the Unacknowledged Source of our Faith”  The Reverend Richard R. Davis

Over the past year or so I have initiated conversations with a number of fellow Unitarian Universalists.  I ask them if art, in any of its forms, has been significant to them in their spiritual or ethical lives.  Invariably, the response has been “Yes, art has touched me deeply.”  Why is it not listed as one of the sources of our faith in our UUA Principles and Purposes?  I think because it was overlooked.  So let’s look more closely into this matter and see what we might do to remedy this omission.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

UUCS Calendar of Other Events

September 7-10                      Tibetan Monks (see page 3)

Thursday, September 8          Board Meeting, 7 p.m.