Whaddaya Want?

Where We’ve Been

At its core that’s the question the Transition Team wrestled with for the last two years. What does the congregation as a whole want for this church now and in the future? What do we want to become? What legacy are we creating for our children and our community? We’ve made some big steps toward answers, but the most important step is yet to come, and we need all of you to take that step with us! Please keep October 15 open on your calendar!

As some of you may remember, our first step was to try to find out where “we” are by placing pins on a map to show the location of our homes. From this we discovered that we are a regional church, drawing people from all over Salem and from surrounding towns as far away as Monmouth and Wilsonville. We also found that we are a “commuter church.” None of our members is from the immediate area of Salem. This was followed by a couple of Saturday meetings where we discussed the history of the Salem UU group and how we see ourselves as a congregation.

Last spring many of you graciously participated in our most recent activity, a series of discussions and questionnaires asking you to consider some basic questions about what you get from this congregation, and what you bring to this congregation. Your responses were far too many and varied to report them all in this space, but the following is a rough synopsis:

What We’ve Found Out

1) What brings you to UUCS? (Thank goodness you gave us more insightful answers than “a 1998 Subaru.”)

First and foremost, it is Unitarian Univeralism that brings you here. You come for our liberal values, liberal religion, our principles, and to be a part of a community of liberal people, (please note these are all small “l” liberal). One person called this a “dogma-free zone.

You also come here for the people, to enjoy and interact with our UUCS community; and to participate in a life of the mind and spirit—exploring questions and having an opportunity for intellectual and spiritual stimulation.

2) What here at UUCS feeds your soul? And that of your family?

For most of you it is the Sunday service with its music, sermons and speakers, and religious education for kids. Religious education also feeds the soul of many adults through our meditation groups, covenant groups, discussion groups, and other activities. The opportunity to serve others through helping provide church activities and social action also feeds the souls of many.

3) What more do you want from the church, and for the church?

The largest group of responses showed that people want more from our congregational community. Although specific responses varied, important themes were maintaining good relations and creating more opportunities for social interaction within the congregation.

There were several other themes that were all of roughly equal importance: establishing a stable and sustainable physical, administrative and financial infrastructure for our church; more RE for both kids and adults; more outreach to the community around our congregation, and changes—often contradictory, with some requesting more of something and others less—in our Sunday services.

4) What would be meaningful to you and your family to spend your time, money and energy at UUCS?

With this question we hoped to find where you were willing to contribute your personal efforts. Taken as a whole your responses show an interest in creating and sustaining relationships among people rather than an interest in “things.” Outreach to the larger community was most frequently mentioned as a meaningful place to invest your time, energy and money. This included outreach to the community beyond UUCS to educate the community about who we are and what we believe, and to demonstrate this through our actions, including more social action, with the efforts such as the Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network (SIHN) mentioned prominently.

Three other themes emerged that were all roughly equally important to you: RE in all its various forms; establishing a stable and sustainable physical, administrative and financial infrastructure for our congregation; and sustaining and improving our congregational community, including getting to know each other better through more social activities.

It’s worth noting a certain tension within the responses we gathered. There is strong interest in focusing on improvements within our congregational community and a strong interest in focusing on outreach and social action directed toward the larger community of Salem and beyond. Many religious communities share this tension between the congregational life shared with each other and or life as a congregation in the larger world. Rather than being a bad thing this tension helps remind us both interests are necessary for a healthy church. It also helps remind us the contributions each of us makes to the life of this community—whether focused on our inner life or on our connections to the larger world—are equally important to the health of our community.

Where We’re Going: Avoiding Alice’s Dilemma

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where-” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

“-so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

—from Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

To avoid Alice’s dilemma we need at least one more thing—a vision for the future of UUCS. We have an idea of where we’ve been, we have individual thoughts about what UUCS gives us and where we hope it will go in the future, but what do we as a congregation believe is most important to our future. On October 15 we ask you to come together to help create a vision for our common future. Please join us.

David Boaz, Rick Davis, Claire Diehl, Stephanie Jernstedt, Kelli McKnight, Jon Walton

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Reverential Ramblings

Last week I was driving down State Street in heavy traffic rushing to a meeting.  I spied a wounded bird that had been hit by another speeding vehicle flapping helplessly in the street.  There was no way to stop and attempt a rescue and any such effort would have been futile.  The poor creature was too badly hurt.  The best I could wish for was that another car would quickly end its misery.  Yet another innocent victim of our frenetic pace of life.  Such sights always disturb me and prick my conscience. 

It would be impossible to calculate how many living beings have been sacrificed in body or soul upon the altar of speed and efficiency, but it surely must be astounding.  

Beyond those who have been killed or maimed by the machines that “save us time” (what a strange concept!) there are those who are forced to become slaves to speed.  Consider what it’s like to work in a slaughterhouse, a poultry processing plant or in some textile factory in Asia. Or perhaps you are all too familiar with such a thing yourself.  So many jobs today demand that a person become a slave to speed – downsizing, budget cuts and competition in the marketplace dictate that people work harder and faster.  After all, “time is money” and people who slow down too much can and probably will be replaced.  It’s inhumane.

The speed dictated by life on the job can be hard to turn off.  Even when there is no external pressure to rush, the impulse is still in force.  It’s hard to slow down, especially at this time of year when for many of us it’s “full tilt ahead.”  

So speeding becomes a bad habit.  In many respects speed is just a variety of greed – greed to have more than the moment delivers, greed to get more done than can be done well in the time your have, greed to get ahead of others in the race of life.  Beyond that, it’s a perilous way to live.

Speaking of this, the late Indian-American meditation teacher Eknath Easwaran wrote, “Think of a car tearing along at ninety miles per hour.  The driver may feel exuberant, powerful, but a number of things can suddenly cause him to lose control.  When he is moving at thirty miles per hour, his car handles easily; even if somebody else makes a dangerous maneuver, he can probably turn to avoid a collision. So too with the mind.  When its desperate whirrings slow down, intentionality and good judgment appear.”  

UU Minister Victoria Safford puts it this way:  “Rushing is bad religion.”

Here’s a five step spiritual reflection you might want to try – sort of a mental radar check on your rate of speed through life. 

1) Ask yourself: Am I speeding through any area of my life and thereby injuring either myself or others through my impatience, my quick temper and rush to judgment, my “me first” attitude?  Was I rude or unaware of someone because I was rushing?  Did I dominate a conversation and not take time to listen?

2)  Consider: How can I slow down? - Meditate? Pray? Do yoga or tai chi?  Join small group ministry (see the August 10 RE insert)?  Simplify my life? 

3)  Resolve which slower path to take.

4)  Do it. 

5) Enjoy life in the slow lane – you can see the scenery much better. 

Love, Rick

 

What Can I Contribute to the UUCS Auction?

People are already asking what they can contribute to our November 12 auction.  The short answer is “anything that people will bid on!”  We can give a more useful answer, based on our last auction (in 2000):

·  Professional services, such as computer, tax, or gardening help

·  Special skills, such as calligraphy, clothes mending, massage, or chess lessons

·  Art items, like prints, paintings, or note cards, or small furniture items

·  Equipment, such as a microwave oven or a bicycle

·  Kids’ parties

·  Edibles, such as pies or loaves of bread delivered in installments, or beer or wine

·  Specialty dinners for a bunch of people

·  Kid stuff, for all us grandparents to buy

·  Holidays, like a weekend at a cabin, or a boat excursion

 

Use your imagination!  Among the creative lots in the 2000 auction were an Easter egg hunt, a wine country tour, a murder mystery dinner, a performance by a jazz trio, a weekend of house-sitting, a trip to the Portland Airport, a custom-made fleece vest, and an OMSI trip.  What can you come up with?

After church each Sunday until October 30, at least one of the Auction Planning Group members will be at a table in Hanneman Hall with forms to record your donations.  Also, you can phone George Struble to offer your auction items.  We need to know what items will be auctioned well in advance so we can build the catalog.  We also want to tell people by November 6 what will be auctioned, so they can plan their participation and bidding strategies!  We prefer that actual delivery of auction items wait until November 10 or 11, to minimize problems of storage and safe keeping.  We can arrange to pick up items – especially larger ones – if necessary.

 

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Planning Meeting

There will be a meeting to plan a community interfaith service of remembrance, reflection and resolve in response to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on Thursday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the Minister’s Office.  The date for this service is yet to be determined.  Please come with your ideas and suggestions. 

 

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Reminder of Congregational Meeting.

 

Plan to attend the congregational meeting following the Sunday service on September 25 for consideration and support of a proposal the Rev. Rick Davis is planning to initiate for presentation at the Pacific Northwest District meeting.  Rick has asked for suggestions and input from the Performing Arts Team on a proposal naming the creative arts as a source of inspiration and renewal.  This could read:

The living tradition that we share draws from many sources:

·            ------

·            -------

·            The Creative arts, which reveal to us the face of life’s beauty and joy, its enduring truth and meaning, and which open our hearts to feelings of awe and gratitude.”   

 

 

UUCS ADRE

Lise Adams Sherry, our Associate Director of Religious Education is studying to be a minister!  She spends Januarys in Chicago at Meadville Lombard Theological School doing her coursework, and the rest of the year with us where she is doing her practicum. Her focus will change from time to time as she explores various aspects of ministry – from leadership to one-on-one ministry, and to practicing writing and giving really great sermons.

A special committee has been designed to provide direct support, encouragement and feedback and consists of Rob Schiff, Craig Moro, Ellen Howard, and Christine Deblock. Lise is also working closely with Rick.

Please look for and help support Lise in her various roles around the church. Constructive feedback is welcome – to Lise, to Rick, or to any committee member.

 

Mission:  Cleaning

Has your covenant group, care ring, movie group, committee, or team been wondering about a service project to benefit the church? Are you an individual who has a flexible schedule who would like to earn a bit of extra cash? Here is an opportunity.

Our custodian, Dennis Harrison, will be away October 21 to 30 and we need to keep our building as close as possible to the clean, uncluttered and pleasant place that we enjoy because of his efforts. If you or your group can help, please contact Karen Piter.

 

Voluntary Simplicity Group

The Voluntary Simplicity Group is meeting on the last Tuesday of the month.  On September 27 we will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. at the church.  We share helpful hints to simplify our calendars, homes, work places, etc. – and often share goodies.