Ministerial Musings

I have now been officially called to the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church, in Keene, New Hampshire. I spent a hectic candidating week meeting the members of the congregation, the local clergy and the nearby UU ministers. I ate lots of food, and was treated to a warm welcome.

I was reminded of my candidating week here in Midland, eight years ago. I received a warm welcome here, too, and I've been pleased to see throughout the years how well everyone who comes through our doors is welcomed. I'm sure the Interim minister and the minister you call next will respond to your warm embrace as well. I'll still be with you in May, June and July, and I'll be preaching full-time again, so you'll see lots of me before I go.

In the course of my cutting short the sabbatical and our planning for the future, the service of one group has rather unceremoniously ended. The Sabbatical Committee had an important role in planning the sabbatical time, educating about the sabbatical, and staying in place to help during the sabbatical. I wish to extend a hearty thanks to the members of the Sabbatical Committee: Jackie Anderson, Kyle Bagnall, Becky Carlson, Bruce Froelich, Maxine Guettler, Janice Kwaikowski, and Donna Wedge. You helped make the way smooth for me and the congregation.

As I look out my window, I see signs of spring everywhere. The snow is finally gone, the grass is green, buds are appearing on trees and bushes everywhere, daffodils and other bulbs are blooming, and birds are singing happily. Everywhere I go around town, people are working in their yards. The weather is warm and sunny. In no time the trees will burst into blossom, flowers will appear everywhere, and Midland will be full of color. The world is coming alive again. May we also bloom into our liveliest vitality in this glorious time of year.

in fellowship,

Jane

From the Board President

On April 3, the Fellowship Board voted unanimously to proceed on a search for an Interim Minister, to serve for 1 or 2 years, until we can call a Settled Minister. The Board has appointed an Interim Search Committee: Marlene Hickman, Chair; Jackie Anderson; and Jim Falender. As a backup position, because the current demand for Interim Ministers is greater than the current supply, the Board is also exploring the option of hiring a Consulting Minister.

Some simplified definitions are in order. An Interim Minister has taken additional training to aid UU Societies in transition. They are trained to help congregations perform self-assessment to identify their needs, and to prepare them to find a suitable fit in a settled minister. Interims serve no more than 1 or 2 years and agree not to become a settled minister for several years at that congregation. The process for securing both Interim and Consulting Ministers, who serve on contract at the discretion of the Board, is brief and simplified, generally requiring several months at most. The Board, using an ad hoc arrangement for finding and securing a Consulting Minister, can hire one who generally serves for a year or two or more, and may eventually become a settled minister if so voted by the Congregation.

A Settled Minister is selected in a longer, formal process, often requiring a year or more. The congregation elects a search committee who hold congregational meetings and surveys to gain detailed input from members, both for self-understanding and for understanding the skills and qualities desired in a minister. The search committee conducts a structured, highly formalized search process culminating in a week-long visit by the candidate, followed by a formal congregational vote. A large majority approval is required to "call" a minister.

The Unitarian Universalist Association provides detailed handbooks and personal assistance (assistance also from the Heartland District) to aid these search processes, for both UU societies and for ministers. Congregational polity, a concept applicable to all UU Societies, means that the ultimate decisions on how to proceed rest with our Fellowship.

In many cases, these searches will require additional budget expenses above the usual, such as travel (for minister and search committee), moving costs and an increase in the compensation package for the minister. The Board will prepare a budget to reflect these additional expenses, which will require the Congregation to stretch its pledge capability. Steve Goodnow, our Stewardship Chair, is assembling a team to challenge us to meet these increased expenses.

Sincerely,

Jon Lipowitz

Paraministry

• Rita Mulford for winning third place in the State for the Junior Duck Stamp Drawing Competition.
• J. J. Treadway for winning a $300 scholarship for his original composition at the Blue Lake Camp competition.
• Ryan MacInnes for his new job in California working in nano technology.

• Margot Haynes who is recovering well from her recent knee replacement surgery.
• Duke Yost, who is recovering from hip resurfacing surgery and doing well.
• David Fry who is doing well following a recent hospitalization.

• Rod Martin and Janice Kwiatkowski and family following the death of Rod's stepfather, following a long illness.
• Ian and Jessica Cruickshank who recently lost a close family member following an extended illness.

Visitor Orientation

We invite all who feel ready to make a committment to become a member of our fellowship. To do so, talk with Jim Falendar (Membership Committee Chair) or any member of the membership committee..

Sunday Services (Sunday Mornings at 10:30 AM)

April 27, 2008 “Coal: Turning back the Tide”
Peter Sinclair
Coordinator: Heather Cleland-Host

Midland Resident and Global Warming educator Peter Sinclair brings a wider perspective to our local decision making process: We are witnessing the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. Americans, concerned about climate change, pollution, and energy independence, now favor a moratorium on new coal plant construction. We not only know that we must stop the releases of CO2 from fossil fuel power, we know how we are going to do it. The technologies we need to replace fossil fuel are here and are being deployed now. We stand at the threshold of an economic revolution. Michigan can choose to participate, and leverage our skilled labor and manufacturing base to lead the world, or we can watch our state become a technological backwater. We have very little time to make the decision.

May 4, 2008 "Going Home"
Rev. Jane Thickstun
Coordinator: Sara Clavez

What makes a home? Where do we feel at home? Aren't all our journeys and explorations perhaps just seeking the way home?

May 11, 2008 "Doin' Time: Nonviolent Resisters Speak Out for Peace"
Dr. Rosalie Riegle
Coordinator: Jon Cleland-Host Dr.

Rosalie Riegle is writing a book on this title. She is interviewing peace activists from the WWII era to contemporary times. Dr. Riegle taught English at SVSU for 34 years, then retired to Evanston, IL to be close to some of her grandchildren. She co-founded two Catholic Worker houses in Saginaw and has previously published two oral histories: Voices from the Catholic Worker and Dorothy Day: Portraits by Those Who Knew Her. "Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore [individual citizens] have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring." - Nuremburg War Crimes Tribunal, 1950.

May 18, 2008 "The Meaning of Membership"
Rev. Jane Thickstun
Coordinator: Kevin King

We'll explore what it means to be a member of a Unitarian Universalist congregation, and how we can honor the memory and hope of the religious movement we have pledged our loyalty to. This service will feature a New Member Recognition Ceremony to recognize those who have most recently joined our church. If you have been thinking about becoming a member, but have not done so yet, give me a call (989-631-5590) so that we can include you, too.

May 25, 2008 "What's in a Name?"
Rev. Jane Thickstun
Coordinator: R. G. Converse

Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day. Why the change? People change their names for various reasons ¨C what are those reasons? What is involved in the act of naming ¨C how do we give names to people, to things, to feelings, to sensations, to thoughts? Can it be a spiritual exercise?

Green Corner

Green Green Everywhere!

• Join the petition to Governor Granholm to limit CO2 emissions. Groups across Michigan (including the Michigan UU Social Justice Network) have joined together to "urge the Governor to continue her leadership in the fight against climate change by issuing an executive order that directs the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants." Please consider adding your name to this petition by going to http://progressmichigan.org/page/s/globalwarming.
• UU Environmentalists met in Lansing in April: The MUUSJN Environmental Justice Task Force met on the 12th in Lansing to discuss future actions in Michigan. Sixteen UUs from eight different congregations from Ludington to Ann Arbor to Midland participated in the four hour meeting. The task force meets on the fourth Monday of every month via conference call. Contact Heather Cleland-Host if you are interested.

Sacred Grove Pagan Column

Happy Beltane! The ubiquitous bursting forth of vibrant life is all around us, and there is no other time of the year seems as joyful as this one. The trickle of visible life emerging at Ostara has become the flood of new life abundant today! Because the Wheel of the Year maps the human lifespan onto the year, this time of abundant life also celebrates the start of sexuality and courtship. In Earth's history, the first appearance of abundant life in the Cambrian (~500 million years ago) corresponded with the first sexual behavior, like on the Wheel of the Year.

Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice (by Dr. Olivia Judson) is a great, and fun, book to read for Beltane. Dr. Judson is one of the world's top Evolutionary Biologists, and in her book she explores the many different forms sex has taken in the animal world. This hilarious and highly educational book includes such tidbits as which species copulates for 10 weeks (& why), and in which species the male organ grows from the male's head. You can also read some of her writing in her NY Times column, which comes out every Wednesday at nytimes.com.

In addition to Dr. Judson's book, traditional ways to celebrate Beltane (May Day, or Lei Day in Hawaii, May 1st) include decorating with flowers, making and giving May Baskets of flowers, Maypole dances, and hanging a May Bough (a living branch) indoors. Catholic adoption of Beltane is seen in the celebration of Mary crowned with flowers for May Day. Celebration of Beltane/May Day is growing in some areas, such as Edinburgh's giant Beltane celebration (see Beltane.org), and Beltane's proximity to Earth Day fits well also. However you celebrate, I hope the season touches you.

Jon Cleland-Host

Meets First Mondays at 7:15PM (Next meeting: Monday, May 5)

The Social Justice Committee strives to engage people who have a passion for the issues of homelessness, health care, environmental justice, racism, reproductive rights legislation and other social justice issues. If you would like to participate (or you're an expert who would like to provide information to others) come join the meeting on May 5 at 7:15PM. Contact Heather Cleland-Host for ways in which you can become involved.

Michigan's Future Energy Sources

Presenters: Peter Sinclair & Representative from Mid Michigan Energy
Moderator: Lyle Kleman
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 20, 7:00-9:00PM (tentative)
Location: UU Fellowship of Midland

This will be a forum to hear two different perspectives on the future energy sources for Michigan. Brief presentations by Peter Sinclair (an expert speaker on Climate Change) and a representative from MME (for the proposed Midland coal plant) will be followed by a period of question and answers. Janet Vanderpool will be the speaker from Mid Michigan Energy.

Welcoming Congregation: Interweave

"Interweave Continental is a membership organization actively working toward ending oppression based on sexual orientation and gender identity, recognizing that we will not be free until all oppression is a thing of the past. We are a Unitarian Universalist organization and UU principles guide our work. We value and affirm the lives and experience of Queer people of faith, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, income level, and ability. By providing and supporting leadership and working in collaboration with other organizations of similar vision, we strive to connect and nurture all Queer individuals, communities, and groups and their allies."

From the Interweave website: http://www.interweavecontinental.org

Contact Joelle O'Bryan or Heather Cleland-Host if you are interested.

Go To New Orleans With Brighton UU'S

CUUB's Social Justice Committee is hoping to organize a trip for area UU's to participate in the UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Volunteer Program June 7 through June 14. Volunteers will be assisting in the ongoing recovery efforts of this still devastated region. If there is enough interest, we are planning to charter a bus. If interested, please contact Tabitha Metreger ASAP at metreger@charter.net or 734-232-0389. See http://www.uusc.org/gulfcoastvolunteerprogram/index.html

May 2008 Calendar

• 10:30AM “Coal: Turning Back the Tide” Peter Sinclair
• 6:00-8:30PM OWL

May 4 Sunday

• 10:30AM "Going Home" Rev. Jane Thickstun
• 6:00-8:30PM OWL
• Softball Season Starts - Schedule to be posted when available

May 5 Monday

• 7:15PM Social Justice Meeting

May 6 Tuesday

• 5:30PM Paraministry
• 7:00PM Membership Committee

May 7 Wednesday

• 7:30PM R E Committee

May 8 Thursday

• 7:00PM Board Meeting

May 11 Sunday

• 10:30AM "Doin' Time: Nonviolent Resisters Speak Out for Peace" Dr. Rosalie Riegle
• Mother's Day

May 14 Wednesday

• NOON Lunch Bunch

May 17 Saturday

• 9AM-3PM Fellowship Work Day

May 18 Sunday

• 10:30AM "The Meaning of Membership" Rev. Jane Thickstun
• NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

May 20 Tuesday

• 7:00PM Michigan Energy Forum

May 25 Sunday

• 10:30AM "What's in a Name?" Rev. Jane Thickstun

May 26 Monday

• 5:30PM Memorial Day - Annual Picnic at Stratford Woods Park

Announcements

Haven't You Been Wanting to Join a UUFoM Work Party?

Come help "Spring Clean" the Fellowship Saturday, May 17 from 9:00AM - 3:00PM.

Jobs to be done:

• Prep flower beds
• Clean up lawn debris ¨C brush and limbs
• Spread mulch ( 10 yards - yikes!)
• Dig trench for landscape timbers
• Wash windows inside and out
• Clean/organize cloak room
• Clean lower basement after the flood
• Anything else that you think needs to be fixed, cleaned or improved
  
  Everyone is welcome -- young, old, in-between. Bring rakes, garden tools, gloves and lots of energy. We will provide snacks. This is a great opportunity to have fun with friends, get some exercise and make the Fellowship look good. We need a lot of help, especially to spread the mulch. Please sign up so we know how many people to expect. Questions? Talk to Vicki Rothhaar or R G. Converse.

New Directory

The Membership Committee has been hard at work on the new directory for Fellowship members and friends. There will be a draft of the new directory in the foyer at the Fellowship. Please take time to check your listing¡ªyou will spot an error in your address sooner than anyone else will and we can make corrections before the new directory goes to press. This draft will be available for a few weeks. Then, the new directory will be published and made available to everyone.

From the Office

Elaine is on jury duty throughout the month of May. She will try to keep to her regular schedule in the office as much as possible. (Mondays and Tuesdays 9:00AM-4:00PM and Wednesdays, 9:00AM-Noon) The decorative masthead on the Candle Flame has been adapted. Since so many are getting e-mail newsletters now, it was suggested that it be revamped to use less black ink for those printing it out at home. Announcements for the order of service are due on Mondays. If you have an announcement for the next Sunday's order of service, please submit it to the office on the prior Monday, so it can be included. (E-mails, typed or legibly hand written notes are all acceptable for submitting announcements.)

Time and the UUA

The UUA's well-received national market campaign has begun. There will be another ad in Time Magazine. The first ad ran in the April 14 issue. This was a full-page ad with the headline, "When in Doubt, Pray. When in Prayer, Doubt." This ad included an offer for a free copy of the DVD "Voices of a Liberal Faith."

The May 12 issue will carry the UUA ad with the headline, "My God is Better Than Your God." This ad will also include the free DVD offer. The UUA's national advertising campaign is supported through UU congregations (like UUFoM) on Association Sunday.

The national marketing campaign has energized congregations and individual UUs. Go to the UUA website -- Leaders-Leaders Library-National Marketing Campaign for further details . All updated information, sample graphics, generic ads for congregational use, and hospitality and welcoming tools for congregations are available there. It is hoped that seekers looking for a religious home will discover welcoming UU congregations committed to supporting their spiritual journeys.

Memorial Day Picnic at Stratford Woods - May 26

Fellowship families are invited to celebrate the holiday at Stratford Woods Pavilion. This is a potluck - bring your own table service, meat to grill for your family and a dish to share. Lemonade will be provided. The shelter is reserved from 4:00PM on. You can come early to swim or fish. (Bring bait and poles or whatever you like.) We plan to have the barbie fired up by 5:30PM and will eat shortly thereafter. We will also celebrate Rita Mulford's birthday. Look for a sign up sheet in the Fellowship lobby.

Midland Area Homes

On Saturday, June 14, UUFOM will provide the volunteers for furniture & appliance pick-ups for Midland Area Homes' donation program. We donate our time and muscle four Saturdays each year for this worthwhile non-profit organization. It's about a 5-6 hour time investment starting at 8:30 am. Please contact Rod Martin to help out. Rod will spring for the coffee (usually Espresso Milano)

Softball

The UUFOM softball team begins play on May 4. We will print a schedule in the June newsletter (and post one in the UUFOM lobby). The schedule wasn't available as of this newsletter's printing.

Summer Vacation Fun for Single Adults

You are invited to attend a fun vacation camp for single adults. Three camps are sponsored by AMUUSE (Adult Midwest Unitarian Universalist Singles Enrichment) this summer:

Saugatuck, Michigan - June 15-20, 2008
Williams Bay, Wisconsin - July 13-19, 2008
Saugatuck, Michigan - August 10-16, 2008

Mornings at AMUUSE camps offer you the opportunity to connect with a small group of campers with similar interests in a week-long group, interacting on various topics. Afternoons are open for recreational, social, craft activities or just relaxing. There are coffeehouse sessions, costume parties, campfires, and dancing available, also.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland is recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association as a Welcoming Congregation. We welcome, affirm, promote and celebrate the full participation of all persons in all of our activities without regard to age, gender, sexual orientation, race or any other such category of exclusion.

Please feel free to contact us with any feedback, corrections or questions at jaham@delta.edu