Perspectives for August 2023

This monthly publication is a space for our minister and staff, board and lay leaders (all of the volunteers who take on active leadership roles within our many task forces, committees, teams, and groups) to share big picture news and reflections on the work of our church and the community we create together. We’ve named this newsletter Perspectives, and it replaces the twice a month Prologue. We will continue to send out the Friday Update emails every week, with details about Sunday services, upcoming event listings, and timely announcements.

Why the change? We realized we were repeating all of the same event listings in both the Prologues and the Friday Updates! We are looking forward to offering more in-depth content here, instead of repeating much of the same content that goes out every week in the Update.

The email that lands in your inbox each month will give you an overview of everything in that month's issue, and you can read the full articles right here!

Perspectives publication date: 1st Wednesday of the month

Deadline for submissions: Last Wednesday of the month (a week before it goes out) to office@uubloomington.org.

Guidelines: All submissions should be relevant to the UUCB community and consistent with our Unitarian Universalist values, principles, and covenants. A typical article might be 300-500 words. We would love to share your photos as well.

Nearly every week, someone comes up to me after the Sunday service to say “I haven’t been here in person in a long time, and I want to introduce myself.” Or someone says “I’m here for the first time, and I want to introduce myself.” Or someone emails to say “I’m usually there in person, but today I watched the livestream, and I wanted you to know I was there even though you couldn’t see me.” Or someone emails to say “I’m not able to attend in person, but I’m here.” I love hearing from all of you!

In-person and online attendance at Sunday services is strong. Even with additional chairs recently set out, the Meeting Room feels full, in an alive and engaged way. And there’s room for you, whether in body or in spirit!

When the world shut down in 2020, I was serving the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. Their historic sanctuary had not been set up with the technology for livestreaming services. There was a week when we had “church by email.” And by the following week, we had a volunteer crew using cell phones and a small camera on tripods to stream the service, for a total of four of us in the room including the music director. I will admit that leading the service was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life! After that first livestream service, a congregant emailed the tech crew leader, the music director, and me, to express appreciation for the fact that there was a service. The writer said, “it must be difficult, in an empty sanctuary.” The tech crew leader replied, “The sanctuary wasn’t empty, because you were here with us.”

The Meeting Room at UUCB is “full” on Sunday mornings – full of life; full of music; full of people talking, listening, reflecting, singing, enjoying being together. And there’s plenty of room for you to be with us, in here or out there.

In faith and hope,

Connie

Rev. Connie Grant

Interim Lead Minister

grant@uubloomington.org

847-840-8542

Here are the titles of our upcoming services. View more details on our Sunday Worship Services page!

August 6
Poetry Among Us: Connections
UUCB Poets
Jason Michálek, Worship Associate

Poetry connects words, feelings, ideas, people. UUCB Poets Denise Breeden-Ost, Mary Craig, Jack King, and Jason Michálek will share poems and reflections around the broad theme of connections.
A Blessing of Backpacks for learners of all ages will be included in the service.

August 13
Pieces of Truth
Reverend Connie Grant
Erica Whichello, Worship Associate

If Unitarian Universalism is a religion of “deeds, not creeds,” why does it matter—or does it matter?—what we individually and collectively “believe”?

August 20
The Legacy of Slavery
Dr. Stephanie Kimball, Anabel Watson, and UUCB congregants Georgia Emmert, Judy Berkshire, Sandy Churchill, Denise Ogren, Harold Ogren, and Mary Beth O'Brien

Participants in the Legacy Museum pilgrimage to Montgomery, AL, will share their experiences and reflections.

August 27
“If You’re Going to Go through Hell, Just Don’t Come Out Empty-handed”
Reverend Barbara Child, guest speaker
Reverend Connie Grant

This morning’s sermon title is a quotation from Kate Bowler, a professor at Duke Divinity School, who spoke this summer at Chautauqua Institution, not only about her theology but also about her personal life as a cancer patient and – so far – survivor. Listening to her talk was an invitation to think about the gifts we give others when we share with them the truths of our lives, even the awful truths. Rev. Child is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister and pledging friend of UUCB, and serves as consultant to our Chalice Circles program.

Looking ahead...

September 10

Ingathering (Water communion service)

Water is life-giving and life-sustaining. Whether or not we’ve been “away” in recent months, we’ll bring together the waters that symbolize where we have been and what we all bring to this religious community. Please bring a vial of water from your travels near or far (or from your backyard) as we celebrate the beginning of the “church year.”

Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit, 750-acre community on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State, where approximately 7,500 persons are in residence on any day during a nine-week season, and a total of more than 100,000 attend scheduled public events.

Learn more

Some folks here will remember that much of what I had to say about summer at Chautauqua last year was about the knife attack on Salman Rushdie and its effects on the Chautauqua community. Thank goodness it is possible this summer to focus on other things.

One of the things I am happily focused on as I write from Chautauqua in late July is the program here called Chautauqua Dialogues. Again this year I am a facilitator in this program. We invite anyone who is interested to come to a drop-in group at any of the well publicized times and places around the grounds to engage in conversation about the ideas that have especially resonated with them in any of the presentations they have attended so far during that week. We facilitators are keen on having people share and listen and respond without upstaging anybody or putting anybody down. It’s all about engaging respectfully with other people’s ideas, however much they may differ from one’s own. But there is another truth: In a Chautauqua Dialogue circle, personal experience gets short shrift.

I love imposing the discipline on myself that the Chautauqua Dialogues program requires – and I am increasingly aware of how different its philosophy and focus are from those of the small group programs at UUCB that I have known and loved for a long time – the Writing as a Spiritual Practice group that I led through more than 80 sessions and the Chalice Circles program that I serve as ministerial consultant to the Executive Team. Personal experience – reflecting on it, sharing it, learning from it—is the heart and soul of both of these programs.

After last summer I went to the UUCB pulpit to share my reflections on the attack on Salman Rushdie at Chautauqua in August. Now I am looking forward to returning to that pulpit August 27 to share much happier reflections about what I learned on my summer vacation this year at Chautauqua.

Rev. Barbara Child

revbchild@aol.com

As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant together to promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The children’s wording of this principle is we promise to grow by seeking. The mission of religious education is to create opportunities for people of all ages to deliberately pursue this search and growth in community with others – and to do so in ways that are consistent with the rest of our principles and values. We strive to create a variety of experiences to match a wide array of interests, needs, backgrounds, learning styles, time availability, and other factors.

I am very excited about this year’s religious education offerings! For adults we have opportunities for spiritual growth through art this fall, and through poetry in the spring; there’s an yearlong circle for spiritual deepening (see the announcement below) as well as a circle focusing specifically on the spiritual growth possible with aging. There are courses in UU history, and an exploration of diversity among early Christian theologies. And programs focused on anti-oppression work and other social justice areas. In addition, there are opportunities to focus on specific topics, like mortality, and sexuality, through a UU lens. And there are ongoing opportunities to practice meditation and Tai Chi. Programs vary in format, length, and modality – they might be book discussions, one-day workshops, in person or Zoom meetings, experiential or discussion-based.

For children, in addition to our Sunday morning programming we will be offering Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education for grades K-1 and (separately) grades 4-5. Young people will also have an opportunity to join our team of Chalice Leaders – parents, watch for registration links in your email soon. And we’re planning special activities and events throughout the year.

The details for all these programs will be posted on our website soon; watch the Friday Updates for links!

Here are two things you can do RIGHT NOW. First, mark your calendar for the Religious Education Fair on September 10, following our in-gathering Water Communion Service. At this event you will learn about offerings for 2023-24, have a chance to meet facilitators and ask questions, and to register for programs. Second, if you are a parent, please register your child(ren) for the 2023-24 school year using this form. It’s quick and easy, and helps us prepare to welcome all the children at the start of our fall programming on September 3.

Do you want to go deeper in your spiritual life, while connecting with the journeys of others? Join us! Listening In: A Circle of Spiritual Deepening offers personal spiritual exploration in supportive community. Together we will listen in to our own questions and inner leadings; listen in to teachings and voices from many sources; listen in to one another's experience; and listen in to truths that emerge in a community of trust.

2022-23 participants say:

"Highly recommended, if you're looking for a way to boost your spiritual growth and get to know some very interesting people."

"An experience I'll cherish… The resources, camaraderie, contemplation, and sharing enriched my understanding of myself."

Participants commit to attend sessions regularly, choose and maintain a daily spiritual practice, engage with provided resources between sessions, and honor the group's covenants.

Each group session includes a check-in; a group activity (such as meditation, contemplative crafting, movement, or writing); snacks and socializing; and time for each participant to share their experiences and thoughts around the session theme. The sessions are structured to create a supportive space where everyone's voice is heard.

• Meets in person at UUCB
• Second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m., September-April (No meeting Dec. 26)
• Facilitated by Angi Sullivan, Denise Breeden-Ost, and Margie Schrader

Watch the Friday Update for information on how to register. Questions? Contact Denise or Angi--we're in the directory--or Stephanie Kimball, Director of Religious Education (kimball@uubloomington.org).

Many people have commented that it’s been nice to have bagels and fruit available along with coffee and tea after the service on Sundays. So, starting this month, we’d like to experiment with doing this every week! Typically, this will be a light meal that is simple to prepare for a crowd and easy to nibble while chatting (with bagels and fruit a likely default). At times, there may be a more substantial sit-down meal. Donations to help cover costs will be gratefully accepted.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Sign up to be a part of the Lunch Bunch, which will schedule and coordinate contributors.
2. If you are part of a Task Force, Team, Committee, Chalice Circle, or other group, sign up to host a lunch! You might choose to do this as a service project or as a fundraiser (which requires advance approval; contact admin@uubloomington.org for the fundraising form), to recruit volunteers to your group, or to raise awareness for your function or cause. The possibilities are endless!
3. Individuals, families, and ad hoc groups are welcome to host a lunch too, to celebrate a milestone or just because.
4. Our resources and guidelines will make it easy. We recommend having at least 7 volunteers present on the day of the lunch.
5. Spread the word, participate, and enjoy!

Sharing a meal together as a congregation offers an opportunity for people to get to know each other better, share ideas, and make new connections. It’s a way to feed the mind, body, and soul! Hopefully, too, it will provide the sustenance people need in order to stay awhile after the service on Sundays for meetings, classes, and other programs.

For more information, or to sign up to help, please contact Stephanie Kimball (kimball@uubloomington.org)

Christine Banister, Denise Breeden-Ost, Olaya Fernández Gayol, Ann Kamman, Michael McGregor, Mary Beth O'Brien, and Von Welch are honored to begin the work of finding a settled Lead Minister for our congregation. Since being elected by the congregation on June 4, we've been learning about the Search process and getting to know each other. We'll have an orientation retreat with the UU Transitions Office in late August, and you'll be hearing a lot from us as we move into the fall semester.

One of our first tasks after the retreat will be crafting and sending out a Congregational Survey, to gather the perspectives of everyone in the congregation. As we move on into the fall, we'll be creating many opportunities to connect with and listen to you, the members and friends of UUCB, including in-person and virtual small-group gatherings. Please participate in this process and share your point of view! Hearing from everyone will help us understand as clearly as possible the many facets of who we are as a congregation and what we're looking for in our ministry--an essential part of searching for a new minister.

Photos and bios of all Search Committee members will be up soon, both at church and on the website. Please feel free to talk to any of us at coffee hour or wherever you find us--we're listening, and we're taking notes! You can also email questions and thoughts directly to the full Search Committee, at search@uubloomington.org (Mike McGregor will be responding to emails during August).

We look forward to the coming months of listening, discernment, and collaboration with you, our congregation.

Have you ever wondered about the church's Bylaws? What are they? Why do we have them? Where can I find them if I want to read them for myself? (Look for them near the bottom of this page of our website: Our Governance)

In short, our Bylaws provide the rules and procedures for running the church. They are a living document written by the members of our church and updated periodically by the membership to accurately reflect what we do. They put in writing things like how we define membership in our church, how long board member terms are, and how we call a minister. As a living document, it has been amended many many times over the years, but some of those amendments do not match with previous bylaw revisions, are redundant, or are in the wrong place.

The Board created a special committee of the board named the Bylaws and Policies Working Group to look at how we could make our Bylaws better reflect who we are. This committee consists of Mary Craig, Steve Dillon, Steve Gilbert, and Stuart Yoak with Rev Connie Grant as advisor. This group has prepared a substantial revision to the UUCB Bylaws, aiming to arrive at language that is up-to-date, accurate, clear, and reflective of discourse commonly used in the congregation.The committee is working on final edits to the new proposed Bylaws, and then they will be sent to the congregation by Friday, August 18 for comment, revision, and discussion.

There are two open discussion sessions about the proposed Bylaws currently scheduled: Sunday, August 27 at 11:45, and Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00. These meetings are open to all and will be publicized again before the meetings.

After these meetings, the Bylaws committee and the Board will meet to make any needed changes to the proposed bylaws. A final revised proposed Bylaws will be sent to the Congregation for consideration by September 22, and then it will be voted on at a Special Congregational Meeting Sunday, October 22 at 2:00pm.

Thank you to the Bylaws and Policies working group for all their careful work putting this together.

In deep gratitude for all who help to make this church a vibrant place,

Abby Gitlitz, Board President

Young Adult Ministry (YAM) and UUCB’s Rainbow Rights (RR) Task Force had a blast collaborating with Spencer Pride on Sunday, July 23. These groups built original birdhouses (see photos below) to be sold in Spencer Pride’s CommUnity Center, supporting the important work the organization is doing in our local region. Spencer Pride, which many may recognize by its annual pride festival, is a volunteer-led not-for-profit organization “focused on educating the public about the rural LGBTQ+ community through public engagement in order to make Indiana a more welcoming place for all people.”

During this engagement project, YAM, RR, and Spencer Pride leaders discussed the important role that community centers play in supporting the LGBTQ+ community in a world where bars–which, though legitimate community venues, are not accessible to those underage or wishing not to engage with a drinking environment at any given moment–have often been some of the only safe spaces available in certain areas. UUCB is grateful for the opportunity to support Spencer Pride’s work in building and supporting a thriving local community and safe space for all.

I would love to continue to connect diverse groups at UUCB for joint projects such as this one. Our community is so rich with overlapping passions and caring individuals looking to make a difference in society. We are stronger when we come together synergistically. If your church group or task force has a need for greater UUCB involvement or is planning an upcoming project with collaborative potential, please reach out to me at connect@uubloomington.org

With gratitude,

Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator

by David Keppel, Co-Chair, Just Peace Task Force

It is not every day that an event of the Just Peace Task Force is bolstered by the release of a major motion picture. This year our vigil to mark the 78th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki coincides with the release of Christopher Nolan's powerful film Oppenheimer about the brilliant physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who directed the Manhattan Project that built the bomb.

The movie is a biopic, not a political statement. It follows Oppenheimer from his youth studying quantum physics, to his days at Los Alamos, to his persecution after the war by rabid anti-communists, who destroyed him for his pre-war friends and associates. The film conveys the tremendous destructive power of the nuclear explosion in the Trinity test, upon which Oppenheimer quoted the Bhagavad Gita “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” But it seems never even to have occurred to President Truman not to use the bomb on Hiroshima and (more unforgivably) days later on Nagasaki. They simply saw it as the way to save thousands of American lives that would have been lost in an invasion of Japan.

It is not part of the movie, but there were a few courageous scientists who tried to warn Truman not to use the bomb. A member of our congregation, the late Howard Gest, was among the scientists who signed a petition drafted by physicist Leo Szilard: “The development of atomic power will provide the nations with new means of destruction. The atomic bombs at our disposal represent only the first step in this direction, and there is almost no limit to the destructive power which will become available in the course of their future development. Thus a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the responsibility of opening the door to an era of devastation on an unimaginable scale.”

We gather this August 6 to mourn the hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But we are not here to judge the past, but to work for a better future. Today there is a global movement to curb, then eliminate nuclear weapons. Yet our government is on the opposite path, embarked on a $1.5 trillion project to build a new generation of new, “usable” nuclear wepons and integrate nuclear weapons into our entire arsenal. By luck, the world survived since 1945 without war between superpowers. But today we realize that war with Russia or China is a real possibility. If it is a nuclear war, it will be an unprecedented catastrophe that could well mean the end of human life, if not all life, on Earth.

Now is the time concerned citizens must speak out and insist our government step Back from the [nuclear] Brink. That is why we will gather on the evening of August 6th, at the Courthouse Square in downtown Bloomington at 7 p.m. Please stand with us.

Ruellen Fessenbecker, Bazaar co-chair

It's not too early to be thinking about the fun ways to be involved in the Bazaar, which will be December 1 and 2 at the church.

We need people to join committees to help plan and run the following areas:

• Used Book Sale: act as co-chair with Glee Noble
• White Elephant Sale: act as co-chair with Doris Wittenberg
• Social media

If these tasks are not right for you, there will be other ways to participate as fall unfolds.

For right now:

• Save some of your summer produce to make pickles, jams, jellies, chutneys, dried herbs and flowers. Be creative in choosing treats for the Gourmet Galaxy.
• As you clean your cupboards and crannies, save your gently used white elephants. We can only accept white elephants after Thanksgiving.
• We will be accepting used books after Thanksgiving as well.
• Be in touch with your favorite Task Force(s) about their plans for the Bazaar.

And save the dates, December 1 and 2, to help staff tables, shop at, and participate in the lively Holiday Bazaar!

The Homelessness Task Force wishes to thank everyone involved in the Life Concert on July 30th.

Thank you to Bill Breeden for organizing the concert.

Thank you to the musicians who performed at the concert: The Breeden Family, the Radical Moderates and Dolly General.

Thank you to Jason Michálek, who served as MC for the concert.

Thank you to Hans Kelson, who coordinated the sound systems at the concert.

Thank you to Mary Blizzard who created the poster that advertised the concert.

Thank you to the Hunger Task Force for supplying cookies for the concert.

Thank you to Mandy Skinner who coordinated communications for the concert.

And thank you to all of you who attended and danced at the concert in person or live-streaming and contributed more that $2,000 to support our work with Beacon--Shalom Center, Phil's Kitchen, Friend's Place, Street Outreach, Rapid Rehousing and Crawford House!