From the Interim Minister

I have asked Trey Greene to join me as co-leader of the reading-and-discussion course on The City, and he has accepted.    The course is yet to be scheduled.  If you are interested, speak to me or to Trey. Two active members of the congregation have already signed up.  Eight to twelve would be ideal--enough for diverse perspectives, but with time for everyone to be heard. 

Two classic sources on this topic are Lewis Mumford, The Culture of Cities (1938), and Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961).  Both are available in paperback editions.  A good way to prepare for our course is to read one or both of these books.  You won't regret it. 

My next reading project on the theme is Mumford's The City in History (1961).  Having acquired this book in July, I look forward to reading it this fall.

Adult religious education is a great frontier for religious liberals.  In Ludington last year we revitalized our adult RE program and named it the "UU University."  We sponsored a winter course on Church and State and a spring course on Fundamental UU Principles.  Average attendance at the first was eight; at the second was eleven.  We also sponsored a monthly First Friday Fabulous Film Festival, and a bimonthly community forum, all held at People's Church.  We had a blast.

Ludington has a population of 8,500.  Detroit has a population of a million.  If we do it right, our adult R.E. program can become a pillar of church life.  It gets people talking, addresses major issues, and brings in newcomers.  Who could ask for more?

My best to you...David.

 

All in the Family

Debi Rutherford is home from the hospital and would enjoy calls and cards.

 

Printer Needed

Contact Len Zettel, (313) 277-3711 if you can help us out.

 

Women's Book Club

 In honor of Banned Book Week (last week of September) we will be discussing banned books during our October meeting which will be held on Sunday October 3, 2004 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM. in Memorial Hall. Each participant is asked to have read a banned book, any banned book.  You will be given 5-10 minutes to summarize the book, explain why you choose that particular book and explain the circumstance under which the book was banned.   Our November selection will be Brown Girls, Brown Stones by Pauline Marshall. In December we will discuss children's literature. All are welcome. Contact Maria Majer for more information.

 

 

Choir

Our choir is open to all who enjoy singing and being with some really nice people. Rehearsals are in Memorial Hall, unless otherwise noted, and begin at 9:30 A.M.  The schedule for Fall follows:

October - 3, 10, 17 with performance on the 17^th

October 24 & 31 - off

November - 7, 14, 21 with performance on the 21^st

November 28 - off

December 5, 12, 19 with performances on the 19^th and 24^th (Christmas Eve)

December 26 - off

October First Friday

October First Friday will be October 1^st.  Join us for an evening of fun and frivolity.  PLEASE make reservations by September 29^th.  Last month we had a problem with a few people making reservation that didn’t show up causing some issues - food left over and loss of money.  If you make a reservation and can't come, let us know before we purchase the food on Thursday. Call or email Irene at 313-838-3348 or the church office.

Meeting Highlights

With thanks to Mildred Robinson

Listed below are highlights from the retreat held on August 28, 2004:

Church history that made an impression - i.e. civil rights activities, First Church's views on diversity, the urban/suburban coalition.

What is hoped for - more publicity and members, sermons that are not hesitant to mention the names God and Jesus.

Important for survival - building membership, becoming more viable and accepted with churches in the community, more structured way to deal with persistent "street" people.

Lessons learned from past history - civil rights activism should be continued.

Things needed for us to survive - Board orientation and training for clear expectations, better record keeping and more easily accessible (there is an archive room on the second floor), reports from committees in the Newsletter stating what they are doing/planning, connect and serve the Wayne State University community, more kitchen stability to maintain utensils and a health code compliance, more emotional supporting experiences i.e. nurturing support groups led by either professionals or experienced people.  More ethnic dinners would be fun.

To be continued.

 

 

Calling all People of Color and White Allies

 I am working with the DRUUMM and YaYa Steering Committees on planning for the DRUMM gathering in Murray Grove.  I wanted first to share info on that gathering as I know many of us are planning fall calendars and then to let you know that volunteer positions are available, some of which will give you reduced costs for attending.

 

The annual DRUMM gathering will take place at Murray Grove Conference Center the weekend of November 5-7.  The focus this year will be anti-racism training for people of color which is a response to requests from the UU communities of color from many years back.   Kim Varney noted the goals of this as follows:

 

Anti-Racism for People of Color was designed to achieve the DRUUMM objectives of

* Nurturing spiritual community among UUs of color

* Developing anti-racist/anti-oppressive multicultural people of color leadership, and

* Building a UU anti-racist people of color collective.

 

The areas the event explores are:

* Individual and Collective Identity

* People of Color Identity Development

* Defining Oppression

* Colonialism and Racism

* Internalized Racist Oppression (IRO) and Healing from IRO

* POC Visions for Unitarian Universalism"

 

To make this exciting idea come about, the planning committee for the conference needs two YaYa* folks who would like to be trained as trainers in this model.  I need to submit the names to the planning committee so if you have an interest, please contact me as soon as possible.

 

Lay Leaders

I am seeking volunteers for lay leading Sunday services.  If you are interested and have had the training or would like to have training contact Charlotte Allen

 

Building & Grounds Clean-up/Fix-up Day Saturday, September 11, 2004.

Let's thank the following volunteers for their service at the September clean-up/fix-up:

Bob Neale worked to edge and weed the lawn along Forest Avenue. The lawn needed much attention after the spring and summer growth! Rev. Parke helped weed in the Prentis Playground and along Cass Avenue. Because of all the rain we've had, weeds were sprouting through the wood chips.

 

Dan Kosmowski, Dan Fitzgerald, and Earl Harvey cleaned the gutter along the sanctuary's Cass Avenue side. They had to handle a huge 40-foot aluminum ladder and then climb it safely to get there! Afterwards Dan Fitzgerald and Dan Kosmowski scraped the peeling paint off the windows along the Ramp Door. This is one step out of a 14-hour process to prepare then paint each wood frame window. Not only does this make them look better, but more importantly, it protects the wood beneath from rot! Earl Harvey and Jon Schultz labored to remove the ventilation grates along the sanctuary floor, then Alma King and Kathy Fitzgerald vacuumed the dust and dirt that had accumulated over the decades. Their work was very important! Have you ever looked down into them and saw how filthy they were?

 

Is the Tree Doctor in? Do you know of a knowledgeable tree person or company? The tree just north of the Church House driveway on Cass Avenue isn't looking too healthy. It has been dropping limbs and  about 70% of its branches are dead, mostly at the top. If you have any suggestions, please leave a name and number in the Building & Grounds mailbox. From discussions with some of our members familiar with trees, it seems that the tree is beyond rebounding and that it should be dealt with before winter. If this is the case, during the next Clean-up/Fix-up Day (October 9, see below), the removal of the tree will be on the list of projects.

The next volunteer Saturday is October 9, from 9 am to 12 p.m. Volunteers of all skill levels are needed. We plan to scrape the peeling paint from windows (bring scrapers), replace light bulbs in the sanctuary (those accessible without a ladder), and pruning the trees around the grounds (bring saws, pruning shears).

                                                                                                        Thank you,Charlotte Allen

 

Dear Members and Friends of First UU Church of Detroit:

 

A Special Congregational Meeting of the First UU Church of Detroit will be held on Sunday, October 3 immediately following the Church service. The purpose of the meeting is to act on the resolution unanimously passed by the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Monday, September 13, 2004. The essence of the resolution is:

Resolved that the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit, Michigan adopts a corporate position in support of legal recognition of marriage between members of the same sex on an equal basis with marriage between members of the opposite sexes; and be it further resolved that the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit make this position known through the media, through denominational gatherings, through banners and signs and through all other appropriate means.

 

This resolution is consistent with the long-standing positions taken by First UU Church of Detroit and the Unitarian Universalist Association. The resolution is especially timely in Michigan since citizens will be voting this fall on an amendment to define marriage in a restrictive fashion.

 

The complete text of the resolution follows.

Sincerely,

 

Colleen Dolan-Greene

Moderator 2003-2005 First UU Church Detroit

 

 

Marriage Equality Resolution

The Board of Trustees of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit, Michigan adopted the following resolution at its meeting on September 12, 2004, by unanimous vote and recommends this resolution be adopted by the congregation at a special meeting on October 3, 2004.

 

WHEREAS Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person;

WHEREAS marriage has served many different functions throughout history and civil marriage today is a respected legal status carrying with it many rights, benefits and responsibilities;

WHEREAS the state of Michigan and many other states and the United States are acting to void the recognition of same-sex marriages and to deny "full faith and credit" to such marriages formalized in any state;

WHEREAS debate about extending legally recognized marriage to same-sex couples has focused on the objections of certain religious communities, and the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit, Michigan supports separation of church and state;

WHEREAS the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit, Michigan congregation voted in 1997 to become a Welcoming Congregation, taking on the commitment to promote justice, freedom and equality in the larger society, and speak out when the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons are at risk; and

WHEREAS the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly, through action of its General Assembly and congregational actions has advocated for nondiscrimination and hate crimes legislation; our ministers have performed ceremonies of union for same-sex couples. The Association has supported non-discrimination in ministerial employment since 1980; supported gay and lesbian services of union since 1984, supported legal equity for gays and lesbians since 1987, opposed legislation of discrimination against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in 1992; and

WHEREAS the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to call for the legalization of same-sex marriages in 1996 building on a long-standing and deeply held commitment to support full equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people, going back to 1970.

THEREFORE BE IT resolved that the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit, Michigan adopts a corporate position in support of legal recognition of marriage between members of the same sex on an equal basis with marriage between members of the opposite sexes; and

BE IT further resolved that the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit make this position known through the media, through denominational gatherings, through banners and signs and through all other appropriate means.

 

On behalf of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit:

Colleen Dolan-Greene, Moderator                                                                                                                    Date

David B. Parke, Interim Minister                                                                                                                                  

 

Editors Note

In order for First UU Church to maintain our 501 C 3 status, there can be NO campaign material of any kind in the Newsletter

Speaking of the Newsletter...As I've mentioned once or twice in the past, EVERYTHING that goes in the Newsletter MUST be in the Newsletter box - not the church office - by the deadline date and time.  This is how it works - on the deadline date - well after the deadline time - I pick up the items, take them home and put the Newsletter together.  I email it to Wendi and Len Zettel.  Wendi runs off the copies and Carol Bendure takes the copies home and folds, stickers and labels them - THANK YOU, CAROL! - she brings the finished product back to church for pick-up the following Sunday.  I've been surprised a few times, after receiving my copy, how much it had grown from the time I emailed it to when it was finished.  The pages I do will have a number in the upper left hand corner, everything else has been added after the deadline date and time which isn’t fair to those who get their stuff in on time.  After a bit of discussion at the last Board meeting, it was decided that NOTHING (except for deaths) will be added after 12:30 P.M. on the first and third Sundays of the month.

 

Items from the Internet

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the famous scientist (?) who once said: "I woke up one morning and all of my stuff had been stolen...and replaced by exact duplicates."

His mind sees things differently than we do, to our amazement and amusement - here are some more of his gems:

1- Borrow money from pessimists - they don't expect it back.

2- Half the people you know are below average.

3- 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4- A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

5- A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

6- If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

7- All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand.

8- The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Viewpoint on Japan

Presented by Nick Greene

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit

September 19, 2004

Last school year I got information from my former middle school, Friends School in Detroit, about an exchange opportunity to go to Japan. The exchange program is the City of Detroit’s Sister Cities Exchange Program. In 1964, Detroit sent its first delegation of students to Toyota City, Japan to stay for two-and-a-half weeks. This year eight students from Detroit, including myself, left for Japan July 16th. There were four boys, four girls and two chaperones, who were both women. The head of the Exchange

Program also came to Japan and stayed with us for one week, acting as representative for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

We landed at Tokyo Narita airport and changed planes to go to Nagoya, one hour’s flight south of Tokyo. The group of Japanese students who had been to Detroit the previous summer met us at the Nagoya airport. We drove by charter bus to Toyota, the Motor City of Japan. The next day we met our host families at a Chinese restaurant.

At first I was worried that my family wouldn’t speak any English, and that we would never be able to understand each other. But by the time we got to their home, my new home, I realized that language barriers aren’t nearly as difficult as they’re made out to be. At first, my host brother (having had three years of high school English) acted as translator for my host mother, father, sister and grandmother, but my host mother seemed to suddenly remember her high school English. Thus we all communicated in half-sentences and gestures, with much looking up of words in our respective dictionaries.

My first event with my family was a day trip to a hot spring about 2 hours from our house by car. I saw lots of the countryside this way and got to participate in something distinctly Japanese. After this, on the way home, we stopped at a sort of Japanese Greenfield Village, a preserved small town complete with crafts, a traditional restaurant and a small museum. But during the week I spent most of the day with the other exchange students. Everyday we met at City Hall and boarded a small bus that took us to our activities. In the evening we would return to our host families in time for dinner. Our best Toyota City event was, of course, the tour of the Motormachi, Toyota Motor's version of the Rouge Plant. We saw the whole process of a car being made and then went to a showroom where we got to sit in the completed cars.

My most memorable experience was a two-day trip we took to Kyoto by chartered bus. We left in the morning and after a two-hour ride we arrived at our first temple complex in Kyoto. We visited two temples and the castle of the Shogun that day and four temples the next. My favorite temple in Kyoto is the Golden Pavilion, a three-story temple on a peninsula in a large, artificial pond. The Pavilion is covered on the second two

stories entirely in gold leaf, inside and out. Needless to say, visitors are allowed no closer than about 50 feet. That night we stayed at the Kyoto Royal Hotel, and ate dinner at a Korean restaurant across the street where you cook your own food over a sort of barbecue pit in the center of the table.

The next day we bussed to Nara, about an hour from Kyoto. Here we saw the Great Buddha Temple (or Todaiji in Japanese), the largest and oldest wooden structure in the world, containing a gigantic bronze Buddha. The Buddha statue is large enough for sixteen people to stand in the palm of his outstretched hand. But this temple and statue are not as big as they once were. In about 1700, the temple burned down (as most of the temples in Japan have at one point or another--they’re all built of wood). But at this time, there were no trees big enough to rebuild it to its original size. So it is now only two-thirds the size of the original. It seemed sudden when our two-and-a-half weeks were over. After many hugs and many more tears, the American students left their new families for Detroit on August 4th. This was a wonderful trip, but my favorite part had to be my host family. I really got to know them well and miss them more than anything else I did in Japan. I hope that I can go back to Japan soon to see them and that they can come and see Detroit, too!

You Won't Want to Miss This

...Home of the Brave is the story of the only white woman (Viola Liuzzo) murdered in the civil rights movement - and why we don't know who she is. This story is told through the eyes of her children.  Their tale reveals FBI subterfuge, a corrupt justice system, among other things, which erased this heroic woman from history...

Home of the Brave premiers at The Detroit Film Theater of the Detroit Institute of Arts September 30, 7:30 P.M. (panel discussion), with a showing on October 2 & 3 at 2:00 P.M.  For ticket information call 313-833-3237.

---

2nd Story Church

Halfway Up the Stairs

This year is off to a very exciting start! With social justice as our focus this year we are already engaging in the work. On Sunday the 19th Marianna, Lauren, Arielle, Ariel, Morrison, Olivia and families served breakfast to the needy at The Cathedral of St. Paul Church. This will take place every other month,, I hope to see more folks out in November! The elementary children have been busy learning about Beatrice's goat, and what we can do at 1st UU to help children around the world. The children are engaging in a read-a- thon through Helfer International. At Christmas time we will put all of our money together and purchase animals for families living in poverty- that could benefit from the animal's milk, eggs, wool etc. On Saturday a few high school youth spent the night here, and helped the Women's Alliance clean up Pullman Hall after the Rummage Sale. Of course Sunday morning was our water communion which included a short puppet show. John and Andrew Evans, Vanessa Gant, Maya Thottakath, youth advisor Danielle Troia, and I recreated an ocean scene in which a fish gets stuck in a 6 pack plastic ring. I received many compliments in coffee hour on our performance. I must admit preparing for the puppet show was a great time most of you missed out on. Coming up with the character language and accents with the youth was hilarious!

In Peace. Jennifer A. Teed- DRE

Dates For Your Calendar:

Sept 26 RE Meeting 1:00

October 1 First Friday- Join us for this evening of family fun!

October 3 Souper Sunday- Enjoy homemade soup during the congregational meeting. Your soup purchase will benefit the RE program.

October 10 High School On-Site Service project during church.

October 17 All Church Service project after church (more details to come).

Haunted House Supplies Needed

The high school group will be hosting a haunted house in Pullman hall for Halloween. The youth are excited about this, and it will be a great way to invite the neighbors into the building. However there is one problem since this is the first year we've done this, we are in need of supplies. We are hoping that many of you have old Halloween decorations that you'd like to donate. We will also accept donations of new items (but only if you get a good deal on them). Thank you in advance for your support.

U U University

Are you reading the Da Vinci code? You still have time... our book discussion will be in November. Lynda Smith, Len Zettel and Sharlene Gage will lead a 2-session discussion on the book in November. Stay tuned for more details...

A small group is forming to discuss, plan and carry out adult RE opportunities. If you are interested please see Jennifer Teed or Irene Schultz.

Are you interested in adult RE?

Starting in October we will begin offering many opportunities for adult religious education. The surveys I have received back show a high interest in Earthcentered & World Religions, Social, Economic & Environmental Concerns and Spirituality. If you are interested and have not yet turned in your survey please fill out the one-below and return to Jennifer Teed ASAP.

Interest Survey for Adult Religious Education
Check all areas in which you might be interested in taking a class or group next year:
Arts & Crafts _____ Conflict Management Skills _____ Earth-centered & World Religions _____ Parenting Skills _____ Social, Economic & Environmental Concerns _____ Theological Concepts _____ World Events _____	Bible _____ Current Films & TV Shows _____ Gender Studies _____ Religion & Science _____ Spirituality _____ Unitarian Universalism _____ Other _____
I would be interested in co-leading: a class or group on____________________________________________________ a monthly forum rum or sermon "talkback"on _______________________________ a weekend workshop or retreat on ________________________________________
I suggest ______________________________ as a leader for __________________________________

I prefer that classes or groups be scheduled:
Sunday Morning ____ Weekday Morning _____ Saturday Morning _____	Sunday Afternoon _____ Weekday Afternoon _____ Saturday Afternoon _____	Sunday Evening _____ Weekday Evening _____ Saturday Evening _____

Coming Soon... Perfecting Your Elevator Speech

UUA President William Sinkford says we should all have an "elevator speech" (a quick answer to "What is Unitarian Universalism?"). In October we will offer a workshop where you will have the opportunity to create and practice your own "elevator speech"

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