The Beacon-August 2007
Summer Worship Services
(Service is held Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in the air-conditioned Parish Room.)
August 5— “A Call to Arms.” Is author Michael Durall right? Is First UU of Philadelphia likely to be gone in 25 years, along with the entire UU Association? How can we prevent an untimely death? And what are the exciting possibilities that might come out of addressing the threat? Sharon Tomalin explores this topic with Luana Goodwin as Worship Associate.
August 12 – “Vision Quest.” Join Wendy Jastrzab to learn about the spiritual benefits and possibilities of embarking on your own vision quest: What to do, what to look for and what you may find along the way. Connie Baker will be Worship Associate.
August 19 – “General Assembly Reflections.” Ken Olin will speak on some of the many things learned by the First Church team who went to the GA of UU Congregations in Portland, OR in June. Val Sandberg will be Worship Associate.
August 26 –“ If Jesus was Robbed by Paul, was Paul Double-Crossed?” There were many, strikingly different, early "Christianities" during the first four centuries until the establishment of the orthodox church by Emperor Constantine. Let's look at some of the history of how Christianity proceeded from Jesus to Paul, then to the Greek gospels, and ended with the Church of Rome? Can we get a glimpse of how we got from the religion of Jesus (e.g. love your neighbor) to the religion about Jesus (e.g. believe in the church dogma and save yourself from Hell)? The battle for Jesus has been waged for 2000 years and is still not settled! What does early Christianity have to do with UU liberals today? Bill Sternman will be Worship Associate.
September 2—“What Would Jesus Do?” According to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, 80% of the U.S. is Christian. Yet how many of these self-described followers of Jesus actually practice what He preached? Bill Sternman will discuss the difference between being a true Christian and a lip-service Christian.
First Church Welcomes New Settled Minister
As you probably know, on May 6, the congregation enthusiastically selected the Reverend Nathan C. Walker as our settled minister. We’re delighted to have Rev. Nate on board, effective August 1.
Some important information to know:
Happy to be Called: “Rev. Nate”
Cell/Office Phone #: 215-701-9072
Church Email Address: revnate[at]philauu.org
Office Hours: Click here for Nate's full schedule.
Days Off: Saturdays
First Sermon: Sunday, September 9, 2007
Website: www.NateWalker.org
Rev. Nate is eager to learn more about what happens at First Unitarian Church: Ministry Team Chairs, please invite Rev. Nate to your August or September meetings. He would like a formal orientation from each Ministry Team.
Please feel free to heartily welcome Rev Nate to our church community.
The Bottom Line:
Right Relations
A Message From Our Minister, Rev. Nathan Walker
Many corporations use the term “bottom line” to refer to the net profit or loss of their company. What is the bottom line for our congregation? Is it our net pledge or rental income? Is it the calculation of the interest on our endowment as shown in the last line of our profit/loss ledger sheet? I believe in sound fiscal management. I believe in clearly articulated budgeting related to strategic planning. However, it is with all my heart that the following message is communicated.
The bottom line for our church family is not monetary. Our bottom line is right relations.
You may know this term from Buddhist teachings on how to be mindful about relationships. We’ll be exploring this term more fully in a future worship service entitled Deep Listening and Loving Speech.
In the mean time, know that during the first few months as your settled minister my intention is to observe how we relate to one another. What is the quality of our communication? What are the characteristics of our interactions and how to they inform our lives outside of church? These are the questions that will guide my ministry with you in these first few months. My hope is that you’ll join with me in observing the true nature of our relations, so that together we can create a culture of shared ministry.
With deep admiration,
Rev. Nate
38 Dates with Nate
In the spirit of right relations, Rev. Nate has invited you to join him on a date. He’s allocated 38 dates at various museums, restaurants and parks throughout the city. The purpose is three fold: first, to allow small groups of 3-4 people to gather just for fun; and two, to give Rev. Nate a chance to get to know everyone; and finally, to explore Philadelphia through the eyes of our church family.
Below you will find a URL web address to Rev. Nate’s personal on-line calendar, including a full listing of the 38 Dates with Nate. Beginning the week of August 12, the Dates include everything from trips to local museums (Constitution Center, Center for American Jewish History, and more) to dinners and lunches (Penang, Blue in Green, Reading Terminal Market, Nodding Head) and outside snacks and desserts in Rittenhouse Park.
Each “date” on Nate’s calendar includes the meeting location, description and estimated cost. They are spread throughout the afternoons and evenings on both weekday and weekends. These dates are also listed on the homepage of the church website by clicking on “Rev. Nate’s Schedule.”
To reserve your date with Rev. Nate simply call the church office to secure your place or sign-up during the Sunday services. Please confirm with your cell phone, or a number Rev. Nate can reach you should a pastoral emergency arise. For your records, Nate’s cell is 215-701-9072.
Oh, and one other thing: don’t tell Rev. Nate’s partner about these dates – Sam might get jealous!
Pick a Date HERE!
CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Greetings From Your CRE Director
Last month Elisa and I took our daughter, Rosalee, to camp Unirondack in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. We booked a motel room close to camp that was at the end of an eight mile drive on a bumpy dirt road and the only boat access to a large lake, the Stillwater reservoir.
After a six and a half hour drive, we arrived tired and hungry and just wanted to have a quick meal so we could go to bed and be ready to take Rosalee to camp the next day, where she would be given her “nature experience” for the summer. As we sat down at the restaurant table, we noticed that just outside each window was a hummingbird feeder. At every feeder were several Ruby Throated hummingbirds flitting back and forth, drinking the nectar. We were awestruck watching the birds come and go, sometimes hovering to drink, sometimes alighting on the perch. They were inches away from us. I had never seen a hummingbird for more than a fleeting moment or at such close proximity. At the prompting of the motel owner, we took turns sticking our hands out of the open window, placing a finger on the perch and having hummingbirds land on the finger to drink. We felt the cool breath of their beating wings on our arms. We were amazed at how light they felt on our fingers. The “nature experience” we had planned for Rosie started before we even got her to camp and was entirely unplanned.
We never know when such experiences of wonder and beauty will make themselves available to us. Children are naturally inquisitive and spiritual. If given the chance, they revel in the wonder and awesomeness of the world around them. This fall, I will offer the adult RE class Parents as Spiritual Guides to parents and grandparents who have an interest in helping themselves and their children develop their spiritual lives. This course will provide some perspective and awareness to help us take notice of everyday spiritual experiences.
We will also examine the elements of courage, justice, and rituals and celebrations as means for helping our children develop spiritually. We as parents don’t always stop to witness the miracles that surround us. Because I took this course a few years ago at Main Line Unitarian Church, I was open to recognizing the spiritual value in our hummingbird experience and to let the moment unfold naturally. I was able to recapture the child-like sense of wonder and share it with my wife and child.
With affection,
Jansen Wendell
CRE Director
(215) 563-3980, ext. 305
CREDirector[AT]verizon.net
GETTING TO KNOW UU
We take great pride in First Church of our long history in Philadelphia. You may know that most of the Unitarian congregations in the young United States were located in New England, and many started out as Congregationalist Churches before changing over to Unitarian. However, in Charleston, South Carolina, there is a congregation with its founding, also as Congregationalist (or back then, the Society of Dissenters), that predates the American Revolution to 1680.
The growing congregation expanded by building a second church building on Archdale Street, starting in 1774. After the war, the two church buildings served as one entity, sharing two ministers and the same sermon every Sunday.
In 1817, one of the ministers, along with several members, became Unitarians, and moved to the Archdale Street building, becoming the Second Independent Church in Charleston. Finally, in 1839, the congregation was chartered as the Unitarian Church in Charleston. Whereas our current building is our third, the Charleston congregation has kept their original building the entire time, although it has gone through several renovations over the years.
It survived the great Charleston earthquake in 1886, although part of the roof was destroyed when the imposing tower collapsed on it. A less elaborate, but more stable, tower replaced it, with funds donated from Unitarian congregations across the country (and undoubtedly from ours), mostly pledged immediately following the catastrophe while the national Conference of Unitarians was meeting in Saratoga, N.Y. A century later, Hurricane Hugo tore the roof off in 1989, but that too was lovingly replaced. You can read an extensive building history at their website, www.charlestonuu.org, as well as learn more about this church of 270 members and their new minister, Rev. Peter Lanzillotta, Ph.D.
The Charleston Church interior is described as awe-inspiring, and the members take great pride in their old, if challenging, building. Our own sanctuary earns many appreciative remarks from visitors.
Won’t you consider joining the Property Committee to help maintain and improve our lovely old church? Take the tour, learn about our 1885 structure, and help to make First Church the pride of Philadelphia.
Submitted by Ken Olin
COMMUNITY SERVICE & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Recycling
Recycling at Trinity Memorial (22nd and Spruce) continues every first and third Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. for cardboard, mixed paper and No. 1 and 2 plastic bottles cleaned and crushed.
Good News from West Philadelphia - they are taking part in a curbside pickup weekly of cans, glass, and PLASTICS 1&2 all mixed together plus paper. Hopefully Center City will be next.
Any committees doing mailings or paperwork - try and take paper home with you to recycle curbside or at Trinity.
Books Through Bars
We continue to support this national program which sends books to prisoners in response to their requests. Packing and sending takes place at the A Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. every Tuesday 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. and the first and third Saturday of the month 11-3 p.m. Take your books there if you can--if not there is a book bin in our lobby for donations. Bring your finished Summer Reading to the bin if you think a prisoner might enjoy it!
Pack-a-thon Update. Volunteer Diane Frey. She's a winner (in more ways than one). She won the raffle for dinners at area restaurants.
ADULT PROGRAMS
Interweave
Interweave is the local and national group of UUs that support and promote civil rights for the BGLT. The group has a regularly scheduled brunch on the first Sunday of the month, and members often go to brunch on other Sundays as well. Anyone may join us for brunch. We also participate in Gay Pride and street fairs in the gayborhood. Info: Gerry Parchman (lib2uus[AT]comcast.net, 856-829-4561) for details.
Depression Support Group
The group will continue to meet on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 p.m., until September 9, when they will switch to an 12:30 p.m. time. For more information, contact Arcenia Rosal at 215-561-6506, or Lynn Rubin at 215-837-3371.
Women's Book Club
This is a monthly discussion group which meets in member's homes to discuss books we chose last January. Please call the hostess to let her know you are coming and to get directions. We meet at 7:30 p.m. for a brief social time, followed by the discussion at 8:00 p.m., led by a volunteer facilitator. We usually meet on the first Monday of the month, except when there is a holiday. Books are available from Fox Books at 1724 Sansom St. for a 10-percent discount.
On August 6, our discussion will be on The Known World by Edward P. Jones with Marilyn Ashbrook facilitating. Please RSVP to Ginny Beier at 215-545-7831 or vhbeier[AT]hep.upenn.edu. On September 10, we will be discussing Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama. We may also discuss The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama.
PRESIDENT'S COMMENTARY
by Debby Schultz
Times are exciting at First Church with the arrival of Rev. Nathan Walker, our settled minister. On May 6 when we enthusiastically voted to call Rev. Nate as our settled minister, August 1 seemed so far away. Well, it is here.
So, what happens now? We as a congregation need to extend our biggest and best welcome to Rev. Nate. How best can we welcome Rev. Nate?
First of all, let’s all show up on Sunday, September 9, and every Sunday thereafter. Writing a sermon is no small task, but a task well worthwhile when the opportunity exists to share it with a full congregation.
Let’s introduce ourselves and our families even if we did during Candidating Week. Remembering the names of 200+ people is a real challenge so a friendly greeting which includes our name is sure helpful. Take advantage of Rev. Nate’s very clever “38 Dates with Nate.”
Invite Rev. Nate to our Ministry Team meetings and into our casual and church work conversations recognizing that he cannot take advantage of every invitation. Send him copies of Ministry Team Meetings enabling him to see what is going on without necessarily expecting him to respond. This is a church with lots of activities underway. Recognize that getting on-board is no small task but good information sure helps.
Let’s welcome him by demonstrating our incredible energy, spirit, leadership and talents which abounded in the past church year. Rev. Nate is full of ideas and ready to support us in realizing so many of our dreams but he is one individual and this is a church whose ministries stretch far beyond the capabilities of a single soul. Yes Rev. Nate is our minister but ministry is the work of us all. Perhaps it’s a good time to practice our best behavior and manners, remembering the value of expressions of appreciation.
How about if we take time to reflect in lieu of judging too quickly? There will be changes, some intentional while others not so intentional. If we’re a typical organization, we have many tacit agreements, some which we couldn’t easily cite but know when they are not followed. Regardless of the change or its reason, let’s take time to reflect on it. Perhaps it makes sense; perhaps it’s worth a discussion with mutual but kind candor; perhaps it’s worth letting go just to see what happens.
Some say that the first few months of many jobs are the “honeymoon” stage. With that said, let’s have lots of fun with Rev. Nate and get to know him building strong relationships so important to our work.
Rev. Nate, Welcome to this wonderful church community.
With especially high hopes for this new church year,
Debby Schultz
BEACON BITS
Summer Social for Visitors—August 9
There will be a special summer social for visitors and those interested in learning more about First Church held at the home of Phyllis Belk on Thursday, August 9. This is a great chance to meet our new minister and members of the church in an informal setting. Please RSVP to the church office at firstuu[AT]verizon.net, (215) 563-3980.
A Call for Calendar Artists!
Art Is Universal - and Unitarian! We’re planning to produce a 2008 Calendar exhibiting work from First Church artists. We expect to feature one artist for each month of the year. Any Church member or friend is welcome to submit work. The pieces reproduced in the Calendar will be juried for inclusion on the basis of quality, originality and appropriateness. Submissions must be received by September 1, and sent to the Church Office, marked "Submission For Calendar".
Submitted by Phebe Shinn, Fundraising Team
A Reminder to Collect Water for Our Water Communion—September 9
Our annual Water Communion will take place at our regular service on Sunday, September 9. Members are invited to bring in water they have collected on their summer travels to participate in the ceremony.
Update on Parking
The College of Physicians parking lot on Van Pelt street, flush with the church, is no longer available for church parking. The large parking lot between Van Pelt and 21st St. is available free of charge most Sundays. Vouchers for $5 discount parking at the Ambassador Garage (21st and Chestnut) are available from the ushers or by contacting the church office. Free parking is permitted on the east side of 22nd Street from Walnut to Market Streets on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WANTED: Greeter/Usher Coordinator
We need a Coordinator for Ushers & Greeters for the rest of the church year. For more info, contact Phyllis Belk, Phyllis.belk[AT]verizon.net.
PROPERTY COMMITTEE UPDATE
Let There Be Lights
The Property Committee is working to bring back the original beauty of the front porch, all is going well, but certainly the big globe lights are wrong for this space. Clarence Bodiford, an acquaintance of our Sexton Christina Doe, owner of Old City Building, came to look at the woodwork portion of the project. Like the rest of us, he was very unimpressed by the current lights, but he had an idea. Clarence, who does restoration work, had done some of the demolition and salvage work for the Divine Lorraine Hotel on North Broad Street and remembered some large rustic lanterns that were removed from the hotel. He told Christina about them and where to find them. Christina picked one of them up on approval, and showed them to our project architect, Marianna Thomas and the rest of the Property Committee.
All of us thought the lamps would be a great asset to the porch restoration project, and we liked the idea of keeping a bit of the Divine Lorraine history alive and in Philadelphia. It turns out that Clarence, agreeing with us, obtained the lamps and donated them to the church. All we have to do is re-wire them, clean them up and hang them, all of which we hope to do before Reverend Nate arrives.
As with any historic artifact, we were concerned that their restoration be handled properly. We have all seen Antique Roadshow programs where the appraiser says something like "Well, had they been properly restored . . . " The conservation labs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art had been of assistance when we did the paint analysis for the porch, and we asked them if they would evaluate the Divine lanterns for us.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art agreed to meet with us and examine the lanterns. Dane Wells, of the Property Committee and his wife Joan, a former museum curator, took one of the Divine lanterns and met with Melissa Meighan , Conservator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture, and her colleague Adam Jenkins. They put the lantern and a chip of its finish under bright lights and powerful microscopes, and felt that as handsome as the lamps were, they did not feel that serious restoration was necessary. They felt the metal could be chemically hand stripped, treated with old fashioned navel jelly, then given a clear coat. To obtain a nice patina finish, they recommended a heavily tinted wax coating over the protective clear finish. This is all work that can be done by volunteers from the Property Committee - for once, we are spared the expense of special contractors!
Since we are anxious to get them up in time to properly greet Nate, the property committee has decided to re-wire them and give them a simple cleaning now. They will be taken down later, one at a time, for their proper finish restoration.
We must give earnest thanks to Melissa Meighan and Adam Jenkins of the Philadelphia Art Museum for their time and attention. We are also very grateful to Clarence Bodiford of Old City Building for his keen eye and generosity. Of course we continue to be proud of Christina Doe, our hard-working sexton, who knew how to "connect the dots" and make things happen.
Enjoy the new Divine lanterns. I / We think Frank Furness would be proud of our efforts.
Submitted by Dane Wells
WHEEL OF LIFE
Kimya Imani Jackson will perform in A Tribute to August Wilson play on Tuesday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m. at New Freedom Theatre (1346 N. Broad Street). No cost. Food will be served. Church members please come.
Ruth Crispin fell this past June, seriously broke a leg. She is currently recovering at home. Since she cannot drive until the end of August, she is essentially house-bound and would appreciate any calls or cards.
TOP 10 GENERAL ASSEMBLY LESSONS
1. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Relationship first; issues second.
2. When writing a covenant, invite people’s doubts.
3. “Please rise in body and spirit, ” an inclusive request with a little reminder to us all to bring our spirits into worship.
4. Safe Congregations – Get your policies and practices in place for the people you trust the most. Policies protect the institution; practices protect the individuals.
5. Racial Injustice
• The time has come for the majority to open up and face the problem of race. Admit and move toward reconciliation.
• Pace yourself; working toward racial justice is a marathon.
6. Typical questions asked by many of our mothers of us are relevant to the development of our spiritual life
• What on earth have I done?
• What in the name of God are you doing?
• What will you think of next?
• Who do you think you are?
7. Social Justice Work
• We are called out to a purpose larger than ourselves.
• Congregations commit to a larger purpose by committing resources of person and money. Social justice work should be the work of the congregation not a small group of dedicated folks.
• Deepen our understanding and questioning with study and readings.
• Build spiritual components into every mealy social justice effort.
• Ensure we are joyous in our work in spite of it all.
• Discern if each action is central to the mission of our church.
• Respect what UUs have done historically while remaining relevant to young people today.
• If we do social justice work, there is conflict. Learn how to do work in which conflict is associated.
8. Leadership
• Need leadership approaches that promote healthy emotional systems.
• It’s not about you; it’s about serving a common good.
• Leaders communicate openly; speak with heart, act with integrity; cultivate personal relationships, acknowledge and appreciate others.
• We need to identify true leaders and grow leaders.
9. UUs and holidays and high holy days –
Recognize the clear distinction between UUs
honoring a tradition vs celebrating holidays and
holy days .
10. Diversity is difficult and requires work and
dedication, but it leads to a world view that can
make Americans more in synch with the rest of
the world.
But, one of the most important lessons gained from attending General Assembly is this: If you go to GA, prepare in advance by reviewing thoroughly the program book. There is much going on in multiple sessions from early to late, and it can be overwhelming
Submitted by Virginia DeRolf, Ken Olin, Gerry Parchman and Debby Schultz
FROM THE ARCHIVES:
POET WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS & FIRST CHURCH
Dr. Ian Copestake of the Department of English and American Studies at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, wrote seeking information on the stained glass windows in our sanctuary, in connection with work he is doing on the American poet William Carlos Williams. I have been corresponding with Copestake and am pleased to pass on some of the interesting information he has provided.
Williams apparently attended our church while studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania from 1902 to 1910. Our minister at that point was the Rev. James Ecob, about whom (I dare say) none of us knew anything. The following ramble, submitted with the permission of Prof. Copestake, goes a long way toward enlightening us, as Ecob apparently enlightened Williams.
Here is what Williams writes:
"My other Sunday occupation was church. I was still lonely and poor to the point of counting pennies to see if I had money enough to ride down Chestnut Street to the First Unitarian Church where Reverend Ecob held forth, or should have to walk.
They also had a good mixed quartet at the church that used to stand in a small balcony in the left wall, facing the pulpit. But old man Ecob himself, a mysterious figure, was the one I was interested in. He was a small gray-haired fellow, an ex-Presbyterian who, more than a little to his family's discomfiture, had taken to Unitarianism, that most unpopular, almost non-Christian faith. Certainly un-Christian to popular belief. His three daughters, especially, seemed eternally ill at ease, apparently over this falling-off from orthodoxy, and they showed it in nearly all they did. The older daughter, a woman well beyond my years, played the piano-with gestures. There was a boy too, who resembled his father, a silent introspective sort of chap, studying architecture at Penn."
He then relates a story about going out for a walk with one of the daughters and when he offered her his hand to help her up a slope she shouted at him not to touch her. He continues:
"Once before or after that I had another humiliating experience which with others of the sort finally finished me with the Ecobs. Church was over and I, having listened, much moved, to the preacher's talk, lingered after the service to say a word of appreciation to him, for I had a genuine affection for the man. He, in kindly fashion, invited me home to lunch with the family."
Williams then relates how he was asked to escort the girls and they waited for a trolley. However, he had no money and the girls had to pay his way. "I never quite got over that" he says. He ends with this paragraph on the reverend:
"Old man Ecob, I always thought, looked like an ancient Briton and I believe his name did come from the period in England before the Roman Conquest. He finally went nearly mad over Blake's revolving spheres, after which his fashionable congregation gave him the heave-ho, and I suppose his family along with him, in favor of some more practical instructor."
Submitted by Anne Slater
MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM UPDATE
Your Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) Has Not Been Dormant Over the Summer!
We added new members Anne Slater and Seth Carrier. We completed our work with Mark Peterson in writing our Mission, Roles and Procedures, although all of these are works in progress.
We have been gathering suggestions of goals for the upcoming program year and beyond from you, the congregation. Liaisons from the team are meeting with the leaders of the various ministry teams so that we are current as to the team’s goals, strengths and needs.
We will be retreating with the minister (our co-chair) and Board in late August to work on the Vision of Ministry for next year.
We already know that some of our ministry teams need reviving and energizing. A meeting is scheduled for everyone with an interest in having a more robust Adult Religious Education program next year on Tuesday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Room. Rev. Nate and Dan Widyono will be leading that meeting.
Many of you proposed goals or courses for ARE in the coming year and so this will be one opportunity for you to assist with planning. Attendance at the meeting will not commit you to being an ongoing ministry team member.
Submitted by Luana Goodwin
FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Let Us All Give Thanks for One Another
In an effort to build cohesion in our growing and changing community, this week the Board of Trustees would like to introduce a new ongoing feature to our Beacon.
The Gratitude Box will give church members and friends a chance to offer public recognition to fellow congregants. Each month you may suggest a name and a brief (one-sentence or less) explanation of your appreciation to Heather Speirs at hmspeirs[AT]gmail.com. These will be compiled and sent to the church office for publication each month.
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