MINISTER'S MESSAGE - Rev. Roger Fritts
Have you attended the early service, at 9:00 a.m.? This Sunday, the music at that time will be amazing. The day before President's Day, the band "Passerine" will sing "Dreaming of Abraham Lincoln." Mindy Simmons will lead us in hymns. Because of this great music, it will be a good day to come at 9:00 and check out the early service.Why do I care about Lincoln's religion? It helps give a perspective on our current national politics. Last week Rick Santorum said, "When you marginalize faith in America, when you remove the pillar of God-given rights, then what's left is the French Revolution. . . . What's left in France became the guillotine. Ladies and gentlemen, we're a long way from that, but if we follow the path of President Obama and his overt hostility to faith in America, then we are headed down that road."
Such talk is based on a belief that our most beloved past Presidents, such as Lincoln, have been strong advocates of Christianity and that President Obama has departed from that tradition. I will show you on Sunday that the evidence does not support this belief.
HAPPENING SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19
* 10:05 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.: Forum: ACLU Issues in Florida -Jim Chastain, Moderator; Andrea Morgersen, Presenter. Florida ACLU Board and Vice-President of the Sarasota/Manatee/DeSoto ACLU Board will discuss church/state religious and other civil rights issues with which Florida ACLU is involved.
* 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. "Lincoln's Religion" - Rev. Roger Fritts.
Passerine, a local folk/rock band, will be performing, along with Mindy Simmons, at this Sunday's 9:00 a.m. service.
* 11:00 a.m.: Children's Religious Education - Childcare and crafts are provided during the 9:00 a.m. service. During the 11:00 a.m. service, the following is offered:
Nursery - loving care for infants and toddlers is available.
PreK-1st The children will focus on the family home through an investigation of bees and their homes. The activities explore the idea of home as a specific, physical place that plays a role in the lives of bees. Children will discover commonalities shared by the homes of bees, the homes of other animals, and our family homes.
2nd-4th graders - The children will hear the story of Unitarian Universalist Christopher Reeve to examine our first Unitarian Universalist Principle, the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Christopher Reeve's story serves as a springboard to issues of inclusion as children are guided to reflect on the ways we affirm the first principle of Unitarian Universalism.
5th-6th graders - Understanding and describing their religion can be a challenge for young Unitarian Universalists. The big questions for this week are, "What are we?" and "What is Unitarian Universalism?" The class will investigate the words "religion," "faith" and "spirituality" and learn how each relates to Unitarian Universalism.
Teens will continue planning for Spectrum Cafe.
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN
* Please visit the Stewardship Table in the courtyard for all the information you might need to help determine your pledge for our new fiscal year. We have several handouts that can answer questions you might have, and if they don't, we will find out the answers for you. And yes, we can now accept pledges using a credit card (and help you collect extra points and miles). There are two ways to do this: either you can go to our homepage and click on the link or by filling out an authorization form, which we will have available at our table, and turning it into the office.We're here to help, stop by our table and please don't be shy. Members of the 2012 Stewardship Committee are: Jeanie Craig, Barbara DeMaio, Roberta Druif, Lynda Hill, Patricia McGarry, Sue Moreland, ex-officio, Roger Fritts and Rick Sandler. Bill Payton is our Chair.
* Stewardship Dinner:
Saturday, March 10 - 6:30 p.m. Wine & Hors d'oeuvres; 7:00 p.m. Dinner & Entertainment
$12 adults; $6.00 Children under 12 years old.
Tickets on Sale in the Courtyard this Sunday and next Sunday.
* Welcome Guests! Stay and have cookies and coffee with us after the service. Give us a chance to make you feel welcome by coming to the blue table in the Courtyard.
* Church website - We have a brief history of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota stored on our church website. Members and friends will find it interesting. It's in the form of a short booklet composed in 2002 for our 50th anniversary. Go to www.uusarasota.org and click the tab Our Church.
* Have you learned to browse the church website www.uusarasota.org yet? We have an on-line directory and a list of birthdays. Call the office for the password.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
* There will be an Interweave potluck today at the home of Janis Williams (587-8829). Rev. Roger Fritts will be our speaker. Please respond with main dishes, salads and desserts. We will gather at 12:30 p.m.*To alleviate parking lot crowding, consider parking in the Cardinal Mooney High School lot which provides extra parking space to us during the season, for your convenience. Drive into the main Cardinal Mooney entrance, drive to the far southwest corner of their parking lot, closest to the church, and then follow the signs to the church.
* Soprano Deborah Berioli to perform French works in the Sanctuary this Sunday afternoon.
Deborah Berioli will present her enormous operatic talents this Sunday at 4:00 p.m. in a concert entitled "The Beautiful French Impressionist Music of Debussy and Gabriel Faure."
Miss Berioli will be accompanied by the pianist Hsia-Jung Chang of New York City. Tickets are $10 and will be sold in the courtyard after the Sunday service and at the door. A complimentary wine and cheese reception with the artists will be held in the courtyard after the concert.
Berioli, who also doubles as Music Director at the UU Congregation in Venice, has been performing on the Gulf Coast for several years. Prior to moving to the Sarasota area, she was a resident artist with Opera San Jose (2004-06) and performed eight leading roles, including The Countess in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Puccini's Tosca, Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera, Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme and Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
The concert is part of the UUCS ongoing Sanctuary Series which benefits the church's music program. For more information, call our hotline at 1-888-873-4610.
OUR COMMUNITY
* A Tribute by Ruth Agnew to honor the memory of Doris O'Hara.
* A Tribute by Lura Bradberry in loving memory of a remarkable woman, Doris O'Hara.
* The Tribute Fund is a great way to honor someone, give thanks or just celebrate a special event. Pick up a form in the church office.
* Caring - we provide short term needs of rides, meals and companionship. We also like to send cards and keep in touch. Please call Dee Widder at 377-9028.
* Sharing cards are available in the Sanctuary on Sundays. Blue for Concerns, Yellow for Joys. Your card will be read by the Minister.
* Thank you to Sid Mann for refurbishing the UU bridge that is in the parking lot. Sid replaced damaged planks and added a new handrail.
* Name Change Proposal - Do you think we should change our name from UU Church of Sarasota to UU Congregation of Sarasota? Read more and add your comments at our website or on the Kiosk in the Lexow Wing. A Forum will be held on Sunday, March 4. - Tom Dente and Dee Widder.
* Happy Birthday!
Upcoming birthdays (from February 17 - 25):
February 17 - Kelly Six
February 18 - Ted Hoffman
February 19 - Gail Coppock
February 20 - Ruth Haas
February 20 - Marci Saunders
February 22 - George Gannett
February 22 - Sara Slate
February 25 - Isabel Oake
If you're a member with a birthday this week who is not listed here, please inform the office and we'll adjust our records. Thank you.
UPCOMING EVENTS
* On Monday, February 20, there will be bridge in the Jefferson Room at 1:00 p.m. There is bridge every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month; call Betty Baker at 355-9282 if you're interested in joining.
* Tuesday, February 21 - There will be a Board of Trustees meeting in the Lexow Wing at 7 pm. You are welcome to attend; the agenda is on our website.
* Another Chance to Cook
Our next cooking class at Whole Foods, just for UU's, is scheduled for Thursday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m. For just $10 each, we will again learn to prepare, and then partake of a delicious meal under the entertaining instruction of Robin Rosen. To reserve your place, call Judy Hoerr at 359-2846, or e-mail her at ejhoerr@gmail.com Consider joining us. It's a lot of fun!
* Freethinkers to explore Buddhist and Quaker Religions in March
March is a bonanza month for the First Friday Freethinkers and its followers. We will explore two religions that are not in the mainstream Christian tradition. On March 2, we are proud to present Michael Gregory, a Buddhist monk who trained for five years in the Thai forest tradition, the Burmese Mahasi tradition and at Rumtek monastery in Sikkim. Michael is an outstanding teacher who excels at speaking to lay audiences about the practical side of the Buddhist religion. If you've ever been curious about Buddhism, you won't want to miss this one.
On March 16, Dr. Jerry Frost will speak on the philosophy and beliefs of the Quaker religion. Frost taught in the Religion Departments at Vassar (6 years) and Swarthmore (30 years).
Both sessions will be held in the Sanctuary at 10 a.m. and are free and open to the public.
* Celebrate St. Paddy's Day on March 17 with an 8 p.m. concert by Rev. Don Beaudreault at the UU Congregation of Venice. There will be wine and cheese and a cash bar. See Gail Colella for tickets at $20.
* "Discovering UUCS," A New Member Orientation - Saturday, March 31, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the UUCS in the Lexow Wing.
If you are considering membership, this workshop is for you. Reverend Fritts will discuss our history and explore with you what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. Other church leaders will be there to talk about our many activities and to answer your questions. Lunch is provided. Be sure to sign up at the Welcome Center!
OUR COMMITMENTS
* The UUCS Social Justice Committee is working each week to solve issues in homelessness, hunger, needs of children and families, human rights and the health of our planet, and we bring you opportunities to get involved in these areas. Twice a week we serve meals to the homeless at Salvation Army; additional opportunities, coming soon, are listed below. Get details and sign up for all opportunities at our Social Justice Table near the Lexow Wing.
* 'Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida' is having its 46th annual dinner celebration on Tuesday, March 6. Cecile Richards, President of 'Planned Parenthood Federation of America,' is the featured guest speaker. The Social Justice Committee contributed an advertisement to their program book again this year, and some of us will be attending the dinner. If you'd like to attend or want more information, please stop by the SJ table in the courtyard.
* The Women's Interfaith Network and the Social Justice Committee of UUCS are hosting Marleine Bastien, speaking on: Keeping the Faith: Haitian Spirituality in the Face of Catastrophe at our church in the Lexow wing on Sunday, February 19th at 2:30 p.m. Ms. Bastien is the recipient of 'Amnesty International's Human Rights Award,' 'Ford Foundation's Leadership for a Changing World Award,' MS Magazine "Woman of the Year," and Essence Magazine's "One of the Most Remarkable Women in the World." They say that Haiti is 90% Catholic; 100% Voudou. Marleine will explain the role that these faiths have among Haitian people. A suggested donation of $2.00 will be shared between WIN and Mothers Helping Mothers, and some Haitian objets d'art will be on display and for sale.
* We are collecting box tops and labels for education at the Social Justice table to support programs at Memorial Elementary School in Arcadia. This is the school we support through our weekend food backpack program with All Faiths Food Bank. A flyer showing which labels and box tops qualify for the program is available at the Social Justice table.
OUR COLUMNISTS
The Power of LoveIt's February and love is in the air! Do you know about The Standing on the Side of Love (SOSL) campaign sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA - yes - we're part of that!)? Their website, http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org explains that it "is a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love's power to stop all identity-based oppression." The campaign is needed now because, "this is a time of great hope and possibility, yet our communities are threatened by the increased prevalence of acts motivated by fear and hate. No one should be dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their identities. In public debates over immigration, LGBT rights, and more, religious people stand on the side of love and call for respect, inclusion, and compassion."
SOSL, over 2 years old now, was inspired by the outpouring of love from the community of Knoxville that followed a 2008 shooting at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, which was targeted because they are welcoming to LGBT people and have a liberal stance on many issues. SOSL has three main campaigns currently: (1) Speaking out for LGBT justice and equality - yes even though Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been repealed, there is still a mountain of restrictions on the legal rights of our LGBT people ... repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is high on the agenda, holding onto marriage rights gained in some states, and expanding marriage rights to all states, making discrimination based upon gender identity or preference illegal, etc ... (2) supporting immigrant rights because immigration is not only a legal issue, but a moral one. We can have an impact in this struggle for immigrant and refugee rights; we need to stand up for human rights regardless of immigration status, and (3) promoting respect and inclusion - this is about promoting respectful language and inclusion into the national conversations about these important issues ... people of faith can have a big impact here, we can raise issues of compassion and justice.
Luckily, SOSL has allies in this struggle. Amnesty International, ACLU and The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), among others, are concerned with these issues. SPLC recently filed a lawsuit challenging DOMA on behalf of disabled veteran Tracey Cooper-Harris, who served for 12 years in the U.S. Army and received multiple commendations. But because she's in a marriage with a person of the same sex, the government refuses to grant her the same disability benefits as heterosexual veterans.
Progress in these areas takes all of us working steadily towards the goal of our first principle: Honoring the inherent worth and dignity of each person in this world. You can participate in these advocacy campaigns by signing up for email alerts at the SOSL website.
In faith,
Julie Leach
Co-chair, Social Justice Committee
COMING NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26
* 10:05 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.: Forum: ACLU Issues in Florida -Jim Chastain, Moderator; Andrea Morgersen, Presenter.
Florida ACLU Board and Vice-President of the Sarasota/Manatee/DeSoto ACLU Board will discuss church/state religious and other civil rights issues with which Florida ACLU is involved.
* 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Linda Gustitus, President of National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
Special Music at 11 a.m. Service: Bonnie Caplan, Harp.
Deadline for next issue: Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.