|
|
|
Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
|
|
|
From the Board Chair, Dan Lewis
|
Inspired
Last Sunday morning I took the opportunity to watch a bit of the Chicago marathon on Broadway.
It is more meaningful, even sacred, to me than many formally religious festivals. There amidst the sweaty runners, blocked streets, discarded Dixie cups, and noisy spectators you find something of the human spirit that is deeply inspiring. Where else can you find 40,000 people of every variety, age, race, national origin, who are out to perform something dauntingly difficult -- and a million people line the streets to wish them well? Where else do you find that magnitude of sheer good will enacted out in public?
At the time I watched the race the elite runners were long past. As much a pleasure it is to watch the perfect strides of the elite racers, I love watching the non-elite. The "ordinary" people out to do something extraordinary. With imperfect bodies, awkward strides, well-worn shoes . . . and enormous hearts.
Why am I writing about the marathon? I've been thinking a lot about inspiration lately. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of tasks, obligations, and habits. The world of measurement, constraints, and limitations to be negotiated. The next bill to be paid. The next meeting to attend.
Yet sometimes I find inspiration. In a chance encounter with an old (or new) friend. A work of fiction or art. A heroic act witnessed. A marathon observed. And the world is transformed from measurement to possibility. Being inspired cracks open my everyday, survival-based, tunnel-visioned way of being.
I see many reasons for inspiration at 2U.
New visitors coming to 2U's orientation to tell their stories and seek a spiritual home.
Our hospitality volunteers welcoming us on Sunday mornings (and their exquisite care taken over the little things).
Fellow 2Uers engaging in Beloved Conversations fearlessly asking tough questions and challenging the pernicious poisons of habituated racism.
The Nominating and Leadership Development Committee and Adult RE committees collaborating on a church-wide curriculum to grow new leaders among us.
The recent gardening award acknowledging our beautiful, delightful, welcoming space.
The devotion to speaking out against the injustices that diminish all of us.
The joy and exuberance of the choir's singing.
The joy and exuberance in the preparations for the Fall Fundraiser.
The joy and exuberance of the children going to their classes.
The extraordinary lies within us all, waiting to burst free.
Like so many marathoners, we at 2U are "ordinary" people out to do something extraordinary. With imperfect bodies, awkward strides, well-worn shoes . . . and enormous, inspiring hearts.
Dan Lewis
Chair of the Board of Trustees
|
|
FALL FEST
|
FALL FEST - International Night!
This is 2U's biggest party, tastiest dinner, grooviest dance & biggest FUNdraiser of the year. To donate events & items for the auction, please contact Susan Richter at [email protected] ASAP. To volunteer with set-up, bartending, desserts, etc., please contact Tom Denio at [email protected]. Tickets are on sale online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3104062
and on Sunday, October 15 after the service! Too expensive? No problem, we want you to join the festivities; for a donated ticket please contact Tom.
|
|
DONATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF
|
Dear 2U Community:
Have you been wanting to do something to help the people in Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, who have suffered so much devastation in the past few weeks from the hurricanes and earthquakes, but you may have also wondered how you can know if the money you donate will actually get to the people who need it?
We, at 2U, would like to support efforts made to send funding to those people and be certain they get it. The national UUA has created a
Disaster Relief Fund,
and, Chicago's National Museum of Mexican Art and Chicago's Puerto Rican Arts Alliance have both come together to create the
Chicago for Mexico and Puerto Rico Relief Fund
to direct funds to the Red Cross in both places to go to those that need it the most.
For the five Sundays in October, 2U will be collecting donations at a table in the Palmer Room after worship services to support these organizations.
We strive to make a difference where it is needed. Please consider donating funds to this effort.
For questions, please contact Shauna Dobbins Womeldorff at
[email protected]. Blessed be.
|
|
2U Chicago Excellence in Gardening Award
|
 Second Unitarian Church was honored on Sunday, September 24 at the Chicago Cultural Center with a "Chicago Excellence in Gardening" award. The contest, sponsored in part by the University of IL Extension, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, drew entries from dozens of gardens in the city. 2U's garden was recognized for its use of native plants and superior landscape-design practices, including careful attention to form and color. Our entry described the garden this way:
The garden at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago offers a sanctuary for all people, a place to sit and reflect, a path to explore a bit of the natural world, and a space for birds and bugs.
Plants include:
juniper, boxwood, little lime hydrangea, barberry, echinacea, aronia, and a redbud tree. The Japanese maple is a critical element of the garden, as is the peace pole, both of which have graced the garden for years.
Judges were impressed by the garden's "transformation story" and the number of members of the congregation who participated in various stages of the design, planting, and maintenance of the garden. 2U was given a commemorative sign that has been "planted" in the yard!
The redesigned front garden--still a work in progress, as are all gardens--was two years in the making. There are many (dirty!) fingerprints on the project; countless members of the church have participated directly in one way or another, researching plants and hardscaping elements, meeting with contractors, planting, weeding, watering, pruning, laying mulch, filling yard-waste bags, sweeping, and assembling birdbaths. There is now a fairly formal design in order to keep maintenance to a minimum and create a sense of clarity. If you're a gardener, then you know the expression about a new garden: the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, and the third year it leaps. We're into our second year, and it's looking especially good.
Never a congregation to rest on our laurels, we recognize that there's still more we can do to improve the space. Some replanting will be required in response to the continued use of the parkway planters by neighborhood dogs, and our magnolia in front is unhealthy. The backyard, while much improved, was not formally designed and in it rests great potential as both an extension of the Palmer Room and the front yard. The church's outdoor space is surprisingly large given its appearance, and there's ongoing and routine maintenance that even a dedicated band of volunteers can't manage. The congregation's financial support allows this maintenance, which includes professional fall and spring clean-ups and professional tree care, to proceed.
Special thanks for the award go to a very long list of members and friends, including: Anne D, who suggested that 2U enter the contest; Dana H, who took the "winning photos" of the garden and provided regular help, especially with some of the least pleasant yard work; Jim R, whose role in the pitiful and hilarious weed-whacker video, prompted action on the redesign and whose work fixing hoses allowed us to keep the garden alive last summer; Megan D, who gave expert advice about tree care; Libby H, whose leadership of 2U's Green Sanctuary group, metalworking skills, and willingness to dig in the dirt, moved the project along; Ron S, who lent a keen eye at a critical moment; Lew and Sally Harding; Susan R, who launched the effort with lots of hours of research on contractors; Steve H, who planted a pair of elms; Kate F and John H and others who led prior landscaping efforts at 2U, who provided necessary information about the past along with their knowledge about planting and design; Judy C, Teresa K, and Shauna W, who have been stalwart volunteers; Sami N, who knows something about gardening and has a way with a pruner; and, Jacob K, who spent a lot of his summer watering the plants at 2U. The members of the 2U Board of Trustees have been instrumental in ensuring the success of the landscaping project, voting to allocate money and serving as wise and careful stewards of the congregation's assets. Our Congregational Administrator, Andrew Zallar, has been incredibly supportive and good-humored throughout. Suzanne Frank of Bluestem Garden Design designed the front garden, including the parkway planters. Her skill is evident, but what doesn't show in the beauty of the design is her remarkable generosity and dedication to our congregation. Suzanne donated much of her labor and cares for the garden as if it were her own. We can't thank her enough. Last, neighbors offered encouragement and continue to comment on the improvement. Our goal of having the yard reflect better our congregation has been met: everyone can see that we're as lovely on the inside as we are on the outside.
If you have questions about the yard at 2U and/or would like to be added to the list of those willing to work in the garden, then please contact 2U member Monica Drane at 312.550.3412.
|
|
Fall Orientation
|
Calling all visitors who want to become members!
2U's Fall Orientation will be held
Sunday, October 1, Sunday, October 15 and Sunday, October 22
following the morning service. Sessions are scheduled to begin at 11:45 AM in Fleishman Hall and will end at 1:45 PM or before. If you are interested in attending, please sign up on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room.
While attending any one of these three orientation session swill meet the by-law requirements for membership, attending all three sessions will provide a greater breadth and depth of understanding for the theological roots of our community, ways to engage with the 2U community, how 2U is organized and what membership really means.
|
|
Samhain
|
Covenant of Earth and Sky (CUUPS Chapter) invite all to the
Samhain Ritual on Sunday, Oct.29th, 7pm in the Sanctuary.
Samhain is the Third Harvest, the night to connect with the spirit of mystery and magick so profoundly felt at this time. We open ourselves to our own intuitive power and hear our wise inner voice. We use tonight to connect to our ancestors and loved ones, human or pet.
As the nights grow cold and the veil thins, the dead speak. Their stories are whispered in the rattling branches, passed down through the memories of the trees, whose roots reach into the ground where their footsteps once echoed. We honor the Great Horned God, Hecate and Cerridwen to guide us. We ask all to bring a memento to put on the altar; a photo or personal item.
Bring a sweet or savory dish to share at community time after. Blessed Be! Any questions or concerns, please contact Shauna at [email protected].
|
|
2U Dinners
|
 Want to get to know people at 2U? Please join us for our evening of 2U Dinners on
Saturday, November 11
. These are small dinners in people's homes. The host provides the main course and menu, and lets the guests know what to bring. For a twist this fall, we will also be having a dinner at 2U as well, to make sure that we have an easily accessible option for all our members and friends.
Hosts are needed! If you would like to host, either at your home or at the church, please contact
Karen Fort or
Judy Corbeille.
Sign up sheets are available at the Welcome Table.
|
|
Joys and Concerns Book
|
There has been discussion on various committees about how to help the minister or worship leader be able to include more of our community's individual joys and concerns in the words of reflection and meditation just before the candle lighting in service. In a church cupboard waits a brand new, blank 'Joys & Concerns Book'. It will offer a steady opportunity for members of the congregation to share. People can write what feels appropriate about the ups and downs of their lives; both those that are less than life-and-death,
and also
those vital significant passages are welcome too.
That is the space that we hope the Joys & Concerns book can fill. At your convenience, it will soon be on the small bookcase on the West side of the back of the sanctuary, near the bronze bust. Please help spread the word. Calls and emails to the minister are still welcome.
|
|
2U Yard Days
|
 Please join us for more 2U Yard Days on Saturday, October 14 in the morning and Sunday, October 15 after the service. If you're able, then please plan to join us as we weed, sweep, water, and tidy the garden. There's lots to do! Bring your gardening gloves and any small tools (weed diggers) if you have them. Dress for mess. All ages are welcome. Please contact Monica Drane at 312.550.3412 with questions.
|
|
2U Fiber Arts Group
|
 Do you knit? Crochet, cross-stitch, embroider, anything else? Come join us! The 2U Fiber Arts Group meets once a month on Sunday or Saturday afternoons in member's homes for crafting in community. Our next meeting will be on the 29th of October from 2-4, email
[email protected]
for more information.
|
|
BIG (Building, Infrastructure, and Grounds) Update
|
The church building and grounds are our home--and they require ongoing care and attention, as all homes do. The BIG Committee needs a new chair to help coordinate the work. There are members willing to help with projects large and small, a supportive Board of Trustees, and a highly skilled and well-organized Congregational Administrator. While the congregation looks for a new BIG chair, members of the committee and Andrew Zallar have continued to respond to building needs. The basement stairwell and south hallway have been refreshed with new paint, treads, risers, baseboard trim, and a floor cleaning. RE classrooms have been improved. We've identified the source of the water damage on the south side of the building, and fortunately, it's not related to the roof. Instead, we need a new gutter, which is a much simpler and less costly fix. Tuckpointing work has been done at the point of the water damage that the building has already sustained. The exterior trim on the south side of the building has been painted and some carpentry work has been done in conjunction with that project. The front doors (the ones that face Barry) will be touched up and we'll soon rehang the Standing on the Side of Love/Black Lives Matter banner that we took down in advance of the paint job. Soon, we'll have a professional landscape crew do a fall clean-up and a professional tree-care company tend to the trees on the property. 2U member Monica Drane will continue to work with Suzanne Frank of Bluestem Garden Design to assess the landscaping needs for this fall and the coming spring.
|
|
UU Climate Action Team Meeting
|
Every
Second Saturday at 2U!
Next meeting:
November 11, 2017
11 am to 11:30 am new members
11:30 am to 2:30 pm meeting
|
|
Plate Sharing Applications
|
Applications for plate sharing are due by Wednesday, October 25 for the January-March 2018 quarter. The application form may be secured through the 2U office, or from Norm Groetzinger at
[email protected]
. Electronic submission is encouraged. The organization for which you are submitting must be one in which you are involved, preferably as a volunteer. Applications are to be submitted to both Norm Groetzinger and to Susan Richter, who chairs the board's plate-sharing committee at
[email protected]
. Feel free to approach either of us with any questions about plate sharing.
|
|
2U Choir
|
I
nterested in singing and joining the 2U Choir? Join the 2U Choir
on Thu
rsday evenings from 7:15 to 8:45 in the sanctuary under the direction of our Director of Music, Amanda Thomas! All are welcome!
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Amanda at
[email protected].
|
|
Money Matters
|
What is our current financial condition?
Our
budget for the 2017-18 year is $336,687 or $6,474.75 per week!
Here is a summary of our current finances July 1 through September 30:
|
Actual |
Budgeted |
Over/Under Budget |
| Pledges |
$63,776
|
$73,669
|
- $9,893
|
| New Pledges |
$0 |
$0 |
$0
|
| Collection Plate |
$3,872 |
$3,700 |
+ $172
|
| Special Gifts |
$0 |
$0 |
$0
|
| Fundraising |
$0 |
$0 |
$0
|
| Space Sharing |
$12,378 |
$7,000 |
+ $5,378
|
If you have any questions about the budget or would like more information, please contact Andrew Zallar in the 2U office.
Collection Plate Sharing
Thank you all so much for helping to make 2U possible!
|
|
Interested in Social Justice?
|
Interested in social justice? If you haven't already, sign up for 2U's monthly social justice newsletter, The Hammer. You can "opt in" by clicking here
and entering your email. Both members and non-members are welcome to subscribe.
|
|
| |
|
Stay Connected
|
Did you know that the UUA and MidAmerica Region UUA have their own respective newsletters?
Click here for more information about the UUA and
click here
to sign up for their newsletter,
UU World
.
Click here for more information about the MidAmerica Region UUA and click here to sign up for their newsletter.
|
|
Submission Deadlines
|
 Have a message to put in the next Anvil or Orders of Service? Plan ahead!
Please have all submissions for the next newsletter submitted by
noon on
Wednesday, October 25
.
Please have all submissions for the Orders of Service submitted by noon on the Wednesday prior to the Sunday you'd like the announcement to appear. All announcements are subject to change at the discretion of the Congregational Administrator. Space is limited!
Second Unitarian Church of Chicago
656 West Barry Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
