July 2015 - Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation

THE CHRONICLE
Marquette
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
Services & Forums
July 2015
Date
11am Sunday Service
9:45am Adult Forum
July 5
*“Humans Wrote the Bible, God Wrote Life: The “Organic Farming: What Is It?, with Sarah
Monte of Moonrise Garden Farm.” Host:
Teachings of John Shelby Spong.”
Presenters: February Sky (Phil Cooper & Susan Rev. Dea Kowalczyk
Urban)
July 12
“Compassionate :Living: Sermon As Song.”
Service Leader: Tret Fure
“Grandparents: Their Influence and Our
Influence.” Service Leader: Tom Spencer
“Social Justice as Spiritual Practice.” Service
Leader: Diana McLean (SSC pays $200)
[email protected]
July 19
July 26
“The Marquette Master Plan.” Host: Dave
Stensaas, City Planner, Marquette
“Week in Review.” Host: Tom Sullivan
“Grounding Our Social Justice Work in
Our Unitarian Universalist Theology.”
Host: Diana McLean
*The word “God” can be a hot-button for many Unitarian Universalists. But maverick retired Episcopal bishop
John Shelby Spong, whose best known book is “Why Christianity Must Change or Die,” gives us some new
ways of looking at the concept. He says, “I can tell no one who God is or what God is. Neither can anyone else
– from the Pope to Pat Robertson to the Dalai Lama. That is simply an aspect of human pretending.” We will
explore the ideas of this courageous and far-sighted man as expressed by him, and by others, in speech and in
song.
***********
Meet Your 2015-2016 MqtUU Representatives:
Tim VanderVeen, President
Dea Kowalczyk, Vice President
Anne Stark, Secretary
Chris Wagner, Trustee
Dharmini Robertson, Trustee
gg gordon, Treasurer
Heidi Gould, Administrative Assistant
Lisa McKenzie, Religious Exploration Coordinator
Barb Michael, Music Coordinator
FROM: MqtUU President, Tim VanderVeen
In the midst of our Summer Slumber I hope you will plan to be an active part of the variety of services and
community efforts our congregation will be engaged in over the next few months. Our good friends
February Sky will be presenters on July 5th. Their music and thoughtful words are always an inspiration.
We will have services presented by some special talented people who have very personal connections with
our congregation; Tret Fure with her music and message on July 12th, Tom Spencer talking about the
influence of grandparents on July 19th, and Rev. Dianna McLean on Social Justice as a spiritual practice,
on July 26th.
We have a wide variety of Forums from Organic Farming and Marquette City Planning, to a workshop on
Reikki from member practitioner Jacob Studinger.
We have many members who bring their talents and life experience to share and we have many
opportunities to contribute to our community as well.
We'll be helping Chocolay Township Police with Adopt-A-Hwy along the road in front of our Meeting
House, and taking training classes to staff the Room at the Inn in our building next year. We will have a
wide variety of RE programs as we fill the summer with rich ideas, projects and adventures for the kids.
We are a family of active, thoughtful, compassionate, and contemplative people. We share values and
beliefs, and we raise questions and engage in passionate discussion and dispute.
I am so grateful to be a part of such a vibrant, growing, and exciting community. I will come back from
the General Assembly gathering with new ideas, stronger resolve and focus, and even more passion for
what makes all of us Unitarian Universalists. And I hope you will join me in making this an important part
of your life and a welcome stop on your life's journey.
Thank you for this opportunity to serve you in this new capacity as Board of Trustees President. Please
talk with me of your passion, ideas, concerns, and, yes, your joys.
Tim VanderVeen
96-346-2122
Chair yoga resumes July 22nd
1p.m. - 2:30 Wednesdays, for 6 weeks. :)
Cost $5 donation to MQT meeting house.
Please come a little early if you are new.
Sunday, July 12,
Tret Fure
“Compassionate Living:
Sermon as Song”
July Choir Rehearsal
Wed., July 22 at the home of Jeanne Trost,
911 W. Kaye Ave.
Looking for a choir of 20 voices for Sun., Aug. 23
Bring friends!
MqtUU – 1510 M28 East – 249-9450 – mqtuu.org – [email protected]
We will be planting three cedars this summer in our Memorial Garden for Nell Gaball, Marilyn
Gorski, and Jon McLean. The tree in memory of Jon will be planted on July 26th following the
service, which will be led by Jon & Kathy's daughter, Diana McLean. Check upcoming weekly
This 'n' That's for dates for the others.
A Memorial Service for Nell Gaball will be held on Wednesday,
July 8 at Canale-Tonella Funeral Home at 526 N. 3rd St. in
Marquette. Visitation with family and friends will begin at noon
followed by a service at 1 pm.
On Sunday, July 12 following our 11 o'clock Marquette UU service,
our congregation will be gathering for a Memorial Cedar Planting
Ceremony for Nell. Refreshments will be served following the brief
ceremony of song, readings, and shared memories. All are welcome.
UU minister, Diana McLean,
will be leading our service on
Sun., July 26
followed by a tree planting ceremony for
her father, long-time Mqt UU,
Jon McLean.
Diana's son and her mother, Kathy (Jon's
wife), will also join us.
Pictured to the right are Jon and Kathy as they worked in Ann Arbor with their UU minister to
make it smooth sailing during that little window period of about four hours in spring of
2014 when same-sex marriage was legal in Michigan.
FROM: Social Action Committee
“Share the Plate” offers opportunities for our members to develop and deepen connections with non-profit
organizations from the local, state, national and global levels. Your nominations of non-profit organizations for
recipients are welcome! The July “Share the Plate” Recipient is:
Memory Care Unit of the Jacobetti Home for Veterans which serves the individual who is ambulatory, but
suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. This 27-bed unit provides a structured program and
environment to assure members suffering from dementias remain ambulatory and independent for as long as
possible in their activities of daily living.
The MqtUU Social Action Committee NEEDS YOU! Put your passion to action and get involved with issues
of social and environmental justice! As a collective voice we can make a difference! Check us out on Facebook
to get current on meeting dates and issues being addressed.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1404026069870621/
WE NEED YOU!
As a lay-led congregation, it is the members who lead Sunday
Services! Perhaps you have something you want to share but lack the
confidence, skill or experience to get behind the podium! We can
change that!
“The Shared Pulpit: A Sermon Seminar for Lay People” by
Erika Hewitt
An eight (8) session workshop to help lay people gain experience
writing and preaching a full-length sermon for their congregation will
be offered at the Meeting House. This easy-to-use guide for both
facilitators and participants provides a step-by-step lesson plan.
Workshop members learn about the theory and theology of preaching,
then practice writing and speaking with authenticity, gradually
building toward composing quality 20-minute sermons.
For more information call: Heidi Gould 226-0102 or email [email protected]
********
MqtUU July Calendar
(See Forums & Services on pg. 1)
(Meetings and events will take place at the Meeting House unless otherwise specified)
July 1 @ 6pm
Wednesday
July 12 @ 12:15pm
Sunday
July 21 @ 6pm
Tuesday
July 22 @ 1pm
Wednesday
CUUPS @ United By Light Full Moon Gathering
Green Team Mtg
MqtUU Board of Trustees Meeting
Chair Yoga
From UUA President Peter Morales:
"...as we celebrate national marriage equality and how our work and persistence truly can change the
world, we must also remember that there is still work to be done. We are still far from full equality,
particularly for transgender individuals and people of color, and that work and persistence are still needed.
The grief we feel from the horrific murders in Charleston still weighs heavily upon us. Let us continue to
bring a strong message of love. Let’s use this marriage equality victory as inspiration for all of our justice
work."
FROM UUA GA 2015, Portland Oregon
gg gordon
Nancy Sullivan
Tim VanderVeen
Heidi Gould
We Celebrated
Supreme Courts Rules
Same Sex marriage is LEGAL!
June 26, 2015
MqtUU Peace Camp
Connecting Families, Community
and Nature in a Mindful Way
August 21-23, 2015
Big Creek (Irish-Villa) Property
395 Karen Road, Marquette, Michigan
Hosted by:
Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Camp MqtUU includes: cooperative play, music and crafts,
communing with nature, yoga/tai chi, environmental education,
mindful meals, family camping in the wilderness of the U.P.
Registration deadline: July 31, 2015
For children ages 7-13, camp begins 1:30 Friday and ends Sunday at Noon.
For children ages 4-6, programs will only be provided on Saturday from
10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult
outside of Camp programs at all times.
Non-MqtUU members are welcome.
For more information, contact Jill Mielcarek
(906) 235-9889 or [email protected]