The Columbine Connection - Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church

April 2005
Volume 12, Issue 10
The
Columbine
Connection
The Columbine Connection
Sunday Programs
April 3
“Canvass Weekend”
Amanda Trosten-Bloom
The Service to finish the Appreciation Weekend for visitors, friends and members
of CUUC. We will see what we have to be grateful for as a congregation and make
our first pledges of service for the upcoming year.
April 10
Inside This Issue:
From the Minister
2
Belief in Action
3
From the President
4
Musings
5
Happenings
"What, exactly, is Morality?"
Reverend Barry Bloom
From "What is God?" in March to "What is morality?" now, the big topics are grist
for our mill right now. This is the auction sermon, as noted in my letter to the congregation. We will reflect primarily on the personal topic of how do I find and
maintain my own moral compass. Some questions to prepare our thinking: Is Act A
ALWAYS moral or immoral, or are there circumstances that change it from one to
the other? For example, is it moral to kill another human being in defense of your
own life, or your country's safety? There are more questions than answers of
course, but we will do our best to find our UU compass. Hannah Joy Bloom will
play her contest winning piece as the prelude and offertory
7&8
Communications Loop
10
Adult RE
11
From Our DRE
12
April Calendar
13
April 17
“Intergenerational Celebration”
Sandy Prins, DRE
This service will be a celebration of Earth Day led by the Director of Religious
Education for CUUC, Sandy Prins. It will be an Intergenerational Celebration!
April 24
"The Jewish Passover"
Reverend Barry Bloom
One of the most powerful stories in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) is that
of Moses and the liberation of the Jews from Egypt and their "deliverance" to Palestine. One of the most striking aspects of that story is God's delivering a series of
"plagues" onto the Egyptians to persuade the Pharoh to let the Jews go. The last
plague was devastating by any measure, that is the killing of all firstborn Egyptian
children. The Jewish children were "passed over" and were not affected. If this is
taken as historical reality, it would be unforgivable. If it is taken as myth, there
may be some worthy lessons. The choir will sing under the substitute direction of
Tracy Guyer.
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
FROM THE MINISTER
Dear CUUC'ers,
I hope spring is in your air. One of the few things I truly miss about my Midwestern upbringing is spring. About now the jonquils and daffodils would be
waving in the soft, moist, warm air. Flowering buds and bright green leaves
would be everywhere. The dogwoods and redbuds alone would break your
heart! The sound of songbirds was omnipresent. The re-birthing time was in
your face powerful. Here, in otherwise stunningly beautiful Colorado, spring
lasts a day and a half between the last snowstorm and summer. Bam. Ah,
well. You can't always have it all.
This month, on April 10, I will be giving the auction sermon. A large (and
mostly rowdy) group gave a lot to the church in order to name this sermon
topic. Led by Ken Pribbeno, they pooled their thoughts as well as their resources to arrive at the topic of morality. They agreed that it is such
a large subject that it cannot be covered in a single sermon. They
even discussed creating an Adult RE class, or to have some form of
follow-up after the sermon. Whatever comes from it, what a wonderful process. Democracy in action!
Our Caring Committee has been working overtime these last few weeks.
Carolyn Kelley's back surgery rendered her pretty helpless for a time and
Frances Blizard, Kitty Murray, Jane Benton, Ann Wederspahn, Bill
Oliver, and others have been doing a wonderful job of visiting and
caring for her. Marla Corwin has just lost her mother after a long,
difficult illness. Keep them both in your thoughts and prayers. And
thank the Caring Committee members for their loving work.
Columbine Connection
This monthly newsletter of the Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church
is for the benefit of its members and
pledging friends. Visitors receive the
newsletter for six months, after which
time, if they have not made a pledge
to the church, they may subscribe for
$12.00 a year by calling (303)9721716. To contribute an article to the
newsletter, e-mail:
[email protected]
Or call (303) 882-1896
Carmen J. Corica Editor
Darrell Dodge
Web Coordinator
CUUC Website:
Http://www.columbineuuchurch.org
All contents copyright 2005
When you read this, it will be a few days before the canvass campaign climax. On Saturday night April 2nd we will party. On Sunday morning we will
count our community's blessings and ask for your pledge. Members have
been "testifying" at the beginning of the services this last month about what
CUUC means to them. On April 3 we all have a chance to once again stretch
and support our "little church who could" to the extent that we are able. Let's
do our best to insure the health and well being of our progressive spiritual
community well into the future. It is up to each of us. And remember, there are some in our community that are experiencing hard
times right now. They are welcome to be a part of us as a friend
whether they can give economically or not. It calls on the rest of us
to do our best to provide for the whole.
I am truly grateful for this community. And for every one of you.
Many blessings,
Barry
Reverend Barry Bloom
Page 2
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
Belief in Action
by Frances
Blizard
INTER-FAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES continues its good work of helping clients get on their feet by not
only providing food and clothing, but also by helping them with rental and utility assistance so that they can stay in
their homes, transitional housing, emergency services, case management, and more.
FIFTEENTH ANNUAL WINE TASTING & AUCTION is just around the corner. It is a special event which
will be held at the beautiful Wyndham Hotel on Saturday, April 30, from 6:00-9:00 pm. Tickets are
$35.00 and entitle you to all you desire in the way of fine wines and delicious food. See me for tickets.
This is a benefit for Inter-Faith and DTC Sertoma. Inter-Faith will use the money to help its twenty programs work even better. Your continuing support of this fine organization is invaluable. You have
filled the big blue barrel with food on most Sundays -- truly "belief in action" in action !!
Inter-Faith is the outstanding non-profit that it is largely because of its executive director, Sandra
Blythe-Perry. Sandra has been at the helm for nearly eight years and has worked to have it become an
outstanding source of support to people in western Arapahoe County. Her hard work and dedication
have now been recognized. Englewood Rotary has chosen her to receive their award for "Englewood
Businessperson of the Year — 2004-2005”, a great honor.
VOLUNTEER SERVICES BENEFIT UU SERVICE COMMITTEE — Our program for supporting UUSC by
offering our services to other members at a reasonable rate and donating the money to the UUSC is moving right
along. We may also start asking if there are special services you would like someone in the church to provide, and
see what the response is. Details on this will be provided in the next newsletter by Gary Wederspahn, who is having
a grand time in Tasmania (can you find it on the map?).
HIGHWAY CLEANUP — It's time to start planning highway cleanup days. After several months of miscommunication we — and several thousand motorists — will soon see signs on the one-mile stretch of
Wadsworth, from Bowles to Belleview, announcing that Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church is keeping it clean. Dedicated volunteers cleaned sections of the highway several times last Fall. Watch for announcements about cleanup dates in April.
RAISING THEIR READING LEVEL — Six members of our church have been working with students at Fort Logan Elementary School to raise their reading levels. It has been interesting, fun, and
productive, and we have all enjoyed it. If you are interested in doing this next year, speak to Ann Wederspahn (also having a grand time in Tasmania).
CARING CIRCLE FINALLY ABLE TO HELP!
In the past few weeks one of our members has been having a very difficult time following surgery, and
over a dozen people from CUUC have responded to her plight with food, visits, cat care, mail retrieval,
transportation, and much more. She is facing more surgery in another week and we plan to provide all
the attention she will need.
Another member was gone for over a week and asked if the Caring Committee could visit with her husband while
she was gone. It took only a few phone calls to arrange for him to have visitors every
day. The wonderful thing about both situations is that people literally jump to say "Yes"
to any request for help. This church is filled with Good People.
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The Columbine Connection
April 2005
FROM THE PRES…..
Springtime and Hopes for the Future
I have just finished going through the rather sizable stack of material I brought from
church this morning after our Spring Equinox service. There is information from Sue
Zloth and Barry about our annual canvass drive, from Judith Wright on our upcoming
plant sale and our first ever, wonderfully comprehensive, annual report compiled by Karen
Cody-Hopkins. It took some time to read all of this information. I am realizing once again,
how important our church community is to me and thinking of how much effort it takes
not only to stay in existence, but to make our church thrive and grow.
That all seems to fit into our celebration of the arrival of Spring. We reflected, in our service, on the
wonder of new life, the return of fertility, the sprouting of seeds, the greening of the earth. At the
same time, we are looking at what it will take in terms of money, time and resources
to nourish our community into continued growth and renewal.
I suppose what we are willing to give directly correlates with what value we perceive
— what we feel we receive from this community of ours. I encourage each of you to
read the annual report. This is just a brief collection of information, comments and stories from
some of our members and friends, testifying to the significance of CUUC in our lives. It is pretty
impressive. This little church makes a difference. I hope enough of us feel that way to give what it
takes in the way of money, time, effort, ideas, energy and creativity to enable CUUC to continue to
make differ ences in our lives.
As we experience and celebrate the lingering hope and promise of the Colorado Springtime, let's
all work to make sure we are planting and nurturing the seeds that will allow the fulfillment of our
many hopes for CUUC.
Happy Spring!
Ruthanne
Ruthanne Cauley
President of the Board of Trustees
CUUC Book Club Meeting
April's book is "Snow in August" by Pete Hamill. The Library Journal says this about “Snow in August”:
“In Brooklyn in 1947, Michael Devlin, an 11-year-old Irish kid who spends his days reading Captain Marvel and
anticipating the arrival of Jackie Robinson, makes the acquaintance of a recently emigrated Orthodox rabbi. In exchange for lessons in English and baseball, Rabbi Hirsch teaches him Yiddish and tells him of Jewish life in old Prague and of the mysteries of the Kabbalah. Anti-Semitism soon rears its head in the form of a gang of young Irish
toughs out to rule the neighborhood. As the gang escalates its violence, it seems that only being as miraculously
powerful as Captain Marvel or a golem could stop them. Strongly evoking time and place, Hamill, editor of New
York's Daily News, serves up a coming-of-age tale with a hearty dose of magical realism mixed in.”
We'll be meeting on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30 at CUUC to discuss “Snow in August”. All are welcome!
Page 4
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
Musings
As I set fingertips to keyboard this month, my mood is a good deal more hopeful than it was the last
time I sat down to write this column. With the support of several of you, I realized that I could make
a positive difference in the lives of people I love, even though the pattern of my
choices in relationships is not something a family counselor would hold up as an
ideal. As long as I am aware of the pattern and honest about it within my relationships, I can follow my heart, guide with my sense of fairness, and love without making
a fool of myself or hurting others. Maybe I needed the despair in order to reach the
insight.
For me, that is the mythological truth of the crucifixion and resurrection. In between
forgiving the soldiers for nailing him to the cross and commending his spirit into God’s hands, Jesus is quoted one of the psalms of lamentation, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It
was the cry of the prophet in his most human and vulnerable moment. Most of us experience that
kind of despair sometime in our lives. For me, resurrection means recovering from that
despair. It is a metaphor for the power of love. I think it fair to say that Jesus died for
love. Or, more accurately, he chose to serve a loving, forgiving God over obedience to
the laws that defined his people. He spoke in God’s name as he healed with forgiveness. When his commitment was seen by Jewish authorities as heresy, he continued to
preach this “new covenant” even in the face of death. It is that commitment to love that
survived his death - that, for me, is the resurrection. I love the idea
that it is the commitment to love that survives the times of darkness,
and carries my spirit through the annealing fire into a new way of being. I don’t
believe that Jesus’ suffering bought me forgiveness from an unforgiving God,
or that my sins are so grievous only this sacrifice would atone. I do believe,
though, that Jesus’ death taught us a powerful truth: love is what survives, and
what carries the spirit through the darkness into new light.
Jo Winn
Books the Book Club has Read!!
January The DaVinci Code
March
Cry, The Beloved Country
May
Little Altars Everywhere
July
Eventide
September The Shadow of the Wind
November The Giver
2005 January
Nickel and Dimed
March
Reading Lolita in Tehran
2004
Dan Brown
Alan Paton
Rebecca Wells
Kent Haruf
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Lois Lowr
Barbara Ehrenreich
Azar Nafisi
Page 5
February
April
June
August
October
December
February
April
The Human Stain
Philip Roth
Dark Star Safari
Paul Theroux
Duty
Bob Green
Traveling Mercies
Anne Lamott
The Devil...White City Erik Larson
— OFF —
Killer Angels
Michael Shaara
Snow in August
Pete Hamill
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
Part Time DRE Needed
Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church is looking for a creative and energetic person to be our next
part- time Director of Religious Education. CUUC is a growing, thriving congregation of about 75 members who have a very positive outlook on the future of our church. We currently have about 12-16 children from a variety of age groups attending the Sunday morning religious education classes. We also
have approximately 10 youth who attend either the Junior High or Senior High youth groups on Sunday evenings.
The person who will succeed in this position will be experienced with children and youth, preferably of
UU background, and will be someone who is willing to take the initiative to implement new ideas while
possessing the flexibility to create an RE program that complements the other programs that we have
in place.
Responsibilities: (in collaboration with the RE Committee)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plan and adapt the curricula for the Sunday morning religious education classes, including
occasional intergenerational services.
Recruit, supervise and support teacher volunteers and youth group leaders
Coordinate, meet with, and collaborate with the minister and other committees
Stay current with Religious Education topics and training
Attend Sunday services to meet with parents and network with the congregation in order to
build the program
Handle administrative details such as registration, attendance, and contacting visitors who
have children
Compensation:
•
•
We anticipate that the average workweek will be approximately 16 hours, with compensation
to be negotiable based on the qualifications of the candidate.
A stipend is available, so that the incumbent may pursue continuing education and/or professional development
The demographics of our area will support a program with up to 35 or more children. We expect the
position and the compensation to grow as the program grows.
To Apply:
Please send a resume to Barbara Karakusis, 6724 S. Webster Street, Littleton CO. 80128, or call
(303) 972-1716. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the best days to reach us. You may also
contact us by e-mail at [email protected]
Girlyman is Coming to CUUC!!
CUUC is privileged to present Girlyman, the nationally known group who recently toured with
the famous Indigo Girls. Girlyman will appear at CUUC on April 9 at 8pm. They are contemporary folk singers who
have marvelous harmonies and touching and joyous lyrics. Their sly humor is also a draw. David Letterman had
them perform on his show last Fall. They play a variety of instruments and have a wonderful rapport with their audience. These young gay musicians are clearly on a quick road to stardom. Invite
friends to this special event. Part of the ticket price will be a donation to Rainbow Alley, the only
GLBTQ youth organization in the Denver area. A full 20% of the ticket price will to Rainbow Alley. And part will go to CUUC too! Here is a chance to have fun while helpng!! Ticket price is $15
each, $10 for students. Contact Sue Dressel for more information at [email protected]
Page 6
The Columbine Connection
Life is What Happens in Monday Night
Small Group
April 2005
(Ministerial Relations Continued)
A church with a strong Committee on Ministry equalizes the
relationship between members of the congregation and the
minister. “The idea behind a COM,” says the Rev. Tracey
Robinson-Harris, the UUA’s director of congregational services, “is to move away from putting sole responsibility (or
blame) on the minister for the ministry of the congregation of
which the minister is a part.”
While pondering this idea, I realized that there is already a
great deal of co-ministry going on within our congregation.
We already have a strong foundation of caring for each other.
Examples of our co-ministry are:
• two small group ministries which have met weekly since
last summer
• social justice group
• dream interpretation group
• Caring Committee
• Welcoming Congregation Committee
These are just a few examples of what already exists or has
existed within our church.
The Monday night small group meets the 2nd and 4th
Mondays of each month. Life events provide the inspiration for discussion. The large and small transitions of life are seen as opportunities to find support
and cultivate friendships in the small group. None of
these transitions, challenges or changes are "all good", nor
are they "all bad". Each is as much a source of humor as
frustration.
What we do about these challenges and how closely we
examine them shapes our lives and our futures.
The group is considering embarking on some voluntary “journaling" and other exercises, such as "turning experiences into memoirs" by writing short stories
or essays to be shared with the group, or simply
telling a story, from our past or present circumstances. Some how, talking out loud about our
day to day experiences puts them into perspective.
New members are welcome! The Monday Night Small So, if we already are doing great things, why the need for a
Group will meet at CUUC on April 11 and 25 at 7 p.m.
Committee on Ministry?
Try us out!
It is the concept of a shared ministry. Simply, we as members
of the congregation share the responsibility of ministry with
Ministerial Relations
Barry. It is active rather than passive; empowering as opposed
I have been chairing the Ministerial Relations Committee to making one feel dependent. Many UU churches around the
since July. During that time, Barry has often spoken of his country have successful and strong committees on ministry.
vision for a Committee on Ministry as opposed to a Ministerial Relations Committee. At first it struck me as merely “Moving beyond the Ministerial Relations model, which only
“preacher shop talk” or some form of UU jargon, much like focused on the professional minister, to a COM (Committee
in certain sectors of corporate America where “optimizing” on Ministry), has expanded our vision of shared ministry,”
really means firing people. I didn’t get it. Yet Barry talked said Rev. Amy Freedman of Newport, R.I. “Where the governing board oversees the operations of the church, the COM
about it at every meeting, passionately and resolutely.
oversees the quality of our relationships. We have been able to
At first, I just didn’t get it. What is co-ministry? What is a create new ways to enhance our communication and ways of
Committee on Ministry? I had a knee-jerk reaction to the working together from ideas born in this committee.”
word ministry. It is a word I hear all too often from folks on
the fundamentalist Christian side of the street, and it usually We already have an active and caring congregation. By taking
means pushing your religious beliefs onto someone else; some more steps we can stride into becoming an even more
vibrant and higher-functioning congregation. Are you are inwhether they want it or not.
trigued by this notion? If you are, like me, let’s begin talking
Hmmmmm. Shared ministry…..co-ministry.
with each other about it; talking with Barry about it; reading
Gradually, it is making sense to me, and frankly, I can see about it on the UUA website. If you are energized at the
why Barry is so excited about it. The notion of co- ministry thought of it, please consider the possibility of creating a
is simply when one of us is compassionate to another. It is a Committee on Ministry at CUUC.
philosophy which empowers individuals in the congregation
to minister to each other and to others outside of the church. "The sharing of power by the clergy and sharing the benefits
of participation in the active ministry of the church is the real
Many of us are here because we fled from churches based gift Unitarian Universalism has to offer its people," says Elleron a hierarchy with the minister or priest on top. The mem- Isaacs, co-minister at Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul, MN.
bers of the congregation were like children sitting at his
feet; his feet, because the minister or priest was always a It took me a while to “get” it. . . . . but now that I “get” it, I
man. His job was to impart great wisdom. The congregation like it! I hope some of you do, too. I look forward to chatting
with you more about it.
tion’s would have the job of passively absorbing it.
Page 7
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
You are cordially invited to
CUUC’s Appreciation Weekend
Saturday, April 2, 2005 6:00 PM
Dinner and Entertainment
Sunday, April 3, 2005
10:30 AM
Community Service
We have a great evening planned on Saturday, April 2. Please come and bring
the entire family! Our Appreciation dinner is more fun than it should be with
good company, food, drink, music and great entertainment. Come prepared to
enjoy a great evening of true CUUC comedy.
We also will have a wonderful service on Sunday, April 3. You won’t want to
miss out as we join together in a celebration of community. We will complete the
pledging process at the end of the service. You should have received your Canvass packet already – please read the information in it and come prepared to fill
out your pledge form. “No pain / we all gain” - a quick, easy, fun and fulfilling
pledging process.
Sue Z.
Sue Zloth
Canvass Chair
So that there is no confusion or doubt about the deadlines for the Columbine Connection, the policy will be to post
the deadlines for the next 13 months in every issue. Until further notice, which could be next month, the drop dead
deadline for every issue will be the Thursday prior to the last Sunday of the month. We want the Newsletter to be
available on the last Sunday of the month at CUUC and mailed so that the rest of the subscribers get the current issue before the first Sunday of the month. The drop dead deadline for the next thirteen issues, beginning with May
2005, will be at midnight on the following dates:
April 21, May 26, June 23, July 28, August 25, September 22, October 27, November 24, December 22, January 26, February 23, March 23, April 27.
Page 8
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
UU Service Committee Tsunami Relief
As of the end of February, the generosity of our members and supporters is estimated
to have raised more than $1.5 million dollars for the UUSC-UUA Tsunami Relief
Fund. Read stories of those who survived the disaster, how UUs and UU congregations
are responding and how your donation is being used. Visit: www.uusc.org/tsunami.
This is only one of the projects supported by your volunteer work for others at CUUC.
If you want to offer or use a service, please contact Terry DiNicola via e-mail [email protected]
or by phone at (303) 730-3838.
Flower Power Takes Care of Moms, Benefits CUUC
Orders are now being taken for Hanging Baskets, Patio Pots and Spring Garden
Bowls. Filled with quality, Colorado-grown plants, these ideal Mother's Day gifts will be
delivered to CUUC on Saturday, May 7. A nice selection of bedding plants is also available for more serious gardeners.
Place your order now for a beautiful hanging basket or patio pot of select or mixed plants
for the Mom in your life, or order several to add color and fragrance to your porch or patio.
You can't beat the price tag of $19 for hanging baskets. Pots and bowls range from 8 inches
to 20 inches in diameter and from $15 to $75 in price. In addition to enjoying the flowers,
you'll have the added satisfaction of contributing to Columbine Unitarian Universalist
Church. Invite your friends and family to share in this project! They'll appreciate the value
of quality plants at good prices.
Call Judith Wright at 303.241.5491 for more information, or e-mail [email protected].
Grocery Coupons!!
Every time you purchase grocery coupons you are donating to the financial health of the church. Coupons are redeemable at King Soopers, Albertsons, Safeway and Grocery Warehouse though they only say King
Soopers on the Coupon. If you buy $50.00 per week of grocery coupons,
in 10 years you will have contributed $1,300.00
to CUUC! And it did not cost you anything
since you receive a dollars worth of groceries
for every dollar of coupons you buy. It is a
great way to support CUUC!!!!
UUSC Holiday Card Design Contest 2005
You're invited to submit your designs for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's 2005 holiday cards. Artists of all ages and skill levels are urged to share their work. Winner's names and congregations will appear on their cards which will be purchased and shared by UUs nationwide. Proceeds benefit UUSC's worldwide efforts to advance human rights and social justice. Visit
www.uusc.org/holidaycards for more details and submission guidelines. Submissions must be received by UUSC on or before May 6, 2005.
Page 9
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
ARE YOU IN CUUC'S COMMUNICATIONS LOOP?
Want to be sure you are getting the latest CUUC info? Are you in the full CUUC communications loop?
We have a MASTER contact list kept by Barb in the church office — name, address, phone, email, status
(member, pledging friend or visitor). Barb, Carmen, Ann Wederspahn, and the Membership Committee have
just worked to update the MASTER E-MAIL LIST. Barb generates mail labels and maintains the Master email lists. ALL CORRECTIONS SHOULD GO TO BARB's e-mail at [email protected].
CUUC leaders should always notify Barb when they learn of contact information changes, including e-mail
changes for members and friends.
IF you are properly listed on the MASTER list, you should be getting the following:
Monthly newsletter: Passed out at church front desk in labeled or unlabeled versions; labeled ones mailed
to members and pledging friends who don't pick theirs up at CUUC. Unlabeled ones are for visitors. If you
wish to submit an item for the newsletter, contact the editor, Carmen Corica, at [email protected]
Directory: List of members and pledging friends, usually distributed annually
to those groups.
E-mails: All Church announcements and newsletter deadline announcements
go to all members, pledging friends, and visitors who ask for communications and give us
their e-mail address.
Committee e-mails: You get these if you serve on a CUUC Committee or
the Board.
Special interest e-mails: YOU CAN OPT IN OR OPT OUT to receive Interfaith food sales,
Women's Group, Men's group, new RE/parents events, small group, or other special interest
group e-mails.
Websites:
CUUC website: www.columbineuuchurch.org
UUA website: www.uua.org
UU Mt. District website: www.uua.org/mdd
UUSC website: www.uusc.org
Interfaith Community Services website: www.ifcs.org
Magazine: Each CUUC member should be getting a copy of the UU World magazine as CUUC pays a membership fee to the UUA (at pledge time you may have volunteered to pay your own UUA pledge). Members
who are not getting a UU World or those who want to find out if they paid their UUA portion of their
pledge should contact the Treasurer, Lorraine Kreznar at [email protected].
NOT SURE IF YOU ARE GETTING WHAT YOU WANT OR IF WE ARE CURRENT ON YOUR INFO?
E-mail Barb at [email protected] and she can check your info or take your update. Or fill out a
CUUC CONTACT/DIRECTORY UPDATE FORM which will always be on the BACK TABLE at CUUC.
If you want more information on Membership or CUUC programs, contact Mike Evans at [email protected] or Sue Dressel [email protected] who are both on the Membership Committee or you
can contact the Minister of CUUC directly, Reverend Barry Bloom at [email protected].
Page 10
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION — JOIN THE ADVENTURE
Many exciting topics are included in the offerings of the Denver Center for Spiritual Renewal winter/spring semester. Classes are held at various UU churches throughout the metro area as part of a coordinated Adult Religious
Education program. Catalogs for the Denver Center are available now on the back table at the church. Please pick
one up this week! The first classes started in January. You can access information regarding classes at
www.DenverCSR.org or through the CUUC website.
Sign up now for:
Famous Unitarian Universalists: Myths and Myth-conceptions
Instructor: Ron Hill
Dates: Saturdays, April 30 and May 7, 9am — Noon (NOTE: Date change)
Who were some of the famous UU’s? Critique such famous individuals as: Thomas Jefferson,
Joseph Priestley, Adlai Stevenson, Christopher Reeve, and many more.
You can sign up at the back table at CUUC if you are interested in this class. We are also looking for instructors for future classes. Please contact Judy Kary, 303-972-4672 or [email protected], for more information regarding adult RE opportunities or to volunteer to teach.
The Misadventure of a Not-so-Famous Unitarian
Nineteenth century European-Americans expected their government to “civilize” Native Americans by suppressing
non-Christian religions. To this end, President Grant invited Christian denominations to nominate people to serve as
federal Indian agents to the tribes.
One such agent was Jabeze Neversink Trask, a Unitarian with outstanding religions credentials. A graduate of Harvard University and the Cambridge Divinity School, the forty-year-old Trask came strongly recommended by the
Unitarian denomination. He was assigned to the Los Pinos Agency, twenty-six miles west of Gunnison, Colorado, to
serve the Utes.
Initially, Trask exuded enthusiasm for the job. The Interior Department provided for his transportation only to St. Joseph, Missouri, but he willingly paid his way from there to Denver. After receiving orientation in Denver from the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, he was too impatient to wait for carriage transportation to the agency; he walked 150 miles.
A descendant from fishermen of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Trask was also known for his simple character. Simplistic or not, the Utes as well as others found some of his traits disturbing. A cook at the agency gave this account of
the agent’s appearance in the kitchen:
“Mr. Trask eyed me through enormous green goggles as I peeled a tub of potatoes...he was somewhat of a crank, and
a very penurious one.”
Along with the green goggles he wore a swallow-tail coat adorned with gigantic brass buttons, skin-tight pants that
flared at the ankles, and an old-fashioned beaver hat sporting an exaggerated brim. Little wonder that Jabeze
Neversink Trask became the target of Ute ridicule.
But he had more serious character flaws. He refused to respect the Utes’ culture; they expected token gifts for cooperating but he ignored the tradition. At the outset, Ute Chief Ouray saw he was unfit for the post; he was ineffective and
slow to make decisions, took little initiative, and left money allocated for the Utes sitting in the bank. The Utes accused him of locking himself in his house and refusing to issue rations. They said he treated them “like dogs.” At his
own expense, Chief Ouray went to Washington and pleaded with President Grant for Trask’s removal.
A special agent from Washington found the account books and records at the agency in total confusion and concluded
that Trask was woefully ignorant of the Utes’ traditions and problems. After viewing the agent’s report, the Unitarians recommended Trask’s removal.
Trask defended himself and declared, ”...I shall see what is the honor of working at peril of health and life...without a
shadow of protection from my Government.”
Due to his idiosyncrasies Jabeze Neversink Trask, the not-so-famous Unitarian, did little to spread the white mans’
religion among the Utes. And he failed to look out for their more worldly good; his successor found $25,000 that was
supposed to have been spent for the Utes languishing in a Denver bank.
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The Columbine Connection
April 2005
Transitions
Transitions and changes are a fact of life. Sometimes the transitions are not easy, even when we look forward
to the changes we’re going to make.
This year has been such a year for the Religious Education program at CUUC. I told the RE folks who interviewed me last May that I saw myself as a transition RE Director — that I would try to help them figure out
what they wanted for the children and youth, help them develop and implement that program, and also figure
out how many hours weekly it would actually take to do it. With considerable creative, sometimes
hard and sometimes frustrating work by many of members of the congregation and the RE Committee, many of the ideas were accomplished. These include the renovation of the back
rooms, an office area for the DRE, writing a Religious Education Mission Statement, development of spiritual child-worded UU Principles, a few Belief in Action projects, providing supplies and food for the Mountain Desert District Youth Leadership Conference,
encouragement of family-centered activities, more intergenerational services.
Through it all the congregation has been supportive, or at least understanding, of the changes and of our work.
You also shared your concerns and we have been able to work out compromises such as the children‘s story.
We are now entering into a new time of transition, or perhaps we’re still in the process of the original one, as I
leave and you go through the process of finding and adjusting to what we hope will be a long-term replacement. The RE Committee has set up a time line for the process and met on March 13 to refine the job description to be sent to churches and interested groups, and to decide how to carry out the tasks of interviewing and
hiring. The job description is elsewhere in the newsletter You can help by reading it and mentioning the position to folks you think would be good candidates — it doesn’t have to be someone with lots of professional
qualifications, but someone who loves and has experience with children and youth, who has organizational
skills, who has a good understanding of Unitarian-Universalism, and who is willing to take the initiative to
implement new ideas while possessing the flexibility to create an RE program that complements the other
programs that we have in place. Please mention those folks to the Religious Education Committee, especially Jim Hopkins, Penny Evans, or Jane Wiater. Word of mouth is an effective way to find good candidates!
I will continue my responsibilities through the remainder of the school year, be sure arrangements are made for
summer Sundays, and will help get the curriculum set up so the program will be ready to go in the fall. We
hope to have a new DRE hired by June 1 so that I can help with training and fall preparation. I will also be
available for consultation to the new DRE in the fall.
As I’ve said before, CUUC is a wonderful church to serve as Director of Religious Education.
In Faith,
Sandy Prins
Director of Religious Education
It is the editorial policy of this newsletter to print whatever is sent to us for inclusion, unless we
think the item will be offensive or hurtful. It occurred to us that it would be interesting reading to
hear how others came to call themselves Unitarian Universalists. This, then, is an invitation to share
that part of your faith’s journey with our readership. All other topic are open for submission also.
Page 12
The Columbine Connection
April 2005
April 2005
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
CUUC
Canvas Dinner
Show
6pm
4
3
Youth Group
6:30p
Worship 10:30a
Youth Group
6:30p
17
11
Small Group
Ministry
7:00p
Youth Group
6:30p
8
Men’s Group
7:00p
12
9
Girlyman
Concert
8pm
14
20
21
RE Committee
6:30p
Men’s Group
7:00p
Women’s Circle
7:00p
Newsletter
Deadline 12:00p
26
Worship
Committee
6:30p
15
16
22
23
29
30
Small Group
Ministry
7:00p
19
25
Small Group
Ministry
7:00p
13
CUUC
Board Meeting
7:00p
18
Youth Group
6:30p
Worship 10:30a
7
Women’s Circle
7:00p
Worship 10:30a
24
6
Committee on
Ministry
4:30pm
Worship 10:30a
10
5
27
Book Club
7:30p
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28
Small Group
Ministry
7:00p
The Columbine Connection
THE
Officers
COLUMBINE CONNECTION
Is published monthly by
Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church
6724 S. Webster Street
Littleton CO 80128
Phone: 303-972-1716
April 2005
Ruthann Cauley
Mike Evans
Loraine Kreznar
Sue Fraley
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Trustees
Rachel Paull
Greg Bradt
John Kary
Sunday Morning Worship Begins at 10:30am
Coffee & Conversation Served After Service
Home
www.columbineuuchurch.org
ALL ARE WELCOME!!
The Columbine Connection
Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church
6724 S. Webster Street
Littleton CO 80128
Page 14