Ken's latest pointer: Film, Why We Fight

You need to see this film and visit its site -- so says Ken. I listened and agree.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/

Annual report, service auction

Sunnyhill's Annual Report for last year is out and looking good. Our Annual Meeting is slated for Sunday, April 9 during LifeCraft. That is when we will vote for new board members and review the past year.

A special collection comes at this Sunday's service for the Jubilee Soup Kitchen.

The Service Auction is on for Saturday night -- and it will be fun.

UUs hit Vegas

Have a fun, safe trip. And, we'll keep the lights on you for fun. Home

BONFIRE

How long has it been since you couldn't hear the "civilized" sounds of vehicles and appliances?

Experience it with us.

It’s our spring bonfire! We hope you’ll come! And bring whomever: And whatever (e.g. dogs, kites, balls)! It’s on Saturday, April 1 from 2:00 PM until after dark, but come whenever you can. We plan to light the bonfire at around 2:30, watch the flames roar up, and then let the fire slow down as it burns into the evening. It’s at ‘Playland’, our 13 acre property on Welsh Road in Chartiers Township, Washington County. (See the attached map.) That is approximately 10 minutes from the Meadowlands Racetrack and McDonalds. It’s rustic: and we don’t mean just no phone or computer. We mean no plumbing, no electricity, no shelter --- and few restrictions. If the thrill of a bonfire in the meadow isn’t enough for you, there are acres of woods to explore (dress for poison ivy just in case) and many of us picnic, play, and stretch our muscles. Whatever the case, bring clothing for all seasons. (One year the weather went from T-shirt weather to a blizzard in the same afternoon!)

You may want to bring lawnchairs and blankets, yoga mats and guitars, ... We'll provide all the fixings for vegan and non-vegan some-mores, hot dogs and water. Some people bring food and drink to share - that's really nice. And, if you have some tree parts that you want to get rid of - just bring them and throw them on the fire. (We had someone bring a box of old tax records, but that did not work out so well as some of the pages were sucked up in the heat to perhaps 100 feet up, and then the breezes wafted them away.)

In case of bad weather (i.e. a LOT of rain or wind), it will be postponed to Sunday afternoon. Please note that the weather at Playland has always been better that in Allegheny County and that we have never had to postpone. If you RSVP, we will know with whom to get in touch in case of questionable weather. Feel free also to call or email us about the weather situation or anything else.

Hope to see you there!

Peter and Denise

Concert at Allegheny UU, April 22

DownUnder Coffeehouse, Allegheny UU Church

Contact: Steve Hirtle, downunder -at- alleghenyuu -dot- org

Eve Goodman and Jack at the DownUnder

You are invited to attend the DownUnder Coffeehouse on Saturday, Apr 22 from 7:30-9:30 to hear Eve Goodman and Jack. Eve is a wonderful singer-songwriter, whose intricate guitar-playing and insightful lyrics will leave you captivated. The band Jack features three of the most loved songwriters from the Calliope Songwriters Circle: Stacy Mates, Dave LaRose and George Kantor. Come hear some of Pittsburgh's
most exciting singer-songwriters in a relaxed coffeehouse atmosphere.

The DownUnder Coffeehouse is open one Saturday each month in Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church, 416 West North Ave, North Side. Suggested donation is $5.00. Desserts and coffee will be available. Call 412-322-4261 or see www.alleghenyuu.org for more details.

Did the phone call test work for you?

The caring committee gave a test last week of the automatic phone tree. Any feedback is welcomed.

Kill this suicide pact

Kill this suicide pact - PittsburghLIVE.com (Editor's note: This column is adapted from a longer address scheduled to be delivered today to the fine folks of the 'Lifecraft' program of the Unitarian Church of the South Hills in Mt. Lebanon.)

Sunday Forum Discussion and Leader -- Bill of Rights with Colin McNickle

Colin McNickle, Trib editor, is to talk with us about the Patriot Act and the Bill of Rights. You may wish to review the Bill of Rights, particularly Amendment IV.

See you at 10:15 a.m. this Sunday at LifeCraft.

Benefit concert at UU of the North Hills

FREEDOM TO MARRY BENEFIT

February 11th at 7:00 pm, UUCNH (Unitarian Universalist Church of the North
Hills) kicks off Freedom to Marry Week with a Musical Revue by Proudly
Presents Productions. There will be refreshments in a cabaret/dinner
theatre setting. All proceeds will benefit Marriage Equality Pennsylvania
Chapter and Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh. Tickets are $10
if purchased in advance. Tickets purchased at the door are $12 ($10 for
students). Celebrate Valentine's Day a few days early with your special
someone, and join us for an evening of music and merriment as we raise money
and our voices in support of the freedom to marry for all. Visit
www.uucnh.org for directions to the church. For advance tickets, see Betty
Luff between services.

This Little Light Of Mine....

Sing it loud.

Calling in time

Traditionally, Sunyhill's Caring Committee has used a "telelphone tree" to alert members and friends to time-sensitive information. One person calls several others on a prearranged list. Those people call others, and so on, until everyone has the news.

The committee has the opportunity to automate the largest portion of the phone tree.

The proposed system will work like this: By telephone, members and friends in the 412 area will receive a short prerecorded message that alerts them to check their e-mail for details. For those without e-mail, the message will provide telephone numbers to call for details.

The Caring Committee will test the automated system, in the 412 area code only, in the middle of the week of Feb. 12. The 724 and other area codes will still be personally called.

Please help the committee work the bugs out of the system by calling Margaret Lindquist (412-563-4764) or Emilie Marlier (412-343-3235) about any problems you have in receiving the telephone call, the e-mail, or responding to the message.

Sunnyhill member, Mark Rauterkus, hosting a house concert on Feb 2 at South Side

Our musical friend, Johnsmith, we we had the please of meeting at SUUSI, is going to be in Pittsburgh and performing two sets at a fun evening at our home / office. Details are at the site, S6.CLOH.Org.

I hope to see a lot of Sunnyhill members here.

Phone booth in China. I don't think they'd like the prayer station, shown in the other photo, so much.

This is a photo I took in a Chicago park. It is a "prayer booth." You fold out the kneeling pads and pray, much like a phone booth. No need to insert quaters. What are the things you might pray for in 2006?

How's your blood?

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King:

One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying. A persistent schizophrenia leaves so many of us tragically divided against ourselves...How often are our lives characterized by a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds!

Worldview V - Insights from lecture on I.D.

Worldview V Intelligent Design Honors Council Lecture
Last night I delivered a BSU Honors Council lecture on Intelligent Design -- and even got my 15 seconds of fame on the BSU marquee! (thanks to student Jeremy for the photos) Huge crowd for this sort of thing...probably around 120! I based my talk on a series of inter-linked concept maps that I am developing to provide a relatively comprehensive overview of various aspects of intelligent design -- its historical origins, its scientific vacuity, its apparent appeal to large segments of American society, and the cultural/political motivations of some of its most ardent proponents. Have a look...this will remain a work in progress for some time so I welcome suggestions.

Childrens' Choir

Eight at Eight Dinners for spring, 2006

You are cordially invited to join the traditional Eight at Eight Dinners. This is a great way to meet people. Each person or couple hosts once, providing the main dish, and attends 3 dinners bringing a dish assigned by the host. You can also sign up to be a substitute. This is a superb way to dodge the gloom of winter and brighten your evening with the light of Sunnyhillian food, drink, and conversation.

Dates: February 4, March 4, April 1, May, 2006.

RSVP Dennis Sweeney or sign up using the sheet in the Church dining room.

Banner from UUA and a ring for funds from locals

I got an interesting phone call today from a telemarketing firm. They were asking for donations to the new UUA fund on issues. There was a letter from October that called upon more coordination and organization of efforts on issues that would lead to actions in the nation's capital.

I've got to learn more about that.

But, what was wildly interesting was that the call came from a few blocks away. A South Side firm has the business. They are making the calls to UUs throughout the nation. And, many UUs are on the phones too. A gent from the North Hills church was calling me. He said he thought my name was familiar.

I'm going to meet him, I hope, to talk about this further.

Interesting. Very interesting.

S.W.I.M. 2005 -- Heavenly Bodies

Southeast Unitarian Universalist Winter Institute, Inc., in Miami goes from December 26th - January 1, 2006.

Vacation with UUs in South Florida!

S.W.I.M., the Southeast Unitarian Universalist Winter Institute in Miami, is all about having fun in a supportive UU community in the warm Miami sunshine! S.W.I.M.'s annual intergenerational retreat for UUs and like-minded people of all ages happens every year from December 26th through Jan 1st.

S.W.I.M. offers south Florida hospitality, outdoor adventures (including tours, hikes, windsurfing, canoeing, and sailing), workshops (including spirituality and personal growth), special programs for youth, teens, and young adults, fantastic food, and a new community of friends from across the continent.

Play, laugh, sing, and celebrate New Year's Eve at S.W.I.M.! Join UUs from all over North America for a week of fun in the sun!

For more information, please visit us online at http://www.swimuu.org

S.W.I.M. is a member in good standing of CU2C2, the Council of Unitarian Universalist Camps & Conferences, an Independent Affiliate of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

You can find more UU retreats featured on the inside cover of the Spring 2006 Issue of the UU World.