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.

So, we have an election policy now? Where it that.

Can someone please post the new election policy to this blog or via email to Mark -at-Rauterkus.com. It was mentioned in the Nov edition of The Drummer. But, it was not presented there. Was it published in the past editions? Did I miss it?

If you know of it, what do you think?

Reactions on bylaws session from Peter Konke

I attended a bylaws session, and my thoughts were duly noted, but I would like to give a wider airing of them.

The driving force for the bylaws update is apparently to give the president a 2 year term instead of a 1 year term. Along the way, the entire bylaws are being updated, which is a great idea.

But there are more paradigms than just 1 vs 2 years. I am familiar with an entirely different approach from my work on the Montour Trail Council. First, I was almost shocked that there were an even number of people on the board. I have never heard of such a thing, presumably as it permits the possibility of tie votes. But my main point is that the officers are elected each year by the board, NOT the congregation. Also, the president is limited to 3 consecutive one-year terms. This allows for 1, 2, or 3 year tenures. Great flexibility.

Works fine for the MTC. Don't know about Sunnyhill. My purpose in bringing this up is to stimulate conversation and thought.

Peter Kohnke

Cheaper for you.

Mt. Lebanon dollar store plans find some chilly attitudes

Mt. Lebanon dollar store plans find some chilly attitudes 'That's right, folks, soon we'll have our very own Dollar General store. Ugh,' posted Josephine Posti on a Mt. Lebanon blog under the headline 'In the ghetto.'

Pledge Drive Kick Off

Saturday, October 22, 2005 @ 7 PM

To Celebrate the 2006- 3 week only Pledge Drive

What’s Happening: Appetizers, Music, Fellowship, Rousing excitement regarding this year’s pledge drive

Babysitting Available
RSVP a must: George Williams. Or sign up sheet in the coffee room. Please notify us of babysitting needs.

Snap from Hong Kong museum. Humm...

Some concerts updates

There are still seats left for the Mt. Lebanon House Concert featuring Clarke Buehling, master of the finger-style banjo. Mr. Buehling blows the dust off some fine old banjo tunes and songs about `possums and raccoons on Wednesday, Oct 26 at 8:00 at Curt and Annie's house in Mt. Lebanon.

Clarke Buehling is a phenomenal entertainer. He is widely recognized for his interpretations of late 19th century, classic finger-style banjo music. Clarke is also in the forefront of the recent resurgence of interest in the earlier minstrel banjo style. He presents the music and humor of those times.

Clarke will also be offering PRIVATE LESSONS on the afternoon of SUNDAY, OCT 30--if you want to learn minstrel style or old-time three-finger style banjo, he's your man. He has taught private and group lessons since 1972 at venues including the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Augusta Heritage Center, and the Tennessee Banjo Institute.

For more information or reservations for the house concert or private lessons, please reply to this email or call me at 412-343-0498.

Hope to see you at the concert!

Annie Trimble

Upcoming concerts:

Oct 15 Tommy Emanuel (Calliope)
Oct 23 4 pm Eric Schwartz, hosted by Llouise and Jim altes@potomacnetworks.com
Oct 26 (Wed) Clarke Buehling (workshop), hosted by Curt and Annie AnnieT@southwind-pa.com
Nov 6, 4p Kate McDonnell, hosted by Llouise and Jim altes@potomacnetworks.com
Nov 6, 7:30p Great Bear Trio, hosted by Curt and Annie AnnieT@southwind-pa.com
Nov 8 (Tues), 7:30p Chuck Suchy, hosted by Cindy cah@lonewolf.com
Nov 9 (Wed), Freebo & Jim Photoglo, hosted by Ken Batista & Tica Hall folkradio@earthlink.net
Nov 19 Andy Statman Trio (Calliope)
Dec 2, 8p Dwight Diller, hosted by Cindy cah@lonewolf.com
Dec 10 Del McCoury (Calliope)

2006
Jan 21 Odetta (Calliope)
Feb. 25 Paul Rishell & Annie Raines (Calliope)
Mar 18 Flook (Calliope)
Apr 5 (Wed) Harvey Reid, hosted by Cindy cah@lonewolf.com
Apr 22 Tom Rush (Calliope)

Art flashback

Nonprofits were to pay the city $5-million for budget year 2005. It has yet to arrive. Meanwhile, the Salvation Army wants to buy a city park in Brighton Heights for $100. Humm. The city has a policy that it does NOT sell off its property to tax cheats. That's a good policy.

H&H needs volunteers and more

Harvest & Holiday utilizes the most volunteers of any of our fund raisers. To make it possible we need 104 volunteers. To date we have filled 32 of those slots. We have 11 days to fill 72 more. Please add your name to the sign up sheet in the dinning room or call Ann Callen at 412-851-9057.. The hours are short and it is a great way to get to know more of our community. We would love to see men sign up too! There will be a training for all volunteers working at the sale on October 2nd at 12:30 in the main sanctuary. Thanks for your help.

---

Workshop on Saturday, Nov 5 at First Church is with Rev. Forrest Church and Rev. Mark Belletini on the theme "Unitarian Universalist Values: A Vision for Our World" and it is bound to be a moving and educational seminar. Please refer to the dining
room for more details.

---

Fast for Darfur: On October 6th, concerned people around the world will be giving up a meal or luxury item and donating the money to humanitarian relief for civilians in Darfur, Sudan. The Faith in Action Committee will be enlisting fasters and taking donations on Sunday , October 2nd after both services. Donations will be sent as congregational contribution to the UUSC Darfur Relief Fund. Please join us.

---

"Yeast Bread 101" will be set for Oct. 2nd after the service in the Sunnyhill kitchen. If anyone would like to join this service auction class, contact Mary Beth Thakar.

Sunnyhill turns the big 4-0

Saturday, Sept 24, 2005, we're celebrating Sunnyhill's 40th Anniversary! The fun begins at 5:00 with a sing along with the choir. The food will be served at 6:30 (be sure to bring a dish that serves 8-10 people along with your own beverage). And at 8:00 there will be Informal Sunnyhill Sharing (babysitting available).

40th flashback.
Be sure to attend this Sunday's service as it will be presented by Sunnyhill founding members and organized by Lynn. Oh yeah, and don't forget to bring COOKIES for the cookie reception after each service!

This Sunday, Sept 25th during LifeCraft, Martha Sweeny and Tippi Comden have kindly offered to share some of Sunnyhill’s history with our children and youth. Everyone will meet at 10:30 and break into two groups: Grades 1-4 and grades 5-12. As part of the 40th anniversary festivities we hope the youth and children will enjoy listening to some stories about the church. For children under 5th grade, please sign up on LifeCraft sheet as usual and the babysitters will be sure to get the children to the right places at 10:30. There will be child care for younger children as usual.

Let It Be a Dance: Living Life Fully

Ric & April Masten to lead a workshop in Western Mass.

October 28-30, 2005

at Rowe Conference Center in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts
www.rowecenter.org

A “people’s poet,” “a priest and a preacher,” “poet and philosopher,” Ric Masten is recognized today as the creator of a unique genre of inspirational and spiritual poems meant to be spoken rather than read. Ric’s unusual candor, wit, insight, stand-up manner, and honesty address the magic that is in every moment in life – if we would but notice. Ric will offer us a series of presentations that will serve as ink blots to examine our own lives. We’ll explore why families matter and what keeps them going — full circle from grandparents to parents to spouses to children to grandchildren. We’ll explore growing up and growing old, youth and aging.
Ric and his daughter April will both share Ric’s poems. April will share some of her own, as well as dances that are easy and fun and get our energies circulating. Ric’s life shows that sharing creates intimacy and love, so we’ll all share some of our own lives. Bring your journals and we’ll write together. Robert Frost said, “When you want to do a ‘think,’ write about it.”

Saturday night will be a “live the metaphor” evening. We will Let It Be a Dance as April teaches dancing as a way to reconnect the mind and the body. We’ll join in a 19th Century reel, which is easy to learn, fun to do, and a great example of how dances mirror and reinforce society. Midwesterners worked together to survive, so after the barnraising, they’d eat and then dance. The dancing made the weariness from the day’s work vanish.

Sunday morning we will focus on philosophy and religion: matters of life and death, of hope and despair, of bringing our lives and our loves to fruition. Ric’s own life changed dramatically seven years ago when he was told he had terminal prostate cancer. He often expresses thanks for his cancer struggles. He’s been offered a lifetime – whatever the length – of enhanced hourly awareness. We invite you to share a weekend with him and his remarkable daughter April.

Following in the great tradition from Homer to Pete Seeger and Joan Baez, Ric Masten has been making his living by singing and reciting his own words. He does not look away; he found hatred in himself at a peace rally and spoke it. Now his grandson is a medic in Iraq. Ric is also an artist, whose paintings and one-line drawings filled our last catalogue. April Masten is an assistant professor of American History at SUNY Stony Brook, specializing in the History of Dance. Aside from being the “long suffering daughter” of a real artist and poet, Dr. Masten has developed research interests that include dances that were created along the borders between African, Irish, and Native North American cultures, including step and tap, ballads and blues, drums, fiddles, and bones. Her course “Dancing American History From Slavery to Hip Hop” enables her students to experience the steps people danced at particular times and places, enhancing their understanding of historical texts, events, and transformations.

Rowe Conference Center, Kings Highway Road, Rowe, MA 01367
413-339-4954

If you know of anyone who may enjoy this workshop, please pass along this flyer.

New bylaws arrived as an email attachment

The bylaws arrived. They look much better. Some questions remain. What about your thoughts?

Eight at Eight Sign-Up is now

Early September is the time to sign up for the Sunnyhill Eight at Eight round-robin dinners scheduled for October 1, 2005, November 5, December 10, and January 7, 2006.

Each person gets to host once providing the main course and beverages. Dishes, utensils, chairs and tables are optional. Guests provide one dish, coordinated with the host, usually and appetiser, vegetable, salad, or dessert. These are AWESOME ways to have good food, great drinks, and fun conversation with the finest folks in the area. Sign up by contacting Dennis S at 724 941-3952 or e-mail. The deadline is September 23.

While you are comteplating the glories of this Fall’s dinners how about talking it up with new members or people you would like to see join us. I cannot offer a bounty for each new diner but will remember you in my will.

Interesting visits and travels -- with water communion.

A Sunnyhill tradition is the water communion. People get to talk a bit about where they've been in the past year. In that spirit -- here is a quiz:


This is not a UU church, but it is a place of worship. Grant and I climbed the steps inside to reach the top. Can you guess what they call this building? Inside, one can leave offerings at various floors and near various statues and windows.  

Sunday, September 11, 9:00 am and 11:30 am is the Gathering of the Waters, presented by Rev. Lynn Brodie. In addition to the annual service (bring water), there’s a 9 am Baby Dedication. Each service is followed by an Ice Cream Social.

Pastoral message and solicitatin for funds to help victims of the hurricane.

Rev. Harlan Limpert, Director for District Services for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) announced that there is a fund and message concerning the victims of the hurricane.

Our recent family trip this summer allowed us to visit this UU place of worship. Any guesses were where were? 

Flying Oyster Spotting in Digital Wasteland

Flying Oyster

Darrin, blogs are not pointless if they come from people who have points to make.

I think you should come up with a new tagline.

Chalice Circle Insights

Unitarian Universalist of the South Hills is launching a new endeavor. Details on Small Group Ministry follow.

Sunnyhill’s Small Group Ministry (SGM) is named our SGM Chalice Circles (CC). Small groups have become an important part of the life of UU churches as they have found that participants have established new and deeper connections with one another, and found a place for religious exploration and spiritual growth. At the same time they testify that their small groups are connected with one another and with the life of the whole congregation and with a larger vision of us as religious liberals, as Unitarian Universalists. Those of us on the steering committee for CC are very excited that Sunnyhill will have its own program starting the fall of 2005. Here are more details!


What’s Chalice Circle About?

SGM has been found to offer congregations another and sometimes better path to realize their missions as a liberal religious community. They maintain that to be a vibrant and vital religious community, resources must be devoted to four areas:

Worship: Worship is central to the life of congregations. SGM is intended not to replace, but to augment and strengthen that shared experience.

Community: Small groups meet the need for connection and intimacy that is both a deep hunger in our society and essential to the ongoing life of a religious community.

Learning: People come to the church seeking spiritual growth, seeking to know themselves better, to grow into their understanding of the world and to ponder the age old questions of faith; how to live, what to believe, how to act, what meanings we can decipher from the mystery of life.

Service: A life of faith is a life of service. As human beings, we seek to be of use and a healthy congregation needs to provide avenues through which we may serve.

Who is in charge of CC?

Lynn Brodie, our minister will coordinate and oversee the program. An Ad Hoc Committee planned the introduction of CC into the congregation and the Board of Trustees gave their approval. Facilitators will bring feedback and ideas to their meetings that help to guide the program.

What happens at a CC meeting?

The small group meetings are focused by a collection of sessions that have been developed by another congregation. We have purchased the first year’s program and each facilitator will get a copy of the session book.. Extra copies of this program will be available for $25. Our church is permitted to keep this money as a fundraiser. Topics include religious histories, spiritual practices, loneliness, fear, poetry, healing, etc. Groups may choose their own order, direction and pace. The session Plans are simple:

Opening Words: Gather people in, help settle folks down, serve to remind participants of the special opportunity of the gathering, and often reflect the topic of the evening. Some groups will light a Chalice as well.

Check-in: Participants share news of what has been happening in their lives. Each group develops it own customs as the length of sharing or how to respond. This portion of the meeting may expand from time to time when circumstances call for it.

Topic/Discussion: A paragraph or two lays out a topic and presents questions that will elicit thoughtful discussion and significant reflection. A group may stay with a topic several weeks or be done in one meeting.

Check-out: This is a positive format for feedback at the end of each meeting. Not every group will include this every time. An example would be: “I like how we approached the topic this evening, but I wish we had moved through the sharing a little more quickly.”

Closing Words: this brings the formal session to an end. Groups are encouraged to start and end on time.

Where do groups meet?

Each group decides whether to meet primarily in members home or at the church.

What is the role of the minister?

The minister oversees the coordination of the program. She helps to recruit and train facilitators, and meets with them each month to counsel and guide. She works with the steering committee in assigning new members to existing groups, recruiting and training new facilitators and in developing new groups.

What is expected of a Small group participant?

Participants are expected to bring a positive attitude, a willingness to share and learn. What has emerged as the most important expectation that participants have for one another is to give the agreed upon meetings a high priority. While no one can make every meeting, members must make an effort to attend.

What does the facilitators do? The Chalice Facilitators facilitate the life of the group. They make sure the group begins and ends on time, or they delegate someone to do so. They remind people of the next meeting and contact group members who miss a meeting or delegate someone to do so. During the meeting, they read from the Session plans and guide the discussion, or delegate someone to do so. They meet each month with the minister and other facilitators and help to maintain the connection between individual groups and the larger church.

Who will know what I say?

There is an expectation of confidentiality within the groups. The level of comfort around confidentiality will vary within groups, so participants are encouraged to review this expectation from time to time and to renew their covenant in regards to this. When there are significant pastoral concerns, a Facilitator may ask if they can share the concern with the minister.

How does Chalice Circles grow?

New groups will be formed as people become interested and new members arrive. As new groups are formed, apprentices or experienced group members step forward to become facilitators for new groups. And, as circumstances of people’s lives change, the membership of a group may change from time to time. While it is anticipated to be sad to say goodbye, new members will be warmly welcomed and expand the circle of the connection.

What is the ideal size of participants for a Chalice Circle?

The ideal size of a chalice circle is 8-10 people. Other groups have found when the groups are greater than 10 people, intimacy wanes and participants are not able to interact as freely.

Is Chalice Circle therapy?

No. While it is expected that participants in our groups will report feeling better connected and happier in their lives, CC is not therapy. Professional therapy is readily available in our communities; we offer connection, reflection, community and spiritual growth.

How does the idea of service fit in?

From the beginning of our planning, the idea of service will be woven into the fabric of CC. We ask every group, over time, to take on some kind of service in the church community. This might be performing some maintenance project at the church, adopting a family in need over the holiday or guiding a fundraiser during the year. Service on behalf of the church is important for two reasons. First, it helps to offset the natural tendency of small, intimate groups to become self absorbed and disconnected, and second, because a necessary aspect of a growing spiritual life, a life of faith is service.


What is a Covenant and why is it necessary?

Each group will be asked to make a covenant between themselves either the second or third meeting. The purpose of the covenant is to have an agreement about how the groups’ members wish to be together. The questions most often dealt with in a covenant include but are not limited to the following:

Arrangements

Where shall we meet?
When shall we meet and for how long?

Respect for one another’s time

Do we agree to arrive by a stated time? How many minutes early is it okay for us to arrive?
Do we agree to start the meeting at the announced starting time, or is it our plan to start later than we say we’re going to?
Do we agree to stop each meeting by the announced ending time? Any exceptions?

Commitment to attend

Do we agree to make every attempt to attend each meeting?
Do we agree to let someone know in advance if we are going to have to be absent?

Sharing “airtime”

How much time do we want to allot to each person for check-in? How much time for check-out?
If someone has a need for a longer time to check in, how do we decide to allow for more time?
Do we agree to refrain from commenting on what people say during check-in until all of us have had the chance to check in?
Do we agree to monitor our own vocalizations to be sure that time is shared equitably?

General Respect

Shall we discourage advice giving?
Shall we avoid criticizing others while allowing for the critical consideration of ideas and beliefs?

Service to others

Shall we agree to spawn another group whenever our membership reaches eight or ten?
Shall we agree to find at least one way each year, as a group, to serve our church?
Shall we agree to find at leas tone way, two ways each year, as a gruop, to serve our larger community?



Why call it small group ministry?

We at Sunnyhill have come to envision the ministry of the congregations being widely shared. The called and settled professional minister is an important component, certainly, but so is the ministry of the laity. The ministry of our religious community is the work of the whole community. Our Chalice Circle as our small group ministry will be known, will encourage religious connections within the context of ongoing small groups.

How often do groups meet?

Each group develops its own schedule; the most common pattern in other churches is to meet twice a month on the first and third or second and forth week schedule. That makes scheduling easier and allows for a three-week interval from time to time. Some groups can choose to meet every week, every third week or once a month. Other churches have noted that meeting once a month does not seem to foster the connectedness that is essential for a successful SGM. You will be asked to designate how often and what days you want to meet and will be placed in a group accordingly.

How long will I be in a group?

We have decided to run our first program from the beginning of October 2005 until the end of May 2006. We have built an annual reassignment date into the program when everyone has a chance to recommit to the group they are in, or ask to join another group.

How does a person join?

Sign up sheets will be available from mid August and into September of 2005.

The above was taken from adapted from, “An Updated, Small Group Ministry Resource Book” and edited to reflect the message from Sunnyhill Steering Committee on SGM, CC.

Original source: Patricia Williams

UUs to hear about PUSH from Molly Rush

Molly Rush is presenting to a small group of UUs about PUSH this Thursday evening at Allegheny U.U. Church. I'm going to try to attend. Karen Z has gone to these meetings in the past.

B l o g - L e b o: New Link: Sunnyhill

B l o g - L e b o: New Link: Sunnyhill: "New Link: Sunnyhill"

Check out the new blog about Mt. Lebo. The host there put up links to our church site and our blog.

So now we are pointing at this guy in the mirror who is pointing back to us. Make's your head spin, UU, Quaker, Budah, or Methodist! :)

UU's gather on August 6 at noon

The recently formed UU's United for Faith In Action are sponsoring the picnic on Saturday Aug 6th from 12-5 PM. It is at Sunnyhill and involves all the area UU churches. We already have over 30 people signed up from First Church. I throw the gauntlet, as hosts, there really shouldn’t be more of them than us. Bring a pot luck dish/salad to share. Dessert will be provided. Games, instruments, etc. are requested. There are a lot of picnics going on, but this one is in our back yard! If possible, please sign up by Sunday the 31st.

Posting from Karen Z.

Picnic for Sunnyhill

Noon, Sunday Aug 14, 2005, at Braddock Grove in South Park.

Please join us for a picnic after church. We request that you bring something to
share according to the first letter of your last name.

(A-H) Salad
(I-P) Dessert
(Q-Z) Snack food (chips and dip, veggie tray...)

A grill and charcoal will be provided, but you must bring your own meat.
Also, we are collecting $5 from each family in order to buy the beer and the
soft drinks. See us after services, or mail a check to 1286 Lakemont Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA 15243.

Family Services are changing this year!

Although the Children’s Choir will sing, as usual, we are going to try out a new format for the service.

If you did not receive the following letter by mail, with
an interest form & a registration form to fill out, please contact Patricia.

Unitarian Universalist Religious Education has been changing over the past years, moving away from a model of “Sunday School classes” and towards varied models such as “workshop rotations” and “small groups.” We are not radically transforming Sunnyhill’s RE this year but, in the spirit of seeking better ways to religiously educate our children and youth, we are going to try a few new ideas.

Parent(s) and families are the primary religious educators of children and youth-but what does that mean?

This year we are asking that you participate at least once during the year, as a family, in a new type of “Family Service” we are offering.

These services will be different from those of the past years. Using “interest forms” you should have received & returned, we will compile a monthly LifeCraft Family Service with particular families, age groups, or themes in mind. Of course the services will be open to all, but we will extend a special invitation to particular families based on interests or other criteria (such as a service for youth and their families).

We may ask your family to do some preliminary discussion for the service and we may leave you with ideas to carry off and implement in your family if you wish. Even if your child(ren) or youth have not come to a LifeCraft Family Service in the past I hope you will make an effort to attend just one service this church year as a family.
The schedule will be posted in the Prospectus (program guide) to be mailed out in August, and will be followed with a personal invitation to a service that might interest you.

Give this new idea a try and let us know if it meets the needs of your families. It should make clearer the idea that parents and guardians provide much of their children’s religious education.

Also, if any of you are participating in the new “Chalice Circles”
(small group ministry) over the upcoming year, keep in mind it’s
a model we can try to incorporate in RE in the future as well.
Many thanks for your willingness to participate in something
new at Sunnyhill!

From Patricia Loverich Bernard, Director of Religious Education

Services in August 2005

Sunday, August 7, 10:30am
Emile Zola, Presented by Paul F. Laughlin
An examination of the life and work of a literary giant with a strong social consciousness, who placed himself in the forefront of one moral crusade after another.

He is especially known for "J'accuse", his defense of captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French Army Officer who was falsely accused of treason.

Sunday, August 14, 10:30am
Intimacy in a Growing Church. Presented by Rev. Lynn Brodie
This Sunday Lynn Brodie, minister, will address the issue of maintaining intimacy
as the church grows and introduce our new Chalice Circle program. Sign up for circles will begin after the service.

Sunday, August 21, 10:30am
Garden Festival Sunday, Presented by Rev. Lynn Brodie
Two years in a row makes it a Sunnyhill tradition. Bring a vegetable or fruit or
flower from your own harvest or from the bounty of the marketplace as we share in this celebration of abundance. Held outdoors weather permitting.

Sunday, August 28, 10:30am
Church Faith and Belief, Presented by Ken Wagner

Mindy sings a concert at 10 am at First Unitarian on Sunday

Mindy Simmons performs on Sunday morning at 10 am at First Unitarian. She has a wonderful voice, message and performance with her guitar.

This is a Sunday worship service. The event is free. And, she is doing more than just a few tunes. She is leading the service.

Reminder!

Sunnyhill Exchange -- like ebay but more intimate for swaps or give-a-ways, plus...

The Sunnyhill Exchange is a new fundraiser for UUCSH (Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills). Its success relies upon sellers and buyers and the inventory of items.

Early postings included a kitchen table, a humongous list of mysteries for sale cheap, a Krups coffeemaker, table lamps, folding chairs, a Xmas tree, and clothesline poles.

To view older email messages on the website, obtain a Yahoo username and password, though not a Yahoo email address. When you join, I will send you another email asking you to develop this "Yahoo profile", so that you can use all of the features of the Sunnyhill Exchange website.

Missed the garage sale? No problem. Just sell (or buy) your items on the Exchange – a new fundraiser for Sunnyhill.

What is the Exchange? Can’t wait, want to sell an item now? Have an item that's good, but no good to you? Does your item have a value that another Sunnyhiller might appreciate? Need something you think someone else has? The answer to all these questions is, THE SUNNYHILL EXCHANGE!

How is it done? The Sunnyhill Exchange is a new way in which Sunnyhill members and friends can sell items to each other year-round, donating the proceeds to Sunnyhill. Done primarily through an internet group and utilizing members' email addresses, Exchange members can both post and receive For Sale and Wanted messages. Buyers contact the sellers, the transaction is made, and a check is made out to UUCSH with Sunnyhill Exchange in the memo – it’s just that easy!

What’s in it for you? Convenience mostly. You get rid of unwanted items earlier and find something you don’t have to pay retail price for. You can also make exchanges while at church. There’s a level of trust between Exchange participants that can assure your confidence in the items. And two people instead of just one get to help the church in one transaction!

How do you sign up? Brochures will be available starting Sunday, June 26th in the kiosk at the back of the church. The Sunnyhill Exchange coordinator will automatically sign you up for the Exchange using your email address. Or apply at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SunnyhillExchange/ Questions, contact Mary Beth Thakar or Lorraine Carabetta.

Finally, as people sometimes feel forced to put perfectly good stuff in the garbage, pat yourselves on the back for keeping stuff out of the landfill – and for fulfilling our 7th Principle pledge to save the earth.

Looking forward to your joining.

Welcome Rebeca and Green Actions at the Sunday Forum

Executive Director of the Green Building Alliance, Rebecca Flora, will speak at the Forum (10:15 am) on April 24, 2005, about environmentally conscious building practices and local opportunities for such.

Rebecca and I (Mark Rauterkus) were together at the press event on Thursday to help make a statement to vote "YES" on Growing Greener II that will be part of a state-wide election on May 17, 2005.

JON CARROLL - humor, opinion, over-the-top giggles?

JON CARROLL 'Sincerity is not enough.' We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm. Get a dog, or comfort someone in a nursing home, or just feed the birds in the park. Play basketball. Lighten up. The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.

What do you think?

Come to SUUSI this Summer

Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute

Looking for a great, affordable vacation for your family, one with lots of
adventures and filled with UU friends? Come to SUUSI! You'll be welcomed
warmly and invited into our community of 1,000. Together, we'll create a
week of conversation, of reflection, of activity, of family. You'll be
challenged intellectually and nurtured spiritually. You can stay up all
night dancing or making music, and spend all day communing with nature or
enhancing your personal growth. So many choices! We have special programs
for youth and teens so be sure to bring the whole family. SUUSI is UU summer
camp, July17-23, 2005. We meet on the university campus of Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg, VA - a great little spot in the mountains. Visit www.suusi.org
or call [your name here].

Time to Fly

Believe there are no limits but the sky. (Cervantes)

How long until SUUSI?

Plant sale orders due this week

This is the last week to order plants for the plant sale. The plant order form is in a PDF, for the sale. Mail to Martha Sweeney, 363 Carmell Dr., Pittsburgh 15241 or to the church or drop off in the plant sale box in the dining room.

Bonfire is to come next weekend, Saturday, April 9

Playland owners report:

Due to the obviously miserable weather this weekend, Denise and Peter are postponing their bonfire until next weekend, Saturday, April 9. Let's hope for better weather then!

BONFIRE

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 2 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 letting the fire slow down, as it burns into the evening.

It’s at ‘Playland’, our 13 acre property on Welsh Road in Chartiers Township. 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) 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. 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. 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

Ralph Reiland at the Forum

Ralph Reiland (an associate professor of economics at Robert Morris University, a Monday columnist with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a contributing writer at The American Enterprise Institute, an associate editor at Liberty magazine, the owner of Amel's Restaurant, and a former president at Sunnyhill) will speak this Sunday, 3/20/05, on "REGULATION & LITIGATION: THE NEW SOCIALISM IN AMERICA "

The Forum will start at 10:15 on Sunday.

Caving trip

Hey, Sunnyhillers, most of you know by now that I am an avid caver (one who
explores natural, undeveloped caves). Many of you have expressed interest
levels ranging from genuine to morbid curiosity in my hobby. Some of you
have been so bold as to approach me and say you think you'd like to tag
along sometime. To this my response is, GREAT!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 5. I have reserved a group trip
into the wild, undeveloped area of Laurel Caverns. I need 6 to get the
group rate of $18/person, group max size is 16 (I think, gotta double
check). The time slot I have is 2pm-5pm, I would suggest we meet at
Sunnyhill at 11:30am. Laurel Caverns is located east of Uniontown, PA on
US40, atop Chestnut Ridge (and the view on a clear day is stupendous!) The
cave trip is into the undeveloped part of the cave: No lights, no walkways,
no hand rails, no tourist trails, the cave is pretty much in its natural
state (for as much visitation it gets). You will need grungy clothes, and a
change of clean clothes.

This is a great trip for folks who think they may be interested in caving,
but want something relatively easy to start (I was 8 years old when I
started doing this cave trip with my dad, due to insurance issues these days
the minimum age is 12). Because this is a trip into undeveloped cave, there
is no access for those with physical disabilities (sorry). You will be
climbing over underground rocks, walking through a shallow stream, and doing
a minimal amount of crawling and squeezing (for a wild cave trip, this one
really is pretty easy).

How did this trip come to be? I had originally reserved this trip for my
high school youth group, but interest in anything this year on their part
has been dismal at best, so I decided rather than scrapping it to offer it
to you Sunnyhillers. Most of the caves I do are the "hike through the woods
to the hole in the ground and go in" type, completely wild, no fees, guides,
etc. but this is a real good into to the sport.

If you are interested, here is a website with more information:
http://www.matheia.com/caving.htm . Please read over the information on
this website so you know how to prepare and what to expect (I can print it
for you if you need me to, let me know). You will need to sign a waiver to
go in (insurance reasons, again...). There will be a signup sheet on the
bulletin board at the bottom of the stairway where you can sign up. Because
I need to keep track of the group size, I need folks to sign up.

Hope all of you who are interested can make this!

Carl Pierce

(PS - Hey Spiritways Pagans, get to know our Earth Mother in a new and
intimate way!)

The Drummer goes to PDF to save on postage

the church administrator sent out this email:

Greetings Sunnyhillers

The Drummer (Sunnyhill's Newsletter) will be sent electronically in PDF
form beginning with the February Issue. If someone doesn't have email or I
do not have their email address then I will be snail mailing the February
copy but starting in March they will have to pick up a copy at Sunnyhill or
receive it electronically. Exceptions are Churches that we exchange
newsletters with and visitors that do not provide an email address.

This will save money- postage and paper and it is in line with our Seventh
Principle.

The February Issue will be sent out at the end of January to this list. If
you would not like to receive a copy of the Drummer then please reply to
this email.

Thanks-
Amy Kent
Church Administrator

Congregational Meeting was held

We did meet on Jan 23, 2005.

A budget passed.

Nuff said, but others are free to post in the comments section.

Ex-cop: Rein in the war on drugs

Ex-cop: Rein in the war on drugs - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Ex-cop: Rein in the war on drugs

By Mike Seate, TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Howard Wooldridge rode into town last weekend on his horse, just like a lawman from the Old West. But the former detective didn't visit Pittsburgh to lock up bad guys. He was here to lecture on what he feels is the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the American public."

Some coverage of Howard, our LifeCraft presenter. Howard did a great job. Thanks for setting up the meeting.

Kakizome, haiku and cinquain

Kakizome is a traditional Japanese way of greeting the new year with poetry, written for the occasion. In recent years this has become a Sunnyhill tradition as well.

Haiku is a form wiht three lines, the first with five syllables, the second with seven and the third with five. The lines need not rhyme. (See notes for example and submissions.)

Cinquain is a five line poem, with a structure which gives it the form of a diamond.
Line 1: one word to name the subject.
Line 2: two words to describe it.
Line 3: three action words about it.
Line 4: a four or five word phrase describing the subject (a thought, not a complete sentence)
Line 5: one word that means the same thing as the first word, or a word that sums it all up.

1421 - Emerson Group

Thanks for the great discussion and materials that centered on the book, 1421, the year that the Chinees discovered America.

Butch and George - Date is Jan 15, 1:30 pm

Please sign up on the board at the church. Invites were not sent out to those at Sunnyhill, so we need to be sure to pass the word.

Eight at Eight schedule for the spring of 2005.

Eight at Eight schedule. Please sign up with Dennis soon so he can get the word out.

February 5, 2005

March 5, 2005

April 2, 2005

May 7, 2005

What do you think about NOT ONE DAMN DIME Day for Jan 20, 2005

This isn' my idea. What do you think? I'm not sure myself. But, it might make for a good blog comment topic point.

Since (SOME OF) our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending.

During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one damn dime for anything for 24 hours.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.

Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter).

For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down. The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,200 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan - a way to come home.

There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing.

You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed.

For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.

Kennedy and C-Span II

C-SPAN II has a bunch of political chatter this time of year and one interesting quote was about religion and the US President. Seems J.F.K. said something to keep active the Unitarians writting his Catholic speeches.

Carol gets us all singing. 

New baby?

If you would like a baby born since last Christmas Eve honored then
please email Amy Kent. I would like Name, Relationship to you and date of birth.

Now that the elections are over -- Humanist meet and ponder.

From Ken:

Now that the sporting event (a.k.a. election) is over, we could review the process and examine its effects on the American public as well as other nations. As you may recall, we did not get the opportunity to have a full meeting due to the fire alarm and our having to leave the building early.

We can now question the effects of the voting and whether America has been made better by what has been experienced as a result of the recently held election. Two questions should be "Should getting people to vote be what really matters or is there something more important?" "Should elections be about who has the power to impose conduct on the others?"

You may want to review the attached article which had been made available before, but is even better now that the emotions have settled. This point is now very obvious: "partisanship serves as a filter. A partisan filters out facts that are inconsistent with the party's approved worldview and exaggerates facts that confirm it." "That suggests that political polarization is the result of deep and self-reinforcing psychological and social forces."

(See the comment for the article.)

New web design at Sunnyhill.org

Hats off to Peter and the others who made a redesign of the web pages at Sunnyhill.Org. What do you think? Tell us in the comments section of the blog.

There is a web crew email discussion list that accepts mail, Sunnyhill - web - crew @ Sunnyhill.Org. (Retype without the spaces.)

Open Mic Night at the DownUnder

You are invited to attend the DownUnder Coffeehouse on
Saturday, December 18 from 7:30-9:30 for an Open Mic night
featuring some of best local acoustic performers, including
First Church's own Rich Wells. Any wanting to be added
to the playlist, should send email by December 5th.

The DownUnder Coffeehouse is open the third Saturday of
every month in the basement of the Allegheny Unitarian
Universalist Church, 416 West North Ave, North Side.
Suggested donation is $3.00. Call 412-322-4261 or see
www.alleghenyuu.org for more details.

Need a Spiritual Lift -- err -- Left

The Democrats Need a Spiritual Left

This piece is so right-on says a net friend in Pittsburgh, Jim. He and Holley love this guy, Rabbi Lerner. He's totally right in his analysis of why Kerry failed to reach a mass following when his opponent was so vulnerable on so many issues.

God is Truth, Truth is God, as Gandhi liked to say.

The Democrats Need a Spiritual Left by Rabbi Michael Lerner

For years the Democrats have been telling themselves "it's the economy, stupid." Yet consistently for dozens of years millions of middle income Americans
have voted against their own economic interests to support Republicans who have tapped a deeper set of needs.

Tens of millions of Americans feel betrayed by a society that seems to place materialism and selfishness above moral values. They know that
"looking out for number one" has become the common sense of our society, but they want a life that is about something more - a framework of meaning and purpose to their lives that would transcend the grasping and narcissism that surrounds them. Sure, they will admit that they have material needs, and
that they worry about adequate health care, stability
in employment, and enough money to give their kids a
college education. But even more deeply they want
their lives to have meaning - and they respond to
candidates who seem to care about values and some
sense of transcendent purpose.

Many of these voters have found a "politics of
meaning" in the political Right. In the Right wing
churches and synagogues these voters are presented
with a coherent worldview that speaks to their
"meaning needs." Most of these churches and synagogues
demonstrate a high level of caring for their members,
even if the flip side is a willingness to demean those
on the outside. Yet what members experience directly
is a level of mutual caring that they rarely find in
the rest of the society. And a sense of community that
is offered them nowhere else, a community that has as
its central theme that life has value because it is
connected to some higher meaning than one's success in
the marketplace.

It's easy to see how this hunger gets manipulated in
ways that liberals find offensive and contradictory.
The frantic attempts to preserve family by denying
gays the right to get married, the talk about being
conservatives while meanwhile supporting Bush policies
that accelerate the destruction of the environment and
do nothing to encourage respect for God's creation or
an ethos of awe and wonder to replace the ethos of
turning nature into a commodity, the intense focus on
preserving the powerless fetus and a culture of life
without a concomitant commitment to medical research
(stem cell research/HIV-AIDS), gun control and
healthcare reform., the claim to care about others and
then deny them a living wage and an ecologically
sustainable environment --- all this is rightly
perceived by liberals as a level of inconsistency that
makes them dismiss as hypocrites the voters who have
been moving to the Right.

Yet liberals, trapped in a long-standing disdain for
religion and tone-deaf to the spiritual needs that
underlie the move to the Right, have been unable to
engage these voters in a serious dialogue. Rightly
angry at the way that some religious communities have
been mired in authoritarianism, racism, sexism and
homophobia, the liberal world has developed such a
knee-jerk hostility to religion that it has both
marginalized those many people on the Left who
actually do have spiritual yearnings and
simultaneously refused to acknowledge that many who
move to the Right have legitimate complaints about the
ethos of selfishness in American life.

Imagine if John Kerry had been able to counter George
Bush by insisting that a serious religious person
would never turn his back on the suffering of the
poor, that the bible's injunction to love one's
neighbor required us to provide health care for all,
and that the New Testament's command to "turn the
other cheek" should give us a predisposition against
responding to violence with violence.

Imagine a Democratic Party that could talk about the
strength that comes from love and generosity and
applied that to foreign policy and homeland security.

Imagine a Democratic Party that could talk of a New
Bottom Line, so that American institutions get judged
efficient, rational and productive not only to the
extent that they maximize money and power, but also to
the extent that they maximize people's capacities to
be loving and caring, ethically and ecologically
sensitive, and capable of responding to the universe
with awe and wonder.

Imagine a Democratic Party that could call for schools
to teach gratitude, generosity, caring for others, and
celebration of the wonders that daily surround us!
Such a Democratic Party, continuing to embrace its
agenda for economic fairness and multi-cultural
inclusiveness, would have won in 2004 and can win in
the future. (Please don't tell me that this is
happening outside the Democratic Party in the Greens
or in other leftie groups --- because except for a few
tiny exceptions it is not! I remember how hard I tried
to get Ralph Nader to think and talk in these terms in
2000, and how little response I got substantively from
the Green Party when I suggested reformulating their
excessively politically correct policy orientation in
ways that would speak to this spiritual consciousness.
The hostility of the Left to spirituality is so deep,
in fact, that when they hear us in Tikkun talking this
way they often can't even hear what we are saying ----
so they systematically mis-hear it and say that we are
calling for the Left to take up the politics of the
Right, which is exactly the opposite of our point ---
speaking to spiritual needs actually leads to a more
radical critique of the dynamics of corporate
capitalism and corporate globalization, not to a
mimicking of right-wing policies).

If the Democrats were to foster a religions/spiritual
Left, they would no longer pick candidates who support
preemptive wars or who appease corporate power. They
would reject the cynical realism that led them to
pretend to be born-again militarists, a deception that
fooled no one and only revealed their contempt for the
intelligence of most Americans. Instead of assuming
that most Americans are either stupid or reactionary,
a religious Left would understand that many Americans
who are on the Right actually share the same concern
for a world based on love and generosity that
underlies Left politics, even though lefties often
hide their value attachments.

Yet to move in this direction, many Democrats would
have to give up their attachment to a core belief:
that those who voted for Bush are fundamentally stupid
or evil. Its time they got over that elitist
self-righteousness and developed strategies that could
affirm their common humanity with those who voted for
the Right. Teaching themselves to see the good in the
rest of the American public would be a critical first
step in liberals and progressives learning how to
teach the rest of American society how to see that
same goodness in the rest of the people on this
planet. It is this spiritual lesson --- that our own
well-being depends on the well-being of everyone else
on the planet and on the well-being of the earth --- a
lesson rooted deeply in the spiritual wisdom of
virtually every religion on the planet, that could be
the center of a revived Democratic Party.

Yet to take that seriously, the Democrats are going to
have to get over the false and demeaning perception
that the Americans who voted for Bush could never be
moved to care about the well being of anyone but
themselves. That transformation in the Democrats would
make them into serious contenders.

The last time Democrats had real social power was when
they linked their legislative agenda with a spiritual
politics articulated by Martin Luther King. We cannot
wait for the reappearance of that kind of charasmatic
leader to begin the process of rebuilding a
spiritual/religious Left...

My personal assumption: When you got west far enough you end up back in the east. And, I guess, it goes the other way as well.

UU Church of the North Hills -- arts festival

Please extend our invitation to your congregation and any others to attend our first annual Arts in The Autumn Festival, running from Friday, November 12 through Sunday, November 14. The exhibit opens at 1:00 pm Friday and continues through 6 pm Sunday afternoon. Special events include: Meet the Artists, with Food and Entertainment, 7:00-9:00 pm on Friday; a folk concert and musical spoons workshop with Simple Gifts, 2:00-4:00 pm on Saturday; a jazz concert by the Carl Arter Quartet, 8:00-10:00 pm on Saturday; and of course, your very own Tom Roberts and Jennifer Russell singing American classics at 1:00 pm on Sunday. Everything is FREE. Refreshments will be available at all times.

Please consider joining us Sunday morning for the service at 11:00 am to be sure not to miss Tom and Jennifer. We'd love to have you.

UUCNH is located at 2359 West Ingomar Road, phone: 412-366-0244 for directions.

(P.S. to anyone in the choir: we are in desperate need of women's voices for our Thanksgiving service on November 21, when we will be singing Aaron Copland's The Promise of Living from The Tender Land. Let me know!) Thanks - Kathy

East Suburban UU Church Tree Sale

ESUUC's Christmas Tree Sale calls for Orders and Payment Due by Nov. 21st. Checks should be made out to ESUUC. Delivery date December 17th 7-9pm at ESUUC.

The following items are available,

$15 20” Wreath
$15 6’ Garland
$9 36” Swag
$35 4’-6’ Tree
$40 6’-8’ Tree

We are also accepting donations to provide trees or other decorations to families in need in conjunction with the local food bank. You can email orders to fundraising@esuuc.org or send orders, payments and donations to:
ESUUC, Attn: Fundraising, 4326 Sardis Rd., Murrysville, PA 15668.

Thanksgiving Feast

Email signups seem to work better for everyone so here is one for the
Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, November 21.

If you would like to come please reply the number of people attending (including children) and note what dish you will be bringing. We have lots of desserts already.

Sunnyhill’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Join us at 5 pm on Sunday, November 21, 2004, for a Thanksgiving Dinner with (if you’d be so kind) all the trimmings. We provide the turkey, apple cider and rolls. You bring everything else, namely a dish to serve 8-10 people and plates, silverware for your family.

Sign up by November 15. When signing up, please specify what you will bring. Items needed include:
A potato , yams or stuffing
Vegetable/fruit
Dessert
Salads

There’ll be crafts and games for the kids, and music and fun for all. Everybody’s invited, so please come!

To Mt. Lebanon library patrons

original source: Mary Beth T.

The Mt. Lebanon Commissioners are reviewing their budget -- and presently, a minimal increase is being suggested for our library. When coupled with the increases in certain library costs, the ML library will be forced to cut staff and hours even further. (Sunday hours were cut last year.) It has been noted that when the public supports certain projects en masse -- as has happened on behalf of golfers, swimmers, and soccer players in recent months -- the commissioners DO listen and respond accordingly.

With this is mind, the library board is asking its patrons to support the level of funding that the library board is recommending -- a level which will permit the library hours and staff to stay as they are presently -- and perhaps even allow the library to replenish its collection and add new programs. (Restoring Sunday hours is perhaps unlikely.)

The following commission meetings are key:

Regular Commission Meeting: Monday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. at the MRTSA Building, 315 Cypress Way. Attendance by library supporters is crucial. Public comment is allowed at the beginning of the meeting for 3-5 minutes per person, with speakers signing up prior to the meeting.

Commission Budget Review: Tuesday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m., (old) Municipal Building at 710 Washington Road. No speakers allowed, but library supporters should attend the first part of the meeting when the library presents its case for increased funding: supporters can leave soon thereafter.

Budget Public Hearing: Monday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m., (old) Municipal Building at 710 Washington Road. Attendance by library supporters is crucial. Public comment is allowed at the beginning of the meeting for 3-5 minutes per person, with speakers signing up prior to the meeting.

The library will provide buttons to distinguish its supporters from the rest of the crowd.

IF FURTHER CUTS IN LIBRARY HOURS AND STAFFING ARE ABHORRENT TO YOU, please do plan to come to one, two or three of these meetings to show your support.

If anyone is interested in making a "public comment", please contact me for a copy of the "talking points." Six to ten persons have been asked to speak on behalf of the library's various "constituencies". They have been asked to speak very pointedly and personally to the importance of the library to themselves or their groups. I understand the commissioners will allow only a certain amount of public comment on a certain topic, so I think short, sweet, and personal is the best tack to take.

DownUnder Coffeehouse, Allegheny UU Church

The DownUnder Coffee House will feature Joey Murphy on November 20 for an evening of alt-country from one of Pittsburgh's rising singer-songwriters. Come hear what the noise is about.

The Down Under Coffeehouse is open from 7:30 to 9:30 on the third Saturday of every month in the basement of the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church, 416 West North Ave, North Side. Baked goods, desserts and beverages will be for sale during the concert. Suggested donation is $5.00. Call 412-322-4261 for more details.

Source: Steve Hirtle

More Music, pointer from Louise M

The Bach Choir presents international choral pieces that celebrate Pittsburgh's cultural diversity at 8 pm on Saturday, October 23, 2004 at the Upper Saint Clair High School. Featuring the Coro Latino Americano and African drummers. An interesting concert! Hope you can come. Tickets $20; $14 Senior discount; $7 Child/Student.

If You Can't Find the Hole

Listen with a MP3 (5-megs)

Song: Be Careful Punching Ballots If You Can't Find the Hole


If You Can't Find the Hole
Be careful punching ballots
If you can't find the hole
Or you could see your civil rights
Jerked out of your control
You could find your chad left dangling
In some partisan unknown
So be careful punching ballots
If you can't find the hole

Be at Sunnyhill on Thursday, October 21, 2004, at 7 pm. Voter education and concert that features Amy Carol Webb from Florida.

LIVING the 7th Principle: ENVIRONMENTAL VOTER

First Church's EDUCATION--SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2004

This is NOT at Sunnyhill, but at another UU church in Pittsburgh, First Unitarian in Shadyside.

The Sierra Club is wrapping up their ambitious Environmental Voter Education Campaign on November 2nd and they need your help. For the past two months volunteers have been educating tens of thousands of infrequent environmental voters about both candidates' environmental records here in Pittsburgh. Now it is time to get these infrequent voters to the polls! In order to do that, the Sierra Club will need 150 volunteers to help Get Out the Vote from October 30 to November 2.

This Sunday, October 17, 2004, Conservation Organizer Annie Leary will be speaking briefly about the Sierra Club's Campaign and volunteer opportunities coming up at the end of the month. Annie will be in the Schweitzer Room immediately after the 9:30 and 11:00 services this week to fill you in on the Sierra Clubís Voter Education Campaign, answer your questions and help you get personally involved in the Campaign if you would like to lend a hand to this important work.
This is a critical election year to get involved and make a difference for the environment! (The Sierra Club campaign is not advocating for the election or defeat of either candidate). If you would like to read up on the Campaign, visit its web site at www.sierraclubvotes.org .

Council of Chairs, Sunday Oct 24 gathering

You are cordially invited to the annual Counsel of Chairs meeting. Bring your thoughts, where you are, where you want to be, and rough idea of funds needed on October 24, 2004, 9 to 11 A.M. (No guarantee on the latter but we still can dream!) Plan on a photo op after the session which will be included in the membership portfolio. Smile pretty. And to further entice you, as if getting up early on Sunday wasn't enough, I will be providing some goodies so skip your Wheaties.

(KZ as original source)

Harvest and Holiday actions

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The event is gearing up. Your help is needed. Sales are looming too, so save your nickles and dimes.

SHIM food drive

Annual Thanksgiving food drive for the South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM) is set for the first two Sundays in November at both services. Early collection is necessary so that the food can be distributed to the families before Thanksgiving. Items such as stuffing mixes, gravies, yams and canned pie filling will be in high demand, although any non-perishable food item or money would also be appreciated.

Dates: NOVEMBER 7 and 14.

LifeCraft on November 7 has an Emerson discussion on gene doping

I'm honored and excited to lead the November 7, 2004, discussion with the Emerson Group about gene doping in sports. To prepare, read the article with a click on the title above to see the 270 k PDF.

Emerson Group

Science and Spirituality, second meeting for new season

Meet during LifeCraft on Sunday, October 17, 2004.

The topic listed in the Drummer is not correct. It was taken from one of our early lists before the group had voted on the subjects that they wanted. Our topic will be presented by Bob Trivus, it
is: Tribal Identity, Genetic History and Biology of Human Relations.

This topic traces the scientific basis for ethnocentric group actions of people around the world. Bob is currently working on the material that will be transmitted to you later this week as downloads. We will print some of the material and store it in the Science and Spirituality Mailbox for people who do not have printers, or are not connected to internet. Bob always presents
a very interesting topic about human interactions, psychological/medical information, or a scientific topic about people.

Agenda for 2004/2005 Sessions

1. The Shapes Of Space, And The Extraordinary Death Of Ordinary Stars (Murray) This topic was discussed last month.

2. Tribal Identity Genetic History and Biology of Human Relations, this topic traces the scientific basis for ethnocentric group actions of people around the world. (Bob Trivus) This is the current topic.

3. How Deep Seated Psychological Needs Caused People To Turn To Supernatural And Religious Beliefs; Do Scientific Tools Offer Any Comfort? (Randy)

4. When Methane Was The Predominate Climate: The Start Of Life On Earth, Its Incubation, Plants -- Ultimately The Formation Of Oxygen, Etc. (Murray)

5. Are Social Behavior Patterns Programmed Into Genetic Makeup? (George Bentrum)

6. Fly By: We will first view a NASA tape involving space probes. The tape viewing will be scheduled for a convenient evening prior to the LifeCraft meeting. Then we will have an open discussion during LifeCraft about what we will have seen. (Mike Laughton suggested this topic)

7. Einstein and Beyond, 100 years Since Relativity (Murray)

8. Black Holes (Gerry Walsh)

8 at 8 is on for Oct 9

The 8 at 8 tradition is about to begin.

The schedule is now at version 1.2. Make sure you have the latest version, now uploaded.

Oct 9, 2004
Nov 6, 2004
Dec 4, 2004
Jan 8, 2005

Be there or be elsewhere and less nourished.

Save the date, Oct 21

Amy Carol Webb, a great UU singer and songwriter, is going to perform at
Sunnyhill at 7 pm to 10 pm on Thursday, Oct. 21 for our voter education
event. Save the date. Details to come soon.

Song search

Denise wrote in part for any ideas, recordings, sheet music, etc:

I'm searching for songs about Families of Different Types, acceptance of different types of families, orientation, lifestyle, diversity ... that are lyrically acceptable for children to sing, i.e., not raunchy, or else that can be acceptable with a few changes to the words. This is for a service at Sunnyhill on February 6 about "all kinds of families". (Actually, I'm not going to include abuser/victim style families.)

Put messages into comments.

Good Clean Fun - Soap Wrapping Party

Not Rap, but wrap.

Join the fun at the annual Soap Wrapping Party at 7 pm on Friday, September 24, 2004.
We slice and wrap 80 brand-new loaves of Primal Elements Soap to fill our bathtub for the upcoming Harvest and Holiday Shop. Attendees sniff the cool new selections and have first choice on this year's soap and candle purchases!

Jan Ripper and Dorothy Burns will provide the snacks. Source: Jan and Dorothy, Soap Mavens, -- via Amy.

Exploring and Sharing Spiritual Practices

Rev. Lynn Brodie will lead this class exploring a variety of spiritual practices.

Each week will focus on one technique including hands on work. Participants will be asked to experiment with that particular practice during the coming two weeks and share their reflection on the process at the beginning of the next session. Topics will include such practices as journal writing, sitting meditation, Sabbath, walking meditation, spiritual practice through relationship.

This session will meet six times on alternate Tuesday nights from 7- 9 p.m. starting September 14. Dates are: Sept. 14, Sept. 28, Oct.12, Oct. 26, Nov. 9, Nov. 23. All classes will meet in Room 25 at Sunnyhill.

Participants must sign up ahead of time by calling Lynn at 412-561-8012 or using the sign up sheet on her office door.

Diversity Dialogues

This discussion forum facilitated by our minister, Lynn Brodie, will involve people in sharing their personal journeys in ways that increase understanding between theological, philosophical and political perspectives.

For example, what makes you feel safe gives you and gives you a sense of belonging at Sunnyhill as a UU humanist, a UU Christian, a UU pagan, a UU Buddhist, as a Republican or a Green Party member? What do you need from Sunnyhill? Monthly topics will be announced in the newsletter.

Dialogues will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. followed by snacks and social time on the first Sundays of Oct., Nov., Dec., Feb., March and April. Dialogues will be held in the main room at Sunnyhill.

Peaceable Kingdom, movie at 7 p.m. Saturday, September 25, 2004

The Schweitzer Group Presents the movie at 7 pm Saturday

Jane Goodall calls it "a masterpiece". The world premiere of Peaceable Kingdom at Lincoln Center sold out 10 days before the event, and drew an audience of 1100. Now we will hold the first Pittsburgh area screening of Peaceable Kingdom, a documentary with a message of compassion and a look into the world of factory farming, focusing on individuals whose lives were deeply entrenched in that world. "Much more than an expose, Peaceable Kingdom is about personal redemption, commitment, healing and hope, offering a life-changing vision of a peaceful world that is well within our reach." (Tribe of Heart Ltd.)

Childcare and light refreshments will be provided, and there will be a raffle for a basket of animal-friendly goodies. A discussion will follow, with guest speaker Cayce Mell of Oohmahnee Farm, a farmed animal sanctuary near Pittsburgh, on hand to answer questions. This event is free and open to the public. For more info contact Jay or Geneva Pullen.

Behavioral Covenant Workshop

A workshop is slated for staff, board of trustees, and congregational leaders to begin the creation of a behavioral covenant. Rod Thompson (our UUA district leader) first suggested our participation in this during the mission/vision process earlier this year. This covenant is an agreement about how members of the congregation will treat each other, helping to manage conflict by avoiding it. During the workshop, participants will share thoughts and ideas that will then be drafted by volunteers into a working document. Input will be solicited from the congregation. Finally, the congregation will vote on the covenant and sign it.

The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, October 2 from 9 am to 3 pm.

Religion and Politics

From Lynn and the September edition of The Drummer

We still have time before the presidential elections. I feel strongly that the results really matter, but it's not clear what will happen. This is just the time to talk a bit about religion and politics.

Many of us feel very strongly about the upcoming elections and about other current political issues. Unitarian Universalism encourages us to be involved in politics and to use our religious values as we take political stands.

In our country, though we have a strict separation of church and state. This means it is never appropriate for the minister, any service leader or a guest speaker to advocate from our pulpit for particular political candidates. It is also not appropriate for members of the congregation to advocate for certain candidates during a church service. If we start to do these things we will risk losing our tax exempt status.

However, expressing your views in conversation after a service or at social events is just fine. When you do have political discussion, it is important to keep in mind that one of the gifts and the strengths of Unitarian Universalism is our diversity. Some UUs assume all of us are Democrats. It's true that many are, but we also have Republicans, Green Party members, Independents, Libertarians and probably more.

Sometimes I wish everyone would vote the way I plan to vote in November. But I catch myself when I begin to think this way. After all, if everyone voted the same way, we would have an autocracy, not a democracy. Democracy and Unitarian Universalism thrive on diversity of perspective and healthy, respectful discussion and debate. If we all agree, that can never happen. In the coming months I encourage you to celebrate our diversity and rejoice that not everyone thinks exactly the way you do.

(For further reflection on the subject of diversity, please note the upcoming Diversity Dialogues.)

Volunteer Party

Sunnyhill's volunteer party, rained out from last weekend, is slated for 7-9 pm on Saturday October 2, 2004. Light fare and beverages are to be provided. Feel free to bring your own grog of choice. Babysitting is available if requested in advance.

Every Sunnyhill member and friend, volunteer or not, is invited to this evening of festivities, so don't delay with your RSVP. The staff and board need a count of adults attending and children requiring babysitting by Wednesday.

Hope to see you there for a song and dance evening celebrating the people who really make Sunnyhill shine. USUNNYHILL@aol.com

Down Under Coffeehouse, Allegheny UU Church

You are invited to attend the Down Under Coffeehouse on Saturday, Oct 16th from 7:30-9:30 to hear an evening of songs from the American songbook, featuring the vocal styling of Jennifer Wood with the unbelievable jazz piano of Tom Roberts. A night not to be missed!

The Down Under Coffeehouse is held the third Saturday of every month in the basement of the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church, 416 West North Ave, North Side. Suggested donation is $5.00. Call 412-322-4261 or see www.alleghenyuu.org for more details.

Submission via Stephen Hirtle.

Eight At Eight

The new schedule is out. A PDF is on the web site. You'll need to know the password to open it.

Quaker Meeting Begins at Sunnyhill

Sunnyhill, in cooperation with members of Pittsburgh Friends Meeting will offer a Quaker meeting for worship every second Sunday evening of the month from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. The first meeting will begin, with a brief introduction to Quakerism, on Sunday, October 10th. Quakers meet silently in unprogrammed worship, occasional spoken messages, inspired by the Spirit, may arise from the
silence.

Its looking like Christmas

The annual Harvest and Holiday Shop is just around the corner. The workers are busy to prep the event.

Stop! Wait!

Recent sermon now on the web. Thanks Lynn.

Main page goes to black

From time to time, as sad news arrives, the main page at Sunnyhill.Org goes to a black background, as is the case now (Sept. 6). This is a way to send an alert without being so direct. The web and the internet isn't always the best medium for delivery of news and information.

New Members mingle with Committee Chairs

All committee chairs are invited to the Sunnyhill Get Acquainted Party at 7 pm on Friday, Sept. 17, 2004. Bring Hors d'oeuvres to share, and help give potential and new members a chance to meet us in a casual setting in order to learn more about what the congregation has to offer.

Each chair is to give a short presentation regarding what the committeee does and offers. We'll tape the presentations for a new member video.

Significant others are welcome. Babysitting is provided. RSVP to Patty Williams.

Mindy Simmons to return to Pittsburgh - Jan 29, 2005

Mindy signed a contract to do a workshop in the afternoon and an evening concert with the folk organization in town. Save the date, January 29, 2005. Events will be at First Unitarian in Pittsburgh.

Mindy is working on other engagements in the region.

A confusing, but hopeful first day

A confusing, but hopeful first day: "Claire Galpern, 16, a Schenley High School junior, left, and Eliza Hens-Greco, 14, a freshman at Winchester Thurston School cheer for Amina Sunday night as she learns how to open a combination lock for the first time. The three were attending a dinner at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside where backpacks full of school supplies and clothes were given to about 50 Somali students. "

Event at First Unitarian gets great ink and serves a wonderful purpose. Eliza is a S.I. regular too.

Voices of the Revolution on Friday with Anne

This Friday, September 3rd, the Voices of the Revolution Tour is coming to Pittsburgh, 7pm at the Quiet Storm, 5430 Penn Ave in Friendship/Garfield.

The $5 admission helps the Thomas Merton Center continue working for peace and justice throughout the year.

Board member and labor folksinger, Anne Feeney, is emcee-ing and performing! This is something you won‚t want to miss ˆ a chance for many within the peace movement in Pittsburgh to get together for fun and relaxation and to get to know one another a little better.