March Newsletter

Office hours: M&F 8-11:30am; T-Th 8am-3pm

Phone: (315) 386-2498

E-mail: uucanton@verizon.net

Web site: www.uucantonny.org

Co-Ministers: Wade Wheelock and Anne Marsh Director of Religious Education: Jan Hutslar

Deadline for next newsletter: Thurs., March 20

A MONTH OF SUNDAYS

Worship services and children’s religious education begin at 10:30 a.m.

March 2: “Fear of Falling” - Wade Wheelock and Anne Marsh

As our country teeters on the edge of recession, many have begun to fear what the future holds for them. From losing homes to losing jobs or retirement dreams, there is real pain that comes with such fearful possibilities. Can we create a society with true “social security,”and not just in the economic realm? Can our religion help us deal with such fears of falling futures? You’re invited to bring a contribution of non-perishables for our monthly food pantry collection.

Greeters: Maggie Madden & Tom Sokol; Miles Manchester; Marilyn Mayer

Social Hour: Bill Biggers & Ines Sanchez-Ferreira; Lonie Bogett; Dave Bradford

March 9 [Note: Daylight Saving Time begins; set clocks forward one hour]:

“Things Commonly Believed Among Us”- Anne Marsh and Wade Wheelock

Last spring, a group gathered in the Romer Room after church to discuss the UU Purposes, Principles, and Sources statement – an exercise encouraged by the UUA, whose bylaws call for a periodic review. It was a fascinating discussion, with several suggestions made for significant and meaningful changes. Here are some of the ideas presented, with time for your responses.

Greeters: John Marson & Al Wioskowski; Jim & Stevie Michaelson

Social Hour: Robb Brigham; Sheila Cerwonka; Kim Bouchard & Ed Clark

March 16: “The Courage to Fail” - Wade Wheelock and Anne Marsh

It’s Palm Sunday, and also the feast day of the little-known (outside of Minnesota, that is) Saint Urho of Finland. A strange juxtaposition, perhaps, yet one that inspires reflections on integrity, sacrifice, and hope.

Greeters: Lisa McCarty; Randy Merrill; Jon & Kathy Montan

Social Hour: Matt Bullwinkel & Beth Robinson; Leo Burger & Lisa Thomas

March 23: “The Good Heart” - Wade Wheelock

An Easter exercise in recalling some of the many ways Christianity and other religious traditions have produced people of good will and caring character, even where we may find theological disagreements. Anne will be preaching in Saranac Lake.

Greeters: Todd Moe; Dick Morrow; Steph & Ed Moczydlowski

Social Hour: Tedra Cobb & Scott Shipley; Dave Crowell & Robin Rhodes-Crowell

March 30: “These Revolutionary Times” - Bill Vitek, pulpit guest

Clarkson University philosophy professor Bill Vitek will discuss themes from his current book project. Titled Toss the Paddle!: Finding Our Way Out of Carbon Creek, his central claim is that global indicators of nearly every sort signal the end of a way of thinking about and living in the world that have held sway for nearly 400 years, and that had their earliest origins in the invention of agriculture 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. What takes its place is a conceptual revolution that goes well beyond energy efficiency, organic food, hybrid cars, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. We will need to, quite literally, change our minds and accept the limits and boundaries of living in a sun-powered ecosphere. With music by the Handbell Choir.

As our congregation continues its efforts to gain greater awareness and understanding of issues of class in our local communities and the wider society, economic challenges seem to me to remain one of the great lines of cleavage among our citizens. Despite our being a nation of such tremendous overall wealth, there are clearly a significant number of people in our midst who experience real anguish, fear, and deprivation because of a lack of financial resources.

One response has been the creation of helping programs, both government and private. It is heartening to know that locally many of these have a strong UU component. Members and friends of our congregation have had a hand in creating, running, or volunteering in such forms of aid as:

UShare congregation-wide social action project that provides fresh produce from our two gardens to local food pantries throughout the summer; education and advocacy on healthy food and its local availability; volunteers for the Food Stamp EBT table at the Canton Farmer’s Marker; and this year, promotion of wider Food Stamp usage

Whether you are in a position to contribute money and/or time to such projects or find yourself in need of some of the help they offer, I hope you’ll become more aware of these and other programs of assistance and pass on that knowledge to others. I’d be glad to provide more information. This is one of the things we can do to alleviate the hardships our economic system creates. But I hope we can also think of ways to refashion our economy so that those who work can truly earn a respectable living on their own, without having to go through the bureaucratic hurdles to get aid, and those who still need help can receive a full measure of assistance in a dignified manner. May we reach across class lines to work together in creating such a society.

Everybody’s Birthday Party! The Religious Education Committee invites all to a very merry un-birthday party on March 2 after church. Come and celebrate with others who share your birthday month. Cake makers: We need 15 cakes (one for each month, plus some extras),so please sign up on the kiosk if you’d like to share your favorite cake with the rest of us. All kinds of cakes are welcome.

The really big and exciting news in the Religious Education program right now, is the expansion of our RE staff, as of early February. We are so lucky to have Rebecca Rivers and Natalie Panshin as the two new Assistant Directors of Religious Education (ADRE)! Their creativity and organizational skills are already making a difference.

Natalie and Rebecca read this poem as a centering prayer, and I wanted to share it here as well:

The visible and the invisible working together in common cause, to produce the miraculous.

I am thinking of the way the intangible air passed at speed round a shaped wing easily holds our weight. So, may we, in this life trust to those elements we have yet to see or imagine, and look for the true shape of our own self, by forming it well to the great intangibles about us.

The roots of both our Unitarian and Universalist family trees are planted deep in Christian soil, and Christianity remains an important source of inspiration for many. A new “Exploring Christianity” group plans to gather periodically to share personal experiences of UU Christianity, to explore the Bible and Jesus from a UU perspective, and to do some rituals together. Exploring Christianity will meet after church on Sunday, March 16 (Palm Sunday) in the Upstairs Room. All are welcome. (If you would like to participate but have trouble with stairs, let Anne know, and we’ll move to another space.)

JOYS AND SORROWS

Welcome to our new Assistant Directors of Religious Education, Natalie Panshin and Rebecca Rivers! Their many gifts will enrich our RE program.

Congratulations to Carol Gable, who has been named to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Audit Committee. Carol is the first from our congregation (in recent years, anyway) to serve on a nationwide UUA body.

Our thoughts are with Janice and Cliff Westerling, whose farmhouse suffered extensive fire and water damage last fall, and who have been wrestling with insurance issues.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!

· Thanks to the following generous spirits for their recent contributions to the Caring Fund: Debbie St. Germain, Max Coots and Charlotte Ramsay, Erika Barthelmess and Nat Panshin, Bob and Irene Gardner, and Eileen and Adam Jarrett.

· Thanks to Gretchen Koehler for doing the beautiful calligraphy in our Memorial Book. Check the new pages for donors to the Stained Glass Windows project!

· Thanks to Pete Beekman and Pete Wyckoff for their work on new basement joists.

· Thanks to Jim Michaelson for donating the profits of Dan Berggren’s CDs to the Coming of Age class for their Boston trip.

· Thanks to Wil Rivers for his donation to the Coming of Age class.

· Thanks to Sarah Bentley-Garfinkel for organizing and running the Spirit Play team refresher meeting.

JOINING THE CHURCH

A warm welcome to our newest members: Carlton LaSalle, Liz Wyckoff, Walt Conley, Jean Williams-Bergen, and Eric Williams-Bergen. If you, too, feel you have found a religious home here, we invite you to take the step of signing the Membership Book and becoming an official church member. By “signing the book” you indicate a deepening commitment to this congregation and its values, and a desire to contribute some of your time, talent, and treasure to help us shape our vision and become the beloved community we strive to be. If you have questions about membership, or would like to join the church, feel free to talk with Co-Ministers Anne and Wade, or our President, Pete Beekman.

NEW MEMBER FLASH: Colleen Smith

Colleen Smith joined our church this fall. She’s a native of the North Country and makes her living as a buyer for Hackett’s, so she does some traveling for the company. She has attended many different churches along the way to joining us and likes the balance of rationality and spirituality here. Since she loves music, she decided to sing in our choir. Colleen lives in Canton and brings youth and enthusiasm to our congregation. Read more about her and other new members on the Membership Bio Board in the Social Room.

LENTEN LUNCHEONS

The churches of Canton join forces each year during the Lenten season to offer Thursday lunches to the wider community. Luncheons begin at noon at the United Methodist Church, and the cost is $5 ($4.50 for seniors and children). All donations support the work of the Church and Community Program.

This year, we UUs will prepare and serve the lunch on March 13. Our coordinators are Ann Spies and Stevie Michaelson, and our menu is chicken divan, spinach salad, rolls, and gingerbread. We’ll be serving about 110 people, so we’ll need lots of cooks, servers, and help with set-up and clean-up. Sign-up sheets are on the kiosk, as are recipes for the chicken divan. If you are unable to deliver your food to the Methodist Church by 11 a.m. on the 13^th, you can drop it off at Ann Spies’ home, 24 Fairlane Drive, Canton, the morning before. Please call Ann (386-1062) or Stevie (386-5250) with questions. And whether you can help or not, do come and eat!

CORC STORE

Beth Robinson now represents the UU Church on the Board of CORC (Council of Religious Concerns) of Potsdam. The CORC Thrift Store is located at 8 Willow Street in Potsdam and is open Tuesday-Saturday 11-5pm. The need for new clothes always seems to exceed the ability to pay for them. The CORC Store is proud to offer an alternative: gently used clothes, linens, and other goods at extremely low prices. CORC fills a critical niche in the North Country retail market.

CORC reports that 2007 was an excellent year in sales as well as in financial donations back to the community. After covering wages and paying bills, CORC was able to donate $1,825 to thirteen local not-for-profits. In addition to these donations, the CORC Store was able to assist 125 requests for individuals and families with clothing vouchers throughout the year. Clean, functional donations from the community allow us to be able to successfully fulfill our mission of serving those in need in the North Country. Volunteers are always needed to help sort clothing on the first Saturday of each month from 9-10:30 a.m. Call Beth (265-7386) for more information or to volunteer.

THE GENEROUS VIEW

Now that the pledges are all counted and the congregation has approved the 2008 budget, the Stewardship committee wanted to take another opportunity to offer a huge thanks to the entire congregation for making our fall canvass a spectacular success! Together we raised a total of $189,384 dollars to fund the 2008 budget! This is $11,423 more than we raised last year!

For those of you who like numbers, here is a bit of a breakdown: There were 153 pledges made this year. The average pledge was $1238, up from $1156 in 2007, and the median pledge (i.e. the “middle” pledge – ½ the pledges were for more and ½ for less) was $650, up from $600 in 2007. Church Council had a relatively easy task of formulating the 2008 budget with these numbers. Unlike some past years, no cuts had to be made in order to present a balanced budget for 2008. For the first time, we have also raised enough money during the canvas to fully fund our Fair Share congregational offering. This means that we will not have to do a separate Fair Share fundraiser in April.

Such a successful canvass could not have happened without each and every person who contributed time, talent and treasure to the effort! We’d like to extend a special thanks to the many volunteers who agreed to serve as canvassers this year, either in a 1:1 capacity, by hosting a small group canvass meeting, by canvassing a small group meeting, or by serving in a new “follow-up” canvasser role. If you feel as good about the success of this canvass as we do, perhaps you’ll consider joining the Stewardship committee. Though our fall work revolves around the Canvass, during the remainder of the year our focus is on cultivating generosity, broadly defined, in our church. Feel free to contact Pete Wyckoff or any other member of the Stewardship Committee for more information.

USED BOOKS ANYONE?

Later in the spring, Ines Sanchez-Ferreira and Bill Biggers will be coordinating a used book sale at the church. The proceeds will go to the church’s Caring Fund, which assists church members and friends in financial need. If you have any gently-used paperback or hardback books to donate, or if you have any questions, contact Ines and Bill at 389-4787 or at starvinart@westelcom.com. They’ll make arrangements to pick up and store your books till sale day. Thanks!

MALONE COLLOQUIUM

Mark your calendars for the First Annual Anne Righton Malone Colloquium at SUNY Potsdam on Friday, April 18! To honor Anne’s memory, a day-long conference will be held, with a keynote speech by Dr. Sandra Sarkela of the University of Memphis. The day will also feature presentations by students and colleagues on topics that were of special concern to Anne, including literature, writing, and women’s and gender studies. Kim Bouchard will direct students in a short play, and all events are open to the public. Everything is free of charge, except for the fundraising dinner that evening in Thatcher Hall. Tickets for the dinner are $100 per person, $75 of which will go toward the Anne Righton Malone Fund for Women’s and Gender Studies. Anne is missed by all of us, but this event will be yet another way to celebrate her life.

FROM THE COOTS LIBRARY

In addition to reading Pam Short’s book review below, I urge you to listen to Betsy Kepes talk positively and concisely about Gary Kowalski’s Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America Founding Fathers. Go to the NCPR website, www.ncpr.org to hear her Tuesday, Feb. 19 review online. Gary Kowalski is the minister of the Burlington UU church. You will find his book in the Coots Library soon; Pam’s is there now!

- Judy Gibson

I JUST READ...

The Etiquette of Illness: What to Say When You Can’t Find the Words by Susan Halpern is, to quote Bill Moyers, “a most useful book for hard times.” So often we have heard of and have experienced for ourselves the dilemma of finding the “right “ thing to say when someone we know is going through a difficult time with his or her health. Halpern deals with this topic with seriousness of purpose, lightness of being, and sensitivity to the feelings of both those who are ill and those who care about those who are ill.

Halpern, a psychotherapist, social worker and founder of the New York Cancer Help Program, shares here her considerable expertise on how best to comfort a close friend, colleague or family member who is living with a serious physical or mental illness. She herself is a cancer survivor and uses not only the experiences of those she interviewed, but also her own personal experiences to deliver some suggestions for kind and thoughtful ways to help with this difficult interaction. In addition, since her own diagnosis with lymphoma eight years ago, she has facilitated support groups for people with cancer.

Susan suggests not holding back, but rather saying something. “Just the simple phrase, I don’t know what to say, can be the catalyst.” She also suggests that only saying “call me if you need anything” puts the onus of responsibility on the ill person, so we should have things in mind that we can and are willing to do. On the other hand, someone who is ill can make a list of all that needs to be done and can provide that list to those who ask. It works both ways and she points out that there is also etiquette for us when we are sick and on the receiving end of assistance from others.

It is rare that a book is written with perspectives from both sides. In a gentle and compassionate manner, Halpern provides us with words to use when our hearts are full and our words seem empty. I agree with Christine Cassel, M.D., MACP, president of the American Board of Internal Medicine when she says: “As we manage chronic illness and confront the challenges of treatment, survival, and mortality, this little book will help all of us maintain the friendships that are such an important part of our lives.”

The Red Cross will hold another Blood Drive in our Social Room on Monday, March 3. Donors are welcome to walk in between 1-5 p.m., or to call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE for an appointment.

Our St. Lawrence District is also offering a one-day workshop celebrating the arts in our congregations on Saturday, April 5, at May Memorial UU Society in Syracuse. Workshops and performances in choir singing, dance, storytelling, and drumming are featured. Flyers are at the back of the Sanctuary, and some financial assistance is available.

“Sustainable Earth: A Call to Action” is the theme of the 2008 St. Lawrence District Assembly to be held April 25-26 in Owego, near Binghamton. Keynote speaker is Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, who will focus on how we can both relieve poverty and sustain the environment. Workshops will be offered on peak oil, solar power, habitat gardening, civil liberties, and more. Watch for registration flyers soon at the back of the Sanctuary.

Compassion and connection are key spiritual values, and one way to live those values is to be a Hospice volunteer. The next round of volunteer training sessions will take place at the Hospice office, 6805 US 11, between Canton and Potsdam, beginning March 8. Check the flyer on the kiosk for the full list of dates and programs. Pre-registration is required; call 265-3105 for info.

Don’t miss “Out at the Movies 2008,” February 27-March 3! Our church is a proud sponsor of this annual film festival showcasing movies with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender themes. This year, our Sanctuary will be the venue for the matinee on Sunday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m. Please join us and help us welcome moviegoers to our church. Here’s a complete listing of the feature-length films. For more information on these, plus a list of shorts, check the brochures by the name tag board in the Sanctuary or visit www.outatthemovies.org.

· Tuesday, February 26, 7:30 p.m., Clarkson, Cheel Commons: “Shelter” - Art student gives up college and sets aside his dreams to help his sister and her child, and finds romance with a Hollywood writer taking a break from the grind.

· Wednesday, February 27, 7 p.m., SLU, Hepburn Auditorium, “Out at the Wedding”- A comedy of mis-communications, including the rumor spreading around her sister’s wedding that southern-born Alex is a lesbian.

· Thursday, February 28, 7 p.m., SUNY Potsdam, Wakefield Auditorium, “Itty Bitty Titty Committee” - A love song to the heady rush of sex, freedom, and rebellion that happens when a shy girl discovers her own strength.

· Friday, February 29, 7 p.m., SUNY Potsdam, Wakefield Auditorium, “Nina’s Heavenly Delights”- Nina has bigger dreams than to work in the family business, but the new co-owner, Lisa, may change her mind.

· Saturday, March 1, 7 p.m., SUNY Canton, Kingston Theater, “DL Chronicles” - Stories of four African-American men, one married, one closeted, one a player, and one in a committed partnership.

· Sunday, March 2, 2 p.m., UU Church, “Butch Jamie”- Gender-bending comedy about a butch dyke actress auditioning in femme “drag” for women’s roles.

· Sunday, March 2, 7 p.m., SLU, Hepburn Auditorium, “The Bubble” - Young Israeli soldier loses his ID on checkpoint duty and falls in love with the Palestinian soldier who returns it to him. Can their love survive the hatred and hostility that surrounds them?

· Monday, March 3, 7 p.m., Cinema 10, Roxy Theater, Potsdam, “For the Bible Tells Me So” - If you missed this at SLU in the fall, see it now! The stories of five families wrestling with their children’s coming out, with the focus on religious values and what the Bible really says.