The Chalice News for December 2013

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Upcoming Services

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Jan 5, 10 a.m.: Building a Committed and Sustainable Community. Let's take a look into the future we hope to share together in a healthy, multigenerational community.

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Jan 12, 10 a.m.: Why Smart People Can Believe in God and the Devil. Member Connie Shemo will share her thoughts on what it means to believe in the good and evil forces that we call God and the devil.

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Jan. 19, 10 a.m.: Let's Start the Conversation:A Discussion About the Final Journey of Our Lives and the Lives of Those We Love. How do Unitarian Universalists look at death and what happens after? If we are open to it, this conversation can be a meaningful part of our lives and take the "dark" out of an enlightening passage.

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Jan. 26, 10 a.m.: Religious Community Is Not Enough. As part of our ongoing series, "Celebrating Our Faith," Jessamyn Neuhaus will read this sermon by Rev. Tom Schade. Schade asserts that "by word and deed, Unitarian Universalists are trying to change people. It is time for us to acknowledge and proclaim this and to see that building a religious community is but a means to a larger end."

President's Message Our next congregational meeting will be on Sunday, Jan. 12, shortly after our Sunday service. This is called our “Town Meeting” and is called for in our by-laws, as follows: "A Town Meeting shall be scheduled on or before the third Sunday in January to distribute a mid-year financial report to the congregation and to discuss any current business and resolve issues by vote if necessary." I hope you will make time to attend this meeting. Your UUFP Board of Trustees will be there to distribute a financial report, review and update the congregation on current activities and take questions and comments from all who attend. Our Fun, Fellowship and Hospitality Committee will help us enjoy our time with refreshments. And, judging by our recent meetings, the business portion should last one hour or less. The agenda will be posted in advance on the bulletin board and on our website. Until then, stay warm and enjoy winter. You might want to throw another log on the fire. All best, Bruce Lawson UUFP Board President

Vote on UUA Issues at Jan. 12 Congregational Meeting Our next congregational meeting will take place Jan. 12, following the Sunday service. One of the items on the agenda is the UUA Congregational Study/Action Issues. We will provide time to vote on these at the meeting, but it might be helpful to go tohttp://www.uua.org/statements/current/index.shtmlfor a better understanding of the issues before we meet. UUA Congregational Study/Action Issues As the UUA is planning for the 2014 General Assembly, they would like input from congregations. They have sent us a poll that will provide input to them. Congregational Study/Action Issues are issues selected by Unitarian Universalist member congregations for four years of study, reflection and action. In the third year of this process, delegates at General Assembly can vote to approve a Statement of Conscience resulting from congregational feedback on those issues. A fourth year is devoted to implementation. Base your vote on whether or not you believe the Congregational Study/Action Issues are complex, specific and articulated enough to be considered by the 2014 General Assembly.

Empowerment: Age and Ability Reconsidered Yes No Abstain Ending the War on Terror Yes No Abstain Escalating Inequality Yes No Abstain Gun Violence: A Public Health Issue Yes No Abstain Renewing and Securing Our American Democracy Yes No Abstain UU Values and the Pursuit of a Just Peace for Israelis & Palestinians Yes No Abstain The complete text of the six issues appears at http://www.uua.org/statements/current/index.shtml. Please prepare to vote Jan. 12 on which five of these issues you would like our congregation to recommend to the General Assembly.

Palmer Street Coffeehouse Presents National Touring Duo, Dana & Susan Robinson National touring duo, Dana & Susan Robinson make return a appearance at Palmer Street Coffeehouse on Friday, Jan. 3, at 7:30 p.m. From Asheville, N.C., husband and wife duo, Dana & Susan, are two guitar-playing, banjo-frailing, fiddle-sawing and harmony-singing interpreters of the American experience. Their music is the sound and feel of bedrock America. The genius of a Dana & Susan Robinson performance lies in their ability to capture the imagination of their audience, evoking a transformative experience that touches on the deepest humanity. They can make the audience howl with laughter or hush with poignant reflection as they take them on a journey across America and convey the mystery and wonder of the places they visit. Their recently released album, “American Hornpipe" (Threshold Music 2012) has received rave reviews. "Many songwriters have been heralded as modern day Woody Guthries or keepers of the American rural spirit, but that mantle might be better entrusted to musicians like Dana Robinson who embody both the heart and the soul of folk music." - Dirty Linen A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dana relocated to New England where he discovered both a thriving songwriters scene and the deep well of traditional mountain music. In the early 1980s, Dana settled in northern Vermont and built a house “off the grid” on 30 acres near the Canadian border. Dana launched into full-time touring after the release of his 1994 debut CD, “Elemental Lullabye,” and after receiving a request to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Putumayo’s Shelter benefit project. Sue grew up in a musical family in New England. She studied piano, oboe and Scottish fiddle before meeting Dana in 2002. Sue was working in the environmental field in California when she met Dana at a house concert. Upon moving to North Carolina a short time thereafter, Sue launched into studying with many of the great old-time musicians in the Asheville area and naturally adapted to the onthe-road lifestyle. Palmer Street Coffeehouse is Plattsburgh’s original coffeehouse & operates on the first Friday of the month, Oct. through Jun. Admission is $10. Located in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 4 Palmer St., the coffeehouse is well known for its welcoming atmosphere and fine acoustic music. Doors open at 7 p.m. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

Faith Examined Group to Discuss 'Regaining Balance: The Evolution of the UUA' Please think about joining the Faith Examined Group. We meet every other week on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to about 11 a.m. We read and then discuss all matters that pertain to giving us a better understanding of what we as Unitarian Universalists stand for now, as well as where we came from and where we are going. We will meet on Friday, Jan. 3, to discuss Michael Werner's short, 80-page book, "Regaining Balance: The Evolution of the UUA" (Religious Humanism Press, 2013). You can order it from Amazon. If you need help, I understand the people at Cornerstone Bookstore will order books. Werner predicts dire consequences to the UUA from what he sees as our over-emphasis on tolerance and underemphasis on reason. Following this, we plan to read and discuss "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth" by Reza Aslan (Random House, 2013). Beginning in mid-January, we will likely devote several meetings to it. Please contact Henry Morlock for further information. Home phone: 518-561-7647. Email: [email protected].

Book Club to Read 'We Need New Names' The UU Book Club will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at Palmer Street. We will discuss "We Need New Names" by NoViolet Bulawayo. This novel has received many excellent reviews and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. It’s described as a powerful story of a young girl's journey out of Zimbabwe and to America. Titles to be read later in the year include "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini and "We Are Water" by Wally Lamb. We’re always looking for new participants and suggestions of books to read and discuss. Come and join us!

Second Saturday Cinema Presents 'A Hard Day's Night' Second Saturday Cinema's 2013-14 season rolls on with "A Hard Day's Night," Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. Come down and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its release. In the height of Beatlemania, The Fab Four signed onto what could have easily been a slapdash vehicle but instead helped create what Roger Ebert called ¨one of the great life-affirming landmarks of the movies.¨ The movie is fun and the music is so infectious that you can't help but tap your feet. This film is No. 1 on the Rotten Tomatoes list of the Top Ten Certified Fresh Musicals scoring a 99 percent. Remastered for re-release, this black and white print is out of this world. You have never seen or heard it like this before. Come on down Jan. 11, and see it on the big screen in High Definition and in Dolby Digital Sound. There is NO admission fee, and reasonably-priced snacks and drinks are available. A Hard Day's Night is rated G. This movie will begin at our usual start time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m; lights dim at 7 p.m. Presented as a community service, Second Saturday Cinema is a public showcase for classic, thought-provoking and fun movies. Our little theater features a large screen and Dolby Digital sound. Like most SSC presentations, we are not allowed to publicly advertise this film's title, so please help spread the word.

'We Shall Overcome': Help Build the Strength-Sharing Bookshelf at the Fellowship The Social Action Committee and Religious Education Committees are sponsoring a Multigenerational event: a Martin Luther King Day of Service, Monday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m. to noon at the UUFP sanctuary. You are invited to select a book that has been a positive influence in your life. Maybe it helped you understand a difficult situation, helped you overcome a negative attitude that was restricting your life, gave you hope when you needed to feel hopeful, made you laugh when you needed to laugh or "saved you" in some way. After you make a selection of one or more of such important books, please think about sharing that experience with us and donating that book or those books to our Sharing-Strength Bookshelf. These will be available to share within the UUFP community to help others. Later, the books may be donated to another community service program, like the hospital or a school. Please try to support this program about caring for others. We hope to receive books from UU members of all ages, from toddler to wise old sage.

Events View the full listing on our calendar.

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Jan. 3, 9:30-11 a.m. Faith Examined Group: “Regaining Balance: The Evolution of the UUA.”

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Jan. 3, 7 :30 p.m. Palmer Street Coffeehouse: Dana & Susan Robinson. $10.

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Jan. 4, 12:15 p.m. UU Ladies Lunch. Aleka's, 103 Margaret St.

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Jan. 7, 6:55 p.m. Search for Meaning Discussion Group. 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 8, 2 p.m. UU Book Club: "We Need New Names." 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 11, 7 p.m. Second Saturday Cinema: "A Hard Day's Night." 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 12, after services. Annual Town Hall Meeting. 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 14, 6:55 p.m. Search for Meaning Discussion Group. 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 17, 9:30-11 a.m. Faith Examined Discussion Group: "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth." 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 20, 11 a.m.-noon. Multigenerational Martin Luther King Service Event. 4 Palmer St.

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Jan. 21, 6:55 p.m. Search for Meaning Discussion Group. 4 Palmer St

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Jan. 21, midnight. Chalice articles due.

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Jan. 28, 6:55 p.m. Search for Meaning Discussion Group. 4 Palmer St.

4 Palmer St. Plattsburgh, NY 12901