Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

April 2^nd

“Virtues and Vices”

Dr. Ronald Glossop,  Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

Having not been able to give this scheduled sermon on March 4^th, Ron will discuss various ideas which have been advanced about which qualities of character are virtues and which are vices and why.  He will explain and critique the views of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, St. Thomas Aquinas, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, John Dewey, and Friedrich Nietzsche on this issue.  

April 9^th - Palm Sunday

“The God of Jesus”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

In his book, “The God of Jesus,” Dr. Steve Patterson discusses the religion of Jesus as distinct from a religion about Jesus.  Jesus, forever a Jew, reportedly had a special connection to the divine.  On this traditional anniversary of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, we’ll see what aspects of Jesus’ religion might be applicable to us today.

April 13^th  - Tenebrae

Thursday evening, 7:00 p.m.

“Together in Dark Times”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

This evening worship service will feature readings from the Passion narratives and a recitation of the names of those who have died this year.  We’ll conclude with a Socinian Communion: bread and wine shared in silence at a table open to all.

April 16^th - Easter Sunday

“Resurrection Blues”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Spring has sprung, new life bursts forth from the earth all around us, and still we have a hard time with myths of bodily resurrection.  This Easter, we’ll examine the metaphor of resurrection and what a new understanding might mean in our lives and in the life of our community.

April 23^rd

The Prophet’s Voice: The Sound of Silence

Susan Maginn*

Some people say that politics has no place in spiritual life, but if we can’t look to our church community to help us make sense of the world, where do we go? Even when we choose to abstain from mixing religion with politics, in the face of injustice, our silence is heard. When our hopes for the world are most disappointed, we might just discover our prophetic voice.

April 30^th

The Prophet’s Voice: Justice for All?

Susan Maginn*

All are created equal and all have equal access to the American dream. This is the story that inspires so much of American culture. However, we don’t have to look far to see those who are pushed to the margins of this story. How are we part of the margins and also part of the margin-makers? And how are we, as a religious people, called to respond when we see a person’s worth and dignity being pushed aside?

*Read about Susan elsewhere in the newsletter.

COMMITTEE SUNDAY

April 2^nd

From 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

This is the time set aside every other month for committees to meet and plan future events and activities.  Committees and their Chairs include: Member Services (Marcia Custer); Growth (Mary Johnson); Worship (Mona Hebert); Religious Education (Lisa Alton); Finance (Ted Loucks); Building & Grounds (Tom Allred); Stewardship (Nancy Brunner).

All committees would like to have additional members to contribute their talents and share their ideas.  If you’re not already involved in a committee please find one that interests you.

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, April 2^nd! 

Don’t forget to set your clocks!

AN ADDITIONAL CHOICE on April 2^nd

From 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

For those not involved on a committee, or for newcomers who happen to come early, it has been suggested that something be offered at the same time as the committee meetings.

Gene Eaton has volunteered to show a video tape of the June 26^nd 2005 Sunday morning "Music and Worship Service" of the UUA General Assembly (GA).  This tape will be of interest and inspiration to those who view it, and give those who have not attended a General Assembly some idea what is in store for them in our upcoming GA in St. Louis.  On future Sundays during committee meetings, Gene would like to show some DVDs of a religious-historical interest created by the History Channel.

 Shop in Your IN-CHURCH

Book Store

Come and look at the new books for sale at the Book Cabinet, located in the Wuerker Room and sponsored by the RE Department.  Shop for your favorite books published by Skinner House and Beacon Press.  Forty percent of the proceeds will go to benefit the RE department of this church. You may suggest titles to be added to the book store’s collection.

Adult Religious Enrichment Programs

April 9^th from   9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m .

The “Welcoming Congregation Workshop” is a new series to be continued on the 2^nd Sunday of each month.

The First Unitarian Church of Alton has a long history of supporting those who are marginalized or disenfranchised within the larger society.  In an effort to continue this good work, the congregation has decided to participate in the UUA’s Welcoming Congregation program.  This program is designed to help congregations develop individual and institutional strategies in order to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their families.  The Welcoming Congregation committee is excited to announce that our first monthly workshop will be held on Sunday, April 9^th at 9:00 a.m.  We invite each of you to join us in this wonderful opportunity to share, learn, and grow together.

April 16^th  from 9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

“Understanding the Bible” is a monthly class led by Gerry Gilman on the 3^rd Sunday of each month.  The class is based on a book written by the Rev. John Buehrens, former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. 

April 23^rd  from 9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

“In Search of the Historical Jesus”

Who was Jesus of Nazareth?  What was he like?  For more than 2,000 years, people and groups of varying convictions have pondered these questions.  In this series, we’ll view presentations by Professor Bart D. Ehrman as he approaches the subject of who Jesus might have been from a purely historical perspective, and explains why it has proven so difficult to know about this “Jesus of history.”  Dr. Ehrman also reveals in accessible ways the kinds of conclusions modern scholars have drawn about Jesus. Rev. Van Zandt coordinates this series.

April 30^th  from 9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

“In Search of the Historical Jesus.”

A First Glance

Talking with a beloved parishioner one day, we fell into a discussion of eyesight and vision.  Cataracts, macular degeneration, shortsightedness, blind spots - there’s lots of things to watch out for as we walk the path of life.

We may not all develop problems with our eyes, but many of us do suffer from time to time with shortsightedness or blind spots of one sort or another.  It’s easy to be so absorbed in living our own lives in our own contexts in our own too-often-unexamined patterns that we miss seeing the number of other possible ways we could be engaged with the world.

Here’s an announcement that appears in this month’s newsletter:

The First Unitarian Church of Alton has a long history of supporting those who are marginalized or disenfranchised within the larger society.  In an effort to continue this good work, the congregation has decided to participate in the UUA’s Welcoming Congregation program.  This program is designed to help congregations develop individual and institutional strategies in order to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their families.  The Welcoming Congregation committee is excited to announce that our first monthly workshop will be held on Sunday, April 9, at 9:00 a.m.  We invite each of you to join us in this wonderful opportunity to share, learn, and grow together.

You may ask:  Aren’t we already welcoming as a congregation?  Of course, we are.  Many people tell me they felt welcomed the very first time they stepped through our doors. 

But, are we truly welcoming to all different sorts of folks, especially LGBT people?  I hope so.  I want to be.  I want our church to be, and I hear from you that you do, too.  Yet, I know I have some shortsightedness and blind spots - I know I could often use help with my vision.

In our culture, we are discouraged from discussing sexual identity issues, resulting in a lack of awareness regarding the ways we can support LGBT people.  Engaging in the discussion is the first step in improving our vision.

I hope you’ll join me in “this wonderful opportunity to share, learn, and grow together.”  The time’s a little different - 9:00 a.m. instead of 9:30 - but the topic is compelling enough to demand a little more of our time than the usual Adult Religious Enrichment program.

For more information, please call me at church or on my cell phone (618 520-0567 or 314 223-0551).

See you in church,

In Our Church Family

Lucy Bouton is now home from the hospital recuperating from hip surgery.  She will be house-bound for up to 12 weeks as she can only put ‘toe-bearing weight’ on her leg.  She would welcome cards, calls, and visitors, but please call before dropping by.

Janice Joiner is recovering at home from a recent surgery and would appreciate cards, calls, and visitors.

David Wiseman is recovering at home from an aortic valve replacement.  Cards, calls, and visitors are welcome. 

Welcome to Our Newest Members

Diane Thomson and Kevin McCarthy

Susan and Kirk Folk

See all Directory Updates on page 8

Thumbnail Sketch of Upcoming Events

Read details in other parts of the newsletter.

Thurs., April 6^th – Anna Ds @ Piasa Harbor – 11:30 a.m.

Thurs., April 6^th – Choir Practice – 7:00 p.m.

Sat.,    April 8^th – Everyone come to the Pledge Drive Wrap-up Party –
7:00 p.m.

Sun.,    April 9^th – Welcoming Congregation Workshop – 9:00 a.m.

Tues.,  April 11^th – Men’s Lunch Group – 11:30 a.m.

Tues.,  April 11^th – Board Meeting – 7:00 p.m.

Thurs., April 20^th – Choir Practice – 7:00 p.m.

Sun.,   April 23^rd – Clark Lecture @ First Church , St. Louis – 2:00 p.m.

Fri.,    April 28^th – International Lunch Group @
Forest Park Community College – 12 noon .

Sat.,   April 29^th – Highway clean up

Women’s Alliance Meeting

(Anna Ds)

April 6^th

The April meeting of the Anna D. Sparks Women's Alliance will be on Thursday, April 6^th at 11:30 a.m. at Piasa Harbor, 10815 Lockhaven Road, Godfrey.  The restaurant is directly across from the road that goes to Lockhaven Country Club.  Lorli Nelson will call for reservations.  All members and friends are welcome.  Call Lorli if you’re coming.

Here are the names of church members and friends who are celebrating birthdays this month.  If this is ‘your month’ and your name didn’t get included, we’re sorry.  For future months please let Mary Johnson know your birth month and day. (mejohnson@mindspring.com)

  3 April – Curtis Meyenburg

  5 April – David Wiseman

  6 April – Cathy Tade

  8 April – Ted Loucks

10 April – Corinne Hawkins

12 April – Deanna Stacy

13 April – Dylan Stacy (2000)

14 April – Brynda McCoy

27 April – Ginger McCall

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

This year Easter falls on April 16^th.  We will again be having our annual Easter Egg Hunt during RE time on this day.  Please have your children bring baskets.  I do have some extra in case people do not have one or forget.  I would also like any of you in adult UU land out there who like to hide eggs to come at 9:30 a.m. to help get all of the eggs out this year.  We have doubled the number of children that have been showing up on Sunday mornings since last year.  This means we have also had to double the number of eggs for our hunt. 

We will be having a special Earth Day RE program on April 23^rd with all ages combined into one class for the day.  We will be learning about how we can help care for the Earth every day and working on the church recycling project.  Looking ahead to next month, we will be having a special all-ages Family Day RE program on May 14^th.

We will be celebrating our families and making a special project to take home.

This is the time of year when we start filling out our teaching calendar for next year.  I met with next year's youth group and their parents, and they decided that they would like to meet for their class at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.  They would then have the option of attending service at 10:30 a.m. or assisting as mentors in the younger classrooms.  I will need a few youth advisors to facilitate their 9:30 a.m. class.  I will also need teams of two adults to teach a semester of each of the three younger classes at 10:30 a.m.  The teams would rotate as their schedule fits and will be assisted by a youth mentor each week.  With two teachers per semester and three classes, I will need 12 people to sign up to teach at the 10:30 a.m. RE class time.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this or if you would be willing to help out in the classes. 

I will be making the curricula that we will be using for next year available for review during potluck on April 23^rd.  I will also be available at this time to talk to parents and anyone who is interested in learning what teaching RE is about.  This open house format will be held by the fireplace in the Wuerker Room, and all are invited to come by and take a look at what we are planning to do for next year.

Thank you, Jamie Gross

The International Lunch Group

Friday, April 28^th

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

RSVP by April 10^th to Mona Hebert

hebertml@slu.edu

The group’s name has been changed from the Ethnic Lunch Group to the International Lunch Group. 

Our next gender inclusive lunch gathering will be a little different.  We’ll have a special “Taste of New Orleans” luncheon at the Culinary Restaurant at Forest Park Community College in St. Louis.  This lunch will be planned, prepared, and executed by Megan Hebert (daughter of church members Mona and Paul Hebert) as her final project before graduating from the Culinary Arts School.

The price is $10 per person and you will need to make your selection of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert when you RSVP.

Appetizer:

a.       crab with vegetable cheese tort

b.       vegetable cheese tort

Entrée:

a.         Jamaican jerk chicken with mango salsa, piped sweet potatoes, flash fried spinach and plantains

b.         Blue cheese and walnut topped tenderloin, cold sweet potato salad, hot spinach salad      

Dessert:

a.       Beignets with strawberry rhubarb and lemon sauces served with champagne ice cream

b.       Chocolate soufflé with caramel sauce and pralines

Highway Clean-Up Day

Saturday, April 29^th

It’s time again to do our quarterly clean-up of our 4 mile stretch of Highway 67.  The more people who help, the less time it will take and the more enjoyable the project.  This is a Community Service project and the church’s name is on the sign approaching our stretch of the road, giving us added incentive to keep the area trash-free.  Mark Tade is the Clean-Up Coordinator and will have a sign-up sheet at church for volunteers. 

Join the Choir – It’s Fun!

Rehearsals

Thursday April 6^th – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 20^th – 7:00 p.m.

Questions, want to learn more?

Contact Willis McCoy wbmccoy@charter.net

Sunday Pot Luck Lunch

April 23^rd – the 4^th Sunday

Bring a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and fellowship.

A-L will do Table Set Up

M-Z will do Clean Up

Everyone will be responsible for setting food out on the buffet table.

Share your Ideas and Suggestions For and About the Church

Do you have an idea or a suggestion and don’t know who at church to give it to?   There is a now suggestion box in the RE Foyer or you may send your suggestions to suggestions@firstuualton.org.  Or if you’re looking at the church’s homepage at http://www.firstuualton.org there is also a “suggestion box” icon there.

Getting to Know …

Lisa Alton

(Interview by Audrey Wiseman)

In January, '05 Lisa Alton, who is from Edwardsville, became a member of our congregation.  For me it is always interesting to find out about a person's former church affiliations and hers are no exception.  She and her family started going to Eliot Chapel but found it to be too far away, so they came to us.  Early on she attended a Christian Scientist boarding school, and lived in a Jewish neighborhood across from a Hari Krishna Temple. Her mother's side of the family was Catholic and her Dad's was Baptist.  They lived with an Uncle who was Buddhist, so... naturally, she became Unitarian. I told her it sounds like her story ought to be put to music.

Lisa's hobby is knitting.  She is passionate about Science and works part-time at SIUE as a research associate.  Her oldest child, Cami, who is in my Sunday school class is also passionate about science and added to the story about Jonah and the Whale that some whales use baleen to strain their food which is krill.  So, could it have swallowed a man?  We pondered on what Jonah hung on to in the front part of the whale's body to avoid being swept down into the stomach and being digested.  Cami who is ten is a big sister to Zach who is six, who is also in the class I have been teaching.  Zach loves to entertain people with his jokes, magic and cooking. He made all green food for the kids at the last fellowship dinner at the Tades on March 4^th.  The Alton family is a very welcome addition to our church.

A “Committee Faire”

To be able to function fairly well committees need a fair number of people.  To let everyone learn more about what opportunities are available for sharing their talents with the church we will be having a “Committee Faire” in May (date to be announced.)  At this “Faire” each committee will “display its wares” and give out information about what its role is in the life of the church.  This will give everyone an opportunity to choose a committee to serve on in the upcoming new church year.

the Clark Lecture @

First Unitarian Church, St. Louis

On Sunday, April 23^rd at 2:00 p.m. The Clark Lecture Committee of First Unitarian Church of St. Louis will host Susan Jacoby, Director of The Center for Inquiry Metro New York for a lecture: "With God on Their Side: The Rise of Religious Hypocrisy in American Politics."  Jacoby has observed that given the rhetoric long practiced by the religious right, there is a very real danger that our politics will be turned into arguments over theology: i.e., my God is better than your God. . . . This lecture will discuss the appropriate role of secularism and religion in public life.

Jacoby, author of Freethinkers, A History of American Secularism is an award-winning independent scholar and author of numerous books including Wild Justice.  As a journalist, she has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Nation.  

There will be time for questions and answers after the lecture. The program is provided as a community service and there will be no charge. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.  Check the First U web site www.firstuustlouis.org for more information.  

Women’s Weekend at Camp Wyman

Peg Flach reminds us that the annual Women’s Weekend hosted and coordinated by Eliot Chapel will be Friday April 28^th through Sunday April 30^th.   It’s a time for relaxation, socializing, learning, meditating, doing crafts, music and more.  You can go for one day or the entire weekend.

Camp Wyman is just outside Eureka, MO – about an hour’s drive from the Alton area.  The Saturday only option is $40 and includes 3 meals.  Peg will be going down for Saturday’s activities and welcomes women to carpool with her.  Registration deadline is April 9^th. 

For further information about the Weekend go to the Women’s Weekend site at http://ww.eliotchapel.org/WW   If you’re interested in carpooling contact Peg at pegflach@juno.com

The UUA General Assembly is coming to town!

This is a fantastic opportunity to gather together with several thousand other UUs in learning, worshipping, singing, and gathering inspiration for our journeys.

Registration forms and Volunteer Forms will be available at http://www.uua.org/ga on March 1st.  Materials will also be available at the church office.

The registration fee for those registering between March 1^st and April 30^th is $280.  After April 30^th the registration fee is $325. 

However, those who are chosen as volunteers – and over 200 are needed – will have their registration fees waived.  Volunteers will need to work a total of 24 hours during the conference.  So, fill out and send in the volunteer application!

In Our Church Family

Please contact Khleber and / or the church administrator,
Becky Green, when members or friends of our church are ill, hospitalized or special attention is needed. 

Directory Updates

Please make these changes and corrections in your 2006 Directory

(For privacy reasons addresses and phone numbers are not included on the web version of the newsletter.)

New Additions:

ADKINS, KEVIN* and VOGRIN, VALERIE*

FOLK, SUSAN* and KIRK*

HERNDON, DIANE* and JOHN*

Address Change:

KRAUS, DAVID

MONDHINK, IRENE

Watch for more details in the May Newsletter.

Please mark the evening of May 19th on your calendar. 

Church Annual Meeting