November 7^th

(Daylight Savings time ends)

9:30 and 11 am

“God, and Other Four-Letter Words”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

The dust-up between traditional Christians and what we might call “the new atheists” landed on the front pages recently when Pope Benedict visited with Queen Elizabeth in the UK.  Why must fundamentalists on both sides insist on using the smallest possible definition of “God”?

November 14^th

9:30 and 11:00 am

“With Head and Heart”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Howard Thurman was a giant of 20^th century theology.  Though he’s been gone for almost thirty years, this “holy man for the coming millennium” continues to inspire and challenge us Unitarian Universalists with the depth and majesty of his life’s work.

November 21^st

9:30 and 11:00 am

(Traditional Bread Communion)

“Making Room at the Welcome Table”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

For those of us who are used to having our own place at the table, making room for others can be an anxiety-producing jolt.  For those who’ve been traditionally excluded, finally getting a chair may be a celebration.  Either way, you could call it a spiritual experience.

Please bring a small loaf of bread from your particular tradition, family or personal, to share during Bread Communion at this intergenerational worship service.

November 28^th

9:30 and 11 am

“A Buddhist Service”

Dee Evans and Cliff Carter

Dee and Cliff have studied Buddhism for over ten years and knowing that Buddhism is widely accepted in the Unitarian Church, they are bringing to you what a Buddhist Service would look like.

Nov. 7^th – Non-Theist/Humanist Group.  Chapter one of “Good without God” by Greg Epstein

Nov. 14^th – History of Philosophy:  “Socrates and the Sophists” – Led by Dr. Ron Glossop.

 We will focus our attention on the life and ideas of Socrates, the patron saint of philosophers; but we will also discuss the Sophists, those traveling educators with whom Socrates argued when they came to try attract paying students in Athens.  Socrates claimed to be wiser than the Sophists because he knew that he knew nothing while the Sophists claimed to have wisdom which they didn't have.

Nov. 21^st – Ethical Eating, the latest Statement of Conscience being considered for adoption by the UUA, has been introduced with the following statement:  Religious organizations throughout the world have discussed the production, distribution, and use of food. Some people enjoy many food choices while others remain hungry. The food industry produces wealth, but small farmers and farm workers are often poor. Food production and transportation contribute to many environmental problems.

Nov. 28^th – Tapestry of Faith Series. A series of faith empowering and discernment provided by the UUA Adult education team.

A First Glance

One weekday afternoon at church, I wrote a thank-you note, sealed it up and stamped it, and jumped in the car to take it to the mailbox.  As I stopped in front of the Alton Post Office, another car pulled up and a man quickly got out and headed for the building.  As he passed me, he held out his hand, silently offering to take my mail in with him.  I gave him my envelope and said, “You’re a gentleman!”

That kind of courtesy doesn’t happen very often anymore, at least in the places where I spend most of my time.  Maybe that’s why it took me a few minutes to realize what went through my head in that moment when he reached out an open hand:  I think I did a kind of instantaneous emotional recoil, wondering whether or not to give up my mail to this stranger.  In the next instant, I made the decision to blow right through the wall of risk and accept the man’s kind offer of assistance.  Yes, I know - he could have stolen my mail.  But after doing all the calculations in that split second, I took a chance, and I can only hope it worked out.

Back in my study at church, I thought a little more deeply about what had transpired.  I remembered that the man I handed my mail to was about my age, he was dressed in ‘business casual’ attire, he was driving a nice-enough car.  And he happened to have the same skin color as me.

And I remembered something else as well:  as I had pulled away from the curb at the post office, I had to steer around another man who was walking in the street, dragging a trash bag.  This man’s clothes were dirty and much too heavy for the summer weather.  He appeared down on his luck and perhaps homeless.  And he was African American.

If this had been the man who held out his hand to take my mail, how would my split-second calculations have changed?  Would I still have let my mail go?

If not, should I say that decision was affected by race, or by class, or by statistics, or by simple fear?

As it happened, the point is probably moot.  And yet, deep within my memory, I am chastened to recall that I met more than one ‘neighbor’ that day, and only reluctantly interacted with the one while completely steering around the second.

I will probably be too embarrassed to share this story with our homeless friends who come to lunch with us on 4^th Saturdays.  But I bet I will remember it when I am seated at the table with them and their children.

See you in church,

UU&You! Extended Updates

This fall, we’ll begin to ‘go live’ on higher-level extensions of our orientation class, UU&You!  Called UU&You! 2.0 and 3.0, these classes will deepen your understanding of what it means to be a member of First Church and to call yourself a Unitarian Universalist.

UU&You! 2.0

7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, October 27^th, November 3^rd, and November 17^th (skip Nov. 10^th).  In UU&You! 2.0, we’ll use the Forrest Church/John Buehrens book, A Chosen Faith, to explore Unitarian Universalist history, attitudes, and traditions.  The book is arranged as a commentary on the sources of our faith:  the experience of transcending mystery, the lives of prophetic men and women, and wisdom from the world’s religions including Jewish, Christian, Humanist, and Earth-centered religious teachings.  To get the most out of this class, you’ll want to order A Chosen Faith from a website like Amazon or borrow a copy from church, and then read Parts 1 and 2 for the first class, Parts 3 and 4 for the second, and Parts 5 and 6 for the last.  Sign up on the clipboard in the Kate Wuerker Room or contact the church office to let us know you want to attend.

UU&You! 3.0

7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, January 19^th, 26^th, and February 2^nd.  For UU&You! 3.0, we’ll follow John Buehrens and Rebecca Parker’s A House for Hope to further deepen our understandings of current topics in UU thought.  Since the book is arranged to correspond with six parts of Parker’s ‘theological house’ concept, our three classes will cover two parts in each class:  for the first class, the garden and walls;  for the second, the roof and foundation; and for the third, the rooms and the doorway.  Again, find the book online or borrow from church, and register at church or with the office.

Thanksgiving is coming and that means more specialty items are needed.  Besides the kind of food you usually contribute please consider bringing canned meat, pumpkin pie mix, canned cranberries, stuffing mix, and canned vegetables.

Your donations help hundreds of people in Alton who go to the Alton Crisis Food Center weekly to have food on the table.

Our church and the UCM Alton Area Cluster will

co-host a movie night on Saturday, November 6^th

at 5:30 p.m.

“Earth Songs: Mountains, Water & the Healing Power of Nature” is a documentary film, accompanied by a meditation portion, which aims to narrow the gap between humans and the natural world – sometimes called a “nature deficit disorder.”  It is narrated by actor Michael York and created and directed by Dr. Brian Luke Seaward.

It is a film with stunning footage of natural environs from all over the world with musical scores from many countries.  Its message is “When we take time to listen to the songs of the earth, the healing rhythms and majestic dynamics of nature’s intent are undeniable to the wellbeing of mind, body and spirit.”

If you have questions please contact Pat Murrell.

Ongoing Church Fundraiser

Book Sale

If you’ve got paperback or hardback books that you no longer want to keep, consider donating them to our ongoing used book sale.

NO TEXTBOOKS PLEASE

And … avail yourselves of the opportunity to replace those books you just donated by purchasing others from the book sale shelf in the Kate Wuerker Room.  The price is right - $1.00 hardback / 50 cents paperback – and the money goes to the church.

Sandy Shaner is our volunteer coordinator of the Book Sale Shelf so if you have any questions about books you might want to contribute, please talk to her.

In Sympathy

A long-time Unitarian, and former Anna Ds President, Fay Schweitzer, died on September 30^th at the age of 91 at her home in Godfrey.  She served in the Women’s Army Corps during WWII and was buried with full military honors at Godfrey Cemetery.   Our condolences to her family who came from all around the country to attend the services held in our church on October 9^th.   Her son Nicholas and his daughter Elizabeth would on occasion provide music for our worship service when they were down from Madison to visit Fay.

“Now Let Us Sing …”

The Choir usually sings at least once a month for morning worship services.

Choir rehearsals are held the first three Thursday evenings in each month from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.  If you enjoy singing, please consider coming to a choir rehearsal to learn how much fun you can have and what a contribution you can make by being part of the choir.

November’s rehearsals will be on November 4^th, 11^th and 18^th.

New Choir Members are welcome at any time.

For further information contact Willis McCoy.

Annual Holiday

Gift Bargain

On November 21^st Corinne Hawkins will once again be selling her hand-crafted, one of a kind, star design pot holders.  The proceeds from this annual sale are given to the church. The potholders are $4.50 and they will be available in the Kate Wuerker Room both before and after church services.  Start your holiday shopping here!

Meet Amanda and Tony Grippi

Amanda and Tony have been members since May of this year.  Tony and Amanda met at SIUE in grad school when they were both studying Community School Psychology.  Tony now is a school psychologist for the Alton School District and Amanda is a counselor at Catholic Children’s Home. Amanda’s hobbies include reading and practicing Yoga.  Tony is into computers and following sports. They currently live in Edwardsville with their children, six year old Ethan and Claire, who is three.

Tony’s father is originally from New York but Tony was raised in O’Fallon, Illinois.  Amanda hails from Kansas City.  Her mother was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. when she nine.  The family was one of the last to be allowed to fly out of Cuba but was first stripped of everything. 

Finally, your reporter did not quite get the story right when I wrote about how they found our church.  However, Amanda corrected me in an email, which I thought more interesting than my own writing, so, in Amanda’s own words:  “I had actually found out about UU when I was in high school and looking for a church that I was comfortable with since so many of my friends went to churches.  But the only one in KC was in downtown and I didn't feel comfortable driving there by myself.  Then when Tony and I were talking about finding a church for our kids I told him that there is a religion called UU that would be great if only there was one nearby.  It was then that he said a coworker had mentioned a church called that in Alton!  So, I knew I wanted to be a UU and Tony knew where one was but we never connected the info ‘til then.  Funny since we've both worked in Alton for nearly a decade!”

Contributed by Mary Weber

2010

Alton Community Christmas

Once again we will be participating in the Alton Community Christmas program which provides Christmas to families in our region through the donations and charitable giving of churches, businesses, and individuals.  Fourteen local agencies have been chosen by the program’s sponsors – the United Way and the Alton Telegraph – to receive the toys and clothes you donate. 

There will be a contribution box in the Kate Wuerker Room from November 7^th through December 12^th so please bring in your donations during that period.

Items requested include:  toys, new coats, non-perishable food, new socks, blankets stocking caps, gloves, and mittens. 

Monetary donations are also accepted, but if you are donating money please don’t put it in the donation box but give it to Mary Johnson who will see that it reaches the Community Christmas program organizers.

POT LUCK LUNCH

Sunday, November 28^th

The congregation shares in a Pot Luck Lunch on the 4^th Sunday of each month.  Plan to share food and fellowship following the 2^nd service.

If you can, bring something to serve 8 to 10 people and PLEASE help with either set-up or clean-up.  We don’t want anyone to have to work alone in the kitchen doing dishes after everyone else has gone home.

A through Mc will do CLEAN-UP

Me through Z will do SET-UP

Most people enjoy getting a card or email or phone call on their birthday.  Below is the list we have of church members and friends celebrating birthdays this month.  If you don’t think the church office has your birthday on file, please contact Becky Green at church@firstuualton.org and give her that information.

  1 November – John Hoad

  1 November – Gary Smithe

  2 November – Sandy Shaner

  3 November – David Weber

  5 November – Severine Rebmann (2000)

11 November – Marissa Stacy (1996)

11 November – Pat Murrell

12 November – Jamie Gross

14 November – Monica Moore

15 November – Eilene Taylor

15 November – Liz Rogers

17 November – Diane Herndon

25 November – John Herndon

25 November – Maia Dothager (2007)

29 November – Robert Chapman

30 November – Neil Adams

Chalice 

            Circles

A New Chalice Circle

The Fifty-Plus (50+) Chalice Circle is now official.   Brynda and Willis McCoy are co-facilitators. There were eleven people at the organizational meeting on October 5^th. Several others are also looking at possibly joining. Since 6 to 11 is considered an ideal size for a Chalice Circle, the group may divide into two circles. The Circle is made up of retirees and those who are looking at retiring in the next few years.  Topics will be those of common interest for this age group. The Circle is open to couples and singles. The Circle will meet on the first Saturday of each month at 10:30 am at the church. After the meeting those who are inclined to do so can go out to lunch together... Anyone interested in joining this group besides those who have already indicated an interest, please contact Brynda McCoy. The first regular meeting will be on Saturday, November 6^th at 10:30 am.

Belleville Chalice Circle

THURSDAY, November 18^{th –} at the home of Jan and Don Allen in Belleville – 7 pm Contact: Don or Jan.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

Saturday, November 20^th – at Church – 2 to 4 pm.

Contact: Marcia Custer.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

SUNDAY, November 21^st – in Emerson Place at Church – 12:15 to 1:30 pm.
Contact: Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson.

Men's Chalice Circle

TUESDAY, November 23^rd – at Church – 7 pm.

Contact: Khleber Van Zandt.

4^th Saturday Lunch

November 27^th

Watch for a signup sheet at church and emails requesting volunteers to provide food and help.

Our lunch buffet line opens at 12 noon.  We ask that if you are bringing food that you arrive at least by 11:45 am.  Set-up help is welcome anytime after 10:30 am and cleanup help is always needed after lunch is over.

You are also welcome, and encouraged, to stay and have lunch with our guests. Usually we have between 30 and 40 guests, including children ranging from toddlers to teens.

The 4^th Saturday Lunch program is under the auspice of Food Ministries, headed by Kathryn Chapman.

On Sunday afternoon, October 10^th, the 10^th Anniversary Celebration and Public Action Rally of the United Congregations of Metro-East opened with everyone singing the song that would be repeated over and over during the rally – “We Are Marching in the Light of God.”

The pews of the First Presbyterian Church in Granite City were full to capacity as member congregations, allies, and strategic partners were recognized for their contributions to UCM’s ongoing mission of seeking justice for the common good.  The UCM founder and early activists were honored, and the public officials and office-seeking candidates present were acknowledged. 

After each area of concern mentioned below, the public officials or others responsible for taking action on the issues were asked if they would work with UCM in addressing the concerns raised.  Each in turn replied “Yes.”

The first concern to be discussed was “Creating an All American Building Trades Workforce.”  There is a serious lack of diversity in the construction and building trades.  It was stated that project labor agreements need to be renegotiated to include diversity requirements in hiring and contracting.  Participants in last summer’s Bridge to Diversity Rally on the Eads Bridge are now coming together as the Bridge to Diversity Coalition to create opportunities for women, low-income, and minorities. 

The second topic presented was the “O’Fallon Workforce Affordable Housing” program.  Workforce housing is making affordable, safe, and decent housing available in communities where people work so that employees do have travel great distances from home to job.  Mention was made of UCM recently partnering with O’Fallon community members to form an O’Fallon Habitat for Humanity Chapter 

The last issue brought up was the need for a “Responsible Budget” in Illinois.  UCM has joined over 200 other organizations in the Illinois Responsible Budget Coalition.  The Coalition is committed to building the support needed to solve Illinois’ budget crisis by raising adequate revenue to prevent harmful cuts to essential jobs and services in the private and public sector. 

As the service neared its close, those present affirmed that “We covenant together, as people of faith, to strive for unity, to demonstrate love, and to live in hope as we work for justice, dignity and peace for all.”  Candles were lit and held high as everyone sang “This Little Light of Mine” with the hope expressed that “… the light of justice remain with each and every one of you.”

Mary and Jerry Johnson, and Pat Murrell represented our church at the Rally.

Unitarian Universalist Common Read

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is offering a Common Read project this year with Margaret Regan’s The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona-Mexico Borderlands (Beacon Press, 2010).

A Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. A Common Read can build community within congregations and among Unitarian Universalists by giving diverse people a shared experience, a shared language, and a basis for deep and meaningful conversations.

The book in available in hardback, paperback, or kindle versions. The book is also available in public libraries.

This might be a good undertaking for Chalice Circles or as an Adult Religious Enrichment (ARE) program.   If you are interested in reading and discussing this book in another setting contact Mary Johnson.   The book documents the tragic stories of migrants stranded in the Arizona desert, reports on the efforts of the border patrol to prevent border crossings, tells of the activists trying to help the migrants, and includes comments from ranchers and vigilantes. Immigration and body trafficking on the border is a Social Justice issue that has been taken up by the UUA and one with which we should make an effort to become more familiar.

Community

Outreach Offering

The C.O.O. in November will go to The Nature Institute in Godfrey, Illinois.   Their website is http://www.thenatureinstitute.org/ and their mission is “… to foster an awareness and appreciation of the natural world through preservation, education, and restoration.”

Nan Adams, a member of our church, gives us a synopsis of the work of the Nature Institute.

FOOD MINISTRIES

Coffee Hour

The food ministries group has taken over the set up of coffee hour.  This means members of this committee arrive early and make coffee, set out goodies, and appropriate dishes.  We are asking that members of the church take turns in cleaning up after coffee hour.  There are 52 weeks in a year and 12 of those weeks we have pot luck so we only need 40 volunteers per year to handle clean up.  If every able body takes his/her turn there should be no reason for anyone to do it more than once per year.

Those not able to do clean up are encouraged to donate their way out of clean up duty. While we had hoped to provide bagels on a regular basis the financial reality is that it is a bit costly.  Begging for food donations didn’t work well so we are working to budget the goodies along with the coffee.  Our hope is to provide a small amount of healthful treats along with juice and coffee so that we can all spend time socializing and catching up on each other’s lives.

4^th Saturday Lunch

I would like to thank all of the people who helped with the lunches over the summer while I was recovering from surgery.  

November’s lunch will on November27^th and will be a Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings.  The 4^th Saturday Lunch Fund will pay for the turkey, and there will be a signup sheet in the Kate Wuerker Room for the other food that is needed.

Food Ministries Members

Anyone interested in being a regular member of the Food Ministries group (i.e., willing to set up coffee hour, work Saturday lunches, or be called on in the event of funeral services or other food related work) please make sure I have your name on my list so that I am able to call or e-mail you when we are in need of people to fill in or help out.

Thank you!

Kathryn Chapman

Interest Group Gatherings

Anna Ds Women’s Alliance

The Anna Ds will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, November 4^th at CHURCH.

It will be a “bring your own “brown bag” lunch with Pat Moore providing dessert and beverages.  No RSVP is necessary.

All women in the church are invited to attend these monthly Anna Ds luncheons.  Dues in the Anna Ds are $10 per year.  Meetings are held in members’ homes, or at the church, or at a restaurant, depending on what the host wishes to do.

SpiralScouts

Spiral Scouts will meet on Sunday, November 7^th from 1-3 pm at the church. For further information about SpiralScouts, contact Stacey Wolff.

SpiralScouts Meeting Dates and Badge Topics are as follows through June 2011. (All meetings are from 1-3 pm at church.)

Nov 07 Sculpture

Dec 05 Award Ceremony

Jan 09  Art Award

Feb 06  Drama

Mar 06 Drumming

Apr 03  Photography

May 01 Astronomy

June 05 Painting

SpiralScouts renewal is due December 1, 2010. It is a good time for new scouts to join. The SpiralScouts’ award ceremony will be held on December 05. Fees for renewal and for badges earned at camp need to be paid by Nov 07, 2010.  

Men’s Lunch Group

All Men in our Church Family are invited!

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, November 11th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL. Contact Dick Blanton for further details.

Confluence Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS)

Contact Kristen O’Steen or Jimmy Christodoulou for meeting information.

November RE Program News & Notes

November RE Program Calendar

RE Town Hall

We want to hear your voice!  The RE Committee has two proposals under consideration, both of which we feel the need to gauge the congregation’s opinion on.

1.      We are exploring switching the RE program time from the second service (11 am) to the first service (9:30 am) —Youth Group excepted.

2.      We are exploring swapping the Spirit Play room (upstairs) with the Youth Group room (downstairs)

What are your thoughts?  What are ours?  We plan to schedule a half-hour town hall meeting after church some Sunday soon to have a free and open discussion of these proposals.  The RE Committee will use this information to make decisions on both of these proposals.  Watch for a scheduled time and join us.

Guest at Your Table 2010

This fall, join UUs around the country — and around the world — in welcoming a Guest at Your Table!  This year, First Unitarian will begin our Guest at Your Table celebration on November 28^th.  But Guest at Your Table is for everyone not just RE families.

For more than thirty years, the Guest at Your Table tradition has helped UUs build lasting connections to UU principles and support the movement for universal human rights.  It is a simple and meaningful way to incorporate "faith in action" into your life.

During Guest at Your Table, participants keep a colorful Guest at Your Table box—with photographs of special guests from around the world—in a prominent place in their home, like the dining room table.  Throughout December, make daily contributions to your Guest at Your Table box, as if sharing with your special guests.  We will collect the boxes in January; all contributions go to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in their vital work.  UUSC advances human rights and social justice around the world, partnering with those who confront unjust power structures and mobilizing to challenge oppressive policies.  Last year, we collected $600.

For more information you can visit:  http://www.uusc.org/guest.

Steven Mead, DRE