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Michael Blauberg Third Generation Beekeeper "Save the Bees"
It’s no secret these days that bees are extremely important. In addition to being everyone’s favorite picnic guests, bees function as some of the great pollinators in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they feed 80 percent of the crops that we eat including broccoli, apples, asparagus, blueberries and coffee to name a few. They also pollinate alfalfa, a grass that feeds beef and dairy cows.
-Bethany Ivie
Service Leader:Rosa Lake
Special Offering: Building Fund Sunday
October 13th Dan Gribbin "A Tribute to Pete Seeger"
Pete Seeger, who passed away in 2014 at age 94, contributed to American culture
in so many ways--as musician, singer, songwriter, civil rights advocate, environmentalist,
and, perhaps above all, teacher. He taught us how to stand up for a better America,
a better world. This service celebrates his life and legacy, concentrating on the songs that
Pete wrote to focus our attention on social justice and, just as often, to inspire us through
his humor and his humane approach to our foibles. My original song “Pete Seeger
in Paradise” combines with Pete’s “If I Had a Hammer,” “Get Up and Go,”
and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” We close with “Hobo’s Lullaby,”
a reminder that Pete rode the rails with Woodie Guthrie to get a sense of the
essential life of the American people
Service Leader: Nancy McCormick
Special Offering: Scholarship Sunday
October 20th
Joe Wolfarth "Wabi Sabi: What is it? How does it apply to me?"
In Japanese culture a term exists - "Wabi-Sabi" - fun to SAY - But What
Does it MEAN?
Numerous people have attempted to find a simple answer to this question - yet
the term"Wabi-Sabi" has been described as "slippery like an eel" in that it
can be applied in more than one way depending on the context and the
situation surrounding its use. Japanese people - even those fluent in
English - struggle with translation of this term. It can be used to denote
"Japanese Art," "Beauty in Nature," "The Cycles of Change that Occur over
Time," [or "Nature Taking Its Course"] "Perfection in Imperfection," even
"Asymmetry in Aesthetics."
Joe WolfArth will lead a Group Conversation to Explore these concepts and the term that links them together: "Wabi-Sabi!" Special Offering: HUM Sunday
October 27th
Tom Cook "Dementia and Death with Dignity"
Service Leader: Debbi Zill
Special Offering- Accessible Bathroom Project
``````````````` Services Sundays @ 10:30
Community Unitarian Universalist Church 403 West Street
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
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Looking Ahead to November 2019
November 3rd Kathi Smith
"Green Burials"
November 10th
Donald Musser'
"Anger"
November 17th Rev. Dikki Jo Mullen
"Esoteric Thanksgiving"
November 24th Rev. Mark Spivey
Topic: TBA
Upcoming Events October 2nd Book Club
"The Dollhouse" by Henrik Ibsen
6:00-7:00
Location: Church Sanctuary
403 West Street NSB
October 7th
Worship Committee Meeting
6 p.m.
Location: Church Sanctuary
403 West Street NSB
October 14th CUUC Board Meeting
All are welcome
5:30-7:30
Location: Church Sanctuary
403 West Street NSB
October 20th
Chess Club
3 p.m.
Location: Church Sanctuary
403 West Street NSB
***For the most up to date information on events, please check the calendar on
our webpage- www.nsbcuuc.org or www.dbcuuc.org
GET INVOLVED
Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for
public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. They
pass stronger gun laws and work to close the loopholes that jeopardize
the safety of families. They also work in our own communities and with
business leaders to encourage a culture of responsible gun ownership.
Moms Demand Action knows that gun violence is preventable, and they
are committed to doing what it takes to keep families safe. This
organization is not opposed to guns; they are for sensible, common sense
gun regulations. It’s the largest organization of its kind in the country.
If you will remember, the Volusia County Chapter of Moms Demand
Action met at our church in April when they were beginning to organize.
They are now meeting the second Wednesday of every month at the
New Smyrna Beach Library.
We cannot let the meaningless gun slaughter continue and become the
our new norm. Society erodes when people do not feel safe, do not feel
there are laws in place to protect them. We are gradually become
desensitized and, frighteningly, accepting of having daily gun carnage.
I expect a safer world for my grandchildren and great grandchildren and
for yours too. To make change happen, we all need to get involved. I
know you felt irate and motivated to do something after Pulse, Parkland,
El Paso, and the list goes on and on. Let’s not wait until there is another
shooting, more senseless loss of life. Let’s join together and work toward
stopping gun violence. GET INVOLVED NOW! See you at the New
Smyrna Beach Library, Wednesday, October 9 at 5:30 pm.
Kathi
For more information: Momsdemandaction.org
Upcoming Birthdays October October 2nd Daniel Herr October 4th Charlotte St. John October 6th David Herr
October 13th Terry Butts
November
November 22nd- Anna Grainger
November 23rd- Libby Hildebrandt
President's Message
Someone said, "Look! The Moon!" and there it was, hove up like a ship in the navy edge of sky,
and it filled them all with longing.
- from the novel, "Fates and Furies" by American writer Lauren Groff
What do YOU Long For?
What alights your Passion?
Your Joy?
Recently I attended a Full Moon Drum Circle Party - complete with Drumming, Dancing,
a fabulous potluck (one of the best I have ever enjoyed outside of Unitarian Universalist
circles!) and even a Full Moon Ritual... as I have done in similar situations in the past, I
was invited, during the Ritual, to think about what I would like to enjoy MORE of in my life...
and then (to help make room for what I want to invite IN) I was offered pen and paper to write
down anything I wanted to Let Go of - to Release from my thoughts, lifestyle or commitments.
It had been some time since I had last participated in this type of practice, and I was ready to
embrace the process. Since a Full Moon is a time of heightened sensitivity and awareness for
most people, it is a natural way to shape the actions we take, to give our lives more purpose.
Recently I checked out every book in the public library illustrated by a favorite children's book
writer and illustrator - Uri Shulevitz... you may have been present at the CUUC Annual Meeting
in May when I read his classic, "The Treasure" during the Sunday Morning Service as a "Words
For All Ages" segment. It's one of my favorite books. I believe in the power of stating meaningful
things simply - though sometimes this is very difficult!
I read several books illustrated by Shulevitz in an effort to see how he had adapted the style of
his artwork to the message and character of each storyline.
One of the books I read was "The Golem" by Isaac Bashevis Singer. I was captivated by the way
the author set the stage for his story, describing a time in history when corruption was rampant
in the land where the story's events occur; everyone, including the emperor, was aware that this
corruption was a pox on the face of their society. In the story, a good Rabbi is falsely accused of
a crime and he is fearful because he knows that he is (quite literally) a second-class citizen (the
Jewish ghetto is the only place he is allowed to live in this Christian city, and things such as
intermarriage are strictly forbidden). The plaintiff - a wicked nobleman who owes money to the
Rabbi's bank - a debt which he never intends to repay - brings "shady" characters to court who
quite literally bear "false witness" against the good Rabbi. As I read this story I put the book
down and exclaimed, "It's like To Kill A Mockingbird!" because the parallel was inescapable.
.. then I found myself saying under my breath, "Thou shalt not bear false witness." Some Truths
remain constant over millennia, it seems.
As Unitarian Universalists, we often find ourselves in the midst of conversations about what the
good "we wish to see in the world" should look like... we long to live in a world where Truth is
Honored and Spoken, where corruption and the bearing of false witness are Not Tolerated,
where Diversity of Peoples and Cultures, creeds and Faith Paths is celebrated, where human
beings are Generous and Compassionate towards others. Our U.U. Principles and Traditions
teach the worth of these values, and we challenge ourselves and each other to live accordingly.
Recently my friend Bruce asked me, "You Wanna See Something Really Scary?!"
[No - he did Not turn into a Vampire!]
He introduced me to something entitled "The Family" - a 5-part documentary series [on NetFlix]
adapted from research done by Jeff Sharlet, a journalist specializing in religious subjects &
author of two books about the organization known variously as "The Family," "The Fellowship,"
and the "ICL" or "International Christian Leadership."
As a young man, Sharlet had been contacted by the concerned family of a friend who'd joined a
group living in a place called Ivanwald, where residents were encouraged to abandon their links
to the outside world and devote themselves to serving the ICL (Ivanwald's parent/sponsoring
organization) "to honor Jesus." Sharlet met his friend who invited him to visit, then became a
resident himself.
Sharlet would become aware that his new affiliates hosted World Leaders to meals at the
Ivanwald estate [which resembles a small embassy or a highly exclusive fraternity house] and
hosts the Annual Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. which has been attended by every United
States President since the 1950s.
Sharlet states that the organization's goals are to spread its narrow view of Christianity into
every nation around the world, using "key men" who network to influence world leaders towards
a "right-wing" Christian viewpoint.
I am not a Movie or T.V. critic, but I am comfortable relating that I believe this documentary
series - although arguably a "Must-See" for proponents of Religious Plurality or Separation of
Church and State - could easily have been edited down from a 5-part series to a single-viewing
documentary film.
Most alarming for viewers may be the fact (presented in the final episode of the series) that the
Trump administration in Washington has filled countless political posts with appointees who
have no legitimate background in the fields pertaining to their posts - but are regular attendees
of not only the National Prayer Breakfast but "Bible Study Groups" which blanket our nation's
capital.
Sharlet is among the voices that point out how much "our fellow Americans" want to venerate
"Christian" beliefs without actually exploring and analyzing their ACTUAL BELIEFS and the
ways that living in a diverse society creates opportunities to honor one's own choices Without
condemning those of others.
This is - in my own humble opinion - one of the most important issues of our time.
As U.U. minister and author Forrest Church wrote in his 1996 book, "God and Other Famous
Liberals: Recapturing Bible, Flag and Family from the Far Right," the framers of the U.S.
Constitution were well aware of the dangers that exist when the lines between church and state
are blurred, and the harm that this blurring can cause. Great Britain endured centuries of
dissent, armed rebellion and warfare between Catholics and Protestants, and theocratic
societies in the colonial era on this continent had created corrupt systems which exacted
extreme punishments for numerous "crimes" [results: the Salem Witch Trials, prisoners placed in
stocks, public whippings and banishment, intolerance between religious sects and other results
of the "puritanical past" - particularly in New England]... as a direct result of such experience with
inequity, the Framers elected to create "a more just society" - and the separation of church and
state was a concept vital to the construction of our Federal Government.
Jeff Sharlet and a growing number of others believe that turning Americans against our
government and asking them to show their love for a vaguely defined "God" [with an implicit
understanding that only a 'Christian' God is a 'real' God] is a thinly-disguised move Away from
Democracy and towards an Authoritarian, Theocratic Regime.
It happened in Iran [under Islam, yes, but a theocratic regime is a theocratic regime] and the
result has been clear: 40 years of oppression for liberty of all kinds [including what we call "civil
liberties"], minority groups of all kinds, and women in particular.
Now THAT is Truly Scary.
At this time of year, our ancestors recognized that the ghosts of the past can Shine a Light on
the World that may be used to illuminate What Really Matters - the Values that make our lives
and freedoms secure - as opposed to the Scary Illusions that surround us when we live in fear of
a nebulous "darkness."
Happy Halloween, everybody.
Namaste. Joe Wolfarth
President, CUUC Board
If you have not noticed yet - take a look at the Beautiful New Flooring installed in our
church's Foyer, Officeand Restrooms [including the recently renovated ACCESSIBLE Restroom
- the South Restroom] - all work done by Mr. Jay Gadbaw - son of CUUC Founding Member Pat
Gadbaw! Consider it a sign things to come (as our Board of Trustees decides which "capital
improvements" to our building and grounds should be Next to Accomplish!) As Always, None of
This Would Happen without the Financial Contributions of our Members!
- Joe WolfArth, BOT President
Dinners for Eight
CUUC is planning to start an activity for its members and friends called “Dinner for
Eight”. Some long-time members of the church will remember it as a great way to enjoy
a social evening with your fellow UU’s.
Here’s how it works:
You may choose to host a dinner at your home, by yourself or with another member
as co-host. As hosts you decide how many folks you can accommodate, 4, 6, or 8.
You plan the menu and post it for the congregation to view. The host or co-hosts will
prepare the entire meal.
As a guest, you sign up for the menu of your choice. Guests will pay a pre-
determined price to attend the dinner, all proceeds going to the church.
You get to enjoy a great meal, and you get to share it with your church friends. What
could be more fun? We plan to have only a couple of dinners per quarter. More information to follow.
Small Ways to Help CUUC!
If you shop at amazon.com, a portion of your expenditure can go to a non-profit of your choice. Go to smile.amazon.com and designate Community Unitarian Universalist Church and we'll see monetary rewards trickle in!
Also, at iGive.com, our church is listed. This is a fabulous new compendium of hundreds, if not more, of online vendors. You can get ANYTHING here, and the vendors will send us a portion of the price you pay. If we get two more orders in the next 5-6 weeks, they'll give us $50 for joining! Sign in as info@dbcuuc.org, password cuuc1234.
Connie Baker
Scenes from Our September Homecoming Ceremony
with Joe Wolfarth, presiding, and Kristin Springer providing music.
CHURCH HAPPENINGS LIBRARY: Charlie Barcelo was an avid reader. His inquisitive mind
was interested in a variety of subjects – Meditation, World Religions,
Native Americans, Inspirational, Humanist, Political, just to name a few.
After Charlie died, Audrey generously donated 169 of his books to help
start our church library. Dan Herr had a garage sale where he sold the
church at a nominal cost two beautiful glass front library style
bookcases. Kermit Hunnicutt, David Herr, and Steve Baker picked up
the bookcases and transported them to the church to use for our
library.
If you have not been in the backroom recently, go and take a look. The
room has been painted, and I think you will be impressed with the
quality of both the books and the bookcases. Audrey Barcelo, Terry
Butts, and myself recently unpacked and cataloged the books. Carla
Collins has volunteered to type the book list into a computer program so
we can more easily maintain a book inventory. We will announce when
the library is ready to open and you can come and begin checking-out
and enjoying the books. If you have interest in helping with the library,
please let someone on the Board know.
INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS: I hope you noticed the foyer and
bathrooms are newly painted, and by the time you get this newsletter
we will have a fully accessible bathroom. Also notice we have new
flooring in the foyer, bathrooms, and office. The Board thought it
prudent that all this work be done at the same time. All the fundraising
we did and all the donations we got were put to good use. Thanks to
everyone for their efforts. Special thanks to Jay Gadbaw and his helper,
Lamont, for all their hard work and for going the extra mile. Well done
everybody, well done!
LIGHT POLE LIGHT IN THE PARKING LOT: Did you notice the light
pole next to the driveway was gone one day and replaced with a lot of
flags and bling. Unfortunately, in picking up the garage sale leftovers,
the charity store truck driver, backed into the light pole and snapped it
down. Joe Wolfarth wisely placed flags and bling around the broken
remains to prevent an accident from happening. The church reported
the accident to the charity company and their insurance company
notified us recently of replacement compensation. So look for the flags
and bling to soon be removed and a new light pole to go up in its place.
Thank you David Herr for pursuing our claim and for making all this
happen.
Thanks everyone who volunteers to help our church.
Kathi Smith
WC Happenings:
The Worship Committee will be talking about having a workshop in near future for you to attend so you can see how you can get involved and be part of the team. There are many positions that can use extra hands. You are invited to come to the Worship Meeting on Oct 7th at 6pm to see how the team works together.
We're always looking for people to learn how to be a Service Leader and how to use Power Point so we can continue to enjoy the Order of Services every week.
Thank You,
Debbi Zill
Worship Chair
NSB Climate Change Rally
Famous Unitarian Universalists
JAMES STOLL (1936-1994) Unitarian Universalist Minister
James Lewis Stoll (January 18, 1936 – December 8, 1994) was a Unitarian Universalist minister who became the first ordained minister of an established denomination in the United States or Canada to come out as gay. He did so at the annual Continental Conference of Student Religious Liberals on September 5, 1969 at the La Foret Conference Center near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He led the effort that convinced the Unitarian Universalist Association to pass the first-ever gay rights resolution in 1970. He founded the first counseling center for gays and lesbians in San Francisco. In the 1970s he established the first hospice on Maui. He was president of the San Francisco chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1990s. He died at the age of 58 from complications of heart and lung disease, exacerbated by obesity and a lifelong smoking habit
October Full Month- LGBT HISTORY MONTH
Marks and celebrates the lives and achievements of lesbian, gay
bisexual and transgender people in the United States. https://lgbthistorymonth.com/
October Full Month- NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT
AWARENESS MONTH
Recognizes the contributions of workers with disabilities. https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/
October 2- INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE
Marked on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian
independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of
non-violence, a U.N commemoration promoting the principle of non-
violence and the desire to secure a culture of peace,
tolerance and understanding. https://www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday/
October 8 -DUSSEHRA/DASSERA • Hindu
Anniversary of the day when Rama killed the evil demon Ravana. Also
known as Durga Puja, which celebrates the goddess Durga. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayadashami
October 9- YOM KIPPUR • Jewish
The “Day of Atonement” marks the end of the Ten Days of Penitence
that begin with Rosh Hashanah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur
October 11- COMING OUT DAY
Encourages honesty and openness about being lesbian, gay, bisexual
or transgender. Commemorates October 11, 1987, when 500,000
people marched on Washington, DC, for gay and lesbian equality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coming_Out_Day
October 14–20 SUKKOT • Jewish
The week-long “Feast of Booths” commemorates the 40-year wandering
of the Israelites in the desert on the way to the Promised Land.
October 14- INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY (Native American Day)
Celebrates and honors Native American history and culture.
[The second Monday of October is also marked as a U.S. federal
holiday, Columbus Day. Many people are opposed to the celebration of
a man who led and committed atrocities against Indigenous people.
Some states and cities in the U.S. have officially changed the
day to Indigenous People’s Day. Similarly, it is celebrated as Día de la
Raza, “Day of the Race”, in Spanish-speaking countries and
communities.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Peoples'_Day
October 20- GUR-GADDI GURU GRANTH SAHIB • Sikh
Since 1708, Sikhs have accepted Sri Guru Granth Sahib as their eternal
Guru that holds the spirit of all Ten Gurus of the Sikhs. They consider
Guru Granth Sahib to be a spiritual guide not only for Sikhs but for all of
mankind; it plays a central role in guiding the Sikhs' way of life. https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Granth_Sahib
October 22- SIMCHAT TORAH • Jewish
“Rejoicing in the Torah” celebrates the conclusion of the public reading
of the Pentateuch and its beginning anew. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simchat_Torah
October 27- DIWALI • Hindu, Sikh, Jain
Also called Deepavali, “Festival of Lights”, it celebrates the victory of
good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali
October 27 -BANDI-CHHOR DIWAS • Sikh
A commemorative occasion having no fixed date which occurs in
October or November and celebrates the release of the Sixth Guru Har
Gobind Sahib from imprisonment and coincides with Diwali, the Hindu
festival of lights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandi_Chhor_Divas
From September's Book Club
We discussed the book "The Art of Racing in the Rain" Everyone gave
it a thumbs up. We had a wonderful, insightful discussion. Join us for
the next book club.
Book Club books for the next four months are:
October- The Dollhouse- Ibsen
November-Beneath the Ruthless Sun-Gilbert King
December- In Pieces- Sally Field
January-Shortest Way Home- Pete Buttigieg
This way you can plan ahead as some of the books are very popular. OCTOBER 2
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen(classic) 1879,
Depicting one woman's struggle to be treated as a rational human being, and not merely
a wife, mother or fragile doll, the play changed the course of theatrical history and
sparked debates worldwide about the roles of men and women in society.
NOVEMBER 6
Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story by Gilbert King (historical fiction) 2018, NAMED
BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR and THE WASHINGTON POST
Beneath a Ruthless Sun tells a powerful, page-turning story rooted in the fears that
rippled through the South as integration began to take hold, sparking a surge of virulent
racism that savaged the vulnerable, debased the powerful, and roils our own times still
DECEMBER 4
In Pieces by Sally Field (autobiography) 2018
In this intimate, haunting literary memoir and New York Times Notable Book of the year,
an American icon tells her own story for the first time -- about a challenging and lonely
childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that
shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.
JANUARY 8
Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future
by Pete Buttigieg
Once described by the Washington Post as “the most interesting mayor you’ve never
heard of,” Pete Buttigieg, the thirty-seven-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has
now emerged as one of the nation’s most visionary politicians. With soaring prose that
celebrates a resurgent American Midwest, Shortest Way Home narrates the heroic
transformation of a “dying city” (Newsweek) into nothing less than a shining model of
urban reinvention.
Dana Jacobsen is our Newsletter Editor. Please send articles to
her at sguard@bellsouth.net with the subject lin "for Cuuc newsletter".
We are now on Ebay
We have sold over $1,400.00 in donated items. Share our items for sale with
friends. New items added daily. http://tinyurl.com/gpk96nw
We are still accepting donations.
Bring them to church or drop off at Sharon's home.
Items should not be too large. See Sharon for details. _______________________________________________
CUUC's phone number is:
(386) 308-8080
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Community Unitarian Universalist Church
403 West Street
New Smyrna Beach, 32168 (386) 308-8080
