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Community
News
May
2022

http://www.dbcuuc.org
Email: cuucnsbfl@gmail.com

Our mission is to reach out to those who seek a spiritual home.  

Our ongoing work is to build and sustain an open, caring, and accepting community for all ages
... so together we may explore and experience diverse beliefs, grow spiritually, and promote a society that affirms these aspirations.
 
Attending Church Services in Person

".  
We welcome people back to the church building.

We will not require social distancing, but there will be space
in the rear of the sanctuary for those who want to observe it
. Please use your best judgment as to your health needs.

Masks will be available.  Hand sanitizer will also be available.
Please use your best judgment as to your health needs.

You will be asked to fill out our Covid Protocols Form (one time) and sign
in (each time),  prior to entry. This will assist us for contact tracing if it
becomes necessary.

Social distancing is not required. Please use your best judgment as to
your health needs as you socialize with attendees.

***These protocols are subject to change based on the aforementioned
infection rates, vaccination rates, Covid variants and CDC guidelines.


We look forward to seeing more people in church.
 
                                          
                                                                          
CUUC's phone number is:

(386) 308-8080

 Email:   cuucnsbfl@gmail.com
President's Message

Hello, Friends!

I am excited about our upcoming Annual Congregational Meeting on May 15th (after the CUUC Worship Service) - I know that we'll be Welcoming in a Beautiful Future for our church - in a world that will - hopefully - be less Preoccupied with War and Disease than the one in which we've been living over the past couple of years.
On the evening of May 15th we shall again welcome folks to a CUUC Full Moon Drum Circle...

I have been remembering an incident that occurred more than a dozen years ago, when our church was renting space from the UCC of New Smyrna (at the corner of Washington and Faulkner Streets); one Sunday after church, longtime member and dedicated volunteer Bud Cullison and I had an argument over something that I would look back and laugh about later; in the moment, though, tensions were high, and our conversation grew quite heated. Pat, Bud's devoted and kind wife, intervened and said she was upset seeing us raise our hackles at one another; we were reminded of the old saying, "Don't Let the Sun Set on an Argument!" Bud and I stared at each other angrily for a moment, but then a compromise was reached, which satisfied us both.

When I left the church, I drove to the beach to watch the waves lapping the shoreline.
After a few moments I phoned another CUUC member and longtime volunteer, Barbara Jean Smith, who was also our church's Administrative Assistant at the time. I told her about the altercation that had taken place after church, and my frustration. She listened and said, "Did you call me because you needed to 'vent' now that this is over?" I said, "I guess so; thank you for being a friend and a good listener!" Then she said, "You didn't ask me to share my opinion, but I'll offer it." I replied, "Please Share!" And she said, "Joe, you're a dear friend and I love you. But I think you were clearly Wrong in this matter, and Bud was Right! And I would have said so if I had been there! Now, I can tell you that I am very proud of you both for working out a compromise that satisfied you Both. Good Job! That's what 'TeamWork' is All About! You have a plan in place for moving forward so you'll never need to revisit this argument. Great Work! All you need to do Now is to Follow Through with your plans, and the situation is resolved. Remember that the first word in the name of our church is 'Community!' You did the right thing by making a decision to compromise. Both you and Bud are passionate, strong-willed people who bring a great deal to our church through your energy, commitment and dedication. I'd hate to see that change. Pat was Right to remind you, in her kind and gentle way, of the wisdom behind that old saying, 'Never Let the Sun Set on an Argument!' She is a Presence to be Treasured! Marrying her was probably the smartest thing Bud ever did! And from this point, my dearie, You need to remember the words to that UU Hymn, 'Love Will Guide Us!' Because your job is to Show Your Love to Bud, and Pat, and Everyone, to prevent such arguments from happening Again! You were Still pretty upset about it, or you wouldn't have Called Me, Would You?! Now Learn From This and Keep Making Good Choices! There will be Other Arguments in the future - it's a Part of Life. But HOW you choose to handle them - and Yourself - is a very critical thing. Keep Learning! Goddess 
Loves You!"

In many of the years that followed, Bud (whose "given name" was Edwin - which is My middle name - after my Swedish great-grandfather, Edwin Peterson) and I served together on the CUUC Board of Trustees; I honestly don't recall the two of us having another argument of any significance ever again. I treasured his - And Pat's - Presence - and Barbara Jean Smith's Wisdom (she was a Mentor to So Many People in her life!)

Recently, a Worship Committee Team Meeting at CUUC led to a spate of emails which revealed that members of our church hold differing opinions about what guidelines should be in place regarding that Committee's vision for the future and its oversight regarding Service Leaders, and also the relationship between the Worship Committee and our Board of Trustees.
Some passions arose, and the conflicting points of view led to hurt feelings. As a result, I met with some of our volunteers and we decided to ask Carmen Rivera, another longtime member who is also a Life Coach and Conflict Resolution Specialist, to help us heal the rift and get a plan for moving forward to a healthier and happier future for All. Carmen agreed [Yay!] And she's been hosting meetings for this purpose in her own home in Port Orange.

It is this situation which reminded me of the true story I shared above. I Bless Bud and Pat and Barbara Jean for being the "Elders" our church - and I - so desperately Needed on that day so many years ago (which I still recall as if it were Yesterday!) and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to continue to be a part of what has made CUUC such an exceptionally caring and supportive Community (that truly Lives Up To Its NAME!)

When I was a teenager I made a poster featuring some mountains in watercolor over a quote from the historical figure Thomas Moore: "Earth Has No Sorrow that Heaven Cannot Heal."

Years later, I gave this handpainted and calligraphed poster to a friend who was focused on overcoming a very painful childhood and adolescence; she said, "I couldn't possibly accept this - it's too great of a gift!" And I replied, "I Love it MORE because you feel that way about it. Now I can carry its message all the better, in my Heart! And You'll be able to look at it, and remember that You Are Loved."

I look forward to CUUC's Annual Meeting - and our Full Moon Drum Circle that evening - with Joy - knowing that - truly - We Shall Overcome whatever trials and tribulations the future holds for our Congregation.
 
We have Survived So Much, and as we enter our 26th year of existence, we Still have So Much To Share with one another, and SO MUCH to Do - as we bring to life our Vision for the kind of World the Generations who'll Follow Us DESERVE!
I Hope You Will Come With Us!

Namaste!

- Joe WolfArth
President, CUUC Board of Trustees 
A Month of Sundays
We have returned to in-person services for those who feel comfortable
attending.  We will also continue to Zoom services for those who are
unable to attend.  Please be patient as we work out our tech issues.  It
is a learning process for all.

May 1st

Dr. Mayhill Fowler
"Ukraine"
Associate Professor 
Stetson University
in Russian, East Eurpean and Eurasian Studies

Service Leader: Linda McGraw


May 8th


Kathy Finn
Celebrating Mothers' Day
with Violinist Kathy Finn and studemts
Mothers' Day Cupcakes to follow

Service Leader: Audrey Barcelo


May 15th

Lance Walker
Florida Highwaymen

A renowned group of 26 Black Florida Artists known 
as the Highwaymen, employed a unique painting style
as a way to assert their economic independence and
agency during the segregation era.

Service Leader: Tim Wixted


May 22nd


Rev. Dr. Louis Gates
Psychic Medium
"Huzzah"

 Service Leader: Joe Wolfarth

  May 29th


Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown
"Artivism" for Human Righst and Eco-Justice
Blending poetry, visual arts and music, Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown
will discuss the spiritual interweaving and radiant
 promise of artivism (arts and activism) to
promote human rights and advance justice around
the globe. 
 

 Service Leader: Kathi Smith

 

Check the calendar on our website for the most up
to date information on services.

 
Looking Ahead to June's Services ***

June 5th: Stephen Baker "Tales from Zen: Self Discovery through the Ages"

June 12th: Rabbi Merrill Shapiro "Original Sin"

June 19th: Valen Shankar-Brown "Screen Time and Mental Health"

June 26th: Pride Sunday- to be announced

 

***Please check the calendar for the most up-to-date service information.


Upcoming Events
May 4th
Book Club
Discussion of "The Poisonwood Bible"
by Barbara Kingsolver 
5:00 p.m.
Invitation to  church members to follow via email
or contact Michele Moen for details.


May 9th
Board of Trustees Meeting
1:30  p.m
CUUC Church and via Zoom
403 West St.
NSB
All are welcome!
Contact Joe  WolfArth for details on how to attend

May 10th
Dream Circle
via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
Please email David Herr your email address
and he will send  notices and reminders
of the upcoming meetings.


May 15th
CUUC Annual Congregational Meeting
 following worship service

May 15th
Full Moon Drum Circle
6:00 p.m.
CUUC
403 West St., NSB
Bring your percussion instruments, a chair and bug spray

May 24th
Dream Circle
via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
Please email David Herr your email address
and he will send  notices and reminders of the upcoming meetings.


Fridays  Climate Change Rally
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Corner of Rt. 44 & Mission Road, NSB  
Information will be sent by email
Contact Steve Baker

May Birthdays
5/6 Suzanne Ronneau
5/21 Michele Moen

June Birthdays
6/7 Debbi Zill


Singing Bowl Sangha at Community Unitarian Universalist Church 
At 8:45 AM on Sunday morning there is a group that meets in our sanctuary to meditate.  They are called the Singing Bowl Sangha.  You might know some of the members, as a few of them stick around to attend our service.  If you are interested in meditating with a group, this is an open invitation to our members and friends to join the Sangha.  For more information, please call Margret Anglin                    407 252-5726

 
COME - BANG A DRUM WITH CUUC!


Please Join Us on Sunday, May 15th, 2022
At 6 PM
At our church building on West Street in New Smyrna
BRING: Drums, Percussion Instruments (Or you can use something from Our Collection!)
A Comfortable Chair (Or you can use one of Our chairs!)
A Beverage and/or Snack (Or we'll see what we have got On Hand!)
- ALL the Rhythm You Can Muster (Or a Willingness to Give It A TRY! LoL)
- Your PRESENCE (It Is A GIFT!)
Whale of a Sale


We are planning a fall rummage sale to be held October 7 and 8.  Please save your cleaned out goodies for this event.  Last year we had some excellent donations and we did ok, but due to bad weather and our signs being pulled up , it could have been much better.  This year with better planning I believe it will. Due to limited storage space we ask you to store your items in your space until two weeks before the sale.  From after church on Sept. 25 until October 4 we can accept your items to be dropped off at the church.  Let's make this a super fundraiser  and a "Whale of a Sale" so we can add some improvements to our church.
Thank you.
Barbara Mars
Board Trustee

  
Different Observances for the Month of May
 

May -Full Month ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH (also known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month) : Recognizes the contributions and celebrates the culture of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

May Full Month JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: Recognizes the history of Jewish contributions to American culture, acknowledging the diverse achievements of American Jews.

May 1 INTERNATIONAL WORKER’S DAY Also known as May Day: it celebrates the social and economic achievements of workers worldwide. The day commemorates the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago, in which police and protesters clashed following a workers’ strike for an eight-hour work day.

May 2 EID AL-FITR • Islamic: The “Feast of the Breaking of the Fast” marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting from dawn until dusk.

May 3 WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY : Serves as an occasion to inform the public of violations of the right to freedom of expression and as a reminder that many journalists brave death or jail to bring people their daily news.

May 5 CINCO DE MAYO:  In 1862 Mexican forces defeated French occupational forces in the Battle of Puebla.

May 8 MOTHER’S DAY:  Children of all ages show appreciation for their mothers and mother figures.

May 16 VISAKHA PUJA • Buddhist: Also known as Vesak or Buddha Day, it marks the birth, spiritual awakening and death (nirvana) of the historical Buddha. (This date may vary based on region or sect.)

May 19 LAG B’OMER • Jewish: Celebrates the end of a divine-sent plague and/or Roman occupation during Rabbi Akiva’s lifetime (died c. 135 CE).

May 21 WORLD DAY FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY: Recognizes cultural diversity as a source of innovation, exchange and creativity, as well as the obligation to create a more peaceful and equitable society based on mutual respect.

May 23 DECLARATION OF THE BÁB • Bahá’í :Commemoration of May 23, 1844, when the Báb, the prophet-herald of the Bahá’í Faith, announced in Shíráz, Persia, that he was the herald of a new messenger of God.

May 26 ASCENSION DAY • Christian: Also known as Holy Thursday, celebrated 40 days after Easter/Pascha, it commemorates the ascension of Jesus into Heaven.

May 28 ASCENSION OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH • Bahá’í: Observance of the anniversary of the death in exile of Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet-founder of the Bahá’í Faith.

May 30 MEMORIAL DAY: A federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces.
Just for Fun
May Fun Holidays- Funny, Random and Weird
May 1    Sunday    Batman Day
May 4    Wednesday    Star Wars Day
May 6    Friday    No Pants Day
May 6    Friday    Space Day
May 6    Friday    Beverage Day
May 7    Saturday    Astronomy Day
May 7    Saturday    Herb Day
May 7    Saturday    Free Comic Book Day
May 9    Monday    Europe Day
May 9    Monday    Lost Sock Memorial Day
May 10    Tuesday    Clean Up Your Room Day
May 11    Wednesday    National School Nurse Day
May 11    Wednesday    Twilight Zone Day
May 11    Wednesday    Eat What You Want Day
May 12    Thursday    Limerick Day
May 13    Friday    Frog Jumping Day
May 14    Saturday    Dance Like a Chicken Day
May 15    Sunday    Chocolate Chip Day
May 17    Tuesday    Pack Rat Day
May 18    Wednesday    No Dirty Dishes Day
May 19    Thursday    May Ray Day
May 20    Friday    Pizza Party Day
May 20    Friday    Be a Millionaire Day
May 21    Saturday    Talk Like Yoda Day
May 22    Sunday    Buy a Musical Instrument Day
May 24    Tuesday    Scavenger Hunt Day
May 25    Wednesday    Sing Out Day
May 25    Wednesday    Towel Day
May 26    Thursday    World Lindy Hop Day
May 27    Friday    Sun Screen Day
May 28    Saturday    Hamburger Day
May 29    Sunday    Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day
May 30    Monday    My Bucket's Got a Hole Day
May 31    Tuesday    Macaroon Day

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/
Spotlight on a Member


Pat Gadbaw
             You may be missing a familiar face from church, our very own Pat Gadbaw.  I thought it would be a nice time to reacquaint everyone with a member who has done so much for our church.  I interviewed Pat a couple of weeks ago and learned so much more than I knew from the years I've been attending CUUC.

                Pat became a Unitarian Universalist in her college years.  She was a Christian Scientist as was her family until her parents switched to Unitarian Universalism and so did she.  Over the years, Pat has had an interesting life with differing careers and places but two things have remained constant- Unitarian Universalism and The League of Women Voters.  She has been a teacher, speech therapist, and Veterans' Administrator Blind Rehabilitation Specialist, where she ran a Low Vision Clinic to train clinicians to assist low vision patients.  These jobs took her to many places with her husband, who also held a government position.  Pat and her husband called Texas, Connecticut, New York and Alabama home before Florida.  Pat always joined the local UU church and the League of Women Voters wherever she moved, as she knew she'd find people of a like mind. 
                Pat's journey to CUUC started when members from the Ormond UU started a new congregation in Daytona.  She was CUUC's first pledge drive chairperson!  The pledge drive was successful and with a generous donation Carlynn Hamilton, CUUC was able to hire a minister.  Through the years, Pat has held various Board of Trustees positions including Treasurer and Secretary.  She was also bookkeeper to two Treasurers, Director of Religious Education and CUUC Bylaws committee member.  In recent years, she was an integral force to establish a Butterfly Garden at our current home, paid for and installed the Rain Barrel Gutter Water System and made it possible for people to angle park on the east side of the building.  Pat wanted people to know that she personally does not put any chemicals on her lawn- no weed killer nor pesticides- in her effort to save the Earth and prevent runoff into the rivers and streams.  Pat current resides on property on the Halifax River.

Other interesting tidbits I learned about Pat from our chat include:
-Over the years she has served in various capacities in the League of Women Voters and has brought relevant information to CUUC members to help make them educated voters.
-In 1997 she signed up for the Women's Health Initiative, which was conducting a nationwide study on the effects of fat in the diet and possible links to breast cancer, heart disease and other maladies.  The results of the study were inconclusive.  Pat's belief is that sugar had the most effect.  The Women's Health Initiative study continues with a different focus on exercise and health.  Pat is still enrolled.
-Pat has a Japanese pen pal since Pat was 17 years old.  They remain friends to this date.  Pat has visited her pen pal when she went to Japan on an Elder Hostel trip.  And her pen pal has been to visit Pat here in Florida, once when her pen pal accompanied the family of the first male Japanese astronaut in space.
-Pat has four children: Jay, Jimmy, Larry and Pamela Jo.  As I interviewed Pat, I learned that her son Larry had recently died after a long illness.  She told me I could share this with the congregation so friends could offer condolences. 
-Pat has a fur child, Bailey, a black Labrador.  I have seen Pat and Bailey walking Peninsula Drive in the mid morning as they both get their exercise.

                My time chatting with Pat was limited.  I enjoyed getting to know her a little better through this interview for the newsletter and I hope you did too.           -Dana Jacobsen
 

Book Club Picks for Remainder of 2022

May 4th


Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver 1998

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

 

June 1st

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
by Gary Paulsen  1994

Paulsen and his team of dogs endured snowstorms, frostbite, dogfights, moose attacks, sleeplessness, and hallucinations in the relentless push to go on. Map and color photographs.

 

July 6th

UNBroken:A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand 2010

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

 

August 3rd

His Very Best, Jimmy Carter, A life
by Jonathan Alter 2020

From one of America’s most-respected journalists and modern historians comes the first full-length biography of Jimmy Carter, the thirty-ninth president of the United States and Nobel Prize–winning humanitarian.

September  7th

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive
 by Stephanie Land 2019

At 28, Stephanie Land’s plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and with a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her daughter the very best life possible, Stephanie worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly.

Maid explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it’s like to be in service to them. 

October 5th

Cloud Cockoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Finalist for the 2021 National Book Award, longlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal, and  New York Times bestseller!

Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.

Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet.

 

November   2nd

Squeeze Me
by Carl Hiaasen  2020. 
Hiaasen dedicated the novel to his younger brother, Rob, who was killed during the Capital Gazette shooting on June 28, 2018. The book debuted at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list

Carl Hiaasen's Squeeze Me is set among the landed gentry of Palm Beach. A prominent high-society matron--who happens to be a fierce supporter of the President and founding member of the POTUSSIES--has gone missing at a swank gala. When the wealthy dowager, Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, is later found dead in a concrete grave, panic and chaos erupt. The President immediately declares that Kiki Pew was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, as it turns out, is far from the truth. Meanwhile a bizarre discovery in the middle of the road brings the First Lady's motorcade to a grinding halt (followed by some grinding between the First Lady and a lovestruck Secret Service agent). Enter Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, who arrives at her own conclusions after she is summoned to the posh island to deal with a mysterious and impolite influx of huge, hungry pythons . . .

 

December 7th

21 Lessons for the 21st Century 
by Yuval  Noah Harari 2018

How do computers and robots change the meaning of being human? How do we deal with the epidemic of fake news? Are nations and religions still relevant? What should we teach our children?

Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.

 

The descriptions and pictures were taken from GoodReads website.
Dana Jacobsen is our Newsletter Editor.  Please send articles to
her at sguard@bellsouth.net with the subject line "for CUUC  newsletter".
CUUC's phone number is:

(386) 308-8080
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Deadline for the June Newsletter

is May 20th.
 

Click on http://www.dbcuuc.org/newsletter.html and select the
date of this newsletter for a printable version .  That PDF file has
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Community Unitarian Universalist Church
403 West Street
New Smyrna Beach, 32168
(386) 308-8080 
www.dbcuuc.org
www.nsbcuuc.org

 
Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 238063
Port Orange, FL 32123
Copyright © 2015 Community Unitarian Universalist church, All rights reserved.



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