The Messenger

Universalist Unitarian Church of Brockton
325 West Elm Street , Brockton MA 02301
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Minister:  Rev. Robert A. Thayer
Minister Emeritus:  The Rev. Dr. Raymond C. Hopkins
President:  Susan Davis
Organist:  Marlene Howell
Secretary:  Nancy Smith
Office Phone: (508) 583-7775   e-mail: uubrockton@aol.com   web site: www.uubrockton.org

 

Holiday Hall 2010 July Notice

·             Jay Rasher, Commissioner of Finance, is pleased to report that this year's Holiday Hall is planned for November 6, 2010 from 10 AM to 3 PM. Planning has already begun to make this year's Holiday Hall even better than last year.

·              November seems to be somewhere in the distant future, but it is only four months away.  If planning takes a summer vacation, we will only have two months which IS NOT enough time.

·              Last year our lotteries and raffles did very well because church member or friends of the church asked the managers or owners of stores, supermarkets, restaurants, dry cleaners, drugstores, etc. (places where the member or friend shops) to contribute a gift card, items, or services.  This pledge may be made in many ways; one suggestion is giving a cash donation to purchase gift cards for a local market or to any other business such as a gas station, department store, etc.  If you would like a letter to bring to a merchant that states who we are, what we are doing and that we deeply appreciate their help, speak to Jay at church or contact him at 508) 584-4192.

·              Keep Holiday Hall in mind in your daily activities.  Sofia and I have started our annual spring cleaning (a little late) and have divided items that are going into two piles: Holiday Hall and Annual Yard Sale.

·        We are working to make this year's Holiday Hall even more successful than last year.  This is one of our largest fund-raising activities and is so important to help us continue to remain strong.  We need to start preparing for it NOW  All ideas, contributions, and/or donations are welcomed; see Jay at church or call him at the above number.

 

On The Bright Side

By Rev. Bob Thayer

An Account of the Outdoor Service at Island Grove in Abington By the "Three Churches in Conversation"

 

      Since 2007 a group of members from the three churches in Bridgewater , Brockton , and Rockland have been meeting.  The exact total of meetings is 16 by my count, and the number of participants has varied from 6 to 55.  Our first goal has been to get to know each other personally. Next has been the situation with our separate buildings and some of the challenges we each face to keep them up and improve them for use.  Next has been the vision of conducting some programs jointly, such as joint worship, Religious Education, etc.  Lastly has been the discussion about merger of all three into a single church sometime down the road - or not doing this.

 

      In the background of shared activities was the opportunity this June for holding an outdoor service for our three congregations.  June seemed to be a time when the regular schedule in each church was more or less open.  The planning group consisted of the two ministers and two lay leaders.  We chose June 20^th and hoped for the best weather wise.  We chose Island Grove Park in Abington because it suited our expectations for space and location.  The pond and the grounds are the site of the Abolistionists' monument, since that park was the meeting place they journeyed to the early 1800's.

 

      Danny Howland of the Channing Church in Rockland set up his generator for power.  Steve Brooks of the UU Church of Brockton set up the amps, cords, microphones, and sound monitor, and he  printed the order of service to hand out.  He also brought the folksinger, Chris Thompson.  Ed Hardy, Minister of the First Parish in Bridgewater enlisted some members of the Male Bonding Group band, and some singers from the choir.  Gaia provided the weather, which she does at all hours according to fancies which are known only to her - and the humans had a "ten" day.

 

      The topic for the service was the Abolitionists - how they prodded the nation to empathize with African Americans in slavery and to bring about emancipation - all over the USA , not just in the South.  About fifty adults and eight children attended that warm Sunday morning.  The service went without a glitch.  The musicians were excellent, and the singers were splendid.  The members joined in singing the hymns.  The ministers read and spoke their words with great delight.  Everyone there could hear all of it.  The congregation brought chairs and food to share; some of us sat on picnic benches; and we had a light lunch afterward.  The affair seemed to close after two hours.  The Grove was free and open, and there was swimming in part of the pond.

 

       Your minister and the planning committee would like to do it again in June, 2011.  All options are open: for a site, a topic, the order of service - and suggestions are welcome.  We did come away liking the Island Grove Park .  We should plan a way to assure easy access and comfortable seating for all.  As the saying goes: we each get out of it what we put into it."

 

Worship and Program News

By Steve Brooks, Commissioner

 

          Our Island Grove service with Rockland and Bridgewater was an outstanding success.  The weather was perfect, and the readings by Revs. Bob and Ed Hardy and the music by Chris Thompson and the Male Bonding Band were very meaningful.  I personally hope that we can make this an annual event.

 

As of last Sunday (June 27th) we have kicked off our annual Body and Soul breakfast services.

 

We still have several openings for breakfast host/hostess.

 

The schedule for the rest of the summer is :

 

7/4 - Rev. Bob, breakfast by Sofia Rasher

7/11 - Steve Brooks, breakfast by Jonathan Nicholls

7/18 - Dave Bassett, breakfast by Karen & Steve Brooks

7/25 - Eleri Merriken, breakfast open

8/1 - Richard Clarke as Shakespeare Dinner Theater

8/8 - TBA, breakfast open

8/15 - Lila Burgess, breakfast by Kathy Ferranti

8/22 - Ed Hardy, breakfast open

8/29 - Sofia Rasher, breakfast open

 

As you can see we have four dates awaiting volunteers for breakfast.  Please call Steve Brooks to volunteer!

 

Body and Soul

 

WE GATHER TOGETHER

From June 27 to August 29 we maintain our relationship as we feed our body and soul with delicious breakfasts, knowledge and spirituality, and share the joy we have in each others friendship.

            July 4, Rev Bob, "How the Oceans Unite Us", a 19^th Century story of a shipwrecked Japanese fisherman, rescued by a U.S. whaler and brought to Fairhaven , who became known as "the first Japanese person educated in America ". He attended the Unitarian church while here. He became a silent ambassador of American culture to the Japanese government. In 1987, the Emperor of Japan and his wife came to Fairhaven to express his gratitude. `

 July 11, Steve Brooks with spirituality to be found in folk music that he is extremely knowledgeable about, July 18, David Bassett, and July 25, Eleri Merriken, a science teacher at Brockton High School on "Environment".

Our summer programs have been the entry point of a number of our members so bring old friends, new friends, neighbors.  They may decide to stay.

Pauline Perkins   One of those summer people..

Javawocky Coffeehouse

      

            With our June 19 Michael Troy show we are done for the season, but we already have a full schedule set for next year, beginning with Patty DeRosa on September 19.  More info will be coming, please check our website, javawockyuu.com and please sign up for our Email list.

 

 

 

 

Religion and Science

 

 

The Religion & Science Group meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 7 to 9 PM at the Brockton Universalist Unitarian Church .  We have chosen to discuss Karen Armstrong's newest book The Case For God (2009, $28).  We should probably start the discussion with her Introduction and Chapter One "Homo religiosus".

 

Here is the opening of her Introduction:

"We are talking far too much about God these days, and what we say is often facile. In our democratic society, we think that the concept of God should be easy and that religion ought to be readily accessible to anybody. "That book was really hard!" readers have told me reproachfully, shaking their heads in faint reproof. "Of course it was!" I want to reply. "It was about God." But many find this puzzling. Surely everybody knows what God is: the Supreme Being, a divine Personality, who created the world and everything in it. They look perplexed if you point out that it is inaccurate to call God the Supreme Being because God is not a being at all, and that we really don't understand what we mean when we say that he is "good," "wise," or "intelligent." People of faith admit in theory that God is utterly transcendent, but they seem sometimes to assume that they know exactly who "he" is and what he thinks, loves, and expects. We tend to tame and domesticate God's "otherness." We regularly ask God to bless our nation, save our queen, cure our sickness, or give us a fine day for the picnic. We remind God that he has created the world and that we are miserable sinners, as though this may have slipped his mind. Politicians quote God to justify their policies, teachers use him to keep order in the classroom, and terrorists
commit atrocities in his name. We beg God to support "our" side in an election or a war, even though our opponents are, presumably, also God's children and the object of his love and care."

 

            For further information contact Margaret Potashnick.

 

            "To fulfil the dreams of one's youth; that is the best that can happen to a man.  No worldly success can take the place of that."

Willa Cather

 

WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP

On the third Sunday in July, July 18, the board of the Women's Fellowship will meet after the Body and Soul program to plan the meetings for the 2010-11 year.  All board members are urged to attend, and all other interested members of our church community with ideas to contribute will be more than welcome.

LITERARY GROUP

 

 

Tuesday, July 20 at 10 A.M.

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"

            The group has finally acquired the third book in the trilogy written by the Swedish writer and journalist Stieg Larsson.  Prior to his untimely death in 2004 he had finished three detective novels.  Before his career as a writer, Stieg Larsson was known for his struggle against racism and right wing extremism.  The discussion proves to be lively.

            All are welcome - even if you have not read the book!

Jean Gowen

 

 

 

 

MILE OF PENNIES

 “Empty pockets never held anyone back.  Only empty heads and empty heats can do that.”

Norman Vincent Peale

 

“It’s better to do nothing with your money than something you don’t understand.”

Suze Orman

 

Now our fifth mile of pennies has reached 5036’6”.  We’re getting close!  Please remember your pennies.

Marion O'Donnell

 

 

HAPPY JULY BIRTHDAYS

 

On July 4^th we celebrate America 's Birthday with bands playing The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.  This year listen for the most famous part, the trio, when the piccolo players stand and play.  It's for your JULY BIRTHDAY and America 's Birthday.  Enjoy!

            Submitted by a former piccolo player

 

  "John Philip Sousa wrote the most famous American military marches of all time " and became known as "the March King".

 

                [Piccolo: a small transverse flute pitched an octave higher than the standard flute.  Its tone is bright and shrill, and it can produce the highest notes in the orchestral range.  The piccolo is used in orchestras and especially in military bands]