This Sunday - Oct. 29, 2006

Service: Day of the Dead

I will be performing a service in relation to "Dias De los Muertos" or more commonly known as " Day(s) of the Dead". An altar will be fashioned in the front of the sanctuary and individuals will be asked to bring photos or other remembrances of family and friends that have died. The altar will have typical decorations - food, flowers, folk items and the pictures of those dearly departed.

Individuals will have the opportunity to come forward and identify their loved ones and say what they want in relation to their connection of those passed. This is a happy celebration of remembrance of the dead. It pre-dates the Christian "All Souls Day" and was recognized in many of the world's societies, especially the Latin and Hispanic areas where it is still commonly celebrated in the homes, churches and gravesites of those communities with a great deal of joy.

After our Day of the Dead service, there will be a coffee hour with typical Latin and Hispanic dishes celebrating the event with mole, tamales, empanadas, sweets and beverages. ~ Mike Wisniarek

RE News

Having a new minister at Emerson gives me new opportunities to try new things in Intergenerational Services. The minister and I work together to produce Intergenerational Services, so, as it is when any service is designed, personalities show through. For me, it’s fun to see what happens when a service gets designed. Testing out ideas I’ve kept in the closet for a while, or having a little bit longer (or shorter) of “my own” time in service to fill, or hearing of a great new idea from the minister is exciting.

I love to try new things, so these opportunities to create worship with three different ministers over the past seven years I’ve been with you at Emerson has allowed me to try all sorts of new things!

Harold and I are collaborating on what I think will be an excellent service for November 19, the traditional (week-before) Thanksgiving Intergenerational Service. He mentioned an idea, I responded with “I’ve wanted to do that for so long!” And our plan was set. I really think you will enjoy it too.

Without giving too much away, I will refer you to Harold’s summary of the service in the calendar of events, and tell you that although we call this a banquet, please eat breakfast before you come. The sanctuary will be rearranged, and you will be asked to sit in specific areas as you enter. We’ll keep families together, of course. Contact me if you can help with moving pews on that Sunday morning, and if you can cook some food for us. Other than that, come prepared for an enlightening morning, which I think will prepare you mentally and emotionally for our traditional assistance at Lighthouse Emergency Services.

We’ll be going to Oakland County Lighthouse Emergency Services in Pontiac at 1:00 p.m. on November 19. Emerson traditionally provides food from a food collection list, which is at the end of the post. We also send a contingent of Emerson folks (they request no very young kids… use your judgment about your children’s capability to be tenacious about the work to be done there) to assist with packing food for families who have a harder time on Thanksgiving getting a feast for themselves. Bring a sack lunch to share with your Emerson friends before you leave for Food Packaging. Maps will be available that morning. ~ Laura Ross

FOOD COLLECTION LIST:
No glass containers!

• Turkeys


• Evaporated Milk


• Pie Crust Mix


• Stuffing Mix


• Onions


• Soup


• Canned Cranberries


• Canned Vegetables


• Pumpkin Pie Filling


• Dessert Items (cake mix)


• Sweet Potatoes (yams)


• Potatoes


• Canned Fruit


• Jell-o


• Muffin Mix

Walking Together

Don’t walk in front of me. I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me. I may not lead. Walk beside me. And just be my friend. ~ Albert Camus

Well, finally the election is just a few short days away. This election, in some ways, has seemed to me to be more significant and stressful than many presidential elections. It has certainly had it twists and turns. Now, with so many pundits and so many polls predicting a significant change, it will be interesting and a relief to see what actually happens.

I do hope that the process will be honest and fair. We have had unfortunate incidents in the last six years that have challenged our faith in the electoral process. It would be a sad day if America would need U. N. observers just to make sure that our elections were done properly.

Another problem in the electoral process that I think we all can agree on is the lack of good, thoughtful debate on the issues. Instead, we are given a steady diet of negative television advertisements. Of course, negative campaigning has been a staple of elections in our history. And I am certainly not suggesting here that candidates be nice to each other. A sign of a healthy democracy is vigorous debate on the issues.

But so often the attacks have been irrelevant, dishonest and stupid. One of the most repellent television advertisements of recent history was an attack on the patriotism and courage of a Vietnam War vet who is a triple amputee. One would think that the two qualities that should not have been brought into question about that vet were his courage and patriotism. It is like questioning the Pope’s commitment to Catholicism.

George Orwell warned us about the dangers of how powerful people would manipulate political language to the point that the people could not distinguish truth from fiction. Then, our democracy could cease to exist.

But I don’t think that our democracy is totally broken, at least not yet. However, I do believe that we Americans take it for granted. We need to be vigilant as citizens and hold our candidates accountable for any dissembling and unfair ad hominem attacks on their opponents.

For in the final analysis, our kind of government works only to the extent that we citizens participate in the process. As Pogo might have said, “We have met the heroes of our democracy and it is us.” ~ Rev. Harold Beu

Congregational Meeting - Nov. 12

Currently Emerson Church has around 49 members being represented by seven board members. That’s one board seat for every seven members. The board has been talking about this and thinks the size of the board should be reduced from seven to five. This would free up two people that have been spending their time on the Board to work on other Church business / committees. To do this we must put this to a Congregational Vote.

Therefore, the Emerson Church Unitarian Universalist Board is calling a special meeting of the Congregation on November 12th after the service at 11:45am to vote on this proposal. By doing this now we will be ready to vote for our new board members in May. (This is the only Church business to be voted on at this meeting.) ~ The Emerson Board.

Movie Night - Oct. 21

Have fun on a Saturday night - without needing a babysitter!

The Youth Group is sponsoring a movie night this Saturday, October 21st at 7:00pm in the sanctuary of Emerson Church. The price is $3 per person or $6 for the entire family. A children's movie will be shown, then a short intermission during which pop and popcorn will be served, followed by a teen/adult movie (PG-13).

Emerson Halloween Party

Friday, October 27, 2006 - 6:30 to 9:00 pm

Join us in costume (or not) for games, creepy food, and ghoulish camaraderie. Invite your friends for a spine-tingling good time. All are welcome. Not all events are scary...some are just silly and fun!

Your help in providing donations of cash, candy and/or prizes, and helping with the set-up, clean-up and coordination of activities will be very much appreciated.

Contact Dr. Mike Franken-Wisniarek or Angela (Where's the Werewolf) Trelfa to assist.

Youth Group Fundraisers

The Youth Group is making a cookbook which will be finished and on sale in late November or early December. You can assist by dropping your favorite recipes in the large pot in the social area or you may e-mail your recipes to commondolphin202@sbcglobal.net. The deadline for submission of recipes is NOVEMBER 1. Contact Monica Mathis with questions.

Also, plan now to purchase your holiday poinsettias from the Youth Group. A sign-up sheet for ordering will be available during coffee hour.

This Sunday - Oct. 22, 2006

Service: The Only Investment That Never Fails
When I was a teacher of math, history and government, I would bring up the concept of investment. I would explain that if I had just invented the anti-gravity machine and could make billions, but I need some money to build more machines and market it. So, I ask you for an investment, meaning that you give me money that you will not see for awhile, but if all goes well, it return millions for you.

Education is like that. But so is goodness. As Henry David Thoreau said, “Goodness is the only the investment that never fails.” Finding how that works in our lives will the task of this sermon. ~ Rev. Harold Beu

This Sunday - Oct. 15, 2006

Service:The Spiritual Dimension of Social Action
October is the month in 1938 that the Western powers betrayed Czechoslovakia by creating the Munich Treaty with Hitler. Unitarians were stunned by this betrayal of a model democratic state whose first lady, Charlotte Masaryk, was a Unitarian from New York. Moreover, the denomination had close ties to Czech Unitarians and to members of the liberal National Czechoslovak Church. Unitarian leaders desired to “do something” and thus, in December, the American Unitarian Association’s Department of Social Relations, created a “service mission to Czechoslovakia.”

Later, that service mission would become the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. The UUSC has since had a proud history of helping people in distress. Their mission is to: advance human rights and social justice around the world, partnering with those who confront unjust power structures and mobilizing to challenge oppressive policies. On this Sunday, we will honor the UUSC and all those who do the sacred work of the struggle for justice and peace in the world. ~ Rev. Harold Beu

We're Back!

Welcome to the new ECUU.org!

Obviously, the website is still a work in progress, but we believe that this is the start of something exciting for Emerson Church Unitarian Universalist.

There will be a lot more added to the site in the upcoming days and weeks, but for now, take a look around, and feel free to pass along any suggestions, complaints or kudos to webmaster@ecuu.org.

This Sunday

Understanding Fear

In the past five years, we have been living with a constant reminder that we could be attacked by terrorists at any time. Indeed, a recent report suggested that we are more vulnerable now then we were before September 11, 2001. And while our fear is natural, it more often prevents us from doing what we need to do.

As Bonaro Overstreet said in her book, Understanding Fear In Ourselves and Others, “Of all the emotional forces that pattern our individual and interpersonal behaviors, fear has the most insidious power to make us do what we ought not to do and leave undone what we ought to do.”

Here I will explore the meaning of fear in our lives and what to do about it.

~ Rev. Harold W. Beu

ONE: The Movie

You likely will want to treat yourself to watching the documentary film entitled “ONE: The Movie” to be shown at Emerson Church on Saturday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m.

The movie is a compilation of comments by world-famous religious leaders, authors, scholars, and people on the street who were interviewed with questions such as: What happens to you after you die? When is war justifiable? Describe God. What is the meaning of life? How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism? The beliefs expressed by those of many different religious traditions help to paint the larger picture of the interconnectedness of all people within the context of our rich diversity.

This event is a fundraiser for our church, and it is an experience you will not want to miss. Plan to see the movie “ONE” on 11-11.

Camp Fire USA Meeting

There will be a Camp Fire USA organizational meeting at Emerson on Monday, October 9 from 6:30-8pm. The meeting is open to parents of boys and girls from preschool through 6th grade.

For more information, contact Stefani Barner.

"Camp Fire USA is one of the nation's leading not-for-profit youth development organizations, currently serving nearly 750,000 children and youth annually. Camp Fire USA, with national headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., provides all-inclusive, coeducational programs in hundreds of communities across the United States. Founded in 1910, Camp Fire USA's outcome-based programs include youth leadership, self-reliance, after school groups, camping and environmental education and child care."

Religious Education News and Notes

The Emerson Religious Education Program is sponsoring an Intergenerational Religious Education program, entitled “Guess The UU”. Wendy Chessin introduced it aptly when she said: “The Unitarian-Universalist (UU) religion does not follow a specific creed nor does it look to one iconic individual or religious text to teach how a person should live. Rather UUism relies on a set of principles to suggest how UUs should live a moral and spiritual life. As we seek to determine what it means to be a UU, it is helpful to learn how other UUs have lived out these principles in their own lives."

The RE Committee is starting a new program this year. Each week a very brief bio [three facts; one minute time frame] of a UU will be presented during Announcements. We’re calling this “Guess the UU” because the person’s name will not be revealed until we all go down for Coffee Hour. Any adult who wants to profile a favorite UU or would like to present one that we already have a bio for, please e-mail Laura or Wendy. In addition, the children who have gone through “Roots & Branches” will have the chance to do “Guess the UU” with the UU that they chose to profile.

We hope that this encourages further exploration of our faith and history, while enriching our UU identity. Biographies of UUs can be found in the RE Office, online at http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub, or can come from books located at church or in your own library.

Laura Ross can be emailed at lauraross@ecuu.org, and Wendy Chessin can be contacted at wendychessin@ecuu.org.

Religious Education Program Notes

• Any visiting children are always welcome in our classrooms! If a family is visiting with you, please have them fill out a RE Guest Registration on the welcome table so that we can acknowledge your visit.

• Children will remain with their families for the first part of service every Sunday. They walk to their classes with their teachers following the Children’s Benediction. All classes are released at 12 noon. Parents of younger children are asked to pick their child up from their classroom, avoiding confusion as a young child seeks their parent out in the social area at 12noon. Please do not disturb your child or their class by asking them to leave early.

• Please be aware that there is a very young child with severe allergies to nuts and dairy in our RE program. If this child comes into contact with residue from nuts or dairy, she may have an anaphylactic reaction and may need to be hospitalized. The Nursery and Classrooms downstairs are areas in which only safe foods should be served. As good practice, encourage your children to wash their hands before coming to church to remove possible allergen residue. Thank you for helping make our church a more welcoming environment for all children.

• Dress your child for their classes in clothing which can be gotten messy with craft activities or visits outside, and please send their coats with them to class so they may go outside to play when the weather gets brisk.

• RE children do get some snacks towards noon, in class.

• When your children join you after class, please remain in a direct supervisory capacity to them whether inside or outside of the church.

• Finally, please remember that the church has two sacred areas – the Sanctuary and the Memorial Garden -- in which children are asked to be calm and respectful at all times.

~Laura Ross

Walking Together

Don’t walk in front of me. I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me. I may not lead. Walk beside me. And just be my friend. ~ Albert Camus

I recently had an exchange of e-mails with Thomas W. Smith, chair of the humanities department at Villanova University about the controversy created by the intemperate remarks Pope Benedict XVI recently made about Muslims. I wrote him in response to his op-ed piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer. It is interesting to me that I have gotten responses via e-mail to all kinds of interesting people, usually with people I find who are thoughtful in their arguments even if I disagreed with them or agreed with them only in part.

Smith’s argument was that the pope’s choice of words was unfortunate but that he was arguing in favor of reason. The quote was from a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said, “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by sword the faith he preached.” Mr. Smith said that this was a small part of his argument, essentially making the point that violence was wrong. As Smith said, “it is always wrong [for Christians] to spread the faith through violence, precisely because of what the Christian faith claims about God. The pope says that ‘violence is incompatible with the nature of God’ because acting against reason is contrary to God’s nature. God is reasonable, not willful or arbitrary.”

Smith then goes on to describe how reason is important in creating a just society and how those who are unreasonable and willful, many who are fundamentalists of various religions, create serious problems.

However, reason has fallen on hard times, according to Smith. The pope was trying to warn Christians about this. Smith said, “To abandon reason is to open us up to violence and so to the shredding of a decent common life. To hate reason is to hate human beings, for we are rational creatures.”

I wrote back saying that the most important issue is religious tolerance. And while I agreed in the importance of the use of reason in solving our problems, I was concerned that the pope’s words that seemed to condemn Islam as violent by its very nature. I reminded Mr. Smith of the history of Christian intolerance, especially in the 14th century that one might say that it too is a violent religion.

But in the final analysis, it is true that all of us, whether Christian, Muslim or other, need to make a commitment to reason. "However,” I said, “I believe that reason begins with humility, an understanding that each of our views of the Truth is just that

— our own idiosyncratic, limited, distorted view of the Truth, including the pope’s. Acknowledging that would go a long way to bringing reason back into the dialogue and hopefully help create a groundswell of support for religious tolerance.”

Mr. Smith wrote back a gracious letter agreeing with my argument that religious tolerance is the central issue and the importance of humility. He still claimed the pope did not single out Islam. He also said he wished he had not used it and that the pope probably did too.

I appreciated Mr. Smith’s reply. It is good to know that he took my words seriously. In a sense, I was arguing from a Unitarian Universalist point of view. I know that it is hard to pin down what our religion is all about, which puts us at a disadvantage with other religions. But speaking for myself, I believe that the core principle of Unitarian Universalism is religious tolerance. From that principle flows all others.

I thoroughly enjoyed my dialogue with Mr. Smith. I suspect that we will not have another dialogue any time soon, if ever. And while we may disagree on the particulars, I am heartened to know that there is a kindred spirit who shares my commitment to the goal of religious tolerance, which is the way to world peace, indeed to the survival of our earth.

~Harold Beu

From The Executive Board President

Now that we have officially entered Fall, I hope this finds you all settling into the new beginnings that greet us this time of year. After just a few weeks I have settled comfortably into my routine of busy school days and, of course, the start of a new Church year as your new President.

It is always exciting to come back to Emerson and catch up with all the people I haven’t seen over the summer. In the short time we have been back, many things are happening here at Emerson. We are continuing our “share the plate” program, sharing half of our non-pledge collection with various worthy charities. Our food collection for Troy People Concerned is ongoing. Various fundraising activities are continuing. These programs give us an opportunity to raise needed funds while acting on our UU principles. They include the Fair Trade Coffee program, which promotes sustainable and economically viable markets for coffee growers. The Thinkgreen Recycling program promotes the planting of trees through the collection and recycling of toner and inkjet cartridges as well as cell phones. We will also continue our sale of Entertainment books along with our Meijer Rewards program. I strongly encourage everyone to participate in these fundraisers. They provide an easy way to contribute to the financial well being of Emerson.

While these programs remain important, I’m particularly excited about a movie screening being coordinated by Jeff Tollafield. Jeff, along with Jim and Mary Lou Bilen, has been busy planning a screening of the film “One” here at Emerson. This will take place on November 11. Not only is this a great opportunity to see a thought provoking film, but also a chance to reach out to the larger community. Let’s support Jeff’s efforts with our attendance and “spread the word” about this exciting event.

Participation in our Church is vital and can take many forms. You might choose to spearhead a new event, like Jeff, or join an existing committee. Whatever you are moved to do, I believe communication is one of the keys to our success. If at anytime you have a suggestion, idea or concern, the Board members and myself want to hear from you. You are welcome to email me at wendynolan@ecuu.org.

~ Wendy Nolan

Jesus Workshop

Jesus is probably the most misunderstood man in the history of Western Civilization. He certainly has had a powerful impact on our way of life, but probably not in a way he would have wanted. In this workshop, we will examine Jesus as a man, religious icon and teacher. One book we will be using is Jesus Didn’t Go to Church by Carlton Smith. We will meet for the first three Fridays in October in the Lounge, beginning October 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Contact me at church: by e-mail: haroldbeu@ecuu.org; or my cell-phone: 248-720-9938 to let me know if you to attend.

Congregational Workshop

This workshop will consist of two parts. The first will be doing a process of creating a new mission statement. I find that the process alone can bring out insights and revelations about what we collectively believe about our mission. The second part will be a process of discovering what we think is important work to be done to fulfill our mission. I will share with you some of the wisdom I received from Lisa Presley from a Membership/Leadership Conference I attended recently.

My intention is for this workshop to be informative, instructive, and inspirational. That is my goal. Come and see if I can fulfill it.

Contact me at church: by e-mail: haroldbeu@ecuu.org; or my cell-phone: 248-720-9938 for more information.