RE News - Sept. 2007

The Back To School Frenzy is on! For those with kids, it is a time of gathering pencils, backpacks and rediscovering if long pants actually FIT your child after a free summer of growth. For those whose kids are out of the home, or those who do not yet have kids, it is a time to stay out of the mad rush in the stationery section of Kmart, or to relish the very cheap selections!

Regardless, the summer winding down brings with it a sense of gathering in — an age-old culturally developed human response to seasons shifting and changing. I love this time at Emerson for this very reason. New faces arrive, looking for a church community to gather in for the winter; returning faces arrive, happy to hear about summer adventures and reinvigorate warm bonds. Our community gathers, and we prepare our spirits to meet the headlong rush of the Fall and Winter seasons. I get a charge out of being a part of the gathering in, and relish the growth and rich harvest this new season promises. Being a part of religious education in each new school year offers me another opportunity to take and add measure to the gathering of experiences and wonderments that our liberal religious exploration process encourages. We don’t need* pencils or backpacks for an R.E. process to re-channel and proceed. We need our open minds, helping hands and loving hearts — and time together.

I look forward to gathering in the classrooms with all of you in this new school season. If you don’t normally get a chance to gather in the classrooms (if you have not volunteered in RE) make some time to do so. For this new season is a wonderful opportunity to make our gathering-in time one of warmth, joy and nourishment for the smallest to the largest among us. If you would like to reap the benefits of volunteering in the religious education program, please talk to me or a RE Committee member (Wendy Chessin, Pat Givens, Sarah Wilson, Dee Mathis). We’d like to gather with you.

Peace,

Laura Ross, LDRE

Walking Together - Sept. 2007

At General Assembly in Portland Oregon, I attended a workshop on the issue concerning the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. It is a delicate issue, one that few can talk about with any hope of offering a just and reasonable solution to the violence without drawing down controversy. But we in the workshop thought that we Unitarian Universalists may be in a better position than others to offer some hope in solving this thorny problem.

Our religion promotes religious tolerance and a focus on individual rights. To solve the problem of Palestine, we must begin with a commitment to those principles that affirm the worth and dignity of all people, whether Palestinian or Israeli or anyone else. We also are comfortable working with all kinds of religious people because we have historically welcomed into our sanctuaries Jews and Muslims, as well as anyone else who seeks truth and loves mercy.

I have been involved with the Troy Interfaith Group (T.I.G.), which began because of an incident involving our president, Padma Kuppa, a wonderfully bright woman and a Hindu, who was denied the opportunity to do a public prayer. I am proud to be part of this group, that our previous minister, Richard Beal, helped found. I want to share with you the mission statement of T.I.G., which could easily be our own:

The Troy Interfaith Group exists to invite all faith communities to gather, grow and give for the sake of promoting the common values of love, peace and justice among all religions locally and globally. We believe that peace among peoples and nations requires peace among the religions.

One of my goals for this group and for my ministry is to help develop a dialogue and discussion around the issue of the Middle East. So far, I have gotten from all people a desire to help to bring peace to that troubled region of the world. But to translate that into action is another matter. The one entity that has the most power to change things there is our government. And we American citizens have the power and the responsibility to guide and pressure our government to make better decisions to help bring peace there. I hope you will join me in that quest.

Faithfully Yours,

Reverend Harold W. Beu

No Service This Sunday!

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend, and we'll see you on Sept. 9!

This Sunday - August 26, 2007

If You're Dead, You're Excused!

This Sunday's service will include a special guest speaker: Yusif Barakat. Yusif has a long history with Emerson - he spoke at the first service after we moved into the current building.

Born in Haifa, Palestine, Yusif Barakat was displaced from his homeland in August, 1947. A 12-year-old shepherd boy who could not speak English, Yousif found himself face-to-face with the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the New York skyline.

At 16, his father died unexpectedly and Yusif went to work at the Ford Motor Company to support his mother and three sisters. He's had a roller-coaster career, from taxi cab driver to politician to psychotherapist.

For the past ten years, Yusif has served as a clinical program manager at W.J. Maxey Boys Training School, dedicating his life to helping out boys who have been sentenced to the juvenile-justice system for crimes they've committed. Along with 13 staff members, Yusif handles the treatment and rehabilitation of 20 boys at the Green Oak Township facility.

"We take them away from criminal activity and get them to contribue to their community" he said "it's very challenging, but the end product is very rewarding."

Yusif says most of what he does is re-establish trust with the boys and build relationships. He takes them out in the community to help at animal shelters and food banks.

"It helps them gain self-esteem", he said "They are giving back to the community and making amends for what they have done."

Before coming to Maxey, Yusif spent 3 years with Children's Protective Services, and for 20 years, he was in private practice as a psychotherapist.

This Sunday - "Listen, Listen to my Heart's Song"

One thing we Americans do not do very well is to listen to each other, truly listen, with intention, focus and the desire to understand and develop relationships and communities based in trust. Granted, we have busy lives, but every now and then, it is important to listen will all our hearts and all our minds and all our spirit. How that would work in you life, well, you will just have to come and listen. ~ Rev. Harold W. Beu

Upcoming Events

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This Sunday - Comforting the Afflicted

August 12, 2007

There is an old bromide about the purpose of ministry, which is, to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I have a different take on that dictum that I will share with you. I will also invite you to share with us your thoughts of what the mission of a minister should be – with the idea that we all are ministers. —Rev. Harold W. Beu

After the service, join us for our annual ice-cream social!