Bird’s Eye View
Newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association
6 Bird Street * On The Common * Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 * 508-543-4002
Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.
Katie Lawson, Minister * www.uufoxborough.org * All Are Welcome!
A UUA Welcoming Congregation

The Foxborough Universalist Church is a vibrant and caring congregation that welcomes all. Our mission is to nurture each other along our spiritual paths while working together for the betterment of our community and the world.

Minister’s Message
Dear Friends,
Last week, a group of us met after worship for a productive two hours of strategic planning. The goal of the day was to take the three categories of the strategic plans and their goals and to create a concrete plan for achieving those goals in the next three years. I was impressed by the level of enthusiasm and the creativity of people’s thinking. I was struck with how simple many of the ideas were and how they mostly involved an effort to get organized in a certain direction. It’s true that some of what we needed to talk about are what we might call “big ticket” items (making the building accessible, for one), but truly so much of it revolved around limited but focused attention: organizing a book group every now and then, creating a good format for an orientation meeting for newcomers, getting together eight people who could perform as a vocal ensemble once every two or three months…These are things that will not only bring us closer to reaching the goal of the strategic plan (to increase the church’s ability to fulfill its mission by growing our membership and our programming and to become more relevant in the community), but that will be enriching for those involved as well. I hope everyone will find at least a small way to become involved in the larger effort to take the church into its next phase.
Following through on any strategic plan requires commitment, focus, and patience, and I hope that we will all balance our ambitions for the church with enjoying the beautiful place it is currently. As we mobilize our efforts to complete the tasks decided upon last week, let’s also be present to the opportunities for fun, advocacy, and spiritual growth that present themselves along the way.

If you were unable to be a part of the strategic planning round-up, but have an idea that would help to accomplish one of the goals put forth in the basic description for the strategic plan, be sure to contact me or a Board member.
Faithfully,
Katie

Chairman’s Ramblings
Thank you to everyone who participated in the after church planning sessions. We are now putting these detail items together in a presentable format for all to review. Like any other long term plan, this is a ‘living’ document, meant to be reviewed at least once each year to measure progress, and add or delete items that seem appropriate and that fit current member objectives. Some churches do this at an annual retreat, some do it ‘in-house’ so to speak. Either way it provides a path forward to ensure a commonality of purpose and direction. As soon as the draft is ready, we will have it available for all to review.

This is the time of year when we ask you to consider becoming a member of the Board Of Trustees. As you know, it is this group that provides governance for the church. Each year several members end their term, requiring us to request people to fill the open positions. We have a nominating committee to help in this process, but any member of the Board would be willing to discuss the participation and commitment needed. Meetings are once a month for the whole Board, at members convenience, and an additional meeting may be needed for an active committee with a program to plan. There are no outside members from either the District or from the UUA headquarters, everything we do is done by us at the local level, so your input is important. Think about it, and be aware that a member of the nominating committee may approach you with a request to join The Board.
Thanks,
Dick

Don’t Forget!!
The “Put-Your-Spirit-Into-Hymn” Hymnal Fundraiser And Contest is underway. Registration forms are available in the vestibule and should soon be returned to the box on the piano in the sanctuary. Judges will pick the winners after worship on April 11 and the winning hymns will be sung during worship the next week.

Belly Psychadelli
“Belly Psychadelli” is the theme of Sumora’s 6th Annual Belly Dance Karavan on Saturday, May 22 at the church. Many beautiful dancers have already committed to performing in this year’s show and it is shaping up to be a perfectly entertaining event. All the dancers donate their time and talents for this show and some travel from as far away as Lowell and Worcester to get here. For those of you unfamiliar with the beautiful, ancient, and spiritual art of belly dance, you might be surprised at what you see — it is beautiful, sacred, and entertaining. Please mark your calendars and participate on show night to support these beautiful performers as well as the church: attend the stunning show as an audience member or help out behind the scenes! Please also help our fundraising efforts by inviting everyone you know to this family-friendly show. As in the past, ALL proceeds go towards the church’s Accessibility Improvements Fund ramp initiative! If you would like to help out, please contact Sumora at ShimmyYogini@comcast.net. Updates will be posted to Sumora’s Web site (home.comcast.net/~susanmorgaine) and the church’s Events Web site (events.uufoxborough.org).

Walk For Hunger
Save the date for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 2, 2010. With more people than ever struggling to put food on the table, it’s good to know there’s help close to home. The 20-mile Walk weaving through Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, and Cambridge will include entertainment and free snacks and will help raise $4 million to fight hunger. Register, donate, and learn more at www.projectbread.org/walk or call 617-723-5000.

Will You Be Silent?
On Friday, April 16, 2010, many schools and people across the nation will be observing the 14th “Day Of Silence” (DOS). What is the Day Of Silence? The Day Of Silence is a student-led day of action where those who support making anti-LGBT bias unacceptable in schools take a day-long vow of silence to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment — in effect, the silencing — experienced by LGBT students and their allies. The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying, and harassment in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate on April 16, so that those who endure anti-LGBT bias will not be forgotten. For more information about the DOS, please visit www.dayofsilence.org.

Standing On The Side Of Love News
SSL invites you to contact your members of Congress about the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. While the Administration announced changes in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on March 25, unfortunately, it’s still illegal to be gay or lesbian in the military. Current military policy bans bisexual, gay, and lesbian people from serving openly; the changes announced just make it a little safer in the closet. The President has expressed his commitment to repealing this harmful policy, and the military is already preparing to end it, but Congress must act on the issue. A new bill to repeal DADT has been introduced in the Senate. For details, please visit www.standingonthesideoflove.org.

April 2010 Holidays
1 Maundy Thursday – Christian
2 Good (Holy) Friday – All Christians
3 Holy Saturday – Christian
4 Easter – All Christians
5-6 Pesach (Passover) final two days – Jewish
11 Yom HaSho’ah – Jewish
14 Baisakhi – Sikh
19 Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Jewish
21 First Day of Ridvan – Baha’i
23 Saint George’s Day – Christian
28-May 1 Theravadin New Year – Buddhist
29 Ninth Day of Ridvan – Baha’i
30 St. James the Great Day – Orthodox Christian

Wayside Pulpit
Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. ~ William Wordsworth

April’s Global Chalice Lighting
In the name of compassion and loving-kindness :
Following the paths of Ibn Arabi, a Sufi master, we let our hearts dilate to enable them to fit all spiritual or existential kinds.
For those who seek, our hearts have become church, temple, synagogue, mosque, sanctuary; stronghold for the poor, for those who are suffering, for minorities wherever they come from.
We believe in the religion of Love, which has no gender, and to which all personal stories are leading.
Because Love is our religion and our faith.

~ Yohann Amal

Conseil des Unitariens et Universalistes Français (CUUF)

http://unitariens.francais.over-blog.fr/

Milestones
Aurelia Isabel Henry Reinhardt, Deborah Webster Greeley, Dorothea Lynde Dix, Charles Bliss Bowles, Maja Veronica Oktavec Capek, Chester Greenough Atkins, Rev. Samuel Willard, Daniel Chester French, Winfred Overholser, Abigail Williams May, Richard Bowditch Wigglesworth, & Mary Wollstonecraft.

• In 1781, on April 22, Elhanan Winchester gave his first sermon publicly advocating Universal Restoration at Pennsylvania University.

Our Roots
If you’re interested in some people that contributed to the Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist faiths, some biographies are available on-line at many locations including: the church Web site, the Harvard Square Library Web site, and the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society Web site. Harvard Square Library has recently expanded their focus on Notable American Unitarians (www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/) to include Notable American Universalists (www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/universalists/). The Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography is looking for volunteers to write short biographies about famous Unitarian Universalists in history and can be accessed via www.uuhs.org.

UU Notable News
Harvard Square Library offers books to read for free on-line. Current books available include:

• “Sacred Service In Civic Space” by Kathleen R. Parker which celebrates the three hundred years of community ministry of Unitarian Universalism.
• (www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/Community_Ministry/)
  “We Sing Of Life (with We Speak of Life)” edited by lifelong UU minister Vincent Silliman and in collaboration with composer and musicologist Irving Lowens. The book was designed especially for liberal religious education. (www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/We_Sing_of_Life/Introduction.html)

UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
We are still participating in this ongoing social action. As of March 19, the Fund has received donations totalling $1,728,344.68. If you would like to donate, please place your donation (in an envelope marked with “UUSC/UUA Haiti Fund”) in the collection plate and/or contact our church Treasurer.

Transforming Our Prejudices – A Sensitivity Workshop
The Channing Church Interweave group will be hosting a Sensitivity Workshop from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, at Channing Memorial Church (135 Pelham Street, Newport, RI). This workshop will give participants opportunities to do personal work on internalized and external oppressions as well as provide concrete ways to bring new learnings and tools into everyday life. If you are interested in attending, please contact Lee Whittaker at interweave@channingchurch.org to let him know how many will be attending. You may pay the $10 fee at the door. Make checks payable to Channing Church with memo: Interweave Workshop.

ShelterBoxUSA Tent-A-Thon
From 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 11, children, youth, and adults of the Unitarian Church of Sharon will erect a “tent city” on the front lawn of the church. Each tent on the church lawn will represent $200 in pledges gathered by participants from Sharon, Foxborough, Mansfield, and Norwood. For more information visit www.shelterboxusa.org. For more information about this event, contact Louise Marcoux, Director of Religious Education, at 781-784-3652.

UU Holdeen India Program
The UUA International Resources Office released “UUHIP: Partners for Justice in India” an introduction to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Holdeen India Program. UUHIP supports the efforts of those peoples excluded or oppressed on the basis of gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, especially dalits (untouchables), adivasis (tribals), migrant, bonded and child laborers, domestic and home-based workers, and scavengers, helping them to participate fully in the social, economic, and political life of India. Available on-line for free at www.vimeo.com/10032783, the video features profiles of 5 Holdeen India Program partners as well as reflections by Program Director Kathy Sreedhar, former UUA President Rev. John Buehrens, and UU minister Rev. Abhi Janamanchi.

Ballou Channing District Annual Meeting
The BCD Annual Meeting on April 24 at First Unitarian Church of Providence will include reports about district operations; recognition of new and departing ministers and religious educators; election of District officers and directors, and the approval of the FY2011 budget. A Social Service Project will also be undertaken: an afternoon of work in the Brown University’s community garden project to help prepare the beds for summer plantings. Participants should bring boots and gloves. Contact the District Office at 508-559-6650 or via bcdoffice@uua.org if you have questions about the conference. Registration deadline is April 22, 2010.

April Worship Services
All services begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by a Friendship Hour.

Apr. 4: Easter

Apr. 11: Music Sunday
Come for a celebration of music including performances from members of the congregation. We will pause to reflect on the ways in which music speaks a different spiritual language and is often able to connect us to each other and to the holy in a totally unique way.

Apr. 18: Green Theology
Minister Katie Lawson explores the theological arguments for environmental protection.

Apr. 25: Inspiration Service
Join Rev. Patricia Hatch for a service that will lift your spirits and inspire you towards the life you want to live.

Other Notices And Events

• Apr. 1 and May 6: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area residents are invited to participate!
• Apr. 7 and May 5: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
• Apr. 9: The Attleboro Area Council of Churches is hosting a benefit dinner, Hope on the Streets, to raise money to assist the homeless through their varied programs. Will be held at the Attleboro Elks and feature a presentation from Rev. Geralyn Wolf, the Episcopal Bishop of Providence.
• Apr. 11: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• Apr. 28: (10:00 a.m.) UU Lobby Day begins at the UUA headquaters, 25 Beacon Street, in Boston.
• Please visit www.bcduua.org, BCD In-Brief, the BCD and UUA e-mail lists, www.uufoxborough.org, and the bulletin boards in the vestibule for more event listings and details.
• Contact rentals@ uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.
• Don’t forget to purchase products through our Amazon and Powell’s Book partner programs: click through the links on the church Web site home page (www.uufoxborough.org) and shop!

In The Community
Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Saturdays – Yoga classes at the church (9:30 a.m.); Apr. 3, 10, 22, & 24 – Events at the stadium; Apr. 13 & 27 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Through Apr. 9 – Foxborough Reads; Apr. 8 – Norfolk Advocates for Children facility open house; Apr. 8 – Spring Concert at FHS; Apr. 9 – ImprovSoup at Burrell; Apr. 10 – Foxborough Lions Club Bottle & Can Drive; Apr. 10 – Community Trails Day at CRRA; Apr. 10 – Boy Scout Pasta Dinner Fundraiser at Bethany Church; Apr. 15 – Candidates Night; Apr. 16, 17, & 18 – “13 – The Musical” at Orpheum; Apr. 19-23 – FPS Vacation Week; Apr. 29 – Ahern Strings & FHS Symphony Orchestra at Ahern; The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

Summer Programs At Regional UU Camps
UUs looking for a “close-in” vacation may wish to check out the wide range of art, education, personal development, and music conferences and workshops as well as beaches and camps sites at the three New England conference and retreat centers.

• Ferry Beach in Saco on the coast of Southern Maine (www.ferrybeach.org)
• Star Island within the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast (www.starisland.org)
• Rowe Camp and Conference Center in Rowe, MA in the Berkshire Mountains (www.rowecenter.org).

Ethical Eating Core Team Presents The 40/40/40 Campaign
UUs across the continent are expanding Earth Day’s 40th anniversary on April 22, 2010 to last 40 days. How? By committing to large and small daily actions over the 40 days, for the sake of the Earth and all who live on it. Some UUs are even taking on-going lifestyle changes for a 40-day “test drive,” knowing that some aspects of global environmental justice begin with personal choice. When 40 people in one congregation make 40-day commitments, that congregation receives special acknowledgement from the UUA’s Ethical Eating Core Team.. For more information about the campaign and available reseources, please visit www.tr.im/404040.

What will this look like in congregations? Use the resources at www.tr.im/404040 to kick off the 40/40/40 campaign in worship and religious education. Those who take the “40/40/40 Pledge” receive a sticker for their church nametag, helping to spread the word. Participants enjoy support and community building both in the local congregation (which might hold a potluck or a special environmental justice event), and also nationally, sending their stories to the 40/40/40 blog at www.tr.im/40blog. At the conclusion of the 40 days, congregants gather to share stories—what they learned, what worked well and what did not, how their perspectives changed, and what comes next, as individuals and as a congregation.

DRUUMM
Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries has a new website! Please visit and pass the word on about www.druumm.org, where you will find information about DRUUMM, chat rooms, event registrations, and the means to connect to DRUUMM members across the continent.

IARF Congress
Being held in Kochi, India from Septemer 1-7, 2010, the 33rd Congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) will be a very special occasion for participants. The theme is “Beyond Conflict to Reconciliation: the Challenge of the 21st Century.” An international list of speakers includes: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Karan Singh, President of the Temple of Understanding, Ms. Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Religion or Belief from the United Nations, and Dr. Sheikh Ali, Muslim interfaith leader. Also, the International Association for Liberal Religious Women will be celebrating its 100th year with a special program for women.

The UUA has ten voting delegates so if you are interested in being one, contact the Rev. Eric Cherry at the International Resources Offi ce (international@uua.org). There will be important issues to vote on regarding the future of the organization. For more information on this special event, and to register, check out: http://bit.ly/IARFCongress.

What Torture’s Taught Me
Join the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) at 3:00 p.m. on April 11, at The First Church in Belmont as Bill Schulz presents his renowned talk, “What Torture’s Taught Me”. Bill is a former UUA President, former executive director of Amnesty International USA, and current interim president and CEO of UUSC. Bill Schulz first delivered this talk as the Berry Street Lecture at the 2006 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly in Saint Louis, MO. Suitable for everyone high-school age and older, his lecture will focus on torture in a theological — versus political — context. Alfa Radford (First Church of Belmont’s Minister of music) considers Bill to be one of the greatest speakers she has ever heard.

UUA Leadership Training Opportunities

• Join other UUs at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands, NC, the first week of August to empower UU youth and adults who work with youth to be interfaith leaders in their congregation and community. Participants will explore religious pluralism and UU theology and history as related to interfaith work, share stories of faith and service, and participate in community building and outdoor activities. Registration, lodging, and meals are provided by the UUA. Participants are responsible for their own travel; limited travel scholarships are available. Apply at www.uua.org/interfaithyouth by May 1, 2010.
• Youth and Young Adults of Color aged 15–30 years old, are invited to come to Boston from August 13-17 for a Leadership Development Conference that will equip participants to be leaders in their local UU congregation or district, better understand racial/ethnic identity development, and foster inter-cultural collaboration and intentional relationship building. Conference registration is $200; travel and housing will be paid by the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Apply via www.uua.org/yaya/ldc/color by May 15, 2010.

Get involved in the ongoing Social Action project hosted from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm. at the church the first Thursday of every month.

The First Thursdays Peace Vigils community would like you to join them; candles and signs are provided. Stay for as long or as short as your schedule allows.

Some upcoming dates: April 1, May 6, and June 3.

Directions to the church (6 Bird Street, On The Common/Route 140, Foxborough, Mass.) and more information available via http://events.uufoxborough.org .

Tags: 02035, First Thursdays Peace Vigils, Foxborough Universalist Church, UUA

James Reeb – Minister And Martyr
The Rev. James Reeb was a white Unitarian Universalist minister who worked with poor people in Boston. In 1965 he journeyed with other UU clergy to Selma, Alabama, to protest violence by state troopers against civil rights marchers. Rev. Reeb and two other ministers were walking back after dinner to a meeting led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when they were attacked by a group of white men. One hit Rev. Reeb in the head with a club. The blow was fatal and Rev. Reeb died. Rev. Reeb’s murder drew national attention, and is credited with helping to hasten passage of the federal Voting Rights Act.

* Worship Service & Religious Education Classes begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by Friendship Hour and coffee time.

Following today’s church services, we’ll gather for “Three year Plan: Part II”.

Bird’s Eye View

Newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association

6 Bird Street * On The Common * Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 * 508-543-4002

Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.

Katie Lawson, Minister * www.uufoxborough.org * All Are Welcome!

A UUA Welcoming Congregation

The Foxborough Universalist Church is a vibrant and caring congregation that welcomes all. Our mission is to nurture each other along our spiritual paths while working together for the betterment of our community and the world.

Chairman’s Ramblings

Hi, The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is not an organization that I always agree with, but in reading their reports of the work being done by them in partnering with other groups and local Haitians they have a much more humanitarian way of distributing aid and providing resources than a lot of the volunteer groups there. First, the UUSC through appeals to local congregations has raised more than $1,000,000 in funds – significant for us, but not nearly enough to do the work that needs to be done. Second, by using their partnerships with local community action groups, they have passed out this aid in a dignified way to those who might not otherwise get it. Many aid groups have simply driven to a site, thrown out large sacks of rice – allowing the strongest to elbow their way to the front of the line – the young and the old have been short changed in this un-humane way of distribution. Third, being a charity and using local groups, more of the donated money has gone to aid, not administration.

I urge you to continue contributing to the UUSC fund for Haiti – it will be needed for a long while: unemployment is above 60%, wages are unconsionably low, and those who work in the garment industry work for 12 hour days-6 days per week and still have no place to live cannot afford decent food for themselves let alone the rest of their families. I also want us to all appreciate the gifts that we take for granted and how quickly they can disappear. Talk to you again next month.

Dick

Wayside Pulpit

The single largest pool of untapped resource in this world is human good intentions that never translate into action. ~Cindy Gallop

UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund

We are still participating in this social action. As of February 19, the Fund has received 8,585 donations totalling approximately $1,130,000! If you would like to donate, please place your donation (in an envelope marked with “UUSC/UUA Haiti Fund”) in the collection plate and/or contact our church Treasurer.

Our Newest Members

During our worship service on February 14, we received new members into the congregation and held an ingathering service for all who have joined the church since Summer 2008. If you see some new faces at church, please introduce yourself to them!

The CUUPS Podcast Is Out!

The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) recently released the first issue of their new CUUPS Podcast. The first issue features an interview with British academic Michael York recorded at the December 2009 Parliament of World Religions. Basic information about CUUPS is also included in the podcast. The second issue features Margot Adler and Brian Schorr and music from Carole Eagleheart and Faith and the Muse. You can download a free copy of the podcasts either by going to cuups.libsyn.com or to the religious podcast section of the iTunes store.

Womensphere Spring Gathering

Please join Unitarian Universalist women at a Day for Women with Dharma Teacher Joanne Friday, Buddhist teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. The day’s theme will be “Listening as a Spiritual Practice, Hearing with the Heart”. The program will be Saturday, March 27, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, 840 Sandwich Road, Falmouth Mass. The deadline to register is Friday, March 19. The fee of $20 includes registration and lunch. Scholarships are available. Contact dschmader@cox.net for more information and to register.

Trivia Tidbits

Did you know that many plants in the driveway garden came from the homes and yards of Sarah and Marion, the Joe and Susan provided the big flower containers, Charlie built the retaining wall, the yews on either side of the wayside pulpit came from Marion’s parents, Carolyn donated the sprinkler system to make sure the plants thrive, and the big evergreen tree was planted in memory of Gertrude Fitz? There are many more plantings, paintings, fixtures, objects, and upkeep around the church that have been done, placed, and maintained by numerous others (such as the children) through the years; this is just a small sampling. Our “Memorial Garden” is not restricted to a garden bed!!

Universalist Convocation 2010

The Universalist Convocation will hold its annual convocation May 14-16, 2010, at the First Universalist Society of Rochester in Rochester, New York. The keynote presenter will be the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, whose talk is titled “Dragged Kicking and Screaming to Heaven”. For more information go to www.nmuc.org/Convo.

March’s Global Chalice Lighting

English

Let all nations live together in unison

And praise GOD together.

Speak with one voice

To LOVE and accept the Word.

Let LOVE create great songs of praise

For all living souls to sing together.

Yoruba

Gbogbo Eda Dapo,
E Jo Yin Oluwa.
E Pa Ohun nyin po,
Lati Fe Oro Na;
K’ ife da orin ope nla,
Ki gbogbo eda k’o si gbe.

~ Olufemi Matimoju

First Unitarian Church of Nigeria

BCD Spring Conference

The Ballou Channing District (BCD) Spring Conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on April 24, 2010, at First Unitarian Church of Providence in Providence. We will explore the developing trends in demographic and religious practice and possible congregation responses. This year we will focus the theme through three sermons embedded in an extended, dynamic, morning worship followed by five conversation workshops. Our presenters will be: Rev. James Ford, First Unitarian Church minister, Rev. Eric Wikstrom, UUA Director of Worship and Music Resources, and Rev. Sue Sinnamon, Thomas Jefferson District Director of Faith Development. Plans are also under development for a community social service project. Please chek the BCD Web site (www.bcduua.org) and our church vestibule for more information and registration instructions.

March 2010 Holidays

1 Holi – Hindu

16 Vaisaki – Hindu

17 St Patrick’s Day – Christian

20 Equinox

20 Ostara – Wicca – Northern Hemisphere

20 Mabon – Wicca – Southern Hemisphere

21 Norouz (New Year) – Persian/Zoroastrian

21 Naw Ruz (New Year) – Baha’i

21 Passion Sunday – Christian

24 Ramanavami – Hindu

25 Annunciation of the Virgin Mary – Catholic Christian

27 Lazarus Saturday – Orthodox Christian

28 Palm Sunday – Christian/Orthodox Christian

28 Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra) – Zoroastrian

29 Mahavir Jayanti – Jain

30 Lord’s Evening Meal – Jehovah’s Witness Christian

30 Hanuman Jayanti – Hindu

30 Magha Puja Day – Buddhist

30-31 Pesach (Passover) First two days – Jewish

Milestones

Alexander Graham Bell, George Mortimer Pullman, Luther Burbank , William Fogg Osgood, Vard R. Johnson, Joseph Priestley, William L. Langer, Neville Chamberlain, Sarah Billings Doolittle, Dorothy Tilden Spoerl, Thomas Hiram Andrews , Fannie Merritt Farmer, & Bela Bartok.

Summer At Ferry Beach

Registration for summer conferences at Ferry Beach is now open to everyone! The summer conference season begins with “Work and Play Week”/family week and Quilting Retreat:”You Can Quilt!” from June 20-26, 2010. Some new conferences this year are “The Ferry Beach Group: A Ministerial Study Retreat”, “Filling the Well: younger women’s mini-week”, “Exploring the Maine Coast: A Family Nature Camp”, “Grand Buddies Camp”, and “Celebrating Our Living Tradition: UU History Course and Conference”. For more information on all of Ferry Beach’s programs, visit www.ferrybeach.org or check the vestibule for the current brochure. You can register on the Web site or over the phone at 207-282-4489. There is also a registration form on their Web site to download and mail in.

UU Lobby Day

UU Lobby Day is Wednesday April 28. Join folks at the UUA headquaters, 25 Beacon Street, in Boston at 10:00 a.m. Learn how you can help make a difference on climate change in Massachusetts and fund critically needed homeless prevention programs. You’ll also meet UUMassAction partners and connect with other UUs. For more information, please visit www.uumassaction.org.

Standing On The Side Of Love News

March 19-22: Ecumenical Advocacy Days: “A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples”. This year’s focus will be on Immigration. Details available at www.advocacydays.org. Please contact Kat Liu at kliu@uua.org, if you are participating.

March 21: Join UUs & others for a March for Change for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to rally together and Stand on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families. Details and registration available via www.standingonthesideoflove.org/take-a-stand.

June 26: UUA General Assembly 2010 attendees are invited to join in an Interfaith Community Public Witness Event at the Twin Cities’ Pride Weekend at the Stonewall Stage in Loring Park.

Volunteer To Help Haitians In U.S.A. Apply For TPS

The estimated 100,000-200,000 Haitians in the United States prior to January 12, 2010, are eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This status will allow them to legally live and work in the United States for the next eighteen months without fear of deportation. The UUA and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) are setting up and supporting legal clinics for Haitian TPS applicants. At these clinics, volunteers will provide free advice and assistance in filling out the necessary forms, as well as help in completing TPS fee-waiver applications. Volunteers need NOT be attorneys in order to participate, but do need to take part in a TPS training supervised by immigration attorneys prior to volunteering.

UUSC is hosting two TPS webinars – open to all – facilitated by immigration attorneys, to train volunteers to serve at these clinics. TPS Training Webinars will be held: Wednesday, March 3, (7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST) & Wednesday, March 10 (7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST).

Clinics where trained volunteers will help people fill out applications for TPS and fee waivers will be held: Saturday, March 6 , (11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) in West Somerville & Sunday, March 7, (2:00 p.m .- 4:00 p.m. location to be determined). Please visit www.uusc.org/resource/tps_training to register for the Webinar Trainings, then please RSVP to Nichole Cirillo at 617-301-4336 or ncirillo@uusc.org to let her know which training and/or clinic you will be attending.

Join NCTE For Lobby Days: March 14-16

On March 16, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will be holding a Lobby Day in Washington D.C. specifically for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In brief, this bill stops companies from firing or refusing to hire transgender workers simply on the basis of gender identity. This has drastic consequences which have included becoming homeless, being preyed upon by those who are in the sex worker industry, and worse. LGBT people and allies from around the country who support ENDA will be at the Lobby Day. For more information about the proposed legislation, the NCTE, and how you can participate, please visit www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/bgltequality/employment/index.shtml and/or www.transequality.org

Magha Puja

Commemorating an important event in the life of Lord Buddha, Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month. On this day, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha’s disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana. Here, Lord Buddha recited the “Ovadha Patimokkha” (the Fundamental Teaching) to his disciples.

Clean Water For A Healthy World

International World Water Day is celebrated each year on March 22. “It is still a reality that an estimated 1.1 billion people rely on unsafe drinking-water sources. Therefore the theme of World Water Day 2010 is focusing on raising awareness of water quality under the theme ‘Clean Water for a Healthy World’“. The overall goal of the World Water Day 2010 campaign is to raise the profile of water quality at the political level so that water quality considerations are made alongside those of water quantity. Visit www.unwater.org/worldwaterday, www.uusc.org, and www.worldwaterday.org for more information.

American Red Cross Month

President Obama has proclaimed March is American Red Cross Month in the United States.

Tidbits: The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clarissa “Clara” Barton, a Universalist born in N. Oxford, Mass., & President Franklin D. Roosevelt began the tradition of proclaiming March as American Red Cross Month in 1943.

A 45th Anniversary

This month marks the 45th Anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Two UUs, the Rev. James Joseph Reeb and Viola Liuzzo, were murdered by white supremacists during this time. Rev. Reeb was attacked and beaten on March 9, 1965, and died two days later.

Viola Liuzzo, a mother of five children, had brought her car to help drive civil rights workers around the county and was shot and killed while doing so.

The police attack on the marchers and these two murders outraged many Americans and prompted President Johnson to institute the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Other March Osbervances

1 First National Park establised, 1872

2 Read Across America Day

3 National Anthem Day

8 International Women’s Day

10 First paper money issued in US 1862

12 Girl Scouts founded, 1912

14 Mothering Sunday (England)

14 Save A Spider Day

14 Potato Chip Day

14 Daylight Saving Time begins, 2010

15 American Legion founded, 1919

18 Camp Fire Boys and Girls established, 1910

19 Swallows return to Capistrano

19 Iraq War began, 2003

22 National Sing Out Day

25 International Waffle Day

27 Fly A Kite Day

27 Earth Hour

31 First US Copmbat troops ordered to Vietnam, 1965.

Weeklong Observances

Pet Sitters Week

Girl Scout Week

Poison Prevention Week

Crochet Week

Birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone

Flower: Jonquil

Fundraising Ideas

Have a fundraising idea or want to help out at some of the upcoming fundraisers? Please submit your ideas to the Finance Chairman or Board Of Trustees and let the event organizer know you have time to help. You can do this in a variety of ways: in person; leave a note in the mailboxes in the church office; via e-mail; and/or on-line through committees.uufoxborough.org/Finance/.

* Don’t forget to purchase products through our Amazon.com and Powell’s Book partner programs: click through the links on the church Web site home page (www.uufoxborough.org) and shop!

A Very Brief Look At Ostara

The Spring or Vernal Equinox is also known as Ostara and will occur here at 1:32 p.m. EDT, on March 20, 2010. Ostara is the Goddess of Fertility and Rebirth and she presides over this celebration. She is often depicted standing among spring flowers and vines, holding an egg in her hand, surrounded by bunnies at her feet, and birds flying above her. Ostara and the egg are symbols of newborn life.

Eggs and seeds are an important part of this festival because of the promise they each hold of new life springing forth. Seeds are Blessed and are either planted or saved for future planting. Eggs are colored in pastels and placed in baskets around the house and altar.

Ostara is also a time to remember our balance in the greater scheme of things, we are an important part of all that happens around us, our actions and deeds have effect on the Earth, Her people, and the Universe.

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. ~Luther Burbank

Other Notices And Events

• Mar. 3 and Apr. 7: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
• Mar. 4 and Apr. 1: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area residents are invited to participate!
• Mar. 6: (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) “Thinking Outside the Pulpit: Beyond the Hymn-Sermon Sandwich Service” workshop at All Souls Church in Braintree, Mass.
• Mar. 6-10: End Mountaintop Removal Week. Please visit www.ilovemountains.org/wiw for details.
• Mar. 7: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• Mar. 20: (10:00 a.m.) Annual Meeting of The Universalist Church School Union Trust at First Parish Church in Waltham, Mass.
• Mar. 22: Sex Education Advocacy Call-In Day. Details via www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/reproductive.
• Mar. 27: (7:30 p.m.) Kim and Reggie Harris at Javawocky Coffeehouse in Brockton. Tickets and more informatio available via www.javawockyuu.com.
• Apr. 8-10: UU-UNO 2010 Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar “A Climate of Change: Head, Heart, and Hands Around the Planet”. Details and registration forms available via www.uu-uno.org.
• Please visit www.bcduua.org, BCD In-Brief, the BCD and UUA e-mail lists, www.uufoxborough.org, and the bulletin boards in the vestibule for more event listings and details.
• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.

In The Community

Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Saturdays – Yoga classes at the church (9:30 a.m.); Mar. 5-7 – “Rent” at Orpheum Theatre; Mar. 5-7 & 12-14 – Events at the stadium; Mar. 6, 9, 23, & 30 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Mar. 1 – Choral-palooza by Grades 5-12 at FHS (6:30 p.m.); Mar. 9 – McGinty Family Fun Day On The Common Planning Meeting at Public Safety Building (7:00 p.m.); Mar. 11 – Winter Skate at Patriot Place; Mar. 19 – The Un-Common Theatre Company Improv Soup at Burrell (7:30 p.m.); Mar. 23 – Bandorama by Grades 5–12 at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Mar. 29 – Apr. 9 – Foxborough Reads (tickets to related events available beginning Mar. 15); Mar. 31 – “Harriet Tubman’s Freedom Train” at Orpheum Theatre; The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

With canvass season (a.k.a. the pledge drive) upon us, it would be so tempting to list for you the many ambitions we have for the church and the standing financial commitments we need to honor as a community. However, I trust you are aware of these–that you have looked around the place and seen the many places where money could be well spent.

Instead, I’d like to focus our attention on the things we are ALREADY doing or have done in the past year thanks to your continuing generosity with your time, energy, creativity, and money. Here are just a few things you were able to do this year:

✔ Increase the number of members and people attending the church to roughly 70 people including a robust group of children. The Membership and Public Relations Committees have been hard at work making sure word of the church is getting out and that people are properly welcomed to the community. This has energized worship and efforts to reach beyond the walls of the church to help the community.
✔ Tune and re-key the piano.
✔ Offer our children a solid religious education program featuring not just thoughtful curriculum and instruction on Sunday mornings, but also other outings to build a sense of community amongst the younger cohort of our congregation.
✔ Increase salaries. Not only are we grateful for this, but it also brings the church closer to offering salaries that would help attract quality people in the future.
✔ Paint the front entry of the church and make other improvements to the interior decor of the church.
✔ Create the “Property Improvement Committee”, which has created a comprehensive aesthetic vision for our building – inside and out.
✔ Host the International Day Of Climate Action gathering in Foxborough.
✔ Re-write the church’s mission statement and begin the development of a three year strategic plan.
✔ Create and participate in a variety of high-quality lay-led worship services.
✔ Complete the process to become a Welcoming Congregation.
✔ Regularly feature guest musicians as a part of the worship service.
✔ Carry the monthly peace vigil into its third year!
✔ Via the Sunshine Committee, care for each other during times of stress or need.
✔ Change lightbulbs, vacuum, dust, bake, mow, sweep, teach, read, greet, etc.

The list could go on and on. In the midst of our aspirations for our church to serve as a center for spiritual growth and our urgency to provide needed and relevant care to our community, I hope that we can stop every now and then and recognize what we have accomplished together. As we move into the spring, I’m so excited about what’s on our immediate horizon: welcoming more new people and their ideas and talents, having our middle schoolers participate in the OWL program, getting a couple of good social outreach ideas off the ground, and completing the strategic plan that will take us forward as we try to “grow in our ability to fulfill the mission of the church.” You continue to foster a community that reminds us all of what love looks like. Thank you so much for all you do!

Faithfully,

Katie

The 1st Annual “Put-Your-Spirit-Into-Hymn” Hymnal Fundraiser And Contest

Choose your favorite hymn tune and write words for it that express something your spirit longs to have in song. Candidates will be played after worship on April 8 and voted upon by those who volunteer to judge that day. The winning hymns will be sung during worship on “Music Sunday” on April 11. The winners will also have a hymnal each donated to the church in their names. An under-sixteen and over-sixteen winner will be chosen. Original hymn tunes are also welcome!

Pick up a registration form from the front entry of the church. Your registration should be submitted to the box on the piano in the front of the sanctuary by April 1. A separate registration is required for each entry. A three dollar registration donation is suggested.

Upcoming Worship Services

All Worship Services and Religious Education classes begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by a Friendship Hour.

March 7: You Are Here

by guest minister Rev. Margie Allen

A look at how we know where we are on our spiritual map and where we want to go.

March 14: It Takes All Kinds

by Lay-leader Neda

March 21: James Reeb–Minister And Martyr

by Minister Katie Lawson and Worship Associate LeeAnn

The Rev. James Reeb was a white Unitarian Universalist minister who worked with poor people in Boston. In 1965 he journeyed with other UU clergy to Selma, Alabama, to protest violence by state troopers against civil rights marchers. Reeb and two other ministers were walking back after dinner to a meeting led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when they were attacked by a group of white men. One hit Rev. Reeb in the head with a club. The blow was fatal and Rev. Reeb died. Rev. Reeb’s murder drew national attention, and is credited with helping to hasten passage of the federal Voting Rights Act.

March 28: Passover Seder

by Minister Katie Lawson and Worship Associate Steve

We join together for a Passover Seder meal, remembering the Israelite’s escape out of slavery and rededicating ourselves to freedom.

10:00 a.m. – “Mean World, My World” Worship service

10:00 a.m. – Religious Education Classes

11:00 a.m. – Friendship Hour

11:15 a.m. – Thinking Out Loud

We’ll let you know when the next Women’s Group Meeting will be held!

When: February 21, 2010, at 11:15 a.m.

Description:

All are invited to a conversation to discuss thoughts related to the “Mean World, My World” worship service on February 21. Minister Lawson will convene the group and participate in the first fifteen minutes of the discussion. We will meet downstairs in the Social Hall.

The Women’s Group Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 10, 2010, in Mansfield has been cancelled. Please contact Nancy or LeeAnn to see if it has been rescheduled for an alternative location and/or date.

Bird’s Eye View
Newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association
6 Bird Street * On The Common * Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 * 508-543-4002
Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.
Katie Lawson, Minister * www.uufoxborough.org * All Are Welcome!

February 2010

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,
As I write, I am sitting in a large log hall waiting for a group of seventh graders to return from a cross-country ski. We are at an outdoor education center and summer camp about a quarter of a mile from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. I first came here when I was twelve to go on a five-day canoe trip and then came back every summer until I was 24 years old in some capacity or another. Each of the cabins is labeled with a sign that I carved when I was twenty. I am as familiar with these old buildings and these acres as with any place on earth. When I come back, I feel like I return to a piece of myself that resides here.

It is interesting to be here with people who have never been here before, and to go out on snowshoes with young staff people who don’t know who I am and who don’t know I consider this home. This is my home, and it is being inhabited by strangers. I am watching them do things exactly as I did them 20 years ago—playing the same games, walking the same trails, sitting on the same benches—and my heart is so soft. I can almost feel time passing and time standing still simultaneously. I sometimes have to resist a proprietary feeling—like this is MY place and these new people don’t belong here the way I do. But then I remember that this is the beauty of this place: it exists beyond me. Its job is to carry ways of being forward. It is still my home, I still belong here, AND so do these whipper-snappers.

They’ve also made some changes at camp. The hall I am sitting in is twice as big and is winterized after a capital campaign four years ago. I believe I can remember when it didn’t have electricity. It looks and feels strange to my nostalgic eyes, but I have to admit, the program works much better this way.

All of this has made me reflect on the life of the church. I hope we can be true to what our predecessors built and successfully passed on, while also allowing for needed changes to be made. As the church continues to move forward and incorporate new people and new ideas, I hope we will do the work of institutions: remembering both that we are merely passing through *and* that it cannot survive and grow without us. I hope we will all imagine our predecessors watching us and believe that they could return and, in the most important ways, feel at home.

Faithfully,
Katie

Chairman’s Ramblings
It’s hard to believe – we are into February already. Daylight lasts longer, seeds and seed starter kits are appearing in the stores, and soon the Red Sox equipment van will leave for the start of spring training in Florida. Surely Spring will soon follow! I left out Groundhog Day; I’m not sure that seeing a shadow has anything to do with the seasons – but the Red Sox van leaving – that is the really hopeful sign of Spring. And, with the change in seasons, maybe there can be a change in optimism – for the economy, and for those who are looking for work so that they can get on with their lives.

One thing that will happen – as time moves along, images of the devastation in Haiti will lessen, the suffering of the earthquake victims will be shown less and less, we will think we have made a contribution, and move on – leaving aid workers to continue to try to pick up the pieces in the poorest country in the Americas. While we have made one collection for the UUSC/UUA Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, continued contributions are welcome. Just mark your contribution with “Haiti” on it in the collection plate, and we will forward them as received. By the way – I think the congregations’ choice of charity – the UUSC vs. the Red Cross – was the right one. Again, the Red Cross, in their collections in the stores, mentions that contributions go to all of their efforts, not just one particular one.

Thanks,
Dick

Newcomer’s Orientation
If you have recently started attending services at Foxborough Universalist Church or are contemplating doing so, this short introduction provides information about the church, how to become more involved (including how to become a member), and a brief history of Unitarian Universalism. From 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. on February 7, the minister and a board member will be in the church office to answer your questions. You do not have to be ready for membership nor a newcomer to our church to attend this orientation.

Women’s Group Meeting
The next Women’s Group Meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10, in Mansfield. Please contact LeeAnn or Nancy for additional details.

February 2010 Holidays
2 Candlemas – Christian
2 Presentation of Christ in the Temple – Anglican Christian
2 Saint Brighid of Kildare – Celtic Christian
2 Imbolc – Wicca (northern hemisphere)
2 Lughnassad – Wicca (southern hemisphere)
3 Setsubun Sai – Shinto
7 Meatfare Sunday – Orthodox Christian
7 Four Chaplains Sunday – Interfaith
12 Maha Shivaratri – Hindu
14 Chinese New Year – Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist
14 Cheesefare Sunday – Orthodox Christian
14 Saint Valentine’s Day – Christian
14 Transfiguration Sunday – Christian
15 Nirvana Day – Buddhist
15 Great Lent – Clean Monday – Orthodox Christian
16 Shrove Tuesday – Christian
17 Ash Wednesday – Lent begins – Christian
21 Orthodox Sunday – Orthodox Christian
26 Mawlid an Nabi – Islam
26 Intercalary Days through March 1 – Baha’i
28 Purim – Jewish

Milestones
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Adlai Ewing Stevenson, II, Pauline Agassiz Shaw, Charles Darwin, Lydia Estes Pinkham, Peter Cooper, Sallie Holley, Carroll Leander Coburn, Laura E. Howe Richards, & Linus Carl Pauling.

Sunshine Committee
January was a very busy month for the Sunshine Committee. Members attended services for Mrs. Stanley, made dinners for other members, and visited Ted. Hopefully, Ted will recuperate and be home soon! If you know of anyone in the church family that could use some sunshine, please let Lisette or Katie Lawson know.

Reception Of New Members
During our worship service on February 14, we will receive new members into the congregation with a reception of new members and an ingathering ceremony. If you are interested in joining the church, please see Membership Chairman, Chairman, or Minister Katie Lawson.

Ordination Ceremony
Due to schedule conflicts, Katie Lawson’s Ordination Ceremony has been moved to the fall. If you have any fundraising or other ideas for the event, please contact Dick.

Wayside Pulpit
Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.
~ Linus Pauling

Standing On The Side Of Love News

• National Standing On The Side Of Love Day: The SSL campaign is asking congregations to participate in a National Standing on the Side of Love Day on Feb 14, and to help them reimagine Valentine’s Day. Resources to help with worship, organizing, and getting the word out are available at www.standingonthesideoflove.org/reimagining-valentines-day/.
• Standing On The Side Of Love With Immigrant Families: During February’s SSL Web-Cast Calls, participants will learn about how their congregation can create partnerships with immigrant communities. Best practices and resources will be shared. Join the calls: Wednesday, February 10 at 1:00 p.m. and Wednesday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m.
• The BCD office has a Standing On The Side Of Love banner available for congregations to display when engaging in social action projects and events such as attending a rally or march. Please contact the district office to reserve the banner.

UUWorld
UUWorld is available in several audio formats, including a magazine-on-tape service and mp3 files. If you’re a member of the church and would prefer to receive UUWorld on tape (or not at all), please let Ginger or Dick know.

Equual Access
Equual Access is a new affinity organization that promotes equality and access for Unitarian Universalists (UUs) with disabilities. The group is dedicated to ensuring that our faith community warmly welcomes all people including those with disabilities. Equual Access provides advocacy and support for their constituency through coalition building, education, creation of policies, and empowerment. To find out more about Equual Access, its caucuses (Hearing Loss, Mental Health, and Mobility), committees, officers, and structure, and the work they are doing to promote equality and access within our faith community, please visit www.equualaccess.org.

Pocketalker
The Rev. Dr. Devorah Greenstein, a member of the UUA’s Accessibilities Committee, wants all congregations to have assistive listening systems including a Pocketalker. A Pockettalker is “…a personal device that can be used with or without hearing aids that helps an individual to hear better in one-to-one and group conversations. It allows ministers to have comfortable pastoral conversations with people who are hard of hearing. Individuals can borrow a Pocketalker from Equual Access…”

February’s Global Chalice Lighting

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
~ Matthew 5:14-16
Transylvanian Unitarian Church
www.unitarius.ro

UUA Social Witness & Action Opportunities

Congregational Poll
Thank you to all who participated during the past two months in our congregational poll. The five most voted-for proposed CSAIs and the majority vote regarding the draft SOC was recorded with the UUA.

Don’t forget that we can still submit comments about the Draft CSAI “Ethical Eating” before March 1, 2010. Comment forms for the draft CSAI are on-line at www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/.

Award Nominations
Nominations for the Bennett Award, Holmes-Weatherly Award, Skinner Sermon Award, Donna DiSciullo Young Adult and Campus Ministry Award, Angus H. MacLean Award, and Social Witness Sermon Award are due by March 1, 2010. Please visit www.uua.org/giving/awardsscholarships for details.

Ethical Eating: Food & Environmental Justice
For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year, the UU Ministry for Earth is inviting UUA congregations to lift up the role our faith can play in the production and consumption of food.  We make daily decisions of what to eat, and every bite is an opportunity to vote for justice. Information and suggested actions on issues ranging from the field to the table are available on the UUMFE Web site (www.uuministryforearth.org), and include links to congregational stories, worship materials, and ideas for actions in our own community.

What’s Your Connection To Mountain Top Removal?
470 mountains have been blown up in Appalachia through an extreme form of coal mining called Mountain Top Removal. The process devastates the eco-systems, pollutes the water, and destroys the communities living there. Is the electricity that you use connected to Mountain Top Removal? Find out with the iLoveMountains.org tool (www.ilovemountains.org/myconnection/) and share this with your friends! If you want more information about the 2006 Action of Immediate Witness (“End Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining”), please visit green.uufoxborough.org.

UUSC Justice Sunday
Every spring, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) encourages UUA congregations to participate in “Justice Sunday”. On Justice Sunday, Unitarian Universalists of all ages come together to take action on one pressing human rights issue. Justice Sunday participants gain in-depth knowledge about an urgent human-rights issue and take steps to create needed social change. This year’s theme is “Advancing Economic Justice” and the suggested date to hold the service is Sunday, March 28. To learn more about Justice Sunday and efforts to advance economic justice against the backdrop of the global economic downturn and access additional resources for educational and advocacy activities, please visit www.uusc.org/justicesunday.

Other Action Ideas

• Get Together! Attend a UUSC Economic Justice House Party and participate in a nationwide discussion with New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse, author of “The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker”, on Justice Sunday, March 28, 2010. If you’re interested in hosting or attending a house party, please contact Nichole Cirillo, UUSC Campaign Manager, via
  www.uusc.org/get_together for more information.
• UUSC Coffee Project: Join more than 500 other congregations in this project which links UUs with small farmers and their families through fair trade. Visit www.uusc.org/coffeeproject for details.
• Look for fair trade labels on products, including coffee, tea, chocolate, and sugar. If your grocer doesn’t stock fairly traded products, ask them to do so.
• Demand that your school district, city, or state government or other institutional purchaser adopt a “sweatfree” purchasing policy to stop tax dollars from subsidizing sweatshops and abusive child labor. Find a local chapter of SweatFree Communities at www.sweatfree.org.

UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
We are participating in this social action. If you would like to donate, please contact our church Treasurer. To date, our church community has donated $422 to the fund. As of 1:30 p.m. on Friday, January 29, there had been 4,701 donations to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Unitarian Universalist Association joint relief effort for Haiti, and $471,766 has been raised. Thank you for your generosity!

Doolittle Home Support Auction
The annual Doolittle Home Support Auction will be held this fall. If you would like to get involved with and/or contribute the auction, please call the Doolittle Home at 508-543-2694.

Sacred Texts

“It is better to be alone; there is no companionship with a fool: travel alone and sin not, forgetting care as the elephant in the jungle. Good are companions in time of need; contentment with thy lot is good; at the hour of death, merit is a good friend, and good is the leaving of all sorrow. Good is reverence for mother and father: good, too, reverence for recluses and sages. Good is lifelong righteousness; and rooted faith is good: good is the getting of wisdom, and good the avoiding of sin.”

General Assembly 2010
GA 2010 will be held Wednesday, June 23, through Sunday, June 27, in Minneapolis, MN. Registration begins on March 1. During the annual meeting of congregations, there will be Worship Services, plenaries, workshops, voting on UUA policies and statements by congregational delegates, and more. Visit www.uua.org/ga for details, programs and schedules, and event updates.

February Worship Services
All services begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by a Friendship Hour.

Feb. 7: What Do You Do When And Why?
Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us have hourly, daily, yearly practices – habits of being that affect the focal points of our lives. What are the things that you do routinely and how do they shape your perspective and spirit? Choosing the routines that shape your days based on spiritual priorities will change the shape of our lives.

Feb. 14: The Purpose Of Marriage
We are hearing a lot lately about preserving the institution of marriage and respecting what it has always been. What has marriage always been? How does the spiritual center of marriage interface with the societal, cultural, and economic centers?

Feb. 21: Mean World, My World
The Mean World Theory describes the phenomena in which people who watch more television perceive the world they live in as more violent and threatening. How much is the world that we are living in one of our design and choosing and how much of it is the “real world”?

Feb. 28: TBA

Other Notices And Events

• Feb. 3 and Mar. 3: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
• Feb. 3-7: Interweave Convocation in Dallas, Texas. Details via www.interweavecontinental.org.
• Feb. 4 and Mar. 4: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area
  residents are invited to participate!
• Feb. 6: (7:30 p.m.) Tripping Lily peforms at the Blue Moon Coffeehouse in Rockland.
• Feb. 7: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• Feb. 23: (7:30 p.m.) “Mobilizing Church Volunteers” Webinar with Peter Bowden.
• Feb. 27: (9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) “Walking The Talk” Workshop with Rev. Richard Gilbert at Channing Memorial Church in Newport. Visit www.channingchurch.org for details.
• Apr. 8-10: UU-UNO 2010 Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar “A Climate of Change: Head, Heart, and Hands Around the Planet”. Details and registration forms available via www.uu-uno.org.
• Apr. 24: (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) BCD Spring Conference at First Unitarian Church of Providence in Providence.
• Please visit www.bcduua.org, BCD In-Brief, the BCD and UUA e-mail lists, www.uufoxborough.org, and the bulletin boards in the vestibule for more event listings and details.
• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.

In The Community
Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Until Feb. 12 – FHS Hockey team is collecting gently used and new hats, mittens, and gloves for Cradles to Crayons; Feb. 9 & 23 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Feb. 4 – Winterfest Concert at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Feb. 5 & 6 – 7th & 8th Drama Club presents “Macbeth Goes Hollywood” at Ahern; Feb. 11 – Combined 8th Grade Concert Band & FHS Wind Ensemble at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Feb. 12 – The Un-Common Theatre Company Improv Soup at Burrell (7:30 p.m.); Feb. 13 – Foxborough Lions Club Bottle & Can Drive to benefit FHS Swim Team; Feb. 15-19 – No School at FPS; Feb. 21 – Public Skate at Foxboro Sports Center (12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.); Feb. 27 – Girl Scout event at the church; Feb. 27 – Burrell Fun Day; Mar. 1 – Choral-palooza by Grades 5-12 at FHS (6:30 p.m.); The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

The Foxborough Universalist Church is a vibrant and caring congregation that welcomes all. Our mission is to nurture each other along our spiritual paths while working together for the betterment of our community and the world.

Feb. 3 – Men’s Group Meeting (7:30 p.m.)
Feb. 4 – First Thursdays Peace Vigils (6:00 p.m.)
Feb. 7 – BOT Meeting (8:00 a.m.)
Feb. 7 – What Do You Do When And Why?
Feb. 7 – Newcomer’s Orientation (11:15 a.m.)