BEV: October 2010 Newsletter Highlights

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,

Some of you may remember that at the 2009 annual congregational meeting, you voted to ordain me in your church as an expression of confidence in my ministry. This is a real gift and it seems so right to me that this congregation is the one that will ordain me. You will be, in essence, standing in for all the congregations I may serve and offering your blessing on their behalf. It is the day that I fully enter the ministry. Thank you for that honor.

Ordination in our denomination is an interesting process due primarily to the different approaches that the Unitarians and the Universalists historically took to ordination prior to merging. The Unitarians had a 300 year history of having individual congregations ordain ministers, while in Universalism it was seen as a broader denominational responsibility. The typical path to ordination now is a combination of both with special emphasis being placed on an individual congregation. Typically, to be ordained a Unitarian Universalist minister involves three steps: 1. earning a Master’s of Divinity 2. completing the Unitarian Universalist Association’s fellowship process which involves psychological testing, interviews with regional and national committees, and approval from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee 3. congregational vote. In many ways, the third step is the most important, because, no one should be better able to discern my capacity for ministry than you all.

At the completion of this process, I can legitimately use the title “Reverend” and feel the full authority of ministry. Technically, we completed this process with the vote, but in the case of ordination, the ceremony is seen as equally important as the vote. It’s like the difference between obtaining a marriage license and having a wedding.

Like a wedding, ordinations are of all shapes and sizes. However, typically ministers from the area will come to perform different functions in the ceremony, members of the Foxborough community will come to offer blessings, as will some of my friends, colleagues, and family members. It’s a big day for the church.

We have had to post-pone the ceremony a couple of times, but have now tentatively scheduled it for March 6 in the afternoon. I hope that as many of you who can will plan on attending.

Once again, many thank yous for this treasured honor.

Faithfully,
Katie

Our Newest Trustees & Officers
Welcome to the newest members of the Board Of Trustees: April, Leslie, Virginia, and Mike.

Wayside Pulpit

The earth laughs in flowers. ~ e.e. cummings

Religious Education Happenings
Another Church year has begun- Welcome back to another year of RE!

Fall is here and the leaves are already beginning to show their bright colors. Change is in the air! We have so many exciting things brewing this year – where to begin? First off, classes have begun and we have old and new volunteers helping us out – thanks to all of those wonderful parents. The Middle Schoolers are starting their year off in their newly painted room. It’s been refreshing and exciting to have a bright space – many, many huge thanks to the youth and Leah for helping making such a monumental task easy!!

The groups will be meeting for their regular classes and we are working on “extra-curricular” fun get-togethers for the groups in addition to regular Sundays. Parents or anyone who is interested in volunteering to chaperone an event is invited to contact me at any time.

Our next ongoing task is creating a NEW baby/toddler space. We are in the process of designing a space to be welcoming for families of small children and babies. While we have been spurred on by our minister’s upcoming addition – this has been a long time need that has been waiting to be filled and I am so thrilled to see the enthusiasm as everyone participates in helping to create this new space. If you have not been a part of this discussion and have ideas and suggestions, please let me know!

The OWL – Our Whole Lives – program is coming to fruition. Thanks to the Sharon Unitarian Church and First Parish UU Church of Canton, I am privileged to say we are able to offer for the first time this year, the comprehensive sexuality education program known as OWL. We will be offering a 5th-6th grade and 7th-8th grade class. The classes will be run by leaders who are trained in the age appropriate curriculum. If you are interested in learning more or have a child in 5th-8th grade, I am more than happy to speak with you.

This year promises to be a busy one with lots of exciting happenings to come – it’s been exciting and a pleasure to see everyone back at church. I look forward to working with all of you this year.

Peace and Blessings,
Lisa Benoit
Director of Religious Education

Birth Of The Bab
Siyyid Alí Mu?ammad Shírází (“The Báb”) was born on October 20, 1819, in Shiraz, Persia. He was a descendant from Muhammad through the Imam Husayn through both his parents. The Bab was the Prophet-Herald of the Baha’i Faith and his mission was to proclaim the imminent arrival of “Him Whom God shall make manifest,” namely Baha’u'llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith. On Oct. 20, Baha’is observe this Holy Day by abstaining from work. There are no prescribed ceremonies, but gatherings usually involve prayers, devotional readings, music, and fellowship. Baha’i days begin at sunset so celebrations may begin the evening of Oct 19.

October 2010 Holidays
1 Simchat Torah – Jewish
4 St. Francis Day – Catholic Christian
8-16 Navaratri – Hindu
11 Thanksgiving – Interfaith – Canada
17 Dasera – Hindu
20 Birth of the Báb – Baha’i
28 Milvian Bridge Day – Christian
31 All Hallows Eve – Christian
31 Reformation Day – Protestant Christian
31 Samhain – Pagan/Wiccan

Milestones
Hosea Ballou 2nd, Eliza M. Tupper Wilkes, Frances Dana Barker Gage, e e cummings/Edward Estlin Cummings, Joseph Sill Clark, Weston Edward Vivian, Ida Mabel Folsom, John Adams, and Lucy Hunt Ballou.

Reverse Trick-Or-Treating
October 31 was observed as “Begger’s Night” in England. The middle-class handed out special treats known as Soul Cakes to poor people/beggers who then promised to say a prayer for the dead. This practice was known as going “a-souling”. Over the years, “a-souling” and other end of October celebrations have morphed into Trick-or-Treating for some cultures. Youth can reverse this Halloween tradition and hand out a sample of vegan-friendly, Fair Trade dark chocolate to candy givers by participating in the fourth annual Reverse Trick-Or-Treating event. Free kits are available through Equal Exchange; participants pay for shipping costs. The deadline to request a kit is: October 8 (while supplies last). Visit www.uusc.org/rtot/reverse-trick-or-treating-2010 for details.

Guest At Your Table
Guest at Your Table fosters understanding and awareness of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s (UUSC) human-rights work and has been an important part of UUSC and Unitarian Universalist culture since 1975, when the program first began. Each year, the program strengthens connections to our shared principles and helps challenge injustice throughout the world. We can help make UUSC’s 70th anniversary a banner year for global human rights and help nurture a spirit of gratitude and “justice, equity, and compassion in human relations” by organizing Guest at Your Table for our congregation. November 21, 2010, is thekick-off date for this year’s program. Visit www.uusc.org/guest for information about this year’s guests, Stories Of Hope, and additional resources.

Ordination Fund-raising
If you have ideas about how to raise some funds for Katie Lawson’s ordination, please let Dick and the Ordination Committee know in person, via e-mail or committees.uufoxborough.org/Finance/, or leave a note in the chairman’s box in the church office.

Welcoming Congregation Bylaws Review
A committee has been formed to review the bylaws in order to suggest proposed changes to them so they will reflect the spirit and standing of our status as a UUA Welcoming Congregation. The committee will provide suggestions to the Board Of Trustees, who will then present the final proposal to the congregation for a vote to be taken in the next few months.

Ministerial Search Committee
A Ministerial Search Committee has been formed to seek a replacement for Katie Lawson. The initial steps will be to develop the review and update, if needed, the criteria for a new minister that we used last time and meet with Ballou Channing District (BCD) President Rev. Bill Zelazny and Board Of Trustees in October or November. The first meeting of the committee is being held at 11:15 a.m. on October 3, 2010. The Board Of Trustees will keep everyone appraised of the committee’s progress and seek congregational input as we travel on this path.

Spiritual Nurture
Visit www.uua.org/visitors/spiritualtopics/ for answers to some common questions from newcomers about Unitarian Universalism regarding everything from spiritual practices, to the concept of a higher power, to ideas about life and death, to sources of inspiration and guidance, to the use of sacred texts. Some videos and podcasts for inspiration and reflection are available via www.uua.org/multimedia/inspiration/ and www.uufoxborough.org/Newcomers_Area.htm.

UU Jewish Gathering Being Organized
UUs for Jewish Awareness is organizing a conference, with the theme “Let Us Be Counted!”, the first in over 20 years. The theme is inspired by the Torah portion that coincides with the Shabbat of our gathering, Ki Tisa: Exodus 30:11-34:35: “Let us come together to count our selves, not to wait to be counted but to affirm our belonging together!” The conference will be held on February 18 – 20, 2011, in Atlanta, GA. All UUs wishing to celebrate and explore their Jewish identity within Unitarian Universalism are welcome. Go to www.uuja.org for information about program details and how to register.

Green Sanctuary Program News

• Find information about the 10/10/10 Global Work Party via www.uuministryforearth.org/10-10-10.
• Learn how to become better stewards of your funds & creation; get connected with resources to help our congregation with energy efficiency upgrades at the ENERGY STAR Congregation Event beginning at 9:00 a.m. on October 23, 2010 at The First Parish of Needham, UUA. R.S.V.P. no later than October 9, 2010, to Wadi Muhammad at 617-918-1807 or muhammad.wadi@epa.gov.
• Mass Climate Action Network is holding a conference on October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Register via www.massclimateaction.net.
• Read the UUA’s Green Sanctuary Program blog at greensanctuary.blogs.uua.org.

National Coming Out Day
In 1987, over half a million people gathered in Washington, D.C., for the second national march for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. National Coming Out Day began one year later and is celebrated on October 11 every year. For a candle lighting, a reading, links for social justice opportunities, sample sermons, and other resources to help celebrate and participate in National Coming Out Day, please visit www.uua.org.

The Living Tradition: The Off-Center Cross

Combining a circle, a cross, and empty space, the off-center cross was created by four ministers during the Universalist General Assembly in 1946.

Each of the three elements used in this symbol represent different principles of Universalism:

• The circle represents that which has no beginning or end, infinity, the universe
• The empty space at the center represents the mystery at the heart of the universe that some people call “God”
• The cross represents the Christian roots of Universalism, but was placed offcenter to leave room for other points of view and paths towards God

The off-center cross was first used in a public service of worship on September 29, 1946, at the ordination of Earle McKinney in Foxborough, Massachusetts at our church.

In 1947, the off-center cross was officially adopted as a symbol of Universalism in Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Universalist Convention.

Doolittle Home Support Auction
The seventh annual Doolittle Home Support Auction will be held on Saturday, November 6. The auction proceeds will go towards the purchase of an improved model of whirlpool tub for the nursing unit. Donations are accepted from anyone; please call the home’s office at 508-543-2694 to arrange to donate something. To preview auction items and pre-register for a Speed Bid number, visit www.doolittle-home.org.

Not just the “big green and white house on the corner or across from the Library”, the Doolittle Home has been a planned for retirement haven of U’s and UU’s for over 90 years. Support the Doolittle Home residents, our UU family, friends, and community, and the Home’s treasured UU Heritage!!!

Common Read
At General Assembly 2010, delegates selected “Immigration As A Moral Issue” as the new Congregational Study Action Issue (CSAI). The UUA, in partnership with Beacon Press, has initiated a Unitarian Universalist “Common Read” as part of that study. For a 2010-11 Common Read, the UUA offers Margaret Regan’s The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories for the Arizona-MexicoBorderlands. To find out more about how you can participate, please visit www.uua.org/publications/commonread/index.shtml. Study and facilitation guides are available.

UN Sunday
In celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN) on October 24, 1945, the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) invites congregations and individual UUs to deepen our understanding of the United Nations by devoting one service in October to reaffirming the connections between UU principles and vital issues dealt with at the UN. The 2010 United Nation Sunday packet, “Ethical Aspects of Climate Change”, is available on-line at www.uu-uno.org.

A Wish List
Norfolk Advocates for Children (NAC) is a partnership of public and private agencies that work together collaboratively to help children who experience physical, sexual, and domestic abuse. Below is a list of remaining needs for the new facility in town. If you would like to donate any of these items, please call AnnMarie Sullivan at 508-308-0852. On-line at www.norfolkadvocatesforchildren.com.

• Kleenex
• Windex
• Facecloths
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Alcohol wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Liquid Hand soap
• Chlorox bleach
• Mop and bucket
• Towels (for nurse)
• Toilet bowl cleaner/brush
• Laundry detergent- liquid
• Lamps with woodland theme
• Cera Ve hand lotion (scent free)
• Changing Table and Changing Pad
• Water bottles (8 oz. and 16 oz. Sizes)
• Shower curtain for the medical room
• Sample sizes for shampoo, conditioner, soap
• Plastic/wire storage shelves for the closet in the medical room
• Individually wrapped crackers (pretzels, goldfish, animal crackers – no sugary snacks and no peanut butter)

PR News
If you’re a visitor, newcomer, newer member, or long-time member of the church and would like to receive a copy of the monthly newsletter and/or join our e-reminder lists, please let the PR Committee (prcommittee@uufoxborough.org) know. Please also let us know if you have something to include, articles, photos, etc. The newsletter is available via e-mail and surface mail.

Peace Candles & First Thursdays Peace Vigils
In April, 2003, we lit the Peace Candle that sits in the front window of the church and serves as a symbol of the congregation’s continued prayers for peace, especially in Iraq. In the Fall of 2006, we began the First Thursdays Peace Vigils and the community of vigilers have stood in front of the church with peace candles and signs once a month since then, with the plan to continue until the war in Iraq is over. Even though all combat troops have currently been removed from Iraq, 49,700 U.S. troops remain there. Since the combat troops left Iraq, U.S. forces in Afghanistan have increased to about 100,000. These numbers do not include the roughly 250,000 private contractors working for the Department of Defense in both Iraq and Afghanistan as of May 2010; about 41,000 of them are U.S. citizens. Please support this ongoing effort: LeeAnn has requested a replacement so please sign-up to be the monthly coordinator or join the vigilers from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. any first Thursday.

In The Community
Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Oct. 2, 16, 17, 23, & 31 – Games at the stadium; Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays in October – Haunted House at Orpheum Theatre; Oct. 12 & 26 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Oct. 2: Recommittal of remains from Foxborough State Hospital (11:00 a.m.); Oct. 6 – First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church (6:00 p.m.); Oct. 11 – No school; Oct. 22 – Reptiles Rock at Chapel Meeting House (7:00 p.m.); Oct. 24 – United Nations Day in town; Oct. 30 – Fall Festival at Igo; Oct. 30 – Halloween observances such as trick-or-treating in town; The Restocking The Shelves collection box for the Foxborough Food Pantry is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

Other Notices And Events

• Oct. 3: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting. All are welcome to attend.
• Oct. 3: (11:15 a.m.) Ministerial Search Committee Meeting.
• Oct. 6 and Nov. 3: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick at mensgroup@uufoxborough.org for more information. Newcomers are welcome!
• Oct. 7 and Nov. 4: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area residents are invited to join the commnity of vigilers! Details via events.uufoxborough.org.
• Oct. 8 – 10: Second Annual Leaf Peeper Weekend at Starr King Unitarian Fellowship in Plymouth, NH. Call 603-536-1179 or visit www.starrkingfellowship.org for details.
• Oct. 16: (7:30 p.m.) John Flynn returns to The Javawocky Coffeehouse in Brockton. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
• Oct. 23 & 30: “Basic Car Care Maintenance” fund-raiser in Attleboro. Details via www.goodnewsgarage.org.
• Oct. 24: (2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) Doolitle Home Open House.
• Oct. 25: (7:15 p.m.) Let’s Laugh Today (laughter yoga) at the First Universalist Society in Franklin.
• Oct. 30: Ballou Channing District (BCD) Fall Conference at First Parish Church in Duxbury, Mass.
• Please visit www.uufoxborough.org, www.bcduua.org, BCD In-Brief, the BCD and UUA e-mail lists, and the bulletin boards in the vestibule for more event listings, brochures, and details.
• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your wedding, ceremony, baby shower, bridal shower, group meeting, band rehearsal, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.
• 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!

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

Oct. 3: You Loved Me Before You Knew Me

Oct. 10: Living With Weeds

Oct. 17: Building A Theological Home

Oct. 24: TBA – Guest Minister Rev. Christana McKnight, Minister of First Unitarian Parish of Norton

Oct. 31: All The Ghosts
Memorial Service for who have preceded us in death. Bring a photo or other contribution for our altar.

BEV: May 2010 Newsletter Highlights

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.


May 2010

Minister's Message
Dear Friends,

A few years ago, my parents sold their house and moved into a much smaller rental while they decided where they wanted to spend their retirement years. They picked out only the minimum that they needed to live comfortably in their new down-sized abode for a couple of years and put all of the rest of it—the Katie and Wells Lawson grammar school art collection, the piano and other random musical instruments, extra furniture, sports equipment, etc.—in storage. Occasionally, while I was home I’d ask my mom where something was (my paperback "Little House on the Prairie" books maybe or a tennis racket) and typically she’d apologize and say it was in storage.

After a couple of years, my parents settled on the small Northern Californian town that would be home for the next couple of decades, found a house there, and went to retrieve their belongings from storage. “It looks like there might be a mistake,” they were told. A couple with a similar name had lapsed on their payments to the storage company, and so the company emptied their area and auctioned off all of their stuff—only they emptied the wrong area and sold off all of my parents’ stuff instead.

My parents responded with surprising equanimity. “What are you going to do?” shrugged my mom, “It IS just stuff.” They surprised themselves with how little of it they missed: my high chair, the old stand-up piano that was the first thing they bought together as a couple, and a couple of pieces of art. Occasionally, even now, one of us will ask, “Where’s that one picture?” or “Didn’t we have an ice crusher?” and after some thought, we’ll realize it was in the Big Sell-Off and that we hadn’t even thought about it for five years.

I’ve been thinking about the Big Sell-Off a lot as I peruse our belongings for things that could be donated to the church yard sale. I think, “Is this one of those things that I wouldn’t even notice was gone until five years later?” I’m trying to be honest and ruthless as I apply these questions to everything from the bicycles to the books:

1. Is this useful TO ME?
This is different than, “Is it useful?” A power auger is useful to a lot of people, but not especially to me. This requires some real honesty with myself, especially when it comes to things like exercise equipment, but I try to imagine all the people who could use those hand weights if they weren’t hiding behind my couch. I’ve found it a helpful guideline to think about whether I’ve used or worn it in the last year. (One year I got over-zealous and threw out most of my winter clothes thinking, “I haven’t worn any of this in MONTHS!”)
2. Is it beautiful?
Art isn’t especially useful, but it’s important.

3. Does it work?
I am plagued by a reluctance to admit that I will never get around to rewiring that lamp or stripping and re-finishing that table. Just because it’s possible, doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the one to do it. Great yard sale candidate.

4. Do I love this?
This one is the hardest, I think. It is life-long spiritual work to distinguish “Do I love this?” from “Am I attached to this?” or “Am I used to this?” It’s great to exercise this muscle on an old rug so that you are ready when it’s time to ask the same question about your job or the relationship you're in.

All of these questions, in fact, can be asked of everything that fills our days and our lives. I invite you in joining me in thinking of the yard sale as SPIRITUAL exercise.

Many blessings as you try to look at your clutter with fresh eyes.
Katie


Chairman's Ramblings

As you drive up Route 81 south of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area of Pennsylvania, the road follows the ridge line of one of the Allegheny mountains for a number of miles. Off to the left there are a large number of windmills, huge windmills of the type that are proposed for offshore Cape Cod. They stick up from the tops of other mountains and stretch on for miles. They are ugly-much larger than the ones seen outside of Palm Springs in California, and, from my perspective at least, are an eyesore. The rolling mountains just don't seem to be the right place for such noisy things, especially a place where coal mining has been dominant for so many years.

From my point of view, I believe that energy should be as inexpensive as possible, not taxed, and readily available. So far we don't seem to have any consensus on what should be our path forward for energy, but it doesn't seem that using those goofy-fluorescent light bulbs is going to be the path to energy salvation for the world. I mention this because we at one time were actively pursuing a 'green sanctuary' program and seem to have dropped the ball a little. Looking at those windmills reminded me that we have a lot to do, and that it should be able to be done more aesthetically. I think that next year would be a good time for us to revisit the 'green sanctuary' program. (And maybe find a better term than 'green' for conservation)
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. Please contact Minister Katie Lawson for details about the fund-raiser and contest.

First Thursdays Peace Vigils
Get involved in the ongoing Social Action project hosted from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 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. Upcoming dates: May 6, June 3, and July 1. Please visit events.uufoxborough.org to sign-up for the e-reminder list and find out more information about our ongoing peace work.

May 2010 Holidays
1 Beltane - Wicca (Northern hemisphere)
1 Samhain – Wicca (Southern hemisphere)
2 Lag B'Omer - Jewish
2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan - Baha'i
6 National Day of Prayer - Interfaith USA
13 Ascension of Christ - Christian
19-20 Shavuot - Jewish
23 Pentecost - All Christians
23 Declaration of the Bab - Baha'i
27 Buddha Day - Visakha Puja - Buddhist
29 Ascension of Baha'u'llah - Baha'i
30 Trinity Sunday - Christian
30 All Saints - Orthodox Christian


Belly Psychadelli
The 6th Annual Belly Dance Karavan Fund-raiser!
Come out to Foxborough's belly dance oasis to see a groovy, psychedelic trip through the music of the 60's performed by a plethora of wonderful belly dancers. This is a family-friendly show to benefit the church's Accessibility Improvements Fund.

Belly dancers and troupes currently scheduled to perform: Sumora, Aneckha, Haleema, Goddess Delight, Anam Cara, Belly Dance Collective, Sabrina, Za-Beth, Baseema, Jihanna, Neylan, Morgana, Nehira, Samantha, Ameena, Heather/Christina, Johara/Snake Dance Company, Sadira, and Dorothea.

Tickets to the May 22, 2010, show are available at the door. Cost is $20. There will be an intermission with light refreshments. Show starts at 8:00 p.m.

If you want more information about the show or the dancers, please contact the event coordinator, Sumora, at 508-561-4229 or ShimmyYogini@comcast.net. Updates will be posted to Sumora's Web site (home.comcast.net/~susanmorgaine) and the church's Community Events Web site (events.uufoxborough.org).

Each year, the belly dancers generously donate their talent and time to help raise funds to benefit our church. All money from the fund-raiser will go towards the Accessibility Improvements Fund ramp initiative. The ramp, when completed, will allow the historic building to be more accessible to all. Please come to the show to support both the church and all the dancers!

Your Help Needed!
We need your help to make this month's church fund-raisers successful. Please volunteer to help at:
the Annual Belly Dance Karavan on May 22
the intake times for the Church Yard Sale during the week before the sale
the Church Yard Sale on May 29
Another way you can help is to tell your friends, family, and anyone else you know about our upcoming fund-raisers. Please feel free to post the flyers on the outside cover of the newsletter in places where the management allows.

Restocking The Shelves
The monthly Foxborough Food Pantry drive donation box is in the vestibule - eagerly awaiting a can or box or two. All items collected will be donated to the pantry to help others in our community. Please donate if you can.

Interested In Joining The Board Of Trustees?
If you’re interested in serving, please talk to one of the members of the nominating committee as soon as possible. The slate for the 2010-2011 Board Of Trustees And Officers will be presented and approved at the Annual Meeting in June. The church cannot run without a strong Board.

Milestones
Ezra Ripley, Pete Seeger, May Sarton, Horace Mann, Florence Nightingale, Edna Pearl Bruner, Thomas Bradford Curtis, Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe, & Horace Heffren.

Church Yard Sale!
Doing some Spring Cleaning and found some items you no longer need or just have some stuff you want to get rid of? If so, we hope you'll donate it to the church yard sale!

Donations are currently being accepted for the church yard sale which will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on May 29, 2010. Please bring your small items to the church office on Sunday mornings between now and May 23. Due to the fund-raiser on the evening of May 22, larger items such as furniture need to be brought in the week of the sale.

Please let everyone you know donations from the community are also welcome and will be accepted at the church on: Sunday, May 23 (11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.), Thursday, May 27 (7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.), and Friday, May 28 (7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.). If the items you, your friends, and/or your family want to donate to our annual yard sale are too big for you or your vehicle to transport, please contact Dick - he has graciously offered to help get larger items to the sale! Don't forget to include a suggested price for your donated items (write the price(s) on a piece of paper and leave with your items or in the chairperson’s mailbox). We reserve the right to edit the suggested price.

There will be a pricing party on Friday, May 28 (8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.). We also need volunteers to set-up and clean-up on sale day, as well as staff the sale. A sign-up sheet for all the available times help is needed is in the vestibule. If you can help and times are already filled up, that's okay - please add your name into the schedule because we can always use another hand!

In addition to the usual items people donate, the bake sale, craft table, and Food Basket Raffle are being revived from our past Fall Bazaars! If you want to donate a plate or tin of your favorite dessert, please do; however, please note that the town requires a list of all ingredients accompany all food items sold. If you're a crafter, we welcome the old skills back to the realm and look forward to seeing your handiwork!

If you have any questions about the yard sale or wish to sign-up to help, please contact Dick.

Annual Pledge Drive
If you haven't received a pledge form for the upcoming Fiscal Year that begins July 1, 2010, and can't bear to be without one, please contact Steve. There are many reasons to think about increasing your pledge to the church this year or pledging if you haven't pledged before. We need your pledge information to prepare next year's budget and present a fiscally responsible budget at the Annual Business Meeting in June. By pledging, you support out church and the liberal religious traditions that our faith community provides to our congregants and the wider community. Please return your pledge form by May 9. If you have any questions about Finance related issues, please contact Finance.


Other Notices And Events
May 6 and June 3: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area residents are invited to participate!
May 5 and June 2: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at Pike's Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
May 16: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
May 16: (11:15 a.m.) Ordination Committee Meeting. This will be a brief meeting after service.
May 16: (2:00 p.m.) Building dedication at the Unitarian Church of Sharon. RSVP by May 10, 2010.
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.); May 1, 5, 15, & 29 – Events at the stadium; May 11 & 25 - Board Of Selectmen's Meetings; May 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, & 23 – "Rock The Plaza" free concerts at Patriot Place; May 1 & 2 – Neponset Choral Society at St. Mark's Episcopal Church; May 1 – Medical Prescription Disposal at Public Safety Building (9:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m.); May 1 - Hazardous Waste Collection Day; May 1 - Pops Concert at FHS (7:00 p.m.); May 2 - Pops Concert at FHS (2:00 p.m.); May 3 – Town Elections; May 6 – First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church (6:00 p.m.); May 6 - Kennedy-Donovan Center 23rd Annual Founder's Gala & Charity Auction (6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.); May 7 – ImprovSoup at Burrell; May 7 & 8 - Friends Of Boyden Library Annual Book Sale; May 8 – Post Office Annual Discretionary Fund Food Drive; May 8 – Senior Center Annual Spring Sale (8:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.); May 10 - Town Meeting; May 14 - Annual FMA Jazz Festival at FHS (7:00 p.m.); May 15 - MOMS Club of Foxborough Yard Sale at Igo (9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.); May 20 - Chamber Music Concert at FHS; May 23 - Touch A Truck at Payson Road Complex; May 27 - 8th Grade Concert Band & Junior Jazz Band at Ahern (6:30 p.m.); May 29 – Foxborough Jaycees Annual Founders' Day Boot Drive (7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.); May 29 – Church Yard Sale at Foxborough Universalist Church, UUA (9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.); The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church's second level – please contribute!

“Come As You Are” Spring Prom For LGBTQ And Allies
Channing Memorial Church's Interweave Group and Marriage Equality for Rhode Island are proud to be hosting the first annual "Come as You Are" Spring Prom for LGBTQ and Allies. They hope you can join them! This is a fund-raiser for Channing's Interweave group and MERI, and will held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at the Fraternal Order of Police Hall in Middletown, RI. There will be a cash bar, music, and raffles for wonderful prizes. Tickets are $20 on-line ($2.50 handling fee) or $30 at the door. Details and registration at comeasyouare.eventbrite.com.

Green Sanctuary Program News
The first four Green Papers have been published on the UUMFE Web site (www.uumfe.org). These papers open the discussion on the history, connections, and implications of work for the environment and human justice. You are encouraged to share these Green Papers with our congregation and to contribute to the discussion of the issues and challenges we face as we develop congregational action plans. Other papers are in the pipeline on topical area such as climate change and toxics in food, and they hope that you will be inspired to submit topical papers of your own that will expand the understanding for all UUs.

Rebuilding The Gulf Coast
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) have released "Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: A Unique Partnership between the UUA and UUSC", a 30-minute video documentary that chronicles the unique collaboration between the organizations to help rebuild communities in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. You can view the video and download a discussion guide for the video via www.uusc.org/gulfcoastvideo.

UU Notable News
Harvard Square Library offers books and other materials to read for free on-line. Current offerings at the library's Web site (www.harvardsquarelibrary.org) include: Cambridge Forum National Radio Broadcasts; "South Africa in Dark Times" by Alan Paton and edited by Herbert F. Vetter; and "Art & Religion" by Von Ogden Vogt.

The Living Tradition: A Quick Exploration Of May Day
May Day was originally a pre-Christian observance and throughout the Northern Hemisphere the month of May was a time to celebrate renewal of life. May Day was called Beltane by the Celts, Walpurgis by the Teutons, and Floralia by the Romans. The Celts celebrated the day by dancing around a May Pole, creating garlands and bowers of flowers, and playing bagpipes and drums to traditional Morris dances; they considered this a celebration of the beginning of summer. For some cultures the May Pole represents the World Center or Tree of Life and putting a maypole up involves taking a growing tree from the forest and bringing it to your village. Wreaths and baskets of Hawthorn are sometimes used in honor of Maia, the Goddess of death and fertility, for whom May is named. Some other customs associated with May Day include "a-maying", crowning a May Queen/King, leaving baskets of flowers by loved ones' doors or windows, games, dancing, and jumping over a bonfire. Despite replacement of these ancient solar May Day festivals by the Christian lunar festival of Easter as the time of renewal and rebirth, some cultures and peoples still practice the traditional pre-Christian May Day rituals and festivities.

Wayside Pulpit
I have sung for Americans of every political persuasion, and I am proud that I never refuse to sing to an audience, no matter what religion or color of their skin, or situation in life. ~ Pete Seeger


UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
We are still participating in this ongoing social action. As of April 2, the Fund has received donations totalling $1,826,692.50. 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.

UUSC Celebrating 70th Anniversary
Join UUSC in Belmont, Mass. at 7:00 p.m. on May 1, 2010, for a celebration of UUSC’s 70th Anniversary. The featured presentation is a screening of the film “Journey to Freedom: Martha and Waitstill Sharp,” a documentary work-in-progress to be broadcast by PBS. William F. Schulz, former president of the UUA, former executive director of Amnesty International USA, and current interim president of UUSC, will deliver a keynote. Catherine Vakar Chvany, who was rescued by Martha Sharp in Vichy France, will also make a presentation. The cost is $10 per person and refreshments will be served. Please contact Jim Landfried at landfried@comcast.net to RSVP.


May Worship Services
May 2: Men's Group

May 9: Mother's Day - Our Children
What are our responsibilities not just to our own children but to all the children in our lives?

May 16: Letting Go
Letting go is difficult. We reassure ourselves with control and planning, but often what is most healing to the spirit is to loosen our grip on our destiny.

May 23: Invisible Selves
So many of us walk around hidden in important ways from the world. We may be keeping to ourselves a chronic disease or depression or our sexual orientation. At the same time, we make assumptions about others based on what we can see. How can we live authentically and openly in the world while respecting our own privacy? How can we be more sensitive towards our neighbor's whole story, even when we may not know it?

May 30: Memorial Day - Just War
Katie honors those who have died serving our country and explores the concept of "just war" in a modern context.

October 2009 - Newsletter Highlights

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

Recently, I started attending a Bible study group. Twice a month this group of ten or so gathers to read a small section of the Bible, talk about it, and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a motley crue. We are Catholic, Episcopalian, Congregationalist, and Unitarian Universalist. Three of us have been to seminary, but most of the group is just interested in studying the Bible as a spiritual text, as a book that might have something to tell us about how to live.

I was worried at first about how I might fit into this group. My relationship with the Bible as a sacred text is by no means exclusive. I am as apt to find wisdom and inspiration in the teachings of the Buddha or in the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I was right to believe that others in the group might have a more intimate and familiar relationship with the texts, especially the Gospels. Most of the members of our group have been relating to the stories in the Bible their whole lives. While I went to Sunday school as a young person, those stories never felt familiar to me the way they did to many of my friends. Because it wasn’t a focus in my family, the Bible always felt like someone else’s book. So, while I now find great value in it and enjoy studying it, I know that I don’t have the same fluency with it as people for whom it was integrated into their childhoods. I also worried slightly about the ways in which my interpretations might vary with those of other members of the group. I am aware that the Bible has been interpreted from countless perspectives over the course of centuries, and I wasn’t sure how my thinking would land in this theologically diverse group.

Much of my anxiety was immediately soothed by my first five minutes there. As I entered a busy kitchen people were laughing and offering each other tea. Each person welcomed me in a way that felt both intentional and genuine. We sat for a time at the table and they asked me questions about myself and told me stories about their lives. Eventually, we began the more focused part of the evening with silence, and then out of the silence someone began reading the short passage we would be discussing. People told stories and shared ways that they could relate to the text, as well as making more scholarly observations. Many of us started with phrases like, “I wonder if what Jesus was trying to say was…” without really knowing for sure.

After an hour and a half or so we closed. People were even more intentional about their leave-taking. They stood in the entry noting what a nice time we had had and hugging. Each person made sure to tell me it was nice to have me there. I left feeling centered, thoughtful, and reverential.

It was as if the time was just slightly more sacred because the guest of honor was the Bible, that having Jesus as our focus helped us to see each other and our lives through slightly holier eyes. I decided that this is how worship feels, like we have put ourselves in the presence of the holy and have let it make an impression on us. Let us continue to create a place where we can see each other and our lives through holier eyes.

Faithfully,
Katie

Chairman’s Ramblings
It's October already, and the church year is up and running with activities planned through the year end. This year we are taking a leap forward for the Board and for the church fellowship. We are going to start our first 5 year plan for the congregation and the church. Like most small congregations, we have always 'managed' and reacted to our needs - “what can we afford this year?”, “who needs help doing what?”, etc. Now, it's time to change our approach as we want to move into the future. We need to become more proactive, plan for our capital needs, staffing, programs, and social outreach activities.

As with past changes, we believe it is best to involve all of the congregation in the planning process. To this end, there will be a fall gathering on Friday, November 20, to come together with a pot-luck dinner followed by the first step in the planning process. We ask you to bring your ideas, wish-lists, and thoughts for what you would have us look like in 5 years.

There will be more information coming during October - think about where we are and where we would like to be. I think it will be good for all of us.
Dick

Church BBQ & Work Party
The October 18, 2009, Worship Service will be followed by a barbeque and church clean-up until 2:00 p.m. Bring your favorite tool and sign up to bring food or drink to share!

Building Use And Rentals
Members and non-members are welcome to use the church building for meetings, weddings, baby showers, recitals, birthday parties, classes, or other events. The sanctuary has outstanding accoustics and the first level of the church contains a social hall, kitchen, and more. Please contact the Board Of Trustees by phone at 508-543-4002 or by e-mail at rentals@uufoxborough.org for a tour and additional details.

For weddings, commitment ceremonies, child dedications, or other religious ceremonies, please contact our Minister, Katie Lawson, at ministerlawson@uufoxborough.org or 508-543-4002. Visit rentals.uufoxborough.org for more information.

First Thursdays Peace Vigils
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. Upcoming dates: Oct. 1, Nov. 5, Dec. 3, and Jan. 7.


Religious Education


The Hogwarts
One of our RE missions this year was to have the groups choose names to identify themselves. Thus, the 2nd to 4th grade class will henceforth be known as The Hogwarts, after the magical school in the Harry Potter books. Besides the advantage of each student being able to belong to whichever of the 4 houses of Hogwarts fits their needs on a given week, we are also going to be looking at some of the more magical elements of bible stories. For example, we recently read the story, "Jonah and the Big Fish”*. We all agreed that the only fish big enough to swallow a person whole would be a whale, but those whales big enough to do so are all baleen whales. For Jonah to end up inside must have involved some sort of magic on God's part.
*We know this story as “Jonah and the Whale”, but The Hogwarts' curriculum book points out that the true translation is 'Jonah and the Big Fish'.


Reverse Trick-Or-Treating
Interested in participating in the third annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating action where youth reverse the Halloween tradition to hand adults a sample of vegan-friendly, Fair Trade dark chocolate? Free kits are available through Equal Exchange; participants pay for shipping costs. The deadlines to request a kit are: October 1 for groups, October 13 for individuals. Visit www.uusc.org/halloween2009 for details.

October 2009 Holidays
3-9 Sukkot - Jewish
4 St Francis Day - Catholic Christian
10 Shemini Atzeret - Jewish
11 Simchat Torah * - Jewish
12 Thanksgiving - Interfaith – Canada
17 Diwali (Deepavali) - Hindu, Jain
20 Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth - Sikh
20 Birth of the Bab - Baha'i
25 Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
28 Milvian Bridge Day - Christian
31 All Hallows Eve - Christian

Restocking The Shelves
Our Foxborough Food Pantry drive donation box is in the Sanctuary - eagerly awaiting a can or box or two. Items often needed include: baked beans, beef stew, canned fruit, canned vegetables, cereal, soups, cleaning supplies, feminine products, hamburger helper, jelly, juice boxes, kleenex, laundry detergent, peanut butter, shampoo, spaghetti sauce, toilet paper, tuna, canned chili, hash, or Spam, canned pasta, Spaghetti O's, cookies, crackers, and chips. All items collected will be donated to the pantry at the beginning of next month. Please donate if you can!

UN Sunday: October 25, 2009
Following World War II, the United Nations (UN) was founded on October 24, 1945. In celebration of this annual event, the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) invites congregations and individual UUs to deepen their understanding of the United Nations by devoting one service in October to reaffirming the connections between UU principles and vital issues dealt with at the UN. Usually, congregations organize a UN Sunday for the last Sunday in October, but any Sunday in October would work. The theme for this year's UN Sunday packet is "A Safe and Dignified Life for All" with an emphasis on human rights. Please visit www.uu-uno.org for more information and a resource packet.

Wayside Pulpit
We are constantly invited to be what we are.
~ Henry David Thoreau

National Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day began in 1988, one year following the second national march for equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people in Washington, DC. Over half a million people gathered for that march in 1987. National Coming Out Day is celebrated on October 11 every year. Many congregations acknowledge the day in one way or another. Some congregations center the entire service around it. Others provide a reading or take a moment to light a candle in honor of the day. Other congregations take the opportunity to do social justice work. For a candle lighting, a reading, links for social justice opportunities, sample sermons, and other resources to help celebrate and participate in National Coming Out Day, please visit www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/leaderslibrary/47915.shtml.

Notices

• Oct. 1: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church.
• Oct. 3: (4:00 p.m.) Memorial service for Dr. Forrest Church. Details via www.allsoulsnyc.org.
• Oct. 4: UUA Association Sunday: “Grow Our Diversity”.
• Oct. 7: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at StoneForge Pub in Foxborough.
• Oct. 10: (7:00 p.m.) Dawna Hammers at First Parish Universalist Church in Stoughton.
• Oct. 24: (8:00 p.m.) Gretchen Peters at Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin.
• Oct. 25: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• Oct. 29: Minister Lawson's column scheduled to appear in The Foxboro Reporter.
• Nov. 4: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at StoneForge Pub in Foxborough.
• Nov. 5: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigils outside at the church.

International Day Of Climate Action & 350
Guided by the 2006 Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience on the Threat of Global Warming/Climate Change, the UU Ministry for Earth, the UU State Advocacy Networks, the UU-United Nations Office, the UUA Green Sanctuary Program, and the UUA Office for Advocacy and Witness call upon UUA congregations to participate in the International Day of Climate Action, October 24. Making the number 350 visible to everyone is an important part of the request.

Why 350? The number reresents the level in parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere that climate scientists believe should not be allowed to be surpassed any longer in order to sustain life on Earth as we currently know it. During the time humans have lived on this planet, the atmospheric CO2 level was around 275 ppm. That was the level until about 200 years ago - when levels began to rise and humans began to burn more coal, gas, and oil for energy and industrial uses. At present, the CO2 level is 390 ppm. Please visit www.uuministryforearth.org/350.htm and www.350.org for some action ideas, fact sheets, resources, and more!

Milestones
Hosea Ballou 2nd, Eliza M. Tupper Wilkes, Frances Dana Barker Gage, e e cummings/Edward Estlin Cummings, Joseph Sill Clark, Weston Edward Vivian, Ida Mabel Folsom, John Adams, & Lucy Hunt Ballou


Worship Services
October 4: Today Is The Day
by Minister Katie Lawson and Worship Associate Justina Lakey
So much of our lives are motivated either by the past or the future. What does being present really mean? How can we better tune into the powerful now?

October 11: Life Is Puzzling
Lay-leader Angela Garcia

October 18: Losing Paradise
As global community we are facing many challenges related to the environment. What does this have to do with our religious and spiritual lives?

October 25: Blessing Of The Animals
Animals of all kinds are a part of the family of all being and the interconnected web of existence. The animals we choose to live with play a particular role in bringing us into contact with our belonging and are a blessing to us. Bring your pets, so that they can be blessed in hopes that they and all animals will continue to thrive in our care.
Note: This service will largely be held outdoors. If you have allergies, accommodations will be made to ensure your safety and comfort. This is a special service; we don't want you to miss it.

November 1: Guest Speaker & Topic T.B.A.

In The Community
Oct. 2 - 25 Haunted House at Orpheum (Fridays through Sundays); Oct. 3 – Annual HUGS Walk at Ahern; Oct. 4, 10, 17, & 18 – Events at the stadium; Oct. 6 – Oktoberfest at The Shops at Chestnut Green; Oct. 7 – Flu Clinic at Public Safety Building; Oct. 8 –Tri-Town Drug and Alcohol Awareness Partnership forum at Showcase Live; Oct. 10 - Fall March for Babies at Patriot Place; Oct. 16 & 17 - Friends Of Boyden Library Fall Book Sale; Oct. 17 – Open House at CRRA; Oct 24 - United Nations Day in town.

October's Global Chalice Lighting
The light of life shines through the eyes of each and every person.
The light of truth shines through each life.

May the light of this chalice remind us that our search for truth and light is ongoing, and is enhanced and nurtured by every person we meet.

May we honor the light in each other.

~ Rev. Jill McAllister, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

September 2009 Newsletter Highlights

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. Our goal is to significantly improve and positively influence conditions which affect the quality of life of our members, our families, and our community. We strive to provide a place for people to explore their own spiritual beliefs as we believe that religious growth and learning is a lifelong journey.


Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

Our house is quiet this morning as we digest the news of Senator Kennedy's death. It's a respectful quiet, like it is not right to complain or to talk about the day's mundane details in the presence of such a meaning-filled life. Regardless of our political perspectives, we can appreciate the compassion-driven life of this man and learn from his example. What Mr. Kennedy reminded us again and again was that a life lived for a larger purpose can pull a person through grief, disappointment, failure, and mistakes. A life built around a "mission" separates the wheat of our days from the chaff and shelters us from what might discourage, depress, or detour us.

However, lives like Senator Kennedy's do not exist in a vacuum. They depend on the support provided to them by family, community, and institutions. Institutions, especially, like churches. There can be no doubt that our little church serves this vital purpose to many and that it plays a role in creating a more just and loving world.

As we look forward to being together again, let us renew our pledge to buttress efforts to make the world ever more compassionate and to support each other in living lives built with integrity, energized by authentic passions, and tempered with gratitude.

I am looking forward to seeing you all at our first service of the church year. Bring your friends and family to join us in celebrating good company, casting our dearest hopes into the confluence of our combined energies, and renewing our promise to live lives directed by love. See you then!

Faithfully,
Katie



Chairman’s Ramblings
Welcome back! This year we are getting off to a late start because of the Labor Day holiday schedule, but after the Board Of Trustees meeting, everything looks good to go. We have a busy schedule, new directions to take, and plenty of tasks to go around.

For the first time in our long history we are going to work on a five-year plan to define where we want to be in five years, what it should take to get there, and individual steps needed along the way. This is building on the foundation of our Mission Statement and will help keep us focused on all of the myriad tasks needed to help a church grow. My vision is to have this work done by a stand alone group working with the Board Of Trustees and our Minister.

Meantime, RE is getting ready for the new year and we will be working on Katie’s installation, searching for a community social action project to work on, and just coming together as a church community on Sunday mornings. Whether you choose to be on a committee, do coffee hour, or come on Sundays to participate in the services and socialize, we welcome you back. I think this is an exciting time to be a member of this historic church and look forward to seeing you this fall, whenever you can be here.
Dick

Worship Services
September 13: Casting Into The Confluence
Each year we come together in the fall and celebrate our separate journeys and the joy of community. Bring a sample of water from your summer, and we will enjoy a water communion and explore the strength of our common bonds.

September 20: A Month Of Mercy: You Are What You Don't Eat
As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, we explore the meaning and gifts of fasting. During this last month, Muslims have denied themselves not just food, but many things thought to be distracting from the spiritual path. What rituals do we use in our lives to recalibrate them towards a larger purpose and meaning and how do we say sorry and move forward when we fall short?

September 27: Keepers Finders: Broken Beauty
This is the weekend of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. It's a day when we are asked to reflect on our imperfections and renew our pledge to "begin again in love." At the same time, we acknowledge the value and beauty of imperfection and the spiritual strength that comes from reflecting upon it and ultimately embracing it.


Religious Education - Fall 2009

It's that time again! The Religious Education teachers have begun to plan and strategize for the upcoming church year. We have some exciting events in the works to welcome the kids back to church, so stay tuned for upcoming news. In the meantime, some important dates to remember:

September 13: Our first service and water ceremony. Don't forget to bring your water! For those of you returning for the first time, this is a chance for families to share their summer stories and, often, they include something that includes a body of water. People often bring a small jar of water from that lake, beach, or pool or that symbolic water from your tap will do as well! This service is a favorite among our kids!

September 20: Our first day back in Religious Education Classes. This first class will be an opportunity for the kids to meet their new teacher(s), get acquainted, and get an overview of the upcoming classes.

September 27: Corn Maze Trip

We will be bringing the kids on our annual fall hike to a local corn maze. Details to come.

Volunteers
If you have considered helping out in our program but have not yet done so, we need you! Please feel free to talk to me or one of our teachers about helping out. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. We are open to assistants who just want to help out a few times or in regular teaching positions. Our program cannot run without the wonderful efforts of volunteers!!

I hope everyone has had a fabulous summer and I look forward to seeing all the kids and families!

In Peace,
Lisa Benoit
Religious Education

Rock Climbing Expedition

At the end of the last church year, the Middle School Group had the opportunity to go rock climbing at Wrentham State Forest. Under the expert eye of FrankF, they donned harnesses, were hooked up to ropes, and climbed cliffs. They finished the day by rappelling down a thirty foot cliff wall. Everyone had a fantastic time and left with a desire to come back and climb again. Thank you Frank!

September 2009 Holidays
1 Ecclesiastical Year begins - Orthodox Christian
8 Nativity of Mary - Christian
14 Elevation of the Life Giving Cross - Christian
16 Lailat al Kadr - Islam
19-20 Rosh Hashanah - Jewish
19-27 Navaratri - Hindu
20 Eid al Fitr - Ramadan ends - Islam
22 Equinox
22 Mabon - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
22 Meskel - Ethiopian/Eritrean Orthodox Christian
28 Yom Kippur - Jewish
28 Dasera - Hindu
29 Michael and All Angels - Christian


Notices

* Sept. 14-15: UUA Fifth Principle Task Force meeting in Boston, Mass.
* Sept. 19: (8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) Ballou Channing District Presidents Council Gathering at Unitarian Church Of Barnstable in Barnstable, Mass.
* Sept. 19: (8:00 p.m.) The 5th Annual Belly Dance Karavan fundraiser.
* Sept. 20: (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.) Doolittle Home Annual Open House.
* Sept. 27: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church.
* Oct. 1: Deadline to submit CSAI proposals to UUA Commission On Social Witness.
* Oct. 1: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church.
* Oct. 3: BCD Fall Conference “Leading To Become Effective Congregations” at First Parish Church in Brewster, Mass.
* Oct. 7: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at StoneForge Pub in Foxborough.
* Please see the bulletin boards, vestibule, Web site, calendars, and weekly Order of Service for updates.
* Visit rentals.uufoxborough.org for details about holding your event at the church.


5th Annual Belly Dance Karavan
Saturday, September 19, 2009, is the new date of this year's Belly Dance Karavan, a fundraiser I have been organizing for the church for the past several years. This year's theme is "Belly Dance Goes To The Movies". This show features some of the area's best belly dancers, who each year donate their time and talent to help raise funds for our beautiful church. I encourage all of you to attend the show, not only to support the church, but also to watch these beautiful dancers in their art; and, yes, it will be *family-friendly* entertainment. Don't take my word for what a wonderful show this is; ask around to those who have attended in the past and I think you will find that they agree!

As always, since this is a church fundraiser, I would not say “no” to anyone from the church who would want to volunteer their time to help behind the scenes (playing the music, selling tickets at the door, making baked goodies for intermission, setting up intermission refreshments, etc.). If this sounds like something you might want to help with, please e-mail or call me. Thank you and hope to see all of you at the show!!
SusanMorgaine


Fundraising Through Partner Programs
We’re Amazon.com and Powell’s Books Associates. If you click through their links on the homepage of the church Web site (www.uufoxborough.org) and then shop at either of these on-line stores, part of your purchase price comes back to us. Please keep this in mind as you shop during the year!

What Should The Commission On Appraisal Study Next?
To answer this question, take the survey at www.uua.org/coa. The UUA Commission On Appraisal (COA) is charged to "review any function or activity of the Association which in its judgment will benefit from an independent review and report its conclusions to a regular General Assembly."

News From GA 2009
The Unitarian Universalist Association Of Congregations' 2009 General Assembly in Salt Lake City, UT, concluded on June 28, 2009. General Assembly delegates elected Rev. Peter Morales to be the eighth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Delegates approved a Responsive Resolution which calls for inquiry into African visa denials. Several Actions Of Immediate Witness were passed by delegates, including: a demand for Clean, Honest, and Fair Elections in the United States; to support America's Red Rock Wilderness Act; a commitment to work for U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty; and a Call for a Commission of Inquiry into U.S.-Sponsored Torture. The torture resolution concludes with these words: "Nothing less than the soul of our nation is at stake in confronting U.S.-sponsored torture and completely renouncing its use."

More than 35 events from General Assembly 2009, including worship services, plenary sessions, and talks, are available to watch on-line through www.uua.org/ga (click on "2009 Event Coverage-Video/Audio" link). For more information about General Assembly 2009 and our social action and social justice work, please visit social.uufoxborough.org.

First Thursdays Peace Vigils
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.

The Goddess Within
Women of the Ballou Channing District are invited to the Womensphere Annual Retreat on Oct. 3 & 4, 2009, at Senexet House in Woodstock, CT. Renew your mind, body, and spirit with Marcianna during “The Goddess Within: Discovery of the Spiritual Feminine through Movement and Meditation”. Marcianna is a teacher of Yoga and numerous dance styles, an artist, and the founder/operator of Chrysalis Video. She will gear activities to allow for various physical abilities. All activities are optional. There will be time for craft projects, walks, reading, etc. Join us for a weekend of renewal with UU women. Cost is $125 and the registration deadline is September 25, 2009. For more information or to register, contact Kate Gillis at 401-823-7929 or ksgillis@netzero.net.

UU Radio Programs
A few UUA congregations around the country are trying to get the message out over the airwaves. According to Rev. Thomas Schade of Worcester’s First Unitarian Church “radio broadcasts are an experiment in reaching into the larger community with liberal religious messages”. At 6:00 a.m. each Sunday, people can tune in to WCUW (91.3 FM) and hear the previous week’s service. A few of the churches have also put their programs on-line. Check out some of them at www.lifenowradio.org, www.uucc.us/?q=audio, www.progressiveblendradio.com, and www.uuplink.org.

Men’s Group
The Men’s Group had a pre-Labor Day holiday meeting. Instead of a formal discussion, they participated in the trivia contest being held at the restaurant. A more structured meeting will be held on the first Wednesday of October; topic to be announced.

International Coastal Cleanup
Sign up for the 24th International Coastal Cleanup at a waterway near you this month! Many Unitarian Universalists live within fifty miles of the saltwater and are impacted by flotsam and jetsam. The effort is more than the usual "beach clean-up" activity. Everything collected is carefully recorded and the information is used to monitor environmental conditions and to make improvements in environmental protection programs. During last year’s cleanup, nearly 400,000 volunteers collected more than 6.8 million pounds of trash in 100 countries and 42 states in the USA - the world's largest volunteer effort of its kind. For more information, visit www.coastalcleanup.org.

UUA Green Sanctuary Program News

* A newly updated Green Sanctuary Manual will be released this month.
* The Fourth Edition of the Green Sanctuary Manual, published in 2007, is now available free-of-charge on the UUA Web site.
* In the Fall, all UUA congregations should check their mailboxes for a copy of the interfaith film “Renewal” and “Renewal: A Guide for Screening and Using the Documentary”.
* Visit www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/greensanctuary for a comprehensive review of environmentally themed books, films, and Web sites. The list is being regularly updated.


Join The March For LGBT Equality!
On National Coming Out Day (October 11) people across the country will be marching, rallying, educating, and otherwise mobilizing support for the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Will you and our congregation participate? The Unitarian Universalist Justice Action Network hopes so! Whether you go to the UUA sponsored National Equality March & Rally in Washington, D.C. or participate with a solidarity event in our congregation and community, please visit www.uua.org/socialjustice for all the tools we need for a successful action calling for full LGBT equality.

UUSC Values In Action: Guest At Your Table Is Coming!
For more than thirty years, households around the country have welcomed special guests into their homes and lives. This year, meet Daw San of Myanmar, Abdul Khan of Afghanistan, and others. Welcome a Guest at Your Table, and learn more about Unitarian Universalist Service Committee partners around the world. Most congregations will begin the Guest at Your Table program on November 22, 2009 - the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Visit www.uusc.org/guest for additional information and resources.



Wayside Pulpit
Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. ~ Albert Einstein

Milestones
Leverett Saltonstall, Phoebe Cary, William Howard Taft, Frank Ernest Gannett, & Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. On Sept. 30, 1770, Rev. John Murray preached his first sermon in America.

The Living Tradition: The Off-Center Cross
Combining a circle, a cross, and empty space, the off-center cross was created by four ministers during the Universalist General Assembly in 1946.

Each of the three elements used in this symbol represent different principles of Universalism:

* The circle represents that which has no beginning or end, infinity, the universe
* The empty space at the center represents the mystery at the heart of the universe that some people call "God"
* The cross represents the Christian roots of Universalism, but was placed off-center to leave room for other points of view and paths towards God

The off-center cross was first used in a public service of worship on September 29, 1946, at the ordination of Earle McKinney in Foxborough, Massachusetts at our church.

In 1947, the off-center cross was officially adopted as a symbol of Universalism in Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Universalist Convention.


September’s Global Chalice Lighting

May our coming together be a joyful moment, because we share in the spirit of life.

~ Revs. Nihal A. Attanayake & Elvira Paras Sienes
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines
www.uuphilippines.org

June 2009 Newsletter Highlights

Minister’s Message

One of you recently offered me the fabulous insight that May is the new December. I trust that this refers to the number of commitments that seem to mound up in our weeks during May and early June and the energetic crescendo that seems to precede the end of the school or church year. It does feel suspiciously like the post-Thanksgiving/pre-New Year’s window,
during which it can require every ounce of our Buddha-natures to actually be *present* for the cascade of celebrations and commitments. It is a particularly hard condition under which to say a proper good-bye to each other for the summer. Honoring transitions, however, is one thing that church is good for, and I hope that you all will be able to come to our last
service and the annual meeting to mark the close of our year together.

As we near the end of the year, I am sometimes moved to tears as I reflect upon the small ways in which you have grown the presence of love and kindness in the world. I am thrilled by the efforts that the whole religious education team made on behalf of our children. I am optimistic about your desire to put into place a more integral and intentional approach to social justice and community service. I am energized by your commitment to expand the reach of the church. All this makes it a little hard to say
good-bye to our worship life together for the summer. However, I am comforted knowing that while our doors will be closed, our efforts to stay in community will continue. I hope you find times to reach out to each other through the women’s and men’s groups, impromptu days at the beach, e-mails and phone calls, or days helping out with the maintenance of the property.

This has truly been a tremendous year. I anticipated that being a part of this church would be a blessing, but I had no idea how enormous that blessing would be. I am so grateful to have found you. May days this summer be graced with love, health, and laughter. Please stay in touch.
Faithfully,
Katie

Chairperson’s Ramblings
This is the last newsletter of the year. It seems to have gone by faster than normal, even though I am still anticipating Spring weather. We will soon be gone for the summer doing the usual summer-family activities.

I want to take this time to thank everyone for helping make this an exceptional year. From bringing on board a new minister to the great turnout we had for the recent yard sale, there was a spirit of growth and cooperation that was wonderful to see. And, of course, we will soon have our annual meeting to culminate the fiscal year. Please plan on attending to cast your vote on new Board members, the budget, and anything else that may come before the meeting.

This year we are having the Annual Meeting immediately after a shortened friendship hour on Sunday, June 14. We need a Quorum of members to attend. Please plan on being there.
Dick

Notices

• The 5th Annual Belly Dance Karavan fundraiser has been postponed until September 19, 2009.
• The “Love Makes A Family” photo-text exhibit is still on display.
• June 3: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company (31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA).
• June 4: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church.
• June 7: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• June 14: Our Annual Business Meeting will be held at the church.
• June 14: (2:30 p.m.) Piano recital at the church.
• July 1 & August 5: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meetings at Pike’s Peak Mining Company.
• July 2 & August 6: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigils outside at the church.

Religious Education

It’s that time again, preparing for the end of the year, looking forward to summer days. Another church year has flown by and we are now busy wrapping up with our annual RE Sunday service and Flower Communion. As the kids prepare the service and get ready to give you a glimpse of what they’ve done over this last year in Religious Education, I encourage parents to talk to their kids about their experiences in class and at church. What do they like about RE? What are their thoughts about the topics or stories? What are their interactions like? I also encourage you to talk about how all their experiences and thoughts relates to our seven UU principles.

What are the seven principles?? If you’ve been with the church a while, you are probably familiar with them, but if you’re fairly new, you might be interested in the version which helped me to remember them - the children’s version called the Rainbow Path - based on the colors of the rainbow:

Red for “Respect all people.”
Orange for “Offer fair and kind treatment to all.”
Yellow for “Yearn to learn throughout life.”
Green for “Grow by exploring ideas & values together.”
Blue for “Believe in your ideas, and act on them.”
Indigo for “Insist on a fair and peaceful world.”
Violet for “Value our connections with all life and nature.”

In simple terms:
1. We believe that each and every person is important.
2. We believe that all people should be treated fairly.
3. We believe that our congregations are places where all people are accepted, and where we keep on learning together.
4. We believe that each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life.
5. We believe that all people should have a voice and a vote about the things that concern them.
6. We believe that we should work for a peaceful, fair, and free world.
7. We believe that we should care for our planet Earth.

Trying to remember the principles from the “adult” version didn’t work for me - but ROYGBIV? This was something I could handle. When someone asked me what UU was all about - I could start with the rainbow!

These principles are the foundation from which we derive our Religious Education program. However, an RE program does not just emerge from principles and while there are some great UU curricula available, a great program is built from ideas and creativity and input from the community. I invite you to share with us your thoughts - what do you want to see from RE? What interests your children? What do we want to see coming from our youth? What do you have to share with our young church members? While we will be making choices about curricula to use with our kids, your ideas will help us shape and fine tune our program so that it will be a vibrant place for all kids. I would be happy to share my thoughts and ideas - and I look forward to hearing yours!

Have a happy, safe, healthy, and fantastic summer!
Lisa

Middle School Group Happenings
The middle school class visited the Providence Zen Center in Rhode Island on May 10 as follow up to its recent classes on Buddhism. The Providence Zen Center is a residential and non-residential community of lay persons and monks. Its mission is to provide Zen training for all, through daily practice, regularly scheduled retreats, and an international exchange of teachers and practitioners.

It offers many talks and classes open to the public. The one we attended was an introductory talk and question and answer session. Our students sat on cushions in a beautiful room with a vaulted ceiling, a Buddha statue, and views of the rural surroundings. They asked some great questions (as did our chaperones) and took part in ten minutes of silent meditation.
They did awesome.

The monks invited us to come back and visit any time. They have many talks, meditation classes, retreats, and Zen dinners. Anyone interested can go to their Web site (www.providencezen.org).

Thanks to LeeAnn, Ginger, and Lia for lending a hand as driver and chaperones. And thanks to Virginia who tipped me off to the Providence Zen Center.
Donna

It Takes A Village
The Foxborough Universalist Church religious education program is currently looking for volunteers to staff our Sunday School classes next church year. Teachers commit to six weeks with a class, are encouraged to participate in a teacher training in the fall, and are supplied lesson plans and a curriculum schedule. Please consider supporting this important part of the church’s mission. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Suzanne, Lisa, or Katie Lawson.

Family Focused Historical Trolley Tours
Ride the trolley in the morning parade, then help staff the ticket table and/or hop on board the trolley in the afternoon. Katie Lawson is guiding the tours through the sights of Foxborough and, will be imparting some fun tid-bits of the town’s history! Afterwards, stay in town to watch the fabulous fireworks !

June 2009 Holidays
7 Trinity - Christian
7 Pentecost - Orthodox Christian
9 Saint Columba of Iona - Celtic Christian
11 Corpus Christi - Catholic Christian
14 All Saints - Orthodox Christian
16 Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom - Sikh
19 Sacred Heart of Jesus - Catholic Christian
19 New Church Day - Swedenborgian Christian
21 Solstice
21 Litha - Wicca, Northern Hemisphere
21 Yule - Wicca, Southern Hemisphere
21 First Nations Day - Canadian Native People
24 Saint John the Baptist Birth - Christian
29 Saints Peter and Paul - Christian

Office Of Youth And Young Adult Ministries
The UUA’s Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry and the Youth Office have merged into the Office Of Youth And Young Adult Ministries. The new office will be part of the Lifespan Faith Development Staff Group.

Foxborough Founders’ Day
Foxborough Founders’ Day will be observed on June 13, 2009. This year’s theme is Public Safety and will salute all who contribute to our public safety - police, fire fighters, EMTs, and everyone who keeps the people of Foxborough safe.

Our church is participating in the celebration to show our support for the community and as a fundraiser. As a fundraising activity, all proceeds go towards preserving and maintaining our historic building, not religious programs. We have chartered a trolley to ride in the parade in the morning, then, in the afternoon, we will offer “family focused trolley rides” which will be punctuated with snippets of Foxborough’s history between multiple in town destinations.

Designed mostly for children, the trolley tours will be entertaining and informative for both children and adults. Please let those you know they can take a break from the field activities and enjoy a refreshingly fun ride trough town by hopping on board the trolley! The ticket booth and
departure location is the Igo Building’s South Street parking lot. Tickets prices are: $1 per child (under 12); $2 per adult; and $5 per family. The trolley will depart every 30 minutes between noon and 2:30 p.m.

You can participate in our Founders’ Day activities this year in few ways:
* Help out on Founder’s Day by selling trolley tour tickets, staffing our information table, etc.
* Ride the trolley in the parade! Arrive at the church by 8:30 a.m. on June
13.
See you on Founders’ Day!

This year’s trolley tour sponsors are: Antonia’s Deli, Aubuchon Hardware, Bright Start Child Care, Lake View Pavilion, Mansfield Eye Center, RE/MAX Real Estate Center, Rodman Ford Lincoln Mercury, Sam’s Stamp Shop, Sandwich Lantern Works, The Learning Experience, and Tree Tech.

New! Antique Car Rides
This year, we’ll be having another fundraising activity during Founders’ Day! Nancy and Dave will be giving rides in their antique car throughout the afternoon. The price, length, and route of the rides will soon be announced. Please spread the word about “Foxborough Universalist Church Antique Car Rides”!

First Thursdays Peace Vigils
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.

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 camp sites at these 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)

A Meeting Of Congregations
If you won’t be in Salt Lake City during GA2009, some sessions will be shown on-line via www.uua.org/ga. Log-on to read daily reports and watch events in-progress!

2009 Association Sunday Early Planning
The theme for the third annual Association Sunday is “Grow Our Diversity”. Association Sundays celebrate our common bonds within our religious movement and our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. Funds raised this year will support (1) expanding the “Building the World We Dream About” curriculum and associated resources, (2) congregations that
are working to create a racially, culturally, and economically diverse Unitarian Universalism, and (3) programs that enable congregations and districts to ministers to youth and young adults who identify as people of color. The recommended Sunday is October 4. For more information and to register our congregation as an Association Sunday participant, go to
www.uua.org/giving/associationsunday.

Recycled Paper Product Guide
Greenpeace’s Recycled Toilet and Tissue Paper Guide helps you quickly and easily determine which paper products are recommended, which can do better to be easier on the Earth, and which should be avoided at all costs. Also available for the Android and on any mobile web browser! Download the guide by visiting www.greenpeace.org/tissueguide.

Sandwich Fund Grants
When Sandwich’s First Parish Church ceased existence its endowment was modified to allow the funds to be used for the purpose of providing assistance to Massachusetts societies within the Ballou Channing District. The income from the fund is to be used for the development and extension of Unitarian Universalist purposes and principles. Past approved projects have included media projects, lecture series, community gardens, and a community social action project. The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday, June 4, 2009. Please visit www.bcduua.org for details and application forms.

Performances In The Area
* Be sure to attend and listen to Ted sing with the Serenading Seniors! * Check out where Joe and his band, Third Degree, will be appearing through www.myspace.com/thirddegreesite.
* Our musician Kris is performing a lot of free concerts with her band this summer. Check her Web site for dates
and locations: www.krisanthi.com
* Susan Morgaine’s upcoming performance schedule is available on her Web site at home.comcast.net/~susanmorgaine/.

2009 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest
Send in your best photos for a chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to the Galápagos Islands! The winning photo will also be featured in National Geographic magazine. This year, Massachusetts residents over 18 can send in your photos, rate contest entries, see how your favorites are doing, and ask award-winning photographer and contest judge Jim Richardson your photography questions. Details and submission forms are available via www.nationalgeographic.com/energizer/. The six photo categories are: Animals/Wildlife, Nature, People/Cultures, Travel,
Weather, and Inspiration/Keep Going. Deadline for submissions is June 30, 2009.

UUA Advocacy And Witness News

June’s Action Of The Month
There will be no new UUA Action of the Month during June as UUA staff and many UUs will be busy preparing for General Assembly in Salt Lake City. So if you didn’t get a chance to promote immigrant justice in May, consider what actions you might be able to take in June, especially since some exciting immigration reform legislation is about to be introduced! If you
chose to continue participating in this Action Of The Month throughout June and beyond, please check May’s newsletter or the Action Center at www.uua.org/socialjustice/actioncenter/index.shtml for ideas and additional resources.

Final Draft Of Statement Of Conscience On Peacemaking
The Commission on Social Witness has released the final draft of the Statement of Conscience on Peacemaking for General Assembly. To read the draft, please visit www.uua.org/peacemaking. We encourage congregations to read and discuss the Statement of Conscience with their delegates in preparation for GA. Comments directed to the UUA on the Statement of
Conscience will be reserved for the GA delegates.

Rev. Sinkford To Speak At Anti-Torture Event
On June 11, Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the UUA, will speak at the Religious Witness Against Torture event hosted by the National Religious Coalition Against Torture (NRCAT) in Washington DC. To join Rev. Sinkford, please visit www.NRCAT.org.

Beacon Press To Publish “The King Legacy”
Beacon Press announced last month that it had formed a partnership with the estate of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to publish new editions of King’s work in a series called “The King Legacy”. The partnership gives Beacon Press the exclusive right to publish new editions of King’s previously published work and to issue new compilations of his sermons, lectures, and
other writings. The first works to be released under this agreement will be published to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2010.

Milestones
Annie Adams Fields, Harriet Martineau, Charles Sinclair Weeks, Eleanor Vendig, Anna Laetitia Aiken Barbauld, Harold Hitz
Burton, Margaret Bowers Barnard, and Celia Laighton Thaxter.
* In June 1877, Clara Barton, a Universalist, wrote to a founder of the International Red Cross and began the creation of the American Red Cross.
* On June 21, 1985, Unitarian Universalists adopted seven unifying Principles.

Our Oceans, Our Responsibility
Following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, many countries have celebrated World Oceans Day. In December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided that 8 June would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day”. The theme of the inaugural observance of the World Oceans Day by the United Nations is “Our Oceans, Our Responsibility”. “The oceans are essential to food security and the health and survival of all life, power our climate and are a critical part of the biosphere. The official designation of World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans”.

Need Somewhere To Hold Your Event?
If you’re looking for a place to hold a meeting, wedding, baby shower, recital, birthday party, or other event, check out the Foxborough Universalist Church! Members and non-members are welcome to use the building, so please let your friends and family know the church would make a lovely setting for their events too! The sanctuary has outstanding accoustics and the first level of the church contains a social hall, kitchen, and more. All are invited to tour our treasure and discuss your event needs with our Board Of Trustees. Please contact the Board Of Trustees by phone at 508-543-4002 or by e-mail at rentals@uufoxborough.org. For weddings, child dedications, or other religious ceremonies, please contact our Minister, Katie Lawson, at minister@uufoxborough.org or 508-543-4002. Visit rentals.uufoxborough.org for more information.

Crime
Quincy’s United First Parish Unitarian Church has been vandalized four times in the past nine months. The rainbow flag flying outside the church was stolen last August, and again last September; two months later the flag was burned, and last week it was stolen again. Flying outside the church’s Parish Hall entrance, the flag is a symbol of the congregation’s support for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons. The congregation considers this theft a hate crime, and has reported the incident to the police and filed a complaint with the city human rights commission. The congregation has purchased and hung a new rainbw flag.

Illuminations
Greet the Summer Solstice or sun or moon phases by going to High Rock Hill, F. Gilbert Hills S.F., your garden, Moose Hill, Crystal Springs, Borderland S.P., UMASS Sunwheel, Harold B. Clark T.F., America’s Stonehenge, Foolish Hill, Calendar One, “Hail To The Sunrise” Monument, Watery Hill, Ferry Beach, Robbie’ Hill, or anywhere else. Bid Spring adieu and Welcome Summer in your own special way! Other illuminating events: WaterFire will be ongoing during the next few months in Providence; there will be some fantastic bonfires and fireworks displays during Founders’ Days and 4th of July celebrations in many area cities and towns; and visiting or worshiping at other UU Churches during your travels

Some Upcoming Events

May 3: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
May 6: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at Pike's Peak Mining Company in Mansfield, MA.
May 7: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at 6 Bird Street, Foxborough, MA.
May 10: (11:00 a.m.) Love Makes A Family photo exhibit opens!
May 11: (7:00 p.m.) Women's Group Meeting in Mansfield, MA.
May 23: (9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.) Church Yard Sale at 6 Bird Street, Foxborough, MA.
May 30: (8:00 p.m.) 5th Annual Belly Dance Karavan fundraiser at 6 Bird Street, Foxborough, MA.
May 26: (9:00 p.m.) Newsletter deadline