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January 26, 2005
a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
Church Phone: (978) 465-0602 - Minister's Line: (978) 465-6504 - Fax: (978) 462-0384
Web Page: www.frsuu.org - e-mail: frsuu@netway.com
The Rev. Harold E. Babcock, Minister The Rev. Bertrand H. Steeves, Minister Emeritus
Rev. Harold Babcock
"Standing on the Edge of the Roof"
My sermon this morning is inspired by a little quote from the Sufi poet Rumi: "Sit down and be quiet. You are drunk, and this is the edge of the roof." What good advice this is: so much in our lives and in the world threatens to send us over the edge. We are intoxicated by all that curses or blesses our lives. Sometimes, we simply need to stop what we are doing and be still. The sermon will investigate.
Flowers - The flowers for today's service are donated by Judy MacGregor in memory of Dal MacGregor.
Steeple Lighting - The steeple lighting this week is donated by David Stickney in memory of his 'big brother' Jack.
Chalice Lighters - Jennifer Day and Marc Cendron.
Coffee - Leslie Lawrence and Stan Barrett.
Julie Parker Amery
"This Little Life of Mine"
Last summer, I had the pleasure of reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, which awakened a sense of awe in the vastness of the universe. This, in turn, has given me a new perspective of my life's little place in it. I hope to see you in church!
Steeple Lighting - Before his death recently, Frank Morrill had already arranged for the steeple lighting this week, with the following memorial statement: The steeple lighting this week is donated by Frank Morrill in memory of Frances Morrill, his better half.
Chalice Lighter - Rob Burnham.
(Harold Babcock will be preaching about Transylvania in Phoenix, AZ, this morning. He will be in Phoenix February 2 - 7 attending a meeting of the UU Partner Church Council Executive Committee.)
Thanks again for your support of our Partner Church fundraising efforts. Over $3,400 has been received to help pay the expenses of bringing our Partner Church minister and president and their spouses to Newburyport in late April. Official letters of invitation in support of their visa applications have already been sent. We will keep you informed of further developments. If you have not purchased one of our Partner Church calendars, there are still a few left! Cost is $25.00, which includes a $15.00 donation.
The latest report from the organ workshop in Harman, Romania, shows much progress on the restoration of our partner church organ.
The metal pipes have all been cleaned and repaired, and new ones made to replace the few that were missing. Extensive wood-worm damage to the wood pipes has also been repaired, and the wind-chest has been completely overhauled and re-glued. Work is still in progress on the console and action, and some new apprentices have been put to work to strip and re-leather the two large bellows. They are hoping to complete the work in time for the holiday of Pentecost on May 15.
Donations continue to come in, and we have now reached the $5,000 mark (our goal is a little over $8,000). FRS donors thus far include the Alliance, Harold & Sabrina Babcock, Marj Babcock, Beth Cawley, Steve & Gwen Dudley, Howard & Dorothy Fairweather, Michael Fosberg and Pat Skibbee, Coddie Fraser, John Harwood, Roger & Louise Hatch, Murray & Jean Kitely, Claudia Keyian, Ann Kemp, Peg Nicol, Barbara Owen, Manfred & Cynthia Raschke, Lib Ring, Max Russell, Meredith Russell, and Bert & Maxine Steeves. 
Some donations have also been received from members of the Organ Historical Society. To contribute toward this musical gift to our friends in Transylvania, checks in any amount, made out to Barbara Owen (with "SSOR" in the left-hand corner) may be sent to me at 28 Jefferson St., Newburyport, or left in the church office. To avoid excessive conversion charges, accumulated checks are periodically converted to a lump sum bank check to be sent overseas. Reports from Rev. Zsolt and his brother Denes are that the church people are getting excited about being able to hear their beloved organ again after all these years of silence, and are already planning a celebration.
Russell R. Mingo, former sexton of the FRS.
from the FRS Committee on the Ministry
The deadline for responding to the FRS Survey, which is run every five years, is January 30. As of January 18, we have received only 50 completed surveys. We are hoping to have 200 responses so that we get a trustworthy picture of the church, on which to base our plans for the next five years.
You can get your copy of the survey by picking one up at church on Sunday, retrieving one from the FRS office between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on weekdays, or downloading one here.
It seems to me when I talk to FRS UUs that they have a rich array and profound depth of opinions; what's up?
Thank you to all Young Church Choir and Teen Choir members who participated in the Martin Luther King service at Central. It was a lot of fun to join the youth from the other three participating churches in singing "The Dream of Martin Luther King." Thanks also to Alison Chatfield, Zak Hill-Whilton, Wendy Ford, and Lisa Johnson for helping to get everyone organized and to Anne Verret-Speck, Anne Comeau, and Erica Swanson for staying behind to welcome any latecomers.
March 6 - Young Church Choir
March 27 (Easter) - Teen Choir
April 10 - Young Church Choir
May 15 (Young Church Sunday) - Young Church Choir and Teen Choir
Best wishes to everyone for a Happy 2005!
from the FRS Membership Committee
Once again, it is time to chase away the winter doldrums by basking in the warmth of our many friendships at the annual Adult MidWinter Party. This year, The MidWinter Party will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2005, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the home of Jim and Vicki Dyer. Please bring a delicious dish to share, your favorite beverage and a party spirit. This is a great time to get to know our new members and make new friends. Mark your calendars today and get ready to have some fun. See you there!
Hosts for coffee hours for the remainder of the church year
The Hospitality Committee is desperately seeking coffee hour hosts. Any weekend you request is likely to be available, a testament to how many hosts we need. (On the bright side, you get first dibs on the fine coffee and treats.) If you enjoy your java, please sign up for a Sunday of your choice by calling Patrice O'Brien or sending her e-mail at obrien _p@jud.state.ma.us.
from the FRS Human Services Committee
During February, the Human Services Committee is sponsoring a fuel assistance campaign for the Hollingsworths, a family that has been sponsored by this Church for many years. Please make checks payable to 'Dominion East Ohio Gas' and forward them to Eileen Fitzgerald through the Church Office. If you have question, please call Eileen.
from the FRS Social Action Committee
Loose Plate Project: For the last three Sundays of February, one third of the Loose Plate will go to the Salvation Army Friendship Table. These dinners serve between 50 and 100 needy people every Thursday evening. Many at FRS are familiar with the Friendship Table because we are one of the community groups that periodically host this event. Our donation will help the Salvation Army purchase some of the ongoing supplies needed, including utensils, paper goods, and beverages.
Thank You from Colores del Pueblo to Liss Campbell:
I wanted to thank you for getting all of the crafts back to us so promptly and also for the quick payment. And, wow, you really sold a lot! We were so thrilled with the results. I hope that you, too, felt that it was worth your while.Please pass on a thank you to everyone at First UU in Newburyport. We truly do appreciate your support of Colores del Pueblo and of Fair Trade.
Also, if you or anybody from your church is coming to General Assembly in Ft. Worth in June, please come by our booth and meet us. I will have just returned from Central America with lots of new crafts. The cooperatives just keep getting better and better.
Many many thanks. I hope we can do it again next year.
http://www.coloresdelpueblo.org
from the FRS Adult Education Committee
Sign-up sheets will be posted around the church, or you may call the church office at (978) 465-0602, x 401.
Meditation, led by Chris Morton, Thursdays, February 3 through March 3, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m., Parish Hall.
Chris Morton, a certified yoga teacher, will charge $50 for five sessions, of which 20% comes back to our church. These five sessions will be spent reflecting on forms of mindfulness meditation. Chris will explore and discuss meditation practices. Participants will experience a meditative state through breath focus, body relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and yoga. Chris will emphasize the development of one's own meditative practice.Understanding the Bible, led by Harold Babcock, Thursdays, February 10 through March 17, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m., Lower Church Conference Room.
Have you ever wanted to know more about the Bible but been afraid to ask? Here's your chance.Japanese Tea Ceremony, led by Nathan Wilbur, March 10, 7:30 p.m., Parish HallThe books (Reading the Bible Again for the First Time) have arrived and can be picked up in the church office (cost is $14.95). We will be reading chapter 1 in preparation for the first session. Participants should also bring a Bible: New Revised Standard Version is recommended (an annotated edition is available from Oxford University Press), but any Bible will do.
This class will introduce the fundamental aspects of the tea ceremony in the dual context of Japanese art and Zen Buddhism. This shared experience celebrates the immediacy and fragility of life.
Ensemble Chaconne -- 4:00 p.m., January 30
The second concert in this year's series will be given at 4:00 on January 30 by Ensemble Chaconne. This trio (Peter Bloom, flute, Carol Lewis, viola da gamba, and Olav Chris Henriksen, lute and guitar) has performed here before and has something of a following in the area. The group performs regularly in the greater Boston area as well as nationally, and the Portland Press Herald recently praised the ensemble's "virtuosity, balance and charm." Their program this year is entitled "A Musical Portrait - Thomas Gainsborough and His Circle," and celebrates the great English painter's passion for music. Included in the program are selections by Gainsborough's contemporaries J. C. Bach, C. F. Abel, Felice de Giardini, J. C. Fischer, Rudolph Straube and Ignatius Sancho - an African who was born a slave but rose to become a noted composer and man of letters in late 18th century London. Admission $15.00 ($10.00 Seniors and Students).
May this be the year we both become more awake, aware, and compassionate!
One way to do that would be to attend the UU Buddhist Fellowship's first EVER Convocation the weekend of April 29th, 2005 in Garrison, New York. We'll have these people doing presentations as part of the program: Lama John Makransky - Dzogchen Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts; John Daido Loori, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, Mount Tremper, NY; Beth Roth - Insight Meditation Community, New Haven, CT; Jeff Wilson - Editor, UU Sangha; and Rev. Kim Crawford Harvie - Senior Minister, Arlington St. Church, Boston, MA.
The purpose of the Convocation is to bring together Unitarian Universalists from all over the Continent who practice or have an interest in Buddhism to create a unique opportunity to reflect on Buddhist influences within our association, to learn from each other and discover common interests and directions for the future. The UUBF has never attempted anything like this. The excitement is building and our hopes are high for it to be a source of creative energy. We hope to have as many UUBF sitting groups represented as possible. As you are the contact person for a UUBF group I encourage you to discuss the convocation at your sitting group and send at least two people.
The next discount registration deadline is March 1st. Please register now using the updated form on the net at http://www.uua.org/uubf/.
The Reverend Samuel Trumbore
President, Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship
