MARCH NEWSLETTER MARCH 9 SUNDAY 10:30 UNIVERSALISM Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger, Consulting Minister Unitarian Universalism emerged from two separate denominations: Unitarianism and Universalism. Universalists are Christians who believe in universal salvation, meaning that all people will eventually be reconciled with God. While people have held Universalist beliefs for thousands of years, the faith did not become a widespread religious movement until English Universalists came to America in the late 1700s to escape religious persecution. Because of its loving and inclusive doctrine, Universalism quickly became popular in America and the Universalist Church of America was formed in 1793. Important Universalist figures of this period include Hosea Ballou, John Murray, and Benjamin Rush. Universalists were best known for supporting education and non-sectarian schools, but they also worked on social issues including the separation of church and state, prison reform, capital punishment, the abolition of slavery, and womens rights. In 1863, the Universalists became the first group in the United States to ordain a woman, Olympia Brown, with full denominational authority. Important Universalists of this period include Clara Barton, Thomas Starr King (also a Unitarian), Horace Greeley, George Pullman, and Mary Livermore. The Universalist faith declined after the Civil War, as many Universalist churches were destroyed and many Universalist ministers who had served as army chaplains were killed. As the concept of damnation became less central to many American religious groups, the Universalist faith seemed less unique in its teachings and its membership waned. In 1961, the Universalist and Unitarian denominations merged to form a new religion, Unitarian Universalism. Although Unitarian Universalism is now a non-creedal faith, Unitarian Universalists continue to draw on Unitarianism and Universalism for grounding and inspiration. Funday School — Linda McLellan Flowers — Joyce O’Shea Refreshments — Katherine Drew-Jones MARCH 19, WEDNESDAY U.U. Book Club --third Wednesday of each month. Everyone is invited! The book this month is “The Testament of Mary” by Colm Toibin. We are gathering at 6:00 at Mary Pirosko’s, 2607 B Rue St. Martin. Hammond, LA 70403. (Discussion starts at 6:30.) For information about the book read a review below. March 23, SUNDAY 10:30 Lay Service — Rex Hall — Humor Bring your funny bone with you for something a little different. Funday School — Linda McLellan Flowers — Rex Hall Refreshments — Katherine Drew-Jones March 30, SUNDAY Pot Luck Dinner at Linda McLellan’s new home. TOSTAN — A BAKE SALE will be held on Saturday morning, April 12, at the Hammond Downtown Farmers’ Market, next to the railroad tracks. Proceeds will benefit Tostan. Tostan is an agency that helps rural communities around the world initiate and sustain programs to support human rights. Tostan works in Africa in these countries: Djibouti, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Somalia, and The Gambia. For more information go to Tostan.org. We need donations of homemade goodies…. cupcakes, mini loaves, brownies, rolls, etc. To make your donation, contact Eva Madere: Eva_Madere@msn 985-981-2722. WAY COOL FUNDAY SCHOOL is offered during the service for our children. HELP! Sign up to spend a Sunday with the kids! We need volunteers to lead Funday School throughout 2014. Its easy and fun, and a great way to get to know the children. It is preferable to sign up for one month at a time if you can. Lots of ideas and support are available. Linda McLellan will lead Funday School in March and Eva Madere in April and May, but we need a lot more volunteers. Contact Caryn Schoeffler at cschoeffler54@gmail before she contacts you! MANY THANKS to Eva Madere and Katherine Drew-Jones for their great Facebook postings about Unitarian Universalism. INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH A SERVICE? Contact Frank Chalona frankchalona@gmail THE TESTAMENT OF MARY (Customer review) Mary As Bitter Mourner January 24, 2013 By Anne Mills, Amazon website, 4.0 out of 5 stars A powerful imagining of how the death of Jesus might have been experienced by his mother -- if in fact his mother was a Judean peasant woman in the first century of the Roman Empire, and not the Queen of Heaven. This Mary is old, she is bitter, and she is very human. The tale is told by Mary in her old age, living out her life in a house in Ephesus, where two disciples try to get her to remember Jesus life and death as they want to have it remembered. Mary, however, remembers it differently. The story focusses on Jesus last days and on his death, and Mary does not see this as a glorious event that opens the way to redemption. Or, if Jesus death was the way to universal redemption, she does not think that her sons agony was worth it. Moreover, her own humanity intrudes into the story that came to prevail. This Mary fled Golgotha in fear for her life, and suffers guilt for that. What she longs for is the long ago, when her son was small and safe, and her husband was with her. Based on the spread of ratings here and on Librarything, people either like this book a lot, or dislike it intensely. For a believer, it would be hard to like. For a non-believer, it is a moving and beautifully written story of what Marys experience -- as a mother and a woman in her time and place -- might have been like
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 21:14:11 +0000