We meet every Sunday at 11 a.m. from September through May at the Campus Christian Center
located at 604 N. Guadalupe St.,, San Marcos, Texas 78666       512-396-2986     www.smuuf.org

Vol. 18, No. 6                                                                                     February 2005
The Newsletter of the San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Editor: Jane O’Ferrall Moss
President: Priscilla Leder; Vice-President: Jeff Rasco; Treasurer: Bob Patton; Secretary: Jeannie Lewis;
Directors: Laura Watters and Barbara Jacobson; Children's Religious Education: Melani Howard

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February 6.  Rev. Karl Brown.
To be announced.
Priscilla Leder, Lay Leader

February 13.  Rev. Peter Bauer.
“Imperial Religion or Prophetic Faith?”  The Christian movement that emerged out of prophetic Judaism made the language of cries and tears a new way of life and struggle in the world.  My philosophy of democracy is deeply shaped by that particular Jew named Jesus who put the love of God and neighbor at the core of his vision of justice and his deeds of compassion.
9:30 Women’s Group
Priscilla Leder, Lay Leader

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February 20.  Hannah Wells.
“One is Silver and the Other's Gold:  Spirituality of Friendship.”  You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends.  The friendships in our lives are often the relationships that matter the most to us.  In a world that's hard to find trust in, we cling to the high standard of trust we know defines our friendships.  This sermon will focus on how friendship is sacred to us because it invites our best selves to blossom and to be seen - and how it is often our friendships that sustain us above all else.
Priscilla Leder, Lay Leader

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February 27.  Victoria Shepherd Rao.
“The Simple Life.”  Everyone has heard of the saying/exhortation, "live simply so others may simply live", and this sermon will be an extended reflection on the meaning and impact of taking it seriously in our lives.  I will review the so-called simplicity movement and take a look at how it has unfolded in North America and around the world before bringing it right home to the folks in the congregation.
Priscilla Leder, Lay Leader

 

<>A special collection was taken during the January 2 service, and SMUUF raised $266 to send to the UU Service Committee to help with recovery efforts after the devastating tsunami.  Additional contributions can be made by going to the uua.org website and using a credit card, by calling 800-766-5236 using a credit card, or by sending a check payable to "UUSC" and write "Tsunami Relief" in the memo line.  Mail your check to: UUSC-UUA Tsunami Relief Fund, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, P.O. Box 845259, Boston, MA 02284-5259.
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And this item from UUA:  As of Jan. 28, more than $984,000 in aid has been received by the UUSC. Disbursement of funds has begun, directed primarily toward returning fishing villages to their livelihoods: repairing damaged boats, buying used boats from unaffected areas, buying nets and other equipment.

The UUSC states that at least 92% of the donations go directly to their relief work.
 

Thank you for the good participation that our members gave to the Guest at Your Table program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee this year.  Nineteen of our fellowship are now members of the UUSC, and contributed  $498.12 to the committee’s programs promoting hope and justice, and helping to defend basic human rights in the United States and places around the world.  This is one way for us to put our UU values into action. 
Thank you again.  

Barbara
 

The Congregation of Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church will hold an Ordination to Unitarian Universalist Ministry service for Dr. Barbara Coeyman, Saturday, March 5, 2005.  The celebration includes: 2:45 p.m. Pre-Service Gathering and Refreshments; 4:00 p.m. Service of Ordination; 5:30 p.m. Champagne Reception and Fellowship Dinner.

Barbara invites all members of SMUUF to attend.  Invitations with details and a map are available on the table at the entry.
 

In January, the kids enjoyed listening to Dr. Seuss and thinking through the stories to understand the "lessons learned".  One of our favorites is "The Lorax” which teaches us to protect our natural resources.  It is amazing how Dr. Seuss's book align with the 7 UU principles.

In February, we are teaching Bible stories and are researching to see if there are corresponding stories from other major religions to give the children a global perspective.  If anyone can assist Monica and I with that information we could use the help!
Melani

Hope you like the new format of the newsletter.  At Dan Gibson’s urging I finally made the effort to convert from a two-column format that is good for reading printed material to a one-column format that is better for reading on the computer monitor.  Had been putting it off because I am ‘computer-challenged’ and expected it to be a time consuming, frustrating experience.  Lo and behold, it was!  And it isn't  finished - haven't figured out how to get the chalice symbol into it, changing fonts and spacing is still very mysterious, etc.   I just hope I can figure out how to send it out!

Seven women from our fellowship will be attending the Southwest Unitarian Universalist Women’s Annual Conference in Houston on February 4-6^th.  They are Priscilla Leder, Jeannie Lewis, Mantie Autry, Jan Burks, Janet Wallace and her sister, and myself.  We are looking forward to the interesting workshops, hearing Margot Adler speak, listening to the Norma Zenteno band, and meeting other UU women from around the state, especially the Comal County ladies we have invited for a 'getting acquainted' party Friday evening.  We are digging out old clothes from our hippie days, gathering flowers to put in our hair, and chanting “Sisterhood is still Powerful!”

Our condolences to Dan Gibson on the death of his father, which occurred just before Christmas.  It looked like Mr. Gibson was recovering just fine from his surgery, but complications set in unexpectedly.

Jeannie Lewis attended the breakfast for San Marcos clergy January 19th, as representative of SMUUF.  This is a new event, organized by the new mayor of San Marcos, Susan Clifford-Naravaiz.  The group meets every other month, with about thirty people attending the meetings.  “We had a wonderful exchange of information, ideas and concerns,” Mayor Narvaiz said after the initial meeting in November, which Jeannie also attended.  Thanks, Jeannie, for representing us in the community.

Congratulations to Barbara Coeyman on her upcoming ordination as a UU minister.  As many of you recall, Barbara spoke at our services during the time she attended seminary in Austin, and later while doing a chaplaincy internship at Seton Hospital in Austin.  Our best wishes to her!

The Women’s Group has collected some ‘hard to get in Iraq’ items to send Tracy Garder, and Jeannie Lewis is sending them on to her.  Hope they help make a difficult situation a bit more pleasant.
 

Ken and Jan and I came back from the CTUUN planning session enthused about having such an organization in the area.  I hope others will join us in future sessions.                                                                                                                                   
Jane

Lorena and Seth Parker, 825 Hancock Road, Canyon Lake, Texas 78133, 830-935-3195 (home), 210-336-3256 (cell), hancockhouse825@yahoo.com.

February 4-6, 2005.  Southwest Unitarian Universalist Women Annual Conference.  Warwick Hotel, Houston.

June 23-27, 2005.  “Notice of Regular Meeting.  A regular meeting of the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association will be convened at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas on June 23, 2005.  The business to be transacted at this meeting will be set forth in the official agenda which, in accordance with the UUA Bylaws, will be issued at least thirty days before the meeting.  Signed The Rev. Wayne Arnason, Secretary, Unitarian Universalist Association.”