the friendship flyer -...

Volume 23 Number 4 Our mission is to promote living with love and reason April 2015

The Friendship Flyer

POSTAGE

The Friendship

Fellowship

at Pineda

A Unitarian Universalist

Congregation in the liberal

tradition

3115 Friendship Place

Rockledge, FL 32955

Telephone: [321] 242-1117

Return Service

Requested

Consulting Minister

The Reverend Beth Miller

Website: www.uuspacecoast.org

DATE SPEAKER SUBJECT SERVICE

LEADER

GREETER TOUCH OF

BEAUTY

HOSPITALITY

HOST

Apr 5 The Reverend Beth

Miller, Consulting

Minister at Friendship

Fellowship

CREDO: Casey Gilbert

Celebrating

Passover and

Easter …

Unitarian

Universalist

Style

Casey

Gilbert

Brad Baker Betty

Allison

Shirley Works

Apr 12 Dr. Robert P. Tucker,

Minister Emeritus of

the Lakeland UU

Church

Remembering

Susan B.

Anthony

Sue

Huseman

Kitty Linton Sally Gourd

&

Lorraine Hennig

Apr 19 The Reverend Beth

Miller, Consulting

Minister at Friendship

Fellowship

All Creatures

Sing Alleluia:

Earth Day

Nancy

Shacklette

Lorraine

Hennig

Marcia

Berry

Rosemary Stroda

Birthday Cake:

Kathy Lees

Apr 26 Larry Johnston,

former Judge, Florida

Today Columnist

On The Trail

Of John

Wilkes Booth

Allen

Claxton

David

Peterson

Rosemary

Stroda

The Friendship Flyer April 2015

BETH’S BITS . . . The Reverend Beth Miller

As I write this spring has officially just begun in

our hemisphere with the vernal equinox. Spring

arrived with a bang this year, accompanied by a

super moon and a total solar eclipse. For family

and friends in New England however, it brought

more snow. Still, the days are longer and the sun

is warmer and soon this harsh winter will be

over for them too.

Living in Florida, the arrival of spring is not as pronounced as it

is in up north. Instead of seeing the first crocus blooms, long

since passed except in pots indoors, we see the first snowbirds

begin to fly home. This annual migration lasts for quite some

time, up until the middle of June for me. We will miss all of our

snowbirds at Friendship Fellowship and look forward to the

reverse migration in the fall.

There is much to celebrate at this time of the year. Though we

may barely notice it here in Florida, the returning light and

warmth are extremely significant for most of the peoples of the

world. Passover and Easter, the major holy days of our Jewish

and Christian predecessor faiths, coincide this year. We will

celebrate both, UU style, at our service on April 5. On April 19,

the Sunday closest to Earth Day, we will celebrate our deep

connection and rootedness in Mother Earth. I hope you will be

with us.

There is a wonderful description of the spring equinox in Ellen

Jackson’s book The Spring Equinox; Celebrating the Greening of

the Earth, in which she writes, “It is a time of beauty and also a

time of balance. It is not quite summer yet, but not really winter

anymore either. It is a time when the world stands between the

two seasons. It is a time to walk in balance with nature and look

to the future.”

May we all “walk in balance with nature and look to the future

with optimistic joy this month.”

Yours in Faith and Fellowship,

… Beth

SALUTATIONS FROM SUE

This marks the end of my first year as your

Congregational Leadership Chairperson. It’s

been a learning year for me and I hope to take

all that I’ve gained into the next year and build

on it.

It’s been a happy and sad year. We lost too

many of our good people. Good-byes seem

like an end but even as we’ve mourned their

loss we’ve moved forward as we know they would have too.

We’ve had new people join us who have become active and vital.

We’ve had others step forward and fill in the gaps and take on

new responsibilities. We’ve removed the double-wide and

embarked on a new and challenging landscape concept.

We’ve made necessary and expensive repairs to the Coffee

House and it’s looking better than ever. More and more groups

are making use of it.

And there’s lots of buzz about what our long-range plans might

be. That will be my challenge in my second year - to get a core

group to start thinking about the future of Friendship Fellowship

because just as our founders made plans under the oak tree for

their future, we need to keep looking forward and start to dream

and make preliminary plans for the next future of Friendship

Fellowship.

It’ll be exciting and also scary as any change is (actual or

imagined).

… Sue Holland

Apr 3 John Curry Apr 3 Cynthia Johnson Apr 10 Arthur Urrows Apr 14 Harriet Claxton Apr 16 Jessica Roberts Apr 19 David Dexheimer Apr 23 Bettye Gossard Apr 28 Marshall Frank

SPIRITUALITY, SCIENCE AND HEALING … FINAL

SESSION: APRIL 4 … The Reverend Beth Miller

Good Medicine is Science, Not Technology: No Time to Listen

Dr. Earl A. Zimmerman, MD

All are welcome to the final session of Spirituality, Science and

Healing, the program from the UUA that we began in January.

Join us at 10:00 AM in Friendship Hall.

UU FUND RAISER/TALENT SHOW Sunday, April 12

UUers: The Fund Raiser/Talent

Show is now scheduled for

Sunday, April 12th, at 4:00 PM in

Fellowship Hall.

WE NEED TALENT volunteers to

help put on the most entertaining

show in the history of Unitarianism

Universalism. This is a spoof, bash

-and-display of entertainment from our courageous members.

Outsiders, neighbors, relatives, etc., who want to sing, play, or

stand on heads are welcome to participate as well.

But we need to start planning the program now. Please contact

me with your suggestions. E-mail is good, or call me at 321-254-

3398. Remember, this is a program for which to raise money for

the fellowship. We'll be asking for $10 at the door … and will be

willing to accept more from those who insist on paying more.

Remember, this is a program for which to raise money for the

fellowship. We'll be asking for $10 at the door … and will be

willing to accept more from those who insist on paying more.

Thanks ...Marshall Frank


Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

April 2015

Comings, goings, and doings for FF@P

Sun Svc

10:30 AM

Sunday Morning

Discussion: 9:15-10:15

AM Coffee House—

Current Events

Choir Practice: Every Tuesday

7:00 PM

Friendship Hall

Spring Film

Discussion Series:

Ship of Fools

(German ocean liner sails from Mexico to

Germany in 1933—

Occupants are unaware of horror that

awaits them),

Friendship Hall,

Daily Bread Volunteers meet

Tuesday at Daily

Bread 10:30 AM

Women’s

Book Club: 10:30

AM Coffee House

Women’s

Friendship

Circle:

10:30 AM Coffee

House

The Editor needs your

May inputs

by Sunday noon

19 April

(sooner is better)

Sunday Morning


AM Coffee House—

Current Events

Sun Svc

10:30 AM

Sunday Morning


AM Coffee House—

Current Events

Sun Svc

10:30 AM

Sunday Morning


AM Coffee House—

Current Events

Sun Svc

10:30 AM

UU Talent Show:

3:30 PM Friendship

Hall

Ikebana: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM,

Friendship Hall (Betty

Allison) Final of this

session


Friendship Hall—

(Betty Allison) First of

six sessions



Allison)



Allison)


Friendship Hall

Religious

Humanists:

2:00 PM, Coffee

House, moderated by

Helen Bennett

Religious

Humanists:

2:00 PM, Coffee

House, moderated by

Helen Bennett

Seder: 4:00 PM, Friendship Hall

(Women’s Friendship

Circle)

See Laura Petruska or

Barbara Kurtz to sign

up and pay cost

of $20

Spirituality,

Science, and

Healing DVD: 10:00 AM-Noon, Friendship Hall,

moderated by Rev.

Beth Miller—Final

of this session

CLC Meeting:

Coffee House,

10:00 AM

Spring Film

Discussion Series:

Amen (true story of

German Officer who tries to stop Holocaust,

seeking help of

church leaders),

Friendship Hall,

1:00 PM

Remembrance of

Those Fallen

Social Justice 6:00 PM

Friendship Hall

Silent Auction ends

Wine and Cheese

LPCA: 1:00 PM

Friendship Hall

Tai Chi:

Every Wednesday

2:00 PM, Coffee

House

Hula Lessons Every Tuesday

4:00—6:00 PM

Coffee House

Girl Scouts Every Sunday

4300—4:00 PM

Coffee House


Story For All Ages Bravery Soup

told by Ruth Rodgers, March 15

helpless victim, and (4) Give up expecting things from other

people, or your life, that they do not choose to give you.

Miller closed with a quote from the Stanford Forgiveness

Project: “Forgiveness is not about condoning or excusing what

happened. Wrong is still wrong and we have the right to say

never again and plan to protect ourselves in the future.

Forgiveness is giving up the hope of a better past, accepting what

happened, finding the blessings in adversity, remembering the

beauty that still exists, making the choice to forgive, and moving

on.”

REVEREND MILLER SAYS, “TO FORGIVE MAY BE

DIVINE, BUT SO DIFFICULT” February 22

On the last Sunday of February, our Consulting

Minister, the Reverend Beth Miller, reminded us

that our UU faith advises forgiveness. This does

not mean that we excuse or forget wrong

actions; it means that we lay down our

emotional burdens and allow ourselves to be

comforted and accept the love that comes to us.

She began with a short documentary about the

terrible Jim Crow period in the United States,

including interviews with elderly black people who had

witnessed lynchings or known people who had been lynched. All

of the people interviewed talked about forgiveness and how they

have been able to move on with their lives.

Miller then recounted the story of Mary Johnson, whose son was

shot to death at age 20 by another young man at a party. In an

attempt to find healing, Mary began visiting the young shooter in

prison, trying to get to that place of forgiveness, and when he

was released after serving 16 years of a 25-year prison sentence,

she arranged for him to move into an apartment next door to her.

The two have now become friends. Getting to that place of

forgiveness is difficult, but often, as happened with Mary

Johnson, it comes as a surprise, when we realize one day that we

no longer bear the burden of the grudge we’ve been carrying.

Forgiveness is something we do not for the perpetrator but for

our own well being. Carrying around anger and hatred is like a

cancer eating away at us from the inside. Anger puts a lot of

stress on the body, and if we stay in this stressed-out condition,

our health is endangered. This is not to say that anger is never

appropriate, for sometimes it is necessary for our survival or the

protection of our offspring, but once we get past the immediate

danger, the continuation of that “fight or flight” impulse becomes

unhealthy—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Everett Worthington Jr., a professor at Virginia Commonwealth

University, has found that people who are able to forgive and

move on have better health, fewer depressive episodes, longer

marriages, and better social support. Bishop Desmond Tutu of

South Africa writes: “To forgive is not just to be altruistic. It is

the best form of self-interest. It … does not exclude hatred and

anger ... You should never hate yourself for hating others who do

terrible things. However, when I talk of forgiveness I mean the

belief that you can come out the other side a better person.”

Dr. Fred Luskin of the Stanford Forgiveness Project speaks of

two things at the core of forgiveness. First, no matter what has

happened in our lives, at this moment we can be at peace, and

second, we must acknowledge and understand that we ourselves

create our lack of peace and we alone can remedy that situation.

The essence of forgiveness is resilience—the ability to move on

and return to a state of internal peace.

It is deeply human to suffer and to allow ourselves to suffer, but

it is only when we let go of suffering and allow ourselves to heal

that the gift of forgiveness can come and surprise us. Dr. Luskin

lists some tools to help us become more forgiving; (1) Become

more grateful; open your heart to what you have; (2) Learn to

manage stress; (3) Change the story you tell that paints you as a

continued at the bottom of the next column

Welcome To Our New Members

Jack & Muriel King

Who signed the Membership Register on Sunday, March 22

Inputs to the Friendship Flyer May edition

are due to the editor

by Sunday, April 19


Story For All Ages The Ant and the Dove

told by Sally Gourd, March 22

Families of four federal poverty threshold is $23,624; yet,

basic needs take an income of 1.5 to 3.5 times this level.

Over 18.8 million non-Hispanic and 11.0 million African

Americans (27.2% of their population) live below the poverty

line.

The Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

One of every five children lives in poverty.

The “working poor” are increasing (10.7 million in 2013)

43.8% of those in poverty would still be in poverty if we

doubled their incomes.

For those interested in more detailed information, percentages,

and numbers, a copy of Laura Petruska’s presentation text is on

file in the Fellowship office.Laura concluded by stating she has

touched only the tip of the iceberg, but it is a discourse worth

continuing. … jce

POVERTY Spelled Out by Laura Petruska March 1

Poverty: Having little money or possessions;

not having enough money for the basic things

that people need to live properly; having a very

small amount of something; not good in

quality or condition. Peter Edelman, Assistant

Secretary of Health and Human Services under

Clinton, defines extreme poverty as having an

income of less than half the poverty line—

that’s less than $9,000 per year for a family of

three. Six million people have no income other than food stamps,

indicating an income of 1/3 of the poverty line or less than

$6,000 a year for a family of three—you can’t live on that.

Laura Petruska, Service Leader for this Sunday, filled in with

delivery of today’s Program for incapacitated Reverend John

Higgins.

There are so many elements when discussing poverty, she said.

Do we look at the micro view of poverty where individuals are

thought to be the authors of their lives and proof of their moral

failings, or do we look at poverty in a macro analysis where large

historic forces and economic trends such as war and peace,

shifting capital, favors some people and disadvantages others?

Do we look at poverty as evolved from the poor houses of the

18th century to humanitarian reforms of the Progressive Era …

from the heavy-handed 1920s prescriptions for the curing

“behavioral dysfunction” of the poor to the broad-based social

safety net measures of the New Deal? Among other things are

wage stagnation, educational opportunities, incarceration of

important members, drug use, unemployment, urban decay, etc.

Laura spoke in detail about many of the reasons for poverty.

One, women are typically incarcerated for drug offences,

prostitution, theft, and mostly non-violent crimes. Once in

custody, it is the whole family that basically gets incarcerated,

because the parental role of the mother has been taken away; she

is no longer a mother but an offender. The female, more than the

male, has as unwritten contract with her child, and she is denied

this as an offender. The child of an incarcerated mother feels

neglected and abandoned. If there is no family then the kids end

up in foster care or on the streets.

Our black population reflects an undue percentage of people

considered at poverty. Of interest is that Blacks do not make up

the majority of people on federal subsidy programs but

percentage-wise they affect a large percentage of their racial

makeup. We now view them as an underclass—the drug addicts,

dropouts, unwed mothers, long-term welfare recipients, and

others who many look at as beyond help. Laura went into detail

about this particular group; for example, net worth of the average

white household is eighteen times the black household net worth!

These are things that need changes in the way we deal with

problems.

She then gave a poverty quiz to see how we judged measures:

Poverty has increased 2 percentage points, to 14.5% 2009-

2013.

More women than men live in poverty, 2.7% or 25.2 million.

The National School Lunch program has served over 200

billion lunches since its inception in 1946.

Telephone

book—2015

Will be released Mid-April

1. Ensure your current numbers and email addresses in

the current 2014 Telephone Book (yellow) are correct.

2. Committee Chairs and Special Function Heads see that

Administrator John England has a current listing for

inclusion on the Committee/Functions page.

3. Same Directions for FF@P Friends.

4. Members & Friends: If you want to have the monthly

Friendship Flyer mailed, give your written name and

mailing address to Administrator John England.



MUSIC ON THE HILL — February 22

Henry Goodman, Emcee

Marshall Frank

described the Sponsor

of Music On The Hill:

The Creative Arts

Foundation of

Brevard, Inc., and how

they support young

talented performers.

Money collected is

divided among those

who entertain.

Andy Wiltshire, Henry Goodman, Charlotte Goodman

Henry Goodman on violin

Charlotte Goodman

Andy Wiltshire, Piano and Flute

Music-On-The-Hill began with

the audience rising to join the

three performers in a rousing

version of The Star Spangled

Banner followed by America the

Beautiful.

There was a 50-50 Drawing

during the intermission, with $43

being won by a young lady.

The conclusion was a violin duet

by brother and sister Henry and

Charlotte Goodman, Gershwin’s

Embraceable You and I Got

Rhythm.


WHAT IS IT?

An altered state of consciousness

That has the power to soothe and bless;

It’s not part of the everyday,

But rather, how it feels to pray.

And even if you don’t believe

In deity, you can conceive

Of coming to a state of grace

In this holistic, holy place.

It’s hard to come to terms with bliss

Without the use of terms like this,

But with the use of metaphor

We can release the soul to soar

To some serene, celestial ground

Where our Nirvana can be found.

The humanist is not exempt

From knowledge which may well preempt

The science that’s empirical

In favor of the lyrical.

So let’s refine, by our example,

A definition barely ample

To contain this quizzical

Conception metaphysical

A canopy of autumn trees,

The healing balm of memories,

The mountains, when they stand encased

In foggy mists with outlines traced

As if by fingers from a myth.

A chance to take Thanksgiving with

A family you can only phone

At other times, when you’re alone.

The moon as it reveals its light

When you’ve been driving through the night,

And sudden radiance from above

Is shining down on those you love.

Sharing, in the Golden State,

Sunset over the Golden Gate

With your best friend, and dreaming there

Of all the life you’ve got to spare.

And in the end, to hope you’ll fly

Beyond it, through that golden sky.

Reading books and talking back

To a poet who can’t give you flack

Because he’s not alive, but he

Will really live eternally.

Singing hymns like De Colores,

Joining in that joyful chorus,

And knowing you will not let slip

That precious bond of fellowship.

Hearing music thrill your ears,

Hearing music of the spheres

Enhance the pleasures you partake

Of rowing on a mountain lake.

For me this is the reality

Of what’s it called? Spirituality.

… Helen Bennett

“GOD OR NATURE?” A Tribute to Spinoza, by

Robert P. Tucker, Ph.D. February 15

Dr. Tucker enlightened us about the heretical

beliefs of the great Jewish philosopher, Baruch

Spinoza, who so disturbed his fellow Jews that

they excommunicated him. In 17th century

Amsterdam, Spinoza was a model rabbinical

student in his youth, but later began to question

the authority of the Bible. He became certain

that it was deliberately written in metaphors

and allegory for the benefit of its uneducated audience.

Spinoza’s family had fled from Portugal to the center of rabbinic

learning, Amsterdam, when the Inquisition had been forcing

conversion on the Jews. Holland was then a tolerant country, at

least compared with its neighbors, but the Jews were expected to

follow the dictates of their own religion and not call into question

Christian beliefs. After reading the great Greek philosophers as

well as Maimonides and Descartes, Spinoza determined that the

Bible was not to be taken literally. Since all is One, and that One

is the same as Nature, his philosophy is called “pantheism.”

There is no afterlife, since the mind (or soul) dies with the body.

These ideas so disrupted the peace of the synagogue, that its

leaders finally had to take the final step of cursing and

excommunicating him for good. They proclaimed terrible

maledictions, such as were found in Deuteronomy, and ordered

that he have no further dealings with his own family or the

Jewish people. It was imperative that he flee.

Spinoza, at 23, found himself “bitterly and pitilessly alone,” but

he persevered. He changed his name to Benedict and took refuge

among Christians in Rhynsburg, near Leyden. While he polished

lenses for a living, he started writing his great books. The first, A

Treatise on Religion and the State, was published anonymously,

but viciously attacked and banned. His greatest work, the Ethics,

had to be published posthumously, as society was not ready to

accept it during his lifetime. Spinoza believed in the freedom of

thought, just as we UUs do. He sought to discard the nonsense in

the Bible, such as angels, miracles, and the divinity of Christ;

then, Christians and Jews could live together amicably.

In the Ethics, Spinoza said that if man could understand the

necessity of all things, he could live in peace, for “events cannot

be other than they are.” Only by ignoring determinism, or the

lack of free will, does man fail to achieve “the intellectual love of

God.” We must strive to know things sub specie aeternatatis—

under the aspect of eternity—or from God or nature’s vantage

point. Then we will not be upset by bad emotions, but achieve

salvation. He hoped to liberate people from the tyranny of fear.

Spinoza’s contemporaries were shocked and appalled by such

speculation, but “there were many who admired and praised

Spinoza, including distinguished politicians, scientists, and

philosophers.” When he died at 44, he was loved by the common

people, as well as more educated admirers. His influence has

been enormous; Will Durant said that “all philosophy after him is

permeated by his thought.” After a statue was erected in his

memory in The Hague, Ernest Renan (liberal Christian

theologian) said: “This man, from his granite pedestal, will point

out to all people the way of blessedness which he found; and

ages hence, the cultivated traveler, passing by this spot, will say

in his heart, ‘the truest vision ever had of God came, perhaps,

here.’”


STEPHEN DOWNEN CONCERT — March 1

FROM OPERA … TO SINATRA

Choir Director Stephen Downen treated the audience to a

concert on Sunday evening. He sang pieces that ranged

from Opera to The Beatles and, of course, Sinatra. Amy

Rosebush, pianist, accompanied him on particular songs;

Stephen did the same with guitar or piano and sang one

or more a capella.

Amy also made a guest appearance to play a difficult,

inspiring, movement.

Concert income was $1,076, which included several very

generous gift donations from FFP members. Half was

donated to the Sharing Center (which also received the

food donations), half went to the FFP Choir.

Stephen and Amy received a standing ovation.


UPDATE TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES

Please update your April 2014 Friendship Fellowship

Telephone Directories as follows . . .

Telephone:

David Peterson 259-9131

Loretta Winston … home 321-421-7213

… cell 321-720-3945

James Winston … cell 321-759-1403

Jessica Roberts … cell 866-380 9730

Address & telephone:

Pat Knittle 321-301-4382

300 S. Sykes Creek Pkwy

Unit C-308

Merritt Island, FL 32952

Email:

[email protected]

Changes and updates will be in the April 2015 Directory

Thanks! . . . editor

ended her talk by encouraging us to give generously to the

fellowship and make our pledges for the coming year from that

place inside that’s about love and commitment and caring.

“Wake up your generous spirit,” she said. “Feed it, water it, give

it lots of exercise, and watch it grow.” …rr

WAKE UP YOUR GENEROUS SPIRIT: CANVASS

SUNDAY—Reverend Beth Miller March 8

On Canvass Sunday, March 8, 2015, our

Consulting Minister, the Reverend Beth Miller,

talked about generosity as a spiritual concept.

Beginning with a joke about what three words

one would wish to hear at his or her memorial

service (the UU Minister’s words were, “Look,

he’s moving!”), Miller said that hers would be,

“She was generous.” This doesn’t necessarily

mean financially generous, although she did encourage us to

support causes that reflect our values, but generous in a broader

spiritual sense.

Generosity has a number of definitions. It means giving

something such as money or time beyond what is required or

expected. It can also mean showing kindness or compassion

toward others, or being liberal in giving or sharing. Generosity of

spirit means spending more energy looking at the good and

positive than at the bad or negative, assuming the best in people

and treating them with respect and acceptance.

Generosity also has to do with service, with helping others. We

serve others because it is good and right and fitting to do so. The

more we give, the more we receive—spiritually, emotionally,

and psychologically. As illustrated by the story of the widow’s

mite in the Bible or “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry,

generosity is measured not by the size of the gift or action, but by

what it cost the giver and what is in his or her heart.

Whatever its cause, a lack of generosity is spiritually unhealthy.

It disconnects us from others and stunts our growth. One cause

may be early negative experiences. If we grow up without our

basic needs being met, we may develop a sense of deprivation, of

never having enough, thus setting up a lifelong fear which makes

developing the quality of generosity very challenging. Another

cause is saturation. There are so many needs in the world that we

can’t respond to them all. Then there are questions about trust

and entitlement. Will the recipient of our generosity use it

appropriately?

People are inherently generous. Our first impulse, when faced

with a need, is to help. It is only when we have more time to

consider our choice that we behave more selfishly. Generosity of

spirit means pushing past that reluctance and taking the

emotional risk. Miller told a traditional Hindu story of a young

peasant who was given a very large, valuable ruby by an old holy

man. At first the peasant was ecstatic with his good fortune, but

after spending hours admiring the ruby, he could not sleep that

night. The next morning he went back to the holy man and

returned the ruby, saying, “I don’t want this. I want to know what

you know that made it so easy for you to give it away like that.”

Perhaps the encounter with the wise old man reawakened in the

young peasant that intuitive knowing that generosity is how we

best live our lives. Perhaps it woke up his generous spirit. Like

the young man, Miller concluded, we are a generous

congregation. It is revealed by the way we take care of one

another, by the money we give to monthly charity collections, by

the special donations we make to meet a special need, and by

how many of us are involved in giving our time and talent to

make this congregation the vibrant community that it is. She


Telephone

book—2015

Will be released Mid-April 1. Ensure your current numbers and

email addresses in the current 2014 Telephone Book

(yellow) are correct.




3. Same Directions for FF@P Friends.


Friendship Flyer mailed to you, give your written name

and mailing address to Administrator John England.



by Sunday, April 19


CANVASS LUNCHEON — March 8

Steve Atlas plays his (and wife Karen Atlas’)

original composition

Helen Bennett Kathy Lees Bill Scott

All sixty-plus attendees enjoyed the Panera sandwiches, chips, salads, and desserts

CLC Chair Sue Holland Canvass Chair Brad Baker

Sated Shirley Works, John Curry, Dave Peterson, John England

To top it all off, we had Gourmet

Boxes of Wine!


Religion:

So, if you want to have the kind of a church

Like the kind of a church you like,

Put off your guile, and put on your best smile,

And hike, my brother, just hike,

To the work in hand that has to be done

The work now done by a few.

It isn’t the church that’s wrong, my boy,

it isn’t the church—it’s you. [Anonymous]

In addition to quoting poetry by Shel Silverstein (“Helping”) and

Carolyn Wells (“An Overworked Elocutionist”), and other

worthy poets, Dr. Tucker included this fine thought by

Universalist minister Edwin Markham:

He drew a circle that shut me out—

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had the wit to win;

We drew a circle that took him in! … hb

SUMER IS ICUMEN IN! by Robert P. Tucker, Ph.D.

Sumer is icumen in,

Lhude sing, cuccu!

Groweth sed and bloweth med

And springeth the wude nu

Sing, cuccu!

With these sweet words, Dr. Tucker ushered in

a delightful sermon about poetry, and how it

may relate to UUs. He quoted many poems,

some of which we were forced to memorize as schoolchildren.

The one about the “cuccu” preceded Chaucer’s Prologue to the

Canterbury Tales:

Whan that Aprille with hise shoures soote

The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote

And bathed every veyne in swich licour…

[Poems above are examples of Middle English poetry, from the

13th and 14th centuries]

Once we learn these lines, they never leave us. Dr. Tucker was

happy to finally learn what the part that goes “Bulloccc sterteth,

bucke ferteth,” in the Sumer song really means! Many people

have sung “Sumer Is Icumen In” as a round, and it is still popular

after all these centuries!

Then we were treated to the art of parody, with the “Physics Hit

Parade.” We learned that “the Web is alive with the sound of

music.”

Metals and alloys and things electronic,

High-tech ceramics whose bonds are ionic,

Polymer structures with long carbon strings—

These are a few of my favorite things…

Many Unitarians and Universalists in the past have been famous

poets. They include: William Cullen Bryant, e.e. cummings,

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe, Henry Wadsworth

Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, May Sarton, Henry David

Thoreau, and William Carlos Williams. Dr. Tucker [a poet

himself] then categorized many fine poems and read excerpts

from them to us: Family:

You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be—

I had a mother who read to me.

… Strickland Gillian

After reading Shakespeare’s sonnet 116, “Let me not to the

marriage of true minds/Admit impediments…” Dr. Tucker

admitted that “not all marriages work out”: “I miss my husband

so!”

The woman cried

And so just one more shot

At him she tried.

… Anonymous

There were several more categories, such as Friendship, Leisure,

and Nature. Then came Old Age and Death:

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

… Dylan Thomas


EACH DAY I TRY

2008-04-05-ESB

+++

EACH DAY I TRY TO TOUCH A STAR

TO PROVE MY LOVE FOR YOU

EACH DAY I FAIL

AND DIE

+

AND WHEN I FAIL

YOU WOULD DENY OUR LOVE

AND IN YOUR BLINDING PAIN

YOU PIERCE MY HEART

YOU WERE FORGIVEN ERE THE BLOW WAS

STRUCK

I DIE FOR LOVE

+

BUT STILL

MY FAITH IN YOU CAN NEVER DIE

I BLEED IN THE DARK

AND HOPE SOME MORNING SUN

WILL SEE ME RISE

RESSURECTED BY YOUR LOVE

+++

… Ed Breakell 2008-04-05


TAI CHI Each Wednesday at 2:00 PM in the Coffee House Sue Huseman conducts lessons in Tai Chi ... an Eastern based meditative and exercise program designed for all ages and all abilities. Every motion is slow and deliberate so you don't have to be particularly fit, young, agile or knowledgeable as Sue leads you through each step slowly and methodically.

Sue, Ashley, Smitty, Marcia, Peg, Laura

Telephone

book—2015

Will be released Mid-April

1. Ensure your current numbers and email addresses in

the current 2014 Telephone Book (yellow) are correct.




3. Same Directions for FF@P Friends


Friendship Flyer mailed to you, give your written name

and mailing address to Administrator John England.


The Friendship Flyer

Editor ..................... John England — [email protected] Printing & Mailing ............................................ Brad Baker

is the monthly newsletter of THE FRIENDSHIP FELLOWSHIP

AT PINEDA A Unitarian Universalist

Congregation District 62, Society #2923

Sunday Services at 10:30 AM 3115 Friendship Place, just off US Hwy 1

Sunday School available for children at 10:30 AM

Find us on the web at www.uuspacecoast.org

CONSULTING MINISTER

The Reverend Beth Miller

CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Chair ............................................................ Sue Holland Vice Chair ................................................... Pat Hemphill Secretary ................................................... Ruth Rodgers Treasurer ...................................................... Kathy Lees Member ......................................................... Ed Breakell Member ..................................................... Casey Gilbert Member ......................................................... Kitty Linton Member ........................................................ Spike Wilds

GUESTS

We extended our Friendship Welcome to

these guests . . . and we encourage them to

return again and again!

April Wall

Sandy Silver

Samantha & Chuck Sampson Melbourne

Scott Harris Melbourne

Garry Robinson Melbourne

Deb D’Arcy Cocoa Beach

Joe & Joey Melbourne

Judy Harris Bedminster, NJ

Quentin Griffiths

Olivia Shoemaker Merritt Island

Rob & Marnie Sippel West Melbourne

DID YOU KNOW . . .

Did you know that genital mutilation is a

cultural artifact that originated in Africa?

Christian women in Egypt practice it as well

as many others. It is NOT an Islamic

practice!

Did you know there is NO place in the Koran

that condones killing? There is one Sutra that

is often quoted out of context that allows

Muslims to defend themselves from attacks.

There was a time when Mohammed and his followers were

persecuted by other tribes so they fled to another city. However,

their persecutors followed and continued attacking them.

Mohammed received a sutra stating they should attempt a peace

treaty, but if that failed they had the right to defend themselves.

Mohammed and his followers came to one city where the men

had been killed, leaving many women starving and naked.

Mohammed asked his followers to take them as wives in order to

take care of them.

Mohammed’s wives never wore veils. That is another cultural

tradition that comes from someplace else.

Mohammed had only one child who survived to adulthood. Her

name was Fatima and she was the mother of his grandson

Hussein, who was supposed to be Mohammed’s heir. But when

Mohammed died, his father-in-law went on horseback with his

daughter, Aisha, who was Mohammed’s favorite wife, and they

and their followers killed Hussein and his allies. The followers

of Aisha and her father became known as the Sunnis. The

followers of Hussein became known as the Shiites.

ISIS is as Islamic as David Koresh was Christian.

… Dr Vicki Barlow



by Sunday, April 19

GREAT MEN AND GREAT WOMEN

CLASS FOR SUMMER, 2015

Weekly on Wednesdays at 1:00 PM (13 weeks)

June 24—September 16

We will introduce the lives and achievements of the follow-ing great men and women and view films about them. Then we will discuss the films. Class is from 1:00—4:00 PM,

Abraham Lincoln: Y oung Mr. Lincoln (June 24)

John Adams: 1776 (July 1)

Frederic Chopin and George Sand: Impromptu (July 8)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Amadeus (July 15)

Oscar Wilde: Wilde (July 22)

John Keats: Bright Star (July 29)

Hypatia: Agora (August 5)

Helen Keller: The Miracle Worker (August 12)

Nelson Mandela: Invictus (August 19)

Marilyn Monroe: My Week with Marilyn (August 26)

Leo Tolstoy: The last Station (September 2)

Vincent Van Gogh: Lust for Life (September 9)

Robert F. Kennedy: Bobby (September 16)

… Helen Bennett [email protected]

the friendship flyer -...

Documents