YOU, ME & THE ACTIVE SOUL

 Saturday after the Memorial Service for Josephine Love, her daughter Claudia Love Hopkins said to me: "That's an interesting title for tomorrow, 'An Active Soul'.  That's the best description of my mother one could make.  She was an active soul." "Yes!" I said, "it's a line from Emerson."

 Emerson, who in 1838, spoke movingly before the students of Harvard Divinity School for a New Theology based on personal experience of God in nature, "The doors of whose temple stand open night and day," for all.  From the Memorial Service and from reading Emerson I was left in awe at the nobility of such a life and at such writing.

          Last evening while walking through my woods with a long-time UU friend I was in awe of the nobility of a tree, its eternal patience, its suffering caused by humankind and sometimes nature, its witness to thousands of years of earth's history, its creations of fabulous beauty.  It does nothing but good, with it prodigious ability to serve, it gives off its beauty of oxygen while absorbing gases harmful to other living things.  Its fruits feed us. It branches shade and protect us. And, finally, when time and weather bring it down, it offers itself to the woodworker and the tree lives on, just as Josephine and Emerson live on in the active soul.

                        Love and Peace, Larry

 

 

All in the Family

 It is with sadness we report the death of Dora Woodbury, former, longtime active member, and the death of  Josephine Harreld Love whose memorial service was held on September 20.

 

Committee News

Choir

If you enjoy singing and want to have a good time, the choir is the place for you. There is no need to audition, just show up at the dates and time listed below.  All rehearsals begin at 9:30 A.M. and are usually held in Memorial Hall.  The rehearsal and performance schedule for the next three months is as follows:

October 5, 12, 19 rehearsal with performance on the 19^th.

October 26 - no rehearsal

November 2, 9 16, 23 rehearsal with performance on the 23

November 30 - no rehearsal

December 7, 14, 21 rehearsal with performance on the 21

December 24 Christmas Eve Service performance - time to be announced.

December 28  no rehearsal

 

Membership & Growth

Anyone interested in starting and maintaining a First Church scrapbook should contact Dan Wiest or anyone on the Membership Committee ~ also Len Zettel is looking for items to post on the web.  This would include photos, stories, etc.

 There will be a Noel Night organizational meeting on September 28 after the service in Memorial Hall.

 

Development Committee

Entertainment Books are for sale during coffee hour or call Margaret Beck at 313-882-7775.  They are $30.00 with the church making $6.00 from the sale of each book.  All profits will go to the furnace fund.

Women's Alliance

Save the third Wednesday, October 15, 2003 for attending the noon luncheon of Women’s Alliance in Memorial Hall.  Make reservations by phoning Eiko Takemoto at 313-869-6389 or the Church office at 313-8l33-9107 by noon on Monday, October 13.  Charge for the luncheon is $6.00.

 

 

 

October First Friday

Tentatively there will be two First Fridays in October.  The month has five Fridays so there will be the regular First Friday on the 3^rd with a Fall Harvest Food Theme.

 On October 31 we will celebrate with a Day of the Dead dinner with a few surprises thrown in. Costumes would be in order for this event. There will be NO First Friday in November.

Reservations must be made by Wednesday, October 1 by either calling the church office at 313-833-9107, calling Irene at 313-838-3348 or e-mailing Irene at the address on the front page of this Newsletter. For the October 31 event, reservations must be made by the 29^th. Because we base the amount of food we purchase on the number of reservations, if you make a reservation and can’t come, please let Irene know before 9 P.M. on the Thursday before, in this case, the 2^nd or 30th.  If I don't hear from you, we will have to charge you.  The cost for the dinner is $7.00 per person with children 10 years old and under $3.00.  As always, children under the age of four eat for free. Please feel free to bring games (Trivial Pursuit, chess, checkers, cards, etc.) musical instruments or whatever suits your fancy. Also, when you make your reservation, please indicate if you prefer vegetarian.  Thank you.

P.S. We had several people join us for dinner in September who did not have a reservation, so beginning in October, there will be a $2.00 charge above the cost of the dinner for those without reservations and wish to join us for dinner. PLEASE make reservations.  It makes it a lot easier for the chefs.

Women's Book Club

All are welcome.    We will meet on November 2 at 1:00 P.M. The book selection will be The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich.  For more information you may contact Maria Majer at 313-899-1694.

 

First UU Happenings

Journey Toward Wholeness

Coalition for Racial Justice

Presents:

The public is invited to attend a free literary tour through Detroit's Paradise Valley days.  Our tour guide is Heather Buchanan of the Detroit Writer's Guild.  The trip begins in the 1940's when Blacks were migrating in large numbers from the south, searching for the land of milk and honey (paradise). They made their homes in a small section of the downtown lower east side (often referred to as the "Black Bottom").

As the Jewish population migrated out of the inner city, the Black community of businesses took root.  Negro businessmen took the condemned area, bounded by Gratiot, Vernor, Brush, and Hastings and carved out “Paradise Valley”.  It was so successful that they created a city hall and elected a mayor.  This black Mecca dazzled and attracted many crowds of visitors.  At night, cocktail lounges, dance halls, show bars and restaurants came alive.  It was where many Detroit jazz musicians, who later became jazz giants, were discovered. In many ways Paradise Valley was like Harlem in New York.

You are invited to join us for this free exciting trip to learn about the beginning of it all. The time and date are October 2 at 6:30 P.M. The location is First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit.  Autographed books and CD's will be available for sale.

First UU Church of Detroit and Birmingham Unitarian Church sponsor this event.

Church Fun(d)raiser

There will be a church auction to be held on October 4^th from 7 P.M. - 10 P.M. A $5.00 admission charge will cover the cost of hors d'oeuvres and desserts. There will be an additional charge for beer and wine. Watch for flyers and more information. If you have something to donate to this very worthy and exciting event, please contact Debi Rutherford, Mary Lou Malone, Janet Thompson or Kathy Rock.

 

UU Events

Martha's Vineyard Birding Weekend

The weekend starts on Friday, October 10 through Sunday, October 12, with all meals, lodging in our members welcoming homes and all local transportation.  All you will need is your sense of exploration and adventure. A very special weekend is planned this year with the emphasis on Eco-tourism and Birding activities.  We have also arranged for Spooky Ghost Stories by a local celebrity.  For those looking for rest and relaxation, we have our beautiful beaches and coastline, an afternoon stroll and time for shopping and sightseeing, as well as a delightful afternoon tea.  Sunday we are pleased to have "Emily Dickenson" as our speaker.  If you would like more information or wish to sign up, the cost is $250.00 per person. Please contact UUSMV, PO Box 1236 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568; call 508-693-8982.

Celeste Curtis

 

Items from the Internet

Subject: Interesting

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

 

 

Editors Note

Your editor, along with husband Jon and Ruth Seifert will be heading for the great southwest and California on October 5^th. We will be going by way of the Grand Canyon and Tucson where we will be visiting the Dickason’s. We will be gone for three weeks or so, so I will not be available to do the Newsletter for the month.  Please continue to leave articles in the Newsletter box or email them to the church - NOT TO ME!

 

 

October Birthdays

1. Marilyn Grosteffon

2. Earl Harvey

4. Jonathan Schultz, Donna Walker

6. Robert Lauer

7. Nora Holt

18. Judy Waterman

26. Allison Parks

28. Romona Benkert

29. Ruth Docherty