You, Me &

A Tribute to my Brother, John

Written by John’s sister Ellen

Grief can freeze the brain of all the words that come, upon command, from the depths of the heart and express, so faultlessly, the luminescence of the spirit.  So I turn to the poets to send this act of love to one who so richly deserves paeans and garlands to grace his life and his departure from that life.  This is a tribute to the pure simplicity of his life, and on that best part of a good man’s life, his countless, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.  It is a tribute to his abiding love for his children, his church, and his community.

"He went down as a lordly cedar, green with boughs, goes down with a great shout among the hills, and leaves a lonesome place against the sky'.

                                                Edwin Markham

'With a love that passeth all understanding".

 

All in the Family

 It is with deep sorrow we report the death of long-time church member John Strauther. John died January 13 and will be greatly missed.  A memorial service was held on January 18^th.

 

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:

February 1, 8, 15 rehearsal with performance on the 15

February 22 & 29 no rehearsal

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

March 28 - prepare for Easter

April 4, 11 - rehearsal with performance on the 11^th

April 18 & 25 - no rehearsal

Membership

If you have any fliers you would like included in the newsletter, please leave a copy in the webmaster's mailbox which is located outside the church office.  Len would like everyone to get in the habit of checking our website 1stuu.org, on a regular basis and notify him at zettel@acm.org of needed corrections. He welcomes input for the website, be it suggestions on format or content like photo submissions to add. Len intends to update the website with breaking news like deaths in the church family or when inclement weather may affect church activities. Len would also welcome someone to assist him with webmaster duties and to serve as a backup. On a related note, if you have an email address, we ask you to share it with us so that we may include you on email distribution lists for events like those previously listed above.

 

Potlucks

Many of you may not be aware of the red wicker basket near the minister's lectern in the Sanctuary. It is for members to donate food that is given to the Cass Methodist food bank. While we welcome your donations whenever you want to bring them, the Membership Committee will be including a reminder on this with our potluck phone reminders every month. We hope this will reinvigorate a worthy practice.

Church Directory

Please check the directory information during coffee hour for needed corrections. Also, we welcome any church-related candid photo submissions to go into the directory. See someone from the membership committee for more info.

 

New UU Orientation

Because of inclement weather, the initial New UU orientation session will shift over one Wednesday. The three sessions (barring any more snowstorms, power outages, or Orange Alerts), will recommence on Wednesday, January 21 and continue the following two Wednesdays from 7-9 in Memorial Hall. Contact the office for more info.

First Friday

Anyone who would like to assist in First Friday activities should attend a meeting after church on February 22. This would include planning, p.r., food preparations, after-meals activities, suggestions, complaints, etc.

  Women's Alliance

You are invited to the Wednesday, February 18, noon luncheon of Women’s Alliance which will be followed by healthful tension-relaxation suggestions by our speaker, Dorothy Kirby.  Reservations for the $6.00 luncheon must be made by noon Monday, February 16, with Eiko Takemoto - 313-869-6389 or with the church office - 313-833-9107.  The meeting will be held in Memorial Hall.

 

Women's Book Club

The next meeting of the Women's Book Club will be on Sunday February 1, 2004 1:00 PM in Memorial Hall.  Our February and March selections will be The Human Stain: A Novel by Philip Roth and Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders by Mary Bray Pipher respectively.

 

.EQUIPMENT FAILURE

If you have a copy of the November 23, 2003 worship service tape - with Carolyn McDade - PLEASE call Cindy Hill at 313-534-4794.

 

GUEST AT YOUR TABLE

If you have a Guest at Your Table box or a check for it or for your annual UUSC membership, please give it to Cindy Hill, or call her at 313-534-4794. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Kwanzaa Jazz Concert of 2003

Many thanks to those special people who work with me each year to make our concert a success.  Lencha Acker, Pearl Samples and Nora Holt are always there to make the place look special with all kinds of Kwanzaa decorations and goodies.  I can always count on a delicious cider from the Stuart Smith family, and special cheeses from Jim and Ruth Harvey.  Dan Wiest and Danny Kosmowsky are always anticipating my every need.  But we can't get started without the public having knowledge about the concert, and that comes every year from Linda Darga and Dr. Perrin who prepare the mailing six weeks ahead of time.  Margaret Beck, the Black Concerns Working Group Secretary, is always ready to assist with all of the different ideas that we experiment with to interest the different publications.  She also personally writes our thanks to major publications.  There can be no higher appreciation from me than my thanks to Al Acker, who knows that his job is the key to our financial success.  The most extraordinary thing about these people is that they do these tasks with love and concern for the life of the church.  They donate their time, money, and physical energy.

      This concert has been successful every year, due to the efforts of the many special people that I have named and the many who haven’t been named, but who always answer my call for help.  You are the heros:  Alma King, Len Zettel, Dan Secrest, Dave Robinson, Mary Lou Malone, Mary Neal, Steven Young, Bob Lauer, Jerry Wahl, Ivan Cotman, Caroline Ludwig, Gwen Winston, and Hillard Williams.  However, this year one of our major workers could not be with us, due to a severe illness.  John Strauther was sorely missed. 

       We have not yet met my one unfulfilled aspiration for this concert.  We should strive to fill the seats with patrons.  This is our way of letting people know who and where we are. We get good public advertisement, but I believe we can swell the crowd by encouraging the people we know to come check us out.  Talk it up among your friends. Give it that extra excitement you can express in personal communications.  Arrange concert parties and mail flyers with your Christmas cards.  Try this for the 2004 concert. "We can do it.  I think we can. I believe we can fly.  I believe we can touch the sky".  Mildred Robinson, Chair

Black Concerns Working Group

 

A L S O

 

Many thanks to our church members who did the extraordinary work to make the seventeenth annual Kwanzaa Concert possible.  Through this herculean team effort on the part of the whole church membership, the Black Concerns Working Group was able to give $3263.00 to the church.  Each year we endeavor to raise more money than in the past.  We welcome any ideas and elbow grease you can contribute to help us.  Be a part, it's our church.  Let's leap over the financial barriers that stymie our growth.  With your help, we can do it.  Mildred Robinson, Chair, Black Concerns Working Group

 

 

First Friday

February First Friday will be on the 6^th with reservation deadline on February 4^th.Please make your reservations with ONLY Peggy Wilkie, the church office - 313-833-9107 or Irene Schultz, or email using the address on the front cover of this Newsletter. February's food theme is Hawaiian so if you choose to, wear something bright and flowery - or just bright to lighten up the short days of the month. The cost is $7.00 for everyone over the age of 10 - with no cost for those 10 and under. As always, there will be plenty of activities - to name a few - the newly forming Musicians Network will be meeting; there will be games and probably a movie and a knitting circle with Peggy Wilkie. Come and join the fun, there will be a little something for just about everyone.

Heartland District Annual Meeting and Spring Conference

The meeting and conference will be held April 2 - 4 in the metropolitan Detroit area. The theme is "Gather in Spirit Harvest our Power". We are looking for leaders, workers and people who just want to have fun, to work on the various tasks that need to be done. If you can help out or for more information please contact Gwen Winston or email Barbara Stevenson to let them know how you can help.

 

 

We Get Mail

From Julianne Cuneo, Just Friends ...Thanks again for letting us use your facility for our New Years Day dinner for the homeless.  This year, our donations exceeded our expenditures and our members decided to give the enclosed contribution to your church.  We trust you will put the funds to good use in the community you serve.  We look forward to next year.

 

 

February Birthdays

1. Bessie Mercer, Wendi Winston, Liana Perez

18. Al Acker

 21. Chris Acker, Jon Schultz, Veronica Agosta

24. Pat Kneil, Nancy Hutchison

25. Andrew Malone

 26. Walter Greene IV

Ed. note...If you haven't seen your name on our birthday list, it's because we don't have it.  If you would like to be included, please jot down your name and birthdate - year not necessary - and leave the information in the Newsletter box outside the church office.