The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
September 28, 2017
Vol. 17 Issue 39
In This Issue
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Thu. 9/28
Essential Spirituality
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Adult RE Room

Fri. 9/29:
Awareness Thru Movement  
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Adult RE Room

Sun. 10/01:
Church Services
Share The Plate*
10:45 p.m.
 
Potluck Sunday  
12:30-2:00 p.m.
Fellowship Hall
 
Hindsight, Humor, and Hope: Who, Me, an Elder?
12:15-1:45 p.m.
ARE Room 

The Power of Unity Citywide Righteous Resistance March
5:00 p.m. The gazebo in Big Spring Park

Mon. 10/02:  
SoulCollage
6:00 - 8:30 pm
Adult RE Room

Wed. 10/04:
UUCH Choir Practice
7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Music Room

Thu. 10/05:
Essential Spirituality  Adult RE Room
6:00-8:00 p.m.
  canned goods
More Pantry Items Needed for HAP    
The Social Justice Committe e's goal is to collect items for the food pantry. CAN you pick up an extra CANNED good, nonperishable food item, or personal care product next time you are out shopping? Please put your donation in the basket in the church foyer to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP).  
Thanks for all you do!  
COME SING A SONG WITH US

The UUCH choir practices on
Wednesdays at 7:15pm
in the choir room. Whether you know how to sing or would like to learn, we would love for you to join us!

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UUCH 17-18   
Board Members
 
President:
Laurel Bollinger

Vice-President: 
Denise Runnels

Secretary:
Nancy Finley

Treasurer: 
Greg Howard

Trustees: 
Susan Coddington
Kathy Heath

Lynsie Lamitie


Ex Officio:
Reverend Alice Syltie


Do you have an Agenda Item for the Board?  
The Board respectfully requests that all agenda items for the meeting be submitted to Board President Laurel Bollinger, no later than one week prior to the meeting, i.e. the Tuesday before. You may phone her at home or send a copy of your request to
President@uuch.orgThe next UUCH Board Meeting will be held on
Tuesday, October 24th. 

The Overlook is a publication of The Unitarian Universalist Church, 3921 Broadmor Rd. Huntsville, AL 35810

Minister:  

The Reverend Alice Syltie

Board President:  

Laurel Bollinger   

Editorial Board:  

Susan Coddington 

Kathy Heath 

 

Newsletter deadlines are each Monday at midnight.
Please send submissions to news collator Willette Battle at
uuch@uuch.org.  

 

Office Hours:

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mon-Fri.

 

Office phone: 256-534-0508
email:
uuch@uuch.org .

Minister's email: Minister@uuch.org.

Website: www.uuch.org 

 

Sunday Services are held 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon; Children's Religious Education held concurrently. Nursery available for age 3 years and under.

 

For further info on any event, call the church office:
256-534-0508.

 
Upcoming Service

Sunday, October 1st, 2017  

" We Protest!
Pam Siegler
UUCH Director of Music 
 
Our Unitarian Universalist history is rich with individuals and congregations who have answered the call for social justice armed with passion, love, and a belief in living our seven principles. This Sunday we will look at how UUCH has answered the call for social justice in our communities. Pam Siegler will add the power of music to our arsenal of passion, love, and principles by teaching songs of protest/unity we can sing together with everyone who has united for the common good.
This Sunday in Children and
Youth Religious Education 
 
RE groups will meet to continue our exploration of "Living Our Principles."
 
Peace (age 4 - grade 1), Justice (grades 2-3), and Searchers (grades 4-5) will meet for RE sessions to begin their next Tapestry of Faith lessons.  

Transformers (grades 6-8) and YOUUTH (grades 9-12) will remain in the sanctuary for the special service on protest and unity songs.
 
If you haven't already, please be sure to register your child/youth for this year's CYRE program.
 
For more information, contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education or Audrey Fox, CYRE Chair.    
Important Note to the Congregation
from the UUCH Board
 
The UUCH Board is dedicated to promoting healthy communication between the leadership and all members of our church community. As Rev. Alice is on sabbatical and is planning her retirement, we plan to strengthen and renew our commitment to being available to the congregation. Over the next few months, our Board, our Leadership Council, and Rev. Alice will be working closely to finalize plans relative to the retirement of Rev. Alice. While our leadership is still in the very early stages of planning, the Board recognizes that this transition will generate a range of emotions and that members of the congregation may have questions.
 
In keeping with our goal of open communication, some Board Members will be available once a month after Sunday services to talk to members about any concerns about the church. These "Talk to the Board" meetings will be informal and will provide a forum by which we can make sure we are hearing the congregation. The first Talk to the Board meeting will be held October 8th in the Board Room in the RE Wing immediately following the church service. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Save the Date! "Over the Rainbow" UUCH Service Auction 2017
 
Find your Pot of Gold! The UUCH Service Auction takes place on Saturday, November 4th. Give your time and talent and leave with fantastic items!

We will begin at 6PM with a silent auction and a fabulous buffet with your favorite beverages. The live auction follows focusing on popular items in a fast-paced, fun-filled frenzy! This year, we'll again have a quilt raffle! Tickets start being available this Sunday.

We need your help. In the past, people have donated gourmet dinners, backyard picnics, wine-tasting parties, card parties, music lessons, garden design, computer repair, and a long list of other unique services. Items such as handmade foods, clothing, pottery, jewelry, and other goods also make excellent contributions. Show your creative or giving side!

To sign up your talent or other contribution:
1) Fill out the forms available beginning this week in
    the Fellowship Hall;
2) Send an email to Service.Auction@uuch.org
     with details about your contribution; or
3) Fill in an online form.
    
Save the date: Saturday, November 4th for a fun-filled evening over the rainbow. Childcare will be provided. Door prizes will also be given away throughout the evening - you must be present to win.    
 Share The Plate*
STP logo
This fourth quarter, we Share the Plate* with Faith In Action Alabama ( FIAAL). FIAAL is a 501c3 statewide non profit organization with branches in Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery. FIAAL stands in witness with people across faith and race, working to achieve systemic change by creating pathways of opportunities for all Alabamans. One of its current thrusts is solving the problem of mass incarceration.
Potluck Sunday!

Please join us for a potluck immediately after the worship services. Bring a dish and let us
enjoy the warmth of the weather as we eat together! Fellowship served up with potluck food. Get to know your fellow UUs!

--Hosted by your Hospitality Committee
The Power of Unity Citywide Righteous Resistance March
 
UUCH will be joining other faith groups in Huntsville for a peaceful march against racism this coming Sunday, October 1st, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the gazebo in Big Spring Park. This march is sponsored by Faith In Action Alabama in partnership with REACHsv, SURJ, and SCLC.

From the Faith in Action Alabama FaceBook page:
"Huntsville community coming together in our many faiths, races, organizations, and social justice networks to demonstrate love, inclusion, unity, justice, and racial equality. We march in solidarity to resist any form of racism, anti-Semiticism, or acts of hate that target people of color or other vulnerable people groups!"

--UUCH Social Justice Committee
Adult RE Program
  
HINDSIGHT, HUMOR, AND
HOPE: WHO, ME, AN ELDER?
Sundays, October 1, 8, 15, 22
12:15 - 1:45 pm
 
It is time to consider the richness of "elderhood"! This is a stage of life for thinking and reflecting, for integrating what we bring from our deep self and our lived experience. Whate ver our life circumstances, be aware that elder years are spiritually creative and wait for us as a gift. Even one's limitations and challenges invite exploration and invention. This UUA "Tapestry of Faith" program is intended to help us design our later years into a time of discernment, soul stretching, and new life possibilities. 
 
Join us at Adult RE UUCH as we focus on how to think about aging, making the best of our wisdom, spirit, and connections. Together, we will explore ways to live this stage of life with meaning and intention, and ponder deep questions such as, Who am I now? How comfortable am I with my mortality? Using our spiritual energy and compassionate awareness as tools, we can proudly embrace the tee shirt slogan that says, "Aging Is the Ultimate Extreme Sport."
 
While this program is open to anyone, it is particularly intended for anyone over the age of fifty-five. First time visitors are welcome. Bring a friend. We will meet on Sundays, October 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd immediately following church services (12:15 pm until around 1:45). We will eat together first, so please bring a sack lunch. On October 1st, we have church potluck so we will fill our plates and bring them to the ARE Room to eat.   
The class will be facilitated by Dee Dee Moore and Nancy Finley. If you have questions, contact Nancy. If you need childcare, please contact Nancy at least a week before the class. 
Exploring SoulCollage®
Returns October 2!
  
If you haven't tried SoulCollage® you may discover this as a fun, relaxing, and creative process that requires no artistic ability, but yields deep insight. Using collage techniques, cards are designed based on intuition. The cards reflect the numerous aspects of ourselves and help us discover our own inner wisdom. The process is designed to allow each person to work as deeply and intensely as they are comfortable doing, knowing the pace is right for them. And you end up with a beautiful set of SoulCollage® cards.

The only skill needed is the ability to use scissors. That is it; just cut and paste images from the hundreds we've pulled from magazines to your 5" x 8" card.  
 
Newcomers, come prepared to be surprised at what you find. Adult Religious Education sponsors this class which will be held the first Monday of each month. Denise Runnels and Nancy Finley will co-facilitate the workshop. We will start the session in the UUCH Fellowship Hall Monday evening, October 2nd, at 6:00 p.m. and create until 8:30 p.m.
 
Check out soulcollage.com for more information about the SoulCollage® process we are following, developed by Seena B. Frost or contact Denise for more information about the process and/or the workshop.  
Knit Wits

The Knit Wits will meet at Jefflyn Weed's home on Tuesday, October 10th, at 6:00 p.m. This group is part of the Care Committee. No skill at knitting is required! The Knit Wits make Care Shawls for church members undergoing health challenges, new baby gifts, and take on a variety of other projects, such as the Yarn-Bombing on the playground fence. You are welcome to join the group. If you wish to learn to knit or crochet, there are good and patient teachers who would love to help you learn.
Email Barbara Hitt for more information.

Are You Ready to  
Become a Member?
 
If you've been attending UUCH long enough to know that this church community feels like your spiritual home, you may be ready to take the next step and become a member. We will welcome new members during an upcoming service next month where they will "sign the book" and officially join our church.

If you are ready to become a member or would like to find out more about the process, please contact Pam Korb (Membership Chair).

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
 
Because we are a democratic community, members are collectively vested with responsibility for the congregation. Members may vote at all congregational meetings, be elected to the governing Board, be appointed as committee chairs, and participate in all activities of the congregation.
 
Because we are a covenanted congregation, members have certain responsibilities to the congregation and to each other. These responsibilities are best fulfilled by:
  • Regular attendance at worship. Weekly worship cements the bonds of community and keeps our attention directed to our highest values while nurturing our spirits.
  • Voting at congregational meetings. Responsible participation includes imagining the needs of the entire congregation, rather than focusing only on one's own needs or desires. Consider how issues affect all members of the congregation, as well as potential members and others in the world outside the congregation.
  • Making financial contributions. Not only does this provide for the support of the congregation, but it also serves as a spiritual discipline.
  • Contributing time and talent. Congregations succeed because their members find ways to give of themselves, whether through singing, financial management, educating children, sharing their passion for social justice, organizing, cooking, greeting, maintaining the building and grounds-the list of tasks goes on and on. Finding ways to give back that nurture your own soul helps support your personal growth along with the growth of our congregation.
  • Spiritual growth and development. Working deliberately at your own spiritual development is a gift to yourself, to the congregation and to the larger world.
Essential Spirituality, The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind
 
Thursday evenings, September 28th through November 16th at 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Join UUCH Adult Religious Education as we read, discuss, and explore some exercises in Essential Spirituality - The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind by Dr. Roger Walsh, M.D., PhD. Based on over twenty years of research, Essential Spirituality shows how we can apply the seven practices central to all the world's major religions in our daily lives to cultivate kindness, love, joy, peace, vision, wisdom, and generosity. Dr. Walsh, who is both a spiritual practitioner and an award-winning scientist, believes that each of the major spiritual traditions has both a common goal and seven common practices to reach that goal. Essential Spirituality integrates the spiritual principles of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism into what Walsh believes is one truly rewarding way of life in which kindness, love, joy, peace, vision, wisdom, and generosity become an ever growing part of everything you do. Come join us as we discover how his views might be consistent with our principles as Unitarian Universalists.
 
We have four copies of the book available for loan and they can be signed out in the Fellowship Hall or by contacting Shiela Burrows . The book is also readily available on-line to purchase. We will meet each Thursday evening from September 28th through November 16th in the Adult RE Room from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. If you need childcare, please contact Shiela Burrows or Nancy Finley at least one week before the event.
Everyone is welcome!
Relax and Move at UUCH
Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. starting on September 29th! 

This fall our "Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement" class will start with a series of lessons focused on improving balance
and breathing by improving the use of the muscles that support the hips and low back. These lessons will be using small, gentle movement, imagination, and sensing. Mats will be provided, but feel free to bring anything you might need to make yourself comfortable lying on the floor. If you are unable to lie on the floor, please let us know and we will make an accommodation for you.

This Adult RE class is drop-in, no experience necessary.  The class will be
led by Sally Locklear. Everyone is welcome. We will meet each Friday at 10:00 a.m. starting on September 29th.

For further information, contact Adult RE chair, Nancy Finley
. If you need childcare for this event, please contact Nancy at least a week before the event.

UUCH Adult Religious Education focuses on the whole spiritual person--mentally and physically, so come join us!

Go, UUCH, Go!
  pink awareness ribbon
We've formed a team, we have a date; now all we need are some team mates! All abilities are welcome!
 
The 14th Annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run will be on Saturday, October 21, 2017, and UUCH once again has a team sponsored by our Social Justice Committee. The 5K course will take walkers and runners through beautiful downtown Huntsville on a lovely Fall day. The race will begin at 8:00 a.m. followed by awards at 9:30 a.m. and the Survivors' Walk at 10:00 a.m. 
 
Proceeds from the 2017 Ribbon Run will be used to purchase an additional 3D tomosynthesis mammography machine, making breast cancer easier to detect. 
 
To register as a team member, go to Liz Hurley Ribbon Run, search for Teams, and enter Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville. 
 
Support your fellow UUs and friends who have already been touched by this awful disease. Register now and start stretching! All abilities are welcome!

Look for additional information to come about meet up place and time. For questions, contact Becky Ellingwood.
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, September 24th, 2017, at our Circle of Candles:
 
Bob Weed, a candle of some joy, much sorrow: After many failed attempts, my sister and I were able to contact several of our relatives in Puerto Rico. All those we were able to reach came through hurricane Maria with some wind and water damage to their homes, but most of it was relatively minor. The best news is that none of them were injured. But now, they are facing a bleak future. There will be weeks and possibly months without power, without tap water, and with very intermittent communications. Everyone is concerned about the hurricane's impact on the island's economy. 
 
June Norton, a candle of concern: Thoughts and prayers for Norma Harwood, who is now receiving hospice care. 
 
Jeanie Hosmer, a candle of joy: Sharing a HUGE joy. My nephew, Jason, had a scan last week that showed no presence of the pancreatic cancer that he has been fighting!
 
Kristen Ogwaroa candle of joy: Back in Alabama after two months in France and two months in Tucson, Arizona.
 
Gail and Howard Williams, a candle of joy: Our remarkable Ilene Sparks, trailblazer for human rights, celebrated her 96th birthday Friday. She spent the day with her great-granddaughter on Sunday and was not present during services. 
 
Anonymous, a candle of gratitude: For all of us being here together and for the many blessings we receive in this lifetime.