Endurance
Lay Speaker: Mary Ryan
107 years after being crushed in ice and sinking, the Endurance was found last month nearly 10,000 feet below the frozen Weddell Sea off the Antarctic Peninsula. Mary will share the inspiring and amazing story of teamwork, leadership, skill and human perseverance in the face of almost certain death in the world’s most hostile environment.
Coffee Hour follows the Service
Call and Commitment
Speaker: Rev. Kerry Mueller
Passover and Easter are different holidays for different faiths, but they have some themes in common. And this year they overlap on the calendar. Both challenge us to live up to our deepest values for ourselves and for the life of the world. Come and celebrate.
Coffee Hour follows the Service
Is There Such a Thing As an “Empathy Gene”?
Guest Speaker: Rev. Cheryl Meinschein
Lay Leader: Jon Dreazen
Are people born basically good or not? What does the animal kingdom tell us about such questions? Today we welcome back Rev. Meinschein. Pastor Cheryl Meinschein is a retired Lutheran pastor, with a Jewish mother and a Lutheran father. She is a Jersey Girl married to a Pennsylvania Dutchman. Her academic background includes a BA in Biology/Secondary Education, a Master’s of Divinity, and most recently, a certificate in Paralegal Studies. She believes that questions are often more interesting than answers.
Coffee Hour follows the Service
You’ve explained to a neighbor our seven UU principles, but they respond, “But what do you UUs believe, you know, God, Christ, death . . . ?” How do you respond? In case you missed my March 11, 2018 sermon (“Do UUs Need a Creed? [Or Do We Already Have One?]”), or our February 13 UU 101 discussion, here’s (part of) what I would say:
God: Whatever our concept of God is, whether we think God exists or not, or whether we think the concept of God is a useful one or not, we can agree on three things: First, God does not intervene in the world; God does not set aside the laws of nature. Second, God is not a man (or a woman). Third, speaking metaphorically, if God is to accomplish some moral purpose in the world, we are God’s hands.
Humanity: We have free will or, at least, we should act as though we have free will. As mature adults, of sound mind and body, we should feel responsible for our own welfare, and that of our families. But we recognize that we cannot survive individually, we need to live in community, to support that community, and receive support from it. We are not inherently sinful. As far as we know, we alone provide self-awareness, consciousness to the universe.
Death: Death is a necessary part of the cycle of life. We may not be sure about what happens next, when our lives come to an end, but we are confident that it is nothing bad. Our concern, therefore, is with this world, not the next.
Ethics: Our ethics, morality, and sense of justice are not based on what God says, or what the Bible says, but on human reason and experience.
Method: Our approach to all these issues relies on the use of reason and the empirical approach of the sciences. We recognize that there is more to our existence, more to life, than what we have described or can understand. We are open to the possibility of new discoveries beyond our understanding. Or, as we often say, using the language of metaphor, “revelation is not sealed.”
Love, Dave
Redistricting will likely be close to finishing when you read this in early March. The Supreme Court of PA will have made some decisions about the maps, despite ongoing challenges from partisan actors. The petitioning process for candidates may be foreshortened, but it is unlikely the primary now scheduled for May 17th will be moved.
In conversation with team leaders at UUFP, we coalesced around a serious interest in pursuing environmental justice issues in 2022. On Twitter I discovered Senator Katie Muth, representing Senate District 44 (including Pottstown and North Coventry), who is a prime sponsor in the Senate of a bill that aims to make Pennsylvania 100% renewable by 2050.
Senator Muth together with Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D-17) are prime sponsors of Go 100% Pennsylvania, Senate Bill 872, which is moving PA towards a renewable future. Representative Chris Rabb (D) is a prime sponsor of the same bill, House Bill 100.
Here is their announcement on Senator Muth’s webpage:
The concept of going 100% renewable in 30 years is energizing and exciting and gives us something positive to aim for. Pennsylvania is one of only two states in the nation with an article in their Constitution stating public natural resources are the common property of the people. We all know there are enormous difficulties with the political process in PA, but Mother Nature doesn’t play by legislators’ rules. We need to work towards change with total engagement and optimism, knowing we have a right to “clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.”
We won’t be working alone. PennEnvironment is firmly behind the renewable initiative, and we have allies in Environmental Justice arm of UU Justice PA. Those members of UUFP who have not yet become members of UU Justice PA must recall that social, environmental and racial justice are principles UUs live by. The very small membership fee of $40/per annum gives us access to the teams and allies working on these important issues. Be a part of the change we seek.
Go to the website, listen to the video clips, get enthused about this new direction. Chester County is a hotbed of action on environmental issues. There is much we can do as families, as UU congregants, as neighbors to make the world just a little bit better.
Thank you! ~ Trish R, UUFP Social Justice Chair
Thank you Judy, Kim, Sue, Allan, Paula, Dave and Miranda for helping represent UUFP at Berks Earth Day, Saturday, April 23rd! We had a wonderful spot-right next to Fair Districts PA and across from Penn Environment! Our team came prepared to inform the public about Go100PA, the PA 100% renewable energy bill, sponsored by State Senator Katie Muth, Senator Amanda Cappelletti and State Rep Chris Rabb; and FixHarrisburg, an effort by Fair Districts PA to reform the rules in State Legislatures so that bills with broad public and bipartisan
support are brought up for a vote and not left to languish in committee. We had petitions to be signed, both paper and electronic, but since we were between FDPA and Penn Environment who also had their petitions, we quite often ended up promoting our fellowship, educating people about UUism and sending them to the First UU Church of Berks County in Reading!
Fair Districts PA had a very informative display manned by the Chair of FDPA Carol Kuniholm! How cool is that?! We had some interesting discussions and also had time to visit many of the other displays and booths throughout the park.
I want to give a great big shout-out to Kim K for designing our new banner and for being
persistent in acquiring full access to a good quality online software program which will most
certainly be beneficial to UUFP in the future. Bravo! It was a busy, productive and inspiring day. Thanks to everyone who helped out!
Announcement From the Membership Committee: For many years UUFP has supported the Pottstown Area Cluster of Religious Communities in their efforts to provide food security, housing stability, supportive services and education for the Pottstown area’s homeless and hungry. These efforts have been in the form of monetary collections, in-kind donations of household items, and, seasonally, fresh organic produce from our garden. However, during UUFP’s COVID closure the household item donations have flagged a bit since people have not been coming regularly with goods in hand to the Fellowship. Now that we’re returning to in-person Sunday Services, the Membership Committee is resuming regular collection of household goods to be delivered to the Cluster each month.
During March, UUFP Members and Friends donated the following items to the Pottstown Area Cluster of Religious Communities to support their efforts to provide basic needs assistance and improve peoples’ economic stability: Five bath towels, two queen-size sheet and pillow case sets, one twin sheet and pillowcase set, two hand towels, four face cloths. Thanks to all who donated! These items are dearly needed and greatly appreciated.
During May we’ll be collecting: Sponges and Paper Towels. If you would like to donate some of these items, you may leave them in the very large basket that sits in the Fellowship’s foyer just outside of the kitchen door. I will carry them to the Cluster on Tuesday, May 31st.
The garden club is trying a new method for getting ahead of spring planting. It is called “Winter Sowing”. So far we have planted parsley, romaine lettuce and arugula. The concept is to create a mini greenhouse out of a container such as a milk jug, or plastic bottle.
Here’s how it’s done: Poke holes in the bottom of a plastic container for drainage and holes in the top for air flow. Fill with potting soil, spread the seeds and cover them. Then tape the container closed and sit it outside in the weather. This method is most successful with seeds that require cold stratification–that is, seeds that need to be kept cold during the winter. For these hardy plants it eliminates the need for indoor grow lights and also there is no need to harden off plants when ready to plant in the ground. Wish us luck! Spring is on its way!
Children’s RE and the UUFP Garden Club are joining forces on Sunday, March 13
We are asking RE kids to bring 16-20 oz clear plastic bottles to use as mini greenhouses to start this year’s Marigold plants. Last year we had good success planting our marigold seeds in dixie cups and caring for them at home, then later planting the seedlings in the fellowship garden. This year the kids will take their mini greenhouses home and put them in the sun in their backyard. If the new plants thrive and grow, we will meet again in May to plant them in the ground. We are so thankful for the assistance of our junior gardeners. Planting Marigolds in our gardens helps to encourage beneficial insects and discourage insects that are harmful to our crops.
Food for Thought
Speaker: Emily Quarles-Mowrer
We have all heard of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and the heart-warming nourishment that reminds us of the important things in life. Writer Johann Hari talks about “KFC for the Soul” and the way that certain aspects of modern life are enjoyable in the short term, but may not be any better for us than a diet made up of only fast food. Join us as we think about the way that junk values may be just as harmful as junk food.