Wanted: Membership Chair

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Kay P. wears many hats in this Fellowship and has served many years as Membership Chair. She has chosen to step down from this role because she is spread too thin and needs to have more time and energy for her other priorities. So UUFP needs a new membership committee chair! If you have any interest in doing this or want to know more about it, please see Kay or any board member. 

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Sunday Service, September 1, 2019

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Journey To the Center of Your Heart…Discover the Power of Unconditional
Love Within Guest Speaker: Diane Trieb      Lay Leader: Lisa Jokiel

Diane is a writer and a teacher of Heart-Centered Empowerment. She invites you to take the Emotional Journey to the Center of Your Heart…   Where your Inner Being of Unconditional Love resides… And assists you… in learning how to Love Yourself Back to Life.
Diane has been a counselor, writer, teacher and group facilitator for over 40 years. She believes in the healing power of Heart, and she teaches others how to harness the physical, emotional and spiritual power of the Heart for healing our human suffering.

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Sunday Service, September 8, 2019

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Gathering of the Waters: Becoming Ourselves  Speaker: Reverend Kerry Mueller 

Please bring a small amount of water from your summer journey — whatever events or places helped you become most yourself. If you didn’t collect it at the time, don’t worry. We’ll have a pitcher of water!). AND our children, with the help of Cyndi and Ruby, will present a special Time For All Ages! 

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Sunday Service, September 15, 2019

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Religious Environmentalism Guest Speaker: Victor Forte, Ph.D- Professor of Religious Studies; Co-Director of Asian Studies, Albright College   Lay Leader: Allan Pallay

The last 20 years have spawned a wave of new studies examining how religious traditions could raise ecological consciousness and inspire environmental activism. The main challenge facing these movements is that all the major world religions were formed in the ancient and medieval worlds when there was little ecological awareness. This work therefore requires new ways of interpreting sacred texts, so that the faithful might find cause to care for the environment as a religious duty. At this service, we will briefly survey the world religions and consider what these traditions might offer environmentalism, focusing on both the possibilities and challenges each tradition faces in attempting to construct a viable environmental vision. 

Please join us for our Third Sunday Potluck which will follow the service. 

 

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Sunday Service September 22, 2019

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Brave, Clean and Reverent?

Speaker: Reverend Dave Hunter

A Boy Scout, if he follows the Scout Law, “is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” I’ll limit myself, this time, to reverence. What is it? Is it a good thing? Can reverence and irreverence both be good? What’s Winnie-the-
Pooh’s view?

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Sunday Service, September 29, 2019

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Linda Pallay

For the Bible Tells Me So:
Understanding the Impact of Religious Beliefs and State Policy On Attitudes Towards LGBTQ Individuals
Guest Speaker: Elizabeth Kiester, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Albright College                  Lay Leader: Emily Quarles-Mowrer

Over the past decade, we have seen an increase in support for anti-discrimination measures in the U.S. We have also witnessed a decline in religious identification and church attendance. Yet tensions remain high as witnessed by the shooting at Club Pulse in Florida and anti-trans bathroom legislation passed in several states. What is the role of religious beliefs in shaping attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals? Additionally, what effect might policies have in mitigating or enhancing those beliefs? This presentation will answer these questions with research that suggests what you believe and who you know have equally important effects on your attitude.

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From the Minister’s Desk, August 2019

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Children are being held in appalling conditions in the United States. It’s hard to imagine that this is real and here and now. It’s not the first time, of course. But still, I never thought it would happen again. In our name. Cages, filth, illness, families ripped apart, children denied basic human comfort.

I don’t know how to stop it, but we do what we can. On July 12, Dave and I attended a Lights 4 Liberty Vigil (sponsored by the UUSC among others) at the Courthouse in Media. We were going as citizens, not clergy, so we didn’t wear collars. I forgot entirely to wear a UU T-shirt. We went early so I could find a bench to sit on – I could help swell the numbers, but I can’t stand for long. Dave, of course, visited in the crowd, finding friends and meeting new folks. After a while, he beckoned to me. “I don’t want to get up, I’ll lose my seat,” I whined. “You’re needed. You are giving the invocation.” They taught me in seminary that a minister needs to be able to preach, or pray, or die on a dime. So I stood up. I quickly borrowed a Side of Love pinney that UU Ann Keech had made of her T-shirt. And there I was, moments later, on the Courthouse steps, making a spontaneous public prayer before hundreds. “Gracious God, Spirit of Life, we are here today on behalf of human decency.” I looked at the signs people carried for content. “We are here because Never Again is Now.” I hope I made sense. People said they were inspired. At least I was mercifully brief.

But for me the most powerful moment had come the evening before. We attended a Concert For Humanity at the Methodist Church in West Chester. After speeches and music – including Rev. Dan Schatz of the UU church there – the finale was a performance by an Aztec Dance Troupe. One of the dancers had a three or four year old with her, a little girl unwilling to be left on a pew while mom danced. So the mother did what mothers do – she danced the sacred dance, with child in arms. They made an iconic picture, that spoke directly to the heart of humanity.

May all our hearts be moved to justice, equity, and compassion.
Rev Kerry Mueller

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President’s Message, August 2019

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Ahhh… the Dog Days of Summer. I often thought that this phrase signified hot sultry days “not fit for a dog.” The days where you would find your dog just “lazing about” in some cool corner or racing you into a cool body of water (pool, lake, or ocean). The phrase is actually a reference to the fact that, during this time, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, The Greater Dog. Because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth. Regardless of what you believe about these hot summer days, I can tell you that no one is “lazing about” the fellowship. In fact, some have been quite busy and are shining stars themselves.

Our new Social Action chairperson, Lita Diorio, has started a new initiative referred to as “The Knitting Knights.” Its mission is to bring together individuals who enjoy using various crafting skills (knitting, crocheting, sewing, etc.) to create items that can further benefit our fellowship (by selling them to raise funds) or the greater community (i.e. making small caps to donate to hospitals for newborns). Think of it as “Crafting for a Cause.” If interested in participating, please contact Lita.

There are more changes and additions to our Religious Education (RE) program. The first is that after many years of dedicated service in our nursery, Max Devlin has accepted a new full-time position as a truck driver and therefore can no longer oversee our nursery. I would like to thank him for his service and wish him all the best. So now, in addition to looking for a new RE Teacher, we are also actively looking for a new nursery attendant. In the interim, Ruby Barnthouse has volunteered to teach arts and crafts on Sundays to the children for the rest of the summer. Thank you Ruby!! We also hired a temporary nursery attendant – Katie McGrath. Katie is a college student who works at a Girl Scout Camp during the week and was willing to manage the nursery until she returns to school in mid-August. Welcome Katie!! While we are grateful to Ruby and Katie, we still need to hire individuals for these two positions. If you know of any qualified candidates for either position, please let someone on the board know.

The new windows project continues to move forward. Jon Price has engaged an architect to help create a design of what we want. This plan should be finalized shortly and then we can send it out to various companies for bids on what it would cost. Stay tuned.

In closing, I hope that you are able to spend the Dog Days of Summer in a manner that you enjoy (FYI – mine does include air conditioning). Stay safe. Stay cool. Enjoy.

With gratitude,
Linda

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Sunday Service, August 4, 2019

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Linda Pallay

Josephine Baker, 1906-1975
From Rags to International Influence
Speaker: Lisa Jokiel
Josephine Baker, a granddaughter of slaves, was born into poverty and lived in the streets of St.Louis for most of her childhood. Her personality, energy, musical talent and civil rights activism led her to worldwide fame. Her work led her to France. Because of segregation she renounced her USA Citizenship in favor of French citizenship. She loved France so much that she became a spy for the Allies during WWII. She spoke at the March on Washington in 1963 with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Come hear about this complicated and controversial lady, also known as The Creole Goddess.

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Sunday Service, August 11, 2019

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Linda Pallay

The Courage to Continue
Guest Speaker – Keith Brintzenhoff, Lay Leader – Lisa Jokiel

Keith returns to UUFP today to share his knowledge and love of Pennsylvania German language, culture, history, folklore and music. Recently he was recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the European based German-Pennsylvania Association. The Association coordinates research and programs with the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center in Kutztown. In addition to his talk, Keith will provide music on his folk instruments. A retired Social Studies teacher with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Kutztown University, Keith now teaches a three-credit PA German language class for the University in the one room schoolhouse at the Heritage Center.

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