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Please scroll down to see earlier 2012 programs |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for December
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| December 2, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “Generosity and Service: The Supreme Practices”. The great religions all sing the praises of generosity and service to others. But, why does it often feel like such a hardship? Are there ways to be more openhearted? |
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| December 9, 2012 – Dale Barrington will present, “Humanism: Secular, Religious and Naturalistic”. Mr. Barrington will speak of his looking for a ‘plumb line’ to basically build a working philosophy of life. Early on as a young man he discovered it to be the ‘me’ he saw in everyone else. At that point humanism was born in his head and heart. |
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| December 13, 2012 <THURSDAY – Winter Solstice Celebration. Annette Harman, Harpist will perform winter and holiday selections. Service at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments following the service. |
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| December 16, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “What Child is This?” What are spiritual lessons and insights we can glean from the ancient story of the Christ Child? When we look at this story from the perspective of universal human experience, we can glean unexpected lessons and insight. |
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| December 23, 2012 – UUCS member, Ruth Anne Mak, will present, “Traditions”. |
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| December 30, 2012 – December 30, 2012- Justin Hardin will present, “Five Ways Fitness Helps Your Spirituality”. Justin Hardin is from Meridianville, Alabama. He graduated from Hazel Green High School in 2006. He received a soccer scholarship to Martin Methodist College and played four years for the Red Hawks. He has a B.S. in Physical Education with a Fitness Management Emphasis. He is currently certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Muscle and Fitness Personal Training Certification. He stays active and fit by working out and playing soccer. He enjoys working with people who are willing to work hard and reach their fitness goals. . |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for November
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| November 4, 2012 – Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Creative Writing, will present, “Two Dancing Girls From Barcelona”. Continuing in our pursuit of understanding the power and limitations of human perception, we will look at art as a stepping stone toward exploring artifacts that represent potentially universal meaning and sometimes tell the story of the human condition ( or not). |
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**Potluck meal on November 4th after the service. UU will provide drinks and paper products- everyone bring a dish and stay for the good food and fellowship. |
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November 11, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “False Forgiveness: Caring Enough NOT to Forgive”. On the one hand, only through forgiveness is life together and community with each other truly possible. On the other hand forgiveness has its many counterfeits. Forgiveness has a shadow side where it is distorted into a vice |
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November 18, 2012 – Ruth Anne Mak will present, “A Matter of Principles.” A discussion of the Unitarian Universalist principles, and being right before Thanksgiving some discussion of gratitude too! |
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November 25, 2012- November 25, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “The High Cost of Unconsciousness”. Usually we bring far less than our full awareness to our experiences. We are often lost in past memories, hypnotized by future fantasies, we live in a state of semi-consciousness. We will talk about waking up from this unhealthy conditioning that has been called “spiritual sleep walking.” |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for October
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October 7, 2012 – Chuck Morgret, will present, “Matters of Life and Death”. Forrest Church defined religion as our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die. In that spirit, I will address the issue of mortality from the perspective of one UU ( namely me). I originally gave this talk about the time I reached 50 years old and had to admit that I was probably nearing the halfway point. My ongoing spiritual evolution and life experiences since that time have given me cause to revisit and update my views. Chuck is a long-time member of the UU Church of Tullahoma, TN. An aerospace engineer in his day job. Chuck admits that his only real qualification to speak on spiritual matters is that he thinks about stuff a lot, often from unusual perspectives. He deeply appreciates the opportunity to occasionally share some of the stuff he’s been thinking about. |
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October 14, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “”Grow Up! “ Adulthood is a choice. It doesn’t happen because we reach a certain age. What are some childish cliché’s we still try to run our lives by? |
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October 21, 2012 – Ruth Anne Mak will present, “Fear ( or why we wear costumes the rest of the year)”. |
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| October 28, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “Who Are you to Judge?” Can you imagine a world where behavior is never evaluated: no one ever praised, no one ever criticized? The critical question is how to make such decisions intelligently. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for September
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September 2, 2012 – Dale Barrington, UU member at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Tullahoma, TN will present, “Humanism: Secular, Religious, and Naturalistic”. |
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September 9, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “Optimism”. Is optimism a skillful approach to life or a recipe for self-deception? Although research shows that optimists are more content, more resilient, and have fewer physical and emotional disorders than pessimists, some of us may be skeptical. Making oneself “think positive” or “look on the bright side” sometimes seems like naiveté or, worse, foolishness. We’ll take a realistic look at positive thinking! |
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September 16, 2012 – Simon Mak, member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals will present, “Cycles”. |
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September 23, 2012 – Ken Johnson will present, “Is Your Spiritual Alarm Clock Going Off?”. Aging serves as a spiritual alarm clock, says writer and therapist Thomas Moore. He adds, “Aging is one of the ways the soul nudges itself into attention to the spiritual aspects of life.” As we enter the second half of life and our bodies begin to slow down, this reminder of mortality compels us to ponder larger realities. “Aging” Moore writes, “forces us to decide what is important in life”. With this in mind, we will look at and discuss what some have called “The Stages of the Soul” and examine how it impinges on our own lives. Where are you in this universal human journey? |
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September 30, 2012 – Brenda Durham, recent Vanderbilt University Divinity School graduate will present, “A Peaceful and Tolerant Society—Can We Get There?” An honest assessment of where we are, who we are, and how we want to live. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for August
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August 5, 2012 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “How to Build a Superhero” Long before the inception of Superman in 1932, people imagined and constructed icons—and idols—that represented truth, justice, and if not the American way, then certainly power. One of the motivations for the creations of these icons of power and justice was to codify what justice meant for a people and a time. Because justice is a major plank in the objectives of UU members, let’s consider tenets of justice today and what kind of ideas (building supplies) we would need to build a superhero to represent us. |
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August 12, 2012 – “Flutes and Storytelling by Paul McAuliffe”. Along with his passion for world/ethnic flutes and autism advocacy, Paul loves to tell stories; he performs regularly with the Bay Storytellers of Panama City, FL. In this program, he tells a variety of original tales interspersed with performing soothing, peaceful flute music. Through the ancient art of storytelling, we weave words, we teach one another, we learn from one another, we laugh, we acknowledge our humanity, we realize others have the same foibles we do, and we grow into a better understanding of the world. He is a member of the UUF Bay County, Florida, and served two years on their Board of Trustees. He’s a world/ethnic flute player, flute maker, drummer, songwriter, social services worker, autism advocate and short story writer. He’s given dozens of presentations at UU congregations over a seven state area. He recently gave his “Flutes & Autism” program at the Center For Disease Control in Atlanta and has been featured twice on CNN. Paul loves to serenade the Florida Panthers ( an endangered species) at Bear Creek Feline Center. His third and latest CD is entitled, “Young Cat Dreams.” |
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August 19, 2012 – Ken Johnson, will present, “Character is Destiny”. “Character is destiny” asserted Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher. And, Seneca, an ancient Roman philosopher said: “A good character is the only guarantee of everlasting carefree happiness.” Modern behavioral science agrees. Our character- our innermost convictions, values, and virtues- plays an essential part in determining how coherent and happy our lives and society will be. It is almost impossible to understand healthy and happy human life without considering what character is, how it is formed, and why it has the potential to create the Beloved Community we all long for. Bring your own wisdom on this issue for a great discussion! |
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August 26, 2012 –Unitarian Universalist Congregation Member and Reiki Master, Ruth Anne Mak will present, “To Be Announced”. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for July
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July 1, 2012
– Ruth Anne Mak, member of the UUCS, will present, “Letting
Go”. |
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July 8, 2012
– Ken Johnson, member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Murfreesboro,
Tennessee, will present, “Beyond
the Contentious Heart”. In the
river of our emotions we find the shoals of ANGER. It is said that,
“anger” is just one letter short of “danger”. It is indeed a powerful
influence for both life and destruction of life! We’ll discuss “anger”
from the perspective of current behavioral science and ancient wisdom. How
can we deal wisely and intelligently with this powerful energy? |
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July 15, 2012 – Cindy and
Gerald Crawford will present, “South
Africa, and Landlocked Swaziland, a Land of Surprises”. They
will share travel stories and photos from their recent 22 day tour of South
Africa and Swaziland. |
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July 22, 2012
- Come open the Handy Fest with the UUs and enjoy music from The
Blue Navigators. The Blue
Navigators are a local acoustic band that bring an eclectic blend of blues,
rock, country, folk and American roots music to their performances. |
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July 29, 2012
– Ken Johnson will present, “I Set
Out in Search of the Source of Happiness” Anthony deMello. Does
happiness come from within? Or, does it come from outside us? Or,
does it come from somewhere between the two? Were the ancients right about
the places to find peace of mind or not? Perhaps, when we come to
understand a little better what kind of creature we are—we will understand
better what will give us contentment. Is happiness even something you can
find, acquire, or achieve? Should provide a great discussion! Bring
your thoughts! |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for June
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June 3, 2012 – Local musical group, “The Bear” will perform. Amber Murray and Nathan Pitts perform original music on guitar, banjo and ukulele. |
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June 10, 2012 – Ruth Anne Mak, UUCS member, will present a program entitled, “No”. |
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June 17, 2012 - Ken Johnson UU member at the Murfreesboro, Tennessee Unitarian Universalist Church will present, “Father: Who Was That Masked Man? We’ll look at the “7 Kinds of Fathers” and see how their influences are probably still with us today – even in adulthood. |
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| June 24, 2012- Dr. Guihua Li will present “China Then & China Now: One Person’s Experience & Perspective”. Dr. Guihua Li was born in Tianjin, China. She received her bachelor degree from Nankai University in China, her M.A., M. Ed., and Ph.D degrees from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She is currently working in the College of Business at the University of North Alabama. Previously she has worked in the University of Missouri – Columbia, St. Cloud State University, and University of Oregon. Since she moved to the Shoals area with her husband, Dr. Chunsheng Zhang in the spring of 2009, she has been enjoying the mild winters here and most importantly the friendship and southern hospitality from UNA colleagues and the community people. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for May
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| May 6, 2012 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM and noted author, will present, “Andy Andrews: Life Whisperer”. Known to some people as a “Life Whisperer”, Andy Andrews believes that people can make better futures by becoming better decision makers, having better friends and taking responsibility for their own lives. In his speeches he sometimes creates “what if” scenarios to help people re-envision their opportunities while reassessing how previous approaches to problem solving in the past may not be the way they want to approach the future. This presentation will provide an overview of popular writer/speaker Andy Andrews’ ideas from some of his life-whispering works, including The NOTICER ( Sometimes all a person needs is a little perspective), THE TRAVELER’S GIFT ( Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success), and THE FINAL SUMMIT: A Quest to Find the One Principle That Will Save Humanity. |
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| May 13, 2012 – Chuck Morgret, lay speaker at the Tullahoma Unitarian Universalist Church, will present, “Let the Mysteries Be”. Gnosticism in the general sense refers to the concept that one’s salvation depends on acquiring a special esoteric knowledge or insight. However, that is an overly simplistic definition of a much more complex topic. Although it is generally thought of as an early Christian “heresy,” its roots go much deeper, to the Mystery religions that preceded and informed Christian Gnosticism, and there are echoes of gnostic philosophy in later religious traditions. |
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| May 20, 2012 – Ken Johnson, M.A. and friend and frequent speaker at the UUCS from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will present, “Getting Off The Mind Train”. One skillful way to develop more peace and stability is to learn to “look at our thoughts” instead of “looking from our thoughts.” We can learn not to believe everything we think. There is a middle way between getting enmeshed in our thoughts and avoiding our thoughts. Let there be peace on earth – let it begin with me. Ken, now a UU speaker and teacher, was a Christian minister for many years and is a graduate of David Lipscomb University and Asbury Theological Seminary. |
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| May 27, 2012 – Ken Sizemore, singer/ songwriter and performer from Panama City, Florida will bring his special talents and love of folk music to the Sunday service. His acoustic guitar program is entitled, “Give Peace a Chance”. Ken, known as “The Old Folkie” has been performing folk and early pop music all over the country for more than 40 years. Ken performs folk music of the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for April
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April 1, 2012 – Brenda Durham, Divinity student at Vanderbilt Divinity School will present, “Getting in Touch with the Divine Feminine”. After a recent trip to India, Brenda will share her experiences there and how the Divine Feminine is becoming more manifest at a time when the Earth’s consciousness is shifting. |
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| April 8, 2012 – Ruth Anne Mak, member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals, will present, “Resurrection and Rebirth”. |
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| April 15, 2012 – Doug Traversa, Lay Minster of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, will present, “Spiritual Profundities from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Can serious, worthwhile, important ideas be derived from the comic works of Douglas Adams? Let’s hope so, or it’s going to be a short sermon. |
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April 22, 2012 – Ken Johnson, Lay Minster with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Murfreesboro, will present, “Healing the Dysfunctional Church Family.” Religious bodies have high ideals for love, fellowship, and open communication. But, often, we bring the baggage from our dysfunctional families and relationships into our church family. What can we do to inoculate our healthy church against developing dysfunctional patterns? |
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April 29, 2012 - The Whiloms Band will perform an acoustic program of pop, rock and bluegrass influenced music. The Whiloms Band is comprised of Michael Clements and Kirsten Shaw. Michael and Kirsten were both born and reared in central Alabama. Michael sings and plays all the instruments and acts as producer and recording engineer. Kirsten adds a zest and love for live performing with dynamic vocals. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for March
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| March 4, 2012 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Spots of Time in Life and Theatre”. In an explanation of his goal for writing, Tennessee Williams wrote: “What I want to do… is just somehow to capture the constantly evanescent quality of existence.” Both Williams and Thornton Wilder do that in many of their plays. We will try to experience that evanescent quality by considering each man’s work. Specifically, we will revisit “Cat On a Hot Tim Roof” and “Clothes for a Summer Hotel” (Williams) and “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder. Excerpts from Williams’ Memoirs will also be cited. |
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| March 11, 2012 – Blue Navigators. The band, Blue Navigators, will entertain the UU congregation and friends with a lively hour of favorite songs in a variety of musical genres. The band members are Toni and Kenneth Brooks, Tim Kelley and Ernie Fite. |
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| March 18, 2012 – Dale Barrington, UU Member of the Tullahoma Unitarian Universalist Church, will present, “Secular Humanism—Religious Humanism—You Pick”. A comment was made recently that ‘religious humanism’ sounded like an oxymoron. Can a Humanist be religious? This program will explore that question and also humanism and its influence on our religious/spiritual growth as human beings. |
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| March 25, 2012 – Ken Johnson, UU speaker from Mursfreesboro, TN will present, “The Subtle and Not so Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse”. The visible signs of abusive religious groups are all around us—but sometimes the signs of spiritual abuse are not so visible. What are the signs of “churches that abuse?” How are the troublesome traits expressed? What are the indicators of HEALTHY religion? What are straightforward questions you can ask your church leaders to get some clarity? ( This will be a development of the previous lesson on “Post Traumatic religion Disorder.”) |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for February
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| February 5, 2012 – Brenda Durham, divinity student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, will present, “You Want Me to Change my What?”The New Year always prompts us to make changes in some areas of our lives in the way of resolutions. By this time many of us have already abandoned the promises we made to ourselves at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve. What is it that really has to change for us to be successful? |
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| February 12, 2012 – Ruth Anne Mak, member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals, will present, “Finding Love in all the Odd Places”. |
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| February 19, 2012 - Sheffield native and singer/songwriter, David Walton will present a musical program of original songs on acoustic guitar and bamboo flute. |
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| February 26, 2012 – Ken Johnson, Unitarian Universalist lay speaker from Murfreesboro, TN will present, “Learning Resilience from the Masters of Resilience”. Stressors are real and can wear down anyone! What can we learn from the survivors of disastrous situations? What are the facets of a “hardy” personality and how can we build strength into our lives? |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2012 - Calendar of Events for January
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January 1, 2012
– Ken Johnson, Unitarian Universalist Church in Murfreesboro, TN will present,
“2012: For Such A Time As This”. This lesson will be based on the book of
Esther from the Hebrew Bible ( Old Testament). During a potentially
disastrous time in the history of Israel, a Jewish woman found herself placed in
a very crucial and strategic position. At this time in history, Unitarian
Universalists are also poised to play a very significant role in our nation and
our world. There will be a potluck meal following the service. |
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| January 8, 2012 – Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Creative Writing, will present, “The Impossible Dream”. We will revisit our old dreams and consider reimagining them for the future. Sound impossible? Working on the premise that your life dream doesn’t die away altogether, it does – quire often- get put on the shelf where we store emergency supplies or artifacts from the past. Often we trade a big dream for a small one. We let them go altogether. Maybe that’s not so wise after all. Today is not an emergency, but it is a good time to consider the power of remembering who you are, who you thought you would become, what you might be missing about yourself, and pause to consider whether it is just the right time to revisit that what-feels-like now is an impossible dream. Sources: Martin Luther King, Jr., Bruce Wilkinson, Steve Jobs, Don Quixote and the person sitting beside you. Our anthem: “The Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha.” |
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| January 15, 2012- Toni and Kenneth Brooks, will present, “Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice”. Travel with Toni and Kenneth to Iceland through stories and photographs. |
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| January 22, 2012 – Chuck Morgret, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, TN will present, “Let the Mysteries Be”. Gnosticism in the general sense refers to the concept that one’s salvation depends on acquiring a special esoteric knowledge or insight. However, that is an overly simplistic definition of a much more complex topic. Although it is generally thought of as an early Christian “heresy,” its roots go much deeper, to the Mystery religions that preceded and informed Christian Gnosticism, and there are echoes of Gnostic philosophy in later religious traditions. |
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| January 29, 2012 – Ruth Anne Mak, member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals, will present, “A Reason for Winter”. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for December
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| December 4, 2011 – Amber Murray and Nathan Pitts, “The Bear” will present an acoustic program of original music. Amber and Nathan are a local duo who have a fresh and exciting sound of eclectic music. Come join us for a fun and entertaining program. |
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December 8, Thursday - 2011 – Winter Solstice Celebration with Harpist Annette Harman. Service at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments following service. |
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| December 11, 2011 - Chuck Morgret, lay speaker from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, TN will present, “The Jefferson Bible”. In 1820, Thomas Jefferson pieced together (literally) a little book entitled, “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” which has also come to be called the Jefferson Bible. Mr. Morgret will discuss Jefferson’s endeavor in relation to his own spiritual journey. |
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| December 18, 2011 – Ken Johnson, Chaplain at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Murfreesboro, TN will present, “A Modern Christmas Lesson”. Let’s look back behind the materialism and the mythology to find something real and meaningful to celebrate. An adult reintroduction to Christmas for Christians, Pagans, Humanists, Agnostics, and the rest of us! |
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| December 25, 2011 – No service this day. Happy Holidays! |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for November
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November 6, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Emerson’s Links”. Much touted for his original thinking and emphasis on self reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson shaped the understanding of transcendentalism and provided for a rich legacy of people who would reinvent how self reliance is considered and is manifested in popular culture forms. We move in this presentation from a discussion of Thoreau’s Walden to the virtual self reliance of surrogate heroes who populate machine-made worlds like video games. We will test the idea of whether the evolution of the natural self celebrated by the early transcendentalists had helped to produce virtual adventures in self reliance in a different kind of natural world. Toward that end, we will look at Japanese creator Shigeru Miyamoto (The Legend of Zelda) and the author of three books that read the way a video game is played, Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games trilogy). *November 6, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins will have a book signing from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at Cold water Books in Tuscumbia for her newest novel, Cloverdale. |
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| November 13, 2011 – The Whiloms Band. The Whiloms are a guy/gal duo, both raised in central Alabama, that have a passion to write and perform pop, rock, and bluegrass influenced country music. “The Whiloms” is comprised of Michael Clements and Kirsten Shaw. Michael sings, plays all of the instruments, and acts as producer and recording engineer. Kirsten Shaw, the other lovely voice you hear, is the energetic firecracker that makes live performances feel alive. “With experience on the stage and in the studio, we feel it is obvious that we both absolutely love what we do and have so much fun doing it. We hope that you have as much fun with our music as we do!” |
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| November 20, 2011 – Dale Barrington will present, “Leaving the Light On”. The poor and the homeless are all around us. They are the ‘invisibles’ for the most part, but if we try real hard we can see them. This program will look at the economy of the privileged awakening to the reality of the non-privileged. |
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November 27, 2011 – Ken Johnson, Chaplain with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Murfreesboro will present the program. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for October
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| October 2, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Emerson’s Echoes”. When Ralph Waldo Emerson began to speak and write for an increasingly broader audience (national and international), some observers remarked that his work was without echoes. Others heard many. There were echoes, of course, but the main idea inside the assertion that Emerson’s ideas had fewer echoes than most was that he was an original thinker with invigorating viewpoints that championed self-reliance, made friends with nature in ways that Wordsworth would have smiled about (mostly), and sensed that there was something important about substitutionary feelings and actions that he tried to explain in his less famous essay “Compensation”. We will revisit some of Emerson’s ideas and listen for echoes that have emerged since Emerson first breathed the words into life. |
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| October 9, 2011 – Chuck Morgret, Aerospace Engineer and member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Tullahoma, Tennessee, will present, “Uncommon Sense: Thomas Paine and the Age of Reason”. Since becoming a UU, I have learned (and unlearned) many things about the religious views of America’s founders. This presentation is a reflection on that subject from the perspective of the writings and tumultuous life of Thomas Paine, best known as the author of “Common Sense”. |
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| October 16, 2011 – Ken Johnson, Chaplain with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will present, “Wisdom!” It is a universally valued human trait. But, wisdom does not necessarily come with old age—sometimes you just get old. What is wisdom? What are obstacles to the development of wisdom? How can we choose wisdom versus cynicism? |
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| October 23, 2011 – Dr. Lisa Jennings, Research Scientist with UT- Memphis and lay minister with the Unitarian Universalist Church on the River, Memphis Tennessee, will present, “The Definition of God”. We will explore how God may or may not be defined in our own spiritual journey. |
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| October 30, 2011 – Brenda Durham, Divinity Student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Nashville, Tennessee, will present, “To Be Announced”. Life is full of surprises. We never know what will come our way next. The trick is in knowing how to prepare ourselves spiritually for life’s curve balls. And occasionally the unexpected is actually pleasant. Come join us as we learn how to live a fulfilling life that is “To Be Announced.” |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for September
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| September 4, 2011 - Ken Johnson will present, “Radical Ideas have Radical Consequences”. How did the merger in May 1960 of two basically Christian denominations… produce something as radically new to the religious world as UU? How does UU basically differ from most Christian denominations, including liberal ones? How are we alike? We’ve been here 50 years. Can we make it another 50? |
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| September 11, 2011 – Ruth Anne Mak, member of the UU Congregation of the Shoals will present, “Attraction and Collateral Damage”. |
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| September 18, 2011 - Dale Barrington, will present, “Spirituality In Search of a Home”. This program will deal with how we “communicate” and “live” with each other. If we could learn to do it well we would have come close to tapping into precious ore, of a spiritual nature. |
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| September 25, 2011 – Ken Johnson will present, “The Second Dart: Insights from Science and Spirituality for More Effective Living”. The Buddha and other great teachers were born with brains built essentially like anyone else’s—and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world. We can now integrate breakthroughs in physiology with insights of thousands of years of contemplative practice to live our lives with more wisdom and skill. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for August
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| August 7, 2011 – Doug Traversa, Divinity student at Meadville-Lombard College and lay minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, will present, “Noah’s Ark- The Untold Story”. How does the story of Noah’s Ark drive modern hate-filled theology? Why has a grim story evolved into a popular children’s story? How are we as Unitarian Universalists to respond to people who take the story literally, and incorporate it into their personal morality? What must we offer instead? |
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| August 14, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM will present, “A Step From Heaven”. America is viewed as just a step from heaven in the moving novel A Step From Heaven, but the immigrant’s move to America as told by novelist An Na is not always a celestial reality or as close as the dream and the title of the memoir suggests. The American Dream gets lived out differently by immigrants, but their aspirations of success and longing for a quality of life are very much alike. This presentation will explore themes relevant to people from different cultures becoming more sensitive to one another’s hopes, realities, and dreams. Other books that address the immigrant’s experience of America are The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Good Enough by Paula Yoo. |
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| August 21, 2011 – Bonita McCay, Executive Director of the Northwest Alabama Community Health Association will present a program on the Community Health and Dental Clinic. The NACHA operates the Community Health and Dental Clinic, a non-profit clinic that provides quality medical services to the working uninsured and tooth extractions to those in need. Ms. McCay holds a MFA from Columbia University in New York and a BA from the University of North Alabama. In addition to her responsibilities at the clinic she is also an Adjunct at UNA in the Communications Department, and she is an active member of the North Alabama Kadampa Meditation and Book Study Group, the Shoals Environmental Alliance, and volunteers some time at the Earth Day Celebration, Early Arts, the Ritz Theater, and the Children’s Museum of the Shoals. |
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| August 28, 2011 – Brenda Durham, Divinity Student at Vanderbilt University, will present, “Love is the Only Answer”. Love, love, love! All we need is love. What the world needs now is love. There are plenty of songs about love. But what does pure love really mean and what does it look like? How do we love? Sometimes we want to roll our eyes at the suggestion that all we need is love. Human lives are complicated. Life is uncertain and we have many questions. Come let’s explore together how to answer any question with love. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for July
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| July 3, 2011 – Jeremy and Jason Green will present , “ SOS/ Secular Organizations for Sobriety and Save Our Selves”. SOS is a nationwide nonprofit network of autonomous, nonprofessional groups dedicated to helping individuals achieve and maintain sobriety. It is a friendly alternative to traditional 12-Step groups for persons who may feel uncomfortable with the spiritual or religious overtones of traditional recovery programs. SOS credits the individual for achieving and maintaining his or her won sobriety, without reliance on any deity or spiritual program. The local SOS group will be meeting at the UU building in the future and Jeremy and Jason will discuss the upcoming dates and times of meetings. |
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| July 10, 2011 – Ken Johnson will present, “Discover Your Spiritual Type”. This program is based on the book by the same title by Corinne Ware. How does your unique “way of knowing” influence your approach to spirituality? We will take a look at the four main types of spirituality and learn to recognize, appreciate, and build upon them—both in our individual lives and in the life of the congregation. Understanding spiritual type will help us to appreciate other’s spiritualities, understand our own spirituality, strengthen our local congregation, and be more effective in meeting the spiritual needs of our communities. |
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July 17, 2011 – Chuck Morgret will present, “The Meaning of Life”. When we recite our fourth principle, “A Free and Responsible Search for Truth and Meaning,” we tend to run “truthandmeaning” together as if it were a single concept. This talk is an exploration of the distinction between “truth” and “meaning” leading to his interpretation of what it means to be a UU. Chuck Morgret is a long-time member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, TN. An aerospace engineer in his day job, Chuck admits that his only real qualification to speak on spiritual matters is that he thinks about stuff a lot, often from unusual perspectives. He deeply appreciates the opportunity to occasionally share some of the stuff he’s been thinking about. |
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| July 24, 2011 – The Blue Navigators. Come kick off Handy week with the UU Congregation! Local band, The Blue Navigators have been playing together for many years. The band was formed by four friends who love all types of music. The band consists of Ernie Fite, Tim Kelley and Toni and Kenneth Brooks. If you enjoy blues, rock, folk or just plain good music come join us for an hour of “all of the above”! |
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July 31, 2011 – Bill Parkhurst will present, “Our Universalist Roots- What’s love got to do with it?” A little history, a little theology and a whole lot of love. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for June
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June 5,
2011
– Dr. Peter Solies, will
present, “Personality Types and
Phases of Spiritual Growth”.
This talk will address both,
different human personality
types and different phases of
spiritual growth. Understanding
these issues will hopefully
contribute to acceptance of one
another and encouragement to
spiritual growth in our
congregations, as stated in our
third UU principle.
Dr. Peter
Solies is a member of the
Unitarian Universalist Church of
Tullahoma, Tennessee. He grew up
in Germany attending Lutheran
churches. In 1978 he came to the
United States as an engineering
graduate student. He teaches
Aerospace Engineering at the
University of Tennessee Space
Institute. In 1981 he discovered
Unitarian Universalism and has
been a happy UU ever since.
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June 12, 2011 – K.C. Reddy, will present, “Neurotheology – Connections between brain, mind and spirituality”. Mr. Reddy has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, Tennessee for about 45 years. He is a retired Dean and Professor of Mathematics at The University of Tennessee Space Institute and occasionally still teaches there. |
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| June 19, 2011 – Ken Sizemore, will present a musical program on acoustic guitar entitled, “Family Ties”. Ken is a singer/songwriter who currently lives in Panama City Beach, Florida. He has entertained audiences for many years throughout the southeast. |
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June 26, 2011- Dale Barrington will present, “Ready
or Not, Here I Come”. Nature has its own sense of maturation and spirituality
whereas, culture is our way of responding to it. That is where our trouble comes
from most of the time, however, it does not have to be that way.
Also, a potluck meal after the service to say good-bye to the Dotson family who
will be moving to Prattville. The UU will provide the paper products and
the drinks. Please bring a dish and plan to stay and eat and enjoy good
fellowship following the service. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for May
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May 1, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of
Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Behold, a Southern Woman in Whom There
is No Guile (and other things to think about)”. Miracles happen, and people who
prefer not to lie still live and move among us. I’ve seen them. When I do,
I wonder, “How have you managed to become a guileless human being, and why was
it your goal?” Maybe that person evolved out of a commitment to the
admonition to think about what is noble, true, and beautiful. Before Keats immortalized that philosophy in his famous poem, the encouragement showed up in Philippians, 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things. That’s good advice from any poet or preacher, but when you try to follow it, how do you know what those things are? We will try to solve the mystery together. |
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| May 8, 2011 – Ken Johnson, Chaplain at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will present, “Give me a Reason”. Why should someone get out of bed on Sunday morning and come to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals? Why do most people go to church on Sunday or seek a spirituality or religion anyway? Are we answering the questions people are asking? |
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| May 15, 2011 – Jill Perry, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Shoals Solid Waste Authority will speak on the importance of recycling and the recycling program in the Shoals area. Ms. Perry is a graduate of Northwest Shoals Community College in Environmental Health and Applied Science. |
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May 22, 2011 – Margie Anderton will present,
“The Things You Need to Know about Hummingbirds”. She will show pictures
of the banding done in the Shoals area and share information about these
beautiful birds. Also May 22, 2011 UUCS Annual Meeting following the service. We will elect officers and adopt our budget for the coming years. All members are encouraged to attend. |
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| May 29, 2011 – Dale Barrington, will present, “Church: What good is it?” We will look at the affect church attendance has on ourselves, our families and the community we live in. What good is it to go to church?---Being a UU is helpful, that’s for sure….. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for April
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| April 3, 2011 – David Walton, singer, songwriter and musician will present a program of original music on acoustic guitar and bamboo flute. David is a native of Sheffield, Alabama. |
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April 10, 2011 – Cindy Crawford, President of the UUCS, will present, “Square Foot Gardening: an easier, more fun way to garden”. Does your garden turn into an unkempt mass of weeds and unmet goals? Square Foot Gardening, developed by Mel Bartholomew, is an efficient, easier method of gardening. Cindy Crawford will discuss the highlights of the method, and the changes needed for our climate. Feel the satisfaction of having your own little plot with maximum results. Your green thumb will emerge again! |
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April 17, 2011 – Ken Johnson, Chaplain at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will present, “Post Traumatic Religion Disorder: Unhooking Your Heart from Toxic Faith”. (This will be Part One of this series. Part Two will be presented May 8, 2011, discussion will follow the services for those who wish to stay). Mr. Johnson’s experience has been that the majority of UU’s are what he calls “church refugees”. They come to Unitarian Universalism from other churches—often after very unpleasant and negatively formative encounters. This “trauma” has ongoing effects in the life of the recovering person. It has a potentially de-formative effect on future attempts at building a personal theology and can postpone, hinder or derail spiritual development and evolution. The series is divided into 4 sections: 1. What are the Sources of Post Traumatic Religion Disorder? Giving words to what happened to us 2. What are the Symptoms of PTRD? What are the lingering effects on our lives? 3. What are the Signs of moving beyond/healing PTRD? What are the indications that we are healing? 4. What are some Suggestions for moving on? Some positive suggestions for avoiding the traps that keep us stuck. Mr. Johnson will present the first two sections on April 17, 2011. Mr. Johnson is a former evangelical minister. He graduated from David Lipscomb University in 1988, and Asbury Theological Seminary in 1995. He has an M.A. in Counseling. He served Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches until 2001 when he resigned after over 20 years of ministry. He has also worked 18 years at Parthenon Pavilion Hospital in various roles in acute care psychiatry in care giving and administrative capacities. He resigned in 2010 to re-imagine and re-direct his life. He is currently a member of the board at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Murfreesboro and is one of two “chaplains” there and has had this position since 2009. |
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| April 24, 2011 – Dale Barrington, lay minister from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, will present, “The Eternal Now: both good and bad choices”. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for March
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March 6, 2011 – Doug Traversa, lay minister with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, Tennessee and divinity student at Meadville-Lombard College in Chicago, Illinois, will present, “The Pernicious Doctrine of Hell.” A critical look at the doctrine of Hell as found in the Bible and the Koran. Belief in Hell harms individuals by warping the basis of their relationships and creating the image of a hateful God. A doctrine of eternal punishment also creates hatred, division, and animosity towards others who believe differently. Only when people stop categorizing certain groups as “deserving eternal punishment” can they enter into meaningful dialog and mutual love, support, and ministry. |
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March 13, 2011 – The Blue Navigators. Local musicians Tim Kelley, Toni and Kenneth Brooks and Ernie Fite will entertain the congregation with a variety of songs from folk to blues to rock and roll. Come join us for a relaxed and fun hour of music. |
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March 20, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “After Alzheimer’s” This presentation will consider the effect of Alzheimer’s disease on a family after the initial diagnosis and then after the afflicted patient has passed on. The disease doesn’t actually stop with the death of the patient. Alzheimer’s remains with the survivors in many ways. The changes it creates are powerful. Beginning with a great unraveling of one person’s mind, the disease leaves behind for others a number of questions that can be authentically answered; and when they are, a different world view—or at least, a fresh view of personhood – emerges in ways that are as surprising as the announcement of the disease when it first made its presence known. This presentation will explore some of the questions raised by Alzheimer’s and offer some of the answers. The speaker today has written about Alzheimer’s in a memoir, The Long Good Night (available on Kindle). |
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March 27, 2011 – Brenda Durham, divinity student at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, will present, “Planting Seeds of Compassion”. What is your Compassion Quotient (CQ)? All of the major world religions and spiritual traditions have at the heart of their belief system some version of the Golden Rule, or the principle of compassion. Karen Armstrong, religious historian and founder of the “Charter for Compassion” says, “We can learn to make educated, informed compassionate responses and see all sides of the problem.” Compassion begins as a seed and when cultivated can be expanded globally breaking down political and ideological barriers. The world is hungry for change, for a more compassionate response to living. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for February
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February 6, 2011 - Dr. Larry Bates, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Alabama, will present, “Sacred Emotions”. As we draw near Valentine’s Day, perhaps it’s a good time to examine some of the emotions that we find sacred. These are emotions that are perhaps more likely to occur in religious settings, or elicited through spiritual practices, but can be experienced in nonreligious settings as well. Some emotions are just great and probably need sacred status. |
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February 13, 2011 - James Barrington will present, “Hide and Seek: theology as a corrupt form of spirituality”. Mr. Barrington will speak on the religious metaphors that has inhibited his growth in spirituality instead of enhancing it. He has spent his life trying to figure out how to explain religious concepts that made sense to him and simply had to reconstruct or replace the cultural metaphors that shaped him from birth. To be true to his head and heart with a loving presence has been his hope. This has worked some times and sometimes it has not. |
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| February 20, 2011 - Ken Sizemore, singer, songwriter and musician from Panama City, Florida will present, “A Jimmy Buffett Morning”. After retirement, Ken moved from Nashville to Panama City and plays at various venues there and around the southeast. |
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February 27, 2011 - "Reiki: The energy work to
relax, renew, heal and energize", will be presented by Mary Laman, Mary Kaduk
and Mary Mueller. Reiki is a hands on healing art with roots in ancient India and Tibet. It was lost in time and Sanskrit until Dr. Usui went in search of a better way. Reiki has the same power to heal and relieve physical and emotional pain much the same way as a Mother’s kiss can heal a Boo Boo. Reiki can only be used for the highest and best use of the receiver. It can only be practiced on a person who has given consent to receive it. And can only be used for good by the practitioner. A Reiki session will be performed accompanied by a narration of the principles, history and practice of Reiki. Be with us and learn how to allow better well-being and peace into your life! Namaste |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2011 - Calendar of Events for January
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January 2, 2011 – Bill Parkhurst will present, “Ignorance is bliss….the resolution of Science and Faith”. My ignorance is encyclopedic. Nevertheless, this absence of certainty allows one to plumb the depths of the oft-considered rift between science and faith. Talk about your New Year’s resolutions! |
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| January 9, 2011- Caroline Lopez will present, “Modern Buddhism and the Ancient Teachings of The Four Noble Truths”. During these modern times, Buddha’s teachings seem more relevant than ever. It is a time of increasing intellectual and technological discussions, conflicts and discoveries coupled with economical, emotional and spiritual difficulties and confusion. We take the beginning of this year to learn about ‘The Four Noble Truths’, which were the very first teachings of Buddha, given over 2600 years ago, and apply them to our modern daily lives. By taking a look at our current challenges, we can analyze the truth of where they came from, if it is possible to solve these problems and how to do this in a way that is integrated into our busy daily activities. This traditional manner of using our daily life and sufferings to change and recreate our personal world is unique to Buddhism. This path of compassion and wisdom can lead to the lasting happiness of ourselves and others. Let’s begin our new year by understanding and engaging in the profound and meaningful teaching of Buddha as presented in the new book, Modern Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. This presentation is given by local Kadampa Buddhist Teacher, Caroline Lopez, who has lived in the Shoals since 2003 and has been studying under Gen Kelsang Mondrub from Kadampa Meditation Center in Georgia, and has also received many teachings from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso who states, “Everyone, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, needs permanent liberation from suffering, and pure and everlasting happiness.” Caroline adds, “As Kadampa Buddhists, we do not wish for others to become Buddhists, we wish for everyone to become happy.” |
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| January 16, 2011 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Light Up the Dark for the New Year”. This presentation will look at the various ways that kinds of light and shades of darkness have been used as metaphors for sharing aspects of the human experience. |
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| January 23, 2011 – Lisa Anderson will present, “Metaphysical Levels: Body, Sense, Self and Others”. As a result of a unique experience, I am able to share my understanding of the cogs and realms of consciousness. At the metaphysical level, we have four centres: Body, Sense, Self and Others. They reside along the X and Y planes of our mind’s map. The next layer of consciousness , 5th, surrounds these bases and facilitates for all habits. The next layer, 6th, moves around these; 5th and 6th encompasses the X and Y planes-thus creating the first two circular realms of the Z-plane, or infinite consciousness, C. Surrounding 5th and 6th, there is Cof, Nothing, and Absolutes. I will share excerpts from my journals and details of these meta-non-physical contributors. |
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| January 30, 2011 – Ginger Stone will present, “If a Voice Cries Out and There is No One to Hear, Is There Still a Sound?” Ginger Stone holds a Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science from Athens State University and works as a Victim’s Services Coordinator for Safeplace, the comprehensive Domestic Violence Program serving Northwest Alabama. Ginger spends the majority of her time in Colbert County courtrooms assisting victims in domestic violence cases. She also co-facilitates PEACE, the Domestic Violence Perpetrator Intervention Program sponsored by Safeplace. Ginger serves on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Coalition against Domestic Violence as well as the Alabama Perpetrator Intervention Program’s Certification Committee. A domestic violence survivor, Ginger recognizes the stronghold that family violence holds over victims and abusers alike, but knows that people have the power to change. Her optimism is captured in her recently published biography, As the sycamore grows, by Jennie Miller Helderman. Ginger’s story is tragic yet uplifting, informative yet compelling. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for December
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| December 5, 2010 - Doug Traversa, Vanderbilt Divinity student and member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, Tennessee will present, "It's Time to Legalize Gay Marriage". While hardly a controversial issue within the UU world, there are aspects to this civil rights issue that many Unitarian Universalists aren't aware of. Find out why fundamentalist Christians are really opposed to homosexuality and same-sex marriage ( most of you will be surprised). Learn why this issue is of such importance to us all, and why we can't remain silent. |
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| ****December 12, 2010 - Sharon Austell, Vanderbilt Divinity student will present the program. There will be a potluck after the service.**** |
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| December 19, 2010 - Dr. Thomas Kersen, Professor of Sociology will present, "Communal Living in the Heart of Dixie". Alabama is known for many things, but what many people do not realize is that the state has been the home to many intentional communities (AKA communes) for over one hundred years. |
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| December 26, 2010 - James Barrington will present, "Hide and Seek: theology as a corrupt form of spirituality". Mr. Barrington will speak on the religious metaphors that has inhibited his growth in spirituality instead of enhancing it. He has spent his life trying to figure out how to explain religious concepts that made sense to him and simply had to reconstruct or replace the cultural metaphors that shaped him from birth. To be true to his head and heart with a loving presence has been his hope. This has worked some times and sometimes it has not. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for November
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| November 7 – Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Creative Writing, will present, “Knowing the Desire of Your Heart”. Desire is one of the strongest words we have to indicate that there is inside of us often a great yearning for more than we have. This desire seeks the fulfillment which we intuitively believe should satisfy and complete us in the very marrow of our bones, if not our souls. This presentation will take a look at the nature of desire and the desire for justice and how it is only one aspect of the UU soul that finds its origins most likely in the social conditions as they are addressed in the Victorian Age. But that time has come and gone ( for the most part). We are in what some like to call modernity, which is frequently associated with depression, nihilism and , at times, a despair that such a thing as fulfilled desire is actually possible; and if achieved, leads to anything like happiness. Maybe it doesn’t. Let’s talk about Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens and the desires of our just and unjust hearts. |
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| November 14 – Vanderbilt Divinity student, Sharon Austell from Lynchburg, Tennessee will present the program “Meeting the Prodigal” . |
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November 21 –Brenda Durham, Vanderbilt Divinity student will present the program, “Happy Thanks-Living”. |
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| November 28 – Paul McAuliffe, UU member at the Panama City Unitarian Universalist Church will present, “Flutes, Autism, and a Different Way of Seeing”. Paul will present a unique program of music, autism education, and autism advocacy. He will talk about his own autistic journey of self-discovery, play quiet, soothing music on a variety of ethnic flutes, discuss what it is like living with Asperger’s Syndrome (mild autism) in a neurotypical world, and why Asperger’s kids will be the inventors and innovators of the future. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for October
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| October 3 – Kathryn Rice will present, “Carpe Diem, Anyone?” A native of Alabama, educated in visual arts, an appreciative spectator of the world’s creative efforts, a traveler to foreign places, a Unitarian since 1947, Mrs. Rice will share some observations on what it was all about. She will be working on this answer right up until 11:00 a.m. October 3! |
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| October 10 – Cynthia Alby, Professor of Education at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, GA, will present, “Expectations” . Unexpected things seem to happen a lot in our lives. How might it be possible to learn not only to expect the unexpected but even appreciate the unexpected? |
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| October 17 – Malu Graham will present, “Seeing More Deeply”. Malu Graham was born in Uniontown, PA, graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1943 from Bethany College, W. VA. In 1944, marriage to a navy pilot, who at the war’s end became an engineer, took her to South America with her young son Robert. Her daughter, Kathleen was born in the mining town of Maria Elena, Chile. Returning to America in 1956, she spent nineteen years in Memphis; moved to Maryland where she was a teacher of French and Spanish. At retirement, she moved to Florida and began her writing life of poetry and fiction. She won several fiction prizes at that time, including the coveted Hackney Award from Birmingham Southern College. Returning to Memphis, she became a member of the Poetry Society of Tennessee, where she was named Poet Laureate in 2006-07 . In 2009, she won the title of Senior Poet Laureate of Tennessee in a national contest. She continues to write both poetry and short stories and continues to gain recognition for her work. |
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October 24 – David Walton, Sheffield native, song writer and musician will present a program of original music on acoustic guitar and bamboo flute. |
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| October 31 – Brenda Durham will present, “Trick or Treat – What Scares you?”. Fear and worry can haunt us and paralyze us and are sometimes rooted in the dark shadows of the past. How do we begin to release our fears (tricks) and pursue that which gives us joy (treats)? Brenda Durham is a Divinity School student at Vanderbilt University. She is from Birmingham, AL and holds a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham-Southern College. She is a Master Reiki Teacher and practitioner and is committed to bringing about healing to our planet. Brenda is a pianist by “divine” training, playing improvisational pieces as inspired by her audience. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for September
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| September 5 - Dr. Bob England, Professor of History, Northwest Shoals Community College will speak on the Jacksonian influences on Alabama Politics |
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| September 12 - Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM will present "The Spirit of Dissent—A Righteous Calling" In the essay “My First Acquaintance With Poets” William Hazlitt writes about his heritage in the Unitarian Church. Specifically he is interested in the “Spirit of Dissent,” a calling his father had given his life to as a "Dissenting Minister." In this essay Hazlitt offers us an insider’s glimpse into the tensions of early Dissenting Ministers, who represent a philosophical root of the present-day Unitarian Universalist church. We will move from Hazlitt’s essay to a refreshing look at Samuel Taylor Coleridge who is featured in the essay, and finally, we will consider the nature of dissenting voices: how they found their roots in both French and American history and why they still matter today. |
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| September 19 - Dr. Larry Waldrep will present the topic "Zen Buddhism, its past, present and future." |
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| September 26 - Dr. Lisa Jennings, UU Church on the River in Memphis. Her topic will be announced shortly. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for August
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| August 1, 2010 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Humility, Service and Gratitude” An alternative title for this presentation might be How To Eat Crow and Like IT (Vegetarians, too); but in the spirit of serving a broader array of foods on the buffet, this presentation will lead a discussion in finding your hidden strengths, which can appear to be positions of weakness associated with humility, service and gratitude. Dr. Martin Seligman, psychologist, Erin McKean, lexicographer, and Jesus, dreamweaver, will be referenced. |
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| August 8, 2010 – Brenda Durham, Vanderbilt Divinity Student, will present, “Life Aplenty”. Prosperity Consciousness – Is it all about making money? Or could there be more to living a life of bountiful, copious, overflowing joy in our lives? What is the spiritual connection? What are the natural laws of giving and receiving, and of having more of what we desire in our lives? Come learn how to release the blocks to the path of fulfillment on life’s journey. |
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| August 15, 2010 – Ken Sizemore, musician ,songwriter and folk singer will present, “The Music of Pete Seeger”. Ken has been playing and performing folk music for many years, first in the Nashville area and now in Panama City, Florida. He regularly performs on the beach in Panama City and the Gulf Coast. |
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| August 22, 2010 – Sharon Austell, Vanderbilt Divinity Student from Lynchburg, Tennessee will conduct the worship service. The topic of her sermon to be announced. |
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August 29, 2010 – Dr. Larry Bates, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Alabama, will present, “The Religion –Health Connection: Facts and Fiction.” “Any link between religion and health defies simple explanation. Clearly there is a link, but probably not as robust as advertised in the sound bites we see on the news or as fodder for our sermons. The effects are also a bit bipolar, with both positive and negative effects, and related to both physical and mental health. Hence, we’ll take a fresh look at this odd relationship from an empirical standpoint.” |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for July
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| July 4, 2010 – “Flutes of the World” Paul McAuliffe of the UU Fellowship of Bay County, Florida, has lived in New York, Vermont, Maine and Texas. A former National Park Ranger, he is also a bamboo flute maker and short story writer. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome ( a mild form of autism) in 2008, he now facilities support groups for both Asperger’s adults and children. |
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July 11, 2010 – Ken Johnson, Chaplain of the UU
Fellowship of Murfreesboro, TN will present, “Spiritual Practices: The World
Needs More People Who Have Come Fully Alive!” UUs have a strong history of
socially engaged spirituality. We pray with our feet! We believe in
action. Life is demanding! In this process, most people get caught
up in an externally focused life. We take care of the spouse, we take care
of the kids, we take care of the lawn, we take care of the dog, and we take care
of the school board and the town council. Then one day we find ourselves
burning out—very tired, cynical, depressed, and wanting to throw in the towel.
Is there a more skillful approach to altruism and social action? Ken Johnson was deeply involved for over 20 years in fundamental Christian ministry. He worked in pulpit ministry, small group leadership, adult Christian education, and men’s ministry. His special interest as a Christian minister was “expository” Biblical sermons – with a strong emphasis on life application. Ken has also had a focused interest in understanding and helping to facilitate spiritual growth and transformation for many years. The majority of his ministry experience was with conservative Churches of Christ. He is a graduate of David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee and of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Ken resigned in 2001 after evolving out of fundamentalism and is currently working as a chaplain with the UU Fellowship of Murfreesboro, TN. Ken has worked in the mental health field in acute care psychiatry for about 18 years. |
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| July 18, 2010 – Doug Traversa, Lay Minister for the UU Fellowship of Tullahoma, TN and a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School will present, “Religion Sans Love”. Religions fail when they lose sight of love. We will look at historical examples of this and discuss why our faith and ethics must be built on a simple love of others. Whether you are an atheist or a deeply religious person of any faith, love must be the foundation of your beliefs, or you risk becoming a monster. |
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| July 25, 2010 – The Blue Navigators will kick off the Handy Fest with a program of music from genres such as blues, rock, folk, and country-- from Bob Dylan to the Rolling Stones to Jimmie Rogers. Come join us for a fun hour of great summer music! |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for June
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| June 6, 2010 – Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Creative Writing will present, “Hausmusik to Consolation”. In previous times, hausmusik ( the music that is often played at church for meditation purposes), was not created or played to entertain but to lead listeners to a meditative place where congregants might fulfill a goal fulsomely described by Paul in Philippians 4:8 “..Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy---meditate on these things.” But why? Our spirits know before our hearts do; our hearts long for meaning and consolation like a deer pants for the water. We will pause to meditate about the consolation that heart-driven, soul-longing meditation can bring. |
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| June 13, 2010 – Brandon J. Simonson will present, “Legal Innovation on the Periphery: The Intersections of Gender, Ethnicity, and Empire in Ancient Near Eastern Law.” This presentation will examine early manifestations of social justice in the legal materials of societies in the ancient Near east. It will explore an early presence of tendencies toward social and economic justice in legal contracts. By examining these tendencies, this presentation will draw parallels with our own society, amplifying humankind’s continued effort to confront issues of injustice. Brandon is from Red Wing, Minnesota and is a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University, receiving the Master of Divinity degree from the Divinity School in May. |
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| June 20, 2010 – Brenda Durham will present, “Ars Viviendi- The Art of Living Well”. We can easily become discouraged and pessimistic when we turn on the news and are continually bombarded with the dominance of the negative sides of our human natures in society. We can become frustrated with the human race and give up on others. Or we can learn to look beyond appearances to see what is true for everyone and find hope in the world and learn to experience the art of living well. Brenda Durham is a Divinity School student at Vanderbilt University. She is from Birmingham, AL and holds a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham-Southern College. Her goal is to pursue ordination as a Unity minister. She is a Master Prosperity Teacher having trained with Edwene Gaines and is a Master Reiki practitioner. Prior to beginning Divinity School, she worked for many years as an administrator and provider of homeless housing programs. Brenda is also a pianist by “divine” training, playing improvisational pieces as inspired by her audience. |
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| June 27, 2010 – “Return More: Living a Life of Significance” , the 5th installment of the DVD The Five Things you Must Discover Before You Die by Dr. John Izzo will be shown |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for May
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| May 2, 2010 – Doug Traversa, Lay Minister for the Tullahoma, Tennessee UU Congregation and Vanderbilt Divinity Student, will present, “Asking the Right Questions”. One of the biggest problems in our search for truth and meaning is knowing what questions to ask. It is easy to get side-tracked by questions that can never be answered. By focusing on questions that can lead to practical answers, we can succeed in our quest. Knowing what questions to ask can lead to transformative breakthroughs in our lives. |
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| May 9, 2010 – Sharon Austell, Divinity Student at Vanderbilt University will present, “Mama Mia”. This program will center around moms/female role models in honor of Mother’s Day. |
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| May 16, 2010 – The local band, The Bear, will give a performance of different styles of music that include folk, rock, bluegrass, Americana and experimental. The band formed in the Shoals area in 2006. It started as a duo and has recently added members. The members in the band are Amber Murray, Nathan Pitts, Ben tanner, Kyle Minkler and Ben Stedman. They are currently recording their first album which will come out in late summer or early fall. |
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| May 23, 2010 – Local singer and songwriter, David Walton will present a musical program of original songs on acoustic guitar and bamboo flute. |
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| May 30, 2010 – The DVD series, The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die, by Dr. John Izzo will continue with the 4th installment entitled, Enjoy More: Living a Life of Joy. Dr. Izzo interviewed over 200 people, ages 60-106, each of whom was identified by friends and acquaintances as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning. “ He asked them questions about their lives and in this series he shares their stories and what he learned from listening to them. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for April
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| April 4, 2010 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Reflections on “The Song of Bernadette”. In a discussion of old movies—specifically movies starring Jennifer Jones—UU member Phillip Oliver asked me whether I thought people really did have visions from God like Bernadette does in the biographical move “The Song of Bernadette.” We wondered together if visions are not emanations from a person’s imagination, the way artistic visions can be or are they truly imposed upon people by God. More curious for me, a Protestant, I wonder why Catholics have visions of Mary, as Bernadette does, but Protestants don’t seem to—or, if they do, they don’t on record with these visions that result in memorials, like Lourdes, the famous French healing place, which marks the location where Bernadette received her visions of Mary, the Mother of Christ. Recognizing that we cannot definitively answer this question outside the boundaries of faith, we will use Bernadette’s story on Easter Sunday as a springboard, Phillip’s questions as the dynamic, and then think through together the anecdotal evidence as represented by Bernadette’s story in both the movie and the book of the same title by Franz Werfel. |
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| April 11, 2010 – Dr. Larry Bates, Professor of Psychology at UNA, will present, “Smaller”. This talk examines things in life that we want to reduced to a lesser degree of largeness; like say my waste/waist. Actually, it’s more like one man’s obsession with fat, different kinds of fat. When it comes to dieting, I prefer to weight/wait. So this is just a post-Lent sick self-analysis by a psychologist on why he wants to be smaller, in a lot of weighs…er..ways”. |
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| April 18, 2010- Paul Graham, Director of Urban Forestry for the City of Florence, will present, “Urban Forestry: Community Stewardship”. |
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| April 25, 2010 – The DVD series “The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die” by Dr. John Izzo will continue with the 3rd DVD in the series entitled, “Love More: Living a Life of Kindness”. Dr. Izzo is the bestselling author of Second Innocence and host of the PBS series The Five Things You Must Discover Before You Die. He holds advanced degrees in religion and psychology, he has spoken to one million people on four continents about living purposeful lives. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for March
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| March 7, 2010 – “How a Year in Afghanistan Helped Make Everything Clear”. Doug Traversa will share how his deployment in Afghanistan taught him valuable lessons and led him to Unitarian Universalism. He will share stories about facing death, learning about Islam from his interpreters, and how tough his adjustment was returning to the States. He will discuss how he became a Unitarian Universalist, and how vitally important our religion is today. Doug Traversa retired from the Air Force January 31, 2009 and became the lay minister of the UU Church of Tullahoma the next day. He is a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School in the Master of Divinity Program. He is married to his wife, Jancy; they have been married 25 years. They have three wonderful children who are all on their own now. They have five dogs in their home, plus foster dogs. |
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| March 14, 2010 – Local band, The Blue Navigators, will perform a variety of blues, rock, country and folks songs. |
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| March 21, 2010 – UPDATE - Dolores Hydock – “Dead Cats and Spunk Water: Superstition and Magical Thinking in the Writing of Mark Twain”. From the Garden of Eden, when Adam struggled to explain the appearance of “this new creature with the long hair,” to Tom Sawyer’s search for a superior cure for warts, Mark Twain’s inventive characters—and sometimes Samuel Clemens himself—often used superstitions, folk wisdom, and imagination to make sense of an uncertain world. Join storyteller Dolores Hydock for an explanation of the magical thinking of Mark Twain’s masterful stories. |
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| March 27th, Saturday night,2010 – Ken Sizemore, singer, songwriter and folk musician from Panama City, Florida, will give a free concert at the UU Congregation of the Shoals. The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. |
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| March 28, 2010 – Singer, songwriter and folk musician, Ken Sizemore will present, “We Shall Overcome---Songs of the Civil and Human Rights Movement”. Mr. Sizemore dedicates this program to Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for February
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| February 7, 2010 – Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “Civil Rights and the Jewish Community”. Inspired by Mary Stanton’s book The Hand of Esau this lecture will explore the question of how the Montgomery bus boycott affected the Jewish community in the South, specifically, Montgomery, AL. Like other minority groups who find themselves embroiled in larger sociological issues, the Jewish community had many particular considerations to weigh ( and their own faith to consider as well as their own economic survival) when challenged to respond to this movement toward equal rights that had its roots not only in the Constitution, but according to Martin Luther King, Jr., the Christian gospel. |
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| February 14, 2010 – “Risk More: Living a Life of Courage and Adventure”. John Izzo, Ph.D., is the bestselling author of Second Innocence and the host of the public television series The Five Things You Must Discover Before You Die. Dr. Izzo interviewed over 200 people, ages 60 – 106, each of whom was identified by friends and acquaintances as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.” This DVD series shares their stories –funny, moving, and thought-provoking—and the Five Secrets he learned from listening to them. This is the 2nd DVD of the series. |
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| February 21, 2010 – “The Beauty of the Country and the Warm, Gentle People of Nicaragua”. Betty and Ron Gillespie will share their November 2009 visit to San Juan del sur, Nicaragua in photos and stories. Ron and Betty spent eleven days enjoying the beautiful crescent beach of San Juan del sur, exploring the warm sun, the tropical paradise and the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. |
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| February 28, 2010 – The UNA Department of Music and Theatre presents, “Turn of the Millennium: Choral Gems from 1990-2010”. This concert features the UNA Chamber Choir and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble in a program of the best modern choral music from around the world and right here at home. Composers include Part, Whitacre, Hogan, Owens, Loeppky, Lauridsen, Stone, Paulus, Meader, and many others. A wonderful choral experience not to be missed! |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2010 - Calendar of Events for January
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January 3, 2010 – Sharon Bonner Austell will present, “Looking at the Road Through the Raindrops”. Ms. Austell will talk about the lenses through which we view our lives, and ways to improve our views by recognizing our strengths and indwelling divinity. (Ms. Austell has a BA in religion and psychology from Athens State College and is a first year student at Vanderbilt University in the Master of Divinity program. She is pursuing ordination in the United Methodist Church. She has been married for 19 years to her high-school sweetheart and they have four children.) |
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January 10, 2010 – DVD presentation of “The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die”, by Dr. John Izzo. Talk # 1 on January 10, 2010 will be "Reflect More: Living a Life of Intention". (John Izzo is the bestselling author of Second Innocence and the host of the public television series The Five Things You Must Discover Before You Die. Holding advanced degrees in religion and psychology, Izzo has spoken to one million people on four continents about living more purposeful lives. For this book/DVD series, John Izzo interviewed over 200 people, ages 60-106, each of whom was identified by friends and acquaintances as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.” From town barbers to Holocaust survivors, from aboriginal chiefs to CEOs, these people had over 18,000 years of life experience between them. He asked them questions like, What brought you the greatest joy? What do you wish you had learned sooner? What ultimately mattered and what didn’t? Here Izzo shares their stories- funny, moving, and thought-provoking—and the Five Secrets he learned from listening to them.) |
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| January 17, 2010 -- Brandon J. Simonson will present, “On Jewish Life in Persian Egypt: How Ancient Languages and Cultures Can Contribute to Our Understanding of Religious Literature”. This presentation will explore the people behind the texts, but not those who necessarily contributed to the writing of the texts, by examining the daily lives of the inhabitants of the Jewish colony in Elephantine, a small island on the Nile River. This examination is possible due to the survival of several letters, lists, and laws from the community, all preserved on papyri. Valuable to the study of ancient life in Persian period Egypt, these texts also provide a glimpse into life contemporaneous with the development of the biblical text and can perhaps provide insight into the ancient lives of those not preserved in aristocratic documents like the biblical text. ( Brandon J. Simonson is from Red Wing, Minnesota and is currently a master’s student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He recently submitted his thesis on the role of ancient languages and cultures for interpretation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. He has presented papers at Yale University, Vanderbilt University, and at regional meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature.) |
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January 24, 2010 – Gerald and Cindy Crawford will present, “Our Friends to the North—The Canadian Maritime Provinces”. The Crawfords spent most of August and September traveling in Eastern Canada with a group of American RV enthusiasts. They learned so much about, and gained a great respect for the warm people and beautiful windswept country in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador and Prince Edward Island. The presentation will include photos and history, along with a close look at the Acadians, the hardy descendants of Seventeenth- Century French colonists. |
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January 31, 2010 – Brenda Durham will present, “Ars Viviendi – The Art of Living Well”. We can easily become discouraged and pessimistic when we turn on the news and are continually bombarded with the dominance of the negative sides of our human natures in society. We can become frustrated with the human race and give up on others. Or we can learn to look beyond appearances to see what is true for everyone and find hope in the world and learn to experience the art of living well. (Brenda Durham is a Divinity School student at Vanderbilt University. She is from Birmingham, AL and holds a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham-Southern College. Her goal is to pursue ordination as a Unity minister. She is a Master Prosperity Teacher having trained with Edwene Gaines and is a Master Reiki practitioner.) |
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Services begin at 11 a.m., Coffee hour follows service. |