Min. Messages 2004

Ministers' Messages 2004

December 2004

“What you’re doing, boy, speaks so loud I can’t hear what you’re saying!” These immortal words from one of my mentors, Marlin S. Hoffman, echo bedrock truth. As a preacher I utter a lot of words. Sometimes I wonder if I would be of more use in the world if I talked less and acted more.

At Live Oak we are blessed to have a focused effort to turn our good intentions into works. Its name is Community Outreach. Daniel Kaulfus, Brian Winkelmann, Hella Holoubek, John Phelps, Leah Korn, and Jon Montgomery are among the prime organizers of this lot.

Forty-eight UUs, 40 of which were Live Oakers, transformed a house into a home last month in East Austin. “Hungry Harry” yielded Thanksgiving baskets for needy families. Eight of us took part in personally delivering these gifts of love.

The “Giving Tree” will be placed in the Fellowship Hall and decorated by our children, youth, and teachers. You will be invited to pull a card with a designated gift to go under the tree, which will then to given to area families.

Our spiritual community offers a flowing chalice from which our words become flesh. This well worn line can find root in our acts of kindness: “Peace on earth and goodwill among all.”

Soulfully, Chuck Freeman

November 2004

At a time when many of us look toward a Thanksgiving feast with family and friends, others have been fasting during the day throughout the month of Ramadan. Daily abstinence from food and drink, intimate relations, and smoking helps Muslims focus on their faith rather than on bodily needs and desires. They take more time to pray and worship. During Ramadan, it is especially offensive to tell a lie, spread slander or false rumors, denounce someone behind his back (are you listening, politicians?), or succumb to greed or covetousness. After dark, the feasting begins as people visit family and friends in their homes or mosques.

In the days of November leading to the culturally dominant Thanksgiving Day, perhaps all of us will benefit from a little more prayerful gratitude. At Live Oak, in addition to gratitude for our families, let us give thanks for the tremendous level of commitment and care that goes into our church life.

Martha Nethers is organizing a Thanksgiving potluck – look for details inside these pages and on the email announce list! Bring your grateful heart and your favorite autumn holiday food and join in this time of fellowship and frivolity. Thanks, Martha!

While I’m on the subject of gratitude, let me also say THANK YOU, one and all, for your part in this amazing congregation. See you in church!

Blessings, Kathleen

October 2004

Robert and Jessie Doremus. Do these names ring a bell? The gymnasium of my adolescent days at Washington and Lee University is named in their honor for gifts to the school. I relished many moments of pleasure in this gym and never gave thanks, never even wondered who Doremus was.

Roger and Alice Sessions are two of our Doremuses. They are among that original number of mavericks from First Church with the “crazy idea” and a dream for establishing a UU church in Northwest Austin. They edited the inaugural two page newsletter, and became bedrocks of our religious home.

Alice gave us our name. She has served on everything from clean up crew to RE director, to Live Oak President. Roger has run the gamut from teen toting, to Worship Committee Chair, to church President. I am a richer man for having witnessed up close their dedication, anguish, sacrifice, and love for our sacred community. Yes, they had their foibles and the church its faults. But the collective spiritual account reflects many more credits than debits.

This is the end of an era. A year or so back Alice and Roger decided to go separate ways in their marriage, and now their individual spiritual paths have led to church homes away from Live Oak. Lives shift, folks change, and institutions evolve. We suffer loss, but are emboldened by a greater vision.

First generation Live Oakers know the names and holy offerings of Roger and Alice. But for you second wave acorns, the names may be unknown. Nonetheless, your branches reach sunward from their roots.

As one of our mythic hymns resounds, “Though the path be hard and long, still we strive in expectation, join we now their ageless song, one with them in aspiration. One in name in honor one, guard we well the crown they won; what they dreamed be ours to do, hope their hopes, and seal them true.”

September 2004

What a grand and gala celebration we had for all ages in the culmination of the children’s summer program and our coming together as a congregation at the end of summer! We regret that Rev. Chuck Freeman came down with the flu and could not join us that day. He is on the mend and taking a well-deserved retreat and vacation until September 7.

The show did go on, however, thanks to hours of work from Jenny Carloye, Susan Steffes, Linda Webster, and Patty Bissar. Jenny and Susan organized the staging and tended to countless details. Patty led the children in a Song of the Sky Loom parable, brought to life in movement. Teachers and parents all played a part.

Tribal leaders, both adults and children, created medicine shields and masks in their Eagle, Buffalo, Bear, and Mouse tribes. Drummers kept time and Rebecca Maze played her recorder. Diane Schultz collected member photographs of all kinds of water-related sites and assembled them into a stunning Powerpoint presentation.

All of this added to our annual Water Ceremony, when people brought samples of water from wherever they have traveled during the year. (The collected water, symbolic of our community, has been boiled and stored for use in future special events.) A delightful surprise was when Abram Weas announced his engagement to Jillian Bissar, to happy applause.

Many thanks to all of you, named and unnamed, without whom none of this could have been possible. Welcome, one and all, to a new season at Live Oak!

Blessings, Kathleen

PS: There was also a really nice medley of songs about rivers and returning to one's home during the offertory--webmaster/singer

August 2004

Two thousand some odd years ago a Jewish Rabbi struck up a conversation with a foreign woman at a well. He made a rash declaration, like unto an Amway sales pitch.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the living water I have to offer will never thirst.” The woman jumped at the chance to have some of this new and improved H2O. “Sir, give me some of this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

We will be getting in a shipment of this living water on August 22! It will be alive with the pulse of rivers, oceans, lakes, creeks, and everyday faucets. It will be alive with the tribal beat of our children and youth from their Honoring Mother Earth summer program. It will be alive with the care, warmth, love, and support of our Live Oak friendships. It will be alive with the refreshment of time away and the security of renewed routine.

The Rabbi of old concluded his offbeat chat with this radical assertion. His teaching is timeless. We touch it in moments of solitary retreat, changes of scenery, and community reunion. “The water I give will become in you a spring welling up to eternal life.”

Soulfully, Chuck Freeman

July 2004

Thank you for your warm welcome as I begin my ministry with you. My good colleague Chuck has been especially gracious and inclusive as we shape our ministry together and separately.

To most of you, we’re simply Chuck and Kathleen. For the outside world we chose titles that give a sense of who we are while going beyond the generic descriptions. So I have become the Minister of Congregational Life and Chuck has become the Minister of Spiritual Life.

Chuck will continue to do what he does best: take the lead on worship and in the area of pastoral care. This includes developing a program of pastoral care ministry that will involve members of the congregation. I will take the lead in the area of religious education and administration. This includes leadership development and church organization. We will post our job descriptions on a church bulletin board.

We also divided committees according to our separate roles so that there is a “go to” minister when the need arises within a committee. Chuck’s primary committees include (alphabetically) Aesthetics, Caring Committee, Circle Suppers, Community Outreach, Electronic Communications, Music, and Social Activities. My primary committees include Campus Use, Coffeehouse, Denominational Affairs, Facilities, Finance, Membership Team, Nominating Committee, and Religious Education Council.

Finally, with the Ministerial Liaison Committee, we developed this statement: “Pastoral conversations with either Chuck or Kathleen will be kept confidential. However, we work together in ministry and will share information with each other as needed for the health of the congregation and its members.”

Ask us questions about all this! Meanwhile, I have loved getting to know you as the opportunity arises. Let’s keep it up!

Blessings,
Kathleen

June 2004

I piled into the back of the Durbins’ teal aqua greenish Ford Escort station wagon in the year ’96, as I recall. We turned our sails toward College Station, Texas. Apprehensive and curiously hopeful, I was to witness my first UU ordination. The minister was to be Kathleen Ellis. Just another name I was being flooded with in my Southwest District orientation.

At the time I was a reluctant UU ministerial candidate. Kathleen was passing through the pearly gates of denominational acceptance. Not a single grain neuron fired in my skull with the thought of us ministering together in the same congregation. Ironically, Kathleen is the new Rev. on the Live Oak block, joining me in my eighth year of rustling leaves with you.

I have had the opportunity to observe Kathleen through my years of getting up to UU speed. She is deeply respected by our fellow ministers in the district. I have seen Kathleen in many situations. She is centered, balanced, thoughtful, fair, and trustworthy. Kathleen is not a lightning flash. She is solid rock.

It is my privilege to labor with her as a fellow minister in this spiritual community. Your overwhelming vote of approval in Kathleen’s favor shows that you possess this same depth of confidence. Kathleen, we bid you welcome!

Let our pilgrimage together begin with a verse from the song we belted out during our first encounter on that magical ordination evening. “Ours the years’ memorial store, honored days and names we reckon, days of comrades gone before, lives that speak and deed that beckon. From the dreaming of the night, to the labors of the day, shines their everlasting light, guiding us upon our way.”

Soulfully,

Chuck Freeman

May 2004

“I would ask the Ministers from three successful small churches to serve on a panel, Chuck Freeman of Live Oak, Nathan Stone of Waco, and David Owen of Corpus Christi.” This was the reply of our District Executive Bob Hill when asked about a program idea for the Small Church Conference, held the last weekend of March at the Waco UU Fellowship.

I tooled up to Baylor Bear country early in the am of March 27 to facilitate a class on Pastoral Care, and to serve on the aforementioned panel. Sixteen folks crammed into an elementary classroom to consider how we can effectively respond to each other’s needs. The sanctuary was jam packed for the panel and the spirit was buzzing.

Rev. Freeman’s assessment – “Live Oak’s ‘success’ is due to flowing with an organic process and the shared leadership of members and minister.” In our sacred community the lay leaders honor my gifts and ministry. I strive to encourage and stay out of the way of you employing your talents. When the UUA consultant interviewed a cross section of our church in preparation for a Growth Fund Campaign two or three years ago he inquired, “What is the strength of Live Oak?” Fifty percent answered, the lay leadership, and fifty percent responded, the minister. Shared leadership. Bull’s eye hit. Enough said!

The organic congregation pays attention to its own longings, desires, and hunger. It provides a garden space with rows open for their planting, without excessive restrictions and weeding. Enough planning is present to allow each plant to flourish without competing for nutrients. The inner sprouting seed is given more gravity than the outer expert.

One of my favorite children’s songs lilts “organic” simply and profoundly. “Inch by inch, row by row/Gonna make this garden grow/Gonna mulch it deep and low/Gonna make it fertile ground./ Plant your rows straight and long/Season with a prayer and song./Mother Earth will make you strong/If you give her loving care./Inch by inch, row by row/Please bless these seeds I sow./Please keep them safe below/Til the rain comes tumbling down.”

Soulfully,

Chuck Freeman

April 2004

“Together, we create a non-judgmental, nurturing environment where people of all ages can develop spiritually and personally as we demonstrate our shared values, perspectives, and concerns with the larger community.”

The recently constructed labyrinth on our land is a delightful concrete expression of these lines from our Live Oak Vision Statement. It has birthed into life every key lofty phrase. What a rare reality we have participated in co-creating! The ongoing potential is witnessed in these sentiments from the dedication ritual.

“And then all that has divided us will merge. And then compassion will be wedded to power. And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind. And then both men and women will be gentle. And then both women and men will be strong. And then no person will be subject to another’s will. And then all will be rich and free and varied. And then all will share equally in the Earth’s abundance. And then all will cherish life’s creatures. And then all will live in harmony with each other and the Earth. And then all will walk in Peace.”

Yours truly offered the closing words, marking the breadth of this gift. “In the name of Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the Blessed Child, we commit this labyrinth to all seekers of clarity and compassion, in this church, our community, and the wide world.”

Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman

March 2004

“You’re not truly a member of a church until your heart is broken by the church.” This troubling assertion was made by a minister buddy of mine, Rev. Mark Christian.

This month marks my eighth year with the Live Oak church. I found Mark’s declaration ringing in my ear as I scanned my awareness of how to write this anniversary column. I could offer one of those syrupy, everything is peachy, preacher propaganda articles. Or, I could risk the vulnerable truth.

That truth is – I lived the essence of Rev. Mark’s pronouncement this year. I found my heart broken. I was in despair. Restless nights and anguish were my unwanted companions for a season. I felt like my church was leaving me.

Without belaboring the particulars, Live Oak is moving into a more institutional phase of development. As the owner of buildings, land, and assets, we face the realities of liability. This has put us in the position of having to make decisions and policies that were not needed in the past.

I’m not an institutional guy. I found this movement not only distasteful, but to go against the grain of my being. Through many tough conversations, emotional turmoil, and soul searching, I am making peace with my place in this emerging newness. I am maturing in my role and clarifying my gifts. I have learned that the warm, accepting spirit of Live Oak can remain vibrant in this climate.

My heart is filling with joy once more in being your minister. My sense of spiritual home is not as pretty as it once was, but its character exudes beauty. I offer these penetrating lyrics from Leonard Cohen as a centering mantra for our coming years together:

“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman

February 2004

Sitting in the worship service drawing on the church attendance cards, learning when to be respectful and quiet, singing the hymns in four-part harmony, coloring in my coloring book, passing notes, whispering, or making hand signals without Mom catching me, trying to hold back laughter when Brother Dameron sang off key, putting my quarter in the collection plate. These are a few of my fond childhood church memories.

I am delighted that our new sanctuary makes it possible for families, children, and youth to gather as one for the first 20 minutes of our service. It feels like church again! Witnessing the young ones light the peace candles, sing or play a prelude, tell a parable, sing with abandon, or cuddle with a parent, does my heart good.

I laugh with mischievous glee seeing the youth's attempts to escape from their parent's eye, making a club room out of a comfort room, playing tag in the sanctuary, and the adult's counter offensives to neutralize these activities. It means we are in a dynamic relationship!

Children and youth by nature will create an environment of free expression without limitation. The adult gene functions to teach our young ones the place of order and how to act in a sacred space. My God, we need each other!!

As we frequently bellow during the benediction in song, "And we believe in life, and in the strength of love, and we have found a time to be together. And with the grace of age, we share the wonder of youth, and we believe that growing is an answer."

Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman

January 2004

"We've been stricken by the wonder of it all, stricken dumb, stricken dumb. And we have sometimes felt so faint we want to fall, overcome but all in all…"

These lyrics by songster (and fellow UU) Peter Mayer give voice to the whirlwind year we have just passed through. Any effort that requires the surge of energy we put forth also brings with it vicissitudes from wonder to faintness.

The details of supporting a mid-sized church stretch like pulling a piece of saltwater taffy: putting leadership and governance structures in place, creating policies from sanctuary to safety, transitioning staff and job descriptions, recruiting and training nursery staff and RE teachers, retooling greeter and membership systems, moving, remodeling, working with fire inspectors and contractors, dealing with new keys, a new sound system, new brochures, insurance requirements, choosing paint colors, and on and on. Whoa, Nellie!

The Live Oak spirit has on the whole stayed steady, and is on the vibrant side of the church curve. YOU are to be commended. Let's allow good brother Mayer to take us to the encore.

"So let us weave another dream in outer space, while we're turning, while we're turning. On this planet home that holds our human race, we are still learning, but all in all I'd say this year in flight together has been a good good one. What say we make one more circle around the sun."

Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman