Ministers'
Messages 2005
December 2005
“Someday at Christmas
men won’t be boys, playing with bombs like kids play with toys. One warm
December our hearts will see, a world where men are free. Someday at Christmas
there’ll be no wars, when we have learned what Christmas is for. When we have
found what life’s really worth, there’ll be peace on earth.”
These moving lyrics,
written by Ronald N. Miller and Bryan wells, recorded by Stevie Wonder,
captivate my heart as a son for the season. Light is breaking into America’s
dark deception which gave birth to the Iraq war. The CNN/USA Today/Gallup
Poll taken November 11-13, 2005, reveals that 60% of adults nationwide say it
was not worth going to war in Iraq, and 52% are in favor of withdrawing our
forces within a year.
May we be year round
light, radiating peace on Earth and good will to all. Let rays of hope beam from
your breast, through your family, our spiritual community, to regions near and
far, known and unknown. Go forth in the spirit of another Yuletide carol, by
Jill Jackson and Sy Miller:
“Let peace begin with
me. Let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn
vow: to take each moment and live each moment in peace, eternally. Let there be
peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.”
Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman
November 2005
Coming soon, November 11-13, we will host the Southwestern
UU Fall Leadership Conference. It is with great excitement that Live Oak takes a
turn in hosting this important conference with guests primarily from Texas,
Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Download a brochure from
http://www.liveoakuu.org/leadership05.htm.
We will have two theme speakers: Robert Jensen, outspoken
progressive and communications expert at the University of Texas, and Margaret
Corletti, well-known UU Religious Educator from Arlington, VA.
Our theme? CommUUnication: Spreading the Good News of
Unitarian Universalism. Within Live Oak and beyond, UUs have good news to share.
Our speakers and workshop leaders on Saturday will address this challenge in a
variety of ways, including consensus, photography, dialogue in polarized
situations, and spiritual activism, while having lots of fun together.
Our own Coffeehouse will be a focus as we kick off the
weekend, with the popular duo Still on the Hill performing. We’ll have a banquet
on Saturday night followed by dancing and movies!
We need volunteers to help in a variety of ways. Two or
more hours of work lets you attend the conference at a reduced rate. Contact me
at
revktellis@aol.com or 478-9231.
Congratulations to all for Live Oak’s recent recognition as
a Welcoming Congregation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
individuals. We’re “out and proud” in support of our GLBT friends.
As Live Oak continues to thrive, so has our growing
Religious Education program. We have one of the largest programs for children
and youth in our district! In that sense we are now a “large church” with new
challenges and opportunities. Please remember our children’s needs when you
consider your pledge for next year.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for all of you
at Live Oak – you make me proud!
Blessings,
Kathleen
October 2005
Coming to your Texas ballot November 8, 2005, is
Proposition 2, “The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this
state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this
state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any
legal status identical or similar to marriage.” To put it bluntly, “We won’t
allow two Billy Bobs or Peggy Sues to get married or have a civil union.”
This is yet another fear-based attempt of theocratic
religionists to force their narrow God onto the rest of us, exhibiting once more
their “pick a prejudice” approach to the Bible. This method has been used to
keep women, science, the poor, art, and minorities under thumb for millennia.
They have already passed a law to this end and now they want to write this
bigotry into our Constitution.
Spearheaded by Ravi Chandran, Live Oak is in the active
process of becoming an official UUA Welcoming Congregation. A series of
workshops has begun. The goal of the workshops is to reduce prejudice by
increasing understanding and acceptance among people of different sexual
orientations.
Through our Social Action group led by Tim O’Brien, Live
Oak intends to offer concrete opportunities to make a mark for equality, so stay
tuned. Our District website has many resources listed, including a Yahoo group,
to defeat this scurrilous amendment. Here is the link:
www.swuuc.org/AntiGayAmendment.html.
These words (with slight gender editing) penned by William
Channing Gannett at the Western Unitarian Conference 1887 are timeless guides
for our holy enterprise. “We believe that to love the Good and to live the Good
is the supreme thing in religion. We trust the unfolding Universe as a
beautiful, beneficent, unchanging Order; to know this order is truth; to obey it
is right and liberty and stronger life. We worship One-in-All – that life whence
suns and stars derive their orbits and the soul of humanity its Ought, – that
Light which lighteth everyone that cometh into the world, giving us power to
become the children of God, – that Love with which our souls commune.”
Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman
September 2005
For our annual Water Ceremony in August, there were 197
people in the sanctuary (and 12 in the kitchen preparing a yummy buffet lunch –
thanks!). Children led us in song; youth lit candles; and dozens brought samples
of water from their homes or travels during the past year. It’s great to have
this ritual of homecoming. We’re even anticipating the need for a second worship
service to serve our growing numbers.
Vacations and conferences meant that some church activities
and events took a break while worship, summer programs, and business meetings
continued. Now that more of us are back, groups of all kinds are eager to resume
regular meetings and to welcome newcomers into their folds. Check out these
pages to see how you might get involved!
We will welcome about 150-200 out-of-town guests when we
host our district’s Fall Conference. The dates are November 11-13 (mark your
calendars!) and we still need people to help with the program, promotion,
hospitality, registration, and food. Our theme is “CommUUnication: Spreading the
Good News of Unitarian Universalism”. This means teaching our children and
adults about our values as well as getting the word out to the world at large.
Fun activities will include a Coffeehouse with Still on the
Hill on Friday and options on Saturday – a banquet followed by a movie, games,
and dancing. We plan to have workshops ranging from our consensus model of
governance, to lifespan education, Deaf ministry, photography, labyrinths,
public relations, and media.
Get on board and help us host a fine weekend for the
Southwestern UU Fall Conference! Fun for all and all for fun!
Blessings,
Kathleen
August 2005
August is a time of fresh starts for our schools and thus for churches and
the nation. I just returned from a gathering which could well be history in
the making, and a turning point for American culture.
Over 1,200 rowdy and energized souls massed in Berkeley, California, for a
conference on “Spiritual Activism”. Spearheaded by the Tikkun Community, the
goal of this holy mob is to form a network of Spiritual Progressives. We heard
many of the heavyweight prophetic voices of our time – Bishop Spong, Matthew
Fox, Riane Eisler, Michael Lerner, and Jim Wallis.
The call is to awaken from our liberal religious stupor and begin to fashion
and articulate a challenge to the misuse of God and religion in our land.
Live Oak is prepared, able, and poised to be a megawatt lighthouse for this
ripe moment, articulated in Michael Lerner’s post election review, After the
Fall: Why America Needs a Spiritual Left.
Let us not fall into the “liberal trap of demanding that values and spiritual
sensitivity be kept out of public discourse for fear of the slippery slope to
religion. You can’t fight wrong values with a demand for no values … universal
spirituality is not tied to any particular religion but foundational to all
religions …”
We call for a new bottom line in America of “love, caring, generosity,
open-heartedness, kindness, sexuality based in mutual respect, and celebration
of the sacred in other human beings and in nature … which will take incredible
levels of creativity, psychological sensitivity, spiritual awareness, and
political courage.”
Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman
July 2005
Our summer Peace Camp in Religious Education is off to a good start! Thanks
so much to all the volunteers who are helping so much with our most precious
resource!
We paid a fond farewell to Bill Sauber in June. Bill, a charter member of
Live Oak, was warmly remembered in a sanctuary full of his friends. Bill loved
music, so thank you, Rebecca Maze and choir, for setting an atmosphere of beauty
and respect for this service. Ricky Maze on oboe is awesome! Leah Korn and
Stephanie Walls treated us to a cello duet and members of the Brockett family
played a string trio. Beautiful!
Some of you who read Chuck’s column last month about conflict have approached
me in a state of confusion. They have heard of the conflict resolution team
(CRT) now forming to deal with member-to-member conflict within our
congregation. And they have heard of “another” conflict. At this point, there is
no connection between the work to get an ongoing institutional process going and
another situation that predates the formation of the CRT team.
Chuck and I agreed that for the earlier conflict outside mediators were
necessary to bring perspective to the personal and governance issues, and to
ensure a zone of safety for those who want resolution. Only parties directly
affected have been invited to attend these sessions, which are held in
confidence. This has involved some costs that are not budgeted. We have been
heartened by those who have contributed and those who have pledged their
support. Feel free to check with Chuck or me on how you may help out.
By the time most of you read this, I will be finished with General Assembly
and have some stories to share in the coming months! Stay cool!
Blessings, Kathleen
June 2005
An Alarmist! With a mix of jest and truth this was a designation we
raced from in my family like a Texas twister. I am about to attempt a churchy
tightrope walk between being an alarmist and “keepin’ it real”. Live Oak is in
the throes of some significant chronic fissures in our leadership circle.
Personality differences, leadership styles, outspokenness, avoidance, and
organizational gaps have simmered long enough to warrant calling in outside
mediators to help us turn down the heat.
The situation will likely get messier before it gets better and we will
probably lose some members as a result. These situations are not unusual in
groups, ranging from the Vatican to the Tavern. We needn’t think we are immune
from them, nor do we want to accept them as a way of being. This is nothing to
be ashamed of. I will resist the temptation to smooth it over with a sappy
religious veneer. As I sat in a three-hour mediation session recently, one
encouraging note sounded in the dissonance. How much the people involved care
about this spiritual community!
Scenarios like this ask of us to be fearless in self evaluation; firm, yet
understanding; frank, yet gentle with ourselves and others. At the end of the
mediation we are still responsible for how we relate to each other and how we
govern ourselves. Commitment to our high ideals are clarified in these times of
great stress. Agape love of unconditional character is the only beacon that will
illumine the path to a trustworthy, safe, respectful community.
This verse from our hymnal can offer grace and light the lamp to find our way
home. “Just as long as my heart beats, I must answer “Yes” to love;
disappointment pierced me through, still I kept on loving you. If they ask what
I did best, tell them I said “Yes” to love”.
Soulfully, Chuck Freeman
May 2005
Live Oak members are friendly and welcoming to visitors, yes? There’s a
hubbub of conversation as we mingle before and after services; a welcoming
email to electronic inquiries; and a gradual deepening of relationships over
time.
We have an opportunity to vote on May 22 at our semi-annual congregation
meeting to include a welcoming clause in our bylaws. The Welcoming
Congregation Team (Ravi Chandran, Carrie Stewart, John Iacoletti, Leah Korn,
Juanita Moshier, Martha Nethers, and Jon Montgomery) proposed this change,
approved by the Steering Committee: “As a Welcoming Congregation, Live Oak UU
Church affirms and promotes the full participation of persons in all of our
activities, including membership, programming hiring practices, and the
calling of religious professionals, without regard to race, ethnicity, color,
sex, gender identity, physical or mental ability, affectional or sexual
orientation, age, economic status, national origin, or theology/spiritual
practice.”
Our goal is recognition as an official Welcoming Congregation by the
Unitarian Universalist Association. UUs have a long history of leading the way
in human rights issues such as child labor, mental health, slavery, civil
rights, and women’s rights. Let’s enlarge our circle to accept and understand
those who continue to face ostracism and discrimination. Dina (age 14) wrote,
“Why must there be labels? When did I stop being a teen and become something
else: a curse word? I have a name like everybody else!” Additional
informational meetings will be held before May 22 to answer any questions you
have, or feel free to contact me at 478-9231 or
revktellis@aol.com.
We will also vote on nominees for officers and trustees of the Steering
Committee, as presented by the Nominating Committee.
April 2005
Sundry: (sŭn′drē) adj. Various, miscellaneous. A few Staff sundries. I am
beginning my 10th year with the church. What began as an exploratory lunch at
the Mongolian BBQ on North Lamar has grown from a tiny acorn into a pretty
stout Live Oak tree! Our congregation has grown fourfold and my gray hairs
have only doubled!! Thanks for being gifts of love, acceptance, and freedom to
me.
Jenny Carloye is resigning at the close of April as our RE Director. She has
been a passionate advocate for our children and youth for the past two years.
Jenny is an excellent recruiter who has given our program unrivaled organization
and infrastructure. She is conscientious, leaving no stone unturned to ensure
that a project is accomplished seamlessly. We have one of the largest RE
programs in the UU association relative to our congregational size, and Jenny
donated her salary to the church! Please join me in thanking Jenny for her
enduring generosity.
Nathan Ryan has been promoted from our RE Administrator to RE Director!
Nathan brings freshness, vitality, and gusto to our church. He is offbeat enough
to veer us away from ruts, solid enough to steer us toward the basics. Let us
give Nathan our hearty Live Oak congrats and support!
I am grateful to Jenny, Nathan, and Kathleen for having the foresight to plan
this smooth and stable transition. Consideration of this sort is not flashy and
may not be noticed by the rank and file member, but it is a demonstration of
love that gently waters our Live Oak.
Soulfully,
Chuck Freeman
March 2005
Two different topics are on my mind today.
First, we have been growing rapidly since moving into our new
location. The Strategic Planning Committee has done yeoman work in developing
governance policies as well as plans for future growth. About 25 of us
gathered for a Saturday to look at governance, community outreach and social
action, worship and ministry, and growth. We are building on the information
gathered from the congregational survey conducted during the fall. Stay tuned
for more ways to get informed and get involved. Consensus works best when lots
of folks are involved, thinking outside the box, and sharing ideas.
Second, as people have done since ancient times, it is our
custom to bless children and to dedicate ourselves to their nurture. We have a
ceremony by which we dedicate the child to the community and the community to
the child. Although this is often done for infants and young children, a child
dedication and naming is appropriate for children of any age.
Children bring laughter and joy into our lives. We share their
joy, yet we also take on the responsibility for helping their parents raise
them with Unitarian Universalist values of inclusiveness, justice, and
compassion.
If you would like to participate with your child(ren), the
next dedication service is scheduled for March 13 during the Sunday morning
worship. Please be in touch with me so we can create a service that is
meaningful for you. Friends of parents, please help me let them know about
this possibility.
I’d especially like to include our new Live Oak children and
babes in arms.
Kathleen
February 2005
$6,550.00! On the heels of Christmas, with short notice and little fanfare,
in two special collections, YOU made caring more than a sappy sentiment. This
love in action will be distributed through our Unitarian Universalist Service
Committee (UUSC) for the Indian Ocean Tsunami survivors. Nationwide, the UUSC
has collected over $925,000.
I want you to feel good about yourselves! I’m talkin’ ‘bout a deep down
in-the-heart glow. As liberals we see so much hurt and wrong in the world. The
gap between reality and our desire to help can weigh us down with guilt or
despair.
Unitarian minister Edward Everett Hale lived his calling in Boston during
the 1800s. He formed Lend-a-Hand Clubs and Look-Up Legions giving tangible
assistance to people. In 1871 Hale wrote a novel “Ten Times One is Ten”. In
this tale Harry Wadsworth seeks to impact the entire world through small
groups of ten. His mission finds vivid expression in us today. “To look up and
not down, To look forward and not back, To look out and not in – and To lend a
hand …
If this vision of a possibility prove true – comes to the world by no
change of law, by no new revelation, nor other gospel than the world has now.
It comes simply as man after man, and woman after woman, lead such unselfish
lives as all of us see sometimes, as all would be glad to live.”
Soulfully, Chuck Freeman
January 2005
I recently saw the buddy movie Sideways and it kindled a lot
of thoughts about relationships, expectations, deceit, fear of failure, and
how we as humans keep plodding through this minefield of life called
relationships.
The recent holidays have been rich with feeling. Many of us
have had wonderful experiences for the first time: meeting a new loved one or
encountering unexpected joy (they’ve called that “grace” for hundreds of
years). Many have also had the devastating experience of trying to repair
relationships that were once joyful but are broken now, perhaps permanently.
Because we share so many of these experiences in one form or another, we need
to acknowledge the humanity in one another. We need kindness, forgiveness, and
understanding in large measures. We need to greet the New Year with a resolve
to be fair, to try and understand the pain that others feel and to stop for a
moment to savor the unexpected quiet that joy and solitude can bring.
Our Live Oak community has experienced all of these traits
over the last months: deaths, marriages, unexpected illness, miraculous
recoveries, births, tearful reconciliations, and even the acknowledgement that
some separations are permanent and healing is impossible.
As Rumi wrote, “Though you’ve broken your vows a thousand
times, come, come whoever you are, wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. Ours
is no caravan of despair, come, yet again come.”
In the movie, buddies Miles and Jack begin again though they
have broken their vows a thousand times. Hope rises once more.
Let this be a community of deepening relationships, a
sanctuary of healing, a safe haven of respect, a welcoming congregation.
Shalom,
Kathleen
Copyright
©2006, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church.