David Hutchinson, Minister, 446-6858 Church Phone, 532-9269 Sarah Lovejoy, Moderator, 532-2831 Ann Rheinlander, Treasurer, 532-3383 Karen Klahr, Newsletter, 532-4051 Newsletter April 2003

First Church of Houlton, Unitarian-Universalist 61 Military St. Houlton, ME 04730

Wherever snow falls, or water flows, or birds fly; wherever day and night
meet in twilight, wherever the blue heaven is hung by clouds, or sown with
stars, wherever are forms with transparent boundaries, wherever are 
outlets into celestial space, wherever is danger, and awe, and love, there 
is Beauty, plenteous as rain, shed for you, and although you should walk 
the world over, you shall not be able to find a condition inopportune or 
ignoble.
						-  Ralph Waldo Emerson

All the aspects of nature are in full swing lately as spring is coming to the local forefront. Renewal is as cyclic and dependable as those spring mail-order catalogs arriving at the postbox. (Although the fly-fishing catalog I received back in February did seem a bit premature!!) There is no concern that nature will vary too far beyond its normal boundaries. It is exact in its own occurrence. Even the exceptions, such as the couple of April snows we've had this year, are only playful twists in its natural unfolding. Nature brings with it a certain guarantee, so that even now we can start to plan our gardens and summer building projects.

photo by Hutch

One of my favorite activities is collecting stones out of the stream that runs by our cabin. The stones experience the entirety of nature; even while they are covered by the snow and ice for months at a time or exposed to the wind and rain as the stream rises and falls. I collect the stones because it helps to remind me of my own relation to nature. When I glance at them sitting on my shelf, I see the Beauty that Emerson talks about. Even in the harshest of times, nature endures. Stones sitting quietly on my shelf help to calm my soul in case I've watched too much news on CNN. In these days ahead may we turn to the places that sustain our spirit and the ways that lead to peace.             In Ministry,     Dave

The last few months have placed a great strain on all of us, on the whole world for that matter. Though we may have differing views politically, we do have one thing in common - the UU Principles. And I feel that we have a strength based on these principles that can see us through the troubled times to come.

We are a diverse group with varied backgrounds and spiritual beliefs, but we are always encouraging and accepting of each other in these beliefs and in all our attempts to find truth and meaning in this life. I actually see us as more than a spiritual community. I see us as a spiritual family - supportive, loving, and tolerant in all we do, no matter our differences.

Though I am a relative neophyte to this congregation, I am increasingly aware of the long history of this UU Society. There have been many challenges faced by congregations of the past; yet we are still here today thanks to the strength, wisdom and the guidance of many wonderful individuals, most recently Reverend Martha Newman, Bruce Glick and Reverend Dave, to name a very few. As we celebrate the centennial year of this building and our history, let us rededicate ourselves to the Principles that brought us to this point and continue to work together to make this a better world.     ... Sarah

Ritter believes that UN inspectors destroyed 90-95% of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in the 7 years they spent there, and that it would be impossible for Iraq to have built new weapons in the years since the inspectors left without being detected. He is author of the book "Endgame: Solving the Iraq Problem Once and For All".

April 5 - Meditation group in the parlor, 8am
April 6 - Sunday Service, Rev. David Hutchinson (Daylight Saving Time begins)
April 12 - Film Night in the Parlor, 6pm
April 13 - Sunday Service, Sue Glick (Palm Sunday)
April 19 - Coffeehouse, in the basement, 7-9:30 pm   Carol Ayoob & Doug Drew will be performing.
April 20 - Sunday Service, Rev. David Hutchinson (Easter; Earth Day 4/22)
April 23 - Video and Discussion , 6-8pm "War: Why Now?" From a speech by Scott Ritter
April 27 - Sunday Service, Bruce Glick (Holocaust Remembrance Day 4/29)

May 3 - Meditation group in the parlor, 8am
May 4 - Sunday Service, Jeff Lovejoy
May 10 - Film Night in the Parlor, 6pm
May 11 - Sunday Service, Rev. David Hutchinson (Mother's Day)
May 17 - Coffeehouse, in the basement, 7-9:30 pm
May 18 - Sunday Service, Linda Rowe
May 25 - Sunday Service, Ann Rheinlander (Memorial Day 5/26)

June 1 - Closing Sunday Service with Flower Communion and more, Rev. David Hutchinson
June 1 - Music Recital, Students of Peter Carr and Nancy Harris. 4 pm in the Sanctuary
June 26-30 - General Assembly

* Children’s Religious Education classes meet on the last Sunday of each month.

Sterile Spring

Black as night raven in a sticky spring snowstorm 
Prods the crotch of a white-flocked tree: 
No nests, no nestlings, no eggs, no food. 
Out of season, but in his element, 
Soot black raven rises to wind, 
Adrift in a sterile white sea. 
	                Susan Glick  March 31, 2003 

Before the Crocus Rise

Cold trails of water, puddles from nowhere:
Gravel snowcones twist and fade;
Dirt comes brown
like bile, like malice.
Scent of dust in the gritty wind,
the taste like the memory
of mudpies in our youth -
taunting with the promise,
with the memory of Spring.
Yet there, by the foundation,
green arrowhead aims
to the southern sun.
                     Debra Frazier   April 13, 2003