MINISTER'S COLUMN 
Human consciousness is sometimes described as like looking through the windshield of a moving vehicle. Objects and scenery are a 65 mph stream of visual input and all we're doing is sitting comfortably behind the wheel! As long as we can keep the bugs cleaned off the windshield, the clarity and vividness of reality is remarkable. Our body is our vehicle of experience. We are sensate beings and we are moving through a world of ceaseless wonder. Emerson says that it is our mind that includes the universe. Our awareness of what is, is what constitutes the infinite variations of consciousness itself. It is a constant stream "flowing perpetually outward from an invisible center." When I'm driving back and forth to Houlton, I sometimes notice how my mind wanders into thought (or I'm talking on my cell phone) and I'm not really watching the road at all. It's almost like being on automatic pilot. As life keeps whizzing by it's a good idea to stay alert behind the wheel and keep the eyes and the mind connected. We are a shiny and marvelous vehicle of awareness riding the momentum of our own being as we cruise through spaceless time. Have a great summer. Dave FROM THE MODERATOR The 2006-2007 church year will soon become memories of all the wonderful church activities that we have shared. Stop a moment to reflect on the full schedule that was laid out before us! So many things to do-so little time. We fondly remember all the fellowship with our dear friends LT and Ann Rheinlander and know they will enjoy their new home in North Carolina. Two important items that I believe are worth reflection are: our Congregation Self-Evaluation Potluck Brunch and the use of our Seven Principles and Four Agreements to guide us during church activities. The Congregation Self-Evaluation was an opportunity to measure how well we are meeting our congregational needs. There was an excellent group synergy and of course good food to aid the process of identifying a number of needs. The list collected will provide excellent goals for the next church year. Using our Seven Principles and Four Agreements provides our congregation with a sense of safe sanctuary during all our church activities. Adherence to these guidelines assures a culture of potential right relationships between ourselves and it allows a culture of gratitude, humor, cares, and celebration to flourish. The first step to the knowledge of the wonder and mystery of life is the recognition of the monstrous nature of the earthly realm as well as its glory, the realization that this is just how it is and that it cannot and will not be changed. Those who think they know-and their name is legion-how the universe could have been had they created it, without pain, without sorrow, without time, without death, are unfit for illumination. So if you really want to help this world, what you will have to teach is how to live in it. And that no one can do who has not themselves learned how to live in the joyful sorrow, and the sorrowful joy of the knowledge of life as it is. - Joseph Campbell Please enjoy all your summer activities and delight in all the wonder and mysteries of life. Bill White FLOWER COMMUNION & COOKOUT Our traditional flower communion service is Sunday, June 3rd. Please bring a fresh cut flower to contribute to the communion basket. This Unitarian tradition originated in 1923 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Dr. Norbert Capek asked his parishioners to bring and receive flowers as a symbol of their shared life as a spiritual community. Please come and join us for this special service. Once again we will be blowing bubbles on the front lawn afterward. The Boyett's are hosting our end of the year BBQ/pot luck in Amity. (Follow the convoy to Boyett's after the service.) Please bring something fun to eat to contribute to the festivities!! There will be extreme croquet and horseshoes for those up to the excitement. This is a chemical-free event from 12-4 PM. Policy shifts after 4PM. PLANT AND SEED EXCHANGE Please bring flowers as usual for the flower communion which will take place during the service. In addition this year, after the service, we're having a plant and seed exchange, a chance to share your extras. If you have plants and/or seeds you'd like to offer please bring them this sunday. We will have a table set up (outside if the weather permits) where you can place your offerings for the exchange. SUMMER ACTIVITIES Summer can be a busy time for many of us but we try to schedule a few summer events to keep us connected. We did set dates for a congregational picnic, a hike, a contribution to the town's bicentennial celebration and a church leadership retreat. There were some additional suggestions, a bike ride, ice cream social, mead-making workshop, for which we couldn't come up with firm dates. We did agree that perhaps we could do some impromptu scheduling. If you might be interested in any of these please inform us of your interest so we can include you if and when something is planned. ABOUT MARLEY MOUNTAIN On Sunday, July 22nd all are welcome to climb Marley Mountain, which is located across from the Brookside Restaurant in Smyrna Mills. Bill White will be our guide for this event. According to Bill, the mountain is part of the Oakfield Hills and is a granite intrusion that has resisted glaciation although it does have a somewhat smooth and rounded appearance. Most of the granite around Houlton used for building various structures was quarried from the top of the Mountain. Cary Library is the best example and even the Unitarian Church has granite from this location (look around the windows to find it.) Hearsay would have us believe that at least forty feet was taken from the top of the mountain for construction materials in Northern Maine. See the listing in the calendar for further details. CALENDAR Click here for the current calendar. SUMMER WISHES FROM THE TREASURER May your summer in the sun and water be a flowing idyll of joy…and may you remember each time you pull out your checkbook that the church still needs your ongoing support. While we may not have heating bills to pay in the summer, we still have the major portion of our budget to support.. This summer we will be making improvements and repairs to the building that will make it a more friendly place for people with disabilities and we will be welcoming the public in for an open house during Houlton’s Bicentennial celebration. Please feel free to pass along a contribution during one of the summer activities that support our continuing sense of community. Or send me a check made out to the Unitarian Church to the following address: Susan Glick, 652 Back Ridge Rd., Littleton, Me 04730. Thank you for your ongoing support of the church and its programs. Love, Sue ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION The New Hampshire Vermont District of Unitarian Universalist Societies and the Northeast District of the Unitarian Universalist Association have both voted to consolidate into one new district. The consolidation will become effective July 1st, 2008. During the intervening year, a Transition Team, composed of leaders from both districts, will coordinate the activities needed to set up the new district. These include the creation of by-laws, the preparation of a budget, the recruitment of a slate of nominees for elected positions, selection of a district name, logo and banner, a newsletter name, and anything else needed for the first meeting of the consolidated district in April 2008. ANNOUNCING the UU Houlton Community mailing list An email discussion mailing list is a group of people who exchange messages as a group via email. Any subscriber to the list can send messages that are received by all the subscribers, creating an email-based conversation. The UU Houlton Community Yahoo Group has been created for members and friends of the Unitarian Society of Houlton. Please visit the webpage if you wish to join. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uuhoultoncommunity/ OTHER UU ONLINE RESOURCES www.uuhoulton.org |
