Rev. David Hutchinson, Minister, 446-6858 Fred Griffith, Moderator, 532-2455 Susan & Bruce Glick, Co-Treasurers, 538-9264 Debra Frazier, Clerk, 521-0387 Karen Klahr, Newsletter, 532-4051 Church Phone, 532-9269 Committee on Ministry, Debra Frazier, Larry Tonzi Newsletter - September 2011

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

“We, the inhabitants of Houlton, being members of the Church of Christ of New Salem, considering that God, in His providence, hath removed us from the stated means of Grace and cast our lots together in the wilderness, where we hope again to enjoy the smiles of His countenance and His presence in communion, do unitedly agree to embody ourselves, with such others as may be pleased to unite with us in covenant.”

History of Houlton; Chapter Four
First Church of Houlton
Joshua Kendall

Here we are at year two hundred as a religious organization in the town of Houlton. Since a moment like this only comes along once every two hundred years I feel like I should write something profound for this issue’s minister’s column, but what might that be? As your minister you’ve already heard me repeat myself more than once, so why not one more time? Important ideas or themes in our life are worth repeating so I can’t think of a better time to do so than during our two hundred year celebration.

Many things have changed since those early days of limited transportation, challenging economics and unpredictable weather, but one thing that continues to remain is a shared value of community and supporting each other in our search for happiness and meaning. During the town of Houlton’s sesquicentennial in 1957 the Houlton Pioneer Times reprinted a portion of Joshua Kendall's History of Houlton as it first appeared in the Aroostook Pioneer on June 8, 1858. Joshua Kendall was one of the original signers of The First Church of Houlton covenant whose introduction is printed above. Although the specific content of the covenant has changed over the past two hundred years, the basic premise of mutual commitment and personal integrity remains a constant. These things don’t just happen. There is never a guarantee that an organization will continue over a course of time, but when it does, it is an indication of certain values retained. Each individual of the community might recognize particular qualities most relevant to them, but overall, the shared values upheld by the group is what keeps it going and keeps it viable. Our joint Bicentennial Service with the Houlton Congregational Church in the Unitarian Church sanctuary on October 16th will be a celebration and recognition of the historic roots that have connected the two congregations of First Church of Houlton for two hundred years.

Our theme for this year is “Our Spiritual Journeys; Paths and Practices.” Each of us are at some point along our spiritual journey going at exactly the right speed for us. We are also on a journey together as a congregation and none of us knows exactly where that may lead. Repeating the words of our early documents, we invite “such others as may be pleased to unite with us in covenant.”

So here we are. As the journey continues, year two hundred and one lies ahead. Embrace the moment.

Dave

As we come together for worship and fellowship we will celebrate, along with our friends from the Congregational Church, the two hundredth anniversary of the founding of First Church of Houlton in 1811. First Church of Houlton spawned both the Unitarian Church of Houlton and the Congregational Church of Houlton. Over the years each church has in its own way, provided residents of the Houlton area with spiritual paths which stand for the principles of justice, respect and compassion for others.

These are difficult principles to follow in this day and age. The politicalization of religion in this country has led to the trampling of basic human rights, as well as the lack of respect and compassion for those of other faiths. In such a world, churches such as ours offer a safe haven: a place of free and open inquiry where individuals can be themselves; a place where beliefs of all kinds can be explored and learned from. The safe haven found in our church comes from our practice of covenant and a common adherence, not to a specific creed, but to principles regarding how we act toward ourselves and others.

We seek something greater than ourselves. We search together toward a fuller understanding of what it means to be human, and how to reach for that which we call the Spiritual. Because of this process, we find substance from various religious texts, we seek significance from the paradoxes of life's experiences, and we share as a community of mutual support to keep a light shining, even in the darkest of times.

With love,     Fred

Rev. Edwin Smith Elder was the fifth settled minister of the Houlton First Church Unitarian Society. One hundred and forty year ago Rev Elder held his services in the Old Meeting House located on North Street in Houlton.

Edwin Elder was born on December 12, 1837 at Milton, New Hampshire and shortly after became an orphan. At six years of age he was adopted by Peter and Ada Elder in South Windham, Maine. Edwin was a bright young boy and enthusiastically attended the district school in South Windham. At 18 he became a teacher. Over the next ten years he taught in local schools and nearby towns. He established his own large flourishing school and taught the higher levels of students in the local area. He also served on school boards and held various public offices during the years he was a teacher. This experience in education was a benefit to Houlton schools while he served as minister at the Unitarian Church.

Under the influence of Rev. A. D. Wheeler, a Unitarian missionary in Maine, Edwin decided to enroll as a student of theology at Harvard in Cambridge. He completed his studies in 1869 and chose Houlton, Maine as his first pastorate. Comments made about Edwin at that time was that his joy of conviction and straight forward humanness was well suited to the citizens of Houlton. He said that the shaggy seriousness of the great woods was akin to his own nature and Houlton made it a fit place for his secluded novitiate. On July 1870, he was the first minister to be ordained at the Houlton Unitarian Church. He followed the practice of previous Unitarian ministers in Houlton, and augmented his meager ministerial salary by teaching in the local Houlton schools.

Rev. Elder, his wife, and three children had three happy years in Houlton. He captivated his church members as well as the Houlton community as a valued speaker. The Elder family remained in Houlton until October 1873 when he accepted his second pastorate at the little octagon Unitarian Church at East Lexington, Massachusetts. He later served Unitarian churches in Keokuk, Iowa and Franklin, New Hampshire. Rev. Elder died in October 1906 after suffering from crippling rheumatism. Elders’s friends in Houlton and elsewhere said of him he revealed a love of ideals, strong hearted endeavors, endurance, and a singing patience.

We’re all given the same twenty-four hours a day. We can spend our time feeling hurried and harried, overwhelmed by chores and demands, distracted and burned out...or we can awaken to Buddha Standard Time, the realm of timelessness where every choice, every action, and every breath can be one of renewal and infinite possibilities.

The author also includes a “Mindful Moment” exercise and a “Time Out” meditation in each chapter for the reader to test-drive each of his time changing concepts. This book is an excellent companion for our theme this year, "Our Spiritual Journeys; Paths and Practices." Try it out. The book will be available this Fall in our society library for your perusal. If you’d like to see Lama Surya Das discussing his latest book you can find it on Youtube under “Buddha Standard Time.”

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost American Buddhist teachers and scholars and is known affectionately to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as “The American Lama.” Surya Das is the author of “Awakening the Buddha Within” and is founder and director of the Dzogchen Foundation. His website is www.surya.org