Your april calendar

(All events take place at Urban Hope’s storefront at 3204 Lorain Ave. unless otherwise stated.)

April 1, Sunday, 5:00 p.m. – “What Fools These Mortals Be!” Come join Kelly Ann Booth for a personal example of “where she finds her God/Goddess/Higher Power. Kelly considers music to be a LARGE part of her contribution to life, and absurd music reflects her perceived contradiction in the known universe. Whatever your view, this program is designed to be “Strange, but wonderful!” for April Fools’ Day.

April 8, Sunday, 5:00 p.m. – Come celebrate a special traditional Easter Potluck dinner. For those who would care to share a festive day with friends. Please let Doris or Don know what you will be bringing to the Feast. Side dishes plus desserts are needed. Call 216-228-5270 or e-mail your message to dondor2@sbcglobal.net.

April 11, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

Meeting, Mutualizing Ministry Group. All are welcome.

April 15, Sunday, 5:00 p.m.– Adult Religious Education. The fourth and final session based upon Brenda Anderson’s book, Playing the Quantum Field: How Changing Your Choices Can Change Your Life. One main precept is the interrelatedness

of all persons and things. Denise DeArment at 216-548-7618 can be reached for more details.

April 18, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

Meeting, Urban Hope Steering Committee. An open meeting; your comments and suggestions are welcome.

April 22, Sunday, 5:00 p.m. – Worship Service, “Thoughts on Natural Religion,” by Dave Frazier. Followed by Pot Luck Dinner. “Natural religion” refers to belief systems grounded in reason and experience rather than any sort of revelation. Writes Dave, a member of Urban Hope, “This service explores ways of looking at religion as growing out of the innate need of people to construct meaning in the face of human travails and limitations.”

April 29, Sunday, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., followed by Pot Luck Dinner. Note the earlier starting time! This is a shared meeting between the Urban Hope Steering Committee and the Mutualizing Ministry Group.

direct from doris

St. Patrick’s Day at Urban Hope was not a typical observance – rather, a clean-up time and potluck (of course). A lot was accomplished, including some fun! The team included Rob Farmer, John Cartwright, Patty Long, Anne Osborne, David Frazier and me.

Magnolia Namaskara, Darrell Cook and I attended the District Worship Arts Conference at East Shore UU Church (in Kirtland). It was another beautiful day with about 50 UUs from a variety of congregations. Later in this newsletter some material from the conference will appear. Some takeaway highlights for me were the centrality of Worship in a community’s spiritual life as well as the need to create worship and programs that include and have meaning for visitors. Any suggestions for Sunday programs and/or worship services can be given to any Steering Committee member. Current members include Kelly Ann Booth, David Frazier, Rob Farmer, Elizabeth Erickson, Denise DeArment, Molly Holland, Bill Avery, Anne Osborne, Magnolia Namaskara, and me. All are included in the current Urban Hope Directory (still in draft). If you have any additions or changes to this draft, please contact John Cartwright at 216-771-6025, or by e-mail at n8abd@roadrunner.com.

In Peace and Hope, and with wishes for a Happy Spring, Doris

A movie on april 1^st

At the Cinematheque on East Blvd., Encounter Point, a documentary on Arab-Israeli relations on Sunday, April 1^st at 3:00 p.m. Eight dollars admission. Sponsored by the Cleveland Tikkun Community, the Cleveland Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Trinity Cathedral.

At west shore UU Church April 7

Alvidas Jasin, recently trained by Al Gore, will discuss how even small changes in your daily routine can equal

big changes in helping end global warming. Come to a potluck at 5:30; if you bring your own dishes, you will be entered in a drawing for a Fair Trade gift. The presentation starts at 6:45 p.m. It’s at the Church, at 20401 Hilliard Boulevard, in Rocky River.

Live from berea – it’s swuu Saturday night!

South West’s annual foray into humorous theater takes place April 7 at Kulas Music Conservatory, 96 Front St. in Berea (on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace College). Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; a light dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.; and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Child care is available (contact Sue Paxson at 440-888-3615 in advance). For further questions, call Southwest UU at 440-816-1686.

Tuskegee airmen returning to west shore on april 14^th

Having just received gold medals from the government which ignored them for many decades, a group of World War II flyers and support crews known as the Tuskegee Airmen will return for a visit to West Shore UU Church on Saturday, April 14^th, sponsored by the Dialogues in Diversity group at West Shore. The Airmen were a group of African-American flyers trained at Tuskegee, Alabama in World War II. A potluck dinner will be served at 5:00 p.m.; a presentation of living history will be at 6:00 p.m. Space is limited, so contact Chris or Raymond Claytor in advance at 440-234-4474, or call the church at 440-333-2255.

A letter on leadership training from Darrell cook

I’ve toyed for some time with the idea of designing and implementing a training module on the topic, “Leadership: a Community Building Event.” Until recently, I’ve been stymied as to how to proceed. Happily, I’ve gotten “unstymied.” A most interesting book crossed my path. The title is, Primal Leadership. One author, Richard Boyatzis is on the faculty of Weatherhead School of Management at CWRU. His co-authors are Dan Coleman and Annie McKee. The clue to the book’s content is found in the title. Claim the authors, leadership is more a matter of the heart than of the mind. An effective leader is a person able to transmit the passion the leader feels about the work in which he or she is involved, so that others are inspired to enter the process where the leader can mentor them.

During recent months, as I sat in the Mutualizing Ministry group, the question was brought up, “ How might members and friends of Urban Hope become more involved in creating, planning and implementing programs at the store front?” As observed by one wise gentleman who occasionally sits in on planning sessions, everyone in any organization needs to feel she or he has a “place at the table.” That certainly is congruent with our UU Principles. Moreover, Unitarian icon James Luther Adams exhorted our forebears to assume the mantle of the “prophethood of all Believers.”

I am very interested in gathering a group of Urban Hope folks to consider how we might make Adams’ vision become a reality for us. However, I would need to know that a critical mass (10-12 minimum) would join me. Over the next few weeks, I ask you to give this some thought. If you think you’d like to be part of this venture, call me (216/320-0583) or e-mail me (at daddo12002@yahoo.com). Details as to date and time will be forthcoming as soon as I see that a sufficient number of you are ready to be part of this.

Yours in Faith,

Darrell Cook

The poetry presence

The Way Good Friends

You and I can share the silence

Finding comfort together

The way good friends do.

And after fights and words of violence,

We make up with each other

The way good friends do.

Times of Joy and of Sorrow,

We will always see them through.

Oh!

I don’t care what comes tomorrow.

We can make it together,

The way good friends do.

Yes!

We can make it together,

The way good friends do.

By Rammie Bauer

Still more in the poetry line

Our own Robert E. Farmer has a new book of poetry out. Titled Woodstoves & Ravens, the work distills two decades of back-country life near Thunder Bay, Ontario. The book includes seven prints

by Ontario artist Alanna Marohnic. The 88-page book is printed on antique presses on 80-lb. paper. It’s normally $16 plus shipping, but you can get a copy for $12+ $3.50 shipping each (additional copies please add $1.50 more shipping each plus the cost of the books. Major credit cards accepted at (607) 746-7453; more info at www.birchbrookpress.info; by mail, order at Birch Brook Press, P.O. Box 81, Delhi, NY 13753 (enclose number of copies, shipping, your name, address, and check in U.S. dollars).

some deep thoughts from the well of wisdom

“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it by not dying.” Woody Allen, director

“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” Donald Rumsfeld, philosopher

“One of life’s mysteries is how a two-pound box of candy can make you gain five pounds.” John Walton, editor The Bellringer (Olmsted UU Congregation)

DON’T FORGET!

“Thank God for Evolution: How Science Will Usher Religion Into Its Greatness” with former pastor Michael Dowd and scientific author Connie Barlow will be at First Unitarian Church (21600 Shaker Blvd., Shaker Heights) on Saturday, April 14 from 9:00 to 4:00. Admission is free; so is lunch, but registration for lunch is required. (Call 216) 382-4367.

AND………..

The Ohio-Meadville District’s Annual District Assembly is hosted this year by West Shore UU Church in Rocky River. It will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 20-21, 2007, at the church at 20401 Hilliard Blvd. Many events, meals, small group meetings, workshops, socializing, and ideas will keep you busy. Keynote speaker is Fred Garcia, a UU on faculties at Starr King School for the Ministry and New York University’s School of Management. Registration by April 15 is $55; registration on site is $60. Get more information at www.omd.uua.org.

And……….

The Catholic Worker’s “Books to Prisoners Project” continues, seeking paper back and hard cover books (especially non-fiction of all types) to send to Ohio prisoners. The group (at 3601 Whitman Ave., Cleveland OH 44113) can also use monetary donations to cover costs of mailing the books. Call Ryan or Chris with questions at 216-631-3059.

AND………

Urban Hope’s collecting of used ink cartridges and laser printer cartridges continues. Again, our thanks to the fine folks at the UU Society of Cleveland (Cleveland Heights) who were kind enough to donate some to us. We turn them in to Cartridge World at Kamm’s Plaza and can trade them in or get cash for Urban Hope’s community. Every little bit helps, even one cartridge at a time!

From the editor’s impossibly messy desk

Some things you find because you are looking for them specifically; those are the “Seek and ye shall find” items. Then there are the diametrically opposite findings, located where you would least expect to find them. That was a commentary by Gil Gaudia, Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus at SUNY Fredonia) titled, “About Intercessory Prayer: The Scientific Study of Miracles.” What was, to me, most interesting about it, was that it was an article appearing in Medscape from WebMD. If there was anything I may have learned from this, I guess it was to keep my eyes open; things of value are all around us, if only we spot them!

Olmsted UU Congregation is shooting to find a one-third-time minister (position now open) and a one-third-time RE Director (now filled by a one-quarter-time person)…. Smart move – the same church is holding an Easter “Sunrise” Service at “a reasonable 11:00 a.m. hour!”…. Barbara Padgett is the newest member at Olmsted UUC.

Wayne Arnason, co-minister at West Shore UU Church, will be in Garrison, New York, April 12-15, attending the UU Buddhist Convocation. Speaking of Buddhists, one of the meditation group that meets at Urban Hope stopped in on Saint Cleaning Day (see “Direct from Doris”) to lend a hand!

Some Points from the Worship Arts Conference, March 25, 2007

We should try more “Transformative Worship.” This would:

• Invite the congregation to enter into holy time, and create sacred space from the very beginning of the service.
• Include an affirmation of the congregation’s central mission, values and promises.


• Use powerful symbols that are familiar to the congregation and are rooted in the community’s history and tradition.
• Use announcements as reminders of the mission, vision, and values of the congregation, and as bridges from the service to personal actions and commitments.
• Find ways to invite and include people of all ages and stages of life.
• Rely upon the arts (particularly music) to express the ineffable and reinforce the themes of the service.
• Recognize inclusive singing as a way of opening the heart to the presence of the holy and to the mission, vision and values of the congregation.

(MORE IDEAS NEXT MONTH!)

Coming up in may -----

There’s always SOMETHING happening in Cleveland’s Unitarian Universalist world (but not usually quite so much as in April!). For instance, planned for May this year is the annual banquet for NOAH (Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope) at the City Club, with Cleveland Schools CEO Dr. Eugene Sanders as guest speaker (on May 5^th). Contact Magnolia or Darrell for more information.

Newsletter Notes

The deadline for the next newsletter is April 25, 2007. Mailing address changes, editorial contributions, short poetic or prose contributions can all be submitted to the editor. We reserve the right to make grammatical, spelling, syntactical or other changes, including text

abbreviations. Contact the editor at dondor2@sbcglobal.net or at 216-228-5270.

Urban Hope Unitarian Universalist Community

New Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 770381

Cleveland, OH 44107

Meeting Address: 3204 Lorain Ave.

Cleveland, OH

Message Phone: 216-631-4981

Contact Information:

Steering Committee Chair

Doris Matthey 216-228-5270

Treasurer

Anne Osborne 440-617-9000