Your May Calendar

(All events will take place at our storefront, 3204 Lorain Ave., unless otherwise stated.)

May 6, Sunday – 5:00 p.m. -- Tim Walters is a community organizer from the May Dugan Center on the Near West Side of Cleveland. He will talk about his work as an organizer as well as special issues related to low-income families in the next State budget. Tim is very knowledgeable and articulate, making these complex issues understandable. Cookies and coffee follow the program.

May 13, Sunday, 5:00 p.m. Connection Circle Service on Hope, followed by Pot Luck dinner. The material for this Circle was written by Sarajane Wilson, from West Shore UU Church. This spiritual process has become part of programming in UU congregations around the country. David Frazier and Doris Matthey have both been trained as facilitators and will lead the process. A potluck dinner will follow the service.

May 20, Sunday, 5:00 p.m. “Eco-Spirituality.” We will share readings about the Earth and decorate a Peace Tree in front of the storefront. Bring some of your favorite readings about the earth, some decorations and messages for the tree, and your “creative self”. Denise DeArment will be in charge.

May 27, Sunday – 5:00 p.m.

Picnic at Lakewood Park. In case of rain, sleet or snow, we’ll make that an indoor picnic at Urban Hope.

Direct from Doris

April has been a great month for me to take in wisdom from many sources for growth as a UU. These included a workshop on worship, another on conflict resolution as well as the District Assembly held at West Shore UU Church. The highlight presentation for me was Fred Garcia’s keynote on “Grounding our Public Voice – Historical and Theological Reflections.” Tom Chulak’s workshop on Shared Ministry was also very thought-provoking. Tom is leaving his position as Acting Executive Director of the Ohio-Meadville District, returning to lead the St. Lawrence District. Jeanne Crain, a Program Consultant for Leadership and Growth, will also be leaving, again to work as a consultant. Both of these vital people will be missed!

Rev. Chris Nielson (minister at South West UU Church) led a group on the Commissioned Lay Leader (CLL) Program. It was interesting to hear about the various roles of CLLs across the District. Currently there are nine CLLs and three other CLL candidates and myself.

As we work our way toward June,

In Faith and Hope, Doris

News around urban hope

Urban Hope once again has its own web site. Thanks to Dave Frazier and Rob Farmer, this work in progress now offers basic information to web users about Urban Hope. You can reach their handiwork at www.uurbanhopecleve.org..... Molly Holland and Bill Avery resigned from Urban Hope’s Steering Committee. We thank them for their time, energy and talent used on behalf of the Community!.... Darrell Cook suggests you keep his Primal Leadership workshop in mind until Fall, when there will be more time to build participation and interest.

Three Fair Trade events in May

St. Malachi Parish and Community are promoting trade that is FAIR (rather than “free”) on Sunday, May 6, from 9am to 1pm. The following Saturday, May 12 is World Fair Trade Day. A festival will be held at Tri-C Metro Complex, at Campus Center 10, 2900 Community College Ave, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Parking is available along E. 30^th or in the lot off 2900 Community College Ave.) Finally, a fashion show will be held at the Independence Community Center, 6363 Selig Drive, in Independence. High school students will model Fair Trade fashions, with fair trade vendors selling clothing and accessories, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

A Cancellation!

Rebekah Benner, who previously spoke at Urban Hope, announced that the WomenSpirit conference scheduled for May 5^th at the UU Church in Akron has been canceled. Not enough people had signed up.

Some Points from the Worship Arts Conference, March 25, 2007 (continued from last month’s issue)

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

• Be culturally sensitive, honoring and interpreting the cultural context and setting of ritual elements and service content drawn from the world’s diverse cultures.
• Find ways to recognize individual lives within the body of the community, holding the personal and the collective in dynamic tension.
• Include silence and words that remind us of our dependency on the mystery of life and each other.
• Honor contemporary and traditional sources for the congregation’s faith journey and help place this journey in time, through the framework of the liturgical year.
• Can happen without a sermon, but the power of the word through excellent preaching is the key that unlocks the possibility of transformation in most of our congregations.
• Invite and create congregations of generosity and abundance.
• Send people out into the world with a personal sense of mission, with their highest values reinforced.

(from the Workship Workship, “Better worship by Next Sunday,” by the Rev. Wayne Arnason and the Rev. Kathleen Arnason)

Deep thoughts from a deep well

“When the goal seems to get further and further away you begin to realize that the journey is the goal.” Joseph Campbell

“The ultimate privilege is to know how the rest of the world lives and to do something about it.” unknown

From the Messy horizontal, Flat Surfaces of the Editor’s desk

One of the bad things about anonymous donations is that it is darn near impossible to thank someone for their contribution. That’s our predicament now, of thanking the person or persons who anonymously donated used printer cartridges to our fund-raising efforts. As a reminder, we turn in used cartridges to Cartridge World, in Kamm’s Plaza in Cleveland. The idea came from Urban Hope member John Cartwright. It’s not going to solve all UH’s fiscal problems, but every little bit helps. My last visit to the storefront I checked out the yellow and blue contribution box, and I was surprised to find several cartridges in it. To whomever was the donor, thank you. I will make sure our treasurer, Anne Osborne, makes note of the amount and the source.

Conflict Management Workshop coming to Kent

Differences can be enriching, but sometimes they can escalate to conflict. Jeanne Crane is the workshop leader for Managing Conflict: When the Fabric of Community Begins to Tear on Saturday, May 19, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. The fee, including lunch and snacks, is $20 if postmarked by May 16, $25 if after May 16. Workshop topics include How to speak truth in love and truth to power, giving and receiving feedback, confronting hurtful actions, modeling what we expect from others, the nature of congregational conflict, principled negotiations, when to call for help from the district or cluster, setting up a Right Relations team. Make check payable to Ohio-Meadville District, with “Mediation Workshop” written on the memo line. Mail to Ohio-Meadville District, 114 Bank St., Suite B, Lodi, OH 44254; e-mail to om@uua.org; phone chair Kate Landis at 216-939-8827.

NOAH hosts Dr. Eugene Sanders on may 5

Don’t forget, the Northeast Ohio Alliance for Help meets at the City Club downtown on May 5, with Cleveland Schools CEO as the guest speaker. Talk to Magnolia Namaskura if you are interested in going.

Newsletter notes

The deadline for the next issue of the newsletter is May 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 by phone at 216-228-5270.

Urban Hope Unitarian Universalist Community

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 440-617-9000