the nUUsletter

"Sorry" Just Don't Git It

by Jeff Briere
I had just pulled into Kinko’s parking lot beside a HUGE pickup truck. “How huge was it?” you ask. It was SO HUGE that it took up more than one parking slot and to exit my car, I had to squeeze sideways between the door jamb and the frame. In retrospect, I probably should have found another spot. Well, shoulda—coulda—woulda.

When I came out of Kinko’s, Kate said that the woman in the truck wanted to speak to me. Kate said I dinged her door upon exiting and while I was inside, the woman had harangued Kate about the damage to her truck and had recorded my license plate number.

I looked at her door. No visible mark. If I had touched her car, she had repaired it already or I had touched it so lightly as to leave no mark. The woman rolled down her window and started in on me. “But there’s no damage to your truck,” I protested. “There’s a vinyl strip right here along the door that protects your paint.”
That didn’t matter. She was insolent, indignant, itchin’ for a fight and seated a good 18 inches higher than me. “If I bumped your car, I apologize. I’m sorry that you are upset, but I don’t see any damage,” I said and started my car.

“Sorry just don’t git it!” she snorted.

That remark stayed with me for a long time. I won-dered what would “git it.” Did she want to press my undo button? Did she want me to rewind time and start the day over? Did she want a thousand dollars?

Had I offered it, she probably would have accepted my money, but she wouldn’t have been gracious about it. Such are the parking lot blues—another country song.

The White House, complained that Newsweek’s apology and retraction of the story about the desecration of the Qur’an in Guantanamo Bay was only a first step. What, did they want the reporter fired? No, they wanted Newsweek to rebuild the Army’s damaged reputation! People sue each other over traffic accidents, but no rational person intends to collide with another vehicle; that’s why they’re called accidents. My neighbor accidently released a few hundred gallons of water from his pool and it came gurgling over my lawn and nearly washed away some plants. I was perturbed, but what could I have him do? It literally was “water over the dam.”

Situations in which malice was intended, like the Japanese biological experiments conducted on Chinese prisoners during WWII, are different. In that case, “Sorry” is not enough. Ditto for the Swiss banks and insurance companies that worked hand–in–glove with Hitler to loot the Jews of their money and art. In these cases, recompense should include more than an apology.

It’s easy to inflate our sense of self–importance. We’re Number 1! Winning is the only thing! Nobody’s gonna stand in my way! SUV! Hummer! Tank!

Thinking this way inevitably leads one into conflict with the rest of society. However, such a conflict will lead to our own destruction, because we are all interconnected. We aren’t separate beings, each locked away in our own sphere of existence. We cannot just be, by ourselves, at the top of the hill. Our being is inter–being; connected to each and to all.

When that connection is broken in an accident, it may not be enough to grin and say, “Sorry ’bout that!” If a heartfelt apology “don’t git it,” it may be time to reconsider what “gittin’ it” would accomplish.

OK. That rant’s over.

On another topic, I will attend General Assembly in Fort Worth June 20th through 26th. Some of that time is devoted to conducting the business of the Unitarian Universalist Association and some time will be professional development. Going and returning will be a short vacation for Kate and me.
We’ll be back in town for Independence Day and I don’t plan any extended times away from the area for the rest of the summer. I may not be in church very often, but I’ll be available if you need me. Call me at home or Call Chris in the office. She’ll know where to find me.

Summer Religious Education

Summer Religious Education will feature multi-aged groups choosing from a list of the week’s camp activities: crafts, games, music, videos, or just sitting under a tree and chatting. Parents will continue to take turns bringing healthful snacks and joining in the fun.

June 5th On the first Sunday of each month this summer, the kids will plan a field trip for the following Sunday. Notices will then go out through email and a calling tree.

June 12th Kids, their transporters and supervisors will go on the chosen field trip. nursery will be open for the younger ones.

June 19th Third Sundays will be water days. In addition to crafts, etc. the kids may choose to participate in water games.

June 26th A surprise camp activity will be offered on each 4th Sunday.

Club Chattanoogan

A member of the church recently purchased a mem-bership at the Club Chattanoogan. The member-ship is completely transferrable, so you can enjoy reduced prices at the Broad Street Grille or The Foundry when dining with at least one other person. When two people dine, 40% of the food bill is sub-tracted, for three, 33%, for four, 25% and for five or more, you save 20%. This membership is available to church members free of charge. Contact Jeff Briere for details.

The Interdependent Web

by Steve Hollingsworth

“The name of the song is called ‘Haddock’s Eyes’.”
“Oh, that’s the name of the song, is it?” Alice said.
“No, you don’t understand. That’s what the name is called. The name really is ‘The Aged Aged Man’.”
“Then I ought to have said ‘That’s what the song is called?’”
“No, you oughtn’t: that’s quite another thing! The song is called ‘Ways and Means’: but that’s only what it’s called, you know!”
“Well, what is the song, then?”
“I was coming to that. The song really is ‘A-sitting on a Gate’: and the tune’s my own invention.”

—Through the Looking Glass, by LEWIS CARROLL

Whenever Unitarian Universalists (UUs) gather words are likely to be important and many UUs will happily parse any phrase as finely as Carroll's White Knight. Not the least topic of debate in our movement is what we choose to call ourselves.

A recent mealtime conversation among several who attend the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga made clear that there are those who like our being called a church and those who do not. The arguments were both personal and collective. “I'm uncomfortable with the word church.” “It’s best to use the word church in the South because church is so important in southern communities.”

Of the nearly 1100 members of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) there are 490 churches, 281 fellowships, 134 congregations, and 105 societies. Five members call themselves communities and two, meeting houses. Thirty-three are descriptive only, without any institutional noun, like UU Metro Atlanta North.

Forty-four years after the Unitarians and the Univer¬salists merged, shadows of the former institutions remain in the church names. 174 names contain just Unitarian and 56 just Universalist. Ten carefully desig¬nate themselves as Universalist Unitarian.

Whatever we call ourselves, June means General Assembly (GA), the annual meeting of the UUA, and that means hundreds of churches, congregations, fellowships, societies, and what-have-you will parade their banners before the assembled body. Those that are new in the last year will be introduced to great applause. Every name has a story with a past and a future.

But, like the rose, by any other name, it might smell as sweet.

CHIONS

CHIONS meets Saturday, June 9, at 10:30 am. Transforming and Living in the Now: An Introduction to the Landmark Forum presented by Bernard Fertal.

The Landmark Forum is a course of instruction designed to make people more effective in realizing their personal and societal goals. Bernard Fertal is an artist and musician who is currently director of Interactive Media at Baylor School. He has studied and practiced many different spiritual traditions and is a long-term mediator and student of the emerging new paradigms of thinking and being.

Twisted Knitters

The Twisted Knitters meet on June 6th, at 7 pm. Bring your kprojects and kyarn for a knight of koffee, konversation and, of kourse, knitting!

Book Club News

The Book Club is on vacation until August 18th at 7 pm when they will discuss Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund. Everyone welcome.

mUUsic Jam!

Join the band! Musicians & singers. Any style. Any skill level. Saturday June 4th at 3 pm; drummers warm up at 1:30. Bring sheet music or chord charts for your favorite songs and take home new songs and good memories.

Board Highlights

by Fred Tregaskis

• The Treasurer’s Report shows that expenses exceeded income in April. Due to minimizing expenditures, the expenses have not exceeded income for the year to date.
  
• The nursery care employee has resigned and efforts are being made to hire a replacement.
  
• A contract has been signed with professional entertainers for the Equinox Concert on September 24.
  
• A budget for 2005-2006 was approved for recommendation to the congregation at the annual meeting on June 5. The recommendation will include a special appeal to balance a deficit of $9841 in the budget.
  
• The next meeting of the board will be on June 13, following a joint dinner meeting with the trustees-elect. The business meeting will start at 7:15 pm and is open to all members.

Sing Me a Green Song

As part of our application to become a Green Sanctuary, we need a little music. Do you have a green song waiting to see the light? If so, please put it on paper, now, and submit it to Daniel Justice, coordinator for of the Worship & Celebration Section of the Green Sanctuary Action Plan. You can also leave it at the church office in the GSI mail slot in the office. Please be sure to attach your name, address, phone number, and the name of the composition. The song will be used in church worship services such as Earth Day or other appropriate occasions. A qualified musician will judge the entries. Deadline for submission: August 30th, 2005.

Wanted: Vegetarian Recipes

Marcia Jenison and Linda Helton are putting together a collection of favorite vegetarian recipes from church members. Please submit your favorite vegetarian recipes to Marcia, mjwjact@mindspring.com,or to Linda, lkwh67@aol.com, or give them to Chris in the office by June 30th.

If you also have an interesting reading or history of your dish, please share that as well. Not only will the resulting Kitchen Reader be a useful addition to our cookbook collections, but it qualifies as another activity as we work to become a Green Sanctuary. The cookbooks will be sold for a modest sum as a money raiser for the church. Can’t wait to try those recipes!

Green Power Switch DVD

A DVD explaining the Green Power Switch program and its benefits is available from the church office. Just look in the GSI mail slot. After viewing, please return the DVD to the office for the next person.

Green Sanctuary Action Plan Launched

On April 17, details of the Green Action Plan were presented during the Sunday service. If the actions are accomplished, our church will become an accredited Green Sanctuary. “The plan is ambitious, but doable,” says Sandy Kurtz, leader of the Green Sanctuary Initiative that will guide the actions. The coordinators for the plan are:

Daniel Justice	Worship & Celebration
Dolores Wood	Religious Education
Sandy Kurtz	Environmental Justice
Buck O’Rear Richard Ralston	Sustainable Living
Linda Helton	Communications

Other members of the GSI are Nancy Anderson, Pat Fogarty, Claire Hale, George Helton, Bill McGuiness, and Fred Tregaskis. Copies of the plan are in the GSI mail slot in the church office.

Outdoor Day!

June 4th from 9:00 to Noon for all ages!
Join the fun and pitch in for privet patrol, litter pickup, planting and general sprucing up of the church grounds. Bring tools, gloves, and wear sun screen and appropriate clothing. Lunch provided. For more info, call Nancy Anderson. You may get her number from the directory or the church office.

Green Promises to Keep Before We Sleep

At the April 17th Green Sanctuary service Green Promises were made. Here are several:

Recycle—some members promise to begin recycling. Once begun, recycling gets to be a habit. Establish a corner in a handy place, set out boxes with a blue or clear bag inserted and start collecting. Rinse out all containers to be recycled to prevent bugs and odors. Collect colored and plain unbroken glass bottles and jars (take to drop-off center); plastic containers marked with a 1 or 2 on the bottom; newspapers & mixed paper (glossy ads, magazines, envelopes, magazines, junk mail) and metal cans.

Eat more vegetarian meals—Food for the world stretches further if it doesn’t get fed to an animal first and then eaten.

Buy a hybrid or high-mileage car— Congratulations to Monique Lewis and Nancy Anderson who both just made good on this promise!

Organize driving trips better— Consolidating errands will save time and gas.

Drive less—These last three are all ways of using less gasoline and reducing air pollution.

Watch for Green Promises in future nUUsletters. Now to start keeping our promises!

RECYCLE!

What is Green Power?

Green power is earth friendly electricity as opposed to electricity from fossil fuel. On any given day in the Tennessee Valley, more than 60% of your electricity comes from coal burning. The extraction of coal is devastating to the land and the way of life where it is found. Burning coal significantly contributes to air pollution and health problems for plants, animals and humans.

You can alleviate coal’s impact by signing up for Green Power Switch® through EPB locally. For an $4 extra per month, you acquire one block of 150 kilowatt hours that is generated with solar, wind and methane gas. Of course, you can buy as many blocks as you like. Find out more at www.greenpowerswitch.com or write to Green Power Switch, PO Box 292409 Nashville, TN 37229-2409. To sign up, call EPB at 756-2706.

Tell Us When You Take a Green Action

Increasing the number of subscribers to green power is one of our action plan items. If you sign up for green power, if you add a solar panel, or if you significantly reduce your use of energy in your home, please let a member of the GSI know so we can get credit with the UUA.

Landscaping and Parking

GSI has been working on landscaping ideas that promote conservation around the new parking lot. Landscaping in other areas including a meditation trail are planned. Any who would like to participate in this part of the Green Action Plan, please contact Buck O’Rear.

Coming Soon to a Church Near You

On June 23rd, at 7 pm, the Chattanooga Chapter of the Interfaith Power & Light will meet at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga to explore ways to promote stewardship in other churches.