"No man who is in a hurry is quite civilized," said Will Durant. I’m trying to be in less of a hurry. I was inspired recently when my wall clock in my office quit. A new battery did not solve its problem. Its presence on my wall, directly across from my desk, is particularly noticeable now that it is not telling me what I want to know. My sense of my daily life has been thrown off with much more effect than I am comfortable with. It’s as if my leash has been removed from my collar, and I’m lost as to which direction I’m sup-posed to go and more importantly WHEN I’m supposed to go there.

    Far too often I find myself checking the time to see if I’m on schedule for the next appointment. Then, a minute later, I check the clock to see if it is time for lunch. I’m constantly testing the tension on the leash to tell me where I am, how long I need to be there, and what’s next. Always, it’s what’s next, which means the moment or the now is being ignored.

    "Take time before time takes you," wrote Ralph Richmond. This is not the first time I’ve noticed my attachment to the leash of time. Recently my watch needed a new battery. It took me a couple of weeks to get to the right store which had the correct battery before I again had the grip of time on my wrist. Those two weeks reminded me of the two years I chose to forgo wearing a wrist watch.

    I enjoyed a freedom that I had not anticipated. Although only a wrist watch, I found I had begun the process of freeing myself from the constant constraint of time. It’s not that my schedule changed, or that I had less activities in the day, it’s that I had an easier relationship with my schedule. I was more pre-sent to the moment, and less concerned about what’s next. I ate when I was hungry, and flowed to the next event feeling more relaxed. I was rarely if ever late, for I truly dislike being late, and I arrived with a sense of idleness. "A life that has never an idle moment must have many a tense one," wrote David Riesman. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

    Why only two years without a watch? I was required to wear one when I entered the Peace Corps. I guess they had too many volunteers trying to fit in with the Latin Costa Rican culture of relaxed starting times. I tried going without a wrist watch again, but then a family member bought one for me. So, it’s there on my wrist, which is good, because I’m not replacing the clock on my wall ... just yet.

    "Time is made for man, not man for time," The Cloud of Unknowing.

    Thank you to David Burkey, Peg Anderholt, Betty Richmond and Mark Gorman from a grateful bunch of teenagers. A thank you note was received from hard working Habitat teenagers staying at First Presbyterian Church. A fine meal of chili, salad, bread and soda was given by our generous church members. The note reads: "Thank you so much for the lovely meal, we sincerely appreciate it! Best wishes, the Allegheny Habitat Crew."

    I will be attending the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly June 21-27 in Fort Worth along with Josh Searle-White and Lee Ann Wester. I will be on vacation July 1 through August 7, which puts me back in the office on August 8. In case of emergency during these times, I can be reached through Venessa Summerlin (724-4023), Dave Anderson (337-5542) or Mike McGrath (336-2480).

Have a great summer, Kate

    As you being your summer adventures, please make a note for yourself to collect a small sample of water from your travels. At the September 11 service, we’ll collect all the waters from our returning members and friends during our worship service.

    In June we celebrate Gay Pride Month. Last Sunday I had the children decorate hearts in support of the civil right to marry, and I hope that parents will continue the support at home. However, many of you may have questions about talking with your child about homosexuality. For example, what do you tell children? How much do you tell them? Do they even need to know about homosexuality at such a young age? Is the topic of sexual orientation too mature for children?

    First, let me address the questions: Do children need to know about homosexuality? Is this topic too mature for a young audience? There are many mature topics that as parents we need to address to our children: racism, sexism, sex, vio-lence, war, poverty, death, and, yes, sexual orientation, just to name a few. We want our children educated about these issues in our homes and churches. We want them to under-stand what we believe about these issues, and what we think is right and respectful toward all. If not, then our children remain ignorant about these issues and may receive their "education" from others who may not hold our view. Then what? They may learn hatred, fear, violence, and intolerance.

    What do you tell children? How much do you tell them? Of course, that all depends on the age of the child and what kinds of questions they are asking. I have found that a visit to a local library can help. Usually, they have books aimed at certain age levels on a specific topic. I, also, have the names of several books if you need help finding some resources. Also, let their questions be a guide to you. A 5 year old child may be curious about why "Amy" and "Heather" live together. A simple answer such as they love each other may be all that is needed. Of course, the older the child the more complicated the questions. Remain open to the conversation, and if you are at a loss for words, remember that you have a minister, DRE, RE teachers, and fellow UUs to turn to for support and advice.

    If you are still afraid to talk about homosexuality with your child, then you need to look at yourself and examine your beliefs more deeply. Your reluctance is probably a sign of your own discomfort with the issue.

    Remember, the message is love in all of its forms and respect for all. These are noble ideas and worth instilling in our children.

    This year’s program will focus on Unitarians, Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists who have acted with courage and wisdom in their attempts to live their lives fully and make the world a better place for others. The children will be encouraged to live their own lives fully and to use their own positive "super powers" as they interact with the world around them, and as they do so, to grow both spiritually and ethically. The curriculum is entitled UU Super Heroes and is written by Gaia Brown. Gaia Brown is a Credentialed Religious Educator, Masters Level. She has a M.A. in English and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood and has been a UU religious educator since 1975.

    This program is designed for grades K-5, and there is a sign up sheet at the front desk in the Parish House. The dates are July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7. There will be a culminating worship service on August 14. If an older child would like to help assist the teacher, they are also encouraged to sign up.

    The Ministry Review Committee has started the process for completing a review of the Ministry of our Church. The first step in this process will be to get input from the congregation. No we are not going to send out a survey. We plan to meet personally, in small groups, with any one who would like to participate. The committee will be meeting with the existing groups (i.e. board committees, the choir, gardening group, etc.) to gather people’s opinions regarding the ministry of our church. Members of the Ministry Review Committee will be contacting the chairs or leaders of these groups to set up a meeting. We will try to hold these meetings during a regularly scheduled meeting of the group.

    We will also be holding two meeting immediately after church to discuss the Ministry review and gather your opinions and comments. The first meeting will be on June 5th. The date of the second meeting has yet to be determined.

    As part of the review we are asking for your opinions in three general categories.

• What do you like or think is working well about our church and ministry?

• What do you dislike or think is not working about our church and ministry?

• What would you like to see added or changed at our church?

    We ask that everyone try to keep their comments short and to the point. We are not going to be able to initiate any changes or solve any problems during the review. That will come later. The goal of the Ministry Review Committee is to complete a summary of how we feel the ministry of our church is doing. The committee will be completing a final report and recommendations for the board. The report will also be released to the congregation. The board will be using the report in planning future budgets and events for our church.

    This is the first time in many years that we have under taken this type of a review. It is very important that everyone try to participate. This year’s review will be used as the bench mark for completing this review in following years. The more people who participate the more accurate our bench mark will be. We will all benefit from this process. The Ministry Review will help us to identify what are our priorities, enabling us to put our money, time and energy to the best use and help our church thrive and grow.

    One final item, we ask that there be no anonymous comments during this review. If anyone has a comment or concern which they do not wish to express publicly, the Committee on Congregational Ministry would be very happy to meet with you and discuss your concerns.

    If anyone has any questions regarding the Ministry Review, please contact me.

    Thanks for your help in this review and I am looking forward to hearing your comments on June 5th.

    The worship committee will be soliciting volunteers for summer usher duty during coffee hour on June 5. You can sign up for one Sunday or several. Please check your personal calendar and sign up! If you will not be attending church that day and would still like to usher in the summer, please contact Rebecca Hecking. Thank you!

    We are working on the Photo Directory Book. If there is a change you would like made regarding your name, telephone, address, children, or e-mail address from how it appears in the current Church Directory, please let Carolyn Chase know ASAP. We will be using the latest Church Directory for this information. My e-mail is chasrupe@mdvl.net. My phone is 967-4762. Thank you.

    This will be the last notice about reserving tickets for Madam Butterfly at Chautauqua on July 8, 7:30 pm. Reservations and payment need to be received by June 5, as Sandi Stupianski offered to ‘hand pick’ the tickets in Chautauqua on June 6. Tickets cost $20, $40, or $50.

    Madam Butterfly is probably the best loved by the most people of all operas. Preceding it will be a potluck dinner at the Stupianskys condo in Chautauqua at 5:30. They are fabulous hosts! Ticket holders may enter Chautauqua free from 4:00 pm on. Call Wynette Kommer at 336-5014 or email <whkommer@yahoo.com>.

    Pickup is available – call Wynette at 336-5014. Remember, send tired clothing to the thrift shops – give us the goodies! Thank you!

    An informational meeting about the importance of advance directives will take place on Thursday June 9 at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Hall at Meadville Medical Center, Grove Street. If you wish to attend, please RSVP by June 3 to 814-333-5403.

    Hospice of Crawford County sponsors a drop-in support/discussion group led by trained counselors the second Tuesday of every month. It is 1 to 2:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Meadville, and is open to all at no charge. Questions? Call 333-5403.

    UUA President William G. Sinkford has issued a pastoral letter as Memorial Day approaches and the war in Iraq drags on.

    "As the death toll in Iraq continues to climb, many of us, as people of faith, are struggling to find a way to respond. As a religious community, Unitarian Universalists do not say that war is never justified: we are not a ‘peace church.’ But most of us view war as an absolute last resort, to be embarked upon only when all other avenues have failed, or when we have been attacked. Most of us do not believe this war met those tests. Many of us have written our legislators, some of us have stood vigil for peace, a few of us have protested. Almost all of us fear that this occupation will damage our credibility as a freedom-loving nation; almost all of us fear that we are, with our own hands, helping to birth the next generation of terror-ists who will threaten our safety.

    "The questions involved here are not simple," Sinkford continues. Later in the letter, he writes, "wars look different in the rearview mirror than they do through the wind-shield. Historians would remind us that the Civil War was not begun to end slavery, and that stopping genocide figured not one whit in the American decision to enter World War II. We deal here, perhaps, with unintended consequences – consequences, nonetheless, that righted grave wrongs and redeemed great losses.

    "Perhaps our invasion and occupation of Iraq will have the beneficial consequences our national leadership claims they will. Perhaps democratic government will flourish in Iraq and encourage the spread of democracy throughout that region. Perhaps the lives of ordinary Iraqis will improve, after decades of suffering. Perhaps these developments will, in time, redeem the many lost lives and the heavy toll on our nation’s soul.

    "Like many of you, I find these outcomes unlikely. Before the invasion, we raised questions: did Saddam Hussein truly have weapons of mass destruction that threatened us? Would our troops be welcomed as liberators or reviled as occupiers? What role did the presence of Iraq’s oil resources play in our decision to invade, and who would control them once Saddam was gone? How could our nation embrace a policy of unilateral preemptive war?"

    Rev. Sinkford’s letter, which is excerpted here and carried in its entirety at <http://www.uua.org/president/050525_iraq.html> also includes a call to action on a vote expected in the next 24 hours by the House of Representatives on an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill on withdrawal from Iraq as well as resources for learning and congregational advocacy.

    General Assembly is the coming together of the delegates of our Unitarian Universalist congregations to do the business of the Association: to make real the covenant that binds us. We want to use our time at GA to shape the direction for our future, to witness to our values, and to forge the relationships that are at the heart of our faith. We want to invite you to join us from June 23 to 27 in Fort Worth, Texas. Make your plans now.

    More than ever, your voice needs to be heard. By sending its leadership to GA, a congregation makes an investment in itself – GA is an opportunity to give your congregation a voice in the Association. There are numerous opportunities to learn information that will benefit you and your congregation. A myriad of workshops on topics including religious edu-cation, growing healthy and relevant congregations, leadership, stewardship and hospitality (to name but a few) will be presented. General Assembly business encompasses a wide range of issues from civil liberties and gay rights to peace and racial justice. GA is an opportunity to share ideas and experiences in effective congregational advocacy, organizing, education, service, and public witness as well as participate in the Association’s work toward inclusiveness and diversity, multi-culturalism, anti-racism and anti-oppression.

    If you haven’t yet registered, you may pre-register until June 10 or register onsite in Fort Worth at the same rates. GA registration materials are at <uua.org/ga/reg.>. Adult full-time registration is $305. The Association is offering reimbursement of up to $260 to Congregational Presidents (one per congregation, see <uua.org/ga/congpres> for details.

    For housing, first try the GA Housing Bureau at (888) 221-9425 or <uua.org/ga/housing>. Even if you aren’t able to find space in the GA housing block, plenty of affordable housing opportunities remain. Visit <uua.org/ga/housing> for more information.

    GA offers over 300 workshops, worship services, lectures and meetings. Some highlights include:

• The Ware Lecture delivered by Elaine Pagels, a preeminent figure in the theological community.

• Pete Seeger and Friends – Sing along with the man who has led the musical charge for social and environmental justice for over six decades.

• Sharing Our Progressive Family Values with the World – George Lakoff shares the most powerful "frames" through which progressive religious people can speak our own truths.

• Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Faiths, One Vision: UUs for Justice in the Middle East, a panel discussion.

• Healing Earth, Healing Our-selves: Choices for a sustainable future. Duane Elgin articulates extraordinary opportunities for an ‘evolutionary leap’ to new pat-terns of living and relationship.

• More Voices, More Choices: Why we need media reform.

• The Exonerated: This play by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen is based on actual interviews, court transcripts, and other documents. Actors relate true stories of wrongful convictions leading to death row and incarceration for as long as 22 years before exoneration.

The full program is available online at <uua.org/ga>, or call 617-948-4209.

    On April 14 youth and adults from across the U.S. and Canada met in New York City for our annual intergenerational Spring Seminar. This year’s seminar, "HIV/AIDS: Defusing a Biological Timebomb," explored the social, economic, and humanitarian dimensions of the AIDS pandemic. Participants learned about the latest research and were introduced to new initiatives to fight the disease and help those affected, both domestically and internationally. Speakers and panelists included experts from UNAIDS and the NGO community, internationally known academics and physicians, and members of the UU community doing activist work around HIV/AIDS.

    Speaker and panel presentations were supplemented with vibrant worship services, fabulous food and entertainment, and, of course, a tour of the United Nations. An inspirational, informative, and life-affirming time was had by all! Below, please read the 2005 Seminar Statement, produced at the conclusion of the conference.

    Whereas the United Nations Charter reaffirms "faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small,"

    And whereas Unitarian Universalist principles affirm and promote "the inherent worth and dignity of every person," and "justice, equity and compassion in human relations,"

    And recognizing the terrifying proportions of the global AIDS pandemic, and the complexity of addressing the issue and engaging in possible solutions,

    Understanding the obstacles to controlling and preventing the further spread of the global epidemic,

    Honoring the history of HIV/ AIDS globally and nationally, and with compassion learning from the experience of people living with and affected directly by HIV/AIDS,

    Affirming the long-standing history of Unitarian Universalists in the United States and Canada to advocate for and treat people living with HIV/AIDS with dignity and respect in their congregations and communities,

    Expressing concern with pervasive issues of stigma, poverty, discrimination, morality, racism, and greed that dominate cultural and political discourse worldwide,

    And expressing outrage that we have the medical technology to sustain the lives of millions of people affected by HIV/ AIDS, but not the global political will to bring generic drugs to entire communities in danger of disintegration,

    We the members of the 2005 UU-UNO Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar call North American Unitarian Universalist congregations to action regarding the global AIDS pandemic.

    We call for support of Unitarian Universalist efforts for comprehensive sexuality education that teaches medically accurate facts about HIV transmission and the best prevention methods.

    We call for efforts to improve education in communities world-wide, with the belief that education can equip future generations with the means for success and opportunity in the face of the destruction caused by the AIDS epidemic.

    We call for a demand for global access to healthcare and treatment for HIV-positive people from our own governments and international organizations.

    Therefore, as liberal religious people, guided by compassion, commitment to social justice, and the UN/UU-UNO goal of building a just international community, we call all peoples to positive and immediate action around the global AIDS crisis, as we reaffirm our commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and to the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

    Window Books announces UU Marc Adams’ 7^th book, (lost)Found, which Adams states is not just a follow-up to The Preacher’s Son, but reveals a continuation of his life’s journey. "This is a second coming out for me," Adams says. "So many people have asked me about my spiritual journey since escaping fundamentalist Baptist Christianity. (lost)Found chronicles that journey. I call it ‘From Fundamentalism to Freedom’. I am now a Unitarian Universalist and this book reveals my journey to getting to that place of peace in my life."

    Adams’ books may be ordered from Window Books at <meetmarcadams.com>.

Bumper stickers are now available in the church office proclaiming our liberal UU faith! These attractive blue bumper stickers have the UUA’s website and our chalice symbol, along with snappy statements about our faith:

• The Uncommon Denomination.

• Different People. Different Beliefs. One Faith.

• Searching for a Liberal Religious Home?

• A Different Trinity: Respect. Freedom. Justice.

• Room for Different Beliefs. Yours.

Available for $1. See Venessa in the office.