Professional Documents
Culture Documents
an edition of
Section A
Outreach in Action | 8A
Fotias Honored | 8A
~SUMMERTIME REMINDERS~
chalk talk
BY DR. KENNETH W. CHALKER
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10am Worship Service in the Great Hall through Sunday, Sept. 2 Summer Programming for Children and Youth
As I write this, another 4th of July is imminent. From the churchs carillon here in University Circle stream the melodies of several important songs from the American experience. Such patriotic melodies coming from this church carillon are one of the ways in which we as a faith community can affirm the hard-won and hard-kept right of religious freedomsomething I am aware that many beyond our borders would like to change. All of us know that the American Experience, as a nation where the government protects religious freedom and where places of worship champion the government in protecting the essential, human right of spiritual freedom, is a most unique one. Our world has been, and still is, a bloody place, often because of those who believe that there should never be a separation between the government and an established, statesupported religion. One would think Jesus public execution by crucifixion would have been enough proof that government and religion should never be officially united. But the world as a whole has not learned this lesson. And thats why, in this world where religious folk still burn, blow up and in all other manner destroy lives in the name of their particular god, I am grateful for this nation, where the essential church/stateseparation lesson has been learned. And yet, in America, while this separation of a particular religious expression from government endorsement and support is practiced and carefully monitored, we would still do well to remember that our form of government would be in great peril without strong, thriving, protected places of worship; places where the spiritual nature of life is nourished and strengthened. If we ever come to believe or think that faith in a Creator is not relevant, or succumb to soul-killing secularism, our form of government will never rise to the principles of its founding. In his first inaugural address to the nation, Continued on back page
Child care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers will be provided during worship throughout the summer in the nursery on the mezzanine level. Sunday School takes a summer break in July and August. Children (K5th grade) are invited to join their families for worship in the Great Hall on Sunday mornings. Please visit the Childrens Table in the gym when you arrive. Here you will find childrens worship bulletins with puzzles and word games that relate to the mornings scripture lesson, plus a variety of quiet activities for children to enjoy during worship. Middle School (6th8th grade) and High School (9th12th grade) youth groups are also taking a summer break after a busy year of study, service and fellowship. Youth are encouraged to join their families in the Great Hall for summer worship. Regular Sunday programming for children and youth begins again on Rally Day, Sept. 9th.
Deadline for the next Outlook issue is Monday, August 20, 2012 outlook@churchinthecircle.com
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Basketball participants and coordinator Hassan Lee, bottom center, are joined by Kay Hogg and Doug Blank to celebrate the arrival of new easy-on-off two-team jerseys (pinnies) donated by program supporters.
Member Elaine Myers was one of four Baldwin Wallace University graduates recently honored with BWs Outstanding Educator Award for 2012. Elaine taught primary grades in the Berea School District and, with husband Larry, has been exceedingly active in their community. Congratulations, Elaine!
Summer guest organist Andrea Dreier provided highly appreciated music at the organ and keyboard.
UC United Methodist Women members and friends pause by a display of Equal Exchange food items, sold to enable both local church and worldwide UMW missions.
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GRACENOTES
B Y N AT H A N M O T TA
Director of Music & Arts
return with the next issue. Meanwhile, dont forget to check out the UCUMC Music & Arts FACEBOOK page for the latest information on artistic opportunities at University Circle UMC!
OUTREACH in ACTION
~ Reporting from Ethiopia
Member Hal Jenkins sends along this recap of his latest adventures in Ethiopia: I am in Ethiopia leading a team that is training an Ethiopian army unit for a peacekeeping mission in Sudan. We are in Addis Ababa, a city of 3 to 5 million located on a gigantic plateau almost one and a half miles above sea level. The people are fantastic. Ethiopia is about the size of Texas, Nebraska, and New Mexico combined. Because of its proximity to the Equator, the climate ranges from fiercely hot in the lowlands to terrific on the plateau (highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s). About 65% of the population is Christian (Ethiopian Orthodox) and 35%Muslim. There are 5 major ethnic groups (and 5 major languages) with 87 subgroups/dialects. The national language is Amharic, but in the last 5 to 10 years they have been teaching English in the schools as it is the international language of business. Ethiopia is one of the 4 or 5 poorest nations on the continentno great stores of natural resources to export. There is some gold and they export coffee which is said to have been discovered in Ethiopia. And Ethiopia is home to Lucy, the 3.2 million year old fossil. I work part-time for a company that has a contract with the State Department and we have been coming here for more than 8 years. This is my 11th or 12th time coming to Ethiopia. I have been doing this training for almost 9 years and have been to 8 different countries in Africa. Ethiopia is my favorite by far. Hal (photo not available)
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UCUMC volunteers are again participating in Rebuilding Together Clevelands city-wide home painting day of service on Saturday, July 28. Contact Doug Blank if you would like to be involved in this impactful local event! About a half-dozen volunteers participate in a week-long mission trip to Endicott, NY, July 1521, organized by member Cheryl Drake. This group will provide carpentry, drywall, painting and other services as they work on homes damaged by the floods of September, 2011. This team will be a living expression of Gods love, building relationships with other volunteers as well as with those who need our caring assistance. Throughout the summer, the UCUMC Outreach Committee is collecting donations for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC)a disaster relief facility located outside of Springfield, IL, and a cooperating depot with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). MMDC provides UMCOR with items such as relief-supply kits, which are distributed to vulnerable people in the wake of a disaster. One type of kit is a cleaning bucket, and UCUMC contributions have helped collect supplies for these kits, delivered in June to the East Ohio Annual Conference by member Susan Achberger. During Annual Conference, 701 cleaning buckets, 2985 health kits, 1173 school kits and a monetary donation of $2500 were collected for MMDC. On June 25, MMDC delivered 1700 cleaning buckets to flood victims in Superior, Wisconsin, and Duluth, Minnesota, with hopes of delivering 1800 more in the near future. While this delivery may have exhausted MMDCs supply of cleaning buckets, donations from UCUMC and the East Ohio Conference will help MMDC restock its supplies. With a thank you to those who helped UCUMC help others with these supplies comes a request to please continue your support during these summer months. Visit this website for more news: http://www.midwestmissiondc.org/?p=1787.
chalk talk
Continued from front page
On Sunday, May 20, Ralph and Lydia Fotia were recognized for their unselfish work over the past years as Coordinators of Pastoral Care, visiting hundreds of members and friends in their homes and in over twenty hospitals and nursing facilities throughout Greater Cleveland. Their contribution has been priceless and is appreciated beyond words.
Abraham Lincoln may have stated the role of vital faith in the very best of ways. In a country on the brink of civil war, Lincoln closed his address with these sentences: Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. The various places of worship and diverse ways of offering God worship in this land enrich and encourage the better angels of our nature. Our places of worship make America possible. Can you imagine how impossible it would
be to be the United States of America if the majority of our citizenry did not think that there are better angels in our nature? Can you imagine how difficult life in our country would be and how uncivilized our society would be if there was no sense that there are no better angels whose spirits are alive among us? We are more than flesh and blood. We are more than what we acquire. We are more than what is tangible or what appetites can be sated. We are justmore. Believing in God, worshipping God, inviting God to be active in our lives and witnessing Gods activity in the lives of those around us these keep us truly free. As I at once anticipate and then trust that you have had a Happy Fourth of July, I know for certain that God makes all such happiness possible.