Second Congregational Meeting House Society

Unitarian Universalist11 Orange St. ~ P.O. Box 1023

Nantucket, MA 02554(508) 228-5466

Nantucket Unitarian Universalist Newsletter ~ July 2012

WHERE LAND AND SEA MEETReflections on the life and lives of a religious community

by Rev. David M. Horst

When The Beatles sang “the love you take is equal to the love you make” on their final album, I doubt they were thinking about religious communities; but the sentiment in every way applies to who and what we are as a people gathered in community and faith.

As we enter into the busiest time of the church year, I’m asking you -- members and friends, year-round and summer residents alike -- to consider what love you take from this community and the love you make. I sincerely want you to have both.

Take the entertaining and enriching Sunday morning music and worship pro-gram. Take the fun and learning of the religious education program for your children. Take the opportunity to sing loudly and to meditate quietly. Take the beautiful music of Noonday Concert series and the progressive ideas of the new “What’s Now!” series. Take the beauty of the Meeting House. Take the delight of welcoming island visitors into our religious community. Take the kindness and caring of your friends. Take all of the love your Unitarian Universalist commu-nity offers you.

Make some love, too. Know that your presence makes a difference. The Second Congregational Meeting House Society would not be the same without you here. More than this, we cannot be an exciting and engaging religious commu-nity without your involvement and help.

Over the past months I’ve repeated the phrase that the Nantucket Unitar-ian Universalist congregation is “volunteer powered.” In response, many have stepped forward, signed up, and committed their time and talent to a variety of tasks. Four people have agreed to help lead Sunday morning services as worship assistants. Twenty community members have committed themselves to caring for and teaching our children and youth. More than 15 people sing in the adult choir and bring music and positive energy to our Sunday gatherings. More than ten docent volunteers are ready to begin offering weekday Meeting House tours.

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JOIN US AT 10:45 A.M. FOR SERVICES EVERY

SUNDAY.Families Welcome!

Religious Education and Childcare

Sunday, July 1“To Be An American”

Children’s Activity: Tour of Downtown Art Galleries

Sunday, July 8“Where Religion and

Science Meet”

Children’s Activity: Maria Mitchell Science Museum Visit

Sunday, July 15“Why Poetry Matters”

Children’s Activity: Historic Downtown Architectural tour

Sunday, June 22“The Power of Song”

All ages workship service at the Meeting House

Sunday, June 29“Muslims in America”

Children’s Activity: Visit to Greater Light, a Nantucket

Historical Association Property

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CONDUCTOR OR CONDUCTED?by Diane Lehman, Acting Music Director

“It was small tyranny for a respectable wind to go wreak-ing its vengeance on such poor creatures a the fallen leaves, but this wind…did so disperse and scatter them that they fled away, pell mell , some here, some there, rolling over each other, whirling round and round upon their thin edges, taking frantic flights in to the air, and playing all manner of extraor-dinary gambols in the extremity of their distress.”

--Charles Dickens from Martin Chuzzlewit. Though this is just an excerpt, the entire passage, when read aloud to me, had the amazing effect of putting me quite off balance and making me so dizzy that I nearly fell over. Beautifully written, it draws a picture of a force and its effect on things. Spoken aloud, it is almost musical.

The Meeting House Choir, as it is now named, has the chal-lenge each week of presenting an anthem. This is the final product borne of an intense study of a prose set to music. They manage, artfully and gently, to lift black dots off of a musical script, assign them pitch and tone, and air them, with effortless breath, to join the other notes in midair that they then blow invisibly in our direction. They do this without communicating anything more than a slight gesture of their mouths, and we are all immediately encompassed by sound - music- and then silence when they are done.

To be a small part of that is as much a gift to me as the anthem is to you. A piece of poetry in musical motion, the anthem wings to you from a group that is as much a family in the way it works together as the entire audience is when it applauds. Supportive, respectful, generous, forgiving, and willing to listen to each other - the choir has an in-ner strength that they have gained from years of working together. When I was given the opportunity to work with them, I hadn’t imagined inheriting the wind. A force that even Dickens had a hard time defining other than to de-scribe the effect it had on everything it touched.

The choir has touched me with its energy and talent. It of-ten leaves me breathless and dizzy, occasioning me to smile childishly like I just stepped off an amusement park ride. I find myself applauding them. So rather than call me Choir Conductor, I feel like I am Choir Conducted. Instead of moving the music, the music, in the capable and talented hands and voices of the choir, has moved me.

(Left to right) Craig Spery, Diane Lehman and Bob Lehman are accompanied by Rev. David Horst during a special performance in June.

INTERFAITH COUNCIL UPDATEby Mary Beth Splaine, Interfaith Representative

The Interfaith Council held its annual Chef ’s Dinner re-cently to raise funds for the Nantucket Food Bank. The UU’s were represented at a table which included Chris-tine Sanford, Nancy and Gerry Mack, David Barham and Lauri Robertson, Yve Shevalier and guest, and Jack Weinhold and Mary Beth Splaine. The report given at the dinner indicated that 1 in 10 families on the island use the Food Pantry, and that requests are up almost 7% this year. The Pantry is housed in the Greenhound Building on Washington Street with a discreet entrance on Candle Street.

The June meeting of the Interfaith Council reviewed programs including the Rental Assistance Program, which helped 50 clients this year with a total number of assistance awards of $113,853. The Rental Assistance Program finished the year in the black as did the Food Pantry.

A Farm Sunday Brunch at Bartlett’s is planned for Octo-ber 14, and will be another opportunity to raise funds in the community. Let’s plan on a strong showing of Meet-ing House members that day.

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Finance, Personnel, and Building and Grounds Committee members -- the unsung heroes of the congregation -- are keeping our money, house, and staff in good order. Program committee members -- Music, Religious Education, Fourth Sunday Lay-Led Service, and Peace and Justice -- provide leadership and direction. All of these folks are putting love and service into the congregation, and you are welcome to join them.

Right now we have an urgent need for Sunday morning volunteers to greet and welcome members, friends, and visitors; light the chalice; run the sound system; make coffee and serve beverages during the coffee hour; and help with clean up. All told, it takes more than a dozen volunteers to make Sunday morning happen -- upwards of 30 if you include the choir! Sign up the next time you’re at the Meeting House or contact the church office during the week. If everyone signs up for two or three tasks this summer, the work will be light.

Take some love, make some love. Let this be the summer of love at the Meeting House!

“Where land and sea meet” is my Nantucket analogy for congregational life. A church lives in a tidal zone where our private and public lives meet and converge like the meeting place of the land and sea.

SUMMERTIME FUN IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION!by Casey Sayre Boukus, RE Committee Member

Welcome summer! Welcome back summer residents and visitors!

June was another fun-filled and educational month in the Religious Education program. We celebrated Father’s Day with sto-ries of loyal, wise and funny fathers and created crowns to honor those in our lives. We explored the oceans and the watery life that surrounds our beautiful island home with a much-enjoyed visit from Val Hall and Steve Estabrooks complete with aquarium, scallops and local critters. The children had a wonderful time handling and learning about these very important local residents! Thank you, Val and Steve!

And we have lots more fun in store this July. The RE program is exploring all kinds of field trips and exciting new adventures this summer. We encourage you to check out the following schedule and join us for any or all of these outings:July 1st Gallery Tour and discussion of art and local artistsJuly 8th Visit Maria Mitchell and learn about local science subjectsJuly 15th Architectural Tour of townJuly 22nd An all ages service in the Upper SanctuaryJuly 29th Visit the Greater Light Garden

And there is more to come in August: books, art, farm visits and a walking of the sacred labyrinth! These outings will be for children ages 5 and up and any parents wishing to join us, and will be accompanied by several of our volunteer teachers and helpers. Professional childcare is available every Sunday morning at the Meeting House for little ones under 5 as well as older ones who may wish to remain. On the committee side of things, we have finalized definitions and helpful written paperwork for what is asked of a “Helping Teacher”, so if uncertainty held you back before, please don’t hesitate to inquire and get involved with the children if you are interested! Thanks to all the hard work of our volunteers so far! It’s going to be a fun, spirited and educational program inspired and supported by the values and community of our Unitarian congregation.

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INTRODUCING THE “WHAT’S NOW” SERIES

This month we introduce a new cultural series called “What’s Now!” at the Meeting House this summer. Funded by the M. S. Worthing-ton Foundation, the series presents four progressive thinkers in the areas of science, activism, religion, and law on Saturday evenings at 7 o’clock in July and August. The Saturday programs are introduced by Naomi Arenberg, a popular Boston-area NPR personality and cur-rently a host on WUMB radio. Admission is $10 for each event.

The series opens on Saturday, July 7 with Cornelia Dean, a New York Times science reporter and former science editor where she writes about environmental issues and science policy. She is author of Am I Making Myself Clear?: A Scientist’s Guide to Talking to the Public and Against the Tide: The Battle for America’s Beaches, a 1999 New York Times Notable Book of the year. She is at work on a book about the misuse of scientific information in American pub-lic life. Ms. Dean is an associate at the Center for the Environment at Harvard University, and she begins a two-year appointment as writer-in-residence at Brown University in September.

What’s Now! continues on Saturday, July 21 with entertainer, singer, and activist Holly Near in concert featuring her signature songs. John Bucchino, piano, Colleen Kattau, vocals, join Ms. Near along with guest appearance by the Women’s Chorus of Nantucket. She has recorded more than 25 albums including her latest, Peace Be-comes You. She is a skilled performer and ambassador for peace who brings to the stage an integration of world consciousness, spiritual discovery, and theatricality.

On Saturday, August 4, the series presents Stephen Prothero au-thor of the just-published American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation and a professor of religion at Boston University. Previous books include God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World and Why Their Differences Matter and the New York Times bestseller Religious Literacy: What Ameri-cans Need to Know. He comments on religion on dozens of NPR programs, and on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, FOX, and PBS. He was also the chief editorial consultant for the 2010 WGBH/PBS television series “God in America.”

J. Wells Dixon, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Consti-tutional Rights, concludes the series on Saturday, August 18. Mr. Wells works on the Guantánamo Global Justice Initiative, which is challenging the detention of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. He represents clients in Federal Court and before the military commis-sions at Guantánamo Bay, including men from Algeria, China (East Turkestan), Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia. Mr. Wells lectures and comments frequently on national security issues, executive detention, and torture.

Singer-songwriter Holly Near returns to theMeeting House to perform on Sat., July 21.

SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION PROGRAM BEGINS IN JULY

Sunday Morning Meditation, a new spirituality program, begins on Sunday morning, July 1, at 9 a.m. in air-conditioned Hendrix Hall and continues each Sunday through the end of August.

Join Rev. David Horst for 40 min-utes of meditation, chanting, and prayer. Come relax and re-center yourself as you begin your day.

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PRESIDENT’S REPORTby Bob Hall, Board of Trustees President

It is summer and we’re back upstairs in our beautiful Sanctuary. We are happy to see sitting in the pews some of our island summer residents. Welcome back!

“Show up and bid high” was the buzzword for the live and silent auction at the church over Memorial Day weekend. It was well attended and over $11,000.00 was raised. Thanks especially go to Chairperson Linda Sonnonstine Spery and her team of Craig Spery, Mary Beth Splaine and Jack Weinhold, Sissy and Brian Girard whose volunteer time and efforts helped make it such a success. Of course a very big thank you goes to all the different donations from the congregation and community.

The model of the Meeting House that was damaged a year ago came home last week. It was completely restored by Leon Lancaster, an island carpenter and master model builder. He refused any payment for all his work for which we are truly grateful. Thanks Leon! The model looks wonderful!

The Board of Trustees wants to hear from you! In the Sunday service of order is now included a separate note card with the hope you will share your thoughts, opinions, questions or suggestions. Just drop your note card in the suggestion box on your way out from the service. It is always helpful to hear from the congregation.

Kim LaRue and Reverend Horst are working hard to make sure everyone has a nametag. Please sign the list on the table by the front door of the Sanctuary if you don’t see your nametag. In addition to nametags Kim is organizing a church directory to be printed out sometime this summer. If you do not wish your contact information to be included in the directory, please inform Kim at the church office.

After the June 24th Sunday service the Board of Trustees held an open meeting in the Activity Room concerning the future ministry of the church. Thank you to all who attended and for your valued feedback. It was suggested that our first step should be to update our congregational profile. We have experienced and incorporated many changes in our church since 2003 when our last profile was compiled. The profile needs to reflect who we are now. When our new profile is completed it will be posted on our UU website where it can be viewed by perspective ministers. Reverend Horst will be with us until August 2013. That may seem far away but we need to start organizing now for this transition. Because of changes in UU guidelines we have three options available for the next ministry of our church. This will be one of our main topics to be discussed at our annual meeting on July 22nd. Please plan on attending, it is important!

The Meeting House choir sings each Sunday and rehearses at 5 p.m. on Thursdays and 10 a.m. on Sundays. New members are welcomed for the summer and year-round!

It takes only two hours.Be a team player by signing up. If available, contact me.July 2 is Opening Day!

John Rivera 508-325-5211

DOCENT ALERT!

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JULY WORSHIP & RELIGIOUS EDUCATION THEMES

Sunday, July 1 - 10:45 a.m. “To Be An American”Program for children and youth - Downtown art gallery tourToday we explore different ideas of patriotism and love of our country in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday. Music with Diane Lehman and the Meeting House Choir. Guest artist Mariko Matsumura, so-prano, performs works by American composers Charles Ives and Libby Larsen. David Horst leads the service and presents the sermon “To Be an American.” Children and youth enjoy a downtown art gallery tour with Anne Sutherland, Mary Beth Splaine, Casey Boukus, and Tamzin Hutchinson. Start the day with Morning Meditation at 9 in Hendrix Hall. Infant and toddler care provided by Jen Dunbar and Linnie Hall beginning at 10:30. Enjoy coffee and conversation following the programs. Bring brunch food to share.

Sunday, July 8 - 10:45 a.m. “Where Religion and Science Meet”Program for children and youth - Maria Mitchell Science MuseumThe nexus of religion and the natural sciences is a place rich with ideas and inquiries. Today we consider the common questions of existence, meaning, and purpose that both religionists and scientists ask. Music with Diane Lehman and the Meeting House Choir. David Horst leads the service and presents the sermon “Where Religion and Science Meet.” He also responds to the talk by Cornelia Dean, New York Times science re-porter, presented as part of the What’s Now! program the evening before. Children and youth visit the Maria Mitchell Science Museum with Bob and Val Hall and Linda Spery. (Transportation provided.) Start the day with Morning Meditation at 9 in Hendrix Hall. Infant and toddler care provided by Jen Dunbar and Linnie Hall beginning at 10:30. Enjoy coffee and conversation following the programs. Bring brunch food to share.

Sunday, July 15 - 10:45 a.m. “Why Poetry Matters”Program for children and youth - Architectural tour of historic downtownCome read one or two of your favorite poem or share a poem you’ve written at this all-poetry music and worship program. Diane Lehman and the Meeting House Choir provide the music along with guest artist Courtenay Hardy, flute. David Horst leads the service and presents the sermon “Why Poetry Matters.” Chil-dren and youth take an architectural walking tour of historic downtown Nantucket with Casey Boukus, Da-vid Barham, and Kat Robinson Grieder. Start the day with Morning Meditation at 9 in Hendrix Hall. Infant and toddler care provided by Jen Dunbar and Linnie Hall beginning at 10:30. Enjoy coffee and conversation following the programs. Bring brunch food to share.

Sunday, July 22 - 10:45 a.m. All-ages music and worship service - “The Power of Song”Let’s sing! Inspired by the singing of Holly Near the evening before, we’ll join our voices in old hymns, new hymns, folk songs, classical, pop tunes, musical theater favorites, and everything else. Children, youth, and adults gather together in the Meeting House for this special program. Do you have a song you’d like to perform or teach? Bring it along! Or let Diane Lehman know if there’s a favorite of yours you’d like everyone to sing. Bring your voice and your spirit, and we’ll make beautiful music together! David Horst presents a reflection “The Power of Song” exploring the difference our voices can make in the world. Start the day with Morning Meditation at 9 in Hendrix Hall. Infant and toddler care provided by Jen Dunbar and Linnie Hall beginning at 10:30. Enjoy coffee and conversation following the programs. Bring brunch food to share.

Sunday, July 29 - 10:45 a.m. Music and worship theme - “Muslims in America”Program for children and youth - Greater Light, Nantucket Historical AssociationThe Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins on July 20, the time when Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is regarded as a method of spiritual self-purifiation. Muslims are as numerous as Jews and Episcopalians in the U.S., and the number of Muslims is expected to double by 2030. Can a good Muslim also be a good American? We’ll explore this and other challenges of being a Mus-lim in America. Music with Diane Lehman and the Meeting House Choir. David Horst leads the service and presents the sermon “Muslims in America.”

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FINANCE COMMITTEE UPDATE

by Brian Girard, Finance Committee Chair, and Jack Weinhold, Treasurer

The Finance Committee is always pleased when there are no surprises in our financial reports, and we are pleased to say that continues to be the case as we approach mid-point in the congregational year. Our expenses continue to match the budget, and we continue to project income by year’s end that will balance the budget. We are particularly pleased with the fund raising result of the Goods & Services Auction held on May 26th. To date we have raised over $11,000. We continue selling seats for silent auction events: There are spaces left at: “Poker Night”, “The Sound of Music Sing-Along”, “Classic Movie on the big screen with Pizza Night”, and some new openings at the “Organic Autumn-Harvest Food Feast”. Contact Mary Beth at 508-228-0406, MB@nantucket.net The Finance Committee is currently seeking a new member. Please consider joining this important committee, contact any member for additional information. We encourage everyone to attend the mid-year congrega-tional meeting on Sunday, July 22. Among other issues, the finance committee will make a six month’s detailed report of finances. See you there.

NOONDAY SERIES TO SHOWCASE ISLAND ARTISTS IN JULY AND AUGUST

Join us for the opening of the Noonday Concert Series beginning on July 5 with an all-American music program featuring Diane and Bob Lehman, piano and vocal, and the Meeting House Choir. The weekly, 40-minute concerts continue every Thurs-day at noon through August 30 at the historic 1809 Meeting House on Orange Street. We thank ReMain Nantucket for its underwriting support. A donation of $5 is requested.

Thursday, July 5Diane and Bob Lehman, piano and vocal, and the Meeting House Choir with an all-American music program.

Thursday, July 12Marcia Hempel, organ, performing on the historic Goodrich organ with selections ranging from Buxte-hude to Bach and Joplin to Fats Waller.

Thursday, July 19Jun Yi Wang, piano, performing works by Chopin and Liszt.

Thursday, July 26Matthew Hutchinson, jazz piano.

Thurday, August 2Jim Sulzer, classical guitar, performing works from the Renaissance and Baroque eras.

Thursday, August 9Nigel Goss, bass, Aiden Sherry, guitar, and Jessica Heuser, vocal, performing a blend of jazz, blues, and Bach.

Thursday, August 16Mollie Glazer, cello, and Mary Keller, harp, perform-ing a medley of classical, folk, and jazz music.

Thursday, August 23Carson and Colby Cooman, organ and trumpet.

Thursday, August 30Meeting House Choir under the direction of Diane Lehman, Acting Director of Music.

Stop by any weekday, July 2 - August 30, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a tour of the 1809 Meeting House on Orange Street. Guid-ed by a docent volunteer, you’ll learn about the history of this historic structure, view the recently restored tromp l’oeil paintings, and see the magnificent Goodrich organ. Do you have family or guests staying with you this summer? A visit to the Meeting House is a “must see.”

Second Congregational Meeting House Society11 Orange St. ~ P.O. Box 1023Nantucket, MA 02554

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Second Congregational Meeting House SocietyUnitarian Universalist

11 Orange St. ~ P.O. Box 1023Nantucket, MA 02554

(508) 228-5466 (Office)www.unitarianchurchnantucket.org

uuchurchnantucket@verizon.net

Church StaffDavid M. Horst, Interim Minister ~ Edward B. Anderson, Minister Emeritus Diane Lehman, Acting Music Director ~ Kim N. LaRue, Office Administrator

Mimi Jones and Dennis Santangelo, Sextons

Board of TrusteesBob Hall (President), Christine Sanford (Vice President), Susan Richards (Clerk), Jack Weinhold

(Treasurer), Brian Girard, David Hall, John Rivera, Linda Spery, Marina Sutro

Church Office HoursMonday - Friday ~ 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Minister’s Office HoursTuesday (10 a.m. - noon) and Friday (noon - 2 p.m.)