Unitarian Fellowship of Huntington, 619 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701-2103 Member of the Unitarian Universalist Association ' Newsletter Number 2009:30 The Free Thinker Newsletter of the Unitarian Fellowship of Huntington, WV November 25 , 2009 Events for Sunday, November 29, 2009 10:00 A.M. WORSHIP with the Reverend Jack Wilkinson. HOMILY: "Thanking and Thinking" These two near-cognate activities may serve to balance one another. 10:30 A.M. Coffee Break 11:00 A.M. PROGRAM with the U. U. Fellowship The seasonal feast day is rapidly becoming a tradition. Program Chairman Randy Miller has cast our autumnal feast as close to Thanksgiving Day as possible, so we may have a few Pilgrims and Native Americans wandering in. If you are able, bring something to share; if not, show up any way. Will anybody bring a bird? Where is Kathy Miezzo when we need her? Future Programs (programs are held at 11:00 AM) Note: Worship Services with The Rev. Jack Wilkinson will be held every Sunday at 10:00 A.M. December 6th: Open Discussion December 13th: Ed Necco on "Secular Humanism" December 20th: Claire Horton presenting "The Un-Christmas Play" December 27th: The Rev. Jack Wilkinson on "Unitarian Universalism" January 3rd: Open Discussion January 10th: Jaqueline Muth reviewing War Is A Racket. January 17th: “Autobiography” with Jim Maphet 3d wk in Feb "Autobiography" with Randy Miller Retrospective of Last Sunday Ohio-Meadville District Director, the Reverend Joan Van Becelaere, arrived in the company of her husband and the Reverend Rose Edington, who with her husband, Mel Hoover is co-minister of the Charleston, WV congregation. Rose is also a member of the District Board. Joan came here to find out about us and to acquaint us with what the District had to offer. She attended both the Worship and the Program, and then a bunch of us went to lunch at Nawab's. It is impossible for me to say what impression she formed of us, but if her trip is not to be wasted, then I think it behooves her to write up an objective assessment and share it with us. She informed us that there would be a District Annual Meeting in late March and that we should be receiving details in the mail. If we were to send delegates, this would be an opportunity to meet U. U.'s from other churches and fellowships in our District and to take workshops on topics of interest.. She said that the District has a part-time growth consultant, but, alas!, we have yet to proclaim an interest in growing. She informed us that 4 out of 44 District churches and fellowships do not have an official minister, which makes us part of an elite group. She said there was a national conversation on the question, "Are we a peace church?" (A possible topic for Open Discussion?) We discussed campus ministry. She made the observation that students expected something different from what adults expect. She used as an example the U.U. Society of Cleveland, Ohio as a student-intensive congregation. They would stand in sharp contrast with another Cleveland area congregation, the U. U. Church of Shaker Heights, Ohio with its wealthy suburban membership. Behind this discussion lurks the question of how or whether we at Huntington might attract more students. Stay tuned for information on the District Annual Meeting. Abraham Lincoln Performance The Olive Hill Historical Society has constructed a log cabin that they call 'Lincoln Logs,' which is located at the Primitive Camp Grounds of Carter Cave State Resort Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky. This cabin is a replica of the cabin of Lincoln's birth. To inaugurate this achievement they are sponsoring a performance of "Remembering Abraham Lincoln" arranged and performed by the Reverend Jack Wilkinson. This project has been sparked by Chris and Jerri Schlenker, whom we originally met in the summer of 2008, when they were promoting the appearance of Swami Vidyadhishanan at Marshall University. Chris is their Director of Sponsored Programs, and he invites all interested persons to attend on Saturday, November 28th, 2:00 P.M. at the Primitive Camp Ground at the Carter cave State Resort Park, Olive Hill, KY. Jack Wilkinson gave a maiden performance of this same presentation at the Fellow ship last winter. The website for this event is located at the following address: http://www.olivehillhistoricalsociety.org/Lincolns_Logs.html Light from Jack's Lantern: "Growing Mental Gardens" In spiritual science one strategy is to visualize something that is uniquely one's own as a step towards independence. The most usual image is that of the Rosy Cross, which is a 'T' shaped structure covered with roses. This is a symbolic representation of individuality and abundant life. However, one may stake out one's independence with anything. My favorite image of my own choosing is a golden Assyrian bow with a silver arrow. I have not assigned it any meaning. It simply stands forth, because I summoned it. One could even grow a whole garden with this approach. Perhaps you'd sort of like to have a flower garden or a plot of vegetables, but practical considerations dissuade. That does not prevent you from planting a garden of the mind. After all, if it might be worth doing, then it's definitely worth considering. A week or so ago, while waiting for a bus, I contemplated clusters of pansies in a public planter. I pondered their violet, yellow and white patterns, and I knew that when the bus finally came I could take the pansies with me or even transform them into something else. If I am rising to a point, I suppose it is this: we sometimes accumulate much in the way of gewgaws and stuff because of a bottomless hunger for we know not what. Why not feed that hunger with mental images. We could end up both more satisfied and more financially solvent. President: Bob Williams ' Vice President/Programs Director: Randy Miller ' Treasurer: Jim Maphet Newsletter Editor: Jack Wilkinson III (304-521-9201)