August 7, 2016, 10: 00 am: is there great good without great evil?



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August 4, 2016 news from the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation. This edition of the NeUUs contains information regarding:



  1. August 7, 2016, 10 am: Is There Great Good Without Great Evil?

  2. Sit With It

  3. Care Corps Update

  4. Bellwether Bookstore Inventory Sale

  5. Mid-South Chalice Lighter Call: Gwinnett

  6. Hungry Ear Coffee HouseTM, August 6

  7. Nelson Trimble Performs at UUCA Wine, Cheese, and the Spoken Word, August 12

  8. Waldo’s Coffeehouse: The 60’s and 70’s with Bob Bakert

  9. Ingathering Community Potluck, Sunday, August 14

  10. Donate the Plate, August 14

  11. Chalice Group Training Opportunity

  12. Come Sing a Song With Us! August 13

  1.   AUGUST 7, 2016, 10:00 AM: IS THERE GREAT GOOD WITHOUT GREAT EVIL?

Good deeds and acts – good things – absolutely exist, but does humankind require wickedly malevolent acts in order to precipitate concomitantly great acts of good? We’ll explore why it seems so difficult to generate numerous, sweeping, lasting, and very great benevolent acts sans an act of evil, and what we can do about it.
This Week’s Service Contributors:

Worship Leaders ~ Glenn Koller and Letitia Sweitzer

Worship Associate ~ Wesley Hickman

Musician ~ William Fowler

Hymn Leader ~ Chrissy Haddad

Sound Technician ~ Wesley Hickman

Ushers ~ David Self and Hugh Fordyce

Greeters ~ Melinda Jerry and Kristina Banks

Newcomer Representative ~ Tami Smith

Religious Education Greeter ~ Elizabeth Hickman

Bellwether Bookstore ~ Faye Mann and Marilyn Matlock

Refreshments ~ Maria Drinkard, Valerie Johnson, Stephanie Fraser and John Montgomery

Nursery ~ Nancy Johnson and Audrey Marroquin

Activity Time ~ Elizabeth Hickman




  1. SIT WITH IT

Dear Friends,
My colleague, Sensei Michael Elliston, is the abbot and founder of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center. When I asked him earlier this summer if he would fill in one Sunday for me at Northwest while I was on break, he gladly agreed to do so.
“And, would you be willing to join our sangha for our sitting meditation one Sunday and give a dharma talk afterwards?” he asked in return.
I said yes, but I had some fears. My first and only experience with Zen Buddhism occurred many years ago at a retreat led by a Unitarian Universalist minister (who also practiced Zen Buddhism). She led a group of us in a sitting meditation in a semi-dark room with round black cushions on the floor. I remember how painful it felt to sit in the lotus position on that little pillow, how the time seemed to move very slowly, and other not-so-restful thoughts.
So, in preparation for my meditation this past Sunday, I did a little research, hoping to prepare my mind and body for a different experience. I came across this insight by French psychiatrist and meditation practitioner Christophe André:
To meditate is to move through a land without paths. We expected – or hoped – to find

calm and emptiness. We often find ourselves in a huge, rowdy, chaotic bazaar. We aspired

to clarity, we find confusion. Sometimes meditation exposes us to anxiety and pain, to

things that hurt us and that we have avoided by thinking about something else or busily

doing things elsewhere.1
I interpreted André’s description to mean that the journey of meditation is about confronting our reality – who we are and where we are in the moment. Pain, restlessness, and a jumble of thoughts may very well be our truth, and we’re invited to simply sit with it.
And, so I went on Sunday with a completely different mindset. I was surprised – even regretful – to find that the time went quickly. It was still uncomfortable sitting pretzel-style, but I just acknowledged that it was . . . and I sat with it.
Once I stopped trying to escape my truth, surprisingly, my mind became free . . . to let go and drift elsewhere.
Warmly,
Terry
Rev. Terry Davis





  1. CARE CORPS UPDATE

Northwest member Bill Woolf returned home this past week after a brief hospital stay and is under hospice care. He is comfortable and peaceful  as he spends time with Lil, their dog Amelia and their cats Grayson and Corkey. Cards and calls are welcomed. Visits are discouraged for now while Bill rests and regains a little strength. Please keep them both in your loving thoughts and prayers. 


  1. BELLWETHER BOOKSTORE INVENTORY SALE

Northwest’s Bellwether Bookstore is reducing inventory this summer—and that’s good news for all readers! Come explore the treasure on our shelves and get a great deal while you can! We will be selling used paperbacks for $1 and hardbacks for $2. Some new hardbacks will also be reduced on an individual basis.


  1. MID-SOUTH CHALICE LIGHTER CALL: GWINNETT

The UU Congregation of Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, GA (UUCG) seeks Chalice Lighter funding assistance for their first compensated Choir Director. The congregation is committed to creating a high quality music program under the direction of a professional choir director and sees this as essential to growing their worship program into a vibrant, multigenerational gathering space.

Contributions to UUCG will be a gift to support their growth as well as the overall growth of Unitarian Universalism across the Southern Region. Chalice Lighters, please give generously!



How to contribute (please note, this information is new for this call!):

  • Online contributions may be made via the UUCG website at www.uucg.org, select "Upcoming Events" and then select "Donate.”

  • Check contributions should be made payable to “UUCG” (with a memo line notation “Chalice Lighters”) and mailed to UUCG, 12 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30044. The closing date for this call is August 15, 2016. 

  1. HUNGRY EAR COFFEE HOUSETM FEATURING HIGHBEAMS, AUGUST 6

Hungry Ear Coffee HouseTM program features Highbeams on Saturday, August 6. Since their first show on New Year's Eve 2012, the band has captured audiences all over the Southeast with their warm, personable stage presence and rich three-part harmonies. Come hear brothers Adam Pendlington, Ian Pendlington and Stephen Quinn play their signature emotive, high energy folk rock. You can see their photos and listen to their music on their website highbeamsmusic.com. The doors will open at 7:30 pm and show starts at 8:00 pm. BYOB.
The Hungry EarTM will take a hiatus to reorganize.  New Hungry Ear coordinators  from Northwest will be available after the Sunday services in August.  An Information Table will be set up in lobby to answer questions you may have about the future Hungry EarTM performances. The coffeehouse has had wonderful music, performers, snacks plus great attendance for 25 years. Think about being a volunteer on the first Saturday of the month – or being available as a substitute.  Sign-up at the Information Table on Sundays in August or contact Jane Echols at ladyjaneatlanta@bellsouth.net


  1. NELSON TRIMBLE PERFORMS AT UUCA WINE, CHEESE AND THE SPOKEN WORD, AUGUST 12

UUCA’s Wine, Cheese, and the Spoken Word series features Nelson Trimble on Friday, August 12 at 7:30 pm in the Underground Theatre. Nelson J. Trimble, III, aka The General Sparatic, hails from Atlanta. His inspirational words have established him as one of the area’s premier spoken word artists. His story is told in Prison Prayer and Poetry: Overcoming Circumstances, published in 2014.
An open mic session between the two sets offers local poets the opportunity to share their work. Wine, soft drinks, and cheese will be available. Any questions about this event should be sent to Carol Welter. The UUCA Underground Theatre is located at 1597 Interstate 85 Frontage Road, Atlanta, GA 30329. Doors open at 7 pm; readings start at 7:30 pm. Suggested donation is $10, but no one is turned away.

PLEASE NOTE: The readings may contain adult content and language.

  1. WALDO’S COFFEEHOUSE PRESENTS: ENJOY SOUNDS FROM THE 60’S AND 70’S WITH BOB BAKERT AND FRIENDS, AUGUST 13

Waldo’s Coffeehouse, located at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church,  4010 Canton Road, Marietta, GA 30066, presents Bob Bakert and friends Dustin Cottrell (piano) and Chris Riggenbach (bass).  The opening act will be Ted Merkle with his Caribbean steel drums. Waldo’s Coffeehouse offers also free Child care (preregistration at dre@emersonuu.org required). The concert at Emerson UUC in Marietta starts at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Entrance donation is $10. Snacks and drinks will be provided for a donation. 

Bob is a phenomenal guitarist whether playing his original work or favorites that the crowd can sing along with. He makes it look easy, but you know that kind of talent only comes from a lifetime of dedication and practice. Putting together his wonderful voice, talent on guitar and his stage presence, you just have a great all around entertainer. You’ll enjoy tunes that you can sing along with from Eric Clapton to James Taylor and the Beatles, Pop and Blues. Plus some great originals of Bob. Perfect for a summer night!

 

Music critics Eddie Mathis states: “Bob is a very talented singer, songwriter and guitarist.  One of Bob’s greatest talents is surrounding himself with some of Atlanta’s best musicians.  His shows are always packed with talent…”



 

Opening act is Ted Merkle. As a solo artist, he plays steel drums accompanied by backing tracks for a full-on band effect.  You’ll hear everything from Harry Belafonte to Bob Marley to Jimmy Buffett.




  1. INGATHERING COMMUNITY POTLUCK SUNDAY, AUGUST 14

Join us for our annual Ingathering Sunday and "it's good to get together" Northwest potluck lunch. Please bring a food item to share.  Adding an identifying food label and putting your name on your container is appreciated!
Potlucks are fun, but they require extra set-up and clean-up hands. Please let Anne Bennett 770.392.1080 know if you are willing to assist our fabulous Kitchen Crew.

See you on August 14 immediately following the Water Appreciation service!






Northwest has always contributed to The Mountain to support programs, scholarships and endowment. For Ingathering we are having a special Donate the Plate to support The Mountain, our UU Retreat and Learning Center. Please give generously.


  1. CHALICE GROUP TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Emerson UU Congregation is offering a training for their small group ministry (what we call Chalice Groups) facilitators on Saturday, August 13, from 10 am to 2 pm and invited us to join them. The training will include: The purpose and benefits of Small Group Ministry, the structure and format of small groups, administering a Small Group Ministry program, and handling challenging situations. Please let Ruth Subramanian know if you're interested, 770.452.1921.


  1. COME SING A SONG WITH US! AUGUST 13

Do you like singing? Do you like food? Then come sing with the choir onAugust 13! You do NOT have to be a member of the choir to sing with us. And if you're worried that you won't know the music, no worries. The choir won't know the music, either! We'll spend the time learning new music that Tom Godfrey has brought back from this summer's UUMM Conference.
We'll meet at choir member Bob Thacker's house, a mere 5 minutes from Northwest: 
315 Riverhill Dr NW

Sandy Springs, GA 30328


Questions? Email Tom Godfrey at music@nwuuc.org or call 404.718.9894.


1 Christophe André, Looking at Mindful Meditation: Twenty-five Paintings to Change the Way You Live (New York, NY: Blue Rider Press, 2011), 5.


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