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What’s in a hymn?
When we think of a song, we most often connect the lyrics, music, and performer to the same song. For example, when we think of “Yesterday”, we connect the text, melody, and sound of Paul McCartney’s voice together. Hymns, however, often bring together different sources. Last Sunday, we sang “Make Channels for the Streams of Love”, #299. The hymn-tune, which you can find in most hymnals on the bottom right of the page in small caps, is LAND OF REST. Then comes the arranging of the tune – which key to set it in, which harmonies? These choices were made by Annabel Morris Buchanan in our edition. And since many (most?) hymns in our gray hymnal were originally written for other faith traditions, this song has been re-texted; here the hymnal editors used a text by Richard Chenevix Trench. So much work goes into putting a hymnal together to find singable tunes and great texts!
While we have hundreds of hymns in our hymnals, we have a smaller number of tunes, since many tunes are used in different places. For example, #297 also is used in #277 (“When We Wend Homeward”) and #70 (“Heap High the Farmer’s Wintry Hoard”). And the really neat thing is that any text that scans with 8 syllables, 6 syllables, 8 syllables, 6 syllables would work for that tune. That’s what we call the scansion of the poem, and it’s usually shown on the bottom right as either 8.6.8.6 or, in this special case, CM, which means common meter. In other words, any song that fits 8.6.8.6 could use any text that fits that meter. You can mix up the text and melody for “Make Channels for the Streams of Love,” “Amazing Grace”, and “Joy to the World”, for example, and each version would work.
The teal hymnal features more songs that combine one author’s text and melody, like our thematic hymn this month, #1053 “How Could Anyone”. But take a look at the hymn-tune to our closing hymn this Sunday, #134 “Our World is One World”, and notice when this was written, and you’ll discover more about why she wrote this song.
- Steve Sieck, Music Director
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Upcoming Services
Sunday at 9:00 and 10:45 am
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January 12
Addiction and Recovery
by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
As we move into our season of "Healing from Shame," we will explore one area of human experience that touches almost everyone in some way: addiction. People who experience addiction are often shamed, denied support, or blamed. Come find out how to support people in your life and your community who are struggling with, or are recovering from, addiction. Musician Nicholas Raymond will be performing at both services.
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Nicholas Raymond is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and collaborator touring and recording nationally since 2013. He has performed many stages as well as major music festivals with talented artists such as Lizzo, American Authors, LOLO and Sturgill Simpson. Nicholas is an advocate of long term addiction recovery, a cancer survivor and a passionate advocate for equal rights. He has spoken to thousands of youth as a motivational speaker and recovery coach with the nationally recognized team, Rise Together. For Nicholas, music is mental health. No matter the venue, he’s grateful to exercise his talents.
facebook.com/nicholasraymondmusic/
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January 19
Martin Luther King Sunday - Maladjusted to Injustice
by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
Martin Luther once said, "There are some things in our social system that I’m proud to be maladjusted to, and I call upon you to be maladjusted too," and he listed off the injustices of his time. On this all-ages celebration of Martin Luther King Day, we will hear a present-day fable reminding us never to become accustomed to injustice, and consider ways we can make a difference in our own community.
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At last weekend’s services, we collected $783.34 for the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. If you missed the opportunity to contribute and still wish to send a contribution for this fund please drop off or mail a check payable to Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship with Minster’s Discretionary Fund noted in the memo field, no later than Friday January 17, 2020. Thank you for your support!
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| Religious Education
RE registration form HERE
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Greater Good
The totals have come in, and the Fellowship has raised $9,678.50 for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's work on migrant justice! Thank you so much to the children, who listened carefully to their choices and voted. Thank you to the adults who supported their choice by donating generously.
Yours,
The Greater Good Committee
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Addiction Recovery Community Workshop
Following the 10:45 Service on January 12th there will be a workshop panel on current practices and thinking regarding recovery methods from substance use and how community attitudes, services, and efforts can help support and strengthen ones recovery. This involved process includes rebuilding lives with support systems to rebuilding their work life and their family life.
The workshop will include individuals from local and state organizations and facilitated by Jesse Heffernan and Cathy Thompson. Jesse Heffernan of Helios Recovery Services, is a Recovery Coach Professional, consultant and Trainer of Recovery Coaches. Cathy Thompson is an Outagamie County Board Supervisor and serves on the Health and Human Services Committee which oversees all the related program that the county provides, AODA to Child Protective Services.
Sign up for childcare online HERE or at the Sign Up Spot at the Fellowship. We need at least one child signed up 24 hours in advance in order to have childcare.
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UU the Vote
Would you like to learn how our Fellowship can be involved in one of the most important elections of our time? Join us for a live-stream one hour webinar, a national launch of UU the Vote at 3:00 pm on Sunday, January 12. Check monitor in the entry lobby for room assignment.
UU the Vote is an initiative of the UUA to provide local congregations encouragement and support to build upon what individuals and community groups are already doing in each community to get out the vote for the 2020 election. Four areas of focus defined by UU the Vote are Voter Mobilization, Combating Voter Suppression, Becoming an "Open Door" Congregation (i.e. allowing other "get out the vote" groups use our facility for no cost or low cost), and Spiritual Sustenance and Grounding.
In this webinar we will be introduced to organizing tools and spiritual grounding resources the UUA Organizing Strategy Team has put together to support our efforts and let us know about key moments and places coming up in 2020. Our JAM facilitators and Rev. Christina will follow up with information that is shared at the webinar and explore next steps for deciding how the Fellowship wishes to be involved. Together we'll bring our passion to the polls and #VoteLove in 2020. Questions to Connie Kanitz at connie.kanitz@gmail.com.
If you are unable to be at the Fellowship, you can also watch it online on your own HERE, but contact Connie Kanitz to connect with future opportunities.
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Inquirers Series with Rev. Leah this Sunday!
Visitors, newcomers, and new members are invited to participate in the Inquirers Series! The Inquirers Series meets from 10:45-11:45 am on Sunday mornings in the David Room. It is a series of eight conversations that offer a general introduction to our congregation and Unitarian Universalism. The series is ongoing, so you are welcome to participate in the sessions in any order, as you’re able and there is no need to sign up. Contact Marie Luna, director of congregational life, at marie@fvuuf.org with questions.
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Winter Art Theme: Sharing Our Love
Our next art theme will be “Sharing our Love”. Please bring in art on Sunday, January 12. It should be framed and ready to hang. Have your name and the title of the piece on the back. If you currently have a piece on display, thank you! We appreciate your willingness to let us enjoy art you love. Please take those pieces home on the 12th. If you need to drop off or deliver pieces at a different time, please let Cyndi in the office know. Thanks for helping to beautify our Fellowship Hall. -Mary Gerlach (920.734.5888)
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Senior Wonders
Senior Wonders will meet on Tuesday, January 14 at noon at the Fellowship. Bring your lunch and we'll share some fun things that happened over the holidays. Bring a friend and if you wish, stay for games at 1:15. If weather is bad we'll postpone until February.
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Collaborative Baby Blanket Project
Thanks to an idea by Rev. Christina and the knitting expertise of Cathy Thompson, knitters in our Fellowship will now be able to collectively knit baby blankets to give away at Fellowship child dedications, to keep your hands busy in services while making something beautiful for our Fellowship children! Participate in this project by grabbing one of the kits near the sanctuary doors (by the children’s activity bags). Inside, you’ll find needles and yarn; Cathy has “cast on” the yarn in a simple pattern to get you started. You’ll knit several rows while you participate in Sunday service, then leave the bag by the sanctuary doors for someone else to add to it later. Pattern instructions will be inside the kit bags.
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Joyful Mind Sangha
The Joyful Mind Sangha welcomes newcomers to join us for meditation on Saturday mornings at a new time, 7:00 AM. We sit for 30 minutes, observe a short Zen service, and then discuss the practice with a dharma talk.
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Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Fox Cities
Please join us for our 29th celebration of Dr. King! Monday, January 20, 6:30 pm. at Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 510 E College Ave.
Special highlights: Dr. Simon Balto, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at The University of Iowa will provide the keynote "Restoring the Radical King."
Worldwide noted activist, theologian, author, documentary filmmaker, and musician, Reverend Osagyefo Sekou will provide musical inspiration for the evening due to the generous donation by Cory Chisel and The Refuge in Appleton.
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New Moon Mindfulness Meditation / Sound Journey
Friday, January 24; 6:30-7:30 pm
Led by Chris Kuck; kuckart2112@gmail.com
Join us for a Meditation Soundscape that will include Buffalo Shaman Drumming, and soundscape recordings of ambience, textures, singing bowls, and nature. This is all put seamlessly together under a soft candlelit setting. The sound journey will last for about 20 minutes, and then we will come together to talk about our experiences. All are welcome, including children. You may sit on a chair, on provided cushions or bring a blanket to lay on the floor. Contact Chris for more information. https://www.facebook.com/events/575550363284286/
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Asylum Sponsorship Update
We have learned that the families that were being reunited at the end of January have sponsors! While the Fellowship is on the list to sponsor a person or family, at this point we don’t have any more specifics on when this will happen or who this will be.
We are grateful to all who have joined a team and are ready to assist when we have someone here, and to those who have offered housing and to be the named sponsor. We are also thrilled to continue to partner with the Winnebago Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), who we have worked closely with in our sanctuary work as well.
Click HERE to learn more and to find out how you can help.
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Fellowship History Tidbits
The previous tidbit question was: What was a huge difference in the church calendar in the first decades compared to the way it is now? Answer: For the first decades of Fellowship history, the Fellowship did not have Sunday services during the summer months; only during the school year. During the summer, Fellowship members would gather in individual member’s homes. These gatherings were called “Salons” and were done to keep in touch over the summers. UU minister Scottie Meeks used to joke about it saying that UU’s were the only people God trusted enough to take the summer off! The question for next time is: When did the early Fellowship join the Unitarian Universalist Association? Watch for the answer in an upcoming Scroll.
Fellowship History Tidbits provided by Dave Gerlach
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MidAmerica Region Webinar Series: Whose History Is It Anyway?
Monday Evenings, January 27-February 24, 2020
6:45 pm Central
How much do you know about the roots of our faith tradition? Explore the history of Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism. Using an anti-colonialist, multicultural lens, we’ll look beyond the traditional, dusty facts of history and examine to see how our faith was born and how it has developed and evolved over the years. Presented by Rev. Connie Simon. Cost: $25 individual, $60 for a congregational group (up to 5 people). Register HERE. These webinars will use the zoom application. Learn more HERE. For more information contact midamerica@uua.org.
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Stay Vigilant in 2020 – Email Scams Still Abound!
In 2019 we, along with many congregations around the country, were targeted by online scammers posing as ministers. Please be alert as we have been notified that many religious communities have continued being targeted into 2020. Smart, tech-savvy people here at the Fellowship and beyond have fallen prey to these scams. No one is immune.
Remember, Fellowship leadership and staff will NEVER email direct requests for money or gift cards!
Also, be sure to double-check the sender’s email address. Many scammers pretend to be a trusted friend or Fellowship employee, but the email address is not our own. This particular type of activity has been reported at the Fellowship recently, with someone posing as Rev. Christina. This may be an attempt to collect personal information, or trick you into clicking on a malicious link.
Please do NOT respond to any email that says it’s from a Fellowship staff person unless it is coming from an “FVUUF.org” email address. If you have received an email that you are unsure whether it’s coming from a staff person, please call the Fellowship office at 920.731.0849. Also, if you have received these or any similar emails appearing to come from the name of a Fellowship minister or staff member, please click on the following link to the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information webpage, and scroll to the bottom of the page for information on how to report phishing emails HERE.
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General Assembly
Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, 2020
Providence, Rhode Island
General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles. This 5-day immersive experience is where we participate in inspirational worship services and informative workshops, and explore our bustling exhibit hall. GA is an unforgettable experience for the thousands of UUs who attend. Meet us in Providence and you’ll leave with renewed energy and innovative ideas to share with your congregation and community-at-large!
The theme for General Assembly in June 2020 is Rooted, Inspired, & Ready! We are in touch with our theological roots, we are engaged in transforming our faith, and we are fired up to take action in the wider world. Check out https://www.uua.org/ga for more information and to register.
General Assembly will take place in Milwaukee in 2021.
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| Click here for the current financial report.
Click here for the current Governing Board meeting agenda.
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Thank you for reading The Weekly Scroll, and pardon any typos.
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| Quick Links
Anti-racism Learning (for home, or groups)
Characteristics and antidotes of white supremacy culture
January: Paternalism and Either/or Thinking - click HERE
Joys and Concerns
As your faith community, we want to celebrate your joys with you and support you through times of concern.
To share a joy or concern with our ministers and/or at services, please email Rev. Leah at leah@fvuuf.org.
To be added to the Joys and Concerns email list, contact Cyndi Polakowski at cyndi@fvuuf.org.
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Weekly Calendar
Thursday, January 9
6:00pm Partner Churches
6:30pm Spill it Sister
Saturday, January 11
7:00am Joyful Mind Zen Sangha
10:00am Spanish Charla
7:00pm UU Dance Group
Sunday, January 12
9:00 & 1045 am Worship Service
10:00am High School Breakfast Club
10:45am Inquirers Series
12:15pm Pollinate (BIPoC)
12:15pm Recovery Community Workshop
3:00pm UU the Vote Webinar
6:00pm Smiling Dandelion Sangha
Monday, January 13
9:00am Goddess Group
6:00pm Essentials JAM
Tuesday, January 14
12:00pm Senior Wonders
Thursday, January 16
7:00pm UU Book Club
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Click the image for our mailing address and staff email addresses or call 920.731.0849.
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