|
It is a virtue.
It lies behind civility.
It fosters leadership and education.
It kindles warmth in friendship and family life.
It runs through the fabric of community.
It makes the difference between feeding time and mealtime, a kennel and a home.
It runs across religions and even outside them.
It gives meaning to ceremony.
It prevents success from going to our heads.
It calls us to be conscious of the humanity of our species.
It overlooks class, gender, age, and cultural difference.
It reminds us that we are human, not God.
It compels us to say we don't know exactly what it is.
Without it, people do not know how to respect each other or themselves.
Without it, there is no difference between an army and a gang of bandits.
Without it, ceremony is meaningless ritual.
Without it, we don't treat the natural world with respect.
Without it, a house is not a home, and dinner is not a meal.
Without it, a boss is not a leader, but a tyrant.
Without it, an instructor is not a teacher, but a fool.
Without it, a student is not a scholar, but a snob.
Without it, life is brutish and selfish.
Without, we forget we are human.
Without it, we claim "God voted against Proposition Two."
Without it, we would not even know how to learn it.
Without it, things fall apart.
We have it, and do it, but have lost the idea of it.
What is it? According to Paul Woodruff, it is reverence.
It is something we have lost the idea of in modern times, and yet it is around us all the time, even in the most ordinary things we do--driving on MOPAC, singing in the choir, eating with our family, participating in UT Department meetings, going to the baseball game, praying to God, tucking our children into bed at night, sharing a few Mikes Hard Lemonades with friends, participating in classroom discussions.
But what exactly is it--this darn thing called reverence?!? Well, in a nutshell, Dr. Woodruff defines it as "the well-developed capacity to have the feelings of awe, respect, and shame when these feelings are the right feelings to have." But that is just the nutshell definition. How do we know when these feelings are appropriate or inappropriate? How does reverence manifest itself in our daily lives? What does the absence of reverence look and feel like? What does reverence contribute to individuals, small groups, and whole societies? How does the absence of reverence diminish our lives?
These are questions that Dr. Woodruff addresses in his book, Reverence. These are questions you will be able to ask him yourself when he comes to speak at our next Austin Forum at the Congregational Church of Austin, UCC. Please join us on October for an encounter with Dr. Paul Woodruff. Please join us to reflect on this forgotten virtue called reverence. Tom
Mt. Bonnell Cleanup
The next Mt. Bonnell cleanup will be October 18. Please put it on your calendars!
Freeze Night
The Freeze Night program finds shelter for homeless youth on nights when the temperature drops below freezing. The Congregational Church of Austin has participated in the program for the past two years, collaborating with St. Austin's Catholic Church to provide shelter access throughout the week. Two paid Lifework employees organize the kids and staff the shelter when a freeze night is called, staying the entire night. The shelter is limited to 15 participants, and strict rules of behavior are enforced - and as a result the shelter runs very smoothly. Volunteers are needed to set up the basement and cook meals in the evening, and cook breakfast and clean up in the morning. Our past participation has been very successful, with plenty of volunteers to help out. Continued participation in this winter's Freeze Night program was approved by the congregation at its August 24 meeting. John Goff will help Tom to coordinate our effort this year. Freeze Nights volunteers will be solicited following an area Freeze Night organizational meeting October 10.
Meeting with John Whipple
A meeting will be held with Lifeworks Coordinator John Whipple after the service on November 2. The meeting is for those interested in participating in either Freeze Night and/or the Front Porch ministry (helping to wake up the homeless youth who sleep every night on our front porch - providing them access to cleaning equipment and bathroom facilities). John will provide us with important do's and don'ts for interacting with homeless youth, who frequently come from physically and/or verbally abusive home environments.
Outreach Worship Service
The Outreach Committee will organize the Sunday worship service on October 12. Liz Nash will preach on the lectionary passage from Mark 10:17-31 - the story of the rich young man told by Jesus to sell his goods and give the money to the poor. At that time a special offering will be collected for Neighbors in Need.
Mary Charles Williams enjoyed a great three week trip to England in late July and early August. She was visiting her daughter Meredith, son-in-law Graham, and their cat Gainsborough at their lovely home in Salcombe overlooking the English Channel. Meredith, who grew up in Miami, has been able to enjoy her old love of sailing as she and Graham are the proud owners of a 54 foot sailboat. Mary Charles enjoyed being out on the boat, too!
Jim and Mary Tomasek had a wonderful long weekend in mid-September visiting their daughter Dorcas on Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, Florida. Dorcas, the camp director of Boggy Creek Camp (one of Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall camps for seriously ill children), was invited by the parents of one of "her" campers to visit them on the island--and Jim and Mary were included in the invitation. They enjoyed motor boat rides across the bay and wonderful food including lobster flown in from Maine. Jim did well on the trip and even survived the lengthy periods of sitting on the plane.
Nancy Brown is continuing to recuperate from her heart surgery in January. She continues to go to her exercise class which she has attended three times per week for the past ten years at the Connie Guerrero Recreation Center. She is delighted that she is still driving and living independently!
You haven't seen Fran and Rambie Briggs lately because they've been enjoying the cooler climes of Maine and Cape Cod but have returned just in time for the very hot days of an Austin summer. They have also enjoyed the visit of granddaughter Margit from August 6-16. In mid-September they were pleased to have David and Karlyn Stephens (from Back Bay Mission) join them for a visit. On Saturday, the Stephens' son Josh and their son Jay and his family from Waco came for a day at the lake. The Briggs' daughter Paula came with her son Giovanni since their son-in-law Michael was on tour on the east coast with the "Four Men From Now" featuring Adam Carroll, Beaver Nelson, Jud Newcomb, and Michael Fracasso. There were many games on the front lawn and much good visiting. Fran also spent a week with Paula back at the Fracasso home as Paula is very close to her due date. Paula and Michael's daughter (at least that is what the ultra-sound predicts) is due on Oct. 1. Almost three-year-old Giovanni attended a sibling preparation class at St. David's Hospital. Paula, let us know if it worked!
You may not know that Amy Russell Finch ( the youngest child of Betsy and Rollin Russell) gave birth to Benjamin Russell Finch on Aug. 27, 2003. The little fellow and his mom are fine. Rambie Briggs reports that Benjamin is about the most adorable baby he has ever seen.
On Thursday evening, Aug. 21, Florence Castle, our 87-year-old church pianist extraordinaire, was walking briskly home from her neighborhood association meeting and fell from an unmarked sidewalk which ended abruptly in a creek bed--a fall of about 2 feet. Fortunately, someone heard her cry out and help arrived very soon. She was taken to South Austin Hospital where it was determined that she had broken her left shoulder and her left ankle( in three places). After surgery and about 10 days in the hospital she has been moved to the Cornerstone Rehabilitation Hospital at 4207 Medical Parkway, Austin, TX 78756. The phone there is 706-1900. She will be there for several more weeks as she cannot put any weight on her ankle or her shoulder. She has been pronounced "most visited patient" by the staff! A great joy to all of us is that our own Barbara Burnham is the staff psychologist there and is making sure that Florence gets the red carpet treatment. This has been a very difficult thing for Florence, but she (and we) have come to know and love the wide circle of friends she is so fortunate to have.
Barbara Burnham's contribution to the newsletter is a report on her battle over with a terrible bronchitis/sinus infection/laryngitis that has dragged on for 5 weeks. After two doctor's visits, plus an episode in the ER, and with about 10 different medications, she is finally coming around. She wants people to know how deeply she has appreciated their prayers and concerns. She is hoping now to be able to unpack in her new house instead of camping out! Her parents, Barbara and Carl Burnham, will be closing on the sale of their house in Alice, Texas, around November 1 and will be moving to Austin shortly thereafter. She asks for more prayers for the success of this huge transition for her and her parents.
Lisa Kirch reports that Sarah is in second grade at Lee Elementary, and she (Lisa) has really and truly graduated--the first in her incoming class to finish. Her diploma came in the mail a few weeks ago. She is teaching full time at UT this semester, working for a professor, and starting the fun of applying for jobs and post-docs. Many crossed fingers (or even prayer) can't hurt. In early October she will give her first conference paper: right over in the Texas Union, and not on Renaissance Germany. She'll be talking about the Littlefield Fountain, of all things, at a conference on American studies.
John Moore reports that their house is framed up and seems to be moving quickly. He has been told this is the most impressive part of the process in terms of seeing actual progress and that they should temper their expectations for dramatic results over the next few months. The current projected completion is at the end of the year. Suzanne has been traveling a great deal. She has been out of town every week for two months running and has another month of the same before a two-week break in October. Despite all of that, she has been getting in some bike riding and they both participated in the "Hotter'n Hell Hundred Mile Bike Ride" in Wichita Falls at the end of August. Both Sarah and Travis are back in soccer and have been successful in their games. Out of town travel for soccer is off until end of season tournaments, but Suzanne and John are busy with commitments as Uniform Coordinator and Field Scheduler respectively. They just can't get enough of this volunteer work! School is back in session and the kids are doing well. Travis loves his teacher, but desperately wants to move up to middle school. Sarah is excited about being at the "big" school and has already found new good friends.
Karl and Andrea Putz have been much missed at church recently. They've just been working as much as they can to try and finish their dissertations and find jobs. They've had a busy summer, too. They were in Chicago for a few weeks in mid-June to see Andrea's younger sister Amy get married. Then in late July they visited Karl's dad in Jefferson, MD. From there they went to Iceland and finally arrived back in Austin in early August. Andrea then flew out to Chicago in early September to see her ailing grandmother. Karl also spent time in Portland, OR, in September on a plant visit. Whew! They're looking forward to staying off airplanes for a while. Their graduation date is planned for December, but that is not for certain.
Marilyn Gaddis and George Carruthers boarded Amtrak in San Marcos on July 25th on a 30 day odyssey. Arriving in Los Angeles, they helped Marilyn's family clean out and distribute family items from a storage unit. There was a family picnic before boarding the train for Chico/Paradise, CA. George's Air Force friends had planned a jaunt to Ft. Bragg for salmon fishing, but the fish were not biting! They took time to see the coastal area, especially the town of Mendocino, now a thriving art colony. They got back on the train/bus for Idaho Falls, ID, to visit George's sister, her two sons and their families. Just before arriving in Idaho, George's nephew, who lives in Priest River, learned he has terminal cancer. George and Marilyn and the rest of the family drove to Priest River to see him and rented a pontoon boat for a day on beautiful Priest Lake. While driving through the Missoula area, there was dense smoke from the forest fires. The west was also suffering from the heat - even in the mountains! Soon after arriving back in San Marcos, Marilyn learned that her sister had suffered a stroke. She is improving but will not be able to go back to teaching. We don't see them as often as we would like as they often attend church with their grandchildren at Riverbend Church.
Jake Burlinson is settling in well at Texas State University in San Marcos. Carol and John are hearing some typical college freshman stories - like the time he went down the hall to take a shower, then discovered he'd forgotten his key and was locked out of his room. He had to walk to another building to get someone to let him in - wearing nothing but a towel! Live and learn! Jake, inquiring minds want to know. Did anyone notice you on your trek for the key?
Vic Appel is now at home recuperating nicely from having his right knee replaced. The surgery was at Seton and then he went to St. David's for rehab. Daughter Cheryl came in from Madison, WI, and visited and cheered Vic on while at the same time clearing out some treasures from the family home. Daughter Debbie and her husband Bob and daughter Emily Grace overlapped a day or 2 with Cheryl and stayed to help Vic at home for a good while. Emily Grace will celebrate her 2nd birthday on October 1.
OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
1 Ann Horner
Frances Alford
Emily Grace Knowlton
2 Gary Pickens
4 Marie Scheel
7 Catherine Hubbs
10 John Burlinson
15 Marguerite White
18 Muriel Deisler
19 Beth Oakes
George Carruthers
Conrad Deisler
Don W. Brown
25 Michael Sparkman
26 Mark McCoy
IT'S MUSIC TO OUR EARS!
As a result of our vision experience, we have yet another program innovation for this church. In addition to the Austin Forum and the Healing series, beginning in October, we will have concerts in our sanctuary.
Over the past few months several of us have come up with ideas about music being a logical way to put this building to better use. Thanks to the UT School of Music outreach coordinator, we have made contacts with a variety of musicians who are eager to perform. While offering the community the opportunity to hear fine musical performances in an acoustically perfect setting we will raise funds for Micah 6 projects. Each event is on a Thursday evening at 7:30, and parking is available in ...Please ask TOM!!!
The schedule is coming together nicely.
October 9: Janet McKay, Australian flautist, accompanied by an Austin flautist and pianist, performing music by Australian and New Zealand composers
November 6: Robbie Gibson and Tom Echols, PhD students at UT, classical guitarists
November 20: John Galvan, Masters student at UT, and Michael Hardy, M.A. in music, possibly accompanied by a violinist
December 4: UT brass quintet
January (second or third Thursday): Jazz trio or quartet
Spring: Hoping for singer/songwriters and more similar good music
If you know any really good musicians who might be interesting in performing in our lovely sanctuary, please call me at 459-1984.
Chester Rosson has graciously agreed to be responsible for the publicity. Andrea and Karl Putz will help with collecting donations and setting up before the concert. Pat Oakes will collect freshly baked cookies from some of our good bakers, and any that are left after the concert will be shared at the next fellowship time. Tom will pick up bottled water and other drinks to be sold at our refreshment stand.
We need a few good folks to help sell refreshments at intermission, bake cookies and put them in small ziplock bags, accept $15 donations, and be certain the sanctuary is left neat after the performances. Volunteers will enjoy the music just by donating their time. Please call me at 459-1984 and tell me the volunteer task and date you would like to do.
We've got some fine times ahead. See you there!
Sharon Brown
The inaugural season of the Austin Forum is planned and underway. The Austin Forum is a program designed to promote thinking about issues local, national, international and transcendent. Every second Monday of the month, there will be an evening encounter with someone knowledgeable about a particular subject, seeking to fathom the foundational issues that can frame our own thinking. Beginning at 7:30 pm at the Congregational Church, the program will begin with a formal interview, then continue with questions from the audience. The Austin Forum is open to all people, and will be advertised through AAIM and the Micah 6 churches, as well as to the whole Austin community.
This fall, we will be exploring four issues:
Monday, October 13th -- Paul Woodruff, Prof. of Philosophy, UT, author of ""Reverence""
Issue: You suggest reverence as an essential virtue for a civil society. Why? How do we achieve it? What have we lost without it?
Monday, November 10th -- David Warner, Prof. of Public Policy, LBJ School, UT
Issue: Health Care -- Why is it so difficult to solve the health care crisis, or is there a health care crisis?
Monday, December 8th -- Naim Ateek, Director of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem
Issue: Israel and Palestine -- Is this a historical hatred without resolution? Is there hope? Is there a plan?
MANY THANKS
To: Rizer Everett, Sharon Brown and Jeff Lemley for lovingly folding, stuffing, folding, tabbing and labeling the July-August VISITOR.
To: Mary Sinclair and Sara Ross for helping prepare the VISITOR for the September mailing.
If you would like to be help prepare the VISITOR for mailing, please let Trish know!!
Women's Book Club
Selections coming up.
October: Margaret Atwood, Handmaid's Tale
November: Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose
December: Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
January: Leif Enger, Peace Like a River
Mark your calendars for October 26!
Come celebrate United Nations Day with us as we delight in an International Potluck lunch! Please sign up on the easel in the Fellowship Hall to let us know what goody from a foreign land you can bring, or call Suzanne Vanderpoel at 789-8551 or Lynne Lemley at 336-1720. Hope to see you there!
WISH LIST
We always seem to have projects going on that require all sorts of equipment. We have some of the things we need, but not all. Some of the items we could use here at church are probably lurking in garages, carports, sheds or closets and could find a new home here. Some of our needs, wants, wishes are:
A "new" shop vacuum (one that actually does vacuum)
a large fan
a big tape measure
|
