Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship The Fragile Time of Beginning December 21, 2014 Rev. Pat Jobe Minister Rev. Michelle McClendon Associate Minister Christian Elser Music Director Kathleen Anderson Director of Lifespan Religious Education Maureen Nery Director, Our UUWoC Stephanie Green Fellowship Administrator Want to Contact Us? Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 1135 State Park Road, Greenville, SC 29609 864-271-4883 www.greenvilleuu.org  [email protected] Office Hours  Monday – Friday 8am to 5pm Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship December 21, 2014 Order of Service Welcome Pat Jobe Chalice Lighting Lisa Lipscomb Prelude Jon Grier Opening Words Pat Jobe *Opening Song #231 Angels We Have Heard on High Story for all Ages Pat Jobe Children's Benediction Community Caring Anthem All Sing #413 Go Now in Peace All Sing Please share your joys and sorrows in our Community Memory Book before or after the Service Merry Christmas Baby by Baxter/Moore Offertory Choir Jon Grier Sermon The Fragile Time of Beginning *Closing Song #245 Joy to the World Pat Jobe All Sing Closing Words Pat Jobe Postlude Jon Grier Benediction Pat Jobe *Please rise in body or in spirit as you are willing and able. Please turn off cell phones before our service begins. “Joys and Sorrows” You may write your Joys or Sorrows in the Memory Book on the table in the front of the sanctuary. These will be read during the "Community Caring” segment of the service. If you are not inclined to write in the book, you may simply light a candle in silence. ~ Thanks to Our Service Associates ~ Worship Associate Lisa Lipscomb Accompanist Jon Grier Music Director Christian Elser Ushers Annette Garver & Sarah Fletcher Greeters Debbie Plonkey & Ernest Glenn Sound Crew Richard Fuller, Teresa Hall, Charles Fulks Sound Crew Assistants John & Dillard Robertson Coffee Baristas Liz McGrory & Page Barwick Jon Grier teaches music theory at the Greenville Fine Arts Center.   Newcomers! To learn more about our Fellowship, please fill out the yellow card and drop it into the offering basket. Recordings of Sunday Services may be ordered and picked up opposite the wooden entrance doors to the sanctuary where the Audio Stand is located or by email to [email protected] If you would like a hearing device, please ask an usher. December 24, 2014 @ 6.30pm Christmas Eve Service Pat Jobe (and lots of singing) Please bring a holiday snack to share, a spirit of Christmas, whatever that means to you, and a willingness to sing and celebrate. Joy to the World! The light has come. Getting to Know You! Coffee, snacks, and fellowship have moved to the new Fellowship Hall at the opposite end of the building from the Sanctuary (on the same floor). Please join us after service; all are welcome. We look forward to getting to know you better, even if you think we already know you pretty well. Flowers If you would like to have flowers put on the Chalice Table in remembrance of a loved one, a thank you, or special joy, please contact Sylvia Skipper at 864-608-4484. The cost is $10 and a note about your gift will be included in The Spark. Congregational Care Items       We extend our loving support to: A candle of concern – sometime between late summer/early fall one of the locks went missing off one of the pods and we are missing two twodrawer file cabinets and the legs to the much-loved foosball table. It saddens me that someone would steal from a church – Laura Christenbury. Thoughts and prayers for Pearl Kinard on the loss of her mother. We celebrate with: I have a new granddaughter. She was born on 12/8. Her name is Elyssa Eve. I’m so glad she is here! – Marlene Slater. Cliff Beck would appreciate visits. A small number of visitors at a time please. I have a joy – Carli had a sleepover and we built a fort. It was great. At the end of service, please say Happy 10th Birthday – Kriya Kouyoujiam. Diane & Stuart are grateful for a beautiful Sunday morning, wonderful friends and this Fellowship – Diane Bagwell. GREATEST SPEECHES OF ALL TIME The Sunday Services Committee is considering creating a service that would be comprised of dramatic reading/character acting of some of the greatest speeches of all time. Many people know of these speeches, but they become more powerful when heard in person. That's not possible anymore, but this is a wonderful option to hear the words lived, and alive. We are asking the congregation to make recommendations for what you all think some of the greatest speeches are that you might like to hear delivered. Also, if you would like to lend your talent as a performer, we are looking for you as well. There is no date set yet for this. To express your ideas or intent, go to greatestspeechesofalltime.blogspot.com and leave your comments. AUDREY’S CLOSET For those of you who are fairly new to GUUF and don’t know, Audrey’s Closet (our own thrift shop located in the downstairs portion of the Cottage) is manned strictly by GUUF volunteers. The Thrift Shop is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, and it is open until 1:00 pm after services on Sunday. This is a fun place to work (if you can call it work!) and we always welcome new volunteers to help out in a very friendly environment. We especially need people on Saturdays – and most especially we will need extra help during the Renaissance Faire. If you are interested in getting involved with the Thrift Shop and would like to be on the roster to receive our sign-up e-mails, please contact Linda Turner (275-2637) or Donna Goethe (246-0371). If you can’t volunteer to work in the Thrift Shop, we would encourage you to bring us your recyclables: clothing, shoes, books, toys, kitchen items, bric-a-brac, small appliances, electronics, and small furniture pieces. We ask that you only bring us items that are clean, gently used and in good working order. We are not a repair shop. Also, please do not leave items outside the thrift shop door as they might get rained on. All donations are tax deductible. Greenville Stock Club Every third Tuesday, 7-9pm The club is designed for you to learn about evaluating stocks and use this knowledge to responsibly invest club assets. We are a single-tier organization, with all members participating and benefiting equally. We are part of the National Association Of Investors Corporation. Interested? Contact us at www.wilddave.com/sk/ Highlights in Lifespan Religious Education From Babies to Sages December 21, 2014 Classes and Events Today 9:30 Childcare Opens Choir Practice Long Strange Trip: UU History—Women’s Room 9:45 Discussion Group—Founders’ Room A Course in Miracles—New Conference Room RE Classes for Children and Youth 11:00 Senior High, Coming of Age and Middle School Youth attend service. No classes. 11:15 After the Story for All Ages: Children’s Chapel for children in K5-5th grades, led by Kathleen Anderson 11:20ish Nursery Class (3s & 4s) Story Time: Room for a Little One—the story of The Nativity. Parents, please remember to monitor your children closely when they are in your care. Ongoing Adult Religious Education LONG STRANGE TRIP: UU HISTORY Led by Jackie Weddington and Karen Conrad Sunday mornings through December 28 9:30-10:45, Women’s Room This fascinating video and discussion series from the UUA explores the history of Unitarian and Universalist thought and practice, beginning with the early Gnostics to what we know today as Unitarian Universalism. The journey has been an exciting one, full of heretics, truth-seekers, mystics, and people who have loved justice. It is the amazing story of how we became who we are today. DISCUSSION GROUP Sunday mornings, 9:45-10:45, Founder’s Room In the spirit of Unitarian Universalist search and inquiry, the Discussion Group offers a lively hour of discussions covering a variety of topics. Everyone’s contributions are welcomed and encouraged. The third Sunday each month is devoted to a selected short story, distributed in advance. There is coffee, and participants are welcome to bring treats of their choice if they wish. For information, or a copy of the short story, please contact Herb Reeves at [email protected] A COURSE IN MIRACLES Facilitator: Jean Blank 9:45-10:45, Conference Room Participants work with the spiritual practice of forgiveness. Contact Jean Blank at [email protected] for information. WOMEN’S BOOK GROUP--2nd Sunday each month 9:45-10:45: Senior High Classroom Downstairs For information, contact Genny Hill, [email protected] DATES TO REMEMBER Neighboring Faiths--Judaism Field Trip Friday, January 9, 7 PM Middle Schoolers and chaperones will attend services at Temple Beth Israel on Summit Drive. Meet in the Temple parking lot at 6:45. FELLOWSHIP OFFICE T The Fellowship Office will be closed for the holidays December 24, 25 and January 1. The Fellowship Administrator’s Office will also be closed December 26 and 31. Please remember to get your Order of Service/Spark and Flame information to the office for the following dates: OOS/Spark – Proof to be sent December 22, final print December 23 (for both December 24 & 28 services). Flame – Final print will be December 22. Membership Sunday Membership Sunday takes place on the first Sunday of every odd-numbered month immediately following the service. Anyone wishing to join the Fellowship is invited to meet in the choir room where you will “sign the book” and we will share stories of our spiritual journeys. You will also be provided with a packet of information about the Fellowship at that time. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Membership Co-Chairs, Debbie Plonkey at (864) 3225174 or Liz McGrory – (410) 924-6245. During construction, if the meeting place changes we will announce it during the service There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:        The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part