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Inside This Issue

Lessons from the Tsunami
- Rev. Bonnie Vegiard, Program Minister

How do we integrate massive world crises into our understanding of life and its meaning? Certainly this is a question humankind has struggled with for millennia. The story of Noah and his Ark represents one answer: God destroys those who are wicked and saves those who are righteous. An answer on the opposite end of the scale is that life has no meaning; it's all just good or bad luck.

Most of us probably take some position in the middle. I believe we are being taught all the time by our own experiences as well as world events and crises. Here's some of what makes sense to me:

1. We are not in control. We know that, but seem to need constant reminders anyway. Nature, in the form of invasive disease, drought, tsunamis, or even basic mortality, is more powerful than we are. Nature has provided boundaries that we cannot break. Because of those boundaries, we have become very creative in trying to push them back as far as possible. Ultimately, though, these boundaries are final.
   
   
2. The Creativity we have developed in reaction to this first principle is a tremendous gift. We have overcome or minimized the effects of countless diseases or natural disasters. We will continue to use our creativity to improve lives. However, we have an obligation to pay attention to the ethics of this creativity. We could have, and should have, saved thousands of lives through an early warning system in the Indian Ocean area. We also can pay attention to the burden our ability to sustain human life has put on our planet and its resources. With the gift of Creativity comes the responsibility of Justice.
   
   
3. And finally, along with Creativity and Justice, comes the absolute need for Compassion. Our human ability to share caring at times of crisis or triumph is fundamental to making meaning of our lives. I believe no amount of wealth, success, or power will bring meaning into a life that is devoid of compassion. I believe true compassion will bring meaning into any life, no matter the circumstances. The outpouring of compassion for those affected by the tsunami has been from the heart, a part of our basic understanding of how to make life meaningful. Recovery from crisis, personal or world-wide, always takes time. But it cannot happen at all without compassion.
   
   

Did You Know ...

• It takes $516,000 a year to keep Eliot Chapel functioning
• A quarter of that expense (actually 24%) goes directly to support Religious Education (about $120,000 a year)
• Religious Education registration fees bring in about $7,500 a year

I believe Eliot has a strong commitment to Religious Education. I certainly do, as do Joan Casey and Susan Maginn (our Religious Education Staff). Then there are all the volunteers who support the program: 9 RE committee members, over 100 teachers a year, volunteers who work on the six RE teams (curriculum, children's worship, teacher support, family ministry, special events, Youth-Adult Committee), volunteers who run the Christmas Pageant and Halloween Secret Pals program, 6th grade GATE partners (one adult partner for every 6th grader at Eliot), and volunteers in Children's Chapel.

No doubt, this is a big program. No doubt, our children are worth all the effort we put into this program. Thank you, all of you RE supporters out there, for your contributions - financially to Eliot and volunteering in RE.

Welcome!
- Lydia Hopkins, January 9, 2005

Each Sunday, a member of the Eliot community delivers the Sunday Morning Welcome. They share a personal story about how they came to be at Eliot Chapel, or what is meaningful here for them, or how they are living their faith.

I've been contributing monetarily to and volunteering at Eliot Chapel for many years because I have found my niche. My husband, Doug, and I figured out that it was, perhaps 15 years ago when we first attended Eliot. We both enjoyed John Robinson's sermons each week - he gave us something to think about, beyond ourselves. We enjoyed the view through these windows - a wooden fence enclosed the space that held pine trees, sometimes draped in snow. It was incredibly peaceful - with the music and the view - we could transcend ourselves for a brief time each Sunday. That changed and we've moved along through expansion, hand bells, an organ, new clergy and other diversity.

Doug and I taught Sunday school for a couple of years - we felt it was necessary as parents and we learned a lot from the curriculum.

The first time I sat here, with the friend who brought me, the live announcements included a casting call for the Madrigal Dinner. I was hooked. I auditioned and got a role. I said, "Eliot Chapel needs my talents!"

And then I realized that I needed Eliot. Doug and I noticed our lives were missing a spiritual side. We were so involved in the day-to-day logistics of work and family, that we didn't recognize there was no spiritual segment to our lives. Eliot has provided that missing link. Eliot welcomes me and allows me to act in the Madrigal, in fact, chair the Madrigal Dinner, lead a Summer Service, and participate on the FUN Committee.

You know, FUN is how it all started, come to think of it. Rich Vaughn came up to me at Coffee Hour (has he you??) and said, "What do you do?" I said I worked in the catering office of a hotel and planned parties - he introduced me to Tom Evans. That was the start of an interesting relationship. Tom and I chaired the Eliot Auction ... twice.

You have to be careful what you say around here - it could either get you in trouble - or it could unleash a cascade of opportunities for you to grow as a spiritual person or enhance your personal agenda more than you ever imagined. Good luck!

A Scintilla of a Desire
- Tim Nicholson, Host Coordinator

I am beginning to think that some people do not volunteer to host Room At The Inn simply because we keep asking for hosts - it must be a horrible experience if Room At The Inn has to constantly beg for hosts.

The truth is that hosting is a very positive experience, but our core group of volunteers who have been hosting for over a decade have been doing fewer and fewer Thursdays. We need new blood.

The more constant refrain is that people are afraid of hosting because they do not know what they are getting themselves into. On Jan. 30, immediately after the second service, we are having an orientation session for those who think they might have a scintilla of a desire to host any time in the next 40 years, or so. We look forward to seeing you there. (Incidentally, we would appreciate your getting your coffee after our very short meeting.)

If you will not be able to make it to the meeting, but you might want to host sometime, please contact me.

Book Sorting

The dates for sorting and pricing donated books will be Tues., Feb. 1 from noon-3:00 p.m., Sat., Feb. 5 and 26, from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. We'll be in the large classroom, downstairs. The 2005 Book Fair set-up dates: Wed. March 9 to Sun. March 13.

Library Committee and Women's Alliance members and interested individuals are invited to attend for any portion of the scheduled times. On Tue., Feb.1 there will be a sorting following the Women's Alliance meeting.

A Night at the Opera Saturday, Jan. 29 at 8:00 p.m. In the Sanctuary Tickets $20 ($10 students) Available at the door, or In advance, In Adams Hall after services Guest artists from The Midwest Lyric Opera Company The Union Avenue Opera Company as well as Pam Triplett, Karen Gottschalk, Leon Burke, and Jan Chamberlin This will be a fun, formal event to benefit Eliot Chapel. A concert of favorite vocal selections from opera, featuring local guest artists as well as Eliot talent. This event is sponsored by the Music Committee

Eliot YUUth Art Exhibit

From Sun., Jan. 30 to Sunday, Feb. 6, artwork by our Eliot Chapel youth will be on display in the RE Wing near Children's Chapel and in the Taylor Avenue entrance area of the church. Girl Scout Sara Luckow, a senior at Parkway Central High School, organized the show as the final project for her Gold Award. Please take time to look at the masterpieces by Eliot youth, ages 5 - 18.

The Stage is Set

Come one, come all to the Youth Coffeehouse on Feb. 5. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. All youth are welcome to perform regardless of their age or talent. Sign-up sheets are outside the senior room and on the bulletin board on the way to Adams Hall. It will be a blast so come and support our youth. Contact Susan Maginn at or (314) 821-0911 with any questions.

Global Warming

On Sun., Feb. 6, Jill Miller, statewide organizer for the Eastern Missouri Global Warming & Energy Program, will speak on "Global Warming: More Local than You Think". The program will be held in Room 001 from 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. This is part of the Social Action Committee's series on Environmental Issues.

I'll See You ...

The next poker night is Thu., Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Children's Chapel. All are invited.

Partner Church Trivia Night

The Partner Church Trivia FUNdraiser is coming Sat., Feb. 12. Tickets are on sale for $10 per person after both services. You can organize a table of 8 people or just buy a single ticket and we will seat you with other singles or doubles.

Last year we sold out so don't wait too long. The emphasis is on FUN as we want to raise as much money as possible for our partner church, St. Martin, in Transylvania, Romania. The profits will go toward church repairs and other projects at St. Martin. Contact Sue Blandford for further information.

Movie Night

As another of our on-going projects, the Welcoming Congregation Forum is offering a movie night on Sun., Feb. 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Adams Hall.

In honor of Valentine's Day, you're invited to an evening of romantic comedy on the theme of "coming out." While this can be a serious and often traumatic experience for gays and lesbians, we want to present the lighter side through two comedies. The first will be the famous "coming out" episode of Ellen Degeneres. The second will be the movie In and Out starring Kevin Kline with a special appearance by Debbie Reynolds.

Popcorn and refreshments will be served. Bring yourself; bring a friend; come out (pun intended) for this fun night at Eliot.

Childcare is available if arranged by Jan. 29 with Lynn Murphy.

We are planning more activities for Mar. 13, Apr. 10 and May 8. We look forward to seeing you on Feb. 13 and beyond.

Romania Trip
- Clint Blandford

Sue and Clint Blandford are looking for Eliot members to accompany them on a 12-day trip to Romania in mid-June. We will spend 3 or 4 nights in our partner church village and the rest of the time exploring interesting sights in Transylvania and Moldavia: painted monasteries, fortress churches, and the medieval city where Dracula was born. Total cost should be around $2,200. Please join us for an informational meeting at Eliot Thu., Feb. 17, at7:00 p.m.

Almost-Annual Mindfulness Meditation Winter Retreat
Sat.., Feb. 19 from 9:00 a.m. until noon

Winter weather got you stressed out to the max or bored with nothing to do? Well, give yourself a break! Come join the Almost-Annual Mindfulness Meditation Winter Retreat and spend a few blissful hours letting your mind and body relax. No experience required; newcomers welcome.

In addition to our usual fare - sitting, walking, and eating meditation - we're offering some interesting new practices this time: Zen writing, traditional yoga, qigong, and laughing yoga. Dress comfortably (in layers). Bring a mat or a blanket and a pillow, if you like, plus pen and paper, or a laptop.

We'll share our usual communal stew (beef or veggie), so bring a small portion of a vegetable of your choice, cleaned and peeled and ready to put in the pot (carrots, potatoes, onions, etc.) or bread, dessert, or hot drink fixin's (hot chocolate or your favorite tea).

Please confirm to Judy Highfill ( ) if you plan to attend, and be there by 8:45 a.m. so we can start the stew. Namaste.

Liberals Encounter the Bible

Join Rev. Vegiard for a five-week series looking closely at the variety of perspectives in the Bible. We will look at how the actual content of the Bible supports and does not support dogma, supports and does not support open spiritual questing. We'll do background research on the literature, but also some personal "encounter" with the spiritual perspectives offered. Participants should be prepared to do reading before each session. Please contact Rev. Vegiard ( or (314) 821-0911) in advance for recommended books and assignments. The sessions will meet on five Monday evenings, beginning Feb. 21, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Crucial Conversations at Eliot
- David Roundy

The consistent reader of this newsletter has no doubt noticed a couple of articles about the work of the conflict engagement working group chaired by Rev. Bonnie. Gary Gray recently inserted a note in the newsletter about a proposed repeat of the Crucial Conversations workshop on Sat., Feb. 26. It will be another opportunity to acquire some dialoging skills that may help in your personal or working life.

But what about life at Eliot? What is the connection of these crucial conversation activities to the interactions at Eliot Chapel? Among its stated goals, the conflict engagement group seeks to foster the successful conduct of difficult and challenging dialog at Eliot. Though our ideal image of our religious community may be one of cooperation and harmonious spiritual reflection, the truth is that contentious issues arise among us from time to time, either over the way the church is administered, or simply in our ongoing conversations about religious matters, or social forces that impact the church. The past several years of transition at Eliot have not always been easy, and there are members of our community who have turned away from us.

Could some of the difficult conversations that surrounded these events have gone better? Would the addition of some dialog skills, such as "making a safe environment for all participants," or "contributing to the shared pool of meaning" (concepts from Crucial Conversations) facilitate better dialog in the future?

This is our hope. Members or friends of Eliot may find themselves wanting to speak up on a difficult issue, but not do so because they prefer not to "cause controversy". The problem is that when tough issues are not processed well, the result may be festering silent resentment or negative emotions coming out explosively, causing further pain. Tough conversations sometimes have to be carried on for the health of the community, but we must find safe ways to do so.

Our Crucial Conversations workshops seek to create an expanding corpus of members who have concrete skills to guide a difficult conversation, not necessarily to some officially sanctioned result, but along a path that ensures each is heard and treated not only respectfully, but in a loving and inclusive way - we are a church, after all. We hope that you will join us in this quest, either by actually taking part, or by learning what you can from others who have, or observing how our town hall meetings are conducted. We all can contribute to this effort.

Mystery Dinner

The funeral of G.D. Mogul will be held at Eliot at 6:00 p.m. on Sat., Mar. 5. All friends and business associates are invited to the wake, memorial service, and dinner. (What does G.D. stand for?) Mark your calendars now and don't miss this hilarious evening of mystery and mayhem! The cost will be about $27 per person for the catered meal. Plenty of parts are available for would-be thespians as well as the audience-types. (Every actor needs an audience!) Watch for more news on who was GD Mogul? in subsequent newsletters. Brought to you by the the FUN Committee. Contact Lydia Hopkins for more information or to make a reservation.

Women's Alliance

The Women's Alliance meets on the first, third, and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Adams Hall, unless otherwise noted.

Thu., Feb. 1 - Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. Janie Fowler, Leader..

Religious Education News
-- Joan Casey, RE Director,

We had a wonderful Teacher Orientation on a cold winter's night, with nearly all of our spring teachers attending. Many thanks to our Teacher Support Committee; in particular Lisa Beck, Debbie Fechter, and Carol Moreland for their work on the evening. We are looking forward to a stimulating semester with our best and brightest again. But before we move to the Spring Semester, I'd like to thank our incredible Fall Teachers: at 9:15 - Mike Antoine, Vivian Antoine, Ellen Cowell, Juliette & Kelly Crone-Willis, Wendy Cutshaw, Susan Duncan, Pat Eby, Jamie Fitzgerald, Kim Fitzgerald, Karen Gender, Janet Gleason, Adine Hickey, Cordell Jeffries, Ed Kastner, Lisa Kastner, Robert Kokenyesi, William Lemon, Robin & Glenn Lopate, David Maguire, Jane Pack, Sandra Rhodes, Rich Vaughn, Rich Wagner, Karol Walters, Laura Williams, and Barb Yusen.

At 10:45 - Lori Allen, Hilary Babcock, Christy Berger, Carolyn Burke, Beth Campbell-Blethroad, Elisha Chambers, Nicole Chaput, Barb Crowley, Lisa Dahlgren, Dave Day, Judi Davis, Tracy Drissell, Betsy Fallstrom, Camille Fried, Margaret Gordon, Cindy Haynes, Georgie Herz, Jim Hunstein, Holly Ingraham, Linda Korinek, Doris Kutz-Compton, Leslie Loving, Marcia McIntyre, Tim McIntyre, Marlene Mestres, Marissa Nauman, JoAnne Polley, Renae Quinn, Emily Rapp, Kathy Sanders, Brent Vaughn, Brian Ward, Harold Waxman, Karen Webster, and Paul Wilhelms.

And, not to be forgotten, thanks to our super youth helpers: Maddy Bauer, Jordan Berger, Emily Bumpus, Margaret Gender, Ross Lawrence, Lena Maguire, Zoe Matthews, Maggie Nolan, Grace Rossow, Katherine Sedovic, Connor Waldman and Trevor Williams.

Our next Family Potluck is on Fri., Feb 11 beginning at 5:45 p.m. We will eat first and then children will have their own fun activities while parents meet with Reverend Bonnie and the Curriculum Committee to talk about our two pillars during Spring Semester: World Religions and Social Justice. Potlucks are usually over by about 7:30 p.m. (A-D bring milk or juice; E-J bring dessert; K-R bring main dish; S-Z bring salad or veggies.) See you there!

Music Notes
-- Jan Chamberlin, Music Director,

Sat., Jan. 29 - 8:00 p.m. A Night at the Opera. Leon Burke will provide running commentary to ensure an enjoyable listening experience. Find additional information
here. Carpooling may be available; call Jan if interested.

Friends of Music will present a concert of classical music Sun., Jan. 30 at 3:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. The concert is free, donations accepted.

The children's Chalice Choir, for grades 1-5, will start practicing again between services on Sun. Feb. 6. They meet in the Music Room from 10:15 - 10:45 a.m. Jan Chamberlin and Nancy Collis begin the practice with a musical game, then a song by rote, and a song by note. New children are welcome. Contact Jan if interested.

Coming up:

Jan. 30	Music Sunday. Preludes and interludes will be organ and string ensembles by Corelli. Choirs will sing Va Pensiero by Verdi and How Can I Keep From Singing? by Ellingboe.
Feb. 6	Guest musician will be clarinet player Ivan Kawaler, accompanied by Nancy Collis.

Junior High News
-- Susan Maginn, Youth Director,

The Junior High youth group had a fantastic lock-in in January with an unusually high turnout - 14 kids! There was worship, movies and midnight pizza, but much of the evening was focused on planning their UUA Principles Project. This is a project that will be a scavenger hunt where guests (you) will go through the building searching for each principle! Stay tuned - it looks like the UUA Principles Project will be coming in March to a congregation near you.

First Church Scholarship

Applications for the $2,000 scholarship award sponsored by the Women's Alliance of the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis are due by Mar. 31. Eligibility is described in the flyer posted on the bulletin board.

For further information please contact Mary O'Neal Broida at .

Book Fair Donations

The Library Committee and Women's Alliance continue to welcome donated books. Donated items should be in saleable condition (no mildew or paperbacks with missing covers.) Please, no magazines, periodicals, or outdated textbooks. Please wait until February to donate LPs. Items may be left in the DuBois Library any time the building is open. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Study Leave

Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell will be on study leave from Jan. 24 though Feb. 7.

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