On Sunday morning at 11 am, we’ll be continuing our monthly theme, “What Do We Stand For?” in a special multigenerational service. I’ll talk about my OccupyFaith work, and we’ll have some fun as we examine both the power of corporations and the power of human beings. Come prepared to play a little and learn a lot! We’ll also gather at 12:15 pm for our quarterly congregational meeting, featuring updates on our mission statement, marketing of our parish hall rental and early budget forecasting. Finally, our Soulful Sundown service at 5 pm continues our ever-more-popular Jazz Vespers. This week, Rev. Julie will lead the service, along with Fourth U friend Tomas Rodriguez on guitar and BarryKornhauser on cello. We look forward to seeing you all day Sunday!
For the fourth year in a row, a benefit production of “The Vagina Monologues,” Eve Ensler’s award winning play is coming to Fourth Universalist Society. Save the dates! Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24, 2012.
For tickets, please click here
The play that spawned a global movement to end violence against women and girls will be presented in the sanctuary each night at 8 PM. At least 30 women and girls from a wide diversity of backgrounds will speak the powerful words of Ensler, one of America’s leading “artivists,” a creative artist whose works promote women’s freedom from violence around the world.
In its first three years, V-Day Fourth U’s fundraising efforts garnered nearly $35,000 for local organizations which work to end violence against women and girls. The beneficiaries from last year’s benefit were Centers Against Domestic Violence and Men Can Stop Rape. The two organizations will benefit from this year’s production as well.
Each local V-Day group around the world gives 10% of its proceeds to V-Day at the national level for its annual Spotlight Campaign. The focus chosen for the spotlight campaign is a country where women and girls are at greatest risk. This year, the Spotlight shines on Haiti, where the female population is working with courage and strength to improve opportunities for survival and safety. Haiti was also the focus of the 2011 V-Day Spotlight.
The 2012 production of “The Vagina Monologues” is organized by Deborah Roth, a Fourth U member and interfaith minister. Co-directors are Erin Bigelow and Ege Maltepe. Among the 40+ V-Day groups in New York City, V-Day FourthU is the only group based in a house of worship. Other V-Day groups are based on campuses and community organizations. Some presentations take place in Spanish. See www.vday.org.
Fourth U is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, call 212-665-9660.
For tickets, please click here
The team responsible for the Mission Statement re-write has delivered an initial draft. To date the team has some feedback, but we want to provide a forum for listening to a broader audience, and to explain how this group arrived at the draft. To achieve this, we are arranging a meeting after service on January 8th to review. Please join us at 12:15 pm in the sanctuary.The draft as it stands right now is:
We are a diverse, welcoming spiritual community, inspired to live meaningful lives of service while striving to create a world of peace, love and joy.
Looking forward to your contribution and support.
Soulful Sundown, Meditation Service
“What Am I Here For?” is the title for Sunday’s Soulful Sundown meditation service. Join Rev. Julie at 5pm on Sunday for a service of meditation and reflection connected to this month’s worship theme: What do we stand for?
Religious Exploration Program
RE classes are back in swing this Sunday after several weeks off for the Hanukkah pageant and holidays. Welcome back to kids and teachers alike!
Youth Group Returns
The Fantastic Fourth Youth Group will resume meeting this Sunday after a two-week holiday break. Youth Group meets upstairs in the youth room from 1:30p-3:30p.
Saturday, Dec. 24th at 7 pm, we’ll have our annual Christmas Eve service, complete with choir, carols and candlelight, and some special musical guests. It’s a lovely way to get—and give—some Christmas spirit.
Sunday, Dec. 25th is Christmas Day—and we’ll be right here, with a joyous Worship Feast at 10:45 am. Join us for good food, sacred conversation and songs of good cheer at our “At Table” service. And we’ll be here on New Year’s Day, too, to welcome the New Year, our new worship time—11 am—and new opportunities to deepen our spiritual lives in 2012.
Soulful Sundown, December 25 & January 1
There will be NO Soulful Sundown services on Christmas or New Year’s Day. Fourth U’s evening service will resume on January 8th at 5pm.
Fantastic Fourth Youth Group
Due to school vacations and the holidays there will be no Youth Group for the next two weeks. We will gather together again on Sunday, January 8th from 1:30p-3:30p.
Religious Exploration Program
The RE program is on a holiday hiatus and will resume classes on January 8th.
Hanukkah Pageant this Sunday, 12/18, 10:45am
Fourth U’s Religious Exploration classes will be presenting this year’s holiday pageant, “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming,” as part of this Sunday’s morning service. Everyone in RE has been working hard to make this a great Hanukkah pageant. Please make sure you’re at Fourth on time to get a good seat and cheer on our young people, then stick around for coffee hour with latkes!
Soulful Sundown, 5pm– Jazz Vespers
Fourth U is participating in this week’s “Occupy the Pulpit” endeavor put forth by NYC’s Occupy Faith. The theme for Jazz Vespers is “Seeking Justice, Singing Justice.” Please join musicians Suzanne and Jeff Pittman along with Rev. Julie for an evening of jazz and protest.
“Even So, Rejoice”
The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt
Our theme for December is “Why Do We Rejoice?” and in these times there is good reason to both ask and answer this question. I’ll be preaching about how it is that we are called on to rejoice, even when life circumstances, even the world situation, suggests otherwise. We’ll be joined by Fred Johnson, member of the UU Church of Clearwater, Florida and a fellow at Intersections International, a multi-faith program of the Collegiate Churches of New York. (It is thanks to Intersections International that we’ve been enjoying three panels from the Ribbons of Hope Project.) Fred is a widely respected musician, artist and healer who will help to create a very special worship time for all of us. It’s a wonderful Sunday to invite a friend!
Following worship, at 1 pm, we are privileged to present a performance of “Under the Veil: 9/11 and Beyond.” This deeply moving piece, created by the Te’a Project with musical direction by Fred Johnson, is a powerful accompaniment to our morning service. In words taken from its website, the play “uses theatre, music, and spoken word to dramatize the everyday clash of cares and threats that divide Americans from each other in the wake of 9/11. But beyond dramatizing those barriers, it also functions dramatically to foster the curiosity, insight and compassion that audience members need to transcend them.” I hope you’ll go to the following website to learn more about the Te’a Project and its creative team: http://teaproject.com/projects.html
NO Soulful Sundown This Week
There is NO Soulful Sundown worship service this week, December 4th, to make time for the Te’a Project’s performance of “Under the Veil: 9/11 and Beyond.” Soulful Sundown will resume on December 11th at 5pm, led by the Youth Group.
