Bristol Unitarians

Newsletter November 2011

2011-11-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

From the Desk

Karl Stewart and Mark Gartside

Well, as we sit here on a chilly November morning we’re taking a break from

practicing for our ‘Songs of the Spirit’ concert next Thursday.

We’ve been talking about how it’s really great to be part of a religious organisation

that actively encourages questioning and being true to yourself.

As ‘Occupy’ movements spring up in cities around the world, we’re trying not to be

cynical about the possibility of change. At the very least we hope that these kind of

movements will get people thinking, and bring some of these issues into

consciousness, so that we can become more aware of the choices we make every

day. It doesn’t have to be an ‘all or nothing’ situation. We don’t have to give up all

associations with Capitalism in order to make changes to the life of our community

and of our planet. The mere fact that more people are becoming aware that they

have the choice to take the car or the bus, to buy pre-packaged fruit or loose, to

recycle or just throw everything in the bin, to look at where the products they buy

come from, means that we are reawakening to the fact that we have a choice, and

who knows – if we all do a little bit, maybe we can safeguard the future of our

beautiful earth.

Diary

Sunday 6^th November: Service with Lindy, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 6^th November: Service with Lindy, 6pm, UMB (Flowers and Teas - June).
Wednesday 9^th November: Women’s League Meeting, 2.30pm, Grace Cooper’s flat - 24   Shearwater Court, Stapleton (let her know if you’re coming on  0117 965 9129).
Wednesday 9^th November: Christmas Services Planning Meeting, 7pm, Lindy’s house - 9, Chakeshill Close Brentry (Lindy will also be gather Christmas Services ideas after both services on 6.11.11).
Thursday 10th November: Poetry Group -  ‘Bonfires and Witches’, 10.30am - 12.30pm,  58 Old Gloucester Road – All welcome! 
Thursday 10^th November: Songs of the Spirit – a concert featuring original songs from Mark and Karl, 7.30pm, Frenchay Chapel – suggested donation £5.
Sunday 13^th November: Remembrance Sunday Service with Bernard Omar, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 20^th November: Service with Lindy, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 20^th November: Service with Lindy, 6pm, UMB (Flowers – Sally, Teas – Frances).
Monday 21^st November: Open Circles Meditation and Sharing Group, 6.15-7.45pm, Frenchay Chapel.
Wednesday 23^rd November: Interfaith Week Event, 4-6pm, Lord Mayor’s Chapel, College Green.
Sunday 27^th November: Advent Sunday Service with Grace Cooper, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 27^th November: Bright Lights Party and partial tree dressing, 3-5pm, UMB.
Thursday 1st December: Putting up the tree and decorating the Chapel, , 10.30am,  Frenchay Chapel.
Saturday 3rd December: Open coffee morning with sales table, 10.30am-12.30pm, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 4^th December: Festival of Lights including tree decorating with Lindy, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 4^th December: Festival of Lights including finishing off tree decorating with Lindy, 3.30pm, UMB.
Wednesday 7th December: Poetry Group - ‘Christmas’, 10.30am - 12.30pm, 58 Old Gloucester Road. 
Wednesday 7th December: Bristol Inter Faith Winter Celebration, 7pm, UMB.
Sunday 11^th December: Gift Service (bring appropriate gifts for adults / children for Julian trust), 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 11^th December: Gift Service (bring gifts as above), 3.30pm, UMB.
Thursday 15^th December:  Women’s League Bring and Share Meal, 6.30pm, UMB (With a Bring and Buy table to raise money for ‘Combat Stress’ - Charity raising money for war veterans mental health issues).
Thursday 15^th December: Christmas Concert - featuring Mark Darkside and friends, 7.30pm, UMB  (following on from Bring and Share Meal) - Retiring collection for chapel funds.
Friday 16^th December: Come and celebrate Charles Dicken’s 200^th Anniversary with readings and carols, 7pm, Frenchay Chapel  - Victorian Dress optional, refreshments available, £5  entry in aid of chapel windows.
Sunday 18^th December: Service with Lindy, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel
Sunday 18^th December: Walk around Westonbirt Arboretum to see the lights, meet at 3pm at Frenchay Chapel if you want a lift, or meet there at 4pm.
Sunday 18^th December: Joint Carol Service, 3.30pm, UMB.
Monday 19^th December: Open Circles Meditation and Sharing Group, 6.15-7.45pm, Frenchay Chapel.
Sunday 25^th December: Christmas Day Service, 10.30am, Frenchay Chapel (no service at UMB).
Sunday 1^st January: There will not be a ‘service’ at UMB although the chapel will be open as usual at 3.30pm for a ‘circle gathering’ to share poetry/readings/music.

Upcoming events at UMB for 2012:

Late in January: Sound of Music Sing-along in aid of chapel funds.

Later in the year: Sharing Shakespeare – an evening of dramatically reading our favourite bits from Shakespeare: monologues, duologues, sonnets.

Later in the year: Madonna Tribute Evening and Disco. First half: interpretations of Madonna songs from anyone who want to contribute (not karaoke). Second half: an all Madonna disco!

Articles

Reports from Bernard Omar

Harvest Lunch: On October 2nd members enjoyed the Harvest Lunch proposed by Diane Roberts and supported by Nicola and others. The writer was sorry to miss it but was in France at that time. It was reported to have been a very happy occasion.

Breaking News: "The writer was informed that a descendant of Robert Bruce wished to visit to see his tomb which is outside the rear of the Chapel behind the pulpit . Two generations visited on Sunday afternoon 23rd October. They had extensive knowledge of their early relations going back beyond Robert Bruce. Treasurer of the Chapel for some twenty three years and one time President of Bristol Merchant Venturers, Robert died in 1838. His son of the same name is buried in the same tomb. It is hoped to obtain further details to include in the Chapel information file.

Reports from Susan Wildman

Harvest Festival: A cheque for £80.40 from Frenchay and UMB was handed to the Julian Trust night shelter along with gifts of food, all of which were welcome. Thank you to all who contributed.

Women’s League: The League's Triennial meeting held at Great Hucklow on 18th - 20th October was very successful. National President Barbara Clifford conducted a service in the chapel. The evening entertainment given by Phil Croft and Patrick Smith was enjoyed and brought laughter all round. Lindy Latham's illustrated talk on her travels in India was much appreciated and we learnt a lot about the Unitarians in the Khasi Hills. We had a sunny afternoon for our visit to Buxton. Business discussions were lively and we all enjoyed the meals. Thanks to Mary Wightman of Dundee for organising the event.

Summer School report from Sarah Sherman

At Summer School in August the young peoples group, which I was in, was working on being eco friendly and learning more about the environment and wildlife. We did a lot of interesting activities in this topic like when we took samples of soil from different areas of the Nightingale Centre's grounds. After we took the samples we looked at them under a microscope and used what we analysed to find out which was the healthiest soil.

We also learned about gardening and how to keep soil healthy, such as not turning or stepping on it as this can damage any wildlife that is giving the soil nutrients. Another area of the topic we looked at was trees. We visited the Nightingale Center's woods and went on walks. We looked at the soil there, the trees and the insects and other animals. We learned about the trees roots and the nutrients they take from the soil. I even did a talk at the end of Summer School about our topic on trees.

We learned that these subjects are incredibly important as because we learned them when we are children , like everything we learn, we could use them for the rest of lives to be more eco friendly and much better at preserving wildlife.

Thoughts on ‘Belief’ from Mark Gartside

At the Build Your Own Theology course we are currently trying to write our own ‘Credo’s, with regards to what we individually believe in. At an Anglican service I attended for my work the other day, I was struck by the reciting of the Nicene Creed, which is the statement of faith used by most Christian Churches, which dates back to 325 CE. Furthermore I was asked by an Anglican Priest recently, ‘what unites Unitarians, if they don’t share a common creed?’ In response I said to him that it is our shared search for religious truth and meaning that unites us. It is a common purpose, rather than a common belief that brings us together. It seems to me that what we believe in is bound to change and evolve as we acquire knowledge and experience throughout our lives, and that to doggedly hang on to beliefs that no longer serve us, can lead us into pain and confusion. In addition to this, the reality of religious truth is so awesome, ephemeral, and personal, that surely it cannot be summed up in language. Every statement, every word begs more questions, and there are countless permutations of interpretation, not just between individuals, but within an individual. Yet I do feel it is important to strive to articulate what we believe in, and to share this respectfully with others, as we journey together on our quest to understand.

Newsletter September 2011

2011-09-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

UNITARIAN MEETING (UMB)

BRUNSWICK SQUARE

BRISTOL

BS2 8PE

FRENCHAY CHAPEL
FRENCHAY COMMON
BECKSPOOL ROAD
BRISTOL BS16 1ND

At the DeskKarl Stewart

Dear All,
I am this months editor for the newsletter. Thanks to all for your contributions. I shall in due course produce a chairs report as regards Summer School – but for now here are a few reflections:

It was my first time at summer school this year, and it was a very profitable experience. I’m sure that much of what I learnt will feed into the services I take in the future. It was wonderful to worship with Unitarians from across the country and from America too, and I got to know many lovely people. Part of every morning at Summer School was spent in small groups. My group tackled the subject of ‘Working with Others’, which entailed various exercises which helped us to explore this theme.

Every morning there was also a theme talk, tied to the topic for the week which was ‘Walking the Talk’. In these we gained different perspectives about how to put our faith into action, from looking back to the example of our forebears at Rochdale Unitarians, to learning to inhabit your body and own your feelings, as a way of being more authentic in the world.

On the last morning of the week at breakfast, before everyone departed, I was allowed to share a prayer which I had been inspired to write the night before. I would like to share it with you here:

Take with you what is holy – Bless your walk
Take with you what is sacred – Tell your story
Take with you what is the truth – Teach well
Take with you the peace of the spirit - as you walk your journey may your Gods bless every mile.
Go forth in peace, in the understanding and knowledge, and in the light of the spirit.
Amen
Thoughts from your minister-Revd. Lindy Latham

Remembering well.........

Recently, on a warm Saturday in August, I was delighting in the beauty of the north coast of Anglesey – the striking coastal paths across the cliffs – scenes of my childhood where I spent many holidays catching shrimps in rock pools and worrying my mother as I scampered out of sight across the rocky beach.

This island was also home to a well loved minister of the Unitarian Churches in Bristol at Lewin's Mead and Oakfield Road between 1952 and 1961- the Rev. Hilton Birtles. Just over a week after my visit to him, he died peacefully at his nursing home in Bangor with his family around him.
Those of you who knew him will, I am sure, be filled with grateful memories for his ministry. Our love goes to his family at this time.

...My love to you all.... Lindy

Women’s LeagueSusan Wildman

In July six of us met at IKEA and enjoyed Swedish meatballs!

Our next meeting will be at St Stephen's Church Café on Wednesday 28th September at 2 pm. The church is in
Stephen's Street, between the Centre and Corn Street. We can explore the church and/or the market.

We will be selling refreshments at UMB on Saturday and Sunday 10/11th September when the chapel will be open for Heritage Open Doors Days. Proceeds will go to Combat Stress, the National Women's League project for 2011/12. Please note that this year we will be opening on two days, from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday 10th and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday.

Come to the Big Equality DebatePaul Wheeler

Ever wondered what effect this country's wide income inequality has on our society and maybe thought that income inequality is only an issue for people with low incomes?
Richard Wilkinson, co-author of the acclaimed, and Bristol Festival of Ideas award winning book "The Spirit Level" and Hugh Annett, Director of Public Health, NHS Bristol will address these questions at Oddfellows Hall, West Park, Bristol BS8 2LT on Wednesday26th October starting at 7pm. Light refreshments will be available from 6.30pm.
The event is being hosted by Equality Bristol. For more information see www.equalitybristol.co.uk or speak to me.

Heritage Open Doors Day at UMBSusan and Peter Wildman

Once again UMB will be open on the Heritage Open Doors weekend - this year for two days, on Saturday, 10th September from 10am to 1pm and on Sunday 11th September from 11am to 4pm. There will be display of photographs of our past and present activities as well as the Unitarian burial records held by Bristol Records Office.

Brunswick Cemetery Gardens are highlighted in the UMB entry on the online directory: www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/HOD007538E/

The gardens have had relatively little publicity in Bristol since they were opened and hopefully they will be a stimulus to increase the number of visitors to UMB itself.

We will be serving refreshments and would be grateful for help during the day. If you can help please contact us on 01454 412993.

Frenchay Chapel Services for September
4th Lindy Latham
11th Benard Omar
18th Karl Stewart
25th Frank Butler B.Sc.
OCT 2nd Harvest Festival – Lindy Latham
(N.B. A Harvest Lunch will follow to be organised by Nicola. Please bring your own contributions of food and drink.)

UMB Services for September

Services on Sundays 4^th and 18^th, with Bright Lines in the afternoon on 25^th.

Frenchay Flower Show Report
Bernard Omar

Frenchay Flower Show on 16th July was our opportunity to open the Chapel with stalls and refreshments. The chapel was often packed and a satisfying sum of £295 was raised. Thanks go to all who helped especially to Diane Roberts who coordinated this effort.

Chapel WindowsBernard Omar

These continue to be a cause for concern. Our listed building status means that English Heritage and South Gloucestershire Listed Buildings Officers have been consulted over many months. Outline agreement has been reached that two windows are beyond repair and must be replaced. Provisional estimates of £12000 have been obtained. Building Permission has now to be sought from South Gloucestershire Council. Fundraising is necessary and events are being planned.

Western Union
Bernard Omar

3rd September, Council and all interested people meet at Bridgwater Chapel at 10.30am when the paucity of professional ministry is bound to feature. However, we hear signs of new growth and interesting initiatives from most of our churches, chapels and fellowships.

Bristol Group OutingBernard Omar

This year the outing on July 10th was to Marshfield Chapel where the Bath Fellowship meets for Services on the second Sunday in the month. We were all joined at the Service by members of the Reading Fellowship. There were many opportunities before and after the challenging Service to meet new people.
Most people then went on for a convivial lunch at The Lord Nelson for 1.30pm, enjoyed so much that the proposed afternoon visit to National Trust Dyrham House had to be postponed. We thank our hosts for their very warm welcome.

Thanks for continuing help in maintaining chapelBernard Omar

Regular help continues to be appreciated with transport, flower arranging, cleaning and refreshments, while our Authorised Persons deal with the Registration documentation at weddings, which our Minister conducts.

Inter Faith AGM Notice

On 21st September Bristol Inter Faith Group AGM will be held at 7pm at the Friends Meeting Hampton Road, Redfield. Alistair Beattie Director of "faithnetsouthwest" will be the speaker at 7.45pm. Your presence and/or ideas will be welcome.

Winter Celebration Notice

On Wednesday 7th December at 7pm, after several years meeting at Hampton Road, UMB will once again host the BIFG Annual Winter Celebration.

Next Poetry Group

Poetry is on Tuesday 20th September at 58 Old Gloucester
Road and the subject is Food. Please ring Diane on 9566963 for any further information.

Further Dates for your Diary

11th September Sales table will be available after Frenchay Service

3rd December Open morning at Frenchay Chapel with cake and coffee and sales table.

2nd October Frenchay Chapel's harvest service followed by a harvest lunch. Please bring some food you would like to share. Everyone is invited.

Frenchay Chapel congregation would like to invite UMB's congregation to their harvest lunch on Sunday 2nd October immediately after the service. Please bring some food you would like to share.
Bright Lights
Our programme will start again on September 25^th at our Meeting House in Brunswick Square 3-5pm. Do join us to start our new season with a swing!

(Bright Lights is our “Doing Church Differently “ initiative where all are welcome to share an afternoon of companionship, creativity and friendly support... not to mention a spot of meditation – good food and fun!)
Lives to celebrate in Bristol
There will be a service of remembrance for the lives of Mary Carpenter and Rajah Ram Mohan Roy at the Arnos Vale Cemetery on September 25^th starting at 12 noon. All are welcome.
A Voyage of Discovery - Exploring what we believe…Lindy Latham
This course is now fully booked and Paul and I are looking forward to the first session on October 3^rd , 7.00 – 9.00pm at UMB. Participants will be receiving more details ahead of time.
If you have any questions please talk to Paul or myself.

Summer Concert Review
Marie Eastman
There was a full house at Frenchay Chapel on the evening of 5^th July, when a Summer Concert was presented. Bob Cook, our organist, delighted the audience with a range of music from the baroque era to modern times. The first half of the concert gave us music by Bach and Pachabel, with Bob giving us useful information about the music. Bob also played some of his own arrangements of well known music such as Ashokan Farewell. This part of the concert ended with Delydd’s solos. She enthralled the audience with her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice. She was accompanied by Bob on the organ for items by Handel and Karl Jenkins. Her last item by Eric Satie was actually a narrative with complicated piano accompaniment – it needed great concentration by both artists, especially Delydd, fitting in words in at odd times! Quite an achievement and much enjoyed and appreciated by the audience. After the interval, Bob played a varied selection of music by Messiaen, Elgar, Laurisden, Ravel and Liszt, as well as an extract from his own composition entitled ‘Frenchay Chapel’. Bob’s anecdotes about some of the composers were most interesting. Particular thanks must also go to Diane Roberts, who has prepared a refreshment table ahead of the audience’s arrival. She had also baked four different kinds of cakes, the favourite of the evening being bread pudding. The refreshments alone made £28, and the whole evening contributed £229.07 to church funds. This musical evening was absolutely delightful as well as a huge success – from the treasurer’s point of view a financial dream!

Brahmo Samaj Commemoration serviceCarla Contractor

There will be a joint Unitarian / Brahmo Samaj Commemoration service for the Rajah Ram Mohun Roy – the great Indian reformer who called himself a Hindu Unitarian in 1821. It will start at 12 noon sharp on Sunday 25^th September, and Lindy will be there with Geoff Gollop (Bristol’s Lord Mayor) and the Indian High Commission from London. This annual Commemoration brings to Bristol many Brahmos nationally, and our local Unitarians (and others from Golder’s Green Unitarians) have always supported the event in numbers. The service will be hold at Arnon Vale Cemetery, Bath Road, Brislington, in the Anglican Chapel (now multi-faith) and usually lasts under an hour. There will be refreshments afterwards in the Spielman Centre, which was the old Dissenters mortuary chapel.
Finally there is a tour planned (payable) of the cemetery in the early afternoon, for those of you who would like to see the graves of Mary and Lant Carpenter, the Breillats, Matthew Davenport Hill and other Unitarian notables buried there.

Joni-Come-Lately ConcertMark Gartside
On Wednesday 31^st August UMB played host to a musical sharing evening entitled ‘Joni-Come-Lately’, showcasing songs from the popular Canadian Singer-Songwriter Joni Mitchell. Over 10 people contributed to the evening, performing Joni’s hits, and even reinterpreting a couple of them through modern dance. Joni Mitchell has been writing songs since the late 60’s, and her latest album was released in 2007. Although not a Unitarian herself, her work chimes in with the Unitarian spirit, characterised by an attitude of questioning, and an exploration of spirituality, emotions, and relationships between human beings, and with our planet.
The setting was candlelit, and audience and performers alike sat in a big circle. We charged £2 entry per person, and raised £60, to be divided equally between Chapel funds and the Send a Child to Hucklow charity.

Reflections on Summer SchoolMark Gartside

I’m very grateful to the Stokes Croft fund, and to the Summer School bursary system, which enabled me to attend Summer School this year for the first time. I feel like I learned a lot during the week, and feel more committed to Unitarianism than before! The beautiful Peak District setting of Great Hucklow provided a very inspiring setting, and the food was excellent. It was really interesting getting to know all the Unitarians there. I was especially interested in getting to know more about the Unitarian Universalist side of our movement, which the many Americans at the Summer School told me a lot about. I was part of a small group looking at Peace in our Daily Lives. One of the particularly interesting things to come out in the group was the Model for Non-Violence Communication, which expanded the definition of what we consider to be ‘violent’. Also we practiced a technique called ‘Co-Counselling’ in which you pair up and take it in turns to talk about your feelings in response to various questions. Another really enjoyable part of the week was the ‘Writing the Talk’ creative writing workshops, with Nancy Crumbine – a minister who travels from America every year to attend Summer School. Also Karl and I were privileged to be asked to provide the opening music for the closing worship of week, for which we performed two chants for voice and organ which Karl had written. Worshipping with such a large group of Unitarians was a real boost, and has inspired me with lots of ideas to bring back to our meetings in Bristol.

Open Circles Summer Solstice Celebration
On Tuesday 21^st June Andrea Clark-Ward hosted the first monthly Open Circles event at Frenchay Chapel. A group of about ten people were in attendance, sitting outside at the back of chapel around a blazing fire. We sang songs, and read poems, and offered up prayers to mark the longest day of the year.

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SERVICE TIMES
FRENCHAY CHAPEL: Every Sunday at 10.30 am
UNITARIAN MEETING: 1st, 3rd (and 5th) Sundays of each month at 6pm (November to February at 3.30pm). Bright Lights All Age Group on 4^th Sundays, 3 - 5pm all year.

2011-07-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

JULY/AUGUST 2011

UNITARIAN MEETING (UMB), BRUNSWICK SQUARE, BRISTOL, BS2 8PE

FRENCHAY CHAPEL, BECKSPOOL ROAD, FRENCHAY COMMON, BRISTOL BS16 1ND

Back At The Desk

The Group committee met with Lindy at Frenchay on

Thursday 29th July to discuss her continued ministry to

the Bristol Group. The happy outcome was that Lindy

has agreed to continue as our part-time minister until

the end of 2013! Very little will change in her "Duties

as the agreement puts it, except that she has

expressed a wish to conduct 5th Sunday services,

possibly in a format that preserves some aspects of

our present "Congregational services. When the

agreement is available it will be presented to both

congregations. In the meantime if you have any

comments in or questions in relation to the Group and

Lindy's ministry please address them to Bernard Omar

as our Group President. Welcome Back Lindy!

Lindy gave her eagerly awaited talk about her time in India at UMB on 22nd June.

A good number of us enjoyed a fascinating insight into some of the non-tourist

parts of India as well as some views of what we think of as "India#. For those who

missed all this Lindy has promised another showing later.

We were very happy to see Olga Jennings in Bristol again. She has not

relinquished her connections with us and will be here again in September for the

Stokes Croft Educational Trust meeting and a meeting of UMB Trustees.

Several of our members are unwell or in hospital recently. We would like to send

our good wishes to Frances webster, Ray Raitt, Audrey Cook and Ros Pratt.

Please read this issue of our newsletter carefully, or should I say even more

carefully than usual. There are details of many courses, activities and visits, both

within Bristol and further afield in the Western Union area. We may be few in

number (at present!) but the Group has an active life!

The next issue of this newsletter will be produced by Karl Stewart. Please send

your inputs for September to him by 31st August at the latest.

PETER WILDMAN

A Summer Message From Lindy

Looking out from my garden towards the Severn Valley and the Welsh hills on this

June evening, it is difficult to imagine that we are just passed the mid summer solstice

and already moving towards shorter days. Not so long ago some of us were turning on

the heating or at least filling our hot water bottles! Before that, in May, we were feeling

the heat and the drought.

Although this “climate unpredictability” is interesting and keeps us on our toes, it can

also be disturbing, together with all the human atrocities and political upheavals that

we hear about daily.

We all need some certainty in our lives. There is so much change going on in the

world so we may well ask “where is our anchor?” From a spiritual, Unitarian point of

view this is not easy to respond to as we have no definitive creed. But I feel that our

anchor is each other. With all our gifts, with all our frailties, with our struggle to create

a loving community, this is our creed.

That can sound all a bit “airy fairy”... all theory and no practice. But there is plenty of

practice going on...I could use up the rest of this newsletter to share stories that I hear

about how you/we are helping each other and those in the broader community.

Talking about stories... I feel that these are one of the most powerful tools that can

help us to learn from and about each other. If you have a story to tell about something

that is important – a time that helped you – please share it in words for the newsletter

– e mail or phone me!

I hope that we all have a lot more summer to enjoy – and that whatever our personal

struggles are, we can find a spark of joy and encouragement from the kindness of

both friends and strangers.

Love and peace

Lindy

Frenchay News

A school visit was booked to Frenchay Chapel and the writer was exercised

thinking how to make it as interesting as possible given there is so little to see

and the history could be a right turn-off. Would a simple sum help?$ Ask the

current year 2011. Less the date of the chapel 1691 = 320 years of witness. But

then some twelve adults appeared and no children. We were hosting a Teachers

In Service Training Slot! We fielded some interesting questions about the history

of the building but little about our beliefs.$The tenuous link with Lewis Carroll and

the story of the Anti Body Snatchers Stone attracted interest but the teachers

doubted our ability to make these interesting to a group of school children. We

sought help to ask the school children to draw or paint a picture of the Chapel.

Watch this space..

CHIVALRY. The writer's car broke down when returning with two Bristol

octogenarians returning from the Sidmouth Western Union Assembly. AA

Rescue was requested stressing the agitation occasioned by the presence of the

octogenarians. Then a car stopped.$Karl Stewart driving past had noticed, turned

and offered help. Chivalrous. It left a question for the AA Patrol when it arrived,

"Where are the two old ladies?" Strangely, the question was not asked and the

driver remained at liberty

HODS. Frenchay are booked to be open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday, Friday and

Saturday and from 12.30 pm to 4 pm on the Sunday. BUT a wedding will be

taking place on Saturday 10th so visitors will be greeted outside at that time.

# # # # # # # # # # # # BERNARD OMAR

Western Union Assembly At Sidmouth

(See also report by Ray Raitt on page 10)

The local Mayor welcomed all to Sidmouth and gave his good wishes for our

gathering. A Communion Service followed the business meeting and was

conducted by the Rev Kathy Packer, Minister to Sidmouth and Torquay

Congregations but to retire in September, leaving both congregations with an

uncertain future.

The General Assembly President Rev Dr Anne Peart kindly attended and

conducted the afternoon act of worship involving ad hoc members from each of

the congregations to say what they valued about their Unitarian faith.

A sense of unity and determination to keep Unitarianism alive in the West

Country pervaded the Assembly.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # BERNARD OMAR

# # # # # # # # # # # # # Frenchay Delegate

Diary For July 2011

UMB - Unitarian Meeting Bristol, Brunswick Square,

WL - Women’s League, WA - Wedding Anniversary,

IM - In Memoriam, tba - to be arranged, tbc - to be confirmed

SUN 3rd FRENCHAY 10.30 am - THE MINISTER

UMB 6.00 pm - THE MINISTER

Flowers - Ms S Pugh

Teas - tba

Tues 5th Frenchay 7.30 pm Concert by Bob Cook and

Delydd McAdam

SUN 10th No services at UMB or Frenchay

Group outing to Dyrham Park preceded by a visit to Marshfield Chapel

(service at 11.15 am) and a pub lunch with the congregation

Wed 13th 2nd Spirituality Practices workshop. ‘Chakras’. Led by

Yvonne Aburrow 7-9 pm at Trowbridge Meeting House

see page 9

Sat 16th 1 pm onwards. Frenchay Chapel will be open for

Frenchay Flower Show. Sales table, teas and coffees

SUN 17th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - The MINISTER

UMB 6.00 pm - The MINISTER

Flowers - Mr P Wheeler

Teas - Mrs S Bartlett

Mon 18th Bristol Inter Faith Group. Dialogue Circle meeting “In

what way do people of faith respond to terror”

University Of Bristol Multi-Faith Chaplaincy, 1 Woodland

Road, Clifton. 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Contact: Bernard Omar

“ Frenchay Chapel, 6.15 pm for 6.45 pm - 7..45 pm ‘Open

Circles’. Contact: Andrea Clark-Ward. See Page 9

SUN 24th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - TBA

No ‘Bright Lights’, Summer break until September 25th

Tues 26th Poetry morning at the home of Grace Cooper.

The theme will be ‘Places’. See page 9

Wed 27th Women’s League. Meet at 6.30 pm in the restaurant in IKEA.

See page 11.

SUN 31st FRENCHAY 10.30 am - THE MINISTER

UMB 4 pm Congregational meeting followed by tea

6 pm Congregational service led by

Mr Karl Stewart

Flowers - Mr P Wildman

Teas - Mrs S Wildman

Diary For August 2011

SUN 7th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - THE MINISTER

UMB 6.00 pm - THE MINISTER

Flowers - Mrs J Whitaker

Teas - Mrs J Whitaker

SUN 14th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - Mr Karl Stewart

No service at UMB

SUN 21st FRENCHAY 10.30 am - THE MINISTER

UMB 6.00 pm - THE MINISTER

Flowers - Ms J Hulin/Ms S Pugh

Teas -

Tues 25th Poetry morning. The theme will be ‘Crime and Punishment’

For venue please contact Diane Roberts (0117 956 6963)

SUN 28th FRENCHAY 10.30 am -

No ‘Bright Lights’, Summer break until September 25th

Dates For September 2011

SUN 4th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - THE MINISTER

UMB 6.00 pm - THE MINISTER

Flowers- Mrs S Bartlett

Teas - tba

Thur 8th UMB 5.30 pm UMB Trustees meeting/tea

UMB 7.30 pm Stokes Croft Educational Foundation meeting

Sat 10th Heritage ‘Open Doors Weekend’. Both chapels will be open.

UMB on Saturday 10th 11 am to 4 pm, Frenchay-see page 4

Thur 15th UMB 7.30 pm Group committee meeting

Lindy gives her talk on her visit to India at UMB

We were treated to insights into many aspects and parts of India which we

rarely see or her about. I was struck by the quiet beauty of some of the hill

country and realised that despite its huge population there are wild and

empty areas. Lindy!s were the impressions of a first time visitor but in the

audience was Carla Contractor, who lived for many years in India and was

able to add some details even down to some pronunciations!

" " " " " " " " " " " " " PETER WILDMAN

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer Concert

Bob Cook and Delydd McAdam will be presenting a concert of many kinds of

music and song at Frenchay Chapel on Tuesday 5th July at 7.30 pm. The

programme will range from Bach, Handel and Grieg through to Eric Satie,

Burt Bacharach and, of course, Bob Cook! This concert has been well

advertised so don!t be late!

!Open Circles" Group at Frenchay Chapel - July 18th

( 6.15 pm for 6.30 pm until 7.45 pm)

We welcome you to join our new group so that we may come together in

community,sharing our experiences,ideas,thoughts and creativity. The format for the

evening will include refreshment on arrival, a short meditation,introducing ourselves,

ie what brings us to the group,what we want from the group,and how we are feeling.

The focus of this initial session will be our aspirations for the summer. We ask that

you bring a poem,song or object that symbolises this. To finish we shall have quiet

time and draw quietly to a close.

We look forward to meeting with you.

Please contact Andrea on 0117 956 5826 or Helen on 0117 961 0176

Bright Lights

Our June Bright Lights was a “hot” affair as we focussed on Indian culture and

food as well as enjoying our wonderful cemetery gardens in the heat of the day.

However, we all moved, danced and cooled down to an inspirational meditation

led by Andrea before it was time to go home.

We started a collage of glimpses of India and hope to continue and broaden this

project when we meet again in September.

Thanks to all of you who came – and for all the support during the past year.

Our next meeting will be on September 25th at 3.00 pm

PLEASE NOTE: NO BRIGHT LIGHTS IN JULY OR AUGUST.

" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Lindy

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

A Voyage Of Discovery – Exploring What We Believe

As Unitarians with no creed to follow, each of us has the freedom to follow our

own spiritual path. This can be exciting, but also at times, confusing. How well

do we know each other in our diverse community?

“Build Your Own Theology” (BYOT) is a Unitarian course to be held over six

sessions, that gives an opportunity in a small group setting to look at what we

believe as individuals and what informs our values.

The course will be facilitated by Paul Wheeler from UMB and Lindy Latham at

UMB, on Monday evenings between 7 - 9 pm on 3rd, 10th and 17th October, a

half time break, then 31st October, 7th and 14th November.

Commitment to attend all meetings where possible is an important part of the

group process.

Please talk to Lindy or Paul for further information.

Paul: 01275 838 903

Lindy: 0117 9507 906.

Spirituality Workshops At Trowbridge Meeting House

The second workshop in this series, led by Yvonne Aburrow, will be on

Wednesday 13th July, will the theme of "Chakras" - an ancient Hindu concept of

energy centres in the body. They correspond to various glands in the body and

we will look at their names and associated concepts, sounds and colours, and

visualise opening and closing them.$

Details of registration and of workshops in August and September, when we will

explore "Unitarian Writers! and "Communion! can be found at:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poetry Mornings

On Tuesday 26th July we shall be at the home of Grace Cooper and the theme

will be “Places”. The venue for following meeting on Tuesday 25th August is

uncertain at present due to water mains work in the vicinity of my house so

please contact me nearer the time to confirm where this meeting will take place.

The theme will be "Crime and Punishment!. All welcome.

# # # # # # #

# # # # # # # # # DIANE ROBERTS (0117 956 6963).

Traidcraft Stall

I wish to report the true financial state of the Traidcraft stall which I run on behalf

of Frenchay Chapel. The figures shown in the Chapel accounts for 2010 were not

accurate, and in fact the stall is showing a modest return rather than a loss. I

would not seek to promote even such a worthy cause as Fairtrade were it costing

the Chapel money to do so. Please continue to support the farmers and

producers of fairly traded goods.

# # # # # # # # # # # Thank you.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # DELYDD McADAM

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Things You See!

Seen In The Window Of An Undertakers In Warwickshire:

“Take a break from shopping and come and join Chris and

Gill for a cup of coffee and a biscuit between 11.00 am

and 1.00 pm on a Tuesday morning”

Western Union AGM At Sidmouth

The 165th Annual Meeting of the Western Union took place at Sidmouth Old

meeting on Saturday 11th June 2011.

After opening devotions and the welcome to the new National President,

Ann Peart and two civic guests, a representative from each congregation

reported briefly. All seemed to be in good heart.

Barbara Smith, the outgoing WU President, said Presidents would like to be

invited to take services, as part of the congregation. Ministers are now

welcome at meetings of WUDG (Western Union Development Group), which

are generally held after Council meetings. Strategic planning will continue to

coordinate support and links with the national movement. Ideally, we would

like training to come to us rather than we go to training. Thanks were

expressed to the Treasurer, to Council members and to Kay Millard for

stepping into the breach as Secretary left by Anne Ashley!s departure.

The accounts had been circulated. Income from investments has mainly

stabilised. Operating costs will inevitably rise, we may have to dip into

reserves but are quite well placed for a modest deficit this year. WU

subscriptions will be maintained at £6 for 2012. The following grants in

support of ministry have been made for 2012: Bridgwater £750, Bristol

£7,500, Trowbridge £1,250 reserved for development work.

Election of officers: President - Frank Butler, Secretary - Kay Millard is

prepared to continue for the time being, Treasurer - Bob Goddard. Frank

Butler was then inaugurated as President.

The theme of National President Ann Peart!s talk and service was "Roots

and Wings!. A team of from two to six members with a vision is necessary.

All must contribute but one must lead. Computers and e mail - the latter can

make things worse and should only be used for information. Training in

communication skills is important. The team must be able to evaluate what it

has done. We must create a community in which everyone can

accommodate their spiritual leanings. Next year will mark the Great Ejection

in which Exeter was deeply involved.

The day ended with the usual lavish Unitarian tea

# # # # # # # # # # # # RAY RAITT

Women"s League

On Wednesday 18th July a few of us met with Olga Jennings for tea at the café

on the Downs. - the weather could have been better!

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 27th July - at IKEA! Meet in the

restaurant from 6.30 pm onward for for Swedish meatballs - or whatever you

choose.

SUSAN WILDMAN

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“A Year Begins Today"

A poem by Barbara Clifford to mark the start of her year as

President of the National Women#s League.

A year is gone.

It matters not when it began

For It Has Ended Now.

But today I start another year,

it is what lies before me that concerns me now.

There will be decisions and tasks;

there will be drudgery, achievement and defeat.

There will be joy and grief.

All the raw stuff of experience

Waiting for me to shape, to fashion as I will.

and it will never become just what I planned

Someone might say

“It all depends on what the year may bring,”

But what I make of it depends on me.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Joni Good Time!

Our in-house minstrels Mark Gartside and Karl Stewart are planning to present

another concert at UMB with visiting artists, at some time in the next 2 months.

This time it will take the form of:

“Joni-Come-Lately: a Joni Mitchell Tribute Evening”

At the moment no date has been set but please watch the notice boards or

speak to Mark or Karl.

UNITARIANISM

AS UNITARIANS WE UNITE IN A SPIRIT OF TOLERANCE AND RESPECT,

UNCONSTRAINED BY THE IMPOSITION OF CREEDS. THE OBJECT OF OUR

CONGREGATIONS IS TO PROMOTE FREE AND INQUIRING RELIGION

THROUGH THE WORSHIP OF GOD AND THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE

------------------------------------------------------

MINISTER: Rev LINDY LATHAM -

9 Chakeshill Close, Brentry, Bristol, BS10 6NX

0117 950 7906. Mobile 07771 903 859. eMail

GROUP AND CONGREGATIONAL OFFICERS (0117 NUMBERS UNLESS STATED)

! ! !

GROUP PRESIDENT:! ! Mr BERNARD OMAR, ! 1 Parkside Avenue, Winterbourne,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! South Gloucestershire BS36 1LU. 01454 775454

! ! ! !

GROUP SECRETARY: ! Mrs RAY RAITT, Flat 3, The Manor House,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Park Lane, Bristol BS2 8BE 925 0275

FRENCHAY PRESIDENT:! Mr BERNARD OMAR, ! 1 Parkside Avenue, Winterbourne,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! South Gloucestershire BS36 1LU. 01454 775454

FRENCHAY SECRETARY: Mrs DIANE ROBERTS, 58 Old Gloucester Road,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Frenchay BS16 1QW 956 6963

FRENCHAY MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: Mrs MARIE EASTMAN!

UMB PRESIDENT:! ! ! Mr KARL STEWART. 7 Chelsea Road, Easton, BS5 6AR 239 8464

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

UMB SECRETARY:! Ms SALLY PUGH, 114 Knole Lane, Brentry, BS10 6RY 950 1856

WOMEN"S LEAGUE SECRETARY: Mrs SUSAN WILDMAN, 32 Bannetts Tree Crescent ,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Alveston BS35 3LY 01454 412993

WESTERN UNION COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES: FRENCHAY - BERNARD OMAR,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! UMB - RAY RAITT

NEWSLETTER EDITOR! Mr PETER WILDMAN. 32 Bannetts Tree Crescent,

! Alveston BS35 3LY 01454 412993

GENERAL ASSEMBLY - UNITARIAN HEADQUARTERS: ESSEX HALL, 1-6 Essex Street,

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! London WC2R 3HY 0207 240 2384

UNITARIAN NATIONAL WEBSITE !

------------------------------------------------------

SERVICE TIMES

FRENCHAY CHAPEL: Every Sunday at 10.30 am

UNITARIAN MEETING: 1st, 3rd (and 5th) Sundays of each month at 6.00 pm

(November to February at 3.30 pm). #Bright Lights" All Age Group on 4th

Sundays, 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm all year.

Please check the diary on pages 6 and 7 for specific dates.

2011-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Services and events in June

2011-06-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

June
Sunday 5th
Frenchay 10.30 am - The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm -The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham
Flowers - Mr K Stewart
Teas - tba

Saturday 10th
10.30 am - Western Union AGM at the Sidmouth church.

Sunday 12th
Frenchay 10.30 am - TBA
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Wednesday 15th
Women’s League - ‘Coffee on the Downs” 2.30 pm

Thursday 16th
Poetry morning

Sunday 19th
FRENCHAY 10.30 am - The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham

UMB 6.00 pm - The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham
Flowers - Mrs S Wildman
Teas - Mrs F Webster

Tuesday 21st
Frenchay 7.30 pm Midsummer celebration. This is the the first meeting of Open Circles

Sunday 26th
FRENCHAY 10.30 am - TBA
UMB 3 - 5 pm ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS’ ALL-AGE GROUP

Tuesday 28th
FRENCHAY 6.30 pm Frenchay committee meeting

Wednesday 22nd
UMB 7 pm ”Travels through India with Lindy”

July

Sunday 3rd
Frenchay 10.30 am - The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham

UMB 6.00 pm - The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham
Flowers- Ms S Pugh
Teas - tba

Tuesday 5th
FRENCHAY 7.30 pm Organ Concert by Bob Cook

Sunday 10th
Group outing to Dyrham Park preceded by a visit to Marshfield Chapel (service at 11.15 am) and a pub lunch with the Marshfield congregation.

Frenchay 10.30 am TBC
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Thursday 14th
Poetry morning

Spiritual practices workshops

2011-06-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yvonne Aburrow has been leading a series of Spiritual Practices workshops at Trowbridge Unitarian Meeting house over the summer.

The next workshop will be on ‘Visualisation’ and will take place from 7 pm to 9 pm on Wednesday 15th June. The July workshop, on Wednesday 13th July, will be on Chakras.

Visualisation - This is a practice used by many Pagans to explore and transform the inner self. We will try some simple visualisations, and look at some of the symbolism of the Pagan traditions which is used in visualisations, such as the four elements.

Chakras - These are an ancient Hindu concept of energy centres in the body. They correspond to various glands in the body. We will look at their names and associated concepts, sounds and colours, and visualise opening and closing them.

» Details of registration and of workshops in August and September, which will explore Unitarian Writers on spirituality and Communion.

From the Minister

2011-06-07T13:06:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,
Are your beliefs “Beyond the Pale”?

A pale is a stake which creates an enclosure, so this expression “beyond the pale” means beyond proper limits. In our case it could mean beyond the proper limits of faith.

Very recently I visited an exhibition of the work of Robert Lenkiewicz at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol. I imagine his works could be described as “beyond the pale”. Not because of his actual paintings, but because his focus was on those in society whom we often judge as such. Vagrants, alcoholics and the mentally ill etc. Robert was unusual as an artist because he was not interested in the art world as such. He was a natural outsider who cared less about the opinions of others than for “the person in the street”. Often penniless himself, he created a shelter in Plymouth to house the homeless and socially rejected. A real radical.

Are we Unitarians radical enough in both thought and deed? One comment heard at our Annual Meetings was that while we spend much time talking, discussing and sometimes even [heaven forbid!] arguing about what we do and don't believe, we are preventing ourselves from doing, being and living our faith.

That said, I still believe one of the most important things our communities have to offer each other is the freedom to explore our own spiritual path, not to keep it to ourselves as individuals, but to share with each other by building a depth of relationship. From that place we can be better empowered to act out our faith.

Some years ago several of you participated in the Unitarian course: “Build Your Own Theology”. This is a programme designed to help individuals understand, develop and articulate their values. I also believe it is a great way for us to get to know each other better. We are planning to hold this course in the Autumn at Unitarian Meeting, Brunswick Square, so why not come along and find out if your beliefs are “beyond the pale”! Please contact me if you are interested in finding out more, including which evenings would suit you best.

In the meantime, I invite you to ponder on this quote from Hosea Ballou:

“There is one inevitable criterion touching matters of religious faith: can you reduce it to practice? If not, have none of it”

With love..........Lindy

Women’s League

2011-06-07T13:05:00.001-07:00

Barbara Clifford, our National President, has sent greetings to all our members for Women’s League Sunday on 12th June. Susan Wildman attended the Central Committee meeting in Birmingham, on 12th May.

The Triennial Rally will be held at Hucklow from 18th - 20th October. It is open to all members of the Women’s League. Phone Mary Wightman (01382 775 718 ) if you are interested in booking. The Project for 2011/2012 is ‘Combat Stress’

Our next meeting will be for ‘Coffee on the Downs’ at 2.30 pm on 15th June (tbc).
SUSAN WILDMAN

Open Circles

2011-06-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Compassion and Connection
Developing ourselves
Transforming our world

“A perspective that embraces diversity and creates a shared space for inclusion in spiritual matters, a deep respect for the beauty of nature and a knowledge that it is our responsibility to care for the well being of all life on earth….building a sustainable, a just and harmonious world. There are crucial issues and great opportunities. Individually we can do great good. Together we can work wonders……”

This is to inform you of a new initiative started in Bristol and planned to cover the U.K. It is sponsored by the Wrekin Trust.

The concept is to hold gatherings each day of the week for people to explore spiritual issues. The meetings will be scattered around Bristol and there will be two facilitators to each group. » Details of these meetings

We are fortunate that Frenchay Chapel will be one of the chosen venues, continuing the meditation practice on a Monday evening from 6:15 -7:45 pm on the 3rd Monday of each month. Facilitators will be Helen Luff and Andrea Clark-Ward.

HOWEVER - the first meeting will actually be on TUESDAY 21st June at 7:30 pm to celebrate Midsummer’s Night! We can sit around the fire and celebrate music together. Please bring a blanket, torch and a song /poem to share/teach the group. Refreshments will be served. Contributions of £4 please.

“Ongoing connection with the wonder and energy of nature and life is good for personal and community well-being. Our lives are not about materiality

Telephone 0117-9565-826 Andrea or 07760154061 Helen
ANDREA CLARK WARD

Travels Through India with Lindy

2011-06-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Two months in India from the Hill Stations south of Mumbai, up to Delhi and then east to Meghalaya and the Khasi Hills. Tales and pictures of great wealth and extreme poverty, lives of colourful ritual and tribal simplicity. The story of my sabbatical.

Please join me at 7.00 pm on Wednesday, 22nd June at Unitarian Meeting,
Brunswick Square. To include refreshments... of course!

Western Union AGM

2011-06-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

WU Annual Meeting at Sidmouth Unitarian Chapel

Saturday 10th June 2011

The meeting will start at 10.30 am and Ann Peart, our National President for 2011-2012 will attend.

Each congregation is entitled to two voting members. They can be the current representatives, or two members chosen by the congregation especially for the AGM.

Congregational reports of not more than 200 words are requested

The meeting is open to all and should end at about 3.30 pm., followed by tea. If you would like to come, please contact Lindy regarding lifts. Please bring your own lunch – drinks provided.

“We do like to be beside the seaside”!

Services and events in May

2011-05-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

Frenchay services - 10.30 am

1st May - The Minister - Rev Lindy Latham
(followed by the Chapel Annual General Meeting)
8th May - Arthur Brown BSc.
15th May - The Minister
22nd May - Gerald Witcher
29th May - Karl Stewart

5th June - The Minister

Unitarian Meeting Bristol services - 6 pm

1st May - The Minister
15th May The Minister (Teas: Susan Wildman; Flowers: Karl Stewart)
22nd May - Bright Lights (3-5 pm)
29th May - Karl Stewart
followed by concert

After the success of the Christmas concert and sing-along, Mark Gartside and Karl Stewart return to deliver a Sunday Evening Spring Concert entitled:

‘Songs of the Spirit’

Featuring original songs for piano and voice performed by Mark, and original organ/piano compositions by Karl.
7-9pm – following on shortly after the 6pm service (there will be an interval with drinks and nibbles).
Retiring collection for chapel funds and charity.

Bright Lights

2011-05-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

"Bright Lights" is the Bristol Unitarian Intergenerational group which meets on the 4th Sunday of the month between 3-5pm at Unitarian Meeting, Brunswick Square.

Everyone is welcome to share in an afternoon of creative fun, games, singing, eating and getting to know each other.

Come and find out how to "do church differently" whatever your faith, or none.

Our next meeting will be on Sunday, 22nd May.

For further information contact Lindy on: lindy.latham@talk21.com

The Guest House

2011-05-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

~ Rumi ~

Source: Panhala

From the Minister

2011-05-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

Several of us from both Frenchay and Brunswick Square Unitarians have recently returned from the Annual General Assembly meetings at Swansea University. We were blessed with beautiful weather and a delightful environment, the campus being very close to the sea.

These meetings give so many of us an opportunity to share, learn, listen, network and worship together in an atmosphere of both encouragement and challenge.

There are three words that mainly stand out and capture for me the spirit of the meetings. Companionship, Compassion and Celebration.

We are a small movement, and many of our meeting places are isolated. Getting together in companionship with others is at the heart of what we are about. Loving communities supporting each other on life's journey and spreading that love and warmth where we can. This year our meetings gave us an opportunity be inspired with new enthusiasm as we agreed to support the work of the Charter for Compassion.

Two of the aims of this charter are to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion and to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings – even those regarded as enemies. It is my intention to share more of these ideas with you, both in our services, and by organising regular gatherings to learn more and understand further how we can all be part of developing a more compassionate world.

Yet none of this enthusiasm and excitement would have been possible without the work of all the volunteers who contributed to much of planning behind the scenes and the friendly atmosphere at the meetings.

And that is what we were celebrating. Volunteers who work so tirelessly for others. This almost certainly means you, too! Without you, our volunteers in Bristol, we would not be able to thrive and grow.

Thank you all...

Love and peace....... Lindy

April and May services and events

2011-04-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday 10th PASSION SUNDAY
Frenchay 10.30 am - GAVIN LLOYD
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Tuesday 12th
Poetry morning at the home of Diane Roberts.

Sunday 17th PALM SUNDAY
FRENCHAY 10.30 am - GRACE COOPER
UMB 6.00 pm - TBA
Flowers - TBA
Teas - Mrs F Webster
Music - Bob Cook

Friday 15th - Monday 18th
UNITARIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SWANSEA

Sunday 24th EASTER DAY
FRENCHAY 10.30 am - BERNARD OMAR

UMB 3 - 5 pm ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS’ ALL AGE GROUP
We will be having an Easter Bunny Hunt in the wonderful newly landscaped Cemetery Cardens behind the chapel plus sharing, singing, games and of course, refreshments.

Saturday 30th UMB 3 - 5 pm ‘All Age Party’
Donations for food welcome (but not obligatory!) Drinks, fruit and balloons provided. Passing the parcel and ‘Design a wedding Cake’.

May

Sunday 1st
Frenchay 10.30 am - THE MINISTER
Frenchay congregational AGM at 12 pm after the service
and a ‘Snack Lunch’

UMB 6.00 pm - THE MINISTER

Monday 2nd
Redland Fair on Redland Green. Cakes, preserves, books, bric à brac and helpers needed.

Sunday 8th
Frenchay 10.30 am
UMB 6.00 pm

Thursday 12th
Frenchay 7.30 pm. Bristol Group AGM

Bright Lights and Dirty Hands

2011-04-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

At ‘Bright Lights’ on 27th March, John Harley, the General Assembly’s national youth officer led the Bright Lights in an afternoon to show that we can all be creators. We started by finding out what likes and dislikes we had in common, but then we had to show just how different we all are. To show this we had to conjure up and then model clay animals from our imagination. To prove the point we all produced very different creations - horses with udders, fish with wheels and cows with butterfly wings!

The next BRIGHT LIGHTS meeting will be on April 24th, EASTER SUNDAY.
Come and join us to celebrate Easter in a creative way with both fun and friendship, not forgetting our Easter Bunny Egg Hunt in the Brunswick Square Gardens – our splendid Unitarian Cemetery. It would be helpful if you could let Lindy know if you are coming so we can let Easter Bunny know how many eggs to hide!

News and events

2011-04-03T12:36:00.001-07:00

With the Spring comes the welcome return of our minister Lindy! We look forward to hearing about many of her adventures and experiences in India. Appropriately, before Lindy’s first service back at UMB there will be an Indian led ceremony in Brunswick Cemetery Gardens to dedicate a plaque in memory of Raja Rammohun Roy, the Indian thinker and philosopher. The event will be organised by the Raja Rammohun Roy Memorial Trust and is to replace a plaque and tree which were donated by the then Bristol Indian Association in 1983.

Congratulations to Karl Stewart who is the new President of the UMB congregation. He will also be the UMB voting representative at the GA in Swansea later this month, where Bernard Omar will be the Frenchay representative.

~ Peter Wildman

Spring

2011-04-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,

And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of Life, Of life, Of life.

In time of silver rain
the butterflies lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry.

And trees put forth
New leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky,

When Spring
and life
are new.

~ Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, the second child of school teacher Carrie (Caroline) Mercer Langston and her husband James Nathaniel Hughes. Langston was of African American, European American and Native American descent. Both his paternal and maternal great-grandmothers were African American, and both his paternal and maternal great-grandfathers were white: one of Scottish and one of Jewish descent. Hughes was named after both his father and his grand-uncle, John Mercer Langston who, in 1888, became the first African American to be elected to the United States Congress from Virginia. Hughes' maternal grandmother Mary Patterson was of African American, French, English and Native American descent.

March and April services

2011-04-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Unitarian Meeting Bristol

March 6th: Arthur Brown
March 20th: Frank Butler
April 3rd (Mothering Sunday): Rev Lindy Latham MA (Minister)

Frenchay Chapel

March 6th: Yvonne Aburrow MA - An introduction to Taoism
March 13th: Bernard Omar
March 20th: Frank Butler BSc
March 27th: Gerald Witcher
April 3rd (Mothering Sunday): Rev Lindy Latham MA (Minister)

January 2011 Services

2011-01-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday 2nd
Frenchay 10.30 am NO SERVICE

UMB 3.30 pm Mrs SUSAN WILDMAN
‘Music and Meditation’
Flowers - Mrs S Wildman Teas - Mr P Wildman

Mon 3rd FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 9th
Frenchay 10.30 am Mr FRANK BUTLER
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Thursday 13th
Women’s League visit to “Pinocchio’ - Tobacco Factory

Sunday 16th
Frenchay 10.30 am Mr Bernard Omar
UMB 3.30 pm Mr Arthur Brown: Anniversary Service
Flowers - Mrs S Wildman & Ms S Pugh Teas - Mrs F Webster plus congregational contributions please
Music - Bob Cook

Monday 17th
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 23rd
Frenchay 10.30 am Rev Peter Godfrey
UMB 3.00 - 5.00 ‘Bright Lights’ inter-generational activity group

Sunday 30th
Frenchay 10.30 am Congregational service, led by Mr Bernard Omar

UMB 3.30 pm Congregational service, led by Mr Karl Stewart
Flowers - TBC Teas - Mrs J Whitaker

Followed by a congregational committee meeting at 5pm

Monday 31st
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group
______________________

February 2011

Sunday 6th
Frenchay 10.30 am
Miss Dilys Evans, President of the National Women’s League
UMB 3.30 pm Miss Dilys Evans
Flowers - Women’s League Teas - Mrs S Bartlett
Music - Mrs M Eastman

Monday 14th
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

December / January Newsletter

2011-01-16T05:50:00.000-08:00

BRISTOL INTER FAITH GROUP
As Chair of BIFG I was invited to a Government Reception held in Whitehall and hosted by Secretary of State, Eric Pickles M.P. It was held on 25th November, also to mark the national inter faith week. It was attended by at least two bishops, assorted clerics in dog collars and many Sikhs, Hindu's, Muslims and others. Most were there as representatives of their local inter faith bodies under various names. The theme was "The Big Society" and the expectation of Government that Faith Communities and cooperative efforts will play a significant role. It seems to me that this suggests a fairly open door to representations on the needs WE identify. Constraints on Government and Local Government spending will affect outcomes. Cost effectiveness will be the order of the day.

Another Unitarian present was Karen Hanley as Chair of the appropriate General Assembly Commission. Karen has conducted worship at Frenchay and led a workshop. So, we are part of a larger canvas. Long may it be so.

Bernard Omar

From the minister

Dear friends

Walking around the shops the other day at the end of November, I was aware that the Christmas frenzy was already upon us – decorations – bursting shopping bags – full cafés- tired looking mothers with whining toddlers – bored looking husbands and giggly teenagers....

My usual response would be: “Oh no! I hate all this! Get me out of here!” But for a few minutes at least I decided to see things differently. Instead of my usual subjective perception, I saw people enjoying themselves being glad to have a reason to think of what gifts they would like to buy for their family and loved ones. Just overhearing a few snippets of conversation in shops such as: “I think she would love that” etc. reminded me of that strong impulse in all of us to give.

Whatever our individual spiritual or religious reasons are for celebrating Christmas and however much we dislike the commercial materialism, I am personally thankful for this annual opportunity to give and receive, to think in a more focussed way both about those in need and our own friends and family and to be mindful of those who are without these blessings.

And our “giving” does not only have to be about material gifts. Advent, Christmas and the New Year can remind me to practice opening my heart in a more generous and thoughtful way to all those I meet in my life's journey.

With love to you all.... Lindy

Frances Long
On 7 October the plaque in memory of one of the Bristol congregation’s most loved and longest serving members was dedicated during the afternoon service at UMB. Many members of her family attended and expressed their pleasure and gave their thanks that Frances had been remembered in this way. We still miss her calming presence.
PETER WILDMAN

Bristol Celebrates
This is my personal thank you for your support of the Bristol Inter Faith Group Festival. As well as representing Bristol Unitarians you were able to advertise Unitarianism and I hope you received many enquiries. The GA Display Panels proved to be most attractive and extremely well engineered and almost foolproof in operation!

Unfortunately I was busy and unable to spend any time on this display or on that run by Bristol Inter Faith Group. I hope you were able to enjoy other aspects of the Festival.
Thank you. Good wishes to all
BERNARD OMAR

Sabbatical - what's that?
Dear Friends – Firstly, I want to thank all of you for agreeing to my request for a three month sabbatical next year.

According to my Oxford dictionary a sabbatical is “leave granted to a university teacher for study or travel” it is also described by mosaic law that every seventh year the land should be allowed to rest. Well, I am not sure about rest, or even study in an academic sense, but I will be travelling.

The last few weeks have been full of making decisions re: who to visit and what to see, planning my route, what to take, which suitcase and organising my visa etc.: all very practical stuff..

So I will be going to the Unitarian communities in the Khasi Hills, (North East India) as well as visiting friends from Frenchay who were married in our chapel and hopefully visiting some of the schools in Mumbai (Bombay) started by Mary Carpenter, daughter of Unitarian minister, Lant Carpenter.

All the planning for this trip has taken more time than I first thought, so I do want to apologise for all the things which I have not done which I should have …. and maybe the other way round too!

Hopefully I will return with new energy, and plenty of travellers tales to amuse and inspire you with.

Again – thanks to all of you for not only your “permission” to let me go, but for the time, trouble and organisation it has taken to organise services, pastoral care, inquiries etc. while I am away.

Warm wishes.... Lindy x

Midsummer's Day

When is Midsummer's Day?
Midsummer's Day, the middle of summer, falls on on 24 June, after the longest day (Summer Solstice). Before the change of calendars, Midsummer's Day fell on 5 July.
Why are Midsummer's Day and the Summer Solstice not on the same day?The longest day in the northern hemisphere is today either the 20th or 21st of June, whilst Midsummer's Day in Europe is traditionally on 24 June. This discrepancy is said to have been caused by the variants of the Julian Calendar and the Tropical Year further confused by the Gregorian Calendar.
What used to happen on Midsummer's Day?Midsummer's Day is a time associated with witches, magic, fairies and dancing. On the eve of Midsummer's Day, many bonfires were lit all over the country. This was in praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people would light fires to try and strengthen the sun.
Midsummer's Day survivals Practice of this ancient ritual, which also includes a Summer Solstice Circle Dance, is now mainly confined to Cornwall, the West Country, and London's Hampstead Heath.
Midsummer Superstitions Roses are of special importance on Midsummer's Eve. It is said that any rose picked on Midsummer's Eve, or Midsummer's Day will keep fresh until Christmas.

At midnight on Midsummer's Eve, young girls should scatter rose petals before them and say:

Rose leaves, rose leaves, 
Rose leaves I strew. 
He that will love me 
Come after me now.

Then the next day, Midsummer's Day, their true love will visit them.

Midsummer's Day
The festival is primarily a Celtic fire festival, representing the middle of summer, and the shortening of the days on their gradual march to winter. Midsummer is traditionally celebrated on either the 23rd or 24th of June, although the longest day actually falls on the 21st of June. The importance of the day to our ancestors can be traced back many thousands of years, and many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise on Midsummer's Day. Probably the most famous alignment is that at Stonehenge, where the sun rises over the heel stone, framed by the giant trilithons on Midsummer morning.

In antiquity, midsummer fires were lit in high places all over the countryside, and in some areas of Scotland Midsummer fires were still being lit well into the 18th century. This was especially true in rural areas, where the weight of reformation thinking had not been thoroughly assimilated. It was a time when the domestic beasts of the land were blessed with fire, generally by walking them around the fire in a sun-wise direction. It was also customary for people to jump high through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper, would be the height of that year's harvest.

After Christianity became adopted in Britain, the festival became known as St John's Day and was still celebrated as an important day in the church calendar; the birthday of St John the Baptist. Traditionally St John's Eve (like the eve of many festivals) was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when powerful forces were abroad. Vigils were often held during the night and it was said that if you spent a night at a sacred site during Midsummer Eve, you would gain the powers of a bard, on the down side you could also end up utterly mad, dead, or be spirited away by the fairies.

Indeed St Johns Eve was a time when fairies were thought to be abroad and at their most powerful, hence Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

St John's Wort was also traditionally gathered on this day, thought to be imbued with the power of the sun. Other special flowers (Vervain, trefoil, rue and roses) were also thought to be most potent at this time, and were traditionally placed under a pillow in the hope of important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers.

The festival is still important to Pagans today, including the modern day Druids who celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire. For them the light of the sun on Midsummer's Day signifies the sacred Awen. For Wiccans, the summer solstice forms one of the lesser sabbats, their main festivals being Imbolc (1st February), Beltane (1st May), Lammas (1st August) and Samhain (1st November).

Susan Wildman

Christmas services and events

2010-11-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday 5 December
Tree Dressing and Festival of Lights
Frenchay - 10.30 am
UMB, Brunswick Square - 3.30 pm

Sun 12 December
Gift Services for Bristol Homeless
Frenchay - 10.30 am

UMB, Brunswick Square - 3.30 pm

Alternative Christmas Concert on Sunday 12 December at 7.30pm
at UMB, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE (map)
Featuring Mark Darkside's own self-penned festive songs, and arrangements of favourites, special guests with their own alternative Christmas offerings, and group carol singing to taunt our inner Grinches! And mince pies and mulled wine. Free entry, with retiring collection for Chapel funds and for the performers.

Sunday 19 December
Frenchay - Group Carol Service 10.30am
Traditional carols with readings

Solstice Carol Service
Celebrating Yule and Christmas with carols and readings
at Frenchay Chapel, Beckspool Road, Frenchay, Bristol BS16 1NE (map)
19 December, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The service will include readings from the Unitarian and Pagan traditions, and carols which reflect the turning of the season and Pagan themes of light and darkness, greenery and merriment. There will be a collection for chapel funds.

Christmas Day
UMB, Brunswick Square
Group Service at 10.30am

Western Union Womens' Group

2010-11-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, 1 December at Unitarian Meeting House, Brunswick Square, Bristol BS2 8PE, from 11am - 4.00pm (approximately). Please come for refreshments at 10.30am.

"Awakening our Hearts to each other": Reflections on Friendship.

The day will be guided by Anne Barwell and Lindy Latham.

Please bring food for a shared lunch - drinks will be provided.

We look forward to meeting you.

November newsletter

2010-11-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

The Wigtown Martyrs

In many places in south west Scotland, there are memorials and gravestones for the hundreds of Covenanters who were martyred in the 1680s, near the end of what became known as ‘The Killing Times’. In 1638 they had signed a Covenant to maintain Presbyterianism in the church of Scotland in the face of attempts by English kings to impose Anglican forms of worship on the Church of Scotland. The struggle continued for most of the 17th century. A stone on the tidal marshes of the Solway Firth, near Wigtown in Galloway, marks the spot where, in 1685 two women were chained to stakes and drowned by the incoming tide for refusing to swear allegiance to King James II (VII of Scotland) and to renounce the Covenant. One of the women, Margaret Wilson, was only 18 years old at the time of her death and is the subject of a painting by John Everett Millais, The Martyr of Solway. On the same day, six male Covenanters were hanged in the market square in Wigtown.
~ PETER WILDMAN

From the Minister
Dear Friends

"When things are shaky - we are on the verge of something"

This is a quote from a book that I have borrowed from a friend. Recently I have been in touch with many people [including myself!] who have been very shaky for a variety of reasons.

It could be because of a loss of confidence... or for financial or health reasons ... or because of a deep loss of friendship through death or other kinds of separation. Often I find that these experiences can shake us into depression of one sort or another including a loss of faith in human goodness and kindness.

But it can do the opposite.

I am currently facing the possibility of houses being built next to my home which will block my fantastic view across the Severn valley. This situation affecting so many locals has created an amazing sense of community and solidarity. It has awakened me to so many other .aspects of this green space..
It has made me realise that there are more important feelings and long term effects on the local community than my glorious view! I have also made some new friends through the action group meetings.

We must all also be aware of the difficulties many of us and our loved ones and our local communities will face as a result of the current government proposals. I was made more aware of that being part of the Bristol protest March on 23rd.

There is much to say on this, but let me conclude with a positive tale on human kindness:

Recently I got off a train; a man chased me... "Madam is this your hat? I found it on the seat". I had not even missed it - but would have..

The kindness of strangers...especially when things are shaky can warm our hearts.
Tell us your stories.....

Looking forward to seeing you soon..........

Lindy

A WEEKEND WELL SPENT
On Friday 17th September, I went for a retreat to Ivy House in Warminster. This was being run by Kathy Beckett, a Unitarian member from Southampton. Ivy House is also known as St. Denys Retreat Centre and was formerly a home for the Sisters of St. Denys. Each bedroom also had a comfy chair and as I was sharing a twin bedded room with a friend we had a separate small room with a settee, easy chair and a table and two upright chairs. The gardens are absolutely stunning, separated off into smaller areas for quiet contemplation. It has its own productive vegetable garden and these vegetables are used to make delicious home cooked meals.

We had a programme mapped out for us. On the Friday after dinner we had been invited to bring an object that we treasured to talk about and we split into small groups to do this. The whole day on the Saturday we spent learning about the Enneagram. This proved to be a fascinating insight into our own personality and that of others. There are nine types of personality and although there were only 15 of us every type was covered. Our facilitator Josephine Seccombe was very knowledgeable and told us about "our wings", where our energy takes us when we are stressed and where our energy takes us when we relax and retreat to our point of security. I no longer wonder why I do particular things - I am typical of my type.

On Saturday evening we were all split into small groups. I had asked to do a collage but no one else had volunteered so I found myself filling a gap in the drama group. This proved to be great fun as Kathy had written a short sketch for us which we acted through. At this point we didn't know that we had to perform this at the service the next day but this proved no problem and we found a few props to help us.

Each evening and morning we had a meditation/epilogue which both started and finished the day well. On Sunday morning the Rev. Akasha Lonsdale arrived and hour and a half before the service to go through putting the service together with all its various strands. She is an Interfaith Minister, psychotherapist and author. She guided us in collating everything into a whole and this turned out to be a wonderful service. We had prayers, poems, drama, singing and dancing and Akasha gave us a short address.

On Sunday afternoon we were invited to join in Dances of Universal Peace. This wasn't quite as successful and some participants dropped out gradually. However some did persevere until the end. I think it was probably at the wrong place in the programme; we were all quite tired and not ready for physical activity at this time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and had taken two friends with me who were not Unitarians and did join in everything including the Sunday service. I would say, for me, this was one of the highlights of my year.

~ Diane S Roberts

RUSI
Stands for Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. I did not know this full title until I attended a meeting of the Women's Advisory Council for the united Nations Association on 29th September. It is an independent Think Tank engaged in cutting edge defence and security research and was founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington. We heard two speakers from RUSI - Elizabeth Quintana, a British aerospace engineer and Dr Lisa Aronson, an American who is head of RUSI's new programme, looking at the role and possibilities for women in military defence. This is especially in the light of UN resolution 1325, which was adopted in 2000. It expressed concern that civilians, particularly women and children account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict. It reaffirmed the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflict and peace building.   
             SUSAN WILDMAN

Samhain and All Souls

2010-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

A service at Frenchay Chapel, Bristol.

In ancient times, Samhain was a festival of liberation from oppression; nowadays it is celebrated as a festival of ancestors and is viewed as a time when the veil between the worlds is thin. It is influenced by the Christian festival of All Saints and All Souls, also known as All Hallows, from which Hallowe'en gets its name - the Eve of All Hallows.

You are invited to think of a loved one who has passed on whom you would like to remember. It would be great if you could bring a photo of them to place on the altar, and a brief reminiscence about them to share. Candles will be provided to light for them.

Spiritually, the onset of winter is a time for introspection and reflection.

The service will start at 10.30. Coffee will be served afterwards.

October Newsletter

2010-10-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

From the Minister

Dear Friends,

I have recently returned from a walking holiday in Northumberland and Yorkshire. I shared this time with a friend of mine who is a Baptist minister in Mansfield. Although our beliefs and faith are expressed differently in some of the language we use, and the way we conduct worship, there is something so basic and good that informs our core values and principles. The bottom line: How we live our lives and support each other (those we know and don't know) through love and action.

During this shared time we stayed in two very different Christian retreat communities/houses. One was way out in the wilds where people came to stay for personal retreat time or to help out in the garden/kitchen. Prayers in the wooden chapel four times a day provided a gentle, simple and “holding” routine for those who had come to rest and renew.

Although clearly “Mainstream Christian” in the worship and language used (which I sometimes found challenging), this time reminded me that it is not so important what we believe as how our beliefs inform the way we live in relationship with each other. Good Unitarian principles, I know. But I need to be reminded of this to prevent my sometimes over-critical mind getting in the way of seeing the person behind all the barriers we can construct..

Looking forward to being with you all this Autumn.

Lindy

Pilgrimages

If you went on a pilgrimage, where would you go? I consider all travel that involves engaging with the landscape, culture and/or people to be a form of pilgrimage. Some of the more consciously pilgrimage-like travel I have done, though, included going to Down House where Darwin lived and walking along the gravel path where he thought about evolution, and having a conversation about evolution. I think the re-enactment element was important there. Another example was going to Canterbury Cathedral. I am not a Christian, but I find the story of Thomas a Becket moving, and I like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Jean Anouilh's play Becket. Visiting stone circles always feels like a pilgrimage to me. They are beautiful and numinous places, and some archaeologists think they were made to represent a microcosm of the landscape. Landscape itself, the wild places, are a place of pilgrimage for me; that’s where I go to feel renewed and refreshed.
I also think that places where people have made a connection with the numinous are special. As T S Eliot wrote in Little Gidding,

You are here to kneel
Where prayer has been valid. And prayer is more
Than an order of words, the conscious occupation
Of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying.

Of course, I also regard visiting Unitarian churches as a pilgrimage—they are shrines of religious freedom, a testament to the courage of our Unitarian forebears.

Yvonne Aburrow

Women’s League

Several members met at the chapel on Wednesday 18 August for a cup of tea. It was good to see June, who was finally able to take a break from marking exam papers. Glen talked of the need to build up the flower fund. Flower providers are entitled to claim reimbursement - loose change is always welcome on Sundays. Olga has now moved to Kelvedon, Essex. We all wished her well.

We plan to have a Bring and Buy Sale at the chapel on Wednesday 20th October and will keep the table open until Sunday 24th. Proceeds will go towards the National Women's League project, the Margaret Barr Children's Village in India. Donations welcome.

~ Susan Wildman

Harvest Festival

2010-09-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

We are holding our Harvest Festival services on Sunday 3rd October. 10.30 at Frenchay and 6.00pm at Unitarian Meeting Bristol.

Please bring contributions of fresh food (for sale - then the proceeds will go to homeless organisations) or non-perishables such as tins etc and/or financial contributions towards hostels for the homeless in Bristol.

We look forward to seeeing you.

Services

2010-09-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

October 2010

Sunday 3 October
Frenchay 10.30 am — Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm — Rev Lindy Latham: Harvest service

Sunday 10 October
Frenchay 10.30 am

Sunday 17 October
Frenchay 10.30 am — Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm — bring and share service

Sunday 24 October
Frenchay 10.30 am

Sunday 31 October
Frenchay 10.30 am — Yvonne Aburrow (All Souls / Samhain)
UMB 6.00 pm — congregational service

September 2010

Sunday 5th September
Frenchay 10.30 am — Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm — Rev Lindy Latham
Flowers - Sylvia Bartlett Teas - Mrs S Wildman

Sunday 12th September
Frenchay 10.30 am—Arthur Brown
UMB 3-5 pm—Bright Lights

Sunday 19th September
Frenchay 10.30 am — Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm

Sunday 26th September
Frenchay 10.30 am—Yvonne Aburrow
Arnos Vale 12:00 noon - a celebration of the life of Mary Carpenter,
with Carla Contractor and Rev Lindy Latham

Women’s League

2010-09-21T10:29:00.001-07:00

Pilgrimage

2010-09-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you went on a pilgrimage, where would you go? I consider all travel that involves engaging with the landscape, culture and/or people to be a form of pilgrimage.

Some of the more consciously pilgrimage-like travel I have done, though, included going to Down House where Darwin lived and walking along the gravel path where he thought about evolution, and having a conversation about evolution. I think the re-enactment element was important there.

Another example was going to Canterbury Cathedral. I am not a Christian, but I find the story of Thomas a Becket moving, and I like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Jean Anouilh's play Becket.

Visiting stone circles always feels like a pilgrimage to me. They are beautiful and numinous places, and some archaeologists think they were made to represent a microcosm of the landscape.

Landscape itself, the wild places, are a place of pilgrimage for me; that’s where I go to feel renewed and refreshed.

I also think that places where people have made a connection with the numinous are special. As T S Eliot wrote in Little Gidding,

You are here to kneel
Where prayer has been valid. And prayer is more
Than an order of words, the conscious occupation
Of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying.

Of course, I also regard visiting Unitarian churches as a pilgrimage—they are shrines of religious freedom, a testament to the courage of our Unitarian forebears.

Yvonne Aburrow

Reflecting on the Bible

2010-09-21T10:25:00.001-07:00

Recently the Unitarian Christian Association held a seminar on “Bible poverty” - reflecting on the fact that many Unitarian communities no longer refer to the Bible as a source text. This is a shame, because it is part of our heritage, and we need to reclaim it from the fundamentalists and conservatives who have hijacked it in recent decades.

The Bible is a book (or better, a collection of books) with different authors, all of whom seem to have had very different ideas about God, and what God wants. The earlier books of the Bible have YHWH demanding blood smeared on the horns of his altar; then the prophets bemoan the hard-heartedness of Israel and their inability to just be nice to people for a change (see Amos 5:24 for example). The theology expressed by Jesus is quite different from that of Paul, which is different again from James and Peter. All this is well-documented by liberal biblical criticism.

Even Richard Dawkins says we should regard the Bible as a work of literature. Quite right - it is a work of literature, and has just as many insights into human nature as any other pre-modern work of literature.
I do not literally believe the cosmological accounts given in the Bible. They are metaphors, just as Pagan creation myths are metaphors. I also don't believe in the resurrection of Jesus, but I do think his mythology is a version of the stories of other Middle-Eastern dying-and-resurrecting vegetation gods, and if you read it as mythology, it is a good account of the archetypal experiences of the human psyche (the death of the ego and resurrection of the greater self, as outlined in the Hero Journey).

The method I use for interpreting the Bible is to compare it with the wisdom texts of other spiritual traditions. If you read what Jesus and other prophets said in the light of what the Buddha said, or what Lao Tsu said, it makes a lot more sense. Personally I find it easier to read the Buddha and Lao-Tsu, because I don't have to filter out the noise of conservative interpretations of Jesus' thoughts that I was brought up with. But this doesn't mean that the Bible is worthless. It means that if you're going to read it, you should read it carefully to see if its ethical guidance resonates with your own experience. And if it doesn't, then reject it. It's not a supernaturally inspired book, it's a document of the spiritual journeys of its authors, and should be read as such.

As the Buddha said,

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”

Yvonne Aburrow

Bristol Interfaith Group

2010-09-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

‘Bristol Celebrates’
A Festival linking Faiths, Cultures and Communities

Bristol is home to a vibrant range of communities, each with their own unique customs and cultures, celebrations and history. ‘Bristol Celebrates’ will bring together the different cultures and faiths that make Bristol such a special place to live. There will be an exciting and diverse programme of workshops, guest speakers, music, performance, exhibitions, displays and food on offer throughout the day.

The venue is The City Academy, Russell Town Avenue, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, BS5 9JH.

More details (PDF)

Harvest

2010-09-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

On fields o'er which the reaper's hand has pass'd
Lit by the harvest moon and autumn sun,
My thoughts like stubble floating in the wind
And of such fineness as October airs,
There after harvest could I glean my life
A richer harvest reaping without toil,
And weaving gorgeous fancies at my will
In subtler webs than finest summer haze.

by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Thoreau was a Transcendentalist, a member of the group of writers whose impact on 19th century Unitarianism was profound and, at the time, controversial. Subsequent generations of Unitarians embraced Transcendentalist views of the Divine.

Floods in Pakistan

2010-09-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

For many of us, the reality of the disasters affecting so many in different parts of the world are beyond our understanding. It is easy to feel so helpless in the face of the enormity of world tragedies. I am reminded of the words of Edward Hale:

I am only one
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something I can do.

You can donate to charities helping to relieve the suffering in Pakistan at www.dec.org.uk

Great Hucklow in the Summer

2010-09-21T10:19:00.001-07:00

24 to 26 June 2011
Many of you know that the Unitarians have a national conference and holiday centre in Derbyshire; the Nightingale Centre. For the last two years the Bristol Unitarian Group has had a weekend outing (Friday – Sunday). This was an important time for those who came to spend a relaxed time together as well as meeting Unitarians from other parts of the country. But it is a weekend a long way from here and so together with the cost of the accommodation [full board] and coach, this can come to around £150. Those of us who have been for a few times know that this is money well spent! We are hoping that more of our chapel members would like to come next year. The weekend is a very relaxed affair with good food, log fires if necessary, meeting Unitarians from different parts, optional activities including a trip to a local attraction/stately home, games and conversation, etc.

From the Minister

2010-09-21T10:16:00.001-07:00

Time Flies By
I can't decide whether the seasons have changed since I was a child, or is it just my perception of them? Walking around, even now in mid August, I seem to be shuffling through fallen leaves and seed heads from trees, and sensing that Autumn chill and perfume in the air. Yet as a child, August was summer time – holiday time - which seemed to go on forever. This feeling of autumn and even winter is encouraged by visiting my mum in her care home. Recently she has been making Christmas cards in a craft group.. help! And I have just phoned The Nightingale Centre to find out prices for our summer weekend away next June..[24th -26th] Details inside… I do hope that many of you will be able to come...especially as two of our much missed friends, Alison Short and Olga Jennings are hoping to join us. I hope they are settling well into their new lives.
Perhaps you too are thinking ahead, making plans and deciding what different paths to take in the future months...... Perhaps we as a church need to start thinking differently about the way we do things… A certain supermarket has as its slogan; “Try something new today.” I wonder if this is an appropriate message for us when looking at our community life… our future together…
Andy Pakula, minister at Newington Green has written these words:

“May we have the insight to recognise that our work lies not in preservation but in renewal Not in perpetuation of old ways, but in new incarnations of eternal values Not in controlling and confining our tradition, but in giving it wings to fly.”

See you all soon.... warm wishes... Lindy

Meditation Group

2010-09-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

The meditation group meets fortnightly at Frenchay Chapel
6.15 to 7.45 pm—all welcome

11 October 2010
25 October 2010
8 November 2010
22 November 2010
6 December 2010
20 December 2010
3 January 2011

July / August 2010

2010-07-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

August

Sunday 1 August (Lammas)

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister

UMB 6.00 pm The Minister

Flowers - Mrs Ray Raitt

Teas - Mrs Susan Wildman

Sunday 15 August

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister

UMB 6.00 pm Gift Service

Music - Bob Cook

Flowers - Mrs Sylvia Bartlett

Teas - Mrs Frances Webster plus contributions

Wednesday 21 August

Women's League lunch, 12 noon, venue tbc

Sunday 29 August

UMB 6.00 pm - Congregational Service

July

Sunday 4 July

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister

UMB 6.00 pm The Minister

Congregational meeting at 4.00 pm followed by tea.

Flowers - Ms S Pugh

Teas - Mrs O Jennings plus contributions

Music - Bob Cook

Monday 5 July

Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 18 July

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister

UMB 6.00 pm The Minister

Flowers - Mrs Eunice Pullen (IM)

Teas - Mrs Frances Webster

June

Sunday 27 June

Frenchay 10.30 am Mr Lewis Rees

UMB 3.00 pm - 5.00 pm ‘Bright Lights’

Labyrinth walk at GA

2010-07-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

The room was silent, the lighting subdued. Barefoot people waited meditatively to enter the labyrinth, which was surrounded by electric tealights. They stood on the threshold for a moment before embarking on the journey.

Each person’s journey was unique, although the labyrinth has a single pathway to the centre. We were all travelling on the same pathway, but each person was going at a different speed, travelling in a different way. Rather like life, the path twists and turns, in and out, and you never know how close to the centre you are. When the path appears to take you furthest away from the centre, you are nearer, and when you appear to be closest, you are actually further away.

The centre – the goal of the journey – can mean different things to different people. For me, it is a metaphor for the Divine: always present, always hidden. In Pagan labyrinths, the centre symbolises the underworld, the inner realm; in Christian labyrinths, it represents the goal of the pilgrim, Jerusalem, with Christ at the centre.

The centre is a place to meditate and reflect on the journey, connect with the Divine, or just look into yourself. The space at the centre is shaped like a flower, or like the rose window of a cathedral. Each of its petals represents one of six kingdoms: mineral, vegetable, animal, human, angelic and the unknown.

The journey back from the centre depicts bringing back the blessing and insight from the other realm to share with your community. On the way out from the centre, I felt like dancing, I was so full of energy. As you cross the threshold once more into the outer world, it is a good idea to meditate on the experience, and only gradually ease back into normal conversation.

Pagan labyrinths generally have the path winding through one quadrant at a time, possibly so the walker can meditate on each of the four elements in turn. Christian labyrinths have the path winding back and forth between the quadrants, so that you never know where you are. This is in many ways a more powerful experience, because you never know how close you are to the goal of the journey, so it is a revelation when you reach it. One such labyrinth is the one in Chartres Cathedral, which was constructed around 1200.

The oldest labyrinth design is the Cretan labyrinth, which is a very simple design and can be drawn quite quickly; it is easy to make out of pebbles in your garden or at a camp.

The labyrinth at GA was made of cloth, with the design of the Chartres labyrinth printed on it. It is owned by Danielle Wilson, an interfaith minister from London. If you did not get a chance to walk it at GA, you can attend one of the monthly walks at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel.

It is a very ancient form of meditation, very relaxing, and it’s well worth giving it a try. It’s very personal and inwardly focussed, and yet shared with your fellow-travellers in a wordless communion.

More information from Danielle Wilson and Rosslyn Hill Chapel

A brief history of mazes and labyrinths

Mazes are recorded in Egypt, Rome, Scandinavia, England, India, and the American Southwest. They are generally believed to symbolise the soul’s journey through life, or the journey of the dead to the underworld.

There are two types of maze: the unicursal (single path) maze and the puzzle maze. Both of these are referred to as both a labyrinth and a maze. However, in the myth of the Minotaur, the labyrinth in which the Minotaur dwells is clearly a puzzle maze (i.e. having dead ends), as Theseus needs a thread to find his way through to the centre. Apparently the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur refers to the maze-like palace at Knossos, which burned to the ground in the 15th century BCE.

The Classical Maze comes in four types, the Serpentine, Spiral, Simple Meander, and Complex Meander. The Roman ones were usually square, but these designs work as circular mazes too.

The principle of the maze was probably discovered in the Neolithic. The earliest recorded mazes were in Crete, 4000 years ago. In Egypt, there was a huge palace complex on the shores of a lake seven days journey up the Nile from the pyramids in form of a labyrinth. This was built by pharaoh Amenemhet III in the 19th century BCE. It consisted of thousands of rooms and twelve large maze-like courtyards, which were probably intended to keep out unwelcome visitors. Amenemhet also created a maze inside his nearby pyramid to thwart tomb robbers. Most Roman labyrinths, on the other hand, were too small to have been walked, and are typically found on the floor near the entrances to houses and villas; many have small city walls (perhaps indicating the walls of Troy) drawn around them. This suggests they served a protective function, and were perhaps believed to have warded off evil influences or intruders — a common function of the labyrinth in many other cultures as well. The tomb of Lars Porsenna (an Etruscan king) at Chiusi in Italy was said to be surrounded by a labyrinth.

The turf mazes of Britain and Scandinavia may have served a similar purpose, but in the Middle Ages they acquired an additional association with May games; hence the name “Robin Hood’s Race” or “Julian’s Bower”. The Celtic name for a maze was Caer Droia, the place of turning, and this was transliterated into English as Troy Town. It was widely believed that England was founded by Brutus fleeing Troy, and the mazes were believed to represent Troy. Mazes in Finland were often called Jericho, referring to the legend that it was destroyed by the Israelite army marching around it seven times. A maze called ‘the walls of Jericho’ also appears in a Hebrew manuscript.

Yvonne Aburrow

Bright Lights

2010-07-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

On Sunday 27th, more than a dozen of us met at Brunswick Square for Bright Lights.
Steve Webster was our guest speaker, and he enlightened us by giving us all sorts of information about his work as a prison officer, and the life of a prisoner. There will be more information about this interesting afternoon in our next edition.....Thank you Steve!

Please remember that there will be no Bright Lights now until 26 September. If you have any ideas for our next year’s programme, they will be gratefully received.

A service of dedication was held at Frenchay Chapel on Saturday, June 26th for Charlie David Keith Long. Charlie was accompanied by his parents [of course!] and his sisters Maddie and Evie, plus many family members and friends. The chapel was full! Thank you to Bob for playing....
Congratulations to the family, and welcome to our chapel.

~ Lindy Latham

Sunday morning

2010-07-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

From my home I cross the street, going past the old cinema, now used by a house church, which proclaims itself to be ‘Your Local Christian Fellowship’. Sometimes I hear the sound of a rock band practising for what I imagine to be lively, noisy and ‘spirit-led’ worship. I am soon passing a neat looking Evangelical Church on the other side. The half-dozen churches where I live are quite similar, yet each maintains its separate existence. After the school playing field and the Masonic Hall I reach a crossroads, where a wooden owl surveys the scene from the thatched roof of a cottage. The traffic is fairly light, and only a few people are out and about: a lady carrying a Bible, a man washing a car, a couple mending their garden wall. The Mormon Church is nearby and last Sunday I saw the missionaries approaching, looking like a pair of young, well-fed undertakers in their dark suits. Thankfully they had business elsewhere and did not stop to talk!

Beyond this junction the road descends to a roundabout, then levels out as it passes through a late C20 suburb. Curving beside a school with a play-house and some beautiful evergreens in its grounds, it drops once again to the river, a favoured place for dog-walkers. The wooded valley is damp and shady and crossing the bridge I notice the slow moving water below. Dry weather has exposed roots and boulders along the bank. A duck and drake sit dozing mid-stream. On the far side cottages are densely packed along the roadside and the lanes leading off it. I begin to climb the road, then dive up a narrow alley between two houses, emerging higher up. Everything is slightly higgledy-piggledy and the charm of the place has attracted prosperous residents.

At the top of the steep lane is a patch of green with a few mature trees and on one side a relic of the early motorcar age- a Garage complete with petrol pump and rusting Morris Minor outside. Between village school and churchyard a pair of stone finger posts marks the entrance onto the main common. Children with their dutiful parents may be gathering for a football match, or the field may be deserted, except for a few gulls. The Parish Church stands proudly dominating the scene, reflecting the assured position the CofE still holds in society. The tower clock gives me the time as I pass. Early Churchgoers are parking their cars. I walk across the road and along beside the high boundary wall of the hospital. A last few yards take me to the more modest Chapel, and now I too will join in the gathering for worship.

Colin Campbell

Women’s League Appeal 2010-11

2010-07-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

Annie Margaret Barr Children’s Village, Kharang, India

The Unitarian minister, Rev Annie Margaret Barr made her home in India between the two world wars. Her home was in the Khasi Hills. Here she ran an orphanage, a school and trained two women as midwives. A health clinic was opened. The Orphanage was closed when Margaret Barr died, but now land has been handed over to a new charity to provide a new orphanage.

The British General Assembly, thanks mainly to the Women's League, has provided money to complete the access roads and toilet facilities.

This year 3 "Mothers" have been trained to look after 24 new residents of the orphanage. Money is needed to help run the project and the money which the Women's League hopes to raise will go towards a children’s library and entertainment lounge.

The Enlightenment

2010-07-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

A motion was proposed at the UK GA in defence of the Enlightenment. The author of the motion was sitting in front of me, and said that he just wanted to start a conversation about it. What a good idea, I said. So here goes.

The Enlightenment was a complex phenomenon with many strands. One of those strands was the origin of the Pagan revival. Another was the rise of rational religion in the form of Unitarianism, deism and humanism. A further strand was the rise of rationalism, which at the time was in opposition to the empiricism of Locke and others. The rationalists held that reason was a priori, God-given; the empiricists held that we are born with a blank slate (tabula rasa) and acquire reasoning skills by experience. It was only in the early 20th century that a synthesis of rationalism and empiricism was finally achieved. Another strand of the Enlightenment was the concept of the sublime - the experience of awe when confronted by natural phenomena such as mountains, waterfalls and wilderness. This represented a considerable shift in attitudes to nature, and it was out of this that Romanticism emerged. A further aspect of the Enlightenment was the rise of feminism, with the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft and others. There had been previous feminist writings, but Wollstonecraft represents the beginnings of a movement as opposed to a few isolated individuals. Remember also that evolution by natural selection had not yet been discovered; hardly anyone was aware of the great age of the Earth; science was still called natural philosophy; Oxford and Cambridge were Anglican-only universities and generally not very science-focussed; if you wanted to study science, the best place to go was a Dissenting Academy, like Joseph Priestley.

So the Enlightenment was a multi-faceted phenomenon, a mixture of sometimes complementary and sometimes contradictory discourses. It was an intellectual ferment, an explosion of interest in natural phenomena, history, and literature - an awakening.

The legacy of the Enlightenment is therefore also a mixed blessing. Pure rationalism has given rise to reductionism, logical positivism, behaviourism and other scientific dead-ends; but the idea that we should subject all impulses and beliefs to reason before acting on them seems to me an excellent idea. Empiricism - the primacy of experience and experiment - is also a good principle to work by. Always asking, "Yes but does it work? What are the consequences?" is a good test for most situations. And utilitarianism (another Enlightenment idea) is also useful if not carried to extremes. Seeking the greatest happiness of the greatest possible number of people is good, as long as the rights of the remaining few are not trampled.

Where the legacy of the Enlightenment has failed us is when we assume that science does not need to be tempered with other approaches. The worst excesses of industry, pollution, eugenics, behaviourist psychology and other extreme science should have been tempered with compassion and humanity.

From the Minister

2010-07-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

As I write this, I imagine that emotions are still running high for some people about yesterday [Sunday 27th] and the World Cup disappointment. Downstairs on my TV Andy Murray is playing excellent tennis at Wimbledon. If he wins, he will be in the quarter final. We all, I imagine, would love him to be the next winner of the Tournament.

So yes, I personally think that a certain amount of patriotism is a healthy thing, and of course, there is the fun side too.. it is entertaining and certainly inspiring to watch highly skilled people in all sorts of sports.
But what happens when these idols fail to live up to our expectations?

And what happens to us as a nation when we constantly fail to come up with winners? Does it affect us personally?

I believe that our country does have a reputation for cheering on the “under dog”, and I certainly have difficulty watching those who struggle and who are being hurt and humiliated in public.... those who never win against the giants, the rich, the skilled, the beautiful, in any walk of life.

At a recent church service we sang the following hymn:

Winning not, though ever striving,
We must be true!
Onward pressing, ne'er arriving,
We must be true!
Though success may never greet us,
Failure ever come to meet us,
All things seeming to defeat us,
We must be true! *

After the service someone jokingly suggested that it could be the new anthem for the English football team!
But perhaps the most important words are in the next two verses:

Following where our light shall lead us
then our lives will be worth living
journeying down life's road together.....

We may not be champions, but as team players we will always be winners.
With love to you all....
Lindy

* Hymns for Living 153

Bristol Interfaith

2010-07-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Monday 12 July, 7.30pm - 9.00pm
Dialogue Circle: "Defining Good and Evil"
Maybe we try to adopt behaviour that we feel is 'good' and 'right' and try to abandon behaviour that we feel is 'bad' or 'wrong'. Maybe we judge others by the same standards. Maybe we think there are forces of 'Good' and 'Evil' at work in the world.
Progressive Jewish Synagogue, 43-45 Bannerman Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 0RR
Contact details: Valerie Russell-Emmott: emmottsolutions@aol.com

Tuesday 5 October, 7.30pm - 9.00pm
Dialogue Circle: "Why fast?" Linking body and spirit
Faith festivals (such as Ramadhan and Yom Kippur) emphasise total abstinence from food and water. What do we seek to achieve from fasting? Should we expect spiritual progress from denying the flesh? Or should we enjoy this body to the full?
Bristol Muslim Cultural Society (BMCS), 404 Stapleton Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 6NQ
Contact details: Valerie Russell-Emmott: emmottsolutions@aol.com

Sunday 21 November, all day
'Bristol Celebrates' - A Festival linking Faiths, Cultures and Communities
Bristol is home to a vibrant range of communities, each with their own unique customs and cultures, celebrations and history. 'Bristol Celebrates' will bring together the different cultures and faiths that make Bristol such a special place to live.
There will be an exciting and diverse programme of workshops, guest speakers, music, performance, exhibitions, displays and food on offer throughout the day.
The Venue, The City Academy, Russell Town Avenue, Lawrence Hill, Bristol BS5 9JH
Contact details: Sally Reay: sally.reay@bifg.org.uk
Bernard Omar: bernard.omar@bifg.org.uk

Thursday 9 December, 7.30pm
Midwinter Circle
An evening of readings and music with members of Bristol's different religious traditions
Bring and share vegetarian and non-alcoholic refreshments.
Redland Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Bristol BS6 6JE
Contact details: Anula Beckett: anula.beckett@bifg.org.uk

June / July 2010

2010-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Diary for June 2010
UMB - Unitarian Meeting Bristol, Brunswick Square,
WL - Women’s League, WA - Wedding Anniversary,
IM - In Memoriam, tba - to be arranged,
tbc - to be confirmed

Sat 5th Western Union AGM at Bridgwater church. 10.00 am
SUN 6th Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister
Flowers - Mrs O Jennings IM
Teas - Mrs R Raitt
Music - Bob Cook

Mon 7th FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

SUN 13th FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr ARTHUR BROWN
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Fri 18th - Sun 20th Group weekend at Great Hucklow

SUN 20th Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
NO SERVICE AT UMB (Due to Hucklow weekend)

Wed 16th UMB 2.00 pm Women’s League

Mon 21st FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

SUN 27th Frenchay 10.30 am Mr LEWIS REES
UMB 3.00 pm - 5.00 pm ‘Bright Lights’

Dates for JULY

SUN 4th Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister
Congregational meeting at 4.00 pm followed by tea.
Flowers - Ms S Pugh
Teas - Mrs O Jennings
Music - Bob Cook

Mon 5th FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

St John’s eve

2010-06-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

The setting sun, with implacable splendor,
parted the distances on its blade.
And night is here, tender as a willow.
Whorls of brusque bonfires
Splutter into red:
wood offered in sacrifice
bleeds into the high flames:
living flag, blind mischief.
The darkness is as gentle as someplace far away.
Today the streets remember
that they were fields one day.
And through the holy night,
Solitude says its rosary of far flung stars.

-Jorge Luis Borges
Translation by Christopher Maurer

Drugs

2010-06-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

General Assembly feedback
Invited to comment on just one item I chose the talk at the Penal Affairs slot, on drugs. Please read the article in The Inquirer. The excellent speaker was Steve Rolles, Head of Research for the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, an educational charity which aims to change UK's drug policies. His organisation, advocates legalising drugs, thereby doing away with users obtaining drugs from illegal sources. He considered this would be cost effective and ensure sensible care for drug users. Costs would be saved on seeking out illegal suppliers, and users, and committal to prison, where it is well recorded prisoners access drugs anyway, He speaker likened the current situation with drugs in the UK, with the 1920's/1930's period of "Prohibition" of alcohol in the United States. Instead of achieving the aim intended, gangsterism flourished to supply illegal alcohol. A century or so earlier, in the UK, smuggling was rife to evade what were considered to be crippling rates of duty.

His address to some 75 delegates started with a survey taken by electronic handsets of delegates existing knowledge and attitude to drugs, to see if their views changed after his presentation.

The speaker, on behalf of his organisation, advocated legalising drugs, thereby doing away with users obtaining drugs from illegal sources. He considered this would be cost effective and ensure sensible care for drug users. Costs would be saved on seeking out illegal suppliers, and users, and commital to prison, where it is well recorded prisoners access drugs anyway.

Further reading
1. The Inquirer article of 20th May 2010
2. Penal Affairs Panel; Issues Paper No 11 "Illicit Drugs" on the General Assembly website.
3 "After the War on Drugs" by Steve Rolles or from Amazon.

Many of those present recorded a change of knowledge and attitude following the talk. Sadly, it was felt media pressure, and lack of public awareness, would inhibit any government from taking the changes necessary. Much to think about.

Bernard Omar

Women’s League and friends

2010-06-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

Susan and I met at the chapel and did some work on the front garden in preparation for the ‘‘Bright Lights’ planting up all the containers with summer bedding. So many thanks must go to them as well as for the planting of all the bulbs last autumn. The display of daffodils and tulips earlier this year was admired by many.

We meet again on Wednesday 16th June at 2 pm at UMB
Olga Jennings

Bright Lights

2010-06-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

In May we focussed on gardening and being aware of the warmth of summer…….

We are planning a “Looking After Ourselves” afternoon [probably in the Autumn] which will include not only various forms of therapeutic massage and keep fit, but lively games too. Hopefully we will be able to use the new Brunswick Cemetery Gardens [behind UMB] in the future. Steve Webster has offered to take part in a conversation about our local prison and tell us about his work there and answer questions during an afternoon on “Society; Justice: and How we Behave towards Each Other” including an activity “What laws would you make or change?”
If YOU have any ideas to add or would like to help in any way, please get in touch with Lindy Latham or any of the planning team. [Sally, Clare, Delydd, Andrea and Frances]

There will be NO BRIGHT LIGHTS in July or August.

Lindy

From the Minister

2010-06-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Out of Control………..?
On April 14th my sister and I were flying to San Francisco for a long awaited re-union with our brother and his family. Just as we were flying over Iceland, the pilot casually mentioned that the volcano beneath us was erupting. It never occurred to us that anything out of the ordinary was happening until a few days later [having travelled leisurely up the Californian coast] we were greeted with cries of relief!

For a few days we wondered whether we should start planning an extended holiday……

But no, we were the “lucky” ones who managed to slip into the airways between all the drama and upset for so many…

The other day my computer keyboard got stuck, making it impossible for me to use my normal speedy way of communicating……..

Both these incidents have made me realise how easy it is to take technology for granted, how dependent the way the world works is on fast technology. And for me there is a kind of relief when I have to think about things differently – find a new way of doing things – realising that if I was late home from my holiday, the world wouldn’t collapse; the couple would still get married somehow. If I can’t send
E Mails, I can still write a letter!

Maybe we could all practice slowing down and change our usual way of being. I know how much better I feel after a day with no car, no E mail, just “being in the moment

Lindy

Elizabeth Gaskell bicentenary

2010-06-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

2010 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Elizabeth Gaskell, the accomplished writer of novels and short stories. She also wrote the remarkable biography of her friend Charlotte Bronte and has become familiar to many through BBC adaptations of her works: Wives and Daughters, North and South and most recently Cranford. She was raised as a Unitarian and was married to Rev William Gaskell, Minister of the historic Cross Street Chapel in Manchester. Unitarians are pleased to be associated with the extensive bicentennial celebrations, both in the Cheshire market town of Knutsford (the real Cranford) and also Manchester. A number of events will take place at the 300 year old Brook Street Chapel in Knutsford, where Elizabeth Gaskell, her ancestors and family rest in the graveyard.

Midsummer's Day

2010-06-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

When is Midsummer's Day?
Midsummer's Day, the middle of summer, falls on on 24 June, after the longest day (Summer Solstice). Before the change of calendars, Midsummer's Day fell on 5th July.

Why are Midsummer's Day and the Summer Solstice not on the same day?
The longest day in the northern hemisphere is today either the 20th or 21st of June, whilst Midsummer's Day in Europe is traditionally on 24 June. This discrepancy is said to have been caused by the variants of the Julian Calendar and the Tropical Year further confused by the Gregorian Calendar.

What used to happen on Midsummer's day?
Midsummer's Day is a time associated with witches, magic, fairies and dancing. On the eve of Midsummer's Day, many bonfires were lit all over the country. This was in praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people would light fires to try and strengthen the sun.

Midsummer's Superstitions
Roses are of special importance on Midsummer's Eve. It is said that any rose picked on Midsummer's Eve, or Midsummer's Day will keep fresh until Christmas. At midnight on Midsummer's Eve, young girls should scatter rose petals before them and say:

Rose leaves, rose leaves, 
Rose leaves I strew. 
He that will love me 
Come after me now.

Then the next day, Midsummer's Day, their true love will visit them.

The festival represents the middle of summer, and the shortening of the days on their gradual march to winter. Midsummer is traditionally celebrated on either the 23rd or 24th of June, although the longest day actually falls on the 21st of June. The importance of the day to our ancestors can be traced back many thousands of years, and many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise on Midsummer's Day. Probably the most famous alignment is that at Stonehenge, where the sun rises over the hele stone, framed by the giant trilithons on Midsummer morning.

In antiquity, midsummer fires were lit in high places all over the countryside, and in some areas of Scotland Midsummer fires were still being lit well into the 18th century. This was especially true in rural areas, where the weight of Reformation thinking had not been thoroughly assimilated. It was a time when the domestic beasts of the land were blessed with fire, generally by walking them around the fire in a sun-wise direction. It was also customary for people to jump high through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper, would be the height of that years harvest.

After Christianity became adopted in Britain, the festival became known as St John's Day and was still celebrated as an important day in the church calendar; the birthday of St John the Baptist. Traditionally St John's Eve (like the eve of many festivals) was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when powerful forces were abroad. Vigils were often held during the night and it was said that if you spent a night at a sacred site during Midsummer Eve, you would gain the powers of a bard, on the down side you could also end up utterly mad, dead, or be spirited away by the fairies.

Indeed St John's Eve was a time when fairies were thought to be abroad and at their most powerful, hence Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. St John's Wort was also traditionally gathered on this day, thought to be imbued with the power of the sun. Other special flowers (vervain, trefoil, rue and roses) were also thought to be most potent at this time, and were traditionally placed under a pillow in the hope of important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers.

The festival is still important to Pagans today, including the modern day Druids who celebrate the solstice all over the country. For them the light of the sun on Midsummer's Day signifies the sacred Awen. For Wiccans, the summer solstice forms one of the lesser Sabbats, their main festivals being Imbolc (2nd February), Beltane (1st May), Lammas (1st August) and Samhain (31st October). Some occultists still celebrate the ancient festivals around 11 days later than our calendar; this marks the 11 days, which were lost when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar in 1751.

May 2010

2010-05-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

UMB - Unitarian Meeting Bristol, Brunswick Square,
WL - Women’s League, WA - Wedding Anniversary,
IM - In Memoriam, tba - to be arranged,
tbc - to be confirmed

Sunday 2nd
FRENCHAY 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 PM The Minister
Flowers - Ms G Willamson
Teas - Mrs S Wildman

Mon 3rd REDLAND MAY DAY FAIR, Redland Green 11 am - 4 pm
Helpers and contributions welcome!

Sunday 9th
FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr ROBERT FINCHAM
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Monday 10th
FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Thursday 13th
Poetry morning - ‘The countryside’

Sunday 16th
FRENCHAY 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister Flowers - Mrs S Bartlett
Teas - Mrs F Webster
Preceded by UMB congregational meeting and tea at 4.00 pm

Wednesday 19th
UMB 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Women’s League and friends - ‘Bring and Buy’ plus a gardening afternoon

Thursday 20th
UMB 7.30 pm - GROUP AGM

Saturday 22nd
Western Union meeting at Bridgwater church, 10.30 am

Sunday 23rd
FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr GERALD WITCHER
UMB 3.00 - 5.00 pm ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS’

Monday 24th
FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Pre-launch meeting for Interfaith Day Festival.
6.30 pm - 8.30 pm. Bristol Council House

Sunday 30th
FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr DAVID WRIGHT
UMB 6.00 pm Congregational service, led by Mrs Anna Sherman
Flowers - Miss J Lambert
Teas - Mrs O Jennings

On fifth Sundays at UMB we hold a "congregational service" which means that we all bring something to contribute to the service. This could be a poem, reading, picture, object, anything that you find meaningful and would like to share with the rest of us.

The theme for the next fifth Sunday service is "Gratitude." Your contributions are welcome on this theme but do not feel obliged to restrict your contribution to this theme. If you have found something recently that you have found meaningful you are welcome to bring it along. Or you may have an old favourite that doesn't quite fit the theme...that too would be a welcome addition to the service. Finally, you are not obliged to bring a contribution, your presence amongst us is enough.

Anna and Julia will be there to open and close this service, which is usually about 30 minutes in length.

Dates for June

Saturday 5th
Western Union AGM at Bridgwater church 10.00 am

Sunday 6th
Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister Flowers - Mrs O Jennings IM
Teas - Mrs R Raitt

Monday 7th
FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 13th
FRENCHAY 10.30 am TBA
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Friday 18th - Sunday 20th
Group weekend at Great Hucklow

BRISTOL GROUP AGM
The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Bristol Group will be at 7.30 pm on Thursday 20th May 2010 at UMB. If you wish to propose a resolution at this meeting please send it, with the names of proposer and seconder, to me as soon as possible.

Please note that it is only practicable to supply minutes to those who either attended or sent apologies to the previous meetings.

Women's Advisory Council to the United Nations Association

2010-05-06T06:24:00.001-07:00

I attended the WAC meeting at the Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London on 3rd December 2009. Suzanne Long was in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were passed and I would like to record that in the executive meeting of 17th June 2009, great concern was expressed at the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition party who is under house arrest in Burma. There was also concern over many issues in Africa.

There were two speakers at the meeting. The first was Bernadette Vallely, Chair of the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), She said that she was not concerned with climate change denials. There was no doubt that flooding was increasing in Britain and worldwide. Between 1970 and 2005, 26 million people lost their homes. In all national crises women fared worse than men. Some reasons were: lack of credit to start again, lack of documentation, and being unable to drive - 80% of the people left behind in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina were women. Cycles of malnutrition are created after flooding because of the lack of food and fresh water. Children born during times of floods and disasters miss out on school. Cultural restrictions (clothing) can hamper women from escaping. Many women in the Tsunami disaster could not climb trees. After disasters women are often victims of rape. In areas of drought such as sub-Saharan Africa, women may be affected and this is often the main source of protein for women - the men have meat. In many cities women and children are suffering from air pollution. They are more likely to have to walk and breath fumes. Bernadette recommended that we read Al Gore’s “An inconvenient Truth” - there are at least 200 things we can do to save the planet.

Bernadette gave out pamphlets on WEN which supports research information and campaigns for a better world such as growing our own food and being alert to the threat of chemicals.

The second speaker was Fiona Dear of ”stopclimatechaos”. She and a friend were going to attend the Copenhagen conference. She was also helping to organise the WAVE on Saturday 5th December. Everyone was to wear blue. No doubt she was disappointed with the outcome of the conference.

A turning point

2010-05-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

Many Unitarians will be aware that since 1977 the ministry of our national denomination has been open to all, regardless of gender, race, colour or sexual orientation.

Since then, the General Assembly of Unitarians has been opposed to discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in all walks of life. This has given individual congregations the opportunity to offer ceremonies in our Unitarian places of worship to bless the relationship of same sex couples.

Due to the autonomous nature of our Unitarian communities, it is up to each of them to decide on their policy regarding meetings/services that may be held in their buildings.

Several years ago, Unitarian congregations were asked by the Unitarian General Assembly whether they were willing to hold blessing services for same sex couples in their churches.

Our Meeting House in Brunswick Square agreed at that time to this proposal.

However, this was, and still is, a difficult and sensitive issue for some of our members.

I am personally happy to let you all know that after a very fruitful meeting at Frenchay chapel on March 24th 2010, that both our meeting places in Bristol [Frenchay and Brunswick Square] are now open to all, [as above] in full fellowship. Frenchay members, by a considerable majority, voted as follows:

"In accordance with the consensus of the wider Unitarian movement on equality and inclusion, we, the members of Frenchay Chapel, affirm that full fellowship in our church is available to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, including rites of passage as the law currently stands."

The meeting which included 17 members and several regular attenders, was led by Judy Ryde, a long time Unitarian from Bath.

Our thanks must go to her for her skilled facilitation which enabled everyone's view to be heard, followed by gentle, affirming dialogue.

And my thanks to all of you for sharing your views and personal stories.

Lindy Latham - Minister

Response to Tenebrae service

2010-05-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

A number of us gathered at the Frenchay Chapel on Wednesday 31st March, for a Tenebrae service led by Yvonne Aburrow and Karl Stewart. These are Christian services taking place in the days leading up to the crucifixion on Good Friday. They are centered around meditation and prayer and begin with the lighting of nine candles. During the service these are extinguished one by one to symbolise the descent of Christ, and the world, into darkness and despair. The meditations and readings were interspersed with hymns, some of them Taizé in origin. When only one candle, symbolising Christ remained alight, a loud crash was heard representing the rending of the veil of the temple.

The Unitarian nature of the service came from its emphasis that we must acknowledge the dark, angry aspects of life and of our own natures in particular. Without this we cannot be at peace with ourselves and those around us in working for a better world. The diversity of readings, ranging from St John of the Cross, to the Gospel account of the events in the Garden of Gethsemane and closing words by a Unitarian Universalist, highlighted the Unitarian nature of this service.

We found this a very thoughtful approach to Easter for Unitarians and we are grateful to Yvonne and Karl for this service.

Peter and Susan Wildman

From the desk

2010-05-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

The group AGM will take place at UMB on Wednesday 20 May. Please make every effort to be there. Some matters which are very important to the future of the Group will be discussed and decisions must be made.

Arnos Vale Cemetery, with its Unitarian connections of Mary Carpenter and Rammahon Roy, has been in the news in the last few days as after more than ten years of restoration work it has been officially reopened. This was a project with which our late friend Keith Iles was heavily involved for a number of years.

Our thanks from UMB to our long term friend and one time regular attender Eunice Pullen, now in Weymouth, for her generous gift for chapel funds.

A slight emphasis towards graves and cemeteries is apparent in this issue so one further item must be noted. On 16th May after the service at UMB, there will be an update on the art work which is being planned for the redeveloped burial ground behind UMB - to be known as 'Brunswick Square Gardens'.
PETER WILDMAN

Bristol Interfaith Group

2010-05-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

The AGM was well attended and current Officers were reelected. Thanks are due to Bannerman Road Synagogue for providing the venue without notice. Many more people might have appreciated the excellent account by Gavin de Costa of the evolving attitude of the Roman Catholic Church to Inter Faith Dialogue. Please note that there will be a "Pre Launch" meeting on May 24th for the Inter Faith Festival scheduled for November 21st.

For interest, below is my report to the AGM on my year as President of BIFG, which gives an idea of the range of our activities.

Chairperson’s Report to the BIFG AGM:

“It gives me great pleasure to present this report, not least because it means that we are still operating, still in business, still promoting inter faith events and opportunities within Bristol. It is, I believe, a matter for pride that comparatively few people can promote significant opportunities, greatly assisted by their friends and supporters. Events in the year included:

Diverse Open Doors in November promoted by Bristol Inter Faith Forum, when our members were able to choose from a number of options. I chose to visit the Siokh Gurdwara in St George and the Hindu temple, preferring to spend quality time at two rather than hasty visits to more venues.

The December Winter Celebration was again held at Friends Meeting, Hampton Road, by kind invitation. Faiths participating included: Bahai’s , Buddhists, Christians, Jewish, Muslim, Pagans, Sikhs and Unitarians. The many candles provided a moving centre point to the contributions presented from a circle of chairs.

The Lord Mayor’s Civic Celebration took place on 18th March at Bristol Council House and included members of the faiths already mentioned plus some Hindus. Some 150 people attended and it is hoped that the current Lord Mayor will renew the invitation in 2011.

The Day Festival, booked for 21st November 2010 at the City Academy, Russell Town Avenue, has involved three BIFG members at various planning meetings over the past six months.

A pre-launch meeting for this event, with refreshments, will be held on Monday 24th May at Bristol Council House from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

Finally, it has been a privilege to be part of these historic events and to be part of planning for the future. Thank you all”.

BERNARD OMAR, President 2009/2010

From the minister

2010-05-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Wordsworth said:

“I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills……

And all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils…..”

Well, I wasn’t exactly wandering, unless sitting in Alison’s* car, driving up from Wales to Nottingham counts. We certainly enjoyed the roadside daffs, but the real crowd was when we stopped at a service station on the way to the National Unitarian Annual Meetings.

Marks & Spencers did it for me. There they were in the buckets. Daffs. Crying out to be bought. Crying out to be made special. And there was me thinking how I would love to have a bunch in my student room at Nottingham University during our meetings. Those bleak impersonal rooms so easily brought to life with the wonder of a few flowers.

So I bought a bunch and later popped them in a coffee mug.

But they didn’t last long in my room. I soon spotted that there was a lack of fresh flowers in the auditorium for our anniversary service – in the early morning worship room – so with a few technical difficulties overcome, those few daffs made their mark, moved around and brought joy to many. I thought about bringing them home, and wondered if they would survive the journey, so the sight of hardworking staff at the University, cleaning silver in the dining room, encouraged me to give the flowers to them.

I was surprised and delighted at how they received this gift of beauty, so cheaply bought… “no- one has done this before” they said, really appreciating this simple gift so easily given.

So don’t let us underestimate our simple gifts. They may seem small to us, but they have incredible power to transform lives.

See you soon... With my love...
Lindy

General Assembly 2010 - Nottingham

2010-05-06T06:06:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much to the congregation at UMB for allowing me to attend GA 2010 as your delegate. It was an exhilarating, at times overwhelming experience. Attending the General Assembly has given me a much broader view of the Unitarian movement nationally.

Personally, I feel buoyed up by all the enthusiasm for the Unitarian movement that bubbled through all the various meetings that I attended on your behalf. By the way, do we call ourselves a denomination or a movement? Do we want to amend our lengthy title of “General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches”? The debate continued at GA, as it has done in The Inquirer and elsewhere for some time.

In addition to attending all of the business meetings, I attended workshops led by the Worship Panel, the National Unitarian Fellowship (NUF) and the Association for Lay Ministry (UALM). Spiritual refreshment was found in the Quiet Room, walking a labyrinth, and attending a Taizé service. There was more on offer, but that was about all I could manage!

Our new president, Neville Kenyon, spoke of the theme for his presidential year, which is “Nurture your freedom.” In his inaugural speech, he emphasised that a crucial difference between us and other religious groups is that we are free, free from creeds, free to worship, free to change our beliefs if we should so choose.

Finally, a challenge from GA: Is Unitarianism just a “cosy club” where we can be with friends in a safe place? Or can we step outside our comfort zone and welcome the new? If we don’t, as a denomination in severe decline, Unitarianism may disappear altogether. Sobering words, indeed.

Anna Sherman

Election Day

2010-05-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

The proudest now is but my peer,
 The highest not more high;
 To-day, of all the weary year,
 A king of men am I.
 To-day alike are great and small, 
The nameless and the known
 My palace is the people’s hall,
 The ballot-box my throne! 
Who serves to-day upon the list
 Beside the served shall stand; 
Alike the brown and wrinkled fist, 
The gloved and dainty hand! 
The rich is level with the poor, 
The weak is strong to-day; 
And sleekest broadcloth counts no more 
Than homespun frock of grey.  

“ELECTION DAY 1852” by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

Epitaph found

2010-05-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

The wording of this epitaph was found by Sylvia Bartlett of UMB when ‘Sorting’ her garage! Does anyone know about this lady? Presumably she was Unitarian , working in the Lewin’s mead Mission and buried in the Brunswick Square Burial Ground - she may even be in one of the graves recently discovered in the present work going on to restore the burial ground and which the City Archeologist is investigating. Any information welcome.

FROM THE OLD CHAPEL IN BRUNSWICK SQUARE CEMETERY.

'IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF JULIA ELIZABETH VENNING

Whose spirit found glad expression in endeavors to teach the young, to aid the suffering and to uplift the sad amidst the abodes of poverty and pain.

The friends who shared her regard and honoured her work, pursued with constancy for more than fifty year within the Lewin’s Mead Domestic Mission, unite faithfully in commemorating a warm heart and a faith unfeigned.

She was born June 30th 1811 and entered into rest June 27th 1890

Women's Advisory Council to the United Nations Association

2010-05-06T06:01:00.001-07:00

24th March 2010

I attended this meeting in London as the representative of the National Women’s League. The speaker was Felicity Aston, leader of the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic expedition in 2009. This expedition was symbolic, showing how ordinary women could overcome challenges. Out of 800 applications, she took a group of 20 to Norway for final selection. Some of the women had never seen snow let alone experience temperatures of -20C. Finally she selected 8 young women from: New Zealand, India, Singapore, Brunei, Jamaica, Cyprus, Ghana and UK. The lady form the UK was a fitness instructor and was chosen to take Felicity’s place should an emergency arise. The women’s jobs included: pilot, trekking guide, kick-box instructor, Foreign Office civil servant, IT specialist, magazine editor and Caribbean think tank worker. They were chosen not only for their outdoor skills, but also for their ability to work as a team.

Back in their own countries they had to find ways of training be it running up tower blocks, pulling a sledge along a beach or skiing in the Himalayas. They created a web site to keep in touch, met once in New Zealand and finally in South America from where they were flown into the Antarctic. They were helped by a number of companies and foundations, but the principal sponsor was Kaspersy Lab, a global security firm. They got off to a bad start when some of their tents were damaged in a storm and Kim from Jamaica had to go home with frostbite. However they got underway in the everlasting daylight and were on skis for 38 days. They skied in single file, each one pulling a sledge with Felicity at the back to look for signs of stress or injury. The routine was very strict - 90 minutes skiing, 7 minutes rest for eating drinking and toilet. They had 7 hours sleep in tents every 24 hours. When they camped everyone had a specific role, such as melting snow for drinks. Troubles had to be shared and everyone was allowed one bad day. They covered 20 - 25 kilometres each day and after 15 days there was a break when supplies were flown in. They kept in touch with base camp by satellite phone - 48 hours without contact would have launched a rescue.

The second half of the journey was harder as they were climbing 10,000 feet to the South Pole. There were no wild animals or birds to see and the wind and snow formed dangerous drifts. All the women found ways of coping with mental strain, from prayers to body movement. Finally they reached the Amudsen-Scott American base at the South Pole and were greeted with cheers. They hugged each other and were proud of their multi-cultural achievement. Two were the first people from their countries to reach the South Pole and two the first women - now they are visiting schools and inspiring women to achieve their ambition.
SUSAN WILDMAN

Tenebrae

2010-04-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

Tenebrae (Latin for 'shadows' or 'darkness') is a Christian religious service celebrated by the Western Church on the evening before or early morning of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, which are the last three days of Holy Week. It originated in the fourth century, commemorating the time between the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. It consists of readings and hymns, and a gradual extinguishing of the candles in the church, until only one remains. Then there is a loud noise to represent the rending of the veil of the temple. Unitarian Tenebrae services generally focus on Jesus' concern for social justice, and commemorate both him and other martyrs to the cause of social justice. They are also simple and meditative, and welcome anyone, whatever their perspective on the story of Jesus.

Ten Unitarians, some from Bristol and some from Frenchay, gathered to observe Tenebrae in Frenchay Chapel on 31 March. Nine candles were placed on the altar, and we extinguished one after each reading, hymn or prayer. The mood was solemn and meditative.

Karl spoke about the meaning of Lent as a time for spirituality and meditation; Yvonne spoke about how the myth of Jesus’ death and resurrection, so similar to other Middle Eastern dying-and-resurrecting vegetation deities who descend to the underworld (Tammuz, Dumuzi, Inanna etc) expresses the need that we all have to descend into the depths to recover lost and forgotten parts of ourselves. One of the aspects of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection that gets forgotten in Western Christianity is that he is said to have descended into hell and liberated Adam and Eve and other righteous people from the prison of death (see Peter 1:3). This journey into the underworld closely parallels the descent of other heroes, who bring back treasure or wisdom for the benefit of humanity. Read purely as myth, the story of Jesus becomes a powerful allegory for the death of the ego and the reintegration of the psyche into a new pattern.

The words for the chalice lighting were by Annie Foerster of the UUA, and begin “Come we now out of the darkness of our unknowing.” The service included two Taizé chants (one written by Karl), the hymn The April Fool has chosen by John Bunyan (which was written for occasions when Easter falls on or near April Fool’s Day), and the hymn Unitarian Saints (about Michael Servetus, Faustus Socinus and Francis David). The participants all read together a new translation of the Prayer of Jesus which is supposed to be closer to the original Aramaic. One of the readings was an excerpt from the Gnostic hymn Thunder, Perfect Mind, which is spoken as Sophia (Holy Wisdom, the female aspect of the Logos). This is a very powerful piece, expressing the paradoxical nature of Divine Wisdom. Another was The Fountain, a poem about the light of consciousness welling up from the dark depths of the soul, by John of the Cross (1542-1591). Then the focus moved to the Garden of Gethsemane, with a reading from Matthew 26: 36-50, and finally to the crucifixion, with a reading from Mark 15: 33-38. After the last hymn (Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, which was chosen by Karl), just as Yvonne extinguished the last candle, the door of the chapel was closed with a loud bang, as is traditional, and Yvonne repeated the closing words of the reading from the gospel of Mark, “And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (which is what the bang represents). All the participants said they found the service moving.

From the desk

2010-04-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

Some interesting historical evidence has been unearthed now that contractors have started on the remodeling of the burial ground behind UMB. Four previously unknown graves have been found, one of them the grave of a Congregational minister. The earliest grave dates from 1770, shortly after the opening of the burial ground. The most recently unearthed grave is very close to the rear of the meeting hall of UMB, which opened in 1991. The City Archeologist is actively working on these graves - we must now wait to see if any more are unearthed in the ongoing excavations. Hopefully they will not be any closer to the building!

The time for Redland Fair is here again and UMB will have a stall and are looking for help and contributions.

By the time you read this UMB members will have held a jumble sale and coffee morning to raise funds for the chapel. More coffee mornings and fund raising events are planned. Watch this space!

A happy Easter and hopefully better weather for everyone!
PETER WILDMAN

From the minister

2010-04-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

On March 28th many of us enjoyed welcoming our National Unitarian Youth Leader, Rev. John Harley who led our worship service at Frenchay focussing on “Fools’ Gold”. He also gave us much to reflect on in the afternoon at Bright Lights whilst thinking about and enacting qualities of our heroes and heroines.

For me it was a great treat to “sit in the pew” in the morning and to be free to join in with everyone in the afternoon.

Although the subject of LENT was not raised as such, it occurred to me how appropriate both these chosen themes were at this time.

Going into the wilderness at this time provides us all with an opportunity to reflect on what really is important to us; to sift out and learn to not respond so fully to the glittering attractions that lure us into a false sense of what is important. And to recognise what really gives meaning to our lives. To recognise the “Fools’ Gold”.

While thinking about my personal heroine in the afternoon, I was able to remember what an important role she had played in my life; the example she held by the way she dealt with helping Jews in the 2nd world war; the hospitality she offered me as a young student away from home; how she was with the grief of losing a child, yet continuing to live her life so fully and share her gifts with others.

And so at this Easter Tide – I want to thank you all for all the joys, challenges and gifts you have given to me. No fools’ gold there!

Blessings and warm wishes

Lindy

Dates for April

2010-03-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday 3rd April - Easter Saturday
Coffee Morning and Jumble Sale at Unitarian Meeting Bristol
From 10.30 am to 2.00 pm
In aid of chapel funds, tea and coffee 50p
Please bring small items of jumble to sell if possible

Sunday 4th April - Easter Day

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister with shared contributions

UMB 6.00 pm The Minister

Flowers - Mrs O Jennings

Teas - Mrs R Raitt

Music - Bob Cook

8th -11th April

Unitarian General Assembly at Nottingham

Sunday 11th April

Frenchay 10.30 am TBA

No Service at UMB

Monday 12th April

Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Bristol Group AGM

This is an advance mention of the next meeting of the Bristol Group which will be the Annual General Meeting at 7.30 pm on 20th May 2010 at UMB. Please make a note of this date.

UMB Congregational Meeting
Sunday 16th May, 4.00 pm at UMB.

Ideas from the worship workshop

2010-03-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

What is your view of the "hymn sandwich"? How do you like your worship? These were some questions posed to us by the worship workshop on 13th February, led by Linda Hart and Joy Croft, and attended by people from all over the Western Union.

One of the sources that inspired Joy and Linda was the book Telling the Truth: Comedy, Tragedy and Fairytale in the Gospels by F Buechner. The author says that a good service speaks not just to the public persona of the hearer, but also the private self. The best way to speak to this private or inner self is to use more images than thoughts, and for the speaker to talk about what something means to them personally. We must speak our truth with love, and offer the whole truth. When we step outside the usual forms of worship, we must ensure that truth and depth are maintained. Another inspiration was Overhearing the Gospel by Fred Craddock, which says that people may have been exposed to ideas previously, but not experienced them inwardly.

Alternative forms of worship can sometimes be too surface-oriented, and we should be mindful of that when coming up with alternatives to the "hymn sandwich". We should not be afraid to tell difficult truths; the ideas that matter are the ones that speak to your own heart. Using your own life experiences is helpful; understanding the issues at hand, and where you are moved is important. Worship can be wrestling with angels, exploring difficult topics, and an opportunity for healing, so we can and should dig deep.

What is worship?
After this introductory talk, participants were asked what worship meant to us. Various ideas were put forward:

Connection with the Divine and other people;
Beloved community;
feeling comfortable;
comprehensible and accessible;
meeting with like-minded others;
finding a peaceful place in the self;
time out from being busy;
feeling close to God; renewing one's sense of place before God;
welcoming, fellowship, reassurance;
focus;
recharging spiritual batteries;
feeling part of everything and with other people;
inspiration and gaining strength;
to be part of a communion of saints;
to be interested;
music, singing and participation;
Unitarian history;
learning to live more authentically and Unitarianly;
meditation.

Other forms of worship
We then looked at other forms of liturgy, such as Quaker meetings, Anglican services and so on. Quite often the more elaborate forms of worship will involve reaffirming the source of the tradition, appreciating the beauty and rhythm of words, and connecting to the past and to tradition. In a Quaker meeting on the other hand, people can worship at any time and place, and the aim of the meeting is to create a gathered silence. It is very plain and simple, and the participants sit in a square or in a circle. They look within themselves for the inward light, which they call "that of God" in everyone. The shape of the space matters here; there is nothing in the centre, and the circle gives a sense of community, as the group draws on their shared sense of the inner light. So worship needs to affirm community, both in the here and now, and with a sense of continuity from the past. The community is gathered around the Ultimate (whatever they conceive that to be). They affirm their shared sense of wonder at the universe, which is amazing, however you think it works.

The purpose of worship is to re-order our lives, to connect with tradition, and affirm our fellowship. In the Unitarian chalice symbol, the flame rises from the cup of community; it does not descend from above.

A spectrum of approaches
Within worship, there is a spectrum between different ways of approaching it. Linda identified four different spectra, and invited us to indicate where we stood on the spectrum.

The spectra are:

Intellect ----------------------- Heart
Silence ------------------------ Talking
Social justice ------------------ Inner work
Innovation -------------------- Familiarity / repetition

Obviously good services will have a mixture of all these elements, appealing to both heart and intellect, including silence (time for prayer and mediation) as well as words and music, talking about both social and inner work, and containing both familiar and novel elements. But most people have preferences for one or other of these options, and sometimes their preferences can change.

Doing a service without an address
We then divided up into small groups and discussed ways of doing a service without an address. We each picked a theme and worked out ideas for a service. For example, if the theme was "What is sacred?" the service could take the form of an engagement group, with all the participants contributing their thoughts on what is sacred, followed by a labyrinth walk to experience the sacred. Another group came up with an idea for a service about inner peace, with the image of ripples on a pond, and inviting participants to drop pebbles of different sizes in a bowl of water. Another idea was to invite children to draw a picture of what inner peace means to them. Another idea was doing a service about inclusion, and inviting participants to experience inclusiveness, perhaps by doing a water communion. Another group suggested a service about starvation, using a buffet meal to draw attention to hunger in the world. It was also pointed out that it's important to help people feel that they can make a difference in the world (and not just make them feel guilty), so there should be a positive outcome to this sort of service, such as raising money to send a cow to Africa.

In the next part of the workshop, we divided up into groups again, and each group was responsible for coming up with part of an actual worship service to celebrate loving community, which we all conducted together. Part 1 was centring and ingathering, bringing the group together with a chalice lighting and opening words. Part 2 was about sharing the journey, and was a storytelling activity. Part 3 was a mediation or prayer. Part 4 was a non-verbal expression of of how we create loving community, and part 5 was a closing activity to enable us to take the blessing of loving community out into the world.

This was followed by a group discussion on "Novelty and stability - can we have the best of both?" In the discussion, it was stressed that it is important that people don't feel unsettled by novel forms of worship, that they feel safe and not embarrassed, and know what is going to happen next. It is also important to ensure that the activity is serving the participants' needs, and is not just novelty for its own sake. It's also a good idea to ensure that if people don't want to participate in something, they don't feel obliged to do so.

Some very creative and meaningful activities were suggested, and hopefully worship leaders around the Western Union will be putting some of the ideas into practice soon. Everyone felt very inspired by the day to deepen our experience of worship.

Yvonne Aburrow

Dates for March

2010-03-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

Please note - UMB services start at 6 pm starting on March 7th

Monday 1st March
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 7th March
Frenchay 10.30 am The minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister
Flowers - Mrs R Raitt
Teas - Ms S Pugh & contributions

UMB Trustees Meeting at 3.00 pm,
Chapel AGM at 3.30 pm followed by a tea.

Tuesday 9th March
Poetry morning 10.30 am "Cats"

Sunday 14th - Mothering Sunday
Frenchay 10.30 am Mr Gavin Lloyd
No Service at UMB

Monday 15th March
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Thursday 18th March
Lord Mayor's Civic Celebration. Council House
7.00 for 7.15 pm. This year's theme is 'Hope'

Sunday 21st March
Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister, Rev Lindy Latham
Flowers - Mrs S Wildman
Teas - Mrs O Jennings

Thursday 25th March
UMB 7.30 pm Stokes Croft Educational Trust - Trustees meeting

Sunday 28th March
Frenchay 10.30 am Rev John Harley
UMB 3.00 - 5.00 pm 'Bright Lights'
with John Harley

Monday 29th March
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Wednesday 31st March
UMB 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm. Women's League and Friends.
(Note change of date from 17th March)

Wed 31st March
Frenchay 8.00 pm
Tenebrae Service
Led by Yvonne Aburrow and Karl Stewart.

Tenebrae is a traditional Christian observance which originated in the fourth century, commemorating the time between the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. It consists of readings and hymns, and a gradual extinguishing of the candles in the church, until only one remains. Then there is a loud noise to represent the rending of the veil of the temple. Unitarian Tenebrae services generally focus on Jesus' concern for social justice, and commemorate both him and other martyrs to the cause of social justice. They are also simple and meditative. Rev Jim Robinson recently held one at Rosslyn Hill Chapel, and they are becoming increasingly popular as people realise the need for more contemplative spirituality. If you would like to attend, you will be very welcome whatever your perspective on the story of Jesus.

Bright Lights - February

2010-03-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

In February we welcomed Alison Armitage, a local artist who shared with us not only her skills as an artist, but invited us to try the techniques she uses to express difficulties many people may have with dyslexia.

Large pieces of quality domestic lining paper/acrylic paints/domestic paint brushes and window cleaner blades and we were off!

What an afternoon: about 30 of us painting, chatting, making Brigif's crosses to celebrate the Pagan festival of Imbolc.

Not to mention the glorious grub! Or should I say, fabulous food.

At our next meeting on Sunday 28th March (3-5 pm) John Harley, Unitarian Youth Leader will be leading us with FUN and CREATIVITY with GAMES and ACTIVITIES.

Everyone welcome, please join us for a community afternoon.

LINDY

From the Minister

2010-03-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

Dear friends

Last week Yvonne Aburrow and I joined a Sufi meditation group in Bath.
The focus was on Beauty and Truth...

As well as enjoying the silence and chanting together, we heard these words:

"becoming the beautiful is not a matter of becoming something new, but becoming that which we already are: releasing the constructed identities that have built up in our minds. It is a simple opening out into the innate spaciousness and light that is the essence of our being"

And as John Keats says in his poem Ode on a Grecian Urn:

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

I felt very enriched by the evening and decided to explore these ideas further.

Many of you have valuable contributions to share — your own experience of beauty and truth...

Your own ideas of what it means...

Perhaps some of these could be incorporated into our Easter service to which you are invited to contribute either in person, or with ideas that you may have gathered from the recent Worship Workshop, and so:

Please let me know if there is anything you would like to share or do for the EASTER SERVICE 4th April.

Many thanks
Happy Springtime!
Lindy

Special thoughts from Lindy
Some of the words I sometimes use at a funeral service are:

Like leaves in their generation,
so is the human race,
for leaves are blown from the branches
down to earth
Others the budding greenwood
Each springtide brings to birth:
So human generations
Spring up and fade from earth.

- Adapted from Homer's Iliad.

I thought of these words while reflecting on the good and long life of our dear friend Frances Long who died on 2nd February. Frances was 95. Many of you came to Unitarian Meeting on February 9th to both grieve for our loss, and also to celebrate her rich life, to hear about her adventures as a child and young woman and to give thanks for her generous spirit of love, openness and friendship.

Frances will be greatly missed by those who knew her.
Our love goes to her family who will always be welcome here.

~ Lindy

News and events

2010-03-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

WOMEN'S LEAGUE AND FRIENDS
A happy AGM was held at the home of Grace Cooper on Wednesday 12th February. Ros Pratt continues as President and was thanked for sending the birthday cards to members and friends. Olga Jennings continues as Secretary and Sylvia Bartlett as treasurer. We were able to send £100 to the National Women's League project which for 2009/2010 has been for meningitis research. We agreed that in future we would meet once a month. We thank Grace for her generous hospitality.
OLGA JENNINGS

BRISTOL GROUP OUTING
The question of the Annual Group Outing was discussed at the recent Group and Forward Planning meeting. It was agreed that a trip to Bridport should be investigated, to include attendance at the 11am Service at Bridport Chapel, probably on 18th July. Then the sea would beckon, at either Bridport's West Bay, or at Charmouth or Lyme Regis, the fossil hunters paradise, but with all beach activities.

However, it has been pointed out that some Group members have already been recruited to a weekend at Great Hucklow and/or The Great Hucklow Summer School. If you are not so involved, or if you crave yet more activity, please let me know ASAP.
BERNARD OMAR

SINGING AT THE PIERIAN CENTRE
On the last Tuesday of every month from 7.00 pm to 8.45 pm at the Pierian Centre in Portland Square, there is an opportunity to experience and join in mediative and ecstatic chants including Sanskrit mantras. The evening is led by Tim Chalice and no previous experience of singing or chanting is necessary. Contact Tim on 0117 902 1829.
PAUL WHEELER

WESTERN UNION
On March 2nd Bernard Omar as Past President attended the funeral service at the Bridport Chapel for 90 year old Alfred Munden, himself President in 1969/70.

The Chapel was crowded as Alf was a Freemason, and a shopkeeper, born in Bridport and with involvement in amateur dramatics and craftsmanship of some ability.

As Chairperson at Bridport throughout his life, following on from the involvement of his parents, Alf is credited with the devotion and determination which has kept Unitarian worship alive in Bridport, while he was on very good terms with people of other faiths. Retired Lay Pastor, Roger Booth, conducted the Service, which ended with the words "Well done thou good and faithful servant".
BERNARD OMAR

A friend is a gift you give yourself

2010-03-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

Said Robert Louis Stevenson and, if that is the case, I have had forty years of gifts in the shape of my close friend Frances May Long. We shared so much, both work and pleasure. She befriended me when I arrived in Bristol in 1970, introducing me to the Unitarian Church (Oakfield Road, Clifton). We were on church committees together, attended meetings of the Hibbert Trust at Essex Hall, London, a memorable weekend at Great Hucklow and several annual meetings. Together we served on the WEA (Workers Educational Association) committee for thirty years and Frances eventually overcame her fierce loyalty to that body to join me in the U3A (University of the Third Age).

We also took the coach to London on many occasions for pure cultural enjoyment. There were certain landmarks en route not to be missed - the road where her son, Richard lived long ago, the fascinating row of artists' studios in Talgarth Road, the modern Ark building and Hogarth's House. Frances and I were equally upset when a chatty coach driver mentioned the Hogarth roundabout but not Hogarth's house, although it belonged to the first British painter of note. Once, there being no internal light to read by in the coach returning to Bristol, we quizzed one another and, at journey's end, a fellow passenger told us how much she had enjoyed that and had been able to answer some of the questions.

On another occasion we went to the Hayward Gallery in London for Richard's exhibition with Marion Breen of the WEA, only to find that the exhibition was over but, when it was revealed that the group included the artist's mother, we were ushered in and had a private viewing - just we three amid the staff dismantling the exhibits.

Frances was so good to be with; she personified hospitality and was always a warm and comfortable presence. She was unforgettable and I was often asked about her when we were apart. I shall miss her - she was an irreplaceable gift.

Ray Raitt

WACUNA meeting

2010-03-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

WOMEN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION

I attended the WAC meeting at the Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London on 3rd December 2009. Great concern was expressed at the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition party who is under house arrest in Burma. There was also concern over many issues in Africa.

The main speaker was Bernadette Vallely, Chair of the Women's Environmental Network (WEN). Between 1970 and 2005, 26 million people lost their homes. In all national crises women fared worse than men. Some reasons were; lack of credit, lack of documentation and being unable to drive - 80% of the people left behind in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina were women. Cycles of malnutrition are created after flooding because of the lack of food and fresh water. Children born during times of floods and disasters miss out on school. Cultural restrictions (clothing) can hamper women from escaping. Many women in the Tsunami disaster could not climb trees. In areas of drought such as sub-Saharan Africa, fish may be affected and this is often the main source of protein for women - the men have meat. In many cities women and children are suffering from air pollution. They are more likely to have to walk and breath fumes. After disasters women are often victims of rape.

SUSAN WILDMAN - National Women's League Representative

Alternatives to the hymn sandwich

2010-03-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Was a day workshop organised by the Western Union and led by Ministers Linda Hart and Joy Croft and held by kind invitation at UMB. It was widely attended with around twenty participants. As well as members from Bristol Frenchay and UMB congregations, participants came from Cardiff, Crewkerne, Plymouth, Trowbridge (including the Western Union President) with West Wales represented by the minister of four congregations. Tim Powell, editor of the Western Union Chronicle and other members of the Bath Fellowship at Marshfield. Liz Dyson Jones from Cardiff as a Member of the General Assembly with special responsibility for the Western Union, also represented our national governing body. It is interesting to reflect that the ripples from this meeting will therefore reach throughout the Western Union and far into South Wales.

Interactive exercises confirmed that we are all different e.g. do we prefer tea or coffee, with or without milk, or sugar. This indicated the need to remember the differing needs of congregational members. Source material: We were recommended to search widely for new and interesting material and activities including items deemed secular rather than religious when preparing Services.

It was stimulating to meet and interact with others previously known or unknown to us and to find that sources of help do not depend on having vast sums of money but are within the reach of each one of us.

~ Bernard Omar

(See also the article in the April newsletter, Ideas from the worship workshop, for more about this event)

From the desk

2010-03-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

This month we said goodbye to Frances Long who died peacefully on 2nd February at her care home in Horfield. Hers was a long and very varied life. Frances' family were with her throughout her last days and the memorial service at UMB was attended by family and friends from many places near and far. Ray Raitt, Frances' close friend for the past 30 years, has written a personal appreciation of Frances. Madeleine, Frances' daughter told of her Mother's final return to England with her Father and sisters, having fled the Spanish Civil War. It was this experience of arriving with hardly any possessions that made Frances forever mindful of the plight of refugees and the homeless.

Please remember the Lord Mayor's Civic Celebration at the Council House on 18th March. This year's theme is Hope and as Unitarians, we will be making a short contribution to this event - not a service but a celebration of diversity.

The Bright Lights group is 3 years old this month. Whenever I have attended it has been an exhausting but very satisfying afternoon. However, after Taizé singing, large scale art works and John Harley's Fun and Creativity planned for 28th March, what can the future hold?

Spring and Summer activities are now in sight. The GA in Nottingham, an outing, the Group weekend at Hucklow and the Hucklow Summer School have all to be kept in mind and booked at the appropriate time.

A correction! Bob Cook has gently pointed out to me that he has, in fact, provided the music at 350 services, not 250 as I stated in the last issue since he began to play for us - at Frances Long's behest!

Items for the next issue of the newsletter to Peter Wildman, wildman@dircon.co.uk please by 31st March.

Haiti appeal

2010-02-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

I was pleased to send nearly £80 [collected at Bright Lights] to Oxfam for the Haiti appeal to help families as they recover from the earthquake. This sum can supply eight families with basic water kits. Both chapels have also had collections. Thank you for your gifts, including prayers, love and concerns for all those suffering from natural and man-made disasters.

~ Lindy

How to donate to Haiti

Western Union workshops

2010-02-10T02:12:00.000-08:00

Worship Workshop at UMB, 13th February:
This workshop will give us an opportunity to explore different styles of worship with two professional ministers (Joy Croft and Linda Hart) to lead us.

If you would like to attend, please contact the secretary of the Western Union, Anne Ashley (01752 895395) as soon as possible. Coffee/tea and biscuits will be provided, but please bring a packed lunch.

Leading Services - a short course for beginners
Richard Lovis of the Plymouth congregation is proposing a course, of perhaps 3 or 4 one day sessions, for people who would be interested in some training in leading services. It would be based on the book ʻTaking the Serviceʼ, which he wrote a few years ago with Rev. Peter Sampson. The course would probably take place in the spring at the Cullompton chapel. However, Richard urgently needs to know of people who might be interested in attending this course. Please contact him on (01752 225285, rlovis@talktalk.net) as soon as you can to learn more.

Richard emphasises that this will be a course for beginners - more people willing to take services throughout the Western Union are badly needed. Later in the year the Western Union will organise a course for more experienced service takers. This will tie in with the Unitarian national ʻWorship Studiesʻ course.

From the minister

2010-02-10T02:10:00.000-08:00

“Divinity is round us – never gone
From earth or star,
From life or death, from good or even wrong –
In all we are.”
[Hymns for Living: 52: Divinity is round us..]

Dear Friends,

I sometimes think that being a Unitarian, or becoming a Unitarian is a bit like falling in love and getting married!

That is for us new ones, and I include myself here.

We are so excited to find an open and free thinking church where we are not given creeds and rules to adhere to, where we are welcomed with open arms and encouraged to follow our own conscience in matters of belief, that it is easy to forget we are a diverse group and our differences can at times create challenges in our relationships with each other.

But, like a healthy marriage, that is the point when the real work begins…

It is also when we are able to explore with another person or group of people just where we differ, that our thoughts and understanding of what and who we are can be clarified.

It is when we take the risk of exploring with each other in love that we can discover that the person or people who seemed to be our opponents are in reality, our partners. We can learn from each other..

I was going to ask you how you are getting on with your New Year resolutions! According to a recent survey, 90% do not last for more than 5 days! Hopefully that 10% can still include us being open and learning from each other however different we are.

“Wait not at last in truth and love made whole your god to see,
In every timid, false or angered soul
Thereʼs love to free.”
[Hymns for Living: 52: Divinity is round us..]

Happy New Year

The Christmas Charity Bake Sale

2010-02-10T02:06:00.000-08:00

It all started with a phone conversation - me and Kate (my sister) were discussing charities and finally we settled on two charities: Caring at Christmas and Operation Smile. We both wanted to do something for these charities, so we put both our talents together: Baking and creativity; and thatʼs what led us to doing our bake sale.

After spending one day looking at recipes and baking to our hearts' content we had a selection of spectacular cookies and were proud to know that we had raised £36 to be split between the two charities.

Sara Sherman

What is religion?

2010-02-10T02:02:00.000-08:00

“To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our mind cannot grasp and whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly and as a feeble reflection, this is religiousness. In this sense I am religious.”

In this sense I too am religious with the reservation that ʻcannot graspʼ does not have to mean ʻforever ungraspable.ʼ... But I prefer not to call myself religious because it is misleading. It is destructively misleading because, for the vast majority of people, ʻreligionʼ implies ʻsupernaturalʼ.

— Albert Einstein

Services

2010-02-10T01:52:00.000-08:00

February
Monday 1st

Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 7th

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 3.30 pm The Minister
Flowers - Mr A Brown IM
Teas - Mrs A Sherman

Saturday 13th

UMB 11 am - 3.30 pm - Western Union ‘Worship Workshop’.

Sunday 14th

FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr Frank Butler
No Service at UMB

Monday 15th

Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 21st

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 3.30 pm The Minister
Flowers - Mrs O Jennings IM
Teas - Mrs S Wildman

Sunday 28th

Frenchay 10.30 am Mr David Wright

UMB 3.00 - 5.00 pm ‘Bright Lights’
(A local artist will be with us - bring old clothing/covering!)

March
Please note - UMB services revert to 6 pm starting on 7th March

Monday 1st

Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Sunday 7th

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister
Flowers - Mrs R Raitt
Teas - Ms S Pugh

Sunday 14th

Mothering Sunday
Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister

No Service at UMB

Monday 15th

Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group

Thursday 18th

Lord Mayor’s Civic Inter Faith Celebration - Council House, 7.30 pm.

Sunday 21st

Frenchay 10.30 am The Minister
UMB 6.00 pm The Minister

Worship is...

2010-02-10T01:48:00.000-08:00

Frenchay

being with other Unitarians, each with their personal views and feelings about helping others and aiming for peace in our troubled world
getting an uplift spiritually
a time of quiet in the company of friends in a peaceful place
gathering together in a common prayer
tapping into a positive energy source, purer and better than found in everyday life;
connecting with people who also seek a meaningful experience
being part of a spiritual community
opening my mind to what is real and part of God, not what is invented by man to control and manipulate!
a feeling of inner peacefulness
investigation of a personal dilemma in a wider context than that of oneʼs own spiritual resources
finding God in music and poetry
refocusing priorities with other people;
asking for guidance and saying thank you

UMB

the sense of awe and wonder I feel about each and every marvellous aspect of life and the Universe I encounter, that leaves me with the intention to find out and understand it if I can.
a break from the ironing!
community.
contemplating the meaning of life, and understanding that there are things that we will never understand.
being together with like-minded people; preparing for the week ahead.
to relax.
spending time with like-minded, caring people; a time for ME, to reflect and re-energise myself.
sitting in my garden in awe of the wonder of creation.

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-10T02:42:00.000-08:00

Be ready at all times to give those you love the simply abundant gifts of Spirit. If you do, they’ll give you Christmas gifts you’ll never forget: happy smiles and contented hearts. And you won’t want to exchange them.

~ Meister Eckhart

Festivals of many faiths - January 2010

2009-12-10T02:38:00.000-08:00

Friday 1 January
Christian—Circumcision of Jesus
Secular—New Year's Day
Shinto—Oshogatsu (or Shogatsu) - New Year
Orthodox Christian—Festival of St Basil the Great

Tuesday 5 January
Sikh—Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Nanakshahi calendar)

Wednesday 6 January
Christian—Epiphany (visit of the wise men (the magi) to the infant Jesus.)
Christian—Christmas Day (Armenian Orthodox)
Orthodox Christian—Theophany (baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan)

Thursday 7 January
Rastafari—Christmas Day (Ethiopian)
Christian—Christmas Day (Orthodox)

Thursday 14 January
Hindu—Makar Sankrant (celebrates the sun's journey into the northern
hemisphere—one of the most important Hindu festivals)

Friday 15 January
Shinto—Seijin Shiki (Adults' Day)

Wednesday 20 January
Hindu—Vasant Panchami (festival of Saraswati, the goddess of learning and Brahma's wife. It marks the beginning of Spring.)

Wednesday 27 January
Jewish & multifaith—National Holocaust Memorial Day

Saturday 30 January
Jewish—Tu B'Shevat (Jewish New Year for trees)

Sunday 31 January
Sikh—Birthday of Guru Har Rai (Nanakshahi calendar)

Source: BBC religion pages

Festivals of many faiths - December 2009

2009-12-10T02:37:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 8 December
Christian—Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Buddhist—Bodhi Day (celebrating Gautama's attainment of enlightenment
under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, India.)

Saturday 12 December
Jewish—Hanukkah (Jewish Festival of Lights, marking the restoration of
the temple by the Maccabees in 164 BCE)

Sunday 13 December
Christian—St Lucy's Day

Thursday 17 December
Jewish—10th Tevet (An important Jewish fast day.)
Pagan—beginning of Saturnalia

Friday 18 December
Muslim—Al-Hijira (Islamic New Year. Marks the migration of the Prophet
Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina)

Monday 21 December
Pagan—Winter Solstice - Yule

Thursday 24 December
Christian—Christmas Eve
Pagan—end of Saturnalia

Friday 25 December
Christian—Christmas Day
Pagan—birthday of the Unconquered Sun

Saturday 26 December
Christian—St Stephen’s Day / Feast of Stephen

Sunday 27 December
Shi’ite Muslim—Ashura

A major festival marking the martydom of the Prophet's grandson, Hussein

Source: BBC religion pages

Frenchay Chapel Choir

2009-12-10T02:36:00.000-08:00

Frenchay Chapel Choir has now been singing regularly for just
over a year. We sing an introit on the first Sunday of the month, and
often sing a special song for particular Sundays sych as Mothering
Sunday and Easter Sunday. We even sang for Gethin’s christening in
May. Our introits often reflect the seasons, and May’s introit was
written by a choir member. Choir numbers fluctuate—on one occasion
just one member was available—she offered to sing solo but was struck
down with a sore throat!

We snatch a few minutes for practice after Sunday service, often
with coffee cups in hand! One of our best performances was the
November introit when all available members sang together for the first
time, even though rehearsals had attracted fewer members.
New members would be very welcome—you don’t need to be able
to read music, just to have a fairly good singing voice, plenty of
enthusiasm, and sometimes a sense of humour.

An Appreciation of Alison Short

2009-12-10T02:34:00.000-08:00

Frenchay Chapel and the Western Union will soon lose a most active
supporter when Alison Short makes her long threatened move to live in
Sheffield. Alison, herself the daughter of a Unitarian Minister, became a
member of Frenchay Chapel on her marriage to the Rev Basil Short. They
lived in Chepstow so were faced with an expensive journey with the tolls on
the Severn Bridge. Strong winds meant the closure of the old Severn Bridge
and a detour to the new bridge. Much depended on weather reports both
coming and going. It says much for Alison's sense of commitment that she
has maintained most frequent attendance at Frenchay Services.
She has regularly represented the Chapel by popular request at the
annual General Assembly meeting, held at various Universities. She has
been the Chapel representative at meetings of the Western Union Council
and at the Western Union Annual "Assembly". These necessitated journeys
most often to Bridgwater or Crewkerne on Saturdays four times a year taking
some ten to eleven hours away from home. Alison has mailed copies of
the Bristol Group Newsletter each month to individuals and to seek to ensure
coverage in South Gloucestershire libraries by sending some in bulk to
the central library.
She served for several years as Frenchay Membership Secretary and
only relinquished this task when appointed President of the Chapel some
three years ago. An able and enthusiastic singer, Alison has been part of the
Frenchay singing group which has enhanced our worship on a number of
occasions. She is also a keen member of the Unitarian Music Society. She is
known to the Unitarian International Singing Group with many tours
abroad a part of history.
Alison's knowledge of the Unitarian movement dates from infancy
and includes education at Channing School, Highgate, London, founded by
Unitarians. Her knowledge of Unitarian HQ London includes several years
spent working there. Her enthusiasm of the setting and activities of Great
Hucklow Conference Centre are infectious.
It follows from all that has been recorded that Alison cannot be replaced
but she cannot be persuaded to stay as she looks forward to living
nearer to her elder sister and other relations.
Alison's contribution, great as it is in outline, has been enhanced by
her invariable good humour and unflappability.
It is no cliché to say that Alison will be much missed but she will take
with her every good wish for her future happiness and wellbeing.
~ Bernard Omar

A visit to Rochdale Unitarians

2009-12-10T02:31:00.000-08:00

On 14th November I went to the Unitarian Communications Commission, which is responsible for noticeboards, websites, leaflets, banners and other forms of communication. It was the first time that I had attended the meeting, and I was warmly welcomed. It was held in the Gaskell Room at Cross Street Chapel, Manchester, which is a fine new building with excellent design and acoustics. The Communications Commission has started a blog to share good communication practice.

On 15th November I visited Rochdale Unitarian Church, met some lovely people, heard a lovely service about Jonathan Livingston Seagull (one of my favourite books), and saw the beautiful windows by Edward Burne-Jones (one of my favourite artists) there. They also sang some hymns from the new purple book, including the lovely Name Unnamed and We’ll Build A Land (two of my favourite hymns). So, all in all, a very satisfying experience. Rev Gillian Peel asked me to convey the greetings of Rochdale Unitarians to Bristol Unitarians.

The Burne-Jones windows represent a series of Virtues: Truth, Justice, Liberty, Prudence, Knowledge, Love, Faith, Humility (all very Unitarian values). Burne-Jones wasn't a Unitarian, but another Pre-Raphaelite painter, Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon (1827 - 1891), was one. She was also a pioneer of the women's rights movement, a founder of Girton College, Cambridge and The Englishwoman's Journal. She knew George Eliot, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddal, and was related to Florence Nightingale (another famous Unitarian). The concern of the Pre-Raphaelites for social justice is well-known, but they also painted controversial pictures of cliffs, showing the great age of the geological layers, which was seen as supporting Darwinism.

Yvonne Aburrow

From the minister

2009-12-10T02:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I wonder how you are feeling now about Christmas… Are you excited at the prospect of parties and family gatherings? Are you worried that you may be alone, or may let people down who depend on you to give them the right gift and a good time? Are you concerned about friends who are ill and alone? And what about all those Christmas cards to send?

This joyous time of great expectation is so often fraught with anxiety. I know how important it is for me to find ways to be kind to myself and very forgiving of my shortcomings and to hold in mind “the reason for the season”!

I found this story in an old copy of The Unitarian which I hope will remind us in our busyness of the true meaning of Christmas:

There is an old legend that on the way to Bethlehem the Three Wise Men quarrelled about which of them was taking the most precious gift to the Christ child – the gold, frankincense or myrrh.

Then as they looked up at the sky, the star that they had been following disappeared from sight. They continued as best they could until they came to a village where a group of people gathered round a shallow well that had dried up.

The wise men were carrying bottles of water for their journey and each of them poured water into the well so that the thirsty villagers could share it. As the three bent over the well they saw a star reflected in the water, and looking up saw that their guiding light had returned.

Let us all be kind to ourselves and each other and find our own guiding light this Christmas and beyond.

Peace and love… Lindy

Christmas Reflection from Rev. Cliff Reed

I believe that there is truth in myth
I believe that there is divinity in every birth
I believe that we must heed the angels’ song
I believe that we must welcome the Christ-child
For he is every child, the world’s future.

Bright Lights

2009-12-10T02:26:00.000-08:00

The Bristol Bright Lights group gathered on Nov 22nd to celebrate the theme "Preparing for Christmas." After October's bursting-at-the-seams attendance of 42 (a record), we were a more manageable 22. Activities on offer included making a Christmas pudding, making Christmas cards, and making tree decorations in preparation for the congregational Christmas tree decorating service.

As we were meeting on traditional "Stir-up Sunday," our meeting ended with each person stirring the Christmas pudding mixture and making a wish. Some people said their wish aloud, which contributed to a lovely atmosphere of fellowship. The cake will be baked and then brought back to the next meeting in January to be shared by all.

One procedural innovation was introduced at this gathering. A time for general tidying up was added just before our final circle time. Even the children joined in (see photo) and this meant less mess for those who regularly stay afterwards and tidy up.

Special thanks are due to Lindy, Claire, Louise and Frances.
~ Anna Sherman

PS From Lindy: The pudding is boiling away as I type, wrapped up in a cloth bag with THE INQUIRER printed on it!

Bright Lights - January

2009-11-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

Bright Lights

24th January 2010
3-5pm

Unitarian Meeting Bristol (Brunswick Square)

We will be welcoming the

Taizé singing group “Cacophony”

Come along to listen and sing!

All are welcome, even if you have not been to Bright Lights before.

The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of a little over 100 brothers who come from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé each year for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work. The Community was founded by Roger Louis Schütz-Marsauche (later known simply as Frère Roger or Brother Roger). The Taizé community, though Western European in origin, seeks to welcome people and traditions from across the globe. This is reflected in the music and prayers where songs are sung in many languages, and increasingly include chants and icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The music emphasises simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms or other pieces of Scripture, repeated and sometimes also sung in canon. The repetition is intended to aid meditation and prayer. Much of the earlier Taizé community music was conceived and composed by Jacques Berthier. Later Joseph Gelineau became a major contributor to the music.

~ Taizé Community (Wikipedia)

Frenchay Chapel Choir

2009-11-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Frenchay Chapel Choir has now been singing regularly for just over a year. We sing an introit on the first Sunday of the month, and often sing a special song for particular Sundays sych as Mothering Sunday and Easter Sunday. We even sang for Gethin’s christening in May. Our introits often reflect the seasons, and May’s introit was written by a choir member. Choir numbers fluctuate—on one occasion just one member was available—she offered to sing solo but was struck down with a sore throat!

We snatch a few minutes for practice after Sunday service, often with coffee cups in hand! One of our best performances was the November introit when all available members sang together for the first time, even though rehearsals had attracted fewer members.

New members would be very welcome—you don’t need to be able to read music, just to have a fairly good singing voice, plenty of enthusiasm, and sometimes a sense of humour.

~ Marie Eastman

Why Unitarian?

2009-11-21T00:52:00.000-08:00

Why I am a Unitarian

I have always been interested in learning about religion and people's faith. When I began to think about becoming part of a spiritual group, I knew I was looking for a community that respected many belief systems and lifestyles, but was uncertain whether I could find such a place.

I spent some time working with children in a village school in Nepal, where I learnt a lot from people about the importance of faith in their lives and tolerance for those of other cultural traditions. A little later on, I was back in my local library and looking at the religious section. Tucked on to a shelf was a book about Unitarianism. I started reading and was very interested to discover how much freedom of thought was encouraged, whilst being united by shared values. I soon realised that I had long been a Unitarian without knowing it!

The year before last I went to Boston to visit some Unitarian Universalist churches and then on to a Unitarian Universalist (UU) music course. We sang songs embracing many cultures and had some great discussions. I knew that I wanted to find a Unitarian community when I returned. When I moved to Bristol I started to attend UMB and received a really warm welcome. I enjoyed the Civic Inter Faith Celebration where people from many faith communities joined together to learn about each otherʼs journeys. I look forward to the future as part of this excellent diverse, inclusive and fascinating movement.

~ Julia Lambert

How I became a Unitarian

In 1970 I arrived in Bristol, after three years in Baghdad, with my three year old son, four suitcases containing mostly blankets and books and £60 in the whole world. I had no home, work, or nursery and no family support.

One of my first actions was to rejoin the Workers Educational Association (WEA) committee and there I met Frances Long of Unitarian Meeting Bristol. She suggested that I join her church so that we could see more of each other than just at committee meetings. It was Easter. I went to Oakfield Road Church. Frances was not there. I walked into a church full of strangers and left at the end of the service thoroughly won over to Unitarianism by the service and the reception I had received.

Since the closure of Oakfield Road I have worshipped at Frenchay Chapel and then at Unitarian Meeting Bristol, where the congregation has become my second family. I have tried to repay my “debt” by taking on various secretarial posts connected with both UMB and the Western Union.

~ Ray Raitt

Why I am a Unitarian

It has taken me a long time to realise that I have always been a Unitarian in thought and vision! I have never been happy with the dogma and strict parameters of the main Christian Churches, who require their members to believe as they have decided - even millennia ago.

The freedom to explore, to learn from kindred spirits and to develop one’s own credo is a refreshing change to one who has argued with Articles, Papal infallibility etc.

I appreciate the warmth at Frenchay, the inclusive nature of the worship there and the beauty of the building with its peace and dignity. I realise of course that one should not choose a faith by the historical air or beauty of a particular chapel, but it does so help to quieten the mind and strengthen ones resolve! The services appear simple but actually contain much to ponder over, and ideals to help direct one’s life for the better. Thank you Lindy.

The historical struggle to achieve freedom in worship is an interesting aspect to me in being a Unitarian. The century between 1750 and 1850 is fascinating, and by reading of the ministers and laity then, I am coming to appreciate the bravery and determination of early Unitarians who led to way for me to follow, think and learn in my turn.

~ Carla Contractor

But how can you be Unitarian and Wiccan?

It all depends if you think religion is about belief, values, or practice (or all three). Personally I believe in very similar ideas to many Unitarians with whom I have discussed theology (even Unitarian Christians). I believe that Jesus was a very special human being (along with Buddha, Gandhi, St Francis, Symmachus, and many other mystics and social activists). I believe that he carried the Divine spark, as each one of us do; perhaps his flame was a little brighter. I also believe that his values—of inclusivity, care, equality, community, and honouring diversity—were the most important thing about him, and that these values are what will save humanity from war, poverty and famine. So that’s why I am a Unitarian—I had a mystical encounter with him, and felt that his values were my values, and that Unitarianism puts those values into practice more effectively than many other forms of Christianity. At the same time I was reading a lot of liberation theology and queer Christian theology, all of which resonated strongly with me. I also believe (again in common with many Unitarians) that the Divine is in everything: the trees, the flowers, the Earth, you and me.

I am a Wiccan (and have been since 1991) because I believe that the Divine has one substance and many forms and faces, and I choose to honour it through Nature and through pagan mythology and the cycle of seasonal festivals. The values and beliefs of Wicca are also about inclusivity, tolerance, freedom and the wisdom of experience. Wicca honours both male and female forms of the Divine.

Both Unitarianism and Wicca celebrate being alive, present in this world and in this moment. Both agree that other religions are valid paths for those who choose them, and want to celebrate both individuality and community. And Unitarianism has included pagan elements since at least 1850, if not earlier (see The Larger View by Vernon Marshall). Unitarianism is inclusive towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, which is very important to me, because I am bisexual and have many LGBT friends.

~ Yvonne Aburrow

A call to new pastures
I have recently become a Unitarian, as I felt a call towards an alternative away from the established main-stream. Religion as a whole can be and is so dogmatic, there comes a point where you realise that when you know you are called to give something to ministry, and it appears that there are doors that appear closed, you can be sure in the strength of faith, to know that when the door closes the divine opens another to you with the call.

Karl

Why I am a Unitarian by members of other UK Unitarian communities

Unitarian by Rich Daley
Why I am a Unitarian by members of the Midland Union
People of Edinburgh Unitarians
Why I am a Unitarian by members of the London District
Trowbridge Unitarians
Personal views of Unitarianism (video)

Christmas Season Services

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November 29th: 1st Sunday in Advent
10.30 am Frenchay, 3.30 pm UMB

December 6th: Festival of Lights and Tree Dressing at both chapels
10.30 am Frenchay, 3.30 pm UMB

December 13th: Gift services at both chapels -
10.30 am Frenchay, 3.30 pm UMB

December 20th: Group joint carol service at UMB, 3.30 pm
Solstice Carol Service at Frenchay 10.30 am)

December 25th: Group joint Christmas Day service,
Frenchay 10.30 am

No services 27th December. No “Bright Lights” in December

From the desk

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We have had three busy and enjoyable weekends in October, Harvest, the outing to Cardiff and the visit of Rev Penny Johnson. We are now ready for the Christmas season and its services.

Our harvest services were held, in tastefully decorated chapels. Frenchay glowed with colour and the UMB service, based around a shared meal, was enjoyed by all. We have received letters to both chapels from the Julian Trust thanking us for our donations of money and food.

Finally I must record everyone’s admiration for Marie Eastman’s ability at the Frenchay quiz to provide the music for hymn singing and prepare food at virtually the same time!
Peter Wildman

Events for November

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Sunday 8th REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr FRANK BUTLER
NO SERVICE AT UMB

Monday 9th

FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group
Pub evening - ‘The Cornubia’, Temple Street, Bristol, 8pm

Tuesday 10th

Poetry morning - Remembrance. 10.30 am at 58 Old Gloucester Road, Frenchay.
Contact - Diane Roberts 956 6963

Saturday 14th

UMB 10.00 am to 4.00 pm ‘Felting Day’

Sunday 15th

FRENCHAY 10.30 am THE MINISTER
UMB 3.30 pm THE MINISTER
Flowers - Mrs S Bartlett
Teas - Mrs F Webster
Service followed at 5 pm by congregation/committee meeting

Diverse Open Doors. Organised by Bristol Inter Faith Group and Bristol City Council.

Fri 20th
Frenchay 7.00 pm Chinese Meditation workshop with Peter Kenyon Hook

Sunday 22nd

FRENCHAY 10.30 am Ms YVONNE ABURROW

UMB 3.00 - 5.00 pm ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS”

Monday 23rd

FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation Group

Notable November

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1st All Saints Day (Christian) - Remembrance of all saints, especially those not otherwise celebrated.

Celtic festival of Samhain (Pagan)

2nd All Souls Day (Christian) - A day to remember the departed (and to pray for them)

Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I (Rastafari)

Birthday of Guru Nanak (Sikh, Lunar Calendar)

3rd Death in 1808 of Theophilus Lindsey, founder of the first Unitarian congregation in Essex Street, London. Still the site of the General Assembly headquarters.

5th Domestic Mission, later to become the Lewin’s Mead Mission founded in Bristol in 1826 by Dr Tuckerman.

8th Death of John Milton, author of ‘Paradise Lost’ in 1674

19th Slavery abolished in the USA in 1865

22nd Birth in 1819 of ‘George Eliot’ (Mary Anne Evans), claimed as one of our greatest writers. She had a Unitarian burial in Highgate cemetery.

23rd Niinamesei (Shinto) - Labour Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday in Japan and originally a harvest festival.

24th Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh, Nanakshahi calendar)
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth Sikh Guru and is honoured as a champion of religious freedom. He was executed in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam.

Publication of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” in 1859

25th Death of Oakfield Road and Frenchay minister Rev Robert Springett Nicholson in 1990.

26th Day of the Covenant (Bahai)

28th Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha (Bahai)

Eid-Ul-Adha (Muslim)

29th Advent Sunday. Lighting of the first of five candles on the Advent crown. The fifth one is lit on Christmas day - Bristol Unitarians keep this tradition.

30th St Andrew’s Day. Patron Saint of Scotland, Russia and fisherman

Dates of world faiths come from the BBC religion calendar