UUVC Newsletter February 2020 Theme: Reconciliation Page 1 of 6
February 2020 THEME: Reconciliation
Jerry Offerman ‘16
Unitarian Universalist Village Church
403 Barcelona Road Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
501-922-1255 President: Janet Holt ([email protected])
Minister: Rev. Mark Walz ([email protected] ) Editor: Cindy Perez ([email protected])
Dignity The object of our liberal religion is to
accept that, although humans rarely think alike, we must find the way to Love alike.
We must surrender our need for conformi-ty, and instead, love the goodness that aris-es from intentional kindness and generosi-
ty, in ourselves and each unique other. Anyone who watches the news knows
that a darkness has descended upon us. Some believe nothing we do will change
things. This is the year we must fortify our resolve to stay engaged, and even hopeful. Remember, we don’t vote expecting to
change what is wrong with the world, we vote so that what is wrong with the world
won’t change us. Our dignity requires it. To that end we bring two import
events to our church this month. We are hosting Roy Zimmerman, a remarkable singer /songwriter with a program he calls
RiZeup. His songs are both poignant and satirical, important and funny. Don’t miss
this. Then we will screen the documentary
film American Heritics. It features clergy from our sister church in Tulsa, and much more. We hope to fill the Sanctuary!
See you In Church
Spiritually Fearless Rev. Mark Walz
Heresy If you grew up in the Bible Belt or in
a belief system that discouraged questions and free thinking, chances are the word,
“heresy” had some negative baggage attached. In earlier centuries, being identified as a heretic was punishable by
brutal torture and often execution. The prospect of being burned at the stake for
expressing a different viewpoint provided quite an incentive to stick to the party line!
But when you consider the root of the word comes from a Greek verb meaning “to choose” it takes on a whole new meaning.
You can find a number of definitions of heresy but one commonly understood
meaning is “holding a belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine.” A
heretic then, is one who asks questions—lots of them—and who follows his or her own convictions. Unitarian Universalism is
a heretical religion in the eyes of mainstream Christianity.
UUVC will host a screening of a documentary film about an extraordinary
group of modern-day heretics in Oklahoma. The men and women who appear in the film are challenging deeply rooted
fundamentalist doctrine in their deep red state by refusing to accept interpretations
of the Bible that justify policies of
From the President Janet Holt
“continued on Page 2”
Look for the “flame” symbol throughout the newsletters. These denote hyperlinks that have
been added which will send you to the web page for additional information.
UUVC Newsletter February 2020 Theme: Reconciliation Page 2 of 6
~From the President, Continued from Page 1”
nationalism, racism, sexism and discrimination. In this film you will see the
familiar faces of Marlin Lavanhar and Bishop Carlton Pearson from All Souls
Unitarian Church in Tulsa. You will hear the perspective of constitutional scholars who shed light on how the conservative
Christian agenda has emerged to become such a powerful and divisive force in our
politics. The title of the film is American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel. Come
and share this experience. And invite your friends, family and neighbors. We encourage everyone bring at least one
person with them to the screening. We would love for our sanctuary to be filled to
overflowing and look forward to a lively discussion afterwards.
This documentary only shows once. Please don’t miss your chance to see it.
Education Are you registered to vote in Arkan-
sas? To find out got to www.voterview.org If you need help with your voter registration
please contact me: [email protected] or talk to me at UUVC on Sunday. We need all the UUVC Members and Friends to de-
fend Democracy by exercising the right and obligation to vote.
On February 4th you’ll have the op-portunity to enjoy the satirical song styling
of Roy Zimmerman. Roy is a professional singer-song writer, guitarist and satirist. We are fortunate to have him at UUVC. See
you at the concert. On Saturday February 15th UUVC
will present a FREE screening of the award-winning film “American Heretics: The Poli-tics of the Gospel.” This is an important film that features several of our friends from All Souls UU Church in Tulsa Oklaho-
ma. There is much to learn from this film. There will be a Question and Answer period
following the film. Bring a friend or two. The film will start at 3 PM in the Sanctuary.
Plan to arrive early. The doors open at 2:30. There will be no seating once the film starts. The Community Hall will be closed
before, during and after the screening. For a preview of the film go to https://
www.americanhereticsthefilm.com
Adult Education Warren Searls
Social Justice Sue Loberg
Thanks to all of you for your generos-ity each month when we sponsor a local
charity. The leftover funds from our Novem-ber Share the Plate – Christmas Baskets-
were sent to the Village Outreach Shoe Fund. They put a voucher in each basket so the kids have new shoes for Christmas.
Thanks to all for the wonderful dona-tions in December for the Project Hope
Food Bank. We sent them $2983.00 which was the largest monthly collection ever!
Our yearly UUSC’s Guest at Your Ta-ble-collected $580. It is unknown how much was sent directly thru the web site.
We are a generous bunch. Mark your calendar for Feb.15th when
we show the film American Heretics. Hope to see you all there, and re-
member to bring a friend. Maybe you can treat them to a movie and an early dinner.
Hildy Nyberg
April 28, 1930 – November 30, 2019
Ann Simpson
May 7, 1940 – January 14, 2020
UUVC Newsletter February 2020 Theme: Reconciliation Page 3 of 6
Singer/Songwriter
Roy Zimmerman
presenting
RiZeup
Tuesday, February 4th
7:00 PM
UUVC SANCTURY
$20.00 at the door
Coming soon to a theater near you ~
American Heretics
Saturday, February 15th
3:00 PM
UUVC SANCTUARY
FREE to all who attend
Please invite your friends
and neighbors
“Reconciliation is a decision that you take in your heart.”
Ingrid Betancourt
Green Team The UUVC Green Team Gardeners
are focusing on using natures compost to improve the gardens around our church.
Compost helps to lighten clay soil, improve nutrition and retain moisture to decrease watering needs. Jerry Offerman and Terry
Dacus have volunteered to construct a bin from donated wood pallets. The bin will also
be used as a training tool for home garden-ers.
Work has already begun on the Memorial Garden to add color and interest year round. Donations of seeds and plants
from members gardens would be welcome and planted where appropriate. Perennial
plants for shade and sun are needed. Thank you.
Green Team Vivian Walz
Membership Snippets Veronica Zuege
Jerriann and Dane Nielsen will have been members of UUVC for 15 years on
February 20th. Anne Hagen and Brenda & Tom Tirrell are 10 year members. What
members they are! We are so grateful for their presence. There will be a Friends’ Event on
March 25th. If you are interested in becom-ing a member, this will be a fine opportuni-
ty to socialize and learn more about our community. A sign-up sheet will be availa-
ble in a few weeks, but you can call me an-ytime. Thank you to Jim Tripcony! He has
joined out membership team and I am so happy to have him with us.
I hope there is something joyful in your every day.
“Reconciliation should be accompanied by justice; otherwise, it will not last.”
Corazon Aquino
UUVC Newsletter February 2020 Theme: Reconciliation Page 4 of 6
MUSIC NOTES
John Leisenring
The choir welcomes Black History Month on February 2 with a reprise of “I Wanna Be Ready,” followed on February 16 by a wonderful arrangement of a composition
by Blues legend Huddie Ledbetter (aka Leadbelly) – Bring Me Little Water, Silvy.
And watch for a performance of “My Funny Valentine” by Clyde and John. And if
you’ve been considering joining the choir,
or even if you haven’t , please come.
Jazz speaks for life The blues tell the story of life’s difficulties,
and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music,
only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
If you haven’t yet picked up your 2019 report of contributions to UUVC,
please be sure to get your report. There is a sign and box with member and friends
tax statement in the Community Hall. Please be sure to get yours.
In February, an email will be going
out to all members and friends who have pledged to the Operating and/or Building
Funds. The email will provide you with the amount of your pledge and the balance out-
standing. Be on the lookout for your email from Kim Townsan.
Our most recent financials through
December 31 continue to show income ex-ceeding budget, for a net income of
$19,113. Also new in December was the opening of a Money Market account at Re-
gions Bank, as we elected to no longer carry as much cash in our non-interest bearing checking account at Regions.
Treasurer’s Report Kim Townsan
Events Committee Dee Offerman and Stephanie Hubbard
The Events Committee has planned TRIVIA NIGHT on Saturday, February 22,
2020. The event will begin at 5:00pm, with a cost of $10.00 for pizza and snacks.
Please put this date on your calendar as we are looking forward to a fun filled evening. Look for the sign up sheet in the communi-
ty hall on Sundays. We will be playing five rounds with
seven questions in each round. There will be a variety of topics, however, we are not
saying a word! We want everyone to stay in suspense. You will be assigned to a team the
night of the event. We want to ensure a fair playing field. A prize will be awarded to
the winning team. Just put on your think-ing caps, and remember that one of our
rules is to HAVE FUN!!!!
Newsletter Submission Information Please submit as an attachment in
Word format (DOCX). No bullet points, tabs, or indented text, please.
Deadline: The 26th of month prior to publication. Submissions and In-quiries, contact: Cindy Perez at:
The Dispute Mediation Committee stands ready to assist members and friends in re-
solving conflicts which affect their life in the church. For more information click
HERE. Contact Steve Rittenmeyer at 915-0575 or email SD-
Dispute Mediation Steve Rittenmeyer
UUVC Newsletter February 2020 Theme: Reconciliation Page 5 of 6
Service Auction Chair The Service Auction will be Fri-
day, April 24. UUVC needs a Chair for the service auction committee! This is primarily a job of planning oversight and assigning tasks to be done by our many volunteers. Much of the work has already been completed with infor-mation from past auctions. There are past chairs that are willing to assist you with advice and information if needed. If you are good at organization we real-ly could use your help. Please contact: Kim Harrison
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and
him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 18:15
ALL PURPOSE CLEANING SPRAY This formula is great for cleaning counter-
tops and kitchen spills. Vinegar helps re-move any oily film, and the essential oils
are natural antimicrobials. ½ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ tsp. natural liquid dishwashing soap ½ cup water
¼ tsp. lavender essential oil ¼ tsp lemon essential oil
Combine all ingredients together in a spay bottle. Shake well before using.
Green Team “Recipes”
VINEGAR GLASS CLEANER
A combination of white vinegar and water makes an inexpensive yet effective window
and glass cleaner. Adding lemon essential oil gives it a nice fragrance.
2/3 cup water 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
2-4 drops lemon essential oil
Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray onto surfaces and wipe with a clean, dry cloth.
UUVC Members/Friends Pictures From Afar
(Please send us a photo when you are traveling!)
Birthdays 2/8 Ed Miller 2/13 Kim Traw 2/19 Tom Drake 2/19 Tom Tirrell 2/20 Leslie Johnson 2/21 Jerriann Nielsen 2/24 Ron Nance
Anniversaries
2/14 Liz & Ed Miller
2/15 Penny & Doug
Beed
2/23 Ronnie & Lee
Zuege
Grayton Beach, Fl by Cindy Perez
UUVC Newsletter February 2020 Theme: Reconciliation Page 6 of 6
UUVC Principles • The inherent worth and dignity of every person; • Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual
growth; • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process; • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for
all; • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we
About UUVC
UUVC Website: http://www.uuvc.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Video Sermons: https://www.uuvc.org/video-sermons.html
Interest Groups (IGs) Marlene Kloack , Coordinator [email protected], 501-915-9494
For more information on an interest group click here.
Attendance for December Worship Service 233 Insight 194 Total 427 Christmas Eve Service 109 Music on Barcelona 129
Sunday Service Information
Social Hours and Dining Out for 6 Our next Surprise Social Hour will be on February 10, with 42 participants signed up. Sign-ups for the Spring 2020 Dining Out for 6 will begin Febru-ary 2. This series will run from late February through May. Contact Janine Bethscheider at: [email protected]
Fiber Arts - Hooks & Needles Meet in the conference room on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays from 1-3 PM . We welcome any and all forms of “fiber” work. Contact either Marjorie McClesky at: 915-0237 or Suzette Watson at: 922-3382
UUVC Pickleball Meet at the Desoto Pickleball Courts on Thursday evenings from 3-5 PM. Paddles and balls are provided . Contact Dane at: [email protected]
Fourth Friday Film Fest Meet in the Community Hall at 7:00 PM. Popcorn provided! Look for E-blast with current movie. Contact Cloe Bayer at: [email protected]
Mah Jongg Mondays at 1:00 in the community Hall. Leave TerryLynn Marx a message at: 226-5136
Game Night
Mat Making Group Meets in the community hall the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Contact Marilyn Matzek at: 922-4909
Party Bridge Night There is some interest in setting up a Party Bridge Night on a regular basis at UUVC. We'll have a clip board on the sign up table on Sunday mornings. If you might be interested in playing, sign up. We'll figure out days and times as we move forward. Calvin Doody at [email protected] Jerriann at [email protected] Dane at [email protected]
Meditation Look for more information for this upcoming group on the community hall tables. Scheduled to begin next spring.
The December Share was $2983 for the Arkansas Food Bank.
“Reconciliation is a decision that you take in your heart.”
Ingrid Betancourt
Feb 2 Worship/Rev. Walz - When Joy Comes Back “If you place two living heart cells from different people in a Petrie dish, they will in time, find and maintain a third and common beat.” …Molly Voss This force is what makes compassion possible, even probable. For if two cells can find the common pulse beneath every-thing, how much more can our hearts feel when they are full, and all excuses fall away? Perhaps this is the secret – that every time we dare to voice what beats within, we invite some other cell of the heart to find what lives between us and sing.
Feb 9 Insight/ Cheryl Batts - P.H.O.E.B.E. & Black History HS Feb 16 Worship/Rev. Walz - Grief Walker Stephen Jenkinson, in his book Die Wise, reminds us there are no Seven Steps for coping with death. Dying well is a right and a responsibility of everyone. It is not a lifestyle option. It is a moral, political, and spiritual obligation each of us owes to both our ancestors and our heirs.
2/23 Domonique Norman - Bullying