Pete Brook, IUP Professor of Spanish, was the guest speaker on Sunday, May 5. His presentation, “Cinco de Mayo: What It Is and Is Not” gave congregation members insight to the historical importance of this day. Brooks went on to contrast the celebration festivities as they occur in Mexico and in the U.S. Sara Steelman, Worship Leader; and Lori Rittle, pianist, completed the service with closing music, “Himno National Mexicano” (the Mexican National Anthem).

Former Spanish instructor, Judith Yothers, with assistance by Jaunita Burdette, read the Story for All Ages to the children and congregation on May 5th. After giving a quick Spanish introduction to colors of the Mexican flag, she went on to enthusiastically read “Cinco de Mouse-O” by Judy Cox.

A Cinco de Mayo themed annual Spring Goods and Services Auction will be Saturday, May 11th. Doors open at 6 p.m. and auction begins at 7 p.m. with Michael R. Charnego, auctioneer. Holding a few of the auction items are First UU members: Pete Brooks, seated; Rev. Joan M. Sabatino; Don Lancaster, and Faye Bradwick. The community is welcome to have fun with the festivities including door prizes, Tex-Mex food, and refreshments. This year a 2001 Dodge Caravan and a baby grand piano are among the goods to be auctioned. Other goods include, but are limited to: unique antiques, new household and personal items, artesian crafts, desserts, artwork, jewelry, themed baskets, and much more. Services Auction items include, but are limited to: dinners prepared and served in the privacy of purchaser’s home, a Philadelphia weekend vacation home, lessons on a variety of topics such as dancing, felting, computing, gardening, and photography tips. In addition to the formal auction, more than 40 items will be available for silent bidding.

Several IUP First UU student-members participated in the annual Chalk on the Walk event at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  The annual event encourages students to create a social or political message in chalk on sidewalks in the IUP Oak Grove.  A flame within a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot), represents the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and is a symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith. The students chose the chalice, words, and rainbow background to express their social message for their composition.

Changing times, well that’s for sure?  When I look around at the world in which I live, I see radical fundamentalists on all sides, and a grave uneasiness for those of us in between.  All of the foundations I have depended on throughout my life seem to be cracking.  This causes me some concern about the future for my children and for the members of my congregation that I love so much.  And yet, in most cases, moving away from the hierarchical, patriarchal, misogynist, racist, classist  divisions in our world is a good thing.  If the world that is being created turns out to be a better one, I’m all for it.

Yet change is never easy and discernment is always critical for direction, especially in institutions.  Without vision and thoughtful consideration of alternative paths many institutional ships just go around in circles.  At First UU, even the foundation of Unitarian Universalism is shifting and discerning a path that works for this congregation in the midst of the “changing times” is our necessary work over the next few months.

The documentary that I mentioned last Sunday and that was to have been viewed at District Assembly (if the technology had worked) is the CBS Documentary “Religions and Spirituality in a Changing World.”  Follow the link below and share your thoughts.

Oh, no. A Borough backhoe just arrived in my front yard!!! Not sure what’s going on but my experience last summer with the re-make of the bridge in order to moderate the flow of the creek that flows down my property line was not positive.

Off to talk with the guys . . . . .

Holding you all in my heart
Rev joan

In my sermon yesterday, I talked about taking risks across the chasms of our lives that keep us from being the best we can be.  As humans we all experience these situations when doubt or worry paralyzes us.  For me, it has been writing a blog.  A fear of being too exposed.  In preparing my sermon on “Stretching Beyond the Comfort Zone,” I came to understand my need to practice what I’m preaching and take the risk of starting a blog.  If our congregation is committed to attracting more members, this may we one of the ways to accomplish our goal.  Ok, the first words have been sent to cyberspace . . . . we’ll see where it goes?

May your day be blessed with the power of spring rains to bring new growth into your yard and your life.  Rev joan

On Sunday, April 21, the service title, Seeds, Webs, and Hope: An Earth Day Intergenerational Service with Rev. Joan M. Sabatino, Josiah Gromley, Swana Chepaitis and the Religious Education Children and Adults encouraged full participation of the congregation as they were invited to decorate the sanctuary’s Earth Day Altar with an item or two which reflected the Earth to them. Many were creative as they thought of the earth as Mother, earth as Scientific Reality, and the earth as the grand mystery of life and rebirth. Children took part in planting seeds for the Children’s Garden. In addition, “webs” were created by the congregation with natural and man-made items. These two adorned webs are now hanging in the sanctuary.

Faye Bradwick, guest spoke on the topic of “Render to Caesar.” On Sunday, April 14, on the eve of the United States’ “Tax Day”, the congregation was asked to reflect on the importance of giving from what they have for the greater good. Pauline Simms, Worship Associate; and Lori Rittle, pianist, completed the service with joy.

The first “Unitarian Universalists “Lovin’ Downtown Every Second” occurred on Friday, April 12, when more than twenty members and friends met for dinner at Spaghetti Benders on Philadelphia Street. With great fortune, “Grist for the Mill” was scheduled to perform on the same night. A great time was had by all!

On Saturday evening, April 6, Andrew Shingledecker, played guitar and piano live in the church sanctuary. Andrew is a local artist and songwriter and covers popular music from Tom Petty to Beatles to Leonard Cohen The event was hosted by the First UU Board of Trustees. Snacks and beverages were available throughout the evening. The music along with friends made the evening fun and relaxing for all.

The meeting of the first satellite branch of the First UU of Indiana took place on the Clarion University campus on Thursday, March 28. Rev. Joan M. Sabatino, was greeted by a number of interested students and faculty members at the university. Seated to the left of Rev. Sabatino is Sandy Wilson, coordinator for the Clarion branch. Standing behind Ms. Wilson is First UU of Indiana Board of Trustees president, Liz Cook. The evening was the first of three UU101 discussions to take place at CU. The goals of the series includes getting to know other members and friends of First UU as well as Clarion; learning about UU History and the History of the First UU Church of Indiana; and considering what it means to belong to our church. Future meetings will take place on April 4 and 7th, at 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Harvey Hall.

Unitarian Universalist musician, composer, and activist, Jim Scott, brought his contemporary and multicultural music to First UU on Sunday, March 31. Jim along with Rev. Joan M. Sabatino embraced the service’s topic, Leaning Toward the Sun – Rebirth & Renewal. Jim has shared his talents in more than 500 UU churches over 27 years. His much loved “Gather the Spirit” and a number of others are included in UU hymn books and are a favorite of our choir and congregation. In concerts and Sunday services, Jim speaks with passion on ecology, justice and peace. His lyrical poetry and stories are calls to action, full of hope and gentle wit. The First UU choir under the direction of Jane Potter Baumer along with pianist, Matt Baumer, made for a lively musical experience for all in attendance. Jim Scott is shown sharing his song, “Gather the Spirit” while choir member, Don Lancaster, looks on.

The Religious Education students along with parents and teachers decided to personally assist with the March social justice project, The Alice Paul House, Indiana. The group started the process of creating sock animals to give to the children who will be served by The Alice Paul House. After the group began the project in the evening on March 1, all students enrolled in the RE program finished the project during Sunday education time on March 3. Shown in the photo with some of their “animals” in the front row are Lily Boulard, Hannah Baumer, and Lucy and Henry Powers. Sitting are Stella Chepaitis, Rachel Okey, Haylee Baumer, India Krug, Danielle Rosenberger, and Nicholas Chepaitas. Shown standing are Gabrielle Kennedy, Swana Chepaitis, Heather and Mike Powers, and Donna Rosenberger.

Our Annual Easter Tree Tradition Lives On ~ This year the children at First UU made lovely new decorations for the Easter tree, continuing an important church tradition. Our annual Easter tree tradition began on Easter Sunday in 1994. That particular Sunday was also the first Sunday that we held a church service in our newly built church. A huge branch filled with blossoms had snapped off during a storm and was brought into the sanctuary. Those children present delighted in decorating this branch in celebration of a new beginning.

The congregation was in awe of this colorful Easter tree. The Easter tree provided a welcome sight in the unfinished sanctuary with its bare cement floors, unpainted walls, and only folding chairs brought from home. The children who decorated that first Easter tree 19 years ago are now adults who still fondly remember their role in helping to create a beautiful sanctuary on the very first Sunday in our new church home.

Over the years, the Easter decorating tradition continues. About a week or two ahead of Easter, Bob Rittle brings branches inside from trees at the church that are now mature and need pruning. The branches are secured in a large bucket of water with bricks, so that the buds will begin to open by Easter. Church members also bring in egg-type decorations from their travels to represent our connections to all areas of the world. Even very young children love seeing the tree in the sanctuary near Easter, and hanging their hand-made ornaments on it and those made by Sunday school children over the years. The Easter tree stays up for at least a week so it is present the next Sunday when the tree buds are more fully in bloom. As Easter approaches each year, many First UU children ask if they will be decorating another Easter tree, and they are always delighted to know that this tradition lives on.

After the violence at a Sikh temple last Fall, UUA President Peter Morales suggested Unitarian Universalist learn about the Sikh religion. First UU welcomed to our pulpit on March 3, Harold Morales, IUP Religious Studies Professor, who helped us understand this often misunderstood Sikh religion. Rev. Sabatino is shown with Morales during conversation time immediately following service.

In honor of Black History Month, on Sunday, February 24th, Wang Xi, IUP Professor of African American History, reflected on the Emancipation Proclamation. Patti Holmes, Worship Associate, lead the service entitled “History Remembered.”

Quilt Show Exhibit Open to Public

The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Indiana is currently featuring
its annual quilt show in its sanctuary. The show entitled, “The Warmth of
Community,” is made up of finely crafted historic and contemporary quilts.
These locally owned and hand-crafted quilts represent many aspects of
living. The public is welcome to spend some time viewing this art form on
Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Fridays from 10:00 a.m.
- 3:00 p.m., and Sundays from 11:30 AM – 1:30 p.m. Lucy McInnes, First UU
member, and Sid Reger, First UU quilt show coordinator, are shown with
Lucy’s quilt which was created by her grandmother upon the completion of
Lucy’s high school education.

Rev. Joan is shown speaking during the Martin Luther King celebration at
Grace United Methodist Church held after the MLK Freedom March in downtown
Indiana on January 19th.  ”The Beloved Community” was the theme for this
year’s event sponsored by the Indiana County NAACP.  The IC NAACP’s planning
committee included Patricia Holmes, Chris Catalfamo, Roger and Cheryl
Briscoe, Mayor George Hood, and Sandra Williams. Many First UU members and
friends were in attendance at the event.

First UU members shown at the sound booth with the new equipment are designer and builder, Bill Heberer; minister, Rev. Sabatino; and Corbin Krug, audio-technician.

The First UU Church was awarded the competitive Chalice Lighter Call grant from the Ohio-Meadville District last summer. With this grant, the First UU hopes to serve many individuals by developing satellite congregations in surrounding rural communities throughout western Pennsylvania. In August, David Petras, OMD Board President, presented the congregation with a check in the amount of $3,050. With the First UU Endowment Fund’s $4,500 contribution and a special congregation collection, the first phase of this project began. These monies were used to purchase and install state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment in our church sanctuary. During this phase, the audio-visual station was designed to blend with our worship space and pulpit. While becoming proficient at recording sermons, Rev. Joan M. Sabatino has been meeting and developing relationships with individuals in potential satellite locations. In addition to serving satellite congregations, the audio-visual equipment in our sanctuary permits First UU to serve current members who are homebound and those involved in our Religions Education Program by providing an audio compact disk of the sermon each week.

The second phase of this project will include the purchase of additional equipment including a video camera for our sanctuary, and a projector and screen or television and disk player for each of the satellite locations. Another possibility we are considering is the purchase of state-of-the-art hearing enhancement equipment for our sanctuary. Funding for this second phase has been agreed to by the First UU Board and Endowment Committee. Reaching out for possible future grants is also a possibility.

The congregation of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Indiana, 285 Twolick Drive, finished their December social justice project to support the Indiana County residents through the ICCAP program. Members and friends of the First UU donated money, non-perishable food, and household items at their recent Sunday services. Along with the items shown, $251 was donated. Representing the congregation’s members are Sarah Wheeler; Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler; Rev. Joan M. Sabatino, minister; and Lois Young, member.

During a recent Sunday worship service at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Indiana, the Baumer Studio Treble Choir shared holiday musical selections including “Carol of the Bells,” “Candlelight Cannon,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “El Noi de la Mar,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Winter Wonderland.” The seasonal songs were appropriate for Rev. Joan M.Sabatino’s sermon, The Christmas Spirit. Shown is The Baumer Studio Treble Choir, right to left, bottom to top, clockwise: Callie Bland, Hannah Baumer, Haley Baumer, Cecilia Sherwood, India Krug, Jessica Morse, Emma Bland, Grace McGee, Ella Ferguson, and Jane Potter Baumer, director.

Thanks to Stella Chepaitis being incredibly persistent, First UU now has a functioning bird bath in the memorial garden. Last May Stella discovered that the bird bath leaked, and asked Kay Snyder if it could be repaired. Kay told her it could not be repaired, but promised to take Stella to buy another bird feeder top. In spite of Stella patiently bringing up the subject on various occasions, it took six months before Kay managed to take Stella to look for a replacement. After an unsuccessful search, Stella convinced Kay that they should talk to Bill Heberer, who said that the leaking bird feeder could actually be fixed and promptly resurfaced it. When Stella was asked what we all might learn from what happened, she said that adults should listen to children more – and to each other. Stella now wants to help find other things at the church that should be improved. Thank you, Stella, for your good work and for wisely reminding us to listen to children and each other.

The church will hold its annual Holiday Bazaar and Café from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1, featuring local artisans. There will be fiber art, textile crafts, hand-thrown pottery, silver and stone jewelry, holiday ornaments, origami boxes, knitted items, children’s crafts, holiday cards, and Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, and olive oil, baked goods, soup and waffles. Pictured, from left, are Hannah Baumer, Stella Chepaitis, Haley Baumer, bake sale and café helpers; Michelle Greene, bake sale coordinator; Liz Cook, Dawn Zeligman, Cindy Rogers, Chere Winnek-Shawer, and Barb Howe, representative artisans.

The congregation of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Indiana (First UU) Social Justice Project during 2010 – 2012 was the Indiana Free Library. By choosing to collaborate with the Indiana Free Library, the following Unitarian Universalism principles were addressed: The inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in the society at large. Participation in this social justice project was completed by volunteering in the IFL activities and financially supporting the Indiana Free Library to bring about the enhancement of this essential resource to continue to serve Indiana. The outcome of the First UU Social Project was the purchase of new digital display over the front door of the library. The digital display will be used to inform community residents of activities and fundraising opportunities the library has to offer. Shown on the steps of the IFL in front of the digital display are Kate Geiger, library director; Rev. Joan M. Sabatino, First UU minister; and Sherry Kuckuck, library trustee president.

Many members of the church continued their support of the Indiana Free
Library by attending the library’s annual fundraiser, Evening in the Stacks,
on Friday, November 2.  Those who gathered on the steps of the library at 7
p.m. under the new digital display system funded by First UU’s social
justice project are Jaunita Burdette, Patti Holmes, Bob Rittle, Judith
Yothers, Kay Snyder, Don Lancaster, Faye Bradwick, Gary Olmstead, and Rev.
Joan Sabatino.

The First Unitarian Universalist Church board of trustee president, Liz Cook, center, and sons, Joey and Javan, are shown with Fair Trade Equal Exchange Interfaith Program coffees, cocoa, chocolates, and olive oil available for sale at the 285 Twolick Drive church. In addition, orders can be made from the catalogue located at the church which features all Equal Exchange products. The First UU Church office is open on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and these products may be purchased during those times. For more information, check out www.firstuu-indianapa.org,

Today may be the perfect time to check out these Fair Trade Equal Exchange products. When you buy Fair Trade products, you support livable wages for farmers and environmentally friendly farming practices, and you get higher-quality products. Fair Trade is an ethical partnership between consumers and producers worldwide. Food and other products that are fairly traded support the farmers and artisans who produce them, their workers and communities and the environment. More than one million farmers and workers in 58 developing countries currently participate in Fair Trade. Farmers who participate in Fair Trade receive decent living wages for their products, enabling them to support their families and create stronger communities. The practice encourages democratic decision-making, transparency and accountability in business relationships, independence and gender equality. It ensures that people work in safe conditions, without practices that jeopardize their health or well-being. There are many environmental benefits of Fair Trade, too. Participating farmers use sustainable farming practices — the use of harmful chemicals and GMOs are prohibited, and soil and water conservation practices are encouraged. This helps protect ecosystems and reduces global warming. Fair Trade also supports the production of high-quality products. By encouraging small-scale farming and production techniques, including organic agriculture and hand-made crafts items, cost-cutting practices become less necessary, which results in better quality. You can support Fair Trade by requesting Fair Trade foods at restaurants, bakeries, and stores; talking with others about the importance of Fair Trade, and giving Fair Trade products as gifts; encouraging your community to become involved with Fair Trade.

The First Unitarian Universalist Church’s minister, Rev. Joan M. Sabatino, is shown a sharing a special story with the children of the congregation as part of The Annual Water Ingathering Ceremony. This ceremony brings together in community all ages as members blend the waters they’ve collected over the summer with the water of previous years in a special ceremony of homecoming and connection. Special music featured the First UU Choir under the direction of Jane Potter Baumer with piano accompaniment by Matt Baumer. After the service, members and guests enjoyed a picnic in the church’s backyard. The First UU religious education children contributed vegetables and flowers gathered from their summer garden located on the church grounds to the picnic buffet table.

Teachers and children were recently recognized for their dedication to the
Religious Education studies.

Giant Eagle & Martin’s Gift Cards are available for sale in the sanctuary
before and after each Sunday service or by contacting Rev. Joan at
724-464-5352.

Patti Holmes, Worship Service Leader, led the “Music: A Healing Art” Sunday
Service with the congregation recently.