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Please scroll down to see past 2008 programs |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for December
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December 7, 2008 – Renowned Actress and
Storyteller, Dolores Hydock will present, Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory”. |
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December 11, 2008 – The Winter
Solstice Service will be at 7:00 p.m. Candlelight and harp music presented
by accomplished harpist, Annette Harmon. Refreshments following the
program. |
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| December 14, 2008 – Gerald Crawford, retired Professor of Marketing at the University of North Alabama and a member of the UU congregation will present a program on his recent trips to China and Taiwan. He will present photographs and commentary on topics that include dynamic growth, changing political and social thinking, higher educational system and religious practices. Time will be provided for questions and discussion. |
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December 21, 2008 – Local musician and
songwriter, David Walton will present an acoustic musical program on guitar and
bamboo flute. |
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December 28, 2008 – Dr. Thomas Kersen,
Professor of Sociology at Jackson State in Jackson, MS and former member of the
UU congregation will present, “Marching with Prometheus or schlepping with
Epimetheus?” A Unitarian Universalist reflects on the year that has ended
and what this may foretell for the coming year. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for November
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November 2, 2008 – Rev. Gene Kreves, will
present “The Rhetoric and The Reality” ( A Critical View of Our Nation and Its
Challenges). A sharing of our thoughts and feelings as we prepare to vote
in the presidential election. |
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November 9, 2008 – Bill Parkhurst
will present, “Pragmatism, Mysticism- Thoughts by a UU Pilgrim”. As a
legacy UU, my bumpy path to a set of religion-like beliefs, covers a lot of
ground. Like good science, everything is subject to revision or even wholesale
change. Still, a pattern does eventually emerge and frequent testing
challenges this pattern on an everyday basis. Flexibility, curiosity and a
good sense of humor are most helpful. |
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November 16, 2008 –
Melinda McCoy, Prevention Program Manager with Safeplace will present a program
on domestic abuse and the work of Safeplace. |
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November 23, 2008 –
Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, “The Story
of Irving Berlin.” Beginning with the biography by Berlin by Algonquin wit
Alexander Woolcott, this presentation will focus on composer Berlin and his
contribution to American popular culture though music like “White Christmas.” |
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November 30, 2008
– Phil and Karen Hamilton will present a musical program on piano and guitar of
contemporary pop tunes.
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for October
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October 5, 2008 – Danny
Upton, Executive Director of Equality Alabama will present, “Immigrant Justice:
the Biblical mandate to be in ministry to the sojourner in our midst”.
Danny Upton is a native of Madison County and a 1995 graduate of Hazel Green
High School. He earned a BA at Birmingham-Southern College where he
studied Spanish, political science, and religion, prior to going o n to law
school at the University of Alabama. In 2002, Danny started working as a
missionary attorney for Justice For Our Neighbors, a program of the United
Methodist Committee on Relief which provides free legal representation to
particularly vulnerable immigrants such as refugees and asylum-seekers who have
fled their homelands on account of persecution, children who are unaccompanied
by their parents or other adult caregivers, and victims of domestic abuse, human
trafficking and sexual exploitation. In 2007, he became the first
executive director of Equality Alabama, the statewide GLBT equality
organization. |
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October 12, 2008 – Dr. Larry
Bates, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Alabama, will present,
“Religious Machinery”. Ancient Hebrew stories, old films, and current
movies warn us about the fallacy of belief in any structure that provides
yellow-bricked paths to utopia. But these stories all seem to be trumpets
for which we are deaf. Many religious groups have taken mechanistic
characteristics, great machines that require sacrifice of our minds, our
freedom, and our dollars. This message looks from Babylon to space to
examine religious machinery. |
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October 19, 2008 – Daphne
Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at Auburn University at Montgomery, will
present, “The Algonquin Round Table”. When Harold Ross asked Dorothy
Parker why she hadn’t turned in her dead lined assignment for The New Yorker,
the impish writer replied, “Someone had my pencil.” Famous for quips and
acerbic commentary on city life, the arts, and people’s behavior, Parker, like
other voices around the Algonquin Round Table, sharpened her view and her wit in
the company of the writers and artists of the day – many of whom were regular
contributors to The New Yorker. This presentation will focus on voices
that made up the famous Algonquin Round Table. |
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October 26, 2008 – Dr. Lisa
Jennings, Vascular Research Scientist at UT- Memphis and Lay Minister for the
Unitarian Universalist Church of the River in Memphis, Tennessee, will bring the
morning message.
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for September
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| September 7, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Creative Writing at AUM, will present, "Moths to the Flame: The New Yorker and its Young Staff". Writers and artists came to work at the magazine like moths to the flame, writes James Thurber in his odd essay-styled biography of The New Yorker's founder Harold Ross. But the flame was not the larger-than-life personality of the legendary Harold Ross ( though they still talk about him there!). Rather, it was the artistic character of The New Yorker itself that drew writers, and which was originally conceived by Ross to be a local magazine that attempted to capture the everyday folk and quality of life of a metropolitan city. Of course, the magazine grew to become a flame that attracted readers, writers and artists worldwide-- writers who would leave behind culture-changing bodies of work like James Thurber and E.B. White. This presentation will take a look at The New Yorker in its infancy and selected contributors who grew up there. |
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September 14, 2008 - The congregation will celebrate
the "Blending of the Waters" service. Members and visitors are encouraged
to bring water from their summer travels to share in the service. Many
Unitarian Universalist Congregations in the past would close for the summer and
then reopen in the fall. They would bring water to pour into a
common vessel from their many travels to commemorate their coming back together
as a faith community. If you did not travel this summer, water gathered
from home is just fine! |
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September 21, 2008 - Cynthia Alby, Professor of
Education at Georgia College and State University at Milledgeville, GA will
present, "Slowness: Three Variations on a Theme". I've long thought that
we lead lives that are unnecessarily hectic, but on a recent research trip to
Sweden, that point was really driven home. I found there an amazing
example of an entire culture who live lives that are significantly more relaxed
and less stressful than our own. Upon returning home, I renewed my
interest in studying two international movements related to slowing down and
improving one's quality of life: voluntary simplicity and slow food. I'd
like to share with you what I've learned so far about how it might be possible
to live a better life by putting on the brakes sometimes. |
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September 28, 2008 - [Rescheduled for October] Bill Parkhurst, longtime member
of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals, will present,
"Pragmatism, Mysticism- Thoughts by a UU Pilgrim". |
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| September 28, 2008 - Gerald and Cindy Crawford will present a slideshow about the people and the rugged beauty of Alaska. The Crawfords spent most of July and August traveling in Alaska with a group of RV enthusiasts from the "lower 48." The photographic presentation will focus on the vivid history, the wild fauna and flora, and on the native and more recent settlers who call Alaska their home. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for August
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August 3, 2008 - Ken Sizemore, singer/songwriter
from Panama City, Florida will present, " For the Love of the Earth". A
program of music about the beauty of nature and concern for the environment. |
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August 10, 2008 - Annette Harman will present a
program of sacred music on the harp. Annette is a Music Therapist by trade
and a very talented musician and singer. She is originally from Virginia,
but now makes her home in the Shoals. |
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August 17, 2008 - Dr. Lisa Jennings, Vascular
Research Scientist at UT-Memphis and Lay Minister with the Unitarian
Universalist Church of the River in Memphis will present the program. |
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August 31, 2008 - Frank Casper, member of the
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta since 1993 and currently a lay
minister of his congregation will present, "Faith in Film". A tour of
religious themes or declarations in an array of popular movies. The sermon
will focus on Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life", but will reference a number
of other films, like Deliverance, The Matrix, and others, by way of contrast and
development. You needn't to have seen these films in order to enjoy the
sermon. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for July
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| July 6, 2008 - Scott and Kristal Riddle will present, "A Trip Around the World". Scott and Kristal left the Shoals for a 100 day trip around the world on March 13, 2008 and returned 100 days later with adventures to share. Come hear about those adventures! |
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| July 13, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Writing, will present, "Conversations on the Road to Emmaus". Inspired by the last chapter in Luke and the book of James in the New Testament, this presentation will explore the social reformer Jesus discovered and reported by Joan Crittister in her book In Search of Belief. The controversial writer reports that it was a long road for her from law to conscience. She is not the only one who travels that road. This presentation will weigh the legacy of Jesus as a social reformer where "mercy triumphs over judgment" every time. |
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| July 20, 2008 - Local band, the Blue Navigators will open the Handy Festival for the UUCS with a program of rock, folk, blues and more. |
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| July 27, 2008 - Dr. Lisa Jennings, Lay Minister with the UU Church on the River in Memphis, Tennessee will be the speaker. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for June
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| June 1, 2008 - Dr. Lisa Jennings, Lay Minister from the UU Church on the River in Memphis, Tennessee will be the speaker. |
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June 8, 2008 - Flower Communion. The UUCS will
celebrate the annual flower communion service. Members and visitors are
asked to bring a flower to with them to share in the service.
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| June 15, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Writing, will present, "America's Will Rogers". Will Rogers didn't leave his home to join the circus, but his wanderlust (not hampered by his severe sea sickness) did not keep him from traveling the globe as a young man and eventually joining the circus where he developed the beginning of an act with his rope tricks. Billed initially as The Cherokee Kid, Rogers found his voice through entertaining audiences, and it was his voice that he developed and produced nuggets of wisdom that connected with the American audiences who fell in love with what he had to say -- and how he said it. |
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| June 22, 2008 - Dr. Tina Hubler, Professor of Biology at UNA will be the speaker. |
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June 29, 2008 - Marylou Kreves, local
storyteller will be the speaker.
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for May
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May 4, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, Professor of
Writing at AUM, will present, "Ring Lardner & Co". Observed by Virginia
Woolf as an American writer whose prose was the best that "had come our
way" Ring Lardner was a short story writer who had his roots in sports
journalism. He regularly resisted the influence of Maxwell Perkins who
would have shaped his career differently by challenging Lardner to
become a novelist. Lardner followed the money instead, and his career
as a short story writer grew accordingly. Other writers in the orbit of
Perkins whose work shaped the landscape of American literature include
Taylor Caldwell and Marcia Davenport. This presentation will take a
historical view of Lardner primarily but reintroduce Caldwell and
Davenport as well.
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May 11, 2008 - Dolores Hydock, Actress and
Storyteller, will present, "Summer Holidays" -- Three stories about a high
school graduation, Father's Day and one called "Age Before Beauty", a story
of gardens, birthdays and becoming the old lady in the neighborhood
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May 18, 2008 - Annette Harman, Music Therapist
and accomplished harpist will present a program on the harp.
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| May 25, 2008 - David Walton, local songwriter and musician, will present a program of original compositions on the acoustic guitar and bamboo flute. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for April
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| April 6, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Writing, will present, "Maxwell Perkins: Editor to Literary Geniuses" In this presentation, we will explore the legacy of Perkins' with relationship to Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Wolfe and how Perkins's vision and editorial support shaped American literature through these men of letters. |
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| April 13, 2008 - Dr. Larry Bates, Professor of Psychology at UNA, will present, "Religious Struggles". Everyone who lives a few years understands the certainty of struggles. Neither the religious nor nonreligious have a corner market on suffering. However, religion provides a filter through which we interpret these struggles and how we attribute cause. The significance of our struggles are often mediated by our religious views. The purpose of this talk is to examine a few common religious or spiritual struggles in the context of differential responses as a function of religion. |
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| April 20, 2008 - Bill Parkhurst, retired TVA chemist and member of the UUCS, will present a program on Earth Day. |
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April 27, 2008 - Danny Upton, first Executive
Director of Equality Alabama will discuss the organization and the gay civil
rights movement in Alabama.
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for March
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| March 2, 2008 - Dolores Hydock, nationally known actress and storyteller, will present, "Dreamers and Deadbeats: Famous Slackers from American Authors". |
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March
9, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Writing at AUM, will present,
"Struggling To Become Your Self" While Jung holds out the now classic idea
that fully evolved selves are individuated people who have harmoniously
reconciled the many differences found inside themselves, many of us keep
struggling along with inconsistencies in our behaviors that don't match our
goals or even reflect what we think of as wisdom. We can mistakenly believe
that struggling along is a sign of failure. Not so!
Extrapolating from three
memoirs by Daniel Gottlieb, Joan Chittister, and Phyllis Green, this
presentation will glean wisdom from others' struggles -- survivors of
different kinds of struggling who testify that their hardships have produced
in them an ultimately more hopeful life.
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| March 16, 2008 - Ken Sizemore, singer and songwriter from Panama City, Florida will present an acoustic musical program entitled, "John Denver- A Song's Best Friend". |
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| March 23, 2008 - Rev. Gene Kreves, retired Unitarian Universalist minister, will present, "The Roots of Resurrection Mythology". This presentation takes a walk back through history to try to determine how the idea of a resurrection from the dead ever got started. What is it today that sustains the faith in resurrection? We will look for an answer to what we can make of this holy day in our time and with our secular persuasion. Is Easter, for us, one of those quaint holy days that should be put aside and relegated to the past, or does it have perennial meaning? |
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| March 30, 2008 - Dr. Thomas Kersen, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Alabama, will present "The Torchlit Path to the Beloved Community". The presentation focuses on the life of Rev. Alfred W. Hobart, a Unitarian -Universalist minister, who was deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham in the late 1950s-early 1960s. Kersen will briefly describe Hobart's life why he is important to the Shoals area. Then, the actual process of analysis used to study Hobart's sermons and other materials will be discussed. Next, Kersen will describe some themes that have emerged from the study. Finally, he will offer some concluding thoughts about the study and its relevance for both scholars and the society at large. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for February
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February 3, 2008 - Dolores Hydock, nationally known actress and storyteller, will present, "Lessons in Love" A collection of funny and tender love stories about the hazards of young love, the wisdom of lifelong love, and the adventures in-between. |
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| February 10, 2008 - Dr. Lisa Jennings, Professor of Vascular Research at UT Memphis and Unitarian Universalist Lay Minister, will present, "The Heart of the Modern World". The heart is often used as a metaphor for a person's innermost core or spiritual center. How do we cultivate matters of the heart in the modern world? |
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February 17, 2008 -
Schedule change... Daphne
Simpkins has has been very sick and will not be able to come on Sunday, Feb 17.
She sends her apologies and is looking forward to seeing us all in March. Toni
has arranged for Annette Harman to play the harp for us this Sunday. I hope you
can all come and enjoy some wonderful music. (Previously scheduled - Daphne Simpkins, Professor of Writing at AUM, will present, "Maxwell Perkins: Editor to Geniuses". Relying upon A. Scott Berg's exquisite biography of Maxwell Perkins as a primary source, this presentation will examine Perkins's profound relationship with literary giants: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Wolfe.) |
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| February 24, 2008 - The Blue Navigators will present an electic musical program ranging from blues and rock to country and folk songs. The band is made up of members, Toni and Kenneth Brooks, Tim Kelley and Ernie Fite. |
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals -2008 - Calendar of Events for January
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January 6, 2008 - Belinda Dennis, Director of "Audrey's Closet" will speak on the organization. Audrey's Closet is located in Cherokee, Alabama and works with the needs of foster children in Franklin, Colbert, Limestone and Lauderdale counties to provide transition needs that foster parents cannot afford. This year they assisted 31 children with Christmas presents. They also provide "Welcome to Our Home" backpacks for the children, prom dresses, class rings and items such as these. |
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January 13, 2008 - J.C. Hester will present, "The Benefits of Hemp". This presentation will discuss the history of hemp, products made from hemp; the how and why hemp came to be outlawed. |
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January 20, 2008 - Daphne Simpkins, AUM Professor of Writing, will present, " Maxwell Perkins: Editor to Geniuses". Relying upon A. Scott Berg's exquisite biography of Maxwell Perkins as a primary source, this presentation will examine Perkin's profound relationship with literary giants: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Wolfe. |
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January 27, 2008- Scott Holshouser will present a program of selected music. He has been the orchestra keyboardist for the Houston Symphony since 1980 and is accompanist for the Houston Symphony Chorus. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, he began his musical training in Athens, Georgia with Ina Gerchefski. While attending Florida State University he studied with Leonard Mastrogiacomo and continued studies in Houston with Abbey Simon. With the Houston Symphony he has played over 25 solo performances ranging from Bach and Mozart to Gershwin, and played the Schubert F minor Fantasy for two pianists several times with Christoph Eschenbach in concerts. He has been a staff pianist for the Houston Opera and Houston Ballet, and currently serves as staff accompanist for the Houston Symphony auditions, and the Corpus Christi and Kingsville, Texas national music competitions. He is a regular participant in the Grand Teton music festival, playing orchestra and chamber music. He has taught piano on the faculty of the University of Houston. He and his wife, Eileen have one son, Sean. He is the son of UU member B.J. Cale. |
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Services begin at 11 a.m., Coffee hour follows service. |