Dear Friends,
It is with unspeakable sadness to inform you that the Bishop Árpád Szabó has passed away early this morning. May he rest in peace!
Rev. Sándor Máthé
Brassó, Transylvania
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Monday, 30 August 2010
ICUU Exec meets in Philipinnes
Hi folks,
Here is a link to 25 photos from our visit to local congregations and the ICUU 2010 Councilo Meeting site. I'll post a story in a day or so.
Brian
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271566&id=668711040&l=f9c7370707
Here is a link to 25 photos from our visit to local congregations and the ICUU 2010 Councilo Meeting site. I'll post a story in a day or so.
Brian
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271566&id=668711040&l=f9c7370707
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Join Us For Online ICUU Special Meeting Sept 28
Join us for a Webinar on September 28
The Executive Committee hereby calls a special general meeting of the ICUU Council for Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 12.30 pm GMT for the agenda below. The meeting will be conducted online through any computer with a web browser and an internet connection. It is expected the meeting will conclude no later than 2.30 pm GMT.
(Sample Local Times:
USA Eastern Time 7.30 am
South Australia 9.00 pm
Continental Europe 1.30 pm
Philippines 7.30 pm
Please check equivalent local time in your area)
This meeting is free and open to council members and observers. All participants must register in advance using the Gotowebinar invitation circulated via ICUUMlist. Council members/proxies must complete and return a delegate form to be able to vote during the meeting.
AGENDA
1. Welcome from President
2. Guidance on Gotowebinar (Exec Sec)
3. Determination of Quorum (Pres & Exec Sec)
4. It is proposed that section 4. MEETINGS of the ICUU Constitution be revised to read:
The Council shall hold a general meeting biannually, no earlier than eighteen months following the previous general meeting and no later than thirty months following the previous general meeting. A quorum shall consist of more than half the member groups.
And Section 1: General Meetings of ARTICLE II : MEETINGS of the ICUU Bylaws be revised to read:
The General Meeting of the Council shall be held at such place and on such days as the Executive Committee may by resolution determine.”
(The current versions: 4. MEETINGS The Council shall meet every second year. A quorum shall consist of more than half the member groups. SECTION I. GENERAL MEETINGS The General Meeting of the Council shall be held every other year at such place and on such days as the Executive Committee may by resolution determine.)
5. Report on developments since the last Council meeting and on plans for the next Council Meeting –
6. Opportunity for questions and discussion
Title: Special ICUU Council Meeting
Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM BST
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Reserve your Webinar seat now by going to the following wweb address:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/639572329
The Executive Committee hereby calls a special general meeting of the ICUU Council for Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 12.30 pm GMT for the agenda below. The meeting will be conducted online through any computer with a web browser and an internet connection. It is expected the meeting will conclude no later than 2.30 pm GMT.
(Sample Local Times:
USA Eastern Time 7.30 am
South Australia 9.00 pm
Continental Europe 1.30 pm
Philippines 7.30 pm
Please check equivalent local time in your area)
This meeting is free and open to council members and observers. All participants must register in advance using the Gotowebinar invitation circulated via ICUUMlist. Council members/proxies must complete and return a delegate form to be able to vote during the meeting.
AGENDA
1. Welcome from President
2. Guidance on Gotowebinar (Exec Sec)
3. Determination of Quorum (Pres & Exec Sec)
4. It is proposed that section 4. MEETINGS of the ICUU Constitution be revised to read:
The Council shall hold a general meeting biannually, no earlier than eighteen months following the previous general meeting and no later than thirty months following the previous general meeting. A quorum shall consist of more than half the member groups.
And Section 1: General Meetings of ARTICLE II : MEETINGS of the ICUU Bylaws be revised to read:
The General Meeting of the Council shall be held at such place and on such days as the Executive Committee may by resolution determine.”
(The current versions: 4. MEETINGS The Council shall meet every second year. A quorum shall consist of more than half the member groups. SECTION I. GENERAL MEETINGS The General Meeting of the Council shall be held every other year at such place and on such days as the Executive Committee may by resolution determine.)
5. Report on developments since the last Council meeting and on plans for the next Council Meeting –
6. Opportunity for questions and discussion
Title: Special ICUU Council Meeting
Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM BST
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Reserve your Webinar seat now by going to the following wweb address:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/639572329
Death of Indirias Bhatti
We regret to report the death in July of Indirias Bhatti, known in ICUU as a representative of Unitarians in Pakistan. Messages of condolence were sent to his family by ICUU Hon Treasurer the Rev David Shaw and former ICUU Hon Secretaary, the Rev Richard Boeke.
The Rev Shaw wrote: "I am so sorry to hear the news and send to you my love and prayers. I remember well meeting Indirias in Sri Lanka - I think now 15 years ago.
I remember his dedication and vision for all things fair. I have since been aware of how much work he has done and achieved in difficult circumstances towards achieving peace, support, co-operation and love for humanity around him."
The Rev Boeke wrote: "I am sad to learn of the death of Inderias. For two decades he struggled bringing a Unitarian witness to Pakistan. For years Polly Guild was the "angel" who helped, as she did for other UU groups especially the Unitarians of Khasi Hills.
Only last year we lost Polly.
This weekend we lost Inderias Dominic Bhatti in Lahore..
The very weekend in which the angry factional violence exploded in a bomb
In a Sikh Shine in Lahore.
This prayer:
Holy Spirit ,
Like Jesus, we pray for forgiveness.
Like Jesus. We pray
"Thy Kingdom come,. Thy will be done ..."
Inderias Bhatti sought religious harmony and peace for Pakistan.
He was a worker for the coming of thy Kingdom.
As with our own lives, his success was limited.
May the hope in which he lived
Bear fruit in the years to come.
May his family be blessed and be a blessing."
The Rev Shaw wrote: "I am so sorry to hear the news and send to you my love and prayers. I remember well meeting Indirias in Sri Lanka - I think now 15 years ago.
I remember his dedication and vision for all things fair. I have since been aware of how much work he has done and achieved in difficult circumstances towards achieving peace, support, co-operation and love for humanity around him."
The Rev Boeke wrote: "I am sad to learn of the death of Inderias. For two decades he struggled bringing a Unitarian witness to Pakistan. For years Polly Guild was the "angel" who helped, as she did for other UU groups especially the Unitarians of Khasi Hills.
Only last year we lost Polly.
This weekend we lost Inderias Dominic Bhatti in Lahore..
The very weekend in which the angry factional violence exploded in a bomb
In a Sikh Shine in Lahore.
This prayer:
Holy Spirit ,
Like Jesus, we pray for forgiveness.
Like Jesus. We pray
"Thy Kingdom come,. Thy will be done ..."
Inderias Bhatti sought religious harmony and peace for Pakistan.
He was a worker for the coming of thy Kingdom.
As with our own lives, his success was limited.
May the hope in which he lived
Bear fruit in the years to come.
May his family be blessed and be a blessing."
Tragedy Affecting Unitarians in Congo
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the tragic death of two Unitarian church members in the greater tragedy in the village of Sange. That so many people could suffer so in the midst of what should have been a happy celebration of world sport seems especially sad.
On behalf of the ICUU Executive, We pray both for those lost and for their families, and we encourage Unitarians and all people of faith to offer support and assistance as they are able.
In faith and sadness,
Rev. Brian J. Kiely
President
International Council of Unitarians and Universalists
On Friday, July 2, a gasoline truck overturned in the center of the village of Sange, in the province of South Kivu, near the Burundi border. The vehicle caught fire and the fire spread to nearby houses where people watched the televised World Cup football. The result was very heavy, 231 deaths (including at least 61 children) and 195 burnt.
The Unitarian Church of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there Lisanga Bandimi na Nzambe (which has over 1500 followers in the country), is directly in mourning with two church members died in this tragedy and six people hurted and unfortunately they have no medication
Those who can help the Church can do so by going to the webpage of the Unitarian Church in French (EUfr) dedicated to our partnership with this church, you will find an address in France for donations in euros and in America for donations in dollar
http://eglise.unitarienne.francophone.over-blog.fr/article-29288116.html
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the tragic death of two Unitarian church members in the greater tragedy in the village of Sange. That so many people could suffer so in the midst of what should have been a happy celebration of world sport seems especially sad.
On behalf of the ICUU Executive, We pray both for those lost and for their families, and we encourage Unitarians and all people of faith to offer support and assistance as they are able.
In faith and sadness,
Rev. Brian J. Kiely
President
International Council of Unitarians and Universalists
On Friday, July 2, a gasoline truck overturned in the center of the village of Sange, in the province of South Kivu, near the Burundi border. The vehicle caught fire and the fire spread to nearby houses where people watched the televised World Cup football. The result was very heavy, 231 deaths (including at least 61 children) and 195 burnt.
The Unitarian Church of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there Lisanga Bandimi na Nzambe (which has over 1500 followers in the country), is directly in mourning with two church members died in this tragedy and six people hurted and unfortunately they have no medication
Those who can help the Church can do so by going to the webpage of the Unitarian Church in French (EUfr) dedicated to our partnership with this church, you will find an address in France for donations in euros and in America for donations in dollar
http://eglise.unitarienne.francophone.over-blog.fr/article-29288116.html
Global Chalice Lighting for August 2010
Here is the 84th in the monthly series of Global Chalice Lightings from the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, for use during August 2010.
It comes to us from the Unitarian Universalist Association's new publication for military personnel and their families. Please see that this Global Chalice Lighting is translated, if necessary, and distributed as widely as possible within your group.
In faith,
-Lorella
Lorella Thomas Hess
editor, The Global Chalice
ICUU newsletter
www.icuu.net
Global Chalice Lighting for August 2010
What words tell the truth? What balms heal? What proverbs kindle the fires and passion of joy? What spirituality stirs the hunger for justice? We seek answers to these questions—not only for ourselves, but for our communities and our society.
What are the ways of being with one another that enable life to flourish, rich with meaning? When violence has fractured communities, isolated people, and broken hearts, how can life be repaired? We ask these questions not to arrive at final answers, but because asking them is fundamental to living.
Rita Nakashima Brock & Rebecca Ann Parker
Unitarian Universalist Association
www. uua.org
It comes to us from the Unitarian Universalist Association's new publication for military personnel and their families. Please see that this Global Chalice Lighting is translated, if necessary, and distributed as widely as possible within your group.
In faith,
-Lorella
Lorella Thomas Hess
editor, The Global Chalice
ICUU newsletter
www.icuu.net
Global Chalice Lighting for August 2010
What words tell the truth? What balms heal? What proverbs kindle the fires and passion of joy? What spirituality stirs the hunger for justice? We seek answers to these questions—not only for ourselves, but for our communities and our society.
What are the ways of being with one another that enable life to flourish, rich with meaning? When violence has fractured communities, isolated people, and broken hearts, how can life be repaired? We ask these questions not to arrive at final answers, but because asking them is fundamental to living.
Rita Nakashima Brock & Rebecca Ann Parker
Unitarian Universalist Association
www. uua.org
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
ICUU Symposium Blog Part One
Ah, well, describing the symposium day by day just won’t work, although I will look at the themes of the papers later in this blog. And since life intervened in a way that means I am posting all the articles at the same time I will post them backwards from a blog point of view, which is to say in reading order.
Although the three day schedule looked much the same as for the ministers meeting in Rolduc a few days earlier, the content requires a different treatment. Collegial conversations about ministry and call were replaced with carefully researched and content-rich academic papers. It was neither better nor worse, but rather a different set of savoury dishes tabled for this event’s buffet.
Some 60 lay and ordained participants from 14 nations joined for three days of thoughtful reflection, debate and conversation on the theme, “Belonging: Our Unitarian Identities and the Nature of our Relations”. It was a great chance to learn about each other more deeply and more personally.
The papers will be available online through the Amazon.com in the near future, as soon as they are given final edits and delivered to us. I highly commend them to you, for they were of impressive quality and depth. We will spread word of their availability through all of our lines of communication as soon as that comes to pass.
So instead of a day by day account what follows are some observations grouped around themes.
Daily Worship
In some parts of the ICUU, most notably North America, even that word ‘worship’can cause a stir, but it is what we joined to do. The collection of shared worship services at an international Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist event is a most marvellous experience, as we come together to see what we can learn from and be moved by one another.
There were 30 minutes services morning and evening. Sometimes they spoke to the day’s academic theme, sometimes not. Sometimes they taught about how our friends worship elsewhere in the world, sometimse not. As the days go by a worshipping community developed that was real, marked by close connections and appreciation for what was offered.
This week we experienced Filipino and African worship (featuring leadership from three countries), a service by an American ministering in Germany, an American ministering in French Canada, a native Englishman now a Canadian citizen, and two UK ministers.
Within that we heard music from Africa, USA, the Philippines and Europe, enjoyed two sacred dance meditations, and lit the chalice in seven or more languages. We heard sermons and moving personal stories. We sang Scripture, and Gospel and Latin chants and simple popular hymns. We held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes in deep greeting. To follow a simple dance step while looking into another’s eyes gives room to go beyond any language barrier and any cultural difference, giving us the chance to meet as merely human beings.
And when the chalice light was extinguished and the flame was carried only in our hearts... well the whole world and the U*U world seemed just a little smaller, a little more friendly, a little less foreign.
Amen. Go in Peace.
Although the three day schedule looked much the same as for the ministers meeting in Rolduc a few days earlier, the content requires a different treatment. Collegial conversations about ministry and call were replaced with carefully researched and content-rich academic papers. It was neither better nor worse, but rather a different set of savoury dishes tabled for this event’s buffet.
Some 60 lay and ordained participants from 14 nations joined for three days of thoughtful reflection, debate and conversation on the theme, “Belonging: Our Unitarian Identities and the Nature of our Relations”. It was a great chance to learn about each other more deeply and more personally.
The papers will be available online through the Amazon.com in the near future, as soon as they are given final edits and delivered to us. I highly commend them to you, for they were of impressive quality and depth. We will spread word of their availability through all of our lines of communication as soon as that comes to pass.So instead of a day by day account what follows are some observations grouped around themes.
Daily Worship
In some parts of the ICUU, most notably North America, even that word ‘worship’can cause a stir, but it is what we joined to do. The collection of shared worship services at an international Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist event is a most marvellous experience, as we come together to see what we can learn from and be moved by one another.
There were 30 minutes services morning and evening. Sometimes they spoke to the day’s academic theme, sometimes not. Sometimes they taught about how our friends worship elsewhere in the world, sometimse not. As the days go by a worshipping community developed that was real, marked by close connections and appreciation for what was offered.
This week we experienced Filipino and African worship (featuring leadership from three countries), a service by an American ministering in Germany, an American ministering in French Canada, a native Englishman now a Canadian citizen, and two UK ministers.
Within that we heard music from Africa, USA, the Philippines and Europe, enjoyed two sacred dance meditations, and lit the chalice in seven or more languages. We heard sermons and moving personal stories. We sang Scripture, and Gospel and Latin chants and simple popular hymns. We held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes in deep greeting. To follow a simple dance step while looking into another’s eyes gives room to go beyond any language barrier and any cultural difference, giving us the chance to meet as merely human beings.
And when the chalice light was extinguished and the flame was carried only in our hearts... well the whole world and the U*U world seemed just a little smaller, a little more friendly, a little less foreign.
Amen. Go in Peace.
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