| An Invitation to Children and Youth
Wonder Kids
Children in preschool, kindergarten, and 1st & 2nd grades have an experiential classroom based on the Montessori-style “Spirit Play” model. We sing, choose art work or story baskets, and share a healthy snack in the Feast circle. 
Growing Up UU
Children in grades 2-5 participate in lessons selected from the following curricula: Timeless Themes (Jewish and Christian heritage),
Spirit of Adventure (Unitarian Universalist history and identity), and In Our Hands (peace & social justice).
“No act of kindness,
no matter
how small,
is ever wasted.”
- Aesop (620 BC - 560 BC)
'The Lion and the Mouse' |
Junior High Journey
Youth in grades 6-8 participate in lessons from Neighboring Faiths, World Religions, and In Our Hands. Other island-wide or regional UU programs available to junior high youth: Coming of Age, Our Whole Lives (sexuality education) and junior high retreats and conferences.
Senior High Seminar
Youth in grades 9-12 collaborate with the Youth Advisor to plan discussion and worship topics. Other activities available to high schoolers: Metro NY District conferences, Friday night youth group, and community service (such as Midnight Runs, planning food drives, or serving as RE teaching assistants).
Frequently asked questions...
What’s the typical morning schedule?
10:30 - Everyone begins the morning in the Sanctuary together. After the first ten to fifteen minutes, children & youth and their teachers go to the RE Wing. Around 11:30, the service in the Sanctuary ends. At 11:45, RE ends; children are dismissed to parents.
May I stay with my child?
Sure—if you’d like to observe or help ease a transition, just let us know.
Do you provide child care?
Yes, child care is available for the very young (infants to preschoolers).
How do I enroll my child/youth?
Please complete a registration form (Click here for registration).
I have been to the end of the earth.
I have been to the end of the waters.
I have been to the end of the sky.
I have been to the end of the mountains.
I have found none that were not my friends
- Native American Prayer Song |
Is there a fee?
Yes, but you need not pay the fee for your child to attend RE as a newcomer who's getting to know the program. Please feel welcome to attend, return, and get to know SNUUC at a pace that feels comfortable to you! If/when you decide that this is the home you're looking for, we’ll welcome your commitment in terms of money and volunteer time. We do ask, however, that a registration form be filled out for your child, so that we have basic contact information for your family as well as any relevant medical/allergy information.
How can I find out more?
Contact our RE Director, Jennifer Greene at dre@snuuc.org or 631-278-5108.
Welcome (back) to a new year of Religious Exploration!
This year at SNUUC, we’re following the “Way Cool Sunday School” model of combining traditional classroom sessions with a variety of other programming.
“Wide-Angle” Sundays will feature special children’s or multigenerational worship, service projects, field trips, guest speakers & special celebrations.
Regular attendance is important, especially when age-groups meet... in other words, on “Close-Up” Sundays. Please make every effort to come at least three Sundays a month!
Sample month of RE 
Oct. 4 “Close-Up” Sunday —> Age-group classes
Oct. 11 “Wide-Angle” Sunday —> Children’s worship
Oct. 18 “Wide-Angle” Sunday —> Service project
Oct. 25 “Close-Up” Sunday —> Age-group classes
As Unitarian Universalists,
we envision children and youth who...
...know that they are lovable beings of inherent worth and dignity.
...realize that they are moral agents, capable of making a difference
in the lives of others, and in the health of our planet.
...feel safe & free to form their own answers to life’s great religious questions (such as the
nature or existence of a deity...what happens when we die...and the purpose of life itself).
...become familiar with, and show respect for, history and wisdom of other religious traditions.
...recognize the importance of community, the importance of families of all kinds, the importance of relationships among generations.
...experience joy, awe, and gratitude in response to life’s gifts...and find hope and healing in the face of life’s challenges.
...appreciate the religious heritage of Unitarian Universalism, and feel at home and among friends in this faith community.
From our DRE column in the Open Line (June '10):
So much happens in the month of June!
June is when "Sun stands still," or solstice. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the summer solstice. The hours of daylight, now increasing, will begin to wane once again.
At SNUUC this month, we’ll recognize the junior youth who have completed their Coming of Age program and we’ll honor the senior youth who are Bridging into young adulthood. Please join us on June 13th for a wonderful service!
June also brings Gay Pride celebrations. Some of us will be attending the Pride service at our sister UU congregation in Huntington, and participate afterwards in the Huntington Pride Parade. I’m grateful that SNUUC is a community where all of us—including those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender—can be proud of who we are. Sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent dimensions of who we are, and diversity among us is a gift. This theme has emerged in the Junior Youth class during the "Families" curriculum unit—and many thanks to each of you who visited the class to be interviewed about your own families.
Juneteenth is another day of celebration in June. In 1865, the 19th of June was the date when the important news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Galveston, Texas. Earlier that year, the news had come to plantations in Virginia. Booker T. Washington was 9 at the time, and this is how he recalled the event:
...there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom.... Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper -- the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading we were told that we were all free, and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see.
Today, Juneteenth can remind us to recommit ourselves to the anti-oppression/anti-racism/multicultural work that’s still needed, as we build the world we dream about. As it happens, I just got back from a 15-hour training on Multicultural Religious Education, and I’m excited about great resources that can help us all think about our own identities, check our assumptions, and be mindful of unearned privilege in terms of class, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability/ disability.
So even as we conclude RE classes for the 2009-10 church year, I want to look ahead to the year to come. As a classroom volunteer, you’ll be part of a team of adults that provides support and backup to one another. As a parent, you’ll be more informed and in the loop, thanks to more regular communications. As a newcomer, you and your family will have ways to more easily connect with other parents and students. And as always, SNUUC will be a place where young people’s questions and curiosity are welcome, where they know they are unique and lovable beings, and where they’re encouraged to become the best people they can be.
With deep appreciation for all the wonderful RE volunteers of the past year, and much fondness for all the amazing children and youth here, I’m looking forward to religious exploration, education, and exuberance in 2010-11!
Yours, Jennifer
From our DRE column in the Open Line (February '10):
This is the twentieth anniversary of the Pale Blue Dot—the image of our own planet, as seen from six billion kilometers away.
The Pale Blue Dot wasn‘t the first picture of Earth. Before the Pale Blue Dot, we had the Lunar Orbiter‘s image in 1966, and then the iconic views of Earth as a colorful world, hanging in space. Those images (such as the picture below), were taken by the Apollo and Zond (U.S. and Soviet) programs in the late 60s/early 70s.
No, the Pale Blue Dot shows Earth as a tiny point of light, a crescent less than a pixel in size.
How were we able to photograph Earth from such a distance, in 1990? At that time, the Voyager 1 space probe had completed its primary mission of visiting Jupiter and Saturn. It was reaching the edge of our solar system. On February 14, 1990, NASA (at Carl Sagan‘s request) commanded the probe to turn its camera around and take one last look at our home planet.
Carl Sagan later wrote, "It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it under- scores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."
I couldn‘t agree more, and I‘m constantly heartened by the examples of our children and youth demonstrating kindness and compassion for others.
The Senior Youth class has begun planning for the Midnight Run later this month (March 29). Thanks to Ilene Corina for scheduling and coordinating this effort! Want to know more about this program? There‘s more information at www.midnightrun.org. Briefly, it‘s a late-night relief effort, bringing food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City. Each Run "creates a forum for trust, sharing, under- standing and affection... [This] human exchange, rather than the exchange of goods, is the essence of the Midnight Run mission."
The Junior Youth class is nearly finished collecting and tallying the Guest at Your Table donations, which will go to support the UU Service Committee‘s global human-rights mission. Thanks to Rosemary Olander-Beach for her help in coordinating their efforts.
And Diane Hawkins has plans for a multi-age Earth Day art project, so stay tuned for more news about that!
But as the saying goes, every day can be Earth Day-- so I didn‘t want to wait until April to share the Pale Blue Dot story with you. Indeed, March is a great time to take action for the planet, because March 20 is the Great American Meatout--an annual event encouraging us to "kick the meat habit (at least for a day) and explore a wholesome, nonviolent diet of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains." To learn more about Meatout, visit www.meatout.org. If all people in the U.S. had just one meatless day each week, it would result in the same annual carbon savings as taking 19.2 million cars off the road for a year.
Yours for cherishing this Pale Blue Dot, Jennifer
From our DRE in an email sent (February 13, 2010):
Last week in RE:
Sr. Youth class
The senior high youth discussed Roe Vs Wade.
Jr. Youth class
The junior high youth, led by Denise Hibbert and Jennifer Greene, considered prayer and the idea that "service is our prayer," and started making their own prayer bead bracelets.
Growing Up UU class
After singing "Walking, walking with you, walking with you is my prayer" and sharing joys & sorrows, the Growing Up UU class--led by Dana Reinecke and Bobby Newman--talked about prayer, played a memory game using a deck of "Prayer for You" cards, and got an introduction to prayer bead bracelets from Jennifer.
There were no takers for a Wonder Kids class last week, but the child care crew was busy at the art tables. :)
Tomorrow (Sunday, February 14, 2010), here's what happening in RE:
Sr. Youth class
A "Midnight Run" service opportunity has been confirmed for next month, on Monday, March 29th. (Many schools on Long Island will be closed that day & the next, for spring recess.) This Sunday, the senior high youth, supervised by Ilene Corina & Laurette Nevitt, will discuss details of the Midnight Run project & have a Valentine's Day-themed service led by Steven Corina and Dan Garisto.
Jr. Youth class
The jr. high youth, led by Ken Bellafiore, will be working on/finishing their prayer bead bracelets, playing "Prayer Go Fish," acting out some "sUUperplay" skits (in one of the skits, a grandparent is dying, so please let me know if you have concerns about your child participating), and, if they have time, doing a "Values Continuum" activity.
Growing Up UU class
After sharing joys & sorrows with the Wonder Kids, the Growing Up UU class--led by Lisa Sobel--will be making their prayer bead bracelets, trying a skit or two (in one of the skits, a grandparent is dying, so please let me know if you have concerns about your child participating), and reading "Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch."
Wonder Kids
After sharing joys & sorrows with the Growing Up UU class, Wonder Kids will sing some new songs, have storytime with Jennifer, practice the Sun Salutation, enjoy some snack, and close with the song/meditation "The Promise of Peace."
Yours,
Jennifer
From our DRE column in the Open Line (February '10):
"We are all connected - to each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe, atomically," says astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (as seen in the "We Are All Connected" music video that was included in the Senior Youth worship service).
We are all connected. This message has been running through our lessons recently:
RE students helped me bury a dead bird, then got to talk about the cycle of life and death, decomposition and reuse of elements. In a future lesson, we will expand on these ter- restrial connections, and explore how we are connected with cosmological phenomena — how we are, literally, star stuff.
More recently, we considered the "circle of compassion" concept, and the possibility that we need not know someone personally in order to include them in the set of individuals we care about. Elementary students created cards of compassion for the local Haitian community, and the junior youth made a huge prayer flag for the earthquake survivors.
And connectedness was certainly an angle in the senior youth’s worship service about technology — its benefits and pitfalls! The youth appreciate that modern technology can connect us with others, but they are also aware that it can distance us from those we love, if used imprudently.
Love and peace to all, Jennifer
From our DRE column in the Open Line (November '09):
Here’s a song we’ve been singing in the RE Wing:
It’s a blessing you were born,
And it matters what you do.
What you know about god
Is a piece of the truth.
Let the beauty you love
Be what you do.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
Here’s a story we read:
10,000 Dresses, by Marcus Ewert
Each night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses. But everybody tells Bailey she shouldn’t dream about dresses because…she’s a boy. Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl thinks Bailey is the coolest girl she’s ever met, and they begin making dresses to-gether…and Bailey’s dreams come true.
A movie we watched:
“Phoebe in Wonderland” is the story of a 9-year-old girl who won’t--or can’t?--follow the rules. It ad-dresses important issues of inclusivity and accep-tance of differences. This movie was “discovered” by a member of the Sr. Youth group, received spontane-ous applause by the teens after our viewing in No-vember, and prompted some great discussion.
A justice project we’re doing:
Amnesty International’s Global Write-a-thon is hap-pening during the beginning of December to com-memorate International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10. We’ll be writing letters to pressure authorities to release those who have been unjustly imprisoned, and to bring hope and moral support to prisoners and human rights defenders at risk.
A message we’ll be wearing:
“Standing on the Side of Love” t-shirts will be arriving soon! This is a public advocacy campaign, spon-sored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, pro-moting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and confronting exclusion, oppression, and violence based on identity.
Questions we’re pondering:
Who was Jesus? How do I describe my personal the-ology? If UUism added another principle to the seven it’s got now, what would you suggest?
Wishing us all peace, hope, healing, and joy!
Jennifer
From our DRE column in the Open Line (November '09):
In a recent circle worship in the Religious Exploration Wing, we each held an apple, and pondered the web of relationships--the many hard-working people, the living creatures, and the land itself—that produced the fruit. Our grateful affirmation was this: "Without them, we would not be holding this treasure in our hands."
Similarly, I’m thinking of the web of relationships, the many loving volunteers that produce SNUUC’s RE program. There are a LOT of volunteers involved in the RE Wing this fall! Without YOU, we would not have this treasure, this program that nurtures our children and youth in so many ways.
Wonder Kids have learned a new UU Principles song, drawn pictures of favorite animals, and shared things to be grateful for.
The Growing Up UU class has staged a skit about accepting differences, discussed the meaning of Edwin Markham’s verse "Outwitted" (if you don’t know this poem, ask one of the students!), and played the Inherent Worth game.
The Junior Youth have learned some theological terms (theism, deism, agnosticism, atheism, pantheism!), and are getting an introduction to the historical Jesus.
The Senior Youth have recently talked about the climate in their high schools for LGBTQ students, ways that scam artists can take advantage of people’s faith, and the limitations of anecdotal evidence.
Without you, dear volunteers, SNUUC would not be offering this treasure of a program! Thank you.
Wouldn’t it be good to share this treasure with others? Yes, but even evangelically-inclined UUs need some help sometimes. Just today, one of our youth was telling me that it can be hard to explain to his friends what Unitarian Universalism is about. Aha--wallet cards to the rescue! I gave him a few of the beige "Principles and Purposes" and the red "What do Unitarian Universalists believe?" wallet cards—perfect. Now, the next time UUism comes up in conversation, he’ll have these to help. And you? How about you? Could you use a few wallet cards? Please stop by the RE office to pick up some (they’re in the literature holder outside the office window)—and the next time you want to explain UUism to a friend, you’ll have these aids on hand!
DO take time to explain UUism to a friend. Feel free to share the good news of Unitarian Universalism. The religiously homeless, spiritually hungry are many. If you know a family, a couple, a friend who might be searching, please invite them to look at our website, to read our RE brochure, to attend an upcoming event. This could be the home they’re looking for, the nurturing RE program they want for their children. New families: welcome! Please visit. We hope you’ll feel at home here.
From our DRE column in the Open Line (May '09):
RE - it’s not just for Sundays!
Here are some online resources for your religious exploration at home:
• "Between Sundays: Answering Kids‘ Questions" is a website to help parents and other adults answer children‘s religious questions. You‘ll find it at clf.uua.org/betweensundays/. Some sample questions: "Do UUs pray?", "Can you believe anything you want to as a UU?" The home page advises, "Don‘t be concerned about your own level of knowledge….Learn along with your kids, explore religious concepts together, model the 'search for truth and meaning‘ in an open and loving environment."
• Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography, at www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/, is a project of the UU Historical Society; it has over 300 biographies so far.
• At the Unitarian Universalist Family Network site archive.uua.org/families/index.html, click on the "Family Life Stages" page, and check out "The Un-Class for Unitarian Universalist Parents" for ideas for activities and parenting tips.
And this article by Meg Cox from the UU World archives has suggestions to help you create your own family rituals: "New Family Traditions," at uuworld.org/2003/04/feature2.html.
Finally, here are some possibilities for home rituals your family might find meaningful:
Try this idea for a bedtime prayer for parents/guardians and children together.
• Tonight I am thankful for… (say some of the good things that happened to you today.)
• And I am sorry for… (what happened today that you feel sorry for doing or saying?)
• Tomorrow I intend to… (what do you intend to do differ-ently, or improve, tomorrow?)
and/or
• Tomorrow I hope for… (things you hope for and how you think you can make them happen.)
Here is a simple table grace to try: "Let us give thanks and be nourished by this meal & this time together. Amen."
At dinner with friends recently, I improvised a table grace using the words from our Sunday morning chalice lighting, and my friends loved it. If your child is already familiar with this one, they might enjoy the chance to lead your family in grace before your meal. Give it a try!
"Let us open our eyes To see what is beautiful
Let us open our minds To know what is true
Let us open our hearts To love one another
And let us be thankful for this food."
From our DRE column in the Open Line (Mar '09):
“Let us open our eyes to see what is beautiful.”
Thus begins a chalice lighting we‘ve been using recently in children‘s worship.
When I asked for examples of things that are beautiful, the responses delighted me. Flowers, butterflies, and the stars at night are beautiful. Hippie vans are beautiful. Dylan is beautiful! And the invention of electricity, and imagination, and the setting sun. Amen! All beautiful.
Here are a few beautiful things your DRE has recently observed in the RE Wing:
-the hearty, side-splitting laughter of high school youth who are playing an improv game and clearly enjoy being together as a group that includes everyone.
-the sincere environmental stewardship evident in the suggestions of children who want alternatives to disposable cups and plates.
-wonder at the hexagonal symmetry of snowflakes...
curiosity about the gods and goddesses of Hinduism....
respectful inquiry about the experience of being transgender.
And the dedication of loving adults who prepare the activities that set the scene for these beautiful moments!
If you would like to see some of the beauty that happens every Sunday in the RE Wing, consider volunteering. The RE program benefits from the participation of caring adults, and that includes adults who do not currently have children/youth of their own in the RE program.
From our DRE column in the Open Line (Dec '08):
Last month in this space, I wrote about worship in a theologically diverse, multigenerational UU community — and how one can stretch to embrace aspects of worship that may have been not so comfortable in the past.
I described how an " Aha!" moment occurred for me. It was thanks to a few words in an order of service, words which asked congregants to show a generosity of spirit in worshiping together, a simple reminder that "that which does not feed one, may well nourish another."
It was a revelatory moment. It happened all of a sudden. But there has been another component to my own attitude shift that’s been much more gradual.
The other realization helping me to grow a more generous spirit about common worship has been this: coming to understand that the word "God" doesn’t have to mean ____ (fill in the blank).
A heavenly father who made man first, and woman second?
An entity in the sky who smote masses of people in various parts of the Bible?
Theologians such as Rita Nakashima Brock and the Rev. Rebecca Ann Parker have made a strong case that belief in a patriarchal and/or vengeful deity is damaging to us. The bearded guy who inflicts harm or demands sacrifice — he was typical of the God-concept I knew about, growing up. But people define "God" in other ways, too.
Thus I’ve learned that different theists have different God-concepts, and I’m free to choose what "God" means to me.
God as Nature — I enjoy that thought. I love the idea of God as Eternal Love. The Rev. Forrest Church says God is the name for that which is greater than all, and present in each.
Hallelujah! Can I get an Amen?
Mind you, I’ve shared only my own story here, and I recog-nize that some of us — perhaps many of us — may still feel bruised or hurt by the theologies of our childhood.
I give a lot of credit to the UU upbringing I was fortunate to have. I arrived at adulthood with what seems, from listening to others’ stories, a relatively light set of religion-related baggage, and plenty of the positive gifts that religion offers.
That’s the promise of UU Religious Exploration. RE, at its best, gives children the room to grow roots and wings. RE should give children the message that they are lovable beings of inherent worth and dignity. RE is about gratitude for blessings, the renewal of hope, service on behalf of justice, and loving one another — the best fruits of religious faith.
So…who wants to sing some Christmas songs? Count me in — I have fond memories of these songs from my childhood, and now that I’m an activist, the songs sing to me of love & justice. The materialism of the secular holiday doesn’t thrill me, but I’m definitely down with celebrating the birth legend of the Prince of Peace, and the miracle of every birth. And the hope at the heart of Hanukkah. And the wonder of the returning sun.
From our DRE column in the Open Line (Oct '08):
"I don‘t think of Unitarian Universalism as The Truth. I think of Unitarian Universalism as A Home." Those were the wise words of L.D. Moore, a colleague in the work of UU Religious Education whom I met at the UU Leadership Team Institute this past summer.
It‘s an apt metaphor. I‘ve heard numerous UUs recall that when they first learned about UUism, or when they visited their first UU congregation, they experienced a feeling of coming home.
What happens when we think about our faith as Religious Home rather than The One True Way? All kinds of wonderful things happen:
1. It‘s easy to embrace the fact that people dwell in different homes. Coming from different homes doesn‘t make them wrong, or me somehow better.
2. It‘s possible to take pride in one‘s own home, without feeling superior to others.
3. There is much we may genuinely admire about another‘s home (and we can express such appreciation
with sincerity and integrity).
4. Thinking of UUism in terms of Home can remind us to extend hospitality to the newcomer.
5. If, when kids grow up, they leave the religious home of their childhood and find happiness some other way, that‘s still cool (and that includes our UU kids).
So here is my hope for our RE program: that we contribute to a sense of home for our children and youth — a faith home where their questions and curiosity are welcome, where they know they are lovable beings, where they can turn for community and hope and healing in the midst of life‘s challenges.
With love and hope,
Jennifer
dre@snuuc.org
IT'S NOT
EASY TO BE A UU KID
Excerpts from a sermon by:Rev. Anne Orfald
Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
I
want to tell you, it doesn't always feel so lucky to be a UU kid. Sometimes
it is very hard. ...I was the only one in my school, except for my brother
and sister, who was a Universalist. It can be pretty lonely. Of course,
we didn't talk about religion that much, but when we did sometimes my
friends would tell me I was going to hell, because I didn't believe the
right things.
My church taught me that Jesus was a good man and
a good teacher, but he was not God. And my church taught me that there
was no place called hell, where God sent those who were bad, to burn forever
and ever. No such place as hell. And my church taught me that God was
not a person -- not a Father like so many believed, but that God was a
spirit of Love, which is deep inside of us, like a bright light. Maybe
sometimes that light is a bit dim, but it is in each of us, no matter
what our religion. My church also taught me that we don't have all the
answers -- not about God or the universe, or about life and death. I was
taught that there are things we don't know for sure.
 Well, when that's the kind of teaching you get,
that we don't have all the answers and that there are some things we aren't
certain about, when you are up against someone who says they do have the
answers and they are absolutely certain that you are wrong in your religion,
it's not easy! It doesn't always feel lucky to be a UU kid. Have some
of you had experiences like that? How does it feel for you? Even for adults,
it isn't always easy. What can we say back, when we are pushed to believe
as others do?
Maybe we can say, "In my religion we believe
it is wrong to try to make other people believe what we do. We believe
that the one thing that matters more than anything else is how we treat
each other. If we are kind to each other and don't hurt each other, that's
what matters, no matter what our religion is. We believe that we have
to help each other and try to work together to make the world a better
place. If we can all agree on how to treat each other, we don't have to
all agree on our beliefs; we don't have to all be the same religion. So
don't tell me I am bad or wrong because I don't believe what you do. That
hurts me."
It's not always easy to be a UU kid. If it gets
hard sometimes, let's talk about it and figure out together how to make
it easier.
Other
RE-SNUUC stuff...
Registration/Teacher Stuff
RE
Registration Form
RE
Behavior Covenant
RE
Yearly Permission Slip
RE
Chaperone Driver Guidelines
RE Adult
Ethics Covenant
RE Youth
Ethics Covenant
RE
Teacher Evaluation Form
Good Stuff
Tolstoy and Thich Nhat Hanh have given renditions of "The
Three Questions" : When is the best time to do things? Who is the
most important one? What is the right thing to do?
The story is about compassion and living in the moment;
always a worthwhile concept to reinforce with your children and youth.
What works in their lives? What does not work? Is there room for awareness
and faith in oneself and in one’s community?
Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist Monk, in his book :"The
Miracle of Mindfulness," talks about suffering caused by the lack
of wisdom, in the case of a society. "Take the situation of a country
suffering war or any other situation of injustice. Try to see that every
person involved in the conflict is a victim. See that no person, including
all those in warring parties or in what appear to be opposing sides, desires
the suffering to continue. See that it is not only one or few persons
who are to blame for the situation. See that the situation is possible
because of the clinging to ideologies and to an unjust world economic
system which is upheld by every person through ignorance or through lack
of resolve to change it. See that two sides in a conflict are not really
opposing, but two aspects of the same reality. See that the most essential
thing is life and that killing or oppressing one another will not solve
anything.
taken from Touchstones
by The Rev. Barry Andrews UU Congregation at Shelter
Rock
“A couple of weeks ago the Wall Street Journal ran
an article on college recruitment on the basis of religious affiliation.
The combined SAT scores of recent high school graduates were ranked in
terms of the religious orientation of those who took the test. Number
one on the list were the Unitarian Universalists with an average combined
score of 1209. UU youth were followed by Jewish graduates with a combined
score of 1161, and Quakers next at 1153.
This is quite an impressive achievement for our UU youth, a consequence,
no doubt, of the high value that is placed on education and achievement
in UU families. Where our children are involved we have high hopes and
great expectations.
The most significant measure of our their lives—as,
indeed of our own—is not based on IQ tests, SAT scores, college degrees
or annual salaries. The measure of our lives is to live responsibly in
the world we have inherited and to respond compassionately to the human
problems we confront.
To be part of a religious tradition and community is the birthright of
every child. Young people will not learn the values and ideals we want
them to have from TV, the movies or on the streets. If we wish to create
a world that our children can trust and a future they can believe in ,
they need purposes and principles that have stood the test of time. We
become decent, responsible and caring persons by living the familial web
of love and respect, reinforced by a spiritual tradition and religious
community that brings families together and reminds us of our obligations
to one another.”
Our Whole Lives (OWL)
This program is a Unitarian Universalist course in
human sexuality which is sponsored by the Long Island Area Council for
Unitarian Universalist Societies (LIAC). A flyer describing the program
has been distributed to all SNUUC youth in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades.
Social Justice 'fun fact'
Do you know the name of the Unitarian identified
as the Father of Social Security?
Arthur Altmeyer is known as the person who did more than anyone else to
shape the institution that administers Social Security Program of the
United States. He worked closely with fellow Unitarian, U.S. Representative
Thomas Elliot of Massachusetts, to draft the enabling legislation.
After being awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and writing
two books, he was summoned to Washington by Franklin D. Roosevelt. He
became chairman of the Social Security Board in 1937, where his dedication
to social justice helped shape the nation’s Social Insurance program.
He was later elected president of the National Conference on Social Work
and adviser to foreign governments.
Altmeyer was a member of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin,
whose meeting house was designed by another notable Unitarian, architect
Frank Lloyd Wright.
Remember the Sutra’s words:
In the time of war
Raise in yourself the Mind of Compassion
Help living beings
Abandon the will to fight
Wherever there is furious battle
"..Use all your might
To keep both sides’ strength equal
And then step into the conflict to reconcile"
-Vimalakirti Nirdesa
A time to remember the words of Gandhi
Our first task in approaching another people,
another culture, another religion is to take off our shoes,
for the place we are approaching is holy-
Else we may find ourselves treading on another’s dream.
More serious still, we may forget that God was there before our arrival.
Our SNUUC symbol
This ecumenical symbol, this circle of oneness, is
composed of the symbols of the major religions of the world. It was designed
by Louise Pollard and is used on the cover of our Order of Service and
Stained Glass Logo, which was made by Ihor Nykolak.
- The Christian Cross is derived from the wooden cross
on which Jesus was crucified.
- The Hebrew Star of David is composed of interlaced
equilateral triangles and adopted by Judaism as its symbol.
- The Greek Cross is characterized by arms of equal
length, which is often used by the eastern branch of Christianity.
- The Chinese symbol called Yin and Yang is the eternal
opposition of contrasting and complementary passive and active, female
and male, negative and positive principles of the universe.
- The Crux Ansata or Ankh of ancient Egypt, is the
symbol of generation of eternal life, and combination of male and
female elements.
- The Crescent and the Star, ancient Byzantine symbols
of Constantinople, was adopted by the Ottoman Turks upon their capture
of the city, and now commonly used as a symbol of Islam.
- The Hindu Wheel of Life, symbolizes the endless
round of birth and rebirth known as “samasara,” the cessation of which
for the Hindu is tantamount to salvation.
- Buddhhism, which is an offshoot of Hinduism,
very much as Christianity is derived from its parent Judaism, is often
symbolized by the stylized representation of the Lotus Flower.
Our Linden Tree
We are very proud of our tree. It is listed in a
directory of big trees on Long Island. We did not plant it. It was on
the property when it was purchased. Known also as basswood, the tree is
old and has survived many a storm, and many a child climbing on it. Every
year it is slower to leaf out than other trees. But by mid-June to early
July it is in full bloom and has tiny yellowish flowers. Their aroma is
irresistible to bees Linden trees survive in nearly any soil and its heavy
shade creates a welcome canopy, and as we all know, it is a good place
for a picnic.
|
