Reduce Carbon Emissions 80% by 2050
April 27, 2008
Our world is in a state of ill health. Our temperature is rising; severe, unpredictable and unprecedented weather patterns are continually emerging; in the midst of a great extinction, species are disappearing from the earth each day; and the waters that lap up against our shores are gradually reaching further inland. For these troubling symptoms and the more tragic consequences yet to come, humankind, and our negligent stewardship, is responsible. And those who have been most negligent, the carbon producing and over-consuming countries, such as the US, more easily guard against those changes, while those in the developing world suffer disproportionately from changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.
As citizens of the largest carbon emissions producing country in the world, we have the opportunity to begin to heal our world. In both houses of Congress, legislation has been introduced that would dramatically reduce our nation’s carbon emissions and help turn the tide on global warming. Take action here to support that legislation.
Providence String Quartet
April 27, 2008
Once again Bell Street Chapel is fortunate to be able to host the Providence String Quartet in its spring concert series for a performance on Sunday, May 18, at 3 p.m.
This event will be a fundraiser like last year, with a portion of the proceeds going to Bell Street Chapel. The cost for tickets is $15 for adults, $10 seniors and $5 for children under 12. The program will feature Arnold Schoenberg’s Romantic masterpiece Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night) for string sextet and Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet Opus 42 in D Minor.
See Ellen Kellner, Jasmine Appleberry or Tom Mack from the Events Committee to buy your tickets in advance and show your support for Bell Street! And don’t forget! If you have a favorite poem, story or quote you have written or would like to dedicate to someone that has touched you in your life, you can have it printed in the program and support our church at the same time. Half pages will be half of an 8.5 x 11 page, for $40. A quarter page will cost $20. The deadline for program submissions is May 10. Attachments can be sent to Tom Mack: t.mack321@gmail.com.
Summer Worship Workshop
April 27, 2008
The Worship Committee will be holding its annual Summer Worship Brainstorming Session after church on May 4. Here at Bell Street, we hold lay-led services throughout the summer. They are often held downstairs in Eddy Hall (where it’s cooler) and are somewhat more relaxed than our usual upstairs service.
Past years have seen services on singing, children’s stories, meditation, Taos, New Mexico, humor, etc. If you’ve had a service topic in the back of your brain, yearning to be expressed, this is a great forum. You can lead a service, with help from the Worship Committee, or help with readings if you’d like to just dip your toe into the worship-leading experience. Needless to say, we need your ideas and energy to make this another great Bell Street summer. Please plan to attend.
~The Worship Committee
Parish and Social Concerns
April 27, 2008
Gay Bingo, Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m.
Bell Street Chapel is proud to sponsor a game at Gay Bingo on Thursday, May 15. Gay Bingo is traditional Bingo with drag queens, disco music, crazy themes, costumes, local celebrities, entertainment, and lots of laughs.
For $15, you get enough Bingo cards to play nine traditional games with $100 cash prizes. You can also buy special game cards throughout the night to win fabulous prize packages and the prize of up to $1,000! Most people end up spending about $20. Proceeds support people living with HIV/AIDS in Rhode Island. For more information, go to www.aidsprojectri.org.
A sign up sheet will be available in Eddy Hall, so that we can reserve a table for Bell Street Chapel. Please join us for an evening of fun, laughs, and maybe even cash prizes!
Book Discussion Group
Please contact Clara Hardy at clarapvd@gmail.com or (401) 231-9226 if interested in joining in the peace-making book discussion group.
May Diaper Drive
The Parish and Social Concerns Committee will be collecting disposable diapers and incontinence products from May 1st to May 11th as part of a Mother’s Day diaper drive to help the Rhode Island Diaper Bank. Diapers are not covered by either WIC or food stamps. A month’s supply of diapers can average over $60. Stretching diapers beyond their intended use compromises a person’s physical and emotional health. Please drop-off your donated diapers in Eddy Hall and contact Clara Hardy if you have further questions.
Sharing Our Sanctuary
April 27, 2008
Rev Robinson and Rev. Nichols
We will be joined by members of First Unitarian while they loan their church sanctuary to Brown University for their Medical School graduation service. Rev. John Nichols, the interim minister at 1st
Unitarian will join Rev. Robinson in the pulpit.
Our Annual Meeting
April 27, 2008
Rev. Robinson
Rev. Robinson will lead the service during which we will reflect upon the importance of our form of church governance and its contribution to the American way of life.
Mother’s Day
April 27, 2008
Rev. Robinson
Everybody has one but some of us seem to deal better with them than do others of us. Rev. Robinson will talk about mothers during this annual service.
A Tribute to Roger Williams
April 27, 2008
Ray Perrault
Celebrate Rhode Island Independence Day with a service dedicated to Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island.
Ferry Beach – Vacation at a UU Camp
April 25, 2008
Join other like minded UUs for a great vacation. Ferry Beach is a Unitarian Universalist Camp with programs for adults and children. It is located right on the beach in Saco, Maine.
There is a week for gay men and one for women. There are several family weeks and camps for children and youth. A week of singing, UU Heritage, Kayaking, arts, Body, Mind and Spirit are all choices.
On a budget? Consider Work Week and help maintain the camp for half a day and play the other half.
Log onto the Ferry Beach website or ask Kate Gillis for more information.
~Kate Gillis
Among Us
April 25, 2008
“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.â€
~The Buddha
In this column we celebrate milestones and other life events, request healing thoughts for those in need, and remember departed loved ones. If you have information you would like to share in this column, or if you know of anyone in need of assistance, please contact Carol Crowley. We have quite a few Bell Streeters celebrating special events in May. Both of our community ministers were installed in the month of May, Rev. Ben Hall in May 2003, and Rev. Mary Margaret Earl in 2005. We have been enriched by their presence in our community and are so glad they both chose to affiliate with us.
Happy birthday wishes go out to Rowan Chaves, Shannon Gemma, Beverly Hart and Stuart Smith. And happy wedding anniversary to Joe and Arline Davis – 36 years! Our thoughts are often with Ellen Smith as she courageously battles her chronic disorder and recovers from recent surgeries. Ellen and her devoted husband, Stu, were featured in an article in the Providence Journal Bulletin in which they told of their adjustment to and acceptance of the chronic nature of Ellen’s illness. They have learned to appreciate the richness of life despite changed expectations for the future.
Supportive thoughts go to Carl Freese, who is also dealing with health issues, and to Neva Hantover and Bev Hart, who have not been able to get to church recently. We miss you. We were glad to see that David Gleicher and Tom Lamora both recovered extremely quickly from surgery.
Please keep John Tarrats’ mother in your prayers, as well as James Crowley, Carol Crowley’s son who is an Army Ranger currently serving in Iraq.
~ The Membership and Caring Committee