I reccomend "my bad month" to all of my friends....

"I Reccomend 'my bad month' to all of my friends.."

is what some rejected comment stated, and his friends apparently had websites dealing with loans, bedroom supplies, drugs, and more loans.


as for me, Im starting to recover......

My bad month

Two weeks ago, a member of our tiny UU Congregation died, and his wife
asked me to do the funeral and eulogy - with my wife, Sharon,'s help I
did so
We discovered that Sharon's father was in the hospital in Thailand,
prognosis unknown (he is still in the hospital, prognosis better)
A friend emailed me telling me that he was dying and asking me to take
over one of his projects.

last week, my car was damaged in the undercarriage to the tune of
$2000 - the adjuster still hasnt been to see it - I live in an area
with no mass transit, so ive been getting a ride to work, eating
lunch in the office, and walking home at night.

Wednesday my mother didnt answer her phone, so we went down and
discovered she had had a massive stroke - prognosis still not good.

Today - I recieved an email that my friend had died earlier today of
a heart attack

I am sending this out, not because Im looking for sympathy; Indeed as
I read this I'm thinking of a a sermon by Rev Tutlle of Minneapolis
in the 1890s, where he quoted a sick man who said "I cant complain -
of my 53 years, I had 50 of excellent health".
Instead I am just thinking out loud about the fraility of life and the
importance of compassion and love. Of focusing on what is important
and not on what is not. Of not complaing when we could be celebrating

(and of course on living wills, and wondering who should get my
collection of Universalist and UU books!)

best wishes to all
Steven R

D. B. Clayton top of the pops!

ok, go to this website


http://report.bookfinder.com/2006/


and go down to biography - and what do you see?

wow! how's that!

Florence SC Us, Us, and UUs

Sometimes it's interesting to look at a particular location and see how so-called liberal religion takes hold (or doesn't) in a location.

Florence SC was a railroad town, founded as a station on the Manchester - Wilmington Railroad in the 1850s and named after the Railroad president's daughter. During the war, there was a prisoner of war camp there, and then after the war, a National cemetery for the soldiers who died there, and then other veterans (I note at least one chalice on the grave in the old cemetery). Henry Timrod (who probably didn't inspire Bob Dylan after all) taught school nearby.
Into the early 20th Century, Florence became a hub of transportation, partially due to it's being midway between New York City and Miami. First railroad (and before sleeper cars, they stopped at the hotels in Florence) and then highways, and now interstates.

While it is probable that D. B. Clayton did some preaching in Florence, (particuarly when he lived 30 miles away in Cash's Depot); I have yet no evidence of that.

Thanks to recent detective work by Carol Simmons, we do know that the treasurer of the North Carolina Universalist Convention, Inc. in the mid 1930s lived in Florence SC.

In 1961 and 1962, there was a short lived Unitarian Fellowship of Florence; with members in Marion and Florence. The timing is the same when the AUA was making a big effort to start Fellowships and Churches throughout the south - with surrport of money and leadership. Some of the Churches made it (in SC, like Clemson and Columbia), many did not - having got trapped in the tension of race and outsiders and politics ).

In the mid 1980s, another fellowship was started in the Florence area. I think it ran until about 1988. From what I recall it was under the leadership of a College Professor at Coker College in Hartsville, SC.

In 2001, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Florence was founded by a couple who after a couple of years, moved to Fayetteville - and started a UU church there.
After almost 6 years, the UUCF is still alive, if small.

The mid 1930s UCoNCi treasurer and the 1961/2 congregation are pieces of the Florence puzzle that I found out within the past week! Not much significance in the big picture, but an interesting light in the little picture!

(and yes i will cross post this on the UUCF blog too, what ya expect?)

- In Memoriam

It says right there in my blog profile, that I am not a minister.
But I do give sermons and UU lectures - and this weekend, I take the sad step of officating at a funeral....
I've been asked by the family and how could I refuse. I've also been asked to say something about the kind of man he was, and how could I refuse.... but it's breaking my heart and making me cry. How do real ministers do this on a regular basis?

I know what the family wants and I and my wife will try to help them as best we can.
We looked at songs, we looked at readings, we got quiche and cookies.

... but this is my blog and I can do what I want here - this isnt the history of Universalism in the South, but today this is now one man joining history, one man who's love of life and optimism kept us going, one tiny congregation getting even smaller...and since this is my blog, I can write words to comfort me - and I will.

"Love Never Ends" there is no need for me to type in all of this beatiful words attributed to Paul, because that's what it comes down to - Love Never Ends. Love is all conquering, and there is no foe it will not subdue. Love never lets go.
When we face the overwhelming pain of grief and sorrow, we need to remember that Love Never Ends. amen

from 1923 address....

"Sometimes I fear we fail fully to realize the conditions of many in our rural and small-town churches. We assemble in some fine church in a big city and from velvet cushions and gilded pews study the problems of the Church at large. Yonder in the background, quite beyond the range of our vision, are the poor, struggling congregations, burdened by debt, and with failing numbers, in hostile communities where the very name Universalist is anathema. Then, too, there are the scattered Universalists, hundreds of miles from their nearest fellows, no State Convention, no support from without, no fellowship even with kindred souls. For these, especially in the South and West, Universalism is a hard religion, and those who persist and carry on are the real heroes of the faith. I appeal to you in comfortable, united and prosperous congregations not to forget those less favored churches and church members."

- from Universalist General Convention President Roger S. Galer address
to the Universalist General Convention October 25, 1923

I first started to quote this because I was thinking of using "For these, especially in the South and West, Universalism is a hard religion, and those who persist and carry on are the real heroes of the faith." as a subhead for this blog - and I still might -- but then as I thought of it, particuarly the isolated Universalist, I thought ya know this is why God invented the internet......

UUCF Revival: Universalism - God's Reviving Grace

Theme: Universalism: God's Reviving Grace

When: Nov. 2-5, 2006 (full time and one-day registrations available)
Where: Fourth Universalist Society, 160 Central Park West at 76th St.,
(http://www.4thu.org) .
Who: UU Christians, UUs of any theological orientation, Christians of
different traditions, and all who are interested in a spirited engagement of the
heart and mind.
Keynoters: Professor and author Dr. Gary Dorrien lecturing Saturday, Nov.
4th, at 10:30 a.m. on "Liberal Theology Today: Crisis and Renewal in
Progressive Religion" and Pastor and Author Jim Mulholland lecturing Friday morning,
Nov. 3 at 10:30 a.m. on "Resisting Good News."
Schedule also includes:
Opening Worship, Thursday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. led by Kim Hampton of St. Louis
Friday morning Nov. 3, Taize Service, 9 a.m. led by Chris Walton, editor of
UU World
Saturday morning Nov. 4 Communion Service, 9 a.m. led by Rev. Jeffrey Lane
Gould of Wilmslow, England
Saturday afternoon, Nov. 4, Prayer and Healing Service, 5 p.m. led by Rev.
Peter Boulatta of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Sunday Morning Nov. 5 Worship, 10:45 a.m. led by Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt
Workshops on Talkback with the Keynote Lecturers; UU Christianity, the UUCF,
church history, art, music, Small Groups, Sacred Poetry, led by Gary
Dorrien, Jim Mulholland, Tom Schade, Tim Jensen, Barbara Gadon, Dave Dawson, Suzanne
Meyer.
Small groups for more intimate conversation and focused bible study.
Socializing out in Manhattan together in the evenings.
Friday evening Catered Meal and Program.

Lodging Possibilities listed on the website:

Fees: Full time Adult $150. Full Time Under 18 $100. One-Day Adult $100.
One-Day Under 18 $50. Seminarians and Young Adults (under 35) Full Time $75 One
Day $50.

Thanks and blessings,
Rev. Ron Robinson