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December 7, 2004

Dear Friends,

We’ve had several requests for copies of last Sunday’s sermon, “The Anatomy of a Religious Liberal.”  Some folks are surprised to learn that there’s a cassette tape recording available, and even more surprised to find out that there’s a manuscript which we post on our website.

We’ve accumulated more than 100 sermons at www.uuwestport.org.  In addition to the sermons we try to include poems and readings in a separate section, since people often ask, specifically, for a particular reading they heard on Sunday.

Yes, the manuscript is different from spoken words at the two services—and the sermon at eleven o’clock won’t be precisely the same at what’s preached at nine.  How could it? By eleven o’clock I’m already two hours older and have the benefit of comments made after nine.

We’re improving our website.  Charles, Jenny and Lynn are doing a great job.  Have you hugged your website today?  Check it out.

We have several special events coming up for the holiday season—the holiday music program this Sunday at eleven; the Carol sing-a-long on the 18th; the Christmas Eve pageant at 5, and the candle light services at 9 and 11 p.m.  I’ll be doing something a little different with Dickens’ portrayal of Scrooge on the 19th.  Scrooge laughed.  Ah, liberation, free to laugh, free to laugh!

Last Sunday we invited members and friends of the congregation who are single to get together to talk about forming a new Unitarian Church singles group.  About 60 or so single folks squeezed into the East Wing and we talked about ideas, concerns, hopes for such a group; a nice start.

We didn’t make any long-term decisions, but we planned a special holiday event for members and friends who are single—a pot luck supper, on Friday, December 17.  Folks will begin gathering at 6:30 with hors d’oevres and drinks and greetings, and the meal will begin about 7:30, just in time for some of the commuters.  We’ll facilitate interactions, so people can get to know one another.

We’ve also planned to have a conversation about addictions, inviting folks to meet on December 19th at 12:30 in the East Wing.  The need is there—we’ll share decisions about how to address it.

This initiative is an indication of the enthusiastic response to Ray Porter and Friends summer service on addiction.  A few of us had lunch together recently and talked about starting an Addictions Ministry program—a kind of UU AA/Alanon/NA group.  The meeting on the 19th is the next step in what we believe will be the creation of an ongoing support group.  Input from folks who are touched by addiction—your own or others’—will give direction to the effort.

Finally let me wish you a good holiday season; find some enjoyment by minimizing pressure on yourself and others.  Remember the old proverb:  “Most people wouldn’t be so unhappy if they didn’t have such an exaggerated idea of other people’s happiness.”

            Cheers,

            Frank

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