The Outlook

an edition of

The United Methodist Reporter

Two Sections

Hoopsters Score Jerseys | 4A

Section A

Outreach in Action | 8A

Fotias Honored | 8A

909160 Vol. 159 No. 11 July 13, 2012

~SUMMERTIME REMINDERS~

chalk talk
BY DR. KENNETH W. CHALKER

l l

10am Worship Service in the Great Hall through Sunday, Sept. 2 Summer Programming for Children and Youth

Summertime Preachers at UCUMC

Summer worship services in the Great Hall of UCUMC are cool in many ways. While we enjoy the relief of air conditioning, we also enjoy a change of environment and music. For our devoted pastor, summer also brings a well-deserved opportunity for rejuvenation in an alternate environment. So our StaffParish Relations Committee has arranged for inspiring speakers to join us this summer, ensuring that our spirits will indeed be nurtured in the Great Hall each Sunday at 10am: ~ July 22: Jim Longsworth ~ July 29: Heidi Denman ~ August 5: Kip Reader ~ August 12: Sharon Seyfarth Garner ~ August 19: Ben Magee

As I write this, another 4th of July is imminent. From the churchs carillon here in University Circle stream the melodies of several important songs from the American experience. Such patriotic melodies coming from this church carillon are one of the ways in which we as a faith community can affirm the hard-won and hard-kept right of religious freedomsomething I am aware that many beyond our borders would like to change. All of us know that the American Experience, as a nation where the government protects religious freedom and where places of worship champion the government in protecting the essential, human right of spiritual freedom, is a most unique one. Our world has been, and still is, a bloody place, often because of those who believe that there should never be a separation between the government and an established, statesupported religion. One would think Jesus public execution by crucifixion would have been enough proof that government and religion should never be officially united. But the world as a whole has not learned this lesson. And thats why, in this world where religious folk still burn, blow up and in all other manner destroy lives in the name of their particular god, I am grateful for this nation, where the essential church/stateseparation lesson has been learned. And yet, in America, while this separation of a particular religious expression from government endorsement and support is practiced and carefully monitored, we would still do well to remember that our form of government would be in great peril without strong, thriving, protected places of worship; places where the spiritual nature of life is nourished and strengthened. If we ever come to believe or think that faith in a Creator is not relevant, or succumb to soul-killing secularism, our form of government will never rise to the principles of its founding. In his first inaugural address to the nation, Continued on back page

Child care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers will be provided during worship throughout the summer in the nursery on the mezzanine level. Sunday School takes a summer break in July and August. Children (K5th grade) are invited to join their families for worship in the Great Hall on Sunday mornings. Please visit the Childrens Table in the gym when you arrive. Here you will find childrens worship bulletins with puzzles and word games that relate to the mornings scripture lesson, plus a variety of quiet activities for children to enjoy during worship. Middle School (6th8th grade) and High School (9th12th grade) youth groups are also taking a summer break after a busy year of study, service and fellowship. Youth are encouraged to join their families in the Great Hall for summer worship. Regular Sunday programming for children and youth begins again on Rally Day, Sept. 9th.

Dr. Chalker Speaks at Chautauqua

Sunday, July 29
On the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state sits the Chautauqua Institutiona community that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. Over the course of nine weeks, more than 170,000 visitors stay at Chautauqua and participate in programs, classes and community events for all agesall within the beautiful setting of a historic lakeside village. Dr. Chalker will serve as the Chaplain-in-Residence during week six (July 29 through August 3) providing daily sermons as part of the morning worship experience and participating in special programming throughout the week. On Sunday, July 29, he will lead worship in the Amphitheater at the center of Chautauqua. The service starts at 10:45am and the drive there is approximately 2.5 hours. If you are interested in attending this worship service and perhaps even visiting during the weekend, please pick up an informative sheet in the church office. While our church is not making reservations or organizing rides, the office will help put interested members in touch with one another. Find more Chautauqua information at www.ciweb.org.

Lucky Doing Swimmingly

Former Epworth-Euclid members will recall member Eddis Lucky Singleton and his illustrious swimming career at Shaw High School and the University of Mount Union. Eddis continues to excel at the sport, recently competing at the US Olympic Trials in Omaha, NE, on June 30, swimming in the preliminaries of the PHOTO BY THE PLAIN DEALER 50-meter freestyle with a time of 23.17sec. While this swim did not give Eddis a berth on this years Olympic team, he plans to compete next at the US Open in Indianapolis on August 11, 2012. For more information about Eddis, you can check out the June 30 article in The Plain Dealer, with its accompanying video interview. Go to cleveland.com/olympics and type in Eddis name.
The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profit Dr., Dallas Texas, 75247-3919. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas Texas. and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The United Methodist Reporter, P Box 660275, Dallas, Texas .O. 75266-0275.

Dr. Chalker Takes Controversial Stand

It is common knowledge that, from time to time, Dr. Chalkers op-ed pieces written for the Cleveland Plain Dealer often contain unique and sometimes controversial observations and stands about religion or current events or both. In his June 9 article, Dr. Chalker shared his thoughts concerning the misinterpretations many clergy hold about what the Bible says or doesnt say about same-sex marriage. Reactions varied from highly supportive to negative and even hateful. During the following Sundays service, however, the congregation of University Circle UMC gave Dr. Chalker a standing ovation for his leadership and his courage to speak out on such important issues, based upon his exceptional knowledge about scripture. Our congregation is exceedingly grateful that Dr. Chalker consistently strives to educate people about the difference between Christs message of loving inclusivity and religions human-made principles continually attributed to God. To read the column, go to Cleveland.com and the Religion section or copy and paste this link: http://www.cleveland.com/religion/index.ssf/2012/06/bibles_message_on_marriage_is.html

Deadline for the next Outlook issue is Monday, August 20, 2012 outlook@churchinthecircle.com

4A

THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER

JULY 13, 2012

Gay-Straight Alliance Announces

Tim Downing, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Human Rights Campaign (HRC), speaks at University Circle United Methodist Church on Wednesday, September 26, at 6pm. All persons are welcome to attend this informative session about the important work of HRC, which envisions an America where Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) people are ensured their basic equal rights and can be open, honest and safe at home, work and in the community. UCUMC offers a series of September Wednesday-night panel discussions about LGBT on the 12th, 19th and 26th. Each program begins at 6pm. A light supper is available for a small donation from 5-6pm preceding each program. Contact the church at www.churchingthecircle.com or 216-421-1200 for more details.

Funeral Director William Boyd Recognized

As one of the longest-serving funeral directors in the country and leader of one of Ohios oldest black-owned businesses, William Pepper Boyd, father of our churchs financial secretary and member, Marina Grant, was recently honored at 97 for his gold standard of service in the Greater Cleveland black community as owner of E.F. Boyd & Son Funeral Home, with the city renaming a threeblock portion of East 89th Street as William Boyd Sr. Way. As members of University Circle United Methodist Church, we are the recipients of the wonderful example and support Mr. Boyd provided his children, as Marina shares her time, skills and spiritual strength with this congregation. We join in congratulating Pepper Boyd for his lifetime of service to this citysomething his father, E.F. Boyd, surely looks down upon today with exceeding pride. (Go to cleveland.com/business to read the June 20 Plain Dealer article.)

Basketball participants and coordinator Hassan Lee, bottom center, are joined by Kay Hogg and Doug Blank to celebrate the arrival of new easy-on-off two-team jerseys (pinnies) donated by program supporters.

BASKETBALL DINNER A SUCCESS

On Monday and Thursday nights in the UCUMC gym, Neighborhood Basketball is a thing of beauty! Under Hassan Lees leadership, this twice-weekly event provides a safe, welcoming location for our neighbors to share in fitness and fellowship. Special thanks goes to Audrey and Michael Bilovecky, Cheryl and Rick Drake, Juliette Regnier, Diane and Ed White and Judy Sockman for preparing and serving a delicious meal for players following one of the Monday sessions. Thanks are also in order for the support given by the churchs United Methodist Women and all in our UCUMC family who have donated time, funds and snacks to the program; continued contributions of these items are welcomed. Checks designated for the basketball program can be dropped off in the office or placed in the offering plate. Each donation helps Neighborhood Basketball continue to provide a growing service to our community.

Member Elaine Myers was one of four Baldwin Wallace University graduates recently honored with BWs Outstanding Educator Award for 2012. Elaine taught primary grades in the Berea School District and, with husband Larry, has been exceedingly active in their community. Congratulations, Elaine!

Summer guest organist Andrea Dreier provided highly appreciated music at the organ and keyboard.

Special thanks goes to

Richard Carey ~ Richard is an experienced craftsman with rod iron. He worked on the hand railings outside of the lower E. 107th entrance, extending the railing to reach all the way to the lowest step. He also raised the height of the entire railing to normal adult hand-rail levels. Thanks, Richard! Doug Gardner ~ For some time now, Doug has faithfully driven in from Lorain to attend Sunday services. As a licensed electrician, he volunteered his time and talent to supply power to our new electronic sign. Currently, he has contracted to redo the wiring in the lowerlevel restroom. Thanks, Doug!

THE UNIVERSITY CIRCLE OUTLOOK

printed every four weeks as an edition of THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER for University Circle United Methodist Church Dr. Kenneth W. Chalker, Senior Pastor 1919 E. 107th St., Cleveland, OH 44106 www.churchinthecircle.com; 216/421-1200 Outlook Editor: Jim Hogg outlook@churchinthecircle.com Photographers: Jeff Day, David Hughes, Brian Misch Editorial Staff: K. Shamp, E. Prince, C. Day, M. Abele

UC United Methodist Women members and friends pause by a display of Equal Exchange food items, sold to enable both local church and worldwide UMW missions.

8A

THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER

JULY 13, 2012

GRACENOTES
B Y N AT H A N M O T TA
Director of Music & Arts

Grace Notes is on a short break but will

return with the next issue. Meanwhile, dont forget to check out the UCUMC Music & Arts FACEBOOK page for the latest information on artistic opportunities at University Circle UMC!

OUTREACH in ACTION
~ Reporting from Ethiopia
Member Hal Jenkins sends along this recap of his latest adventures in Ethiopia: I am in Ethiopia leading a team that is training an Ethiopian army unit for a peacekeeping mission in Sudan. We are in Addis Ababa, a city of 3 to 5 million located on a gigantic plateau almost one and a half miles above sea level. The people are fantastic. Ethiopia is about the size of Texas, Nebraska, and New Mexico combined. Because of its proximity to the Equator, the climate ranges from fiercely hot in the lowlands to terrific on the plateau (highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s). About 65% of the population is Christian (Ethiopian Orthodox) and 35%Muslim. There are 5 major ethnic groups (and 5 major languages) with 87 subgroups/dialects. The national language is Amharic, but in the last 5 to 10 years they have been teaching English in the schools as it is the international language of business. Ethiopia is one of the 4 or 5 poorest nations on the continentno great stores of natural resources to export. There is some gold and they export coffee which is said to have been discovered in Ethiopia. And Ethiopia is home to Lucy, the 3.2 million year old fossil. I work part-time for a company that has a contract with the State Department and we have been coming here for more than 8 years. This is my 11th or 12th time coming to Ethiopia. I have been doing this training for almost 9 years and have been to 8 different countries in Africa. Ethiopia is my favorite by far. Hal (photo not available)
l

UCUMC volunteers are again participating in Rebuilding Together Clevelands city-wide home painting day of service on Saturday, July 28. Contact Doug Blank if you would like to be involved in this impactful local event! About a half-dozen volunteers participate in a week-long mission trip to Endicott, NY, July 1521, organized by member Cheryl Drake. This group will provide carpentry, drywall, painting and other services as they work on homes damaged by the floods of September, 2011. This team will be a living expression of Gods love, building relationships with other volunteers as well as with those who need our caring assistance. Throughout the summer, the UCUMC Outreach Committee is collecting donations for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC)a disaster relief facility located outside of Springfield, IL, and a cooperating depot with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). MMDC provides UMCOR with items such as relief-supply kits, which are distributed to vulnerable people in the wake of a disaster. One type of kit is a cleaning bucket, and UCUMC contributions have helped collect supplies for these kits, delivered in June to the East Ohio Annual Conference by member Susan Achberger. During Annual Conference, 701 cleaning buckets, 2985 health kits, 1173 school kits and a monetary donation of $2500 were collected for MMDC. On June 25, MMDC delivered 1700 cleaning buckets to flood victims in Superior, Wisconsin, and Duluth, Minnesota, with hopes of delivering 1800 more in the near future. While this delivery may have exhausted MMDCs supply of cleaning buckets, donations from UCUMC and the East Ohio Conference will help MMDC restock its supplies. With a thank you to those who helped UCUMC help others with these supplies comes a request to please continue your support during these summer months. Visit this website for more news: http://www.midwestmissiondc.org/?p=1787.

~ Greetings from Ecuador

Members Hank & Evelyn Tarshis offer the latest on their recent move to Ecuador: Heres an update on our adventures. We had our first dinner with a Cuencano family. The son of our friends maid had his first Confirmation, and all of us were invited to the ceremony, and then dinner at her mother in-laws home. It was the first time many of her family members had ever interacted with Americans. We had a nice dinner and enjoyed trying to speak Spanish with very patient people who spoke little or no English. We found a beautiful 5th-floor apartment to rent with a wonderful view of the city. It is close to shopping and one of the mountain ranges, and about a 20-minute cab ride to our friends condo. We should take possession of it on July 1st. Then the fun (and expense) starts as we try to furnish it. We hired a local attorney to assist us with acquiring our permanent residency here. Sounds like we may have to fly to the capital city Quito a few times to take care of paperwork and obtain I.D. Cards. He will also assist us in signing up for FREE medical care and prescriptions available to seniors. Thats it for now. Greetings and blessings to our UCUMC family. Hank & Evelyn

chalk talk
Continued from front page

On Sunday, May 20, Ralph and Lydia Fotia were recognized for their unselfish work over the past years as Coordinators of Pastoral Care, visiting hundreds of members and friends in their homes and in over twenty hospitals and nursing facilities throughout Greater Cleveland. Their contribution has been priceless and is appreciated beyond words.

Abraham Lincoln may have stated the role of vital faith in the very best of ways. In a country on the brink of civil war, Lincoln closed his address with these sentences: Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. The various places of worship and diverse ways of offering God worship in this land enrich and encourage the better angels of our nature. Our places of worship make America possible. Can you imagine how impossible it would

be to be the United States of America if the majority of our citizenry did not think that there are better angels in our nature? Can you imagine how difficult life in our country would be and how uncivilized our society would be if there was no sense that there are no better angels whose spirits are alive among us? We are more than flesh and blood. We are more than what we acquire. We are more than what is tangible or what appetites can be sated. We are justmore. Believing in God, worshipping God, inviting God to be active in our lives and witnessing Gods activity in the lives of those around us these keep us truly free. As I at once anticipate and then trust that you have had a Happy Fourth of July, I know for certain that God makes all such happiness possible.

Dr. McCartney Receives Bishop Thomas Award

On June 20, during the 2012 East Ohio Annual Conference at Lakeside, a former pastor of the Epworth-Euclid church, The Rev. Dr. William Bill McCartney, received the Ninth Annual Bishop James S. Thomas Leadership Award, presented by the Methodist Federation for Social Action. Dr. McCartney became the churchs senior pastor in 1971 and served ten years before becoming the Canton District Superintendent. While at EE, he supported an environment that resulted in eight women entering the ministry. We join in congratulating Dr. McCartney on this honor. (Additional conference details are at www.EOCUMC.com.)