From the minister:
Changes Ahead
Sabbatical planned for December-March
With confidence, or at least optimism, I’ve put
my winter bike up on its storage rack and have taken down
my skinny-wheeled, single-speed commuter bike. While I’m
glad to be back on my more nimble ride, I have to admit
I’m a bit sad to be putting my winter ride away.
When I set up the winter bike, I put a mirror on the handlebar.
In nearly 40 years of riding a bike, I’ve never had
a mirror before. During my bike-racing days, I learned
to glance backwards, under my arm or over my shoulder,
without disturbing my bike’s balance … well,
without disturbing it too much, anyway. So getting used
to the fact that all I had to do was glance down into this
mirror took some getting used to. Little changes like that
are probably good things; they keep our minds active and
keep us intentional about even our everyday activities.
In the life of a minister, there is a time of intentional
shaking-up-of-the-routine called a sabbatical. Sabbaticals
serve multiple purposes. It’s partly a time of
rest and reflection and partly a time of professional
development. As I approached the final stages of my doctorate
of ministry program, I realized that I needed a sabbatical
in order to prepare for teaching an intensive seminary
class next January and then to have the time to write
my final presentation. I’ve consulted with our
Committee on Ministry and presented a plan to the board,
and we’ve determined that I will be taking a sabbatical
next winter, Dec. 1 through March 22. Janet Klaas is
the chair of the newly formed Sabbatical Committee, which
includes members from the Committee on Ministry and the
Sunday Morning Program, Caring, Personnel, and Religious
Education committees.
The Sabbatical Committee will ensure good communication
while I am gone and provide oversight for the committees
with which I’m connected. The Sunday Morning Program
Committee is already creating an exciting group of programs
for the sabbatical, including visits from many Iowa UU
ministers; our own ministerial student, Kali Hayslett;
and our former ministerial intern, Dawn Cooley.
The Sabbatical Committee will distribute a brochure
this fall with details on whom to contact in case of
various needs. It will also include more information
about my sabbatical plans. If you have any questions
or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask Janet
or me.
See you on Sundays,
-- Brian |
Sunday, April 6, 9 & 11 a.m.
Being a Good Neighbor
the Rev. Brian Eslinger & Tamaria
Wright
Join us to experience the meaning of the
word neighbor and to learn about what we are doing and
what we could do to be good neighbors in our community.
Tamaria Wright is the director of the Good Neighbor Emergency
Assistance Cooperative.
Sunday, April 13, 9 & 11 a.m.
Iowa: Feed, Food, Fuel and the Family Farm?
LaVon Griffieon
Iowa is only 0.098 percent of the world’s
land mass – pretty insignificant. Yet, according
to the United States Department of Agriculture, Iowa has
between 10 and 25 percent of the world’s finest soils.
When those soils are combined with our climate and rainfall,
we have the greatest potential on earth to grow food. That
makes us Iowans far from insignificant as the stewards
of a nonrenewable global treasure.
Sunday, April 20, 9 & 11 a.m.
Earth Day Celebration
the Rev. Brian Eslinger and Lori Allen, DYCM
Join in our annual salute to the planet that makes it
all happen – Mother Earth! We’ll give a rousing three cheers
in story and song, and, if we’re not careful, we may even learn
a little bit before we’re done.
All-Congregational
Special Music: Fellowship Voices
Special Music: Free Spirits
Sunday, April 27, 9 & 11 a.m.
Just Be Natural
the Rev. Brian Eslinger
As I’ve explored what it means to
be a responsible citizen of the world, one of the questions
that keeps popping up is “What is natural?” In
terms of environmental ethics, great importance is placed
on how we define this term. Join me in my musings and explorations
as I seek a natural answer.
NOTE: On Sunday, May 4, we will have a single,
half-hour service at 10 a.m., followed by the Fellowship’s annual
business meeting.
Sunday, May 4, 10 a.m. ONLY
Visions of Fellowship
the Rev. Brian Eslinger
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