Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
July/August 2010
FROM REV. ALAN TAYLOR SUMMER SERVICES
9:30 AM ONLY
C hange, at some point, enters all our lives. But our
changes do not ultimately define us. Instead, we
are shaped by how we respond to the changes.
Sunday, July 4
Revolutionary Religion
Rev. Alan Taylor
Having too many children in our program is a good Offering: People's Church of Chicago Homeless Ministry
problem to have. But it is a bad problem when families
Sunday, July 11
come to Unity Temple, discover that our classes are
Mohamed Webb and the Legacy of Islam in America
filled to capacity at the 9:30 a.m. service, and sadly
Dilara Sayeed
leave our community because the 11:15 a.m. service is
Offering: Oak Park Coalition of Truth and Justice
simply too late for their children's naps or other
activities. Our first service has nearly three times the Sunday, July 18
number of children as our second service, and the Meeting the Incomprehensible
imbalance is due to the current demands on families. Duane Dowell
Offering: Disabled American Veterans
When the idea emerged among our congregation's Sunday, July 25
leadership to change the time of our worship services, Doubt and Faith: A Powerful Combination
my initial response was, "We can't do that! We have Amy Clark-Williams
always held services at 9:30 and 11:15 (at least during Offering: Cluster Tutoring Program
my tenure here)!" My secondary response was fear:
"Making such a big change could adversely affect Sunday, August 1
attendance! No one likes to change!" My third response Faith-based Faith
was simply personal: "I don't want to have to get up a Toni Maddi
half hour earlier every week—it is hard enough to be Offering: Lawyers Committee for Better Housing
prepared for worship by 9:30!" Sunday, August 8
The End Game: The Name or The Flame
One long-time leader pointed out that the service times Jared Nourse
changed in the late 1990s, when the congregation went Offering: PCC Wellness Center
to two services, and that they certainly aren't written in Sunday, August 15
stone. Members of my staff pointed out that by not This Is Water: Thoughts about
changing we will serve fewer people, and institutions Living a Compassionate Life
that thrive are those that can adapt to the changing Rev. Alan Taylor
needs of their communities; those that cannot or will Offering: Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association
not change for the sake of serving the larger mission
will inevitably wilt and decline. And several people Sunday, August 22
pointed out that an earlier service time means more Revelation Is Never Sealed
time in the rest of the day. Rev. Alan Taylor
Offering: Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
More than 220 members of our community responded to Sunday, August 29
the survey regarding the idea of moving our service Rev. Emily Gage
times to 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. After reading the positive Offering: Micah's Porch
responses, it was clear, though I still had to process
through my own resistance. Now, I am fully ready for Flower Communion All Summer Long: Bring blooms from
the change. your gardens for the vase on our summer service altar.
Continued on page 3
2 • The Beacon
FROM THE ARCHIVES… “,,,Then, the temple itself still in mind, began to take
Frank Lloyd Wright on Unity Temple shape. The site was noisy by the Lake Street car tracks.
From Ron Moline Therefore it seemed best to keep the building closed on
the three front sides and enter it from a court at the
center of the lot.
www.unitytemple.org