From the Executive Director:

It was clear from the reaction that we received at General Assembly and at the Metro New York and Joseph Priestley District annual meetings, that Murray Grove's Home-coming 2000 daylong celebration on Saturday, September 30, is a hot commodity! If you haven't sent in your registration yet, here's some of what you'll be missing if you delay:

• Preaching under the big tent by UUA Trustees Reverends Beth Graham and Linda Olson Peebles joined by Reverends Tom Chulak, Kathleen Hepler, Terry Sweetser, Lisa Ward and seminarian Hope Johnson.
• Performances by combined choruses from the JPD and Metro New York districts conducted by Scott Ward, the multi-faceted music director at the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, Delaware and last year's GA choir director.
• Inspirational dancing by New York City dancer and choreographer Robin Becker.
• A sermon/talk entitled "The Core of Universalism" presented by beloved UU minister, historian and author Charles A. Howe.
• International Music for all ages by Nada Brahma.
• An original play written by the Rev. John Morgan that reenacts the meeting of Thomas Potter and John Murray in present day.
• A special worship service in the Potter Memorial Chapel prepared by Rev. Paul Johnson and the Princeton Congregation.
• Intergenerational workshops that include crafts, music and movement.

Ellen

Our Website is up and Running!

www.murraygrove.org

With the great help, artistic touch and professional skills of Webmaster Mary Madigan, from the South Jersey Shore congregation, Murray Grove now has its own Website! The content covers the entire range of information, from our Heritage and History to facilities and rates; and the design is both efficient and very pleasing to the eye. (If we do say so ourselves.) In addition, there are links to a variety of affiliated and like-minded groups, to continue building up a vital UU network - and there will be more. We are also accessible from the UUA.org Camp and Conferences link, as well as from many of the sites we're linked to. We invite you to take a look, and let us know any reactions you might have.

Being "on line" doesn't mean we're not at the end of the phone as well. We're here and ready to answer your questions and help you plan the best retreat possible. Just give us a call!

Thanks to these new and renewed members since our last newsletter

Individual:
John Murray: $100.00 -- Marjorie Roesch
Heritage: $40.00 -- William R. Farnick; Rev. John C. Morgan; Christine Rhoads

Family:
John Murray: $150.00 -- Dr. O. Vincent and Judy Masters;
Heritage: $60.00 Doris H. and Robert H. Holtzman; Bonk/Brown Family

Group Sustaining Members:
Heritage: $100.00- First Unitarian Church of Wilmington; UU Congregation of Princeton

The Murray Grove Association is supported entirely by contributions, membership, income and endowments. It is an independent affiliate of the Unitarian Universalist Association and a member of the Council of Unitarian Universalist Camps and Conferences.

Murray Grove at GA

Murray Grove's presence at the 2000 UUA General Assembly in Nashville, TN, was hearty! The Murray Grove Association's annual John Murray Distinguished Lecture, offered with the support of the New York State Convention of Universalists (NYSCU) and the Pennsylvania Universalist Convention (PUC), is now in its fourteenth year and was masterfully presented by Rev. Dr. Thomas Owen-Towle. This year MGA added an additional, more informal, but equally delightful evening with Linda Foshee, also sponsored by the NYSCU. The Murray Grove display board, highlighting Homecoming 2000, was a central element of the Exhibition Hall booth of the Council of UU Camps and Conferences (CU2C2). Finally, in attendance were Executive Director Ellen Chulak and Assistant Director Michael Masters, as well as Board Members Rudy Nemser, Nelson Simonson, Kathie Davis Thomas, Lisa Ward, and Jean Wiant.

Rev. Owen-Towle's Lecture, entitled A Lover's Quarrel: Unitarian Universalists Wrestling with God," played before a full house. Considering the entire range of what God has meant and might mean to UUs, particularly from the Universalist perspective, he focused on the concepts of atheism, agnosticism and "affirmatism." He stressed that each point of view can be approached with either a positive or a negative attitude, and urged all, of whatever persuasion, to opt for the positive, and encourage others to do the same. He closed with a lengthy passage from the fond, familiar and still highly pertinent "not hell but hope" sermon by John Murray.

"Universalism in the Deep South," also extremely well-attended and enthusiastically received, was a more personal account by third-generation Southern Universalist Linda Foshee, a member of Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church in Ellisville, MS. Putting everyone in the mood with a session of robust Universalist hymn-singing, she gave a brief background of the distinctive Southern style of Universalism and a provocative slide presentation of prominent figures in the movement and many of the beautiful old churches that still remain. Ms. Foshee played up in particular some of the aspects that loom larger in the Southern style than in the Northern, such as the music and, of course, the food.

Perhaps most importantly, direct personal contact with many old and new friends was made, and word was spread of what Murray Grove is about and is doing. Through the two formally-sponsored events, through the CU2C2 booth and especially through the numerous opportunities General Assembly affords just to get to know and talk with UUs from all over the continent. Connections were renewed and created, invitations were made clear and services offered, and the message was passed which is what we're all about.

To view Rev. Owen-Towle's Lecture, A Lover's Quarrel: Unitarian Universalists Wrestling with God," click here.

Due to the support of

The Unitarian Universalist Funding Program and Rev. Marjorie Corletti, Cynthia Foster, Carl and Rev. Carol Haag, Eugene Montgomery, the New York State Convention of Universalists, the Pennsylvania Universalist Convention, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, and Nelson and Caroline Simonson we have reached our goal of $15,000 for the Communicating Our Universalist Roots Project

Thank you!

We could use your help with some of our History Project!

Especially if you've been around for a while. One project we're well-immersed in at the moment is the survey and organization of the Murray Grove archives and historical materials, in preparation for their display in the new Heritage Room that is to be opened at Homecoming 2000. Among the artifacts we possess are a number involving people whose identities are unknown.

The following is a list of some of the most important of these, in bold type. If you are familiar with any of them, and especially their relation, if any, to Murray Grove, we would greatly appreciate your letting us know what you know!

• Letters from John Murray to Capt. Nathaniel Cutting, and Mr. E. Howell (2).
• Two letters to E. Howell from Thomas Jones.
• Portrait Mrs. Eleanor Howell received from John Murray, donated by daughter M. Beulah Howell
• Cane owned by James B. MacNeal, 1st president of the MGA, and a man "whose very life seemed entwined with the Association". [That quote, and the fact that he was present at the first 1830's pilgrimage to Good Luck, are all we know about him -- but it certainly is intriguing!]
• Correspondence of Rev. James Shrigley with numerous Universalist colleagues. Rev. Shrigley also donated a portrait of Elhanan Winchester. [We know that James Shrigley was involved in the Pennsylvania Universalist Convention for many years. What his connection to Murray Grove was, however, and how we got the letters and portrait, is a mystery.]
• Two letters to H Ashenfelter from Rev. A.B. Grosh/A.B.G.
• Letter to Col. Johns from Rev. Abel C. Thomas.
• Portrait of Abel Thomas.
• Large portrait of Rev. Shaler J. Hillyer. [Similarly to the case of Rev. Shrigley, the identities of Revs. Grosh, Thomas and Hillyer are known, but not their connection to Murray Grove.]
• Bible donated by Rev. Thomas Silloway.
• Picture of Nellie E. and Willard E. Browne, cited for "special services" to the Murray Grove Association.