About our minister...
Rev. Jane Thickstun
"My ministry is based on my belief in the power of Unitarian Universalism to transform lives and to make a difference in the world.
I believe we have a transformational message in our first principle - taken as the radical statement that it is. In other language, it is God's unconditional love, that is available to each and every one of us, no matter what we do. Our worth is inherent; it is a part of our being that can not be taken away or given up. Accepting this at a deep level, truly believing it in the depth of our being, is liberating, and gives us strength and the confidence and the humility to turn from concern for self to care for others and the world. When we truly believe this principle, we can turn our attention outward, we are better able to do what is good and right, and achieve a spiritual joy that is not dependent on achievement or possessions. I am committed to spreading this saving message to all who can hear it.
I believe our congregations should provide a community where we can come together in love and respect to live out our faith among each other, practicing right relations in an environment of relative safety. The purpose of religious community is to create a safe place for people to feel supported and loved for who and how they are, yet encouraged to try new behaviors and attitudes that can help them grow. I strive in my ministry to help create such community.
True religious community, however, is focused outside itself and exists to serve something greater, however that may be defined. Just as mature individuals are able to turn outward and express care and concern for others, a mature congregation is able to turn its attention outward to help make a difference in the world. It is able to meet its own needs, and its denominational responsibilities, as well as being a helping and healing presence in the local community and the world. An important goal of my ministry is to help congregations grow in all dimensions, so that they may be beacons of hope in a troubled world.
My ministry is defined by my vision for the world. I envision a world where all beings are respected. This would mean that all beings are treated as having inherent worth and dignity, and not used for somebody else's purpose. I wish to see us widen the scope of our first principle to include all living beings.
I am committed to working toward healing our relationships to the earth and all that exists. This commitment includes justice work for all oppressed populations, including women, African Americans, Native Americans, the poor, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals, and more. I am concerned about the human issues, but I also think we nee to think more inclusively. Just as our outlook is expanded and our spiritual connection deepened by the realization of our participation in the oppression of other human beings, so it is even more so when we realize how we participate in the oppression of the natural world."
Rev. Jane Thickstun's education and professional training:
Bates College, Lewiston ME
B.S. - Georgetown University... Linguistics 1982
M.A. - Georgetown University... Philosophy 1987
M.Div. - Meadville/Lombard 2000
Ordained Midland Michigan
Minister Midland Michigan from August 2000 to July 2008
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Rites
of Passage - Weddings and Memorial Services
Many
people turn to Unitarian Universalist ministers for life’s
rites of passage, especially weddings and memorial services.
People come to us who have had no association with an
organized religion and find ours closest to their belief
system, or if they no longer wish to associate with the
religion they were brought up in, or if they want to be sure
that multiple faith traditions will be honored, for instance
in an interfaith wedding.
One thing that attracts people to our services for
rites of passage is the fact that we do not require you to
become a member. And
since we are passionate about our creedlessness, we
certainly don’t expect you to believe anything in
particular. Another
thing that people like about our weddings and memorial
services is the services themselves.
Because we are not bound to Christian traditions and
structures, our services are creative efforts that can be
adapted to the people involved, each one a unique expression
that the minister helps articulate for those people.
And yet another thing people like is that we can
perform weddings and memorial services anywhere you like.
Because
a lot of work goes into the creation of a wedding or
memorial service, and because Unitarian Universalist
ministers are called on often to perform these services, it
is customary to charge a fee for the services to non-members
of the congregation. My
fee is $350 for weddings (plus $50 for a rehearsal) and $200
for memorial services.
The fees are negotiable in cases of hardship; I would
not want cost to be a barrier to my services.
Preparing a wedding requires a two-hour meeting with
the couple before the event; for a memorial service I like
to meet with as many family members as possible.
I offer premarital counseling as an option (not a
requirement). If
premarital counseling is desired, it entails a few more
meetings, and a $35 fee to process the instrument I use to
facilitate the sessions.
If
you are interested in having me perform a wedding or
memorial service, please contact me at the church:
(603)352-1719, or by email: jethickstun@gmail.com
In Faith,
The
Reverend Jane Thickstun, Minister
Keene Unitarian Universalist Church
Our church history...
The Keene Unitarian Universalist Church is an independent congregation which has been part of the fabric of the Monadnock Region since its founding in 1824 by members of the Congregational Church who seceded over the issue of Trinitarianism vs. Unitarianism. Six years later they built their first building, the Unitarian Church at the corner of Main and Church Streets. The present stone building at 69 Washington Street was built in 1894. The Tiffany Truth Window was added in 1900 as a memorial to the founding members.
At about the same time, a small group of free-thinkers broke away from the Baptist Church in Richmond, NH, over the issue of Universal Salvation, and formed the Universalist Church. Nationally, the Universalist Church of America and the American Unitarian Association, with historical roots reaching back over one thousand years, merged at an historic meeting in Syracuse, New York, in 1961 to create the present Unitarian Universalist Association with over 1,000 congregations in North America.
As a congregation, we are affiliated with the UUA headquarters in Boston and with the New Hampshire/Vermont District of the UUA, both of which provide helpful and essential resources through which we operate independently and democratically.
Some Interesting Facts about KUUC:
The Truth Window
Truth was the topic of the first Unitarian sermon in Keene, and was a natural theme for a memorial window, which was installed in December 1900, as "a memorial window to the Seventy Associates who founded the church." The window was designed by the Tiffany Glass Company, which was at its height of productivity and creativity during the turn of the century, producing eight known "Truth" windows.
The New Hampshire Sentinel described the window as follows:
"The window . . . has been placed in position at the head of the church in the center of the chancel or alcove in rear of the pulpit. The window thus becomes a most conspicuous object and its tone and design are happily such as to harmonize admirably with the general plan and coloring of the interior, to which it adds a richness and finish that is now seen to have been very essential to the proper development of the architect's design . . ."
The window contains an androgynous figure, holding a torch which signifies Truth's illuminating power, and a sword, representing the practical embodiment of truth in laws, institutions . . .Around it's neck is a key, symbolizing the ability to unlock and get beyond barriers of ignorance. The wreath of roses? Well, Truth can be as sweet as a rose and as painful as the thorns, both to those who speak it and to those who listen!
The Chalice Blossom Window
The Chalice Blossom Window was designed by Craig Stockwell in memory of David La Mar, an active and well liked member of the church. David abhorred the vacuum in the pulpit-side chancel, and initiated discussion with the Board of Trustees. Before any decisions were made, David died in January 1993. Funds which had been given in David's memory were used to fund Craig's design.
The Chalice Blossom glass window was chosen to complement and not compete with the Truth window. The window is about two and a half feet wide and stands six feet tall.
Excepts from The Keene Unitarian Universalist Church: the building and its people. James Smart. 1996.
