Growing up in Kentucky, John Carson and his wife Joyce were trained early to go to church and to read the Bible without questioning it. At a young age, when he inquired about inconsistencies, he was told that God would “get” him for asking about such things. He felt as if he were being scared into heaven.
Later, after marriage and moving to Michigan, Joyce heard about Unitarianism and wrote to the CLF. She received information, including the address of the local church in Grosse Pointe. Both John and Joyce joined the church and immediately felt complete freedom to grow spiritually.
In 1956, John was asked by the Grosse Pointe minister to make an emblem representing Unitarianism to wear on Sundays. He created a design based on the flaming chalice emblem of the Unitarian Service Committee. In six months the demand exceeded John’s ability to make them by hand. After he joined the CLF in 1984, John and his business partner assigned the dies and distribution rights to the CLF to carry on the program.
Now the CLF handles the worldwide distribution of the emblem jewelry, in gold, silver and pewter. His chalice emblem brought John little monetary profit. However, the real profit came in his satisfaction in promoting the cause of Unitarian Universalist ideas.
Behind the altar of the Grosse Point Church is a hand-fashioned, three-sectioned, nine by nine foot aluminum screen of intertwining ovals. Mortised onto the screen are symbols of various world religions interspersed throughout. John says “it was my personal agony and ecstasy…with the joy and personal satisfaction of seeing my best effort in a Unitarian Universalist art form.”
John’s last chalice project, in 1990, was to design and make the “Silver Chalice Award” for the Lexington, Kentucky Church. He donates this award every year to the church to recognize outstanding local UUs.
As he celebrates his 90th birthday, John continues to thank Joyce, now deceased, “for starting us on a lifetime experience of being Unitarian Universalists—a lot of wonderful memories.”
To purchase jewelry, visit our website at www.clfuu.org and click on “CLF Shop” or call Beth at 617-948-6150. Our oval chalice pendants and pins are based on John’s designs.
