From Our Minister Archive
“Everything Must Change...”
August is a month of transitions for many of us. The summer draws to a close, the church year begins in earnest, children mostly return to school, and my time with you will be coming to an end. I am grateful that our theme for this month is Compassion so that we can approach all of these transitions with gentleness and compassion.
This year with UU Santa Monica, first as your Intern and then as your Summer Minister, has been extraordinary in so many ways. Getting to know many of you, and spending time in this vibrant, dedicated, and committed community has been enlightening. I have learned so much being with you and have appreciated the care and compassion you’ve shown to me as you shepherded me through the Intern process. Special thanks go to my hard working and supportive Intern Committee — Barbara Kernochan, Eric Huang, Rick Rhoads, Cathie Gentile, Pat Gomez, and Karen Hsu Patterson. It has also been fascinating to participate in your Faith in Action program and see the many ways in which you come together as a community to bring more compassion and kindness to this world. I relished helping with both children’s and adult Religious Exploration and seeing the many dedicated volunteers among you who offer your time, expertise, and guidance to our youth. Thanks, too, to the gifted staff, whom I have watched work tirelessly for the good of this community. I have rarely seen a congregation with so many skills, ideas, and programs all initiated because of your passion and love for this community and our faith.
Ministerial covenants suggest that a former Intern keep their distance for a while after leaving in order best to support the present ministry of the congregation. I will miss being with you all tremendously but feel comforted knowing you all will continue to work to make the world a kinder, more compassionate, and just place! I will certainly hold you all in my heart and cherish the time we have spent together. UU Santa Monica will always be special to me as the place where I got to take my floaties off and really dive into this wonderful calling of ministry.
I look forward to seeing some of you in Santa Barbara at my Ordination on August 30. There we can celebrate together the formative time I have spent with you and the gift you have given the wider UU world by preparing a minister for service to Unitarian Universalism. I do not yet know what’s next, but hope to continue serving in ministry somewhere in Southern California.
Words hardly seem adequate to express my gratitude to you all. I have been changed by knowing you and am so grateful to have been a part of this community for the past 13 months. Until we meet again... . In deepest gratitude and love,
-- Nica Eaton-Guinn
[From Our Summer Minister]
Do You Sing in the Shower?
As I reflect upon our July theme of CREATIVITY, I am reminded of how many different ways there are to be creative. Some people tell me matter-of-factly: “I am not creative,” and then I hear about their love of cooking, or their ability to garden, or their interest in building things. This month I invite us to look at all the creative things we do in life, whether it’s displaying our children’s lunch in a beautiful way, singing in the shower, or arranging our sock drawer by color! What role does artistic expression play in our life? Is it a way for us to express our unique selves? Is it a way for us to find greater inner peace or guidance? Is it a way for us to pray or meditate? Is it a way for us to feel joy, fun or purpose? What does your creative expression do for you?
On Sunday, July 5, we’ll be exploring our inner artist and how cultivating our creative spirit can heal, guide and inspire us. Do creativity and spirituality intersect or are they the same?
On Sunday, July 19, we’ll be examining the theme of creativity as it relates to our faith. Our Unitarian Universalist faith gives us the freedom to create our own theology, to discover what is meaningful to each of us and live according to that. Join members of the “Building Your Own Theology” class as we share various different and creative perspectives on the meaning of life and ultimate reality.
And don’t forget to join us for Rev Ken Brown’s workshop, “Choosing a Future for UU Governance in the 21st Century,” on Saturday, July 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ken, our UUA District Executive, brings years of experience and wisdom with congregational trends and governance. Join us for a workshop to creatively envision how we might most effectively govern our congregation in the future.
Meanwhile, enjoy these days of summer. May you find inspiration and joy in the connections you create in this community. May you explore and expand your creativity this month. And may you find time to rest and rejuvenate.
It is such a blessing to be here with you this summer.
In gratitude,
Nica Nica Eaton-Guinn
Appreciations
Many thanks to the Committee on Ministry, Board of Directors, Hospitality Committee, and all those who hosted the festive celebration for Baby Bijur on April 26! Thank you to this community for all those who contributed to the extremely generous check that accompanied your thoughtful card. Wow. Thank you to the Knitters and Friends for their caring and beautiful crafts. By 11 a.m. we looked around to see if they could ceremonially again present us with the mouse they made for Nathan, but it turned out he had walked off with it immediately after the 9 a.m. service... a good sign. We are grateful to be part of this caring community, and look forward to introducing you to its newest member once baby Bijur arrives!
With love, Rev. Rebecca, Jonathan, Mimi, and Nathan
Mercy! Cancer, Second Chances, and Summertime
What better way to honor our monthly theme of Mercy than to celebrate those who have been given a second chance at life? Sunday, June 7, is National Cancer Survivor Day. This is a special day that is marked with marches and celebrations throughout the U.S. Many never get the opportunity to make it through a life-threatening illness or event. Having a second chance at life can change our thinking and the way we are in the world. How does surviving impact people’s lives? We will have our own opportunity to honor those who have been given a second chance at life or those who wish to celebrate the mercy experienced by their family or friends.
June is also the month in which I am delighted to begin my service to you as Acting Minister, while Rev. Rebecca spends some well-deserved time with her newborn and family. I look forward to being with you this summer from June 1 through August 23. I am serving on a part-time basis, which means I will be preaching twice a month, addressing pastoral care needs, and working with the Board and staff. We will have an enriching workshop and service with the Rev. Dr. Ken Brown from the PSWD Congregational Life staff in mid-July. And we hope to share another “Heart and Soul” service with you on July 12 before the Second Sunday Supper. Most of my appointments and meetings will take place on Sunday afternoons and occasional weekdays. If you wish to make an appointment please do so by emailing me at minister@uusm.org after June 1. During the second half of June, I will be attending our General Assembly in Portland together with many of our youth and several congregants. I look forward to returning with inspiration and ideas from our denomination’s gathering. Thanks for your consideration and flexibility around this special summer schedule. I look forward to our time together.
In faith and love,
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
Share in Leadership at Our Annual Meeting May 17
Dear ones,
One of my seminar professors, Marshall Ganz, taught me a lot about leadership, especially leadership in a spiritual community like ours, where we value a high degree of participation in our life together. As a young person, Marshall dropped out of Harvard to organize farm workers with Cesar Chavez, and he often spoke about the way this changed his perspective on the challenges of shared leadership and decision-making. He used to say, “Leadership is helping others achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty.”
And he reminded us that collective courage — like that of workers standing together for dignity and fair treatment — is always more powerful than individual courage.
On Sunday, May 17, at 11:30 a.m. we will gather for our Annual Congregational Meeting to practice our own approach to shared leadership and decision-making. In this congregation, we ask our members to come together at least once a year to remember our principles and purposes, and to make courageous decisions about our leadership and our shared future. This is part of a long and spirited tradition in UU congregations, where the democratic process relies on both the free voice of responsibility and reason, and the interdependence that connects us all. As we gather to adopt a financial plan for the coming year, share reports on our community’s accomplishments in the year that is ending, elect members of our Board of Directors and Nominating Committees, and discuss issues of mutual concern, we may find that we do not all agree or share similar positions. It’s important to remember that it’s OK to disagree, but it’s not OK to be disrespectful or disruptive.
Our Annual Meeting is also a time to express our appreciation for one another’s leadership in church administration and governance, particularly the time and commitment generously given to our church by tireless volunteers who serve on the Board of Directors, Finance Committee, Nominating Committee, Internship Committee, and other leadership committees. We simply could not be the community we are without their vision and dedication.
Thank you.
Every time we gather, for worship or for congregational meetings, we have another opportunity to hold one another with compassion, respect, and kindness, so that our shared leadership strengthens us, and allows us to keep weaving and reweaving the bonds of connection that hold us as one community, with many points of view.
It has been exciting to work with our Intern Minister, Nica Eaton-Guinn, and the Internship Committee this year, and I’m looking forward to celebrating the completion of her internship with us on May 10. It has also been wonderful to share the news with you all that Nica will be our part-time Summer Minister while I am on maternity leave from June 1 to August 24, and that Rev. Tera Little will serve as our part-time Acting Minister this fall while I am on sabbatical. Although I will be back with you between these leave times, for the last part of August and most of September, this will be my last newsletter column before departing for maternity leave.
As I will say again at the Annual Meeting, my thanks goes out to Nica, Rev. Little, the Committee on Ministry, and the Board of Directors for their leadership in our search process, and for their support in planning a smooth leadership transition. Because we are not quite sure when baby Bijur will arrive, the Committee on Ministry (Sue Stoyanoff, Tom Peters, Kris Langabeer, and Alan Brunell) will also be checking the minister’s voice mail and on-call to respond to urgent pastoral care requests this month. From May 18 to May 31, you can reach them directly at committeeonministry@uusm.org, or at (310) 829-5436 x104. After June 1, you can reach Nica at minister@uusm.org, or at (310) 829- 5436 x104.
Nica’s Farewell Sunday as our part-time Summer Minister will be August 23, and I will return to the pulpit on August 30. So many of you have expressed your good wishes and support for my family and me over the weeks and months of my pregnancy. Thank you, thank you! During my time away, I know you will continue to celebrate the gift of one another’s leadership and love, as well as the energy, care, and talents of our Summer Minister and our dedicated church staff.
Much heart,
Rev. Rebecca
Rev. Rebecca
From Our Intern Minister:
Thanks for Preparing a New UU Minister
This month, on May 17, I complete my work as your Intern Minister. A few days prior, on May 14, I will have graduated from Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley with my Masters of Divinity degree. And in April, I passed the UUA’s Ministerial Fellowship Committee final exam, at which I was granted preliminary fellowship as a UU Minister. I am thrilled, after 4 very intense and demanding years, to be confirmed now as a UU Minister. This call to ministry has been so clear to me all along, but many years of study and reflection, as well as psychological, intellectual, organizational, and institutional preparation are >needed to fulfill it.
It has been an extraordinary year here at UU Santa Monica. I feel grateful to have had the chance to develop my ministry in your midst. You have been so generous in giving me the opportunity to learn, grow, and be shaped by this engaging congregation. The Intern Committee composed of Barbara Kernochan (chair), Pat Gomez, Karen Hsu Patterson, Eric Huang, Rick Rhoads, and Cathie Gentile spent many hours observing and reflecting on my work, and has been extremely supportive throughout. In addition to preaching and creating worship almost monthly, I have had the opportunity to spend concentrated time in RE, to work with Faith in Action, to co-create the Heart and Soul service, and to participate in Board meetings and governance. Under Reverend Rebecca’s generous supervision, this internship has provided me with broad experience that I will be able to bring to the search for my first call in a congregation. UU Santa Monica has made a difference for the future of Unitarian Universalism by preparing a new minister to take our message of love and justice to the wider world. Thank you for your trust in me and for the opportunity to share in the ministry of this very special congregation.
It is with joy that I will spend my first few months as a qualified Minister serving you this summer when Reverend Rebecca is on maternity leave. I will be here part-time (about 20 hours per week) focusing on preaching twice a month, offering pastoral care, and working with the staff and Board. I look forward to being with you in this new capacity and to helping sustain the vibrant mission and >vision of this congregation during Reverend Rebecca’s leave.
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
Coming Soon to a Church Near You
Dear ones,
As spring blossoms across the city of Los Angeles, your ministers are deep into preparation for our exciting summer plans. In just two months, Nica plans to complete her ministerial internship, graduate from seminary, and step into a new role as our part-time Summer Minister, and Rev. Rebecca plans to welcome a new baby to her growing family.
During times of transition and change in our lives, and in the life of this beloved community we serve, we have found that it renews our spirits to be recalled to a larger vision of the ministry we serve. That is why we are setting our sights once again on the North Star of our calling as religious leaders in our liberal and liberating UU faith, so that the greater ministries we serve — of loving generously, seeking truth, and serving the world — can remain our focus and beacon in the months to come.
For Rev. Rebecca, Unitarian Universalism and UU ministry are radical experiments in courageous hope and fierce love. As we call one another into the big tent faith of this covenanted community, and pledge ourselves to “walk together in all ways,” we build lives of meaning and purpose and further a world of beauty, peace, and healing.
For Nica, UU ministry is an opportunity to celebrate and honor this precious life in all its mystical beauty, complexity, and diversity. Unitarian Universalism provides a chance to put our values of love and justice into action, within and beyond our congregation, to help people lead meaningful, peaceful, and whole lives.
As our part-time Summer Minister, Nica will lead the ongoing ministry of the congregation. This is not a time for dramatic changes in leadership or vision, but rather a time of continuity and support for the vitality that is already present among us. One of the blessings of Nica’s presence with us through the summer is how well she has already come to know us, and we have come to know her. At the same time, Nica’s gifts in ministry and unique perspective will continue to enrich our life together allowing her to make the most of her part-time ministry with us, as she focuses on leading worship two Sundays per month, offering pastoral care, and supporting staff and church leadership.
The vision of ministry we share is larger than any of us can do alone. In the words of the UU theologian Rebecca Parker, None of us alone can save the world. Together — that is another possibility waiting.
With you,
Rev. Rebecca and Nica
Dear ones,
It’s been exhilarating to walk with you over the past month in exploring the theme of God. Thank you for bringing your open and courageous hearts to worship, week after week. Of all those who have spoken directly to me this month, so many of you have been supportive of addressing the creative tensions of pluralism, particularly between theism and nontheism, within our community in this direct way. You have also commended me for my courage in choosing this path of leadership in our diverse community. While I deeply appreciate the compliment, I hope one day it will not seem so courageous to talk about our religious differences openly, honestly, and with compassion.
One thing I know is that even though the month of February has drawn to a close, this conversation we are having about who we are as a religious community, and about how we care for one another and value differences among us, must continue.
We must continue to speak boldly about who we are and the kind of future we are building for our church, because this is a time of great change in religious life in the United States. The old way of religious life is dying. Every month, I read more stories about how traditional religious institutions are closing their doors, dissolving their charters, and selling off their properties and buildings. Those of us who are surviving in this new religious landscape, including this congregation, face hard choices about what we will preserve about our traditional institution, and what we must let go of in order to survive and thrive. So much of what this church is comes directly from our powerful, inspiring past. So much of what we will be depends on how we harvest that power to do what needs to be done now, for a new way of religious life that has yet to emerge.
Several years ago I asked Rev. Peter Morales, president of our Unitarian Universalist Association, how I would know if our church was not just surviving, but truly beating the odds by thriving in this new, emerging, uncertain religious landscape.
He said that you must look at membership and fundraising, of course. So, here are some numbers for you: currently, 85% of UU congregations have fewer than 250 members, and 75% have fewer than 150 members. This means our church is in the largest 15% of all UU congregations in the country. That said, our membership now stands at 321, the lowest I can remember since you called me to minister here five years ago, with about a 15% decrease since the same time last year, when we were at about 375 members. While much of this decrease can be attributed to a new record-keeping system that has allowed us to dis-enroll members who did not realize they were still being listed as members, months or years after their departure from the church, it is still a substantial decrease.
Additionally, of the $450,000 we set as our ambitious fundraising goal in annual and monthly gifts (pledges) this year, we completed the fall campaign on February 1 with $380,000 in commitments, or 85% of our goal. This is about 7% less than our campaign last year, and 15% short of our stretch goal for the campaign.
Of course, I’m not going to let that stop me from thanking you all again for your generosity, especially the 64 individuals and families — 23% of all our donor households — who were able to increase their financial giving to the church this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Peter was also quick to say that the numbers are not the only story, or even the whole story. He said you have to look at these numbers, and you also have to listen at coffee hour. You have to look to see if there is a thrill, an excitement, a buzz on Sunday mornings. Then you will know if your church is fulfilling its call to be a vital, vibrant spiritual home.
Well, it’s not a hum I hear in coffee hour (both coffee hours — we do two each week, of course). It’s more of a dull roar. Many Sundays it is hard to get a seat at the 11 a.m. service, and for most of February the same was true at 9 a.m.
And although our pledge drive came in at 85%, and not 100%, of the most ambitious goal we’ve set since 2010, our income from other sources (rentals and unexpected or unpledged gifts) has risen dramatically in the past few years, as have our unrestricted reserves. This has happened even as we’ve approved deficit budgets and increased the amount of money we give away more and more generously each year, both to local organizations by sharing our Sunday offering, and to the Unitarian Universalist Association and Pacific Southwest District through our Fair Share contributions.
So I’m not sure what our numbers are telling us, my spiritual friends, or how to square it with that brilliant cacophony I hear on Sunday mornings. I know the old way of doing church is dying. I know a new way is emerging. But how, or if, we will keep the best of the old while embracing the new — well, that is something we will have to figure out together.
-- Rev. Rebecca
From Our Intern Minister: “I had to master the Red Shift and Doppler Effect”
For the last two months I have had the privilege of observing and teaching a variety of Religious Exploration classes. Since I have been participating in worship until now, I discovered I had little idea about the extent of the work that goes on in our RE programs every Sunday morning. Catherine Farmer Loya, the RE Committee, the curriculum designers, and all the teachers are amazingly dedicated to offering quality experiences to our children. As a mother myself, I know how important it is to feel we can relax and trust that our children are in good hands. Not only are they in good hands here at UU Santa Monica, but they are being treated to rich, interesting, and diverse programming. The K to second grade classes are studying Sacred Stories from religions around the world. They mix in physical activities, together with a central story and a craft activity. The third to fifth grade classes are studying the origins of the universe in the UUniverse Story. I gained new respect for teachers who have to teach intricate scientific concepts that they may not have known about before being asked to lead these classes. I had to master “Red Shift” and the “Doppler Effect” for the class I taught. Sixth to seventh grade classes are studying world religions in their “Interfaith Quest.” Our Coming of Age eighth graders have their own program and will be leading a worship service in May to summarize their learning this year. Attending our huge group of YRUU students (high school age) was very impressive. These students are bright, empowered, and articulate and are making a difference in our community and the world. I look forward to working with them on their upcoming worship service on March 22.
I invite you to join me, starting March 22 from 4 to 6 p.m., for the 6-week adult class “Building Your Own Theology.” We will be exploring our own spiritual odysseys, examining the varieties of liberal religious experience, discussing the nature of ultimate reality and how we make meaning in our lives. The class will culminate on May 3 with the opportunity to write your own credo statement. We will have 3 classes, with a one-week break in the middle on April 12, followed by 3 more. Please sign up at the LRE table in Forbes Hall and let us know if you need childcare. Space will be limited so sign up early, if you’re interested.
I look forward to seeing you in worship again during March, and to getting to know some of you better during “Building Your Own Theology.”
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
As many of you know, Unitarian Universalists all over the country are now choosing to explore monthly themes in their congregations. All Souls in Tulsa, OK, pioneered the model of theme-based ministry over twelve years ago under the leadership of the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar. Since then, All Souls Tulsa and other congregations have made their three-year cycle of themes into an online resource for UUs who wish to engage in study and reflection on the same themes as many other UUs. Four years ago, UU Santa Monica adapted our theme-based ministry from the themes chosen by All Souls Tulsa, as well as those of Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, First Church Los Angeles, and the UU Church of Santa Clarita. We are now in the fourth year of our theme-based ministry, which has returned us to some of the themes from our first year in 2011-12, with some new additions.
God, our theme for February, is a new addition to our theme-based ministry. God is one of the themes that was first used in Tulsa, but I was reluctant to explore God with this diverse congregation in our first three years of theme-based ministry, particularly in light of this community’s important history of being a welcoming home for those who identify as non-theists. However, as we reach the midpoint of our fifth year together, I am now more confident that you and I are up to the challenge of engaging in reflection, respectful conversation, and deep listening about God alongside our commitments to non-theism, theism, and many other spiritual identities.
When I talk about God, I am talking about the deep mystery of life. My understanding of God has come out of reflection on my life experiences and encounters with all that is not-me, particularly other people and ideas, as well as from my study of religion, science, myth, poetry, storytelling, and earth. My personal theology includes a vital place for that-which-is-beyond-me. This can include that which is beyond my understanding, and ultimately beyond my ability to explain or articulate, and yet also what I have glimpsed or felt in moments of connection, insight, wonder, love, and deep feeling. I choose to live my life as if you, I, and our companions in life, can experience mutual flourishing, and as if the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice, as our spiritual ancestor, the Unitarian minister and abolitionist Theodore Parker, once wrote.
A wise faith leader once asked someone to tell her about the God they didn’t believe in, because chances are, she didn’t believe in that God, either. In his column, “What is God?” Rev. Lavanhar of our Tulsa church makes a similar point. Like him, I want to be clear that when I talk about God, I am not talking about a bearded man in the sky. I am not talking about a God who orders violence against any out-group or metes out punishment to those who fail to meet God’s standards.
I am talking about what allows us to “turn adversity into character and despair into hope,” as Rev. Lavanhar writes. I’m talking about where we find the strength to forgive, the forgiveness that makes the future possible. I’m talking about the transforming power of love that comforts us as we survive grief and loss, and the spirit of solidarity that lifts our hearts toward a vision of Beloved Community, and moves our feet and hands to build that world we dream of. To me these are deeply mysterious powers, to which so many have committed their lives: the source of hope and peace, the strength to forgive, the transforming power of love, and the spirit of community. These powers I also name as God.
For some Unitarian Universalists, God language is a spot of great tenderness — meaning hurt, confusion, loss, and betrayal. And for some Unitarian Universalists, God language is a spot of great tenderness — meaning compassion, peace, strength, and joy.
Whatever language you use, I believe God has a place in our diverse spiritual community, and that talking about the God we don’t believe in, or the God we do believe in, can strengthen our church. I hope our themebased ministry will continue to open our doors, hearts, and minds in ways that deepen our understanding of our religious commitments and strengthen our connections to one another in our pluralistic faith.
With love and faith in the journey,
— Rev. Rebecca
Thank you to Rev. Marlin Lavanhar and the All Souls Tulsa congregation for making their theme-based resources available online, particularly on the theme of God: http://themebasedministry.org
Recommended Reading on God
“The Case for God,” by Karen Armstrong
“America’s Four Gods: What We Say About God — And What That Says About Us,” by Paul Froese and Christopher Bader
“What is God?” by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, All Souls Tulsa, December 2010, and “What if I don’t believe?” by Rev. Tamara Leback, All Souls Tulsa, December 2010, both at http:// themebasedministry.org/wordpress/wpcontent/ uploads/2012/04/Dec_2010_God_internet.pdf
“Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief,” by Andrew Newberg, Eugene D’Aquili, and Vince Rause
“Fluent in Faith: A Unitarian Universalist Embrace of Religious Language,” by Jeanne Harrison Nieuwejaar
“God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World,” by Stephen Prothero
“Faithest: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious,” by Chris Stedman
“The Evolution of God,” by Robert Wright
From the Intern Minister
Bring your heart and soul to a new alternative worship service on Sunday, March 8!
What is alternative worship, you may ask, and why do we need it? Many congregations offer a different worship service from the traditional Sunday service to give the community alternative ways of worshipping. Heart and Soul worship emerged from a desire among some congregants to participate in an alternative form of worship in addition to our regular Sunday service. Some congregations do a traditional Taize service with chants and silence in between; some do a long meditation sit; and others do a “Soulful Sundown” service that is very interactive, aimed at youth. But in each case, the service offers something different from the traditional Sunday service.
To that end several congregants and I, including two of our youth, have been working to create an alternative worship service for UU Santa Monica. The first Heart and Soul worship will be held on Sunday, March 8, in the Sanctuary from 5 to 6 p.m. right before the Second Sunday Supper. Heart and Soul will be an embodied, participatory, and soulful form of worship for people of all ages, with a lot of communal singing of simple songs. So that you can become familiar with the music, we have an opportunity for you to join us for a Sing-Along to learn the songs on Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please bring your voices, your instruments, and your hearts to this Sing-Along, so that you can participate wholeheartedly in the worship on March 8.
The Heart and Soul worship team of Eric Huang, Paice Van Ooyen, Jacob Valore, Kikanza Nuri-Robins, DeReau Farrar, and I look forward to worshipping with you in a service that includes music, ritual, sharing, candlelight, inspirational words, and connection. There will be an information table in Forbes Hall throughout February, if you’d like to learn more and get involved.
We hope you will join us for the Sing-Along on March 1 from 1 to 2 p.m. and then for the first Heart and Soul worship on March 8 from 5 to 6 p.m.
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
A wise person once said, “Tell me what you love, and I will tell you who you are.”
One of the programs I love is Small Group Ministry, now called Heart to Heart Circles. In Heart to Heart Circles, small groups of people from all ages and stages of life come together once a month to practice deep listening and honest reflection, including sharing their spiritual journeys. Each two-hour meeting has a theme, such as Gratitude, Prayer, or Loss, and includes readings on that theme, along with questions for consideration. Most meetings also have a time of shared silence, a “check in” where group members share what is on their heart, and a time of reflection at the close of the session. This year, Heart to Heart Circles will run from February to December 2015.
Heart to Heart Circles are not discussion groups. Instead, trained volunteer facilitators create an alternative to the back-and-forth of crosstalk and dialogue we experience at home, at work, even in other church programs. In the Heart to Heart alternative space, group members and facilitators together gently help the group adhere to a covenant that limits questions and promotes a safer space for meaningful sharing. Our hope is that Heart to Heart Circles are a place where we can speak honestly without being judged or questioned for what we choose to share — or not share — with the group. As one participant wrote in the their end-of-year reflection, “We all need a safe space to share from the heart.”
Or, as another participant put it, “[I] love to be real for two hours a month. [I] crave more.”
Since this program was rekindled in 2013, over 100 people in the church have participated in this high-commitment, high-reward program. We have found that those who are able to prioritize attendance at monthly meetings, as well as joining the group for two service projects during the year, get the most out of the experience. If a monthly commitment will be hard for you in your life right now, you may want to investigate some of the other programs we offer for spiritual reflection and renewal, as well as education and community-building.
In our large congregation, whether you are a newcomer, longtime member, or somewhere in-between, it is sometimes hard to connect and make new friends. That is why Heart to Heart Circles take place in small groups of 6 to 8 people, where closer connections of friendship and belonging can take root. “Every time we meet I feel there is an extra effort made to help each other and become closer,” wrote one participant. “I’ve definitely felt a kinship and community in the group,” wrote another.
I encourage you to join Heart to Heart Circles/Small Group Ministry in 2015, so you can see — and listen — for yourself. Please sign up by January 18 at the Lifespan Religious Education table in coffee hour, or by emailing your minister and the Heart to Heart Planning Team at sgm@uusm.org, so we can send you registration
materials.
In the words of a past participant, if you do join a circle in 2015, “prepare to have your heart opened.”
With love,
Rev. Rebecca
From Our Intern Minister
“Bless you!” We hear that phrase often when we sneeze from both the religious and nonreligious alike. In fact, I suspect it contains little to no spiritual significance these days, but is simply a cultural norm. The phrase originated as “God Bless You” back in Biblical times and was widely used later during outbreaks of the plague. Sneezing was the first sign that you might have the plague, so Pope Gregory I ordered unending prayer and chanting of “Bless You” in the streets to help mitigate chances of catching the plague. So yes, the term clearly has religious origins, and many people today choose to use the German word “Gesundheit” (which means “health”) instead of “Bless You.”
On the other hand, the term “Bless You” or a “blessing” does not have to have religious connotations or originate from a higher power. “Blessing” is such a beautiful, poetic, and unique word. Though some among us might struggle with it, considering it theistic language, I wish to reclaim it for all Unitarian Universalists. Blessing can be something we do for one another, just by offering each other kindness, concern and love. I receive a blessing from someone when they think of me, or say kind words, or perform thoughtful acts. blessings are gifts we bestow on one another. They enrich our lives. I consider my family and friends a blessing; the opportunity to have a roof over my head and have enough to eat is a blessing; having good health is a blessing; and being part of this wonderful community is a blessing. These blessings are not necessarily bestowed by a divine entity. Rather, they are treasured contributions or circumstances that enhance our lives. Meanwhile, I can bless another by offering a smile, a helping hand, a consideration, or a kindness. Blessings are also natural, uplifting occurrences, such as a cool breeze on a hot day, the comforting shade of giant sequoia trees, the magical twinkling of the starry sky, or the infectious laughter of a baby.
Former Starr King School for the Ministry President, and renowned contemporary theologian, Rebecca Parker, entreats us to “Choose to bless the world.” In her book, “Blessing the World,” she writes: “The purpose of life, then, is to discover the joy or wellbeing that simultaneously pleases us and blesses our neighbor. Every act we commit is a contribution to the world; the question is whether our actions will be a blessing or a curse. The basic question of life is not, ‘What do I want?’ but rather, ‘What do I want to give?’”
It is a blessing to be your Intern Minister. This congregation is a blessing to the world. Thank you for your many blessings.
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
Dear ones,
This month Christians and Muslims celebrate the birth of Jesus, and congregations around the world, including our own, retell the stories of his birth in story and song.
Of course, stories of miraculous birth abound in many religious traditions, as well as in so many of the legends, myths, and stories we tell and retell of our own heroes, grand and humble. Perhaps even the story of your birth has been often repeated in your family: how you came two weeks late, or a month early, or even how you arrived on the 405 a half mile shy of the exit to Jefferson Boulevard.
I love hearing your birth stories. I know a child doesn’t have to be born on the side of the freeway, have a lightning bolt scar on their forehead, be heralded by angels or adored by shepherds, to be a miracle.
UU religious educator Sophia Lyon Fahs writes:
“Each night a child is born is a holy night —
Fathers and mothers,
sitting beside their children’s cribs,
feel glory in the sight of a new life beginning.”
In the midst of winter darkness, stories of birth and new life bring us all hope, and my family and I are joyful to share the news that we are expecting our third child this spring.
As we prepare for the arrival of a new baby in May (or June), we are full of hope for this child, for our congregation, and for the world. I will also be working with our Committee on Ministry and Board of Directors to plan for a summer maternity leave. Thank you all for your love and support. It is clear Fahs’ words inspire us still, as she writes:
“Each night a child is born is a holy night —
A time for singing,
A time for wondering,
A time for worshipping.”
With hope,
Rev. Rebecca
P.S.: Please let your friends and neighbors know about the beautiful services that take place here during the winter holidays. From our Festival of Lights Pageant Sunday to our Winter Solstice Vespers and Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, our church offers many opportunities for delight, inspiration, and comfort at this special time of year.
From Our Intern Minister
One of the goals during my internship this year is to expand my engagement with social justice work. During the last few months I have had the privilege of deepening my understanding and work with immigration justice. Becoming personally engaged by listening to and speaking with immigrants has made the issue feel more tangible to me. Accompanied by Cathie Gentile and Peggy Rhoads, I went to the James Musick detention facility in Orange County to visit a detainee. As you may have heard in my sermon, “Finding Sanctuary,” on November 30, this was a profound experience. It galvanized me to become more involved with this human rights issue. (If you missed the sermon and would like to listen, you can find it here, in our sermon archives.)
At an immigration forum at the UU Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, I witnessed more evidence of families living in fear, being torn apart by detention and deportation, as well as the lifedestroying consequences of being put into solitary confinement, which happens to many detainees. Serving on the UU Justice Ministry of California Immigration Panel has also been an eye-opening experience, allowing me to witness the New Sanctuary movement burst forth. The UUJM continues to grow my understanding of what’s going on politically and socially with immigrant justice.
Perhaps, by the time you see this in print, President Obama will have enacted immigration reform by executive order. I hope so. At last count, government quotas instructed there should be 34,000 immigrants held in detention every day across the U.S.! And while that’s going on, at least 1,000 immigrants are deported daily, many of them after long lives in the U.S. with children who are American citizens.
What I’ve come to realize is that immigration detention and deportation is a moral, human rights, and justice issue. Families are torn apart, and young children often lose their parents and may never see them again. Can you imagine that? Many are in constant, legitimate fear for their lives when they are returned to countries south of our border. If we are committed to our first principle of the inherent worth and dignity of all, it’s up to us to help shine a light on a truly inhumane system and to advocate for this oppressed population. We need to listen to stories, ask how we can be allies, and offer support in whatever way we can. This is how we can help bring hope.
If you’d like to join us in this effort, please speak with Cathie Gentile or me. We are looking for more volunteers from our congregation to work with our neighbors and friends who are profoundly impacted by these policies. It is vital that we bring these inhumane policies out of the shadows, raise awareness, and offer hope. Please join us.
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
And Because Giving Makes You Feel Good
A few weeks ago one of you brought a cake to church. It was 1 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, the Second Thursday, in fact, when your minister and church staff gather for our monthly shared meal and staff meeting in Forbes Hall. Intrigued, we watched you bring the mysterious Vons bag and head for the kitchen. “What’s the occasion?” we asked, as you unpacked the cake and placed it in the refrigerator.
“Sale on cake,” you said.
Why bring a cake to church? Maybe because there’s a sale on cake. Or, maybe because you want to give a bit of your extra to benefit something and someone else. Maybe because you don’t want to talk about generosity – you just want to be generous.
And because giving makes you feel good.
Random acts of kindness are good, a band sang here once, but organized acts of kindness are better. Our church home is a place where we organize acts of kindness, toward one another, and toward the wider world.
And we could not do everything we do here without a lot of generosity, from the volunteers that keep our ambitious programs going, to the gift offering we send to the community each week, to the commitments we have made to care for our beautiful campus and historic building, and to be a fair and generous employer to our minister and staff.
Thank you for all that you do and have done to make this church what it is today: a vital, healthy, vibrant home for Unitarian Universalism on the west side of Los Angeles.
In planning to kick off our annual Pledge Drive together this month, your minister and president have been thinking about what this community means to us, why we go to church, and how we can continue to contribute to all the things that make this place hum.
For both of us, there are a lot of reasons, beginning with a dream from childhood of community and kindness and fairness in the world – a dream we still believe in now.
We know this isn’t something you can do alone.
Our church cannot love generously, seek truth, and serve the world through worship, education, community building, and outreach without your support, including your financial support.
Our goal is to raise $450,000 in pledges this year. Each one of these gifts is a promise from you, our members and friends, that you want to be part of this community and contribute to this vision of kindness and community and fairness in the world. Your gifts allow the church to support a growing youth group (did you know that we now have almost 20 teenagers participating regularly in YRUU?), build a strong foundation for our spirit-filled music ministry, and deepen our connections to the wider world of Unitarian Universalist congregations and leaders living our values far beyond our walls.
Currently, over 12% of our pledges come from households that have chosen to give a percentage of their income to the church, including your minister and her family. This year, Rev. Rebecca and her family are increasing their pledge by giving 7% of their income to the church, and 5% to the global poor (link: www.thelifeyoucansave.org). It is our hope that at least five more families will take the plunge and let the church know that they want to give away a percentage of their income. Patricia and Ned are also increasing their gift to the church this year, even though Patricia was recently laid off from her job.
We hope you will join us in increasing your pledge to the congregation and our mission, which you can do online (http://archive.uusm.org/make-a-donation), on Facebook (link https://www.facebook.com/uusantamonica/app_163344180379236), by replying to your pledge letter, or contacting the church office (admin@uusm.org). Because you want to contribute to something and someone else. Because you don’t want to talk about generosity – you want to be generous. And because giving makes you feel good.
With gratitude,
— Patricia Wright and Rev. Rebecca
PS: Monthly giving helps us match our income and expenses throughout the church year, and automatic payments from your bank account or credit card mean you don’t have to remember to send a check, and the church office doesn’t need to send you a reminder if your pledge is past due. If you aren’t one of our 120 households giving monthly, please consider making the switch today at http://archive.uusm.org/make-a-donation.