Newsletter for November, 2014
From Our Minister:
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://old.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://old.uusm.org/make-a-donation.
Featured Articles:
Small Group Ministry
Small Group Ministry (SGM) SGM participants meet monthly to practice deep listening and to share from the heart their thoughts about a particular topic. Each group also contributes two service projects during the year. Further information about SGM appears below. Photo by Rhonda Peacock.News from the Intern Committee
The Intern Committee has been working with and in support of our ministerial intern, Nica Eaton-Guinn, since her arrival in August. We have usurped Nica’s column for the November newsletter in order to tell you a little more about her
activities this year.
Ministry, for Nica, is a true calling. She sees ministry as an opportunity to combine her desires to lead, counsel, organize, teach, be joyful, and inspire and to deepen spiritual growth in others. With the life experience and academic background already under her belt, she has a great deal to offer us, and has been doing so steadily since her arrival. This, her final year of her Master of Divinity degree and final preparation for UU ministry, makes extraordinary demands on her. She has dozens upon dozens of books that must be read and digested, papers that must be written, topics to be reflected upon, and enormous examinations to prepare for. As our intern, she creates and leads worship every month, writes and delivers a sermon, serves as pulpit host as needed, meets regularly with numerous groups including the Board, RE, Faith in Action, and the Intern Committee, offers pastoral care, and writes this column. On the denominational front, she is expected to attend
ministers’ meetings and retreats, continue her participation in an Intern reflection class, and attend the Intern Minister gathering at Starr King. The goals of her internship with us include deepening her understanding of Religious Education, engaging personally in social justice activities, working closely with Rev. Rebecca to lead worship and reflect on her understanding of her own theology and of ministry itself. She has also taken on a leadership role as acting minister for our Camp de Benneville Pines weekend, offering a parenting workshop, and she is assisting in membership development, while also developing alternative worship services, preparing to officiate at various rites of passage, and teaching adult and children’s RE …
All this, and find the time to care for her family, continue her own spiritual practices, and remember the deep spiritual calling she feels for this work that she has chosen — and get an occasional night’s sleep.
Nica is delighted to be with us, to learn from a UU minister who is herself raising a family, and to utilize the opportunities we can offer her to grow into full-fledged ministry.
With so many extraordinary demands on her time, not to mention her weekly commutes from Santa Barbara, we hope you will offer her your support and friendship, as well as your understanding of the challenges she faces.
— Nica’s Intern Committee:
Cathie Gentile, Pat Gomez, Eric Huang, Karen Hsu Patterson, Barbara Kernochan, Bill Nunan, Rick Rhoads
Photos from Coming Out Sunday - October, 2014
Photos by Carol Ring
Committee on Ministry Invites Conversation on Community Building within Our Congregation
The October newsletter notes from the Board meeting (“Splinters from the Board”) indicates the Committee on Ministry (CoM) “… is charged with evaluating the church’s ministry as a whole, and is developing a plan for engaging the congregation in ongoing conversations about the church’s ministry. For this coming year, the topic will be ‘community building within the congregation.’”
To that end, the CoM is developing a plan for ongoing conversations in the church around topics that are part of the church’s ministry and mission. We hope to achieve three outcomes from these conversations:
• A culture of open, honest communication in a loving, supportive community
• A channel for continuing the ongoing dialog and planning about what the church is doing well, what it can do better, and what it should be doing that it’s not doing now
• A proactive approach for the CoM.
At least once every two years, the CoM will select one to three topics for conversation. The nature of the conversations may take several forms, for example, a newsletter article and request for response, surveys, conversation groups, pulpit messages, one-on-one meetings. The committee will identify the method(s) of conversation to be used for each topic.
In preparing for this conversation, we reviewed the “2013 Report on Visioning” (accessible to those with church-member-level website accounts). The 2013 UU Santa Monica visioning process resulted in a list of thoughts and suggestions regarding what was termed as the “breadth” of the church, that is, “reaching outward to others within our community.”
Some of the observations and suggestions regarding community building delineated in that report include:
• Small groups promote connection; ideas for additional small groups included a senior group, an over-55 group, drop-in groups, a social group for parents.
• Camp de Benneville Pines is great for connections; a second church weekend, more scholarships, bus transportation were suggested.
• Church-wide work days and other church-wide events promote community.
• It is not good if the only time we reach out to people is to ask for money.
• We need to reach out to each other one on one.
• Reinstitute Friendship Dinners (neighborhood dinners held at congregants’ homes).
• Phone trees, neighborhood groups, a lay ministry program, a drop-in general conversation corner at coffee hour or one focusing on the sermon, more attention to joys and sorrows in the service, a van to bring people to church.
• Improve the way we relate to each other, including holding workshops such as on nonviolent or compassionate communication; continuing to work on respecting differences, including mental or physical disabilities and beliefs; striving for true acceptance, not just tolerance; creating a structured program to deal with conflict.
• Make better use of technology (e.g., website, Facebook) to connect and care for each other (e.g., to announce events, share joys and sorrows, post memorials, connect volunteers with opportunities).
• Improve the physical plant (e.g., audio-visual, phone, database systems, new outside sign, elevator for Forbes,
rainbow banner out front, good cleaning, reorganized closets, better parking, more bike racks).
In response to some of these thoughts, our church has made improvements in the past year. These include the creation of the Super Seniors (80+) group, a new sound system in the sanctuary, continuing work on the Arizona Avenue side of the church, and our continuing or new free/low-cost church-wide events (e.g., Second Sunday Suppers, the annual Pancake Breakfast and Movie Sing-a-Long, the Summer Interweave/Women’s Alliance Picnic, the Dance the Night Away event).
To continue this conversation, we would like to ask you for your thoughts about four questions (see below). We look forward to hearing from you and welcome this opportunity to continue our conversation about community building in our congregation.
Thank you for your participation and contributions.
— UU Santa Monica Committee on Ministry
(Rev. Rebecca, Alan Brunell, Sue Stoyanoff, and Kris Langabeer)
UUSM Congregational Survey on Community Building Within our Congregation
1. What are we at UUSM doing right when it comes to community building within our congregation?
2. Where are we lacking when it comes to community building within our congregation?
3. Which of the suggestions from our Visioning process for community building do you support or not support? What new ideas do you have for community building?
4. What specific areas of community building within ourchurch are you able to help out with and in what capacity?
5. What’s your relationship to the church (e.g., member, friend, visitor), and how long have you been attending
UUSM?
Your printed name (optional)
___________________________________________
You may respond to these questions by:
• Emailing CommitteeonMinistry@uusm.org,
• Dropping off your responses to the Committee on Ministry folder in the bottom right mail box in the church office, or
• Filling out a questionnaire in Forbes Hall after each service in November.
We ask that you submit your responses to us by November 30.
One of the CoM members will be at the Committee on Ministry table in Forbes Hall after church services in
November, and we welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your thoughts and feelings about
community building here at UUSM. Thank you for your thoughts.
Sanctuary
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of weekly thoughts about our ministerial theme for November.
Week 1. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others. — Mahatma Gandhi
Week 2. You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. — C.G. Jung
Week 3. Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same – with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead. — Mother Teresa
Week 4. Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time. — Marian Wright Edelman
Week 5. As long as there are ways we can serve, then we have a job to do. — Marianne Williamson
News & Announcements:
The Treasure Hunt is on!
During the November 16 Craft Fair there will be a special presentation of treasures for sale to benefit the church. This call is to those who have been hiding/holding/hoarding a jeweled scarf or a Chanel handbag or a grandmother’s brooch or a handcrafted leather vest — you know what I mean. The decision to give it to a treasure trove for our beloved church will make you happy. Call me for a pick up, call me with questions, call me because I am bringing some great treasures to surprise you. Beverly Alison at your service.
One Man Play about Thomas Paine, Sunday, November 16, in the Sanctuary, at 1:30 p.m.
Thomas Paine is in Ian Ruskin’s skin in “To Begin the World Again: The Life of Thomas Paine.” Ruskin reminds us that what makes us great as a nation is that all are equal in the system of justice. At a time when we were all radicals, more than any other founding father, Thomas Paine possessed a vision for a democracy based emphatically on “justice for all.” Paine foreshadowed Martin Luther King, Jr., who believed, “the moral arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.”
In this one-man play Ruskin will show us again the fiery eloquence that made Paine’s “Common Sense,” a best-seller and stirred a nation to revolution. In his “Age of Reason,” Paine championed man’s abilities and challenged organized religion.
When justice seems to be foundering, Thomas Paine speaks to us again about making our voices heard — not for self-interest but for the interest of us all. To quote Paine: “The World is my country and all mankind my brethren, and to do good is my religion.”
Recent performances include a two-month run of the play in Los Angeles and at The Organization of American Historians; The American Philosophical Society; the Harvard Law School; and Conway Hall, London, England. Donations will be welcome and there will be refreshments and the sale of books and CDs at 12:45 p.m.
Undy Sunday is Coming!
Undy Sunday will be in January. We have become known in our community for providing this needed service to those in need. Read more in next month’s newsletter
Save the Date: Annual Holiday Bazaar
Sunday December 7, after both services. On the Patio next to Forbes Hall. Hand made items by Knitters and Friends. All proceeds go to UU Santa Monica
Small Group Ministry
Small Group Ministry participants meet monthly to practice deep listening and share from the heart their thoughts about a particular topic. Each group also commits to doing two service projects: one for our church, and one for the wider community. This year our seven small group folks have done church projects ranging
from hosting several Second Sunday Suppers, hosting the brunch for the Annual Town Hall Meeting, offering CareNet services for one of our church families, organizing church office spaces, and baking mass quantities of cookies for Sunday Coffee Hour.
Community Service project beneficiaries have included Lunches for Bunches, Step Up on 2nd, Westside Food Bank, and Turning Point.
Faith in Action News:
Vote Yes on H/HH for Affordable Housing in Santa Monica
Los Angeles County is the least affordable housing market in the U.S., and housing in Santa Monica is among the least affordable in the county. While rent control has kept apartments affordable for long-time residents, it now takes an income of $126,840 per year to afford the rent on a 3-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica.
Over the years, the City of Santa Monica has used redevelopment funds to create partnerships that allow nonprofit organizations to purchase, renovate, and manage apartments, and to build new affordable rental housing. This process has taken hundreds of rental units out of the for-profit sector, enabling tenants to live in apartments owned and operated by nonprofit groups with long-term commitments to maintaining the affordability of their housing.
Due to changes in state law made to replace lost funding for public schools, redevelopment money has permanently disappeared. In Santa Monica, we have the opportunity to replace some of that capital by approving Measure H and its companion Measure HH when we vote on November 4.
Measure H establishes a property transfer fee of $9 per $1,000 of the sales price on property that is sold for $1 million or more. The fee will apply to all high-dollar property sales, including commercial property such as the Apple Store on the Promenade, which sold for a reported $100 million. Measure HH advises the City Council that voters want the new fees to fund affordable housing. The Santa Monica Committee of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) voted unanimously to support these two measures at its meeting October 7.
Proponents of Measures H and HH, including me (UU Santa Monica member Abby Arnold), note that public investment in the nonprofit sector is the best way to protect Santa Monica’s current affordable apartments. Putting the ownership of affordable housing under the control of nonprofit organizations is the only way to ensure that these apartments are permanently available to low and moderate income people in our community.
We can’t guarantee that private developers will keep apartments affordable, but it is the mission of nonprofit housing groups to rent apartments to low- and moderate-income people.
Without affordable housing, our community will become less diverse, and many of the people who work here will be unable to live in Santa Monica. Lack of affordable housing affects our schools, our neighborhoods, our church, and the traffic we experience, and without affordable housing we will miss out on the rich cultural diversity offered by the Los Angeles region.
Join the CLUE Santa Monica Committee and many members of our congregation in voting YES on H and HH on November 4.
— Abby Arnold
If the SHU Fits: Play Exposes Torture of Solitary Confinement
The U.S. system of mass incarceration came under solemn scrutiny Saturday, September 27, when UU Santa Monica presented a dramatic reading of “If the SHU Fits”, by Andy Griggs and Melvin Ishmael Johnson. The play is based on original letters and poetry from inmates living in Security Housing Units (SHUs), mainly in California’s Pelican Bay Prison, in which they spend 23 hours a day in solitary confinement. The play was commissioned by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and Interfaith Communities Untied for Justice and Peace (ICUJP), and partially funded by a grant from the Fund for a Just Society of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
The evening was sponsored by UU Santa Monica’s Peace and Social Justice Committee and by the Committee for Racial Justice in Santa Monica. The eight readers came from a variety of backgrounds but a unity of purpose: to see an end to the growing mass incarceration of working class people, particularly people of color. The readers were Paula Brooks, Bob Gordh, Kevin Michael Key, the Rev. Sidonie Smith, Anthony Taylor, Sherri Walker, Craig Walter, and Dayvon Williams. They were directed by Morna Murphy Martell, a member of UU Santa Monica, with assistance from Diana Spears and Peggy Rhoads.
Following the reading, a panel of speakers from organizations involved in fighting against the continuance of this legal torture discussed their current efforts in prison reform, including incarceration in immigration detention centers — and how our communities can help. The speakers included Andy Griggs, ICUJP; Melvin Ishmael Johnson, Director, Dramastage Qumran; Geri Silva and Ernest Shepard, California Families Against Solitary Confinement; Mary Sutton, Critical Resistance and CURB; Diana Zuniga, Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB); Kay Brown, Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective, from our Art Wall exhibit “Behind Bars;” and Nora Hamilton, UUCC Faith in Action Peace & Social Justice Committee.
Thanks to Sidonie Smith for her painting “Miscarriage of Justice;” to James Witker for filming, Bob Dietz and Karl Lisovsky for tech support, and Tom Ahern for logistical support; and to the members of the Peace and Social Justice Committee who facilitated the evening. To contact PSJ and become involved in our work, please email co-chairs Cathie Gentile or Roberta Frye. You can also obtain information at the Faith in Action table at church.
Further information on solitary confinement can be found at http://audio.theguardian.tv/audio/kip/standalone/
world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3 and http://www.hrw.org/features/growing-up-locked-down.
— Peggy Rhoads
Splinters from the Board:
Meeting of October 14, 2014
The Board shared food, a chalice lighting, and check-in, and we recited our church covenant together.
Our President reminded us that our pledge drive will begin October 26 and gave us the assignment of reflecting on the following: “What does the church mean to you and why do you attend church? Are you giving at a level that is significant for you?”
The minutes of the September 9 meeting required some corrections, so they will be brought back for approval at the November meeting.
There are no new members, and three members resigned, leaving the total at 377.
Past President Cynthia Cottam gave the Facilities Development Committee Report, because Bryan Oakes and Beth Brownlie were out of town attending the memorial service for Bryan’s father. She reported that Final Inspection of the building project was successfully completed. Planning has already begun for the landscaping of the area inside the pergola wall. There will be a Town Hall Meeting on November 9 at 1 p.m., facilitated by the Green Committee, to gather congregational ideas on this topic.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that we have purchased a new office computer and monitor.
Director of Religious Education Catherine Farmer Loya reported with excitement on a great start to the RE program year and on the especially large and engaged group of high school youth.
A written report from Music Director DeReau Farrar informed us that we have a new soprano section leader, Colleen Keene.
Our treasurer, Kit Shaw, reviewed the monthly Finance reports, which showed income and expenses basically on target.
Representing Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists (AAHS), Ian Dodd, Margot Page, Len Harris, and Mark Warkentin made a presentation requesting that an additional banner representing Humanism be hung in the Sanctuary. The Board will take this request into consideration and report back at the next meeting.
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported that the Committee on Ministry is currently investigating our needs for ministry coverage during her sabbatical and the costs that will be associated with that coverage. The current sabbatical fund has a $22,500 balance.
She also reported that she has been partnering with Teri Bond, our pledge chair, on a fundraising strategy for the fall pledge campaign. Rev. Rebecca presented the Board with a detailed plan for the campaign. She noted that to ensure that we meet our goal of collecting $410,000, we must secure $450,000 in pledge commitments, which is a significant increase. She attended the Fall Retreat for UU ministers in the Pacific Southwest District.
The members of the Committee on Money have been chosen. They are Ken Alexander, Ron Crane, Vicky Foxworth, David Olson, and Leslie Reuter. They will begin meeting soon to develop proposals for the long-term management of our money.
The Board continued its discussion of Policy Governance by reviewing Chapter 8 of the book “Governance and Ministry,” by Dan Hotchkiss. Members agreed to schedule a dedicated meeting to come to consensus on next steps.
— Cynthia Cottam
RE News:
From Our DRE:
This month, as Thanksgiving and the winter holidays approach, we turn to our November ministry theme of Sanctuary. It’s a word we hear pretty often at UU Santa Monica, but usually we use it as a concrete noun, a place identifier for the room where we gather in worship on Sunday mornings. I’d like to invite you to spend some time thinking this month about where you and your family find sanctuary in your lives.
In the Middle Ages, fugitives could not be pursued into churches by secular authorities, and they were offered immunity from arrest while in the literal sanctuary of the church building. I find this image compelling — the idea of the sanctuary of a church as safe place to come to, where you can leave your burdens outside for awhile, taking some time for refuge and renewal. They will wait for your return; this is not the place to walk away from the cares of your life. But it is a good place to take a break, a good place to come to for inspiration and the gathering of energy for taking them up again as you go back out into the world.
Perhaps our UU Santa Monica community is indeed a place of sanctuary for you; I hope that it can be for all who
come to us as seekers. But it is my hope, too, that you will find places of sanctuary in the other spaces of your life. When you are at home, do you set aside a time in your day for rest or contemplation? Or do you feel busy, busy, busy for every moment of every day? I confess that I tend toward the latter — I have found that opening up this space for rest has to be a very deliberate practice, or weeks and weeks will slip right by before I realize I’ve been running myself ragged again.
As my son moves into toddlerhood, I am beginning to think too about the patterns of living I want to establish for him, and providing a home that feels peaceful, and that provides sanctuary from the many stresses of life out in the world, is high on my priority list. Parents, what do you do with your children to help them learn the ebb and flow of balanced living?
When you are in need of sanctuary, as we all are at times, may you find it within the walls of our UU Santa Monica community, in your home, and wherever you go.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Children and Youth RE Programs
This month in the children’s RE program, preschoolers will explore ways to be in community together, including how we help one another, and celebrating Thanksgiving together.
Kindergarten to 2nd graders will continue this year’s focus on sacred stories from the world’s religions by focusing on stories from our Jewish and Christian heritage, including the story of David and Goliath, as well as stories about the life and teachings of Jesus. Our 3rd to 5th graders in the UUniverse Story program will continue learning about the natural world and “how we know what we know” by exploring the nature of visible light by modeling the wave properties of light, splitting the visible spectrum of light with prisms, and building our very own spectroscopes, which we’ll use to examine the varying spectrums created by different light sources.
November also marks the annual return of a UU Santa Monica holiday tradition — Friendly Beasts song rehearsals in class each week, as we prepare for our Winter Holiday pageant in December!
Middle-schoolers in the Interfaith Quest class will continue our first-quarter focus on a deep exploration of our own Unitarian Universalist faith, using it to build a framework for how we’ll learn about other religious traditions later in the year, and developing our own “elevator speeches” for explaining our UU faith to people of other faith traditions. And in our 8th grade Coming of Age class, youth will consider the role of spirituality in their lives and how they live our UU religion, will be introduced to a number of contemplative spiritual practices, and will begin exploring life’s “big questions” with a session on “Good and Evil.” This month in YRUU, youth will rotate as facilitators for group discussion on a variety of topics relevant to living our UU values in the world. The 8th to 9th grade Our Whole Lives sexuality education program launches with the first class session on November 9. And youth in grades 8 to12 are invited to a “pseudo-lock in” movie night on Friday, November 14, in Forbes Hall from 7:30 to midnight — don’t miss it!
Adult RE
Bluestockings: A Feminist Salon
Bluestockings invites church members and friends to join it on fourth Sundays for a potluck supper followed by discussion. Our next meeting is Sunday, November 23, at 5 pm, in Forbes Hall. We will be discussing the book “How to Be a Woman,” by Caitlin Moran. Our Bluestockings salon is inspired by The Blue Stocking Society of England, an informal women’s social and educational movement. It was founded as a women’s literary discussion group, a revolutionary step away from traditional, non-intellectual women’s activities. The women involved in this group usually had more education and fewer children than most other English women of the time. Talk of politics was prohibited but literature and the arts were of main discussion. Educated men were invited to the meetings.
Local Bluestockings meeting are most often attended by an equal gender mix. For more information contact Karen Hsu Patterson.
Wednesday Night Writers
A welcoming space for all writers, regardless of prior writing experience or expertise. Join us November 12 and November 26, at 7 p.m., in Forbes Hall for writing, helpful critiques, and moral support. Unlock your creativity! No sign-ups required — just show up!
Interfaith Visit — Hare Krishna
You are invited to join us for an interfaith visit to the Hare Krishna community in Culver City on Sunday, November 16, at 4 p.m. Our visit will include a tour of the community and museum, and an exploration of the Hare Krishna faith tradition. Sign up online at http://bit.ly/UUSMLREHareKrishna or in Forbes Hall at the LRE Table after Sunday services. Stay tuned for more details!
The Global Interfaith Movement
Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions. The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions was “created to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.” For the first time in over 20 years, the Parliament of the World’s Religions is convening in the United States! This transformational event brings together thousands of interfaith leaders and activists from over 80 countries, representing more than 50 faiths and spiritual traditions.
Previous speakers have included Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Thich Nhat Hanh. This incredible event is scheduled for October 15 to 19, 2015, in Salt Lake City, UT. Would you be interested in joining a group from UU Santa Monica to be a part of the oldest, largest, and most inclusive gathering of people of all faiths and traditions? Super-Saver registration pricing ends soon — save $325 when you register before November 30, 2014. Please visit www.parliamentofreligions.org for more information, and stay tuned for more from the Adult
Programs RE subcommittee.
Patio Chat
Join us Sunday, November 23, at 10:10 a.m. on the Patio, for lively, thoughtful monthly UU Santa Monica Ministry Theme Discussion with Leon Henderson-MacLennan and Natalie Kahn. November’s topic is Sanctuary.
2014 Friendly Beasts
Once again, our preschool-through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, December 21, at both services. As in years past, all involved children will sing the first and last verses of the song. Small groups of children will sing the middle five verses, dressed in a costume appropriate to the animals speaking in that verse (brown donkeys, red and white cows, dogs, doves, or mice).
Our preschoolers sing the mice verse, and the older children pick which of the other animals they want to be.
We have costumes for our Beasts from previous years. Older kids who don’t want to dress as an animal but do want to sing are welcome to be shepherds.
Religious Exploration teachers and parents, please note: I will lead Sunday rehearsals (about 10 minutes long) that occur in the RE classrooms during both services. Below is the rehearsal schedule, including a dress rehearsal Saturday morning, December 20.
November 9 - Preschoolers to grade 5: 10 minutes each classroom
November 16 - Preschoolers to grade 5: 10 minutes each classroom
November 23 - Group rehearsal for all as RE begins
November 30 - Preschoolers to grade 5: 10 minutes each classroom
December 7 - Preschoolers to grade 5: 10 minutes each classroom
December 14 - Group rehearsal for all as RE begins
December 20 - Saturday dress rehearsal in sanctuary from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
December 21 - Pageant! (both services)
Call or email me with questions. I look forward to working with your friendly beasts once again this year!
— Kris Langabeer