Newsletter for July, 2019

Month: 
Jul 2019
From Our Minister: 

Greetings from the Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae - Welcome Him on August 22

 
Dear UUSM,
 
I am so excited to begin developmental ministry with you this summer. I discerned months ago that I would only explore a new congregational ministry if I had a strong sense of calling to the work. When it was shared you were looking for a new developmental minister, I began to learn more about the community and started speaking with the appropriate leaders within and beyond the congregation. It became clear to me that I had a very strong sense of calling to the opportunities, challenges, and aspirations of this ministry. I was especially impressed with the skillful leadership of your Board of Directors, the progress you’ve already made in 2 years of developmental ministry, and the identified developmental goals. I was delighted to meet many of your leaders and was inspired by their commitment, wisdom, and love.
 
The compelling ministry before us will touch upon the very heart of congregational life. We will explore mission, vision, and the covenants that bind us to each other and to the larger world. We will learn to deepen our relationships, explore matters of the heart and emotional intelligence, practice good communication and setting appropriate boundaries in congregational life, and create spaciousness for an affirmation and celebration of the diversity inherent to our pluralistic spiritual life. We will also work to examine systems and structures of the congregation and continue the important work towards increased financial vitality and sustainability. We will be in deep conversation around these goals and others in the coming months. This is truly a time for a holistic reflection on the essence of beloved community and what is required of each of us to be transformed by liberal religious community.
 
My most recent ministries have been serving congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaching multireligious philosophy and theology at Starr King School for the Ministry – our Unitarian Universalist seminary at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. At Starr King, I also served for many years recruiting and preparing our next generation of Unitarian Universalist ministers and progressive religious leaders. In addition to being a UU minister, I am a practicing Sufi in the lineage of Ibrahim Abdurrahman Farajajé and Moinuddin Chishti. In the larger community, I’ve been especially invested in the Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, Climate Justice, Disability, Refugee and Aslyee, Transgender/Queer and Feminist Liberation movements.  Before entering the ministry, I was a social justice activist, educator, nonprofit professional, and community leader.
 
We will have a lot of time to learn more from each other and I look forward to ministering with each of you!
 
With love and gratitude,
Jeremiah
 
From Our President: 
On behalf of the Developmental Ministry Search Team, I am pleased to introduce you to the Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, who will join us beginning Thursday, August 22, 2019.
 
It’s challenging to welcome a new minister and talk about all the great skills he will bring without implying somehow that there is a comparison to our current minister, so let me make clear that when we went looking for a new minister we did so only with the intention of moving forward the developmental work we began with Rev. Greg in Fall 2017.
 
We wanted someone who would help us connect more deeply to our Unitarian Universalist values. We needed someone who could work in a complex organizational system to help us find a common purpose and a way for us to engage in new ways to fulfill our mission as a community of faith. And we knew our next minister was coming to UUSM at a pivotal moment in our history when we need to decide how we will adapt for literal and figurative “climate change.”
 
Rev. Jeremiah is described as “remarkably intelligent and insightful.” According to one of his references, “he has a tremendous spiritual depth and great passion around public witness, social justice, and spiritual growth, deepening, and discipline.
 
He has a wry wit and he’s an extraordinarily gifted teacher and worship leader. His grounding in spiritual principle and discipline, along with his insight into institutional systems, helps him move people and groups through [difficult situations].”
 
Over the past decade, Rev. Jeremiah has served congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area and as a member of the adjunct faculty of our Unitarian Universalist theological school in Berkeley. He completed a Chaplain Residency in the Heart Center and Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and was a McElroy Scholar and Intern Minister at the largest congregation in our movement, All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa.
 
He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Starr King School for the Ministry, a Master of Science in Social Work degree from Case Western Reserve University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Baldwin-Wallace University.  
 
I will let Jeremiah tell you more about himself, but I speak for all of us who served on the search team: we are unequivocally enthusiastic about the intellect, positivity, spiritual grounding, and skill that he brings to our community, and we have the utmost confidence that he is the right person for our congregation at this moment.
 
Our new Director of Religious Educatio will also join us mid-August. Thank you all for walking this path with us.
 
-- Jacki Weber and the Developmental Ministry Search Team (Ed Brand, Beth Brownlie, Ron Crane, Eileen McCormack, and Kikanza Nuri-Robbins)
 
 
PS - Feel free to contact us or any member of the board with questions!
 
 
Faith in Action News: 

Stand With Women Against Abuse

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As part of our partnership with CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) we have been supporting the hotel housekeepers from Le Merigot and other Santa Monica hotels in their struggle for a housekeepers’ bill of rights. On June 18, six members of our congregation joined about 100 workers, clergy, union, and community members to stand up and say that we will not tolerate the abuse of workers in Santa Monica.
 
CLUE and Unite Here Local 11 are calling for the Santa Monica City Council to pass an ordinance that includes the following provisions:
 
  • Panic Buttons
  • Safety devices that workers can activate to notify on-site security of an ongoing crime or threatening behavior, and protection against retaliation for using a safety device.
  • Humane Workloads
  • Fair compensation if workers are required to clean more than 3500 square feet during an 8-hour shift and a prohibition on mandatory overtime.
  • Hotel Worker Retention
  • Transition period to prevent mass layoffs and ensure that dedicated, trained staff keep their jobs after a hotel changes ownership
  • Housekeeper Training Program
  • Training on key issues affecting the public, including potential threats or crime including human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual violence, risks to public health, as well as workers’ legal rights

To get involved now:

Sign up to canvas in Santa Monica on Saturdays from 11 am – 2 pm by emailing Rev. Rae Huang at rhuang@cluela.org
 
You can sign and share the petition here.
 
Stay tuned for more actions as the date of the City Council vote approaches.

Helping the Homeless with Lunches for Bunches
FAITH IN ACTION'S HUNGER TASKFORCE

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
About once a month, 8 to 12 volunteers gather under the shade structure or in Forbes Hall to prepare 100 sack lunches to be donated to nearby homeless service facilities run by The People Concern. After the lunches have been made and checked, they are taken to either Turning Point, a transitional housing facility near our church, or Cloverfield Safe Haven, a transitional housing facility that also runs a drop-in center for people in need. The People Concern is the umbrella organization that tells us where to deliver the lunches that are are given out to individuals over the following week.
 
Lunches for Bunches is an initiative of the Faith in Action Hunger Taskforce operated completely by volunteers and funded exclusively by targeted donations. It has no line-item in the church budget. The food is bought in bulk at Smart and Final. Volunteers just show up and help. There is no need to sign up in advance.
 
Patrick Meighan and Dorothy Steinicke are co-coordinators who alternate months in organizing the activity on Sundays. The Sunday of the month and the times vary — sometimes between the two services, sometimes after the second service. While the random schedule can make it a bit difficult for people to plan in advance, it also gives more people the opportunity to participate. The activity date is always listed on the UUSM calendar under FIA Lunches for Bunches. The next two Lunches for Bunches assembly activities are scheduled for July 21 and September 1, 2019.
 
Lunches for Bunches has been a UUSM tradition for many years. It’s a simple and wonderful way for church members to roll up their sleeves (figuratively and literally) and make an immediate impact in the broader community. The assembly-line-style work of creating the lunches is fun for people of all ages. In fact, many of our most dedicated volunteers are children.
 
If you would like to help coordinate Lunches for Bunches, please contact Patrick or Dorothy at hunger@uusm.org
 
Photos by Carol Ring and Cedar Boschan

 

 
Green Living Committee: 

Living the 7th Principle
AFTER THE WOOLSEY FIRE
By Wendi Gladstone

 
In last June’s UUSM Newsletter I shared with you the adventures of the Sky Valley Volunteers (SVV) and living the UU 7th Principle. My business partner John and I revived a dormant environmental nonprofit for purposes of habitat restoration and living the 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence.
 
Our operation was quite successful in its first year. We got permission from the Boeing Company at the Santa Susana Field Lab (SSFL) site and from MRCA at Sage Ranch Park and Dayton Canyon to plant a total of about 150 Coast Live Oak Trees in February 2018. Today we have about 350 trees in the ground.
 
Woolsey fireThen the Woolsey Fire happened in November 2018. The Sage Ranch forest escaped the flames, as it was just north of the fire’s onset, but the Boeing property was not as fortunate. John and I stood on a mountain top not far from our planting area and watched our nine-month-old forest burn. It was heartbreaking to say the least.
 
We weren’t given access to the site at SSFL until mid December. I knew everything had burned, but seeing it for the first time was devastating. I just fell to my knees and wept next to our “first baby” which had grown to be 18 inches tall. The area had been completely toasted.
 
Our next visit to SSFL was granted in early March. It is amazing to witness the ability these trees have to survive. Below, though the tree in the foreground is obviously gone and you can see its “ghost” on the ground in the December 2018 photo, the trees in the background have sprouted new growth by March 2019.
 
Not only had many of the mature trees re-sprouted, so had most of our newly-planted forest. By March 90% of our babies were coming back.
 
Next to my thumb below is the re-sprout of our “first baby.” She’s three inches tall here, and by May  she’d grown significantly, as you can see.
 
We are determined, in spite of fire, to carry on the environmental aspect of the UU 7th Principle.  Not only are we respecting the interdependence of all on this planet, but we are actively participating. See our video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cZK0S2smAK0.
 

We added trees to our first forest and we planted a new forest at Santa Susana Field Lab on the Boeing property on April 5th.  This is my Mom’s forest, The Barbara Gladstone Memorial Forest. All of the more than 80 trees have names, one for each person/group who cared, attended her memorial service, or who were her friends. UU of Santa Monica has a tree planted in that forest. Thank you all for caring!

Long live the interdependent web of all existence.
 
Photos by John Luker.
 
RE News: 

Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, July 2019

 
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See our upcoming activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
 
To contact the facilitator in regards to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org. Your email will be forwarded.

Community Building Through Personal Development:

 
Do you wish to express yourself creatively in art, and yet may feel inadequate or untrained? Do you yearn to make an artistic statement, yet not sure how? Do you have too many catalogs, magazines, and advertisements, and haven’t a clue what to do with them? We welcome you to create your own collages with Stan Bemis! Stan works to bring joy and peace into people’s lives through creating art. He has taught many who didn’t realize they had creative talent, from all across the world – from California to Palestine/Israel. He welcomes any age, from youths to older adults. The goal of this group is to help foster personal worth and empowerment, entering that holy place within and having sacred fun. The objectives are: 1. to create works of art; and 2. to possibly create cards for events or celebrations. We encourage you to bring your old magazines to work with as well. We will meet from 10:00-12:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contacts: Stan Bemis or Sarah Robson.
 
Our guiding intention is to provide structure and opportunities for meaningful connections between individuals in our congregation. We will break into groups of 2, offering an opportunity for one-to-one conversations with 3 different people during our time together. It isn’t necessary to have attended previous Conversations and Connections gatherings. All are invited. We will meet in Forbes Hall from 10:00am-12:00pm. Contacts:  Sue Stoyanoff or Bettye Barclay.

Exploration of Ideas:

 
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday, July 28
AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists) is an open group that meets for lively and engaging discussion on topics of politics, science, religion, and philosophy. We also host occasional guest speakers, films, and outings. We are a home base for non-believers and questioners, but everyone is welcome. For many, atheism/agnosticism is a first step; Humanism is the thousand steps that come after. We’ll meet 12:00-1:00 pm in the Warren Matthews Conference Room Contact: James Witker.
 
Humanist Voices Sunday, July 14 and Monday, July 15
This month, we will read and discuss the essays, “The Marketing of Liberal Religion” and “The Unfulfilled Dream” by renowned UU minister and seminary professor David Bumbaugh which provocatively argues that the Universalist quest for a defining theology in modern times was lost in the 1961 merger with the Unitarians. “By refusing to define itself, Liberal Religion surrenders its ability to stand in judgment on the idolatries of our time,” he writes. “If we are to serve our people, and the world in which we find ourselves, it is critical that we now take up the unfinished project. It is time for Liberal Religion to declare clearly the faith we hold.” We will meet on Sunday, July 14th 3-5 pm and Monday, July 15th 7-9 pm in Forbes. Contact: James Witker.
 
We will discuss “The Fifth Risk,” by Michael Lewis. The fifth risk is the one we least imagine. For Lewis it is “project management.” In the Trump administration, it is what can happen in various Cabinet Departments, when they are headed by people unfamiliar with and/or uninterested in their inner workings. The reader gets a flavor for hidden ways by which government funding helps some of the people who are most skeptical of big government. All are welcome. We will meet from 7:30–9:00 pm in Forbes. Contact: Rebecca Crawford.

Interest Groups:

Discussion and Support for Persons with Disabilities Sunday, July 28
The Disability Support Group will be promoting a dialogue on a selected topic at each of its meetings throughout this church year. All church members interested in the topic are invited to attend. For July, the topic of discussion is “Summer Recreational Activities.” We meet on the fourth Sunday of each month from 12:30–2:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contact: Michael Young.

UU Men’s Group Thursdays, July 11 and July 25
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way.  We normally meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month but due to the 4th of July this month we will meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday at 7:30 PM in the NE room of the Cottage.  The topic for July 11 is:  What beliefs and perspectives that you held in youth have you changed and at what period or circumstance did these changes happen.  The topic for July 25 is:  What interests or avocations have you done that you no longer do and do you regret not still doing them?  Contact Richard Mathias.

Meditations:

 
This ongoing class helps participants master specific meditation skills. We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (essence or true nature). This class will include meditations that explore participants’ spiritual goals. The monthly group meetings also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants will develop and enjoy a regular meditation practice. This group meets on the first and third Mondays from 7:30-9:00 pm in Forbes Classroom 3. Contact: Bill Blake.
 
Open Meditation Mondays, July 8, July 22, and July 29
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet on the second, fourth, and fifth Mondays from 7:30-9:00 pm in Forbes Classroom 3. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.

Highlights of additional interest groups meeting in July:

 
Knitters and Friends
On hiatus until September 22, 2019, when we return to two services. Contact: Linda Van Ligten.
 
Body-Mind Tune Up for Seniors This group is for seniors, superseniors, and people with physical difficulties. All Fridays 10:30–11:30 am in Forbes Hall. Contact: Bruno Lacombe. Note: Free for church members, $10 suggested donation for nonmembers.