This Living Tradition
Sunday, March 11, 2012 - 5:00pm
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
Second Thoughts
Sunday, March 4, 2012 - 4:00pm
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
Salaam, Shalom, Peace
Monday, February 20, 2012 - 9:00am
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
Our Theme for November is Service, and Service is Our Prayer...
Our worship is ended, our service begins. These words provide the coda closing our worship services, reminding us of our call to work and serve in the world. Our ministry theme this month is Service. Here are a few other resonances that echo from that theme:
Service… to our country. This month Veterans Day falls on 11-11-11. What does this day of remembrance mean to you, and to veterans in our liberal faith?
Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists and Secularists (AAHS)
A part of the family at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica
Statement of Purpose
AAHS is a group dedicated to creating a welcoming place for non-theists within the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica and in the wider community.
In a world where religious conservatives oppose private and civil rights on scriptural grounds, where school boards are trying to inject superstition into science classrooms, where our leaders abdicate responsibility to a higher source, do you ever feel like the scales are tipped against you?
You are not alone.
Non-theists, freethinkers, rationalists, spiritual-but-not-religious, and “none of the above” now make up 14% of the country and for adults under 30 the rate is twice that. Here at UUCCSM, nearly half of the members identify themselves as religious/secular humanist, agnostic or atheist.
AAHS is a group within the UUCCSM church family for anybody who embraces the values of UUism while also holding a rational world view without the need for a supernatural creator.
As UU’s we are united by shared values embodied in the 7 Principles. Like many who hold a traditional theist view, we find inspiration in the wonders of the universe, strength in the community of fellow-travelers, and compassion that motivates us to make the world a better place for all.
From Epicurus to the Enlightenment, Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Paine, fight up to contemporary thinkers like Paul Kurtz, religious skeptics have brought the power of creativity, reason and intellect to bear on the challenges we face as a species.
Our focus is to create meaning in our lives in the here-and-now rather than hoping for the hereafter. We celebrate the triumphs of the arts and sciences to ease human suffering and enrich the precious time we each have to be alive.
AAHS seeks to create dialog with people from across the broad spectrum of beliefs in our UU tradition. As part of the growing ground swell of secularism, we feel that non-theists have something to offer in the ways we live our UU values.
Please feel free to join us for fellowship, free thought, and frank discussions about the role of the rationalist in the community of UUCCSM.
We meet every 4th Sunday in the Cottage after the 11:00 service (10:00 during summer months) unless otherwise announced. All are welcome.
Would you like to be informed about AAHS events? Contact us at aahs@uusm.org and we will be glad to add you to our email list.
Other ways to stay in touch or find out more about Secular Humanism:
UU Humanist Assoc: http://huumanists.org
American Humanist Assoc: http://americanhumanist.org
Council for Secular Humanism: https://www.secularhumanism.
Secular Student Alliance: http://www.secularstudents.org
October, 2011
Allison S. Foster
Allison S. Foster is an artist who enjoys working in acrylic, pastel, charcoal, ink, and also three-dimensional construction. Allison began studying the fine arts in 2004 at West Los Angeles College. She has also modeled for photographers and life-drawing classes, enjoys design and desktop work, and will accept artistic commissions.
October, 2011
Attention Artists
In December we will have the Art Wall in Forbes Hall for a group show. I’m asking you to think about your submissions and let me know so that we can plan ahead.
Thanks.
— Diana Spears
Upcoming Events:
Please contact committee chair Peggy Rhoads for more information.
Turning Point Sunday
Each month, on the first Sunday, we collect frozen casseroles and bags of fresh fruit and deliver them to Turning Point, a project of OPCC. Turning Point Transitional Housing is a 55-bed shelter for homeless men and women that offers housing and supportive services for up to 9 months. The project seeks to break the cycle of homelessness and to integrate homeless individuals back into the community by providing comprehensive, individualized services designed to address their physical and emotional needs. In addition to an individual sleeping area, three meals a day and clothing, Turning Point provides intensive case management, counseling and support groups, specialized programs such as job counseling, money management, health education, computer classes and independent living skills
Your food donation is greatly appreciated. Mark your food item for "Turning Point" and drop it off to the kitchen's freezer. Fruit can be tagged and left on the counter next to the freezer. For more information, contact hunger@uusm.org.