Newsletter for April, 2011
From Our Minister:
Dear friends,"This morning has other things to give you." It is aline I wrote down once in one of my notebooks in seminary, and I'm tempted to repeat it just about every Sunday morning - or maybe every morning.
After all, it can be tempting to decide that this morning will only be about absorbing the shocks and aftershocks of the latest disaster, on a global or personalscale. I can even get a strange sense of pleasure fromthinking like the child Alexander that today will be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It seems like thereis plenty of bad news to go around: earthquakes andtsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, job losses, economicupheavals, crisis headlines, climate change.
That's when I have to go back to those school notebooks, go back to those lines I've worn out with repeating, and say to myself: Yes, and ... this morning has otherthings to give you.
In the coming weeks we will join our Christian andJewish sisters and brothers around the world in tellingand retelling ancient stories. We will sound the trumpetsof hope and proclaim that the struggle for liberation isnot yet over: unexpected joy is possible. What youthought was dead can yet have new life. What youthought was stopped might be moving in new directions.
This morning has other gifts to give you.
Gratefully,
- Rebecca
P.S. Please join me and worship leader Amy Brunellthis month for our Vespers service of evening worship, tobe held at 7 p.m. on April 21 in the sanctuary. This special Maundy Thursday service will include the retellingof the story of Jesus' last supper with his disciples andcommunion, the ritual sharing of bread and juice.
From Our President:
April is a busy month at UUCCSM. Much is going onin preparation for the May 15th annual congregationalmeeting. (Yes, that was a plug for you to be there.) Muchof what we are going to do next year is being thoughtabout in the weeks leading up to the annual meeting -not the least of which is budgeting. We are still operatingin a deficit. The Finance Committee has taken all therequests for next year's funds and allocated our too fewresources as fairly as they can. The budget is then presented to the board and we take a look and commentbefore we submit it to the congregation for approval atthe annual meeting.
When we are in a deficit as we are now (and hopenot to be next year). it is very important that we keep inmind what the church's mission statement is and identify what are the key elements in keeping that missiongoing. There is so much that goes on here that is compelling and important and needs to be supported. Howto prioritize it all? I characterize the prioritization as figuring out what our "food, shelter, and clothing" needsare for the church. What is basic? The budget reflectsthat discussion and thought process through the eyes ofthe Finance Committee and the board.
Since we are still in a deficit spending mode, thatmeans we value more than we have funds to implement.This should get us all to thinking about what is importantto each of us here at UUCCSM. What do we do to supportthat which is important to us? What is the tradeoff? Canwe live with less being done at church? Can we live witha bit more of our income going into the church coffers?Can we participate in something that will help take thepressure off the funding we have? What we have learnedagain, over the last few years, is that we are the church.We are the living, breathing entity that makes the churcha living, breathing place. Our congregational health is amatter of all of us paying attention and putting in energy.The annual congregational meeting is one place to start.Please read the materials that will be sent out soon andcome to the meeting to let your voice be heard aboutwhat the essentials are for our community.
Taking it up one level, the district annual meeting isin Pasadena this year on May 20 and 21. Ron Crane willbe speaking on one of the panels! The link for information and registration is below. While we are thinking about congregational health, we can think about thewider health of the district, too.
For information visit: http://www.pswduua.org/pages/da-registration-2011.php .
One final personal plug, on April 17th we will have aguest musician at the 11:00 service. He is a friend ofmine by the name of John Flynn. He is a folk guitaristcommitted to social justice. His actions and songs arewell integrated and he really does walk the talk. Not onlythat, he has a lovely sense of humor and good songs. Iencourage you to come and listen in the morning andthen come back for the 7:30 p.m. concert he will be giving in the sanctuary. He is not on the West Coast veryoften.
Happy April.
- Sue Bickford
Featured Articles:
Should the size of our Board ofDirectors be smaller?
The idea to reduce the size of the board has developed fromdiscussions about ways to focus board work on church programneeds and to create board meetings that are more efficient andmore rewarding for participants and that focus more energy onthe broader goals of the church. Much of this thinking wasprompted at the urging of three ministers who know us:Stephen Furrer, Roberta Haskin, and Ken Brown.
Currently board-meeting topics include much discussionof church administrative issues that have little significance tooverall church functioning. Other agenda items involveresponding to requests from committees for permission to proceed on a program or to seek board support for a new idea. Thisresults in micromanaging at the board level. Due to the longagenda, there is little time left for brainstorming, in-depth discussions about church programs and needs, developing policies, or evaluating how successfully we stay true to our churchmission.
New communication patterns would allow church leaders,committees, and staff to address their own administrativeissues; only issues they could not resolve would need to cometo the board. This would leave more board meeting time for indepth consideration of committees’ plans and needs and forpolicy development. Over time, this will result in decreasedmicromanagement and more authority being vested in committees who operate within parameters set by the board. Theboard would then have time to address the big picture: Do current programs meet the needs of the church? What will supportprogram innovation? How well are we meeting our mission andgoals? Are there new ways to fund church programs and support church stewardship? What long-term plans would benefitthe church?
This kind of brainstorming and deliberation is most effectively and enjoyably done in a small group (6 to 8 people). Working towards refocusing board energy is the reason for encouraging discussion about the size of the board. The board itself canrestructure how the work is done, but a bylaws change is necessary to reduce the size of the board.The board has supported the idea of investigating the possibility of a one-year experiment with a smaller board.
— Kathy Cook and Bronwen Jones
Should We Make the Board Smaller FAQ
Q. Can this be done quickly?
A. Yes. By creating a self-expiring bylaws amendmentto allow a one-year experiment with a smaller board.Then next year, if things work well, we can draw on ourexperience to develop bylaws to take us into the future.
Q.Who has to approve this?
A. Changing the size of the board requires changingthe bylaws. Amendments to the bylaws require a twothirds vote of the congregation.
Q. What happens if we don't agree on a plan at theend of the one-year experiment?
A. If no proposal receives a two-thirds vote at the2012 Annual Meeting, the bylaws revert to the way theyare now. To review, visit archive.uusm.org/about/bylaws.php
Q. Isn't a larger board more representative?
A. Church consultant Dan Hotchkiss argues that noboard is truly representative. The board's job is to servethe church. Dan argues that it is easier for a smallerboard to focus on keeping lines of communication openwith the larger congregation.
Q. Are board meetings really that time consuming?
A. According to our calculations, last year volunteerscollectively spent 1560 hours in board meetings whileonly 900 volunteer hours were spent on Sunday morning Religious Exploration.
Q. Why not just reduce the number of non-boardmembers bringing business to board meetings?
A. That may be a good idea. The board and ministercan experiment with different ways of running boardmeetings. Of course all church members will continue tobe welcome to come to all board meetings.
Q. Why don't we spend a year discussing this, perhaps with the help of a professional facilitator?
A. We could. Some of us feel that this isn't the sort ofissue to which the church should devote a great deal ofenergy. The whole idea is to spend less time on bureaucracy and more on worship, RE, etc. Spending a year debating the ideal form of bureaucracy seems self-defeating.
Q. Have recent board meetings really been thatlong and inefficient?
A. Board meetings currently run three or four hours.Ask a board member. If the board were not supportingthis discussion, it would not be happening.
Q. Board meetings haven't always been long. Whycan't we just figure out how to run the meetings so theyare shorter and still keep the same board size?
A. Even in the days when the meetings ran 1 to 2hours, there were too many people in the room toinclude everyone in a discussion. The same peoplewould contribute to discussion month after month. Newboard members rarely spoke up at the meetings, andthere was no structure to draw them in and catch themup on how things work. The president and the treasurerdid much of the work and most of the board listenedand raised their hands for voting and that's about it.
Congregational Polity
A number of people have asked, "Does this have anything to do with'policy governance'?" No. "Policy governance" is a fashionable buzzwordfor a system where the board, acting as a board, controls the organizationby delegating power to a CEO. UUCCSM does not practice policy governance and this framework will not change that.
UUCCSM practices "congregational polity," a system originating incolonial Massachusetts with the 1648 Cambridge Platform. Congregational polity is based on separation of powers and a system of checks andbalances. The president, treasurer, Nominating Committee, other boardmembers and minister are all separately elected. None can fire any of theothers. If they disagree among themselves, the matter is referred to a congregational meeting where we all thrash it out using direct democracy.This system arose because our predecessors feared giving too much powerto any one individual or group. They'd had enough of bishops, kings, andpopes and wanted to try something new. This 360-year-old tradition isenshrined in our bylaws. This potential change doesn't alter it at all.
- Tom Hamilton
How Do Other Groups Do It?
Most psychologists recommend 6 to 8 as a natural sizefor small group discussion and decision-making. Manydifferent organizations have boards this size.
Santa Monica City Council - 7 members
Los Angeles Airport Commission - 7
Apple Corp. Board of Directors - 7
Many non-profits prefer much larger boards as a way tohonor donors. These boards meet only a few times ayear.
Sierra Club - 15
Planned Parenthood - 29
ACLU - 83
Here is a list of largish UU churches and the size of theirboards (including officers).
Westside Seattle, WA - 7
Phoenix, AZ - 8
Sacramento, CA - 9
Santa Fe, NM - 9
Golden, CO - 9
Arlington Street,Boston, MA - 9
Neighborhood,Pasadena, CA - 11
San Diego, CA - 12
Portland, OR - 12
Tulsa, OK - 18
Smaller Board Endorsements
Cynthia Cottam: "I support a smaller board. I believe it would allow for more thoughtful conversation about leadershipand less focus on mundane tasks, most of which should be handled elsewhere. The ministerial Search Committee had eightmembers.We achieved the goal of hearing each member's opinion about every major issue.We were able to efficiently assigntasks, and we had enough people to work, when there was work to do."
Ron Crane: "Yes. Give precious time and energy to programs, not governance."
Rhonda Peacock: "The board's job is to ensure our church is on mission - not micro-manage day-to-day events."
Joyce Holmen: "Yes, smaller board - and more trust in and delegation to committees."
Peggy Rhoads: "A smaller board focusing on policy making will mean more autonomy for committees, but also moreresponsibility, a good thing, I believe, but also sobering."
Patrick Meighan: "Yes! I am a big proponent of a smaller board, and especially a board that delegates much more to thecommittees, and doesn't second-guess the resultant decisions."
Robin Lowney-Lankton: "All of UUCCSM would benefit from a smaller Board of Directors. First, reducing the board from12 to 7 members would free up five leaders to redirect their attention to other activities in the church. They could serve as cochairs of committees, mentor up-and-coming leaders, participate in District activities or take a well-deserved break."Secondly, a smaller board would necessitate that more decisions be delegated to appropriate committees. During mytenure on the board, I participated in dozens of hours of discussions regarding shade structures, dishwasher cycle lengths, andfurniture. This is not an efficient use of our church resources. We have experts in many fields within the church. Delegatingmore decisions to committees will make use of our content experts and free up the board from minutiae. I would welcomethe chance to see a revamped Board of Directors focus on the big picture and visioning for our future."
Thanks from Dining for Dollars
Thanks from Dining for DollarsA big thank you to all the hosts and hostesses andthe bidders who made 2011 Dining for Dollars so successful, and who allowed it to hit a new record of $30,000in winning bids. Although most of our events are soldout, the Choir Concert on May 7 featuring music of theBeatles still has lots of space. As of March 13, we havecollected 80% of the bids. If you won and haven't paid,please contact the office and make arrangements to doso. Thank you.
- Melanie Sharp, chair D4$
Infusion
On March 6 fUUsion held its first-ever businessmeeting to brainstorm ways to make the group for"younger adults" more sustainable over the long-termand more integrated into the church community. ElevenfUUsionites attended, and the result was a new leadership structure based on five committees. Robin LowneyLankton and Katrina Thompson will co-chair Communications and Church Relations, managing fUUsion'sFacebook page, Yahoo e-mail list, connections to thenew church website, and monthly contributions to thisnewsletter. Jennie Roberson will chair Social Events,including fUUsion's ongoing Awful/Thoughtful moviescreenings, monthly lunches after church, and other funoutings. James Witker and Felipe Findley will co-chairSocial Justice, continuing our tradition of service projects and adding new goals of connecting with other likeminded folks, including not only other church committees but also other younger adults in the L.A. area. DanPatterson will head up Spiritual Events, including circleworship and visits to local religious institutions. RyanHumphrey will handle Fundraising, with the aim of subsidizing fUUsion activities for those who might not otherwise be able to join us. In June we'll re-evaluate howthese committees are working out and then begin ayearly cycle of committee leadership.
As part of our efforts to be more integrated into thechurch, expect to find more fUUsion members at boardmeetings and involved in other church activities. Moreof our events (especially Social Justice and Spiritualones) will be hosted by fUUsion but open to all ages, sobe on the lookout for announcements.
- Katrina Thompson
News & Announcements:
Directory Photos!
We want your photo in the directoryDirectory photographs will betaken in Forbes Hall on Sunday, April10, between 10 and 11 a.m. New members are especially encouraged to come,but anyone with an outdated photograph in the directory is welcome tocome for an updated photograph. Lookfor Charles Haskell in the southwestcorner of Forbes Hall between services.
Thank You!
Thank you to those who purchased Girl Scout cookies and have donated them to the Coffee Committeefor Sunday morning coffee.
Rob Briner, our historian, reminds us that April is the30th anniversary of our church pipe organ. It waspurchased with donated funds under the guidance ofdeceased churchmemberDeanVoegtlen.
Japan Disaster Relief
Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the UUA has been in contact withreligious partners in Japan to express concern and willingness to partner with them in recoveryefforts. Those who would like to contribute to the UUA / UUSC Japan Relief Fund, go tohttp://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/179179.shtml.
Faith in Action News:
Our Peace & Social Justice Committee ( P S J ) ,together with a member of the Fullerton UU Social Justice Committee, is offering a workshop at the UU PacificSouthwest District Assembly (DA) May 21 entitled,"Organize Your Congregation to End the Wars In Iraqand Afghanistan." The DA will take place at Neighborhood UU Church in Pasadena Friday, May 20, throughSaturday, May 21.
The workshop description is as follows: "In May2010 UU Community Church of Santa Monica passed acongregational resolution demanding a prompt USwithdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. Together withother UUs we proposed a similar Action of ImmediateWitness at General Assembly. The AIW received over50% of the vote, although not the two-thirds necessaryfor passage. As far as we know no other UU churches atGA had passed such resolutions. This workshop will helpand inspire you to organize locally against the wars,leading towards a denominational resolution in 2011 or2012. A short version of the movie 'Why Are We inAfghanistan' will be shown."
Cathie Gentile, Rick Rhoads, and Fullerton UUmember Fred Kushner will lead the workshop. For information about the DA and to register for it, please go towww.pswduua.org, click on DA Registration 2011, thenclick on General Information Brochure. There is a pricebreak for adult admission if you register before April 29.Childcare is available, free if children are signed upbefore April 29.
Membership News:
Membership & Leadership Calendar for April:
April 3, 12:30 p.m., Sanctuary - NewcomerOrientation
April 6, 7:30 p.m., Forbes - M&L Meeting
April 27, 7 p.m., Cottage - UU101
May15, 11 a.m., Sanctuary - New MemberRecognition Service
M & L -- Not Just an Acronym!
The Membership and Leadership Committee (M &L) has certainly been active as of late. They planned awonderful UU 101 session this past January that wasattended by 15 prospective members. This event gave abrief overview into the history of Unitarian Universalismand the programs we offer at UUCCSM. This committeeis also responsible for the Newcomer Orientation heldeach month to welcome new visitors to the church. M &L frequently helps plan church events and is theumbrella group for the ushers, greeters, and coffee committee. Pat Gomez has led M & L for the last three years;she has done an amazing job. We have valued her organizational skills and passion for UUCCSM. This summerPat is stepping down and we need a new chair. We arealso looking for more congregational members who arelooking for ways to get involved. This committee reallyhelps to link people up within our church, and in orderto do that we need people who enjoy working with others - people with an interest in leadership, covenantgroups, event planning, hospitality, and a passion forstrengthening our community. We meet on the firstWednesday of the month and welcome all who are interested. For more info please contact Patricia Gomez.
Thanks.
- Jessica Clay
UU101 to be on April 27th
Many of you are familiar with UU101 - our church'scolloquium for those wishing to know more aboutUUCCSM and its programs. For the spring quarter, we'llbe having one session only, on Wednesday, April 27,from 7 to 9 p.m. in the cottage. If you're new to thechurch or have been visiting and are curious about allthe things going on here, then this evening is for you! Intwo hours you'll get an overview of Unitarian Universalism, a brief history of this congregation, a tour of churchprograms, and you'll also learn ways you can participate. And we can't have UU101 without wine and cheese- so there'll be that too! Come and meet the Rev.Rebecca Benefiel Bijur and DRE Catherine Farmer Loyaalong with the entire Membership and Leadership Committee. By evening's end, you'll be that much smarterand you'll never again confuse Interweave with Knittersand Friends. Let us know you're coming by sending yourRSVP to Rhonda Peacock. Childcare will be provided.
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Green Living Committee:
Adopt a beach forEarth Month
The Green Committeeis proud to coordinateUUCCSM adopting a beachwith Heal the Bay for Earth Month. Our responsibilitiesare three beach clean-ups per year. Heal the Bay willprovide the materials; we just need bodies. The first oneis scheduled with RE for Sunday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to12 noon. The dates for our other clean ups are October 2and February 5. All members of the congregation areencouraged to participate in all beach clean-ups.
Our congregation also has decided to give 15% ofthe offering for the month of May to Heal the Bay. Healthe Bay is a fantastic organization that is committed tocleaning up the oceans and providing education tocommunities about ways to help make the oceanshealthier. Please put these dates on your calendar - welook forward to making a difference together!
- Jessica Clay, chair Green Committee
Green Living Committee Focuses on Food Revolution Events
The Green Living Committee (GLC) had a wonderfulshowing of the movie "Ripe for Change" in February.This movie detailed agriculture and politics in Californiaover the last 30 years. There was a lively discussion afterwards addressing many of the complex questions thatthe movie raised.
The Food Revolution GLC-sponsored Second Sunday Supper was quite a success with guest chef JuliaCrookston. She cooked a wonderful meal of yams with acitrus and marmalade glaze plus a chard and bean stew.There was a large turnout for the demonstration and afascinating Q & A after addressing concerns around thecost of organics and feasibility of buying local duringthese difficult financial times. Guest presenter JenniferPiette discussed her food delivery service, Out of the BoxCollective, and the goal of partnering with local farms,delivering local, healthy, and organic food to the greaterSouthern California region. Her delivery service is looking for interested families in the Santa Monica and Westside area. If you are interested, contact Beth Brownlie.
The Second Sunday Supper followed and the vegetarian fare was a hit. A lot of people brought their owndishware, and for those that didn't we were oh so happyto use the new dishes that Kathy Cook ordered for thekitchen. Thank you Kathy. Also a BIG thank you to allthose that helped with clean up: Ron, John, Kathy, Debbie, Linda, and everyone else. Thank you, thank you toall who helped from the Green Living Committee.
- Jessica Clay, chair Green Committee
Upcoming Green Living Committee Events
APRIL: "Sustainable Design in France and Germany." Architect Alison Kendall discusses her experience teaching andresearching sustainable design in Europe last year on Sunday, April 3, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. From living in a village inthe south of France, to performing energy analysis on a stone farmhouse, investigating innovative approaches tobicycle and transit planning, and traveling with French architects to visit a German city known for solar buildings andgrassroots environmentalism, she describes green building here and there and what we can we learn from each otheras we face the common threat of global warming.
MAY: Are you afraid to ride your bike on city streets? Would you like to bike to church, work, or school, but aren't surehow to begin? Join us for a Bike Skills workshop after Coming of Age Sunday, May 22, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Certifiedcycling instructors from Sustainable Streets, a non-profit promoting active transportation, will teach you what youneed to know. Topics include rules of the road and bike safety tips, common causes of crashes and how to avoid them,basic bike maintenance and helmet fit. From church we'll take a short ride on bike lanes to a parking lot to practicesome key bike riding skills, including scanning, signaling, turning and quick stops. Suggested donation of $25 perparticipant supports bike safety classes in public schools. Ages 14 to 80. For information and registration, contact AlisonKendall.
Splinters from the Board:
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported that she isworking toward incorporating three vesper services intothe worship schedule this spring. She is also looking forways to expand the Generous Congregation program.
Steve Wight reported for the music program that thechoir is preparing a Beatles-themed program for theDining for Dollars concert.
DRE Catherine Farmer Loya reported that the REprogram and the Adult Programs committees are merging to create a true Lifespan RE program next year. Oneof the goals is to share themes across all age groups.
Acting Administrator Kate Schlesinger reported thatdetails are being addressed in working with BLI PayrollSolutions. A major activity has been working with theFinance Committee in preparing the 2011-2012 Budget.
Secretary Geralyn Lambson reported that Olivia andVala Legan reinstated their memberships, so membership now stands at 368.
Treasurer Alan Brunell reported that with seasonalvariations in income and expenditures, we are likely tohave a $30,000 deficit at the end of the fiscal year.
Kathy Cook presented changes to the bylaws for boththe Personnel Committee and the Finance Committee.The change removes the requirement for the ChurchAdministrator to attend all Personnel and Finance Committee meetings, replacing it with attendance at the invitation of the committee. The motion passed.
Kathy also presented a draft policy on Conflict of Interest that would forbid intimate contacts of board membersfrom serving on the Nominating Committee, PersonnelCommittee, or Finance Committee. Issue was tabled.
Bronwen Jones and Kathy Cook presented a document outlining the reason for addressing the issue ofdownsizing the board, the possible structures of the newboard, and the timeline for completion before theAnnual Meeting in May. The motion to proceed as outlined was approved.
The board approved "Pennies for Peace" fund raisingin RE classes to demonstrate the importance of giving.
Sue Bickford reminded us of the bomb scare at theStudio City church, and reminded the board of the need todevelop an evacuation plan for the sanctuary as well as theneed to be aware of visitors who may be in need of help.
- Geralyn Lambson
RE News:
Do you know our church covenant? Here's a hint: wesay it together in the service every Sunday.
Love is the doctrine of this church.
The quest of truth is its sacrament
And service is its prayer.
To dwell together in peace;
To seek knowledge in freedom;
To serve humankind in fellowship;
Thus do we covenant with each other.
Unitarian Universalist congregations are covenantalcommunities, directly descended from Puritans in earlyAmerica, who created a form of governance in theirchurches known as congregational polity, which we UUsstill practice today. What binds us together is not a particular profession of faith or creed, nor fealty to anyhigher authority than the members of our own community. Instead, what unites us is our covenant: all whoagree to "walk together" in support of this covenant maybecome members of our church.
The Religious Exploration Committee, Adult Programs Committee, and I are deep in planning for nextyear's program, and I am delighted to be able to share alittle bit about what's to come. As part of our movementtoward offering a truly lifespan RE program, our 2011-2012 church year will include a congregation-wide focuson our covenant, with monthly themes drawn from eachline of it: Love, Truth, Service, Peace, Freedom, Fellowship, and Covenant. These themes will show up in different ways, including chalice lightings, readings, and sermons. We'll offer at least one Adult RE workshop or coursethat relates to each month's theme and will have specialweekly opening words in all our classes for children andyouth. We're creating a brand new 2nd and 3rd grade classthat will explore these themes as the central part of theprogram, with sessions that engage different styles oflearning, including drama, service projects, artwork, presentations from special visitors, cooking, building, andother hands-on modes of exploration. And several timesduring the year we'll celebrate our covenantal themesthrough intergenerational worship and social events.
People who come to our church, no matter what ageor stage of life they are in, are looking for many of thesame things: a sense of community and opportunities forlearning more about Unitarian Universalism as well asother varieties of religious faith, inspiration to grow personally as well as spiritually, and ways to live our valuesthrough acts of service to the church community and tothe world. A common thread runs through all that we do- when we meet in groups separated by age or interestas well as when we gather as one community. I'm soexcited to strengthen those common threads over thenext year, and I invite all in our congregation to walktogether in deepening our connection to the covenantthat binds us together as one family of faith as UUCCSM.
- Catherine Farmer Loya
A Useful Toolkit for Meditation
A useful toolkit for meditationThis class will start on Wednesday, April 20, at 7:30p.m. in the cottage. The last class is on Wednesday, June8. It provides a toolkit of eight to ten meditations fromseveral spiritual traditions. Present-time and sit-downversions will be taught and both brands of meditation(mindfulness and inquiry) will be presented. The class isexperiential and learner-centered and not lecture andteacher-centered. We discuss each meditation, do it, anduse it as homework. Printed descriptions of all meditations are given to participants.
This is Bill Blake's fifth meditation class. It differsfrom the others in that the first five weeks will focus on"growing up" and the last three on "waking up." Growingup relates mainly to increased conscious awareness, i.e.,more mindfulness or presence with our thoughts, feelings, and environment. Growing up never ends. Wakingup points toward spiritual awakening or enlightenment:knowing what we are. The two approaches are distinctyet interconnected. Each builds on the other.
These meditations are simple and user-friendly.Some individuals relate more to particular meditationsthan others because each of us has distinct predispositions. When a participant finishes this class, he or shewill have a "toolbox" of meditations benefiting relationships, self-confidence, and career. Often a participantchooses to practice one meditation for several monthsand then releases it for a few months or years - andthen vigorously re-practices it.
Newcomers to meditation are 100% welcome.Steady attendance and dedication to homework willamplify mindfulness and groom you for awakening.
- Bill Blake
Adult RE: UU Controversies -- Communism
In April the UU Controversies discussion will beabout the Unitarian relationship to Communism, a subject that caused fierce division within Unitarianism.National Unitarian leaders Noel Field and StephenFritchman were fired from their Unitarian jobs becauseof their Communist activities. In the 1950s controversyover the State of California requiring churches to sign ananti-Communist loyalty oath contributed to a split in ourown congregation. We will discuss the sharp Unitariandebate accompanying these events. A brief backgroundpaper is available at https://sites.google.com/site/uusmcontroversies/home. Thediscussion will be at Tom and Bronwen's house.
- Tom Hamilton