Newsletter for April, 2014
From Our Minister:
Our Universalist ancestors made a powerful contribution to Christianity and liberal religion when they began preaching — and living —a doctrine of universal salvation, wherein everyone is saved, heaven is not just for “the elect,” and God’s love is too big to leave anyone out or leave anyone behind. For America’s earliest Universalist preachers, such as John Murray, Hosea Ballou, and later Thomas Starr King, eliminating the category of “the damned” was radical, controversial, and downright heretical. Today it is less controversial in liberal religion, but remains a powerful heresy for many conservative Christians.
Although I don’t hear people in this congregation use religious language like “salvation” very often, I believe we do share a common understanding of what “universal salvation” means today. Rebecca Parker, who will soon retire as President of our UU seminary, Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA, puts it this way:
“Because Unitarian Universalists affirm the goodness of this world, we locate the search for salvation as a this-worldly quest. We do not seek a heaven beyond this earth, liberation after death, or release from sin and guilt through brutal means such as the atoning death of a Christ on the cross. Rather, we believe salvation is manifest in the establishment of a common good in which people are free from oppression and want, and enjoy a fair and sustainable sharing of earth’s resources. In our congregations, we encourage one another to seek joy in living simply that others may simply live, grateful for the gift of life. In this way we have a taste of paradise now.”
I don’t know how helpful it is to debate the existence of heaven or hell beyond the heaven we build on earth – and the hell we create for one another on earth. But I do know that many of us have turned away from a focus on whatever follows death in order to seek salvation on earth: wholeness, health, and the fullness of living for ourselves and our planet, here and now.
See you in church,
Rev. Rebecca
Rev. Rebecca
From Our President:
So much is happening at church these days, and I am amazed and inspired by the energy and dedication of the many people who are responsible. Your Board of Directors held the visioning town hall meeting on February 23, and 65 people came to listen and speak about their hopes for the future of our community. I described the visioning process. Rebecca Crawford described the history and work of the Long Range Planning Committee and the Vision Budget that was passed just before the great recession cancelled many of those plans. One of the provisions of the Vision Budget was the gradual funding of a Coordinator of Congregational Life, an idea that rose again several times during the visioning meetings. Bronwen Jones spoke about recurring messages from the meetings—the desire for greater connections among the members of the congregation and for opportunities to give service to the world we live in. The Rev. Rebecca Bijur spoke of her personal goals for the future: growth (in its many aspects), outreach to our wider community, our covenant, our relationships with one another, and our faith. Members of the congregation spoke about issues that are most important to them. We were encouraged to support the UU Justice Ministry and Interweave activities. People spoke about the accessibility of our campus for people with disabilities and encouraged that we consider building an elevator for Forbes. Several people spoke about money. Ideas expressed include: fund an endowment; increase the minister’s equity sharing fund (to help a minister purchase a home) from $200,000 to $300,000; create an ad hoc committee to research and recommend the percentage of reserves that can prudently be used each year to fund the operating budget.
The Board of Directors has responded to the meeting by charging the president (me), the minister, and the incoming president with appointing a Committee on Money to research and consider the possible uses of our large bequests from Drew Still and Judy Federick. We will soon be receiving the final payment from the Drew Still estate and are making progress on finalizing the Federick bequest. Ultimately, we will hold a congregational business meeting to make some decisions about the use of these funds.
As you know, one use of this money, directed by Drew Still in his will, is our building project, which has seen great progress in the past month. The plans are in place for our staff to move into their new offices by the time you read this message. Our pergola wall along the Arizona perimeter is also rapidly nearing completion. Be sure to notice and enjoy these beautiful changes to our campus.
Add to these projects our recently completed fundraising pledge drive and our Dining for Dollars auction, each the work of an incredible group of volunteers, and you can see why leadership at UU Santa Monica has been busy. And that doesn’t even mention the classes, the speakers, the music, the small groups, the justice work, the worship services that take place every week at 18th and Arizona.
Feeling fortunate,
— Cynthia Cottam
Featured Articles:
March was Dining for Dollars Month
Dining for Dollars Committee members present on the first day of bidding on March 16. From left to right: Garland Allen, Barbara Gibbs, Linda Van Ligten, Nancy Howell, Sue Moore, and Farrokh Allen (chair). Rhonda Peacock and Pat Gomez are also members of this committee. Photo by Charles HaskellEmpty Bowls
The Empty Bowls event on March 8 was very well attended by church members and members of the public. We raised over $2,000 for Westside Food Bank to help with their work alleviating hunger in our local communities. Due to generous donations from local merchants, potters, and others, the only expense for the day was $75 for parking.
Chef D. Brandon Walker from St. Joseph Center made, delivered, and served a delicious lentil soup. He told us about St. Joseph Center, his training program in culinary arts, and the meals served at Bread and Roses by the students in the training program. We also heard how he became a celebrity chef on the TV program “Chopped” by making cookies from hamburger buns.
Santa Monica Seafood, El Cholo, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s all donated soups for the day. Panera, Earth Wind & Flour, and Fromin’s each donated bread or rolls. Bob’s Market made a donation that allowed us to get other items needed.
Jon MacCulloch, Laura Matthews, Sabina Mayo-Smith, and Karl Lisovsky each made delicious soups.
Many local potters donated over 200 beautiful handmade ceramic bowls. People seemed happy to have such a large selection and happily chose the one they wanted to take home.
Kirk Attebury, Bettye Barclay, Gena Garrett, Ellen Levy, Rhonda Peacock, and Rima Snyder worked together starting in September to plan the event. Joanne Brownlie, Beth Brownlie-Oakes, Bob Dietz, and Lois Hutchinson helped with publicity and in other ways.
A special thanks to the young people who were helpful in so many ways: Alex Michaelson, Paice Van Ooyen, Katie Mayo-Smith, and Ada Meighan-Thiel and her scout friends.
Volunteers too numerous to mention individually helped with set up, serving soup, doing kitchen duty, greeting people at the sales table and the bowl tables and lending a hand wherever needed. Every member of the Backyard Bounty committee showed up to help.
The kitchen crew was a very important part of the effort. Jon MacCulloch, Laura Matthews, Diana Spears, Linda van Ligten, Sherry Handa, Paice Van Ooyen, Lynn Ricketts and Toni (a volunteer from the Clayhouse) all helped with the kitchen duties.
The overall feeling of the day was one of celebration, from the time people arrived to set up until the end of clean-up! Thanks to all who participated in any way to make this a successful day.
— Bettye Barclay
News & Announcements:
April Generous Congregation Recipient
Our Generous Congregation gift of 50% of the non-pledge offering for Sundays in April will go to A New Way of Life Reentry Project. A New Way of Life provides housing and support services to formerly incarcerated women in South Central Los Angeles, facilitating a successful transition back to community life. Since its founding in 1998, the organization has helped transform the lives of more than 600 women and their children. Learn more about this organization at their website: www.anewwayoflife.org
Can Miracles Happen in a UU Church?
You may have noticed a new line in your Order of Service: Late comers will be seated. It’s in diminutive italics, underneath “Chalice Lighting.”
At the request of Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, ushers have been asking those arriving at church after the service has begun to wait to enter the sanctuary until after the chalice lighting. “I was nervous about asking them to wait,” one usher said, “but members and visitors have cooperated. Mostly they stay in the anteroom until it’s time to go in. One habitual latecomer even told me that it’s a more dignified service when the gathering, welcome, prelude and chalice lighting are not interrupted by a constant trickle of people looking for seats.”
Another usher expressed the hope that the new policy would encourage congregants to arrive on time, or even early, so they have time to chat and get seated before the service begins. Can miracles happen in a UU church? Time will tell.
— Michael Young and Rick Rhoads
Correction
The caption for the photograph on page 1 of the March newsletter was incorrect. Rhonda Peacock has provided the following correction to that caption: Reverend Rebecca with 2014 Small Group Facilitators Bettye Barclay, Pat Gomez, Laura Matthews and 2013 Facilitator Wendi Gladstone. 2014 Facilitators who were not present for the photo include Phil Bonacich, Carrie Lauer, Amelia Monteiro, Margot Page, Geno Monteiro, Rhonda Peacock, and Amy Thiel.
Building News:
An Elevator in Forbes Hall?
At the Town Hall Meeting on Visioning in February, Melinda Ewen brought up the congregation’s long-standing commitment to accessibility on our campus, specifically in sharing her hope that the church will make the upstairs rooms of Angeline Forbes Hall accessible to all people with mobility impairments. Your Facilities Development Committee (FDC) would like to report back to the congregation with more information about how we could accomplish this goal. We want to investigate estimated costs, review previous plans or create new ideas for where an elevator or other lift device could be installed, consider the best ways to meet the stringent building codes of the City of Santa Monica, and plan for how these changes will affect the current layout and use of the upstairs classrooms. While the volunteer leaders of the FDC are not able to begin these investigations until the completion of our ongoing projects, including the building renovation, the construction of the pergola wall, and the improvements in sanctuary lighting and AV approved by the congregation in May 2013, we share the congregationís commitment to accessibility and want to find out what it will take to move forward on this long-term dream.
— Rev. Rebecca for the Facilities Development Committee
Memorial Wall Construction
This photograph shows the appearance of the south wall of the church in February, which was early in the construction of the new Memorial Wall and garden. The old ivy covered wall had been removed and a trench for a new outer wall for the garden had been dug. Subsequently, pillars for the outer wall have been added and the project is moving forward nicely. Inside, the office staff has moved back into the renovated office space adjoining this new construction. Photo by Charles Haskell
Faith in Action News:
Save the Date! LA Pride Parade is Sunday, June 8!
(Can anyone help us organize a UU Pride bus?)
“I’m goin’ marchin’ in the morning
Ding, dong, the bells are gonna chime
Pull out the stopper, we’ll have a whopper
But get me to the p’rade on time!”
Always wanted to show your support for the LGBTQIA community by marching in the Pride Parade but didn’t want to miss church? This year, for the first time, there will be just ONE service on parade day, Sunday, June 8. So you can come to church at 9 a.m. and still get to the parade on time!
To encourage participation, we’d like to try organizing transportation to West Hollywood, maybe even a UU Santa Monica PRIDE bus! Ideally, it would depart from 18th and Arizona just after 10 a.m. and drop marchers off as close as possible to the starting point of the parade (Santa Monica Blvd. and Crescent Heights). Then, it would pick us up closer to the finish line (Santa Monica Blvd. and Robertson) and bring us back to the church by 2 p.m. or so (time is approximate). If you have”bus connections” (no pun intended) and could help us coordinate a bus or even a couple of vans, please contact Janet Goodwin or Interweave
The actual route is not that long and requires only about 45 minutes of walking. Since it’s a parade, we have to wait for our turn to begin marching (our number in line will not be available until the day of the parade). For other details about the parade and the route, go to: www.lapride.org/parade
Last year we had a record number of marchers — 69 people from 3 different UU congregations. Weíd love to have you stand on the side of love with us this year!
— Janet Goodwin
Professor Speaks on Mass Deportation, Racism, and Global Capitalism
The massive increase in the detention and deportation of immigrants in the United States is part of a cycle driven by global capitalism, according to Tanya Golash-Boza, a sociology professor at the University of California, Merced. Golash-Boza has published several studies on immigration and deportation issues. In a stimulating and wide-ranging presentation at UU Santa Monica February 2, she examined how growth in foreign investment in low-wage countries in Latin America and Asia and cutbacks in public expenditures and services in many of these countries, as well as the United States, have resulted in economic disruptions. These disruptions have in turn been a factor in the growth in immigration to the U.S. from Latin America and Asia. At the same time, cutbacks in public services in the United States have led to social unrest and the growth of law enforcement, including mass incarceration and the detention and deportation of immigrants.
Golash-Boza explained that although deportations of immigrants began in the late 19th century, they increased dramatically in 1997, following the 1996 immigration law which authorized increased spending on immigration enforcement. Deportations surged again after 2003 with the creation of Homeland Security to oversee immigration and its enforcement arm, ICE (Immigration Control and Enforcement). Homeland Security now has a budget of $60 billion— close to that of the Department of Education’s $80 billion. Half of its budget is spent on enforcement, including the apprehension, detention, and deportation of immigrants ó more than all other federal law enforcement agencies. In the five years of the Obama administration, there have been two million deportations—more than all deportations prior to 1997. There has also been a ten-fold increase in the deportations of immigrants who have children that are U.S. citizens, which reached 100,000 in 2011.
Racism is evident in the likelihood of being detained and deported according to nationality and ethnicity. A Honduran immigrant has an 8% likelihood of being deported in a given year; for Mexicans, the likelihood is 4%; for Asians, less than 1%. Ninety-eight percent of those deported are sent to Latin American or Caribbean countries.
Another trend is the increase in deportations of people who have established lives in the US. This is demonstrated by the decline in the proportion of immigrant apprehensions by the border patrol relative to those apprehended by ICE. Of the latter, some have been detained through such measures as Secure Communities, which calls on local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE in checking the immigration status of anyone they pick up. The majority are deported as criminal aliens. Many of these, however, are individuals who have been prosecuted for nothing more than illegal entry or re-entry.
How can this massive increase in deportations be explained? According to Golash-Boza, it is linked to global economic changes over the past two to three decades, which have included the privatization of public enterprises, trade liberalization, the promotion of foreign direct investment, and reductions in public expenditures. Prior to the 1970s, most items sold in the United States were made here. Beginning in the 1970s, U.S. companies began to invest in countries where wages were lower, a process that accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s. Middle class manufacturing jobs in the United States declined, while low wage manufacturing and service jobs increased. These jobs attracted immigrants who had in many cases been displaced from villages and pulled into the global economy through foreign investment in their countries. Some came to the U.S. after working in US companies in their respective countries.
Prof. Golash-Boza’s presentation was sponsored by the Peace and Social Justice Committee, which has had a focus on immigration issues, including the detention and deportation of immigrants, and is participating in a visitation program to immigrants in detention in the Los Angeles area.
After the forum, several participants went out to put up flyers on windshields calling for a boycott of Santa Monica and Millennium Car Washes. Past and current employees of these car washes have sued the owners for over a million dollars in stolen wages, and for two years the owners have resisted workers’ efforts to improve their pay and working conditions, including firing workers they know or suspect are in favor of unionization. The workers at these car washes are virtually all Latino immigrants.
— Nora Hamilton
In this slide from Prof. Golash-Boza’s presentation, one arrow points to the spike in annual deportations following the law increasing spending on immigration enforcement signed by President Clinton in 1996. The other arrow points to the spike following the creation of the Homeland Security Department in 2003, which brought even more funds into immigration enforcement.
(The graphic was prepared by Prof. Golash-Boza. The primary sources are the 2011 and 2012 “Yearbook of Immigration Statistics,” published by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics. )
Splinters from the Board:
President Cynthia Cottam dealt with two motions that were adopted unanimously by the board. The first was to continue the UUA Pension Plan as is. The second was to accept the Appraisal Report of Judy Federick’s Oak Street property and to authorize Robert Kory to negotiate with other beneficiaries of the property on our behalf.
As of this meeting the church has 370 members. Carolyn Healy, Kenneth Brown, Esta Spaulding, and Doug Fudge have joined us. During the month of February the UU Santa Monica Generous Congregation Contribution gave $961 to OPCC Turning Point.
The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported on the Small Group Ministry progress saying that her hope is that our first theme on “prayer” will orient more groups intentionally toward deepening the spiritual life of the participants. The minister also reports that she is focusing on working with CLUE to support the hotel workers.
DRE Catherine Farmer Loya highlighted the plans for the Summer RE Programs. Preschoolers will be reprising the Summer of Seuss program, the Elementary and up will be crafting a summer-long hands-on exploration of our seven UU principles. Also, the RE Faith in Action plans for next year will be building community with OPCC.
Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that our new Web developer has started work. She also provided details about the progress toward moving back into the renovated office space very soon. She amusingly added that we have contributed to the homeless population of Santa Monica rats when the ivy wall around the side yard was removed.
Acting Treasurer Alan Brunell guided the board through a draft of the 2014/15 budget. Discussion followed. At the next board meeting on April 8 the board will be voting on the budget to be presented to the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting.
The board approved the change orders presented by Beth Brownlie, co-chair of the Building Project. Beth also provided a detailed account of the Office Renovation Budget.
he board voted to approve the minister, president, and the next president to appoint five members to form a committee to focus on recent bequests, creating a list of possible uses for money from bequests, what percentage of the unrestricted reserves of the church is prudent to use to cover projected deficits in annual budgets, and financial long range planning.
The next board meeting will be on April 8. The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.
— Bronwen Jones
Other UU News & Events:
Please join the Peace and Social Justice Committee with our neighbors at the Church in Ocean Park (235 Hill St, Santa Monica) for a Freedom Seder and potluck meal on Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m., hosted by the Church in Ocean Park. If you would like to volunteer or bring a dish to share, please contact the Peace and Social Justice Committee at fia@uusm.org
The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur and The Rev. Janet McKeithen of the Church in Ocean Park will participate in an
outdoor service of foot-washing for Maundy Thursday (Christian Holy Week) at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday,
April 17, at about 5:30 p.m. If you would like to attend or participate, please contact Rev. Rebecca for the exact location at minister@uusm.org
RE News:
From our DRE:
This month we grapple with the theme of SALVATION. While you may not hear this term used much in our faith community these days, it is a very deep part of our heritage. It’s so central to Universalism, in fact, that it’s an unspoken part of our name - a silent word lurking at the end a bit like the “n” that stubbornly hangs on to the tail end of the word “hymn.” Our Universalist ancestors were so-called because they believed in Universal Salvation; their most central belief was in a god who loved all people so universally that all would be saved, no matter what. Today as Unitarian Universalists we have many different ideas about what — if anything — happens to us after this life, and typically we don’t think it much matters anyway. What we’re most concerned with is this life, right now. Perhaps the historic Universalist message that “all are saved” translates into our conviction today that there is hope for all of us, that it is possible to make this world better for everyone, and that we’re all in it together.
The root of the word “salvation” is the Latin word salvus, which means whole, safe, healthy, and uninjured. Salvation in this sense is not something that happens once and for all in order to ensure that we’ll end up somewhere nice after our lives are over, but something we experience over and over again as we discover new ways of living more fully and authentically. This month, I invite you to spend some time in reflection about salvation of this sort — what is it that helps you bring wholeness and vitality to your spiritual life? How are you in need of healing, and what resources can you draw upon to bring meaning to your life even in times of brokenness? May our UUSM community be a place where we each find safety and refuge when we are in need, and where we find inspiration to “walk together” — borrowing language from the Unitarian side of our heritage this time — to bring salvation in the form of unity and health to our hurting world.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Children
This month in the children’s RE program, preschoolers will continue “Celebrating Me and My World” with a special spring focus on light, sand and soil, trees and flowers.
Kindergarten to 2nd graders in the new “Love Surrounds Us” class will celebrate the fifth UU principle as well as the history of our flaming chalice symbol this month, while 3rd to 5th graders will experience and explore ways they can use their power as agents for positive change in the world in the “Sing to the Power” program, with a lesson exploring “fire power” strategies against bullying by learning how two boys took action against bullying in their school, and a special Earth Day lesson in which participants will explore alternate energy sources by making a solar-powered oven and identifying ways they can take action to combat climate change.
Youth
Middle school youth in 6th to 7th grades will continue to explore spirituality through the arts and creativity with
tactile lessons about moving sculptures and engineering. This month in Coming of Age, youth will be hard at work crafting their credo statements and the Coming of Age service in May.
And our high school YRUU youth are busy preparing and raising funds for their home-building service trip to Mexico in June with Esperanza International.
Adults
Wednesday Night Writers:
A welcoming space for all writers, regardless of prior writing experience or expertise. Please join us April 9, April 23 (second and fourth Wednesdays), 7 p.m., Forbes Hall for writing, helpful critiques, and moral support. Unlock your creativity! No sign-ups required — just show up!
Long, Strange Trip: A UU History:
We continue our six-part video and discussion series about the history of Unitarian and Universalist thought from the beginning of the Christian era to what we know today as Unitarian Universalism. Join us April 16 (third Wednesdays), 7:00 p.m., Forbes Hall for “Part II: The Birth of Unitarianism.” Learn about the formation of the first coherent Unitarian theology in Transylvania, and track that theology as it spreads to Poland and then westward across Europe, finally forming an organized English Unitarianism. Featuring discussion of the work of David Ferene, Theophilus Lindsey, and Joseph Priestly. You are welcome to bring your own brown-bag supper for pre-workshop socializing at 6 p.m. before we get started. Childcare available on request. Sign up in Forbes Hall at the LRE table after Sunday services.
BYOT Ethics, Part II:
Again led by Leon Henderson-MacLennan, the second half of the Building Your Own Theology (BYOT) Ethics series of workshops continues on Thursday evenings April 3 and April 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the Cottage. Topics to be reviewed include: intention, relationships, values, and character. Join us for lively, thought-provoking discussion. Don’t worry if you missed BYOT Part I – you’ll catch up quickly!
Patio Chat:
Monthly UU Santa Monica Theme Discussion with Leon Henderson-MacLennan. Sunday, April 27, 10:10 a.m. on the Patio. April’s topic is Salvation.
YRUU Holds Successful Lunch Sale
How does a brown bag lunch bring a whole church together? Well, you first start off with a worthy cause: sending our YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) group to Mexico to help build housing for families in need. The youth will volunteer with Esperanza International. Their vision is “to cultivate global citizenship through international service experiences in working toward a better world.”
But how to raise the funds for such an endeavor? As luck would have it, YRUU was presented with an opportunity to sell lunches at the upcoming Town Hall Meeting. Just at this time, the Lifespan Religious Exploration committee was trying to think of a worthwhile and fun social justice project for the RE Classes
grades one through six. Then genius struck: Why not have the younger kids make the sandwiches and have the YRUU sell them? Lunch materials were donated (thanks, parents!), sandwiches were made (over a hundred, the kids had that much fun making them!) and lunches were sold to the tune of a little over $400! Leftover lunches were bagged and brought to the homeless at nearby Reed Park (courtesy of Jake Brunell, Max DeVita, and Liza Cranis). Not a bad start to the huge undertaking of financing this wonderful opportunity for our youth to help others.
Our next fundraiser is pretty exciting and one we hope many of our UU Santa Monica families will take full advantage of: DATE NIGHT AT UU Santa Monica. For a reasonable fee, parents may drop off their kids for an evening of movies, games and snacks while they enjoy a date night. Watch the Sunday Service bulletin for the announcement of the date and time of this fantastic fundraising event. Proceeds will go towards the YRUU Travel Fund as well as the UU Santa Monica Camp Scholarship Fund.
— Liza Cranis
Salvation
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of weekly thoughts about our ministerial theme for April. Daily thoughts are published in the weekly email announcements.
Week 1. It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses. Dag Hammarskjold
Week 2. The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and human responsibility. Vaclav Havel
Week 3. Every Now is the day of salvation. We are saved when we escape from our selfishness into love, from our worldliness into purity, from our false lives into true ones. James Freeman Clarke, UU minister 1866
Week 4. We affirm that every one of us is held in Creationís hand—a part of the interdependent cosmic web—and hence all strangers need not be enemies; that no one is saved until we are all saved where All means the whole of Creation. William F. Schulz, UU Service Committee president and CEO, former Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, former president of the UUA
Week 5. For us Unitarian Universalists, salvation is not about how or if weíre ìgoing to heaven,î if heaven is seen as something apart from this world and this life. Itís about how, through it all, we grow into the folks we most want to be the folks our life-saving faith claims that we can be! Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones
Music News:
Come, Sing a Song with the Women’s Alliance - April 13
UUs gather for services each week, all of us creating the worship together of many elements, words, music, and customs. All my life I have studied this process, and songs by UU women resonate strongly for me. You are warmly invited to the second in a heartfelt series, “A Year of Living Musically.” For Spring the music is by Grace Lewis-McLaren, whose hymnal gifts include:
“Touch the earth, reach the sky! Walk on shores while spirits fly over the ocean, over the land, our faith a quest to understand.”
“Touch the earth, reach the sky! Hug the laughter, feel the cry.
May we see where we can give, for this is what it means to live.”
While serving as Director of Music/Organist for several UU congregations, Grace wrote a number of anthems, hymns, and chants. She taught me some at district women’s retreats when she was at the San Diego church. She has degrees from Union Seminary School of Sacred Music in New York City and Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara.
Her tunes, harmonies, and lyrics are carefully crafted, reflecting a life fully lived in family, community, and spirit. Here’s a fun one; you can play tambourine on the chorus to make it sound just right:
“The inherent worth of all, value comprehensive, this our UUology, sacrament intensive. ”
“Yah, yah, yes I am, I’m a Unitarian, Yah, yah, yes I am, I’m a Unitarian. You can count on me. Hey!”
“When it comes to questioning, I am in my glory. If you want to preach to me, better know your story.”
“Yah, yah, yes I am, I’m a Unitarian, Yah, yah, yes I am, I’m a Unitarian. You can count on me. Hey!”
Come sample a few Songs of Grace on Sunday, April 13, 10:10 to 10:55 a.m., in the Courtyard. All are welcome, whether you think of yourself as a singer or not.
—Joyce Holmen