Newsletter for April, 2015
From Our Minister:
Coming Soon to a Church Near You
Dear ones,
As spring blossoms across the city of Los Angeles, your ministers are deep into preparation for our exciting summer plans. In just two months, Nica plans to complete her ministerial internship, graduate from seminary, and step into a new role as our part-time Summer Minister, and Rev. Rebecca plans to welcome a new baby to her growing family.
During times of transition and change in our lives, and in the life of this beloved community we serve, we have found that it renews our spirits to be recalled to a larger vision of the ministry we serve. That is why we are setting our sights once again on the North Star of our calling as religious leaders in our liberal and liberating UU faith, so that the greater ministries we serve — of loving generously, seeking truth, and serving the world — can remain our focus and beacon in the months to come.
For Rev. Rebecca, Unitarian Universalism and UU ministry are radical experiments in courageous hope and fierce love. As we call one another into the big tent faith of this covenanted community, and pledge ourselves to “walk together in all ways,” we build lives of meaning and purpose and further a world of beauty, peace, and healing.
For Nica, UU ministry is an opportunity to celebrate and honor this precious life in all its mystical beauty, complexity, and diversity. Unitarian Universalism provides a chance to put our values of love and justice into action, within and beyond our congregation, to help people lead meaningful, peaceful, and whole lives.
As our part-time Summer Minister, Nica will lead the ongoing ministry of the congregation. This is not a time for dramatic changes in leadership or vision, but rather a time of continuity and support for the vitality that is already present among us. One of the blessings of Nica’s presence with us through the summer is how well she has already come to know us, and we have come to know her. At the same time, Nica’s gifts in ministry and unique perspective will continue to enrich our life together allowing her to make the most of her part-time ministry with us, as she focuses on leading worship two Sundays per month, offering pastoral care, and supporting staff and church leadership.
The vision of ministry we share is larger than any of us can do alone. In the words of the UU theologian Rebecca Parker, None of us alone can save the world. Together — that is another possibility waiting.
With you,
Rev. Rebecca and Nica
From Our President:
Hail to Our Volunteers
All hail the volunteers, and it’s a lot of us! I want to express my appreciation to all the volunteers who work so hard for our congregation and the wider community, and do so much good in so many ways. I’ll just mention a few that I have experienced recently. On March 7, I went to the Empty Bowls Luncheon Benefit, my first, and the second hosted at UU Santa Monica. That “simple meal of soup and bread” was an amazing array of gourmet soups, and you could eat an unlimited amount for a donation that included a handmade bowl. The hard part was choosing amongst so many (empty) beautiful, handmade bowls that symbolize the hunger still present in our affluent community. The proceeds went to end hunger and food insecurity locally.
Nothing can beat food and good company, hence my enthusiasm for Dining for Dollars (D4$)! The team did an amazing (and I can only assume exhausting) job of recruiting donations — scheduling them, executing the two silent auction Sundays, figuring out who won, and collecting the money. As a result, over $30,000 was added to the church coffers.
And there are so many more volunteers both sung (choir!) and unsung for which we are all grateful!
I recently had a conversation with Ken Brown of the Pacific Southwest District (PSWD) staff. I am interested in the topic of changes in the religious climate, namely the old way of religious life dying and a new way taking shape. Rev. Bijur talked about this in her March newsletter article and in her February month of sermons. Ken put it in the context of our pluralistic and diverse post-modern world. Our religious institutions need to reflect that world. Unitarian Universalism is one of the few traditions that can welcome that diversity and we have the history to prove it. I cannot do the topic justice, so I look forward to Ken coming to speak to us. It should be an interesting sermon taking us from our past and going forward into our future.
— Patricia Wright
Featured Articles:
Blessing of the Animals - March 15, 2015
Our two ministers and our DRE participated in “The Blessing of the Animals” on March 15.
Dining for Dollars (D4$)
The 2015 D4$ season was the most successful in our church’s history and, as we’ve also said to our 60 some hosts, “We could not have done it without all of you!” All of you who so enthusiastically bid on the auction events themselves, that have earned well over $30,000, the final total to be announced once all outstanding bids have been collected. The D4$ team wishes to express our enormous appreciation to the committee’s leader, Farrokh Allen, along with her hard working assistant, Garland Allen. And a very special note of appreciation to our technical wizard, Melinda Ewen, who was key to this year’s success. Their tireless efforts did not go unnoticed and we salute them — all three. — Sheila Cummins, Sue Moore, Nancy Howell, Barbara Gibbs (D4$ Team Members)
The D4$ program has become an important part of our congregation’s culture. Almost 80 church members are hosting 2015 Dining for Dollars events. They are:
Abby Arnold
Alan & Amy Brunell
Amy & Bruno Lacombe
Barbara & Denny Kernochan
Barbara Gibbs
Beth Brownlie & Bryan Oakes
Bettye Barclay
Beverly Alison
Bob Dietz & Ellen Levy
Bonnie Brae
Charles & Christine Haskell
Chris Jones
Christie & David Ferreria
Cynthia Cottam & Tom Early
David & Gretchen Goetz
David & Kitsy Olson
DeReau Farrar
Dorothy Steinicke
Edward & Patricia Wright
Elizabeth Fuller & Daniel Kegel
Farrokh & Garland Allen
Faz & Lucy Elahi
Francois Bar & Alison Kendall
Glen & Nancy Howell
Heather & Skip Brittenham
Helen E. Brown
Ian Dodd & Margot Page
Jacki Weber & Lorenzo Pelayo
James Witker
Janet Goodwin & Karl Lisovsky
Janet James
JoAn & Tom Peters
Joanne Brownlie
John Zinner
John & Melissa Weaver
Jonathan Bijur
Julie Nyquist
Karen Canady
Karen Patch
Katie Malich
Kay Ward
Kenneth & Crystal Alexander
Kikanza Nuri-Robins
Laurel Bleak & Marsha Smith
Len Harris
Linda van Ligten & Greg Wood
Liza Cranis
Louis Hutchinson
Lucy Hahn
Margaret & Yacoub Kharraz
Marjorie & William Anderson
Marjorie Annapav
Mark Warkentin
Mike Monte
Natalie Sue Kahn
Patrick Meighan & Amy Thiel
Peggy Rhoads
Rebecca D. Crawford
Resa Foreman |
Rhonda Peacock
Sheila Cummins
Steven DePaul & Beth Rendeiro
Susan Bickford & Daniel Nannini
Sylvia Young
Teri Bond
The Henderson-MacLennans
Vicky Foxworth & Jeff Pressman
CONDUCTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY: Results from the 2014 UU Santa Monica Community Building Survey
Background on the Survey
As part of its mission to evaluate the ministry of our church, the Committee on Ministry (CoM) developed a plan in the fall of 2014 for ongoing conversations in the church regarding several topics that are part of the church’s ministry and mission. It was our hope to achieve three outcomes from these conversations: (1) a culture of open, honest communication in a loving, supportive community, (2) a channel for continuing the ongoing dialogue and planning about what the church is doing well, what it can do better, and what it should be doing that now it’s not, and (3) a proactive approach for the CoM.
At least once every two years, the CoM plans to select one to three topics for conversations. The nature of the conversations may take several forms, for example, a newsletter article and request for response, surveys, conversation groups, pulpit messages, and/or one-on-one meetings.
The CoM also came up with a number of potential topics for these conversations: Sunday service, administration, religious education/exploration, community building within the congregation, external community relations, social justice, financial stewardship, minister’s relationship with congregants, mission, spirituality, diversity, outreach, participation in the larger UU community, and communication with one another.
The topic we decided to explore at this time was community building within our congregation, and we decided to explore this concept through an informal survey of congregants. An underlying question that we had in mind was “How well are we walking together as a congregation?”
In preparing for this conversation, we reviewed the “2013 Report on Visioning,” which is accessible to church members at http://archive.uusm.org/sites/default/files/members-only/uusmvisioningreport1213.pdf. The 2013 visioning process resulted in a list of thoughts and suggestions from congregants regarding what was termed as the “breadth” of the church, that is, “reaching outward to others within our community.” We included some of those thoughts and suggestions in our survey.
The Survey
The four questions in our 2014 Survey on Community Building within our Congregation were:
1. What are we at UU Santa Monica 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. We have included…ideas generated during the 2013 Visioning Process. Please indicate the 3 ideas you most support. Also, please tell us of any new ideas that you have for community building. (See Appendix A in the web version of this report at http://archive.uusm.org/sites/default/files/members-only/2014communitybuildingsurveyreport.pdf for the full survey.)
4. What specific areas of community building within our church are you able to help out with and in what capacity?
We also asked respondents what their relationship to the church was (member, friend, visitor, or “other”) and how long they had been attending UU Santa Monica. Providing one’s name on the survey was optional.
Survey Distribution
The survey was part of an article in the November 2014 newsletter. A notice about the survey appeared in the church announcements for a number of weeks, and members of the CoM were in Forbes Hall after all services in November passing out the survey to congregants and encouraging them to respond. The survey was belatedly posted on the church members-only website; our apologies for that delay and the lack of publicity regarding that posting.
The plan was to collect responses until the end of November, but survey responses were accepted through mid-February. We hoped to receive 80 responses to the survey. We actually received only 31 responses, and we admit that the low number of responses precludes firm conclusions. We do think, however, that some valuable information was obtained from the survey and that we learned lessons for conducting future surveys.
Survey Results
A compilation of survey results can be seen in Appendix B of the web version of this report (at http://archive.uusm.org/sites/default/files/members-only/2014communitybuildingsurveyreport.pdf). Two themes emerged:
We value our social events, which deepen our sense of community and belonging.
We feel a need to learn ways to resolve conflict in a constructive, compassionate manner so all are welcome and valued.
THEME 1: We value our social events, which deepen our sense of community and belonging
We value the Second Sunday Suppers and would like to see them continue
The Second Sunday Suppers were supported by almost half of the survey respondents. Since the Suppers began several years ago, many dedicated volunteers have hosted and coordinated hosts for these fellowship dinners. We are currently recruiting a new coordinator for this valuable program, as the current coordinator, Beth Rendeiro, will be stepping down in June. If your calling is to build community and feed our community, and you have a vision for the future of our Second Sunday Suppers, please reach out to Beth or to Rev. Bijur at minister@uusm.org or (310) 829-5436, ext. 104.
We value our small groups
Our small groups (e.g., Heart to Heart Circles [formerly known as Small Group Ministry], knitting, SuperSeniors, caregivers, writers, drop-ins regarding the sermon/monthly themes, etc.) are valued, especially Heart to Heart Circles. In addition, our Faith in Action, Peace and Social Justice, and Hunger activities, as well as our Dining for Dollars program are valued for their community building. We recommend continued nurturance of existing groups and support for members creating new small groups.
We support Friendship Dinners
The survey found significant support for reinstituting Friendship Dinners (neighborhood dinners held at congregants’ homes). This would require a person or committee that would be willing to handle the logistics of getting this program going again.
Camp de Benneville Pines
Some respondents would like us to have a second church weekend at de Benneville Pines Camp (our district’s UU camp in the San Bernardino mountains near Big Bear), a bus to transport people to our camp weekend, and more scholarships or a slidingscale fee for attendees.
Committee on Ministry Note: Jacki Weber, who has for a number of years been organizing our church weekends at de Benneville Pines as well as the camp’s Thanksgiving weekend, would love to have help. Please contact Jacki or Rev. Bijur if you’re interested.
We want to improve/expand our use of technology to connect with each other
Survey respondents would like to see greater use of technology to share joys and sorrows, announce events, post memorials, and connect volunteers to opportunities.
THEME 2: We feel a need to learn ways to resolve conflict in a constructive, compassionate manner so all are welcome and valued
The need for a process to improve relations
Some of us expressed concern that diversity of spiritual views is not welcome, particularly in regard to the theist/nontheist divide, and that diverse points of view in general are not welcome. Others noted that community building depends on the ability to have open communication and resolutions. Still others felt their voices had not been heard and expressed a desire to nurture more open dialogue and to find ways to communicate grievances in a compassionate manner.
Committee on Ministry Note: This is an area of concern to the Committee on Ministry and the Board, and work is being done to seek ways to facilitate open, compassionate communication.
The Committee on Ministry thanks all who participated in this survey, and we look forward to continuing our conversations. If you would like to help in any of the above endeavors, please contact the Committee on Ministry at CommitteonMinistry@uusm.org.
— UU Santa Monica Committee on Ministry (Rev. Rebecca Bijur, Alan Brunell, Sue Stoyanoff, Tom Peters, Kris Langabeer)
Good News: Nica Eaton-Guinn Will Be Our Summer Minister
The Committee on Ministry and Rev. Rebecca are delighted to announce that Nica Eaton-Guinn has accepted our offer to serve as Summer Minister while Rev. Bijur is on family leave June 1 to August 24. Since she came to us last August, Nica’s caring pastoral ministry, dynamic and thoughtful worship leading, and ability to engage the congregation have been hallmarks of her ministry. These were also skills that were named as particularly important to attract in our Summer Minister, and we are delighted we did not have to look too far from home. To allow us to fully celebrate what we have accomplished and shared together as a Teaching Congregation with our Intern Minister this year, Nica will complete her internship with us on May 17. She will then take two weeks off to celebrate her graduation from Starr King School for the Ministry with her Master of Divinity degree and to take a well-earned rest, before returning as our parttime Summer Minister on June 1. Please mark your calendars for a celebration of Nica’s internship on May 10 after both services.
Unfortunately, Nica is not able to stay on with us through Rev. Bijur’s sabbatical leave this fall, due to other life and work commitments. The Committee on Ministry has extended our timeline for the search for a Sabbatical Minister to serve the congregation during that time, and we look forward to sharing good news about that position in the near future.
— Committee on Ministry (Sue Stoyanoff and Tom Peters, Co-Chairs, Kris Langabeer, Alan Brunell, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur)
A Community You Can Count On, Always There When You Need It
I was a minute or two late arriving to church one Sunday morning — but the sanctuary doors were open, the choir was singing and my heart swelled as I took my seat. The service spoke to me deeply through music, chalice lighting, readings and sermon. This beautiful service and many other opportunities to gain insight, to grow and to be supported are gifts given to us by our church community and are there whenever we need them, day after day, week after week.
This year, I’m on the Commitment Campaign Committee (also known as stewardship). I’ve been humbled by the work of our ministers, staff and church leaders on behalf of us all. I’ve learned in depth what it takes to keep our church doors open and support our dynamic programs today and long into the future.
Unfortunately, we have not yet met our pledge fundraising goal for the year. We’re working to close this financial gap. That is why we are reaching out to you again.
Please reflect on what our church means to you. If you’re waiting to make a pledge or donation, it’s not too late — please act now! Keep in mind, you don’t have to be a member to make a meaningful financial gift. If you’ve already made a pledge, we’re so grateful and hope you might consider giving more.
Spiritual renewal, music and community are always available to me at church on Sunday. I want these gifts to be there whenever you, or any of us need them — now and in the future. Please call or email me, or any of us on the committee, to discuss increasing your pledge or making a one-time donation. The church office team can put us in touch or supply you with a current directory.
With gratitude,
Gretchen Goetz and Abby Arnold, Rebecca Bijur, Teri Bond, Barbara Gibbs, Kit Shaw, and Patricia Wright
Quotes about Renewal
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of quotes about our ministerial theme for April. Daily quotes also appear in the weekly electronic announcements.
Week 1. Be willing to shed some old habits. Erase what has gone before. Take risks. Let go! Clear the deck! Jump right into the water! — Mary Todd Beam
Week 2. Every generation renews itself in its own way; there’s always a reaction against whatever is standard. —Sol LeWitt
Week 3. I had become a new person; and those who knew the old person laughed at me. The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor. He took my measure anew every time he saw me, whilst all the rest went in with their old measurements and expected them to fit me. — George Bernard Shaw
Week 4. We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come. — Joseph Campbell
Week 5. We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome. — Isabel Allende
News & Announcements:
Save the Date: Sunday, June 14 is the L.A. Pride Parade
KIDS MARCH; FAMILIES MARCH; EVEN DOGS MARCH. You can march too! Join us! You don’t even need to drive! We’ll be chartering a bus that will leave from the church right after the 9 a.m. service. Round trip fare is $15 (with a bit of a break for families). Contact Janet Goodwin for more information. The first 55 marchers to sign up and pay up will have a reserved seat. Otherwise, try to carpool with your UU neighbors.
New Member Recognition Sunday
Every year we join together as a congregation to celebrate and welcome the members who have joined in the past year. This year our welcome will take place on May 3 during both services. After the service we will honor our new members with a special reception in Forbes Hall. We hope you stop by to say a personal hello.
Please join the Membership Committee in welcoming the following new members to our church family: Boyd Adams, Mark Christiansen, Joanne Brownlie, Dierdre Dietel, Olga Felton, Christie & David Ferreria, Manuel Fonseca, Clayton Fossett, Brad & Lois Hutchinson, Brigham Johnson, Kikanza Nuri-Robbins, Wendell Pascual & Carolina San Juan, Barbara Powers, Norman P. Richey & Beverly Shoenberger, Mark Rizzo & Christine Suarez, Sarah Robson, Herb & Susan Stahl, Andrea Steffan, Manny Trujillo.
You can find photos and some of their biographies on the New Member bulletin board in Forbes Hall. A few of these names may sound familiar to some of you and for good reason. A number of these new members have been participating in our congregational life for many years and only recently have made the decision to become formal members. A warm welcome to all of you. Please join us on May 3 for our congregational celebration!
— Beth Rendeiro
Town Hall Meeting on Church Finances
Save the date! On Sunday, April 19, 12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary, there will be a Town Hall meeting to review/preview the 2015-2016 fiscal budget in advance of the annual meeting and an update from the Committee on Money.
Faith in Action News:
Faith In Action Supports Raising L.A.’s Minimum Wage and Combatting Wage Theft
On January 30, Faith in Action joined with our social justice partners from CLUE-LA (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) and others at a rally kicking off the #LaRaisetheWage (www.laraisethewage.org) Campaign at Los Angeles City Hall. We listened as the words of numerous workers, organizers, and a poet and two rappers conveyed the daily struggle of men and women to survive, working full time, on poverty wages. Afterward, we entered City Hall, split up into smaller delegations, and visited the offices of several City Council members to speak with staff about the importance of raising the minimum wage as soon as possible.
The campaign notes that Los Angeles is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation and the second most expensive place to live in America, but the people who live here are poorer on average than in any other region in the country. More than 800,000 people in L.A. County today work at minimum wage jobs and live in poverty. And low wages don’t just hurt workers, they’re bad for taxpayers too, who are effectively subsidizing giant profit machines like Walmart and McDonald’s. It is estimated that half of all fast food workers in America receive public assistance to meet their basic needs. Economists, small businesses, and workers agree that we should raise the minimum wage and bring hundreds of thousands of our neighbors into the middle class. Local businesses can benefit from this, too, because low-wage workers spend nearly every dollar they earn in the local economy. The current proposal, which the UU Santa Monica Faith in Action Commission has endorsed, is asking for $15.25/hr. plus paid sick leave and effective enforcement. Enforcement is key because even the minimum wage laws that currently exist are routinely broken, part of a widespread phenomenon known as wage theft.
Wage theft, in turn, was the theme of CLUE-LA’s annual County-wide Ingathering at Wilshire Boulevard Temple February 25. Members of this congregation including Rick and Peggy Rhoads, Cathie Gentile, and James Witker, joined LA-area UUs and others from many faith and secular groups to hear a series of presentations highlighting the fact that, according to CLUE, “Los Angeles is the wage theft capital of the United States, where $26.2 million is stolen from workers every week.”
Wage theft is the denial of full pay earned by employees and can take many forms, including the denial of overtime pay, misclassification of workers as independent contractors, and intentionally shorting paychecks. Studies show that in L.A. low wage workers experience at least one wage-theft violation per work week, and that the average worker loses about $40 out of average weekly earnings of $318. Therefore, any measure to raise the minimum wage must be accompanied by enforcement mechanisms that make wage laws a reality and not simply theoretical.
As part of this congregation’s commitment to the worth and dignity of all people, we are working to raise awareness about the plight of the working poor and to support policies that will deliver more economic justice. To find out how you can help, visit the Faith in Action table or email fia2@uusm.org
— James Witker
April Second Sunday Cinema: UU Climate Activist Tim DeChristopher is “Bidder 70”
In 2008, an economics student and UU named Tim DeChristopher went with members of his congregation in Salt Lake City to protest an auction of public lands to oil companies. Technically illegal, this auction was part of the outgoing Bush Administration’s last-ditch efforts to thwart environmental regulations and aid fossil fuel producers. But what happened next landed Tim in a federal trial, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for a spontaneous, extraordinary act that, as the filmmakers who chronicled his story write, “would redefine patriotism in our time, igniting a spirit of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice.”
In the years since, Tim has served time in federal prison, been interviewed by Bill Moyers, appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and helped to create a new grassroots movement demanding action on climate change. Most recently, he has matriculated with a full scholarship to Harvard Divinity School, where he is studying to become a Unitarian Universalist minister. This acclaimed documentary tells the story of his journey as a budding activist.
The Standing on the Side of Love Campaign and Commit2Respond (the new UUA task force on climate change) have designated April as Climate Justice Month. UU Santa Monica’s Peace & Social Justice Committee and Green Committee are proud to present this film, made possible in part by UU Ministry for Earth. Please join us after Second Sunday Supper on April 12 for a special screening of “Bidder 70” along with members of our community and special guests. Stay for the discussion and learn about Tim’s latest exploits as well as what grassroots groups in our community and beyond are doing to advance responsible climate policies.
After being sentenced to prison for standing up for environmental justice, Tim DeChristopher spoke these words: “At this point of unimaginable threats on the horizon, this is what hope looks like. In these times of a morally bankrupt government that has sold out its principles, this is what patriotism looks like. With countless lives on the line, this is what love looks like, and it will only grow… .”
Learn more at www.bidder70film.com
— James Witker
CASA Informational Session April 28
In Los Angeles County, 28,000 children who have been abused or neglected are currently under the jurisdiction of the Dependency Court. With the help of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers, 6,000 of these children will receive much-needed additional advocacy and support. If you are interested in reducing and reversing the effects of child abuse and neglect by serving as a CASA for children in Los Angeles, please attend an informational session April 28 from 7:30-8:30 in Forbes Hall, or contact Rev. Bijur at minister@uusm.org.
Occupation 101
The Peace and Social Justice Committee featured “Occupation 101” on March 8, for the second time, at Second Sunday Cinema. It is an award-winning documentary detailing the lives of Palestinians living under occupation by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza. We were joined by 30 church and community members who wanted to know more about the history of the occupation and the conditions facing those living under it.
Although there have been several documentaries about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the years, “Occupation 101” reviews the history of the development of Israel, the recurring disputes and resulting wars over Palestinian land, and the current attitudes of the Palestinian working people. The film highlights interviews with U.S., Israeli, and Palestinian scholars and peace groups in their efforts to protect the rights of those targeted by the Israeli state and the Israeli Defense Force. Among the more than 30 interviewed were Noam Chomsky, Professor Ilan Pappe of the University of Haifa, Rabbi Michael Lerner of “Tikkun” magazine, Amira Hass of “Ha’aretz” newspaper, Dr. Iyad Sarraj, prominent Palestinian psychiatrist, and former U.S. Congressman Paul Findley.
If you would like to borrow the film, please contact either Cathie Gentile or Peggy Rhoads.
— Cathie Gentile
UU Santa Monica Congregants Join Protest Against Killing of “Africa”
Three people from our congregation participated in a protest March 3 against the killing of “Africa,” a homeless man, by LAPD officers. Dan Kegel, Patrick Tapé, and Rick Rhoads joined about 150 others in an 8 a.m. rally at San Pedro and Sixth Streets, in L.A.’s Skid Row, followed by a march to L.A. Police Headquarters at 100 West First Street.
The starting point, near where “Africa” was shot, is a sea of tents, most makeshift, others that looked right off the pages of an REI catalog. I suspect many of these were donated by organizations that help homeless people. In any case, it’s clear just from looking around that there is a large population in the area that’s relatively permanently living in the streets…not far from the downtown luxury hotels and high-rise office buildings. According to “Wikipedia,”“ “[L.A.’s] Skid Row contains one of the largest stable populations (between 3,000 and 6,000) of homeless people in the United States.”
In the media coverage of the killing of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO, and of Eric Garner on Staten Island, NY, among other victims, the shooter is virtually always referred to as “a white police officer” or some variation on those words. It’s clear from the video that went viral on Facebook, and from a still photo taken from it, that at least one of the five cops who were engaged with “Africa” was African-American. Yet I have not been able to find even one media reference to this in the “L.A. Times” or any other source, despite searching for 30 minutes on Google. Is it because this fact tends to contradict the narrative that a major cause of such killings is individual racist cops? I don’t know; I’m open to other suggestions.
— Rick Rhoads
Second Annual Empty Bowls Santa Monica a Great Success
Many thanks to everyone who supported our second annual Empty Bowls event. We raised over $2,000 to benefit the Westside Food Bank and the Bread and Roses Café at St. Joseph Center.
Soup, bread, and other donations were made by Whole Foods, Santa Monica Seafood, Back on the Beach Café, 3 Vines Chef Service, Trader Joe’s, Panera, Fromin’s, Earth Wind and Flour, and Albertson’s. Chef D Brandon Walker from St. Joseph Center was back again this year. We also had soups made by Karl Lisovsky, Bryan Oakes, and Eric Stultz.
Community members who attended last year were back with friends this year. Several people who heard about the event sent donations to support it even if they were unable to attend.
In addition to volunteers from our congregation we had members from the community who came to help. These volunteers helped to make the day a success with help setting up, serving the soup, and managing the bowl table.
Special thanks to Linda van Ligten for being there the whole time and taking care of the kitchen, including keeping us supplied with a constant supply of clean bowls. Thanks to Carol Ring, who was there with her camera to record the event. There were too many volunteers to name them all, but you know who you are — and a great big thank you for your participation.
And a big thanks to committee members for your participation: Ellen Levy, Bob Dietz, Rima Snyder, Rhonda Peacock, and Gena Garrett.
— Bettye Barclay
Splinters from the Board:
Town Hall Meeting on Budget April 19
The Board had its first meeting using a consent agenda on March 10. This means that minutes and staff reports are read by Board members prior to the meeting and passed as a block, without discussion. Any questions are taken care of before the meeting, and if any member of the Board has an issue to discuss, that item can be pulled out of the consent agenda and placed on the discussion agenda. We can already see that the consent agenda will save significant time for more substantive discussions.
UU Santa Monica has three new members: Beverly Shoenberger, Norman Richey, and Dierdre Dietel. We have four reinstated members: John Penney, Gary Post, Julie Wright, and Lance Richter. Our current membership stands at 327.
The re-roofing of the Forbes Entry is now complete, so that water drains away from the building. The windows are being repaired because they are very old and leaking. The resulting crack in the wall is repaired and the entry repainted.
The Board has been working on a Statement of Responsibilities for members of the Board. The template for this document came out of the Annenberg Foundation’s Alchemy Leadership Seminar. At this meeting, the Board reviewed edits recommended by the Nominating Committee. Work on this document is ongoing, and the Board will return to it at our next meeting.
Our treasurer, Kit Shaw, reported that pledges are down for February. Fiscal year to date pledges received are $252,915 versus $290,000 budgeted. Rental income has remained higher than predicted by $20,000. Consequently, fiscal year to date total income is $342,452 versus $364,652 budgeted. Total program expenses are $17,000 less than budgeted. This gives us a net deficit of $60,815 versus $49,014 budgeted, about an $11,000 larger deficit than predicted. Since pledges and other income fluctuate, this deficit will continue to change as we approach the end of the fiscal year June 30.
Current 2015 pledges stand at $363,234. Paid pledges for 2014 are $379,683. The Board looked at a draft budget for 2015/2016. The Finance Committee has not yet been able to agree on a final budget to recommend to the Board.
The Board will need to vote on a final budget at its next meeting in order to present it at the Annual Meeting on May 17. There will be a Town Hall meeting on finance and the budget on April 19. The Board decided to reach out to the leadership in the Pacific Southwest District (our UU regional leadership) for help with conflict regarding governance in our congregation.
— Cynthia Cottam
RE News:
From Our DRE: What's Our Message?
This month, following March’s theme of “Brokenness,” we move into a time of reflection on “Renewal.” This schedule mirrors the themes of Passover and Easter, but also resonates with spring celebrations in many religious as well as secular traditions around the world. I wonder, as parts of our world wake up from the deep freeze of the wintertime (which I know can feel very remote, especially this year, here in sunny Los Angeles), what in your own life is ready to be shaken loose so as to make way for new growth?
April is a time of renewal in our church as well. This is when the Lifespan RE Committee and I kick our program planning for the next year into high gear, exploring new programs to offer as well as ways to tweak our current offerings to make them even better than they already are. And as we do this work, I’ve been thinking a lot about the core message of our Unitarian Universalist faith. What is it that we have to offer the world that is worth all of the time and passion and commitment given to our community by so many members and friends? Or put more concretely: if all of the people who walked in our doors this week walked away with just one message from their time at UU Santa Monica, what would you want it to be?
Last fall, our UU Santa Monica board came up with a mission statement with one possible answer to this question: our congregation is a place where we are called to “Love Generously, Seek Truth, and Serve the World.”
The overall program arc of our RE classes for children and youth is carefully crafted to help young people in our programs learn how to fulfill this mission. Here’s what the “one thing” (or two or three things, I confess) might be for each of our class levels:
• Preschool — I am loved and so is everyone else; it’s important to be kind.
• K to second grade — Our UU Principles and wisdom from many sources can help guide me as I think about how to be a good person; I can help make the world a better place.
• Third to fifth grades — Church is a place where we ask questions about the world and about life and work together to come up with answers; I know that I am connected with every person, every plant and every star, and I am part of all that exists and all that ever has existed.
• Sixth to seventh grades — All varieties of religious expression have something to teach us and it is important to learn about different faiths and what they have in common with UUism, as well as their differences; I can search for what resonates with me.
• Eighth grade — I am of age to claim my identity as a UU; I can think about and articulate my beliefs and values (though they will continue to develop throughout my life), and our church community will celebrate them with me.
• Ninth to twelfth grades — Being UU means being in authentic community, and the way we live in the world and the way we treat one another matters. I have a lot to give to our faith and to the world.
If every child and youth in our church left our programs having learned just these things, then I’d consider us wildly successful. I think we’re doing a good job at this already; here’s to continuing to do it ever better in the time to come!
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Children and Youth RE Programs
This month in the RE program, preschoolers will learn about the Easter and Passover traditions, then move into a celebration of friendship and helping one another. Participants in the kindergarten to second grade Spirit Seekers class will continue this year’s focus on sacred stories from the world’s religions with stories from Buddhism. Upper elementary children in the UUniverse Story program, after time spent last month learning about our solar system, will come closer to home as we explore early Earth, including lots of hands-on activities to help participants learn about our home planet. Middle-schoolers in the sixth to seventh grade will explore Christianity this month, including a visit to a Catholic church. This month in Coming of Age, youth will be getting down to the nitty-gritty of crafting their credo statements and the Coming of Age service coming up in May. Our YRUU youth will be represented by five youth and one advisor at the UU-United Nations Office Spring Seminar in New York City this month, focused on International Criminal Justice, while the group also continues raising awareness and funds to send nearly a dozen youth to the UU Association’s General Assembly in Portland, OR, this June.
Successful Workshop for LRE Sunday School Teachers
As part of the LRE Committee’s on-going effort to support the wonderful volunteer Sunday School teachers who work with our kindergarten through fifth graders, we offered a workshop titled “New Strategies for Working with Wiggly or Distracted Children” on Saturday morning, February 28. Facilitated by UU Santa Monica’s very own pediatric occupational therapist, church member Kim Santiago-Kalmanson, and committee members JoAn Peters and Sabina Mayo-Smith, participants learned how all of us — adults and children — have strategies we use to keep our bodies and minds both in sync and ready for the tasks at hand. Among other strategies, participants learned to use various movement exercises, and “fidgets” made of balloons filled with substances like dried beans and cornmeal, and socks filled with rice, to help everyone in a classroom (including the teacher!) find that calm, alert sweet spot for learning.
Thanks to the information presented, teachers now have some more classroom tools to help continue to provide a classroom community where everyone can happily participate.
— Sabina Mayo-Smith
YRUU to Embark on Trips to New York City and Portland, Oregon
UU Santa Monica’s Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) are preparing to embark on two trips in the next few months: UU United Nations Office (UU-UNO) 2015 Intergenerational Spring Seminar in New York City and General Assembly in Portland, Oregon.
UU-United Nations Office 2015 Intergenerational Spring Seminar takes place April 8 to 12.
The theme of this year’s seminar is the international criminal justice system. Issues that will be covered include:
• The death penalty/capital punishment
• Criminal justice systems
• The New Jim Crow
• Disability rights
• School-to-prison pipeline
• Mental health
• Mass incarceration
• Immigration detention
• Canadian justice or lack thereof for indigenous women
• Victims of crime (domestic abuse, sex trafficking, refugees, political prisoners)
• Human trafficking
• Positive examples of restorative justice
Paice Van Ooyen became our UU-UNO Youth Envoy last year when she attended the seminar. Paice will be joined this year by Maddy Gordon, Alden Fossett, Jake Brunell, Mari Nunan, and YRUU advisor Liza Cranis.
A larger group of youth will be attending General Assembly June 24 to 28 in Portland, OR. General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).
Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process.
The group is quite excited about both trips. Even with parents paying what they can, the cost of flying, registering, and lodging youth at both events is prohibitive. YRUU have been holding fund-raising events from a hot chocolate sale to a recent babysitting event on Valentine’s Day. And there are more events to come. Please support YRUU in this endeavor. These trips not only are educational and informative, but they allow our church youth to make connections with other UU youth and adults from other congregations, further strengthening their bond with our congregation and religion.
You can make donations to the YRUU Travel Fund by check, cash, or credit card. Any questions can be directed to Liza Cranis
— Liza Cranis YRUU Advisor and LRE Youth Subcommittee
Adult RE
Understanding the Bible: A Contemporary UU Exploration
Coming in April — an expanded version of the class and book discussion offered by Adult Programs in 2013, facilitated by James Witker.
UUs sometimes have a tenuous relationship with our Judeo-Christian heritage and its main source material, but the Bible remains both the most important text in western civilization and a powerful icon in modern American culture. The Rev. John Buehrens, former president of the UUA, argues in his book, “Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers and Religious Liberals,” that the progressiveminded should not cede interpretation of “The Good Book” to literalists and fundamentalists and their political ends. Rather, we should seek to better understand it as a human text, with all its contradictions, complexity, and richness. From the publisher: “This warm, straightforward guide invites readers to rediscover our culture’s central religious text and makes accessible some of the best contemporary historical, political, and feminist readings of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.” We will use Buehrens’ volume as our main guide, and consider his (controversial, perhaps) thesis that, taken as a whole, the Biblical narrative is one that can be read as counter-oppressive. In addition, we will utilize selections from other authors and thinkers in the world of Biblical scholarship, images from art history, and clips from popular cinema that can help us understand what the Bible stories have meant to people through time. Finally, we will consider responses to the Biblical tradition from different sources such as New Atheism, Progressive Christianity, and Religious Naturalism that may help inform our understanding. As before, we will emphasize the importance of our own backgrounds and the goal of spiritual/personal growth as we approach this difficult topic.
Dates/Times TBD. Sign up at the RE Table and contact James Witker with questions.
— James Witker