Newsletter for April, 2017
From Our Minister:
Moments of Connection and Love
Dear congregation,
This is my second-to-last newsletter column as your settled minister, a milestone I intend to mark by writing about transformation, our ministry theme for April.
To me, transformation is the staid and steady form of this powerful word, coming from solid Latin roots that take us from a to b, this to that; but there is also a Greek version, full of the dynamic tension of that ancient culture, which is metamorphosis. In elementary school classrooms around the country, metamorphosis means butterflies — which is actually caterpillar, then caterpillar mush within a chrysalis, and then butterfly. What a powerful reminder of what transformation can look and feel like — how it can dissolve us into our constituent parts before remaking us from the inside out — whether or not we wished to be changed!
As my ministry with you comes to its completion, we would do well to remember how both letting go of old forms and making room for new life are always part of transformation, whether in the seasons changing before our eyes, or in the old and powerful stories of religious and secular culture we hear and tell at this time of year. Stories of freedom — as in the Passover story of how those who had been slaves in Egypt set out on a great journey of personal and communal liberation. Stories of renewal — as in the Easter story of those who had faced betrayal and great loss learned that their story was not over, and that love was stronger than death. And stories of the transforming power of the Earth itself, told in many cultures and in many ways, including Nowrooz, a secular (and in some areas, Zoroastrian) holiday celebrated throughout Iran and in the Persian community of Los Angeles, among many other countries and U.S. cities, to mark the spring equinox and the changing of the seasons.
The religious leader and teacher Howard Thurman reminded us of what he called “the growing edge,” which leads us through times of change and transformation. He wrote the following poem that speaks powerfully to times and seasons such as these:
All around us worlds are dying and new worlds are being born;All around us life is dying and life is being born.The fruit ripens on the tree;The roots are silently at work in the darkness of the earthAgainst a time when there shall be new leaves, fresh blossoms, green fruit.Such is the growing edge!It is the extra breath from the exhausted lung,The one more thing to try when all else has failed,The upward reach of life when weariness closes in upon all endeavor.This is the basis of hope in moments of despair,The incentive to carry on when times are out of jointAnd people have lost their reason; the source of confidenceWhen worlds crash and dreams whiten into ash.The birth of the child—life’s most dramatic answer to death—This is the Growing Edge incarnate.Look well to the growing edge.
In our church, too, as we move through this time of transition and transformation, I know the ending of one chapter in the life of our community is also the beginning of a new chapter. May we look well to the growing edge!
Much heart,
Rev. Rebecca
Rev. Rebecca
P.S. In addition to Open Hours on some evenings and weekends, I continue to offer office hours during the week for all those who wish to meet with me during the day to share a thought, a feeling, or a story of our time together during this season of leave-taking. My office hours are 10 am to 12 pm Tuesdays, and 3 to 5 pm Wednesdays. This is also a time I hold each week for pastoral appointments. A regular one-on-one meeting with me during this time is about 35 to 45 minutes. If you would like to meet with me during these regular office hours, or at another time if these hours do not fit your schedule, please contact me at minister@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x104 to make an appointment. While you are also welcome to drop in, I may have another appointment and be unable to see you, so I recommend that you call or email ahead.
Featured Articles:
Members Endorse Hiring a Developmental Minister
UU Santa Monica members at our March 5 Congregational Meeting voted overwhelmingly to support the Board of Directors in its effort to recruit and hire a developmental minister to join us this summer. The ayes were 84%.
The motion approved was, “The Congregation authorizes the UUSM Board of Directors to complete the developmental ministry search and selection process.” One hundred six members attended the meeting, 16 of whom represented proxies as well as themselves. Three people voted absentee.
An amendment to the motion would have required a two-thirds vote of members at a congregational meeting to approve a developmental minister hired by the board. Proponents of the amendment said that our bylaws and democracy in general required such a vote. Opponents said that the bylaws were silent about the congregation’s role in hiring interim or developmental ministers (as opposed to settled ministers). They also pointed out that a minister being hired to help heal congregational conflict might well think that a two-thirds vote would be difficult to achieve and therefore might be unlikely to apply for the job. The amendment was voted down by about a two-thirds majority.
Our UUA had been pre-recruiting for over a month, so UUA staff were pleased to hear that the congregation had voted to support the board. With extensive outreach and vetting, a strong field of seven candidates was reduced to three top picks. The UUA Ministerial Transitions Team and our regional Congregational Life lead Rev. Jonipher Kwong felt that any of these three candidates would be a great match for our congregation. Your Developmental Ministry Task Force’s next mission is to find the best fit.
As of this writing, the Developmental Ministry Task Force is in the process of interviewing and selecting a final candidate (if, indeed, there’s a great fit). The Board of Directors will likely affirm the choice (if they deem it the right thing to do) at the end of March, and the Task Force will begin preparing to introduce the new minister to the congregation at the May 7 service.
In the meantime, your Task Force co-chairs Kim Miller and Jacki Weber continue to be available on Sundays and by email and phone to answer questions and note concerns. And we will continue to post updates on uusm.org.
— Developmental Ministry Task Force Co-Chairs Kim Miller and Jacki Weber
Self-interest, Irresistible Destiny, or Covenant?
Each Sunday we recite our covenant together, and this year our congregation’s Heart to Heart Circles are spending considerable time developing comfort with the Heart to Heart covenant. Unitarian Universalism calls itself a “covenantal faith.” When UUs ask what that means, we hear that a covenant is “an agreement describing how we want to be with each other.”
The Heart to Heart covenant is a set of rules about how we treat each other. We listen deeply. We don’t try to solve the problems of others. We respect the group by letting someone know when we are going to miss a meeting. We refrain from gossip.
Our Sunday covenant is a little deeper: we believe in love; we seek the truth in freedom; we promise to “dwell together in peace.”
Over the past few years, our congregation has been described as “being out of covenant.” A recent column in the New York Times by David Brooks offers a way of thinking about covenant that helps understand our congregation’s dilemma.
Brooks describes various approaches to romantic relationships and marriage, which in the United States can be largely based on self-interest and checking off boxes. “A lot of our social fragmentation grows out of the detached, utilitarian individualism” that characterizes our “dating market” where “the emphasis is on the prudential choice, selecting the right person who satisfies your desires,” writes Brooks. He contrasts the American ideal of relationships based on getting one’s needs met to the Russian culture, which sees love as irresistible destiny that “requires sacrifice and implies suffering and pain.”
Brooks suggests that successful marriages result from a third approach, based on covenant. “A covenant is not a choice,” he says, “but a life-altering promise and all the binding the promise entails.”
A covenant is not just a set of rules and shared attitudes; it is first and foremost a promise that the relationship is more important than the needs and desires of each individual. Secondly, covenantal love is unconditional and deeply interdependent; Brooks describes it as knowing that “the other person’s love is not going away, and in which the only way to survive the crises is to go deeper into the relationship itself.” Finally, a covenant serves a larger purpose that is transformative. People in a covenant try to love each other in a way that “brings out their loveliness” with the goal that they themselves will “become a slightly less selfish version of themselves.”
When there is breakage in a covenantal relationship, people go through the “normal episodes of confession, apology, defensiveness, forgiveness and loving the other most when there’s nothing lovely about them.” Have we even begun that process here in our church? Can we even acknowledge how we have hurt one another?
To return to covenant will require that we do not sweep our differences away, but face them with love and humility, instead of self-interest. Brooks assures us that “the deepest joy sneaks in the back door when you are surrendering to some sacred promise.” Each of us must decide whether our congregation offers a place of unconditional love, where our relationships with each other are based not primarily on our own needs, but on the good of the whole.
— Abby Arnold
Right Relations Task Force Report: Stories of Personal Meaning and Stories of Conflict
The Right Relations Task Force and Interview Team spent much of March (continuing into early April) engaged in Sharing Personal Stories of Meaning. We are mining these stories for the core values that we hold as a community. According to Ismar Schorsch, core values are “the felt commitments of a lived religion, the refraction of what the people practice and profess.”
Our Right Relations Team offered a worship service March 26 to present some Personal Stories of Meaning and emerging Core Values. We also have a “storyboard” in Forbes Hall where you may read more of the stories shared by your fellow congregants and see images created by our children.
We are listening deeply to the stories you share so that we can reflect back our shared core values. This process will culminate in the creation of Congregational Core Values, to be presented and affirmed at our annual congregation meeting in May. Core values are what we stand for and why we exist. They are the glue that holds this community together. We want to hear as many of these stories as possible from our congregants, and there is still time for everyone to engage in this process. If you have not yet participated in a sharing group, we encourage you to do so. You may sign up at our information table on Sunday mornings, or email us at rightrelations@uusm.org. If you can’t get to a group, please share your story at https://tinyurl.com/uustories, where a form explains the process. And if you attended a group, please enter your story now at the same website. So far almost 50 stories have been shared; Leslie Beauvais shares the story on this page.
Starting in April, the next part of the Right Relations process is to share stories of conflicts we have faced with others where these were turned into opportunities to strengthen and transform relationships, even if we continue to disagree on the issues. We will be offering several occasions to Share Stories of Conflict Transformation. These include open groups which you may sign up for at the Right Relations table.
We encourage you to participate and offer an experience where you were able to resolve a conflict while maintaining and deepening relationships. With this collection of stories, the Right Relations Team will begin to develop our Covenant of Right Relations, to present to the congregation and affirm at a meeting in the fall as we begin our ministry with our future developmental minister.
The Right Relations Task Force continues to offer Listening Circles on a monthly basis. For more information about Sharing Groups and Listening Circles, stop by our table on Sunday mornings or email us at rightrelations@uusm.org.
As part of our support of Right Relations in our congregation, members of the Right Relations Task Force also provided groundrules and process observation for our recent congregation meeting on March 5, and will do so again for our Annual Meeting.
— Our RRTF and Interview Team: Ed Brand, Helen Brown, Liza Cranis, Vicky Foxworth, Wendi Gladstone, Cindy Kelly, Alison Kendall, Audrey Lyness, Cindy Martin, Emily Linnemeier, Margot Page (co-chair), Tom Peters, Vilma Ortiz (co-chair), Buddha Jonathan Quant, Kim Santiago-Kalmanson, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Beth Rendeiro, Rima Snyder, Joe Straw, Sue Stoyanoff, John Sussman, Linda van Ligten, James Witker, Patricia Wright, Steve Young, and Sylvia Young
So far almost 50 stories have been shared; Leslie Beauvais shares this story:
My story begins when I first visited this congregation in 2012. Ed Brand, my then boyfriend (now husband), was with me. It was his idea to visit because Roy Zimmerman, a singer/songwriter that we followed, was performing at that Sunday service. It had been quite some time since I had stepped foot in any church. In 2004, after 14 years of membership, I had left a Christian congregation that I had been a part of. That church had become very destructive and abusive in my life. So making the decision to visit any church was a big deal for me. But Eddie was confident that I would love it because years before, he had visited quite often. Although I was still a little frightened, I was excited to visit any church that would have Roy Zimmerman performing his political and radical songs. And since Eddie was going with me, I was heartened. I was amazed that I loved everything about the service… its form and content. I was heartened by the fact that everyone was accepted and that I wasn’t being preached at. Instead I felt I was being shared with by Rev. Rebecca. So we stayed. We eventually joined the church and were married by Rev. Rebecca in September 2015.
Quotations Related to Transformation
Lois Hutchinson has provided these quotations that relate to our April ministry theme, Transformation.
April 2 - CALL THE MIDWIFE - O Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? — Percy Bysshe Shelly
April 9 - STILL WE RISE - One day, when the glory comes, It will be ours. It will be ours. Oh, one day, when the war is won, We will be sure. We will be sure. — John Legend, Common, and Rhymefest
April 16 - MORNING HAS COME - He showed her swelling leaf-buds on rose branches which had seemed dead. He showed her ten thousand new green points pushing through the mould. They put their eager young noses close to the earth and sniffed its warmed springtime breathing. — Frances Hodgson Burnett
April 23 - EARTH SUNDAY - What we’re fighting for now is each other. — Wen Stephenson
April 30 - “WHO CARES? I DO!” (YRUU YOUTH GROUP SUNDAY) - Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark. — Henri-Frédéric Amiel
Elections Are on the Way
Come to the Annual Meeting May 21. Avoid using absentee or proxy ballots: Ensure that we get a quorum.
At the 2017 Annual Congressional Meeting, May 21, we will exercise our democratic muscles once again and elect UUSM leadership for 2017-18. We’ll be voting on a complete slate of candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee and possibly some members running by petition.
Board of Directors
The four officer positions will appear on the ballot – President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer – for 1-year terms. All the officers who are currently serving — respectively, Ron Crane, Jacki Weber, Beth Brownlie, and Kim Miller — are eligible to seek nomination for re-election.
Two of the four Members at Large seats will appear on the ballot for 2-year terms: the seats currently held by Joe Engleman and Emily Hero. Emily is completing her first term as an elected Member at Large (previously she had served by appointment) and is eligible to seek nomination for re-election. Joe has already announced that he will not seek re-election to the board. Members at Large Jerry Gates and Kikanza Nuri-Robbins both have another year on their current terms.
Patricia Wright will most likely continue to put her experience to work as past president.
Nominating Committee
Two seats on the Nominating Committee — currently held by Wendi Gladstone and Beth Rendeiro — will appear on the ballot for 3-year terms.
In 2016, at the request of the Nominating Committee, Jo An Peters generously stepped in to serve when Melinda Ewen resigned. That seat will appear on the ballot for the 2-years remaining in that term.
Bob Dietz, Barbara Gibbs, and James Witker will continue their current terms.
The Nominating Committee will present an entire slate of nominees for the open seats on the board and Nominating Committee at the April 11 meeting of the Board of Directors. Because of conflict-of-interest measures in the UUSM bylaws, the Nominating Committee is prohibited from naming any of its current members to any of these positions. Like every other church member, Wendi, Beth, and Jo An may choose to run by petition for any seat, including re-election to the seat they currently hold.
Any voting member of the church may run for any open seat on the Board of Directors or Nominating Committee. Just submit your petition, signed by 10 or more voting members, to the church office. All submitted petitions and signatures must be reviewed by the secretary of the board, Beth Brownlie, for validation by May 1. (The office staff requests that, if possible, petitions be submitted by mid-April.)
Please join us in thanking and honoring all our members who volunteer to serve in leadership.
The final ballot for the May 21 elections will be part of a church mailing sent out on or before May 6. We will also be voting on the church budget at the Annual Meeting, and possibly amendments to the bylaws and other important resolutions. New and renewing members read into the rolls at the April 11 board meeting will become voting members after 40 days, and thus will be eligible to vote. Voting members will have the options to vote in person, by proxy, or by absentee ballot. Let us hear your voice as, together, we meet the future.
— Bob Dietz and Lois Hutchinson
News & Announcements:
Are You Aware? (Independence, Help)
People often like help when they need it, but want to do most things for themselves. This is true for persons with disabilities. It is good to ask when you see someone that might need help. “Can I help you with the door?” “Do you need help down the stairs, across the street?” However, the person may say, “No, I’ve got it!” This is fine.
If you offer to help a person with a visual impairment, let them take your elbow and follow you. Don’t grab their arm or elbow and push. You might mention unusual obstacles like stairs, or protruding furniture, but you do not need to describe every detail.
You can help by being a friend and friendly. Most help is part of our normal awareness of those we are with, and normal courtesy.
You can help by talking with the Disability Support Group and others in the church about ways to improve support for persons with disabilities in our church community, or by sharing your concerns and needs. Not sure whom to contact? Look for Mark Christiansen, Michael Young, Steve Young, or Sylvia Young.
Undy Sundays Return
Each Sunday in April, 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, to support quality mental health care and substance-use treatment in communities where stigma or poverty limit access. From 11 sites and in nearly 100 schools, the agency helps almost 100,000 SoCal adults and children each year. Its 24/7 Suicide Prevention Center receives over 80,000 calls on its Crisis Line annually and provides support groups for people who have lost loved ones to suicide or who have attempted it.
Want to get involved? Consider purchasing new, in-package underwear to donate to Didi Hirsch, sizes S to 2X for men and women. Socks are also welcome. Gerrie Lambson and Cassie Winters will collect your donations at the FIA table in Forbes.
You can learn more about Didi Hirsch from own Cassie Winters, Liam Mina, and Olga Felton, who works at the agency, and from its VP of Development, Joel Wyatt, who will speak at the services April 2.
— Cassie Winters and Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
Newsletters and Websites and Facebook, Oh My!
The volunteers and staff that produce the various communications of the church are pulling together as a Communications Team. We want to coordinate our efforts and use technology to communicate better with our community and to make a difference at UU Santa Monica and beyond. All are welcome to join the team and share their expertise — or just a willingness to help your community stay informed. Come meet with us April 30, 12:30 to 1:30 pm, in Forbes Hall, Room 2, or email Jackie Schwab in the church office, oos@uusm.org.
April 9, 2017 Second Sunday Supper - Sponsored by the UUCCSM Green Living Committee
Come learn about becoming a zero trash campus and our efforts to move toward a goal of becoming a Green Business with the City of Santa Monica. Win a Girl Scout Dunk Bag!
Potluck at 6 pm - Bring your favorite side dish that is local, organic, home-cooked, or healthy. Trashless: Bring your own plates, cups, utensils, and cloth napkins - show off your wares! (We will have extra dishes if needed, or if you cannot bring your own.)
Contact Alison Kendall or Beth Brownlie for more information.
Muppet Sing-a-Long!
Saturday, April 8. Sing along with The Muppets, and all you can eat dinner...with Let's Be Frank Gourmet Hot & Vegan Dogs, popcorn, candy and soda pop! Doors open at 5 p.m., move starts at 5:45 p.m. Pay what you can...proceeds benefit UUSM.
Does the Santa Monica Police Department Engage in Racial Profiling?
After Second Sunday Supper, April 9, the Coalition for Police Reform (CPR) will screen a video that collates information on community interactions with Santa Monica police officers. The CPR was formed of representatives from UU Santa Monica, Committee for Racial Justice, and the NAACP after the Trayvon Martin killing in Florida. CPR petitioned the Santa Monica City Council to get feedback from the community about interactions with SMPD officers. We raised the issue of racial profiling back then. As a result of CPR interactions with local leaders it became clear that many folks in Santa Monica are in denial about the level of racial profiling that is experienced here by people of color. After the video, two CPR members will lead a discussion of issues raised and inform those present of current efforts by CPR to change police behavior that oppresses primarily Black and Latino members of our communitiy.
Sunday, April 9, 7:15 pm, in the Sanctuary
Contact: Peggy Rhoads
Celebration of Rebecca's Ministry - Save the Dates!
Rev. Rebecca's Portrait Unveiling Reception
Sunday, May 14 at 12:30 pm
Forbes Hall
Rev. Rebecca's Celebrational Service
Sunday, June 3 at 1:30 pm
UUSM Sanctuary
Rev. Rebecca's last service
Sunday, June 4 at 10 am (one service starts)
MEMORIAL DAY SPECIAL -- Engraved bricks for $400 if ordered by May 19th (Regular Price $500!)
Provide a lasting memorial to your loved one with an engraved brick in the Garden of Eternity at the UUCCSM. You can include up to three lines of text including your loved one's name, dates, quotations or fond memories.
We are offering this special rate for engraved bricks to take advantage of the brick supply now at the engraver. In the future, engraved bricks may cost more than $500 due to extra transportation costs. If you order now, we can install your memorial brick in 2017. If you've been wanting to do this to honor and remember your parents, siblings or dear friends, this is your opportunity.
Please contact Nurit in the office (admin@uusm.org 310-829-5436 ext 100), to order your bricks and provide payment and final wording by May 19 for this special offer!
Faith in Action News:
P&SJ Collects Signatures at Ciclavia
The route of the Culver City Meets Venice CicLAvia March 26 went right over the spot on Windward Avenue where Brendon Glenn was killed May 5, 2015. Members of the UU Santa Monica Peace & Social Justice Committee and others were there to collect signatures on a petition demanding that District Attorney Lacey prosecute the LAPD officer who killed Brendon, as part of our continuing antiracist activities. Photo by James Witker.
Green Living Committee:
UU Santa Monica Named a Green Sanctuary by the UUA
In February 2007, the Green Sanctuary Committee was voted into existence at an FIA Town Hall Meeting. Those at the meeting voted to take actions and apply to the UUA to become a Green Sanctuary Church.
On March 17, 2017, after ten years of hard work by many volunteers of this beloved community, we were officially awarded the Green Sanctuary designation by the UUA.
It’s a grand kickoff to our 2017 Climate Justice Month of April. In next month’s newsletter, we’ll have an in-depth look at what it takes to become a Green Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, here is a partial list of volunteers who helped this effort: Leslie Reuter, Alison Kendall, Sandra Trutt, Beth Brownlie, Jessica Clay, Greg Woods, Linda Van Ligten, Hildreth Simmons, James Witker, Diana Spears, Rick Teplitz, Kathryn Lee, Rick Rhoads, Haygo Salibian, Katie Malich, Cathie Gentile, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Linda Marten, Karl Lisovsky, Brad Hutchinson, Bryan Oakes, Robin Lowney-Lankton, Laura Eklund, Administrator-Nurit Gordon, two spiritual leaders, the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur and the Rev. Judith Meyer, Catherine Farmer Loya, DRE...and many more in our community. Thank you all, for helping our community get there!
— Beth Brownlie
Splinters from the Board:
Developmental Minister, Budget, RE Assistant, Plumbing, and More
The board met March 14 in Forbes Hall. In addition to board members minus one, there were 17 guests, many of whom had come to represent RE. The Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, our district representative, participated via the internet in the discussion of the Developmental Ministry (DM). I lit the chalice with a reading from the book Turning to One Another, by Margaret Wheatley.
We welcomed new members Arin Smith and Jacob Brunell.
The Personnel Committee update to the Personnel Manual was postponed from the consent agenda to the next board meeting. The remainder of the consent agenda was approved.
The first item on the discussion agenda was an update and discussion of the Developmental Ministry application process. At the March 5 business meeting with 106 in attendance, 16 proxies, and 3 absentee ballots, the congregation authorized the board to proceed with the ongoing process of hiring a developmental minister. (See page 1.) The work of the Developmental Ministry Task Force (DMTF), a subgroup of the board, in March and April will include reviewing the materials on candidates provided to the DMTF by the UUA support team, scheduling interviews to evaluate the candidates, and selecting one candidate for approval by the board. The UUA team of Rev. Kwong, the Rev. Keith Kron, and the Rev. Sarah Schor reduced an initial pool of seven candidates to three, based on their estimation of the best match to our goals. The packets have been received by the DMTF. Any congregant who wishes to provide input into the interview questions or simply to look at them may get copies from DMTF co-chairs Jacki Weber or Kim Miller.
A board meeting March 28 (instead of the regularly scheduled Executive Committee meeting) will discuss and vote on the DMTF’s selection of the DM candidate. If the candidate is approved by the board, the DM will preach at both services Sunday, May 7. Between mid-April and May 7, information about the DM will be shared with the congregation and there be may be an opportunity to ask questions of the DM.
The second item on the discussion agenda was the proposed budget, including a request brought forth by the RE committee to hire a part-time RE assistant. As part of the budget process that is defined in our Bylaws, the finance committee presents a proposed budget to the board at the March meeting for discussion. A vote on the budget by the board takes place at the April meeting. The congregation, as the final authority, votes on the budget at the Annual Meeting, which this year takes place Sunday, May 21. There will be a Town Hall meeting on the budget Sunday, April 2.
The proposed FY 2017/2018 budget shows a deficit of $33,403. There are no salary increases and costs have been contained to the extent possible. Pledge receipts are estimated at $370,000, a reduction of $10,000 over the previous fiscal year. The proposed budget packet including historical graphs can be found on the members only website.
The personnel committee has approved the request for a 10-hour/week DRE assistant. The cost is estimated at $9,000 a year. No motion for the board to approve the request was made, but the guests at the meeting were given the opportunity to speak in support of the request. Further discussion of the request and possible ways to support it will take place.
The third item on the agenda was the sad state our plumbing. Repairing the existing waste line and installing a new line are under consideration. Three bids will be obtained, as required by our policies. We are likely looking at a cost of about $10,000, which would come from the Building Reserve Fund.
The board approved an amount of $1,450 to begin the engineering investigation of the Arizona/Forbes Hall entry because the building is sinking. A soils test will be first.
Item four addressed summer ministry planning. Volunteers have come forward but would be happy to have co-chairs: Linda van Ligten for pastoral care from June 4 through the start date of the next minister, Vilma Ortiz for Sunday worship/Pulpit group from June 11 through the start date of the next minister, Beth Brownlie to take on an initial exploration of membership. Thank you!
Item five on the agenda, a report from the Investment Committee, was postponed until the next board meeting.
Item six was Rev. Rebecca’s celebration. Planning for her celebration is underway with support coming from dedicated donated funds and use of remaining church-event funds. Over $1,000 of the $1,900 requested has been raised. The board approved a motion to raise funds for the event.
The meeting, though long, was declared “very productive.” We adjourned at about 10 pm.
Other UU News & Events:
Interfaith Solidarity March in Support of the Muslim Community - Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Starting at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, 3663 Wilshire Blvd., LA and ending at the Islamic Center of Southern California (program and fabulous food), with stops at St. Basil Roman Catholic Church and Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Rev. Rebecca and 24 others from our congregation participated last year. Can we double that? Or more? In the past year, racism in our country has become more overt. Threats and hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, and other religious minorities have increased. Marching in solidarity with our interfaith neighbors is more important than ever. Please see instituteforreligioustolerance.org.RE News:
From Our Director of Religious Education:
It Gladdens My Heart to See Our Congregants Live Their Credos
CREDO (Latin)
1. A stated system of principles or beliefs
2. Experience, as in personal experience
3. What I set my heart to (literal translation)
As a non-creedal religion, we don’t ask or expect everyone who calls themselves a Unitarian Universalist to believe the same thing. However, we do share core values and beliefs that have to do with how we live in this world together. Our personal credos reflect those UU values.
As Director of Lifespan RE here at UUSM it gladdens my heart to see our congregants living their credos.
I witness it often in the larger community at events, such as the Women’s March, that demonstrate the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
I witness it when our children and many adults in the community attend other places of worship through the Neighboring Faiths program and put to practice our belief in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
It is evident when I see so many wonderful volunteers involved in environmental causes and in making our own church property beautiful and green, demonstrating respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Our Heart 2 Heart members demonstrate acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations through the sharing of deep feelings and experiences in a non-judgmental atmosphere.
The Right Relations Task Force exercises our belief in justice, equity, and compassion in human relations by helping congregants and staff work through differences and misunderstandings; Finally, our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person is evident all around us when congregants welcome in the visitor, smile, and offer the hand of friendship.
These are our principles but are those all of the values we share? I say no. I believe we all share these values as well: love, compassion, connectedness, and hope. Our compassion and love are why we have our guiding principles. We value connectedness because we know that none of us can change the world alone, and our connectedness creates hope for our work in the world.
Another thing I have noticed here at UUSM is how much we value our children. This is evident when parents bring their kids to church. It is evident when they get involved in what they are learning and talk about it after church. The passion of our teachers demonstrates this as well. You can see it in their eyes, and their smiles show that they know that they are making a difference in the world every time they teach. Want to learn more about credo? Sign up to be a mentor to a sojourner in our Coming of Age program for next year. This is a great way to make a difference and there is no better way to find out what you set your heart to.
— Kathleen Hogue, DRE
April Adult RE Groups
Canticle to the Cosmos
A scientific and spiritual odyssey through the evolutionary origins of the universe, life, and humanity. We will view and discuss this 12-part video course by cosmologist and religious naturalist Brian Swimme, who seeks to provide people with a scientific *and* sacred understanding of cosmic origins, divine creativity, and an ecological consciousness urgently needed in our time. In his book, The Universe Is a Green Dragon, Swimme writes, “Our ancestry stretches back through the life forms and into the stars, back to the beginnings of the primeval fireball. This universe is a single multiform energetic unfolding of matter, mind, intelligence and life. None of the great figures of human history were aware of this, not Plato or Aristotle, or the Hebrew Prophets, or Confucius.…We are the first generation to live with an empirical view of the origin of the universe…to look into the night sky and see the birth of the cosmos as a whole. Our future as a species will be forged within this new story of the world.”
Every Sunday in April, 4 to 6 pm in Forbes Hall
Facilitator: James Witker
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind”
Join us for a multi-week exploration of this bestselling book by Yuval Noah Harari that draws from many fields of study (history, anthropology, archaeology, and the biological sciences) to tell the story of how modern human beings came to be and where we may be headed in the future. Sapiens argues that history has been shaped by three major revolutions: the Cognitive Revolution (70,000 years ago), the Agricultural Revolution (10,000 years ago), and the Scientific Revolution (500 years ago). These paradigm shifts empowered Homo Sapiens to order our world around ideas (politics, economics, religion, etc.). The resulting transformations quickly made us the dominant species on Earth and have now put us on the verge of overcoming the forces of natural selection itself, even as we face grave ecological peril. We’ll discuss this “big history” epic from a variety of perspectives, valuing our congregation’s philosophical and spiritual diversity, in four sessions over eight weeks.
Saturdays, April 8 and 15, 6 pm, Forbes Hall.
Co-Facilitators: Laura Matthews and James Witker
Create an Advance Healthcare Directive
A workshop to help individuals prepare critical paperwork that will guide their families and physicians with personal instructions about end-of-life care. Many of us learned about Advance Healthcare Directives in the Conversations about Death discussion group. You can print your own copy of the form for free, as well as explore a good checklist and resources, by visiting the website of California State Attorney General: http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/care. I’ll bring several copies of forms plus reference materials and home-baked cookies. You bring notes or drafts and contact information for your doctor, health insurance, and your healthcare proxy/agent.
Sunday, April 30, 2 to 5 pm, Mathews Conference Room
Facilitator: Joyce Holmen
Ongoing Groups
Thursday Night Centering Meditation
We will do Centering Meditation where you choose a word to say silently to yourself as you enter the silence. You can choose a word such as peace, love, or joy. There is a brief time of comments, sharing, and questions. We end the evening with a guided Mindfulness meditation.
Thursdays 7 to 8:30 pm, in the Cottage.
Please contact the facilitator, Bettye Barclay, beforehand
An Enjoyable Dive into Who and What We Are
This ongoing, once a month class is presented to help participants master specific meditation skills. We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (essence or true nature). This class includes meditations that explore participants’ spiritual goals. The monthly group meetings will also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants have a regular meditation practice.
Monday, April 3, Forbes Room 1, 7 to 9:30 pm
Facilitator: Bill Blake
Co-facilitator: Dave Watson
Music News:
Music Program Supports Our Music Program
"Leslie Beauvais and Friends" (lots of them) sang and played piano, flute, violin, and guitar at a concert March 12 following Second Sunday Supper. The concert raised $1,025 to support our Church’s Music Program.
