Newsletter for August, 2013
From Our President:
Summer is a special time at church. We get to see some people who are usually hidden away in a different service from our own. Our minister takes study leave and vacation, so we have different people in the pulpit.
Our DRE also takes vacation (this year it’s family leave), and the RE children participate in a multi-age curriculum. Summer seems to be a popular time for visiting, and we see new people in our midst. The choir takes a break, and we welcome a variety of musical guests. The warmer weather makes our garden grow, and our lovely patio becomes especially inviting.
Our one service has been quite full this summer. Often, we have to squeeze together a little to find everyone a seat. Our membership is stable, but it feels as if we are growing. We hear babies in our pews and see families with young children. We welcomed twenty-five new members last year. Over the course of the year there were one thousand more people sitting in the pews than there were the previous year. Have you thought about the growth of our congregation? Some people have thought a great deal about this, through the ups and downs of many years. Some are really anxious for us to grow. Some are not so sure. Next fall we will have a visioning process, and growth will be one of the topics we hope to explore in some depth.
What are the reasons for growing a congregation? Some parents would like a larger group of children in the RE classes. More members could bring more diversity, new ideas, and new energy. We would have more people to put to work — there would be more singers for the choir, more teachers for our classes, more people to serve on committees. We might eventually come up with new board members, new treasurers, new presidents. (You can see where I am going with this.) Some people believe that we can grow ourselves
out of our deficit budgets.
It is important to realize that none of these things is necessarily true. Focusing on what we need from new people carries the danger that we might communicate that need to them: we want you for your money; we want you to come here and work hard. This may not be an attractive message. Perhaps it is more important to focus on what we have to give. The ideas of religious tolerance and religious pluralism are sorely needed in our world today. We might want to share the experience of an accepting community, which honors free thought and the validity of individual belief, while holding its members accountable for furthering the common good. We might want to share the democratic process we use to govern ourselves, to make decisions, and to share our passions. We might want to share our struggles as we explore and practice what it means to be human.
If we want to grow, we may need to commit to growing. Think about it. Your thoughts are important, and you will have a chance to share them.
See you in church.
— Cynthia Cottam
Featured Articles:
UUA General Assembly in Louisville
Many of us had never seen anything like it — over 3,000 Unitarian Universalists passing three Actions of Immediate Witness with a near 100% vote.
1. Amend the Constitution: Corporations are not persons and money is not speech….Be it resolved that the
2013 General Assembly further requests member congregations or their social justice committees to pass resolutions of support and endorse a constitutional amendment to establish that corporations are not persons and money is not speech…
2. Condemn the racist mistreatment of young people of color by police. Be it resolved that the 2013 General
Assembly calls upon member congregations to …: Petition local, state, and federal representatives to demand an end to institutional racism in the form of practices like “Stop and Frisk” and actively demonstrate alongside others who are fighting to change the laws that allow police harassment, which results in violence against communities of color. [This AIW was brought by members of the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn, NY. Members there have been active in the protests against the police killings of Shantel Davis and Kimani Gray.]
3. Consider Divestment from the Fossil Fuel Industry. Be it resolved that the 2013 General Assembly calls
upon delegates to begin a denomination-wide conversation within their congregations about divesting from fossil fuels or exercising shareholder influence.
And that’s not all that happened. The UUCCSM General Assembly delegates (Joyce Holmen, Ian Postel, Linda
van Ligten, Peggy Kharraz, Jessica Clay, Peggy and Rick Rhoads) reported four days of activity, beginning with the Banner Parade. Joyce and Linda carried our beautiful silk banner through the conga line of banner bearers, dancing as they went. In addition to the daily worship services, the joyful singing, and the inspirational speakers, including Eboo Patel and Bill Schulz, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) President, the workshops enriched our knowledge of the issues confronting us as Unitarian Universalists and justice seekers. We listened to workshop leaders and members talk about four further matters of concern:
An update on Roe v. Wade: Women's access to medical care including pregnancy prevention and abortion is severely curtailed in 12 states, but people of faith are continuing to work for Reproductive Justice — www.rcrc.org
The 50th anniversary of the UU Women's Federation and its contributions to the denomination, from feminist theology to small grants benefitting education, health, and spirituality for girls and women — www.uuwf.org
The critical impact of coal mining in Kentucky and other Appalachian states. This topic was considered
in several workshops and in a march through downtown Louisville on Thursday, June 20. — www.uuministryforearth.org
In the UU Humanist meeting, the ongoing theme of compatibility between different schools of thought within our UU groups came up repeatedly. A minister from a southern church spoke of walking a fine line in maintaining harmony between the very liberal Christians and the humanists/atheists/agnostics in his congregation. — www.huumanists.org/
Videos of many events and audio recordings of many more are available for free at http://uua.org/ga/2013/index.shtml
Some personal quotes:
“Attending GA for me brought out the need of covenants (the GA theme this year), not only of common beliefs but also covenants of behavior to foster respect for others and their thoughts to maintain our strong, lively UU groups in our quest for truth and extending service to others.” — Peggy Kharraz
“It gave me great delight to attend this convocation again with my son, Ian Postel, as well as all the others from our congregation. We were so very proud to be at the Service of the Living Tradition when our minister, Rev. Rebecca, was among those honored for receiving final fellowshipping as a UU minister.” — Joyce Holmen
— Peggy Rhoads
News & Announcements:
Letter to the Editor: Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy
Recently, many UU congregations, including ours, have been developing relationships with Anthroposophy, a German mystical religion founded by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Anthroposophy-controlled groups such as the Center for Nonviolent Communication and Waldorf Schools have attracted the interest of many UUs. I think it is important for church members to understand the background of Rudolf Steiner's philosophy.
Anthroposophy started as a splinter group of German followers of the popular nineteenth-century cult, Theosophy. Theosophy teaches a complex racial theory of human development in which Aryans, refugees from the lost continent of Atlantis, are the most advanced "root-race" on earth. Steiner broke with mainstream Theosophy in 1912 over his belief that the Nordic-German sub-race was superior to other Aryans. In
general Anthroposophy tries to control its internet presence but it can't really hide its roots in German cult culture.
It may seem bizarre that modern UUs would be attracted to the ideas of an early twentieth-century German cult
leader. Yet many of Steiner's ideas about, for example, education and organic farming, resonate with modern thought.
Steiner is well-known in Germany, but information in English is hard to find. One mainstream source is Marquette University Professor of German History, Peter Staudenmaier. His views can be found at http://www.socialecology.org/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-ecofascism-2/
I bring this to the attention of the congregation because of the danger that small, wealthy, liberal churches face
from cults. Fifty new members could dominate a congregational meeting, taking control of an organization with about $4,000,000 in assets. We need to listen to new ideas, but keep our eyes open.
—Tom Hamilton
Procedural Announcement
If you are a part of a group meeting at the church in the evening, please assign one of your group members to lock all doors and gates in the building and turn all lights off once the meeting has ended. When office staff arrives in the morning we often find the gates wide open, doors to Forbes Hall and the Cottage unlocked and lights turned on. The sexton leaves at 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and there is no sexton here in the afternoon or evenings Friday through Sunday. We are trying to keep our space safe and secure and we need everybody’s help in order to do that. If you attend an evening meeting, please do not assume someone else will lock the space once you leave. Thank you for your cooperation.
-- Nurit Gordon, Church Administrator
Faith in Action News:
Boycott Millennium Carwash!
On June 11, a group of two dozen or more area clergy, residents and carwasheros involved with CLUE (Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice) and the Clean Carwash Campaign visited Lincoln Millennium Car Wash to deliver a large number of letters from the community to the business owner, Steve Damavandi. The letters, many of which were written or collected here at UUCCSM thanks to the efforts of Faith in Action, asked Mr. Damavandi to agree to a meeting with workers to discuss better working conditions and fair treatment. For several years, local carwasheros have alleged wage theft, intimidation and retaliation by management
against workers attempting to organize at several car washes owned by the Damavandi family, which is currently involved in a class-action lawsuit related to some of these alleged abuses. This congregation has played an active role in supporting the worth and dignity of these workers, who are among the most disadvantaged and invisible residents of our community. Present on this day were UUCCSM's Abby Arnold, Jila Tayefehnowrooz, and James Witker.
As the bulk of the group waited on the sidewalk, a handful of clergy members and CLUE activists approached
the owner to present the letters, politely but firmly asking him to name a time when he would meet with workers to discuss their grievances. Mr. Damavandi reacted with visible hostility. He refused to discuss the matter and demanded that the group leave his property. After continued attempts to engage him in conversation failed and he called the police, the delegation members withdrew to the sidewalk and went ahead with the contingency plan: a peaceful picket asking the community to boycott Lincoln Millennium Car Wash until a meeting with workers is agreed to. Over the span of an hour or more, customers left and no new customers came in, causing the business to temporarily close its doors. Journalists from several local media outlets including KPFK were present, and many passersby on congested Lincoln Blvd. witnessed the picket and honked horns in support. The boycott is fully supported by Millennium's workers, who feel that it is necessary at this time.
lease spread the word to the community.
— James Witker
Fight to Stop a Deportation Continues
In our July issue we reported that Carlos Humberto CocBoch, a worker at Millennium Carwash in Venice and leader of the drive to unionize workers there, was facing a deportation hearing July 9. The judge was sick that day, and Carlos now has a three month extension of his case.
Carlos qualifies for “prosecutorial discretion” because he is a steady worker with no criminal record and is the sole support of his wife and three young children. Prosecutorial discretion means Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) drops the case and goes after criminals instead.
Over 150 members and friends of our congregation have signed letters requesting prosecutorial discretion for Carlos. We picked up another 60 at the General Assembly in Louisville, mostly from two immigration-related workshops that Peggy Rhoads and I attended.
Jim White, a vestry member at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Central Harlem, was a guest at the GA. He took
the letter back to New York with him and sent us 20 letters signed by members of that congregation, and from the Riverdale Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, demonstrating multi-racial unity against the deportation of a Latino worker.
In an effort to de-compartmentalize my life, I’ve also collected signatures at my gym and coffee shop and from
friends and family members. We now have three more months to push for Carlos’s case to be dropped. If you haven’t already signed a letter, please come by the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall. If you have already signed it, why not take some copies to work, to school, to social events, to get-togethers with friends and family? Passivity in the face of racism is not the answer. Let’s give people the opportunity to act against the
breaking up of this family.
— Rick Rhoads
Green Living Committee
This spring the Green Living Committee and UUCCSM kids enjoyed a tradition many millennia old. They got their hands in the dirt planting our garden. One Sunday was spent turning over and amending the soil with rich organic matter.
Kids donned their rain boots and get-grubby clothes to prepare the garden for planting. This was an adventure, with small children wielding big shovels and finding wiggly worms, grubs, spiders, and ladybugs.
On May 5, after both services, congregation members “adopted” plants and seeds for the children to plant.
Strawberry, tomato, and pepper plants were the most popular, but several kids did a great job carefully planting the tiny lettuce, kale, carrot, and radish seeds. Flowering marigolds and nasturtiums add beauty to the garden, and will add flavor to your salad. The lettuce, radishes and kale seeds popped their heads up first, and the radishes are already ready for harvest. Please come by and enjoy our garden's delights.
Pluck a strawberry to taste the freshness or share a flower with a loved one. But watch out — some of those peppers are SPICY!
Thanks to all the hard-working volunteers, young and old, who dug and planted, and to those who joined the
adoption drive. Our kids are learning a new way to appreciate the bounty of the good earth.
— Lois I. Hutchinson
Splinters from the Board:
As of the July meeting the church has 374 members. Marybeth and Ben Brownlee have joined us.
The Generous Congregation Contribution in June was $742 going to Common Ground, $37 to the Carlos Franco Memorial Fund, and $221 to the UU Prison Ministry.
President Cynthia Cottam reported that Rebecca will be on study leave from July 10 until August 5 and on
vacation from August 6 until August 20.
First VP Barbara Gibbs reported that 12 new members attended the New Member event on the patio. It was well received.
There will be a board retreat on July 27. The Rev. Jim Grant will facilitate. One of the suggestions by our president is that the board spend some time visioning among themselves in order to prepare for leading the church’s visioning process.
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported that she offered presence and prayers at the Santa Monica College vigil,
Pico Youth and Family/CLUE Walk for Peace, and as a volunteer for drop-in counseling in Virginia Avenue Park in the aftermath of the recent Santa Monica shootings.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported that Associate Music Director Dr. Irene Gregorio-Stoup gave birth
to a healthy baby boy on June 22. There will be a choir retreat at Solana Beach on August 24. On July 24 to 28 DeReau will be attending the UU Music Network conference in Dallas. He will also be stepping in as Choir Director for the First Unitarian Church of L.A. for all of August.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon and all office staff have moved to the Cottage while renovations to the
office take place. Everyone is crowded but doing well.
Acting DRE Emmalinda MacLean reported that the pre-school and kindergarten classes are going smoothly.
There will be a Chalice Camp talent show on August 4. She shared great appreciation for Beverly Alison’s Dalai Lama and prayer flag session. She is very enthusiastic about the volunteer energy of our church. The board asked Emmalinda to share her feedback about our RE program at the end of her tenure with us.
Bryan Oakes attended the meeting to ask the board to approve four contracts: Oakmont for office and bathroom
renovation, A. Giddens for electrical improvements in the office, Ralph Mechur (to prepare drawings for ARB review), and Five Star for sanctuary and office windows and door. All were unanimously approved.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the Financial Report and said that the year-end reports will be reviewed in August. Joe Engelman wrote a $400,000 check to the Bank of America account from Drew Still’s bequest.
— Bronwen Jones
RE News:
News of Our Children from Our Acting DRE
I’m looking at the calendar and counting Sundays, and realizing that this weekend I will be exactly halfway through my term of service as your congregation’s acting Director of Religious Education. I still feel as though I’ve only begun scratching the surface — getting to know all of you, learning the structures, systems, culture, and practices of UUCCSM, figuring out where to look first for which art supplies. It’s a little frustrating to know that there’s just no way I’m going to wrap my brain around EVERYTHING there is to know about your church, or even just your Religious Education program, before I have to leave. But it’s also a good exercise in letting go, focusing on highest priorities, knowing that my time is not infinite.
I remember summer vacation feeling like that when I was a kid; it always seemed like it had just begun, until
suddenly it was almost over. There’s a parallel here to religious education classes, too: there is always more to be found than can actually be accessed and explored in the time we have available. Which is ideal, really, for children of different ages, developmental stages, and learning styles — they will dig to the limits of their own comfort level, and enjoy exploring there. The “Summer Chalice Camp” program is really well tailored for this: every session has a basic craft or activity within the capabilities of all participants, but there are many more layers of ministry and education that children may recognize, and understand, in their own way and at their own time.
We began the summer together creating a banner — now hanging in the Cottage, if you’d like to see it — which
seemed like a very simple art project, but with a wealth of UU values and ideas folded in. Everyone’s ideas and contributions are welcome here. Any creative way you’d like to express yourself — without infringing on anyone else’s right to do the same — is perfectly right. We encourage you to fill the space; expand your ideas, don’t limit yourself. Share the markers.
I loved watching kids bringing their parents in, proudly pointing out which part of the banner they’d done. I
wouldn’t expect them to be able to list the UU principles they’d demonstrated in the process of making it; if it was fun and they felt good about it afterwards, that’s enough for an association to begin to germinate. Like the following week, when older youth helped the younger ones measure out ingredients to mix up individual servings of hand-churned ice cream, heeding the guidance of reason and the results of science along the way. Or so I’d like to believe.
The week after, they exercised their “right of conscience” in contributing to a clay-creations community. None
of our projects have one right way to do them — teachers promote originality, acceptance of one another, embracing of diversity. We encourage spiritual growth and share wisdom from the world’s religions, like the class where we made our own prayer flags (or “peace and harmony flags”) and learned a little about the Dalai Lama, or our upcoming project on meditation beads. We’ll get to practice supporting and affirming one another in our upcoming social-hour-varietyshow on August 4, and we’ll develop positive associations with helping others during our service project on August 18.
There is a wealth of moral, spiritual, and theological ideas gently tucked in with each summer-camp-style craft or game; it may seem simple, but there’s a whole lot more going on in the Cottage than just babysitting kids during the service. Sometimes I wish we had time to talk about all these higher-concepts and tie-ins with UU principles in detail, but the kids are already reaching for the glue, and to be honest I’m not sure how much is retained from a lectureformat Sunday school class anyway. If the materials are laid out, children will pick up whatever calls to them, and understanding will come at the right time. I have faith that it always does.
— Emmalinda MacLean
From NOLA to L.A.: Our Youth Bring Service Home
On Saturday, June 29, twelve youth and six adult advisers boarded a flight to New Orleans, LA (NOLA) to take part in a week-long social justice project. The group consisted of members of YRUU and their advisers (Rick Rhoads, Dan Patterson, Karen Hsu Patterson, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Jessica Clay, and Liza Cranis).
heir journey to the Big Easy would prove both inspirational and life-changing in many ways. The visit has also inspired the group to look at opportunities within their own community and to offer their service. A special Sunday morning service on August 18 is planned, but more on that later.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, the group drove to the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal
(CELSJR) where they would be spending most of their time.
The group was met by Reverend Deanna Vandivere (Executive Director of CELSJR) and taken on a tour of the
facilities. Afterwards the group enjoyed the local cuisine at the High Hat Café a few blocks away from the center. The rest of the group’s meals for the week were lovingly prepared by the exuberant Mama Amina Dada.
Delicious traditional New Orleans dishes were served and all dietary needs were met with humor and grace by Mama Amina.
The next day the YRUU and their advisers broke up into three groups and went on self-guided tours of the Lower Ninth Ward. Much was learned of the devastation the people and the area experienced during Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent levee failures, as well as many historical and civic sites. It was apparent to all that there was still much work to be done to help this area recover. Once all the groups returned to the center, Rev. Vandivere led a discussion on “Race, Class, and New Orleans” with featured guest speakers from the community including Mama Nana Anoa Nantambu, Ph.D., founder of Wholely Living Simply Living, a community-based organization servicing African American women, and the Rev. Melanie Morrell-Ensminger of the First UU Church of New Orleans.
The next two days were spent volunteering with Greenlight New Orleans installing CFL light bulbs in homes.
The youth were able to visit with locals while replacing nonenergy-efficient bulbs with highly efficient, cost saving CFLs, thus giving the residents substantial savings while reducing their carbon footprint. While performing this service, youth and advisers got to know the residents and even hear about their personal experiences during and after Katrina.
After driving around the city for two days installing light bulbs, the group volunteered at Magellan Street Community Garden where they shoveled dirt to make way for a new fence; picked weeds and cleaned vegetable and flower bins; and hacked away tall grass and chopped down small trees, helping to clear more area for gardening. Mr. Lee, the head gardener, was grateful for the help and spoke with the youth during their lunch break about the importance of local gardens and nutrition, as well as his own Katrina experience.
On July 4, the group boarded a trolley and explored The French Quarter, which happened to be the same day
“The Essence Music Festival” was beginning. The area was filled with partiers and music. Shopping, useums, and enjoying delicious New Orleans food was in order, as well as experiencing the heat, humidity, and sudden rain showers.
After watching fireworks along the Mississippi, the group reboarded the crowded trolley, which then broke down for an hour. Upon returning to the Center, they discovered the water had been turned off! No showers or toilets! Luckily one working toilet and one sink were located in the building.
Most everyone was too exhausted to even wash; most went to bed grimy.
The last day of service was a busy one. It began early in the morning, making breakfast to take along in vans
to feed local homeless people. The first group headed to Martin Luther King Blvd. The organizers of this event are local people who have taken it upon themselves to feed anyone in need. They donate their own time and resources to set up tables and offer food. The first stop did not have as many clients as had been expected. According to Keisha Willis, CELSJR Volunteer Coordinator, this was a good sign. It meant that more people had found jobs and were not in need of their services. The second group of youth then headed for a local Home Depot where day workers were treated to sausage, rice and beans, eggs, pancakes, Pop Tarts, juice, and milk. Despite the light rain, all were served something to eat.
Afterwards the rental vans headed back downtown to International High School where the group spent a few hours painting classrooms. The school is one of many buildings repurposed to house schools damaged during Katrina. The evening was capped by a talent show featuring both youth and advisers. What a great way to end the day: with laughter, music, and poetry.
The final day began bright and early and with a car crash. No one was hurt because no one was in either van
since both were parked on the street! A driver, who admitted to looking away for second, ran into both rental vans. After getting info from the driver (who luckily was not hurt in the crash) and filing a police report, Rick and Liza took a cab to the airport and got replacement vans. Meanwhile, back at the center, everyone was cleaning their dorm areas, washing linens and towels, sweeping, mopping, and packing. Everyone survived the trip and made it home in one piece.
This is a general retelling of the YRUU New Orleans adventure. More reflections, a slide show, and impressions will be revealed at the upcoming YRUU NOLA Service on Sunday, August 18. Please mark your calendars to attend this very special service told in the voices of our church youth and their advisers. Their reflections on what they saw and what they learned and experienced on this trip will renew your sense of hope and pride in our youth.
— Liza Cranis
ADULTS
Monthly UUCCSM Theme Discussion with Leon Henderson-MacLennan
“Surrender”
@ 11:10 a.m. on the Patio
August 25
Understanding the Bible
In June, a group of approximately 25 to 30 of us met for a series of discussions on former UUA President John
Buehrens’ book, “Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers and Religious Liberals.” The thesis of the book is that UUs and other liberals should not cede interpretation of the Bible to the literalists and fundamentalists and their political aims. Rather, he suggests, we should seek to understand it as a complex human work that is, for better or worse, the central text of Western civilization. Buehrens looks at the elements of both history and myth in both the Old and New Testaments, the chronology of when different parts were written (often at odds with how they’re presented), and some of the contradictions that reveal differing theological ideas in the Gospels. He maintains throughout that the Bible, taken non-literally and despite some of its most difficult passages, can still be read by freethinking liberals to challenge human oppression. This latter point was not necessarily agreed with by many in the group, and most of us wanted a bit more from the book, but our discussions were lively and productive. We all learned a bit more about the subject matter and, in the process, each other. Two planned sessions quickly expanded to three because there o much to talk about. James Witker was a most knowledgeable facilitator.
The interest generated by this workshop will lead to further offerings about our Judeo-Christian heritage. The first will be a discussion of “The Jefferson Bible,” also to be led by James Witker, in September.
Coming Soon to UUCCSM
Keep an eye out for news about the screening of “Without a Home,” an award-winning documentary on homelessness by Rachel Fleischer to be screened August 18 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Producer/Director Fleischer will be on hand to introduce the film and answer questions after the screening.
New Subcommittee Member
Carol-Jean Teuffel’s departure for San Luis Obispo left (sadly) an empty spot on the Adult Programs subcommittee of Lifespan RE. This spot will be filled (happily) by Natalie Kahn. Other Adult Programs members are James Witker, Karen Hsu Patterson, and Emmy Cresciman.
Surrender
Bettye Barclay has provided these quotations about our ministerial theme for August. Additional quotations on this subject are published each week in the emailed announcements.
Week 1. “Something amazing happens when we surrender and just love. We melt into another world, a realm of power already within us. The world changes when we change. The world softens when we soften. The world loves us when we choose to love the world.” Marianne Williamson
Week 2. “Okay, you slipped once, twice, thrice. It does not matter. Keep moving ahead. People take vows never to commit mistakes again. Breaking the vows makes it worse. Surrendering is better.” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Week 3. “No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams.” Jesse Jackson
Week 4. “Change is the essence of life — be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become… .”
Reinhold Niebuhr
Week 5. “Never surrender opportunity for security.” Branch Rickey
Music News:
The choir presented two wonderful concerts in June, one on behalf of Dining for Dollars and the other benefitting the music fund. Photo by Diana Spears.