Newsletter for December, 2014
From Our Minister:
Dear ones,
This month Christians and Muslims celebrate the birth of Jesus, and congregations around the world, including our own, retell the stories of his birth in story and song.
Of course, stories of miraculous birth abound in many religious traditions, as well as in so many of the legends, myths, and stories we tell and retell of our own heroes, grand and humble. Perhaps even the story of your birth has been often repeated in your family: how you came two weeks late, or a month early, or even how you arrived on the 405 a half mile shy of the exit to Jefferson Boulevard.
I love hearing your birth stories. I know a child doesn’t have to be born on the side of the freeway, have a lightning bolt scar on their forehead, be heralded by angels or adored by shepherds, to be a miracle.
UU religious educator Sophia Lyon Fahs writes:
“Each night a child is born is a holy night —
Fathers and mothers,
sitting beside their children’s cribs,
feel glory in the sight of a new life beginning.”
In the midst of winter darkness, stories of birth and new life bring us all hope, and my family and I are joyful to share the news that we are expecting our third child this spring.
As we prepare for the arrival of a new baby in May (or June), we are full of hope for this child, for our congregation, and for the world. I will also be working with our Committee on Ministry and Board of Directors to plan for a summer maternity leave. Thank you all for your love and support. It is clear Fahs’ words inspire us still, as she writes:
“Each night a child is born is a holy night —
A time for singing,
A time for wondering,
A time for worshipping.”
With hope,
Rev. Rebecca
P.S.: Please let your friends and neighbors know about the beautiful services that take place here during the winter holidays. From our Festival of Lights Pageant Sunday to our Winter Solstice Vespers and Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, our church offers many opportunities for delight, inspiration, and comfort at this special time of year.
From Our Intern Minister
One of the goals during my internship this year is to expand my engagement with social justice work. During the last few months I have had the privilege of deepening my understanding and work with immigration justice. Becoming personally engaged by listening to and speaking with immigrants has made the issue feel more tangible to me. Accompanied by Cathie Gentile and Peggy Rhoads, I went to the James Musick detention facility in Orange County to visit a detainee. As you may have heard in my sermon, “Finding Sanctuary,” on November 30, this was a profound experience. It galvanized me to become more involved with this human rights issue. (If you missed the sermon and would like to listen, you can find it here, in our sermon archives.)
At an immigration forum at the UU Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, I witnessed more evidence of families living in fear, being torn apart by detention and deportation, as well as the lifedestroying consequences of being put into solitary confinement, which happens to many detainees. Serving on the UU Justice Ministry of California Immigration Panel has also been an eye-opening experience, allowing me to witness the New Sanctuary movement burst forth. The UUJM continues to grow my understanding of what’s going on politically and socially with immigrant justice.
Perhaps, by the time you see this in print, President Obama will have enacted immigration reform by executive order. I hope so. At last count, government quotas instructed there should be 34,000 immigrants held in detention every day across the U.S.! And while that’s going on, at least 1,000 immigrants are deported daily, many of them after long lives in the U.S. with children who are American citizens.
What I’ve come to realize is that immigration detention and deportation is a moral, human rights, and justice issue. Families are torn apart, and young children often lose their parents and may never see them again. Can you imagine that? Many are in constant, legitimate fear for their lives when they are returned to countries south of our border. If we are committed to our first principle of the inherent worth and dignity of all, it’s up to us to help shine a light on a truly inhumane system and to advocate for this oppressed population. We need to listen to stories, ask how we can be allies, and offer support in whatever way we can. This is how we can help bring hope.
If you’d like to join us in this effort, please speak with Cathie Gentile or me. We are looking for more volunteers from our congregation to work with our neighbors and friends who are profoundly impacted by these policies. It is vital that we bring these inhumane policies out of the shadows, raise awareness, and offer hope. Please join us.
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
From Our President:
My biography for my Vassar College landmark reunion and my UU Santa Monica newsletter article were due on the same day. Rev. Rebecca suggested I submit my biography to the newsletter and I am happy to do so. Here it is…
I was a mathematics major, a random choice except that growing up in Woods Hole, MA surrounded by scientists made me unafraid to study mathematics. I wasn’t an amazing student but I did get an “A” in differential equations, which served me well for my first job interview. I took one of the first computer classes at Vassar, taught by an instructor from IBM. My first job was as a computer programmer for a Professor of Oceanography at Harvard. I was asked to solve a differential equation in my interview while he looked over my shoulder. I got the job, which may have more to do with my shoulder. About 5 years after graduation I decided
to pursue a Master’s Degree in applied mathematics. I got my degree from Tufts University in 1975 for nothing more than the cost of the stamp on the envelope of my application! At Tufts I answered an ad to translate German papers in acoustics. Noise exposure is now a subject of my passion in our noise-polluted environment.
I met my husband, Ned Wright, in Cambridge at a party given by a mutual friend. Ned and I married in 1978 and our son William was born in 1981. Shortly after William was born, Ned was lured to the West Coast by an offer
of tenure in UCLA’s Deptartment of Astronomy. So we moved and it’s been great. I took a year off from working to be a mom and to get acclimated to Los Angeles. It’s a funny feeling to leave your geographic past behind.
After the year off, I took a job in the defense industry doing algorithm development. Our daughter was born in 1985 at my ripe old age of 42 and I continued to work. Following the initial foray into defense I took a job with a transportation software company, which came in handy because our client was New Jersey Transit, and we went to Princeton for Ned’s sabbatical at the Institute for Advanced Study. Then back to L.A. for high school and college for the kids. William went to Harvard as Ned had. Diana went to Vassar!
I continued to work in the defense industry at Top Secret level until getting laid off about a year ago. I now work
independently and acquired a software client when Ned took a sabbatical in Baltimore this year.
Our son married in 2012 and we have a beautiful 2-month-old granddaughter, Vivian. Diana lives in booming downtown L.A. and is an inspiring comedy writer and director. I am healthy for my age and am now the President of the Board of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica.
A highlight of the past year was 7 days on a 55 ft. catamaran in French Polynesia with 4 Russians, 2 Ukrainians, 1 Turk, 4 Americans, and 1 drone. My mother is well at 99 and I hope the same for myself.
— Patricia Wright
Featured Articles:
Dia de los Muertos
Nica Eaton-Guinn, Vilma Ortiz, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, DeReau K. Farrar, and Catherine Farmer Loya (not shown) officiated at our annual Dia de los Muertos service on November 2. Photo by Charles Haskell.
From Our 2015 Commitment Campaign Committee: Our 2015 Commitment Campaign Explained
We come to church on Sunday, and the doors are open, the restrooms are clean, the Religious Education classes are in session, there is wonderful music, and the minister delivers an inspiring sermon. All this happens because we have the infrastructure — our staff and the supplies they need — to create the experience we seek when we come here. The staff salaries and supplies are paid for by our church budget. It will cost $616,462 to operate the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica for the fiscal year that ends on December 30, 2015.
That $616,462 in annual operating costs comes from sources listed above.
The pie chart below shows how your commitment, especially your annual pledge or gift, supports our core programs in worship, education, community building, and outreach.
Please make a 2015 pledge that is meaningful to you, for the life of our spiritual community! To make your pledge, please return your pledge form, or complete a new pledge form in the office or during coffee hour, or visit archive.uusm.org/make-adonation
From Your 2015 Commitment Campaign Team:
— Abby Arnold, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, Teri Bond (Chair), Barbara Gibbs, Gretchen Goetz, Kit Shaw, and Patricia Wright
Emily Linnemeier and James Duckman on the pulpit November 19 talking about “what the church means to me” as part of the 2015 Commitment Campaign. Photo by Charles Haskell.
News & Announcements:
Small Group Ministry: now Heart to Heart
Small Group Ministry is a program for participants to meet together to practice deep listening and sharing from the heart. Each month there is a different topic with readings and questions to guide the participants as they reflect on the topic and what it means to them. It is a time when space is given to be heard and to listen. Because of the nature of the sharing, for the 2015-year, the program is being renamed “Heart to Heart.” The hope is that the new name will clarify what it is that goes on in a Small Group Ministry meeting, which is sharing
from one’s heart and listening with an open heart to others. Sign-ups for the 2015 session will begin in
January; new groups will begin meeting in February. There will be more information to come.
— Rhonda Peacock
Ernie Pipes Lecture with Sandy Banks a Great Success!
The Pipes Lecture Committee is pleased to report that our recent lecture was well attended with everyone reporting that it was a fine event. Los Angeles Times columnist Sandy Banks gave a heartfelt commentary on the foster system in Los Angeles, along with suggestions of how people can assist foster kids. On behalf of the committee I would like to thank everyone who helped out, including Kris Langabeer, Debbie Menzies, Cathie
Gentile, Bob Dietz, Karl Lisovsky, Lori Hutchinson, Teri Bond, Pam Teplitz and, for services above and beyond the call of duty, Tom Ahern! Hope I haven’t missed anyone.
Also, we are looking for church members who would like to join the committee. Each year we present a speaker who will enlighten the congregation on a stimulating topic — much as Ernie Pipes’ sermons have done throughout the years. If you are interested in participating or making suggestions for future speakers, please contact me. Thank you!
— Patrick McGuire
Faith in Action News:
Undy Sunday
There are several places in town that provide showers and washing facilities for the homeless in our community. New underwear feels great after bathing; sometimes just getting clean, new underwear is a luxury. In the past, on Sundays in January, we have collected new underwear for men, women, and children.
The organizations that serve the homeless are always very appreciative of our donations. There has been a request that we collect and donate underwear again, so here we are. There are always sales after the holidays, so it is possible to be economical while doing good.
We will have a collection site in Forbes Hall the month of January starting on January 4.
— Geralyn Lambson
Boycott of Santa Monica and Millennium Car Washes Continues
On Saturday, November 1, members of the Peace & Social Justice Committee put hundreds of flyers on windshields of cars parked on streets within about half a mile of the church. Undeterred by windshields left wet by rain the previous night, we worked the sunny side of the streets first. The flyers called for a boycott of Santa Monica Car Wash and Millennium Car Wash, both owned by the Damavandi family. Workers at these washes are in the midst of a class-action lawsuit for recovery of stolen wages (which we recently heard has been joined by workers at the Damavandi-owned Bubble Bee Car Wash in Lakewood).
Management at Santa Monica and Millennium has refused for years to bargain with workers who want to form a union and has fired or otherwise forced out pro-union workers. Management has also refused to switch to safer chemicals or provide proper safety equipment, such as gloves. The workers are virtually all Latino immigrants, and the way they are treated is an example of the institutionalized racism characteristic of the carwash business
and other low-paid industries in L.A. County.
After putting up flyers from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, we had a picnic lunch on the patio together with those cleaning up and painting the church on Volunteer Day. (One of us put on his painting clothes and worked on the vestibule after lunch.)
Bonus Car Wash, at 2800 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, remains the only unionized car wash on the Westside. So far, about 35 car washes in LA County have become unionized as a result of the Clean Car Wash Campaign. Our Peace & Social Justice Committee has participated in the campaign for the past four years through Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA).
— Rick Rhoads
Westside Shelter Breakfast
Our church has been a member of the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition since 2002. We have attended the annual breakfast honoring homeless people who have become fully functioning members of our society every year since that time. Shown here are UU Santa Monica members at our table for the 19th Annual Success
Breakfast at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel on October 30: Sherry Handa, Rhonda Peacock, Rick Rhoads, Catherine Farmer Loya, and Patricia Wright. Photo by Charles Haskell.
Monthly Service to Step Up on 2nd Threatened
It’s hard to know exactly when our church started serving a meal once a month at Step Up on 2nd. Janet Goodwin remembers Lyn Armondo leading the efforts; organizing multiple casserole dishes from generous cooks from our congregation. I started volunteering mid-summer 2005. By then Janet was coordinating the volunteers each month. I had heard about Step Up from a dear friend of mine, prior to coming to UU Santa
Monica. When I heard our church had a standing monthly commitment, I was keen to get involved. I showed
up every month to help. So did many others. By then, food donations were scarce and most of the items for the meal were purchased. But Janet was still cooking one of the main dishes from her home, and then bringing it to Step Up. One month, I volunteered to make the dish, which was baked chicken with barbecue sauce. I had never made chicken for 70 people in my life. It was a big task. I remember being convinced I was going to give everyone salmonellae. Thankfully, I didn’t.
Having a more than full schedule, Ed Hession took over for a while and gave Janet a well deserved break. Ed was deeply devoted, doing all the shopping for the meal. At that time the menu at Step Up was very generous, and Ed was instrumental in donating his time and treasure to facilitate the meal each month. After a year or so, I took over from Ed. Janet and I would juggle the duties. Gone were the days of casserole donations. At this point, everything was purchased from funds coming from our church’s Hunger Fund. This fund is outside of the annual church budget, and is used to pay for the food items purchased for Step Up on 2nd and also Lunches for Bunches (which go to OPCC). The kitchen staff at Step Up take care of either heating up or cooking all of the hot food dishes we serve. Our volunteers prepare a giant salad and prep miscellaneous items, such as dessert, for serving. The prep time takes about 30 to 45 minutes. The serving time is about 40 minutes. Each month we serve between 55 to 85 people, averaging around 70.
Today’s schedules are packed to the rafters. Time is precious, and too often we’re short of it. This seems to be the case with our volunteer needs regarding Step Up. Our church has been generous to give to the Hunger Fund regularly, allowing the meals for Step up and the Lunches for Bunches program to continue each month. Lunches for Bunches is a fun event that takes place at church each month. It’s very visible, happening during
Sunday morning, and there are no advanced sign ups. All ages can participate — just join in to help. With Step Up, it’s a little different. The meal is served at Step Up on 2nd (1328 2nd Street) on a Saturday afternoon. Advanced planning needs to take place to ensure four to six volunteers are available and committed to prep and serve the meal. Food needs to be purchased and dropped off prior to the meal. Because 70 people are depending on us, we must be reliable — it takes some organizing.
We’ve had this amazing history with Step Up on 2nd. We’re the only church that has a standing commitment to serve a meal each and every month at Step Up. What a badge of honor! But without a group of individuals to organize the efforts, the meal at Step Up cannot continue. Can you help? We’re looking for folks to continue our UU Santa Monica tradition. Please contact Rev. Rebecca at minister@uusm.org, Rick Rhoads or James Witker
at FIA@uusm.org with your ideas, suggestions, or best ever, to join in!
— Rhonda Peacock
Green Living Committee:
GO GREEN! Contact office@uusm.org to receive the newsletter online only.
Splinters from the Board:
Meeting of November 11
The Board convened 30 minutes early to ensure adequate time for discussion and decision-making about our policy governance process. Our president, Patricia Wright, commented briefly on board members’ attendance at a special Turning Point dinner and on her attendance at the “Celebrating Success” breakfast of the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition. She was very moved by the presentations given by people who have received services from these organizations, which allowed them to change their lives in meaningful ways, and is reflecting on our volunteer efforts as a community.
The policy governance discussion took place at the beginning of the meeting, so that we could consider it with energy and fresh minds. Each member shared responses to questions that had been assigned at the previous meeting. Following an hour of consideration, the Board voted to approve that we move forward with a full governance change process. This does not mean that the Board has approved a change to policy governance. It means that we have decided to go ahead with a thorough investigation as to the meaning, desired outcomes, and potential structure of a governance change for our congregation. This will be a lengthy process, with ample opportunity for sharing and expression of opinions.
The Board voted to approve the request of the members of AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists and Secularists) that a banner representing Humanism be added to the sanctuary wall.
The Board adopted a new policy regarding Requests for Congregational Sponsorship of Individuals Preparing for Fellowship as UU Ministers. A congregation must sponsor every ministerial candidate. Sponsorship is granted by the Board and indicates that the congregation has confidence in the candidate’s potential and suitability for UU ministry. It does not indicate that the candidate iscurrently ready for ministry. Jessica Clay, who is currently studying at Starr King, was a very active member of our congregation. She has requested sponsorship, and the Board approved her request at the meeting.
Catherine Farmer Loya reported on the success of a new program of monthly group chats with our RE teachers.
Rev. Rebecca reported that she is focusing energy on the pledge drive this month, and that she is working with an active and energetic team. She also spoke about the Committee on Ministry, which is conducting a survey and initiating conversations about community building.
Our treasurer, Kit Shaw, reported that pledge receipts are down about $9,000 for the month of October. Year-to-date receipts are about $13,000 below the budget estimate. Most annual pledges are paid in December and January. Our rental income continues to be larger than budgeted, improving our bottom line. Year-to-date net income is $3,800 below budget.
Beth Brownlie and Emily Hero reported on the Town Hall meeting to discuss the garden adjacent to the pergola wall. More discussion and informal input will occur in the near future.
Board members agreed to extend a personal invitation to the Thanksgiving Feast to all new members of the past year.
— Cynthia Cottam
RE News:
From Our DRE:
As December arrives, we move into a holiday season punctuated by great contrasts: the days are shorter and colder, but we draw warmth from the
community we build together with our families, with our friends, and in our congregation. Sometimes it seems like the overarching theme of the holiday season is excess — overfull bellies, overspending, over indulgence of many varieties. But there is also great need in these times. I think of those who are struggling to get by: those in need of love, those in need of shelter, and those in need of hope that things will get better.
Once when I was in a time of anxiety and struggle in my youth, a good friend told me a fable about the sun that still shines, even behind the clouds on the very darkest of days. This month, our congregational ministry theme is HOPE, and I am reminded of that fable. In the stores and on the radio, popular
culture tells us that December is a time of joy and merriment, and in many ways it is, but the shadow side of the holiday season is that it can be an especially hard and lonely time for those who have lost loved ones or are far away from them. The ancient winter holidays of many religious traditions recognized the turning of the year at midwinter as a time to acknowledge the darkness, but to celebrate the returning of light and warmth as an offering of hope; the light returns for everyone and there is hope yet for each one of us. In my own life, the winter solstice is a day tinged with sorrow, as that is when we lost my grandfather six years ago. This year is the first time the 21st rolls around again to a Sunday, so I anticipate this year’s Festival of Lights pageant will feel even more poignant to me than usual.
We as a church community are here for one another through the joyful times and through our sorrows. We celebrate and mourn together, and provide a safe place in which we can share our truest selves. We are a family, we members and friends of UU Santa Monica, and this month is a time for remembering that bond. May we be joyful as the days grow shorter and we approach the nadir of the year on the Winter Solstice: the return of light and warmth is near. And if we cannot be joyful, may we find peace.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Pageant Friendly Beasts Update
Our friendly beasts, preschoolers through 5th graders, will continue their rehearsals of “The Friendly Beasts Song” this month for the holiday pageant, which occurs December 21 at both services. Below is the rehearsal schedule:
• December 7 — Preschoolers to grade 5 during RE (costume fitting after RE in the Cottage)
• December 14 — Group rehearsal for all at RE beginning (costume fitting after RE in the Cottage)
• December 20 — Saturday dress rehearsal in Sanctuary (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)
• December 21 — Pageant! (both services — please arrive at 8:15 a.m.)
We realize that pageant day is a long one for the children, so please contact me if you can help by:
Supervising the children and providing crafts and games between the services and during most
of the second service, when they’ll be in the cottage until they sing, or
Bringing food for between the services (small sandwiches, bagels, cream cheese, muffins, crackers, cheese, cut vegetables and fruit, water, juice, etc.).
Ideally, we would like all children to sing at both services on pageant Sunday, but if your child can sing at only one service, please let me know.
Here’s to another great pageant!
— Kris Langabeer
Children’s RE
This month in the children’s RE program, preschoolers will explore several different winter holidays from various religious traditions. Kindergarten to 2nd graders will continue their exploration of sacred stories from many religious traditions with a focus on the Christian stories about Jesus’ birth and some of the parables that he used as teaching stories. Third to fifth graders in the UUniverse Story program will take part in a special project measuring the speed of light with chocolate bars and a microwave oven, and then will take a little side
trip into the world of illusions and self-deception as an introduction to critical thinking and skepticism, especially as it is applied to our sensory perceptions. Sixth to seventh graders in the Interfaith Quest class will begin their world religions focus with an introductory exploration of varieties of Christian faith, while our 8th grade Coming of Age class jumps into considering some of life’s “big questions” about suffering and meaning, and will also
spend a Sunday thinking about the role of rituals and holidays in religious life, and designing a new holiday of their own creation. And on December 21 members of our preschool and elementary RE classes will once again take the stage as Friendly Beasts during our Festival of Lights Winter Holiday Pageant.
Adult RE
by Karen Hsu Patterson
Look for new programs, workshops, and interfaith visits coming soon in 2015. As we approach the winter holiday season, here are some recurring programs offered for your enjoyment in December.
As always, if you have suggestions or ideas for what you’d like to see in Adult RE programming, please don’t hesitate to speak with someone on the LRE committee, or come and visit us at the LRE Table after Sunday morning services in Forbes Hall.
Bluestockings: A Feminist Salon
Bluestockings invites church members and friends to join them on fourth Sundays for a potluck supper followed by discussion. As the fourth Sunday in December occurs shortly after Christmas, our next meeting date and discussion topic is to be determined, but please keep an eye out for updates in weekly announcements and order of service.
Our Bluestockings salon is inspired by The Blue Stocking Society of England, an informal women’s social and educational movement. It was founded as a women’s literary discussion group, a revolutionary step away from traditional, non-intellectual women’s activities. The women involved in this group usually had more education and fewer children than most other English women of the time.
Talk of politics was prohibited but literature and the arts were the main discussion topics. Educated men were invited to the meetings.
An equal gender mix most often attends local Bluestockings meetings. For more information contact Karen Hsu Patterson.
Wednesday Night Writers
A welcoming space for all writers, regardless of prior writing experience or expertise. Join us December 10 at 7 p.m. in Forbes Hall for writing, helpful critiques, and moral support. Unlock your creativity! No sign-ups required — just show up!
Patio Chat
Join Leon Henderson- MacLennan and Natalie Kahn on the patio on Sunday, December 28, at 12:10 a.m., for a
lively, thoughtful discussion of UU Santa Monica’s monthly ministry theme of hope. The discussion follows the single service that day at 11 a.m.
New Year Retreat: Let Our Lives Speak
On this day-long retreat on Saturday, January 10, we will welcome the new year by considering anew how we might “let our lives speak” in calling us to wholeness, meaning, and purpose. Sometimes what we call “retreats” wind up being forums, workshops, or meetings. This will be an honest-togoodness retreat. Our unstructured, self-directed day together will include time and space for reflection, silence, meditation, movement, prayer, journaling, and other practices of the heart. The gardens and chapel of Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino will be open to us. Rev. Rebecca will lead a brief opening worship and closing worship time. We will share a simple lunch.
Please wear comfortable clothing and bring personally meaningful texts, journals and pens, yoga mats, and anything else that might add to your day to help you ground yourself and to reflect on how your life speaks.
A fee of $35 covers lunch and the rental of the comfortable facilities at Holy Spirit Retreat Center. If this fee creates a barrier to your participation, please contact Rev. Rebecca (minister@uusm.org). Sign up at the Lifespan RE table in Forbes between services, or contact Rhonda Peacock by January 4.
— Rhonda Peacock
Ministry Theme for December is HOPE
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of weekly thoughts about our ministerial theme for December.
Week 1. Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. — Jonas Salk
Week 2. Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. — Joseph Addison
Week 3. Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness. — Desmond Tutu
Week 4. The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed / the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, whose charms were broken if revealed. — Charlotte Brontë
Week 5. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering “it will be happier….” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Music News:
Colleen Keene was introduced to the congregation on November 9 as our new Soprano Section Leader. Photo
by Charles Haskell.