Newsletter for December, 2015
From Our Minister:
From Our Sabbatical Minister:
A rabbi, an Episcopal priest, a United Church of Christ pastor, a Muslim leader, and a UU minister walk into the Federal Courthouse downtown ...
Is that the start of a bad joke? Maybe — but it was also the beginning of my workday on November 12. Months earlier, I signed on as a plaintiff against the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, specifically regarding the re-introduction of a Latin cross on the County Seal. Every one of the faith leaders mentioned above thought that showing one religious symbol on the County Seal privileged that religion above all others, and that adding the cross to the Seal conflates the church and state in a way that is offensive and perhaps dangerous. In a county rich in religious pluralism, showcasing one religious symbol is also exclusionary.
Sometimes Unitarian Universalists trip over the word “faith” for several reasons. One, it connotes complete trust or confidence in a person or thing. Two, faith can be defined as a belief not based on proof. Three, it can refer to a belief system (and many of us think that a “belief” can too easily be turned into a “creed”).
Just because we may not agree with conventional definitions of faith, that doesn’t mean we need to throw this word out altogether. I fell in love with a Unitarian Universalism that takes a concept or idea, and breaks it open, studies it, analyzes it, and constructs it anew so that it is relevant for our people in this time.
The Rev. Tom Owen-Towle defines faith as “the energizing spirit that gives birth to our convictions.” This fall, I’ve talked about the tensions between joy and sorrow, between holding on and letting go, between gratitude and despair; and how we can live from a place of joy and gratitude while still honoring and naming our sorrow and despair. We are able to hold onto our optimism and move forward toward a better world because we believe in our ability to do things differently, to change. That energizing spirit — faith — moves us forward toward the world we dream about.
On November 12, I was proud to be one of the faithfilled religious leaders in that courtroom. (I was also proud that two congregants, Kim Miller and Mike Reivitis, were there to cheer us on!) On that day I practiced my Unitarian Universalist faith by being part of an interfaith collective, voicing dissent about privileging one religious symbol above all others.
I look forward to exploring the theme of Faith with you in December, and may you find multiple ways for that
energizing spirit to move you and your ideas toward a more beautiful, just, and peaceful world.
Yours, for a time,
— Rev. Tera Little
— Rev. Tera Little
From Our President:
A lot is going on in our congregation…
The Annual Pledge Drive is underway, beginning with the house parties that the Pledge Team has organized. Those who attended had a very positive response to meeting in a small group and having a meaningful exchange. One of the questions that facilitated a conversation from the heart at Rick and Peggy’s party was “What nourishes you about the community and are there ways you’d like to be nourished that you’re not?” If the purpose of fundraising is to build relationships as Kim Klein has stated in her Fundraising Forever workshop, then we have made positive strides.
What made the house parties work well were the calls and personal invitations, thanks to the efforts of the Pledge Team.
A series of three Town Halls have been planned and will be executed by the Board. These conversations with the congregation will lead up to the congregational vote on our finances at a business meeting on February 14, 2016. The theme of Town Hall 1 was the congregation’s vision for the future, namely what would YOU like to do with the ~$400,000 unrestricted savings from the Judy Federick and Drew Still bequests? A report based on the minutes of that meeting is included in this newsletter.
Town Hall 2 on December 6 will revisit the Committee on Money’s recommendations to be voted on individually at the February 14 meeting. Town Hall 2 will be presented as an overview of the Co$’s recommendations and will allow for questions and comments. Town Hall 3 on January 17, 2016, will present alternatives to the Co$ recommendations.
Our Committee on Ministry (CoM) and the Rev. Tera Little have taken brave steps to identify and address the level of conflict within our congregation. To that end, a proposal was presented to the Board to seek outside assistance from the UUA in the form of a Congregational Assessment to be conducted by staff from the Pacific West Region. The Board unanimously endorsed the request. There is a separate article on the next page of this newsletter that provides detail. We haven’t failed; we have so much to be proud of, but we can use a helping hand.
— Patricia Wright
Featured Articles:
Photos from Our All-Church Thanksgiving Feast
Committee on Ministry: Congregational Assessment
One purpose of the Committee on Ministry is to consider the health of our church community. In recent months we have become aware of conflict and unhappiness among members of our church. In an effort to better understand these concerns, the Committee on Ministry will be working with UUA Regional Congregational Life Staff to convene focus groups designed to help manage this conflict. We anticipate that these focus groups will take place during the first quarter of 2016. The focus groups will be led by Ken Brown, our UUA Congregational Life Staff member, and multiple UUA Regional Consultants.
The focus groups are part of UUA-endorsed steps toward bringing our community to more open communication,
compassion, and healing. Everyone is invited to, encouraged to, and should participate in order to ensure a fair, representative, and compassionate process.
From a historical perspective, last fall the Committee on Ministry conducted a survey — something we thought of
as a continuing conversation with our congregation. Though the response was small, we learned from a few courageous people that there was and continues to be unhappiness among us. And we were reminded that all of us, regardless of the level of unhappiness or the issue at hand, love this church of ours. In the months since, we have heard from more of our members and friends, and conflict, unhappiness, hurt feelings, and sorrow continue to be important issues.
The initial UUA-led assessment will consist of focus groups of 8 to 10 people, led in conversation by Regional
Staff. These focus groups will not be led by members of our congregation. Focus group questions will be openended, designed to provide members the opportunity to communicate their concerns. Ground rules will provide guidance for fair, respectful communications. There will be many focus groups, scheduled over many different days and times, to accommodate all who wish to participate. After the focus groups have been convened and completed, UUA Regional Staff will prepare a written report reflecting what we told them during the focus groups, and they will provide recommendations for our next steps. The report will be made available first to the Committee on Ministry and the Board and will then be shared with the congregation.
Let us come together and start the healing process. As Reverend Tera has said, “This place has nurtured the lives of our families and friends. We want this to be a place of health and sustainability for many years to come.”
If you have questions or concerns, please contact the committee at committeeonministry@uusm.org.
— Committee on Ministry
Leon Henderson-MacLennan, Barbara Kernochan, Margot Page, Tom Peters, Co-Chair, Sue Stoyanoff, Co-Chair, and Reverend Tera Little
Notes from the Town Hall Meeting on November 1: The congregation’s vision for the future
The Board hosted a Town Hall meeting on November 1 at 12:30 pm to discuss the congregation’s vision for the future.
UU Santa Monica received two large bequests from longtime church members Judy Federick and Drew Still, who included the church in their estate planning. Their generosity has given us approximately $400,000 of unrestricted funds to use for our future. There is a proposal for the use of these funds by the Committee on Money to be voted on by the congregation in February.
At the Town Hall meeting, the congregation was invited to provide their input, suggestions, plans, mission, or vision for the future of UU Santa Monica and how the money would be used. In addition to 9 Board members and 3 members of the Committee on Money, 28 people attended the meeting.
Many speakers came out in support of the Committee on Money report and liked that it set aside money for emergency contingencies in case of a disaster such as an earthquake. Though the well-informed report established guidelines for how to use the money, it was pointed out the recommendations in the report were flexible. There was support for the establishment of an endowment as a secure method for those wishing to leave bequests. It is suggested that we invest the endowment money in the UUA Common Endowment Fund, which is professionally managed and practices socially conscious investing.
Several speakers wanted to see the money used to support social justice causes, like interactive support for low-wage workers or the homeless, as a reflection of our UU Principles. One suggestion was to create a special endowment for social justice, with the interest being used to commit to a long-term project. We should look at our dreams for outreach that came out of our visioning meetings.
Some speakers want to use some of the money for advertising ourselves and making our presence in the community more known. Another person feels that the best way to make ourselves known is to increase our activities partnering with OPCC (Ocean Park Community Center) and other social service agencies and to continue our activities with CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice).
Some speakers want to establish a special fund that can be used to send people to conferences such as General Assembly or Regional training workshops. They would like to have grants or a lottery that could pay half the cost, as opposed to people asking for help because of financial need.
Sometimes we need to have money to respond to needs in a longer time frame, spending money on the upfront costs of a project that will save us money in the long run and also support our UU values. An example is drip irrigation for our grounds.
There was opposition by some to using the money on day-to-day operating expenses, but it was pointed out that the money spent is not being wasted. Spending has been done with Board and congregational approval. A spreadsheet detailing these expenditures is forthcoming.
The next meeting will take place on December 6.
At that time, the details of the Committee on Money report will be presented and discussed. Everyone is encouraged to become familiar with this report. Anyone with further comments or suggestions is encouraged to contact any Board member through letter, email, or personal conversation.
— Submitted by Leonard Cachola and Cynthia Cottam
From a Member of Our Finance Committee:
$25 Per Month Creates a Sustainable, Balanced Budget Next Year
The soundest and best way to create a sustainable, balanced church budget is to increase our pledges by an average of $12.50 per month per person, starting now. This would increase our income by about $50,000 per year, by our 333 current members pledging an average increase of $150 per year!
Given that a sizable portion of our congregation are people who are retired or on fixed incomes and cannot increase (no increase in Social Security benefits for 2016), that means that those who can would need to increase by $25 per month or more in order for our church to maintain the current level of staff, services, and programs on a sustainable basis.
As of August we had 120 (36%) singles and 218 (64%) people in couples, or about 265 pledging units. Forty-eight pledging units (18%) increased their pledges for 2015, even amid economic uncertainty for many of us.
Our congregation is composed of about 16 members ages 18 to 35 (5%); 100 members ages 36 to 49 (30%); 130 members ages 50 to 65 (38%), 66 members ages 65 to 79 (20%); and 24 members ages 80 to 99 (7%). This means that roughly 70% of us are in our earning years and about 30% are retired, based on my comparison of our member list to the photo directory and best estimate, confirmed by a 10% sample.
As Sue and I have a moderate income, soon to be mostly from Social Security, we raised our joint pledge starting last July by the average amount — $25 per month — by taking money away from our other budgeted expenses.
I recognize that some cannot raise their pledges, but I believe many could if they felt inspired and chose to. What
would inspire you? I urge everyone to speak up regarding their choices.
— Steve White
Heart to Heart Circles — Practicing What it Means to be Human
I have been a Unitarian Universalist since discovering this liberal religious tradition while a student at Purdue University. This beloved community has served me well in terms of providing inspiration, stimulation, consciousness raising, social interaction, religious education for my children and now grandchildren, and even employment. Indeed, I met my husband in this very building!
This past year, however, something new was added. I became involved with a Heart to Heart group that evolved, in a very short time, to levels of communication only previously reached with professional therapy. At the first meeting, half of the people in the group were strangers to me, with others ranging from acquaintances to dear friends. The first meeting’s topic was “listening.” Whether by leadership, ground rules, or structure of the meeting,
I found the space to speak from my heart. Magic happened.
I learned to listen as I never had before. Others in the group responded as well. Not only did we hear one another, we created a place that allowed us to share the truth of our lives.
Our stories were intimate, painful, fearful, and tender. There were tears and hugs.
At one check-out we each came to the same conclusion: that the person most deserving of compassion from me is — myself. Our lifelong lessons of guilt and shame had worked to institute a self-censorship that was impeding our joy. Having seen this, it opened real possibilities of change.
How lucky I am to be a part of this group! It has given me a glimpse of my own beauty, and just as importantly, to have assisted others in finding their beauty. I am reminded of a quote we heard from this pulpit written by James Luther Adams: “Church is a place where you get to practice what it means to be human.” This may be life at its most alive.
I urge you to consider participating. Sign-ups for 2016 Heart to Heart groups begin in December and run through January 10. You can sign up electronically here: http://tinyurl.com/2016H2HCircles, on the church website (Getting Involved/Heart to Heart Circles), or you can complete a registration form at the LifeSpan RE table in Forbes Hall on Sunday between services.
— Melinda Ewen
Jessica Chapin and the Garden of Eternity
It was suggested by a few folks that I write an article for the newsletter regarding Jessica Chapin and the fundraising for the memorial brick.
Member Jessica Chapin was one of my dearly beloved friends. We often had tea for hours, discussing creative writing, song composition, and the events and controversies of the day. She was greatly encouraging in my creative projects. She inspired my loyalty too, and I would never hesitate to help her. I enjoyed her strong sense of integrity, and I would often come to her for advice.
Jessica realized that my beliefs were in accordance with the seven UU Principles, and told me about the Santa Monica church. I had heard about this church through its generous meals at Step Up on Second. So I decided to visit on November 2, 2014, the Day of the Dead celebration. I felt at home with the congregation, and I decided to join the church later that month.
I had no idea that in exactly one year, I would be visibly grieving during the November 1, 2015, Day of the Dead service for the loss of my good friend Jessica, who died a few weeks prior. I certainly wasn’t prepared to hear “Tears from Heaven” during the service, written by Eric Clapton — a guitarist she had once closely worked with as an assistant. The accompanying song “Comfort Me” was perhaps her very favorite, having overwhelmed me with tears.
I learned about the Eternity Garden during that service, and I got the idea that this would be a beautiful way to remember Jessica. I have very little income, and I needed plenty of mutual friends to help me reach the financial mark to reserve a brick.
With the help of a congregation I have come to adore, as well as a generous personal contribution from the CEO of Step Up on Second Tod Lipka, we reached our goal.
Jessica’s family is quite poor, and I had heard they were struggling to find funds for cremation. I know there will be no other physical reminder honoring her life. I am certain that Jessica’s family will feel great comfort, knowing she will have a physical memorial here, at a place where she was accepted and loved.
— Sarah Robson
Quotes about Faith
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of quotes about our ministerial theme for December. Daily quotes also appear in the weekly electronic announcements.
Week 1. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Week 2. I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life. — Madeleine Albright
Week 3. Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. — Voltaire
Week 4. If it can be verified, we don’t need faith…Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason. Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys. — Madeleine L’Engle
Week 5. Faith and doubt are both needed — not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve. — Lillian Smith
News & Announcements:
Board Sponsored Town Hall Meetings on our Finances
December 6 and January 17 in the Sanctuary after the second service.
Purpose on December 6, 2015: to review and discuss the recommendations of the Committee on Money
Purpose on January 17, 2016: to review and discuss alternative recommendations
There will also be a Congregational Business Meeting on February 14, 2016 to vote on the recommendations of the Committee on Money.
Just Around the Corner...Dining for Dollars!
2015 was a most successful Dining for Dollars year, thanks to you for your generous contributions and wholehearted participation.
The D4$ committee is excited to begin planning for our February auction days. Soon we’ll begin to reach out to those of you who hosted an event and those who have never done so. Please start thinking about your event for 2016 and be innovative and imaginative. Some very popular and exciting events this year were hosted by first-timers, so experience is not required!
— The Dining for Dollars Committee:
Farrokh Allen, Nancy Howell, Barbara Gibbs, Sue Moore, Sheila Cummins, Emily Hero, and Melinda Ewen
Here’s how YOU can help your Pledge Team give its entire $2,000 budget to the Westside Food Bank to feed 8,000 hungry people this winter!
The Pledge Team will donate:
$5 for every pledge card turned in by December 20
$10 for a 3% increase in your pledge
$15 for a 5% increase
$20 for a 10% or more increase
Our 2015/16 pledge drive continues, all pledge letters have been sent out!
Please take time now to make a financial commitment to our beloved community at a level that is deeply significant for you.
And many thanks to all who attended house parties!
With gratitude from your Pledge Team:
Beth Brownlie, Barbara Gibbs, Gretchen Goetz, Kit Shaw, Kim Miller, Jackie Weber, Patricia Wright,
Advisors: Abby Arnold, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, and Rev. Tera Little
Second Sunday Supper
Join the choir on December 13 for a very special Second Sunday Supper featuring holiday music and a sing-a-long!
Warm up your vocal chords and bring your favorite holiday dish as we celebrate the season with food, friends, and timely music from the UU Santa Monica choir — you are encouraged to sing along too! We always have a great time at this seasonal supper, so don’t miss out! And don’t forget to bring some holiday cheer and a hearty appetite! Followed by Second Sunday Spotlight. In order to ease the stress of the hosting group, you are invited to bring your own dinner set-up (plates/flatware/beverage container) and wash the dishes once you arrive back home. Contact Kim Miller for more information.
Save The Date: Finding Our Path — 2016 Spiritual Retreat
Saturday, January 9, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Temescal Canyon Gateway Park
Come spend the day in beautiful Temescal Canyon. Wander, wonder, commune, reflect. On this day-long retreat we will welcome the new year by considering anew how we might “find our path” 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-to-goodness 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. Because of our location, this year we are offering a guided, gentle, silent morning hike in the park, and an afternoon guided meditation.
A fee of $25 covers parking, lunch, and the room rental in beautiful Temescal Canyon in Pacific Palisades. 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 Hall between services, or contact Rhonda (uurhonda@gmail.com) by January 3.
— Rhonda Peacock
Heart and Soul Service
The next Heart and Soul Service is scheduled for Sunday, January 10 at 5 pm in the sanctuary. Save the date and plan to join us for this quiet service with candles and sharing.
Faith in Action News:
Faith in Action Protest March
Rick Rhoads had been letting me know about the recent protest marches and I was finally able to make the one in October, along with around 20 others. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and was a bit nervous. Signs had already been made, and we each took one. I carried one that said “No Justice No Peace No Racist Police.”
The protest was to remind the beach community that there had been two fatal L.A.P.D. shootings and one fatal incident involving a security guard and a homeless person in Venice. Our route took us to the areas where the deaths occurred. At each site, a short speech was made by one of the protesters, explaining what had happened there, and how justice had yet to happen.
As I walked and held my sign, and repeated the protest sayings, I felt quite inadequate. I hadn’t followed the stories of these men who were killed. I had heard their names, but I didn’t know their stories.
Brendon Glenn was an unarmed homeless man. His friends said he was kind and loved his dog, a black Lab mix. He was a passionate environmentalist who visited recycling plants on the east coast, loved organic farming, and was an active member of Rainbow Family groups. He was also the father of a baby boy, whom he often bragged about adoringly on social media. Brendon was 29 years old.
Jason Davis was 41. I couldn’t find out anything personal about him; just that he had a knife and was shot and killed by L.A.P.D. He was believed to be homeless.
Jascent-Jamal Lee Warren had a way with words and his nickname was Shakespeare. A friend recalled how he was the first person to offer her help when she arrived at Venice Beach in May, newly homeless from Tennessee. He had shown her how to navigate the often intimidating community, helping her find bus tokens, clothes, and other aid. “He was uplifting,” the friend said. “He was dedicated to peace and offering spiritual support to anyone he met.” Shakespeare was 26.
Brendon and Jason were homeless. Shakespeare was killed while going to the aid of homeless people. Two of the men were black and one was white. How many of you knew their stories? Did the people I was passing on the boardwalk know their stories? Did they understand why we were marching? Or were we just another form of Venice street theatre?
Many people we passed raised their fists in the air or gave a thumbs up. Some added their voices with ours as they walked by. Some of the transient sidewalk merchants yelled at us. I’m not sure what they were upset about, and I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Could they understand what I was saying?
In the end, I wondered if this was the best way to raise awareness — marching on the Venice boardwalk on a Sunday afternoon. Yet, if “we, the people” do nothing, then that is what will happen. Apathy does not bring about awareness, much less change or justice. It’s so easy to turn away and get busy with something else. Brendon Glenn, Jason Davis, and Jascent-Jamal Lee Warren (Shakespeare) can’t champion themselves. Who will speak for them? If I believe that we are all connected, which I do, then their deaths need to matter to me. If any sort of change is to happen, their deaths need to matter to me. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. I will be at the next march.
What would it take for you to join in next time there’s a protest?
— Rhonda Peacock
Splinters from the Board:
Communication, Compassion, Healing and Money
At the start of the November meeting President Patricia Wright read a card we received in response to condolences we sent the Monte Vista UU Church in Montclair, CA. Their church was vandalized — most of the windows were broken — by someone who was not connected with the church. The insurance company has been helpful, and they are returning to normal operations.
The Board then heard a special presentation by the Committee on Ministry (COM), represented by Sue Stoyanoff and Margot Page, and also by Ken Brown, our Congregational Life Regional Staff member. They have developed a plan to bring our community to more open communication, compassion, and healing. They proposed a Congregational Assessment by Regional Staff. This will consist of multiple focus groups led by Regional Staff, which will discuss a series of openended questions. For a more detailed discussion of this process, please see the article by the Committee on Ministry in the column to the left in this issue of the newsletter. The Board accepted the COM proposal and authorized the expenditure of $500 to cover the expenses of Regional Staff.
The Board then turned its attention to the Report of the Committee on Money, which will be presented and discussed at the second town hall meeting on December 6, 2015 at 12:30 pm. President Patricia Wright had prepared a Power Point presentation of the recommendations, and each slide was reviewed and discussed. Ron Crane, chair of the Committee on Money, was a guest at the meeting, and responded to various points. There will be a congregational business meeting to vote on the Committee’s recommendations.
The Board set the date for this meeting as February 14, 2016. There will be a third town hall meeting on January 17, where the Board will present its own recommendations.
The Board then discussed the Garden of Eternity. Construction on the Garden is almost complete. Thirteen memorial bricks have been purchased. The Board elected to extend the $500 price for a brick to January 12, 2016. There was a general discussion of other policies relating to the Garden. Some policies are still being formulated, and will be revisited by the Board at a later date.
President Wright reminded the Board of the importance of its role in fundraising. She asked the members of the Board to commit to making their pledges before the December meeting.
— Cynthia Cottam
RE News:
From Our Director of Religious Education:
“Faith” Reflects Trust and Values
As we move into December, suddenly the holiday season is upon us. How quickly it has arrived! This year, I find myself thinking more than ever about the meaning of the rituals of this season, and appreciating the ways in which special traditions draw us closer to our loved ones, those who are present with us as well as those who are far away or no longer living.
When I was a child, the night my family gathered to decorate our Christmas tree was more special than Christmas itself. I’ve always loved the winter holiday season, and most especially the weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas, weeks of joyful anticipation and making-ready.
This year, though, I enter the holiday season in a more somber way than in some years, as a beloved family member nears the end of his life. And I am mindful that the holidays are hard for many people who have lost loved ones, or who are far away from their families. 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.
The congregational ministry theme for the month of December is Faith, and I am reminded that there are many faith traditions that have their own special rituals at this time of year. Faith is a word that can be challenging for us as Unitarian Universalists — it’s one of those that has sometimes been defined so narrowly as to leave a wide swath of our members cold. But I’d love to reclaim it.
I understand “faith” to mean that in which we place our trust. Faith, to me, is at heart a trust that who we are and what we do matters. A person of faith is one who makes a commitment to living in a way that reflects that trust. There is no specific belief that one must hold in order to be a person of faith; rather, to live faithfully is to live in a way that aligns with your own most deeply cherished values and beliefs, whatever they may be.
The holidays are perhaps the time of year most heavily laden with tradition and ritual, but throughout the year the rituals we choose to share with our families, or that we practice as individuals, can keep us connected with our own faith. Some people light a chalice at mealtimes, or practice meditation or prayer, or have special words they use to say goodnight to their family members every evening.
What are the rituals in your life that help you to regain focus on your intentions for how to live faithfully every day?
May we all 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
Friendly Beasts Pageant 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 20 at both services.
The rehearsal schedule is as follows:
• December 6 — Preschoolers to grade 5 during RE (costume fitting after RE in the Cottage)
• December 13 — Group rehearsal for all at RE beginning (costume fitting after RE in the Cottage)
• December 19 — Saturday dress rehearsal in the Sanctuary (9:30 am to10:30 am) with RE Pancake
Breakfast before the rehearsal and a Bounce House after!
• December 20 — Pageant! (both services; please arrive at 8:15 am.)
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 only sing at one service, please let me know. Here’s to another great pageant!
— Kris Langabeer
Adult RE:
Foundational UU Texts: James Luther Adams on Faith
Adult RE is pleased to announce a new series of oneoff study groups that will examine and discuss what we
might think of as some “foundational texts” of Unitarian Universalism. These documents — essays, addresses, or
excerpts from longer works — are not necessarily “sacred” texts. They certainly shouldn’t be regarded as infallible or perfect revelations of truth, but they do contain ideas that have profoundly influenced the trajectory of thought in the UU movement.
We will begin this month with a discussion of James Luther Adams’s “A Faith for the Free (1946).” Faith, the
monthly ministry theme for December, can be a controversial word. Some would argue that it means only
belief in something without evidence. But in a liberal religious context, faith is more complicated. What do Unitarian Universalists mean when we say we are “a people of faith,” despite encompassing a diverse array of beliefs (and non-beliefs)? What sort of faith unites us?
“An unexamined faith is not worth having,” wrote James Luther Adams, the legendary 20th century Unitarian
theologian, minister, professor, and essayist. He had a lot to say about faith in a rapidly changing world:
“To many people the word signifies something that puts a strain on the intelligence. Accordingly, faith is to them a belief in what is not true or what is by nature not fact but wish. To others, the word signifies the acceptance of some belief simply because a church, a tradition, a state, a party demands it... [But] ‘a man bears beliefs,’ said Emerson, ‘like a tree bears apples.’ He bears beliefs about himself, about his fellows, about his work, and his play, about his past, about his future, about human destiny. What he loves, what he serves, what he sacrifices for, what he tolerates, what he fights against, these signify his faith. They show what he places his confidence in.“The faiths of the Twentieth Century have been as powerful and influential as any that have ever been. They have created its science and its atom bombs, its Hollywoods and its Broadways, its Gestapos and its Undergrounds. We have no choice but to be free in the choice of our faith. Indeed, those who claim to be able to identify an infallible authority ‘above’ themselves really claim to be themselves infallible. A more reliable object of faith can be found if people are free to learn from each other by mutual criticism, free to discard old error, free to discover new insight, free to judge, free to test.The free person’s faith is not merely faith in oneself: It is a faith in the capacity of sincere persons to find freely together that which is worthy of confidence.”
What does faith mean to you? We will read this essay together and consider Adams’s ideas. Join me Sunday,
December 13, from 3 to 5 pm in Forbes Hall. Copies of the essay and a sign-up sheet will be available at the RE Table.
— James Witker
YRUU Staff for 2015-2016
This year’s YRUU elected staff. Left to right top row: Paice Van
Ooyen (Treasurer), Annalivia Martin-Straw (President), Dagny
Stahl (Secretary). Left to right second row: Cheyenne Mason
(Chief of Staff), Sanna Legan (Vice President). Bottom: Alex
Michaelson (Photographer). Text and photo provided by Dagny