Newsletter for December, 2017
From Our Minister:
Stories That Gather Us Together, Seeking Light
Dear Friends,
Isaiah 9:2-3The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy. They rejoice before as with joy at the harvest.
It’s December again. The time of the year it becomes a little darker, a little colder. Many of us find this hard and try to coax the light to stay… sing some carols… eat gingerbread men… think of imminent presents. The traditional Nickelodeon fantasy of Christmas.
It dawns on me that this year the holiday tidings may not deck my December halls like the Rockwell / Kincaid picture promises. But I’m not complaining.
It’s been almost 50 years since I made extraordinary efforts to be good for the whole month so that I might get everything I wanted; 50 years since I could make a list of all I wanted, drop it in the mail, and await my bounty.
A few weeks ago, I stood outside the church and watched the moon rise. The light illuminated the Garden of Eternity. I watched people walk through the courtyard and come into the church. They looked up and smiled. Two more made their way to the side door.
One of the old stories I cherish is the one with the three Magi who left the comfort of their kingdoms to seek hope in a chaotic time. I thought about it as I watched another couple walk through the front doors. And then two more. They all went into the church.
Another story of the season that I love is the one where people of a community fight hard to keep opposing forces from stealing what, to them, is sacred. They gather together beside diminishing fires, hoping the only oil they have will be enough to last them into a new age. I see several more cars park. People get out, wait for each other and then walk over to the church.
Another story: one of peoples who gather together amidst encroaching darkness, hoping for new light. I watch as a final car pulls in and I imagine that there are rooms in the church filled with many people, and it is warm.
For 20 minutes I watched people walk through the darkness to the church with its lights on. I reflected on the wonder and trepidation the Magi carried. And what the Macabees hoped. To summon hope by coming together. That must be the spirit of the solstice.
I believe that everything we are doing here in this community is a renewal. It isn’t about getting presents for pretending to be good. Not lists of good and bad. We are looking out on a long journey. But the end of all our efforts will bring a hope more magnificent than can be remembered. It is hope for our times. That the people of our age will be able to look deep into the darkness and division and see a light. A place where it’s warm. And the doors are open. This is something to believe in. And to carry with us.
To the Glory of Life.
— The Rev. Greg Ward
From Our President:
It is a Season of Thanksgiving. Our Community is moving forward.
Change of attitude and heart has sprouted among us.
During this season, please look to enactment of our principles and look forward to what we may mod el in a world fraught with anxiety and turmoil.
The first action any of us may take is to give thanks to each and all of our community for the wondrous world we may promote by practicing our principles with each other.
Give through your actions and through your financial contribution to forwarding our vision with an appreciation for what you each bring, in heart, in soul, in mind, in money, and in caring I thank each of you.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for your smiles and hugs. Thank you for your voice in sharing what you deeply believe. Thank you for your participation. Thank you for searching your inner self and finding new ways to view one another.
Fondly,
— Ron Crane
Featured Articles:
Judith Meyer's Pipes lecture, "Falling Out: alienation and Community in Divisive Times"
This year’s Ernest D. Pipes, Jr. Distinguished Lecture was delivered by Judith Meyer. Ernie Pipes was in the audience. Ernie was in our pulpit for 35 years and Judith for 15; added together, their tenures cover more than half the time the church has existed. Hearing Judith’s voice in our sanctuary again brought back fond memories for many of us. Her talk on adjusting to living in the red state of Tennessee was authentic, thoughtful, and engaging, and she used her ironic charm to make us laugh.
Judith’s husband, David Denton, created a slide show of his photographs of Market Square, an award winning public space in their neighborhood in downtown Knoxville. His photos were striking and offered opportunities to reflect on the themes in the lecture.
Judith described taking daily walks through Market Square with her beloved dog Aki and connecting with many different people. Aki elicited comments from the more-than-friendly people of Appalachia, including an immigrant Falafel House restaurant owner, homeless people, a bus driver who want to know how old the dog people who just asked about Aki.
Judith reflected that during her walks she realized that the illusion that everyone is alike or thinks alike is no longer sustainable – not in Knoxville, not in Santa Monica – and that we can learn from people with different world views by meeting them in public spaces where people are more likely to remain civil.
Judith reflected on how democracy on our national stage is being threatened – the ignoring of the science of climate change, the shunning of critical thinking, and the dismissal of civility – and how this trend is disturbing. She asked, “How can we survive this?”
Although she doesn’t have a magic bullet, Judith did lay out a path in her closing words. If we nurture the qualities within that teach us how to speak the truth and help one another, there is hope if we can figure out how to meet with others in a public space. “Because … something about being together on common ground brings hope that we can still make the corrections that will save us from ourselves. And with that hope, you and I will remain human.”
— Bob Dietz
Note: The full text of Rev. Judith Meyer's address is available here. The audio recording is available here.
Right Relations Task Force Report
Living into Our Covenant of Right Relations: Love
We are still refining our UUSM Covenant of Right Relations, and the first draft has been presented. You provided thoughtful responses through participating in Dialogue Circles, discussing with us in person, and submitting online comments. We will use this feedback to enhance our covenant and then send it to the Board for approval; ultimately, the congregation will vote on adopting the covenant.
We will rightly celebrate the adoption of our written UUSM Covenant of Right Relations and our collective work in developing it. What happens next? How do we deepen our understanding of the covenant? How do we transform
words on paper into actions and behaviors?
In the coming months, your Right Relations Task Force will be working on these issues with our congregation. We will share opportunities to explore our Covenant of Right Relations and practice living into it with one another. These opportunities might include workshops on how to express compassion for ourselves and each other. They might include trainings on conflict resolution and how to talk through disagreements and disputes. Maybe they will include discussions on inclusive diversity and community wellbeing, both in theory and practice. We will all be learning and practicing together.
One place to start is in looking at the concept of love. What is love – what does it look like, sound like, feel like? In our congregation, we begin each Sunday service reading, “Love is the doctrine of this church.” What does this mean? Is it that the church has been built on love? Is it a directive to love everyone in our congregation, community, or even the world? Is it an appeal to live up to certain ideals?
M. Scott Peck writes that “Love is the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth... Love is as love does. Love is an act of will – namely, both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love.” Love is both idea and action, not just something that we innately feel, but something that we can decide to do. It does not have to be earned; rather we choose to give it.
The first statement of affirmation in our draft Covenant of Right Relations is: “We will be kind, caring, compassionate, and loving through words and actions.” We choose to be loving with our fellow congregants, even when it gets hard. Kind, caring, compassionate – these are all clues on how to be loving with one another. Being mindful of the words we speak to others in the moment – that they convey the love we have for one another even when we disagree. Making an effort to say kind words to someone who needs them. Taking care of one another in ways that are meaningful. Proactively supporting one another, both when such help is expected as well as when unexpected. Being compassionate with others as we work toward understanding, acceptance, and appreciation.
While love is an easy word to say and advocate for, it may be challenging to express. It takes commitment to choose to love, and to take actions that show that we love one another. Of course, there will be times when we do not live up to the aspirations in our covenant, including that of being loving. When this happens, we will compassionately lift each other back to the ambition to live into our highest ideals.
Please continue to engage in our congregation-wide process of right relations. Watch for more information, invitations, and updates as our work of loving and living into our covenant continues in the months and years
to come.
— Emily Linnemeier
Right Relations Task Force:
Emily Linnemeier, Audrey Lyness, Linda Marten, Vilma Ortiz (co-chair), Beth Rendeiro, Sue Stoyanoff (co-chair), Cassie Winters, James Witker Right Relations Team: Vicky Foxworth, Cindy Kelly, Margot Page, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Kim Santiago-Kalmanson, Rima Snyder, Joe Straw, Linda van Ligten, Patricia Wright, Steve Young,
Sylvia Young
Special Christmas Eve Offering
Being part of a dedicated community is one of the central assurances that we will find a hand – and a reason to hope – when the hard times come. Sometimes that reassurance comes in the form of flowers during illness, or food during a difficult stretch. Sometimes it means childcare so someone can tend to emergencies. Sometimes it is help meeting obligations after a layoff. There are hundreds of ways that communities help fellow members in need.
This year, because we know that none of us is invulnerable to tragedy, we are collecting a special offering during the Christmas Eve services for the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. This offering is for members in need. It’s for our fellow members and friends who find themselves without enough food or who can’t pay a bill… for those who’ve been unexpectedly laid off or who need just a little help with a prescription or receiving treatment. There are all kinds of things our members experience where the church makes a difference. There is currently no active fund or line item in our budget that allows us to offer the spirit of care to our fellow members in need.
A Minister’s Discretionary Fund is a way that we can give to those who are in need who are can’t bring themselves to ask. Your generous donations on the five Christmas eve services – the two morning services, the 4:00 Family Service, and the 6:00 and 8:00 Candlelight Services – will bring light and hope all year round to make sure there is room at the Inn for all of us. If you are not able to attend those services but still want to contribute towards the direct support of our members in need, please send checks into the UUCCSM office with “Ministerial Discretion” in the memo.
The church and all its members thank you for the difference you make.
MEET YOUR NOMINATING COMMITTEE
As a congregation in transition, we are learning that it takes our whole spiritual community to make things work well ― which means that the more members who find opportunities to get involved, the more successful our church will be. This year, the Nominating Committee (NomCom) is working on a couple of ideas to make the process of getting involved more accessible, and to inspire greater congregational participation.
Nom Com’s main function is to nominate church members to run for the Board of Directors and for NomCom. Additionally, we appoint members to the Finance, Personnel, and Investment Committees (and the occasional Ministerial Search Committee) for ratification by the Board.
Our committee is aware that the nominating process has seemed mysterious or secretive in the past to some members. While no big mystery or secrets prevail, explicitly detailing the process in an open forum affords us the kind of procedural visibility our Board of Directors is striving for. We are working on ways to give members avenues to express directly to the committee their interest in serving in one of the positions mentioned above. We call this selfexpressed interest. Furthermore, if you think a member might be a good addition to one of these posts, you can recommend them to NomCom for follow-up and consideration.
There are many details to work out, many of which are in the works as you are reading this! We will use church media to inform the congregation when one of these positions becomes open, as well as to explicitly outline job requirements and expectations in order to ensure that members understand what is needed of them ― so they can make an informed decision if offered a slot on the ballot or a position on a committee. In conjunction, we are working on revising our webpage ― making it relevant with up-todate info, FAQs, job descriptions for the nominated positions and criteria for getting nominated. We want the congregation to know who we, the NomCom, are.
NomCom is researching other similarly sized UU congregations for ideas about how to best help members express their interest in a position, what members need to know about the job itself, how/where to guide members into acquiring leadership skills, and other ideas to make our process run smoothly. It’s turning out to be a very informative inquiry and fun to boot, as we are discovering more things than we expected! So far, the most unexpected idea was “Showcase Sundays” at the UU Congregation of Phoenix. (It turns out our church has done this in the past.)
On a Showcase Sunday, every committee sets up a table and members roam the room. This allows every committee, every member, and each friend of the church, opportunities to find each other and to ask and answer questions directly. It completely removes the mystery of how to get involved―for both longtime and new members The NomCom is teaming up with the Membership Committee to organize a “Showcase Sunday” on January 28, 2018. Stay tuned for details.
Also in January, watch for the “NomNom with the NomCom” invitation by Liza and plan to join us after either ervice for a coffee, a doughnut, and an informal drop-in chat with the committee. We encourage you to attend and get to know us, and our committee a bit better. If you have a question now you can send it to the entire committee at nomcom@uusm.org, or you are welcome to reach out to any one of us individually: Barbara Gibbs, Bob Dietz, James Witker, Linda van Ligten, Liza Cranis, and Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson.
— Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Bob Dietz, Liza Crais, and Barbara Gibbs
2017 Thanksgiving Feast
News & Announcements:
Newsletter Deadline
January, 2018 issue of the UUSM Newsletter will be published on January 2. Deadline for that issue is Friday, December 15 at noon. Please submit announcements to office@uusm.org. Submit articles to newsletter@uusm.org.
IT’S A SING-ALONG SECOND SUNDAY SUPPER
Hosted by the Music Committee with Christmas Carols!
December 10 • 6 pm in Forbes Hall
Get in the holiday spirit at Second Sunday Supper in December! All are encouraged to attend this informal potluck feast – this month you are also encouraged to bring a potluck holiday dish that you’d like to share! Catch up with old friends and meet new ones, and come prepared to sing your favorite Christmas carols with the UUSM choir! You can help - join our Kitchen Cabinet and help with cooking (the day before), setup, or cleanup. You know that the most fun at any party is in the kitchen! Sign up at tinyurl.com/kitchenministry. Children are absolutely welcome! To save on waste and promote green living, we kindly ask that you bring your own plates, cups, utensils, and cloth napkins. We will have extra dishes if you cannot bring your own. Contact: Jacki Weber.
Heart & Soul: A Contemplative Worship Service
Second Sundays, 5 to 5:45 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Heart and Soul services are led by Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, Joyce Holmen, and Karen Hsu Patterson. With singing and instrumental music, poetry, statements and questions, silence and sharing, we’ll explore monthly worship themes.
Sunday, December 10 – What Does It Mean to be A COMMUNITY OF HOPE?
Rev. Greg’s sermons are now available for purchase in the front office and on Sundays, in Forbes Hall
Suggested contribution to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund: $5
The minister’s discretionary fund is used to assist members and friends of the congregation and members of the larger community in meeting their basic living needs (such as shelter, food, utilities, medical) and other exigencies (such as transportation, fees). It may be given as a loan or a gift, depending upon the person’s ability and the circumstances. The minister has discretionary and confidential use of these funds. Please leave contributions in the donation box next to the publications.
Join the Choir for the Joy of Music During the Holidays
Caroling, Caroling… All Are Welcome! Spread the spirit of the season by singing holiday carols at Sunrise Assisted Living and Seaport Care Center on Saturday, December 9. We’ll meet upstairs in Forbes Classroom 2 (the choir room) at 1:30 pm to warm up our voices, then walk to the two locations, which are only a few blocks from the church. We will finish by 3:30 pm. Hope to see you there. It is an opportunity to bring joy to seniors. Contact Cindy Kelly if you have any questions.Heart to Heart Circles: Deadline for 2018
Over the past several years, Heart to Heart Circles have become an integral part of our UUSM community. Within these circles, church members have the opportunity to get to know each other beyond the role layers we present to the world each day. It is an opportunity to share oneself, and to develop the skill of deep listening in an atmosphere of confidentiality, openness, trust, and acceptance.
Until December 15, you may sign up for Heart to Heart Circles that will be held from January through June 2018. (Next summer, we will align new groups to the church calendar year, with groups meeting from October 2018 through June 2019, and signups over the summer.)
We invite you to join a Heart to Heart Circle if you have not done so, or to return for another season of deep listening and sharing. Please visit our table during coffee hour to sign up and to find out more about these wonderful groups, or contact leslie.beauvais@me.com if you have questions.
— Leslie Beauvais
Need a Photograph for the Directory?
All church members are listed in the church directory, along with their photographs. If you are a new member, or a long-time member whose photo needs refreshing, Charles Haskell welcomes you to his home studio for your headshot. Contact Charles to set up an appointment.
The Future of Second Sunday Supper
For nearly a decade, Second Sunday Suppers have been an integral component of UUSM congregational life, particularly valued by new and potential members, those who often eat alone, and all who simply enjoy one another in fellowship over food.
I took on coordination of Second Sunday Suppers a year ago to help bridge a gap when prior leaders stepped down. We tried some new systems and some different outreach and have kept it going. I had hoped to identify new leadership, but that hasn’t yet emerged, so we now have a choice to end the monthly community-building potluck or someone new can step up.
My dear board colleague Kim Miller has offered to help sustain Second Sunday Suppers through the spring, coordinating some groups willing to host. We will retire the program in May in the absence of new leadership and execution.
If you are interested in helping strengthen community through Second Sunday Supper, now is the time to step up. Contact me or Kim Miller.
— Jacki Weber
Join the Hiking Group!
On November 11 seven of us from UUSM hiked in Red Rock Canyon near Topanga. This was a wonderful hike, with beautiful scenery and mild, balmy weather. We hike as a UUSM group on the second Saturday of the month when the weather permits and a group is interested. Our next hike will be December 9. If interested in joining us please contact Steve Young
Left to right, above: Dean Wahls, Greg Wood, Dani Rengstorff, John Rengstorff, Sylvia Young, Linda van Ligten. Photo: Steve Young.
HOLIDAY SERVICES
Wednesday, December 20, 7pm: Solstice Vespers
Through readings, chant, candlelighting, and sacred silence, we will mark the coming of the longest night of the year. This evening service will be hosted by Rima Snyder.
Sunday, December 24 at 9am and 11am: Sunday Morning Services
“The Straight Skinny on the Fat Man in Red”
Rev. Greg Ward, Jacki Weber
Sunday, December 24 at 4pm: Beasts and Baubles Christmas Eve
“Would You Like to Hold the Baby?”
Join Kathleen Hogue and Dr. Zanaida Robles for a festive family-friendly Christmas Eve service, including our pageant and Friendly Beasts. PLEASE BRING an ornament you’re willing to part with on the Sunday morning before the services on the 17th or the 24th. Perhaps it can be from your personal collection, a new one picked out at a store, or a simple handmade one.
Sunday, December 24 at 6 & 8pm: Christmas Eve Candlelight Services
Rev. Greg Ward, Dr. Zanaida Robles
Adult Choir led by Dr. Zanaida Robles
Sunday, December 31, ONE SERVICE ONLY at 11am:
“All These Words Mean Happy Kwanzaa”
Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd
Faith in Action News:
More Than 100 Turn Out for Interactive Panel on Racial Injustice
On the night of Saturday, November 11th, Faith In Action collaborated with our new friends and community partners from OFA (Organizing For Action) to bring you “An Uncomfortable Truth: Time To Talk About Racial Injustice.” The evening was a great success and exceeded our expectations, with a combined turnout of more than a hundred from our congregation and the wider community packed into the sanctuary to hear from a diverse panel
of experts. Visitors came from all the way across town and as far as Orange County.
Topics covered included the challenges of implicit bias, reform of policing and the criminal justice system and, for those of us who are not people of color, how to understand white privilege and be effective allies to Black- and Brown-led justice movements. Powerful stories were shared by the speakers, and some exchanges with an engaged audience became emotional. A few highlights from the panel: Randy Shrewsberry, a former police officer turned reformer, discussed the racist culture in law enforcement into which he had been indoctrinated, and his own struggle to overcome the false narratives he had grown up with. Charles Swain, Esq., a civil rights attorney and the
father of one of OFA’s student organizers, choked up as he related memories of segregated maternity wards in the Alabama of his youth. Donazaleigh Abernathy, the daughter of civil rights pioneer Ralph Abernathy, described memories of Dr. King and her own journey from the deep South to living as a black woman in Beverly Hills, where she continues to face routine discrimination and harassment based on the color of her skin.
For the first time, our FIA team put in place a security plan for the evening with input from the new UUSM Safety Task Force and the Santa Monica Police Department. In the last several months, concerns have been raised about newly-energized hate groups in our area and disruptions at other anti-racist events in the neighborhood. Thankfully, the evening went smoothly and without incident.
We are excited about the many connections that were forged or strengthened between our congregation and the wider community at this event, and we look forward to new possibilities as FIA continues work to confront and oppose racism in greater LA and beyond!
— James Witker
Splinters from the Board:
Church Receives Bequest; Rev. Greg Describes Church Models
The board met in Forbes Hall on November 14 with eight board members, Rev. Greg, and eleven guests in attendance. Rev. Greg lit the chalice with a reading about the “coat of power” that increasingly fits over time.
Secretary Beth Brownlie read the name of the new member who joined since the last board meeting: Aubrey Sassoon, for a total membership of 340.
Rev. Greg encouraged the board to adopt a goal of making 100% cooperative, respectful process its main task and the main commitment of every member on the board. His challenge to board members is to conduct every interaction as if they were standing outside the church on a Sunday morning surrounded by visitors, newcomers and potential investors in the church. The board will collectively be reading and discussing “Never Call Them Jerks” by Arthur Paul Boers. The board read aloud the draft covenant of right relations.
Rev. Greg pointed out that UUSM is the size of a programmatic church but operating on a pastoral model that cannot be sustained. Congregations that operate from a programmatic model do not require it to be the sole responsibility of the minister to carry the communication, resolve the conflict, manage relationships and keep programs well informed and connected. Congregations operating from pastoral models, however, depend much more on the minister.
UUSM has been awarded $8,500 as a stipend toward the cost of an intern (approximately $20,000 total). In the application for the stipend UUSM expressed interest in entering into a good faith agreement to move toward fair share over four years. Two applications for the intern position have been received and interviews will be conducted by a small group represented by the minister, personnel, board, and at large.
A workshop on the history of UUSM up to 2008 was held on Sunday, Nov. 12 and was well attended by about 50 people. The next phase of the exploration of our history from 2008 to the present will be held in January.
UUSM has been awarded approximately $116,000 from the estate of Ralph Meyer. Once received, the money will be allocated to the various funds established by the Committee on Money in 2016.
As of November 9, UUSM has received pledges for the 2018 calendar year from 38% of the membership for a total of $175,159 towards the goal of $425,000, which will represent a 15% increase over last year’s budgeted amount.
An overview and timeline of the development of the comprehensive safety policy was given by Emily Hero.
The board unanimously affirmed and approved the Newsletter Committee’s decision to select Abby Arnold as their Editor-in-Chief.
UUSM board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, and are open to all members. More details can be found in the minutes of each meeting, which are posted on the UUSM.org website in the “members only” section.
— Patricia Wright
RE News:
FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
A Destination of Hope and Wonder
Sometimes, when the world is at its messiest and most complicated, when the to-do list runs off the page, and we are out of time, patience, creativity and imagination, we can sometimes wonder what role the church is supposed to play in our lives. And if you’re a parent, you may be in that mad dash toward the holidays, dreaming of the finish line – where the warmth and the meaning waits – just hoping to get there before you hit the wall.
If this is what it’s like and things are stacking up, and you’re climbing as fast as you can, worrying if it’s enough, it’s worth it to stop and check to see if your ladder is against the right wall. Because, when it comes right down to it, that’s what the church is for: to help with perspective. And attitude. And a larger vision.
There is a story that’s helpful in moments like this. It’s about 3 bricklayers. Each worked tireless for some time in the same routine. Each one of them was asked what they were doing.
The first man answered gruffly, “I’m laying bricks.”
The second man replied with a sigh, “I’m putting up a wall.”
But the third man said with energy and enthusiasm, “I’m building a cathedral.”
***
The church does a number of things for us. First, it teaches us about the stories that we adopt to make sense of our lives. To help us understand what’s most important. Stories help shape perspective. And attitude. And a vision for what’s possible. When it comes right down to it, these are the things that lead us to a better destination.
This month, our theme is hope: something that is often a little more natural for our children than for us as adults. When life is at its busiest and the season is at its darkest, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s most important. So let me take a moment to remind us. To make sure our ladder is against the right wall.
The church exists to provide hope. To work toward making tomorrow better for our children and their children. One of our primary ways of doing this is through cultivating a sense of hope and wonder and imagination in our children through stories. And through exploring ideas like Love and Justice.
This month, we encourage you to listen to the stories of the season. The Magi. The Maccabees. The story of those who wander through the darkness looking for light. And hope.
We have stories this month in worship that invoke imagination. And wonder. And hope. We have our holiday pageant “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” at 4:00 pm on Christmas eve with some favorite carols and the friendly beasts. We have teachers whose main hope is that the classroom – and the church – is a destination of hope and wonder. We provide the ladder. Love and Justice are on the wall. Children are our hope.
See you in church.
— Kathleen Hogue
ADULT RELIGIOUS GROWTH AND EDUCATION
Adult RE Offerings for December 2017
An Enjoyable Dive into Who and What We Are
This on-going, twice a month class is presented to help participants master specific meditation skills. We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (essence or true nature). This class will include meditations which explore participants’ spiritual goals. The bi-monthly group meetings will also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants have a regular meditation practice.
Location: TBD on day of meditation
When: First and Third Sundays (December 3rd, December 17th)
Time: 9:30-10:45 AM
Contact Facilitator: Bill Blake
Open Meditation Group
You are cordially invited to a new meditation group called “Open Meditation.” Whether you are a beginner who is just curious about meditation or whether you have been meditating for many years - you are welcome. Meditation at its root is a natural and deeply human practice. We are not teaching a particular form of meditation or doctrine. You don’t need to know anything, do any particular activity or believe in anything. We will have brief readings, two 20-minute periods of sitting with walking meditation, and time for journaling and sharing. You can drop in when it serves you, or come regularly. If you are late, just come in quietly and join us. If you have questions, speak with either Beverly Shoenberger or Carol Ring at coffee hour.
Location: Forbes Hall
When: Friday, December 15th
Time: 7 PM – 8:30 PM
Contact Facilitators: Carol Ring, and Beverly Shoenberger
UUA Common Read: The Third Reconstruction
“A truly moral agenda must be anti-racist, anti-poverty, pro-justice, pro-labor, transformative and deeply rooted and built within a fusion coalition. It would ask of all policy, is this policy constitutionally consistent, morally defensible and economically sane. We call this moral analysis and moral articulation which leads to moral activism.” --Reverend Doctor William J. Barber II
The Third Reconstruction serves both as a memoir and as a detailed, pragmatic guide to building and sustaining a social justice movement. From the UUA website: “Drawing on the prophetic traditions of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, while making room for other sources of truth, the book challenges us to ground our justice work in moral dissent, even when there is no reasonable expectation of political success, and to do the hard work of coalition building in a society that is fractured and polarized.”
Please join us on Sunday, December 3rd from 1-3pm in Room 4, to discuss the 2016-2017 Common Read, The Third Reconstruction. Portions of the G.A. speeches will be viewed during the class. Consider how Rev. Barber’s “Fourteen Steps Forward Together” may apply to UUCCSM’s own justice work. Contact Audrey Lyness
Location: Room 4
When: Sunday December 3rd
Time: 1-3 PM
Contact Facilitator: Audrey Lyness
Neighboring Faiths: Beth Shir Shalom (Judaism)
Please join us for a Family Shabbat service on Friday, December 1st at 5:30 pm at the Beth Shir Shalom synagogue located at 1827 California Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403. See the RE table for a background of Progressive Reform Judaism, and temple etiquette.
For questions, contact Dorothy Steinicke