Newsletter for February, 2014
From Our Minister:
Dear ones,
I was nearly as surprised as the people sitting around me in Forbes Hall to hear myself say, “I want to pray more.”
We were talking about how Small Group Ministry has deepened or changed our spiritual life, and that was my answer. Since coming to lead the Small Group Ministry Facilitators’ Group each month, I have found myself more open, more receptive, more curious, and more in need of the spiritual practice of prayer. I believe this has emerged for me out of all the listening this ministry requires. I am coming to see that even when I can’t do anything — when I can’t fix it, I can’t restore what was lost, and I can’t change the past, for you or for myself — even then, I can offer my care and love. And I can pray.
As Christine Robinson and Alicia Hawkins of our UU congregation in Albuquerque, NM, point out, there are many ways to pray. This is adapted from their chapter “Prayer” in “Soul to Soul”:
Asking for help — one of the most powerful prayer practices I know — is only one kind of prayer. Prayers of gratitude, prayers of lament and grief and anger, and prayers of listening and silence are all present in global religious traditions, a nearly universal approach to coping with what it means to be human.
To pray, you can follow your breath, be still, make prayer beads. You can kneel, lie flat on the ground, or clasp your hands in petition. You can walk, trace a labyrinth with your fingers or feet, or visualize light gently encircling those you love. You can light a candle of joy or sorrow. You can listen to music, or read a sacred or personally meaningful text (lectio divina or sacred reading).
Which of these practices holds an interest for you? What has worked for you – or not – about prayer? What did you learn when you were growing up about prayer, or silence, and how is it part of your life now?
If you would like to share your reflections or responses via email, please send them to me at minister@uusm.org by February 17. Then I may be able to integrate your thoughts into the February 23 service on prayer.
This month is an invitation to consider how prayer may be calling to you in your life. Yes, even you.
See you in church,
Rev. Rebecca
From Our President:
Your board is hard at work reviewing the visioning materials and discussing goals for the future. We plan to discuss them with you at a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, February 23, at 12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please join us then.
As I think about my own goals for the church, I realize that, for me, it really comes down to one thing — I want the church to thrive. I want it to be a living, breathing organism that takes care of itself and its body parts. I want it to develop and change and impact the world around it, hopefully for the good. I want it to grow, not necessarily by adding on pounds or budding into multiples of itself, but by learning and failing and succeeding and becoming gradually more effective at being its true self.
I am certain that one critical action I can perform to aid in the success of this goal is to support the vision and goals of my minister. The minister has more access to the big picture of Unitarian Universalism in the wider world. The minister has the job of tending to the big picture of the congregation — the concerns and needs of everyone — in a way that the rest of us rarely accomplish. Leadership is important. We must care about supporting our leaders. Questioning authority is fine, but it has its limits. It is important to keep true to our UU principles, to hold our democratic discussions, and then to come together as one, joining with the majority to keep on moving forward.
On any given day, of course, I want smaller things, just like everyone else. I began my presidency wanting to help us communicate with each other in a kinder and more respectful way. I still want that. I would like us to be more effective at caring for one another and at involving each other in life-affirming activities.
I would like to successfully complete our building projects and perform some deferred maintenance to our physical plant. The good news in that department is that we have permits for the office and the new Arizona wall, and inspections are proceeding. If everything goes forward without further unforeseen problems, we should move back into the offices in early March.
Come to the Town Hall Meeting. I look forward to imagining our bright future with you.
— Cynthia Cottam
Featured Articles:
20 Things I Like About UUCCSM
In conjunction with celebrating 20 years of the Friendly Beasts, new members Ed, Lily, and Mary Sais compiled this engaging list and presented it as a Chalice Lighting.
Lily: 1) That love is the doctrine of the church and that everyone is welcome. 2) The values and principles mirror
ours. 3) The services inspire me and spark conversations. 4) That it allows me to connect to my community. 5) That it allows me to grow spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. 6) Hearing from people from different sexual orientations. 7) Donating to different organizations. 8) Mediation time.
Ed: 9) Seeing the work of the different artists showcased in Forbes Hall. 10) Wide variety of engaging guest speakers. 11) Friendly people in the congregation and meeting new people. 12) The arts and crafts at the Haunted House (which was a bit too scary this year for us).
Mary: 13) I get to do classes. 14) You get to do things and you don’t have to sit with your parents the whole time. 15) That I get to go up and be part of the service. 16) Hearing and seeing the choir. 17) Everybody that you meet says “hi” and you meet new people just by sitting next to them. 18) Other people get to ring the bell. 19) In the winter classes you get to make ornaments and you’re sharing dough. 20) You are welcome to sing all the songs.
Recent Events
Melanie Sharp is among many pledging members who enjoyed the benefits of Spa Day sponsored by the Stewardship Committee on January 12.
Rev. Rebecca interviews Edna and Phil Bonacich about their 50 years of marriage during the 11:00 a.m. Service January 12.
Kerry Thorne and Cicely Gilman relax at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center during the spiritual retreat led by Rev. Rebecca on January 18.
News & Announcements:
Pledges Commitments for 2014
To all members who did not sign a 2014 pledge commitment form: your 2013 pledge was automatically rolled over to a 2014 pledge. If you wish to make any changes to the amount or frequency your pledge is paid, please email Church Administrator Nurit Gordon at admin@uusm.org To all who make a pledge commitment, thank you.
Girl Scout Cookies are Here!
Please wait to purchase your cookies from the Scouts in our UUCCSM congregation. Our Scouts from various troops work collaboratively and uphold UU principles in their cookie sales. Cookie sale proceeds will support community-based service projects. Hold off your cookie purchase and support our UU Scouts! Look for the Scouts after each Sunday service in February.
-- Vala Legan
Go Green...
Contact office@uusm.org to receive the newsletter online only.
Two Caregivers’ Support Groups Reach Out to Help
A new Caregivers’ Support Group is forming for those who can’t attend the third Tuesday morning group. Rayma Greenberg writes, “I have been attending the Tuesday group for several years. Sharing concerns and information has been most helpful and supportive. If you are a caregiver, try it.” Being responsible for providing care for a chronically ill family member or friend can be alternately depressing, isolating, rewarding, frustrating, beautiful, and overwhelming. And you never know when the next crisis is coming, so you need to ready for it. It’s good to discuss what is happening with others who are in the same boat. The Caregivers’ Support Group can help you deal with day-to-day problems and questions while maintaining your own life and health. Upcoming dates are Sunday, February 9, 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., upstairs in Room 1, and Tuesday, February 18, 10 to 11:30 a.m. in Forbes Hall. for more information, contact Helen Brown or Joyce Holmen.
Dining for Dollars is Coming in March!
As many at UUCCSM know, Dining for Dollars is a silent auction where members and friends can bid on events such as dinners, baked goods, gift certificates, concerts, and other experiences offered by other members and friends. It is fun, and a major fundraiser for our church. The Bid sign-up sheets will be in Forbes Hall after both services on March 16 and 23 this year. We encourage everyone to participate both as a donor of dinners or services and as a bidder. But NOW is the time to sign up to offer an event or service — be creative — and/or volunteer to help with the organizing. Contact Sue Moore for more information.
Faith in Action News:
Green Living Hosts Second-Sunday Supper and Program on February 9
The Green Living Committee will host the February 9 Second-Sunday Supper at 6 p.m. and present ideas for making your own home more sustainable at 7 p.m. Leslie Reuter converted her 1970s tract home to one that uses less energy, less water, native plants, and low impact materials, and that creates less waste. Architect Alison Kendall, LEED AP BD+C, remodeled her 1920s historic home to produce renewable solar energy and illustrate green building and landscape design. She provides architectural and landscape design using the LEED and GreenPoint Rating systems to homeowners with green remodeling projects.
Come hear Alison and Leslie share their stories, and learn how you, too, can start the transition to a more sustainable home, which will save you energy, water, and money, while contributing to a healthier environment for us all for years to come.
Please bring a salad, vegetable dish, or dessert to share at the 6 p.m. supper, enjoy entrees and drinks from the Green Living Committee, and stay to explore ideas you can incorporate into your own home and daily life. It’s Sunday, February 9, in Forbes Hall. For more information contact Alison Kendall.
Progress for Santa Monica Hotel Workers Celebrated
Local hotel workers were joined by the faith community and Santa Monica activists to celebrate recent victories in Santa Monica, which create a precedent for new hotels to agree to pay a living wage or have a union as part of what they offer to the community, at an evening event on Wednesday, January 15.
“Celebration with a Vision,” hosted by our church and co-sponsored by Unite-Here Local 11 and CLUE-LA, brought together current and former activists to hear music and speakers, who included Tom Walsh, President of Local 11; Rabbi Jonathan Klein, Executive Director of CLUE-LA; community member Ana Jara; and City Council member Kevin McKeown.
The evening was highlighted by the words of hotel employee Elsa Mercado, who talked about the physical demands of hotel housekeeping, the challenges of working for low wages, and Progress for Santa Monica Hotel Workers Celebrated the inspiration workers receive from the support of community members. She was joined by Unite-Here Lead Organizer Soldedad Garcia, a former hotel worker at Santa Monica’s Viceroy Hotel. The Lefteous Sisters provided music and led the group in singing “We Shall Not Be Moved” in English and Spanish.
The event recognized the many large and small victories of Santa Monica activists since 1995, when the movement came together in response to a management attempt to decertify the union at the Miramar Hotel. The
Miramar is now one of four Santa Monica hotels with a union contract, to be joined shortly by new hotels at 710 Wilshire and at 5th and Colorado.
A comprehensive history of the movement to support workers in Santa Monica hotels was written by Frank Gruber, Abby Arnold, and Vivian Rothstein.
Peace and Social Justice Committee to Explore Immigration Policies
Tanya Golash-Boza, Associate Professor of Sociology at UC Merced, will speak at 1 p.m., Sunday, February 2, in our Sanctuary. Discussion will follow. The Peace and Social Justice Committee invites you and your friends and families to hear Prof. Golash-Boza describe how the immigration policies under George Bush and Barack Obama have caused a massive increase in the numbers of undocumented workers in detention centers and workers’ subsequent deportation. In 2001 the number deported was 186,000; in 2012 it was 409,849. The num er of immigrants held in detention increased from about 190,000 in 2005 to just under 400,000 in 2010. Those masses of workers are about 76% Latino and a great majority (73% in 2008) have families who are residents or U.S. citizens. Their arrest, detention, and deportation leads to disruption of family life, loss of income, and impoverishment and provides an excuse for racist treatment by police, in employment, and in social services.
Prof. Golash-Boza is the author of “Due Process Denied” (2012), which describes how and why noncitizens in the United States have been detained and deported for minor crimes, without regard for constitutional limits on disproportionate punishment, and “Immigration Nation” (2012), which provides a critical analysis of the impact that U.S. immigration policy has on human rights. She has written for scholarly journals and popular magazines and newspapers, such as “The Nation” and “Counterpunch.” Her website is radprof.weebly.com. For more information, contact Peggy Rhoads.
Cluster Meeting of UU Justice Ministry
On Saturday, January 11, the UU Community Church of Santa Monica hosted a meeting of the regional cluster of the UU Justice Ministry, which included 28 representatives from 8-10 congregations in the Los Angeles area. As was explained at the meeting, the UU Justice Ministry replaces the UU Legislative Ministry and broadens its function to incorporate the broader issue of social justice advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. The main purpose of the meeting was to work toward selecting a specific issue to be the focus of social justice work
by the regional cluster and to discuss how a disparate group of UU congregations could most effectively work together on that issue.
Discussion among the representatives of different congregations revealed some of the difficulties in coming up with a single overarching issue: some congregations are small and/or have only a limited number of people invested in social justice work, and those congregations that are already involved in social justice work are focusing on a range of different issues — such as immigrant detention, carwash and hotel workers, health care, mass incarceration, minimum wage and wage equity, fracking, water issues, GMO and food issues, among others. The next step is for representatives to consult with their respective congregations regarding preferences for selecting a particular issue.
— Nora Hamilton
Empty Bowls Program Works to Fight Hunger
UUCCSM youth and adult volunteers using donations from chefs, local merchants, and ceramic artisans will present an interesting event. Empty Bowls is an international grass roots effort to fight hunger. Guests are asked to make a cash donation for a simple meal of soup and bread. In addition, they are invited to take home a handmade ceramic bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to alleviate hunger and food insecurity.
The event, on Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Forbes Hall, will increase awareness of hunger in our community and raise funds for Westside Food Bank to assist in its work with 70 different agencies that provide food to those in need in our area. Please support this effort by your donation and your presence and by volunteering to help if you can. Pre-sale for the event will take place on February 9 following both services. Donations will also be accepted on the day of the event. Come and bring your friends. If you are willing to volunteer on March 8 please contact Bettye Barclay or Gena Garrett.
Interweave Hosts a One-Day-Late Valentine’s Potluck
Saturday, February 15 / 4 to 7 p.m. at Janet Goodwin and Karl Lisovsky's house
Please join us for a celebration of love and connection on Saturday, February 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. Janet Goodwin will make a vegan chili and a vegetarian pumpkin soup. Karl Lisovsky will make some pizzas. You bring whatever you like. We’ll eat, drink, and be merry — then we’ll take a little time to talk about our goals this coming year for Interweave (our LGBTQ & allies group). Please RSVP to Janet Goodwin.
Splinters from the Board:
The board welcomes new board member Emily Hero, who has graciously accepted the Member-At-Large position that became open after Bruno Lacombe had to step down due to family commitments. We thank Emily for her enthusiasm and willingness to continue the work.
As of this January’s meeting the church has 375 members. Mary Anne O’Toole, Mark Warkentin, Ed Sais, Lily Sais, and Linda Marten have joined us.
During the month of December, the UUCCSM Generous Congregation Contribution gave $267 to the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center, $2,203 to OPCC and $113 to the UU Service Committee. The large sum to OPCC is largely due to the three Christmas Eve services that were held this past December.
Rev. Bijur was very pleased with the the Winter Holiday services line-up, with 3 Christmas Eve services, a Solstice Vespers, and an AAHS talk. She also welcomed Danny Gledhill, our new Church Accompanist, and Robin Wohlman, our interim Office Assistant. She also reported on a special event whereby 11 church leaders toured OPCC. To quote our minister, it was a “reminder that those who are homeless and vulnerable in our community, as well as those who help them, have faces, names, pains, joys, and stories to share – just as I do.”
Catherine Farmer Loya reports that 5th and 6th grade O.W.L. program will begin January 26. The same day the RE program will be visiting the Turning Point transitional housing shelter, where we’ll take a tour of the facility and prepare bag lunches for the residents. This is part of the Faith In Action Sundays program.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reports that we have 10 congregations lined up to participate in the 2nd Annual MLK Choral Festival – some from as far away as San Diego. The festival will take place at Throop Church in Pasadena on Sunday, January 19. During March the music program will be performing music by significant female choral composers at our worship services. Also, Farrar reports that Babatunde Akinboboye is no longer with us as he had to resign due to scheduling conflicts. He will fill the Bass Section Leader position as soon as possible.
Administrator Nurit Gordon reports that as of 1/14/14 we have received $406,000 toward a goal of $410,000. She also stressed the need for folks to turn off the heaters when they leave the church.
Board meeting attendees contributed to the discussion about the upcoming Visioning Town Hall meeting on February 23, 2014. The discussion touched on ideas such as investing in the future through an endowment fund, the Memorial Garden, a Congregational Life volunteer, building on Pastoral Care, reaching out beyond our walls and social justice movements.
We talked about how big a church we want in the future, the need for a covenant as to how we take care of one another, and wheelchair access to the 2nd floor of Forbes Hall. The board will be devoting a meeting exclusively on this subject on January 22.
The board approved several change orders addressing the Office Renovation. The board also approved that a church committee may conduct an “Empty Bowls” fundraiser with the purpose of donating money to the Westside Food Bank.
The next board meeting will be on February 11, and Vilma Ortiz will be helping to facilitate the next Newcomer Orientation on February 2. The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
— Bronwen Jones
Other UU News & Events:
“Here is a photo of your minister at the Installation Service for the Rev. Julia Hamilton of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, where I preached the installation sermon on December 7, 2013.”
— Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
UUCSC is proud to announce "An Evening with Joanne Bland"
Ms. Bland was the director for many years for the Voting Rights Museum in Selma Alabama. As she puts it, "I grew up in the Movement," and that's quite an understatement. She was on the Bridge in Selma for what is now known as Bloody Sunday. She had been arrested about a dozen times by the age of 13. Her stories come from the heart and are intended for the soul. When President Obama was on his first presidential campaign trail, he visited Ms. Bland and had a rare one on one moment with her. Her story is motivating and engaging.
When: Thu Feb 13
Time: 7 pm
There will be a Spaghetti Supper so PLEASE let us know if you plan on attending. At this time childcare is not planned, but we encourage children and youth to attend. If you require child care , please let us know and we will make all attempts to provide it.
PLEASE REPLY TO; John Mekrut at visitors@uustudiocity.org
Sing-Along, Comedy, and Musical Entertainment
"Wine and Song"
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City presents a program of sing-a-long, comedy, and wine on Saturday, March 8. Comedienne Shannon Corder emcees a unique evening of live music, audience sing-a-long, and comedy as she and song leader Brenna Redpath take the audience through a program of time-honored show tunes and pop songs from the Beatles; Peter, Paul, and Mary; Simon and Garfunkel; Pete Seeger, and many more. In addition are performances by the quirky barbershop group Bill’s Bari-Pie Quartet and The Rob, Beth, and Julia vocal trio. Accompanists are Bruce Farwell, guitar; Anthony Concepcion, piano, and the UU2 band. Admission includes free hors d'oeuvres, a raffle, and a cash bar.
Doors open at 6:30 pm, Showtime 7 pm. Door charge is $10 per ticket, but no one will be turned away for a lack of funds. Babysitting is available.
UUCSC, 12355 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604; 818-769-911; www.uustudiocity.org; info@uustudiocity.org; contact: Julia Nizinski
All revenue from this event serves to support the ongoing community programs of UUCSC.
RE News:
From Our DRE:
Prayer isn’t a word we hear with regularity in UU communities, so it may seem strange at first that we’ve chosen it as our ministry theme for February.
We’re more likely to talk about meditation, or even simply “a time of silence.” Prayer is one of those religious vocabulary words that many of us have trouble with, perhaps feeling that it’s too linked to a particular kind of theism that is not claimed by many Unitarian Universalists. So we tend to eschew it entirely from our community’s lexicon. I think that we do this to our own detriment, though, and that there is value to be found in defining religious words from our own liberal perspective rather than allowing them to be defined so narrowly by others that we have to abandon them altogether. I confess that I am sometimes envious of people whose religious communities have a strong tradition of contemplative practice; it’s something that can bring great depth to religious life, and something that I wish I didn’t have to cobble together more or less on my own.
So here’s what I think about UU prayer: it doesn’t matter to me whether it’s addressed to anything outside yourself. What matters is a calling within your own heart to two things that can help you lead a more authentic and meaningful life — attention and intention. How might our actions throughout the day be different if each of us took five minutes first thing in the morning, and five more right before going to sleep at night, to do T-H-I-S:
Reflect on one thing we are Thankful for, one thing we Hope for, one thing we resolve to Improve, and one person in need to Send loving thoughts toward?
My husband and I have been thinking lately about the kinds of rituals and traditions we want to be part of our son’s life as he grows up. He’s just a tiny little guy, but even now we can begin to establish patterns that will be part of the fabric of our lives together as a family. We are an interfaith family, UU and Episcopalian, so we’ve been having some very rich conversations about our “family faith” and how to create practices that honor and give voice to both of our traditions.
Every family is interfaith, in a sense, though, because the kinds of things that resonate deeply with one person may have little meaning to another even if their religious affiliation is the same. This month, I encourage you to join us in practicing attention and intention: what contemplative practices — individual or within your family — would help you align your everyday actions with your own most deeply held values? Let us join together in prayer.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Children's RE
TThis month in the children’s RE program, preschoolers will celebrate Valentine’s Day, as well as explore dance and movement and then begin the second half of the “Celebrating Me and My World” curriculum with an encounter with the many wonderful animals in our world. We are very excited to launch two new elementary programs. “Love Surrounds Us,” for K-2nd graders, explores the seven UU principles in the context of Beloved Community of family/home, school, church, and neighborhood.
Our 3rd-5th graders will experience and explore ways they can use their power as agents for positive change in the world in the new “Sing to the Power” program.
Middle schoolers in 6th-7th grades will continue to explore spirituality through the arts and creativity, this month by considering what forces create and shape the self, as well as exploring spirituality and building their own confidence in producing good and creative ideas.
And our 8th grade Coming of Age youth will spend February wrapping up the Big Questions portion of their program with sessions that explore the concept of ultimate worth and their own truest selves, both individually and in relationship with others in their lives.
The 5th-6th grade Our Whole Lives human sexuality class (OWL) is in full swing, and the K-1st grade class will begin in March, with the first parent orientation to be held on Sunday, February 9.
Youth RE
Jake Brunell Brings the Voice of the Youth to LRE Committee
The LRE Youth Subcommittee is happy to announce that Jake Brunell, a member of our YRUU group, has stepped forward to join the LRE Committee. As a regular participant at Camp de Benneville Pines for over 10 years, Jake, also a long-time Boy Scout, is interested in promoting attendance at youth and family camps. “I would like to bring more fellow youth to camp and overall be a voice for the youth of our church.” He is a 10th grader, the younger son of Alan and Amy Brunell, and has attended our church since he was 9 years old.
Jake was inspired recently to join the committee and to become generally more involved in church. “I was at de Benneville for Youth Winter Camp and they had a worship training. I found out that other churches had members of their YRUU involved in their RE programs, and I wanted to become more involved at our church.” So he spoke to Catherine Farmer Loya about it, and she was delighted. Liza Cranis, a member of the LRE Youth Subcommittee also responded favorably. “We’re really excited to have Jake on our team and look forward to working with him on youth issues and programs.”
Adult RE
What do YOU do on Wednesday evenings? Check out what’s happening in February. Starting on February 19 (3rd Wednesday) we will begin a six-part video and discussion series titled “Long Strange Trip,” a program by Ron Cordes, a UU from Bedford, MA. Cordes has always been interested in history and videography. Still, after a long career as an electrical engineer and software developer, he never expected to be the author of what is becoming probably the most important video resource for teaching, and learning about UU history in our congregations.
The series starts with the beginning of Christianity and carries through to current times. Discussions will take
place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month through July 2014 beginning at 7 p.m. in Forbes Hall. Feel free to
come early with your brown bag dinner for some preworkshop socializing. Childcare will be provided on
request; sign up in Forbes Hall at the Lifespan Table.
A week earlier, starting on February 12 (2nd Wednesday) the Wednesday Night Writers gather in Forbes at 7 p.m. to spend a couple of hours doing freeform writing on prompts provided by group members and sharing the results. All are welcome, whatever your level of writing expertise, for an evening that is predictably unpredictable. Sometimes deeply moving, sometimes silly, always educational, this 2nd Wednesday tradition is something to look forward to. No need to sign up — just show up.
On February 26 (4th Wednesday), the writers convene again at 7 p.m. in Forbes Hall, bringing with them pieces they are working on at home. Group members offer critiques, helpful hints, and lots of moral support. Don’t know what to do on a Wednesday evening? Think church.
BYOT Ethics, Part II
Again led by Leon Henderson MacLennan, the second half of the Ethics series of workshops kicks off on Thursday, March 20 and runs for four consecutive Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. in the Cottage. The first half of the series was thought-provoking and powerful. Part II promises more of the same.
Positive Parenting Continues
Kerry Thorne’s popular workshop continues every Sunday through March 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. upstairs in Forbes 2. Childcare is available upon request. Sign up at the Lifespan Table in Forbes Hall.
The Power of Myth
Two more sessions of Joseph Campbell’s series remain to be shown and discussed. Plan to take part on Sunday, February 2, and Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m. in the Cottage.
Patio Chat
Monthly UUCCSM Theme Discussion with Leon Henderson-MacLennan @ 10:10 a.m. on the Patio
Sunday, February 23 — Sacrifice
Ministry Theme for February: PRAYER
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of weekly thoughts about our ministerial theme for February. Daily thoughts are published in the weekly email announcements.
To be present is to be prayerful. — Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh [1st, 2nd principles]
Forgive me my nonsense as I also forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense. — Robert Frost [1st, 3rd, 5th ]
Make me sympathetic without being sentimental, helpful but not bossy. Let me discover merits where I had not expected them, and talents in people whom I had not thought to possess any. And, Lord, give me the grace to tell them so. — Margot Benary-Isbert [3rd]
If the only prayer you said was thank you that would be enough. — Meister Eckhart [4th]
For the children around the world without a home, say a prayer tonight. — Third Day [6th]
Prayer does not use up artificial energy, doesn’t burn up any fossil fuel, doesn’t pollute. Neither does song, neither does love, neither does the dance. — Margaret Mead [7th]
You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. In that insight of inter-being, it is possible to have real communication with the Earth, which is the highest form of prayer. — Thich Nhat Hanh [7th]