Newsletter for February, 2015
From Our Minister:
As many of you know, Unitarian Universalists all over the country are now choosing to explore monthly themes in their congregations. All Souls in Tulsa, OK, pioneered the model of theme-based ministry over twelve years ago under the leadership of the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar. Since then, All Souls Tulsa and other congregations have made their three-year cycle of themes into an online resource for UUs who wish to engage in study and reflection on the same themes as many other UUs. Four years ago, UU Santa Monica adapted our theme-based ministry from the themes chosen by All Souls Tulsa, as well as those of Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, First Church Los Angeles, and the UU Church of Santa Clarita. We are now in the fourth year of our theme-based ministry, which has returned us to some of the themes from our first year in 2011-12, with some new additions.
God, our theme for February, is a new addition to our theme-based ministry. God is one of the themes that was first used in Tulsa, but I was reluctant to explore God with this diverse congregation in our first three years of theme-based ministry, particularly in light of this community’s important history of being a welcoming home for those who identify as non-theists. However, as we reach the midpoint of our fifth year together, I am now more confident that you and I are up to the challenge of engaging in reflection, respectful conversation, and deep listening about God alongside our commitments to non-theism, theism, and many other spiritual identities.
When I talk about God, I am talking about the deep mystery of life. My understanding of God has come out of reflection on my life experiences and encounters with all that is not-me, particularly other people and ideas, as well as from my study of religion, science, myth, poetry, storytelling, and earth. My personal theology includes a vital place for that-which-is-beyond-me. This can include that which is beyond my understanding, and ultimately beyond my ability to explain or articulate, and yet also what I have glimpsed or felt in moments of connection, insight, wonder, love, and deep feeling. I choose to live my life as if you, I, and our companions in life, can experience mutual flourishing, and as if the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice, as our spiritual ancestor, the Unitarian minister and abolitionist Theodore Parker, once wrote.
A wise faith leader once asked someone to tell her about the God they didn’t believe in, because chances are, she didn’t believe in that God, either. In his column, “What is God?” Rev. Lavanhar of our Tulsa church makes a similar point. Like him, I want to be clear that when I talk about God, I am not talking about a bearded man in the sky. I am not talking about a God who orders violence against any out-group or metes out punishment to those who fail to meet God’s standards.
I am talking about what allows us to “turn adversity into character and despair into hope,” as Rev. Lavanhar writes. I’m talking about where we find the strength to forgive, the forgiveness that makes the future possible. I’m talking about the transforming power of love that comforts us as we survive grief and loss, and the spirit of solidarity that lifts our hearts toward a vision of Beloved Community, and moves our feet and hands to build that world we dream of. To me these are deeply mysterious powers, to which so many have committed their lives: the source of hope and peace, the strength to forgive, the transforming power of love, and the spirit of community. These powers I also name as God.
For some Unitarian Universalists, God language is a spot of great tenderness — meaning hurt, confusion, loss, and betrayal. And for some Unitarian Universalists, God language is a spot of great tenderness — meaning compassion, peace, strength, and joy.
Whatever language you use, I believe God has a place in our diverse spiritual community, and that talking about the God we don’t believe in, or the God we do believe in, can strengthen our church. I hope our themebased ministry will continue to open our doors, hearts, and minds in ways that deepen our understanding of our religious commitments and strengthen our connections to one another in our pluralistic faith.
With love and faith in the journey,
— Rev. Rebecca
Thank you to Rev. Marlin Lavanhar and the All Souls Tulsa congregation for making their theme-based resources available online, particularly on the theme of God: http://themebasedministry.org
Recommended Reading on God
“The Case for God,” by Karen Armstrong
“America’s Four Gods: What We Say About God — And What That Says About Us,” by Paul Froese and Christopher Bader
“What is God?” by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, All Souls Tulsa, December 2010, and “What if I don’t believe?” by Rev. Tamara Leback, All Souls Tulsa, December 2010, both at http:// themebasedministry.org/wordpress/wpcontent/ uploads/2012/04/Dec_2010_God_internet.pdf
“Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief,” by Andrew Newberg, Eugene D’Aquili, and Vince Rause
“Fluent in Faith: A Unitarian Universalist Embrace of Religious Language,” by Jeanne Harrison Nieuwejaar
“God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World,” by Stephen Prothero
“Faithest: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious,” by Chris Stedman
“The Evolution of God,” by Robert Wright
From the Intern Minister
Bring your heart and soul to a new alternative worship service on Sunday, March 8!
What is alternative worship, you may ask, and why do we need it? Many congregations offer a different worship service from the traditional Sunday service to give the community alternative ways of worshipping. Heart and Soul worship emerged from a desire among some congregants to participate in an alternative form of worship in addition to our regular Sunday service. Some congregations do a traditional Taize service with chants and silence in between; some do a long meditation sit; and others do a “Soulful Sundown” service that is very interactive, aimed at youth. But in each case, the service offers something different from the traditional Sunday service.
To that end several congregants and I, including two of our youth, have been working to create an alternative worship service for UU Santa Monica. The first Heart and Soul worship will be held on Sunday, March 8, in the Sanctuary from 5 to 6 p.m. right before the Second Sunday Supper. Heart and Soul will be an embodied, participatory, and soulful form of worship for people of all ages, with a lot of communal singing of simple songs. So that you can become familiar with the music, we have an opportunity for you to join us for a Sing-Along to learn the songs on Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please bring your voices, your instruments, and your hearts to this Sing-Along, so that you can participate wholeheartedly in the worship on March 8.
The Heart and Soul worship team of Eric Huang, Paice Van Ooyen, Jacob Valore, Kikanza Nuri-Robins, DeReau Farrar, and I look forward to worshipping with you in a service that includes music, ritual, sharing, candlelight, inspirational words, and connection. There will be an information table in Forbes Hall throughout February, if you’d like to learn more and get involved.
We hope you will join us for the Sing-Along on March 1 from 1 to 2 p.m. and then for the first Heart and Soul worship on March 8 from 5 to 6 p.m.
— Nica Eaton-Guinn
From Our President:
I am reading “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, a seminal African novel set in Nigeria and written 50 years ago. I was inspired to make a vegan African stew for our Board meeting, which had a very full agenda and needed full stomachs.
As always, Cynthia’s “Splinters” column appears in this newsletter and the minutes are on the membersonly website, but I wanted to share the Board’s Statement of Wishes for Policy Governance. Creating the Statement of Wishes kicks off the next step in the investigation of Policy Governance, which is the formation of a Governance Task Force (GTF). Once chosen, the GTF will create a vision statement for the governance process followed by a series of sessions for the congregation at large and for specific groups of leaders. The wishes are:
1. Inspired, energized leadership focused on UU Santa Monica mission.
2. Clear policies that allow Board, staff, volunteers, and congregation to own and act on their responsibility, power, and authority to make decisions.
3. A mission-based budget that reflects UU Santa Monica’s deepest values and aspirations as a community.
4. Increased participation and leadership from volunteers who have freedom to move forward with good ideas, and are free to do the good work they want to do.
5. Clarity of authority, responsibility, and accountability, especially for what decision-making belongs to Board of Directors, Minister, Church Administrator, staff, and committees.
6. Improved ability to manage and navigate conflict and disagreement with dignity, compassion, and respect.
7. A clear appeals process when a decision is challenged and a clear end to the appeals process.
8. Increased focus by Board and staff on responsibilities that are truly theirs — the work only the Board or staff can do.
9. Increased ability of leaders to focus on the future and the possibilities and potential rewards of change.
10. Service as a Board member as energizing, fun, inspiring, and transformative; a wait list of qualified, interested volunteers.
11. Organized, comprehensive, broad policies that are defined and redefined as needed.
12. Efficient decision-making.
I have begun another class of mindfulness meditation at UCLA. My class is a continuing session for those who wish to go deeper. Our leader, Diana Winston, chooses the focus for each class but we get to give input in the final meeting of the previous class. This time the subject is “Change, Impermanence, and Letting Go!” With meditation it is important to practice consistently, i.e., every day in some way, and sometimes I don’t find the time to do so. Ah, I am human.
Our family subscribes to “The Economist,” a hefty weekly magazine published in London. In the issue titled “The World in 2015,” I was struck by an article (p. 133 if you have the magazine) about the return of nine-to-five — bye-bye to the long-hours culture, hello to changing how we live and work with vacations, holidays, time with family, and time to engage in other activities. But: “Type A personalities (and most of them will remain that type) will start doing things in addition to the day job. … Some will do aggressive volunteering and compete to change the world more successfully than the next guy.” I say bring them on!
— Patricia Wright
Featured Articles:
Turning Towards Lent: Trying On Change
For the three major religions of the Western World — Islam, Judaism, and Christianity — there are periods in the year that deal specifically with self-improvement. For Islam it’s Ramadan; for Jews it’s Rosh Hashanah; and for Christians it’s Lent. Both Unitarianism and Universalism are historically liberal Christian faiths with distinctive theologies. Unitarians dating back to the time of Jesus saw him as an inspired human being rather than a deity. They followed the traditional Jewish idea of one and only one God. The Universalists focused more on the reconciliation of God with all humanity after Jesus was sacrificed. Both came into existence rejecting the negative Calvinistic view of human depravity and inspired by our human potential for goodness. In the last 100 years, Unitarians in particular began cutting their ties with Christianity, attracted to a humanistic perspective that leaves theological questions up to each individual and focuses on common values.
They said, in effect, “Let’s not worry about whether our ethics and morals came from divine revelation or social construction. Let’s put them into action for the good of the world.” In our rush toward liberating ourselves from the confines of theology that is no longer relevant, we’ve discarded rituals, traditions, and practices rich with meaning. Lent is one of them. For me, Lent is a manageable period of time to try on change. A time to turn away from oppression and turn towards dignity and respect. I have chosen to “take something on” rather than “give something up” — but it’s all semantics, as when taking something on, something is given up in return.
It’s a time of self-discipline and self-reflection where I try on change, deepen my commitment to self-care, and spiritual growth. It’s a time to reflect on who I am and who I want to be. It’s a time of re-balancing. And it’s “just” for 40 days. What would you like to turn away from and turn towards? This year, UU Santa Monica is trying on Lent. February 18 marks the beginning of the Lenten period, and we’ll start with an Ash Wednesday service: remembering that we are made of ashes from the dust of the Universe. We’ll meet each week for reflection and meditation, and to check in regarding how we’re doing with our “turning.” The Lenten period concludes with a Maundy Thursday service, UU style, on April 2.
For more information about this new program contact either Rhonda or Rev. Rebecca.
The Rev. Sam Trumbore’s blog was a resource for this article.
— Rhonda Peacock
February is Dining for Dollars Month
"Frozen" Sing-a-Long Kickoff Event: Saturday February 28 6 p.m. in the Sanctuary Featuring: *Gourmet hotdogs (including vegan dogs) from Let’s Be Frank *Nachos *Popcorn *Candy *Elsa, Anna, and Olaf singing all your favorite songs about ice and winter and letting stuff go.
All are welcome! Pay what you want!
For more information, contact Patrick Meighan.
Dining for Dollars is an annual silent auction that raises income essential to meeting our budget goals. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this fun (and delicious) way to get to know the people at UU Santa Monica. Join us at the church on February 28 for this year’s kickoff event, a “Frozen” sing-along with hot dogs and theater food, hosted by Patrick Meighan and Amy Thiel. (Donations will be accepted at the door.) Look over the other events listed below. More are being added every day. We still need yours! And come to Forbes Hall on February 15 and 22 to place your bids! QUESTIONS? Contact Farrokh Allen , Barbara Gibbs or Sue Moore.
Dining for Dollars 2015 Event List
Day Date Time Dining for Dollars Event Description Hosts
Sat. Feb. 28 - 6 p.m. Movie “Frozen” Sing-along with Gourmet Hot Dogs Patrick Meighan & Amy Thiel
Sun. Mar. 15 - 7 p.m. Dinner with a Persian Accent Faz & Lucy Elahi
Sat. Mar. 21- 7 p.m. Vernal Equinox Celebration with 7-course Meal Kikanza Nuri-Robins
Sat. Mar. 21 - 6:30 p.m. Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner Cynthia Cottam & Tom Early
Sun. Mar. 22 - 11 a.m. Musicantica Studio Zanni at The Music Center & Lunch Nicole & Leon Henderson-Maclennan
Sat. Mar. 28 - 4 to 8 p.m. Lucy’s Poker Party & Fish Dinner Lucy Hahn
Sat. Mar. 28 - 7 p.m. Simply Delicious Feast of Ancient Greece Barbara Kernochan
Sat. Apr. 4 - 6 p.m. Guatemalan Food & Viewing Movie “El Norte” Patricia & Ned Wright
Thu. Apr. 9 - 12 noon Lunch & Tour of NPR West Studio in Culver City Peggy Kharraz & Katie Malich
Sat. Apr. 11 - 1 p.m. COLOR! (create your own watercolor painting) Bettye Barclay
Sat. Apr. 11 - 5 p.m. “Thin Man” Cocktail Party with Professional Bartender Abby Arnold
Wed. Apr. 15 - 11 a.m. Homeboy Industries Tour & Homegirl Café Lunch Peggy Kharraz & Nancy Howell
Sat. Apr. 18 - 11 a.m. S.M. Historical Tour & Huntley Hotel Lunch Kay Ward & Natalie Kahn
Sat. Apr. 18 - 6:30 p.m. Beatles and Gourmet Pizza Karl Lisovsky & Janet Goodwin
Sun. Apr. 19 - 4 to 6 p.m. Renaissance Music by Strolling Minstrel with Food Ellen Levy, Bob Dietz, & Barbara Gibbs
Sun. Apr. 19 - 1 p.m. Downtown L.A. Historic Walking Tour John Zinner
Fri. Apr. 24 - 6 p.m. Scrabble & Snacks Night at Joanne’s Joanne Brownlie & Lois Hutchinson
Sat. Apr. 25 - 11 a.m. Beach Bike Ride & French Picnic Francois Bar & Alison Kendall
Sat. Apr. 25 - 5 p.m. Authentic Louisiana Crawfish Boil Jacki Weber & Lorenzo Pelayo
Sat. May 2 - 12 noon Zuma Canyon Wildflower Walk & Picnic Dorothy Steinicke
Sat. May 2 - 6:30 p.m. Breakfast for Dinner Sue Bickford & Dan Nannini
Sun. May 3 - 1:30 p.m. Creative Reuse Art making for Kids Jonathan Markowitz Bijur
Fri. May 22 - 7 p.m. Craft Beer and Food Pairing Christie & David Ferreria
Sat. May 23 - 9 to 10:15 a.m. To Your Health Yoga Class & Refreshments Beth Brownlie & Bryan Oakes
Sat. May 23 - 7 p.m. Japanese Cuisine at Sake House Patio Resa Foreman
Sat. May 30 - 10 a.m. The Last Dean’s FABULOUS Pancake Breakfast Bob Dietz & Ellen Levy
Sat. May 30 - 6 to 9 p.m. Casual BBQ Vicky Foxworth & Jeff Pressman
Sat. May 30 - 6:30 p.m. Gourmet Greek with Food Chemistry Explanations Rebecca Crawford
Sat. June 6 - 7 p.m. Mexican & Margaritas Gretchen & David Goetz
Sun. June 7 - 1 p.m. Bridge Buffet Karl Lisovsky & Janet Goodwin
Sun. June 7 - 5:30 p.m. Ladies’ Night in the Heated Pool Julie Nyquist
Sun. June 7 - TBD AAHS Spaghetti Dinner Ian Dodd & AAHS
Sat June 13 - 7 p.m. Motown Choir Concert DeReau Farrar
Fri. July 17 - 7 p.m. Gourmet Dining Under a 130-year-old Oak Tree Heather Brittenham
Sun. July 19 - afternoon Hollywood Arclight Movie & Dinner Bonnie Brae
Sat Aug. 15 - 7 p.m. Hollywood Whenever Movie & BBQ Marsha Smith & Laurel Bleak
Sun. Aug. 16 - 12:30 p.m. Jonathan Beach Club 4-course Champagne Brunch William & Marjorie Anderson
Sat. Sep. 12 - 12 noon Filipino Dinner Mike Monte
Sun. Sep. 13 - 5 p.m. 11th Scrabble Tournament & Alphabet Soup Dinner Elizabeth Fuller & Dan Kegel
Sat. Sep 26. - 5 p.m. Brazilian BBQ Ian Dodd & Margot Page
Sun. Sep. 27 - 5 p.m. Charades and Supper Steven DePaul & Beth Rendeiro
Fri. Oct. 2 - 7 p.m. Haute Cuisine Dinner Circa 1955 Beth Brownlie & Bryan Oakes
Sat. Oct. 3 - 2 p.m. Sugar Skull Making for Dia de los Muertos Katie Malich & Amy Lacombe
Sat. Oct. 3 - 7 p.m. 1001st Night at Shahrazad’s Persian Restaurant Farrokh & Garland Allen
Sat. Oct. 10 - 6:30 p.m. Vegan Feast with Wonderful Palate of Spices Ken & Crystal Alexander
Sun. Oct. 11 - 12:30 p.m. Brunch at the Beach (Bel Air Bay Club) David & Kitsy Olson
Sat. Oct. 17 - 6:30 p.m. Epicureans Unite! (6-course dinner and wine pairing) Rhonda Peacock
Sat. Oct. 24 - 7 p.m. Monty Python Fun & Trivia with Dinner Melissa & John Weaver
Sat. Oct. 31 - 7 p.m. Dia de los Muertos Beverly Alison & Linda van Ligten
Sun. Nov. 1 - 3 to 5 p.m. Snaps & Snacks (portraits in a studio setting) Charles & Christine Haskell
Fri. Nov. 13 - 11 a.m. Tour St. Sophia Cathedral & Papa Cristo’s Lunch Sheila Cummins & Katie Malich
Sat. Nov. 14 - 7 p.m. All American Dinner Marjorie Annapav
MORE: Play reading of “Harvey” (Liza Cranis); Back on Beach GC (Chris Jones); Computer consulting (Mark Warkentin); Hand knit socks (Helen Brown); Hand knit item (Karen Patch): Quick Breads (Sylvia Young & Peggy Rhoads); Scones (Katie Malich)
Renewal and Growth for Rev. Rebecca
UU Santa Monica has a long history of sending its ministers on sabbatical. Sabbaticals are used to seek spiritual renewal as well as to pursue study, education, writing, meditation, and professional and religious growth. Both Rev. Judith Meyer and Rev. Ernie Pipes took sabbaticals, to the benefit of our ministers and our congregation, and this year Rev. Rebecca will take a sabbatical, from September 21 to Jan 5, 2016.
Rev. Rebecca is planning to be on family leave from approximately June 1 to August 24, depending on when baby Bijur arrives. During her family leave time, Rev. Rebecca will be focusing on her family and the new baby. This, too, will be a time of growth!
In between her family and sabbatical leaves, Rev. Rebecca will be back with us for the month of September.
During Rev. Rebecca’s leave times, we plan to work with a part-time Acting Minister to lead worship, provide pastoral care, supervise our church staff, and support other key ministries in our congregation. Many of us recall Rev. Erika Hewitt’s time with us during Rev. Rebecca’s family leave in 2012, and the ministry of Rev. Jim Grant during Rev. Judith’s four-month sabbatical in 2005. The Committee on Ministry is working on finding the right Acting Minister(s) for us and looks forward to sharing news of that individual or individuals in the coming months.
As we prepare for these special times of leave, renewal, and growth, we know it will be an exciting year for Rev. Rebecca and our church. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns.
— Committee on Ministry (Kris Langabeer, Alan Brunell, Sue Stoyanoff (Co-Chair), Tom Peters (Co-Chair), Rev. Rebecca), committeeonministry@uusm.org
News & Announcements:
February Ministry Theme: God
The ministry theme for February is God. This month, Rev. Rebecca continues a four-part series of sermons on God from a Unitarian Universalist perspective. February 1 she will give a brief history of non-theism, humanism, and the New Atheism movement. February 15 she will have a conversation about UUs in recovery from addiction and their experiences with AA and other recovery programs. February 22 she will conclude with the images of God held by UUs, and what Amerians say about God, and what that says about us.
Faith in Action News:
We Continue to Visit Detained Immigrants
Visits to immigrants being held in the James Musick Detention Center continue to be a good way of expressing our UU belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual. In early January, four of us, Patrick Meighan, Resa Foreman, Cathie Gentile, and Peggy Rhoads, visited with Beatriz, Rosa, Sal, Luis, and Samuel (real names not used). Their stories were unique but also typical of the stories we have heard personally and in media sources about the experience of arrest, incarceration, and detention.
Beatriz has been in this country since she was a young child. She has no family members in her country of birth. Her family, including children and grandchildren, are staying with relatives, but have not been to visit her yet. She has made friends while in detention and makes use of recreation facilities available to her. Although she has been in only a short while, she misses her family and hopes to be released after an immigration hearing coming soon.
Rosa has been here most of her adult life. She, too, has been in detention for only a short while and has children and grandchildren in the U.S.
Sal is from Southeast Asia and speaks very little English. He was a soccer player and somehow he became involved in an illegal activity and had to flee for his life leaving behind a family. No other detainees speak the same language as Sal and he feels isolated. Because of the language barrier, it was difficult to gain more information about Sal’s situation.
Samuel is from Africa. He also had to flee his country for political reasons. He was a quality control engineer in an oil refinery. He had been pressuring the management of the company to translate all the safety documentation from French to English. Four of his coworkers were injured and one died because they couldn’t read the safety information. Samuel is from an Englishspeaking region of his country and he has been involved in trying to keep his region from joining in with the French region. This has caused him to be targeted by the government, and he had to flee his home and his family without any documents. Samuel is applying for asylum.
Luis and Samuel are more recent arrivals to the U.S. and followed a tortuous path to arrive in the U.S. Their families remain behind in their native countries. All of these detainees appreciate the visits that we have made through Friends of Orange County Detainees, and we have committed to visiting them again.
— Cathie Gentile and Peggy Rhoads
On Sunday, March 1, in both services, members of the Friends of Orange County Detainees’ leadership team, Beverly Huff and Tricia Ayers, will speak from our pulpit. They will also conduct an orientation after the second service for anyone interested in signing up for visiting detainees. The room for the orientation will be included in the announcements in the order of service.
Empty Bowls
Our second annual Empty Bowls event on Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will raise money to help alleviate hunger in our local communities. Last year we raised over $2,000, which was donated to the Westside Food Bank. Empty Bowls is an international grass roots effort to alleviate hunger. Local chefs and merchants donate soup and bread; potters donate handmade bowls for the event. For a $20 donation people enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread and take home a handmade bowl to remind them of all the empty bowls in the world. There are several ways you can support this worthwhile effort:
• Pre-sale after both services on Sunday, February 8 and March 1: Make your $20 donation and reserve your spot for March 7.
• Volunteer- sign-up sheets available February 8 and March 1, or contact Gena Garrett.
• Come on March 7 and bring your friends. Donations accepted at the door. Questions? Contact Bettye Barclay or Ellen Levy
Undy Sunday
Undy Sundays Gerrie Lambson staffing the Undy Sunday table in Forbes Hall in January. Photo by Charles Haskell.
Splinters from the Board:
The Board began its meeting, as always, with dinner, chalice lighting, covenant, and check in. We had a very full agenda and got quickly down to business. Jerry Moore, who has been working with our UU camp at de Benneville Pines for 25 years, described a new opportunity for some of our families to attend camp the weekend of May 8 to 10. Craig’s cabin, which sleeps about 20, will be available on this weekend when most of the other people in the camp will be doing maintenance work. Watch for upcoming publicity.
Sue Stoyanoff, representing the Committee on Ministry, presented a draft of the Acting Minister Job Description and Letter of Understanding to be used in the hiring process for the minister who will serve half time during Rev. Rebecca’s absence. The Board affirmed these documents, which may change somewhat during negotiations with a specific candidate.
We then turned to the Policy Governance process. The Board ratified our Statement of Wishes, which we had worked on previously. We then brainstormed a list of qualities, which we would like to see in any candidates for our Governance Task Force. This Task Force, once chosen, will direct the process of further investigation into Policy Governance.
Beth Brownlie discussed the current status of the Sanctuary Lighting Project. The Board approved the appointment of a task force to execute the project. The next step is to obtain electrical bids from three electrical contractors. Significant lighting problems occurred during the Christmas Eve services.
The Board then returned to the subject of the Memorial Garden proposal brought by Ray Goodman to the last meeting. The Memorial Garden Task Force will be Ray Goodman, Ernie Pipes, Joe Engleman, Alison Kendall-Bar, Helen Brown, and Church Administrator Nurit Gordon as an ex officio Task Force member. The Board charged them with researching the feasibility of establishing a memorial garden in the Arizona Garden Area of UU Santa Monica. The task includes creating a proposal for the garden’s design, funding, and implementation, to be submitted to the Board.
Church membership stands at 377, with one new member, Sarah Robson.
Nurit Gordon reported that the lighting fixture has been installed in the alcove, and work is currently proceeding on installation of the gutters — a task left over from the roof project. Also, the roof at the Arizona entrance to Forbes is being repaired to correct the pooling of water that occurs during rainstorms. The 2015 pledges total $389,000 from 287 households at present. This number will continue to fluctuate for a month or so. At present there remains a deficit of $15,000 to $18,000 in unpaid pledges for the 2014 year.
Catherine Farmer Loya reported that our intern minister, Nica Eaton-Guinn, is beginning a two month intensive engagement with the RE program. She will be visiting and then teaching in most of our classes, including Coming of Age.
The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported that this is a busy administrative time. Staff reviews will be scheduled in January. She discussed lay leader involvement in pastoral care for the community and said that she and the Rev. Kikanza J. Nuri-Robins and Intern Minister Nica are working together on a proposal for a “Community Cares Ministry.” She also reported that she and Nica would be attending the UU Ministers Association Conference the first week in February at Asilomar. Rebecca will attend a training in the Circles of Trust model of Parker Palmer, which supports spiritual reflection and deep listening. Nica will attend a training on preaching and also on entrepreneurial ministry — spreading our faith to a wider group of people.
Kit Shaw presented the treasurer’s report. Total income and expenses remain in line with the budget. The decrease in pledge funds is offset by the increase in rental income, and there have been no unusual expenses this month. The budget process for the coming year is beginning.
Patricia Wright, our president, has been in conversation with Mary Mackenzie, a trained facilitator in compassionate communication, about conflict within our congregation. The Board voted to allocate $450 from unrestricted funds to bring her to our church for a consultation.
The Board will host the February 8 Second Sunday Supper, which will have a Valentine's Day theme.
— Cynthia Cottam
RE News:
From Our DRE
One of the things I love most passionately about our Unitarian Universalist faith is that we are a people who intentionally choose to be in community with others who do not hold common theological beliefs. We come to UU churches not to be part of a circle of the theologically like-minded, but to be among a diverse group of folks all choosing to “walk together” in our effort to live our lives in alignment with that which each of us holds most dear — whatever that may be. There are other places I could go to find a community of folks who are all agnostic, or who are all “small-c Christian,” or who are all interested in learning more about Buddhist practices of meditation and mindfulness. There are other diverse communities of faith, without question, but this is the one that I’ve found that comes closest to meeting my ideal of a community explicitly organized around valuing theological pluralism, where people are willing to do what is often uncomfortable: to talk not only about what we have in common but also our differences, while committing passionately to the idea that ALL of us belong here.
We do have a choice, friends, when it comes to words like “God.” We can choose to let vocabulary separate us, or we can choose to recognize that underneath the words we are often talking about the same values and truths. And even when we’re not — when we have for-real differences — perhaps that engagement with difference is where the greatest opportunity lies for clarifying and deepening our own beliefs. But that is only true if we are willing to deeply listen to others rather than listening only in order to refute or challenge. Here are some things that I believe:
• That any belief or faith that leads a person to live with joy, kindness, compassion, and personal integrity is good and true (“All my stories are true, and some of them really happened.”).
• That self-righteousness and feeling better than somebody else are universally detrimental to true faith and integrity. One’s own worth is not inversely proportionate to the worth of others.
• That I am but one piece of a larger whole, a single self which contains all that exists, much like a drop of water which is thrown into the air by a wave but will soon rejoin the ocean. Individuality, while also true, is a temporary symptom of owning a body.
• That I’m not sure that I would characterize that Oneness as a God/Universal Consciousness/Spirit of Life to which feelings or wishes could be attributed, but even so I prefer to live as though there were one who approves of questions, sincere doubt, and searching, who has a great sense of humor and appreciation for the absurd, and who wishes for all life to flourish and grow in peace and understanding.
• That every thing we do is a choice, and that every choice we make changes the world.
This is a starting point for my invitation to you this month: will you join me in the conversation? And will you accept — and maybe even enjoy — hearing some religious language that doesn’t speak directly to your heart some of the time because it does speak to someone’s heart, and because you’ll hear your own chosen language some of the time, too? Tell me what it is that you value so highly that it informs the way you aspire to live your life every single day. Perhaps it is something you call God. Or Good or Love or Truth. Perhaps it’s the awe you feel when you are in nature. Or the peace that you experience when you meditate. Whatever it is, I’m eager to hear about it.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Children and Youth
This month in the UU Santa Monica RE program, preschoolers will celebrate love for Valentine’s Day, and will begin to explore the larger world around them, focusing on the moon and the stars this month. Participants in the Kindergarten- to 2nd grade Spirit Seekers class will continue this year’s focus on sacred stories from the world’s religions with stories from the Islamic and Hindu traditions. Over the course of the month in our 3rd to 5th grade UUniverse Story class we will explore the building blocks of all that exists and celebrate the connection between our own bodies and the rest of the universe. Middle-schoolers in the 6th to 7th grade Interfaith Quest class will conclude this study of Islam and begin exploring Judaism. Youth in our 8th grade Coming of Age program will continue exploring the “big questions” of life this month, including death and afterlife, determining what is of “ultimate worth,” exploring the values that inform our relationships with others, and probing the depth of their own identities as human beings and Unitarian Universalists.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Adult RE
Mindfulness Meditation facilitated by Bill Blake. This spring’s class emphasizes mindfulness, which is full presence with our thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings. Mindfulness generates greater moment-bymoment aliveness.
This class will also stress inquiry meditation resolving personal issues. In addition, we’ll practice meditations facilitating our life’s “growing up” and “waking up” journeys. Growing up is becoming more sensitive, caring, functional, and happy. Waking up (spiritual enlightenment) is knowing What you are. This realization releases us from suffering caused by negative thoughts and attitudes embedded in us during childhood and then influencing our entire lives.
Participants are given homework assignments. They are expected to do the weekly homework of a short, simple meditation and write a short description of their experiences to share with the class when we meet again. Someone missing a class can easily catch up.
Eight to 10 meditations will be presented. When the class is over, a participant understands the purpose and nature of meditation and thus, having also mastered a “toolkit” of meditations, can design his or her own meditation regime.
This 9-week class starts on Thursday, February 19, at 7 p.m. in the Cottage, SE Room. Each session will be approximately 2.5 hours. For more information, visit the RE table or contact Bill Blake.
Wednesday Night Writers. Every other Wednesday, in Forbes Hall, this is a welcoming space for all writers. No sign-up required; just show up.
Patio Chat. Join us Sunday, February 22 on the patio for a lively, thoughtful monthly UU Santa Monica Ministry Theme discussion with Leon Henderson-MacLennan and Natalie Kahn. February’s topic is God.
New Programs. A new year brings new program offerings from Adult RE. In addition to ongoing programs, such as Wednesday Night Writers, Patio Chats, and Bluestockings, we have some very intriguing courses in place for the next few months, including an introduction to the fundamentals of Marxism, interfaith visits, and more (see article on Mindfulness Meditation facilitated by Bill Blake on this page). Back by popular demand, a possible seminar series of discussions coming your way this spring by our own Ernie Pipes. Stay tuned!
New Tools. Our Adult RE Committee has also been hard at work in recent months creating exciting new tools and resources for programming, including a new Course Proposal Packet. As always, if you have suggestions or ideas for programming, please don’t hesitate to speak with someone on the Adult RE committee, or stop by the LRE table in Forbes Hall after Sunday Services.
— Natalie Kahn
Save March 8 for the Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, March 8 ,at 9 and 11 a.m., will be UU Santa Monica’s first-ever BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS, in which we celebrate the joy our animal companions bring to our lives. In doing so, we affirm our 7th Principle, respect for the interdepent web of all existence of which we are a part. Details of the event will appear in the March newsletter.
Winter LRE Stories
“Pageant, Pajamas and Pancakes, Oh My!”
On the morning of December 20, the Children’s Subcommittee hosted a pancake breakfast in Forbes Hall for UU Santa Monica families with children in our preschool and elementary school programs. Participants came in pajamas and enjoyed a pancake breakfast and the company of other families. YRUU volunteers helped out by supervising the two bounce houses set up in the courtyard. The breakfast was a great prelude to the dress rehearsal for the friendly beasts pageant. After the mice, doves, dogs, donkeys, and cows sang their hearts out, families continued to socialize and get to know each other. Thanks to the good reviews, this promises to become an annual event.
Winter Fun at Camp de Benneville Pines
Seventeen degrees, high winds and 6” of snow — a wild way to spend New Year’s? Now add a campful of UU high school students, interesting workshops, rap groups, a movie marathon and a New Year’s Dance, and what do you get? “Camp Teen MUUvie” senior high school winter camp at Camp de Benneville Pines. Four members of our YRUU high school group spent five days over the winter break meeting, mixing and hanging out with other UU high school students from southern California, Nevada and Arizona. They came home to Los Angeles with new friends to text, great memories, and an excitement for the 2015 General Assembly in Portland, OR!
— Sabina Mayo-Smith
Quotes About God
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of thoughts about our ministerial theme for February written by members and friends of UU Santa Monica. Also listed are some of the 99 names or attributes by which Muslims describe God. See the 99 names at http://sufism.org/foundations/ninetynine-names
Al-Batin – The Hidden One. “To me, god is the action of experiencing a part of the ultimate reality — that which is beyond rationality — within our own lives. I think of god as more of a verb than a noun.” — Eric Huang
Al-Fattah – The Opener. “I believe that our existence is a miraculous blessing and that we are all part of the cosmic dance. Our human condition is one of basic goodness, despite the pain, suffering, and cruelty that exist. Death is the end of individual ego consciousness but not the end of the eternal divine spirit that resides in each of us.”— Rima Snyder
Ash-Shakur – The Rewarder of Thankfulness. “Recently I had an “epiphany” of sorts about my negative reactions to all the theistic words and ideas in use at UU Santa Monica. It was that we have an opportunity to be way-showers in the world by building peace and understanding amongst ourselves, celebrating what we have in common instead of focusing on our differences. If we can’t do it here at UU Santa Monica, how can we have hope for our world? May our congregation know that we have so much more in common to celebrate together instead of focusing on our belief or non-belief in God.“ — Margot Page
Az-Zahir – The Manifest One. “I think in terms of Nature rather than God.”— Ellen Levy
Ash-Shahid – The Witness. “To me, God is the wonder we feel at a new discovery; the connection during an invigorating conversation; the inspiration of the creative spark; the warmth of a loving embrace. We may all call it different things, but I think that’s just semantics. God is in those moments; God is those moments.” — Laura Matthews
Al-Badi – The Originator. “GOD has been so anthropomorphized in our Western culture, it is easier to describe what GOD is not for me — the Great Parent and Magic Genie “out there” fighting my battles, distributing my justice, granting my wishes. GOD, for me, cannot not be described. To use a word or an image or a sensation instantly makes it me, and GOD is not me. Yet, GOD is me.” — Rhonda Peacock
Al-Wajid – The Finder. “I believe God exists — He’s one of our most powerful innovations.” — Bob Dietz
Ar-Razzaq – The Sustainer. “I love reading about God, the Mystery, that has been present in thought and experience with people for many thousands of years, and I value my own experiences of this Mystery — experiences which pale when put into words. I believe we are eternal souls, at one with the Mystery we call God. I think it is this indwelling God which causes us to question and to try to remember our Oneness in the duality of this world.” — Bettye Barclay