Newsletter for June, 2013
From Our Minister:
This month’s column is limited to new material since the publication of my annual report to the congregation last month. That report included information on staff changes at UUCCSM during this last church year, information about the launch of our Small Group Ministry Program, and a review of life passages (births and deaths in our congregation).
With great pride, I report that your Generous Congregation plate-sharing gifts of over $8,500 have served the children, youth, and families of the following organizations: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice — Los Angeles (CLUE-LA), Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Gays and Lesbians Initiating Dialog for Equality (GLIDE), Homeboy Industries, Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC), Our House Grief Support, St. Joseph Center, TreePeople, Turning Point, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA), UU Legislative Ministry — California (UULM), UU Service Committee, UU Trauma Response Ministry, Venice Family Clinic, and the Westside Food Bank.
Thank you for all you do to support the ministry of our church, and to live our values here and in the wider world.
Gratefully,
— Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
Note from Rev. Rebecca: I will be on study leave from July 10 to August 5. Study leave allows ministers to read, reflect, study, write, and continue educational development of benefit to the ministry. During this time I will be on call for pastoral needs, although you will not see me in the pulpit or in committee meetings. From August 6 to 20, I will be on vacation and traveling with my family to the East Coast. During this time our Committee on Ministry (Kris Langabeer, Gerrie Lambson, Dan Patterson, and Alan Brunell) and Pastoral Care Team (Ron Crane, Michael Eselun, and Bronwen Jones) will be on call for ministry and pastoral needs.
From Our President:
If you attended the Annual Meeting, you have already heard about the remarkable bequests our congregation has received this past year. You have voted on the use of some of these funds. Since I am writing before the Meeting, I do not know the outcome of the votes. Regardless of that outcome, however, we will have some important decisions to make regarding money in the upcoming months.
Bequests create both joy and sadness, because their existence means that we have lost people who are dear to us. They do, however, provide us with an opportunity to remember the people we have lost and to honor their memories. Judy Federick died in September of last year. She left half her estate to the church. We have already received an IRA worth $134,000. We also own an interest, worth somewhat more than $100,000, in a Santa Monica apartment building. I want to acknowledge the help of Phyllis and Robert Kory in handling the negotiations involved in finalizing the disposition of this bequest.
Andrew Still died in February of 2012. He left his entire estate to the church. I want to thank Joe Engleman for
serving as administrator for this estate. The total funds come to $640,000, and will be diminished somewhat by taxes and the expenses involved in finalizing disposition. Drew was an engineer and stipulated in his will that his initial bequest of $210,000 be used for a building project. The remainder of the money, around $440,000, came to us within the past month. It represents Drew’s retirement account, including interest and employer contributions, and life insurance. Drew was still working when he died. The listed beneficiary of the retirement
accounts was his mother, who died many years ago. These monies came to the church through the probate process, because the estate was left entirely to the church. Since Drew did not leave these monies to us directly, he did not stipulate a use for them.
I consider these gifts both a blessing and a great responsibility. As a congregation, we will be having conversations about the most constructive use of all these monies. Your Board plans to conduct a visioning process this fall, where every member will have an opportunity to discuss our core beliefs, our core purposes, our goals, and our description of the organization we envision. We will also plan some informational meetings on financial issues. I will be writing more about this in the future.
We have many reasons to be grateful. This is a good time for everyone to check their own beneficiaries, and to
bring their estate plans up to date. Consider including your church in your estate plans. These gifts create wonderful opportunities for our community. With gratitude for all the gifts we are given,
— Cynthia Cottam
Featured Articles:
Annual Meeting Highlights
We held our 86th Annual Meeting on May 19. The newly elected members of the board were introduced and given their charge by the congregation. Shown here from left-to-right are Bruno Lacombe (member-at-large), Vilma Ortiz (member-at-large), Cynthia Cottam (president), Pat Gomez (member-at-large), Barbara Gibbs (vice president), Rob Briner (secretary), Kit Shaw (treasurer), and Bronwen Jones (past president). Not shown is member-at-large Rebecca Crawford. The congregation approved a deficit budget for 2013-14. The deficit will be covered by unrestricted reserves, which have been substantially increased by recent bequests. Cynthia Cottam discusses this further in her column on page 2. Photo by Charles Haskell.
Cathie Gentile led a discussion of a Faith in Action resolution supporting the UUA Compassionate Immigration Reform initiative, as published in the May newsletter. The resolution was approved by more than three quarters of the members present.
Bryan Oakes led a discussion of proposed upgrades to church property, as discussed in the May newsletter. The congregation authorized the board to spend up to $250,000 on six projects, including a new memorial wall. Small Group Ministry
About one hundred people registered for Small Group Ministry (SGM) groups, and there are now ten groups meeting once a month on various days and evenings.
Reverend Rebecca prepares a format each month with readings and questions that are the same for all groups. In addition, each group reads the SGM covenant together each time it meets.
The groups provide opportunities for people to share from their lives in ways that are different than many have experienced previously. Listening as a person speaks, without questions and comments, allows each person to speak to the readings and questions in whatever way is most meaningful to them. This attentive listening creates a space for thoughtful sharing by whoever is speaking at the moment.
The facilitators have been meeting monthly with Rev. Rebecca since September and have had a chance to
experience the depth and honesty with which people speak when others are listening in such an attentive and supportive way. Experiencing this for ourselves as facilitators, we know the value of this structure, which is indeed different from that of other groups in which we have participated.
We value the connections that have developed among us in our facilitator group. This feeling of connection
is one of the goals of SGM.
Each group will do a service project for the church and one for the larger community. Some groups have decided to host a Second-Sunday Supper, and community projects with Food Forward, Step Up on Second, Westside Food Bank, and other community agencies are being explored at this time.
One of the goals of our Small Group Ministry is to continue to be welcoming to those who may not have been
able to join the program when it first began a few months ago. If you are interested in joining this year-long program, please complete a registration form online or in the office, and we will do our best to place you. You will be contacted once you are assigned to a group.
— Bettye Barclay
Faith in Action News:
15 UUs Turn Out for Vigil at Millennium Carwash
At the request of workers who are leading the unionorganizing drive at Millennium Carwash in Venice, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) held a vigil there April 28 from 1 to 3 p.m., attended by 15 members and friends of our congregation.
We gave flyers to customers and potential customers and held up our church banner and signs that read, “Escucha Las Necesidades de Tus Trabajadores” (Listen to the Needs of Your Workers), “No Lunch Where Dirty Rags Are!” “Clean Cars; Dirty Dealings,” “No Queremos Comer Junto a La Basura” (We Don’t Want to Eat Next to the Garbage), “Brake for Workers Breaks and Fairness” and “Unsafe Working Conditions from Bangladesh to Los Angeles.” (The collapse of a building in Bangladesh that housed five garment factories, with death toll now reported at over 1,100, had occurred four days before the vigil.) The signs had been prepared at our church the following evening, with input from the workers at Millennium.
A member of our congregation who is herself an immigrant participated in the vigil. She said, “Immigrants
generally end up having the worst jobs, and it’s important that we make them feel welcome and supported.” Another of our congregants added, “The low wages and inhuman working conditions imposed on these workers, who are all Latino, is an example of the institutionalized racism in our society. Unitarians are supposed to stand up against racism — we need to be here.”
One of the owners of the carwash approached another vigil participant, Felipe, took a leaflet, and politely asked what we were doing. When Felipe explained that we were supporting the workers’ demands, as outlined in the leaflet and in our signs, the owner said, still calmly, “Our lawyers are answering these charges in court, and the day will come when you apologize.” Felipe then asked the owner how much he makes, and in quite a different tone, the owner yelled, “That’s none of your business. I don’t have to stand here talking to you,” then strode away with additional words that we can’t print.
As we’ve reported previously, Millennium Carwash, on Lincoln Blvd. south of Venice Blvd., as well as Santa Monica Carwash on Pico, and Bubble Bee Carwash in Long Beach, are owned by the Damavandi family, who are resisting unionization and are defendants in a class-action lawsuit for recovery of stolen wages.
Bonus Carwash, at 2800 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica, remains the only unionized carwash on the Westside.
— Peggy Rhoads
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
June is Torture Awareness Month, commemorating the 26th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against torture. The National Religious Campaign against Torture (NRCAT) is focusing on two major issues, the practice of solitary confinement, and the conditions of detainees who have been accused of terrorism in the wake of 9/11.
With respect to solitary confinement, on April 18 FIA member Nora Hamilton participated in a NRCAT webinar that included a general description of the issue of solitary confinement; a brief description of the effects of solitary confinement by Anthony Graves, a former prisoner; a report by a representative of Detention Watch Network on immigrant detainees in solitary confinement; and a discussion of what we can do as people of faith. Among the major points raised are the following:
Some 25,000 people per day are in solitary confinement for periods ranging from a few days to decades.
There are no limits to the amount of time those awaiting trial can be kept in solitary confinement. (The term solidarity confinement is often replaced by euphemisms like “special housing unit.”)
Many of those in solitary confinement are people suffering from mental illness whose condition is often worsened as a result.
There are no provisions in the immigration reform bill currently pending in the Senate for those immigrant
detainees in solitary confinement or immigrants with mental health problems.
Although the number of women in solitary confinement is smaller than the number of men, solitary confinement has particularly grave effects on mothers, who may be able to see their children infrequently if at all and cannot touch the child during visits; and for those who come to prison after experiencing sexual abuse.
In a very moving presentation, Anthony Graves, who had experienced solitary confinement and witnessed its effect in others, described solitary confinement as “a tool designed to break a man’s spirit.” His website is at
Several actions were suggested in the webinar and on the NRCAT website. One is to sign a petition calling on government officials to end the practice of solitary confinement. The petition is available at the FIA table. A second is to join a state campaign. In California, current efforts are focused on support for Senate Bill 61 proposed by Senator Leland Yee, which would limit use of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities. On Tuesday, April 23, the California Senate Committee on Public Safety hosted a hearing to consider SB 61. The bill passed the Public Safety Committee. The next step is passing the Senate Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks. (See www.nrcat.org and click on Torture-in-U.S. Prisons.)
NRCAT has a 20-minute film that includes statements by individuals who have experienced solitary confinement, and comes with discussion guides for different denominations. All Saints’ Church in Pasadena also initiated a letter-writing campaign to those in solitary confinement. Information on these and other initiatives can be found at www.nrcat.org/solitary Those interested can also keep up with local news on solitary confinement in California at www.nrcat.org/canews, which includes, among other things, a 2012 report by
the ACLU on solitary confinement in California prisons; an article in “Mother Jones” by Shane Bauer, one of the hikers held in solitary confinement in Iran, who compares his Iran experience with that of prisoners in the United States; and an “L.A. Times” editorial, “Suicide in Solitary” (October 2012) regarding the number of suicides committed by prisoners in solitary confinement.
NRCAT is also encouraging people to write to the Senate asking for the release of its report on conditions
among detainees at Guantanamo, and to President Obama asking that he respond to the recommendations. More information is available at www.nrcat.org (check Torture Awareness month), including a copy of the report and a two-page summary.
— Cathie Gentile
Sunday, June 9, is the L.A. Pride Parade!
Kids march; families march; even dogs march. You can march too! Join us! Be on the lookout for an Evite and/or contact
Janet Goodwin.
Splinters from the Board:
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur lit the chalice and initiated the check-in inviting us to share where we would want to travel if we could go anywhere we wanted. Here is what came to light: Cuba, Galapagos, France, Spain, Berlin, Krakow, Montreal, Peru, South Korea and a multi-week trip to Tahiti by freighter. President Cynthia Cottam announced that she will indeed be going to the Galapagos from June 1 until 16, a trip that has been in the works for a very long time!
As of this month’s meeting on May 13 the church has 370 members. The Generous Congregation Contribution
in April was $708, with $218 going to the UUA and $490 to Tree People.
A motion was unanimously approved regarding Charles Haskell’s offer to provide photographic services to
renters with the understanding that his fee for services would be donated to one of three charities, one being our church. This was followed by a unanimous approval of the revised Newsletter Policy outlining the tasks and responsibilities of the Newsletter Committee, the Board of Directors' responsibility in this regard, and content prioritization. The Board accepted the Newsletter Committee's choice of Charles for another two-year term as editor-in-chief.
Rev. Rebecca is working with Karl Lisovsky and Kris Langabeer to focus on CareNet. She also went to the Pacific Western UU Regional Conference in San Jose and had some new ideas to share. UU coffee/bookshop? Website virtual candle lighting? She also spoke about our special opening of the sanctuary for a time of ministry, care, reflection, and compassion following the Boston Marathon bombings.
Our DRE, Catherine Farmer Loya, provided a written report to the board but did not attend as she had delivered
Baby Evan the day before. She reported that everything has come through regarding Acting DRE Emmalinda McLean's time with us during Catherine’s family leave time. Coming of Age launched a new UU Holiday that was celebrated at the Second Sunday Supper on May 12.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported on the great success of “The Old Maid and the Thief” event on May
4. Now they are getting ready for the “American Singing: Patriotism vs. Pride” Dining for Dollars event. DeReau and Rev. Bijur will be starting hymn-sings on Thursday nights during the summer.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon announced that the Annual Report on Programs is completed two weeks before the Annual Congregational Meeting. It has been some years since the reports have been ready in time for our annual meeting.
Bryan Oakes attended the meeting to lead a discussion about the possibility of asking the congregation for additional money to finish the exterior wall already designed by Ralph Mechur. This is in response to additional money that has been given to the church from Drew Still’s estate. The wall would be part of the enclosure of the Memorial Garden. The board approved the motion to present to the congregation the authorization to spend up to $70,000 from unrestricted funds to complete this project.
The next board meeting will be on June 11. It will include a dinner to which all past presidents are invited.
— Bronwen Jones
Other UU News & Events:
Michael Esalun's Trip to the Holy Land
Michael Esalun has published an article about his recent trip to the Holy Land. Read about it at http://www.connotationpress.com/creative-nonfiction/1931-michael-eselun-creative-nonfiction
L.A. ZUU DAY | Saturday, July 13th (10am – 1pm)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is L.A. ZUU DAY?
L.A. ZUU Day is a celebration of the 7th principle for our youngest UUs, ages 2 – 10. This is a unique opportunity for young children to experience animals in loving harmony. Please have children dress casually and ready to enjoy L.A. ZUU DAY with their excited peers. Over a two hour period the youngsters and their families can enjoy many activities (described in more detail below) and will then come together for an hour to enjoy a wholesome lunch complete with a new stuffed animal family member to take home.
Who is organizing L.A. ZUU DAY?
This event is being organized and hosted by the members and staff of the UU Church of the Verdugo Hills, a
congregation serving Burbank, Glendale, and areas within the La Crescenta valley (uuverdugo.org).
Where will L.A. ZUU DAY be and what is the schedule?
When: Saturday, July 13th 10:00am Event Opens & Activities Begin
Where: The UU Church of the Verdugo Hills 12:00pm Lunch & Stuffed Animal Adoption
4451 Dunsmore Avenue 1:00pm Event Ends
La Crescenta, CA 91214
What does L.A. ZUU DAY cost and how do we get tickets?
There will be a total of 50 tickets (for 50 children). Tickets are $10 per child or $5 per child for groups of 5 children or more. Tickets can be purchased in advance by e-mail (uucvh@uuverdugo.org) or phone (818-248-3954), or, if not sold out ahead of time, tickets can be purchased at the door on the day of the event. Note: all family members and chaperones attend for free as long as accompanied with a child and the community lunch is free for all who attend.
Can you describe the L.A. ZUU DAY activities in more detail?
Petting Zoo: Children can pet, comb, feed and fall in love with a whole host of creatures in the petting zoo. They will meet more than a dozen animals, including a goat, lamb, tortoise, mini pig, chickens, ducks, bunnies, and more.
Pony Rides: Two ponies will join us on ZUU DAY! Each pony rides is fully guided by a professional and we plan to help ensure that each child who wants a ride will get to take at least one.
Two Craft Rooms: Each room will have a set of their own unique take-home crafts. Children should be prepared for lots of creative fun, including making their own bird feeders, animal masks, and hand puppets.
Wildlife Presentations: Wildlife Waystation (wildlifewaystation.org) will bring an endangered animal and present their story along with lessons on how we can help make our world more hospitable for these creatures.
Stuffed Animal Adoption: Gathered in community at the beginning oflunch, we will call children forward to “adopt” a stuffed animal of their own. They will be asked to learn about them and love them, just like a new member of their family.
Lunch: All guests, big and small, will be provided with lunch by the UU Church of the Verdugo Hills community. Our members are creating a great vegetarian menu for all attendees which will be served buffet style.
Two upcoming events of interest at the UU church in Studio City. See items below for contact/RSVP info:
Tie-Dye for the 4th of July Saturday, June 29, 1pm
Yes it's called "tie-dye for the 4th of July" but happens on the last Saturday in June,because you need a few days before the holiday to get your groovy unique one of a kind tie-dyed tee shirt ready to wear.
Bring your own pre-washed cotton shirt or similar sized items. We will have gloves and all the other materials ready for you to make your own red, white and blue freak flag fashion statement.
It's messy and the dye is permanent, so:
~wear old clothes,
~follow the directions we will provide you
~be prepared to supervise any small children you bring
~depending on the crowd, be prepared to wait your turn at the dye table
You will go home with your dyed items in a ziplock bag, which you will rinse and wash yourselves the next day.
All ages welcome! Meet on the UUCSC playground.
RSVP to DRE@uustudiocity.org so Jill will know how much dye to mix.
3rd Annual Dandelion Wine Read-Aloud Saturday, July 20,
Let's visit Ray Bradbury's golden summer memory of Green Town in 1928 together!
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This time we will be reading the stage adaptation of the novel...lots of parts for multi-age readers...10ish years old on up.
Contact DRE@uustudiocity.org
And while we are at it...start collecting some dandelion puffball seeds...we will set them free in the golden garden, in honor of Ray Bradbury, who was indeed a UU...and who once came to speak here at UUCSC!
Refreshments and childcare provided.
RE News:
Zombies and Dogs Invade Our Church
YRUU Thrills Congregation
Our Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) shuffled into our sanctuary April 28, in zombie makeup, to the strains of Thriller, played on the church organ by youth Max DeVita. YRUU, our church’s high school group, creates and leads a Sunday service every spring.
It was Phil Laymon’s first visit to UUCCSM. “I had never seen zombies in church,” said Phil when he returned the following Sunday. “In fact, I’d never been to a service that was run by teenagers. They had a lot of good
things to say.”
The teenagers used the zombie theme in our 9 and 11 a.m. services to convey messages about what their life is like and the problems they face, and to raise money for their upcoming service project in New Orleans.
Mari Nunan gave the welcoming remarks, and Jacob Weiner lit the chalice. As the speakers lurched from
the choir loft toward the pulpit, they waved a hand over the burning chalice and became human.
Ava Walderman had discovered a non-scary zombie story, Zombie in Love, and she read it to the young children. The congregation then sang the little ones out to their RE classes with slightly revised lyrics to our classic air:
“Go now in pieces … May the zombies in love surround you … As you shuffle … On your way.”
During the offertory, Music Director DeReau Farrar sang the anti-war song “Zombie” with force and feeling, accompanying himself on organ with Michael Antaramian on piano. The YRUU participants and advisors are
appreciative of the musical contributions from DeReau and Michael throughout the service. They also thank the parents who helped them prepare the service, including Zane Michael’s dad, T Michael, for his help with zombie makeup, and Zane’s mom, Teri Bond, for supplying a fake head and fake limbs.
The service included three sermonettes. Madeleine Gordon spoke on “Misunderstoodness,” Clelia Del Piccolo
on “Disconnectedness,” and Jacob Weiner on “Living in the Now.” Paice Van Ooyen led the congregation in singing hymns and Max DeVita led a meditation. Congregant Will Coley commented, “I was taken by the meditation and by the sermonettes about needing to connect through mobile phones and digital media, but also needing to disconnect and relate face to face.”
Zane introduced a special second collection to raise money for the New Orleans trip by describing the tremendous amount of work that still needs to be done in workingclass areas of the city, as opposed to the fully rebuilt tourist and business sections. Max and Zane then sang a version of “The Money Song” from “Avenue Q” that Zane had “deranged.” The song’s refrain is “Give me your money,” and the congregation responded to the tune of more than $1,000.
Comments from the teenagers about doing the service included, “I was really excited because it was so different.” “It was so fun doing the makeup.” “I was worried people would think: ‘You shouldn’t be doing this at a church.’
When people started laughing at the zombie jokes, I realized it would be OK.” “It wasn’t forced.” “We didn’t do something that wasn’t us. We did something we are interested in.” “Next year, werewolves. Just kidding!”
— Max DeVita, Paice Van Ooyen, Ava Walderman, and Rick Rhoads
Dogs Thrill Kids
Our RE youngsters participated in UUCCSM’s first Animal Rights and Rescue Festival (ARRF!) Sunday April 28. Nine rescued dogs, ranging from pit-bull mix to Chihuahua to mutts, frolicked with the kids in our courtyard. Happy, smiling faces and happy dogs were everywhere to be seen.
The young kids staffed a “vegan, human-eatable, dog-treat factory.” They were assisted by our sixth and seventh graders, who also handled the dogs. Amy and Bruno Lacombe staffed an adjacent vegan lifestyle table.
The dogs were brought by the Dawg Squad (www.dawgsquad.org), an all-volunteer, animal-rescue organization based in Los Angeles that has “placed over 1,100 animals in loving homes.” They “provide medical care, rehabilitation and loving foster homes [not shelters] until permanent, adoptive homes can be found.”
Hopefully this will be the first of many ARRF! events, featuring different ways our church can help animals in need throughout the city, state, and world.
If you want to be a part of animal rights and rescue, please contact me.
— Geoff Lee
Why I am an RE Teacher
(As read to the congregation on May 19)
Good Morning! It’s that time again; our Religious Exploration classes are getting ready to celebrate the end of another school year. This means that we’re preparing youth led services so that we can share with you what we’ve been learning about and experiencing.
Catherine asked me to share why I volunteer in our Religious Exploration program. As I sat down to write this I
was reminded of something Reverend Rebecca shared with us during a recent Sunday Service, the reason you begin a journey often differs from the reason you continue on it, and this is certainly true of my experience as an RE teacher.
When I was 10 years old I overheard a conversation between a group of UU parents in which they were all trying
to present the BEST excuse for NOT teaching RE. I don’t recall who got stuck with the gig, but I know it wasn’t my mom. Her argument, that she taught school all week and so shouldn’t have to teach on the weekends, got her off the hook.
I walked away from that conversation thinking two things: one was that if the grown-ups didn’t even want to be
there then I sure shouldn’t have to go! And two was that someday I would be an RE teacher, and the kids in my class would know I was there because I wanted to be and not because I drew the short straw. So that’s why I got started, but the experience itself — unique, amazing, and totally inspirational — is what keeps me coming back.
Here’s a quick story: The first day of RE you create a covenant with your class. This year, we asked our 6th and 7th graders what should be included in our covenant. They offered ideas, some familiar ones like No Phones and No Swearing, and some unexpected like Shoes Should Be Optional. Okay.
And then one person said, Let’s Be Kind To Each Other. And another said, Let’s Be Compassionate. A third
countered that we’d already agreed to be kind, wasn’t that the same as being compassionate? A fourth said, that she thought they were different things. Ten minutes later we finished our first, kid-directed, group discussion on the nuances of kindness and compassion – we decided we wanted both. And I thought to myself, this is going to be a great year!
And it has been pretty incredible. I feel more a part of this congregation because I teach, I feel more connected to you and I feel of value – which is cool. But the reason I keep going on this journey is for the push. If you do this, you will be pushed: to form opinions, to share them, to listen, to explore, to play, to become more self-aware, to think, to grow, and to love bigger and better than you ever thought you could. And it’s awesome. Here’s the push. Go for it!
— Amelia Rennie Monteiro
Pride
(Bettye Barclay has provided this list of daily thoughts about our ministerial theme for June)
June 1. Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to
pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction. Margaret Thatcher
June 2. Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. Khalil Gibran
June 3. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us. Jane Austen
June 4. Anger is the enemy of nonviolence and pride is a monster that swallows it up. Mahatma Gandhi
June 5. Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune. Carl Jung
June 6. Humility and knowledge in poor clothes excel pride and ignorance in costly attire. William Penn
June 7. There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride, which comes from the wish to know what others are ignorant of. Francois de La Rochefoucauld
June 8. In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes. John Ruskin
June 9. A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. It's all a matter of pride. Nancy Lopez
June 10. I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession. John Steinbeck
June 11. Nothing has been purchased more dearly than the little bit of reason and sense of freedom which now constitutes our pride. Friedrich Nietzsche
June 12. Pride, which inspires us with so much envy, is sometimes of use toward the moderating of it too. Francois de La Rochefoucauld
June 13. All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride. W. Edwards Deming
June 14. Pride in a man is confused with dignity; in a woman, with selflove. Jose Bergamin
June 15. By building relations we create a source of love and personal pride and belonging that makes living in a chaotic world easier. Susan Lieberman
June 16. Values are principles and ideas that bring meaning to the seemingly mundane experience of life. A
meaningful life that ultimately brings happiness and pride requires you to respond to temptations as well as challenges with honor, dignity, and courage. Laura Schlessinger
June 17. Pride perceiving humility honorable, often borrows her cloak. Thomas Fuller
June 18. Nationalist pride, like other variants of pride, can be a substitute for self-respect. Eric Hoffer
June 19. One of the best temporary cures for pride and affectation is seasickness; a man who wants to vomit
never puts on airs. Josh Billings
June 20. Being a Barrymore didn't help me, other than giving me a great sense of pride and a strange spiritual sense that I felt OK about having the passion to act. It made sense because my whole
family had done it and it helped rationalize it for me. Drew Barrymore
June 21. There is but one pride pardonable; that of being above doing a base or dishonorable action. Samuel
Richardson
June 22. There is no arguing with the pretenders to a divine knowledge and to a divine mission. They are possessed with the sin of pride, they have yielded to the perennial temptation. Walter Lippmann
June 23. I believe that we must maintain pride in the knowledge that the actions we take, based on our own
decisions and choices as individuals, link directly to the magnificent challenge of transforming human history.
Disaku Ikeda
June 24. The greatest pride, or the greatest despondency, is the greatest ignorance of one's self. Baruch
Spinoza
June 25. Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from
genuine liberality and benevolence, the other from pride or fear. Horace Mann
June 26. Take pride in exactly what it is you do and remember it's okay to fail as long as you don't give up. Dan
O’Brien
June 27. I simply think things through, and I look at problems. One thing I pride myself on is the ability to
connect unconnected thoughts and come up with new, unique thoughts. Bode Miller
June 28. Those who desire to rise as high as our human condition allows, must renounce intellectual pride, the omnipotence of clear thinking, belief in the absolute power of logic. Alexis Carrel
June 29. What is pride? A rocket that emulates the stars. William Wordsworth
June 30. Pride is a tricky, glorious, double-edged feeling. Adrienne Rich
Patio Chat
Sunday, June 30
Monthly UUCCSM theme discussion. This month's theme: PRIDE
with Leon Henderson-MacLennan
11:00 a.m. on the Patio
Music News:
Benefit Concert for Homeboy Industries
In March Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries was our guest in the pulpit. As I listened to him speak, entranced by his stories of compassion and the healing of connection, I thought about my friend John Flynn.
John has performed at services and concerts here twice in the last few years. He lives in Delaware where he facilitates a weekly group meeting at a local prison as part of the New Beginning program. I have thought for a long time that John should hear about Homeboy Industries and Greg Boyle. When I got home that Sunday, I sat down to send John a message on Facebook. When I opened up his page, what did I find but a post from him talking about “Tattoos On the Heart,” Father Boyle’s book. I told him that I just seen Father Boyle and as we chatted, I asked him if he would like to come out here and perform a small benefit for Homeboy at UUCCSM. John quickly became enthusiastic about the idea and I started talking to Rev. Rebecca, FIA, and the music committee, as well as Jacki Weber, UUCCSM member and Homeboy Industries fund raiser. (See all these serendipitous connections?)
Within a couple of days, John got back to me saying, “Uh, Sue, this thing has kind of grown.” The person who had given John the book just happened to be Kris Kristofferson’s daughter, Kelly. John told her about the concert. She became enthusiastic and thought to ask her father (also a friend of John’s) if he wanted to share the stage with John. Well, one thing led to another and the concert grew larger than UUCCSM could possibly handle in our sanctuary.
The concert is now set to play on June 23 at the Smothers Theater on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus.
Tickets are on sale at http://pepperdinearts.ticketforce.com/ All the proceeds go to Homeboy Industries. None of the performers are taking pay for this one. Father Boyle will be on hand to share some stories.
In acknowledgement of the planting of the seed of this concert, UUCCSM rated a logo on the poster as one of the “presenters” of the concert. It should be a great concert. It is my hope that many of UUCCSM’s members will be filling the seats on June 23.
As a double treat, John Flynn will be our guest in the pulpit Sunday morning on June 23. He is an experienced guest with UU congregations. He will be addressing his work in the prison in Delaware.
Kristofferson, Flynn, and Boyle. It is going to be a fun night. A powerful outcome of letting serendipity and connection hold sway.
— Sue Bickford