Newsletter for June, 2017
From Our President:
Put Aside Differences and Become a Beloved Community
We have three months before the arrival of our Developmental Minister, the Rev. Greg Ward.
We have spent the last two months celebrating the contributions of the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, our settled minister for the past seven years.
We have been studying and practicing “Right Relations” as a mirror to our frailties in our practice and skill of Right Relations.
We have received a strong invitation to “look hard” at our individual strengths and weaknesses in attempting to live with respect for other’s opinions. We are attempting to create a community where respect for difference might regulate a powerful urge to bifurcate the community into us/them, right/wrong, and good/bad.
NOW is the time to realign those energies.
Now is the time to end this division within our Church. Our Community needs to put talent and time into being our best rather than overtly and covertly trying to win. HELP!!
Through cooperation rather than separate operation we must continue the nascent effort to create a community where we intentionally work together to change our small world by acting as a model of caring and conciliation.
We each need to evaluate our words and deeds to determine whether they promote or detract from our principles.
I ask each of you to explore new mindsets that will be directed toward caring, sharing, and understanding. I ask each of you to work in conscious caring to achieve a community that is actually beloved.
Failing that, we are only an angry, disrespectful, and failed model.
Join one another with intention to achieve in practice what we tell the world what we believe in principle, and what we work to become. Let us do this NOW.
Fondly,
Ron Crane
Ron Crane
Featured Articles:
Honoring the Reverend Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
As preparation for Rev. Rebecca’s departure from our congregation, a series of events has been organized to celebrate her sevenyear ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica.
Unveiling of Formal Portrait, Sunday, May 14, 2017
A formal portrait of Rev. Rebecca was unveiled at a ceremony on Sunday, May 14, which was also Mother’s Day. Rev. Rebecca was lauded by Minister Emeritus Ernie Pipes, who told the gathered congregants, “Rebecca has been my minister, and I have needed her.” The portrait, by photographer and congregation member Alice Hall, will be installed in the anteroom of the UUSM sanctuary.
Words of praise for Rev. Rebecca were received in a letter from Minister Emerita Judith Meyer. The letter will be included in a memory book compiled for Rev. Rebecca.
Prior to the ceremony, Rev. Rebecca conducted an inspiring Mother’s Day worship service that included the
dedication of three children at the 11 am service.
Service of Celebration
Saturday, June 3 at 1:30 pm Rev. Rebecca will be honored by the congregation along with the clergy community at a special worship service on Saturday, June 3 in the sanctuary, which will be followed by a reception. The UUSM choir will perform a new piece in recognition of Rev. Rebecca’s ministry, written by Rima Snyder. As a leader in interfaith work for justice and peace, Rev. Rebecca is deeply respected by clergy of all faiths, and many will attend this service of celebration to honor her seven years at UUSM. Join us to mark the end of this chapter in the life of the congregation in ritual and ceremony, just as we did when we began Rev. Rebecca’s ministry with a Service of Installation on February 13, 2011.
Rev. Rebecca’s Last Service at UUSM - Sunday, June 4, at 10 am
After Rev. Rebecca leads the last service of her ministry here, the congregation is invited to enjoy a bagel brunch in the courtyard. A bouncing house will be provided for the children.
YRUU Service Photo
Teens from our Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) group read the story during the intergenerational worship service on Sunday, April 30.
Rev. Greg Ward Introductory Sermon
Rev. Greg Ward, who will begin a developmental ministry with us in September, was introduced to UUSM on Sunday, May 7. His sermon, titled “God of our (Mis)Understanding,” used “The Zax” by Dr. Seuss as one of its inspirations.
Right Relations Task Force Report - Sharing Stories of Conflict Transformation at UUSM
“I overheard a church employee talking to a group of RE volunteers stating that she thought the Right Relations Task Force was not doing a very good job and was ineffective in moving the congregation forward. I took my concern to the Right Relations Task Force and it was suggested that I ask the employee about what I had heard. Upon speaking with the employee, I was told she was referring to another UU congregation. I apologized for the confusion and the conversation ended happily with a big hug.” – Tom Peters
Conflict arises because different people hold different ideas, interpretations and preferences. Conflict is inevitable, and perhaps even necessary. Stories of conflict transformation always involve other people, and, therefore, telling our conflict transformation stories invites some self-disclosure and vulnerability. These stories illustrate times when the response to the conflict was not “to fight” or “to flee,” but instead to stay connected and work things out, even if the resolution turned out to be “to agree to disagree.”
Stories of conflict transformation from a congregation may be examples from one-on-one encounters, interactions within groups, within formal structures of the congregation, in congregation program offerings, or in social situations such as coffee hour or fundraising events.
The significance of this appreciative inquiry approach to story sharing is that it focuses on what’s best, not what’s broken. We look for stories when there was conflict, yet people stayed connected and worked things through.
We held the first Story of Conflict Transformation at a UUSM sharing event on May 13, and 30 people participated. It was a meaningful and rewarding experience. Participants shared stories; everyone listened.
The Right Relations Team will be hosting Second Sunday Supper on June 11 with the opportunity for people to share their Story of Conflict Transformation after dinner. We will hold a sharing group on Stories of Conflict Transformation on Thursday evening May 25.
We hope you will participate in a group or a one-on-one interview to help you tell your story if you haven’t already done so, and you are welcome to share a story even if you don’t attend a group!
You are welcome to submit as many stories as you like; please use a separate form for each story. Please use this form to share your Story of Conflict Transformation at UUSM: https://tinyurl.com/uuconflictstories. You may also email the story to us at rightrelations@uusm.org.
The prompt for the Story of Conflict Transformation is “Tell about a personal experience of a conflict or difference that you have had in this congregation and where you stayed connected and transformed the conflict. This may be from any program area or year, a one-on-one experience, or in a group” or “Think of a time when as a member of this congregation you disagreed with someone or were in conflict with them, yet managed to work it out.”
Follow up questions are: “What was the disagreement/conflict about? Who was there? What happened? What behaviors or attitudes or practices were used to help you work through or transform the conflict? What helped the situation? Why did you want to try and work it out? Did something new or unexpected emerge from staying in the conversation? How did you feel in the process?
Your story is intended to be shared, so will not be anonymous.
Your story may be shared on a story-board in Forbes Hall, on our UUSM website, or in a special edition newsletter.
As we gather these stories, key behaviors will surface. The sharing of these stories and values will guide our congregation in articulating and remembering who we aspire to be together. These surfaced behaviors will become our congregation’s Covenant of Right Relations.
In the late summer, the Right Relations Task Force will host a Covenant Workshop and will present the Covenant to the Board of Directors and Congregation in the fall.
A covenant statement is the promises or commitments that people make to each other in the context of community. Covenants are about relationships. In aspiring for right relationship, we choose to act as if people can be good and we can trust them.
Trust them not blindly, not foolishly, but hopefully. We do this knowing that human beings are complex and that there are road blocks along the way. Through the practice of right relationship our congregation becomes a life-affirming community where individuals can live out their best intentions, forgive themselves and others when necessary, and celebrate the gift of life and love in community.
Our RRTF and Interview Team: Helen Brown, Liza Cranis, Vicky Foxworth, Wendi Gladstone, Cindy Kelly, Audrey Lyness, Linda Marten, Emily Linnemeier, Margot Page, Tom Peters, Vilma Ortiz(co-chair), Kim Santiago-Kalmanson, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Alison Kendall, Beth Rendeiro, Rima Snyder, Joe Straw, Sue
Stoyanoff (co-chair), John Sussman, Linda VanLigten, Cassandra Winters, James Witker, Patricia Wright, Steve Young and Sylvia Young.
– Emily Linnemeir
News & Announcements:
HEART AND SOUL: A Contemplative Worship Service
Second Sundays, 5 to 5:45 pm in the Sanctuary
Heart and Soul services are led by Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, Joyce Holmen, and Karen Hsu Patterson. With singing and instrumental music, statements and questions, silence and sharing, we’ll explore monthly worship themes. Sunday, June 11– What Does It Mean to be a Community of Joy?
Second Sunday Supper in June
Join us for the first Second Sunday Supper of the summer on Sunday, June 11, 6 to 8 pm. Happy hour starts at 5:45 pm. We welcome all for this once-amonth informal potluck feast! Meet up with old friends and meet new ones! This event is the cornerstone of our new Food Ministry program. Sign-up to help online at www.tinyurl.com/kitchenministry. To save on waste and promote green living, we kindly ask that you bring your own plates, cups, utensils and cloth napkins, (we will have extra dishes if you cannot bring your own). Contact: Jacki Weber.
UUSM Program Report for 2016-2017 Church Year
The 2016-17 Annual Reports on Programs is now available. You can find the report at http://www. uusm.org/sites/default/files/20162017annualreport.pdf or pick up a printed copy at the church office. If you would like the report mailed to you, please email Nurit at admin@uusm.org and provide your name and mailing address.
Newsletter News
The newsletter welcomes submissions about church-related activities. Please send articles to newsletter@uusm.org, or to Acting Editor-In-Chief Abby Arnold.
Newsletter Publication Schedule
| Name of Issue | Date of Publication | Copy Deadline | Worship Services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July/August | July 1 |
September 25 (before GA) |
July 2 through August 20 |
|
| August/September | August 16 | Tuesday, August 1 |
August 27 through September 24 |
|
| October | September 25 | Monday, September 11 |
October 1 through October 29 |
Interim Ministry During Summer and Early Fall
UUSM will be without a minister during the months of June, July, and August. Our Developmental Minister, the Rev. Greg Ward, officially begins on September 1, but with the Labor Day holiday and other commitments, September will be a transitional period. During these months, members of the congregation will assume leadership of key church ministerial responsibilities. Staff members will continue to be responsible in their own domains.
• Pastoral care: Ron Crane
• Sunday worship: Vilma Ortiz
• Clergy needs (weddings, memorial services, etc.): Please call the church office at (310) 829-5436
• Facilities management: Nurit Gordon, Administrator at admin@uusm.org
• Governance: Ron Crane, President
• Music: Dr. Zanaida Robles, Director of Music at music@uusm.org
Are You Aware? (EqUUal Access)
Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry (AIM) “is a joint program of the Unitarian Universalist Association and EqUUal Access, a Unitarian Universalist organization working to enable the full engagement of people with disabilities and their families in our congregations.” Our Disability Support Group (DSG) is a collaboration of persons with disabilities, friends, and families working to raise awareness of the needs within our congregation that promote “full engagement.” One goal of the DSG is to work toward full inclusion by becoming a welcoming, AIM congregation.
You can help by supporting accessibility, inclusion, and participation for everyone at UUCCSM. If you have concerns about how disabilities are impacting you or someone you know, come to a DSG meeting. We are a place to talk.
You can also help by talking with the Disability Support Group and others in the Church about ways to improve support for persons with disabilities in our church community, or by sharing your concerns and needs. Not sure whom to contact; look for Mark Christiansen, Michael Young, Steve Young, or Sylvia Young.
UUSM Member Christine Suarez invites all to the world premiere of FAMILY DINNER
A crowd-sourced dance-theater work about our collective identity as Americans
• Saturday, June 3 at 4 pm: Workshop with showing at Camera Obscura, 1450 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica. $10 FREE PERFORMANCES
• Sunday, June 4 at 5:30 pm: Performance/potluck: Virginia Avenue Park, Santa Monica
• Saturday, June 10 at noon: Performance/potluck: Reed Park, Santa Monica
• Sunday, June 11 at 5:30 pm: Performance/potluck: Home-hosted, Santa Monica (addresses given upon RSVP)
This dance-theater work was created in collaboration with participants from a series of home-hosted potluck dinners, examining the Book of Ruth as a contemporary political parable. SuarezDanceTheater explores community building, and how a group holds a story despite different points of view. Reservations are encouraged; space is limited. Please email familydinnerpotluck@gmail.com to RSVP. After each showing, we invite you to join us with a communal meal. You are encouraged to bring a dish to share
Two Summer Dining for Dollars Favorites
Tickets will be available at the door for those who have not already purchased them.
Choir Dining for Dollars Concert: A World of Music
Saturday, June 10, 7 pm - 9 pm, UUSM Sanctuary Please join us for a special night of singing and fellowship as we celebrate music from around the world! Afterwards, please join us in Forbes Hall for desserts and refreshments. This is the choir’s contribution to the general operating budget, suggested donation is $20, or pay what you can. Parking will be available at the UCLA lot. Contact: Kim Miller
Pancake Breakfast Saturday
June 24, 10 am in Forbes Hall, tickets are $10 presented by The Men’s Group. This fun community event is suitable for vegans and meat eaters. All ages welcome!
Faith in Action News:
UUs Resist on May Day
On May 1 we joined tens of thousands of workers in Los Angeles, and millions more around the world, to celebrate International Worker’s Day. The theme of the march was RESIST. A contingent from JUUstice LA met at First Unitarian Church and marched over to the beginning rally at MacArthur Park. From there we marched almost four miles towards Grand Park. Six congregants from Santa Monica, JUUstice LA’s Lead Organizer, three congregants from First Church, and friends marched, carried signs, and chanted to show our support for workers’ rights. We even saw some of the workers from Santa Monica’s Le Merigot Hotel. Many immigrant workers were scared to come out, but we can take a stand in their place even if it means taking a day off of work. Save the date for next year: Tuesday, May 1, 2018!
UUSM Joins March for Science
On April 22 members of this church and of the Sunday Assembly gathered in Pershing Square to join many thousands to support rational, science-based decision-making.
People chanted, “What do we want?” “Evidence-based science!” “When do we want it?” “After peer review!”
Signs announced, “Ice has no agenda, it just melts,” “A woman’s place is in the LAB,” “Do demonstrations work? Ask a Sociologist,” “So bad even introverts are here,” “Science makes beer,” “Save the EPA; There is no Planet B,” “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it,” –Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Other marches occurred in Washington, DC, and at the North and South Poles. There were about 600 Marches for Science worldwide. The UUA was an official cosponsor of the national marches, which was appreciated in these times when science and facts are under attack. We made a statement; we hope we made a difference!
Just reported: Scott Pruitt, of the EPA, is replacing half the scientists on the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors with industry representatives.
SAVE THE DATE - ANNUAL ALL-CHURCH INTERWEAVE PICNIC
Sunday, July 30, 11 am Church Courtyard To help, contact Kris Langabeer
Faith In Action Fundraiser
Sunday, June 4, 11 am - Unique and handmade items to help all our social justice programs!
GREEN COMMITTEE • INTERWEAVE • HUNGER TASK FORCE • PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
We continue to support our UU members who still have court dates for their arrest at KKK rally.
Los Angeles LGBTQ Pride March Returns with Protest on Sunday, June 11
This year the annual Pride event is going back to its roots, with a protest march on Sunday, June 11 starting at Hollywood and Highland and ending in West Hollywood. In recent years, Pride has been a celebration, but organizers believe that protest is once again necessary to protect the rights that have been won by LGBTQ people. The march will be 3.2 miles long. The rally starts at 8 am, and the march is scheduled to end at 1 pm. UUSM sends a delegation to this annual march, which began in 1970 to celebrate LGBTQ resistance during the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York. For more information check out the website: https://www.resistmarch.org/
UUSM will be marching this year, but we will not charter our own bus. A bus has been requested to leave from Santa Monica. More information on buses can be found here: https://www. bus.com/events/resistmarch
For more information on our contingent, please email Sarah Mae Harper.
Brendon Glenn Update: DA Refuses to Meet
“No decisions have been made in regard to the Proctor matter. It is still under review. As I mentioned to you in our conversation it will be some time before a decision will be made. As for meeting with the DA it would be inappropriate for her to meet with you while the office is evaluating and reviewing the matter. Please feel free to send me the additional signatures so that I can keep them with the original petition.”
That was an email message I received April 26 from Terrie Coady, Community Liaison for Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. We had requested a meeting with the DA where we would present the additional signatures on our petition demanding that Lacey prosecute Clifford Proctor, the LAPD cop who killed Brendon Glenn May 5, 2015, and ask Lacey in person why she won’t prosecute Proctor.
We gathered the 300-plus additional signatures February 26 at the Culver City Meets Venice CicLAvia. The route of the CicLAvia went directly over the spot on Windward Avenue in Venice where Brendon Glenn was killed.
Lacey’s claim that it will take “some time” to complete her investigation, in addition to the two years that have already gone by, is preposterous. The evidence, including a videotape from a store security camera, is so strong that the chief of police and the Police Commission have called for Proctor to be prosecuted, which is virtually unheard of. The evidence is so strong that the City of Los Angeles settled a civil suit by Brendon Glenn’s mother and his child for $4 million rather than risk a trial.
So why isn’t Lacey prosecuting Proctor — or announcing that she won’t? She was recently re-elected with support from virtually every police union and group in LA County and from dozens of liberal, Democratic, civil-liberties, and Black groups. (Lacey is Black, as is Proctor and was Glenn.) If she prosecutes, the police groups will mobilize against her. If she announces that she won’t prosecute, she’ll lose the support of the other half of her political base.
Lacey apparently hopes that if she stalls long enough, the murder of Brendon Glenn will fade away. We have been keeping Brendon’s memory alive for two years through marches, rallies, articles, talks, and petitioning. We will continue to do so.
— Rick Rhoads
Green Living Committee:
GREAT NEWS FROM THE GREEN LIVING COMMITTEE!
Community Services Unlimited, our climate justice partner in South Central Los Angeles, has received two grants towards their Veggie Bus 2 project, a Legacy Project grant of $10,000 from the Los Angeles Chapter of the US Green Building Council and another $5000 from the Whole Cities Foundation.
This has allowed them to relocate the beautifully painted Veggie Bus to their new location at 6569 South Vermont Avenue, where it will be renovated for use as a classroom and seed library/nursery, to become part of the urban farm and wellness center that is being developed at this site (check out this video https://give.classy.org/PRCWC).
Please join us to celebrate and volunteer Saturday, June 10 - HONORING OUR ROOTS: PEOPLE, SEEDS AND PLACE
10 am to noon
Garden Gateway, Seed Saving: Learn how to save seeds harvested from the EXPO Farm, help create the first packets to become part of the Veggie Bus Library, and take seeds home for your garden!
Veggie Bus 2: Join us to start this exciting project; we will move the bus to its permanent location, do some clean up and have a dialogue about the features we want to include in this upcycle.
12 pm to 2 pm
Paul Robeson Panel and Video Shoot: The seeds of the Paul Robeson Center, how did it come to be, why was it named after and what is its connection to Paul Robeson? “I’m a Champion” performance by Sheldon Bailey and video shoot with audience.
UUSM members who would like to attend and help out, please contact Rick Teplitz,and we’ll try to set up carpooling or alternative transportation. Rick Teplitz has room for three people leaving from Westchester.
Splinters from the Board:
Board Business Includes Membership, Grant Funding, Leadership Development Discussions at May 9 Meeting
The board met with nine guests in attendance for a celebratory meeting as it was Rev. Rebecca’s and Joe Engleman’s last board meeting. A delicious dinner from Baja Fresh was provided by Kim Miller. Cards and gifts were exchanged. Rev. Rebecca lit the chalice.
Five members were reinstated: Manuel Trujillo, Manuel Fonseca, Jeffrey Ellis, Joan Verdon, and Robert Schalenkamp. UU Santa Monica’s total membership is 339.
The consent agenda was adopted.
The board approved the Nominating Committee’s recommendation of Phil Bonacich to the Personnel Committee. Phil brings a wealth of experience from his involvement in UCLA’s sociology department.
The May 5 to 7 introductory meeting with the Rev. Greg Ward went very well both from his perspective and the perspective of the congregation and the staff. He was particularly impressed with the involvement of RE at both services. Between now and when he joins us in September, he welcomes communications from the congregation. His first Sunday in the pulpit will be September 10, which is ingathering Sunday when we return to two services. September 24 will be the start of the “liturgical” year, which is the fully planned year with all programs activated. Between September10 and September 24 there is the Camp de Benneville Pines All-Church Weekend, which is a “fallow” weekend in terms of the church calendar. Note the introduction of new terminology.
The board approved a transfer of up to $1,200 from contingency reserves for reimbursement of costs related to Rev. Greg’s visit to UUCCSM.
Rev. Greg has recommended summer reading for the board: A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin H. Friedman.
The theme of Rev. Greg’s arrival in September will be “onboarding,” namely meetings with leaders, staff, and board to help him acclimate to our congregation. The Annual Report on Programs will be a resource for onboarding. There will be a board retreat in September followed by a “deeper dive” retreat later in the spring.
UUSM received a Spirit Level Foundation grant for a Lifespan RE Administrative Assistant. Three years of funding will cost $30,000. The grant provides $15,000 and it is the task of our church to match $15,000. The board approved fundraising activities to meet the matching grant.
There was a discussion about using a RACI chart to articulate the roles and responsibilities of the potential new position. RACI (an acronym for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) is a matrix that clearly lays out roles and responsibilities for any activity or group of activities. DRE Kathleen Hogue will meet with adult and children’s RE to begin the process of creating a RACI chart for the new position.
Pastoral care, a revived Care Net, and worship during the gap between Rev. Rebecca’s departure and Rev. Greg’s arrival are in place thanks to experienced members on call and organized by Ron Crane, Linda van Ligten, and Vilma Ortiz.
Our church has a responsibility and commitment to its volunteers. The subject of acknowledging volunteers in various forms was discussed. Membership will undertake this important task starting in the fall. Beth Brownlie has stepped forward to lead membership development issues and would like a co-chair.
The board will celebrate the end of the church year and Rev. Rebecca’s last Sunday at UUSM with a board-sponsored bagel brunch.
Recognizing that it is beneficial for all of us to re-orient ourselves and to welcome our new board member into the fold outside of a board meeting environment, the executive committee talked about holding a board orientation on May 30 on the heels of the May 21 election. Five of the nine board members will already be onsite, and new board member Norm Richey would be available. The board was not able to affirm this date at because the entire board was not aware of the discussion in the executive committee. The executive committee will revisit the topic at its next meeting, and make a clear recommendation to the board.
Board members will again support the monthly first Sunday orientation for newcomers with one board member in attendance at each meeting. A schedule through October 2017 was established.
The meeting adjourned at an early 8:30 pm.
– Patricia Wright
RE News:
From Our DRE:
Growing My Skills, and My Faith
Following my trip to Tucson for District Assembly, I am back with more clarity and more vision. My walk in the desert and along the border fence was a good reminder of the work that we do together in this faith and the values and principles we all share. The work is still not done!
The UUA issues credentials for religious education professionals. I feel that this is a good time to start my credentialing process, and have done so. Once my application is submitted and approved, the UUA will inform the board president of my acceptance into the program. Some benefits to the congregation will be:
• Stronger, more vital religious education programs and multigenerational ministries
• A religious educator with demonstrated knowledge and skill in the many areas of religious education leadership, such as program administration; Unitarian Universalist history; religious education philosophy; anti-racism, antioppression, and multiculturalism; and right relations and professional ethics
• Assurance that the religious educator has met professional development standards and is held accountable to professional ethics guidelines by the UUA \
• The potential for enhanced collegial relationships among staff members
• A religious educator with the professional confidence that comes from knowing that s/he has been evaluated and recognized by the UUA as a professional religious educator, and
• Recognition by the UUA as a congregation that supports and values professional excellence.
This process takes time, a great deal of reading, and support. One of the benefits of the credentialing program is that I will have a mentor. This is important especially during this time of transition. Over the next few months, following the departure of Rev. Rebecca Bijur, I will also be supported in my position by meetings with colleagues in the district either online or in person, conversations and guidance from Rev. Sarah Millspaugh from the Pacific Western Region of the UUA, our Right Relations consultant Nancy Edmundson, and meetings with the board president Ron Crane.
This will be a journey full of accomplishments, joys, and opportunities for congregational support. There will be some challenges as well that I am confident we will work together on. I appreciate this congregation’s commitment and support in continuing education and professional development of its staff members. I am looking forward to many years of shared ministry here at UUSM.
– Kathleen Hogue
ADULT RELIGIOUS GROWTH AND EDUCATION
Upcoming Groups
Summer Common Read & Discussion Group: “Thank God for Evolution”
Few issues have revealed deeper divisions in our society than the debate between creationism and evolution, between religion and science. Yet from the fray, the Rev. Michael Dowd has emerged as a reconciler, finding faith strengthened by the power of reason. With evidence from contemporary astrophysics, geology, biology, anthropology, and evolutionary psychology, Thank God for Evolution lays out a compelling argument for how religion and science can be mutually enriching forces in our lives. Praised by Nobel laureates in the scientific community and religious leaders alike, Thank God for Evolution will expand the horizon of what is possible for self, for relationships, and for our world.
Read the book and join the discussion on Wednesdays at 7 pm starting June 21, and continuing July 5 and July 19. Location to be determined. We have a few books available for purchase at $5 each. Contact Kathleen Hogue uusmdre@gmail.com or James Witker jwitker@mac.com
Summer Film Series: “Standing for the Future” featuring Michael Dowd
Saturday, June 17: Who is Michael Dowd? Learn all about Rev. Reality in this NHPTV Documentary: One-on-one with Dowd (27 min) followed by The Future Is Calling Us to Greatness (17 min)
Saturday, June 24: Standing for the Future (Part 1 of 3) — “The Evidential Reformation: Facts as Scripture, Ecology as Theology” a.k.a., Ten Commandments to Avoid Extinction: Religion as if Survival Mattered” — i.e., What Reality/God is telling us through evidence about how we must collectively think and act if we hope to spare our grandchildren from hell on Earth and spare ourselves their condemnation. Michael Dowd explores the evolutionary significance of religion and the religious significance of science. He suggests that only a sacred, evidence-based view of past, present, and future can bridge the faith-reason divide and clarify our way forward. (64 min) Continues on Saturdays, July 8 amd July 22. Contact Kathleen Hogue uusmdre@gmail.com or James Witker
Spirited Seekers Group Studies World Religions
Discover the world of spirituality in the Spirited Seekers group! We shall endeavor to keep an open mind, and to delight in the multitudinous expressions of world religions and the deeply personal mystical encounters with the Divine. We aim to discover new ways of looking at spirituality beyond the bonds of a specific theology, and we seek to enrich our own practices. This group is open to all.
For our meeting on Sunday, June 4, we will discuss Islam, Sufism, and Mohammad Jalaluddin Rumi, the Persian mystic and poet. We may also have a special guest, India Radfar, daughter of Sufi Shaykh Nur al-Anwar al-Jerrahi (Lex Hixon), who will talk about her father’s path to Islamic Sufism, as well as his legacy.
Sunday June 4, from 1 to 3 pm in the Warren Mathews Conference Room. Facilitated by Sarah Robson
Continuing Group
Monthly Meditation Summer Film Series: An Enjoyable Dive into the Who and What We Are
This on-going, once a month class is presented to help participants master specific meditation skills. We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (Essence or True Nature). This class will include meditations which explore participants’ spiritual goals. The monthly group meetings will also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants have a regular meditation practice. Monday, June 5, 7 pm to 9:30 pm in Room 1 of Forbes Hall. Facilitated by Bill Blake with co-facilitator Dave Watson.
Adult RE Committee Invites New Members and Leaders
Want to have fun, work with dynamic people, make connections and help plan programming? Want to help others by providing them with the tools to become who they want to be? Join the Adult RE Committee (ARE Committee). We meet every first Friday of the month at 7:00 PM in Forbes Room 1. All are welcome to come to the meetings and ask questions, offer feedback and ideas, or join the committee!
NOTE: Thursday Night Meditation will no longer be offered.
We are grateful to Bettye Barclay for her many years as a facilitator.
Music News:
Disney Hall Concert Showcases Our Music Director and Bass Section Leader
I’m still floating after seeing the Los Angeles Master Chorale in an amazing concert at Disney Hall on Sunday, April 30. Grant Gershon, the conductor, shared with the audience beforehand that the concert, a selection of music to fill the spirit, was inspired by Zanaida Robles, our wonderful music director.
Early in the concert, Zanaida electrified the audience with her deep, rich, gorgeous solo on Wade in the Water, also the title of the program: https://www.lamasterchorale.org/ wade-in-the-water . Later, Zanaida’s arrangement of Lift Every Voice and Sing received a rousing and highlydeserved standing ovation. James Hayden, our bass section leader, was superb as a soloist on Vaughn Williams’ Mass in G Minor.
The audience was so appreciative at the end of the concert that the Chorale performed two encores. By my count, seven pieces were performed that our choir has also sung: Wade in the Water, Ubi Caritas, Amazing Grace, Randall Thompson’s Alleluia, Bright Morning Stars, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and Deep River. I was already tearing up by the fourth measure of the first piece, Stand in that River by Moira Smiley, a talented musician who has performed several times at UUSM. The singers processed in toward the stage from the four corners of Disney Hall. The sound of their voices surrounding us as they sang Moira’s beautiful Appalachian
harmonies was a wondrous experience.
I say with great pride that I was able to bask in the “glory of association” during intermission with friends from other parts of LA, fellow lovers of choral music. When I told them that Zanaida was our choir director and that James our bass section leader, they were astounded and envious. I am so appreciative of the folks we are blessed to work with: Zanaida, Danny, Jyvonne, Gabriel, James, Colleen.
If I’ve inspired you, there is another Los Angeles Master Chorale concert scheduled for June, a tribute to renowned choral composer, Morten Lauridsen and his piece, Lux Aeterna: https://lamasterchorale.org/season-concerts. I hope to see you there!
– Janet Goodwin