Newsletter for June, 2019
From Our Minister:
To the Glory of Life: A Prayer for the Ending of a Ministry
Spirit of Love,
I move into my own time of transition after being with people in theirs. So many feelings are alive in my heart. I feel the sadness that comes with having to let go – relationships that touched my heart are coming to an end… among people who honored me by opening their homes and hearts and lives. I grieved with them in their losses. I rejoiced in their blessings. I waited in the anxious moments, learned their histories and heard their hopes. The way their feelings mirror my own helps me feel the blessing of being with my people. Earnest. Kindred in purpose. Sometimes sensitive. Sometimes bold.
I have watched them face losses, feel pain, and respond to problems in creative and caring ways. I have been surprised by their spirit, their resilience, their commitment. And I have rarely seen communities able to have as much fun while doing what needs to be done. Sometimes I think they surprise themselves. There is much within the way they have shown me that reflects a holy purpose. The way people are meant to be together.
I have seen their impatient and contemptuous sides too. I’ve seen how they are sometimes timid in approaching conflict or afraid to speak their mind. I’ve seen how they can sometimes be stubborn and prideful. And I have seen myself in all of these things and I know they are my people. Help me to share my regrets and shed my smallness where I have failed to offer the kindness and generosity of spirit they might have needed from me.
Please, Love, be with them. Embolden them. Strengthen them. Make them flexible and resilient to walk into a future that will ask all of us to adapt and change in ways none of us can expect. When they are unsure, let grace abound. Share sensitivity with the bold and bring boldness to the sensitive; and help them find that which they need most in each other. Allow them to fashion coherence and vision from all the individual wisdom. Lift their hearts, which are already large enough, in the moments where courage is needed. And should they ever doubt, remind them that they are beloved in their own right, and always part of the beloved community of all souls.
And help us all to see, that although we will walk into the future on separate paths, we are headed to the same place.
To the Glory of Life.
P. S. One of the things that has become very helpful over the years is feedback. I would love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your experience of the impact my work has had. You can share what was particularly helpful; or what was not helpful; or what you might have liked that I didn't do. All feedback is welcome. Please send to revgregfeedback@uusm.org
Thank you!!!"
This is the Sunday we say farewell to the Rev. Greg Ward, our Developmental Minister since September 2017. He is heading off to his new marriage and life in the Bay Area. After the service, all are invited to celebrate our time together over lunch in Forbes Hall. Please rsvp here and let us know you are coming and how you can help!
From Our President:
Dear friends at UUCCSM,
When our settled minister the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel-Bijur departed, we engaged in an effort called “compassionate leave-taking.” The intention was to share our feelings in the community as she prepared to leave and as we prepared for the unknown with a new minister.
We are in a similar situation with our minister Rev. Greg, our DRE Kathleen, and intern minister Robin leaving during June.
I apologize for not thinking of this earlier, but with the annual meeting, I came to realize that there are many in the congregation who have feelings about these departures, and they deserve to be shared, aired, and processed in loving community.
There are a number of opportunities coming up to gather in compassionate dialogue. These events are hosted by the Right Relations Team and will be attended by fellow board members.
Here are the opportunities:
Sunday, June 16 - noon following the farewell celebration for Kathleen
July date TBD
August date TBD
Here’s a link where you can indicate your interest/availability. You can also check the online newsletter and Thursday Announcements for further details.
I am excited to announce the hiring of a new minister and DRE but we need to hold off a bit longer because they need to give notice and inform their congregations of their departures.
Stay tuned for more information! In the meantime, thank you for walking this path together.
Jacki Weber
President, Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica
President, Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica
Featured Articles:
Board Highlights for May 2019: Reimagining RE and Saying Farewell
END-OF-THE-YEAR ROUND-UP
The UUSM Board of Directors met on the evening of Tuesday, May 14. Because the Board will not meet in June, this was the last meeting of the current board. There were several good-byes and expressions of appreciation.
Two new church members were read into the minutes: John Oliver and Sharon Harrel. They hail from the shores of Virginia. Please look for them on Sundays.
The President’s remarks (Jacki Weber) were a synopsis of some of the big – and continuing – projects that the board has taken on this year. Some of these were expected (Big Rocks) and others were unexpected (staff turnover). These events concern the congregation, and Jacki is hoping we are ready for them.
General Assembly (GA) is coming up in June. We are allotted six delegates. These will be James Witker, Emily Hero, Jacki Weber, Beth Brownlie, Abby Arnold, and Norm Richey.
The Minister’s Report included several items:
The church has received more than 20 applicants for the three-quarter–time DRE position. These have been categorized by qualifications and four have been set for interviews.
Stewardship made a heroic effort this year – having face-to-face conversations with more members than in recent years. But several of the most involved members of the committee will be moving away. We are very sorry to be losing Kit Shaw and Olga Felton.
A comprehensive safety policy will, hopefully, be ready by June 15 – just before Greg’s last Sunday.
Our Director of Music, Saunder Choi, has submitted a proposal for a Children/Youth Music Program.
The members of the search committee, to find a new developmental minister, have settled on a candidate and are currently in negotiation regarding the contract. The announcement will likely be made in the next couple of weeks.
Intern Minister Robin Stillwater was delighted to report that the Young Adult group that she has spearheaded is vibrant. Aubrey Sassoon and Leo Forrest will be taking over the leadership.
UUSM Treasurer Cheryl Sims reported that our 2018–19 budget deficit will be about $48,000 – as opposed to the $23,000 originally budgeted. This is largely due to the loss of a couple very significant pledges. The congregation will likely have to vote at the Annual Meeting to determine where the money will come from to cover the increased deficit. But there is some good news: an anonymous donor has given the $5,000 necessary to match the Spirit Grant that helps pay for the RE assistant. Many thanks!
On Sunday, June 2, the Lifespan Religious Education Task Force (Beth Brownlie, JoAn Peters, Nick Henning, Kelly Hatfield and Erik Paesel) will sponsor a visioning session with facilitator Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, from the UUA regional office. This brainstorming session will reinvent our educational program for youth and adults. Nearly all members participate in one or more of these programs and are invited to encourage and collaborate.
In the Big Rocks discussion within the Board, the most detailed new bit of information relates to the Membership Committee. The committee hopes to bring in a membership consultant from the UUA. Meanwhile, the committee has been systematically trying to improve each of five main aspects of membership development: marketing, hospitality, introduction to UU, integration into the congregation, and retention. June 16 is New Member Day.
In June we will enjoy the bittersweet of several good-bye events: June 16 is Kathleen Hogue’s last day; June 23 is the Rev. Greg Ward’s last day; and June 30 is Robin Stillwater’s last day. Look for details coming soon. Don’t miss your chance to pitch in – and say farewell.
Reflections on UU District Assembly
RATED 10 OUT OF 10 BY ROBIN
The Pacific Southwest District of the Pacific Region of the UUA held a District Assembly in Long Beach, April 26-28. Our DRE, Kathleen Hogue, our ministerial intern, Robin Stillwater, congregation president, Jacki Weber Kikanza Nuri-Robins, Abby Arnold, Cassie Winters, Sue Stoyanoff, Aubrey Sassoon, Audrey Lyness and I, Dorothy Steinicke, attended from our church.
District Assembly is a great opportunity for UUs to meet other UUs, to discuss how other churches are approaching their challenges, to learn new things and to get inspired. Going to the national General Assembly (being held this year in Spokane, Washington June 19-23) is fantastic but traveling across the country and spending several days out of town is unrealistic for many of us. But a jaunt to Long Beach was not difficult at all.
When asked to reflect on the experience Robin stated: “The highlight for me was the keynote speaker, Donald Milton, III. He suggested some truly new and innovative ways to do worship and music. He had me laughing and in tears, and I used what he taught me the very next day on Sunday where we incorporated a responsive reading that included music. Honestly, it was worth going just for his address. However, I also connected with DREs, UUA staff, and other ministers that I can now call on if I am ever in need of support, resources or advice. In Millennial speak, 10/10 would recommend DA (or GA in a few weeks….)!”
Kikanza was part of a group that presented a fabulous workshop on the Leadership Experience.
In addition to attending the outstanding keynote presentation on “upcycling” church music, I attended a workshop on the use of ritual in worship and one on the changing reality of religious education.
In the ritual workshop, we performed a ritual and then analyzed its components. We learned that ritual is especially valuable to access feelings and understandings in non-linear ways through the use of participation, movement, reflection and repetition. The presenters pointed out that ritual is an especially valuable practice in intergenerational worship. I gained some ideas that may be useful in my role as worship associate.
In the workshop on religious education we learned that we are not the only UU church or even church that has experienced a dramatic decline in attendance. An idea that has worked in some churches is to have a ‘family worship’, a shorter (20 minute) worship service that is presented before the traditional service. This is a service where all are welcome but that is designed for parents and children to attend together. It involves music, ritual and stories. When it is over those participating might then go attend the regular service/RE classes or call it a day for church.
The presenter also encouraged churches to reach out in support of parents, to perhaps host a monthly ‘parent’s lounge’ with special presentations on issues facing parents with childcare provided.
At the end of the workshop the presenter made a seemingly offhand comment that may have had the biggest effect on me. She said that we need to be ‘religiously conscious’ of all that we do in our church communities, especially in our intergenerational activities. She gave an example that church communities often do things like preparing meals for people but don’t tie in why it is a practice that we are doing with our church community. It so happened that I was coordinating Lunches for Bunches the very next day. One of the wonderful things about Lunches for Bunches is how intergenerational it is, how we are all able to contribute. But, if you have ever participated, you know that L4B can also be rather chaotic. I didn’t immediately see how we could incorporate a religious reflection. We made the lunches. Lots of people helped. It was, as always, quite chaotic. People came and went as they were available. But there were seven of us, people of several generations who worked consistently through the process. As we were finishing and people were walking away I called them back and said that we needed to bless the lunches. There were some raised eyebrows. They were all people who had participated before and this hasn’t been part of the process. I felt self-conscious. But we all held hands and surrounded the lunches and blessed them with our hopes that they would provide sustenance and pleasure to those who received them and said that we sent not only the food but our hopes that those who receive them will be safe and well and will be able to move toward the goals they hold in their hearts. I didn’t check in with my fellow participants, but I found that it made the whole process more meaningful to me.
— Dorothy Steinicke
Attendees enjoyed gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach, 5450 E. Atherton St., www.uuclb.org.
UUSM Annual Meeting Follow-up
WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Our annual meeting to conduct the business of our church is now behind us. If you participated, the Board would love to hear from you so that we can better understand what went well, and what we can improve in the coming year and at next year’s meeting.
If you attended, please take a moment to take a brief survey by clicking the button below, or by responding to the survey when you receive it in your inbox.
TAKE SURVEY
If you did not have an opportunity to attend the meeting or want to know more about the discussion and the outcomes, a summary of events by our Board Secretary will be published in the coming days.
Thank you for contributing to our church community!
Two Memorial Services: Stuart Moore and Geralyn Lambson
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF STUART MOORE
On July 16, 1927, Stuart was delivered by a witch doctor in the jungles of the Republic of Panama. At the age of two he was introduced to the Unitarian Church of Memphis, TN (founded 1896). In the early 1940’s he was active in their YPRU (Young Peoples Religious Union). In the late 1940’s he was a member of the Unitarian Church of Champaign, IL. When he moved to California in 1952, he joined the Laymen’s League of the Santa Monica Unitarian Church long before he became a member officially in 1961.
Stuart was very active in the church during Ernie and Judith’s ministries. He served on the Board of Directors for six years including as Chairman in 1969-70. He was also the church’s Building Engineer for 40 years.
Stuart Moore died peacefully Saturday, May 4 at the age of 91. He is survived by his wife, Francine; his three children who grew up in this church, Amy Robison, and Eliot and Lionel Moore; and his grandchildren Vivian and Arch Stuart Robison. His memorial service was on Saturday, June 8, 2019, 1:00 pm, Sanctuary.
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF GERALYN LAMBSON
We are sad to announce the passing of Gerrie Lambson on May 15. Gerrie lived a very full life – including the last 20 years as a member of UUSM. She was well known to many for her service to our community and she will be missed. Gerrie spent years as a copy editor of the UUSM newsletter and was a champion of hospitality at the church, either by serving coffee after services, or by preparing and lighting the chalice in Forbes in front of the TV where the service is videocast. She also headed up our Undy-Sunday campaign for many years, collecting and donating useful clothing for local homeless shelters.
Gerrie became a Unitarian pre-merger in Kansas City after “escaping” her Mormon upbringing in rural Utah. She received a degree in English and a doctorate in Anatomy and was a lifelong teacher of many subjects.
Please plan to attend the memorial and share your stories with other members who miss her. Her memorial service was on Sunday, June 9, 2019, 4:00 pm, Sanctuary.
I knew Gerrie Lambson for most of my time at UUSM. I think I served coffee with her in the early 00’s. She was doing Undy Sundays even back then. (Just found mention in a 2004 newsletter.* Gerrie was on the staff of the newsletter as a proofreading editor from 2004-2014, with Carol Agate, Dayla MacDonald, and Charles Haskell as editors-in-chief. She served as Board Secretary under Sue Bickford in 2010. The Secretary position was eliminated the following year when the board size was reduced, but the position was later reinstated.
— Pam Teplitz
* Undy Sunday was a Big SuccessThanks to all who contributed so generously to the underwear collection on January 11. While the need could be endless, we were able to contribute: for men 74 pairs of briefs/boxers, 22 crew neck shirts, and six pairs of socks; for women 91 pairs of underpants, six pairs of socks/hose, one bra; for children one footed sleeper, one one-piece romper, six onesies shirts, 30 pair girl’s briefs, 15 pair boy’s briefs. The underwear will go to the Cold/Wet Weather Shelter.— Gerrie Lambson, 2004
Become a Chalice Lighter
Chalice Lighters is a program of giving sponsored by our Pacific Southwest District. It fits right into our Generous Congregation philosophy, providing us an opportunity to help others with small contributions from many people – and then to receive that assistance ourselves from the generous members of other congregations.
Imagine: your $20 could help a new congregation support a social justice program, hire its first music director, or purchase tiny chairs and tables for the littlest RE participants.
As a Chalice Lighter, you will receive a note, usually an email, at most three times a year, calling upon you to consider donating to a proposed grant for another UU congregation. You can read the proposal to learn the specifics, then decide whether you wish to support it with your $20 donation. You’ll need to say “yes” to only one proposal per year to maintain your Chalice Lighter designation – but of course you can also choose to fund a second proposal, or all three.
Chalice Lighters remains sustainable through small but broad-based donations, supporting fiscal health and growth in all our congregations. In order to submit our own grant proposals, we’ll need 20% or our church membership to join. Please consider becoming a participant in this enormously successful program.
We will announce the program from the pulpit on June 23, and I’ll be on hand in Forbes Hall to answer questions and help you join. I look forward to an enthusiastic response!
-- Barbara Kernochan for Chalice Lighters: A Program of Generosity
News & Announcements:
Please join us to celebrate the contributions Rev. Greg has made to UUSM in helping us become better together over the past two years! We will be enjoying each other's company as well as Lorenzo's famous southern BBQ after service, and we'll be putting together a well-wish jar for Rev. Greg to which you can add a sentiment for him.
If you'd like to participate, we'd like your RSVP so that we don't over-purchase.
The menu is Southern BBQ (Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork) with coleslaw, potato salad, dessert, and drinks. We'll have veggie burgers for vegetarians.
If you would like, you may donate to support the BBQ, volunteer for setup, cleanup, serving, or activities. Just indicate in your RSVP and Janine deZarn will follow up with further instructions.
Proceeds from donations will be split among all departing staff members (Rev Greg, Kathleen, and Robin) to help with moving expenses. Your generosity is appreciated.
https://www.evite.com/event/020CG7RYIS4IZUBCUEPJQFREE5ZS3Y/rsvp
Farewell to Our DRE
On Sunday, June 16 we are saying farewell to Kathleen Hogue. Please help by creating a card or write a short note and give it to Teri Lucas or Robin Stillwater. We’ll have an insert in the order of service with the prompts: “I loved the time you...” “I’ve always been impressed the way you...” “When I think of you I will always appreciate…”
Fiction Reading Group News: Farewell
The Fiction Reading Group has disbanded.
The group will not meet on Monday, June 17, nor on Monday, July 15 and will not meet in the future. The group has been meeting for five years to share wonderful books with great members. We are now interested in reading many types of books independently without any pressure.
-- Melinda Ewen and Lucy Hahn
RE News:
UUSM Welcomes Skilled Educator, Organizer, and “General Rabble-Rouser” as New DRE
Out of 28 applications, eight preliminary interviews, and three final interviews with highly qualified candidates, we are excited to introduce you to our unanimous choice, Cleo Anderson (she/her/hers). Cleo will join our staff beginning August 18, 2019, as our new Director of Religious Exploration and leader of our Lifetime Religious Exploration program.
Cleo spent the 2018-19 year serving as the DRE at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in nearby Canoga Park. UUSM DRE Kathleen Hogue has been serving as her mentor for the past year, as Cleo prepares for credentialing as a professional religious educator with the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA). Cleo also accompanied Saunder Choi at the Finding Our Way Home annual retreat for UU Religious Professionals of Color in Miami this past year.
She has spent the last few years working with queer youth and young adults offering racial justice programming and cultural sensitivity training and helping marginalized communities discover pride in their own – and others – acceptance and inherent worth and dignity.
The search team was very impressed with both her general intelligence (she is a member of MENSA) as well as her emotional-social intelligence and decision-making process in hypothetical scenarios.
Cleo describes herself as a “glitter loving, queer woman of color, teaching artist, feminist, poet, and general rabble-rouser.” Cleo’s varied teaching adventures include teaching applied theater to middle and high school students, leading workshops for groups ranging in age from 4-year-olds to 70-year-olds, and teaching adaptive swim lessons to kids with special needs.
Cleo first attended a UU church as a teenager and started attending services regularly as a young adult at UUSM. When she traveled for college debate competitions, she would often visit the local UU church. Cleo has a profound appreciation for the openness and love of UU-ism. She takes personal inspiration from Gertrude Stein, Angela Davis, Faith Lehane, Audre Lorde, and bell hooks. She is excited to be starting this journey with us in August!
-- UUSM President Jacki Weber and The Director of Religious Exploration Search Team
(UUSM LRE Assistant Teri Lucas, JoAn Peters, Maria Scremin, and UUSM Developmental Minister Rev. Greg Ward )
(UUSM LRE Assistant Teri Lucas, JoAn Peters, Maria Scremin, and UUSM Developmental Minister Rev. Greg Ward )
A New Vision for Our Lifespan Religious Education - UUSM COMMUNITY WORKSHOP JUNE 2
What does a successful LRE program look like for UUSM?
Sunday, June 2 – 11:30-5:30 pm
Sanctuary and Forbes Hall
Lunch provided. Parking in the structure provided.
Lets create a new vision of our Lifespan Religious Exploration Program together! Let our collective voices be heard with heart, spirit and compassion.
Join the LRE Program Task Force, the Board of Directors, and our UUA Regional Staff, Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, to collaborate on our new vision of what our LRE Program could be.
We will ask the great questions:
What does a successful Lifespan Religious Education program look like for UU Santa Monica?
How can we encourage more families and youth to be part of our Community?
How can we do more exciting and fun faith formation out in the community doing cool FIA projects?
— LRE Task Force:
Beth Brownlie (Board VP, Current RE parent)
Eileen McCormack (Board)
JoAn Peters (LRE-Children & Youth Committee & Current RE Parent)
Teri Lucas (LRE-Adult Programs Committee Representative)
Erik Paesel, Nick Henning, Kelly Hatfield (Current RE parents)
Proposed Changes to Adult RE
WITH DEEP THANKS TO KATHLEEN
First, we want to express heartfelt gratitude to Kathleen Hogue for being a vital asset to our work and supporting our growth, as individuals and as a committee, during her tenure at UUSM. We, along with many of you, will miss her wisdom and advice, her sense of humor, and her breadth of experience as a UU religious educator. We wish her well in her future endeavors!
Adult RE plans to begin to operate autonomously and streamline our process for creating new programs. This will allow our volunteers more efficient in their new, increased responsibilities. It also has the advantage of giving the new DRE the opportunity to focus their time and energy exclusively on the Children and Youth program, and simplifies the job description for prospective candidates.
To that end, we will continue our commitment to bringing you interesting, provocative, and inspiring opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. As always, we welcome your ideas and input!
We do need some help in moving forward. We are looking for two new committee members to participate in making Adult Programs as responsive as possible to the needs of our congregation and larger community. You don’t need to have a background in education, just a passion for adult learning and approximately 6 to 8 hours/month to donate to our mission. Just email any one of us below, and we’ll be happy to send you our Charter and our objectives for this year. You are also invited to attend one of our meetings and see what it feels like to be part of UUSM’s Adult Programs for Personal and Spiritual Exploration.
We welcome you to support Adult RE in the coming months through participation in current and future programs, proposing new ideas to us, or joining our committee. We look forward to hearing from you!
— Adult Programs for Personal & Spiritual Exploration (Adult RE): Mark Berlin, Sarah Robson, Beverly Shoenberger (Chair), James Witker, with Teri Lucas (RE Assistant)
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, June 2019
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See our upcoming activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
Community Building:
Collage Group with Stan Bemis Saturday, June 8
Do you wish to express yourself creatively in art, and yet may feel inadequate or untrained? Do you yearn to make an artistic statement, yet not sure how? Do you have too many catalogs, magazines, and advertisements, and haven’t a clue what to do with them? We welcome you to create your own collages with Stan Bemis! Stan works to bring joy and peace into people’s lives through creating art. He has taught many who didn’t realize they had creative talent, from all across the world – from California to Palestine/Israel. He welcomes any age, from youths to older adults. The goal of this group is to help foster personal worth and empowerment, entering that holy place within and having sacred fun. The objectives are: 1. to create works of art; and 2. to possibly create cards for events or celebrations. We encourage you to bring your old magazines to work with as well. We meet from 10:00-12:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contacts: Stan Bemis or Sarah Robson.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday, June 23
AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists) is an open group that meets for lively and engaging discussion on topics of politics, science, religion, and philosophy. We also host occasional guest speakers, films, and outings. We are a home base for non-believers and questioners, but everyone is welcome. For many, atheism/agnosticism is a first step; Humanism is the thousand steps that come after. We’ll meet 12:00- 1:00 pm in the Warren Matthews Conference Room Contact: James Witker, aahs@uusm.org.
Interest Groups:
Discussion and Support for Persons with Disabilities Sunday, June 23
The Disability Support Group will be promoting a dialogue on a selected topic at each of its meetings throughout this church year. There is a different theme for each month. All church members interested in the topic are invited to attend. For May, we will be discussing Self-Empowerment. We meet the fourth Sunday of each month from 12:30–2:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contact: Michael Young.
UU Men’s Group Thursday, June 6, 20
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for June 6 is: Decorating our homes with pictures and other objects is something we generally do for reasons other than artistic merit. What do you have on the wall or on shelves in your home, other than family photographs, that has special meaning for you? The topic for June 20 is: Even the best of relationships typically have some never-resolved subjects of conflict, disagreement, or not being in sync. What is one of yours and how do you deal with it? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month from 7:30-9:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contact: Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
An Enjoyable Dive into Who and What We Are Monday, June 3, 17
This ongoing class helps 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 that explore participants’ spiritual goals. The monthly group meetings also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants will develop and enjoy a regular meditation practice. This group meets on the first and third Mondays from 7:30-9:00 pm in Forbes Classroom 3. Contact: Bill Blake.
Open Meditation Monday, June 10, 24
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet on the second, fourth, (and fifth) Mondays from 7:30-9:00 pm in Forbes Classroom 3. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Personal Development:
Conversations and Connections Saturday, June 15
All are invited. It isn’t necessary to have attended previous Conversations and Connections gatherings.
Our guiding intention is to provide structure and opportunities for meaningful connections between individuals in our congregation. We will break into groups of 2, offering an opportunity for one-to-one conversations with 3 different people during our time together. We meet in Forbes Hall from 10:00am-12:00pm. Contact Sue Stoyanoff or Bettye Barclay for more information.
Highlights of additional interest groups meeting in June:
Knitters and Friends On hiatus during from May 12 until September 22, 2019, when we return to two services. Contact: Linda Van Ligten.
Body-Mind Tune Up for Seniors This group is for seniors, superseniors, and people with physical difficulties. All Fridays 10:00–11:00 am in Forbes Hall. Contact: Bruno Lacombe. Note: Free for church members, $10 suggested donation for nonmembers.
Fiction Reading Book Club We will be reading Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (245 pages). This book explores the effects of racism and injustice on a Mississippi family and the ways its members punish themselves for how they’ve chosen to cope. We will meet Monday, June 17, from 7:00- 8:30 pm. Contact Lucy Hahn or Melinda Ewen.
Science Non-Fiction Book Group We will discuss “I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life” by Ed Yong. Every animal or plant is home to thousands of different bacteria and other microbes. Recent discoveries in this realm prompt us to look at life as the interconnected, interdependent web of all existence of principle seven. All are welcome. We meet Tuesday, June 18, from 7:30–9:00 pm in Forbes. Contact: Rebecca Crawford.
Music News:
Divas and Drag Queens: A Choral Concert and Drag Bingo Fundraiser
JUNE 8, 2019 AT 7 PM IN THE SANCTUARY
The UUSM Choir presents “Divas and Drag Queens,” a musical fundraiser celebrating Pride and Empowerment. We will be showcasing a variety of pieces ranging from classy to camp; arias from Donizetti to tunes by Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, and showstoppers from Priscilla Queen of the Desert!
The event will be hosted by the lovely Ms. Beverly Luxe and we will be playing bingo through the night. You are welcome to dress up in your campiest, most colorful attire. Tickets are $20 at door or online through archive.uusm.org/make-a-donation (choose Program Support > Dining for Dollars > choir concert
For more information, contact Saunder Choi.
