Newsletter for May, 2021
From Our Minister:
From Our Minister: Story
Storytelling is dangerous to those who profit from the way things are because it has the power to show that the way things are is not permanent, not universal, not necessary…The storyteller is the truth-teller… We will not know our own injustice if we cannot imagine justice. We will not be free if we do not imagine freedom. We cannot demand that anyone try to attain justice and freedom who has not had a chance to imagine them as attainable.
-- Ursula K. Le Guin
How is your spirit these days? Is the springtime birthing new energy and creativity? Are the struggles of pandemic life still oppressing your spirit? What stories will you tell about living through this past year? Has our future been dramatically altered? One of our board members recently commented that she believed that we’ve all been transformed by this period and we’re going to emerge from it with great empathy for each other and with a bold new hope for our future. She assured us that dramatic progressive change is on the horizon. I was inspired by her perspective. How can humanity not be changed for the better by all that we’ve been through? When else in all of history has the population of the entire planet had to endure something like this together?
Together, we’ve all experienced a rare event that could be the foundation of so much progressive change in our world. The inadequacies of our healthcare system, neglect and exploitation of the working classes, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) communities, and the need for a scientifically literate society all became apparent to everyone this past year. We learned that the government has a critical role to play in ensuring the welfare of society and that global interdependence is required in our modern world. How will these experiences inform how we emerge from the pandemic? In the months before us, what future will we write for ourselves and our community?
Our spiritual theme for congregational exploration this month is Story. Each month, theme-based ministry invites the entire congregation to reflect upon universal themes of religious life in creative ways. Story can be broadly defined as an account of real or fictitious persons and events. Stories are how we make meaning of existence and pass that meaning on to others.
We all have stories that we tell ourselves–some that are real and some that we imagine to be real–about ourselves, our families, our relationships, our church community, our society, and even our place in the universe. Becoming conscious of our stories can help us free ourselves from stories that have outlived their usefulness or which were never useful in the first place! When we are aware of the stories that permeate our lives, we can better fashion the narratives of our futures.
I hope that you might take some time this month to reflect on this theme in church group meetings–theme-based questions make great check-in questions–or through other activities and events in the life of the congregation. Our partners at Soul Matters suggest a few questions to help deepen our reflections: What story did you first fall in love with? When did you first feel like you understood your plot line? What story about yourself have you outgrown, but others are still telling about you? What genre is your current life’s story?
Please remember that you’re not alone. Although these times are difficult for all of us, you have a community that cares about you and is here if you need spiritual support. Our Pastoral Associates and Care Ring members are available to provide short-term spiritual companionship or other forms of support if you are in need. You can confidentially request pastoral support — or submit any joys, sorrows, or milestones for inclusion in community news and our Sunday worship services — by emailing our pastoral team leaders at pastoralcare@uusm.org.
Let’s continue to care for each other and grow beloved community in these final months of the pandemic and let’s dream together of a bright future for all!
With love and gratitude,
Jeremiah
Rev. Jeremiah Lal Shahbaz Kalendae
Developmental Minister
Featured Articles:
Membership Committee Keeps on Keeping on
Q: How does a Membership Committee accomplish anything at all when the doors to its sanctuary are closed to congregants and visitors alike?
A: With extraordinary amounts of creativity, hard work, goodwill, and even a lot of fun.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on a couple of UUSM’s Membership Committee meetings recently and learned a great deal about this mighty crew and their work in these Covid times.
They’ve been offering virtual visitor meet-ups every week. Nine “Faith Forward” Zoom sessions have proven popular, especially those that featured our Minister, a catalog of adult RE options, or a tour of our beautiful campus. One member will be working closely with the Communications Team to develop social media outreach and connection. Our Membership Packet has been completely revised and is now sent instead of handed to new members. There are virtual “Meet the Minister” gatherings for new members, with the next scheduled for May 22nd, to be followed by a video New Member Ceremony on Sunday, May 23rd. Bios of our new members will appear here soon so we can say hello when we meet them in Zoom or in person. The one thing that is on a back burner until we can meet in person is a celebration to honor longtime members. As a potential honoree, I am happy to wait a few more months for this event.
On the Membership Committee this year: Barbara Gibbs, Gretchen Goetz, Carol Ring, Sarah Robson, Shanna Shaked, Adrienne Sumpter, and Larry Weiner; Cynthia Cottam and Norm Richey are the co-chairs.
A lot of this work is not yet reflected in increased membership numbers, as the ever-present attrition takes its own toll. But I am prepared to welcome a rush of new visitors and members once we can meet and greet them in person on a sunny Sunday morning.
And I’ll be saying both tacit and spoken thanks to the hard work of our Membership Committee.
Excelsior!
Barbara Kernochan
Just Because
News & Announcements:
Our Spring Dining for Dollars Is Almost Here!
There will be wine tastings and trivia contests and artwork to bid on. We’re holding Dining for Dollars online!
Can you think of a Zoom-friendly event that YOU might host? Something that would bring people together, that could make money for the Church AND bring people together?
Please offer an event by Sunday, May 2nd.
Contact us at auction@uusm.org
Bidding for the UUSM Spring Auction will take place Sunday May 16th through Sunday May 23rd.
Events will be held between end of May and Ingathering.
Thanks!
Beth, Pat, Greg, Karl
Building News:
UUSM Arizona Avenue Lobby and Doors to be Repaired
You may have noticed before the pandemic that our double doors at the Arizona Ave. entrance were having trouble, with only one door operational. Over the past year of hiatus, the problem has worsened. Now neither of the doors opens. The ground is shifting slightly, and some cracks have developed in the floor.
It is time to act.
Your Facilities Development and Maintenance Committee (FDMC) is working on the problem. We have met with our architect and engineers, who have gathered data and will prepare recommendations and will develop drawings. They have plans in the works to submit to the City of Santa Monica.
In addition to restoring safe access to Forbes that is wheelchair accessible, the project will include replacement of the doors into the Garden of Eternity with new, code-compliant glass doors.
The new doors will provide views into the Garden, as well as alternative access to the memorial garden on Sundays for family and friends who want to remember those who have died and are memorialized with engraved bricks or benches there.
We plan to have work completed over the summer so that the doors will be operational by In-Gathering in mid-September.
At the Annual Meeting on June 27, 2021, the UUSM Congregation will vote on a Resolution to Repair / Replace the Forbes Hall Entrance. Details will be provided in your packet for the Annual Meeting.
After that, contractor bids will be accepted, and work will begin as soon as possible.
We will keep you informed progress is made on the project.
Forbes Hall Entrance Repair Project Town Hall on May 30
FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Dear UU Santa Monica Community,
The Forbes Hall entrance on Arizona Avenue is in need of repair! Problems started back in 2007 when Forbes was renovated. The ground has been shifting and as a result — cracks developed on the floor, and the Arizona entrance doors do not work properly.
Please join us on Sunday, May 30th, 2021, at 11:30 AM to discuss this important work in our…
Forbes Hall/Arizona Entrance Fire/Safety Repair Project Town Hall
Zoom Meeting Info: Email admin@uusm.org for Zoom link
This meeting is to inform the Congregation prior to voting at the June 27th Annual Meeting on this resolution:
“The congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica authorizes an expenditure of up to $150,000 from the Catastrophe Reserve and Emergency Reserve for the structural repair and improvement of the Arizona Lobby.”
See you this Sunday,
Facilities Development and Maintenance Committee (FDMC)
- For project questions, please call Brad Hutchinson, Beth Brownlie, Abby Arnold, or Bryan Oakes.
- For Zoom questions, please email admin@uusm.org.
RE News:
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, May 2021
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 below for our May activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offering for May:
Leadership Training with Kikanza Nuri-Robins Tuesday May 4, Wednesday May 12
Great leadership is like playing jazz—you adapt your response to the theme (your vision) to the people who are playing with you, and to your audience. In this workshop series, you will learn to respond to the people you are leading by using your skills, gifts and talents in new ways. Each 90-minute session will focus on a different set of leadership tools. We will cover our thinking styles, our temperaments and our listening attitudes. As a result, participants may feel more ready and qualified to take on leadership in a variety of settings including UUCCSM. The group will meet between 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Contact: Kikanza Nuri-Robins.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling – Sunday, May 16
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing, or writing. Spring has arrived and flowers are everywhere. The Sunflower Family is big and (relatively) new evolved and differs from other flowers in many ways. Last month we examined the structure of more typical flowers. This month we will look at the more complicated structure of members of the sunflower family that includes dandelions, thistles, daisies and many, many more species. You don’t need any botanical skill or knowledge to participate. Just come with a flower from this massive family, pencil and paper (colored pencils are helpful) and a magnifying glass and we will explore the complex workings together. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Exploration of Ideas:
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday, May 18
We will discuss “Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past,” by David Reich. Now that geneticists are getting so much better at extracting DNA from ancient bones, it is much more possible to trace human migrations through the ages. This, along with anthropology, has allowed us to better understand our connections. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, May 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 Thursday, May 6 is: “Are you approaching a crossroads or a fork in the road in your life’s journey? If not, then keeping with the ‘road’ analogy, are you approaching a change in the pavement or the speed limit?” The topic for Thursday, May 20 is: “Great joke tellers are prized but seem to be few and far between. Have you known one or two especially talented ones? Do you have one or two good jokes that you can tell and do you remember where you heard them?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Jim Rheinwald.
Meditations:
Open Meditation Mondays, May 10, 24, 31
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 from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.