Sunday, April 1, 2011
Date:
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2011
Calendar of upcoming events:
Sunday, 4/8
Easter Multigenerational Service & Egg Hunt
Saturday, 4/14
Congregational Seder, 5pm (see announcement below)
Sunday, 4/15
Neighboring Faiths Field trip to Chumash Day Pow Wow in Malibu
Sunday, 4/22
RE Faith in Action Sunday – Earth Day Beach cleanup with Heal the Bay!
Saturday, 4/28
K-1st O.W.L. mandatory parent/child orientation, 2-5
Sunday, 4/29
K-1st O.W.L. class begins, 10:30-1:00
Saturday, 5/5
“That’s a Family” Screening & Family Potluck (details coming soon)
Sunday, 5/6
Sunday, 5/6
K-1st O.W.L. class meets, 10:30-1:00
Sunday, 5/13
K-1st O.W.L. class meets, 10:30-1:00
Sunday, 5/20
Coming of Age Sunday!
K-1st O.W.L. class meets, 10:30-1:00
Volunteer Opportunities:
· NEXT SUNDAY Easter Helpers Needed: Easter’s on April 8th this year, and I’m looking for some volunteers to help with this year’s festivities. Would you enjoy hiding eggs and/or helping to supervise the after-service eggs hunts for our kids? If you’d like to help out, contact Catherinedre@yahoo.com or call me at 310-829-5436 x105.
· HELP NEEDED Nursery Assistants Needed 1x per month: As our nursery program has grown this year (in leaps and bounds!), so has our need for assistants on Sunday morning. Would you enjoy spending one morning per month playing in the nursery with our younglings? We are particularly in need of volunteers for the 11:00 program, but need at least one more volunteer for 9:00, too. This is a GREAT opportunity for adults – or teens – to get to know our wonderful babies and toddlers. It is such fun, and such a service to our UUCCSM parents. Can you help? Please contact catherinedre@yahoo.com or 310-829-5436 x105 for more information or to volunteer.
This Week in RE:
PRESCHOOL (Ages 3-5 at 9:00 & 11:00): “We Need Our Families” This week our preschool classes will take part in activities that explore the beauty of our diverse families and the many ways our families take care of us. Meets in the NW room of the cottage.
SPIRIT PLAY: (K-1st at 9:00) “Passover” This week we’ll continue our exploration of our Jewish & Christian Heritage with the story of the Exodus and the origin of Passover. (K-2nd at 11:00) “Noah” This week we’ll continue our exploration of our Jewish & Christian Heritage with the sharing of the story of Noah & the Great Flood. Meets in the SE room of the cottage.
THEME WORKSHOPS (2nd-3rd at 9:00 only): “Renewal Workshop” This week we’ll begin our exploration of April’s theme of RENEWAL with a special planting project to help participants think about the ways the earth renews itself at this time of year, and how we experience renewal in our own lives. Meets in the NE room of the cottage (formerly known as “the couch room”).
UUNIVERSE STORY (4th-5th at 9:00/3rd-5th at 11:00): “The River of Life – Week 1” This week in the UUniverse Story program, we’ll begin a three-session exploration of the great River of Life. Imagine every species alive on Earth today designating a single ambassador to journey back through time, following their evolutionary lineage. Group by group, the lineages of the ambassadors begin to merge, as they come upon shared ancestors. We can take this journey together by beginning as the human ambassador, who encounters other lineages merging on the same journey back in time. We can picture this journey as drops of water flowing down a watershed, becoming rivulets, then streams, then bigger and bigger tributaries, as they all eventually come together in The River of Life. Meets in Room 4, the last room down the hallways upstairs above Forbes Hall.
NEIGHBORING FAITHS (6th-7th at 9:00 & 11:00): “Earth-Centered Introduction” This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will begin exploration of earth-based traditions including paganism as well as indigenous/native traditions. Our next field trip will be in two weeks, to the Chumash Day Pow Wow in Malibu on April 15th! Meets in Room 3, the third room down the hallway upstairs above Forbes Hall.
COMING OF AGE (8th at 9:00 only): This Sunday in COA we'll review the video of last year’s COA service, as we begin to craft our own service for May 20th. Youth should also bring their first drafts/notes for their credo statements. Meets in Room 2, the second room down the hallway upstairs above Forbes Hall.
YRUU (9th-12th alternates 9:00/11:00): Meets during the 11:00 service only this week.
After a fantastic YRUU service last week, it’s time for a break from all the hard work! Join us for fun games and yummy snacks. Meets in Room 1, the first room at the top of the stairs above Forbes Hall.
Announcements:
· NEW Congregational Seder 4/14: We will celebrate the Passover ceremony of Judaism with a Seder in Forbes Hall at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. We celebrate in the spirit of a renewed commitment to the eradication of slavery from our world. The ceremony will feature music, poetry, and Seder stories, and of course nourishing food from your kitchens. Please bring your families and help us to commemorate this significant occasion. We encourage contributions — program ideas, including readings and music — from the UUCCSM community to make this event a memorable one. You can contact Peggy Rhoads at primroads@hotmail.com or talk to Wendi Gladstone and Peggy during fellowship in Forbes Hall. A sign-up table will be available after each service on two Sundays: April 1, and April 8. The Multi-Racial Development Committee sponsors this event.
· NEW Youth Service: Three cheers for our YRUU youth for putting on a fabulous service on March 25th! It was a wonderfully meaningful service, exploring many different ways in which our youth bring balance to their lives. I was so inspired by how articulate and thoughtful (and exuberant!) our youth are. Not to mention talented – guest musician John Flynn noted that in more than 30 years of performing, this was the first time he’s ever had to follow a unicycle! What a strong testament they are to the value of our UU community.
· UPDATED COA/YRUU Event Night 4/14 – POSTPONED: Larry Weiner writes: Due to lack of response and the fact that the congregational seder is that night we have decided to postpone the Dodger night for the COA and YRUU's and families originally scheduled for April 14th. Please look for a future email because we plan to reschedule for later in the season.
· Children’s Art Submissions Requested for May Art Wall : WHAT A COMBO - Our children’s art on our Art Wall for the month of May. Please submit a framed piece done by your child for the May art wall. One piece per child per family. Three children=three pieces. It is such a pleasure to celebrate the creative talent of our RE children. We do have precise hanging requirements so make sure the art is frames and the backs ready to be placed on hooks. Beverly Alison can answer questions and she has a large collection of frames in all sizes if your entries aren't yet framed. The collection place is DRE Catherine Loya's office and Beverly is ready to help if you need some assistance. We will hang the show following the closing reception for the April exhibit. MAY MAY MAY! If you have questions, contact Beverly at balison@aol.com.
· RE Wish List: I am currently developing a “master wish list” for the RE program, which includes general and lesson-specific RE supply needs for this year’s classes. While the RE operating budget does have some money for supplies, this year’s budget is very tight and donations are happily accepted. The list so far includes:
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RE Furniture
- Roll-up-able rug, medium-sized
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General Supplies:
- Drawing paper
- Candle lighters
- Chart markers
- Flip chart paper (post-it or standard)
- Pipe cleaners
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Backup snack supply
- Cheddar Bunnies (like goldfish crackers but with fewer preservatives, additives)
- Graham crackers, goldfish crackers okay as alternative
- Granola bars, rice cakes, other non-sugary dry good snacks
- Dried fruit (apricots, raisins, apple rings, banana chips, etc.)
- RE Books Wish List on Amazon: Another arm of the “master wish list” for the RE program, is an Amazon Wishlist of books that will be used in RE lessons for this year’s program or that will be valuable resources for teachers & families in our church. We do have some money budgeted for book purchases, but we are running on a tight RE budget since the congregation’s budget cutback a couple of years ago, and donations are happily accepted. If you’d like to help out by donating a book or two to the program, check out the Amazon list at http://tinyurl.com/rewishlist. (Used books in “good” condition are just fine!) THANK YOU to the members who have already sent books our way – they are so appreciated!
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RE Furniture
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):
Chalice Lighting Words of the Week (April’s Theme – RENEWAL):
April 1:
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us have cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
-- Albert Schweitzer
For the 2011-12 church year we’re trying out a new way of living as one lifespan religious community: congregation-wide ministry themes. Each month we’ll explore a new theme. The chalice lighting shared here will be used on Sunday in all of our RE classes, and I hope that your family will also share it at home during the following week. I’m tickled by the idea of all of our UUCCSM families sharing a reflection in common each week as we go about our daily lives.
At-Home Ideas to Explore our Congregational Theme for April - RENEWAL
· Discuss with your family and friends how you would truly take a “sabbath.”
· Can you put aside work, and thinking about work or other things that you need to DO in order to fully BE present to the wonders of the world and to your family and friends?
· What is the most relaxing and renewing thing you have ever done? Find a way to recreate that feeling if not the actual experience.
· Some things that renew us actually involve being active. What activities do you do that give you a sense of renewal? It might be playing with Grandchildren, walking in nature, swimming in the ocean or creating something. Find a way to make a place for such activities on a regular basis. Put it in your calendar if necessary.
· Some people find quiet and solitude as restful and renewing. Give yourself a silent retreat. Find some time – from an afternoon to a weekend. Make an agreement with yourself and any people with you to not speak for the time selected. Choose some inspirational reading, or a question to ponder. Take the time to be alone with yourself and your thoughts.
· Take time on a regular basis to focus on your family and friends. Truly be with them and enjoy them. This is not a time for elaborate plans of fancy meals to prepare. Be present with them and enjoy them.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)
March 31, 1818: John Albion Andrew was born in Windham, Maine. He was reared orthodox but became Unitarian at the Church of the Disciples in Boston during the ministry of James Freeman Clarke. A lawyer, Andrew also visited prisons, took on many cases pro bono, and became an advocate of prison reform. He was an outspoken opponent of slavery, and became the governor or Massachusetts in 1860, after raising funds to support abolitionist John Brown’s family. Andrew also helped found the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first African-American fighting unit. A Transcendentalist, Andrew was active in the Unitarian denomination, often speaking at conferences and annual meetings. He died on October 30, 1867.
March 31, 1889: The Universalist General Convention ordained Joseph H. Jordan as the first African-American Universalist minister. The ordination took place at Church of the Messiah (Universalist) in Philadelphia, with Edwin Sweetser preaching.
April 2, 1652: The British House of Commons ordered the Rakovian Catechism burned. The Rakovian Catechism, from the Socinians, was translated into English by John Biddle and circulated widely. It espoused Unitarian doctrines and was judged by Parliament to be blasphemous and seditious because it undermined the Church of England.
April 3, 1856: St. Lawrence University was founded in Canton, New York, by the New York Universalist Educational Society. Although St. Lawrence has expanded beyond its denominational function, the Society still uses its assets to support education for Unitarian Universalist seminarians in the study of Universalism. Canton Theological School closed in 1965, having awarded 410 bachelor of divinity degrees and issued 67 certificates in the art of religious education.
April 4, 1802: Dorothea Lynde Dix was born in Hampden, Maine. At age 12, she went to Boston to live with her grandmother, where she became a teacher. She wrote several school texts, Hymns for Children (1825), Meditations for Private Hours (1828), and American Moral Tales for Young Persons (1832). Although she refused to speak in public, she enlisted prominent spokesmen and wrote documents for them to present. Dix also worked for prison reform and founded the first public hospitals for paupers and the mentally disabled. The U.S. government appointed her supervisor of female nurses during the Civil War. She was instrumental in building 32 hospitals in the United States and Europe. The last five years of Dix’s life were spent as a guest in the New Jersey State Asylum at Trenton, one of the hospitals she had build, and it afforded her a home for her declining years. She had strong Unitarian connections through her friendship with William Ellery Channing, the minister of the Arlington Street Church in Boston. She was also good friends with William Rathbone, a noted Unitarian philanthropist. Dix especially appreciated the Unitarian emphasis on the goodness of God, purity of heart, openness to new knowledge, and responsibility for the welfare of all society. She died on July 17, 1887.