Lifespan Religious Education News Archives -- 2005
December, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
Hurry, hurry, hurry! The holidays are almost upon us, it’s almost the end of the year, and there’s so much to get done, there’s no time to sit around doing nothing.
Don’t we all feel this way sometimes? Our pageant this year, in fact, features someone like that, someone who was so busy with little things that she missed out on something big. I’m certainly guilty of “busy-think” myself, especially this year for some reason. And it’s an exhausting way to live.
So I’m taking some time this month to take a few deep breaths, literally and figuratively, and remember how to slow down, how to appreciate the time that I have. (And our friend Befana will make some discoveries of her own in our holiday pageant in a few weeks.) A lovely poem by Gunilla Norris that I encountered recently speaks of each moment as a threshold moment, in an unending series of moments. Norris writes, “Help me appreciate how awesome this is/ How many are the chances to be really alive/ . . . to be aware of the enormous dimension we live within.” Yes! We are engaged, in every moment, in the act of becoming—what will we choose to be? How will this moment help us become who we will be tomorrow? May we not be so focused on what is coming that we forget that the only opportunity for action comes in the present, moment by moment, as it arrives.
May we all find much time for joy (and rest) in this holiday season.
— Catherine Farmer
Friendly Beasts Information is Updated
The Friendly Beasts, preschoolers through fifth graders, will continue their rehearsals of “The Friendly Beasts Song” for the holiday pageant, which will occur December 18 at both services. The rehearsal schedule:
Dec. 4: K–5—beginning of RE Worship Sunday; preschoolers after worship rehearsal
Dec. 11: Group rehearsal in mural room for all at beginning of RE
Dec. 17: Saturday dress rehearsal in sanctuary (9:30 a.m. to around 10:15 a.m.)
Dec. 18: Pageant! (both services; please arrive at 8:15 a.m.)
We realize that pageant day is a long one for the children, so please contact me (klangabeer@mednet.ucla.edu) if you can help by:
• Supervising the children and providing crafts and games (especially between services and during the second service, when they’ll be in the mural room until they sing),
• Bringing food for between the services (small sandwiches, bagels, cream cheese, muffins, crackers, cheese, cut vegetables and fruit, juice, etc.), or
• Compiling paper activities (we have packets from previous years that you could build upon) and bagged crayon sets for during the first service.
Ideally, we would like all children to sing at both services on pageant Sunday, but if your child can sing at only one service, please let me know. Here’s to another great pageant.
— Kris Langabeer
Our RE Star for December: Mel Horan
The RE program has benefited enormously from the talents of Mel Horan, this month’s RE star. If you’ve ever attended the UNICEF carnival, you have seen some of Mel’s artistic handiwork—Mel created the many booths we use during our Halloween fundraiser. Several years ago, following careful research, Mel also spearheaded the effort to acquire the wonderful play structure in our side yard (and trust us, it was a MAJOR improvement for our little ones).
As a classroom teacher, Mel has led the 11 a.m. kindergarten/first grade class assisted by his son, Tycho. In addition, Mel put enormous time and energy into the Coming of Age program as an advisor this past year. In many fun, silly, and warmhearted ways, Mel has always shown a deep love and respect for children. Of all his many gifts, perhaps the best is this ability to truly understand life from the point of view of a young person.
For this and for all he has given to RE, we honor Mel this month (and he makes a mean pizza, too!)
November, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
Years ago, a friend gave me a scrap of paper bearing a fortune he told me he’d found in a restaurant fortune cookie. It said: “Optimism: a cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea kettle to sing though in hot water up to its nose.” Though it was more a definition than a fortune, I kept it, and have recently found myself returning to the same sentiment, though in slightly different form: “A great part of the art of living lies in learning how to scramble gracefully.”
Who can say but that the greatest educational moments arrive unexpectedly? I’ve learned this over and over again working in religious education. An activity in a Sunday RE lesson isn’t working quite the way we wanted? Great – let’s find something better, in 10 seconds or less. Got a whole lesson planned and ready, and a kid comes in with something really important on her mind that she needs to share with the group? Fine – let’s put the lesson on hold for now and build a new one around the more immediate topic at hand. This is certainly not to say that it’s OK to dispense with planning – you might end up in hot water far past your nose if you did that – but it does mean that it’s a good idea to be able to think on your feet when the need arises.
One of the great things about Unitarian Universalism is that it’s all right not to have all the answers. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s better than having all the answers. If a child asks you a theological question that catches you unprepared, it’s fine to say that you don’t know but have some ideas to share, and it’s always great to ask the child what he or she thinks. You’ll probably be amazed by what you hear. And that’s what religious education is all about – engaging children and youth (and adults too) in finding out for themselves who they are and why they’re here, or in other words, finding their own faith and then living it. Isn’t that why we’re all here? Remember, religious education spans a lifetime. I hope I never feel that I’ve figured it all out – retaining a childlike sense of wonder at all the new things the world has to offer is something I take very seriously. My list of things to learn grows and grows, and that’s just the way I want it.
My second favorite fortune cookie reads: “You will be greatly admired by your pears.” Who needs fame and fortune when you’ve got the produce vote? I pull that one out again when I feel I’m beginning to take myself too seriously; as another friend used to say, “Fruit is always funny!”
— Catherine Farmer
"Friendly Beasts" Rehearsal Schedule
Once again, our preschool through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, December 18, at both services.
As in years past, all involved children will sing the first and last verses of the song. Small groups of children will sing the middle five verses, dressed in a costume appropriate to the animal speaking in that verse (brown donkey, red and white cow, dog, dove, and mouse).
We have a few costumes from previous pageants, but parents are encouraged to create their child’s costume (don’t panic—we have easy suggestions). Older kids who don’t want to dress as an animal but do want to sing are welcome to be shepherds.
The children pick which animal they want to be, but generally, the preschoolers sing the mice verse.
Religious Exploration teachers, please note: I will lead Sunday rehearsals (about 10 minutes long) that will occur in the RE classrooms during both services. Below is the rehearsal schedule:
Nov. 13 - Preschooler at RE beginning
Nov. 20 - Preschoolers at RE beginning K-5 10 minutes each classroom
Nov. 28 - Preschoolers 10 minutes during class K-5 10 minutes during class
Dec. 4 - K-5 beginning of RE Worship Sunday Preschoolers after Worship rehearsal
Dec. 11 - Group rehearsal in mural room for all at RE beginning
Dec. 17 - Morning dress rehearsal in sanctuary from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Dec. 18 - Pageant! (both services)
Call or e-mail me with questions. I look forward to working with your friendly beasts once again this year.
— Kris Langabeer
Our RE Star for November: Karen Canady
Mom’s lasagna? Delectable desserts? Karen Canady has hosted some of the yummiest Dining for Dollars events ever. However, this month we honor her for her many contributions to RE. As a dedicated parent to Adam and Noah, Karen volunteered early on to become an RE classroom teacher and for a number of years has teamed up with Beverly Alison in the second and third grade 9 a.m. class. This past winter and spring she also generously spent her Sunday afternoons teaching junior high OWL, the 14- week UU sexuality education course for 13 and 14 year olds, arguably one of the most valuable educational endeavors of the RE program. For her quiet and confident manner, her dedication to our kids, and her volunteer spirit, we have chosen Karen Canady as this month’s RE star.
October, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
In the RE teacher orientation on September 10, we spent some time talking about what it means to create a radically welcoming classroom: a classroom where every teacher, every child, every person in the room feels deeply committed to creating a welcoming, supportive place for all who enter. A subset of the conversation centered around ways we create an intentionally welcoming environment for children with special needs, which is important in its own right. But the larger question is the one that most tickles my fancy. I sense that if we did this well, the other would fall into place as a matter of course. So how do we create a classroom (a program, a church, a world …) in which everyone, regardless of their particular needs, their learning styles, their quirks, their likes and dislikes, is celebrated as a uniquely valuable member of the group? What are the ways we welcome people when they first arrive that invite them to become members of the group, and what do we do to foster the commitment of every individual to sustain that welcome throughout the year?
We Unitarian Universalists, particularly on the Unitarian side of our heritage, have placed particular emphasis on reason and individual freedom of belief and practice, sometimes at the expense of recognizing our individual role in the creation of caring community. But it seems to me that the community is what is most central. We could be exercising our individual freedom of belief and practice at home, but what makes us Unitarian Universalists is that we’ve recognized the value in being part of a community of people who hold these values in common. And I sense that the pendulum is beginning to swing in that direction, that more and more UUs in our church and beyond are beginning to recognize the value of creating a radical welcome in all areas of church life.
It calls for a culture shift, certainly. I look forward, for example, to the day when no visitor (or longtime member, for that matter) stands alone at coffee hour, waiting for someone to say “Hi.” It means inspiring every member of the congregation to feel viscerally that he or she has a personal stake in creating a community that welcomes everyone. It means fostering a deep awareness on the part of every member of where the circle has been drawn, and how to invite those left out of the circle to join in. I consider this our calling, as Unitarian Universalists in a world that tells people, in so many ways, that they aren’t good enough to be part of the group. Join us in creating the beloved community.
— Catherine Farmer
Our RE Star for October: Pam Teplitz
This month we honor a truly tireless volunteer, Pam Teplitz. Pam and her family have been members since 1990 and she has helped in countless ways during that time. She taught in RE for many, many years while both her sons, Daniel and Jordan, were growing up. She continues to help by arranging the monthly trips for 6th to 7th grade classes to other houses of worship as part of Our Neighboring Faiths curriculum. As a graphic designer, she has given that professional look to the monthly flyers for the youth events for years. She is always ready with something for a potluck dinner, ideas for a better program, pouring coffee, or being part of the newsletter team. She is quietly, behind the scenes, helping out. For this, we give our heartfelt thanks and make her RE Star of the month.
— Karen Patch
Third Annual Graham Jarvis Talent Show Features RE Students
Our Third Annual Graham Jarvis Talent Show on August 28 featured guitarist Tom Troccoli and and young people from our RE classes who showcased their talents in dancing, gymnastics, singing, magic, and piano...and raised $37 for the capital campaign fund. The talent show is named in honor of Graham Jarvis, longtime church member and actor (in among other shows, “Mary Hartman”) who taught RE preschool classes for many years and mentored many children and young people. He died three years ago. Graham was the first church school teacher of Ian Postel, who took these photos. Graham and Ian stayed friends for years, and Ian helps behind the scenes at the talent shows.
— Photos by Ian Postel
September, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
Welcome to the 2005-2006 church year. I can hardly believe it's September already. Time for the new year—more so at this time of year than in January, for many of us. And what a year it will be for us at UUCCSM. As Judith heads off for her sabbatical, we'll welcome Jim Grant as our weekend minister for the rest of 2005, and all signs point to beginning our building program well before the next church year rolls around. This year brings much that is new, and with it comes the chance for us to discover together new and exciting ways of being together, of doing church.
I'm also very excited about what this new year brings for our educational ministry to children and youth. As part of our continuing UU Principles focus in our children's programs, our elementary classes this fall will be exploring our Fourth Principle, "Free and responsible search for truth and meaning," in classes and on Worship Sundays together. Then in January we’ll kick off our brand new "winter intensive" program, Social Justice Month. In February, we'll return to our classroom and worship rotation, this time exploring our Fifth Principle, "The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process." And then in May, we'll head into our "spring intensive," Arts Month. This is the first year we're trying out this format, with a whole month each dedicated to Social Justice and the Arts. And I can't wait to see how it all turns out.
Our church's high school program is expanding also, as we continue our very successful 11 a.m. YRUU youth group, and our monthly Youth Activities Committeesponsored social events, and add a new current-and-religious-issues-based program at 9 a.m. on Sundays.
Meanwhile, our preschoolers will be learning to honor themselves, their religious community, nature and cultures from around the world through the "We Are Many, We Are One" curriculum. In our continuing "Neighboring Faiths" class for sixth and seventh graders, we'll learn about, and then visit, a different religion's place of worship each month. This year's eighth graders will be encouraged to explore and articulate their personal beliefs within the context of our Unitarian Universalist faith in our Coming of Age program.
The first day of RE classes for 2005-06 will fall on Ingathering Sunday, September 11. We’ll begin RE registration on September 4; please make sure to register ALL children, youth, and babies in the nursery through high-schoolers, for this year's program.
Happy New Year!
— Catherine Farmer
Our RE Star: Joanie Wilk
This month we honor our resident master storyteller, Joanie Wilk. For a number of years, Joanie has provided solid support in our RE classes as well as during Worship and Social Justice Sundays. In fact, Joanie has quite possibly logged more hours in RE than almost any other volunteer. She assists in the activities and is a wonderful warm presence for our children. In addition to her storytelling skills, she has led yoga classes and provided childcare during church events. For the past few years at Camp de Benneville Pines, Joanie has organized the children (even the youngest) into an impressive act during the annual talent show at our June church weekend. For her ready smile, her warmth, her volunteer spirit and her willingness to jump in and be goofy with the kids, we honor her this month.
August, 2005
RE Shining Star: Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnston, this month’s RE star, has taught a variety of ages in the RE program at 9 a.m., including an innovative seventh grade class which captured the kids’ interest by exploring spiritual messages from a popular TV show, "The Simpsons." Stanley is also a longtime member of the Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education team and was one of the teachers in our first OWL class for eighth and ninth graders. The kids continued to meet for many months after the curriculum was finished, simply because they felt the group experience was so valuable. Stanley is one of those people who genuinely loves our kids and seems to find and nurture their best selves. For the gentle, kind, and warm man he is, we honor him this month.
July, 2005
RE Shining Star: Liza Cranis
From the youngest of our children in the Superfriends class (3 to 5 year olds) to the oldest in YRUU (senior high school), kids of all ages know that Liza Cranis has been an incredibly dedicated RE teacher. One of Liza’s greatest strengths is the way she identifies so closely with the age group she’s working with. Her offbeat humor (remember the wonderful Halloween cow costume with an udder?) and her warm and nurturing acceptance make her a hit with all ages. Whether decorating the classroom in a bright and cheerful way, writing a monthly newsletter to each child in the class, or listening really carefully to what you have to say, Liza has a knack for making each young person feel special. For the many ways Liza makes all of us in RE feel special, we honor her this month as our R E Shining Star.
RE Sunday
Religious Exploration Sunday was on June 5. Each grade level participated, giving the congregation an insight to its program. The morning concluded with a ceremony and thanks for the volunteers.
June, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
Summer is so close—I can almost feel the warm summer breezes, the hot summer sun beating down on me. But wait: There is still so much to think about before summer really arrives. The RE Council and I have been busy planning our program for next fall. And we have a question for all of you: Have you had a chance to explore the UU principles lately?
It just so happens that kids in RE will be exploring the fourth and fifth UU Principles next year—the “Free and Responsible Search for Truth and Meaning” and “The Right of Conscience and the Use of the Democratic Process.” We also will offer, for the second year, the “Neighboring Faiths” comparative religions curriculum for 6th and 7th grades, “Coming of Age” for 8th grade, and our senior high YRUU youth group at 11 a.m., as well as a new addition to our youth program, a contemporary issues-based class offered at 9 a.m.
There is no better way to learn and live your UU principles than by learning with and teaching our youth and children. Presenting stories to them and listening to their efforts to interpret and understand can be a wonderful way to explore these issues and concepts for yourself. Without teachers, interesting curriculum is of no value. Over the next few weeks, we will be searching for more “RE Shining Stars” to help us create a vibrant RE program next year with our children and youth.
Think about how sad a place UUCCSM would be without our enthusiastic kids. Consider the wonderful energy there is in an intergenerational community (a model that is increasingly rare). Feel the warm arms of a child wrapped around you in a hug.
And we need you. To fully staff our fabulous programs, we’re looking for more than 50 members of our congregation to volunteer to teach for one to two Sundays per month, for the months of September to December and February to April. Teachers will have a break in January and May when we offer our new month-long “intensive” programs; namely, Social Justice in January and the Arts in May.
Think about it. Think about teaching RE. Then visit the RE table in Forbes Hall during coffee hour on Sundays this month to hear about our program in more detail and let us know how you’d like to be involved. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
— Catherine Farmer
RE Star for June: Celia Goetz
What makes a good RE teacher? Age and experience, you say? Five years ago, Celia Goetz was an eighth grader. That year, she and her brother, Noel, both volunteered to assist in the 11 a.m. kindergarten/ first grade class. Faithfully bringing juice and snacks and helping out with class activities, Celia and Noel became role models of youth participation in our church.
The following year, Celia and Noel became fullfledged members of the RE team, planning and leading their own lessons. As Noel grew busier in high school, Celia teamed up with her mother, Gretchen, and moved to the pre-school class. Celia’s smile, warmth, and nurturing ways have provided a welcoming first experience for the three-and-four-year-old RE children. Sad to say, Celia is graduating soon from Santa Monica High School and is heading off to UC Berkeley. We wish her well but will miss her quiet and stable presence in RE.
Congratulations and good luck, Celia!
May, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
We’ve just finished our program planning for next year in RE, and it looks great! I’m just so tickled with what we’ve planned that I decided I can’t wait to tell you about it.
Similar to our format last year, our focus will be on two of our Principles during the year, and will include lessons from published UU curricula, as well as from a rich variety of outside sources. For the first half of the year, we’ll explore the fourth Principle, “the free and responsible search for truth and meaning,” and then we’ll shift to the fifth Principle, “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process.”
We will maintain the first Sunday of the month as Worship Sunday. We hope to integrate the children’s choir into Worship Sundays as song and celebration leaders, and each classroom will be in charge of one Worship Sunday during the year, starting with the oldest kids first (after, of course, the kickoff Worship Sunday which the adults organize and lead), with our fabulous children’s choir director available to provide support and resources.
During the remaining three Sundays per month, our Classroom Sundays will provide additional time for smaller age-specific classes to be together. Lessons will focus on Principles, and each will now include specific ideas for how to integrate the arts and social justice projects as well as tactile and active learning into the day’s plan.
Then comes the most exciting new part of our program — intensives. In January, instead of continuing our worship to classroom rotation, we will have a month-long Social Justice focus; members of the congregation with passion for and experience in various aspects of social justice work will be invited to create single or multi-week action projects for our program. Each week during the month, kids will have four or five projects to choose from, allowing us to really get indepth as we engage the kids in “putting hands and feet” on our UU Principles.
From February to April, we’ll go back to our worship– classroom rotation, for the second half of our program. But in May we’ll have our second intensive — Arts month. It’s the same concept as in January, only this time we recruit members to offer various arts projects to the kids: music, dance, painting, acting, videography, crafts, movement — you name it. The kids will choose which they want to take part in each week, and we’ll spend the whole month exploring our spirituality through making art together.
We’ve got a lot planned for the RE program next year, and we’re in the market for volunteers. Join us as we continue to celebrate “being you and being UU” with our children and youth.
— Catherine Farmer
Ross Altman Sings to RE Classes of Moses and Slavery
On April 3, folksinger Ross Altman brought his guitar, banjo, harmonica, and “SongFighter” presence upstairs to our First Sunday Children’s Worship. He gave an exciting explanation of how Moses saved his people from Pharaoh, and the children sang with him the rousing, “O, Mary, Don’t You Weep.” He told how this ancient tale has inspired many people, including Southern slaves who were led by Harriet Tubman and others to cross not the Red Sea but the Ohio River on the Underground Railroad. Ross then shared the mournful, “Let My People Go.” He pointed to images in our UU history mural in Room 4 to help him weave the story of freedom.
— Joyce Holmen
RE Star for May: Beverly Alison
One reason our RE kids love Beverly Alison so much is that they think she’s one of them. She greets and welcomes each new child with a warmth and affection that makes them glow. She’s not afraid to wear bunny ears, and if you’ve ever had the good fortune to visit her house, you might have seen the racks of dress-up clothes in her garage. Beverly is a very special person — her political activism, her community work, her willingness to host and/or cater events and provide lovely decorations — she is like the “Energizer Bunny,” always reaching out to someone in need.
Beverly has taught RE at the 9 a.m. service for over a decade and has been instrumental in all of our winter pageants. She is endlessly creative in her teaching ideas and shares them willingly with other teachers. We have many things to learn from Beverly, but it is her heart that has touched us the most.
April, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
In UU circles, “ritual” sometimes seems as if it has become a bad word. But it doesn’t need to be. I think that we, as Unitarian Universalists, have tended to associate ritual with dogma, and have lost something in the process of letting go of old ways and other faiths.
In my extended family, when we gather for meals, we always pause for a prayer before we eat. And though the theology in the prayer sometimes makes me squirm, I have always appreciated the practice of being mindful, in community, when we eat together. In some UU families, this means holding hands and sharing something that each person is thankful for that day. Or having a short meditation over words that remind us of the many people who made the meal possible. Lately I’m enamored with the idea of lighting a chalice at the table, and saying something like “May the food we eat help us build up strength to change the world.”
In RE classes, we like to bookend our lessons with classroom rituals that help us focus on our UU principles: light a chalice, say our covenant or sing a song, check in with one another and share something good that happened or something that illustrated one of the principles in our lives this week.
At the end of class time, we share a snack together, and a closing such as a “pass the squeeze” circle, or a reminder to take what we’ve learned out into the world with us. But for all that we do in our hour on Sunday mornings, how much stronger is our kids’ RE experience when it mirrors what is happening at home?
Our principle for the rest of this church year is Principle #3: Acceptance and encouragement to spiritual growth. Parents, as the primary religious educators of your kids, what can you do to reinforce this focus in your home life? I invite you (as well as all the rest of us who don’t have children at home) to create some rituals of your own that you enjoy. Sing a song together, create a bedtime meditation, light a chalice and say the principles, start a family spiritual practice, do a project in the community that engages you in acceptance of people’s differences. Practice mindfulness before heading out to school and work in the mornings by saying together, “May I enter this day with clear thoughts, wise words, kind heart.”
My guess is that many of you already incorporate lots of meaningful rituals into your family lives. In that case, I invite you to think about what you do that is distinctly UU: what can you do to help your kids feel connected, on a daily basis, to their identity as Unitarian Universalists?
—Catherine Farmer
What's it Like to Be a Teen at UUCCSM?
An Interview with Emily Hero
How long have you been coming to our church?
I started in seventh grade and I’m in the eleventh grade now at Santa Monica High School. My mom started coming at first; then I joined her, then my younger sister, Madeline, started coming, too. That first year we did Neighboring Faiths, which is really great. You get to learn about different faiths and visit the churches, mosques, and synagogues. I really like learning about different cultures. I also did Coming of Age and we then started the current YRUU group. YRUU hadn’t been around for a long time, but now it is really big.
What do you enjoy about the church?
This is really a community based on trust and working together. I like seeing my friends and feeling that community. YRUU is really fun and exciting. Right now we are getting ready to do a worship service in April. We also have rap sessions and take on different service projects.
Is this really different from school?
Oh, yes, at school we don’t get to do projects together like this. Here we can have fun working on something, see the results, and have people enjoy it. Because YRUU is basically youth-run, I have worked on my leadership skills. I’ve learned you have to delegate and have everyone involved. Otherwise, you’ll go crazy. Plus, the end result is better this way.
Has YRUU changed in the last four years?
We’ve grown a lot from the original three or four teens. Now because we are much larger, there are new pressures. We are doing more, like the book drive for Sojourn House, getting to the food sort at Westside Food Bank, doing a children’s worship service and the haunted house at Halloween. We also did the Graham Jarvis Talent Show last summer, which was a lot of fun, too. Hopefully, we can keep getting better at balancing fun and activities. That is not always easy, and I think that is what we still need to work on.
—Karen Patch
Our RE Star for April
Peggy Kharraz has worn many hats in our congregation — working with Dining for Dollars, signing up folks for the church’s Camp de Benneville Pines weekend, just to mention a couple — but it is her service to Religious Education that has made her this month’s RE star. Peggy has been teaching RE since her own children were in it a number of years ago.
This year she is teaching the 9 a.m. sixth and seventh grade class, Neighboring Faiths, in which they are learning about other faith traditions and visiting many religious services in the local area. Because only two teachers volunteered to teach this group, Peggy and her co-teacher, Amy Giles, teach every single Sunday. In addition, Peggy is currently a Coming of Age mentor to Jordan Paddock.
Despite her many years of teaching RE and three years of mentoring Coming of Agers, Peggy still bubbles over with enthusiasm for the kids and the curriculum. Her warmth, smile, and genuine joy in what she does shines through to all who meet her. For all these reasons, we honor her this month. Congratulations, Peggy.
RE Group Visits a Mosque and Learns Beliefs of Islam
On Sunday March 13, sixth and seventh graders from our Religious Education classes journeyed to downtown L.A., across from USC and Exposition Park, to visit the Masjid Omar mosque, part of their continuing exploration of world religious faith traditions. This was their sixth visit to other religious communities, having already attended Catholic, Jewish, Methodist, Quaker, and AME services.
We were met at the mosque by Daser F. Dakhil, Director, Community Development and External Affairs for the Omar Ibn Al Khatab Foundation, associated with the mosque. After removing our shoes, we were lead into the expansive sanctuary that was mostly devoid of furniture and wall decoration. The women and girls, respectful of the Muslim tradition, wore head scarves when they went into the sanctuary.
The room was filled with natural light from floor-toceiling windows on three sides and from windows that circled the dome.
Mr. Dakhil was joined in the sanctuary by a calligrapher and an Imam who worked at the mosque. These three men came from Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Mr. Dakhil described the congregation for Friday noon services as a little United Nations.
As the group sat on the blue rug delineated by long yellow lines, Mr. Dakhil described some of the beliefs of Islam, including the belief in one God, that the prophet Mohammed was not divine, that Islam recognized Jesus as a prophet, and that Islam does not believe the idea of original sin as portrayed by Eve or Adam. Men and women, Mr. Dakhil said, all have part of the divine in them. While he was talking another group, including children, sat on the floor in the middle of the sanctuary learning and reciting verses from the Quran.
The Imam demonstrated the call to prayer for the group and then when it came time for the Muslims’ time of prayer, our group moved to a comer and watched as men lined up in front of the Imam with the women and children gathered in the back behind a rope. The Imam, like a cantor, sang out the prayer, and the men, women, and children alternately stood and prostrated themselves before God. The dome, acting as an amplifier, brought the musical voice to everyone in the sanctuary.
Later the group was led up to the roof to see the dome from the outside and to see the surrounding area from 50 feet up. We then went to the basement recreation room and saw pictures of the religious interfaith outreach the mosque performs. While there, each person in the group had his or her name written in Arabic. Before leaving, we were treated to cookies and juice.
—Nels Hanson
March, 2005
March RE Star: Chris Brown
Chris Brown rocks! Have you seen his infamous rock star Halloween costume? Or perhaps been spooked by him in the bloody tub in the Haunted House at the UNICEF carnival? This month’s RE shining star serves as one of the advisors of our highly successful Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) program.
RE parents marvel at the dedication of this non-parent, who does RE out of a love for working with children and youth. Before settling in with YRUU, Chris taught both pre-school and K–1 children at the 11 a.m. service and also worked with the first Way Cool worship team. Of course, Chris does come with an illustrious pedigree — his mother, the Rev. Jean Brown, is minister of religious education at the Universalist Church of West Hartford, CT, the church where he grew up. We feel blessed to have his silliness, his enthusiasm, his warmth and his incredible hard work. Thanks, Chris.
Our DRE Heartily Welcomes New Nursery Caregiver Team
Please join me in welcoming our new nursery team, Lori Davis (left in photo) and Tamara Harati (right). Lori is a preschool teacher with two children of her own, a 16-year-old and a five-year-old. She is warm and welcoming to children and parents alike, and brings a depth of experience to the program that we are lucky to find.
Tamara, who grew up right here at UUCCSM in our RE program, has spent many years as a babysitter and her experience also includes working at Gymboree, so she is no stranger to keeping up with energetic kids. She also brings a deep grounding in Unitarian Universalism as well as in the history and culture of our own congregation that will be a great asset to the nursery program.
Both Lori and Tamara have jumped right in, and already have lots of great ideas for improving the nursery space to make it more kid-friendly, and are quickly getting to know the youngest members of our community. Parents of infants and toddlers, make sure to come by on Sunday morning and check out the new program. Lori and Tamara are here every Sunday, along with our nursery assistants, Tom Ahern and Adrienne Silsbee (who alternate Sundays). Once again, welcome, Lori and Tamara.
— Catherine Farmer
March 20 Party for RE Teachers and Committee
RE teachers and committee members, mark your calendars. You and your family are invited to a party in your honor, hosted by Bronwen Jones and Tom Hamilton at their home in Culver City. So set aside Sunday, March 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. Food and drink will be provided. Invitations with more details are coming soon. For more information or to RSVP, please call Bronwen. Thank you for all that you do for our church and for our kids.
What's It Like to Be a Teen at UUCCSM?
An Interview with Jesse Figueroa
How long have you been coming to the church?
I started in sixth grade and I’m in tenth grade now. So that is about five years. Wow, it feels longer.
What made you start coming?
I came with a friend. It was a lot of fun and I kept coming, even though my friend stopped. I really enjoy the people and how everyone is so accepting. They don’t tell you what to believe and take you the way you are. That means a lot to me.
Did you do Coming of Age when you were in eighth grade?
Yes, and I really loved it. I learned a lot during the process, especially writing my credo. It really gave me a chance to think about what I believed in and that is so important. We don’t get a lot of chances to really think about that.
Are you in our high school group,YRUU?
Yes, which I really enjoy, especially being the group’s social-action leader. That is really important to me and I think the youth need to start making an effort to give back to the community. We are old enough now to do something to help.
Has YRUU changed much in the last few years?
We’ve gotten more mature. Before, we didn’t have much of an agenda. Sometimes we’d pull questions from a jar and answer “If” questions. That was fun, but I like it much better this year; we even have an agenda. We’re getting more business done and are able to get beyond just talking about stuff. I also enjoy the fun monthly activities like bowling, which we do with the Coming of Age teens.
Anything you’re looking forward to in YRUU?
I'm always looking forward to doing more social action projects. I'd like to do something with the Tree People, maybe planting trees at a school. That would be good.
— Karen Patch
Feburary, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
This month our Way Cool Sunday School program shifts its focus to the Third UU Principle, “Acceptance and encouragement to spiritual growth.” From now until the end of the church year in June, children will explore this principle in their classrooms as well as on Worship, Social Justice, and Arts Sundays. I’ve seen the principle written, in more kid-friendly language, as “Accept one another and keep on learning together,” and “Yearn to learn throughout life.” I admire the effort, but I don’t particularly care for either one; it’s difficult to simplify without losing content. The Third Principle’s not just about learning together but about helping one another grow “spiritually.” But what does that mean?
I came across a lovely story recently that I think answers the question. Betsy Spalding was a student minister, teaching in an RE classroom for the first time, and one Sunday a parent shared a story about his son.
“It so happens,” said Spalding, “that there had been an incident of some magnitude that week, involving some colored marking pens, a wall in their home, and Ben. Ben knew that he would have to face his father when he came home from work. And the father was late coming home that evening, so there was plenty of time for Ben’s anxiety to mount. When the dad got home they went straight upstairs to Ben’s room. Before he could find words to start the discussion, Ben said, ‘Dad, could we talk about this around my chalice?’ and the dad, in wonder, said, ‘Sure.’
“And so they turned off all the lights except Ben’s night light, which became the chalice, and they huddled within the circle of its light. They talked seriously and respectfully about the situation — by the light not of a night light, but by the light of liberal religious community and all the fairness, justice, and love that the chalice could evoke. And there is the evidence, a demonstration that the symbol for our religious community provided Ben a tool to help him get what he needed in order to face a hard situation in his life with dignity and responsibility. He invoked the symbol of our tradition, calling his father to be his ‘best self’ in companionship. Ben called around him the whole tradition of justice. He put himself in the expectation of the healing of compassion. He called all of those in his religious community to stand around the chalice with him.”
Encouraging spiritual growth is calling one another to be our “best selves,” and doing so by being in community together and by modeling the growth we want to see. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
—Catherine Farmer
Holiday Party a Smash Hit
Our December holiday party for students at the Head Start preschool just a few blocks from our church was a huge success. Religious Exploration students put lots of time and creativity into baking and decorating holiday cookies, and their parents generously donated new unwrapped gifts for the preschoolers.
Church members and friends who participated included Marguerite Spears, Lyn Armondo, Sylvia Berke-Foster, Phyllis Nides, and Dagmar Schnauss, who contributed a book for each child. Special thanks to RE Director Catherine Farmer and party chair Marge Zifferblatt for planning the party. It was great fun to watch the preschoolers demolish the refreshments and the piñata with so much joy.
Our RE Star for February : Beth Rendeiro
Beth Rendeiro is this month’s Religious Education star. You might know her as the driving force behind the lifespan sexuality education program, Our Whole Lives (OWL). As a result of her efforts over the past five years, we are now one of the few congregations in the country offering all five levels of the OWL curriculum (K to 1, 5 to 6, 8 to 9, 10 to 12, and adult).
For several years (including this one), Beth has taught the 4th/5th grade RE class at the 9 a.m. service. Last year, she was a co-advisor for the Coming of Age class, which guided nine of our young people through a year of self-examination, learning and growth, culminating in a lovely and meaningful service last May. Her exuberance and drive inspire our children and energize the many adults whose lives she has touched. She epitomizes the positive can-do spirit that makes things happen.
January, 2005
From the Desk of the DRE
Happy New Year! This month, the RE Council and I are kicking off a new way of recognizing the many gifts that our volunteers bring to our RE programs. Each month we’ll select one RE Shining Star of the month. I like the imagery of the stars; not only do they give light and beauty, and when up close (like the sun) provide life and warmth, but they also are something we ought to pay attention to. I’m reminded of one of my favorite meditations, from Clarke Wells:
“Several years ago and shortly after twilight our three-year-old tried to gain his parents’ attention to a shining star. The parents were busy with time and schedules, the irritabilities of the day and other worthy preoccupations. ‘Yes, yes, we see the star – now I’m busy, don’t bother me. ‘On hearing this the young one launched through the porch door, fixed us with a fiery gaze and said, ‘You be glad at that star!’
“I will not forget the incident or his perfect words. It was one of those rare moments when you get everything you need for the good of your soul – reprimand, disclosure, and blessing. It was especially good for me, that surprising moment, because I am one who responds automatically and negatively to the usual exhortations to pause-and-be-more-appreciative-of-life. Fortunately, I was caught grandly off guard.
“There is a notion, with some truth in it, that we cannot command joy, happiness, appreciation, fulfillment. We do not engineer the seasons of the soul or enjoin the quality of mood in another, and yet, I do believe there is right and wisdom in that imperative declaration – you be glad at that star!
“If we cannot impel ourselves into a stellar gladness, we can at least clean the dust from the lens of our perception; if we cannot dictate our own fulfillment, we can at least steer in the right direction; if we cannot exact a guarantee for a more appreciative awareness of our world — for persons and stars and breathing and tastes and the incalculable gift of every day — we can at least prescribe some of the conditions through which an increased awareness is more likely to open up the skies, for us and for our children.
“It is not always the great evils that obstruct and waylay our joy. It is our unnecessary and undignified surrender to the petty enemies, and I suggest it is our duty to scheme against them and make them subservient to human decree — time and schedules, our irritabilities of the day, and other worthy preoccupations. Matters more subtle and humane should command our lives. You be glad at that star.”
—Catherine Farmer
Our RE Star for January: Kris Langabeer
For many of the parents in this congregation, our first introduction to Kris was as the children's choir director. For many years, she worked with successive groups of boisterous, talkative kids and patiently guided them into an organized group of sweet young voices. As her own son, Skye, grew older, she moved in a different direction and became an RE classroom teacher. Throughout this time, and for the past 11 years, she has been the stalwart force behind the beloved “Friendly Beasts” in the annual winter pageant. Each year, as children move through various animals (usually starting out as the mice), the congregation and parents witness each child's evolution into donkeys, cows, sheep, and doves — at one point, dogs were even written into the verses to accommodate some children's wishes. For all of the kind and gentle care that epitomizes Kris Langabeer, we have chosen her to be our first RE star of the month. Congratulations, Kris.
What’s it like to be a teen at UUCCSM?
An Interview with Kyle Ludowitz
How long have you been coming to UUCCSM?
Only since September of this year.
How did you hear of our church?
I met Amelia Harati and Daniel Teplitz at the Renaissance Feast for Dining for Dollars. My parents have been coming for a long time, but I haven’t. Amelia and Daniel made YRUU (Young Religious UU) sound “neat-o bonet-o.”
So you’re really new. A lot of the teens have known each other a long time. Do they make you feel welcomed?
Yes they do. I felt comfortable right away. YRUU gives me a social community and we can have fun. We do good deeds, too. I also went to a conference where I got to meet lots of YRUUs from throughout the district. That was really fun. I heard it was a small conference, but that's okay because I could get to know people.
Do you feel that you have an understanding of what the UU principles are?
Yes, part of the raps that YRUU has includes reviewing the principles. I feel comfortable with them.
Anything else you want to add?
I’m excited about January’s social action event we are doing. We are asking the congregation to donate books and school supplies for women and their children at Sojourn, which is a shelter for battered women and children. Sounds like a great place and they could use our help.
—Karen Patch
Book and School Supply Drive Benefits Shelter for Women, Kids
YRUU is sponsoring a book and school supply drive for Sojourn, a shelter for battered women and children, on January 9, 16, 23, and 30. Money donations are also appreciated. For more information please call Jesse Figueroa. Please donate.
—Amelia Harati