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Religious Exploration (More or Less) Weekly Updates (2010)December 21, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 12/26
Volunteer Opportunities:STILL NEED Assistant on Dec. 26: Julie Nyquist will lead a special New Year’s focused project for kids during the service on Sunday Dec. 26th, and we’re in need of a helper to assist. If you’ll be in town and can help out, please contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108.
This Week in RE:All ages New Year’s Project: All children who come this Sunday are invited to take part in special project led by Julie Nyquist today. Youth are invited to attend the music-themed service with their families.
Announcements:NEW RE FAMILY SNOW WEEKEND 1/21-23: Attention all RE families and friends: Our church has reserved Craigs Cabin at Camp de Benneville Pines for the weekend of January 21 - 23, 2011. There are 9 rooms available to reserve and the price can't be beat, if we get 9 families, its $112/room. All families will share the rental cost, $1000 for the weekend. We will bring in our own food. I have food lists already organized. The rest of the camp will be empty. Craig's Cabin provides more luxurious accommodations for Camp de Benneville program participant. In addition, the cabin is available for rent as a self contained program site. It will sleep up to 25 people in the 9 bedrooms. There are three bathrooms each with showers and one has handicap facilities. There is a meeting room with a fireplace, adjacent to the kitchen/dining area. A TV with VCR allows viewing video cassettes. NEW Pageant Thank You: A big thank you to the many adults and youth who helped make the pageant possible – costumers, stage managers, wranglers, musicians, on-the-spot actors, and more - and to the MANY Friendly Beasts who took over the stage and sang their hearts out. What a wonderful morning it was. Three cheers for all who took part!
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
SOLSTICE Again did the earth shift -Diane Lee Moomey Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “New Year’s Celebrations": (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) New Year’s Family Blast: A great way to celebrate the coming of the New Year is to pay tribute to the year ending, while also welcoming the new year. Have a family-focused part and choose things from the following menu of ritual activities depending on how much time you have, and what suits you. Add your favorite food, drinks, music and decorations. Depending on your preference and the ages of your kids, you can do this on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. If your kids want to ring in the new year but can’t stay up till midnight, turn the clocks ahead (Catherine’s note: or celebrate the East Coast New Year at 9:00 pm by watching the ball drop in Times Square!). Make Resolutions: Cut small strips of paper half an inch wide and about 6 inches long. Take whole walnuts and, using nutcrackers, carefully open the nuts and remove the nutmeat inside. Each person makes three resolutions and writes each one on a paper strip, which is then carefully folded and put into the nut. Glue each nut closed. Using markers, each person writes their name on the nut. This idea comes from the Hilton family of Henderson, Nevada, who glue ribbons into their walnuts and use them to decorate their Christmas tree. They reuse the same nuts every year, and once they started the practice, they began a tradition of reading last year’s resolutions aloud before writing new ones. That way they can review how well they’ve done. Nanette Hilton, the mother of four daughters, says she thinks it’s great for her girls to see that “life is fluid. They see Mommy and Daddy working on goals too… and sometimes failing.” Review the Past Year: Sitting at the kitchen table or the family room sofa, look together at all the family photos you took in the past year, and/or watch the family videos. Then, everybody gets a chance to vote on the best and worst day of the past year. Also, everybody fills out this list: My most embarrassing moment this year was when I _______________________. I should have had my photo on the cover of People magazine because I ________. You guys can be annoying, but you really came through for me when __________. Give annual family awards for “best athlete,” “worst school picture,” etc. Use your imagination for more awards. Toast the New Year: Use plastic wine or champagne glasses but serve sparkling water or cider to the kids. Each person gets to make a toast, saying one thing they hope happens in the new year to himself or herself, the family, or the wider world. End with a shared family toast “To the (Name) Family!” Celebrate with a Burst: It’s an ancient tradition to open the doors (and sometimes windows) to let the New Year and good luck into your home. It’s also a tradition to make lots of noise, so get wooden spoons and bang on pots, pound drums, and ring any bells you have. In Texas, the Minich family loves to make noise by bursting balloons, but the balloons are also full of “treasure,” a good omen for a prosperous year ahead. Beforehand, the parents purchase about 500 balloons and fill them with a piece of candy or a coin, with a few containing dollar bills. The balloons are inflated with an inexpensive, handheld pump, then stuffed into a room that has been mostly emptied of furniture. At midnight, the family and their friends dive in a pop the balloons.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)December 23, 1851: Mary Augusta Safford was born in Quincy, Illinois. She was the founder and minister of the Unitarian church in Hamilton, Illinois, and minister in four other churches in Illinois and Iowa. After retiring to Florida, Safford organized the Unitarian church in Orlando. She was president of the Iowa Unitarian Association and served as director of the Women’s Unitarian Conference. The affection with which people held her is noted in a joke making the rounds around 1900: “What do the Catholics and the Unitarians have in common?” Answer: “They both worship the virgin Mary.” Safford died on March 25, 1927. December 24, 1745: Benjamin Rush was born near Philadelphia. He was appointed physician general of the middle department of the army during the Revolutionary Way but resigned shortly thereafter over policy and personal differences with George Washington. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, Rush was tireless in his patriotism. In 1784 he became one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery. He was greatly admired for his work in medical reform, education, and humanitarian services, especially during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, and he held advanced views on mental disorders. Rush also served as treasurer of the U.S. Mint. A devout Universalist, he attended the Universalist Convention of 1790, where he supported progressive reforms such as opposition to capital punishment. He died on April 19, 1813. December 25, 1642: Isaac Newton was born at Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. A genius in mathematics and physics, he invented calculus and worked on optical theory. Newton’s writings show that he was Unitarian in his theology. He was professor at Cambridge University, held various posts with the government, and served as a member of Parliament. Edmund Halley said Newton was “so near the gods that a man cannot nearer go.” Lord Henry Brougham said that “his genius was never exercised but for the discovery of truth, the instruction of mankind, and the illustration of the wisdom of the creator.” A large statue of Newton is erected in Trinity College, Cambridge. He died on March 20, 1727. December 25, 1759: Richard Porson was born in Norfolk, England. He was a famous and productive Unitarian Greek and biblical scholar who held a professorship at Trinity College in Cambridge. He is said to have created the ideal of pure scholarship because although he seldom lectured, his translations popularized the classics. Porson resigned his fellowship at Trinity because he felt he could no longer subscribe to the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England as required. Porson died on September 25, 1808, and is buried in Cambridge at the foot of Sir Isaac Newton’s statue. December 25, 1780: The first Universalist church in America build specifically for that purpose was dedicated in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with a sermon by John Murray. December 25, 1821: Clarissa (Clara) Harlowe Barton was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Her birthplace has become a historic site, on the grounds of which is located the Joslin Diabetes Center. She was a lifelong Universalist and founded the free school in Bordentown, New Jersey, a progressive school for disadvantaged urban children. She worked with the wounded in the Civil War and provided supplies for medical personnel. Her organizational ability came to the attention of President Abraham Lincoln, who asked her to search for missing soldiers. In 1882, she formed the American Red Cross, which she led until 1904. Barton spent her last years in retirement with great honor and recognition. She died on April 12, 1912. December 25, 1890: The first Japanese Universalist church was dedicated. December 25, 1924: Rodman Edward Serling was born in Syracuse, New York. He was a prolific writer for television, best known for The Twilight Zone. Serling studied at Antioch College in Ohio, where he and his wife became Unitarians. Throughout his career, he used radio, television, and film as vehicles of social criticism. He won three Emmy Awards for early television programs before turning from serious drama (Requiem for a Heavyweight in 1956 and The Comedian in 1957) to science fiction. He produced The Twilight Zone from 1959 to 1964 and wrote 99 of the 156 episodes. In that series he addressed such social issues as prejudice, loss of identity, capital punishment, and censorship. Serling also wrote for the television series Night Gallery. He and his wife were members of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, California. Serling also supported the Unitarian Universalist Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. Rod Serling died on June 28, 1975. December 28, 1548: The priest John Assheton was summoned before Archbishop Thomas Cranmer at Lambeth Palace to answer charges of Unitarianism. Although Assheton subsequently recanted and survived, he was the first Englishman convicted for Unitarian beliefs. December 28, 1815: The Massachusetts Peace Society, led by Unitarian minister Noah Worcester, was organized. It was one of the first such societies in the world. Noah Worcester was an indefatigable worker for peace and was often called the “apostle of peace.” December 16, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Saturday, 12/18 Volunteer Opportunities:THIS SUNDAY – STILL NEED Pageant Helpers: Would you like to help us put on our pageant on December 19th? I am in need of several more people (at 9 or 11 or both!) to serve as stage manager/prop runners. You’d be supplied with a special script that tells you just when to throw costumes on the volunteers we send out to you, and when to send them on stage to play their parts. If you would like to be part of our team of helpers, contact Catherine (310-829-5436 x108 or Catherine@uusm.org) to volunteer. Let’s make this a pageant to remember! STILL NEED Assistant on Dec. 26: Julie Nyquist will lead a special New Year’s focused project for kids during the service on Sunday Dec. 26th, and we’re in need of a helper to assist. If you’ll be in town and can help out, please contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. This Week in RE:Winter Holiday Pageant, “Three Miraculous Births”: This Sunday we will come together as one church community to take part in our annual Winter Holiday Pageant during our 9:00 and 11:00 Sunday services! People of all ages are invited to attend the service together; there will be no separate RE classes (the nursery will be open for babies and toddlers). As in past years, children in RE will perform as Friendly Beasts, and there will be additional opportunities for YOU to participate, as we’ll cast some of our roles on the spot from the pews as the pageant progresses. Don’t miss it! Announcements:NEW Solstice/Lunar Eclipse Watch: Did you know that there’s a total lunar eclipse on the night of the winter solstice next week? Join church members and friends on Monday evening, December 20th from 10pm – 2am at the Cottage for viewing, inspiration, refreshments. Info: Ian ianbdodd@me.com Friendly Beasts Update: A dress rehearsal for all Beasts (pre-K – 5th graders) will occur Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. We’ll need parent/teacher help in supervising/entertaining/feeding kids on Pageant day, Dec. 19. Arrival time on the 19th is 8:15 a.m. For more info, see the December church newsletter or contact Kris Langabeer. Common Ground Donation Tally: Our hygiene kit and donation project last Sunday was a huge success! Thank you to all who donated items for our collection, all of our K-5th and 8th graders who participated in the project. The kids did a GREAT job – they created 86 hygiene kits to give to homeless teens served by Common Ground, our biggest tally ever! And we also have many “warm things” donated including more than 40 jackets and sweaters, and more than 150 pairs of socks. WOW! UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: Help us to be the always hopeful Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Winter Solstice": (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) The shortest day of the year, which varies between December 21 and 22, has been celebrated for centuries by many diverse cultures. Traditional celebrations usually include fire, light, and quiet contemplation. Family Solstice Celebrations: Solstice Dinner: Jeanne Mollinger-Lewis’s family has a special dinner emphasizing “food the sun grows,” like nuts and fruit, and the kids get a major gift on this day. They line the walk to their front door with luminarias (candles inside paper bags weighted down with sand), and light sparklers. Solstice Wreath: Rain Mako, who lives in a cabin in the Ozarks with her husband and children, makes a wreath from a long, bare grapevine she finds near their property. To decorate it for solstice, the family cuts evergreen boughs and inserts them in the twisted wreath, and adds tiny white lights. Rain always felt her kids weren’t grateful for the pile of gifts they got on Christmas, so her sons now get one present a day between winter solstice and Christmas, left near the wreath. This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)December 16, 1611: Iwan Tyszkiewicz, a Socinian, was executed in the great marketplace of Warsaw, Poland, for heresy. His tongue was cut out and one hand and one foot cut off before he was beheaded. Tyszkiewicz’s life would have been spared had he renounced his faith. He is considered the first martyr of Unitarianism as an organized movement. December 16, 1953: The North American Youth movements of Unitarianism and Universalism combined to form Liberal Religious Youth. The development of religious education curricula for both denominations began two decades earlier. The youth thus merged eight years before their denominations. December 17, 1824: Thomas Starr King was born in New York City, son of Thomas Farrington King, a Universalist minister whose settlement in Charlestown, Massachusetts, allowed young Starr, as he was known, to be influenced by William Ellery Channing and Hosea Ballou 2d. The early death of his father forced Starr King to leave school and begin working. He soon became his father’s successor to the Universalist Church in Charlestown. However, his eloquence and scholarship caught the attention of Boston’s Unitarians, and he was called to the pulpit of the fashionable Hollis Street Church. After several years, King left this settlement to become a Unitarian missionary on the West Coast. He settled as minister of the First Church in San Francisco and made evangelizing tours up and down the West Coast. A strong abolitionist, King also used these trips to lead the fight to keep California in the Union during the Civil War. His sermons were influential on a variety of social and religious issues and his statue represented California in the U.S. Capitol until it was replaced by vote of the California Legislature with a statue of Ronald Reagan on June 3, 2009. The only state Senator to vote against the removal of Starr King from the U.S. Capitol’s statuary hall was Unitarian Universalist and friend of UUCCSM Debra Bowen. Thomas Starr King died on March 4, 1864. December 19, 1820: The abolitionist Mary Ashton Rice Livermore was born in Boston. As a young woman, she worked as a governess on a plantation in Virginia, where she witnessed the brutality of slavery. In 1845, she married Daniel Livermore, a Universalist minister, and became devoted to the principles of Universalism. Mary Livermore worked to raise money for medicine, food, and supplies for the wounded during the Civil War and helped found the Home for Aged Women and the Hospital for Women and Children in Chicago when the war was over. She founded and served as president of the Illinois Women’s Suffrage Association and formed the American Woman Suffrage Association with Julia Ward Howe and Lucy Stone (both Unitarians). Livermore was also active in the temperance movement. She wrote an engaging autobiography, The Story of My Life, in 1897. Livermore died on May 23, 1905. December 20, 1697: Thomas Firmin, a friend of John Biddle, died at age 65. A Unitarian leader during most of the 17th century, he wrote Unitarian tracts and books and was generous to Unitarian causes and victims of persecution. Although he never officially left the Church of England, Firmin did not engage in religious disputes but devoted himself to practical benevolence. He was regarded as a great friend and benefactor of Unitarian churches and underwrote the cost of printing many Unitarian books. December 22, 1823: Thomas Wentworth Higginson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard Divinity School, he served as a Unitarian minister in Newburyport, Massachusetts, from 1847 to 1850, before becoming an independent lecturer and political activist. He served the Free Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1852 to 1858, but left there to devote himself full-time to the abolition of slavery. A political and theological radical, Higginson led a raid on the Boston Court House to free fugitive slave Anthony Burns and became a supporter of John Brown. He was appointed commander of a regiment of freed slaves in South Carolina and was wounded in battle. After he was discharged, Higginson became an influential literary critic and popular lecturer. He then took up the cause of women’s rights. Higginson edited the works of Emily Dickinson, and his notes of the songs and stories told by his African-American Civil War troops formed the foundation of African-American studies as a scholarly field. He died on May 9, 1911. December 9, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 12/12
Volunteer Opportunities:NEW Assistant on Dec. 26: Julie Nyquist will lead a special New Year’s focused project for kids during the service on Sunday Dec. 26th, and we’re in need of a helper to assist. If you’ll be in town and can help out, please contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. NEW Pageant Videographer: I’m looking for a videographer to record the two pageant services on Dec. 19th. We love to have a record of our pageants to keep as part of our church history, and parents love to have copies available so they can show off their talented youngsters. Can you help? Contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. UPDATED Pageant Helpers: Would you like to help us put on our pageant on December 19th? I am in need of several more people (at 9 or 11 or both!) to serve as stage manager/prop runners. You’d be supplied with a special script that tells you just when to throw costumes on the volunteers we send out to you, and when to send them on stage to play their parts. If you would like to be part of our team of helpers, contact Catherine (310-829-5436 x108 or Catherine@uusm.org) to volunteer. Let’s make this a pageant to remember!
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Can Ask Questions” This week our preschool class will have a lesson about the many questions we ask, and how asking questions can help us learn about the world around us. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Flaming Chalice Lesson” (9:00) This week we will be introducing children to the meaning of our Flaming Chalice and reviewing the seven promises we make to one another about how we’ll treat each other in our church community (the seven UU Principles). “Granddad’s Prayers of the Earth” (11:00) This week we’ll explore our seventh UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Violet Promise”: Value our Home, the Earth we Share with All Living Things – with a story about valuing the earth around us. 3rd-5th Grade: “Keep Learning” In this session, children learn about and experience our third Unitarian Universalist Principle, acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. Children find their own individual gifts and interests affirmed as the group explores a variety of spiritual practices from singing to yoga to walking meditation. We’ll also learn about Unitarian religious educator Sophia Lyon Fahs, whose innovative ideas about children's faith development inform our congregations' approaches to religious education today. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their study of Eastern Orthodoxy with a field trip to St. Sohpia’s Greek Orthodox Church. 8th Grade: The Coming of Age class will explore the concepts of good and evil. Fertile ground for discussion, for sure! 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 9:00. This week YRUU youth will continue working on plans for the garden project, and will discuss fundraising plans for the Faithful Fools trip to San Francisco in February.
Announcements:NEW Friendly Beasts Update: A dress rehearsal for all Beasts (pre-K – 5th graders) will occur Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. We’ll need parent/teacher help in supervising/entertaining/feeding kids on Pageant day, Dec. 19. Arrival time on the 19th is 8:15 a.m. For more info, see the December church newsletter or contact Kris Langabeer. Common Ground Donation Tally: Our hygiene kit and donation project last Sunday was a huge success! Thank you to all who donated items for our collection, all of our K-5th and 8th graders who participated in the project. The kids did a GREAT job – they created 86 hygiene kits to give to homeless teens served by Common Ground, our biggest tally ever! And we also have many “warm things” donated including more than 40 jackets and sweaters, and more than 150 pairs of socks. WOW!
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
May I become at all times, both now and forever -Buddhist prayer Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “The Four Things Children Really Want for Christmas”: (from Unplug the Christmas Machine by Jo Robinson & Jean Coppock Staeheli) o Many parents find it a challenge to create a simple, value-centered Christmas in the midst of all the commercial pressure. But the task is made much easier when parents keep in mind the four things that children really want for Christmas. While children may be quick to tell their parents that what they want is designer clothes, the latest electronic gear, and brand-name toys, underneath these predictable requests is an unspoken plea for four, more basic requirements:
Exercise: Helping Children Enjoy Christmas 1. Of all the needs of children at Christmas, enjoyable time with their families is most important. Think back to last December. Excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, did you spent more, about the same, or less, happy, relaxed time with your children in December, compared to other months? 2. If your answer to the above question was “less,” look through the following list and check the suggestions on how to spend more time with your children that seem most feasible for you.
3. Which holiday traditions do your children seem to enjoy most? (If you are uncertain, take some time in the next few days to talk with them.) 4. What holiday traditions or family activities do your children have to look forward to after December 25? 5. Choose the statement that most accurately completes this though: Gift giving plays the following role in our family celebration:
6. On a sheet of paper, write each of your children’s names and jot down a few sentences that describe each child’s attitude toward Christmas presents last year.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)December 9, 1608: The celebrated poet John Milton was born in Cheapside, England. He was a devout Puritan who was influential in Oliver Cromwell’s government (the Protectorate) after the death of King Charles I in 1649. Milton is remembered primarily as the author of Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Aereopagitica. In his lifetime, he attracted notoriety for publishing a call for divorce on the basis of irreconcilable differences to be legalized. Milton’s Treatise on Christian Doctrine, published posthumously, affirmed his Unitarian beliefs. He died on November 8, 1674. December 9, 1667: William Whiston was born in Norton, Leicestershire, England. Known as “honest Will Whiston,” he took holy orders in the Church of England but did not agree with the 39 Articles of Religion. He resigned his church in Lowestoft to work with Sir Isaac Newton, professor of mathematics at Cambridge University. Whiston innovated the technique of lecturing and demonstrating experiments simultaneously. He succeeded Newton at Cambridge, but was later expelled because of his Unitarian views, particularly those expressed in his five volumes of Primitive Christianity Revived. Whiston lectured on scientific and religious subjects and founded the Society for Promoting Primitive Christianity. His translation of Josephus, despite some later corrections, remains the standard one. He died on August 22, 1752. December 10, 1741: John Murray, the founder of modern Universalism, was born in Alton, England. Many historians say that Universalism in America began when Murray’s boat from England ran aground at Cranberry Inlet, New Jersey, in 1770. There he met Thomas Potter, who believed God sent Murray to preach Universalism in his family chapel, which he had built in 1760. There is evidence that the Independent Christian Church (Universalist) of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was first gathered in 1774, meeting in people’s homes. In 1793, Murray moved to Boston and stayed there as minister until his death. He was known as an eloquent preacher. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington appointed Murray chaplain to the Rhode Island Brigade. His second wife, Judith Sargent Stevens Murray, helped him write his autobiography, which has gone through many editions. He died on September 3, 1815, at the age of 74. December 10, 1952: Caroline Veatch signed the legal instrument that granted half the royalties of the North European Oil Corporation to the North Shore Unitarian Society (now known as Shelter Rock) after her death. Successor arrangements by this congregation have made this bequest a major source of funding for the Unitarian Universalist Association. December 11, 1823: William Farwell died at the age of 74. He converted to Universalism as early as the late 1780’s in Charlestown, New Hampshire. He was the first Universalist preacher in Vermont and a pacifist who was jailed for his principles during the Revolutionary War. Farwell preached all over New England, but his greatest influence was in north and central Vermont. December 12, 1654: The British Parliament declared the Two-fold Catechism by John Biddle to be heretical and blasphemous and ordered its author imprisoned and all copies burned by the common hangman, signifying that its publication was a criminal offense. The cause of Parliament’s objection was that the catechism was entirely Unitarian in theology, which violated the criminal laws of England at that time. December 14, 1647: The Presbyterian ministers of London, England, met at Sion College to protest the errors, heresies, and blasphemies of the time and to denounce toleration of such ideas. They were objecting to the growing influence of Unitarian beliefs on English Presbyterians. December 3, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Saturday, 12/4
Volunteer Opportunities:NEW Pageant Helpers Needed: Would you like to help us put on our Winter Holiday Pageant on December 19th? We’re bringing back our very popular pageant from several years ago, “Three Miraculous Births,” a sweet (and humorous) retelling of the birth stories of three of the world’s most important religious figures: Jesus, Buddha and Confucius. There are lots of ways to help! Costumers: Several people to help plan and put together costumes for this year’s pageant. I have about half of the costumes covered from previous years, but there is some additional work to be done. With or without sewing skills, I’d love to have your help. I especially need a volunteer to spiff up our aging elephant head with some new paint and new eyes! Stage Managers/Prop Runners: These helpers are needed during the pageant itself (for both services if possible) as well as for a run-through rehearsal with the narrators on Saturday the 18th from 10:30-noon. You’d be supplied with a special script that tells you just when to throw costumes on the volunteers we send out to you, and when to send them on stage to play their parts. Wise People/Camels (Toddlers and Parents): Sign up now to be this year’s Wise People and Camels! We have wonderful costumes which magically transform parents into camels, and toddlers (riding on their parents’ shoulders) into the Three Wise Men. If you have a child in the nursery who is old enough to ride on your shoulders, and would like to participate in one or both services, please let me know asap! If you would like to be part of our team of helpers, contact Catherine (310-829-5436 x108 or Catherine@uusm.org) to volunteer. Let’s make this a pageant to remember!
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Can Smell” This week our preschool class will have a lesson about the wonderful world of scents around us, with a special scenty collage craft! Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Granddad’s Prayers of the Earth” (9:00) This week we’ll explore our seventh UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Violet Promise”: Value our Home, the Earth we Share with All Living Things – with a story about valuing the earth around us. “Old Joe and the Carpenter” (11:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our sixth UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Indigo Promise”: Insist on Peace, Freedom and Justice for All – with a story about two neighbors in an argument, and a carpenter who helped them repair their friendship. 3rd-5th Grade: “Hanukkah” This week our classes will explore the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, with klezmer music, latkes, menorahs and more! 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their study of Catholicism with a discussion of last week’s field trip to St. Anne’s Catholic Church. We’ll also begin learning about Eastern Orthodoxy, in preparation for next week’s trip to St. Sohpia’s Greek Orthodox Church. 8th Grade: The Coming of Age class will explore the concepts of meaning and suffering. 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 11:00. This week YRUU youth will continue working on plans for the garden project, and will discuss fundraising plans for the Faithful Fools trip to San Francisco in February.
Announcements:THIS SUNDAY Our Whole Lives Parent Information Meeting 12/5/10: Parents of children in 8th-12th grades are invited to attend a meeting on Sunday, December 5th from 10:30-11:00 am in the cottage for an overview of the Jr. High (8th-9th) and Sr. High (10th-12th) OWL sexuality education classes that will be offered later this year. FMI contact Beth Rendeiro at 310-391-5909. December 12th from 12:30-2:30 pm is the first of two mandatory parent orientations for all parents wishing to enroll their children in the Jr. High O.W.L. class for 8th & 9th graders. NEW Common Ground Donation Tally: Our hygiene kit and donation project last Sunday was a huge success! Thank you to all who donated items for our collection, all of our K-5th and 8th graders who participated in the project. The kids did a GREAT job – they created 86 hygiene kits to give to homeless teens served by Common Ground, our biggest tally ever! And we also have many “warm things” donated including more than 40 jackets and sweaters, and more than 150 pairs of socks. WOW!
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
This is a place of compassion and welcoming. -Erika Hewitt, adapted Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Hanukkah”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) Just as many Christian families are trying to lessen the materialistic aspects of Christmas, many Jewish families emphasize meaning over gifts. Here are some Hanukkah celebration ideas: Theme Nights: The Elkins of Boston used to give their kids a present on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, just as they had been given nightly gifts as children. But Judy Elkin and her husband decided that with three kids, the practice was expensive and not sending the right message. Now, the kids get a gift from their parents every other night. On the first night, the kids only get gifts from each other; one night is “family fun night” featuring and activity like bowling; and one night is tzedaka, or charity, night. Every Friday, before their Shabbat dinner, the family has put aside money for charity, and on this night, they decide who should get the donation. Focus on Food: Ellen Brosbe tries to emphasize the food, which is fried in honor of the miraculous oil that burned for eight days. Her kids take turns picking the menu: one night it’s fish and chips, another night tempura, and so on. Instead of gifts, her kids get money, one dollar multiplied by the number of candles lit each night. Hanukkah Websites: Produced by an organization of observant Jews, www.virtualchanukah.com is right in history and activities. There are stories, prayers and a feature called “Share a Mitzvah,” where people can record a good deed they have done. A less religious approach is at http://childfun.com/index.php/holidays/winter-holidays/chanukah.html, whose crafts and activities include making a menorah of Play Doh.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)December 2, 1645: John Biddle was imprisoned by the Parliamentary Commission in Gloucester, England, betrayed by a false friend for his Unitarianism. Archbishop James Ussher visited Biddle, who was sick with fever, in prison and tried in vain to persuade him of his error. December 2, 1912: The Advisory Council to the Department of Religious Education of the American Unitarian Association, chaired by President Samuel Atkins Eliot, voted to authorize the secretary and assistant secretary to proceed in conjunction with the representatives of the Massachusetts Universalist Sunday School Association in the development of Sunday school material to be used by both denominations. December 3, 1755: Gilbet Stuart was born in North Kingston, Rhode Island. He was a Unitarian who studied portraiture in London and Edinburgh and became one of the most famous American artists, painting portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Adams. He died in Boston on July 9, 1828, at age 72. December 5, 1539: Faustus Socinus was born in Sienna, Italy. He first studied civil law but was pushed toward religion by his uncle, Laelius Socinus. On the death of Laelius in 1562, Faustus took over his uncle’s manuscripts. After serving 12 years with the Grand Duke of Tuscany in Italy, Socinus left for Basel, Switzerland, where he disputed with colleagues about the nature of Christ, arguing that Jesus was not our savior. He was influenced by Francis David, with whom he disagreed over the worship of Christ, which he accepted and David rejected. Socinus went to Krakow, Poland, where he vigorously preached anti-Trinitarian doctrine, but became exasperated with frequent disputations and left the capital, eventually settling with a wealthy Polish nobleman, Christopher Morstinius, who protected him. Socinus joined with a prominent orator, Peter Statorius, to spread the influence of their anti-Trinitarian ideas, which incited the ire of the Catholics. A mob dragged him from his bed half naked, forced him to march through the streets, and plundered his library and furniture. This brutal treatment hastened Socinus’s death from illness. Many groups took the name Socinian after his death. They had been called variously Pinczovians (from the town of Pinczow), Rakovians, (from the town of Rakow), Farnovians (from Stanislaus Farnovius), Budneans (from Simon Budny), and Servetians (from Michael Servetus). Socinus preferred the official title, Minor Reformed Church of Poland. His tombstone carried the inscription, “Luther took off the roof of Babylon: Calvin threw down the walls: Socinus dug up the foundation.” December 5, 1899: Sir Henry Tate died at age 80. He was born in Chorley, Lancashire, England, the son of a Unitarian minister. He moved to Liverpool at an early age and was apprenticed to a grocer when he was 13. Tate soon bought his own shop and eventually five more, which he sold to become a partner in a sugar refining company. He then bought the company, built a sugar refinery in Liverpool, and accumulated great wealth through a number of patents related to refining sugar. Tate devoted his wealth to philanthropy. He endowed the University of Liverpool library and endowed hospitals, but he is best-known for building the Tate Gallery in London (1897), to which he donated his own extensive collection of paintings. Tate was an active Unitarian in Ullet Street Chapel in Liverpool and endowed the library of Manchester College (Unitarian) in Oxford, which is known as the Tate Library. The Tate family continues to support the college, now called Harris Manchester College. November 24, 2010Happy Thanksgiving!Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 11/28 Volunteer Opportunities:THIS SUNDAY Common Ground Faith in Action Project Helpers Needed: This Sunday, children at UUCCSM will be collecting donations of hygiene products to make “kits” for a local organization that provides services for people in need. I’m looking for people who would like to help out, at either service, during the kit-making effort. Can you help? Contact Catherine Farmer Loya at Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108. This Week in RE:Preschool: “How Many Days Until Christmas?” This week our preschool class will have a lesson about getting ready for Christmas, including a special paper-chain craft. Kindergarten-5th Grade: “Common Ground Donation Drive – Hygeine Kits and Warm Clothing” This week our K-2nd and 3rd-5th grade classes will gather together in the cottage to take part in our Faith in Action project for the month, creating hygiene kits and sorting other donations to benefit Common Ground’s homeless teen drop-in center. We’ll have a visit from someone from Common Ground, will make notes of encouragement and support to go in the kits, compile the kits themselves, and count and sort other donated items. It’ll be great fun – don’t miss it! 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their study of Catholicism with a field trip to St. Anne’s Catholic Church. The group will leave from the UUCCSM front courtyard at 9:20 am and expects to return at 11:45 am. 8th Grade: The Coming of Age class will join the elementary classes in the Common Ground Faith in Action project in the cottage. We’ll gather following the story in the service; this week only, COA youth are invited to attend the first part of the service and head to the cottage afterwards, rather than beginning in class at 9:00. 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 9:00. This week YRUU youth will continue working on plans for the garden project, and will discuss fundraising plans for the Faithful Fools trip to San Francisco in February. Announcements:THIS SUNDAY Faith in Action Project - Donation Drive to Benefit Common Ground’s Homeless Teen Program: On November 28th, kids in K-5th grade RE will be putting together “hygiene kits” and organizing other donated items for our November Social Justice Project. Common Ground is a nonprofit organization that provides services to people living with HIV-AIDS, and one arm of their program is a drop-in center for homeless youth in Santa Monica. (To learn more about Common Ground, visit http://www.commongroundwestside.org/homelessyouth.htm.) Please, take a look at the list of items below and bring some things in for our donation drive. Undergarments, socks and personal care items should be new. Other items can be gently used or new. Please bring donations to the “Common Ground Donations” table in Forbes Hall during coffee hour, or directly to the cottage where the sorting will happen. Please, make sure to drop items off BEFORE the service starts, so that they can be included in the project during RE time. Personal Care items needed for “hygiene kits”:
Sharon Chamberlain, Executive Director of Common Ground, writes: Our homeless youth always have a more difficult time living on the streets during the colder, wetter months. They will greatly appreciate any items- I had a youth tell me last year when we were handing out socks that it is “nice to feel like someone cares”. Please tell your youth thank you! The kids need warm things for the winter. Often socks and clothes get wet and they show up at our place soaked to the bone with no other clothes to change into. They are always in need of the following specifically:
Although the Westside has a cold weather shelter for adults that opens for a few months each year in early December, many of the youth will not access it. Often, this is due to fear. Many of the youth have told me about horrible experiences at various LA shelters. There is no “youth” shelter on the Westside. In the cold months ahead, many of the kids will need other non clothing items to support them on the street including:
I just provided a long list! Sorry for that! This time of year is always so hard. I wonder how we can let any of our young people sleep out on the cold streets for months on end. It is so difficult to have to shut our doors at the end of a night and send those kids back out to the cold and wet. Any help that you can provide is wonderful and much appreciated! NEW Guest at Your Table boxes available on Sunday: Every year UUCCSM supports the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee by participating in the annual Guest at Your Table program during the holiday season. This year’s GAYT program began last Sunday, November 21st, but it’s not too late to take part! Boxes will be available in Forbes Hall during coffee hour through Dec. 5th. For more than 30 years, UU communities nationwide have participated in Guest at Your Table. They have come together for this special tradition to give thanks, celebrate UU values, and partner with UUSC to change the world. After our kickoff on Sunday, we invite you to place a Guest at Your Table box where you have your meals and keep it there for several weeks. During that time, share the Stories of Hope — stories drawn from UUSC’s human rights work which we’ll send to you in our weekly UUpdates emails — to imagine a different guest at your table with you each week. And when you have your meals, insert coins or bills into the box to help feed the guest in need who has come to your table. Then bring your box, or write a check to UUSC, on one of the first two Sundays in January, when we’ll be collecting them and sending our congregation’s contribution to UUSC. Our Whole Lives for Jr. High (8th-9th grade) & Sr. High (10th-12th grade)
De Benneville Pines Winter Youth Camps: Week-long and week-end camps throughout the year provide opportunities for rest, recreation, exploration and making new UU friends from around the Pacific Southwest District (Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas) at our beautiful mountain retreat. Located at 6800 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, de Benneville is surrounded by towering pondersa pines, oaks and cedars. Barton Creek is nearby and Jenks Lake within walking distance. It is the perfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. Delicious meals are served in Homet Lodge, with vegetarian/vegan entrees offered if requested with registrations. Cabins are comfortable if rustic, with shared bathrooms and showers. Dorms sleep six, cabin rooms sleep four and deluxe accommodations include a shared kitchen and sitting area. The registration fliers and forms for the Elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High Winter YoUUth Camps are now available on the deBenneville web page. Go to www.uucamp.org and click on the Calendar link. Under the date for each camp is a link to the flier and registration form. Direct links are at:
Register early! These camps usually fill up. UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: Oh abundant world, we thank you for this lovely feast, and remember those who are hungry. We thank you for health, and remember those who are sick. We thank you for friends, and remember those who are alone. We thank you for family, and remember those who are not with us. We thank you for freedom, and remember those who are yearning to breathe free. -Author Unknown Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Sharing the Bounty of Thanksgiving": (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox)
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)November 25, 1695: Oxford University in England published a decree censuring a sermon by Joseph Bingham as “false, heretical, and impious.” The sermon denounced the Trinity. November 25, 1758: Noah Worcester was born in Hollis, New Hampshire. Descended from a long line of distinguished clergy, he conducted morning and evening family worship from the age of 12. He had little formal schooling and joined the American revolutionary army in 1775, fighting at the battles of Breed’s (Bunker) Hill and Bennington, Vermont. Desperately poor, Worcester studied theology on his own, was ordained a Unitarian minister, and served several churches. He wrote a book on the Trinity, Bible News of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (1810), which was formally condemned by the Hopkinton Association, a ministerial group of which he was a member, and brought him celebrity status. Worcester also edited The Christian Disciple and wrote several theological books. Although he had served in George Washington’s army, he later founded the Massachusetts Peace Society and published a newsletter called Friends of Peace until he was 70 years old. Worcester died on October 31, 1857. November 27, 1809: Frances (Fanny) Anne Kemble was born in London to a theatrical family. A celebrated writer and actress, she married Pierce Butler, a prominent Philadelphian who owned cotton and rice plantations in Georgia and had nearly 1,000 slaves. Kemble was appalled when she saw slavery at first hand and divorced her husband in 1849. Encouraged by her Unitarian associates, especially William Ellery Channing, she gathered with others opposed to slavery, including Lydia Maria Child. She published Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation, 1838-1839, during the Civil War in order to gain sympathy from the British for the cause of abolition. She died on January 15, 1893. November 27, 1822: A group of young men led by Frederick Gray and Benjamin Greene formed the Association of Religious Improvement for Their own Mutual Improvement and for the Religious Instruction of the Poor, changed in 1824 to the Association for Religious Improvement. Their purpose was to improve society, and they believed that their own religious growth must provide the foundation of the good they wanted to do. The Association was an early form of Sunday school and predated the American Unitarian Association by three years. Joseph Tuckerman took over the Association’s work in 1826, beginning with a worship service held in a paint shop on December 3. November 28, 1773: Theophilus Lindsey preached a farewell sermon in his Anglican church in Caterick, Yorkshire, England, explaining why he could no longer consider himself Anglican but had embraced Unitarianism. At the age of 50, he resigned from his previous church without knowing where he would go next. He went to London and established Essex Street Chapel as the first church to proclaim itself Unitarian in England. November 28, 1909: Lotta Hitschmanova was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. She was anti-Nazi and went into exile in Canada when World War II threatened. Her parents were imprisoned in Auschwitz during the war and she never heard from them again. She founded the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada and directed it for 40 years, in order to help the refugee children of Europe. The Unitarian church in Ottawa, Canada, where she was a member for the rest of her life, was an important supporter of Hitschmanova’s work. Known as Dr. Lotta, she was also called “Auntie Codfish,” “Mother of a Thousand Orphans,” and the “Atomic Mosquito.” The government of France made her Chevalier of Public Health in 1950 and Prime Minister Indira Ghandi named her Woman of the Year in 1975. Hitschmanova also received a Medal of St. Paul from Greece (1952) and a Public Service Medal from the government of Korea (1962). She died in July 1990 at the age of 80. November 29, 1832: The famous author Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Her father was Bronson Alcott, a founder of the Transcendentalist Club who ran a school in Concord and educated Louisa and her sisters at home. She worked as a teacher and domestic worker and eventually began to write poems and short stories for children. Alcott was an ardent abolitionist and served as a nurse during the Civil War. This experience provided the material for Hospital Sketches (1863), which established her literary reputation. She also wrote various stories for children, of which Little Women (1868) is the best known. It was largely autobiographical and a great financial success. Alcott wrote a sequel, Little Men (1871), and numerous other stories, including Gothic tales published under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard. She devoted her later life to reforms, including temperance and women’s rights. Alcott did not like formal church connections, but her beliefs were Unitarian and she moved among such prominent Unitarians as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Samuel Gridley Howe, and Julia Ward Howe. She died on March 6, 1888. November 29, 1879: John Haynes Holmes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served Unitarian churches in Massachusetts and New York, with his most important ministry at Community Church in New York City, which he integrated. Holmes was a leader in liberal thought, especially the application of liberal theology to social causes. He was a pacifist in World War I, preached economic socialism, helped form the American Civil Liberties Union, and was a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Holmes was also among the first Americans to recognize the importance of Mohandas Gandhi of India and became his chief American publicist. He died on April 3, 1964. November 19, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 11/21
Volunteer Opportunities:Common Ground Faith in Action Project Helpers Needed: On November 28th the K-5th grade program will be collecting donations of hygiene products to make “kits” for a local organization that provides services for people in need. I’m looking for people who would like to help staff the donation collection table on the 21st & 28th, as well as folks who would like to help supervise the kit-making effort itself on the 28th. Can you help? Contact Catherine Farmer Loya at Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108.
This Week in RE:Thanksgiving Intergenerational Sunday Service: This Sunday we will be celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving together as one church community! People of all ages are invited to attend the service together; there will be no separate RE classes (the nursery will be open for babies and toddlers). This is a service that will engage all five of our senses – don’t miss it!
Announcements:NEW Guest at Your Table begins this Sunday: Every year UUCCSM supports the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee by participating in the annual Guest at Your Table program during the holiday season. This year’s GAYT program will begin this Sunday, November 21st. For more than 30 years, UU communities nationwide have participated in Guest at Your Table. They have come together for this special tradition to give thanks, celebrate UU values, and partner with UUSC to change the world. After our kickoff on Sunday, we invite you to place a Guest at Your Table box where you have your meals and keep it there for several weeks. During that time, share the Stories of Hope — stories drawn from UUSC’s human rights work which we’ll send to you in our weekly UUpdates emails — to imagine a different guest at your table with you each week. And when you have your meals, insert coins or bills into the box to help feed the guest in need who has come to your table. Then bring your box, or write a check to UUSC, on one of the first two Sundays in January, when we’ll be collecting them and sending our congregation’s contribution to UUSC. Faith in Action Project - Donation Drive to Benefit Common Ground’s Homeless Teen Program: On November 28th, kids in K-5th grade RE will be putting together “hygiene kits” and organizing other donated items for our November Social Justice Project. Common Ground is a nonprofit organization that provides services to people living with HIV-AIDS, and one arm of their program is a drop-in center for homeless youth in Santa Monica. (To learn more about Common Ground, visit http://www.commongroundwestside.org/homelessyouth.htm.) Please, take a look at the list of items below and bring some things in for our donation drive. Undergarments, socks and personal care items should be new. Other items can be gently used or new. Please bring donations beginning this Sunday, November 21st, to the “Common Ground Donations” table in the courtyard during coffee hour. We will collect through the 28th, when we’ll organize all of the donations during the services in RE. Personal Care items needed for “hygiene kits”:
Sharon Chamberlain, Executive Director of Common Ground, writes: Our homeless youth always have a more difficult time living on the streets during the colder, wetter months. They will greatly appreciate any items- I had a youth tell me last year when we were handing out socks that it is “nice to feel like someone cares”. Please tell your youth thank you! The kids need warm things for the winter. Often socks and clothes get wet and they show up at our place soaked to the bone with no other clothes to change into. They are always in need of the following specifically:
Although the Westside has a cold weather shelter for adults that opens for a few months each year in early December, many of the youth will not access it. Often, this is due to fear. Many of the youth have told me about horrible experiences at various LA shelters. There is no “youth” shelter on the Westside. In the cold months ahead, many of the kids will need other non clothing items to support them on the street including:
I just provided a long list! Sorry for that! This time of year is always so hard. I wonder how we can let any of our young people sleep out on the cold streets for months on end. It is so difficult to have to shut our doors at the end of a night and send those kids back out to the cold and wet. Any help that you can provide is wonderful and much appreciated! Family Choir Forming: Sign up now for Holiday Family Choir 2010. Children & adults will learn 2 carols to sing at our annual Pageant on Dec 19. There will be 3 rehearsals & much camaraderie. Time & location of rehearsals TBD. Contact Bronwen Jones for more information. The Return of the Friendly Beasts! Once again, our pre-K through 5th-grade children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 19, at both services. Kris Langabeer will begin rehearsing the kids Nov. 7 for about 10 minutes in each classroom. She’ll begin with the preschoolers and then move from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids. There will not be a rehearsal Nov. 21 because the kids will remain in the sanctuary for an intergenerational service. Please mark your calendars: a dress rehearsal for all Beasts will occur Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. Our Whole Lives for Jr. High (8th-9th grade) & Sr. High (10th-12th grade)
De Benneville Pines Winter Youth Camps: Week-long and week-end camps throughout the year provide opportunities for rest, recreation, exploration and making new UU friends from around the Pacific Southwest District (Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas) at our beautiful mountain retreat. Located at 6800 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, de Benneville is surrounded by towering pondersa pines, oaks and cedars. Barton Creek is nearby and Jenks Lake within walking distance. It is the perfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. Delicious meals are served in Homet Lodge, with vegetarian/vegan entrees offered if requested with registrations. Cabins are comfortable if rustic, with shared bathrooms and showers. Dorms sleep six, cabin rooms sleep four and deluxe accommodations include a shared kitchen and sitting area. The registration fliers and forms for the Elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High Winter YoUUth Camps are now available on the deBenneville web page. Go to www.uucamp.org and click on the Calendar link. Under the date for each camp is a link to the flier and registration form. Direct links are at: Middle School– Coming of Age – Find Your Own Beat (Grades 6-8) 12/3-12/5 http://www.debenneville.org/camps/2010/PSWD/youth/winter/JrHighFall/JrHFall2010.html For Coming of Age groups, this weekend serves as a weekend intensive retreat for your youth and their facilitators. Not just for Coming of Age groups, any youth in Jr. High or Middle School is welcome to attend this weekend. Music leads the way as campers rock, roll, and shimmy their way through worship, cooperative games, hikes, art, and more Senior High Winter Famp (Grades 9-12) 12/27-1/1 http://www.debenneville.org/camps/2011/PSWD/srhigh_winter/SrHWinter2011.html Ring in the New Year with amazing Unitarian Universalist youth from the Pacific Southwest District! Worship, Community Building, Learning, Leadership, and Social Action form the foundation of our dynamic youth ministry program. High school youth leaders organize, plan and run the camp, with the wisdom and support from experienced adult advisor staff. Family and Elementary Camp – Inspired UUs! (Grades K-6) 2/19-2/21 http://www.debenneville.org/camps/2011/PSWD/elem_winter/ElemWinter2011.html For a weekend away from home, this is the place for you! Snow angels, hot cocoa, inspired worship, sledding, talent show, wintery hikes - we have a perfect weekend planned for you and your family! Our talented program staff puts together the program; you and your family enjoy it! For the campers who want to come on their own, we have trained cabin counselors who supervise them throughout the weekend. Come to camp and become Inspired UUs! Register early! These camps usually fill up.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
May my feet rest firmly on the ground -The Terma Collective Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Thanksgiving” (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) How to Make a Thankfulness Tree – Draw a maple lead template. Once you have the template, use a pencil and outline the leaf shape on colored paper. Cut out as many leaf shapes as you wish. If your children are very young, you may want to do this part ahead. Spread the leaves across the table, and let everybody in the family write things on the leaves for which they are thankful this year. Poke a small hole in the stem part of the leaves, thread with string, and hang on the branches. Afterwards, save all the leaves, either gluing them into the family scrapbook or stuffing them in a plastic baggy marked with the year. (When he gets older, my won will love that he was thankful for “my brane” at age six.) Alternate idea: Make your thankfulness tree as a poster, drawing a picture of a tree, then having the kids trace around their hands on colored paper and make those handprints the leaves. Glue “leaves” to three on poster. Thankful Box – Put a cardboard box with a slit cut into the top on the kitchen counter the week before Thanksgiving, with a pile of blank paper and a pencil next to it. Everybody writes down things they’re thankful for. Read them aloud during the feast, and guess who wrote what. Thanksgiving Scroll – Each year before the feast, the Butman family of Walkersville, Maryland, unrolls a paper scroll across the kitchen table. (Arts and crafts stores sell paper rolls, which are about 1 foot wide.) To start, Bryan Butman or one of his three kids picks out a Bible verse having to do with giving thanks, and they write it across the top. The paper is taped to the table and divided into five sections, one for each family member. Each family member draws or colors something they were thankful for that year, whether a pet, good grades, or close friends. The Butmans keep adding on to the same scroll until it’s full, but you could also cut off each year’s section and carefully tape it to the dining room wall while eating your feast. Corn Kernels – Put three kernels of corn next to each place setting for Thanksgiving dinner, and at some point, have each person count out three things for which they are grateful. Thank-You Notes – Kim Meisenheimer realized that many of the people for whom her kids were thankful didn’t come to their Thanksgiving dinner. So she started having her sons write (and mail) two or three special thank-you notes a year to special people, anyone from the soccer coach to Grandma. On Thanksgiving Day itself, each family member could be required to write a thank-you note to each other person attending the feast. Slip them under the plates before the meal. Connecting When You’re Apart – On the day before Thanksgiving, Gines family members all over the country make pie at exactly the same time, using Grandma Betty’s pie crust recipe. Betty herself calls each household in turn, and speaks to each grandchild.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)November 18, 1787: James Freeman was ordained as a Unitarian minister at King’s Chapel in Boston, by authority of the congregation, after two Anglican bishops refused to ordain him. At the service, he was names “Rector, Minister, Priest, Pastor, and Ruling Elder.” Thus the first Anglican church in America became the first avowedly Unitarian church in America. Through Freeman’s Harvard College associations and civic activities, King’s Chapel grew into full relations with its former Puritan enemies. November 18, 1861: The Unitarian Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the specific request of President Abraham Lincoln. Many of the Union forces adopted it as a marching song in the Civil War, but it soon gained nationwide popularity. American troops sang it in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. November 18, 2003: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in the case of Goodridge v. the Department of Public Health of Massachusetts. The court held that under the Constitution of Massachusetts, it is illegal to deny to people of the same gender the same marriage rights granted to people of different genders. The primary plaintiffs were Hillary and Julie Goodridge. Of the 14 plaintiffs, seven were Unitarian Universalists, including Hillary Goodridge. The Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association of the Masachusetts Bay District filed amicus curiae briefs in the case. November 19, 1621: A mob of angry orthodox Christians stormed the Unitarian congregation in Haarlem, Holland, on this date. The Unitarian minister and Remonstrant Hermann Montanus escaped, but 25 of his parishioners were arrested. Remonstrants, especially those showing Unitarian tendencies, were frequently persecuted at this time. The Haarlem congregation had been infiltrated by Daniel Brenius, who betrayed its Unitarian tendencies to the authorities. November 20, 1850: Charlotte Garrigue Masaryk was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her family belonged to First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn. Masaryk spent some time in Germany studying piano. Friends there told her about Thomas Masaryk, whom she married on March 15, 1878. The couple moved to Prague, Czechoslovakia, where Thomas fought for his country’s independence and Charlotte devoted her time to social problems. Thomas became the first president of Czechoslovakia, elected in 1920 and again in 1927 and 1934. Charlotte died in 1923. At her funeral at First Unitarian Church in Brooklyn, her husband and her son spoke from the pulpit. November 20, 1888: Nathaniel Currier, a Unitarian and noted lithographer with partner James Merrit Ives, died at age 74. November 24, 1597: George Enyedi, the third superintendent (bishop) of Unitarian churches in Transylvania, died. In a time of fading religious faith, Enyedi rallied the Unitarians with regular synods and writings. His death, followed by that of King Sigismund II, marked the end of Unitarianism’s major presence in the area. November 24, 1859: Charles Darwin, a Unitarian, published The Origin of the Species, setting forth radical ideas that challenged biblical literalists. November 10, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 11/21
Volunteer Opportunities:Apple Slicers Needed During 11/21 Service: We’re in need of several helpers during either or both services on November 21st to slice apples in the kitchen (using those nifty, easy apple-slicers), to be used at the end of service time for a special “apple communion” that will be part of our intergenerational Thanksgiving service. Youth? Adults? If you’d like to help, let me know! Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Common Ground Faith in Action Project Helpers Needed: On November 28th the K-5th grade program will be collecting donations of hygiene products to make “kits” for a local organization that provides services for people in need. I’m looking for people who would like to help staff the donation collection table on the 21st & 28th, as well as folks who would like to help supervise the kit-making effort itself on the 28th. Can you help? Contact Catherine Farmer Loya at Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108.
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Can Smell” This week our preschool classes will explore their sense of smell, with special stories and activities to help us celebrate the wonderful world of scents around us. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Owly” (9:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our sixth UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Indigo Promise”: Insist on Peace, Freedom and Justice for All – with a story about two neighbors in an argument, and a carpenter who helped them repair their friendship. “King of the Birds” (11:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our fifth UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Blue Promise”: Believe in our Ideas and Act on Them – with a story about a clever warbler who wanted a chance to be crowned king of the birds. 3rd-5th Grade: “Finding Balance” This session explores the second Unitarian Universalist Principle, justice, equity, and compassion in human relationships. Participants discover how, by finding balance in their own lives, they can promote equity across the interdependent web of life. They experience sharing resources and finding enjoyment with scant material possessions. We will add the signpost, "Find Balance," to our Faithful Journeys Path. Please bring a book that you have enjoyed and that you are ready to part with for our in-class book swap! 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their study of Catholicism with a special visit from Michael Crwou, from St. Anne’s Catholic Church. 8th Grade: This week Coming of Age will explore prayer, including a special prayer necklace craft. (Coming of Age meets during the 9:00 service only.) 9th-12th Grade: Meets at 9:00 this week. This week, YRUU youth will be discussing plans for their upcoming garden and video projects, as well as exploring the things in our lives we are grateful for.
Announcements:NEW Faith in Action Project - Donation Drive to Benefit Common Ground’s Homeless Teen Program: On November 28th, kids in K-5th grade RE will be putting together “hygiene kits” and organizing other donated items for our November Social Justice Project. Common Ground is a nonprofit organization that provides services to people living with HIV-AIDS, and one arm of their program is a drop-in center for homeless youth in Santa Monica. (To learn more about Common Ground, visit http://www.commongroundwestside.org/homelessyouth.htm.) Please, take a look at the list of items below and bring some things in for our donation drive. Undergarments, socks and personal care items should be new. Other items can be gently used or new. Please bring donations beginning next Sunday, November 21st, to the “Common Ground Donations” table in the courtyard during coffee hour. We will collect through the 28th, when we’ll organize all of the donations during the services in RE. Personal Care items needed for “hygiene kits”:
Sharon Chamberlain, Executive Director of Common Ground, writes: Our homeless youth always have a more difficult time living on the streets during the colder, wetter months. They will greatly appreciate any items- I had a youth tell me last year when we were handing out socks that it is “nice to feel like someone cares”. Please tell your youth thank you! The kids need warm things for the winter. Often socks and clothes get wet and they show up at our place soaked to the bone with no other clothes to change into. They are always in need of the following specifically:
Although the Westside has a cold weather shelter for adults that opens for a few months each year in early December, many of the youth will not access it. Often, this is due to fear. Many of the youth have told me about horrible experiences at various LA shelters. There is no “youth” shelter on the Westside. In the cold months ahead, many of the kids will need other non clothing items to support them on the street including:
I just provided a long list! Sorry for that! This time of year is always so hard. I wonder how we can let any of our young people sleep out on the cold streets for months on end. It is so difficult to have to shut our doors at the end of a night and send those kids back out to the cold and wet. Any help that you can provide is wonderful and much appreciated! Family Choir Forming: Sign up now for Holiday Family Choir 2010. Children & adults will learn 2 carols to sing at our annual Pageant on Dec 19. There will be 3 rehearsals & much camaraderie. Time & location of rehearsals TBD. For more information, contact Bronwen Jones. The Return of the Friendly Beasts! Once again, our pre-K through 5th-grade children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 19, at both services. Kris Langabeer will begin rehearsing the kids Nov. 7 for about 10 minutes in each classroom. She’ll begin with the preschoolers and then move from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids. There will not be a rehearsal Nov. 21 because the kids will remain in the sanctuary for an intergenerational service. Please mark your calendars: a dress rehearsal for all Beasts will occur Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. Our Whole Lives for Jr. High (8th-9th grade) & Sr. High (10th-12th grade) Dec. 5, 10:30 - 11 am in the Cottage. Short intro and overview of the 8th - 12th grade Our Whole Lives sexuality education program. If you aren’t familiar with the O.W.L. program or aren't sure if you're planning to enroll your teen(s) in the 2010-11 program please meet with Beth Rendeiro, OWL Coordinator, to learn more. Dec. 12, 12:30-2:30 pm in the Cottage.Mandatory O.W.L. Parent Orientation for parents of 8th and 9th graders planning to enroll their teens in O.W.L. Jan. 8, 2:30 - 6 pm in the Cottage. Part II - Mandatory O.W.L. Parent Orientation for parents of 8th & 9th graders planning to enroll their teens in O.W.L. De Benneville Pines Winter Youth Camps: Week-long and week-end camps throughout the year provide opportunities for rest, recreation, exploration and making new UU friends from around the Pacific Southwest District (Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas) at our beautiful mountain retreat. Located at 6800 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, de Benneville is surrounded by towering pondersa pines, oaks and cedars. Barton Creek is nearby and Jenks Lake within walking distance. It is the perfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. Delicious meals are served in Homet Lodge, with vegetarian/vegan entrees offered if requested with registrations. Cabins are comfortable if rustic, with shared bathrooms and showers. Dorms sleep six, cabin rooms sleep four and deluxe accommodations include a shared kitchen and sitting area. The registration fliers and forms for the Elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High Winter YoUUth Camps are now available on the deBenneville web page. Go to www.uucamp.org and click on the Calendar link. Under the date for each camp is a link to the flier and registration form. Direct links are at: Middle School – Coming of Age – Find Your Own Beat (Grades 6-8) 12/3-12/5 For Coming of Age groups, this weekend serves as a weekend intensive retreat for your youth and their facilitators. Not just for Coming of Age groups, any youth in Jr. High or Middle School is welcome to attend this weekend. Music leads the way as campers rock, roll, and shimmy their way through worship, cooperative games, hikes, art, and more
Senior High Winter Famp (Grades 9-12) 12/27-1/1 Ring in the New Year with amazing Unitarian Universalist youth from the Pacific Southwest District! Worship, Community Building, Learning, Leadership, and Social Action form the foundation of our dynamic youth ministry program. High school youth leaders organize, plan and run the camp, with the wisdom and support from experienced adult advisor staff. Family and Elementary Camp – Inspired UUs! (Grades K-6) 2/19-2/21 http://www.debenneville.org/camps/2011/PSWD/elem_winter/ElemWinter2011.html For a weekend away from home, this is the place for you! Snow angels, hot cocoa, inspired worship, sledding, talent show, wintery hikes - we have a perfect weekend planned for you and your family! Our talented program staff puts together the program; you and your family enjoy it! For the campers who want to come on their own, we have trained cabin counselors who supervise them throughout the weekend. Come to camp and become Inspired UUs! Register early! These camps usually fill up.
Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Cindee HallinanWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we’ll introduce someone new! Cindee splits her time this year between volunteering in RE and serving on the Stewardship Committee. When her 10-year old was in preschool, Cindee volunteered as a teacher in his class, and later she volunteered as a Coming of Age advisor. Now she’s back with Owen and his fellow 3rd-5th graders graders in the Explorers class at 11:00. Many thanks for all that you do for our UUCCSM community, Cindee! When I’m not at UUCCSM, I… Am working as a Behavior Therapist or at home with my family, cooking dinner or preparing food of some kind. I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… 5 years or so. My family includes… Chloe 13 yrs., Owen 10 yrs., my husband (of 15 years this Dec.!) Dave. My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are… Mendocino, CA. Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… Climb a mountain. I volunteer in RE because… I care about the children’s programs. I think UUism is… All about respect and understanding which = love. I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… People whom I don’t know say “hello” I think it would be really great if our church… Had a better parking situation – tall order, I know! Something people would be surprised to know about me is… If I could, I would ski every day.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: Make me strong in spirit,
-Abby Willowroot Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Light My Fire”: (from 10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids by Jamie Miller) Materials – One candle for each family member, matches, newspaper What to Do – Pass out candles to each member of the family; six-to-eight-inch tapered candles are best, but other kinds will work. Do this activity in the kitchen over the table or counter. Put newspapers down to catch any dripping wax. Turn off most of the lights in the area so the candlelight will be more discernable. Obviously, caution should be taken for the safety of small children (a parent or older children can place her hand around the child’s hand holding the candle). A parent should light his or her candle first. Tell the children that the flame represents love. Now light any other adults’ candles and talk about your love for each other and what brings you together as a family. Now, with your candle, continue to light each of the children’s candles in order of their birth. You can talk about the love you felt as each child came into your family. As you light each one, hold your wick next to his wick and watch how the flame intensifies momentarily as it is lighting the next candle. When everyone’s candle is lit, ask different family members some of the following questions, which might help your children begin to share their feelings about expressing love and kindness within your family: -- “As I passed my light to each of you, did my light get any smaller? [No.] By giving my love away to each additional person, is any love taken away from the original child or the spouse? [No.] When love is divided among members of a large family, is there less love for each? [No.]” -- “Is there more or less light in the room with everyone’s candle lit than when just mine is burning? [More.] Do we have enough light as a family to share it with those around us who seem sad or lonely? What are some ways we can share our light as a family, and who are the people who might need some of our light? Will our light diminish as we share it with others outside our family circle?” -- “What happens when we all hold our candles together and make our flames touch each other’s? Do you see how our light burns brighter together as a family than it does for each individual alone?”
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)November 10, 1801: Samuel Gridley Howe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1824 and served as a combat officer and surgeon in the Greek Revolution (1824-1830). Howe founded the New England Asylum for the Blind in 1832 (renamed the Perkins Institution) and the Massachusetts Asylum in 1839, where he remained as head until his death in 1876. He also wrote textbooks for teaching the blind, and the principles he drew up for the Massachusetts Board of State Charities became a national model. Charles Dickens wrote of Howe’s experiments with blind, deaf and mute Laura Bridgman. Howe also worked for prison reform and aid to discharged convicts, was an active abolitionist, and founded the abolitionist journal Commonwealth with his wife, Julie Ward Howe. Howe serves in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1846. He admired William Ellery Channing and was a member of the Church of the Disciples, a free church in Boston founded by Unitarian minister James Freeman Clarke. Known as “the Massachusetts philanthropist,” Howe died on January 9, 1876. November 10, 1914: Carolina Seymour Severance died at the age of 94. She was a champion of women’s rights and a co-founder of Unity Church (now First Church LA), the first Unitarian congregation in Los Angeles. November 11, 1620: Having landed in Massachusetts after their failed attempt to reach the English colony at Virginia, Pilgrim leaders on the ship Mayflower signed a covenant for self-government known as the Mayflower Compact. They established a church in Plymouth, Massachusetts, now Unitarian Universalist. November 11, 1744: Abigail Smith Adams was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She was the wife of John Adams, second president of the United States, and mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president. She was the chief figure in the social life of her husband’s administration and one of the most distinguished and influential first ladies in U.S. history. A lively, intelligent woman who enjoyed the challenge of domestic organization and skills, Adams advised her husband on many issues and her letters are a vivid source of social history. She worked for social justice and abolition of slavery. A devoted Unitarian, Adams was noted for a serene religiosity, which sustained her good nature during both adventures and adversities. She died on October 28, 1818. November 11, 1893: Lewis Allen McGee was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The son of a slave, he held several pastorates in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He served as chaplain in the infantry in both World War I and World War II. Late in life, McGee announced that he had become Unitarian and received encouragement and help from the American Unitarian Association and Wallace Robbins, the president of Meadville Theological School, to found the interracial Free Religious Fellowship of Chicago. He later worked with Edwin Wilson at the American Humanist Association headquarters in Yellow Springs, Ohio. McGee died on November 10, 1979. November 13, 1599: John Saieninius, the ruler of Krakow, Poland, converted from Calvinism to Socinianism during debate at Rakow and became a patron of Socinian churches and an important benefactor of the movement. A wealthy Polish nobleman, he established a Unitarian congregation. His son James established a Unitarian seminary and printing office to aid the growth of Unitarianism. Rakow became the center of the Polish Unitarian community, and its members became known as Rakovians. November 13, 1618: The Diet of Dort (Socinian) opened in Holland. It was convened to discuss major issues relating to the Unitarian belief about the nature of Jesus, whether he was to be worshipped, and his relation to God. November 15, 1579: Francis David, a Unitarian leader in Transylvania, died in prison for his Unitarian beliefs. Transylvanian Unitarians consider him the founder of their religion. He was first Lutheran, then Calvinist, before George Blandrata converted him to Unitarianism. After his conversion, David began to dispute the nature of Christ and rejected the Trinity. The Calvinists challenged him and a diet was held at Torda in 1568, at which Prince John Sigismund presided over a debate between David and the Calvinist bishop Peter Melius. Sigismund declared David the victor and issued the Edict of Torda, providing tolerance for other religions. Sigismund also converted to Unitarianism and appointed David his advisor. After Sigismund’s death in 1571, his successor preferred Jesuit advisors. David’s standing at court ended, and he was arrested and thrown in prison, where he died. The place of his burial is unknown, and the date is not certain. This is the date assigned by tradition and celebrated by the Transylvanians. The year of his birth is also now known, though generally 1510 or 1520 is assigned. November 4, 2010Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday – don’t forget to set your clocks BACK an hour on Saturday night! Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 11/7
Volunteer Opportunities:NEW Apple Slicers Needed During 11/21 Service: We’re in need of several helpers during either or both services on November 21st to slice apples in the kitchen (using those nifty, easy apple-slicers), to be used at the end of service time for a special “apple communion” that will be part of our intergenerational Thanksgiving service. Youth? Adults? If you’d like to help, let me know! Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Common Ground Faith in Action Project Coordinators Needed: On November 28th the K-5th grade program will be collecting donations of hygiene products to make “kits” for a local organization that provides services for people in need. I’m looking for people who would like to work with me to coordinate the call for donations from the congregation as well as supervising the kit-making effort itself on the 28th. Can you help? Contact Catherine Farmer Loya at Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108.
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Can Hear” This week our preschool classes will explore their sense of hearing, with special stories and activities to help us celebrate the wonderful world of sounds around us. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “King of the Birds” (9:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our fifth UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Blue Promise”: Believe in our Ideas and Act on Them – with a story about two neighbors in an argument, and a carpenter who helped them repair their friendship. “Owly” (11:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our fourth UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Green Promise”: Grow by Exploring What is True and Right in Life – with a story about a young owl with a lot of questions. 3rd-5th Grade: “Divali” This week our 3rd-5th graders will learn about and celebrate the Hindu holiday of Divali. Crafts include making clay diyas, and creating special good luck designs. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will move on to their next unit of study with an introduction to Catholicism. 8th Grade: This week Coming of Age will continue their exploration of spirituality – what it is, its role in our lives, etc. (Coming of Age meets during the 9:00 service only.) 9th-12th Grade: Meets at 11:00 this week. This week, YRUU youth will be discussing plans for their upcoming garden and video projects, as well as ideas for the rest of our year together.
Announcements:NEW Family Choir Forming: Sign up now for Holiday Family Choir 2010. Children & adults will learn 2 carols to sing at our annual Pageant on Dec 19. There will be 3 rehearsals & much camaraderie. Time & location of rehearsals TBD. Contact Brownwen Jones for more information. The Return of the Friendly Beasts! Once again, our pre-K through 5th-grade children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 19, at both services. Kris Langabeer will begin rehearsing the kids Nov. 7 for about 10 minutes in each classroom. She’ll begin with the preschoolers and then move from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids. There will not be a rehearsal Nov. 21 because the kids will remain in the sanctuary for an intergenerational service. Please mark your calendars: a dress rehearsal for all Beasts will occur Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. Our Whole Lives for Jr. High (8th-9th grade) & Sr. High (10th-12th grade)
De Benneville Pines Winter Youth Camps: Week-long and week-end camps throughout the year provide opportunities for rest, recreation, exploration and making new UU friends from around the Pacific Southwest District (Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas) at our beautiful mountain retreat. Located at 6800 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, de Benneville is surrounded by towering pondersa pines, oaks and cedars. Barton Creek is nearby and Jenks Lake within walking distance. It is the perfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. Delicious meals are served in Homet Lodge, with vegetarian/vegan entrees offered if requested with registrations. Cabins are comfortable if rustic, with shared bathrooms and showers. Dorms sleep six, cabin rooms sleep four and deluxe accommodations include a shared kitchen and sitting area. The registration fliers and forms for the Elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High Winter YoUUth Camps are now available on the deBenneville web page. Go to www.uucamp.org and click on the Calendar link. Under the date for each camp is a link to the flier and registration form. Direct links are at:
Register early! These camps usually fill up.
Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Katie MalichWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we’ll introduce someone new! Katie is returning to volunteering in RE after serving on the Settled Minister Search Committee. In the past, she has taught Neighboring Faiths, but this year she’s spending time with our K-2nd graders in the Spirit Play program at 11:00. Many thanks for all that you do for our UUCCSM community, Katie! When I’m not at UUCCSM, I… Blissfully sleep in. I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… A decade or so. My family includes… Sister, niece, nephew, and cousins scattered across the country from Massachusetts to Arizona. My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are… I like to travel and attend music concerts, dance, plays and other activities. If you or your kids are performing, let me know. I make an appreciative audience member. Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… visit the Galapagos. I volunteer in RE because… I enjoy the kids here at church and believe strongly in multigenerational activities which strengthen the community. I think UUism is… A wonderful, loving, supportive faith and a force for good in the wider community and world. I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… I talk with others here. I think it would be really great if our church… Continues to be a strong, loving, committed force in the community and people do their best to ensure we have adequate financial support for all that we do and plan for the future. Something people would be surprised to know about me is… I’m actually an introvert.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing in, I see myself as a flower. Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain. Breathing in, I see myself as still water. Breathing in, I see myself as space. -Thich Nhat Hanh Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Taking it Home – Let’s Talk about Time/Money Balance”: (by Jacqueline Clement) The document linked below is a resource designed to help UU families explore how we live our lives as religious people in a busy and complex world. It will help us to think about and discuss the concept of balance and how the choices we make with our resources of time and money affect our spirit. The booklet begins with a discussion of how the resources of time, money, and spirit are linked in our lives and how we prioritize one over the others, intentionally or unintentionally. It then suggests ways for families to consider how we accumulate and spend resources based on the everyday and extraordinary events of life. http://www.uua.org/documents/clementjacqueline/timemoneybalance.pdf
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)November 4, 1563: The Synod at Pinczow, Poland, granted all preachers the right to interpret the Helvetic Confession, the statement of faith of the Reformed (Calvinist) churches, as their consciences dictated, paving the way for the spread of Unitarianism for several decades. November 4, 1807: A group of Unitarian ministers in Worchester and Middlesex counties organized the Evangelical Missionary Society in Lancaster, Massachusetts, to counter Jedediah Morse’s diatribe against their growing liberalism. Its constitution said, “The great object of this society is to furnish the means of Christian knowledge and moral improvement to those inhabitants of our own country who are destitute or poorly provided.” It distributed Bibles and other publications. November 5, 1872: Susan B. Anthony, the famous Unitarian suffragist, cast a ballot in the presidential election, though women at the time were prohibited from doing so. Two weeks later, she was arrested, and the following year, she was found guilty of illegal voting. It would take another 50 years until the Nineteenth Amendment, passed in 1920, would grant women nationwide the right to vote. November 6, 1654: The British House of Commons, under the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, began debate on liberty of conscience, which resulted in general tolerance for religious views but was overturned when Charles II was restored to the monarchy in 1660. Cromwell, although not Unitarian, defended the rights of Unitarians and all Dissenters to worship according to their own preference as long as they kept the peace. Although he disagreed with the beliefs of the Unitarian John Biddle, he protected him against persecution by Parlaiment. November 8, 1586: John Evertson Geisteranus was born in Alkmaar, Holland. He became pastor there but was dismissed for his Unitarian beliefs in 1619. After a trial, Geisteranus was banished to the Leyden area, but fearing deportation to England for execution, he abandoned preaching and supported his family as a weaver. Hoever, an anonymous book supporting noncreedal religion was subsequently attributed to him. Geisteranus died on October 14, 1622. November 8, 1638: First Church and Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, was organized on this date. This church, now Unitarian Universalist, was the focus of the Dedham Decision, a decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 1820 that gave property rights to parishes rather than churches and, in the process, influenced every Congregational church in Massachusetts. The decision arose from a division within the Dedham church between the more conservative Trinitarian church members (those who had assented to the church covenant) and the more liberal parish churchgoers. The Trinitarian members withdrew from the church, taking some of the church property with them, and the parish sued for the return of the property. The resulting decision in favor of the parish changed a long-standing tradition whereby church members held the right to church property. This cleared the way for the new liberal Unitarianism that was emerging in America in the 1820s, and within 20 years one quarter of the Congregational churches in Massachusetts were Unitarian. November 8, 1674: John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost, died at age 65. His posthumously-published papers declared his Unitarian beliefs. November 9, 1721: Mark Akenside, a great English philosophical poet and devoted Unitarian, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne. He was principle physician to St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. Akenside died at age 48 on June 23, 1770, after a life dedicated to liberty, wisdom, poetry, and religion. November 9, 1805: Harriot Kezia Hunt, a life-long Universalist, was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a pioneer in medical practice and a strong advocate of abolition, women’s rights, and public health education. In 1827 she opened a school. She stressed strong family life as a key to health and well-being and mental health as a strong factor in physical health. She published her autobiography, Glances and Glimpses, in 1856. November 9, 1940: Arthur Neville Chamberlain, a Unitarian and the prime minister of England, died at the age of 71. October 29, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 10/31
Volunteer Opportunities:NEW Common Ground Faith in Action Project Coordinators Needed: On November 28th the K-5th grade program will be collecting donations of hygiene products to make “kits” for a local organization that provides services for people in need. I’m looking for people who would like to work with me to coordinate the call for donations from the congregation as well as supervising the kit-making effort itself on the 28th. Can you help? Contact Catherine Farmer Loya at Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108.
This Week in RE:Day of the Dead Intergenerational Sunday Service: This Sunday we will be celebrating the Day of the Dead together as one church community! People of all ages are invited to attend the service together; there will be no separate RE classes (the nursery will be open for babies and toddlers). As in past years, part of our observance of the Day of the Dead includes building a special altar on the chancel with mementos of loved ones who have died. If you would like to bring a small item to add to the alter, please arrive a few minutes early to the service to do so.
Announcements:THIS SUNDAY RE kids’ help in Oct. 31 Sunday service: Parents, would your children enjoy helping next Sunday by being “basket carriers” during our Intergenerational service on October 31st? We will be passing baskets around the pews (similar to the way we pass the bags during our offering) with materials for a couple of special elements of our service and are looking for several young people to help at 9:00 or 11:00. Please contact me asap if your child would like to participate. (310-829-5436 x108 or Catherine@uusm.org) THIS SUNDAY Halloween Fun with YRUU, Sunday Oct 31: Children are invited to come to church in costume on Halloween and do face painting activities after the first and second services, led by members of the YRUU youth group. NEW The Return of the Friendly Beasts! Once again, our pre-K through 5th-grade children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 19, at both services. Kris Langabeer will begin rehearsing the kids Nov. 7 for about 10 minutes in each classroom. She’ll begin with the preschoolers and then move from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids. There will not be a rehearsal Nov. 21 because the kids will remain in the sanctuary for an intergenerational service. Please mark your calendars: a dress rehearsal for all Beasts will occur Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. NEW Our Whole Lives for Jr. High (8th-9th grade) & Sr. High (10th-12th grade)
De Benneville Pines Winter Youth Camps: Week-long and week-end camps throughout the year provide opportunities for rest, recreation, exploration and making new UU friends from around the Pacific Southwest District (Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas) at our beautiful mountain retreat. Located at 6800 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, de Benneville is surrounded by towering pondersa pines, oaks and cedars. Barton Creek is nearby and Jenks Lake within walking distance. It is the perfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. Delicious meals are served in Homet Lodge, with vegetarian/vegan entrees offered if requested with registrations. Cabins are comfortable if rustic, with shared bathrooms and showers. Dorms sleep six, cabin rooms sleep four and deluxe accommodations include a shared kitchen and sitting area. The registration fliers and forms for the Elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High Winter YoUUth Camps are now available on the deBenneville web page. Go to www.uucamp.org and click on the Calendar link. Under the date for each camp is a link to the flier and registration form. Direct links are at:
Register early! These camps usually fill up. RE Registration & Parent Commitment Form for 10-11: Every child and youth who participates in our RE classes needs to have a registration form and parent commitment form filled out and signed each year. The registration form helps us make sure we have current contact information for your family as well as information about your children’s needs, your dreams for their experience in our RE program, and the areas in which you’d like to help support our church’s educational ministry. The parent commitment form asks for parents of children in our RE program to help out as volunteers during the year to ensure that our program is fully supported and of the highest quality we can make it. The forms are inserted in the RE prospectus that has been mailed to all of our continuing families. And we’ll have plenty of blank forms at the RE table in the courtyard before and after the services on Sunday morning. So there’s no excuse for neglecting to fill them out! Please bring yours on Sunday, or stop by the table to fill them out. It is very helpful for us to have our registrations right away, so we can begin to build our class rosters and update our church records for this year. Parents who have not yet registered their children will receive an email this week with a reminder.
Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Gretchen GoetzWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we’ll introduce someone new! Gretchen has been a YRUU advisor for our high school youth for several years. Previously, when her daughter Celia was in high school, she volunteered with Celia as a preschool RE teacher. Clearly Gretchen enjoys our UUCCSM youngsters of all ages! Many thanks for all that you do for our UUCCSM community, Gretchen. When I’m not at UUCCSM, I… am a graphic designer. And when I am not working -- I like to hike in the Santa Monica mountains, garden, volunteer for the schools, go to museums, walk my dog, read… I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… about 13 years. I grew up as a Presbyterian. My family includes… my husband David, my son Noel, age 24 and my daughter Celia, age 22. My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are… Café Bolivar on Ocean Park Blvd for a latte, Will Rogers State Park for a hike, Bergamot Station to visit the art galleries, Lifeguard Station 26 to relax and walk, Casa del Mar for a drink at sunset. Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… more travelling! Make more art! I volunteer in RE because… it’s a great way to be part of the life of our church. I was missing teenagers in my life, so decided to volunteer with YRUU. I think UUism is… a way of life that is love, service, compassion, integrity, and personal peace. I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… it is shared and enjoyed by others. I think it would be really great if our church… really enjoyed this time with our wonderful new minister and beautiful new buildings! Something people would be surprised to know about me is… we lived in Ireland for 6 years when my children were small.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
We are alive Live in me, Spirit of Life. Every one of us is alone. Live in me, Spirit of Life. We are not alone. Live in me, Spirit of Life. We are hurt Live in me, Spirit of Life. Alone and bound by unbreakable bonds, Live in me, Spirit of Life. -Joel Miller, adapted Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Day of the Dead”: (from How to Bury a Goldfish by Virginia Lang and Louise Nayer) The Mexican day of the Dead is an ancient festival, transformed from the original celebration into one that coincides with a Christian holiday, All Hallows’ Eve. Families visit gravesites, picnic on the grass, and place brightly colored flowers on the graves. It is a time to remember, to tell stories about the dead, and to feast. In San Francisco’s Mission District [Catherine’s note: and at Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles!], you can buy small sugar skulls and dioramas filled with dancing skeletons. Sometimes people buy special bread filled with a plastic toy skeleton to offer to the dead. Whether you are honoring a close friend, a relative, or anyone precious to you who has passed away, this ritual may help you reconnect with that person and with what touched you so deeply about his/her life. Though the Mexican celebration is around Halloween, you can also remember a loved one each year on the anniversary of his/her death. What you Need
What you Do: Before dinner on November 1 or on the anniversary of your loved one’s death, set up a special table anywhere you choose. Make sure to involve children in the preparations. Cover the table with a colorful cloth. Place a vase with flowers in the center and arrange the photos and other keepsakes around the flowers. Place the small, empty basket near the flowers. After dinner, play music. Dance, if you like! Put out a small portion of the deceased’s favorite food. Turn the lights down in the room, light the candle, and say what you loved about the person. Afterward, write notes on the index cards and place them in the basket. You may continue to write notes over the next few days or as long as the special table is in place. Later, you can keep the messages in a photo album, along with photos of your loved on. Online resource for Day of the Dead: www.olvera-street.com has information about visiting Olvera Street as well as a wealth of resources explaining the Day of the Dead.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)October 28, 1704: John Locke, an English philosopher and Unitarian, died at age 72 in Woolsthorpe, England. October 28, 1818: Abigail Smith Adams, the wife of U.S. president John Adams, died at age 73. A Unitarian, she was a chief figure in the social life of her husband’s administration and one of the most distinguished and influential first ladies in American history. October 31, 1959: Unitarians and Universalists, meeting separately in Syracuse, New York, voted to proceed with consolidation of the two denominations. November 1, 1661: Jonas Schlinctingius died at Zulichau, Germany. He was a Unitarian who wrote many commentaries on the Pauline epistles. A monument to him calls him “an illustrious example of Christian poety.” November 3, 1794: William Cullen Bryant, one of the literary greats of America, was born in Cumington, Massachusetts. He is remembered chiefly for his poetry, especially “Thanatopsis.” He never graduated from college but read the law in several offices and was admitted to the bar in 1815. A scholar in English law and physical sciences, he was also fluent in several ancient and modern languages. For nearly 50 years, Bryant edited the New York Evening Post. He was a member of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City and advocated women’s rights and abolition of slavery. He died on June 12, 1878. October 22, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Friday, 10/22
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Can See” This week our preschool classes will explore their sense of sight, with special stories and activities that celebrate the wonderful visual world around us. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Owly” (9:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our fourth UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Green Promise”: Grow by Exploring What is True and Right in Life – with a story about a young owl with a lot of questions. “Frederick” (11:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our first UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Yellow Promise”: Yearn to Accept One Another and Learn about Ourselves, Others and Mystery – with a story about a mouse with a very special gift for helping his family survive the winter. 3rd-5th Grade: “Be Fair” In this session, participants explore the second Unitarian Universalist Principle: justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. They hear about Fannie Barrier Williams (1855-1944), a Unitarian who was active in the club movement and in creating clubs for African American women. Participants will discuss what it means to belong and how it feels to be excluded, and explore how organizing a group to fight injustice can be effective. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will wrap up our study of Judaism with an integration of the material learned in our introduction, from our visitor and from our two visits to Beth Shir Sholom. 8th Grade: This week Coming of Age will explore the concept of spirituality – what it is, its role in our lives, etc. (Coming of Age meets during the 9:00 service only.) 9th-12th Grade: Meets at 9:00 this week. This week, YRUU youth will be planning next Sunday’s Halloween festivities to be held after the services.
Announcements:THIS SUNDAY RE Evacuation Drill on October 24th - Parents’ Participation Required: As part of our church safety policy, periodic evacuation drills are to be performed in the RE department. With the opening of our renovated building, the evacuation routes have changed, and it’s time for a practice run for teachers, students and parents. On October 24th, RE classes will hold a practice evacuation just before the end of the service, at 9:55 & 11:55. Parents, as soon as the service is overyou MUST PICK YOUR CHILDREN UP and sign them out (children and youth of ALL AGES this time, all the way up through high school!) at the designated pick-up areas. For children and youth in the upstairs classrooms, this will be on the tree lawn outside of the Arizona doors. For children in the cottage, this will be on the tree lawn on 18th street in front of the cottage. In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation, parents should NOT go to the classrooms to find their children. It is VERY important that this is understood, which is why we are including parents in our drill on the 24th! Please make sure you know where to go, so our drill runs as smoothly as possible. NEW RE kids’ help in Oct. 31 Sunday service: Parents, would your children enjoy helping next Sunday by being “basket carriers” during our Intergenerational service on October 31st? We will be passing baskets around the pews (similar to the way we pass the bags during our offering) with materials for a couple of special elements of our service and are looking for several young people to help at 9:00 or 11:00. Please contact me asap if your child would like to participate. (310-829-5436 x108 or Catherine@uusm.org) NEW Halloween Fun with YRUU, Sunday Oct 31: Children are invited to come to church in costume on Halloween and do face painting activities after the first and second services, led by members of the YRUU youth group. NEW De Benneville Pines Winter Youth Camps: Week-long and week-end camps throughout the year provide opportunities for rest, recreation, exploration and making new UU friends from around the Pacific Southwest District (Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas) at our beautiful mountain retreat. Located at 6800 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, de Benneville is surrounded by towering pondersa pines, oaks and cedars. Barton Creek is nearby and Jenks Lake within walking distance. It is the perfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. Delicious meals are served in Homet Lodge, with vegetarian/vegan entrees offered if requested with registrations. Cabins are comfortable if rustic, with shared bathrooms and showers. Dorms sleep six, cabin rooms sleep four and deluxe accommodations include a shared kitchen and sitting area. The registration fliers and forms for the Elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High Winter YoUUth Camps are now available on the deBenneville web page. Go to www.uucamp.org and click on the Calendar link. Under the date for each camp is a link to the flier and registration form. Direct links are at:
Register early! These camps usually fill up. THIS SUNDAY! Advent Bag and Box Tradition Workshop, Sunday October 24, 4-6pm: Are you looking for an alternative to the materialism and commercialism that has hijacked the Holiday Season? Join us for a very special workshop on the new Advent Bag and Box Tradition, created by workshop facilitator Caren Prentice. Learn how to use this Tradition to fill your home with the true spirit of Christmas and keep the focus of the holiday season on giving, kindness and family fun. It takes only a few moments a day and—those simple moments—open up a place inside where we can feel joyful and connected throughout the entire holiday season. Adults love it because it rekindles that elusive “Christmassy Feeling”. Parents love it because it takes the focus off “THE STUFF”. Kids love it because it’s fun! This workshop will help participants: discover simple activities that bring families together with moments of joy, love and laughter; keep the focus of the holidays on giving, kindness and family fun; create a structure for the Christmas you really want; and fill your home with the true spirit of Christmas. Whether you are young or old, religious or non, living by yourself or with a big family, the Advent Bag and Box Tradition shows you how you can experience the Christmas your heart is longing for—a Christmas that fills you up from the inside with warmth, meaning and the deep-felt joy of the Christmas Spirit. Sign up at the Adult Programs signup table during coffee hour, or immediately by contacting Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Childcare is available upon request. RE Registration & Parent Commitment Form for 10-11: Every child and youth who participates in our RE classes needs to have a registration form and parent commitment form filled out and signed each year. The registration form helps us make sure we have current contact information for your family as well as information about your children’s needs, your dreams for their experience in our RE program, and the areas in which you’d like to help support our church’s educational ministry. The parent commitment form asks for parents of children in our RE program to help out as volunteers during the year to ensure that our program is fully supported and of the highest quality we can make it. The forms are inserted in the RE prospectus that has been mailed to all of our continuing families. And we’ll have plenty of blank forms at the RE table in the courtyard before and after the services on Sunday morning. So there’s no excuse for neglecting to fill them out! Please bring yours on Sunday, or stop by the table to fill them out. It is very helpful for us to have our registrations right away, so we can begin to build our class rosters and update our church records for this year. Parents who have not yet registered their children will receive an email this week with a reminder.
Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Melissa WeaverWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we’ll introduce someone new! Melissa is returning this year to the Neighboring Faiths teaching team, having taught the class previously several years ago, followed by two years as a Coming of Age teacher. We are so grateful to Melissa for bringing her passion for exploring religious traditions – including our own – to her work with our youth! Thanks, Melissa! When I’m not at UUCCSM, I… Practice law, knit, and play on the computer. I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… All my life (UU) – most of my time in LA (UUCCSM) My family includes… Husband Jim, daughter Haley, Westie (dog) Molly, and cat (Scampers) My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are… Indian food – almost any ethnic food (food trucks!) I also love trash TV and knitting – preferably together. Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… Move back to northern California and maybe live somewhere totally different (England – New England) I volunteer in RE because… I enjoy learning and discussing RE topics, and I want to support the great RE program my daughter grew up in. I think UUism is… Awesome! I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… I get individual thanks – from parents, RE program leaders, etc. I think it would be really great if our church… Had parking. Something people would be surprised to know about me is… I studied ballet for 12 years.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: He drew a circle that shut me out – Edwin Markham Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Halloween Rituals” (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox): What is now called Halloween has its roots in ancient Celtic celebrations of New Year’s: October 31 was the last day of summer in the ancient Irish calendar. People believed that on this day, the barrier between the worlds of living and dead got thin, and the spirits of the dead could walk among the living. To frighten away those spirits, the villagers would dress in ghoulish costumes and party loudly. Another ancient Celtic tradition was to ritually cast out all the evil from the year just ending, to prepare for a good new year. It was the latter tradition that inspired Lucinda Herring to create the unusual ritual that follows. Harvest Festival: Families that wish to steer clear of gory, scary Halloween celebrations can follow the example of the Gines family of Michigan. They celebrate the month of October as a continuous harvest festival. One weekend, they take a hayride at a local orchard, and pick their own apples and pumpkins. One week, they make a scarecrow as a family. And one weekend they make “suncatchers.” They collect fall leaves, grasses and flowers and lay them down on waxed paper, then shred crayons on top of the paper, cover it with a second layer, and then iron the waxed paper till the crayons melt. They cut the paper into circles and other shapes, poke a hole in the top, and hang their suncatchers around the kitchen, to catch the fall light. Ghoulish Fun: Kyna Tabor of Salem, Illinois, takes her kids to a nearby graveyard every Halloween day to make grave rubbings. This particular graveyard dates to the Civil War, and many of the graves are old, with interesting markings. She uses butcher’s paper, which you can get from your local supermarket, and either charcoal or sidewalk chalk. If your kids are older, you can sit around in the dark, with only the light of candles (in or out of carved pumpkins) and take turns telling ghost stories. Halloween website: www.halloweenmagazine.com is an excellent site with tons of links for stories and crafts, and an online quiz that teaches kids safety tips for trick-or-treating.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)October 22, 1889: Some 131 delegates from 56 societies in 13 states merged Universalist youth organizations into a continental movement called the Young People’s Christian Union. October 23, 1850: The first women’s suffrage meeting opened in Worchester, Massachusetts. Most of the organizers and supporters were Unitarians. October 25, 1600: The Diet of Leczfalva, Transylvania, used the word Unitarian as an adjective. This is the first time that the term is recorded. Since the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, when the central issue was whether Jesus is the same as or difference from God, an underground “Unitarian” movement existed until the mid-1500’s, when separate churches were organized. It is clear that the earliest writers of the Christian movement viewed Jesus as a sacred being in a variety of ways but did not equate him with God. The influential book A History of the Corruptions of Christianity (1782) by Joseph Priestley, an influential Unitarian preacher and scientist (credited with discovering oxygen), elaborates that point. October 27, 1553: Michael Servetus was burned at the stake at Champel, near Geneva, Switzerland. At the instigation of John Calvin, he had been sentenced the day before to death for his heresy, challenging the doctrine of the Trinity and publishing his book On the Errors of the Trinity. Servetus was not notified of his sentence until two hours before the execution and went to his death with his books chained to his thighs. Servetus was a learned theologian. His martyrdom gave rise to cries for tolerance in religion. October 27, 1932: Sylvia Plath was born in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. She was a poet, literary critic, novelist, diarist, and social activist. A member of the Unitarian church in Wellesley, Massachusetts, she attended conferences at Star Island in New Hampshire as a youth. Her published works include The Bell Jar (1963), The Colossus (1981), and Collected Poems (1981), which received the Pulitzer Prize in 1983. Sylvia Plath committed suicide on February 11, 1963. October 15, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Tuesday, 10/19
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Can Talk” This week our preschool classes will explore all the wonderful ways we can express ourselves through speaking. This session will help children gain awareness about their abilities to communicate, experience talking as a way of sharing their thoughts and feelings, and feel affirmed as a unique and special person. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Frederick” (9:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our first UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Yellow Promise”: Yearn to Accept One Another and Learn about Ourselves, Others and Mystery – with a story about a mouse with a very special gift for helping his family survive the winter. “The Magic of Patience” (11:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our second UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Orange Promise”: Offer Fair and Kind Treatment to All – with a story about the many teachers among us. 3rd-5th Grade: “Dussehra” This week’s lesson, drawn from the beloved “Holidays & Holy Days” program, will introduce the ancient and beloved Hindu story, the Ramayana, with its message of loyalty and the triumph of good over evil. Indian sweets and a ritual burning of Ravana included, so don’t miss it! 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their study of Judaism with a visit to Beth Shir Sholom to meet with their middle school youth class. We will gather in the courtyard at 10:30 for the trip; there will be no Neighboring Faiths class at 9:00 due to the trip. NF students who come at 9:00 are welcome to attend the service with their families. 8th Grade: This week Coming of Age will learn about our very own UUCCSM history, with a special lesson led by a special guest, UUCCSM historian Rob Briner. (Coming of Age meets during the 9:00 service only.) 9th-12th Grade: Meets at 11:00 this week, upstairs above Forbes Hall. YRUU will be watching and discussing a video about bullying, called "Bullied." Recent tragic bullying events and consequences in the news make this, sadly, especially topical. Also, this Sunday is Re-dedication Sunday and Julie Nyquist has asked for our help! Anyone who can help with serving at the event (after the 11 o'clock service), please email Julie and let her know! Her email is nyquist@hsc.usc.edu. Please bring your cameras, we can document the re-dedication and other upcoming events. We need photos to use in our calendar project.
Announcements:NEW Ministry Start-up Workshop and Dinner, Friday October 22nd – Please attend! The UUCCSM Board invites you to our Ministry Start-Up Workshop and dinner, Friday, October 22, 6PM - 9PM, in Forbes Hall (workshop starts at 7pm). UUA District Executive, Rev. Ken Brown, will facilitate a lively conversation about where our congregation has been, where we are headed, and the ministry we share. DINNER, CHILDCARE & PARKING PROVIDED! (If you will be making use of childcare, please let Catherine know so we can make sure to provide an appropriate number of caregivers.) NEW RE Evacuation Drill on October 24th - Parents’ Participation Required: As part of our church safety policy, periodic evacuation drills are to be performed in the RE department. With the opening of our renovated building, the evacuation routes have changed, and it’s time for a practice run for teachers, students and parents. On October 24th, RE classes will hold a practice evacuation just before the end of the service, at 9:55 & 11:55. Parents, as soon as the service is overyou MUST PICK YOUR CHILDREN UP and sign them out (children and youth of ALL AGES this time, all the way up through high school!) at the designated pick-up areas. For children and youth in the upstairs classrooms, this will be on the tree lawn outside of the Arizona doors. For children in the cottage, this will be on the tree lawn on 18th street in front of the cottage. In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation, parents should NOT go to the classrooms to find their children. It is VERY important that this is understood, which is why we are including parents in our drill on the 24th! Please make sure you know where to go, so our drill runs as smoothly as possible. LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP! Tending the Flame Parent Group: Starting on October 19th, and continuing on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, we will be offering a monthly parent discussion group based on the newly published book “Tending the Flame: The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting,” by Michelle Richards (available at www.uuabookstore.org, or at the UUCCSM book cart during coffee hour as of October 10). From the book description: “In this first of its kind guide to UU Parenting, Richards encourages a practical and proactive approach to raising UU children. This comprehensive resource offers suggestions for incorporating spiritual practices into family life, teaching the Principles in age-appropriate ways, answering difficult questions on religious matters and dealing with religious disagreements.” To sign up, contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. The Tending the Flame book is available for purchase at the UUCCSM Book Cart during coffee hour. SIGN UP NOW! Advent Bag and Box Tradition Workshop, Sunday October 24, 4-6pm: Are you looking for an alternative to the materialism and commercialism that has hijacked the Holiday Season? Join us for a very special workshop on the new Advent Bag and Box Tradition, created by workshop facilitator Caren Prentice. Learn how to use this Tradition to fill your home with the true spirit of Christmas and keep the focus of the holiday season on giving, kindness and family fun. It takes only a few moments a day and—those simple moments—open up a place inside where we can feel joyful and connected throughout the entire holiday season. Adults love it because it rekindles that elusive “Christmassy Feeling”. Parents love it because it takes the focus off “THE STUFF”. Kids love it because it’s fun! This workshop will help participants: discover simple activities that bring families together with moments of joy, love and laughter; keep the focus of the holidays on giving, kindness and family fun; create a structure for the Christmas you really want; and fill your home with the true spirit of Christmas. Whether you are young or old, religious or non, living by yourself or with a big family, the Advent Bag and Box Tradition shows you how you can experience the Christmas your heart is longing for—a Christmas that fills you up from the inside with warmth, meaning and the deep-felt joy of the Christmas Spirit. Sign up at the Adult Programs signup table during coffee hour, or immediately by contacting Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Childcare is available upon request. RE Registration & Parent Commitment Form for 10-11: Every child and youth who participates in our RE classes needs to have a registration form and parent commitment form filled out and signed each year. The registration form helps us make sure we have current contact information for your family as well as information about your children’s needs, your dreams for their experience in our RE program, and the areas in which you’d like to help support our church’s educational ministry. The parent commitment form asks for parents of children in our RE program to help out as volunteers during the year to ensure that our program is fully supported and of the highest quality we can make it. The forms are inserted in the RE prospectus that has been mailed to all of our continuing families. And we’ll have plenty of blank forms at the RE table in the courtyard before and after the services on Sunday morning. So there’s no excuse for neglecting to fill them out! Please bring yours on Sunday, or stop by the table to fill them out. It is very helpful for us to have our registrations right away, so we can begin to build our class rosters and update our church records for this year. Parents who have not yet registered their children will receive an email this week with a reminder.
Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Bruno LacombeWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we’ll introduce someone new! Bruno has taught our Kindergarten-2nd grade class for several years, and this year has moved from 11:00 to 9:00 so his daughter Priya can attend Coming of Age. Thanks, Bruno! When I’m not at UUCCSM, I…run, work in administration. I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… 31 years My family includes… 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 birds, 2 teens, Amy and Frances (Amy’s 91 year old mom). My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are… Fave restaurant: Govinda’s / hobbies: cook, play foosball, run, Well-being & fitness & health. Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… Play guitar & piano; plant a veggie/fruit garden; run a 5K at 91 years old. I volunteer in RE because… I enjoy being around kids; want to contribute to UUCCSM. I think UUism is… Rich and a good fit for me. I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… I am rested and prepared. I think it would be really great if our church… Would lighten up sometimes & be more pro-active in social actions. Something people would be surprised to know about me is… I do acupuncture.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: We look with uncertainty -Anne Hillman Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “More Monthly Rituals”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) Full Moon Walks: Craig Patchin wanted a special ritual to bring him closer to his children, and spotted his chance when his oldest child was about to turn 10. His wife had bought a book called Walk When the Moon is Full as a present for their daughter Bethany. Author Frances Hamerstrom, an ornithologist, wrote the book about the nature walks she took with her children during every full moon. Inspired by this idea, Craig spontaneously write in the front of the book, “Happy Birthday. I make a pledge to you that we will go exploring every full moon this year. I love you, Daddy.” The Patchins live in a semirural area, and every month that year Craig and his daughter walked after dark, usually for at least half an hour. Often, they walked to the top of a hill in a nearby meadow where they could see for miles. Bethany loved the ritual so much that her younger brothers and sisters could hardly wait for their turn, and they still remember many of the things they saw and heard and talked about. Says Kelsey, Craig’s third daughter, “One cold night when there was snow on the group, we took a bunch of blankets and curled up in the hammock outside. My dad had to move a branch of the pine tree so we could see the moon, and we talked about memories and stories.” Now that all the Patchin kids have had their year of Full Moon Walks, they can’t stand the idea of never doing it again. Plans are that the ritual will be repeated when they each turn 18. Tip: Vary this ritual to suit yourselves. You can do this every month or just in nice weather. Take turns between the kids, month by month. You can take long or short walks, vary your path, perhaps stay close to home and use binoculars or a telescope to study the sky. Keep a journal about your Full Moon Walks.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman) October 14, 1894: Edward Estlin Cummings (more popularly known as e. e. cummings) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The son of Edward Cummings, minister of the South Congregational Church (Unitarian) in Boston from 1908 to 1926, Cummings received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Harvard University and then volunteered for duty in France during World War I, where he was arrested for corresponding with the anarchist Emma Goldman and imprisoned for treason. After the war he took up writing and painting. His book The Enormous Room (1920) was based on his experiences in French internment. Cummings began writing poetry that stressed individuality over modern conformist living and received the Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1957. He died on his farm in New Hampshire on September 3, 1962. October 15, 1826: Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson preached his first sermon, “Pray Without Ceasing,” at the Unitarian church in Waltham, Massachusetts. October 15, 1889: Manchester College, an academy to train Dissenters from the Church of England for the learned professions, opened in Oxford, England, having moved from London. Its primary function was to train Unitarian ministers, though it had no official connection with the denomination. At the time the college was founded in 1786, Unitarians were not allowed to graduate from either Oxford or Cambridge Universities because of the requirement to sign the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. Manchester College is now names Harris Manchester College and is one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. Its charter from Queen Elizabeth II requires that a chaplain of the college is a Unitarian, Unitarian ministerial students are trained at no cost, and a Unitarian is on the college’s governing body. October 17, 1846: Julia Ward Howe, a Unitarian activist and author of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” died at age 96. October 18, 1893: Unitarian women’s rights activist Lucy Stone died at age 65. October 19, 1562: Giulo Guirlada was drowned in Venice, Italy, for belonging to a Unitarian society. Drowning was the common method of execution in Venice then. The victim, laden with chains, was placed on a plank between two boats. When the boats separated, the victim dropped into the sea. October 19, 1735: John Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College and became a prominent lawyer and patriot when he attacked the Stamp Act in 1765. As a delegate to the second Continental Congress, e helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. Adams also drafted the Massachusetts Constitution and served as commissioner to France. He was vice president under George Washington and succeeded him as president (1797-1801). Adams and Thomas Jefferson were opposed politically but reconciled after their retirement. Among Adams’ important writings are Thoughts on Government (1776) and Discourses on Davila (1790). He was a member of First Parish (Unitarian) in Quincy, Massachusetts, where he is buried with his wife, son and daughter-in-lay, under the care of the National Park Service. Adams died at home on July 4, 1826, only a few hours after the death of Jefferson. October 20, 1569: Calvinist Bishop Peter Melius and Unitarian Francis David held a series of debates about the Trinity at the Synod of Nagyvarad in Transylvania. David won the debate, just as he had at the Diet of Torda. October 20, 1757: Warrington Academy in Warrington, England, opened on this date. The institution, where Unitarian minister and scientist Joseph Priestley was a tutor and conducted many of his scientific experiments, was founded to educate Unitarians in the various professions, but especially the ministry. The Academy closed in 1786 and was succeeded by Manchester Academy (now Harris Manchester Academy of Oxford University). October 20, 1776: William Emerson, a Unitarian minister, chaplain to the Minutemen, and grandfather of Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, died of typhoid or dysentery. October 20, 1880: Lydia Maria Child, an ardent Unitarian, feminist, and abolitionist, died at age 78. October 1, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Saturday, 10/2
Volunteer Opportunities:Faith in Action Field Trip to Westside Food Bank 10/3: For our first Faith in Action Sunday of the year, participants in our RE programs (except for Neighboring Faiths, which will meet as usual at church) will take part in a special trip to the Westside Food Bank, for a presentation about what happens to the food we donate each week, and why it is needed, as well as some hands-on food sorting. Because of the nature of this trip, participants are asked to come to the 9:00 service; we’ll leave following the Time for All Ages in the service. And we expect to return to UUCCSM at about noon. Volunteers are needed to help lead an alternate activity at church for young people who do not go on the trip. Can you help? Please contact Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108 if you’d like more information or to volunteer. VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED IN CHILDREN’S RE - We still have some volunteer spots open. Would you enjoy spending 1-2 Sundays per month with our vibrant young UUs? Teachers work in teams and serve as lead teacher just once per month, with lots of lesson and planning support. Assistants show up on their designated Sundays to help out during class time. We have need of volunteers in the following areas: ASSISTANTS – Lots of help still needed here!:
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Have Feet” This week our preschool classes will explore all the wonderful things our feet do for us. Kindergarten-5th Grades, Coming of Age & YRUU: Faith in Action Sunday - Trip to the Westside Food Bank: This Sunday we will have a special field trip to visit the Westside Food Bank for a tour, a presentation about where the food goes and why it is needed, and some hands-on sorting of food donations. This is an exciting project for us - I'm so happy to be building a stronger connection between the Westside Food Bank and our RE program. Our kids are already used to bringing food to donate, and now they'll get to see where it goes. The Food Bank is located at 1710 22nd St. in Santa Monica. This is a significant walk – about seven blocks – so make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes! We plan to have a couple of cars that can provide transportation for participants with limited mobility; please RSVP right away if you would like a seat in one of these cars. Please be aware: we will be going in ONE group to the Food Bank, so all who wish to participate MUST come to the 9:00 service, or meet us in the cottage NO LATER THAN 9:20. We will leave for the Food Bank promptly after the story in the service. An alternate activity at the church will be offered during each service for any children who will not participate in the field trip. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will begin our first unit of study for the year with an introduction to Judaism. (Neighboring Faiths meets during the 9:00 service only.) Announcements:THIS SATURDAY RE Family Potluck, October 2: All RE families are invited to join us for this year’s RE Family Potluck, from 5-7 pm on Saturday, October 2nd! This dinner is an opportunity to meet your child’s RE teachers, learn about our classes for this year’s program, and get to know your child’s classmates and their parents. Please bring a dish to share that will serve at least 8. Coming of Age families are invited to stay for an extra hour – from 7-8 pm – for a COA-specific orientation with this year’s Coming of Age teachers. NEW Advent Bag and Box Tradition Workshop, Sunday October 24, 4-6pm: Join us for a very special workshop on the new Advent Bag and Box Tradition, created by workshop facilitator Caren Prentice. Learn how to use this Tradition to fill your home with the true spirit of Christmas and keep the focus of the holiday season on giving, kindness and family fun. Adults love it because it rekindles that elusive “Christmassy Feeling”. Parents love it because it takes the focus off “THE STUFF”. Kids love it because it’s fun! This workshop will help participants: discover simple activities that bring families together with moments of joy, love and laughter; keep the focus of the holidays on giving, kindness and family fun; create a structure for the Christmas you really want; and fill your home with the true spirit of Christmas. Sign up at the Adult Programs signup table during coffee hour, or immediately by contacting Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Childcare is available upon request. SIGN UP NOW! Tending the Flame Parent Group: Starting on October 19th, and continuing on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, we will be offering a monthly parent discussion group based on the newly published book “Tending the Flame: The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting,” by Michelle Richards (available at www.uuabookstore.org, or at the UUCCSM book cart during coffee hour as of October 10). From the book description: “In this first of its kind guide to UU Parenting, Richards encourages a practical and proactive approach to raising UU children. This comprehensive resource offers suggestions for incorporating spiritual practices into family life, teaching the Principles in age-appropriate ways, answering difficult questions on religious matters and dealing with religious disagreements.” To sign up, contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. RE Registration & Parent Commitment Form for 10-11: Every child and youth who participates in our RE classes needs to have a registration form and parent commitment form filled out and signed each year. The registration form helps us make sure we have current contact information for your family as well as information about your children’s needs, your dreams for their experience in our RE program, and the areas in which you’d like to help support our church’s educational ministry. The parent commitment form asks for parents of children in our RE program to help out as volunteers during the year to ensure that our program is fully supported and of the highest quality we can make it. The forms are inserted in the RE prospectus that has been mailed to all of our continuing families. And we’ll have plenty of blank forms at the RE table in the courtyard before and after the services on Sunday morning. So there’s no excuse for neglecting to fill them out! Please bring yours on Sunday, or stop by the table to fill them out. It is very helpful for us to have our registrations right away, so we can begin to build our class rosters and update our church records for this year. Parents who have not yet registered their children will receive an email this week with a reminder. Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Emmy CrescimanWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we'll introduce someone new! Emmy has been a member of UUCCSM for about 5 years, and has been active in the Adult Programs Committee, and also assisted in the nursery program during the 2009-10 church year. This year, though, she has become the volunteer RE Assistant, coming in every Tuesday to help with tracking RE registrations and attendance and other administrative support for the RE program. This is a big help - thank you, Emmy! When I'm not at UUCCSM...I am busy building an online toystore. I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… UU for about 60 years and at UUCCSM for about 5 years. My family includes… My son Ben (28) and his dog Radio, my brother Vince, nephew Chris and niece Feather, all of the Goodwin-Lisovsky clan, my dog Farley, and a vast extended family of friends. My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are…To go – British Columbia, Pennsylvania, New York City; Foods – chocolate and most kinds of ethnic cuisine; Hobbies – reading, quilting, jewelry making; Activities – playing on the computer, playing with my dog, hanging out with small groups of friends. Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… Be a grandmother; travel around Asia. I volunteer in RE because… Catherine needs help and it feeds my soul. I think UUism is… Home. I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… I’m doing it. I think it would be really great if our church… Could go ahead with the rest of our building plan. Something people would be surprised to know about me is… In my lifetime (almost 65 years) I have lived in more than 75 different houses and apartments (most of them between 1963 and 1993).
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: In the end it won't matter how much we have, -- John Morgan Each week I'll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight praye, or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I'd love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values - "Rituals to Keep the Peace": (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) Kids will bicker and fight, especially siblings. But sometimes, a brief ritual can calm the combatants. Teaching young kids to avoid violence is a powerful life lesson. Family Huddle: When the two Abbe kids have been fighting, especially in the car, their mother hollers out "family huddle time." Even in a parking lot, they stop and huddle like teammates, stack their hands up in the center of the circle, yell out the family cheer ("Let's go, Abbes"), and punch their fists to the sky. Afterward, they go on their way as a united force. Crazy Dance Party: The Pfeiffer family says family unity is always restored if they can laugh together, so when any of them feels it’s needed, he or she calls out “Crazy Dance Party†and starts a countdown from 10 to 1. By 1, someone has found a rock oldies radio station to listen to, and they dance like lunatics till everybody is laughing. Three tips on handing anger from expert Naomi Drew: Create a cooling-off ritual for yourself: breathe deeply three times, then get a drink of water, go into another room and listen to quiet music, or light a candle and calm your thoughts. Help your children to create their own cooling-off rituals. Some kids pet their dog, run around the yard, wash their face, write in a journal, or take their frustration out by making something out of clay. Peace shield ritual: put a drop or two of essential oil of lavender in a spray bottle full of water. During a calm moment, have your children close their eyes and imagine a shield of light, protecting them from hurt and anger. Spray some lavender water in their direction to lock in the shield's power. Next time they get upset, have them imagine the peace shield protecting them from hurt and anger.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)September 30, 1751: Elhanan Winchester was born in Brookline, Massachusetts (then called Muddy River Village). He began his career as a Baptist minister and converted to Universalism during the Great Awakening revival movement in Massachusetts. An excellent linguist, eloquent preacher, and pioneer of Universalism, Winchester wrote Dialogues on Universal Salvation (1790) and other theological works, as well as anti-slavery pamphlets. He preached widely in England and New England and was priminent in the founding of Universalism in America. Winchester died on April 18, 1797. September 30, 1755: John Marshall was born in Germantown (now Midland), Virginia. He fought in the Revolution and became a Unitarian and lawyer. He served as a delegate to the Virginia convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution (1788). President John Adams (also a Unitarian) offered him a seat on the Supreme Court in 1798, but Marshall declined. However, he was elected to Congress, became secretary of state under President Adams, and was named chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1801. He issued many important opinions for the court, including Marbury vs. Madison (1803), which gave the Supreme Court the right to invalidate laws. Chief justice Marshall wrote the five-volume Life of George Washington (1804-1807). He died on July 6, 1835. September 30, 1770: John Murray, an emigre from England, preached his first Universalist sermon in America when his boat ran aground at Cranberry Inlet, New Jersey. There he met Thomas Potter, who had been waiting for God to send him a preacher with a message of universal salvation. This occasion is often used to mark the beginning of Universalism in America. October 1, 1844: Meadville Theological School opened in Meadville, Pennsylvania. As the Unitarain movement spread west it was felt that a center for training Unitarian ministers was needed somewhere besides Harvard. October 1, 1852: Eleanor Elizabeth Gordon was born in Hamilton, Illinois. She learned radical Unitarianism from her uncle, William Gordon, and read widely in Unitarian authors. Gordon became an educator and teamed up with Mary Safford. Together they organized the Unitarian church in Hamilton, where Safford served as minister with Gordon as her assistant. The pair also served churched in Humboldt and Sioux City, Iowa. Gordon was ordained in Sioux City in 1889, where she remained as minister until 1896. She served churches in Burlington, Iowa; Fargo, North Dakota; Des Moines, Iowa (with Safford); and Orlando, Florida. Gordon was also field secretary for the State Unitarian Conference of Iowa and edited and wrote for its newspaper, Old & New. She retired from the ministry in 1918 but remained active in church affairs and women's issues until her death on January 6, 1942. October 2, 1755: Hannah Adams, the first woman in America to earn her living as a writer, was born in Medfield, Massachusetts. A pioneer in comparative religion, Adams wrote A Dictionary of Religion (1817), A Summary History of New England (1799), The Truth and Excellence of the Christian Religion Exhibited (1804), History of the Jews (1812), and Letters on the Gospels (1824). James Freeman, the Unitarian minister of King's Chapel in Boston, was a strong supporter of Adams, and she was the only woman allowed into the Boston Athenaeum. Adams' writings were standard Unitarian Sunday School texts for two generations. She never married and often lived as a long-term guest in prominent Boston homes, where her conversation enlightened her host families and their guests. She died on December 15, 1831. October 2, 1842: William Ellery Channing, the father of American Unitarianism, died at age 62. October 2, 1881: The first Unitarian church in Budapest, Hungary was founded. October 3, 1610: The Synod in Rakow, Poland, was asked to investigate the Unitarianism of Christopher Ostorod, who contended with fellow Unitarians over matters of secular power, such as war, wealth, oaths, and the authority of civil magistrates. At the Synod's order, Ostorod apologized to his brethren for any offense, but the Synod did not require him to retract any of his views. October 3, 1802: George Ripley was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard Divinity School, he settled at the Purchase Street Church in Boston (1826). In 1836 he joined Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Henry Hedge in forming the Transcendental Club. Ripley wrote frequently for the Christian Examiner and edited the Boston Observer and Religious Intelligencer. He withdrew from the Purchase Street pulpit in 1841 to form the Brook Farm Association in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, which disbanded in 1847. Ripley went to New York to edit the Harbinger and then became a leading editor of the New York Tribune. He also edited the New American Cyclopaedia. He retained his interest in Unitarianism all his life and wrote of his gratitude to it. He died on July 4, 1880. September 24, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Saturday, 9/25
Volunteer Opportunities:NEW Faith in Action Field Trip to Westside Food Bank 10/3: For our first Faith in Action Sunday of the year, participants in our RE programs (except for Neighboring Faiths, which will meet as usual at church) will take part in a special trip to the Westside Food Bank, for a presentation about what happens to the food we donate each week, and why it is needed, as well as some hands-on food sorting. Because of the nature of this trip, participants are asked to come to the 9:00 service; we’ll leave following the Time for All Ages in the service. And we expect to return to UUCCSM at about noon. Volunteers are needed to accompany the group, as well as several people to provide rides for people with limited mobility. (The rest of the group will walk, but it’s a bit of a trek at about seven blocks from UUCCSM.) We also need two people during each service to volunteer to lead an alternate activity at church for young people who do not go on the trip. Can you help? Please contact Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108 if you’d like more information or to volunteer. VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED IN CHILDREN’S RE - We still have some volunteer spots open. Would you enjoy spending 1-2 Sundays per month with our vibrant young UUs? Teachers work in teams and serve as lead teacher just once per month, with lots of lesson and planning support. Assistants show up on their designated Sundays to help out during class time. We have need of volunteers in the following areas:
This Week in RE:Preschool: “I Have Hands” This week our preschool classes will explore all the wonderful things our hands do for us. We’ll learn some sign language, play some special games, and hear a story about “My Hands.” Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “The Weight of a Snowflake” (9:00) This Sunday we’ll explore our first UU principle – in Spirit Play referred to as the “Red Promise”: Respect All People – with a story about the value of a single snowflake. “Promises Lesson” (11:00) This Sunday we’ll share a story about the seven promises we make to one another about how we’ll treat each other in our church community and in the world (the seven UU Principles). 3rd-5th Grade: “Unconditional Love, a Gift from our Universalist Heritage” In this session, a story about Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), one of the most influential preachers of Universalism, introduces participants to the first Unitarian Universalist Principle, the inherent worth and dignity of every person. The story, "Muddy Children," describes a young Ballou whose father loves him unconditionally despite his tendency to get muddy. Discussion and activities amplify the story's teaching, reassuring participants that they, like Hosea Ballou, are loved and worthy even when they are literally muddy or have made a mistake. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will attend the service in the sanctuary. This will be a good opportunity for the students to learn more about what happens at our church before they embark on an exploration of Judaism, Christianity and Islam this coming year. Seats will be reserved up front for the class to sit together and the class will gather outside in the patio following the service for snacks and a short conversation about the UU service. (Neighboring Faiths meets during the 9:00 service only.) 8th Grade: This week the Coming of Age class will begin our year-long exploration of UUism and our personal beliefs with a discussion of our seven UU Principles. (Coming of Age meets during the 9:00 service only.) 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 9:00 this week. This Sunday, YRUU youth will continue to discuss our plans for this year’s program, including the upcoming gardening project as well as social justice projects, worship planning, a trip to San Francisco in February, and more.
Announcements:THIS SATURDAY Youth Orientation Potluck, September 25: Youth in YRUU (grades 9-12) and their parents are invited to a potluck dinner on Saturday, Sept. 25th at 7pm in the cottage for an introduction to our youth programs and to meet our fabulous YRUU advisors. Siblings are welcome too! Please bring a “dish with a story” that will serve at least 8. (The first dish you learned to cook? Something that’s your favorite color? A favorite family recipe?) NEW RE Family Potluck, October 2: All RE families are invited to join us for this year’s RE Family Potluck, from 5-7 pm on Saturday, October 2nd! This dinner is an opportunity to meet your child’s RE teachers, learn about our classes for this year’s program, and get to know your child’s classmates and their parents. Please bring a dish to share that will serve at least 8. Coming of Age families are invited to stay for an extra hour – from 7-8 pm – for a COA-specific orientation with this year’s Coming of Age teachers. Pick-Up Procedures: Children through Grade 5 must be picked up from class by their parents. Class time lasts until 15 minutes after the hour (10:15/12:15), in order to allow for a full hour of class time, and so parents have time to grab a cup of coffee before coming to collect their children. Please be prompt; RE teachers deserve to take part in coffee hour, too! Allergy Information: If your child has any food allergies (or allergies to other materials that they would possibly come into contact with in a church school setting) PLEASE make sure that we know about them! We do provide snacks in our RE classes, so it is very important information for us to have. There is a spot on our RE registration form for this information, but if there is allergy information for your child that you did not include on the form, or if you have not yet turned in a registration form, please email me right away with the information. I am creating allergy alert lists for all of our classes this week. Tending the Flame Parent Group: Starting on October 19th, and continuing on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, we will be offering a monthly parent discussion group based on the newly published book “Tending the Flame: The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting,” by Michelle Richards (available at www.uuabookstore.org). From the book description: “In this first of its kind guide to UU Parenting, Richards encourages a practical and proactive approach to raising UU children. This comprehensive resource offers suggestions for incorporating spiritual practices into family life, teaching the Principles in age-appropriate ways, answering difficult questions on religious matters and dealing with religious disagreements.” To sign up, contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Signups in the courtyard during coffee hour will start at the beginning of October. RE Registration & Parent Commitment Form for 10-11: Every child and youth who participates in our RE classes needs to have a registration form and parent commitment form filled out and signed each year. The registration form helps us make sure we have current contact information for your family as well as information about your children’s needs, your dreams for their experience in our RE program, and the areas in which you’d like to help support our church’s educational ministry. The parent commitment form asks for parents of children in our RE program to help out as volunteers during the year to ensure that our program is fully supported and of the highest quality we can make it. The forms are inserted in the RE prospectus that has been mailed to all of our continuing families. And we’ll have plenty of blank forms at the RE table in the courtyard before and after the services on Sunday morning. So there’s no excuse for neglecting to fill them out! Please bring yours on Sunday, or stop by the table to fill them out. It is very helpful for us to have our registrations right away, so we can begin to build our class rosters and update our church records for this year.
Getting to Know our RE Volunteers: Spotlight on Cynthia LittletonWe thought you ought to know something about the many wonderful volunteers who are working with your children and youth at UUCCSM, so we asked them to share a little about themselves, and each week we’ll introduce someone new! Cynthia has been volunteering in the RE program for several years, first in the K-2nd class, and then in 3rd-5th, and returning now to this year’s Imagineers class for K-2nd graders at 11:00. Thanks for all that you do for our UUCCSM children, Cynthia! When I’m not at UUCCSM, I… work as a reporter & editor for Variety; work as the team mom for my daughter’s AYSO team, the Olympians; read, write & sleep. I have been a UU and/or at UUCCSM for… Since 2005 My family includes… Husband Tom; daughter Daisy, almost 10; cat - Hider My favorite places to go/favorite foods/favorite hobbies or activities are… Santa Barbara, Disneyland, the beach, Will Rogers Park for hiking. Most of all – DeBenneville Pines Something I’d like to do in my lifetime is… Go to Russia I volunteer in RE because… This program is what attracted me to the church in the first place. And it’s very different from my professional life. I think UUism is… Spectacular for its emphasis on inclusion, tolerance, respect for diversity and nature. I feel most appreciated for what I do at church when… The kids have a good class, and can articulate what they learned. I think it would be really great if our church… Could get the kids doing more service projects and field trips. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…I like to shop for vintage clothing at thrift shops. Not fancy resale shops but real thrift stores.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: Receive, O Mystery, the words of our hearts. If prayer worked like magic – if I knew the words that would guarantee prayer's power – I know what I would pray: Let life be always kind to our children. If I knew the formula, that's what I'd pray. But prayer isn't magic, and life will be hard. So I pray for our children – with some hope for this prayer: May their knowledge of sorrow be tempered with joy. So may it be. Blessed be. Amen. –Lindsay Bates (Catherine’s note: The second prayer would make a lovely bedtime prayer or chalice lighting for parents to share with their children, by substituting “your”/”you” for “their”/”they”!) Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Learning to Look in Nature”: (from How to Bury a Goldfish by Virginia Lang & Louise Nayer) "One day, our family went exploring in the tide pools of Morro Bay with our friends the Maruska family. Katy Maruska and YuWen collected shells and rocks, bits of kelp, and driftwood. As they brought their treasures back to the blanket, I began to look closely at the colors, counting at least a dozen subtle shades of green, from beach-glass jade to deep spinach. The three of us made it a game to keep finding green and presented our “study in green” to Katy’s mom, who is a gifted artist. Afterward, when I thought about that day, I realized how life can become an exercise in how we see. Before that day on the beach, if someone had asked me what color the ocean is, I would not have said “a study in green,” the way I would today. The ability to see and to keep seeing with fresh eyes is critical in a world that seeks to label, define and limit. Here is a ritual that allows us and our young children to learn to see." –V.L. What You Need: An afternoon once a week. A place in nature (ocean, woods, a local park, or your own yard). What You Do: Pick a destination and ask your child to go on a hunt with you to make a collection of all the interesting things you can find in nature – feathers in a yard, polished rocks in a riverbed, unusual leaves in a forest, beach glass at the ocean. Lay out your treasures and examine them together, grouping them by color, texture, or size. Give creative names to all the subtle shades – robin’s-egg blue, blood-orange red – respecting each person’s unique perception of color. Some days, you may prefer to make it a study in shapes. Each day you do this, take home one souvenir of your study, and label and date it.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)September 24, 1825: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She was an important African-American feminist, abolitionist, and writer. Harper was a strong advocate for the Underground Railroad and worked for women’s suffrage, temperance, and education. She taught school at Union Seminary near Columbus, Ohio, and except for the years 1860 to 1864, when she stayed home with her young daughter, she lectured widely and kept a grueling schedule. A member of the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, Harper was also a poet and popular novelist. Her books include Iola Leroy (1892), Minnie’s Sacrifice (1868), Sowing and Reaping, and Trial and Triumph. In her later years, Harper helped found the National Association of Colored Women. She died on February 22, 1911. September 26, 1539: Sebastian Franck was banished from Strasburg, Germany, because of his Unitarian beliefs. A Lutheran who converted to Unitarianism, he wrote popular books on history and religion. Franck eventually settled in Basel, Switzerland. September 27, 1616: The Unitarian Church in Rakow, Poland, sent Peter Statorius III and John Lunkwitz to Altorf, Germany, to help free Unitarian students imprisoned for their beliefs. September 27, 1833: Rajah Rommuhun Roy died in England at the age of 61. He was the founder of the Brahmo-Samaj, a form of Hinduism similar to Unitarianism. September 28, 1746: John Disney was born. He left the Church of England to become Unitarian and succeeded Theophilus Lindsey as minister of Essex Street Chapel in London. A leading scholar of his day, Disney worked for repeal of all laws restricting liberty of conscience. He died on December 26, 1816. September 28, 1891: Herman Melville, an important American novelist and Unitarian, died at age 72. Melville was born in 1819 in New York City. Although his family heritage was distinguished in cultural and military circles, poverty limited his education and forced him to ease the family’s financial woes as a clerk, common seaman, and country schoolteacher. However, Melville’s family inherited extensive libraries, in which he read widely. He left home at age 17 and served on the whaler Acushnet, deserted in the Pacific, and lived briefly with a cannibal tribe. His works include Typee (1846), Omoo (1847), and Mardi (1849), but he is most famous for his 1851 novel Moby Dick. He also wrote a series of poems about the Civil war. In later life, Melville withdrew from society almost completely, working as a customs agent and writing Billy Budd (1891). He was a member of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City. September 29, 1929: The first service of the Humanist Society, the first independent Humanist congregation, was held at Steinway Hall in New York City on this date. Charles Francis Potter, a Unitarian minister and one of the signers of the Humanist Manifesto, conducted the service and delivered the sermon, “A New Faith for a New Age.” (Catherine’s note: for more information about religious humanism and to read the Humanist Manifesto, visit http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_I) September 17, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 9/19
This Week in RE:9:00Preschool: “I am Special” This week our preschool class will take part in an introduction to this year’s Celebrating Me & My World curriculum, with some special getting-to-know-you activities and stories. We’ll also be introducing our brand new preschool RE teacher, Sothavy Oum. Please help welcome her! She’ll take the lead as of next Sunday. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Spirit Play Orientation” This week our K-2nd graders will be introduced to the Spirit Play program. 3rd-5th Grade: “The Journey Begins” For our first week in 3rd-5th grade, we’ll have some activities designed to help us get to know one another, and we’ll introduce our Faithful Journeys curriculum for this year. Will meet in the mural room at the end of the hallway upstairs above Forbes Hall! 6th-7th Grade: An introduction to the Neighboring Faiths comparative religions program and to one another. Will meet in Room 3, the third room down the hallway upstairs above Forbes Hall! 8th Grade: An introduction to the Coming of Age program and to one another. Will meet in Room 2, the second room down the hallway upstairs above Forbes Hall! 9th-12th Grade: YRUU for 9th-12th grades alternates services from week to week; this week they will meet at 11:00 only, and next week will be at 9:00. 11:00Preschool: “I am Special” This week our preschool class will take part in an introduction to this year’s Celebrating Me & My World curriculum, with some special getting-to-know-you activities and stories. We’ll also be introducing our brand new preschool RE teacher, Sothavy Oum. Please help welcome her! She’ll take the lead as of next Sunday. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Spirit Play Orientation” This week our K-2nd graders will be introduced to the Spirit Play program. 3rd-5th Grade: “The Journey Begins” For our first week in 3rd-5th grade, we’ll have some activities designed to help us get to know one another, and we’ll introduce our Faithful Journeys curriculum for this year. Will meet in the mural room at the end of the hallway upstairs above Forbes Hall! 6th-8th grades meet at 9:00 only. 9th-12th Grade: Group-building games and the creation of a covenant for our year together! Will meet in Room 1, the first room at the top of the stairs above Forbes Hall!
Announcements:NEW Pick-Up Procedures: Children through Grade 5 must be picked up from class by their parents. Class time lasts until 15 minutes after the hour (10:15/12:15), in order to allow for a full hour of class time, and so parents have time to grab a cup of coffee before coming to collect their children. Please be prompt; RE teachers deserve to take part in coffee hour, too! NEW Allergy Information: If your child has any food allergies (or allergies to other materials that they would possibly come into contact with in a church school setting) PLEASE make sure that we know about them! We do provide snacks in our RE classes, so it is very important information for us to have. There is a spot on our RE registration form for this information, but if there is allergy information for your child that you did not include on the form, or if you have not yet turned in a registration form, please email me right away with the information. I am creating allergy alert lists for all of our classes this week. NEW DETAILS Tending the Flame Parent Group: Starting on October 19th, and continuing on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, we will be offering a monthly parent discussion group based on the newly published book “Tending the Flame: The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting,” by Michelle Richards (available at www.uuabookstore.org). From the book description: “In this first of its kind guide to UU Parenting, Richards encourages a practical and proactive approach to raising UU children. This comprehensive resource offers suggestions for incorporating spiritual practices into family life, teaching the Principles in age-appropriate ways, answering difficult questions on religious matters and dealing with religious disagreements.” To sign up, contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108. Signups in the courtyard during coffee hour will begin at the beginning of October. UPDATED VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED IN CHILDREN’S RE - We still have some volunteer spots open. Would you enjoy spending 1-2 Sundays per month with our vibrant young UUs? Teachers work in teams and serve as lead teacher just once per month, with lots of lesson and planning support. Assistants show up on their designated Sundays to help out during class time. We have need of volunteers in the following areas:
NEXT SATURDAY Youth Orientation Potluck, September 25: Youth in YRUU (grades 9-12) and their parents are invited to a potluck dinner on Saturday, Sept. 25th at 7pm in Forbes Hall for an introduction to our youth programs and to meet our fabulous YRUU advisors. Siblings are welcome too! Please bring a “dish with a story” that will serve at least 8. (The first dish you learned to cook? Something that’s your favorite color? A favorite family recipe?) RE Registration & Parent Commitment Form for 10-11: Every child and youth who participates in our RE classes needs to have a registration form and parent commitment form filled out and signed each year. The registration form helps us make sure we have current contact information for your family as well as information about your children’s needs, your dreams for their experience in our RE program, and the areas in which you’d like to help support our church’s educational ministry. The parent commitment form asks for parents of children in our RE program to help out as volunteers during the year to ensure that our program is fully supported and of the highest quality we can make it. The forms are inserted in the RE prospectus that has been mailed to all of our continuing families. And we’ll have plenty of blank forms at the RE table in the courtyard before and after the services on Sunday morning. So there’s no excuse for neglecting to fill them out! Please bring yours on Sunday, or stop by the table to fill them out. It is very helpful for us to have our registrations right away, so we can begin to build our class rosters and update our church records for this year. Forbes Building Move-In: We’re SO CLOSE to having our campus completed! We anticipate having access to the upstairs classrooms in time for our first day of RE classes on September 19th. However, the theme of our first few weeks will be “Camping Out.” We may not be fully moved in, and will not have new furniture, but we’ll be in our beautiful, big new rooms and will have a wonderful time breaking them in together. Younger children will remain in the cottage (nursery, preschool and K-2nd grade classes). Classes for 3rd grade and up will be located in the renovated upstairs rooms. Please refer to your RE Prospectus (yellow booklet mailed last week to continuing families, or available for pick-up at church on Sunday) for more detailed information about class locations and programming.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
Universal Spirit of love, -- Dorothy May Emerson
Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “The Love Eggs-periment”: (from 10-Minute Live Lessons for Kids by Jamie Miller) Materials – Clear drinking class filled with 1 cup water, 1 fresh egg, ¼ cup salt, tablespoon, permanent marker What to Do – For young children, draw a face on one side of the egg (this is optional for older children). Carefully place the egg in the glass of water and observe that it sinks to the bottom. Tell the children that the egg represents someone who is not receiving love or acceptance from those around him or her. Sinking to the bottom represents how someone who is ridiculed or made fun of would feel – low, sad, depressed, unappreciated. Remove the egg from the water and set it aside. One tablespoon at a time, add the salt to the water. As you stir in each spoonful, explain that the salt represents different ways to make someone feel loved and accepted. You should try to use examples that are relevant to your child’s life, such as offering to eat lunch with a new child at school, bringing cookies to a new family in the neighborhood, helping someone who has fallen off her bike, sharing a special toy with a friend, etc. After you have added all the salt, replace the egg to show how it is now supported with “love” and “held up” by the encouragement and acceptance of others. This demonstration can be centered around showing love and support within the family, in a school classroom or extracurricular team, or within a religious or community group or organization. Know Your UU: Each week we’ll highlight one entry from The A to Z of Unitarian Universalism, by Mark W. Harris. This week, we’ll continue with the second of the two historic faiths that merged to form UUism! UNIVERSALISM The belief that God’s love will ultimately redeem all people from sin. Universalism as an organized movement was largely restricted to North America. One of its founders, John Murray, was an Englishman who immigrated to America and founded the first Universalist church in America in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1779. At approximately the same time other Universalists organized in the Philadelphia area, especially under the influence of Elhanan Winchester. Some earlier Universalist preaching had occurred near Philadelphia as early as 1741 when George de Benneville came to America. A third strand of Universalist beginnings occurred in the hill country of southern New Hampshire and north-central Massachusetts in Warwick, where Caleb Rich founded a church as early as 1773 (actually predating John Murray, but not officially recognized). Early Christian Universalism was often Trinitarian and deterministic. This began to change with Hosea Ballou, the greatest Universalist leader of the 19th century and a disciple of Rich. Ballou was a Unitarian in his theology and also an advocate of ultra Universalism, which meant all people would immediately be saved upon death. The moral implications of this concerned some Universalists who turned to a view that some people would suffer for their sins in an indeterminate period after death, where their souls would be cleansed for eventual salvation. This split in Universalist ranks was known as the Restorationist Controversy. When Universalism celebrated its Centinnial in Gloucester in 1870, Alonzo Ames Miner addressed the gathering with a reminder that Universalism as a belief had ancient Christian origins. Many Universalists had been taught by the historians Hosea Ballou II and Thomas Whittemore that the Christians of the first centuries were Universalists. Many Universalists in the late 19th century named their churches after St. Paul, who declared a universal faith, to indicate this belief in the origins of Universalism. The theological connection was often made to church father Origen, whose works were condemned by an Ecumenical Council in 553. Concentrating on the perfection of God’s love, Origen could not believe that wrath would be the final expression of that love. The Universalist expression of the salvation of all led many of its adherents to espouse reform causes in the 19th century, especially the liberation of women. Their notion of a spiritual democracy helped convince them to call for greater opportunities in the world. This also made them less God-centered, and, like the Unitarians, they began to concentrate more on human potential. Universalism, as an organized church in America, understood itself as a branch of the Christian Church throughout most of its history, but this was interpreted in different ways. Once he developed his firm belief in ultra Universalism, Hosea Ballou began to see Universalism as being strikingly different from the rest of Christianity, but others wanted to affirm Universalism as the simplest or purest form of the Christian household of faith. Some saw it as the savior of the world whereby humanity would understand God’s redeeming love for all and embrace their oneness. After World War II a new emphasis on Universalism as a religion that went beyond Christianity began to be emphasized. Kenneth Patton and others began to support a universal religion that brought together symbols and beliefs from all he world’s faiths in a new unified eclectic approach. This would restore all of humanity to a singular religious understanding and thus, in a new way, bring the Universalist message to all. Two Universalist general superintendents from the middle of the 20th century articulated some of this new message. Brainerd Gibbons rejected Universalism as a branch of Christianity, and Robert Cummins said that Universalism “cannot be limited to Protestantism or to Christianity, not without denying its very name. Ours is a world fellowship.” Within a few years Universalism as a separate religious movement ceased to exist when it consolidated with the Unitarians in 1961. This Week in UU History: (>From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)September 16, 1661: John Ludwig Wolzongenius died at about age 62 near Breslau, Silesia (now Poland). He was a well-known scientist, mathematician, and Unitarian who wrote a great deal about Christianity. When he knew he was dying, he sent for a Lutheran minister known for mathematical skill and discussed advanced mathematical problems with him. With his reasoning power thus established, Wolzongenius declared that he wished to reconfirm his Unitarian faith. September 17, 1775: General George Washington appointed John Murray, an early leader of Universalism, as chaplain of the Rhode Island Regiment, over the objections of the clergy. September 18, 1887: This date is celebrated in the state of Meghalaya as Unitarian Day, the date on which Hajom Kissor Singh held the first Khasi Hills Unitarian Church service in Jowai, India. One woman and two men joined Singh as the first members of the new church, which adopted a statement of faith in 1888: “We believe (1) in the unity of God; (2) in the Fatherhood and Motherhood of God; (3) in the Brotherhood of Man; (4) in Love, Union, Worship, and Faith; and (5) in Immortality.” The Unitarian movement spread, and more than 30 churches now claim more 10,000 members in the Khasi Hills region. This holiday is celebrated as a time of renewal and re-gathering of the community. Beginning on this day, each family has a night when the whole congregation comes to worship in its house and share dinner. At that time the family and house are blessed. September 19, 1836: The first meeting of the Transcendentalist Club took place in the home of George Ripley in Concord, Massachusetts, with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Henry Hedge, and Bronson Alcott attending. June 26, 2010RE UUpdates are going on summer hiatus and will return weekly at the beginning of September as we prepare to launch our 2010-2011 RE program year. We have a great summer program planned, outlined below, and I hope we’ll see you and your family soon and often. I will be away during much of July and will return at the beginning of August, refreshed and reenergized for the year ahead. Have a great summer! This Summer in RE:Preschool: Summer of Suess
Elementary and Up: Alike & Different
Volunteer Opportunities:PLEASE HELP – Summer Assistants Needed: If you’ve been considering volunteering to assist for a Sunday during our summer RE program, now’s the time to sign up! I need to get the calendar filled soon, and a number of assistant spots left to fill. Here’s the breakdown: Preschool class: “Summer of Seuss”; Elementary & up program: “Alike & Different”
Assistant role requires no advance preparation – just show up on your day and help out as needed. We also have need of assistants in the nursery for most summer Sundays. If you would enjoy spending an hour one Sunday playing with our infants & toddlers, please let me know! To volunteer to help on any of these Sundays, email Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108. We need to get these spots filled right away, so please don’t wait to get in touch. Thank you! Announcements:NEW UUA General Assembly going on now! GA is the biggest gathering of UUs in the country, meeting annually to do the business of our association (UUCCSM is represented this year by 5 delegates as well as myself as your DRE). Many events at GA are streamed live online, still more have videos, print materials or full descriptions posted. Check it out! http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/167183.shtml RE Volunteer Gifts: If you have volunteered as a teacher, advisor, assistant, substitute, event planner, pageant helper, or in any other way in the RE program this year, there is a special gift waiting for you, as a small token of our great appreciation for your help. If you did not receive one during the RE Sunday service on June 6th, please stop by Catherine’s desk in the main office and you’ll find an array of potted succulents – please take one! RE Class Thank-you and Congratulations: Three cheers for our wonderful children and youth! All of our class members did a fantastic job on June 6th leading their elements of the RE Sunday service. A big THANK YOU to all of our teachers for organizing their classes’ participation. It was a lovely service. Twice. Summer RE Programs: Recruiting for summer volunteers is underway, and I am excited to share the courses we will be offering with you. Our preschool class will be reprising the very popular Summer of Seuss program last offered in 2008. And for elementary and up, we’re very pleased to be offering a brand new summer program called “Alike and Different,” which engages young people in learning about and celebrating the wonderful diversity among people in our community and in the world around us. For both programs we will be recruiting church members to sign up to lead or assist for one Sunday during the summer, so please visit the RE table in the courtyard during coffee hour for more information or to volunteer to help! 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 the remainder of the year. While the RE operating budget does have some money for supplies, donations are happily accepted, especially as our program funds have been reduced due to this year’s income shortfall. The list so far includes: General Supplies: UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Rituals for Peak Vacations”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox)Porcupine Award: The Routh family of Iowa spotted a live porcupine while hiking in the Rocky Mountains and declared it the strangest-looking creature they had ever seen outside of a zoo. Thus was born the Porcupine Award, given to the family member who spots the weirdest animal on any trip, or even a long family hike. Mary Routh says it’s great because even the baby of the family sometimes wins. There isn’t an actual certificate given by the Rouths, but your family could create one. Or buy a cheap trophy and pass it from room to room back home, as different people “win”. Every Picture Tells a Story: Think ahead about a loose plot that could be tied to your destination, and take a series of fun photos to tell that story. It could be as simple as creating a scrapbook travelogue starring your toddler daughter’s frayed teddy bear. Photograph him at the pool (not too close to the water), asleep in her bed, viewing the local sights. One family I know has a goofy Christmas gift exchange in which the same wacky object is passed from household to household: whoever gets the thing in a given year inevitably takes it on vacation and photographs the thing somewhere scenic. Arriving in Style: Some families vacation at the same cabin, resort, or campground every year, and love to settle in with a ritual that makes them feel at home and ready to relax. They might head to a nearby stream, take off their shoes and go wading, or stop by the same fried-clam stand for their favorite vacation chow. When we visit my husband’s cousin on a lake in New Hampshire every August, we always watch the sun set while sitting on the dock and sipping a special lemon drink. But you can also start an arrival ritual that works wherever you go. If you arrive after dark, for example, you can give the kids glowing fluorescent sticks and let them run wildly in circles around your cottage or campsite. This Month in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)June 25, 1863: The St. Lawrence Association of Universalists ordained Olympia Brown, making her the first woman in America ordained as a minister with full denominational authority. June 27, 1984: At General Assembly in Columbus, Ohio, the Unitarian Universalist Association passed the historic Gay and Lesbian Services of Union Resolution. This resolution affirmed the conducting of services on union for gay and lesbian couples by Unitarian Universalist ministers, and asked Unitarian Universalist faith communities to support these unions. July 1, 1579: The General Synod of Unitarian Churches in Transylvania published a confession of faith, outlining Unitarian beliefs. July 1, 1858: Unitarian naturalist Charles Darwin presented his paper The Origin of the Species to the Linnaean Society in London. July 3, 1839: The first normal school for training professional teachers opened in Lexington, Massachusetts. It began with three women students and reflected principles of education developed by Unitarian Horace Mann. July 4, 1804: Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He was an enormously influential early American writer. His works include Twice Told Tales (1837), The Scarlet Letter (1850), House of the Seven Gables (1851) and Mosses from an Old Manse (1854). Hawthorne’s Puritan heritage haunted much of his work, but part of his dour outlook might be traced to his mother’s almost complete self-seclusion after she was widowed in 1808. Hawthorne married Sophia Peabody, sister of Elizabeth, and belonged to Transcendentalist circles. Hawthorne adored his family, but they were very poor. He worked at a variety of government jobs and served as American consul at Liverpool, England. He lived variously at Brook Farm, the Old Manse, and the Wayside in Concord, Massachusetts. He died on May 19, 1864. July 4, 1826: John Adams, 90, and Thomas Jefferson, 83, the second and third U.S. presidents, respectively, died on the same day. Exactly 50 years earlier, the 13 colonies heard the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, of which Jefferson was the author and Adams a primary editor. Despite intense disagreement during their careers in political office, in later life they reconciled and conducted a famous correspondence, which included discussions of their differing views of Unitarianism. July 4, 1845: The Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau commenced 15 months of residence at the shore of Walden Pond, on land belonging to Ralph Waldo Emerson outside Concord, Massachusetts. He did not break his social ties but continued visiting his family and receiving callers. He supported himself primarily on what he grew or caught, and he slept in a small cabin he built for himself. Walden Pond is today preserved as a recreational area, with a replica of Thoreau’s cabin on display. Thoreau’s resulting publication, Walden (1854), and his ideas about the spiritual relevance of nature continue to have a major impact on Unitarian Universalism to this day. July 5, 1810: Phineas Taylor Barnum was born in Bethel, Connecticuit. He was reared a stern Puritan but became a devoted Universalist. The museum he opened in New York City featured natural history exhibits and curiosities. Barnum is best known for operating “The Greatest Show on Earth,” his circus, but he was also civic-minded and served in the Connecticut legislature from 1867 to 1869 as a Republican. He was also mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Barnum called himself the “prince of Humbugs” but donated funds to build a museum of natural history at Tufts University. He died on April 7, 1891. July 5, 1942: Czech Unitarian minister Norbert Capek, creator of the Flower Ceremony used today in many UU churches, was sent to Dachau, a World War II concentration camp in Germany, for speaking out against the Nazis. July 9, 1850: Millard Fillmore, a member of the Unitarian Church in Buffalo, New York, became president of the United States when Zachary Taylor died. July 11, 1767: John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, the son of U.S. president John Adams. After graduating from Harvard College, he became a lawyer and served in a variety of governmental posts, particularly in foreign service. His offices included U.S. senator, minister to Russia, chairman of the U.S. Peace Commission at Ghent in England, and U.S. minister to England. He was also secretary of state under President James Monroe, for whom he authored what became known as the Monroe Doctrine, asserting U.S. primacy over other powers interested in the Americas. He was elected president in 1824 and later served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Down into the Unitarian church of Braintree, he was a founding member of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in Washington D.C., and is buried with his wife and parents in the church in Quincy. He died on February 23, 1848. July 12, 1817: The Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts. The son of a pencil maker, he earned his living at that trade, supplemented by occasional school teaching. Thoreau attended Harvard College despite his family’s low income, with Ralph Waldo Emerson as his primary mentor. Only two of his books were published during his lifetime, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849) and Walden (1859). Thoreau wrote the influential essay “On Civil Disobedience” to protest the Mexican-American War and publicly supported the abolition of slavery, coming to the defense of John Brown. He was reared Unitarian and resigned his membership, not because he changed his theology but because he did not want to belong to any organization. He said he would resign from the United States if he knew how. Thoreau died on tuberculosis at the age of 44 and was buried at First Parish in Concord after a eulogy by Emerson. July 14, 1791: Mobs burned the home, church, library and laboratory of Joseph Priestley in Birmingham, England, urged on by the Church of England because of Priestley’s Unitarianism and his support of the French Revolution. Priestley left England and moved to Pennsylvania, where he established Unitarian churches in Philadelphia and Germantown. While still in England, he had discussed the idea of a Unitarian commune on the Susquehanna River with his associates, but in the end he took only his family and resumed a life of science and theology. His Pennsylvania home and laboratory are now open to the public. July 15, 1838: Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered a sermon at Harvard Divinity School to seven graduating students, faculty members, and local ministers. Known as the Divinity School Address, the sermon caused a storm of protest and Emerson was not allowed to speak at Harvard for another generation. Henry Ware Jr. and Andrews Norton rebuked him, but Theodore Parker came to Emerson’s defense. Traditionally minded Unitarians were particularly upset by Emerson’s rejection of miracles as evidence for Christianity. July 21, 1770: John Murray, the founder of organized Universalism in the United States, sailed from England to America on the Hand-in-Hand. He had lived through great sorrows in England, including the death of his father, wife, and child, and become a convinced Universalist, to the disappointment of his family and friends. He wanted a fresh start in the New World, which was still a British Colony. He landed at Cranberry Inlet, New Jersey, and met Thomas Potter, who persuaded him to preach in the chapel Potter had built on his property. Potter said he was been waiting for God to send him such a preacher. July 25, 1834: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an English Unitarian poet who was instrumental in the Romantic movement, died at age 62. July 28, 1703: George de Benneville was born in London, England, to French Huguenot parents. He converted to Universalism early in life and became an itinerant preacher in France, where he was arrested and condemned to death. He was brought before the guillotine but King Louis XV granted him a reprieve at the last moment. After preaching in Germany and Holland and being imprisoned there, de Benneville came to America and became the first preacher of Universalism in the New World. He died in March, 1793, at the age of 90. June 18, 2010RE UUpdates are going on summer hiatus soon; there will be one more email next week which will share details about the summer program through September 5th. We’ll come back to you weekly at the beginning of September. Don’t forget – this Sunday will be the first week of our summer service schedule, one service only at 10:00. Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 6/20 Volunteer Opportunities:NEW – PLEASE HELP - Only Three Summer Sundays Still Need Leaders – Assistants Also Needed: If you’ve been considering volunteering to lead or assist for a Sunday during our summer RE program, now’s the time to sign up! I need to get the calendar filled soon, and there are only three “lead” dates left open, and quite a few assistant spots to fill. Here’s the breakdown:Preschool class: “Summer of Seuss”; Elementary & up program: “Alike & Different”June 27: “Alike & Difference” assistant needed See announcement below for description of each program. Leader will be provided a lesson planning guide and activity suggestions. Assistant role requires no advance preparation – just show up on your day and help out as needed. We also have need of assistants in the nursery for most summer Sundays. If you would enjoy spending an hour one Sunday playing with our infants & toddlers, please let me know! To volunteer to help on any of these Sundays, email Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108. We need to get these spots filled right away, so please don’t wait to get in touch. Thank you! Announcements:NEW RE Volunteer Gifts: If you have volunteered as a teacher, advisor, assistant, substitute, event planner, pageant helper, or in any other way in the RE program this year, there is a special gift waiting for you, as a small token of our great appreciation for your help. If you did not receive one during the RE Sunday service on June 6th, please stop by Catherine’s desk in the main office and you’ll find an array of potted succulents – please take one! NEW RE Class Thank-you and Congratulations: Three cheers for our wonderful children and youth! All of our class members did a fantastic job on June 6th leading their elements of the RE Sunday service. A big THANK YOU to all of our teachers for organizing their classes’ participation. It was a lovely service. Twice. Summer RE Programs: Recruiting for summer volunteers is underway, and I am excited to share the courses we will be offering with you. Our preschool class will be reprising the very popular Summer of Seuss program last offered in 2008. And for elementary and up, we’re very pleased to be offering a brand new summer program called “Alike and Different,” which engages young people in learning about and celebrating the wonderful diversity among people in our community and in the world around us. For both programs we will be recruiting church members to sign up to lead or assist for one Sunday during the summer, so please visit the RE table in the courtyard during coffee hour for more information or to volunteer to help! 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 the remainder of the year. While the RE operating budget does have some money for supplies, donations are happily accepted, especially as our program funds have been reduced due to this year’s income shortfall. The list so far includes: * General Supplies:o Drawing paper UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: I think over again my small adventures, my fears Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Summer Vacation Rituals”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) A balance needs to be found between the overprogrammed school year life of many kids, and a summer of free-form loafing. Family rituals for this time of year often center on summer food, trips to the local pool, and backyard games. Some fun ideas to try: Books and Cones: One reason my son reads to much in the summer is that the local library gives the kids a “summer passport” to list all the books they read (or have read to them). Any child who clocks 12 hours of reading in a summer gets a free sundae at the local ice cream store in the fall. Why not make books a sweet treat now: go to the library every two weeks, and stop for an ice cream cone after every visit. New and Barbecued: Once a week, have a simple backyard barbecue, but invite a family in the neighborhood or from your children’s school that hasn’t been to your home before. Make a pact with your kids that you’ll serve some of their favorite foods like hot dogs and chips, but try one new grilled item each time, like grilled peppers, corn on the cob, or chicken-and-mushroom kabobs. Tour Your Town: One summer weekend each year, pretend your family just arrived as tourists, and see the best your town has to offer. Visit historical sites, eat in the cool new restaurant, take a long bike ride through neighborhoods you’ve never visited. Take photos in from of landmarks, buy t-shirts, and send postcards. Make a Movie: After school ends, have a “story conference” and come up with a wacky plot in which every family members plays at least one character. Design costumes. Over the course of the summer, shoot one scene at a time, in difference locations. For credits, film one of your kids typing the title and list of actors on a computer screen. At summer’s end, invite friends and family to the “premiere”. Next summer: shoot a sequel, or the prequel. This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)June 15, 1686: After the Massachusetts Puritan Commonwealth lost a two-year struggle to prevent the King of England from installing a royally appointed governor, King’s Chapel in Boston was established as a house of worship for the new royal appointees. It was the first Anglican Church in New England. The Puritans refused to give any good land for the purpose, so King’s Chapel was built on part of a graveyard, which was seizable public land. The current building of stone replaced an earlier wooden one at the same location. In 1785, the congregation adopted Socinian alterations to the Book of Common Prayer and became the first Unitarian church in the New World. Today it continues to serve a membership of more than 100. June 15, 1865: Hajom Kissor Singh was born in the Khasi Hills of the state of Meghalaya in northeast India, where he lived all his life. At age 15, Singh became a member of the Reformed faith (Calvinist) but found its teachings, especially the threat of Hell, unacceptable. He developed Unitarian beliefs and began spreading them, although he did not know of the Unitarian movement. He learned of Unitarianism through Charles Dall, an American Unitarian minister in Calcutta. Dall sent Singh a copy of works by William Ellery Channing. Inspired by what he learned, Singh founded a Unitarian church in Jowai, India, now the headquarters of the Indian Council of Unitarian Churches. Singh led the Unitarian movement in his state, where there are now more than 30 churches with a total of 10,000 members. Singh also published a hymnal using many American Unitarian hymns translated into Khasi. Many Unitarian statements are still used in India just as Singh wrote them. Hajom Kissor Singh died on November 13, 1923. June 17, 1553: The civil court of Vienne, France, condemned Michael Servetus to be burned at the stake for heresy, sedition, and rebellion. He had called both the Trinity and orthodoxy into question with his books On the Errors of the Trinity (1531) and Christianity Restored (1552). Servetus escaped and was burned in effigy the next day. June 18, 1873: Susan B. Anthony, the famous Unitarian suffragist, was fined $100 for voting in Rochester, New York, but she refused to pay and the fine was never collected. June 19, 1785: The proprietors of King’s Chapel in Boston voted 20 to 7 to become Unitarian. The congregation revised the Book of Common Prayer to omit all references to the Trinity. “Thus,” wrote Francis W. P. Greenwood, “the first Episcopal church in New England became the first Unitarian church in the New World.” June 19, 1985: The Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the major unifying religious statement of the denomination today, was adopted at General Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia. This statement grew out of an earlier one adopted in 1961, but affirmed women, other religious traditions, and the environment. June 4, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 6/6 This Week in RE:RE Sunday Intergenerational Service!! This Sunday is our annual service in celebration of this year’s RE program and the wonderful volunteers and staff who make it happen. Each RE class will be leading one element of the service, so check below to see what your child’s class will be doing! There will be a set of pews in the front of the sanctuary reserved for the members (& families for younger children) of each class to sit together. Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the service to meet up with you class’ teachers and do any last minute rehearsing for the service. Preschoolers at 9:00 will be doing the Chalice Lighting, leading the congregation in singing the song they sing in class every week when their chalice is lit (sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”: Little chalice, burning bright Kindergarten – 2nd grade at the 9:00 service will be dramatizing one of the stories they learned in class this year: “Standing on One Foot”, and at 11:00 will be offering the morning’s meditation, leading the congregation in a body prayer called the “Gandhi Peace Greeting” 3rd-5th grade at the 9:00 service will offer a presentation about their RE class this year, including giving congregants cards illustrating the seven UU Principles., and at the 11:00 service will be doing the Chalice Lighting and sharing some of their experiences in RE this year. 6th-7th grade will offer a presentation about their experience in the Neighboring Faiths program this year. This presentation will happen at both services and class members are encouraged to participate in both if possible. Please come at least 15 minutes early for the service to meet with the group for coordination of the presentation. 8th grade has now officially joined the high school group, since their Coming of Age program has culminated, and they get a little break, since their big service was just three weeks ago!! 9th-12th grade will be helping out with various parts of the service. Volunteer Opportunities:IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: RE Volunteer Appreciation Brunch June 6th – Contributions of food needed! On Sunday, June 6th, we will celebrate all things RE in our intergenerational RE Sunday service. After each service we traditionally offer a reception (appetizers, bagels, fruit salad, veggies, crackers, cheese, chips, etc.) in honor of our volunteers, donated by parents of children and youth who have benefited from the dedication and talents of our RE teachers and advisors. If everyone contributes something we’ll have plenty to offer – can you help? Please contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108 to sign up to bring something. Let’s celebrate our volunteers! We need you! Please consider volunteering in the RE Program - Have you ever wondered about the nature of reality? Have you ever wanted to explore new ways of putting our UU principles into practice? Do you feel that you're still a learner yourself, and always will be? The RE Council is currently recruiting volunteers for the 2010-11 RE program starting in September. We're looking for teachers to lead 1-2 Sundays per month, as well as volunteers for many other parts of our large and vibrant program for children and youth. Do you love spending time with young children as they learn about the world and make friends? Then assisting in our Preschool class is the right place for you! Are you passionate about sharing the core stories of our faith with children as they make meaning of their lives, grow a strong UU identity, and create a spiritual community together that honors multiple learning styles and celebrates beauty in diversity? Then join our Spirit Play team, for Kindergarten-2nd graders. Do you love the energy and enthusiasm of active young learners? Do you enjoy using concrete tools and activities to explore our values and principles? Would you love to work with our young people to create service projects to put our faith into action? Then the Tapestry of Faith program for our 3rd-5th graders is the place for you! Does your heart go pitter-patter when you think about exploring world religions, visiting worship services and welcoming visitors from other faith communities in Los Angeles, along with some of our most inquisitive young people? In that case, you'll love being a leader for our 6th-7th grade Neighboring Faiths classes. Is deep exploration of your personal theology, and engaging others in articulating who they are & what their beliefs are within the context of our UU faith most exciting? Then join our 8th grade Coming of Age team (9:00 only). Are you a creative, loving, flexible adult who gets a kick out of teens and wants to support them as they grow and develop into young adults? If that sounds like you, consider joining our 9th-12th grade Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) advisor team! If you’re interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities in RE, visit the RE table during coffee hours this month, or talk with Catherine (310-829-5436 x108) or Catherine@uusm.org). Summer RE Programs – Volunteers Needed: I am excited to share the courses we will be offering this summer for children and youth at UUCCSM. Preschoolers will be celebrating a “Summer of Seuss” together, while our “elementary and up” group will be taking part in a program called “Alike and Different,” which engages young people in learning about and celebrating the wonderful diversity among people in our community and in the world around us. Please consider signing up to lead or assist for a Sunday this summer! Announcements:Summer RE Programs: Recruiting for summer volunteers is underway, and I am excited to share the courses we will be offering with you. Our preschool class will be reprising the very popular Summer of Seuss program last offered in 2008. And for elementary and up, we’re very pleased to be offering a brand new summer program called “Alike and Different,” which engages young people in learning about and celebrating the wonderful diversity among people in our community and in the world around us. For both programs we will be recruiting church members to sign up to lead or assist for one Sunday during the summer, so please visit the RE table in the courtyard during coffee hour for more information or to volunteer to help! 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 the remainder of the year. While the RE operating budget does have some money for supplies, donations are happily accepted, especially as our program funds have been reduced due to this year’s income shortfall. The list so far includes: General Supplies:
RE Sunday, June 6th: RE Sunday is just around the corner, and I’m excited about engaging all of our young people in putting it together, through class participation as well as individual contributions. This year’s service will celebrate the things we treasure about our church community, as well as the gifts we each bring to our community and our world. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to help organize a volunteer appreciation reception following each service. Please contact Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108 if you can help. de Benneville Summer Camp Registration Open: Flyers and registration information for this year’s Summer Camps at our district’s lovely camp in the mountains are now available online. Counselor-in-Training Program, for ages 15-18, July 11 - 17, 2010 Elementary Summer Camp, “Interdependence,” July 11 - 17, 2010 Jr High Summer Camp, “Race to Justice,” July 18 - 24, 2010 YRUU Sr High Summer Camp, “Growing UUp and Growing OUUt,” July 25 - 31, 2010 UU Family Camp, August 1 - 7, 2010 Youth Leadership Training, July 18-24, 2010 Camp information and registration forms can be found online at http://www.debenneville.org/RegForms/RegInfo.html UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week: The bell is full of wind Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “End-of-School-Year Rituals”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox)Teacher Tribute: To encourage gratitude and practice writing, have your children write and decorate thank-you notes to their teachers. Encourage them to list specific areas in which they learned a lot, or an area where the teacher provided crucial, extra assistance. They might also bring a small gift, such as flowers. Kid’s Choice Dinner: Food isn’t the only thing kids choose when the Fitch family of Columbus, Ohio, celebrates the last day of school. They not only pick the menu, but also where and when to eat it. When Corey Fitch was nine, the year the ritual began, he decided he wanted to eat carryout Chinese food on the steps of his elementary school – at midnight. “We sat there eating noodles and talking about the past year,” says Sally Fitch. “It was wild and crazy, and he loved it.” Library Payback: Patrice Kyger always takes her kids out to dinner on the last day, to their favorite restaurant. When they graduate from elementary school, they are allowed to pick out a book and have her buy it for the school library, and act which makes them feel very grown-up. Welcome Summer Party: Carolyn Hecht’s son, now grown, always celebrated the last day of school by hosting a huge watermelon fight in the backyard. “There were always seven or eight boys, and it was a big, messy fight that lasted all afternoon,” says Carolyn. There are other activities and foods for welcoming summer in the backyard: you can serve lemonade or ice cream cones, and if it’s sunny, start the summer off with a squirt gun and water-balloon battle. This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)June 3, 1870: Norbert Capek was born in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). After a Roman Catholic childhood and early career as a Baptist minister, he converted to Unitarianism and became one of its leaders. During World War II, he was imprisoned by the Germans in 1942 and murdered at Dachau for speaking out against the Nazis. Capek devised the Flower Communion, now widely used in Unitarian Universalist churches, saying it showed that even in the worst times, we can still share beauty. June 4, 1901: Joseph H. Jordan died of an unknown disease at the age of 59. He was born a black free man in West Norfolk, Virginia, in June of 1842. After trying his hand as a laborer and grocer, he achieved financial success as a carpenter. Jordan was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1880 but he became a Universalist after reading The Plain Guide to Universalism by Thomas Whittemore. He met with Edwin Chapin Sweetser in Philadelphia and studied under him. Jordan began preaching Universalism and the Universalist Ordaining Council voted to ordain him as the first African-American Universalist minister. A small group of Jordan’s followers became the First Universalist Church of Norfolk, which was admitted into fellowship by the Universalist General Convention. Some white Universalists who had no church of their own attended Jordan’s church. Jordan named a son Richard Sweetser Jordan in honor of his Universalist mentor. June 6, 1563: Firty-two ministers who did not believe in the divinity of Christ met at the Synod of Podlachia in Poland. The synod convened under the sponsorship of the Unitarian Prince Nicholas Radzivil, Palatine of Vilna, Lithuania. June 6, 1832: The famous Unitarian philosopher and political economist Jeremy Bentham died at age 84. Bentham had instructed that his body was to be embalmed, dressed, and placed in a chair. It now resides in a glass cabinet in a corridor of the main building of University College in England. At meetings of the governing body, he is recorded as “present but not voting.” June 7, 1852: Hosea Ballou, a leader of Universalism, died at age 81. June 8, 1867: Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin. He began his practice of architecture in Oak Park, Illinois, and developed a devoted following. He lectured and wrote extensively, published An Autobiography in 1932, and mentored many students. Wright is considered by many to be America’s foremost architect, championing what is known as the Prairie Style. He built 532 homes and other buildings, including Unity Temple (Universalist) in Oak Park, Illinois; the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin; the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo; and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. He believed that people should not have to be rich to live in beautiful homes, and he tried to design artistic, affordable housing that complemented its natural surroundings. Wright was an active member of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin. He died on april 9, 1959. March 5, 2010Calendar of upcoming events: Saturday, 3/6
This Week in RE:Preschool: “Rainbows” This week our preschool classes will celebrate the wonder and beauty of rainbows, with stories and a special craft project. Kindergarten-2nd Grade: “Creation” (9:00) This week we’ll begin our exploration of our Jewish & Christian Heritage with the sharing of the Biblical creation story. “Noah” (11:00) This week we’ll begin our exploration of our Jewish & Christian Heritage with the sharing of the story of Noah & the Great Flood. 3rd-5th Grade: “Timeless Themes” Our 3rd-5th grade classes this week will begin our March-May unit on our Jewish & Christian Heritage with an introduction to the Timeless Themes curriculum and an introduction to the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their study of earth-centered religions with a special visit from UUCCSM church member Rima Snyder. 8th Grade: This week the Coming of Age class will begin to work on their service planning with an introductory exploration of creating their credo statements. 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 11:00 under in the Northeast room of the Cottage. This Sunday, YRUU youth will work on planning for their upcoming YRUU Sunday service, on March 14th and put on a T-shirt sale to raise funds for the upcoming UU-UNO spring seminar trip.
Announcements:THIS SATURDAY UUCCSM Family Game Night March 6: Please join us from 5-8 pm on Saturday, March 6, for an all-ages game night, co-sponsored by the RE Committee and the Adult Programs Committee. Dinner will be potluck - bring a dish that will serve at least eight - and bring along your favorite board and card games! We'll provide some kid-friendly games, and some for adults, but we need you to supplement our supply. (No video games, please.) We'll have a number of tables set up for games, so you'll have plenty of choices. All ages are welcome. For more information, contact Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108. NEW UUCCSM T-shirts for Sale This Sunday: This Sunday, help support our YRUU youth’s fund-raising effort for attending the UU-United Nations Office Spring Seminar in New York in April by purchasing a special UUCCSM t-shirt! Shirts are $25 each. NEW RE FAMILY SNOW WEEKEND Rescheduled for March 12-14 – THREE ROOMS STILL AVAILABLE: Attention ALL RE Families and Friends: Our church has reserved Craigs Cabin at Camp de Benneville Pines for the weekend of March 12-14, 2010 (originally scheduled in January and moved to March due to TOO MUCH snow!). There are THREE rooms still available to reserve and the price can't be beat. If we get 9 families the price is $112. per family! We bring in our own food and pay a small additional fee for Sat night food service at the lodge. For those of you who have never been, Camp de Benneville Pines is located at 6800 feet elevation, in the San Bernardino National Forest amidst towering pines, cedars, and oaks. It is owned and operated by the Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association. Check out the camp at: http://www.debennev ille.org/ Craig's Cabin provides more luxurious accommodations for Camp de Benneville program participants. In addition, the cabin is available for rent as a self contained program site. It will sleep up to 25 people in the 9 bedrooms. There are three bathrooms each with showers and one has handicap facilities. There is a meeting room with a fireplace, adjacent to the kitchen/dining area. A TV with VCR allows viewing video cassettes. Info on Craigs Cabin: http://www.debennev ille.org/ craig.html. There’s only one week to go before the trip, so PLEASE contact Julie Kinsinger right away to reserve your spot TODAY!! NEW Thank You: Dear friends, I am so touched by the many members and friends of UUCCSM who have reached out to provide baby items and messages of care and support for my family this week. While the situation is tough in many ways, the good news is that baby Collin is on the mend and is safe and loved at home with my in-laws (his grandparents), Dawn and Bob. And the help they have received from so many of you will make things easier for them. They are prepared to care for him as long as they need to, and are greatly moved by your help. As am I. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please support members of the YRUU high school group on their road to the United Nations! Look for upcoming fundraisers (bake sale, raffle, and lunches for sale). We need to raise enough funds to send 7 youth and 2 chaperones to attend the UU-United Nations Office Spring Seminar (April 7-11). We also welcome Angels willing to sponsor youth (donate towards their airfare and registration). This year's seminar will focus on Climate Change and offers our youth an invalulabe learning experience. We're also the ONLY west coast church to ever attend this event! For more information on how you can help contact Liza Cranis. UU Parenting Blog and Forthcoming Book: This week uuworld.org announced the creation of a new blog on their site: UU Parenting with Michelle Richards (http://blogs.uuworld.org/parenting/), a blog about the unique challenges and blessings of Unitarian Universalist parenting. Author, religious educator and mother Michelle Richards will lead a lively weekly discussion on topics ranging from how to share beliefs, holidays, children and their peers of different faiths and the mystery of death. Michelle Richards is a religious education consultant for the Central Midwest District and a credentialed religious educator. Previously, she was the director of religious education for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart, Indiana, for seven years, and the chair of the Central Midwest District's Religious Education Committee. Richards is the author of Come Into the Circle: Worshiping with Children from Skinner House Books, and a new book to be published on March 30, Tending the Flame: the Art of UU Parenting. (A special 10% discount has also been offered on the book when purchased through the UUA Bookstore at http://www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=1211 with the use of the discount code FLAME at checkout.)
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
Search and search again -Muhammad Iqbal
Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “A Birthday Tribute”: (from How to Bury a Goldfish by Virginia Lang and Louise Nayer) - It is sad to admit that our culture associates aging with loss. After a certain age, birthdays are often greeted with crude jokes about crow’s feet, hair loss, and other declining capacities. We focus more on what we cannot do than what we have become. When we see the beautiful autumnal face of a woman whose life has been richly lived, we know there is much to celebrate and acknowledge on the day of her birth. Here is a ritual intended to honor an older woman or man for all she/he brings to the lives of those who love them. What You Need A blank journal What You Do – If the elder is fortunate enough to live near most of her friends and family, buy a blank journal and paste a recent photo of the honoree on its cover. With the help of an organized family coordinator, circulate the journal among the honoree’s dear friends and family members. Ask each person to write about a quality that she appreciates in the honoree. For example, “Grandfather, you are my model of honesty and compassion. Happy birthday!” You may wish to recall a treasured memory: “You are the most patient grandmother who has ever lived; I would have failed algebra without you!” The sentiments need not be long, just heartfelt and personal. Present the book as a group on the honoree’s birthday. It is sure to be a most treasured gift. When Louise’s godmother turned eighty, she took part in a “card shower” coordinated by her godmother’s daughter. Each person wrote a heartfelt sentiment on a blank card and sent it to the daughter, who created a master scrapbook of all the cards. If distrance is a challenge, this is a good option.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)March 3, 1568: The second religious debate between Unitarian Francis David and Calvinist bishop Peter Melius opened at Gyulafehervar, Transylvania. It lasted 10 days. Tradition has it that after returning home from that debate, Francis David preached standing on the “round rock” at the corner of Torda street in Kolozsvar and converted all who heard him to Unitarianism. The stone is now in the narthex of the First Unitarian Church in Kolozsvar. The series of debates began at the Diet of Torda and ultimately resulted in the conversion of Prince John Sigismund of Transylvania to Unitarianism. March 4, 1864: Thomas Starr King, a Universalist and Unitarian minister and missionary on the West Coast, died at age 39 of diphtheria. When he died, President Lincoln ordered guns to be fired from U.S. forts in recognition of his service to the country. March 6, 1888: The beloved American writer Louisa May Alcott died at age 55 in Boston. Louisa’s father was Bronson Alcott, a founder of the Transcendentalist Club who ran a school in Concord, Massachusetts, and educated Louisa and her sisters at home. She worked as a teacher and a domestic worker and eventually began to write poems and short stories for children. Alcott was an ardent abolitionist and served as a nurse during the Civil War. This experience provided material for Hospital Sketches (1863), which established her literary reputation. She also wrote various stories for children, of which Little Women (1868) is the best known. It was largely autobiographical and a great financial success. Alcott wrote numerous other stories, including Gothic tales published under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard. She devoted her later life to reforms, including temperance and women’s rights. Alcott did not like formal church connections, but her beliefs were Unitarian and she moved among such prominent Unitarians as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Samuel Gridley Howe, and Julia Ward Howe. March 7, 1601: A Socinian conference opened at Rakow, Poland, to discuss the nature of Christ, his relation to God, and whether he should be worshipped. March 7, 1844: The Dissenters’ Chapels Act was introduced in English Parlaiment, aimed at giving Unitarians legal rights to their church property. It was an important step in religious freedom in England. It passed by a vote of 202 to 41 and Queen Victoria gave it the royal seal on July 15, 1844. March 7, 1920: Seven people met with Egbert Ethelred Brown, and African-American Unitarian minister, in Harlem to form the Harlem Community Church of New York City, the first African-American Unitarian congregation in the United States. Maurice Dawkins, an African-American, became the minister of education there in 1948. March 7, 1965: 600 civil rights marchers who set out from Selma, Alabama, on their way to Montgomery to urge passage of the Voting Rights Act, were attacked by local law enforcement officials at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Known as “Bloody Sunday,” this event led Martin Luther King to call on clergy of all faiths to join him in Selma. More than 125 Unitarian Universalist ministers answered the call, including UUCCSM minister Rev. Ernie Pipes. On March 21, 1965, more than 3,000 marchers left Selma for Montgomery and by March 25, 1965, 25,000 marchers entered Montgomery. On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. Three people were killed during the Selma marches – James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister; Jimmy Lee Jackson, an African-American laborer and church deacon; and Viola Liuzzo, a Unitarian Universalist layperson from Detroit. February 18, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 2.21
This Week in RE:Preschool: “Wondering About the Moon” This week our preschool classes will celebrate the wonder and beauty of the night and the moon. Kindergarten-5th Grade: “Tree People Introduction” This week children in our elementary RE program will be visited by UUCCSM member and Tree People employee Lisa Cahill, who will introduce us to Tree People and prepare us for our field trip next week. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will wrap up their exploration of Taoism with an integration of their in-class exploration as well as last week’s field trip. 8th Grade: This week the Coming of Age class will explore a variety of spiritual practices, aided by visiting UUCCSM members Judith Martin-Straw and Bill Blake. 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 11:00 in the Northeast room of the cottage. This Sunday, YRUU youth will head full-force into planning for their upcoming YRUU Sunday service, on March 14th.
Volunteer Opportunities:NEW Spring RE Working Groups Being Formed – Volunteers Needed: This Sunday and next members of the RE Committee will be staffing a sign-up table during coffee hour to recruit volunteers to help with three working groups that will be formed this spring. We need folks to help with Easter Planning (on April 4th), Summer Program Planning (planning and coordinating summer program for July-August), and Spring Event Planning (for Everybody’s Birthday Party to be help on April 24th). If you signed up to help with one of these working groups when you filled our your Parent Commitment Form in the fall, you will be contacted soon. For more information or to volunteer, visit the table during coffee hour or contact Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x108.
Announcements:NEW Please support members of the YRUU high school group on their road to the United Nations! Look for upcoming fundraisers (bake sale, raffle, and lunches for sale). We need to raise enough funds to send 7 youth and 2 chaperones to attend the UU-United Nations Office Spring Seminar (April 7-11). We also welcome Angels willing to sponsor youth (donate towards their airfare and registration). This year's seminar will focus on Climate Change and offers our youth an invalulabe learning experience. We're also the ONLY west coast church to ever attend this event! For more information on how you can help contact: Liza Cranis. NEW Turning Point Trip a Success! Last Sunday 12 youngsters and 5 adults went to the Turning Point transitional housing shelter for a tour and to provide bag lunches for the residents. On final count, we put together 67 lunches, with BLTs or cheese sandwiches, chips and fruit. And the RE children also decorated every single bag with a Valentine’s Day theme! Many thanks to those who participated. UUCCSM Family Game Night March 6: Please join us from 5-8 pm on Saturday, March 6, for an all-ages game night, co-sponsored by the RE Committee and the Adult Programs Committee. Dinner will be potluck - bring a dish that will serve at least eight - and bring along your favorite board and card games! We'll provide some kid-friendly games, and some for adults, but we need you to supplement our supply. (No video games, please.) We'll have a number of tables set up for games, so you'll have plenty of choices. All ages are welcome. For more information, contact Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108. Faith in Action in Elementary RE: On January 24th 28 K-5th graders participated in our field trip to the spcaLA animal shelter in Hawthorne. Our next trip will be to Turning Point on February 14th, and we’ll take a trip to visit Tree People and care for some trees on February 28th. In March we will enter our third trimester of the year with a focus on our Jewish & Christian heritage.
UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
Peace be to this house -Traditional Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Rare and Made-Up Family Holidays”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox) - It’s a wonderful moment when a child realizes that nobody else on the planet celebrates the same wacky holiday that his or her family invented. Crazy Food Day – The Taylor family of Stratford, Connecticut, started this tradition one year during Christmas vacation: on Crazy Food Day, all the meals are mixed up. They might each lunch or dinner for breakfast, and breakfast for lunch. This day usually gets chosen when school is closed due to snow, or there’s a vacation day with no events planned. Everybody stays in his or her pajamas all day. Kids’ Day – Some kids have lobbied their parents for a children’s equivalent of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The Hains girls of Maryland get to pick a special family activity, and each gets a small gift. Patrice Kyger takes it a step further: Son’s Day is the second Sunday in June, and Daughter’s Day comes on the second Sunday in August. A special outing like a picnic or miniature golf is planned, and the siblings talk about what’s good about having a sister or brother, depending on the day. Family Happiness Party – In Merchantville, New Jersey, Susan Lynch and her daughters know just what to do on days when everyone in the family is down in the dumps. They declare a Family Happiness Party, and get ready to cheer themselves up with such treats as make-your-own-sundaes. Yes Day – Darcie Gore wrote in Family Fun magazine that she got tired of saying “no” to her three girls constantly, and decided to declare the next Saturday “Yes Day.” She started a “Yes Jar,” where her daughters write down things they can’t do immediately, such as “wear my Cinderella dress all day.” On Yes Day each month, the activity requests are read, and then acted on. The first Yes Day began with a breakfast of chocolate milk and donuts, and included such activities as freeze tag, a pillow fight, and the application of toenail polish.
This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)February 16, 1691: Sir Isaac Newton wrote to John Locke to request that he not publish Newton’s Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture until after Newton’s death. Newton’s treatise attacked the accuracy of two biblical texts about the Trinity (1 John 5:7 and 1 Timothy 3:16). February 17, 1698: The English House of Commons petitioned the king to suppress all literature disputing the Trinity and to punish the authors. The Blasphemy Act in 1648 had made Unitarianism a crime punishable by the denial of civil rights. February 19, 1881: William Adam of Beaconfield, Scotland, died. He was an orthodox Baptist missionary who attempted to convert Rajah Rammohun Roy, the founder of a Unitarian form of Hinduism called Brahmo Samaj. Instead, Adam found himself converted to Unitarianism. February 22, 1805: Sarah Flower Adams was born in Harlow, Essex, England. An actress who achieved a dramatic triumph as Lady Macbeth, she became ill suddenly and had to give up the stage. She was a lifelong Unitarian, deeply devoted to her Unitarian church in South Place, London, and the author of many religious works, including Vivia Perpetua (“Eternal Life”). She also composed hymns, the most famous of which is “Nearer, my God, to Thee.” Adams worked with prisons, fought for greater civil and religious liberty, and established Sunday schools and benevolent societies. She died on August 15, 1848. February 11, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 2/14 This Week in RE:Preschool: “Celebrate Love for Valentine’s Day” This week our preschool classes will explore the many ways people can show their love and affection for others, and will make special Valentine’s cards and necklaces to share with loved ones. Kindergarten-5th Grade: “Turning Point Field Trip” This week children in our elementary RE program are invited to take part in our second Faith in Action field trip, a visit to the Turning Point transitional housing shelter for a tour and to prepare lunches for the residents. Be aware: we will make one full-morning trip, leaving after the story in the first service at 9:20 am, and returning by 11:30 If you would like for your child to participate in the trip, please make sure to come to the first service, or meet us in the cottage at 9:20 for the walk to the shelter, located about four blocks from UUCCSM at 1446 16th street. After returning to the church, children can be picked up right away or will participate in an activity in the cottage until the 11:00 service has concluded. There will be alternate activities offered during each service for children who choose not to participate in the trip. Note: Volunteers are needed to accompany us on the trip, and families will be invited to contribute ingredients for sack lunches. A separate email with information about what is needed will be sent out shortly to K-5th parents. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their exploration of Taoism with a field trip to the Taoist temple in Chinatown. Details and permission forms have been emailed to Neighboring Faiths families. 8th Grade: This week the Coming of Age class will explore what it means to be “In Relationship” – with family, friends, loved ones, self, etc. 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 11:00 in the North East room of the cottage. This Sunday, Valentine’s day, is a perfect day for our YRUU youth to discuss love, friendships and relationships. Announcements:NEW Souper Bowl Sunday a Success!: Thank you to all our young people who painted bowls and staffed our “Souper Bowl Sunday” table, and thank you to all of the congregants who donated money or food items in exchange for bowls to take home! Our elementary RE kids raised $180 and gathered 25 food items to benefit the Westside Food Bank, in exchange for every single bowl we had to give! NEW UUCCSM Family Game Night March 6: Please join us from 5-8 pm on Saturday, March 6, for an all-ages game night, co-sponsored by the RE Committee and the Adult Programs Committee. Dinner will be potluck - bring a dish that will serve at least eight - and bring along your favorite board and card games! We'll provide some kid-friendly games, and some for adults, but we need you to supplement our supply. (No video games, please.) We'll have a number of tables set up for games, so you'll have plenty of choices. All ages are welcome. For more information, contact Catherine@uusm.org or call 310-829-5436 x108. Faith in Action in Elementary RE: On January 24th 28 K-5th graders participated in our field trip to the spcaLA animal shelter in Hawthorne. Our next trip will be to Turning Point on February 14th, and we’ll take a trip to visit Tree People and care for some trees on February 28th. In March we will enter our third trimester of the year with a focus on our Jewish & Christian heritage. UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:
May words I say be fair and true -Beryl Aschenberg Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “The Love Eggs-periment”: (from 10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids by Jamie Miller)Materials: Clear drinking glass filled with 1 cup water, 1 fresh egg, ¼ cup salt, tablespoon, permanent marker. What to do: For young children, draw a face on one side of the egg (this is optional for older children). Carefully place the egg in the glass of water and observe that it sinks to the bottom. Tell the children that the egg represents someone who is not receiving love or acceptance from those around him. Sinking to the bottom represents how someone who is ridiculed or made fun of would feel – low, sad, depressed, unappreciated. Remove the egg from the water and set it aside. One tablespoon at a time, add the salt to the water. As you stir in each spoonful, explain that the salt represents different ways to make someone feel loved and accepted. You should try to use examples that are relevant to your child’s life, such as offering to eat lunch with a new child at school, bringing cookies to a new family in the neighborhood, helping someone who has fallen off her bike, sharing a special toy with a friend, etc. After you have added all the salt, replace the egg to show how it is now supported with “love” and “held up” by the encouragement and acceptance of others. This demonstration can be centered around showing love and support within the family, in a school classroom or extracurricular team, or within a religious or community group or organization. This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)February 10, 1652: John Biddle, freed from prison in the Scilly Isles, where he had been exiled for his Unitarian heresy, gathered a group of Unitarians into a society. Although it did not last beyond Biddle’s death on September 22, 1662, it represented the first Unitarian society in England. February 10, 1945: The North Shore Unitarian Church was founded in Long Island, New York. It is now the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York. As part of its founding outreach, the congregation contacted an Episcopalian named Caroline Veatch, who provided for the church to receive income from her oil fields in Germany after her death. The church has since turned this income into the largest single source of funding for the Unitarian Universalist Association and its work. February 11, 1802: Lydia Maria Child was born in Medford, Massachusetts. An advocate of women’s independence, she was an ardent writer and activist for racial justice. She joined the church served by her Unitarian minister brother, Convers Francis, in Watertown, Massachusetts. She also enjoyed the worship of the Swedenborgians. Child found success as a popular writer, producing a romantic historical novel and practical household manuals, most notably The Frugal Housewife (1829). Her literary earnings helped her to support her husband’s unsuccessful legal practice. She became vice president of the Women’s Anti-Slavery Convention of New York and edited the National Anti-Slavery Standard. Later she turned to religious issues and published The Progress of Religious Ideas through Successive Ages, which contended that all religions had sacred insights. In 1833 Child wrote An Appeal in Favor of That Class of American Called African. She also espoused women’s suffrage and the cause of Native Americans. Child died on October 20, 1880. February 11, 1963: The celebrated poet Sylvia Plath committed suicide at the age of 30. Plath was a poet, literary critic, novelist, diarist and social activist. A member of the Unitarian church in Wellesley, Massachusetts, she attended conferences at Star Island in New Hampshire as a youth. Her published works include The Bell Jar (1963), The Colossus (1981), and Collected Poems (1981), which received the Pulitzer Prize in 1983. February 12, 1809: Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England. He was descended from Unitarian families on both sides. In his youth he attended the Unitarian church in Shrewsbury, England. Darwin’s early training was for the church, but his interest was in the natural sciences. From 1831 to 1836 Darwin sailed as the official naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. He published several works on his geological and zoological discoveries, the most important of which was The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859), with Alfred Russell Wallace. This was an epoch-making work, defended and attacked violently to this day. Its central thesis, that species evolve in response to changes in their habitats, has been called the most important concept in modern society. Charles Darwin died on April 19, 1882. February 12, 1816: Charles Henry Appleton Dall was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was educated in Boston public and Latin schools and graduated from Harvard University in 1837 and Harvard Divinity School in 1840. He served churches in Baltimore, Maryland; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Needham, Massachusetts; and Toronto, Ontario. In 1841 Dall was ordained an evangelist under the direction of William Greenleaf Eliot in St. Louis, Missouri, but his health began to fail under the arduous pastoral duties. Dall turned to missionary work and became the first foreign missionary of the American Unitarian Association. In February 1855 he sailed for Calcutta, India, where he instituted the first girls’ school for natives, the first school for homeless and friendless children, and the first children’s temperance society. He wrote over 100 pamphlets that were distributed widely in India. Dall’s work in India included preaching, Sunday school instruction, lectures, newspaper articles, leaflets, and small books, as well as founding industrial schools and distributing literature. He also worked with the Unitarians of Khasi Hills in northeast India. Charles Henry Appleton Dall died on January 18, 1886. February 12, 1855: Fannie Barrier Williams was born in Brockport, New York. She was an African-American woman whose parents and grandparents were free people educated in Northern public schools. After teaching briefly in the South and studying music in Boston, she married and moved to Chicago. Her family joined All Souls Church (Unitarian) in Chicago, where Jenkin Lloyd Jones was minister. Williams helped establish the club movement for African-Americans to meet socially, discuss politics, lift their self-esteem, develop their talents, and pool practical information. She was founder of the Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses in Chicago (1891) and co-founder of the Frederick Douglass Center (1905), a predecessor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Urban League. Fannie Barrier Williams died on March 14, 1944. February 13, 1730: Josiah Wedgewood, the founder of Wedgewood Pottery, was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England. Along with the simple designs and pure colors of his art, he invented the manufacturing processes for his famous pottery and designed production systems to promote workplace safety and cleanliness. He was a devoted Unitarian, philanthropist, friend of Joseph Priestley, and frequenter of the English royal court, where he was appointed potter to the Queen. He died on January 3, 1795. February 14, 1805: The Board of Overseers of Harvard University confirmed Henry Ware, Sr. to the Hollis Professorship of Divinity at Harvard College, making him the first Unitarian to hold that position. Ware’s election, by a vote of 33 to 23, set off the Unitarian Controversy, which split New England’s established Standing Order of congregational religion. Ware was 40 years old at the time and had been minister in Hingham, Massachusetts, for 17 years. The controversy at Harvard pitted Calvinists against Unitarians over the doctrine of the Trinity. It also involved the Calvinist doctrine of human depravity against the Unitarian doctrine of human goodness. February 15, 1748: Jeremy Bentham was born in London, England. A noted British philosopher and political economist, he published a work on Unitarianism under the name of Gamaliel Smith. Although he studied law, he never practiced it but wrote extensively on the theory of legal reform. Bentham’s most important work was Introduction to Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789). He left a large bequest of money and books to University College. The college was one of the first to open its doors to anyone who could pass the entrance exams and pay the fee, regardless of race or class. It thus became an important center for Unitarians to study, since Unitarians were denied access to Oxford or Cambridge University. February 15, 1820: Susan Brownell Anthony was born in Adams, Massachusetts. Her family was Quaker, but they were also active members of First Unitarian Church in Rochester. Anthony spoke often of the guidance she received from the church’s minister, William Ellery Channing. She was active in the temperance and abolition movements as well as teachers’ organizations. She wanted to include women in the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave African-Americans the right to vote. Anthony published a women’s rights periodical, The Revolution, and organized the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1869. The two women spent the next 35 years traveling around the United States working to get the vote for women. In 1872, Anthony went to the polls in Rochester, claiming the right to vote as a citizen under the Fourteenth Amendment. She was arrested and fined $100, which she refused to pay. With other feminists, she compiled and edited The History of Woman Suffrage. In February 1906, a month before her death, Anthony gave her final speech at the women’s suffrage convention in Baltimore and stated, “Failure is impossible!” Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women the right to vote, 14 years after Susan B. Anthony’s death. She died on March 13, 1906. Feburary 4, 2010Calendar of upcoming events:Sunday, 2/7 This Week in RE:Preschool: “Wondering about Stars” This week our preschool classes will explore the stars and the night sky, in story and through a special craft activity. Kindergarten-5th Grade: “Doggy Treat Bagging/Sale” This week our preschool, K-2nd and 3rd-5th grade classes will join together for a continuation of last week’s special service project: we’ll prepare for our “Souper Bowl Sunday” sale/donation drive. Last week we painted 38 glass bowls, and these will be offered to members of the congregation, following each service, for a donation of $5 or 5 nonperishable food items. Proceeds and food to go to the Westside Food Bank. We’ll also decorate some Valentine’s Day lunch bags in preparation for our visit to Turning Point transitional housing shelter next Sunday. 6th-7th Grade: This week our Neighboring Faiths classes will continue their exploration of Taoism. Next week, 2/14, we’ll have a field trip to the Taoist temple in Chinatown. Details and permission forms will be emailed to Neighboring Faiths families in the next several days. 8th Grade: This week the Coming of Age class will take part in a workshop on “Articulating Y(our) Faith.” 9th-12th Grade: YRUU meets at 11:00 in the North East room of the cottage. This week YRUU youth will discuss plans for the UU-UNO spring seminar, and the upcoming YRUU Sunday service on 3/14/10. Volunteer Opportunities:NEED HELPERS Nursery and Preschool Assistants Needed: Would you enjoy spending an occasional morning playing with and getting to know the youngest members of our community? The preschool and nursery RE classes are in need of people to sign up as assistants. The commitment is once per month between now and June, during either the 9:00 or 11:00 service. Assistants in the nursery engage babies and toddlers in play, and preschool assistants help kids with craft projects and other lesson activities facilitated by the lead teacher. Announcements:NEW Souper Bowl Sunday: Please help support our UUCCSM kids’ effort to raise money and food for the Westside Food Bank by bringing five nonperishable food items, or $5, to donate to the Westside Food Bank. In exchange, you’ll receive a glass bowl painted by one of our youngsters, to take home as a reminder that there are many in our community whose bowls are not full. We’ll have a table out during coffee hour for the exchange. NEW YRUU UU-UNO Spring Seminar Meeting this Sunday, 11:00: Informational meeting, for youth and parents, this Sunday at 12:15 under the shade structure, for any youth interested in attending the upcoming UU-UNO Spring Seminar in New York, April 8-10. Fundraising is now at critical mass and we need to meet to discuss what we can do to raise funds for the registration, airfare and one day lodging. Liza will have information and pictures from previous years. Come ready with fundraising ideas and questions. NEW Elementary RE Field Trip Next Sunday, 2/14! Next week children in our elementary RE program are invited to take part in our second Faith in Action field trip, a visit to the Turning Point transitional housing shelter for a tour and to prepare lunches for the residents. Be aware: we will make one full-morning trip, leaving after the story in the first service at 9:20 am, and returning by noon. If you would like for your child to participate in the trip, please make sure to come to the first service, or meet us in the cottage at 9:20 for the walk to the shelter, located about four blocks from UUCCSM at 1446 16th street. There will be alternate activities offered during each service for children who choose not to participate in the trip. Note: Volunteers are needed to accompany us on the trip, and families will be invited to contribute ingredients for sack lunches. A separate email with information about what is needed will be sent out early next week to K-5th parents. NEW Faith in Action in Elementary RE: On January 24th 28 K-5th graders participated in our field trip to the spcaLA animal shelter in Hawthorne. Our next trip will be to Turning Point on February 14th, and we’ll have an environmentally-focused trip – details still being planned – on February 28th. In March we will enter our third trimester of the year with a focus on our Jewish & Christian heritage. UU Everyday (resources and ideas for practicing your UU values at home):Reading of the Week:Let us bless and keep one another. -John Morgan Each week I’ll share a short meditation or poem that can be shared as a blessing at mealtimes, or for a family chalice lighting ritual, a morning meditation, a goodnight prayer… or just a moment of reflection for you as a UU parent. 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. If this proves meaningful for you, I’d love to hear about it! An At-Home Activity to Reinforce our UU Values – “Valentine’s Day”: (from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox)What’s Sweet About You Poster – This is like giving your kid a giant Valentine card, but much more personal. Make one for each child. If you’re having a special dinner, you could bring the posters out then. Or prop them up against the kitchen chairs, so your kids find them when they come to breakfast or come home from school. Materials: Large sheets of poster board in white, pink or red (one sheet for each poster); red and pink construction paper; scissors; glue; small Valentine candies, such as chocolate hearts wrapped in foil; markers. Instructions: Cut 9 to 12 hearts from the construction paper. The hearts should be about 4 inches high and 3 inches wide. On each heart, write one trait you love about that child’s nature. Make it specific, focusing on positive aspects of their personality. Also, praise behavior you’d like to reinforce, such as putting away toys or progress in potty training. Across the top of the poster, write “What’s Sweet About (Child’s Name).” Glue the hearts to the board, but just put glue on the bottom edges and up the sides of the hearts. Leave the top open, so they work like pockets. Put a piece of Valentine candy in each pocket. The Book of Love – Who wrote the Book of Love? You did. Buy an inexpensive blank book with a heart on the cover, or glue one there. Call it “The Book of (your last name) Love,” and each year, have every member of the family write one loving things about very other member (take dictation for young kids). Red Food Night – At the Straw household in Plano, Texas, all the food for Valentine’s dinner is red. Sue Straw serves beets or red cabbage, mashed potatoes mixed with red food coloring, and either ham (pink) or pasta with red sauce. Red fruit might include grapes, raspberries or strawberries. Even the milk is red. Dessert can be brown, as long as it’s chocolate and shaped like a heart. Valentine Tree – Trees are a great centerpiece of ritual action because they grow and change like families do, symbolize life and hope, and can be easily but beautifully decorated for any occasion. Every year, the Dodge family buys a small tree in a pot, and decorates it with a string of tiny white lights. They buy red craft paper and cut out teddy bears and hearts, poke holes in their tops, and use thin ribbon to tie them onto the tree. The decorations stay on until spring, when the family plants the tree in their yard. If you do this every year, you could designate a special Valentine Grove on your property. Have-a-Heart Awards – Each member of the family gives an award to each other member for a special act of love or kindness. Buy round, fuzzy, ping-pong-ball-sized pom-poms at your local craft store, to which you can glue little eyes and mouths and feet. Cut hearts from a piece of construction paper 4 inches square, and glue the feet to the paper heart. Write on the heart the name of the person getting the award and what they did. Perhaps one child helped a younger sibling learn to tie his shoes. Perhaps Mom or Dad earned an award for coaching Little League last summer. This Week in UU History: (From This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, by Frank Schulman)February 3, 1888: Horace Greely was born in Amherst, New Hampshire. At the age of 20, he went to New York City, where he started a small printing office and produced a magazine called the New Yorker, which was published from 1834 to 1841. In 1841 Greely founded the New York Tribune. Greely served in Congress briefly and ran for other offices unsuccessfully. He was an ardent opponent of slavery, though he sought a peaceful solution. After the Civil War, his ardent support of Reconstruction eroded his popularity. He was a stalwart Universalist. Horace Greely died November 29, 1872. February 4, 1821: Elizabeth Blackwell was born in Bristol, England . Best known as America’s first woman physician, she came to the United States with her family in 1832, living in New York City and then Cincinnati. She became a teacher in the south, started reading medical books and decided to become a physician, in spite of social prejudice and ridicule. She received her medical degree (and was first in her class) from the Geneva Medical School in western New York in 1849. She published a book called The Laws of Life; with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls (1852) and wrote on physical hygiene for women, which in those times were offensive and taboo. She later founded the New York Dispensary for Poor Women and Children and later the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. She moved back to England and spent the rest of her life promoting health and hygiene. Elizabeth Blackwell was a member of the First Unitarian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, where her family lived when she was a child. February 4, 1939: The American Unitarian Association sent Martha and Waitstill Sharp to Czechoslovakia to work with refugees from the Nazis. This marked the beginning of the Unitarian Service Committee, which was organized in May 1940 as a standing committee of the association “ to investigate opportunities for humanitarian service both in America and abroad.” The USC became independent of the AUA in 1948. In 1963 it merged with the Universalist Service Committee, which was first organized in 1945, also as a response to the war in Europe. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee focuses on humanitarian aid, development, and human rights in America and throughout the world. February 5, 1900: Aldai Stevenson was born in Los Angeles, California. A graduate of Princeton, he studied law at Harvard and Northwestern law schools and joined a law firm in Chicago, Illinois, in 1927. During World War II, he was a special assistant to the secretary recovery of Europe. She was elected Governor of Illinois in 1948 and ran as the Democratic candidate for the U.S presidency twice (1952 and 1956). Stevenson’s mother was a lifelong Unitarian and his father was a Presbyterian, but the family attended the Unitarian Church. He became a member of the Bloomington church in 1952. Adlai Stevenson died on July 14, 1965. February 7, 1812: Charles Dickens was born in Landport, England. He was reared in great poverty, an experience reflected in his writings, particularly Oliver Twist. Dickens had little formal education but spent his extra time at the British Museum reading. He wrote A Christmas Carol while a member of Little Portland Street Chapel, London. He is well known for numerous other novels, many of which had a profound effect on social changes in early 19th century England. Dickens also wrote factual newspaper and magazine articles with radical reforming intent. He died on June 8, 1870. February 9, 1819: Lydia Estes Pinkham was born in Lynn, Massachusetts. Her family was Quaker but abandoned that religion because they felt it was unwelcoming to the African Americans who came to their Universalist Church. They also joined the Female Anti-Slavery Society, and Pinkham organized the Freeman’s Institute, a debating society that welcomed everyone, regardless of religion, race or politics. She worked as an unpaid visiting nurse and developed a compound to treat every female ailment. Her sons persuaded her to market the compound, which was 18 percent alcohol, and she developed a successful business, Pinkham wrote a book on the: facts of life” and another on the female reproductive system through all its stages. After her death, her publisher continued to print “her answers” to personal letters, and that practice, along with information about the alcohol content of her elixir, led to the formation of the Federal Food and Drug Administration. Lydia Estes Pinkham died on May 17, 1883.
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