The UNIGRAM
Monthly Newsletter of
the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento
Vol. 31 No. 12
August 2001
A SAMPLE OF AUGUST EVENTS at UUSS
·
Sunday
Services 10 a.m.
·
Animals
& Art in Summer Religious Education 10 a.m. Sundays.
·
R.E. Family
Workday 8/25
·
UU Young
Adults meet 4 times
·
Gap Group
goes to the ball game 8/15 and movies 8/19
·
Bike Trail
Clean-up 8/4
·
Zen Sitting
Group meets Mondays
·
Dream Group
meets Wednesdays
Unitarian
Universalist Society of Sacramento
2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento CA 95825 (916) 483-9283
Activities/Information 483-9283 ext 208 Fax 483-4934
Minister: The Reverend Douglas Kraft
Director of Religious Education: Kate Throop
Business Manager: Position open
Organist: Barbara Lazar
Music Director: Mary WillAllen
Bookkeeper: Carole Petracek
Office Coordinator: Bobby Stewart
Office Assistant: Cynthia Creter
Building/Grounds Maintenance Mgr: Robert Hosley
Custodians
Elaine Cooper, Armando Molina
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
This is my first column as your new president and I am having a tough time trying to decide just what to say. I know I have some tough acts to follow, so here goes. Some of you may be wondering who I am, so as a way of introduction let me tell you a little about myself. I have been a member of UUSS since December of 1994. My husband and I joined after having searched for a church for several years. During my time at UUSS I have been Chair and Co Chair of the Membership Committee, on the Board of Trustees for two years as Vice President, and served as Canvass Chair two years ago. I took the last year off to rest and renew myself and now, I’m back. I am refreshed, renewed and ready to serve as your president. I believe we have change on the horizon and challenges facing us, but with your support and commitment and my desire to make a difference, I think we are up to it. I hope you will take the opportunity to come up and introduce yourself to me.
I plan to work hard this year with you and the board to live up to our covenant. I am guided in my work by the words of my favorite Unitarian-Universalist theologian, Robert Fulgham:
Most of what I
really need to know
About how to
live and what to do and how to be I learned in Kindergarten.
Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate school mountain but there in the sand pile at Sunday
school. These are the things I learned:
Share
Everything. / Play Fair. / Don’t hit People.
Put things back
where you found them.
Clean up your
own mess. / Don’t take things that aren’t yours. / Say you’re sorry when you
hurt somebody.
Wash you hands
before you eat.
Flush.
Warm Cookies and
cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced
life; learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing,
And dance and
play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every
afternoon. When you go out into the
world watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be Aware of
Wonder.
Always be aware of wonder,
Linda Clear,
President
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A MONTH OF SUNDAYS
AUGUST 2001
8/5 “Recognizing Our Love.” This service is
intended to explore a few aspects of Love, starting with self-love, and the
obvious elements of religious traditions that address self-love, the humility
in Taoism, the compassion of Buddha, the forgiveness in Christianity, the
presence in Islam—Jeff Watson, speaker.
8/12 The
Women’s Ritual Group hosts a service on peace, featuring Christine Manz of the
Sacramento Chapter, Dances of Universal Peace. Ms. Manz will speak about the
founding of the Dances by Samuel L. Lewis, in San Francisco in the 1960s. Mr.
Lewis, Jewish by birth, was a teacher of Sufi and Hindu Bhakti Yoga, a Rinzai
Zen master, and a scholar of the Kaballah, Christian mysticism, Sikhism, and
Zoroastrianism. He founded the Dances as a dynamic method of promoting peace
through movement and the arts. Ms. Manz will provide an opportunity for
audience participation by teaching a couple of the dances, which generally have
slow, gentle movement.
8/19 “The
I of the Eye,” Doug Kraft. A spotlight cannot shine on itself. A hand cannot
grasp itself. An eye cannot see itself. Anything that we can shine our
awareness upon, anything that we can grasp or see or feel or think about is not
the grasper, seer, feeler, or thinker. Your car, your feet, your thoughts, and
your feelings are not you. They are what you experience. What we experience is
easy to describe. Who or what it is that does the experiencing is more elusive.
This elusive seer, this “I of the eye” is our most intimate sense of self. At
the same time it is universal.
8/26 “A
Gift of Song is a Gift of Love.” Taylor Carey with Native Grass.
9/2 “Working.”
On this last Sunday of the Summer Service schedule, Theater One recognizes
Labor Day with a series of pieces about work.
OPENING SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 9
9/9 At
the 11 a.m. Service we will hold our INGATHERING CEREMONY.
Please remember to bring a sample of water
from your summer sojourns.
AT THE MOMENT…
Rev. Doug Kraft
Despite the fanfare, the letter is not a sweepstake entry or a come-on from a land developer off the Florida coast. It is from our own Internal Revenue Service. It reads: “We are pleased to inform you that the United States Congress passed – and George W. Bush signed into law – the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 …” If you haven't received such a letter already, it should arrive shortly. It goes on to say, “You will be receiving a check. You need take no additional steps.”
That's right. You don't need to be a registered Republican or have supported the bill in the first place. The Tooth Fairy is about to put $300 under your pillow.
So what do you think about this?
Do you think this is all a grand idea whose time has come: “I work hard and deserve it!”
Do you feel cynical: “Golly, now I'm rich and can pay the utilities for another month of power or buy six weeks of prescription drugs for my dad.”
Does it worry you: “Shouldn't we be doing more for the poor, alternative energy, the environment, health reform, abortion rights, the country’s infrastructure...”
Are you suspicious that the whole thing is a scam giving a big break to the wealthy? Thirty-eight million low income workers who need the help the most will receive nothing. Zip. Nada.
Are you tempted to just send the check back and wash your hands of the whole thing? But nobody will notice and the government is likely to just spend the money on some Star Wars missile fantasy.
In a commentary, Ellen Goodman (I want to thank her for her thoughts, some of which are being passed along in this column) suggested the rebate is hush money. Many of us will be tempted to just keep the cash and quietly spend it. Who
couldn't use a few extra dollars for clothes for the kids or tires for the car?
We Unitarian Universalists pride ourselves in our willingness to apply religious values to the world. A colleague was once challenged for talking about politics from the pulpit. He responded, “I don't talk about politics, I talk about sin.”
If the rebate business seems a little sinful (i.e., off the mark), we should consider what we are going to do with it. The IRS letter says, “You will be receiving a check. You need take no additional steps." I disagree. We do need to take additional steps. We need to decide what to do with it.
When President Bush signed the tax cut, he said, “This bill is more than just tax relief. This bill reflects a philosophy that says we trust the American people more than we trust the government.”
So let's take him up on that. Individuals cannot replace all the functions of government. But if you have different priorities than the administration, you might want to fund them. Perhaps you could send the money to help homeless women, or research on renewable energy or clinics that help women get abortions or social action groups or, heck, even the church. There are lots of good causes that are getting the short end of the stick these days. There are many organizations from
donaterebate.org to our own Interfaith Service Bureau here in Sacramento that are ready to help channel the money in worthy directions.
We’ve got a little
time to turn this rebate scam into a discussion about how to make a difference.
You can be a $600 family social change agency or a $300 philanthropist. Send me
a note or an email as to how you intend to spend your rebate. If I get enough
responses, I might just publish the list (without names) so others can see us
put our money where our mouths are.
Doug
Finding Doug
I'm back in town
and will be holding regular office hours starting in August. I can be found at
the church between 3 and 5 p.m. on
Tuesdays and Thursdays and between 1 and 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and other times
by chance or appointment. Give me a call.
________________________________________________________
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS
Kate Throop, Director of Religious Education
Animals and Art” on Sunday mornings continues to be fun for kids and grown-ups alike. Special thanks to the volunteers who drove on the field trip to visit the “Crows of Sacramento”!
By mid-August the R.E. Committee and I will be sending a registration form and flyer describing the coming year’s religious education activities to each family. We hope you will read all of the material and call me or one of the Committee members if you have any questions (see list below). It has been an honor for me this year to work with these dedicated, caring people! We are excited to have Tina Chiginsky, former Committee co-chair, as our liaison to the Board of Trustees – congratulations, Tina, on your election! Janet Lopes has agreed to join the Committee with the special role of music coordinator - welcome, Janet! She will continue the great work that began last year with the Children’s Choir.
Although I won’t be keeping regular office hours during August, I will be here at the church almost every day except Monday and Saturday. I’d love to have you drop in for a visit, but do call first to make sure I’m here. Please note that from July 30 through August 5 I will be in Asheville, NC, for a pre-conference planning visit. One of my responsibilities as Vice-president of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) is to plan and coordinate the annual continuing education offered by LREDA. Just like General Assembly, the Fall Conference moves around the continent – this coming October we’ll be in Toronto, and in 2002, Asheville. Talk about planning ahead!
Remember to gather up some water from your travels this summer to bring to our Ingathering Service on Sept. 9. May the road rise to meet you….
Love,
Kate
August Calendar
8/5 10 a.m. Sidewalk Chalk Painting with Kathy Clark
8/6 6:30p.m. R.E. Committee members and their families meet at Janet and John’s.
8/12 10 a.m. Part II of Ceramics with Kathy – glazing. (We will have some clay on hand for those who didn’t make something on 7/29.)
8/19 10 a.m. Folk dancing with John McMillan and Janet Lopes.
8/26 10 a.m.-1 p.m. R.E. Family Workday. There will be plenty of jobs for grown-ups and kids to do to get our meeting rooms and outdoor play areas ready for September Bring a bag lunch; beverages and dessert provided.
9/2 10 a.m. Labor Day - childcare and games for all ages.
__________________________________________________
UUSS NEWS & EVENTS
Board News
UUSS Board of Trustees for the year 7/1/01-6/30/02 is listed below with Office and Committee liaison assignments noted.
Linda Clear – President, Executive Committee.
Tiffany Urness - Vice President, Executive Committee, Council of Leaders, Religious Services Committee.
Jeff Voeller – Secretary, Executive Committee, Election Committee, Forum Committee.
Dennis Riechmann – Treasurer and Executive Committee, Finance and Music Committees.
Barbara Amberson – Communication & Conflict Management, Personnel Committee, Staff.
Tina Chiginsky – Endowment, Nominating Committee, Religious Education Committee.
Shirley Hines - Membership Committee.
Bob Oyafuso - Canvass Committee.
Dave Thomas - Special Events Coordinating Committee.
Stephanie Turner - Long Range Planning Task Force, Social Responsibility Committee, Caring Committee.
Michael Whipple - Property Management and Planning & Building Committees.
_____________________________________________
Water Water
Be sure to bring a sample of water back from your travels this summer so we can bring them all together for our In-Gathering Water Ceremony on Sept. 9.
_________________________________________________
SSS
COMING SEPTEMBER 28
Is it for people of all ages?
Yes
Is it for Singles, Couples and
Families?
Yes
What is it?
Find out what it’s about in the
September Unigram
____________________________________________________________
Amongst Ourselves
Kate Throop was honored by the Environmental Action Committee (EAC) of West Marin at their annual potluck dinner last month. Kate and nine others received “Steward of the Land” awards for their roles in founding the EAC 30 years ago. EAC is unusual among grassroots groups in surviving and thriving for so long. Jules Evens, president of the group’s board of directors, said, “If not for the vision, dedication, and energy of our founders there wouldn’t be an EAC, and West Marin would be a very different place.”
Joan Lee recently wrote and directed a video; “The Mirror of Understanding,” which explores the common traits of aging people and adults with disabilities. The video was premiered at the Hart Senior Center, 915 27th Street. Joan also is the chair and state liaison for the Sacramento Chapter of the Gray Panthers, a national organization of seniors dedicated to social change.
______________________________________________
Dreams are more than simple, bizarre, random impulses from the brain. They are a perpetually profound source of inspiration and guidance, showing us where we are stuck and how to move forward from the morass of everyday patterns. They lead us to recognize and embrace the powerful and usually overlooked talents and potential of which we are capable.
Come join us on Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. -12 noon in the church library if you are interested in learning more about your dreams. Our UUSS Dream Group is
always open to newcomers. No experience is necessary, just walk in. For more information call me.
Fran Oyafuso
______________________________________________
Wanted by the Board of Trustees
The Board of Directors is seeking a person willing to serve on the Board as a non-voting Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary would help with tasks as assigned by the Secretary. Please contact Jeff Voeller if you are interested.
_____________________________________________
Tooting Our Own Horn
We’d like you to know that Women’s Alliance instigated and funded our refurbished sound system to the tune of $3,790.68. That’s a lot of cakes, cookies, luncheons, dues, and work we have done to accumulate this large sum.
By the way, Women’s Alliance donated $8,488.18 to the church this past year. See the Annual Report due out this month for details.
Thelma White
In Memoriam
Ron Heller, husband of UUSS member Laurie Heller, died on June 24. Ron was 57. Ron was born in Los Angeles and attended college there before serving in Vietnam. A man of many interests and talents, Ron was an award-winning contractor; earlier in his career, he had been an actor, appearing at the Old Globe theater in San Diego and others. At the time Ron was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 he was completing a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. .He loved skiing, whitewater rafting, cycling, hiking and camping. Our sympathies are extended to Laurie Heller, their children Megan and Nate, and family members. A memorial service was held at UUSS on July 7. Contributions in Ron’s memory may be sent to Friends of the River or to the American River Parkway .
Nancy Seegmiller, a long-time member of UUSS, died on July 6. Nancy was a Professor of Business Law at Cosumnes River College at Folsom, and had also taught Women’s History and Women in Management. She was 72. Nancy earned her B.A. in government at Cornell University. She studied in Paris; later she attended law school, graduating in 1969. She and her husband Keith moved to Sacramento in 1977, where Nancy taught and became active with the Democratic party, the National Women’s Political Caucus, Environmental Council (ECOS), and other organizations. Our sympathies are extended to her husband Keith and their four children—Scott, Todd, Sari, and Lisa, and the family. Nancy loved spending time with her grandchildren, and skiing, tennis, and sailing. A memorial service was held at UUSS on July 16. Contributions in Nancy’s memory may be sent to UUSS, WEAVE, Friends of ECOS, or Cornell University Class of 1951.
______________________________________________
OUTREACH
Social Action Marketplace
A survey conducted earlier this year confirmed what we
already knew—that we place a high value on socially responsible activities.
Here is a list of opportunities for you to make a difference. If you have a
socially responsible UUSS or outside activity that would be appropriate for
this column, please call Joyce Miller. Socially responsible activities are
those that promote the health and welfare of the world’s population and
environment.
American River Clean-up Jeff Voeller. Pick up trash along designated site one Saturday
per month.
Coalition for Sustainability Nancy Oprsal. Lifestyle
choices that preserve the environment.
Interfaith Hospitality Network Nancy Oprsal. Local churches providing shelter, meals and support to homeless families.
Interfaith Service Bureau (There is an opening for a UUSS representative to this organization.) Cooperative activities of interfaith organizations. They meet every second Tuesday.
Loaves & Fishes Jane Pivetti (volunteers for meals). Meals and support for homeless. Donations are always welcome.
Latino/a Unitarian Universalist Networking Association
(LUNNA) Frank Winans. Latino/Latina
outreach program.
Maryhouse Homeless
women and children receive support services including breakfast, shower and
laundry facilities, and healthcare for children as well as lunch. Women’s
Alliance members regularly donate to this program. Donations are delivered by
Kate Throop and Terry Throop.
Mustard Seed School Jan Reed has resigned from this organization, and we would welcome a new representative. Structured educational program for homeless children 3-18 years old, suplemented by arts and crafts and field trips. They work closely with Maryhouse.
Sacramento Children’s Home Thelma White. Mentoring program for children in this group home and school.
Samaritan Center Arnie Godmintz. Center for meals and other assistance.
St. John’s Shelter
Nancy Candee. Shelter for abused women and children. UUSS is officially
responsible for the meal on the 4th Wednesday of each month and has freezer
space designated for this shelter.
Samaritan Center Arnie Godmintz. Center for meals and other assistance.
State Actions
PCD UU Community Ministry Jody Shipley (Berkeley). Support/information on community
ministers, persons living with disabilities and AIDS.
Handgun Control, Inc. Thelma White. Supporting handgun control.
Million Mom March, Sacramento Valley Chapter Thelma White. Promotes common-sense gun laws
to protect children.
ChildReach. Financial support to community
development and education of children in other countries.
Children International Kate Throop. A 15 year-old rural Guatemalan boy, Marvin Armando Sut Tucubal, is supported by a monthly donation coordinated through the Religious Education Committee.
Church Partnership Dixie Owens. Support for Unitarian Universalist churches in Hungary and Romania.
Last Wednesday Club
Nancy Gilbert. Award winning documentaries on international issues,
shown the last Wednesday of each month.
Sacramento Yolo Peace Action Ruth Hultgren. Group that conducts activities to reduce military spending and promote international peace.
UNA (United Nations Association) Fred Hansen. Local
chapter of group that supports the United Nations and meets monthly for a
lecture and lunch.
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Paula Squire. Supports education, nutrition, clean water, sanitation, and healthcare for children of the world. Volunteers serve at the UNICEF shop at 1910 P St., with all proceeds after expenses going to the fund.
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Jacqui Bell. Works on human rights, social justice, peace, and economic opportunity in the United States and worldwide.Materials on membership, activities, and work camps are available in the sunroom.
Joyce Miller
Study Group for
Faith-Based Initiative
This group will meet on Sunday 8/12, 11:20 a.m. in Room 6. Bring your coffee, your new information and updates on legislation. We’ll discuss pros and cons and move toward consensus. All interested persons are invited. Joan Osborn
Charitable Choice 101
First added to welfare reform legislation in 1996 by
Sen. John Ashcroft, Charitable Choice is intended to allow religious
(“faith-based”) organizations to provide government funded social services on
the same basis as other providers “without impairing their religious character.”
Government has long provided aid to social programs operated by faith-based groups. Examples are Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services. But President Bush is changing the rules. Religious groups now could be able to “employ their faiths;” display religious icons, hire only members of their faith (and perhaps discriminate in other ways), require church services, exclude minority religions and more.
Executive orders have established a White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, as well as similar offices in the departments of Attorney General, Education, Labor, Health & Human Services and Housing. All state legislatures are being encouraged to establish similar programs. Yes, California has already moved, so far unsuccessfully, to implement Charitable Choice.
The Study Group on Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative invites you to
become informed on this important issue and can provide other background
material.
Joan Osborn
______________________________________________
An Invitation
The Social Responsibility Committee will meet on Sunday, August 5, in Room 7/8 at 11:15 a.m. We will talk about the upcoming survey of the congregation on social responsibility topics and the creation of a new charter. Everyone interested in participating in the committee is invited. We have lost three members and we especially need people interested in working with the Mustard Seed School and St. John’s Shelter, both located in Loaves & Fishes.
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American River Bike Trail
Needs You!
Grab your sunscreen and your work gloves
and come out for an hour or so on Saturday, August 4 to pick up litter along
Mile 3-to-4 of the American River Bike Trail.
Some of us will meet in the church parking
lot at 9:30 a.m. to bike over, and others may wish to come straight to the
clean-up site. If you would like more information, please call me.
Jeff Voeller
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UUSS NEWS & EVENTS
Let’s Do Lunch
UUSS members who work or live (or are just passing through) downtown can meet for lunch on the first Friday of each month. Let’s have lunch and get to know each other better. We’ll meet at Brannan’s restaurant (1117 11th Street, between K and L across from the Capitol) at 11:30 a.m. in the back dining room. Very informal...no reservations required—just show up!
Tina Chiginsky
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UU Young Adults: 4 August Events
UU Young Adults are
Unitarian Universalists in their 20s and 30s. Some of us are single, some are
married, and some are in between. Newcomers are always welcome! Call Carolyn
Wiggin. To join our email collective, send a message to Dean Baird.
Saturday 8/4,
4:30 p.m. Shakespeare
at the Winery Meet at the UUSS
parking lot to carpool to an evening of Shakespeare as the Murphys Creek
Theater presents its fourth annual Theater Under the Stars at Stevenot Winery
near the historic Gold Rush town of Murphys. Bring something to eat at a picnic
before the play or we'll pick up food along the way. Blankets and low-backed
lawn chairs are also good items to bring along. The winery grounds open and
tickets ($16) may be purchased at 6:30 p.m. The play “As You Like It” begins at
8 p.m. For more information and to reserve tickets, contact Shaun Johnson.
Sunday 8/12,
6:30 p.m. Barbecue
at Mark Callicotte's. Mark has invited the group over for food, drink,
and fun. For more information, call Mark.
Sunday 8/19,
7 p.m. “Living
in the Comfort Zone or Using Change to Grow.” Carolyn Wiggin leads us
in a discussion of change versus stability in our lives: how we respond or use
change to grow and how we use stability to grow. We will meet in the UUSS
Library.
Sunday 8/26,
7 p.m. “A Midsummer's Ritual,” In ancient times our
ancestors celebrated the seasons. Join us as we gather under the UUSS oaks to
celebrate summer. Please contact me to help with the ritual.
Carrie Cornwell
A Word From
Cindy
I’m sitting and thinking that it is about time I wrote something for the Unigram thanking everyone for getting the Order of Service and Announcements in by the deadline. I do appreciate that!
By the time you get your copy of this newsletter, I will have been employed at UUSS nine months. I want to thank you all for welcoming me and accepting me into your community. I can honestly say this is a job that I enjoy getting up in the morning for —and on arrival seeing co-workers who have made me feel at home.
Now that I’m a full-time employee, I look forward to working with you and getting to know you better. Please don’t hesitate to come by the office and say hello!
Cindy Creter
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Miguel
Servet’s Cantina
Servetus Club, a social club for older
singles, invites all those interested to Miguel Servet’s Cantina (Bobby’s
house) on Sunday, August 5, 5 p.m. If you’re not on our mailing or phone list,
call the church for more information—visitors and newcomers are always welcome.
Main dish and beverages provided; bring a dish to share if you wish. Cost:
Members of Servetus Club, $2;
Non-members, $3.
Dorothy Engelstad
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Wanted to Buy
I need a
small (ladylike) used power saw. Please call me.
Ruth Davis Barr
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Gap
Group August Events
Gap Group is a loosely-organized group of
middle-aged people, single or not, who enjoy getting together for social
occasions. New people are always welcome. Please call me for more information
about the group.
River
Cats games group
tickets are still available for the August 15 game versus New Orleans. Contact
David Paul to reserve your tickets. Call soon since tickets are going fast.
Come enjoy a night at the ballgame. See you there!
8/19
Join us for a movie and dessert. Please call Judy Bell for the time and
place.
Annie Kempes
will be ordering season tickets for Chautauqua Theatre in early August.
If you would like to join us and get season tickets please contact Annie. It is
also possible to get tickets for a single performance by contacting the
Theatre.
Cathy George
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New
UUA President Elected
A new leader of the Unitarian Universalist Association was elected at the Association’s General Assembly in June. The Rev. William Sinkford, 55, was chosen to succeed the Rev. John Buehrens, who served two four-year terms. In electing Rev. Sinkford, who is black, UUs were certain to make history, as the only other candidate was a woman, the Rev. Dianne Miller, for an office so far held only by white men. Rev. Sinkford regards one of his primary tasks to be “helping Unitarian Universalists to claim a
larger public voice” on the value of liberal religious views and an appreciation for religious pluralism. “We live out each week that differences need not divide us, that they can be a blessing,” he said.
Women’s Alliance Membership
Women’s Alliance is an active contributing part of UUSS. Our watchful eyes have kept a lookout for the needs of our church and we have met many of these. All women are invited to join and to attend our monthly meetings, which will begin September 13. We do not discriminate, so men are welcome too! Terry Throop, for example, helps deliver our monthly contribution to Maryhouse (a day refuge for women and children).
The dues of $15 a year, which help support our efforts, are now due. Please send a check for $15 to “Women’s Alliance/UUSS, 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento CA 95825-4896. A prompt payment will ensure that your name is included in the membership book.
Katherine Maddox,
Membership Chair