The UNIGRAM
Monthly Newsletter of
the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento
Vol. 32 No. 1
September 2001
A SAMPLE of SEPTEMBER EVENTS at UUSS
·
Sunday
Services 11 a.m. starting 9/9
·
9/2 Summer
Service 10 a.m.
·
Religious
Education 11 a.m. starting 9/9
·
Forum resumes
9/9 at 9:30 a.m.
·
UU Young
Adults meet Sunday evenings
·
Gap Group
Meets 9/8, 9/9
·
Servetus Club
Potluck is Sunday 9/9
·
Women’s
Alliance meets 9/13
·
The first SSS
is Friday, 9/28, 7 p.m.
·
Zen Sitting
Group meets Mondays
·
Insight
Meditation begins 9/27
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: Val Hutton
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
_____________________________________________________
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
As I write this column, I am at one of my
favorite places, Seabeck, Washington, attending a UU camp. It is Wednesday
morning, the halfway mark of the week, and I am learning a great deal about
“Universal Judaism.”
This is a place where Dennis and I have
come since 1994 and is one of the primary reasons we joined UUSS. So if only
for that, you can see it is very special.
One of the things we like best about
Seabeck is the community we’re in for seven wonderful days. Days of learning,
play, music, relaxation and renewal--things that will sustain me for the next
year.
Another great thing about this camp is the
opportunity to spend time with my husband, sister, and several members of our
families. I am also getting the chance to spend time with Peter Henrickson.
You are probably thinking, “So who is he?”
Peter is the speaker we are bringing to
UUSS on September 22 to help us with our finances. He has a wonderful
background in financial planning and especially with churches. Please read more
about him in the article by Shirley Hines on page 3.
Church finance is a subject Peter knows a
great deal about and he will be sharing much of it at our “Financial Summit” on
September 22. At this workshop we will
discuss some
very important topics regarding our financial future.
So let this column serve as a preliminary
invitation to all of you to attend this event. The day will begin at 9 a.m. in
the church auditorium and will end at approximately
3 p.m. The
Board of Trustees will be serving coffee, rolls and then lunch.
This camp will end on Saturday and we will
be back in Sacramento next week. Over
the next month I will be talking to many of you personally and with Peter to
ensure the success of the “Summit.” Please join me as we all work for the
future of our spiritual home.
Shalom,
Linda Clear
_________________________________________________
A MONTH OF SUNDAYS –
SEPTEMBER 2001
9/2 Summer Service
10 a.m. Auditorium Service:
“Work.” In honor of Labor Day and on the last Sunday of the Summer Service
schedule, Theater One will show you many different and unexpected aspects of
work in various times and places. Shirley Hewitt, Director.
9/9 Opening Sunday
9:30
a.m Auditorium Forum: “Continuing
Threats to Democracy,” Marc Tool. Marc is a retired CSUS Professor of Economics
and long time UUSS member. He has written for and been editor of worldwide
journals of economics and has spoken at scholarly meetings in England and
France. Esther Franklin, Coordinator.
11:30 a.m. Auditorium Service: Ingathering Water Ceremony. Rev.
Doug Kraft, et al. This morning we gather the community children, youth and
adults to celebrate the beginning of a new church season. We will begin with
some water from last yearąs water ceremony. To this you are invited to add
water from some place you visited this summer. (A quarter of a cup would be
plenty.) If you did not bring water back with you, we will honor symbolic
water. The children will get a chance to meet their class leaders.
9/16
9:30
a.m. Auditorium Forum: “Status
of High Speed Rail in California.” Speaker Dan Leavitt is Deputy Director of
California High Speed Rail Authority, a state agency. He will bring us up to
date on the status of planning and implementation of high-speed rail service
from Sacramento to Los Angeles. Ruth Hultgren, Coordinator.
11 a.m. Auditorium Service: “Wonder,” Rev. Kraft. We all have a
streak of conformity. When we walk into a room of new people, we may scan to
see if there are other people who look like us. We think this will make us more
comfortable. In any established group, there are subtle (or not so subtle)
norms of how to dress, how to act, how to think and how to be. Even though we
Unitarian Universalists value openness and acceptance, we have our own forms of
UU orthodoxy which tend toward the intellectual and worldly. A true openness
would include the trans-rational and the multi-dimensional. The true Unitarian
Universalist values include wonder, awe, and "donąt know mind."
9/23
9:30
a.m. Auditorium Forum: “George W. Bush and American Foreign Policy,” Rev. Ted Webb, Minister Emeritus. Rev. Webb
says, "I am no Jeremiah warning that the end is near, but after 40 years
as a student of American foreign policy, I do have something to say about where
the current administration is taking us. I am glad to be able to share my
criticisms and hopes at the Forum.” Anna Andrews, Coordinator.
11
a.m. Auditorium Service: In honor of the Autumnal Equinox, signaling the mature season of
the year, the Women's Ritual group will host a Celebration of Aging with
emphasis on the positive aspects. In our youth-obsessed culture, we gain
perspective from remembering the wisdom and contributions of age. We will offer
an opportunity for input from the congregation, hopefully some from each
decade. Questions/Input - please call
Laurie Jones.
9/30
9:30
a.m. Auditorium Forum: “Human
Rights and Henry Kissinger,” Eric Vega. Recent demonstrations demand U.S.
leaders be held responsible for crimes against humanity. Mr. Vega is a Lecturer
in Ethnic Studies Department at CSUS. Evelyn Friend Loomis, Coordinator
11 a.m. Auditorium Service: “The Age of Narcissism, Part 1,”
Rev. Kraft. Narcissism is an emotional plague infecting our culture. It touches
all our institutions including our religious communities and it influences
our inner lives. Narcissism has its roots in an attempt to ignore suffering.
This morning and next Sunday, October 7, we will look at the traits of
narcissism and how these might apply to our society, our church and ourselves.
The first step in diminishing narcissism is to humbly and heartfully "get
real."
10/7
9:30 a.m. Auditorium Forum: Timm Rolek, Artistic Director of the
Sacramento Opera Company, speaks. John Harvey Carter, Coordinator.
11 a.m. Auditorium Service: “The Age of Narcissism, Part 2,” Rev.Kraft.
_____________________________________________________________________________
AT THE MOMENT…
Rev. Doug
Kraft
The morning breeze was soft and cool. The sun was warm. The sounds of birds came from all around. Life was pleasant in those early hours. Then suddenly: “Left! Left! Left, right, le-ft!” The call came over the back fence followed by a troop response: “LEFT! LEFT! LEFT, RIGHT, LE-FT!”
We live near the sheriff’s training facility. They do their calisthenics and jog down the levee many mornings.
I thought, “How
come they have to interrupt my peace, invade my serenity, spoil my paradise.”
Grumble, grumble, grumble. The sheriffs were gone in a minute. My discontent
lingered.
Then one morning I
was sitting with the same breeze and sunlight and birds. The deputies’ chant
and choral response jogged by. But that morning it was not a problem. There was
just the stream of phenomena: the rush of leaves, the twitter of birds, the
chant of the police, the swoosh of cars in the distance, the purring of the cat
by my feet. Just a parade of sensations.
I was fascinated
and wondered, “What’s the difference between those two mornings?” One was a mix
of pleasure and pain. The other was just pleasant. The external events were
similar. Objectively they were pretty much the same. The difference was in how
I responded.
As I reflected
more closely, I could see that the difference was a sense of self. When the
deputies jogged by with their ritual song the first morning, I added to the
experience a sense of me: “my morning,” “my mood”, “my
serenity,” “my aversion.” The self sense felt dense. It left me a little
sullen.
The second morning
I didn’t get so defensive. The Greek chorus was just part of the flow of
experience. I just let the sounds be sounds without inserting a sense of Doug
into it.
Without that sense
of self, any aversion (or pleasantness) had nothing to hang its hat on. It just
passed on through. Just part of the cabaret.
It occurs to me
that many of us go through life as if we have a walkman in one ear. Rather than
loud rock and roll it chants softly. The chant isn’t “Left. Left. Left, right,
le-ft.” It is “Me. My. Me, mine, I-I. Me. My. Me, mine, I-I.”
Occasionally
during a quiet early morning, a walk on the beach or stroll along the river,
the volume gets turned off. We are simply aware of what’s going on: walking,
the warm sunlight, the movement of animals, the exertion of muscle, the breath.
But usually the
chant whispers softly. Me, my, me, mine, I-I. It tinges our experience: my
walk, warmth on my face, my muscles, my thoughts, my
feelings, my time.
Sometimes the
volume gets turned way up and we over-personalize everything. “The red light is
making me late for my job and spoiling my day. That guy
stopping for the yellow light is ruining my morning and I’m going
to give him a piece of my mind. I’ll show him my anger.”
If we could only
turn the volume down, life would still have its ups and downs. But it would not
be such a production.
We humans have two
opposing urges. One is toward individuality and self identity. The other is
toward surrendering our separateness and merging with something larger. Both
are important. The urge toward individuality helps us know ourselves more
deeply, take care of ourselves physically and emotionally, take responsibility
for our role in society. The urge to merge takes us out of our egotism and back
into the flow of life. It expands our concern from our organism and psyche to
our family, community, humanity, all of life. A deeper sense of well being
becomes possible along with genuine empathy and compassion.
We Unitarian
Universalists are pretty good with the individuality part. We insist on freedom
of belief and the right of conscience. But we are not so good at merging. We
give a nod toward the “interdependent web of life,” but become a little awkward
in describing our own experience of deep connection. We worry that the merging
will take away from our hard earned individuation. It won’t.
Meanwhile, most of
us feel the draw to expand out of our egos. Most of us have those moments.
Maybe it’s time we share more of them.
Finding Doug
I
can usually 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.
I’ll be away meeting the new students at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley on Thursday, August 30. Feel free to come by or give me a call (483-9283 x201).
________________________________________________________
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS
Dear friends,
By the time you read this you will have received (in the mail) a packet of information about this coming year’s plans for Religious Education at UUSS. I urge you to set aside time to read these materials, put the important dates on your calendar, ask questions of me or the Religious Education Committee, and practice getting up on Sunday and getting ready to come to church!
Many wonderful things have happened here since June! The MOST wonderful is the exterior painting of our R.E. buildings – volunteers John McMillan and Mike Inamine have managed a rotating crew every weekend for the last four weekends, and there is still more to be done. The buildings look fresh, clean and as if someone loves them again. A complete list of volunteers will appear in the next newsletter; for now, if you have some weekend time to spare late in August or early in September, please give John or Mike a call.
Earlier this summer I asked the Board of Trustees to appoint an ad hoc Committee to develop a plan for a memorial here at UUSS for Ned Doehne (Ned’s family had requested that memorial donations in his name be made to the church). Ad-hoc Committee members are Steve Chiginsky, Ed Doehne (Ned’s father), Jessica Doehne, Matthew Doehne, and Terry Throop. Robert Hosley and I will act as liaisons to the staff, Property Management and Religious Education Committees. If you have ideas, suggestions or questions about the memorial, please contact one of us.
I am excited about the coming year, and look forward to being with all of you as we continue to build a loving and caring religious community.
Yours in faith and love,
Kate
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IS….
Remembering, returning, renewing,
rejoicing!
September brings us
back together as a religious community, with all the excitement and promise of
new beginnings and rekindled friendships. I welcome each and every baby,
toddler, child, youth and adult to this year of community building and
Justice-making.
Please read the
information on this page carefully, and do call me if you have any questions
about where you or your family fit into the scheme of things at UUSS. We
welcome visitors in our religious education groups, and hope that you will find
UUSS to be a place where you feel at home and are nurtured and challenged to
learn and grow.
Yours in faith and
love,
Kate Throop,
Director of
Religious Education
DRE
Professional Relations Committee
The
Professional Relations Committee serves as a sounding board and communication
link for the DRE. Committee members welcome feedback from the congregation
regarding the DRE, and also advise and support the DRE in maintaining good
relations with UUSS lay leaders and staff . Committee members are: Chris Cioni,
Russ Denney, Dan Lewis, Fran Oyafuso, and Lance Ryen.
9/9 “Water Ceremony & Ingathering” Intergenerational Service:
Grades
K-Senior High attend the Water Ceremony, then adjourn with their teachers to
the R.E. building to get acquainted and enjoy snow cones on the patio to
celebrate our re-union.
9/16 Dedication
Ceremony for R.E. teachers
during
first part of worship service; religious education begins for all ages.
9/23 Religious
Education Committee meets at 12:30 p.m. Room TBA.
9/30 Open House and
Lunch in R.E. buildings after church service. All members are welcome to join
us for a picnic and to admire our newly painted building.
10/7 Swan Brothers
Circus returns to UUSS!
Plan to
stay and enjoy the circus, a generous gift to the children (and adults) of UUSS
from Les Corbin.
Religious Education Committee
Co-chairs: Denis
Edgren & Shirley True
Members: Wendy
Cioni
2001-02 Michele
Ebler
Jan
Graber
Suzanne
Hambleton
Joe
Karkoski
Sally
Lewis
Tina
Chiginsky, liaison to Board of Trustees
The R.E. Committee meets monthly, working with the Director of Religious Education
(DRE) to make decisions on curriculum selection, social events, fundraisers,
social action projects, and other matters that shape the direction and content
of religious education for children and youth at UUSS.
HOW TO
BUILD COMMUNITY
Turn off
your TV; leave your house; know your neighbors; look up when you are walking;
greet people; plant flowers; use your library; play together; share what you
have; buy from local merchants; help a lost dog; take children to the park;
have potlucks; honor elders; pick up litter; read stories aloud; dance in the
street; listen to the birds; put up a swing; start a tradition;
Ask a
question; bake extra and share; ask for help when you need it; sing together;
mediate a conflict; seek to understand; know that no one is silent though many
are not heard. Work to change this.
Author unknown
(excerpts)
These simple but
profound suggestions are at the core of our learning and our curriculum this
year. Teaching teams (two teachers and two assistants for each group, plus a
class parent) will expand on lessons from published curricula (Unitarian
Universalist and other sources) to focus on community building and peace and
justice -making. Each group will be guided by our fifth principle (using the
democratic process) in choosing a service project. To that end, all who wish to
will be encouraged to participate in Crop Walk on Sunday, October 14. (More
about Crop Walk in the October Newsletter). These are the curricula that will
form the core of our exploration:
Babies and Toddlers: supervised play in
Room 11.
4,5,6 year-olds:
Chalice Children
7 & 8 year-olds:
Rainbow Children
9 & 10 year-olds:
In Our Hands
11 & 12 year-olds:
Race to Justice
Youth Group (8th – 12th grade)
Truth and Meaning:
Questions about the Western Religious Heritage of Unitarian Universalism.
These materials
are available for review in the Religious Education Office on Sundays.
Please refer to
the R.E. Brochure that will be mailed to each family in late August for Room
assignments, volunteer rosters, and an expanded description of each core
curriculum.
During the first
weeks in September, UUSS members who have children and youth enrolled in
religious education (and are not members of a teaching team or a class parent)
will be asked to make a commitment to volunteer service for the Fall term.
Sign-up sheets will be at the Religious Education Welcome Table (relocated to
the Foyer this fall) for a variety of necessary short-term tasks – your
initiative in signing up will be greatly appreciated – ours IS a cooperative
effort; we need all hands to support our learning, our playing, and our service
in the community.
Parents of babies
and toddlers are expected to help from 10:30 – 12:30 Sundays in Room 11 on a
rotating basis. This fall we will ask for two volunteers each week to assist
our staff caregiver Nancy Beach. Nancy and I have determined that three people
are needed to provide for the needs and insure the safety of the babies and
toddlers. Sign-up to help in Room 11 on the clipboard provided there.
Kate Throop,
Director of Religious Education
_____________________________________________________
UUSS NEWS & EVENTS
UU Young Adults
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. Here is our schedule for September:
9/2 No Meeting - Labor Day Weekend
9/8 Saturday 6 p.m. - Join us as we explore the Art Galleries of Sacramento for Art Walks 2nd Saturday. Meet at the UUSS church parking lot, and we will decide upon a restaurant. After enjoying a meal together we will explore the Art Galleries open late for 2nd Saturday.
9/16 Sunday 7 p.m. UUSS Library - Our own Dar Cohn will lead us in an Idea Salon. Bring a specific idea that you would like to share for an extended check-in focused on that idea.
9/21 Friday 5:30 p.m. - Plan to join us at Cesar Chavez park to listen to Mumbo Gumbo.
9/30 Sunday 7:00 p.m. - USS Library - Exquisite Corps. A poetry writing game will be led by Mark Callicotte.
Laura A. Dickinson
_________________________________________________________________________
Financial Summit Coming Up
Save September 22
The UUSS Board of Trustees is proud to have Peter Henrickson, a certified financial planner; certified investment management analyst, and author of “Financial Management in the Church” for a Financial Summit workshop at the church on Saturday, September 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Peter is the Designated Financial Consultant to Congregations in the Pacific Northwest District and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Funding Panel for a Just Society. Plan to attend this exciting workshop. He will help us determine methods we can use to improve our financial situation—a topic of interest to all of us. Lunch will be served—it’s free, but we do need to know how many are coming, so call 483-9283 ext. O to RSVP.
Shirley
Hines
______________________________________________
Book News
Check out the children’s table!
Be sure to take a look at the selection of good children’s books over the next few Sundays in the bookstore. Thanks to a generous donation from Jan Reed, we have acquired some really nice children’s books in excellent condition.
Molly Jackson
______________________________________________
No dreams come to tell you what you already know and all dreams break new ground and invite you to new understandings and insights.
Join the open dream group on Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Library and learn more about yourself through your dreams. Call me for more information.
Fran Oyafuso
______________________________________________
Thanksgiving Dinner at UUSS
Too soon to talk about it?
I don’t think so. So here goes! We will again have a Thanksgiving Day dinner for anybody who wishes to join us.
Turkeys and baked potatoes and gravy are prepared in our kitchen and everybody brings a potluck dish or pays $5. Please call the office (483-9283 ext. O) to be in on the fun of planning and preparing.
Barbara Amberson
________________________________________________
Zen Group Grows
All are welcome Monday evenings
Iron Bell Zen Group at UUSS continues to grow steadily, with many regular members now participating weekly. The group offers periods of Zen meditation, along with the forms, ceremonies and chant that reflect the formal richness of Zen Buddhist tradition.
We particularly welcome those new to meditation and to the practice of Zen. Wear loose, comfortable clothing when you come: shorts and T-shirts are perfect for this time of year!
Iron Bell meets each Monday evening from 7-9 p.m. in the Fahs Room. For further information, call the church office (483-9283 ext. 204). You might also check out our website at www.ironbell.org.
Meditation Classes Added
Iron Bell Zen
Group offers regular instructional classes for those interested in meditation
practice or Zen tradition. These are generally held every two weeks, on
Saturday mornings from 8:30–10 a.m., and cover the practice of Zen meditation
in detail, along with an introduction to the forms and ceremonies used in Iron
Bell’s weekly meetings. Every effort is made to give individual attention to
each person’s needs. There is no charge for participation. For further
information on the date of the next class, and to sign-up, please
contact the UUSS office.
Peter Gaffney
______________________________________________
Fall “Connections” Class
Find the lover within
As the autumn leaves fall softly to the earth, we invite you to join us on an intimate quest to find your hidden self, the lover within. We will together explore the subtle clues to our selves revealed by the Ancient Ones, the Tao, the Buddha, Jesus, Islam, and a few not-so-famous poets and artists. Classes will be from 7 to 9 p.m. for eight Tuesdays at UUSS. Starts Tuesday October 9; finishes Tuesday December 4.
Jeff Watson
______________________________________________
A Support Group
for Older Adults?
Come help start one
Those people interested in being in a support group for older adults are invited to attend a planning session Monday, September 10, 10:30 am in the UUSS Library.
Anyone, regardless of age, who wishes to participate in an ongoing supportive group experience is welcome. If you are unable to attend our first meeting, please call with your concerns, questions, suggestions, etc.
Ankie Giese
Lois Panting
_____________________________________
Notes from the Treasurer
Did you know?
· Did you know that UUSS pays more than $25 per member per year for building/grounds supplies and services? This does not include the cost of the maintenance/custodial staff.
· Did you know that UUSS pays $65 per member per year for dues to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the Pacific Central District (PCD)?
· Did you know that required employee benefits (medical insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, retirement fund) cost more than $130 per member per year?
During the course of the coming year, I hope to share with you, the members of UUSS, more about the financial operation of our Society.
Dennis Riechmann, Treasurer
______________________________________________
Insight Meditation
Five week introductory course begins 9/27
UUSS will host a five week introductory course in Insight Meditation and practice with Dennis Warren beginning Thursday, September 27.
Insight (Vipassana) Meditation is a process that helps us understand and experience our lives from a more spacious and relaxed perspective and develops wisdom and compassion in our relationships with ourselves, others, and the world around us. It can be a powerful source of inspiration and energy for living, healing and problem solving.
Dennis has practiced Insight Meditation for 20 years and is a member of the Dharma Leaders Program at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. His instruction emphasizes the integration of meditation practices into everyday life and the workplace. The course is offered on a voluntary donation basis. Contact the church office at 483-9283 ext. 204 or call Becky or Dennis to register.
Pre Registration is required.
______________________________________________
Poetry workshops to meet monthly
For all interested in writing poetry or knowing more about it, a poetry and reading workshop will begin October 7. We will meet the first Sunday of each month, 6-7:30 p.m. at UUSS, to satisfy or build on interest in poetry, look at spiritual aspects of poetry and poets, read or write poems, and consider poems’ meanings. Presented by Tom Goff, Nora Staklis, and JoAnn Anglin. A $5 fee per session will be collected to reimburse the church for copying and energy use.
JoAnn Anglin
__________________________________________
OUTREACH
Social Action Marketplace
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.
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.
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. Mustard Seed School Jan Reed has resigned from this organization, and we need a new representative. Structured educational program for homeless children 3-18.
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 Wed. each month.
Samaritan Center Arnie Godmintz. Center for meals and other assistance.
State Action
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.
Study Group on
Faith-based Initiatives Joan
Osborn. This group has been meeting regularly and is collecting documentation
on this initiative.
ChildReach. Financial support to community
development & 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 UU churches in Hungary and Romania.
Last Wednesday Club
Nancy Gilbert. Award winning documentaries on international issues,
shown the last Wednesday of each month (See below.)
Sacramento Yolo Peace Action Ruth Hultgren. 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, healthcare for children of the world.
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Jacqui Bell. Human rights, social justice, peace, economic opportunity in the U.S.and worldwide.
Joyce Miller
______________________________________________
Energy Rally September 9
Rally at the State Capitol in Sacramento for clean, affordable, public power! Sunday, September 9, 2-6 p.m. There will be an alternative energy fair, live theatre from Teatro Campesino, speakers, music, games.
There will be lobbying of the legislature the next day, Monday, September 10.
For more info or if you want to help with the rally, email ladan@globalexchange.org or call Global Exchange at 1-800-496-1994 ext. 251. Or call Jeanie Keltner locally.
Doug Kraft
______________________________________________
Last Wednesday Club
A monthly documentary and discussion, socially relevant quality films and folks. Put these on your calendar now, bring a friend!
8/29 “Ancient Futures, Learning From Ladakh.” (“Little Tibet”) A lovely, perceptive look at this People and their culture pre– and post-development.
9/16 “Paul Robeson, the Tallest Tree in the Forest.” The suppressed story of this great man and civil rights hero.
Nancy Gilbert
Great American River Clean-up
Mile-3-to-4 of the
American River Parkway hasn't been so
clean since Jedediah Smith started leaving trash there in 1827—thanks to the
efforts on August 4 of the Ingrams—Campbell, Kimberly, Jack and Maura—and to
Tami Buscho, Whitney Rimel and Jeff Voeller.
Our next scheduled pick-up of the “UUSS Mile” will be October 6, but please also consider coming out for the annual community-wide Great American River Clean-Up on Saturday, September 15.
________________________________________________
UUSS NEWS
& EVENTS
Green Thumb Sale is Coming
Start your starts for October 7
All you people with green thumbs, prepare starts of plants and seedlings, and bring extra pots to sell too. Plan to come and buy on Sunday, October 7 before and after church services.
Barbara Amberson
______________________________________________
Gap Group Gets Going
Meet us for plays, movies, & bike rides
Gap group is a loosely organized group of middle-aged
people, single or not, who enjoy getting together for social occasions. New
people are welcome.
9/8 Saturday Join us for the Neil Simon play, “Lost In
Yonkers” at Chautauqua Theatre. Call me or call the theatre for a ticket.
9/9 Sunday Join us for a movie and dessert. Please call Judy Bell for time and place.
If you are interested in meeting in the future for a bike ride along the American River Bike Trail, please call me by September 10. We will schedule a ride for a Saturday in late September or October.
Cathy George
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Servetus Club Potluck is 9/9
Servetus Club invites all older singles to our next monthly
potluck, 6 p.m. in the Fahs Room.
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UU Reincarnation
From our new Business Manager
In 1996 I relocated to Santa Barbara and began looking for a new position. There was a classified ad for an Administrator for the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara. After 17 years as an Episcopal priest, it sounded intriguing. I applied and was accepted as their “token Trinitarian.” I spent three wonderfully creative years there, during which time I married my college sweetheart, Lisbeth Adolph, in their sanctuary and eventually became a member of the congregation.
Jumping ahead to May 2001. Lisbeth was offered a position as a commercial lender for Washington Mutual in Sacramento that convinced us to do the unthinkable… move from Santa Barbara. She began in mid-June and I arrived July 1, just in time to find a classified ad for a Business Manager at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento. Could it be a sign? After meeting with Doug, Kate, Linda Clear, and Carol Goodin for the interview and later dropping by to meet the office and custodial staff, I was sure it was. When the offer was made I happily accepted my opportunity to reincarnate.
Lisbeth and I thank everyone who has gone out of their way to warmly welcome us to your community. We look forward to meeting and getting to know all of you as we share in your ministry to open hearts and minds.
Clay Nelson
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Among Ourselves
We were delighted to learn that Ron Barrett and Emma Hein formally committed themselves to each other in a ceremony performed by Doug Kraft on August 7 here at UUSS.
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SSS – Here it is!
The suspense is over...
In case you’ve been wondering what SSS stands for from the last two Unigrams, the suspense is over. SSS = Sandwich Supper Socials.
On Friday, September 28, from 7 to 9 p.m., a new monthly fun night will be launched by the Membership Committee. This will be held at the church auditorium generally the last Friday of each month.All members and guests are welcome!
Self help sandwiches, a drink, and dessert will be provided for $3 to adults and $1 for children. Entertainment and themes are being arranged.
Come on September 28 and have a simple, inexpensive sandwich supper and enjoy the program and meet other fun lovers.
See you there!
David Paul
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Sharing Your Gifts
Monthly symposium begins October 4
Anyone interested in exploring the skills of conscious living is invited to meet in Room 7/8 from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, starting on October 4. Avis Grace, author of Sharing Your Gifts...a Spiritual Map for the New Millennium,will give an introductory 20-30 minute presentation. Open discussion and sharing will follow. Avis is a member of UUSS and has been a professional educator, curriculum designer/writer/editor, counselor, life-strategy coach, leadership trainer, and new-thought minister. She “retired” 18 months ago from pastoring a church to write Sharing Your Gifts and to start co-creating a foundation for spiritual education and research.
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Women & Religion Task Force
Wine tasting & East Africa
Women and Religion Task Force of the Pacific Central District will hold a Wine & Water Tasting Party on Saturday, September 29, at Palo Alto UU Church, 505 E. Charleston, 5 to 7 p.m. $15 donation requested. Hors d’oeuvres, prizes, Silent Auction, wine and water tasting.
Coming up July
2-19: East Africa Adventure
(Kenya & Tanzania) Serengetti, Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Nakuru, plus visit schools, orphanage, Kenyan homes and travel with two Kenyan students. $3985 d/o from SFO. Call Meg Bowman for itinerary.
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Women’s
Alliance Meets
Jeane Davidson speaks 9/13
Women’s Alliance is an active group that meets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at UUSS. Our goals are to present challenging speakers, to encourage women who are new (and long-time) members of the Society to make new friends, and to be a source of income for the church.
We also prepare food for memorial services of UUSS members, and we provide several Sunday lunches after church. At our September 13 meeting, Women’s Alliance vice president Jeane Davidson will give a presentation on the exciting gathering of UUs at Asilomar every summer. Fall meetings will feature a guided tour of Sogno Winery, a presentation on the Hmong community, and a December holiday party. The New Year will bring more excellent speakers and activities. You bring a bag lunch to our meetings and we offer a choice of desserts and tea or coffee. All are welcome!
Please note that yearly dues are due: a prompt payment of your $15 will ensure that your name is included in our roster. Send your check made out to Women’s Alliance to 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento CA 95825, or bring it with you to the September 13 meeting.
Katherine Maddox
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Women’s
Ritual Group Opens
New members welcome 9/17 & 10/1
Women's Ritual Group is formed around
earth-based spirituality. We meet on the first and third Mondays of each month
at 7 p.m. in each other’s homes with a pot luck dinner and check-in. Then we
move into ritual, ending promptly at 9 p.m. to accommodate early work
schedules. Some of us have been meeting together for over 10 years, and some
members are newer.
We have open meetings twice a year where
new members can join. This fall, the open meetings will be Mondays September 17
and October 1. Please call Judy Bell, Sheri Cameron-Rain, Cathy George, or me.
Laurie
Jones
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Weekend Retreats for Women
Long-time UU Religious Educator, artist, and
ritualist, Dawn Rose, will offer a number of long weekend retreats for women.
The first will be 9/21-23 on the theme “Exploring the Labyrinth.” Contact Dawn
Rose at TaraDance@aol.com.