By Rev. Roger Jones

Summer is a time to enjoy local parks, pools, outdoor cafes, and air conditioned libraries. It's also a time of travel, if one is fortunate to have the money, time and ability to do so. I'm grateful that I do.

When I think of travel and meals out, I think of tipping. Most restaurant workers, hotel housekeepers, skycaps and airport wheelchair aides, baristas and bartenders rely on tips to make ends meet. Unless a city has passed a living wage law, its restaurant servers make below the minimum wage, so a tip is not a bonus but a necessity. 

My nephew Scott is a chef. He's worked in chain restaurants, catering companies, and stadium concession firms. I'm amazed at his stories of unkind customers, stingy tippers, and people who walk out on the whole bill! Kind customers can make a worker's day. 

Even if you pay the check by credit card, Scott says, it's good if you can leave a tip in cash to ensure the server gets the whole tip. 

I try to tip 20% for a meal-more if the service is great. With a discount coupon or 2-for-1 deal, it's good to base a tip on the original, larger total. Unless the server is unilaterally mean, I'll tip at least 15%. If the server is mean and bad, I'll tell a manager. 

Hotel maids "turn over" many rooms per shift, sometimes with just 30 minutes to clean each room. They risk back injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome.  I try to leave a few dollars on the bed per day for them, with more if we have made a mess or if it's checkout day.

When UU ministers gather on retreat, we all chip in for a gratuity for the retreat center's hourly workers. We also give an ovation of applause to the staff during our final meal.

I'm sure there are other job categories where we can "tip" the scales of justice just a bit more to the good.  Let me know your own habits of consumer generosity.

Of course, simply by showing patience, speaking with kindness, and practicing empathy we can bring ease and joy to ourselves and to others-at no cost. 

Thank you for all the ways you show generosity and kindness!

Yours in faith,

Roger

P.S:  Our new web site  is "cell-phone-friendly" and "tablet-friendly." Even in the slightly slower summer, you will find updates and new photos all the time. Check it out, every day!

Making Contact:  Where's Roger in July?

My regular office hours at UUSS are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, except for Remote Office Hours on July 2, location TBA. I'm happy to make an appointment or talk by phone with you! I will be here June 30 through July 8, then in Quebec, Vermont, Rhode Island, Indiana and Iowa on vacation until July 31. I bet I'll come back to a sea of email! If you don't see a reply to your email after July 31, please try again!  

Rev. Roger's Remote Office Hours

On July 2, Roger again will hang out at a coffee house cafe to connect with you. Remote Office Hours are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. He will also be available for private pastoral appointments in each location before and after that time frame. Now accepting caf?/city suggestions. Watch the Bluesheet, Roger Jones Minister Facebook page, @pastorcranky on Twitter and updates at www.uuss.org for locations identification!

 By Linda Clear, President, UUSS Board of Trustees
 

The summer season at UUSS has officially started and, since we are Unitarian Universalists, most of us do not feel guilty if we miss a few Sunday services. I know many of you have busy schedules this season so attendance usually drops, but we have a wonderful summer program planned, and I hope you can find time to come now and then. Just remember to dress casually if the weather gets warm.

This month I will join fellow UUSS members at our General Assembly in Portland.  I look forward to this annual gathering of our denomination and reconnecting with UUs from all over the country. It is incredibly motivating and energizing to be in one place with several thousand UUs; we all benefit from this shared experience. There will be great programs, interesting speakers, and hours and hours of fellowship. It is very encouraging to know that UUSS will be well represented and we will bring back stories and information to share.

When I return from Portland, I particularly look forward to spending time with my grandchildren, Samantha and Jake. They are out of school and growing up too fast, but with both parents working, visiting us is a break from their school's summer program, and we have better food! We will also have our second annual Grammy Camp and we hope to build memories and a tradition as long as we can since we know they will soon want to spend most of their free time with their friends. But as long as we have a strong WiFi signal, our home is still a place they like to visit!

In August I will fly to Denver to visit family, as I know many of you will also be doing. I know that family reunions and get-togethers are often planned for the summer and I hope yours are enjoyable and safe. I will return in time for the dedication ceremony in September, then Dennis and I will be off to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in Italy. Unfortunately, the Pope will be here in the US at the same time, but I guess he won't miss us.

While I have a busy summer planned, one event that I look forward to in the fall is our return to our UUSS home on Sierra Boulevard. I am so excited to see our beautiful new building and attend Sunday services in the Main Hall. It will be an incredible homecoming and our new Welcome Hall will be amazing. I hope all of you have a wonderful summer.

New Music Director Keith Atwater

By Rev. Roger Jones

With thanks to hiring committee: Patty Budding, Rev. Lucy Bunch,

Meg Burnett, Cynthia Shallit, and Joan Rubenson,

Keith brings 12 years of experience as a music director and conductor in three progressive Protestant congregations.  He has led choirs, string quartets, hand-bell choirs and jazz ensembles for worship and for special concerts.  He's organized children's pageants in local communities. 

Earlier he was a high school band teacher and the founder of a high school choir. His many talents include conducting, coordinating events, and coaching church instrumentalists. He is a vocal soloist and choir singer, and he plays trombone, bass guitar, string bass and piano. 

Keith impressed the hiring team with his deep knowledge of congregational dynamics and a devotion to congregational life.  One of his references said:  "In the 25 years that I've been the accompanist, we've had four music directors, and he's the best we've had."  She praised Keith for being approachable, outgoing and enthusiastic.  She described his collaboration among three church choirs of different languages and ethnic backgrounds for a special service.

When he is not directing music, Keith teaches religious studies and humanities at American River College, where he is department chair.  He also taught at Sacramento State, where he was a prot?g? of the late Dr. Betty Ch'maj, a beloved UUSS member.  He sang at Betty's memorial service and arranged a choral piece in her honor based on words of Dr. M. L. King.  After attending recent UUSS services, he spoke with admiration for the spirit he felt here. The team was impressed that he'd read our Unigram newsletter and Sunday Blue Sheet and commented enthusiastically on our activities. 

A human rights and homeless-services advocate in his local area, Keith said he is inspired by the values for which we stand, our open theological embrace, and the loving heart that he senses.   "Until now, I've been a closet UU," he said.  He's even used songs from our hymnals for his non-UU choirs.  Now he is eager to be openly involved and "to make a long-term relationship" with our community.

He Said:  "I'm grateful for this opportunity and excited by what we can do together.  It will be a joy to be in fellowship with the adults, youth and children at UUSS."

Keith and his wife of 30 years, Jean Vrechek, have two children, Paul Atwater, a video editor in San Francisco, and Maya Vrechek, a student at San Diego State.  Jean is a math professor at City College.

Keith and his wife of 30 years, Jean Vrechek, have two children, Paul Atwater, a video editor in San Francisco, and Maya Vrechek, a student at San Diego State.  Jean is a math professor at City College.

Keith will be at the Soulful Summer Tuesday music and meditation services that pianist Ina Jun and Rev. Roger will lead on June 30 and July 7.  He'll attend service a few Sundays before Wednesday choir rehearsals begin in August.  Be sure to meet and welcome him!

Our six-person hiring committee did not have an easy process deciding between extremely qualified applicants. However, by a significant majority and with a sense of optimism and excitement, the committee made a clear decision that Keith was the candidate to tack our music program to the next level.

For the past two years, UUSS has been blessed by the commitment and creativity of Meg Burnett as our volunteer interim leader.  She built up our music program in size and community spirit as well as in the quality and frequency of singing in services.  Thank you, Meg, and bless you!

Nursery Care Provider Krystal Gollaher

By Rev. Martha Hodges and Rev. Roger Jones

"Healing" doesn't always mean a "cure" or relief from physical ailments. Sometimes healing is as simple (and complex) as a friendly face, a hand to hold, or a listening ear. 

You may know people who, as they grow older or less able to get about, feel isolated from their community. They may have been active and vital members of UUSS for years, yet can too quickly fall out of touch with church friends once they become homebound or enter a care facility.

Our UUSS mission is to "come together to deepen our lives and be a force for healing in the world." This calls us to reach out in caring friendship to those members unable to attend worship and other UUSS events. A large and growing congregation has too few hours for ministers to visit everyone who might like to see a friendly face on a regular basis. In shared ministry, we ask you to help extend the UUSS community beyond our beautifully refurbished walls.

Roger has asked the Rev. Martha Hodges (formerly minister of the UU Community Church) to organize a lay visitors program. She has enthusiastically agreed.

Here's how you can help UUSS to become a stronger community:

• If you wish to receive regular visits from a Pastoral Visitor from UUSS, or if you know someone who might like to stay connected in this way, please let us know by emailing or leaving a message with Elaine at the Office at (916) 483-9283
• To become such a visitor, attend a four-session training that begins in August. Interested volunteers will be asked to fill out an application and meet with the ministers before making the commitment to serve for at least one year. In addition to making regular visits, you will attend a monthly meeting for mutual support and exploration of relevant topics. Please call the office in order to be included.
• If you're unsure about volunteering, but would like to become more at ease when you visit friends in their own homes or in care facilities, you are welcome to sign up for the first two training sessions.  After that, you and your facilitators can decide if you feel ready to apply to become part of the ongoing Pastoral Visitors Team.

 Questions? Ask Roger or Lucy. Sign up to attend our first training session, to be announced soon. Deepen your own life and become "a force for healing in the world." No special degree is required, just an all-important belief that we are all in this together, and the willingness to act on that faith!

By Rev. Roger Jones

Since the UUSS Main Hall closed last year, the Room 11 nursery back at 2425 Sierra Boulevard has been used for group meetings, furniture storage, etc. It's worn down and needs help!  We want to say Welcome Home to our many toddlers and infants. 

A grateful UUSS family that uses our nursery on Sunday mornings has made a Challenge Grant offer of up to $500 to help with costs of new paint, new carpet, needed repairs, supplies, and a thorough cleanup before we resume using Room 11 as our nursery. 

This matching grant means that if we can raise $500 in donations from nursery families and other friends or members of the congregation, we will have $1,000 to cover those costs.

Renovation of our beloved home nursery can begin in August for our return September 6. To donate, you may give cash donations to Miranda Massa or write a check payable to UUSS (with "Room 11" on the memo line).  Thank you!

Wednesday Silent Meditation at 5:30 p.m.

With Rev. Roger Jones and other quiet people

You are welcome to gather any Wednesday evening in Classroom 6 for some opening words and then 20 minutes of silence. By sitting and breathing together, we support one another in the practice of mindfulness. No experience required, no fee, but in the Buddhist tradition we welcome "dana" or freewill generosity toward UUSS. Note the schedule change: Wednesday, July 1, at 5:30 p.m. in Classroom 6 at UUSS.

Soulful Summer Tuesdays:  Midweek Music and Reflection

With Rev. Roger Jones and Ina Jun, pianist

Join our staff pianist Ina Jun and me for a vesper service on these Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., in the Fahs Classroom at 2425 Sierra Boulevard. We will hear inspiring words and music (from Ina on the piano and perhaps other musicians). We will experience silence, sing a song or two, and light candles in honor of our milestones and important concerns or deep joys. This is an informal but quiet time. All ages are welcome. No charge, but freewill donations to UUSS will be accepted. 

Tuesdays, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., on June 30, and July 7.

UUSS Book Readers:  July 28

By Jim Glidden

In July, the UUSS Book Readers will read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, the story of a welfare program in the 19th and early 20th Centuries that transported abandoned children by train to foster homes around the country.  The meeting will be on Tuesday, July 28, at 7 p.m. in Room 12.  For more information, contact Jim Glidden at [email protected] or (916) 649-9697.

Summer book discussion group with Rev. Lucy

Our summer book discussion group continues on July 15 at 6:30 p.m. with a discussion of Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. This provocative book challenges us to consider how we process information and make judgments. As Amazon.com says "Blink is about the first two seconds of looking-the decisive glance that knows in an instant."  Come join in our  structured discussion. All are welcome, even if you have not read the book, though your experience will be greatly enriched if you do so. Join with us as we explore together. 

On August 19 we will discuss Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit by Parker Palmer (thanks Linda Hoganson for the recommendation).

Unitarian Origins in Poland: A Free Faith from 1560 to 2015

Discussion and slides with Rev. Dr. Jay Atkinson and Rev. Roger Jones

Enjoy this program after the service on Sunday, August 9, noon to 1:30 p.m. at Sierra Arden UCC.

What were early Unitarian ideas and styles of worship and governance among the liberal Polish Brethren of the 1500s?  Thanks to their printing press, they spread their ideas across Europe. Jay Atkinson will show slides of historic sites from a UU pilgrimage that he co-led in 2014. He'll talk about emerging UU groups, now in Poland and elsewhere. What have they kept from those early days?

About the speaker:  now in retirement and a member of the UU Church of Berkeley, Jay has served congregations in Sioux City, Davis, and Studio City. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion, among other scholarly groups. His last lecture at UUSS was about Process/Relational Theology. 

There is no charge for the event, but a freewill offering is appreciated to support UUSS Adult Enrichment. Light snacks will be provided.

Please sign up at the Adult Enrichment table on Sundays or contact the office at (916) 483-9283 or [email protected]. 

By Rev. Roger Jones and Ginny Johnson

 For our new space, we invite members, friends, and supporters to buy a

new chair at a cost of $60 each. Donate the cost of a chair for yourself and for friends or family members. Consider buying a chair for some unknown new visitor who will seek out UUSS. As of June 23, we have "sold" 262 of the 350 chairs we need for our main hall.

People are lining up to sit in the model chair during the Sunday coffee hour. Not only tasteful in color and design, it is also comfortable. Folks of all sizes and shapes tried it out and pronounced it "just right!". We will post comments on the website. 

Stop by the display after service. You can't miss Tiki Harlow's enticing poster, with its big picture of Roger on it. Thank you!

By Mary Howard, Chair, Fill the Building Team

With a little over two months before we move back into our own building, we're making great progress toward filling the building with furnishings and equipment. 

Many of you have looked at our wish list and generously donated toward specific items, or just given to the general fund. We've been able to help buy new stage curtains, buy a loop system for attendees who are hard of hearing and a drinking fountain that includes a spigot for filling water bottles, and to begin installing part of the new audio-visual system.  We especially need new speakers for the main hall, and we'll be updating our wish lists soon.

Yes, we are asking a lot, and our team appreciates your patience and continued enthusiasm. With our new state-of-the-art building, we'd love some up-to-date equipment. Got a special occasion coming up? You can ask your friends to give to the Fill the Building Fund in your name! What else is included in our wish list? Go to www.uuss.org/fill and check out the catalogs. The easiest way to donate is to send a check to UUSS with "Fill the Building" in the memo line.

Thanks again for all your support and enthusiasm.

By Linda Roth

A big part of our return to Sierra Boulevard will be re-dedication of our expanded and renovated UUSS home. The ceremony and reception will take place the afternoon of Sunday, September 13. Befitting the importance of this major accomplishment, we want a big blowout! Planning and early activities are in progress, and the most critical task now is to gather volunteers to help with all of the actions associated with this kind of event. At a meeting in early July, we will review and refine the plan. We'd like anyone interested to attend-watch for the date and time listings in the Blue Sheet or Weekly Ministerial Message. Sign up to volunteer by contacting Linda Roth at (916) 921-2269 or [email protected]. A signup table will also be in Pilgrim Hall at Sierra Arden Church after the service on June 28 and July 5.

Do you know someone who would be great as a UUSS "Worship Leader" (Lay Service Leader)? Perhaps you? Worship Leaders host the Sunday welcome, present a reading or reflection, call for the offering, and more! Pick up an Application/Nomination form at the Adult Enrichment table or at our church office. Self-nominations encouraged. Submit the application to UUSS Office. Attn: Worship Leader Committee/Molly Stuart. For questions: Contact Molly Stuart at [email protected] or 916-346-5333. 

By Rev. Roger Jones

You can find out about the monthly opportunities at UUSS to learn, serve, and reach out in the local community by picking up the Pathways brochure during Sunday coffee hour or by clicking this link on our new website. 

The UU Justice Ministry of California is the nation's first statewide advocacy network founded by UUs. Click on the name to learn about the issue areas it focuses on. 

•  August "Walking the Walk" Annual Justice Summit and Family Camp - This is the fifth annual summit for learning about the connection between social justice and liberal religious faith, and also experiencing the important role that music and worship can play in our lives if we work for justice. This intergenerational camp is held at a UU conference center, Camp DeBenneville Pines, in the San Bernardino National Forest, August 8 to 12.

By Kathy Styc

Thanks to all who participated in the Climate Ribbon project to celebrate Earth Day in April. That project involved answering the question "What do you love and hope never to lose due to Climate Chaos?" and writing that answer on a ribbon. More than 200 ribbons were hung by the UUSS congregation and by people who stopped by the UUSS booth at the Earth Day Festival in Southside Park. We hope you had a chance to see some of the thoughtful and heartfelt answers to that question when the ribbons were hanging outside Pilgrim Hall. You'll have more opportunities to see the ribbons when we move back to our home. For more about the project, see http://www.uuss.org/earthjustice/.

In July, we will start an Earth Justice Ministry (EJM) Discussion Group which will focus on books and films about the environment. We will also continue to bring occasional speakers. The first meeting, on Friday, July 31, is from 6-8:30 p.m., when we will discuss Confessions of an Eco-Sinner:  Tracking Down the Sources of My Stuff, by Fred Pearce. The author is from Great Britain so the stores where he shops may not be familiar, but the products will be. 

"In this book, the author surveys his home and then launches on a global tour to track down, among other things, the Tanzanians who grow and harvest his fair-trade coffee (which isn't as fair as one might hope), the Central American plantations that grow his daily banana (a treat that may disappear forever), women in the Bangladeshi sweatshops who sew his jeans, the Chinese factory cities where the world's computers are made, and the African afterlife for old cell phones. It's a fascinating portrait, by turns sobering and hopeful, of the effects the world's more than 6 million inhabitants-all eating, consuming, making-have on our planet, and of the work and living conditions of the people who produce most of these goods" (from the book jacket). 

Published in 2008 by our own UUA Beacon Press in Boston, the book is available there as well as from other online sources. Used copies are also available, and the Sacramento City/County Library system also has one. If you cannot buy the book, you can find online interviews, book reviews and discussions to help you become familiar with the contents. Also, several of us in EJM have the book and may be able to loan out our copies. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] to see if anyone can loan a book. 

We will meet for a potluck (optional participation) and discussion on July 31, 2015, from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Fahs Room.  We welcome all who are interested in the book's concepts of the environmental, personal, and social impacts of our consumption. As this is open to non-UUSS members, we will contact environmental organizations in the community.  Please feel free to invite others who are interested.  If you have questions, please contact [email protected]. 

By Roger Jones

Volunteers offer an engaging activity using art, music, or another creative activity that brings people together. We begin a session with a centering time, Chalice Lighting, and Joys and Sorrows. The focus could include introducing a craft, art, or other activity of spiritual significance. Each lead volunteer (adult or teen) needs assistants, so please note on the sign-up sheet when you can assist.     

Parents, kids, and youth register in advance for the RE Summer Sundays you expect to attend. This is an effort to give advance notice to our conscientious volunteers. Of course, things may come up to keep you from making it to church, or your calendar may change and you find you can come after all. 

Please complete RE ArtWorks Child Registration-at the RE Welcome Table ASAP or contact [email protected]. 

Look for the paper mache Nursery Wish Tree at the RE Table to find purple

Sunday, July 5

10:00-11:30   Child care available - Kinder and under

10:15-11:30   ArtWorks 

Sunday, July 12

10:00-11:30   Child care available - Kinder and under

10:15-11:30   ArtWorks

Sunday, July 19

10:00-12:30   Child care available - Kinder and under

10:15-11:30   ArtWorks and Summer SHYG

Sunday, July 26

10:00-11:30   Child care available - Kinder and under

10:15-11:30   Service for all ages

The UUSS office will be closed July 3rd and 4th for the Fourth of July Holiday and will reopen on Monday July 6th. 

The normal offices hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm. 

The UUSS driveway will be closed on Tuesday July 7th for paving in the morning and early afternoon. The UUSS Office in Room 9 will be open from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Please contact the office at 916-483-9283 if you have questions.