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A Month of Sundays
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January 4
Heaven and Hell, Part 2
Rev. Lucy Bunch preaching, with Rev. Roger Jones
Lay Worship Leader Kevin Sitter
Our culture has a rich iconography for Heaven, so rich that each of us may be able to describe Heaven. But what is important about the concept of Heaven and how is it relevant for us? Soup Sunday: Plan to stay for some heavenly homemade soup!
January 11
"Unitarian Universalist" Is a Long Name: Can We Bear It?
Rev. Roger Jones with Lay Worship Leader Christopher Jensen
Special Music by Ross Hammond, guitar: "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"
Every January many individuals and families make a first visit to UUSS, to see if this might be a place to deepen their lives and join with others to work for healing in the world. Sometimes they send an email first, asking questions about this religious tradition. Even after many years here, many among us keep asking questions. Our name itself is a question-and a spiritual challenge!
Soup Sunday: Plan to stay for soup made by real life Unitarian Universalists!
January 18
"I Can't Breathe"
Sermon for Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend
Rev. Roger Jones with Rev. Lucy Bunch, Lay Worship Leader Mary Howard
UUSS Choir with Meg Burnett, Interim Conductor, and Ina Jun, Pianist
The killings of several unarmed young men of color by police officers has brought to light a lack of awareness of many of us who are white about how communities of color experience law enforcement systems. The hateful murder of two New York City officers while serving in the line of duty has broken hearts. The aftermath has heightened the animosity between criminal justice systems and communities of color. We need change. We need healing.
January 25
All Ages Service: The Sacredness of Trees
with Recognition of January Birthdays
Rev. Lucy Bunch and Rev. Roger Jones, Lay Leader Molly Stewart
UUSS Choir with Meg Burnett, Interim Conductor, and Ina Jun, piano
We come together to celebrate the gift of trees in our lives and in our world. We will sing, dance and share. Come one, come all.
February 1
Generosity without Guilt
Rev. Roger Jones with Rev. Lucy Bunch and Lay Worship Leader Mike Erwin
Generosity takes on different forms in the cultures and lands of our world, yet it always has a spiritual dimension. Every tradition speaks of it. Yet sometimes when we think or talk of being generous, we might feel resentful or guilty. Roger says: It's time for liberation! How do you experience generosity?
Soup Sunday: Plan to stay for soup generously made by UUSS volunteers!
February 8
A Bold & Free Faith for a World in Need of It-Including Us
Guest: Jim Key, Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association
With Rev. Roger Jones and Lay Worship Leader Carl Gardner
Save the date for a special UUSS exclusive sermon. The chief governance officer of our national body is a member of a newer UU church in Beaufort, South Carolina, and a former international businessperson. He's got stories!
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Senior Minister's Message
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Strength upon Strength: Presence in the Now, with Vision for a New Day
By Rev. Roger Jones
The late Reverend Ted Webb wrote and spoke these words to this congregation 35 years ago:
"We have some unusual strengths, and we can add strength to strength."
I was pleased to find that line of encouragement among Ted's papers as I prepared his memorial service. This congregation has been bold in pursuing new challenges, creatively finding ways to serve its members and the larger community.
We have had a strong year in 2014. Members voted to keep me in this role as a called minister. Opportunities for generosity were met with trust and enthusiasm. Volunteers and staff navigated a major move to a temporary Sunday home with persistence, patience, flexibility and good will. A new small group ministry program drew 100 people, including 18 trained facilitators, connecting over questions of spiritual depth. Earth Justice Ministry has raised involvement in the response to global climate change, Faithful Friends reduces isolation of immigrants in detention, and Kids' Freedom Club has raised awareness and impressive donations to free people suffering around the world in debt bondage and slavery.
There is a strong team of adult leaders and fired up kids and youth in every Religious Education program here. We brought in the creator of Spirit Play from Boston to do a training of teachers; every Sunday is covered. In every department at UUSS, our staff is operating at a high level of productivity and good cheer.
Dedicated and gifted volunteers lead our Building Renovation Steering Committee and subcommittees. Our Board and Program Council engage respectfully in important conversations. After the UU Community Church ceased operations, many of its joyful and gifted members have started attending services here and making connections, and several have become UUSS members. The choir has grown in number, quality and frequency, and several volunteer and guest musicians beautify our worship services. And the Auction is coming in April!
As a new year begins, what could I add to that list? What would you add?
Here are a few aspects of my vision for the coming 12 months. Building on the work of staff pianist Ina Jun and volunteer interim conductor Meg Burnett, Meg and I envision a new choir director on staff, plus even more involvement by volunteer and guest musicians at services. Personally I envision our expanding the Assistant Minister's position up from three-quarter time to full time, so Rev. Lucy will be all ours! I look forward to seeing many UUSS members attending the UUA General Assembly with me in Oregon this June. And of course I look forward to returning home to the beautiful campus and renovated main hall on Sierra Blvd. What would you add?
Together, we can add strength to strength!
Yours in service,
Roger
PS- Thank you to all members, friends and families who have joined us in making a special year-end gift toward the Building Renovation Fund. We have given nearly $20,000, and checks keep arriving. As work on our home proceeds in the winter, every donation makes a difference. Happy New Year!
OMG: Where's Roger in January?
Sometimes I find an e-mail you sent me days ago, which I hadn't seen. Or I might find my reply to you is still hanging in my DRAFTS folder! OMG! So, if you write but don't hear back from me, please contact me again. I do want to connect!
I'm available by appointment with you and in the office weekday afternoons. I take Tuesday off as my Sabbath, and on Fridays, I study and write at home, and avoid e-mail. January 4 I'll be here in Religious Education. January 12 to 16 I'll be in Berkeley for the required yearly Doctor of Ministry seminar at Pacific School of Religion.
Roger's New Home and New Contact Information
As of December 31, I have a new home address! Members and Pledging Friends may find it in the revised UUSS Directory of Members and Friends. Do you need to update YOUR contact info? (Remember: the Directory is only for use internally in the congregation.) If you need help getting on-line access to the Directory or you need a printed copy, or if your contact information has changed, please call the Office at 916-483-9283 on weekdays.
Of course, you are always welcome to use the UUSS mailing address to send me your letters, packages, cash and prizes.
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Assistant Minister's Message
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Wishes for Beauty in the new Year
By Rev. Lucy Bunch
May you have a Beautiful Year. As we begin this new year, I am feeling the distress of world and national violence and pain. I urge you to find your own way to engage in our mission to be a force for healing in the world. But as much as there is pain and violence in our world, there is also beauty. The Spiritual Deepening Circles will be exploring beauty this month through poetry, images and sharing. If this topic interests you, please check out the materials on the web site: UUSS2.org/circles. John O'Donahue, an Irish Catholic Priest and Celtic Mystic, has this to say in his book Beauty: the Invisible Embrace: Without realizing it, each day each one of us is visited by beauty. Beauty is so quietly woven through our ordinary days that we hardly notice it. Everywhere there is tenderness, care and kindness, there is beauty. When we experience beauty, we feel called. Beauty does not linger, it only visits. Yet beauty's visitation affects us and invites us into its rhythm, it calls us to feel, think and act beautifully in the world: to create and live a life that awakens the Beautiful.
How do we create and live a life that awakens the beautiful? Here is my four-step program. Start by being an Observer: Notice the beauty around you. In Step 2 you are an Engager: Don't just notice, stop, pause, take the beauty into your soul. Next you are a Promoter: Point out the beauty to others so that they may notice. And finally, in Step 4 you are a Creator: Bring beauty to life. Will you grow a garden, paint a picture, sing a song or offer a token of love or respect to another person? All are forms of beauty. Be a creator that brings beauty into the world. O'Donahue says, "The Beautiful stirs passion and urgency in us and calls us forth from aloneness into the warmth and wonder of an eternal embrace." I urge you to come forth from your aloneness into the beauty all around. May your year be filled with Beauty. Rev. Lucy Where's Lucy in January? My office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. I serve the congregation 75 percent time and take the third week of the month as my furlough week. Please call or e-mail if you would like to visit so that I can be sure to be available. I will be with you on the Sundays of January 4, 18 and 25. |
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Reaching Out: Social Justice and Community Service
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Groundswell Rising: Protecting Our Children's Air and Water
"Fracking" film shows at UUSS January 18 & 19, 2:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Earth Justice Ministry at UUSS & United Nations Associaion
By Kathy Styc
Groundswell Rising goes far beyond the subject of hydraulic fracturing. It's a compelling and optimistic documentary about civil rights, the growing movement to defend our communities from industrial harm and health pollutants, and the tenacious people who are deeply committed to preserving the planet for future generations.
Showings and discussions: 2:00 p.m, Sunday, January 18, and Monday, January 19. UUSS Fahs Room, 2425 Sierra Boulevard. Discussion follows with Director/Composer Renard Cohen and Producer Mark Lichty. Mark is a member of UU Fellowship of the Poconos, Stroudsburg, PA. He will be showing the film at the 2015 Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City and would like to share it with UUSS. We are excited to have him bring this opportunity to us on Martin Luther King Weekend.
Groundswell Rising is a transcendent tale of epic proportions where ordinary people are making a choice to stand up and protect the future of their children and communities. This documentary, from Emmy Award-winning Resolution Pictures, captures the passion and courage of people standing together, challenging a system that promotes profit over health. We meet people from all sides of the political spectrum taking a hard stand against energy extraction techniques not proven to be safe. With the oil and gas industry's thrust to expand fracking seen as a moral and civil rights issue, this provocative film documents a people's movement, a groundswell rising. California communities recently banned oil companies' efforts to begin drilling in their local areas. The oil companies will be back to try again; come see what can be done when empowered people transform a system that seems immovable. This is not just a time to view the film, but a time to voice your concerns, and find out how to make a difference.
A free will offering will be accepted after the screening and a discussion with the film's creators. For more information contact: [email protected].
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March for the Dream--Monday, January 19
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By Linda Hoganson
Join the 34th Annual Capitol March for the Dream on January 19, 2015! The March for the Dream includes the Capitol March and the Diversity Expo. This free event honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and dramatizes the issues that will impact our future. As Northern California's largest MLK Day march, this event attracts a diverse crowd of 28,000 very enthusiastic participants to California's Capitol for a day of civic engagement, reflection and fun. No matter your cause, the principles for change never change: March, Stand Up, Speak Out!
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| Shared Offering | | |
January's Shared Offering Supports WIND Youth Services
We share every weekly offering with the greater community.
In January, our gifts support WIND Youth Services, the only provider of shelter, safety and support services for at-risk teens and those thrown out or driven out of their homes.
As the weather gets cold and wet, the idea of homeless teenagers on the street is even more troubling. Our contributions can make a difference, supporting a variety of services for youth on the edge.
Our congregation generously gave $2,362 to Loaves & Fishes through the Shared Offerings in November. At our Christmas Eve Candlelight service, the Community Offering raised $1,017 for River City Food Bank. Thank you!
January- Wind Youth Services
February- St. John's Program for Real Change (Shelter for Women and Children)
March- American River Natural History Association (Effie Yeaw Nature Center)
April- Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California
May- Family Promise of Sacramento
June- Relationship Skills Center
July- Welcome Home Housing
August- Sacramento Senior Safe House
September- Mustard Seed School
October- Children's Receiving Home
November- Loaves and Fishes
December- Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
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Helping Neighbors in Need at Sierra Arden Food Pantry
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By Joan Rubenson
Please bring canned or boxed food items, bath towels, winter jackets, sweat shirts and blankets in good condition for donation to the Sierra Arden UCC Food Closet for distribution to those in need. They serve people who live in zip codes 95825 and 95864 and would love to have our help. A box will be available for depositing items near the Connections table in Pilgrim Hall after services. Contact Joan Rubenson if you need more information: (916) 363-2415 or [email protected].
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President's Prose
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By Linda Clear, President, UUSS Board of Trustees
Many of us think about making New Year's resolutions. I know I do, and almost without exception I never keep them. Especially when it comes to die ting. But this year I am going to take a different approach. This year I am going to make my resolutions about what I want to accomplish here at church.
I have now been President of the Board for a year and a half, and I think we, as a community, have accomplished a great deal. We are just a few months away from achieving one of the biggest projects we have undertaken in over 50 years. We're making an investment in UUSS that will last for decades. If you have been by the church recently, you might think, "I don't see much progress," but trust me, the biggest part of the project was all of the work needed to get ready for the actual building part of the renovation project. I think when the actual framing of the new structure begins, you will know that we are truly reaching the end.
But back to my resolutions. I resolve to make these last few months as your Board President as productive as possible with a renewed commitment to invest my time in the future of UUSS. When we recite our Covenant each Sunday, we pledge our time, talent and support; and I resolve to live that pledge by my actions this year. And since the theme of our Stewardship Program this year is generosity, I also resolve to be as generous as I can with my time, energy and financial resources - particularly after April 15th!
I believe our new campus can be the impetus for a transformative period for this congregation. We are renewing our presence in the Sacramento Region. As with a new year, it is a perfect time to set new goals and work toward new accomplishments. I know 2015 will be a year of great things for UUSS, and I look forward to sharing the journey with you all.
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Building Renovation & Expansion Project Update
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By Dennis Clear, Building Project Steering Committee
Although they are not highly visible or exciting to watch, there were many critical and significant tasks completed on the project during the last few months. Improvements such as storm drain and sewer modifications, land grading and the installation of the underground utility infrastructure were completed. The work above ground for our electrical needs (new transformer, light poles) was also accomplished in addition to new sidewalks, curbs and gutters on Sierra Boulevard.
Since the rains returned in December, we are very fortunate to have completed all of this work before the weather became a factor. The next phase will include the pouring of the new concrete for the foundation and the framing of the walls and roof. That work requires drier conditions and once completed, the exterior finishes (paint, windows and doors) can be applied.
The Aesthetic Task Force continues to explore options for our new chairs and is reviewing the many choices of style and color. Comfort, portability and storage requirements are all factors. Their recommendation is also dependent upon the palette or set of colors that Jackson Construction will be using for the interior furnishings and surfaces.
The Building Project Steering Committee meets monthly, and their minutes are available at the link to the project on the UUSS web site. Decisions still have to be made on issues such as the audio-visual and kitchen equipment. Please visit www.uuss2.org/building-renovation-project for updated information. Please feel free to contact any of the committee members if you have questions or concerns.
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Newcomers and New Members
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Orientation to Membership Class, Saturday, January 24
Have you been visiting UUSS worship services and found yourself wanting to know how to get more involved? Have you thought about becoming an official member, but are not sure what joining this church involves?
Please sign up for a class with our ministers and several active members. We offer it three times a year, so this is your chance!
The next class is Saturday, January 24, 8:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., at 2425 Sierra Boulevard (our home base, in the building past the construction zone's fence).
Please sign up at the Connections Table at Coffee Hour or call the UUSS office at (916) 483-9283. UUSS will host a light breakfast and lunch. Child care can be hired if RE Coordinator Miranda Massa receives a request by Sunday, January 11. The ministers Rev. Roger Jones and Rev. Lucy Bunch can answer any other questions!
Family Meal with the Senior Minister
Some UUSS families or individual members have said they'd like to have me to a meal to get acquainted. Of course, our mutual schedules make finding a date challenging. A few folks have found a model that works well, at least for my schedule. They gather another one or two families or a few extra members together in one home, and make it a multi-faceted opportunity for getting acquainted. Sunday evenings often work; other nights or lunchtimes depend on my meetings and my sermon writing. Of course, you can just have a group get-together without me. I won't know the difference, and I won't starve. And you can still make new friendships with other UUs!
-Roger
UUSS Gathering for Young Adults (18 to 34)
By Rev. Roger Jones
We've had a good number of people in their 20s and 30s visiting, joining and volunteering here. This often happens as a program-size congregation grows and reaches out. It would be good to bring folks together once and see what ideas and plans can develop. This group is for anyone who has aged out of the Senior High Youth Group and any other UU young adult who seeks to build connections in your age cohort at our spiritual community.
Please e-mail UUSS staff member Miranda Massa or Rev. Roger to let us know your interest in this, plus schedule availability and anything you have to offer (skills, experience, a meeting place, food, etc.). If you are above the ancient age of 34 and you'd like to offer to help in offering this ministry, let me know.
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My Generosity Level
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By Bruce Moulton, UUSS Stewardship Team
 The holiday spirit of giving is here, yet it seems to be more about money than generosity. Giving money is noble but I'm concerned with another kind of benevolence. I take our weekly covenant of giving "Time, Talents and Support" seriously. Yet I'm embarrassed and humbled to admit that I don't always feel truly generous. I can do more to "support" our covenant, especially when I consider how much I have. My personal effort to keep the promise of "Time and Talent" often seems judgmental and calculated. When I look around at our members and others who truly give of themselves freely, I am in awe. Abraham Lincoln probably didn't, but may have said, "I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat [and bird] is not better for it." (My parrot forced me to add "bird.") This is one reason I'm a UU. When I need inspiration, I only have to look around on Sunday and say "hello" and "thanks" to truly generous people who give so much and keep saying yes. I promise to forgive myself for my present self-indulgence and strive to actually "... be a force for healing in the world." "The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away." -Dorothy Day (Time magazine, 12/29/75) |
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In Loving Memory: Upcoming Memorial Services
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By Rev. Roger Jones
Ruth Helen Barr, beloved wife of Roger Barr, was a faithful member of this congregation since 1949. Just shy of her 92nd birthday, Ruth passed away suddenly November 1 while conversing with her daughter Lorry. The Unitarian Universalist Society will hold Ruth's memorial service Saturday, January 3, at 1 p.m., at Sierra Arden Church, 890 Morse Avenue, with her family providing a catered reception. In lieu of flowers, Roger requests that donations in Ruth's memory be made to the UUSS Endowment to which he and Ruth for so many years have been generous donors in memory of other UUSS members.
Michael Reynolds, 74, was our Music Director from 2004-07. He died Dec. 19 after several years of dementia caused by frontal temporal degeneration. We extend our condolences to Marilyn and their three children and five grandchildren. For us he developed a concert series using professional musicians from the broader community and presenting baroque, classical, folk music, and culminating in a full scale production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. He also conducted Chanteuses, the local women's ensemble which includes some UUSS members. For 28 years he was a high school music teacher and choral director in the Alhambra School District.
Mike's memorial service, including much music, will take place Saturday, January 10, at 2:00 p.m., at 890 Morse Ave., with a reception following the service, provided by UUSS volunteers. Please contact Aggie Vawter or call the UUSS Office if you can bring finger foods or help to serve coffee, tea, and punch.
The family invites donations in memory of Mike to the Building Renovation Fund at UUSS or to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Suite 320, 290 King of Prussia Rd., Radnor, PA 19087
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In Memory of Valerie Bass: A Special Concert at CSUS
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By John M. Bass
Sunday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m., the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento will perform a program of 19th and early 20th century music in Capistrano Hall, in the Music Building on the CSUS main campus.
The program will include a memorial tribute to the late Valerie Bass, a long-time, active member of UUSS. She was also a professional harpist with years of varied performing experience-including ten years with the Cleveland Orchestra and five years with the Minnesota Orchestra.
The work to be performed in her honor is called "Introduction and Allegro" by Maurice Ravel. The instrumentation is harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet; and the piece is generally regarded as a bravura mini concerto for the harp! The harpist will be Douglas Rioth, principal harpist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. For ticket pricing and other information, call (916) 681-6578. |
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Sunday Worship Sound System-Welcome Geoff
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Welcome to Geoff Pool, the newest member of our Sunday Sound Board Team! Geoff and Keri Pool are new to Sacramento, but they are not new UUs. He writes: "Keri attended the UU church in Spokane and I attended the UU church in Oak Cliff,TX. We met in NY, married in PA and moved here on October 30. We're very excited to belong to UU Sac and are looking to meet new friends."
Please welcome them both. Please also consider being one of the volunteers to take turns staffing our sound board. It's a great way to support the congregation and is not hard to learn. E-mail Megan Brooks, or see her Sunday, or call the UUSS Office and leave your name and number. Thanks!
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Religious Education at UUSS
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By Miranda Massa, Religious Education (RE) Coordinator
Happy New Year, happy new story sets for our Spirit Play children, happy new shared spiritual practices in our Junior High Youth Group, and happy new deep and meaningful conversations among our Senior High Youth Group. Happy New Year to 2015, the year we are scheduled to return home to UUSS, entering our remodeled sacred place. Happy new smiles and friendships, and happy new memories to make.
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| Tying the Community Together | | |
By Lily Rosenblum, Senior High Youth Group member
Whenever I think about UUism, I think about bringing together.
For me, it's a great way to give to the community. In early January, Ginny Johnson and I will lead two classes of tying fleece blankets together. We will then donate these blankets to Project Linus, which will give them to children, teens and young adults who are less fortunate or to those who are sick. In the end, coming from our different walks of life, we will be tying the community together by tying these blankets and then donating them to those in the community who are in need. |
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Your Advisors' Farewell
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By Liz and Matt Shields, Sr. High Youth Group Advisors
For the last year and a half, we volunteered as adult facilitators for
 the Senior High Youth Group. It is bittersweet to have to step back from our work with SHYG because we will have our hands full with a new baby in January. We were very fortunate to find such a fulfilling way to help serve the UUSS community. The youth in SHYG are a thoughtful and inspiring group, and we left every meeting more impressed with their depth and passion. Our work on Sunday mornings was rewarded with many thought-provoking discussions. Spending time with such dynamic, engaging youth cemented our faith in the future. |
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Many Squares of Thanks!
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By Miranda Massa, Religious Education (RE) Coordinator
A tremendous thanks to all who purchased a carpet square for the Spirit Play room (Room 7/8) back home on Sierra Boulevard. Through your thoughtful donations, we  raised just under $800! Religious Education really appreciates your financial gifts in addition to the generosity of the UUSS Endowment Trust that will be covering the remainder of the cost. We cannot wait to see our new room and share it with you. |
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Re: RE
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By Miranda Massa, Religious Education (RE) Coordinator
- All-Ages Games Night/Potluck at UUSS on Friday, January 9.
 This month's all-ages service on Trees Sunday, January 25. There will be no RE classes on this day, but childcare is staffed in the Nursery for those in Kindergarten and younger. For children attending the service, there will be coloring pages and crayons available at the RE Table that morning.- Can you help by donating felt to Spirit Play? We need pieces 28 inches in diameter, in brown, green, blue and purple.
- Who has experience with leading or participating in a time capsule project? Contact Miranda if this sounds intriguing!
- RE calendar details and other information can be found at http://uuss.org/Groups/RE/index.php
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Religious Education (RE) Calendar, January 2015
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Sunday, January 4
10:00-11:30 Child care available - age 5 and under
10:15-11:30 RE classes/youth groups
Friday, January 9
5:30-8:00 p.m. Games night/potluck at UUSS
Sunday, January 11
10:00-11:30 Child care available - age 5 and under
10:15-11:30 RE classes/youth groups
Friday, January 16 - Sunday, January 18
UUA-PCD Middle School Winter MUUGS Retreat
Sunday, January 18
10:00-11:30 Child care available - age 5 and under
10:15-11:30 RE classes/youth groups
Sunday, January 25
10:00-11:30 Child care available - age 5 and under
10:15-11:30 Service for all ages with a theme of Trees
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Come to Play at Games Night on January 9-All Welcome
| | By Carrie Cornwell
This month's Games Night will occur on Friday evening, January 9, in the Fahs Room. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for those wh o want to gather for a potluck dinner, which we will eat at 6 p.m. Game playing begins at 6:30.
Please join hosts Ginny Johnson, Megan Snyder and Carrie Cornwell for our monthly evening of gaming fun. Games we play include cards, chess, checkers, board games, toddler games, kid games and adult games, including the ever-popular Rummikub. If you're coming, bring your own favorite game and we will play it with you. We've had evenings of Fictionary, Game of Thrones and Apples to Apples.
For more information, call or e-mail Megan Snyder (333-8203 or [email protected]), or, Ginny Johnson (649-0575 or [email protected]) or Carrie Cornwell (442-1637 or [email protected]).
People of all ages are welcome.
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Adult Enrichment Programs
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Course donations: If no fee is listed when an Adult Enrichment class is offered, a freewill donation to UUSS is encouraged for overhead expenses. Rides: If you need a ride or wish to offer a ride to any event, there is a sign-up sheet at the Adult Enrichment table in Pilgrim Hall each Sunday.
Jungian Meditations on Contemporary Spirituality
With Dennis Pottenger, M.A., M.F.T.
Tuesday January 20, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., Fahs Room at UUSS
Suggested donation: $5 to $20 to UUSS
Explore the religious function of the psyche! Traditional concepts of God are no longer tenable for many people who nevertheless experience a strong sense of the sacred in their lives. The theory and practice of Jungian depth psychology offers a psychological model for the understanding of spiritual and religious experience. Following C. G. Jung's map of the soul, the problems of evil and suffering, as well as the notion of human development as an incarnation of spirit within the experience of the individual, are addressed by means of a religious approach to the psyche that can be applied in everyday life. Through PowerPoint presentation, readings and group discussion, this program provides participants with a basic understanding of post-Jungian perspectives on spirituality. Dennis Pottenger is a Jungian-oriented psychotherapist in private practice in Sacramento. To reserve your space, visit the Adult Enrichment table in Pilgrim Hall after Sunday service or contact Sandra Meredith at [email protected]
UU World Magazine Discussion Group
Facilitated by Nancy Lust, Bobby Stewart and Linda Hoganson
A new UUSS group is forming to read and discuss articles which appear in the UUA quarterly magazine UU World. The introductory group will be Thursday, January 15, and it will continue meeting the third Thursday of each month, 1:30 to 3 p.m., through May. Sign up at the UUSS Sunday Adult Enrichment table or send an e-mail to Linda ([email protected]).
Current and archived issues of UUWorld are available on line at http://uuworld.org/index.shtml.
Evening Silent Meditation
With Rev. Roger Jones and Others
6:00 to 6:35 p.m., Wednesdays, January 14, 21 and 28, in Classroom 6
Whether you have not begun mindfulness meditation or if you have practiced for years, we invite you to partake of the support of others in a simple practice of noticing. I'm not a trained teacher, just your host! We'll gather at 6:00 p.m., hear opening words at 6:10 and sit for 20 minutes. This leaves time for choir practice or other evening meetings at UUSS.
UUSS Book Readers-Potluck December 30!
By James Glidden
On December 30, at 7 p.m., in Room 12, the UUSS Book Readers will hold a potluck and decide on the books we will be reading and discussing over the next six months. For more information, contact Jim Glidden at [email protected] or (916) 649-9697. |
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Family Promise-Hosting Homeless Families at Sierra Arden Church
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By Barbara Hopkins
UUSS will co-host Family Promise guest families with Sierra Arden UCC Church December 28 to January 4. We are asking for volunteers to bring part or all of dinner or to stay overnight. For more information please contact Barbara Hopkins at [email protected] or (916) 388-0785.
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Cohousing Community Coming to Fair Oaks
| | By Bob Oyafuso
Interested in earth-friendly community living? Fair Oaks EcoHousing is developing a new 30-home cohousing community in Fair Oaks. EcoHousing allows community members to "tread lightly" on the earth by incorporating a reduced building footprint with highly energy-efficient homes composed of environmentally-friendly building materials in a community that will include gardens, fruit trees and native plants. Cohousing offers a balance of community and privacy by combining private homes with common areas including a clubhouse, workshop and gardens, all actively managed by community members through a group-based decision-making process. The neighborhood's physical design encourages both individual space and social contact. The clubhouse will function as a hub of social activity, including a kitchen and dining area that will serve as a meeting place for common meals, a swimming pool, hot tub and multi-purpose room. The EcoHousing community will be an intergenerational community for both young and old, providing the supportive environment of an old fashioned village. Visit http://www.fairoaksecohousing.org. Contact Bob Oyafuso at [email protected] or (916) 353-0376.
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Theater One in 2015: Lots to Create, See and Enjoy
| | By Lonon Smith
Theater One, still active with its presentations in the Fahs Room, has scheduled its plays for the first half of 2015. First up is three one-act plays by Anton Chekov, directed by Ron Galbreath, with Ron, Lisa Derthick and Bill Wilkins. Lonon Smith's play Getaway Service Guaranteed will be presented in late March and early April at the Ooley Theater on 28th Street, and Theater One's next children's theater production will arrive in May. A yet-to-be-named full-length play will fill out the late spring schedule. Audition notices will be posted in the weekly Blue Sheet, the monthly Unigram, and on line.
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Senior Minister Installation Ceremony - 4:00 p.m., March 8
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By Linda Klein, Board Vice President
 We can look forward the formal installation of our called minister, Roger Jones. Roger has been our settled Senior Minister for a year, we haven't had the ceremony to recognize the bond of covenant and the deep commitment of minister and congregation. If you attended the 2013 ceremony when Roger was installed as Associate Minister, you know what a wonderful occasion it is. Clergy from UU and other denominations come from near and far. They wear their robes, we sing beautiful songs together, and UUSS members rise to ritualize the covenant. It is a spectacular and touching ceremony, affirming the relationship of the congregation and the minister to each other and the larger movement. I hope everyone will attend and be witness to this profound step in our shared ministry. The date for the ceremony is March 8 at 4:00 PM at Sierra Arden Church, reception to follow. The date and time are pending confirmation with the Sierra Arden UCC and may change. Of course, this event won't take place without help. We hope you will volunteer to participate in organizing, funding, and bringing food for this celebration. Soon we'll have signups at Sunday coffee hour and through the Blue Sheet announcements. When you are asked to participate, please say yes to this important ritual for our community. If you can't wait to help, contact a Board member now! Thank you. |
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Holiday Generosity for the Building Renovation
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UUSS has raised nearly $20,000 for the Building Renovation Fund in special year-end holiday gifts. At the December 21 service, our Greeters donned hard hats and then took a special offering in them. Additional donations have been coming in by mail. If you have not yet participated in supporting the project, this is the time! Roger predicts we can hit $30,000 by the end of the year. All checks dated by Dec. 31 will be credited as donations in the 2014 tax year. You may reach Michele Ebler- our Bookkeeper, by email- [email protected] ,or by calling the office this week.
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Church Office Closings in January
| | | The UUSS Church Office located at 2425 Sierra Blvd. will be closed on January 1 for New Years Day and on January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. |
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Serving Our Congregation
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UUSS OFFICERS & BOARD TRUSTEES
Linda Clear, President Linda Klein, Vice-President
Denis Edgren, Treasurer Cathy George, Secretary
Shirley Hines Carol Jacobs
Peter Killian Janet Lopes
Terry Preston
Contact Board members by email: [email protected]
PROGRAM COUNCIL
JoAnn Anglin Meg Burnett Sandra Meredith
Lisa Derthick Deirdre Downes Diane Kelly-Abrams Chris Gerwig
Contact Program Council members by email: [email protected]
CHURCH STAFF
Rev. Roger Jones, Senior Minister
Rev. Lucy Bunch, Assistant Minister
Stanton Vedell, Communications and Facilities Coordinator
Michele Ebler, Bookkeeper * Elaine Cooper, Receptionist
Miranda Massa, Religious Education Coordinator
Annie Green, Rebekah Chester, Childcare Providers
Aaron Molina and Miguel Neri, Weekend Custodians
Ricardo Sanchez, Weekday Custodian and Maintenance Technician
Ina June, Choir Accompanist
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