The Unigram

Newsletter for March 2018

Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento
2425 Sierra Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95825
Office (916) 483-9283
A MONTH OF SUNDAYS
Upcoming Services
March 4: Our 150th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff Sunday

Reinventing Unitarian Universalism:  
Sacramento's Sesquicentennial and Beyond  
Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie, Sesquicentennial Keynote Speaker with Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, Rev. Lucy Bunch; Worship Associate Ginny Johnson; Music Director Keith Atwater and Special Music. 
Establishing liberal religion in California, far from its New England roots, presented both challenges and opportunities to those brave souls in the capital city. This creative reinvention of Unitarian Universalism says a lot about our past, but also suggests directions for the future of our living tradition as well. 

Lunch served between the service and forum.

12:00 Forum: 
Pirates, Puritans and Prophets on the Pacific Coast: 
Explorations in Unitarian Universalist Identity
Dr. Susan Ritchie explores some of the most pervasive themes in Unitarian Universalist Identity, stopping to elucidate the unique experience of the Pacific Coast in relationship to the questions that forged our living tradition.  Questions and conversation after the talk.    Dr. Ritchie's visit is sponsored by the Dr. Betty Ch'maj Events Fund at UUSS.

About Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie, Our Sesquicentennial Keystone Speaker

We are fortunate to have an amazing scholar, beloved professor, and enchanting storyteller to launch our celebration of 150 years of liberal religion in Sacramento. Rev. Susan Ritchie, who holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University, has served the UU church in Lewis Center, Ohio, since 1991. She is founder and director of the UU House of Studies at Methodist Theological Seminary of Ohio. She served six years on the Board of the Unitarian Universalist Association, including in the office of Secretary, and has written a book on the early kinship of Unitarianism with Islam and Judaism in Europe. Susan enjoys family time with her spouse of 26 years, anthropomorphizing their pets, hiking, home repairs, and ridiculously ambitious gourmet cooking. Don't miss the chance to meet her.
Her visit is sponsored by the fund named for Dr. Betty Ch'maj, a UUSS member, activist, and professor who launched the American Studies program at CSU-Sacramento. She died in 1998. Her son John held a piano jazz recital here in December.

March 11: Worth and Dignity 
Rev. Lucy Bunch preaching, with Rev. Dr. Roger Jones;  Worship Associate Jim Eastman; UUSS choir; Music Director Keith Atwater; Accompanist Ina Jun.
2nd Sunday: Candles of Sorrow and Celebration 
Our first principle calls us to to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  This Sunday we will explore these concepts and learn how to put them into practice in our daily lives. 
Mark Your Calendar to "Spring Forward" or be late to church!

Soup Sunday after the service.
Parents of UUSS Youth Meeting--conversation with Rev. Roger 9:30-10:10 a.m.
Sunday Morning Spiritual Practice: Tai Chi and Chi Quong at 9:45 a.m.

March 18:  Service for All Ages
Rev. Lucy Bunch and Rev. Dr. Roger D. Jones; 
Worship Associates Larry Boles and Laura Sheperd
UUSS Choir with Music Director Keith Atwater and Accompanist Ina Jun  
Celebration of March Birthdays
New Member Welcome Ritual

Spring is upon us. Light and dark are in balance at this time of the vernal Equinox. Let's come together as a community to celebrate the possibility of new growth to come.
Exploring UUism: Our Principles and Sources at 9:30 a.m. in the Fahs Room.
Sunday Morning Spiritual Practice: Silent Meditation in room 6 at 9:45 a.m.

March 25: 
Presence, Power, and Possibility:
Women in Religious History, including Ours!

Rev. Dr. Roger D. Jones, preaching; Worship Associate Ginny Johnson; special music
4th Sunday: Milestones: Joys and Sorrows in worship; Newcomer Orientation 12:00-1:00

Despite the challenges of discrimination and exclusion, "American religious history is women's history," says scholar Ann Braude. Come hear stories of the transforming work of women in our Unitarian and Universalist heritage, especially at UUSS.
4 th Sunday Spiritual Practice: reading, reflecting on poetry or prose in Room 6: 9:45 a.m.

April 1: Easter: Foolish Hope?
Rev. Dr. Roger D. Jones, preaching; Rev. Lucy Bunch; Worship Associate Jess Reynolds; 
Music Director Keith Atwater; special music on trumpet, piano, and organ.
Auction Jubilee advance bidding after the service. Easter hunt for Religious Education kids.
Fear, grief, unrest, and injustice weigh people down. The world is a dangerous place and the future looks uncertain at best. In 2018, you may or may not think this, but that was the state of things 2,000 years ago among the followers of Jesus in a brutal empire's province of Palestine. How could hope spring up there? We promise you will depart with a new perspective today-maybe even hope!
Shared Offering Recipient this Month
Every month we give half of the Sunday service offering to a local not-for-profit group.  UUSS members vote every year to choose 12 community partners that embody our values and reflect our mission to be a force for healing in the world. In January, we contributed  $2,042 to  Family Promise of Sacramento. 

Our March Sunday offerings will be shared with Children's Receiving Home.
FROM YOUR MINISTERS
Senior Minister's Message: This is the Moment
This is the moment. As our congregation marks its 150 th anniversary, our presence, vision, and values are needed more than they ever have been. Pledging our financial support is the moment we come together to fund our mission and to power our commitment to love, justice, and healing.
 
Your generosity supports our ministers and staff members, ensures the quality of Sunday services and Religious Education programs, and sustains the many activities that bring us together to deepen our lives and be a force for healing in the world. Your giving brings more beauty, vitality, joy, and possibility into our community.
 
Rev. Lucy and I both have raised our personal pledges for the 2018-19 budget year, and we invite you to step forward with us. Each one of us gives 10 percent of yearly gross income to organizations that embody our values and commitments. UUSS is at the top of the list, so I'm giving 6.3 percent of my yearly gross income to the congregation. My monthly pledge to our shared mission at UUSS will be $440 per month.
 
Monthly pledging is the most powerful way to support UUSS. Please know that all pledges and gifts are valued and appreciated. As you pledge, please consider the value of a strong Unitarian Universalist presence in your life and in our world. Thank you for being here. Thank you for the power of your generosity.
 
Whatever amount you choose, I invite you to consider making the most generous pledge you ever have. This is the moment.
 
Yours in service,
Rev. Dr. Roger D. Jones, Senior Minister
 
P.S.: Don't miss Treasure Island on our stage, opening March 3 . See you there! And don't miss our 150 th Anniversary Keynote Events at 10:30 and 12:00 noon on March 4! 
Where's Rev. Roger in March?
Let's make an appointment! I am presenting a paper at a clergy study group retreat March 6 to 8. Otherwise, I'm at UUSS on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, and either Monday or Tuesday late afternoon. My office hours vary in March, as I teach a Monday class on church administration, through April, at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley.   Read about it here .
Assistant Minister's Message:
Reflecting on Privilege
Last month we began our third annual offering of Beloved Conversations, an eight-session program that explores the spiritual and intellectual dimensions of racism in our lives. Twenty members of our community have taken part in this program; another nine new folks started last month. In addition, several people in our community are participating with Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) -- a program for white allies of people of color. Others among us are reading, talking, and attending our social justice movie night to learn and grow. Understanding white privilege and confronting racism is part of deepening our lives and being a force for healing in the world.    
 
I had a reminder about white privilege last month after a sermon I preached on Rev. Thomas Starr King.
 
Starr King was an inspiring person who was a major player in saving California from joining the Confederacy during the Civil War. I spoke about the challenges he faced in his life, and gifts that he had been given. Though he was not formally educated, and was physically small and sickly, he had a brilliant mind and oratory skills. On my way home from the service, reflecting on his gifts, I realized that I missed one of the most significant gifts that he had for a man living in the mid-19 th century: he was white. Had Starr King been born African American in the mid-19 th century, he likely would have been a slave. It is quite possible that all of his brilliance and skill would have been suppressed.
 
I am not surprised that I didn't think of his whiteness as a benefit. It didn't occur to me. The way that our culture of whiteness operates, we consider being white the norm, so it would not naturally occur to me what his life would have been like had he been African American back then. But I felt a bit sad and frustrated that I had not thought to include that point in my sermon. It could have resonated with people of color in our congregation and helped them to feel that they are not invisible. I was disappointed that I missed an opportunity to raise awareness of the white male privilege of that century.
 
This recognition is just one step on my own path of awareness of white privilege. We are all on a path. My hope is that we are on that path together. Over the next few months we will have opportunities to continue to learn and grow.
Here are a few:
 
  • UUSS is in partnership with SURJ -- Showing Up for Racial Justice, the white allies for Black Lives Matter Sacramento. On March 19 we are co-sponsoring a talk by Karen Branon on her book, The Family Tree (see more information, below).  
  • In April I will offer two discussion sessions on the book, Waking Up White, by Debby Irving.    Stay tuned for details soon. 
  • Also, stay tuned for more information about a workshop this spring on white privilege, co-sponsored with some of our interfaith partners.
Toward the end of her book, Debby Irving asks, "How can racism possibly be dismantled until white people, lots and lots of white people, understand it as an unfair system, get in touch with the subtle stories and stereotypes that play in their heads, and see themselves not as good or bad, but as players in the system?"   
 
Please come and learn and grow with me.

Yours in love and commitment,
Where's Lucy in March?
My regular office hours are T-W-Th afternoons. You are welcome to visit. Please call or e-mail before you come so I can be sure to be available.
Music Director's Message
Our Music Program
By Music Director Keith Atwater

I write this while at a Celtic spirituality retreat, so words like "blessed" and "healing ministry" are sneaking into my message!

UUSS is blessed indeed to have many gifted and dedicated musicians. The accompanying photo (L to R: Mary Blanchette, Ina Jun, Keith Atwater, and Tom Voigt) summarizes all that we do: ministering through the music of choir, vocal ensembles, keyboards, violin, cello, bass, drums, guitars, brass, and more! Many of you have shared with me how the music touches you deeply and nourishes your spirits.

All this is possible through your generosity, and I'm deeply grateful for your support of UUSS as together we strive to be "a force for healing in our world."
Pastoral Concerns and Prayers
We express our sadness at the passing of Ron Galbreath, a UUSS member and active participant on our Theater One program.  Many of us remember  Ron's outstanding performances and his earlier days in the Choir. We extend our sympathies to his daughters Heather and Lynne and family.  

We also extend our healing wishes to member Susan Lange, chair of our Immigrant Justice program and a UU Faithful Friends visitor of ICE detainees at the county jail. She suffered a fracture and is healing at home. Our love and care go to Ernest Perez and his wife, Sandra Meredith. He was hospitalized after a stroke but is now home and healing well. We send our love also to member John Bernier who has returned to his home at Carlton after convalescing at an Eskaton rehab facility. 
 
We extend condolences to Gayle Voeller's family and friends on her passing; she leaves behind three children. Gayle was known for the Betty Nash Memorial Crafts Table she hosted after church a few times a year.  Her service will be announced in the Blue Sheet. We extend our healing wishes and prayers to our member Dennis Hubbard, spouse of Elizabeth Pataki. He broke his neck in a fall and has been having complications recently, but is relieved that he does not need neurosurgery.   We extend healing wishes to our member (and Sesquicentennial Events Chair) Sandra Navarro, who broke her arm and is home to keep it immobilized, and to her husband, David, who suffered injuries in a fall as well. We extend healing wishes, too, to UUSS Board Secretary Victoria Owens, after her emergency gall bladder surgery in February. Victoria welcomes calls...or casseroles!  We extend healing wishes to Nominating Committee member and Racial Justice leader Sarah Turner who was hit by a car as she and Joseph left a restaurant; no broken bones but a physically and emotionally jarring experience.   Welcome back to member Judy Morrison and her partner, Glenn Waters. Judy fell and spent a month in a rehab facility. Former member Roger Barr survived a severe influenza and is now in assisted living in Ventura. Several members have suffered from colds and flu in recent weeks! Please take care, wash your hands, and get enough rest. If you have pastoral notes to add, or are interested in serving as a volunteer Pastoral Minister, let Rev. Roger know.
FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP
President's Message
Our primary UUSS governance documents are our Constitution and our Bylaws. The Constitution was ratified with amendments in May 1997; our Bylaws were adopted in October 1997. Both documents have been amended multiple times. You may even have participated in the vote at the May 2012 Congregational Meeting when we approved the most recent amendments to our Constitution. Changes to the Bylaws, most recently amended in May 2017, do not require approval by the Congregation.
 
Last fall, the Board recognized that both documents had inconsistencies and were outdated. Board members Denis Edgren and Roger Olson volunteered to lead us in reviewing and discussing needed changes to these documents. This may sound like a rather boring job, but we are actually having a good time debating the changes. We dedicate part of each Board meeting to discussing proposed changes and the rationale behind selected sections of the documents. We expect to present our recommended changes to you at our May Congregational meeting for your approval.
 
Each year, in anticipation of our annual Stewardship Campaign, Board members discuss congregational priorities for the coming year and establish a financial goal for the Campaign. The Board, with input from the Finance Committee, has set that goal for this year. At our February meeting, individual trustees submitted a pledge form representing their personal pledges. We each have our own story behind our thoughts about pledging.
 
As a child, I knew that my parents were very serious about pledging annually to our local, small-town Presbyterian church. As my life moved on, church and pledging became events of the past. My husband's heritage includes a French-Canadian, Catholic farming family that struggled hugely to meet the demanded tithe, regardless of the need for food and shelter. When we discovered UUSS, we found a truly meaningful spiritual home that we were committed to supporting. But pledging? Yes, we do pledge. We are grateful to be part of a community that does indeed "deepen our lives" and helps us contribute to being "a force for healing in the world."

Margaret Wilcox, Board President
2018-2019 Stewardship Campaign:

Powering Our Commitment to Love, Justice, and Healing
Bobbie Keill & Janet Lopes, Co-Chairs
On Sunday, February 25, we celebrated the Kickoff for our annual Stewardship Campaign. We heard from UUSS members why they are part of this faith community and why they pledge. You have also received a pledge letter with a pledge card in the mail. It is now time to reflect on what your part will be in supporting the work and life of our church. Please complete the pledge card and return it to the church office or drop it in the receptacle at the Stewardship Table on Sundays in the Welcome Hall.
 
As members and friends of UUSS, we are the sole source of revenues to support our lay staff and ministers, our worship services, grounds, and programs. There are no subsidies or outside grants and definitely no federal funding to rely on!
 
On Sundays, we come together to Power our Commitment to Love, Justice, and Healing through the centering and soul-stirring music of our choir, gifted pianist Ina Jun, and special guest musicians, under the inspiring leadership of Keith Atwater. 

Recently many of us were moved to tears by the choir's performance of "The Last Leviathan," an anthem to honor the great whales and our oceans, complete with whale songs. Our pledges make our music program possible.
 
We are inspired, nourished, and challenged by the sermons of our two beloved ministers, and by a service that is thoughtfully and flawlessly executed by a large volunteer worship committee and our dedicated behind-the-scenes office and AV staff. Our pledges make all this possible, too. They allow us to remain viable, vibrant, and growing, to be "a force for healing in the world."
 
Please complete your pledge card before March 18. All pledges make a difference! 
We invite you to visit the Stewardship Table in the Welcome Hall and look at the poster collage that captures us at work and play.  Do you have any questions?  Please read our Stewardship Web Page or contact Committee Co-Chair Bobbie Keill. Thank you!
Annual Election of Officers and Other Lay Leaders
By Eric Ross
The annual election of UUSS officers is on May 20. Your Nominating Committee is working to provide you a strong slate of candidates. We will announce the candidates in the April Unigram and will provide the congregation an opportunity to meet them on May 6. If you would like to take advantage of the alternate process for selecting candidates, you may become a write-in candidate by submitting a petition -- signed by five (5) percent of the church membership -- to the Board President by April 15. For further information about this process or about the responsibilities of officers and other lay leaders who will be candidates, contact any of the members of the Nominating Committee, or e-mail nominating@uuss.org .
Nominating Committee Members
John Abbott       Lauren Davis-Todd         David Libby           Eric Ross
Kathy Styc         Sarah Turner                 Glory Wicklund
Auction Jubilee: Dinner, Service Auction, Raffle and Fun!

Auction Jubilee
Saturday, April 14, 2018        
5:00 to 8:00 pm
 
Thanks to those of you who have already submitted your donation forms for Auction Jubilee, the silent auction, live auction, raffle, and dinner on April 14. In order for this fundraiser to be successful, we need your support! Here's your chance to join with friends, meet new people, eat well, have fun, and contribute to UUSS by submitting and bidding on wonderful items that will support our budget.
 
Tickets for the Mediterranean dinner go on sale March 4. They are $20 per person, $5 for kids 10 and under. The number of tickets is limited, so buy them early!
 
Please help us by donating a service, item, or event, or soliciting donations for our raffle from your favorite retailers or restaurants. Our very popular Cake Walk is back this year, so you bakers can show off your skills and donate a cake or other fancy dessert. Get a form from the church office or donate on line at www.uuss.org/auction. You can also get personal attention from a donation consultant on Sundays after church.
 
Remember: Dinner tickets go on sale March 4. Donations  for the service auction will be accepted until March 25 at this link. Pre-bidding begins April 1.
 
This is a family event, and child care will be provided. We encourage children and youth to donate services or items. Join the fun in this 150 th anniversary year and support UUSS!
Force for the Future (Strategic Planning) Update
Our Force for the Future strategic planning team is busy analyzing and integrating the input on our preliminary goals and objectives. We gained wonderful feedback from the Listening Sessions, from e-mails to the team, and from our ministers -- Rev. Dr. Roger and Rev. Lucy, and from our Emeritus Minister, Rev. Doug. Many thanks to all of you!
 
Our goal is to finalize the revised goals and objectives by early March. We look forward to sharing with you this exciting vision of where we are heading over the next five years. How to find the revised plan? We expect to publish it in the April Unigram, to have copies available on Sundays, and to hold Forums where we can all discuss our vision for our future.
 
At the Spring Congregational Meeting on May 20, we vote on the new Strategic Plan's goals and objectives. The Force for the Future team will then begin working with specific teams and committees to identify actions that we will take to implement the plan.
 
Do you have questions, ideas, or concerns? You can e-mail forceforthefuture@uuss.org or chat with a team member: Carrie Cornwell, Carl Gardner, Karen Gunderson, Marion Randall, or Shannon Williams.
It's LIVE: UUSS Between Sundays Facebook Page for Members and Friends.

UUSS Between Sundays is live on Facebook

Are you on Facebook? Have you joined our UUSS page UUSS Between Sundays?
 
This closed group is our inward-facing Facebook presence. Any member or pledging friend who joins the group can make a post that shows up in the main group feed.
The primary purposes of this communal space are to:
 
  • share meaningful things happening in your life, such as the birth of a child, a new job, or moving plans. For general items or political posts please use your personal Facebook page.
  • post events happening in the church and the larger community that may be of interest to our members, such as promoting a concert, inviting other UUSS folks on an outing, arranging a ride, suggesting movies, books, and enriching activities within or beyond the congregation.
  • post notices about items for sale or rent, give-aways, or opportunities of interest to UUSS members and friends, such as a room for rent or car for sale. This is not a place to post sales pitches for a business on a regular basis, though it is appropriate to post general information about your business or a service that you offer.      
Posts are expected to be in line with our mission, vision, and UU Principles. The ministers, web master, and volunteer members serve as moderators for all content shared in the group.  All members and pledging friends are welcome to participate. In order to do so, search Facebook for UUSS Between Sundays , then request permission to join. Our moderators will approve all members and pledging friends.  
 
We hope this page will spark greater communication and connection at UUSS.
JUSTICE WORK
First Thursday Social Justice Movie Night
Come see this month's film Thursday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m
Sponsored by Immigrant Justice and Faithful Friends
 
The Visitor is an American  drama  film ... "that focuses on a lonely man in late middle age whose life changes when he is forced to face issues relating to   identity ,   immigration , and  cross-cultural communication  in post- 9/11   New York City ." Join us in the Welcome Hall by 6:30!
Book Discussion with Author Karen Branan
Author Presentation - Karen Branan, Author of The Family Tree
March 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Hall
Co-Sponsored by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
 
In this compelling historical narrative, journalist Karen tells the story of her great grandfather, a sheriff in Georgia who sanctioned the lynching of four African American men who were innocent of murder. Come hear her share this deeply personal narrative of her family and community history. Learn more at karenbranan.com .

UUSS Interfaith Earth Justice (IEJ) Committee
Showing Up for Justice!
A Force for Healing in the World
Sacramento ACT; Environmental Justice
Currently, as part of the Sacramento Area Congregations Together, Environmental Justice Committee, our work is on the upcoming County Environmental Justice General Plan amendment. As such, the focus is to listen to and work with four County Environmental Justice Communities (South Sacramento, Vineyard, Arden-Arcade, and North Highlands) to identify issues of concern, then see how the County can address these concerns at the General Plan level.
In addition, Committee members are developing written comments and plan to speak at meetings of the County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. If you would like to participate in this work, you are welcome to attend our Sacramento ACT Environmental Justice Committee meetings, the third Tuesday of each month in the UUSS library, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Our next meeting is March 20.
 
Easy 100 Percent Renewable Home Energy.
Sign up for Greenergy! In this SMUD program, people voluntarily pay $3 per month for 50 percent of their energy to come from renewable sources, or $6 per month for 100 percent. Signing up shows SMUD that people are willing to pay a bit more for renewable energy. SMUD then has to increase their portfolio of renewable energy. Although they probably buy offsets to meet the immediate demand, it makes them put more renewables into play in the longer term.
You can sign up on-line at https://www.smud.org/en/Going-Green/Get-Green-Energy/Residential. If you put 350 Sacramento in the promotional code when you sign up, this local climate change action group gets credit and some money to support their important work.
 
Professor Tom Suchanek spoke about climate change at UUSS in November. He recommended that we support 350 Sacramento. This is a great way to do it! We're sharing this Greenergy opportunity with other Sacramento faith groups to magnify our impact.
  If you have questions or ideas for projects or activities, please contact us at interfaithearth@uuss.org .
 
ADULT ENRICHMENT
Meditation and Spiritual Deepening

Meditation and Discernment:
Twin Arts for the Mindful Navigation of Life

A Saturday Retreat
 
With Rev. David Scheuneman, UU Spiritual Director
Hosted by Rev. Dr. Roger Jones at 2425 Sierra Blvd.
 
Saturday, March 10, 2018, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
 
Arrival, coffee and tea at 8:15 a.m., The program starts at 8:45 sharp
Graceful exits provided if you need to leave early
 
Meditation and discernment are both arts of attention :
    • Meditation attends to the present moment.
    • Discernment attends to our sense of life's calling to us.
    • When cultivated together, they are mutually supportive and empowering.
    • This gathering examines and practices both.
    • There will be presentation, discussion, and silent sitting times.
    • Register at the Connections Table after service or adultenrichment@uuss.org.
 
Coffee/tea/snacks and Program Fee: $25 per adult, $4 per teen - light lunch provided
Donation to Support David's Ministry: Freewill donation as a supplement to the fee
 
This is Rev. Dave's third yearly visit to UUSS for a Saturday retreat.
A third-generation UU, he is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School, where he led meditation for his classmates, including Roger Jones.    He has taught meditation for 25 years, with training from several sources, including Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, and Centering Prayer. Since 2005, he has also had a thriving ministry with youth and young adults on Star Island, the UU conference center off the New Hampshire coast.
Rev. Dave Scheuneman


 








New Class Offering: Spirit in Practice
 
Starts Thursday, March 15, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at UUSS.
Our spiritual practice is not prescribed for us by our Unitarian Universalist tradition, yet many of us feel the lack of some spiritual discipline that lets us connect with the Sacred, the Holy, or our own inner wisdom. Others of us are simply curious about what kinds of spiritual practices are available to us as rational, questioning religious liberals.
 
This class will explore various ways that we can enter into a deeper relationship with our Ground of Being through the gateways of mind, body, and spirit, and how such a connection may nurture us in our daily lives and pursuit of Beloved Community.
 
Classes will balance discussion and opportunities for hands-on experimentation with practices such as prayer, moving meditation, and artistic play. We will use a curriculum developed by the Rev. Eric Walker Wikstrom, but we will be flexible. Class members will help determine how we spend our time, based on their interests, and we may choose to return to some practices to explore in more depth. We welcome people of any religious background or none, on any spiritual path. A belief in God is not a requirement; an open mind and a sincere but playful curiosity about what fascinates and moves us, on the other hand, will enrich us all.
 
Classes will meet on first and third Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m., beginning March 15, and will continue for ten sessions. The Rev. Martha Hodges will facilitate. There is no required text and no class fee, though members will be asked to contribute to the cost of materials as they are needed. You will be asked to commit to regular attendance. Register at the Adult Enrichment table in the Welcome Hall following Sunday services. Feel free to call Martha at (530) 444-0277 if you have questions.
 
New Class Offering starts March 22, 7:00-9:00 p.m.: 
"Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals"
 
UUSS members and friends of any religious background - or none at all - are invited to join this "way in" to understanding the complex territory that is the Bible. Not a fan of the Bible? In the words of the Rev. John Buehrens: "Oppressive interpretations of the Bible do kill, literally... Massive injustice has been and continues to be done in the name of the Bible... Meanwhile, the Bible is also about the beauty and goodness of creation itself, about the ancient human struggle for freedom and liberation; about frustration with violence and injustice... and about experiences of exultation, expectation, and inspiration that can sustain the human quest for wisdom, justice, and peace." What is indisputable is this book's pervasive influence on our culture. Join the conversation. Decide for yourself what these ancient texts say to you.
 
In addition to using John Buehrens' book, we will use a study guide by the Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones. Class members will complete readings in between meetings. The text costs $18, payable on registering for the class. (Inability to pay need not prevent you from participating. Speak to one of the ministers if cost is an issue.) We will also read chapters from the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. If you own a Bible, great! If not, many versions are available on line at no cost, and we have copies in the RE Office.
 
We will meet on second and fourth Thursday evenings, 7 to 9 p.m., beginning March 22. Class members are asked to attend all meetings. The first five sessions will be devoted to the Hebrew Bible (i.e., the Old Testament); the remaining four sessions will cover the New Testament. Rev. Martha Hodges, a member of UUSS and a naturalistic humanist by persuasion, will facilitate the class. Register at the Adult Enrichment table in the Welcome Hall after Sunday service. Call Martha at (530) 444-0277 if you have questions.

UUSS Book Readers

On Tuesday, March 27, the UUSS Book Readers will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the UUSS Library/Bookstore to discuss The Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson. For more information, contact Jim Glidden.
Second Tuesday TED Talk
Topic: "The Budding Science of Plant Behavior"
March 13, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., UUSS Welcome Hall
 
Plants may be more like animals than we thought. 
New research yields evidence that plants can learn, remember, and communicate. Really?
 
Join Tiffany Urness for viewing and discussion.
Sunday Morning Spiritual Practices
Every Sunday before church we offer a different form of spiritual practice.  They start at 9:45 and go until 10:15 so you won't be late for the service.  Childcare is available, no reservation needed. You can drop off your child in the Room 11 Nursery as early as 9:30.
 
Here's the line-up:
1st Sunday - Labyrinth Walk. This session starts with an introduction to help you get the most out of your experience.   Come experience this ancient form of walking meditation.  Meet us at the Labyrinth.
 
2nd Sunday - QiGong and Tai Chi Chuan in the Fahs Room.  Join John MacMillan and experience a taste of this transforming practice.  
 
3rd Sunday - Silent Meditation in Room 6 . Need some silence in your week? Our wonderful team of meditation leaders will help you settle into a quiet time and space.
 
4th Sunday - Reading and Reflection on Poetry and Prose in Room 6.
JoAnn Anglin - a wonderful poet herself - leads this spiritual deepening practice of finding your meaning in a piece of poetry and sharing your thought with others.  
Exploring Unitarian Universalism --3rd Sunday of the Month
This month:  March 18 at 9:30 a.m.  "Principles & Sources of Our Tradition"
 
Join us every third Sunday of the month before the service for "Exploring Unitarian Universalism."  There are four different 45-minute sessions offered consecutively:
  • Principles and Sources
  • Faith
  • Social Justice
  • UU History
Both newcomers and long-time members are welcome.  Each class includes some presentation, sharing by current members, and opportunity for small group discussion.  
More Things to Know and Do
"Treasure Island" on our UUSS Stage--Opens Saturday

Theater One  sails again with a full boatloa d of pirates.  A new version of  Treasure Island  is sneaking up river this March to UUSS.  Rewritten by Lonon Smith and featuring our very own Taylor Lewis as Long John Silver, this new Treasure Island is sure to please. Opening night is this Saturday, March 3, at 8:00 p.m., continuing Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 and Sundays at 2:00.  See great pics and read more at this link.  NOTE:  This adaptation is rated PG-13.
UU's Go to the Movies!
Let's go to the movies once a month on a Saturday afternoon!

Then how about a chat after the movie? If interested, call (916) 747-7438, or e-mail movie outing coordinator  Claudia Desmangles .  

March Art Exhibit: Watercolor Flowers Galore
Our next art exhibit will feature Suong "Sunny" Thomas and her friend Take Gunter, both watercolor artists. The reception is Friday, March 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the exhibit will run through May 22.
 
Suong's paintings show her deep emotional attachment to flowers. An avid gardener, she feels a close affinity with each flower as it develops. Her favorite paintings convey a sense of flowers in motion, almost dancing. The bright colors express the life and beauty in the flowers she loves.   Take Gunter, a newcomer to watercolor painting, has been a porcelain painter for years. With the encouragement of her friend Sunny, she started watercolor painting in June 2017. She is fascinated with the soft, almost transparent colors that watercolors produce. Take is excited to participate in this exhibit.
March Alliance Program: Japan!
All are invited to visit beautiful traditional Japan with Karen Tarp and Eric Ross on Thursday, March 8 at the monthly Alliance meeting. They spent several weeks touring old Japan, spending time in homes, and visiting Buddhist temples. They also stayed in east Tokyo and near Mt. Fuji. Their whole experience was fascinating, sometimes spiritual, and fun. They will share many of their pictures and recollections with us. Alliance meets at 10:45-12:00. Light refreshments are served. A $3 donation is appreciated.
UUSS Talent in Local Theater
In addition to the March 3 opening  Treasure Island production starring Taylor Lewis on our Theater One stage at UUSS, some of our members participate in local theater productions.
Irwin Rosenblum's original dramatic play, Family Cabins, will be staged as the first full production at a local park district's Howe Avenue Theater, 2201 Cottage Way. Ticket sales benefit the local chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness. Shows are scheduled on three weekends, Friday nights to Sunday afternoons through March 10, plus 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 8. Read more at https://www.familycabinsplay.com .
Sage-ing Circle Workshop

Sage-ing Circle Workshop
Second Sundays, 12:15 - 2:30
UUSS Fahs Roo m
March 11, April 8, May 13

Elders, or soon-to-be elders, will explore the conscious-aging movement, harvest wisdom from their lives, and find meaning in their lives' legacy. Discussion based. Free. Please RSVP to Judy Bell judybell9a@comcast.net or sign up at the Adult Enrichment Table on Sundays.
Please attend the March 11 session if you plan to attend sessions in later months.
Facilitator Kate Raymond is a UU Spiritual Director, UU Community Lay Minister, a member of the UU Church of Davis and intern for Sage-ing International.

CUUPS Equinox Celebration 
Saturday, March 17, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
 
Come out on St. Patrick's Day for the UUSS CUUPs annual seasonal celebration for the spring (vernal) equinox. We will have the indoor canvas labyrinth available for walking meditation at 3 p.m., then celebration at 4 p.m. and pot luck at 5 p.m. Diane Kelly-Abrams, retired American River College art history professor, will speak on goddess figures in ancient history. This event is free (donations gratefully accepted)and open to all.  Need more information? E-mail  Laurie Jones  or call (916) 490-2714 .
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)
Miranda Massa, RE Coordinator
Our Religious Education
Your Generosity
 
How do we continue to sustain Religious Education at UUSS? By you! Your financial contributions provide the programming our children and youth experience. Your generous gifts allow curricula, resources, art supplies, and craft materials to be purchased. Your monetary donations provide the funds to pay the nursery staff that keep tender care of the infants and toddlers that come on Sunday mornings. With you we can send volunteers to weekend trainings to obtain the valuable knowledge we offer in programs such as Our Whole Lives. Thank you for caring about RE. We appreciate your generosity more than we can express.
 
Want to learn more about ways to contribute, volunteer options, or about our programs in general? Contact Religious Education Coordinator, Miranda at re@uuss.org .
Spirit Play Movie--Extended Session, Sunday March 4 
Spirit Play will be watching the movie "Ferdinand" in the Fahs Room on March 4. The movie will start at the beginning of service and it will last for about 1 hour, 50 min. Lunch will be served. For Spirit Play on March 4: Please take Spirit Players directly to the Fahs Room before service. Pillows, blankets, and/or sleeping bags are encouraged. 
 
Summer Sunday Art Call! - Come Help and Join the Fun!
Have you experienced the creativity that emerges every summer at UUSS? RE offers Summer ArtWorks during the months of June, July, and August. We need artists, musicians, creative people, and fun folks to lead artistic classes. Let's plan for some summer fun!
Family Potluck March 10!
ARE YOU A UUSS FAMILY WITH 
SPIRIT PLAY-AGE CHILDREN

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN STRENGTHENING YOUR CONNECTION TO OTHER UUSS FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN?

JOIN OUR FAMILY FOR A POTLUCK/PLAYDATE AT OUR 
HOME SATURDAY, MARCH 10!

Date/Time:  Saturday, March 10,  4-7pm

Location: The home of Julie, David, Kyle (7) and Ella (4)

What to Bring: a main dish, salad, side dish or dessert AND your favorite drink to share

RSVP: Text, call or email Julie Rinard at 650-773-3490 or rinard.julie@gmail.com -- please let us know what you plan to bring.

Feel free to stop by anytime. We look forward to spending time with you and your family!  
Re: RE

  • Miranda will be away on Sunday, March 25. 
  • Middle School UU Gatherings (MUUGs) Spring Retreat: March 16 to 18 hosted by the UU Church in Livermore. More information here.
  • Sunday, March 18 is our all ages service.
  • Sunday, March 25 Kids' Freedom Club meeting 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Room 6. New members always welcome. E-mail freedom@uuss.org for more information.
  • Sundays, March 4 at 9:45 and March 11 at 9:30--meeting for parents of junior and senior high youth before church; Rev. Roger attends March 11 (note earlier start)
  • The Nursery in Room 11 is open every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for parents attending Sunday Morning Spiritual Practices.
  • RSVP if you need child care on April 14, the night of the JJubilee Auction and Dinner. E-mail your RSVP or your questions to re@uuss.org by April 7.
Religious Education (RE) Calendar, March 2018
Sunday, March 4
9:30-12:00      Child care
9:45-10:30      Parents of Youth ~ Coffee & Conversation 
10:30-12:30    Spirit Play, extended for movie showing & lunch 
10:00-12:00    Our Whole Lives grades 7-8-9

Sunday, March 11
9:30-12:00      Child care 
9:30-10:15     Parents of Youth ~ Coffee & Conversation 
10:30-11:45    Spirit Play
10:00-12:00    Our Whole Lives grades 7-8-9

Sunday, March 18
9:30-12:00      Nursery Care in Room 11
10:30-11:45    All Ages Service, no RE Program

Sunday, March 25
9:30-12:00      Child care
10:30-11:30    Spirit Play, JHYG, SHYG 
11:30-12:30    Kids' Freedom Club
WHO WE ARE AND WHERE TO FIND US
Office Hours & March Holidays 
The UUSS office is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  
The UUSS office will be closed:
Friday, March 30 (Caesar Chavez Day)
Serving Our Congregation
                                                         UUSS OFFICERS & BOARD of TRUSTEES

          Margaret Wilcox, President            Denis Edgren,  Vice-President
          Gordon Gerwig, Treasurer              Victoria Owens, Secretary
          Kathy Bernard                                   Carl Crain 
          Carl Gardner                                       Sally White
          Roger Olson                                        Annika Lawson, Youth Trustee
          Contact Board members by email:  president@uuss.org
          Board meetings:  7:00 p.m., 4th Thursday of the month (exception on November 30)
 
                                                           PROGRAM COUNCIL

        Marian Ashe                                      Linda Roth    
        Patty Budding                                     Deirdre Downes (Chair)
Tamara Olson                         
        Contact Program Council members by email:  programcouncil@uuss.org
        Program  Council meetings:  7:00 p.m., 3rd Thursday of the month.

Ministers
Rev Dr. Roger Jones, Senior Minister
Rev Lucy Bunch, Assistant Minister 
Rev. Douglas Kraft, Minister Emeritus

Church Staff Members
Krystal Gollaher, Administrative and Facilities Coordinator
Michele Ebler, Bookkeeper
Elaine Cooper, Receptionist
Miranda Massa, Religious Education Coordinator
Keith Atwater, Music Director ~  Ina Jun, Pianist
Shannon Ebler and Leticia Valdez, Childcare Providers
Aaron Molina - Sunday thru Thursday, Custodian 
Miguel Neri - Friday to Sunday, Custodian
Brett Hendrickson, Sunday Audio Tech