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August 23, 2018
Issue #463
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August 26, 2018: Activism - THEN and NOW: Women's Voices for Change
From Margaret Fuller and the suffragists in the 19th Century to Juliet Christian-Smith in the 21st Century, UU women have been advocates for change. We will celebrate the 98th year of women winning the right to vote on August 26, 1920, and explore avenues for advocacy today on the local and national levels. Kat Braeman is organizing this service which will include the UUCM Readers' Theater presentation of "Failure Is Impossible," Susan Anthony's call to action.
Kat Braeman is the Board Secretary and a long-time UU. She ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress in Nebraska in 1972 as an advocate for women and children. She went to law school and then moved to Washington, DC, for a 30-year career in the federal government. She retired as an Administrative Judge. She moved to the Bay Area as her daughter Elizabeth Kristen is a legal advocate and the Director of Gender Equity & LGBT Rights Program with Legal Aid at Work in San Francisco.
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September 2, 2018: Traits of the Authentically Religious
Meredith Guest
Unitarian Universalists are part of what might be called the liberal faith tradition. You have a set of principles that you have identified and that you, in community with one another, seek to follow. As practitioners of Unitarian Universalism, you remind each other of these guiding principles, you study them, you interpret them, and, to the best of your ability and understanding, you seek to give them a practical priority in your daily living. In this sense, you are part of a broader spiritual heritage that you share with others, including myself. What I'd like to do in this talk is examine some of the traits of this spiritual heritage. What identifies us; what do we have in common; and what sets us apart from others who do not so identify?
Meredith Guest is a former Southern Baptist minister. After completing the coursework for a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Southern Mississippi, she got her Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. She served two churches in Mississippi before getting fired for suggesting that when Jesus said "Love your enemies," he probably meant not to kill them. She moved to Maryland where she worked and lived on the retreat farm of Church of the Savior, a progressive Christian church that has been involved in peace and justice work for the past sixty years. After ten years in Maryland, she moved to California to become the teacher/administrator of a small Montessori school in Petaluma. When life in the closet became unbearable, she came out as transgender. She now lives on an acre and a quarter in Sonoma County, which, with the help of her partner, has become a mini-wildlife sanctuary.
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Upcoming Topics and Leaders
8/26/18: Mary Oliver Returns
Doug Kerr
9/2/18: Labor Day: Lessons (or Laughs from)
the Hardest Job You Ever Had
All Comers
The Sunday Circle is held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am each Sunday in the Fireside Room.
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Notes Along the Way -
Developmental Minister's Column
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Kurt Vonnegut once imagined Mercury as a singing planet, inhabited by creatures he called harmoniums. The musical beings only ever said two things to one another. One would call out, "Here I am, here I am, here I am." This joyful declaration always drew the sole and perfect response, "So glad you are, so glad you are, so glad you are."
Here I am! And here you are! So glad to be here with you.
I am writing to you from the Twin Cities where I'm attending the UUA's transitional ministry training. Dozens of colleagues serving interim and developmental ministries of all kinds have gathered to explore best practices in these forms of ministry, and I look forward to sharing the fruits of the training with you in the months and years to come.
Before I left, I had the pleasure of gathering with about thirty members of the leadership council. There was a hum of excitement in the group-an eagerness I have felt from everyone I have interacted with so far at UUCM-an excitement about what is possible for the next chapter in the life of your congregation. As I settle in I look forward to the opportunity to get to know everyone who calls this community home. One of my major goals in my first year with you is to hear from you about why this community matters to you, and what lights you up about its future. I'm sure I'll hear from you in many ways, but one will be a series of listening circles I'll call "Hopes and Histories"-intentional conversations for me to learn more about the history of your congregation and your visions of what is to come.
When I return to the office next week, I will begin my regular rhythm of spending Tuesday-Thursday in the office and available for one on ones and meetings. I generally keep Friday reserved for study and writing, usually working from home. Monday I keep free from church work as a sabbath day but I am always available for pastoral emergencies. You are welcome to use my cell phone as you would my office phone: 510-213-0404.
With you on the Journey,
Rev. Marcus Hartlief
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AUGUST 26: RE classes restart for all ages!
Be there! Make it happen  ! We hope to see your face among those that help kick-off the 2018-19 UU church school term on the last Sunday of August. We know from much scientific evidence that patterns are set in children's minds in their very early years that will germinate and provide paths for the future. Regular attendance and involvement in the spiritual/generous side of experience create brain pathways of knowledge and understanding of goodwill, kindness, and ethical decision making in a young person's life and for decades to come. Learning to live the Seven UU Principles, and making a strong identity connection as a UU helps provide tools for dealing with all manner of stresses and demands. Our three age groupings for nursery through 12, have lots of fun with art, music, movement, science, geography, botany, and ethics as part of their curricula from the youngest through teens. Please, come, join in, be part of a great, caring community that cares about welcoming young people, making them feel at home, making them "belong." Our teen group will have the additional focus on ethical responses to cultural issues, community service, exploration of interfaith community, exploring other faith traditions, and leadership development. We hope to see you on August 26 and many following Sundays!
Parents will be invited to attend the first part of the class on the 26th for a brief orientation and registration. We again ask a materials fee donation of $25 per family to help defray our costs. Checks can be made to: UUCM, memo: RE materials. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Family Meet and Greet with Rev Marcus Hartlief - September 16th
Please mark your calendars for a potluck meeting of families with our NEW minister. What a great way to start the year and get acquainted with the new Reverend. Noon-1:30 after the service in the courtyard.
Title Change for Jeffrey Melcher
With consideration for the work with families as a clear thread of our future and a nod to the need for better support of families in our congregation and the society at large, I asked for and received a change in title to
Director of Family Ministries. There is no job description change at this time except to add the duties of YRUU Advisor and an additional three hours per week to cover part of the duties associated with this role.
I think the DRE acronym is burned into our cultural language and I will not correct people (and DFM sounds like someone talking with their mouthful.) So DRE or DFM, I'll answer to both. However, the title Director of Family Ministries has encapsulated the direction of a program that serves families, not just children of adults who attend the congregation. Families need support and a strong sense that there
is a spiritual component in being a family, whatever its shape, size, or configuration.
RE Committee ReBOOT
The RE committee will be spending the next few months doing a reboot and re-definition process. We will get to set up the next committee to be in a place to re-envision a program that I hope and strive to support all families of every kind to be strong, healthy, ethical and joyful lights in our world. During this time we will be clarifying the needs and roles for new RE Committee members. WE WILL NEED A MINIMUM OF
FOUR NEW committee members within the next four months.
Welcome, Julie Prentice, to the RE Committee
Julie has stepped up to join the committee and be the Secretary! We very much appreciate our minute taker as an important role. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We are looking forward to a spectacular year.
Director of Family Ministries
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin
www.UUMarin.org;
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Fellowship Hall Now has Air Conditioning!
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From the Facilities Committee - New Air Conditioning!
The Board of Trustees directed that we move forward with installing air conditioning in Fellowship Hall, and later in the Fireside Room and it has now been installed in Fellowship Hall.
The Fellowship Hall A/C is a high efficiency heat pump unit and the 30-year old furnace has been replaced with a shiny new efficient one. The combo has a HEPA air filter, as well.
We extend a big thank you to Diana Vine, whose wonderfully generous donation is making this possible!
Jim and Dianne
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Autumn Auction - October 6
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SAVE THE DATE for the Autumn Auction on Saturday, October 6, 2018, 5:30-9:00 p.m. The rough scheduling is 5:30-7:00 for silent auction and social hour (hors d'oeuvres, drinks); 7:00-8:30 for live auction and potluck dinner; 8:30-9:00 check out. Child care will be provided if arrangements are made in advance.
Meanwhile, start thinking now about what goods and services you or your friends might donate for the auction. Here are some ideas:
- GOODS (children's toys and puzzles, custom notecards, theater or art gallery admission tickets)
- MEAL IN YOUR HOME (afternoon tea, dinner and book discussion)
- PARTY (charades and dessert, murder mystery dinner party)
- RECREATION OR TOUR (hike, weekend use of a vacation cabin, sailing on the Bay)
- SHARING TALENTS (sewing instructions, art instruction, various lessons, help with taxes, dog or cat sitting or walking)
- PERSONAL SERVICES (massage, manicure, computer tutoring)
- HELP AT HOME (landscape design or maintenance, lawn mowing, help cleaning out garage or closet)
- FOOD (cake or a catered barbecue dinner)
For a much more extensive list of ideas, click here. For a handy form on which to describe your contribution, click here.The form can filled out online or printed to fill out later.
You are also encouraged to ask local businesses to donate an item or gift certificate.
The primary contact person regarding the auction is Ken Ross (
[email protected]
, 541-686-1549).
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Several of us from the social justice committee showed up for a rally to support tenants' protections for those immigrants living in the canal district.
There have been many code violations in buildings in which they reside and their rent increase was 40% this past year.
This is untenable for these folks who are already quite poor and struggling.
Our action along with Marin Organizing Committee put pressure on one of the landlords and he said he would come to the table to negotiate better terms for these tenants once he heard about these actions.
Our voices are making a difference.
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Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) at GA
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(Note corrected phone number for UUPP 707 875 8911)
At General Assembly, finally something done for the Palestinians! Huge thanks to all who signed;
Over 350 signatures of delegates on the petition to place the AIW on the agenda, 200 more than the 150 required. There were essentially no hostile or even critical comments about it. This good reception was perhaps in part due to people's awareness of recent Israeli violence in Gaza and the mistreatment of migrant children at the US-Mexico border. Our Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) includes links to documentation of the abuses of Palestinian children by human rights organizations, past related UU actions and other relevant references. There were flyers and buttons with a poster at the poster session on Friday afternoon. All may view these materials from the No Way to Treat a Child Campaign. The flyer and poster can be downloaded from their website for use in congregations. We took the opportunity to inform people about the current bill in congress, "Promoting human rights by ending Israeli military detention of children Act" (H.R. 4391) as we advocated for the AIW. We spoke about how the moral outrage concerning recent Israeli violence against protesters in Gaza expressed by several UU leaders has created a context in which UUs are more receptive to engagement on the issue of Palestinian rights. Current UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick Gray, past UUA President Rev. William Sinkford, the UU United Nations Office, the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism Organizing Collective UU Young Adult Ministry Facebook page and the UU Young Adult Ministry Facebook page have all issued statements about the protesters murdered and wounded by Israeli snipers. For any UUCM members who want to help in this effort and to learn more about how, please contact our group UUPP (UUCM Concerned for Plight of Palestinian Lives) through [email protected] or phone at 707 875 8911. Welcome!
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Ingathering Service - September 9
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Rev. Marcus will give his first sermon and there will be an intergenerational water ceremony with
water and or stones from your summer journeys or staycations.
After the service there will be a potluck. Please bring your favorite dish to share. We will welcome Rev Hartleif and his family. No desserts please. We will have a cake.
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Permaculture Class Series at UUCM (Now Free for all)
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Permaculture Class Series at UUCM -- Aug 12, 19, and 26: noon-1:30 pm.
Permaculture: - noun, per·ma·cul·ture: an agricultural system or method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems. - Merriam-Webster
Chelsea Pearson of the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative is offering three Sunday classes to UUCM members, friends and anyone from the public interested in learning some basic principles of permaculture and sustainability. More info coming in the next newsletter. Stay tuned.
COST:
FREE.
Donations accepted. For more information call (707) 634-4672.
UUCM is a member organization of the
Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative.
Hosted by Jef Melcher, UUCM DRE
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Summer Weekly Newsletter Publish Dates
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Weekly Publish dates
Next Newsletter - September 6 (then back to weekly schedule)
Deadline for articles is 7 am Tuesday for Thursday publishing date.
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New Direct Phone Numbers for UUCM
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Minister: 415-578-9632
DRE: 415-578-9788
Administrator: 415-578-9577
(You can still dial 415 479-4131 but if you know who you want to speak with, the numbers listed above will be faster).
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Sending Announcements for the Order of Service
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If you have an announcement for the back of the Sunday Order of Service please send it to
[email protected]
instead
of sending it to the office. Please send by 5 PM on Wednesday, any later submissions will be considered for timeliness and room. The Worship Committee members are now putting together the Order of Service and Janette will print it.
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Social Justice Education/Action
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Contribute to the 3rd Tuesday night dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Contact Carol Littrell. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Continue your commitment to environmental and economic justice by shopping at
http://shop.uusc.org
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Visitor's Box
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We cherish diversity and welcome among us
people of all races, cultures, ages, abilities, sexual
identities/orientations, and faith perspectives.
GUESTS
are always welcome. Sunday worship is a time for inspiration, renewal, and connection.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH
join adults during the first part of the service, and then attend Religious Exploration classes. Nursery and toddler care is provided during the 10:30 service. There is a speaker system to bring sound from Fellowship Hall to the nursing room and the pre-K area.
REFRESHMENT HOUR
in the Courtyard or
Fireside Room follows the services.
There are four "Sunday First Time Visitor" parking spots at the top of the parking lot.
Come, join us!
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Staff Links
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Office hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: mid-morning to late afternoon or into the evening.
Call, text or email to make an appointment.
415-578-9632 (direct), 510-213-0404 (cell)
Office hours:
Wed 10:30-2:00
Thursday 10:30-2:00
Sunday 9:00-1:00
Nursery Teacher: Glynda Christian
Don Beck: 415-892-0642
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I appreciate any feedback about this weekly newsletter.
eWeekly Deadline for Thursday issue:
Tuesday by 7 am - activities and announcements, Staff columns, committee reports
Weekly articles can contain:
- Notices of UUCM sponsored events, meetings, or other activities which involve the entire congregation.
- Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) or Pacific Central District (PCD) announcements of interest to the entire congregation.
(Staff article length 250 words)
Production, UUCM Connect and Special Announcements Editor: Lisa Cohen
Backup Production Editor: Valerie Taylor
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin
415- 578-9577 - Direct
240 Channing Way
San Rafael, CA 94903
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