The Sunday Circle is held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am each Sunday in the Fireside Room.
Notes Along the Way
Dear Ones,
March is upon us! And with it, a new theme for services and Soul Matters groups: What does it mean to be a people of Balance?
In one of my spiritual practices, an embodied community art called InterPlay, the warm-up involves some moving around and light stretching. At one point the leader invites everyone to swing a leg, and then to "play with balancing or not balancing!" There's something sweetly liberating for me about this moment each time. So often the message is that we should be more balanced. A good, healthy, spiritual, evolved, etc. person is balanced! But what if it's not about achieving balance, but instead about learning to play with balance and imbalance?
Of course, most of us do often feel like some element of our lives is out of balance. And our culture is way out of balance in significant ways with the natural rhythms of the body and the earth. We feel a call to bring greater balance to our lives, and to our world. But that's not always going to look like deep breaths in tree pose. That's why our Soul Matters packet asks, "What is your balance for?" Maybe instead of asking each other, "Have you found balance?" we need to ask "Where is your balance taking you?"
We'll explore Balance from many angles this month, including what it takes to have a balanced congregational budget on Stewardship Sunday, March 10th. Look forward to seeing you there!
With you on the journey,
Rev. Marcus
RE nUUs
I keep promising people that I will write an article titled "The cell-tower of Babel." The premise is that there are too many ways to communicate and not enough time to be in communication with our loved ones much less the myriad hoard of listserves. I am hearing that not only do youth not read email, but parents are also pressed to keep up on basic communication. Some have told me that text is now the only way I will be able to get in touch with them. In this time of too many choices, let us consider making each real interaction as full and warm as possible. For all you grandparents out there, experiment with various ways to connect with your grandchildren. Draw them a picture, send it USPS and include a SASE so they can send one back. Make it easy for overwrought parents. Be creative in the ways you share your love. For it is teaching love and care that will help heal and change the world.
Registration is still open for the Our Whole Lives program grades 4-7.
Click HERE for more information. Parent-Child Orientation for the class is Sunday, March 3rd, 1pm-3:30 pm. RSVP to
[email protected]. Feel free to share this invitation far and wide to spread the good news of Our Whole Lives (OWL).
UUCM Family and Multigenerational Calendar.You can see what is happening
HERE. You can even add this Google Calendar to your own and easily stay current.
Persist! Stand Up For The Name Change Tonight! No More Delay!
Earlier this month, Dixie Board of Trustees voted 13 times to keep the name, Dixie. They organized a special meeting to discuss the name change process for this Thursday, February 28th (TONIGHT!). We ask you to show up and tell the board to take action instead of creating more delays. The board meeting begins at 6 pm at 380 Nova Albion Way.
Take Action!
Attend Dixie Board of Trustees Special Meeting on name change process TONIGHT. The meeting begins at 6 pm at 380 Nova Albion Way in San Rafael. We believe process will be the only topic on the agenda. Individuals may speak up to 2 minutes.
(This article submitted by Rev. Marcus.)
Remarkable People for February
Friday, March 15, 7-9 pm Fireside Room Kristina Gale and Ray Meluch are our Remarkable People for March.
This ongoing series gives us time to learn about each other from the interesting stories of individual lives. Whether you already know them by name or not, you will learn what you don't know in the evening of sharing and community. Each person talks and there is time for questions and general sociability.
You might knowKristina Gale as a Dinners for 8 hostess or a greeter-but not that she started a long-time career before she learned to drive. You will also learn more about being half-Ingrian, half-Finnish and growing up 10 miles from the border of the Soviet Union.
Ray Meluch is our hip and scientific "sound man" and does magic with our microphones when needed. But there is more to know in his history, including an Oscar.....
Come to the Fireside room for a Friday evening of sharing, and learning more about our common interests and intriguing differences in life experience.
All are welcome and there will be sustaining snacks too.
And if you want to mark your calendars, looking ahead:
April 19 Rich Panter (re-scheduled because of the floods that kept him from coming in February) and Brian Hunwick.
May 17 Sarah Tiederman andAnne Spatola.
Adult Ed- White Fragility, Part 2
WHITE FRAGILITY, PART 2
Sunday, March 3, 12:15 - 1:30 pm
Fireside Room
Please come to this Adult Ed program if you have read White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo, and want to delve into the actual text of this book. Part 2 will take us one step beyond the initial reactions we voiced in an October meeting led by Rev. Marcus. Bev Munyon and Jan Seagrave will facilitate this book discussion, focusing on unpacking DiAngelo's major points.
Beacon Press wrote "Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions ... and behaviors ...that function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue." Claudia Rankine, the Jamaican-born American poet, artist, and "genius grant" recipient, said that "With clarity and compassion, DiAngelo allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to 'bad people.' In doing so, she moves our national discussions forward with new 'rules of engagement.' This is a necessary book for all people invested in societal change."
If you have borrowed a copy of White Fragility from UUCM, please return it soon to the Community Room so that others may borrow it. If you haven't read this important yet slim volume, there's still time to read it. Loaner copies may be available in the Community Room and it is available on Amazon and in libraries. For more information, contact
Bev or
Jan.
Game Night
Friday March 1, 2019
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Join us for an evening of relaxation and camaraderie.
Children and adults get acquainted over board games, cards, Scrabble, Pictionary, Boggle, Trivial Pursuit, chess, and more.
Bring your favorite games!
You are welcome to bring snacks to share.
Members and non-members of all ages are welcome.
Classic Book Group
The Classic Book Group meets on the
third Wednesday of every month at 1:30 pm in the Clara Barton Room, and will meet next on Wednesday,
March 20. We are currently reading
Emmaby Jane Austen.
As spring enlivens the countryside, come join us in a special celebration with a wonderful Spanish - inspired dinner. We will start with Tapas (small plates of delectables enjoyed in Spain with a glass of wine, sangria or sparkling water) and follow it with a variety of Paellas. We will be entertained by a local flamenco dancer, Andrea La Canela. The evening will end with delicious Spanish desserts and a raffle.
Dinner will accommodate vegan as well as gluten free diets.
For carb free and allergy needs it is recommended to purchase a ticket ahead so that we will know how to best make the event special for you as well.
Register for the Retreat - May 3-5
If you missed last year, no worries, this year's retreat which will be held
May 3-5, 2019 will be here before you know it!
Paper copies of the Retreat form are now available on the Retreat poster in the foyer at UUCM. Please fill one out and return to Thomas Ervin.
The Retreat is an all-congregational event running from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning at Walker Creek Ranch in West Marin. We offer a flexible attendance/pricing plan to make sure that everyone can attend as their time and budget allows. You can stay in a semi-private lodge or family style dormitory with separate bedrooms for each family and bathrooms down the hall. Meals include Friday night dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and Sunday breakfast. We have a campfire on Friday night, a Barn Dance on Saturday night, worship services, discussion groups, hiking opportunities, a ropes course, arts and crafts, and many more fun activities for young and old. This is a chance to connect with those in your community at a deeper level and enjoy the fresh air and lovely grounds of Walker Creek Ranch. We will be taking reservations starting next month. Additional details will be available as we get closer to the event. Questions? Contact Thomas (
[email protected])
A large crowd gathered at the UU Marin congregational meeting on February 10th to honor Milton Wong for his 25 years of music which has enlivened and enriched us. Rich Panter delivered a poetic tribute, and Jerry Moore wrote an original piece that the choir sang to Milton.
The problem of the overcrowded parking lot was discussed at the Congregational Meeting. Here is an idea:
Members and friends who live in Terra Linda, Novato, and further north must drive right past the Smith Ranch Road P&R lot. We could keep in mind that on days when we are not in a rush we could stop there and share cars. At about 10:20 am we could proceed to the Congregation's parking lot. There would be no need for prior arrangements.
For return to our car at P&R, there is no problem, since people leave at all hours. Just go out to see who is leaving and hitch a ride.
Suggested by Nani Ranken.
Also consider carpooling with members from housing where we have many members like Villa Marin or Marin Valley Homes.
Save the Date for General Assembly - June 19-23
General Assembly is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend; congregations must certify annually to send voting delegates. The
2019 General Assembly will be June 19-23 in Spokane, Washington. Most General Assembly events will be held in the Spokane Convention Center.
https://www.uua.org/ga
Financial aid. Registration and housing reservations will open March 1.
If you are not already receiving emails from the social justice committee and wish to receive them along with information about social justice actions/rallies in and around Marin, please send your email address to:
[email protected]
UUSC Take Action Items - Sign petitions, learn about issues, donate money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you want to make a difference in our county and the world?We focus on local issues which are relevant to all of us. Bring your ideas and concerns to the
UUCM Social Justice Committee.We meet the third Sunday of each month at noon.
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Continue your commitment to environmental and economic justice by shopping at
http://shop.uusc.org
