October 17, 2019
Issue #517

Coming up on October 27th, 3-5 pm at the Civic Center, is the Marin Organizing Committee 10 year anniversary Convention! I've been asked to co-chair the event, and Linda Haumann and I told organizers from other congregations and non-profits that we think we can get 50 people from UU Marin there.  Can you help us meet that goal?  I think it will be a very inspiring event, celebrating a decade of accomplishment and launching a platform for the next chapter of our work to bring about more joy and justice in Marin.  Political luminaries and up to a 1,000 representatives of other community groups that care about making a difference in Marin will be -- I hope you will too!  Let Linda know you'll be there so we know how many of us to expect.

Looking ahead to November, we will be exploring the theme, "What does it mean to be a people of Attention?"  For one of the November services, I would like to make a "collage of voices," a liturgical element involving sharing stories and reflections from members of the congregation, your words woven together and shared anonymously, read by a Worship Associate and/or myself.  So here's my question:

To what have you given sustained attention, and what difference has that made in your life?

If that question inspires a response from you, would you send me your thoughts by November 1st at [email protected]?  Your words may be shared in whole or just a part in a service, but they will be shared anonymously.

With you on the journey,

Rev. Marcus Hartlief

Upcoming dates link to the UUCM calendar for saving on iCal, Outlook, etc.

Next Sunday, October 20th, Social Justice is doing its monthly basket share.  This month it will be split between the Marin Sanctuary Congregations Network and the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.  Both groups aid immigrants in the Bay Area.  The speaker at the service on the 20th is the Rev Deborah Lee who is the executive director of IM4Human Integrity.  She and her group have mobilized congregations to take a stand on social justice issues and have aided many congregations in establishing themselves as sanctuaries for immigrants.  Marin's Sanctuary Congregation Network began meeting two years ago under the auspices of the Marin Interfaith Council.  We have provided financial assistance, rides and advocacy for these very vulnerable families.  As a sanctuary congregation, we have been very involved with the SCN and indirectly with the IM4Human Integrity. 

October Remarkable People!

Friday, October 18, 7:00-9:00 pm, Fireside Room

 

Each person talks briefly, followed by time for questions and general sociability and some sustaining snacks .

On Sunday, October 20, the Social Justice Committee will have a presentation (in lieu of a meeting) on the immigrant experience at the Arizona border.  Members of Rodef Shalom and Westminster Presbyterian will show a film and discuss what is happening based on their witnessing and talking to individuals waiting on the other side of the border.  Please come to the sanctuary at 12:15 pm on October 20 for this very poignant event.

UUA Common Read is on!

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

by Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz

 

Each year, the Unitarian Universalist Common Read is chosen by a committee including both headquarters and field staff of the UUA.  A Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time.

 

The Common Read for 2019-2020 is An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States  by Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz.

 

UUCM's reading period begins now and culminates in two discussions of the book on Nov. 24, and Jan. 5, after Sunday services.

 

Get your book now!

 

"Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire. . .   Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples' history radically reframes US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative." - Beacon Press

"The Connectors, the Coffee Cup and YOU!"

For awhile now, we at UUCM have been focusing on becoming a truly welcoming congregation.  We already have dedicated greeters and ushers.  Now we'll be adding a third group devoted to transitioning interested visitors into the heart of the congregation.  This group will be our "connectors."  We'll be following up with new visitors to be sure that any questions they might have are being answered and that we're providing them with a path to the kind of connections they hope to develop.

One small way to encourage a feeling of acceptance will be to give our visitors a special cup during coffee hour.  Only visitors will have this cup, and that should make them more visible to all of us.  The hope is that members will notice and greet them by introducing themselves. The objective is to make these visitors feel like we're really glad they're here, and we hope we'll see them again.  This is a small piece of becoming a more welcoming community, but it can be an important one if you help make it happen.  Your participation will make all the difference!