Our Lay Chaplains who have witnessed, held our hands, and listened well to all our joys and sorrows throughout 2021, will lead us in a contemplative service in which we will pause to reflect on the joys and sorrows of the past year, release that which no longer serves us, and renew our commitment to live with grace, hope, and love in the new year. The service will include readings, meditation, beautiful music, and ritual.

Service Leaders: Paula Hammett, Bruce Hope, Lucia Milburn, Judy Ervice, Mary Lill Lee, Gayle Shirley, Barbara Kezur

Worship Associates: Judy Withee

Music: Roger Corman

Most of the time when Unitarian Universalist Minister preach about justice issues, they are preaching to the choir, sometimes literally. Sometimes, however, there are issues that cut through the community, where people, even within UU circles don't agree. Vaccines seems to be in controversial topic of our times. But if we don't talk about controversial things, we will never make it through together.

Service Leader: Rev. Julie Brock

Worship Associate: Eric Fischer

Music: Alan Bell and Roger Corman

Most people know Malcom X as the guy that said "by any means necessary", and MLK as the non-violent one. What if, however, our perceptions of the two men are tainted not by their actual actions and words, but how they made us feel? One we remember as welcoming and talking about love, the other we remember as confrontational and talking about violence. Are our memories correct? Come to church to find out. 

Service Leaders: Rev. Julie Brock

Worship Associates: Judy Withee and Susan Bartholome

Music: Roger Corman

Each day we must choose whether we live that day in a spirit of love or a spirit of fear. When the gale force winds of fear buffet us, how do we find the strength to choose love.

Service Leader: Rev. Bev Spears

Worship Associate: Cathie Wiese

Music: Sally Jones and Roger Corman

"It is our choices that show us who we truly are, Harry, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore. Almost every minister has the quintessential Harry Potter sermon up their sleeve, but have you ever heard a Neville Longbottom sermon? Small choices make a big difference, a theme that will be explored through neuroscience, and the Harry Potter Universe. 

Service Leaders: Rev. Julie and Dee Ray

Worship Associate: Richard Senghas

Music: John Ray and Roger Corman

“Seasonal affective disorder is real.” A co-worker said one day after walking through a blizzard to make it to our late night meeting in February. “I just, I just don’t ever want to go outside. If there is a God, I can’t imagine God ever meant for humans to live in Minnesota year round.” It had been negative 11 degrees that week. All week. Not only a ridiculously cold temperature, but also a stubbornly monotonous temperature. Had it changed a little, we might have been given reason to believe that there would be relief coming at some point; that we were not doomed to an eternity of negative 11. 

As we sat around a conference table trying to shake the snow off and thaw our finger tips, Melissa, who is far more sage than any human having spent so few years on the planet has any right to be said, “it’s nice when you’re by the fire though. You know, it’s nice when there is family around. Something about this weather makes you feel like you ought to be with your family, and I think that’s nice.” “Well, yeah,” responded Denise, the person who believed God made is mistake by inhabiting the Mid-West with human life, “but you spend less time with them, because traffic is so awful at this time of year, so it takes forever to get home.” “Yes,” said Melissa the Wise, “Maybe that’s why God gave farmers time off in the winter. Maybe we messed everything up when we stopped living off the land.”

This offhand comment changed my life forever. Did people living on an agrarian schedule get seasonal affective disorder? The idea of SAD is that people’s chemicals levels suffer from a lack of sunlight, and sure, winter offers less light, but I wonder if the problem isn’t getting more light, I wonder if the problem is giving ourselves space to experience the darkness. Darkness can be recuperative; even healing, there is a reason our bodies crave darkness to sleep. Darkness invites us to slow down, to reflect, and to just be. 

For most of human history, we humans have lived with the cycles of the earth, when she worked hard we worked hard, sowing and growing together.  When she slept and healed, we did too. A farmer would never think of trying to get as much accomplished in December as they would in October. Now we, as a species, have insulated ourselves from the direct need to live with the cycles of the earth, but we have not, and I posit, cannot insulate ourselves from her effect on us. Indeed, she still calls to our spirits, and feeds our bodies.

My favorite color is all of the colors that blanket the world right in the fall.I feel a buzzing energy. Students are back in school, the church year is starting, and folks are working hard. In summer I feel playful and celebratory. In spring I feel new and refreshed. And in winter, I want to sit by a fire, with my family, drink warm beverages, and sing sweet melodies back and forth.  

So why don’t we do that? What would it look like if you promised yourself that you would schedule fewer things, spend more time with family, and allow yourself, well, time. What would it be like if you gave yourself permission to forget to-do lists and chores for an evening every once in a while, and just sat in the darkness, reflecting on the year, or spending and evening with family doing absolutely nothing. It is a healthy, lovely form of self-care, and wonderful way to connect with yourself, and your loved ones.  

I think God perfectly imagined that there would be humans living year round in Minnesota. I don’t’ think God imagined we’d be doing it with a 9-5 schedule.  

2021: What a long, strange year it’s been

In some ways, I feel like 2021 was never-ending. (In some ways, it feels like it’s still March of 2020.)

For me, 2021 could be called my “annus horribilis”. At the beginning of the year, I found out that our beloved minister and my respected partner in running the congregation was leaving us. And as those first months went by, I could sense him withdrawing from managing things (which shifted more and more onto my plate).

In the beginning of June, I took my first vacation in about 3 years, and my daughter and I visited my mother and then drove the car that she gave me (a Lexus!) back home. Spending that time with them and then with my daughter as we visited national parks was such a wonderful gift.

And then, the day my daughter flew home, we found out about what Chris had done (or not done) with his disability payments. And then I really plunged into my “annus horribilis”. These last six months have been really tough.

You know when you start to clean out your cabinets? First you pull everything out so you can sort through it. But if someone comes in in the middle of the process, it looks worse than ever. That’s what these past few months have felt like. We’re shifting from one way of doing things to another.

It used to be that the minister and the President made just about all the decisions. Things were decided informally and through personal networks and relationships. It was expedient; it got things done fairly quickly and simply. But what it wasn’t, was sustainable. That way of operating burns (and burned) out ministers and lay leadership. It undermines leadership and discourages leadership development. It concentrates too much power into way too few hands – and that is NOT a recipe for success.

So the past few months, we’ve been pulling all the things that had been hidden behind pretty cabinets out to be examined and explored. And we’re still in the “big mess on the floor” stage. We’re moving slowly towards a congregation that is run by policy and procedure, not by personality. Where things are written down and then adhered to, not just spoken and followed if it’s easy to do so. Where committees and teams know what they are authorized to do and are held to account for it (and left alone to do their work). And we’re trying to implement all this as we’re “turning the ship” – and that is hard!

Now, as the Board, several of our most important committees and teams and I have been struggling with this, we have been so blessed to have Rev. Julie, and to have you. Rev. Julie has been such a wonderful voice of hope and faith, and has been instrumental in helping us heal. And you have been attending, supporting, and staying connected to this faith and this community that mean so much to us all. To be honest, we couldn’t do what we’re doing without you…and you couldn’t do what you’re doing without us! Together, we are each doing our parts to build a strong, bright future of possibilities fulfilled. I am so grateful for you, and your love, passion, caring and support. Truly, I – and we all – couldn’t do it without you.

So here’s to 2022! May we march into it and through it arm-in-arm, in solidarity with our Principles, our Covenant, our faith, and each other.

In love and partnership,

Natalie

The Board approved two policies this month – one authorizing the amount limits for financial expenditures the Minister, President, Treasurer and committee chairs are authorized to approve, and one authorizing the Administrator to be responsible for all communications from UUCSR.

The Board is continuing its work toward clarifying and strengthening UUCSR’s governance structure and lines of authority and accountability. Part of this work involves determining which committees report to the Board, and which to the Minister. At the moment, we have over 60 committees and teams on our books! We’re in the process of finding out which ones are “real” and which ones are “in name-from-the-past” only.

The ideas people came up with in the Town Hall about our future are in the process of being compiled for distribution to everyone in the congregation. The idea for our next step is to hold another Town Hall/Forum in the spring for us all to review them and choose what we want to devote our time and energies to as a congregation.

As our Bylaws state, we are required to conduct an annual Membership Certification, done in January/February. This has not been done in depth for several years. We will be doing this process in full this winter with the help of several congregational leaders. This will provide us accurate information for managing our current budget, as well as being able to develop our next year’s budget.

Finally, a somewhat disheartening note. Our staff is experiencing a high level of stress because of how they are sometimes treated. While the Board recognizes that this is a time of very heightened sensitivity for many of us, we must relate to each other with respect and kindness, inside of our covenant and Principles. We have an amazing staff of VERY hardworking people who are doing their best in difficult circumstances. Please regard them as the gift they are and take a moment to thank them for all their work.

A new year is here, and with it comes some changes to RE curriculum! With many new and returning families making their way to UUCSR, the RE program is going back to the basics. In the coming weeks and months, the RE kids will be taking a deep dive into the values, principles, and sources that make us UU. To learn more about the programs we'll be using, take look at the Tapestry of Faith curricula offered by the UUA.

To learn more about the exciting things going on in RE, check out the RE Weekly Newsletter, or contact me directly at dre@uusantarosa.org.

Sunday, January 9th - The Web of Life/Looking In and Looking Out

The kids of RE are starting new curricula! PreK-1st grade RE kids are exploring a World of Wonder, beginning with an exploration of what our 7th principle means. The 2nd-5th grade kids are reflecting on their UU values through the lens of Windows and Mirrors, which they'll be doing this Sunday by considering how they are perceived, both by themselves and the people around them.

Sunday, January 16th - Nature's Partnerships/Me In My Community, My Community In Me

This Sunday, the PreK-1st kids are learning about symbiosis, as they look at the many partnerships that arise in the web of life we are a part of. The 2nd-5th graders will be hearing all about the valuable things that can be found in a faith community as they learn from members of UUCSR what makes our community so special.

Sunday, January 23rd - Thanks Be for Trees/We Need Not Think Alike To Love Alike

PreK-1st graders will take this Sunday to see why trees play such an important role in connecting our web of life. Meanwhile, 2nd-5th graders will be taking a look at all sorts of different faiths, as well as examining the beliefs they hold and where they come from.

It's all about habitats this Sunday! PreK-1stt graders will be exploring (and creating) the many ecosystems that can be found all over the world. The 2nd-5th graders, on the other hand, will be taking time to reflect on the importance of forgiveness, and even offering it themselves.

"I limp around and I can't stand up straight, but when I get up on the podium, I'm a young person again." - Sid Gordon on the occasion of his 95th birthday

The Press Democrat honored our own Sid Gordon in a feature titled "Transformed by music" in the Wednesday, December 8, edition. Sid has been playing and directing music for most of his long, long life. And Sid's wife Betty has been singing with our choir, when we have one. Music keeps both of them feeling young.

Well, we didn't acquire a Music Director by mid-December as we were hoping last month, but we do have some candidates vying for the position now. And we should be hiring someone by mid-January.

Meantime, nine of us worked hard, on our own and together, to bring you a beautiful rendition of "Lo, A Rose E'er Blooming" on Christmas Eve, while others put together music for the Sunday services.

If you'd like to join us in the music ministry at UUCSR: solo, small group, choir, or musical instrument, email us at musicdirector@uusantarosa.org. And as always, stay young and keep singing.

O cold, inexorable darkness

Draw back now beyond these circling walls.

Should fear, and want, and danger walk

It shall not be, it is not here.

Let this place of warming light

Bulwark against freezing night: a promise

Holding through the day that we, come nightfall

May sleep safely, cozy, soundly in the soft

Down drift of love and food and enough.

Pass on, cold night. Howl your rages,

Pelt your icy javelins. Blot the stars and

Dance the barren trees in anger.

But come not here. Pour upon the freezing ground

Your brutal rain, but step

Not one foot within this woolen nest.

Have your time, o winter dark. But pass us by,

We creatures huddling here.

With all that has been taken

Let not more be taken.

For each calamity you measure

Slip past, mighty winter.

Have mercy.

A young Honduran family headed by Juan Carlos, his wife Erika and their three small children are stuck in Juarez (under the reinstated MPP program) while hoping to cross to the US and apply for asylum. They are in dire straits, as can be imagined, after leaving their homes in fear for their lives and making the harrowing journey north. An accompaniment team, led by two members of our congregation, was formed to help Juan Carlos and his family.

The team is under the auspices of Allies Safety Network which itself is under NBOP. As UUCSR is a member group of NBOP, A4SJ feels that it is a project worthy of UUCSR support. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help Juan Carlos and his family as they wait to cross the border legally and register as asylum seekers. Funds collected now will help keep them safe and allow them to purchase more supplies for their embroidery projects. These embroidery pieces will be sold here to help augment their income.

They really need our help. Please look at their GoFundMe page and consider donating. To make a tax deductible donation, consider sending a check to:

NBOP (add SRAT on the message line so it gets to the right pigeonhole)

1717 Yulupa Ave

Santa Rosa CA 95405

Elaine Wellin

Chair of Advocates for Social Justice

UUCSR is a member organization of NBOP. You can be part of putting our UU values to work in our communities through NBOP activities. For current meetings, check out the NBOP Public Calendar. You can also visit the NBOP Website for the latest updates on events, and sign up for the NBOP Newsletter.

UUCSR Women’s Retreat - April 29 to May 1, St. Dorothy’s Rest in Camp Meeker

Please add this wonderful springtime event to your calendar so you don’t miss it! We will have our popular small group discussions on the theme and a variety of great workshops plus our silent auction and the great food. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other women in the congregation on a deeper level and have fun together.

Book Group - The Book Group will meet at UUCSR Thursday January 13th from 4-6 pm.  The book for January is The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. In February we will read Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. Newcomers and visitors are welcome. Contact Linda Lampson for more information.

CUUPS - Pagan and pagan-supportive members of the Congregation are invited to attend our monthly meetings, currently held via Zoom on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 6 to 7 pm. For a link to the Zoom meeting, send an email request to cuups@uusantarosa.org.

Older and Bolder Women's Group - This group for women of the Congregation who have already reached their 80th birthday continues in the Green Room the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 10 am to noon. We meet for coffee at 10 am and begin our discussion group at 10:30 sharp. The group facilitators are Shirley White and Clare Whitfield.

Saturday Breakfast - Plans to return to serving a hot breakfast have been put off for the time being due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases. However, we will continue to offer bagged breakfasts every Saturday from 6 to 8 am.

Art Committee - The purpose of the Art Committee is to be inclusive of all the arts from people of all ages, and to reach out to our congregants and beyond. We aim to have four art shows a year with receptions on opening day, as appropriate. We meet on the 4th Friday of the month at 2 pm in the Green Room at the Glaser Center. Our committee currently consists of Clare Whitfield, Stephanie Reed, Chlele Gummer, Helga Lemke, and Sarita Hazen; we welcome another member or two. You need not be an artist, just a lover of art to be on the committee. Contact Chlele Gummer for more information: chlelegummer@gmail.com.

Membership Committee - If you are able and willing to help greet people as they come in the door for Sunday services once a month or so, please contact Margaret Bregger Coston or Jan Hess. Additionally, if you are interested in being part of the Membership Team, contact Dee Ray. We will be gearing up in the fall for Getting to Know UU classes and New Member gatherings.

Ushers & Greeters - Jami Kerr is still hoping for dependable volunteers to count offerings after the service once a month…and also ushers and greeters for a once a month welcoming to our congregants. These are very easy volunteer positions. If you can count (or smile under those annoying masks to greet) please see or email Jami Kerr at jamikerr@comcast.net.

Caring Connections Committee - Caring Connections provides short-term help to UUCSR members in difficult situations, such as the death of a loved one or recovery from illness or surgery. Services we provide include essential shopping, delivering a few meals, providing a ride to pharmacies, medical appointments and Sunday services, a home or hospital visit, or a friendly phone call. Caregivers: let one of our volunteers stay with your loved one while you take a couple of hours to run some errands or simply take some time for yourself. Gretchen Vap, our Outreach Coordinator, is a retired nurse practitioner, and is available for consult.

Want to connect more with other people and enjoy an opportunity for spiritual growth? Watch for emails listing the available times and locations (Zoom and in person) for the groups. 

Not familiar with Soul Matters? It's about exploration, connection, support, and transformation,  Each month all of us receive an email with a *Soul Matters packet* filled with rich resources to help us explore a particular theme. For January, we will be exploring the theme "Living with Intention." Inside the packet are poems, inspirational quotes, questions for reflection, and links to videos and films. It also contains spiritual exercises to deepen our experience and help us embody our UU principles in a deep and meaningful way.

For more information or to sign up for a group, please email Katie Trieller or Jan Ogren.