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December 6, 2019
Issue #523
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December 8, 2019: Looking for a Sign
Life doesn't come with an instruction manual, they say. But that doesn't stop us from searching for one. Humans have always made meaning and found messages in the world around us. Have you ever followed a star in the East?
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Upcoming Topics and Leaders
12/08/19 Yet More Mary Oliver Doug Kerr
The Sunday Circle is held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am
each Sunday in the Fireside Room.
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Dear Ones,
The rain is finally falling and the days are nearing their shortest. As our part of the world darkens, people descend into basements and crawl into attics, or reach into back closets, to pull out menorahs and candles, ornaments and lights, stockings to hang on the mantle and holiday china to set at the table. We meet the darkening days with celebration and festivals of light. And we also know that amidst the joyful festivities, many hearts sink low this time of year. Holidays remind us of those absent, those who have died or who we have lost in other ways. And the dark can turn us inward, invite melancholy, heaviness or simply a fallow time for our spirits.
Amidst this dance of light and dark, we've turned in our worship this month to the question, "What does it mean to be a people of Awe?" One of the exercises in our Soul Matters packet invites us to "Remember the Awe of All You Are," letting go of the idea that awe is reserved only for majestic things outside of yourself. My hope for each of us in this season - and truly in all the seasons of our lives - is that we find awe in the wholeness of our beings: in our joys and our sorrows, our dancing at parties and our tender moments alone, our light and our darkness.
With you on the journey,
Rev. Marcus Hartlief
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Deck the Halls is this Sunday! All ages are invited to stay after the service to make crafts in the fireside room, and decorate the fellowship hall.
This Sunday:
Pre-K/K/1 -
What makes gingerbread houses so special? Find pictures and descriptions.
Activity: Separate, name, and describe the spices used
Elementary -
The Awe of Slowing Down.
We will discuss how time changes and then celebrate winter.
Activity: Making Chalice snowflakes
Middle and High School -
Setting up for Deck the Halls, and drinking cocoa (or tea!)
In gratitude,
Lara
Lara@uumarin.org
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Church Office Notes & Select Upcoming Dates
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Have something to share with the UU Marin church community? Send it to newsletter@uumarin.org, by Tuesdays at 7 AM for same week publications.
Order of Service announcements are due by Wednesday at 5 PM,
Upcoming dates link to the UUCM calendar for saving on iCal, Outlook, etc.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Fireside Room
7 PM - 9 PM
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Clara Barton Room
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM
Intro to UU
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Minister's Office
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Fellowship Hall
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Fellowship Hall
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Friday, December 13, 2019
Fireside Room
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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Family Game Night - Tonight!
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Family Game Night
Fireside Room
1st Fridays, 7 pm-9 pm
December 6
January 3
February 7
March 6
April 3
May 1
June 5
Join us for an evening of relaxation and camaraderie.
Children and adults get acquainted over Charades, 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.
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Annual Holiday Craft Fair - Sunday!
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Our Annual Holiday Craft Fair will be held in the Foyer this Sunday, Dec. 8, as our elves are busily decorating the Sanctuary at our Deck the Halls event. Please stop by and pick up some holiday gifts. All proceeds go to UUCM.
If you have handmade crafts to donate, please contact:
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The Poetry Connection: A Reading Series at UUCM
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On
Friday, December 13, 7:00-9:00 pm
in the Fireside Room, "The Poetry Connection" will feature Marin poets Joan Baranow, founding director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Dominican University, and Erin Rodoni, author of two poetry collections, most recently Body, in Good Light. Sponsored by Marin Poet Laureate Terry Lucas and the Adult Education Committee, the reading series features outstanding Marin poets, provides refreshments and a time to connect with poets and lovers of poetry. An open mic will follow. Terry will host and introduce the readers. UUCM members and the public are invited.
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UU Tours of Alaska now open!
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WhaleCoast Alaska has opened their 2020 tours of Alaska for 2020! WhaleCoast Alaska is a Unitarian Universalist eco-cultural and spiritual program for people who are looking for a more authentic Alaskan experience. Tours are operated in cooperation with four UU Alaska fellowships
- Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Sitka - that provide home stays, dinner parties, activities, and transportation for the guests.
The Alaska National Parks Tour will be June 13-23, and the All-Alaska Tour will be July 10-22. These tours fill fast! For comprehensive information, go to
https://whalecoastak.org
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You're Invited . . . to celebrate 70 years of our fellowship on Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM, in our sanctuary.
Join us to share your memories of our Congregation or learn about our history, reminisce to live music, enjoy themed appetizers, learn some new dance moves to music of the decades and raise a glass of bubbly to our future. There is something planned for everyone of all ages. Please give as generously as you can at one of the following levels to place your name on our HONORED GUEST list.
All proceeds benefit UUCM and help defray the shortfall of our 2020 budget.
PURPLE Sapphire $700 +
GREEN Sapphire $500 - $699
YELLOW Sapphire $100 - $499
PINK Sapphire $7 - $99
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Saturday, December 21, 4:30 pm
Winter Solstice: Gifts of the Dark
Come mark this longest night with a community celebration of crafts, music and story! All ages are invited to gather in the fireside room for solstice crafts and refreshment, followed by a ritual to honor the dark and cast into a fire that which we would let go of. Rev. Marcus Hartlief, Lara Abel and Lynne Scarpa are organizing this event, just show up - or be in touch if you would like to help out.
Sunday, December 22,10:30 am
The Return of the Sun
We will celebrate the returning light in our regular Sunday morning service with an intergenerational retelling of the Miwok tale of why hummingbird has a red throat. All ages are welcome through the service (Wee Ones class will still take place after the story).
Tuesday, December 24, 6:00 pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
We gather to sing carols, light candles, and tell an old story of hope and peace once again. Cookies and cider potluck after the service, simply bring sweets to share or be in touch with Board member Kim Holscher to help out.
Sunday, December 29, 10:30 am
Poetry Service
Coordinated by Worship Associate Terry Lucas
No children's programs this day.
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Please join us for festive Dinners for Eight, taking place on Saturday, December 14th. We will be gathering at members' homes for potluck dinners, celebrating the holiday season. Please let Sher Sheldon at
shershel@comcast.net
know if you can host or attend. All are invited!
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UUA Common Read is on!
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
by Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz
The Common Read for 2019-2020 is An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz, published by Beacon Press.
Chosen by the UUA, the Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. UUCM's reading period has begun. It culminates in two more discussions of the book after Sunday services on Jan. 5 (Chapters 6-8), and Feb. 2 (Chapters 9-12).
How to get a copy of the book:
- Borrow one of seven copies that are circulating among UUCM members. Check in the Community Room for the Common Read box to find a copy. It's also available at the Marin County Free Library.
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Sharing Joys and Concerns
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"Joys and Concerns" are an important part of our Sunday service and we want to hear yours. Pink slips - no longer in our order of service - are in a basket at the entrance to the sanctuary. If you have a joy or concern to share, please pick up a pink slip and fill it out. The ushers will collect them during the first hymn.
From the Pastoral Care Committee
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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:
socialjustice@uumarin.org
Friday, Dec. 6, 7:00 pm - Main Reading Room Mill Valley Public Library -
What is the mental health toll of being undocumented in this nation? Jose Antonio Vargas, a product of the Bay Area and the most well-known undocumented immigrant in the country, presents an evening on immigration and what it means to be American.
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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
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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)
Director of Family Ministries:
Office hours:
Wednesday and Thursday afternoons
415-578-9788 (direct)
Administrator:
Choir Director:
Amanda Nelson
Nursery Teacher: Glynda Christian
Don Beck: 415-892-0642
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Feedback about this weekly newsletter is appreciated.
eWeekly Deadline for Friday 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 Western Region announcements of interest to the entire congregation.
(Staff article length 250 words)
Proofreader: Victoria T. Holdridge
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin
415-479-4131
240 Channing Way
San Rafael, CA 94903
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