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Weekly Message for UUSS
October 1, 2021
Message from Rev. Lucy
 
Our October Soul Matters Theme is Cultivating Relationships. Rev. Roger and I will each preach on some aspect of this theme on most Sundays of this month. Cultivating relationships seemed like an excellent theme as we find our way back from so many months of separation. Many of us are re-learning how to be in a group of people – others are waiting for the Covid numbers to go down further before venturing out to a Sunday service. Either way we are finding ways to be together. On Sunday morning you can find about 65-75 people spread out among 200 chairs in order to have space between us. We have another 150 or so joining us on Zoom – it feels different, it feels hard sometimes, but it feels good to be together however we can. 
 
As we step further into the new church year, many things are returning. We re-launch our Sunday morning spiritual practices this month with a facilitated labyrinth walk on the first Sunday. I hope you will join me. John McMillian will lead Chi Gong sessions on the third Sunday of the month. Both activities will be before church at 9:30. Soul Matters small groups start up in the second week of October.  We have 110 people participating. Our Junior High and Senior High groups are back, meeting twice a month in person at church, starting this Sunday.   
 
And the choir is returning starting Wednesday, October 6. What a thrill. If you are interested in the choir, but not sure what it all entails, please reach out to Anthony Tavianini our music director. He can be reached at anthony@uuss.org. This Sunday he will be hosting a meet and greet on the patio after the service for those who want to learn more. All are welcome on Sunday or at the first choir rehearsal. 
 
Slowly but surely, we are returning to full lives of connection. Take your time, go as slow as you need, but don’t be a stranger.  You are part of what makes UUSS the wonderful place that it is. 
 
Sending love to all,
Fall Gratitude Celebration
A Fundraiser of Desserts and Fun
Save the Date: Saturday, Nov. 13
Are you missing chatting with other UUs or pining for an opportunity to be on campus? Our fall hybrid fundraising event on Saturday evening, November 13, will provide opportunities for being on campus and getting together, either in person or on Zoom, with UU friends. This event will be a celebration of the creativity and renewal of our congregation in the midst of a long pandemic ordeal. Here’s what you can expect:
 
  • A home-baked fancy dessert sampler to either pick up and enjoy at home or eat at UUSS
  • A brief program of entertainment in person or on Zoom
  • Opportunities to support several projects and ongoing ministries of UUSS
  • A chance to win a $1,000 VRBO gift certificate for anywhere in the world
 
Look for more details in the coming weeks. We hope you’ll join us as we gather in community and be a source for healing in the world.
What's New on Sunday Morning
Once again will offer Sunday Morning Spiritual Practices on our campus starting in October, an hour before church. Our facilitated labyrinth walk begins on Oct. 3 and the first Sunday of every month. Qi Gong starts on Oct. 17 and the third Sunday of every month. If you are bringing your kid to the Junior High Youth Group at 9:15 a.m. on these days (first and third Sundays), we hope you'll stay join in, and then attend the worship service!
Joys and Sorrows: If you would like to have a joy, sorrow, concern, or milestone spoken aloud by a minister in Sunday’s prayer time, at this link you can find an easy form to fill out online. You can also call the office to leave your message. If we receive the request by 1:00 PM Saturday, we can mention it during the service.
Fellowship: After service come out to the patio to connect with new and old friends. If you are on Zoom on Sunday, be sure to stay for a Coffee Hub conversation with others! Lets stay connected in these times of challenge.
Upcoming Sunday Services 
Our services are now hybrid
 Join us for Worship Services in person or on Zoom
Zoom links here 
 Service time 10:30 a.m..
Miss a service? You can find links to past services here. 
Our October Soul Matters Theme is
Cultivating Relationships


Half of all offering donations made in September
will support our community partner:
To donate now at the UUSS website, click here.
Sunday October 3, 10:30AM:
Money, Relationships, and Real Life
Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, preaching, with Rev. Lucy Bunch, Worship Associate Karen Sparrow, Pianist Irina Tchantceva, Music Director Anthony Tavianini

Our Soul Matters theme in October is Cultivating Relationship. In our society, relationships can be blessed or troubled by our attitudes about money and resources. Yet the ways that we handle money can be a source of insight about our spiritual approach to life. With stories from family life, Roger invites us to think about our personal relationships, our sense of self, our money, and those funny places where they overlap.
Sunday October 10, 10:30 AM: See No Stranger
Rev. Lucy Bunch, preaching with Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, Worship Associate Fred Best, Music Director Anthony Tavianini at the piano

How do we open our hearts to those that are different? How can our faith overcome our uncertainty and fear?  We will explore this question through the Hebrew and Christian scriptures as well as powerful lessons from the Sikhs.  
Sunday October 17, 10:30: 
Showing up for Each other’s Mental Health
Rev. Lucy Bunch preaching, with Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, Worship Associate Ginny Johnson, Pianist Irina Tchantceva, Music Director Anthony Tavianini

Cultivating relationships (our October Soul matters theme) often means learning how we can support each other through our challenges and difficulties. This Sunday we will explore how we can be supportive of those living with mental health problems, as well as their loved ones.  Almost everyone’s life is touched by mental illness. Let us learn how to be there for each other.  
Sunday October 31, 10:30: 
Calling our Beloved Dead 
Rev. Lucy Bunch, Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, Worship Associate Suzy Mazarole , Pianist Irina Tchantceva, Music Director Anthony Tavianini and the UUSS Choir (COVID willing)

The wheel of the year again turns to Samhain, the pagan holiday that celebrates the gifts that our ancestors have given us. We will remember our beloved dead through ritual, story, and song. Come join us for this Circle Sunday.  
Our Soul Matters theme for October:
 Cultivating Relationships 
...We need to be together.
 We yearn for connection. We hunger for the familiar faces of friends, the sound of shared voices proclaiming who we are, where we are going. -- Jeff May
We will explore our theme this month in our church services, and religious education and our Soul Matters small groups.  You can find material for individual reflection here
News from your Music Director
Choir Get-Acquainted Reception Sunday, Oct. 3
UUSS Choir Rehearsals begin Wednesday, Oct. 6
Greetings, UUSS Singers!

I have already met a few of you face to face over the past few Sundays, and I am looking forward to meeting the rest of you.
Choral music has always been an essential part of my life, and I find that it fulfills in me something that no other endeavor does. I am a huge advocate of tapping the experiences, talents, and resources that choir members have to offer, as we are all lifelong learners. I also strive to bring choral music from a diverse array of regions, genres, composers, and traditions, especially as advocacy and equity are continuously pushed to the forefront of our social climate.  

I would like to invite all of you to join me on Sunday, October 3, after service, for a meet and greet of choir members former and prospective. Bring your questions. I will have a table out on the patio, which will have a signup sheet for new members or for anyone who I am unable to reach through email from the existing choir list.  If you didn't receive an email from me on Thursday, let me know and I'll add you to the list

By Anthony Tavianini, Music Director
In Loving Memory
Memorial Services Scheduled
We extend our condolences to the friends and family of our friend Barbara Jodry, who died July 4. A native of Connecticut, she and husband Richard Jodry reared four children; she taught junior high in Elk Grove for 20 years. After Richard's death in 1976, she met UUSS member Don Coan while folk dancing, in 1980, and they married. Barbara was a writer, activist, volunteer, donor to justice organizations, and a traveler; she and Don visited 40 countries. Contributions in Barbara's honor are invited to the Heritage Fund at UUSS, University of Connecticut Alumni Association/Foundation, or Solar Cookers International, a locally based group with global impact to which she and Don were dedicated. Her service will be held in person and on Zoom at 6:00 PM, Thursday, Oct. 7. Reception follows on the patio. Read Barbara's obituary at this link.

For Fran Kennedy, the service will be in person and on Zoom at 11:00 AM Friday Oct. 15; reception follows on the UUSS patio. You can read Fran's obituary at this link.
Community Partner Nominations Due! Congregational Meeting Sunday, Oct. 24
Each month, we give half of our Sunday offerings to a local non-profit. The congregation nominates and votes on which groups will become Community Partners for the upcoming year. Organizations must be nominated EACH year and must be aligned with the UUSS Strategic Plan. Please mark your calendars for the Congregational Meeting on October 24 at 11:45. Deadline for nominations is October 20 with the votes taking place online following the Congregational Meeting. Nominate organizations using the forms found at here and submit them to boardsecretary@uuss.org along with any questions you may have. ~Anara Guard, Board of Trustees Secretary
Religious Education (RE) for 
children and youth and families
Religious Education: To maximize accessibility and safety, this fall the RE classes will not take place during the service. Worship services are always open for all ages to attend in person.
  • For kids from kindergarten to grade 5, Ms. Miranda will build community and learn from our kids with our new Soul Kids curriculum on Zoom at 9:00 a.m. Families, please email her at re@uuss.org for the link.
  • Youth Groups: Both groups will start in October. For youth in grades 6-8, our Junior High Youth Group will take place twice a month in person, but outside, wearing masks. Starting this Sunday, Oct. 3, JHYG will take place before the service. Contact re@uuss.org.
  • For youth in grades 9-12, our Senior High Youth group is a place of connection, mutual support, and exploration of our UU ethical and spiritual values as we engage with the challenges of our lives and our world. SHYG will meet twice a month at UUSS, but after the service. It will take place after church, outside at a social distance, with lunch provided, starting this Sunday Oct. 3. Contact re@uuss.org.

To connect with our Religious Education Coordinator and for RE Zoom links, please contact Miranda at re@uuss.org.
Groups, Gatherings, and Classes
Sunday Bookstore at UUSS -

Sunday before church and after church you can visit the UUSS Bookstore in our Library. Good values on great reads--$1.00, hardback or paper. Also: CDs by UUSS musicians, books by UUSS authors UUSS Chalice Blend Coffee.  Now available (new book): Lifting Our Voices, a book of UU readings often used in services.
Ted's Web 
Every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. join the group for a discussion of the politics of the day. Named in honor of our late Minister Emeritus, Rev. Theodore Webb. Now meeting in person at UUSS!
Reading and Responding to Poetry with JoAnn Anglin. The 1st and 3rd Monday each month at 10:00am via Zoom link here.

The next poem we will consider will be, “Waiting for the Barbarians,” by C.P. Cavafy. It can be found online at: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51294/waiting-for-the-barbarians

Our Lectio Divina gathering will again be online, via Zoom, at 10 AM, this coming Monday, October 4.  
Join us next week!
Electric Vehicles: Life Cycle and Impact

You want to combat climate change, but is an EV right for you? UUSS Adult Enrichment presents a two-session class on Thursdays, October 7 and 14 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Our presenter is Sean Fountain, an Engineer with 9 years of industry experience in electric motors and renewable energy. You may already know him and his family as active participants at UUSS! Please RSVP to adultenrichment@uuss.org to receive the Zoom link.
Ukulele Strum-Along, Friday, October 8, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fahs Room -- In the Education Wing behind the main building.
We’re masking and distancing.
The UU Beginning Ukers meet at 7:00 p.m. on the second Friday of each month. Everyone is welcome, including brand-new players. We have copies of music to share and ukes to lend. Come at 6:30 for help with getting started.
Questions? Contact ukes@uuss.org
Sunday Morning Spiritual Practices return to our campus in October, an hour before church. Facilitated Labyrinth walk begins on Oct. 3 and the first Sunday of every month. Tai Chi and Qi Gong on Oct. 17 and the third Sunday of every month.

If you are bringing your child in grade 6-8 to the Junior High Youth Group at 9:15 a.m. on these days, we hope you'll stay to join in, and then attend the worship service!
Click to read the complete Weekly Calendar 
UUSS Engaged with the Community
Help for Afghani Refugees
Sacramento has the largest number of Afghan immigrants of any city in the nation, and we are proud to patronize our local Afghani businesses, to be connected to individual Afghan American families, and to be partners with local refugee resettlement organizations. 

We have supported and worked most closely with International Rescue Committee of Northern California’s office here in Sacramento. They are swamped with logistics and other preparations for the arrival of 2,000 refugees in the next 12 months.  They will have a clearer idea of how we can support them in a few weeks. The best way to support their work right now is to go to the IRC-Sacramento Wishlist on Amazon and buy Visa cards or Amazon gift cards. They aren’t ready to receive other items currently. For donating Amazon gift cards the email address to enter is VolunteerSacramento@rescue.org. You may also make a monetary donation to the Soft Landing Fund of IRC of Northern California; click the name to go to that site.
On our website you will find the above options and several other ways to provide financial support to organizations that resettle refugees and advocate for U.S. action to protect human rights and save lives. 
Staff and Minister Availability
Rev. Roger (Roger's day off is Monday; reading/writing day is Friday) and Rev. Lucy  (Lucy's day off is Wednesday; study day is Friday) are available for pastoral support by appointment by phone, Zoom or in person, and the Pastoral Volunteers are available for support by phone. Schedule an appointment with Lucy at calendly.com/revlucyb.
 
Rev. Roger & Rev. Lucy will be out of town for the fall meeting and retreat of the Pacific Central UU Ministers group, this coming Tues-Thurs, Oct. 5-7. The Office can reach them in an emergency.
 
Our office staff (office@uuss.org or 916-483-9283) are available to respond to your phone calls and emails weekdays 8:30-4:30.
Our RE Coordinator and Pianist and Music Director are available by email. 
UUSS Mission 
We come together to deepen our lives and be a force for healing in the world.