June 30, 2022
This Week
Worship
July 3rd 10:00am - In Person or online
Is This Sermon My Destiny?
Joel Bercu

I had a vision that on July 3rd that I, Joel Bercu, will be giving a sermon at Live Oak UU church. Predestination was hotly debated in the 4th century, with accusations of heresy for not believing in it. Now fast forward to the 21st century where we continue to talk and debate about it. Do we have control of our fate? Are our choices really ours? Does it really matter? This sermon will work to give dissatisfying answers to these questions and more.

Dr. Joel Bercu PhD, MPH, DABT has worked over 20 years in the public health / toxicology field. His day job is a toxicologist where he works to ensure the safety of staff, patients, and the environment. He has been a life-long Unitarian Universalist (grew up at Emerson UU church in Houston), with a few unsuccessful tries at other religions. His belief system centers around the “Orange Theory” which is totally unrelated to the fitness place – he is going to change the name to avoid copyright infringement. He has been a member of Live Oak UU Church and is currently serving as President of the Board of Trustees.

Share the Plate
Kind Clinic offers free care to all
Live Oak will share the plate in July with Kind Clinic, a nonprofit that provides sexual health services in Austin. It offers gender affirming care and STI/HIV testing and treatment. There are no fees for patients.

Kind Clinic locations in Austin are 101 West Koenig Lane and 2800 S. I-35 Frontage Road. You can learn more at www.kindclinic.org.

Go to the Donate link on the Live Oak website’s home page. Use the drop down menu to designate your donation for “Share the Plate”.
A Few Words from the Minister
Rev. Joanna will be on sabbatical through August 31. During this time, we will be sharing some of her writings.

There's a thing we say to each other sometimes. Here's how it began. " I have seen some amazing, beautiful expressions of agape and friendship. Things that are in my heart, still. The young woman walking over to the frail man in the wheelchair, kneeling next to him, taking his hand in hers, looking straight into his eyes and telling him she loves him. And there's nothing he can do about it. And the light in his eyes as he slowly, tentatively, pats her hand."
Special Notices
SOCIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY NEWS
Act like the future depends on it.

Welcome to a new, planned weekly Social Justice column! We, the Social Justice Ministry Team, recognize that progressive values are under attack and know that all of us at Live Oak UU are deeply concerned. Time to fight again to bend the arc toward justice! Each column will target a Social Justice issue. Some will offer ideas for action, personal stories, results of actions taken, suggestions for mutual support or ideas we haven’t thought of yet!
Today, we provide action items in response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade. We will stay motivated and hopeful and work to make the world just! As Nelson Mandela said, "It always seems impossible until it is done". To the barricades! Please feel free to volunteer to write a column or contact us if you have column ideas. We are happy to hear from you and work with you on your idea.

HELLO FRIENDS!

Roe overturned but we will NOT DESPAIR, we will TAKE ACTION!
1. Protest! Look for protests at tx4abortion, riseup4abortionrights, Planned Parenthood, others, and GO!
2. Email Governor, Senators, Representative w/ 1 sentence: I VOTE PRO-CHOICE.
3. Donate! These groups fund travel and fees for abortion: Texas Equal Access, La Frontera, Lilith.
4. Help the cause grow! Urge friends to join the fight. NO DESPAIR. LET'S GO! We will FIGHT and NOT STOP until all people control their own bodies and their own DESTINY!!!
5. Join the LOUU Reproductive Freedom Team at socialjusticeteam-members@liveoakuu.org.
Local OWL Training Opportunity
No, not training owls, but training to be a facilitator for Our Whole Lives.
Although training owls would also be cool, First UU Austin is holding a weekend-long session for people wanting to certify as a 7-12th grade teacher for the UUA's comprehensive sex ed program Our Whole Lives. The training will be in Austin September 16-18. Register directly here or contact them with any questions. LOUU plans to hold a high school OWL class in the very near future so your training will have a chance to be put to good use right away.
THE LIBRARY NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Admit it, you have secretly always wanted to play librarian.
That's why volunteering to help re-organize the Live Oak UU library might be the right job for you. The books have all been cataloged (including all the new ones that were recently donated), but we need to move them around to make better use of space. Can you help us? To join the team, contact Cindy at dlfd@liveoakuu.org.
June 26th Board Meeting
Here's a summary of the most recent Board meeting and a link to the draft of our minutes (not yet finalized).
This month, the new Board met for the first time and discussed roles and responsibilities. There were a few voting items: outstanding minutes (unanimous approval); Michele O'Donnell joining the Executive team (unanimous approval); Outreach Endowment Committee-approved Grants (failed 6-1); new Board receiving access to bank account (unanimous approval), Endowment Process (tabled for a future vote); Engagement Survey (unanimous approval). The Board has also outlined some draft goals and scheduled a retreat for September. After the Board meeting, the Board received helpful feedback and clarification from the Outreach Endowment Committee which led to a re-vote on the grants. The vote is currently underway -- results are not yet available.
We need you for the Stewardship Committee!
 
Stewardship is vital to the success of this church. We rely on donations to pay for our wonderful staff and church grounds. We need people to help us with Stewardship to raise the money for our church.  Here are some of the simple responsibilities of the Stewardship Committee.
 
  • Advertise pledging for the church
  • Collect pledges from individuals
  • Submit pledges to the Board so this can be incorporated into the budget.
 
If you are interested in joining the Stewardship Committee board@liveoakuu.org

Live Oak Voting Rights Team Needs You!
Join us in the Fellowship hall after the service and help to increase voter turnout in Texas
On July 17, the Live Oak Voting Rights Team is sponsoring a VoteForward letter writing event in the Fellowship hall after the Sunday service. The goal of VoteForward is to help get people out to vote. Research has shown that adding a personal message to their standard letter is effective in increasing turnout in folks who are registered but not likely to vote. For more information about this nationwide program, check out the VoteForward website. We will be preparing letters to send to a pool of registered Texas voters in underrepresented communities urging them to vote November 8. This is a non-partisan effort to strengthen our democracy.

You can help with our event, July 17, in several ways. You can create your own account at VoteForward.org and print out your own list of voters to bring that day, or you can help fold, stuff, stamp, and address letters from the lists other Live Oak participants will be working on July 17. Stamps, envelopes, pens, and templates will be provided for all to share. You’re also welcome to come for information about the program and see it in action. You don’t have to be voting age to participate; just bring your willingness to help increase voter turnout in Texas. For more information contact Judy Reynolds or Wayne Gregory
Annual Fall Campout in November!
The campout will be the weekend of Nov 11-13 at Cedar Breaks Park on Lake Georgetown. Make your reservations here. We usually camp in sites along the lake, in the teens and 20s. Some of us camp longer, arriving a day or 2 ahead of time and staying a day or 2 longer afterwards. Join the Live Oak UU Camping Group on Facebook for Q&A and camping discussion!


DON'T READ THESE BOOKS!
This summer we will be spending some faith development time exploring banned books, thanks entirely to the Leander ISD school board!

These banned book discussions will be happening the third Sunday of each month: July 17, and August 21.

In July, the K-5th grade class will be reading “A is for Activist,” “Nasreen’s Secret School,” and “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation.” In August they will read “This Day in June,” “And Tango Makes Three” and “Worm Loves Worm.” No pre-reading is required but parents are encouraged to read these books ahead of time if you wish to know what they are about.

The 6-12th graders are not expected to do any pre-reading but it is certainly encouraged. In July, the two books are “New Kid” (recommended for middle schoolers) and “The Hate U Give” (high school). In August the selections are “Better Nate Than Ever” (middle school) and “Red at the Bone” (high school). The high school selections all include content warnings for adult language, violence and in some cases sex so you may wish to pre-read these with your child. Both books will be summarized and the reasons they have been banned will be discussed at the lesson but will be age-appropriate for ages 11 and up.

Adults, please pre-read the following books and come ready to discuss the reasons you think they have been banned in Leander ISD and other schools. In July the book is “Ordinary Hazards” by Nikki Grimes; and the August selection is “Red at the Bone.” While each of these books are young adult selections, there are content warning of adult topics.

In the Community
UBarU Events
Young Adult Weekend
Young Adults (ages 18-30 years) are invited to camp for a weekend of camp activities including swimming, archery, games, crafts, labyrinth walking and more! June 25-27 are the dates which is a Saturday to Monday. You are invited to participate in the youth Bridging ceremony to invite the 2022 High school graduates into young adulthood. Lodging will be in the Brown Center bunks and private rooms. Meals are included along with the activities. Early bird price is $125. Discount offered for adults chosen to be counselors for youth camp. See application and job description for Adult Camp counselors at the youth camps page. 

Genderfuul Retreat
Join us at camp July 8-10, 2022! The Genderfuul retreat is an affirming retreat where trans, non-binary & agender UU adults can build community with each other. From nature walks to spiritual discussions and crafts, we hope that each person is able to relax and connect with the sacredness of being genderful. Our chaplain will foster an environment where everyone is encouraged to acknowledge and value the wide variety of identities, experiences, feelings, vocabulary and traumas that come with existing in an often oppressively gendered world.
In addition to discussions, crafts, meals and lodging, the weekend will include swimming in the UBarU stock tank pool, walking the labyrinth, resting and renewing your body and spirit. Register at https://www.ubaru.org/genderfuul-weekend
UBarU Annual Star Party
August 27-30, 2022
The 2022 UBarU Star Party (USP) is being held over three nights in late August since it offers a phase of the Moon that is better-suited for deep-sky viewing than over Labor Day weekend 2022. This is our sixth comprehensive star-party event (which includes, in addition to the star parties: astronomy-related lectures, meals, lodging, and more) offered at our IDA-certified Dark-Sky Park in Mountain Home, Texas. Please register via http://ubaru.org/home/starParty 
LiveOakUU.org Pages to Visit:
Worship Service & Fellowship Hour: http://www.liveoakuu.org/
Community Outreach & Social Justice: http://www.liveoakuu.org/justice/
The deadline for the weekly e-newsletter and the Sunday announcements is midnight on Tuesday. The submission form can be found here
If you have any questions or comments about this Newsletter please email: editor@liveoakuu.org