| Upcoming Dates |
September 8
Ingathering Service
September 14
Classical Concert
September 15
Social Justice Luncheon
Monthly List of Church Meetings/Events
|
| Quick Links | UUCM Web Site
Archive of UUCM newsletters
UUCM Facility Calendar
Volunteer for UUCM
Donate to UUCM
UUCM Photo Gallery
Members can send an email to UUCM Connect with "subscribe me" in the subject line. A group for UUCM members who want to sell, give, buy or trade goods or services or make referrals.
|
Visitor's Box
| |
Planning a Visit to UUCM
Visitors Subscribe to this eWeekly
We cherish
diversity and
welcome among us
people of all races,
cultures, ages,
abilities, sexual
identities/
orientations, and
faith perspectives.
GUESTS are always welcome.
Sunday worship is a time for
inspiration, renewal, and connection.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH
There is no Religious Education or nursery care in the summer.
REFRESHMENT HOUR in the Courtyard or
Fireside Room follows the services.
There are 4 "Sunday First Time Visitor" parking spots at the top of the parking lot.
Come, join us!
|
Staff Links
| |
Rev. Chip Wright
Intern
Irene Stefanko
Administrator:
Choir director
|
|
DRE's Schedule
|
Director of Religious Education:
Jeffrey Melcher
Office Hours:
Sunday 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Wednesday 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Friday Noon - 4:00 pm
|
|
Intern's Schedule
| |
Ministerial Intern:
|
|
|
August 29, 2013
Issue #225
Next newsletter September 5, back to weekly newsletters.
|
|
Sunday Worship Service 
|
September 1, 2013: "Participation Service"
Dick Park with Worship Associate Rodney Gothelf
The Participation Service has its roots in the Quaker Meeting. There is quiet music and introductory words at the beginning, and quiet music at the end, but in between, the silence is broken only by individuals sharing thoughts and feelings that are significant to them.
|
| Congregational Potluck September 8th | |  It's time to pull out those recipes for our September 8th ingathering potluck (after Sunday service in the courtyard).
Food assignments:
A-G main dish
H-M salad
N-W fruit or dessert
Volunteers are needed for set up and clean up. If you can help, please contact Dani Lundbaek. |
|
Contemplative Service
| | |
Invitation to Join the Contemplative Service Beginning September 15
UUCM's early Sunday morning Contemplative Service was started more than ten years ago as an experiment in order to open up more parking spots for the later service. The 9 a.m. lay-led service has become a quiet reflective mainstay for the circle of 2 to 8 regulars who attend and we always welcome those who would like to try this alternative. Those of us who regularly attend the early service find it is a spiritual foundation for our week and a quiet source of inspiration. It is typically led by members in a volunteer sequence and we welcome the participation of the Minister whenever possible. Each lay leader prepares a service based on what speaks to her/him/them that week or season (of weather or life!)
The service follows this general format:
- Welcome
- Opening Reading while lighting the Chalice
- First Contemplative Reading followed by about a 5 minute period for silent reflection
- Opportunity to share thoughts that arose from the reading or in the silence
- Joys or Sorrows: Whomever wishes can light a candle and share verbally or not
- A second reading is followed by a longer time for silent reflection
- Opportunity to share thoughts that arose from the reading or in the silence
- (Optional) Hymn or song accompanied by piano or not
- Closing: While in a circle holding hands, we say these words:
"Keep Alert! Stand Firm in Your Faith
Be Courageous, Be Strong
Let All that You Do Be Done in Love (Lines 1-3 are from #713 in our Hymnal)
And Go Shining!" (Closing line words are from Rev. Norma Cordell)
We invite all at any time (even if you arrive after 9 am you may come in quietly and join us). We meet in the Fireside Room, beginning September 15 and will continue weekly through June 15. If you have further questions, email Carol Kerr at drckerr@pacbell.net.
Come and widen our circle. All are welcome!
|
Minister's Musings
| |  As we start our fifth year together at UUCM with me as your minister I would like to make a few requests. This year we are supplementing our membership process by adding the Visitor and New Member Coordinator. This will free me from much of the 'New to UU' and 'Pathway to Membership' meetings that go on after services throughout the year so I will be free to spend time at coffee hour greeting and meeting new folks. However we need all of you to help us in this ministry. Please take time to greet at least one new or visiting person on Sundays and reserve church business with me for other times. Just make an appointment during office hours or another time that works for you. Let's all work together to build our sense of UUCM hospitality with a warm welcome to others.
Additionally, the Board along with The Committee on Ministry (COM) and I have scheduled four Congregational Conversation Sundays. Although we are still in discernment about what any specific topics will be, please save the dates for these conversations: Oct. 13, Nov. 24, Feb. 16, and March 20. These conversations will happen after service and my hope is that they will cover a range of topics including; 'Who we are and how we see ourselves as a Religious Community. What we are called to do and how do we do It? Who are our neighbors and how do we engage them, or do we? If UUCM were not here what difference would it make? Can UUCM transform us and others, how? It is important for religious communities to engage in these kinds of questions every five years or so. As you think about these questions and your responses, you help the Board and the COM set some direction for who we want to be in the next five years. As a community we can offer so much, and do so much, as we set the vision that will ignite the ministry and programs of this 'our' congregation.
Also another note: I will be offering monthly themes to our worship calendar so that we can delve deeper into a particular idea or subject. You can more directly join into these themes as well with what we are calling Response Sundays. On Response Sundays I will set aside time for your comments and observations following the sermon. I will publicize Response Sundays in the newsletter so everyone will know what Sundays they are. The first of these Sundays will be Sept 29th.
I am looking forward to working with you to create an even more exciting and engaging year ahead. Let's do it with joy, direction, faith and purpose!
See you all in church on September 8th!
Rev. Chip |
| Religious Education nUUs | |  Welcome! After jumpstarting the RE year with an intergenerational service on September 8th we plan to cook up a good year.
APPLE PICKIN' PARTY
Joanne Derby says the apples are dropping out on their farm and she would love to share five trees worth with those who want to come out and pick.
This would mean climbing ladders, filling buckets, eating and maybe a bobbing for apples contest. She says the horses love to eat an apple or ten themselves.
If we have pie bakers there can be a wonderful treat for not only the picking crew, but for our congregation and shelter communities. I can make a nice butter crust. Are you interested in helping coordinate, pick, bob, or bake? Give me a call or drop me a line. Warm Wishes,
Jeffrey Melcher,
Dir. of Religious Education |
Water and Stones
| |  Remember to gather stones or water for our annual Intergenerational ingathering on Sunday September 8. Virtual items are welcomed |
Classical Music Fundraising Concert
| | 
September 14
Doors open at 1:30 and concert starts at 2:00 pm.
Come join us for an afternoon concert featuring Milton Wong, Hans Brightbill and friends.
Three Madrigals for violin and viola by Bohuslav Martinu
Piano Quartet No. 3, Op. 60 by Johannes Brahms
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 50 by Sergei Prokofiev
Tickets: Adult $15, Youth (17 and under) $10
There will be a "gift basket" raffle also (tickets $2.00 each, 6 for $10.00).
We need your help to make the concert a success. Help is needed for the bar, setup/cleanup, and cashiering. Also, we need some people to bake cookies and brownies. Volunteers should contact either Karen or Lori or sign up in the UUCM foyer.
Flyer to give to friends. |
Social Justice Luncheon Sept. 15
| |  Sun. Sept. 15 - Noon-Luncheon - Fellowship Hall. After her sermon, Toby Blome will present details of her experiences in Iran and Washington with a slide show. Also, she and her husband will play the nykelharp. Come learn about all of this and share the potluck at the Social Justice luncheon. IF YOU WANT TO PREPARE A DISH...PLEASE...CONTACT figleafjoan@comcast.net. 415-453-6221 |
August 13 Wellness Dinner
| | Many thanks to these members for bringing salads and attending the weekly Wellness Dinners provided by the Homeless of Marin led by Chaplain Paul Gaffney! Our contributors were Joyce Rhodes, Linda Stoneall, the Lundbeck family, Joan Nelson & also thanks to the Manserghs who delivered even though
they could not attend! Kudos to those who gave of their time and effort. Do we have any families with preteen and teens who would like to be involved?
Our week is the second Tuesday at 5:15pm in San Rafael. Email or call Carol Littrell to sign up & bring your family! We provide salads, they provide all else & we dine together. cjwlittrell@aol.com or 883-9676 You will participate in a truly rewarding event! |
Book Group
| |  Our UUCM book group meets on third Wednesdays at 7:30 in the Clara Barton Room. Members and visitors are welcome to join our discussions.
For September 18 we will be reading The Master Butcher's Singing Club, by Louise Erdrich.
"A German soldier straggles home from World War I, marries his best friend's pregnant widow, then picks up a set of butcher knives and heads for North Dakota, where he founds a singing club . . . If anyone can make a butcher sing, it's Erdrich." (Library Journal) "All of the virtues of Erdrich's best works-her lyrical precision, bleakly beautiful North Dakota settings, deft interweaving of characters and subplots, and haunting evocation of love and its attendant mysteries are on full display in this superb novel." (Publishers Weekly)
Joyce Rhodes will lead the discussion and is inviting readers "to look for descriptive phrases that please them."
|
| Celebration of Transylvanian Thanksgiving | |  Fun, Food and Fotos -- Sunday, Sept. 29, starting 12:30pm Transylvanian Thanksgiving Reunion and Sharing Celebration for recent, past and prospective Transylvanian travelers. * Fireside room at UU Church of Berkeley*, 12:30 gathering for walk to Transylvanian Szekely Gate, with music from San Francisco/UC Alumni choir tour members * 1PM gather for finger food lunch, supplemented by your food offering * Meet and greet the 2013-2014 Balázs Scholar family, Rev. Karoly Vass, wife Gyöngyi and children, Bence and Vera. * Bring pictures from your Transylvania travels * Brief Video Presentation by Jo Green, our Starr King Immersion Scholar who was hosted in Transylvania this spring by former Balázs scholars. For further information contact Anne Greenwood at annegt1@sbcglobal.net For more information about the Starr King Balázs Scholar Program visit www.sksm.edu/balazs *Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley www.uucb.org 1 Lawson Road, Kensington CA |
|
Social Justice Education/Action Activities
|
Ever feel frustrated that you're not doing enough to make a difference in the world? Bring your concerns to the UUCM Social Justice Committee. Next Committee meeting: Sun. Sep. 8 - Noon. (Clara Barton Room)Because the Winter shelter is closed until mid-November, there will be an even more pressing need (if that's possible) at the Mill St. Shelter and for the Street Chaplain's Tuesday night dinners.--------------------------------------------------------------- Homeward Bound of Marin is the primary provider of shelter and services for homeless families and individuals. They seek volunteers to represent the program at Marin Farmers Markets. 459-5843
--------------------------------------------------------------
Members and guests are invited to take advantage of the Sunday Social Justice "Table" to promote a favorite cause or project. Perhaps you want to circulate a handout or a written petition (or refer people to electronic online petitions.) Arrangements must be submitted for committee approval in advance. figleafjoan@comcast.net 453-6221
--------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
