Please visit our new online bookstore!
A new way to support your Fellowship! Anything you buy from our new online bookstore, or after clicking on the
Powered by Amazon.com
logo, will provide a percentage to help support our Fellowship.
UU Visalia
Quick Links
Home Page:
uuvisalia.org
|
|
|
Calendar for October 2007
October 7, 2007, 5PM Worship Service - "Blessing of the Animals." Bring your well-behaved, leashed companion animals (or a photo) to church for blessings! Led by Harold Wood and Lesley Dyer.
October 14, 2007, 5PM Worship Service - "Unitarian Universalist Association Sunday - Now is the Time" Led by Sally Carroll
Thursday, October 18, 6 PM at Friends Meeting House - Special Workshop: "Should We Change our 7 Principles?" Special workshop to discuss how we might improve our Seven Principles and Six Sources of our Living Tradition. October 21, 2007, 5PM Worship Service - "United Nations Sunday" - presented by Lesley Dyer and Dorothy Osak.
October 28, 2007 - 5PM Worship Service - "What is Spiritual Practice?" - Presented by Marilyn Giese. Includes a New Member welcoming ceremony.
The 5PM Worship Service is followed by a light potluck supper at 6 PM to which all are welcome!
Please do not hesitate to come to church and join us for dinner potluck. Even if you forget to bring a dish, we always have plenty and your company is most welcome.
|
|
Fellowship News
NEW ONLINE BOOKSTORE
Our fellowship now has a special online bookstore, powered by Amazon.com! Visit us at:
www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore/
Categories include: Everyday Spirituality, Building Your Own Theology, Finding Your Spiritual Path, UU 101, Relationships, Buddhist Spirituality
Christian Spirituality, Humanist Spirituality, Earth-Centered Spirituality, Transcendentalist Spirituality, Social Justice, Sustainable Living, Children's Books, and even Magazines.
You can preview many books, read reviews, and securely purchase books and many other items. Your purchases support your Fellowship, because purchases from our online bookstore provide us with 4 to 10 percent referral fees.
Special Note: Anything you buy after clicking on the Powered by Amazon.com logo, whether from Amazon or third-party sellers, will provide a percentage to help support our Fellowship. So, even if you don't find a book you like on our Bookstore, please make all your Amazon.com purchases through our bookstore to support your Fellowship! Our share goes up from 4% to 6% once more than 6 items are purchased in a month.
If you have suggestions for new categories, or for books to offer, let us know by sending an e-mail to: bookstore@uuvisalia.org
Child Care and Religious Education
The Visalia UU Fellowship's Board has adopted a policy of having two adults present with any gathering of children. On Sundays, Debbie usually acts as teacher - - much heartfelt gratitude is due to her. A class assistant / childcare person is needed for each event. Volunteers are needed who are willing and able to assist so that the same couple of people do not miss the service every time. Please volunteer!
Fair-Trade Coffee
Through the UUSC COFFEE PROJECT, friends and members of our congregation
can enjoy
delicious coffee, tea and chocolate while helping small-scale farmers in
Latin
America, Africa and Asia as they build a better future for themselves and
their
families.
Through the project, farmers earn a fair price for their products, have
access to
affordable credit, and gain a long-term trading partner they can trust, a
Fair Trade
Organization called Equal Exchange. Equal Exchange is committed to Fair Trade
on
100 % of their coffee, tea and chocolate products.
To order your coffee, tea or chocolate from Equal Exchange, contact Debbie
W.
She has the product list and prices. She will be taking orders through October
14,
2007 and intermittently throughout the year as the demand arises.
Newsletter Deadline
Monday, October 22, 2007 is the next newsletter deadline. All readers are
invited to submit information about their favorite organizations and upcoming
events to editor@uuvisalia.org.
WORSHIP SERVICE DETAILS
October
7, 2007, 5PM "Blessing
of the Animals." Bring your well-behaved, leashed companion
animals to church for blessings! For shy, nervous, or non-house-broken
animals, instead of your pet, please bring a photo, a collar, or
a stuffed animal instead to represent your pet. If you would
like to honor wild creatures, children or adults might want to come
in costume, or bring a photo or other representation. All live animals
must be leashed or in a suitable container or cage. Led by Harold
Wood and Lesley Dyer.
 October
14, 2007, 5PM "Association Sunday." Across
our nation, Unitarian Universalists are pondering the future of our
movement. "Congregational growth is of deep concern to all of us
committed to the future of our free faith. We have found something
of great spiritual value, and we wish to share it with others...if
we do not grow, we are passing a terrible judgment on ourselves and
the choices we have made. If our faith is truly wonderful, then this
should be more widely recognized." (William Burnside Miller)
The
UUA is asking each member to donate as much as
they can, hopefully
at least $50, toward a new marketing and growth campaign, NOW IS
THE TIME.
October
21,2007, 5PM - "United
Nations Sunday" presented by Lesley Dyer and Dorothy
Osak. The
Unitarian-Universalist United Nations Office was the sponsor of an
Action of Immediate Witness that was passed at the 2007 General Assembly
on Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Find out what we can do
to help.
October
28, 2007 - 5PM - "What is
Spiritual Practice?" Presented by Marilyn Giese. Discover
simple pathways for enriching your life with ideas from the book Everyday
Spiritual Practice by
Scott Alexander (Buy
from our new bookstore!). Rev.
Alexander suggests a wide variety of ways in which you can spiritually
examine, shape and care for your life, to achieve wholeness, satisfaction,
depth and meaning. The service will include a new member welcoming
ceremony.
MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS
Monday, October 8 at 7 PM - Board
Meeting at Harold & Janet's House. Everyone welcome. Call 739-8527
for directions. Sunday, October
14 at 6 PM - Green
Sanctuary & Social Justice Team will
meet at 6 PM during the potluck in the Sunroom at the Meeting House after
the service.
Monday, October 15, at 7PM -
UU Fellowship of Visalia Board Meeting at
Harold & Janet's house - all are welcome. Call 739-8527 for directions.
Thursday,
October 18, 6 - 9 PM - Special
Workshop: "Should We Change our 7 Principles?" Please attend this special
workshop to discuss whether, and if so, how we might improve our UU
Principles and Purposes and
provide feedback to UUA. Our 7
Principles, and 6 Sources of our Living Tradition are not
cast in stone! A free faith stays free only if it is examined
periodically, to remove stale items, add exciting new ones, or revise
our message for better clarity! Participate
in our congregation's review.
We hope to make interesting discoveries about Unitarian Universalism,
ourselves as a local congregation and as individual UUs. (Recommended
readings include "A
Chosen Faith" and "What
UUs Believe: Living Principles for a Living Faith" from our online bookstore
or in our library.) We'll
met at the Friends Meeting House.
Sunday, October 21 at
3:30 PM - Newcomer Orientation.
Read more at our Pathways
to Membership web page. Sunday,
October 21, at 6:45 PM - Worship & The Arts Team meets in the Sunroom
at the Meeting House. Saturday,
October 27 - Meeting House Work
Party 8-12 AM. Help work on our library and other tasks.
ADULT
EDUCATION
September
'07 - January '08 - Building
Your Own Theology It's
getting late, but there is still room for one or two persons if you'd
like to participate. Everyone can review and purchase Additional
Reading recommended
by the author of our class curriculum on our online bookstore. For more
information contact Janet: jswood@mac.com.
Save
the Date!
In Ancient Times - This five-session adult religious
education curriculum is an update of the popular Cakes
for the Queen of Heaven curriculum
originally published in 1986. It is a course in feminine theology. Themes
of the course are: "The Sacred Female, In the Name of the Mother and
the Daughter, Woman
power, The First Turning-From Goddess to God, and
Reclaiming Women's Heritage of Peace." The sessions will be held
on Saturdays from April 5th through May 3rd, 2008 with time and place
to be announced later.
Buddhist
Meditation (Wednesdays, 6 PM) As well as meditation practice,
these weekly sessions also frequently discuss current literature on mindfulness
and meditation.
|
Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
Saturday, October 6, 10 AM - 3PM, Livermore.
PCD Leadership School Annual Reunion. An opportunity to connect with graduates and staff of the Pacific Central District's Leadership School. Renew the spirit as we learn, share, worship and celebrate together! Breakfast snacks for early arrivers; a catered lunch will be provided. Nominal cost. For more info or to volunteer, please contact April at president@uuvisalia.org.
October 19 - 21: 10th Annual PCD Men's Retreat!
Calling all men of the Pacific Central District for a weekend of fun, relaxing, learning and camaraderie! This event is held at the Westminster Retreat Center in Alamo, CA. Regular registration is $225, late registration (Oct. 1) is $235, and a special rate of $199.95 is offered for those who bring a new member to the retreat. For more information, please contact Ed Massey at massey1281@yahoo.com or 408-297-9478.
October 21: Church of the Larger Fellowship On-line class - The Sacred Depths of Nature: Science and Spirituality. $40. For information about courses contact www.clfuu.org. Buy the book from our online bookstore!: $11.53
Save the Dates!
Upcoming Pacific Central District Events:
Saturday, November 10, 2007
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DAY
UU Church of Palo Alto
Saturday, January 12, 2008
A SPECIAL WORKSHOP WITH REV. LARRY PEERS!
UU Church of Berkeley (Kensington)
April 25 - 27, 2008
DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 2008!
Stay tuned for more information about this "not to miss" event! |
|
Community Events for Social Justice and/or Personal Spiritual Development
Mona Selph Art Exhibit - Places of Peace II Our own Mona Selph will have a special showing of her landscape paintings, "Places of Peace II" at the Porterville College gallery. The show will continue for the next three weeks, October 1 - 18. Gallery hours: 11 am - 1 pm and 5 - 7 pm Monday through Thursday.The series of landscape paintings created for this exhibition, according to Mona, "Represent an ongoing expression of the deep connection I feel between the majestic beauty of the Earth and the core of my soul as an artist."
Maxine Olsen Art Exhibit - Tulare Historical Museum
Exhibit: "Lost in Translation: Celebrating Spirituality,Sexuality, and Love" featuring artwork by Maxine Olson, will be on display at the Tulare Historical Museum, 444 West Tulare Ave. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 12:30-4 p.m., through Nov. 4. Also, exhibit of Native American storytellers and figurines on display in the Audio-Visual Room, through Oct. 21. Admission: $5; seniors, $3; students, $2; children 4 and younger, free. 686-2074.
Thursday, October 11, 8:30-4PM Fresno Faith & Mental Health Symposium and 7-9PM worship service. - co-sponsored by Interfaith Justice Committee, NAMI Fresno and Mental Health America of the Central Valley. Daytime workshops at Temple Beth Israel, Fresno for $10 fee. Advance Register for the symposium by e-mail to namifresno@sbcglobal.net with name, phones, e-mail and street addresses. Interfaith Worship Service at Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, 1940 N Fresno St. from 7-9PM.
Saturday, October 13, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m Environmental Weekend at Three Rivers Art Center. Solar cooking demonstrations, free Movie - ("Green, "The New Red White and Blue"), Door Prizes, Information on Green Living Options
Sunday October 14th. Tour of Six Environmentally Friendly Three Rivers Homes. $15 per Person, $25 per couple. Call 561- 4676 for reservations. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County.
(Both events were generated from a "Global Warming" discussion group held by UU Visalia Fellowship members for the Three Rivers community. Much gratitude to Mona Selph, Maxine & Jim Yates, Bill Becker, Judy Smith and the people of Three Rivers!) October 20 (Sat) - Sierra Club Yosemite Car Trip - Join the Sierra Club Mineral King Group's outing to Glacier Point overlooking Yosemite Valley to see the fall colors. If the weather is bad or an early snow closes Glacier Point, outing will go to Yosemite Valley instead. Take some short hikes. Call Allen at 559.739.8087 sign up or for more info. |
 Nobel Laureates Praise New Book by UU Evolutionary Evangelists Michael Dowd & Connie Barlow
www.ThankGodforEvolution.com
Rev. Michael Dowd and his science writer wife, Connie Barlow gave a special presentation to our Fellowship in May of 2005. Both members of the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship, they are America's UU evolutionary evangelists. They have spoken in more than 250 UU churches and fellowships over the past 5 years and were recently featured on the cover of the UU World.
Rev. Dowd's forthcoming book, "Thank God for Evolution!", has been endorsed by 5 Nobel laureates and 120 other luminaries, including NASA's chief scientist and prominent UU ministers. The book's sub-title confirms the ground-breaking nature of this book: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World.
Millions who have never heard about Unitarian Universalism will soon hear about us for the first time, as Dowd includes dozens of stories from his and Connie's experiences in UU contexts. He and Connie are donating 100% of book royalties toward furthering the epic of evolution movement in and beyond the UUA. Let's be prepared for this as a congregation!
You can now pre-order the book from our UU Visalia Online Bookstore
at: www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore/
"Dowd has given us a bridge across one of the major chasms of our times:religion and evolution. His passion for both science and religion is
contagious. Reading his book, one can see that the discourse itself has
just evolved to a whole new level!"
-- REV. MARLIN LAVAHNAR, SENIOR MINISTER, ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH, TULSA
"The science vs. religion debate is over! Must reading for all, including
scientists."
-- CRAIG MELLO, 2006 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY/ MEDICINE
|
25,000 for Peace!
Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, is heading to
Capitol Hill on October 10th to tell Congress to end this war and he wants to bring your voice with him! Our goal is to collect 25,000 signatures for peace; nearly 10% of our members in the United States!
Please sign the petition and add your voice to 25,000 UUs as we say, "end this war!"
In early January, Rev. William G. Sinkford wrote to President Bush saying NO! to the surge; the President did not listen. Then, in March, he sent a message to Congress
asking them to assess how this war has affected our nation's moral
balance; Congress chose to fund the war. Then, earlier this month, Rev.
Sinkford faxed every member of congress telling them, yet again, "Not another dollar. Not another life."
In the aftermath of the Patraeus and Crocker testimony and the
reality that Congress is once again considering funding this war, Rev.
Sinkford is refusing to stand idly by, wondering if his messages were
received. Along with Rev. John Thomas, General Minister and President
of the United Church of Christ, Rev. Sinkford will be visiting your
members of Congress on October 10th and carrying with him a message of
peace. He does not want to do this alone. He wants to do it with the
support of as many Unitarian Universalists as possible. We have set an
ambitious goal of gathering 25,000 signatures in less than a month. Add your voice to 25,000 UUs as we say, "end this war!"
Please send this on-line petition to as many of your friends as possible. You can also download a copy of the petition and a sign-up sheet to take into your congregations on Sunday.
Add your voice to 25,000 UUs as we say, "end this war!"
|
Global Warming and Local Efforts
By Mona Selph
A year ago, more than seventy leading scientists studying the effects of global warming on California released the first state mandated biennial report. Computer model results were alarming, even based on the lower end of the scale of possibilities. Using a comparison with 1990, these are some of the grim predictions that will take place before the end of the century. There will be a thirty to ninety percent loss in Sierra snow pack, two to four times as many heat wave days, up to two and a half times more critically dry years, and a ten to fifty five percent increase in the risk of large wild fires.
California is a leader in national efforts to combat green house gas emissions, which cause human influenced global warming. While there are seven green house gasses, carbon dioxide leads in terms of quantity, and accounts for more than eighty percent of green house gas emissions. In the combustion of fossil fuel to create energy, carbon bonds are broken, creating carbon dioxide.
While governments, corporations, and individuals look for alternatives, it is the ordinary citizens who can and must change habits to reduce the amount of energy we use. In the three part formula for sustainability, (reduce, reuse, recycle), the first is the most efficient. If we do not use the energy, it does not add to the problem of climate change. It means changing old habits. We need to establish a new paradigm, Earth Consciousness, to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
In the community of Three Rivers, there are people who deserve kudos for what they are already doing for a better climate. Shopping at the Thingerie for clothing and household wares means new items not manufactured, eliminating the energy that would be used in the process all the way down to the growing of the cotton, for example. Not to mention the funds raised for scholarships and community projects. We should always be proud to say, " I got it at the Thingerie!"
Kudos to the California Native Plant Society and to the Garden Club in promoting the use of native plants and xeriscaping. That is water that need not be pumped and can stay in our rivers and aquifers.
Kudos to Mike McCoy and Three Rivers Mercantile for all of the Earth friendly merchandise stocked, including on demand water heaters, low flow toilets, electric weed eaters and mowers and much more.
Kudos to local builders such as Pete Crandal for exploring green building possibilities like rammed earth and straw bale houses, earth berms, passive solar heating, and other options.
Kudos to to groups and individuals raising their voices to promote awareness of local issues related to a sustainable environment. Carol Clum's recent article on water use in Tulare County attests to the efforts of the citizens of our community.
If using paper crimpers rather than the steel staples for small batches can do the equivalent of taking many thousands of cars off of the roads, then little things really do count. In raising my own and others' awareness about the consequences of each of our actions, it is my hope that people will write in and otherwise share their ideas about how small energy savings can add up to a better future for ourselves and all of those who come after us, including the creatures we share the planet with.
|
|
|
