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Home Page:
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Calendar for August 2007
(Special Summer Discussion Series Continues:
Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays.)
8/7/07
5 PM - Worship Service - "Spiritual Laws."
Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay describes how contemplation is necessary for meaningful action. We can discover the natural course of things and be guided to live a more effortless and spiritual life. Presented by Janet Wood.
8/12/07
5 PM - Worship Service - "The Transcendentalist." Emerson writes about the mystical movement of believers in miracle, inspiration and ecstasy who pursued a "certain solitary and critical way." Presented by Lesley Dyer.
8/19/07
 3:30 PM - Special Film - "Green: the New Red, White and Blue"
Meet Thomas Friedman, a New York Times columnist who travels the globe in a quest to unravel the tangled web of energy consumption. Join Friedman as he visits the front lines of a 'green' revolution that is just taking shape - from the offices of Internet giant Google to a new Wal-Mart prototype green superstore. Then, learn why it makes good business sense to go green. On this environmentally friendly adventure, watch Friedman find solutions to global warming as America embraces the idea that green is the new red, white and blue.
5:00 PM - Worship Service - "Experience." Deeply introspective essay of Emerson struggling for a perspective to reconcile faith and skepticism, acknowledging life's limitations as well as celebrating its possibilities. Presented by Harold Wood.
8/26/07
5:00 PM - Worship Service - "Fate." Emerson's 1860 essay on "How shall I live?" In a world with human suffering and social problems, how can we reconcile freedom and fate?
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 Fellowship News
Board Meeting
Monday 8/6/07, 7 PM UUFV Board meeting at April's house. Please contact a Board member if you have business on which they need to act.
Covenant with UU Legislative Ministry of California
At the June 3, 2007 Annual Meeting, the Visalia UU Fellowship voted to support monetarily the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California (UULM)
The Board approved a "Covenant of Collaboration" with UULM at its 7/9/07 meeting. UULM will host leadership training opportunities and lobby days, will foster the engagement of young adults, coordinate enhanced media visibility for UU values, and engage UUs in justice work that is congruent with UU principles. The covenant encourages our congregation to provide input to UULM about our social justice priorities, to adopt a UULM issue, such as marriage equality, health care, global warming/climate change and reclaiming democracy.
Congregational Team Leaders will receive e-mail updates on news, legislation and events in California and will coordinate local education and action on those UULM justice issues. Thanks to Jim Yates for agreeing to be the contact for health care and to Harold Wood to be climate change contact. Who among Visalia UUs feels called to represent us on marriage equality and reclaiming democracy? Please contact April to learn about being a team leader.
Recycle and Raise Funds with Used Printer Cartridges
Most of us have inkjet printers at home or work. The next time you have an empty cartridge, don't throw it away. Just put it in a plastic bag or the original cartridge box and bring it to a Visalia UU Fellowship meeting. We will be paid up to $4 for each cartridge with a print head. (Sorry, Epson printer cartridges without print heads don't qualify.) Save energy! Reduce Pollution! The program is offered by Empties4Cash, which provides free boxes and shipping. Thanks to the Fresno UU Church for publicizing this new fundraising and recycling program.
Off Road Vehicle Use in the Sequoia National Forest
Many Visalia UUs attended a US Forest Service workshop on Monday evening, July 9, 2007 to learn about a proposal to open acres of roadless areas to off-road vehicles. A great opportunity to provide input and to exercise our rights as citizens.
A "Musical Celebration of Earth"
Jim Scott presented a special worship service at our Fellowship on July 22, 2007. Composer, guitarist, singer and ecological and activist, Jim was a member of the Paul Winter Consort for years. Our opportunity to hear him came because the Fresno UU Church had schedule a performance on the same morning.
How We Respond to Calls on Social Justice Issues
Our Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia often receives calls - from both members and from other organizations - to join a campaign, petition drive, or letter-writing drive to support various social and environmental justice issues. Some of these campaigns may involve controversial subjects. How do we decide what we can support through committees or the board, compared to when we need to ask the congregation to voice their opinion before we can act?
Read the article online
http://www.uuvisalia.org/justice/how_we_respond.html
UU Visalia Website Redesign
Our website is undergoing a major re-organization and redesign. There will also be some new content, but mostly the redesign is to create a more attractive and easier to use website. The new site should be up within the next week or so. If you see any problems or broken links, or have other suggestions, please contact our webmaster, Harold Wood at webmaster2@uuvisalia.org.
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Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
New Fresno UU Church Opens
Sunday August 5, 10:30 AM at the newly constructed Fresno UU Church on Alluvial at Willow. The first service celebrates their move and a "Musical Potpourri". Check www.uufresno.org for details.
Annual Adult Camp at Mendocino Woodlands
August 31-September 3, Mendocino Woodlands - Annual Unitarian Universalist Adult Camp. This annual camp for ages 18 and up offers picturesque cabins, music and arts activities, great meals, spiritual opportunities and plenty of relaxation. More information at www.unitariancamps.org.
Save the Dates!
Upcoming Pacific Central District Events
August 24 - 26, 2007
PCD UU Young Adult Network "CONtact"
Information and Registration Form
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.
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
 Saturday, August 4, 10AM - 2 PM at Imagine U Children's Museum, 700 E Main St., Visalia. Children's Day of Peace Activities - Origami peace crane folding, floating lantern-making, readings, music, peace videos, light refreshments
Monday, August 6, 7:30PM at Plaza Park Pond, Visalia. Hiroshima Day Memorial Lantern-Floating Peace Ceremony. Lantern-making at 7:30 with materials provided. Floating of the lanterns at 8 PM. Sponsored by the South Valley Peace Center, the American Friends Service Committee, Projecto Campesino and the Imagine U Children's Museum. For more information, call 559-782-9265.
Saturday, August 11, Los Angeles.
Health Care Rally. Join a bus load of Valley residents to support SB 840,
Senator Sheila Kuehl's Health Care for All bill. For info, contact April
at president@uuvisalia.org or Cynthia
@ 303.1134.
Saturday, August 25, Hike the Park
Ridge Trail with Sierra Club. The hike will start at Panorama Point
in the Grant Grove area and hike to the Park Ridge fire lookout. Lots of
good views of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River and the Great
Western Divide. This is a fairly easy 5-mile hike. For carpooling, meet
at Taco Bell at Mary's Vineyard at 8:30 AM. Call Allen at 559.739.8087
for more info.
Friday,
September 28th, Film: "The
Great Warming" @ 7:00 p.m., Tazzaria Coffee House,
208 W. Main St., Visalia. spnsored by Sierra Club, Mineral King Group. More
info: Cynthia
@ 303.1134.
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REV. WILLIAM SINKFORD'S PRAYER FOR EARTH WITNESS
(June 23, 2007- Portland, Oregon)
Spirit of Life and of Love. Dear God.
We come, first, to confess. Our comforts, our wasteful ways
have been purchased at a huge price. We thought that the earth was here for us to use,in any way we wished. The language of dominion over the earth led us astray.
We are part of the interconnected web of existence, not apart from it. We are born of the earth and supported by her bounty. She is our mother.
We thought she could recover always, never be depleted, forgive even our most violent attacks. Our violation of the earth has amounted to matricide. By insisting that the poor and people of color bear the greatest human cost, we have been committing fratricide. By our headlong rush to use up the earth 'til she is spent, we have been committing suicide.
Dear Mother, we are beginning to see what we have done. We promise to do everything in our power to bring the violation to an end.
We pray that we will have the wisdom and the will to do this well.
We pray we are not too late.
Amen.
(Rev. Sinkford is the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association)
Please visit our updated website www.uuvisalia.org for more information about Unitarian Universalism. If you would like to become a member of the Visalia UU Fellowship, please speak with a Board member, and see our Pathways to Membership web page.
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Contact Info
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia
info@uuvisalia.org
(559) 477-4214
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