2006
December 17, 2006 - "Solstice Celebration" We explored traditions from all over the world recognizing the Winter Solstice. Our visitors from China commented that in China, Winter Sostice is greater than the Lunar New Year.
December 10, 2006 - "UU's Take on Global Warming" - A Visual Summary of the Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience on Global Warming and Climate Change, presentation by Harold Wood. Download illustrated sermon: PDF | Power Point
December 3, 2006 - "Painting the Mystery" a multi-media presentation by acclaimed artist Mona Selph. Where words fail, artists step in to try to depict visually the awe and wonder we feel for the mystery of life and death.
November 26, 2006 - "Thanksgiving Leftovers." Dorothy Osak shared some thoughtful words from theologian Paul Tillich on the difference between "gratitude" and "thanksfulness." Our members and regular visitors shared some both funny and heart-warming stories of past Thanksgivings.
November 19, 2006 - World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, the 10th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and National Teddy Bear Day. We collected a bountiful number of teddy bears to donate to the police departments of the county for foster children.
November 12, 2006
Veteran Curtis Wilson gave a presentation about the considerable sacrifice
our military men and women give to their country. Curtis regularly
attends the monthly peace demonstrations in Visalia against the war
in Iraq, and attends our Wednesday meditation practice sessions. He
stressed how important it is for us to honor and appreciate the soldiers
even if we protest the war.
November 5, 2006
3 PM We viewed the film: Iraq
for Sale: The War Profiteers. This is the
story of what happens to everyday Americans when corporations go to
war. Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of
Low Price, Outfoxed and Uncovered) takes you inside the lives of soldiers,
truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as
a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale
uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing
in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.
5 PM Worship Service "New Members - What it Means To Be a UU"
October 29, 2006 - A service of remembrance. Members and friends brought pictures of loved ones who had died, and told their story. So many fond memories and inspiring lives among us! This was a candlelight service.
October 22, 2006 - We celebrated Diwali (The Indian Festival of Light) We enjoyed inspired poetry from the ancient scriptures that have shaped Indian thought. Readings from Krishnamurti gave us lots of food for thought about what is religion and what is not. (Hint: it isn't about belief, or ritual, or god!)
October 15, 2006 - United Nations Sunday. Learn what the UU Office of the United Nations does and is planning for the future. A special collection will be taken this day for the benefit of the UU-UNO.
October 12, 2006 - "Articulating Your UU Faith" - We began our five-week discussion course on "Articulating Your UU Faith" using a special workbook from Skinner House Books. Five members gathered for the first session and found it to be thought-provoking and rewarding.
October 8, 2006 - Preceding the October 8th regular worship service, we held our first Drumming Circle! About a dozen members and friends attended, and it was so much fun yet spiritually enriching we decided to do it every month! Come to church early, and join us at 4 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month at the meeting house. If you have a drum bring it and if not, one will be furnished. If you have never participated in a Drumming Circle before, you will find it an uplifting spiritual experience that is also fun! We meet on the back patio of the meeting house for our Drumming Circle.
Also on October 8, during our regular worship service we had a fascinating discussion celebrating "Dia de la Raza." We heard a fascinating presentation about the origins of this special holiday celebrated throughout Latin America, which originated in Mexico. We discussed the destruction of Native American races in both North and South America, and the complicity of both European nations and the United States Governments in that. We viewed a video about the U.S. conquest of Hawaii, as one of our most recent examples of this imperialism. Knowing this history should help us resolve to promote better justice for all people in the future.
October 1, 2006 - "Save Darfur" - A PowerPoint presentation and discussion on Darfur was presented by Visalian Irene Morse. She discussed the politics and geography of the genocide, and her group's efforts to aid the Iridimi Refugee Camp. She and her co-presenter explained their decision to provide Solar Cookers to help these people who have suffered so much. A demonstration of the Solar Cookers also took place.
October 1, 2006 - Our "First Sunday Forum" at 3 pm featured a free showing of "An Inconvenient Truth." Learn more at: climatecrisis.net and read the UU Response to Global Warming.
September 24, 2006 - The meaning of the Islamic Month of Ramadan was defined in poetry and song. Then, David Hodges provided guidance on "living alone and liking it" as well as his experiences in introspection and reflection in his presentation on "Solitude" which was followed by a wonderful group discussion in the Sun Room prior to the potluck.
September 17, 2006 - Our Fellowship celebrated the International Day of Peace. An Action of Immediate Witness was adopted at our UU national General Assembly in 2006 to join the Declaration of Peace Campaign. The story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes was shared and peace songs sung. Also, Pete Mora, Special Operations Military Intelligence Officer for the US Army at Camp Delta, Abu Graib Prison in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afganistan shared his experiences in these places, and his views on the future of peace in Iraq.
September 10, 2006 - "Ingathering" service - welcoming everyone back from their summer comings and goings! Members shared in the Water Ceremony with their experiences from vacation travels across America and as far as Scotland! We had a Child Dedication to welcome baby Emma to our congregation. Proud parents Kim and Dennis were joined by "Gramma Sue" and their other children. We especially enjoyed welcoming four new members to our congregation!
September 3, 2006 - For Labor Day, we had a program on "Working" featuring a fascinating discussion among congregants about the meaning of work and life. It was exciting to learn that we have so many social workers and professional "caregivers" in our congregation! We might not all be engaged in such noble professions, but we all agreed that the dignity of good work at fair wages is something that should be available to everyone. Too many people even in America are working with "sweat shop wages" and cannot make ends meet.
August 27, 2006 - “Women’s Equality” presented by Lesley Dyer. This special program featured discussion of excerpts from musical hits from the 1930's to the present, exploring different attitudes toward and by women.
August 20, 2006 - “Spiritual Journeys” two members, Sandy Beals and Harold Wood, shared how their life experiences led them to Unitarian Universalism. Even though both have dropped many of their childhood beliefs about religion, they found that their fundamental values about respect for others and appreciation for the great Mystery remain intact and find full expression in Unitarian Universalism.
August 13, 2006 - “Cottage Conversation – Marriage Equality, presented by April Hill. The congregation viewed and discussed an insightful film about the serious personal and financial problems long-term gay and lesbian couples face when losing their partner without the benefit of the kind of laws that protect most men and women.
August 6, 2006 - “Transcendentalism” presented by Don Chapin. A good summation of our summer discussion series, Don provided an excellent oveerview of the meaning of Transcendentalism of Thoreau, Emerson, and UU minister Theodore Parker.
July 16, 2006 – "Empowering Love: A UULM Ministry" by Rev. Lindi Ramsden, visiting from Sacramento and the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California.
June 11, 2006 - through July 30, 2006 - Summer Discussion Series: Thoreau as Spiritual Guide - Reading Walden for Spiritual Renewal and Transformation. This discussion series was a wondeerful success!
June 4, 2006 – Annual Congregational Meeting
May 28, 2006 – “If You’re Only Looking for Happiness”, by Rev. Dr. Tony Hansen, presented by Anna Garcia
May 21, 2006 – “Goddess Timeline – Images of the Feminine” by Connie Tippett
May 14, 2006 – “Mysterious Moons” by Janet Wood, JPL Solar System Ambassador
May 7, 2006 - “Ideas for Non-Toxic Homes” by Teri Van Huss, of EIS Consulting and Sequoia Riverlands Trust
April 30, 2006 - “Wages of Dignity, Wages of Hope” UUSC
Justice Sunday
presentation by Don Chapin & April Hill
April 23, 2006 – “Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
with Carbon Offsets ”
A special Earth Sunday presentation by Harold Wood.
- Download illustrated sermon: PDF | Power Point
- Downoad handout: UU Ministry for Earth & Carbon Fund (PDF)
- Link: carbonfund.org
April 16, 2006 – Easter Sunday – no evening service. Join with Quakers for potluck brunch and fellowship at 9:30am at the Lovett’s back yard, down the road from the Meeting House.
April 9, 2006 – “Buddhism”
presentation by Katherine Singh, with a guided meditation from Rick Meyers.
April 2, 2006 - "Early Man's Calendar / Time Keeping”
presentation by David Hodges.
Try to imagine living with the moon, the sun, the stars, and a fire as
your only sources of light. You may wish to order your future activities.
You think along the lines of a calendar. Do you use the phases of the
moon as your guide? The moon has appeal: its cycle matches a woman's
menstrual cycle, ten moons match the time from inception to birth. But,
the moon will not tell you that it is time to plant, or when it is time
to reap. We will review early man's choices, and the problems that his
choices encountered.
March 26, 2006 – Evensong: "The Divine: What Do I Really Want?" - Group Discussion facilitated by April Hill
March 19, 2006 - “Restore
Hetch Hetchy – Yosemite’s Buried Mountain Temple” presented
by Harold Wood
Imagine the opportunity we have to allow Nature to re-create another
Yosemite Valley. Imagine the opportunity we have to allow Nature to restore
Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley, the place John Muir called "a
grand landscape garden, one of Nature's rarest and most precious mountain
temples." View
a video and hear from "Restore Hetch Hetchy" board member
Harold Wood about practical, reasonably priced solutions which exist which
can easily replace the water and energy that would otherwise be lost if
O’Shaughnessy Dam were removed and Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy
Valley were restored. www.hetchhetchy.org
For a related presentation, see:
Hetch
Hetchy Valley: A Grand Landscape Garden presented by Ron Good,
April 18, 2004 at the Unitarian-Universalist
Fellowship of Stanislaus County.
March 12, 2006 - “Is Bigger Better? An Inquiry about the Interdependent Web” a sermon by Richard Gilbert, read by Don Chapin.
March 5, 2006 – "Once Upon a Time in The Garden of Eden... The Story of the Seven Daughters of Eve, Their Travels, Their Children and Your DNA." Presentation by Marilyn Giese.
February 26, 2006: “Evensong Gathering Two: Religious & Spiritual Experiences” presented by April Hill
February 19, 2006: “Abraham Lincoln - The Realities and The Myths”, presented by David Hodges
February 12, 2006: “Sex and Aging”, presented by Dr. Jim Yates
February 5, 2006: “Candlemas”, presented by Marilyn Giese
January 29, 2006: “Matthew
Fox’s Creation Spirituality” presentation by Harold Wood
Download:
Presentation
by Harold Wood (1 MB - PDF)
96 Theses by Matthew Fox (224
kb - PDF)
January 22, 2006: “The Invisible Universe” presentation by Janet Wood, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
January 15, 2006: “Journey towards Wholeness – UUA Anti-Racism Program” presentation by April Hill
January 8, 2006: “Here Comes the Sun” – Winter Solstice presentation by Katherine Singh
January 1, 2006: “Principles of Health and Awakening for the New Year” presentation by Philip Kinnaird, Naturopath
