This Week at UUP: February 8-14, 2007

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
An Oasis for Heart and Mind Every Sunday in Downtown Petaluma


For complete up-to-date info on the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma, see our website: www.uupetaluma.org

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SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am , at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am. )

Sunday, February 11: "Is UUism Pertinent Today?"
Worship Associate Elisabeth Hathaway
Starr King Ministerial student Alexandra McGee addresses the question: Is Unitarian Universalism pertinent today? We are a denomination that welcomes personal discernment and diversity. But what roots us during storms and gives us light during dark nights of the soul?

Sunday, February 18: "The New Atheism"
Worship Associate Mike Iritz
Guest Speaker Leland Bond-Upson
As Leland foreshadowed last month in his criticism of the Catholic Church and its pedophilia problem, and his condemnation of fundamentalism in Christianity and Islam, maybe we shouldn't let bad religion get the polite pass any more. What does the new atheism teach? Is more to be gained than lost by its adoption? Is it possible to reject religious nonsense but retain a reverent sensibility, to be a religious atheist? Many in the new atheism movement are saying 'No'! 'Zat right?

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Share-The-Plate This Sunday!

Our request for suggestions for a local arts organization to be the recipient of February's and August's Share-The-Plate donation resulted in three nominations: all for the Petaluma Arts Council. So it's unanimous! To read more about this very active group, visit their website. They state that "The Petaluma Arts Council is committed to making the arts accessible to all of our residents and helping Petaluma serve as an example of a community that values its artists and the role they play in the quality of life." As an added bonus, our donation will be tripled thanks to a current matching challenge grant, which you can read about on their website. Pretty great! Please bring your generous hearts to the service this Sunday.

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Do You Love a Parade?

For three of the last four years, UUP has participated in Petaluma's quintessential small-town event, the annual Butter and Egg Days Parade (we won awards twice!). This year, as always, the parade will wind its way through downtown on the last Saturday in April (April 28). The parade theme will celebrate 150 years of the Petaluma Fire Department. If you'd like to be the point person for UUP's participation, the Membership, Outreach and Hospitality Committee would love to provide backup help in organizing our entry for the year. (Some ideas came up: Red T-Shirts with flaming chalices and a slogan along the lines of "You'll Never Put Out Our Fire!" or something like that...) The entry can be a simple walking group or a float.
Contact Elaine Ellsworth if you are interested! This is a great way to get to know people at UUP, and it gives our community a high profile in the larger community.

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Regularly Scheduled Gatherings

- UUP Board of Trustees: Monthly meeting Sunday, Feb. 11 th at 8:30 am at the Woman's Club.
- Larking About (UUP Choir): Rehearsal Sunday morning at 9:30 am at the Woman's Club.

If you would like to be added to from the UUP email list to receive this newsletterette via email, please email us at uupetaluma at gmail dot com.