This Week at UUP: September 14-19

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. )

September 16: Water and Stones Ingathering
Worship Associate: Tony Blake
Greeters: Lara Abel, Leslie Balestreri, Beatrice Pool
Bring water and a stone from your travels, whether at home in Petaluma or abroad, to leave in the common vessels as a symbol of our coming back together for the start of a new church year.

September 23: Rumi: Whirling to Stillness
Guest speaker: Elisabeth Hathaway
Greeters: Jean Conrad, Nancy Blake, Phil and Jodi Boyle
Rumi, the Persian Sufi poet, recognizes: "Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and scared." Writing 800 years ago, one of the most well-known voices of mystical Islam offers us his deeply personal yet profoundly universal visions of human experience, seeking and meeting the divine in our daily lives. He says simply we can "let the beauty we love be what we do, there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground". Join us in honoring the 800 th anniversary of his birth.

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Gather your Water and Stones for this Sunday!
On Sunday, bring a small vial of water or a stone gathered during your summer travels for our traditional "Water and Stones" service.

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Considering Becoming a Member of UUP? Orientation for Visitors and Friends on Sunday!
Following the service on Sunday, we will hold our regular third Sunday of the month orientation for those interested in learning more about UUP and about UUism generally. We'll gather in a circle of chairs in the fireside room area for an informal conversation. A representative of the Board and of the Membership Committee will be present.

Also, we are holding our quarterly welcoming ceremony for new members during the Sunday service on September 23, so if you'd like to join, please come to the orientation to let us know, and we'll be happy to answer any questions about membership, and give you all the details.

Hope to see you there!

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Join a UUP Outdoor Adventure
Come watch the Blue Angels fly by the top of Angel Island, Saturday, Oct. 6. The highest point of Angel Island, Mt. Livermore, is an excellent spot to watch the Blue's Angels' performance during Fleet Week, as the airplanes swoop by directly overhead. Carpool from in front of the Petaluma Women's Club, 9:45 am, to catch the Tiburon Ferry at 11 am. There will be a roundtrip hike of about 5 miles, with some climbing. Bring water, lunch, hiking shoes and fare for the ferry: Adults- $13.50, Children 6-12, $11.50, Children 3-5 $3.50, age 2 and under are free. Contact Marlene Abel for more information. Rain cancels.

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October 20th: Save the date!
Join us for this first evening of a delightful, new UUP tradition: the UUP potluck/social evening! Members will be hosting potluck dinners in their homes for 8 or so UUP friends, some with children, some without. Interested in being a guest or host? Sign up at church on Sunday.

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Bay Area-wide UU Marketing Campaign
Radio commercials about the UU faith are currently airing and will be followed by TV, direct mail, BART station billboards, print ads in parenting and GLBT-oriented publications, an amazing 4-page, full-color newspaper insert, and more! The ads will direct people to the uuba.org web site, to learn how to find a congregation near them.

Join in the excitement, and let's get ready for company -- let's all watch for visitors, and do everything we can to help them feel comfortable and welcomed. For more detail, see the UUP Blog article.

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UUP Women's Fall Retreat! October 12-14
Join us! We are already getting ready for our twice-annual Women's Retreat--in fact, astonishingly, the retreat is almost full! We rent an incredible house in Bodega Bay on Dillon Beach and enjoy talking circles, communal meals, walks on the beach and a general wonderful time, deepening our friendships and connections. For information and sign up contact T Hathaway.

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Share your garden
Our October 21st service will be a brunch and sermon about Ethical Eating as a Unitarian Universalist. If you are growing food in your yard and would consider sharing it with UUP for this brunch, please email Stacey Meinzen at stacey at graphicsingreen dot com. Sharing food is a great way to build community and to be sure that your surplus does not go to waste. No food donation is too small.

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Regularly Scheduled Gatherings - New to UU Visitors Orientation: Sunday, 11:30 am at the Woman's Club

- UUP Women's Group: Monday, 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. Topic: Big Decisions

- Book Discussion Group: The group discussing "The Left Hand of God" by Rabbi Michael Lerner will meet again Sept 23.

If you have changed your email address or would like to be added to or removed from the UUP list, please email us at uupetaluma at gmail dot com.