This Week at UUP: March 28-April 2, 2008

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


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Time and Talent Auction: UUP's annual fundraiser!
THIS SUNDAY March 30th noon to 3pm!
Donate your time and talents to be auctioned off, then come and bid on the offerings of others--a fun way to get to know each other better AND raise funds for UUP's budget.

Gather, UUP Men!
The UUP Men's Group will meet at Dick Allen's house on Friday, April 4th at 7:30 pm. Carpoolers meet at City Hall at 7:00 pm. Contact Dick Allen or Phil Boyle for more info.
The UUP Men's Group will also be participating in Rebuilding Together Petaluma on Saturday, April 19th. All men are welcome. Contact Phil Boyle for more info.

Annual Memorial Day Retreat!
The annual UUP all-community retreat is coming up, May 23-26, at Four Springs Retreat Center in Middletown north of Calistoga.
Be sure to look for the sign up sheet on Sunday! The deadline for signing up is April 20th. If you want to sign up by e-mail, please contact T Hathaway.

UPCOMING 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. )

This Sunday, March 30, 2008: "In Praise of Organized Religion"
A sermon by the Rev. Ben Kocs-Meyers
Individualism is the prevailing ideal in our culture. But the truth is, we find ourselves not independently of other people and institutions, but through them. This sermon is an unabashedly affirming anthem for organized religion, especially organized Unitarian Universalist communities (no, that's not an oxymoron!) This would be an excellent Sunday to bring a friend!

Sunday, April 6, 2008: "What's Your Story?"
Guest Speaker: Jamie McReynolds
Jamie McReynolds will be exploring our fourth UU principle, our free and responsible truth and meaning, and the ways that we make meaning in our lives. As an interfaith chaplain in a community hospital, ministering to patients, families and staff, he sees people making meaning of their lives in many different ways. How does our UU faith help us make meaning of our lives?
Jamie McReynolds is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley . He is currently a resident hospital chaplain at John Muir Medical Center in Concord , CA. Prior to seminary, Jamie was a lay leader at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Santa Rosa and worked professionally in banking, manufacturing and the wine industry.

Sunday, April 13, 2008: "Membership Fees"
Guest Speaker: Garrick Linn
Worship Leader: Lara Abel
April 15th is a day of reckoning in the United States, a day when a portion of our hard-earned dollars is collected and eventually redistributed in the service of what we hope (and are promised) is the common good. One might expect for such democracy-loving Unitarian Universalists as ourselves that this day would warrant celebration rather than consternation, but I have noticed that our feelings towards filing tend to be, shall we say, ambivalent. As part of an attempt to reframe our thinking about what it means to be one among many, George Lakoff has proposed that the word "taxes" be replaced in our public discourse with "membership fees." In that spirit, let us frame and explore some of the connections and responsibilities we share in our various capacities as employers, employees, citizens and congregants. The taxman cometh...will we lay out the welcome mat, or lock the door?

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
Larking About, the UUP Singers, meets on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION TO "THIS WEEK AT UUP" AND TO THE UUP CALENDAR

If you have an item for "This Week at UUP" (UU or UUP-related only, please), send it to our Administrator, Jennifer Newman at uupetaluma at gmail dot com by Wednesday for inclusion in that week's email newsletter. For information that needs to go on the calendar, please send your event details to the same email address.

www.uupetaluma.org

Religious Education Update: March 30, 2008

Growing Community

Easter Sunday went well last Sunday in Religious Education. Two of our one year old toddlers, Ella and Jocelyn, collected Easter eggs in their very first hunt. They were both adorable in their little Easter outfits. Two of our teens, Sophia and Kimmy, assisted the Easter bunny in hiding the eggs while the other kids were hard at work on their Time and Talent auction contributions. It was heart-warming for me to see the different ages of our young people, from one year olds to fifteen year olds working happily together.

The children also generously contributed both their time and talent in creating 16 tote bags and 6 chef’s aprons to today’s auction. They understood that they were doing meaningful work; creating useful objects for the adults, and also supporting the financial health of the church. The products are beautiful! Even the youngest kept focused on their work, including four year Joseph.

Our children and youth are bonding with each other. When we worship together in the upstairs classroom, or work on a project, the kids help each other. When one child shares a sorrow, such as the loss of a pet, the others emphasize. They also celebrate each other’s joys, such as visiting grandparents or winning a spelling bee. That is not to say that they never disagree (they do!), but they are learning that even disagreements are worked out with respect for each person.

Best of all, from a kid’s point of view, we’re growing. (If you ask the average UUP kid what they want to see in our RE program, he or she will say, “more kids”.) At both of our last new member ingatherings, we added several new children and youth. Congratulations, UUP, for your support of our children and youth! Your efforts towards being inclusive and intergenerational are making a difference.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

This Week at UUP: March 21-26, 2008

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


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday!
We'll have an Easter Egg Hunt immediately after the service, in the grassy area between our building and the Christian Science Church. If you'd enjoy contributing to the hunt, please bring a dozen colored hard boiled eggs to church with you. The youth will hide the eggs for the younger kids to find, right before the hunt.

Time and Talent Auction March 30th noon to 3pm!
Time and Talent is getting close! This Sunday, please pick up donation sheets and fill them out. Please take the time to think about your donations before you arrive so you can fill out the sheets and leave them on the back table. This will help with the organization. The youth will be making and serving lunch, as a fund raiser so they can go to UU District Assembly.
If you can't be there this Sunday, email Camille Jordan your proposed donations and he'll fill out the forms. And don't forget, you can make requests. We have a "Wish List" form - dog sitting, golf lessons, date for the movies, weed your garden once a week for a year. Ask for what you want…. you never know!

Annual Memorial Day Retreat!
The annual UUP all-community retreat is coming up, May 23-26, at Four Springs Retreat Center in Middletown north of Calistoga. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in the coming weeks!
ALSO: Be sure to join the committee making the plans, and help put together this wonderful, fun, and very well attended traditional gathering. Interested in adult and/or kids activities? Food? Worship? General Planning? Call or e-mail T Hathaway!

UUP Garage Sale: Save the stuff and Save the date!
The annual UUP religious education garage sale fundraiser will be held later in the year on Saturday, August 23. Please start saving items for this event. Last year's garage sale was very successful thanks to your generous donations.

Don't miss District Assembly 2008!
PCD-UUA
April 25 - 27, 2008, Fremont Marriott
Come join 400 Vibrant and Vital UU's from across the Pacific Central District for a weekend of laughing, learning, worship, meeting old friends and making new ones! Featuring:
Rev. Robert Latham, Saturday Keynote Speaker
Rev. Victoria Safford, Saturday Banquet Speaker
Roy Zimmerman, Satirist (Saturday night)
Over 20 different workshops, 5 levels of child / youth programming, Friday night Opening Worship, the PCD Annual Meeting, and Sunday Closing Worship.
We will meet at the Fremont Marriott, where we have received a Special Rate of only $89/night for this event.
For more information, please see: www.pcd-uua.org and click on the DA2008 link.

UPCOMING 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. )

March 23, 2008: "Easter"
Guest speaker: Meredith Guest
As the earth does its annual springtime resurrection, let's see if we can find a way to look differently at the Christian celebration of Easter. Maybe there's something of importance and value even for sensible, logical, rational people like us in the resurrection story - or maybe, especially for people like us.
P.S. Bring flowers to welcome and celebrate the season and the holiday.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS

Larking About, the UUP Singers, meets on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd

The UUP Membership Committee will meet at Hope's house on Thursday, March 27th.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION TO "THIS WEEK AT UUP" AND TO THE UUP CALENDAR

If you have an item for "This Week at UUP" (UU or UUP-related only, please), send it to our Administrator, Jennifer Newman at uupetaluma at gmail dot com by Wednesday for inclusion in that week's email newsletter. For information that needs to go on the calendar, please send your event details to the same email address.

www.uupetaluma.org

Religious Education Update: March 23, 2008

Happy Easter

Spring has just arrived, and as I write I look out at the green covered hills of Sonoma Mountain, and abundant wildflowers in hues of yellow, white and purple. The whole world appears to be rejoicing in front of me. What a glorious season to be celebrating life, rebirth, warmth and love!

Many Unitarian Universalists celebrate Easter, but struggle with the traditional Easter story of the crucifixion and the resurrection. The story is even challenging for believers, as the gospel accounts contradict each other, leave unanswered questions, and certainly seem scientifically implausible. It is miraculous that this story survived at all. Jesus’ followers were disorganized and felt powerless after Jesus was killed as a common criminal. Jesus’ ministry had been very short, probably only a year or two, and his teachings were not written down during his lifetime. Although the Jews had hoped for a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman occupation, the Romans remained as powerful as ever. The Pharisees, who had clashed frequently with Jesus during his lifetime, were not supportive of the small band of followers who still believed in Jesus’ message. However, these followers managed to overcome their fears, and establish a new faith.

Much, much later the Christian church developed doctrines that our early Unitarian/Universalist ancestors rejected. Three hundred years after Jesus, the Council of Nicea wrote the creed that established the Trinity. Eleven hundred years after Jesus, Archbishop of Canterbury Anselm developed the Doctrine of Atonement which states that Jesus died for our sins, and that belief in Jesus is necessary for salvation.

However, the message of love that early Christians preached may still provide meaning for UU’s. The apostle Paul wrote in First Corinthians: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or arrogant or rude; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things; hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” In that spirit of love, I wish you Happy Easter.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

March 15 Kite Flying at Ragle Park

March 15 Kite Flying at Ragle Park
Originally uploaded by Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma

Kids and adults joined for an outing to Ragle Park in Sebastopol last Saturday, March 15. See more photos by Hope Stewart on the Flickr site.

Religious Education Update: March 16, 2008

Ben, Lee and the Kids
Immediately before Ben Kocs-Meyer’s ministry with us, the children and I worked on a Welcome Rev. Ben sign. The sign was colorful and highly decorated and quite welcoming. However, the concept wasn’t entirely clear to them. One child asked, “Marlene, what’s a Rev.?”


Since then, the children have become much more comfortable with the title and name, “Rev. Ben”. Recently, six of our young girls dressed up as princesses and worked with Rev. Ben to dramatize the Parable of the Rice. (If you missed it, it was a beautifully acted and moving story.) Rev. Ben is great with kids, and I was happy to see them have the opportunity to work directly and creatively with him. The girls all learned something about creating worship with a minister.

Later this spring, the children and youth will learn about how a congregation ordains someone into the ministry. They will learn that the members of UUP have the power to ordain someone into the role- not some hierarchy back in Boston, and that we have decided to ordain Leland Bond-Upson. This investiture of power in the people is not standard practice for all faiths, of course. Historically, some religious leaders were the literate ones, who read the scriptures and then transmitted knowledge to their followers. In some traditions, the leaders have special powers to forgive or bless. In Unitarian Universalism, we choose leaders for inspiration and guidance, but we retain personal responsibility for finding our own truths. How challenging this individual freedom must be for our ministers! They are asked to preach to congregations of diverse views, and they can’t claim to have special knowledge. However, our belief in the freedom of the individual must also liberate our leaders. They aren’t (I hope) expected to be all knowing or all powerful, or even completely perfect.

I am looking forward to continuing our work with Rev. Ben to grow UUP, and in the blessed opportunity to help plan for the ordination of Rev. Lee!

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

This Week at UUP: March 13-19, 2008

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


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

UU Songwriter Jim Scott in Concert
Friday, March 14, 8:00 pm in Santa Rosa
UU songwriter of several songs in our hymnbook, notably Gather the Spirit, is giving a concert Friday night at the Santa Rosa Congregation. His style is a mix of folk, jazz, and world-beat. His concerts are fun and well received.
Did you know . . .
Pete Seeger recently called Jim "...Some kind of a magician"?
Jim was the co-chair of the Seventh Principle Project, the UU ecological group that helped develop the "Green Sanctuary" program for churches to follow to become more ecologically sound?
His work as an environmental and social activist is a major part of his music?
Jim is a magnificent singer-songwriter, who weaves plenty of humor into his songs, and kids and adults all find something to laugh as well as sing about?
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets available at Copperfields Book Stores, Back Door Disc in Cotati, The Last Record Store in Santa Rosa, Stanroy's Music Center in Santa Rosa, and on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Ric Mastern Update
Ric Masten, the wonderful UU poet/philosopher/troubadour who spoke at UUP last July and wrote "Let It Be a Dance" (in our UU hymnal), is entering a new phase of his life. After fighting and surviving prostate cancer for the last ten years, he has decided to stop treatment and invite hospice to share the rest of his journey. His new book, Going Out Dancing, will be published soon. We hold Ric and his family in our thoughts. Please stop and sign a card for Ric, which will be available at church this Sunday. Or you may email him at debard at earthlink dot net or through his website, ric-masten.net. Cards and notes may be mailed to 37931 Palo Colorado Rd., Carmel, CA 93923. See Jan Crosby at church if you would like to borrow a book of Ric's poetry.

Picnic, Kite Flying AND Wildflower Walk!" Saturday, March 15th
Please join us for an afternoon picnic and kite flying outing to Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. Noon to 2 p.m. Bring a lunch, kite and good walking shoes if you'd like to enjoy the trails at this great county park. Ellen will also lead a wildflower walk. For directions and further info, visit the Ragle park webpage. Meet at the pond to the left of the main entrance, near the restrooms. If you have extra space in your vehicle or would like to carpool, please contact Leslie Harrison.

Considering Becoming a Member of UUP? The next New Member Welcome is this Sunday, March 16
If you've been attending UUP regularly and have been thinking about joining the congregation as a member, here's your chance! We will hold a new member welcome ceremony during the Sunday service this coming Sunday. For details, please contact David Dodd, for the UUP Membership Committee.

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation Sunday March 16th from 11:30 to noon
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time, or for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have, and to hear more about UUP. Meets near the fireplace immediately following the service on the third Sunday of each month.

UUP Adult Forum after service Sunday, March 16th
Topic: What do you want from UUP?
We'll gather in the upper room of the Woman's Club following the service. Bring a beverage!

Time and Talent Auction March 30th noon to 3pm!
Time and Talent is getting close! This Sunday, please pick up donation sheets and fill them out. Please take the time to think about your donations before you arrive so you can fill out the sheets and leave them on the back table. This will help with the organization. The youth will be making and serving lunch, as a fund raiser so they can go to UU District Assembly.
If you can't be there this Sunday, email Dick Allen your proposed donations and he'll fill out the forms. And don't forget, you can make requests. We have a "Wish List" form - dog sitting, golf lessons, date for the movies, weed your garden once a week for a year. Ask for what you want. You never know.

Annual Memorial Day Retreat!
The annual UUP all-community retreat is coming up, May 23-26, at Four Springs Retreat Center in Middletown north of Calistoga. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in the coming weeks!
ALSO: Be sure to join the committee making the plans, and help put together this wonderful, fun, and very well attended traditional gathering. Interested in adult and/or kids activities? Food? Worship? General Planning? Call or e-mail T Hathaway!

UUP Garage Sale: Save the stuff and Save the date!
The annual UUP religious education garage sale fundraiser will be held later in the year on Saturday, August 23. Please start saving items for this event. Last year's garage sale was very successful thanks to your generous donations.

Don't miss District Assembly 2008!
PCD-UUA
April 25 - 27, 2008, Fremont Marriott
Come join 400 Vibrant and Vital UU's from across the Pacific Central District for a weekend of laughing, learning, worship, meeting old friends and making new ones! Featuring:
Rev. Robert Latham, Saturday Keynote Speaker
Rev. Victoria Safford, Saturday Banquet Speaker
Roy Zimmerman, Satirist (Saturday night)
Over 20 different workshops, 5 levels of child / youth programming, Friday night Opening Worship, the PCD Annual Meeting, and Sunday Closing Worship.
We will meet at the Fremont Marriott, where we have received a Special Rate of only $89/night for this event.
For more information, please see: www.pcd-uua.org and click on the DA2008 link.

UPCOMING 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, March 16, 2008: "Living From the Crossroads -- Choose Carefully"
Guest speaker: Kent McKusick, ministerial student
Worship Leader: Diana Spaulding
Kent McKusick invites us to consider the Hebrew Bible story of Abram and Lot (Genesis 13) when they come to a crossroads (and a decision) on their journey to the Promised Land. As Unitarian Universalists, how might this story relate to the culture of decision making as we navigate our own journeys to beloved community? What consequences await us at the various crossroads of life?
Kent McKusick is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student from Maine at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. Next year, he will be the intern minister in Kansas City, MO. Prior to seminary, Kent was active as a lay leader at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor and worked professionally in theatre, recreation (skiing and whitewater rafting), stained glass, and banking. There have been many crossroads!

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS

The UUP Men's Group will meet Friday, March 14th at 7pm at Dick Allen's house.
The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Sunday, March 16th at 8:30 am in the Christian Science building.
UUP Worship Associates meeting Sunday at 12:30 pm at T's office.
Larking About, the UUP Singers, meets on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION TO "THIS WEEK AT UUP" AND TO THE UUP CALENDAR
If you have an item for "This Week at UUP" (UU or UUP-related only, please), send it to our Administrator, Jennifer Newman at uupetaluma at gmail dot com by Wednesday for inclusion in that week's email newsletter. For information that needs to go on the calendar, please send your event details to the same email address.

www.uupetaluma.org

Religious Education Update: March 9, 2008

Teaching about Easter

Last Sunday, I talked to the 7-11 year olds about the Easter story from the Bible. I explained that this particular story is an important one for them to know, as there are many Christians in the US, and they’ll be hearing a lot about Easter over the next month. I began by explaining that the story happened almost 2,000 years ago and wasn’t written down until decades later, so we don’t know what the writers of the Bible changed from what originally happened.

The story begins with Jesus and his disciplines traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. I explained that Jesus and his followers were all Jewish, so that they celebrated Jewish holidays just as Jewish people had for hundreds of years. The Jewish people of Jesus’ time were tired of the Roman occupation and hoped that Jesus would become king, and overthrow the foreign rule.

I share the beginning of this familiar story, so that you can see that the kids are learning the historical version of the tale. The children had very good questions. They asked, “Why were people so mad at Jesus that they wanted him to die?” They wanted to know why Jesus was so upset when he saw the money changers in the Temple. I explained that the Romans were worried about Jesus because of the talk that he might become king, and that a group of Jewish people called the Pharisees were upset because Jesus had new ideas about the Jewish religion.

My hope for the children is that they learn the “big” stories in Christianity, in Judaism, in Islam and the other major world religions. I don’t see this knowledge as indoctrination, but as basic information they need to know about their world. Much of this could be taught in public schools, but generally is not because teachers and administrators are sometimes nervous about the issue of separation of church and state and about the risk of upsetting certain parents. Here at UUP, we are fortunate to be able to share stories from many faiths in a respectful, safe place, and to be able to give our children the knowledge that every child should have.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

This Week at UUP: March 6-12, 2008

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



ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Time Change: Don't forget to spring ahead this weekend!

Special Congregational Meeting this Sunday, March 9th
We have received a letter from Leland Bond-Upson asking us - UUP - to become his ordaining church. This decision is entirely up to the congregation and in order to proceed, there needs to be a congregational meeting where members have to opportunity to vote on the issue.
This is an honor and an opportunity for UUP to participate in a very old tradition that links us to all other congregations who have ordained someone. We will meet right after service this Sunday, March 9th to vote on this one issue. Please come.
Jean Conrad
Board President

Share-the-Plate Sunday
We will be sharing half of the non-pledge offering in our collection plate on Sunday with the Petaluma People Services Center. PPSC was started in 1974 by a handful of community people who were concerned that Petaluma and South County residents did not have ready access to county health and social services. Their mission is to help low income children, adults, families and seniors to empower themselves thereby reducing: poverty, abuse, chemical dependence, violence, ignorance, isolation and mental illness, while promoting socialization, health, education, independence, self reliance and self esteem. Thank you for your generosity.

UU Songwriter Jim Scott in Concert, Friday, March 14, 8:00 pm in Santa Rosa
UU songwriter of several songs in our hymnbook, notably Gather the Spirit, is giving a concert next Friday night at the Santa Rosa Congregation. His style is a mix of folk, jazz, and world-beat. His concerts are fun and well received, based on my experiences listening to Jim at General Assembly. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. If anyone is interested, please contact Marlene Abel,and I'll arrange to pick-up some of the $15 tickets.

Picnic, Kite Flying AND Wildflower Walk!" Saturday, March 15th
Please join us for an afternoon picnic and kite flying outing to Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. Noon to 2 p.m. Bring a lunch, kite and good walking shoes if you'd like to enjoy the trails at this great county park. Ellen will also lead a wildflower walk. For directions and further info, visit the park's website. Meet at the pond to the left of the main entrance, near the restrooms. If you have extra space in your vehicle or would like to carpool, please contact Leslie Harrison.

Considering Becoming a Member of UUP? The next New Member Welcome is Sunday, March 16
If you've been attending UUP regularly and have been thinking about joining the congregation as a member, here's your chance! We will hold a new member welcome ceremony during the Sunday service on March 16. For details, please contact David Dodd, for the UUP Membership Committee, or simply buttonhole him on a Sunday.

Time and Talent Auction March 30th!
The 30th will be upon us any minute. First of all, mark your calendar so you are sure to be there. The youth are doing the lunch, and then the action starts. Kindly be thinking and talking among yourselves about ideas, see last years brochure for ideas, and there is also a wish list so you can request things you might want… say golf lessons or your car detailed. Someone could then offer it. Bingo! Win-Win.
Do fill out and bring back the donation forms. You know a little visual might help if possible, like a picture of a car if you were to offer a detailing job.
I, Dick Allen, will not be there Sunday (skiing), but just turn them in on the back desk. Camille will pick them up. (I hope) Or give them to her personally.

Annual Memorial Day Retreat!
The annual UUP all-community retreat is coming up, May 23-26, at Four Springs Retreat Center in Middletown north of Calistoga. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in the coming weeks!
ALSO: Be sure to join the committee making the plans, and help put together this wonderful, fun, and very well attended traditional gathering. Interested in adult and/or kids activities? Food? Worship? General Planning? Call or e-mail T Hathaway!

UUP Garage Sale: Save the stuff and Save the date!
The annual UUP religious education garage sale fundraiser will be held later in the year on Saturday, August 23. Please start saving items for this event. Last year's garage sale was very successful thanks to your generous donations.

Don't miss District Assembly 2008!
PCD-UUA
April 25 - 27, 2008, Fremont Marriott
Come join 400 Vibrant and Vital UU's from across the Pacific Central District for a weekend of laughing, learning, worship, meeting old friends and making new ones! Featuring:
Rev. Robert Latham, Saturday Keynote Speaker
Rev. Victoria Safford, Saturday Banquet Speaker
Roy Zimmerman, Satirist (Saturday night)
Over 20 different workshops, 5 levels of child / youth programming, Friday night Opening Worship, the PCD Annual Meeting, and Sunday Closing Worship.
We will meet at the Fremont Marriott, where we have received a Special Rate of only $89/night for this event.
For more information, please see: www.pcd-uua.org and click on the DA2008 link.

UPCOMING 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, March 9: "Sacred Time Lost and Found"
Worship Leader Elisabeth Hathaway
This is daylight savings weekend--where does that hour go???!!! We spring forward but what happens to our soul; and do we have a choice? What if we don't want to spring, but would rather meander but still be in sync with those around us? Together we will consider how we "use" our time, how we choose to "spend" it, what makes time meaningful, and what could make our moments more conscious, sacred and spiritually satisfying.
Be sure to put your clocks forward to be at our consensual reality time!

Sunday, March 16, 2008: "Living From the Crossroads -- Choose Carefully"
Guest speaker: Kent McKusick, ministerial student
Worship Leader Diana Spaulding
Kent McKusick invites us to consider the Hebrew Bible story of Abram and Lot (Genesis 13) when they come to a crossroads (and a decision) on their journey to the Promised Land. As Unitarian Universalists, how might this story relate to the culture of decision making as we navigate our own journeys to beloved community? What consequences await us at the various crossroads of life?
Kent McKusick is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student from Maine at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. Next year, he will be the intern minister in Kansas City, MO. Prior to seminary, Kent was active as a lay leader at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor and worked professionally in theatre, recreation (skiing and whitewater rafting), stained glass, and banking. There have been many crossroads!

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
The UUP Men's Group will meet NEXT Friday, March 14th at 7pm at Dick Allen's house.
The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Sunday, March 16th at 8:30 am in the Christian Science building.
Larking About, the UUP Singers, meets on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION TO "THIS WEEK AT UUP" AND TO THE UUP CALENDAR

If you have an item for "This Week at UUP" (UU or UUP-related only, please), send it to our Administrator, Jennifer Newman at uupetaluma at gmail.com by Wednesday for inclusion in that week's email newsletter. For information that needs to go on the calendar, please send your event details to the same email address.

www.uupetaluma.org

Religious Education Update: February 24, 2008

Sharron, where do pigs come from?

Last week, our three to six year children were discussing the beginning of the world with their new teacher, Sharron Belson. As any parent knows, young children are full of questions and intense curiosity. Some questions were easy. Sharron explained that pigs come from bigger pigs. This is the sort of answer that adults give with certainty. Little pigs always come from big pigs, and never from horses or black widow spiders. Some questions are a little harder. A child asked, “Did people evolve from apes?’ And then, there are the stumpers. “Sharron, if God created the earth, who created God?”

Children like to ask about the big questions, such as how the world was created, but they also like to be playful and silly. Sharron asked them to draw pictures illustrating their ideas about creation. The kids’ pictures were full of volcanoes, tarantulas, black widow spiders, rainbows and people. Then, one big question led to other big questions. Are the black widow spiders in Ben’s drawing a valuable part of the interdependent web of life, or are they just scary? The kids decided they like black widow spiders, though not too close.

In Religious Education, the kids feel safe to try out new ideas and ask questions. The adults are there to help children consider UU values: that the world is an incredible gift to be treasured and protected; it’s okay to have different ideas that other kids; and that all forms of life are part of the web of existence. This isn’t the Sunday school of my youth, with its definite answers proscribed by the church. It’s a happy, sometimes silly place, where kids are respected and valued as they figure their answers to the big questions, such as how the world works and how it was created so long ago.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

This Week at UUP: February 29-March 5, 2008

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


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, March 9th
We have received a letter from Leland Bond-Upson asking us - UUP - to become his ordaining church. This decision is entirely up to the congregation and in order to proceed, there needs to be a congregational meeting where members have to opportunity to vote on the issue.
This is an honor and an opportunity for UUP to participate in a very old tradition that links us to all other congregations who have ordained someone. We will meet right after service on Sunday, March 9th to vote on this one issue. Please come.
Jean Conrad
Board President

UUP Adult Forum this Sunday, March 2nd
Topic: Do our individual personal relationships affect society?
The next session of the Adult Forum - Sharing and Learning, Faith and Life - will take place Sunday, March 2nd. We'll gather in the upper room of the Woman's Club following the Sunday Service to 1:15 pm. Bring a beverage for a "Conversation Cafe."

Picnic and Kite Flying March 15th!
Please join us for an afternoon picnic and kite flying outing to Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. Noon to 2 p.m. Bring a lunch, kite and good walking shoes if you'd like to enjoy the trails at this great county park. For directions and further info, visit www.sonoma-county.org/parks/pk_ragle.htm. Meet at the pond to the left of the main entrance, near the restrooms. If you have extra space in your vehicle or would like to carpool, please contact Leslie Harrison.

Considering Becoming a Member of UUP? The next New Member Welcome is Sunday, March 16
If you've been attending UUP regularly and have been thinking about joining the congregation as a member, here's your chance! We will hold a new member welcome ceremony during the Sunday service on March 16. For details, please contact David Dodd, for the UUP Membership Committee, or simply buttonhole him on a Sunday.

Time and Talent Auction March 30th!
Our annual BIG FUN(D)RAISER is coming up the end of March. We will have a lunch after church services, and the auction will follow. Last year we had donations of dinners, hauling, landscape consultation, a bicycle adventure picnic, symphony tickets, art work, a basket of novels, car wash, etc…. you get the idea! We also include a children's silent auction, along with the other silent auction items.
We need volunteer help in putting this all together....See Dick Allen or Jean Conrad if you would like to be in on all this fun!

Annual Memorial Day Retreat!
The annual UUP all-community retreat is coming up, May 23-26, at Four Springs Retreat Center in Middletown north of Calistoga. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in the coming weeks!
ALSO: Be sure to join the committee making the plans, and help put together this wonderful, fun, and very well attended traditional gathering. Interested in adult and/or kids activities? Food? Worship? General Planning? Call or e-mail T Hathaway!

UUP Garage Sale: Save the stuff and Save the date!
The annual UUP religious education garage sale fundraiser will be held later in the year on Saturday, August 23. Please start saving items for this event. Last year's garage sale was very successful thanks to your generous donations.

District Assembly Registration Now Open
The annual meeting of UUs from our district (Northern California, Reno, and Hawaii) will be held at the Fremont Marriott, Friday April 25- Sunday, April 27. This gathering of 400 UUs promises to be inspirational, informative and fun. District Assembly's Children's and Youth program will be held at the hotel as well, run by the Director of Religious Education of the Davis UU church. The children's program features multicultural activities, games, worship and storytelling. There will also be separate programs for middle and high school youth. Last year, the DA's hotel sold out, so you will likely need to reserve a room early to stay at the Marriott.
For more details, check out the PCD website.

Spring Volunteer Work Weekend
May 9-11, 2008
Did you know about the UU Camps in our District? The next UU camp will be at the Mendocino Woodlands State Park, near Mendocino and Fort Bragg, about a 3 hour drive from Petaluma. This camp is located in a redwood forest, with individual rustic redwood cabins and a large dining hall. At Spring Volunteer Work Weekend, UUs from many congregations gather to open up the camps for the summer, performing tasks such as putting canvas over wooden frames for the tent cabins or doing trail building and maintenance. Marlene Abel will be one of the cooks, assisting chef extraordinaire Laurin Beckhusen of the Davis UU church. The cost of the weekend, including lodging and five outstanding meals is $30 for children, $35 for seniors/students and $40 for adults. For more information, go to www.unitariancamps.org.

Family Camp
July 13-19 or July 20-26, 2008
Another UU Camp is Family Camp, also at the Mendocino Woodlands. Registration for this camp isn't open yet, but if you have questions, one of the deans is our Lara Abel. Also, lots of details about the camp may be found at http://www.unitariancamps.org/.

UPCOMING 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, March 2, 2008: "Religion That Gets In the Way"
a sermon by the Rev. Ben Kocs-Meyers
Lara Abel, Worship Associate
The function of all faith, religion, or even philosophy could well be assessed as the honest attempt to brace us when in the eye of the storm and guide us through the uncharted waters of the future. We may find that some are better than others as we live and learn and grow towards spiritual maturity. One of the guiding questions for this morning's service is: If your religious beliefs were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Children from the Religious Education program will help present a parable during the service.

Sunday, March 9: "Sacred Time Lost and Found"
Worship Leader Elisabeth Hathaway
This is daylight savings weekend--where does that hour go???!!! We spring forward but what happens to our soul; and do we have a choice? What if we don't want to spring, but would rather meander but still be in sync with those around us? Together we will consider how we "use" our time, how we choose to "spend" it, what makes time meaningful, and what could make our moments more conscious, sacred and spiritually satisfying.
Be sure to put your clocks forward to be at our consensual reality time!

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS

The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Sunday, 8:30 am in the Christian Science building.

Larking About, the UUP Singers, meets on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd

The UUP Men's Group will meet Friday, March 7th at 7pm at Dick Allen's house.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION TO "THIS WEEK AT UUP" AND TO THE UUP CALENDAR

If you have an item for "This Week at UUP" (UU or UUP-related only, please), send it to our Administrator, Jennifer Newman at uupetaluma at gmail dot com by Wednesday for inclusion in that week's email newsletter. For information that needs to go on the calendar (located at http://www.uupetaluma.org/calendars/current.html), please send your event details to the same email address.

www.uupetaluma.org