This Week at UUP: Stone Soup Sunday

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Holiday Fundraiser for our high-school-age youth
UUP high school youth are selling holiday cards at UUP after the services each Sunday. If you're thinking about buying cards this year, please consider buying from our youth. Our youth are also planning to create gift bags and gift tags, for sale in December. Proceeds from the sales will help pay for their Coming of Age Program, a series of retreats and UUP youth activities. Many thanks to Susan Price, KC Greaney, Ellen Beeler and Carol West for their support of this fundraiser at the recent card making workshop. Also, special thanks to Rosemary Dodd and Ashley West for their artistic assistance.

Children and Youth to perform at UUP Christmas Eve Service
All children and youth are invited to participate in singing carols at the Christmas Eve service. No prior singing experience required. Three rehearsals on 11/30, 12/7, and 12/15 with an early arrival on 12/24. Rehearsals led by Elizabeth Nielson. Please contact Leslie Harrison for more information.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORNER Service is our Prayer
Welcome to a new feature of This Week At UUP. Here you will find the latest information about UUP's new Social Responsibility Committee! We will publicize and support the work of various UU organizations and projects - initially UUSC and the Carbon Rings project. But eventually we hope to add more groups as interest, time and person-power permit. For more information about how you can get involved, please contact co-chairs Earl Cruser or Jan Crosby, or committee member George Beeler.
Our current project is the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's Guest At Your Table (GAYT). Donation boxes and "Stories of Hope" pamphlets went home with folks who attended last Sunday's service. But don't worry if you missed it - we have enough for everyone at UUP to participate in this very important intergenerational annual event! GAYT supports the critical work that UUSC does in the areas of human rights and justice here and around the world. Please pick up your box at the Social Responsibility table this Sunday. GAYT is a month-long activity of education and generosity that will be celebrated at our Christmas Eve service.
Did you know that UU's have an office at the UN? This year the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has been successful in organizing the first-ever LGBT workshop at the annual conference sponsored by UNESCO. As a result, the French government intends to introduce a draft declaration to the UN General Assembly aimed at combating homophobia and decriminalizing homosexuality around the world. Not only can you pick up an informational brochure at the SRC table this week, you can also talk to Marion Fitch Connell, UU-UNO Envoy from All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC, who will be visiting with us. Marion is the mother of UUP member Elizabeth Nielsen.
SRC thought for the week: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

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, November 23, 2008: Our Spiritual Symbols and Practices: Stone Soup for the UU Soul
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
We gather together each week as a spiritual community to worship and experience the energy of our collective intent to grow into harmony with the Divine. In addition to what we do during our time together, many of us have individual practices and rituals that are also part of our spiritual journey. Please bring with you to our service a symbol, token or other item that has spiritual significance to you or is part of your individual growth. We will share with each other the things we've brought, learning and appreciating along the way the many ingredients in the spiritual soup that nourishes this community.
Please also bring with you a vegetable, a bit of rice, a few potatoes or anything else you have on hand to contribute to the "stone soup" that the children will be making during the service. Plan to stay after the service for a delicious soup lunch and good company.

Sunday, November 30, 2008: "Values and Visions: Justice, Equity and Compassion"
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway
Join us as we explore another in our new series educating and challenging us to look at what we believe and seek, and how we practice these visions and values in our daily lives. Today, the second of our series, we look at the second Principle of Unitarian Universalism: the presence of Justice, Equity and Compassion in our human relationships. How do these touch you? How do they slip just out of reach? We will hear about what they might mean or look like, and share with one another.

www.uupetaluma.org