Coastal Cleanup Day, September 2009

Coastal Cleanup Day, September 2009
Originally uploaded by Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma

UUP participated in the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, working with a coordinated effort to clean up the Petaluma River waterway. We were assigned a section of the river, really a creek at that point, up near Corona Road.

We hauled away several hundred pounds of trash, including some old tires, an old green garbage receptacle (shown, left), and an abandoned homeless encampment.

This Week at UUP

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


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ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Potluck Sunday, September 13: Come one, come all!
Join us for a potluck immediately following the service on September 13th at the Greaney/Boatsman home.
Let us continue our in-gathering celebration after the service! Bring a dish to share.
Please see the Order of Service for directions or call Matt or KC Greaney.

UUP's Annual Garage and Bake Sale was a huge success!
The majority of UUPetalumanaries contributed by either sorting and pricing, working the sale, donating items, buying items, baking goodies, or hauling away unsold stuff. Thanks to this tremendous collective congregational effort, we raised OVER $1,500 to support the Religious Education program at UUP. Thank you, one and all!

Bring your gathered Water and Stones
Remember to bring your water and stones gathered over summer travels for the Annual Water and Stones Ritual on Sunday!

Share the Plate Sunday
UUP will share-the-plate on Sunday, September 13th with the Petaluma Educational Foundation, which enhances educational excellence in all Petaluma-area public and non-profit private schools through grants, scholarships and fine arts programs.

Progressive Festival is coming up! Can you help?
The Progressive Festival is Sunday, Sept. 20th from noon to 5 pm. In the past, UUP has hosted a table with brochures, etc. as an outreach activity. If we do this again this year, we need a minimum of 6 volunteers to work the event. That means gathering material, setting up before noon, staffing the table and packing up at 5 pm. Interested? Speak to Phil Boyle or any Board member ASAP!

UUP Women's Group
The Women's Group will meet Monday, September 21st at 7:00 pm at the home of Jean Conrad. The topic for the evening will be "Long Range Planning". Do you "go with the flow", letting serendipity determine the course of your life? Or do you have a plan for the next few years? Whether you call it a to-do list, a wish list or a bucket list, what aims or goals guide you along your way? If you like, bring something to share to illustrate your perspective - an object, photos, poetry, a reading, or just bring yourself. We look forward to sharing with each other. - Jan Crosby for the Women's Group

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, September 13: Coming Home: Our Annual Water and Stones Ritual
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
As summer draws to a close, let us gather together again. Bring the water and stones that you collected on your summer excursions and adventures, and we will share them with each other as we reflect on our journeys in this intergenerational, participation service.
We will welcome recently and newly-joined members of UUP at this service, and Larking About will sing.

Sunday, September 20: The Green Revolution in Religion
Guest Minister: Rev. Bob Murphy
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway
Many would consider the Green Sanctuary movement to be associated with preservation and environmental protection issues, but this is a narrower definition than one of its authors, Rev Bob Murphy, holds: join us in our service this morning as he talks with us about his deep dedication to the larger scope of environmental justice, in which he brings together a committment to incorporating concerns about anti-racism and economic justice, awareness of African-American liberation, respect for the Judaic holidays and exploring the wisdom of Exodus.
The Rev. Bob Murphy is a Unitarian Universalist minister who has been active in environmental justice work for several decades and one of the co-authors of the "Green Sanctuary" book. As a high school student, he joined Cesar Chavez at the beginning of the farm workers' strike in Delano. As an adult, he was a business agent for SEIU Local 254, which is the union that represents janitors in the Boston area. Bob is a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, as well as Tamalpais High School in Marin County and San Francisco State. Nowadays, Bob and his wife Lyn Dalzell serve the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Sunday, September 27: Tikkun ha’ olam: Mending the world
To celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days, Joyce Tischler and Ellen Beeler will lead us in an exploration of “tikkun ha’ olam” (Jewish social justice) — nurturing a vision of the world as it ought to be and working to achieve that vision. Please bring a thought, a story or a photo to share with the congregation about your vision to heal and repair our fractured world.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* UUP Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, September 14th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house.
* "Larking About" (UUP's choir) rehearses each Wednesday evening from 8 to 9:30 pm at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

Religious Education Update, September 13, 2009

Lessons from the ICU

Recently my husband, Dan, was hospitalized with pancreatitis, and spent 13 days in the hospital, including 8 days in ICU. Fortunately, he’s back home now, regaining his strength, and doing well. Those eight days in ICU were scary times for me, and constant reminders of what matters. Here were some lessons that life gave to me:

A reassuring word from a friend can make a huge difference. While Dan was in ICU, he was connected to three different monitors which beeped and blinked nearly constantly. When I remarked on my distress in hearing and seeing these warnings so often, a friend, who was formerly the Chief of Biomedical Engineering at San Francisco General Hospital responded by email. He wrote, “Marlene, just remember that those beeps and blinks are protecting Dan,”

The support of community helps. I didn’t request help from UUP, because I have this false sense of self sufficiency. Fortunately, some wonderful people, including our new Caring Committee, swung into action and provided floral arrangements and dinners. I was truly comforted by the beauty of the flowers and the blessing of receiving delicious and healthy meals from members of UUP. I learned that it is a joy to accept help, and that I could feel less exhausted through receiving community support.

The caregivers need help, too. During the 13 day ordeal, I often heard the same words from the hospital staff, friends, and family. They’d say, “Remember to take care of yourself.” That seemed strange, as I certainly wasn’t the one in the ICU bed. However, the stress tired me, and I reluctantly cancelled some commitments. Jean Conrad advised me to “follow my heart”, which was wise counsel from a wise woman. Thank you, Jean.

Thank you, UUP, for all your warmth and tangible support during this time. Dan and I are both very lucky to receive your gifts

Love to all of you,
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education