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UUCSR Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Santa Rosa _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • October 2012 • Volume 56 • Issue 10 • Sunday Services at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. October 7 th October 21 Our Mission: Building a Better World Teach Your Parents Well: Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Susan Bartholome The Personal Work of Inclusive Community The Choir performs at 11:00. Service Leaders: Samantha Lynne Wilson, Just what does a “better” world mean? And how can we Erin Howseman, 2avid Hope build it together? Well, one easy thing you can do is at- Where are all the young people? Cultivating and embrac- tend a ))CSR congregational meeting. And, by golly, ing our next generation requires deep personal self- there just happens to be one right before this worship service, the last in our series examining our ,ission. reflection as to the ways we were or were not encour- BREA./AST AT 0:10. Congregational meeting at 9:00. aged to bring our own gifts and leadership to our com- One service only at 11:00. munity as young people. How were you supported as a young person? Remember, reflect and learn new ways for the important wor7 of bringing the gifts of all October 14 th people from the margin to the center. th FREE HOPE! The 5 Annual North Bay UU Revival. Samantha Lynne Wilson, founder of Child Leader 8ro- Service Leaders: Rev. 2r. William Schul3, preaching4 ject, is a second year seminarian at Claremont School of Rev. Chris Bell, Rev. Bonnie 2lott, Rev. ,ary /oran, Rev. Theology. CL8 is a youth-organi3ing non-profit engaging 2an .ane, Rev. Chip Wright, the ))sual Suspects, and young adults in California, India and ,exico in reflection the combined choirs of the North Bay )) congregations. and action on social justice issues. ,s. Wilson also serves as a coordinator for ))L,CA's Spiritual Activ- ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 10:30 ist LeadershipTraining which organi3es California )) Held at the Petaluma Veterans Hall, 1094 Petaluma young adults. Boulevard South. Children’s program. Lunch available if you RSVP, October 28 th ASAP! On Ministry /ive )) congregations worshipping together6 Rev. Bill Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Jamie ,cReynolds, Schul3, our former ))A president and current )) Ser- Linda 8roulx vice Committee president, will preach, and the music will An exploration of the meaning of ministry in our reli- roc7. No matter what happens in the election three gious tradition 9 lay and ordained 9 will prepare us for wee7s later, we are going to 7eep on marching in hope, the Ordination of Jamie ,cReynolds as a )) community upward and onward forever. So, invite a friend or ten, minister later this very afternoon at 4:00pm. 8rior to and stic7 around for lunch. The collection will go to the attending seminary, and going on to serve as a hospital ))SC and local food ban7s. and hospice chaplain, about-to-be-Rev. Jamie served this congregation in a variety of roles, including congre- gational president . Volume 56 , Issue 10 Page 2 Free Hope /or many of us the image of a revival some single moment of regret or shame or fear or ecstasy. conjures up the image of a crowded This perspective of forever see7ing self-improvement has tent full of simple fol7 waving their also profoundly impacted the American character. hands in the air and shouting while a As you have surely reali3ed by now, I prefer some- sweaty, red-faced preacher whips thing in the middle. I don’t thin7 we have to choose be- them into a fren3y, first of fear, and tween our heads and our hearts. I thin7 we should grate- then relief as they come to accept fully embrace both the intellectual and the emotive side of salvation. A revival is an ecstatic, our tradition. We are )nitarians and )niversalists. We emotional affair full of music and learn from our minds and our intuition. /ran7ly, I’ve for- noise. gotten the subjects of most of the religion boo7s I’ve read ))s on the other hand, have a reputa- in my life, but I’ve never forgotten that night under the tion as a reasonable, intellectual, verbal people. An old jo7e stars when the ,ind of Creation was revealed to me, or says that given a choice between heaven and a discussion what it feels li7e to be seen and loved by another person. group about heaven, ))s will always choose the latter. By That’s the real source of faith for me. extension, I suppose, given a choice between an ecstatic, /or me, revival" is a word just li7e church" or emotional experience or a discussion about such experi- Cod" or faith" that I refuse to let someone else define ences, ))s would also choose the latter. After all, it’s hard for me. I thin7 that those who recogni3e that love and rea- to stay s7eptical when you are out of your head. son and goodness live in everybody should say what these This intellectual bent is nothing new. Our strong words mean. leaning toward the head over the heart goes bac7 to the This year’s Revival has the theme of /ree Hope . early 1A00s. /rom about 1A10-1A50, the so-called /irst We want to unleash the power of hope, and we want to give Creat Awa7ening too7 place in American religion, partly in that hope to any who want it. If you are feeling down about response to the severity and intellectually demanding the direction of the country or the way humanity is treat- preaching of the 8uritans. As embraced by Jonathan Ed- ing the planet, or wonder if people will ever get their act wards, Ceorge Whitfield, and others, this movement of together, this is the service for you. open-air revivals meant to ta7e religion out of the church I believe that whether you approach it from the Dwhich had become a very exclusive affair among our 8uri- head or the heart, there is every reason to hope for hu tan ancestorsE and into the people. Their preaching was manity and our planet, and that if we don’t proclaim and meant to stir the emotions, not simply the thoughts, and to celebrate that hope we will never reali3e the dreams of provo7e a genuine feeling of grace in the listener. The peace, liberty and justice we long for. We will not ma7e it Creat Awa7ening was a wild success, and many thousands happen unless we believe it can happen. So get yourself converted. Some religious historians such as Sydney down to 8etaluma on the 14 th to hear the Rev. Bill Schul3 Alhstrom Dauthor of An American Reformation: a 2ocumen- preach, meet hundreds of other ))s, and have your heart tary History of )nitarian Christianity , among other fine stirred6 boo7sE credit the Creat Awa7ening with stirring democ- ratic and populist urges among the people and helping to Sna7e-handling, as always, will be optional. create the conditions of the American Revolution. F F F ,any of the clergy of the established New Eng- Another practice we have inherited from the old land churches that later became )nitarian, were NOT fans days" is the way we ordain ministers. /or us, it is not bish- of the Creat Awa7ening. /or preachers li7e Charles ops or elders or other clergy who deem a woman or man fit Chauncy and Jonathan ,ayhew, religion wasn’t something for religious leadership and authority. It is the gathered you got in a single day. Conversion wasn’t a one-time epiph- body of a particular congregation. Thus, last year ))CSR any that came in the midst of emotional fervor, it was a voted to ordain our one-time fellow member, Jamie long process of study, discipline, piety, and self-critique. ,cReynolds, at 4:00 pm, on October 20 th . Come see all the Salvation came through the gradual development of a ancient practices: the 8rocessional, the Laying On of moral, faithful character and was expressed in deeds of Hands, the Charge to the ,inister, and the Ordination 7indness and devotion. Oh, one might have a moment when Sermon Ddelivered by my friend Rev. .athy Huff of the divine grace became clear within, but that was the begin- Oa7land )) ChurchE. It will be wic7ed fun, as they say in ning of the life of the spirit, not the end. If you’ve ever Boston, with a lovely reception afterward. I do so hope to thought that a violent criminal’s death-bed conversion is a see you there. 7ind of cheating, you probably understand this point of view. What matters is how you live your life every day, not Volume 56 , Issue 10 Page 3 Greetings from the Board Each year, toward the end of summer, the ))CSR Opportunity to serve board has a two-day retreat. A major purpose of Opportunity to fulfill and actuali3e our full this retreat is to define goals for the coming year. personhood, our human-ness We were fortunate to have Rev. Chris once again WHAT HAS THE BOAR2 LEARNE2 ABO)T facilitate our retreat. Before diving into its goal- ACHIEIINC IT’S COALS setting wor7, Rev. Chris helped board members be- come grounded in the mission and vision of the con- ,ust delegate, as7 people to participate gregation by reviewing the history of )nitarian ,ust follow-up with volunteers )niversalism and the )) 8rinciples and Sources. ,ust acquire/communicate information After developing and committing to a board cove- nant, the focus turned toward board members’ ,inisterial leadership is important passions and perspectives. To give you a sense of Need support of 7ey leaders the discussions that followed, here are responses The BOT is a catalyst for change to some of the questions that were posed: Need to prioriti3e WHAT ARE EACH O/ HO) 8ASSIONATE ABO)T Need to have specific goals, clear parameters, IN THE LI/E O/ O)R CONCRECATION measurable results ,ember Engagement Eventually, board members divided themselves Adult RE into three groups and wor7ed on developing goals Spiritual Life for the coming year.

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