The View: PUC's weekly newsletter
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November 5, 2015
Please send View submissions  to newsletter@pacificunitarian.org 
by noon on Wednesday.
Sunday Service 10:30 a.m.
Child care is available starting at 10:00 a.m.
Join us for some radical hospitality after the service!
Contents

This Week's Sermon

Those Silent Stars

James says the preaching project is about finding hope. Today he will be talking about the ecological crisis. We will see how he squares that circle.

Reverend James Ford


Next Week's Sermon

The Way of a Pilgrim 

Today James will reflect on pilgrimage as an ancient spiritual practice with contemporary possibilities, particularly for Unitarian Universalists.

Reverend James Ford

“The Contrariness of the Mad Farmer”

Wendell Berry


I am done with apologies. If contrariness is my

inheritance and destiny, so be it. If it is my mission

to go in at exits and come out at entrances, so be it.

I have planted by the stars in defiance of the experts,

and tilled somewhat by incantation and by singing,

and reaped, as I knew, by luck and Heaven's favor,

in spite of the best advice. If I have been caught

so often laughing at funerals, that was because

I knew the dead were already slipping away,

preparing a comeback, and can I help it?

And if at weddings I have gritted and gnashed

my teeth, it was because I knew where the bridegroom

had sunk his manhood, and knew it would not

be resurrected by a piece of cake. ‘Dance,’ they told me,

and I stood still, and while they stood

quiet in line at the gate of the Kingdom, I danced.

‘Pray,’ they said, and I laughed, covering myself

in the earth's brightnesses, and then stole off gray

into the midst of a revel, and prayed like an orphan.

When they said, ‘I know my Redeemer liveth,’

I told them, ‘He's dead.’ And when they told me

‘God is dead,’ I answered, ‘He goes fishing ever day

in the Kentucky River. I see Him often.’
 

.....
 

For the full poem look here.
 

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Who's That?

To contact people named in The View please see the PUC Directory which is available in the Members Section of the PUC website.  If you need the password for the Members Section, or if you do not have access to a computer, contact the PUC Office for help accessing it.  The phone number and office hours are listed each week at the very bottom of The View.
Joys
&
Concerns


Beverly Fridley is making excellent progress on recovering from a broken hip and neck and expects a slow but full recovery. Still asking for your healing thoughts.

Betty Hanner had back surgery and is now home, cards are welcome.

Gloria Nussbaum is dealing with numerous serious health concerns in her family. No visits for the Nussbaum family, but cards are deeply appreciated as well as wishes for healing.

Craig Block, Pat Shull, Gerry Howie and Shuja Oberoi would treasure and appreciate cards of well-wishes for various health concerns.

§
Come join friends in the PUC Library on Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 and join the Joys and Sorrows Circle.  The Circle gives a compassionate space for sharing and listening.  Organized by Sandy McNeil.  
§
To have your joy or concern appear here, send it to
joysandconcerns@pacificunitarian.org 
or call the PUC office.  For information on how to do so, scroll down to the
end of The View.
§
If you have a pastoral concern, or know of someone in need, please contact our Minister of Congregational Life Kim Gosney at (310)504-4919 or email 
pastoralcare@pacificunitarian.org.
 

Sunday Hospitality
Volunteers


It takes many hands to
make a Sunday.  Special thanks
to all of our volunteers!



Greeters
Jean Tordella
Peggy Tigerman

Welcoming Trustee
Mike Buttitta

Welcome Table
Kris Willamson
William Koelsch

Usher
Kevin Gallagher
Alana Garrigues

Top Chef

Margo Meikle
 

PUC Takes the Cake!

The gift of a cake is a “gesture…of fellowship
that adds to your stature and enriches your life.”

~ Joy of Cooking

Harbor Interfaith Services is in need of 350 cake mixes and pre-made frosting for Thanksgiving food baskets to distribute to families in need.  What’s a truly satisfying Thanksgiving dinner without a delicious dessert to top it off?  Pie may be the Thanksgiving tradition, but it’s really hard to store and distribute, so this year, HIS families will receive cake fixin’s in their holiday food baskets.

Let’s challenge ourselves to collect all 350 for the families of HIS!   We have the next two Sundays to meet this challenge -- November 8 & 15.   If each member brings two to four boxes of cake mix and cans of frosting we can meet this goal.  

Help us bring a little more sweetness to the world!
 

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PUC is looking for internal consultants!
 

Do you have tax, financial, or personnel/human resource expertise?  Would you be willing to respond to occasional requests from committees or the Board of Trustees regarding church matters dealing with those areas?  If so, we need you!  Please send your name, area of expertise, and contact information to treasurer@pacificunitarian.org.  We'll take down your name and reach out when we need advice.  Thanks for being a part of PUC's revitalization!
 

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Fair Trade Boutique Returns
Sunday, December 13
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (excluding during the service)

Enjoy guilt free holiday shopping with a conscience.  Support artisans and farmers from around the world at Holiday Fair Trade and give wonderful and unique gifts to your friends, family, and colleagues.  
 

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PUC's Season of Service is heading into the heart of the holiday season.  With these social justice actions we hope to highlight the holidays as a time for serving, rather than consuming.  Join us in any way you can! 

PUC's Season of Service is heading into the heart of the holiday season.  With these social justice actions we hope to highlight the holidays as a time for serving, rather than consuming.  Join us in any way you can! 
 
PUC Takes the Cake!
 
We’ve collected peanut butter, blankets and now CAKE!  HIS has requested that we provide cake mixes and pre-made frosting to stock 350 Thanksgiving food baskets.  Apparently storing 350 pies for distribution with Thanksgiving food baskets is quite a challenge, so this year, Harbor Interfaith clients will be topping off their Thanksgiving meals with cake.  We only have two more Sundays to collect as many of needed cake fix in’s as possible.    
 
Service in Action
 
PUC volunteers will head to Harbor Interfaith in San Pedro to help assemble Thanksgiving food baskets on Monday, November 23 and distribute those baskets on Tuesday, November 24.  This is a great opportunity for PUC to provide hands-on service to those in need and a family-friendly activity for kids who may have the week off of school!  Plan on joining us if you can!
 
Keep the Service Coming
 
The Social Justice Committee will meet Wednesday, November 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to work out further details for our upcoming holiday efforts and to consider additional social justice actions for the 2016 calendar.  Join us and share your great ideas for extending our social justice momentum into the coming year.

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Guest At Your Table is approaching.  PUC will launch this annual event November 22. UU congregations and individuals in the United States and around the world participate in this important annual tradition.  We come together, learn about people directly connected to human rights work, reflect on our own lives, and raise funds to advance justice in communities near and far.

The following list illustrates some of the many ways that UUSC translates our support into tangible projects.

~ Supporting advocacy tools for the United Food Movement campaign against the National Restaurant Association.

~ Contributing to a day of training on group dynamics and negotiation skills for the United Alliance leaders of Kenya National Alliance of Street Vendors and Informal Traders.

~ Supporting the purchase of school supplies through Rock Women's project with orphaned youth.

~ Enabling youth at risk for labor exploitation and trafficking near Uganda-Kenya border to take part in projects that train them in healthy, profitable employment.

Start setting aside your coins for the Guest at Your Table boxes arriving November 22! 

Sandy McNeil, UUSC Ministry

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Religious      
Education
News

Look for amazing art and craft items made by our own youth for sale before and after the service in coming weeks. We will be using the money to buy Christmas gifts for kids at Tobeman Neighborhood Center in San Pedro and to take something to our own members who cannot come to church.

Youth from 4 to 104 are invited and encouraged to come to craft class this Sunday, November 8, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. You can see some of the items you will be able to make at the welcome table before church on Sunday morning. You can even put your name on a list to make sure the supplies we have for a particular item you want to make will be held for you. So after RE, go to choir, have some lunch that will be reserved for youth choir participants only, and then come craft with us while your families get some time to connect with each other on the patio. (Or, bring your crafty family members to class with you!)

Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 4 for the Tree Trimming and Potluck dinner hosted by RE and open to all.  We will have dinner, decorate a tree, make Christmas cookies, and share the joy of community. This will be an all family, all ages event and we want YOU to come have fun with us.

Thank an RE teacher this Sunday. Our dedicated teachers are Cindy Paieda and Linda Shahian in Pixie/Hobbits, Carlos Angeles and Alana Garrigues in Sojourners, Robin Arehart, Kimberly Storr, and Rachel Bruhnke in Voyagers, and Maurice Chevalier, Greg Garcia, and Victor Paieda with YRUU, our high school group.

Love and Wonder to Each of You,
Vicki Gavel
Director of Religious Education
veejaygavel@gamil.com


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Religious Education Fall Calendar*  

October

November
Our post-service craft sessions continue through mid November.  
This activity is staffed by your DRE and Child Care Providers and will meet from noon until 1:00 p.m.  Children must be signed in. Parents and others welcomed to participate.

November 1: Multi­generational Service for Day of the Dead
November 8: RE Classes
November 15: Class with Vicki Gavel, DRE
November 22: RE Classes
November 29: Assembling gift baskets for PUC members who are unable to attend church.

December
December 6: “Solve It Sunday” led by Michele Bethune
December 13: RE Classes
December 20: Solstice Celebration with Vicki

*Adjustments are always a possibility.

Playing In the Sage

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

                                                                                        ~  Albert Einstein

Stories in the Sage…

Thousands of years of human evolution have conditioned our brains to process incoming sensory experiences through story structure.  It is how we organize our knowledge and thoughts…and then pass them on to others. Telling stories is timeless and universal and it is what makes us human and unique. Oral language and learning depend on it.  

One of the beautiful things about our Reggio Philosophy is the emphasis it puts on communication and collaboration between the children, adults and environment.  Everyone (and everything) works to provoke stories and conversation. 

This is why we are excited about the upcoming “Story & Art” event Pacific Sage Preschool will be hosting each month as a community event. 

Warmly,
Sylvia
Director
Pacific Sage Preschool

Story & Art
Saturday, November 14
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Pacific Sage Preschool on the PUC Campus all

Bring a child (or the child you keep hidden inside) and join us !  
Open to members of our PUC community, friends, neighbors
and of course our Pacific Sage Preschool families.

 

Autumn Journey to Membership Session
This Sunday November 8
12:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 
PUC Library

Prospective members should attend this class to learn about becoming a member.  
Next week we will host a
New Member Ceremony:  Sunday, November 15 at 10:30 a.m. 
Sign up, and you will receive the packet to read and to fill out before the session. Get information at the Welcome Table or email Kim Gosney at membership@pacificunitarian.org  We so look forward to getting to know you better!

Women Reading and Responding Book Club
Third Monday of Each Month
Next: November 16
11:00 a.m.

PUC Library

Looking forward to having you join us! Contact Robin Arehart if you have any questions.

November  
Paris by Edward Rutherfurd, a
 dazzling epic about the magnificent city
December 
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

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Gentle Yoga Class for All

Wednesdays
11:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m.

Henriksen Hall

A class designed for all levels, shapes, and ages.  We will focus on a gentle practice through movement to help unblock your flow of energy and increase your mental and physical flexibility while releasing stress and enhancing body awareness.  Poses and exercises build strength, relieve pain and stress, and improve balance.  Questions: Debi@omhappy.com.

Suggested Donation: $15/class.  Taught by Debi Robinson.

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This Sunday's Flowers 

Deep in their roots,
all flowers keep the light.

~Theodore Roethke 


Please sign up for your turn to bring Sunday's Flowers on the Flower Calendar inside the door of the PUC Office.

This week's flowers are contributed by
Brad Shreve & Maurice Chevalier. 

CALENDAR
 
PUC's calendar of events can be found here.
The PUC Board of Trustees

                     John Einhorn – President 
                     Bruce Lewis – Vice President
                     Randy Ripley – Treasurer
                     Trish Botsko - Secretary

              Mike Buttitta
              Ben Cowan
              Dee Masters
             James Ford – ex officio

Ways to Contact Your Trustees

board@pacificunitarian.org
This email is forwarded to the trustees, Lead Minister, Director of Congregational Advancement, Director of Religious Education, and Pacific Sage Preschool Director.

trustees@pacificunitarian.org
This email is forwarded to the trustees & Lead Minister (ex-officio.)

 

John Einhorn, President      johneinhornrhino@gmail.com

Randy Ripley, Treasurer     treasurer@pacificunitarian.org

Phone numbers and individual email addresses for all other Trustees can be found in the Member Directory.

 

For Sunday morning announcements contact Kim Gosney
 
Welcome@TheCenterAtPUC.org
 

We are located at
5621 Montemalaga Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275


 

Office Hours

                Sunday             8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.                       

                Monday            Closed

                Tuesday           Phone messages are checked during the day.   

                Wednesday      10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

                Thursday          12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

                Friday               Phone messages are checked during the day.    

                Saturday           Closed

 

Hours for Reverend James Ford, Interim Minister
Appointments are always recommended.

               Tuesday         11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

               Wednesday    11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

               Thursday        11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.


 

Click here for Directions

Contact Us:

Office: (310) 378-9449    Fax: (310) 378-1508

admin@PacificUnitarian.org     www.pacificunitarian.org 

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Unitarian Universalism in Our Area
Pacific Southwest District UUA
The Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian
Universalist Association consists of 50 Congregations in Arizona, Southern California and Southern Nevada. The PSWD is also part of the Pacific Western Region of the UUA.

http://www.pswduua.org


Camp de Benneville Pines
Affiliated with the Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association and welcoming people of all faiths for programming compatible with the UU philosophy of respect for the interconnected web of life and for the worth and dignity of all human beings.

http://www.uucamp.org



Unitarian Universalist Church in Anaheim
511 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805

http://www.uuanaheim.org

First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles 
(213) 401-1191
2936 West 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA   90005

www.uula.org
UU Church of Long Beach 
(562) 597-8445
5450 East Atherton Street
Long Beach, CA   90815

www.uuclb.org

Neighborhood Church 
(626) 449-3470
301 N Orange Grove Blvd
Pasadena, CA   91103

uuneighborhood.org

South Bay Unitarian Fellowship 
(310) 374-1451
2603 Matthews Avenue
Redondo Beach, CA   90278
www.sbuf.org

UU Community Church of Santa Monica 
(310) 829-5436
1260 18th Street
Santa Monica, CA  90404

www.uusm.org

Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura
(805) 644-3898
5654 Ralston St
Ventura, CA 93003
http://www.uuventura.org

 
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