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The Value of Ritual
“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”
So wrote Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography.
My Experiments with Truth. People forget, in their relative comfort, how simple and direct is the relationship most of the world’s people have with God. If as Paul Tillich held, “god” equals one’s “ultimate concern,” then for countless people God can only be food. If for you money and status is your ultimate concern, then that will be your “god,” whatever theology you proclaim. What’s your bottom line? What is your ultimate arbiter of meaning? What truly signifies? That’s your deity. Now, how well do you honor that deity?
Reverend Dr. Stephen H. Furrer
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Love Is As Love Does
A consideration of the extraordinary scientific research of the late Dr. Evelyn Hooker and its effect on the lives and opportunities of LBGTQ people.
Reverend Dr. Stephen H. Furrer
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Religious Education
Thanks for all who attended our movie night on Saturday! The popcorn was yummy, there was awesome company, and we can’t wait to do it again.
Upcoming Calendar
October 2nd: RE Classes
October 9th: RE Classes
October 16th: RE Classes
October 23rd: Children’s Chapel
October 30th: Special Program
November 5th: Harvest Festival at PUC, 1pm-5pm
Supplies and Library
We have an Amazon Wishlist! Help us add to our library and make our space more welcoming to young children. We’re looking for:
- A pack and play or circle gate
- Toys for children ages 0-2
Help with Special Programs
We are looking for fill-in assistants and people to help with special programs, such as Day of the Dead (October 30th) and Children’s Chapel (monthly on the 4th Sunday, this month it’s October 23rd). Contact Claire Moss, Director of Religious Education, dre@pacificunitarian.org.
See the bulletin board for updates and information! RE has the left third of the board.
Enroll for Fall RE by clicking on this link
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John Ellinwood
Marina Kissner
Andy Kissner
Teri Masters
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Been coming to PUC for a while and interested in becoming a member? Or maybe you're new and want to find out more. We have a two sessions schedule to find out more about UU, PUC, the people that hang out here, and introduce yourself to us.
October 2nd at 12:15pm New to UU1 in Classroom 1
October 9th at 12:15pm New to UU2 in Classroom 1
November 13th during the Sunday Service, New Member Ingathering
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Sunday Hospitality
Volunteers
It takes many hands to
make a Sunday. Special thanks
to all of our volunteers!

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Greeters
Marty Gorman
Clay Bosler
Welcome Table
Pam Harris
Lee Ann Hart
Top Chef
Margo Meikle
Andy Kissner
Usher
Dee Masters
Brad Shreve
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Important Dates: Survey Due Sept 30th, Workshop on Oct 8th & Town Hall on Oct 16th
Minister Search Survey Due Fri, Sept 30
The Minister Search survey is due this Fri, Sept 30. Please share your thoughts regarding your church membership and involvement, spiritual and theological beliefs, worship preferences, church goals and growth, and professional ministry. We appreciate your time and valuable input!
Attend the Sat, October 8th Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop
In finding the person who would be the best match for our minister, we could potentially overlook or even let biases keep us from knowing that a particular person would be the best match for us. Our congregation will host the highly recommended Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop on Sat, October 8th, 9:00am-12:00pm. Everyone is encouraged to attend (child care provided if requested) this UU led workshop to help us hone the search for the best minister to meet the needs of PUC.
Attend the Sun, October 16th Town Hall Meeting
At the Town Hall meeting after church on Sun, Oct 16th, the survey results will be shared along with the next steps in the ministerial search process.
If you have any questions, please contact the Ministerial Search Committee at msc@pacificunitarian.org.
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Dinners with UUs
It's time for our next dinner! Sign up at the Welcome Table to join six guests dining with Teri and Dee Masters at their home in Torrance at 6 PM Saturday, October 15.
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Whole-food Plant-based Cooking Classes @ SB Adventist Church, Redondo
After my sermon this past Sunday, a number of folk wanted to know how they can sign-up for the whole-food plant-based (WF-PB) cooking school my friends at the South Bay Adventist Church in Redondo Beach are offering next month. The course is free to the public though they cheerfully accept donations. They ask you show them the courtesy of signing up so they can plan… literally hundreds of people attend these classes. You’ll need to give them your e-mail to register: I can tell you from a year’s experience, they do not sell your e-mail nor take advantage of it. I’ve received only a couple of dozen e-mails from them as they informed me of their monthly presentations-cooking demos-film showings - no proselytizing.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Seventh Day Adventist Church, one of their foundational tenets is eating a healthful lifestyle that consists of vegetarian/Kosher diet, avoiding liquor, tobacco, drugs, and for many, caffeine. Adventists in Loma Linda, CA live 4-10 years longer than the typical Californian: there are so many long-lived Adventist there that Loma Linda has been designated as one of the world’s five Blue Zones due to number of centenarians who live there.
When I attended SB Adventist Church’s 2015 cooking school, I was concerned about whether I was going to get proselytized as I was learning about WF-PB nutrition and cooking. My concern was unwarranted… while they (of course) make no apologies for being followers of Jesus, their mission in offering these lectures is to educate the people who come, irrespective of beliefs of those who attend. They are genuine in their desire to serve the community around them by sharing their knowledge about nutrition.
Here's the lineup of this year's presenters:
Date |
Lecture
Presentation |
Cooking
Demonstration |
Oct 04 |
Matt Roscigno MPH, RD |
Susan Jenson RD |
Oct 11 |
Chef AJ |
Chef Jackie Shook |
Oct 18 |
Dr. Steve Lawenda |
Anna Evans |
Oct 25 |
Dr. Heather Shenkman |
Amy Esposito RD |
Please register at the following link:
http://www.southbaychurch.net/South_Bay_Church/Cooking_School_2016.html.
If I can answer any questions you might have, shoot me a line at jhocutt[at]GaTech[dot]edu. Looking forward to seeing lots of you there as the UUs rush the Adventists!
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Playing in the Sage…
“Opportunity doesn't make appointments, you have to be ready when it arrives.”
---Tim Fargo
And who doesn’t like an opportunity to party?
The children are busy preparing and getting ready for Saturday. Tables on the patio will have beautiful centerpieces that all the children had a “hand” in creating. We have narrowed down our music playlist and tomorrow we are baking some yummy vegan desserts to add to our traditional birthday cake.
So plan on joining us as we celebrate Pacific Sage Preschool and honor past Pacific Unitarian Church member Lenore Snodey. Her generous gift made PUC’s beautiful early learning center possible. Plaque dedication will be at 11:00am.
Warmly,
Sylvia
Director
Pacific Sage Preschool
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Be a Part of a PUC Tradition
It’s time for the 2016 Los Angeles AIDS Walk and there are two ways you can help. You can help raise funds and join us walking on Sunday, October 23 rd , or you can donate money to this important cause. Why not do both? Our special web address is https://la.aidswalk.net/PUC That link will take you to a page where you can make a donation. If you’d like to join us, all you have to do is click on the red “Join Our Team” button.
If you have questions, please contact Brad Shreve or Maurice Chevalier. Emails and phone numbers are in the church directory.
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Women Reading & Responding Book Club
Third Monday of Each Month
11:00 a.m. PUC Library
October 17th: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
November 21st: The Road to Character by David Brooks
Come and check out a discussion even if you haven’t read or finished the book.
Contact Robin Arehart if you have any questions.
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BUDDHIST MEDITATION GROUP meets at PUC Library Tuesday evenings, 7:30-9:00 pm.
Learn meditation and the purpose of meditation in the Buddhist wisdom tradition. Developing our love and compassion for all beings, we can find joy and meaning in life. Newcomers welcome anytime, no experience required. Just bring an open mind and a kind heart - we can even help you find those! While meditation instruction is free, donations ($10-$20) to support our activity are gratefully accepted.
Dan Dempster has been authorized by Khenpo Migmar Tseten (Buddhist chaplain at Harvard University and Director of the Sakya Institute for Buddhist Study, Cambridge) and is a certified meditation instructor.
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§
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.
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