by Admin | Jan 1, 2019 | Justice Actions
“Good endings make for good beginnings”
A phrase that I first heard at the UUCV and that I have
found to be true. With all of the troubles that 2018 brought, I hope that there
was also sunshine in your life and, no
matter what your current situation, that you are looking forward to the promise of a fresh start with
2019.
Unlike the Calendar year our Church year runs from July 1 to
June 30. That means we are at the mid-year point and due for some reflection in
keeping with the season. The UUCV turned 60 last November and I doubt that our founders
would recognize our church today given their humble beginnings.
Evidence of those early days can be found in the photos in
Berg Hall back in the corner by the piano. The folks who started this
congregation didn’t have very much. They didn’t own a building to call their
own, they hardly had any money, the minister was the only paid staff. What did
they have?
They had each other and a Vision of liberal religion. That
still holds true for us today. Clearly, we have exceeded anything that could
have been imagined by our founders. When I think about the UUCV (which is
often) my thoughts are about the growth of the congregation spiritually, our
Social Action ministries, our Religious Education programming, our Worship
experiences, and how these activities help us live into our values.
We are a growing, vibrant congregation that is actively
engaged in several lay ministries that include aiding the homeless, protecting
our environment, human rights, immigration, and economic justice. We show up at
City and County meetings, at rallies, vigils, marches, and a host of meetings
attended by our partners in the community. These are some of the many ways that
Members and Friends of the UUCV walk the talk of our 7 Principles.
Our Children’s Religious Education program is amazing! The
energy of the volunteer teachers, the engagement of the kids, and the
enthusiasm of the parents reflect the hard work of our DRE Emily Carroll and
all who volunteer and help with this ministry.
We are engaged in a new 5-year planning process to discern
who we are and where we want to go, creating a new vision and updating our
mission with the help of the 5-4-5 Team. This important work involves all of us
and turns out best when you include your voice in the processes that are
planned to be able to hear your input for our future.
Our financial picture is a source of concern but is seen as
manageable with more information to be discussed at our Congregational
Conversation on the 27th. The
meeting will provide information that will help the Finance Budget Team in the
development of our next budget for 2019-20. This will be a big step in charting
a course to “right sizing” our congregation.
These are
just some of the reasons why we are a healthy congregation. We have much to
offer each other, our local community, and the world. That’s a really great
place to begin as we start our journey into the possibilities of 2019.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, UUCV Board President
by Admin | Jan 1, 2019 | Minister, Services Past
With the New Year I offer this refresher on my schedule, how
best to reach me, and other (hopefully) useful info.
My workweek is Saturday through Thursday. Friday is my day
off, Saturday is my writing day, and Sunday is, well, Sunday. After church
comes my standing date with Barzillai the Cat. I lie on the couch and he lies
on me. I scratch his ears; he purrs; I can even nap – a good arrangement.
I’m essentially on call 24 hours and 7 days a week.
It’s daunting, and I want y’all to know I also take
advantage of a flexible schedule. If I’ve got a meeting at night, I often won’t
come in till noon or later. I work 6 days a week, though if it’s ten hours one
day, it may be four the next.
I usually work about 45-50 hours a week. It’s been 60 or
more, though that is pretty rare. After a particularly long week, I’ll ease off
a bit the next.
I attend some, though not all, church events on Fridays.
When I do, I’ll make up for it another day.
The best way to reach me is email: rev.dana.worsnop@uuventura.org,
or on my cell phone (which is in the directory). If you need me quickly,
texting is best. In general, please don’t call or text on Fridays. And if you
email me late-ish on Thursday or a Friday, you make not get a reply until
Monday.
I also prefer not to be called or texted before 9am or after
9pm.
I trust you to figure out if your issue is urgent enough to
reach out on those days and other hours.
If you have an emergency, do not hesitate. If you cannot
decide if you have an urgency or an emergency, also do not hesitate.
I don’t hold specific office hours, though I usually can
make appointments within 2-3 days. The best days are Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday.
We hold staff meetings on Tuesdays. Because we work on the
orders of service then, it’s best if you can have information in to Jennifer by
Monday afternoon.
A final note about Sundays – and this is true for all Sunday
staff. Sunday is our biggest day of the week. We know it’s a good time for you
to be in touch with us, though we can be tired and scattered. We may not be
able to answer your questions or even remember them on Monday. And we just
can’t get with everyone. So your patience is much appreciated.
I look forward to our new year ahead – with the whole
congregation and our wonderful staff team.
Happiest of New Years.
Love,
Rev. Dana
by Admin | Dec 6, 2018 | Justice Actions
December is upon us, and with it the holidays that we love and we dread and we do our best to get into the spirit of. And this year, with December comes the first anniversary of the Thomas Fire and all those memories. Yet so much has happened since then, for me the memories are already fading. It’s all a part of a new normal or, as our soon-to-be twice ex-governor has called it, “the new abnormal.”
Part of this new reality is a deep reminder that we are in this together. After the shootings and the Woolsey Fire, it was so heartening to see how people stepped up to offer help and hospitality. We can’t know what’s next, though we can know that there will be people offering help and comfort, support and celebration as each is called for.
The theme for December is Mystery, which is my favorite part of this season. Lights twinkling in the darkness, the turning of the year, a spirit that can still catch us unawares. Even as these are holidays that can make us feel even more lonely, with them can also come reminders that
We are not alone.
You are not alone.
So I offer you one of my favorite poems for this time of year by Rebecca Parker. May it carry you into and through all that this December brings you.
Perhaps
for a moment
the typewriters will stop clicking,
the wheels stop rolling
the computers desist from computing,
and a hush will fall over the city.
For an instant, in the stillness,
the chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard
as earth hangs poised
in the crystalline darkness,
and then
gracefully
tilts.
Let there be a season
when holiness is heard, and
the splendor of living is revealed.
Stunned to stillness by beauty
we remember who we are and why we are here.
There are inexplicable mysteries.
We are not alone.
In the universe there moves a Wild One
whose gestures alter earth’s axis
toward love.
In the immense darkness
everything spins with joy.
The cosmos enfolds us.
We are caught in a web of stars,
cradled in a swaying embrace,
rocked by the holy night,
babes of the universe.
Let this be the time
we wake to life,
like spring wakes, in the moment
of winter solstice.
Happy Hannukah! Blessed Solstice!
Merry Christmas! Happy and Hopeful Holidays!
With love, Rev. Dana
by Admin | Dec 4, 2018 | ATIR News, Immigration Action, Volunteer
Volunteering & Donating to Tijuana Shelters
Please see this informative guide, “Solidarity for Refugee Caravans in Tijuana”, especially if you plan on going to TJ. This guide was created by folks working on the ground in TJ. It includes information on the various needs of the different shelters (Benito Juarez, Enclave Caracol, Casa del Migrante, etc.), who to contact, and how you can go about volunteering. I encourage you all to share this information with your networks.
Legal Observers and Lawyers Needed in Tijuana
The situation at the border is dire. Last weekend, immigration agents used tear gas and pepper spray on individuals and families seeking asylum. A humanitarian crisis exists with inadequate shelter and resources in Tijuana’s sports stadium shelter for the thousands of people who migrated together, hoping to present themselves at the border.
There is a constant need for legal observers and attorneys for many weeks and months to come. Please consider traveling to Tijuana to help if you are able.
NLG-LA Board Co-President Gilbert Saucedo is traveling to volunteer in Tijuana on Saturday (for the weekend); if you are interested in coordinating with him, email him at gs.law@att.net. NLG-LA Immigration Committee Chair Pasquale Lombardo is likely traveling to Tijuana on Sunday (through early next week); email him at pglombardo1@gmail.com.
Please fill out Al Otro Lado’s volunteer form if you can travel to Tijuana in the coming days/weeks: https://goo.gl/forms/22IqGTIg1TrjTVmi1.
by Admin | Dec 4, 2018 | Immigration Action
About 25 UUCV members met on Oct. 15 and Nov. 12 to begin the formation of a committee in support of Immigrants’ Rights. A coordination committee was formed by Silvia Hutchins as a liaison to the Social Action Coordinating Committee (SACC) and CLUE. Susan Franzblau will develop an “Immediate Emergency Response Team.”
Ruth Capelle will participate in coalition building with other organizations and communicate action and volunteer opportunities to ATIR and send out information and analyses from other sources and UUSC. Ray Vargas joined us as well and has begun to lead the development of a mission statement and also initiated a fundraising effort.
Susan defines her task: “I am coordinating an effort to help undocumented immigrant families find a place to stay, food to eat, childcare and transportation when they are in our area for legal services or are clients of other agencies and organizations.” She hopes for volunteers to expand the network of people who can provide some of the services that will only involve a few days at a time.
Ruth intends to develop a more effective means of communication than frequent e-mails which will be reserved for immediate action alerts. She hopes volunteers will participate in outreach and inform us on activities in support of the immigrant community being planned by other groups in the West County.
Please contact Ruth if you’d like your name to be added to ATIR’s e-mail list for action alerts.
We plan to hold regular meetings on the 2nd Monday of the month beginning at 6pm for a potluck dinner and convene at 6:30pm; we expect to be done no later than 8pm. In December only, the meeting will take place on the third Monday of the month, Dec. 17.
The goals and efforts of this new committee are aligned with the UU principles and purposes, especially:
We are in covenant to affirm and promote:
- The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; and
- The goal of a world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.
With love and the fervent hope that together we can make the world a better place for the most afflicted,
The Action Team for Immigrant Rights
