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Mission Peak UU – Fremont, CA
The Home of Liberal Religion in the Tri-Cities and Beyond!
August 21, 2019
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Ministerial Musings
Back from the Other Side
Greetings my beloved congregation, it is wonderful to have returned after a study leave/vacation break this summer! It feels like I just left in some ways and that I’ve been gone forever in others. (smile)
Part of my study leave involved attending Spanish School in Mexico for 2 weeks, que Bueno! I have a good foundation for speaking now and intend to continue my study so I do not forget what I have learned.
More than studying the language, the greatest benefit for me in this travel was the exposure to another culture, to many other cultures. My classmates were from Belgium, France, England, Germany and Switzerland (not to mention my Mexican instructors) and the knowledge I gained from their cultures and experiences was much more important to me in many ways. All of them looked at me and questioned what was going on in our country. My first day there was after the double dose of horrific shootings we experienced in El Paso and Dayton. I myself was at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on that fateful Sunday a week before and we left an hour and 20 minutes before the shooter arrived. After posting pictures, my friends began frantic texting and calling to see if we were okay. We were on the road, nearly home, when the shooting began. That’s the closest I’ve ever come and hope it will be, to experiencing the horror that so many of our fellow Americans are experiencing on a daily basis.
Our job now as Americans is to make this stop. In some ways, I was embarrassed to be American amongst these citizens of other countries and I hadn’t an explanation for them as to why we are doing what we are doing. I don’t understand our fascination with guns any more than they do. It is time for us to rise up, it is time for us to change this behavior that has become so commonplace. Our time is now. I firmly believe if we studied and knew much more about other cultures and countries, we would celebrate them and not demonize them. Let us begin THAT work. Let us begin to not isolate ourselves from the world and not feel the need to know other languages or cultures. I was amazed that most of the other students knew a minimum of 3 languages and many knew 4 or 5. In all of their elementary schools, 2 other languages are required. So they grow up already knowing 3. As Americans we just assume others will learn our language and many of us don’t see the need to learn theirs. I was amongst that group in some ways myself. I’ve attempted to learn 3 other languages besides English and have never been successful. I am committed now to know Spanish and hopefully then after that there will be another language I can learn. We all need to know each other and what our worlds are like. Let us begin that process. Let us walk in each other’s shoes to see what they feel like.
I hope you all had a blessed summer. Soon our new Church Year will begin and we will have lots to do!
Blessings,
Rev Jo
Please feel free to contact me
By phone: 510-972-3890
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Prophets in This Time of Uncertainity
Our second source reads “words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love.” What better source to use in this time of uncertainty and need for leadership. This Sunday let us explore the words of prophetic people to aid us in living out our principles in this time of great need.
Leading the service will be Rev. Jo Green and assisting will be Worship Associate Kathy Wallcave. Jay Steele will FUMC Handbell Choir will provide our music..
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The Great Pivot: Creating Meaningful Work to Build a Sustainable Future
MPUUC, Sat., Aug 24, 10am-12pm
By Justine Burt
We need millions of new green jobs to build a sustainable future. With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s release of the Green New Deal Resolution in February, our society is now having a conversation about the GND. Justine will present an overview of her book The Great Pivot, which details 30 projects in energy, transportation, the circular economy, reducing food waste, and restoring nature that will fix the crisis in the world of work caused by outsourcing, automation, and the gig economy. We have the talent and the resources to pivot from business as usual and build the sustainable future that we and future generations need. In the process of saving the planet we may just save ourselves.
This 45 minute presentation by the author will be followed by 20 minutes of breakout discussions then the group will come back together as a whole to discuss for 20 minutes.
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Share the Plate with East Bay Sanctuary Covenant this Sunday!
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August Share the Plate will be this coming Sunday, August 25. Our recipient is East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). Founded in 1982, EBSC is dedicated to offering sanctuary, solidarity, support, community organizing assistance, advocacy, and legal services to those escaping war, terror, political persecution, intolerance, exploitation, and other expressions of violence. EBSC has recently been a plaintiff in some high-profile court cases, including EBSC vs. Barr, in which they successfully obtained an injunction against the Trump administration’s unlawful ban on asylum seekers who travel through other countries on their way to the U.S. EBSC’s Affirmative Asylum Program provides free and low-cost legal services to asylum seekers and those with Temporary Protected Status, with special focus on LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, and indigenous people. EBSC also runs a walk-in center in Berkeley where they provide legal advice, translation, ESL classes, citizenship classes, and other forms of assistance. Lisa Hoffman, the Development Director at EBSC, will tell us more about EBSC’s work during the service, and she’ll stay after for an info session and Q&A about how congregations can support asylum seekers.
This Sunday! 11:30 AM in Cole Hall. Info Session on How we Can Help Asylum Seekers
This Sunday, August 25, stay after the service for an info session with Lisa Hoffman from East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. Lisa will tell us about how congregations can help asylum seekers and answer any questions we have. Lisa is the Development Director at EBSC, and along with her wife and son, she has hosted several LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in her home over the years.
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Appreciative Inquiry Committee
If you all recall, last June we held an Appreciative Inquiry workshop where many of the members interacted and answered questions about their memories of MPUUC, their hopes for the future and what they saw as this congregation’s strengths. I have compiled all of the information you all contributed and now I am looking for a committee to be formed to gain conclusions about what this congregation needs and wants and sees in their future.
As your Interim Minister, I have been guiding you through the journey of grieving, of healing, and preparing to transition you all for a new settled minister to come. This workshop gave us some answers as to how you see yourselves, what you value, what stories in this congregation are life-giving, and how this congregation has made a difference in your lives.
Appreciative Inquiry is a way to keep a congregation thriving and recreating itself by its conversations and its stories. It is a process that you can apply and look back on in the future and use in any walk of life. This is an opportunity for this congregation to define itself, to hold those memories which are most important and to define your future!
Please contact me, Rev Jo, and notify me if you would like to be on this committee. This work is very important for this congregation and will give you new insights and direction in moving towards the future you wish to have.
I look forward to meeting with you all!
Blessings,
Rev Jo
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Sign up for Fall Adult Education Courses and Activities
The Adult Education committee is pleased to announce its fall 2019 offerings. Detailed descriptions of our courses and activities can be found in the fall Adult Ed brochure. To sign up for our classes and activities, please visit us at our table outside Cole Hall after the service on August 11, 18, and 25, or contact Ilze Duarte at
ilzeduarte@earthlink.net.
Meditation & Dharma
Eric Dittmar
Max number of participants: Open
2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month, 7-9 PM (Sep 19; Oct 10, 24; Nov 14; Dec 12)
Private Home (unless the group grows too large)
Exploring the Enneagram
Linda Messia
Wednesdays 7 – 9 pm: Sept 25; Oct 9 & 23; Nov 6 & 20
Private home; 8 places
Poems
John & Jackie Porter
Mondays 7-9 p.m.: September 9 & 23, October 14 & 28, November 11 & 25.
Porter’s home 6 places
Sing-a-Long with Jackie and Jo Ann
Jo Ann Schriner and Jackie Porter
Sunday, November 10, 7-9 p.m.
Private home 8 places
Spiritual Literacy
Jackie and John Porter
Sundays 6-8 p.m.: September 15 & 29, October 6 & 20, November 3 & 17
This group is currently full, but you can get in touch with John Porter to be placed on a wait list.
Porter’s home 5 places
The Adult Education committee
Eric Dittmar, Ilze Duarte (chair), Linda Messia, and Len Tiemann
Detailed descriptions of our courses and activities can be found in the fall Adult Ed brochure, which you can read here. We will also be handing out the brochure on Sundays, starting August 4.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Our congregation is looking for a new minister, and perhaps distinct images come to mind of what a minister is. A particular gender? Race? Age? We can have biases we’re not even aware of, and limit ourselves in finding the minster who is really best for Mission Peak.
On Sunday, September 22, there with be a free workshop to help us be fair and open-and heard. The Unitarian Universalist Association is sending a facilitator to conduct “Beyond Categorical Thinking.” This will help us consider our hopes, expectations and concerns about a new minister.
After the Sunday service, there will be a light lunch provided for all attendees, with the program to run from noon to no later than 3:00 p.m. Childcare will be available if you RSVP. Use the online form link below to RSVP, or contact Don Ramie.
If you want to have input that will help the Search Committee find a great new minister, this workshop is for you! All are strongly encouraged to attend.
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Children & Youth Religious Education (CaYRE)
CaYRE’s summer program started June 16th. All children and youth may find a member sharing their passion, a fun craft to make or an exciting game to play. It will be a fun summer filled with social time with all participants meeting in room 1. Nursery care will continue to be offered.
We are taking signups for teachers and assistants. This summer it’s teacher’s choice: Share your passion what ever it may be or get into the fun with a game day! Please sign up using our google form https://tinyurl.com/yy8wgeoa or on the poster in Cole Hall.If you have any questions, please contact us at cayre@mpuuc.org.
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Black & White Gala – November 2, 2019 – Save the Date!
This year’s Black & White Gala will be Saturday, November 2 starting at 6:00pm. Please put the date on your calendar and start picking out your outfits, making items for the boutique, and thinking up offerings for the auction. I’ve been making jam…what have you been doing to get ready?
For those of you who are new to the congregation, our annual Black & White Gala is our biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s a great opportunity for you to dress up (if you’d like) and support Mission Peak by participating in our service auction, buying unique, handmade items at our boutique, and testing your luck by participating in our basket raffle. All while enjoying yummy sweet and savory snacks and alcoholic
and non-alcoholic beverages.
Jen King
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WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!
We NEED your help!?? Cole Hall does not magically transform into a special place for our services each Sunday.?? It requires a small army of volunteers.?? We’ve had a few ‘retirements’ lately and we have some spots
to fill.?? PLEASE let Jen King know if you can fill in for any of the following:
URGENT: We have no one to do set-up for the 2nd Sunday of each month!
We also need people for the following:
Additional Set-up assistance for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Sundays of each month
Additional Greeter for the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month
PPT Clickers & AV Technicians for ALL SUNDAYS (We will train you! We
promise!)
Additional Take-down assistance for the 2nd Sunday of each month.
You can sign up on an ongoing basis for the Sunday’s indicated above by contacting Jen King, or you can sign up on and ad hoc basis by following this link:
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| Celebrating Mission Peak’s 25th Anniversary – Save This Date!! |
2019 marks 25 years of MPUUC’s existence as a congregation and we think that’s a milestone worth celebrating. We have had many different celebrations throughout the year. Please reserve the following date on your calendar now. You won’t want to miss it!
September 8 – 25th Anniversary Picnic Celebration
– After the annual Water Ceremony at Cole Hall we will gather at one of the reserved picnic areas at Lake Elizabeth for a Picnic/BBQ celebration. We will have games for the kids, a jam session & sing-a-long, and other fun activities. Come join us and enjoy hanging out with friends & family and celebrating MPUUC.
[More details regarding this event will follow closer to the date. If you have questions or suggestions for additional events or you want to help with this event, please contact Jen King].
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Turning Love Into Justice:
The Tri-City Interfaith Council (tcicouncil.weebly.com) is a grass-roots organization bringing together people of diverse religious beliefs from Fremont, Newark, and Union City (California). Rev. Jo Green, Rev. Barbara Meyers and Paul K. Davis are members. Join in!
Call your Elected Officials!
Calls can make a difference! Contact your representatives to alert them to your views!
Congressperson Eric Swalwell 510-247-1388 or go to
house.gov
Senator Kamala Harris
(202) 224 – 3553
Senator Diane Feinstein (202) 224-3841
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Mission Peak UU | 2950 Washington Blvd Fremont CA | 510.252.1477 | missionpeakuu.org
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