From the email announcements sent Thursday, May 21.
Join us online again this Sunday as we co-create beloved community together in the midst of a global pandemic. We are suspending congregational worship gatherings until further notice to protect vulnerable members of our congregation and the larger community. You can watch our special live-streamed service on the church’s Facebook page at 10 am on Sunday morning, May 24. Our services are now reaching hundreds of people and are inviting us to be interactive in worship in new ways. In addition to sharing joys, sorrows, and milestones, you may want to light a chalice and sing along with our worship leaders in your home sanctuary. You do not need a Facebook account to watch the service live. Just visit the Facebook website or watch the livestream here at news.uusm.org or at uusm.org. The services will remain available on our UU Santa Monica Facebook page and on our YouTube channel. They are also archived on the uusm.org website and here on the newsletter site. If you need help getting online, please contact board member Eileen McCormack for assistance.
“Our Sabbath” (Online Worship Service)
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, preaching • Sue Bickford, Worship Associate
Sundays are a sacred time for worship, rest, and play in our tradition. That is perhaps especially true in this time of quarantine. How did it come to be that we gather like this for a time of Sabbath? This week we will explore the Jewish and Christian origins of our sacred day and its relevance to our lives.
Church Facilities are Closed
Please note that church buildings and offices are now closed for business and services until further notice, and church staff members are working remotely. See above for online Sunday service information.
Adult Programming
During this time of social distancing and uncertainty, the Adult Programs Committee is working hard to transition many of our groups and programs for personal and spiritual exploration to an online format, mainly via Zoom (but other platforms are a possibility). We’ll also be providing assistance to those unfamiliar with how to use Zoom – just let us know you’d like help by emailing AdultRE@UUSM.org at least a few days before the program you’d like to take part in. Instructions for scheduling a Zoom meeting are below the list of scheduled online events.
Check out the information and links below for UUSM online programs. We look forward to connecting with you!
Tips for Great Zoom Meetings
With all the Zoom meetings we are doing during this time here are some suggestions you may want to try during the meetings:
- To enable others to see you, be sure your head from neck or at least chin up shows in the screen.
- Be aware that if you are back lit or even side lit your face may show in dark shadows. Ensure that at least some natural or indoor light is in front of you.
- Use the mute button when you are not speaking. This blocks out ambient noise such as coughs, music, phone rings, etc.
- If you need to move around and plan to carry your device you can turn off the video—moving your device can make your image rotate in sometimes amusing and distracting ways.
- Look into your camera. It’s in the top middle edge of most computers. This lets others know you are present and paying attention.
- Sit up and be present as you would if we were meeting in person. Answering your phone or email while on a Zoom meeting can communicate a lack of caring or consideration for the others present.
Even though we are not in the same room we still want each other to feel cared about.
Submitted by Bettye Barclay
Upcoming Online Events
ONLINE>> AAHS Freethinker Forum, Sunday, May 24, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email aahs@uusm.org for the Zoom link. The Meaning of the Pandemic — AAHS (Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists) returns online via Zoom with a discussion of the various ways we might understand the current historic Coronavirus pandemic from a grounding in Humanist values and ethics. What are the ecological, socio-economic, and theological causes and consequences? How do personal experiences inform our understanding? What does the evidence teach us? Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where diversity of viewpoints is encouraged and respected. Contact James Witker at aahs@uusm.org for more information.
ONLINE>> Open Meditation Wellsprings, Monday, May 25, 2020, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email Meditation@UUSM.org for the Zoom link and directions for using Zoom. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal and share with each other what’s on our hearts. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. These are exceptional times, and we trust each person to use the group in a way that fits their need. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 12:00 to 1:00 pm, AND every 2nd and 4th Monday evenings, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm.
ONLINE RE>> Pre-School Check-In, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 11:00 am – 11:30 am, Zoom Meeting. Please contact Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org or Cleo Anderson at dre@uusm.org with any questions. Join us for a chalice lighting, story, and discussion of our favorite parts of being at home.
ONLINE>> Open Meditation Wellsprings, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email Meditation@UUSM.org for the Zoom link and directions.
ONLINE RE>> Middle School Logic Puzzles, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please contact Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org or Cleo Anderson at dre@uusm.org with any questions.
ONLINE>> Online Coffee & Teahouse Conversation with the Minister, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Email minister@uusm.org for the Zoom link.
ONLINE RE>> Elementary Check-In, Thursday, May 28, 2020, 11:00 am – 11:45 am, Zoom Meeting. Please contact Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org or Cleo Anderson at dre@uusm.org with any questions.
ONLINE>> Open Meditation Wellsprings, Thursday, May 28, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email Meditation@UUSM.org for the Zoom link and directions for using Zoom.
ONLINE>> Adult RE Committee Meeting, Monday, June 1, 2020, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email adultre@uusm.org for the Zoom link. All are welcome.
ONLINE>> Adult Programs–An Enjoyable Dive into Who and What We Are, Monday, June 1, 2020, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please contact: AdultRE@UUSM.org to get the Zoom link and instructions for logging on. Bill Blake will help participants master specific meditation skills. We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (essence or true nature). This class will include meditations that explore participants’ spiritual goals. It is expected that participants will develop and enjoy a regular meditation practice.
ONLINE RE>> Pre-School Check-In, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, 11:00 am – 11:30 am, Zoom Meeting. Please contact Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org or Cleo Anderson at dre@uusm.org with any questions. Join us for a chalice lighting, story, and discussion of our favorite parts of being at home.
ONLINE>> Open Meditation Wellsprings, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email Meditation@UUSM.org for the Zoom link and directions.
ONLINE RE>> Middle School Logic Puzzles, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please contact Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org or Cleo Anderson at dre@uusm.org with any questions.
ONLINE>> Online Coffee & Teahouse Conversation with the Minister, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Email minister@uusm.org for the Zoom link.
ONLINE>>CommUUnity Connection Meeting, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Email at CommUUnity@uusm.org to register for the Zoom link. A time to connect with others and share experiences during this time of isolation. Margot Page and Wendi Gladstone will facilitate.
ONLINE RE>> Elementary Check-In, Thursday, June 4, 2020, 11:00 am – 11:45 am, Zoom Meeting. Please contact Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org or Cleo Anderson at dre@uusm.org with any questions.
ONLINE>> Open Meditation Wellsprings, Thursday, June 4, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email Meditation@UUSM.org for the Zoom link and directions for using Zoom.
ONLINE>> CommUUnity Connection Meeting, Thursday, June 4, 2020, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Email at CommUUnity@uusm.org to register for the Thursday Zoom meeting. A time to connect with others and share experiences during this time of isolation. Bettye Barclay and Denise Helton will be conducting the meeting.
ONLINE>> UU Men’s Group, Thursday, June 4, 2020, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email AdultRE@UUSM.org for information. The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way.
ONLINE>> Science Non-Fiction Book Group: Tuesday June 16, 7:30 pm, via Zoom. To receive the link, you will want to be on the group email list. Contact Rebecca Crawford at sci-nonfiction@uusm.org for more information. We will discuss “Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond,” by Sonia Shah. The author, a science journalist, concentrates on the viruses and how their infectivity and pathogenicity over time and circumstance, with particular emphasis on cholera. Politics and preparation are woven in. The book was published in 2016. All are welcome.
Scheduling Meetings
Although our current in-person meetings and events have been canceled/postponed, we are working on offering online gatherings and other ways of maintaining our community spirit. Please stay tuned as we work out the details.
In the meantime, if you need to schedule a church business group or committee meeting via Zoom, please contact Cyndee Hayes at assistant@uusm.org 310-829-5436 ext. 102.
Please provide the following details at least three days prior to the meeting. If you would like the meeting to be posted in the Weekly Email Announcements, please email Sibylla Nash at OOS@uusm.org by Wednesday evenings.
- Title of meeting
- Meeting’s host information
- Start time and end time
- Participants’ email addresses for an Invite.
Individuals can attend the meeting by phone if they do not have an email address.
Canceled Events
CANCELED>> D&D – Living in UUville, Sunday, May 24, 2020, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Cottage NW. This recurring event has been canceled until further notice.
CANCELED>> Children & Youth RE Committee Meeting, Sunday, May 24, 2020, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Cottage NW.
CANCELED>> Discussion and Support for Persons with Disabilities, Sunday, May 24, 2020, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Cottage SE.
CANCELED>> OWL Meeting, Sunday, May 31, 2020, 11:45 am – 1:30 pm, Forbes Classroom 4, Mural Room. Please contact Beth Rendeiro for additional information.
