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EMERSON UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
7304 Jordan Avenue
Canoga Park CA 91303
Nonprofit Org.
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From Emerson’s Journal
Leaves
OCTOBER 2014
Rev. Mike Young, Interim Minister
Terry Hassman-Paulin, Editor / Sergio Lyon, Layout and Graphics
Deadline for next issue (covering events for November 2014)
October 15, 2014, at 6:00 pm
Send articles to [email protected]
Sunday
Services
Begin at
10:30 AM
All Religions Are Not the Same, But . . .
Rev. Mike Young, Interim Minister
[email protected]
“You don’t have to become Japanese to be Zen.”
Are there elements of our various religious traditions that push toward
“universalism”? Or, is only one of those traditions
true, and the others false?
By “universalism” here I mean the recognition that
the human religious experience is ultimately one;
however different the expression of it might be in language, symbol, image and story.
All of us are to a greater or lesser degree culture
bound, in that we were born into a particular culture
and began the adventure of becoming human seeing
through that lens. All of our religious traditions, too,
emerged in or have been heavily adapted to a particular culture. But did those differing traditions emerge
as response to, and were preserved to evoke, the
same human experiences? Are there common human experiences back of those differing languages,
symbols, images and stories?
When religion is more than mere cultural pattern,
more than the level of table manners, it is the experience that is primary, not the language, symbol, image
and story. Although the experience may always be
mediated by language, etc. it is not limited to them.
They can be transcended. We have done it throughout our history. Few of us still live in the old threestory universe with heaven above and hell below.
If the above is so, then in a world where our cultures
are no longer cocoons, it is becoming increasingly
necessary for us to acknowledge this, and learn how
to do it and teach it! We need to learn to listen behind
our differences for what we hold in common.
What I'm interested in is the human experiences, and
not just that of the saints and mystics. I'm interested in the seminal experiences that became
expressed through the cultural forms, but also
and more particularly in the experiences that are
evoked in and through them.
On my first morning of sitting Zazen at the San Francisco Zen Center, students from UCLA showed up
looking like they had bought out the Japanese Cultural Center. Shinryu Suzuki Roshi laughed and said,
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Continued on page 2
 If a Benedictine and a Buddhist monk were
both praying/meditating in an MRI machine,
would the same brain centers light up?
 How much overlap is there between the clusters of experience in our various forms of
worship?
 What are the elements of our traditions that
evoke and express compassion and empathy, moral judgment and guilt?
 I find it hard to believe that Baptist awe is different from Sunni, or that cognitive dissonance and its resolution is different according
to the beliefs of the experiencer.
 If the Biblical Greek word "faith" is a verb
("faithing"), as my theological school professor insisted; how is that experience different
when mediated through Catholic as opposed
to Hindu imagery?
And what are the implications of the several possible answers to those questions?
Imagine an interfaith dialogue group sharing
their individual religious experience where they
agree to try not to use any traditional religious
language.
FROM THE BOARD
Our President’s Reflections
Rhod Zimmerman, Board
President
[email protected]
The past weeks have been filled with meeting
Reverend Mike Young and his wife Nancy. I
have experienced Rev. Mike's calm demeanor
and find myself looking forward to his future sermons. He has made it clear that the future of
Emerson depends on us—Emerson's members
and friends.
Patrick Hogan, Sergio Lyon, and I connected
Rev. Mike's wireless microphone system, making it possible for him to use sound with his anticipated video presentations and allowing him
to move about as he speaks. I think the next few
weeks will see some changes to our Sunday
experience together and should be an exciting
time.
Despite the summer heat and normal summer
slowdown in attendance, we continue to count
approximately 100 adults in the Sanctuary every
Sunday. That shows a healthy growing
church—one to be proud to call our religious
home.
If we constructed a list or grid with religions
across the top and religious beliefs down the
side, the boxes below the label Unitarian Universalist would almost all be marked n/a. We don't
use acceptance of those religious beliefs as a
gate-keeping function. In that sense Unitarian
Universalists can't be said to believe or not believe most of them. But many, if not most, have
had the experiences back of those categories;
even if they would not have so labeled them. I
suppose I'm arguing for my tradition's point of
view here. Mea culpa. But I don't see anywhere
that these questions are even being asked.
We're still at the, "Oh, that's nice, too." level of
interfaith dialogue. I'd like to find a way to move
past it to where religion is lived.
Our Board Retreat has been moved to October
4 at the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles.
Rev. Rick Hoyt will be our facilitator. The Board
looks forward to having several Sunday afterservice “Trysts with the Trustees” to discuss
what members feel is the most important direction our church can take to assure our future together.
Our Emerson Board: Top row: Tracy Watson, Secretary; Rhod Zimmerman, President; Bottom row: Leslie Reuter, Treasurer; Bettina Salas,
Member-at-Large; Corinne Ho, Vice President
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RE Matters:
A Teacher Prepares
Emmalinda MacLean
Director of Religious Education
[email protected]
On the Saturday before our Water Gathering
ritual, the first weekend of September, the volunteer teachers of this year’s Religious Education classes gathered to prepare for their upcoming lessons. We held two 2-hour training
sessions—one for the nursery/preschool/
elementary teachers, and one for the junior
high/high school teachers—covering what felt
like a lot of material! But after all, there’s a lot
going on in the lives of children between the ages of preschool and high school—and the better
understanding our entire congregation has of
our goals and plans for meeting their needs, the
stronger the program will be.
We began with an opportunity for personal reflection—exploring the memories, feelings, and
experiences that led us all to say “Yes” to the
work of religious education. Some attendees
grew up in a church community very much like
Emerson; others were raised in a faith extremely different from Unitarian Universalism and had
spent years seeking an alternative to the religion of their childhood. We all shared a deep
sense of the importance of giving children the
freedom to ask questions and explore their own
truths and a desire to create a loving, supportive
community where all children would feel cared
for and affirmed. At its best, teaching in RE is a
rewarding spiritual practice for the volunteer, as
well as the participants in the class—and giving
a child this experience of an affirming, questioning community can be profound for an adult who
still carries scars from a restrictive, judgmental
faith upbringing.
Of course, we can come a lot closer to those
high-minded goals of profoundly inclusive community and affirming truth-seeking if the nuts
and bolts are well organized, so to speak.
“Getting everyone on the same page” was the
focus of a large part of the training and also a
goal of mine in sharing this information with all
of you. I’m a devout believer of the idea that “it
takes a village to raise a child” and having some
of our basic practices well known within the congregation will make it easier to acclimate new
families, so here are some of the basics:
Our classes will be taking attendance every
Sunday. This practice is something we have not
done consistently in recent years, but it is extremely valuable for safety and liability. It also
reminds participants that they are missed on
Sundays when they are not here, and it allows
teachers to see which sessions their students
have been there for, and which they have
missed.
Registration forms for the RE program are in
the same folder as the attendance sheets, in the
cabinet over the sink labeled “Emerson UU
Church RE storage only” in every classroom.
Parents who have visited the church several
times—and plan to come again—can fill out
some basic information to help me and the
classroom teachers know their child better and
stay informed about upcoming family events at
the church. Adults do not have to be Emerson
members to register their child for RE.
Volunteers are scheduled for the Sundays they
teach using a shared Google spreadsheet; it’s
very easy to access, edit, and share—so if you’d
be willing to step in once in a while when there’s
a need, it’s now easier than ever to find the opportunity!
Teaching teams—the group of volunteers who
are working with a given age group, on different
Sundays—also had time to discuss what they
considered the most important, consistent practices for the class to feel familiar and comfortable for participants. While these rituals vary for
every group, having all teachers in agreement is
crucial to creating a sense of comfort and familiarity for the participants.
I’m deeply grateful to the volunteers who gave
their time to collaborating on a strong, consistent, affirming classroom for children and
youth who come to church. I’m also deeply
grateful to the congregation for approving a
budget that extended my hours during the summer—by allowing me to come back from my
summer leave sooner, I was
Continued on page 4
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able to better prepare the tools and resources
for our classroom volunteers, and begin the
church year with a stronger foundation for our
RE program than ever before. I’m so excited to
see what these kids do this year, and I am so
moved by your faith in investing in their growth
and development.
SOCIAL JUSTICE HAPPENINGS AT EMERSON
Understanding Just Web
Ever wonder what goes on in a Just Web meeting? Are you aware of what our name, Just
Web signifies?
Here’s a little information about Just Web and a
brief summary of our most recent meeting.
Just Web is one of Emerson’s social justice
groups. Its focus is on the environment and
particularly on the plight of the farm workers.
Many farm-worker concerns dovetail with the
fight for a cleaner, safer environment. Our
name, Just Web, is a shortened version of the
Unitarian Universalist Seventh Principle, which
calls us to be mindful of the interdependent web
of life.
At our last meeting, held on September 7 (after
Rev. Mike’s introductory sermon), we spelled
out our priorities for the next few months. There
are many possible areas of focus. To keep it
simple, meeting participants addressed certain
basic concerns:
 Encouraging more Emersonians to join Just
Web in meetings or at film showings
 Continued showing of social justice films
every other month at our meeting
 Follow-up on certain identified areas
including:
a.Research on problems with Darigold dairy
products
b.Possibility of with working with other UU
congregations on social justice projects
c.Farm-worker issues Just Web can get involved with and support enthusiastically
d.Continued actions on encouraging bee
health and actions to limit use of pesticides
implicated in “colony collapse disor-
der” (CCD). (As you may know, the bee
population is under assault not only from
pesticides but also from unsavory practices
of major retailers.) See the article in this issue of The Leaves highlighting Internet resources on fighting to save the bees.
The meeting time has recently been changed to
encourage greater participation by Emersonians.
Now, the discussion + action meeting is held
every other month after the monthly potluck, on
the first Sunday of the month. Stay to eat and
then to think responsibly about the environment.
On alternating months (with discussion & action),
Tracy Watson shows a film highlighting social
justice concerns. The films often trigger some
action by participants. On October 5, after the
potluck, the film will be “Bread and Roses,” a
2000 dramatization of a young Mexican woman's
struggle to migrate, make a living, and then fight
for justice through efforts to unionize the local
hotel service industry, an issue that remains
timely.
Saving the Bees Through the
Internet
Judy Ringdahl
Member, Just Web
[email protected]
Nothing but money is sweeter than honey
— Ben Franklin
Honey is predicted to be scarce by the end of the
decade—that is, if we do nothing. More than
one-third of the foods we’re accustomed to is atrisk due to reduced honey-bee pollination. Some
at-risk foods that are 80–100 percent pollinated
by bees are broccoli, onions, apples, avocados,
cucumbers, grapefruit, oranges, blueberries,
cherries, and almonds.
Many organizations are working on various
fronts to prevent bee die-off, which is also known
as “colony collapse disorder” (CCD). Noxious
pesticides have been implicatContinued on page 5
~4~
ed in the massive, apparently worldwide die-off.
Many groups have contacted the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA); yet, there is still more we
can do.
so. You are, of course, encouraged to come to a
Just Web meeting to get more information on
this and other environmental issues.
Undoubtedly, there are other groups on the Internet
dealing with bee die-off and colony collapse disorder. If you come across a group not mentioned here,
please email Judy Ringdahl at [email protected],
with the information. I am compiling a list of Internet
groups actively working to end CCD.
Below are some organizations from which you
can both get more information and suggestions
for taking action:



PesticideActionNetwork.org Works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with
ecologically sound and socially just alternatives.
Just Web, One of Emerson’s
Social Justice Groups
abfnet.org American Beekeeping Federation
(ABF) will act on behalf of the beekeeping
industry on issues affecting the interests and
the economic viability of the various sectors
of the industry.
HelptheHoneyBees.org Spells out 10 things
you can do to help save the bees.
One of the 10 things you can do is to build a hive
in your backyard. The next issue of Leaves will
provide more information on how to build a beehive for your back yard. Also included in the next
article will be the “Help the Honey Bee” recommendations on other actions we can all take.
Other organizations to join or contribute to include:



Honeylove.org Honey Love is a nonprofit
conservation organization with a mission to
protect the honeybees and inspire and educate new urban beekeepers.
sumofus.org Sum Of Us works on many different environmental concerns; bee die-off is
one of its big issues.
Justlabelit.org Just Label It! developed a
special bee campaign. It is sponsoring a labeling campaign on key foods and also has
taken up the bee die-off problem.
Just Web will be screening a
film after the potluck on October 5, at 12:15 in the Sanctuary. The film will be “Bread
and Roses,” a 2000 dramatization of a young Mexican woman's struggle to migrate, make
a living, and then fight for justice through efforts to unionize
the local hotel service industry,
an issue that remains timely.
We will take a 15-minute break midway through
the screening for a discussion of some of the issues raised; then we will watch the conclusion.
Contact [email protected] for additional
information.
Rides Needed
Certain large stores are selling items that supposedly pose no threat to bees; yet, the opposite
is true. Be on the lookout for bee products that
are not labeled properly. You check the problem
in labeling by going to MoveOn.com/
petitions. MoveOn may be delivering its petition
on this soon— or may already have done
Some of our members and
friends would like to come
to church on Sundays but
have no ride. The Pastoral
Care Ministry Team is asking for volunteers who
could provide transportation to and from services
for a person who has no ride. The ride could be
regularly, or just once in a while, but it would be
greatly appreciated! Please contact Pat Lindenauer at [email protected] or call (818)
205-7632.
~5~
OCTOBER WORSHIP SERVICES
October 5, 2014
October 19, 2014
THE GREAT DIVIDE
IF I COULD CHANGE YOUR MIND
Rev. Mike Young, Interim Minister
Rev. Mike Young, Interim Minister
It's real! I respect persons, but not necessarily
their beliefs. There is a radical disconnect within
the culture that feeds the divide and it's not liberal vs. conservative.
I've been involved in the so-called drug culture in
a variety of ways and roles since I was in theological school. Now that we have unquestionably lost the “War on Drugs,” where do we go
now?
Under the direction of Gavin Thrasher, the Emerson Choir will sing “Erev Shel Shoshanim” (Evening of Roses) by Josef Hadar.
Under the direction of Gavin Thrasher, the choir
will sing “No One is Alone” by Stephen Sondheim
October 26, 2014
Who Are You, and How Did You Get That
Way?
Rev. Mike Young, Interim Minister
October 12, 2014
CONNECTING ONE CARING ADULT TO ONE
CHILD IN NEED
Nahtahna Cabanes
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
Representative
Ms. Cabanes will share some stories about her
work with CASA, a nonprofit agency that seeks
to reduce and reverse the effects of child abuse
and neglect. The aim of this agency is to alleviate the feelings of abandonment and alienation
that scar these young lives. CASA makes the
most immediate connection—one caring adult to
one child in need—that can be the turning point
in a life that has been interrupted and shaken.
Our Special Music will be "May Nothing Evil
Cross This Door," performed by Mia Forbes,
Rhonda Richard, Philip Kuretski, and David
Early.
A celebration of ourselves. An interactive opportunity to share how you came to be a
Unitarian Universalist, and how you found your
way to Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church.
.
Our Special Music will be "Anam Cara" (“Soul
Friend”), composed by Shawn Quinlivan and
performed by Shawn Quinlivan, guitar; Briana
Bandy, violin; and Jeff Bandy, bass.
THE POET’S SPACE
By Linda Galloway, Poet
summer fountain—
a little boy asks
for his coin back
~6~
The Lottery Line is Returning in
October
FUN AND FROLIC
Are You Ready to Celebrate at our
(Almost) Annual Autumn Auction?
When you attend our (Almost)
Annual Autumn Service AucEveryone is invited to join us on October 25,
tion and Live Auction on Octo2014, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm in the Emerson
ber 25, you will also be able to
Sanctuary and Pavilion. While we hope to raise
participate in our Lottery Line.
lots of money for this year’s budget, this occasion
Smaller
items—especially
child-related items—
is really all about FUN and FROLIC. The evenwill be available. Our Emerson children enjoy
ing fare will include a wonderful selection of apparticipating in our fundraising activities, too. All
petizers and desserts, beverages including cofitems will be numbered and on display. Particifee, juice and wine.
pants can purchase chances on each item for
one dollar (or 6 tickets for $5). After you write
There will be a huge selection of Silent Auction
items, including a wide variety of dinners, parties, your name on each purchased
ticket, you simply drop the ticket
trips, services, and gift certificates. Don’t miss
into the bag whose number corout on any of these opportunities! Waldo and
responds to the item(s) you
Queenie are hoping for lots of different activities
would like to win. During the
to keep them busy in the coming year.
evening a winning name will be
The “Lottery Line” will offer smaller items and lots drawn for each item. Be sure
and check the posted list for winners.
of things that appeal to children.
There will be a Live Auction offering such items
as a chance to host Waldo and Queenie for a
year or reserved parking for a year. In addition,
you’ll have the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for
a great prize. Past raffle prizes have included
iPads and a WII gaming system.
During the evening we will be entertained by
some of our talented Emersonian singers and
musicians. For families with young children,
childcare with be provided. And as we go to
press, rumors are circling that perhaps a little
Halloween fun is in the offing, as well.
At this time we are asking for donations for the
Lottery Line. Possibilities include stuffed animals, dolls, toys, fast-food gift certificates, jewelry, etc. New items are
preferred, although very
gently used items may
be okay. Please bring
donated items to church
on Sundays and leave
them at the Fundraising
Table in the pavilion or
drop them in the Church Office during the week.
For more information, see the Fundraising Table FAQs about the Annual
in the Pavilion or speak with Barbara Moore,
Autumn Auction
[email protected], 818-661-0679;
Lynne Masuhara, [email protected], 818-8820680; or Pat Lyon, [email protected], 818- What is the silent auction?
This is the major community gathering
341-9324.
and party of the year. The auction is held
without an auctioneer.
Instead, people sign their names on bidding sheets.
Continued on page 8
~7~
What kinds of things will be auctioned at
Emerson?
You will be able to bid on goods such as gift cards
to local restaurants, events that are hosted by
members such as the annual Spring Tea, the
Pancake and Champagne Brunch, various hikes
and tours, as well as services donated by church
members such as babysitting or car service to the
airport, and even the honor of hosting Waldo for a
year at your home.
How will I know if I have won anything?
To win something, you’ll need to sign your name
on the appropriate bidding sheet with the amount
of your bid (all bidding sheets will have information on starting bids and increase amounts).
Be sure to keep checking back on your items to
see if you’ve been outbid and need to update your
bid to win! You will hear “Last Call” for each table;
when the table closes, the winner for each item is
the last bidder with the highest amount bid.
What about events that have more than one
winner?
For example, if an event is limited to eight guests,
then the last eight people to sign the bidding
sheet are the winners. Some of those winners
may have had to bid higher than others in order to
place a winning bid. Each table will have a monitor to help you if you have questions about bidding during the auction.
Who is Waldo?
Waldo, who is pictured above, is
named after Ralph Waldo Emerson and is Emerson’s mascot. He
is a low-maintenance companion
who lives with an Emerson family
and travels with them and celebrates everyday life and events.
Along with Waldo goes his girlfriend, Queenie,
and a photo album of all the places he’s been.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT
EMERSON
ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
CLASS “The Biography of the Bible”
Oct. 5, Sunday, 7 pm, the Pavilion, to be
led by Rev. Mike Young
The Bible has shaped western culture and literature perhaps more than any other book. Yet,
most people, believers included, are woefully
biblically illiterate. Read in full cultural, historical, and linguistic context, The Bible is quite different and a more interesting document. Who
wrote and/or assembled what, when and for
what purpose makes a big difference.
Since theological school I have kept up with the
rapidly expanding Biblical Scholarship. I’ve been
a member of the “Jesus Seminars” for 18 years.
The book does not say what your Sunday School
teachers said it said, nor what the few snippets of
scripture out of context in a church service would
lead you to believe. Yes there will be homework,
and some continuity; but most sessions will
stand on their own, and drop-ins and tasters are
welcome.
Some teasers: Genesis 1 was one of the last written pieces of the Hebrew Bible; the Torah was
massively edited at least four times; Paul's letters—the earliest NT material—make no mention
of the virgin birth or the empty tomb; the New
Testament did not reach its current form until
Why is this fundraiser important?
It is our major social event at Emerson and also a the 4th Century CE; and (gasp!) the teachings of
Jesus are completely missing from the
significant fundraiser. It’s a time for all of us to
creeds. Curious? Come! It won't be boring and
participate not only as a fund-raising event but
you won't “catch” anything from it except possi“funraising” as well.
bly a deeper understanding.
~8~
All-Emerson First Sunday
Potluck, October 5
The next "All Emerson First Sunday Potluck" will
be Sunday, October 5, after the service:
Our social hour's meeting and greeting
Is even more fun with ethical eating,
So bring a tasty treat to share,
Homemade or store bought, to show you
care.
And set up and clean up can be a gift, too,
When you spend 30 minutes with the First
Sunday crew!
Contact Tracy Watson for further information at
[email protected].
Vegetarian Dining Club
Calling all Members and Friends of the Vegetarian Dining Club!
The Vegetarian Dining Club has had an enthusiastic recommendation from one of our loyal
members of a new Persian restaurant. So, October 18 at 6 p.m. we will be trying out Kashcool
Kitchen:
Kashcool Kitchen
20929 Ventura Blvd., Unit 22
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Phone (818) 883-2665
The menu features herb flavored stews of various legumes, saffron basmati rice, and salads
with beets and pistachios. The cost is $15 per
person.
Who's hungry? Please RSVP at
[email protected] or (818) 346-0902 if
you plan to attend.
~9~
What’s Next for Waldo?
Harvest Celebration and Auction
October 25, 2014
Donor Form
Donor’s Name: _____________________________________________
Phone #/E-mail: ____________________________________________
Service/Event/Item Offered:__________________________________________________
(Please use one form per donation)
Date/Time of Event or Service is offered*:______________________________________
Selling Description (25 words or less – please print legibly):
Max # of people allowed at event: ______ Estimated value: $______ Minimum bid:_____
*Note: Events must list a specific date and time that has been cleared with the Emerson calendar; services such as airport transportation may list dates when you can or cannot do it,
such as “Available anytime in March” or “Not available July 3-16.”
_____ I have checked the church calendar to make sure there are no major church
events already scheduled for this date. I will also let the Office Administrator know the
date and time of my event so it can be placed on the official calendar.
Please return this form promptly by:
E-mail:
Send information to [email protected]
In Person:
Drop in the designated box on the table in the Pavilion
~10~
OCTOBER 2014 BIRTHDAYS
Congratulations to everyone celebrating a birthday in October!
Judy Ringdahl
1st
Rose Fischkes
Christina Watson-Wynn
2nd
Bryce Ferrante
20th
Gene Paulin
3rd
Dave Margerum
20th
Marty Brastow
6th
Brian Nelson
21st
Gayle Silva
7th
Rebecca Fisher
23rd
Karen Rose
10th
Sierra Ferrante
24th
Olivia Calvi
11th
Amelia Marote
24th
Iris Edinger
12th
Pat Lindenauer
27th
Betty Marot
12th
Margy Eisenberg
30th
Christine Selem
18th
Nardin Gottfried
30th
Phil Davis
20th
Cllick on Calendar for live link
~11~
20th