Please visit our online bookstore!
Anything you buy from Amazon.com after clicking on the
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logo, will provide a percentage to help support our Fellowship.
Editors Suggestion:
Skeptics and True Believers
By Chet Raymo
Info link
From Amazon: A noted science writer argues passionately and persuasively that
science and religion are mutually reinforcing ways of experiencing the
world--and that words such as God, grace, sacred, and spirituality can
retain currency in an age of science, once they have been stripped of
their archaic meanings.
Use GoodSearch to support our Fellowship!
UU Visalia
Quick Links
Home Page:
uuvisalia.org
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Want a fun and attractive
reminder of our UU Principles for your wall?
You are sure to
enjoy CLF's
Principles
and Purposes Poetry Poster.
The Church of
the Larger Fellowship offers
a poster featuring the
Seven
Principles in
limerick form!
Bright, colorful, and clever
11" x 18"
poster.
All plants, beasts and people
belong
To a web that is silent but
strong.
Every choice that you make
Leaves a trail in its wake,
So
remember you're part of the throng
$8.00
plus postage
To purchase a poster or learn
more about the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF),
contact us:
www.clfuu.org
CLFUU clickable link
The poster can be purchased online by clicking on CLF
Shop;
or
call 617-948-6150.
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Online UU Classes
As you travel to
work or on your way to some wonderful summer vacation, wouldn't you like
to take along some UU friends?
Unitarian
Universalist Podcasts -- sermons, meditations, RE
materials and more, are available from the Church of the Larger Fellowship
anytime and any place for your ipod, MP3 player, or computer. Hear the
voices of UU contributors to the CLF's
worship publication via iTunes subscription, or listen à la carte.
You can subscribe to our free podcasts atwww.clfuu.org/podcasts, or listen
to segments à la carte atwww.clfuu.org/quest. The CLF Quest podcast has nearly 1,000 subscribers
worldwide: join our community of listeners today! Visit the Church of the
Larger Fellowship at www.clfuu.org.
Questions? Contact Beth Murray:
bmurray@clfuu.org
617-948-6150
A Chosen Faith: Self-Study
Guide
On-going
A
guided examination of Unitarian Universalism, based on the book A Chosen Faith by John
Buehrens and Forrest
Church. Full
participation in this course requires having the book A Chosen Faith,
available from the UUA bookstore at www.uua.org/bookstore. Free
Rituals
for Building a UU Home
Taught
by Mandy Neff: July 13, 2009 - August 9, 2009
Join us for a
five-week journey into creating richer, deeper rituals for your family.
Discover what UU values you most want to reinforce in your home, and begin to
re-shape your days. Take on the challenge Bill Sinkford posed for us:
create and use a language of reverence - together. Add joy, worship,
connection and a touch of humor while getting the dishes and laundry done too!
This
course is designed for families with children or teens living at home, but
others may find it useful. $40
In the Arms of the Beloved: The Poetry of Rumi
Taught by Robert Moore: August 1, 2009 -
September 12, 2009
Rumi
was a 13th century Sufi teacher and poet
who wrote wonderfully evocative and vibrant poems to his Beloved that are rich
with meaning, image, and wisdom. We will create a spiritual practice over six
weeks using Rumi's words as a basis for weekly reflection, prayer, and
writing. With this practice, I hope we can discover abundant wisdom for our
lives and our spiritual journeys. $40
The Church of the Larger Fellowship is the UU congregation through mail and the
Web. Our monthly worship publication, "Quest" (also available
in print and on-line), gathers contributions from renowned UU ministers.
For information about these courses and more, contact
The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF)
www.clfuu.org/learn
617-948-6150
re@clfuu.org
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Service Calendar
July 26, Anna M. Garcia Buddhist
Insight for UUs (a sermon by Christine Robinson) Buddhism and
Unitarian Universalism have unusually close ties. So here is a
Buddhism 101 for UUs, an under-standing of our neighbors that we can
put to use ourselves.
Choir day
August 2nd. April Hill Readings from: "A
Sherlock Way of Knowing: Five Spiritual Teachings of a Fictional Detective" by Rev Stephen Kendrick, minister of the
Universalist Church of West Hartford, CT in 1999 from his book 'Holy Clues: The Gospel According to Sherlock Holmes'.
August 9th. Patty Howard will lead the service. Topic: A sharing
of collected Unitarian meditations from the book
titled 'Day
of Promise' available from our online bookstore.
August 16th. Anna M. Garcia will lead
the service. Topic: Imagineers
of Soul (by Christine Robinson) "In our churches, we
should be sorcerer's apprentices in the art of quenching thirst and opening the
doors of meaning. Why then, are we so scared?" Choir
day, rehearsal at 4:30.
August 23rd. Harold Wood will lead the
service. Topic: Walden: Ballad of Thoreau Part 1. This
is the story of the final two days Henry David Thoreau spent in his cabin before
leaving Walden Pond. Ralph Waldo Emerson, respected essayist and former minister,
gave Thoreau the small plot of land along the shores of Walden Pond to build
his cabin and live for two y ears. In this play, most of the conversation between
Thoreau and Emerson are actual quotes culled from the body of their literary
work. The Walden play is presented as a celebration of the Earth, a celebration
of nature, and a celebration of an American literary giant. We'll view a video
of the play, then discuss.
August 30th. Harold Wood will lead
the service. Topic: Walden: Ballad of Thoreau Part 2.
Sept. 6th. April Hill will lead the service. All are invited to
bring and share their favorite poem, meditation, or
spiritual passage.
Sept. 13th. Sam Webster and Marilyn Geise will lead the service.
Topic: In Gathering/Water Ceremony. All are
invited to bring a container with water from where you have traveled during the year. Choir day, rehearsal at 4:00.
Please Note - Service topics are subject to change
The 5PM Worship Service is followed by a potluck supper at 6 PM to which all are welcome! Please do not hesitate to come to church and join us for dinner potluck. Even if you forget to bring a dish, we always have enough and your company is most welcome.
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UU Visalia Fellowship News
KEEP IT UP WITH SAVEMART S.H.A.R.E.S. FUNDRAISER!
Congratulations --July 12th SHARES raffle winner: Rick Meyer
Fund raising report: April - June, 2009 $255, Year to date - $436
25% Donated to Food Link, 75% UUFV
Please Use your Save-Mart S.H.A.R.E.S. Card
When
you present your SHARES card to the check-out clerk, our Fellowship
receives 3% of your grocery purchases. Contact Jolene Edwards to get cards and
more information about the program.
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Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
August 15-21, 2009 - Pacific Central District's 32nd annual Unitarian Universalist Leadership School, at the beautiful
retreat setting of Tuolumne Trails in Groveland, California. Talk with a Visalia UU Fellowship board member about scholarship opportunity. More information at www.pcd-uua.org Unitarian Universalism: Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World |
Out of the Box
Well, maybe back into the box this month, literally and in a good way:
Is this relevant or what?
and another:
Different variation on the theme...
A Person Is a Puzzle
Mark Mosher DeWolfe
A person is a puzzle. Sometimes from the inside, it feels like some pieces are missing. Perhaps
one we love is no longer with us. Perhaps one talent we desire eludes
us. Perhaps a moment that required grace found us clumsy. Sometimes,
from the inside, it feels like some pieces are missing.
A person is a puzzle. We are puzzles not only to ourselves but to each other.
A
puzzle is a mystery we seek to solve--and the mystery is that we are
whole even with our missing pieces. Our missing pieces are empty spaces
we might long to fill, empty spaces that make us who we are. The
mystery is that we are only what we are--and that what we are is
enough.
In the gray stillness of this morning, into the
accepting peace of a still sky, let us offer our failings, our
inadequacies, into the silence. And let us know that we are accepted,
by God and by this company, exactly as we are. Accepted--missing
pieces, and all.
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Community Events for Social Justice and/or Personal Spiritual Development
LGBTQ On-line info and discussion:
The Tulare County Chapter of Marriage Equality USA(MEUSA and
Porterville LGBTQ invites LGBTQ organizations and supporters in
Tulare County and surrounding areas to share ideas, announce event info, and discuss LGBTQ issues. I have started a new yahoo group to
keep MEUSA and Porterville LGBTQ members connected with other groups
such as PFLAG, Gay Visalia, COS Pride Club etc. Please join this group
by going to MEUSA-TulareCounty-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Jamie Garza
Chair Porterville LGBTQ, Tulare County Chapter Leader Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA)
Visalia Farmer's Market - Saturdays - 8-11:30 AM at Sequoia Mall Parking Lot (near Sears) and Thursday evenings in downtown Visalia.
November 6-8, 2009, Quaker
Center, in Ben Lomond, California, features: The Sacred Depths of Nature
- Exploring
the religious potential of our scientific understandings of nature with Ursula
Goodenough.
Lawn Mower
Exchange Program: Registration began 4/23/09 for So Cal Edison's Lawn Mower
Exchange Program. Pay just $100 or $160 for a brand new electric
cordless mower valued at $400 or $500 when you exchange your gas mower.
Find quick registration instructions and program details online at
ww.sce.com/lawnmower or call 888-425-6247 once registration opens.
Please give or send any anouncements you have to Bryce Lane, joandbryce@sbcglobal.net, we need more.
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ONGOING FELLOWSHIP EVENTS
Invite Your Friends to the Fellowship!
We have a convenient way for you to invite your friends and acquaintances to our Fellowship. Many people are turned off by "organized religion" but they have no clue that there is such a wonderful religious alternative like Unitarian Universalism that that is guided by a quest for truth and meaning, not by a set creed or dogma. So we've created handy "pocket coupons" to help you share the good news! The "coupon" entitles your friend to a FREE potluck dinner, "A Message to Celebrate Life," "Lively Discussion" and Free e-mail Newsletter. A brief summary of the seven principles and time and place with directions to our Sunday services are included. You can download our "Pocket coupon" from our website, and print your own with text back-to-back, then cut the page to provide yourself with four handy pocket coupons to carry with you. The
pocket coupon is available here: follow link or http://www.uuvisalia.org/visitors/
That's a good page to refer your friends to so they can learn more about our Fellowship, and learn the good news of the liberal religious alternative!
Ongoing Meditation Sessions
Each Wednesday, 6:30-8PM at
Friends Meeting House. An opportunity to practice this universal
spiritual discipline and discuss mindfulness.
Caring as a Fellowship
If you
know of any Fellowship member or friend experiencing a life challenge
(including yourself!), please tell a board member so we can offer
support. E-mail your request to: info@uuvisalia.org or mention during "Joys and Concerns."
Please Use your S.H.A.R.E.S. Card at Save-Mart
Our Fellowship is participating in the Save-Mart S.H.A.R.E.S program. If you take one of our S.H.A.R.E.S. cards and give it to the clerk at the check-out counter, our Fellowship will receive 3% of your grocery purchases from Save-Mart, at no extra cost to you. Please get your own S.H.A.R.E.S. card from Jolene. And... bring your receipts for the Raffle!
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
An
increasing number of our members and friends are networking with each
other and our Fellowship on the social networking website,
Facebook.com. Please join our UU Visalia Facebook group
and have some fun with online interaction and sharing! It's a good way
to learn more about each other, and to keep in touch between Sundays!
Friday UU Visalia Social Lunch Group
Join us every Friday at 12:15 p.m.for lunch - we'll be visiting different locations each week! If you'd like to attend, contact Harold at 739-8527 or email harold@uuvisalia.org to be added to our weekly notification list.
Join Our Choir
The Choir practices at 4 PM for rehearsal
on several designated Sundays each month. If you are interested in joining the choir, contact Ken Elias at kelias@prodigy.net or phone: (559) 561-0610.
Carpooling
Save money, gas, and the planet! Sign up to commute to Fellowship Worship
Services from Hanford, Three Rivers, Tulare, or Visalia. Look for sign up sheets at
the Meeting House or e-mail info@uuvisalia.org if you're interested.
Reminder to GoodSearch!
Search
the World Wide Web and support our Fellowship at the same time!
Use GoodSearch to support our Fellowship! Identify "Unitarian
Visalia" as "who you search for" and earn monetary points for the Fellowship.
Bring Your Used Printer Cartridges!
Recycle your cartridges and earn cash for the Visalia Fellowship. Please place in the Empties4Cash box in the entry.
Share Your UU Magazines
After you have read the UU World, Interconnections and/or CLF Quest publications, please contribute them to the library.
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