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aleidoscope“Living with Integrity, Nurturing Wonder, Inspiring Action”K

September 2015 The Monthly Newsletter of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara Editor: Lesley Champlin

Worship Services for September — 9:15 and 11:00 am

Sounds of Song and Silence is our alternative service that offers a Taizé-type format (after an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France) which features candlelight, chanting, and meditation. This interfaith service can be an hour of refuge and calm in

your month. It may lift you up or nourish your heart. It may be the quiet song that gets you through the stuff of life. Join us the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm for a different kind of service.

Tuesday September 15 at 7:00 pmGifts of the Sounds of Song and Silence

Our Theme for This Month is Promise

Work and Dignity

September 6

Men’s Ensemble will sing

September 13Reverend Julia Hamilton

Ingathering and Blessing of the Waters

All choirs will sing

In drought or storm, this community is a gathering place for all thirsty spirits. You are invited to bring in a small container of water—from the faucet or from the ocean or from a special place you visited over the summer. These waters will be poured into the common bowl of our community as we celebrate the start of a new season here at USSB. All ages are welcome to participate in this beautiful and uniquely Unitarian Universalist service.

September 20

Welcome

Reverend Julia Hamilton

Women’s Chorale will sing

Reverend Julia Hamilton

Chancel Choir will sing

September 27

Technology: Promise or Peril?Not a week goes by when we don’t wrestle with technology in some way. Sometimes we’re amazed at what it can do, sometimes we curse at what it can’t. Is technology a liberating tool, a generational divide, or a threat to the very fabric of our human relationships? And what, as a liberal religious community, does all this technology mean for us and our ongoing search for truth and meaning?

Reverend Julia Hamilton

Economic inequality is a hot topic as wages have stagnated and families struggle to make ends meet. How can we uphold the worth and dignity of all people in this challenging economic environment? How do we fulfill the promise of a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work?

Note: There will be a community discussion on this topic after the second service. See Rev. Julia’s column for more details.

Join us to welcome our new Assistant Minister, the Rev. Caitlin Cotter, to our pulpit!

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A Thursday night in June, 2007: choir practice. But tonight is different. Tonight we choir members are the auditioning panel for a new choir director who will try out by directing us in various pieces of music.

The last candidate arrived, asked us if he could take off his jacket, and began to lead us in a half-hour rehearsal of “Something Like a Star,” one of the choir’s and congregation’s favorites. With energy, intensity, physicality (and perspiration!), he drew us into the music in a new way. At the end, we completed our ballots and Ken Ryals became our new Choral (not choir!) Director.

Ken is celebrating — and so are we! — his eighth year with us, making our music ministry the best in Santa Barbara. Three choirs —Chancel Choir, Women’s Chorale, and Men’s Choir (led by Robin Montz)—bring us memorable new music experiences every Sunday. And we are blessed to have our talented accompanists, organist emeritus Mahlon Balderston and pianist Heather Levin, supporting those choral sounds with amazing skill and flexibility.

On Sunday, August 16 we were treated to The Voice of the Community, a musical smorgasbord of songs sung by our Chancel Choir with our congregation as participant. Ken simultaneously directed the choir and us in the audi-ence, bringing all of us into the ex-perience of musical worship.

In his Reflection, Ken gave voice to

What Happens When We Sing Together?his life experience and love affair with music. Below, some excerpts from that reflection.

When I started here at USSB, I had some trepidation about how the worship worked and about how to transition into a new mu-sic department. I wanted to have a positive effect on the worship experience as well as complement what musically had gone on here before. But what is Unitarian music?

I had a life-altering experience in my first few months here when I was sent to the UUMN (Unitar-ian Universalist Music Ministry) national conference in Boston to see what was going on in other churches. Nothing could have been more helpful! I still refer to my notes from that conference! The experience gave me a musical

autonomy that I had not known before. In previous positions, I had ideas for worship that had been halted by liturgical restraints. With UU worship those boundaries were gone, and I embraced the opportunity to put my “liturgically incorrect” ideas into action.

As I spend more time with the principles and mis-sion statements that inform this community’s way of life, so much comes up for me personally. As a

church musician, I don’t neces-sarily have to believe the same things as those I am leading in worship, but I do have to respect

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how people come to their faith. Here with the Unitarian principles and covenants, I have discovered a workplace that is more closely aligned with my own beliefs and thoughts.

I am the son of a preacher man and a church musician, so the fruit does not fall far from the tree. Wherever my father preached, my mom would play the piano or organ or lead the choir, so it is no surprise that I am a church musician. I love worship of all kinds, and I want each worship opportunity to be meaningful and organic. When an artist makes his art his primary work, a new relationship with perfection develops.

So how does all this come together for a ministry to thrive for Unitarians? All music is liturgical or spiritual. When every journey is respected and every path is supported, the mu-sic of all lives become intertwined, relevant, and full of important information. Unitarian music is all about our respective journeys and recognizing the way each of us perceives the world; the way we come into this community is underscored with the music of our lives — and each life is important.

Any one personal belief system does not work for everyone. Consequently, the musical expression of their belief does not always sing well with everyone else. But guess what? Ours does! The interfaith services (with B’nai B’rith, for example) that we have been privileged to be part of have adopted our music because it is inclusive; it has wording and depth of expression to embrace every-one. Our impact on the community runs deep because we want everyone to come along.

...Magic!

Ken Ryals and his sister, choir member extraordinaire, Karena Ryals

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Our biggest fundraiser of the year is an opportunity to:

• fill your social calendar with fabulous feasts and fun gatherings

• have a fun night with good grub, “horse’s ovaries,” and something to wet your whistle

• meet new people and renew friendships

• raise some serious loot for our wagon train.

The success of the auction depends on the event and service donations of our members. Don’t think you have anything to offer? Come to the auction table in the court-yard between services and helpful cowpokes will give you ideas. Take a peek at last year’s auction brochure to get inspired. Need help hosting an event or party? We will help you find a partner to team with. Let your imagination run wild! There are folks out there who would like to join you for dinner or participate in your hobby and are willing to donate to the USSB for the opportunity.

So, giddy-up and make your contribution today by filling out a donation form in the garden. Forms are also avail-able in the USSB office. Even better, use the online form on our website at www.ussb.org. Early donations make our “behind-the-scenes” work so much easier and save valu-able volunteer and staff time.

There are many volunteer roles that make the auction happen. Being part of encouraging donations or decorat-ing Parish Hall, registering guests or helping with the si-lent bidding, for example, are excellent ways to get to know people and build community. Many cowhands make light work! Signup sheets for the various tasks are at the auction table in the courtyard.

Most importantly, come to the auction, have a good time, and help support our organization!

A big Yippee-Ki-Yi-Yay in advance for your gifts of time, talent, and treasure!

The 2015 Auction Posse: Catherine Callahan, Gun Dukes, Tammy Shorb

Wild, Wild West Annual Auction & Celebration

Saturday, October 244 – 8 pm

Come see how our campus transforms into the USSB O.K. Corral! Saddle up and find a hat, tie on a neckerchief, dust off your boots…you already have the jeans! Yee haw! This year, it’s easier than ever to circle the wagons in celebration.

With the departure of Anna Royer last month, a new manager has moved into the Parish Of-fice and “gateway to USSB”: Eden Kennedy.

Eden comes to USSB after working for sev-eral years at the Montecito Library. She grew up in suburban Denver and has lived in Santa Barbara since 1991. She currently lives in San Roque with her husband, Jack, her son, Jack-son, and their bulldog, Peewee.

As Director of Administration Erin Wilson said in last month’s article about staff tran-

sition, “the Office Manager will be largely in charge of the same duties [as Anna had been], but have more focus on communications and graphic design tasks. The Office Manager will also now have a Sunday–Thursday schedule to help coordinate administrative activities with the congregation on Sundays.”

Reminder: Summer hours are over and the new office hours are Monday through Thurs-day from 9 to 4 and Sunday from 9 to 1.

Stop by and introduce yourself to Eden!

Welcome Eden Kennedy, Our New Office Manager

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It’s hard to be fully aware on a daily basis of the extent to which we are “living in history.” It’s more than that; it is we who make history every day. Someone has to do it.

As much as at any time in the past, the world today appears as a frantic moral are-na, a many-ringed circus of crises and of principles all played for keeps.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that in the quest for justice, Unitarian Univer-salist agencies tend to focus on certain issues, which is to say, not on others. Is there some standard unit of fair play that we seek to maximize with our limited resources? Which issue counts most? Which well-fought battle will impact the future most? Some say it is all good, and all that matters is not to stand apart.

Targets of focus identified by the Justice Ministry of Cal-ifornia include:• economic justice• environmental justice• health care• immigrant justice• gender quality• racial justice.

That’s a lot of balls in the air. You can stay abreast of these and other issues by visiting the Advocacy Portal (http://action.uujmca.org) recently added to the JM web-site. In addition to being informative, the Advocacy Portal makes it easy to take action.

UU Borders: A Justice Journey that will Change You

Are you ready to learn more about U.S. immigration policy from those directly affected? Are you open to growing spiritu-ally? The Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California hosts experiential learning trips to the U.S.-Mexico Border! This is a chance to see first-hand the challenges faced by this population as well as to meet with inspirational neighborhood organizers working to build up their communities.

Each evening we come together to discuss how we can speak and act from our Unitarian Universalist faith for compassionate and comprehensive immigration reform in the United States.

A thumbnail description doesn’t really capture the experience; it’s the experience itself that matters after all.

For more information, visit http://uujmca.org/training-education/experiential-learning/uu-bor-ders. There you can register for upcoming trips scheduled for September 25-28, October 2-5, and December 4-7.

Happy Anniversary, ADA

There is one complex of justice matters that does not, for some reason, appear all that often in UU discussions, despite the fact that it vitally affects the country’s largest minority: disability rights. Last July marked the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, known to its many friends and enemies as the ADA.

National Public Radio reported the event with faint praise, and the combination of piety and misdirection this writer has come to think of as the “NPR Treatment.” News is, apparently, that the ADA has not made everything all better.

We’re back to history again, because the same can be said for literally every social advance in the human record. Per-sonally, I am quite glad for the ascendancy of democratic political practices, eons-slow as it has been; for women’s suffrage, for Social Security, and the Civil Rights Act. Pure food laws did not immediately remove chalk (and worse) from children’s milk, yet I am delighted to have them. Every advance without exception has been decried by those who were made less comfortable. The ADA and attendant laws are hardly perfect; and yet they marked a turning point in the way this nation, and indeed others, treats itself and its

members. And in my seventh decade, I rejoice at every grab bar, curb cut, and ramp I en-counter. Millions cheer with me.

Beacon Press, UU’s publishing arm, has just released a new and fascinating history of the ADA. A copy of ENABLING ACTS has been placed in the USSB library. How the ADA came to fruition is a strange journey—through Republican eras no less—if there ever was one, filled with indelible personalities, political craft, and not a little drama. It’s instructive

on many levels. I urge you to read and be heartened it. Hod Gray

UUJMCA —UU Justice Ministry California How’s That Center Holding for Ya?

UUJM Ambassador

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Here are this month’s reviews:The Movie:

Library Corner

Bend It like BeckhamSometimes, to follow your dreams you’ve got to bend the rules. Jess Bhamra (Parminda Nagra), a young girl from a traditional Indian family in England is torn between her love of soccer and her family’s expectations of her. This movie is loaded with fun, mix-ups, missed communica-tions, family suspicions, and above all, wild and crazy soccer. Also starring Keira Knightley. You will cheer for the home team!

Your Library Committee is looking for a few good volunteers who can commit to helping on Sundays, either during the first service or after the first service. Please contact Megan Moyer megan@uusb.org or Ellie Tuazon ellietuaz@yahoo.com if you feel that you can help. You can also contact Ellie during the week if you want to renew your book or movie.

In A Sunburned Country, a guide to Australia by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson gives us a delightful, fact-filled, and adventur-ous tour of Australia, a country and island continent that exists on a vast scale. He takes us on a rollicking ride off the beaten tourist path, to some of the most climatically aggressive and seemingly infertile places on earth. Yet Australia is teeming with life, some of which can kill you. The Australians are a cheerful people, and he finds them unfailingly obliging even in the most sunbaked wastes of the outback. A wonderful introduction to a country that I found fascinating.

Ellie Tuazon (ellietuaz@yahoo.com)

The Book:

Board Member Charlene Little, herself a dedicated volun-teer, recommended we shine a light on some of the good works that five-year USSB member Sue Hebert participates in, both at USSB and around town. So we asked Sue to tell us about her volunteerism! In her own words, Sue describes the organizations that mean a lot to her and to which she gives her time.

I have been a member of USSB for five years and have been inspired and humbled by this friendly, dedicated commu-nity. USSB’s commitment to social justice is important to me as well as having the freedom to follow my own spiri-tual path. Here at the church, I am happy to be able to serve on several committees: Membership, the Warming Centers, Auc-tion committee, and the new Kitchen Crew.

Volunteering has always been part of my life. As a stay-at-home mom, I had the time to be involved in various volunteer pro-grams involving my children: Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA, and National Charity League (a mother-daughter volunteer orga-

nization).

I was president of the Medical Wives Auxiliary where we delivered meals and supported the Direct Relief Founda-tion. It was our group that supported our member, Claire Miles, to establish CALM (Child Abuse Listening and Mediation).

Currently, my volunteering is with the Assistance League of Santa Barbara where our motto is “Caring and Commit-ment in Action.” I work in the thrift shop that raises the funds to support our many (17) philanthropies. My great-

est satisfaction comes from being involved in several of those philanthropies:

Smiles - I teach dental hygiene and proper nutrition to children and their parents at the Neighborhood Dental Clinic;

Fostering Friends -We assist foster youth in various ways as they prepare to be emanci-pated from foster care. We supply many basic necessities upon graduation. We coordinate our activities with the Social Services case

In Her Own Words: Sue Hebert, Volunteer

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I met Lex Crane in the late ’90s because he was giving away an old 1984 Mac and I thought it would be fun to have one on my shelf. No, I didn’t meet him as our Minister be-cause I wasn’t even a UU back then. But perhaps he planted a seed.

My first impression of him, a guy in his mid-seventies, was that he was sharp as a tack with a completely irrev-erent sense of humor. I instantly liked the cantankerous, sharp-witted demeanor he used with me. He had this very direct way of speaking his truth. It was unbalancing, re-freshing, and funny all at the same time. He became a Mac client back then, but as time went by, there was something more to the relationship.

We were fond of each other.

It took about 10 years, but after I became a Unitarian Uni-versalist, I began to appreciate what the decades of theo-logical inquiry had done for him and USSB. The Irreverent Reverend, I called him.

While we saw each other occasionally in the real world, most of our relationship took place the old-fashioned way, through letters (now called “email”). Lex was routinely so dry and pithy but also full of warm delight in the many emails we exchanged for tech support or simply for the sake of conversation.

“I am now the proud owner of an iMac. It’s a source of boundless joy and frustration.”

He was extremely generous and far too kind with his per-sistent, irreverent praise of my writing. He got my Apple Computer newsletters every month and without fail, would have a few words of support and praise.

“Yo Michael:

Your Mac guidance message below struck me as a literary masterpiece, a brilliant exam-ple of technical writing at its ultimate best. I pass this judgment of your work as an English major with an MA in creative writing. I there-fore celebrate your manifest literary art with confidence.

Your devoted client, Lex Crane”

His feedback always made me smile, laugh, and simply feel good. Honestly, I have maybe 4-5 years worth of these far too generous replies of approval. I don’t share any of this to shine a light on me, but rather to illuminate how big-hearted Lex was. He gave me confidence to keep doing something I loved, in spite of the fact I had no professional experience or validation in. Lex Crane always had a kind word for me. In the most mundane ways, he touched me deeply and made me want to be a better writer and person.

The signature file at the bottom of all of Lex’s emails was a quote from Maya Angelou:

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Lex, I hope I never forget what you’ve said, what you’ve written, and what you’ve done. But if I do, I promise I’ll never forget the special way you made me feel. It was a gift and I’m forever in your debt.

Thank you for touching my life and so many other’s lives. I hope wherever you are now, it’s the source of boundless joy. Love, Michael

A Letter in Memory of Our Minister Emeritus, Lex Craneby Michael Guinn

workers who contact us when a need arrives. We shop with youth, have parties for them, and hold a “Mock City” where they can avail themselves of specialists in banking, rental, and medical fields, among others. Families in crisis are also assisted in emergencies.

Operation School Bell - We supply two complete outfits of school clothes including shoes, underwear, jacket, a dental kit, a school supplies box and a backpack.

In Her Own Words:, cont’dHillside House - This is a residential facility for 59 individ-uals with developmental disabilities. Our goal is to enrich the lives of the residents. Each resident has an Assistance League “Secret Pal.” We arrange bingo, musical entertain-ment, Valentine’s Day dance, pony visits, etc., as well as providing needed cash donations.

Thank you, Sue, for the difference you are making.

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This year, CRE will see a return of our popular annual tra-ditions such as the Kickoff Carnival and Holiday Craft Par-ty, with a few new and exciting twists. Last year’s big events generated some great new craft ideas, and we’re hoping you’ll join us as a guest, a volunteer, or both! The following is a list of our Multigenerational CRE Events; we need volunteers, so please contact Reli-gious Education Program Director Jena Fos-ter to sign up. She can be reached via email at Jena@ussb.org or by phoning 965-4583 x227.

Kickoff Carnival - Sunday, September 20: We need about 15 volunteers to get the year started just right. We’re looking for shoppers, event setup/cleanup help, bounce house supervisors, face painters and cat, I mean, children wranglers. A DJ would be amazingly welcomed. We are also desperate for BBQers since I cannot BBQ to save my life! Come enjoy the music and fes-tivities and sign up with Jena for a shift at this annual event.

Day of the Dead Celebration - Sunday, November 1: We need about 12 volunteers for this popular multigeneration-al event. We’re looking for shoppers, craft preppers, event setup/cleanup help, craft table managers, and face painters. Have new craft ideas? Please let me know! Held in Parish Garden and Courtyard, this event offers the best of both so-cial hour and volunteering in CRE.

Holiday Craft Party - Sunday, December 13: We need about 20 volunteers for this event to run smoothly. We’re looking for shoppers, craft preppers, event setup/cleanup help, and craft table managers. We’re welcoming new holiday-themed

crafts and activities. Likely the biggest RE event of the year, this is one you’ll not want to miss.

Easter Hunt for Justice – Sunday, March 27: We need only about 5 volunteers for this event. We’re looking for shoppers and wran-glers. This event is great fun for our littles, and with preparation, setup and cleanup largely supported by our youth, you’re sure to have a wonderful time.

RE Volunteer Appreciation – Sunday, May 1: We need about 10 volunteers for this lovely and important event—preferably not our CRE Facilitators and Journey Guides—as this is

our time to honor those who have been present in our reli-gious education programs throughout the year. We’re look-ing for shoppers, setup/cleanup help, artists, decorators, bakers, and healthy snack preppers. If you’re looking for a truly touching and heartfelt way to volunteer for CRE, look no further.

End of Year Picnic – Sunday, May 29: We need about 10 vol-unteers for this event—similar to the Kickoff Carnival, but generally on a much smaller scale. We’re looking for shoppers, event setup/cleanup help, BBQers, bounce house supervisors, face painters, and wranglers. A very sweet way to close the year and create a CRE memory to last the summer.

Please connect with Jena (Jena@ussb.org) for more infor-mation about volunteering in specific roles or any of the above events.

Religious EducationJena Foster, Director

Children’s Religious Education (CRE) 2015-2016

Be a Facilitator or Journey Guide This Year!We’re still in need of CRE Facilitators and Journey Guides, no expe-rience necessary, no-fuss volunteer options available!

For those of you who have volunteered as a Facilitator or Journey Guide in CRE before, and for those of you who haven’t, we are looking for volunteers to help with our Tapestry of Faith, Faith in Action Sundays and special RE programming for 2015-2016. Please visit the RE Table on Sundays or contact Jena at Jena@ussb.org or 965-4583 x227 to learn more about ways in which you can share your time with our bright, kind, and talented children and youth.

Jena and new baby Oliver

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What do duct tape, a hardhat, sandpaper, and a magnifying glass have to do with religious education? They are some of the real tools that grades 3–5 will use in the Toolbox of Faith program as symbols of the tools we use to be Uni-tarian Universalists. For example, we will use duct tape to reflect on being flexible; a hardhat to represent being resil-ient; sandpaper to illustrate how to smooth out rough spots with humor.

In Toolbox of Faith, participants may learn how to play the Cloak and Dagger game, how to make a compass and a duct tape lunch bag, and what “Athenian ostracism” meant in classical Greece. (It’s like being “voted off the island” 4,000 years ago!). Participants will hear intriguing, thought-pro-voking stories about some of the important qualities of our

faith, and have Council Circle discussions to reflect on how we live our Unitarian Universalist values in our everyday lives.

Sound like fun? You bet! We are still looking for vol-unteers to be Journey Guides and Facilitators for our RE program this fall (see previous page). Please contact Jena Foster to sign up to participate in this rewarding, fun, and important work with our children and youth.

If you can’t volunteer, you can still help! We will need several of each of the following tools to use during our ses-sions. Here’s a chance to make some room in your closets or toolchests and make a “material difference” to the RE Program! Please let us know if you can donate or lend:

Religious Education

How You Can Make a Material Difference

Session 1, October 4: Toolbox (preferably large enough to fit at least one of 16 tools) and Ruler (Faith)

Session 2, October 11: Magnifying Glass (Questioning)

Session 3, October 18: Compass (Integrity)

Session 4, November 8: Duct Tape (Flexibility)

Session 5, November 15: Mirror (Reflection)

Session 6, January 3: Paintbrush (Expression)

Session 7, January 10: Chalk (Democratic Process)

Session 8, February 7: Hammer (Power)

Session 9, February 14: Canteen (Spirit of Life)

Session 10, February 21: Saddlebags, such as bike pan-niers or backpacks (Courage)

Session 11, March 6: Listening Tool, such as an auto mechanic’s listening tool, a stethoscope, large seashells, or even a spy listening toy (Listening)

Session 12, March 13: Sandpaper (Humor)

Session 13, March 20: Gloves (Love)

Session 14, April 3: Flashlight (Justice)

Session 15, April 10: Carpenter’s Level (Atonement)

Session 16, April 17: Hardhat (Resiliency)

Toolbox of Faith

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Reverend Julia accepted the congregation’s call to be our Lead Minister last December, after serving as our Associ-ate Minister since 2013 and Assistant Minister from 2011 to 2013. She stepped into her role as our Lead Minister on August 1.

What is an installation?

The installation service in October acknowledges, inter-prets, and celebrates this new Lead Ministry and our shared life ahead. All are welcome to be present for this significant com-munity event.

UU congregations recognize the call of a minister as a signif-icant moment in the life of the congregation and in the life of the minister. In the installation service we formalize the com-mitment of the community and of the minister to support our shared ministry and to live up to our UU values and our high-est aspirations. The ceremony is witnessed by the minister’s clergy colleagues and by leaders of nearby UU congregations, as well as by other religious and community leaders.

A Unique Moment in Our History

The theme of the installation, Our Fire of Commitment, ex-presses our congregation’s determination to stand on the side of love and justice, and Reverend Julia’s dedication to lead that ministry. This installation is unique in that, through her work as our Associate Minister these past four years, Reverend Julia is already recognized as a lead-er by faith groups and nonprofits in Santa Barbara and in the Unitarian Universalist Association. Representatives of those groups will participate in the service to speak to the significance of Julia’s Unitarian Society ministry for the wider community and world.

Save the Date for Our Fire of Commitment:Reverend Julia to be Installed on Oct 4

Our youth and children are included and welcomed as important participants in the installation.

Reverend Rosemary Bray McNattOur featured guest speaker will be Reverend Rosemary

Bray McNatt, president of the Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, writer, former editor at the New York Times Book Review, and author of three books. She was the Senior Minister of the Fourth Universalist Society in

the City of New York for 13 years, has served the UUA in many lead-ership roles, and is known for her justice work. The Reverend Ms. McNatt is Julia’s valued mentor; please see https://www.sksm.edu/people/rosemary-bray-mcnatt/ to learn more about her.

How You Can Help

The many opportunities to help with the installation include ush-ering, setting up the reception, helping with food or flowers for the reception, and serving. Don’t wait for us to ask you! Please call the church office at 965-4583 or get in touch with Carol Schwyzer (carolschwyzer@gmail.com) about volunteering. Thank you!

Your Donations are Welcome

Your donations for the instal-lation are much appreciated and will help to make this a beautiful, meaningful and memorable occasion for our community and for Reverend Julia. If you would like to contribute, please make your check out to “The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara” and write “Installation” on the memo line.

The Installation Committee: Charla Bregante, Susan DuPont,

Nancy Edmundson, Susan Plummer, Carol Schwyzer,

Jody Thomas

Our Fire of Commitment

Installation of Reverend Julia Margaret Hamilton

Lead MinisterUnitarian Society of Santa Barbara

SanctuarySunday, October 4, 2015

4:00-5:30 pm

Special Guest:Reverend Rosemary Bray McNatt

President, Starr King School for the Ministry

Reception5:30-7:00 pm in Parish Hall

Childcare will be provided

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SnapshotsThe Reverend Julia Hamilton, Lead Minister

Sunday, September 6 will be a Labor Day service. To get myself in the mood, I start-ed to listen to some classic working songs —songs of celebration and lament, songs of struggle and worn out shoes; of long days and mean bosses and deep losses. So I came across Hazel Dickens. A bluegrass singer, guitarist, and songwriter who rose up in the 1960s to sing songs like “Black Lung” and “Working Girl Blues”. She sang these songs in concert halls and on the picket lines, unashamed of her West Vir-ginia roots and her pro-union and femi-nist stance.

From Working Girl Blues: My boss said a raise is due almost any dayBut I wonder will my hair be all turned grayBefore he turns that dollar loose and I get my duesAnd lose a little bit of these working girl bluesWell I’m tired of working my life awayAnd givin someone else all of my payWhile they get rich on the profits that I lose

And leaving me here with the working girl blues.

Of course, my favorite working song still might be Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5Tumble outta bedAnd I stumble to the kitchenPour myself a cup of ambitionAnd yawn and stretchAnd try to come to lifeJump in the showerAnd the blood starts pumpin’Out on the streetThe traffic starts jumpin’The folks like me on the job from 9 to 5Workin’ 9 to 5,What a way to make a livin’

Barely gettin’ byIt’s all takin’ and no givin’They just use your mindAnd they never give you creditIt’s enough to drive you crazyIf you let it.

And so I wonder: As we work toward a more just and eq-uitable society, who is singing the songs right now? Songs about current working conditions that tear down not just body but soul, songs that remind us of the longing for dig-nity and joy at the end of a long day? I’m looking for those songs, in any language, that keep us going in offices and factories and fields. So please send them my way!

Sunday, September 6 @ 12:30 pm in Parish Hall: A Community Conversation about Fair Wages

In the meantime, join me for a conversation about what we can do, right here at the Unitarian Society, to address income inequality and fight for fair wages in our commu-nity. I have been working with CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) as part of a coalition to ex-amine raising the minimum wage here in the city of Santa Barbara. On Sunday after services in Parish Hall, I am hosting a community conversation about this issue and I want to hear from you!

Monday, September 7 @11:30 am in Pershing Park: “Raise the Wage, Santa Barbara!” Kick Off Rally

I invite you to join me, CLUE, and many other local nonprofits, labor groups, and progressive leaders at a rally on Labor Day, September 7, at 11:30 am in Pershing Park, to kick off a campaign to raise the wage in Santa Barbara. Come and celebrate Labor Day with us!

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The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara

1535 Santa Barbara StreetSanta Barbara, CA 93101Office. (805) 965-4583Fax. (805) 965-6273

e-mail: ussb@ussb.orgInternet. www.ussb.org

Julia Hamilton, Lead MinisterCaitlin Cotter, Assistant MinisterErin Wilson, Director of AdministrationKen Ryals, Choral DirectorJena Foster, Religious EducationEden Kennedy, Office ManagerMegan Moyer, Membership CoordinatorJon Diaz, Sexton

Sunday Worship Service: 9:15 & 11:00 am; Children’s Program: 9:15 am Nursery & Children’s Care: Sun 9:00 am – 12:00 am, Starr King

Office Hours: Mon–Thurs: 9 am–4 pm; Sun 9 am–1 pm

Next Newsletter Deadline:Tuesday, September15

for material covering October 2015E-mail: Kaleidoscope@ussb.org