We welcome you to our Death Cafe. It is a respectful space where you can feel comfortable sharing your questions, curiosity, fears, beliefs, and stories about any / all aspects of death, grief, mourning, bereavement. We have learned that there is often lots of laughter, as well as a few tears. We will start in May and meet bimonthly for 1.5 hours. During the sessions we will try writing, maybe delivering eulogies, writing living wills, consider burial options, cremation, video remembrances, create a song list for your memorial service, and so much more. This isn’t morbid or sad, it is a mature way to look at the dual reality of our living and having to die.

Our options for each session are only limited by our collective imaginations. We can use this gathering as a way of considering all of our lives past the midpoint extending towards our ultimate reality.

Please rsvp to Rev Gordon to attend.

Our Theme for this month is Love as Generosity:

What does it mean to be generous?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary  translates generous as “characterized by a noble or kindly spirit; liberal in giving; marked by abundance or ample proportions.”

A person who is seemingly generous is willing to give of themselves and provide resources for the community, generally through significant acts of kindness, volunteering, sharing their emotional, spiritual, or mental gifts. This also means donations and in our case pledges. 

Most faith traditions advocate for their followers to give money or some other kind of tangible gift annually in order to support their community and the broader world. Our religious tradition, Unitarian Universalism, not only asks this of us in fact I believe our community via its mission statement actually requires it!

When we give of ourselves it is amazing how those gifts fan out into the community and wider world.  It’s like the Magic Penny song my children used to sing at Sophia Fahs RE Camp.

Love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.
It’s just like a magic penny,
Hold it tight and you won’t have any. 
Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many
They’ll roll all over the floor.
For love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Malvina Reynolds

The English word “charity” can be traced back to the 4th Century when St. Jerome translated the Bible from Greek into Latin. The Greek word “agape” was used in the Bible as a noun, verb and adjective. Agape appeared over 312 times in the New Testament.

What is the ancient word for charity?

The word ‘Charity’ has become a euphemism. A gallic word that entered the English language from the Latin “caritas”, the Latin translation for the Greek word ἀγάπη, (Agape) meaning an unconditional love for others. For the ancient Greeks, Charity was an act itself.

Sadaqa is charity given voluntarily in order to please God. Sadaqa also describes a voluntary charitable act towards others, whether through generosity, love, compassion or faith.

The Hebrew word Tzedakah is often translated as charity, yet it has a profoundly deeper meaning. Tzedakah comes from the Hebrew word Tzedek meaning “justice.” My Jewish friends are required to give money to support causes or organizations that work towards building a more just and peaceful world. We might not always want to give significant donations, but we are required to fulfill this most important commandment.

This requirement to give charitably led to a very interesting debate amongst the ancient rabbis. In fact The rabbis later decided that deeds of loving kindness (gemilut chasadim) were far superior to charitable giving (tzedakah), for:

• Charity can be accomplished only with money; deeds of loving kindness can be accomplished through personal involvement as well as with money.
• Charity can be given only to the poor; deeds of loving kindness can be done for both poor and rich.
• Charity applies only to the living; deeds of loving kindness apply to both the living and the dead.[1] 

I find this reasoning to be quite astute. The rabbis knew that every member of the community is required to give charitable donations; no one is unable to shirk from this commandment. Yet, acts of loving kindness are different. These small actions are always completely voluntary and yet from my UU perspective these acts work hand in hand with one another.

You can give your required donation, but still be an inhospitable individual.  A person who performs an act of loving kindness does so because of a generosity of spirit. It is always a gift of the heart.  I think as we move from a more heady Unitarian Universalism towards a more heart centered faith community we must shift our focus.

The rabbis remind us that in every action, no matter how big or how small, we must be generous of the heart. We must remember that charitable giving is not just pulling out the checkbook or swiping the credit card.  It’s about the love we share.

A truly generous person reflects upon how his/her generosity can change lives. A truly generous person is committed to building connections with others through charity, but also through relationships. Generosity is not about how much you give, but in how your act of giving can build a better world.

In hope, love and faith,

Rev Gordon

The Hospitality Committee of SepulvedaUU invites you to stay after services this Sunday, March 31, 2024 for a Dessert Table and Conversation, from 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm. This is in addition to our snacks and drinks before services, from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm. In addition to our usual coffee and tea, we will also be offering hot chocolate and sparkling apple cider, along with scrumptious, delicious desserts!

Come and help celebrate the Springtime with other members and friends.

If you are interested in helping out as a member of the committee, please contact either Gary D, Mary K, or Phyllis R; you are most welcome. If you would like to bring snacks to share, we appreciate the additions to the table.

At long last our Easter Egg hunt is back! We will have eggs packed with goodies hidden all around the church. We have put a special surprise in a few eggs, so your child can start a savings account, maybe.

The Egg hunt will begin after the service. During the service the children will have UU Play and Learning Trays they can take to their seats. 

Starting April, SepulvedaUU will be implementing Children’s Play and Learning Trays during our Sunday Experience. Near the entrance to our Sanctuary, children ages 4 – 12 can pick up “Play and Learning Trays” and bring them to their seats.

The theme will change each Sunday, but these trays may include different materials so that the children can write, draw, paint, build, and even answer thought-provoking questions.

This Sunday, for example, the Play and Learning Tray will include:

• A Chalice
• A jar of stickers and Affirmations from the congregation
• Writing and art materials
• Questions that the children can think about, for example, what are ways I can care for myself, my family, my friends, and our Earth / Community?

Our hope is that the children will have fun and learn, and also have a chance to be introspective. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Teri I for more information.

We hope to see you and your whole family this Sunday!

This is a great opportunity to laugh, have fun, and share your favorite potluck dish! We will also be playing party games organized by Marilyn.

Please RSVP by Thursday, April 18 with your name and what you will be bringing. If you can’t bring food, you could bring cups, large plates, or forks and napkins. See you there!

Come Join Us For The NAMI Walk!

Gary Davis has been going on this Walk for over 10 years. He walks to support the National Alliance for Mental Illness and to honor his late father, who was Bi-Polar and died homeless. NAMI provides support for people and their families dealing with the challenges of managing a mental health disorder.

For more information, visit Gary’s FaceBook fundraising page or contact Gary. 

Dear Supporter,

As a current or past pledging member or friend of the SepulvedaUU community, you are part of a loving congregation that is guided by our Unitarian Universalist principles and our shared experiences of reverence and awe, commitment to social justice, diversity, inclusiveness, and encouragement of the cultural arts.

In the past year, we have been good Stewards of your gifts, as we dedicated our assets to the hiring of a full time Minister who brings inspiration, warmth, and leadership to our congregation. We have continued to re-energize our community by offering new and exciting programs on education, fellowship, and spiritual growth. We have come together to begin working on our dreams of social justice, and we are committed to being a Fair Share Congregation through our contribution to National UU Organizations. We have many ideas and dreams that we are working on to make us more visible and viable to our Community.

Pledges and contributions are a major portion of our revenue. This comes from folks like yourself that wish to join us in continuing to offer a home for spiritual growth, friendship, fellowship, and social justice. The realization of our dreams for our future are in your hands.

Please Click Here to pledge or contribute as you are best able.

Thank you for your support of the community we share, and for your participation in the realization of our shared dreams.

In Loving Community,

The Stewardship Team

Host: Rev Gordon
When: 10:00 am Beginning May 4 and Continuing on every Saturday for 6 Sessions
Where: Zoom Room 1

Join us as we meet for six sessions developed to engage our feelings, thoughts, prejudices, and more, as we watch, read, and listen to voices from a wide spectrum of ethnic, racial, and religious groups.

Our goal will be to unpack our own complicity with the linked oppressions and develop the ability to move past the issues that separate our human family.

The last few months have been challenging in many ways. I am finally back and able to get around in
limited capacity. I am so happy to be able to attend our services and share time with everyone. I am
also very grateful for everyone in the congregation who showed up for me in some way, whether it was
taking on meeting, visiting or sending a card. This is what community is about, being there for each
other during the hard times and the good times.

I have been busy making plans with the Board and with Rev. Gordon. There are several things in the
works and you will be hearing more in the coming weeks. We are planning a second town hall in March
that will be held on Zoom. I urge everyone to attend. This is your opportunity to provide input and
vision for the future. It is important that all voices are heard. We had the kick-off meeting for our
chapter of the Progressive Interfaith Alliance, I was happy to see 9 participants at the meeting. I am
looking forward to what we can build together.

There are exciting things starting to happen here at Sepulveda UU.