FirstWords Our Monthly Publication FRIDAYS AT FIRST BY JUSTIN MURPHY-MANCINI Fridays at First is a new series of lunch-time concerts on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at 12:30 p.m. in the First Church Meeting House. Over the last year, I've been reflecting on the inward- and outwardlooking activities developed by our music programs. We work diligently to bring high-quality, meaningful musical experiences to Sunday worship; we provide deep experiences for volunteer (and professional!) musicians through our many ensembles; and we regularly engage in outreach performances at various San Diego locales. Even this short overview doesn t capture the many ways music features in First Church's identity and activity. I thought there was room to grow our church s relationship with the wider community. We create a lot of important inward directed activities, but we ve developed fewer music-related programs that minister to Hillcrest and the surrounding areas. I saw an opportunity for First Church to create a space for church members and visitors to share experiences in the Meeting House outside of worship, through a lunchtime concert series. In presenting a 30-minute, informal concert during the lunch hours, we join several other institutions in San Diego that have successfully opened their doors to a community of listeners and performers extending beyond their membership. One prominent example is the Tuesday series at nearby St. Paul s Episcopal Cathedral. In consultation with Rev. Ian W. Riddell, we decided to present these concerts on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. Our hope is this schedule will complement existing programs around San Diego, while providing us with a unique time and format. My vision for Fridays at First ties together several threads. First, I hope this concert series engages the broader community just outside our church campus in particular, providing a ministry to the two hospitals in our neighborhood and the many communities (patient, family, and staff) that interface with them. I hope it will also attract listeners from Hillcrest and Mission Hills, two very walkable and culturally dynamic areas. Finally, I want to feature our community s many musical talents alongside and in conversation with musicians from San Diego. Unless one is attached to an institution or professional ensemble, there are surprisingly few opportunities to share music with an audience, and this is a chance to create one more space to experience the city s many musical talents. I hope you ll join us at one of our upcoming events! As we get this program off the ground, we're relying on the First Church community to help spread the word to neighbors, friends, and colleagues. This month, I'll be performing on March 10. On March 24, we'll feature Grace Lewis- McLaren, a longtime presence at First Church and an accomplished organist. Stay tuned for some special guests to appear on the chancel in April! March Fridays at First All concerts begin at 12:30 in the Meeting House March 10 - Justin Murphy-Mancini March 24 - Grace Lewis-McClaren Also in this issue: Rev. Kathleen Owens: A Season for Growth Pg 2 March s Sermon Messages Pg 2 Nurturing Spiritual Growth by Dr. Melissa James Pg 3 Easy-Chair Yoga with Paula Johnson Pg 4 U.S. Constitution Teach-in Network Pg 5 Dining for Dollar$ Pg 6 Caroline Clark, Volunteer Pg 7
F i r s t W o r d s 2 M a r c h 2 0 1 7 ; V o l. 1 1, N o. 3 Tis the season for growth! Our yard is full of new growth after the winter rains. Buds are popping out; shrubs and trees are taller and green plants once deadlooking are now sprouting colorful flowers. Growth is right in front of our eyes and growth is also our monthly worship theme. We ve seen a growth in our attendance at Sunday services a steady climb up since November 6th and our membership is growing as well perhaps a silver lining within the chaotic and often disturbing political times in which we live. And, while I m encouraged by and enjoy a full Meeting House on Sundays and for programs, I m deeply excited by the opportunities for growth embedded in our mission. We re actively growing more ways to create community, from our full choirs and musical groups, our new Connections at First conversations (1st and 3rd Sundays at the Hillcrest campus), the Kinship Connections group for new members, in addition to book and film groups and spontaneous movie outings and discussions together. All of these and more offer opportunities for you to grow in your sense of our First Church community. This spring also brings opportunities for nurturing your spiritual growth--through the Conversation and Covenant classes, with the Cultivating Empathy classes, joining a Wisdom Circle, sangha meditation groups, or participating in interfaith dialogues (watch the Window for upcoming dialogues) and your faithful attendance and participation in our Sunday morning worship services. The third phrase of our mission to act on our values to help heal the world--encompasses many volunteer growth opportunities. On the homepage of our website, in the column on the right, you ll see Social Justice with a link to click for the updated list of events to attend. And, many of you are creating text alerts, email lists, and Facebook alerts to share the information you learn of for community actions. I think doing this work from a place of love, from our first principle of respecting others, strengthens the message, sustains us for the long haul, and supports our own spiritual growth. I m so glad to be growing with you. Faithfully yours, A SEASON FOR GROWTH BY MarchSermonMessages Celebration Times: Hillcrest Campus: Sunday, 9:30 am and 11:30 am (ASL Interpretation) South Bay Campus: Sunday, 9:30 am (Intergenerational, Bilingual [Spanish, English]) March s Transformational Theme is Growth March 5, 2017 Hillcrest Services Science Fiction and Social Justice Alix Klingenberg, Intern Minister South Bay Service The Illusion of Borders Rev. Kathleen Owens, Lead Minister March 12, 2017 Hillcrest Services Growing on the Border Rev. Ian W. Riddell, Minister of Music and Worship Arts South Bay Service Living by Our True Names Rev. John Gibb Millspaugh March 19, 2017 Hillcrest Services The Illusion of Borders Rev. Kathleen Owens, Lead Minister South Bay Service Growing up UU Alix Klingenberg, Intern Minister March 26, 2017 Hillcrest Services Reflections Rev. Tet Gallardo and Rev. Kathleen Owens, Lead Minister South Bay Service Growing on the Border Rev. Ian W. Riddell, Minister of Music and Worship Arts
FirstWords 3 When I think about the mission statement of First Church, to create community, to nurture spiritual growth, and to act on our values to help heal the world, I have to admit I m generally a two-out-of-three sort of person. Creating community is a pretty central theme for my work. I firmly believe creating multigenerational community is at the core of who we are and what we can become as a community. As an ethicist and someone who has long studied and lived at the intersection of faith and justice, our commitment to acting on our values to help heal the world is also pretty compelling to me. Two-out-of-three isn t bad, right? What to do with number three? I ve, of course, seen great value in nurturing spiritual growth. I love ritual and the intention with which our Sunday services are put together. But when friends and colleagues would talk about their spiritual practices, I would admittedly think, that s great... for you, or suggest that my spiritual practice was reading a challenging theological or sociological text (which I still believe to be a spiritual practice). Personally, I was happy with the spiritual growth part of life being an outcome of the other two parts of our mission statement. I ve become increasingly doubtful of two-out-ofthree being enough to flourish. Existing in a state of flourishing is what allows us to be our best self individually and in community. Flourishing also allows us to have the wherewithal to consistently act on our values to help heal the world. Dr. Christine Carter, Executive Director of the Greater Good Science Center (http:// greatergood.berkeley.edu/) (who happens to also be Unitarian Universalist), studies the science of happiness and meaningful lives. In her research, she s discovered there s a ratio of positive to negative emotions that determines whether we flourish or languish. Flourishing people generally have at least three positive emotions to every one negative emotion. Languishing people tend to have a ratio smaller than 3:1. Fortunately, many of the tools we think of to nurture our spiritual growth (meditation, singing, mindfulness) serve to increase our ratio. From lowering the amount of cortisol in our system to releasing oxytocin, there are positive physiological effects to practices like meditation, gratitude, or simply laughing. In other words, science continues to show us the myriad ways nurturing our spiritual growth helps us flourish. We ve already been adding many of these practices into our Lifespan programs. Our Young Adults have included Wisdom Wednesdays into their regular schedule of meetings. Our youth have participated in spirituality conferences. Our family ministry includes gratitude and empathy as a part of our program themes. Our Children s Religious Education classes incorporate meditation, yoga, and mindfulness practices. Our Adult Religious Education program continues to host a number of sanghas and meditation groups. And these are just a few examples. Dr. Carter s work has been compelling for me, too. I have a renewed commitment to being a three-out-ofthree leader within our community, tending to all parts of our mission statement with fresh eyes. Whether you call it spiritual growth, personal well-being, or simply putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others, I encourage you to (re)commit to some form of nurturing. Perhaps you ll check out one of our sanghas, come to chair yoga, or join our Earth Centered Spirituality Group. Perhaps you could try a gratitude practice with your kids (if you have them) at meal times or as a part of a bedtime routine. The good news is, even small things can make a big difference at least, that s what the science is saying.
FirstWords 4 When asked why she decided to offer a yoga class at First Church, Paula Johnson says, I wanted to do this because of the people I know who are becoming ministers. I wanted to expand my sense of ministry here at First Church and I knew the adult education program would support this. She thought this type of yoga would fit in with the people who find it challenging to get down on a mat. She trained at the Pilgrim of the Heart Institute, taking their 200-hour yoga teacher training. There she learned that yoga is not just the asanas, or postures, offered in most exercise classes. Yoga has 8 limbs: Pranayama (mindful breathing), the asanas, the yamas (moral restraints) and the niyamas (five observances), along with meditation and the three different states for meditation pratyhahara (turning inward), dharana (concentration) and samadhi (pure bliss). Paula tries to incorporate some of these other teachings in a 15-minute session before she begins the easy-chair yoga routine. In a couple of sessions, she introduced the vata, pitta, and kapha doshas (body and personality types) and healthy eating as it relates to these doshas. She ll spend some time teaching meditation and breathing practices in the future. Chair yoga is easy to incorporate into your lifestyle, according to Paula. Many people spend much of their day sitting in a chair. A few simple exercises can allow you to stretch out your back and hips, ease back pain and give you coping mechanisms for those times when you have to sit at long stretches, such as in the constricted space of an airplane. Paula has led classes since September. She took a break for the holidays, and will run the current set of classes until June. There are about 6-12 participants in a class. Participants need to bring a yoga mat, if they have one. Even though you don t lie directly on the mat, it keeps the chair you re sitting on from sliding across the floor during the exercises. The teacher always learns the most, Paula says. She s enjoyed working with those who have attended her classes. She also has a Facebook page you can subscribe to, Yoga Lifestyle Inspired, for tips on how to enjoy the Yoga every day. Paula leads the Easy-Chair Yoga class on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m, in the Common Room. Drop-ins are welcome.
FirstWords 5 THE U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL TEACH-IN NETWORK BY NANCY FISK After the November 8th election, church member Maureen McNair wanted to create a civic engagement project that was non-political and non-partisan. It needed to be something she had expertise in and the resources for. She has a law degree and was a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She decided to create a project to teach the U.S Constitution to adults, youth, and children. It s called the U.S. Constitutional Teach-in Network. When she created the project, Maureen realized she wanted to reach more people than she could teach on her own. That s why she created the Network, so volunteers could participate in helping her. As a result, she s begun a series of classes at the Hillcrest campus on how to teach the Constitution to others leading three of these classes so far in February. The age group for those who can train to teach the Constitution is 8th grade and up. Maureen feels youth can teach younger children the basic concepts of the vocabulary of government. The current series is closed to further enrollment, but she ll begin a new series if there s enough interest. You can contact her at memcnair948@gmail.com or call 619-427-1769 to indicate your interest and then watch our church newsletter, The Window, for announcements of more classes. The second part of the project is two workshops, to be given at the Hillcrest campus in March. Anyone can attend either or both workshops. On March 1, at 6:30 p.m., Maureen will lead a workshop on the basics of how to read the Constitution. It s a handson workshop and she ll have copies of the Constitution to distribute there. The second workshop will be led on March 8th by Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, who is partnering with Maureen on this project. Dr. Rodriguez teaches Political Science at Mesa College. This workshop will cover the basic theories of the Constitution, covering subjects such as the separation of church and state, the system of checks and balances in the three branches of government, Federalism, and the Constitution as a living document. There will be other opportunities to participate, sponsored by the Network. On April 22nd and 23rd, at the Chula Vista Harbor Days, there will be a Constitutional teach-in aboard a replica of a Civil War schooner named Bill of Rights. At another time, still to be scheduled, the Network will share the documentary, 13th, which chronicles the 13th amendment of the Constitution, that was meant to abolish slavery. Through a loophole, it created a prison system that disproportionately affected people of color. Follow The Window for further announcements about the U.S. Constitutional Teach-in Network.
FirstWords 6 DINING FOR DOLLAR$ RETURNS!! Through Sunday, March 26th, you ll be able to submit your offers to host an event. Your event will then be printed in a colorful bidding booklet with its description and minimum bid. The silent auction will take place in Bard Hall between and after services for three consecutive Sundays starting April 30. The 13th annual Dining for Dollar$ (D4$) returns! What s this you ask? You host an event and others bid on your event in a silent auction. Your event can be a dinner, museum tour, park party, craft workshop, an outing or tour, game night, young adult gathering, donated service, creativity workshop, poetry reading, or vacation get-away or anything else you d like to host. The best part of D4$ is the communitybuilding you ll experience there s nothing quite like it. Click here to go to the church website to get a host application and/or for further ideas of possible events. You can also email Co-Chairs Laurie Crehan at lcrehan@juno.com, Chris Chase at chris.chase1@cox.net, or Robie Evans at robie@firstuusandiego.org. The bidding starts Sunday, April 30 and continues Sundays, May 7 and May 14 with events scheduled for any time from the beginning of June 2017, until the end of May 2018. Last year, we had 107 events offered and over $44,000 in winning bids contributed to the church s budget our most important annual fundraising activity! A number of people have enjoyed hosting their events so much they sign up every year to host again. D4$ activities are a fun way to meet new people and strengthen community. Memories are made and stories are told for years to come. This is a time to begin planning what you d like to offer to host. You can also get together with others to co-host an event. Look for information about D4$ on the patio starting in March and in upcoming issues of The Window. Clockwise, in order from left to right: Natalia Molina, Michael Molina, Ian Fusselman, Laura Hershey, Kerry Williams, and Joanne Williams.
FirstWords 7 Active church member for 46 years, tireless volunteer, and an unofficial church historian, Caroline Clark rededicates herself to First Church with each passing year. "Our church is my safe haven, my prodder, my challenge, my sacred space where I can be myself. Here are the people who sustain me in the good times and hard times too." Caroline is a World War II childhood survivor. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1938, her early childhood was often frightening. Although her home was bombed only once, there was constant threat. Her father was an Air Raid Patrol volunteer who activated the sirens when German planes were spotted. Her father was also the person who comforted her when the darkness from blackout curtains went on too long. The happiest day of her young life came when she heard all of Glasgow's ships sounding their hooters, signaling the end of World War II in 1945. Caroline's school years were happy ones with an emphasis on physical education, literature, and the arts. Frequent Shakespeare and Gilbert and Sullivan school productions awakened her interest in theater. After high school, Caroline attended a business school for two years. Diego in 1971. Caroline and her family joined the church that same year. It was at church that Caroline met her second husband, Nathan Clark. They were married in 1980. Nathan died in 2015. Caroline says, "I still miss him, particularly his scintillating conversation. So here I am, on my own again." Caroline's volunteer schedule would challenge someone half her age. Caroline started the Book Room and now co-chairs the Book Room Committee. She s a volunteer receptionist in the church office one morning a week. She helps edit and proofread The Window and First Words. She s an active member of the Connections (formerly Membership) Committee. She works at the Welcoming Table at least once a month. Caroline began her religious life as a Congregationalist. Becoming a Unitarian- Universalist was not an act of rebellion, but "stepping sideways," Caroline says. "I love our faith with all my heart; I especially love the lack of a creed. I love what we do: comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I am grateful to all our church members who work so hard to make certain our faith will endure." Our faith certainly does need great volunteers to help assure our future existence. Caroline is one of them. At the age of 21, Caroline's traveling adventures began. She went to London, Ontario, and worked at an insurance company, and met her first husband. They had two children, Janet and Mark. They went back to Scotland for a year, then to Baltimore, Maryland, for eight years, to Germany for a short time, and finally came to San
FirstWords 8 Staff Rev. Kathleen Owens, Lead Minister Rev. Ian W. Riddell, Minister of Music and Worship Arts Tania Márquez, Intern Minister, Young Adult and Campus Ministry Coordinator Alix Klingenberg, Intern Minister Rev. Jim Grant, Affiliate Minister Robie Evans, Director of Operations Dr. Melissa James, Director of Family and Lifespan Ministry Käthe Larick, Youth Programs and OWL s Nest Coordinator Daniel Ratelle, Chalice Choir Director Lynn Mendoza-Khan, Children, Youth & Women s Choir Director Lorelei Isidro, South Bay Music Coordinator Andrea Newall, JUUL Tones Ensemble Director Justin Murphy-Mancini, Organist and Pianist and Acting Handbell Ensembles Director Pam Bates, Development Manager and Scheduler Brenda Garcia, Social Justice and South Bay Ministry Teams Coordinator Jenner Daelyn, Membership Coordinator Lori LeSage, Administrative Assistant Connie Hayes, Bookkeeper / Controller Tony Bianca, Program Assistant Ray Evans, Maintenance Mark Epler, Event Coordinator Revs. Dr. Carolyn and Dr. Tom Owen-Towle, Ministers Emeriti Board of Trustees Michanne Hoctor-Thompson, President Claudia Lizett Lopez, Past President Matt Mazzeo, Vice President Sue Marberry, Treasurer Marcia Biller, Secretary Les GrantSmith, Rhiannon Smith, Kathleen Garcia-Horlor, Patrick Nichols, John Keasler, Richard Costantinou, and Chuck Northrop, Trustees ONLINE E-mail & Web Addresses First Words Editor & Submissions, Nancy Fisk: nfisk1@juno.com To be added to the E-mail List: firstwords@firstuusandiego.org Scheduling of Church Property Requests: schedule@firstuusandiego.org Order of Service submissions: oos@firstuusandiego.org The Window submissions (Church bulletin): window@firstuusandiego.org Care Network: carenetwork@firstuusandiego.org First Church Web Sites: Main Website: http://www.firstuusandiego.org South Bay Campus: http://www.firstuusandiego.org/uus-of-the -south-bay To view sermon video casts, click on these YouTube or Vimeo buttons: Giving: http://www.firstuusandiego.org/giving-overview. Click on these Amazon Affiliate or igive buttons for your online shopping and First Church receives a portion of the sales. Secure and private. Our website: On facebook: 4190 Front Street (GPS use 298 West Arbor Drive) San Diego, CA 92103-2098 Phone: 619-298-9978 Fax: 619-298-9997 E-mail: mail@firstuusandiego.org POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: First Words, 4190 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92103