A Reconsideration of Building a New Sanctuary
“No one is going to stand up and hand you a plate of progress in life. You must make progress by your own sheer will, discipline, and efforts every day.” Brendon Burchard “Start small, start now” Seth Godin “I can guarantee you that whatever it is you decide to build, you will lose some people. And understand that if you don’t do a building project, you’re going to lose some folks as well.” Dr. Wayne Clark, UUA I am aware…
Vision Statements
Recently the OCUUC Board decided to ask themselves and the church about “what does the church mean to me?” Each board member has been coming up with their own vision statement about the church and what it means to them. It’s been wonderful to hear these visions statements and we are going to be sharing them with you in the weeks and months to come. Our church has a mission statement, but not a vision statement. The mission of the…
What Inspires You?
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” Leonardo da Vinci “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” Theodore Roosevelt I had great difficulty starting this month’s column as “I couldn’t find inspiration,” a situation I’m sure all of you can relate to. I am so convinced that there is a clear path from here to building and occupying a new…
Worship Theme for November: Faith
I love that our worship theme for November is “Faith.” Because we are about to take a leap of faith! Last Spring, your president, Don Martin, and I held a series of townhall meetings to discuss what to do about our space for worship. You see, we are between a rock and a hard place. In our current space, we are too small to go to two services – not enough people to make two services vital feeling. But we…
What is Your Vision for OCUUC?
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR ORANGE COAST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH? . “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Carl Jung . “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” Jonathan Swift . The OCUUC Board of Trustees has recently taken on a vision-developing process at each monthly meeting. My own personal vision statement for OCUUC is as follows: “The vision for Orange…
Let’s Practice Hospitality
On my first Sunday back in the pulpit preaching, afterwards a kind congregant came up to me and said “We missed you!” I grinned back, “Thanks!.” Tom L., one of our long time congregants, saw my grin, leaned toward me and whispered, “Doesn’t that feel nice?” Oh yah it does! It’s nice to be missed. I missed you all too. I’m very grateful to the Board, especially our President Don, the Committee on Ministry, the staff and everyone who made…
Refreshed and Renewed
“The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life. You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.” ― Arnold Bennett “Writing is not like painting where you add. It is not what you put on the canvas that the reader sees. Writing is more like a sculpture…
October Music Note
Last month our newest ensemble debuted. U3 (Unitarian Universalist Ukuleles) performed “Over the Rainbow,” with guest singer Triston Dyer. I was thrilled to have 11 of us playing during our annual Ingathering service, including two children and one guest who had never attended OCUUC before joining U3! About half of the group had never learned ukulele before preparing this song. They had been meaning to learn uke, but this occasion to perform at church gave them a reason and a deadline…
UU Musicians Network Annual Conference
Report on UU Musicians Network (UUMN) Annual Conference In July I spent five days with 230 of my UUMN colleagues in Arlington, VA at our annual conference. Here are some of the highlights: Every morning I enjoyed a worship service created by a worship team made up of UUMN members. It was wonderful to be able to experience worship myself. At one service I gave a shortened version of my Reconciliation sermon; at another one I participated in a creative…
New Beginnings
“And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were.” —Rainer Maria Rilke “We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” —Joseph Campbell So here we are – beginning a new church year at Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church. We’ve got a newly instituted Board of Trustees, a…
Passport to Spirituality
Our age groups are combined this summer for our new curriculum, Passport to Spirituality. Continuing through October 1st, we will be exploring the spiritual practices of world religions. Each Sunday, we will imagine that we are traveling the world. At each country we visit, the children will receive a sticker for their passport, learn about a different religion, engage in a spiritual practice utilized by that religion, record their thoughts in their travel journals, and take home a souvenir. Here’s…
Prez Sez for July
“Stories don’t end,” he says. “They just turn into new beginnings.” – Lindsay Eagar “I must finish what I’ve started, even if, inevitably, what I finish turns out not to be what I began.” – Salman Rushdie Well, it’s the end of OCUUC Fiscal Year 2016/2017 and the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017/2018 (not something that slips easily into iambic pentameter.) This month’s blog is about the changes in leadership of our church, Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church. As of…