JANUARY

January 4
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Living a Life That Matters
One of the questions that seems to have plagued folks for hundreds of years is: "Why am I here?" We search for meaning in all kinds of places and in many ways. On this Sunday morning, using Rabbi Harold Kushner's book with the same title as the sermon as a point of departure, we will look at the things that can give our lives meaning and the ways that we can find more of them.

January 11
Beth Leehy: What I Have Learned from the Children in My Life
My "little" brother is 45, my godchildren are now 22 and 18, my son is 10 and my god granddaughters are 1 and 3. My sister-in-law says g-d invented children so parents would be entertained. I think it's that and much more. On this Sunday, we will also dedicate ourselves to new children in our congregation.

January 18
Rev. Betty Stapleford and Willie Lubka: Reweaving the Fabric of Diversity
We UUs sometimes like to think that we are beyond the need to examine our prejudices toward those who are different from us. But, on this Sunday before the Martin Luther King birthday holiday, we invite you to join us for a spirited dialogue about the meaning and relevance of Martin Luther King to UUs in 2004. (See the article on page 4 about the Adult RE class that Rev. Betty and Willie are facilitating for further discussion of this important topic.)

January 25
Rev. Nancy Holden: Liberal Religious Consumerism
After a lifetime of experience with many different denominations, Rev. Holden believes that every congregation faces a division between "faith vs. works" -- or self-centeredness vs. commitment to social justice. In fundamentalist groups, fire and brimstone messages produce rigid controls that limit liberating thought and action. In liberal religious groups, commercialism and the modern consumer orientation can produce similar results. Self-centeredness distorts and shrinks our concept of spirituality, while working for social justice empowers and deepens the spirit.

Rev. Holden is a retired United Methodist pastor who currently worships with several congregations, including the Unitarian Universalist Society of River Falls, Wisconsin, the United Methodist Church in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and the Or Emet Congregation of Humanistic Jews in Minneapolis.

FEBRUARY

February 1
Rev. Bets Wienecke: Going on Faith
As Unitarian Universalists we need faith. This morning the Rev. Bets Wienecke, will ask: "In what do you place your faith?" and "When do you go on faith?" As the long time minister of the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Goleta, Rev. Wienecke, is delighted to visit this congregation once again.

February 8
Rev. Betty Stapleford and other CVUUF Members: Finding Your Religion
Most of us didn't grow up as Unitarian Universalists. We came to this tradition via myriad paths and have found many ways by which to describe the religion that we have adopted. On this Sunday morning, we will hear a number of stories about the roads some have taken to get here and the meaning that they have found for their lives in this "uncommon denomination."

February 15
Julie Crooks and the CVUUF Choir: What Is This Thing Called Love?
There is probably more music written about love than any other subject. This music service goes from the ridiculous to sublime, exploring romantic love, its stages and cycles, its joy and sadness, and honoring those couples who have managed to make long-term relationships work. We may also learn some fundamental truths behind lasting relationships that we can practice in our own lives. So that we may list all those couples that have been together for over 7 years (a landmark), please email (fgpardee@cs.com) or call Frances Pardee (492-3024) with your names and the number of years you have been together. Please note that children 10 and under will make Valentines instead of regular classes, older children are invited to stay in the service. As is traditional, Love You Bags will be prepared by the congregation for Casa Pacifica during coffee hour.

February 22
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Proverbs of Ashes
On this Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar, we will look through the lenses of theologians Rebecca Parker and Rita Nakashima Brock at the meaning of suffering at this time of year and others. Are we are called to penitence and denial or can transformation and hope rise from the ashes of our lives? Come and find meaning in the season of Lent as a Unitarian Universalist.

February 29
Darcey Lober: How Living the Simple Life Threatens to Undermine the American Way
Voluntary simplicity, or mindful living is in Gordon Clint's words, "a liberation movement" to free ourselves to pursue more meaningful lives and attain happiness, satisfaction and a sustainable world. But what if everyone did it, would our system collapse? On this Sunday, mindful of our limited time together, these and other interrelated questions will be explored.

MARCH

March 7
Rev. Betty Stapleford: The Bible for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals
Far too often, we Unitarian Universalists have dismissed the Bible as irrelevant to our lives. In fact, Thomas Jefferson even published his own version of the Bible, leaving out all the parts with which he disagreed. But maybe it is time to look again at this venerated book. So on this Sunday, we will use the scholarship of former UUA president John Buehrens to take another look at this book that has influenced the lives of so many people.

March 14
The Chalice Players, directed by Rev. Betty Stapleford, Present: "JB"
This morning we will be grappling with the question of what it means when bad things happen to good people. The medium will be through a presentation of a staged reading of scenes from the Pulitzer prizewinning play, "J.B." by Archibald MacLeish. This play presents the life of Job in a 20th. Century context and asks us where we can find hope the midst of death and despair. Everyone is also invited to participate in a discussion with the cast after the service.

March 21
Ace Of CUUPS: A Spring Equinox Tale
Follow the love story of the young Sun King who leaves his mother in search of the Spring Maiden, meeting Pan, faeries, and the creatures of the forest along the way. "Do you not see that her beauty is more radiant when she stands in the light of your love?" says Pan to the Sun King. Join our children as they present decorated eggs to the honored couple and we all dance a spiral dance in celebration. Our ritual, presented by Ace Of CUUPS, will explain this special day, it's ritual elements, and something about Paganism. Bring your drums and join us early to make joyous sounds!

March 28
Beth Leehy: The Sacred Hoop
This Sunday Service will be held at the Borchard Community Center, 190 N. Reino Road, Newbury Park.
Black Elk (1863 - 1950) was a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux. Our hymnal contains two excerpts of his visions, and today we will explore his "sacred hoop...wide as daylight and as starlight" where grew "one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father." Come, let us consider what is holy in today's world.

APRIL

April 4
Jessica Arciniega: Education of the Heart: Cesar Chavez
On March 31st, communities across California celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. This Sunday, we explore the legacy and inspiration of this leader. Chavez devoted his life to empowering people who work in the fields and orchards of California and the nation. There are many touch points between UUs and farm workers in Ventura County.

Jessica Arciniega, a former United Farm Workers organizer and now a law student in Oxnard, has been a friend of CVUUF since our congregation joined with her and others to stand up for the inherent worth and dignity of mushroom workers in our area. Jessica joins us April 4 for our own Cesar Chavez Day. Choir sings.

After the service, the 17-minute video, Mi Casa Es Su Casa , about farm worker housing in Ventura County, will be shown in a meeting room at the Goebel Center.

April 11
Rev. Betty Stapleford and Beth Leehy: UU Easter Celebration
This intergenerational service will have a message for both children and adults about the way that we can find meaning in the Easter message for our lives today. Old Turtle will visit our congregation and share his wisdom in unique ways. We will also celebrate our annual flower communion together.

Please bring a flower to grace our altar and to exchange with someone else at the service.

April 18
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Lessons From the Holocaust
In this day when so much of our news is about the conflicts in the Middle East between Jews and Palestinians, perhaps it is time for us to look at the lessons that we should have learned from the Holocaust. On this Sunday we will focus on what those lessons are and the way that they can influence our lives as individuals and Unitarian Universalists in the 21st century. New Member Induction. Choir sings.

April 25
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Two Smart Mice and the Meaning of Life
As much as we might wish it were not so, change in life is inevitable. So the question for us must be how we will deal with that inevitability. Using Spencer Johnson's book, Who Moved My Cheese, as a springboard, this morning's sermon will focus on the things that we can do to make our lives more meaningful and the ways that we can continue the positive change in our congregation.

MAY

May 2
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Being Liberal in an Illiberal Age
In 1964, Rev. Jack Mendelsohn wrote a book with the same title as this morning's sermon. And here we are forty years later still grappling with the tension suggested by such a conundrum. In recent years the word "liberal" has come to have connotations that are ambiguous at best. So this morning we will look at what being religious liberals can mean for us, our children and youth as Unitarian Universalists in what seems to be an increasingly conservative society.

May 9
Rev. Betty Stapleford and other CVUUF Members and Friends: Honoring Our Mothers
On this Sunday morning, a group of people from our congregation will be joining together to share some of their insights about the ways in which our mothers have positively influenced who we are. Mother's Day will give us the opportunity to show our gratitude for these important women in our past and our present lives. We will also have a Child Dedication on this Sunday.

May 16
Coming of Age Service: Ben Champion, Will Crooks, Tristan Hediger, Megan Hess, and Ethan Jones
will be creating and presenting a worship service with their mentors on this Sunday. These five young people have been considering the age-old transition from child to young adult with their advisors, mentors, and Coming of Age group and will explore their spiritual paths with us as they prepare to move into a different relationship with our community.

May 23
Rev. Karen Stoyanoff: The Permanent and the Transient in Life
Over 150 years ago, Theodore Parker scandalized the Unitarians of his day with a sermon entitled "The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity." This Sunday Reverend Karen Stoyanoff will give us her current day version of this topic in a sermon that explores the ways in which we can find permanence in a world in which nothing stays the same for very long. She is convinced that were Theodore Parker here today he would be talking about the permanent and transient in life not Christianity, and so has titled her version to reflect this change in ur world view. - Rev. Stoyanoff is the minister of the Orange Coast UU church in Costa Mesa and is honored to be sharing the service with her colleague and good friend Rev. Betty Stapleford.

May 30
Dr. Franz Metcalf: What Is Religious Pluralism?
As UUs, we seek to respect all people, and by extension, their religions. Given the fundamental differences in religious theology and values, what, exactly, are we pledged to respect? Must we respect the dogma, the concept of divinity, or something more universal? Is there anything truly universal in the major religions of the world, after all?

As a member of the Forge Institute for Spirituality and Social Change, Dr. Metcalf works with leaders from a wide range of spiritual and religious paths at trying to find non-dogmatic commonalities leading to a greater spiritual wisdom. Dr. Metcalf is the author of What Would Buddha Do? and Buddha in Your Backpack, holds a Ph.D. in Religion from the University of Chicago, and is a teacher at Cal State LA.

JUNE

June 6
Julie Crooks: The Singing Cure
We come into this world singing our hearts out, yet somewhere, somehow, many of us stop using our voices in song. Something vital is lost in our lives when this joyous flow stops moving outward from within. In this musical service, we will explore some of the history of using song as communication, ways we can use song for creating sacred space for ourselves, and as a basis for healing. Please join Julie Crooks and the CVUUF choir in this joyful service; and yes, you'll be singing!

June 13
Beth Leehy: Touch the Earth, Reach the Sky
Using this lovely song (#301 in our hymnal) by Grace Lewis-McLaren as inspiration, I will explore what is important in our life. This being my last "official" Sunday in the pulpit at CVUUF, we will also celebrate the Internship Program at CVUUF with Rev. Betty and the Ministerial Internship Committee. Be sure to stay for the party after worship!

June 20
CVUUF Chalice Players: A Collage for Father's Day
On this Sunday of Father's Day, the Chalice Players will present a wide selection of poems, stories, staged readings, and musical numbers about the subject of fatherhood. Come prepared to laugh, to sing, and even to shed a few tears as we celebrate what fatherhood has meant and can mean to all of us. As a special treat, our eight and nine year old class will share some of their ideas about Fathers.

June 27
Arlene Bloom: Practice Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty
What can this bumper sticker philosophy mean? While patently sentimental, it is a clarion call to compassion in a society that is losing its civility and its sense of justice. From the language of violence we hear all about us, the cruelty toward one another of which we are capable, it is obvious the milk of human kindness would welcome nourishment. Join us as Fellowship member Arlene Bloom delivers her adaptation of a sermon given by UU minister Richard Gilbert.

JULY

July 4
Rev. Chuck Thomas: Short Answers to Simple Questions
We UUs are frequently asked about our beliefs. This sermon is an attempt at fairly brief answers to very simple but incredibly complex questions. We are souls who see and admit to the evil as well as the good humans do and yet remain inclusive and optimistic about human potential.

Rev. Thomas is minister of the UU Fellowship of Lima, Ohio. He is also affiliated with the Miami Valley UU Fellowship and Children's Medical Center, both of Dayton, Ohio, and comes to Thousand Oaks to visit his daughter, Lorella Hess, and his grandchildren.

July 11
Rev. Kusala: Being Good Without God
We are pleased to announce the return of Rev. Kusala due to popular demand. You may remember his leonine pacing as he made all things clear to us about Buddhism. Even the Buddhists amongst us said, "Now I get it!" His blues harmonica was a perfect blending of the sorrow and joy that life brings us. This Sunday his dharma talk explores five precepts that form the foundation of Buddhist practice.

Rev. Kusala, an American-born monk ordained in the Zen tradition of Vietnam, lives and works at the International Buddhist Meditation Center in L.A.'s Koreatown. He also does presentations in area schools and churches and volunteers as a ride-along police chaplain in Garden Grove.

July 18
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Dark Nights of the Soul
The inspiration for this sermon came from a book by that title written by Thomas Merton, but the illustrations for the sermon come from the lives of most of us. Virtually everyone who has lived for any length of time on this earth has experienced moments, or even long periods, of the deepest anxiety. On this Sunday morning, we will explore some of those times and the ways in which we can face them that can heal and transform our lives.

July 25
Intergenerational Worship Committee: Bobo and His Search for a Loving Community
Join us for this different Intergenerational Service focusing on a new concept taught to us by Greg Ward, a specialist in Intergenerational services. Our subject is based on a friend of our young people, Bobo, the dog-faced goat boy and his search for a loving community.

AUGUST

August 1
Rev. Dr. Nancy Holden: Values, Visions and Possibilities
Holden believes that politics is a much bigger matter than campaigning and voting and is so closely allied with religion that they cannot be separated. She says that candidates for office try to "narrow our vision" while religious communities enlarge our vision, defining politics as ethics and values. Her message touches on all these issues, illustrated with real-life stories. Rev. Holden visits our pulpit for the second time this Sunday; her first sermon at CVUUF, Liberal Religious Consumerism, was in January 2004. She is also Willie Lubka's mother.

August 8
Penny Williams: Thomas Starr King: A Unitarian...A Universalist...A Californian
In 1860 the Rev. Thomas Starr King of Boston accepted the call to serve the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco. His mission was to build a liberal community out of diverse and boisterous western pioneers. His mission soon changed focus when the Civil War broke out. Starr King's ardent religious belief in the liberal message and its embodiment enshrined in the constitution compelled him to use all of his eloquence and energy to convince Californians of the rightness of the Union cause. He faced a "house divided" on issues of war and peace much as we are experiencing today. As we reflect upon the issues of our time, his timeless words may still inspire and guide us today. The service will include selections from Starr King's sermons and lectures read by Willie Lubka.

August 15
Rev. Betty Stapleford and the Chalice Players: Living with Mental Illness
Even in this day of supposed enlightenment, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about mental illness. On this Sunday morning, the Chalice Players will present a staged improvisation, created by our member Diana Bloomfield, about living with bipolar disorder. Join us for this thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of the peaks and valleys of this greatly misunderstood life experience. You will be glad that you did. A facilitated discussion will follow the service

August 22
Theadora Davitt-Cornyn: The Gospel According to Unitarian Universalism
Using her newly acquired familiarity with theological language from her classes at Starr King School for the Ministry and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, CVUUF third-year seminarian, Theadora Davitt-Cornyn examines her own spiritual growth in appreciating the healing, inspirational, and salvific message of Unitarian Universalism among world religions.

August 29
Susan Bray and Laura McLean: The Civic Circumference of UUism
Can Unitarian Universalists, with our resistance to prescribed dogma, unite around political and social issues? Where does political activism end and spiritual activism begin? Unitarian Universalist Association President Reverend William Sinkford urges our faith community to have a civic circumference to balance our spiritual center. Susan and Laura will do their best to start a dialogue on the moral imperative of this social activism without endangering our church's tax-exempt status.

SEPTEMBER

September 5
Willie Lubka: The Spiritual Practice of Growth
CVUUF's strategic plan calls for the congregation to grow our membership significantly over the next several years. Why should we aspire to increase our numbers? Are there that many other people in the community for whom our beliefs, programs, and community will resonate? How and why do UU congregations grow (or not grow), and how are congregational growth and spiritual practices intertwined? Growth presents many benefits and challenges for our community and for each of us individually. Join us this Sunday to explore the process of building and supporting a community, committed to sharing Unitarian Universalist values, and thereby making our world a better place.

September 12
Finding Our Light:
This intergenerational service of ingathering welcomes us back once again to the beginning of a new year in our Unitarian Universalist community. The entire service will be part of a fun-filled story, created by our DRE Justine Fischer in collaboration with Intergenerational Service Coordinator Dana Ryon and Rev. Betty. We will invite everyone to share his or her "light," with a candle that you have lighted during your adventures, near or far, over the summer. Please bring some finger food to share after the service for our traditional ingathering potluck.

September 19
Rev. Betty Stapleford: What is Spirituality, Anyway?
Even in this day of supposed enlightenment, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about mental illness. On this Sunday morning, the Chalice Players will present a staged improvisation, created by our member Diana Bloomfield, about living with bipolar disorder. Join us for this thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of the peaks and valleys of this greatly misunderstood life experience. You will be glad that you did. A facilitated discussion will follow the service

September 26
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Standing on the Side of Love
At this time in our country, we are seemingly being encouraged to see others as enemies or, at the very least, adversaries. This Sunday we will be looking at the ways in which we can encourage the spread of love rather than divisiveness in our relationships with those of different races, nationalities, and sexual orientations. Prepare to leave the service standing on the side of love. Our special guests on this Sunday will be recently married Karen and Debra Zimmerman.

OCTOBER

October 3
Rev. Forrest Church read by Casey Dake: Choose Your Enemies Carefully
Casey Dake, a member of the Worship Committee, will read a sermon by the Rev. Forrest Church of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City delivered in May 2004 following the revelations about prisoner abuse in Iraq and the retaliatory murders that followed. The sermon is a reflection on the nature of evil and explores the definitions of both sin and salvation from a UU perspective.

October 10
Dr. Richard Hughes: Exploring the Myths America Lives By
As Americans, we hold many common views regarding our country. This service will explore American myths, how they came about, and how they shape American behavior both at home and abroad. We will look at how these myths function--for example, on sustaining the "war on terror." Dr. Hughes is Distinguished Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University. Choir sings

October 17
Rabbi Michael Lotker: Judaism, Mysteries and Misconceptions
There are many misunderstandings about Judaism today with Jews, Christians and others often confused about the nature of this religion. Rabbi Lotker, of Temple Ner Ami in Camarillo and author of A Christian's Guide to Judaism, will explain the most important elements of Judaism. Choir sings

October 24
Rev. Betty Stapleford: Growing and Nurturing the Beloved Community
Rev. Betty takes a break from her sabbatical to share a vision of the future of our congregation. More than bricks and mortar, it is about the opportunity to share our message of freedom, justice, and compassion with a world that is hungry for what we have found here. And it is about caring for our community in ways that provide each of us with a sense of belonging.

October 31
Tom Stapleford: Faith in Action - Using Our UU Principles as a Lens
Our Faith in Action Group presents a look at the choices we face about public policy, with particular attention to the many propositions on the November 2 ballot. What is the role of our faith in influencing public policy at our local and state level? How can we make rational choices about propositions while remaining true to our shared principles? A General Assembly-style meeting will focus on three propositions with special relevance to UUs and offer pros and cons. No candidates will be discussed.

NOVEMBER

November 7
Julie Crooks and the CVUUF Choir: Practicing Peace, Step by Step
The last three years have been difficult ones for any religious community that values tolerance and respect. We have watched, and sometimes despaired, as a world climate of fear and isolation has escalated. Many of us wonder what, if anything, we can do as individuals to bring our world, our nation, and our own communities into peaceful balance. Please join the CVUUF choir for a music service where we will explore peace as a practice in our lives.

November 14
An Intergenerational Play: Bobo Meets Stone Soup
We met Bobo, the dog-faced goat boy, last summer when he at last found a loving community. Let's follow Bobo as he discovers one of our most cherished traditions, Stone Soup, in this delightful playlet written by our talented Director of Religious Education, Justine Fischer.

November 21
Sonali Kolhatkar: Remembering Afghanistan: Three Years into the War on Terrorism
Sonali Kolhatkar joins us this Sunday to explore seldom-reported realities of America's policies and role in Afghan society. Kolhatkar is a Co-Director of the Afghan Women's Mission, a Southern California-based organization working toward social justice, primarily focused on women and children.

November 28
The Rev. H. A. 'Bud' Tillinghast: Those Whom God Has Joined Together
When people speak of 'preserving traditional marriage' do they know what they're talking about? A Readers' Theater will portray the evolution of who has been allowed to be married by State and Church in the U. S. over the last two centuries. A discussion of its significance for same-sex marriage will follow. Bud is a retired Methodist minister and the father of Fellowship member, Julie.

DECEMBER

December 5
Jo Ann Van Reenan: Lessons of the Nisei
Jo Ann Van Reenan will discuss her experiences interviewing local Oxnard Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, work she did for The Oxnard Public Library under a grant from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Project to document the local impact from the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December. 7th, 1941.

December 12
Anne-Marie Cusac: Social Witness: Criminal Justice and Prison Reform
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Commission on Social Witness has issued a draft Statement of Conscience on Criminal Justice and Prison Reform and has encouraged congregations to hold Sunday services focused on this denomination-wide Study/Action Issue. Join us this Sunday to hear from Anne-Marie Cusac, Investigative Reporter for The Progressive magazine, an award-winning journalist who has written extensively on prisons in the USA and who is currently writing a book on the subject.

December 19
Rev. Carolyn Price: Believing What We S
In antiquity the Winter Solstice was a time for people to celebrate the return of sunlight to the earth, to reaffirm their faith that life would go on. What might we learn today from this ancient rite? What sights and signs do we see that renew our hopes and help us to believe that all will be well? Join Rev. Price, minister at the UU Santa Paula Church, for this service honoring the value of light and beauty in our lives.

December 26
Celebration of Kwanzaa:
Kwanzaa is a celebration of life observed by millions of African-Americans each year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. It is a special time when families and friends of all religious faiths unite to strengthen and encourage one another and reflect upon the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Join us this Sunday to learn about this international cultural holiday and to take part in a Kwanzaa ceremony

December 24
Christmas Eve: 6:30pm at the Goebel Center
The early Christmas Eve Service follows our intergenerational format. Based on the Irish traditions and lore of Saint Brigid, this service is a fantastical story of this saint's deep spirituality and the meaning many find in this holiday: hope, peace and love. Please bring a finger food to share after the service. A donation will be asked for the Minister's Discretionary fund.

December 24
Christmas Eve: 8:30 pm at Los Robles Townhomes Clubhouse
This service will be more contemplative than our earlier family-oriented event. There will be music and time to share the meaning of this night for our lives and our world