In This Issue September Theme:

Nonviolence

Sept. 15: Ladies’ Lunch

Bunch, 12:00 @ Be Wok

& Sushi

Sept. 16: Skyline

Discussion Group on

Nonviolence

Sept. 17: Listening

Hearts Adult Covenant

Group w/ Rev. Sonya

Sept. 17 & 18: Before-

The-Call Dinners

Sept. 18: Sonora Service

Sept. 18: Nonviolence:

Greater Than the Sum of

Our Fears with Rev.

Sonya

Sept. 18: A trip to

Transylvania? Learn

more after Sun. Service

Sept. 25: Douglas Flat

Service, Blending of the

Waters Ceremony

Sept. 27: No Guilt Book

Club reads Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

Oct. 2: Sonora Service at

Main Library

the Catalyst

Non-violence: Why I’m proud of our Unitarian and

Universalist Christian heritage

Rev. Sonya Sukalski

When I

traveled

to

Poland 2

years

ago to

learn

more

about the Polish Brethren who

were siblings to the

Transylvanian Unitarians back

in the 1560s, I was interested to

learn that they refused military

service and opposed capital

punishment. Often the

Brethren carried wooden

swords as a symbol that they

would not take up arms in a

disagreement. Others called

them Socinians or Arians (after

the Arius who refused to

recognize Jesus as divine

during Constantine’s empire,

but I digress), but they

preferred to be known as

simply Christians or Brethren.

Today, there is not

wholehearted abhorrence of

war among Unitarian

Universalists, but there has

been a deep grappling with the

ideas of just use of force and

what to do when bullies or

injustice are on the rise.

There is a fantastic Ken Burns

documentary airing on

September 20 (at least on KQED

in the Bay area – 9-10:30 pm)

that documents the resistance

Waitstill and Martha Sharp

pursued in the face of Hitler’s

rise. I can’t think of a more

heroic example of “Christian

nonresistance” as Adin Ballou

would have called it a century

earlier. Henry David Thoreau

saw his patriotic duty as

“Resistance to Civil

Government” and didn’t pay

his taxes as a protest of the

Mexican-American War. Ballou

and Thoreau get the idea from

Jesus story in the gospel of

Luke when you are asked for

your shirt to give also your

cloak, and to offer the other

cheek if someone slaps you in

the face. Meaning when

someone acts aggressively,

instead of returning violence

for violence, to consider

absorbing the affront, and not

responding in kind. I wouldn’t

be surprised if we all have

lashed out at those we love

most when life isn’t going as

one would hope. It is truly a

gift of human compassion to be

met with kindness,

understanding and curiosity by

a loved one rather than

aggression. Unitarians for the

first several centuries of our

movements in Europe and here

in the US for the first 100 years

were Christians trying to live

into this message that there is

more love possible in any given

situation, and the best part of

humanity is to viscerally bring

that love to bear.

I often hear when visitors come

to our Fellowship that they feel

that tangible sense of

connection, community and

kindness among us. I see it

when we meet for a class to

hear each other into deeper

understanding and integrity as

we will be doing with our

“Listening Hearts” class

starting soon. I know it when

we meet with the UU

Adventurers and everyone

brings a tasty offering to share

or makes sure everyone is

included in the activities. And I

see the face of this spirit on

Sunday mornings when new

folks come into the oak grove

and bring their questions and

curiosity. Keep up the good

work! The spirit of love needs

us today, in Sonora, and in this

season of national decision

making.

Skyline Discussion Group Nonviolence,

September 16, 3:30 - Skyline Place – 12877 Sylva Lane, Sonora Skyline residents, visitors and UUFTC members and friends are invited to a discussion of the Touchstones

Journal essays and quotes on the topic of Nonviolence. Sandy Banzet can make hard copies of the

Touchstones Journal for Skyline residents, and Rev. Sonya Sukalski can electronically forward this resource

from the First Universalist Church in Denver for all who would like to join in sharing the wisdom of our elders

on the topic. Sonya.sukalski@comcast.net

Request from Rev. Sonya

Rev. Sonya would like to know if someone would be willing to host a viewing of the Ken Burns Documentary

on PBS about Waitstill and Martha Sharp on Tuesday 9/20 from 9-10:30. Please contact her if you are willing and

able. sonya.sukalski@comcast.net Martha and Rev. Waitstill Sharp, WWII Unitarians who secretly worked

in Nazi-occupied Europe to rescue Jews, dissidents, and refugee children, are the subject of a PBS

documentary by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky, airing on September 20th which focuses on fighting

today's hatred and discrimination toward Muslims and refugees.

the Catalyst 2 September 2016 Vol. 2

Listening Hearts Adult Covenant Group Kickoff

Saturday, September 17 11:30-1:30, Fellowship House

Rev. Sonya Sukalski and Pam Taylor will facilitate new sessions from the authors of Heart to Heart

and Soul to Soul. If you have a drum, rattle or other percussion instrument, please bring it. We will

begin this session with a few minutes of percussion together to center ourselves. If you don't have an

instrument, we have a few at the Fellowship House you are welcome to borrow. Contact Rev. Sonya

for further information sonya.sukalski@comcast.net

Nonviolence: Greater Than the Sum of

Our Fears, Sunday, September 18, Fellowship

House, 10 am

Martin Luther King carried on a tradition

harkening back to Henry David Thoreau

embracing civil disobedience and nonviolence; the

next iteration of this tradition is what Rev. Dr.

William J Barber II calls the “Third Reconstruction.”

It is a “state-by-state movement that unites black,

white, brown, rich and poor, employed and

unemployed, gay and straight, documented and

undocumented, religious and secular. Only such a

diverse fusion movement he argues can heal our

nation’s wounds and produce public policy that is

morally defensible, constitutionally consistent and

economically sane.” Rev. Barber recently

addressed Unitarian Universalists at our General

Assembly. We will take up the Moral Mondays

movement and how it might touch our lives and

communities here. Rev. Sonya Sukalski

Ladies’ Lunch Bunch

Will meet Thursday, September 15, 12:00 at

Be Wok and Sushi (near Cost-U-Less and Orchard Supply)

764 E. Mono Way, Sonora

UU Women, their guests and friends will gather together for this monthly luncheon.

Please call Peg Sheldon, 586-9182, by Tuesday, Sept. 13, for a reservation.

Datk Transylvania

Interested in Transylvanian Unitarians? Come

learn more Sunday, September 18th after

service and potluck!

Several people have become intrigued by our

cousins in Transylvania who have kept the

Unitarian faith since 1568. We have been invited

to visit Datk, a Saxon town in Southern

Transylvania, and Allen Silver and Monty

Thornburg have agreed to head up the

effort. Rev. László Major holds a summer camp

for the town's children every August, as well as

engaging his congregants in community

outreach and development projects. We are

invited to take part, and may end up visiting a

variety of pilgrimage sites if there is

interest. This meeting will help us begin to

identify our interests and opportunities for

exchange with Rev. László's congregation.

the Catalyst 3 September 2016 Vol. 2

Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak... Non-

violence is hard work. César Chávez

Douglas Flat Service – September 25

10:30 a.m. Douglas Flat Schoolhouse, 1358 Main St.

Blending of the Waters Ceremony - In this traditional UU service we will all blend water from our summer

travels. Bring a vessel with actual or symbolic water from your summer travels and your particularly

memorable or inspirational moments.

No Guilt Book Club

Tuesday, September 27 - 7:00 p.m. Fellowship House

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Few creatures of horror have seized readers' imaginations and held them for so long as the

anguished monster of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein's

terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations

of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. Considering the novel's enduring success, it

is remarkable that it began merely as a whim of Lord Byron's.

BACK TO THE LIBRARY

We will resume our winter meetings at the Main

Sonora Library, 480 Greenley, Sonora on Oct. 2nd.

UUFTC member Richard Close explores the theme

of Justice: Justice and Truth, Persuasion and Ethics

are these Really Big Words too

hot for the hands of mere mortals?

Richard Close was an English teacher, Yoga teacher,

and just about anything else that could make him a

living while asking questions and dodging answers.

the Catalyst 4 September 2016 Vol. 2

Social Justice Committee Information

Monthly meetings are on every second Thursday (next one Oct. 8th), 3:30 at Schnoogs in

Sonora Timberhills shopping center.

Lambert Center – we will resume hosting there on Sunday afternoons in November. A Sign-

up sheet will be circulated at the Oct. 2nd Service. Please consider this community service

and ask a friend to join you.

Save the Dates! Before-the-Call

Dinners September 17-18

UUFTC will be offering a series of potluck-style

dinners at various homes, beginning in mid-

August and extending into the Fall. The purpose of

these “Before-the-Call” Dinners is to offer our

congregation’s members and friends the

opportunity to get to know Rev. Sonya in smaller,

more intimate gatherings as we move forward in

UUFTC’s formal process to “call” her as our

minister. These dinners are also a chance for Rev.

Sonya to find out more about what motivates and

nourishes you at UUFTC. A call between a

congregation and a minister is an open-ended

arrangement signifying that the minister and

congregation see specific and doable ways to work

together to bring about our highest values in the

community. Bring your questions about the call

process and your enthusiasm for the Fellowship in

addition to a dish to share. Don’t miss out on this

great opportunity to get to know our minister in a

relaxed setting, enjoy a delicious meal with

interesting company, and participate in this

important step of our call process. September 17 at

Chef Dave Ingram's (770-6364) and September 18

hosted at the Fellowship House by Janet Telford

and Craig Mineweaser (928-5874), both at 5 p.m.

UUFTC: 19518 Hess Ave Sonora, CA 95370 / (209) 533-8883

Quick links: UU Fellowship of Tuolumne County/ www.uuftc.org ; Pacific Central District/ www.pcd-uua.org

UU World Magazine/ www.uuworld.org ; UUFTC Calendar/ www.uuftc.org/calendar

UU Service Committee/ www.uusc.org UU Association of Congregations/ www.uua.org

the Catalyst appears on our website each month. When each new issue is posted, notification of its availability is sent to all

subscribers via email. We do not share our list of addresses.

Linda DuTemple, Editor 209/928-4364 lindaldu@comcast.net

Laurie Livingston, Web Design

______________________________________

Rev. Sonya Sukalski, Minister / Rev. Craig Scott, Minister Emeritus

209/533-8883 Church Office

the Catalyst 5 September 2016 Vol. 2

Justice for Farmworkers! Abuse of farmworkers in California must be stopped. Long-omitted from national

labor protections, there is now an effort to restore some dignity to the hard working farm laborers in our

state. Visit uujmca.org/economicjustice to find out more and take action today.

From UU Justice Ministry of California’s Newsletter

The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been ...possible

in every circumstance, but the love that they preached ...must always be the North Star

that guides us on our journey. Barack Obama

UUFTC PHOTO GALLERY

Rev. Jeremy D. Nickel at UUFTC Poetry on The Patio

Sept. 4 Service Aug. 7 service

UUFTC Fun Day at Utica Lake July 31

the Catalyst 6 September 2016 Vol. 2