November has been a busy month and there is still a lot going on before we crash headlong into the holidays. Our upcoming services encompass the sacred, profane, spiritual, and earthly. Next week’s Friendsgiving dinner on the 20th will expand your stomach and steel your resolve for the real thing! And this week’s movie night ("Amelie," Wednesday at 6 p.m.) provides a soft launching pad—in French, no less—for a season of joy and service.
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(image: Dana Stangel of Teranga Ranch)
Last Sunday’s Service
The irrepressible Dana Stangel of Teranga Ranch presented “Coyotes Among Us” with the data-rich enthusiasm only a dedicated teacher can provide. We look forward to more of Dana’s reminders of our interdependent web of existence. We were also graced by the Flute and Guitar duo of Liz Conejo and Francis Daniels. See their Sanctuary Concert, “It’s A Boomer Thing,” here.
(image: Liz Conejo on flute and Francis Daniels playing guitar)
This Sunday’s Service, November 19: Tenant’s Rights And the Growing Eviction Crisis in the Foothills
(image: tent city promo for Sunday's service)
People with safe homes and stable incomes sometimes report that they are made to feel guilty for their hard-earned comfort. That is not our intention with Sunday’s service. Instead, representatives from the LA Tenants’ Union talk about how easy it is to fall through our economy’s widening cracks, how bad actors can profit on misery, and how wealth inequality provides a facile “us vs. them” dynamic that ignores how much harder it is now to make simple ends meet, much less afford housing in Los Angeles County. As a progressive church and a community center, we welcome this chance to broaden our perspective. Musical guests Non-Duo join us to take the edge off!
Social Justice
Madeline Dow (arpeggiata@yahoo.com) is coordinating our efforts with local service provider Making It Happen for a community Thanksgiving meal as well as holiday sponsorships for needy families. Check our newsletter for more info.
Wednesday, November 15: Movie Night! “Amelie” (2002)
(image: "Amelie" at Movie Night
This movie has everything: a plot full of whimsy, poignance, and hope, a glorious soundtrack, and English subtitles. RSVP by noon on Wednesday with your choice of pizza topping (pepperoni or simple, rustic cheese) and please consider a $5 donation.
Friday, November 17: Third Friday Potluck at high noon.
You know what to do.
Monday, November 20 at 6 p.m.: Friendsgiving!
Please contact Paula Hallowell (phallowell@gmail.com) for dishes and details.
Sunday Service, November 26: Leonard Cohen Goes to Church
We repeat and reconfigure this popular service featuring the music of the late poet and spiritual seeker, Leonard Cohen, whose earthly works were often inspired by his religious scholarship. We pay particular attention to his “Story of Isaac,” based on the musical motif of “The Slaughter of the Innocents,” which is particularly resonant following this autumn’s events in Gaza.
Saturday, December 2: HUUT Actually: Our Annual Evening of Original Holiday Songs
This last HUUT of 2023 features comedy, camaraderie, conviviality, and cocktails