Isn't it odd that, even as the light drains from the old year, it returns as actual light? We have Roman king Numa Pompilius to thank for placing the beginning of "the new year: so close to the winter solstice, when the light starts creeping back. Speaking of that, please join us for our Sol Invictus service this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Meanwhile:
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14 at 10 a.m.
Burial of the Unclaimed Dead (streaming link)
Each year Los Angeles County hosts a service for the burial of the unclaimed dead. It is an interfaith ceremony held by the Columbarium at the LA County Cemetery in Boyle Heights. Attendance is very limited but there is a livestream available here. I attended before the pandemic and was deeply moved. Approximately 1500 "unclaimed" individuals are cremated and buried annually in Los Angeles County. To read more about it, click here.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 at noon
Please attend the final Third Friday Potluck of 2023. Reminder: This will be the last potluck of the approximately 7,000 potlucks we host annually and we are expectiong it to be both the pottiest and luckiest.
THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17: SOL INVICTUS!
LAST WEEKEND
Arts & Education Nation
Mercedes Del Castillo and her team from Arts & Education Nation threw a 4-station Arts workshop that was great fun, and which further solidified UUVerdugo as a fully-functional community center and creative space. We hope to see Mercedes et all more in the new year (thanks again, Numa Pompilius).
John Crye and Laura Joy: "There's Something About Mary" service
"Well, you heard the Joy, now it's time for the Crye," said John as he launched into a Biblical and sociological history of Mary, mother of Jesus, accompanied by UU-friendly songs by Patty Griffin, Dar Williams, and the Unitarian Richard Storrs Willis ("It Came Upon A Midnight Clear").
Howard Hangs Up His Spatula
Finally, Master Chef Howard Richman was honored for his service to Glendale's Ascencia Homeless Services Center, for whom he has cooked a meal every month with the assistance of (probably hundreds of) congregants for decades. He spent his final Friday teaching Abby and Paula how to do it, and they will continue the tradition in months that have a fifth Monday (January, April, July, September, and December, 2024). Thank you very much, Howard.