Committees

White Privilege, White Shame, Black Pain is an eight-week course that will help students understand race as an emotional experience that has been perpetuated by historical and contemporary attempts to consolidate rather than share power. As a group we will aim to reveal the ways in which racism harms both people of color and white people, and we will strive to imagine the ways in which we can dismantle these racial barriers by looking inward at our privilege and personal experience, and outward at our relationships and institutions. The class will meet at the church from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays, from September 29th through November 17th. We will read two books, Learning to be White and The New Jim Crow, which must be purchased by the start of the class. http://tinyurl.com/SLCUU-WhitePrivilegeWorkshop

Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline

-Submitted by Joan M. Gregory, Co-Coordinator, Environmental Ministry

The Sierra Club issued this alert: A dangerous fracked oil pipeline has been approved by the federal government -- but it isn't over yet. The controversial Dakota Access pipeline would carry over 450,000 barrels of oil through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, putting communities and waterways at risk all along its 1,168-miles. The Dakota Access pipeline would cut through communities, farms, sensitive natural areas, wildlife habitat, and tribal lands like the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's ancestral lands that are within half a mile of its current reservation.

Not only would the Dakota Access pipeline threaten sacred sites and culturally important landscapes, it would also cross under the Missouri River just upstream of the Tribe's drinking water supply, where a spill would constitute an existential threat to the Tribe's culture and way of life. That's why the Standing Rock Sioux have been protesting the pipeline in peaceful prayer camps since April, and why thousands of supporters have joined them since the pipeline was approved. Take Action: Urge President Obama to stand with tribes to protect our environment by repealing the approval of this dangerous fracked oil pipeline!

Water protectors at Standing Rock are standing strong to defend land and water from the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline, which would put the Missouri River and all those who depend on it in great danger. About 2,000 water protectors are camped there, with more tents and teepees going up daily. In their call to action, they wrote: Water is a necessity for all life. Water is life. Now is the time for all people from all walks of life to join together to stop the desecration and destruction of water, land and life! Members of hundreds (over 188 at last count) of indigenous nations have joined the indigenous-led resistance emerging from Standing Rock Reservation, home of the Oceti Sakowin, the seven council fires, known to many as the “Great Sioux Nation.”

“This 1,168-mile pipeline extending across four states from North Dakota to Illinois has sparked a prairie fire of united Native American resistance not seen since Wounded Knee, and a return of the Great Sioux Nation. This is the first time since the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn that all seven council fires have camped together.” writes Jacqueline Keeler, a Navajo/Yankton Dakota Sioux writer living in Portland, Oregon.

Keeler goes on to report that: “By the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s estimates it will take less than two minutes for a pipeline break to bring heavy Bakken Crude Oil to the Tribe’s Early Head Start building and less than 5 minutes to reach an elementary school. Then 15 minutes to reach the Tribe’s water intake.”

In July, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which had granted the final permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline in federal court. On August 24, Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court from the District of Columbia delayed a decision for the Tribe’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction and promised a decision before or on Sept. 9. On September 3, 2016, the Dakota Access pipeline company attacked Native Americans with dogs and pepper spray as they protested against the pipeline’s construction and the destruction of their sacred lands.

This promises to be a long term action and these brave nations will need support. What can you do?

Here are some articles to read and some sources to follow to get up to speed on what’s happening:

• · We’ve Always “Occupied the Prairie” and We’re Not Going Anywhere [Elders and Leaders - Sacred Stones Camp, NativeNewsOnline.net, 8/24/2016]
• · Rewrite: the Protests at Standing Rock [O'Donnell, MSNBC, 8/25/2016]
• · Standing Rock Litigation FAQ [Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, StandingRock.org, 8/30/2016]
• · Time to Stop a Bad Idea [Brune, SierraClub.org, 9/1/2016]
• · Tribal Dakota Pipeline Resistance the Start of Something Bigger [Keeler, telesurtv.net, 9/3/2016]
• · Why the Founder of Standing Rock Sioux Camp Can’t Forget the Whitestone Massacre [Allard, YES! Magazine, 9/3/2016]
• · What’s Happening in Standing Rock? [Sundeen, OutsideOnline.com, 9/2/2016]
• · ‘And Then the Dogs Came’: Dakota Access Gets Violent, Destroys Graves, Sacred Sites [Manning, Indian Country News, 9/4/2016]
• · DemocracyNow! 8/8/2016, 8/12/2016, 8/18/2016, 8/23/2016, 8/23/2016, 9/4/2016
• · Social media hashtags: #NoDAPL and #RezpectOurWater

Here are some ways you can help out:

The camps that are leading the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline need support. If you are able to donate or send supplies, please do.

• · Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Call for Support
• · The Camp of the Sacred Stone was established on April 1 2016 at the edge of the Missouri and Cannonball Rivers on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to resist the Dakota Access oil pipeline. You can donate to the Legal Defense Fund for Sacred Stone Spirit Camp or donate to the Camp’s general fund or send supplies directly to the Camp via their Amazon wish list.
• · The Red Warrior Camp was established in partnership with the Sacred Stone Camp to help guide the nonviolent direct action resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline. You can donate to the Red Warrior Camp or directly send supplies to the Camp via their Amazon wish list or support the Red Warrior Camp legal fund.
• Locally, Peaceful Uprising and ROAR are following what is happening at Standing Rock very closely. Watch their Facebook pages for calls to action: Peaceful Uprising and Roots of Autonomous Resistance - ROAR Collective. A caravan from SLC left on Labor Day Weekend for Standing Rock, and there are likely to be more. When the call for help goes out again, they will be looking for supplies of warm camping gear and clothing. So please set aside your donations of sleeping bags, pads, tents, coats, boots, thermals, hats, gloves, and other warm camping gear and clothes! When the call goes out again, you will be ready.

Our annual Activities Fair will be held on Sunday, September 18th after both services. The Activities Fair is a great opportunity to learn about the various groups, programs, and committees of the church. Attention church groups: tables will be set up outside and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

As of 8/25/2016

Refugee Resettlement 

Open Minds Book Group

UU Lunch Bunch

Social Justice: Update from UUJME—Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

AIPAC (American Israeli Political Action Committee) is spending money to influence American elections so there is a permanent tilt toward Israel. More information is becoming public that Israel is destroying Palestinian homes with Caterpillar bull dozers and invading homes at night at gun point as well as taking away Palestinian water rights.

Concerned Unitarians, many of them of Jewish heritage, have reflected on our 7 Principles and how they apply to supporting justice in Palestine. This is not an anti-semitic group. UUJME is pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel. They believe that it is in Israel’s best interest to promote Palestinian human rights and peace.

Our principles in order: Every person has inherent worth and dignity; Justice, Equity and Compassion in all Human Relations; Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth in our Congregations; A Free and Responsible Search for Truth and Meaning; the Right of Conscience and the Use of the Democratic Process within our Congregations and Society at large; the goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty and Justice for All; and lastly, Respect for the Interdependent Web of Existence of which we are all a part.

It is because of these principles that the UUA board has divested from Hewlett Packard, Motorola and Caterpillar which were all making a profit from the Israeli occupation. Because of UUJME the UUA board has moved to screen all investments for human rights abuses.

For those wishing to discuss these ideas further, there will be upcoming events and opportunities. A screening, here at the church, of the popular film “Budrus” about how one village succeeded by taking a non violent stand to oppose the Israeli Army, the IDF will happen on October 21st. Look for further details soon.

Environmental Ministry News (8/29/2016)

Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Toward Right Relationship with America’s Native Peoples Workshop

Indigenous leaders are calling on people of faith to raise awareness about the historical and ongoing injustices committed against Native Peoples, and to seek ways of building right relationship with them in accord with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In response to this call and with the advice of Native American educators, the Indigenous Peoples Concerns Committee developed a 2-hour workshop called, “Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Toward Right Relationship with America’s Native Peoples.” Workshop participants enact a 40-minute script and then reflect on and share their responses in a “talking circle” or worship-sharing format. A Resource Kit is provided so that groups can pursue further study of the issues and consider what “right relationship” might mean in their own circumstances. In the Doctrine of Discovery we find the roots of Injustice. In the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples we find the seeds of change. How can we nurture these seeds to bring forth the fruits of right relationship among all peoples? This workshop is a deeply moving and impactful experience. It will change you. And it will change how you understand history and the injustices committed against Native Peoples. 

Paula Palmer, director of Toward Right Relationship, a project of the Indigenous Peoples Concerns committee of the Boulder Friends Meeting (Quakers), created this workshop and facilitates workshops and facilitator trainings throughout the country. Dr. Brown and Ms. Gregory are both trained workshop facilitators.

To REGISTER: Send an email to Joan M. Gregory: , put “HSI WORKSHOP” in the subject line and include: your name, cell phone number, and email address. Attendance is limited. Sign up now to reserve a place. Suggested Donation: $10+. Donations are appreciated, but not required, and will be gratefully accepted at the workshop. All donations will go to support the work of the Toward Right Relationship Project. Questions: Joan M. Gregory, Co-Coordinator, Environmental Ministry, CELL: 801-949-2906, EMAIL: .

This Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Towards Right Relationship with America’s Native People Workshop will be offered as a pre-conference workshop at Compassion, Connection and Response-Ability, the Human Science Institute Conference  to be held in Salt Lake City, September 8-10, 2016. Conference attendance is not required for the workshop, but a special one day conference rate is available for those who may be interested.

Sounding the Alarm on Climate Change -submitted by Joan M. Gregory, Co-Coordinator, Environmental Ministry

Something quite amazing is happening … people … some significant people … are now writing, speaking about, and acting as if the climate crisis is indeed a crisis … a clear and present danger we should be paying attention to with urgency and alarm. This happened because of a lot of work and effort on the part of tenacious people who kept on delivering the message to key spokespeople … and the message has gotten through.

Where will you find this amazing news … check out the articles linked below:

· Bill McKibben (A World at War: We’re under attack from climate change—and our only hope is to mobilize like we did in WWII): https://newrepublic.com/article/135684/declare-war-climate-change-mobilize-wwii?utm=350org

· The Democratic Platform (page 45: We are committed to a national mobilization, and to leading a global effort to mobilize nations to address this threat on a scale not seen since World War II.): https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Democratic-Party-Platform-7.21.16-no-lines.pdf

· Green Party candidate Jill Stein calls for climate state of emergency: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/20/jill-stein-green-party-climate-state-of-emergencymate state of emergency

Clearly, words alone cannot address the enormity of the climate crisis, but words are definitely required to formulate the strategies and plans on which significant action must be based. If you are looking for an excellent source of news, updates, and investigative reporting on climate change, Environmental Ministry recommends: The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-change) with US, UK, Australian and International editions that you can read online.

Announcements and Congregational Briefs (8/15/2016)

Congregational Life Help Needed

As always, the work of First Church takes many hands and hearts to make it real. If you have skill, interest and availability in any of the following areas please be in touch with Rev. Matthew Cockrum at or 801.582.8687 ext. 205:

• Ushering during 9 or 11 o’clock service - approximately 90 minutes monthly
• Newcomer assistance - anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 hours monthly
• Fundraising coordination assistance - TBA
• World religions Teacher - 6th & 7th grade - 2-4 hours monthly
• Small Group Ministry Facilitation - 4 hours monthly

Refugee Resettlement Committee

If you were a Chinese laborer in the late 19th Century, you had no chance to emigrate to the U.S. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 kept the door shut for more than 50 years. It was the first law to target a specific ethnic group.

If you are a Canadian laborer in 2016, you need not worry about a Canadian Exclusion Act or a wall along the border.

Times have (mostly) changed.

The Refugee Resettlement Committee is busy with desperate people from Sudan, DR Congo and Iraq who can’t go home again. With your donations of furniture, their new life in Utah begins on a solid footing. Call Joe Dubray, (984) 527-9773, to have your sofa, table, chairs and lamp picked up and recycled.

Mindfulness in the Summer


UU Mindfulness group continues to meet in the summer at 11:15 following Summer Forum in Room 201.



Open Minds Book Group
The Open Minds Book Group will not meet over the summer. The next meeting will be September 29th when we will discuss “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow.

UU Lunch Bunch
A family-friendly group for anyone and everyone who would like to get together for lunch and chat with like-minded people. Meet at the Restaurant on Sundays at noon during the summer. For more information contact Sonia Carnell at (801) 262-1151 or .

• August 14: Ruth’s Diner (4160 Emigration Canyon Rd.)
• August 21: Market Street Grill (54 West Market St.)
• August 28: Hog Wallow Pub (3200 East Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd.)

We are meeting in room 201 for the summer following Summer Forum at around 11:15 am.

UU Lunch Bunch is a family-friendly group for anyone and everyone who would like to get together for lunch and chat with like-minded people. Meet at the restaurant on Sundays after Summer Forum (noon) during the summer. For more information contact Sonia Carnell at 801-349-8046 or .

The meditation group will be meeting on Sundays in the Parlor at 12:15. They will not meet on May 1st, May 15th or June 5th. We will end near the end of the church year. Final date to be determined.