THE ONION'S `SOULFUL' SPIRITUALITY DRAWS THE YOUNG WITH MULTIMEDIA.Byline: HOLLY J. ANDRES Staff Writer NORTH HILLS -- A jolt of spiritual energy for the young -- as well as the young at heart -- is the goal of Sunday's ``Soulful soul·ful adj. Full of or expressing deep feeling; profoundly emotional. soul  ful·ly adv. Sundown'' service at Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society. The ``juiced-up'' multimedia service will be the fourth in a series of ``Soulful Sunday'' services at ``the Onion,'' as the church is popularly called. But it's the first to be held in the evening -- hence a slight change in the name. ``It's a hipper-than-normal service. The music is a great part of the service,'' said Los Angeles Mission College Los Angeles Mission College is a two-year community college located in Sylmar, California neighborhood of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, United States. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College District. student Joanna Hanff, a member of Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society and a singer at the ``Soulful Sunday'' services. ``We try to get everyone involved. It gets pretty lively. I kind of feel ecstatic ec·stat·ic adj. 1. Marked by or expressing ecstasy. 2. Being in a state of ecstasy; joyful or enraptured. [French extatique, from Greek ekstatikos, from with all that upbeat music and really connected.'' Sunday services at the society usually are eclectic e·clec·tic adj. 1. Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles: an eclectic taste in music; an eclectic approach to managing the economy. 2. , with the Rev. Bob McDill delivering a sermon twice a month and guest speakers presenting a variety of topical issues on other Sundays. But the congregation has known for some time that it also needed to try to connect with a younger crowd. One of the things that might catch the attention of the younger set is the congregation's history of social activism. Since its founding in the 1960s, the congregation has tackled social-justice projects and had a liberal leaning on religious and secular issues. The Unitarian Universalist Association Unitarian Universalist Association, Protestant church in the United States formed in 1961 by the merger of the American Unitarian Association (see Unitarianism) and the Universalist Church of America. , of which the North Hills congregation is a member, affirms it's a liberal religion that keeps an open mind on issues. But the challenge has been how to present Unitarian Universalist values in an appealing way to those who may have little or no experience with religious services. ``Most people coming to a Unitarian Universalist service will have an open mind. They are people seeking out spirituality without dogma DOGMA, civil law. This word is used in the first chapter, first section, of the second Novel, and signifies an ordinance of the senate. See also Dig. 27, 1, 6. ,'' said Barbara Vargas, co-facilitator of the ``Soulful Sundays'' services. ``I came to (the society) when I was in my late 20s. I was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a religion that was very active in social concerns and practiced what it preached. `Soulful Sundays' do have a format but are presented in an energetic way. I love them. They carry me through a week.'' Each ``Soulful Sunday'' service has a theme that is expressed through music, words and video. Dance was used during June's ``Hazze Hip Hop hip-hop or hip hop n. 1. A popular urban youth culture, closely associated with rap music and with the style and fashions of African-American inner-city residents. 2. Rap music. adj. Cultural Dream Center Soulful Sunday.'' ``Unity in Community'' is this Sunday's theme. Dana Decker, a professional bass player, and his wife, Emily Haraldson, an art history professor at Glendale Community College Glendale Community College can refer to one of two colleges in the United States.
They also wanted a congregation where their two young boys would be exposed to spiritual truths from all faiths and have the opportunity to participate in community-service projects. Vargas discovered the couple's artistic talents after the family started attending services last October. She asked them to help design the ``Soulful Sundays.'' Decker now is the musical director and plays the bass and Haraldson is the PowerPoint and computer expert at the services. ``Neighborhoods are not like they used to be. We've become isolated,'' said Haraldson, who grew up in the Midwest. ``This is a place for me to feel part of a community, something that was missing in my life. I feel warm and welcomed there.'' An important part of ``Soulful Sundays'' is a community-outreach project. The first service in February raised money for North Valley Caring Services through a bike-a-thon. This Sunday's project will benefit the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Homeless Services Coalition. ``We use a combination of secular and other music that feeds the theme. This Sunday's opening song will be `One World, (Not Three)R' by the Police and we're closing with Bruce Springsteen's version of `This Land is Your Land,''' said Decker. ``We're letting people know there are alternatives (to services) or that they can come because they just want to get involved in causes they believe in.'' ``Soulful Sundown,'' 5 p.m. Sunday, Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society, 9550 Haskell Ave., North Hills. Barbecue barbecue [West Indian or South American], in the United States, traditionally an open-air gathering, political or social, in which meats are roasted whole over a pit of embers and food and drink are liberally enjoyed. , $4, and a bake sale “Bake Sale” redirects here. For the episode from the TV show 8 Simple Rules, see List of 8 Simple Rules episodes. A bake sale is a fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies, sometimes along with ethnic foods, are sold. will follow the service. Call (818) 894-9251 or see www.soulfulsunday.com.; www.myspace.com/soulfulsunday; www.valleyonion.org holly.andres(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3708 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: From left, Barbara Vargas, Dana Decker, Emily Haraldson and Joanna Hanff will be a part of ``Soulful Sundown,'' a nontraditional service for the young that will be celebrated Sunday at Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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