On Nov. 9, we will be celebrating the first anniversary of the launch of Sunday Assembly-Los Angeles by doing a little looking back at all that we've accomplished and some looking forward to our next year.

 Founders and co-directors Amy Boyle & Ian Dodd will be our co-hosts for this celebration.

 Our friends Hunter & the Dirty Jacks will be back to bring down the house with the rock & blues.  But don't expect them to play the traditional "Happy Birthday" song. . . 

Fun factoid: the words 'religion' and 'ligament' share a common Latin root.  Religiare originally meant "that which binds us together" like a ligament binds the bones of our skeleton.  Many traditional religions have their "smells and bells", the shared shorthand of rituals and traditions where meaning can be conveyed with few or no words that binds their members together.  But religion doesn't have the copyright on ritual.  Secular ritual is not an oxymoron.

What do secular communities, especially brand new ones like Sunday Assembly, have that can bind us together?  What role can ritual play in building our community?  Can we consciously create rituals that will carry meaning for us?  We've invited Randi Gottlieb, a psychotherapist with a background in cultural anthropology and a keen interest in the role of ritual in building community, to come kick off this conversation.

 And if you've been waiting to splurge on a new Sunday Assembly T-shirt, this will be the day to buy yourself a little birthday present as we roll out some fresh new designs and styles.  Come check them out at the merchandise table.

 If you would like to lend a hand as a volunteer for our birthday celebration, simply...

             CLICK HERE