UUCSJS Midweek Message

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Email admin@uucsjs.org or call Jess at 609-965-9400 if you need assistance

• Upcoming Sunday Services
• Notes From the Board
• Announcements
• Events This Week
• Last Sunday
• Connect to Our Larger Faith
• Caring Team

Poetry and Spirituality

Presented by Elinor Mattern

“Words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels.” Hazrat Inayat Khan

In this interactive dialogue with poet Elinor Mattern, we will discuss ways in which the ineffable “jewels” of poems and prayers, prayers and poems, can awaken the soul and the heart, and bring comfort, solace, peace, joy, connection, faith, and hope.

BIO: Elinor Mattern is a poet, artist, and educator who has spent much of her life seeking out the spiritual threads in the realm of art. Her twin joys of poetry and the spiritual path come together in her own writing and in her teaching and speaking. She currently teaches many aspects of writing and poetry on a freelance basis, after retiring from teaching English at Atlantic Cape Community College. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her poems and non-fiction have appeared in numerous journals and newspapers, including the The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Paterson Literary Review, and Tiferet, A Journal of Spiritual Poetry.

PLEASE NOTE: This service will be in person at UUCSJS and streamed live on our Facebook page. A recording will be available later in the day on our YouTube Channel.

*Masks are currently optional at UUCSJS.

Have you noticed? We have been busy creating worship activity packets that help children (and people of all ages!) learn and focus during the worship service. Sitting still, with nothing to do but listen, can be hard for kids and even some adults. In fact, neuroscientists are learning that some activities actually help us focus in on what we are hearing or learning—especially activities with our hands. Sometimes called “fidget items”, classroom teachers know that activities like pipe cleaners, play-doh, and coloring can actually help listeners focus better. In particular, knitting, sewing, and coloring mandalas have been found to create the same brain patterns as those found during meditation--bestowing a calming, balancing effect. Often, busy hands = calm mind and body. Adults are invited to try an activity pack too. Pick some up on your way into the sanctuary, across the doorway from the hymnals. Get creative! It’s good for your soul, and that’s faith development.

The Board had its annual reorganization meeting on Thursday July 13th. The office of Secretary and Treasurer were already selected at our annual meeting in June. The office of President and Vice President were put to the board for a vote and a complete listing of the new officers and trustees are listed below:

Officers and Trustees of the Board 2023-2024

President-Marty Quish

Vice President- David Weesner

Secretary- Kit Marlowe

Treasurer- Paul Utts

Members At-Large

Karen Amaranto

Pat Kennedy

Heather Swenson Brilla

To have your announcement placed in the Midweek Message, please send an email to admin@uucsjs.org by Noon on Wednesday.

With the most recent rain please do not park on the south side of the driveway this week. This area gets very swampy. Vehicles can get stuck there.

Thanks,

B&G

UUCSJS has been improving its audio and video systems! In the sanctuary, we’ve upgraded the amplifier, the speakers and the presenters and musicians sound great! For the hearing impaired we now have headsets that bring the sound right to your ears, crystal clear. Talk to David and try them out!

We have now improved our live stream on Facebook and Youtube, and we’re getting better and better. Did you know, our average service has about 40 attendees, but our live Facebook feed usually has four to six more viewers, meaning our reach increases another 10-15%. AND, the service replays on Youtube usually have another 20 views within a week or two, another 50% increase in people who see and hear our message.

The audio/video system at UUCSJS is important to spread our message. Won’t you be a part of it? David needs help to run the system. We need volunteers to learn to run the board, to help keep the sound and vision engaging and enjoyable. It’s not hard, it’s like following a recipe in a cookbook, and David will show you everything you need to know to cover on those days when he cannot attend. If you enjoy computers or photography this is a great way to contribute to UUCSJS with your talents. See David for information and a demonstration of our new upgraded system.

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS ARE ONE OF THE MAJOR CAUSES OF INSECT DECLINE!

OUTSIDE LIGHTS ATTRACT AND KILL MOTHS, FIREFLIES, AND OTHER NOCTURNAL INSECTS BY:

• Exhaustion
• Incineration
• Dehydration
• Predation
• Collisions
• Blindness

LUCKILY, THIS IS ONE OF THE EASIEST PROBLEMS A HOMEOWNER CAN SOLVE.

Replace all outside incandescent lights with LED lights with a warm color temperature. (LEDs are also more energy-efficient and will save you money as well.)

Homeowners should also:

• Turn off exterior lights when possible
• Use lights that are motion-activated
• Shade windows in lighted rooms at night

WHY HELP MOTHS?

• Moths are key food items for frogs, bats, birds, and many other creatures.
• In their caterpillar form they are absolutely essential to many songbirds as the primary food for nestlings. A study by University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy found that a single pair of chickadees must find 6000-9000 caterpillars to fledge one clutch of young.
• Moths are also far more important pollinators than most people realize – pollinating tomatoes, potatoes, and other plants bees and other insects tend to ignore.
• Studies have found that moths pollinated a third of all plants examined, roughly equal to the percentage pollinated by bees.
• And moths are beautiful!

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION of the SOUTH JERSEY SHORE

FAITH ACTION COMMITTEE

Click on the graphic below or visit the calendar at uucsjs.org for more information on events and meetings.

CLICK HERE to reserve the Zoom Room or to add your event to the calendar.

Hello everyone, Pomona road cleanup will be on Friday, July 21st. Students from Stockton University will be joining us. There will be lunch afterwards, A sign up sheet will be in the back of the sanctuary for those wishing to help. Cleanup takes about 1 and 1/2 hours. Any questions ask Nancy Watson

We will be meeting Friday, July 21st at 1:00 pm at the UU. As we usually meet on ZOOM this will be - daytime and in person !!

Snacks and drink will be served at this afternoon meeting and everyone is invited to attend.

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnis Garmus

The story of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant scientist who has the misfortune of being a woman in 1950s America. After a frustrating failed academic career, Zott finds success in an unlikely place: as the host of a television cooking show. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting Characters.

Here you will find ways to learn about and connect with our faith and opportunities to connect with other UU's from outside our congregation.

Click on the images for more information.

A few members of our congregation attended this year's annual gathering of North American Unitarian Universalists in Pittsburgh, PA - some in person and some virtually. These delegates from our congregation voted on a number of important things at this year's UUA General Assembly.

Over the next few weeks I will highlight some of these important items in our Midweek Message.

Three Actions of Immediate Witness passed at GA2023!

Read about them here:

• Organizing for Health Equity
• Protect the Dreamers, the Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) with a Pathway to Permanent Residence
• Stop Cop City

Contact a member of the Caring Team

Team members can provide you with support during/after an illness, a death in the family, or other loss or hardship. They can find you resources, run errands, or provide meals in time of need.

Reach out to:

• Tracey Catino at (609) 674-8721 email: Traceysnaps@msn.com
• Helen Utts at (609) 338-3391 email: HelenUtts@aol.com
• Tony Zitelli at (201) 463-2800 email: happy85a@aol.com
• Barbara Morell at (215) 805-7599 email: morellb@msn.com
• Janet Longo at (609) 748-8608 email: jilportnj@comcast.net

Caring Team is looking for members who are willing to attend monthly Zoom meetings and help out when congregants are sick or suffering from hardships. Please contact Tracey Catino if you can join our confidential group.

Sunday Services 10:30 am in person and livestreamed on Facebook.

Email: admin@uucsjs.org
Website: www.uucsjs.org
Location: 75 S Pomona Rd, Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA

Mailing Address: PO Box 853, Pomona NJ 08240
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS