UUCSJS Midweek Message

Click on the "view in your browser" link at the top of this email. Then find the black and white "person icon" in the bottom right corner of your screen. When you click this icon you can choose to increase the font size or select high contrast mode.

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

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

Covenant and Kintsugi

Presented by Rev. Sana Saeed

Join Rev. Sana to explore why covenantal relationships are important using the Japanese art of kintsugi as a metaphor.

BIO: Rev. Sana Saeed is the Congregational Life Staff for the Central East Region of the UUA. Previously, she was an Intern Minister for UU Ministers Association (UUMA) and was the President of Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM). She’s a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. She lives with her partner and beloved puppy Rumi in Ardmore, PA.

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.

We live in a culture that loves to conquer mysteries. For us modern folks, the unexplainable is simply a lock to be picked, a code to be cracked, a puzzle to be figured out. But what if mystery isn’t just something to solve? What if it’s also something to be listened to?

This is the lesser recognized call of our faith. “Yes,” it says, “Stay skeptical, continue to question and seek answers. But at the same time, leave space for life to speak!” One of the most elegant articulations of this comes from the poet Mary Oliver. In her beloved poem, Wild Geese, she writes,

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—

over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

Oliver’s call to listen for life’s mysterious announcements implies a letting go. Mystery is funny this way. You can’t make it speak. Indeed, often the more you pursue the meaning of life’s mysteries; the more distant it becomes. If we want mystery to speak, it seems we have to be willing to put down the pursuit and open ourselves to being caught off guard.

Let’s let mystery work its magic. Let’s allow ourselves to fall in and be opened up. Let’s slip into the sky and let it slip into us. Let’s set the sleuthing down, for just a moment, and simply listen.

There are few things that can wake us up to the mysterious marvel of life than music. Check out this

playlist of instrumental pieces that explore and help us tap into mystery:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eGd0FBpglD8RXGyN7ML1F?si=2395e659efad4d62

Here’s your assignment: Engage life with this playlist playing in your ears!

More specifically:

• Find an outside space you appreciate and feel comfortable in. For instance, your favorite hiking trail, your back porch looking out over your flower garden or looking up at the night sky, or a coffee shop by the corner window that allows you to watch the hustle and bustle of the world.
• Play and listen to the entire playlist.
• While you listen, take note of what comes up for you.

The goal is to allow the space you are in to come alive, and in doing so, open a space within you. Music transports us, so let it transport you. Music illuminates the miracle of being alive, so see how it illuminates the world around you.

Discussion of Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism

"What calls Unitarian Universalists to create multicultural, antiracist Beloved Community? What do congregations need when they embark on this journey? What common threads run through their stories? Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin—a white minister and a lay person of color—share how five diverse congregations encounter frustrations and disappointments, as well as hope and wonder, once they commit to the journey. Mistakes abound. Miracles of transformation and joy emerge too. Extensively researched and thoughtfully written—with reflection questions at the end of each chapter—Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism will guide readers to apply these stories to their own communities, develop next steps, and renew their commitment to this hard but meaningful work." From Goodreads.com

The Mystery of Our Amazing World

Our religion wants us to pay attention to mystery, that it reminds us how lucky we are to live in an amazing world. Mystery is something which we don’t know, like the answer to “Why are we here?” “How did our universe come into being?” ”What is God?” “Why do people die?” or “What is the meaning of life?” These are things that likely will never be answered and figured out. And that’s ok. The important part, says our faith, is to allow mysterious things to make us feel grateful and happy. Just like when you go to a magic show. We have no idea how the magician does their mysterious tricks; all we know is that we feel excited and lucky to be there to experience it!! Another way to put this is to say, mysterious things change how we feel. Mystery transforms us! When we feel life is boring, they make us feel that life is exciting. When we feel like a know-it-all, they make us humble and curious.

Join us during service to hear a story, play a game, and make some paper snowflakes.

I would like to thank all the people who made our first Evacuation Drill a success. It went off pretty much according to plan and we have received a few suggestions which we will incorporate into our Spring drill. We have tentatively scheduled the next drill for May 5, 2024.

We are once again for anybody that is interested in forming a Speaker’s Bureau to please contact Jess or myself. This includes talking about our faith and supervising a congregational table or booth at Social Justice functions.

We have a calendar in the kitchen for people who want to sign up to be a Sentry for our Sunday services. We lock our doors 15 minutes after service begins and the Sentry monitors the foyer throughout the service. We would like to thank Jack N and Tony Z for volunteering to fill this position the past two Sundays.

Kolette J and I attended the First Friday Action Hour sponsored by Faith Action Network this past Friday. We currently have Bills in the state assembly during their lame duck session regarding Criminal Justice Reform, Reproductive Justice Reform, Immigration Justice Reform, Reparative Justice Reform. After listening to all the bills (there were eight of them) we called our representatives and asked them to support the Faith Action view. This was my first time doing this with Faith Action and I felt a sense accomplishment after the calls. At least I felt my voice was heard. Anyone interested in joining us on the first Friday of the month is asked to contact our Faith Action Network chair, Janet Longo.

Marty Quish

President, UUCSJS Board of Trustees

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

It is that time of year!! ESWA is collecting toys to distribute to families this December. In need of new toys for all ages with special thought to older children and teens - that is where the shortage usually is.

There will be a bin in the UUC entrance for toys, collection will go until Sunday, December 10th.

Thank you for any help you can give to provide toys this year and THANK YOU for all the help you have provided through the past year and in so many ways. ESWA families thank you!

Please be aware that scammers are still targeting our membership list. If you receive an email or text message from someone in the congregation asking for the password to our member directory - DO NOT give them the information. Please ignore these emails/text messages or forward them to admin@uucsjs.org.

Thank you!

Book Club will be meeting Friday, December 15th at 7:00 pm on ZOOM (www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom).

THIS YEAR IT WILL BE DIFFERENT by Maeve Binchy

From this NY Times bestselling author comes a collection of fifteen stories filled with Binchy's trademark wit, charm, and sheer storytelling genius. Instead of nostalgia, she evokes contemporary life; instead of Christmas homilies, she offers truth: and instead of sugarplums, she brings us the nourishment of holidays that precipitate change, growth, and new beginnings.

January selection - WEST WITH GIRAFFES by Linda Rutledge

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.

The Margaret Circle will meet on Thursday, December 7, 1:00 pm, for our annual Holiday Party and

Brunch. Four members who have had milestone birthdays during the 2023 year will be recognized and

honored. All women of the congregation are welcome to attend.

If possible each person should bring a small portion of food to share, either sweet or savory, and a silly

gift that is usually a preowned thing you do not want. Have it wrapped and ready to be used in a

game that can bring a few laughs.

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.

The Mosaic is an online hub of connection, resources, and support for Unitarian Universalists dismantling racism and oppression. Through resources, programs, training, groups, and gatherings, The Mosaic fosters belonging and liberation in Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities. Our work for collective liberation can be as colorful, multi-faceted, and diverse as the tiles of a mosaic.

One resource congregational leaders may find helpful are the Learning and Practice Groups. Mosaic Skill-up Learning and Practice Communities are facilitated small group experiences helping leaders develop the skills and accountability they need to engage in effective anti-racism transformation work in their context. These 90-minute virtual gatherings (meeting approximately twice a month over 4 months) include a mix of learning from trusted voices in the movement toward anti-racism transformation. By participating in a skill-up group you will form meaningful connections, receive support and feedback as you implement your learnings, and tend to your own spiritual well being.

The purpose of the gathering is to deepen our collective understanding and skills around issues related to transformation work; build community through connecting individuals and congregations across our movement; and help us stay rooted in our Unitarian Universalist tradition. Sign up at the Mosaic webpage.

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

Denise O'Meara at (610) 316-7495 denome53@gmail.com

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