UUCSJS Midweek Message

Welcome to October and our month of Deep Listening!

"Your whole life might depend on what you hear." Those are the words from this week's meditation from Joyce Sutphen (www.ayearofbeinghere.com). Take some time this week to catch your breath and contemplate those words. And enjoy these thoughts from our minister, Rev. Dawn Fortune.

-Rev. Dawn Fortune

Saint Francis of Assisi was said to have the ability to speak to animals, or at the very least, call them to him. He is often pictured with a songbird perched on his hand. As the patron saint of animals, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi is a time when many congregations will bless the animals held dear by their members. In the time of the pandemic, we will not have a sanctuary filled with animals, but will instead have a photo gallery of animals available for celebration and blessing.

Saint Francis listened to the way animals communicated, and we will consider the ways we can listen deeply to beings and things we might not otherwise hear. Join us!

Information on upcoming services can be found HERE.

For those hearing-impaired, pdf copies of Rev. Dawn's sermons are available on our website at the link above. Also, entire services are uploaded to our YouTube channel each Sunday afternoon where Closed Captioning is available.

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

To have your announcement placed in the Midweek Message, please send an email to uucsjsadmin@gmail.com by Noon on Wednesday.

The deadline to have your pets blessed in our Animal Blessing Ceremony is just about here. You have ONE MORE DAY! Please send your photos to uucsjsadmin@gmail.com by noon October 1, 2020 to be included in the slide show.

Remember to include your name and your animal's name with your images.

Children's RE begins Fall programming this Sunday, October 4th! Join Ms. Jess and the other RE families on Zoom at 11:30 am. We will watch the premiere of "RE on TV" followed by snack time. A link for the on-demand video will be sent to those on the RE mailing list following the live premiere. All are welcome to attend. To receive the RE weekly email "RE Learning Lab Notes" please email uucsjsdre@gmail.com.

October 14, 21, 28; November 4, 7-9pm

Led by Rev. Dawn

For as long as humans have existed, we have wondered about the origins of the earth and the heavens, sought to define ourselves, and looked for life’s deep meanings and purpose. As Unitarian Universalists, our beliefs and philosophies are beautifully diverse, if often something of an unstructured gobbledygook. Ask ten UUs about their theology, you’re likely to get a dozen different answers. In this class, we will examine our own early lessons about the world and our place in it, and define (as we are able) what it is we know to be true about humanity, the natural world, and our place in it.

Because the sessions build on one another, it is recommended that participants commit to attending all four sessions.

Register for This I Believe: Exploring and Claiming Your Own Theology by completing the form below or by emailing uucsjsadmin@gmail.com.

It's Not a Moment, It's a Movement, presented by Stockton University, The Africana Studies Program, and The Unified Black Students Society with keynote speaker Dr. Zoe Spencer. October 6, 2020, at 2:30 pm, the program is virtual and free to attend but registration is required. For more information, or to register visit the website: Fannie Lou Hamer Human & Civil Right Symposium.

Sunday Services 10 am on Zoom at tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom

Email: uucsjsadmin@gmail.com
Website: www.uucsjs.org
Location: 75 S Pomona Rd, Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS