UUCSJS Midweek Message

• Minister's Midweek Meditation
• Explore Our Monthly Theme
• Announcements
• This Sunday
• Last Sunday
• Events This Week
• Connect to Our Faith

What does it take to make the beautiful tapestry of beloved community? Rev. Dawn shares their thoughts on cultivating relationships and inspires us this week with words by bell hooks from her book "Killing Rage."

Rev. Dawn is available for pastoral care appointments Wednesday through Friday 10am-3pm. Please email minister@uucsjs.org to schedule an appointment.

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
• Denise O'Meara at (610) 316-7495 email: denome53@gmail.com
• Helen Utts at (609) 338-3391 email: HelenUtts@aol.com
• MaryLou DeMaria-Berhang at (201) 247-5635 email: MLberhang@gmail.com
• Tony Zitelli at (201) 463-2800 email: happy85a@aol.com

This month we are focusing on cultivating relationships. And let's be honest - relationships require comment, at least every once in a while. The precious people in our lives know we love, appreciate and adore them, but it doesn’t hurt for us to tell them exactly why that is so. There is something about saying it out loud that breathes life back into our connections. There’s something about giving voice to the reasons for our love that makes that love real.

This is what the poet, Matthew Olzmann, understands better than most. In his poem, Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem, he lists all the reasons why he loves his partner, or as he puts it, “the reasons why our marriage might work.” And the genius of the poem is the level of detail it contains. One after another, he lists the extremely particular. He goes to great pains to be precise. That’s where the power rests, he seems to say.

So, here’s your exercise: Write your own “Mountain Dew” poem! Pick someone precious in your life and make an exceedingly specific list of the reasons why you treasure them. Don’t stress about the poetic structure or try to make it perfect. Just sit down and make a list. And when you are done, give it to your precious person. And if you’ve got the guts, you might even ask them to sit down and let you read it to them aloud.

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

Planning a special event? The Communications Team can help. Visit https://uucsjs.breezechms.com/form/42685e for more information.

Margaret Circle will meet on Thursday, October 7, at 1:00, at the UU Center.

Arlene Yacka will be presenting our topic, which will be which will be based on the book “The Decade Matrix” by James O. Gollum. The premise of this book is that the decade you were born into made you what you are today. This will take us back in time, so dig up those old memories. This promises to be a very interesting discussion.

Contact Betsy Searight or email admin@uucsjs.org for more information.

Meeting Friday, October 15th at 7:00 pm using the UUCSJS ZOOM link. (www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom) All are welcome to join the discussion! Marsha Hannah will lead the discussion.

UNDER THE UDALA TREE by Chinelo Okpapanta

Inspired by Nigeria’s folktales and its war, this book is a deeply searching, powerful debut about the dangers of living and loving openly. It uses one women’s lifetime to examine the ways in which Nigerians continue to struggle toward selfhood. This story offers a glimmer of hope – a future where a woman might just be able to shape her life around truth and love.

Questions: morellb@msn.com

November selection: BELOVED by Toni Morrison

Services

raking leaves, piano lessons, surfing experiences . . .

Dinners and Events

fondue party, barbecue, beer tasting . . .

Items

board game, kitchen tool, radio, crystal vase. . .

Handmade and Baked Goods

jewelry, pesto, pies, cookies . . .

Donation Forms are with Deb on the outside table after services (or email Deb at dagbonar4@gmail.com)

Help raise money to support UUCSJS!

1. Purchase a shopping pass for $5 each

2. Shop at Boscovs (in-store only) on October 20th and receive 25% off your purchase

3. UUCSJS receives all funds from purchased shopping passes!

Passes are available by emailing Nick Bonar (or admin@uucsjs.org) and will be available at in-person services beginning Septmeber 12, 2021.

-Rev. Dawn Fortune

Relationships would be so much simpler with clear instructions. Instead, they involve humans with various needs and fears, priorities and values, passions and talents. We take people with all this complexity and mix them together in various communities of a neighborhood, or workplace, or classroom, and hope they’ll get along. But there are no universally understood instructions for how to do that. Join the service prepared to experiment with relationship-building exercises that will hopefully deepen our connections with each other.

This service will be held inside the sanctuary at UUCSJS (masking and social distancing required). The service will also be livestreamed on our Facebook page.

In October we are focused on "Cultivating Relationships" and many of our members have important relationships with the animals in our lives. Saint Francis of Assisi was said to have a deep spiritual connection to all of the animal kingdom, and many traditions celebrate our connection to our companion animals with a blessing service.

If your favorite companion animal is willing and well-behaved, you are encouraged to bring them with you to worship on October 17 to be blessed. All animals must be on secure leashes or in appropriate cages during the service.

If neither you nor your pet is up for a joint trip to church, you can bring a photograph of the animal and Rev. Dawn will offer a blessing with you and the image of your animal companion.

If you have a particularly large or unique animal that might require special accommodations, please reach out to Rev. Dawn at minister@uucsjs.org

If you were unable to join us, you can watch the video of last week's service below.

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.

On Sunday, October 3, after the service, spend a few minutes honoring those people who have been affected by Covid 19. We have planted a tulip tree on our grounds, and will be placing a plaque before it; the plaque will read “In memory of those affected by Covid-19, 2020-2021.” Whether you have a friend or family member who has passed from Covid, or are simply appalled at the sheer numbers of people who have succumbed, this Memorial Tree has been planted in their honor and memory.

If you would like to read a brief poem or bit of prose at this memorial service, please contact Deb Dagavarian at dagbonar4@gmail.com. This idea for this memorial came about through the UUCSJS Caring Team.

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

Click on the images for more information.

Saturday, Oct 2 2:00pm

Organized by Cape May County Indivisible

Corner of Routes 9 & 47. Route 9 & 47 Rio Grande NJ 08242

CLICK HERE to RSVP or for more information.

Sunday Services 10 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
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS