Minister’s Christmas Message
As the Christmas holiday approaches, I watch the world scurry around in frenetic activity of preparations. The houses in my neighborhood have lights strung around the eaves and shrubbery, and the family next door has a couple inflatable decorations that cause my small dog no small amount of concern when they are illuminated in the evening.
Christmas is a complex holiday for Unitarian Universalists. Many of us come from Christian traditions and have treasured memories of holidays past, with family gathered in celebration and favorite carols sung at church. Others have less fond memories of the holiday season, remembering family strife or theology that did not feel welcoming or true.
This year, we are facing our second holiday season in the new reality of a global pandemic. We have vaccines now, and some promising treatments for the Covid-19 virus and its variants, but the political division that grips our nation defies any attempt at a cure.
I wish for everyone who sees this a holiday filled with the things that nourish your soul and bring you joy. If that is being with family for meals and gifts and celebrations, I pray that the candles burn bright, that there are smiles on all the children as they open their presents, and that the food is plentiful and delicious. For those who seek peace and quiet, I pray that you find the rejuvenating solitude that fills your batteries. I pray that you are able to rest and relax, that your crossword puzzles be challenging enough to be enjoyable but not so difficult that they are frustrating. I pray that you get some time to see the night sky filled with stars, or to feel the chilly air in your face on a long walk in the stillness.
For those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, my heart reaches out to yours. Holidays are some of the most challenging times for grief, and please know that you are not alone in your sadness. Take care of yourself this year, make sure you get enough rest, allow yourself to cry if you need to do that, and eat foods that nourish both body and soul to keep yourself well. I will keep you in my prayers.
For those who choose to use this time of the year volunteering to help those less fortunate, I pray that your efforts bring comfort to those who need it, food to those who are hungry, warmth for those who are cold, and company for those who are lonely. Bless you.
The church staff have the week between December 25 and January 1 off and operations will resume on January 2. I will return to the pulpit on January 9.
Whatever way you spend these next weeks, may your time be blessed.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
-Rev. Dawn
Need Help?
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
UUCSJS Office Closed
All emails and phone calls to the office or to staff will be returned after January 2, 2022. There will be no Midweek Message December 29, 2021.
If you are in need, please reach out to a member of the Caring Team. In the case of an emergency, contact Kit Marlowe, UUCSJS Board President.
Winter Road Cleanup on Sunday, January 16th
More willing workers needed. Can you help?
Our participation in “Adopt-a-Road” is in jeopardy…
To participate in the Adopt-a-Road program, UUCSJS does at least four (4) road cleanups every “Earth Day Year” (before April 22) while earning a modest stipend from Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA). The cleanups involve walking up & down Pomona Road for about one mile to bag up trash and recyclables.
You’re invited to join the cleanup crew on Sunday, January 16 at 8:15 AM at the UU Center. If it works the way it’s supposed to, you will team up with a partner as you put on a safety vest and gloves and choose your grabber.
Although it might be unexpected, volunteers often report feeling gratified they got out so early and had some exercise and time for reflection along with doing something useful.
We need eight (8) volunteers to accomplish the task in a reasonable amount of time, yet for our first cleanup in July we had five and in October, only four. That’s not enough to do the job and sustain our participation in the program.
Further, the present coordinator plans to step down as of Earth Day 2022 and someone new will be needed to schedule cleanups and report them to ACUA. Will you be the one to take on this straightforward job that improves our environment and helps the church at the same time?
We hope it’s been the pandemic that has discouraged more participation; we shall see. Please don’t hesitate because you’ve never come before – it’s that easy!
Snow/rain date is Sunday, January 23 at 8:15 AM.
Thank you and see you there,
Judy Pereira
Ride Share
Are you willing to drive other people to services?
The Caring Team would like to know!
We are specifically looking for drivers in the Egg Harbor Township area right now but would like to help others connect as well. If you are interested in volunteering or you need a ride, please contact Helen Utts or any member of the Caring Team or email admin@uucsjs.org.
Highway Communication Revisited
As we wrote last week, the UUCSJS Board of Trustees recently rejected a proposal to schedule a membership meeting about the signs and symbols along Pomona Road. That proposal called for replacement of the Black Lives Matter sign with a rainbow multi-issue sign and installation of a flag pole which would fly the American flag and additional flags in rotation.
Feelings about highway communication run high in our congregation. The proponents feel that the Board’s decision was ill-considered. They intend to re-introduce a proposal at the Board meeting on January 13th. The proposal could require a membership meeting on the subject in March.
The Board remains committed to making decisions by a democratic process. Scheduling a Board talk-back before January 13th is impractical. You can send a message to the Board by clicking here.
Kit Marlowe,
UUCSJS Board President
A Village of Strangers
"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."
—Dr. Albert Schweitzer
I’m fortunate to work in an inpatient hospice that permits family to be at the bedside during this pandemic. Even though the allotted number of family members has been markedly reduced, I’m grateful for the special presence only a loved one can bring. At times, the small facility seems too quiet. I miss the way things were before Covid-19, and reminisce about a special week in 2018.
For some families, Christmas can bring out the worst in them as they gather together once a year. This was not the case with these families. They were not just tolerating each other for the sake of the loved one dying; they were there for each other in the truest sense. There were ex-wives who quietly sat by the bedside; estranged children from second marriages; and grandchildren gathered in the common area by the fireplace.
One crafty daughter chose to deal with the stress by teaching people how to make beautiful paper stars. Day by day, each room had a new large beautiful star hanging from the window latch. Each star had a story, infused by the memories that flowed from the mouths of the creators.
The common area became a field of stars, and an integrated sacred space. Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Jews, and non-religious people sat in clusters, new connections, hearing wonderful stories for the first time. Tears and laughter, teatime cookies and finger sandwiches. All waiting; knowing that soon the members of this tiny village of strangers would be leaving. Who will be the first to go? Who will be the last to go? If only it could happen at the same time. Not wanting to be first, hoping to be last. Wanting one more day. Determined to stay even if everyone else is gone.
When I returned the following week, the tiny village of strangers was a thing of Christmas past. The common area was filled with new strangers. I missed that tiny village of strangers. Thankfully, the star made for the staff still hung prominently in the nurse’s station, reminding us of that special Christmas week when the world felt a little more peaceful.
Prayer
May we continue to find ways to connect while keeping safe this holiday season. May 2022 find our physical spaces refilled with the special energy that often comes from perfect strangers. Amen and may it be so.
Laura Shay
Email: braverwiser@uua.org
Website: https://www.uua.org/braverwiser
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Jersey Shore
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