UUCSJS Midweek Message

• Connect to the Monthly Theme
• Minister's Midweek Meditation
• Notes from the Board
• Announcements
• This Sunday
• Last Sunday
• Events This Week
• Connect to Our Faith

Books change the world. We know this. But often the stories that shaped the world have yet to make it into our hands. Use this month to correct that. Below are numerous lists of books that have shaped the course of our country’s history. Dig through those lists to find one that you’ve not read, but also that you think you need to read. In fact, that’s where the soul work likely sits: in the process of noticing which one sticks out to you and figuring out why.

Here are the lists. Have fun exploring!

• Books That Shaped America, 1950 to 2000
• Books That Shaped America, 1900 to 1950
• 20 Books That Have Changed the Way We Think About Race in America
• Top 10 Banned Books That Changed The Face Of Black History

While Rev. Dawn is off, you can catch up on past Minister's Midweek Meditations on the YouTube Playlist.

If you are in need of assistance, please contact Tracey Catino our Caring Team Leader or email admin@uucsjs.org.

Rev. Dawn Is Doing Well

As you know, Rev. Dawn Fortune is on a six-week medical leave starting May 3rd. I have heard from the Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw, the “Good Officer” assigned to us that the Rev. Dawn is doing well and should return after that time ready to serve the Congregation.

COVID – 19 Concerns Letting Up

Although our Pandemic Safety Task Force has yet to finalize our procedures, the recent CDC report bodes well for a return to physical meetings in the sanctuary.

Respectfully submitted,

Kit Marlowe

Board President

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.

Please note our website at uucsjs.org is currently down. Our Webmaster is hard at work getting it up and running again. If you need information or help you can:

• Call the office at 609-965-9400, leave a message and someone will return your call
• Call or text our admin at 856-200-7089
• Email admin@uucsjs.org
• Access the Zoom room at www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom

The UUCSJS Board will meet Thursday, May 20, 2021, at 6:30 pm.

All are welcome to join on Zoom.

We have updated guidelines for Indoor and Outdoor participation in events at UUCSJS, as well as the health pledge.

Please see the following links for details.

• UUCSJS Small Group Gathering Indoor Guidelines
  
• COVID-19 Guidelines for Outdoor Meetings On and Off UUCSJS Grounds
  
• UUCSJS Participation Health Pledge

We are also asking for your feedback on how to best proceed with the gradual reopening of the UU Center, so please respond to our survey below.

Also, look for details in the next few weeks about how you can help get our building ready for re-opening to indoor worship in September. We will be holding some "blue Jean Saturday" events to clean up the inside and outside of the building to clear away some of the pandemic cobwebs!

Questions? Please contact MelissaHutchison@ymail.com, or any member of the Pandemic Response Team (Karen York, Jeff Taylor, Melissa Hutchison, Janet Longo)

-Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw, Guest Minister

"As Unitarian Universalists, we are not often crowned with holy fire and sent out into the world. Or maybe we are.

Join Rev. Amy Shaw in a service which examines the fire that sends us into the world and the ethic which fuels it."

Sunday at 10 am at www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom or call in to (929)436-2866 then enter: 2246776604#, 0#, 306591#. Make sure to update your Zoom software before Sunday morning so you aren't late to church!

Information on upcoming services can be found HERE.

For those hearing-impaired, pdf copies of the sermon 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.

See what you missed if you weren't able to join us!

Visit the RE Virtual Learning Lab at http://uucsjs.org/childrens-re/

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 website is currently down and therefore the calendar is not accessible. Please see below for all events scheduled this week.

UUCSJS Zoom meetings can be accessed through this link: www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom

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.

We just learned that the Senate Law & Public Safety Committee is scheduled to vote Thursday (May 20, 2021) morning on S2562/A4263 – a bill that would undermine the effort to get police chokeholds completely banned in New Jersey.

By simply defining chokeholds as deadly force, this bill would tell us what the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd already told us – and would legitimize their use as a deadly tool in an officer’s toolbox under certain circumstances.

What we need is to criminalize the use of chokeholds, not categorize them.

Please take action BELOW and tell Committee members to vote NO on S2562/A4263 and to instead support S2617, George Floyd’s Law, a bill that would criminalize chokeholds.

Learn more here: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S2562

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S2617

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