Greetings, good people.
This week has me considering what is permanent and what is transient in our faith of Unitarian Universalism. Theodore Parker considered the Transient and Permanent in Christianity* in a ground-breaking sermon given in Boston in 1841; a sermon that got him roundly criticized by the more orthodox Christian ministers of the day. Parker argued that there are things in Christianity that are permanent, such as the truth of God, and things that are transient, which largely encompassed how humans tend to interpret that powerful, permanent truth.
In the year 2022, what do we know as permanent, and what might we consider to be transient? It is tempting to consider chaos to be permanent, and stability transient.
We know that science is real, but not necessarily permanent. Science changes constantly, updating as new data is incorporated into the collective reality of facts. Life itself is not permanent – indeed it is nothing if but a state of transience for as long as it exists. Each moment is a new experience, each day brings new lessons, each lifetime accumulates a wealth of wisdom and experience.
With this understanding of life, how then, do we live with intention? Are we aware of what we are learning? Are we aware of the things and feelings we experience? Or do we move through our time as though life is happening to us, beyond our own control?
Living involves more than simply absorbing experiences and wisdom, however. It also involves the effect we have on the people, places, and things we interact with. Certainly, we have some agency over how those interactions take place, do we not? How, then, do we live with intention when it comes to the impact we have on our world? What impressions do we leave on the landscape and on the hearts of those around us? Those impressions, like the fossilized footprints of dinosaurs, are our legacy. What story might they tell about the lives we led once we are no longer alive to explain our own actions? What footprints will we leave in this world for others to examine, perhaps far removed from this time and place?
This is what I mean when I speak about living with intention. It is about being mindful of the effect we have on the world around us. What impact are we having on our planet with the way we use its resources? What effect are we having on the people we live or work with in our everyday lives? How will we be remembered? For our anger? Our compassion? Our aloof demeanor? Our deep connection?
We do not move through our lives without consequence, to ourselves and to others. If we are mindful about our thoughts, words, and actions, what will be our legacy in this world?
This topic is a rich place to explore and discuss. I invite you to share your thoughts with me if you’d like.
Be well,
Rev. Dawn
*Wright, Conrad, Three Prophets of Religious Liberalism: Channing, Emerson, Parker; Beacon Press, Boston, 1961
Rev. Dawn is available for pastoral care appointment Wednesday through Friday 10am to 3pm. Email minister@uucsjs.org to schedule an appointment.
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
Winter Road Cleanup Rescheduled for Sunday, January 23th
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 23 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!
Thank you and see you there,
Judy Pereira
Several important things occurred at the UUCSJS Board meeting on Thursday January 13th.
They include:
2022 – 2023 Budget
We took a first look at a congregational budget for 2022 – 2023. Our income and expense projections were very like those in the current year. We started this year, however, with a $26,000 balance from the previous one. That balance won’t survive this budget year. Unless pledges increase greatly, cuts in staff costs seemed inevitable.
Highway Communication
The signage committee that resulted from the April caucuses once again asked the Board to schedule a membership meeting. More members were present at this meeting than the last. The Board agreed to schedule a meeting at which all members will consider the committee’s proposal. We expect to meet on Sunday February 27th. You will be seeing that proposal in the next week or two.
Changes in Ministry
At the end of the meeting, The Rev. Dawn Fortune announced that they would resign from our congregation as of June 30th. They expressed a belief that as long as they served as our minister, members would not provide enough financial support to fund a professional minister’s position.
The Board thanked the Rev. Dawn for their service. We intend to make the next five months as pleasant for them as possible.
The Path Forward
UUCSJS will continue to need programs and spiritual leadership. Seeking another settled minister for next year is not feasible. [It may not even be wise.] Interim and other kinds of contract ministry are options. We might also operate as a lay-led congregation. Operating that way would benefit from employing a worship coordinator, as we did years ago.
BTW: The UUA publishes a handbook for dealing with ministerial transitions. You can find it at this link.
Kit Marlowe,
President, UUCSJS Board of Trustees
Heartfulness Meditation New Dates & Times
Dear friends please join us as we continue our online group meditations in 2022.
Every Evening 7pm except Saturdays
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2219690745?pwd=dDlsdzZITEtqeXJ0T1Q2bFVWcHJTUT09
Every Morning 7:00AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84669268376?pwd=VHFTQmhCTStrZEtHY0NyR0tMWjJTdz09
January Book Club
Book Club will be meeting on Friday, January 21 at 7:00 pm on ZOOM (www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom).
BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue
A “compulsively readable debut novel” about marriage, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream – the “unforgettable story” of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession of 2008 upends the economy.
Judy Pereira will lead the discussion. All are welcome to join the meeting on ZOOM.
February selection is ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman
Questions: morellb@msn.com
What Tracks Will We Leave on This World?
Rev. Dawn Fortune
Living with intention calls us to a practice of mindfulness. What impact do each of my actions have on the world in which I live?
To Join ZOOM Meeting ON COMPUTER:
(Meeting ID: 224 677 6604, passcode 306591)
To Join ZOOM Meeting BY PHONE (you do NOT need to have a Zoom account or app):
Dial:
1-929-436-2866 and wait for the prompt. Then dial 224-677-6604#
When prompted, enter passcode 306591
PLEASE NOTE: Sunday service will be livestreamed on Zoom only. There is no in person gathering.
Why So Many Readers Are Turning to Octavia Butler’s Apocalypse Fiction Right Now
https://slate.com/culture/2020/09/octavia-butler-parable-of-the-sower-talents-pandemic.html
A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler
https://commongood.cc/reader/a-few-rules-for-predicting-the-future-by-octavia-e-butler/
The Radical Hope of Octavia Butler
https://www.aaihs.org/the-radical-hope-of-octavia-butler/
Related Podcast: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/25/1030976863/octavia-butler-visionary-fiction-2021
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