UU Congregation at Shelter Rock Services: Recent Episodes
Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock
Audio recordings, at your convenience. Nurture your spirit. Unitarian Universalism draws from the teachings of the major world religions and appeals to people from a diversity of traditions. At the core of our faith are a set of principles that reflect values, rather than dogma. Our religious beliefs vary. For both the heart and the mind, Shelter Rock offers engaging worship, religious education, opportunities for social action, a breadth of extraordinary music, and a community of caring, curious and compassionate people. We aspire to be a loving religious community where we can grow spiritually and build a more just and joyful world.
"One cannot live with sighted eyes and feeling hearts and not know or react to the miseries which afflict this world.”
- Lorraine Hansberry
Unitarian Universalism is growing spiritual habits to respond to the ongoing climate crisis. How can love be at the center of our religious responses and relationships during this time of extreme weather and rising xenophobia? Hear grounding songs, special readings, a meditation for all ages, and an invitation to reflect on love as a spiritual practice- especially in hard times.
Love at the Center, led by Rev. Daniel Lawlor, Guest Minister, on August 27, 2023.
We often find ourselves stuck in unhelpful patterns, afraid to take a chance on something new. This week, we ask, "What have we got to lose?" Led by Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson, Guest Minister, on August 20, 2023.
In light of the hate that is fueling our culture and targeting our people, how shall we live out our Unitarian Universalist values? Led by Rev. Michael Crumpler on August 13, 2023.
Soulful Sundown offers Rev. Fenimore’s spoken word with music from The Cosmic Orchestra, onsite and online. Special guest musical artist Deb Talan featured at onsite-only Coffee House afterward.
Where music resides at the heart of religious experience.
With the world full of tragedy–with floods and fires all around–it can be too easy to succumb to despair. But humanity can be uplifted by hope and joy and love. We can contribute to the well-being of each other. How might we embrace JOY as a spiritual practice of this community? August 6, 2023
Being Creative, Finding Community, led by Rev. David Carl Olson on July 16, 2023. The Worship Service in the Veatch Ballroom includes group singing and sharing, with a brief and thoughtful message by Rev. David Carl Olson. Rev. Olson was formerly the Associate Director of the Institute for Theology and the Arts at Andover Newton Theological School. There, community was emphasized through collective creative acts by visual artists, dancers, and musicians. Theologians in residence helped the community see the long human story of spirituality, morality, and ethics.
There is growing conversation about what it means to be human. It isn’t just about ChatGPT but something more spiritual and creative; something that asks us to reconsider our human uniqueness and think about the intelligence present in the world around us – from trees to sea creatures. You are invited to think with me about what it might mean for all of us to open up to being "more than human."
Rev. Dr. Claire MacDonald is a UK-based Unitarian minister and arts practitioner whose work takes place around collaboration, community and conversation. She is also a Fellow of Harris Manchester College Oxford, where she is the Chaplain and currently developing a center for Unitarian studies.
How do we human beings “find our center” as this month’s worship and learning theme suggests? This Sunday explores the human spirit and the yearning to be connected to something greater than ourselves. To honor the Lunar New Year, our RE children will appear after the service in dragon form.
The Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change was founded by Coretta Scott King in 1968. The King Center’s mission is to empower people to create a just, humane, equitable and peaceful world by applying Dr. King’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology. Unitarian Universalists also seek to create the Beloved Community which Rev. Dr. King envisioned. What might be our philosophy and methodology which would empower us to move closer to this goal? Sunday, January 15, 2023
Rev. Brooks weaves spoken word with music from the Cosmic Orchestra. Where music lies at the heart of religious experience.
Our tradition includes the sacred notion that there is power in our choice to associate freely with each other and with other congregations. We express this in a number of settings—the UU Service Committee, the Long Island Area Council, Black Lives of UUism, the UU United Nations Office, and many more. Each year, General Assembly is the most authoritative expression of our faith. In 2023, it will be especially important. We will elect a new UUA President to serve a six year term and we will move forward to amend our basic Principles and Purposes.
Led by Rev. Jaye Brooks and Rev. David Carl Olson on Sunday, January 8, 2023
COVID-19 was a universal experience, but its impacts were often felt individually. Drawing on lessons learned this fall at The Unitarian Church of Lincoln, on January 1, 2023, we'll look at one way of building community through sharing our stories.
The winter holidays are full of the stories of miracles. These miracles are a product of love and faith. Can it be that love and faith continue to make miracles happen all around us now? Our First Graders presented their annual Nativity Play. Lunch was a celebration of the first day of Hanukkah. Sunday, December 18, 2022
George Frideric Handel’s
Messiah Sing
A Beloved Long Island Tradition is BACK!
THE ORCHESTRA AT SHELTER ROCK
Stephen Michael Smith, Conductor
THE UUCSR CHOIR
with
Professional Soloists
Sarah Moulton Faux, soprano
Michael St. Peter, tenor
Leah Wool, mezzo
Brace Negron, bass baritone
Nathaniel LaNasa, harpsichord
On December 11, we thought about December as a month of wonder: Hanukkah in the Jewish tradition (Dec. 18-26); Yule and Solstice in pagan traditions (Dec. 21); and Christmas in the Christian tradition (Dec. 25). So let’s pause to contemplate the nature of miracles. Whether it's the magic of light in the darkness, the turning of the year, or the birth of a baby, we human beings experience wonder. There’s wonder, too, in the Fibonacci numbers that predict the spiral shape of our galaxy and in the ever-renewable light made possible through solar technology. Listen in the spirit of curiosity, discovery, and wonder as Rev. Jaye Brooks shines a little light on the mysteries and miracles of the season.
Led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore with the Cosmic Orchestra
Where music lies at the heart of religious experience.
As our Unitarian Universalist Association once again considers its Principles and Purposes, the Article II Bylaws Commission asks us to center Love as the enduring force that holds us together. What are your thoughts on the re-visioning of the Principles and Purposes of our Association? How might we move love to the center of the mission and vision of our faith?
Sunday, December 4, 2022
When faced with change, we often feel like we are standing at the edge of a precipice, looking out into uncertainty. One way to help adapt to change is to lean on the things that provide stability in unstable times. Join Erol Delos Santos, student minister, to reflect on identifying spiritual resources and how to use them to soften moments of transition.
This 2022 annual celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday was a family Service. Music was provided by the Young Peoples Choir, Jazz Ensemble, and UUCSR Choir. Once again, we were able to come together and tell about the bread which nourishes us. Attendees brought bread to share in the Social Hall after the Worship Service. Guest at Your Table Boxes from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee were distributed.
With LIVE music from the Cosmic Orchestra on a very stormy night!
Soulful Sundown. Where music lies at the heart of religious experience.
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving and many people tell the story of the “Pilgrims and Indians.” The story is based in truth but has gained mythic status. There is, of course, more than one perspective in the story and more than one way to tell any story. How can we/should we change the story to be more inclusive?
In a time when information is available to us in an instant, we often don't dwell in the uncomfortable space of the unknown. The truth is that there are limitless possibilities in 'not knowing'. Imagination thrives in the fertile grounds of mystery. There is something sacred in the secrets of the world around us. Listen to reflect on the courage required to be curious, to be contemplative, and to remain lost but seeking.
In a morning of emotional practice, we sing, we meditate, we reflect on our lives. "You have to accept what comes," Eleanor Roosevelt said, "and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give." Associate Minister for Congregational Life Rev. David Carl Olson leads us in a time of encouraging us to live our best, and to bless each other and the world.
One of the hallmarks of social life in America today is how many things out there are annoying. Confronting the myriad annoyances without losing it takes a remarkable level of centeredness. And maybe courage, which may be a strange character trait to associate with the ability to meet incoming annoyances with serenity. Even so, today's worship service explores the strange quality of courage in the face of annoyance.
Where music lies at the heart of religious experience.
Rev. Olson weaves spoken word with LIVE music from the Cosmic Orchestra.
The notion of taking responsibility for “the seven generations yet to come” comes from a Native American aphorism that became quite popular in both the New Age and ecology movements. But it is sometimes read in a very linear way that can make it feel burdensome. There is another way of thinking that asks us to create the conditions today for living a rich and full life. We hold space for imagining the fullest life that we may offer to many generations around us now. October 9, 2022
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens you. It is not actually having no fear at all. From where comes the courage of this community? From the Jewish tradition of Yom Kippur we are asked to have the courage to examine our actions, reflect and repent – atone and begin again. Sunday, October 2, 2022
In the Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of Days of Awe, a 10-day period of prayer and reflection which culminates in Yom Kippur. How would you celebrate the birthday of the world? How would you begin anew? Held at UUCSR on Sunday, September 25, 2022.
Homecoming Service on September 18, 2022 was a welcome back after summer adventures. There were reunions of friends, children in the pews and the choir in full!
Humans seem to have an innate need for belonging. On Sunday, September 11, 2022, we talked about what it means to be mortal under a sky full of stars, and to find companionship and belonging throughout the days of our lives.
Welcome to the September 2022 Soulful Sundown LIVE, a monthly collaboration between ministers and live musicians.
In September, Rev. Jaye Brooks weaves spoken word with LIVE music from the Cosmic Orchestra. Coffee House follows with Guest Musical Artist Abbie Gardner. Onsite and online. Masks encouraged.
Beneficiary: ABBA Back to School Supplies Drive for children in Hempstead, NY
Soulful Sundown…where music resides at the heart of the religious experience.
Times of tumult, like these, of great uncertainty, can initiate an acceleration of a calling. This call may include an awakening of the elder and the sage within each of us. In many old wisdom traditions, elders were considered to have one foot firmly planted on the ground of presence and of survival, and the other in the realm of great imagination. This sermon explored the Call of the Elder in each of us as a resource of resiliency, endurance, and renewal. Sunday, September 4, 2022
The image of a tree—roots, trunk, branches, and leafy canopy—resonates with humans in so many ways. It’s a family tree, with the history of our ancestors. It’s a tree of life, showing the interrelationships among all species. And it’s often a symbol of community. In Ross Gay’s poem, “To the Fig Tree on 9th and Christian,” a tree on a Philadelphia street corner becomes a real-life, non-metaphorical experience of community. We need more of that.
Depending on where we live, describing ourselves as Unitarian Universalists can complicate our relationships, our responses to social issues. How does geography play a role in our identity as UU's? How do we bring together Unitarian Universalists, across state lines, among cultures and backgrounds, to work together for the common good? August 21, 2022
One of life's challenges is to cope and even thrive despite the accidents and unplanned consequences that beset us. Wendell Berry's poem "The Sycamore" offers a glimpse of how we might gather all accidents into our purpose. In a time when we need hope, a sycamore signals that hope is possible. August 14, 2022
"Summer has a flavor like no other. Always fresh and simmered in sunshine."—These words of Oprah Winfrey reminds me that the sixty summers I’ve lived or the fifty five of them I can recall each has a flavor and excitement; a narrative and memories filled with highs and lows, barbecue and sweet corn that fills my heart with joy and the blessings of life. Together, we unpacked, reflected upon and remembered how interesting the summers of our lives have been. Led by Rev. Gordon Bailey, Guest Minister on Sunday, July 24, 2022.
Tenor Anthony P. McGlaun and Music Director Stephen Michael Smith talk about music, race, and making music as a Black man in today's America.
Mr. McGlaun is the vocal soloist at the "Unheard Voices" Summer Concert of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock Orchestra on Sunday, July 31, 2022. $10 at the door. Reception follows. All welcome.
On July 17, 2022 at 11 AM, we asked, "What does it take to maintain wilderness within an urban or suburban setting?" Members of Shelter Rock's Green Sanctuary team shared stories of our woods and coyotes, our community garden, and the native plants in these hundred acres protected from development. In addition to the re-wilding of our local ecosystem, as individuals our members and friends can reduce plastic pollution and become part of the citizens climate lobby. Protecting planet Earth begins in our own backyard.
In the Sunday Service on July 10, 2022, we explored a Social Gospel for the 21 Century that asked what our response might be to the inequities exposed by the recent pandemic and the social unrest that has evolved during this time of uncertainty. “What We Deserve: Equity and Equality in the Age of Pandemic” was led by Rev. Aaron Payson, Guest Minister.
Soulful Sundown on Friday evening July 8, 2020 was led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore with music from the Cosmic Orchestra. “Summertime” was the subject of spoken word and live music from a full band.
Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore led the Service, titled "Spiritual Democracy" on July 3, 2022. The Fourth of July holiday celebrates the American Revolution and the beginning of US political democracy. UU Principles also celebrate the democratic process but as something more than a political system. How do we understand the spiritual democracy which surrounds our congregational life?
We celebrated the 2022 UUA General Assembly theme, "Meet the Moment." Wherever we've come from, wherever we're going, this very moment is the only time we can act to change ourselves, our lives, and the life of the wider world. Thousands of Unitarian Universalists gathered to consider the moment we all are now meeting. At the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, onsite and online, we celebrated the blessings that can arise as we "Meet the Moment."
Be Your True Colors: JUNETEENTH and PRIDE SERVICE was presented on June 19, 2022. June is Pride Month, an annual celebration commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots that launched the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer rights movement in the United States. Juneteenth is the day we recognize the end of slavery in the United States in 1865. May we take this month of June as an opportunity to recommit to the values of equality and the dignity of every human person.
Memorial Day, led by the Rev. Jennifer Brower This weekend, as many members of our congregation were on retreat together at Silver Bay, we gathered for a service of song and spoken word. As we honored Memorial Day and our nation’s fallen soldiers, we reflected upon the ways that each of us might serve life and humankind in creating peace. Choral music for this service was provided by the UUCSR Quartet.
How does making music -- nurturing sound beauty -- help to connect us? Ground us? We'll (re)connect as a community with a new composition by UU Church of Augusta Music Director, David Neches.
MAMA'S DAY, led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore Mother's Day was begun as "Mother's Day for Peace" in 1870 by Unitarian Julia Ward. She made an "appeal to womanhood throughout the world to unite for peace" With "Mama's Day" we are called to honor all those who "mother" especially those who mentor in the midst of pain, war, and struggle. However imperfect, the effort to nurture life is a spirit-filled journey.
Climate change is real, and a real threat. But in small ways all over the planet, people are acting to resist and push back—to renew and restore the Earth. These acts of planetary creativity and vision are cause for awakening to hope. Rev. Jaye Brooks with Green Sanctuary Members Elaine Peters, AnneMarie Ansel, Ellen Councill, Jim Peters, and WinterFlower Regla Robinson.
Blooming and Belonging Easter Family Service: A time together full of music and the joy of being together to welcome Spring—the season of awakening and rebirth. Led by the UUCSR Ministry Team
Awakening and Unfinished As we continue to open our hearts to the unfolding mysteries of spring, we gathered to witness the moments of wonder present in our daily lives—lives still awaking, unfinished. Our special guest was Cassandra Montenegro, a candidate for UU ministry who studies at Harvard Divinity School. She brought a vibrant inner life to the messages she shared with UUCSR last summer.
In his book, Awakenings, Dr. Oliver Sacks recounted the cases of his patients who had contracted sleeping sickness during the great epidemic just after World War I. They were frozen in time until 1969 when Sacks gave them the medication L-DOPA and the patients “awakened”. The book, and the movie based on the book, explore questions of health, disease, suffering, care and human connection. What might our own awakenings be?
“Adversity is not without comforts and hopes.” --Francis Bacon
Members of the Senior Seminar youth group reflected on the adversities they have faced during COVID, the comforts and lessons they have found, and their hopes for the future. This Youth-led Worship Service was held on March 27, 2022.
During this month when our learning and worship theme is "Renewing Faith," UUCSR's ministers have asked members, "What, for you, was a key moment of renewal or insight about your faith?" Over a life’s journey, our understanding of faith develops and changes. In today's worship service, Shelter Rock members with diverse life experiences shared their understanding of the deeper, broader meaning of "faith." Rev. Jaye Brooks led the Service with Sheri Lynn McKee, Fabrice Bukebuke, Klaus Masuch and WinterFlower Regla Robinson.
In Unitarian Universalism, the idea of "Renewing Faith" (this month's learning and worship theme) isn't so much about reviving faith of a particular style and description. Instead, it's more about understanding the roots that have supported faith thus far and spreading the wings that take us to a new place of understanding. In our faith tradition, each person is on their own personal search for truth and meaning—a lifelong process of learning and growth.
So each of us can ask, "What are my roots?" and "How can I spread my wings?" as we support one another in a journey of change and renewal—not circling back to the old meaning, but spiraling up to the new.
"Where music resides at the heart of religious experience." A contemporary evening Worship experience led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore with music from The Cosmic Orchestra.
Listen to stories of women’s wisdom, growth, and renewal as they age. On March 6, 2022, we shared some of the life lessons of older women and reflected on the many gifts which they offer.
In the Service on February 27, 2022, we reflected on the days we have been given, our complicated lives, our moment in history and the seeds of joy that abide here. The Service was an invitation to accept the gift of the day we have been given, with all the beauty and challenge that we find here, and to meet our days with gratitude, resourcefulness, generosity and love.
The Rev. Lauren Smith was appointed Director of Stewardship and Development at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in February 2019. She oversees the UUA’s fundraising efforts, including Annual Program Fund contributions from member congregations. Lauren’s ties to Unitarian Universalism stretch back five generations. Her great great grandfather William Hazel was born a free black person in North Carolina and became a member of the First Parish in Cambridge after his family fled north prior to the Civil War.
Who we welcome into our circle, how widely we cast that circle, can be explored from many angles. Who is held within the circle depends, in part, upon what we believe about ourselves, and who and what we value. We tend to welcome into our sphere folks who we believe are like us. Folks with whom we are comfortable. Won’t you join me and members of UUCSR for this morning’s reflection in song and spoken word.
What does it take to love our way through fear? The poet Amanda Gorman, in her book, Call Us What We Carry, acknowledges both the burdens of this time in history and the miracle of human resilience. The struggle continues. How do we open our hearts and let love try its best? February 13, 2022
Led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore. As a Unitarian Universalist community, we are called to be a community of care. The ministry of being more equitable, inclusive and diverse is justice work – and it is also a spiritual practice. We can explore how our Unitarian Universalist Principles support us in widening our circle of concern. February 6, 2022
Lifting Up the Power of Leaders
Greisa Martinez Rosas and Make the Road New York Co-Executive Director José Lopez, will co-deliver a sermon entitled "If Only We Dare." They are both examples of the impact of multigenerational leadership development, as José also began his work in community organizing as a teenager and is now running one of the most powerful social justice organizations right here in New York, long-supported by the Veatch Program. Join the Veatch Board of Governors and staff as we hear two incredible movement leaders speak from the pulpit, share stories from their work, and show us how listening to young people is critical to our present and our future.
As Unitarian Universalists, we see our justice work as living our values in to the world. We covenant that "service is our prayer." What might it look like to create a Spiritual Practice of justice work?
Meet Janine Gelsinger, the Executive Director of UUJAZ (Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona, the state action network) and a member of the Beloved Conversations Virtual Curriculum Design Team at Meadville Lombard. As she shared about her life and the path that led her to this role, she invited us to consider our relationship with social justice activism, as well as spiritual practice, and suggested a way to have the two meet in a daily ritual.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.(1929-1968) quoted the Unitarian minister, Theodore Parker (1810-1860) when we said “the Arc of the Universe is long but it bends toward justice.” Our UU communities have long embraced a commitment to taking this long journey towards building a more just, peaceful and loving world. Our young adults incorporate the quest for justice and inclusion into their spiritual lives; hear their words on this connection.
This month's learning and worship theme, Living With Intention, invited exploration of reproductive justice and a woman's choice. To consider this potentially contentious topic, we invited everyone in with open hearts and minds, and held in love anyone who has ever made a difficult choice.
Led by Rev. Jaye Brooks with members of the UUCSR Women's Group and Social Justice Committee: Maria Ceraulo, Katherine Miller, Susan Roberts, and Barry Nobel. January 9, 2022
On the first Sunday morning of 2022, as we were poised on the Hinge of the Year, having left 2021 behind and just entering 2022, UUCSR members and our gifted professional soloists shared some of what they discerned in the strange days of the past year, and offered their hopes for the days ahead.
The sermon on December 26, 2021 asks: What is wisdom? How does it differ from knowledge? Is the difference worth discerning? It will explore the landscape of the difference between knowledge and wisdom and how the difference plays out in our modern world. Led by Guest Minister Rev. Anthony Johnson.
Hear a retelling of the Christmas Story at this Family Holiday Service and a presentation of the Nativity Play.
In this season of many holidays in world religious traditions, a recurring theme is peace—both inner peace and peace in the world. The human longing for peace may seem small and muted in a world filled with war-clamor and hostility. Yet peace is real, if often distant; each of us has the capacity to experience peace and birth it into the world. December 12, 2021
No matter what we might say about the winter holiday season, and we might have a lot to say... one of the great gifts of the holidays is the music. There is music galore! On this night, members of the Cosmic Orchestra shared with us the holiday music that has been most meaningful and moving for them. Treat yourself!
Hanukkah, the Hebrew word for “dedication” is the Jewish Festival of Lights. In ancient times, the Maccabees sought to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem. The miracle of Hanukkah is that only one vial of oil was found for the rededication, with just enough oil to illuminate the Temple for one day, and yet it lasted for 8 full days. The annual celebration of Hanukkah is a remembrance of this miracle. What miracles surround you? What lights do you find, or make in your lives?
As we prepared for the holiday season, many of us still find ourselves seeking a renewed place of solace amidst the living histories of our lives. Some of us may even be feeling a bit untethered, disconnected from one another, from our families, and even from parts of ourselves. Cassandra Montenegro, second year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, led this Service on Sunday, November 28, 2021, that explored how the poetry of the historical religious figure Saint Teresa of Avila, a mystic poet from a Converso Jewish family who worked through illness and reformed a Catholic order, continues to inspire the artists among and within us.
Thanksgiving features food, but it is not really just the food which nourishes us. On Thanksgiving, we gather for community, companionship, fellowship, friends, family, tradition, and love. And in this year of pandemic, we dearly wish that we could be physically together, but it would not be wise. Instead, we shared stories of meanings of bread.
Unitarian Universalism, with its nearly 2,000-year history, is rooted in a few key ideas. Our forebears were united in rejection of any one way of thinking; they were united in agreement on love. From the second-century philosopher Origen, who said that "God loves everyone, to 16th-century Ferenc David, who said "We don't have to think alike to love alike," to 21st-century Thandeka, who urges, "Hear your commission to love, to create community, and to heal," our great-hearted teachers have led with love. This is the history we hold today.
In 1993, the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly passed a resolution on Justice for Indigenous Peoples, resolving to address the problems and issues faced by Native Peoples, to support local indigenous peoples' political actions and to learn about the richness of their culture and spirituality. Long Island is the ancestral home of 13 Indigenous Peoples. The hamlet of Manhasset, where this congregation is located is named for the Manhassets. The Shinnecock Tribal Nation is a federally recognized tribe on the east end of Long Island. What do we know of the presence of Native Peoples on Long Island? And how might we be in relationship with the community that first knew this land as their home? Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore addressed these questions on November 7, 2021.
Halloween Sunday! How can we open up to different ways of imagining ourselves? Wear a costume that helps express the direction your personal and spiritual growth might take. Would you like to be stronger, kinder, braver, wiser? How might that look? We will explore ways to cultivate friendships and invite experiences that empower us to learn and grow.
Once again, we gathered with those outside our family or lockdown groups.! What happens when a group of people gather? Can we facilitate spaces where learning can happen and people can welcome change? Can we sit with expansive questions and complicated answers? In her book, “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters”, Priya Parker describes gathering as an art; an art to be tended, practiced, honed, and honored. How does our community engage with the art of gathering? We considered these questions on October 24, 2021.
UN Sunday is our time to hear from UUCSR’s delegates to the UU@UN, formerly known as UU-UNO (United Nations Office). On the heels of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and the 75th year of the existence of the United Nations, there appears to be overwhelming support for international cooperation toward climate justice. UUCSR member Janet Bendowitz informs us that the topic will be “Climate Justice: Food Sustainability.” UU@UN envoys continue to keep UUCSR abreast of developments at the annual celebration of UN Sunday (October 17, 2021)
Our lives, our gatherings, our world, in ways large and small, are now shaped by the climate crisis. What day-to-day habits are we cultivating to accompany one another in unexpected heartache, joy, and possibility? What spiritual practices within our Unitarian Universalist tradition can galvanize and sustain us—as individuals and communities—amidst joy and sorrow? Hear Guest Speaker Daniel Lawlor, Co-Director of UU Ministry for the Earth, consider spiritual habits that allow us to lament, slow down, and connect in times of climate crisis at UUCSR's service on October 10, 2021.
Daniel Lawlor (he/him) is excited to be the Co-Director for Fundraising and Communications with the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth. Drawing on his family's example of engaged, religious practice and community work in Rhode Island, Daniel is inspired by caring communities and honored to witness the joys and sorrows in our faith. Daniel and Yumi, his wife, call Brooklyn home. A former middle school teacher and development director, Daniel is a proud graduate of Boston University School of Theology and served as ministerial intern at First Church Boston 2019-2021.
Aly Tharp (she/her or they/them) is the Co-Director of the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (UUMFE), manages the Association-wide Create Climate Justice initiative, and is a member of the UUA Organizing Strategy Team. Aly lives in Austin, TX, and is a member of the Wildflower UU Church. Aly is also an arts and cultural organizer and food activist, working in her free time as a core volunteer with the Festival Beach Food Forest (an edible and medicinal landscape on public parkland), and as Secretary of the Board for the Serefina Food Pantry. Aly is excited to join you this weekend, in preparation to join protests in DC next week as part of the People v Fossil Fuels Week of Action."
Fall Worship Services are held under the Worship Tent on the Lobby Lawn. Free professional childcare is always available. UUCSR Worship Services are live streamed on www.uucsr.org/worship, on Facebook, and YouTube. They are available thereafter on the same platforms and as podcasts. Visit www.uucsr.org/podcast.. Also aired on NSTV. Closed captioning is available on services approximately 24 hours following live streamed broadcasts. Please click "cc" in the lower right section of a video to enable closed captions. For assistance, please contact Jen Sappell (jsappell@uucsr.org).
Where music resides at the heart of religious experience.
Led by Rev. Jennifer Brower with music from the Cosmic Orchestra
In this traditional outdoor service, we gathered with beloved animal companions to recognize their unique contribution to our well-being. The ministers blessed these furry (and otherwise) friends as we celebrated the beauty of our relationships. Favorite toy animals and photos of beloved animal companions were also welcomed to receive a blessing.
Fall Worship Services are held under the Worship Tent on the Lobby Lawn. Free professional childcare is always available. UUCSR Worship Services are live streamed on www.uucsr.org/worship, on Facebook, and YouTube. They are available thereafter on the same platforms and as podcasts. Visit www.uucsr.org/podcast.. Also aired on NSTV. Closed captioning is available on services approximately 24 hours following live streamed broadcasts. Please click "cc" in the lower right section of a video to enable closed captions. For assistance, please contact Jen Sappell (jsappell@uucsr.org).
This worship service includes a ceremony of remembrance for COVID losses and praise for responders and frontline workers. We have been through so much together; we have been present for one another; on this day we acknowledged the toll on heart and mind even as we expressed gratitude for the dedication of those who continue to serve others. September 26, 2021
On Sunday, September 19, 2021, when Shelter Rock traditionally celebrates "Homecoming" after the end of summer, we gathered both on-site and online to celebrate our beloved community. One of the things we've learned to appreciate over the last 16 months is the importance of flexibility and resilience. Our on-site worship service was outdoors under a large tent—livestreamed for those who gather online. Wherever each of us was, we were together again.
Sometimes when we want to be seen by those in our life we care about the most, we put on layer after layer hiding beneath our roles. On September 12, 2021, we looked at John 21, where there is a line that has always made me wonder a bit. A group of disciples is out fishing when Jesus appears on the shore. Peter puts on his clothes to swim to Jesus. Peter often mixes things up a bit. We explored what it means to have to strip from the layers that appear to protect us, that are really in our way, the role of vulnerability, and why you might consider fishing naked.
Friday, September 10, 2021, 8:00 PM
Welcome to the September 2021 Soulful Sundown, the monthly spiritual and musical collaboration between the Rev. Jennifer L. Brower and The Cosmic Orchestra.
Tonight's offering is focused on the organization Trees, Water & People - https://treeswaterpeople.org/
Here's how you can donate to TREES, WATER & PEOPLE
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Donate directly through PayPal: donate@uucsr.org
Be sure to include Trees, Water & People in Note Section -
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On Labor Day weekend 2021, we felt our way together into the territory of the emotional, spiritual, and physical work that so many of us end up—perhaps unexpectedly—providing for loved ones. What are the implications when relationships shift from, for example, offspring, spouse, or sibling—to caretaker? How can we provide support for one another under these circumstances? Li Kynvi is an intern minister at First Parish Church of Groton, MA, and a hospice music therapist.
To many Unitarian Universalists, prayer is life-affirming—yet other UUs may react to prayer with discomfort or skepticism. Joshua Berg, a UU seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School, explores prayer from his perspective as a cultural Jew, a humanist, a chaplain, and a soon-to-be Unitarian Universalist minister.
What is it about picking up a pair of binoculars, lifting your eyes up to a far-off fluttering, or attuning your ears to a familiar chirp, that transports so many of us to spaces of peace? Whether you’re in the woods with friends, on the seashore with family, or looking out the window of your apartment, Cassie Montenegro, Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, invites you to consider a joyful journey into birding and birdwatching that can restore connection and confidence in our communities and ourselves.
Rev. Sana Saeeduses storytelling to explore the areas of life where we may feel empty in life and where we feel abundance during this time of pandemic and move towards gathering again. We'll explore Buddhist on balance.
Soulful Sunday Morning, led by the Rev. Jennifer L. Brower with LIVE music from The Cosmic Orchestra. Once again, Friday night came to Sunday morning! Come, join us for a toe-tapping, hand-clapping, singing, dancing, Soulful Sundown-style service, broadcasted on August 8, 2021.
Rev. Lebak wrote, "I have described my own theology as rational mysticism, religious humanism, and even described myself as a Gestalt theist. Coming away from training in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, I have been engaged more and more in conversations with how it is possible to be both rational and mystical. I would argue that religious idolatry and idolatry of the mind are equally as dismissive to the big picture of our existence. Award-winning Journalist John Horgan has written a book called Rational Mysticism that explores how science, theology, and philosophy all attempt to formulate an empirical explanation about the meaning of life." On August 1, 2021, Rev. Lebak explored how to link the mind of a skeptic with the heart of a seeker.
What’s the difference between joy and happiness? How can spiritual practice help us find and maintain joy? How does reciprocal relationship help us nurture joy? When the weight of the world feels so heavy, how do we practice joy? Former UUCSR tenor soloist and current Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta minister, Rev. Nic Filzen, led a joy-full journey on Sunday, July 25, 2021.
In a world where so many of us feel compelled to “do” rather than “be,” what does it mean to sow the seeds of being? Given all the demands of Zoom and modern life, as the world continues to open up for many of us this Spring, to what extent can silence and rest factor into our own lives? And what would it mean to the ecology of our communities if they did? Cassie Montenegro, Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, led us in an exploration of who we might continue to become together if we allowed ourselves more time to “be” on July 18, 2021.
The Spiritual Insight of Evel Knievel | Sunday Service
On July 11, 2021, in-person outdoor Worship Service led by Rev. Jennifer L. Brower was also live-streamed. When asked why he repeatedly took his life into his own hands with his daring stunt jumps, 1970’s stuntmaster Evel Knievel said, “I love the feeling of the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair.”
Soulful Sundown is led by the Rev. Jennifer L. Brower, who weaves spoken word with music from the Cosmic Orchestra. It is held monthly on the second Friday evening at 8:00 PM, and is open to all.
Rev. Johnson wrote, “When I first heard, years ago, that the word DEMOCRACY was nowhere in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence I was startled. This could not be true. Our government is a democracy! As it turns out, our Founders actually feared democratic rule. The Founders preferred the word REPUBLIC.” Rev. Johnson’s sermon shared the truth about the differences between the two words.
On Sunday, June 27, 2021, the largest annual gathering of UUs joined in worship together. The Sunday Worship from the UUA General Assembly was led by the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis.
Until Love Wins–Today’s challenging times require a nimble and resilient spirituality. We need a demanding, inspiring faith and a love strong enough that it will not let us go. We draw the circle wide, gathered our strength, and promised to stay in the struggle and joy until love wins.
Presenters: Musicians, Franco Holder, Aimee K. Bryant, and Dr. Randal Buikema, and religious professionals, Lauren Wyeth, Julica Hermann de la Fuente, and Revs. Arif Mamdani, Karen Hutt, and Jen Crow will lead the service.
For each of us, the time comes to turn the page. We mark milestones and we find ways to let go in order to open ourselves to whatever wisdom the next chapter might hold. In their final service as Student Minister, Alia Shinbrough offered some reflections on this year of learning and growing into ministry with the community at Shelter Rock. (June 20, 2021)
The Unitarian Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “It is a happy talent to know how to play.” Human beings learn so much from play. A sense of playfulness might be one of the things we need in our toolbox in order to continue to learn and grow as we move toward post-pandemic congregational life. This was our second in-person, outdoor worship service at UUCSR in 2021.
Spoken word woven with music from The Cosmic Orchestra, led by Guest Speaker Alia Shinbrough
During these exceptional and often traumatic times, our young people have continued to explore Unitarian Universalism. They have thought about what they believe now and how they live out their personal beliefs and our Unitarian Universalist Principles. This service on June 6, 2021 recognized and celebrated our 8th and 9th grade Coming of Age class. Led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore.
A century ago at the close of another pandemic and global war, poets and preachers struggled with how to mark the magnitude of loss they had collectively experienced. In our time, how do we tell stories of loss while proclaiming the love at the heart of our faith? This May 30 Service marked Memorial Day.
How long has it been? Too long. The May 23, 2021 outdoor service was the first on-site Sunday worship service since March 8, 2020. A small number of preregistered members were present. Together we shared a creation story: creating community, making meaning, and lifting our hearts and hopes in celebration. Together, we bring about the blossoms of new life.
It has been a year like none other for our children, youth, and families. Through this time of isolation, separation, anxiety, and zooming everything – our young people have also built determination, empathy, resilience, and a strong commitment to justice in the world. In the Bridging Worship Service on May 16, 2021, we recognized and celebrated our graduating High School seniors. Included were stories, readings, and reflections from Lifespan Religious Education Coordinator Carson Jones, Student Minister Alia Shinbrough, Senior Seminar Advisor Bill Carmody, and graduating members of the Senior Seminar youth group. Featuring music from the UUCSR Vocal Quartet, Jazz Ensemble, and a new recording from the Young People’s Choir conducted by RE Music Specialist George Weisman.
Celebrating Mother’s Day in community brings forth a range of experiences from grief to gratitude and beyond. Especially this year, how do we show up for each other on this day which can be both meaningful and heart-wrenching for many among us? Join us for this Mother’s Day Services as together we live into our complexities, lean into our differences, and honor these contradictions through our communal celebrations.
Remember that long ago, brave people migrated to seek better lives. Today, families continue to try to escape violence, poverty, and despair at great peril. People of the Unitarian Universalist tradition are committed to helping those in need and to encouraging what is good in this world grow and thrive. Broadcast Sunday, May 2, 2021.
The world celebrates Earth Day on April 22. On April 25, 2021, Green Sanctuary members and Rev. Jaye Brooks lifted up the emerging causes for hope for our planet. Even in the midst of climate change and the real risk of serious environmental and humanitarian harm, new efforts, new discoveries, and new wisdom offer unanticipated paths to a more hopeful future.
Caught in a time of pandemic, of political turmoil, and great justice seeking, it is important to remember that at the end of the day - every day - we are each and all pilgrims of the spirit. The question is, in our tradition of free faith, do we journey alone, or together?
Reverend Anne Bancroft, was excited to have returned to UUCSR as a guest preacher on April 18, 2021, having served as an Intern Minister nearly twelve years ago!
A human being spends a lifetime not only being but becoming. What does it mean to become more fully human—to live into the potential that’s innate within each of us? How do we become a complete and fulfilled human being? And can we imagine what it would feel like? Rev. Jaye Brooks addressed these questions on April 11, 2021.
Blessing of the Animals, led by Rev. Jennifer L. Brower with The Cosmic Orchestra. Soulful Sundown: Where music resides at the heart of religious experience.
In the words of the Rev. Jane Rzepka, “We have wintered long enough…" In this, the season of life upbudding, as buds and bulbs swell with potency, our spirits swell with hope and empowering potential. With the renewal of natural life, we will find our hearts and joy again. This morning was a multigenerational celebration of Easter. The UUCSR Choir, Jazz Ensemble and the Young People's Choir all participated.
This year, the Jewish festival of Passover was celebrated from the evening of March 27 through April 4. The March 28, 2021 multigenerational service explored how themes of adaptation, memory, and liberation call us to commemorate the Passover season through ritual, song, and story.
UUCSR Worship Services are also available on uucsr.org, YouTube, and Facebook, and as podcasts.
On Sunday, March 21, 2021, Rev. Jennifer L. Brower with UUCSR and UUCCN Members, led the Worship Service titled Commitment. The service, which included a Time For All Ages, was created collaboratively by members of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock and those of the UU Congregation of Central Nassau in Garden City, New York with support from the Rev. Jennifer L. Brower. We reflected upon Commitment, which includes roots from three Latin word: com – together, mit – to send, and ment – a result. Pieced together, the elements shape an idea that commitment is not experienced in isolation but with others and with all parts of ourselves. That commitment has an energy that moves, sends us along in a direction. And that commitment is the result of choice.
No one celebrates a year of pandemic, but we’ve all noticed the anniversary looming. Our last Sunday of in-person worship was March 8, 2020 and the congregation’s premises closed effective March 13, 2020. Here we are, a year later, with far too many losses—and yet, somehow, a more sure awareness of our strength, our resilience, and our community. We gathered together on Sunday, March 14, 2020 for An Unwanted Anniversary: A Pandemic Year, led by the UUCSR Ministry Team.
Led by the Rev. Jennifer L Brower with The Cosmic Orchestra. Alia Shinbrough participating.
What is commitment? The life of Sister Helen Prejean, leader in the movement to abolish the death penalty, is a story of commitment. This worship service featured poems, songs, and stories about Sister Helen, exploring her personal transformation to a life of commitment. Songs by Jake Hegge from his song cycle "The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love." March 7, 2021
Our Universalist roots call us to an embracing, all-encompassing, salvific Love. This universal love meets us where we are and crucially also asks us to grow more whole through our encounters with each other. To embody this love we must transform, and be transformed by our commitments to lift each other up, to seek liberation in our bodies, and liberation of our spirits. Join Student Minister Alia Shinbrough in this service as we contemplate together what changes we must embrace, and what transformations we must choose to undergo in order to better embody beloved community.
"The Tree of Life" was a collaborative service on February 21, 2021. The sea islands people of America's southeast coast are descended from Africans brought to this country as slaves. The separation of the islands helped to preserve their Gullah culture and language. Rev. Jaye Brooks and Music Director Stephen Michael Smith first encountered songs of the Gullah people in workshops led by singer, composer, and musicologist Ysaye Barnwell. The service celebrated the stories and music of the people of St. John's Island, South Carolina, collected in Guy and Candie Carawan's 1989 book, Ain't You Got a Right to the Tree of Life?
Unitarian Universalist congregations are considering adding an 8th Principle which speaks directly to the need to build the Beloved Community by working for racial justice, equity, and inclusion. How might we engage in this conversation? Led by Rev. Dr. Natalie M. Fenimore on Sunday, February 7, 2021.
Veatch Sunday began with the Worship Service, lifting up the theme: Power and Possibility: We Vision a World. We heard from multiple grantees about the possibilities envisioned by these leaders, and the world they are bringing into reality. Following the streamed service, Veatch staff and Governors joined the Coffee Hour. At 1:00 PM, the Annual Meeting explored live: Recovery in our Health, Economy and Democracy. Grantees spoke to their work in these areas, and to the powerful role of Veatch as a funder of long term, social change in this crucial time.
We gather this day, Unitarian Universalists living through a pandemic on Long Island, to acknowledge, thank, and bless our long-suffering and so far surviving bodies in this combined live and recorded service. This is a special service with all Long Island congregations participating. The Stony Brook congregation will serve as our tech host. Music is provided by Bethany Riddle, the Shelter Rock-organized Virtual Choir, Daniella, Ariana, and Pete Kata, and Dan Weymouth.
Old Lessons for a New Era, led by Rev. Jaye Brooks. When we remember the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday is now a national holiday, we honor the struggles and achievements of the civil rights movement and King's leadership. Those struggles live on in the movement for Black lives and the work of today's leaders. Dr. King's legacy isn't a page in a history book. His legacy is a commitment to practices and strategies that not only assert the inherent worth of every human being, but also seek to change the structures and institutions of society that are based in and reinforce injustice. This service horored the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In light of the events of this week, the UUCSR ministers offered a service of readings, music and prayer on Sunday, January 10, 2021. The planned service on the 8th Principle Service was rescheduled for February 7, 2021.
On the first Sunday morning of 2021, as we were poised on the Hinge of the Year, having left 2020 behind and just entering 2021, UUCSR members and our gifted professional soloists shared some of what they discerned in the strange days of the past year, and offered their hopes for the days ahead. Enjoy
Service on December 27, 2020, Sublime Silence, was led by Seminarian Cassandra Montenegro. She wrote, "In Virginia Woolf's novel, To the Lighthouse, silence is both a welcome vehicle for inquiry into selfhood, and an oppressive force that unravels the self. How is it that we hold these two contradictions at once, and give silence the place it needs so that we come to know freedom for our selves?"
Readings and carols tells the birth story of Jesus of Nazareth, Light of the World, whose message of love and peace encourages each of us to be light-bearers in our time. Led by Rev. Jaye (Jennifer) Brooks
The 2020 Winter Solstice Service was led by Student Minister Alia Shinbrough. They asked, "Are you looking to mark the Winter Solstice in a special way this year? Do you have practices around embracing holy darkness as a nurturing force in the cycle of seasons? Have you been yearning to create sacred spaces and experiences anchored in earth-based spiritualities?" If so, you're in the right place!
This year Hanukkah, the Eight-day Jewish Festival of lights, was observed December 10-18. Unitarian Universalists honor the lessons of this Jewish celebration: the quest for religious freedom, and the times and places of miracles in our lives.
Led by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore, there were stories of Hanukkah memories which brought light in the darkness. The Young People's Choir participated.
As we entered the season of winter holidays, we prepared to celebrate the diversity of religious traditions within Unitarian Universalism. A UU who does not practice a particular faith-based celebration nonetheless honors it and those who do celebrate it. This Service explored some of the ways those traditions present a different face of the mystery that includes us all. Led by Rev. Jaye Brooks on Sunday, December 6, 2020.
There is a chant, what might be thought of as a healing chant, that goes “When the world is sick… can’t no one be well.. but I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong.” In this time of pandemic, amidst the grief and longing, love and loneliness we’ve come to know many more ways our world is sick. How might we dream ourselves into healing, to become more beautiful and strong together?
With our Annual Thanksgiving Worship Service, we again celebrated this community. We brought together bread from our many individual families, traditions. We shared our bread and the stories surrounding our feasting. Our bread nourishes bodies and the stories about the bread feeds our souls. The sharing strengthens our community and forms our common table. While we were not able to eat bread together in the same room, we still shared our family’s bread. The Young People’s Choir sang and the Jazz Ensemble played.
On Sunday, November 15, 2020, Rev. Patrice Curtis, UUA Director of Transformational Interim Ministries, presented an interactive Service that invited each person to come back to who they are, to remember and befriend anew the vision in the mirror. With Worship Assistant Suzanne Viverito, and Rev. Jaye Brooks.
The television series “Stargate SG-1” popularized a device called the Quantum Mirror. Anyone who passes through it ends up in a parallel universe, one that's similar to, but not the same as, our own. Every election day acts as a Quantum Mirror. The entire nation passes through it and comes out into a different universe. What next?
Special Service of Remembrance, led jointly by UUCSR and the UU Congregation of Central Nassau in Garden City (UUCCN). Members of both congregations were invited to submit photos of each deceased loved onea to “lift up” in the Service.
On this day, as we remembered those no longer with us, we reflected upon rituals of mourning and celebrations of life from around the world.
On October 25, 2020, Service was led by UN Envoys Janet Bendowitz and Clara LaCorte, with Rev. Jaye Brooks, and special guest Bruce Knotts of the Unitarian Universalist Association at the UN (UU@UN). In recognition of United Nations Day, celebrated around the world on October 24, this Worship Service lifts up the work of the United Nations and its efforts to protect the planet Earth and its inhabitants from climate change.
On Sunday, October 18, 2020, Student Minister Alia Shinbrough asked, "What's at Stake?" More and more, it is clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free life. But who is risking what? Which risks are ours to take and which ask too much, not only of ourselves but of our interdependent systems and communities? How do we live ethical lives when each decision is measured by risk not entirely known, and never entirely our own? To whom are we accountable, for whom are we responsible, and with whom do we belong? All to ask: when worlds break, what do we hold on to and lift up as sacred? And how do we make ways forward through the pieces?
The October 11, 2020 Worship Service was led by Rev. Jaye Brooks.
When the storm is coming, we brace ourselves for it. We hunker down. Powerful storms are usually brief and then we come out into the sunshine. It's different when we have a stretch of prolonged cloudiness, when day after day the sky is overcast. How do we cope with the clouds that linger in our lives? Is there really a "silver lining?" Can we look at clouds from "both sides now?" We're now in a time, an era, when even the word "blue" has multiple meanings--the sadness that often accompanies cloudy skies, and the joyous celebration when the clouds clear and the sky is a deep, beautiful blue.
On October 9, 2020, the Rev. Jennifer Brower led the Soulful Sundown evening Worship Service with new music by The Cosmic Orchestra.
The pandemic has changed how we do most things. For the safety of our members and public health, our worship services are online. In pre-pandemic years, this day would be our Homecoming service: warm hugs as we greet one another and a picnic lunch to follow. It's sad that we can't meet in person. But since the pandemic started we've learned something about who we are as a congregation and the home-of-the-spirit we create for one another even though we must gather as an online community. Rev. Dr. Natalie M. Fenimore and members of the UUCSR ministry team joined on Sunday, September 27, 2020 for a celebration of our Shelter Rock home, the community we've been strengthening since March, and the love that's at the heart of it all.
The pandemic has changed how we do most things. For the safety of our members and public health, our worship services are online. In pre-pandemic years, today would have been our Homecoming service: warm hugs as we greeted one another and a picnic lunch that followed. It's sad that we could not meet in person. But since the pandemic started we've learned something about who we are as a congregation and the home-of-the-spirit we create for one another even though we must gather as an online community. Listen to the Ministry Team for a celebration of our Shelter Rock home, the community we've been strengthening since March, and the love that's at the heart of it all.
If we wonder why religion and politics so often collide it is because they both arise from deeply held beliefs about what life should be about. In this most turbulent of political seasons, there is a role religion and UUism can play—and should!—that is sorely missing. Guest Minister Rev. Fred Wooden considered that role throughout today's Service.
Rev. Fred, who recently retired from the Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan after many years of service, has just begun serving as Interim Minister at the Valley UU Congregation in Chandler, Arizona. Of local interest: Before Fountain Street, Rev. Fred served just around the corner from us at the UU Congregation in Brooklyn.
So much has changed and is changing. We were already in a state of flux before COVID-19. We were already feeling the weight of white supremacy culture before George Floyd’s murder. The possibility of political change is on the horizon, yet we are not sure what will happen. Amid this milieu of constant turbulence, how might we prepare ourselves? How might we sustain ourselves? How might we renew ourselves? On September 6, 2020, these questions were posed.
Rev. Michael J. Crumpler is the LGBTQ and Multicultural Programs Director at the Unitarian Universalist Association and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Michael lives in Harlem and is very active in social justice ministry at the historic Judson Memorial Church of New York City, where he served President of the Board, 2016-2018. He is most passionate about intersectional ministry centered in blackness, queerness, HIV/AIDS, economic justice, and emotional well-being.
Guest minister Rev. Kimberley Debus presents the second part of her two-part series, "The Sacred in the Profane: Media and Making Meaning." Together, we examine some of the lessons popular culture has to teach us about our relationships to each other, our ethics, our communities, and our faith. The Sunday Service titled, The Sacred in The Good Place, considers what may be the single most remarkable half hour of network television! The show did not shy away from broad humor as it explored some of our deepest questions. The Sunday, August 30, 2020 Service looks at some of the core lessons The Good Place teaches us.
On August 23, 2020, Rev. Gamblée said, "We’ve been through almost six months of medical and social upheaval." With all the mess we’ve faced, Rev. Gamblée is thinking that there may be a metaphorical pony in there somewhere... and he's wondering what the pony might look like. With the help of the music of Peter Cetera, we asked the question, “Where are we going?”
On Sunday, August 16, 2020, Rev. Kimberley Debus, Guest Minister introduced the series, "The Sacred in the Profane: Media and Making Meaning." In this series, Rev. Debus examines some of the lessons popular culture has to teach us about our relationships to each other, our ethics, our communities, and our faith.
In Part I, "The Sacred in the West Wing," she explains that while this popular political series has been off the air for 14 years, it continues to be a source of inspiration for many. This Service includes a look at some of the core lessons The West Wing teaches us.
On Sunday, August 9, 2020, we welcomed The Rev. Dr. Ken Reeves to our virtual pulpit. He returns to UUCSR—his home congregation—every summer. Rev. Reeves proposed that in this pandemic we need: truth, each other, and spiritual support. He alluded to how UU traditions have supported all three. He noted the conflict in human history and the present between truth and the avoidance of truth, and the conflict between working together and individualism, and the nature of spiritual support.
Long Island Unitarian Universalist Congregations joined together to worship on August 2, 2020. The Service, "Our Living Tradition," was a collaboration between Long Island Unitarian Universalist congregations to highlight our UU community as vital, connected and continuing through the pandemic and beyond. UU clergy and members from around Long Island participated in readings and an unprecedented musical video collaboration. The Sunday offering/plate collection benefited LIACUU.
One of our UU Principles is respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part. This recognition of interdependence with the Earth and all its inhabitants calls us to minister to the Earth—to be stewards of it—to treat it as a sanctuary. Surely this calling begins at home, whether on the grounds of our Shelter Rock congregation or within the homes we each inhabit.
On July 26, 2020, the Green Sanctuary Committee addressed "Greening the Globe" in Sunday Service with Rev. Jaye Brooks.
On Sunday, July 19, 2020, Rev. Brower asked, "Have you ever had an experience of awe? You know, a direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life, as our Unitarian Universalist sources cite?" On this morning, we shared reflection in song and the spoken word, with music offered by The Cosmic Orchestra.
Prior to walking into an extra-judicial execution, Coalhouse Walker, in the play, Ragtime, exhorts his friends to tell the story of the challenges of Black life in America.
Our July 12 Service included a little Broadway, Dr. King quotes, and a challenge or two. Everything you want in a summer UU Service.
Independence Day reminds us of the principles that form the idea of America: people are equal, their rights are inherent, and our government is created by the people to serve the people. These ideas resonate with our UU principles: the inherent worth of every person; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; the use of democratic process in our congregations and in the world. These principles, clearly stated, carry with them an implicit promise that we will act together to make them live vibrantly in our national public life. Service led by Rev. Jaye Brooks and the ministry Team on July 5, 2020.