UU Congregation at Shelter Rock Services

"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'sMessiah SingA Beloved Long Island Tradition is BACK!THE ORCHESTRA AT SHELTER ROCKStephen Michael Smith, ConductorTHE UUCSR CHOIRwithProfessional SoloistsSarah Moulton Faux, soprano Michael St. Peter, tenorLeah Wool, mezzoBrace Negron, bass baritoneNathaniel 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 OrchestraWhere 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.

Change is remarkable in the way it leaves us different and yet at heart still the same person. But human change is also complex—the way anything is complex when human beings are involved. Howard Mansfield's insightful 2001 book, The Same Ax, Twice, explores how the restoration of things—like an old ax with a new handle—involves both change and stability. What about people? How do we retain stability while allowing change to equip us for better, values-based living? We considered these questions on Sunday, November 13, 2022.

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.

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

What does it mean to reengage religious and spiritual practices that we grew up with, that meant something to our ancestors, and, might mean something to us? In the words of biblical scholar Micah Kiel, “Rather than jettison, we must reexamine and rethink those traditions that have formed us” (Apocalyptic Ecology, xxi, relying on Lynn White). Sunday, August 7, 2022

Stephen Michael Smith, Music DirectorUNHEARD VOICES: 3 Women Composers for OrchestraLouise Farrenc, Overture No 1, op 23Florence Price, Symphony No 1 in E minorMargaret Bonds: Two Spirituals for Voice and OrchestraAnthony McGlaun, soloistAnthony P. McGlaun is noted for his clarity of tone, musicality and expressive delivery of text. He has a BA from Morehouse College and MM from UNI, and has made role debuts with Lyric Opera of Chicago in Porgy and Bess and San Francisco Opera in Showboat. He has also appeared with Spoletto Music Festival and New Orleans Opera. This fall, Mr. McGlaun will appear at the Metropolitan Opera in Porgy and Bess. He is a much sought after soloist, recitalist, and lecturer, specializing in the Negro Spiritual and work of African-American composers of Art Songs. Mr. McGlaun uses these musical opportunities to further the cause of social justice.

How often have we been denied the wisdom and creativity which come from marginalized voices/expressions? How might we make ourselves and our community more open? The Annual Summer Orchestra Concert followed the Worship Service. The Concert celebrated the “unheard voices” of three women composers for orchestra on Sunday, July 31, 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, 2022 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