 Jamestown, N.Y. – Radishes are already popping out of the ground in the Giving Garden behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ).
A project of the UUCJ’s Social Justice Committee, the Giving Garden Team is raising kale, peas, radishes, dill, beets, Bright Lights Swiss chard, cilantro, fennel, Egyptian walking onions, chives, Bronze fennel, oregano, and sweet marjoram. These vegetables and herbs will all be donated to the Jamestown Mobile Market to provide their customers with healthy, colorful, tasty and nutrition-rich options to buy and use in cooking with their families. Linnea Carlson, a member of the congregation, is director of the Jamestown Public Market and Mobile Market, under the umbrella of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Master Gardener Janet Forbes leads the Giving Garden Team that includes Bruce Anderson, Alan Brown, Anne Watkins, and David Winner. Much of the water for the garden is supplied by runoff from the roof, collected in a rain barrel. Brown and Forbes also made a two-bin compost system that will create robust, healthy, organic soil for their garden. Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, as strong values and moral guides. The Giving Garden supports the seventh UU principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” To learn more about the Jamestown Public Market and Mobile Market, visit JtownPublicMarket.org and their Facebook page. Located at 1255 Prendergast Avenue, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  David Winner Jamestown, N.Y. – On Sunday, May 30, 2021, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) will take a look at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic we have all experienced.
Member David Winner will address “15 Months of Fear and Joy” at the 10:30 a.m. virtual service. After looking at the history of the pandemic and its personal impact, Winner will give participants the opportunity to discuss how they have coped during the past 15 months. The questions raised could include: How did you feel when you first heard of the COVID-19 virus? Could you have imagined what we have all gone through? How has it changed you, for the better or for the worse? What did you do to keep yourself going during these difficult times? Winner and his wife, Barbara, were longtime Florida residents, where he worked in construction and outdoors and was once an ordained minister in a fundamentalist religion. This fall will mark a decade that they have been part of the UUCJ after their move north. He served on the UUCJ board for six years and as president for four and a half years. Winner constructed the two book boxes, one for children and one for adults, in front of the church where people are welcome to take free books. He now chairs the Building and Grounds Committee and is a member of the Social Justice Committee’s Giving Garden Team whose produce will be donated to the Jamestown Mobile Market. Both Winners are part of the Jamestown Farmers Market. Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out as part of “This Week at UUCJ” on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Jamestown, N.Y. – The message at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) service on May 23 will be a reflection on the Goddess-centered life for centuries prior to the rise of patriarchy.
Member Anne Kenefic will address the 10:30 a.m. virtual Sunday service. Kenefic’s subject, “When God Was a Woman,” is based on the book of the same name by Merlin Stone and various poems regarding contemporary worship of Goddess. Her talk will describe the early history of Goddess relationship between Her, humanity and Mother Earth and how the rise of patriarchy tried to destroy this relationship. It will also cover the re-emergence of Goddess in today’s world. The message addresses the seventh principle that Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This talk is Part 1 of a two-part presentation. Kenefic will present the second part at the Sunday service on June 20. Kenefic was a Sister of Social Service for more than a decade. A graduate of California State University, Hayward, with a BA in Political Science, Religious Studies and Women’s Studies, she received her Doctor of the Law from the University of West Los Angeles. She practiced various types of law in California and taught various subjects at the Paralegal Studies Program at California State University, San Bernardino. After moving to Jamestown in 2008, Kenefic worked as a paralegal for the law offices of Arthur N. Bailey & Associates, Legal Aid of Chautauqua County, and Fessenden, Laumer & DeAngelo, PLLC, until retiring last year. She has been a UUCJ member since 2008 and was a board member for three years. Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out as part of “This Week at UUCJ” on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Alan Brown, a member of the Unitarian Church’s Giving Garden Project, completed a two-bin compost system behind the church during the recent International Compost Awareness Week. Jamestown, N.Y. – Janet Forbes, chair of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown’s Giving Garden Project, was excited to share with the congregation the news that, “The UUCJ Giving Garden two-bin compost system is up and growing!”
Alan Brown provided much of the labor so it would be ready during International Compost Awareness Week in early May. Forbes noted that they added grass clippings, buckets of coffee grounds from RydersCup Coffee in Lakewood, and other organic yard trimmings to get the compost started. She provided a list of items that the congregation can add including kitchen scraps, shredded paper and newspaper, sawdust, wood chips, and fireplace ashes. She also explained what not to compost and why, such as dairy products and meat-related items that could attract pests, and yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides that could kill beneficial composting organisms. By contributing to the compost bins, located near the raised gardens behind the church, members will divert organic material from the landfill and create robust, healthy, organic soil for their garden. Linnea Carlson, a member of the congregation, is manager of the Jamestown Public Market and Mobile Market, under the umbrella of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Produce from the Giving Garden will be donated to the Mobile Market to help address the issue of food insecurity in Jamestown. The Giving Garden is a project of UUCJ’s Social Justice Committee. Additional participants include Bruce Anderson, Anne Watkins, and David Winner. According to Forbes, “Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to affirm and promote seven principles. The Giving Garden is our members’ living our seventh UU principle, ‘Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.’” The theme for the 2021 International Compost Awareness Week in the United States was “Grow, Eat…COMPOST…Repeat.” More information about composting and Compost Week can be found at CompostFoundation.org. To learn more about the Jamestown Public Market and Mobile Market, visit JtownPublicMarket.org and their Facebook page. Located at 1255 Prendergast Avenue, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Melina Rudman Jamestown, N.Y. – Writer, spiritual director, educator and author Melina Rudman is speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) virtual service on Sunday, May 16, 10:30 a.m.
Rudman will talk about the “Tree of Life.” Describing her presentation, she says, “The ancient symbolism of the tree of life teaches us about interconnection with and interdependence upon our sisters and brothers and all of creation.” In the 15 intimate essays in her book, Sacred Soil: A Gardener's Book of Reflection, Rudman explores the pain of loss and the joy of connection, all within the context of her garden. She writes of gardening as a spiritual practice, one that has the power to ground us in the seasons and cycles of Nature. Gardening, she says, plants us firmly in the circle of birth, life, and death, “smack dab in the middle of life's gore and glory.” While gardening focuses on the world of touch and sight and scent, it also opens doors to deeper realities. It teaches us resilience; it shows us how to let go; it comforts our aching hearts; it leads us to repentance—and it offers us a conduit to the Divine. The message addresses the seventh principle that Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” Rudman currently serves as Interim Coordinator for Union Theological Seminary's Doctor of Ministry program. She lives in central Connecticut, with and near her family, where she loves to read, garden, cook, walk and eat delicious food with good people. The service will be led by member and Master Gardener Janet Forbes. Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out as part of “This Week at UUCJ” on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Each Sunday, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Northern Chautauqua worships live on the Zoom platform at 10:30 AM, using a streamlined format similar to their in-person worship. You are encouraged to arrive as early as 10:15 am in order to reflect quietly and to enjoy pre-worship music video. Email uujamestown@gmail.com for the Zoom invitation.
Today's worship service: Appleseeds: The Words of Pete Seeger, with Dan Berggren This service features the songs and ideas of the late folk singer Pete Seeger (1919-2014) who was known the world over as a humanitarian, peace activist, environmentalist, and Unitarian Universalist. Pete inspired countless others along the paths of freedom, community, and self-expression with his songs of peace and justice. The guest speaker is Dan Berggren, a SUNY Fredonia professor emeritus, folk musician and, along with his wife Nancy, one of the founding members of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Chautauqua in Fredonia. Currently, Dan and Nancy are both active members of the UU Congregation of Saratoga Springs. ###  Jamestown, N.Y. – A consultant with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UAA) and former member of the Congregational Life Staff of the Central East Region of the UUA is the presenter at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) virtual service on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.
Mark Bernstein’s topic is “The Hunger to Belong.” Bernstein says that healthy congregations do more than create a welcoming environment: They create a culture of belonging. To truly belong means to bridge the gulf between isolation and intimacy. He asks: “How are we helping to create a culture of belonging in our congregation and what more do we need to do to feed the hunger to belong?” The message addresses the third principle that Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote: “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.” In his capacity with the UUA, Bernstein served as consultant to congregations, assisting with training, presentations and facilitation of congregational meetings and events, and presently serves as adjunct consultant. A member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County in Media, Pa., he also has a career in the field of disabilities. He has worked as direct support staff, administrator and trainer for several agencies in the Philadelphia area. Currently he leads a train the trainer course throughout the state of Virginia that focuses on ways to create supportive, nurturing, respectful environments for people with disabilities so as to enrich and enhance their quality of life. Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out as part of “This Week at UUCJ” on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Cynthia Butterfield Gedz Jamestown, N.Y. – Mayville resident Cynthia Butterfield Gedz is the presenter for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) virtual service on Sunday, April 25, 10:30 a.m.
The subject of Gedz’s talk is “Safety Education Awareness of Modern Slavery.” After providing a brief overview of the historical context of slavery, she will focus on slavery today. She observes that lack of awareness creates a world in which slavery has become more profitable than at any other time in history and no one is truly safe. In addition to having taught history classes for SUNY Fredonia, Gedz teaches world history, world regional geography, and introduction to global studies at Jamestown Community College. Her graduate thesis (and continued research) was on “Slavery Across Time and Space.” Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out as part of “This Week at UUCJ” on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Roddy Biggs Jamestown, N.Y. – “Wake up to Racism: Pass the 8th” is the title of the sermon for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) virtual service on Sunday, April 18, 10:30 a.m.
Roddy Biggs will present the message that encourages adoption of the 8th Principle in Unitarian Universalism, as proposed by the Black Lives of UU Organizing Collective: “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” Of themself, Biggs, who uses the personal pronouns He/They/Them, says, “I have a passion for speaking on and working to address many topics that have historically been left out of religious spaces, including mental health challenges, queerness, and multiracial identities.” Of their message, Biggs says, “It is time that all white UUs wake up to the reality of racism. In fact, it is past time! Our congregations say they value every person’s inherent worth and dignity; they say they agree to work for justice, equity, and compassion, but how so and for whom? How many promises of change have been broken to our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) siblings in faith? And isn’t it time we make good on such promises? Join us and learn about the 8th Principle as we commit ourselves to change and keep our promise of building a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community.” A senior at Middle Tennessee State University, Biggs is working on a Bachelor’s degree in religious studies with a minor in sociology. As an official aspirant for the ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Association, in the fall they will be continuing their education at Meadville Lombard Theological School Seminary in Chicago, Ill. Biggs is a member of the First UU Church of Nashville, where they are a worship associate and co-chair for the Social Justice Ministries. They also serve an Academic Internship for the Unitarian Universalist Young Adult Revival Network, are a member of the Board of Directors for Unitarian Universalist Mental Health Network, and work as a lay speaker on Sunday mornings. Their website is RoddyBiggs.com. Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out as part of “This Week at UUCJ” on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ###  Reverend Richard Gilbert Jamestown, N.Y. – The Rev. Dr. Richard S. Gilbert is the speaker at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) virtual service on Sunday, April 11, 10:30 a.m. His topic is “Democracy As a Dream Deferred? I’m Taking the Fifth.”
Gilbert notes that after the “perfect storm” of events of the past year – coronavirus, political upheaval and economic free fall -- it may seem our democracy is on its last legs, truly a “dream deferred.” On this question, however, he says, “I will take the fifth.” But what fifth? The fifth of the Seven Principles that Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations affirm and promote: “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” UUs live out these Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities. Rev. Gilbert has been an articulate and impassioned advocate for social justice. Among his many roles he has been chair of the peace, justice and human rights committee of the International Association for Religious Freedom, president of Interfaith Impact of New York State, convener of the Clergy and Laity Concerned about Vietnam, and program director of the Unirondack Summer Institute. He is the author of many articles and publications, including his two books Prophetic Imperatives and How Much Do We Deserve? In 2005, Gilbert retired after serving in the Unitarian Universalist ministry in Cleveland, Ohio, Golden, Colo., Ithaca, N.Y., and for 32 years at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, N.Y. He received an M.Div. from St. Lawrence University Theological School, a D.Min. from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, and honorary doctorates from St. Lawrence University, Meadville Lombard Theological School, and Starr King School for the Ministry. Gilbert has spoken frequently at the summer UU services at Chautauqua Institution. For those who are interested, an optional “coffee hour” in breakout rooms follows the service. Because of COVID-19 limitations, UUCJ Sunday services are currently virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Avenue location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out on Friday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ### |
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