10:00 am
Rev. David Johnson
“Jacob’s Insight: Tinkering as the Pacemaker”
The Jacob in my title is not the Old Testament patriarch; he’s a Nobel-prize winning French biologist, Francois Jacob, who offered profound insights about how evolution functions: Evolution is not an engineer (or intelligent designer), but rather a tinkerer and bumbler: experimenting with the “adjacent possible.” What does this have to do with congregational life and transitions? I’ll suggest some possibilities.
10:00 am
Rev. David Johnson
“Pentimento: How My Mind is Changing (Or: A Stroke of Opportunity??)”
On a morning in December last year, I suffered a mild stroke. At the time I was exploring the San Andreas Fault zone, and thought that I might be in the midst of an earthquake. In hindsight, this event has led me to unexpected landscapes of the mind and heart which now stand out in bold relief. Over the months since this un-planned event, I have decisively shifted my priorities. I will share some of these landscapes, and consider how my “stroke of opportunity” has challenged and empowered my life and ministry. I am re-claiming and building upon the roots / foundations / relationships which have brought me safe thus far; while engaging new voices, experimenting with new improvisations, and traversing new landscapes.
Come join our SUMMER MISSION PROJECT - Friday and Saturday August 21/22
This summer the Social Justice Ministry has been looking into projects closer to home than our previous WVA sites. Eureka! We’ve been asked to help the Williamsburg Public Housing Manager, JaLauna Burton, with a public housing project. Gazebos have been donated for the residents’ use and are being installed at four sites this week. Our project will be to paint the four structures and add landscaping to beautify the sites. Can you help? Adults and teenagers are welcome to join us. Please contact Jessica O’Brien, Social Justice chair, at sjchair@wuu.org with the days you are available. Let’s get these gazebos spruced up!
WUU has served as a winter shelter site for three years. We have also supported Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission since 2012. Now we have the opportunity to participate in a new GWOM initiative, the Harbor. The Harbor will be a day shelter for our homeless neighbors, open from 10AM to 2PM Monday through Thursday, located at St. Bede Outreach Center on Harrison Ave. near the transportation center and the library. The Harbor plans to offer hospitality, friendship, lunch, computer access, cell phone charging, showers, and a secure place to keep belongings. GWOM is planning to hire a coordinator for the Harbor. Please contact Helen Hansen if you are interested in a part time paid position. The Harbor will need 5 volunteers for four hours every day to operated the Harbor. We are asking all 22 Faith Groups to invite members to become volunteers. Training will be available August 25 and 31, with several more trainings in September.
Please consider volunteering for this important social justice mission.
Contact Helen Hansen if you are interested in learning more about the Harbor. helenfoxhansen@gmail.com
757-645-3331
Food For FISH (Our local community food & clothing pantry)
Our FISH wagon has returned and is waiting to be filled with cold cereals, peanut butter and jelly, breakfast bars, small cans of ravioli, spaghetti, macaroni & cheese and puddings. Thank you for your generosity, and make sure to check freshness labels.
The United Way of Greater Williamsburg will host its annual Day of Caring, which supports local non-profit and public service agencies in the Greater Williamsburg community by linking teams of volunteers to requested improvement projects. More than 570 individuals volunteered in 2014. Projects include landscaping, painting, cleaning, repair, and gardening at more than 30 area non-profits. More info: http://www.uwgw.org/volunteer/doc2015/
When?
Friday, September 18, 2015
Where?
We will begin with a kick-off breakfast (location TBD) and then go to a designated location in our community.
Who?
You! We’ll have a WUU team of adults and kids of all ages! This is a great chance for families to spend time together serving our community. {Once we have a team list, we will let UWGW know our unique needs, and they will choose a project that will accommodate our team.}
How?
Contact Jess Hench. jesshench@gmail.com
Please let me know the name and t-shirt size of each member of your family who will be joining.
Launching 9/27/2015 2-4pm
Facilitated By Deborah Jane Wells
We’re ready to launch our new affinity group for members of Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists (WUU) and Unity Fellowship Church of Williamsburg (UFC) who self-identify as “theists.”
My definition of theism is that there is more to life than what we experience through our five outer senses. There is more to everyone and everything than we are seeing, touching, hearing, smelling and tasting in any given moment.
There are many names for this Force, because It is beyond words. I use a variety of labels: God, Source, the Divine, Higher Power, Universe, Life Force, Creative Power and Spirit, to name a few. The reality of God is so large, It transcends the limitations of any name or description I could conceive of.
Those who join the group are eager to explore and share diverse practices for connecting with pure, love-based Source energy to inspire, guide and empower their lives.
After our first meeting on September 27 (which is the 4th Sunday of the month), in general, our group will meet on the third Sunday of each month from 2-4pm in the Fahs House.
Please email me at deborah@djwlifecoach.com to confirm your participation. Once I hear from you, you’ll receive a registration confirmation email with more details in preparation for our first meeting. Click here for a flyer with complete details.
The Board has approved a 6-month rental contract between WUU and Progressive Learning Therapy (PLT)'s director, Kathryn Kellas. There will be a complete announcement sent out tomorrow or you can click here to read it now.
