The Rev. Dr. Craig Rubano

For a long time, it had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last, it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

— Alfred D. Souza

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

— Adelaide Anne Procter

It may be that when we no longer know what to do,
we have come to our real work;
and that when we no longer know which way to go,
we have begun our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.  

— Wendell Berry

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.

— Louis L’Amour

And, just like that, summer comes to a close, and new things begin! I like the quotes I have chosen for this month because, at the end of a time when I had expected to get so much done and have precious little to show for it, I am helped to be reminded that things happen when they happen, life is a journey rather than a series of destinations, and that today might be the perfect day to tackle the basement…well, maybe tomorrow!

Our theme for September is “Beginnings,” and we start out the month with a musical bang! On the 6th, a feast of talent led by our Music Director Emerita Elaine Held will serenade us with a whole lot of Gershwin: Roosevelt André Credit, Kirsten Norberg, and Joel DeWitt join Elaine to demonstrate to us the powerful inspiration that music can deliver. September has us gather in as a congregation once again on the 13th, with a celebration of Water Communion (so bring some water from a source meaningful to you) and a Pot Luck Picnic after the service, so you don’t want to miss that morning. To give the Jewish High Holy days their proper due, although Rosh Hashanah will have already happened, we will devote our service on the 20th to the opportunity the Days of Awe provide to inscribe and seal ourselves in the Book of Life in a fresh way, just in time for Yom Kippur that evening and the beginning of the harvest festival of Sukkot that Friday. And, to close out a month of beginnings, we are joined once again by pianist Helen Benham on the 27th to help us center ourselves in our theme for the 2026–27 fiscal year. As we approach the 70th anniversary of our founding, let’s take time to ruminate on “UUCMC: A Wellspring of Hope and Courage.” What has the presence of our congregation meant for Monmouth County over the decades? What beginnings have led to more hope and courage for our communities, for our families, for ourselves? It will be good to have Helen alongside us as we begin the countdown to our Anniversary Sunday on January 10, 2027.

Beginnings aren’t without bumps along the way, but that’s no reason not to start. So, here we go!

Rev. Craig