The Rev. Dr. Craig Rubano
It’s Hot
Poem by Shel Silverstein
It’s hot!
I can’t get cool,
I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade.
I think I’ll take my shoes off
And sit around in the shade.
It’s hot!
My back is sticky.
The sweat rolls down my chin.
I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin.
It’s hot!
I’ve tried with ’lectric fans,
And pools and ice cream cones.
I think I’ll take my skin off
And sit around in my bones.
It’s still hot!
Summer is upon us, and UUCMC is ready to deliver a fantastic series of guest speakers and musicians that I know we will all enjoy and from whom we will learn. Alongside some familiar speaker faces like the Rev. Rosemarie Newberry, the Rev. Allen Wells, Elaine Held, Pauline Nijander, Tea Time attendees, and our very own Worship Committee, we have a powerful “first Sundays of the month” series curated by Karen Geer: in July, we welcome the founder of residential addiction treatment center Beit T’Shuvah in West Los Angeles, Harriet Rossetto, who will extend “recovery” to all of our searches for wholeness; in August, Dr. Margaret McMenamin, president of Union College of Union County, NJ, will testify to the transformative power of education; and in September, interim Executive Director of YMCA Union County, Dr. Kathryn Lynch, will speak to the importance of domestic violence agencies in our communities. Thank you, Karen, for this amazing “First Sunday” line-up! I return to the pulpit August 11th.
And that’s just the speakers! The musical guests will equally inspire: world-renowned guitarist Ron Jackson will pair with the “First Sunday” speakers; and we welcome back favorites Evan Schwartzman and Helen Benham on piano, Rich Grossman on clarinet, Elaine Held on piano and organ, Joel DeWitt on violin, the Sister Singers, and singer-songwriter Tom McCormack. Our Music Director Louise Chernosky returns to the Earth Room on August 25th.
Our Credentialed Director of Family Ministry Michelle McKenzie-Creech comes back from a three-month sabbatical on August 1st, but throughout the summer (with exceptions July 7 and Sept 1), Family Ministry will host a drop-in “Sundays Fundays” series hosted by our Lead Childcare Provider, Emma Farkas. Thanks to Sari Alburtus for managing things so beautifully in Michelle’s absence.
We have a lot to look forward to these next months. I hope it won’t be as hot as Shel Silverstein imagines above, but I do wish us all a beautiful, sunny, hopeful, restful, adventure-laden, and thoughtful season of warmth and joy and celebration.
Rev. Craig