Upcoming September Worship Services
September 8 Multigenerational Ingathering: All Things Grow with Love
Rev. Dr. Craig Rubano and Michelle McKenzie-Creech, CDFM
We inaugurate a new congregational year with a theme of “Seeds of Love.” Bring your new energy, your new determination, your new commitment to building community together. And bring your backpacks (or wherever you carry your things)—there will be a backpack blessing and a take-home charm to remind us, especially our young people, that the Love of UUCMC is with us all through the week. And bring your Love for our outgoing Music Director of 18 years, Dr. Louise Chernosky. Louise leaves us in order to tend another musical garden. We will let her know how much she has meant to us, both in the worship service, and at a celebratory Community Hour afterwards. All things grow with love: Louise’s tenure has demonstrated that over and over again.
Music: Dr. Louise Chernosky, UU Singers, UkUlele Orchestra, Rev. Craig
September 15 Preemptive Radical Inclusion: A Model for Invitation Rev. Dr. Craig Rubano
What if we presupposed, as a radical stance of invitation, that everyone is already in the room? That is at the heart of Preemptive Radical Inclusion (PRI), a set of practices and perspectives pioneered by UU educator CB Beal. This morning, we will look at how an invitation needs to be followed up by inviting acts of hospitality, setting us on a journey toward collective justice and liberation.
Music: Ian Kanev, guest musician
Ian Kanev is a Performing Arts major with an emphasis on piano at Ocean County Community College (OCC), and is a piano student of Brian Gilmore. His projected date of graduation with an associate’s degree is May 2025, after which he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a music conservatory for Performance Piano. Prior to enrolling at OOC, Ian traveled extensively with his family and solo. His goal is to perform for audiences around the world. Ian has found his true path in performance piano and classical music, and he attributes much of that drive to his professor, Brian Gilmore.
September 22 Mabon: An Invitation to Renewal Rev. Dr. Craig Rubano
The pagan holiday of Mabon celebrates the September equinox (this year at 8:43 AM this morning) as a time of balance and gratitude during what historically (in the northern hemisphere) was the second and final harvest before the arrival of colder weather. Mabon’s commemoration invites us into contemplation, reflection, and preparation for a new time in our lives together.
Music: Ian Kanev, guest musician
Ian Kanev is a Performing Arts major with an emphasis on piano at Ocean County Community College (OCC), and is a piano student of Brian Gilmore. His projected date of graduation with an associate’s degree is May 2025, after which he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a music conservatory for Performance Piano. Prior to enrolling at OOC, Ian traveled extensively with his family and solo. His goal is to perform for audiences around the world. Ian has found his true path in performance piano and classical music, and he attributes much of that drive to his professor, Brian Gilmore.
September 29 The Riddle and the Mystery Rev. Cindy Terlazzo
Humankind has created countless stories to try to explain the mystery that surrounds everything. That is all religion really is—people wondering about where we came from, why we are here, and what comes next. Today’s service invites us to join in that exploration.