The very first stage of the life cycle of a moth is the embryonic stage. This is the stage where the embryo develops inside of the egg. I envision this as the part of our history where we were just beginning, meeting in houses or other temporary places, trying to find out who we were and what we were going to be.

The second stage is the larva stage (commonly referred to as a caterpillar). “When the caterpillar first hatches, before it molts and sheds, it is said to be in its first instar. It continues to go through this process as it grows.” I envision this as what has been occurring in our congregation since we hatched out of temporary housing and became more visible and active in the community.

The third stage is the pupa stage. “A caterpillar has the ability to spin a type of silk made from proteins which it produces. A caterpillar spins this silk into a protective shell called the cocoon, inside of which the transformation process will occur. The purpose of the cocoon is to offer protection for the vulnerable larva while it transforms, plus it keeps everything contained.” Some think of the organism as resting during this period. But it is not resting. It is in a cocoon so that it can be protected as it works to transform. I feel like this pandemic and our pulling into our shells for protection has been a time that our congregation has found new ways of being together and new ways to serve one another. We were not growing bigger, but we were transforming.

Stage four is the adult moth or the imaginal stage! An adult moth is technically called an “imago,” therefore making this stage of its life the imaginal stage. And here is something important to remember: “It takes quite a while for the adult moth to emerge from the cocoon, as at this time it is soft, weak, and quite fragile. Getting out of that cocoon is a difficult process. When the moth first emerges from the cocoon, it will have a severely bloated abdomen and shriveled wings, rendering it unable to fly for the first few hours of its adult life.” 

We will again join All Souls UU Church of D. C. and Rev. Kathleen C. Rolenz, Interim Senior Minister.

Go to All Souls zoom ID: https://zoom.us/j/9187584433, or go to their website then click on the link to their Sunday service: https://all-souls.org.

Denise Anderson has arranged for our visits with All Souls Church.

Audrey is an alumna of Brunswick High School, Georgia Southern, and Troy State University. She is currently serving on the Board of Education for Glynn County.  She has extensive background in social services for several organizations. Come and learn more about Equality here in Glynn County for African Americans.

Go to our UUCG ZOOM ROOM: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/4793253254

Time to embrace your inner bluegrass soul!! This Sunday join us for lots of bluegrass – with an emphasis on singing a bit of bluegrass gospel music.  The message is about celebrating the joy, energy, and passions in Christian bluegrass gospel and seeing how we as Unitarian Universalists can musically honor one of the 6 sources of our faith: “Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.”

Go to our UUCG ZOOM ROOM: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/4793253254

"The Life and Times of Jazz Artist Billie Holiday"

Dr. Springer presents a very moving service about the life and times of jazz artist Billie Holiday. He includes beautiful music by members of the Atlanta choir.

Go to our usual zoom ID for this impressive service. UUCG ZOOM ROOM: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/4793253254

Our summer programs team has planned an exciting zoom summer series for July, and the first two Sundays in August.  You can join in by using the Zoom links above.

MARK YOU CALENDARS! Rev. Jane will lead our annual in-gathering service which will be a service at the church where you can actually attend in person.

In addition to Rev. Jane, Denise Anderson and I were thrilled to attend the UU General Assembly (GA). It was an awe inspiring event and I have been charmed with how well it has been transformed into a virtual gathering of UU's from across the globe. Ask Denise or me to share some of our favorite things about this year's GA.

Once again, lots to be thankful for in this congregation. Sharon Ehle has agreed to lead the Social Justice Team for the next year -- and is organizing a gathering of people interested in being part of the team. Kim Merck on the board is taking the lead on helping all of us at UUCG review and refine our vision, mission and 5 year plan. She has already met with some expertise at UUA to help us all think about the process for dreaming where we want to be in 5 years! Thanks to Kay Golan who already started us with that dreaming with the service and workshop on how we experience the holy. Thanks to Carolyn Wallace for serving as a UUCG delegate and representing us in the UUA elections. Huge thanks to Barbara Sprouse as our Program lead for organizing us in creating wonderful Sunday services for June and July while Rev. Jane takes a much deserved break from leading worship.

I can feel the energy building as we look forward to gathering in person once again!

I was born and raised in Altoona, PA. I grew up with my mother, father, and two older sisters. I loved animals, especially horses, and I loved to spend time with my best friend and go on family trips. After high school, I attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in philosophy. For almost two years after that I worked as a corrections officer in a maximum security women’s prison. I knew that career wasn’t for me, but I met a wonderful partner at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) Training Academy, and we are happily married to this day.

After leaving the DOC, I returned to college at Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and earned a Master of Education degree with a specialization in curriculum and instruction. While I was at PSU, my husband and I visited his grandparents in coastal Georgia. One visit was all it took for us to decide to relocate to Georgia, which we did just before my first year of teaching. For approximately the next 18 years I taught high school English (and a little college English as well.) In 2016, I left teaching and became a Realtor. I’m now an agent at Coldwell Banker Access Realty working in residential sales. It’s a rewarding career that lets me meet many new people. When I’m not working, I love to travel (international trips are my favorite), read, and go to the beach.

I found Unitarian Universalists of Coastal Georgia a few years ago. For several years I attended services off and on and mostly observed. I wanted to be certain it was not a place of dogma and intolerance, like some churches I had known. I found it refreshingly open, and I especially appreciated the free exchange of ideas. I am thankful that our community has such a group of open minded and kind people.

Are you a friend who wants to become a member of UUCG?

We are organizing now for a new members induction and ceremony in early September. If you are ready to become a member, please contact Carolyn Wallace at carolynswallace@yahoo.com. She will give you more information on becoming a member.

Sunday, July 18 at 9:15 a.m. (NOTE: New time!)

The co-host of the popular NPR podcast Planet Money provides a well-researched, entertaining, somewhat irreverent look at how money is a made-up thing that has evolved over time to suit humanity's changing needs.

Money only works because we all agree to believe in it. The author shows how money is a useful fiction that has shaped societies for thousands of years, from the rise of coins in ancient Greece to the first stock market in Amsterdam to the emergence of shadow banking in the 21st century.

You will learn about the cypherpunks, a group of radical libertarian computer programmers, who paved the way for bitcoin. Will this change your future? Read and see.

DISCUSSION GROUP LEADER: Dorin Schumacher 912-266-6558 or drdorin@earthlink.net

IMPORTANT - NEW LINK for RE

Join THIS Zoom Meeting at https://uuma.zoom.us/j/93962934425

Meeting ID: 93962934425

“The next time you take a dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean or Hawaii, think about this: you aren't just swimming in seawater. There may also be as many as 82,000 kinds of chemicals from personal care products that have made their way into the world's oceans, according to a report by Marine Life, a marine conservation NGO. And one of the biggest and most permanent contributors to this massive pollution is sunscreen. In 2015, it was estimated that around 14,000 tons of sunscreen are ending up in the world's coral reefs per year and causing irreparable damage.”

"Eighty-five percent of the Caribbean coral reefs died before 1999 or 2000. That wasn't global warming. It's pollution," says Dr. Craig A. Downs, Ph.D., executive director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory.”  WHAT CAN YOU DO? GET INFORMED!

Be sure to read about: “The Safe Sunscreen Council, a coalition of companies working to raise awareness about the impact of toxic sunscreen ingredients on our planet.”

The Virtual Choir of Statesboro and Coastal Georgia has completed its performances. Past anthems are viewable at:

Stay tuned for news about the re-formation of the live UUCG Choir.

More about FAITHWORKS including Sparrow's Nest & The Well.

Email: rlmiller@netbox.com