First UU Church of San Diego
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"Moments" a poem by Pam Bates

11/23/2020

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That moment
When you see someone
You haven't seen in awhile!
You both look up
You recognize
Behind your masks, you smile
And then you both
Move awkwardly
As if to share a hug
And stop
Asif a wall were there
So you don't spread the bug
That moment
When you hear that camp
Is cancelled for this year
You know that
It's the right choice
But you can't hold back a tear
That moment
When your child asks
"Can I go see my friend?"
You weigh the risks
You share your fears
They ask, "When will this end?"
That moment
When you hear the news
Someone you know has died
You wish that you
Could be there
For the family as they cry
That moment When you see someone
Who will not wear a mask
Your anger
overwhelms you
Why is this too much to ask?
That moment
When a co-worker
Hugs their child while you're on Zoom
Everyone
Smiles a little
Even once they've left the room
That moment
When your quiet time
Gazing at the clouds
Is fractured by
The sound of someone
Talking much too loud
A family
Passes, laughing
at their dog, they say hello
A child
Stops and says
"Nice birds" and then they go
That moment
When you know our lives
Will never be the same
And if they could
Would that be good?
Or would it be a shame?

Pam Bates identifies as a mom, a UU, and a permanent student of life, humanity, and divinity.
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Making Democracy Work

5/7/2020

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Democracy in Azerbaijan
​By Martin Kruming
On a warm, sunny day in March, San Diegans went to the polls. After showing identification, they received their ballots, stepped into voting booths, made their choices, handed the ballots to poll workers, and hurried off to work, home, or elsewhere. Thousands of miles away, citizens of Azerbaijan, a former Soviet Republic surrounded by Russia, Iran and Turkey, showed up at polling stations on a cold, blustery day in February to choose members of the Azerbaijan Parliament. They showed IDs, took a ballot which they marked, returned it to the election officials, and stuck around to socialize with fellow voters. Two places-16 hours apart by plane-each trying to make democracy work during a very unsettling and confusing period in history.


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Resilience: A Reflection

5/6/2020

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Resilience
By Tony Brumfield
I want to begin my reflection on resilience by talking about the tree outside our window. That tree needs certain things to withstand difficult times. For one, it needs to be firmly rooted. The Earth not only holds it in place but provides nutrients. The tree needs water. When a tree doesn't get enough water, or the quality of its water is poor, the tree becomes vulnerable to disease. Trees also need air. Trees breathe. Trees need sunlight. Sunlight, water, and air are needed for trees to generate food. The temperature of the air can neither be too hot nor too cold. But trees need more than physical things. Trees thrive best in a forest. I must say that we human beings need the trees in our lives. Not just the trees but all the other living things in our world. And they need us. The resilience of this world very much relies on us human beings being responsible, not just for us, but for all of life.


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With Enough Light

5/5/2020

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Rev Tania Marquez
By Rev. Taní​a Márquez, Assistant Minister
When I was 14 years old, while visiting my family's town in Southern Mexico, a group of friends invited me to climb to the church's bell tower from where we could see the procession of people coming into the town to celebrate its annual festival. To get to the bell tower, we had to go through a dark and narrow spiral staircase. While looking forward to the view from the town's highest building, the time we spent in the staircase seemed endless. I was afraid, mostly because it was hard to see beyond the step I was about to take, and it was the voices of the people I couldn't see, but who were there with me, that encouraged me to keep going.


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The Genesis of a Food Pantry

5/4/2020

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PictureSonya Prestman counts food pantry shoppers.
By Maureen McNair
In June of 2019, four or five congregants attending the annual meeting in the Meeting House wrote down that their vision for the future of First UU included a food pantry or a soup kitchen. At the time, the primary concerns on the minds of most people at that meeting were things such as how we would respond to the offer from UCSD Medical Center to purchase our Hillcrest campus; whether we would expand our music, dance, and art programs; and, requests that we find more ways to enjoy meals together. I didn't believe those few requests to start a food pantry would make it into the top five goals of the new strategic plan the congregation was providing input for. But, those requests reflected such an acute and immediate need that, as a newly elected member of the Board of Trustees, I thought we should do something about them.


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How to Talk to Children about COVID-19

5/3/2020

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Kathleen Swift
By Kathleen Swift, Family and Lifespan Ministry Director
​
Like most of us, your fears and anxieties over the coronavirus COVID-19 are probably elevated right now. Although the risk for children and young adults appears to be less than for older adults, news of this pandemic is changing daily and is alarming. Many parents are wondering how to talk about it with their children in away that is reassuring, but factual.  According to experts at the Child Mind Institute, it's better to talk about it than avoid the subject. Your children have probably already seen people wearing masks and have heard stories from their friends. Not talking about it can make kids worry more.


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Life's Little Losses - a South Bay Reflection

5/1/2020

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pam
Len and I spent six weeks trying to escape winter weather, on the Sea of Cortez, near Guaymas, Sonora, where it was a bit warmer than here on the Pacific Ocean. We rented a beautiful hacienda style house, steps from the shore. We settled in and adopted a daily routine: sleeping until the sun woke us, Len feeding and walking the dog while I cooked breakfast, enjoying the sun's warmth while eating breakfast on the patio, watching the fishermen, a diver, brown pelicans, seagulls and an occasional bottlenose dolphin begin their daily routine right in front of us. Getting acquainted with a new kitchen is always a bit challenging, but, after a few days, I could fix breakfast without too much difficulty. Until one morning when I lost the can of Pam Cooking Spray.


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(619) 298-9978  |  Staff Directory
Hillcrest campus 4190 Front Street, San Diego, CA. 92103  |  South Bay campus 970 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA. 91911
For directions, parking and more see our Contact page.
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©2004-2019 First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego. All rights reserved. Admin.
  • Home
  • Worship
    • Messages
    • Online Worship Services
    • Participate in a Service
    • Principles & Sources
    • Minister's Blog
  • Connections
    • Staying Connected
    • Welcome Newcomers! > >
      • Next Steps
      • UUism Primer
      • Become a Member
    • Community
    • Family Ministry > >
      • All Church Camp
    • Christian Study Group
    • Earth Centered Spirituality Circle
    • Meditation
    • Men's Fellowship > >
      • UUMF Renewal Registration
    • Neighborhood Groups
    • UU Women
    • Youth Programs
    • Young Adult & Campus Ministry
    • Affinity Groups
    • Wisdom Circles
  • Music
    • Adult Choirs
    • Children and Youth Choirs
    • Handbell Choirs
    • JUUL Tones
    • South Bay Music
    • Women's Choir
  • Education
    • Children's RE > >
      • Family Ministry Library
      • Children's RE Registration
    • Our Whole Lives (OWL)
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • SD Co-op Preschool
  • Programs
    • Archives
    • Art Guild
    • Caring
    • Food Pantry
    • Groups from A-Z
    • Larger UU Connections > >
      • Denominational Relations
      • Friends of De Benneville Pines
      • Philippines Partner Church
      • Transylvania Partner Church
      • UU Service Committee
    • Leadership Development
    • Looking Glass Theatre
    • Social Justice > >
      • Clean Elections
      • Climate Justice
      • Generosity Offerings
      • Organizing for Justice
      • Palestine-Israel Justice Group
      • Rainbow Action
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Sanctuary
      • SOLACE
      • UPTOWN Faith Community Services Center
    • Ushering
  • Giving
    • Donations
    • B&B Program > >
      • B&B Guest Registration
    • B&B Hosting > >
      • B&B Host Application
    • Dining for Dollars
    • Donate Your Vehicle
    • Donate Flowers
    • Planned Giving
    • Pledging
    • San Diego Visit
    • Specialty Sale
    • Shop and Support!
  • News
    • Blog
    • The Window - Weekly Bulletin
    • First Words Magazine
  • About
    • Member Areas > >
      • Members Portal
      • Board Portal
    • Calendar
    • Our Ministers
    • Our Staff
    • Ceremonies
    • Journey Toward Wholeness
    • Hillcrest Campus
    • Campus Maps
    • Facilities > >
      • Facilities Use Request Form
    • South Bay Campus
    • Forms
    • Reopening Team
    • Visioning The Future
    • Strategic Planning
    • Governance
    • Our History
  • Contact
    • Ministers and Staff
    • Website Update Form
    • Privacy and Terms