During September, the UCG Sunday Seminar Committee will host an inspiring collection of Sunday Seminars: They will be available on Zoom at 10:15am. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624. Here are September’s offerings:
September 12
UCG Enriches My Life – Hosted by Sanford Berg, this seminar will be a time for sharing experiences when UCG programs, activities, and worship services have made a difference in our lives . . . a time for members to pause, reflect, and share. Three UCG Members will get the ball rolling by telling stories about how our community has helped them overcome challenges, find meaning, and experience deep joy. Then the discussion will open up to all participants for additional ways, as Annie Dillard wrote, that we find “ . . . hope of beauty laid bare, life heightened, and deepest mystery probed.” Join us and bring a story, poem, or just yourself—learn about how UCG touches us and reaches out to the wider community. People interested in joining UCG are especially welcome!
September 19
How Do You Experience Awe? – Hosted by John Harvey. How do you experience awe in your life? Why is the awe experience important? Today, the world seems fraught with more stress and fewer avenues for escape, as COVID shuts down movie theaters, music festivals, and even travel. During these difficult times, I have found that taking an “awe” break of just five minutes to recognize and celebrate the amazing world in which we live, helps me tune into my spiritual purpose and generates a sense of wonder and joy. What is an awe moment? That’s what I’d like to learn from you! You may find awe in the face of a young infant, or the intricacy of a spider’s web. You may sense it in that moment just before dawn, when the world is gently waking and the light of the sun is new and faint upon the earth. Or you may feel awe when you climb to the top of a mountain and are rewarded by a view that stretches out, forever. This is a seminar about those moments and what they mean to you. I urge you to come to this Sunday’s seminar and share your experiences and thoughts on the moments of awe in your life.
September 26
Sweetwater Branch Greenway: An Opportunity to Connect Downtown Gainesville – With Greg Young, President of the Matheson History Museum. Long before the Timucuan people populated this region of Florida, Sweetwater Branch Creek was flowing through what is today, downtown Gainesville. Once six miles long, this spring-fed creek ran through Paynes Prairie, into the Alachua Sink, to seep finally into the Florida aquifer. Sadly, today, much of the creek is covered in concrete, polluted by street water runoff, and filled with trash. As we look forward to the 2020’s, we could help reclaim this iconic body of water so it can become a cultural resource, an ecological gem and a vital connector route through the center of Gainesville. Please join Greg Young, President of the Matheson History Museum, as he explores the opportunities for community members to engage in the city’s planning for the future of the Sweetwater Branch Creek.