Annual Meeting
2016-06-12 12:00 - 13:00, 2016-06-12 00:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Englewood, 07631, United States

ICARUS AND OEDIPUS: WHY MYTH MATTERS - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-06-12 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. “Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life,” wrote the mythologist Joseph Campbell. Today we’ll consider two of the most widely-known myths and how an understanding of them and of other myths can help us in understanding the personal myths of our own lives.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

THIS I BELIEVE - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-06-05 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. Today we’ll hear about the personal beliefs and spirituality of three members of our UUCP spiritual community and why UUCP has become their spiritual home.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

THE STRANGE EXPERIENCE OF OLD AGE - Al Stawsky
2016-05-29 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by UUCP member, Al Stawsky. Those of us who are privileged, and have the right genes, and are lucky, may reach the condition of functioning “old age”. But what exactly is “old age”; how do you define it? What is it about and why is it an important part of the human experience? These and related questions will be discussed by Al including some of his own experiences.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

"JUST EAT IT" Documentary
2016-05-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
On Friday, May 27th at 7:30 PM, The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades (UUCP) will be showing a screening of the award-winning documentary “Just Eat It”, a 74-minute film about food waste and food rescue.
Did you know that 40% of all food grown and raised in the U.S. is not consumed? Farmers are paid by the government to deliberately dump their crops and allow them to rot in fields. Supermarkets throw out perfectly good food on a daily basis into dumpsters, much of it not in biodegradable containers to be brought to landfills.
Meanwhile in 2014 there were 48.1 million people living in food insecure households, 16.2 million of them were children. Why is this happening in the richest nation in the world? And more importantly, what are our personal and collective roles in ending it? Filmmakers and food lovers, Jen and Grant dive into the issue of food waste from farm and retail, right to the back of their own fridge. In a deliciously entertaining challenge, they pledge to quit grocery shopping and survive only on discarded food.
Join us for this informative and compelling film. There will be a discussion and refreshments after the film.
Poster by: Liandra Pires

NOW I AM BECOME DEATH: REFLECTIONS ON TRAGEDY AND NATURAL DISASTER - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-05-22 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. Where is God in all of the tragedies and disasters that we experience in our lives?
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

INTO THE ABYSS: FACING THE UNKNOWN IN OUR LIVES - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-05-15 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. At one time or another in our lives, we all reach a place where we are faced with peering into the abyss of the unknown, of not knowing what to do in a situation, and having to take a leap of faith. Today we’ll consider ways to get past the fear we face during those times.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

MOTHER'S DAY REFLECTIONS - Program Team
2016-05-08 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by the UUCP Program Team. The program team will share reflections on mothers and mothering. We will have our traditional flower ceremony.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

A FREE AND RESPONSIBLE SEARCH: CAN WE BELIEVE ANYTHING WE WANT? - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-05-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. One of the most important principles that Unitarian Universalists hold is the necessity of a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. But does that, as some people think, mean we can believe whatever we want?
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY
2016-05-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Sunday, May 1st is Stewardship Sunday. This is when we ask congregants to fill out pledge cards for the next congregational year, 2016 July 1 to 2017 June 30.
The Board will provide a brunch.

POT LUCK PASSOVER SEDER - Deborah Singer Pires
2016-04-24 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by UUCP Co-President Deborah Singer Pires. Instead of our usual service format, we will experience the Jewish holiday of Passover with a traditional Seder. Learn the meaning of Passover and its relevance to Unitarian Universalists.
Bring a dish to share, but please do not bring food items made with pork, shellfish, or bread. Please be on time to be seated at the table in order to not disrupt the service after it has begun. All are welcome: bring family and friends.
We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

Board of Trustees Meeting
2016-04-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2016-03-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2016-02-18 19:00 - 21:00

THINKING ABOUT THINKING PART 2 - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-04-17 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. Part 2 of Rev. Paul’s sermon on the power of thought. Drawing from the work of James Allen’s book, “As A Man Thinketh,” we do some more thinking about thinking and about the power of thought and just what that means – and doesn’t mean – in our daily lives.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!

UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANT PARENTS: SEEKING A COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE - Dr. Sue Kenney
2016-04-10 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Dr. Kenney will address the difficult decision that some parents must make to leave their children behind in their country of origin, and the equally untenable flip side of this issue: undocumented parents who face deportation, and must decide whether to leave their American citizen children behind in the U.S. She will also discuss the 3.6 million unauthorized parents who are potentially eligible for DAPA (Deferred Action for Parental Accountability), the Obama Administration’s program to defer deportations of these parents for three years. Immigration is one of the issues that the UU Legislative Ministry addresses.
Dr. Sue Kenney’s Bio:
Dr. Sue Kenney became interested in immigrants’ rights work during her years as a restaurant owner in Hackensack, New Jersey. She joined First Friends, an immigrants’ rights advocacy group in 2011, and has been visiting undocumented immigrants being held in detention ever since. Sue lives with her husband, Tom, in Washington Township, and teaches English at Immaculate Heart Academy. Last year Sue earned her doctorate in interdisciplinary humanities from Drew University.
Poster by: Liandra Pires

UUCP SERVICE AUCTION 2016
2016-04-09 19:00 - 22:00 | Englewood, 07631, United States
It’s that time of year again!
Please join the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades (UUCP) for their annual service auction on Saturday, April 9th at 7:00 PM. Come and enjoy a live and silent auction presented by a professional auctioneer.
Some items included are musical events, dinners, restaurant/service certificates, our boutique and more! This fun filled evening helps UUCP to continue their work of promoting social justice and interfaith cooperation and understanding.
You don’t want to miss this event! We look forward to seeing you there!
Tickets: $15.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door
For advance tickets call: (201) 568-5540
Poster by: Bonnie Savitz
Live Auction Catalog
Silent Auction Catalog

Congregational Meeting
2016-04-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Congregational Meeting after service.

ARE YOU HITTING THE SPIRITUAL SNOOZE BUTTON? - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-04-03 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. Are you one of those people who consider the snooze button one of the greatest inventions in the history of humanity? You may be right! But when it comes to our spiritual lives, snoozing isn’t really a helpful option!
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!

FABULOUS FABRICS FROM FIVE CONTINENTS EXHIBIT
2016-03-28 17:00 - 19:00 | Englewood, 07631, United States
“Fabulous Fabrics from Five Continents” collected by Judy Manton, adjunct professor of cross-cultural studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University, will be exhibited at the Southeast Senior Center for Independent Living (SESCIL) March 28th thru April 10th. The exhibit is being co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades which holds its Sunday morning meetings at SESCIL.
Most of the fabrics are hand-woven or hand decorated. Techniques include tie dye, batik, applique, hand-printing and embroidery on silk, cotton, bark cloth and goat hair. Some of the extraordinary pieces are a Coptic cotton fragment, intensely embroidered wedding kurtas from the Sindh in Pakistan, exquisite embroidered pieces from minority areas in China and Judy’s heirloom which is a handwoven, wool bedspread dating back to 1848. Other special pieces are a silk applique of the eight precious treasures of Buddhism made for Manton in a monastery in Tibet and pictorial story cloth made in a refugee camp by a woman from Laos who embroidered her escape from the Pathet Lao.
The opening night event on March 28th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. will feature not only a power point presentation by Manton showing fabric artists at work around the world, but also a trousseau of Turkish fabrics inherited by Irene Danis-Kremen, former textile designer and stylist. Refreshments will be served. For reservations, call (SESCIL) at 201-569-4080.
EXHIBIT HOURS THROUGH APRIL 10th:
Tuesdays & Thursdays – 2:30-4:00
Fridays – 3:00-4:00
Saturdays – 1:00-4:00
Sundays – 1:00-4:00
Poster by: Liandra Pires

EASTER AND EMPTINESS - REV. PAUL DODENHOFF
2016-03-27 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. Easter is about resurrection. But Easter is also about emptiness. Without it, there is no resurrection! Join us as we consider the Easter story and its meaning for us in our daily lives.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!

JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE: An Epic Story of Cosmic, Earth, and Human Transformation
2016-03-25 19:30 - 22:00 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades (UUCP) for a screening of the EMMY® Award-Winning Film for Best Documentary, “Journey of the Universe.” Acclaimed author and evolutionary philosopher Brian Thomas Swimme talks about our role as humans in this awe-inspiring universe, and his insights will light up the night skies. As the host, co-writer, and fellow traveler, he shares his infectious curiosity about life’s biggest questions in the epic JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE.
Using his skills as a masterful storyteller, Swimme connects such big picture issues as the birth of the cosmos 14 billion years ago – to the invisible frontiers of the human genome – as well as to our current impact on Earth’s evolutionary dynamics. Through his engaging and thoughtful observations audiences everywhere will discover the profound role we play in this intricate web of life.
From the Big Bang to the epic impact humans have on the planet today, this film is designed to inspire a new and closer relationship with Earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis.
Bring a friend and stay for a discussion after the film and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

THINKING ABOUT THINKING - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-03-20 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think,” said the Buddha. Thoughts have power. But do they actually create our reality? Today we’ll think about what the Buddha and others have taught about the power of thought and just what that means – and doesn’t mean – in our daily lives.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

Congregational Meeting
2016-03-13 11:30 - 12:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States

BELIEF: IN JUSTICE, IN LOVE - Rev. Craig Hirshberg
2016-03-13 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by special guest speaker, Rev. Craig Hirshberg. What are the assumptions we hold onto as we move toward a more just society … and what are some of the assumptions we need to dispel. Join Rev. Craig Hirshberg, Exec. Director of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, as she explores the foundations and the myths of social justice work and how the UU Legislative Ministry of NJ addresses them.
Rev. Craig Hirshberg’s Bio:
Rev. Hirshberg currently serves as the Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey (UULMNJ), representing Unitarian Universalist congregations throughout New Jersey. UULMNJ strives to be a courageous, compassionate, non-partisan voice for truth, justice and equality in New Jersey public policy, working in collaboration with like-minded organizations through education, research, advocacy, witness, and service. Rev. Hirshberg believes that public advocacy is a necessary component of any spiritual practice.
Rev. Craig Hirshberg came to the Legislative Ministry in May 2011 with a wealth of experience in the pulpit and in the community. She is Minister Emerita of the UU Congregation of Somerset Hills where she served as the founding minister. She brought to her ministry extensive non-profit experience including training, planning, community organizing and program development. She has a private practice in spiritual direction and hosts meditation classes, retreats and other spiritual development activities. She is a graduate of Drew Theological School, and a lifelong student at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. She received her spiritual direction training at Shalem in Washington DC. Rev. Hirshberg also serves on the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Trauma Response Team, being deployed in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.
Following the service: “Belief: In Justice, In Love” with Rev. Craig Hirshberg, there will be a short session led by Frances Prestianni and Lessie Culmer-Nier of the UU Legislative Ministry of NJ, “How to Make a Better World – One Law at a Time”. How the Legislative Ministry works with Q&A.
Poster by: Liandra Pires

ANOTHER LOOK AT BEING SPIRITUAL BUT NOT RELIGIOUS - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-03-06 10:30 - 11:30
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. There’s been much attention in recent years to the growing number of people who identify themselves as spiritual but not religious. Today, we’ll take a second look at what that means and at some alternatives we might not have considered.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

JAZZ - LET THE SPIRIT MOVE YOU - Al Stawsky
2016-02-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by UUCP member Al Stawsky. “Jazz” originated uniquely from the African American experience in the United States. Today it is a powerful worldwide cultural presence. It is expressed and reflected in many musical forms. But, what is Jazz? How and why did it come to be? What does it “mean”? What makes Jazz spiritual and how can Jazz change your life? How does Jazz connect with Unitarian Universalism? These questions will be explored and discussed in the upcoming Sunday Service. Excerpts and examples will be given.
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Liandra Pires

AN EVENING OF COLORING MEDITATION
2016-02-26 19:30 - 22:00 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for this special evening of coloring meditation led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff.
The word mandala comes from the ancient Sanskrit language and loosely means “circle” or “center.” The mandala is a circular matrix with a center point, a sacred center that helps to stimulate and promote creativity, relaxation, healing, and other positive states of being. As an alternate style of meditation, coloring allows us to enter into and experience the power of the mandala in our lives.
Rev. Paul Dodenhoff will begin the evening with a brief talk on meditation and the mandala before we begin our evening of coloring. Our coloring meditation will be a silent one followed by a time for refreshments and conversation. Crayons, colored pencils, and coloring mandalas will be provided.
Poster by: Liandra Pires

GOD, REALITY & WHAT REALLY MATTERS - Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
2016-02-21 10:30 - 11:30 | Englewood, 07631, United States
Please join us for today’s service led by Rev. Paul Dodenhoff. Does god exist? Can we prove or disprove god’s existence Throughout history this question has been debated and argued. People have even been put to death for believing or not believing a certain way about “god.” And that debate still continues to be a source of much intolerance, hatred, and violence. But the real question we should be asking is: Does god matter?
Bring a friend and stay for coffee and light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you!
Poster by: Bonnie Savitz
