Intern Minister Notes

Sign Up For:Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection Let’s join in the UUA common read! This year’s selection is: Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer. Iyer presents a practical workbook for individuals and organizations seeking to deepen their commitment to social justice through an “ecosystems framework” (think enneagram) that identifies ten roles in social change. Learn to identify your role and bring your best gifts as we lean into social change,…

Save the date for NO KINGS! March 28, 2026 from 10am – 1pm in Huntington Beach Let’s carpool! Can you drive? Do you need a ride? Look for sign ups beginning March 8th in the courtyard. No Kings also sponsors trainings (virtual) around safety and knowing our rights. Dates and times are below, as well as a link to sign up for each event. Make A Safety Plan on 3/5 and 3/18 at 5pm Pacific Safety and Deescalation Foundations on…

I want to share with you a poem that repeats itself in my heart, always. A Blessing Called Sanctuary You hardly knewhow hungry you wereto be gathered in,to receive the welcomethat invited you to enterentirely—nothing of youfound foreign or strange,nothing of your lifethat you were askedto leave behindor to carry in silenceor in shame. Tentative stepsbecame settling in,leaning into the blessingthat enfolded you,taking your placein the circlethat stunned youwith its unimagined grace. You began to breathe again,to move without fear,to…

May this New Year offer a fresh start every day. May this new cycle of time bring you Peace.May your needs be met.May you find comfort wherever you are.May you never hunger. May this new year allow fresh starts.May your vision refresh as you evaluate yourself.May you hear anew the lessons placed in front of you.May your thoughts be fresh with new perspective as you move through the world. May each sunrise bring wonder and possibility.May each nightfall bring the…

To anyone who struggles through the winter, for whatever reason, remember: You are seenYou are heardYou are importantYou matterYOU ARE LOVED And, You are not alone. In the dark and impossible moments, hours, days, lean into self-care when it feels like that’s all you’ve got. Honor the difficult feelings as you experience them. Acknowledge what hurts in you. Grieve. Rest. Meditate. Laugh. Hold your Self close. Nourish your body and your spirit. Love your sadness and your joy. Speak your…

The worship theme for the month of November is Nurturing Gratitude. For me, November is the beginning of a season of change. The weather changes, the value of the morning light is dim, and the days are short. I appreciate these natural changes as a chance to slow and manage my needs. I appreciate the quiet gathering around me. November changes are personal too – mostly managing how to show up for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays, and all the…

I want to extend gratitude to everyone who has supported Share Ourselves throughout my two years of internship at OCUUC. Together, we supported local youth by gathering school supplies and backpacks to underserved schools in the area. Share Ourselves provided Thanksgiving meal prep to over 500 families in Orange County and your contributions supported those efforts. Over the Christmas season, we were able to provide gifts and necessities to a family of 10 in the Adopt-A-Family program that served over…

I’ve been thinking about how to imagine a bright future where all beings thrive. It’s not always the first perspective I embrace right now, honestly. There so many narratives that contradict this. There’s the news, of course, which has never really thrived on focusing on creating optimism. It’s true that there are plenty of legitimate things to worry about and the future is and always has been uncertain. Uncertainty is scary, but it is a constant of the human experience.…

On April 22, 2025, Earth Day turns 55! As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to being good stewards to the Earth. Last fall, our congregation took part in the Climate Justice Revival which raised our awareness about how, together, we can make an impact on the health of our planet. We continue our monthly meetings which are open to everyone. We are working together to make a difference by looking at how we might recycle, compose, carpool, and how we…

After preaching on February 16, I went right to the John Wayne airport to start a journey to Little Rock, AK where I was honored to attend the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. This conference is an annual event inviting Clergy and Lay Leadership to hear from the foremost African American theological scholars, grassroots and political leaders, emerging leaders and practitioners. Each year, the conference moves to a different city, and I was hoping to see more of Little Rock, but…

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who contributed to OCUUC’s Adopt-A-Family program through Share Ourselves over the holiday season. Whether you shopped, contributed, or helped wrap gifts, you were part of supporting our family of ten with gifts that will support them throughout the year. The biggest shout out goes to Judith Stamper who chose our family and worked in the collection facility at the Orange County Fairgrounds on the weekend before Christmas. The Adopt-A-Family program has…

I want to thank you all for supporting Share Ourselves! My husband and I helped pack up Thanksgiving donations that will go out to over 700 families that are experiencing food insecurities this season. It was amazing to see people of all ages supporting our community and seeing the donations from OCUUC going into the bags. While we were at the food bank, it was shared that one out of three families in Orange County are living at or below…