Joan DeArtemis has once again become a frequent guest speaker at UUCR thanks to the magic of Zoom. Joan currently resides in Massachusetts where she is a Candidate for Ministry, an Intern, & a Summer Minister at UU Wellesley Hills.
Joan holds a BA in Religion & Society from Syracuse University, a Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology, and she completed a Chaplain Residency at the Yuma Regional Medical Center in Arizona.
When not practicing her craft of ministry, Joan spends time with Cathy, her spouse and partner of 27 years, and Finley, their new adorable puppy. Joan, Cathy & Finley live in Worcester (pronounced wUUstah) Massachusetts, the city that was the birthplace of both the birth control pill, and the Smiley Face!
Everyone has a Great Quest. Do you know what yours is? Do you know how to find it? We areall on a long and arduous journey to find something, only most people don’t know it. ThisSunday, we are going to talk about our Great Quest, how to recognize it, and how to knowwhen we have … Continue reading “Your Great Quest,” by Rev. Joan DeArtemis
Friedrich Nietzsche famously is reported to have said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. Is that true? Or do setbacks and adversity just wear us down and make us into victims? Join us this Sunday when we will talk about overcoming setbacks and adversity, and possibly even seeing them as a source … Continue reading “That Which Does Not Kill Us…,” by Joan DeArtemis
No one can deny it… the world is changing rapidly. This is a time of extreme alterations in the very foundation of our culture. Recognized institutions may either disappear or be born afresh, in a new form. The good qualities of our society are under stress and our personal human rights sometimes feel like they … Continue reading “A New Understanding of Father’s Day,” by Rev. Joan DeArtemis
On May 9th, the CDC indicated that the U.S. may be “turning a corner” in regard to the pandemic. While that is a good thing, that does not necessarily mean that the stress is over. Some of us are unemployed… will our unemployment run out? Some of have car registrations that are past due on … Continue reading Up Against the Wall
Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Over a billion people participate each year, in over 190 countries. But what if we made Earth Day a part of our lives every day? What if we were to turn it into a kind … Continue reading Earth Day as Spiritual Practice
In Greek Mythology, Persephone is the personification of vegetation who becomes Queen of the Underworld when she is abducted by Hades. The Spring Equinox is the celebration of Persephone’s return to the world of the living. What a great metaphor to describe where we are right now! COVID-19 has made us all, to some degree, … Continue reading Persephone Returns!
Starting in the 16th century, masses of African people were abducted, subjugated, and transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas under horrendous circumstances. Almost two million individuals perished during the excruciating voyage. For more than 200 years, the dependence on Black people in the United States generated prosperity, opportunity, and wealth for white Americans. … Continue reading The Courage to Face Our Weakness
The insurrection of January 6th revealed hidden weaknesses in our federal presidential constitutional republic. How can we address these weaknesses? There is a whole new world being created, right before our eyes. The seed has been planted, and it is just starting to grow. How can we nurture it along? The thing that is vital to understand is … Continue reading The Responsibilities of Accomplishment
“The balance of nature (also known as ecological balance) is a notion that suggests that natural systems typically exist in a balanced symmetry. They say that even a tiny shift will be adjusted by some sort of equal but opposite event that brings it back to its original “point of balance.” The equilibrium is often … Continue reading “Balance of Nature” is a Real Thing
Humans are constructed to size each other up rapidly. Our primary impressions of others are often influenced by several stimuli, such as facial form, spoken modulation, appeal, and over-all emotional state. We are inclined to become devoted to these early imprints and find it very hard to change our view, even when presented with lots … Continue reading Acting on First Impressions and Why You Shouldn’t
