Spiritual growth

Unitarian Universalism calls us into a life-long journey of spiritual growth. As an intentional UU summer camp experience, SUUSI offers us many opportunities for spiritual exploration. Each day during the week we will reflect together on our theme during morning Theme Talks, and worship together as a community during evening Worship Services. For more information about these and other denominational activities, contact the Denominational Coordinator, Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

SUUSI Theme Talks

Each morning, Monday through Friday, a Unitarian Universalist minister will share with us thoughts on the theme. These daily theme presentations are a great way to start your SUUSI day.

SUUSI Evening Worship

Every evening, we gather for an opportunity to worship together as only the SUUSI community can! These services also touch on our theme while providing a chance for participation, renewal, and reflection on our day.

Calling All Ministers

Attention UU ministers: We want you to join our spiritual community at SUUSI this year! As you can tell, there will be many wonderful colleagues with whom to connect – not to mention about 1,000 other great UUs. (And ordained UU clergy receive a registration discount.) If you would like more information or to receive your registration discount, contact Denominational Coordinator Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

Morning Theme Talks

Monday - The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker

Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love for This World for Crucifixion and Empire
For a thousand years, Christians did not produce images of Jesus suffering and dying on the cross. Instead when they gathered to worship they were surrounded by lush and beautiful images of this world as paradise. But beginning in the 10th century, western Christianity shifted to images of crucifixion. This talk will examine the legacy of Christianity’s turn to crucifixion and empire, and explore the positive possibilities buried in Christianity’s more ancient spirituality of love for life.

Rebecca Parker is President and Professor of Theology at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA. An ordained minister in dual relationship with the UUA and the United Methodist Church, she is the author of Blessing the World: What Can Save Us Now (Skinner House Books, 2006) and co-author with Rita Nakashima Brock of Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us (Beacon Press, 2001). Their newest book, Saving Paradise, will be released by Beacon Press in summer, 2008. (rparker@sksm.edu)

Tuesday - Rev. Alison Miller

Spiraling into the Center

The greatest journey we can make is the sojourn to the center of our being. It is here we come to know our deepest selves, our purpose and call, and our sacred source. There are many roads that can be taken. There are the intentional paths of spiritual practices or the tumultuous and disorienting twists of illness, loss and transition. These paths offer to reveal terrors and delights, limits and unfettered possibilities, the voices of our false idols and the whispers of the divine. We can then wind back outwards and bring to life all that is in harmony with our heart’s true longing.

The Rev. Alison B. Miller has been serving as the minister of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship since fall 2005. She holds an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. She is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who was raised in an interfaith Jewish-Christian family in New York City. Alison has been very involved over the years in congregations, in our association, and in the communities in which she serves around the issues of youth ministry, young adult and campus ministry, and anti-racism and diversity work. (amiller@muuf.org)

Wednesday - Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer

Pilgrimage: Tourism or Transformation?

The art and discipline of religious pilgrimage feeds the human hunger for meaning, purpose, connection and ultimacy…., or not.

The Reverend Gail Ruth Geisenhainer was raised in Concord, MA and lived in Maine and New Hampshire before entering the Unitarian Universalist Ministry. She holds graduate degrees from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA and Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine. After her Internship in Reading, Massachusetts, she served as an Extension Minister in Los Angeles for five years. Since 2002 she has served the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach, Florida. Currently she serves as Treasurer for the UU Ministers Association. Rev. Gail’s life-partner of 24 years, Celeste DeRoche, writes and teaches US History for Barry University. They share a passion for books, road trips, and the company of their dog Waldo. (GGeisenhainer@uuma.org

Thursday - The Rev. Chip Roush

A Long Strange Trip It Is

Each life, each day, each relationship might be seen as a pilgrimage--to greater understanding, if not to an actual place. Using the lyrics and the experiences of the music group, “The Grateful Dead,” we’ll explore how to find more meaning and more joy in our lives.

The Rev. Chip Roush serves the UU Congregation of Grand Traverse, Michigan as its Senior Minister. He has preached on the liberal humanism of the Grateful Dead over a dozen times, and he danced to the band many more times than that. Besides the Dead, he lists Ken Wilber, the Rev. Dr. Thandeka, and his wife, Becky, as his chief influences. (revuucgt@charterinternet.com)

Friday - Rev. Anthony David

Seasons of Life

In his classic work Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer introduces a metaphor that helps us integrate and name the stages and cycles of our spiritual journey through life: the turning seasons. That’s what we will explore in Friday’s theme talk. I have found Parker Palmer’s metaphor to be profoundly helpful, and perhaps so will you.

The Rev. Anthony David is Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. Before this, he was Senior Minister of Pathways Church, the experimental rapid-start large church in Dallas/Fort Worth. His most recent publication is an article in Wrestling With Adulthood: UU Men Talk About Growing Up (Skinner House Press, ed. Rev. Ken Beldon). (adavid@uuma.org)

Evening Worship

Every evening we have the opportunity to gather to worship together in a family friendly environment as only the SUUSI community can! Each service will touch on our theme, while providing a chance for participation, renewal and reflection on our day. Mon-Thurs worship will be from 7-7:45 pm; Fri, worship will be from 8:30 to 9:15PM.

Monday - Jan Taddeo

Sacred Places

Pilgrimages are long journeys that take us to sacred places or places of religious significance. Are you on a pilgrimage? How far have you traveled on your journey, where are you going, what is your mode of transportation, who travels with you, what is your roadmap, and how will you know when you’ve arrived?

Jan Taddeo is a ministerial student at Meadville Lombard Theological School. A fifth generation UU, and long-time SUUSI participant, Jan held several lay-leadership roles at her home congregation in Fairfax, VA. She is currently living in Miramar, Florida with her husband, Russ, and attending the River of Grass UU Congregation. Before moving south, she served five years on the staff of the River Road UU Congregation as the Youth Ministry Coordinator, and two years for the Joseph Priestley District as the Coordinator of Youth Activities.

Tuesday - The Rev. Evan Keely

Our First Avowed Intent

How do we know whether our pilgrimages are worth it? After all, it isn’t easy being a pilgrim. It can be lonely, tiring, even frightening. But the pilgrimage worth making is a journey to greater freedom, greater wisdom, and greater love. We find the courage to bear the hardships by keeping our minds and hearts set on how we can be transformed by the journey.

Rev. Evan Keely currently serves as the interim minister at the UU Congregation of Monmouth County, in Lincroft, NJ. He is an Accredited Interim Minister in Training. Evan obtained his Masters in Divinity at Harvard Divinity School and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music History from Boston University. It was through music that he met his wife Sarah. Together with their sons Joseph and Benjamin, they look forward to their first time at SUUSI! (minister@uucmc.org)

Wednesday - The Rev. Michael Tino

Travelin’ Thru

Sometimes, our spiritual journeys take us to the most surprising places. Tonight, we will take a pilgrimage to the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee to a magical world in which spiritual insights sometimes come with sequins and a wig. Come learn why this city boy takes regular pilgrimages to Dollywood.

Rev. Dr. Michael Tino is the Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester in Mt. Kisco, New York. Michael is thrilled to return to SUUSI, the community in which he realized his call to the ministry. His original pilgrimage to Dollywood was taken with an old friend from SUUSI while making important Teen Program plans. In previous years, Michael has served on SUUSI Teen Staff and presented the SUUSI Thursday worship several times. He lives in Peekskill, New York with his partner Eric. (mjtino@yahoo.com)

Thursday - Amy Carol Webb

Pilgrimage: Purpose, Progress, Passage

Gather with us to mark milestones along this pilgrimage pathway we walk together. We will welcome new life with SUUSI baby dedications, celebrate our teens heading into young adulthood with a Bridging Ceremony and honor the memory of those who have passed from us. Please contact Amy directly (songweaver@amycarolwebb.com) if you’ll have a baby to dedicate, or an elder to honor.

Many of you have known Amy Carol Webb and her family in the SUUSI community since 1999. She first attended as a Concert Performer, then returned as a workshop leader, then joined TWOB staff, and then took a seat on the SUUSI Board. Still singing from Miami to Maine, she is now in seminary at Andover Newton Theological School in Boston as a future Unitarian Universalist Minister.

Friday - Laureen Blackmore with Ethel Marie Underhill & the Womanspirit Group of the New River Valley and the Blacksburg UU Congregations

Pagan Service

Our rituals embrace many spiritual paths and are drawn from a variety of Pagan sources including Wicca, Native American, and Goddess traditions found within other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. Each ritual is designed and led by our members and as such, they are all unique. We are looking forward to sharing a meaningful, spiritual ritual with the SUUSI community. All are welcome and encouraged to be ready to participate! Please bring your drums!

The Womenspirit Group of the NRV is an open, caring, laughing sisterhood of women who explore and honor Nature and Goddess spiritual traditions. We meet on the New and Full Moons of each month to create sacred space for learning, fellowship, and ritual. We honor the cycle and seasons of Mother Earth and often gather to celebrate the Sabbats, Full Moons and New Moons. We are affiliated with the UU Congregation of Blacksburg, Virginia.

Ministers at SUUSI

SUUSI loves Ministers!

The SUUSI community is eager to welcome ministers to the SUUSI experience. If fact, all ministers ordained by a legitimate divinity school receive a 50% discount in ther registration fees simply for coming to SUUSI. In order to receive your discount, please contact the Denominational Coordinator, Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org prior to registering for SUUSI.

Ministers of the Day

SUUSI provides a minister on-call for emergencies throughout the SUUSI experience. These ministers are compensated by receiving an additional 50% discount on their SUUSI registration fees. If you are an ordained minister and would like to serve in this capacity, please contact the Denominational Coordinator, Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

If you are scheduled as a speaker for Morning Theme Talk or Evening Worship

You should already be in contact with the SUUSI denominational team. We are here to help! You will be receiving a packet of information in the mail during Spring 2008 which should answer most of your questions.

New this year: Joe Jencks has joined the Denominational staff. He is eager to arrange for the perfect live music to augment your presentation. Give some thought to what will best meet your needs. He will be contacting you this spring to talk about your service and how we can help. In the meantime, you know how to reach us: Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

Covenant Groups

Covenant Groups are coming to SUUSI!

New this year: Covenant groups are coming to SUUSI. Be on the lookout for more information coming soon!