Many religious traditions have taught us not to become too attached to this world. But what if loving this present world is not a distraction from the spiritual life, but the very heart of it? This sermon explores what it might mean to embrace the earth, our neighbors, and the present moment as sacred.
Lisa Hajjar will be our Worship Associate,
Priscilla Shumway will give the Time for All Ages,
with music provided by Ryan Pagels.
9:45 AM - Meditation, Upper Gage Hall Participants gather for an hour to practice insight meditation and discuss various aspects of the meditative path and its interplay with our lives. 10:30 AM - Nursery Opens, Annex - For the summer, children ages 7 and under are welcome in the nursery until 12:15pm or the conclusion of worship.
- If you need childcare to be able to attend meditation this summer, please email office@charlestonuu.org and emily@charlestonuu.org to let us know.
12:00 PM - Coffee Hour, Gage Hall Immediately following the service you are invited next door to join us for coffee and light refreshments in our fellowship hall.
Sign up to be a Sunday Fellowship Facilitator!GreeterFlowers
THIS WEEK AT CHURCH
TONIGHT! Third Thursday Happy Hour Thursday, July 16; 5:00pm
Red's Ice House in Mount Pleasant
Rebecca, Jules & Staff Host a Monthly Happy Hour or Social Gathering at a rotating local business. Join us this month in Mount Pleasant! All members, friends, and visitors are welcome!
Lowcountry Food Bank Volunteering Saturday, July 18; 9:00am - 12:00pm LCFB 2864 Azalea Drive, North Charleston
Signup Here! We currently only have 3 volunteers for Saturday, please consider joining us this summer! Over the summer school break, the needs of the LCFB increase while the volunteer base diminishes. We meet at 9:00 a.m. and usually finish by 11:30. Closed-toe shoes required. Children 12 and older with an adult and 16 and older are welcome to participate; LCFB staff will sign for school volunteer hours. Contact Leslie Gergen or office@charlestonuu.org if you have questions. You may watch a volunteer orientation online HERE
Death Cafe Monday, July 20; 7:00pm Lower Gage Hall
The Unitarian Church in Charleston is pleased to host a monthly Death Cafe. At a Death Cafe people gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. Our objective is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives." A Death Cafe is a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. Death Cafe is an international social franchise. To learn more about Death Cafes in general, click here. For more information about our event, please reach out to Scott Morgan or email office@charlestonuu.org
SOCIAL JUSTICE SPOTLIGHT
UUSC News - Converging Futures: Where Gender Justice, Democracy, and Faith Meet
In March 2026, UUSC convened approximately 50 faith leaders, movement organizers, researchers, and funders from more than a dozen countries in Lisbon, Portugal. Over three days, participants worked across Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and secular traditions, as well as across feminist, LGBTQI+, racial justice, democracy, and human rights sectors. They came together around a shared premise: the intersection of faith, gender justice, and democracy is one of the most strategically important and most underinvested fronts in the global struggle against authoritarianism. This report synthesizes what they surfaced, analyzed, proposed, and committed to.
At its center, the convening reached a clear conclusion: progressive movements cannot win without faith, and faith-based organizing is democracy infrastructure. Across the countries represented, progressive faith leaders are already doing this work. They are training imams, mobilizing rabbis, reclaiming Hindu theology, marching with migrants, contesting authoritarian legislation, building queer faith communities, and telling stories that make new futures imaginable. What they need is not a new vision or a new analysis, but resources, coordination, and the recognition that their work is not peripheral to the defense of democracy but central to it.
The full report offers analysis, sector-specific guidance, and the action plan this emerging field needs. Read the report here, share it widely, and consider where you can help build this ecosystem. UUSC staffer Shay Stewart-Willis also offered this first-person reflection from the convening.
SCUUJA Fall Festival Saturday, September 26
UU Congregation of Columbia
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
🌷Call for RE Volunteers Be part of the fun, wisdom, and connection of our RE program! We are looking for volunteers to teach or support our Elementary and Youth RE programs next year. Previous teaching experience is not required.
Lesson plans and materials are provided. Just show up, facilitate, and be a supportive presence. 🙏
Flexible schedules and different levels of involvement are welcome. Email Emily, emily@charlestonuu.org if you're interested or have any questions.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Preorder Your Church T-Shirt Preorders due August 1!
We are excited to offer two new church T-Shirts! Pre-Orders now open for the Skyline Tees in both Indigo and Rainbow Pride colorways. The shirts are 100% cotton and available in adult and youth sizes. View sizing details and shirt mockups here. For questions email Jules@charlestonuu.org. Click here to order the Indigo Shirt - $25 Click here to order the Rainbow Pride Shirt - $32
Pre-Orders are due by August 1. T-Shirts will come in early September and must be picked up from the church. Please note: PayPal may ask for a shipping address, but these T-Shirts will NOT be shipped to you. If you are unable to come pick up your shirt this fall, please contact office@charlestonuu.org to make other arrangements.
Blessing box donations can be placed directly in the box, if there is room, or in the storage cabinet in the back storage area of Gage Hall (where the folding chairs are stored.) Throughout the week, staff will refill the box outside as space allows.
To share a significant life event (births, deaths, celebrations, transitions and other joys and sorrows) send to Marcia Castano at BookOfLife@CharlestonUU.org by Saturday evenings at 6:00 p.m. or write them in person on Sunday morning.
The physical book is kept at the front of the church near the pulpit.
Interested in joining our wonderful church community?
Click here to learn more about membership.
