May News & Views
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
If you want to know why you do something, stop doing it and see what happens. -Michael A. Singer
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.”— Albert Einstein, "Old Man's Advice to Youth: 'Never Lose a Holy Curiosity.'" LIFE Magazine, 6/2/55”
Oh, my friends, I sure do like this time of year. The trees with their delicate flowers dropping like memories of snow, the wind whipping them about, the sun and rain, warm and cold, doing their New England Spring dance, and the world around us exploding with life, fills my battery! I am ever curious to see what’s blooming, which birds are visiting my feeder, how many (or, rather, few) eggs my 2 old chickens might lay, which weed has spread into my garden that I need to pluck quickly (I’m looking at you, pokeweed, motherwort, and morning glory!).
Our Soul Matters theme this month is Awakening Curiosity, and that’s certainly a fit focus for the spring season, when nature puts on this amazing show for us. Everything screams, “Look at me! I am rare and beautiful and pass quickly!” So, we pay attention, curious to see what blooms when, and savoring it when it does.
As I was writing this, I learned of the passing of our dear friend and church member, Gilly Cabral, on May 6. Gilly has been in hospice care for a while, and we’ve spent a lot of time together talking and writing letters to friends and family who made a difference in his life. I’m glad we got that done. Gilly had cystic fibrosis and struggled a lot over the course of his life, but that was never what he was all about, and never the first thing I thought of when I thought of him. Gilly was one of the most curious people I’ve ever met, and that’s saying something.
There was never a sermon I gave that he attended when he didn’t have a follow-up question or comment about something I said. When he asked if I would do a service for disability awareness, I said, “Only if you do the sermon,” and he was delighted to do so (see the link below) and came to the table with all kinds of research on top of his experience. Every time I visited Gilly when he was in care, he could be found in the library reading (unless there was a Red Sox game on). He read voraciously, and each visit, I helped him carry a few more to add to the mountain of books he brought back to his room. We had engaging discussions about authors, books, history, travel, family, theology, and the fortunes and philosophies of human beings. Gilly had a great sense of humor, his laugh was infectious, and I will hear it in my mind always.
Gilly will be missed in our church, but his life is a solid lesson in the benefits of curiosity. Many of the resources I looked at this month were readings that warned of the consequences of curiosity, that it leads to all manner of upset in the “natural order of things.” Well, I think the “natural order of things” is a construct created by men who weren’t inspired enough to see beyond themselves. And curiosity, to them, is dangerous to the status quo.
Our friend Gilly didn’t fit into that status quo and fought his whole life to be taken seriously as a man of curiosity and accomplishment. I’m honored that I got to be on the receiving end of his wisdom and wonder.
As we come to appreciate this beautiful season, let’s all endeavor to be as curious and loving as Gilly was.
Bright Spring Blessings-Karen
A visitation and funeral service to celebrate Gilbert’s life will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Perry Funeral Home, 111 Dartmouth St. Visiting hours take place from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed immediately by a funeral service at 12:00 PM. Burial will take place afterwards at St. John’s Cemetery.
Soul Matters: Welcome to Awakening Curiosity
UU minister, Victoria Safford, speaks of curiosity using the metaphor of perception and sight. She writes:
“To see, simply to look and to see, is an ethical act and intentional choice; to see, with open eyes, is a spiritual practice and thus a risk, for it can open you to ways of knowing the world and loving it that will lead to inevitable consequences. The awakened [and curious] eye is a conscious eye, a willful eye, and brave, because to see things as they are, each in its own truth, will make you very vulnerable.”
Consequences. We rarely think of curiosity in terms of consequences. But Rev. Safford seems to have it right. There is a type of curiosity that is about enjoyment and adventure. This way of understanding curiosity invites us to experience life as a playground. But when we look closely at our lives, we realize there’s another type of curiosity at play. This kind leads us not to playgrounds, but into dark alleys and pathless woods. It demands, not just our attention, but our courage. It’s not interested in entertaining us with the wonders of the world. Instead, it wants to enlist us in the work of the world.
Just think of how we UUs talk about our dances with curiosity. We don’t just tell stories about peppering our poor Sunday School teachers with “Why?!” and “Who says?!”; we tell stories about how asking why got us kicked out of Sunday School. We don’t just talk about being open-minded; we talk about how our open-mindedness led us to leave home and family and walk a lonelier path than we wanted. And recently, many of us have leaned into the hard work of being curious about our role in upholding institutional racism and structures of white supremacy, which is clearly about more than learning new and interesting things about ourselves.
And here’s the important insight revealed by these stories: As hard as these paths of curiosity are, we are grateful for them! Which in turn suggests that there is a part of us that doesn’t want curiosity to just be fun or interesting. It wants curiosity to change us, to make us anew. This part of us wants to be altered, not just enriched.
So, maybe we need to tweak this month’s theme a bit. Maybe, what we need to hear is not simply “Awaken your curiosity!” but “Awaken the kind of curiosity that comes with consequences!”
Friends, it is, of course, fine to be inquisitive for the fun of it. At the same time, we must remember that curiosity is not a game. Well, actually, maybe it’s the greatest game. The one that drives us to constantly become more, for our sakes and for the sake of others.
Soul Matters packets will no longer be attached to the newsletter and will be placed on the members' only page here. If you need the password, please email admin@uunewbedford.
Annual Meeting, May 17 at Noon
Here is your friendly reminder that the Annual Meeting of the congregation is scheduled for May 17 after service at noon. All members are invited to attend, but only those who have been members for at least 30 days are allowed to vote.
The reports, and proposed changes to the bylaws will be sent out via email before the meeting. Printed copies will also be available in the Parish House.
New Member Alert!
Please join us in welcoming Anna Gerber to the congregation. She and her fiancé, Steve, have been coming to church pretty regularly over the past month, and they both have decided to join. Anna joined this week, and Steve will join later this month.
First Annual Sack Fest was a success!
On Saturday, May 2, UUNB hosted the First Annual Sack Fest in collaboration with Sack Chasers Media. Their film, titled "The Burden and the Mountains of God," won the Best Use of Location award at the NB48 screenings in April.
The team was surprised when they were approached after the awards ceremony by Karen and Jess about showing their film at the church. After discussing a few possibilities with David, it was decided that the event would be a fundraiser for the church. We raised about $300 between tickets and the raffle.
It was so fun having them in our space, and we hope to make this an annual event! Until next year.
The NB48 Challenge: Teams are assigned a specific location in the downtown area at 7 PM on Friday and pitch their stories for approval at 10 AM on Saturday, before filming for 8 hours at the assigned venue. Teams have 48 hours from start to finish to get a location, write a script, make costumes, film, and edit before submission.
Did you miss the last Sunday Service? Watch it here!
May Services
Only 7 Services Left of the Church Year!
You read that right, folks! We are in the single-digit numbers of how many services are left.
But, we want to keep the momentum going! Are you interested in leading a discussion group, book club, hosting a dinner at the church, or offering lessons in a craft? Let's stick together this summer. All ideas are welcome!
Please email admin@uunewbedford.org with any ideas you may have.
UUNB Seeks a Social Justice Committee Co-Chair
UUNB is looking for a new chair of the Social Justice Committee, currently co-chaired by Tonianne Wong, who is departing this role, & Isaiah Kidney. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to Karen to discuss. This is an opportunity to make an impact not only in the church but also in the greater community. The only caveat is that you must be a member of the church to serve as a committee chair.
Jazz Concert, June 28
We need organizers and planners for food. Are we doing a bake sale? Providing sandwiches? Providing drinks? We need one person to be the point of contact and main organizer of food.
Volunteers to help with gift baskets and selling raffle tickets.
Please fill out the form below to indicate how you would like to help?
What does it mean to be a people of Awakening Curiosity?
May 3: A Bridge to a More Just World
May 10: A Bridge to a More Diverse World
Impressionism Part I: Art from 1864 to 1884 | Screensaver/Slideshow | +5 Hours | With Relaxing Music
May 14: Art, History, Architecture {AHA} Preservation Celebration
May 17: A Bridge to a More Exciting World
May 24: A Bridge to a World With Wiser People
May 31: A Bridge to the World of Our Future Selves
#1007 There’s a River Flowin…..Rose Sanders
There’s a river flowin’ in my soul.
There’s a river flowin’ in my soul.
And it’s tellin’ me that I’m somebody.
There’s a river flowin’ in my soul.
There’s a river flowin’ in my heart…
There’s a river flowin’ in my mind…
This month's theme is Awakening Curiosity. And all month long, we are exploring how awakening our curiosity is a bridge to “other worlds”.
This week, we begin by exploring how curiosity is a bridge to a more just world. As we do that, we will learn more about our UU Value of Justice. We are also exploring how curiosity is a bridge to a more diverse world. As we do this, we will have a chance to lift up our UU Value of Pluralism (“We embrace our differences and commonalities with love, curiosity, & respect.”)
Next, we are exploring how curiosity is a bridge to a more exciting world. And as we do this, we will be digging back into our collective past and introducing our students to the Jetsons world. The Jetsons Season 1 Opening and Closing Credits and Theme Song.
Moving on, we are exploring how curiosity is a bridge to a world with wiser people. And as we do this, we will have a chance to lift the language in our UU Value Purpose Statement that calls us to “to foster a life of curiosity” as well as our traditional UU belief that no one has the whole truth.”
Lastly, we’re exploring how curiosity is a bridge to the world of our future-self. As we do this, we will dive into the idea that what we are curious about as a child almost always shapes who we are as we grow up, and especially what we are passionate about as we get older.
Please share these events with your family and friends, and consider attending yourself. We would love to see you!
FREE Events Happening at UUNB
Being Human takes place every Friday at 11 AM. Please use the parking lot door.
Friday, May 8, at 11 AM
Saturday, May 9
Looking Ahead...
Open Mic is back, hosted by Octave Avenue (Kwang & Tonianne)! Open mic will take place on the LAST Sunday of each month.
Ground Work SouthCoast is hosting a community drive with Savers to raise money that directly supports local food access efforts, helping to ensure fresh, healthy food reaches the people who need it most. Every item donated contributes to building a stronger, more food-secure community.
This drive is more than a fundraiser; it’s a way to invest in equity, sustainability, and care for our neighbors. Donating clothes is a way to upcycle, and doing so keeps them out of landfills.
Have questions or want to get involved? Reach out to Alana, our Harvest Fellow, at aborden@groundworksouthcoast.org or text (774) 202-9965.
Our Mission is to encourage diversity and mutual acceptance and work for positive change in ourselves and our community.
"We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other."
Our Promises
Each person is important.
Be kind in all you do.
We help each other learn.
We search for what is true.
Each person has a say.
Work for a peaceful world.
The web of life’s the way.
Build the beloved community, free from racism and oppression.
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 994-9686
Administrator ext. 10
Minister ext. 13
Karen cell: (508) 441-9344
Thrift Shop ext. 12
Board Members & Officers
Steve Carmel, President
Charles Morgan, Vice President
Deborah Carmel, Treasurer
Elise Rapoza, Secretary
Trustees
Camilla Brooks
Niko Tarini
Mary Rapoza
Jack Vitale
Committee Chairs
Staff
Rev. Karen Leblanc, Minister
Yasmin Fle-fleh Vincent, Director of Religious Education
Randy Fayan, Director of Music
Jessica DeCicco-Carey, Administrator
Tony, Gonsalves, Facilities Manager
John Manning, Sunday Sexton
Mari Fay-Martin, Sunday School Teacher
Sam Angelini, Sunday School Teacher
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM
(508)994-9686 ext.12
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