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-- for the schooner of that name which brought John Murray to these shores,
and the way we approach our efforts and presence at Murray Grove -
The Newsletter of the Murray Grove Association
Volume 11 Issue 1, Winter 2002 - page 2
On Monday, September 17, 2001, less than a week after the attacks of September 11, I sat alone in the office at Murray Grove, plugging away at preparations for Homecoming 2001. It is different to work in a place that is full of people and activity on the weekend and is so very quiet during the week. I was experiencing an intense connection to a collective human heart, but, selfishly, I needed to know if and why people cared if Homecoming happened at all. And so, I sent out an email asking just that question. Here are excerpts from some of the responses I received:
“It makes a difference! We must return to some form of normalcy. We must not let our lives be dictated by a group of fanatics. We need to be together and to recognize our special bonds. Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel, You Can't Go Home Again. I believe that every time I visit Murray Grove that I am returning home. What better place to be with family?”
“Jerry Falwell worships a god who apparently picks and chooses those nations (and peoples) that he chooses to protect. The Universalists were a lot smarter about who they worshipped--and I think it is especially important that we remember/spread that good word.”
“There are many reasons. People have fun. People meet other UU's or run into old acquaintances. Children become more solid in their parents' faith. The experiences and connections at Homecoming keep going on and on, and we never know just how someone will profit from the day or when it will happen.”
“Homecoming happens because it is imperative that my generation and others continue to save this place, Murray Grove, spread its stories, and help those people who come after us and are with us to become the most that they can be. In the past week I heard or read a statement that said much to me: ‘Adversity introduces us to ourselves.’ Unitarian Universalists and Unitarian Universalism helped me. . . .Can I do any less than offer the same opportunity for others who have a need for people and ideals that give us the chance to grow emotionally and spiritually? Homecoming offers this kind of space.”
This newsletter edition I decided to make my article about asking you to support Murray Grove. Please don’t stop reading now.
- If you are an individual please send what you can
- If you’re a family please send what you can
- If you’re a congregation, please put us on your budget for the next fiscal year
- If there’s another category you affiliate with, please send what you can
Murray Grove exists to serve you and to preserve this symbol of the life and labor of Thomas Potter and John Murray.
Thank you and may your hearts and souls find peace in 2002.
With much love from where the Pine Barrens meet Barnegat Bay,
Ellen
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With the election of a new board at the Annual Meeting, we said goodbye to three trustees who
have loyally and lovingly served Murray Grove for many years (too many to count!) We thank them from the bottom of our hearts
for their hard work and devotion. They are: Bill Farnick, Jake Haun and Nelson Simonson, they will be truly missed.
Also many thanks to past board members Lucy Klaus-Li and Lisa Ward for their recent service on the Murray Grove board.
|  Above: 2001 Board & staff hard at work
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Heritage Walking Tour Unveiled at Homecoming 2001
A new addition to the scene at Murray Grove is the Heritage Walking Tour. Intended to inform visitors of the location
and history of the various significant sites on the property, attractive signs with text and illustrations have been
installed at five locations on the property with particular historical significance. The first sign, at the entrance
to the Heritage Room, offers a general welcome. There is one in front of the Lodge, featuring the old Murray Grove House
(see page 3 for a related article), and one at the gate to the Nature Trail explaining the history of the Potter House. A sign at the Memorial Boulder tells about the Red Brick Church, and two on the path to the cemetery and the chapel give some background information on John Murray and Thomas Potter and the story of the original Potter Meetinghouse, and the encounter between Potter and Murray. In time, a Walking Tour stop will be added at the Universalist National Cemetery, after plans in progress for a Memorial Garden are realized. The next time you’re here, take a stroll around and check it out and also check out our donor list on page 4 to see the names of the generous folks who made this new edition to Murray Grove possible.
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY
At the annual Murray Grove offering during General Assembly in Cleveland, the 15th John Murray Distinguished Lecture
was presented by Rev. Dr. Thomas Chulak on the topic of “An Evolving Partnership: The Rise of Universalism Since Merger.”
(To see the text of the JMDL click here). The
John Murray Distinguished Lecture is co-sponsored each year by generous contributions from the New York State Convention of
Universalists and the Pennsylvania Universalist Convention
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Rev. Dr. Thomas Chulak |
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Murray Grove also sponsored a workshop entitled “Roots, Retreats and Renewal”. While
dancer Robin Becker transformed herself into a flaming chalice, Rev. John Morgan spoke of roots and Rev. Lisa Ward of
retreats and renewal.
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Right: Ellen staffs the booth in the Exhibition Hall |
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