I love being amidst the hub-bub and excitement I feel at UUCC these days. During my 30+ years of membership, I’ve never had such a strong sense of our congregation’s commitment to living our values within our community, our divided nation, and our wounded world.
It’s been exciting to see so many visitors and new members in recent months. I’ve enjoyed one-on-one talks with some, and look forward to getting to know more of you who are recent additions to our congregation. I feel moved when a member of our board of trustees greets us on Sunday mornings with these words:
“Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever your faith tradition, whomever you love — you are welcome here.”
There have been several building expansions of the Owen Brown Interfaith Center over the years. Feeling curmudgeonly about such projects, I’ve worried about putting so much energy and time and money into our physical plant when we could be out in the world pursuing justice and equality.
That said, I realize now how short-sighted I’ve been. I love our new worship room. It’s flexible and spacious enough to host everything from community gatherings to musical offerings. And it offers enough seating on Sunday mornings to accommodate us all without leaving anyone standing! The space adds power to our ability to live our values.
On a personal note, I am working on acceptance. After we both retired almost two years ago, my partner and I developed significant health issues. UUCC offers so many opportunities to grow by “trying out” various roles. I am more deliberate now about taking on responsibilities, especially longer term commitments, as my energy and ability to participate can be unpredictable. I urge newcomers to UUCC to respect their styles and issues of life balance in easing in or jumping in to the many, many activities available here.
I am inspired by the current involvement of UUCC members and friends in a range of social justice issues. Never in my lifetime have there been so many threats to our planet, or to our democracy, imperfect as it is. Black Lives Matter, environmental protection, reproductive rights, economic justice, voter rights, homophobia and transgender rights, prison reform, immigration justice — all are deserving of our attention. To all who are supporting the resistance and leading the movement toward fairness and equality, I offer my solidarity and my thanks.
Note: for information about our congregation’s vision, covenant, and ends, see our website. Unitarian Universalist principles and sources are described on the Unitarian Universalist Association website.
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