Spring 2025

Letter from the Minister

 

Beloveds,

The arrival of the Spring Equinox heralds a shift of seasons as the deep snowpack melts and robins emerge with their showy songs. As much as I enjoyed the snow-filled winter days of the last few months, I have felt ready for the shift into spring. More daylight. More birdsong. More signs of life.

The arrival of spring reminds me that life emerges once again. Bears wake. The sap runs. The crocuses bloom. Something in me awakens as well. The shifting in my own spirit feels like an opening to possibility. Despite all that is so egregiously wrong, I can’t help but feel hopeful witnessing daffodil stems pushing up out of the ground.

Being in community with you also reminds me that life and possibility emerge in human community. For the last several weeks, I have been hosting a minute of silent reflection on Wednesdays at 12:53 PM—a practice that is part of a global movement to stay connected and grounded as we grieve political harm and resolve to stay active. A handful of you have joined me for this spiritual practice which has been a balm in the storm. I invite you to join us on Zoom when you can.

We have already experienced so much together this church year, and we shift now into the final quarter of our church year. There are only eleven Sundays remaining in our program year with regular worship services concluding on June 8. Over the next three months, I hope you will look for ways to deepen your relationships with other church community members through Chalice Circles, Circle Suppers, volunteering at Community Lunch, and on Sunday mornings.

Finally, many of you know that I traveled to the Philippines in December 2023/January 2024 for five weeks of sabbatical. Part of my trip included visiting the UU Church of the Philippines (UUCP) in Metro Manila as well as on Negros Island. After returning from my trip, I partnered with the UUA’s Office of Global Connections and Emerging Communities on their cohort at General Assembly on “Post-Imperial Faith.” I have now been appointed to the UUA’s Ambassador Team to serve as a liaison with the UUCP. The UUCP holds a General Assembly every three years, and I will be attending the next one which takes place April 22-27, 2025. I look forward to sharing more with you about these global UU connections in the months ahead.

As we enter this spring season, I hope you will find signs of possibility and hope to sustain you. And when you find them, be sure to tell someone else. We need one another to remind ourselves that awe, beauty, and gratitude still abound.

Love,

Rev. Joan