Greetings, Beloveds!

Though it is mid-August as I write this, you will read this column after the first of September.  It is good to be communicating through our newsletter now, but I am even happier to know that I will see and be with many of you, in person, once we resume weekly worship after Labor Day.

How have you been these past two months?  I wonder what’s kept you occupied? What’s kept you safe? What’s brought you joy? Where have you experienced loss, or difficulty? These are the questions that we have for one another; these are the reasons we gather as a religious community of the faithful, as a congregation committed together to live our Mission and Vision.  

The world offers us so many opportunities to experience and witness the suffering, the loss, the challenges so big we cannot meet them. Yet it also offers us, in this Beloved Community, a place to say, “NO, there is more to life than suffering! And I will live my life in all the ways that I can to express my faith in one another. I will share the hope I have for what I believe can be a better way for more of us to live in harmony on this planet. I will use my gifts and talents to share with the world, and show the next  generation(s) that the way we express this hope demands that I bring my best to the world.”

This journey includes forgiveness of my own and others’ short-comings, focusing on simple acts of kindness, generosity and com-passion. It calls us to make time for seeking and setting aside time for pleasurable time with friends and family, singing, sharing meals, and relaxation and expressions of joy and gratitude.

May it be so!
Rev. Sally