Dear First Parishers,
Our Soul Matters theme for June is “Living Love Through the Practice of Freedom.” This makes perfect sense as this is the month of Pride and Juneteenth, both of which celebrate historic moments in the struggle for freedom for the LGBTIQIA+ and African American communities respectively. Given that we are living in the shadow of the uncertain and often cruel times, as our country faces very real threats to our Constitution and the rule of law while some of our neighbors live in fear of their lives and
livelihoods because they are immigrants, trans, or female, it is a reminder that the work of freedom is always ongoing and cannot be taken for granted.
I feel like I am living in two different worlds at the same time. On the one hand, I am aware of the terrible things happening—of ICE raids that use extreme intimidation tactics, anti-trans legislation, women dying because they cannot access reproductive health care, of voter rights being chipped away, of science and
research being destroyed, and growing fears about the economy with a budget bill intended to enrich the very wealthy while stripping everyone else, including the environment, of needed programs and support. And I am aware that my capacity to do anything about any of these is limited—because many of the people elected to hold the checks and balances in our federal government have abdicated their responsibilities in the name of greed and power.
On the other hand, daily life continues to need to be lived around me, including at First Parish. June is always a busy month as we wrap up the regular church year and transition into summer mode. On June 8th, we will hold our annual congregational meeting after church to elect our church leadership and approve the FY 26 budgets. In addition to these regular items, we will also vote to ordain Brian Snow as a community minister. Everyone is welcome to attend the annual meeting although you must be an official member (i.e., have signed our membership book) to vote. If you have questions about this, please feel free to reach out to me, Dolores or the Membership and Hospitality Committee (membershiphospitality@uuchelmsford.org).
On June 15th, we will end the regular church year services with our annual flower communion. I invite everyone who wishes to bring a flower to add to our common vases as we create a colorful bouquet, reminiscent of our community. This service is also an opportunity for us to say thank you and farewell to people who are moving on or away from First Parish.
Beginning June 22nd, we move to our summer schedule with worship meeting at 9 am in the chapel (which is air conditioned!). Our summer services are lay led. If you are interested in leading a summer service, please reach out to me or to the Worship Committee (worship@uuchelmsford.org). It is a fun and supportive way to share about your own spiritual journey or a spiritual topic that is meaningful to you in a more relaxed atmosphere and in front of a smaller group. The Worship Committee will be holding a “how to lead a summer service” training on June 22nd after worship if you are interested. I will be on vacation for a couple of weeks in late July/early August but the rest of the time, I am on study leave and am available for pastoral care and church related meetings.
Another major focus for this summer will be finding a new music director. The Human Resources Committee is putting together a search team with representatives from our choirs and music program. We have posted the position and hope to receive applicants soon. I appreciate how thoughtful and compassionate everyone has been as we work through this transition. And I would like to thank Brian Snow for stepping up (again) to help us with music through our last few Sundays. Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel to reach out to me.
I do not know how long this period of cognitive dissonance will last, of living daily life in the shadow of autocracy and cruelty. But I do know that we will need one another and our congregation to shore up our resilience, to nurture our souls and remind ourselves why the practice of Love matters.
In faith,
Rev. Ellen
