Dear First Parishers,
Our Soul Matters theme for March, “The Practice of Paying Attention” speaks to the moment as well as the season. We are living in a time when countless forces compete for our attention— some life-giving, many depleting. With so much coming at us, it becomes easy to lose sight of what truly sustains us, what grounds us, what we hold sacred.
This past week, many of our Christian neighbors entered the season of Lent, while our Muslim neighbors entered the month of Ramadan. Both traditions invite people into prayer and fasting practices that help refocus attention on what matters most: gratitude, humility, and care for those most vulnerable. Intentionally setting aside time to attend to one’s soul in rhythm with nature as well as with the larger Spirit of Life draws our attention back to what gives life meaning. And offers us a needed reminder that the headlines—urgent and relentless as they are—are not the whole story.
This is why I find myself so heartened by what I see unfolding at First Parish.
There is a wonderful energy moving through this community. New people are finding their way into worship and into the life of the congregation. We have welcomed new members, Matt Zimmerman and Ron Peacetree. Leadership is emerging in vital ways as experienced leaders with wisdom to share are being joined by new leaders who bring fresh ideas: a creative and energized auction team; a growing Green Committee preparing for an April service; a strengthened Pastoral Care and Service Team; and renewed momentum in Building Bridges, now guided by Cheryl Wilson and Jeanette Moreau.
Our youth are connecting across congregations through OWL. The Membership Committee is preparing to welcome and orient newcomers. The Council on Faith in Action Ministries (CFAM) is connecting us with possibilities to support our immigrant neighbors. Our interim music director Brian Snow, our choirs and musicians from within our congregation continue to create joyful music for our worship services as we continue the search for a permanent director.
And there is generosity—remarkable generosity. We met the $20,000 Carlene Merrill Fund match, while an anonymous $50,000 gift to the endowment, given in memory of Bill Drury. These gifts remind us that this community inspires deep trust and commitment, something to keep in mind as we begin our annual stewardship drive.
At a time when the wider world can feel unstable, even disorienting, the ground under our feet here is steady. Not because everything is resolved, but because we are choosing—again and again—to invest in care, connection, and shared purpose.
This month, I invite you to choose one small practice of paying attention—whether that is stepping back from the noise, showing up more fully to this community, or reaching toward someone who needs care. Paying attention is not passive; it is how we decide what to nurture. What we give our attention to here will shape the kind of community we become.
Who knows how the larger uncertainties of our time will unfold. Change on that scale does not resolve quickly; it stretches across years, even generations. We are still in the middle of the story. But that does not leave us powerless.
It clarifies our task. To pay attention to what runs deeper beneath the surface. And to tend this community. To strengthen the bonds that hold us. To offer one another—and those beyond our walls—a place of steadiness, compassion, and purpose.
This is how we embody, however imperfectly, the beloved community we long for.
In faith,
Rev. Ellen