Dear First Parishers,
Well, that was a quick summer! I hope everyone had a lovely time and got through the hot days. I am so excited to see you all and begin another year together!
I am very grateful to the summer services team, worship leaders, tech volunteers and musicians for leading services, and especially to Rick Warner and Brian Snow, who organized it all. Their leadership allowed me to catch up over the summer. It was also wonderful to have Erica at her full hours; she and I were able to focus on projects we never have time for during the busyness of the regular church year.
Josh and I made our annual pilgrimage to Vermont for two weeks. And, for the first time ever without a dog, having said farewell to our beloved Fave in June. Although it felt strange, our lives were easier: no rushing home for walks, no late-night walks in the rain, no vet bills. We talked about staying dog-free.
We lasted about a month. As I write this column, we are welcoming Brando, a two-year old pointer-terrier-and-who-knows-what-else mix. In late September we’ll adopt his mother, Lavender Wren. Despite the needs and demands, we missed the unconditional love and companionship our dogs provided. As I watch Brando settle in with us, a little more comfortable and cuddly every day, it got me thinking about how love works. It is often messy, tiring, inconvenient, and demanding. It requires sacrifice, commitment, and patience — and in human relationships, often exponentially more so. And yet the depth of connection, belonging and meaning that love brings is, I believe, the source of grace and salvation for our species. What this means, and how we embody it, is the sacred work of our faith.
The Soul Matters Worship Theme for September is “Beginnings.” On September 13, we return to the sanctuary for Sunday worship with our annual Water Communion. As we each pour a little water into our common bowl, symbolic of our beloved community re-gathering, I invite you to complete this phrase “As we begin again, I covenant…” I will also offer a blessing of water on the forehead and/or hands of anyone who wishes, adapting a ritual from my colleague, Rev. Nell Newton. For water, like love, connects us – to our own bodies, to one another, and to all life on our planet.
September 13th also begins David Morochnick’s tenure as our new music director! He, Dolores, Erica and I have been planning for the fall, and David and I also met with the Worship Committee. As it is a good time to reset, we will return to our pre-COVID practice of a “For All Ages” on the non-intergenerational Sundays. We will also move some of the worship elements around to see how it feels. Note that we will start with the Welcome and Announcements at 10 am and then center with music.
Enjoy these last days of summer. I look forward to seeing everyone soon!
In faith,
Rev. Ellen
P.S. I have wanted to facilitate A Geography of Grace again for a while now. It is an adult faith formation course that uses the landscapes of the natural world for both soul work and community building. But it has been difficult to make the time in our congregation’s increasingly busy calendar! After some discussion, Dolores and I came up with a plan to lead four seasonal retreats on Saturdays throughout the year: October 17; January 9; March 20 and May 1 (dates subject to change). More to come but I wanted to get the dates out there.