The first time I went sailing was with my uncle.  He invited me out for an afternoon, on a tiny four person sailboat when I was around 14 years old.  His family rented the time and the boat for a few hours while they hosted me on one of the first weeks away from my mom and dad. 

I don’t know if I would have ever sought out a sailing adventure had he not invited me.  It became our annual tradition for many years to go out on a tiny rented boat and sail up and down the pond near us, seeing where the wind would take us.  

Sailing a small boat like that takes communication, it takes wonder and it requires you to notice your surroundings with intention.  Asking questions like: I wonder what’s changing?  I wonder what will happen when…?  I notice that we go faster if.  Do you see those turtles on the shoreline?  Would you like to go explore over there?  Can help one enjoy the journey.  

In sailing, the journey is the fun part.  Oftentimes you can’t get from point A to point B on a direct path.  Sure, we might have set out thinking we would get to some point offshore one way but the wind might have had other plans that day.  We had to see what the wind was doing.  We had to dance with the wind.   Zigging and Zagging back and forth at the wind’s invitation to keep momentum going.  

Thomas Potter and John Murray have a story that’s all about dancing with the wind and invitations created when the wind was still and there was seemingly no momentum to be had.  But that’s a story for another day. Here’s a link to one way their story is told. I invite you to explore what happened with them in 1770.  

I’m curious – what’s a story about a time when someone invited you to an experience that was new or different?  Have you ever been changed or enriched because you invited someone new or different than you into your life? 

In 2024, as we set out on our new church year, how will you dance with the wind?  Who will you invite in?  How do you feel invited? 

As we get underway, I invite you to sail in our religious education ministries.  There are so many ways you can explore: our youngest will sail near the shores and explore lessons with Bluey.  Our older elementary kids get to try on what superheroes can invite us to be.  Our adults dance in conversations they decide on each month.  Each week we come together to worship and to share nourishment afterwards.   

I will be around for a few more weeks to sail alongside you before the winds take me to explore a wholly new experience for me – what it will be like to be a newborn’s mother.  Erin Connolly, UUBerk’s Sunday Morning RE assistant and sexton will be sailing with you for more hours while I’m away.  Our contact info is in the directory – do you have the latest copy?  Email our office admin, Melissa Medina at office@uuberks.org if you need an update.        

I look forward to noticing where invitations lead us when I return this winter. 

May you sail from this to that, 

Blessings on your journey from your director of religious education,
Ebee