I write this week having just returned from a much needed vacation (my first since 2023!) and am now catching up on what I’ve missed. I feel rested and renewed and ready to begin year number two with you all.
And yet, it fells odd to say that I feel refreshed after the last month, given all that’s happened in the world and our nation. During our General Assembly in Baltimore, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming care. People protesting against ICE in Los Angeles were physically harmed by ICE and local police, and some were arrested for exercising their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen as aid workers and hospitals are attacked by the Israeli government. Hope and rest seem hard to come by. Where does my sense of renewal come from?
Well, it comes from you, and from all my fellow Unitarian Universalists. In Baltimore, even amidst the grief over the Tennessee decision, there was a sense of hope and even some rejoicing as we listened to trans journalist and activist Imara Jones gave names to the anti-trans tools used by authoritarians, and reminded us that our values belong – and are needed – in the public square. Here at home, we keep showing up to voice our dissent at every protest opportunity. We are refusing to stay quiet.
At home, renewal comes from the opportunity to reconnect with the daily flow of life and with the little things that feed me – writing a story, seeing good art, cooking a real meal. And welcoming new life into our home in the form of two new kittens. Jess and I were missing animal energy in the house, but I’d forgotten over the past year just how much the presence of pets adds to our happiness and sense of connection to the world.
Perhaps, most significantly, renewal comes from moments of catharsis, that release of closely held emotion so necessary for the human psyche that the Ancient Greeks ritualized it in the civic-religious experience of theatre festivals. Mine came just a few days ago as I capped vacation by going to see one of my favorite bands, the Decemberists, play in Bethlehem. Towards the end of the concert, they played “A Beginning Song,” a song that really “hits me in the feels,” as the saying goes nowadays. It’s a song about – and this is my take – finding your sense of self again when you’ve lost track of where you end and world’s weariness begins (“Condescend to calm this riot in your mind/Find yourself in time”). Over and over the chorus asks “If I am waiting, should I be waiting?” As the final chorus leads into the song’s end, they ask, “If I am hopeful, should I be hopeful?” At this point in the show, my whole body felt the weight of that question, and I realized how much of the world’s grief I was hanging on to with no acknowledgement or voice. Friends, I got a little weepy letting it all rise up.
But that question isn’t a rhetorical one. The song resolves the beginning of an answer:
“All around me/Is the sunlight/Is the shadows/Is the quiet/Is the word…Is the beating heart/Is you my sweet love/And the light, bright light…”
Release, friends. Catharsis
If I’m refreshed, renewed, it’s because I found some way back to world’s beating heart, to you, my loves, and to the bright, bright light.
Time to get back to work.
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Sunday, August 3rd, I’ll lead what we call a “Question Box” service, where I’ll answer as many of the congregation’s questions as time allows during the service. This is your opportunity to ask your minister anything that’s on your mind, no matter how trivial (“Who’s your favorite Doctor?”) or serious (“What do you think happens when we die?”). We’ll provide index cards and pencils for everyone to write their questions down early in the service, then we’ll pass baskets to collect them. I’ll select the order of answers and perhaps group some together with similar themes. We’ll have a way for our online viewers to participate as well (I’ll share details in the service.
And if I don’t get to your question, don’t fret. I hang on to all of them, and you may find it answered in a later sermon.
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In the coming weeks, you’ll notice a change in the layout of our sanctuary. For August, we’ll be experimenting with having the children’s area down in front in a “Young Worshippers’ Space.” There, we’ll have soft toys and fidget toys and even an Order of Service Bingo card to encourage our kids to track what goes on during the service. Ebee and I have talked a lot about this, and we share a belief that children’s participation in worship is as essential to religious education as any classroom activity – and part of the aim of RE is to instill good church “citizenship” (for lack of a better term) skills as children grow and move into young adulthood. Having the kids up front creates an environment where our youngest members feel embraced by the congregation, and helps your minister and DRE create stronger bonds with them (especially during the Time for All Ages). This is a practice I’ve had success with in the past, and I’ve found it goes a long way in instilling a sense of belonging in kids and their parents as well.
As with trying anything new, there’ll be bumps and wrinkles as we begin. Some of you may already be thinking, “Oh, I don’t like the sound of this at all.” I ask for your patience and an open mind as we experiment, and let time and practice shape your responses to this new element.