Often, as congregational ministers, we experience and hold space for a lot of different things. On any given day or throughout any given week, we may be involved in worship, religious education, pastoral care, justice-making, companioning someone going through a hard time, staff and personnel support, reading, writing, research, continuing education, denominational responsibilities, collegial connections, spiritual practices, attending meetings, tending to the institution, running meetings, writing newsletter columns, and more. And in just the past four days we have done all of those things and more. Many of you have done some of these things, too! This is why shared ministry is so important-lay folks and clergy are needed to fulfill the congregation’s mission, to tend to the well-being of this institution, to live our lives out loud as Unitarian Universalists.

And just as welcoming new folks into the community is a shared responsibility, so too, is saying good-bye. This coming Sunday HB Steadham says farewell, and concludes her time on the staff team. We know that good goodbyes can require intention and effort and that they are an important part of transitions in many aspects of our lives. So, let’s be intentional with our hellos and our good-byes. Sometimes we share our journeys with others for brief moments, with others we have decades, and still others for some amount in between. Religious community is a place where we get to practice being human every day no matter how long we know one another for. And because there is a lot to be worried about or afraid of, or angry with, or frozen in our tracks by-let’s be gentle on ourselves and one another, offering gestures of kindness and support, empathy and curiosity. Sometimes we welcome new things in and sometimes we let things go. This is … life.

in faith,

Rev. Lynn and Rev. Wendy