Did you know that we have lay ministers in our church? Earlier this month our Alliance invited some lay ministers to talk about the program and how it tries to support congregants in need. As I write today it felt like that would be some good information to share with the larger congregation.   The lay ministry program began in the early 1990s when First Unitarian experienced rapid growth in membership and the ministers of the church needed help in offering pastoral care. In the early years it took a while for the program to develop traction. Folks didn’t quite…

A photo of pink water lilies in a pond. It reminds me of a Buddhist metaphor for the heart that can hold both compassion and wisdom. This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending a meditation retreat at Great Vow Zen Monastery with a guest teacher in the Tibetan lineage known as Lama Lekshe. I still consider myself quite new to Buddhist teachings and practices, and I struggled much over the weekend with physical discomfort. My body is not used to sitting for so long. The experience was difficult, and I can’t say I had any particular spiritual breakthroughs…

It is Groundhog Day when I write, which is usually not a day that I pay a lot of attention to. The ritual of watching the groundhog and figuring out whether it sees its shadow has always been a little confusing to me, if I’m honest. But the day had a certain resonance for me this year. As I look out my office window I look out onto a gray day and there is a gentle rain. I have to confess I’m missing the days of sunshine we were so blessed to have recently. The gray has returned. Could I…

I am finding my own relationship with Covid shifting. Perhaps you are, too. The first year or so felt like a time to hunker down and wait for Covid to pass. Fear was what I felt most…and a kind of suspension of time. Then as vaccines became available, my routine and my feelings changed. Checking vaccine status became standard operating procedure. Mask wearing in public spaces the norm. It seemed like we were moving toward the end of the pandemic. We were weary…but relief was what I felt. Plans were in place to re-open the Sanctuary. Then Delta arrived. We…

Sometimes, in group meetings, we have a check-in where we ask each other “What are you carrying with you? Is there anything you are setting aside to be present with us?” Sometimes, I’m ready to be vulnerable, and choose to share quite openly about a few of the things most noticeable in my heart. Sometimes, I share a toned-down, small snippet of it all. It never feels like there’s enough time to go through the whole list. Especially these days. What are you holding right now? On a personal level, I’m juggling many “projects” for work: coordinating co-leaders for a…

This week we are beginning work on the calendar for next church year—from fall of 2022 to summer of 2023. You may or may not know that the planning for the church year happens this far in advance. It begins with drafts about who will be preaching when, about where other major events in the life of the church will fall, about events outside the church that impact the church, like Timbers games and major downtown parades. A lot of planning goes into the life of our large church and that planning will continue through the winter and spring. Working…

I know that most of you are tracking the impact of the new Omicron Variant of the Covid Virus and the dramatically increased rates of infections that now are present even here in Portland. On Tuesday, after meeting with our Public Health Team to review the situation and assess the risks, we decided that First Unitarian will discontinue in-person worship, beginning this Sunday, January 9. The wisdom of the Public Health Team and every analysis I have read indicates that this should be a short hiatus rather than a prolonged period. One Public Health Team member mentioned 2 months. At…

Dear Beloveds, As we approach the end of 2021, and look to a new year, I’m noting the range of emotions in me: relief (that we made it through); some dread and maybe even fear (how many variants will 2022 bring, how much longer will this go on?); and maybe even some hope (will the longer this disruption lasts open up the possibility of some longer-lasting changes?). I certainly hoped we would be ending this year with the pandemic much more in the rear view mirror than it seems to be. I think the realization that this, in some form,…

A few days after Thanksgiving, thinking about Christmas coming up, I decided to buy some paper white bulbs, hoping that I could get them to bloom. I found a container that was the right size and found some pebbles to anchor the six bulbs. I carefully nestled them into the pebbles and filled it with water just up to the base of the bulbs. Within a few days one of the bulbs immediately showed signs of growth—and it has grown every day since. And other five bulbs? No growth whatsoever. Somebody advised me to try adding a little alcohol to…

"the entryway to our community house, littered with shoes and jackets, a place of welcome." This weekend, I have been given a taste of spiritual renewal. I have been reminded of the power of human connection as we work to build a better world. I want to offer you some of the vignettes that I am sitting with this morning. On Saturday and Sunday, I attended Compass 2021, a conference hosted by the UUA. I didn’t know much of what I was getting myself into before the fact, except for this description: “With so much uncertainty in the wider world,…