Dear ones,
My first full month among you here in Manhattan has been a joyous whirlwind! Thank you for your warm welcome. I’ve enjoyed meeting you as a group and as individuals. Please continue to reach out with introductory emails and schedule visits to get to know me or request pastoral support.
It was perfect to arrive in town for our theme of Holding History. I took the opportunity to visit the Discovery Center and Council Grove and to begin reading the history of the Flint Hills and Manhattan. I was grateful to hear history from many of you–your personal history, your experiences arriving in Manhattan, and your evolving connections with the Fellowship. It was satisfying to work with your fabulous conveners to encapsulate your collective wisdom in our Sunday Services. I’m especially heartened by the deep commitment of the Racial Justice Team and others to make our land acknowledgement real through action. I look forward to the continuing collaborative art of weaving our history into the future.
This coming month, our theme is Opening to Joy. It is good timing, after holding history. Being rooted in honesty is essential for truly opening to joy. So much of our history includes sorrow and we have done good work naming it in November. Despite these preparations, the holidays are nonetheless challenging for many. Amid the good cheer and well wishes, it is very common to have grief. At the Fellowship, we welcome you exactly as you are, this month and every month. As William Blake says, “joy and woe are woven fine.”
Though I myself find myself blue at times, Christmas is my favorite holiday. I’m finding a lot of joy in preparing a Christmas-themed multigenerational service for December 19 with our Director of Religious Education, Sandy Nelson, and our convener for that Sunday, Larry Weaver. This will be the raucous energetic end of the joy spectrum. Then on Christmas Eve, we’ll have a more contemplative candlelit experience.
Since I’m 3/4-time, you won’t be seeing me on the fourth Sunday and the week that follows. This means I’ll be away November 28 to December 4, and December 26 to January 1. One of my activities during my November-December week away is to attend the UUA’s Ministerial Fellowship Committee as a first-year emissary. I’ll be participating in the interviews of candidates for Unitarian Universalist ministry and helping discern if they are ready for preliminary fellowship. I was in their shoes just over a year ago, and it’s nice to support those coming up behind me.
Whether I’m here or away, I am almost always available by phone for emergencies–just leave a message at 785 748-2533. For non-urgent connections, I encourage you to email me at pastorisauu@gmail.com. I see emails Saturday through Wednesday on all but the fourth week of the month.
My blessings to you this month as we bundle up and open to joy!
Pastor Isa
Contact Rev Dr Isabel Call at pastorisauu@gmail.com.