Dear Ones,
Happy Groundhog Day! It’s always such good timing. Right when I’ve started to accept the reality of winter, I’m reminded of the suggestion of spring. It will come, sooner or later. How are you handling the long wait for spring? And the long wait for being back in-person? I know it’s hard for a lot of people to feel involved in Fellowship life during this time. I want to highlight a few opportunities here and stoke your hope for what will be possible in the future.
Switching back to Zoom-only Sunday Services is a bummer for some folks, but I am appreciating seeing your full faces. Honestly, compared to our masked multi-platform services, I feel I’m getting to know you better because of the lively conversations before the service, afterwards in the large group, and then in coffee hour break-out rooms. On January 9, for example, we had a beautiful discussion about the service topic (“What Are We?”) that wouldn’t have happened in-person. (You can check out the recording if you missed it.) Our Action Wednesday gatherings on Zoom are also extremely engaging in ways that wouldn’t be possible in-person–we can cook and eat our own meals while listening to the same music and then play games in the comfort of our loungewear!
That said, I’m really looking forward to opportunities to meet in person, ideally with food and without masks. I’m grateful to the folks who greeted me in October, sharing stories and a meal. Once it’s safe, I plan to reserve two or three times each month if you and your family would like to get together for a meal. I know this kind of connection with each other nourishes the good we’re doing in the world. We set a table for each other, and then widen the circle from there.
The February theme of “Widening the Circle” will help us reflect on how to root in our own community while opening our doors. We know our commitments to hope, social engagement, and spiritual deepening is life-giving and life-saving. What accounts for the gap between our hopes and our dreams for inclusivity? Two excellent guest speakers, Dr. Don Saucier and Dr. Debra Bolton, will provide context and an outside perspective. And I’ll talk about our theologies of hope and power and the need for our Principles and Sources to reflect it, which is happening with the Article 2 Study Commission.
Meanwhile, social and political change is afoot in Kansas. We have power together and can build more during the Kansas Interfaith Action Legislative Days, February 15-17. We will have a significant group from the Racial Justice Team, either in-person or virtually, not only making our voice heard but building relationships with each other and other people of faith committed to our values. KIFA’s 2022 Legislative Priorities align squarely with the issues we care most about.
There’s a lot of ways to be involved right now. You can also, always, reach out to me to brainstorm about how you can engage here, or to receive support for what’s going on in your life. That’s what I’m here for. Give me a call or an email, or sign up for a call, Zoom meeting, or in-person chat at https://calendly.com/pastorisa.
I’m delighted, proud, and hopeful as I put down roots with you here at UUFM. Thank you for your trust as we move into ministry together!
Pastor Isa
Contact Rev Dr Isabel Call at pastor@uufm.net.