Dear Ones,
As October approaches, our Soul Matters theme is turning from Beginnings to Courage. I’ve loved this past month packed with activities: our annual Water Communion Ingathering and Opportunities Fair, a new member ceremony, piloting community hours, and much more. It’s been a joy to begin to get to know many of you and this congregation more deeply.
And so, I’m looking forward to what October will bring as we explore what courage means in our lives, our congregation, our wider community, and the world. As Audre Lorde wrote, “When I dare to use my strength in the service of my vision, it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
In addition to the themes that many of us think about with courage, this year I’m deep in a study of Universalism. Perhaps this isn’t surprising, given courage’s etymological connection to heart, to acting in alignment with what we love.
My study of Universalism has also been prompted by my study group. A few years ago, I was invited to join the Prairie Group UU ministerial study group. Prairie Group has been meeting since 1951 to develop scholarship to support members’ ministries and Unitarian Universalism as a whole. This year our topic is Universalism.
We selected Universalism for this year’s meeting because of how much we need spiritual and theological sustenance to inspire and fortify us in these times. I’m particularly excited about how examining, learning from, and reimagining our Universalist heritage can help UUs in these times of rising authoritarianism and climate chaos. You’ll be hearing more of my thoughts about this in worship services in October and beyond.
In addition, I’m looking forward to offering a book group to discuss A House for Hope, by Rev. John Buehrens and Rev. Rebecca Parker. The likely timeline for discussing the book will be mid-late November, after I return from participating in Prairie Group. I have a couple of copies of the book available to loan out, so if you’d like to get a head start, please let me know.
As so, as we move into October, I leave you with the words of Rev. Wayne Arneson:
Take courage friends.
The way is often hard, the path is never clear,
and the stakes are very high.
Take courage.
For deep down, there is another truth:
you are not alone.
Love and Blessings,
Rev. Diana
