From the Minister
I’m writing this just before Thanksgiving following one of my fullest weekend’s as your minister. Friday evening, when I’m usually at home for Shabbat with Michele, was devoted to co-leading the White Fragility workshop that drew 35 participants. Saturday, my normal day off, was filled with our Board Retreat. Sunday included our worship service, a rich Congregational Conversation about music at CVUUS, a thought-provoking pastoral hour with a congregant growing out of the White Fragility workshop, and greeting 8 Cuerdas, a group of talented musicians from Burlington who had rented our amazing Sanctuary for a late afternoon concert. (I let them know we would love to have them back as part of worship some day).
By Sunday night, I felt I had repeatedly lived the lesson of that Sunday’s sermon: what we need is here. For example, the Board Retreat started with a ritual in which each of us wrote down a gift we believed we had on a card, swapped cards with a partner, and discussed our gifts with them. Partners then recounted each others gifts to the group. As each gift was named, we placed a stone representing it on the table with our chalice in the center of our circle. A true “what we need is here” plus moment! Who we are blessed to be among is here.
Read More about “From the Minister”…