Minister’s Letter 8/1/2024
Beloved Friends,
I hope your summer is treating you kindly. It has been such a joy to see the many things continuing on at church while I have been away. One of the great beauties of a congregationalist tradition is that the greatest authority of the church comes from within the congregation. I want to express my particular gratitude to everyone on the Worship Support Team who has been making services happen week after week. If you get a chance, please express your thanks to Ellen Rockett, Marsha Bailey Ashley, Jill Althage, Jim Simonis, Curtis Smith, and Greg Potts. These individuals dedicate so much time to ensure our Sunday services go well and that we have meaningful engagement along with a worshipful experience each week. Thank you.
I have been having a wonderful summer. I traveled with my mom, her husband, my sister, her husband, and their four children to Ireland for eight days. We started off in Dublin together, touring the city and going out to the coast, enjoying constant gorgeous sites. We got to see some seals playing in the water, which was particularly sweet given that my nephew Ronan’s name in Irish means “seal.” While I have been to Ireland twice before, this was my first time traveling with my family. It has also been twenty years since I have been there.
My mom’s mom, my nana, was born on a farm just outside the tiny town of Drumshanbo in County Leitrim on the northwest side of the Republic. We spent quite a few days in and around Drumshanbo, including visiting the farm my family still owns. My mom’s cousin Patricia was our host and showed us all around. I was constantly terrified by my mediocre skills driving on the left side of the road. Unlike my brother-in-law, I had an automatic car, whereas he was driving a stick shift. I was glad not to have to navigate quite so many challenges while traversing the incredibly narrow roads of rural Ireland. There were a couple of greatest moments.
One, I got to take an alpaca for a walk up a big hill. Actually, everyone in my family got their own alpaca on a leash to walk around. My alpaca was the anxious one and liked to walk a bit behind all the others. The sweetness was palpable. The other moment I want to lift up came when my nephew Colum, who brought his violin with him on the trip, joined a crew of musicians in a pub to play some classic Irish music. He was filled with joy, and watching my sister, as well as my mom, bask in their pride at their little Irish musician was so precious. I feel immensely grateful that my family is so connected to our Irish roots, remembering and embracing the land we come from. Due to colonization and slavery, many people do not have access to this same experience. It is a profound privilege.
As the summer continues, we have some exciting things coming up at church. With Brandon’s leadership, I am excited for our service at Oz Park on Wednesday, August 14th at 6:00 pm. This service will celebrate the wisdom of the stories connected with the Wizard of Oz. There are many lessons to be learned from this ever-expanding universe. Come and join us for a worshipful, meaningful, and playful time in Oz Park.
In faithful solidarity,
