Dear Members and Friends,
The results of the presidential election leave me speechless. I know how hard many of you worked to see your values represented in our nation’s leader, and I know that many Unitarian Universalists were horrified by the results of the election eight years ago. This election puts our nation on track for a highly uncertain future, especially for the most marginalized among us. And I don’t have much to share with those of you who are in disbelief with the results other than: be gentle with yourselves, do what you need to do even if it doesn’t look pretty, and reach out to others for support. Above all, do not isolate, at least not for very long.
During uncertain times, it is good to gather together. This evening at 7:00 PM, UU Westport will hold a Candlelight Vigil. I will be joined by Rev. Ed, Rev. Jim, and several of our Pastoral Care Chaplains in our sanctuary for a Candlelight Vigil. If you find yourself especially worried about the future of our country or specific marginalized people, we hope you will join us. We will have some music, some quiet time, some readings, some prayer. Likely tears and hopefully some laughter.
Saturday November 9, at 3:00 PM we will show the documentary film that Rozanne Gates produced about the development of the Rainbow Task Force here at UU Westport. The film captures how visionary and courageous a number of people were a little over 30 years ago to advocate for recognizing all people as fully human and worthy of protection and the rights that the rest of us shared. We will reflect on what made for such a flowering ministry and how our Congregation can re-ignite the essential work of the Gender Equity Team to ensure that UU Westport is not only a safe haven for all gender identities and sexualities but also at the forefront of advocacy for the protection of all.
This Sunday, November 10, our service will reflect on how this congregation has cultivated resilience and integrity over the past 75 years, and afterward, several members will share stories of how this congregation has engaged in social action and social justice over the past half-decade. Plan on staying afterward for this opportunity to remember the history of this congregation.
On Lastly, I must acknowledge how moved I was by last Sunday’s worship service. Six of our youth shared what they value and what they believe. If you missed it and are seeking some uplift, I encourage you to watch their Coming of Age service HERE.
Personally, this service was the best antidote to the waiting, anxiety, and uncertainty of these days. It served as a reminder of how our congregation can act locally with our values—and attend to the faith formation of our young people, as well as all of us!
I hope to see many of you over the next several days.
Love and Peace,
Alan
Angi Haen, reflecting on this past Sunday’s service:
“Let’s get together and live out the value that Reed described in his Coming of Age speech – the value of community. Let’s express ourselves honestly during this vigil, which was a value that Preston described in his speech. Let’s be kind to one another, which was a value expressed by Cam. Let’s remember to show gratitude to one another, as Josephine suggested. By giving ourselves a time and place to process our feelings, we will engage in the practice of self-love, as Dylan described. And finally, the vigil is a tool, like a fishing rod, that can help us catch our spirituality, as described by Tyler.”
