Dear Members and Friends,
Seventy-five years ago, a handful of people decided to gather as the Unitarian Fellowship of Fairfield County to bring a liberal religious community to the area. They intentionally eschewed religious words, insisting that a religion doesn’t have to come around a set of beliefs but instead a set of values. Several people who identified as atheist were grateful to have a spiritual home that championed ethics and service as the source of building their community.
The Congregation was blessed with committed members and dedicated leadership as it grew large enough to build their own building. The architect, Victor Lundy, was only 30 years old, and the result of the collaboration has, I am told, turned out to be Mr. Lundy’s favorite building—and this congregation’s beloved home.
What was it like to be among the congregation 40, 50, even 60 years ago? I’m so pleased several current members will share with their stories this Sunday, following the service. Current members Hazen and Carol Goddard, Jane Sherman, Barbara Thormahlen, Carol Porter, Diana Bell, Bonnie Rother, and Rev. Ed Thompson plan to be there. I hope Diane Becker can join us as well.
Chuck Harrington will also participate. While he hasn’t been with the Congregation nearly as long as the others, he has been a Unitarian since the 1950’s—and was present at the General Assembly of 1961. You won’t want to miss the stories of our long-time committed members—so join us after the service this Sunday!
I originally scheduled for this Friday evening a viewing of Rozanne Gates’ video the founding and expansion of the Rainbow Task Force here at UUWestport. The Rainbow Task Force was founded 30 years ago, and this video was made ten years ago—and is a wonderful tribute to this congregation’s efforts to affirm the LGBTQ+ community and advocate for marriage equality.
This has now been rescheduled to be a part of the November 9 celebration of “Generations of Social Justice Engagement at UUWestport.” Please put it on your calendar now, November 9 at 3:00 PM.
This is a year to open our hearts and minds to the stories among us as to why and how this congregation has brought so many people together.
I am always available to you—via ZOOM and phone when I’m in Oak Park and in person when I’m in Westport. I return this Friday and will be with you through Tuesday. I will then be in town October 3-7 and October 26-30. Don’t hesitate to be in touch.
I look forward to seeing you in person on Sunday!
Warmly,
Alan
from A. Powell Davies:
Whether we know much or little about the mystery of our own souls, it is at the level of the spiritual that we fulfill ourselves or are defeated. Though we gain the whole world of knowledge and power, if we lose our soul, knowledge and power will not avail us. The moral and the spiritual are not optional, or mere ornaments of life; they are essential, mandatory, the very nature of humanity – and divested of them, there is nothing left but degradation and corruption. This is the fact of humankind – the fact of our nature as humans – that cannot be ignored, repudiated or changed. The measure of humanity must be its fullest measure; anything else is the measure of our depravity and the scope of our calamity.
from J.J. Hurtak:
So here we are, explorers in a vast universe at the end of the first decade of the third millennium. We’ve peered back to the dawn of time to question the Big Bang. We have learned to take our baby steps into space. But the thing we desire most continues to elude us. The inner path of peace and its twin, the outer path of justice, are difficult to find in a world confronted with war, political and economic terrorism and injustice. To seek inner peace and use it publicly at this time in the search for outer peace is our greatest challenge.
