• Home
  • rainbow flagA Welcoming Congregation
  • Safe Congregation SealKeeping Safe
  • Capital Campaign
    • Contact: Capital Campaign
  • DONATE/REALM
  • TUCWomen
    • About TUCWomen
    • Join Us
    • Events
    • Contact
  • Contact
  • Instagram

The Unitarian Church in Westport

10 Lyons Plains Rd., Westport, CT 06880 - Ph: (203)227-7205 Sunday Services: 10:00 AM

uua-logo-2
  • Calendar
    • Calendar
    • SOUNDINGS
    • Communications Guidelines
    • ZOOM Instructions
    • Tips For Making Videos
    • Event & Space Reservations
    • TUCWSocial Email List Ground Rules
  • Welcome Visitors
    • UU Orientation
    • Directions & Services
    • Special Ceremonies & Dedications
    • Our Congregational History
    • Our Faith
    • What is a Unitarian Universalist?
    • We are Unitarian Universalists
    • How did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
    • History of the Flaming Chalice
    • UU History in 8 Minutes
  • About Us
    • Our Mission Statement
    • Our Vision Statement
    • About Our Ministers
    • Our Staff
    • Getting Involved
    • Board of Trustees
    • Governance
    • The Naming Committee
    • Healing and Resilience Task Force
    • Congregant Celebration
    • Pastoral Care Chaplains
    • Our Welcoming Congregation
    • Photo & Video Galleries
    • Links – Beyond Our Walls
    • SOUNDINGS
    • Communications Guidelines
    • Events & Space Reservations
    • Pledging
  • FAITH FORMATION
    • Faith Formation for Children and Youth 2022-23
    • Welcome to Family Faith Formation
    • This Week in Family Faith Formation
    • Faith Formation Age Groupings 2022-23
    • What to Expect on Sunday Mornings
    • OWL Information at a Glance
    • Youth Ministry
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Soul Matters
    • Keeping Safe
    • Faith Formation Registration
  • Social Justice
    • Welcome to Social Justice
    • Advocates for Prevention of Gun Violence
    • Beardsley School Committee
    • Immigration and Refugee Committee
    • KIVA Microfinance Committee
    • Racial Justice Committee
    • Westbridge Coalition
  • Music Program
    • Music Choir Schedules
    • Evensong
    • Our Minister of Music
    • The Music Committee
    • The Bell Choir
    • The Choir (Women and Men)
    • Special Projects Choir
    • Once & Again Singers
    • Children’s Choir
    • Teen Choir
    • The Chamber Choir
    • Sight-singing Classes
    • Cabaret
    • Voice Classes
    • Love Is the Spirit
    • Tune My Heart To Sing
    • Support Our Music Program
  • Sermons & Poetry
    • Minister’s Messages
    • Sermons – Audio
    • Sermons – Video
    • Rev. John T. Morehouse’s sermons
    • From Your Senior Minister: Facing Grace
    • Facing Grace – Rev. John’s blog
    • Rev. Frank Hall, Minister Emeritus – sermons
    • Rev. Frank Hall, Minister Emeritus – Dear Friends
    • Intern Minister’s sermons
    • Guest Minister’s sermons
    • Poetry & Readings
    • Communications from Your Ministers
  • Live Stream

Dear Friends – March 14, 2011

May 1, 2011 by Rev. Frank Hall - Minister Emeritus

Dear Friends,

Spring is the season of youth. Newness. Regeneration. The world must have been created inSpring! We look forward to this season of renewal in proportion to the severity of the winter we’ve had, so this Spring is especially appreciated.

Robert Browning put it nicely in his spring poem that concludes with the familiar line: God’s in His heaven – All’s right with the world! It’s easy to imagine the Garden of Eden in spring, and only spring,full of lush green – who could imagine snow in Eden, or brown leaves covering the ground?

At the bottom of the stairs outside my office this morning I saw a crocus, and I smiled out loud, and imagined how proud she felt in her purple outfit, eager to announce her season, knowing full well how much her arrival would be welcomed.

Speaking of the youthful season, our youth-led service on March 3 was a spring-like, inspiring celebration of Life, appreciated for the colorful music, the youth-group’s story for the children and their personal sharing, and the report from those who attended the recent Washington, D. C. trip to work with the homeless. There were carefully crafted statements by Max Sandler and Leila Fletcher.

Max wrote in the form of a play:  SCENE 1 – TAKE 2. Interior of a run-down church basement at night. In this scene Max has a conversation with a homeless veteran whom he calls John, and when Max responds to John’s situation by saying, ‘Sorry,’ John says, “Don’t apologize! I’mnot sad about my life, why should you be?  I may be homeless now, but if I dwell on that I’ll never get on with my life. I’ve found that if you think about a positive future, you’re more likely to have a positive present.”Max responds, “Wow!”

Leila wrote about her youth group experience with a ‘Power Shuffle,’ which she explained as done in the dark with the group following directions of a leader who asks questions to the group as they hallstand on one side of the candle-lit room.  She says, “The first questions are easy, for example, ‘Are you girl?’ If your answer is yes, you move across the room. The questions get harder and require more courage and vulnerability to respond to honestly.

“The most important rule of the Power Shuffle is that no one can talk except the leader asking questions. This means that no one can judge you, but no one can support you either. The only sound in the room is the sound of feet shuffling across the floor.”

She then says, “For me, the Power Shuffle was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. There was one time when I heard all the feet depart from me and I stood alone…it was the most terrifying experience of my life…when I (finally) looked up I saw that the faces staring at me were not angry or judgmental…some faces were even crying silently.”

In my brief remarks I acknowledged that it takes a lot of courage to be a person at any age.

Yours,

Frank

Filed Under: Dear Friends Tagged With: Dear Friends, Rev. Frank Hall

  • Minister’s Messages
  • Sermons – Audio
  • Sermons – Video
  • Rev. John T. Morehouse’s sermons
  • From Your Senior Minister: Facing Grace
  • Facing Grace – Rev. John’s blog
  • Rev. Frank Hall, Minister Emeritus – sermons
  • Rev. Frank Hall, Minister Emeritus – Dear Friends
  • Intern Minister’s sermons
  • Guest Minister’s sermons
  • Readings & Poetry
  • Communications from Your Ministers

     The Unitarian Church in Westport
     is a member congregation of the
     Unitarian Universalist Association

      CLICK HERE if you have any questions      about The Unitarian Church in Westport

Church Hours: Tuesday - Friday
9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Summer Hours:
July & August until after Labor Day:
Tuesday - Friday 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

CLICK HERE to contact the web master

CLICK HERE to opt in to receive
the Weekly Congregational Email Blast

Copyright © 2023 · Visit us at The Unitarian Church in Westport - 10 Lyons Plains Rd., Westport, CT 06880 - All rights reserved.