• 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
    • 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 2021-22
    • Welcome to Family Faith Formation
    • This Week in Family Faith Formation
    • What to Expect on Sundays
    • Faith Formation for Children Pre-K through 7th Grade
    • OWL Information at a Glance
    • Considering 8th-9th grade OWL
    • Youth Ministry
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Soul Matters
    • Keeping Safe
    • Faith Formation Registration
  • Social Justice
    • Welcome to Social Justice
    • Social Justice e-mail
    • Advocates for Prevention of Gun Violence
    • Beardsley School Committee
    • Environmental Action Group
    • Immigration and Refugee Committee
    • KIVA Microfinance Committee
    • Mercy Learning Center Committee
    • Racial Justice Committee
    • Rainbow Task Force
    • Westbridge Coalition
    • UU United Nations Office
    • Additional Programs
    • Racial Justice Resources
  • 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

Dear Friends – March 19, 2001

April 19, 2011 by Rev. Frank Hall - Minister Emeritus

Dear Friends,

Winter turns to spring. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul…”

Lory, Carlyn and I are looking forward to Spring Break. The day after Easter we’ll take our annual trip to Florida to visit Lory’s father and step-mother, and to frolic in the sun, sand and surf.

I’ve talked with the Board about a sabbatical. It’s over due. I’m thinking about three months next winter, from January 1 to the end of March, which happens to be Easter Sunday. That would be ten years from my cross-country-in-the-van sabbatical. Nothing has been decided, but we are exploring possibilities.

Three months would allow time to do some of the writing I’ve wanted to tackle.

The poetry project I told you about is proceeding nicely. Jonathan is the sound engineer. I’ve used the Thursday night classes as an opportunity to record a half hour of poetry each time, which will provide two hours total.

Jonathan tells me that a CD holds seventy two minutes. There will be a half hour each of Frost and Whitman, a half hour of Sandburg and Cummings combined, and a half hour of hour of other poets. Our plan is to print the poems in the order they can be heard on two Compact Disks, or two cassette tapes.

The next step, if we get that far, will be to write reflections on poetry as theology, using the poems in the anthology, and to publish that separately. We’ll see.

Poetry is like religion–it requires endless interpretation, it’s never completely understood, and it’s always ready to surprise you with some new insight. Poetry and religion open doors to deeper places, inviting us to enter, and inspiring us to soar above the earth for awhile, hopefully coming in for a smooth landing.

Of course there’s the other side to poetry and religion. The taste it leaves in our mouths depends on who serves it up.

I had some teachers of both poetry and religion who made each seem complicated and tempted me to stay away from both. But something in me persisted and I kept coming back to the poems and to religion until I could marry them. The nautical term to marry means ‘to join two ropes end to end by interweaving their stands.’ I have a lot of loose ends of both poetry and religion, so their marriage shouldn’t be too difficult.

I guess we all have some loose ends to weave. That’s what we’re here to do, together.

Cheers,

Frank

Filed Under: Dear Friends

  • 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 © 2022 · Visit us at The Unitarian Church in Westport - 10 Lyons Plains Rd., Westport, CT 06880 - All rights reserved.