• 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 Universalist Congregation in Westport

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

Unitarian Universalist Association
  • Calendar
    • Calendar
    • SOUNDINGS
    • Communications Guidelines
    • ZOOM Instructions
    • Tips For Making Videos
    • Event & Space Reservations
    • TUUCWSocial 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
    • 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 25, 2002

April 20, 2011 by Rev. Frank Hall - Minister Emeritus

Dear Friends,

Frost’s poem Birches touches some delicate places. After painting the white birch trees, ‘bending left and right across the lines of straighter darker trees,’ he swings down to earth in this delightful dnouement:

“I’d like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.”

My sabbatical helped me get away from earth awhile. I’ve had a respite from week-to-week responsibilities and the need to comment on events that deserve serious attention and reflection.

I’m ready to ‘come back to it and begin over.’ It’s good to get away, it’s good to come home. I’m glad I don’t have to start over completely. I’ve kept my hand in by preaching once a month, meeting with a few folks who wanted to talk, checking in with Barbara, Jan and Jamie, and so forth. But I miss you. World events cry out for a response.

I’ve had the opportunity to read the newspapers more carefully-it seems an indulgence to spend more than an hour with the New York Times, but the above events deserve that kind of in-depth reflection and rumination.

Clearly a kind of religious reformation is needed now, and it seems under way. Religion is being dragged into the new millennium, kicking and screaming. The old tribal mentality doesn’t work the way it did when people lived in relative isolation. A new theology is needed. God, or Allah, is not on the side of those who kill in his name. The old tribal gods threaten the human race. Fanatical fundamentalisms fuel the fires that are raging in hot spots around the world.

The story of the Catholic Church’s sexual misconduct scandal continues to unfold. The notion of a mandatory celibate priesthood clearly violates natural Law (pun intended.) Its catastrophic consequences include the flagrant misuse of power by parish priests. It has blown up in the red faces of the hierarchy. The Catholic Church, and religion in general, is in the midst of a terrible crisis with huge consequences. That genie is clearly out of the bottle.

A necessary reformation is under way. It would be insensitive, unseemly and arrogant for us to say ‘we told you so.’ We’re struggling with our own issues around racism, power and economic justice. It’s a serious and challenging task for all of us. It isn’t easy.

In his conclusion to Birches, Frost summarized it nicely: “Earth’s the right place for love. I don’t know where it’s likely to go better. I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree, and climb black branches up a snow white trunk toward heaven till the tree could bear no more but dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.”

I hope you’re well, and I look forward to seeing you and catching up with you soon.

Yours,
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 Universalist
     Congregation in Westport
     is a member congregation of the
     Unitarian Universalist Association

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

Congregational 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 Universalist Congregation in Westport - 10 Lyons Plains Rd., Westport, CT 06880 - All rights reserved.