• 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

In The Interim – October 9, 2013

October 8, 2013 by Rev. Roberta Finkelstein - InterimSenior Minister

I love autumn! I love the splendid colors of the leaves, the cool evenings and crisp days, the apples and pumpkins, the scurrying of squirrels and chipmunks. Robert Weston, in his meditation on autumn, writes, “In what the autumn colors say to me, turning from tired green to brilliant gold, scarlet and crimson, then maroon and brown, I hear a deeper voice than summer knew.” The spirituality of autumn is about things that are fleeting. Those leaves, splendid in reds and golds, turn brown and fall, leaving bare branches tracing the winter sky to come. The mums, glorious in crimson and yellow, yield finally to frost. The days, crisp and cool, end earlier and earlier as darkness encroaches and cold weather approaches.

We are called by the deeper voice of autumn to an appreciation of what is fleeting. “Stop,” autumn tells us, “and see and hear and smell and taste and touch the gifts I offer you, for soon they will be gone.” But autumn has another voice as well; the voice of urgent gathering in. Even those of us who no longer live by the agricultural calendar know that autumn is a time of harvest. We may not get out the thresher but we do behold the squirrels and chipmunks! They are engaged in a frenzy of gathering in – tearing madly across our yards looking for food they can store to sustain them through the coming winter. Their frenetic work-in-motion is a counterpoint to the ‘pause to appreciate the fleeting’ message, is it not? In nature there is always a tension between the inward and outward, activity and rest, seeking and finding, giving up and gathering in.

In October those of you who participate in Small Group Ministry will be considering the place of solitude in your lives. We will explore this in worship as well. But like nature, our rhythm here will not be all about the inward focus. In mid-October we will welcome our UUA Moderator, Jim Key. Jim will be speaking here on Saturday (October 12th at 1:30 pm) about what is new and exciting at the Unitarian Universalist Association. We have invited UU’s from the Metro NY District and the rest of the state to join us that afternoon. On Sunday he will join me in the pulpit as we reflect together on what it means for us to ‘Join the Move.’ The UUA is moving from historic headquarters at 25 Beacon Street to a new location that is more accessible,  has more capacity to support modern technology, and will allow our Association to be a more nimble and responsive organization. Here in Westport we are also on the move, at least metaphorically.

On October 20th we will turn outward even further as we consider peacemaking as a spiritual practice. All spirituality is, to my mind, a balance between the inward and outward. We turn inward in order to restore our minds and hearts so that we have the energy and courage to turn outward to meet the needs of a hurting world.

As we move together through this month of fleeting beauty and gratifying plenty, let us all pause to tend to our inner spirits. And let us all move outward, welcoming the challenges of change and offering our gifts to the world outside our doors.

In Faith,
Rev. Roberta

Filed Under: In The Interim

  • 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.