A new world is waiting to be built

Yesterday I was having a conversation about my 2021 COVID experience. My friend asked me what I’ve learned, what I’m bringing forward with me. I just want to erase 2021, I thought. In fact, hers was a good question. What are we bringing forward? What are you bringing forward from our shared church COVID experience? As we open up our new hybrid church model, it’s a good time to reflect.

Here are a few things we discovered during the past 23 months:

• Together, we figured out how to use technology to do church
• Members are infinitely creative, organizing socially distanced picnics and walks, zooming social activities of all sorts and using drones to video new member ceremonies – and so much more
• We (Kala) can make beautiful music remotely
• Members have lots to contribute. More members than ever before were involved in services, as greeters and tech hosts, as assistants and leaders.
• Our new way of “doing church” has some unexpected benefits (people who can’t be present in the sanctuary can now join us)
• Our community is much more than four walls – perhaps it is not a place at all

What did you discover? What should we be bringing forward?

These thoughts reminded me of the reading we opened our February board meeting with.

Building the Possible

Written by Rev. Scott Tayler, inspired by and with use of the words of John Schaar
May this flame cast its light
toward the coming days,
reminding us that “the future
is not simply a place we are going,
but a place we are creating.”
The path of new possibilities will not be found, but made.
A new world is waiting to be built.

We cannot wait to light the chalice flame in the sanctuary Sunday. May it remind us that an unexpected outcome of the pandemic shutdown is the unique opportunity we have to think about this place – this “church” – we are creating. As a board we are excited about working together to help make the UUCSW of 2022.

Ellen Rutter, on behalf of the UUCSW Board of Trustees