Greetings Friends,
I continue to send my heartfelt thanks for your messages of care as I worked to recover from the flu this past week. I am glad to be back at church now, working to catch up on emails and to-do’s. Thank you for being patient with me as I find my way back to things.
This month we will be working with the theme of Embodiment which will help us to consider what our bodies and beings are asking of us these days. From my vantage point, I know that grief is calling some of our names; others are trying to heal from sickness and injury, or adapt to the changes and challenges they have brought. Some of you are full of creative energy; others are hearing the call to justice-making on the frontlines. Many are trying to figure out who they are meant to be in life, and in their ever-changing relationships. Embodiment touches on all of this, and I am looking forward to exploring this more deeply with you over the coming weeks.
I am also glad to begin embarking on Stewardship with you. I find the discernment of gift-giving and receiving to be a holy endeavor. It’s a contemplative practice that helps me to unravel myself from all the surface nuisances, and to consider what my deepest need is, what’s calling my name, what’s most important in my life, and, especially, to know myself as caught up in it all–a valued steward. I pray that you make time for this good, embodied discernment as we continue meeting the moment in the life of this Beloved Community.
It was once shared with me that we are living through a ‘tilted time’ collectively, and that the great question before humanity is: Who are we, and how are we, as we learn to face one another? First Parish of Watertown is a place to ask this, practice it, and seek for your answer.
It’s my honor to be caught up in this question with you, to be invited into your precious and tender lives, and to be moved and opened by the love that is ever-abundant here. May we continue to find strength and energy on the path, as well as tenderness, compassion, and grace.
With continued love and faith,
Rev. Sophia
Reverend Sophia Lyons
Rev. Sophia is committed to radical welcome and spreading the good news that is our bold Unitarian Universalist faith. Some of her areas of interest include interfaith partnerships, addictions ministry, spiritual direction, and working towards collective liberation for all. Rev. Sophia aspires to live her life and fulfill her ministry guided by spiritual seeking, big love, and the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism.