Happy June Church Family!
Summer is almost here and with this comes a shift in rhythm at First Parish. Our month’s theme of Flourishing Together reminds me that all of us need rhythm shifts to thrive. My personal flourishing depends upon doing the work I love with you, and also putting it down from time to time. Following our Flower Communion worship service on June 21st, I won’t lead worship until September. Your spiritual flourishing on Sundays will come in the varied, soulful worship services that the Worship Committee is overseeing. You will receive descriptions of Summer Worship in a few weeks–and I promise you, they are stunning.
Some of us often say in June that, ‘the church year is almost over,’ and yes, UU church programming tends to mirror the academic year–but the church doesn’t close, it just changes. Worship will go on, as will many of your ministries; we will be caring for the building and each other; we will fellowship with one another; we will continue to organize and live our faith in Watertown. The energy will shift, maybe quiet a bit, but the lights will still be on and, important to note, there will still be new friends coming to church in need. Let us welcome them with the same vibrancy and care as we do any other time of the year!
For now, we find ourselves considering what Flourishing means to us–and the next three worship services are not to be missed. I know how easy it is to unintentionally choose disconnection and isolation over connection and companionship. However, real flourishing rarely depends on us being islands unto ourselves. These are unsteady, frightening times, and flourishing together is the way we build resiliency and thrive together in joy. So now’s your chance to join the resistance and come to church!
Thank you for being the Beloved Community. Thank you for sharing your lives with me and one another. Thank you for teaching me, every day, about the transformative power of Love in Community. We have so much to be grateful for here on Church Street–where the beacon of hope is always bright (no matter the time of year!)
In faith and love,
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.