The View From Here – October 7th, 2022

Greetings Church Family!

I pray that you and yours are well these days, and that you have what you need.

I am currently in Maine attending a retreat at the Alcyon Center called Silence, Heart, and Earth. Here we are learning about soul practices that bring us to open-hearted presence with each other, and the world. Out of these, we hope to cultivate the courage to face life with a new soulful stance. I am grateful to be able to take time for retreats such as this. I look forward to bringing some of what I am learning home to you!

Returning to our year’s theme of Sowing the Seeds, I sense something soulful is also germinating here at First Parish. We have begun this church year wondering how we might imbue all that we do here with open-heartedness and soul, so that we too might learn a new stance. I have seen this show up in my Committee on Ministry, in Parish Committee, in our reflections around what this building says about welcome, at our recent Installation Service, and in the many conversations that I have had with you about how to better care for one another, and how to better nourish our own spirits. I am loving this! For all of this is what makes us a church.

So, here is my question to you: what do you need to truly nourish your soul here? We arrive here with so many gifts to bear out, but we also have needs. Let’s not settle for crumbs! I sense that many of you have ideas and visions for how to do this here. Won’t you courageously bring them forward (this month’s theme is Courage after all)? My door is always open to you–please come in. Let us keep at this Dear Ones. The stakes are high, the reward great.

As always, take care of yourselves. Take care of one another. Reach out. Stay close. Know that you are loved here.

In faith,
Rev. Sophia