Greetings and well wishes church family,
I sure am looking forward to seeing you and hearing about how you are. I’ve missed you!
I’ve loved getting back into the rhythm of church life and feel that we have some beautiful things to look forward to in the coming months. This newsletter is bursting at the seams with news and events, so I hope you will take the time to slow down and read it closely.
This is the beginning of my 5th year of ministry with First Parish (wow, right?), and this felt like a good time to make our year’s overarching theme “Intention.” When I say “intention” I don’t mean having “good intentions” or having an “aim or plan.” The spiritual discipline of Intentionality better captures it, for it puts our minds and hearts in touch with the larger why. It sets our sails to the winds of who are we/what do we need/where are we trying to go…? These kinds of big questions brought us together in 2021, and I want our ministry to always be alive with them. So let’s see where this takes us!
I’ve led a few retreats this past month, one for staff and another for your Worship Committee–which I co-led with Charlyn Bethell. We talked a lot about meeting the moment that is this unbelievable time we are all living through. Now, more than ever, we must be ferociously protective of our spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. Burying our heads in the sand isn’t helping, nor is engaging with every new and terrible catastrophe. We must be wise. We must be steady. We must stay spiritually fit. And this is why we come to church, right? For tools, for practice, for repose, for reviving. And for intentional, faith-driven direction. I sure hope First Parish of Watertown can be this anchoring place for you. It’s certainly what I, and your resplendent staff and leaders, are trying to build and co-create here.
Be gentle with yourselves Dear Ones. Come to church. Drink from the well. Pour your waters into it. Be still. Be moved to action. Link up arms with us and lift up some thanks and praise for all that is our life, together.
With 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.