The Joy of Joining the Team
Dearly Loved Community of UUCG,
As I write on this Thursday, January 11, I am celebrating two important dates: the conclusion of my first seven days as your new contract minister, and the 20th anniversary of my ordination to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. I love that these two dates coincide. The synchronicity feels rich with meaning and purpose, because isn’t this exactly what we now have the chance to do? Just as today I am renewing the promises I made on that icy day in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, 20 years ago, now we, as a team, get to renew our commitment to this great project of building Beloved Community, caring for each other, and helping to heal the world. We get to discover—with the freshness that comes with new beginnings—how we are called, individually and communally, to live out our Unitarian Universalist faith.
These first few days with you have been a joy. Our core staff leaders Aline and Christiana have passed on to me the Minister’s Phone and shown me how to get into and out of the building securely! And of course they are sharing a wealth of other details about UUCG and offering the gifts of their wisdom and availability.
Then the Welcome Party and last Sunday’s worship service have given me a palpable in-person experience of the warmth, depth, and kindness of this community. And in meeting with the Pastoral Care and Worship teams, we have had our first conversations and collaborations in this truly shared ministry.
It has been a beautiful start. In these next days and weeks, I look forward to continuing the process of meeting you all and joining UUCG’s ministerial teams, experiencing the beauty of what you have already built.
The pictures included here show the Laying on of Hands from my ordination in 2004—and Aline, Christiana, and I at our first core-staff gathering on my very first day.
With Love at the center,
Rev. Nancy