Dear Ones,

I’m glad to be back from study leave, and full of ideas for this coming program year! The new program year always makes me feel the excitement I always felt for a new school year – with all the anticipation of new things to learn and do.

As I related in my last column, back in July, the worship team and I will be working with our own “homegrown” worship themes this year. As a reminder, here are those themes for the first few months.

September: Ingathering/Gratitude – This is the month we typically celebrate coming together again with our water service, as well as kicking off our annual stewardship pledge campaign.

October: Social Justice – Over the past couple summers and several services in the regular program year, we’ve highlighted social justice issues. This month’s theme brings justice to the forefront.

November: Now what? – This month we hope to offer some ideas on how to respond to issues facing us, and perhaps some ways to be involved locally.

In addition, I’ll be facilitating a chapter-by-chapter discussion of Widening the Circle of Concern, the report issued by the UUA Commission on Institutional Change in summer, 2020. Watch for dates & times.

Interested in discussing spiritual topics in a small covenant group? Let me know! We’ve had one small group running for about three years now, using the Soul Matters discussion packets. This year we’ll be using some of that past material as well as material.

Stay tuned for more!

Take care & stay safe, everyone!

    Blessings,
        Rev. Lori Hlaban