A HARBOR ANY DAY OF THE WEEK

Ingathering, held on August 27, marked the beginning of our congregational year together.  Early fall is a time of transition at the church, as we move from summer planning into fall programming, and a time of transition at the Sinclair house: our daughter has just started first grade, and we are learning everything from the best route to walk to school, to how to navigate homework (rather, “independent practice,” as it is now called). It’s a time when the church is starting new things, but also providing a sense of continuity. Last week I met with member Christine Davis, who told me that until recently, “I didn’t realize…that the church could be a harbor for me any day of the week, not just for a church meeting or Sunday service.” 

The Unitarian Church of Lincoln is many things: a harbor and continuity in uncertain times, a place of challenge and opportunity in times when we get complacent, and a community that we build, with care and intention, every time we gather together. My hope for the coming year is that it continues to be all of those things to all who need it, and that we continually ask ourselves and each other “who are we together?”

On a more practical note, September is when summer planning turns into fall programming, so here are a few dates coming up that I have circled on my calendar:

On Sunday, September 10, we are kicking off our annual giving campaign. We are approaching fundraising slightly differently this year, moving away from a once month pledge campaign in October, and toward a more interactive, and hopefully fun, way of talking about money. You’ll hear more about that in the worship service on the 10th, followed by a potluck organized by the annual giving campaign volunteers. Also on the 10th, we will be welcoming several new members to our congregation, and over the course of the fall will be developing a new, more streamlined, process for becoming a member of the Unitarian Church of Lincoln.

Tuesdays in September (September 5, 12, 19, and 26), I am teaching a course on worship planning.  This is a chance to get involved in the worship life of the church, if you want to become a worship associate or are just curious about the multitude of pieces that go into the 10:00 hour every Sunday morning.

In September and October our Justice in Action team leaders will be holding house meetings to talk about the progress our interfaith organizing network has made over the next year, and what comes next. If you are interested in getting involved, and do not have a contact person yet, please reach out to me and we will get you connected.

One of the largest adjustments in returning from sabbatical was getting used to the pace of programming at UCL again.  This is a congregation that has a tremendous number of dedicated people doing interesting, engaging things. Almost every night there are multiple events, either on Zoom or at 6300 A Street, providing opportunities for socialization, justice making, and mutual support. The church calendar of upcoming events is available at https://www.unitarianlincoln.org/. As this year together begins, take a look at it, and think about who we might become, together. ​