An invitation to Dialogue from the Rev. and the DRE
UUS:E’s meeting house remains closed to in-person activity, but we are slowly beginning to imagine how to reopen later this year. While the Unitarian Universalist Association continues to advise congregations to carry on with virtual activities until the coronavirus is fully under control, they are also sharing various models for how to reopen. Our UUS:E Emergency Preparedness Team is reviewing these models and will be making recommendations to the Policy Board in the coming weeks.
As part of the reopening process, we–Gina and Rev. Josh–feel it is critical that we as a congregation learn as many lessons as possible from our pandemic experience. Who are we becoming given what we’ve been through? To explore this question, we have scheduled four meetings over the course of April and early May. Each of these meetings will take place on line, though two of them will also happen simultaneously outdoors at UUS:E if the weather is nice. Join us for as many of these meetings as you would like:
Tuesday, April 13 at 1:00 PM. Outdoors at UUS:E. Watch the eblasts for login information.
Wednesday, April 21st at 10:00 AM. Online only. Watch the eblasts for login information.
Friday, April 30th, 9:00 AM. Outdoors at UUS:E. Bring your own coffee. Watch the eblasts for login information.
Monday, May 3rd, 7:00 PM. Online only. Watch the eblasts for login information.
We will be inviting people to respond to the questions listed below from the nationally-known congregational consultant, Susan Beaumont. Note: these may not be the only questions we discuss. You may have other questions. If so, we are happy to include your questions in the conversation. The important thing is that UUS:E members and friends have an opportunity to discern together what we’ve learned from more than a year of pandemic. Here are Beaumont’s questions:
- What were we on the verge of discovering or accomplishing before the onset of the pandemic?
- What was possible before that may not be possible for some time—if ever?
- What seemed important before that feels superfluous now?
- What was undervalued before that may hold greater value now?
- What mattered about geography before that no longer matters?
- What new abundance are we experiencing now?
- Where are we experiencing scarcity now that was not evident before?
- What is our greatest asset now?
- What relationships will we need to build on or strengthen in the months ahead?
- What unique role might our congregation play in local, national, and even global recovery?
- What long term changes in the bigger picture would we like to be part of bringing to fruition?
With love,
Gina and Josh
