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Greetings CYM Families & Friends! I am very excited to share more details about the upcoming author event featuring our very own Sam Taylor, (mom of Oak and North who you may know from the Garden Level.) She will read an excerpt from her latest book, which will appeal especially to our older elementary and teenage youth. This event is after service and CYM programming on Sunday, April 13th at UUSE! If you haven’t already, put it on your calendar! “The more a story is forbidden, the more it demands to be told…” New UUSE member, S. J. Taylor, is the author of Madsi the True , a children’s fantasy book steeped in Norwegian folklore. Twelve-year-old Madsi is searching for her older sister, who has been kidnapped by the Northern Lights. Madsi sets off on a journey to rescue her sister, joined by a very annoying neighbor boy and a magical girl who lives in the Lights. She is also the author of “The Witch of Festa Falls” in the Being Ace anthology—a short story likewise steeped in Norwegian folklore and featuring Birga, who grows up to become the village witch in Madsi the True .) Ms. Taylor will read from Madsi the True and discuss her work. Copies of all her books will be available for purchase. Proceeds will go to UUSE. This event is co-sponsored by the the UUSE Children and Youth Ministry and Adult Religious Education Committees. For more information, contact the UUSE office at (860) 646-5151. Here’s what else is happening in Children & Youth Ministry on Sunday, March 30, 2025: @11 AM All Congregation Worship All children and youth from birth through high school are invited to join their families and friends in the Sanctuary for a full and specially designed worship service this Sunday. Sunday Service: “The Truth About Trust” - What makes a person trustworthy? In this service for all ages, we’ll explore some of the components of trust as it relates to developing and maintaining relationships. Telling the truth and doing the right thing isn’t always easy, especially when we’ve made mistakes, and we fear the consequences. However difficult it is, doing our best to be people worthy of others’ faith and trust is important life-long work. Coordinators: Stacey Musulin & Martha Larson Nursery (Age 3 and under): Childcare is available in our Nursery on the Garden Level at 11 AM for children 3 and under. Care is provided by two regular childcare staff including our Nursery Coordinator Molly, our Nursery Assistant Lilly. Our nursery staff have grown up at UUSE, and are equipped with loads of experience, patience, and creativity to keep our youngest UUs safe and engaged. Families are always welcome to tour and stay in the nursery at any time. Note of Thanks !: The High School Youth Group leaders and participants would like to give a huge THANK YOU to all of those folks who purchased soup and loaned items to help make that happen at their recent fundraiser. We earned over $600 to share between HSYG and UUSE and thank you for your generous support! SAVE THE DATE for SPRING!: THIS SUNDAY, March 30: HSYG Thrift Shopping Outing  - High School youth planning to thrift with myself and Rachel Hiskes this Sunday can bring a bagged lunch to eat together at 12:30PM this Sunday at UUSE. From there we will hit the road at 1PM and then the racks to do our part in promoting sustainability and fun times! We will return to UUSE for 3PM. Sat, Apr 5: UUSE attends a 50501 Protest at the Capitol building in Hartford at 3PM ! Please save my cell phone number (in the bottom of this email) to coordinate meeting up at the event! I will have goodies to give out to families. The plan is for families to drive and park on their own, unless someone expresses a want or need to carpool. If so, please reach out to me as we have several drivers available to meet and carpool from UUSE. Looking forward to this experience with our youth and families!!! I feel SO fortunate to be in community with all of you. Sun, Apr 13: Author event with UUSE’s Sam Taylor, (see above!) + High School Youth Group volunteer at Soup Kitchen from 8:30AM-1:30PM Sat, Apr 19: UUSE attends Kamora’s Cultural Corner’s “Thinking and Doing Day: Take Back the Land.” Please visit https://kamorasculturalcorner.com/ to learn more about KCC, a new (to us) partner in guiding our children, youth, and families about community engagement at a grass-roots level. Register to attend this free event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2025-thinking-and-doing-days-3893073. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions! Sun, Apr 20: Easter Egg Hunt between services, beginning at 10:30 in the Memorial Garden. Sat, May 3: May Fair at UUSE! 10AM-2PM Sun, May 18: Flower Communion Service & UUSE Annual Meeting Sun, May 25: NO CYM programming, Memorial Day Weekend Sun, Jun 1: Affirmation Sunday Service Sun, Jun 8: CYM Field Day and final ‘24-’25 CYM Stakeholder’s Meeting in the field Sun, Jun 15: CYM Sunday Service Sun, Jun 22: UUA General Assembly (interested in attending as a family? Shoot me an email & more details to come.) With Love and Gratitude, Emmy Galbraith dcym@uuse.org Cell: (860)576-7889 CYM Committee Members: Desiree Holian-Borgnis, Chair Michelle Spadaccini Paula Baker Sudha Sevin Rhona Cohen Committee email: uusecym@uuse.org Angela Attardo, CYM Program Assistant CYMAsst@uuse.org

Greetings CYM Families & Friends! I am very excited to share more details about the upcoming author event featuring our very own Sam Taylor, (mom of Oak and North who you may know from the Garden Level.) She will read an excerpt from her latest book, which will appeal especially to our older elementary and teenage youth. This event is after service and CYM programming on Sunday, April 13th at UUSE! If you haven’t already, put it on your calendar! “The more a story is forbidden, the more it demands to be told…” New UUSE member, S. J. Taylor, is the author of Madsi the True , a children’s fantasy book steeped in Norwegian folklore. Twelve-year-old Madsi is searching for her older sister, who has been kidnapped by the Northern Lights. Madsi sets off on a journey to rescue her sister, joined by a very annoying neighbor boy and a magical girl who lives in the Lights. She is also the author of “The Witch of Festa Falls” in the Being Ace anthology—a short story likewise steeped in Norwegian folklore and featuring Birga, who grows up to become the village witch in Madsi the True .) Ms. Taylor will read from Madsi the True and discuss her work. Copies of all her books will be available for purchase. Proceeds will go to UUSE. This event is co-sponsored by the the UUSE Children and Youth Ministry and Adult Religious Education Committees. For more information, contact the UUSE office at (860) 646-5151. Here’s what else is happening in Children & Youth Ministry on Sunday, March 30, 2025: @11 AM All Congregation Worship All children and youth from birth through high school are invited to join their families and friends in the Sanctuary for a full and specially designed worship service this Sunday. Sunday Service: “The Truth About Trust” - What makes a person trustworthy? In this service for all ages, we’ll explore some of the components of trust as it relates to developing and maintaining relationships. Telling the truth and doing the right thing isn’t always easy, especially when we’ve made mistakes, and we fear the consequences. However difficult it is, doing our best to be people worthy of others’ faith and trust is important life-long work. Coordinators: Stacey Musulin & Martha Larson Nursery (Age 3 and under): Childcare is available in our Nursery on the Garden Level at 11 AM for children 3 and under. Care is provided by two regular childcare staff including our Nursery Coordinator Molly, our Nursery Assistant Lilly. Our nursery staff have grown up at UUSE, and are equipped with loads of experience, patience, and creativity to keep our youngest UUs safe and engaged. Families are always welcome to tour and stay in the nursery at any time. Note of Thanks !: The High School Youth Group leaders and participants would like to give a huge THANK YOU to all of those folks who purchased soup and loaned items to help make that happen at their recent fundraiser. We earned over $600 to share between HSYG and UUSE and thank you for your generous support! SAVE THE DATE for SPRING!: THIS SUNDAY, March 30: HSYG Thrift Shopping Outing  - High School youth planning to thrift with myself and Rachel Hiskes this Sunday can bring a bagged lunch to eat together at 12:30PM this Sunday at UUSE. From there we will hit the road at 1PM and then the racks to do our part in promoting sustainability and fun times! We will return to UUSE for 3PM. Sat, Apr 5: UUSE attends a 50501 Protest at the Capitol building in Hartford at 3PM ! Please save my cell phone number (in the bottom of this email) to coordinate meeting up at the event! I will have goodies to give out to families. The plan is for families to drive and park on their own, unless someone expresses a want or need to carpool. If so, please reach out to me as we have several drivers available to meet and carpool from UUSE. Looking forward to this experience with our youth and families!!! I feel SO fortunate to be in community with all of you. Sun, Apr 13: Author event with UUSE’s Sam Taylor, (see above!) + High School Youth Group volunteer at Soup Kitchen from 8:30AM-1:30PM Sat, Apr 19: UUSE attends Kamora’s Cultural Corner’s “Thinking and Doing Day: Take Back the Land.” Please visit https://kamorasculturalcorner.com/ to learn more about KCC, a new (to us) partner in guiding our children, youth, and families about community engagement at a grass-roots level. Register to attend this free event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2025-thinking-and-doing-days-3893073. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions! Sun, Apr 20: Easter Egg Hunt between services, beginning at 10:30 in the Memorial Garden. Sat, May 3: May Fair at UUSE! 10AM-2PM Sun, May 18: Flower Communion Service & UUSE Annual Meeting Sun, May 25: NO CYM programming, Memorial Day Weekend Sun, Jun 1: Affirmation Sunday Service Sun, Jun 8: CYM Field Day and final ‘24-’25 CYM Stakeholder’s Meeting in the field Sun, Jun 15: CYM Sunday Service Sun, Jun 22: UUA General Assembly (interested in attending as a family? Shoot me an email & more details to come.) With Love and Gratitude, Emmy Galbraith dcym@uuse.org Cell: (860)576-7889 CYM Committee Members: Desiree Holian-Borgnis, Chair Michelle Spadaccini Paula Baker Sudha Sevin Rhona Cohen Committee email: uusecym@uuse.org Angela Attardo, CYM Program Assistant CYMAsst@uuse.org

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome, Announcements and Centering (Martha Larson) Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words (by William F. Schulz) Come into this place of peace and let its silence heal your spirit; Come into this place of memory and let its history warm your soul; Come into this place of prophecy and power and let its vision change your heart Introduction to the Service (Stacey Musulin) Opening Hymn #131 "Love Will Guide Us" Words by Sally Rogers Music: Traditional, arr. by Betty A. Wylder Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot speak before thousands, you can give from deep within you. You can change the world with your love. Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. Time for All Ages "A Bike Like Sergio's" by Maribeth Boelts illustrated by Noah Z. Jones Musical Interlude Welcoming Visitors, Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Prayer (by Rev. Marta I Valentin) ... Spirit of this World and Beyond we strive to keep conscious our interconnections, our interdependence, our trust in one another as human beings ... In truth and with compassion for we know that what we send out to the universe is what will return ... Offertory Sermon (Stacey Musulin) Closing Hymn #293 "O Star of Truth" Words: Minot Judson Savage Music: Finnish melody, adapt. by David Evans O star of truth, downshining through clouds of doubt and fear, I ask beneath thy guidance my pathway may appear; however long the journey, however hard it be, though I be lone and weary, lead on, I follow thee. I know thy blessed radiance can never lead astray, though ancient creed and custom may point another way; or through the untrod desert, or over trackless sea, though I be lone and weary, lead on, I follow thee. Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

A Conversation on CT's Fiscal Roadblocks with House Speaker Matt Ritter, joined by members of the Hartford Legislative Delegation A GHIAA and CT For All event to compel policy change on CT's path to passing a budget that invests in community needs. Tuesday, April 8, 6:00-7:30 pm Immanuel Congregational Church, 10 Woodland St., Hartford ASL & Spanish interpretation provided Please register here We are grateful for the collaboration between Immanuel Congregational Church, Asylum Hill Congregational Church, GHIAA, and CT for All in organizing this event

Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words “On the Brink”  By the Rev. Leslie Takahashi Opening Hymn #131 “Love Will Guide Us” Words by Sally Rogers Music: traditional, arr. By Betty A. Wylder Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot speak before thousands, you can give from deep within you. You can change the world with your love. Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. Time for All Ages “Love”  by Matt de la Pena illustrations by Loren Long    Musical Interlude Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering Mindful that March is Women's History Month, the recipient of our community outreach offering is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence and to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors.  Offering Music “Love’s in Need of Love Today”  By Stevie Wonder Will Alexon, vocals Sermon “Love Will Guide Us” By the Rev. Carolyn Patierno Closing Hymn #34 “Though I May Speak With Bravest Fire” Words by Hal Hopson Music traditional English melody, arr. By Hal Hopson Though I may speak with bravest fire, and have the gift to all inspire, and have not love, my words are vain as sounding brass and hopeless gain. Though I may give all I possess, and striving so my love profess, but not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control, our spirits long to be made whole. Let inward love guide every deed; by this we worship, and are freed. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Rev. Josh's first drum kit (now collecting dust in the basement) Our March ministry theme is trust. This morning I want to share lessons about trust I learned playing in rock bands from age 12 to age 35 (with the occasional reunion show up until about age 40). As many of you know, I was a drummer (still am I suppose, but I play rather infrequently). As a drummer I was always part of the rhythm section. Although I had to endure many drummer jokes over the years, I came to love being part of the rhythm section. It became a point of pride for me. The rhythm section doesn’t–or at least shouldn’t–occupy the limelight. The rhythm section isn’t the front-person, isn’t the lead singer, the lead guitarist or any other soloists. The rhythm section isn’t the star of the show. Music critics typically don’t write about the rhythm section. But the rhythm section matters. The bass, drums and guitar (and sometimes the keyboard) provide the foundation that allows the star, or stars, to shine. If you can’t trust the rhythm section to provide that foundation, the music falls apart. In this week’s  announcement for this service, I asked, “What does it mean to be part of a trustworthy rhythm section? What does it mean to trust the rhythm section? And more to the point, how’s your  rhythm section? I offer the rhythm section  as a potent metaphor for reflecting on the quality and depth of our spiritual lives, individually and collectively. How’s your rhythm section?  I started taking drums lessons at the Neighborhood Music School (NMS) in New Haven at age 9. My parents bought me my first drum set at age 11–hat drum set is set up in my basement to this day. I organized my first jam session with friends from the music school at age 12. At that time we were enamored with blazing guitar solos, like Eddie Van Halen’s 1978 masterpiece, “Eruption.” We were enthralled with male heavy metal singers who could reach amazingly high notes yet still sounded ragged, raw and, well, manly (Ozzy Osborne of Black Sabbath, Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, Freddy Mercury of Queen, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, and Ronnie James Dio who bounced around from band to band all come to mind). We were captivated by the out-of-this-world drum solos like John Bonham on Led Zeppelin’s performance of the song  “Moby Dick,” Keith Moon’s iconic live drum solos on the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and anything Neal Peart of Rush ever did. We were drawn to the grand, bombastic musical statements. My father kept suggesting the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel, but we were drawn to what we thought was virtuosity–the unbelievably complicated patterns– how do they do that? --the lightning fast double picking, sometimes with two guitars playing in harmony. We were drawn to the glitz and the glam, the over-the-top outfits–eventually the spandex pants and the big, puffy hair of the 1980s. It all blew our young minds.  It was always the big solo or the singer that caught our attention. Never once did we wonder what the rhythm section was doing. Never once did we identify with, let alone idolize the rhythm section. When we played as kids, we always tried to do what we thought made rock ‘n’ roll great. So, on every song we learned, we added big drum fills and long guitar solos and even bass solos. I can still remember my mother, trying to be supportive, but wondering, ‘which part of this is the actual song?’ All she heard was a wall of bombastic, unrelenting sound, no part of it really connected to any other part of it. We were livin’ the late 1970s suburban middle school white boy rock ‘n’ roll dream! Eventually I grew out of it. I kept playing. I played in orchestras and wind ensembles. I played in folk groups and a steel drum band. I played bebop, swing, and fusion jazz (never well). I listened to Motown, funk, blues and R&B. I went through  a gospel phase. I studied with a variety of teachers over the years, and attended a few master classes with famous drummers. In college I took ethnomusicology and world music classes. I took a class on the history of African American music with the trumpet player Donald Byrd who was a visiting faculty member during my junior year. But I never lost my first musical love which was rock music. After college I moved to Boston with my brother and a close friend we’d been playing with since high school to pursue our dream of becoming rock stars.  I worked at it for ten years. I can’t say I loved every minute of it, but I don’t regret it for a minute either. We had some  of what it takes to be a successful band, but we didn’t have all  of what it takes, and we eventually moved on to other pursuits. What was different in those later music-making years, compared to my teenage music-making years, was the lack of drum solos and big fills and complicated, fancy beats. In those later years, what mattered to me was the rhythm section–bass, drums, guitar. Virtuosity had nothing to do with it. The point was to lay down a solid foundation so the singer could sing the song. The point was to keep the back-beat simple and solid–2 & 4, 2 & 4, 2 & 4; not to fill up all the space with splashy drum licks–but to leave space so the music could breathe, so the singer, the melody, the words, the other instruments had room to improvise, to create, to emote, to shine. Are the bass and drums in sync? That was our question. Are they playing just a notch behind the beat – in the pocket, as they say – so the tempo doesn’t rush, so the music feels tight and solid, but also relaxed and flowing? If the rhythm isn’t solid, if it doesn’t feel right, the rest of the band finds it difficult to play well. A good rhythm section is the bedrock, the ground, the root, the base, the footing, the support, the source.  Over the years, it became a point of pride for me to be the kind of drummer who understood that ultimately the music wasn’t about me and how impressive my drum skills were. Instead, I had a role to play in support of the music, Distinct from the people we idolized as kids, I learned musical humility. I learned to literally lay it back . I learned to get out of the way, because a busy drummer can really clog up a song. I learned to focus on how the music felt. I learned to listen–really listen–to the other players in the rhythm section. We learned to listen to each other, to feel the music together, so that whatever song we were playing would sound as compelling as possible, so that the song itself would shine.  And all along–though we never described it this way–we were learning to trust each other. If the band trusts the drummer – that is, if they’re not worried about the drummer speeding up or slowing down, or the drummer playing too loudly or too softly, or the drummer just being off in their own world and not deeply listening to the other players– if they’re not worried, they will play better. They will be more spontaneous, more creative. During those years I would get calls to do shows or recording sessions with other bands.  I would learn their music, then go to the rehearsal before the show or the session. At the beginning of the rehearsal there was always a moment when I could tell the band was wondering, can this guy do what we need him to do?  I would lay down that solid foundation. I would lock in with the bass player. And very soon I would sense the other players starting to relax, starting to groove, starting to soar, starting to trust. You have to trust your rhythm section.  The rhythm section makes the song shine. For a moment, I invite you to contemplate your life’s song, the melody your heart sings. By that I mean a number of things:  your identity–who you are in the world, the various roles you play;  your passions–the work you love, the activities that feed you, the causes and communities that call to you;  all the ways in which you are creative;  all the ways in which you are physically active. Contemplate for a moment the song your life sings.  It’s a beautiful song, yes? Now, as you contemplate that song, let me ask you, how’s your rhythm section? How’s your foundation–your bedrock, your grounding, your sense of rootedness, your footing, your sources of support, your sources of stability and resilience?  Beneath your life’s song, are the bass and drums in sync? Are they listening to each other? Are they laying it back, just behind the beat, so you can relax, so you can sink and settle into the music and sing your life’s song however you feel compelled to sing at any given moment? Do you trust your rhythm section?  When I think of my rhythm section, I think of my relationships and connections. My connections to family and friends who support me and on whom I can count when I’m feeling down or not quite sure of myself. I think of my connections to colleagues–both Unitarian Universalist and those of other faiths–who support me in my professional life and with whom I work for a more just community. I think of this Unitarian Universalist congregation, this beloved community, that has given so much to me over so many years, has supported me, has trusted me. I hope and trust this congregation is in your rhythm section! I also think of my connections to the natural world, to the earth, to the changing seasons that ground me, that root me, that remind me it’s usually not about me, that remind me to listen, to leave space, to stay steady, to feel, to relax, to sink down, to settle in. I think of my connections to spirit, which moves and flows within us and among us, and offers its own beautiful rhythms.  When I began my seminary studies I was still playing in bands. I remember the professors and teaching assistants were always inviting us to engage in theological reflection. How is God acting in this moment? What is God doing in this moment? How is God moving in this moment?  Having always considered myself an atheist, these questions were unfamiliar to me. At first I didn’t know how to answer them, which became the reason–which many people report in seminary–I felt like a fraud, like I really didn’t belong there. How is God moving in this moment? How would I know? But I stayed with the questions, and eventually had the insight to turn to what I knew. And I knew that when the rhythm section is humming, when the bass and drums are in sync, when the players are listening to each other, when they leave sufficient space, the music shines. I decided that’s how God shows up in my life: in the rhythm section.  Indeed, all life is rhythm: movement following rest, following movement; sound following silence following sound; beating heart, pumping blood, breath in and out, in and out, in and out. There’s a reason the first instruments were drums.  All life is rhythm: Day into night, winter into spring into summer into fall; the cycling of planets, stars, galaxies and the universe itself.             How’s your rhythm section? Are your bass and drums in sync? Are they listening to each other, lining up a little behind the beat? Are they so solid your melody can soar?              How’s your rhythm section, that endless pulsation, that steady foundation? Can you trust it enough to let go and belt out your song, create your art, live your life?             All life is rhythm. Let us learn to trust the rhythm.             Amen and blessed be.

Gathering Music Performer: Meetinghouse Welcome and Announcements Prelude "Find Your People" By Drew Holcomb Performer: Meetinghouse Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "All Life is a Rhythm" By Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Song #1009 "Meditation on Breathing" By Sarah Dann Jones Time for All Ages Musical Response "Find Your People" reprise By Drew Holcomb Performer: Meetinghouse Joys and Concerns Musical Response "Find Your People" reprise By Drew Holcomb Performer: Meetinghouse Offering Mindful that March is Women's History Month, the recipient of our community outreach offering is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence and to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors. Offering Music "Forgiveness" By Patty Griffin Performer: Meetinghouse Sermon "How's Your Rhythm Section? A Meditation on Trust" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Song "Give Me Love" By George Harrison Performer: Meetinghouse Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "I Know This Rose Will Open" Meditation by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "We light this flame as an act of faith" by Rev. Scott Tayler We gather again, with joy and gratitude, but also with pieces and parts that are worn out and worn down, wanting, once again, to trust, to believe that hope is not as fragile as it sometimes seems, that division is not as deep as it sometimes appears. And so we light this flame as an act of faith, a reminder a redeclaration a rekindling of the trust that darkness can’t ever shut out the light, that kindness is more powerful than we know, that humility and accountability allow us to change, that together we can most certainly bend the arc of this miraculous universe toward beauty, toward justice toward love.   Opening Hymn   #131 “Love Will Guide Us” Words: Sally Rogers arr. by Betty A Wylder   Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night.   If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot speak before thousands, you can give from deep within you. You can change the world with your love.   Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night.    Time for All Ages                                                                “ Frederick” Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni   Joys and Concerns   Musical Interlude   Introduction to the Service/Speakers   Reflection from Patricia Corey-Lisle   Musical Interlude   Reading  #580 “The Task of the Religious Community”   Reflection from Caitlin Vasquez-O’Brien   Offering   Mindful that March is Women's History Month, the recipient of our community outreach offering is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence and to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors.   Offering Music   “Spirit of Life”       Love offering by Mary Bopp   Reflection from Sid Soderholm     Closing Hymn          #396 “I Know This Rose Will Open” Words and Music: Mary E. Grigolia   I know this rose will open. I know my fear will burn away. I know my soul will unfurl its wings. I know this rose will open.   Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words   #698 by Wayne B. Arnason Take courage friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: You are not alone.   Closing Circle   May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the Community of Earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come

There’s a reading in our hymnal by the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed which tells us “the central task of the religious community is to unveil the bonds that bind us each to all.” On this late winter Sunday morning, as we welcome new members into our congregation, and as we launch our Annual Appeal to raise the funds we need to support our staff, our ministries, and our beloved meeting house & grounds in the coming congregational/fiscal year, this is the message I want you take with you into your week. “The central task of the religious community is to unveil the bonds that bind each to all.” Though I want to adapt it slightly this morning. Mindful that there are many forces in the world that seek to fragment and weaken the bonds that bind each to all, the central task of the religious community is not only to unveil them, but also to nurture, grow and strengthen them. There’s work involved. And I believe it’s work we do well here at UUSE.  For those of you who are new to the congregation and may not be familiar with our Annual Appeal–and as a reminder for those of you who are familiar–this is our largest fundraiser of the year. While we generate some income from building rentals, endowment interest, one-time gifts and fundraisers like the holiday fair and the goods and services auction, the Annual Appeal is our primary source of revenue. Each year in March our Stewardship Committee runs this campaign. We like to connect face-to-face with as many of you as possible to ask directly for your financial pledge to UUSE for the coming year. You have the opportunity to sign up for a pledging potluck, where a small group meets with an Annual Appeal steward. Those who don’t sign up will have the opportunity to meet with a steward one-on-one (please respond promptly to your steward when they reach out to you!) In these meetings, the question is not “How much will you give?”—though we do care about that. The question is “What does this congregation mean to you?” We hope–I hope–UUSE means the world to you, that this is a place where the bonds that bind each to all are not only unveiled for you, but where you have the opportunity to tend to them—to nurture, grow and strengthen them. And in response, we hope–I hope–you will make the most generous financial pledge possible.  I’d like to give a shout-out to our Stewardship Committee members, Patricia Wildes (chair), Phil Sawyer, Stan McMillen, Larry Lunden and Louisa Graver. Thanks to each of you for the work you do on behalf of our congregation! We’re asking for a 4% increase in financial pledging over last year. In short, if everyone who pledged last year increases their pledge by 4% we’ll be doing just fine. Of course, it’s never that easy. Not everyone can increase their pledge, and some may have to reduce their pledge, depending on financial circumstances. Some have died and so we’ve lost some pledges. We always face headwinds. What this means is that, in any year, whatever our target percentage is, our ability to reach it depends on some members and friends increasing their pledge by an even higher percentage. I know the Stewardship Committee is eager for you to understand this. Mindful that almost none of you come to worship on Sunday morning to hear about the congregation’s budget, I nevertheless want to share a few things about it as you contemplate your financial pledge for the coming year. I want you to know how the Policy Board landed on a 4% overall pledge increase, and I want you to know what’s missing from the budget. As a reminder, two years ago our Policy Board and Finance Committee promised that we would present balanced budgets to the congregation and stop the practice of passing deficit budgets and slowly spending down our reserves. We are still committed to that, and the budget we’re proposing for next year balances. But not without some pain. As is always the case, the first draft of the budget was way out of balance because it included everything everyone asked for. The Policy Board had to make some very difficult decisions in order to make it balance. I am proud of the work they did. They are good stewards of the congregation’s precious resources. Though none of us like the decisions, they are necessary. Among them are a reduction to staff professional expenses, a delay in the process of bringing some of the staff salaries up to Unitarian Universalist Association guidelines, a reduction in the dues we pay to the Unitarian Universalist Association, a reduction in the amount we will spend on a cleaning service, and a few other smaller cuts. After these cuts, the budget balances if we can increase pledging by 4%. Still, there’s one glaring omission in all of this, and I would be remiss if I did not talk about it. Two years ago, when we promised to start presenting balanced budgets, we also promised to start growing our building reserve fund. For fifteen years we’ve been inhabiting this rebuilt and expanded building—this beloved, green, accessible, beautiful meeting house. Some maintenance and repairs are already coming due, and over the next ten years we can anticipate considerable building-related expenses. We should have much more in our building reserves than we do. So we had hoped to produce a balanced budget that transfers some of our Annual Appeal funds into our building reserve fund. We’re not able to do that. The budget balances with a 4% increase, but the building fund doesn’t grow unless we do considerably better than 4%. We don’t have to solve this problem in its entirety this year. This is a long-term challenge. The Policy Board is planning to launch a separate end-of-year campaign to invite members and friends to make a special contribution to the building fund. We are also expecting to receive a considerable bequest from the estate of Cliff Pelletier and the Policy Board will recommend that a portion of that money be allocated to the building reserve—though they won’t make that decision without congregational input. And, we know, in future budgets, we have to start paying for our building, as if we still had a mortgage. We cannot leave to those who are coming after us a large bill for deferred maintenance with no money to pay for it. I have complete confidence that we will meet this challenge.  **** The theme for our Annual Appeal is “Strengthen Our Connections.” In contemplating this theme, it kept occurring to me that in a few weeks we will observe the five-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. March 12th is the day many people identify as the day the lockdown officially began. I invite you for a moment to recall that time. What do you remember? On March 12th, 2020—it was a Thursday—I remember our Policy Board and staff made a decision to move everything online. All congregational life, events, programs, ministries: online. Sunday, March 15th was our first online Sunday. I found my order of service from that day. At the top I had written in big red letters: “Reminder: Zoom is not perfect.” There was so much we didn’t know--not only about conducting online worship and online congregational life, not only about all the ways to use technology to enhance the online experience, but about the virus, about how sick people would get, about how many people would die, about how long we would be locked down. I remember two months later, in May of 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Association advised congregations to plan on being locked down for at least a year. We were shocked. We were devastated. There was so much we didn’t know and couldn’t anticipate about the toll the lockdown would take on frontline workers, on teachers and students, on the economy. There was so much we didn’t know and couldn’t anticipate about the politics of masking, social distancing and vaccines. But I remember many conversations with our then Director of Children and Youth Ministry, Gina Campellone, with the rest of our staff–Mary, Jane and Annie–and with our Policy Board and Program Council leaders. We knew there was a lot we didn’t know, but we were crystal clear that our primary mission was to keep people connected . Don’t worry if you can’t run a program online the way you were planning to run it in person at the meeting house, just keep people connected. Don’t worry if the technology isn’t perfect, or if the music doesn’t quite sound right, or if the video doesn’t load properly. Every week we’ll learn a little bit more, we’ll get there, slowly but surely; but for right now, keep people connected. Don’t worry if you can’t implement the elementary school curriculum over Zoom, just keep the kids connected. Unveil the bonds that bind each to all. In my entire career, it has never been more clear to me that that is indeed the central task of the religious community. Unveil the bonds that bind each to all. Nurture those bonds. Grow those bonds. Strengthen those bonds. Keep people connected. Though today we aren’t in the midst of a pandemic lockdown, right now things feel eerily similar to five years ago. There is so much happening in the country and the world that is profoundly unnerving, unsettling, overwhelming, disorienting, frightening, enraging. There is so much confusion about what to take seriously, what is true and what is false, what is bluster and what is a genuine threat, where to focus attention, how to get involved, how to resist. There is so much we don’t know and can’t anticipate about what is coming, about what will be lost, about who will be harmed. There is so much need for ways to stay grounded and centered, rooted and safe. And there is so much need for real relationship, for real, solid, reliable, beloved community. That sense of mission that was so clear to me in the midst of the pandemic lockdown is just as clear to me today: Here at UUSE we need to keep people connected. That is why this congregation matters. On Sunday mornings: stay connected. Those of you in the meeting house, hug each other, hold each other, look each other in the eyes, bear witness to each other’s struggles, anxieties and fears. Those of you online, chat to each other. Let each other know how much you care! In the children and youth ministry: keep people connected. In the classes, in the time for all ages, in the special programs, in the youth group soup fundraiser, in all the ways children and youth are involved, keep them connected. On our many committees and task forces that meet so many different congregational needs and carry out so many congregational ministries: keep people connected. In our small groups and our affinity groups: keep people connected. Never forget what Cliff Pelletier said the day before he died. When asked why the UUSE book group was so important to him, he said ‘because they included me.’ Keep people connected. Through our concerts, the coffee house, the music salon, the holiday choirs and the women’s sacred singing circle: keep people connected. Through our pastoral care ministries, which have been so important in response to the frankly large number of deaths we’ve experienced over the past year: keep people connected. Through our sustainable living and environmental justice ministries: keep people connected. Through our social justice ministries and all our relationships with organizations in the wider community—GHIAA, Connecticut for All, HUSKY for Immigrants, Verplanck Elementary School, the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, Moral Monday CT, Power Up CT: keep people connected. Unveil the bonds that bind each to all. Nurture those bonds. Grow those bonds. Strengthen those bonds. I am so heartened that, over the past six months, and even more so since the election, many new people have started worshipping with us on Sunday mornings, including some families with young children. I am so heartened that seven of you became official members of the congregation in December. Two more joined privately in February. Five more are joining this morning, and two more will join privately on Tuesday—not to mention ten more people who joined during the last congregational year. With each new member, with each friend of the congregation, with each visitor we slowly unveil the bonds that bind each to all. As you contemplate your financial pledge to UUSE for the coming congregational year, know that we’re seeking a 4% increase overall over last year. Know that we’ve had to make some fairly steep cuts but we are proposing a balanced budget. Know that we’re still struggling to put money annually into our building reserve. But most importantly, know that your gift—your heartfelt, generous gift to UUSE—assures us that this congregation will be here in the most difficult times, unveiling the bonds that bind each to all. Know that this congregation will also be here in the good times, the joyful times—all the times of our lives—nurturing, growing and strengthening the bonds that bind each to all. Keeping people connected. That matters immensely. Please pledge generously.  Amen and Blessed be.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude  "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley and the Wailers Kate Howard-Bender, guitar and vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words  "Leaves" By Nicki Giovanni Opening Hymn     #1 “May Nothing Evil Cross This Door” Words by Louis Untermeyer Music by Robert N. Quaile May nothing evil cross this door, and may ill fortune never pry about these windows; may the roar and rain go by. By faith made strong, the rafters will withstand the battering of the storm. This hearth, though all the world grow chill, will keep you warm. Peace shall walk softly through these rooms, touching our lips with holy wine, till every casual corner blooms into a shrine. With laughter drown the raucous shout, and, though these sheltering walls are thin, may they be strong to keep hate out and hold love in. Welcoming New Members Introductions (Membership Committee co-chairs) The Charge (Minister) As you take up membership in the Unitarian Universalist Society East, I charge you to share with us who you are. Share your creativity, your experiences, your questions, your doubts, your beliefs, and all your discoveries of life's meaning. I charge you to shake us up with your ideas, to stir us up with your conscience, to inspire us with your actions, and to stimulate our hopes with your dreams of what life can be. Congregational Welcome (Congregation) We welcome you as companions in the search for truth and meaning. We invite you to share in our mission of caring for one another, encouraging each other in spiritual growth, working for justice and peace in the wider community, and living in harmony with the earth. We join our gifts with yours, trusting in the power of community to bring freedom, healing, and love. New Member Affirmation (New members) We join the Unitarian Universalist Society East out of a desire and willingness to participate in a liberal religious congregation. We pledge to share our time, energy and gifts; to diligently seek our spiritual truths; and to strengthen the bonds of community.  Responsive Hymn “This Meeting House” words adapted from Eugene Sander by Josh Pawelek Music by Jean Sibelius  This meeting house, A place of love and gladness. Where all may meet, to seek the common good. A source of strength, to face each doubt and sadness. Where every dream, is known and understood. This meeting house, ask those who came before, And found themselves, by crossing through its door. Joys and Concerns  Musical Meditation Offering Mindful that March is Women's History Month, the recipient of our community outreach offering is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence and to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors. Offering Music  “Finale” from Suite for Two Pianos by Richard Rodney Bennett Dorothy Bognar, Mary Bopp, pianos Sermon “Strengthening Our Connections: An Annual Appeal Message” Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn #323 “Break Not the Circle”  Music by Fred Kaan Words by Tom Benjamin Break not the circle of enabling love where people grow, forgiven and forgiving; break not that circle, make it wider still, till it includes, embraces all the living. Come, wonder at this love that comes to life, where words of freedom are with humor spoken, and people keep no score of wrong and guilt, but will that human bonds remain unbroken. Join then the movement of the love that frees, till people of whatever race or nation will truly be themselves, stand on their feet, see eye to eye with laughter and elation. Extinguishing the Chalice  Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the Community of Earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music   Welcome and Announcements   Prelude  “All Are Welcome Here” Improvisation by Mary Bopp   Centering   Chalice Lighting   Introduction To Service   Opening Hymn #188 "Come, Come Whoever You Are" Words by Rumi and Music by Noah Anderson   Come, come, whoever you are, wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. Ours is no caravan of despair. Come, yet again come.   Time for All Ages Emmy’s Story, “Wally & Freya”  by Lindsey Pointer "How I Found Inclusion"   by Meadow Bornhorst   Musical Interlude   Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude   Offering   Offertory Music   “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Composed by E. Y. Warburg and Jay Gomey Will Alexson, vocals   A Prayer Against Circle by Rev. Scott Taylor   Musical Interlude   Susan Gabriele’s Reflection   Ellen William’s Reflection   Closing Hymn "Loving Kindness" #1031 in Singing the Journey Words: Traditional Buddhist Meditation Music: Ian W. Riddell   May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be whole. May you be filled … May we be filled …   Extinguishing the Chalice   Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Over the last week of November, a story on social media caught my attention. The Rev. Ben Boswell, the white, senior minister of Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC was abruptly forced to resign from his job after nine years of service. This happened two weeks after he preached a fiery sermon on November 10th decrying the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Full disclosure: I’ve watched the sermon. I think it’s phenomenal. There’s certainly some overlap with the words I preached on November 10th. If I had to compare my post-election sermon to his (note: ministers never compare themselves to other ministers), mine had a more explicit pastoral dimension–i.e., let’s make sure we’re taking care of ourselves, of each other, and of the most vulnerable–while Boswell’s sermon is a clarion call to action. About the election he says, “don’t let it cause you despair, let it mobilize you.” He borrows language from the German Lutheran pastor-theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who, in response to the rise of Nazism in the 1930s, famously said the church is called “ not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to jam a spoke in the wheel itself.” [Check out here and here for further reporting on and responses to Rev. Boswell's resignation.] Boswell’s post-election sermon wasn’t the reason he was forced to resign, though it may have been the proverbial straw. Behind the scenes, the Board of Deacons was concerned that the church was losing members and money. Weekly attendance had plunged from 350 to 150 people over the last decade. They talked about needing more butts in the seats, and contended that Rev. Boswell well-focused on racial and social justice, but not on tending to the entire church community (an argument he disputes). I had forgotten about the story, but then two weeks ago National Public Radio reported it . Many of you heard the NPR story. I know this because five or six of you sent me the link to it. You send me links to articles and books all the time, but it’s rare that five or six of you send the same link at the same time. Interestingly, nobody said why they were sending it. What should your minister think when a statistically significant number of congregants sends the link to an article about another minister losing his job for saying and doing things similar to what your minister often says and does? Just wondering. The NPR piece identifies a dynamic among some white Myers Park members that is present, though expressed very differently, in our congregation; in Unitarian Universalist congregations more generally; and I suspect in virtually all historically white mainline Protestant Denominations and even some more conservative or evangelical denominations; not to mention in k-12 education, in colleges and universities, in businesses large and small, in health care, throughout the nonprofit world, in community groups–I see it every week in letters to the editor in the Glastonbury Citizen and other local newspapers. This dynamic echoes the larger, national debate over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, especially in liberal or left-leaning institutions and schools. Given the Trump administration’s rapid dismantling of federal DEI programming, it seems like a good moment to look more closely at this dynamic.  The NPR piece is entitled “Pastor pushed out after parishioners complain about focus on racial justice.” The reporter interviews members of the congregation. There’s a mix of views. Some love Rev. Boswell’s focus on racial justice and say they feel betrayed by the Deacons’ action. But one of the Deacons who voted for Boswell’s resignation paraphrased what he said he kept hearing from disgruntled church members. It boils down to this: "I am tired of being indicted because I am white.” (There are also references to too much focus on GLBTQ and immigrations issues.) Our ministry theme for February is inclusivity.  Last Sunday I shared some of the history of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s efforts since its founding in 1961 to continually transform itself into a more inclusive faith–inclusive of women in leadership, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary and queer people, people with disabilities, people of non-European cultural and ethnic heritage, poor people, immigrants, refugees, etc. I also said it’s no secret that “over the last decade, the Unitarian Universalist Association–its staff and volunteer leadership, many of the clergy (myself included) and the General Assembly–have been exploring and articulating in earnest the ways in which current UU culture and institutional structures actually limit our inclusivity…. Now things are changing. Certainly the new Article 2 of the UUA bylaws emerged, at least in part, in response to this desire to address those institutional structures and aspects of our culture that work against greater inclusivity. And as things change, inevitably some feel alienated. Certainly some, if not many members and friends of this congregation have felt alienated by trends in the larger world of the Unitarian Universalist Association these past few years.”  This alienation is multifaceted and complex, but one strand of it aligns with the sentiment expressed by the Myers Park Deacon: “I am tired of being indicted because I am white.” As far as I know, nobody here has said they feel “indicted,” but people have expressed a variety of related sentiments: If I say the wrong thing, if I do the wrong thing, if I disagree with or criticize a recommended approach to addressing racism–especially if I criticize the UUA’s approaches–or if I don’t follow the new Article 2’s covenantal language around dismantling racism, then I’m called a racist.  I’ve heard many versions of this concern expressed over the past two years. I’ve heard it at our many forums on Article 2 prior to last summer’s General Assembly vote. I heard it during the discernment process last fall. I’ve heard it in conversations about the meaning of terms in the UUA’s new bylaw Article 2 like covenant, accountability, pluralism and even the notion of love at the center. I want to be clear: I hear this concern. I hear the sense of alienation that some express. I take it seriously. And I affirm: it is an understandable reason to feel alienated.  I am also confident there is a pathway for us as a congregation to honor that sense of alienation–because it is real–while simultaneously continuing the long, slow, faithful work of building antiracist, multicultural, beloved community here at UUSE. I’m confident in part because this week our UUA Discernment Task Force released its final report to the congregation. [For those who are unfamiliar with the Task Force, their goal is to aid our congregation in determining what our institutional relationship to the Unitarian Universalist Association ought to be.] I want to draw your attention to the report’s fifth recommendation. The Task Force writes: “The UUA efforts around anti-racism were a key concern during the [Article 2] process. This indicates we could benefit from a series of conversations around approaches to anti-racism and our UU history of anti-racism activities.” I hope that, whatever form these conversations ultimately take, we’ll have robust participation.  For the sake of balance–and for the sake of inclusion of non-majority voices and feelings–there was another really important quote near the end of the NPR piece.  A black member of the congregation talks about how important Rev. Boswell’s ministry was to him, how Rev. Boswell “created a wonderful, welcoming community.” Now this member feels betrayed. The reporter asked him about “the fact that some white congregants said they felt beaten down by Boswell's continued emphasis on social and racial justice.” He responded that “as a Black man he [feels] beaten down every day.” There’s a critical distinction here which I don’t want us to ignore, in part because our efforts to grow as an inclusive congregation hinge on us understanding it. In my work as an anti-racism educator and organizer with the UUA in the late 90s and early 2000s, and as an antiracism consultant to congregations, UUA committees and seminaries over the ensuing years, and in the many conversations on race and racism we’ve had here over the years, I have always tried to be attentive and sensitive to the difficulties many white people– myself included–experience in these conversations, especially when we are asked to look closely at ourselves, at the ways we’ve been  socialized, and at the various privileges whiteness offers. I’ve not always succeeded at that, but it’s been my approach. One of my supervisors at the UUA referred to me as the ‘soft sell,’ meaning I didn’t indict people or beat them down for being white. I just tried gently, softly, kindly but persistently to bring people along to a fuller understanding of the power of race and racism over their lives. This is still true.  But regardless of that, always front and center in my mind and in my approach as a trainer, consultant, pastor and organizer was and is the recognition that the discomfort white people feel when participating in these conversations simply does not equate to the experience of living in the United States of America as a person of color. This is not to say that all white people have it easy. They don’t; and in my assessment, the failure of liberals, progressives and the Democratic Party to take the economic struggles of white communities seriously is one of the reasons Donald Trump was elected president. But that doesn’t erase this country’s history and continuing legacies of racism, white supremacy and settler colonialism. I have full confidence that as a congregation you recognize this distinction. And that’s why I believe there is a pathway for us to continue the long, slow, faithful work of building antiracist, multicultural, beloved community. Yes, it’s important to acknowledge that in some instances in Unitarian Universalist settings, people have been called out for racism in unhelpful ways. Yes, there have been instances of unskillful training, lousy pedagogy, over-generalizations, historical inaccuracies, and rhetoric replacing keen analysis in UU settings. Yes, there have been unskillful uses of certain resources such as Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility or the “Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture,” originally created by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun. For that matter, yes, there have been unskillful explanations and uses of the term ‘white supremacy culture’ such that UUs feel our congregations are being equated with  the KKK and similar  organizations. I assure you that isn’t happening, but no wonder some feel alienated.  Yes to all of that, and we cannot forget that the discomfort white people feel when participating in these conversations simply does not equate to the experience of living in the United States of America as a person of color.  There are many paths to greater inclusivity. I want to speak briefly about one of the paths that has been central to my ministry. I have made it my practice as a white minister serving a mostly white congregation–which I deeply love–to listen and respond–as best as I can–to the stories people of color tell about their experiences, whether here at UUSE or out in the wider community. I have made it my practice to listen and respond to people of color’s vision for what antiracist, multicultural beloved community looks and feels like here and in the wider community. And I have made it my practice to listen for the opportunities to engage in people of color’s justice struggles. So, when the African American and Black Affairs Council or the Manchester Latino Affairs Council asks for our support, I do everything in my power to be supportive, and I invite you to join in that support. When Power Up CT asks for our support; when Moral Monday CT asks for our support; when Dr. Kearney who directs the Department for Race and Equity at Manchester Public Schools asks for our support; when the HUSKY for Immigrants Campaign asks for our support; when Hartford Deportation Defense asks for our support; when opportunities to support immigrant families come to our attention; when the national UU people of color organizations, like Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries ask for our support: we have a history of responding with support as best we can. We have a history of joining in solidarity with these various efforts.  I’m really proud of this history. I have faith that over the long-run, this practice of listening, responding, and working in solidarity is one of many roads to a more inclusive faith community. My sincere hope is that we will explore all the roads–all the methods and approaches–to building an inclusive faith; that we will figure out which ones work best for us; and then, together, continue this journey of inclusivity or, as Unitarian Universalists used to say in the early years of my ministry, this Journey Toward Wholeness. Amen and blessed be.