The Hardy Boys

One of the great pleasures of being a member of First Church is getting to know Dick Bozian and Pete Rizzo. Dick and Pete embody the passion and commitment of our church. And they lived up to their reputation while at GA by attending every session they could absorbing all that GA had to offer. This picture was taken around 10:30 Saturday night after the Service of the Living Tradition and they both were still going strong. That's why I think of them as the "Hardy Boys".

Usher Extraordinaire

Not only did Jody Johnson and his family attend GA, but he volunteered to help during Plenary and Worship.  Way to go Jody!

Distinguished Couple

Outside of Plenary Hall. Looks like Adam is ready for another day of library research!! 

Thurs with Wendell Berry

This is what a  UU Witness looks like. 2000 UUers on the Louisville waterfront as we are asked to consider our own complicity in the destruction of our region's environment. 

It Was the Worst of Times

I picked my son up from camp today and he told me that his stomach hurts.  That is odd for him and so I asked why.  He told me that as part of camp they went to visit the trash room at the convention center to look at all the debris and thank the workers.  He said to me "And we had to go to the library and research mountain top removal.  I am eleven and this is summer."   I could make a comedy routine out of this and other UU misfires.

Sometimes we UU's worry so much about being good or right (think our Puritan heritage) that we forget about the human (or even child) experience.  Not everyone wants to look at piles of trash.  I don't.   And even as I write I feel compassion for his teacher who is spending her week trying, I am sure, to create something meaningful for all these children.  Most of us are just doing the best we can.

I was speaking with a colleague today who said to me that we UU's lack a "theology of paradox."  We want to run towards "right" or "wrong" without reflecting, listening, pausing, and even oddly, living with difference.  I like good boundaries and we need rules, but I lean into paradox because it is what I see all around me.  I contributed to the carbon offset fund prior to my arrival here, and then I drove my car, spewing fossil fuel remains, all the way to Louisville.

In Love and Faith
Sharon

It Was the Best of Times,

Look at these smiling First Churchers!  They are the best of GA.  There is Barb Rider and Pete Rizzo outside of the Plenary Hall.  Below we have Dan Schneider, Morita Marmo, Carol Lloyd, Barb and Ed Rider (and you can't see Linda Miltner, Linnea Lose, or Lois Gish) at Plenary this morning.  Plenary is where we do the business of the association - reports, elections, introductions.   There is ALOT of plenary this year because we missed so much in Phoenix last year doing public witness.  

Much ADough About Nothing

There were some confused looks among us during Wednesday's usher orientation.  We had just been given the procedure for assisting with communion slated to happen during Thursday morning's worship service.

The scene painted in our minds was one of baskets of bread weaving in and out of rows; some vegetarian, some vegan, and some gluten free.  It was our order to maintain order among this disjointed serpentine assembly line of bread choices. 

While attempting to play out in my mind how this was going to work, I quickly realized it simply want going to.  Someone remarked, "...we've never done this before."  I don't think anyone really needed to state the obvious.

As it turned out, Thursday morning's worship service was so lightly attended that we could have nearly given personal communion.  I had one person in my section and he contained his laughter behind a smirk when I asked if he would like some bread. 

However, there were other sections with more people in them and I am sure there were more people to take communion than I realize.  I am sure those people were appreciative of our attempt to do what "we have never done."  This made it worthwhile. 

I became a UU so I could comfortably believe and worship the way I wish.  I sometimes forget that others did too.  I sometimes forget that other UU churches work differently than mine. 

But, I do wonder what happened to all that extra bread.