May 27, 2020
Beloveds,
“We meet dozens of people, have so many conversations, [look at hundreds of posts]. We do not feel how much energy we spend on each activity, because we imagine we will always have more energy at our disposal. This one little conversation. This one little extra phone call, this one quick meeting, what can it cost?…..But it does cost…..it drains yet another drop of our life. Then, at the end of days, weeks, months, years, we collapse, we burn out, and cannot see where it happened. It happened in a thousand unconscious events, tasks and responsibilities that seemed easy and harmless on the surface, but that each one after the other used a small portion of our precious life. And so, we are given a commandment, which is actually a gift: ‘Remember the Sabbath’”.
—Wayne Muller
The BVUUF COVID-19 Response Team took a well deserved break from our weekly meetings this week. If you are the type (like me) who equates worthiness with productivity and who is increasingly glued to the latest notifications about the progress of COVID-19, I highly recommend giving yourself a break. Take a few deep breaths and allow for some fallow time, as all of creation needs fallow time to survive.
The governor is holding his phone call with faith leaders Thursday afternoon, so I should hear more then about how the spread or decline of the virus is impacting congregations. I’ll make sure it is communicated to you on Sunday or before. Until we hear otherwise, we’ll be following State Safer at Home Orders for our Fellowship meetings and activities. Here’s local information for Boulder, Broomfield and Weld Counties as well.
I also have been hearing more about uncertainty in your financial lives as the economy continues to be rocked by the virus. Please do feel free to contact me, as I do have resources, generously donated from members of the congregation over many years, to support members of the congregation in financial distress. Interfaith Alliance has developed an extensive list of community resources for those impacted by COVID-19.
As the days get more beautiful with the fecundity of Spring, do remember that it is the fallow time of winter that enables the plant to blossom. Take time yourself now in these glorious days — an hour a day, a day a week, a few days a month . . . to replenish yourself by unplugging and just relaxing.
Office Hours
Since I don’t get to check in with you when you pop over to the Fellowship, I’m holding weekly Zoom Office hours — they are a time to just chat, or stop in and share whatever is going on with you. If more than one person stops in, I’ll manage the flow of people and conversations. Feel free to hop onto my Zoom room on:
- Thursday, May 28, 12:30-2 p.m.
- Thursday, June 4, 9-10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 10, 7-8:30 pm
- Thursday, June 18, 12-1:30
I will be attending virtual UU Ministers Association and General Assembly the week of June 22-28. Then back again in the beginning of July, before taking a break later in July.
Our Community
Our BVUUF calendar is chock full of activities for folks to do virtually. And, in anticipation of further opening of restrictions, we are exploring activities we can do outside of the Fellowship, and creating protocols for the use of the bathrooms in the Fellowship.
It’s not too late to apply to be a service associate for the 2020-21. Service Associates serve for up to two years (September to August), then take a break for at least a year to allow for others to join in. We meet monthly as a whole group to reflect upon the themes together, then individual service associates work with me or another service associate to develop each Sunday. If you like to think creatively with a team and delve into topics, give this a try. There’s ample support and training! Click here to apply: Service Associate Application The Worship and the Arts Council will meet in early June to look at the mix of folks we have so we can ensure they are representative of our congregation.
Impacts on the Building
We now have a temporary certificate of occupancy (CO)! We are awaiting news about a small item that needs adjustment, but hope to get a permanent CO soon. In the meantime, we are looking for folks to help out moving back into the building. We’ll be following protocols all along the way. If you are not in a vulnerable population, and have some time on your hands, please sign up here, and we’ll let you know when we’ve developed a schedule for moving.
As we wait for our building to be more fully utilized, I’m exploring other uses of the building that can help us realize the ‘outer focus’ of our vision. I’m contacting city and county officials, local non-profits, and others to see if our space can be helpful to someone during these days of COVID-19. I’ll keep you posted!