From The Newsletter

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

As we have been engaging more intently in discussions about how we might “choose to bless the world” and engage in social justice work, I keep thinking of a pair of congregants from the church where I served as an intern. At Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul, a volunteer always maintained a presence at the front desk. One of those volunteers was a 91 year old retired law professor and ex-navy commander, with a piercing intellect and dignified presence, that we will call Henry. The year before I came to the church, Henry’s wife took ill with kidney disease and had to move into an assisted living facility. This was a difficult transition for Henry, though I understand he bore it with characteristic reserve. During coffee hour one morning he remarked to another congregant, a man with two young kids who worked for public radio that we’ll call Ben, that one of the hard things about living alone was wondering if anyone would know if something happened to him. Ben, who did not know Henry well, asked, “Would you like me to call you in the morning?” at which point Henry did not say “No.” And so the next morning Ben called, just to say, “Good morning.” And so it went for every day after that. Some days Ben would just say, “Good morning,” and Henry would say, “Have a good day.” Other days their conversations were a little longer. It had gotten to the point where Ben’s kids would remind him, “Did you call Henry today?” As I was leaving the church, Ben and Henry had shared this practice for two years without missing a day.

I have been thinking about Ben and Henry for a couple of reasons. First, this act of service, of blessing the world, came out of Henry venturing to share his real concerns to a member of his community. He may not have thought about it this way, but in doing so he was blessing Ben with the opportunity to care for someone and to build relationship. Second, this blessing came out of Ben hearing Henry. One of the most important aspects of social justice and service is listening, being attentive to where the need lies. Third, this became, for Ben, a spiritual practice. It wasn’t long before it was so integrated into his days, that he did not think about it as doing something for Henry, but as a part of what made his days feel whole. For Henry, it expanded his understanding of his support system, soothed his loneliness, and repositioned the church in
his heart as a part of his family.

This is social justice work as much as marching on Washington is. Granted we should still advocate for compassionate systems for caring for our elders. We should pay close attention to support systems like Medicare and Social Security. However, we should not dismiss the tremendous blessing that is brought upon people when they engage on a more intimate level in co-creating the world in which they want to live. As we approach our discussions about social justice and let ourselves think big about what is possible when we pool our energy, let us also maintain reverence for the smaller gestures we daily make in the name of building a more compassionate and connected world. In doing so, we are, in some ways, letting ourselves live in that world as we are creating it.

Faithfully,
Katie

Worship And Other Events In March

March 1: (10:00 a.m.) “The Relevance Of Church And Bowling”
March 4: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at Pike's Peak Mining Company.
March 5: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at 6 Bird Street, Foxborough, MA.
March 8: (10:00 a.m.) “The Problem With Tolerance”
March 8: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church.
March 9: (7:00 p.m.) Women's Group Meeting.
March 15: (10:00 a.m.) “This I Believe”
March 22: (10:00 a.m.) “The Possibility Of Peace”
March 29: (10:00 a.m.) Intergenerational Passover Seder