September’s Theme: Faith

September is an exciting month! I can still remember going shopping with my mother, for new sneakers, before the school year started. Each year, I could choose, either red or blue shoes. Because my granddaughter Joey is starting school for the very first time, I wrote a limerick for her. Here it is.

There once was a little girl who

Had blonde curly hair and who knew

That hugs show we care

It’s better to share

She loved all her cats as they grew.

She lived near a big rock named Beacon

And back in her yard had some chickens

She ran oh so fast

Was seldom the last

And gave the best hugs in the region.

There’s only one Joey I know

Who always is ready to go

To Disney, the beach

A playground, the creek

She’s brave and she’s kind, through and through.

Now Joey has taught me to try

Even times when I cannot see why

She says yes you can

There might be a way

I try yet again and we play.

I know you’ll agree she’s the best

She’s different from all of the rest

Only one like her

In all of the world

When you meet her, you will be impressed!

I had so much fun writing this, that I wrote a limerick for us too. As more and more people come to check us out, and decide to stay, your board members - past and present - are asking themselves and each other, “What is our call, at this time, in this place?”

We will want and need to hear from you, so please stay tuned!

Whether you will buy new shoes or not - you can ponder this limerick, which I hope will put a smile on your face, as you dream about our collective future.

There once was a Fellowship that

Met weekly, for years, as they sat

In homes and in halls

Some large and some small

They always had faith in the facts.

The facts they considered were few

It matters to hear points of view

‘Tis good to be kind

And to change one’s mind

We really don’t need any pews.

Now many years later they see

How good free religion can be

A wide open tent

A liberal bent

Plur’listic tradition are we.

It’s time to start dreaming again

‘bout what, why and where, even when

We’ve so many gifts

We’re here to uplift

So share what you see with a friend!

I look forward to seeing you in September, as this new Fellowship year begins. Each Sunday is distinct and all our Sundays in September are Fun for Families! Cypress Knight, our new Coordinator of Religious Exploration, will be with us every Sunday, ready with a creative and engaging lesson for children of all ages. On the 6th, we will have our annual singalong, so bring your voices and your courage - they’re all you’ll need. On the 13th, everyone is invited to stay upstairs for a story, a water communion ritual and some sharing, as we honor the power and importance of water in our lives. And finally, on the 20th, I return to launch the year with the 4th in our 4-part series on our faith tradition. We’ve talked about being humanists, Universalists, Unitarians and we will complete our series talking about what it means to be Unitarian Universalists!

With Love Beyond Belief,

Rev. Barbara Prose