Dear church –

Blessings to you on this summery Thursday.

It was a joy to celebrate Pride together in worship last Sunday… to remember the first brick that started the Stonewall Riot of 1969, reflect on the tearing down of unjust systems and structures, and imagine the world we can build together, brick-by-brick, when we put our minds and hearts together.

My heart breaks and anxiety rises as I watch footage from what is happening in Los Angeles… not the world I am dreaming of. I remember the wise words of MLK in a 1966 interview in which he reminds us that “we’ve got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard.” In the face of passionate protest, huge feelings, outrage at the deportation of our neighbors without due process, we see our country turn military against its own people.

How to carry on when the systems are so broken and the pain is so immense?

By doing the next loving thing. Staying in the present. Refusing to compromise your values. Moving at the speed of relationship. Keep doing what you’re doing. Join us at the No Kings Day rally on Saturday afternoon. Stop by church and check out our mural from last Sunday… each brick has words conjuring up a healthier, more just world and how we’ll participate in bringing it about. Each brick is hope.

And join us this Sunday! We’ll weave our way through the story of Norbert and Maja Čapek, founders of the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia and the Unitarian Flower Communion ritual before Norbert’s death in a Nazi prison camp in 1941. It’s a powerful story that links us to 200+ years of Unitarian ancestors, reminding us to celebrate freedom, individuality, and diversity regardless of outside circumstances. The service is designed for all-ages and we will also celebrate the dedication of 6 of our A2U2 children! The story is tender and this service is always a beautiful celebration of our community.

Please bring a flower (or a whole bunch in case some people forget!) for the flower ritual. And cash or a check if you’d like to buy one of the beautiful signs pictured above, designed by Ellen Rockett and Erika Hewitt, which progressive people of faith across denominations in southern Maine are displaying in front of their congregations and homes as a sign of unity ($15, made out to Julie Harrison).

We make our way together, friends. And I am glad that “we” includes you. Keep carrying the flame.

In faith,

Rev. Tara