Members and friends,

We welcomed the first stirrings of spring in our Imbolc celebration on Sunday and I have been carrying with me the message that new life is stirring. It has been cold, but I’ve begun to notice birdsong, a different quality to the sunshine… Perhaps it’s a real shift or perhaps a shift in what I’m noticing because I am more aware. Either way, it is welcome. 

I continue to be involved this week in community efforts to respond to the ICE surge, which has, at this point, slowed down dramatically. The impacts these past weeks have had on our Maine community will ripple out for a long time. Many are still afraid, though it seems much safer to be out in the world. We don’t know what the future holds but for now, many are taking a breath. If you are grappling with the question of what’s next? I invite you to sign up for No ICE for ME’s Community Skillshare this Saturday. More information here. 

One of the big learnings I have taken away from these past weeks of organizing and responding out in the community is the importance of collaboration and relationships. The deep relationships clergy in southern Maine have been cultivating with one another and with secular community partners have been what’s given us the ability to respond to our neighbors needs quickly. 

So in the spirit of building relationships, this Sunday brings a pulpit swap with another congregation! Rev. Sara Bartlett, Minister at the Congregational Church in Norway, ME, will lead worship at A2U2 and I will lead worship up in Norway. Rev. Sara’s sermon will explore the shared Unitarian and Congregational roots in the Salem witch trials. We have so much to learn from our history. 

I will miss you, of course, but return the following Sunday for a service diving into the particular love shared between friends and what it has to offer our lives. That Sunday, February 15th, I invite you to think about which FRIEND you might invite to worship with you who hasn’t joined us before or for a long while. 

And until then, I look forward to bumping into you on the streets, in the hallway, or over email. 

In faith,

Rev. Tara