My Dear Ones,
The sky is bright blue, the air is crisp, and the leaves on the trees are bright orange, yellow, and red. At this time of year, I like to sing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Not with the kids jingle bellin’, but with nature getting ready to take its long winter nap. I love Autumn. It’s the start of the school year, the start of the program year, and it’s close enough to Christmas that I can be excited without being overwhelmed (I think I am more of a theoretical Christmas fan, ha).
However this year, I am a wee bit discombobulated. With our fellowship move and my house move, both my professional and personal lives are still mostly in boxes. Affecting me more than these physical transitions is the presidential transition we and our fellow Americans are deciding in the days until Tuesday, November 5.
I took Matt to vote in his first election on Wednesday at Montgomery County’s early voting. Because Ohio legislators and government officials don’t want voters to vote, there is only one early voting location in the Dayton area’s biggest county. In one of Chicago’s *smallest* counties, there are 24 early voting locations. Therefore, at the Montgomery County Board of Elections, there was a block-long line of cars waiting to get into the parking garage. It gave me shivers because it is such an amazing thing– even when they put up hurdles, Ohioans will not be stopped from voting.
One of my favorite colleagues, Rev. Terry Williams from Faith Choice Ohio, compared the days ahead of the election to awaiting a biopsy report to see how sick our nation is. Regardless of who wins the presidential election, we know we still have a lot of work to do and always will. As Ella’s song reminds us, “We who believe in freedom cannot rest” (by Bernice Johnson Reagon, originally recorded by Sweet Honey In The Rock).
And because we cannot rest until freedom comes for all, we must be gentle with ourselves and with one another. The work of justice is the work of lifetimes, (plural, not singular). We are part of a long line of stubborn people who refused to accept the world as it was and built collective hope and change through their actions. Not only are we connected to these spiritual ancestors, we’re connected to thousands of Unitarian Universalists and other religious and secular people who are working right now to defend democracy and create a table that feeds us all enough to grow, laugh, and feel joy.
On the night after the election, I will be hosting a Post-Election Circle on Zoom. We will gather together for readings, sharing, and deep listening. On the following Sunday (11/10), our service will focus on spiritual and somatic centering. These will be opportunities for us to draw on strength from our ancestors, community, and ourselves. We must pace ourselves for the chaos that will most likely come in the months ahead, regardless of who wins the presidential election. We must remember that we’re not alone. History is made every day by people just like us.
With all the change our congregation has gone through in the last year AND all the change that we are facing as a country, deregulation (anxiety) is to be expected right now. If you would like support outside of these gatherings, please contact me or one of our Pastoral Care Associates:
Rev. Kellie minister@mvuuf.org
Mike Fanelli fanellimike@aol.com
Allie Peterson allieoop777@yahoo.com
Steve Steel steel.steven@yahoo.com
Maury Wyckoff mauryw651@gmail.com
Amidst so much change, I continue to be grateful for the constancy of MVUUF. MVUUF was never a building to me– it was and is each of you, my Dear Ones. As Brandi Carlile sings, “Wherever Is Your Heart I call Home.”
I pray for your health, growth, and flourishing.
With love and gratitude,
Kellie