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My First Column — Welcome Back!!
     Sun 21 Sep 2008 12:00am
I’m honored and thrilled to be writing my first column for  our newsletter! Welcome back to another incredible year  at First Parish!!   

We officially started the year with our annual “ingathering  water service”. As I processed through the congregation  and then sat up front, I was very nervous. I thought, “Will  this community like me? How will I ever follow in the  footsteps of their many well-loved religious educators?”  Before these fears could get me too distracted, I looked  out into the sanctuary. Right in front of me sat some of  our youth. I looked at them and they smiled at me. I  smiled back and one of them made a silly face that  almost made me laugh out loud. And that was exactly  when I “knew” that I’d be just fine! Maybe even really  good!!  

These youth and the many friendly people I met after the  worship service reminded me of one of my guiding work  principles ... that most people come to church for  “connection”. They have other goals and interests, but  “connection with people and families who have similar  values” is often the #1 reason. It’s important to  remember this in all that we do at First Parish.   

I went to the district’s workshop on Hospitality (in August  with a First Parish team) and this was one theme they  highlighted. We learned of Malidome Some who is  sharing inspiring messages about the “life philosophies”  of his village in West Africa ... Community is the flower  of belonging. We each have a purpose and we are  drawn into community to serve one another and the  world.   

The next day, I attended our summer worship service led  by Dawn and Sarah Jun Shilts and was likewise  impressed in countless ways. One message shared was  inspired by Malidome. What is our one beautiful gift we  are going to share? We meditated on that and then  brought our gifts symbolically together as a whole in the  form of a puzzle frame. Our children can fill in the puzzle  illustrating the gifts they want to share. The most  amazing thing is that the “community” puzzle reminds us  that we create a magical synergy together as our  collaborative and collective whole is more powerful and  special than what any one of us can do alone. I have a  wonderful feeling that this “synergy of our gifts” theme  will revisit us many times this year as we come together  to connect, worship, seek, explore, work, and act.

• Loving blessings,   
  
• Roberta 
  

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